Unable To Escape (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 13

Alicia awoke from her nightmare the moment she drank the poison and died, and for a while afterward, she couldn’t even get out of bed.

The nightmare’s aftermath had brought on a severe fever that drained every ounce of her strength.

Though the people trapped inside Rasa Castle grew increasingly anxious due to the snowfall that kept coming down without cease, Alicia—confined to her bed from illness—actually welcomed the situation somewhat.

‘Thank goodness I don’t have to see Killian.’

Had she not been bedridden, she would have had to face Killian somehow, as the lady of this castle.

Though her body felt weak, her mind felt a bit at peace—a sentiment that would surely make Amy, whose face had turned deathly pale from nursing her over the past few days, slap her chest in exasperation.

“You’ve improved a great deal. Starting today, it’s perfectly fine for you to enjoy a light walk.”

Leaning half-reclined against the headboard of her bed, Alicia gave a slight nod toward the young physician, who spoke softly, assuring her she was well.

She was the youngest disciple of Dalton, the Imperial Chief Physician, and also a gifted herbalist; after reminding Alicia once more that she should still take her medicinal decoctions carefully for the time being, she quietly left the bedroom.

“Your Highness, you’re alright now, right? Our princess’s face has gone pale as a ghost! What are we to do!”

Mina, who had been waiting outside, bustled into the room as if swapping places with the physician.

“Didn’t I teach you to stay calm no matter what happens…?”

“But this isn’t an ordinary situation, Mrs. Campbell!”

“How noisy. Go fetch the decoction already! If you spill it again like last time due to your careless rushing, I’ll deduct it from your wages.”

“That’s so unfair…”

Watching Mina’s retreating back as she slumped her shoulders and left the room just minutes after entering, Alicia let out a soft chuckle.

“Amy’s being too strict with Mina.”

“Too strict? This isn’t even the real strictness yet.”

With Amy’s help, Alicia settled back comfortably into bed and slowly closed her eyes under the gentle touch of hands arranging her hair.

She truly must be getting better—breathing felt easier now.

“Is it still snowing?”

“Yes, winter’s throwing its last tantrum. It should stop soon.”

“Really?”

Once winter’s final snow ended, spring would arrive soon after.

The snow would melt away in an instant—and then Killian would depart for the capital.

“Sigh…”

“Your Highness? Is something bothering you?”

“No, just feeling a bit stifled.”

“The physician said a light walk is fine, but for now, please stay lying down. Besides, there’s nowhere pleasant to stroll anyway—the greenhouse is ruined.”

“Oh…”

The greenhouse, destroyed by the beast, had been left untouched due to the relentless snowfall, with no proper repairs done yet.

Remembering that all her cherished flowers and trees had frozen to death, Alicia let out a long, regretful sigh.

She’d heard the caretaker had tried his best, but apparently, he couldn’t withstand winter’s final snowfall.

“Brother will surely be disappointed.”

“If it’s Crown Prince Adrian, he’ll probably take this chance to propose expanding the greenhouse.”

“…Do you think Sienna could stop him?”

“Your Highness—how could the Crown Princess possibly stop you? It’s not like it’s just any ordinary matter; it’s about you.”

“…Well, I could at least try.”

After tucking the blanket neatly up to Alicia’s neck, Amy straightened her back with a faint smile.

“Sometimes, you already know the answer before even trying.”

Amy was usually right.

Moreover, once news of this got out, the Emperor himself might step in and offer a new greenhouse as a gift before the Crown Prince and his consort even had a chance to act.

‘Better to give up quickly on things I should let go of.’

Just as Alicia nodded in agreement and buried herself deeper into the warm blanket—

*Knock knock.*

Someone gently tapped on the bedroom door.

She briefly wondered if it was Mina returning with the decoction, but the thought passed as quickly as it came.

If it were Mina, she’d have barged right in without hesitation, only realizing afterward she’d been rude—and then immediately glanced toward Amy for a reaction.

Amy, who had just sat down in the chair beside the bed and picked up a book, seemed to share the same thought; she tilted her head in puzzlement and stood up.

“Who is it?”

“I’ve been sent by Duke Diaz.”

“…What?”

Startled by the unexpected reply, Alicia instinctively sat upright in bed, gripping the blanket tightly as she looked at Amy.

Quickly composing her expression, Amy gave Alicia a swift once-over before speaking toward the door.

“Is it necessary to see Her Highness in person?”

“No, I was only instructed to deliver a message.”

A light, cheerful voice.

She was certain she’d heard it somewhere before.

“Your Highness, I’ll be right back.”

“…Alright.”

Amy disappeared out the door and returned shortly after, holding a bouquet in her arms.

Flowers—in the middle of winter?

They’d have made sense if the greenhouse were intact, but it had been ruined by the beast.

Even if the greenhouse had been undamaged, since it belonged to Alicia, no one else could have freely entered to pick flowers.

So where did these flowers come from?

Frowning in confusion, Alicia looked at Amy, silently seeking an answer.

“Well… Sir Burns came by.”

“Oh!”

The moment she heard the name, the face of a man with crimson hair appeared in her mind.

Derek Burns.

Captain of the Diaz family’s knights.

Infinitely light-hearted, cheerful—and a cruel wolf.

One of Killian’s subordinates rescued from the battlefield, he was exceptionally skilled with a sword and, like the other wolves, showed immense loyalty to his master.

Recalling how he used to slaughter enemies with a childlike, bright smile, Alicia involuntarily shivered slightly.

“Why would he…?”

“He said he came to deliver this… to Your Highness.”

“Flowers?”

“He says Duke Diaz sent them as a gift. He also included a letter… Your Highness? Are you alright?”

Noticing Alicia’s sudden pallor, Amy hurried to her side.

Thanks to that, Alicia could examine the bouquet closely and realized the flowers weren’t real—they were made of paper.

“I’m fine. He sent… flowers and a letter?”

“Yes… but… I heard something I can hardly believe.”

“What is it?”

As Alicia took the vividly colorful paper bouquet—nearly as radiant as real flowers—and inspected it, she felt her body stiffen at Amy’s next words.

“He says Duke Diaz made them himself…”

“…What?”

“He personally folded each paper flower…”

Just recently, he’d shown her a smile—and now this? Killian himself made these paper flowers? What on earth am I hearing?

Alicia wasn’t the only one shocked.

Even Amy, who had personally received the bouquet from Derek, still couldn’t process what she’d heard.

[“These paper flowers were carefully folded one by one by our captain—no, by His Grace the Duke himself.”] [“…Who did what?”] [“Surprised? I was too! The man who used to behead beasts with his bare hands—how can those big hands of his possibly do something like this? Honestly, I’m still wondering if there’s anything he can’t do!”] [“I’m sorry, Sir Burns—could you repeat that again?”] [“I came to deliver this bouquet, personally made by the Duke, to wish Your Highness a swift recovery. He originally wanted to come himself, but thought people might drop dead from shock if they saw him doing something so delicate—so he sent me instead.”] [“…You did the right thing.”] [“Here’s the letter too. Can you believe it? That man actually wrote a letter! I’m still stunned myself.”] [“…”] [“Well then, I’ve delivered everything, so I’ll take my leave. Please make sure Her Highness receives it properly.”]

And with that, Derek disappeared with his usual light step.

Shaking her head to clear the image of his frivolous back from her mind, Amy looked at Alicia, who was still visibly bewildered.

“Your Highness, what should we do?”

“…There’s… a letter?”

“Yes, here.”

To be honest, Amy wanted to throw away both the lavish, vibrant bouquet and the letter.

It was a gift from the man who had hurt her mistress’s heart for years.

He’d never even replied to dozens—hundreds—of letters she’d sent, and now, out of nowhere, this?

‘Just when you’d finally decided to let go of your feelings…’

Amy sighed, glaring at the bouquet Alicia now held so tenderly.

Though she disliked it, the bouquet belonged to Alicia.

“What would you like done with the flowers?”

“…Put them in a vase and arrange them nicely.”

“And the letter…?”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“Yes, understood.”

After taking the bouquet, Amy left to arrange it, leaving Alicia alone in the bedroom. Alicia stared at the letter in her hand.

She’d merely corrected one mistake by making a different choice this time—but ever since, things kept unfolding differently from the past.

It wasn’t just surprising; it was downright strange.

These were matters she hadn’t deeply considered before, having deliberately avoided anything that reminded her of Killian since returning through time.

‘It’s strange enough that Killian acted before winter ended—but that beast was odd too…’

Just recalling the beast calling her by name made her tremble with fear rising from the deepest part of her consciousness.

It was merely a name—but she’d never heard of a beast capable of human speech.

‘Maybe I simply don’t know about it yet.’

Though tales of beasts weren’t classified secrets, detailed information was treated as confidential. As merely a princess, Alicia had no access to such data.

Even after the Emperor ascended the throne, Killian handled all matters concerning beasts personally—so all Alicia knew was the budget allocation required for disposing of beast corpses.

She didn’t understand why information had to be restricted and certain details kept secret.

She could only assume there must be a reason.

‘Once I return to the capital, I can ask Father about the beasts—but the real problem is… Killian.’

Sending me a gift—let alone one he made himself—and even a letter on top of that?

This truly made no sense.

It wasn’t just illogical—it was utterly impossible.

After fiddling with the elegant envelope for a long while, Alicia finally resolved to carefully open it.

Whether in her past life or this one, it was the first letter she’d ever received from Killian.

What on earth could it possibly say?

Her pale fingertips trembled faintly as she unfolded the letter.