It was because the view from her room was spectacular.
“Miss, your room is on the top floor.”
Laura said as she led her into the building. It must have been her first time here, and it was a bit odd for her to act so boastful.
It was an attic that she had to climb up to the third floor by stairs, and then climb up another ladder. As she opened the old, creaky attic door and went up to the room, a nostalgic sight came into view.
The view through the wide windows on both sides was truly beautiful, even when viewed again.
Looking east, she could see the endlessly flowing river running along the vast plain, and looking out the window to the west, she could see the mountains spread out like a picture.
It was one of the best places to see the sunrise and the sunset over the western mountains.
'The question is, how do we escape from here?'
At night, when Laura locked the trapdoor from below, it didn't seem easy to leave the room. It was nice to have a window, but it was too dangerous to climb or jump down the wall on the top floor.
Unlike the other fortresses, which all had similar structures, it was unclear whether there were even secret passages here.
'I'll have to look it up sometime... It might be difficult.'
Aila shouldn't be wasting her time like this. She bit her fingernails impatiently.
Although there were still four years left until she returned to the Duke's household, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
It would be a relief if she only knew what Byron was up to, but it was really hard to figure out.
“I’ll prepare the bath water soon. For now, just rest for a bit. Starting tomorrow, you’ll have to focus on training again.”
“Yes. Thanks, Laura.”
As Laura left the room, Aila lay down on the stone bed that Laura had made for her, covered with a soft blanket.
‘...I was really sad to leave this place.’
The young girl, leaving behind such beautiful scenery, even shed tears. It was a little over a month after she had stayed here. The location had changed.
'I liked the place I moved to quite a bit, so I quickly forgot about it.'
In this situation, she found herself recalling past memories and chuckling.
Now that she thinks about it, where did she move to next? She thinks she liked that place, too. Well, she'll be moving there in a month, so she won't have to try to remember it, but she'll know soon enough.
It didn't seem like anything would come to mind right away, even if she tried to think about it. She frowned and shook her head as she tried to recall her memories.
“Miss, the bath water is ready. Come down.”
And then, just then, she heard Laura's voice calling her from below. She got up, opened the attic door, and left the room.
That night, Aila slept comfortably indoors for the first time in a long while, but she couldn't sleep well. It was because she felt uneasy.
After washing up with Laura's help, Aila was dragged away by Byron, whom she had hardly seen while moving, and had a hard time enduring it.
As she watched Byron kissing her hair as he always did, she was overcome with the urge to cut it off right away.
Unable to show her discomfort on the outside, she returned to her room and immediately devoted herself to finding the secret passage.
Because she felt like she wouldn't be able to endure this terrible situation if she didn't do that.
But the results were disappointing. No matter how she looked, she couldn't see any space in the building's structure where a hidden passage could exist.
Aila went to bed worried that she might just have to let the next month or so pass by like this, so she couldn't sleep comfortably.
After wasting a few days like that, Aila stood again in the training grounds set up near the fortress.
It was enough to tire her of the repetitive, meaningless routine, but she had to endure it. She was used to patience. She had been enduring it since she was young.
“I’m going to try something a little special today, miss.”
Aila, who had been lost in thought, came to her senses at Cloud's words. Special training, huh?
Even for her, who always repeats the same daily routine like a hamster on a wheel, there are special days sometimes.
Under the guise of 'special training', it was one of the few opportunities to leave the hiding place where they were always confined and go out into the surrounding area.
‘...Was it Cloud’s own consideration? He seemed to be concerned about me being deceived.’
Come to think of it, Byron wouldn't have allowed her to leave her hiding place so easily. But then she couldn't help but think about the occasional outings she had been allowed to go out with Cloud.
“Miss, your room is on the top floor.”
Laura said as she led her into the building. It must have been her first time here, and it was a bit odd for her to act so boastful.
It was an attic that she had to climb up to the third floor by stairs, and then climb up another ladder. As she opened the old, creaky attic door and went up to the room, a nostalgic sight came into view.
The view through the wide windows on both sides was truly beautiful, even when viewed again.
Looking east, she could see the endlessly flowing river running along the vast plain, and looking out the window to the west, she could see the mountains spread out like a picture.
It was one of the best places to see the sunrise and the sunset over the western mountains.
'The question is, how do we escape from here?'
At night, when Laura locked the trapdoor from below, it didn't seem easy to leave the room. It was nice to have a window, but it was too dangerous to climb or jump down the wall on the top floor.
Unlike the other fortresses, which all had similar structures, it was unclear whether there were even secret passages here.
'I'll have to look it up sometime... It might be difficult.'
Aila shouldn't be wasting her time like this. She bit her fingernails impatiently.
Although there were still four years left until she returned to the Duke's household, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
It would be a relief if she only knew what Byron was up to, but it was really hard to figure out.
“I’ll prepare the bath water soon. For now, just rest for a bit. Starting tomorrow, you’ll have to focus on training again.”
“Yes. Thanks, Laura.”
As Laura left the room, Aila lay down on the stone bed that Laura had made for her, covered with a soft blanket.
‘...I was really sad to leave this place.’
The young girl, leaving behind such beautiful scenery, even shed tears. It was a little over a month after she had stayed here. The location had changed.
'I liked the place I moved to quite a bit, so I quickly forgot about it.'
In this situation, she found herself recalling past memories and chuckling.
Now that she thinks about it, where did she move to next? She thinks she liked that place, too. Well, she'll be moving there in a month, so she won't have to try to remember it, but she'll know soon enough.
It didn't seem like anything would come to mind right away, even if she tried to think about it. She frowned and shook her head as she tried to recall her memories.
“Miss, the bath water is ready. Come down.”
And then, just then, she heard Laura's voice calling her from below. She got up, opened the attic door, and left the room.
***
That night, Aila slept comfortably indoors for the first time in a long while, but she couldn't sleep well. It was because she felt uneasy.
After washing up with Laura's help, Aila was dragged away by Byron, whom she had hardly seen while moving, and had a hard time enduring it.
As she watched Byron kissing her hair as he always did, she was overcome with the urge to cut it off right away.
Unable to show her discomfort on the outside, she returned to her room and immediately devoted herself to finding the secret passage.
Because she felt like she wouldn't be able to endure this terrible situation if she didn't do that.
But the results were disappointing. No matter how she looked, she couldn't see any space in the building's structure where a hidden passage could exist.
Aila went to bed worried that she might just have to let the next month or so pass by like this, so she couldn't sleep comfortably.
After wasting a few days like that, Aila stood again in the training grounds set up near the fortress.
It was enough to tire her of the repetitive, meaningless routine, but she had to endure it. She was used to patience. She had been enduring it since she was young.
“I’m going to try something a little special today, miss.”
Aila, who had been lost in thought, came to her senses at Cloud's words. Special training, huh?
Even for her, who always repeats the same daily routine like a hamster on a wheel, there are special days sometimes.
Under the guise of 'special training', it was one of the few opportunities to leave the hiding place where they were always confined and go out into the surrounding area.
‘...Was it Cloud’s own consideration? He seemed to be concerned about me being deceived.’
Come to think of it, Byron wouldn't have allowed her to leave her hiding place so easily. But then she couldn't help but think about the occasional outings she had been allowed to go out with Cloud.
Aila wonders if Cloud is trying to relieve his guilt.
She was so grateful that she almost cried. How could she possibly be assuaging her guilt for ruining a person's life with such a small consideration?
“Special training?”
“Yes. I’d like to climb that mountain.”
But when she asked with a voice full of anticipation, hiding her dark feelings, Cloud pointed to the mountain to the west. It was the mountain that could be seen from her room.
'Well, it's not that bad.'
In a world where you are always locked up, it is strange to be able to go out like this every once in a while.
Of course, even though it was just a hike, nothing special, it would still be a change of pace.
“Don’t take it too lightly. It’s a pretty steep mountain.”
“Yeah, I understand, Cloud.”
When Aila heard the story, she vaguely remembered climbing that mountain. It was a steep slope, and she remembered that there were also sections where she had to climb huge rocks.
Normally, it would not be an easy mountain for a twelve-year-old child to climb.
'But it felt good to reach the top.'
Laura's mother, Capella, handed Cloud a lunch bag. Perhaps because she had overheard their conversation in the past, the look in her eyes as she handed him the lunch bag seemed fierce for some reason.
It seemed like pressure to do well and not have useless thoughts.
As always, when they left their hiding place, Laura put a hat on Aila's head. It was a deserted place, but she seemed to be doing it in case she met someone on the mountain.
She was wearing a hat and carrying a picnic bag in her hands. It looked like she was going on a picnic. If she were young, she would have been excited.
The slope at the beginning of the mountain wasn't that steep, so it felt like just a walking trail with a slight uphill climb.
The leaves swayed in the cool breeze, giving off a pleasant scent.
'The smell of wood.'
At first, she didn't have high expectations, but once she got out, she felt refreshed, and her steps became lighter without her realizing it.
As Aila was climbing the mountain in a good mood, she felt Cloud's eyes persistently following her from behind.
He seemed worried that she might disappear from his sight.
Well, if Aila were really twelve, then that would be different. With her current skills, it would be easy to outwit Cloud, but she didn't need to.
She still had no idea what Byron's plan was, and even if she were to escape, she had nowhere to go.
A rugged mountain with no people around. It was a place where if you got lost with bare hands, your life would be at risk.
“Please hold my hand. The rocks are slippery, so if you misstep, you will be in trouble.”
Cloud said to her in a worried voice, extending his hand to her.
Aila looked down at the sturdy hand Cloud held out to her in silence.
It was quite a strange thing. In his blunt and expressionless face, wasn't there a hint of affection?
To Cloud, Aila was the daughter of his enemy, and to her, Cloud was also the target of her revenge.
Even though she knew that the little bit of affection he showed to Aila was a guilt that came from exploiting a child.
Somehow, her feelings were complicated. She couldn't forgive him, but she couldn't completely hate him either.
“Aren’t you going to catch it, Miss?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
As she held Cloud's hand and climbed the rock, the top of the mountain came into view.
Climbing the mountain in such hot weather made her sweat, but it actually felt refreshing.
As she sat on the mat that Cloud had laid out for her, the wind blowing from the mountaintop cooled her sweat.
“Here you go, miss.”
Cloud said as he took out his lunchbox. It was just a sandwich and a lukewarm drink, but it tasted delicious because she was so hungry.
'The view from here is really nice. I thought only the view from my room was pretty.'
She took a bite of her sandwich and looked east, her chin moving. The sight of the river flowing by, sparkling in the sunlight, was truly beautiful.
'Is that the ruins you're currently in? I can see them at a glance.'
Perhaps because they were so high up, the building that had seemed so large seemed really small. The building, with its center around the tall spire where her room was, looked like a bird with its wings spread out.
Aila chuckled and tried to put her sandwich back in her mouth, thinking that it was funny how she was so absorbed in the scenery in this situation.
She would have done so if she hadn't noticed something strange.
'What the heck? Is that what my room looks like?'
Her room, located just below the tall spire, looked a little different from what she had seen from inside.
As she recalls, the attic was a little longer in the east-west direction with windows. But when she looked down from above, the east-west and north-south lengths felt exactly the same.
'Is it a mistake? Or is it...? '
It meant that there was some hidden space.
Even considering the thickness of the wall, it seemed like there would be enough room for at least one person to fit through the hidden space.
Her heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect of finding a secret passage.
“...Is it really that good?”
As Aila smirked and put the sandwich in her mouth, she heard Cloud mumbling.
She was so grateful that she almost cried. How could she possibly be assuaging her guilt for ruining a person's life with such a small consideration?
“Special training?”
“Yes. I’d like to climb that mountain.”
But when she asked with a voice full of anticipation, hiding her dark feelings, Cloud pointed to the mountain to the west. It was the mountain that could be seen from her room.
'Well, it's not that bad.'
In a world where you are always locked up, it is strange to be able to go out like this every once in a while.
Of course, even though it was just a hike, nothing special, it would still be a change of pace.
“Don’t take it too lightly. It’s a pretty steep mountain.”
“Yeah, I understand, Cloud.”
When Aila heard the story, she vaguely remembered climbing that mountain. It was a steep slope, and she remembered that there were also sections where she had to climb huge rocks.
Normally, it would not be an easy mountain for a twelve-year-old child to climb.
'But it felt good to reach the top.'
Laura's mother, Capella, handed Cloud a lunch bag. Perhaps because she had overheard their conversation in the past, the look in her eyes as she handed him the lunch bag seemed fierce for some reason.
It seemed like pressure to do well and not have useless thoughts.
As always, when they left their hiding place, Laura put a hat on Aila's head. It was a deserted place, but she seemed to be doing it in case she met someone on the mountain.
She was wearing a hat and carrying a picnic bag in her hands. It looked like she was going on a picnic. If she were young, she would have been excited.
The slope at the beginning of the mountain wasn't that steep, so it felt like just a walking trail with a slight uphill climb.
The leaves swayed in the cool breeze, giving off a pleasant scent.
'The smell of wood.'
At first, she didn't have high expectations, but once she got out, she felt refreshed, and her steps became lighter without her realizing it.
As Aila was climbing the mountain in a good mood, she felt Cloud's eyes persistently following her from behind.
He seemed worried that she might disappear from his sight.
Well, if Aila were really twelve, then that would be different. With her current skills, it would be easy to outwit Cloud, but she didn't need to.
She still had no idea what Byron's plan was, and even if she were to escape, she had nowhere to go.
A rugged mountain with no people around. It was a place where if you got lost with bare hands, your life would be at risk.
“Please hold my hand. The rocks are slippery, so if you misstep, you will be in trouble.”
Cloud said to her in a worried voice, extending his hand to her.
Aila looked down at the sturdy hand Cloud held out to her in silence.
It was quite a strange thing. In his blunt and expressionless face, wasn't there a hint of affection?
To Cloud, Aila was the daughter of his enemy, and to her, Cloud was also the target of her revenge.
Even though she knew that the little bit of affection he showed to Aila was a guilt that came from exploiting a child.
Somehow, her feelings were complicated. She couldn't forgive him, but she couldn't completely hate him either.
“Aren’t you going to catch it, Miss?”
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
As she held Cloud's hand and climbed the rock, the top of the mountain came into view.
Climbing the mountain in such hot weather made her sweat, but it actually felt refreshing.
As she sat on the mat that Cloud had laid out for her, the wind blowing from the mountaintop cooled her sweat.
“Here you go, miss.”
Cloud said as he took out his lunchbox. It was just a sandwich and a lukewarm drink, but it tasted delicious because she was so hungry.
'The view from here is really nice. I thought only the view from my room was pretty.'
She took a bite of her sandwich and looked east, her chin moving. The sight of the river flowing by, sparkling in the sunlight, was truly beautiful.
'Is that the ruins you're currently in? I can see them at a glance.'
Perhaps because they were so high up, the building that had seemed so large seemed really small. The building, with its center around the tall spire where her room was, looked like a bird with its wings spread out.
Aila chuckled and tried to put her sandwich back in her mouth, thinking that it was funny how she was so absorbed in the scenery in this situation.
She would have done so if she hadn't noticed something strange.
'What the heck? Is that what my room looks like?'
Her room, located just below the tall spire, looked a little different from what she had seen from inside.
As she recalls, the attic was a little longer in the east-west direction with windows. But when she looked down from above, the east-west and north-south lengths felt exactly the same.
'Is it a mistake? Or is it...? '
It meant that there was some hidden space.
Even considering the thickness of the wall, it seemed like there would be enough room for at least one person to fit through the hidden space.
Her heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect of finding a secret passage.
“...Is it really that good?”
As Aila smirked and put the sandwich in her mouth, she heard Cloud mumbling.
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