Unable To Escape - Chapter 28

Alicia Craig.

A noble lady whom everyone couldn’t help but love.

As if it were a promise, everyone in the imperial city loved Alicia.

Her shimmering golden hair looked as if sunlight had been melted and spun into threads. Following the flowing curves of her hair revealed a round, pretty forehead, below which beautifully arched eyebrows caught the eye.

Under thick eyelashes, sky-blue eyes appeared and disappeared repeatedly. Her high nose bridge and red lips below whispered words so sweet they seemed to melt everything around her.

“Beloved Alicia… Yes. She was the beloved Alicia.”

What was the sticky, clingy emotion hidden in the words uttered with a hollow laugh?

As if not wanting to think about what it was, Brill lowered his head and waited for the next words of his savior.

“We must plant someone by Alicia’s side by any means necessary. I don’t care how much money it costs. Do you understand?”

“It will be done as you wish.”

“Good.”

As always, Brill gave the answer his master wanted and bowed his head.

Watching the sky brighten as the moon tilted to the west, Killian’s figure sank deep in thought was buried in the shadow cast by the tilted moon, creating a deep darkness.

Time passed, and the day of the spring banquet dawned.

Alicia was lost in thought as she watched Amy and the maids bustling about from early morning.

‘I haven’t seen Killian since that day.’

Despite her efforts to avoid him, Alicia swallowed a sigh as she recalled Killian, whom she hadn’t seen since their encounter in the dining hall that day.

Was it because today’s banquet was supposed to announce her engagement to Killian before her regression?

Today, Alicia’s thoughts of Killian were particularly deep.

“Your Highness, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Mina, who had brought the washing water, asked Alicia with concern.

“I’m tired thinking that today is the beginning.”

It wasn’t a lie.

She hadn’t been able to sleep properly for days as memories from before the regression kept surfacing.

Seeing her clouded expression, Mina, who had become gloomy in response, spoke words of comfort to Alicia.

“But today, you only need to listen to His Majesty’s speech and attend the evening banquet.”

The spring banquet, the start of a week-long celebration, was the Emperor’s responsibility to announce.

The Emperor would climb to the highest balcony of the imperial palace to announce the arrival of a new spring, and the gathered people would cheer, marking the beginning of the banquet.

Alicia, Adrian, and Sienna’s role was to stand by the Emperor’s side as he announced the start.

After the Emperor made the announcement, they would briefly return to their rooms to rest before changing clothes and attending the banquet after sunset.

Today, the first day of the week-long banquet, had the most relaxed schedule.

‘From the second day on, we’ll have lunch with the divided factions during the day, have tea parties, and attend banquets in the evening, followed by a three-day hunting competition starting the next day…’

Just thinking about it was exhausting.

She couldn’t avoid the first and last days, but from the second day on, she’d have to feign illness.

And after that, she’d have to stay in her room.

Having made this secret resolution, Alicia, urged by Amy, reluctantly left her bed and began preparing for the first event.

Alicia’s first dress was a bright, off-the-shoulder dress in pale sky blue.

The dress, specially made to match Alicia’s eye color, featured a voluminous skirt made of countless layers of thin lace.

If there was a drawback, it was that the skirt moved like waves with each step she took, so beautifully that everyone who saw it momentarily lost themselves in admiration.

The sky-blue dress, which matched Alicia’s fair skin perfectly, revealed an even more beautiful figure under the sun, eliciting exclamations from onlookers.

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Blessings upon the Crown Prince and Crown Princess!”

“Praise for the beauty of the Imperial Princess!”

As if prearranged, voices rose from below the balcony, and Alicia raised one hand to respond lightly.

The people welcomed her with unstinting cheers for Eregron’s most beautiful princess.

Come to think of it, it was the people of Eregron who believed in her until the very end.

Recalling her past self who had betrayed those who cheered, blessed, and prayed for the safety of an unworthy emperor, Alicia forced her stiff face to move and smiled brightly.

Today, at least, it was her duty to ensure that the people could enjoy the festival with smiles and without any worries.

The Emperor’s speech, as he waved to the people in response, was short and simple.

It was an annual event, so a long speech would have been difficult.

The only difference from last year was that he announced that this year’s protagonists were the three dukes guarding the borders.

The three dukes, who had been waiting on a balcony lower than the Emperor’s, revealed themselves in time with the Emperor’s speech.

People raised their voices even more to cheer for them, dressed in elaborate formal uniforms they rarely wore.

That was the signal for the true start of the banquet.

After exchanging brief greetings with her family, Alicia immediately returned to her room, eliminating any chance of encountering Killian.

Even so, she would see his face in the evening…

‘The first dance is with Father, then with Brother… My dances end there today.’

In the past, before announcing her engagement to Killian, she had desperately clung to any chance to dance with him.

After the engagement was announced, she got to dance the first dance with him every year, but…

‘I was so nervous that I stepped on Killian’s feet every time.’

She had never made such mistakes with her father or brother, but she repeated them countless times in front of Killian.

Surely Killian must have thought her dancing skills were terrible.

“The evening banquet is important.”

Today, Alicia would announce to the nobles that she had given up her feelings for Killian.

She doubted whether the nobles would believe her when even Killian didn’t believe her words, but they would come to believe it as time passed.

The important thing was to officially announce it, whether they believed it or not.

There’s a difference in power between suspecting something and being certain of it.

Alicia steeled her resolve as she looked at the white dress prepared for the evening banquet.

And as time passed, the evening banquet finally began.

Entering the Grand Hall following the Emperor and the Crown Prince couple, after waiting for all the other nobles to enter, Alicia could spot one person who stood out among the many nobles.

‘Killian.’

Like her, Killian was also wearing different clothes from what he had worn during the day, standing in the center of the Grand Hall.

The other two dukes were with him, but Alicia’s eyes were fixed solely on Killian.

The Emperor took his place in the highest seat on the east side of the Grand Hall, with Alicia and the Crown Prince couple standing one step below him.

They formed a shape surrounding the Emperor in the center, with Alicia on one side and the Crown Prince couple on the other.

“We greet Your Majesty.”

The nobles, confirming that the imperial family had taken their places, bowed their heads and bent their knees, uniting their voices.

“I must thank the heavens that I can see your safe faces again this year.”

The Emperor raised his hand in gratitude after receiving their greetings, and those who had straightened their postures at this signal waited for his next words.

“Let the three dukes come forward.”

Those filling the hall parted to either side, creating a path.

The three dukes moved slowly along this path, kneeling on one knee and bowing their heads before the Emperor.

“It is because of you that Eregron is safe. This banquet is for you, so I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, who had risen from his seat and walked from the highest place to the lowest, extended both hands to personally raise the three dukes.

As receiving the Emperor’s touch alone was an honor, the eyes of the nobles watching the three dukes were filled with various forms of envy.

After shaking hands briefly with Duke Macleod, Duke Fraser, and Killian, the Emperor raised one hand high to announce the start of the night.

Although the three dukes were the protagonists of this banquet, the first dance to mark the beginning of the banquet belonged to the imperial family.

Alicia, who had come down from the platform to stand before the Emperor, curtsied, spreading the skirt of her dress wide with both hands.

The Emperor, who had received her greeting by placing one hand on his chest and bowing slightly at the waist, extended his hand, and Alicia placed her hand on top of his, smiling brightly.

“You look even more beautiful today, Alicia.”

“You just said the same thing to Sienna a moment ago.”

Alicia pouted slightly, glancing sideways at Sienna, who was dancing with a radiant face, holding the Crown Prince’s hand.

“Haha, I made a mistake. I meant to say you’re more beautiful.”

“You’ll say the same thing to Sienna in a little while, won’t you?”

“My daughter is too clever. How can I make you pretend not to know?”

“You can keep dancing the first dance with me from now on.”

“That’s a wish for my good health, isn’t it?”

“What’s your answer?”

“If it’s my daughter’s wish, I must grant it.”

Drawing a large circle, moving away and then close again, Alicia, nestled in her beloved father’s arms, closed her eyes and prayed fervently.

‘Benevolent God, please grant me a long time so that I may love my father for longer.’

At this moment, neither Killian nor evil claws nor anything else came to mind.

The only wish was for the happiness of her beloved family.

Alicia prayed that her wish would reach the God who had given her a second chance, and smiled brightly at her father who was looking at her.