After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 30

The herald’s announcement was so unexpected that even Emperor Friedrich turned around to see what was happening.

He was not the kind of man to show surprise openly, but he could not completely hide the flicker of shock in his eyes.

Count Chantrang, who had been speaking with him just moments before, asked in a shaken voice,
“Your Majesty, what is going on?”

Friedrich had no answer. He felt the same confusion himself.

Instead, his gaze quickly turned toward Marcus Everett, searching for answers.

The two men had long made it a habit to keep track of each other’s presence in any room, and their eyes met in midair.

Friedrich felt a sense of relief.

It did not seem to be a scheme planned by the duke.

Marcus appeared just as confused as he was.

While Friedrich took comfort in that, Ayla and Leo stepped forward and stood before him.

“We greet Your Majesty,” Ayla said respectfully.

“It is an honor to see you, Your Majesty,” added Leo.

For a brief moment, Friedrich quickly composed himself. He put on a kind smile and nodded warmly.

“You are here. It has been a while since I have seen you, Lady Ayla.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I hope you have been well.”

“For an old man like me, staying calm is the best way to stay healthy. But this is certainly a surprise. When did the two of you become so close?”

He was genuinely curious.

If his memory served him correctly, Ayla and Leo had never even spoken at any past social events.

However, Leo showed no intention of satisfying his curiosity.

“Your Majesty, does it matter how long a man and woman have known each other? What matters right now is…”

Leo let the sentence hang in the air, and a faint smile played on his lips.

Friedrich immediately felt uneasy.

He tried to stop Leo from continuing, but he was already a moment too late.

“I have promised to marry Lady Ayla.”

Leo’s calm but firm voice broke through the quiet tension like a stone dropped in still water.

“What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?”

The emperor’s furious voice echoed through the reception room in the imperial villa, not far from the great hall.

“Marriage? I told you clearly, anyone but Marcus Everett’s daughter!”

“You told me to choose a lady I truly liked.”

“And did you even meet anyone else before saying that?”

“Why should I? I have already found the one who is perfect in my eyes.”

“I said no. I will never accept that girl.”

There was no reasoning with Emperor Friedrich at this point. His voice made it clear that he would not change his mind.

Leo fell silent for a moment.

He had known from the beginning that his father would object. He had expected nothing less.

Still, he had every intention of going through with it.

It was Emperor Friedrich himself who had suggested marriage in the first place, calling it a simple matter.

From Leo’s perspective, all he needed to do was remove one condition from the contract. There were no other demands aside from marriage.

What made him hesitate now was Ayla’s request.

“Please do not become enemies with His Majesty because of this marriage, Your Highness.”

When Leo asked her why, her answer had been quiet but sincere.

“He is your father. And… if I said I did not want my father-in-law to hate me too, would you understand?”

Leo had not understood at first.

She called someone “father-in-law” whom he himself did not even call “father.” It felt strange. It made him question her.

And yet, he said nothing more.

He began to think that perhaps her idea of a father was not so different from his own.

A person caught somewhere between love and resentment.

Looking at Emperor Friedrich with calm restraint, Leo spoke without emotion.

“What must I do to gain your approval?”

“…What did you say?”

“I don’t need your permission, but I’ll ask anyway. What would it take for you to approve?”

Emperor Friedrich was left speechless, his face frozen in disbelief.

He had raised his voice in anger, but deep down, he had never truly expected to change the situation. He knew very well that he had not earned the right to act like a real father.

More than anything, Friedrich was the emperor of a nation. He measured everything by gain and loss. In truth, he had no choice but to accept the situation. So, he took a rational approach and quickly spoke the conclusion he had reached.

“There will be a crown prince competition next year. Enter it.”

As soon as Leo’s face began to show clear displeasure, Friedrich raised a hand and continued before Leo could interrupt.

“I am only asking you to participate. You can step down after the second round.”

Leo let out a short sigh.

“What would that even prove?”

“To me, it would mean a great deal. So what will you do?”

Pressed by the emperor, Leo narrowed his eyes slightly. After a short pause, he finally nodded.

“Only until the second round.”

“No one must know that you plan to withdraw. Until then, you must act with full sincerity.”

“You are worrying over nothing. Fine.”

As if the conversation was over, Leo stood to leave. But before he could walk away, Friedrich asked him one more question.

“Leo. Are you aware that the young lady already has a fiancé?”

“Of course I know.”

“…Do you want help?”

Leo waved his hand calmly as he turned his back on Friedrich.

“That won’t be necessary. I already know the fastest way.”

Not long after the emperor left the room with Leo to speak in private, Ayla was left alone. She now had to face Marcus Everett, who stood before her with a cold and stern expression.

Even though she had already made the decision to walk away from her family, Marcus still felt like a towering presence. Like a wall she had yet to overcome.

She forced herself to stand straight. Then she heard his disapproving voice fall like weight in her ears.

“Ayla Everett. I will hear your explanation at home, later today.”

Without waiting for a response, Marcus turned and walked away. As she watched his back, Ayla bit down hard on her lower lip.

“Even now, all you care about is appearances?”

A bitter smile touched her lips, filled with quiet frustration.

It had already been a week since she left the Everett estate. But not once had Marcus shown any sign of concern for her.

She brushed away the fading smile and turned to leave, but she was immediately blocked by two more familiar figures.

Her mother, Claudia, and her half-sister, Shuelle, stood in her path.

“…Mother.”

Both women looked her up and down with sharp eyes.

The dress had been found in a hurry, but Leo’s aide had done a good job. He had chosen a gown from a well-known salon that fit her perfectly. Ayla stood tall, knowing she had nothing to be ashamed of, even in front of Claudia.

“You look acceptable at least,” Claudia said, smiling with approval as she gently smoothed Ayla’s hair.

“Remember this. No matter where you are, never lose your dignity.”

With that, Claudia turned and walked away.

Shuelle stepped closer and leaned in to whisper softly into Ayla’s ear.

“You really are hopeless, Ayla. Are you just giving up on everything now?”

Ayla said nothing.

“You left on your own, so don’t think about coming back. Who do you think would be waiting for you?”

Shuelle stepped back, gave a sweet little wave, and then followed after Claudia with a bright smile.

‘So that’s what I was doing… I was calling people like that my family…’

Ayla quietly swallowed the bitter feeling rising in her chest.

Just then, Vivian approached with a worried expression on her face.

“Ayla, are you alright? You look upset. What did Lady Shuelle say to you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Honestly, I think talking face-to-face like this is much better than writing letters.”

“Tell me about it. Do you know how hard it was not to run straight to you the moment I heard? I had to hold myself back.”

Vivian pouted in frustration.

They had avoided meeting in person for fear that Marcus might find out, but they had exchanged letters a few times already.

“And His Highness, the First Prince… he drops a bomb like that, declaring he’s getting married, and then just leaves you standing there. What was that all about?”

“He was following His Majesty’s order. How could he refuse?”

“He could have at least walked you over to me first. I nearly tripped running through the crowd, trying to find you. I was so shocked.”

Vivian fussed affectionately, trying to ease Ayla’s mood, and Ayla let out a soft laugh. But slowly, her smile began to fade.

She had just spotted someone walking straight toward her. Someone she had no desire to see.

“Ayla, I think we should move somewhere else,” Vivian said quickly, also noticing the unwanted visitor. She reached out to take Ayla’s arm.

But Ayla gently shook her head and gave her a calm smile.

“It’s alright, Vivian. This is something I was going to face sooner or later. There’s no reason to avoid it.”

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Of course.”

Ayla looked up with a composed expression.

Rodrigo Esteban was striding toward her with long, determined steps.

She had already imagined a situation like this before coming here, so she wasn’t surprised.

She glanced around at the guests who were now watching with interest, their curiosity barely hidden.

‘This might be embarrassing, but maybe it’s for the best. I need to end this clearly, once and for all.’

Given the setting, she had expected Rodrigo to at least pretend to listen.

But life rarely unfolds the way we expect.

“Come with me.”

Rodrigo reached out without warning and grabbed her arm tightly. Without giving her a chance to resist, he began to pull her away.

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