Unable To Escape (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
“Your Highness Alicia. The greetings….”
Alicia, who had been staring blankly at Killian, barely managed to regain her composure thanks to Amy, who had quietly approached her side and whispered softly.
“…I’m sorry, Duke. It was my mistake…”
“It’s quite alright.”
“…I welcome the Lord of Northern Vinnion of Eregorn. I apologize for receiving you and your men so modestly upon your return from such an important mission.”
“We are grateful merely for your gracious permission regarding this unexpected visit.”
Pretending not to hear her own pounding heart, she spoke calmly with Killian, stealing glances at his face.
As she took in his appearance—slightly younger than in her last memory—Alicia felt both trembling and astonishment.
‘So this man can actually look young…’
It seemed almost laughable now that she had thought nothing had changed except his slightly shorter hair since their last meeting—he was undeniably younger, or rather, more youthful, than how she remembered him.
Though naturally so, given the reversed passage of time, it felt surreal that someone who had always seemed so much more mature than her from their very first encounter now appeared younger. She couldn’t stop stealing glances at his face.
“Your Highness, there are people waiting for your next words.”
Once again, it was Amy who brought Alicia back to her senses.
Carefully stepping forward and settling behind Alicia like a shadow, she quietly reminded her of what came next.
“Though the day is still bright, I imagine you must be weary from contending with winter’s final snowfall. Everything is prepared for your guests—please rest comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
Could he have noticed she avoided looking directly at him and instead kept peeking?
Strangely enough, their eyes kept meeting again and again.
‘…This won’t do.’
Separate from the fact that she had fallen for him all over again, a sense of crisis crept in.
Though belated, her resolve not to repeat her past mistakes resurfaced.
“I won’t disturb your rest. If you need anything, ask anyone staying in this palace—they will grant your request without refusal.”
“…Without refusal…”
“Duke?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then… I’m not feeling well…”
According to plan, she should have invited Killian to dinner, but even a simple thought told her it was impossible now.
‘I need to get away from here.’
She could worry about what came next later.
Right now, she had to put distance between herself and Killian.
If she delayed even a little longer, he might hear her wildly racing heartbeat.
“I hope you rest comfortably during your stay.”
“Thank you.”
Finishing her greeting hastily, Alicia walked toward her room, forcing her legs—which desperately wanted to hurry—to move as calmly and leisurely as possible.
Fleeing like a frightened rabbit would not only tarnish the dignity of a princess but might also lead Killian to misunderstand her behavior.
Though Killian silently watched her leave, Alicia had no spare awareness left to notice.
After what felt like an eternity—though in truth just a long walk—Alicia finally reached her room. Locking the door behind her, she leaped onto the bed, buried her face in the blankets, and thrashed silently.
She recalled catching a glimpse of her reflection in the vanity mirror before jumping onto the bed—it had looked terribly flushed—but that was hardly her main concern right now.
‘Didn’t I swear I wouldn’t fall in love again? Didn’t I vow to close my heart? Didn’t I promise not to make that foolish mistake again… not to make that foolish choice!’
Apparently, she wasn’t just foolish—she was downright stupid as well.
Otherwise, how could she possibly fall in love again the moment she saw his face?
At this point, her inability to learn from past mistakes and her eagerness to repeat the exact same error made her shudder with self-loathing.
“Your Highness Alicia. Are you alright?”
“Your Highness! The door is locked!”
Hearing the unmistakable voices of Amy and Mina, who had clearly followed her, Alicia sat up from where she’d collapsed and called out to them beyond the door, leaving her tousled hair as it was.
“I just need to be alone for a bit.”
“Your Highness…”
“Really, just for a short while… I’ll be alone just for a moment.”
“…Please call us whenever you need anything.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll wait right outside the door!”
With that brief commotion settled, silence returned.
Alicia carefully removed her tangled tiara from her messy hair and let out a long sigh.
‘Just what did I think I was so confident about?’
She’d forgotten the simple truth that people don’t change easily.
Even if she had died and come back to life, she was still Alicia—the foolish woman who couldn’t let go of her love for Killian even at the moment of her death.
‘But really… is it even possible not to fall for him when you see him like that?’
Killian’s image returned vividly—stepping slowly through the doorway, framed by falling white snow.
If she truly were foolish and dense, then having such an inconveniently sharp memory made no sense at all.
Yet here she was, resurrected only to act like a fool once more—proof enough that claiming to be clever was just as absurd.
Her attempt to grant herself momentary absolution only deepened her confusion.
Alicia sighed deeply once more, got up from the bed, and walked to the window.
The snow had thickened, obscuring the outside world—but it was perfectly clear enough to see her own shameful reflection.
“Even blurred, it’s still a foolish face.”
What exactly had she hoped for, dressing up like this?
She had insisted out loud there was no lingering attachment, that their relationship was over—but clearly, she had secretly anticipated this meeting all along.
Alicia stared at her reflection in the window for a long while, then suddenly lifted her hands and began smudging off her makeup.
The light eyeshadow smeared messily under her eyes, and the vivid red lipstick smeared grotesquely across her lips.
Seeing her face now resembled a ridiculous clown, Alicia briefly smiled—then burst into tears.
She hated how foolish she was.
She resented Killian for being unnecessarily handsome and making her heart beat wildly against her will.
Yet, despite that resentment, she still loved him—unfairly, bitterly—and couldn’t stop crying at the stubborn, pathetic clinginess of her own heart.
“No. I don’t want to jump back into that hell again.”
Alicia muttered through her sobs.
Before her regression, Alicia had been as unhappy as she was in love with Killian.
Every moment loving him had been both blissful and agonizing.
And now she was about to repeat it all over again?
That path had already ended in death.
If she reached that end once more, would the gods even grant her another chance?
If she were the god herself, she’d surely turn away in disgust at such foolishness.
“I need to find a way.”
Escaping through death had failed.
Though it had granted her a new opportunity, merely recalling the searing agony of her insides burning away made attempting it again seem idiotic.
Therefore, she had to find another way.
“Think, Alicia. You must think.”
She didn’t desire a happy life.
The sins she’d committed were far too grave for such a wish.
All Alicia now desperately wanted was not to become unhappy.
No—even if she did become unhappy, she would be content as long as she didn’t get dragged back into that hell.
Her reflection in the window showed a face now even more hideous from tear-streaked smudges.
Perhaps this mess suited her better anyway?
Wiping away trails left by ceaseless tears with her palms, Alicia forced an awkward smile by tugging at the corners of her mouth.
[This is the timeline separator]It was quite some time later before Alicia, who had wept alone for so long, finally unlocked and opened her door.
True to her word, Mina was crouched right outside the door, dozing off—and gasped at the sight of Alicia’s disheveled face.
Surprisingly, Amy remained perfectly composed.
As if she already knew exactly what Alicia had been doing behind the locked door, Amy asked nothing and simply began wiping Alicia’s messy face while running a bath.
“Mina, if you’re not going to help, go prepare fresh clothes for Her Highness.”
“Ah, no! Attending to the bath is my duty!”
“For now, I’ll handle it. Go and get the clothes ready.”
“…Understood.”
After gently ushering the flustered Mina out of the bathroom, Amy personally attended to Alicia’s bath for the first time in a long while.
Neither Alicia nor Amy spoke a word, but perhaps precisely because of Amy’s calm, ordinary manner, Alicia gradually began to feel more at ease.
“Amy, thank you.”
“I’m merely doing what I must.”
“Yeah… I know.”
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“Yeah.”
“Your voice sounds quite hoarse. I’ll prepare something soft for dinner.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“For today only, I’ll make an exception and bring your meal to the bed.”
Amy, who was usually strict about etiquette, never allowed Alicia to eat in bed.
Thanks to this habit instilled since childhood, being permitted to eat lying in bed—even as an adult—still felt like a special privilege, reserved only for times of illness.
“…But I’m not even sick.”
“You came here to recover from illness, Your Highness. It’s fine.”
Understanding that Amy was humorously granting her this one indulgence for playing sick, Alicia let out an involuntary chuckle and drew her knees to her chest inside the tub.
“Amy.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“What should I do when I can’t find the answer to a problem?”
“If you keep thinking about it patiently over time, you’ll surely find the answer someday.”
“Even if I’m stupid?”
“Our Highness is intelligent—there’s no problem you can’t solve.”
Listening to Amy’s voice, which accepted even her childish whining as if it were nothing, Alicia smiled warmly and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against her drawn-up knees.
The warm bathwater and Amy’s gentle hands softly soothed her heart, which had been trembling uncontrollably with dread.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
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Could Killian have gone back in time???? That’s really strange
She loves this man? In every single flashback he has been an unfeeling D-bag towards her. What about him could she possibly love? Please move on.