I'm back with the next chapter, I'm so sorry for the long wait! As you all knew, I just moved overseas and currently trying to adapt with the culture and etc so it took most of my time...

Thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts, I will be replying them at the end of the story so please check it out.

I want to say thank you so much for my beta reader [regulusgal] who has helped me edit this chapter and my other stories as well. Thanks again for your hard work, let's keep it till the end, ne?

I don't own Shugo Chara nor the characters but I do own some starting this chapter ^^ Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to hit the review button ~

"Blood Is Red"

Chapter 4

The Other Pain

Have you ever felt the pain when your husband announced that he would marry another girl on your third day of honeymoon, and the girl was pregnant with your husband's child?

Could you imagine the pain I felt when I heard that news?

I slowly took the news in, trapped in a state of daze. I felt like my heart was no longer beating after he announced it — as if it refused to do so after the words had tumbled out of his mouth. And suddenly I felt the urge to cry and scream like a crazy girl.

But I refused to be reduced to such a girl.

I smiled at them — a fake one of course — and forced myself to say something in a cheery tone, "Congratulations, I have finished my dinner. Thank you."

With that I left the new happy couple in the room. Tadase wasn't trailing behind me since Ikuto ordered the blond man to serve his soon to-be-wife. When I closed the door, my tears ran down my face as I wiped them with my fingers and walked away.

I didn't go back to my room — I went to the nearby park instead. I sat on one of the benches and looked up to the sky to enjoy the moon. It was beautiful. The sky was clear, but you couldn't see any stars shining.

Soon the rain poured. My tears rolled down my cheeks again to be masked by the rain.

My life was so miserable, wasn't it? I was part of the hated people on my village; my husband had an affair and was going to marry the girl who was currently pregnant with his child. What could be worse?

I still sat on the bench and let the rain soak my entire body. This way I could forget the pain, I hoped.

Suddenly I was sheltered from the heavy rain. I glanced up and saw an umbrella. Turning my head quickly, I came face to face with my blond childhood friend. He smiled at me, but I could still catch the worry in his ruby eyes.

He was still the one that cared for me no matter what, huh?

I thanked him while he helped me get up from the bench and walked me home. I wasn't surprised when I went back to my room and found no one. Ikuto probably spent his time with Rima instead of me and it gave me more pain than before. I pushed the pain away and focused my attention to my companion instead.

The blond man still wore his worried mask and I took it as the cue to change my clothes. I went into my chamber and took out some of my pajamas before went to the bathroom and take a warm bath. I rinsed my body for the last time before stepping out from the bathroom with towel wrapped around my petite body. I dressed myself with the pajamas I had picked out before, and then joined Tadase at the living room.

He still gave me his worried look and I told him that I was okay — which was not true. He asked me if I was sure and I nodded my head before flashing him my brightest smile. He served me a cup of hot chocolate — my favorite — later and I enjoyed it to the fullest as the sweet concoction calmed my wired nerves. Then we decided to watch the TV and started to laugh at the gag. When was the last time I laughed this much? I myself couldn't remember.

I was happier than before and it seemed like I could forget the pain for a while...

The door cracked open suddenly and revealed a furious Ikuto. I paid him no mind and kept enjoying my film. I kept laughing as Tadase stopped at his track when he noticed the Prince.

He could do whatever he wanted; why couldn't I?

I sipped at my hot chocolate again and focused my eyes at the TV. It only made him madder, but who cares?

He suddenly yanked me from the couch and slammed his lips to mine to get my attention. I pushed him away and ran towards Tadase, using him as my shield.

"Tadase, step away!" my husband commanded hardly.

Tadase didn't move any single step like I predicted; he pushed me behind his body and shielded me completely from my furious husband. "No," the blond man replied and I was amazed by his courage.

"Move!" Ikuto snapped, but Tadase still standing in front of me. "Do you wish for me to kill you?" my husband said and I was scared right now. I feared for the blonds' safety instead of mine.

"Prince, I wish to marry Amu," Tadase spoke and I gasped at his boldness. Did he wish to die?

"No, she is mine!" Ikuto hissed but it didn't stop Tadase, "Over my dead body!" Finally he blew up, they fought and the only thing I could do was staring at them.

Later, Tadase body fell onto the cold floor, bleeding. I screamed when I saw his eyes no longer seemed lively as usual; they were cold and blood streamed out from his mouth. Ikuto had killed him!

I grabbed my phone, ready to call for an ambulance but a pair of strong arms stopped me. My husband yanked me over and tore my clothes open before he tossed it along with my phone away. Then he took me right in front of Tadase's corpse. I cried and cried until he finished his job but it didn't make the tears stop flowing down my face as my body fell to the cold floor beside the blond man and mourned his death.

I no longer had anyone talk with, no one who cared for me, no one to help me, no one, I was all alone now…

My husband left me after that and walked out from the suite. I crawled over my phone and dialed for an ambulance. They arrived later and brought Tadase to the hospital. They also told me to ride on the ambulance while they questioned me about who had done this. I told them that it was my one and only husband — Tsukiyomi Ikuto, The Prince of Japan — and it appeared that they were scared of him.

Huff, now no one could help me right? Why? Because I thought they were going to call for police and arrest him. Instead, they didn't do anything!

They told me that Tadase was no longer alive. I knew the fact that he was dead since Ikuto had killed him right in front of my eyes before he had raped me and left me alone. He was a sick bastard but he was too powerful of an enemy and people seemed laid-back of the fact that Ikuto killed someone as it was something ordinary that happened often.

Had Ikuto ever killed someone before, aside from Tadase? I didn't really know about him actually; the only thing I knew that he was Japan's Crown Prince. He was handsome — I couldn't deny the fact even when I hated him with passion — he was rich and had a promising future as the next king of Japan, but he did had attitude issues. Just because he was the crown prince, he thought that he could do as he pleased, didn't he?

I nodded at the doctor who told me about Tadase's death and another tear rolled down my cheeks.

He was dead — my only friend and someone who cared for me as me and no one else.

'Thank you for everything, Tadase. Rest in peace, goodbye...' I prayed while the nurse covered Tadase's face with a white cloth.

I left the hospital after I told the nurse to help me prepare for Tadase's funeral; they were willing to help me since I was married to Ikuto. Tomorrow would be the last day of my honeymoon because we were scheduled to go back to Japan tomorrow evening, and tomorrow would be the day for Tadase's small funeral…

The next day I woke up with swollen eyes because I kept crying last night until I was asleep. As I predicted Ikuto didn't come back last night but it didn't bother me any longer. I went to take a shower and dressed myself in my black dress, and then skipped my breakfast so I could go to the nearest church where the priest had been waiting for me. I brought an umbrella with me, the black one, and went to the church.

No one was there except the priest and a coffin where Tadase's corpse laid. I put a white rose in his hand and took a good look of him for the last time before the priest asked his men to close the coffin. He prayed for Tadase for a while then buried him into the hole that was already prepared. The whole ceremony ended in a short time as I glanced at the gravestone.

'Thank you for everything and goodbye...' I told him before walking away back to my suite and prepared for my leaving.

Once I was back, Ikuto was inside our room. I didn't spare him any glance as I walked into the bathroom and cleared out my belongings, then walked back into the bedroom and took out my suitcase to fill it with my clothes. I finished packing later and I saw Ikuto walking out from our room after he motioned me to follow him.

He brought us to the airport right after he picked Rima up. Both of them cuddled with each other, leaving me alone in the corner of the elegant and luxurious car. Sharp knives kept plunging into my heart, but what could I do? I have no right to question him as he was the crown prince and my husband, not to mention his class was higher than me before and it still remained the same.

The three of us arrived at the airport later and got out of the car. Ikuto was the one to climb off first before helping Rima to go out by taking her hand into his. The new couple then left me alone in the car.

I tried my best not to cry because it showed weakness, so I just climbed off from the car silently and stepped onto the ladder that directed into the airplane. I chose the back seat far away from my husband and his future wife who sat in the front row.

The plane took off later as I brought out a book, the one that Tadase left for me yesterday before Ikuto killed him...

Flashback

I felt so miserable and didn't want to make the other pity me, even when I pitied myself because I couldn't defend myself in front of my so-called husband and his new bride-to-be and let them humiliate me. Tadase was the one that had found me at the park and it made my heart somehow felt warmer. He helped me back to my suite and of course as I expected my husband wasn't there. I went to change my wet clothes into the dry ones, then joined Tadase at the living room. The kind man served me a glass of hot chocolate which I loved the most then he sat beside me. He gave me a book and told me to open and read it later when I was alone and I agreed to him. I went to my bedroom and put it in one of my drawers that I believed wouldn't be opened by my husband before I walked back to the living room and watched the TV…

End of Flashback

Who knew he would have died on the same day he had given me this book that looked like a small diary to me? When I opened it, it was indeed a diary… Why had Tadase given me his diary? Was he trying to tell me something? So I began to read the first page of the only man that ever loved me truly…

2013, January 1st (A/N: The diary would be in Tadase POV)

I missed Japan a lot; I spent the New Year celebration alone again this time. How I wished I could go back to Japan and spent it with Amu, the girl that I have a crush on, but what could I do? It was impossible for me to win against Ikuto, the crown prince and my cousin. What was Amu doing right now? Was she happy? I remembered people treating her cruelly because she was a Purple, but hey! She was a sweet girl! I have known her since I was still a kid and she was so damn cute that time. Her bubblegum pink hair was tied into a high ponytail or into pigtails that made her look cuter than before. She was a lovely little girl that helped me when I fell off from the swing when I played in the Purple's park and that was the first time I fell for her…

My cheeks blushed a bit when I remembered that day, the day I had met him was also the day I had had a crush on him, my sweet charming prince… I flipped to the next page and read it until I stopped at one of the date that began my horrible life as the Crown Prince's wife…

2013, June 13th

I heard the news from my father. Ikuto was going to be married to a girl from the Purple's society and I was curious who she was. Could she be Amu? Since there wasn't many women from the Purple that would fit into Ikuto's taste of girl except for some names that I knew. Should I list them out? There were my crush, Hinamori Amu then Miyuki Lena, Masato Serena and the last one, Suzuki Airi. From the four women, I was sure one of them was Ikuto's soon-to-be bride, and I hope it wasn't my crush, Amu. And if worse comes to worst, I hope she's going to be strong for herself since I doubt my cousin would cherish her…

'I hope she's going to be strong for herself...' Tadase's word kept playing inside my mind. Strong… I have to be strong for myself, '...since I doubt my cousin would cherish her...' That was also right. I have to be strong, not for anyone but myself just like Tadase's words...

I kept reading the diary until it was stopped on the day before he was dead. I cried silently when I read the books that held so many emotions. He loved me; he truly loved me, not a fake one, and I was happy of it and it was a bit strange. Did you want to know why?

Because the last day was written on the last paper of the book as if it had known that Tadase would end his life journey the next day and he couldn't write it on the book.

I didn't know how long I had been reading the diary because the next thing I knew was the flying attendant offering me my meal. I chose the spaghetti and a glass of orange juice then enjoyed my meal. I sighed inwardly. How am I supposed to survive this cruel world alone? No more family and friends — they had been taken away from me the moment Ikuto had claimed me as his wife. Speaking of Ikuto, I glanced at his seat that was placed far away from mine, but I could still saw him due to his tall body. I didn't know what he felt towards me and I said that before I didn't care, but still it hurt because I was a woman. Even if I didn't love him, I was still expecting him to treat me better, at least as a person, not a doll…

I relaxed my exhausted body after I finished my meal, then I decided to rest a bit so I let the darkness claimed myself…

I knew the moment I closed my eyes, something was wrong. I didn't recall this place, where was I and who was that baby? I knew the baby was a boy from his clothes and he kept tugging my arms while calling me mommy… I didn't have a child! No, who was he? Sure he looked cute but I was sure he wasn't mine, so who was he? Who?

My body was being shaken and I snapped my eyes open. "We are going to landing in two minutes," the flying attendance who shook me said and I nodded my head.

What the hell was it? What kind of dream was it? Maybe it was just a bad dream after all, so I decided to let it go and enjoy the view of Japan, my home country.

We arrived at the airport shortly and headed to the castle immediately after we finished the normal immigration procedure. The security and the driver didn't dare to question my husband nor me about the blond haired girl but their eyes spoke out loud. Who dare to question him, the Crown Prince? No one — except his own parents.

We arrived at the castle and my maid helped me to get down from the car while Ikuto was already setting his feet down on the ground with Rima beside him. I just stared at the couple and asked myself when Ikuto would announce his plan to marry the other girl. Probably tonight at the dinner, I answered it myself. The butlers came to pick up our belongings and put it to our own chamber, of course Ikuto and I had separate rooms because he was predicted to have another wife aside of me. Every wife would have their own chamber so when Ikuto decided to pay a little visit to one of them he could go into their rooms and did whatever he wanted to there.

I loved the idea but I hated my chamber. Why? Because it was placed just next to Ikuto's — since I was his first wife, I got the first room right beside his.

I walked into my chamber and changed my clothes then sat on my bed. My maid walked in later and brought me a glass of water.

"Princess, could I ask you a question?" she asked me.

"Sure, Niarna," I replied her and looked at her eyes.

She seemed hesitant but then she spoke, "Um, who is the blond girl?" she asked me.

My breath hitched. How dare she?! But then I realized it wasn't her fault, anyone would find it out later so why not telling her first?

"She was Ikuto's second wife, Ikuto will marry her later," I told her and she looked shocked.

"But… but… Crown Prince Ikuto has just married you!" she whispered and was frozen at her place.

She was a good girl — I knew it the moment I laid my eyes on her. She was only eighteen and forced to work at the castle because her parents couldn't pay the debt, so they had given up their eldest daughter to serve the royal family. Cruel wasn't it? But this was the fact…

Niarna wasn't one to criticize people just because she belonged to the right society and she had the empathy — the emotion that many people here lacked.

I motioned for her to sit beside me and she did. I brushed her hair slowly with my hands and replied her, "You know the rules, Niarna. The Crown Prince could have many women he desires and if the blond girl is also the woman he wants, he gets it."

She nodded her head in respond and then she hugged me. "You have to be strong, Princess."

I hugged her back. Such an innocent little girl… I felt like she was my little sister that I needed to protect…

The time went faster than I expected. The maid was announcing about the grand dinner that was held to celebrate the Crown Prince's safety arrival. I was told to dress in those fancy dresses for Royals' before I stepped out from my room. I was escorted by James, my personal butler and Niarna, my personal maid. The head butler announced my arrival before I walked into the huge dining room to join my so-called family for dinner.

Ikuto sat beside his mother with Rima right beside him while I sat across from him with his two cousins on my left and right. The cooks served our foods and the King began to eat, followed by the others. You could hear chit and chat anywhere in the castle then it shut off immediately when Ikuto said he wanted to announce something.

He smiled at Rima before he stood up from his chair and spoke, "I, Tsukiyomi Ikuto, the Crown Prince of Japan hereby announce Mashiro Rima as my second wife. She is pregnant with my child right now and the ceremony will be held three days from now." He sat back after his little speech and now all the eyes focused on the blond girl while everybody congratulated her, I was once again being forgotten…

The King spoke out his congratulation then looked at me, he silenced the noises and spoke, "Amu, are you okay with this?"

I nodded my head and answered, "I am okay with this. Ikuto has told me before when we were in Hong Kong."

He nodded his head then resumed his meal.

What could I say? Decline it? Even if I declined it, it wouldn't matter because Ikuto would still marry her, so why became the villain here? All I needed was to play along, right? Even though it hurt me like hell.

After the dinner, I went back to my chamber. Of course no one would bother me right now because the main attention was Rima, not me. I closed my bedroom's door, hopped into my bed and cried until sleep caught me…

What do you think guys? I hope you like it as well, I am so happy to find that many of you like this chapter and I will try my best to update the story soon but no promise here ~

Thank you for the support, they really mean a lot for me. I will be waiting for your reviews and here are the reply for the previous reviews

1. Amuto3AnimeLuver : sorry for the long update but I hope this chapter is worth to wait, please keep support this story and I guarantee that you will find the answer later, I know some of the other readers were also complaining about Ikuto's behavior but I need it for this story... Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

2. Guest : Amu is a poor girl this far but I suggest you to keep reading the story so you can find out the ending. Anyway I'm sorry that Tadase is death now so she can't run away with him.. Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

3. nekogirl017 : I have received some reviews regarding it too but I suggest you not to hate him because in the end, you will love him again... won't you? hahaha... Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

4. Amuletmagic : I'm sorry but I need to make the story like this, but I suggest you to keep reading the story till the end and I really wish that it can fulfill your wish. Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

5. Katface-chan : I am so happy to find out that you read this story as well, but this chapter kill your hope, Tadase is death and Ikuto will look more cruel than before. I am glad that you like this story, hah it is a bit hard for me to keep updating three of my on going stories but I will try my best :) Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

6. HanaBomBom : Of course, you have to hate him then fall in love again at him, ne? I myself sometimes do the same as you. Hate him then love him again, hahaha... Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

7. Denise530 : some of the readers tolerated Tadamu at this story but once again, I need to kill those hopes with Tadase's death in this chapter. Read to find out more, okay? Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

8. Alonen51 : also mine and the other readers but it will get better anyway... Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

9. Amu4ever : thanks for the compliment but I need to make Tadase become the good guy here although his scene ended here... Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

10. sticy17 : I will try my best to update the story asap but no promise here ~ Thanks for your review, I will be waiting for the next one :) have a good day!

so, there are all the replies, I hope you satisfy with them and again, don't forget to hit the review button. You review, I reply.. meet again next chapter, guys *wink