‘Where is she planning to go?’

Paul followed Laviela reluctantly, feeling like he was walking into a thorny trap.

When Laviela had asked to take a walk, the knights around Paul had tried to stop her, worried she might attempt to escape.

[You’re not allowed to leave the carriage, young miss.]

[Please return inside.]

Despite their stern glares, which would have intimidated most children, Laviela stood her ground, unfazed.

More accurately, she was sharp.

[If I get worse from indigestion and delay the schedule again, will you blame me then too?]

[…!]

[Uh…]

Her words, implying she had overheard their earlier conversation, left the knights pale-faced.

While technically nothing they had said was untrue, there are things you don’t say aloud—especially about your employer.

[…Fine.]

With guilt written all over their faces, the knights faltered, unable to respond.

One of them glanced nervously toward Gilbert before hastily stepping forward.

[Then I’ll inform the captain and accompany you myself. We can’t let Paul go alone—]

[Why? Because I’m a prisoner?]

[…]

[If I walk with the people who insulted me, I’ll probably feel worse, not better.]

Her sharp remark silenced the knights completely.

Laviela continued in a detached tone, as if she could see right through them.

[I’m not foolish enough to try anything in this condition. I’ll just take a short walk and come back.]

[…]

[Or is that not allowed either?]

Her pale blue eyes glimmered with an eerie calmness.

Though they belonged to a child, they carried the weight of someone far older, exuding an unsettling authority.

Caught between their orders and their conscience, the knights exchanged helpless glances, unable to make a decision.

Paul let out a long sigh as he stood up and spoke.

[…I’ll have her back before the captain finishes his meal. Surely there’s no need to report this.]

Relieved of the burden of responsibility, half the knights looked reassured, while the other half seemed uneasy.

Paul, now solely responsible, followed Laviela as she walked ahead, keeping a careful five-step distance.

Contrary to his fears, Laviela showed no signs of trying to escape.

She simply strolled through the snow-covered forest, her small footsteps crunching softly with each step.

Eventually, however, it was time to return. If Gilbert noticed Laviela was missing, there was no telling what he might do.

Paul hesitated before speaking cautiously.

“Um…”

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Laviela stopped abruptly and spun around to face him.

“Sir.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Do you sense anything nearby?”

Paul flinched, startled by the sudden question, and instinctively hunched his shoulders. He blinked at Laviela, still caught off guard.

Though he was still shaken, he quickly followed her suggestion and focused on his surroundings, straining to detect any movement or sound.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—there were no signs of anyone following them or the presence of wild animals.

Paul straightened his shoulders and shook his head.

“I don’t sense anything.”

“…Really? I don’t trust that at all.”

Laviela frowned and gave Paul an appraising look, scanning him up and down.

Her scrutinizing gaze made Paul bristle, and he raised his voice in protest.

“You’re the one who asked me to check! For your information, I’m quite capable within the knight order—”

“Right, right. I was just teasing you a little.”

“…”

Paul was left speechless as Laviela shrugged nonchalantly, her demeanor shifting in an instant.

The indignation that had been welling up inside him suddenly felt like it was choking his throat.

[She might as well just die quickly so we can go back to the capital.]

Paul knew he was a sinner in front of Laviela.

Without another word, he lowered his head.

Seeing this, Laviela’s lips curled into a faint smile.

‘Hmm. He’ll do just fine.’

Quickly erasing the smile from her face, Laviela cleared her throat and began to speak.

“Sir.”

“Yes, miss?”

“You know that if we return to the capital like this, the Marquis will have your head, don’t you?”

“…”

Paul didn’t respond.

But the veins bulging on his clenched fists, pressed tightly against his thighs, spoke volumes.

[Normally, I would’ve dealt with it immediately… but the Marquis has ordered us to return to the capital first. Punishment will be decided afterward.]

Gilbert’s words upon arriving at the tower echoed in his mind.

The image of the Marquis’s cold, emotionless face sent a chill down Paul’s spine, and sweat gathered on his palms.

Even though he knew it was his fault and his responsibility, the fear was inescapable.

Paul closed his eyes tightly, his head still bowed.

Then Laviela spoke again.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

At those words, Paul instinctively snapped his head up.

Laviela met his gaze as though she had been waiting for this moment. Her voice dropped to a soft murmur.

“You can think of it as compensation for the insults you hurled at me. Just help me once.”

“…”

“If you do, you might survive.”

Paul’s expression turned blank.

Seeing his dumbfounded face, Laviela’s eyes darted nervously, as if she was unsure of herself, and she quickly added,

“Of course, I can’t guarantee anything. But wouldn’t it be better to risk your life for a chance to survive rather than going quietly to your death?”

“…”

“So—”

“No, miss.”

“…What?”

Paul’s eyes, which had been unfocused until now, suddenly lit up.

Laviela, caught off guard by his abrupt interruption, let out a puzzled sound.

But before she could say more, Paul knelt before her and bowed his head low, startling her.

“What are you doing—!”

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I spoke out of turn. I truly regret what I said back then… I’m sorry.”

Laviela stared down at the back of Paul’s head, clearly flustered.

Paul remained in his low bow for a while, as if he were in the presence of an emperor. Eventually, he straightened his posture and looked at Laviela’s bewildered face.

As though he could read her thoughts, Paul gave her a faint smile.

“Of course, I’ll help you. You don’t need to ask me for help, miss. If you command me, I’ll gladly follow, no matter what it is.”

“…If you’re going to help, you don’t need to apologize.”

“No, miss. Even if you forgive me, I cannot let this go. I’m truly sorry.”

Paul’s expression turned serious as he bowed deeply once more.

Laviela could tell there was no falsehood in his words or actions.

After a moment of silence, she let out a heavy sigh and walked over to him, her small footsteps crunching on the snow.

She gently patted his head.

“Thank you for apologizing, Paul.”

Her voice was calm and kind, so much so that it could bring tears to one’s eyes.

“Sniff… Miss!”

Tears poured from Paul’s eyes in an instant.

As he began to sob uncontrollably, Laviela recoiled in horror, taking a step back.

“W-What is this?! Stop crying!”

“I-I’m sorry, sniff, I’m so sorry, hic, waaaah!”

“Why are you crying more when I told you to stop?!”

“Sniff… I’ll, hic, speak more, hic, respectfully, sniff…”

Even as tears streamed down his bright red face, Paul managed to stammer out his words.

Laviela stared at him in disbelief for a moment before shaking her head. She awkwardly patted his head again.

“…Fine, fine, just stop crying already. I’m really bad at comforting people.”

“Sniff…”

“Ugh, I said stop crying!”

Laviela grumbled and scolded Paul in a hushed voice as he continued to sob quietly.

But despite her tone, her hand never left his head, gently patting him until his tears finally subsided.

—

‘So even adults can cry like children…’

That was my main takeaway after watching Paul cry nonstop for ten minutes straight.

‘I didn’t expect him to feel ‘that’ guilty.’

By the time Paul’s swollen eyes had returned to normal, he had to press his face into his hands to hide the puffiness before we returned.

Even so, he followed me with a sheepish smile, which was impressive in its own way.

Anyway.

[You understand, right? When I give the signal, we’ll escape and head to the Duke of Esperanza’s estate in the capital. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too dangerous. We’ll likely have to travel in hiding while they take the main roads. If we’re not careful, we could get caught at the city gates.]

[Understood, miss.]

With the plans I had devised back at the tower and Paul’s unexpected cooperation, our escape preparations were about halfway complete.

The remaining half…

“Mom.”

“Hmm?”

I called out to her as she sat at the entrance of the carriage, eating a simple meal. She set down her spoon and turned to look at me, tilting her head in curiosity.

‘…Should I tell her?’

The familiar, warm expression on her face made my heart ache.

For a fleeting moment, I considered telling her about my plan to escape with Paul and negotiate with the Duke of Esperanza.

But I quickly bit my lip and swallowed the words.

‘No, I can’t.’

The thought of revealing my memories of a past life and the truth about this world being a novel was overwhelming.

Besides, how could I possibly tell her that I was going to die?

Explaining my terminal illness and inevitable death would only break her heart.

‘The more the original story deviates, the less useful my knowledge becomes. To save Mom, fewer people should know about the novel.’

I was going to die anyway.

No matter how many times I revisited the story, there was no mention of anyone curing my illness with divine power or discovering its cause.

If I could save Mom by using the knowledge I had, then that was enough.

But to save her, we first had to escape the Marquis’s grasp.

As long as I was held hostage, Mom would remain his puppet.

‘The Marquis won’t harm Mom easily since he needs her for an alliance with the Duke of Bryan. But me? I’m disposable.’

The conclusion was clear.

To ensure both Mom and I could escape safely, we needed to separate temporarily.

After organizing my thoughts, I let out a deep breath and spoke to her.

“Mom, could you give me my birthday present early?”