Chapter 6

The Crown Prince’s palace was called Blossom.

Within the Blossom Palace were several well-known chambers that everyone in the imperial court knew by name.

At the center of the third floor was the Crown Prince Alesto’s own residence, the Acalia chamber.

To its right was the Rooster chamber, belonging to his chief aide and younger brother born of the same mother, Prince Jerold Burns.

The rest of the third floor was filled with rooms large and small, serving as quarters or offices for Alesto’s retainers and knights.

Asha was assigned to the Almond chamber, located just to the left of the central Acalia room.

The room was so large that it felt excessive for one person. Asha stood alone inside with only a maid beside her.

Her eyes wandered slowly across the room before settling on the maid, who bowed respectfully.

Although Asha had met several maids while living at the Count’s mansion, it still made her feel uneasy. Even so, it was not difficult to talk to her.

“Um, what’s your name?”

“My name is Ruby, my lady. Please call me anytime you need something.”

“Alright, Ruby. Nice to meet you. But I think I’d like to look around by myself for a while, so you can go rest for today.”

Though clearly surprised by the unexpected instruction, the maid named Ruby clasped her hands politely in front of her and kept her composure.

“Yes, understood. Then I’ll see you in the morning.”

She left quietly, and with a soft click, the door closed.

The moment it did, Asha’s jaw went slack as her mouth dropped open.

‘Why is this place so fancy?’

Her wide eyes moved slowly as she took in every detail. The room was packed to the brim with luxury, leaving no empty space in sight.

Large framed paintings hung on the walls, and the walls themselves were carved with depictions of myths, each delicately colored by hand.

The furniture looked exquisite, and the carpets seemed far too expensive to even step on.

The layered curtains, the gold embellishments, and the intricate carvings all shimmered under the lamplight.

And it wasn’t just the sitting room.

There was a bedroom connected to it, as well as a dressing room, a tea room, and a private bath.

Every space overflowed with opulence. It was so grand that it almost felt sacred.

Her first thought was obvious.

‘This is… imperial confinement in luxury?’

But the awe lasted only a moment.

A problem remained unsolved.

Why had he brought her here in the first place?

It would make sense if it were Cedric. But the Crown Prince? Why him?

In her limited memory, Alesto was only portrayed as a tyrant in the original novel. He had no romantic storyline at all.

‘No, seriously. What kind of man just takes a strange woman because she said to? Wait a second.’

A chill ran down her spine.

Could it be that the original Asha was fated to be kidnapped no matter what?

In the story, Cedric’s devoted love made her plan for voluntary imperial confinement possible.

But now the male lead had changed to the Crown Prince?

That couldn’t be right.

How was she supposed to handle going from a gentle romantic man to a would-be tyrant?

Asha rubbed her goosebumped arms and thought of Alesto.

He was breathtakingly beautiful, yes, but also terrifying.

It wasn’t just because the novel had described him as a tyrant. It was something about the air around him.

He wasn’t rough or violent, and he hadn’t threatened her directly.

But his presence felt like a swamp shrouded in soft, poisonous mist. Beautiful but deadly.

‘…’

Maybe she should try escaping.

Doing nothing and letting herself be semi-kidnapped felt wrong. Even narratively, wouldn’t it make more sense if she struggled at least once?

Considering even the nonexistent readers, she nodded to herself.

Returning to the flow of the original story might be best.

Determination shone in her eyes.

* * *

“M-mom…!”

Marvin’s legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed with tears in his eyes. The knight’s blade hovered, gleaming coldly as he prepared to strike.

“Your Highness!”

Fridis crawled toward the Crown Prince on her knees, pressing her forehead to the floor.

“Your Highness, please! It was my fault, it was all my fault! Spare my child, I beg you! My dear, my dear, hurry and sign the marriage contract!”

Before she even finished speaking, Count Herman hastily grabbed the pen and signed the papers, then fell beside his wife in a deep bow.

Alesto folded his arms and looked down at them with unreadable eyes.

Jerold, who had finished checking the contract, placed the sealed documents into an envelope and nodded.

“All documents are complete.”

Alesto lifted his cup and took a slow sip of his cooled tea.

“Tell me, what does Asha mean to you?”

Fridis stared up at him, too terrified even to wipe the cold sweat dripping down her face.

Her instincts screamed at her to stay low and speak carefully.

“A-Asha is… destined to become a noble Saintess, Your Highness.”

With that, the contract was finalized.

Hearing her answer, Alesto’s lips curved briefly into a sharp smile.

It was cold and fleeting.

He set his teacup down quietly and said in a low voice,

“Your daughter is frail as it is. If you don’t wish for her to become an orphan, be cautious with every word and every action.”

Without another glance, he turned and left the room.

He had no more reason to face people who called their son an heir yet spoke of their daughter only as the Saintess.

‘The family matter is settled. No one left to hold her back now.’

Perhaps transparency really did run in the family.

As he stepped into the corridor, he thought of the small, disheveled woman and wondered briefly.

What was the Saintess doing now inside the Blossom Palace?

* * *

Blossom Palace.

Asha, having made up her mind to escape, quietly opened the door to her sitting room and peeked out into the hallway.

She looked right, then left, then up and down before finally stepping out.

‘No one’s around, right?’

Luckily, a soft carpet muffled her footsteps completely.

‘Did everyone go home?’

She had told her maid to take the rest of the night off, but she had no idea whether palace servants in this world actually went home at fixed hours.

Oh well, that didn’t matter.

The important thing was that the corridor was quiet, which meant escape might be possible.

Feeling a small spark of hope, she tiptoed her way toward the staircase.

She reached the second floor landing, paused, and peeked down. The floor below was bright and lively.

Unlike the upper floor, the first floor had people moving about. Asha tried to blend in naturally, but then she froze.

‘Oh no. My clothes!’

The moment she stepped onto the first floor, she realized she was the only one wearing casual clothing.

Looking closer, she noticed that everyone entering and leaving the Crown Prince’s palace was male, and the few women were all wearing maid uniforms.

Panicked, Asha quickly walked toward what she hoped was a servants’ entrance, pretending to be a maid returning from outside.

Maybe it was guilt, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that people were staring at her. Her shoulders tensed.

‘No, stay calm!’

In all the transmigration novels she had read, the heroines always had nerves of steel.

She just needed to act natural.

After several careful steps, she finally reached a quieter hallway and spotted a laundry room.

Asha slipped inside and immediately noticed a maid uniform hanging nearby.

‘Perfect. What’s an escape without a disguise?’

She changed into the maid outfit, then crouched in the corner and began removing pearls one by one from her original dress.

They were small and dull, and she doubted they were worth much. Still, remembering her family’s financial struggles, she decided to keep them.

At least her dress for the marriage meeting had some trimmings she could use. Without them, she would have been completely penniless.

Once ready, Asha used the servants’ back exit to slip out of the building.

She crossed the garden and left the Crown Prince’s palace entirely, even greeting a few passing maids on the way.

No one suspected her.

So far, everything was going smoothly.

Who would have thought escaping from the infamous Crown Prince’s palace could be this easy?

She had a good feeling about this.

‘Maybe this is a transmigrator perk or a main character bonus.’

Feeling a surge of confidence, Asha walked lightly, almost cheerful.

* * *

At that same moment, Alesto sat in his carriage, reviewing documents on his way back to the Imperial Palace.

He had spent the morning at the temple and most of the day dealing with matters concerning the Saintess, leaving his official duties unfinished.

He had intended to resume them now, but that plan was interrupted.

Knock, knock.

“Your Highness. It’s Garnet.”

Alesto lowered the window slightly, signaling him to speak.

“An hour ago, the Saintess changed into a maid’s uniform and left Blossom Palace. She’s currently heading toward the southern gate.”