She hid behind an old dresser in the hallway, crouched down, hugging her training uniform, lost in thought.
'Laura called Cloud 'Uncle.'
Does that mean Cloud's brother is Laura's father? She didn't know that. He never showed it to her.
And only then did she remember who the owner of the voice was.
It was Laura's mother who took care of her when she was young. It was so long ago that she couldn't quite remember her name.
Even though they had been together all day just a few years ago, at the age of twelve, it seemed like a long time ago to her at the age of eighteen.
'And, Laura's father...was killed by my father's hands.'
She wondered why Laura was treating her so badly, and it turned out there was a reason behind it.
But that didn't mean she could forgive her for deceiving and using her. She wasn't that kind of person.
No, if you forgive the other person and consider their circumstances after going through such a terrible thing, that is not kind, it is stupid.
“I must go to see my lord, sister-in-law. Tomorrow will be a long day, so go to bed early. You too, Laura.”
She heard Cloud open the door and come out. Her head was still in a mess, but she couldn't hide in this hallway forever, so she stayed pressed against the wall and watched their movements.
Not long after Cloud came out, Laura and her mother also returned to their bedroom.
Aila, who had been waiting until their footsteps were no longer heard, quickly put the training uniform she was holding into the pile of laundry and returned to her room.
When she returned to her room, she was staring at the ceiling dimly in the darkness. It was a night when sleep would not come at all.
It was because the conversation between Cloud, Laura, and her mother kept coming to mind.
Aila knew that the arduous journey would continue from tomorrow and that she would have a hard time if she didn't go to bed early, but the same question kept lingering in her head.
'What on earth happened between Byron and my father?'
In the past, he had believed Byron's words that Duke Roderick Weishaffen had falsely accused him and that he had to live in hiding because of it.
Now that he knew Byron had lied to her, she didn't believe everything he said, but she was confused because she didn't know exactly what had happened.
'My father... killed someone.'
Roderick, whom she had known for two years, seemed blunt at first glance, but he was an exceptionally warm person to Ophelia and Aila.
Of course, he was a sword master with excellent swordsmanship skills, and he commanded the Knights of Weishaffen, the protectors of the Peles Empire, so he might have killed countless enemies on the battlefield.
But...
'What if everything Byron says is true? What if my father is really a bad guy...?'
No, that couldn't be true.
And even if Byron's words were true, it didn't matter. That didn't change the fact that Byron and his men had deceived and used her.
He kidnapped a two-year-old child from her parents, trained her to his liking, and then used her as a tool to kill her parents.
That was something only a true devil could do.
'Father, mother...'
Aila clutched the blanket tightly with both hands, for a sudden overwhelming loneliness had come over her, and she could not bear it.
It was a long night.
***
“Miss, wake up. Miss.”
At Laura's voice calling her, Aila was pulled back from her dream into the real world.
Maybe it was because she had fallen asleep with her pillowcase soaked in tears late at night, but she didn't wake up easily. Her swollen eyelids didn't show any signs of closing.
“Oh my, it’s ugly. Why are you so swollen? The master will be furious if he sees you. If you don’t get up quickly, I’ll leave you behind. Get up quickly.”
Laura said sharply, throwing back the covers. Aila was so sleepy that she didn't even feel angry at Laura for nagging her. She just got out of bed and sat there blankly.
“Here you go. Drink some cold water and you’ll feel a little more awake.”
Laura said as she poured water into a glass. Aila drank the cool water, and just as Laura said, it felt like she was waking up a little.
After washing up and changing clothes, she felt like she was almost ready to leave. There was just one last thing left to do.
That's right, it was about wearing a hat that covered her entire head.
“You know you must never take your hat off until you get to a safe place, right?”
"Yes."
Laura said, tying the string of Aila's hat under her chin. It was a warning she always gave when moving.
Thinking back now, it seemed like it was an attempt to hide her silver hair, which was an uncommon hair color.
She wore a frilly bonnet and a cute flowing one-piece dress that she didn't usually wear, completing the visual of a rich girl. It seemed like she was going to disguise herself as a merchant and a mercenary this time.
The clothes they wore varied depending on who they were disguising themselves as, but they were usually wandering gypsies or wealthy merchants.
She climbed into a small carriage that followed at the very back of the procession with Laura. It was a crude carriage.
Although he said that he had no choice because of the circumstances, Byron's carriage would probably be luxurious even in these circumstances.
As Aila sat down on the carriage seat, she saw Laura's mother sitting across from her. At first, she couldn't quite remember, but as she kept thinking about it, she vaguely remembered that her name was Capella.
Soon, the procession set off. The carriage rocked back and forth, perhaps because it was a poorly maintained forest road.
Laura, who is prone to motion sickness, immediately grimaced.
“I’m going to rest for a bit. Please don’t talk to me.”
"Yes."
It didn't seem like they were on friendly terms, having conversations about every little thing. Laura said something she didn't have to and then closed her eyes tightly.
Aila turned her eyes away from Laura and looked at the scenery quickly passing by outside the window. All she could see was an endless forest, but the peaceful scenery seemed to distract her distracting thoughts.
How long did you run like that?
They still hadn't left the vast forest, but it was getting dark, and they needed to prepare for camping.
Aila, who had been curled up in the narrow carriage all day, stretched and got out of the carriage. Only then did her stiff body seem to loosen up a little.
After filling her stomach with simple food and entering the small tent she shared with Laura, she could barely take off the hat she had been wearing all day.
It was summer and the weather was hot, so it was hard work to wear a hat.
It was a difficult situation to get water while camping, but fortunately or unfortunately, there was a person who was obsessed with her hair, so Laura brought water.
It was to wash Aila's hair.
Perhaps exhausted from the arduous journey, Laura did not utter a word while her hair was being washed.
For Aila, it was rather a welcome development. She also kept her mouth shut, so silence filled the tent.
After drying their hair carefully, Aila and Laura both lay down in their sleeping bags without saying a word, perhaps because they were both tired.
As they lay side by side trying to fall asleep, Aila suddenly remembered the conversation she had overheard last night.
If she looks at it that way, Laura must have had a lot of patience. It wouldn't be easy to take care of one's father's enemy.
Aila herself barely managed to calm her anger by imagining how to kill Byron in various ways whenever she saw him. When she thought that Laura might be looking at her with the same mindset, she couldn't help but chuckle.
It was truly a gruesome sight.
What a sight, lying in the same space like this, deceiving each other and wearing thick masks.
It was a shame that she was the only one who knew about this interesting situation.
Laura had already fallen asleep, breathing softly and evenly.
Aila stared at her profile for a long time.
Wasn't that a truly peaceful-looking face? It didn't look like the face of a girl who lived fiercely every day to avenge her father.
Aila, who had been looking at Laura's face in the darkness, also fell asleep not long after.
***
The carriage carrying Aila continued on for several more days.
After leaving the forest and finding a deserted road, they had to run for a while before they could reach their destination.
The place they were staying this time was an old ruin with a half-collapsed wall. The uniquely styled building made of stone was said to be a trace of an ancient civilization.
There were ruins like this all over the Peles Empire.
The remains of ancient people who said that when the Ice Age came, rivers and seas froze, and all plants died and perished.
Most people were reluctant to go near ancient ruins because they believed they would be cursed by the ancients.
There were places where undead monsters actually appeared, but they were rare. Most of the ruins had long since become dens of bandits and cultists.
Thanks to this, it was also a perfect hideout for fugitives like Byron.
'Yeah, I've stayed in places like this before.'
Looking at the old walls covered with moss and vines, Aila closed her eyes as if to reflect on the memories. She had moved so often that most places felt the same, but this place was special and memorable.
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