Chapter Text
She blinked multiple times trying to soak in his words. She couldn’t even focus on the bright 100% on top of his head, because she was still in shock at what he said.
Callisto told her that he loves her?
She was willing to accept the fact that he might never utter those words to her. She never had plans of forcing him to say it since she knew how deeply rooted his fear was. She was wholly satisfied with the way things were since she could already feel his love through his actions.
But he actually said it?
“Princess!” Callisto exclaimed, panic overcoming his features.
Penelope was confused but then she realized that it was because the tears had escaped her eyes. She had no plans of crying on the way here. Scratch that, she had no plans of crying at all because it was something outside of her personality.
She understood why she cried when she got her memories back – she basically felt her death again and the agony was so severe.
But how can she be so tearful just because he confessed his love?
A glowing light shone onto the side of her face and she slowly turned her head to look where it was coming from. Right there, glaring at her, was the game system.
<SYSTEM> Congratulations! You have reached 100% in the CALLISTO REGULUS route.
What an amazing feat! Would you like end the game so you can claim your reward?
Note: Rejecting will automatically take you to free play mode. This means you are forfeiting your reward.
[Accept/Reject]
Does getting the reward means that I’ll go back home?
Through her blurry vision that was clouded with tears, she managed to read the whole thing. Up until this moment, she had never hesitated with answering the game system before. She was always adamant with her decisions because from the very start, her primary goal was to win the game and get out of her.
However, now that she was faced with that option, her mind was completely blank. She couldn’t find it in herself to lift a finger and press Accept.
Because accepting that reward meant leaving the man in front of her.
And that thought brought in a new wave of tears.
“Princess,” Callisto hurriedly called her name, leaning his face closer to hers, effectively blocking her view of the game system, “Did I do something wrong, huh? Please don’t cry.”
“I…” she barely spoke, “I… don’t know what to do.”
“Ssh, it’s okay, Princess,” he tried to soothe her, placing one arm behind her knees and using the other to support her back. In one fluid motion, he lifted her lithe body and headed towards the couch inside his office.
He sat down and placed her on top of his lap, using his fingers to wipe away the tears that were flowing down her face, “It’s okay, Princess,” he repeated, “Please stop crying.”
Callisto Regulus had never comforted anybody in his entire life. Then again, Penelope loved claiming all of his firsts.
And the most important ‘first’ that she took was the honor of being his first love. Along with that, Callisto mused that she was also going to be his last.
But before he could even think about proposing to her again, he first had to calm her.
“What’s wrong, huh?” he asked, cupping her face in his hands and peppering her whole face with kisses. Her forehead, her rosy cheeks, the tip of her adorable nose, and even on her chin. He didn’t know what to do when the woman he loved was crying in front of him, but he remembered her face when he kissed her hand repeatedly after he dragged her out from the ballroom.
He concluded that she liked his kisses.
And he was right with that guess because her tears slowly stopped forming in her eyes. How could it not when he was so sweet to her?
“Your Highness,” she sniffled, her nose now red from all the crying, “I’m not from this world.”
Callisto paused from wiping the remnant tears with his fingers in order to meet her gaze, “What?”
Penelope didn’t plan on telling him everything, but she felt like the game system was creating a hole through her. She didn’t know what to do – did she want to stay or did she want to go home?
She slaved away for that 100% because she wanted to go home, right?
Right?
Even if she pleaded the universe to tell her she was right, there was no answer.
So now her mouth was running on autopilot, spitting out whatever it could, “I worked so hard and then I got accepted to the college I wanted, and then before I can even fulfill my dreams of being an archeologist, I woke up in this world.”
She had to stop. She didn’t want Callisto to think she was weirder than she already was.
But she couldn’t.
“I thought I finally escaped my bastard father and his sons, but when I came to this world, I was met with the same fate. I learned that the Duke ignored all the abuse I’ve been through and that his sons instigated everything,” she muttered and she felt a new batch of tears threatening to fall again, but she held it in by sniffling and trailing her eyes down to her lap, “All I could think of was that I needed to get out of her and go back to my world.”
But life and the game were cruel to her.
“And now I finally got the option to go back but…” she trailed off and when Callisto heard those words, his hold on her tightened.
Just the mere thought of her leaving him – again – brought in a rush of anxiety to him. He already lost her once, he didn’t know how he could handle it if she decided to go away.
“But?” he questioned, finally speaking again after being silent since her little outburst.
Penelope turned to look at him again and thought to herself. Why was she so hesitant?
The answer was clear. It was because of this man who had placed her on his lap and soothed her even if he was obviously inexperience with comforting people. He was the same man who showered her with affection even though he received so little of it growing up.
Now she wanted to ask herself again. Why did she want to go back?
It should be a question that was easy to answer but in retrospect, there was no concrete reason.
She was slaving away with multiple jobs to support herself through college, she could barely afford to eat a decent meal, she was unwanted and unloved by the supposed family that she had, and her mother had already passed away.
When she got here, she thought that it wasn’t any better. The people around her still treated her horribly, but now that she thought about it, she was wrong.
She lived in a luxurious mansion, she had a personal maid who had sworn her loyalty to her, her father was emotionally constipated but he gave in to her whims, her eldest brother was an asshole but at least Reynold looked like he was trying to patch up his relationship with her.
And last but not the least, there was a man who loved her unconditionally. Even though she insulted him and rejected him, he stayed by her side. Even after her first death, he still came running to her.
Nobody had ever loved her like he did and she had never felt sheer happiness that he made her feel before.
“Princess?” Callisto called out nervously when she was taking too long to speak.
Penelope swallowed the lump in her throat and murmured quietly under her breath, “But I fell in love with you.”
He couldn’t help it anymore.
Callisto gently took her chin between his fingers and softly laid his lips on hers. Despite how head on and aggressive he was with pursuing her, the way he kissed her was nothing but careful. Even his hold on her was loose, as if to tell her that she was free to pull away anytime she was uncomfortable.
Penelope, on the other hand, was shocked and her heart started beating rapidly in her chest. But after the initial surprise faded away, all she felt was love.
Love from Callisto and love for Callisto.
Her hands rested on his shoulder and he used this as a signal to tell that she was alright. He deepened the kiss, pushing harder against her lips and playfully tracing his tongue in between the seams of her mouth.
She closed her eyes and savored every single move that he made. From his tightened embrace to how his lips skillfully moved with hers. She allowed him to do anything he wanted with her.
And Callisto was in heaven.
His beloved Princess tasted sweeter than any dessert that the royal patisserie chef had created. She smelled more fragrant than the beautiful flowers that bloomed in the imperial garden. She was more beautiful than the shining stars that peppered the night sky.
Although personality was cold, but she brought endless warmth to his life.
And he was the sun that she wanted to bask in for the rest of her life.
They slowly pulled away from each other, their breathing labored and both of their face flushed. But even so, Callisto had that devilish grin that had her weak in the knees every time she saw it.
“Stay with me, Princess,” he told her, drawing circles on her waist with his fingers, “I’ll give you everything that you would ever want. Just please, stay with me.”
The game system was still glaring at her and before she pressed her decision, she asked him cheekily, “Is that a proposal, Your Highness?”
A proposal wasn’t a fond memory for either of them, but now, it was a different story.
Callisto laughed heartily, his chest soaring with happiness at just the mere thought of spending a lifetime with her, “Marry me, Penelope Eckhart.”
She reached out her hand towards the game system and made her decision.
[Reject]
“Yes,” she whispered into his ear, smiling gleefully.
Callisto chuckled and before she could say anything more, he captured her lips again and pushed her down to the couch. And because of this, Penelope wasn’t able to see the last message from the game system.
<SYSTEM> You have entered free play mode. You will no longer see percentages for the targets and you no longer need to raise your reputation points.
Thank you for playing. May you always live happily with CALLISTO REGULUS.
A few days after her visit, an engagement letter came to the Eckhart mansion. The Duke went into another tirade about how evil the Crown Prince was for seducing his daughter.
However, one simple confession from her was enough to shut him up.
“I love His Highness, Father.”
For her to boldly proclaim this in front of him meant that this was something she truly wanted. So even if he wasn’t ready to let his baby girl go, he sent a reply letter accepting the engagement. Of course, both Reynold and Derrick were opposed to it but it wasn’t like they could change anything.
Derrick scorned Penelope, hurling insults about how she wasn’t fit to be the Crown Princess. All of it fell into deaf ears because she paid him no mind. After she regained her memories, she decided to completely ignore him and pretend that he didn’t exist. Although the Derrick that was brainwashed by Yvonne and the Derrick of today were two different people, she couldn’t find it in her to forgive him. Especially since he showed no remorse.
Reynold, on the other hand, looked like an adult man who was throwing a tantrum. He kept grumbling how she wasn’t even of age yet and she was still wet behind the ears. While she was disgusted with Derrick’s words, Penelope came to understand that Reynold just didn’t like the idea of her getting married.
“You’re free to visit me anytime, Brother,” she told him.
She joked to herself that if the favorability scores were still there, it would have shot up because Reynold blushed profusely after she spoke to him.
The chains of the favorability points were gone, much to her relief. Along with that, the game system never appeared in front of her again. It truly felt like she finally belonged in this world.
The word of their engagement was announced and safe to say, none of the nobles were surprised. They had witnessed the affections between the Crown Prince and the Princess during the banquet so for them, it was only a matter of time. They even praised their relationship and how it seemingly made both of their tough personalities tamer.
When it came to the Emperor, he didn’t want to approve it at first. Originally, he wanted to use Penelope as a leash to hold down his wild son and make him more obedient.
But Callisto had no intentions of letting his plan play out.
“Do not lay a hand on her, Father,” he glared at the Emperor. Those threatening red eyes sent shivers down his spine and he unconsciously lifted a hand to feel his neck, unaware of the reason why. After that, he approved of their union.
The Empress was livid. A matrimonial unity between the Crown Prince and the most noble house in the empire didn’t bode well for her plans. She tried to do something about it, but many of the nobles from the Second Prince’s faction transferred over to the Crown Prince after the engagement announcement. Everybody knew better than to stand on the opposite side of Eckhart.
Duke Eckhart made it explicitly clear that favored his daughter, even if many whispered that she was a fake. So they knew it was better to stay on her good side and by extension, to support the Crown Prince.
They both decided to withhold the wedding until after her coming of age. And while it was tradition for her to stay in the Duke’s mansion until their marriage, she still visited him almost every single day. The servants of the Crown Prince’s palace even showed her their future bedroom and asked for inputs of how she would like it to be decorated.
Although neither of the two would like to admit they already did a test run of the bedroom they will be sharing in the future. It involved a particular bottle of wine that one of the nobles gifted Callisto as congratulations for the engagement and the next thing they knew, they were in between the sheets with their garments all over the floor.
Surprisingly, they weren’t flustered. They both admitted that their lives were already so ridiculous that this was nothing compared to what they’ve been through.
“It’s just a shame I couldn’t remember much of it,” she sighed, attempting to untangle the knots in her hair.
“We can have a do over,” Callisto smirked mischievously, “And make sure you commit every single thing to memory, Princess.”
He grabbed her waist, pulled her back down into bed, and hovered over her while their lips urgently sought each other. Her fingers roamed all over the muscles that had been hardened through years of physical training while his tongue hungrily traced over the curves of her pale body.
Safe to say, it was a morning that neither of them would ever forget.
As her coming of age celebration approached, they were both on high alert for any signs of Yvonne’s return. But because Eckles never came to the mansion and Vinter was already aware of what happened in their first life, she didn’t arrive.
And finally, the fated day came.
Penelope sat in her room, clad in the dress that Callisto had gifted her. She couldn’t help but laugh when she realized that both in her first life and now, he was the one who gave her her debut dress. She thought that he couldn’t possibly top the one from her first life, but she was wrong.
It was white and could be easily mistaken for a wedding dress. When she mentioned this to Callisto, he replied with, “Good, think of it like a practice for our actual wedding.”
It was so painfully obvious just how excited he was to get married. He even had a seamstress take her measurements a couple of weeks ago for her wedding dress because he wanted the wedding to take place as soon as possible after her coming of age.
Although their design choices were limited due to the little miracle growing inside Penelope’s stomach.
“You look beautiful, Penelope,” the Duke complimented when he entered her room.
She was reminded of how he visited her before her debut during her first life. He was clumsy and awkward with showing affections, but his sincerity still got through to her. Before, she was cried in front of him, but this time, she smiled genuinely at him.
“Thank you, Father.”
For her birthday, he gave her a tiara. It was the original gift that he wanted to give before Penelope asked for her own money because she thought that she needed a plan for her escape. In this life, she had no reason to escape and so, she accepted the tiara from the precious jewel he bought from an auction.
It now rested on her head, pinned into her captivating magenta hair. She truly looked like a princess that came out of those fairytale books.
From her gown to the tiara, it was clear that Penelope Eckhart was truly treasured,
“I still don’t like this,” the Duke grumbled as he escorted her towards the venue, “And he dared make my daughter pregnant before the wedding. That insolent man.”
The Duke was livid when Penelope and Callisto told him the news. He yelled at both of them for hours and only calmed down when Penelope reminded him that it meant he was going to meet his first grandchild.
“Father, don’t call the Crown Prince insolent,” Penelope told him calmly, already used to the way the Duke tried to insult Callisto was every opportune moment.
He was like that and yet, he still supported their engagement. At the very end of the day, the Duke knew how much Callisto made Penelope happy. He had never seen her smile and laugh so much before, she looked much more at ease now compared to the days before she met the Crown Prince.
Just before they arrived at the entrance, Callisto stood there waiting for them. Since he was officially her fiancé, he was also her escort for today.
“Take care of her, Your Highness,” the Duke said sternly, a warning tone very apparent in his voice.
“Of course, Your Grace,” Callisto said cheekily, lifting a hand so Penelope could place hers in his.
Instead of his usual red and white ensemble, he opted for a green and white one. Gone was his cape but his whole uniform was embellished with gold and emeralds. It was an obvious nod to Penelope’s green eyes – he even used the cufflinks that she had gifted him when they went to the festival.
“I’ll see you inside,” the Duke told her and left after she nodded.
“Shall we, Princess?” he asked, lifting her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.
If you asked her before if she ever wanted to relive her coming of age again after the disaster of her first life, she would have said an outright no. In her coming of age, she had never felt such deep misery and helplessness, plus the pain that the poison gave her was enough to haunt her nightmares forever.
But this man gave her hope.
She was no longer scared of what could happen beyond those doors. Yvonne can magically appear out of nowhere and she knew that she would be completely fine. Even if the world turned against her and even if the universe decided to play another sick joke on her, she was sure that Callisto will remain by her side.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” she suddenly blurted out.
Callisto’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the sudden appreciation, “For what?”
“For not leaving me in this hell.”
One of the reasons why she rejected him in their first life was because she wanted someone who would get her out of this hell that she was living in. The hell that she mentioned earlier was the Duke’s house, the hub of all the despair that swirled within her.
But she realized that she didn’t need to leave. She still lived in there right now and yet, she couldn’t classify herself as someone miserable. In fact, she was truly and deeply happy.
She decided to stay in this world, because Callisto Regulus stayed with her. He hurled himself into her life like a hurricane of golden confetti and remained there, giving her joy and contentment every single day.
Callisto smiled, bending down to press a quick kiss onto her lips, “And thank you for taking me out of this hell.”
Callisto always thought that his life was hell. His mother died, his father sent him off to war, the Empress tried to kill him at every opportunity, and he constantly had to live in a constant state of survival. But then she appeared and took his hand.
She, with her captivating personality and charming smile. She, with her beautiful face and bright magenta hair. She, with shining emerald eyes and alluring pink lips.
She, who gave him light and pulled him out his dark world.
And now, they have a proof of their love inside her stomach.
And as they shared one more kiss, they can hear the announcer faintly in the background, “Presenting His Highness, Crown Prince Callisto Regulus of Eorka and today’s debutant, Princess Penelope Eckhart.”
“That’s a mouthful,” Penelope couldn’t help but comment with a brief laugh.
Callisto chuckled and they walked hand in hand into the venue. He knew that in just a few months from now, their presentation would also be a little longer.
“Presenting Their Highnesses, Crown Prince Callisto Regulus and Crown Princess Penelope Regulus of Eorka.”