Marie Netoinne's 'Regretful' Backstory

Before becoming a hero in another world, Marie Netoinne was a notable queen in her day and age, and she was known to be the wealthiest of their lineage (or that's what she assumed of herself). Her rulership was severe, but in turn, she could enjoy the luxuries of life because of that.

Her subjects were pretty much ignored during her time as queen. All she wanted was to enjoy her life to the fullest, eating fanciful dinners and partying as much as possible with the money she earned from high taxes. As such, due to her lousy rulership, a coup was initiated, and it ended up with her on the gallows.

But right before the blade beheaded her, a light enveloped her entire being, and she was summoned to another world. At first, she had no idea what she was supposed to do, but she was just grateful that she was given another chance at life.

This time, she won't do anything that she'll regret, and this time, she won't repeat the same mistakes she did prior to being isekai'ed.

Becoming part of the Heroes of Relics was tough, especially for a noble girl like her who had never experienced combat in her life. There was a little bit of training, but when it came to her control over her Zecian Aura, she was a natural at it. And it didn't take long before she could wield her ice magic and her legendary weapon which was her favorite fan from her world.

Although she walked the thin line between life and death as a hero, she couldn't deny that it was enjoyable. Going around and exploring the lands in the nearby kingdom, going to dungeons, and attempting to conquer the outerlayers— all of these experiences molded her into what she became right now.

Of course, her inner character never changed at all, and if given a chance at rulership, she might make the same mistake again. But right now, she somewhat understood the concept of hard work and money, and it gave her a better, much clearer view of life.

And that life, a short span of more than six months after becoming a hero, flashed before her eyes as the Earth Sand Golem's fists closed in on her. She let out a squeal, albeit a short one since her voice was immediately cut short. Her panic caused her to literally freeze up, and she watched as the fist descended upon her entire body like a hydraulic press about to flatten her.

—We don't need you, Alb. Your power's beat and all, but it's pretty dull, and your contributions to this party were nothing but lackluster—

Somehow, the thought of her commenting on Albrecht's skills as a porter was the first thing that appeared in her mind. In that instant, she assumed that the first things that she'd see were the gallows and the moment she'd be beheaded... but no, her memory was clear, like the contrast between night and day.

Adventurers told her how when one's on the verge of death, the first thing that one would see was the memory of regret. Most adventurers saw their family, their party members, or their guild, right before their life flashed before their eyes.

For some odd reason, Marie saw Albrecht. She wanted to deny it, but apparently, it was the first thing she regretted doing. For the life of her (which was ironic), she couldn't comprehend why that would be her regret.

BABAM!

The Earth Sand Golem's fist pounded on her, and she heard the sound of impact as she closed her eyes. Right then and there, she had accepted the throes of death by the door, and she wholly welcomed her death with hopes that the others would make it out of there alive.

And at the very back of her mind, she offered an apology to Albrecht, whom she knew wasn't even there in the first place. Now she somewhat understood why she had a regret like that, and it brought a stray tear to her eyes.

—

—

"Am I dead?" Marie whimpered, slowly opening her right eye for fear that she'd be in another place. She didn't feel any pain, which meant that her death was swift...

... then again, she could've sworn that she could still hear everyone fighting and calling out her name. Without question, she ruled it out the noise as her delusion.

"Well, not that I would think so," A familiar voice grunted, replying to her comment which was supposed to be in her thoughts.

Apparently, Marie thought her thoughts out loud, and someone responded to it. It also further instilled the fact that she was, in actuality, not yet dead.

Bewildered, Marie opened her eyes, and she immediately noticed that someone had blocked the Earth Sand Golem from squashing her like a bug. And that someone also caught her by the waist before she could fall down.

Seeing her dishonorable state, she let out another squeal before she grabbed the masked vampire man by the neck to pick herself up. She instantly realized that he jumped into the fray to rescue her, and he was the sole reason why she was still alive even though she had already wholly accepted her dim fate.

As soon as she wrapped her hands around his neck, Albrecht let out a grunt... and as he did so, his mask fell off, revealing his face.

At first, Marie had no idea who he was, considering that his features resembled that of a vampire. However, Albrecht's face was too close for comfort, and Marie was able to distinguish his features. Blinking twice, Marie thought that she was dreaming, but when Albrecht averted his gaze from her eyes due to discomfort, she instantly recognized who he was.

"AH— ?!!" Marie exclaimed, letting go of her hand which caused her to fall once again. Fortunately, the Earth Sand Golem was dealt with thanks to Isaias Asclepius, and now Albrecht once again caught Marie by the waist with two hands.

"I just saved your life... the least you could do is keep a secret." Albrecht put his face right at Marie as near as he could, and their noses touch. This way, the other Heroes of Relics wouldn't recognize who he was, since his face was pretty much covered by Marie's fluffy white hair.

"Uhn~" Air-headed, Marie nodded her head, which caused her lips to slightly slip onto his, and both their faces reddened.