My Reincarnation Went Wrong - Chapter 4.2

***

Princess Elena Harus’s coming-of-age ceremony at twenty was more splendid than ever before.

Her eldest brother, the king, had wanted to hold a week-long party for her coming-of-age ceremony. Elena managed to keep it simple by threatening that he would never see her again if he went through with it.

But Elena still had a remaining issue. That was her marriage to Azel, who had grown up as her childhood friend, after her coming-of-age ceremony.

While worrying about whether she should really go through with this marriage and if she could truly live happily, Elena received a letter addressed to her.

‘What’s this? There’s no sender. Wait. This emblem… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.’

Elena’s expression hardened as she stared at the all-too-familiar emblem representing something.

‘This emblem belongs to the Rodelius Imperial Family from the neighboring empire. But what business do they have with me?’

She felt uneasy even before opening the letter, but wondering if something serious had happened, she opened it.

[I wish to take Princess Elena as my wife. If you refuse, there will be no tomorrow for the Harus Kingdom.]

No matter how many times she read it, the concisely written letter was a threat.

‘Is he insane?! Really! Even for a tyrant, this crosses the line! What? He wants to take me as his wife? Who decided that! But…’

If she refused his request, there would be no tomorrow for the Harus Kingdom. She could tell just from the handwriting that this was absolutely not an empty threat.

‘Really… why is he doing this to me? No, more importantly, I’ve never even met this emperor once. Then! Why does he want to take me as his wife! It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t! Actually, I don’t even want to understand.’

“Sigh. What should I do about this? I can’t refuse either.”

No matter how positively she tried to think about it, she couldn’t find an answer. Elena’s body trembled slightly as she hung her head low.

“Princess, what kind of letter makes you tremble like this?”

When Elena handed over the letter without saying a word, Lulu checked its contents.

“My child, what kind of letter is it?”

“Mom. Dad.”

“Eli, what’s wrong!”

“El.”

As her family came into view, tears welled up in Elena’s eyes.

“What on earth does it say… Oh my!”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

Starting with Rune, the twins’ expressions hardened one by one as they read the letter.

“Roy. Give me the letter.”

“Mother. Sigh.”

Liri, who received the letter from her second son, was speechless at the brief content and the prominently stamped emblem.

“Liri? What’s wrong? What kind of letter is it that… No! This emblem…!”

After confirming the letter’s contents last, the former king was frozen by the threatening letter from the neighboring empire’s emperor, which had rendered futile all his efforts to prevent his daughter from marrying by selecting a consort early on.

“This is absurd! Why! Why would the Rodelius Emperor want our Eli as his wife!”

The irritated voice of Derek, the fourth son, made even those wondering what was happening understand.

“Your Majesty! Is the letter Princess received t-true?!”

“Please tell us!”

“It is… The Rodelius Emperor wants Elena… as his wife. If we refuse… there will be no future for Harus…”

As the current king’s voice trailed off, everyone’s gaze turned to the princess.

“Eli!”

“Mom…”

“How could this happen? Sob. How…”

“Don’t cry. Everything will be fine.”

Elena sighed as she took in the sight of her mother’s wailing and the tearful faces of those looking at her.

***

“Lucael Rodelius…”

Though she had never seen his face, she had heard his name countless times.

The youngest emperor who ascended to the throne at nineteen. A wolf therianthrope emperor, already notorious throughout the continent as a merciless tyrant.

‘They say he doesn’t have even a speck of mercy. And if you displease him even slightly… The number of races facing extinction due to his purges and wars is countless. Then this letter he sent me is definitely not just an empty threat.’

Elena picked up the letter with trembling hands and read it slowly once more.

“There will be no tomorrow for Harus. Haha. Truly… a merciless emperor as rumored.”

As Elena hung her head and dropped the letter to the floor, she heard a knock.

“Princess.”

“Come in.”

Elena smiled at Lulu, who carefully entered, asking if she hadn’t gone home yet. Lulu, whose heart grew heavier at that forced smile, quickly approached and embraced her tightly.

“Lulu…”

“Run away, Princess.”

“You’re telling me to abandon the Harus Kingdom and its countless citizens and run?”

“Princess.”

“I absolutely cannot do that.”

“Then, like this, to that tyrant emperor…”

“There’s no other way. It can’t be helped. I only have one option.”

“Ah! Our poor Princess! How could the Celestial God impose such a cruel trial!”

Elena, embraced by Lulu, closed her eyes while patting her back.

‘What the emperor wants is me. If I do as he wishes… he won’t touch the Harus Kingdom, my family, or the people. Then I… must sacrifice myself.’

A faint smile spread across Elena’s lips as her body trembled slightly, and Lulu, who held the princess even tighter, continued to weep sorrowfully throughout the room.

“…”

Azel stood leaning against the wall in the corridor beyond the open door.

He had waited a full 15 years. Just to become Elena’s consort.

Now a thunderbolt had struck him. He was about to lose the love he had cherished for many years, the woman he loved.

No, it was as good as already lost.

‘Damn emperor bastard.’

He wanted to protect them both—Elena and the Harus Kingdom.

But knowing he couldn’t, Azel’s insides burned even darker.

‘There’s only one way to save Elena. Learning memory manipulation magic. If I learn that magic, I can restore everything. Elena. Just hold on a little longer. I’ll bring you back to Harus. And then you’ll become my wife. I love you, Elena. My El.’