’What is it, Assistant? Whenever you call me that, it’s never good news.’
’It’s about that man’s wish.’
’Ah, the one who asked to be reincarnated into the same world as his other half, in exchange for his life? I had him work quite a bit for me in those dreams, so I went all out–made him a prince, and his other half the son of a powerful noble. They were born safely just the other day…’
’Yes. About that. You got the gender wrong.’
’…Huh?’
’I’m saying the gender is wrong. The other half is the man’s wife. A woman.’
’What?! Damn. Since you said ‘other half,’ I got careless. I’ll have to recall the soul and reincarnate it again as a girl. The memories… well, they’ll come back eventually.’
We were classmates in middle school.
We ended up in the same class in our third year. That was the first time I ever spoke to her.
It was a rural school–a massive one that gathered students from three area elementary schools. At the time, there were nine classes of forty students each. I might have graduated never even knowing her face, but I did know her name. She was the ace of the swim team, frequently placing in competitions, and she was often honored at morning assemblies.
Seeing her up close for the first time, I felt like I’d been shot through the chest.
It was love at first sight.
The first thing that came out of my mouth was: ‘You’re going to fall for me.’ Even I knew how ridiculous that sounded.
Her eyes went wide with surprise. ‘I dunno about that,’ she said, laughing awkwardly. ‘I’m already seeing someone.’ And just like that, my first love shattered into pieces.
After that, we spent the year as just classmates. When middle school ended, we went to different high schools.
The next time I saw her was in the summer of our third year of high school. She’d broken up with the guy she’d been dating and was single.
I kept at it, and eventually we started going out. We got married after graduating from college.
After we were married, I asked her out of curiosity: what had been her first impression of me? She giggled and said, ‘I thought you were weird.’
When I pouted a little, she hurriedly added, ‘But I was happy too. I liked you right from the start. Weird, right?’
We had a son. When he came of age, we took a trip overseas.
We rented a car and toured the sights–it was fun. And then, in an instant, everything was destroyed. A car ran a red light and slammed into the intersection–right into the passenger side where she was sitting…
’Shu… are you oka…’
Those were her last words.
I screamed and prayed. To God, to the creator of all things–it didn’t matter. I just prayed.
’Saki is my other half. Please… please, let me be born in the same world as her next time. I’ll pay with the rest of my life.’
Someone answered my gut-wrenching, desperate cry.
Something about repaying me for the work I’d done in his dreams, or that if he rejected a wish paid for with a life, I’d turn into the worst demon in history–I didn’t care about the details.
My wish was granted. I died still holding Saki’s warm hand–and was reborn as the prince of the Kingdom of Rendel.
Starting over as a baby at forty-three was honestly exhausting.
My consciousness was still that of a middle-aged man, but all I could actually do was cry. My body wouldn’t obey me–I couldn’t even roll over.
Even as I grew a little older, the words in my head wouldn’t come out of my mouth. It was an adult mind trapped in a child’s body. It was frustrating beyond belief, but I guess there was some kind of stopper in place.
Having my past-life memories turned out to be an enormous advantage.
Children don’t understand why adults push them to study. So they only pursue what’s fun and interesting.
But I’d already been through all that. I used my flexible young brain and growing physical abilities to polish myself–making sure that when I met her again, I’d be ready to claim her for certain.
At the same time, I grew accustomed to this world–including my position as a prince.
I came to understand that my duty wasn’t just to fulfill my personal wish–to be with her again–but also to serve this country and its people as a prince.
More and more people became important to me in this world, and I think that became a big part of it too.
Especially my younger brother. I’d never had siblings in my past life, so the way he clung to me was just unbearably adorable. Honestly, it almost felt like I was raising a son all over again. Not that I’d claim there was no ulterior motive whatsoever.
Nobles hoping that, maybe, just maybe, one of their daughters could become the prince’s consort began arriving at the palace with their girls in tow.
She wasn’t among them.
I was fourteen–the age when we’d met in our past life. My hopes were thoroughly dashed. That year, I still couldn’t find her.
Maybe she’d been reincarnated as a commoner.
So I started accompanying every inspection I could, and I made discreet trips through the city. Still, I couldn’t find her.
We were the same age. Allowing for a year or two margin of error either way, I could narrow things down. I never expected the search to be this difficult.
I began to consider the possibility that she’d been born in another country. The difficulty would spike, but I had no intention of giving up.
Given the class system, the smart approach was to work through the royal and noble ranks first. While continuing my search within the kingdom, I turned my attention first to our neighboring country, the Shium Kingdom.
Things started moving when I was seventeen.
I received a confidential inquiry from the Shium Kingdom about a possible engagement with Princess Aliya.
Princess Aliya was the first princess of Shium, and in that kingdom–where succession went to the eldest child regardless of gender–she was first in line for the throne.
She was a successor who would one day carry her nation on her shoulders, so I found the proposal puzzling. As I tilted my head in confusion, Princess Aliya herself requested a meeting to explain her circumstances.
To put it bluntly: what she wanted was a temporary, fake engagement.
Princess Aliya had a powerful enemy, and she was proposing a deal–disguised as an engagement–to eliminate that threat.
Despite the high-stakes nature of the matter–touching on succession to the throne–she was remarkably frank, explaining her situation in considerable detail.
Princess Aliya’s mother had been the official queen consort, but she had recently passed away.
According to Aliya, her mother had died in her daughter’s place–as a substitute. The second consort, who had since become queen, wanted her own biological child on the throne. She was the prime suspect, but they had yet to gather enough evidence to prove it.
Even with her mother gone, Aliya’s place in the succession remained unchanged. She was still in constant danger of assassination.
So to camouflage herself as someone with little interest in the throne, she decided to get engaged to a foreign crown prince–even though she was still the heir.
What Aliya was asking me was this: would I play along with a fake engagement, to help her protect her life and avenge her mother’s death?
The arrangement would last four years at most–until her younger sister came of age and the succession issue became more urgent. By then, she intended to settle things.
Shium’s king had reportedly told her: ‘If you want to eliminate the second consort, one of the kingdom’s most powerful nobles, prove that she murdered the queen. That will serve as your foundation when you stand as queen yourself.’ And if Aliya secured a fake engagement, he would approve it.
The compensation she offered was all contingent on her ascending the throne–basically, a promise of future payback. For the current Shium king, there was likely no downside.
Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder: were their family relations even okay?
But the proposal was also convenient for me, since I was looking for her within Shium.
There was one more reason I was enthusiastic about it: I felt a kinship with Princess Aliya.
The fire in Aliya’s eyes–her burning desire for revenge. That fierce gleam felt identical to the murderous rage I’d felt toward the bastard who killed her.
There was one thing I’d left unfinished in my past life–revenge. I’d never gotten to take it. Watching her felt like looking at my past self. In a way, you could say I was bound to her by that.
I’d already made up my mind to accept the deal. But there was one last thing I wanted to ask.
’Why did you choose me? And more importantly, didn’t it ever occur to you that I might exploit this information?’
Princess Aliya answered without hesitation.
’Our countries have a friendly relationship. Your kingdom has little interest in territorial expansion, and you, Crown Prince, have no one you’ve pledged your future to. Besides… I’ve heard you prefer men. When I achieve my goal, I’ll become queen, and I’d like to find a spouse within my own country. So I need someone who will reliably break off the engagement. That makes you the ideal partner.’
Where did she hear that wild rumor?
I started to say that–but then I remembered, and found my answer.
I’d sabotaged every matchmaking meeting. Every single one. From noble daughters within the kingdom to princesses from other nations.
I spent all my time at the magic corps–where, yes, I frequently engaged in hand-to-hand combat with burly men.
On top of that, I considered social events a waste of time and attended only the bare minimum–and even then, I avoided dancing except when it was strictly required.
And if word of this had already leaked, that was a serious problem… but I’d also thrown out my intimacy tutor and still hadn’t so much as dabbled in affairs.
’I believe Your Highness will agree to this arrangement. All those noble ladies vying to be your betrothed must be tiresome, yes? For the next few years, you could use me as a breakwater. I’d be honored if you’d accept.’
–She had a point.
I set my own conditions in the negotiation.
First, that the engagement would be dissolved without fail after four years. Second, that she would support my search for my one and only other half within Shium. And third, that when I found her, I would explain all of this to her.
’My, so you’re a romantic searching for your ideal spouse? Of course. Those conditions are perfectly fine. Whoever the Crown Prince of Rendel chooses is bound to be no ordinary woman. For the sake of our two nations’ futures, I’d love an introduction.’
Listening to her speak, I thought: this woman and she might actually get along.
I had no intention of leaving something this important to something as shaky as a gentlemen’s agreement. We exchanged strict, confidential documentation.
I obtained my parents’ consent for the arrangement, and so–for better or worse–the engagement of the first prince of the Kingdom of Rendel and the first princess of the Shium Kingdom was officially sealed.
She had to be the same age as me.
That blind assumption was strangling me. But I only realized that when, not long after signing the contract with Aliya, Garrett introduced me to his fiancée.
Summary:
Ethan, a reincarnated prince, narrates his past life with Saki and their tragic separation. After being reborn, he searches desperately for her, eventually forming a political engagement with Princess Aliya of Shium. The chapter ends with the revelation that Saki is actually Rebecca’s previous previous life, tying the narrative back to the series’ beginning.
Trivia:
- The opening God dialogue reveals that a cosmic gender error caused Saki to be reincarnated as a girl instead of a boy.
- Ethan is 43 years old in his past life when he dies, and is reincarnated as a prince.
- Saki’s nickname is Shu-chan, which she uses with Ethan in her last words.
- Ethan and Saki were classmates only in their third year of middle school.
- They got married after graduating from university and had a son together.
- Ethan’s wife died in a car accident caused by a driver running a red light.
- Ethan’s prayer exchanges his remaining life for reincarnation in the same world as Saki.
- Ethan is the first prince of Rendel and has a younger brother.
- Aliya is first in line for the Shium throne due to eldest-child succession.
- Aliya’s mother, the queen consort, was murdered by the second consort who took her place.
- The fake engagement is set to last a maximum of four years.
- Ethan sabotaged all matchmaking meetings to avoid marriage.
- Ethan spends time at the magic corps and avoids social events.
- Aliya believes Ethan prefers men and uses this as a reason he’s the ideal fake fiancé.
- Ethan’s conditions include Aliya supporting his search for his other half.
- Garrett is Ethan’s brother, introduced as having a fiancée.
- Ethan only realizes Saki might not be the same age after meeting Garrett’s fiancée.
- Rebecca’s mention of a brother who died as an infant in Chapter 1 refers to her own past life.
- Saki is Rebecca’s previous previous life, establishing a three-life reincarnation chain.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ Translates Japanese “半身 (hanmi/hanshin)” – literally “half-body.” Implies two parts of a spiritual whole, not merely a romantic partner. Carries weight of completeness and destiny.
2 ↩ Translates Japanese “防波堤 (bouhatei).” Aliya uses this as a metaphor: she will shield Ethan from matchmaking nobles, like a seawall breaking waves.
3 ↩ Translates Japanese “紳士協定 (shinshi kyougoku).” In the source, they formalize it in writing despite the term, showing pragmatism.