Unable To Escape (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 2
Alicia was crying.
At first, out of disappointment in herself for not even managing to properly swallow the poison and die.
Then, because even though her eyes were open, the dream had not yet broken.
And after a short while, from the shock of realizing this was not a dream at all.
Then she cried from gratitude for being granted a new chance, and from fear that even with this chance, she might still fail.
“Your Highness Alicia, are you unwell?”
“When is the physician coming!”
“Your Highness Princess, please don’t keep crying like this—you’ll exhaust yourself. Please…”
“His Majesty is on his way!”
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is coming too!”
“They say Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess has stormed into the medical bureau!”
“Your Highness Alicia, please don’t cry.”
It had already been two hours since the princess, upon waking that morning and muttering strange things about poison and life flashing before her eyes, began crying after seeing her own reflection in the mirror.
At first, the head maid had assumed it was just lingering tears from a nightmare she’d had the previous night.
Of course, she didn’t know for certain whether Alicia truly had a nightmare—but what else could possibly make her cry upon waking?
Her golden hair, uncombed properly since she’d only just risen from bed, cascaded down past her hips, shimmering softly.
Beneath that hair—like spun threads drawn from melted sunlight—lay a rounded forehead and delicately arched eyebrows.
Below thick, long lashes that seemed ready to send pearls rolling off them were eyes the color of a springtime sky.
Her nose was high and adorably rounded, and beneath it rested lips as red as fresh roses.
The noblest flower of Eregorn.
The most beloved woman of the Craig royal family.
Princess Alicia Craig.
Even when smiling, her beauty was so exquisite it stirred the hearts of all who saw her—yet when she cried, she became so bewitchingly beautiful it seemed to enchant those around her.
Amy, her longtime nanny and head maid who had cared for her since birth, briefly recalled the princess’s childhood upon seeing her tearful face frightened by a nightmare, and couldn’t help but smile secretly.
But that smile lasted only a moment.
For some unknown reason, her beloved princess showed no sign of stopping her tears—and as time passed, her weeping grew even more sorrowful, melting the hearts of those who watched helplessly.
At this point, it was hard to believe it was merely the aftermath of a nightmare… and the head maid naturally concluded that something must be physically wrong with her beloved princess.
“Why hasn’t the physician arrived yet!”
“Please calm down, Mrs. Campbell! Your shouting is making Her Highness cry even more!”
Amy forcefully suppressed the rising anxiety in her heart upon hearing the urgent cry from Mina, her chief handmaid whom she had already chosen as her successor to the post of head maid.
Then, approaching Alicia—who still remained silent but wept without ceasing—she began soothing her as if she were a little child again.
“Our dear princess, why are you crying so? Hmm? Did you have a scary dream? Or does something hurt? Does your finger ache from embroidering last night? Tell me, please.”
By now, Alicia had even forgotten why she was crying so bitterly.
She was simply crying because tears kept flowing—and because that made her sad.
“Ari!”
“Alicia!”
Just as Alicia sank down before the mirror and began weeping once more,
two people she had longed for so dearly suddenly appeared through the door, which burst open without warning amidst hurried footsteps.
“Brother! Father!”
The Crown Prince, who had died young in an unforeseen accident, and the Emperor, who had wasted away from grief over losing his cherished son and finally passed away.
The moment Alicia looked into the trembling eyes of her blood relatives as they gazed upon her crying, she knew for certain she truly had been granted a second chance.
“I… hic… I did something wrong. I really… sob…”
“What could you have possibly done wrong, Ari!”
“Alicia, my child, don’t cry—just tell me what’s wrong. Seeing your tears feels like my heart is being torn apart.”
“I’ve brought the physician!”
While the Crown Prince and the Emperor tried to comfort Alicia, the Crown Princess—having practically dragged the elderly physician by the scruff of his neck, since he couldn’t walk fast enough—rushed quickly into the room.
And upon seeing her sister-in-law’s healthy appearance, Alicia burst into tears once again.
At the sight of Alicia’s tears, the slightly hot-tempered Crown Princess flared with anger.
“Who! Who made our beautiful, adorable, precious Princess Alicia cry! Your Majesty? Or perhaps you, Head Maid? Who on earth did this!”
“Sienna, my dear, please calm yourself! If you upset our Ari further, she’ll cry even more!”
“No, Adrian! That’s exactly the problem! Her Highness Alicia is crying! Who did this! Who made my little sister cry!”
“Ari is my sister.”
“If she’s your sister, then she’s my sister too! Why must you be so stubborn about it!”
“Ahem. Thanks to the two of you, Alicia has stopped crying—so please, that’s enough.”
Unaware she had ceased crying during the loving squabble between her brother and his wife—whom she hadn’t seen in so long—Alicia, feeling oddly embarrassed, took the Emperor’s hand as he spoke to the young couple and stood up from her seat.
Her legs had stiffened from sitting so long on the cold floor while lost in tears.
“Dalton, now that you’re here, examine the princess’s condition.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The white-haired chief royal physician, having straightened his crumpled collar after being manhandled by the Crown Princess, approached Alicia and began inspecting her.
Though she was a young noblewoman of the highest rank, she had grabbed him by the collar—and not satisfied with that, dragged him like a dog on a leash.
Yet within the Imperial Palace, where anything could happen, this was hardly unusual; his posture remained impeccably dignified.
“I’ll take a quick look.”
Dalton seated the unsteady Alicia onto a nearby chair—her legs still stiff—and as he examined her, the Emperor, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess watched anxiously, awaiting his diagnosis.
“Other than mild exhaustion from excessive crying, there is nothing else wrong.”
“Physician, are you absolutely certain?”
“Are you going to grab my collar again if I say I’m not?”
“Hmph.”
“…My apologies. I shall apologize on behalf of the Crown Princess.”
“Actually, before Her Royal Highness arrived, the Crown Prince’s personal servant broke the doorknob of my study, claiming it was urgent.”
“…Then I shall apologize on behalf of both children.”
“I shall keep silent regarding whatever else His Majesty’s chief steward might have done.”
The elderly physician—who had resided in the capital longer than even the Emperor—effectively silenced all three of them, then left the room with a gentle smile, saying he would prepare a restorative tonic for Alicia.
Only after he departed did the imperial family sigh in relief, grateful for the physician’s gracious willingness to let the matter end there.
“Alicia, are you all right now?”
“Father…”
The Emperor approached his daughter, who stared at him blankly, and gently stroked her head—since the Crown Prince and his wife were too embarrassed to meet her eyes.
Seeing her father treat her like a little child nearly brought fresh tears to Alicia’s eyes.
But knowing this was no dream, illusion, or fleeting vision, she couldn’t afford to worry her beloved family any further.
“I’m… I’m all right.”
“May I ask what happened?”
“…I had… a nightmare.”
It had been a nightmare.
An empire ruined by her foolish love.
Loyal subjects who unanimously demanded the death of the one she loved.
A love that never turned toward her, despite everything she sacrificed for the empire.
Everything had been a nightmare—but worst of all was Alicia herself, who had always chosen wrongly, walking only the worst possible paths.
“That must have been a truly terrifying dream.”
“Yes…”
I ruined everything, Father.
Unable to voice the words for fear of causing more worry, Alicia softly murmured while rubbing her head against the Emperor’s hand as he affectionately stroked her hair.
“I’m fine now.”
She truly was fine.
Now, she could undo all her past mistakes.
She didn’t know how she had returned—but if this was a chance granted by the gods out of pity, she vowed never to let it slip away.
But to the Emperor, Alicia’s bright-eyed resolve seemed to mean something entirely different.
“Alicia… if that’s what you wish, I give you my permission.”
“Huh?”
“Your Majesty! No, I mean—Father! That absolutely cannot happen!”
“I’m all for it! I may have ruined my own marriage, but Princess Alicia should marry for love!”
“Sienna, just what exactly was ruined about marrying me!”
“Marrying for love was my dream! If it hadn’t been for your face, I would’ve run away on the day my engagement was announced! So be grateful for your face!”
“Adrian, Sienna—I haven’t even finished speaking yet.”
After quieting his children, who were veering off-topic again, the Emperor turned once more toward Alicia, who blinked her large eyes at him.
“I know you’re not the sort of child who would shed so many tears over a mere nightmare, Alicia.”
“Father…”
“It must be because of your feelings for someone.”
“Huh?”
“I never imagined that trying to find you a better match would cause you such distress.”
“No, wait…”
“You needn’t worry about the Crown Prince’s objections. If it makes you happy, even your foolish older brother will eventually give his blessing. Isn’t that right, Adrian?”
“Well… that is… Sigh. Ari, do you really have to marry that man?”
The moment Adrian said “that man,” Alicia finally understood what the Emperor was referring to.
And at the same time, she realized this was her first opportunity to correct her past mistake.
“I know you truly care for him, but…”
“No.”
“Even so, marriage is… wait, what?”
“I won’t marry him.”
“Alicia?”
Her first mistake had been insisting on becoming engaged and marrying someone her family opposed.
Therefore…
“I won’t marry Killian… no, Duke Diaz.”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Darn, her last life truly was the worst timeline. I hope Alicia and her family live happily this time.
Why does she love him? Is it purely because he is good looking? Clearly he didn’t treat you right, so for what reason keeps you clinging to him? Go find a hotter ML who will actually love you from the beginning!
I would also add….stupid as fuuuuuck ajaja girl get over him!