When there is a cause, there is a consequence, and when there is a consequence, there is a cause. 

However, sometimes, some consequences have no cause. 

For instance, it’s Reyna’s terribly unlucky life… 

***

In the late winter of year 752 of the imperial calendar

“If you hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have died this way.”

That was Jane’s calm voice from above her head. 

That’s right. Jane has always been like that.

No matter what Reyna did to her, she would always be as quiet as ever. It felt like she was tossing a small stone to a bottomless lake. 

What kind of emotion does she hide behind that face? Is it anger? Sadness? If it’s not them, then re… morse? Reyna used to wonder about that. They were not in a relationship where she could ask her openly about that, and now she would never know the answer. 

And when did she start burning hatred towards Jane?

When Reyna was busy recalling the past through her blurred memory. A sharp voice suddenly echoed in her ear. 

“It’s not a public decapitation. You will drink a poison that can destroy your body. You actually don’t deserve such a merciful end. If it wasn’t for Jane, I wouldn’t have let you go so comfortably.”

It was poisonous words that conveyed utter contempt, but Reyna only burst out laughing from hearing that. No, to be precise, what leaked from her damaged throat was only a sound of a sigh. 

Knowing that Reyna was laughing, Smith’s expression distorted. Nevertheless, she didn’t care about it and slowly lifted her bent-down head.

Those eyes that flashed with hatred and anger once wanted her or maybe pretended to want her. It was also just a thing of the past that she couldn’t recall even if she traced it back to her memory.

Reyna opened her chapped lips. Dry blood was all over it. 

Was it because it was her last time? Smith, who had been ignoring her, lent an ear to no matter what she was going to say. 

“Merciful… My Ass. You’re… funny. There’s… no way.… I will … die… with… only… a… bottle… of poison.”

“What?”

It wasn’t because Smith couldn’t hear it because of her stuttering voice. He couldn’t comprehend her words. 

Didn’t she know what kind of poison the executioner had? It was solely only made to kill people. 

Wasn’t it generous for those who committed such a vicious deed to drink poison that kills their breath at once, rather than in sequence step? 

And-… 

Dang! Dang! Dang! 

As Smith was about to open his mouth to say something, the execution bell rang three times. Hearing that, he instead clammed up his mouth back and walked away. Reyna also flicked her gaze away from him with her half-closed eyes. 

Soon the executioner stood next to her, clutching a vial of poison to deliver her death.

Click

It was the sound of the opened lid. Saliva gulped down the throat of people who had come to watch her death, but Reyna didn’t. 

The executioner held the old-fashioned vial. He then grabbed and tilted her head back. 

“Open your mouth.”

At the executioner’s high-pitched shout, she slowly parted her lips. 

Everyone could see the vial slowly becoming transparent as the poison ran down, entering her throat. 

After confirming that she had entirely swallowed the liquid, the executor took a step back. Just like all the people who gathered there to see her death, he anticipated Reyna to draw her last breath. 

However, even after swallowing all the poison, she didn’t die. 

No, she couldn’t die. 

“Urgh!”

Although she struggled with pain, she did not die. 

“Hey, what is this!” the bewildered executioner shouted. 

He is not a beginner. Isn’t he an expert who gave poison to death row inmates for the past 20 years and sent them away at once?

Despite that, for some reason, his poison didn’t work this time.

Hence, as quickly as possible, the executioner gave Reyna another poison drug. At the same time, Smith took a hurried step towards her, who was still not dead.

‘I can’t die from a bottle of poison.’

She already said so. 

“Oh, Golly! Just now-…”

While the executioner’s spit out his bewildered remarks, and Smith’s fell on his befuddlement. Reyna barely laid herself on the cold floor.

A day in late winter of year 752 of the imperial calendar.

The terribly unlucky life of the daughter of Duke Bolshik, Reyna Frand Bolshik, came to a terribly unlucky end.

***

A day in the spring of year 751 of the imperial calendar. 

Reyna returned one year to the past without knowing the reason. 

She looked down at her body. It felt light as if it was expelled from the burning sensation of her intestines. 

Then, a rapid realization biffed her. 

“Am I perhaps going back to the past?”

Until just before her tragic end, there was only one logical explanation in her life. It was because she had a disaster-prone life. There were countless bad events and things without any cause. When some people say there are people whose noses will still break even if they fall backward, they would be speaking of her. 

She twisted the corners of her lips as she recalled the tragic end of her life, crawling on the floor, unable to die even with that dreadful poison.

She had returned to the past. That was mean now she knew the future.

Knowing what will happen in the future will be a great power to anyone. But not for her. 

There was a vast gap between knowing and changing, and Reina would fail no matter what she did. She was literally out of luck. No matter how hard she tried and thought about how to get away from troubles, she was just unlucky for every conceivable number of cases. Never even once.

So there is no hope of changing the future.

“Anyway, this is a life that will fail and die after all. Shall I do it my way?”(2)

How she resolved that decision was lighter than a dandelion fluff, and faster than lightning. 

Maybe… Yes, maybe.

Maybe she wanted to give up everything before she was executed like that. However, even though she was well aware of her regrets and bad luck, Reyna was just struggling to do anything back then. 

Now, when she decided to put it all down, the things she had clung to death before returning made no sense anymore.

Ironically, it was. 

Things like getting acknowledgment from her father, or a happy future with Smith. All of that was no longer a target or shackles for her.

So, the first thing Reyna did was set out to the Imperial Palace.

***

Despite her reckless visit without a prior appointment, Smith gladly welcomed her.

Howbeit, a few minutes later, he felt like he was just struck by lightning.

“What did you just say?”

Losing its gentle smile, there was a little surprise on Smith’s face that she had seen just before she died.

If it had been before her return, she would have followed his words to not be offended if he opened his eyes a little wider(1). As he was her first love and person that Reyna gave her heart to, she hoped for a happy future with him. She thought that he was the only lucky thing in her unfortunate life. 

Lucky thing my foot, it would have been a blessing already if he did not add any more bad luck to her.

Smith only used her for his ambition to become the Crown Prince. But when Jane appeared, he left her without any hesitation.

It was also the worst phase for Reyna. 

It was probably from then that she started to despise Jane.

Having been suffering from anxiety since Jane appeared, Reyna was afraid that Jane would replace her. She went crazy out of fear that Smith would throw her away. 

Well, it didn’t really matter to her now.

‘It’s the difference between you and me.’

Perhaps Jane will smile broadly and nod her head if she hears that now. 

It was because a huge difference truly exists between her and Reyna. 

Like their luck. 

Reyna, who had been pondering about Jane for a moment, finally regained her poise back and repeated the same sentence with a sullen face.

“I said I want a breakup.”

Smith could barely hold back the words that already reached the tip of his tongue.

‘Lady, are you crazy?’

He swallowed those words with massive effort.

The only daughter of Duke Bolshik. A woman who screams with her whole body that she loves him. And a woman who will make him, the third prince, to be a crown prince.

So, this degree of selfishness and a little bit of recklessness is well worth the patience. He will keep up with her until he takes the throne because no one could replace her.

But now, what did she say? 

Instead of drinking tea together, before he even suggested her a seat or without even saying hello first, the first words she said were initiating a breakup.

Smith, of course, would never let it happen. 

It’s a breakup. It’s a nonsensical story for him. 

‘Did she do this quirkiness to make me say I love you to her?’

“I don’t care if you think that I asked for a breakup as a provocation for you to propose to me. I want a separation.”

And as if reading his thoughts, Reyna spoke again. 

On the contrary, Smith had nothing to say. He often whispered love after succeeding at making Reyna fall for him in the past. He then stopped doing that, and Reyna frequently would act up asking for a breakup to make him confess his fake love again to her. 

First of all, it is said that the one who loves more is weak. Therefore, it was he who always held the hilt in the relationship between the two of them. 

But now… 

“Ah, of course, even if you say you love me, I still want a breakup.”

“No…”

“And if you bring political reasons, I’m not going to lose anything.”

“Bolshik… No- Reyna.”

“It is an honor for the rest of my life that Your Highness calls me by my name, but I will respectfully decline that as well. Please address me as Lady Bolshik.”

Smith was starting to purse his lips, but Reyna continued speaking without hesitation.

“Even after my marriage with the prince is broken, there will be no problems with my next engagement or marriage. As you know, I am a Bolshik. So, even if the news about our separation spreads across the entire empire or even the entire continent, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“If.. the rumor spread like that-…”

Reyna cut him off without even letting herself take a break. 

“It doesn’t matter if your Highness says that I am barren, or even if I profess to be dating this man or that guy, I don’t care.”

Even though she spoke those gross words that made her blood boil just by hearing it, her visage remained unaltered. 

She then concluded, pointing to her chest.

“Because I am a Bolshik.”

A grave-like silence came immediately after.

She rejected all cards that Smith could pull out to prevent their break up. 

There was no time for her to waste. So as she did when she came, Reyna left the place after simply uttering all her business without even phrasing farewell. 

“I will arrange the breakup within today and send it to you after receiving the temple’s approval.”

Smith had to stare at Reyna as she left with his jaw dropped. 

On the flip side, Reyna slammed his hand as if she was throwing out a tissue. She was ready to go to the place where she would end their engagement, the temple.