After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 17

“Gasp. I’m so sorry, Lady Ayla.”

Startled, Vivian quickly covered her mouth. Ayla couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction.

“It’s alright. To be honest, I’m not much different from you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that if I saw parents who didn’t care about their child’s happiness, I would probably think the same way.”

Of course, it would feel different if those parents were her own.

Seeing Ayla’s bitter expression as she lowered her gaze, Vivian hesitated, then asked carefully,

“Lady Ayla… or rather, Ayla. May I ask you one more question?”

“Of course. Ask anything.”

“Is the reason the Duke won’t allow you to break off the engagement… does it have something to do with how the servants treat you here?”

Ayla blinked rapidly, caught off guard by the unexpected question. Vivian’s tone and expression were polite and cautious, but her insight was sharp.

“Vivian, you’re far more observant than I expected.”

“I’m sorry if that was rude of me.”

“Not at all. But now I’m curious. How did you know?”

This townhouse belonged to the Everett family, the most powerful among the Empress’s supporters. Countless nobles and noblewomen had visited over the years. Yet none of them had ever questioned Ayla’s situation based on how the servants acted.

Unlike in the Duke’s estate in Saint, the staff here were professionals. Even when the Duchess, who had brought Ayla into the family, treated her coldly, the servants remained polite and graceful.

Natalie, the old nursemaid, was the only exception. But no one had ever seen anything unusual between her and Ayla.

There was never a clear reason for outsiders to become suspicious.

Vivian’s answer was simple.

“It’s because it’s different from my home.”

“Different?”

“The way people act and the atmosphere here… it’s completely different.”

“Oh…”

Ayla started to understand. She remembered the maids who had smiled warmly as Vivian left the room. The pastry chef who must have prepared a table full of desserts since early morning. The maids who brought the cakes and drinks without a single flaw in their presentation. They clearly cared about Vivian deeply.

And what about her?

Ayla truly envied Vivian.

“I wish… I had been a loved daughter like you.”

“Ayla…”

“You may have already figured it out, but I’m not the cherished daughter everyone thinks I am. That’s why I’m trying to end the engagement, even though my father is against it.”

“I see.”

“I just want to be happy too.”

Ayla’s smile was calm as always, her voice elegant and composed. The things she said were so painful that it was hard to believe someone could speak them so gently. Maybe that’s why Vivian couldn’t respond right away.

It was while Ayla and Vivian were deep in conversation that they heard a soft tapping on the window. Ayla turned her head without much thought and then jumped to her feet in surprise.

“Bam!”

Outside the window, the black cat Bam was meowing pitifully. Ayla hurried to open the window, and as soon as she did, Bam leapt into the room as if he had been waiting for her.

He rubbed his head against the hem of her dress like he had missed her terribly. Ayla quickly picked him up in her arms.

“Do you know how worried I was? I even left the window open every night, hoping you’d come back, but you never did.”

“Oh, is that a cat? Is he yours?”

Vivian approached with curiosity. Bam, nestled in Ayla’s arms, let out a meow as if answering her.

“Oh my, he’s still young. How cute. Can I come closer?”

“Of course. His name is Bam.”

“Bam? Hi, Bam. Can we be friends?”

Vivian smiled brightly and held out her index finger near Bam’s nose. Bam sniffed it and then rubbed his forehead against her finger.

“Aww, that’s adorable.”

As Vivian gently scratched between Bam’s eyes, Ayla asked,

“You must really like animals.”

“Yes, I love them. We don’t have any here at the townhouse, but we have several at our estate.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Now that I think about it, I miss them.”

“Why didn’t you bring them with you?”

“I wanted to, but cats are territorial. They get stressed when they have to adjust to new environments. And the capital is six hours away by carriage from the estate. I felt it would be selfish to bring them just for my own comfort.”

“I understand.”

“Thankfully, the social season only lasts two months each year, so I go back and forth.”

As Vivian smiled brightly, Ayla hesitated, then asked carefully,

“Vivian, if it’s not too much trouble, would you be willing to take care of Bam for a little while?”

“Me?”

“Yes. Just until I’m in a more stable situation. As you can see, his black fur makes it dangerous for him outside, and I can’t keep him here safely either.”

“Oh… I’ve heard that some people think black cats bring bad luck.”

Vivian thought for a moment, then nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. I’ll take care of him until you’re ready. We don’t have any pets here right now anyway.”

“Really? Thank you so much, Vivian.”

Only then did Ayla finally smile in relief.

Now that Bam had a safe place to stay, all that was left was to resolve her engagement.

The next day.

The decisive moment had arrived.

Just as promised, Vivian arrived at the Duke’s residence with the opera tickets in hand.

“Ayla, let’s go see the opera!”

Of course, Ayla was still officially forbidden from going out. However, no servant dared to openly refuse a visit from a count’s daughter.

Natalie, the nursemaid, stood nearby with a displeased look on her face, which Vivian addressed without hesitation.

“Oh dear, Ayla. You’re not still asking your nursemaid for permission, are you?”

“Of course not, Vivian.”

“Then why does she look like that?”

“Look like what?”

“Well… like she just bit into something rotten.”

Ayla let out a small cough to hide her laugh. Vivian patted her back and continued.

“How could she look at a lady of the house like that? Maybe the Duchess needs to be informed so she can be dismissed.”

“Maybe the nanny is just having a bad day today.”

“You’re too kind, Ayla. If it were me, I would have sent her away already.”

Vivian’s whispered comment made Natalie’s expression twist with anger. Ayla pretended not to notice and turned to Vivian.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yes, come ride with me in my carriage.”

“I’d love to.”

Thanks to Vivian, Ayla was able to leave the estate smoothly. No one dared to mention that the young lady was technically grounded.

If Shuelle had been around, things might have turned out differently, but Ayla had timed their outing to overlap with the start of one of Shuelle’s favorite salon events.

“Thank you again, Vivian.”

“You don’t need to thank me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I suppose you’re right.”

The two smiled at each other as they sat across from one another in the carriage, now safely away from the Duke’s residence.

“Today’s the day.”

“It really is.”

“I’m a little worried, Ayla. Are you sure this is the right thing to do?”

Vivian’s face clearly showed her concern, but Ayla answered with calm determination.

“I heard the First Prince has a good reputation in the north. I don’t know him personally, but if he is someone who earns the people’s respect, then surely he must be better than Lord Rodrigo.”

“But your father is the Empress’s brother…”

“Yes, he is.”

“You do know the First Prince was exiled to the north because of the Second Prince, right?”

“I know, Vivian. That’s one of the things that worries me too.”

Ayla’s smile was uneasy, the corners of her mouth tugging awkwardly.

Her boldness had faded somewhere along the way, and Ayla discreetly wiped her sweaty palms.

“How long do they plan to keep me waiting?”

Everything had gone smoothly until she arrived at the townhouse where the First Prince was staying. She had gotten out of the carriage and introduced herself at the gate.

But the moment she revealed her identity, things started to go wrong.

The guard disappeared reluctantly into the house, and when he finally returned, he was accompanied by a man whose expression was impossible to read.

The man, clearly displeased by her request to meet the prince, led her to the drawing room and told her to wait. That had been an hour ago.

“What if I came all this way and don’t even get to see him?”

Just as her anxiety was beginning to take over, the door suddenly swung open and someone walked in without hesitation.

Ayla stood up immediately, ready to show the proper respect to royalty. But when she saw the man’s face, she froze in shock.

“You… what are you doing here?”

Her voice trembled with disbelief.

The man let out a sarcastic laugh.

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“…”

“Why are you here?”

The last person she ever expected to see again had just walked in, without warning.

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