IWPDY - Chapter 117

As Claude sighed and put the notepad and pen behind the bars, Suki handed him a list of supplies, written neatly in her own handwriting.

They were more normal materials than he thought. Things like magic ink and herbs.

'This might be a bit tricky to get.'

On the day of the full moon, before dawn, he was told to gather the dew from the grass. Claude counted the days until the full moon, folding his fingers. He sighed in relief, realizing that only a few days remained.

The most difficult part would be resolved soon, so it seemed like he could get everything ready before the Duke and Princess arrived.

'...Your Excellency, please come quickly. I really want to see you.'

Claude swallowed his tears as he heard the yellow cat purring as it ate inside the prison.

***

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Laura, who had gotten off the carriage, rubbed her arms, complaining of the cold despite being bundled up in fur coats. In the south, the weather was gradually warming up, signaling the beginning of spring, but in the north, it was still a bitter midwinter.

‘...It doesn’t seem that cold at this point.’

Of course, this didn't apply to Aila. She wasn't particularly sensitive to the cold, so this kind of weather was bearable.

"I instructed them to light a fire in advance, so it'll be warm inside. Come in and rest, Aila."

Roderick said, wrapping a warm coat around Aila's shoulders. But Aila had no intention of going in right away.

"Excuse me, can I go to the stables and check on Wind and see if he's resting well? I'll also take a look around."

She wanted to thank the horse that had worked hard to carry her here, and since it was her first time in the territory, he wanted to look around.

"Then let's do that. It would be nice to take a walk together."

“Then I’ll go in first and look after the young lady’s bath.”

"I just want to get inside because it's cold," Laura said with a very thoughtful expression.

Although she felt a little awkward, Aila set off with her father to explore the villa. Whatever the reason, it was nice to be able to spend some time alone with him without Laura's supervision.

“...Aren’t you cold? It would be a disaster if you caught a cold...”

Roderick, who was walking slowly, matching Aila's pace, asked in a worried voice.

"No, it's fine. I don't really feel the cold. In fact, the air is sweet and pleasant. Actually, of all the seasons, winter is my favorite."

When she answered with a bright smile, a color came over her father's face. He seemed somewhat excited.

"Really? As expected of a Weishaffen. Actually, this father also loves winter the most."

“You said that before. The reason I love winter is that I’m from Weishaffen.”

Aila answered with a bashful smile. A look of puzzlement crossed Roderick's face.

“Me? That's strange. I've never mentioned liking winter either...”

She covered her mouth with a bewildered expression. It wasn't in this life, but before her regression, that she'd had this conversation with her father...

She was so shocked by her own mistake that her heart pounded like it was going to burst out of her chest. She couldn't even understand how she had made such a big slip of the tongue.

“I... think I mistook it for something else.”

Aila took a moment to compose herself before speaking. She wasn't sure if Roderick would accept such a flimsy excuse, but she was still trying to salvage the situation.

“Yeah, that could be possible.”

Roderick nodded in understanding and patted his daughter on the back. But his consideration couldn't stop the awkward air between them.

"Well then, let's go in now. You have work to do tonight, right? You should get some rest before then so you can handle the rest of your schedule."

“Yes, Father.”

After their silent stroll, they finally went inside. They'd lit a fire in the fireplace, so the air inside the villa was surprisingly warm, unlike the chilly air outside.

After taking a short break from the fatigue by washing in the warm bath Laura had prepared, it was already dinner time.

It had been a long time since she had eaten a proper meal, having been so busy moving around that she had usually just eaten snacks, but Aila couldn't concentrate on the meal at all.

It was because she was worried about a mistake she had made in front of her father, so she kept checking his expression.

"What's wrong, Aila? Is the food not to your liking?"

“Oh, no. It’s delicious, Father.”

But Roderick didn't seem to find her mistake that strange, as if he was acting no differently than usual.

'Well, anyone can make that kind of mistake. Common sense tells me no one would think someone could turn back time and live again.'

Only then did Aila sigh and focus on her meal.

She still feels bad about the stupid mistake she made, but aren't there more important things to worry about right now?

Because soon they will be able to lift the curse.

Aila tried to shake off her guilt and focus on dinner.

And an hour later.

“Haam...”

Laura covered her mouth with her hand and yawned loudly. It was already her fifth yawn in a row.

'It seems like the medicine is starting to take effect.'

Aila glanced at her, calculating the time. She'd mixed a slow-acting sleeping pill into her dinner, so it seemed like she was starting to fall asleep.

“Laura, can I go to bed early today? I’m so tired.”

When Aila said this, pretending to yawn, Laura nodded without any doubt.

"Yes, that's right. They said we still have a bit more to go before we reach the territory. I think I should get some rest, too."

Laura grumbled about what kind of estate was in such a cold, harsh, rural place and left the room. She seemed to be heading to her own bedroom, which was right next to Aila's.

And after a while, a knock was heard on the door.

“Aila.”

Roderick's voice came from outside the door. She opened the door nervously and welcomed her father. Her uncle, Isidore, was with him.

"Laura seems to be sleeping soundly. It's much colder at night, so be sure to wear a coat. This way."

He said as he took care of Aila's coat.

She followed her father with a nervous expression. They carefully checked the surroundings several times to make sure there were no signs of life, then exited the building and headed straight for the backyard.

This was because there was a hidden passage leading down to the basement.

As she walked down the old stone steps, she soon came to a dark underground prison.

“Claude.”

When Roderick called his name, the knight who had been guarding the door with a nervous expression turned his head.

“Your Excellency! You’ve finally arrived! How much I...”

Claude, who was about to grab his boss and tell him how much he had suffered, quickly bowed when he realized that Aila and Isidore were standing next to him.

“That’s enough greetings, how are the preparations?”

Isidore asked, looking around the prison with an anxious expression.

“Oh, I’ve prepared everything she asked for. Please come in.”

Claude opened the door to allow the group to enter the prison.

Aila entered the prison with a tense expression. It was a ritual she'd already performed before returning, and she knew it wasn't anything special, but somehow she felt frozen.

But at the sight unfolding inside the prison, Aila forgot her tension and stared blankly. A middle-aged woman in a black robe was lying sideways on the bed, stroking a yellow, striped cat.

Her expression was hazy and relaxed, as if she was floating on clouds, and her black clothes were covered in yellow and white fur here and there.

“...Uh, when did you get here? It’s a bit awkward when you come here without any sign of people.”

Suki, who had her bare face exposed and should not be shown to others, suddenly got up from the bed and shouted.

"I brought my daughter back, so now you must keep your promise. Perform the ritual to lift the curse."

Roderick spoke with a stern expression. It was the first time Aila had seen her father so fiercely.

"Yes, this great body's promise is as precious as gold, so I must keep it. But before that, shouldn't you release this terrible thing?"

Suki said, holding up her wrist. It was the wrist from which the magic restraints worn by Isidore were dangling.

“Oh, I see. I need to release that to break the curse.”

When Isidore looked at Roderick as if wondering what to do, he made an embarrassed expression.

“Hmm...”

Roderick glared at Suki with a look of disbelief. How could he trust that image and break the magic seal? He wondered what would happen if he did.

As Roderick and Isidore exchanged silent words with their eyes, Suki opened her mouth as if she felt wronged.

"You don't trust me that much? What about me is so suspicious?"

To her question, Roderick answered as if he found it absurd.

“...You’re not asking because you don’t know, right?”

No matter where he looked, she was unreliable. Her every move, every action, every word.

Although she wanted to say something in rebuttal, it was true that it was quite embarrassing, so Suki could only scratch her head.

“If you don’t believe me, then go ahead.”

Suki walked over to the bed, picked up the fat cat, and held it out to Roderick.

“I’ll leave my cat with you. Let’s call him a hostage.”

“Huh.”

Strictly speaking, it's not a human, so it's not a hostage, but a trick, but Pumpkin, who suddenly became a hostage, let out a helpless cry as if he didn't know what was going on.

"He's my only family. You still don't believe me?"

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