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{3rd Person POV}
"Reina, I want to talk with you," Subaru said, his voice heavy with seriousness and conviction.
The Sword Saint tilted her head slightly, a warm, love-struck smile gracing her lips. "What might it be, my Liege?" she replied, her tone soft and affectionate.
'Perhaps it's about our future… our children? Or maybe... he wants to do that with me?' she pondered, her face flushing with a rosy blush that only deepened her beauty.
For the first time in what felt like years, Subaru felt a pang of guilt weigh heavily on his chest as he looked at her.
When he first arrived in this unfamiliar world, he had been disoriented, utterly alone, and painfully weak.
With no direction and no idea how to survive, he latched onto the first thread of hope—Emilia.
He chose to follow her after deducing that if she were to die, Puck, her terrifying guardian spirit, would likely kill him in retaliation.
And even if he somehow escaped that fate, there was still Roswaal—scheming, manipulative, and more than capable of ending Subaru's life repeatedly until things played out the way he wanted.
Subaru was cornered by fear, by the unknown, and ultimately decided that the safest path was to follow the plot.
Not because he was brave. Not because he was smart. But because he simply wanted to stay alive.
Yes, survive—because he was not strong.
He was not clever or equipped with useful skills.
He was just an ordinary guy, with no money, no social connections, and not even the basic literacy needed to function in this medieval society.
His knowledge was laughably inadequate to survive first few weeks in this world, and the odds of dying from something as mundane as walking along a dark road were arguably higher than being killed by someone like Elsa.
So, he figured—if death was inevitable, why not take a gamble? Why not dive straight into the chaos and try to trigger the plotline where Reinhardt appears and saves him? That way, he could make connections with the powerful and perhaps find a way to survive in this brutal world.
But in the heat of panic, fear muddled his thoughts. He forgot to properly set things in motion—and died.
On his second loop, he managed to befriend Emilia. But, in true Subaru fashion, he neglected to call for Reinhardt's help and died once more.
Though he couldn't be blamed completely for his second loop, he was dealing with the trauma of his first death, the confusion of being thrust into an alien world, and the cognitive dissonance of harboring two set of memories. Everything felt overwhelming, suffocating, and surreal.
In his third loop, he tried to correct his course. He attempted to seek out Reinhardt. Yet again, he failed—and died.
Then, he met her—Reina.
He was caught off guard by her beauty, her gentleness, her calm demeanor.
She tried to helped him, not knowing much about him, without expecting anything in return.
But Subaru knew how dangerous Elsa was and did not knew her true identity. Getting involved with a random knight, no matter how kind she seemed, could very well get her killed.
And so, he chose to face Elsa alone.
Maybe he could have done something differently. But by then, the knowledge that his Return by Death ability was modified—allowing him to get stronger with each death—was a strange comfort.
A dangerous one, yes, but comfort nonetheless.
Thanks to the memories of Ayan, his internal struggles, his shattered self-esteem, had mostly healed.
He began to view RBD not as a curse, but a potential means to build himself into something more—something powerful, something resilient.
He could use it not only to protect himself but also to forge a place in this cruel world.
But his first true battle against Elsa? It shattered his illusions.
He realized, bitterly, how many times he would need to die to simply scratch her.
The fear returned, along with the despair.
Yet he steeled himself.
He was ready to die again and again if it meant gaining the strength to protect what mattered.
And then—just as death was about to claim him once more—Reina saved him.
In that moment, he was stunned—not just by her skill or timing, but by the revelation of her true identity. She was the Sword Saint. This was the legendary warrior? The same as Reinhardt?
He didn't know how to feel about Reinhardt being gender-swapped into a stunningly beautiful girl with a powerful presence and… impressive physical features.
But when he saw her break down in front of him, tears spilling down her cheeks as she called herself a monster, something inside him cracked.
He couldn't accept it.
This girl—this strong, noble, lonely girl—was being treated just like Reinhardt had been. Feared, used, idolized, and isolated.
He felt anger bubble up. Rage. How could anyone treat such a cute girl like her with such coldness?
He wanted to slap that drunken fool Wilhelm, wanted to knock some sense into the decrepit elders of the Sword Saint family. It wasn't right.
Seeing her cry, he reached out, gently comforting her. And in that moment, he said the words that had been forming in the deepest corners of his heart.
"You are my hero."
Yes, she was his hero. No one else. Not Emilia. Not the knights. Not even the version of him that fought to survive.
It was Reina who saved him—not just from death, but from despair, from hopelessness.
Because the truth was, each time he died, his body grew tougher—but so did the pain.
His endurance increased, yes, but so did the suffering. Death wasn't just an inconvenience—it became a torture.
Every death lasted longer, hurt more deeply, and etched itself into his soul.
He no longer wanted to die unless it was absolutely necessary.
Time passed, and he eventually reached the mansion. Again, Reina was there- and saved him, his support.
She dropped hints about her feelings, clear as daylight. But even then, Subaru resisted the idea. Why?
A couple of reasons.
First, she was the one who saved him. He hadn't rescued her. He hadn't been her hero.
Second, he feared he might be misreading her affection. She had been love-starved, emotionally vulnerable. What if she was simply projecting feelings onto him? He wasn't going to exploit that. He couldn't—he wouldn't.
So, he continued to deny the possibility that she might love him romantically.
That was, until the events in the Capital changed everything.
There, amidst politics and prejudice, he saw it clearly: the rot in the nobility, the apathy of the knights.
Not a single one of them stood up when Emilia was being unjustly insulted by pompous nobles. Not one came to her defense.
Yet when someone—a mere commoner like him—dared to raise his voice, dared to speak the truth in front of them all… what did they do?
He exposed their hypocrisy. He spat in their faces—not literally, but through the truth.
And what was his reward?
He became their enemy.
Chivalry? What a hollow joke.
Where was their sacred code of honor when an innocent girl—Emilia—was being wrongly accused of things she never did? Where was their so-called integrity when she stood there alone, the weight of prejudice crashing down on her, and not a single knight stepped forward?
And then, as if to top it all off, Julius—their shining example of knighthood—decided to "save" Subaru by putting him in his place? How noble.
Subaru wasn't a knight, and he never claimed to be one. But it was painfully obvious: the high-ranking elites couldn't stand the idea of a nobody stepping out of line. Someone of no status, no title, no power, daring to speak as if he mattered.
Had it been a noble or someone with status, they would've choked on their own pride before uttering a word of protest.
But Subaru? He was just a commoner.
And so, they targeted him.
He accepted Julius' duel not to win Emilia's favor, not to look cool, and certainly not to prove some hollow point. He accepted it to make a stand—to show everyone that he was not weak. That he was not someone to be trampled on or used like a pawn in their aristocratic games.
Maybe he wasn't suited to be a knight.
And if being a knight meant becoming one of them—those who would hurt others just to preserve their honor—then he wanted nothing to do with that title.
In that moment, even if the legendary King Arthur himself stood before him instead of Julius, Subaru would have made the same decision.
Because he didn't want to be a Saint. He didn't want to be a Knight. He didn't want to be a Demon.
He simply wanted to be a better human being.
After the duel, wounded but not broken, he was tended to by Reina. Her hands were gentle, her touch filled with concern and care. And it was then, in that quiet moment between pain and peace, that he saw it in her eyes—clear as day.
She truly, deeply, unconditionally loved him.
And in that moment, Subaru made a choice.
He decided to fully embrace his power—to use Return by Death as more than just a means of survival. He would wield it, abuse it if he had to, all to grow stronger.
Not just for himself.
But for both of them.
Yes, their love story—between a low-born commoner and a Sword Saint—might sound romantic in fairy tales. It had all the elements of a classic, forbidden romance.
But Subaru wasn't delusional. He was realistic. He understood the world far too well.
He knew how Reina had been treated. He knew how the nobility operated. If the political tides turned, if the power-hungry council decided to use her as a bargaining chip, they could force her into marriage with some random noble. All for alliances. All for control.
And considering the type of people her so-called family consisted of—her cruel, scheming father and manipulative, cold-blooded grandfather—Subaru had no faith in them protecting her happiness.
But he did have faith in her.
If she truly loved him, then he knew—she would fight back.
She would resist.
And if she did, the kingdom would brand her a traitor. A rebel. An enemy.
Ironically, the loss would be theirs. Because making Reina—the Sword Saint—their enemy would be a disaster the Kingdom couldn't afford.
But if she killed them? If she crushed the oppressive system to protect her love?
They would call her a monster.
They would solidify the false narrative that had haunted her since childhood—that she was a monster who killed her own grandmother to take her Divine Protection.
And Subaru couldn't bear the thought of that.
He refused to let her live like that. Shackled to a lie. Burdened by a crown of thorns.
He wanted her to be free. He wanted her to be happy.
Because he loved her.
And what kind of man would he be if he didn't try to become better—for her sake?
For the girl who reached out to him when he had nothing—no power, no reputation, no knowledge, no money. Nothing. Just a lost boy from another world, stranded, scared, and utterly alone.
That was why he made a plan.
First, he would slay the White Whale—a feat worthy of legends.
Then, he would hunt down the Sin Archbishops—monsters that plagued the land and terrorized the people.
With these victories, he would earn a noble title through merit alone.
Then, he would use the knowledge of his former world—of technology, of strategy, of innovation—to make life better for everyone.
And through these actions, he would lift Emilia higher. He would pave a path to make her Queen, to raise her above every noble, every schemer, every pretender.
So that when the day came, no one—no one—would dare question their union.
So that the respect, admiration, and reverence that Reina truly deserved would finally be hers.
Yes, it was selfish. He knew that.
Perhaps she would hate him if she ever learned the truth—that he was dying again and again behind the scenes.
He didn't even know what happened with each death. Did alternate timelines form? Did he erase entire worlds every time he came back?
He didn't have those answers.
But he knew one thing with absolute certainty:
He could not allow her to live in sorrow.
Because to love someone… truly love them…
Is to give them everything you have. Even your life.
To love… is to drown someone in the kind of affection that soothes the loneliest of hearts.
To love… is to remain by their side, through all trials, under every condition.
To love… is not only to grow as a person because of that love, but to help the one you love grow alongside you.
A lot had happened after that. Mistakes were made. And Subaru committed what he now thought of as a Sin.
He kissed Satella.
If Reina was his virtue—his guiding light—then Satella was his Sin, the shadow cast by that very light.
He had done something that could break Reina's heart into pieces. And he knew it. He knew she loved him, and still… he did it.
Things had been different with Echidna. She was a partner—yes—but more of an intellectual ally or, at worst, a cold associate. A "slave partner," perhaps, in his darkest humor. But there had been no true emotional bond there.
But Satella?
He didn't know why. He couldn't explain it with logic or clarity. But he loved her. Deeply. Desperately.
And because of that love, he made a choice.
He chose truth.
So, one evening, with all the weight of guilt pressing on his chest, he stood before Reina and told her the truth.
"I love someone else as well," he began, his voice soft but steady.
Reina's bright, loving smile froze mid-expression.
"She had my first kiss," he continued, eyes lowered, guilt radiating from every part of his body.
"I… I can't tell you who she is. Not yet. But you deserve to know the truth. There is someone else in my heart besides you. I know this may hurt you, and you can punish me however you wish. But—" he raised his head, meeting her gaze with unwavering sincerity "—I cannot promise that I'll love everyone equally. I cannot swear that I'll love you the most. But I refuse to lie to the woman who loves me so fiercely, even if the truth is cruel. What I can promise is that I will love you enough. Cherish you endlessly. I will give you all the love I have until you never feel lonely again."
Reina said nothing.
The silence was thick—charged.
"I know it's scummy behavior," Subaru added, bowing his head. "So if you want to slap me… I'll take it. I deserve it."
He closed his eyes, ready for the blow.
Subaru wasn't someone who believed in being hit and doing nothing. Normally, if someone struck him—woman or not—he'd strike back if it wasn't justified.
But this time?
This time, he was at fault. This time, he would bear it.
Meanwhile, Reina's mind was spinning into chaos.
Was she angry?
Absolutely.
Did she want to slap someone?
Oh, more than anything.
But it wasn't Subaru she wanted to strike.
It was her—the woman who had dared to seduce her Subaru.
Because Reina knew—knew in her heart—that Subaru hadn't betrayed her. She didn't need to activate any Divine Protections to sense the truth. She felt it in her soul.
Could a man who looked at her the way he did—with such fierce love and unwavering warmth—truly be capable of betrayal?
No.
If she slapped him now, it wouldn't be justice. It would be a betrayal of her own love for him.
And yet, fury surged within her.
No one—absolutely no one—was allowed to take Subaru from her.
She would slice that witch to pieces. Slowly. Deliberately.
Her eyes gleamed with steel resolve as she smiled sweetly, hiding the storm within.
"My love," she said, her voice calm, too calm. "Who seduced you?"
"H-Huh?" Subaru blinked, startled by the gentleness in her tone.
And then, it hit him.
"No! No one seduced me! It's not like that! It was my own fault. I fell in love with her. That's all," he said quickly, hoping to douse the rising fire he saw behind her eyes.
But Reina's fists clenched at her sides.
No one was worthy of her Subaru.
No one.
Even she often felt unworthy of his love—so how could some other woman dare receive it?
To her, he was her everything. Her Lord. Her Liege. Her Love.
She didn't want anything else but to make him happy.
Even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.
She could not—would not—stand by and let someone toy with his heart.
Her hand slowly drifted toward the hilt of Reid.
Subaru saw it and broke into a cold sweat. His breath hitched. He shut his eyes tightly.
She had half a mind to unleash Reid's power—to cut through time and space, to find that woman and shred her limb by limb.
But then, a voice echoed within her mind.
"You'll hurt him… Can't you see?"
It was her own subconscious. Her true self.
Reina froze. She looked at Subaru's face.
At the fear.
At his fear—of her.
"No… H-He's scared of me?" she whispered, horrified.
Her expression fell apart. Shame and panic overtook her.
"Z-Zero! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I-I was angry, but not at you! I wanted to hurt that bi—I mean—that woman. I lost control. Please, please forgive me," she said, bowing deeply, trembling.
Subaru opened his eyes and gently took her into his arms.
"There's no need to apologize," he whispered. "I… I started this. Your anger is justified."
She melted in his embrace, her fury vanishing in an instant.
'I don't want him to be scared of me… I want to protect him.'
She made a silent vow.
'I know he will love me. That's enough. I'll love him with everything I have. If he wants other women… I will support him.'
It wasn't easy coming to that conclusion.
It tore her heart in ways she hadn't imagined.
But she realized—if hurting the woman he cared for would mean hurting him—then she would become a monster. Not a monster to the world, but to him.
And that was something she could never allow.
Let the world call her a monster. She didn't care.
But she would never become a monster to Subaru.
No. She would be his beloved. His sword. His protector.
And a monster to anyone who dared harm him.
Still…
'I'll have to see if that woman is worthy of him,' she decided.
She wasn't going to boss him around. She trusted him. But she would be there—to protect, to shield, to guide. To ensure no one used his heart for selfish gain.
"Zero," she said softly. "I don't mind if you have other women. However, as your knight and your lover, I cannot allow those who would take advantage of you to be part of your life. But… I will support you. And I say it again—I love you. Now and forever."
Subaru's eyes softened, his breath releasing as though a massive weight had lifted from his soul.
He was truly, deeply, unbelievably blessed…
To have Reina by his side.
To be continued...
(A/N: Yeah I wrote this chapter in this flowery language, so yeah it is not AI which messed up things.
Anyway, I always think why do Foreigners after coming to India visit slums and roadside stalls, and then say 'It is disgusting'
I mean didn't you come to visit fun places? Like some temples, heritage, monuments, world class infrastructure?
So why the fuck you are deep into slums, or buying things from roadside stalls that even a middle-class person knows to stay away.
It is like I went to America only to visit the garbage factory or sewers.
I know the country is polluted, but why are you visiting slums again?
If you want, you can go to Kashmir, or Rajasthan desert, or perhaps even other places.
But no! I want to go the most polluted river, bathe in it, then get Indian Massage by some barber, eat some roadside stall food, and then rest on some slum building as if you are poorest person alive.
And spat 'India is so disgusting'
Bro your country too went from that phase in a past, It didn't become world class out of nowhere.
I mean wtf?!
There was a video where a foreign woman was trying Indian food with gravy, and she said it was sticking to her eyes.
Ma'am are you eating with your eyes or nose? Even two-year children here know how to eat better than you.
Fuck, a toddler knows how to drink milk better than her.
Also I don't get why people try weird dishes that weren't even in Indian menu till like two years ago?
We have cuisine bigger than the entire European Cuisine, only for foreigners to try Butter Chicken and nothing more.
Well, we are equal in that terms, as I buy the same pizza every time I order one.
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter.
It is too much romantic or flowery I think, but I guess this explain's Subaru's point of view.
There were many inconstancies which were actually easily explainable and actually fit in the story.
Man sometimes I think, my subconscious mind is at least ten steps ahead of me.
*Sniff* I am too smart for my own good.)