“I really wish for you to live.”

Me too, Your Highness.

I wished you could live, too.

So, we should…

“We should get married, Cassion.”

After hearing Diana’s words, the sick Cassion replied with a face that was ready to faint.

“I see you have gone crazy.”

***

Diana Viola Irenberg was the target of envy of all women in the kingdom.

She was the only daughter of a Duke who contributed to the founding of the kingdom and was blessed with the wealth to destroy a small country, thanks to his ancestors who had good business skills.

She was even blessed with the brain and the beauty!

That’s why Diana lived her whole life without any worries.

Except for the accident that left her without her parents at the age of 12.

As a consolation for her sadness by the loss of her parents, her uncle, Count Corcos, took over the family as her guardian.

At the introduction of Count Corcos, Diana, who met the first Prince, Dyson, fell in love immediately.

The crown prince, Dyson, naturally promised to marry the heiress of the kingdom’s first family.

It would be a happy life for her, except for the absence of her parents.

A life of looking at beautiful things, eating tasty foods, and wearing luxurious things.

Everyone was kind to her and envied what she had.

Therefore, Diana couldn’t see it coming.

She didn’t expect herself to be in the face of the guillotine, instead of the wedding hall.

“Diana Viola Irenberg, come forward and receive your sentence.”

The king’s aide spoke up.

Diana shivered as if she had been struck by lightning and then moved to the guillotine.

Every step she took, people were swearing at Diana.

“She will be executed for the sins of deceiving the royal family and the law-abiding citizen of the kingdom, and attempting to overthrow the kingdom for her self-interest.”

As she stood before the guillotine, the king’s aide shouted loudly again.

“Waah!!”

A thunderous cry rang out.

“Please wait! M-My lady is not a person like that!”

Diana’s maid, Janice, came out of the crowd and shouted.

The sight made Dyson’s face crumpled furiously as he came to the execution ground to watch Diana’s execution.

“What are you doing?! Proceed the execution right now!”

He commanded the executioner to speed up.

At the prince’s furious command, the guard moved in unison.

Janice, who was about to come to Diana, was blocked by the guard and the execution immediately proceeded.

Diana stared at the person who was rushing her death with glaring eyes.

Diana’s fiancé and the crown prince, Dyson, led the execution, rather than defended against her false charge.

Diana cried, saying that everything was a misunderstanding, and begged him to recall the memories when they were in love.

“I never loved you. I just needed the money and the power you had.”

‘This rubbish bast*rd!’

*Clank*

The executioner secured Diana’s wrists to the guillotine. With her cheek on the wooden board, Diana turned her eyes and shot a glare at the woman next to Dyson.

Diana’s cousin, Bella, looked devastated as she leaned on Dyson.

She could feel anger started to surge up from the pit of her stomach.

“Poor Diana. You should have just sat down and act like my wallet. Why did you suddenly try to play the role of head of the household? That’s why I took it all away. Money, family, fiancé.”

Not long ago, Bella, who visited Diana in the dungeon, laughed at her and said she and Dyson were in love.

“Since when? Since when Dyson–”

“Since the beginning. Since the moment you met Dyson.”

The moment she heard that, Diana felt like the ground under her feet collapsed. Her life was shaken to the core.

Diana grabbed the bars and shouted that she would never forgive her, but Bella just snorted.

Diana, who was imprisoned, was as helpless as a baby.

Diana was furious when she remembered that time. Her glaring eyes flashed as she couldn’t even move her legs due to the harsh prison.

All kinds of ridicule, humiliation, and abuse became a dagger that pierced through Diana’s heart.

However, it was too early for her to give up like this.

She thought of a legend passed through generations in the kingdom.

“If more than three people doubt one’s death, the soul will be saved.”

If she had to be honest, she didn’t even believe in legends. She loved fairy tales, but she wasn’t that young to mistake them for reality.

Rather than fairy tales, she liked money, jewellery, and other people’s sweet words.

But now, she believed it. I believed it desperately.

If a castle was built with faith, her castle would become an impregnable fortress.

“Raise your hand if you are doubting the convicted’s death sentence.”

Most of the procedures were omitted, but the procedure of questioning could not be left out by the executioner.

Diana eagerly waited for someone to step up for her in desperation.

However, her wait was overshadowed as she couldn’t hear any sound.

Time passed coldly and steadily.

‘No one? Is there really no one, to cry for me?’

Even her last hope seemed to be in vain. The disappointed Diana dropped her head weakly.

It was then,

“My lady! Please stop everything right now! My lady is not someone who would do that!”

Janice pushed the guards and struggled desperately to come forward.

With tears and a runny nose, Janice desperately called for Diana.

Diana’s heart beat again with anticipation and hope.

‘Two more.’

Did her earnestness work?

“I can’t accept Diana’s death sentence!”

Then came Zoe, a woman with red hair. She was Diana’s aunt from her mother’s side, that she only had a proper conversation a few times.

Diana, who had lived thinking that the Count of Corcos was the only one she had blood relation with, learned not long ago that her mother’s younger sister was still alive in the kingdom.

With the sound of clashing iron, the king’s army surrounded Zoe and Janice. Then a pair of blades was pointed to the two under their jaws.

Diana opened her eyes wide with her jaw clenched. Her fists were shaking.

Diana screamed as if she were going to shoot the executioner with her glare.

“Leave them alone!”

But the grip on Janice and Zoe grew more assertive instead of letting go.

Diana lamented at her helplessness and prayed desperately.

‘Please, just one more! Give me a chance!’

The executioner slanted his lips as he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Diana’s iron strap, which held her arms, was pulled tight when he raised his hand that he lowered earlier.

The executioner shouted again without waiting any further.

“It was not enough for her to indulge in luxury and pleasure, but she dared to insult the House of Petrora and deceived the whole kingdom. The crime is very heavy. Therefore, in the name of King Carmine of Petrora, you are to be punished! Execute the sinner!”

“Ugh!”

Diana shook her head, desperately begging for more time.

‘I’m still short of one person! Just one! Even if for a show, I beg you to question my death sentence! Please, please!’

Unfortunately, her desperation was useless. People who wanted her death sentence grew louder and louder.

Tears streamed on Diana’s cheeks endlessly.

It was tears of anger, not fear of death or sadness.

‘If… there’s still one person out there! Please wait!’

Dum

The sound of a drum rang in the square, announcing the start of the execution.

If the drum beat five times, the blade would fall on Diana’s neck.

Dum

The drumming continued.

The drummer raised his mallets high to make the fourth drum sound.

But, a strong wind blew from somewhere.

Then a heavy voice that overwhelmed the audience rang out in the square.

“Hold it. Aren’t all of you too hasty?”

“Who is it? Once you start, you can’t stop!”

The executioner burst out due to the sudden voice. He looked around to find the owner of the voice.

But he couldn’t find the person. The irritated executor took the mallet from the drummer, who stopped. And then he hit the drum himself.

Dum

A fourth drum beat from the hand of the executioner.

And when he was about to continue to the last one

“Cassion Richte Petrora!”

The earlier voice was heard loud again from above.

“Though I am supposed to be dead, I am the prince of this kingdom. I don’t think you can defy my words.”

“What?”

Now that he knew where the voice comes from, the executioner raised his head.

Surprisingly, he saw a man riding on a wyvern above the execution ground.

Despite the distance, the man’s eye colour was as vivid as if he were looking closely.

His eyes were gold, a symbol of the royal family. And in his hand was the treasure of the royal family.

The man lowered the wyvern’s altitude and jumped to the execution ground.

After he came down to the ground, no one doubted the man’s identity.

Even if it wasn’t the golden eyes or the royal treasure, it was because the prince’s feature remained intact after years of the said man’s disappearance.                                                                                                                  Y-Your Highness?

Diana opened her eyes wide.

Cassion, whom she thought was dead, stood in front of Diana. He looked so gorgeous and healthy that she couldn’t help but stare.

“Long time no see, Diana.”

His broad shoulders, his quiet flexion every time he moved, his black hair that engulfed the sunlight, and his golden eyes that were so deep that she couldn’t read any emotion.

Diana gulped down.

“A-Are you really Cassion? Y-You are alive?”

“Thanks to you. Rather than that, I feel sorry for you. I’m here to repay you, and fortunately, I’m not too late.”

Diana immediately remembered what Cassion owed her.

“The day I ran away, you saw me and kept it a secret. Thanks to you, the pursuer followed late. In addition, I was able to overcome many crises with the jewels you gave me. You saved my life.”

Even what he showed her was nothing but petty sympathy for her; Cassion seemed to have her in his mind for a long time, enough to appear on her death row to repay her kindness.

Everything was so unreal. Diana couldn’t believe what had just happened.

When she was framed and put in the dungeon, all the sweet-talkers turned their backs on her. Even those whom she believed were family.

But Cassion, whom she only helped once, stood up for her.

“You need help, don’t you?” asked Cassion.

When he smiled with his eyes wrinkled, his cool nature warmed up like the midday sun.

Diana nodded as if she was possessed.

The returning prince stood in front of Diana. As soon as there was a shadow above her, she felt a deep sense of relief for no reason.

“I, Cassion Richte Petrora, cannot accept Diana’s death sentence.”

The prince stepped up to the legend-based formal procedure. To protect Diana, who had been accused as a traitor.

A buzz spread through the crowd. Diana’s face was full of anticipation.

This fulfilled the conditions according to the legend. This time something great might happen, and she could be saved.

“….”

However, no matter how long she waited, there was no drastic change.

Diana’s mind, which had been anticipating something, became discouraged.

‘As expected, a legend was just a legend.’

Still, it wasn’t as bad as she thought because three people risked themselves to stand up for her.

“Your Highness, thank you. I will never forget it,” whispered Diana.

She would get revenge even if she died. It wouldn’t be particularly hard to do one more thing in return.

Amid the commotion, voices could be heard to rush Diana’s execution.

Cassion knelt on one knee and made eye contact with Diana.

“Don’t even think of dying. You saved me once, so let me save you once. Now, the debt will be paid.”

“…”

“And you. Isn’t it too fast to give up?”

Then, he whispered before I had the chance to ask what he meant by that.

“I really wish for you to live.”

Dum

As if laughing at Diana’s hope, the drum rang again, and the guillotine blade was lifted high.

And when she thought it was really over for her this time,

“Don’t worry, Diana. I will save you.”

Cassion’s voice rang in Diana’s head.

‘Is this… magic message?’

The only way to convey words that aren’t in the form of sound was by wizards.

Diana’s eyes got bigger. Diana opened her mouth to answer Cassion.

But she couldn’t speak more of her nightingale-like beautiful voice.

Because the blade fell, and she died.

Funny enough, Diana’s last thought on her death was about Cassion.

‘His Highness… is a wizard?!’