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nThe First Timeline,

nThe Capital,

nIt took one day to travel from the hidden village all the way back to the capital. Philip with the blood bleeding all over his eyes was protecting Marinette from all the rock they threw toward them.

nThe citizen also returned back to the capital once they heard the news of capturing the criminal. They didn't spare any time to take a look at the two worst criminals of the empire, picked the rocks, and threw at them who were in the cage mercilessly.

nMarinette looked at Philip who used all of his body to protect her from all of those things even though he was bleeding, he still didn't move away.

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"Philip...it's all my fault...I was the one who caused their death...

" she covered her face crying in his arms as the guilt and the burden were increasing over her shoulder.

nEven those two with their arms and legs cut off at the other cage were also because of her.

nPhilip patted her back gritting his teeth in anger and despair. His head was hurt and fuzzy ever since he woke up in the cage. Everything went by too fast for him that he didn't even know exactly what was going on.

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"If I didn't...use the sleep magic on you...none of it would have happened...it's my fault...it's my fault they died...

" seeing Marinette being miserable crying in the cage and Philip who was speechless didn't have any words to comfort her, Richard who was riding on the white horse was grinning in an amusing way satisfied.

nThey were taken to the prison under the royal palace locking in the cell. Richard tossed Philip inside one cell and then took Marinette away from Philip.

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"Marinette!!!

" Philip called her name trying to grab her hand taking her from Richard, but his hand couldn't reach hers.

nShe only looked back at Philip for a while then followed Richard obediently.

nWith her head down, she was taken walking up the stair to the tower of the royal palace. The wind was strong blowing her white hair which was stained with blood along with the wind.

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"We won the war, Marinette. I defeat Asher.

"

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"...congratulation, I guess.

" Richard didn't even bother to tie her hand or use any magic on her since she was like a wingless bird in his eyes.

nWithout any of her magic, she was useless. And even if she wanted to kill herself, she couldn't because of the spell Richard put on her.

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"Let me check it!!!

" Richard grabbed Marinette's pair of hands tightly with his one hand then pulled her tongue out.

nThe mark of his magic was there, and as long as it remained there, she won't die.

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"Are you satisfied?

" she asked him with a lifeless face, she pushed his hands away and intended to walk back to the prison but his voice stopped her,

"Yes, I'm indeed satisfied. I'm the strongest of all now. I could even regrow the limb of people.

"

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"Good to you then. I surrender...I couldn't go back in time...that was my last trump card, and now it's useless...you win, Richard...

" she closed her eyes 'accepting' everything, and glanced at the crescent blue eyes of Richard in that evening.

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"Are you acting again?? Marinette I know wasn't someone to give up that quickly.

"

nShe gave him a smile and then bowed to him climbing on the rail of the tower facing the sunset. Her black dress blew along the cold wind of the evening looking down at Richard who held her right hand holding onto her with care.

nHis lip kissed Marinette's hand shamelessly.

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"I give up everything. After your wedding, one by one, you will kill Philip, then Flynn, and finally Victor in front of me...then I'll be imprisoned in the black tower till the day you reached old age...I'm tired of resisting...the black tower won't be a bad place for me to sleep...

"

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"Marinette, have you ever imagined what would it be...if we love each other?

"

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"It will be a wonderful scenario, Richard. I will be the empress standing by your side, it was all fun and romantic until I proved no use to you, I will only become one of your abandoned pawns at the end.

"

nRichard chuckled then hopped on to sit on the rail with Marinette.

nHe laid back enjoying the sunset with her, he glanced at the woman who used to be his ex-fiance then murmured to her,

"I can make you my empress now, will you accept that? We can live and grow old together, and then you will reverse time, then we will live with each other in the second life as well. Isn't that beautiful?

"

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"I really pity Diana to have a lover like you.

"

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"Diana...? I never loved anyone...it's just a mere interest. Love didn't come first in life, it's power for me.

" Richard glanced at the fainted hickey on Marinette's neck at the brief moment which the wind blew off her collar.

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"Richard--

"

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"Did you do it with him??!!

" the atmosphere changed one hundred degrees when Richard glared at Marinette with his narrowed eyebrows.

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"Did I??

" she smirked then walked down the stair with Richard following her behind.

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"Isn't it time for you to tell me your last trump card??

" she kept walking down the stair with a smile ignoring Richard.

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"The person in the village didn't match the report...is there by any chance some people in the other hidden places??

"

nRichard grabbed Marinette's hand and pushed her against the wall, she slid her finger and touched Richard's neck,

"Who knows...? I'll look forward to your wedding, Richard. Hope you have a wonderful wedding.

"

nShe pushed him away then walked back into the cell with Philip voluntarily passing the cell of the two men, where Flynn and Victor were imprisoned.

nBlood dripped from her clenched hands when she saw Flynn and Victor...their arms and legs were cut off and their eyes were carved out.

n'I'll save all of you. If I won't, I'll make sure to turn back time.'

nShe swore to herself while she glared at the angry Richard walking out of the prison at the behind of his neck, the place where she put her finger a moment ago.

nA kiss mark of lipstick was on it, and it will only depend on one person to get her out of here.

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nDiana's Chamber,

nDiana, when seeing Richard made his way to her palace, she was thrilled then wiped the makeup stained with her tear off her face, put on the lipstick and his favorite perfume looking beautiful for him.

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"His majesty is entering.

" she bowed at Richard who walked in with a tiring face, the maid was too scared to tell the emperor what happened with Diana.

nShe pulled the chair for him and let him sit on it and then rushed to get his favorite tea for him. She was only useful doing something like that, she didn't hold any use for Richard anymore.

nKnowing the secret Richard kept from her for twenty years, the secret he told her the day before he left the palace brought her back to reality.

nIf she didn't prove to him useful, he will abandon her. Richard only cared about her power, he knew about the engagement ever since he was young but he pretended to be ignorant the whole time.

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"Richard, it's gonna be our wedding soon. How about I try on the dress for you tomorrow??

" she was enthusiastic and excited about the marriage but it was only one-sidedly, even she knew when looking at the unbothered face of Richard.

nHe sipped the tea looking in the direction where Marinette was imprisoned, even he was here with her, his heart was there.

nShe clenched her dress hiding her anger, she no longer had anyone who could comfort her besides Richard. He was the only one for her.

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"I'll sleep here tonight. Prepare me a room.

"

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"A room?? You can--

"

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"I'm too tired, Diana.

" he put the dagger of the royal on the tea table then walked to the room to rest.

nA familiar scent passed her nose when he walked past her, it reminded Diana of Marinette.

nShe tried ad tried not to be jealous, tried to bury her anxiety.

nWhat if Richard chooses Marinette over her?? What if she was abandoned??

nThe anxiety pushed her to the edge of the cliff when she walked to the room where Richard rest, step by step, she walked to Richard who slept with his face on the pillow.

nThe back of his neck...was a kiss mark...the color...of Marinette's favorite lipstick.

nShe wasn't angry, surprised, or disappointed...walked out of the room silently as she already expected something like that.

nBut what hurt her the most was his promise to her, 'You will be my only wife...Diana.'

nIt felt like a distant dream, she picked up the dagger on the tea table and walked to the prison of the royal palace.

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"If she dies...if...she...dies...

"

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"Your highness...you can't!!!

" the maid tried to stop her but ended up getting wounded by the dagger in Diana's hands as she swung it without mercy.

nHer hair became messy as she bit her fingernail, her head was painful and dizzy. A drug will help her but soon all of that will disappear when she kills Marinette.

nThe knight was bribed with Diana's necklace and she walked inside the prison easily.

nHer footstep reached Marinette's ears, the corner of Marinette's lip lifted up as the sister which was her only hope finally came to her.

nDiana's eyes shook when she saw hickeys all over Marinette's body. Philip didn't expect to see Diana being crazy like that, he didn't expect the people who walked in was Diana instead of the knights. He then hid behind Marinette to hide something from Diana.

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"Ah~you want a wish from me?? I apologize for not being able to make it to your wedding.

"

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"You...b*tch!!! You shameless wh*ore!!! You have everyone!!! Why??!! Why did you try to take him away from me too??!!!

"

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"Oh?? What did I do?? Are you misunderstanding something??

" Marinette wasn't scared of the dagger of Diana since she had Richard's spell on her body, any wound will heal back immediately. But she decided to stand at the end of the cell with her back on the wall and her hand holding Philip's to make her plan work.

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"You slept with Richard!!!

" Philip gritted his teeth a little pissed at those words but Marinette tried to calm him down by caressing his hand slightly.

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"Well...it's not like I was the one who initiated it. I was only following the flow...you know...Richard was a really good kisser when he suddenly kissed me...and then I kissed him back on his neck...and after that...it was kinda blurry since it was quite intense.

"

nThe roses started appearing strangled Marinette's throat to silence her, the blood shed dropping on the prison's floor but Diana noticed something strange when Marinette's wound healed back immediately.

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"What--

"

nMarinette stuck her tongue out and showed Diana the mark on it.

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"Eh?? What is this?? Ahaha, this might be the gift Richard told me...he said this is the pre wedding gift for me, since he will make me his concubine.

" little by little, Diana's anger started to push her into the spider trap of the mockery talk of Marinette, just a few more steps...Marinette kept throwing a bunch of things she thought of to mock Diana to open the prison's cell.

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"There's no way...

" the poison Marinette kept pouring in Diana's tea finally worked, it was the poison of one of a kind that made people lose their sense and rationality.

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"Marinette...how could you do it to me??!!

" Philip turned to Marinette and strangled her throat with his arms shouting at her while his back facing Diana. He was teary when he did something like that to Marinette.

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"I don't care now...what's the sh*t called revenge anyway?? As long as I lived with luxury...it's fine to me...Richard helped me understand that--

"

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"You b*tch!! Die!!!

"

nClick!

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"Gotcha!!!

" Philip turned back and then kicked the dagger out of Diana's hand and Marinette jumped on Diana immediately to knock her out.

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"Let's kill Richard!!

" they nodded in sync locking Diana in the prison.

nMarinette ran passing the prison of Flynn and Victor with the unrecognizable face again, but that time she was sure...that she won't lose.

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"Don't die on me, Marinette.

"

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"...yeah, you too. Let's hurry...to all of our allies.

"

nTo be continued....!

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