Author's Note: Thank you for waiting! I am lucky enough to spare some time, and as promised, I have written the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this update.

BTW: Thank you for following and fav-ing this story.

just3because3: The next chapter was actually about that. Still, thank you for your review.

Chapter 4

Three days prior to their marriage

"How could he mock me like this?" she clicked her tongue as she clutched the white roses' stem on her hands. "Is he elated that much for him to send me this flower? How detestable!" She said with an exasperated expression glued on her face.

"Why are you still here? Send this back to your master!" she yelled as she shoved the roses to Cedric's face.

After uttering those words, Jellal, with a bunch of freshly picked flowers in his hands, entered with his eyes widened in shock. Despite overhearing her words, he heeds not and rushes to Erschelle's side.

"Your hands are bleeding. Let me treat it, Erza-"

He wasn't able to finish his words as she slapped him with her bloodied hands. He gritted his teeth as he savored the pain. He firmly kept his eyes lowered, not wanting to see her reaction. Even though he could only see her through the corner of his eyelids but he could feel her shooting daggers at him. I wonder why it's more painful to see her staring at me with disgust rather than being slapped a hundred times.

"How dare you call me by that name?" she asked as she retreated a step back from him.

He lifted his face and saw her dull expression. How can you resent me this much? How is it even possible that those eyes gleaming with brightness around me isn't shining anymore? All I can see is despair and resentment emitting from those brown orbs. What do I do now, Erza? Although he had expected it, it's still hurting him that she was really glaring at him.

This event was rare for Cedric to witness; his master, Jellal, had faced the verge of death several times but always managed to keep his calm and emotionless façade. However, when he's with this woman, he's always vulnerable, just like a dragonfly caught in a spider's web. He couldn't understand how this woman's smoothly serene face instantly turned sour every time she saw him. Cedric stared back at her and memorized that face, cold and dull; those were the words engraved on his memory. After a few seconds, Jellal asked him to leave, and he then lowered his head, excusing himself.

"I'm sorry. All I ever wanted is to lighten up your day," asked Jellal with a bunch of roses in his hands.

"Lighten up my day? Did I even ask you that? Or did you purposely married me to torment me like this? Stop being presumptuous, Jellal!" she said.

"Are you asking me to leave you?" he asked as he grabbed her wrist

"Aren't you good at that?" she asked, silencing him.

The next day

Jellal hastily looked for Erschelle as he learned that she wasn't in her room. After a while, he found her in the courtyard near the annex, wielding her sword. Dressed in her favorite armor, Jellal smiled as he marveled at how skilled she was. Erschelle, sensing his presence, was greatly bothered by it.

"What do you want?" she asked as she sent her sword back to its sheath.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you but are you hungry? I can ask them to prepare our breakfast and serve it here."

"Leave," she said in an authoritative tone making his bright face turn sullen.

"No, let's eat first." He insisted.

"Quit being persistent, Jellal!" she yelled as she drew her sword to his neck.

He gulped as he saw his face on her blade, then said, "Can't you really bring yourself forgive? I will do everything you ask me,"

Seeing the tears forming in his eyes, Erza laughed. "Then, can you turn me back to my old self? Can return the happiness you rob of me, Jellal?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

On the day of their marriage

Shortly after exchanging empty I-do's, the ceremony ended with a banquet. Despite his status as a prince, Jellal couldn't help but feel humiliated by how humble his preparations were for their wedding. I wanted to give you the most lavish wedding you can ever imagine, but I can't afford to let him noticed this celebration.

The banquet had been going for hours, and after consuming a painstaking amount of time masking their sweet couple play, darkness had finally settled in, like a curtain shutting everyone out. Jellal sighed as he watched Erza excused herself from seeing off her father.

"Let's head somewhere else," his father said.

After passing through the hallways, they had finally arrived at a secluded place. Before locking the door, he looked around to check whether someone was following. After finding none, he closed the door and approached his father. His father was silent, but Jellal waited and hoped for him to speak. He lowered his head as the long silence deafened him.

"Do you want me to help you win her heart?"

Jellal's eyes widened after hearing his words. Emotions suddenly came crashing, causing him not to think straight anymore. His father tapped the window before pulling the curtains as he discerned his answer. Jellal lifted his gaze, somewhat puzzled to believe that he could do something impossible for him.

"You've been a useful son to me. Maybe it's time for me to compensate for your kindness, Jellal."

After giving him the teleportation scroll, Jellal bit his lower lip and slapped his face, unable to decide whether to accept his offer or not. After a while, he rose from his seat and walked towards their room. She must be waiting for me. He thought to himself as he crossed through the doors. Upon reaching their room, he asked the maids to leave and squinted his eyes as he encountered the bare darkness of their chambers. Didn't I ask them to decorate this accordingly? He thought as he flicked his fingers, lighting up the room with his magic.

"You come, Jellal." Erschelle smiled as she raised the bottle of wine in her hands.

"Erschelle?" he smiled, hearing her call his name sweetly.

"What took you so long?" she asked as she placed the wine next to the vase full of freshly picked purple hyacinths.

"It was nothing much but a trivial matter,"

"Aren't you going to call me Erza?"

"Pardon?" He couldn't understand what was happening right now; she was evidently forcing herself to be friendly towards him, but he wondered why he couldn't help himself and believe that it was true.

"Call me by my name."

"Erza."

"Jellal," she said as she grabbed his hands.

Upon seeing her brown orbs under the dim light, he couldn't help but blush. Hearing his heart pound like crazy, Erschelle tightened her grasp on him and leaned on his shoulder. He tried to look around, not wanting to expect much as he feared reality much even though he had always wished that everything wasn't an act, but he could not afford to lower his guard.

"I feared that I couldn't keep this act anymore, Jellal. I've been fed up with the resentment and despair I've been bottling all these years. Urgh, it was all pointless. No matter how much I trick myself into hating you, I couldn't bring myself not to love you anymore. I know it sounds petty but please, help me forget everything tonight, Jellal." she said as she brought her nose closer to his neck, inhaling his scent.

"Erza," he said as he grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't do this. Even if this marriage were out of convenience, I wouldn't force you to fulfill anything as a marital duty. I don't want to hurt you anymore. Being with you is enough for me. Just stay with me, Erza." He said as he clutched her hands.

Slightly putting a gap between them, Erschelle's face slightly darkened hearing his words. She let her fringes cover her eyes after Jellal rose from the bed to lighten up the candles. After lighting the last candle on their nightstand, he smiled as he touched the purple hyacinths on the vase. Piqued with curiosity, he asked, "I thought you don't like flowers?"

She sighed as she rose from her seat to meet him. "I think this one is an exemption," she whispered before grabbing the bottle of wine on the table.

"Are you drinking that?" he asked as she opened the bottle.

"Of course, you said you won't accompany me tonight; I think this would be a better alternative," said Erschelle before taking a sip.

After gulping a small amount, she felt Jellal's hands on the bottle. "Enough." He said as he grabbed the bottle from her hands, emptying it in his throat. He hissed at the aftertaste. I thought it would be sweet. Why would she bring such hard liquor tonight?

Seeing him drink the bottle, she evilly smirked underneath the shadow of his face. Jellal wiped the left stain of alcohol on his lips and lowered his gaze towards her. Seeing her expression, he turned pale as she laughed at him.

"How can you be so clumsy?" she asked with an evil expression, then loudly laughed.

"Erza?" he asked before feeling himself cough up blood.

"Did you think that I can ever forgive you, Jellal?" she asked as she grabbed his collar.

Feeling himself turning into jelly, he grabbed the sheets preventing himself from slumping on the floor. He shook his head as he felt it throb in pain. Did she poison me? He asked himself. Though he had great resistance to poison, he wondered how strong the poison she had put on the wine for him to feel this pain.

"Er-Erza?" he asked as he tried to clear his blurry vision.

"I can only forgive you if you're dead, Jellal. You were so desperate for me to forgive you, so don't ever regret me killing you with my own hands. That's the only way for you to redeem yourself," she said before letting go of his collar, allowing him to slump on the floor, coughing up his own blood.

"Y-you… S-should be treated immediately." He said as he grabbed the hem of her nightgown.

Erschelle paused and looked back at him. Faint tears were evident in his eyes; with his last strength left, he smiled and asked her, "You must've been poison too, so see the resident doctor right away."

Her frozen heart froze, shivering against the warm words of the dying man. She pulled her dressed and rushed to his side, slapping him hard on his face. "How can you still think of me with that state? Have you gone mad, Jellal?" she shouted, grabbing him with his collars again.

Seeing her worried face, he bit his lip and brought his shaking hands to her face, "At least you're still worried about me," he said as he cupped her cheeks.

"Erza, I hope you'd finally forgive me, now. I truly regretted scarring your heart and letting you enliven with those fears. If should've I've known, I wouldn't have accepted your hand and let you live in peace. So don't ever feel guilty for doing this to me. I deserved this, and I'm happy to die by your hands. But for the last time, I ask of you, do forgive me..."

"Enough," she said, loosening her grip on his.

"Forgive me for loving you." He said before letting the darkness overcome his senses.

As he closed his eyes, he wished to hear her scream his name and begged him to stay with her, but in contrast, she was unmoved by his words. He accepted his fate and let the silence and darkness devour him. Even in death, you can't still forgive me, Erza. It seems that your love for me was already obscured with resentment. I'm sorry. I couldn't ever unlove you. He thought as his mind went blank.

"Your Highness, Prince Jellal!" those were the words ringing in his ears before he managed to open his eyelids and discern the situation.

It was chaotic. Rain? He asked himself as he rose from the bed. Wait, am I still alive? What's with the poison? Why are my clothes still clean? I can clearly remember myself coughing up blood last night. Plagued with the onslaught of questions in his mind, his eyes widened as Cedric brought him back to his senses.

"Y-your highness, t-the princess…" he stammered as he faced him.

"What happened to Erza?"

Upon seeing her lifeless body drenched with rain through the balcony, he felt the roar of thunder consuming his voice. Erza? He thought as he descended from above. He quickly cradled her in his arms and felt her heartbeat. Suddenly, he felt the world ceased as he could barely hear her heart beating. After crying out for help, he was consumed with a dark aura. Everything around him started to wilt. Catching him off guard, he felt himself slowly losing his mind and senses as he touched her ashen face.

"Stay with me," he cried with the rain.

Back to present

"And on top of that, how are you not even surprised, Your Highness, Prince Jellal?" Cedric added.

Jellal clenched his jaw and swung his blazing fist next to his face. Cedric gulped, seeing his killing intent. He tilted his head and whispered to him, "It seems that you have forgotten the main rule of this manor, Cedric. If you still want to keep your head, keep playing blind and deaf. If a single word reaches Erschelle, I'll skin you alive."

"Leave," he ordered as he entered the room.

And on top of that, how are you not even surprised? Surprised, you say? He asked himself before turning the table in his office.

"Did you like the present I gave you? You are so shy to ask for the antidote only, so I ask the archmage of the tower to grant your wish." He bit his lip as he remembered his father's words.

I never ask him to turn Erza like that. But was I being too greedy to ask her to stay like that? Her smile shone like how it was before. The pain covering her smile was already buried and I wanted to keep it buried forever. Even if it means being a villain, I will keep your happiness, Erza.

A/N: Kindly leave some reviews and omo, favs, and follows too.