Lena was the royal family’s most beloved little princess.
From a young age, her father had carefully selected four sons of dukes as potential candidates for her future husband.
In her previous life, when asked whom she wished to marry, she had blushed and chosen Ethan, the one as cool and distant as the moon.
But less than a year into their marriage, he died, and she spent the rest of her life in mourning.
It wasn’t until her twilight years, during a visit to Slivershade, that she unexpectedly saw him again—alive. He was beneath an apple tree, holding the Chancellor’s daughter Flora in his arms as they kissed tenderly.
In that moment, everything became clear. He had already given his heart to someone else. His faked death had been a calculated escape—a clean break from his duties, so he could spend his life with the woman he truly loved.
Later, when assassins attacked, he died protecting Lena.
With his last breath, he said, “Princess, I know I was wrong to fake my death and deceive the crown. But my heart belongs to Flora… If I can trade my life for hers, then in the next life… please, don’t choose me.”
She closed her eyes, tears falling. When she opened them again—
“Lena, among these four, which one would you like to choose as your future husband?”
…
That familiar voice made her whole body tremble.
She looked up to see her young father smiling warmly at her. Four portraits lay neatly arranged on the desk in front of him.
She had been reborn—back to the very day she was to choose her fiancé!
“You’ve been following Ethan around every day—surely he’s your pick? If so, I’ll issue the decree at once—”
“No!” she nearly shouted, her voice so sharp it startled even herself.
Her father froze. “What’s wrong?”
Clutching her sleeve tightly, memories from her past life flashed before her eyes. Ethan’s final words—”Don’t choose me”—stabbed into her heart like a blade, leaving her breathless from the pain.
“I… I won’t choose Ethan.”
Panicked, she reached out and grabbed one of the portraits at random. “I choose him!”
She opened it and nearly bit her tongue.
The young man in the painting wore striking red robes and a cocky, devil-may-care smile.
Linden!
How could she have picked this nemesis so blindly?
“Linden?” Her father’s mustache practically jumped in shock. “Haven’t you two been enemies since childhood? Last time he got your kite stuck in a tree, and you chased him across half the royal gardens!”
Lena stared blankly at the portrait.
Linden, Asteria’s notorious dandy, always at odds with her. In her previous life, he had later become Admiral, remained unmarried all his life, and reportedly died defending the border.
“Lena, are you sure about this?”
She drew a deep breath. “I’m sure. I choose him.”
In her last life, she and Linden were just incompatible as fire and water, but looking back, those playful fights and quarrels had brought her more warmth than the cold, distant marriage she’d had with Ethan.
Perhaps this was fate. Given another chance at life, she would take the road never traveled.
Her father considered for a moment, then finally picked up his pen again. “Very well. That Gale boy may be unruly, but he’s talented in both combat and strategy. I’ll prepare the decree—your wedding will take place in ten days.”
When she stepped out of the royal study, decree in hand, her palms were damp with sweat.
She suddenly recalled how, in her past life, she had once rushed joyfully to tell Ethan the “good news,” only to be met with his cool response: “Your Majesty’s command is my duty.”
As she turned the corner, four familiar figures surrounded her.
“Who did you choose?” asked the ever-playful Alexander, waggling his eyebrows.
The Lucian who had always been gentle smiled. “Isn’t it obvious? Of the four of us, the least likely candidate is Linden. If he and the princess got married, they’d probably tear down the entire castle. The most likely is Ethan. After all, princess followed him around since she was a child…”
Lena couldn’t help glancing at Linden and Ethan.
Linden leaned lazily against a column, completely disinterested.
Ethan stood beneath the eaves in an ivory linen shirt, sunlight tracing the lines of his face like a sculpture from the Renaissance—so perfect, so noble.
It was that knightly image that had deceived her in her last life. She was about to speak when, suddenly, he dropped to one knee.
“I have already given my heart to another. I beg you to let me go.”
Lena’s heart clenched violently.
That hadn’t happened in her past life.
His pained yet resolute gaze struck her with a terrifying thought—
Had he also been reborn?
Was that why, in this life, he wouldn’t even pretend for a year? Was he truly willing to defy the king just to be with Flora?
“Do you understand the consequences of defying a royal decree?” she asked, hearing her own voice tremble.
“I’m willing to renounce my title and accept exile,” Ethan said firmly, lowering his head in a heavy bow. “All I ask is to leave with the woman I love.”
So this was what it felt like to be heartbroken beyond words—so painful it almost made her laugh.
Lena felt something twist sharply inside her heart.
Was being with her truly so unbearable? In the last life, he made her mourn him for decades. In this one, he wouldn’t even endure her presence for a few days?
She almost wanted to scream, saying that she didn’t choose him!
But the words stuck in her throat.
He had made her suffer for so long in the past. Why should she make things easy for him now?
At the very least, let him suffer for ten days.
She clutched the decree tighter. “The king’s command has already been issued. It cannot be defied. As for whom I’ve chosen… I will announce my betrothed in ten days when I welcome him into my castle. All of you have to attend my ceremony.”
With that, she turned on her heel to leave, only to bump into something soft at the corner.
She looked down and saw Flora sitting on the ground, teary-eyed, just like she had been in her past life—timid and fragile.
Like a frightened rabbit, Flora dropped to her knees, banging her forehead on the ground so hard it turned red. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’ve offended the princess. Please forgive me!”
Before Lena could respond, a white blur rushed over.
Ethan stepped in front of Flora protectively, his eyes blazing with an anger Lena had never seen before.
“Your highness, Flora already apologized. Why must you humiliate her like this?”
“Did I let her do this?”
Lena’s entire body trembled with fury. This was just like her previous life—every time they met, Flora would put on this pitiful act, making Lena look like some vicious villainess. But when had she ever harmed her?
Ethan didn’t even wait for an explanation. He bent down to help Flora up.
In his haste, as he turned with Flora in his arms, his elbow struck Lena’s side. She lost her balance and fell backward, hitting the back of her head hard on the stone steps.
Amid the searing pain, she heard chaos erupt around her.
In the blur of her fading vision, someone ran toward her.
“Lena!”
How strange… it was Linden.
His usual carefree face was filled with panic—panic, and something else she had never seen in his eyes before.
Was it… concern? Even love?
She must have hit her head too hard…
