My Fiancée Hates Me
Chapter 80: Fiancée's Hate Count [Prince Erik]

[Prince Erik's Perspective]

I have seen my fiancée's painting up close and have seen her come to the Castle many times but have never had a proper first meeting with her in person.

Even though our first meetings were an entire mess, I oddly felt inclined to see her again, so I requested to see her many times, but was refused because she was ill. Eventually, I heard that she ran away from me to another country and grew disheartened.

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle's hate count: 1

When I saw her again, she had stumbled into my school. She did not make any large reaction, so I teased her a bit by pretending not to know who she was and lending her my outstretched hand when she fell. She did not appreciate my efforts to walk her home either, so I let her be.

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle hate count: 2

From then on, I heard that she was attending school the same Academy as me. It was only as expected since she was a very beautiful person. The rumors of a beautiful girl with strawberry blonde hair and ligh blue eyes seemed to be the only person that everyone could talk about, but the name used by her was different to her actual name. The only reason why she would change her name is obviously because she did not want me knowing about who she was.

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle hate count: 3

I knew that she liked frequenting the Library often, but did not know how to approach her, so I would often circle the ground below it, while I wondered how to approach her. When I worked up the courage to go to the Library, I met him.

"What is the Crown Prince of Arundel doing here?" Garett asked as he blocked me from entering the Library.

"...I wanted to check out a few books," I said as I tried moving past him.

He blocked me again and gave me a smile that he usually never really shows and that sent shivers down my spine.

"Your servants always get books for you," Garett said.

"Once in a while, I would like to look for my own books," I said.

"Allow me to look for the books for you," Garett suggested.

Somehow, I feel that he is blocking me from seeing her...

"No need...I can look for them myself," I said.

He suddenly grabbed me and told me bluntly, "Your presence makes her feel uncomfortable..."

I lost my will to go in the Library ever since he said that...

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle's hate count: 4

I had a chance to speak to her again at our Academy's masquerade ball.

When we were dance partners, I knew just then that she was the same person I was always looking at.

"... Your hair is loose," I said.

"Thank you for telling me," she said as she broke our hold.

I escorted her across the ballroom and had caught her fallen flower ornament.

Her hair unraveled completely and settled in soft waves. She appeared like a beautiful fairy in the moonlight.

"Allow me to fix it," I said as I placed the ornament back in her soft hair.

"Thank you very much for everything. This is a very important item to me."

"It's no problem...Are you a fan of roses? Your outfit contains many of them."

"My favorite flower is actually pink peonies... My aunt is the one who helped make my dress. She is a fan of roses. Are you interested in roses yourself?"

She must like flowers! It is great that we can share a common interest!

"I have a hobby of planting and raising flowers, so I was rather intrigued by how the imitation flowers closely resembled that real roses. If we are talking about my personal interests, I prefer white calla lilies." "...Is there a reason why?"

"I like the symbolism behind it... The flower is considered a symbol for resurrection and rebirth because it returns every year after winter. These flowers are sturdy as they are stunning and can withstand frosts and can regrow in cases after being cut, yet they have such short lifespans. I think it's beautiful how it tries to live its life out to the fullest despite holding in such high amounts of poison," I said with a smile. I hoped that she would be impressed with my knowledge of flowers, but she seemed distraught instead.

"...Excuse me," she said as she ran away.

I do not understand about what I did wrong.

All I did was talk about flowers, but why did she have to run away?

I ran after her.

It seems that I am always running after this person, but I do not hate it...

I collided with Garett. He usually hates events like these, so I never expected for him to come to the dance.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I am obviously looking for her... She ran away because of you. You disturb her. That is why she continuously runs away from you," he said.

I disturb her?

I am the one who is her fiancé, not this guy...

"Are you her guardian then? Who are you to constantly stand in my way?" I asked him.

"...I actually care about her feelings. What about you, Your Highness?" Garett asked.

Did she send this person to get in my way because she hated me this much?

I could not say anything back and ended right at a standstill.

It was not until shortly afterwards that I heard she specifically requested to call off our engagement.

I was baffled, distraught, but mostly hurt at this. We never had one proper conversation, yet she chose to call off our engagement without a single explanation.

Why?

Why...

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle's hate count: 100

When I entered the Royal Academy, I had methodically found a way to send Garett away on official business for some time. I used that small period of his absence to approach her again.

I invited her out for tea. I thought that she might refuse, but she accepted my offer against my expectations. As I watched her drink tea in front of me, I found that she was even more beautiful than I remembered. I always had to watch her from afar but found her beauty incredibly entrancing up close.

Then, I heard the fateful words that brought me incredible pain...

"...I have a lover... My lover's name is Garett Alvin. I am in love with Garett Alvin!" she said.

For whatever reason, my heart screamed in agony.

I never got a chance to get close to her, and that person always stuck to her side like a thorn.

I should have expected this result, but I could not accept it in the deepest fibers of my being...

I blanked out for the next few moments. In those few moments, she disappeared as if she were just a mirage. However, she left just enough damage behind for my heart to break into pieces. Even though she was my fiancée, I never even got a chance to show her my heart before she broke it...

Even though I was in pain from watching my former fiancée stand beside Garett, I still wanted to support her from behind. I made sure that no bad rumors came her way and made sure that unsavory characters would never come near her. It was my sincerest wish for her to be happy even if she was not with me...

One day, I had a dream where I was holding her hand and laughing by her side in a cathedral. The scene was our wedding. It all seemed so real from the lace of her white dress to the touch of her soft velvet like hair. After waking up from the dream, I found myself feeling bitter after realizing it was just a dream.

However, next day after the next, it was as if I was living a second life in my dreams. I was witnessing things I never saw before, hearing things that I never knew about, and touching things that I never dreamed about touching before. One of those dreams consisted of me touching Arielle's soft skin and touching her neck where a small heart shaped mole was on the back of her neck. Such details made me wonder what the dreams meant. When I saw her lift her long flowing hair into a ponytail, I saw the mole I had only seen in my dreams before and gasped.

The dreams were like a portal to an alternate life where my fiancée actually loved me...

If there was a chance that I could still be with her, I wanted to take that chance!

As I was thinking about that, I was suddenly filled with a significant number of images and conversations that filled my head that all led up to one fatal memory where I had been stabbed while protecting her, but I did not die then. It was when I saw that she had killed herself upon thinking that I was dead that I died right afterwards.

Despair...sadness...and rage filled up the last bitter parts of my memory.

I could not protect the person I loved the most.

I felt so dammed about myself for failing to protect my wife and child that I was willing to accept all of the bitter memories of this life if it meant that I could save her from suffering in this life. However, once again, I saw her falling from a nearly fatal blow from protecting me.

She gave me the excuse that she saved me because there was no one else that could take my place on the throne.

In what seemed like her dying moments, she continuously told me bitter words.

"...Why do you keep lying?" I asked her.

"...I never loved you...I have always hated you," she said.

I deserve all of her hatred...

Prince Erik: 0

Arielle's hate count: 100,000,000ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ