The freezing air is wicking her body heat away. The frigid air has penetrated her whole body that she unconsciously shivered like a reed in the wind. 

“If, If you truly hate me…! “

A shaky voice was fleeting inconsequentially into the night as she tried to combat her drowsiness with great difficulty.  Her beady pair of eyes landed on a little boy concealing half of his face with a mask. The moonlight reflects his gleaming silver hair and bewitching crimson eyes. He was enchantingly picturesque.

***

I awoke in a soft sheet as a streak of sunlight trickled in through the window. Slowly and reluctantly, I opened my eyes. 

“Your Highness! You’re finally awake!”

“Her Highness is finally awake! “

‘Your Highness? Who are you talking about?’

I scrutinized my surrounding in confusion. The mirror that I stare into is wall-mounted, encircled by a fancy frame. Yet, what reflects on the mirror was surprisingly, not myself. 

The girl’s eyes glistened in the light with a radiant emerald hue. They are paired with a luscious platinum blonde hair that cascade down to her waist.

Days after, I realized. This setting was somewhat identical to the R-19 romance novel that I had read in my past life. That story is titled ‘The Beast and The Lady.’

‘The Beast and the Lady’ is a romance fantasy story, a twist on “Beauty and the Beast.” The beasts, Blake and Richard, will fight fiercely for the heroine’s love, Diana.

I transmigrated to Ancia’s body, Diana’s half-sister. Ancia has been arranged to wed the crown prince from an early age. However, not long after she saw his horrendous appearance, she committed suicide by drowning into a lake on their wedding.

This incident placed a massive trauma on Blake’s heart that he thoroughly shut his heart. The Crown Prince becomes a relentless man who doesn’t believe anyone until Diana lift his curse. He ended up leading a miserable life without being chosen by Diana.

According to the original story, Ancia drowned in the water, as Blake retrieves her already frigid body. 

“If, If you truly hate me…! “

The boy was squeezing Ancia’s body while weeping.  He must have been significantly hurt—the bride attempted to kill herself because of him, after all.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

“I’m going to meet the Crown Prince.”

“His Royal Highness?”

The maid, Melissa, glanced at me. For a second, she wore a puzzled expression.

“Yes. Take me there.”

“Your Highness, I beg of you, His Highness is still greatly shocked by the recent incident….”

She blurted her words carefully. She must have assumed that I am going to ask for a divorce.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything harmful.”

I didn’t have any plan to abandon Blake. I couldn’t afford to leave him like this when I had the opportunity to rewrite Blake’s miserable childhood. Besides, Ancia had nowhere to go back. Ancia is a child born between Count Bellacian and his first wife. His first wife died as soon as Ancia was born. Count Bellacian then wed his second wife, who gave birth to Diana.

Count Bellacian sent Ancia as a crown princess even though he knew she wouldn’t stand living with him. Ancia wasn’t just killing herself because of Blake’s hideous appearance. She threw herself into the freezing water because she knew her family was abandoning her. In any case, I had nowhere to go even if I left here, and I had no intention of leaving Blake in misery. The maid led me to Blake’s bedroom.

“I’ll go in myself.”

Leaving the maid outside, I put my hand on the elongated handle and opened the bedroom door. I saw a little child lying on the bed, crouching as much as he could.

“Your Highness. It’s me.”

“I can’t believe you did that! You jumped off without my permission!”

I suppressed my emotions when I saw Blake’s pitiful whimper. He isn’t how I expected him to be. He looks almost like a miserable rabbit.

“I have something to tell you.”

First of all, we must resolve these misunderstandings. I sat on the corner of his bed for now. But Blake began to sneak away. I held his trembling hand and, at once stripped off the mask that covered half of his face.

“What are you doing!”

He was frightened and tried to remove my hands. I encircled my hands on Blake’s face instead.

“Don’t, Don’t look!”

Blake tried to lower his head, but I tightened my hand so he couldn’t avoid my eyes.

“You’re not hideous.”

“What?”

“I’ve never seen someone as beautiful as you.”

This remark was true. Despite his curse, his appearance is breathtaking. Physically, His features are small and in harmony with each other; He had tousled silver hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerizing crimson red. He had a straight, high-bridged nose between his two eyes. Plump cheeks and flawlessly sculpted lips, as if crafted by angels themselves.

Besides, the curse will be lifted when you meet Diana. In the original story, Blake’s face is depicted as the most captivating face on the entire continent when his curse is lifted

“But, you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“But…”

“I’m telling the truth. I didn’t attempt suicide. I accidentally staggered and drowned in the lake.”

That is a lie. The original Ancia killed herself after being frightened by Blake’s face.

“Really?….”

“Yes. I heard you saved me from drowning. So I came to say thank you.”

“…….“

“Thank you very much….”

I grinned and clasped both of his hands.

“You saved my life. I truly appreciate it.”

Blake’s nose reddened as his warm tears fell over the back of my hand.

“I, because of me…I thought you are going to die because of me….”

“Why would I? I’m married to such a wonderful person, after all.”

“I saved your life, so I assumed that you’d be angry…I was so afraid to see you.”

“I like you. I’m grateful to be married to such a considerate boy.”

“I…I like you too.”

Blake, you’re a liar. The person that Blake likes is Diana. The Emperor knew Blake wanted Diana, so he arranged the wedding. Of course, the count wouldn’t send his precious Diana. I was sent in her place instead.

“Then shall we sleep together?”

“…….”

The moment I mumbled so, Blake darted away and lurked behind his enormous bed. What’s wrong with him? It’s not like I suggested something terrible.

The Bellacian family had the power of light. It was thanks to that, Diana was able to remove Blake’s curse. Ancia is also a member of the Bellacian family. She indeed possesses a small amount of light, but not as much as Diana.

Blake’s curse doesn’t merely impact his appearance. He also constantly feel pain. The colder it gets, the more severe it is. He jumped into the harsh freezing water to save me, so Blake must have felt immense pain. But, he’s not the type to say so.

Bodily contact is necessary to use the power of light. As expected of a R-19 romance novel. Instead, I tried to sleep next to him while holding hands, but Blake’s expression made me feel like I made a big mistake.

“Your Highness, please don’t misunderstand me.”

“Mi-misunderstand?”

“We’re married, it’s natural to sleep together. That’s not something to be embarrassed about.”

“But….”

Blake shivered and buried his face in the pillow.

“I’m still embarrassed….”

“…….”

Where did the fierce Blake in the original story go? Instead of a ferocious guy, a lovable child is sitting in front of me. Are you sure that in 10 years that little rabbit will turn into such a man? Human growth is truly mysterious.

“Come here!”

I couldn’t leave him like this. I took the pillow he was holding and held Blake’s hands tightly.

“As a newlywed couple, I suggest we sleep together from now on .”

“E-Everyday….? “

“Is there a problem? Do you perhaps not like the idea?”

“N-No… but are you comfortable with this arrangement?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you fine with us sleeping together?”

“Of course, I’m fine. I’m fond of you.”

Blake opened his already huge eyes wider and couldn’t speak as his whole face reddened. I clasped both of his hands

“How is it? Do you feel comfortable?”

It said that the pain of the curse seems to go away just by holding hands with Diana, the heroine, but…

My power didn’t seem to work very well.

Now that I’ve been transmigrated to this novel, I wanted to help Blake, who’s going to live in pain until he met Diana, but I didn’t have the power to do so.

I let go of his hand and flung it under the quilt. But suddenly, Blake hugged me from behind.

”Don’t let go!”

”……What?”

”Your hand. Ancia’s hands are warm, so don’t let go.”

I couldn’t see his face because he hugged me from behind, but I could see that his voice is mixed with sobbing.

Such a crybaby.

” I’m not going anywhere.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I just came down to get my pillow….”

Then Blake’s face glowed red, as he quickly climbed back onto the bed.

“Don’t you want to sleep with me?”

“That’s not it… Well, are you sure you’re okay? To sleep with a monster like me..”

”Your Highness! Don’t say that. You’re not a monster.”

“But…”

“I told you before, didn’t I?”

I took his hand and looked straight at his crimson eyes.

”Don’t worry. Your curse is going to be lifted eventually.”

“My curse?”

“Yes… On your 18th birthday, when you reach adulthood, your curse will eventually be lifted. Eventually the day won’t be so dreadful. So don’t be too discouraged, you don’t need to mind what other people say. Those are just their mindless chatters.”

“…18.”

A weary voice came from his small lips. Just as there is a “successor of light,” there is a “successor of the curse” in the imperial family as well.

Emperor Philip, the founder of the empire, was in a romantic relationship with the goddess of light. The goddess of light shared her power with her beloved, and he founded the empire with that power. But Philip, who became emperor, betrayed the goddess of light and fell in love with another woman.

The angry goddess of light is said to have cursed Philip’s descendants.The heir to the curse is inscribed with black sentences on his face, and when it covers his whole body, it eventually leads to death. All of them died before they became adults. Blake is also driven to the brink of death on the night he turns 18.

I held Blake’s hand in despair and hung my little finger.

“I promise you will be cured. I promise you my life…”

”No!”

He pulled back his hands roughly and screamed.

” What?”

“Don’t promise me that! You can’t die! Even if I die, you have to live!”

I brought his hand back and hung my pinky finger on his.

“I’m not going to die. Neither you nor I will. So don’t worry.”

”Ancia..”

”Oh no…why is my husband is such a crybaby? “

I wiped away the tears from his eyes with a handkerchief.

” I’m…not a crybaby!”

” You’re crying right now.”

” No!”

Blake held back his tears by squeezing his lips and holding his snot. However, he started to cry freely as if he was overwhelmed by the emotion. I wrap my arms around him, feeling him calm down instantly at my touch.

His tears had stopped, leaving only wet tracks down his face. Then his eyelids eventually became heavy and drooped. She cuddled him until they fell asleep in the same bed.

***

Upon waking, Acia burrowed herself into the warm, soft sheets. She rubbed the remainders of sleep from her eyes and carefully rolled onto her side and looked at him.

His little face glowed from the sunlight, making gentle snuffling noises as he breathed. I was trying to touch his plump cheeks, but Blake clasped my right hand with both hands.

You said you were embarrassed, but you‘re holding my hand until morning?

A smile came naturally around my lips. I stroked his hair with my left hand, soon his long eyelashes trembled as Blake opened his eyes.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

” No….”

Blake shook his head and smiled

“Why are you smiling?”

” I like it a lot.”

” Hm?”

” Ancia is here with me all night.”

As Blake attempted to hide his face behind his fingers, his blush seared through his cheeks and for a minute or so.

Being transmigrated to a R-19 novel, I never thought that I would have a husband who is as cute as a rabbit. The moment I saw his smile, I vowed to make this cute husband happy.

***

I wanted to save Blake. But I couldn’t lift the curse. I can only protect him until he met Diana.

Since “The Beast and Lady” is a R-19 novel, the story is told from the time the main characters become adults, and details about their childhood are not revealed.

Still, the author often infers to situations and conversations from the past. The author also gives a brief explanation of the characters.

Blake has three great tragedies as a child. The first tragedy was to become the heir to the curse. And the second was the suicide of Ancia. The last, was the death of his father, Emperor Tenstheon.

When Emperor Tenstheon dies, Duke Cassil, Blake’s uncle and Richard’s father, becomes the new emperor. Duke Cassil kicked Blake out of the crown prince’s seat, and the helpless boy spent a miserable childhood in a southern island.

Right now, Blake has already become the heir to the curse. It happened before I transmigrated. But the death of his father, Emperor Tenstheon, is a future that had not yet arrived.

It’ll be three years from now. But to prevent the death of Emperor Tenstheon, I’d have to look at him and talk to him first. As soon as the Crown Prince’s wedding ceremony was over, the emperor left and will take at least a month to come back.

I slept with Blake every day. I ate in his room and spent every day chatting while reading books. But I realized something unusual.

‘Again….’

I gazed at the breakfasts on the table.

Only green, green, greens every single day.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, the greens keep coming out. Besides, the menu was almost the same. Spinach soup, tomato salad, and grilled mushrooms. The soup has the same taste as yesterday, so I guess they reheated it again.

I wasn’t a picky eater. I can eat the same thing all week long, and it’s okay with just vegetables. So there was no complaint about the food itself.

But isn’t just food for young boys and girls, but a meal for the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. In the empire, the feast of those who had the second-highest status after the emperor was feeble.  I can’t believe this.

“…Your Highness.”

“Yes?”

“What kind of food do you like?”

“Well. Everything’s fine.”

“Do you like meat and fish?”

“Yes!”

Blake nodded brightly and put a tomato salad into his mouth. Blake is not a vegetarian. There was no particular food to be careful about because of the curse. However, there was only one reason this happened.

‘You’re ignoring him as a cursed Crown Prince.’

The Crown Prince’s Palace was located in a remote location long away from the palace where the emperor lived. The eight-year-old prince, who is stuck in a separate manor, is neither visited by the emperor nor his relatives. Moreover, his marriage partner is Ancia, a daughter of a mere count.

Ancia is older than Blake, only by two years. The Crown Prince and his wife are young and powerless; of course, they are openly ignored, but this can’t continue on