There was not a single word that was on her mind that she could utter, and at the same time she could not quickly find a convincing reason.
In the end, her answer was very simple: "Just like that.
I felt that even if I ran away, I would be caught anyway."
“……”
This time too, there was no immediate reaction from him.
When the silence prolonged, Atha moved her eyes stealthily to watch Alisto's features cautiously.
Soon their eyes met completely.
Then, he said in a warm voice, not unlike his usual one: “I see.
Well, it doesn’t seem like a bad choice for you.
You would certainly have been arrested.”
However, his eyes were not smiling at all, which suddenly made goosebumps run down her arms.
His gaze was cold and piercing, shining with a yellow flash, while his voice was extremely sweet, creating a terrifying, awe-inducing contrast.
Black night.
Would this be the same feeling if one encountered a strange, faceless monster in the middle of a dense forest?
In other words, the governor's prediction was correct that he was waiting for my escape to lock me up, right?
Atha secretly agreed with the words of Isis that she had just heard: ‘Excuse me, ruler?
I think this guy is really crazy'
These were definitely not the looks of a normal person.
‘……?’
No, wait a minute.
Maybe because Alisto's aura seemed so ominous at that moment—
A terrifying thought suddenly occurred to Atha.
Whatever this place is inside a book.
Or even inside a dream.
Can't I... die?
'If I die, time will return immediately, and you will come back to life.'
Through her conversation with the ruler, she realized that she had already died several times in this world, and that time goes back once she dies.
But why didn't the idea occur to her that she might die this time too?
'I didn't realize this until now...
Atha.
No matter how naive your mind is, isn't it too much?'
While she blamed her intelligence and spoke about herself in the third person.
The man’s lonely voice pierced her ears: “So—what was the reason that made you run away?”
wow.
Just when she thought that she might die, Alisto suddenly became very scary.
Am I still 'his woman' for him?
Atha swallowed hard, then began listing the excuse she had carefully thought of.
truly.
She chose every word with perfect precision.
“Because...
I suddenly felt afraid.”
However, due to her extra caution, she was unable to speak at length.
He said in a low and calm tone, while his eyes were still shining: “From what exactly?”
“From the fact that I might become an empress… I suddenly wondered if it was really possible.
I had no confidence, and I felt afraid, so I tried to run away.”
Alisto waited a little after she finished to see if she had anything to add, but no words followed.
Think for a moment—
'Her attempt to escape is dissatisfied, but it's because she feels afraid of the position of Empress?'
This means that the saint is seriously thinking about the issue of their marriage.
If this is the reason, it is not difficult to understand her behavior.
He had entered the palace at an early age and had become accustomed to this life, but things were different for the saint.
For a miss born into a humble count family and raised in a rural fiefdom, the position of Empress could be a heavy burden.
Moreover, the marriage proposal process was also surprising.
And most importantly, the fact that Atha stopped running away and came back herself, and came directly to him without delay to reveal the truth...
He felt it was pretty good.
When he calmed down, his gaze turned soft.
He took a sip of tea with slow, perfect movements, then put the cup down with a gentle smile.
This was to try to reassure the saint in his own way.
“I understand.
After hearing this, I realize that you might have suddenly become frightened.
I will look for a way to help Miss Atha relieve her anxiety.”
Of course, his voice was as warm as usual.
When she felt that the atmosphere had completely calmed down, Atha swallowed a sigh of relief.
Once her mind was at ease, she noticed the flower petal tea that Alisto had prepared.
She carefully grabbed the cup and started sipping it slowly, enjoying its scent.
“Do you have any other fears or concerns?”
When asked, what came to Atha's mind was the horror of death.
If she dies—
She will wake up again without even realizing when she died.
Just as she felt when she fell asleep in the factory residence and woke up in Count Hermann's family bedroom.
'Although I don't remember death, which has happened several times already, death is still scary.'
Her remaining anxiety became that moment when she would one day die.
How painful would it be?
Surely it would be painful, wouldn't it?
How long does it usually take to die...
Compared to death, the happiness of imperial confinement or the burden of the position of empress seemed very trivial matters.
She shook her head in a tone that seemed a little condescending to the world: “No, there is nothing else.”
“If later you feel afraid again and want to escape, come to me.”
Atha's eyes widened, as she was sitting slightly depressed and drinking warm tea.
It was completely unexpected.
She thought that if she said there were no other concerns...
He would simply accept it and move on, but she did not expect such words to come out of his mouth.
Perhaps her thoughts showed clearly on her face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, no.
Just because it's unexpected.”
When she turned away from feeling embarrassed for no reason, the man added: “Unexpected?
This makes me feel a little sad.
If you need a refuge, then naturally I will be that refuge.
I will soon become your husband.”
Was he just feeling that his words sounded too romantic?
Or was it because of that handsome face?
She stealthily moved her eyes to look at him, and her gaze met the man who had been watching her the whole time.
The timing was amazing.
The moonlight filtering through the window was highlighting the man's face very beautifully.
She could not take her gaze away from his eyes, which were shining mysteriously as if she was trapping the light inside them.
What about the two moles under his eyes?
Why does he look so weirdly sexy today?
Is it because of the night?
As soon as her heart started beating for no reason, Atha put down the cup of tea she was holding.
“It's time to go back...”
“Anyway, don't worry.
I will hide and protect you well.”
“…I think so.”
Thump—
Her heart betrayed her this time as well and continued to beat strongly, against her will.
Perhaps because she heard successive sweet words without preparation, a hope with unknown meaning emerged within her.
Under the shadow of that powerful ruler who is a “promising tyrant” and a madman, wouldn’t I be protected?
Can't he protect me?
Wouldn't I be able to surpass the average lifespan mentioned by the Governor, twenty-one years, and live to a ripe old age?
'I'll give you good news too.
So far, Alisto has never approached you or brought you to Blossom.
This is a very big change, and it is worth trying.'
Yes.
Let's try to trust him for once.
A person dies once, not again...
Ah.
It's been said that I'm dead several times already, right?
anyway.
Let's try to survive this time by using this guy as a shield!
***
Until the saint finished drinking her tea and got up, Alisto did not say a word about reducing her scope of living.
That was normal.
Even though she tried to escape in her maid's clothes, she did not leave the imperial palace in the end.
Moreover, he was convinced of the reason that prompted her to try to escape.
However, there was something he still needed to make sure of.
He followed the saint who was intending to return to the Almond Pavilion.
“I will accompany you”
She laughed weakly as if she heard something funny: “But it’s the right next room?”
Alisto shrugged as if it didn't matter to him: “Even if it's not the next room but just one step forward, I have to accompany you.”
He moved forward to open the door himself.
Whether it is the Akalia Pavilion door, or the Almond Pavilion door.
Atha felt like she was being treated like a princess.
Isn't there a common saying?
That men can't stand to see the woman they love make an effort.
They carry even the lightest luggage for her, open doors for her, cut food for her, in short, they want to do everything for her.
When she felt like she was living a true love story, her heart beat again.
As she passed through the door that Alisto opened to enter Almond's suite.
He called her as if he suddenly remembered something.
“Ah, come to think of it, Miss Atha.
I have a question to ask.”
She turned to him after entering the ward: “Yes.
Ask what you want.”
The corners of Atha's mouth as she looked at Alisto raised happily.
The atmosphere was romantic, and she thought the question would be sweet and special.
But—
“Do you know, Miss Atha, what saintly ability you possess?”
Of course she knew.
The ability to turn back time through death.
What would happen if she was found out?
'What will happen, I will be in real trouble'