Ophelia was healthy. Despite her frail appearance, she had never been sick, and was always full of energy and had a bright smile.
It's been over ten years since he last saw her in person, but he's been watching her closely ever since.
But this has never happened even once.
“When? When on earth did she collapse?”
“Judging by the date written on the letter, it seems to have happened about ten days ago.”
Byron had instructed them to report immediately any incidents that occurred to Ophelia, but no matter how quickly they reported, it would take some time for the reports to reach Byron.
It was because Byron was on the run, wandering all over this vast continent.
The fact that he was able to receive a letter with news from Ophelia after ten days was thanks to a special carrier pigeon. It was a magical carrier pigeon trained to deliver letters anywhere by following a tracking device imbued with magic.
If it hadn't been for this, it would have been a long time before he would have heard news of Ophelia.
Byron jumped up from his seat. He wanted nothing more than to rush to the capital city of Venator. He knew he was being chased, and that all he had on was a robe.
It didn't matter to him at all.
He felt like he couldn't bear it if he didn't see Ophelia in person right away.
But his longing for the woman he loved was short-lived. A more instinctive emotion caught up with him.
It was fear.
“...”
Byron looked down at where his right hand should be, with a frightened expression. He still woke up occasionally with pain in his right hand that clearly did not exist.
It was a world where even the most minor wounds could be completely healed with healing magic, but there was no way to get a cleanly severed hand back.
He didn't want to admit it. He was afraid of Roderick, the man who had taken everything from him.
He took away everything he deserved, including his love and his fame.
But he was afraid. It was instinct.
It was inevitable for herbivores to feel fear when faced with a predator.
And Cloud understood his master's fears. Of course, he had no intention of further upsetting Byron, who was already uncomfortable enough, by saying such disloyal thoughts.
In this Peles Empire, no one could beat Roderick Weishaffen in swordsmanship. A body that was strong beyond human strength and swordsmanship, given by the gods.
As much as he hated to admit it, since he was the archenemy of his family, Roderick's sword was flawless.
'And you have Ophelia Hailing, too. God is so unfair.'
Cloud clicked his tongue internally. It felt reckless of him to fight such a person as an enemy.
His brother, who risked his life to protect his lord. And it was something he had to do for his remaining sister-in-law and young nephew, so he had no complaints.
While Cloud was lost in these thoughts, Byron collapsed back onto the bed. He buried his face in his left hand and sighed deeply, looking miserable.
“I will report back as soon as I have any further news, my lord.”
“...Yes, then let’s go out. I want to be alone.”
“Yes, my lord.”
When Byron was in such a bad mood, it was best to leave him alone. If you were to stay around him, you would most likely get hurt by flying objects.
'I should go out and tell the others to be careful too.'
Cloud sighed as he left Byron's room. He intended to tell Byron's sister-in-law and Laura first.
The reason he even told Laura, who never came near Byron, was that he was worried that Aila, who usually only yearned for her father's love, might get hurt by hanging around Byron.
‘...No wonder my sister-in-law is worried.’
Cloud laughed self-deprecatingly.
Aila was going to be used as a discard anyway. After Roderick was assassinated, the child who had fulfilled her needs would also be killed.
But still, he felt sorry for that child.
Cloud shook his head, shaking off the guilt that kept pricking his heart.
"Ah."
Aila, who was changing out of her sweaty training uniform, let out a sigh without realizing it when the wound on her index finger brushed against the hem of her clothes. It was a wound she had gotten the night before when she had been scraped against a stone wall while trying to open a secret passage.
It wasn't that bad, as it was just a little bit of skin peeling off, but she couldn't help but feel a little pain every time it brushed against me.
“What? When did you get hurt here, Miss?”
“...It was just a little scratched.”
As you train, you are bound to get scars here and there.
Now, she was skilled in both swordsmanship and archery, so she didn't get any new wounds, but at this time in her last life, her hands were covered in scars. Small scars like these were nothing serious.
And Laura must have thought so too, as she passed over it without much doubt.
Because this morning, something bigger than a small cut on her finger had happened.
“Here, medicine. Are you able to treat that level of wound on your own now?”
Laura said curtly, placing a basket of ointments and bandages next to Ayla.
It was always like this. This time, she wasn't seriously hurt, but even if she had been seriously hurt, no one would have cared about her health. Except for Cloud, who showed some sympathy.
As she was looking at the bottle of medicine that had been thrown at her with cold eyes, Laura opened her mouth again.
“By the way, I guess you’ll have to eat alone today.”
“Me alone? Why?”
Aila asked with a voice full of wonder.
Sometimes she would eat dinner alone without Byron, but most of her late breakfasts were with Byron. This was a very rare occurrence.
“Well, I guess the master is in a bad mood. He wants to be alone. Did you do something wrong?”
Laura said, crossing her arms and giving her a disapproving look. It was a pointless remark, even though she knew that Aila couldn't have done anything wrong after being locked in the attic all night.
But Aila, who was actually stabbed, felt her heart sink.
'I hope they don't catch me sneaking into the room?'
Her mistakes were no ordinary mistakes. She sneaked out of the room through a secret passage, and even broke into Byron's room while he was sleeping to dig up his secrets.
Nothing was definitely found out because of the mysterious coded letter, but who knows what would happen if it were discovered?
“Then rest. I’ll bring the meal here when it’s ready.”
Laura said with a snicker. It seemed quite amusing to see Aila's face turn pale and her tremble in fear.
As Laura closed the attic door and left, Aila, who was left alone, began to seriously worry.
'No. I don't think I was caught.'
If she had been caught sneaking into Byron's room, it wouldn't have ended here. There would have been an uproar that would have turned this historic building upside down.
Then why on earth? Why did Byron suddenly become so upset?
To find the cause of this, there was one thing she had to think about first.
That was the question: was it the original story that happened regardless of Aila's return to the past and changes, or was it something that changed because of her actions upon returning to the past?
'Think about it carefully, Aila Weishaffen.'
She tried to console herself by recalling her memories.
It was a name that she didn't know was her real name until just recently. It felt natural for her to call herself 'Aila Weishaffen'.
After wandering in her memories for a while, she came to the conclusion that 'it didn't really happen.'
It wasn't certain, but it was because there were only happy things happening during the time she spent in this attic. The beautiful scenery, the special classes she hadn't had in a long time.
It was a time that felt even more precious because the time she spent here was not that long.
But if there had been a sad incident during those happy times, where she could not have a meal with her beloved father, she would have clearly remembered it.
'Then what on earth is the cause?'
Aila grimaced as she applied a generous amount of ointment to the wound on her finger. It was partly because the wound stung, but more distressing was the fact that she didn't know the cause of the sudden change.
After her wounds were roughly treated, Aila calmly looked back on the day.
It was a start, not much different from usual. She woke up at dawn and started the day lightly by running outside the ruins.
'Wait a minute, then Cloud...'
Aila, who was diligently searching for something different from the usual, remembered the unusual scenery she had seen that morning.
An unfamiliar bird, not commonly seen in the surroundings, flew in, and Cloud caught it.
She couldn't see it clearly because she saw it from afar, but immediately after that, she became lost in thought and ran into the building.
So, could it be that Byron's discomfort was related to the bird?
If the bird had brought a letter with some bad news, and Byron had locked himself in his room after hearing it from Cloud.
‘...Then, there is only one thing I have to do tonight.’
It was time to find out what message the strange bird was bringing.
It's been over ten years since he last saw her in person, but he's been watching her closely ever since.
But this has never happened even once.
“When? When on earth did she collapse?”
“Judging by the date written on the letter, it seems to have happened about ten days ago.”
Byron had instructed them to report immediately any incidents that occurred to Ophelia, but no matter how quickly they reported, it would take some time for the reports to reach Byron.
It was because Byron was on the run, wandering all over this vast continent.
The fact that he was able to receive a letter with news from Ophelia after ten days was thanks to a special carrier pigeon. It was a magical carrier pigeon trained to deliver letters anywhere by following a tracking device imbued with magic.
If it hadn't been for this, it would have been a long time before he would have heard news of Ophelia.
Byron jumped up from his seat. He wanted nothing more than to rush to the capital city of Venator. He knew he was being chased, and that all he had on was a robe.
It didn't matter to him at all.
He felt like he couldn't bear it if he didn't see Ophelia in person right away.
But his longing for the woman he loved was short-lived. A more instinctive emotion caught up with him.
It was fear.
“...”
Byron looked down at where his right hand should be, with a frightened expression. He still woke up occasionally with pain in his right hand that clearly did not exist.
It was a world where even the most minor wounds could be completely healed with healing magic, but there was no way to get a cleanly severed hand back.
He didn't want to admit it. He was afraid of Roderick, the man who had taken everything from him.
He took away everything he deserved, including his love and his fame.
But he was afraid. It was instinct.
It was inevitable for herbivores to feel fear when faced with a predator.
And Cloud understood his master's fears. Of course, he had no intention of further upsetting Byron, who was already uncomfortable enough, by saying such disloyal thoughts.
In this Peles Empire, no one could beat Roderick Weishaffen in swordsmanship. A body that was strong beyond human strength and swordsmanship, given by the gods.
As much as he hated to admit it, since he was the archenemy of his family, Roderick's sword was flawless.
'And you have Ophelia Hailing, too. God is so unfair.'
Cloud clicked his tongue internally. It felt reckless of him to fight such a person as an enemy.
His brother, who risked his life to protect his lord. And it was something he had to do for his remaining sister-in-law and young nephew, so he had no complaints.
While Cloud was lost in these thoughts, Byron collapsed back onto the bed. He buried his face in his left hand and sighed deeply, looking miserable.
“I will report back as soon as I have any further news, my lord.”
“...Yes, then let’s go out. I want to be alone.”
“Yes, my lord.”
When Byron was in such a bad mood, it was best to leave him alone. If you were to stay around him, you would most likely get hurt by flying objects.
'I should go out and tell the others to be careful too.'
Cloud sighed as he left Byron's room. He intended to tell Byron's sister-in-law and Laura first.
The reason he even told Laura, who never came near Byron, was that he was worried that Aila, who usually only yearned for her father's love, might get hurt by hanging around Byron.
‘...No wonder my sister-in-law is worried.’
Cloud laughed self-deprecatingly.
Aila was going to be used as a discard anyway. After Roderick was assassinated, the child who had fulfilled her needs would also be killed.
But still, he felt sorry for that child.
Cloud shook his head, shaking off the guilt that kept pricking his heart.
***
"Ah."
Aila, who was changing out of her sweaty training uniform, let out a sigh without realizing it when the wound on her index finger brushed against the hem of her clothes. It was a wound she had gotten the night before when she had been scraped against a stone wall while trying to open a secret passage.
It wasn't that bad, as it was just a little bit of skin peeling off, but she couldn't help but feel a little pain every time it brushed against me.
“What? When did you get hurt here, Miss?”
“...It was just a little scratched.”
As you train, you are bound to get scars here and there.
Now, she was skilled in both swordsmanship and archery, so she didn't get any new wounds, but at this time in her last life, her hands were covered in scars. Small scars like these were nothing serious.
And Laura must have thought so too, as she passed over it without much doubt.
Because this morning, something bigger than a small cut on her finger had happened.
“Here, medicine. Are you able to treat that level of wound on your own now?”
Laura said curtly, placing a basket of ointments and bandages next to Ayla.
It was always like this. This time, she wasn't seriously hurt, but even if she had been seriously hurt, no one would have cared about her health. Except for Cloud, who showed some sympathy.
As she was looking at the bottle of medicine that had been thrown at her with cold eyes, Laura opened her mouth again.
“By the way, I guess you’ll have to eat alone today.”
“Me alone? Why?”
Aila asked with a voice full of wonder.
Sometimes she would eat dinner alone without Byron, but most of her late breakfasts were with Byron. This was a very rare occurrence.
“Well, I guess the master is in a bad mood. He wants to be alone. Did you do something wrong?”
Laura said, crossing her arms and giving her a disapproving look. It was a pointless remark, even though she knew that Aila couldn't have done anything wrong after being locked in the attic all night.
But Aila, who was actually stabbed, felt her heart sink.
'I hope they don't catch me sneaking into the room?'
Her mistakes were no ordinary mistakes. She sneaked out of the room through a secret passage, and even broke into Byron's room while he was sleeping to dig up his secrets.
Nothing was definitely found out because of the mysterious coded letter, but who knows what would happen if it were discovered?
“Then rest. I’ll bring the meal here when it’s ready.”
Laura said with a snicker. It seemed quite amusing to see Aila's face turn pale and her tremble in fear.
As Laura closed the attic door and left, Aila, who was left alone, began to seriously worry.
'No. I don't think I was caught.'
If she had been caught sneaking into Byron's room, it wouldn't have ended here. There would have been an uproar that would have turned this historic building upside down.
Then why on earth? Why did Byron suddenly become so upset?
To find the cause of this, there was one thing she had to think about first.
That was the question: was it the original story that happened regardless of Aila's return to the past and changes, or was it something that changed because of her actions upon returning to the past?
'Think about it carefully, Aila Weishaffen.'
She tried to console herself by recalling her memories.
It was a name that she didn't know was her real name until just recently. It felt natural for her to call herself 'Aila Weishaffen'.
After wandering in her memories for a while, she came to the conclusion that 'it didn't really happen.'
It wasn't certain, but it was because there were only happy things happening during the time she spent in this attic. The beautiful scenery, the special classes she hadn't had in a long time.
It was a time that felt even more precious because the time she spent here was not that long.
But if there had been a sad incident during those happy times, where she could not have a meal with her beloved father, she would have clearly remembered it.
'Then what on earth is the cause?'
Aila grimaced as she applied a generous amount of ointment to the wound on her finger. It was partly because the wound stung, but more distressing was the fact that she didn't know the cause of the sudden change.
After her wounds were roughly treated, Aila calmly looked back on the day.
It was a start, not much different from usual. She woke up at dawn and started the day lightly by running outside the ruins.
'Wait a minute, then Cloud...'
Aila, who was diligently searching for something different from the usual, remembered the unusual scenery she had seen that morning.
An unfamiliar bird, not commonly seen in the surroundings, flew in, and Cloud caught it.
She couldn't see it clearly because she saw it from afar, but immediately after that, she became lost in thought and ran into the building.
So, could it be that Byron's discomfort was related to the bird?
If the bird had brought a letter with some bad news, and Byron had locked himself in his room after hearing it from Cloud.
‘...Then, there is only one thing I have to do tonight.’
It was time to find out what message the strange bird was bringing.
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