The gears of fate are sadly unhinged!

Chapter 06

Their eyes met for a moment, but it was just a short moment because Lucia immediately looked away and fell her face become red.

It's pathetic.
No matter what, I've decided to keep my head up and take it all in.
I mentally scolded myself but, even so, I couldn't look up.
In Arthur's eyes there were no emotion at all, there was no way... I cannot continue to look at them... It hurts.

When Arthur looked at Lucia, he could see the affection in her eyes as well.
He turned his sweet gaze to Lucia, but he didn't understand... What would be the meaning of it--? Of that feeling in his chest?

Can't we change our fate...?
Engagement breakup riots are occurring in various countries.
A fate that cannot be escaped.
Once one case appeared in your country, it'll spread as wildfire and all the engagement will start to disappear in the same way, and for you...
The only thing waiting for you is an already made-up scene that you won't be able to over-turn.
My fate have been sealed the moment I recognized myself as the prince's fiancée.
Then, no matter how hard you try, the outcome will end up in the direction I DON'T WANT IT TO!
Losing Arthur...

A sense of loss swept over Lucia in a way she had never imagined.
A deep despair was about to engulf Lucia when someone touched her hand.

"What...?"

I looked up in surprise and saw that it was Arthur who was taking my hand.
There was anger in those eyes for some reason, an emotion she had never received from Arthur, and Lucia reflexively tried to take a step away.
But Arthur didn't let go her hand. He put all his strength into his grip, trying to not hurt her but, at the same time, assuring she won't escape by any means.

"Huh?"
"Hi, beautiful Lady... How could I not know anything about you! Please heal this wound in my heart with your sweet name"

"Huh?"

Everyone, including Lucia, paused what they were doing and looked directly at this scene.
In the meantime, Arthur put his hand over his hair in disarray, after seeing the reaction of those around him.

"I can't believe it!　How could I have missed such a nice beauty in this world!　Am I really that blind?"
"I-- I, Arthur"
"Marquise Harmonie, was it?　Please free my foolish self of this agony... Please tell me your name."
"It's Lucia. I'm, uh..."
"Lucia!　How wonderful that sounds!　It's a good fit for you. Just as beautiful as its owner"

Saying that, Arthur smiled. 

For some reason, Arthur was getting closer and closer to Lucia and finally, he hugged her softly.
For Lucia, it was his usual attitude toward her, so she accepted the hug without questioning anything.
Taking advantage of it, Arthur started talking to her, trying to know more about her and, at the same time, trying to gain her heart with sweet words.
Incidentally, Arthur left Millenia alone... To say it bluntly, her presence had disappeared from Arthur's mind in the same instant he saw Lucia.

"Lucia, you're so nice and wonderful. Please tell me you don't have a love, fiancé or husband, don't you?"
"Fiancé?　Yeah, you're right. Speaking of that, ehh-- Well, you a---"
"After all... You're so young and... Why there are so many arranged engagements I wonder? ... What's going on with the mind of those parents that don't care about their kids decisions?"
"I'm planning on celebrating my wedding a year from now..."
"What the ---...! Has that been decided so in detail already? There's not enough time for you to take that class of decision. We need to do something to stop it right away!!"

As Arthur mumbled and thought about how to destroy his own engagement and save Lucia from himself, she felt relieved and couldn't stop herself from crying.
The behavior itself remains Arthur's, but he seems to have completely forgotten about her.
He didn't seem to know that he was her fiancé.

"Do you have feelings for that person?"
"Yes..."
"Ohh-- I'm sure you're obligated to say it!　Oh, no!! Just the thought of him trying to approach to you makes me want to rip him to pieces. "
She couldn't stop herself from saying...
"Oh, no! Don't do that! If you do what you are saying, my beloved Arthur, will be shredded and fed to the pigs."

Everyone froze, knowing what does Lucia words mean.... Except Arthur.
It was Millenia the first one that understood and reacted at what she was saying.
In a hurry, she went and glued to Arthur's arm as if her life was in the line.

"Your Highness! You've forgotten about me, haven't you?"
"Hmm?"

A perfect smile appeared on Millenia's face.
It was the kind of smile that would have captivated all the people of the world in the gaze of her eyes, if the person destined this smile to, were not Arthur.
It didn't work on Arthur... or rather said, Arthur who had already forgotten about her existence froze, just wondering "Uhh? Who was it? What should I say?"
Seeing that Arthur remained silent and didn't move, Lucia came on his help.

"Ohh! How wonderful I can meet you finally! You're the young Lady who helped His Highness! Oh, Arthur! It was so kind of you, to bring her here, to the Royal Castle to thank her for all she did for you!"
"Oh, yes! Yes! You're right!"
"Thank goodness!　So So you remember it. I've been looking forward to it so much!"
"Yes, yes! I'm sure you'll be happy when you see.... -it"

But Arthur did not move.
His arm was wrapped around Lucia's, while Millenia was glued on his left arm, and because of that, the distance between the three of them was.... oddly close.

The queen listened attentively to Millenia's words and took the opportunity to ask Arthur a question.

"Arthur, what are you going to do in return for Miss Millenia's kindness?"
"Oh! I heard that Millenia had never left her birthplace, and she wanted to go to the Royal Capital at least once in her life.
I also promised to take her on a sightseeing tour...."
"That's right!　I and His Highness only!　You promised we'd go out!"

Millenia declared loudly to Lucia with a triumphant look on her face.
She had told Lucia that she had promised a date in a roundabout way and, hearing this, Lucia opened her mouth to say something.
However, someone appeared to interrupt it.... Arthur.
For some reason, he stood in front of Lucia and bowed his head to Millenia.

"I'm sorry. Miss Millenia, you can't go to visit the capital with me."

"Huh?"

"Of course, we'll arrange for you to be able to do some sightseeing.
I will prepare someone to take my place and let him guide you to where ever you like to my heart's content."

"You can't...!　His Highness said that he would go personally!　He said he would make time for us to be together!"

"Yeah, but I promised I'll make sure that you'll be able to get the best out of this travel. And going with me, it won't do. I've some important thing to do that cannot be delayed. I feel awful about this, but I've to do it. There is no time to waste!! Nor a minute nor a second."

"Do you have something to do?　What's that? What's more important than going out with me?!"

"It's much more important!!!!!"

We all staggered at Arthur's loud assertion, but Millenia was not going to give up, in a way, she was as stubborn as Arthur.
Lucia and the Kings guards both admired Millenia, seeing how hard she was trying to change Arthur's mind, something they were never able to do.
She stared back at them even when they glare at her with fiery eyes.

"What's more important than me?"
"Lucia, of course!"
"Lucia?　You mean that girl over there?"

The topic suddenly came up and Lucia's heart skipped a beat, but the two continued their conversation without a care of her presence.

It's weird.
Even though "Lucia" is the main topic, the story is moving forward without me.

But Lucia wisely chose to remain silent. To avoid unnecessary confusion by participating in this conversation.

"That girl?!!　What a rude woman you are!　No, now wasn't the time to dwell on that anyway."
"Hey!　Explain it to me!　I wouldn't be convinced otherwise!"
"I need to investigate Lucia's fiancé. I'm going to thoroughly investigate him, expose the dark behind that wicked man, and drive him away from Lucia's!! And to comfort the depressed Lucia, I'll make her my fiancée...""
"Wait a minute!! You're saying your nasty thoughts out loud!! Didn't you realize that?"

The Queen waited for her son, who had described his dirty plans with a very evil grin on his face, to realize what he has just done.
But Arthur didn't care at all about the other's opinions about him, yet he hurriedly looked back at Lucia to see if she had heard, but Lucia smiled.
She was looking at Arthur, with a face that says she doesn't know what's going on anymore... Even after so many years of experience.

*In Arthur's mind*
I'm relieved that Lucia has a look on her face that says she didn't hear anything.
But at the same time she's smiling at me! So cute....

Those thoughts made Arthur very excited about carrying his plan against ""Lucia's fiancé"".
The Queen, looking at the scene with Arthur practically flying around Lucia with a smile on his face, held her head with her hands trying to avoid thinking about the future of the country.
Trying to recover herself a little, she said.

"Arthur, may I have a word with you?"
"What is it?　It's important? Is it something we can use to unmask her fiancé?"
"You don't remember anything about Lucia, do you?"
"...what do you mean by that?"

Arthur looked with a lost gaze at the Queen's words, the expression on his face was that he had been told something completely incoherent.

*Queen's thoughts*
Apparently, yes. It has really faded from your memory.
Oh, my! This needs to be said out loud for him to understand something so clear...

The queen waved her hand to her chamberlain and an attendant, who has grasped the meaning of her words approached Arthur.

"Your Highness, I've prepared some tea for you in your room. This way, please."

"Is that so?　Then, Lucia, let's go."

"Hmm?"

In a flowing gesture, Arthur hugged Lucia and began to escort her.
It was Millenia, of course, who didn't remain silent at the sight of this.

"Hey--"

However, the Royal guards prevented her to go with them.
Millenia couldn't get close to Arthur, and he quickly disappeared in the big palace.
Everybody left but the King and his wife, they approached to Millenia, who saw them off in disbelief.

"Why....?　In the story... I would have ended with the prince."
The muttered words were unexpectedly loud.

*Queen's perspective*
After all, it seems that the popular novel had come into Millenia's mind too.
And I supposed, she thought It was a miracle happening to her, everything to happen like the novel...
I didn't want to think about it, but maybe it wasn't pure for good pure intentions that she helped Arthur either.
No! I won't do any good going further!

While the queen was unsure of what to say or what to do about Millenia, who stood in a daze, was the King, who had been just an ornament while everything was happening, opened his mouth.

"There's a saying...<<The curse of the Diering family.>>"

"Huh?"

Millenia looked up to the Queen face until realizing, that it was the King, who was staring back at her face.

"I don't know if there is such a thing. But a man of the Diering family will never change the woman he falls in love with."

"The woman he fell in love with...??"

"Yes! You will love her for the rest of my life.... it's because you feel that the other person is your irreplaceable half.
A Diering's boy can never fall in love with the wrong person.
And no matter what happens, you will not change that person and even if you don't end up with her...
Even if there's an unfortunate accident, you can't love someone else.
One of my ancestors once said.... "I've met my destiny."
Little lady, even it's fairy tail... Even if, it's not fate.... you will never be his beloved one."

Millenia fell to her knee as she ran out of strength.
The King seemed to lose interest when he saw that, so he put his hand around the Queen's shoulders and walked away.
While Millenia was left behind, stunned and unable to accept the reality of the situation.