After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 37

Ayla woke up later than usual and blinked in surprise at the unusually chaotic atmosphere in the mansion.

At this hour, the knights were normally in the middle of their morning training, but today, each of them was wearing an apron and cleaning the estate.

Just then, she noticed Lord Dex passing by and quickly called out to him.

“Lord Dex, is something going on? Is His Majesty the Emperor coming?”

“A guest scarier than His Majesty is arriving, Lady Ayla.”

“What?”

“My father, Count Hanover. We received word that he’ll be arriving this morning.”

“Oh…”

Seeing how tense he looked, Ayla couldn’t help but grow nervous too.

She had heard of Count Lucas Hanover before. He was known as the most powerful noble in Eisenfeld and deeply respected and admired by the people of the North.

Most importantly, he was the only noble who had willingly stepped forward to protect the exiled First Prince.

His son, Lord Dex, seemed very close to Leo, like a brother. That likely meant they had spent years together, practically as family.

Blinking, Ayla asked quietly, “Is the Count very strict?”

Dex let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. Even Leo, I mean His Highness, has been trying to avoid him lately. That should tell you enough.”

“His Highness is avoiding him?”

“In any case, there’s something you should know, Lady Ayla. Never lie in front of my father. He can tell instantly, as if he reads minds.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Ayla nodded sincerely. Dex looked slightly relieved and began to turn away, but then stopped.

He scratched the back of his head, looking awkward as he turned back around.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

“My younger sister is coming with him.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes.”

Ayla gave him a puzzled look as he hesitated again. Letting out a deep sigh, Dex added with a tired smile, “She’s notorious in the North. A complete troublemaker. Even if she behaves rudely, I hope you’ll be patient with her. I should go meet them now.”

“Of course. Please be careful on your way.”

For some reason, Dex’s retreating figure looked unusually solemn and heavy.

Ayla watched him for a while, then looked down at her clothes. Realizing they weren’t suitable, she turned around and headed back to her room.

It was clear she needed to change into a proper dress.

*

“Ayla, how are you even wearing this?”

Bella clicked her tongue as she helped tighten Ayla’s corset.

“I’m a little worried. Can you even breathe in this thing?”

“I’m alright. This dress just happens to be really tight around the waist. I guess that’s because it’s not custom-made.”

She had picked an elegant and modest dress, something appropriate for greeting an important guest. Since it was one Lord Dex had brought her, she didn’t have much choice. She had to fit herself to the dress.

Without a maid, she had been struggling alone when Bella showed up asking to hang out. That’s when she asked her friend for help.

“There, all done. Thanks for helping me, Bella.”

“Don’t mention it. But why the sudden wardrobe change?”

“You know Lord Dex, the prince’s aide? His father is arriving today. He’s a count.”

“Oh. So, I guess we can’t hang out then. I was hoping to go riding.”

“Horseback riding? Bella, you know how to ride?”

“Of course I do. The Shan people are good at everything except what they choose not to do.”

Bella proudly puffed out her chest and gave it a few confident pats before standing up.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to go alone then. This count or whoever he is, he’s not someone I need to welcome.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

“I’ll be fine. I already borrowed a horse from Theodore.”

“Theodore?”

“He’s one of the prince’s knights. We’ve become friends.”

Ayla smiled at Bella’s words. She felt proud of the progress. After putting so much effort into getting Bella to stop calling Leo “that man” and instead address him properly as “His Highness,” it finally seemed to have paid off.

“Alright then. Just be careful when you ride, okay?”

She couldn’t help but worry, imagining Bella trying to handle the reins with just one hand.

But Bella gave a wide, satisfied grin, said something carefree, and cheerfully left the room.

“I love it when you worry about me, Ayla. See you later, my friend.”

Left alone, Ayla returned to the mirror to check her appearance. Just then, she heard noise coming from outside the window.

When she looked out, she saw several horses arriving in the garden. Since she could see Lord Dex waiting to receive them, it must have been Count Hanover’s party.

Her neck stiffened with tension. It felt as if she were about to meet the father of her future husband. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the room.

There was no way she could greet an elder while sitting comfortably.

“Lady Ayla.”

“Your Highness?”

But before she could go far, she came face to face with Leo.

Suddenly recalling what had happened the night before, she felt awkward. Before she could gather her thoughts, Leo glanced at her outfit and asked,

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere specific. I just thought I should greet the guest outside.”

“You were going to meet Count Hanover?”

“Yes. I thought I should go out and introduce myself.”

“If that’s your plan, it would be better for you to stay inside, Lady Ayla.”

Leo cut her off again, and Ayla pressed her lips together in frustration.

She felt a little confused, and in front of her, Leo looked relieved.

“I’m glad I came to check. Stay in your room until I call for you. It’s not urgent for you to greet him just yet.”

“Alright. I understand.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you later.”

Before Ayla could respond, Leo turned and disappeared around the corridor.

Left alone, she looked down at her dress and sighed softly before turning back toward her room.

It really was too much, wasn’t it?

Given how suddenly the marriage had been arranged, it was understandable that Leo might feel uncomfortable. He had probably decided it was best to explain everything before introducing her.

But the Emperor had already sent a letter explaining the situation.

So then, this unexpected visit must have meant Count Hanover was already aware of her existence.

Ayla returned to her room, trying to calm the uneasy feeling that was rising inside her.

She couldn’t help but feel like an outsider again. The image of her being left out at the Everett household was overlapping with her current self. Perhaps it was because, here too, she felt like she didn’t fully belong.

“Absolutely not. This is outrageous. Have you lost your minds?”

The furious voice of Count Lucas Hanover echoed down the hallway.

“A wedding? In the capital, not even in the North? And you plan to use the venue they prepared? Leomond, you reckless fool, do you really want to see me dead?”

He even grabbed the back of his neck as if about to collapse. Leo sighed and finally raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. Just calm down, Count. You’re going to collapse like this.”

“Do I look like I can calm down? And Dex, what were you doing while he went ahead with all this?”

“I swear I tried to stop him, Father. Who said I didn’t?”

“He didn’t stop me, Count.”

“What? You traitor. Didn’t you say you’d take responsibility if things went wrong?”

“I said I didn’t know about what would happen later. I never said I’d stop you.”

“You little…”

“Both of you, be quiet. You’ve got nothing to be proud of.”

Leo and Dex instantly shut their mouths as if they had agreed beforehand.

In front of them, Count Lucas let out a long sigh and pressed his hand to his forehead as if the stress was too much to bear.

“Let’s start by confirming the facts. I heard that when the young lady is nearby, the relic changes color. Is that true?”

“Yes, Father. We’ve confirmed it.”

“And the young lady is really the illegitimate daughter of the Duchess?”

“The head of the Moonlight Estate verified it and the young lady herself said she is not the Duchess’s real daughter.”

“That damned Emperor. Adding extra terms to a contract without a single word of discussion? What a coward. Now he wants to play the role of father? Maybe if I stormed in and flipped the whole palace upside down, he’d come to his senses.”

As Count Lucas muttered angrily, Dex glanced at Leo with concern.

Lucas’s open insults toward the Emperor clearly made him nervous, but Leo only shrugged, completely unfazed.

A heavy silence fell in the room, and finally, Lucas spoke again after regaining his composure.

“The wedding will be held properly in the North, after thorough preparation. Is that clear?”

“Fine, fine. Just please manage your blood pressure. If you collapse, no one will be able to carry you.”

“You fool. Don’t you realize you’re the only one who causes it to spike?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m the only one. There’s at least one more, don’t you think?”

As Leo smirked and threw out a question, Dex suddenly looked around as if something had just occurred to him.

“Come to think of it, Father, where’s Diana? I don’t see her anywhere.”

“Hmm? I’m sure she arrived with us. Where could that girl have gone now?”

Count Lucas and Dex both began glancing around, clearly confused. Their eyes met midair, and at the same moment, their expressions twisted in frustration.

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