Prince Alfonso swore solemnly.

“I, Alfonso de Carlo, vow to welcome Ariadne de Mare as my wife and to cherish and love her forever.”

He recited the words of the pledge of purity.

“I will respect and cherish her. I will not exert physical force against her will. I promise to always love, comfort, and support her.”

It was partly a confession of love, but more so a promise to himself. A vow to never become like his own father.

Ariadne looked up at Alfonso with a smile. Her expression was visible in the faint light that entered through a gap. It was a melancholy smile.

“Alfonso……”

Her lips fell heavily.

“We might not be able to make it.”

Ariadne decided to prevent the assassination of Queen Marguerite.

If Queen Marguerite is not assassinated, the event of the daughter of Cardinal de Mare becoming the prince’s wife will not occur.

“From the start……. it wasn’t easy.”

The fact that the Grand Duchess Lariessa caused such a huge accident, the marriage might be called off. However, the marriage of a lord’s son and a servant’s daughter is fundamentally a mismatch, an unacceptable marriage. Furthermore, Ariadne is not even a proper noble lineage.

If Queen Marguerite is not assassinated at a specific point, Prince Alfonso will probably have another marriage proposal with another princess of another lord after this engagement is broken.

But, that was okay.

‘My love, my heart might not be important.’

It was a heart that was shattered because it was given to the wrong person in the first place. The fact that love is fulfilled might only be a privilege given to a special few.

Instead of being greedy, she decided to do what she could now. A reward for Queen Marguerite and Prince Alfonso.

At this moment, Ariadne was okay even if her love did not come true.

“Ari, why are you too……!”

Prince Alfonso’s frustrated voice echoed in the narrow space. He had caused a major accident for his woman. And now she is saying she can’t be with him.

“Why on earth……!”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Ariadne raised her eyes to meet Alfonso’s, pressing her knees for strength, and kissed him. Silent lips came in. Alfonso unwittingly closed his eyes. A passionate kiss followed.

The warmth and touch, the few seconds when humans are most faithful to their instincts. But it was the last.

Then she let go of her lips. She hugged Alfonso and whispered in his ear. What she recited was the words of the vow.

But it was not a response to the pledge of purity recited by Prince Alfonso.

“I swear on my soul, from this moment on, I will devote my loyalty to my lord. I will protect him and show respect in any adversity, and put the safety of the lord before my life.”

It was a pledge of loyalty given by knights to their lord.

“Ari……?”

Regardless of Alfonso’s confused feelings, Ariadne completed the words of the vow, word by word.

“I will live for a greater good than personal interests. I will always tell the truth to my lord, keep my promise to him, not change, not leave, and always protect his side.”

She had always thought of the knight’s vow as hopelessly romantic. A pledge that was impossible to keep in real life. But Ariadne was sincere in every word at this moment.

‘I can’t keep the phrase ‘always tell the truth to my lord.’

She couldn’t share the secret of her return, but she wouldn’t break a single other word.

When Ariadne recited the knight’s pledge of loyalty instead of a love answer, a baffled Alfonso grabbed Ariadne’s shoulder.

“Ari. I never asked for this.”

With desperate hearts, Alfonso clung to her upper body and shook her, screaming.

“You just need to be by my side. Making you my knight, using you to protect me, I never thought about that!”

Ariadne was jolted with her shoulders gripped.

“I… I want to repay the favor.”

“You just need to be by my side!”

“……I will make sure everything goes well.”

She whispered as if sobbing.

“I’ll make you king, and ensure that the day comes when Queen Marguerite sees you ascend the throne and smiles contentedly.”

Even if I shatter into dust during that process, it’s okay.

Tears flowed endlessly from Ariadne’s eyes.

Alfonso wiped away her tears with his thumb, shaking his head vigorously.

“You don’t have to choose only one of the two. When that day comes, you will be by my side. I will crown you as the queen. You will hold my hand tightly and be by my side, right?”

“……I wish that would happen.”

“It will happen. I will make it so.”

Even as Ariadne nodded her head, she didn’t believe his promise. Now she intended to play a direct role in the power dynamics. The benefits she had as a returnee would largely disappear.

Ariadne de Mare, who didn’t know the future? She didn’t rate her own capabilities highly. Without the knowledge of the future, she wouldn’t have ended her previous life so miserably.

Ariadne whispered inwardly.

Regardless of what happens, I love you. Thank you. I am grateful. You and your mother are the first to treat me this way.