129. Escape (1)
129. Escape (1)
[Episode 129] - Escape (1)
Two days had already passed since my reunion with Titania. In other words, it meant it had been two days since Titania became Queen, and two days since I started living here.
Or to be precise, since I was imprisoned.
Actually, I'm not even sure if this really counts as imprisonment.
Titania just told me not to leave her side; after the coronation ceremony, she didn't tie me up and even let me take walks whenever possible. The door wasn't locked, and I could meet the maids.
Besides, it was too cozy a room to call it imprisonment. Unlike the narrow bed I used in the countryside, a wide bed, a pretty table, and even the dresses I used to wear back in the day were all here.
Plus, there were novels that Titania brought me from time to time, and things to play with when I was alone, scattered all over the place. I didn't think I'd felt bored for the past two days.
However, they say humans are animals of adaptation, right? I had finally adapted to the countryside after two years, but being dragged back to the royal castle and living this luxuriously made me feel like I had thorns in my back.
Anyway, I worried a lot after coming here, but nothing special happened. No, to be precise, absolutely nothing happened. Titania just visited occasionally, and other than that, I spent time alone.
Neither Veronica nor Ainsel, nor even Katarina, who was supposed to protect me, came to visit. Perhaps they couldn't come? Especially since there was no 'mirror' in this room, it was clear Ainsel couldn't come.
'...What should I do now?'
I sat on the bed, let out a small sigh, turned my head, and looked out the window. Is staying here the right answer? No, that couldn't be it. No matter how much I thought about it, Titania's actions had crossed the line.
Even if she wanted to see me, drugging me to bring me here really couldn't be explained as anything other than crossing the line. As expected of 'Snow White', I never thought she'd prepare a Poison Apple...
'In the fairy tale, the witch fed the Poison Apple to Snow White, but here, Snow White is feeding the Poison Apple to the witch...'
Resting my chin in my hand and making a kkeung sound, I lay on the bed for a moment and sighed. It wasn't that I didn't want to see Titania either. On the contrary, I missed her just as much as she missed me.
However, I shouldn't have met Titania just out of my own greed. Because I thought that if I kept staying by Titania's side, I would end up indulging her every whim. Because I love that child.
Besides, Titania relies on me too much, even though I'm not her biological mother. She loves me, her adoptive mother, too much. Even after becoming the queen of a country, there's no sign of that behavior changing.
That's why I shouldn't have met Titania. For Titania to leave me, become independent, and grow into an adult, my existence shouldn't be by her side anymore.
'But, even if I talk to her now, she doesn't listen at all...'
Actually, every time we met, I told Titania this story several times. That I shouldn't be by your side. That you rely on me too much. That I have to leave your side for your own sake.
However, Titania wouldn't listen to me. That it's absolutely not true. That she needs me instead. That I must always be by her side. That if I run away one more time, she will never forgive me.
'Did she become this obsessed because I left without a word...? But even if I had told her back then, Titania would never have listened. Besides...'
If I had told her directly, Titania would definitely have held onto me. She would have definitely cried and clung to me, begging me not to leave. Even so, I would have shaken off such a Titania and left the royal castle.
Because if that happened, I would truly be abandoning Titania. I was afraid of that, so I couldn't say anything to Titania. I just wanted to ease my guilt with a single letter.
I thought Titania would understand me like this someday. Because she's my daughter, because she's a child who will soon be queen, because she's smarter than me, I thought Titania would surely understand why I left.
However, the answer that returned was this situation where she drugged me and kidnapped me. She threatened that if I ran away from her side again, she wouldn't forgive me. That she might forgive me twice, but there won't be a third time.
I know too. That I'm selfish. That I'm a selfish and bad person for running away after leaving only a single letter to Titania because I couldn't overcome my guilt. But this, this isn't right.
"Even so, kidnapping is going too far..."
I let out a sigh of frustration and wiped my face. Then suddenly, a really scary thought occurred to me. By any chance, will I live here like this for the rest of my life? Imprisoned here forever?
I tried to laugh it off, thinking that such a kind Titania wouldn't do that, but I thought, wouldn't it be possible for the current Titania? Because she's a child who drugged me and even kidnapped me. So...
'F-first, let's go outside and meet someone else.'
I had to let them know I was here somehow. The best way that came to mind right now was to meet the other ministers. I had to let them know that I was in the royal castle, breaking the promise I made with the ministers.
'Th-then, they'll surely try to kick me out, right? Even if it's Titania, she won't be able to immediately ignore the ministers' opposition. So...'
First, I thought I needed to keep some distance from Titania. No matter what, I couldn't stay under Titania, who was trying to keep me like a pet for the rest of my life. I needed to leave this place and have time to think for both of us.
'Titania is too excited right now. If I talk to her after she cools down a bit, won't she surely understand me? She definitely will. I'll promise not to run away from the capital, and let's just stay apart for a while.'
When I thought about who could help me, the only person who came to mind was, indeed, just one person. Because this is the only person I can trust the most in the royal castle right now.
"Vin Chaud... help me...!"
*
As I tried to go out of the castle to meet Vin Chaud, a maid managing this place blocked me. I pleaded that I wanted to go for a walk, but the maid looked at me coldly and continued in a blunt tone.
"I'm sorry, but Your Majesty the Queen cannot go outside this castle."
"W-why? I'm just going for a walk, you know? Yesterday, you clearly..."
"Yesterday, you were with Her Majesty. It is Her Majesty's order not to let the Queen go outside the castle alone. Please, return to your room."
At the maid's firm tone, I had no choice but to return to my room. The place I was staying wasn't the 'Main Castle' I usually lived in. Should I call it an annex? It was a bit far from the main castle.
Therefore, to head to the main castle where Vin Chaud was, I had to get out of here somehow. But how? Because the maid was blocking me, I couldn't go out of the castle, and I couldn't even go to the garden right in front.
"It's not like I'm Rapunzel or something......"
In a situation where I couldn't take a single step outside the castle without Titania, I looked out the window and let out a deep sigh. Wait a minute, Rapunzel? Come to think of it, if it's Rapunzel, surely...
I snapped my head around and looked at the large bedspread lying on my bed. The room I was in was on the 3rd floor. It was a height where I would break my legs if I just fell, but it was a height I could descend if I tied the bedspreads together and lowered them.
I swallowed dryly and braced myself. Even if I couldn't meet Vin Chaud in person, if I could just get out of the castle and cause a scene, it would be my victory. Because my goal was to let them know I was here.
When I lifted my head and looked at the sky, fortunately, it was the time when the sun was slowly starting to set. Thinking it was the perfect time to hide in the darkness, I quickly tied the ends of the bedspreads tightly and connected them into a long line.
Like that, waiting for it to get dark outside-
"Titania, I'm really sorry, but..."
After tying five bedspreads together into a long line, I ran to the terrace and tied it to the railing to secure it. After confirming it was tied securely, I lowered the long-connected bedspreads below the terrace.
"No matter how much I think about it, I don't think this is right..."
I lowered my head and checked the height again. Perhaps because it got dark, I couldn't see the ground well, and for some reason, it looked higher than before. I wondered if I would die if I fell, but...
"So, let's just have a little time to think."
I gritted my teeth, braced myself, and started hanging onto the bedspreads. The moment I was about to descend slowly, I heard the sound of Titania arriving here from outside the castle in the distance.
Realizing I had no time, I slid down the rope just like that. I'm sorry to run away again, but if I don't do at least this, Titania won't listen to me.
Jureureuk-
Having descended to the first floor on the bedspreads, I started running the moment my feet touched the ground. Is this how the escapees in movies feel? Even though my heart was trembling, for some reason, I started laughing.
*
"Mother?"
Titania, who entered Vivian's room naturally, couldn't say anything after seeing the state of the room. Her mother, who should have been in the room, had disappeared without a trace, and the bedspreads were connected in a long line below the railing outside the terrace. It seemed she had escaped from here by riding that.
"Ha."
Should I have really tied her up? Looking at the bedspread fluttering on the railing, Titania just let out a hollow laugh. The reason Titania hadn't tied Vivian up until now was out of consideration for her mother.
Her own consideration of letting her move freely within the castle, at least. However, her mother had kicked that consideration away herself. At this point, she wondered if she was determined to provoke her.
"...Right, so you're going to act like this until the end, huh?"
Titania turned her head and looked at the maid waiting behind her. The maid, terrified by this situation, started trembling like an aspen tree. Titania, who didn't really intend to blame the maid, sighed and ordered the maid.
"Bring 'that' I ordered last time."
"Y-yes...!"
As soon as the maid received the order, she ran out in an instant.
Watching that, Titania approached the terrace where the bedspreads were connected in a long line. Looking down below the terrace, it was so dark that she couldn't see the ground well, which was enough to make her slightly scared.
"If she had made a mistake, she could have really died..."
Does this mean she hates being trapped here more than dying? Does it mean she'd rather die than be by my side?
'...First, when she returns, I'll have to punish her for running away on her own.'
A punishment enough that she won't even think of running away for a while. A punishment enough that she won't even think of pulling such a crazy stunt in the future. Only then did it feel like this dissatisfaction would be resolved.
Titania let out a small sigh and turned her back on the terrace. Honestly, it didn't matter if her mother ran away. Anyway, even if her mother ran away from here, she was in the palm of her hand. Rather, she was even looking forward to seeing how far she could run.
"...Well, go ahead and run if you want to run. If you want to avoid me, try avoiding me until the end."
Titania smirked, raising the corners of her mouth. She couldn't understand at all why her mother was trying to make her into such a bad daughter. Is it that hard to just stay by my side quietly?
"Because I'll find you and bring you back no matter what."