About an hour after the meal, Pristin expressed her distress.
“Ashulla, I think I’ve eaten too much.”
“Do you feel uncomfortable?”
“Yes…”
“What do you want? Do you want me to call a doctor?”
“No, that’s not…”
“Then shall I bring you some digestive medicine?”
“I’m pregnant, so medicine is a little…”
“Then what should I do for you?”
Ashulla asked, frustrated by Pristin’s continued vagueness.
Pristin glanced at her, then opened her mouth as if she was having a very difficult time telling the truth.
“I think it’s because I haven’t been working out lately… I think it’s a lack of exercise.”
“What?”
“I wish I could take a walk…”
“A walk?”
Ashulla’s expression was colored with embarrassment when she heard Pristin’s request. Of course, she had developed feelings for Pristin after living with her for over a month, but she couldn’t forget that Pristin was truly the woman of the enemy.
As a mere maid, however, that fact of the matter didn’t mean much to Ashulla, and while she wished she could give Pristin a moment to blow off some steam, it wasn’t a matter of her own discretion.
Pristin watched Ashulla for a moment, confused, before letting out a short sigh.
“No. I was mistaken. This is my situation now… I’ll just stay.”
“…”
“I’m sorry, Ashulla. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“I’ll see what I can do, Countess.”
It was then that Ashulla was brave enough to open her mouth.
“But I don’t know if it’s going to work out.”
“Really?”
Pristin said to Ashulla with a twinkle in her eyes,
“Ashulla, just knowing you’re not reluctant to help me makes me so happy.”
“No, I’m not sure whether it will work or not yet…”
“At least Ashulla, you’re on my side here, aren’t you?”
“I…”
“You’re on my side. Honestly, do I have anyone on my side here?”
Pristin snagged Ashulla’s hand and said in a delighted voice.
“Thank you so much, Ashulla. I’m so lucky to meet a child like you.”
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Unfortunately, the results were not very good.
“I’ve asked, but I think it’s going to be difficult.”
Ashulla apologized to Pristin, her voice thick with embarrassment,
“I’m sorry, I tried to convince him myself, but…”
“No, Ashulla. I’m just glad you went out of your way for me.”
Pristin smiled graciously and held Ashulla’s hand tightly.
Only then did Ashulla’s expression look a little more relaxed.
‘I didn’t think it would be easy actually.’
A hostage is still a hostage, even if you’ve been quiet the whole time you’ve been here.
You can’t just send them out there without knowing what they’re up to.
‘I need to find another way…’
The longer she spent here, the more anxious she became. The problem was, there was no way to change this situation. It was an endless cycle of helplessness.
— Knock knock
Then, she heard a knock on the door from the outside. A moment later, the door opened and someone came inside. As she turned her head, she saw Akkad. It was the first time she had seen him since she woke up here.
Pristin’s expression instantly hardened.
“…Lord Bachell.”
“Step outside for a moment.”
“Yes, lord.”
Ashulla went out and they were finally alone.
Pristin stared at Akkad with her brow narrowed and asked,
“How may I help you, Lord Bachell?”
“I was wondering if you were doing well, so I stopped by.”
“That’s amazing. The wise lord knows that can’t be true.”
“Is there anything that’s bothering you? I thought we were pretty accommodating.”
“I’m well fed, of course, and sleeping well, but that’s not all.”
Pristin continued in the most gentle voice,
“In the context of confinement, it’s not eating, it’s not sleeping.”
“…”
“If you could at least let me go out for a walk, I’d have some breathing room.”
“I’ve heard that you asked for a walk through the maid,”
Akkad replied after a moment of silence.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t.”
“That’s what I heard through the maid, too.”
Pristin gave him a not-so-subtle look.
“But I don’t understand. As you know, I don’t have the opportunity to communicate with the outside world.”
Pristin added, glaring at Akkad,
“Except to run away from here.”
“I know you won’t.”
“And yet you won’t allow me to?”
“…Hm.”
Akkad responded with an ambiguous sound.
“If you cooperate with me, I will speak well of you to my lord.”
“Cooperate?”
Pristin asked in a voice that didn’t quite understand.
“As you’ve heard, I’ve been pretty well behaved.”
“Thankfully so.”
“Because I’m not a single body.”
Pristin continued quietly,
“Have I ever made a fuss since I’ve been here? I’m eating well, I’m sleeping soundly.”
Pristin spoke in as pleasant and persuasive a tone as she could muster to get her point across.
“I have His Majesty’s baby growing in my belly, and, moreover, I am in the first trimester of my pregnancy, a time when one must be on one’s guard, as you well know, and, as you know, escape is impossible.”
“Yes, I know.”
Akkad said after nodding his head,
“So if you will cooperate with me, I will speak to my lord.”
“What kind of cooperation do you mean?”
“I need proof that Your Excellency is alive here.”
“Proof of what…?”
“I sent a letter to the imperial palace stating that Your Excellency is here, but His Majesty doesn’t believe me.”
“…”
“I’m not sure if you really did or if you’re just pretending.”
“Well, even putting myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t easily believe it,”
Pristin lied nonchalantly, weighing in on the latter.
“After all, there’s no way to believe such a letter after you’ve killed me.”
“Either way, I think there’s enough reason to have such suspicions.”
Akkad responded without refuting it.
“The emperor should recognize Your Excellency’s handwriting. Please write a handwritten letter.”
“A handwritten letter?”
“Here, stating that you are safe and wish for His Majesty to rescue you soon.”
“…”
“That is all you need to do.”
“…Lord.”
“Of course, we’ll censor it before sending it, so there’s no point in writing something silly.”
“What if I don’t feel like writing?”
“That’s why I’m asking for your cooperation.”
“…”
“What are you going to do? I think you’d better take the easy way out.”
“In exchange, please allow me to take a walk while I’m stuck here,”
Pristin demanded in an imposing voice.
“I’m the kind of person who needs to go for a walk at least once a day, and I haven’t been able to for two weeks now, and as you should know from your studies in herbalism, lack of exercise is very bad for a mother.”
“I can make you a medicine to compensate for the lack of exercise.”
“I need to see sunlight, and medicine can only do so much.”
Pristin spoke sharply.
“Don’t say anything else. Will you allow me if I cooperate?”
“…Yes, I will.”
“Please give me proof.”
Akkad stared at Pristin as if he didn’t know what that meant.
“Proof that I can trust you with this deal.”
“…Proof?”
“Of course, I’m the absolute underdog right now, so there’s no way I can fully trust you.”
That was the one thing she resented most, but it couldn’t be helped. The odds were stacked against her.
“If you break the promise, then I will consider there is no trust between us and just die.”
Eventually, Pristin brought out the most extreme card she could play.
“If even such a trivial and small promise isn’t kept properly, how can I trust that the former emperor will keep the most important promise?”
“…I see.”
Akkad opened his mouth with a sigh.
“I’ll guarantee you a walk. I’ll bet my honor, my loyalty, and everything.”
Pristin was tempted to ask Akkad if he had any honor left, but she held back. No good would come from provoking him.
“Instead, I expect you to honor your word and fulfill your promise.”
“Wait a minute. You don’t expect me to do that right now, do you?”
“Is that difficult?”
“How can I write a letter right away?”
Pristin stalled calmly.
“Give me some time, and I’ll think about writing a letter.”
“How long are you talking about?”
“A… week?”
“That’s too long.”
“Five days.”
“I’ll give you two days.”
“Three days. Nothing less.”
Pristin said, reaching out,
“Listen, Lord Bachell. I can’t wait to get out of here, and no matter how well you treat me, you know that two weeks in solitary confinement in a pregnant woman’s body is not a comfortable situation at all.”
“…”
“I should write to His Majesty in a more relaxed state. That way I can communicate my heart better.”
“If it’s your heart.”
“How much I love him.”
Pristin said, looking straight into Akkad’s eyes.
“And how much I want him to save me.”
“…I see.”
Akkad nodded unexpectedly.
“In short, you want to take a walk first.”
“Give me paper and a pen. I’ll deliver the completed letter in three days, no matter what happens.”
“Yes. Understood.”
At the end of the conversation, Akkad politely bowed to Pristin.
And just before leaving, as if he had forgotten, he left the final words.
“I hope this story will have a happy ending.”
After Akkad left, Pristin, who was left alone, murmured as if it were funny,
“So do I, Lord Bachell.”
