~Chapter 52~
“Huh?”
What Aisha picked up was the coat that had been covering her while she slept.
Killian’s coat.
‘What kind of kindness is this…’
To be honest, she was a little surprised.
She wouldn’t have been shocked if Killian had mocked her—saying she could sleep so soundly in a time like this, calling her shameless. After all, she had slept so long even she felt guilty about it when she woke.
But instead, he had covered her with his coat.
‘No wonder I wasn’t cold at all.’
Aisha fiddled with the fabric and gave a small laugh.
‘Well, this isn’t bad. It’s definitely better than hearing sharp words straight to my face.’
She rose, carefully draped the coat over a chair, then looked around. Killian was nowhere to be seen—not even his shadow.
‘If he had time to cover me with his coat, then he wasn’t captured…’
After a moment’s hesitation, she opened the cabin door and stepped outside.
This time she noticed what she had missed before. Spring was in full bloom in the forest.
Everywhere, flowers blossomed in colors she didn’t know the names of. Trees stretched their graceful branches. Butterflies and bees danced in the sunlight.
It was beautiful—so much that she forgot her current situation for a moment and simply felt at ease.
After wandering for some time, she heard splashing water.
‘Water?’
Narrowing her eyes, she followed the sound. Soon, she found herself standing before a small lake.
“Wow…”
She couldn’t help letting out a sigh of admiration.
The lake glittered like a jewel under the sun, like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
And then—Killian emerged from the water.
He wore only pants, his hair wet and dripping.
“Eek!”
He spotted her and casually shook the water from his hair with his hand, giving a short laugh.
“So it was you watching me.”
“I wasn’t watching. I just got here.”
“Really? Forgive me, but it’s hard to fully trust your words, Lady Aisha.”
Aisha frowned slightly at him—and to her own surprise, her cheeks flushed.
‘Honestly… I thought this before, but—’
Yes. It was time to admit it. Killian Winters was handsome. Very handsome. So much so that she could understand why so many noble ladies clung to him.
And his body? Forged in countless battles, his muscles were just right—not too much, not too little. Exactly the kind women liked. Even his abs looked… perfect.
On top of that, he was tall. At least 185 centimeters, maybe more. Even Aisha, who was tall for a woman, had to crane her neck to look up at him.
“You must have been very tired,” Killian said.
“Huh?”
“You only woke up when evening was near.”
She glanced at the sky. Red sunset painted the horizon. She had indeed slept too long. She braced for criticism, but Killian went on calmly.
“I can’t stand filth.”
That’s rich—coming from the man who brought her to a shabby cabin.
…Though she was the one who had slept comfortably in it.
“If you want to wash, do it now,” he added.
“We’re fugitives, and you want me to bathe? Someone will think we’re on holiday.”
“With other people, maybe. But not with the Winters family.”
“….”
“No matter the situation, we keep our dignity and elegance. You know this already—it’s one of our family’s rules.”
That damn rule again!
Aisha’s face twisted with annoyance.
“Didn’t you see? Sien even packed a few dresses for you to change into.”
Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.
Still, after seeing Killian fresh from the water, Aisha suddenly wanted to wash up too. If the water wasn’t too cold, she might even go in.
“Here. A towel.”
Killian tossed it lightly onto her shoulder.
“No one comes here. Don’t worry—bathe if you want.”
“…And what if you peek at me?”
“That’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard in my life, Aisha Ashton.”
With that, he turned and strode back toward the cabin, proving he had no such intention.
Aisha watched until he disappeared completely. Then she carefully removed her dress, dipped her feet into the water—
‘Refreshing! I’ll just wash properly!’
—and slipped off the rest.
If Sien had seen her, she would have scolded her for an hour straight.
By the time Aisha returned to the cabin, night had fallen.
Inside Killian’s luggage were indeed several dresses—and even matching jewelry. Truly obsessive.
She chose the most comfortable-looking dress, changed, and joined Killian for dinner. Dinner was nothing more than leftover sandwiches, but it wasn’t bad.
Night deepened.
“….”
“….”
Silence filled the cabin, broken only by crickets outside.
Aisha lay a little distance from Killian, staring blankly at the faint night sky through the roof.
‘If I’d known, I should’ve stayed awake earlier…’
She couldn’t sleep at all after her long nap. The more time passed, the clearer her mind became.
She turned her head. Killian lay in his shirt, his coat still with her.
After some hesitation, she whispered:
“Hey, are you asleep?”
“….”
“Really?”
“….”
“You don’t need to give me this coat, you know. You’ll be cold.”
“Keep it. You need it more.”
So he wasn’t asleep. Aisha flinched slightly.
After that short reply, Killian said no more. Aisha looked back up at the roof.
She tried to sleep, but failed completely.
‘Hmm…’
Her eyes rolled as she thought hard about something. Then she glanced at Killian again. But his hand covered his forehead, so she couldn’t tell if he was awake.
At last, she gave in.
“Duke.”
Aisha hesitated for a long time, then finally spoke again.
