'It's a good thing my dress has pockets.'
I hurried out of the bank, my pockets feeling suddenly heavy.
'I have to move fast.'
After retrieving the money from the bank, I bought some plain clothes and a scarf on a street frequented by commoners and stopped at an inn to change.
Thank goodness it's winter. No one would suspect me with a scarf wrapped around my face.
Feeling like a completely different person, I walked out of there and into an even shabbier-looking inn.
"Welcome! Are you by yourself?"
"Yes. I want to stay overnight and get a meal."
"3,500 sennar for dinner and a room."
I was inwardly nervous that the innkeeper would look at me strangely, but he took my money without any question.
And with that, I was able to satisfy my hunger.
I had been starving for about two days, and my stomach was aching with hunger.
Part of me wanted to eat some meat, but my stomach would hurt if I suddenly ate something heavy on an empty stomach. A big upset stomach would cause me a lot of trouble, so I ate a creamy stew and bread.
'Ah, I think I'm going to live now.'
I quickly finished the bowl of hot stew and retreated to my ramshackle single room, locking the door securely behind me before I could rest my aching body.
But I was so tired that my mind was a mess, filled with anxiety and worry.
'Did anyone recognize me?'
I kept my face covered as I left the first inn, but I kept wondering if my behavior was awkward.
'I can't get caught until I'm out of the capital.'
I hadn't completely escaped death yet. The Cliff's men, who hadn't found my body, might be looking for me.
And if they caught me, I might not be able to avoid death as in the original story.
'If I don't meet the third condition of the exception, is it pointless no matter how hard I try?'
That would mean that my efforts to run away from the capital would be for naught.
But the only times I met both conditions of exception were when I was trying to survive, so this time too I have no choice but to make the effort.
'But where should I run to? I don't know anything about the countryside outside of the capital...... No, let's get some sleep, and tomorrow I'll buy a map and some other things......'
My worries were endless, but my energy was completely drained, and at that point, as if a fuse had blown, I lost consciousness and fell asleep.
After a deep, dreamless sleep, I woke up with a pain in my back, and the room was already bright.
I rubbed my swollen eyes and looked outside to see that it was already almost noon.
'At least I woke up feeling better after a good night's sleep.'
My body was still aching and sore, but I didn't feel like sleeping anymore.
I gave the inn's errand boy some coins to get some water and did a quick wash.
But the bruises and wounds from Shane and Sophia's beating were still horrible, and I had to cover my face with a scarf even indoors.
I went down to the first floor, paid to stay another night, and asked where I could get a map.
"A map of the capital?"
"No. A map of the entire empire."
"That would be a bit expensive...... If you go out and go straight to the right, you'll come to an intersection with the main street. If you go straight through there, there's a place on the left called "Kindra General Store" on your left, and you can buy it there."
It was a good thing the innkeeper didn't inquire further about my personal circumstances.
I covered my scarf-wrapped head with my shawl once more and stepped outside.
I bought a cheap coat to dress as a commoner, but the cold breeze seeped in.
'I have to keep my wits about me.'
I wasn't sure if it was my skin or my mind that was chilling. I walked hard, blending in with the crowd of people walking by.
At the intersection with the main street, I pulled up my coat collar, pretending to shiver in the cold. For in the distance I saw the knights of House Ludwig.
'Were they ordered to catch me?'
I became nervous.
But I didn't want to look suspicious to them, so I summoned all the composure I could muster and walked at a similar pace to everyone else.
It was only when I reached the Kindra General Store that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The owner was an older man, and without even asking, he proceeded with my purchases: an empire map, a traveling leather bag, a portable lantern, flint, candles, a utility knife, and a first aid kit.
Although my luggage was already a bit heavy, I bought some underwear, a woolen cardigan, a thick skirt, and winter stockings.
'Now, all I have to do is pack and leave.'
Trudging back to the inn, I stuffed my few belongings into my bag and scrambled to my feet.
'Should I go to the carriage station right now?'
Search parties had been dispatched, and someone might already be at the train station.
After thinking about it some more while pacing back and forth in my room, I decided to stay another night.
'I only have to pay for one more night anyway......'
With that excuse in hand, I ate my meal and went back to bed.
But the next day, I paid the innkeeper for another night.
Because it was raining.
'I don't have an umbrella, and if I go out, I'll catch a cold, which is dangerous at this point.'
Meanwhile, I borrowed an umbrella from the inn, bought two books from a bookstore on the main street, and bought a slice of fresh cream cake from a nearby bakery.
Then I locked myself in my room, reading a book while nibbling on what might be my last cake.
The next day I had a fever, the next day I was too cold, and the next day I postponed my departure because I wanted to eat cake just one more time.
It was a peaceful time, but I was still uncomfortable in the back of my mind.
Only I knew why I was being so unreasonable.
'If I leave, I'll never see Killian again, will I?'
Every time I think about it, my heart aches.
When I think back over my life, including my previous life, I can't think of anyone who has ever given me more excitement and joy than Killian.
At first, it was simply because of his looks, but as time went on, it was hard not to love him for believing in me and protecting me.
I didn't want to believe Sophia's words about him using me as a 'billboard', even now that I was completely abandoned by the Ludwigs. It was hard to let go of the small hope that Killian might come looking for me.
But that evening, while eating in the inn's dining room, I realized I could hold back no longer.
"I hear Duke Ludwig is looking for someone."
"Who?"
"Someone from the same family that fought a territorial war last time. The whole family was captured, but one person got away, a daughter or a daughter-in-law, I don't really remember."
"She must be smart."
The two men continued to eat and talk.
"Do they have a bounty on her head?"
"Not yet, but it looks like it might be soon."
"Well, a noblewoman on the run. It won't be long before the wanted flyer goes out."
It may have been a casual topic of conversation for them, but for me, listening behind them, it was eerie news.
'Wanted......? As expected, I've been abandoned by the Ludwigs......'
If they were looking for me, Killian's wife, they wouldn't be looking for "someone from a family that fought a territorial war last time", but they would be looking for "Duke Ludwig's daughter-in-law".
'I must run before they put a bounty on my head.'
I returned to my room with half my dinner left.
With my hopes of Killian finding me shattered, I suddenly felt as if the whole world had gone dark.
'I can't hope for a happy ending for me.'
But even so, I couldn't hate Killian, and I was grateful that he'd been so kind to someone he would eventually abandon.
'Even with everything that's happened...... the past year has been like a dream.'
I smiled weakly.
I am happy that I had the chance to stay with Killian. I felt a joy in life that I hadn't felt in the 28 years I'd been Choi Soo-na.
I decided to erase the painful memories and leave behind only the exciting ones.
But I couldn't sleep well at night.
***
"Carriage to Driburn! Leaving in 30 minutes!"
"Carriage to Apentus! Leaving in 40 minutes!"
Arriving with heavy steps, the stables near the capital's southern gate were even more disorganized than I had imagined.
The long-distance traveling carriages lined up side by side looked like covered carriages, just as Anna had said, and everyone, coachmen and passengers alike, was shouting loudly.
It was a good thing the weather had turned colder, so I could wrap my scarf and shawl tightly around my face, but even bundled up, I was still cold and my toes were frozen.
'Where should I go? Driburn or Apentus?'
After a few days of deliberation, I narrowed down the choices.
Driburn is a port city with a lot of people and work. There are plenty of opportunities to make money there, and if I'm lucky, I can escape by ship.
Apentus is a similar city to Driburn in size, but with more commerce and a more awakened consciousness than the capital, with many shops run by women.
But there is one thing they both have in common: they are close to Ryzen.
'Maybe someday in my life, I'll get a chance to see Killian, even if it's just from a distance.'
I couldn't let go of that vague hope, so I decided on those two cities.
"To Driburn! We're leaving soon! Those who haven't boarded yet, hurry!"
The coachman of the carriage to Driburn shouted as he made his rounds.
I sat on a bench in the carriage station, chewing my lip and thinking.
Eventually, the carriage to Driburn departed.
A few moments later, the coachman of the carriage to Apentus started shouting again.