"What?"
“...Her learning speed is too fast. It wasn’t like this until yesterday... I can only say it’s an innate talent. In particular, her sword-handling skills are so excellent that you can’t believe they’re the skills of a twelve-year-old girl.”
Oops. She swallowed, thinking that she had made a mistake. Fortunately, the sound wasn't that loud, so they didn't notice her presence.
Maybe she should have pretended to be a little worse. But how could she pretend to be worse here? She had done the best she could.
“...Ha. So this is Roderick Weishaffen’s daughter. She looks like her father, who only has swordsmanship to spare. Well, that’s not a bad thing. I hope she improves quickly and stabs her father in the back.”
Fortunately, however, both Byron and Cloud seemed to accept her skills as innate talent.
In fact, it wasn't an innate talent. It was something she achieved through hard work.
In the past, when she was twelve years old, she was not this good at handling a dagger. She had to face Byron's disappointed face several times, saying that her skills were not improving, and every time, she prayed that her hands would become her feet.
And she always tried.
For her father, who is her everything in life.
To avenge her father. To receive her father's love.
When Laura locked the door and locked herself in, she practiced her swordsmanship, swinging a stick in the dark.
Even when she lay down to sleep and closed her eyes, she continued to review what Cloud had taught her during the day. Until the moment she fell asleep.
That was the skill Aila gained.
Thinking back now, it was really a vain thing.
“Then I will leave that child’s work to you from now on. I hope you raise her to be a useful person.”
“Yes, my lord. I will obey your command.”
“And, is there anything else you want to report? What is it?”
There seemed to be no more talk about her, so Aila sighed.
But she couldn't relax. From now on, there might be more important information she needed to eavesdrop on.
“It is said that the knights of Weishaffen appeared in the village beyond the forest. They asked if there were any abandoned fortresses, caves, or mountain lairs of bandits within the forest.”
“...You followed me here again. Ha. You’re so persistent.”
Byron spat out harsh words in a voice full of anger. It seemed that this was the reason he had been wandering all this time.
Roderick, the father... Aila felt her heart swell with emotion at the fact that he did not give up and continued to send out knights to find Byron, who had kidnapped his daughter and disappeared.
“What should we do, my lord?”
“What should I do? What should I do? I have to leave.”
“Yes. I will find a suitable place as soon as possible.”
As Aila continued to listen to the stories, it seemed like she would be leaving this fortress soon.
‘...I finally found out the secret passage. Are you leaving so soon?’
Tsk. She grumbled to herself. She could only use the secret passage she had discovered for a day, so it was a shame that she had to leave. But she could still use it until she left.
“If you’re done looking, then just go. I’ll prepare a bath and a massage for you on the way. Did you overdo it today? I’m tired.”
“Yes, my lord. Please rest.”
It seemed like the story was over. If he had been told to prepare a bath, it seemed like there was nothing more she could gain by continuing to linger here.
After Byron finished his bath, he was sure to have a drink as he always did and then go to bed.
Aila quietly closed the door that she had left slightly open and hid herself again in the crack in the wall.
Not long after she hid herself, the door opened, and Cloud came out. She held her breath until he disappeared down the hallway, then went back through the secret passage to her room.
Fortunately, Aila's secret night out went undetected.
In a way, it might have been an obvious result. She wouldn't have thought it would be possible to escape from a room surrounded by stone walls on all sides.
Thanks to this, she was able to freely roam the fort every night for several days before leaving.
She tried exploring the secret passage, but didn't find much.
Most of the passages were unusable because they had furniture placed on top of them, and she didn't even know there was a hidden passage entrance. She found a few weapons inside the passages, but they were all rusted and unusable because they hadn't been properly maintained.
These weapons looked like they had been made for at least a hundred years.
Still, it was much easier to move around at night thanks to the fact that she had sneaked one of her laundered training uniforms and hidden it in the hallway.
This training suit could be worn every night and then secretly put back in the laundry just before leaving the fort.
The most unprofitable thing was watching Byron.
Aika had no idea what he was doing during the day because she always spent her time training, but she thought she could watch him at night and find some clues to figure out what he was up to.
He was always locked in his room, reading and writing countless letters.
She wished she could sneak into his room and read his letters, but he rarely left his room at night.
He had to leave the room for a moment to wash up before going to bed, but at that time, the door was locked, so she couldn't go in at all.
She also thought about sneaking in through the window. However, there were no trees near the large south-facing window of his room, and it was clearly exposed to the fortress' yard, so sneaking in through the window seemed too dangerous.
In any case, it seemed that no more information could be gathered until the residence was moved.
A few days later.
“Miss, you should go to bed early, because we will be leaving the fortress tomorrow morning.”
Laura said this early in the evening as she put Aila to bed.
“You should stop doing other things and go to sleep right away. You’ll be tired since you’ll be camping for a few days.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
Knowing that if she didn't answer, she would be watched until she did, Aila answered obediently. Perhaps liking the look, Laura gave a hollow cough and locked the door again.
Aila sighed deeply. She sighed at the thought of spending a few days sleeping by a fire in the middle of the forest.
Sleeping on a sleeping bag on the floor was uncomfortable, but what was more uncomfortable was the fact that Laura slept snuggled up next to her.
That was because she couldn't be locked up outdoors.
‘...This is not the time. I need to put my training uniform back.’
Since she was leaving tomorrow, she would have packed her bags by now, but since the laundry kept coming in, she packed it separately at the end. So now was the only chance she had to return her training clothes.
There was also the option of leaving them in the hallway, but it was risky because if one set of training uniforms disappeared every time they moved, it could arouse suspicion at some point.
She waited in her room for a while until the sun set, and then went out through the underground passage as usual. Then, she tried to sneak into the room where she kept her laundry and cleaning supplies to avoid people, but when she felt a presence inside the room, she held her breath.
'Who's there? Two people. No, three people.'
It was a disaster. She had to return the laundry quickly before they took it back, but there was someone there.
What on earth were they doing, gathering in groups of three or five in a place like this during this busy time when everyone was preparing to leave? It was a truly suspicious situation.
'Let's hear what they're talking about.'
After making sure no one was around, she put her face close to the door and listened.
“Sister-in-law, I...”
It was Cloud's voice. Sister-in-law? Aila, who didn't even know that Cloud had a brother, let alone a sister-in-law, perked up her ears and focused on the voice that was coming out.
“There you go again, Cloud. Don’t you want to avenge your brother?”
A sharp female voice questioned Cloud. It was a voice that was clearly familiar, but it was a voice she hadn't heard in a while, so she couldn't quite remember.
“No. I just... feel bad about deceiving a child like that.”
“Uncle, what are you talking about? Have you forgotten what that girl’s father did? He killed my father.”
This time, a girl's voice, different from the one before, interrupted and became angry. It was a voice she could not possibly not recognize.
Laura. It was the voice of her maid, Laura.
Aila thinks the child or girl they're talking about is her.
“...I know, Laura. I know. But...”
What crime did such a child commit? Cloud muttered in a small voice.
“...And Laura, you were only eight years old when it happened. And you don’t even remember exactly what happened to your father.”
Cloud calmly reassured her. But Laura grew more irritated by Cloud’s tone and raised her voice.
“Don’t treat me like a child! At that age, I remember a lot of things. Especially when it comes to horrible memories like when my father died and my whole family had to run away like they were being chased.”
Laura's voice was filled with resentment.
“If the master’s plan fails, we will have to run away as criminals forever. I can’t let Laura live that kind of life! My husband, your brother... they can’t remain criminals.”
The voice of the woman Cloud had called Sister-in-law spoke quietly, but with a tone that seemed to burn with anger. Then, Laura's voice, agreeing with her, followed.
“That’s right. My father should be recorded as a knight who died honorably while protecting his lord. To make that happen, I, the daughter of that enemy, would serve the master for a hundred or a thousand years.”
“...Her learning speed is too fast. It wasn’t like this until yesterday... I can only say it’s an innate talent. In particular, her sword-handling skills are so excellent that you can’t believe they’re the skills of a twelve-year-old girl.”
Oops. She swallowed, thinking that she had made a mistake. Fortunately, the sound wasn't that loud, so they didn't notice her presence.
Maybe she should have pretended to be a little worse. But how could she pretend to be worse here? She had done the best she could.
“...Ha. So this is Roderick Weishaffen’s daughter. She looks like her father, who only has swordsmanship to spare. Well, that’s not a bad thing. I hope she improves quickly and stabs her father in the back.”
Fortunately, however, both Byron and Cloud seemed to accept her skills as innate talent.
In fact, it wasn't an innate talent. It was something she achieved through hard work.
In the past, when she was twelve years old, she was not this good at handling a dagger. She had to face Byron's disappointed face several times, saying that her skills were not improving, and every time, she prayed that her hands would become her feet.
And she always tried.
For her father, who is her everything in life.
To avenge her father. To receive her father's love.
When Laura locked the door and locked herself in, she practiced her swordsmanship, swinging a stick in the dark.
Even when she lay down to sleep and closed her eyes, she continued to review what Cloud had taught her during the day. Until the moment she fell asleep.
That was the skill Aila gained.
Thinking back now, it was really a vain thing.
“Then I will leave that child’s work to you from now on. I hope you raise her to be a useful person.”
“Yes, my lord. I will obey your command.”
“And, is there anything else you want to report? What is it?”
There seemed to be no more talk about her, so Aila sighed.
But she couldn't relax. From now on, there might be more important information she needed to eavesdrop on.
“It is said that the knights of Weishaffen appeared in the village beyond the forest. They asked if there were any abandoned fortresses, caves, or mountain lairs of bandits within the forest.”
“...You followed me here again. Ha. You’re so persistent.”
Byron spat out harsh words in a voice full of anger. It seemed that this was the reason he had been wandering all this time.
Roderick, the father... Aila felt her heart swell with emotion at the fact that he did not give up and continued to send out knights to find Byron, who had kidnapped his daughter and disappeared.
“What should we do, my lord?”
“What should I do? What should I do? I have to leave.”
“Yes. I will find a suitable place as soon as possible.”
As Aila continued to listen to the stories, it seemed like she would be leaving this fortress soon.
‘...I finally found out the secret passage. Are you leaving so soon?’
Tsk. She grumbled to herself. She could only use the secret passage she had discovered for a day, so it was a shame that she had to leave. But she could still use it until she left.
“If you’re done looking, then just go. I’ll prepare a bath and a massage for you on the way. Did you overdo it today? I’m tired.”
“Yes, my lord. Please rest.”
It seemed like the story was over. If he had been told to prepare a bath, it seemed like there was nothing more she could gain by continuing to linger here.
After Byron finished his bath, he was sure to have a drink as he always did and then go to bed.
Aila quietly closed the door that she had left slightly open and hid herself again in the crack in the wall.
Not long after she hid herself, the door opened, and Cloud came out. She held her breath until he disappeared down the hallway, then went back through the secret passage to her room.
***
Fortunately, Aila's secret night out went undetected.
In a way, it might have been an obvious result. She wouldn't have thought it would be possible to escape from a room surrounded by stone walls on all sides.
Thanks to this, she was able to freely roam the fort every night for several days before leaving.
She tried exploring the secret passage, but didn't find much.
Most of the passages were unusable because they had furniture placed on top of them, and she didn't even know there was a hidden passage entrance. She found a few weapons inside the passages, but they were all rusted and unusable because they hadn't been properly maintained.
These weapons looked like they had been made for at least a hundred years.
Still, it was much easier to move around at night thanks to the fact that she had sneaked one of her laundered training uniforms and hidden it in the hallway.
This training suit could be worn every night and then secretly put back in the laundry just before leaving the fort.
The most unprofitable thing was watching Byron.
Aika had no idea what he was doing during the day because she always spent her time training, but she thought she could watch him at night and find some clues to figure out what he was up to.
He was always locked in his room, reading and writing countless letters.
She wished she could sneak into his room and read his letters, but he rarely left his room at night.
He had to leave the room for a moment to wash up before going to bed, but at that time, the door was locked, so she couldn't go in at all.
She also thought about sneaking in through the window. However, there were no trees near the large south-facing window of his room, and it was clearly exposed to the fortress' yard, so sneaking in through the window seemed too dangerous.
In any case, it seemed that no more information could be gathered until the residence was moved.
A few days later.
“Miss, you should go to bed early, because we will be leaving the fortress tomorrow morning.”
Laura said this early in the evening as she put Aila to bed.
“You should stop doing other things and go to sleep right away. You’ll be tired since you’ll be camping for a few days.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
Knowing that if she didn't answer, she would be watched until she did, Aila answered obediently. Perhaps liking the look, Laura gave a hollow cough and locked the door again.
Aila sighed deeply. She sighed at the thought of spending a few days sleeping by a fire in the middle of the forest.
Sleeping on a sleeping bag on the floor was uncomfortable, but what was more uncomfortable was the fact that Laura slept snuggled up next to her.
That was because she couldn't be locked up outdoors.
‘...This is not the time. I need to put my training uniform back.’
Since she was leaving tomorrow, she would have packed her bags by now, but since the laundry kept coming in, she packed it separately at the end. So now was the only chance she had to return her training clothes.
There was also the option of leaving them in the hallway, but it was risky because if one set of training uniforms disappeared every time they moved, it could arouse suspicion at some point.
She waited in her room for a while until the sun set, and then went out through the underground passage as usual. Then, she tried to sneak into the room where she kept her laundry and cleaning supplies to avoid people, but when she felt a presence inside the room, she held her breath.
'Who's there? Two people. No, three people.'
It was a disaster. She had to return the laundry quickly before they took it back, but there was someone there.
What on earth were they doing, gathering in groups of three or five in a place like this during this busy time when everyone was preparing to leave? It was a truly suspicious situation.
'Let's hear what they're talking about.'
After making sure no one was around, she put her face close to the door and listened.
“Sister-in-law, I...”
It was Cloud's voice. Sister-in-law? Aila, who didn't even know that Cloud had a brother, let alone a sister-in-law, perked up her ears and focused on the voice that was coming out.
“There you go again, Cloud. Don’t you want to avenge your brother?”
A sharp female voice questioned Cloud. It was a voice that was clearly familiar, but it was a voice she hadn't heard in a while, so she couldn't quite remember.
“No. I just... feel bad about deceiving a child like that.”
“Uncle, what are you talking about? Have you forgotten what that girl’s father did? He killed my father.”
This time, a girl's voice, different from the one before, interrupted and became angry. It was a voice she could not possibly not recognize.
Laura. It was the voice of her maid, Laura.
Aila thinks the child or girl they're talking about is her.
“...I know, Laura. I know. But...”
What crime did such a child commit? Cloud muttered in a small voice.
“...And Laura, you were only eight years old when it happened. And you don’t even remember exactly what happened to your father.”
Cloud calmly reassured her. But Laura grew more irritated by Cloud’s tone and raised her voice.
“Don’t treat me like a child! At that age, I remember a lot of things. Especially when it comes to horrible memories like when my father died and my whole family had to run away like they were being chased.”
Laura's voice was filled with resentment.
“If the master’s plan fails, we will have to run away as criminals forever. I can’t let Laura live that kind of life! My husband, your brother... they can’t remain criminals.”
The voice of the woman Cloud had called Sister-in-law spoke quietly, but with a tone that seemed to burn with anger. Then, Laura's voice, agreeing with her, followed.
“That’s right. My father should be recorded as a knight who died honorably while protecting his lord. To make that happen, I, the daughter of that enemy, would serve the master for a hundred or a thousand years.”
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