~Chapter 84~
In the end, Aisha was dragged out to the street.
“See? It’s already packed. If we came a little later, we wouldn’t even see anything, just the backs of people’s heads.”
Til, who had secured a front spot, muttered proudly, but Aisha still felt like she just wanted to run away.
‘What am I supposed to do after seeing Hilda Everett…?’
What meaning did this have that she had to suffer through such trouble?
She had no thoughts of killing Hilda out of jealousy like in the original story, nor did she want to make any connection with her at all.
No, to be more honest…
She was afraid of herself — afraid that she might fall into jealousy after seeing Hilda. She hated that thought.
She wanted to avoid everything about this situation. That was the truth.
Of course, whether Aisha wanted that or not, the crowd around them had grown much larger than before. Now it was impossible to escape alone.
‘At this rate, I’ll get crushed to death.’
Aisha groaned, frowning, when—
“Huh? Sister?”
She heard a familiar voice from the other side.
“Leoric?”
Lifting her head, she saw Leoric, who also seemed to have come to watch.
“Leoric?”
The one who reacted to that name was Til. Stretching his neck to check his face, Til grinned and stepped closer to Aisha’s side.
“W-what?”
Leoric, who saw Til for the first time, looked very confused, staring back and forth between him and his sister. Well, it made sense.
“Sis, who’s this weird guy?!”
“Weird guy? Not handsome guy?”
“Who are you! Why are you sticking next to my sister!”
“Wow, I haven’t heard that in a long time, Aisha. Usually people tell me I’m handsome first, you know? As you can see, my face is… well, you know? But such a reaction? Very shocking.”
Sure… whatever you say.
Aisha, too tired to even argue, glanced at Til with an awkward expression, then turned her eyes back to Leoric.
‘Right. I was supposed to explain things to Leoric, but I’ve been too distracted to think of it.’
Leoric probably still thought his sister was living at the Winters estate. Same with Count Ashton.
Of course, she wasn’t ready to tell Count Ashton everything yet. But Leoric was different. He needed to know, especially if she wanted to rely on him more.
“Leoric, just wait there for—”
“The Princess!”
What?
“The princess of Aldrosia is here!”
“Where? Where?”
“She’s coming in that carriage!”
The noisy crowd suddenly grew even louder, and everyone’s attention turned to one spot.
Up ahead.
A carriage slowly approached this way… and the person guarding it.
‘Kilian…!’
Aisha’s eyes shook like rough waves as she spotted Kilian. For a moment, she just stared blankly at him.
It had only been three days since they last saw each other, yet Kilian seemed to have changed.
A sharper jawline. Slightly hollow cheeks. Had he lost weight? She had told him many times that if he kept working without proper meals, he would collapse from exhaustion.
“Is he even sleeping properly? He looks so tired. With no one left to watch anymore, he could finally rest… but why does he look like that?”
Just then.
Kilian’s expressionless eyes, holding the reins, met Aisha’s gaze in midair.
“……”
“……”
In the middle of the crowd, the two of them stared at each other without saying a word. Their faces carried expressions impossible to describe.
“Look at that! Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Wow, her face is stunning. But so what? She’s still a prisoner.”
What?
“Why does she act so high and mighty then? Typical Aldrosia.”
Hearing people talk, Aisha naturally turned her eyes toward the carriage. Through the clear window, she saw the silhouette of a woman.
The carriage came closer, and Aisha couldn’t look away.
It was Hilda Everett.
Her long pink hair shone as it flowed down to her waist, like something out of a childhood fairy tale. So different from Aisha’s own messy blond hair that never stayed neat.
Her emerald eyes sparkled like jewels, filled with determination but also hiding sorrow.
Her skin was as pale and flawless as ivory. Her features were so delicate, as if sculpted by God without a single flaw. And the unique atmosphere around her…
Hilda Everett was truly beautiful.
Even in that brief moment, with just a glance, Aisha understood instantly why she was the female lead of the story.
Yes. That’s why even someone like Kilian, who never let anyone close, had no choice but to fall in love with her.
“If I were a man, I would have fallen for Hilda Everett too.”
It was laughable. She had promised herself she would never get involved, yet she felt so miserable. Her own childish feelings disgusted her.
Even as a prisoner in a foreign land, Hilda stood tall and never bent to men — Aisha had admired that about her when reading the original story. And now, she was jealous of her.
Ha.
Aisha let out a bitter laugh.
“……”
When she turned her head, Kilian was still staring at her. His face was expressionless, just like the first day they met.
It was as if all their days together meant nothing. As if he didn’t even know someone named Aisha Ashton.
Then, he turned his gaze forward again and began to move.
The carriage carrying Hilda also moved on.
“Well, that was less dramatic than I expected.”
Til shrugged his shoulders after the spectacle ended.
“I thought maybe, since Aldrosia was once the enemy, people might cause trouble out of anger.”
“……”
“But the Emperor must have known this. That’s why he put Kilian Winters in charge of the escort. No sane person would dare attack the Duke.”
“……”
“So, shall we head back? Oh right, there’s a new shop nearby. I hear their cakes are really— Aisha?”
Only then did Til realize Aisha hadn’t said a word. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at her.
And then—
“Hey! Who the hell are you to stick next to my sister?!”
Leoric suddenly rushed over and grabbed Til firmly by the collar.
“Oh, Leoric Ashton?”
“Yeah! I’m Leoric Ashton! Who are you to be with my sister like this?!”
“You’d better let go. Unless you want to regret it.”
“What? Who are you to tell me that?!”
While Til and Leoric started a pointless fight, Aisha simply stood there with a dazed face, staring at the path where Kilian had disappeared.
Her eyes were faintly sad.
