The night we had planned has arrived.
Laura locked Aila's room door as she always did, and Aila, who was trapped in the room, escaped the building through the secret passage as usual.
It had been quite some time since they had settled in this fortress, and since she had been out secretly more than once or twice during that time, Aila was already skilled and was able to find Byron's room quite easily.
The window was closed because the weather had suddenly become quite chilly, but she could see inside clearly through the crack where he had thrown his glass and broken it.
Aila, who was peeking into the room through the broken window, frowned without realizing it.
‘Ugh, what kind of alcohol smell is this...’
The room was so filled with the smell of alcohol that anyone who saw it would have thought someone had poured a bucketful of alcohol into the room. There were also pieces of broken bottles scattered on the floor.
The person who made such a mess of the room was lying face down on the bed, not moving at all.
He would have certainly fallen asleep after pouring himself this much alcohol, but just in case, she threw a small rock into the room.
Knock. A small stone fell to the ground, but Byron, who was drunk and asleep, showed no sign of waking up. He seemed to be in a deep sleep.
Aila opened the window slightly and carefully entered the room. The smell of alcohol, which was vibrating even through the slightly opened gap, became even stronger as she entered the room. It was so strong that it stung her eyes.
If she stayed here for too long, she would get drunk just from the smell.
'We need to investigate quickly and go back.'
Aila shook her head with a displeased expression and quickly scanned the room. However, she didn't see anything like a note anywhere in the room.
Do I have to go back like this? It's such a shame.
Aila, with a sad face, searched the room once more.
'Wait a minute. This is...'
As Aila looked around the fireplace, she noticed some burnt bits of paper among the embers of the fire.
It was as if it had been crumpled and torn before being burned. The piece of paper was tattered. She couldn't tell what it was about just by looking at the part she had found, but if there were other parts, she might be able to figure out what it was about.
Aila glanced back at the bed where Byron was sleeping, then picked up the poker and began stirring the ashes.
After some time like that.
Aila was able to find two scraps of paper left over from the ride. Apparently, the rest of the paper had been burned and lost.
The room was dark, and the writing was small, making it difficult to read. It seemed like it would take a while, so Aila decided to take the piece of paper and return to her room.
Aila's room was also dark, but it was much better because there was a small lamp. It was also a safe place where there was no need to worry about anyone finding out, even if it took a long time.
Since it was a letter that was going to be burned anyway, Byron wouldn't know even if she took it.
Finally, she gathered up the rocks she had thrown before entering the room and quietly left the room through the window.
Aila, who returned to her room through the secret passage, quickly changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Then, she looked at the piece of paper she had taken from Byron's room under the light of a small lamp.
“The Duchess... said.”
Could it be a letter containing news from Ophelia? Coincidentally, the most important part, what she did, was hidden by soot.
It was news about her beloved mother, but she was frustrated because she couldn't figure out exactly what it was about.
Aila wonders if her mother is feeling unwell like last time. Or if something serious has come up.
Feeling anxious and nervous, Aila rubbed the burnt area with her hand, hoping that perhaps the hidden letters would be revealed.
But it wasn't just the soot that had turned black, only her fingertips. She frowned.
'No, it's okay. There's still a piece left.'
She hopes she can get some solid clues from the remaining pieces.
Aila held a small piece of paper in both hands as if praying, held it up to the light, and slowly read the letters that she could see, one by one.
'The Duke is very pleased...'
That was the end of it. There was nothing special this time either.
Even though she knew there would be nothing there, she flipped the paper over and looked at the back, but she got nothing more.
It was a disheartening thing, but color returned to Aila's face, which had been pale from impatience.
'If my father was pleased, it can't be a bad thing.'
Whatever on earth had upset Byron so much, fortunately, it seemed to be a good thing for her parents.
That's it.
It was a sin to even think about it, but if those two were happy, that was enough.
Aila carefully stored the leftover scraps of paper in a box. Crumpled, torn, and burnt, the shabby paper.
As if that piece of paper, whose original contents she can't even be sure of, were some kind of precious treasure.
Aila, lying on the bed, felt a chill for no reason and pulled the blanket up to her neck. It was either because winter was approaching or because her heart was cold. The air was cold.
From that day on, Aila pretended to be quite quiet and watched Byron's movements.
This was because Byron had come to find her by surprise in the middle of the night after hearing the news that Ophelia had collapsed.
But this time, it was different. He didn't stay in his room in an unstable state, and he didn't come looking for her out of the blue.
There was still the occasional sweet free time she was given if she finished the given training quickly.
The only thing that was different from usual was that he occasionally gave her a cold look.
Even that was a bit confusing because when she noticed it and turned her gaze towards Byron, he smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.
She looked thoughtfully at Byron, who was elegantly putting bite-sized pieces of meat into his mouth.
‘...Well, if there’s nothing special, I guess it’s okay to move around at night.’
She was anxious because full-blown winter was coming, and she needed to gather as much information as possible before the snow piled up.
As her mind became more anxious, she moved more busily. Every night, she went out and searched Byron's room, and she didn't stop there, but she started going around the entire fortress as if it were her own room, searching for information.
Thanks to that, she was able to find out a few useful things. Among those who shared Byron's views, there were foreign nobles, not imperial nobles. And she was able to learn the name of one of them.
It was discovered that a man named Count Cenospon of the Inselkov Kingdom, a neighboring country to the southwest of the Empire, was providing money and goods for Byron's treason.
She doesn't know what Count Cenospon and Byron were bargaining for, but unless the Count is an idiot, he would never support a foreign rebel force without paying something in return.
It was clear evidence that Byron was conducting some kind of transaction with foreign countries.
Aila, who had been wasting time in a state of limbo without finding out anything, was greatly encouraged by this important information, and the elation made her ignore the fatigue that was building up from lack of sleep.
One day, as she was growing increasingly tired day by day,
‘...Why does my body feel so heavy? Should I just sleep tonight?’
As the days grew shorter and the sunrise became later, Aila, who had been searching the fortress until dawn, got up from her seat with sleepiness in her eyes.
Her body was very heavy, and her condition was not good, but she was not allowed to sleep in or skip training.
She struggled to get up from her seat, stretching her body and yawning.
She went to the training ground with such a languid body and showed Cloud that she had grown a little more today than yesterday.
Although she still had most of her original abilities hidden, her skills were exceptional, something that was hard to imagine for a thirteen-year-old.
So, after satisfying Cloud today and being granted some free time, she went for a walk around the fortress as she always did.
It was a sight she saw every day, nothing special, but it was a time that was quite helpful to her, whether she knew it or not.
It was the only time she could completely relax and escape from the stress, even if only for a moment.
She had been walking around for a while with the knight following her from afar, but stopped in her tracks, startled by a rustling sound coming from the bushes.
The sound was so quiet that it didn't seem to be from a large wild animal. It was deep in the mountains, so there was little chance of it being from a human, but it was still something to be expected.
Aila raised her index finger to signal the knight following her to hush up and look in the direction the sound came.
It was when Aila, hiding behind a tree, was looking at the swaying bushes.
Something suddenly popped out of the bushes. It was a small, black mass, so it was hard to tell what it was at first, but when she looked closely, she saw long ears and a small, round tail.
'...rabbit?'
It was a black rabbit. The rabbit was looking around with its gentle eyes and twitching its nose. Eila couldn't take her eyes off the rabbit for some reason.
After briefly exploring its surroundings, the rabbit soon began to run around and eat grass, perhaps thinking it was safe.
The sight of him eating grass with his protruding front teeth clenched was somehow so cute.
Aila hesitated for a moment. She was now living a life of misery, seeking revenge on her mortal enemy who had ruined her entire life, and she was walking on a single-plank bridge that would send her crashing down an endless cliff if she made even the slightest misstep.
But is it okay to be distracted by a single rabbit?
'But... It's so cute.'
Sighing, she finally burst into a small laugh and looked at the rabbit with a smile on her face, not realizing how much time had passed.
The black fur that was shiny and flowing, and the pure eyes were so lovely. It couldn't be helped.
The knight who was following her was at a loss as to whether he should tell her that it was time to go back, but he felt bad about spoiling the mood when the little girl was looking at the rabbit with such excitement, so he just continued to watch.
Thanks to that, when Aila entered the fortress, the sun, which had become much shorter, had completely set behind the western mountain.
Laura locked Aila's room door as she always did, and Aila, who was trapped in the room, escaped the building through the secret passage as usual.
It had been quite some time since they had settled in this fortress, and since she had been out secretly more than once or twice during that time, Aila was already skilled and was able to find Byron's room quite easily.
The window was closed because the weather had suddenly become quite chilly, but she could see inside clearly through the crack where he had thrown his glass and broken it.
Aila, who was peeking into the room through the broken window, frowned without realizing it.
‘Ugh, what kind of alcohol smell is this...’
The room was so filled with the smell of alcohol that anyone who saw it would have thought someone had poured a bucketful of alcohol into the room. There were also pieces of broken bottles scattered on the floor.
The person who made such a mess of the room was lying face down on the bed, not moving at all.
He would have certainly fallen asleep after pouring himself this much alcohol, but just in case, she threw a small rock into the room.
Knock. A small stone fell to the ground, but Byron, who was drunk and asleep, showed no sign of waking up. He seemed to be in a deep sleep.
Aila opened the window slightly and carefully entered the room. The smell of alcohol, which was vibrating even through the slightly opened gap, became even stronger as she entered the room. It was so strong that it stung her eyes.
If she stayed here for too long, she would get drunk just from the smell.
'We need to investigate quickly and go back.'
Aila shook her head with a displeased expression and quickly scanned the room. However, she didn't see anything like a note anywhere in the room.
Do I have to go back like this? It's such a shame.
Aila, with a sad face, searched the room once more.
'Wait a minute. This is...'
As Aila looked around the fireplace, she noticed some burnt bits of paper among the embers of the fire.
It was as if it had been crumpled and torn before being burned. The piece of paper was tattered. She couldn't tell what it was about just by looking at the part she had found, but if there were other parts, she might be able to figure out what it was about.
Aila glanced back at the bed where Byron was sleeping, then picked up the poker and began stirring the ashes.
After some time like that.
Aila was able to find two scraps of paper left over from the ride. Apparently, the rest of the paper had been burned and lost.
The room was dark, and the writing was small, making it difficult to read. It seemed like it would take a while, so Aila decided to take the piece of paper and return to her room.
Aila's room was also dark, but it was much better because there was a small lamp. It was also a safe place where there was no need to worry about anyone finding out, even if it took a long time.
Since it was a letter that was going to be burned anyway, Byron wouldn't know even if she took it.
Finally, she gathered up the rocks she had thrown before entering the room and quietly left the room through the window.
Aila, who returned to her room through the secret passage, quickly changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Then, she looked at the piece of paper she had taken from Byron's room under the light of a small lamp.
“The Duchess... said.”
Could it be a letter containing news from Ophelia? Coincidentally, the most important part, what she did, was hidden by soot.
It was news about her beloved mother, but she was frustrated because she couldn't figure out exactly what it was about.
Aila wonders if her mother is feeling unwell like last time. Or if something serious has come up.
Feeling anxious and nervous, Aila rubbed the burnt area with her hand, hoping that perhaps the hidden letters would be revealed.
But it wasn't just the soot that had turned black, only her fingertips. She frowned.
'No, it's okay. There's still a piece left.'
She hopes she can get some solid clues from the remaining pieces.
Aila held a small piece of paper in both hands as if praying, held it up to the light, and slowly read the letters that she could see, one by one.
'The Duke is very pleased...'
That was the end of it. There was nothing special this time either.
Even though she knew there would be nothing there, she flipped the paper over and looked at the back, but she got nothing more.
It was a disheartening thing, but color returned to Aila's face, which had been pale from impatience.
'If my father was pleased, it can't be a bad thing.'
Whatever on earth had upset Byron so much, fortunately, it seemed to be a good thing for her parents.
That's it.
It was a sin to even think about it, but if those two were happy, that was enough.
Aila carefully stored the leftover scraps of paper in a box. Crumpled, torn, and burnt, the shabby paper.
As if that piece of paper, whose original contents she can't even be sure of, were some kind of precious treasure.
Aila, lying on the bed, felt a chill for no reason and pulled the blanket up to her neck. It was either because winter was approaching or because her heart was cold. The air was cold.
***
From that day on, Aila pretended to be quite quiet and watched Byron's movements.
This was because Byron had come to find her by surprise in the middle of the night after hearing the news that Ophelia had collapsed.
But this time, it was different. He didn't stay in his room in an unstable state, and he didn't come looking for her out of the blue.
There was still the occasional sweet free time she was given if she finished the given training quickly.
The only thing that was different from usual was that he occasionally gave her a cold look.
Even that was a bit confusing because when she noticed it and turned her gaze towards Byron, he smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.
She looked thoughtfully at Byron, who was elegantly putting bite-sized pieces of meat into his mouth.
‘...Well, if there’s nothing special, I guess it’s okay to move around at night.’
She was anxious because full-blown winter was coming, and she needed to gather as much information as possible before the snow piled up.
As her mind became more anxious, she moved more busily. Every night, she went out and searched Byron's room, and she didn't stop there, but she started going around the entire fortress as if it were her own room, searching for information.
Thanks to that, she was able to find out a few useful things. Among those who shared Byron's views, there were foreign nobles, not imperial nobles. And she was able to learn the name of one of them.
It was discovered that a man named Count Cenospon of the Inselkov Kingdom, a neighboring country to the southwest of the Empire, was providing money and goods for Byron's treason.
She doesn't know what Count Cenospon and Byron were bargaining for, but unless the Count is an idiot, he would never support a foreign rebel force without paying something in return.
It was clear evidence that Byron was conducting some kind of transaction with foreign countries.
Aila, who had been wasting time in a state of limbo without finding out anything, was greatly encouraged by this important information, and the elation made her ignore the fatigue that was building up from lack of sleep.
One day, as she was growing increasingly tired day by day,
‘...Why does my body feel so heavy? Should I just sleep tonight?’
As the days grew shorter and the sunrise became later, Aila, who had been searching the fortress until dawn, got up from her seat with sleepiness in her eyes.
Her body was very heavy, and her condition was not good, but she was not allowed to sleep in or skip training.
She struggled to get up from her seat, stretching her body and yawning.
She went to the training ground with such a languid body and showed Cloud that she had grown a little more today than yesterday.
Although she still had most of her original abilities hidden, her skills were exceptional, something that was hard to imagine for a thirteen-year-old.
So, after satisfying Cloud today and being granted some free time, she went for a walk around the fortress as she always did.
It was a sight she saw every day, nothing special, but it was a time that was quite helpful to her, whether she knew it or not.
It was the only time she could completely relax and escape from the stress, even if only for a moment.
She had been walking around for a while with the knight following her from afar, but stopped in her tracks, startled by a rustling sound coming from the bushes.
The sound was so quiet that it didn't seem to be from a large wild animal. It was deep in the mountains, so there was little chance of it being from a human, but it was still something to be expected.
Aila raised her index finger to signal the knight following her to hush up and look in the direction the sound came.
It was when Aila, hiding behind a tree, was looking at the swaying bushes.
Something suddenly popped out of the bushes. It was a small, black mass, so it was hard to tell what it was at first, but when she looked closely, she saw long ears and a small, round tail.
'...rabbit?'
It was a black rabbit. The rabbit was looking around with its gentle eyes and twitching its nose. Eila couldn't take her eyes off the rabbit for some reason.
After briefly exploring its surroundings, the rabbit soon began to run around and eat grass, perhaps thinking it was safe.
The sight of him eating grass with his protruding front teeth clenched was somehow so cute.
Aila hesitated for a moment. She was now living a life of misery, seeking revenge on her mortal enemy who had ruined her entire life, and she was walking on a single-plank bridge that would send her crashing down an endless cliff if she made even the slightest misstep.
But is it okay to be distracted by a single rabbit?
'But... It's so cute.'
Sighing, she finally burst into a small laugh and looked at the rabbit with a smile on her face, not realizing how much time had passed.
The black fur that was shiny and flowing, and the pure eyes were so lovely. It couldn't be helped.
The knight who was following her was at a loss as to whether he should tell her that it was time to go back, but he felt bad about spoiling the mood when the little girl was looking at the rabbit with such excitement, so he just continued to watch.
Thanks to that, when Aila entered the fortress, the sun, which had become much shorter, had completely set behind the western mountain.
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