The Crown Prince's Lost Beloved

"Your Highness, are you really going to secretly take blood from Miss Jerryton's heart and treat Miss Mullery with it?" The elderly imperial physician's hand that held the dagger trembled. The candlelight reflected the cold sweat on his forehead. Arrisa Jerryton lay on the bed. Her thin body sank into the luxurious quilt, and her face was as white as the first snow of winter. Louis Xavier spoke in a tone colder than the snow outside the palace. "Yes. I already fed her anesthetic powder. She is in a coma and will not wake up. Hurry up." Chapter 1 The elderly imperial physician fell to his knees with a thud and advised in a sorrowful voice, "Your Highness, I really can't do this. Miss Jerryton accompanied you on your 900‑mile exile and already suffered from illness. If I take blood from her heart again, she will be in unbearable pain when she wakes up." Louis Xavier interrupted sharply. His eyes held a chilling hostility. "Enough. Since you can't do it, I'll do it myself." He snatched the dagger from the imperial physician's hand and plunged it into Arissa Jerryton's heart without hesitation. "Mmm..." Her fingertips trembled slightly, yet no one noticed. Blood gushed out. Louis caught it with a silver bowl, turned around, and left once it was full. The imperial physician staggered after him. The door closed with a heavy thud, and their footsteps faded away. Arissa slowly opened her eyes. Her hair was damp with cold sweat. She bit her lower lip tightly to keep her groan from escaping. She thought, "Ouch... It hurts so much." No one knew she was not in a coma. Half an hour earlier, Louis handed her a glass of red wine. She drank it and sensed something was wrong, then vomited it out. She never expected it to contain anesthetic powder. Was it all to put her in a coma so he could drain her heart's blood to save Nicola Mullery? She trembled as she raised her hand to cover the gruesome wound on her chest. Blood seeped through her fingers and stained her snow‑white nightgown. How ridiculous. Three years earlier, the Crown Prince Louis angered the king and was banished. The entire court avoided him like the plague. The noble ladies who once fawned over him shunned him. Even his childhood sweetheart and fiancée, Nicola, publicly broke off their engagement because she feared he would implicate her. Only Arissa defied her family's objections and insisted on following him. On the road to exile, she took a knife for him when bandits robbed him. In the dead of winter, she saved all her rations for him when food was scarce. She even cut her own wrist to feed him medicine with her blood when he had a persistent high fever. She shared spoiled food with him, slept in haystacks, and endured countless miles of wind, frost, rain, and snow. He had now been restored to the throne. His heart softened after Nicola knelt before the palace gates, weeping and pleading her case. He even went so far as to extract Arissa's heart's blood to save her. Arissa staggered out of bed. Each step felt like walking on knives. The wound in her heart tore open with each movement, yet it was nothing compared to her agony. Nicola's bedchamber was brightly lit. Through the half‑open window, Arissa saw Louis carefully feeding Nicola a bowl of her heart's blood. "Ouch..." Nicola's eyes were tightly closed, brimming with tears. "Louis, it hurts so much." Louis stiffened. "Bear with it. It'll be over soon." Nicola finished the blood and nestled in his arms. Her complexion improved. A moment later, she slowly woke up and looked at Louis with concern. "Louis." She trembled and grabbed his sleeve. "You forgive me, don't you? I'm sorry. I was too cowardly back then, unable to endure hardship. I regret it. I really regret it. If you don't want me, I'd rather die." She tried to smash her head against the wall. "Enough." Louis grabbed Nicola and pushed her onto the bed, kissing her roughly. It was not a gentle kiss. It was a release filled with anger, pain, and helpless frustration. He kissed her repeatedly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. When he spoke again, his voice held suppressed misery. "Nicola, you're taking advantage of my feelings for you." "I still want you. How could I not? Yesterday, I petitioned my father to grant you and Arissa the right to marry me on the same day. She will be the Crown Princess, and you will be my concubine." "A concubine? Louis, you promised me you would only be with me forever." Nicola was on the verge of tears. "Arissa sacrificed so much for me. I can't abandon her. You only need to know that you're the one I love." He held her tightly. His thin lips brushed her collarbone. His eyes, filled with deep affection, seemed to unravel all the love, hate, and longing of the past 3 years. Arissa looked at the intertwined figures behind the gauze curtains. A sharp pain in her heart made her bend over. She clutched her chest as blood dripped to the ground. Even that pain could not compare to the agony of her heart feeling pierced by countless arrows. She pondered, "Louis, oh Louis, 900 miles of exile, and you still don't love me. If that's the case, I don't need to marry you." She had loved someone with all her heart for 10 years, yet letting go happened in an instant. She turned around and left. Blood dripped along her path and bloomed into poignant flowers in the corridor. The palace staff retreated in terror, yet she remained oblivious. She walked straight toward the king's quarters. "Miss Jerryton?" The guarding servant was shocked to see her covered in blood. "What happened to you..." "I, Arissa Jerryton, request an audience with His Majesty. This concerns the relations between our two nations. Please inform His Majesty immediately." A moment later, the doors opened. Inside the royal study, the king looked at the woman kneeling before him and frowned. "Arissa, what's..." Arissa bowed deeply. "Having heard that Northania seeks the hand of a noblewoman, I volunteer to marry into Northania in exchange for lasting peace on our border." Chapter 2 The king paused in his writing, and ink spread across the report. He looked up at the woman kneeling in the study. His brows knitted together. "Arissa, have you heard about Louis' plan to make Nicola his concubine? Do not worry. My decision has not been made yet." Arissa interrupted him with a sorrowful smile. "Your Majesty. I do not want to marry His Highness anymore." She knelt heavily on the cold tiles. "I am willing to enter a marriage alliance to bring peace to both nations." The king remained silent for a long time before giving a long sigh. "Have you really made up your mind? Northania is far away. If you leave, you can never come back." "I have made up my mind. I hope Your Majesty will approve." The king sighed again before writing the imperial edict and stamping the imperial seal on it. "In that case, I will prepare the best dowry for you. I will send you off in splendor one month later." When she returned to the Crown Prince's residence, Arissa already felt so much pain that her vision blurred. She lay down, and the door pushed open. "Arissa? You are awake?" Louis' voice echoed in the hall. Arissa turned her head and saw him standing in the candlelight. His black pants were still damp with night dew. He saw her clutching her chest, and his expression changed slightly. He explained, "Last night, an assassin infiltrated the Crown Prince's residence. I failed to protect you, which resulted in you being stabbed." Arissa almost laughed, thinking, "An assassin? What an excuse." He reached out to touch her wound, then withdrew as if afraid of hurting her. "Does it still hurt?" Arissa calmly shook her head. "No. It does not hurt as much as the stab I took for Your Highness on the road to exile." Louis' hand froze in mid‑air. In the desolate mountains, she had shielded him from a bandit's sword and nearly lost her life. Silence filled the hall. After a long while, he whispered, "Arissa, I asked His Majesty's permission to make you the Crown Princess in a month." He paused and added, "At the same time, I will take Nicola as a concubine." Arissa lowered her gaze. She would already be on her way to Northania in a month. "Is taking her as a concubine also revenge?" she asked softly. Louis' expression faltered slightly. He grasped her hand after a long pause. "Of course. Only in this way can I keep her by my side and slowly torment her." Arissa looked up at the handsome face before her. How ridiculous. He acted so earnestly, yet she no longer wanted to play along. "Your Highness can do as you please," Arissa responded calmly. Louis was stunned. He had imagined her crying and questioning him. He had never expected such a nonchalant reaction. A strange frustration welled inside him. He reached out to pull her into his arms. "Arissa, on the long 900‑mile road of exile, only you accompanied me." His voice turned slightly hoarse. "I promised I would never betray you." Arissa let him hold her. The familiar scent of sandalwood filled her nostrils. Once, this embrace was all she longed for. "Do you love me?" she asked softly. Louis stiffened. He whispered after a long pause, "Of course... I love you." He was lying. Arissa knew him too well. His fingertips always rubbed his cuffs whenever he lied, just like now. She never understood why. He was the Crown Prince. She was the Prime Minister's daughter. Nicola was the daughter of a Duke. The three of them grew up together, yet Louis' eyes were always only for Nicola. When they were younger, the three of them played in the Imperial Garden, yet Louis' gaze always followed Nicola. At palace banquets, he always noticed first when Nicola's wine cup was empty. On the day the late king decreed Nicola's marriage to him, he drank all night with joy. He loved Nicola deeply, and Arissa accepted that. What did Nicola do? When Louis was demoted and exiled, she almost immediately sent him a betrothal annulment letter to declare a clean break. That day, Louis stood in the rain all night, clutching that letter. His heart was broken, and his eyes were bloodshot, yet Nicola did not open the doors of her residence. Arissa was the one who found him with an umbrella. She stayed by his side day and night, barely sleeping as she cared for him. She walked those 900 miles with him. Whenever he sobbed and asked her not to abandon him, she whispered into his ear, "I am here. I will always be here." However, his heart was too cold to warm. Fortunately, she saw it clearly and would no longer try to warm it. Arissa chuckled. Perhaps out of guilt, Louis felt a sudden tightness in his chest when he heard it. He was about to speak when hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall. "Your Highness. Miss Mullery feels a terrible pain in her chest. Please hurry to see her." Louis immediately released Arissa. His usually indifferent face showed panic. "Arissa, I will be right back. How will I get my revenge if she dies?" His retreating figure disappeared into the night. Arissa gazed at the swaying door and smiled softly. He never returned. In the days that followed, tales of the Crown Prince's affection for Nicola circulated throughout the Crown Prince's residence. He rebuilt the Stargazing Tower for her because she said she liked stargazing. He ordered fresh strawberries transported from faraway to make her smile. He even helped her with her makeup and combed her hair, doing everything loving couples would do. "Miss. Those lowly maids dare to gossip behind your back, saying that your position as Crown Princess will sooner or later belong to Nicola. I will go and tear their mouths apart right now." Arissa's maid Helen Green's eyes reddened with rage. "No need." Arissa calmly embroidered her wedding dress, the one prepared for her marriage alliance. "Let them be." She was never going to be Louis' Crown Princess anyway. One day, she pruned flowers in her garden and overheard several maids gossiping. "Have you heard? Miss Mullery is pregnant. His Highness was so happy he gave the entire residence staff 3 months' wages." There was a snap. Arissa's hand trembled, and the flower branch snapped in her grasp. "Nicola is pregnant?" Arissa wondered. Chapter 3 Before Arissa could process what was happening, a female voice sounded behind her. "Arissa's compound is so shabby." Arissa turned around and saw Nicola standing in the sunlight. She held her still‑flat stomach and wore an exquisite, luxurious dress. "Oh dear, look at my forgetfulness." Nicola covered her lips and pretended to be surprised. "I completely forgot. His Highness sent me all the good things from the Crown Prince's residence. Arissa has nothing to decorate, so it naturally looks a bit shabby." Arissa's fingertips trembled slightly as she suppressed the throbbing pain in her heart. She looked up at Nicola. "Why are you here?" Nicola stroked her still‑flat stomach and smiled gently. "Recently, I have had severe morning sickness and keep craving something sour. I heard that your peach tarts are appetizing, so I came to ask for a piece." Arissa's fingertips trembled even more. Before she could speak, Helen stepped in front of her with fury in her eyes. "Miss Mullery, my lady is the future Crown Princess. You are a concubine. How dare you ask the Crown Princess to cook for you? You are disregarding the rules." Slap. A slap landed across Helen's face before she could react. Nicola withdrew her hand. A cold glint flashed in her eyes. "Who gave a lowly maid like you the right to interrupt when your master is speaking? Someone, give her 100 slaps." Arissa's gaze turned icy. She stepped in front of Helen. "I dare you." Nicola's red lips curled slightly. "Let us see if I dare." She muttered, "Nightowl." A dark figure appeared, and Arissa's pupils contracted sharply. Nightowl was Louis' most skilled personal bodyguard for over a decade. He protected Louis without ever leaving his side. Louis actually gave him to Nicola? Nightowl expressionlessly restrained Arissa's arms. Two older maids stepped forward to hold Helen down and slapped her nonstop. Blood seeped from the corner of Helen's mouth, yet she still glared stubbornly at Nicola. Arissa's voice trembled. "Stop. I will make them for you. Just let Helen go." Nicola waved her hand in satisfaction, signaling them to stop. Helen's face was covered in blood as she rushed to Arissa's feet. "Miss, you must not. You are of noble birth. How could you..." Arissa leaned down to wipe away the blood and whispered, "It is alright." In the small kitchen, Arissa kneaded dough, prepared fillings, and baked the peach tarts despite her still‑healing chest wound. When the first batch of peach tarts came out of the oven, Nicola sat in the pavilion and admired the snow. "Too sweet." She took one bite and threw it on the ground. The second batch made Nicola frown. "It is so sour it makes my teeth ache." The third batch made her overturn the plate. "Are you deliberately trying to make my morning sickness worse?" Arissa's hands were red from the heat, yet she calmly asked, "What flavor do you want?" "Why endure this, Arissa?" Nicola leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "I wanted to see how much Lady Jerryton, who did not even flinch when she shielded Louis from a sword, could endure." Arissa's nails dug into her palms. "Since you do not want to eat anymore, I will leave." She turned to leave, and a loud plop sounded behind her. Arissa turned sharply. Nicola had jumped into the icy lake. "Help. Your Highness, save me..." Nicola thrashed in the water and cried out in anguish. Almost at the same moment, a figure in black rushed over and leaped into the icy lake. Louis carried Nicola ashore. She was soaking wet and shivering. She nestled in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. "Your Highness, do not blame Arissa. She... she did not mean it..." Louis looked up. His gaze pierced Arissa like a dagger. "Do you not know she is pregnant?" Arissa froze. Her fingertips felt icy. "Arissa, I told you. I kept her at the Crown Prince's residence only for revenge. Why bother arguing with her?" His voice was low, yet every word was scathing. Arissa suddenly laughed. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, "Revenge? You are getting revenge to the point of... even having a child?" "Cold... Louis, I am so cold..." Nicola snuggled weakly into his arms. His eyes filled with heartache. Louis looked up again and glared at Arissa. "With such a temper, how can you be the Crown Princess? The rules of the Crown Prince's residence cannot be broken. Whoever causes trouble will be punished." He shoved Arissa into the icy lake. Plop. The icy water submerged her head. The biting cold felt like a thousand needles piercing her bones. Arissa struggled to the surface. Louis' cold order echoed across the lake. "Stay in the water for a full hour before you come up." In the dead of winter, the frozen lake was piercingly icy. Arissa's limbs went numb, yet images of her exile flashed through her mind. Snowflakes fell heavily as she carried the feverish, unconscious Louis across a frozen river. The ice cracked, and she fell into the icy pool, yet she held onto him tightly until they were rescued. He had held her hand and sobbed, "Arissa, I will never betray you." It turned out that his promise meant pushing her into the icy lake for another woman. Chapter 4 Arissa had soaked in the icy lake for quite some time before being dragged out. She was almost unconscious by the time she was brought up. She suffered a high fever for 3 days, yet the imperial physicians of the Crown Prince's residence had all been transferred to care for Nicola, who was having pregnancy complications. Arissa survived. The first thing she did when she woke up was continue embroidering the unfinished wedding dress. When Louis entered her bedchamber, he saw her bending over and threading the needle. The candlelight illuminated her pale side profile. His expression softened a little as he walked to her side. "I'll have the staff arrange the wedding dress for you. Why did you embroider it yourself?" Arissa did not look up. "If I embroider the wedding dress myself, my marriage will last long." Louis' heart softened. He held her in his arms. "Do you still blame me for punishing you last time? Nicola is pregnant. I hate her, so I also want to take revenge on her and the child together. This child must be born. Nothing can go wrong. Once the child is born, I'll make her wish she were dead. Don't be jealous, alright?" Arissa closed her eyes. Her heart throbbed painfully. His lies were natural. Everyone could see that he loved Nicola deeply. Louis kissed her forehead and coaxed softly, "My dear, today is the Grand Lantern Banquet. I hosted a banquet at the Crown Prince's residence. Don't you love lively occasions?" He clapped his hands, and a maid brought in a magnificent dress. "This is your attire for the banquet. Join us after you have changed." Night fell, and the Crown Prince's residence was brightly lit. Nicola sat beside Louis, while the future Crown Princess herself sat in the second seat. The guests whispered among themselves. "Isn't Miss Mullery only a concubine? How dare she sit with His Highness?" A guard hurried over to explain, "His Highness said that Miss Jerryton dislikes being in the limelight, so it is inappropriate for her to sit with him." Arissa remained silent and calmly took her seat. At the banquet, she watched Louis peel grapes for Nicola, pour her wine, and even publicly suck on her fingertips when she acted coquettishly. When the singer caught Louis' brief attention, Nicola immediately pouted. Louis cautiously glanced at Arissa and only took Nicola's hand. He held it tightly when he saw Arissa eating with her gaze lowered. "You're the only one I love. I only glanced at the singer because her eyes resembled yours," he coaxed in a low voice. He thought no one was watching. Arissa saw everything out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps her love for him had faded, so she felt no pain. Halfway through the banquet, Nicola suddenly suggested, "Your Highness, these songs and dances are boring. Why not have Arissa play a tune to liven things up? Her cinderwood harp is renowned throughout the capital." All focus turned to her. Arissa did not want to play and was about to decline politely, yet Louis looked at her and softly ordered, "Arissa, in that case, please play a tune." Arissa could not refuse. She walked silently to the cinderwood harp, which was a family heirloom, and caressed it. The music began, plaintive and sorrowful. Amidst the cheers, Nicola suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in agony. "Ah... It hurts so much..." "Your Highness... This music disturbed my pregnancy." Louis' expression changed drastically. He abruptly drew his sword and slashed the harp strings. Clang. The heirloom cinderwood harp snapped in two. A flying splinter pierced Arissa's right eye like an arrow. Arissa clutched her eye as blood streamed down her face. She collapsed onto the harp and felt excruciating pain. Through her blood‑blurred vision, the last thing she saw was Louis' retreating figure. He carried Nicola and ran away without looking back. Chapter 5 Arissa woke up with blurry vision. She blinked, yet everything remained clouded by a thin veil of red, as though she were looking through a gauzy curtain. Helen rushed to the bedside and cried so hard she could barely breathe. "Miss, you're finally awake. The imperial physician said... just one more inch, and your eyes would..." She did not finish, yet Arissa understood. She had almost gone blind. Arissa slowly raised her hand. Her fingertips touched the gauze wrapped around her eyes. She suddenly smiled. "Helen, stop crying." "Miss, does it hurt?" Helen's tears fell onto her hand. "If it hurts, just cry it out. Don't hold it in." Arissa looked at the phoenix pattern embroidered on the canopy and remembered the scene before her coma. Louis had swung his sword to cut the strings of the harp. Wooden splinters flew into her eyes, yet he carried Nicola and left without hesitation. Her heart hurt, yet she could no longer shed tears. She muttered, "Crying is only worthwhile if someone cares." No one cared about her, so she would not cry. Helen cried even harder and almost fainted. The door pushed open, and Louis strode in. Helen could not hold back any longer. She fell to her knees in front of him. "Your Highness, please show mercy to Miss for once." "To accompany you in exile back then, she endured 99 lashes from the Prime Minister and his wife. Every lash drew blood. The Prime Minister still refuses to forgive her and vows never to see her again. Miss has nothing left but you." Louis froze. He looked at Arissa lying quietly on the bed. Her eyes were hidden behind gauze, unknown if they were open or closed, and her lips were whiter than paper. He suddenly remembered that rainy night during his exile. She had a high fever, yet she wrapped her last dry garment around him. He had asked her why she had come, and she replied with a smile, "Because Your Highness is here." He never knew she had endured 99 lashes before accompanying him in exile. Louis' heart trembled. He cupped her cold hand in his. "Arissa, I never imagined the harp strings would hurt you." His voice tightened. "I was only thinking about the child in her womb..." He realized his slip of the tongue and quickly corrected himself. "I mean, the child could be useful." Arissa quietly watched the panic in his eyes and thought, "How ridiculous. He cannot even make up a coherent lie." "This will never happen again," he promised as he stroked her face. "I'm on leave these next few days, and I'll spend all my time with you." In the days that followed, Louis seemed determined to make up for everything he owed her. The Imperial Household Department sent ten bushels of diamonds. He carefully selected the brightest ones, inlaying them into a lamp and placing it by her bedside. "This way, it will not be dark at night." She disliked the bitterness of her medicine, so he had the pills wrapped in candied fruit and fed them to her like a child. "It's the last one. Good girl." Nicola's maid came to summon him three times, yet he refused to see Nicola even once. He even brought his documents to Arissa's bedchamber to review. Arissa's heart was like a barren snowfield, devoid of warmth. She silently embroidered her wedding dress. Each stitch seemed to sew all her pain into the fabric. Louis embraced her from behind, kissed her earlobe, and asked with a chuckle, "You're always embroidering the wedding dress. Are you so eager to marry me?" Arissa's fingers paused slightly. She whispered, "I am eager." She commented silently, "But not to marry you." The day this wedding dress was finished would be the day she left him forever. During dinner, Louis was clearly distracted. Nicola's maid came again and sobbed outside Arissa's bedchamber. Arissa put down her cutlery. "Your Highness, go." "No." Louis placed a piece of shrimp in her bowl. "I neglected you last time. I only want revenge on her. And I want the child in her womb. Under normal circumstances, I'll stay by your side." Arissa looked down at the shrimp on her plate. He said he would stay by her side, yet he did not remember that eating shrimp would cause her to break out in rashes. Chapter 6 Arissa suddenly felt exhausted. She went to sleep early and used exhaustion as an excuse. Louis held her and lay beside her for half an hour. Once her breathing became stable, he quietly got dressed and left. Arissa followed his footprints in the snow and reached Nicola's bedchamber. As soon as she got close, she heard a clang, like porcelain breaking. Nicola's wailing voice sounded. "Why are you here? Go and be with your future Crown Princess." "Nonsense. I'm here, aren't I?" Louis' voice sounded helpless. "You've been with her these days." "It's only out of guilt." He sighed. "After all, I injured her eyes." After a wet, lingering kiss, Louis' voice softened. "Alright, alright. Stop crying. I'll do whatever you want, alright?" Nicola sniffled and finally smiled through her tears. "The snow looks beautiful today. I want to ride you like a horse and have a snowball fight." The royal residence's staff gasped. A guard hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Your Highness, you're of noble birth. You mustn't..." "Silence." Louis chuckled, followed by the rustling of his robes. "Come on up, my darling." Arissa peeked through the window and saw Louis kneeling in the snow. His black outfit was covered in snowflakes. Nicola rode on his shoulders and laughed hysterically as she stuffed snowballs into his collar. He was not annoyed. He lifted her by the knees. "Hold on tight. I won't be responsible if you fall." Snowflakes landed on Arissa's eyelashes and melted into droplets that rolled down her cheeks. She realized that one would not have tears when the pain became unbearable. She staggered back. Blood seeped from her chest wound again and dripped a thin red line into the snow, much like the blood‑stained mountain path she had traversed while carrying him on her back during his exile. Since that day in the snow, Arissa never stepped out of her bedchamber. She embroidered her wedding dress quietly. Gold thread danced across the red silk, each stitch a farewell. Three days before the wedding, a guard delivered a brand‑new riding and archery outfit, saying it was Louis' instruction. Louis intended to take her with him to the annual royal hunting feast. On the day of the hunt, the sky cleared after the snow. Arissa was about to board the carriage. She had just stepped onto the footstool when she heard a sweet voice behind her. "Arissa, wait for me." Nicola wore a peach‑colored riding outfit. Her pregnant belly was not yet showing, yet she deliberately walked slowly and supported her back. "The imperial physician said that exercise is good for the baby, so His Highness allowed me to join." Louis boarded the carriage a while later. He did not speak to Nicola throughout the journey, yet his gaze kept drifting toward her. She coughed, so he handed her warm water. She complained about the bumpy ride, so he ordered the carriage to slow down. She lifted the curtain to look at the scenery, and he subtly pulled her cloak tighter. Louis seemed to realize he had neglected Arissa. He coughed lightly and pushed the teacup toward her. "Arissa, have some hot tea." Arissa did not move. He instinctively picked up a piece of candied fruit, yet stopped halfway through handing it to her. Those were dried apricots, Nicola's favorite, while Arissa never liked sweets. It turned out that even the smallest details were etched into your very being when you loved someone. With someone you did not love, you would not remember a single thing, no matter how hard you tried. Arissa chuckled softly and gazed quietly at the withered branches flitting past the window. On the hunting grounds, Louis' features were accentuated by his dark cloak as he mounted his horse and said softly to Arissa, "Arissa, I'll hunt a white fox for you and make you a new cloak." He paused and added, "Nicola isn't feeling well, so take good care of her." Chapter 7 Arissa gave a faint nod. Louis had just left when Nicola requested in a coquettish voice, "Arissa, I want to ride a horse." Arissa frowned. "You're pregnant. You shouldn't ride a horse." "But His Highness asked you to take care of me." Nicola smiled innocently. "Arissa, how could you disobey His Highness' order?" Arissa remained silent for a moment before stepping forward and taking hold of the reins. Nicola got on the horse and suddenly gave a hard kick to the horse's belly. The horse reared up in pain and neighed loudly. Nicola let out a cry of surprise and fell heavily off the horse. "Ah. My baby..." Chaos erupted. When Louis returned, the blood from the white fox was still not dry. The imperial physician tremblingly reported, "Miss Mullery broke a bone. Fortunately, there is plenty of medicine available recently. The baby is safe." Nicola suddenly woke up in time. Tears streamed down her face as she grasped Louis' sleeve. "Louis... I know Arissa dislikes me, but she... she shouldn't kill our child." Louis' eyes darkened. "What do you mean?" "As soon as you left, Arissa forced me to ride a horse. How could I ride a horse in my condition? She wouldn't even help me hold the reins. She even... stabbed the horse with a needle." Nicola cried tearfully. Louis abruptly looked at Arissa. His eyes burned with fury. "I said the child must be unharmed." The imperial physician hurriedly knelt. "Your Highness, I beg you to see the truth. We were all present. It was Miss Mullery who..." Louis interrupted sharply. "Silence. Arissa, go outside and kneel for a full day and night to ask for forgiveness." From beginning to end, Arissa did not utter a single rebuttal. She only asked him one question. "Your Highness." She looked up suddenly. "Is it the child who must be unharmed, or her... who must be unharmed?" Louis froze. She did not wait for an answer. She smiled, straightened her back, and knelt amidst the snowstorm. The moment her knees touched the ground, her old wound tore open with pain. That illness stemmed from her kneeling in an ice cave for 3 days and 3 nights during their exile, begging for medicine for him. He had a persistent high fever, and she knelt in the freezing snow for 3 days and 3 nights to obtain medicine for him. His eyes reddened as he kissed her knees repeatedly. "Silly girl... how could you be so foolish..." She was indeed a fool. She was a fool back then, and she was still a fool now. When the king returned from hunting, this was the scene he witnessed. Arissa knelt in the snow, her face paler than the snow itself, while his beloved son held Nicola and fussed over her. "Outrageous." The king roared and immediately summoned Louis and Nicola. "Is this how you treat Arissa?" Louis remained expressionless. "Father, the rules of the Crown Prince's residence cannot be broken. She is the Crown Princess, and she nearly caused my future concubine to miscarry. She should set an example." The king snapped, "Who told you she's your Crown Princess?" Louis looked up sharply. "What do you mean?" The king was in disbelief. He turned to Arissa. "You haven't told him?" Arissa lowered her gaze and was about to speak when Nicola suddenly screamed and fainted. Chaos erupted again. Louis picked up Nicola and hurriedly left without glancing back at Arissa. The king sighed and helped her up. "You've suffered. The Northania delegation will arrive the day after tomorrow. You..." Arissa simply shook her head. "Your Majesty, I didn't suffer." Once she left him, she would not have to suffer anymore. From then on, better days would lie ahead. Chapter 8 On the way back, Nicola stopped Arissa while Louis was not around. She ran her fingers across the diamond hairpin on her forehead and smiled coyly and smugly. "Arissa, so what if you're the Crown Princess? His Highness only loves me. Those who aren't loved are always the most pitiful." She leaned close to Arissa's ear. "I think you haven't understood lately, so I specially arranged a show for you to see how much His Highness loves me today." Arissa suddenly had a bad feeling. She had thought Nicola would attack her, so she had secretly hidden a dagger in her sleeve, thinking they could go down together if all else failed. Unexpectedly, as the carriage continued its journey, Nicola remained obediently seated and made no movement. It was not until halfway through the journey that a commotion broke out outside the carriage. A cold arrow whooshed through the curtain and pierced the wooden frame by Arissa's ear. Immediately afterward, the guards shouted, "Assassins. Guard them." Arissa lifted the curtain and saw flashes of steel around the last carriage, where the guards were locked in combat with the men in black. Louis stood out in the crowd. He wielded a long sword that gleamed like snow. Assassins fell one after another in his wake. However, just as he was about to finish off the assassins, Arissa saw Nicola rush toward a man in black, almost intentionally allowing herself to be taken hostage. As the curved blade pressed against her neck, she even gave Arissa a triumphant smile. Louis froze. His sword tip drooped while his eyes widened with fury. "Let her go." He was a highly skilled fighter, yet his opponent held his weakness, making him afraid to move. The assassin sneered. "Let her go? Sure." He grabbed Nicola's hair and forced her to look up. "But you'll pay a price." Nicola had tearful eyes as she cried out tremblingly, "Louis... save me..." Veins bulged on Louis' hand as he gripped the sword, yet he dared not move. The assassin stared at him and slowly said, "I heard this is the person Your Highness loves most." Louis remained silent. His gaze stayed fixed on Nicola. The assassin laughed loudly. "Very well, I want one of your fingers." Arissa stood not far away. Her fingertips trembled as she watched the scene. Louis did not hesitate. He slowly raised his left hand and spread his fingers. His gaze was frigid. "Which one do you want?" The assassin narrowed his eyes. "The little finger." Louis sneered. His right hand abruptly turned the long sword. There was a cold glint. Splat. Blood splattered. A severed little finger fell to the ground, splashing a blinding red across the snow. The assassin was stunned. He was about to speak when a group of shadow guards pounced and seized him. Nicola staggered over and broke down in tears. "Louis. How could you be so foolish?" Pale as a ghost, Louis still managed to answer softly, "All that matters... is that you're alright." Then he fainted. Arissa stood there and watched the trail of blood winding through the snow. She watched Louis clutch Nicola's clothes in his unconscious state and watched the imperial physicians frantically try to stop his bleeding. She suddenly smiled. It turned out this was the show Nicola wanted her to see, and Louis had not disappointed anyone. Arissa thought, "Louis, you love Nicola so much. You're absolutely obsessed with her." The Crown Prince's residence was in a frenzy for days. Imperial physicians entered and exited constantly. Helen returned with red eyes. "Miss, His Highness's finger is finally set." She sobbed. "But the first thing he did when he woke up was wipe Miss Mullery's tears. I feel so sorry for you. You haven't even married His Highness. What kind of torment will you endure if you really marry him..." Arissa smiled, took a package from the cabinet, and handed it to Helen. "Helen, I'm not marrying the Crown Prince." Chapter 9 Helen was stunned. "What?" "I requested His Majesty's permission to go to Northania for a marriage alliance tomorrow." Helen was struck speechless. She abruptly kneeled on the ground. "Miss, I'll go with you." Arissa shook her head and helped Helen up, whispering, "I burned your indenture and found a good family for you outside the city. Go and have a look. If you like the man, you can marry him. If not, the cash in this package is enough for you to live a stable life." Helen cried uncontrollably and insisted on following her. Arissa shook her head and gently touched her hair. "Helen, be good." Helen cried so hard she almost passed out. She finally bowed three times. "Miss, you must take good care of yourself." As the door closed, Arissa closed her eyes. The last bit of warmth in this grand residence was gone. The day before the marriage alliance, Louis opened her door. The bedchamber was empty. He asked, "Where is your maid?" Arissa embroidered her wedding dress and calmly replied, "I sent her to run some errands." Louis paid no attention. His gaze stayed fixed on the wedding dress in her hands. "Is it finished?" She nodded gently. Her fingertips traced the last stitch. Louis approached and spoke softly, "There will be two sedan chairs at the entrance tomorrow. One for you, and one for Nicola. You'll be carried together into the Crown Prince's residence." He paused and added, "Nicola's pregnancy has been unstable lately, so I'll go to her palace first on our wedding night. Don't take it personally." He lowered his head and kissed her hair. "We'll have plenty of time later." Arissa remained silent. Louis took this as tacit agreement and turned to leave. "Louis," she suddenly called out. He turned back. "Hmm?" "Goodbye," she muttered. He paused and chuckled. "Arissa, see you tomorrow night. From now on, we'll see each other day and night." Arissa gazed at his tall, retreating figure and whispered, "We'll never see each other again." Her remark faded into the echo of the closing door. The next day, the wedding day arrived. The Crown Prince's residence was decked out in festive decorations and alive with music and merriment. Outside the palace gates, two identical wedding sedan chairs stood side by side. Nicola was already waiting before the sedan chairs. Seeing Arissa emerge, a smug smile played on her red lips. She wore a wedding gown. Though she was a concubine, her wedding procession was no less grand than that of the Crown Princess. "Arissa," she called coquettishly, her fingertips lightly tracing her still‑flat stomach, "Louis promised me he would come to my bedchamber tonight." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "And you will be left alone in your empty chambers." Arissa looked at her silently. Her eyes held no emotion. Seeing her lack of reaction, Nicola's eyes flashed with annoyance, yet she smiled again. "But don't worry, Arissa. There will be many more days like this in the future." Arissa finally spoke. Her voice was soft, yet each word was clear. "Nicola." "Hmm?" "I wish you and Louis a long and happy marriage." Nicola was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "Arissa, you're so magnanimous." Arissa did not continue speaking. She turned and walked toward the wedding sedan chair. "Lift the sedan chairs..." Joyful music filled the air, and two sedan chairs were lifted at the same time. No one noticed that they were heading in different directions. One headed east, into the Crown Prince's residence, where candles burned brightly and the bridal chamber was filled with the joy of marriage. The other headed north, leaving the imperial city amidst a blizzard, as Arissa was sent on her journey to a distant land for a marriage alliance. Arissa sat in the wedding sedan chair of the Northanian delegation. She lifted the curtain for one last look at the imperial city. She thought, ‘Louis, from this day forth, we shall never meet again, no matter how near the sun or how vast the seas between us.’