Ever since that day – when I exchanged words with her, reborn as Rebecca – I had been consciously avoiding contact with her.
I would not see her until I had dissolved my engagement to Lady Aliya and made all arrangements to welcome Rebecca as my legal wife.
That was my decision. But honestly, I ached for her. When it became too much to bear, I would look out from the royal palace toward the Royal Lemres Academy, where she spent her days. Knowing she was there but being unable to see her – it was harder than I’d imagined.
This was a time for patience. When that day finally came and I could hold her in my arms, I would whisper my love until she grew tired of it, melt into her completely, and drown in all the sweet time we’d have together – just the two of us.
For Rebecca, who remembered nothing of her past life, the weight of my love and obsession – from both lives, both versions of me – must be overwhelming. I couldn’t even approach her until my sincerity had taken tangible form, until the engagement was officially dissolved.
Even though I didn’t see Rebecca directly, I had reports on her delivered regularly.
Conveniently enough, Rebecca was engaged to Lord Garrett. As someone ranked alongside royalty, she had Royal Guards assigned to her.
In my assigned office at the royal palace, I reviewed the reports detailing Rebecca’s situation. Her instructors spoke highly of her, and her peers admired her. She tactfully brushed off those who tried to exploit her status and easygoing nature, while with ambitious young ladies who shared her drive, she engaged in mutual improvement – pushing each other to be better.
Of course, there were some she didn’t get along with, but apparently she dealt with them without letting it become a burden.
”I just don’t go near them. If they come at me, that’s not really my problem, is it? I mean, yeah, it pisses me off. But then I think – how much does this person really matter to me? And suddenly, it doesn’t bother me anymore. What? No way. I’m no saint. I’ll get them back all at once later. It’s just a pain to deal with every single thing.”
She’d said that with a cheerful laugh in her past life.
Rebecca handled things the same way – letting things slide most of the time, but when something truly crossed the line, she’d strike back all at once. She understood that constant conflict made for a bad atmosphere, but letting everything slide only encouraged the other side. You had to pick your moments. One solid hit at the right time – that was what mattered.
Every time I read the reports, I discovered something new to admire about Rebecca, and my feelings deepened.
While I flipped through reports at the royal palace, I also frequently joined the Magic Corps on monster-hunting expeditions.
This world had magic. And monsters.
When monster populations spiked, they threatened nearby villages, so we culled them – but we never pushed too far. If they existed, it was because the Creator who made this world had decided they were necessary. That wasn’t something you could just wipe out on a whim.
If they overbred, we hunted. But if coexistence was possible, there was no need to interfere. As long as both sides kept to their own territories, things worked out.
Those hyper-real dreams from my past life proved surprisingly useful here. Without them, I wasn’t sure I could have endured the sensation that traveled up my arm when taking a life. And if even mindless monsters felt like that – just thinking about what it would be like with humans sent a chill down my spine. It was a stark reminder of why domestic control and diplomacy mattered.
Monster hunting wasn’t enjoyable work. But the world of men was a meritocracy. Of course, rank mattered – but an officer who rose only through status and nothing else was nothing but a joke. Especially in organizations where combat prowess was prized. Watching these Magic Corps soldiers made that brutally clear.
These routine hunts also served as a performance – a way to demonstrate my leadership and secure the Corps’s respect.
Another purpose of these expeditions was to receive reports directly from spies I’d planted in the Shium Kingdom, away from prying eyes.
That operation, however, was intelligence work on foreign soil, and results were slow to materialize. If things went wrong, the consequences wouldn’t stop at me. I couldn’t rush. I had to move with absolute caution.
I’d been born into this world, grown attached to it, and I had no objection to working for my country and its people. Fulfilling the expectations of my family and those around me gave my existence meaning.
But that was only true if Rebecca stood beside me.
For me – then and now – she had always been the one who mattered most.
And that beloved Rebecca’s father, the Marquis of Howard, was clearly opposed to marrying his daughter into royalty.
The Howard family had a long tradition of love matches. Even when they did form marital ties with the royal family, those ties were always rooted in passionate love stories. On top of that, perhaps because they disliked unnecessary friction, the Howards tended to avoid high court positions, preferring to keep their distance from the center of power. Yet despite that, they still managed to demonstrate their brilliance from a position unbound by official roles – and ended up wielding significant influence behind the scenes as shadow power brokers. Infuriatingly effective, really.
The current head of the Howard family was no different from his predecessors – he had no attachment to power.
Moreover, for anyone seeking a Howard daughter, I, the Crown Prince, was arguably in the most disadvantageous position among all nobles. There was an almost unbelievable institutional rule: the Crown Prince was permitted to take concubines, and the Crown Princess was required to adopt those concubines’ children as her own. A marriage built on the assumption that you would never be loved by your partner. That ran directly counter to the Marquis of Howard’s desire for his daughter’s happiness.
Given that foundation, the Marquis of Howard had no intention of offering his treasured daughter to the royal family – yet as a vassal, he couldn’t simply ignore the King and Queen’s wishes. As a compromise – probably with Rebecca’s consent – the engagement to the Crown Prince had been established.
From all this, it was clear: being Crown Prince was nothing but a hindrance to winning Rebecca. So what was I to do?
Quite simple. I would step down from the position of Crown Prince.
I thought it was a brilliant idea – but Lord Garrett had vehemently opposed it. He couldn’t understand what I found unsatisfactory about being king, but saying that out loud would only get me blamed, so I kept my mouth shut.
So, since Lord Garrett had begged me with teary eyes to spare him, the next best plan was to marry Rebecca while remaining Crown Prince.
The critical issue, then, was how Rebecca would accept the heavy responsibilities of being Crown Princess.
Hoping that she would stand by my side and resolve to defend the kingdom together, I had assembled the finest instructors at the academy and had them provide her with Crown Princess education without revealing its true purpose.
If Rebecca chose me – the Crown Prince – half the problem would be solved. The other half – convincing the Marquis of Howard – would be my responsibility. It wouldn’t be easy, but I planned to negotiate by offering to renounce the concubine system rights entirely, and I intended to propose a plan that would silence the old fossils at court.
But what if Rebecca herself rejected the restrictive life of a Crown Princess, or the concubine system?
I hadn’t risked everything to be reborn into her world just to live as a Crown Prince. No matter who condemned me, no matter how much my brother wept, I wouldn’t hesitate to renounce my claim to the throne.
If I stepped down, Lord Garrett – the current Crown Prince – would naturally become king.
Lord Garrett was currently intimidated by the prospect of succession. If my brother did ascend the throne, I would need to make sure he understood that he had a strong support system, myself included. I had also assembled scholars at the academy to guide and mentor him. Succession issues aside, they would be a positive influence on Lord Garrett’s life.
Ideally, I wanted to reach a conclusion where everyone found happiness. And I was steadily making preparations for that outcome – while addressing every potential concern along the way.
Once my contract with Lady Aliya expired, I would be free to plead my love to Rebecca. And that day was one day closer.
Thinking of the woman I loved, I finished getting ready for bed and returned alone to my cold, empty bedroom.
Summary:
Ethan reflects on his self-imposed distance from Rebecca while preparing to dissolve his engagement to Lady Aliya. He reviews reports on her academy life, noting her social grace and strategic approach to conflict. Meanwhile, he participates in monster hunts and spy operations, all while navigating the political obstacle of Marquis Howard’s opposition and the Crown Prince’s concubine system. He considers abdicating for her sake but is persuaded otherwise by Garrett, and ends the chapter alone in his cold bedroom, counting down the days until he can finally approach Rebecca.
Trivia:
- Ethan remembers his past life through “hyper-real dreams” which gave him combat experience and the ability to endure killing.
- The Crown Prince is legally permitted to take concubines, and the Crown Princess is required to adopt those concubines’ children.
- Marquis Howard opposes the match because the concubine system contradicts his belief in his daughter’s happiness.
- Ethan’s original plan to abdicate was vetoed by Garrett, who begged him not to step down.
- Ethan has planted spies in the Shium Kingdom, but results have been slow and operations require extreme caution.
- The Magic Corps hunts monsters as routine population control, not extermination, based on the belief that the Creator intended monsters to exist.
- Ethan arranged for Rebecca to receive Crown Princess education at the academy without her knowledge.
- Ethan has also assembled scholars at the academy to mentor Garrett for his potential future role as king.