130. Escape (2)
130. Escape (2)
[Chapter 130] - Escape (2)
Rustle- rustle-
Slowly, carefully. I walked forward one step at a time, taking care not to make any sound stepping on the fallen leaves. I wanted to get to the Main Castle as quickly as possible, but being in the artificial forest barefoot was absolute torture.
Though hidden by the fallen leaves, every time I stepped on the gravel scattered across the ground, or acorns, or sharp twigs, my soles hurt so much that I really started to wonder if I'd made a mistake coming out at all.
I wanted to walk on the paved roads, but there were too many patrolling guards, so I had no choice but to move through this artificial forest, hidden by the trees. I couldn't afford to get caught before I even reached the Main Castle.
I hadn't walked very far, but my soles felt like they were swelling up. I regretted not at least bringing my shoes, but it was already too late. I endured the pain and pondered how to get out of the Annex.
Beyond the bushes, I could see the main gate of the Annex where I was being held. Two guards were stationed at the gate at all times, and the perimeter was blocked by a fence, so the structure was such that there was no way out unless I went through the main gate.
'Is there no dog hole or something?'
I examined the perimeter of the fence and started looking for any hole to escape through. If I tried hard enough, I might be able to climb over the fence, but it was too high, and the sharp spikes on top were terrifying.
I diligently pushed aside the fallen leaves scattered around the fence with my feet as I walked. Occasionally, I saw small burrows used by animals like squirrels or rabbits, but as expected, there was no hole big enough for a person to get through.
However, I had to keep looking for a dog hole without giving up. Surely, by now, it wouldn't be strange for Titania, having confirmed I wasn't in my room, to have unleashed the guards to find me.
'When I lived in the Main Castle, there was definitely a rumor that young maids used dog holes to sneak out and meet men living in other castles. If there's a dog hole in the Main Castle, there must be one in a place like this too.'
Snap! Snap!
As I roughly pushed aside the fallen leaves, I finally found a small dog hole just big enough for a person to squeeze through. As expected, I thought that such things existed in every castle, and I crouched down in front of the dog hole.
'I don't know who made this, but I'll put it to good use...!'
I quickly shoved my head into the dog hole and started crawling on my hands and knees. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone on the other side of the fence, so if I passed through quickly, I didn't think I'd be caught by anyone.
The moment I was passing through the dog hole, I felt something prick my back. Perhaps because I was crawling, I must have gotten scratched by the edge of the fence, and it started to sting as if I had been wounded.
Crawling through the dog hole on all fours like a dog, I finally succeeded in escaping the Annex. My face and pajamas were covered in mud from crawling through the dog hole, but I didn't care at all.
If anything, I couldn't help but laugh at the feeling of being a free body. Escaping was so easy that I felt like a fool for not having thought of running away like this sooner.
However, the joy of having succeeded in escaping lasted only a moment.
"Mother, did you enjoy playing in the dirt?"
"Hick...!"
Titania, who I didn't know how long had been watching, walked out from between the bushes. Seeing Titania's face, my mind suddenly went blank, and I couldn't say a word. I should have at least made an excuse...
"U-uh, th-that, well... Titania...?"
It wasn't a situation where I could possibly make an excuse.
Titania, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, stared at me intently. I thought she would be furious and yell, 'You ran away again?', but Titania just chuckled and slowly approached me.
"I won't get angry, so let's go back. Once we go back, first, we need to get you ready for a bath."
"Y-yeah..."
Titania, who turned her back on me and headed toward the Annex, didn't say anything else. I wanted to ask how she found me, but the atmosphere wasn't right for that, so I had no choice but to quietly follow Titania back to the Annex.
'Really, this isn't easy...'
*
"W-wait a minute...! I... I can do it myself...! I'll do it myself, so...! Huh?! Titania!"
"...Don't grumble and take it off, quickly. I need to treat the wound on your sole, too."
"If you give me the medicine, I'll d-do it myself...! Or ask the other maids...!"
"I sent all the maids who were here back to the Main Castle. Because they didn't notice that Mother had run away. So, who told you to run away?"
Back in the Annex, I couldn't escape from Titania, who was pulling at my clothes. My whole body was covered in dirt, so I did need to wash, but even so, I couldn't let Titania serve me.
"I really can do it myself, okay? Can't you let go of this...?"
"No."
"You, seriously...!"
No matter how much I shouted and got angry, it was useless.
I couldn't escape from Titania's grip as she tried to strip me with enough force to tear my mud-stained pajamas. The moment I twisted my body to try and escape, I heard a Bu-uk! sound of the pajamas tearing from my back.
"W-wait a minute! You ripped my clothes!!"
"That's why you should just stay still. Look at this. You have a wound on your back. You wouldn't even be able to reach a place like this, so how were you going to apply the medicine yourself?"
"Th-that's... Hnnng...!"
Titania gently brushed over the wound on my shoulder blade with her fingertips. Perhaps because I got scratched while crawling through the dog hole, a groan of pain burst out as Titania's fingertips grazed the wound.
I looked up at Titania with teary eyes.
As if she still had no intention of letting me go, Titania gripped my wrists tightly and looked down at me. Because she gripped my wrists even tighter when I tried to shake her off, I eventually had no choice but to resign myself.
"...Fine, I get it. At least let me take them off myself, so go outside until I call you."
Titania sighed as if she had no choice, let go of my wrists, and went out of the bathroom. Honestly, now that she's all grown up, she's just gotten stronger. Now, I couldn't beat Titania with my own strength.
Letting out a deep sigh, I eventually took off my torn pajamas and underwear and headed straight for the large marble bathtub filled with warm water. I slowly washed the dirt off my body with water and then submerged myself in the tub.
"Ah, it stings...!"
As I submerged my body in the tub, the wounds on my back and soles stung from the water. However, the warmth provided by the hot water felt better than the stinging pain, so I submerged my body up to my shoulders in the tub just like that.
The moment I closed my eyes in lethargy.
"Mother, I'm coming in."
"...Okay."
Clang, the bathroom door opened, and Titania, who had brought the clothes I was to change into and the ointment for my wounds, looked down at me as I was soaking in the tub with a gentle smile. W-why is she staring so intently?
Titania, who approached me, sat down next to the tub, picked up the soap, and held out her hand to me. It must mean she wants me to hold out my arm so she can wash it. I didn't like the look of a girl who is now a Queen serving me like a maid, but...
"Haa, seriously. You don't need to do things like this..."
"I'm doing it because I like to. Please don't feel too burdened."
"It's not about being burdened... Never mind. You won't listen to me no matter what I say anyway."
I took my arm out of the tub and placed it on the hand Titania held out.
Titania soaped me up from my forearm down to my fingers, inch by inch, with rose-scented soap. If I thought about it as receiving filial piety from my daughter, it was happy, but thinking about a girl who is a Queen doing this kind of work made me feel complicated.
"Now, please stand up. I'll wash your back first."
"...Haa."
Feeling complicated, I stood up and sat on the edge of the tub, turned my back to Titania, and let out a sigh. It did feel good to have Titania's hands, full of soap, gently rubbing my back. Maybe it was even more so because I hadn't had a bath like this in two years.
"Ugh..."
As the soft sensation spread across my entire back, a low groan escaped my lips without me realizing it. As the lethargy from the warm water and my tense body began to relax, it felt like sleep was pouring over me. It made me think that, just for a very short while, it would be fine to entrust my body to Titania's touch.
"...Really, it's complicated. To think that your touch feels better than a maid doing it..."
"Is that so? That's... a relief."
Titania continued to soap me up while gently massaging from my shoulders. I felt the sensation of Titania's breath, who had come close to my back, touching my shoulder. The sensation of slippery skin rubbing against my bare skin made me feel like heat was spreading throughout my whole body.
Honestly, I didn't hate it. No, I liked it too much. It had been a long time since I'd had a bath like this, and I liked how the rose scent filling the bathroom tickled the tip of my nose. I wanted to entrust my tired body to this feeling just as it was. Feeling lethargic, I quietly leaned my back against Titania.
"Whew..."
Perhaps she had finished soaping my back, as Titania's hands slowly moved toward the front. When her soapy touch traveled along my side and touched my chest, I was startled by the strange stimulation and my body jolted significantly without me realizing it. The lethargic feeling vanished in an instant, and my eyes opened wide.
Even so, the front is off-limits!
"Th-thank you. I'll do the front myself now, so stop."
"...I understand. We'll do it next time, then."
"Is there going to be a next time?"
When I irritably splashed the water in the tub, Titania replied with a smirk.
"That's not something you can know for sure."
*
After the bath, wearing a bathrobe over my naked body, I sat on the bed as Titania said. Titania brought the ointment, knelt on one knee in front of me, and started applying the ointment to the soles of my feet just like that.
"You don't need to go this far. I can handle the ointment on my own..."
"It's just, I want to do it for you."
Right, she doesn't even listen to a word I say. I let out a deep sigh and lowered my head to look down at Titania. Titania began to gently apply the ointment to the wound on my sole with her hand, which was covered in the ointment.
Titania, who was applying the ointment like that, suddenly asked me.
"Mother, what were you thinking when you tried to run away through the terrace? Did you not think that you could fall and die?"
"Ah... th-that, that is..."
"Even if this place isn't that high, there was a chance you could have really died if things went wrong. Does that mean that being here, being by my side, is worse than death to you?"
"Th-that's not it. I just... you seemed so excited... I just felt like we needed time apart. So, just... in the capital..."
Titania's palm, applying ointment to my sole, trembled slightly. Did I think too carelessly? Even so, it was something I did because I thought I shouldn't be imprisoned here.
However, that wasn't an action done because I hated being by Titania's side. I just went out on my own because I thought Titania, who was excited, needed a little time to think. So...
"...It never meant that I hated being by your side. I just needed a little time to think. You, and me. A little distance..."
"You've been away from my side for five years, and you're going to be away from my side again?"
"N-no, that's not, it's not..."
"...I think I've been considerate enough of you, Mother. Even if you couldn't leave this place, I allowed you to move freely within this place. I prepared all sorts of entertainment so you wouldn't be bored, and I ordered the maids to prepare all the food you wanted to eat."
Titania gave a bitter smile and gently gripped my ankle. Titania's hand, holding my ankle, began to tremble slightly. Should I not have run away on my own? Should I have waited for Titania a little more? Wasn't I the one who was impatient?
I...
"But, Mother kicked away my consideration and ran away again. Do you remember what I said? I told you that if you ran away from here one more time, I would never forgive you, didn't I?"
Titania's voice trembled slightly with anger.
The moment I lowered my head to stroke her hair to comfort Titania, who looked like she was crying, I couldn't help but flinch at the 'something' Titania pulled out from under the bed.
"So, this is a punishment. A punishment for kicking away my consideration."
"Wait...!"
With a Cha-reureuk- sound of a metal chain, something wrapped around my ankle, and I heard a click sound. Surprised by the shackle that instantly wrapped around my ankle, I could only pout my lips and glare at Titania.
"You, you...! What is this...!"
The shackle tied to my ankle wasn't made of iron; it was made of leather. I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh at the appearance of the shackle, which seemed to be made with consideration for the person being tied up.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Didn't I tell you? Not to run away from my side."
The long chain connected to the shackle was connected to my bedpost. I tried to undo it with my hands, but because of the shackle that was tightly fastened and had no intention of coming undone, I turned my head to gauge the length of the chain.
The chain connected to the shackle looked longer than I thought. Probably long enough to move freely around this large room. Just, that much length.
I glared at Titania with an angry expression, but Titania just smirked and stroked my face. I stared at Titania just like that and shouted.
"What on earth are you thinking...?!"
"What are you thinking, Mother? I begged you not to go, I asked you not to run away, and yet you ran away again before three days had even passed. Is my word that funny to you?"
Titania didn't care about my shouting and just stroked my face. The hand that was stroking my face slowly went down, and Titania smiled bitterly and tapped my neck with her fingertips.
"Try running away one more time. Next time, it'll be a collar."
The hand that was tapping my neck soon wrapped around my throat.
"If you don't want to be tied up like a dog crawling through a dog hole..."
Titania, who had wrapped her hand around my throat with just one hand, glared at my neck as if imagining me wearing a collar. Then, with tears welling up in her eyes, she begged me.
"Please, don't run away from me anymore."