I Accidentally Kidnapped The Ultimate Villain – Chapter 24

Ch 24

It was clearly a letter written by Lionell.

『I like winter. When winter comes, I remember the day I first met you.

I think of the titmouse we saved back then, and I sometimes look back on that time before I fall asleep.

So I hope you think of me before you fall asleep, just like I do.

I didn’t know you were afraid of hawks, but don’t worry, this one will be very gentle. Of course, I don’t even know if you’ll be able to see this letter.

If it acts violently, I’ll apologize. If you’re surprised, I’ll apologize for that in advance too.

I hope time passes quickly, and the day you fall asleep and wake up next to me comes soon.

p.s. Try to write the reflection letter as soon as possible.

━Your Lionell.』

Weren’t these words also what Aria from the original story said when she clung to the Crown Prince? I don’t remember the details, but the general gist was like that. Especially the part about saving the titmouse together and the story about falling asleep and waking up.

How did this happen?

With a crunch, the paper Aria was looking at was crumpled up. When she looked at Killian in surprise, he clenched the crumpled paper and said.

“I heard there’s a scam going around like this these days.”

“My memories…”

“They haven’t returned, but I do remember this.”

His smiling face was so menacing that she couldn’t ask any further.

“Haha… I see.”

“Yes, that’s right. So, I’ll throw away this letter.”

“Yes… please do.”

For some reason, Aria felt like she was sweating cold and completely drained.

She kept trying to avoid his gaze, but he was staring at her blatantly. The arm that had loosened from her waist had somehow wrapped around her again, like an anaconda about to swallow its prey.

“Please let go now.”

“I haven’t received full payment yet, so I can’t.”

Killian was holding her so tightly that Aria felt like she could hear his heartbeat pounding against her back. On closer listening, it seemed like it wasn’t his heartbeat but her own.

He stayed like that for a long time before finally letting go.

◈◈◈

“Killian-nim, you like mazes?”

Once again, when dawn came, Aria couldn’t refuse his request to go outside. Her body was tired, but she felt bad about leaving him alone last time.

“Yes. Being here makes me feel like my memories will somehow return.”

If it weren’t for that, she would have refused outright… or maybe not.

“I won’t fall anymore, so can you please let go of my hand?”

“Is my hand uncomfortable for you, Aria Princess?”

“No! I’m just worried that it might be uncomfortable for you, Killian-nim!”

It was obviously uncomfortable, and if Killian held her this tightly, it felt like she wouldn’t be able to run away.

The problem was that her mind seemed to have run away, and she wanted to be closer to him.

“I’m fine.”

She was momentarily captivated by his smiling words. The maze was a truly enormous maze. The maze in the Dolorein Estate was Aria Dolorein’s masterpiece.

The high walls made of plants and trees made it difficult for anyone who didn’t know the way to get out. Of course, Aria knew it roughly since she had read the original work.

But she didn’t want to voluntarily enter the Minotaur’s labyrinth and become a sacrifice.

But the maze and Killian.

If she had to choose between the two, she would choose the maze.

Killian was like an inescapable, fearful entity, while the maze was a fear from which she could escape.

Besides, if she got lost in the maze, the servants would come looking for her.

But what about Killian?

If he were to regain his memories without building any rapport with her, he wouldn’t leave her alone.

Besides, his saying that going to the maze might help him remember wasn’t just an empty statement. Killian was a person too, so he would want to go back.

She also felt frustrated that she couldn’t remember, and they couldn’t live together in her room forever.

Above all, it wouldn’t be comfortable for him either. Sharing a room with someone of a different gender.

Besides, he couldn’t possibly be unaware of her reactions to him. Maybe he already knew and was just tormenting her. It was as if she was experiencing cognitive dissonance; her mind told her it wasn’t right, but her body, like a dog following its owner, wanted more.

How ridiculous would that be?

Aria thought so, but seeing the maze in front of her was a new experience. The walls made of dense plants were so thick that she couldn’t see inside.

“It’s actually uncomfortable for me when you ask, Aria Princess.”

“Hah…!”

She was so focused on Killian that she bumped her face into the plant wall.

“Look at this. And you said you would walk without holding my hand?”

Aria didn’t feel any pain, but she was embarrassed. He gently smiled as he removed the leaves stuck in her hair, and she felt like a mouse about to be swallowed.

“But Killian, you seem to remember all the paths we took last time?”

“The patterns are similar. I think I know where to go.”

Aria recalled that he had an extraordinary mind in the original story and followed his lead. If he said he remembered the path, it wouldn’t be a lie. No matter where they went, they would eventually return to the room.

The only fortunate thing was that she had worn comfortable shoes. She had been walking for a long time in uncomfortable shoes lately, so her feet hurt.

She didn’t want to show it, so she was walking bravely, but her big toe and little toe felt like they were about to burst. Her calves were also swollen and tired, and her waist was also strangely sore.

“Aria Princess.”

“Hah, yes!”

It was as if he could tell whenever she was thinking about something else.

“Are you having a hard time?”

“……Yes.”

She didn’t think she had shown it that much.

“Your walk was strange, so I wondered what was wrong. Your legs also look uncomfortable.”

“How do you know?”

“I can tell by looking.”

He has a strange ability.

But why was he so cruel to Melina in the original story?

Killian didn’t even bat an eye when Melina was subjected to all kinds of humiliation at the party. He even coldly abandoned Melina, who had injured her ankle and refused to dance with him.

‘Come to think of it, he’s someone who hates being touched, so why does he keep doing this to me? Is it because he lost his memory?’

There was even a scene where Melina suspected that he might have a germaphobia.

Considering that, he’s really…

No, maybe tormenting her was more fun than being disgusted?

He might feel a sense of thrill from tormenting the kidnapper who made him lose his memories. He wasn’t someone who had smooth interpersonal relationships.

As Aria became serious again, he broke the silence and said.

“Shall we go back?”

“No. I want to walk a little more. That way, my memories might return.”

Aria’s tension eased slightly when he stroked her cheek.

Why is Killian, who didn’t care about Melina’s angelic appearance in the original story, being so nice to me? Was he originally a kind person but changed? Is that why he’s so kind now that he’s lost his memories?

“Ah!”

Aria was surprised when he suddenly picked her up and almost fell backward.

“Hold on tight. That way, you won’t get hurt.”

“I must be heavy…!”

“Not at all. So hold on tight.”

At those words, she hugged his neck, and he chuckled softly as if he found it amusing. The laughter that matched his low voice blended with the chirping of insects.

“Aria Princess, do you miss your mother?”

He said, recalling that Aria had called for her mother in her sleep last time.

Strangely, because her longing for her mother was similar to hers, she began to feel sorry for the original Aria, who had kidnapped a strict person and caused her trouble, rather than resenting her.

Above all, it was her body now.

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“A lot.”

She hugged his neck tighter because her voice was about to sound like a goat again. That way, she wouldn’t have to look at his face.

“Me too.”

Killian killed the real Killian, the eldest son of Loenbert, and took his place. Not because of ambition, but because the Loenbert Duke had actually killed his entire family.

As revenge for his family.

“What was Killian’s mother like?”

“She had red hair and a bright smile. She also cried easily.”

“…….”

“She often played pranks on me. What was your mother like, Aria Princess?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember much.”

The memory of Aria Princess’s biological mother that she knew was all from that dream.

“But the fact that she abandoned me is vividly clear.”

“…….”

“She went away so coldly even though I begged her not to.”

Aria didn’t want to make eye contact with Killian, so she hugged him again. He paused for a moment, then started walking again.

“That must have been hard.”

“……I don’t know.”

She liked the way he patted her back, which was similar to her heartbeat, so she stayed still. As he tapped her, her rapid breathing gradually returned to normal. For some reason, she felt his cold warmth through her clothes.

It seemed to give her a sense of stability.

“Aria Princess.”

She liked the way he slowly walked and called her name, so she exhaled softly and replied.

“Yes…”

“If you could go back in time, what choice would you make?”

When the hand patting her back stopped, Aria pulled away and looked at him. His deep violet eyes, which had become quite familiar, were now looking at her with a gentle gaze, as if he was earnestly waiting for an answer to his question.