The boy gasped and placed his hand on the wall, panting. Who knew it would be this hard to keep up with a girl who was shorter than him and had shorter legs?
“Ah, no... what the hell are you?”
The boy's yellow eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity.
“What a sudden and rude question. What are you trying to ask?”
Aila asked back in a disbelieving voice.
The boy scratched his cheek with an awkward expression, as if he regretted what he had said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. But.... I’ve never seen such a perfect fall in my life. How did you do it?”
It was a sight that could not help but feel magical, seeing a little girl wearing a white one-piece nightgown with frills and lace underneath her black robe, jumping from a high roof and landing lightly.
At the unexpected question, Aila blinked slowly. It was truly a difficult question to answer.
“...I don’t know.”
As Aila paused for a moment to choose her answer, she spoke coldly, and the boy's face turned red with disappointment.
His gloomy appearance made her feel like she had made a big mistake.
Maybe that's why. Even though she was annoyed and bothered by the situation, she did something she normally wouldn't do.
“It’s dangerous for a child to be out alone at this hour. So, go back.”
The boy looked dumbfounded at Aila's words. Who was calling whom young?
Of course, the boy was quite tall, but his face was young, so no matter how you looked at it, he was probably thirteen or fourteen years old. In terms of the life he had actually lived, it was true that Aila was older.
But on the outside, she looked to be twelve or so years old, and Aila had no idea that eighteen was not that old.
“...Oh, yeah. I see. That’s right.”
As the boy answered dumbly, Aila had a chance to shake him off.
It was thanks to a man running from the other side of the alley looking for the boy that he turned his gaze away.
“I, no, Your Highness!”
Taking advantage of the boy's turn toward the sound, Aila quickly jumped up onto the wall. Climbing from the wall to the roof was no easy task.
“What on earth are you doing here? Why do you keep going out at night without us knowing? If something happens, we won’t be able to survive. You know that, don’t you?”
“No, that’s... Why is there a little child here...”
The boy turned his head back to where Aila had been just a moment ago, watching the servant's nagging expression as he found him.
But there was no one there. Aila was already hiding on the roof, watching the ridiculous scene.
“A child? What child do you mean?”
"Uh?"
Was he seeing a ghost? Thinking of her, who had suddenly disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, the boy blinked his golden eyes slowly and made a blank expression.
It was quite amusing to see that stupid expression, but Aila turned her head away. She didn't have the time to care about such things right now.
Aila looked across the alley to find her original destination.
'Cloud still seems to be there.'
Even though she was hiding in the darkness, she could still feel Cloud's presence.
As expected from her teacher, Cloud was also adept at hiding his presence, but he could not avoid Ayla's keen senses.
There were twists and turns, but she concentrated her mental power in one place. From now on, she did not want to miss even the smallest movement of what Cloud was doing.
However, the conversation coming from behind her kept breaking her concentration.
“Enough with the nonsense, and go back. Why on earth do you keep sneaking out every night?”
“Nonsense. How rude!”
“Yes, yes. I have committed a mortal sin.”
There was no such thing as a farce.
Finally, her concentration was broken, and she turned her head slightly. She saw the servant dragging the boy by the scruff of his neck.
Thanks to that, the hood that had been pressed down on the boy's head was removed. The hair that had been hidden was a fine black color.
Just like the hair of her beloved father, Roderick.
‘...It’s not just Byron that comes to mind.’
She lay flat on the roof, resting her chin on her hand and watching the scene, smiling without a word.
Even though he resembled Byron and interfered with her work, she somehow didn't dislike the boy.
'Well, I guess I'll never see that kid again.'
At the time, she thought so. It was fate that they would meet once they met. How foolish.
As the boy was dragged away by the servant and completely disappeared, Aila was able to focus her mind on Cloud again.
Because he was hiding deep in the alley, she could tell he was there, but she couldn't tell what he was doing.
'The original plan was to move to the building across the street.'
Because of the sudden meeting, there was a considerable delay.
Aila clicked her tongue and jumped back down the alley where she had confronted the boy. Fortunately, no one suddenly appeared this time.
She hid in the alley, waiting for her chance, and quickly crossed the street. She climbed up the wall lightly and hid again at the top of the building, then stuck her head out and looked down the alley.
Cloud was staring across the intersection, unaware that she was watching him.
'What are you looking at?'
She followed Cloud's gaze across the street. At the end of her gaze was a magnificent building surrounded by a high wall.
'Are you watching that building?'
Aila frowned and looked closely at the building. She noticed that heavily armed knights were standing guard in front of the building's walls.
'...My guess was right. The person who made this city's security so tight. They're tailing him.'
Who is that person? She had a feeling that it was definitely the 'Young Lion' himself, or at least someone related to him.
It wouldn't be difficult to find out his identity.
It was a noisy procession that even ordinary passersby would notice. Surely they would be able to find a clue.
But she felt like she had to go back tonight. She had wasted precious time on a pointless conversation with the boy.
Aila doesn't know if she'll ever have another night out in this city like today, but even if she does leave, she won't have to worry about time.
There were many more opportunities ahead. She would have to move several more times to chase after that unknown man.
Thinking so, Aila went back the way she came, leaving behind the foolish Cloud, who was still wary of her presence.
And this time, not even a single mouse found her.
When she returned to her hotel room, Laura was still fast asleep, leaning against the chair.
That would be the case. It would still be a while before the effects would wear off.
Aila shook the wind from her cloak and hung it back on the coat rack.
And then she lay down in bed and went to sleep as if nothing had happened. As if she had slept so well all night.
The next morning, as she had expected, Laura didn't tell anyone that she had fallen asleep for fear of being scolded.
She even shamelessly lied to her, saying that she had watched her sleep all night.
Even though it was Aila who put Laura to sleep.
Aila laughed at Laura inwardly and pretended not to notice, saying that she was so deep in sleep that she didn't even realize she was being watched.
Then, wouldn't it be possible to put Laura to sleep every night and move around freely?
Of course, it couldn't really be like that every night. The next day, Capella would be watching her all night, and the day after that, she would leave Grunfeld and head to the next city.
Besides, even if Laura was young, it was clear that putting her to sleep every day would arouse suspicion. Repeated use would build up a tolerance to sleeping pills, so it had to be used sparingly.
That's why it was a week after her first outing that Aila dared to go out at night again. It was also a few days after she arrived at her second city, Bahait.
Because she had been quiet and courting Laura, Laura had no suspicions.
This time too, Laura drank the water that had been secretly laced with sleeping pills without thinking, and soon fell asleep.
After making sure Laura was deeply asleep, Aila opened the window and looked outside.
There was no need to tail Cloud today. She was just going to walk around and find out who was visiting the city right now.
That is, until she discovers Cloud carefully going out, even wearing a mask.
'Let's go after him. If we follow him, it might save us some trouble.'
Even if she wanted to find out information, it would be a little faster if she went near the target and found out. If she tried to find out, she could probably find out where he was staying.
There's no need to go through all that trouble when you have a guide.
If she got close, she might hear passersby gossiping like before and telling her what kind of great person had come. If that happened, it would be a chance for her to blow her nose without having to use her hands.
Today again, Cloud was walking cautiously, looking around in case someone discovered his destination.
He seemed completely unaware that eyes were looking down on him from on high.
How far did you go chasing Cloud?
Arriving in front of a splendid mansion surrounded by a high wall as before, she walked around and looked around the building.
“Ah, no... what the hell are you?”
The boy's yellow eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity.
“What a sudden and rude question. What are you trying to ask?”
Aila asked back in a disbelieving voice.
The boy scratched his cheek with an awkward expression, as if he regretted what he had said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. But.... I’ve never seen such a perfect fall in my life. How did you do it?”
It was a sight that could not help but feel magical, seeing a little girl wearing a white one-piece nightgown with frills and lace underneath her black robe, jumping from a high roof and landing lightly.
At the unexpected question, Aila blinked slowly. It was truly a difficult question to answer.
“...I don’t know.”
As Aila paused for a moment to choose her answer, she spoke coldly, and the boy's face turned red with disappointment.
His gloomy appearance made her feel like she had made a big mistake.
Maybe that's why. Even though she was annoyed and bothered by the situation, she did something she normally wouldn't do.
“It’s dangerous for a child to be out alone at this hour. So, go back.”
The boy looked dumbfounded at Aila's words. Who was calling whom young?
Of course, the boy was quite tall, but his face was young, so no matter how you looked at it, he was probably thirteen or fourteen years old. In terms of the life he had actually lived, it was true that Aila was older.
But on the outside, she looked to be twelve or so years old, and Aila had no idea that eighteen was not that old.
“...Oh, yeah. I see. That’s right.”
As the boy answered dumbly, Aila had a chance to shake him off.
It was thanks to a man running from the other side of the alley looking for the boy that he turned his gaze away.
“I, no, Your Highness!”
Taking advantage of the boy's turn toward the sound, Aila quickly jumped up onto the wall. Climbing from the wall to the roof was no easy task.
“What on earth are you doing here? Why do you keep going out at night without us knowing? If something happens, we won’t be able to survive. You know that, don’t you?”
“No, that’s... Why is there a little child here...”
The boy turned his head back to where Aila had been just a moment ago, watching the servant's nagging expression as he found him.
But there was no one there. Aila was already hiding on the roof, watching the ridiculous scene.
“A child? What child do you mean?”
"Uh?"
Was he seeing a ghost? Thinking of her, who had suddenly disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared, the boy blinked his golden eyes slowly and made a blank expression.
It was quite amusing to see that stupid expression, but Aila turned her head away. She didn't have the time to care about such things right now.
Aila looked across the alley to find her original destination.
'Cloud still seems to be there.'
Even though she was hiding in the darkness, she could still feel Cloud's presence.
As expected from her teacher, Cloud was also adept at hiding his presence, but he could not avoid Ayla's keen senses.
There were twists and turns, but she concentrated her mental power in one place. From now on, she did not want to miss even the smallest movement of what Cloud was doing.
However, the conversation coming from behind her kept breaking her concentration.
“Enough with the nonsense, and go back. Why on earth do you keep sneaking out every night?”
“Nonsense. How rude!”
“Yes, yes. I have committed a mortal sin.”
There was no such thing as a farce.
Finally, her concentration was broken, and she turned her head slightly. She saw the servant dragging the boy by the scruff of his neck.
Thanks to that, the hood that had been pressed down on the boy's head was removed. The hair that had been hidden was a fine black color.
Just like the hair of her beloved father, Roderick.
‘...It’s not just Byron that comes to mind.’
She lay flat on the roof, resting her chin on her hand and watching the scene, smiling without a word.
Even though he resembled Byron and interfered with her work, she somehow didn't dislike the boy.
'Well, I guess I'll never see that kid again.'
At the time, she thought so. It was fate that they would meet once they met. How foolish.
***
As the boy was dragged away by the servant and completely disappeared, Aila was able to focus her mind on Cloud again.
Because he was hiding deep in the alley, she could tell he was there, but she couldn't tell what he was doing.
'The original plan was to move to the building across the street.'
Because of the sudden meeting, there was a considerable delay.
Aila clicked her tongue and jumped back down the alley where she had confronted the boy. Fortunately, no one suddenly appeared this time.
She hid in the alley, waiting for her chance, and quickly crossed the street. She climbed up the wall lightly and hid again at the top of the building, then stuck her head out and looked down the alley.
Cloud was staring across the intersection, unaware that she was watching him.
'What are you looking at?'
She followed Cloud's gaze across the street. At the end of her gaze was a magnificent building surrounded by a high wall.
'Are you watching that building?'
Aila frowned and looked closely at the building. She noticed that heavily armed knights were standing guard in front of the building's walls.
'...My guess was right. The person who made this city's security so tight. They're tailing him.'
Who is that person? She had a feeling that it was definitely the 'Young Lion' himself, or at least someone related to him.
It wouldn't be difficult to find out his identity.
It was a noisy procession that even ordinary passersby would notice. Surely they would be able to find a clue.
But she felt like she had to go back tonight. She had wasted precious time on a pointless conversation with the boy.
Aila doesn't know if she'll ever have another night out in this city like today, but even if she does leave, she won't have to worry about time.
There were many more opportunities ahead. She would have to move several more times to chase after that unknown man.
Thinking so, Aila went back the way she came, leaving behind the foolish Cloud, who was still wary of her presence.
And this time, not even a single mouse found her.
***
When she returned to her hotel room, Laura was still fast asleep, leaning against the chair.
That would be the case. It would still be a while before the effects would wear off.
Aila shook the wind from her cloak and hung it back on the coat rack.
And then she lay down in bed and went to sleep as if nothing had happened. As if she had slept so well all night.
The next morning, as she had expected, Laura didn't tell anyone that she had fallen asleep for fear of being scolded.
She even shamelessly lied to her, saying that she had watched her sleep all night.
Even though it was Aila who put Laura to sleep.
Aila laughed at Laura inwardly and pretended not to notice, saying that she was so deep in sleep that she didn't even realize she was being watched.
Then, wouldn't it be possible to put Laura to sleep every night and move around freely?
Of course, it couldn't really be like that every night. The next day, Capella would be watching her all night, and the day after that, she would leave Grunfeld and head to the next city.
Besides, even if Laura was young, it was clear that putting her to sleep every day would arouse suspicion. Repeated use would build up a tolerance to sleeping pills, so it had to be used sparingly.
That's why it was a week after her first outing that Aila dared to go out at night again. It was also a few days after she arrived at her second city, Bahait.
***
Because she had been quiet and courting Laura, Laura had no suspicions.
This time too, Laura drank the water that had been secretly laced with sleeping pills without thinking, and soon fell asleep.
After making sure Laura was deeply asleep, Aila opened the window and looked outside.
There was no need to tail Cloud today. She was just going to walk around and find out who was visiting the city right now.
That is, until she discovers Cloud carefully going out, even wearing a mask.
'Let's go after him. If we follow him, it might save us some trouble.'
Even if she wanted to find out information, it would be a little faster if she went near the target and found out. If she tried to find out, she could probably find out where he was staying.
There's no need to go through all that trouble when you have a guide.
If she got close, she might hear passersby gossiping like before and telling her what kind of great person had come. If that happened, it would be a chance for her to blow her nose without having to use her hands.
Today again, Cloud was walking cautiously, looking around in case someone discovered his destination.
He seemed completely unaware that eyes were looking down on him from on high.
How far did you go chasing Cloud?
Arriving in front of a splendid mansion surrounded by a high wall as before, she walked around and looked around the building.
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