I know not who he is. I have never seen his face—not in life, at least. Yet, he visited my tomb... year after year. There came a time when, in a quiet, almost surreal moment, he confessed something to me.
It is strange—almost laughable—how I could feel him. I was meant to be gone, to have passed beyond the reach of this world. And yet, every time he came, I felt him. His presence. His voice.
His confession wasn’t the vulnerable plea I had expected. Instead, it was quiet, steady, and filled with a courage that was soft yet unbreakable. It moved me in ways I couldn’t explain. In that moment, I saw just how naïve I had been in life, how much I had missed—about love, about strength, and about myself.
He knew me. It was as though he understood the very depths of my soul, though we had never exchanged a word in life. His sincerity—his unwavering sincerity—left me undone.
Still, he returned, year after year, until, at last... he, too, passed. Of course, he did. He was but a man—ordinary, mortal.
But if fate were so kind as to offer me another chance—if I could live again, to make different choices—he would be the one I would choose. To be with him, to feel his love—that is what I would desire.
And then...
I opened my eyes.
I was alive. Youthful. In my twenties. Breathing. Real.
Am I reborn?
My heart raced with a joy I could barely contain. The man who had reached across death to touch my heart—how could I not search for him? His presence lingered in every quiet moment, like an unspoken promise waiting to be fulfilled. I searched for him tirelessly, driven by a longing I couldn’t shake, determined to find him once more.
When at last I did, the shock was palpable. A princess of the kingdom, stepping into their humble, scruffy home? They could scarcely believe it. But none of that mattered. I had found him. I had found him.
My heart raced as I walked toward him, each step bringing me closer to the man who had once loved me from afar, the one who had silently kept company with me in death.
I called his name—breathless. "Drake!"
The crowd gasped. Whispers rippled through the air, but I paid them no heed. My gaze was fixed entirely on him—the man who had loved me even after death.
Then, they rushed toward me, bowing, offering apologies. "Princess Victoria," they said, "Please forgive our son if he has offended you. Forgive him."
I stood frozen. My heart pounded in my chest, my vision blurred by the tears that welled in my eyes. Their apology mattered not. All I cared about was him. Him.
He looked up at me, confusion etched across his face. I thought I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but there was uncertainty there too. He stepped forward, as if to comfort me, to wipe away the tears that stained my cheeks.
But when his hand touched my face, something shifted. His eyes widened with confusion, and his hand trembled.
I could not bear it any longer. Reaching out, I grasped his hand tightly, as if to anchor myself to him. And then, I cried. I cried for the years we had lost, for the love that had waited so patiently across the divide of life and death. I cried because, against all odds, I had found him again.
As I stood there, holding his hand, something within me shifted. I gazed at him—truly saw him—and in that moment, a realization washed over me.
He was not the hero I had imagined. In my past life, I had idealized him, built him up from the shadows of death into an unwavering figure of strength. But here, before me, he was just... a man. Uncertain. Hesitant.
And that was perfectly fine. In fact, it was far better this way. For in his vulnerability, I saw the opportunity to help him find his courage, just as he had once helped me in my darkest moments. Together, we could find it. Side by side.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood a little taller, straightening my posture.
"Drake," I said, my voice steady and regal. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09ygyR31AE
"I want you to come to the palace," I said, my voice steady. "I offer you a position. You will serve as my personal protector."
His eyes widened with disbelief, the shock on his face mirrored in the crowd around us. A princess extending such an offer to a common man—especially to someone like him? It was unheard of. Yet, I remained firm in my resolve. I couldn’t back down now.
"Tomorrow," I added, my tone unwavering. "You will come to the palace."
He opened his mouth as if to protest, but I raised my hand to silence him. "It’s not a request," I said softly but firmly. "It’s an order."
The next day, I awaited his arrival at the palace, my heart brimming with anticipation. My maid dressed me carefully, and as I stood before the mirror, I could hardly contain my excitement. Soon, I would see him again—in the flesh, as I had hoped.
When Drake arrived, I was horrified by what I saw. He was battered and bloodied, barely clinging to life. The brutality of his beating was evident—he had been struck with such ferocity that I struggled to hold back tears of rage.
Without a second thought, I rushed to him, lifting him from the ground with all the strength I could summon. He swayed, barely conscious, but the flicker of life in his eyes gave me hope. I would save him.
Just then, the maid who had ordered this cruelty appeared, her expression dripping with arrogance.
"What happened?" I demanded, my voice trembling with fury.
"Someone trespassed upon the palace," she sneered. "I shall punish him for his insolence."
I turned to the soldiers standing nearby. "What happened? Who did this?"
One of them explained, his voice steady but regretful.
"On his way to the palace gates, Drake was intercepted by the maid of the concubine—a servant with no rank, no authority. He insisted that he had been invited by you, Princess Victoria, yet she would not listen. With a cruel sneer, she raised a rope and struck him. Worse still, she ordered the soldiers to beat him—striking him until his breath ceased entirely."
Fury burned in my chest. I glared at the maid. "You dare speak of punishment to me?" I said, my voice cold and sharp as steel.
Before she could respond, I slapped her. Once, twice, thrice—the sting of my anger coursing through each strike.
"You think you have authority over my people?" I spat. "I am Princess Victoria. You are but a servant. And you will learn your place."
I slapped her again. A fourth time. The sound echoed like a thunderclap through the hall.
I turned to the soldiers, my voice cold as steel. "Punish her as she punished him. Let her feel the weight of her cruelty."
The maid pleaded for mercy, but it was too late. She had crossed a line she could never undo. She should never have harmed Drake.
I took Drake to my chambers, tending to his wounds. As he slept peacefully beside me, I couldn't help but marvel at his beauty—so innocent, so prince-like in his repose. I found myself lost in the sight of him, until my exhaustion claimed me, and I too fell into slumber.
When he woke, he noticed the bandages covering his wounds and turned to find me asleep beside him. He was taken aback by my beauty, and gently, reverently, he touched my eyelids, whispering, "So beautiful..."
I awoke to find him there. "How are you feeling?" I asked, my voice soft.
"Sorry, Princess," he murmured. "This is all because of me."
"No," I replied firmly. "By then, Drake had become my protector. His purpose was to guard me."
Drake had been traveling with me, watching over me closely, and protecting me. He was with me all the time.
Meanwhile, those in the palace still plotted against me.
The following day, in the grand hall, the ministers revealed that I had been involved with a common man. Furious, I sought to remove the conspirators who had plotted against me. But my father, the Emperor, punished me for my involvement with Drake.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IPybyTvgs
Enraged, the ministers in the palace hired an assassin to carry out their plans.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCt0pemVkJd
As the assassin approached, ready to strike, Drake didn’t hesitate. He stepped in front of me, a shield of flesh and bone. With swift, precise action, he killed the man without a second thought.
Drake's dead8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTM4syPyRz
--------------Fate didn’t bring them together this time either-----------8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisp7Ye0x2V
