CHAPTER 4: STAY, MI LADY!

The ghost of a smile played on Astheir's lips, a smile born not of happiness, but of incredulous amusement. Before her stood her fiancé, the former First Prince, now Emperor Andrei, a man she'd half-expected to marry by thirty, yet here he was, claiming her after a decade of absence.

"Are you serious?" she murmured, her voice low enough to escape the ears of the hovering maidservants, yet loud enough for His Majesty to hear. "You're really going to marry me, even after I disappeared for over a decade?"

Their current location: a sun-drenched greenhouse, a setting chosen not by Astheir, but by her overbearing father and brothers. They deemed it appropriate to welcome the Emperor, who had personally arrived to congratulate her on her return.

"Yes, my lady," Andrei replied, his tone etched with a seriousness that Astheir found both unnerving and strangely compelling.

"Really?" she pressed, a flicker of doubt—or perhaps defiance—in her eyes. "What if I already have a family, back where I came from?"

Andrei's gaze sharpened. "Are they here?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "They are not."

"What if they come?"

A chilling smile touched his lips. "I will simply have them beheaded. How dare they steal the Emperor's woman." The threat hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of his power. Astheir, though hardened by her experiences in another world, felt a shiver crawl down her spine. "Besides," he continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "could they truly come here, my lady? I believe they reside… elsewhere. In another dimension, shall we say?"

The chilling truth of his words sunk in. Nothing was more terrifying than someone knowing your deepest, darkest secrets.

Astheir recoiled, her eyes wide with fear, her body trembling like a frightened bird. She looked like a cat caught stealing cream, her carefully constructed composure shattering.

"H-how do you know that…?!" she stammered.

She had believed her escape—achieved through magic—was flawlessly concealed. Everyone assumed she'd simply fled to some remote, uncharted corner of the world, a place beyond reach, where her secrets would remain buried. No one, she thought, would ever suspect the use of forbidden magic, the opening of a portal to another dimension.

So… how did he know?

Andrei smirked, his gaze sweeping over the maids who were subtly gathered nearby, their ears clearly perked. "Should we really discuss this here?"

Astheir forced herself to regain control, her fear momentarily masked by a steely resolve. "Let's talk. In my room."

This conversation, fraught with implications, could not be held in the open. Custom, rules—they were inconsequential now.

Andrei chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "How bold."

Nevertheless, he led the way toward Astheir's chambers, Astheir trailing behind, obedient yet simmering with a potent mix of fear and defiance.

Once inside, Astheir wasted no time securing the room—door bolted, windows closed, every possible listening ear blocked. She turned to Andrei, her eyes blazing with a desperate need for answers.

"Tell me. How do you know?"

Andrei's eyebrow arched. "And you didn't offer me a seat first? Your family is growing bolder by the day. Do you want to die?"

Astheir ignored the veiled threat, her urgency overriding all caution. She grabbed his hand, pulling him down onto her plush couch, seating herself beside him.

"Easy, my lady," Andrei said smoothly. "Our wedding is next week. There's no need to rush."

"How do you know I traversed dimensions?" she demanded, emphasizing the word with a sharp edge of frustration.

A hint of mockery danced in Andrei's eyes. "Did you really think that scrawny old man you encountered before returning was some random hater? That man was a Pope, a volunteer, sent to retrieve you."

Astheir's breath hitched. "What…?"

"His name was Istres, I believe."

Astheir shook her head, desperately trying to process this impossible revelation. Then, a chilling memory surfaced.

"Because today, you are going back. To restore everything you destroyed."

Yes. Those were Istres's exact words.

"You wanted me back to fix what I… destroyed?" she whispered, the weight of his words crushing her.

Andrei's expression turned serious, the mockery gone, replaced by a grim determination. "Yes. Your actions created a rift, a dimensional instability. You opened a hole that's spewing forth chaotic forces, wreaking havoc on the world. And only you can seal it before it opens again."

Astheir stared at him, speechless. "M-me…?"

"Yes. So stay, my lady."

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Later, gazing out from her locked window at the star-strewn night, Astheir sighed, feeling utterly overwhelmed. She'd thought her only problem was returning from a world where she was loved, but now… she had to mend a dimensional tear she'd created as a child.

How utterly unfortunate.

Istres. That old man, whose rage burned like a wildfire. Had his family perished because of her actions? Was that the source of his fury?

She knelt, closing her eyes, the weight of countless possibilities pressing down on her. Only one conclusion made sense: it was all her fault.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the words a choked sob. "I only wanted love, I swear. People who would accept me. I didn't want any of this. If I could turn back time…"

A fierce determination hardened her voice. "I would endure a lifetime of suffering to prevent even one death."

 ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶✧༺♥༻✧༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

The next morning, the rhythmic thud of marching soldiers jolted her awake. The arrival of the Royal Messenger, bearing his ridiculously long scroll, was no surprise.

"Lady Astheir Maenhel De Marillo shall be brought to the Imperial Palace in preparation for her crowning and marriage ceremony."

Astheir sighed. That damn Emperor was relentless! She could have helped him without the marriage. She wouldn't run, not this time.

She rose from her bed, but made no effort to dress. She was still in her nightgown, and it would be—at least for them—shameful to be seen like this. Besides, no one had bothered to wake her personally. It wasn't her fault a decree was issued without her even being present.

Then came the sound of the Imperial Army departing, followed by a summons from her father.

Finding him in his study, she saw her father, Eizen, and Camill. Eizen was glaring at her, Camill watching with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"Are you crazy?" Camill asked, his words dripping with sarcasm. "You actually agreed to marry him?!"

Astheir sank onto the couch, a wave of weariness washing over her. "What choice did I have? Even my own family—or what I thought was my family—didn't protect me from him, handing me over like some kind of plaything."

"We did not," Eizen snapped.

"Yes, you did," Astheir countered, her voice weary but firm. "But it's done now. So, why did you call me, Father?"

"To ask about your agreement with the Emperor," her father said, his tone betraying a knowledge that chilled her. "An Emperor doesn't wait for a woman's return without assurance. He must have wanted something from you. What was it? What did you give him in return?"

Astheir laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "That, Father, is something I won't share. But rest assured, it won't harm this family. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

Silence reigned.

Astheir rose and left, her departure as resolute as her decision. She had preparations to make, a journey to undertake, and a dimensional hole to stitch. And no, they wouldn't be bothering her with trivialities. She had far more pressing matters to attend to. Her next move, her plan to mend the tear in reality, was already forming in her mind