As the sun set, she hurried into the fortress yard in a panic. Cloud, who had been waiting for her, looked at her with a worried look on his face.
And next to him, Laura stood proudly, her eyes saying, 'You are now dead.'
It was true that she had made a mistake she normally wouldn't make because she was distracted by something trivial, so Aila was hesitant and watching the two of them.
“...You’re late, my daughter.”
Byron, who rarely came out of the building, rarely came out to the yard himself to greet her.
“Oh, father.”
At the coldness on Byron's face, Aila knelt on the dirt floor without a moment's hesitation and hung onto Byron's trousers.
“Do you know how much this father worried about you? Seriously, I’m disappointed, daughter. I didn’t know you would disappoint me like this.”
There was not a shred of warmth in Byron's voice as he spat out each word one by one.
It was a sweetness that was designed to deceive and use her, but at least he usually pretended to give her something. The fact that even that wasn't there meant that Byron was very angry.
“Father, I’m sorry. It was my fault...”
Even though she cried out pitifully, Byron still looked down at Ayla with an expression that seemed to show disgust.
Aila didn't know it, but Byron's anger was partly a venting on a distant object.
He was upset about the news of Ophelia's pregnancy, but he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he was seething inside. In the midst of all this, Aila got caught by mistake.
“...Really, do you feel sorry for this father? My daughter.”
Byron asked, pretending to be very pitiful, knowing that if he said this, the foolish Aila would tremble in anxiety and bow her head even more.
“...”
But Aila remained silent.
Byron took the silence to mean that she was too embarrassed to speak.
But that wasn't what it meant. It was Aila's last bit of pride.
Because she wasn't truly sorry.
“Why aren’t you saying anything, my daughter?”
“...Just this once, please forgive me just this once.”
Byron looked quite pleased at the sight of Aila begging for forgiveness. But he had no intention of forgiving her.
Roderick Weishaffen's daughter could not just ignore this delightful situation, which was pleading with her. He intended to make her beg for forgiveness a little more earnestly.
“Don’t let my daughter in tonight. She said it was so nice outside, so she should go and enjoy herself.”
Byron snorted and entered the fortress.
“Master! That’s it!”
Cloud followed Byron's instructions, flustered. It was the end of November. No matter how strong she was for her age, it was not the weather for a young girl to spend the night outside.
Even Laura, who hated Aila, looked a little surprised by Byron's instructions. It seemed like she hadn't expected him to give such instructions.
'...Idiot. Why did you do that?'
Tears flowed from Aila's eyes. She couldn't believe her foolish mistake.
Lately, she's been getting compliments from Cloud and Byron so much that she's become overconfident. Or maybe she's been lacking sleep and her head's spinning.
If she really was a thirteen-year-old child, then who knows? Almond lived for a few months past eighteen. What's a rabbit to her?
She knew. Byron couldn't just throw her away for something like this. Aila Weishaffen was necessary to Byron. At least until he took down his prey, called Roderick.
In the past, she would have been terrified and anxious, fearing that she would be hated and abandoned by Byron and her father, but not now.
Still, she cried. She knew that Byron was just taking his anger out on her, and she knew that this punishment was unfair.
It doesn't change the fact that all of this happened because of her own mistake.
As she was kneeling there, before long, dark clouds gathered, and it started to rain heavily.
Urrrr, bang. Aila could even hear lightning striking from afar.
Laura, who had been fidgeting beside her, also went inside the fortress to avoid the rain.
The cold raindrops seemed to wash away the self-loathing that had been tormenting her.
'...Let's not blame ourselves. Byron would have found fault with me someday anyway, even if I hadn't come back late today.'
Because that's the kind of person he was from the beginning.
Does it make sense to make someone kneel outside in the pouring rain just because they're a little late?
The bad thing was Byron.
So, rather than blaming myself, it was time to move forward. Let this resentment be the driving force, and let me think about how I could take even more brutal revenge on Byron.
In the pouring rain, Aila gritted her teeth.
“My lord, it’s cold. If you leave that little child out in the rain like that...”
Although Byron showed a displeased expression, Cloud did not back down and followed him to the room to try to persuade him.
Byron's expression was dark as he sat by a warm fireplace, drinking steaming tea.
It was a bit hurtful that Cloud was trying to convince him instead of bending to his will, but it wasn't wrong.
'I was just going to tease you for a bit, but it ended up raining.'
It was a headache. Aila was born with a strong constitution, so she didn't get sick often, but when she did get sick, she got really sick. If she caught a cold in the late autumn rain, it would be a big problem.
It hadn't been that long, but Byron had probably had quite a bit of pride in dragging it out for this long anyway.
He decided to follow Cloud's advice, pretending not to be able to resist it.
“Yes, just come in...”
But before Byron could finish speaking, Laura came stamping her feet and came to Byron's room.
“Hey, uncle! That kid!”
Forgetting that the owner of this room was Byron, she burst open the door without knocking and came in, shouting out.
Cloud, startled by Laura's words, quickly looked out the window. Aila was lying on the cold floor.
“...!”
Byron was shocked to see the devastation outside the window, with rain pouring down over Cloud's shoulder. She wasn't that weak of a kid. Why did she collapse just from being briefly hit by the rain?
Cloud's hand holding the curtain tightened.
Instead of trying to convince Byron, let Aila come inside first.
It seemed as if this had happened because he had wasted time trying to persuade him of his master's orders.
Cloud didn't even think about using an umbrella, but jumped into the rain and hugged Aila.
Although she was quite heavy, as her bones and muscles were stronger than those of her peers, Cloud somehow felt that Aila was as light as a feather.
As if it would fly away if the wind blew.
As Cloud entered the fortress carrying Aila, whose body was as hot as a ball of fire, Byron looked at him with a puzzled face.
But that was only for a moment. Byron turned his head away, perhaps displeased with the way Cloud, who was so loyal, was looking at him with eyes filled with resentment.
“...Please take good care of her. She will recover quickly. You must not interfere with her training.”
“Yes, yes, master.”
Cloud, who watched Laura bow her head to Byron in embarrassment, gritted his teeth in anger.
Is the lord he serves truly human?
How can you do that while wearing human skin?
Cloud walked briskly and laid Aila on the bed, frowning.
No, isn't it true that he is not human?
Was it not his fault at all that he made this child like this? No.
“...I, Uncle.”
Laura, who had brought a dry towel and clean new clothes, called out to him in a panic. She needed to change Aila's clothes, but she couldn't because of Cloud.
“Laura.”
"Yes?"
...This child, Aila... Please take good care of her.
Cloud tried to say that, but his mouth wouldn't open.
Did she deserve it? No, she didn't.
He simply tapped his nephew on the shoulder and left the room.
"Mother...?"
Aila blinked slowly.
In the dark room, the only light source was the soft moonlight shining through the window, but the silver hair of the woman standing in front of her was glowing softly.
It was so similar to her own, yet somehow she could tell.
She instinctively knew that the person standing by the window was her mother.
At her call, Ophelia turned her head with the happiest expression on her face. The pair of purple eyes looking at her was extremely affectionate.
“Aila!”
Ophelia hugged her, calling her name affectionately. Flash.
‘...It’s strange.’
Ophelia can lift Aila so lightly.
Her at eighteen, and her at thirteen.
It would be too heavy for her mother to lift lightly.
She laughed and reached out to touch her mother's face.
Looking at her short arms and chubby baby hands, Aila realized.
'It's a dream.'
A dream from her childhood. A dream she misses so much.
It was good. Even if it was a dream.
The years she spent missing someone who didn't even exist were so long.
The day she woke up from a dream about her mother, whose face and voice she could not recognize, she was depressed all day.
But there was no need for that anymore. She remembered her mother's voice, her face, her scent.
Aila happily rubbed her face against her mother's cheek.
It was a dream, but it was a really vivid feeling.
“Our Aila, Mommy will definitely protect you. Always. My pretty daughter.”
Ophelia's voice tickled her ear. It was only a dream, but how comforting those words were.
Warm tears flowed from Aila's eyes.
And next to him, Laura stood proudly, her eyes saying, 'You are now dead.'
It was true that she had made a mistake she normally wouldn't make because she was distracted by something trivial, so Aila was hesitant and watching the two of them.
“...You’re late, my daughter.”
Byron, who rarely came out of the building, rarely came out to the yard himself to greet her.
“Oh, father.”
At the coldness on Byron's face, Aila knelt on the dirt floor without a moment's hesitation and hung onto Byron's trousers.
“Do you know how much this father worried about you? Seriously, I’m disappointed, daughter. I didn’t know you would disappoint me like this.”
There was not a shred of warmth in Byron's voice as he spat out each word one by one.
It was a sweetness that was designed to deceive and use her, but at least he usually pretended to give her something. The fact that even that wasn't there meant that Byron was very angry.
“Father, I’m sorry. It was my fault...”
Even though she cried out pitifully, Byron still looked down at Ayla with an expression that seemed to show disgust.
Aila didn't know it, but Byron's anger was partly a venting on a distant object.
He was upset about the news of Ophelia's pregnancy, but he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he was seething inside. In the midst of all this, Aila got caught by mistake.
“...Really, do you feel sorry for this father? My daughter.”
Byron asked, pretending to be very pitiful, knowing that if he said this, the foolish Aila would tremble in anxiety and bow her head even more.
“...”
But Aila remained silent.
Byron took the silence to mean that she was too embarrassed to speak.
But that wasn't what it meant. It was Aila's last bit of pride.
Because she wasn't truly sorry.
“Why aren’t you saying anything, my daughter?”
“...Just this once, please forgive me just this once.”
Byron looked quite pleased at the sight of Aila begging for forgiveness. But he had no intention of forgiving her.
Roderick Weishaffen's daughter could not just ignore this delightful situation, which was pleading with her. He intended to make her beg for forgiveness a little more earnestly.
“Don’t let my daughter in tonight. She said it was so nice outside, so she should go and enjoy herself.”
Byron snorted and entered the fortress.
“Master! That’s it!”
Cloud followed Byron's instructions, flustered. It was the end of November. No matter how strong she was for her age, it was not the weather for a young girl to spend the night outside.
Even Laura, who hated Aila, looked a little surprised by Byron's instructions. It seemed like she hadn't expected him to give such instructions.
'...Idiot. Why did you do that?'
Tears flowed from Aila's eyes. She couldn't believe her foolish mistake.
Lately, she's been getting compliments from Cloud and Byron so much that she's become overconfident. Or maybe she's been lacking sleep and her head's spinning.
If she really was a thirteen-year-old child, then who knows? Almond lived for a few months past eighteen. What's a rabbit to her?
She knew. Byron couldn't just throw her away for something like this. Aila Weishaffen was necessary to Byron. At least until he took down his prey, called Roderick.
In the past, she would have been terrified and anxious, fearing that she would be hated and abandoned by Byron and her father, but not now.
Still, she cried. She knew that Byron was just taking his anger out on her, and she knew that this punishment was unfair.
It doesn't change the fact that all of this happened because of her own mistake.
As she was kneeling there, before long, dark clouds gathered, and it started to rain heavily.
Urrrr, bang. Aila could even hear lightning striking from afar.
Laura, who had been fidgeting beside her, also went inside the fortress to avoid the rain.
The cold raindrops seemed to wash away the self-loathing that had been tormenting her.
'...Let's not blame ourselves. Byron would have found fault with me someday anyway, even if I hadn't come back late today.'
Because that's the kind of person he was from the beginning.
Does it make sense to make someone kneel outside in the pouring rain just because they're a little late?
The bad thing was Byron.
So, rather than blaming myself, it was time to move forward. Let this resentment be the driving force, and let me think about how I could take even more brutal revenge on Byron.
In the pouring rain, Aila gritted her teeth.
***
“My lord, it’s cold. If you leave that little child out in the rain like that...”
Although Byron showed a displeased expression, Cloud did not back down and followed him to the room to try to persuade him.
Byron's expression was dark as he sat by a warm fireplace, drinking steaming tea.
It was a bit hurtful that Cloud was trying to convince him instead of bending to his will, but it wasn't wrong.
'I was just going to tease you for a bit, but it ended up raining.'
It was a headache. Aila was born with a strong constitution, so she didn't get sick often, but when she did get sick, she got really sick. If she caught a cold in the late autumn rain, it would be a big problem.
It hadn't been that long, but Byron had probably had quite a bit of pride in dragging it out for this long anyway.
He decided to follow Cloud's advice, pretending not to be able to resist it.
“Yes, just come in...”
But before Byron could finish speaking, Laura came stamping her feet and came to Byron's room.
“Hey, uncle! That kid!”
Forgetting that the owner of this room was Byron, she burst open the door without knocking and came in, shouting out.
Cloud, startled by Laura's words, quickly looked out the window. Aila was lying on the cold floor.
“...!”
Byron was shocked to see the devastation outside the window, with rain pouring down over Cloud's shoulder. She wasn't that weak of a kid. Why did she collapse just from being briefly hit by the rain?
Cloud's hand holding the curtain tightened.
Instead of trying to convince Byron, let Aila come inside first.
It seemed as if this had happened because he had wasted time trying to persuade him of his master's orders.
Cloud didn't even think about using an umbrella, but jumped into the rain and hugged Aila.
Although she was quite heavy, as her bones and muscles were stronger than those of her peers, Cloud somehow felt that Aila was as light as a feather.
As if it would fly away if the wind blew.
As Cloud entered the fortress carrying Aila, whose body was as hot as a ball of fire, Byron looked at him with a puzzled face.
But that was only for a moment. Byron turned his head away, perhaps displeased with the way Cloud, who was so loyal, was looking at him with eyes filled with resentment.
“...Please take good care of her. She will recover quickly. You must not interfere with her training.”
“Yes, yes, master.”
Cloud, who watched Laura bow her head to Byron in embarrassment, gritted his teeth in anger.
Is the lord he serves truly human?
How can you do that while wearing human skin?
Cloud walked briskly and laid Aila on the bed, frowning.
No, isn't it true that he is not human?
Was it not his fault at all that he made this child like this? No.
“...I, Uncle.”
Laura, who had brought a dry towel and clean new clothes, called out to him in a panic. She needed to change Aila's clothes, but she couldn't because of Cloud.
“Laura.”
"Yes?"
...This child, Aila... Please take good care of her.
Cloud tried to say that, but his mouth wouldn't open.
Did she deserve it? No, she didn't.
He simply tapped his nephew on the shoulder and left the room.
***
"Mother...?"
Aila blinked slowly.
In the dark room, the only light source was the soft moonlight shining through the window, but the silver hair of the woman standing in front of her was glowing softly.
It was so similar to her own, yet somehow she could tell.
She instinctively knew that the person standing by the window was her mother.
At her call, Ophelia turned her head with the happiest expression on her face. The pair of purple eyes looking at her was extremely affectionate.
“Aila!”
Ophelia hugged her, calling her name affectionately. Flash.
‘...It’s strange.’
Ophelia can lift Aila so lightly.
Her at eighteen, and her at thirteen.
It would be too heavy for her mother to lift lightly.
She laughed and reached out to touch her mother's face.
Looking at her short arms and chubby baby hands, Aila realized.
'It's a dream.'
A dream from her childhood. A dream she misses so much.
It was good. Even if it was a dream.
The years she spent missing someone who didn't even exist were so long.
The day she woke up from a dream about her mother, whose face and voice she could not recognize, she was depressed all day.
But there was no need for that anymore. She remembered her mother's voice, her face, her scent.
Aila happily rubbed her face against her mother's cheek.
It was a dream, but it was a really vivid feeling.
“Our Aila, Mommy will definitely protect you. Always. My pretty daughter.”
Ophelia's voice tickled her ear. It was only a dream, but how comforting those words were.
Warm tears flowed from Aila's eyes.
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