Resetting Lady

Crown Prince Gueuze hoped that his words would sound reasonable to her. Even so, Catherine wept and did not say anything.

He gradually grew anxious, and angry because of his anxiety, Catherine slowly opened her lips to speak.

“Alright, Your Highness. As long as your heart is with me, then… I’ll do as you say.”

As expected, Catherine loved him.

Crown Prince Gueuze quickly stood up and pulled Catherine into his embrace, kissing her. She resisted a little, but she soon closed her eyes and accepted his kiss.

“What? Your mistress? I don’t think she’ll accept that. She’s not a prostitute. Better yet, she’s the granddaughter of a Grand Duchess and the daughter of a Count.”

Marquis Penceir was wrong. Catherine willingly accepted Crown Prince Gueuze’s terms because she loved him.

In the end, did she not say yes?

“Thank you for understanding me. Catherine, I love you. Whatever it is that you wish for, I will grant it all for you.”

Crown Prince Gueuze happily embraced Catherine. Actually, he was somewhat surprised by his own actions. He couldn’t believe he was feeling relieved now. It seemed like he was inwardly anxious about how Catherine might have rejected him with a straight face.

‘What a useless concern.’

Was there anyone who would refuse his orders? He was a man set to be this country’s king.

‘Which one would be good, I wonder.’

Since he had convinced Catherine successfully today, he decided to lay down the entire plan at once.

“Yes, whatever you wish. Then, why don’t you marry Hare? Marry him, then immediately start living at the palace.”

The king’s mistress must be a married woman.

This country’s laws and religion abide by monogamy, but men who had money were free to have as many women as they wanted—what more if it was the king.

However, only children sired by the king’s legitimate wife would be granted legitimacy, and it’s impossible for an illegitimate child to be given any rights to succession. Thus, the king’s mistress must be married to another man.

“I…”

“Yes, my child cannot be illegitimate. You need a fake husband.”

The right man would be chosen for her to marry. Even if the whole country knows that she’s his other woman, as long as she’s married to someone else, there wouldn’t be a problem when that man would declare their child as his. There’s no way to accurately identify whose it really is.

Never a duke or a marquis. Not even a man who has any semblance of power in the capital. An ordinary man, a weak one. A lowly aristocrat who would not be able to go against a crown prince.

“Lord… Hare…”

“You don’t want him? Then I’ll give you a count. But he can’t have too much power. I’ll choose other men for you, so you can pick one of them.”

“…I just…”

Catherine wanted to say something else, but she instead smiled and said,

“I will marry the man who Your Highness chooses for me.”

Crown Prince Gueuze kissed Catherine once more.

It was the perfect answer that he wanted to hear.

He prepared everything for Catherine.

He had a secret room in the basement constructed for her, and it’s connected directly to his own room. He himself would marry another woman and make a compulsory heir with her, but every night other than that, he would sleep beside Catherine. So, he gave Catherine the key to his room.

At the same time as Crown Prince Gueuze’s wedding, Catherine would be exchanging meaningless wedding vows in another church.

“My only wife is you. That alone is enough.”

“……”

The crown prince’s consort, who had come from another country, was hideous. Crown Prince Gueuze slept with the hard-bodied woman and rolled his hips compulsorily. Then, he immediately put on his clothes once more and left the room straight away.

This was not the place where he should be.

His true wedding would take place tonight.

Catherine.

Catherine.

The only woman who can understand my darkness.

“Catherine!”

However.

She was not in the basement.

Crown Prince Gueuze looked around.

Not here.

She’s not here.

Catherine was definitely supposed to wait for him here.

“…This.”

Only a letter written by her was here.

【 I love Lord Hare. Please do not contact me anymore. 】

* * *

Prince Lewis was sired late.

* * *

Catherine’s dead.

* * *

“Your Highness, please don’t contact me anymore. Don’t call a summons for me, please.”

“You said you love me, Catherine!”

“I do not love you.”

Lord Hare had greeted him at the door.

“Your Highness, my wife is not feeling well.”

“Bring Catherine here.”

“She will not be coming out.”

“I’ve come here personally. Call her here.”

“She will not be coming out.”

“Are those all the words you know?”

“What I know is this, sir. Catherine is sick, and she is not obliged to heed your orders.”

Crown Prince Gueuze pointed a gun at him.

Three, two, one.

BANG!

“Uugh…”

“The next shot will be to your head.”

Hare collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg. However, he steadied himself against the wall and stood up again.

“Your Highness. What are you planning to do.”

“I will kill you and take Catherine.”

“Stop.”

It was Catherine’s voice.

She went down the stairs, her violet eyes glinting coldly.

“Catherine.”

“…Your Highness. What have you done to my husband?”

“He is not your husband!”

“Your Highness personally arranged my marriage with him. And he is the father of my child.”

Catherine touched her round stomach.

She’s pregnant.

The irrefutable evidence of this made Crown Prince Gueuze see red.

“You, you, you… With… that dirty… man…”

As though she thought that he was the dirty one here, Catherine looked at him coldly. And she spoke her next words with an exceedingly sharp tone.

“Isn’t it natural for a woman to get pregnant if she is married? Go back, Your Highness. The priests shall arrive soon. To bless my pregnancy.”

“Catherine.”

Crown Prince Gueuze grabbed Catherine—by the neck.

His hands were already clutching her neck tightly before he could even realize what he was doing.

“Your Highness Gueuze… W-What are you doing right now?”

Behind him, the priests shouted in shock. Realizing other people had seen him, Crown Prince Gueuze relaxed his grip.

“Catherine!”

Hare limped hurriedly as he called his wife’s name. Catherine groaned, but the priests came forward to support her.

“Go back, Your Highness… You cannot grant what I want.”

And so, the years went by. Crown Prince Gueuze endeavored in the expansion of his collection. It was dangerous.

His father, the current king, did not say much when one or two had disappeared, but as the number increased, his eyes grew colder and colder.

But even after all that, wasn’t it alright?

“Kehehehe!”

Didn’t her daughter—no, didn’t a young Catherine appear?

And she was also Raymond’s fiancée!

Crown Prince Gueuze despised Raymond. Lewis didn’t resemble the crown prince at all. Really, not one bit. He resembled Raymond more.

Raymond, who dared to refuse his orders, who dared to show off like that.

Crown Prince Gueuze was overcome with excitement.

He must catch her properly this time.

Although he sometimes made mistakes, the king would cover for him most of the time.

And people say that the king would be handing the throne to Lewis? Ridiculous. That throne was his.

Crown Prince Gueuze was an infinitely greedy man.

Everything was his.

The throne.

And Catherine, too.

“His Majesty is bound to give in, too.”

As he was the king’s only son, there’s no other choice.

* * *

“How filthy, seriously.”

Carynne stomped her shoes on Crown Prince Gueuze’s clothes.

“But some good came out of your existence in the end.”

A decent human rag.

Though it was found only after he had already perished, there finally came a purpose that suited him perfectly