“Whoa, whoa.”
With the sound of the coachman stopping his horse, the carriage that had been running ceaselessly stopped. Aila, who was dozing off in the carriage, woke up to the sound.
She stuck her head out the window and looked ahead. The gate leading to Grunfeld, a small town west of Venator, was visible in the distance.
After running for several days, they finally arrived near their destination.
“I’ll be there soon. Give this to the young lady.”
Cloud held out a small glass vial to Laura through the window on the other side.
It looked similar to the glass bottle that Aila had hidden in her waistband, but it was a bit larger. And the liquid inside was a different color.
It was a slightly brownish green liquid that she absolutely did not want to drink.
But Aila already knew that she was destined to drink it soon, because she had done so in the past.
“Here, Miss. Take this. It’s a potion that will temporarily change the color of your hair and eyes.”
“...Ugh.”
In the past, she used to drink it because she was curious about the fact that it would change the color of her hair and eyes, but she still has a vivid memory of frowning because it was so tasteless.
That's why Aila didn't dare to drink the magic potion.
“Please take your medicine quickly, Miss. You must take your medicine before we can set off again!”
“Yes, Laura.”
Aila blocked her nose to avoid smelling the medicine and took a deep breath. It was clear that if she smelled it, it would be a gustatory terror as well as olfactory pain.
All sorts of tastes, bitter, sour, and sweet, assaulted her taste buds indiscriminately, and Aila shuddered in pain.
Soon, the medicine began to take effect, and her scalp and eyes began to feel tingly.
“...Now we will set off again.”
Cloud, who had been watching the scene from outside the window, gave a signal to the coachman, and the carriage slowly started moving again.
'It's amazing every time I see it.'
She looked at her hair, its silver sheen gone. Her braids were now a common shade of brown.
Perhaps the pupils would also change to the same color.
It was a strange thing, but it was truly a terrible taste. The intense taste still lingered on her tongue, and she tried to get rid of it by moving her tongue around.
Meanwhile, the carriage had already arrived at the gate guarded by guards. The guards, having confirmed the forged identification, were not satisfied with that and were opening the carriage one by one to examine it.
The same was true of the carriage Aila was riding in.
“Excuse me, Young Lady.”
Although she was not that fancy, she was wearing clothes that looked like those of a lower-class nobleman, so the guard greeted her politely and closed the door.
Even after examining the carriage she was riding in, the security guards continued to check her. As Aila was thinking that maybe this was how cities were, she heard the conversation of pedestrians outside.
“Oh my god. What kind of inspections are these? Why is it so unusual?”
“You didn’t know? That...”
Aila pricked up her ears and focused on the conversations of the pedestrians, thinking that she would be able to find out why the security was so tight, but unfortunately, the inspection was over at that exact moment, and the carriage had already departed, so she was unable to hear the reason.
‘...It can’t be a coincidence.’
The security was stricter than usual. And Byron, who couldn't avoid such a place, came here on purpose.
It could never have been a coincidence.
'Perhaps this guard is also for that 'young lion'.'
If this journey were really to follow that lion, then it would certainly be so.
She couldn't tell exactly who it was, but he must have been at least of the same rank as the Duke or higher.
The carriage carrying her entered Grunfeld and drove for a long time until it arrived at a tavern with a sign that read, 'The Wild Goose Tavern.'
It was a relatively large bar. It seemed to occupy the entire three-story building. The first floor hall was a bar, and the second floor and above were decorated like an inn where guests could stay.
And Byron's party had rented the whole place, for there was not a single guest in the large hall.
Even the owner, who was supposed to be guarding the counter, handed the key to Cloud and walked out of the tavern, giggling.
It seemed like he woke up and got a lot of money.
“I hope it went smoothly?”
Byron, who was the last to get off the carriage and enter the tavern with a puff of smoke, asked in an arrogant voice.
He, too, had drunk the same magic potion as her; his hair and eyes were also brown.
“Yes. Since this is a place where large towers are sometimes rented out in their entirety, I don’t think it will arouse suspicion.”
Byron nodded, seemingly satisfied with Cloud's answer, and followed Capella's guidance into his room.
“You too, young lady.”
Laura yawned tiredly and took Aila up to the third-floor room.
“You’ll be staying in this room for about three days. During that time, you must eat in this room. It’s dangerous outside. You must not look out the window. This is a dangerous place with lots of people.”
Laura lifted her chin and scolded Aila in a haughty voice. Despite the fatigue from being on the move for several days, she looked no different than usual.
“Yeah, I understand.”
Aila said in a calm voice. It was something she had expected. She had already experienced it in her previous life, and if someone happened to spot her dazzling silver hair while looking out the window, it would have been a big problem.
In the past, she couldn't even look out the window, so she was just excited because it was new and exciting to come to a place where there were people around.
“Mr. Cloud said he is very busy and cannot help you train. So, please rest in this room for a few days. My dear, your fate is deteriorating.”
Aila didn't know what was so great about taking a few days off from training, but Laura clicked her tongue in disapproval as she continued.
But Aila didn't have the heart to get angry at that sight. She was too busy wondering what on earth Cloud was doing to skip her daily training.
It was a training session that they did indoors, even when it rained.
Her curiosity was unbearable, but she couldn't do anything about it right now.
Just waiting for night to come.
However, when the long-awaited night finally arrived, Aila could not be happy.
“You can sleep with me today, Miss.”
Capella said in a hard voice.
Aila glanced at the sleeping pills hidden there, frowning inwardly.
Tonight didn't seem to be the time to take medicine.
“Yeah, I understand. Capella.”
What was so scary was that every time she moved from one inn to another, she had to alternate between being watched by Capella and Laura.
One night it was Capella, and the next day it was Laura. They watched Aila all night long with their eyes wide open.
This was not a forest or mountain village with no people around, so it was natural that the security would be tighter.
Capella's surveillance was not welcomed by Ayla, who was anxious to find out what Cloud was doing and why Byron was here.
'If Laura doesn't know, it's dangerous to put Capella to sleep with sleeping pills.'
The owner of the sleeping potion she created was her daughter, not Capella.
If Laura were still young, she would have likely hidden the fact that she had fallen asleep while doing her duty as a watchdog for fear of being scolded, but Capella was different.
There was no way she, who was wide-eyed and intent on avenging her husband, would fall asleep while watching Aila. If she suddenly couldn't overcome her drowsiness, she would definitely suspect Aila.
'I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow.'
Capella was also human, so she couldn't stay up all night and watch over her, so Laura was definitely coming tomorrow night.
Then, at that time, she could put Laura to sleep with the medicine she made and leave the inn.
Aila went to sleep with that thought in mind.
“What happened to my instructions?”
Byron swirled the glass in his hand. The clear liquid in the glass sloshed as the glass moved.
“I have prepared as you commanded. There will probably be a small commotion soon.”
His ever-loyal right-hand man, Cloud, spoke in a deep, trustworthy voice.
Yeah, that's right.
Cloud never disobeyed his orders. He never made a mistake in doing what he was told.
Byron grinned and took a sip of the drink in his glass. It was a strong drink with a pleasant aroma. The strong drink burned his throat as he sipped it.
“But... I guess I’ll have to change my plans a little.”
Byron frowned and put his glass down on the table, smiling his usual, moody smile.
“...Please speak.”
Cloud seemed momentarily taken aback by his master's sudden change of plans, but soon answered in a calm voice.
Byron raised the corners of his mouth as if he liked that attitude.
“Kill him.”
Byron opened his mouth, and cruel words came out of his lips. It was unclear who he was telling them to kill, but his voice did not show even the slightest trace of guilt.
“...Who are you talking about?”
Cloud's voice, which had maintained a calm demeanor throughout, trembled slightly. He seemed to be taken aback by the sudden instruction.
“That guy. My nephew.”
Byron crossed his legs again, his glass in hand. He looked relaxed, not like someone who was ordering the killing of a person, especially his own nephew.
“My lord, that is...”
Cloud's eyes fluttered slightly. Byron took another sip of his drink and snorted. He must be so small.
“Isn’t he the kind of guy you’re going to kill someday anyway? I’m just killing him a little early. Kill him when you get the chance.”
“But... wasn’t your goal this time to follow him on his journey and cause a little commotion?”
At Cloud's question, Byron frowned.
With the sound of the coachman stopping his horse, the carriage that had been running ceaselessly stopped. Aila, who was dozing off in the carriage, woke up to the sound.
She stuck her head out the window and looked ahead. The gate leading to Grunfeld, a small town west of Venator, was visible in the distance.
After running for several days, they finally arrived near their destination.
“I’ll be there soon. Give this to the young lady.”
Cloud held out a small glass vial to Laura through the window on the other side.
It looked similar to the glass bottle that Aila had hidden in her waistband, but it was a bit larger. And the liquid inside was a different color.
It was a slightly brownish green liquid that she absolutely did not want to drink.
But Aila already knew that she was destined to drink it soon, because she had done so in the past.
“Here, Miss. Take this. It’s a potion that will temporarily change the color of your hair and eyes.”
“...Ugh.”
In the past, she used to drink it because she was curious about the fact that it would change the color of her hair and eyes, but she still has a vivid memory of frowning because it was so tasteless.
That's why Aila didn't dare to drink the magic potion.
“Please take your medicine quickly, Miss. You must take your medicine before we can set off again!”
“Yes, Laura.”
Aila blocked her nose to avoid smelling the medicine and took a deep breath. It was clear that if she smelled it, it would be a gustatory terror as well as olfactory pain.
All sorts of tastes, bitter, sour, and sweet, assaulted her taste buds indiscriminately, and Aila shuddered in pain.
Soon, the medicine began to take effect, and her scalp and eyes began to feel tingly.
“...Now we will set off again.”
Cloud, who had been watching the scene from outside the window, gave a signal to the coachman, and the carriage slowly started moving again.
'It's amazing every time I see it.'
She looked at her hair, its silver sheen gone. Her braids were now a common shade of brown.
Perhaps the pupils would also change to the same color.
It was a strange thing, but it was truly a terrible taste. The intense taste still lingered on her tongue, and she tried to get rid of it by moving her tongue around.
Meanwhile, the carriage had already arrived at the gate guarded by guards. The guards, having confirmed the forged identification, were not satisfied with that and were opening the carriage one by one to examine it.
The same was true of the carriage Aila was riding in.
“Excuse me, Young Lady.”
Although she was not that fancy, she was wearing clothes that looked like those of a lower-class nobleman, so the guard greeted her politely and closed the door.
Even after examining the carriage she was riding in, the security guards continued to check her. As Aila was thinking that maybe this was how cities were, she heard the conversation of pedestrians outside.
“Oh my god. What kind of inspections are these? Why is it so unusual?”
“You didn’t know? That...”
Aila pricked up her ears and focused on the conversations of the pedestrians, thinking that she would be able to find out why the security was so tight, but unfortunately, the inspection was over at that exact moment, and the carriage had already departed, so she was unable to hear the reason.
‘...It can’t be a coincidence.’
The security was stricter than usual. And Byron, who couldn't avoid such a place, came here on purpose.
It could never have been a coincidence.
'Perhaps this guard is also for that 'young lion'.'
If this journey were really to follow that lion, then it would certainly be so.
She couldn't tell exactly who it was, but he must have been at least of the same rank as the Duke or higher.
The carriage carrying her entered Grunfeld and drove for a long time until it arrived at a tavern with a sign that read, 'The Wild Goose Tavern.'
It was a relatively large bar. It seemed to occupy the entire three-story building. The first floor hall was a bar, and the second floor and above were decorated like an inn where guests could stay.
And Byron's party had rented the whole place, for there was not a single guest in the large hall.
Even the owner, who was supposed to be guarding the counter, handed the key to Cloud and walked out of the tavern, giggling.
It seemed like he woke up and got a lot of money.
“I hope it went smoothly?”
Byron, who was the last to get off the carriage and enter the tavern with a puff of smoke, asked in an arrogant voice.
He, too, had drunk the same magic potion as her; his hair and eyes were also brown.
“Yes. Since this is a place where large towers are sometimes rented out in their entirety, I don’t think it will arouse suspicion.”
Byron nodded, seemingly satisfied with Cloud's answer, and followed Capella's guidance into his room.
“You too, young lady.”
Laura yawned tiredly and took Aila up to the third-floor room.
“You’ll be staying in this room for about three days. During that time, you must eat in this room. It’s dangerous outside. You must not look out the window. This is a dangerous place with lots of people.”
Laura lifted her chin and scolded Aila in a haughty voice. Despite the fatigue from being on the move for several days, she looked no different than usual.
“Yeah, I understand.”
Aila said in a calm voice. It was something she had expected. She had already experienced it in her previous life, and if someone happened to spot her dazzling silver hair while looking out the window, it would have been a big problem.
In the past, she couldn't even look out the window, so she was just excited because it was new and exciting to come to a place where there were people around.
“Mr. Cloud said he is very busy and cannot help you train. So, please rest in this room for a few days. My dear, your fate is deteriorating.”
Aila didn't know what was so great about taking a few days off from training, but Laura clicked her tongue in disapproval as she continued.
But Aila didn't have the heart to get angry at that sight. She was too busy wondering what on earth Cloud was doing to skip her daily training.
It was a training session that they did indoors, even when it rained.
Her curiosity was unbearable, but she couldn't do anything about it right now.
Just waiting for night to come.
However, when the long-awaited night finally arrived, Aila could not be happy.
“You can sleep with me today, Miss.”
Capella said in a hard voice.
Aila glanced at the sleeping pills hidden there, frowning inwardly.
Tonight didn't seem to be the time to take medicine.
“Yeah, I understand. Capella.”
What was so scary was that every time she moved from one inn to another, she had to alternate between being watched by Capella and Laura.
One night it was Capella, and the next day it was Laura. They watched Aila all night long with their eyes wide open.
This was not a forest or mountain village with no people around, so it was natural that the security would be tighter.
Capella's surveillance was not welcomed by Ayla, who was anxious to find out what Cloud was doing and why Byron was here.
'If Laura doesn't know, it's dangerous to put Capella to sleep with sleeping pills.'
The owner of the sleeping potion she created was her daughter, not Capella.
If Laura were still young, she would have likely hidden the fact that she had fallen asleep while doing her duty as a watchdog for fear of being scolded, but Capella was different.
There was no way she, who was wide-eyed and intent on avenging her husband, would fall asleep while watching Aila. If she suddenly couldn't overcome her drowsiness, she would definitely suspect Aila.
'I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow.'
Capella was also human, so she couldn't stay up all night and watch over her, so Laura was definitely coming tomorrow night.
Then, at that time, she could put Laura to sleep with the medicine she made and leave the inn.
Aila went to sleep with that thought in mind.
***
“What happened to my instructions?”
Byron swirled the glass in his hand. The clear liquid in the glass sloshed as the glass moved.
“I have prepared as you commanded. There will probably be a small commotion soon.”
His ever-loyal right-hand man, Cloud, spoke in a deep, trustworthy voice.
Yeah, that's right.
Cloud never disobeyed his orders. He never made a mistake in doing what he was told.
Byron grinned and took a sip of the drink in his glass. It was a strong drink with a pleasant aroma. The strong drink burned his throat as he sipped it.
“But... I guess I’ll have to change my plans a little.”
Byron frowned and put his glass down on the table, smiling his usual, moody smile.
“...Please speak.”
Cloud seemed momentarily taken aback by his master's sudden change of plans, but soon answered in a calm voice.
Byron raised the corners of his mouth as if he liked that attitude.
“Kill him.”
Byron opened his mouth, and cruel words came out of his lips. It was unclear who he was telling them to kill, but his voice did not show even the slightest trace of guilt.
“...Who are you talking about?”
Cloud's voice, which had maintained a calm demeanor throughout, trembled slightly. He seemed to be taken aback by the sudden instruction.
“That guy. My nephew.”
Byron crossed his legs again, his glass in hand. He looked relaxed, not like someone who was ordering the killing of a person, especially his own nephew.
“My lord, that is...”
Cloud's eyes fluttered slightly. Byron took another sip of his drink and snorted. He must be so small.
“Isn’t he the kind of guy you’re going to kill someday anyway? I’m just killing him a little early. Kill him when you get the chance.”
“But... wasn’t your goal this time to follow him on his journey and cause a little commotion?”
At Cloud's question, Byron frowned.
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