It could be interpreted as daring to send the Crown Prince of a country on an errand, but it didn't seem like that. This was a favor to a friend. A favor to a friend she had just met.
Winfred nodded as if he had read her mind. He didn't know what was going on with Ayla, but whenever he saw her sad expression, something in his heart seemed to sink.
“Yes, let’s go. I’ll take you there.”
Aila, who got up from the roof, dusted off the handkerchief Winfred had lent her, folded it neatly, and handed it to him. Winfred, who had become noticeably quieter, accepted the handkerchief and put it in his pocket.
The two people who came down from the roof carefully walked along the night streets where there were noticeably fewer people, and arrived near the splendid mansion where Winfred was staying.
As she hid in the alley and watched the mansion, she saw the chamberlain who had come out to look for Winfred a few minutes ago, with a worried expression on his face.
There wasn't much of a fuss because it was impossible to advertise that the Prince was gone.
“...Look. Just because you came out to play in secret, so many people are suffering.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful now.”
Winfred said sullenly.
If so many people were looking for Winfred, it would be okay to send them out. At Aila’s gesture to go, Winfred turned his head away from the alley.
“Aila.”
"Why?"
“...Can we meet again?”
It was an urgent question.
Aila was lost in thought.
Someday, after her revenge is complete, she may meet again as the Crown Prince of the Peles Empire and the Duchess of Weishaffen.
"Maybe."
As she nodded, Winfred asked back in a disbelieving voice.
“Really?”
"...Yes."
How happy would he be? Winfred smiled with a face brighter than the moon in the night sky.
“Then, I’ll really go, Aila. We’ll definitely meet again.”
Even after saying goodbye, his steps didn't seem that slow. Winfred looked back at Aila several times and then went out into the alley where the streetlights were brightly lit.
“Your Highness!!!! Where on earth have you been? What’s with that dirt? Where did you roll around to get your clothes so dirty?”
The sergeant who found him ran towards Winfred in a commotion. He thought that he couldn't help but get scolded, but the reprimand he received was greater than he thought, so Winfred smiled awkwardly and apologized.
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
Because he made a promise to Aila.
“Please go in quickly. Are you hurt anywhere? If Your Highness is injured...”
Winfred looked up at the night sky, listening to the chief steward's nagging words with one ear and letting them go out the other.
Because he had the feeling that somewhere on the roofs of those buildings, Aila must be watching him, curled up and hiding like a cat.
As Winfred had expected, Aila, who had been hiding high above to watch his safe return home, headed to her inn room as soon as he was out of sight.
She was worried because the outing was longer than expected. Fortunately, Laura was sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, and there was no sign of anyone coming and going from the room.
Aila, who had hung up the cloak she had worn, sat on the bed and watched Laura's movements before carefully summoning the magic box.
She was worried that Laura would wake up to the sound of snapping her fingers, but fortunately, perhaps because she had been given sleeping pills, she did not wake up to this level of noise.
Aila sighed softly, took out the sleeping pills she had hidden under her pillow, and carefully placed them in the box. Then she took out the pocket watch Winfred had given her and examined it.
'Can I just wind this spring here?'
In fact, she was anxious about estimating the time every night based on the positions of the stars and the moon, so she was really glad she had a clock.
Aila looked down at her pocket watch and thought of Winfred's face. The face that had smiled brightly at her answer that they would meet again kept coming back to her mind as if it were engraved in her mind.
‘...Golden eyes can look so kind.’
It was clearly the same color as Byron's. Byron's eyes looked somehow gleaming and greedy, which made him feel bad, but Winfred's eyes felt clear and kind.
It was while she was blankly watching the second hand of the clock move with such thoughts in her mind.
There was a sound of someone coming up the stairs in the distance. It could have been a guard on patrol, but it was just a guess.
She quickly put the pocket watch in the box, returned the box, and pretended to sleep, waiting for the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs again.
But contrary to her wishes, the owner of the footsteps that were approaching the room did not just pass by but knocked on the door.
'Who is it? At this late hour?'
It was approaching three in the morning. Even Byron, who was nocturnal, would have passed out drunk. Who on earth would come to her room at this hour of the morning?
It was a difficult situation. If she hadn't put her to sleep, Laura would have stayed by Aila's side all night. If there had been a knock, she would have opened the door and asked who it was.
Since she didn't know who it was and couldn't open the door herself, Aila clutched the blanket tightly and trembled in anxiety.
It was at that time.
“Laura.”
The owner of the knocking sound carefully opened the door, calling Laura. It was the voice of Cloud, who had tried to harm Winfred but failed and disappeared.
“...Laura?”
He looked puzzled because his niece, who should have been awake, didn't answer. He looked around the room and saw that Laura was slumped over in her chair.
“Laura. Wake up.”
Cloud's voice grew louder. It was understandable, since no matter how much he shook her, he wouldn't wake up.
Aila, who was pretending to be asleep, just bit her lips tightly and trembled in anxiety. She had no idea how this situation would turn out.
She was worried that Laura might be sick and might even call a doctor. She was also very worried that it would be revealed that Laura had taken sleeping pills.
“Laura, wake up. Laura!”
Now, as Cloud called out to Laura with a voice that was even wet, Laura, who had been sleeping deeply, woke up, rubbing her eyes.
“...Uncle?”
“I was surprised. Are you okay?”
Fortunately, Laura, who was only in his clutches and had no physical abnormalities, covered her mouth and yawned.
“Haam. What’s going on? At this hour...”
Laura, who had greeted her uncle calmly, only then did her face turn pale, as if she had completely woken up.
“Soo, Uncle. I just dozed off for a little bit. Just a little bit. Other than that, I watched her well! Seriously!”
Laura lied without even licking her lips. She was desperate.
She was going to get a big scolding for sleeping soundly in a situation where she had to watch over Aila.
She doesn't know about Cloud, but if it got into Mother Capella's ears, it could have gotten her a beating.
“So, please keep it a secret from my mother...”
“...You seem very tired.”
Cloud, who had been watching his nephew beg with a bloodless face, quietly opened his mouth.
Eighteen. Although Laura was now legally an adult, Cloud still considered her a child, as he had watched her grow up close.
He had no intention of scolding his nephew for falling asleep while watching Aila all night.
“Calm down. I won’t tell my sister-in-law. The child seems to be sleeping well.”
At his words, Laura sighed and cleared her throat. Isn't that a relief?
Laura wasn't the only one who felt relieved and calmed her racing heart. Aila, who turned her head toward the wall and pretended to be asleep, was the same.
She doesn't know what the reason for his sudden visit was, but fortunately, it seems that she didn't get caught for giving Laura sleeping pills or sneaking out at night.
And, it also interfered with the work of the cloud.
“By the way, what’s really going on? At this hour in the morning?”
“Ah, that’s... this.”
Cloud held out the bag he had been hiding in his bosom. It was a bag of snacks he had bought at the night market. A sweet smell wafted from the freshly baked bread.
“...I went out for work and stopped by the night market, and I thought of you staying up all night. If there’s any leftover food, you’ll share some with that kid in the morning.”
After the Prince suddenly disappeared from sight, Cloud was looking for a place where a child might sneak out at night.
If there were a place that a Prince who grew up in the palace would be interested in, it would be the bustling night market. So, while looking around the night market, he thought of his nephew.
His poor nephew, who has been chased all her life and has never had a single happy memory of her childhood.
“...Uncle, you too.”
Laura, with her head slightly bowed, opened her mouth in a voice that made it difficult to read her thoughts.
“You don’t like it? Then, later on, something else too...”
“I’ll eat it all by myself. Why should I share it because that girl is so pretty?”
While Cloud was worried that Laura might not like it, Laura opened her mouth and spoke sharply. Although she said that, Laura seemed to really like Cloud’s surprise gift.
Cloud chuckled at his nephew's reaction, then said goodbye and left the room.
When Aila pretended to turn over and turned her head to look at Laura with her eyes wide open, she was looking intently at the gift her uncle had left behind. What was she thinking?
Aila felt really strange.
Isn't it ironic that Cloud, who tried to kill Winfred, the Crown Prince of the empire, cares so deeply about his own nephew?
Aila tried to shake off her complicated thoughts.
If Aila had been even a little late, it could have been a big problem, but this time, luckily, she got through it. All she had to think about was that.
Aila, who had been swimming through complicated thoughts for a moment while listening to Laura putting sweet snacks in her mouth, fell asleep not long after.
Winfred nodded as if he had read her mind. He didn't know what was going on with Ayla, but whenever he saw her sad expression, something in his heart seemed to sink.
“Yes, let’s go. I’ll take you there.”
Aila, who got up from the roof, dusted off the handkerchief Winfred had lent her, folded it neatly, and handed it to him. Winfred, who had become noticeably quieter, accepted the handkerchief and put it in his pocket.
The two people who came down from the roof carefully walked along the night streets where there were noticeably fewer people, and arrived near the splendid mansion where Winfred was staying.
As she hid in the alley and watched the mansion, she saw the chamberlain who had come out to look for Winfred a few minutes ago, with a worried expression on his face.
There wasn't much of a fuss because it was impossible to advertise that the Prince was gone.
“...Look. Just because you came out to play in secret, so many people are suffering.”
“Yes. I’ll be careful now.”
Winfred said sullenly.
If so many people were looking for Winfred, it would be okay to send them out. At Aila’s gesture to go, Winfred turned his head away from the alley.
“Aila.”
"Why?"
“...Can we meet again?”
It was an urgent question.
Aila was lost in thought.
Someday, after her revenge is complete, she may meet again as the Crown Prince of the Peles Empire and the Duchess of Weishaffen.
"Maybe."
As she nodded, Winfred asked back in a disbelieving voice.
“Really?”
"...Yes."
How happy would he be? Winfred smiled with a face brighter than the moon in the night sky.
“Then, I’ll really go, Aila. We’ll definitely meet again.”
Even after saying goodbye, his steps didn't seem that slow. Winfred looked back at Aila several times and then went out into the alley where the streetlights were brightly lit.
“Your Highness!!!! Where on earth have you been? What’s with that dirt? Where did you roll around to get your clothes so dirty?”
The sergeant who found him ran towards Winfred in a commotion. He thought that he couldn't help but get scolded, but the reprimand he received was greater than he thought, so Winfred smiled awkwardly and apologized.
“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
Because he made a promise to Aila.
“Please go in quickly. Are you hurt anywhere? If Your Highness is injured...”
Winfred looked up at the night sky, listening to the chief steward's nagging words with one ear and letting them go out the other.
Because he had the feeling that somewhere on the roofs of those buildings, Aila must be watching him, curled up and hiding like a cat.
***
As Winfred had expected, Aila, who had been hiding high above to watch his safe return home, headed to her inn room as soon as he was out of sight.
She was worried because the outing was longer than expected. Fortunately, Laura was sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, and there was no sign of anyone coming and going from the room.
Aila, who had hung up the cloak she had worn, sat on the bed and watched Laura's movements before carefully summoning the magic box.
She was worried that Laura would wake up to the sound of snapping her fingers, but fortunately, perhaps because she had been given sleeping pills, she did not wake up to this level of noise.
Aila sighed softly, took out the sleeping pills she had hidden under her pillow, and carefully placed them in the box. Then she took out the pocket watch Winfred had given her and examined it.
'Can I just wind this spring here?'
In fact, she was anxious about estimating the time every night based on the positions of the stars and the moon, so she was really glad she had a clock.
Aila looked down at her pocket watch and thought of Winfred's face. The face that had smiled brightly at her answer that they would meet again kept coming back to her mind as if it were engraved in her mind.
‘...Golden eyes can look so kind.’
It was clearly the same color as Byron's. Byron's eyes looked somehow gleaming and greedy, which made him feel bad, but Winfred's eyes felt clear and kind.
It was while she was blankly watching the second hand of the clock move with such thoughts in her mind.
There was a sound of someone coming up the stairs in the distance. It could have been a guard on patrol, but it was just a guess.
She quickly put the pocket watch in the box, returned the box, and pretended to sleep, waiting for the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs again.
But contrary to her wishes, the owner of the footsteps that were approaching the room did not just pass by but knocked on the door.
'Who is it? At this late hour?'
It was approaching three in the morning. Even Byron, who was nocturnal, would have passed out drunk. Who on earth would come to her room at this hour of the morning?
It was a difficult situation. If she hadn't put her to sleep, Laura would have stayed by Aila's side all night. If there had been a knock, she would have opened the door and asked who it was.
Since she didn't know who it was and couldn't open the door herself, Aila clutched the blanket tightly and trembled in anxiety.
It was at that time.
“Laura.”
The owner of the knocking sound carefully opened the door, calling Laura. It was the voice of Cloud, who had tried to harm Winfred but failed and disappeared.
“...Laura?”
He looked puzzled because his niece, who should have been awake, didn't answer. He looked around the room and saw that Laura was slumped over in her chair.
“Laura. Wake up.”
Cloud's voice grew louder. It was understandable, since no matter how much he shook her, he wouldn't wake up.
Aila, who was pretending to be asleep, just bit her lips tightly and trembled in anxiety. She had no idea how this situation would turn out.
She was worried that Laura might be sick and might even call a doctor. She was also very worried that it would be revealed that Laura had taken sleeping pills.
“Laura, wake up. Laura!”
Now, as Cloud called out to Laura with a voice that was even wet, Laura, who had been sleeping deeply, woke up, rubbing her eyes.
“...Uncle?”
“I was surprised. Are you okay?”
Fortunately, Laura, who was only in his clutches and had no physical abnormalities, covered her mouth and yawned.
“Haam. What’s going on? At this hour...”
Laura, who had greeted her uncle calmly, only then did her face turn pale, as if she had completely woken up.
“Soo, Uncle. I just dozed off for a little bit. Just a little bit. Other than that, I watched her well! Seriously!”
Laura lied without even licking her lips. She was desperate.
She was going to get a big scolding for sleeping soundly in a situation where she had to watch over Aila.
She doesn't know about Cloud, but if it got into Mother Capella's ears, it could have gotten her a beating.
“So, please keep it a secret from my mother...”
“...You seem very tired.”
Cloud, who had been watching his nephew beg with a bloodless face, quietly opened his mouth.
Eighteen. Although Laura was now legally an adult, Cloud still considered her a child, as he had watched her grow up close.
He had no intention of scolding his nephew for falling asleep while watching Aila all night.
“Calm down. I won’t tell my sister-in-law. The child seems to be sleeping well.”
At his words, Laura sighed and cleared her throat. Isn't that a relief?
Laura wasn't the only one who felt relieved and calmed her racing heart. Aila, who turned her head toward the wall and pretended to be asleep, was the same.
She doesn't know what the reason for his sudden visit was, but fortunately, it seems that she didn't get caught for giving Laura sleeping pills or sneaking out at night.
And, it also interfered with the work of the cloud.
“By the way, what’s really going on? At this hour in the morning?”
“Ah, that’s... this.”
Cloud held out the bag he had been hiding in his bosom. It was a bag of snacks he had bought at the night market. A sweet smell wafted from the freshly baked bread.
“...I went out for work and stopped by the night market, and I thought of you staying up all night. If there’s any leftover food, you’ll share some with that kid in the morning.”
After the Prince suddenly disappeared from sight, Cloud was looking for a place where a child might sneak out at night.
If there were a place that a Prince who grew up in the palace would be interested in, it would be the bustling night market. So, while looking around the night market, he thought of his nephew.
His poor nephew, who has been chased all her life and has never had a single happy memory of her childhood.
“...Uncle, you too.”
Laura, with her head slightly bowed, opened her mouth in a voice that made it difficult to read her thoughts.
“You don’t like it? Then, later on, something else too...”
“I’ll eat it all by myself. Why should I share it because that girl is so pretty?”
While Cloud was worried that Laura might not like it, Laura opened her mouth and spoke sharply. Although she said that, Laura seemed to really like Cloud’s surprise gift.
Cloud chuckled at his nephew's reaction, then said goodbye and left the room.
When Aila pretended to turn over and turned her head to look at Laura with her eyes wide open, she was looking intently at the gift her uncle had left behind. What was she thinking?
Aila felt really strange.
Isn't it ironic that Cloud, who tried to kill Winfred, the Crown Prince of the empire, cares so deeply about his own nephew?
Aila tried to shake off her complicated thoughts.
If Aila had been even a little late, it could have been a big problem, but this time, luckily, she got through it. All she had to think about was that.
Aila, who had been swimming through complicated thoughts for a moment while listening to Laura putting sweet snacks in her mouth, fell asleep not long after.
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