As Atha climbed into the carriage like a mouse before a cat, Cedric could not take his eyes off the carriage, which was moving away until it became a tiny dot.
He had arrived earlier than scheduled, and was strolling through the lavender garden slowly.
While he was quietly spending time, he looked at the entrance of the garden and saw a couple talking intimately.
He only saw the woman's back, but she was small and thin.
She matched the stereotype he imagined of women in the capital, and the man was a familiar face to Cedric.
'His Imperial Highness Alisto?
What a coincidence
It was Alisto who provided significant financial and military support when Cedric was eliminating pirates in D'Albert's territory.
He had never met him in person, only seen his features in paintings.
The support was arriving in the name of the Crown Prince only, and he was not the one who attended in person.
However, he was charitable and a pleasant person to meet.
‘I would like to go and greet him, but will I be a bother?
'This is puzzling'
As he hesitated, he saw the white woman's face as she turned slightly.
When their eyes met, he stopped in his tracks.
It was as if time had stopped with him.
'Beautiful…'
And it was sacred at the same time.
Her flowing hair was like the soft feathers of a bird, and her movements were like that of a fairy.
Even the hem of her dress that disappeared into the carriage was charming.
Time began to move again for Cedric after the carriage left for good.
Had he stopped breathing without realizing it?
He sighed deeply as he looked at the gradually smaller cart.
Are all the women of the capital this beautiful?
With new expectations, he waited for Miss Atha of the Hermann family, but even after sunset, she did not appear.
***
Atha thought seriously with her little mind.
How could she get off this wagon?
If she reached the Imperial Palace, she might never have a chance to escape.
Then a smart idea suddenly occurred to her.
She opened her mouth cautiously: “Um, I just remembered, I think my family will worry if I go like this.”
Of course, her anxiety wasn't a problem for Alisto.
“I will make sure you don't have to worry.”
Atha gasped softly.
Does “I will make sure” mean he will destroy her family?
It's not her real family, but it's her first family anyway!
She didn't dare to ask directly, so she tried to find another way out: “I have important things at home.”
“I will bring it tomorrow”
“It's well hidden in my room.”
“I won’t leave a single piece of paper in your room, so don’t worry.”
“You are so… reliable.”
After only two attempts, she ran out of words.
She was never good at talking or acting smart.
Meanwhile, Alisto, the Crown Prince who had almost grown up among the snakes in the Imperial Palace, was finding Saint interesting.
How could her intentions be so transparent?
'It looks like she wants to escape'
He had no intention of leaving her, but he couldn't let her tremble like a trapped rat.
He noticed that she was worried about her family, so would he use her family?
He shook his head internally.
Scaring her and threatening her is not a good way.
Since she can rewind time, she may flee to a completely remote location if she feels threatened.
Now, it was better to make Saint give up her desire to escape voluntarily.
And if possible, make her want to stay by his side.
'Ah, so...'
Gurgling—
He followed the source of the sound, and found the saint with her face red and pretending to be coughing.
“Cough!
Hmm...”
It seemed that she wanted to hide the sound of her stomach, but the gurgling did not stop.
“I’m hungry…”
She smiled shyly, and her face was now bursting red.
Alisto immediately stopped the cart.
There was still more than half an hour to reach the palace, so it was better to buy something to eat here.
The carriage stopped at the edge of the shopping district, and he led it to a restaurant he sometimes visited called “The Lion’s Table.”
The corner of his mouth was strangely raised.
Atha pretended not to notice.
It's a shame she didn't eat much today.
She was used to hunger.
In Korea, like Atha, she was not in an environment that allowed her to eat as soon as she felt hungry.
‘In the orphanage and in the factory, the time was strictly set, and if the quantity was not enough, there was no snack in the middle.
The Count's family was particularly strict in their diet.
In other words, she had no time, no money, no rest, nothing.
'Were the few biscuits I ate this morning all that?'
It was well past lunch and approaching dinner.
The fragrant smell of bread and milk from the charity event was swirling in her head.
Even though she said she was hungry due to her roaring stomach, she was not expecting an instant meal.
All she wanted was some bread and milk to calm her hunger before bed.
But…
Alisto immediately stopped the car and took her to an elegant restaurant?
He opened the menu and placed it in front of her at a comfortable angle and asked: “What would you like?”
Humans are cunning creatures, and Atha was a particularly simple type.
The bread and milk quickly disappeared from her head.
“meat”
***
While waiting for the food, wine was served.
Atha grabbed the cup by the thin side, imitated Alisto, and turned it around awkwardly before speaking: “I have a question.”
“What is it?”
She adjusted her voice and asked: “Why do you keep using respectful language with me?...”
This was a class society, where the highest and lowest were determined based on status, regardless of age.
He was the Crown Prince, surpassed only by the Emperor and Empress.
So why would he use respectful language with her, when she was just the daughter of a humble count?
The answer came immediately: “Because I see in you a potential partner for a romantic relationship.”
Cough—!
Atha coughed as she drank her wine at the impressively direct answer.
She quickly looked for water and drank it, while Alisto took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.
“Didn’t you say that your dream is for a handsome man to take you and love you?
I like you too.
If our relationship deepens, you will be the great person for me, so I can only speak with respect.”
His answer was flawlessly perfect.
Sweet words from a noble and polite man.
But why did she feel a shiver down her back?
Is it because of the cold air?
Or because of the coldness of his voice?
no.
The answer was clear.
Because the person who said those sweet words is a potential tyrant.
It is clear that in the novel “The Life of a Saint in Captivity,” there were not many sane characters.
The Crown Prince was one of them.
We must not forget that captivity was the default situation in this novel.
'No, wait a minute'
When I realized again that this world was not real, but a fictional world, I felt a sense of crisis.
Is this possible?
All she wanted was a comfortable life, but will she now become the object of a villain's obsession, a tyrant's obsession without doing anything?
'No, impossible...'
While Atha was worrying and eating quietly, Alisto was watching her ever-changing expressions.
Saying he saw her as a potential romantic partner was part of his plan to keep Saint by his side.
He wasn't sure if he would really love her, but that wasn't the point.
The important thing is to make the saint’s heart move.
He was ready for a real relationship, or even marriage if necessary.
Because the ability to turn back time is worth it.