“Aila...!”
“Really. I’ll take a look.”
As the surprised Roderick tried to shake his daughter's body in a hurry, Isidore quickly stopped him and carefully examined his nephew's condition.
And Roderick and Laura could only watch the scene anxiously.
After a while, Isidore sighed and made his diagnosis.
"There doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with her body. She seems to have a slight chill, but... She's in a deep sleep, but she's conscious, so she'll probably wake up on her own once she gets enough sleep."
Even though he was told that, fortunately, her illness wasn't serious, Roderick still looked uneasy. With Laura by his side, he couldn't bring himself to speak, but he seemed to suspect that Suki had been playing a trick on his daughter.
"Well, I'll go find some medicine for a cold. I brought some over-the-counter medicine just in case."
“Yes, please.”
Just then, Laura left the room. It wasn't really her intention to bring the medicine, but rather a deliberate plan to sneak out and contact her mother.
And even though Roderick was worried about his daughter, he realized that Laura's behavior was suspicious and quickly gave orders to the knight waiting outside the room.
“Secretly watch where that child is and what she is doing.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Returning to his room after seeing the knight following Laura, Roderick confessed the doubts he had been harboring.
"Did Suki Insidio do something wrong? Otherwise, why all of a sudden..."
Just last night, his daughter was in good health. It had only been a few hours since they emerged from the dungeon together, spending a pleasant time wiping the ink off her face with a warm, wet towel.
“Really. I’ll take a look.”
As the surprised Roderick tried to shake his daughter's body in a hurry, Isidore quickly stopped him and carefully examined his nephew's condition.
And Roderick and Laura could only watch the scene anxiously.
After a while, Isidore sighed and made his diagnosis.
"There doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong with her body. She seems to have a slight chill, but... She's in a deep sleep, but she's conscious, so she'll probably wake up on her own once she gets enough sleep."
Even though he was told that, fortunately, her illness wasn't serious, Roderick still looked uneasy. With Laura by his side, he couldn't bring himself to speak, but he seemed to suspect that Suki had been playing a trick on his daughter.
"Well, I'll go find some medicine for a cold. I brought some over-the-counter medicine just in case."
“Yes, please.”
Just then, Laura left the room. It wasn't really her intention to bring the medicine, but rather a deliberate plan to sneak out and contact her mother.
And even though Roderick was worried about his daughter, he realized that Laura's behavior was suspicious and quickly gave orders to the knight waiting outside the room.
“Secretly watch where that child is and what she is doing.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Returning to his room after seeing the knight following Laura, Roderick confessed the doubts he had been harboring.
"Did Suki Insidio do something wrong? Otherwise, why all of a sudden..."
Just last night, his daughter was in good health. It had only been a few hours since they emerged from the dungeon together, spending a pleasant time wiping the ink off her face with a warm, wet towel.
He vividly remembers Aila laughing out loud, saying it was ticklish, and he couldn't believe that this had happened in such a short period of time.
Anger flared in Roderick's eyes. He looked ready to storm into the dungeon and grab Suki by the collar.
"Well, that can't be right. Didn't ee monitor the process of removing the curse from this child's body? There was nothing suspicious. Trust me on this. She couldn't have done anything out of the ordinary without my knowledge."
“...Then it couldn’t have been her doing. Didn’t you take measures to prevent her from using magic again after that?”
Roderick, who had calmed down a little at Isidore's words, sighed and slumped down on the bedside table. With a pained expression, he clutched Aila's cold hand.
"I think she just got a chill from being so relaxed... I can only imagine how scared she must have been at such a young age. So don't worry too much. Doesn't it feel like all children grow up with pain?"
Isidore patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder and offered words of comfort. As a father himself, he had experienced this, and so he sympathized with his brother-in-law's feelings.
How much time had passed? Laura, who had left the room, returned after a long time. She brought medicine from the next room and made excuses for taking so long.
“Sorry, I’m late. The bottle was at the bottom of my luggage.”
"It's okay. She's still asleep anyway, so I think it'll be fine to feed her something when she wakes up and take her medicine afterward. I'll be by Aila's side, so you go and get some rest."
At Roderick's words, Laura rolled her head for a moment.
It was perfectly natural for parents to be by their sick daughter's side, and with Aila asleep, there seemed little to gain from holding out here.
“Then I’ll be in my room. If you have any orders, please call me right away.”
As Laura said goodbye and left the room, Roderick glared at her with a sharp gaze.
He knew that she could not have harmed his daughter, as she was still useful to them, but he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.
Long after Laura had disappeared, Roderick quietly called the knight he had ordered to follow her and listened to his story.
“What did that child do when she left this room?”
"She went straight into her room and rummaged through her bag, so I thought she was looking for medicine, but she didn't just take out a bottle. She also took out something that looked like jewelry and left the building. She was so wary of her surroundings that I had a hard time keeping my presence hidden. For a maid, her behavior was incredibly suspicious."
The knight began to report Laura's whereabouts in a calm voice.
“And after that?”
"I followed her into the forest, and, well... She was using the jewel to summon a magical messenger to send a message to someone. Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned here with the vial."
"I see. You've worked hard. Don't tell anyone what you saw today."
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Although it was questionable why he would keep a child who was clearly a spy by his side, the knight simply followed Roderick's orders with a silent expression. If his master had decided so, there must have been a good reason.
And Roderick, satisfied with his unexpected gain, wiped the sweat that had formed on his daughter's forehead with a handkerchief.
It was heartbreaking to see his daughter, who would have laughed brightly and said it was ticklish like last night if she had been awake, groan and grimace.
And a few hours later.
The first thing Aila saw when she woke up from her long sleep was her father, frowning with a worried expression.
“Did you sleep well, Aila?”
"...Father."
A hoarse voice came out of her throat, still sore from a long sleep. Still, perhaps because she's slept soundly, her body felt much more refreshed.
“Are you feeling better? I was worried.”
Isidore, who was next to Roderick, asked in a gentle voice.
Aila answered, pulling the blanket over her, feeling somewhat sorry and embarrassed.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m usually healthy, so I don’t get sick often...”
"You don't need to apologize. It's okay. It seems you're just relaxed. It wouldn't hurt to take a few more days off."
Roderick stroked Ayla's cheek, his touch warm enough to reach deep into her heart.
“Wow, that’s really cool!”
Aila gasped in awe at the sight before her. She had finally reached the heart of the Weishaffen estate.
Fortunately, Aila took the cold medicine Isidore had made himself, and the next day, she felt as if she had been washed clean, regaining her energy. Isidore had secretly thrown away the medicine Laura had brought, saying it made him feel unwell.
But Roderick insisted that his daughter needed a few more days of rest even after she had shaken herself awake. This delayed their arrival by several days.
It was a beautiful sight to see at any time, but the Weishaffen estate she encountered at the end of winter was truly dazzling.
In front of the estate, a huge river was frozen solid and covered in white snow, and inside the frozen harbor, sturdy steel ships were moored in a row.
The city, built of gray bricks, seemed to be surrounded by rugged, snow-covered mountains like a fortress. It was a true natural fortress.
"They say the snow piled up on the mountaintop doesn't melt even in summer. It's perennial snow. And soon, the Albeck River will begin to melt and flow. Then, let's take a boat and head home."
Roderick spoke with a hint of excitement. His confident voice, boasting about his hometown, made him seem somewhat boyish.
"And beneath that eternal snow, there are also magical relics of the ancients buried. That's how your father and mother first met."
Isidore, who had been quietly listening from behind, interjected. Roderick's ears turned slightly red at the passionate story of his long-ago love affair.
“What do you mean, uncle?”
"Oh, you don't know. Your mother was sent to these ruins as a researcher from the Academy, and that's when she met your father."
“My mother was a researcher? Wow, I see!”
Aila's eyes widened at the story, hearing it for the first time, and she focused intently on it. Her mother, like her uncle, was a magician.
It was fascinating to hear the story of how her parents first met and fell in love before she was even born, but unfortunately, she couldn't hear any more of the story.
It was because Roderick, who was feeling a bit embarrassed about his love life, urged the two of them to hurry into the castle.
As they crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle, the residents came out onto the streets to welcome the lord's visit.
Aila was a northerner, so she had imagined them to be reserved and blunt, but contrary to her expectations, the people of Weishaffen seemed cheerful and enthusiastic.
And in that welcome, Aila felt a sense of guilt.
Originally, the Duke of Weishaffen was a position that required him to travel between the capital and the north, handling both the affairs of his lands and the protection of the empire's borders.
However, after losing Aila, Roderick and Ophelia remained in the capital, preoccupied with finding their daughter. While they hadn't abandoned their duties at the estate, they were unable to visit as frequently as before.
It became the case that Roderick would come alone once a year to take care of the piling up work and leave.
So, in a way, Aila might have been a bit of a loser to the people of the territory.
Yet, amidst the throngs welcoming her visit, not a single face seemed to harbor resentment. Everyone seemed genuinely delighted at the return of their precious Princess.
The northern wind was still fierce, but somehow, Aila felt her heart warming.
Anger flared in Roderick's eyes. He looked ready to storm into the dungeon and grab Suki by the collar.
"Well, that can't be right. Didn't ee monitor the process of removing the curse from this child's body? There was nothing suspicious. Trust me on this. She couldn't have done anything out of the ordinary without my knowledge."
“...Then it couldn’t have been her doing. Didn’t you take measures to prevent her from using magic again after that?”
Roderick, who had calmed down a little at Isidore's words, sighed and slumped down on the bedside table. With a pained expression, he clutched Aila's cold hand.
"I think she just got a chill from being so relaxed... I can only imagine how scared she must have been at such a young age. So don't worry too much. Doesn't it feel like all children grow up with pain?"
Isidore patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder and offered words of comfort. As a father himself, he had experienced this, and so he sympathized with his brother-in-law's feelings.
How much time had passed? Laura, who had left the room, returned after a long time. She brought medicine from the next room and made excuses for taking so long.
“Sorry, I’m late. The bottle was at the bottom of my luggage.”
"It's okay. She's still asleep anyway, so I think it'll be fine to feed her something when she wakes up and take her medicine afterward. I'll be by Aila's side, so you go and get some rest."
At Roderick's words, Laura rolled her head for a moment.
It was perfectly natural for parents to be by their sick daughter's side, and with Aila asleep, there seemed little to gain from holding out here.
“Then I’ll be in my room. If you have any orders, please call me right away.”
As Laura said goodbye and left the room, Roderick glared at her with a sharp gaze.
He knew that she could not have harmed his daughter, as she was still useful to them, but he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.
Long after Laura had disappeared, Roderick quietly called the knight he had ordered to follow her and listened to his story.
“What did that child do when she left this room?”
"She went straight into her room and rummaged through her bag, so I thought she was looking for medicine, but she didn't just take out a bottle. She also took out something that looked like jewelry and left the building. She was so wary of her surroundings that I had a hard time keeping my presence hidden. For a maid, her behavior was incredibly suspicious."
The knight began to report Laura's whereabouts in a calm voice.
“And after that?”
"I followed her into the forest, and, well... She was using the jewel to summon a magical messenger to send a message to someone. Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned here with the vial."
"I see. You've worked hard. Don't tell anyone what you saw today."
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Although it was questionable why he would keep a child who was clearly a spy by his side, the knight simply followed Roderick's orders with a silent expression. If his master had decided so, there must have been a good reason.
And Roderick, satisfied with his unexpected gain, wiped the sweat that had formed on his daughter's forehead with a handkerchief.
It was heartbreaking to see his daughter, who would have laughed brightly and said it was ticklish like last night if she had been awake, groan and grimace.
And a few hours later.
The first thing Aila saw when she woke up from her long sleep was her father, frowning with a worried expression.
“Did you sleep well, Aila?”
"...Father."
A hoarse voice came out of her throat, still sore from a long sleep. Still, perhaps because she's slept soundly, her body felt much more refreshed.
“Are you feeling better? I was worried.”
Isidore, who was next to Roderick, asked in a gentle voice.
Aila answered, pulling the blanket over her, feeling somewhat sorry and embarrassed.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m usually healthy, so I don’t get sick often...”
"You don't need to apologize. It's okay. It seems you're just relaxed. It wouldn't hurt to take a few more days off."
Roderick stroked Ayla's cheek, his touch warm enough to reach deep into her heart.
***
“Wow, that’s really cool!”
Aila gasped in awe at the sight before her. She had finally reached the heart of the Weishaffen estate.
Fortunately, Aila took the cold medicine Isidore had made himself, and the next day, she felt as if she had been washed clean, regaining her energy. Isidore had secretly thrown away the medicine Laura had brought, saying it made him feel unwell.
But Roderick insisted that his daughter needed a few more days of rest even after she had shaken herself awake. This delayed their arrival by several days.
It was a beautiful sight to see at any time, but the Weishaffen estate she encountered at the end of winter was truly dazzling.
In front of the estate, a huge river was frozen solid and covered in white snow, and inside the frozen harbor, sturdy steel ships were moored in a row.
The city, built of gray bricks, seemed to be surrounded by rugged, snow-covered mountains like a fortress. It was a true natural fortress.
"They say the snow piled up on the mountaintop doesn't melt even in summer. It's perennial snow. And soon, the Albeck River will begin to melt and flow. Then, let's take a boat and head home."
Roderick spoke with a hint of excitement. His confident voice, boasting about his hometown, made him seem somewhat boyish.
"And beneath that eternal snow, there are also magical relics of the ancients buried. That's how your father and mother first met."
Isidore, who had been quietly listening from behind, interjected. Roderick's ears turned slightly red at the passionate story of his long-ago love affair.
“What do you mean, uncle?”
"Oh, you don't know. Your mother was sent to these ruins as a researcher from the Academy, and that's when she met your father."
“My mother was a researcher? Wow, I see!”
Aila's eyes widened at the story, hearing it for the first time, and she focused intently on it. Her mother, like her uncle, was a magician.
It was fascinating to hear the story of how her parents first met and fell in love before she was even born, but unfortunately, she couldn't hear any more of the story.
It was because Roderick, who was feeling a bit embarrassed about his love life, urged the two of them to hurry into the castle.
As they crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle, the residents came out onto the streets to welcome the lord's visit.
Aila was a northerner, so she had imagined them to be reserved and blunt, but contrary to her expectations, the people of Weishaffen seemed cheerful and enthusiastic.
And in that welcome, Aila felt a sense of guilt.
Originally, the Duke of Weishaffen was a position that required him to travel between the capital and the north, handling both the affairs of his lands and the protection of the empire's borders.
However, after losing Aila, Roderick and Ophelia remained in the capital, preoccupied with finding their daughter. While they hadn't abandoned their duties at the estate, they were unable to visit as frequently as before.
It became the case that Roderick would come alone once a year to take care of the piling up work and leave.
So, in a way, Aila might have been a bit of a loser to the people of the territory.
Yet, amidst the throngs welcoming her visit, not a single face seemed to harbor resentment. Everyone seemed genuinely delighted at the return of their precious Princess.
The northern wind was still fierce, but somehow, Aila felt her heart warming.
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