episode_0139

[Episode 135] – Walk

“…I will allow you to go to the garden.”

“What…?”

I unconsciously made a bewildered expression at Titania’s declaration that she would still not let me out of this annex. Surely we didn’t reconcile? I held my throbbing head and asked Titania.

“…why? Why do you keep trying to keep me locked up here?”

“There are two reasons.”

Titania responded by spreading out two fingers.

“First of all, my mother currently has no position. “You seem to be mistaken because the maids called you the queen, but your mother gave up her title as queen and left, right?”

That’s what I heard and saw. Because it was such a ‘promise’ in the first place. Still, aren’t there any noble titles left for the Liliensol family? When I was about to ask, Titania answered first, as if she had anticipated my question.

“If you are thinking about going back to your hometown, give it up. “My mother was expelled from the Liliensol family.”

“……why?”

“well? I don’t know the exact reason, but your mother had a bad relationship with that family from the beginning, right? Since she arbitrarily gave up her title as queen and stopped coming into the house, isn’t it because she felt like this was the right time to expel her?”

“So… I am now…”

“I am a commoner, not a noble. Now, I will no longer be able to use the last name Liliensol. “Currently, my mother’s name is not Vivian Liliensol, it’s just Vivian.”

I could only laugh at the absurdity. Come to think of it, I’ve never had any contact with that family until now. There was no contact to the extent that I thought it was strange, so I just forgot and didn’t pay attention.

In the first place, I had no intention of joining a family that had never shown its face to me before. However, I never imagined that Vivian would be expelled from that family first.

‘Now that Vivian is no longer queen, does that mean she is useless to the family? Vivian is really sad too.’

How on earth was Vivian treated by the family? Couldn’t the reason Vivian’s personality was distorted was because of her family? As I smiled bitterly, Titania folded her first finger and continued.

“In other words, it is to keep my mother, who has no position or support, safe here. However, my mother did not know my consideration and tried to escape from here by crawling through a hole.”

“Tsk…”

I couldn’t bear to raise my head under Titania’s cold, stinging gaze. Titania smiled as she looked at me like that, then folded her second finger and continued speaking.

“The second reason is to keep my mother in my sights. To be honest, I still can’t trust my mother. “I’m scared that if I take my eyes off it, it will run away again.”

“…Titania’s trust in me is at an all-time low.”

“Do you know who it is because of?”

I made a sad expression, but Titania did not give me any reason and responded coldly. Well, since something like that happened, distrust of me is justified, but confinement is still a bit…

I lowered my eyebrows and made as pitiful an expression as I could, but it didn’t work on Titania right now. Titania frowned in annoyance and asked while pressing her finger on my eyebrow.

“First of all, do you have somewhere to go after you leave here? I don’t understand why you keep trying to go out. “Do you have a dog that needs a walk?”

“There’s nothing you can’t say to your mom like a puppy. Why is there no place for me to go? “When you leave the castle…”

…There is nothing in particular. When I thought about it, there really wasn’t anywhere worth going. It was clear that he would not be able to go to the pastry shop he had stayed at in the countryside, and none of the nobles in the capital were close enough to him to go see them in person.

The reason I had been trying to go out all this time was simply to somehow increase the distance between me and Titania. But now there is no need for that. The reason to go out was gone. but…

“Walking on the street… I guess I can do that. “It’s too stuffy to just stay here.”

“It’s a puppy.”

Titania sneers and laughs at my answer. When I groaned, Titania sighed softly, crossed her arms, and looked down at me.

He slightly narrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head as if he was thinking about something. Titania’s posture made me feel pressured for some reason, and I muttered in a voice that made an ant crawl.

“Well, I was just saying that it’s frustrating to just stay here. Well, sometimes just for a change…”

“…Then, would you like to take a walk within the castle?”

“walk?”

Titania, with her arms uncrossed, approached me and asked. The royal castle was certainly large, so there were many places to take a walk. There was an artificial forest created for walking, and a lake that Titania and I often visited when we were children.

‘…I guess it’s better than not going. Honestly, after being trapped here for a month, my whole body is aching. ‘It doesn’t matter where I am now, I want to go out.’

I gently nodded at Titania’s suggestion for a walk. I really felt like a puppy that needed a walk, but the thought of going outside and breathing fresh air for the first time in a while made me look forward to it.

Titania smiled and continued.

“Instead, there is a condition.”

“condition?”

“Yes, conditions.”

Titania holds out her hand to me, saying it is a condition. At the moment when I unconsciously tried to grab Titania’s hand in a gesture that seemed to ask me to hold her hand, my outstretched hand hesitated for a moment in the air.

Is it because Titania called me a ‘puppy’?

For some reason, I was reminded of the dog’s joke of raising its hand, so I couldn’t hold Titania’s hand. As I hesitated in the air without even being able to lower my outstretched hand, Titania, who was watching me, laughed.

“…The condition is that you don’t leave my side during the walk. “If you will do so, I will allow you to take a walk outside the villa.”

“…So, if I want to get out of here, I always have to go out with you?”

“Yes, it is as you said.”

I wanted to ask if it was for surveillance, but I guess Titania’s purpose was to monitor me. Since he said he didn’t trust me, it was clear that he was planning to keep an eye on me to make sure I didn’t run away during the walk.

I thought I should stay with Titania for a while and improve my trust, which had hit rock bottom. No matter what I said now, it was clear that Titania would doubt everything I said. I wonder if time is short.

“…okay. “I will do that.”

“great. “Then, shall we go and visit now?”

“now?”

“Yes, this place is close to the royal lake. “It’s just a short walk.”

Titania said that and held out her hand to me again.

I groaned and just looked at Titania’s outstretched hand. Well, I had no idea how much contact I should allow with this child from now on.

If there is even the slightest chance, he might do something strange to me like he did yesterday. In order to avoid being suddenly kissed like yesterday, I needed to be wary of Titania’s skinship.

‘Is holding hands a normal act? It’s okay to hold hands, but isn’t it okay if you don’t clasp hands? I’m sorry I did something to not hold your hand at all… What should I do…’

As I frowned and continued to glare at the hand held out in front of me, Titania sighed and waved the outstretched hand, urging me to quickly grab it. Let me just keep watching –

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything strange.”

“I didn’t think you would do anything strange…”

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I hesitated and grabbed Titania’s hand. Titania held my hand as if nothing was really wrong and started walking out slowly. what? Is it weird to care?

‘For some reason, I feel like I’m the only one who cares.’

*

“It’s nice to go for a walk after a long time.”

“……”

“Isn’t that right? mother?”

The wind blowing from the lake passed by my cheek pleasantly. It was a long time since I last smelled the fishy smell of the lake, the smell of dirt, and the smell of leaves. I wanted to get closer to the lake right away, but…

“…Well, trust has hit rock bottom.”

“Please consider my thoughts. “Don’t you feel sorry for your daughter who is anxious about her mother leaving?”

I huffed and turned my head away from Titania. I wasn’t a fool for caring, but I was a fool for letting my guard down from Titania even for a moment. I was such a fool and a fool to suffer again and again.

Every time I walked, a clicking sound came from my wrist and hit my ears along with the sound of the wind. This obsessive daughter couldn’t even take a walk with me, so she tied handcuffs to my wrists out of fear that I would run away.

One in Titania’s hand, the other in mine. As soon as I arrived at the lake, they handcuffed me to prevent me from escaping. In this situation, there was no way I could see the lake or anything.

“No matter what, aren’t handcuffs a bit harsh…?”

“…If you want to be shackled and not handcuffed, say so. Shall we go back to the room?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I sighed at the threat that wasn’t a threat and started walking near the lake, following Titania. The lakeside as the sunset began to set had a truly romantic atmosphere.

The scenery of the lakeside at sunset was dazzlingly beautiful, and the sound of the waves rang pleasantly in my ears. The view of the lake from the top of the hill was a pleasantly open view.

The first walk in a long time was truly perfect. It was such a pleasant day that I thought it would be nice to go boating on the lakeside until the sunset and the moon rose. of course…

Well done-

Except for the handcuffs on these wrists.

I looked down at the lakeside at sunset, then turned my head and looked at Titania standing next to me. Titania was looking at the lake with a pleasant smile. The moment I turned my head again to look at the lake-

Titania’s fingers touched the back of my hand with a clattering sound. Then, Titania gently intertwined her fingers to hold my hand. I twisted my wrist as if I had no control and avoided Titania’s hand.

Do you think I don’t know your intentions? Holding hands in this atmosphere is something only lovers do! When I jerked my wrist, the chain connecting me and Titania shook with a loud clanking sound.

I thought Titania would give up if I avoided his hand, but like a stubborn child, Titania didn’t know how to give up. Titania reaches out and tries to hold my hand somehow. I avoid it and say no. The two handcuffed hands started fighting with each other.

widely! widely! Slap! widely! Slap!

In the midst of the lakeside, where the gentle scenery unfolded, the sound of chains crashing and fingers fighting each other rang out. Titania and I’s eyes were looking straight at the lake, and our hands were engaged in a war that did not match the atmosphere.

But in the end, physical strength was on young Titania’s side.

The moment my stamina ran out, Titania grabbed my hand as if she had been waiting. Titania’s hand that was holding her was hotter than usual, probably because her body temperature had risen after fighting hard.

I turned my head and glared at Titania, but I couldn’t say anything when I saw Titania’s expression. Really, it’s been a while since I was smiling brightly like I did when I was young.

How can I tell you to let go after seeing such a happy smile? I sighed softly and turned my head again to look at the lake.

The joined hands were pulled together.

The joined hands, five fingers slowly crossed.

Lovers hold hands like this, who would hold hands like this between a mother and a daughter? No matter how much I thought about it, holding hands didn’t seem like something mother and daughter would do together.

It was bittersweet, wondering if this was okay, but it was also true that I liked the warm feeling of holding hands for the first time in a long time.

In the end, I unclasped my hands and held them normally and turned my head to look at Titania. Is the child’s red face due to the sunset or some other emotion? Hoping it was because of the sunset, I held Titania’s hand and headed back to the villa.