I Tried To Escape Through Death

hat all I needed to do was just stay by his side.

 

I kept my mouth shut.
When he did not hear an answer, he proceeded to kiss the bottom of my ear and the nape of my neck, as if urging me to answer him.
His actions were tenacious; it was like he was testing how far I could endure.

 

Every place his lips touched felt hot, like my skin had been branded at those spots.
The tingling sensation tingled down all the way to my toes.

 

“Wait, wait, wait…”

 

Without realizing it, I lifted my free hand and wrapped it around his wide shoulders.
I held onto his shirt until it crumpled.

 

Somehow, in that brief moment of confusion, my brain couldn’t think straight.
Using ragged gasps to breathe, it was as though I was running out of oxygen.

 

I reached out and pushed Calix’s shoulder once I came to my senses.
Even though I could only push very weakly because I had no strength, he quietly backed away.

 

Even without looking into a mirror, I could tell that my face would be red-hot right now.
I hated Calix, who, on the other hand, seemed so perfectly normal.
He was even the one who started it all.

 

I glanced at his calm face, took a deep breath, and opened my mouth.

 

“There’s still a problem.”

 

“What problem?”

 

“I heard that my name is Regina Rohelo Troxia.”

 

“Right, that’s your name.”

 

Calix’s attitude was too calm.
Couldn’t he see what the problem was? He saw the sight of the burning mansion with me that night.

 

“The entire Troxia family is dead because they had committed treason.
Based on what you said, I think I’d be better off hiding in the countryside like this.”

 

“…Is that why you’ve been staying here all this time?”

 

Something didn’t make sense.

 

A big sigh came out without my knowledge.
He must have thought that sigh had some sort of meaning, as Calix hurriedly stood up and helped me up. 

 

“I know what you’re worried about, but don’t worry.
You’ll be fine in my estate.”

 

“It’s not just anything, it’s treason.”

 

“It was a false accusation.”

 

“Even if it really is false, that statement is useless unless the truth could be revealed.”

 

Calix replied to me sadly.

 

“I’ll take care of that.”

 

He doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he’s good at saying that he’ll fix it.
I raised my finger again, wondering how he would address my next problem.

 

“I still have another problem.”

 

“Sh!t.
What is it this time?”

 

“According to you, we are married.
There must be someone at the Duke’s residence who would be able to recognize me, would that be okay?”

 

“Uh…?”

 

If I were really the Duchess of Hertrio, there would be no reason not to spread rumours about the Duchess returning home.

 

Calix looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
I could see his eyes blinking helplessly.

 

“Rena.
You must have really lost your memory.”

 

“…”

 

“No, no.
I was talking nonsense.”

 

He rubbed his face with his hands.
His face, which was revealed again before long, had a degree of seriousness that I had never seen before. 

 

“It’ll be fine.
It’s been a long time since we got married…”

 

“…And when we got married, we lived in the Troxia estate, not the Hertrio estate…”

 

‘Look at him?!’

 

I managed to shut my mouth, which was about to open in response to his absurdity.

 

Did you think that the year you spent in Troxia was spent being a son-in-law? 

 

I wanted to refute this nonsense immediately, but unfortunately, I was currently playing the role of an amnesic person.
The show must go on whether he believed me or not.

 

Calix avoided my gaze and looked down.
No matter how impudent his slightly blushing face was, he must have felt ashamed.

 

Calix cautiously opened his mouth.

 

“And, you didn’t use honorifics for me in the past.
So, I want you to stop using them.”

 

“Aren’t I just a humble commoner?”

 

“Then this is an order.”

 

The word ‘bastard’ rose in my throat, but I just nodded obediently.
I was reaching the end of my limit in terms of using honorifics for him while I had to pretend not to know him, anyways.

 

“Then don’t use them anymore.
As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, we will depart for the Hertrio estate.”

 

This time, I also looked straight into Calix’s blue eyes.

 

‘It seems like nothing had been resolved.’

 

What has already happened is what had happened. 

 

It happened that I, too, was starting to grow tired of living in such a rural area without being able to go out comfortably.
I decided to think as positively as possible.
I meekly nodded. 

 

“…Yes, Calix.”

 

So, I made an irreversible choice.

 

***

 

Late at night, Calix Axel Hertrio was sitting by the low light of the lamp and looked down at the sleeping Regina lying on the bed.

 

His Regina’s face was exactly the same as the one he had pictured in his mind over and over again during the past five years.
She was more mature than the last time he saw her, she had developed a womanly femininity, but aside from that she was not different from what he had imagined.

 

There was no way he wouldn’t be able to recognize Regina in the first place.
Even in his dreams, he had seen her face.
He thought he’d never be able to forget her face for the rest of his entire life. 

 

There’s no way she doesn’t know that…

 

He thought of Regina, who had claimed she didn’t know him, and unconsciously clenched his fist.

 

“Rena.”

 

It was not that he didn’t know how she was pretending not to remember him. 

 

“You don’t have to do that to me.”

 

There was no answer from the sleeping person.