AWIC 2

Chapter 2

She spoke timidly, as if embarrassed, but there was a strange certainty in her small voice.
Even though it was her first time meeting this unfamiliar man, she was willing to let him take her away and lock her up. Though awkward and shy, there was not a trace of fear in her.
‘It’s not fear. Rather… anticipation?’

The man tilted his head with a peculiar look and asked seriously,
“Why are you saying that to me? We just met.”

‘…Huh?’

Asha was taken aback.
She had assumed that he would fall for her at first sight and gladly take her if she told him to.
Shouldn’t he be welcoming?
She thought that if she acted as cooperative and sweet as possible, it would create a harmonious atmosphere without any kidnapping or confinement.
She hadn’t expected him to doubt her outright.

She admitted to herself that she had taken this world, her situation, and even the people here too lightly, seeing them as characters in a novel.
But now that she had asked to be taken away, she couldn’t just claim her words were a mistake.

With her head spinning from the confusion, she finally spoke,
“Um, everyone has their own romance fantasies, right? Mine… is being taken away by a handsome man and loved.”

And she smiled brightly.
As someone possessed by a spirit, she knew she had to play bold and shameless. Yes, yes.
Honestly, how many women in the entire world would say such a thing just based on appearances?

But Asha knew something: Cedric was the man who would pour endless love on her for a lifetime.
So she summoned every ounce of courage she had.

As expected, the man responded positively.
“Very well. Let’s go together.”

‘Yes!’

She had tensed up at the unexpected response, but now she felt a pleasant premonition that things would go smoothly from here.
She imagined a cozy imperial confinement, letting a bit of selfish desire slip out.
“I hope the room has a big window…”

But her words didn’t finish.
Suddenly, the man grabbed a brooch on his collar and tore it off.

Of course, a brooch is something you could pluck off suddenly. She understood that much.
‘But why… why is his hair changing color?’

As the brooch came off, his bright blonde hair instantly darkened, and his eyebrows followed suit.
Asha couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.

At that moment, a gilded carriage appeared at the entrance, as if on cue.
A man riding beside it dismounted gracefully and bowed to the man in front of him.
“Your Highness. The cleanup is complete.”

Then he turned to Asha and greeted her lightly.
“You must be Miss Asha of the Herman family. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jerold Burns.”

Only then did Asha sense that something had gone very wrong.
Even if she didn’t know the first name, she recognized the surname.
‘Burns? Burns is the imperial family name?’

And the man addressed as “Your Highness” could only be one person in the empire:
Alesto S. Burns.
The Crown Prince, backed by the full support of the Empress faction, holding influential families firmly in his grasp through politics.

A chill ran down her spine.

In the original story, the Crown Prince’s role wasn’t that prominent, but every time he appeared, he left a strong impression as a tyrant.
He was depicted mostly as a cruel demon and often opposed the male protagonist, Cedric.
‘Wait… why is the Crown Prince here? Where’s Cedric?’

Asha was completely flustered but forced herself to keep her mouth shut.
Any slip—claiming she had mistaken someone or confused people—could have cost her her life.
There are said to be people who are reliable allies but terrifying enemies. Alesto was similar, but a little different.
He was ruthless even to those on his side, and if you became his enemy, you would lose sleep.

‘I found myself not in a cozy rabbit hole, but a tiger’s den?’

Cold sweat ran down her back.
Of course, she tried to maintain a composed exterior.
She should have kept her mouth shut and run off before blurting out her fantasy.
Had she gone too far now? Should she try to escape even now?

Her voice trembled unconsciously.
“Y-Your Grace… it’s an honor to meet you.”

Only after greeting Jerold Burns did she realize her mistake.
She hadn’t properly greeted the Crown Prince.

She hurriedly turned to him, bowing deeply.
“I apologize for not recognizing the Star of the Empire. I greet you again. I am Asha Herman, daughter of the Herman family.”

She tried to appear calm, but Alesto immediately noticed her flustered state.
As Crown Prince, he was highly skilled at reading people, and she was an open book.

He had noticed the moment she panicked when he removed the brooch used for disguise and restored his hair to its original color.
Then Jerold appeared, shaking and giving his polite greeting, reinforcing the Prince’s certainty.

The Crown Prince understood that when she said she wanted to be taken and loved by a handsome man, she truly didn’t know who he was.
At first, it made sense to doubt her when the unknown Saint demanded to be taken away at once.
Being taken by a handsome man and loved… what is she expecting me to believe?
Surely, she had some ulterior motive. Maybe she had reversed time.
If that was the case, perhaps she planned to sneak into the palace for some scheme.

Even so, he decided to take her along for now.
Whatever her intentions, it was better to keep her under watch where he could see her.

But…
Did she really not know he was the Crown Prince?
Could it be that her wish to be taken by a handsome man was genuinely innocent?

Alesto looked down at the girl before him, who was so naïve she didn’t know what to do, and struggled helplessly.

Asha’s mind was in utter chaos.
Meeting someone from the arranged meeting in the garden and following him turned out to be this complicated?
In the original story, the Crown Prince didn’t appear this quickly.
Then… where was Cedric?

At that moment, a man wandered into her line of sight.
By the central fountain, a man was looking her way.
Given his blonde hair, this must be the Cedric she was supposed to meet today.

What do I do? Should I run now?

Unfortunately, all of her expressions and emotions were visible to Alesto.
Following her flustered gaze, he immediately realized the truth.
The man she had wanted to follow while talking about her fantasy wasn’t him, but the one over there.

Her behavior was suspicious enough—her eyes never leaving the man, her eyes glistening.
‘Not allowed.’

Feeling strangely irritated, he stepped to block her line of sight.
Startled, she looked up at him like a caught puppy.

Her round eyes, drooping mouth, and sad expression were almost pitiful.
‘It’s too late for that look now.’

Knowing that the Saint could reverse time, he refused to let anyone take her away.
Smiling, he extended his hand.
“I’ll take your word that you won’t run.”

Though his face held a subtle, noble smile, to Asha it sounded exactly like:
‘If you try to run, I won’t let you.’

Shivering from a sudden chill, she obediently accepted the Crown Prince’s escort and boarded the carriage.
She instinctively realized:

Running away was hopeless.