Episode 15
When the saint quietly opened the door and peeked in, her appearance was a complete mess.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her nose and lips puffy—truly pitiful.
Alesto didn’t think she had cried merely because she’d been locked up.
She had already asked to be confined when they first met, and even before he locked her up, she had confirmed she was fine with it.
Then why had she cried?
Was it because she couldn’t follow Cedric even when he was right before her eyes?
Was it regret?
Or injustice?
As Alesto looked down at the saint for a long while, he finally spoke slowly.
“You haven’t eaten anything…”
“I’m sorry.”
That was when Alesto felt something strange.
Why did it feel like his heart had just dropped down into his stomach?
He felt an odd impulse to reach out and stroke the saint’s cheek—but stopped halfway.
He suddenly wondered whether that would be appropriate.
In the end, he withdrew his hand without even once touching her.
‘Come to think of it, she still hasn’t turned back time to escape.’
Why?
If being here makes her cry so miserably, why hasn’t she used her power?
He mulled over the question and came up with a few possibilities.
Maybe she didn’t realize what kind of power she had,
or didn’t know how to use her time-reversal ability.
Or perhaps she lacked the means to activate it right now.
It was worth testing her a little.
“Even if you apologize, that won’t cancel the confinement.”
At that, the red, rabbit-like eyes that had been looking up at him grew even gloomier.
They had already looked sorrowful before, but now they drooped even more.
“…Yes.”
Even with that dejected expression, the saint answered obediently.
Ironically, seeing her like that made Alesto’s heart ease a little.
No, maybe it was that he couldn’t bear to watch her looking so pitiful.
Or perhaps he simply wanted to be kind to her out of pity.
‘Indeed…’
Aside from her pretty face, the saint had a strange kind of charm.
Any man without a fixed ideal type would surely fall for her instantly and rush to do anything she asked.
At any rate, it looked like she wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.
Whether she had no intention or no means to run away, his mind was at ease for the moment.
Now that he was calmer, he finally noticed her bedroom.
‘Small.’
The palace chamber wasn’t cramped per se, but being confined there for days on end was bound to feel stifling.
Looking into those droopy rabbit eyes, Alesto decided to be generous.
“…Instead, I’ll expand your range of activity to the entire imperial palace. When you leave the Blossom Palace, just state your destination clearly.”
Asha’s eyes widened.
‘The entire palace?’
The imperial palace included several palaces, gardens, a lake, fountains, and forests.
In other words, it was full of places perfect for little picnics.
It was exactly the kind of cozy confinement she had been hoping for.
Before Alesto could change his mind, she quickly replied,
“Alright!”
Then, curiously, she added,
“But why are you suddenly being so generous?”
He gave a faint smile, as if it were only natural.
“I said I would confine you, Miss Asha, but I haven’t stationed any guards. And yet you never once left the Almond Chamber. That gave me a bit of trust in you. It must’ve been frustrating. You’ve done well.”
Did that mean that if she continued to earn his trust, he might even allow her to leave the palace someday?
Not that she particularly wanted to go out.
Being confined to the palace was already an ideal way to spend the rest of her life.
‘Now this is what I call perfect imperial confinement!’
Meanwhile, Alesto felt a strange emotion stir as he watched the saint—her cheeks still red and swollen, yet accepting everything so easily.
After all, this was the same woman who had once begged him to confine her, only to attempt an escape soon after, disguised as a maid.
‘I’ll loosen the leash just enough… and increase surveillance.’
He’d have to keep an eye on her—
to see whether she truly had no intention of escaping,
or whether she was planning to stab him in the back again.
He imagined her betraying him and running off.
Even picturing it for a moment left a bad taste in his mouth.
Maybe that’s why, without thinking, he asked,
“But if you were to leave the palace without permission… what do you think I should do then?”
The saint’s escape, in truth, wasn’t much of a problem for Alesto.
He could guarantee he’d retrieve her.
Even if she turned back time by ten years and hid in some faraway place,
he could bring her back the moment he confirmed through the oracle that she’d used her power.
However, the more she used time reversal to flee, the warier she would become of him.
And that would make it increasingly difficult to make her his.
So, though the question had come out on impulse, it was necessary—for avoiding future conflict.
But to his mild surprise, she replied confidently,
“Leave the palace without permission? I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”
“…”
She looked utterly thoughtless to him, but in truth, Asha had considered it for a moment.
‘Would there ever come a day when I’d give up my cozy imperial confinement and run away on my own?’
She simply didn’t think too hard about it before answering.
And so, Alesto decided to formalize their talk into a written contract.
It seemed advantageous to keep a symbolic shackle on her ankle.
“Well, I suppose that’s good news, but we can’t predict everything. I’ll add a clause for violations.”
As he wrote, he confirmed aloud,
“If you leave the palace without permission, your range of activity will be reduced. First, back to the Blossom Palace. The second time, back to this very Almond Chamber. Agreed?”
The saint nodded brightly, unconcerned as ever.
“Yes, that’s fine!”
But she added one condition of her own.
“Oh, but if there’s a punishment, shouldn’t there also be a reward? If I follow the confinement rules properly, please grant me one wish each month.”
Alesto smiled softly.
“As long as you don’t ask for your freedom, I’ll grant anything.”
Thus, the two of them completed their contract—
one that detailed the rules of confinement and the penalties for breaking them.
After Alesto left, Ruby became even more persistent about persuading Asha to attend the upcoming ball.
To be honest, Asha didn’t really want to go.
A ball?
The very word sounded sparkly and exhausting.
Still, she couldn’t deny her curiosity.
After all, in any romance fantasy world, there had to be a ball scene.
She was a little curious to see one in person.
‘…But it does sound tiring.’
After much hesitation, she made up her mind.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
“Truly, my lady?!”
Since the ball was being held within the imperial palace, it was still within her permitted range.
And with Ruby watching her so eagerly, she couldn’t really refuse any longer.
Besides, Ruby had been the reason she could live comfortably so far—and had helped widen her confinement boundaries.
It was only fair to return the favor somehow.
“But to attend a ball… don’t we need an invitation?”
Surely it wasn’t the kind of place you could enter just by wearing a nice dress.
Ruby jumped up, as if waiting for that very question.
“Don’t you worry! I’ll go and fetch one right away!”
A short while later, Ruby returned—with Jerold Burns at her side.
‘Huh? Him?’
Surprised by the unexpected visitor, Asha quickly straightened up from her lazy sprawl on the sofa.
“Ahem, what brings such a distinguished guest here, Your Highness?”
Jerold explained the situation calmly.
“I heard you plan to attend the ball. My brother won’t be able to make time today, so if you don’t mind, I’ll be your escort.”
Then he turned to Ruby.
“Can you have her ready in two hours?”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled as she bowed deeply.
“If you’ll assign five maids to assist, I’ll make it happen.”
A precise, professional answer.
Jerold nodded, then told Asha he would return in two hours.
As he left the Almond Chamber, he instructed the attendant Rapo to assign five maids to Ruby for the preparations.
