I Don't Want to Be Loved

The announcement of her death. She’d die today.

In spite of the fear, Rihannan stared at him in the eye with loathing.

“If I die by the hands of someone from Chrichton, I fail to see how you’d by any better.”

“I’ll make sure if looks like you were abducted by Arundell citizens. A few poor, starving farmers saw the expensive clothes and accessories you were wearing and simply couldn’t help themselves… then things got out of control and, well, they made a mistake.”

Only then did Rihannan notice that all the accessories she was wearing were gone. Even the coat Mrs. Cessly had given her had disappeared.

“I’m thinking of burning this place. I’ll leave some of your things here and then I’ll give the rest to those starving idiots. Once they try selling your stuff in the market, the Palace Guards will surely catch wind and follow their trace. They’ll be judged, imprisoned and executed in the end, and everything will go on according to my plans.”

Danil looked at Rihannan with his silver eyes. He had imagined that Rihannan would burst into tears by now, pleading for her life. However, she only looked at him silently. He could tell that she was burning with a cold rage.

“I once had this thought… that my words would pressure Dimitri to be better, and that it would lead to the two of you getting married. If that had been the case, then perhaps my relationship with Dimitri wouldn’t be as it is today. If that had happened, I wouldn’t have sent you off to Arundell.”

This tiny woman was frequently in his mind. In the past, whenever he saw this lifeless doll besides Princess Helena, he felt the urge to crack her head open to see what she was truly thinking. That’s when he realized… perhaps the words he’d once told Dimitri weren’t as calculated as he thought.

But, regardless, none of that mattered now.

“So, it is truly a pity. To think that I’d end up killing you with my own hands.”

“Duke Danil Lyurik.” Rihannan slowly parted her lips. Blue flames were burning within her eyes. “I’m the one who is feeling sorry. Even if you could rewind time, even if you could change everything… I’d never fall in love with you. You are nothing more than a filthy dog who serves the Crown Prince, that’s why I truly despise you.”

Danil could feel the disgust in her tone.

“And even if you kill me, right here, right now, you’ll never be able to stop Dimitri. After all, Dimitri is someone more frightening and powerful than you could ever imagine. He’ll make sur you pay for the crimes you’ve committed today. Until then, you’ll spend the rest of your days in eternal fear and anxiety.”

Danil didn’t even show any hint of anger. The corner of his lips twisted upwards, as though they were forming a vague smile.

“As expected of Dimitri’s cousin… you have the same attitude towards me…” he let out a sigh and grabbed something from his pocket. It was a small glass bottle.

Rihannan immediately knew what it was. She silently looked at the clear, sky-blue liquid within the bottle.

“I think it would be best if you died from poisoning rather than being burned alive. I heard this is a medicine frequently used by those who commit suicide. I can’t say you won’t feel any pain, but at least it will give you a quick death. Die by poison or die by fire, up to you.”

When he finished talking, he looked at Rihannan for a while and then left the room. Rihannan could hear the sound of a lock being placed on the door, as he evidently did not want her to escape once the fire started.

Rihannan didn’t move for a while. After a long moment, she slowly reached out her hand. Her fingers coiled around a crystal bottle.

Rihannan realized that the nagging feeling at the back of her head soon became a reality.

In the end, it would all end the same way.

“Ha…”

She couldn’t help laughing at her own tragedy. Six years ago, all she wanted to do was to die, which is why she drank the poison Leticia gave her without second thoughts.

This time, however, she felt too regretful to leave this world like this.

She knew her death would hurt Dimitri, who’d would blame himself. She was pained by the fact that her baby would die once more without being given the chance to be born. Mrs. Cessly would also wallow in despair upon hearing the news. Basil would cry again, just like he did last time.

And…

When Rihannan thought of Igor, she shook her head. She didn’t have any choice, anyways. Just like Lyurik said, it would be quicker and less painful to be poisoned rather than burning alive.

Rihannan unscrew the lid of the bottle. Looking at the clear liquid, the promise she made herself in her past life came to her mind, that ‘if there was life after death, it would be different’. That she’d never fall for Igor again, and that she’d never forgive those who’d wronged her.

In the end, she couldn’t even fulfill her own promise to herself. She stupidly fell for Igor once more, and she couldn’t even bring herself to hate Leticia.

People were given one opportunity, and only once.

Realizing this truth, Rihannan brought the bottle to her lips.