Reina’s answer was firm. At that, Rose finally broke down, tears spilling freely. She had tried so hard to hold them back, but the sound of her sobbing made the coachman glance at them from his seat.

“Don’t cry. If you draw suspicion, it’ll only make things harder for you.”

“I–I’m sorry.”

Rose wiped her tears roughly, forcing a strained smile.

Reina stepped into the carriage. As it began rolling slowly toward the capital, the maid she had kept by her side for so many years waved desperately, her face still streaked with tears.

Reina watched her for a moment, then turned her head away.

‘Slip out the back door of the shop and catch the first carriage you see.’

As long as Aaron didn’t cry too loudly, she could manage it. At least he wasn’t a fussy baby. Even now, resting in her arms, his eyes only rolled about quietly.

“Mmh…”

He squirmed a little, uncomfortable, then let out a tiny yawn. Reina brushed her fingertips lightly over his warm, soft cheek and whispered,

“That’s it. Sleep well.”

With a gentle rocking, Aaron’s eyelids slowly drooped. She tied him securely against her so she wouldn’t risk losing him. If her arms were free, she wouldn’t have needed to go this far, but her leg made everything harder.

By the time she finished preparing, the carriage had already entered the capital.

The air was unmistakably different from a year ago. Faces were grim. The streets, once bustling, were emptier, as though many had fled the war. Shops that hadn’t opened in a long time stood with a desolate air.

“We’ve arrived.”

The driver halted in front of a shop. Reina stepped down with a composed expression.

“This will take some time. Go rest somewhere.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Though she knew he wouldn’t actually leave, saying so might buy her a little more time. She entered the shop. She had chosen this place carefully after visiting several under the guise of errands.

Pretending to browse the goods, she gradually made her way toward the back. Once she was sure the driver’s eyes were off her, she slipped through the rear door she had marked earlier. Aaron was still asleep.

Leaning on her cane as quietly as possible, she moved forward. She longed to run, but her body would not allow it.

At last, reaching a carriage waiting a little ways off, she approached.

“I’d like to go to Katran.”

She said, naming a city not far from the capital, and showed the driver her money.

He eyed her hand with a hint of hesitation, and her chest tightened with nerves. What if they realized already that she had vanished?

“I’ll pay you more once we arrive.”

“Get in.”

She climbed aboard at once. She longed to tell him to hurry, but feared that would only arouse suspicion, so she kept her lips pressed shut. The carriage began to roll slowly down the cold, quiet streets.

‘From Katran, I’ll take another carriage, and then…’

Her plan was to change carriages at every stop. That way, even if she traveled by carriage, it wouldn’t be easy for them to track her. A woman with a limp, carrying a child—that much was distinctive—but to find her, they would have to question every driver passing through each village. That would buy her some time.

“Waaah…”

Aaron whimpered softly.

“It’s all right. Everything will be fine.”

Reina whispered, as though to reassure herself, pulling the baby close against her chest.

***

How many days had passed since she fled? Reina bent to pick up a discarded gazette lying in the street.

‘So, the emperor has finally fallen.’

She skimmed the paper filled with praise for the princess. It reported that the Marquis of Berend had been captured. A pang of regret struck her—she would never see the look on his twisted face. To think that he, who had always treated Zephion as a worthless child, had been defeated by him—his pride must have been shattered.

‘I won’t see him die.’

All her life, she had endured for that one moment—for the chance to watch him lose everything and sink into despair as he died. Yet now, even with that moment so near, she could not witness it with her own eyes.

If things had gone as she’d first planned, she would have stood on the scaffold with him, watching his head fall just before her own.

Reina clutched Aaron tightly. She carefully scanned every line of the gazette, but there was no mention of a woman and child who had fled from House Berend.

Even so, she could not relax. Until the princess took the throne and the country was secure, she had to remain constantly on edge. She might not have chosen to serve House Berend, but she could not deny she had lived under its name for over twenty years.

‘To the princess’s faction, anyone bearing the name ‘Berend’ will be marked for death.’

No matter what, she had to keep running. The only solace was that Kaelid would die.

She held Aaron firmly as she sought another carriage. She had already changed rides so many times her body was weary. Even steadying herself took effort, and with Aaron to care for, she couldn’t lower her guard for even a moment.

Unlike an adult, who could bear a little hunger or fatigue, a child needed to be fed on time, needed to be soothed and laid to rest when tired.

‘I wish we could rest properly at an inn.’

She longed for just a single night in a real bed. Since she had fled, all her rest had been stolen in snatches—dozing in one carriage before switching to another.

Reina gave the driver the name of a nearby village.

“Climb in.”

“Thank you…”

With a sigh, she settled into the seat. The carriage jolted forward, its rough rattling carrying her along. Resting her head against the window, she felt her eyelids grow unbearably heavy.

Aaron stared up at her quietly. She gave a faint smile as she looked back at him.

“All this… it’s to keep you alive.”

“Mm.”

Whether he understood or not, the baby made a small sound and squirmed gently. Reina tapped his tiny nose with her fingertip.

‘You’ll grow up never knowing who your father was.’

Was that something to grieve—or to be grateful for, knowing he wouldn’t be raised as Kaelid’s son?

Lowering her head, she pressed her lips firmly against Aaron’s forehead. His warmth seeped into her. She had noticed the same when Zephion was small—that children seemed to radiate heat.

“I wish Zephion had been the one to give you your name.”

Breathing in, she caught the sweet, gentle scent of the infant. Holding his small body close, she leaned back once more in the carriage.

Her eyelids were too heavy to lift, exhaustion pressing down on her. Fearing she might drop the child, she tied Aaron securely against her once again. Her eyes slowly closed, then fluttered open, before finally slipping shut.

Despite the carriage’s jolting and the uncomfortable sway, Reina soon drifted off.

How much time had passed?

She woke to find the familiar vibration gone.

‘Have we arrived already?’

Why hadn’t the driver woken her?

The sun’s position had hardly shifted. She realized she hadn’t slept through the entire day—it couldn’t have been more than a short while. Rubbing her eyes lightly, she glanced out the window.

The carriage had stopped in the middle of the road. Two other carriages stood ahead. Frowning, she tapped on the driver’s seat.

“What’s going on?”

The driver shrugged.

“They say they’re catching a fugitive.”

“A fugitive?”

“They’re searching the carriages.”

Unease clawed at her chest. Who could have ordered a search for her? Would it be better to climb down now and run? But with her leg, even trying to flee on foot was impossible. And there was nowhere to hide.

While she hesitated, the carriage at the front of the line cleared the inspection.

“What a pointless hassle.”

The driver muttered irritably. Reina bit hard at her lips. Forced to stop in the middle of the road, she could do nothing.

As if infected by her fear, Aaron stirred awake and began to cry.

“Waaah…”