1- The Path to You
When I was twelve, my older brother, Crown Prince Edwin, received orders to go to war.
As he prepared to leave for the Eastern Front, he was deeply concerned about me.
“Ivnoa, you’re the legitimate princess, so you’re next in line for the throne after me. But you have no backing, and you’re still too young… If I leave the palace, Prince Hugo’s faction will surely target you.”
The palace was in chaos, and apart from Edwin, there was no one to protect me. I had just arrived at the palace after being raised in the North.
“Ivnoa, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
So, my brother made thorough preparations for me.
“First, get engaged to Simon Cerno, the young duke. The Cerno family is the most powerful in the empire, and they’ll protect you.”
Simon was the stable heir of the Cerno family. There was no better match in the empire.
“Second, always follow Simon’s advice. He’s been a long-time friend of mine, so he won’t betray us.”
Simon was Edwin’s age, eight years older than me, and his political acumen was outstanding. He was expected to guide me well, given my young age.
“Third, always be cautious of black magic. Don’t leave the palace unless absolutely necessary. If you must go out, stay in open areas. That way, even if there’s an assassination attempt, Simon’s men can protect you.”
The palace had a protective magic that shielded the royal family, so no physical harm could befall us inside. The palace was my safest haven.
“I’ll be back in a year. Until then, don’t be provoked by Hugo’s faction and remain secluded.”
My brother kept emphasizing his point.
“Don’t get reprimanded by His Majesty, and above all, avoid being exiled. Just stay in the princess’s quarters and endure, understood?”
Then, my brother took something out from his pocket. It was an ancient artifact said to react to the Tayen royal family.
“I want you to keep this. I’m worried about leaving it in the Crown Prince’s palace since I’ll be away for so long.”
Honestly, I felt burdened and wanted to refuse. But I was second in line to the throne. It made sense for me to safeguard it.
Just as my brother was going to war despite his reluctance, I, too, had responsibilities to bear, whether I liked them or not.
“Alright. But make sure you come back in a year to retrieve it, okay?”
I took the half pendant and forced a brave smile.
“I’ll follow your instructions to the letter.”
● ● ●
In the end, every single piece of advice my brother gave turned out to be catastrophically wrong.
‘It’s like my life has been a series of wrong answers…’
First of all, my brother didn’t return for eight years. The fiancé he entrusted me to, Simon, betrayed us.
And the one who saved me from an assassination attempt wasn’t Simon but Kayan.
“I recently killed Crown Prince Edwin, who had been captured.”
My brother, of course, never imagined he would die at the hands of his closest friend.
“I sent him a drink that caused temporary paralysis, saying it was a celebratory gift. He drowned so easily.”
When the worst happened, my brother intended for me to ascend to the throne with Simon as my regent. That’s why he arranged this engagement.
However, black magic complicated things too much. Simon struggled for eight years before finally deciding to betray us.
‘Well, despite that…’
The royal artifact my brother entrusted to me worked a miracle. Somehow, time reversed itself.
‘No matter how much blood you shed and wish, it wouldn’t have worked for my brother…’
I didn’t know why, and I couldn’t uncover the truth just by brooding over it. Understanding the ‘condition’ wouldn’t come to me through contemplation alone.
So, I needed to focus on the reality in front of me.
After checking the newspaper’s date, I let out a long sigh.
“It’s the spring of my thirteenth year.”
I glanced at the mirror and murmured.
“…This is a miracle.”
Wavy blonde hair, round blue eyes, and above all, a clearly smaller frame.
“A regression. I’ve become a child again.”
My name is Ivnoa Alicia Tayen.
I am the youngest legitimate princess of the Tayen Empire, with one half-brother and one full-blooded brother.
Due to circumstances, I spent my childhood in the northern lands outside the empire and entered the palace at the age of twelve. Shortly after my arrival, my brother went to war.
‘So, it’s been a year since I entered the palace.’
Prince Edwin’s departure, my engagement to Simon, my fallout with Kayan…
A year had passed since all these events took place.
‘Artifact, you could’ve sent me back just one more year!’
If that had happened, I would have vehemently refused the engagement, and I certainly wouldn’t have broken ties with Kayan.
Looking back, I entrusted the future to the most malicious person and severed ties with the most precious one.
I lowered my eyes, deep in thought.
‘I followed my brother’s advice too well.’
He didn’t foresee that he wouldn’t return for eight years.
In my past life, I secluded myself in the princess’s quarters, doing nothing.
At first, I followed my brother’s advice, but over time, I succumbed to helplessness and depression, resigning myself to despair.
‘I fell for Simon’s psychological warfare.’
I no longer wanted to live like that.
My goal now was to prevent anything like my past life from happening again.
Somehow, I needed to gain strength and protect myself and my loved ones. To do that…
“Prince Hugo’s faction grew too powerful, so I had no choice.”
First, I needed to weaken the Hugo Prince faction, which would soon become uncontrollably strong.
“Just don’t do anything and die quietly.”
Second, I had to take revenge on Simon. He was still pretending to be my faithful fiancé, but now I knew it was all a façade.
“Iv, go now. Please, quickly…”
Third, I needed to repay Kayan for his loyalty.
More than just repaying him, I had a deeper desire.
‘I just want to go back to how things were. When we could trust each other with everything, as the closest of friends.’
In my childhood outside the palace, Kayan Barklith was my constant companion. Though I declared our friendship over a year ago, manipulated by Simon’s schemes…
‘I can’t just sit around like this.’
I set the newspaper down with a firm thud.
Kayan’s image, standing in front of me, urging me to run while bloodied and worried for my safety, was vivid in my mind.
I forced back the tears that threatened to overflow.
‘I miss Kayan.’
Kayan, two years older than me, was luckily still in the capital at this point in time.
‘I have to find a way to meet him.’
I wanted to try wishing on the artifact again, feeding it my blood. But the palace’s protection prevented any harm to the royal family, making it impossible to draw blood. I couldn’t test it right away.
Still, feeling the need, I gently caressed the artifact in my possession.
At the same time, I grasped a torn photograph.
It was a picture of my childhood, the one I kept with me until the moment I died in my past life.
It was, to be precise, a photo of my younger self and Kayan.
‘We were closer than family, so intimately connected.’
The reason I abruptly declared an end to our friendship and insulted him…
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