Chapter 1

"Tell me, who do you like? Don't be shy."

The king, Edmund Winchester, spoke in a voice that was kind but powerful. It carried slowly and clearly down to Vivian Sinclair from the far end.

Vivian's mind went blank. Had she been reborn?

She quickly realized she was seventeen again, and that today was a private family banquet at the palace. Edmund had summoned her because he intended to personally arrange her marriage.

Vivian opened her mouth, then closed it. As her chest tightened with a tangle of emotions, her eyes began to sting.

When she didn't speak, Edmund's voice softened further as he added, "There's no need to be nervous. The Sinclair family served in the military for generations. Your father, brother, and uncles all gave their lives on the battlefield for this kingdom. You're the only one left now; I'll personally see to your future. Whomever you wish to marry, I'll make it happen."

Even though she lived two lifetimes, thoughts of her family still broke Vivian.

The kingdom of Solmere had been founded less than a century ago. Its foundations were unstable, troubled by both internal unrest and external threats. Last year, enemy cavalry had swept down from the northern border, and the Sinclairs had been ordered to march out and hold the line.

On the day they left, her father, brother, uncles, and other relatives had all said their goodbyes to Vivian in high spirits. They laughed and talked over each other, going on and on. She'd found them so annoying then.

When they came back, she saw only bodies wrapped in torn and tattered cloaks, lying still inside coffins.

Her aunts and sister-in-law returned to their own families or remarried, while her mother sank into grief and passed away early that year. The Sinclair family's residence, the grand Windmere Estate, truly had no one left but Vivian.

Edmund had arranged this banquet under the guise of a family dinner. In truth, it was to settle Vivian's marriage, a final gesture of comfort to the Sinclair family's fallen.

From the other side of the room, a young woman laughed and spoke in a teasing voice, "Father, why even bother asking? Everyone knows Lady Sinclair is hopelessly in love with Julian!"

It was Selena Winchester, the fifth princess and most beloved daughter in the palace.

In Vivian's previous life, Selena had said exactly the same thing. Back then, Vivian's cheeks had flushed pink and she'd lowered her head.

When Edmund saw that, he waved his hand and laughed out loud. "Then, it's settled. I'll pick a date, and you and Julian will be married!"

Vivian had thrown herself into the wedding preparations with pure joy. She'd even sewn her own bridal gown by hand, having heard that if a bride did it herself, the marriage was sure to be a happy one.

But on their wedding night, Julian, the crown prince, refused to touch her. As he wouldn't let her anywhere near the bed, she spent the whole night curled up on the cold floor beside it.

Because there had been no consummation of the marriage, Vivian never became pregnant. Edmund and the queen, Rosalind Langley, went from initial sympathy to eventual disappointment.

The people at Julian's residence, Highcrest Palace, were quick to adjust their behavior to changing circumstances, and soon stopped respecting Vivian as the crown princess. She was treated with repeated disrespect and humiliation.

One day, she overheard Julian talking about her with a close friend. It turned out he knew about all the bullying and grievances she had suffered in Highcrest Palace. He simply didn't care. Or rather, he had allowed it to happen.

She heard his voice clearly, flat and mocking as he said, "She forced her way into this marriage. She deserves everything she gets."

"Lady Sinclair is beautiful and clearly loves you. Do you really feel nothing for her?" his friend asked, sounding almost sorry for her.

Julian didn't waver. "She disgusts me."

Vivian felt her world shatter.

How had she forced anything? Their marriage was the king's decision. If Julian hadn't wanted it, he could've said so. He could've gone to his father and refused. Instead, he'd said nothing, only to later take it out on her.

This marriage had made Edmund look generous, a ruler who honored the families of fallen soldiers. It had made Julian look like a dutiful son. Only Vivian had paid the price for it, and was still paying.

What had she done to deserve this?

The pain was so deep it turned physical. Her stomach lurched, but there was nothing to bring up. Her eyes ached and burned, but no tears came.

In a daze, she found Julian and sank to her knees in front of him, asking for a divorce.

The crown prince had always been cold to his wife, but something about her request set him off. He grabbed the wine glass beside him and hurled it at her. She didn't move or even try to dodge. It hit her temple, resulting in blood running down the side of her face.

Julian went still for a moment, looking like he might stand or even come to her. But he stayed in his seat, his jaw tight. "Don't bother playing the victim."

He refused to agree to the divorce. For days after that, he wouldn't speak to her at all. Eventually, for reasons she never learned, he said yes.

On the eve of the divorce, Vivian looked around the room and suddenly realized she felt no attachment to this place, nor did she need to take anything with her. She caught her reflection in the mirror and barely recognized herself. She'd walked into Highcrest Palace at the age of seventeen. Four years later, she was hollowed out, pale, and worn down to almost nothing.

But she was almost free.

Then, Vivian drifted off to sleep, and somehow, she was seventeen again when she woke up.

Maybe the heavens had finally taken pity on her.

"Oh?" Edmund looked over at her, thoughtful. "You like Julian?"

"She really does!" Selena was grinning now. "Lady Sinclair used to bring Julian all kinds of pastries she made herself. One time, she even hurt herself while baking and kept insisting she was fine, that it didn't hurt at all. Though honestly, I'm the one who ended up eating most of them."

She gave a sly little smile and kept going, "And just recently, Julian was in a terrible mood for days after losing his favorite pomander. Lady Sinclair actually came to me and asked what patterns and designs he liked because she wanted to have the craftsman make him a new one!"

As Selena talked, Julian started to frown. He clearly had no interest in being connected to Vivian. Every word the princess said only seemed to weigh on him.

Around the room, eyes turned toward Vivian. Some were curious, while some were amused. Everyone was waiting for a good story or a good laugh.

Standing at the center of all that attention, Vivian probably should've felt embarrassed. In her first life, she would have. But after everything she'd lived through, it barely affected her. It just didn't matter anymore.

Edmund chuckled. "So, you've had your heart set on Julian all this time. That makes sense, the two of you grew up together. If that's how it is, then I'll..."

He was about to say the words, but Vivian breathed in slowly and cut him off, "Your Majesty."

Edmund paused and looked at her. "Yes?"

Vivian's eyes were slightly red, but her expression was steady. This time, she didn't look at Julian sitting far from her in his seat of honor. Instead, she dropped into a deep curtsy, right there in front of every official and noble in the room.

She firmly said, "I've indeed grown up alongside His Highness, but I only hold him in the highest esteem. I've never had any feelings for him that went beyond that."

A hush fell over the hall.

Vivian didn't see it, but Julian's frown deepened.

"Is that so?" Edmund asked, uncertain.

Vivian knew the king had made up his mind to settle her marriage today, and wasn't going to let her leave without an answer. If she didn't give him a name, he'd keep pushing until she did.

So, she earnestly said, "I've had feelings for Prince Damian for a long time. If I could marry him, I'd have no regrets in this life."