Roderick asked, carefully pointing to the bed. There was a sofa in the room, large enough to comfortably seat several people, but the bed was closest to the secret passageway entrance.
Since you never know when someone might come in, you want to stay as close to the entrance as possible.
“Yes, of course.”
Aila nodded with a faint smile.
The owner of this room was Aila, but in reality, everything had been prepared by Roderick and Ophelia. He could have done whatever he wanted without asking her permission, but the sight of his father politely asking made her laugh.
Roderick sat down on the bed with an embarrassed expression and pressed the bed here and there with his palm as if trying to check the cushions.
"Hmm, it's pretty usable for something I prepared in a hurry. Isn't the sleeping arrangement uncomfortable?"
“...Thanks to my father, I am very comfortable.”
Although he had come to see her because he had something to tell her, and it was quite touching to see him worrying about his daughter's sleep, Aila suddenly sat down on the corner of the bed, a little away from Roderick, with a hardened expression on her face.
“Why, why are you like that? Are you uncomfortable with me coming to your room?”
As his daughter's expression suddenly darkened, Roderick fidgeted, watching her closely, and Aila shook her head violently in denial.
“No, that can’t be true. You’re my father... I’m really glad you’re here. Just... I’ll tell you everything later.”
She opened her mouth with a tearful expression.
The reason Aila suddenly froze was that she remembered the last moment before time was turned back, when she was alone with Roderick in this room.
The terrible memories of that time kept coming back to her, even though she didn't want to, because she was alone with Roderick in the same space.
The dark space where only moonlight and a small lantern were available, the eerie sound of the cold blade she pulled out, and the horrible smell of blood from the blood she and Roderick had shed.
Sight, hearing, smell... even the pain she felt at the moment of death. All those senses seemed to come back vividly.
'No, it all happened now. I'm fine.'
It was now bright daylight, and neither her father nor she had shed a drop of blood. Aila took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"Yes..."
Roderick was worried that his daughter would keep quiet again, saying she would tell him everything later, but he just nodded, saying he understood.
He had already finished talking with Ophelia and decided to wait for the child to open her mouth first without rushing her to tell them what she was hiding.
“...What brings you here?”
"Oh, right. I brought you a portrait of Marquis Caenis. Is this the one who took Laura?"
Roderick pulled out a small portrait he'd kept hidden in his inside pocket. It was a charcoal drawing, lacking color, but the facial features were still recognizable.
“Yes, that’s right. It was interesting.”
Aila nodded. She could clearly see the face of the "Marquis" she'd been following and nearly caught.
“He... treated Byron as if he had already ascended to the throne. He called him ‘Your Majesty.’”
“...Huh, right.”
At Aila's testimony, Roderick burst out laughing. The current Minister of Finance, managing the imperial finances, privately referred to a traitor as "Your Majesty."
It was such an absurd thing that he didn't even feel like getting angry.
“I had my doubts, but it really was... That’s right. That guy really is...”
Roderick sighed, burying his face in his palms.
“...Thank you. Thanks to you, I gained a lot of information.”
“No, Father.”
When Roderick finally expressed his gratitude, Aila smiled slightly and replied.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
"Yes, Lisa Herzig is expected to arrive tomorrow. And your maternal uncle is also visiting with his family. You should be able to see your maternal family in about a week."
“Mt uncle?”
Lisa's news wasn't particularly surprising, as she had been waiting for her arrival, already past her expected arrival time. However, Aila was a little surprised by the news of her uncle's family's visit.
It's not like she hadn't met her uncle's family in her past life. A few days before her eighteenth birthday celebration, the entire family visited the mansion. Five people: her uncle and his wife, two sisters, five and four years older than Aila, and a son of the same age.
She was so preoccupied with the fact that the event was just around the corner that her memory didn't come back clearly. Anyway, she figured they'd meet again around the same time.
Aila couldn't help but be surprised, as she had never expected to meet them so soon.
“Yeah. It seems like he wants to meet you and Noah as soon as possible.”
Roderick answered in a slightly nervous voice.
Even though they had completely reconciled now, Isidore was the one who had opposed Ophelia's marriage to him, so he would unconsciously become very nervous whenever they met.
“Oh, I see.”
Aila nodded, a little shyly. It felt strange to see a relative she'd only seen briefly in her past life come all the way from a distant land to see her.
Of course, not only her but also her younger brother Noah was included in the reason, but it was still an unfamiliar feeling.
"And... now that you seem to be quite accustomed to life here, I'm thinking of starting etiquette and succession lessons together after your birthday. What do you think?"
Aila, who had been feeling a bit dizzy for a moment and was just tossing her hair here and there, opened her eyes wide in surprise at her father's subsequent words and looked at him.
Although there had been talk of successor training in her past life, she believed it was because Aila was the only direct descendant of the Duke's family and had no other options.
But now, wasn't it different? With his son, Noah, she couldn't understand why she was the successor.
It was not uncommon for a daughter to carry on the family line, but that was only when there was no son to carry on the line.
"Why do you look like that? Now that I've found out your identity, isn't this the natural course of action?"
“Surely you don’t want to study?” Roderick joked, a joke that didn’t fit his usual serious demeanor.
“No, that’s... Of course, I should take etiquette classes, but the successor... I thought it would be Noah.”
"Well... Ophelia and I won't ignore your talent simply because you're our daughter. You're a natural born talent who can lead the Weishaffen family."
Roderick opened his mouth with a serious expression.
At the word talent, Aila shyly twisted her hair and avoided her father's gaze.
“I, I... that’s not true.”
"No. Being the head of the Duke of Weishaffen isn't just a position to manage the territory. It's a position to lead the Knights of Weishaffen and act as a shield to protect this empire. You are the perfect candidate for that role."
After hearing Roderick's detailed explanation, Aila finally seemed to understand what he was talking about.
It seemed like she was born with the qualities of a warrior.
'But... I'm strong because I regressed.'
In her past life, she'd been scolded by Byron for her slow progress. If she'd been as gifted as her father claimed, none of that would have happened.
"That's not it, Father. I wasn't born with talent... I just worked hard."
Deceived by her fake father, driven by the single-minded desire to harm her real father, Aila swallowed the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
As his daughter's face darkened, Roderick's expression became awkward. He hadn't brought up the subject to make her sad.
He mustered up his courage, carefully patting his daughter's back, and opened his mouth.
"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I was talking about the aspect of always working hard and pursuing your goals. That's not something just anyone can do. Sincerity is the greatest talent. Of course, you have a great natural physique, too."
Aila's eyes widened as she looked at her father, who told her that he, too, had endured rigorous training like hers since he was young.
It was because Roderick seemed like he'd been strong from birth. He seemed like he could handle anything he was taught.
It was hard to believe that even her father, who was now stronger than anyone in the world, had once trained under the scolding of his teacher and father, the former Duke of Weishaffen.
“No one knows what will become of Noah, who is still a newborn, when he grows up, but he was born very weak... In my opinion, you seem to be a better candidate for the position of Duke of Weishaffen than Noah.”
“...”
Aila was speechless, her ears reddening at Roderick's praise. To be praised for her hard work? It was something she'd never imagined.
Of course, in her past life, she had been praised by her parents and etiquette teachers for her diligent attitude toward everything. But she couldn't accept that praise as genuine.
This was because Laura always belittled her confidence by saying, "You're a slow learner, so you have to work several times harder than others."
Since you never know when someone might come in, you want to stay as close to the entrance as possible.
“Yes, of course.”
Aila nodded with a faint smile.
The owner of this room was Aila, but in reality, everything had been prepared by Roderick and Ophelia. He could have done whatever he wanted without asking her permission, but the sight of his father politely asking made her laugh.
Roderick sat down on the bed with an embarrassed expression and pressed the bed here and there with his palm as if trying to check the cushions.
"Hmm, it's pretty usable for something I prepared in a hurry. Isn't the sleeping arrangement uncomfortable?"
“...Thanks to my father, I am very comfortable.”
Although he had come to see her because he had something to tell her, and it was quite touching to see him worrying about his daughter's sleep, Aila suddenly sat down on the corner of the bed, a little away from Roderick, with a hardened expression on her face.
“Why, why are you like that? Are you uncomfortable with me coming to your room?”
As his daughter's expression suddenly darkened, Roderick fidgeted, watching her closely, and Aila shook her head violently in denial.
“No, that can’t be true. You’re my father... I’m really glad you’re here. Just... I’ll tell you everything later.”
She opened her mouth with a tearful expression.
The reason Aila suddenly froze was that she remembered the last moment before time was turned back, when she was alone with Roderick in this room.
The terrible memories of that time kept coming back to her, even though she didn't want to, because she was alone with Roderick in the same space.
The dark space where only moonlight and a small lantern were available, the eerie sound of the cold blade she pulled out, and the horrible smell of blood from the blood she and Roderick had shed.
Sight, hearing, smell... even the pain she felt at the moment of death. All those senses seemed to come back vividly.
'No, it all happened now. I'm fine.'
It was now bright daylight, and neither her father nor she had shed a drop of blood. Aila took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
"Yes..."
Roderick was worried that his daughter would keep quiet again, saying she would tell him everything later, but he just nodded, saying he understood.
He had already finished talking with Ophelia and decided to wait for the child to open her mouth first without rushing her to tell them what she was hiding.
“...What brings you here?”
"Oh, right. I brought you a portrait of Marquis Caenis. Is this the one who took Laura?"
Roderick pulled out a small portrait he'd kept hidden in his inside pocket. It was a charcoal drawing, lacking color, but the facial features were still recognizable.
“Yes, that’s right. It was interesting.”
Aila nodded. She could clearly see the face of the "Marquis" she'd been following and nearly caught.
“He... treated Byron as if he had already ascended to the throne. He called him ‘Your Majesty.’”
“...Huh, right.”
At Aila's testimony, Roderick burst out laughing. The current Minister of Finance, managing the imperial finances, privately referred to a traitor as "Your Majesty."
It was such an absurd thing that he didn't even feel like getting angry.
“I had my doubts, but it really was... That’s right. That guy really is...”
Roderick sighed, burying his face in his palms.
“...Thank you. Thanks to you, I gained a lot of information.”
“No, Father.”
When Roderick finally expressed his gratitude, Aila smiled slightly and replied.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
"Yes, Lisa Herzig is expected to arrive tomorrow. And your maternal uncle is also visiting with his family. You should be able to see your maternal family in about a week."
“Mt uncle?”
Lisa's news wasn't particularly surprising, as she had been waiting for her arrival, already past her expected arrival time. However, Aila was a little surprised by the news of her uncle's family's visit.
It's not like she hadn't met her uncle's family in her past life. A few days before her eighteenth birthday celebration, the entire family visited the mansion. Five people: her uncle and his wife, two sisters, five and four years older than Aila, and a son of the same age.
She was so preoccupied with the fact that the event was just around the corner that her memory didn't come back clearly. Anyway, she figured they'd meet again around the same time.
Aila couldn't help but be surprised, as she had never expected to meet them so soon.
“Yeah. It seems like he wants to meet you and Noah as soon as possible.”
Roderick answered in a slightly nervous voice.
Even though they had completely reconciled now, Isidore was the one who had opposed Ophelia's marriage to him, so he would unconsciously become very nervous whenever they met.
“Oh, I see.”
Aila nodded, a little shyly. It felt strange to see a relative she'd only seen briefly in her past life come all the way from a distant land to see her.
Of course, not only her but also her younger brother Noah was included in the reason, but it was still an unfamiliar feeling.
"And... now that you seem to be quite accustomed to life here, I'm thinking of starting etiquette and succession lessons together after your birthday. What do you think?"
Aila, who had been feeling a bit dizzy for a moment and was just tossing her hair here and there, opened her eyes wide in surprise at her father's subsequent words and looked at him.
Although there had been talk of successor training in her past life, she believed it was because Aila was the only direct descendant of the Duke's family and had no other options.
But now, wasn't it different? With his son, Noah, she couldn't understand why she was the successor.
It was not uncommon for a daughter to carry on the family line, but that was only when there was no son to carry on the line.
"Why do you look like that? Now that I've found out your identity, isn't this the natural course of action?"
“Surely you don’t want to study?” Roderick joked, a joke that didn’t fit his usual serious demeanor.
“No, that’s... Of course, I should take etiquette classes, but the successor... I thought it would be Noah.”
"Well... Ophelia and I won't ignore your talent simply because you're our daughter. You're a natural born talent who can lead the Weishaffen family."
Roderick opened his mouth with a serious expression.
At the word talent, Aila shyly twisted her hair and avoided her father's gaze.
“I, I... that’s not true.”
"No. Being the head of the Duke of Weishaffen isn't just a position to manage the territory. It's a position to lead the Knights of Weishaffen and act as a shield to protect this empire. You are the perfect candidate for that role."
After hearing Roderick's detailed explanation, Aila finally seemed to understand what he was talking about.
It seemed like she was born with the qualities of a warrior.
'But... I'm strong because I regressed.'
In her past life, she'd been scolded by Byron for her slow progress. If she'd been as gifted as her father claimed, none of that would have happened.
"That's not it, Father. I wasn't born with talent... I just worked hard."
Deceived by her fake father, driven by the single-minded desire to harm her real father, Aila swallowed the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
As his daughter's face darkened, Roderick's expression became awkward. He hadn't brought up the subject to make her sad.
He mustered up his courage, carefully patting his daughter's back, and opened his mouth.
"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I was talking about the aspect of always working hard and pursuing your goals. That's not something just anyone can do. Sincerity is the greatest talent. Of course, you have a great natural physique, too."
Aila's eyes widened as she looked at her father, who told her that he, too, had endured rigorous training like hers since he was young.
It was because Roderick seemed like he'd been strong from birth. He seemed like he could handle anything he was taught.
It was hard to believe that even her father, who was now stronger than anyone in the world, had once trained under the scolding of his teacher and father, the former Duke of Weishaffen.
“No one knows what will become of Noah, who is still a newborn, when he grows up, but he was born very weak... In my opinion, you seem to be a better candidate for the position of Duke of Weishaffen than Noah.”
“...”
Aila was speechless, her ears reddening at Roderick's praise. To be praised for her hard work? It was something she'd never imagined.
Of course, in her past life, she had been praised by her parents and etiquette teachers for her diligent attitude toward everything. But she couldn't accept that praise as genuine.
This was because Laura always belittled her confidence by saying, "You're a slow learner, so you have to work several times harder than others."
Comments
Post a Comment