And then, unable to bear the interruption, Candice interrupted the couple's conversation and joined in. From then on, the conversation continued without a break.
"No, while I was distracted, they cowardly attacked me from behind? I felt a presence behind me, and by the time I turned around, it was already too late. So, ah... I was like, 'This is how I'm going to die.' And then, right then, a savior appeared."
Natalia closed her eyes in rapture, recalling the moment when the girl in the hat with the white lace ribbon appeared before her eyes. Even thinking back, it was a magnificent scene, like the climax of a play.
“A girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen appeared, brandishing a dagger... and subdued the cowardly pirate who had tried to ambush me with a single blow... Even though I saw it with my own two eyes, it felt like a dream.”
When she finished her story with a dazed expression, everyone exclaimed, "Oh!" as if they were amazed.
Except for one person, Roderick.
A young girl of thirteen or fourteen, and a dagger. A skilled fighter who can instantly subdue pirates.
Because those three keywords reminded him of Aila.
“...What did that girl look like? What color was her hair? What color were her eyes? Where did she say she was going?”
When Roderick suddenly asked excitedly, Natalia was flustered but instinctively remembered the girl's appearance.
"Uh... I couldn't see his hair because his hat was pulled down so low. His eyes were... blue. A deep sea color. We didn't get to talk. I was about to thank her, but she disappeared while I was talking to the captain."
She answered as best she could remember, and Roderick, apparently not satisfied with that answer, began to barrage her with questions again.
“Where did that ship come from and where did it go?”
“Ah, that was... a trade ship departing from the Peles Empire and heading to the Inselkov Kingdom.”
The Kingdom of Inselkov.
Roderick fell into his own thoughts without saying a word.
Could that girl really be Aila? If so, did Byron sneak into the Inselkov kingdom? And why?
Questions kept coming to mind one after another.
“... Roderick, what’s wrong? It’s so strange.”
At that suspicious sight, Candice nudged Roderick in the side with her elbow, but Roderick didn't respond.
Ophelia initially found her husband's strange reaction strange, but she seemed to gradually realize something.
“Me, but.”
At that moment, Austin cautiously raised his hand, saying he wasn't sure if it was okay for him to get involved.
“Actually, I... I caught a glimpse of the girl entering the cabin. Her hair was silver, with a little bit of it sticking out from under her hat.”
Silver hair and blue eyes.
A moment of silence fell. Everyone, except Austin, who didn't understand anything, realized what had happened.
That the child might be Aila.
It was the day she decided to go to the festival with Gerald.
Aila finished her preparations for the outing by donning a bonnet that covered her entire head. Laura, as always, tied a ribbon around her head and instructed her never to take it off.
And as she came out of the annex, escorted by Cloud, Gerald, dressed quite nicely, was waiting with a fancy carriage.
“...Have a nice trip, Miss.”
Cloud said, gripping Aila's shoulder so tightly it hurt. His eyes were filled with worry as he looked at her.
She couldn't tell what he was worried about. Was he genuinely concerned about her, even though it seemed out of place, or was he suspicious of her?
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Aila approached the carriage, leaving Cloud behind, whose thoughts she had no idea about.
As she approached, Gerald grinned and extended his hand, offering to escort her into the carriage.
But Aila pretended not to notice the hand and climbed into the carriage on her own.
Having learned the etiquette of a noblewoman, she knew that her actions were impolite, but she had no desire to be polite to the likes of Gerald.
Gerald's eyebrows furrowed as she ignored his offer. His pride was clearly hurt.
But he forced a smile and followed her into the carriage. He couldn't let his long hunger strike, his hard-won opportunity, go to waste by getting angry just because she refused to escort him.
Gerald, sitting across from Ayla, signaled to the coachman, and the carriage quickly started moving smoothly.
“The weather is nice, isn’t it?”
As she was staring out the window with her chin resting on her hand, Gerald approached her, seemingly embarrassed.
When it was so annoyingly sticky, she couldn't figure out why he was doing it again.
"...Yes."
It was true that the weather was nice, so she answered briefly.
The sunlight was dazzlingly bright, and the sky was crystal clear. A cool spring breeze, carrying the scent of flowers, made it the perfect weather for an outing.
It would have been nice if the person she was hanging out with hadn't been Gerald.
“It will take about two hours to get to the capital by carriage.”
"Yes."
Two hours alone in this cramped carriage with Gerald.
It was a bit annoying, but she had endured hiding on the carriage floor with Byron, so it was bearable.
Gerald kept babbling and talking about useless things, but the conversation didn't last long. She kept looking out the window and giving short answers.
It was quite enjoyable to listen to his chatty words and gaze at the exotic scenery outside the window.
It seemed like it was the first time in her life that she was free from the surveillance of Byron and his gang.
Since she hadn't sneaked out, she didn't feel pressured to get back in before being caught, and she didn't need to smile brightly to please Byron.
And it was something she didn't understand, but she had a good feeling since morning. She had a feeling that good luck was coming.
Aila couldn't tell how lucky she was going to be when she was with a guy like Gerald.
As time passed, Gerald became quiet, perhaps because he was tired of talking to himself.
Aila glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was doing, and he kept touching the inside pocket of his coat with a look of anxiety on his face.
There seemed to be something important in that pocket.
Seeing him fidgeting, something felt suspicious, so Aila turned around and sat up to look at Gerald.
“Why, why? What’s on my face?”
Moreover, when her gaze fell on his face, he felt a prickle in his eyes, and his feet trembled, which was extremely suspicious.
"...No."
Aila doesn't know what the hell he's up to, but she feels like they have some kind of plan, so she thinks she needs to keep a close eye on them.
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the capital.
Colorful decorations hung everywhere along the street, and street musicians played lively tunes. Crowds, seemingly in high spirits, were buying food from street vendors and chatting excitedly.
Seeing that sight, Aila realized that she was actually at the festival she had only heard about.
It was a sight that made her feel as if her heart was pounding happily, and she was also excited.
She wanted to get off the carriage and try everything. She wanted to look at the goods sold at the street vendors and try the sandwich-like treats everyone was holding in their hands.
However, the carriage carrying her passed by without stopping on the festival street.
“...Aren’t you going to get off? Isn’t this the festival grounds?”
When Aila asked with a bewildered expression, Gerald answered with a look of shock.
"I'm not even a commoner...! How can I hang out with commoners? Just wait. I'll take you to a really good place."
What the hell is this nonsense? It was clearly Gerald who suggested they go to the festival first. If he wasn't going to go, why on earth did he bring her all the way to the capital?
Aila couldn't figure out where the 'really good place' was.
While she squinted her eyes and observed Gerald's suspicious behavior, the carriage drove a little further and entered an upscale residential area.
While it certainly had an aristocratic and elegant atmosphere, it felt quite different from the festival itself. It felt like a completely different world from the street she's just been on.
“...Here, get down.”
As the carriage came to a stop, Gerald disembarked first and reached out to her again. Aila stubbornly ignored his escort and disembarked alone, looking around.
She couldn't figure out why on earth he had brought her to a place like this.
“Hmm, hmm. Wait here for a moment.”
Having been refused an escort not once but twice, Gerald coughed awkwardly and walked away from her to the knights.
Then he lowered his voice and whispered something to the knights while handing them something.
At their suspicious behavior, Aila pretended not to hear and focused on their conversation.
“She and I will be at this cafe, so let’s go and have a drink.”
“Yes? Young Master, that’s a bit...”
“...Take this, and hurry! I told you I’m not going anywhere else, right? I’ll just stay here. You know this neighborhood is safe, right? I told you I don’t need you to guard it.”
What he was forcibly giving the knights was none other than a purse filled with gold coins.
‘...It’s getting more and more suspicious.’
What is he trying to do, sending knights and going to such lengths to be left alone with the two of them?
"No, while I was distracted, they cowardly attacked me from behind? I felt a presence behind me, and by the time I turned around, it was already too late. So, ah... I was like, 'This is how I'm going to die.' And then, right then, a savior appeared."
Natalia closed her eyes in rapture, recalling the moment when the girl in the hat with the white lace ribbon appeared before her eyes. Even thinking back, it was a magnificent scene, like the climax of a play.
“A girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen appeared, brandishing a dagger... and subdued the cowardly pirate who had tried to ambush me with a single blow... Even though I saw it with my own two eyes, it felt like a dream.”
When she finished her story with a dazed expression, everyone exclaimed, "Oh!" as if they were amazed.
Except for one person, Roderick.
A young girl of thirteen or fourteen, and a dagger. A skilled fighter who can instantly subdue pirates.
Because those three keywords reminded him of Aila.
“...What did that girl look like? What color was her hair? What color were her eyes? Where did she say she was going?”
When Roderick suddenly asked excitedly, Natalia was flustered but instinctively remembered the girl's appearance.
"Uh... I couldn't see his hair because his hat was pulled down so low. His eyes were... blue. A deep sea color. We didn't get to talk. I was about to thank her, but she disappeared while I was talking to the captain."
She answered as best she could remember, and Roderick, apparently not satisfied with that answer, began to barrage her with questions again.
“Where did that ship come from and where did it go?”
“Ah, that was... a trade ship departing from the Peles Empire and heading to the Inselkov Kingdom.”
The Kingdom of Inselkov.
Roderick fell into his own thoughts without saying a word.
Could that girl really be Aila? If so, did Byron sneak into the Inselkov kingdom? And why?
Questions kept coming to mind one after another.
“... Roderick, what’s wrong? It’s so strange.”
At that suspicious sight, Candice nudged Roderick in the side with her elbow, but Roderick didn't respond.
Ophelia initially found her husband's strange reaction strange, but she seemed to gradually realize something.
“Me, but.”
At that moment, Austin cautiously raised his hand, saying he wasn't sure if it was okay for him to get involved.
“Actually, I... I caught a glimpse of the girl entering the cabin. Her hair was silver, with a little bit of it sticking out from under her hat.”
Silver hair and blue eyes.
A moment of silence fell. Everyone, except Austin, who didn't understand anything, realized what had happened.
That the child might be Aila.
***
It was the day she decided to go to the festival with Gerald.
Aila finished her preparations for the outing by donning a bonnet that covered her entire head. Laura, as always, tied a ribbon around her head and instructed her never to take it off.
And as she came out of the annex, escorted by Cloud, Gerald, dressed quite nicely, was waiting with a fancy carriage.
“...Have a nice trip, Miss.”
Cloud said, gripping Aila's shoulder so tightly it hurt. His eyes were filled with worry as he looked at her.
She couldn't tell what he was worried about. Was he genuinely concerned about her, even though it seemed out of place, or was he suspicious of her?
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
Aila approached the carriage, leaving Cloud behind, whose thoughts she had no idea about.
As she approached, Gerald grinned and extended his hand, offering to escort her into the carriage.
But Aila pretended not to notice the hand and climbed into the carriage on her own.
Having learned the etiquette of a noblewoman, she knew that her actions were impolite, but she had no desire to be polite to the likes of Gerald.
Gerald's eyebrows furrowed as she ignored his offer. His pride was clearly hurt.
But he forced a smile and followed her into the carriage. He couldn't let his long hunger strike, his hard-won opportunity, go to waste by getting angry just because she refused to escort him.
Gerald, sitting across from Ayla, signaled to the coachman, and the carriage quickly started moving smoothly.
“The weather is nice, isn’t it?”
As she was staring out the window with her chin resting on her hand, Gerald approached her, seemingly embarrassed.
When it was so annoyingly sticky, she couldn't figure out why he was doing it again.
"...Yes."
It was true that the weather was nice, so she answered briefly.
The sunlight was dazzlingly bright, and the sky was crystal clear. A cool spring breeze, carrying the scent of flowers, made it the perfect weather for an outing.
It would have been nice if the person she was hanging out with hadn't been Gerald.
“It will take about two hours to get to the capital by carriage.”
"Yes."
Two hours alone in this cramped carriage with Gerald.
It was a bit annoying, but she had endured hiding on the carriage floor with Byron, so it was bearable.
Gerald kept babbling and talking about useless things, but the conversation didn't last long. She kept looking out the window and giving short answers.
It was quite enjoyable to listen to his chatty words and gaze at the exotic scenery outside the window.
It seemed like it was the first time in her life that she was free from the surveillance of Byron and his gang.
Since she hadn't sneaked out, she didn't feel pressured to get back in before being caught, and she didn't need to smile brightly to please Byron.
And it was something she didn't understand, but she had a good feeling since morning. She had a feeling that good luck was coming.
Aila couldn't tell how lucky she was going to be when she was with a guy like Gerald.
As time passed, Gerald became quiet, perhaps because he was tired of talking to himself.
Aila glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was doing, and he kept touching the inside pocket of his coat with a look of anxiety on his face.
There seemed to be something important in that pocket.
Seeing him fidgeting, something felt suspicious, so Aila turned around and sat up to look at Gerald.
“Why, why? What’s on my face?”
Moreover, when her gaze fell on his face, he felt a prickle in his eyes, and his feet trembled, which was extremely suspicious.
"...No."
Aila doesn't know what the hell he's up to, but she feels like they have some kind of plan, so she thinks she needs to keep a close eye on them.
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the capital.
Colorful decorations hung everywhere along the street, and street musicians played lively tunes. Crowds, seemingly in high spirits, were buying food from street vendors and chatting excitedly.
Seeing that sight, Aila realized that she was actually at the festival she had only heard about.
It was a sight that made her feel as if her heart was pounding happily, and she was also excited.
She wanted to get off the carriage and try everything. She wanted to look at the goods sold at the street vendors and try the sandwich-like treats everyone was holding in their hands.
However, the carriage carrying her passed by without stopping on the festival street.
“...Aren’t you going to get off? Isn’t this the festival grounds?”
When Aila asked with a bewildered expression, Gerald answered with a look of shock.
"I'm not even a commoner...! How can I hang out with commoners? Just wait. I'll take you to a really good place."
What the hell is this nonsense? It was clearly Gerald who suggested they go to the festival first. If he wasn't going to go, why on earth did he bring her all the way to the capital?
Aila couldn't figure out where the 'really good place' was.
While she squinted her eyes and observed Gerald's suspicious behavior, the carriage drove a little further and entered an upscale residential area.
While it certainly had an aristocratic and elegant atmosphere, it felt quite different from the festival itself. It felt like a completely different world from the street she's just been on.
“...Here, get down.”
As the carriage came to a stop, Gerald disembarked first and reached out to her again. Aila stubbornly ignored his escort and disembarked alone, looking around.
She couldn't figure out why on earth he had brought her to a place like this.
“Hmm, hmm. Wait here for a moment.”
Having been refused an escort not once but twice, Gerald coughed awkwardly and walked away from her to the knights.
Then he lowered his voice and whispered something to the knights while handing them something.
At their suspicious behavior, Aila pretended not to hear and focused on their conversation.
“She and I will be at this cafe, so let’s go and have a drink.”
“Yes? Young Master, that’s a bit...”
“...Take this, and hurry! I told you I’m not going anywhere else, right? I’ll just stay here. You know this neighborhood is safe, right? I told you I don’t need you to guard it.”
What he was forcibly giving the knights was none other than a purse filled with gold coins.
‘...It’s getting more and more suspicious.’
What is he trying to do, sending knights and going to such lengths to be left alone with the two of them?
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