After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 44

I had vaguely expected it.

That sending the young prince to a barren land might have involved such calculations.

But I hadn’t known it would be under the guise of “Defending the Death Line.”

Really, how is that different from telling him to go and die?

“It’s telling him to die. They actually tried to kill him.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

“The first day I met him, Leo was collapsed in the snow, mortally wounded.”

“…”

“Injuries that would have killed him then and there.”

My heart started beating fast.

His scarred upper body from the other night flashed in my mind.

“I recognized him at once. Even as a boy, he was the spitting image of Princess Dorothea when she was young. I carried him home and called a healer. They said he would die.”

“…”

“But against all expectations, he somehow survived. But even alive, he wasn’t truly living. It turned out Princess Dorothea had died before his very eyes.”

“That’s…”

“Can you imagine, Miss? The heart of a child who witnessed his mother sacrifice herself to protect him.”

I covered my mouth, overwhelmed by Leo’s unimaginable pain.

That such a terrible thing had happened to him. It was hard to believe.

“I hid the broken boy in my house. About a year later, I found out assassins had been coming and going, trying to kill him. Knowing that, I came to the Imperial Palace and declared that if anyone continued to bother the boy under my protection, I would track down and kill whoever was behind it.”

“…I didn’t know. I knew you were his guardian, Count, but I didn’t know about that…”

“Of course you wouldn’t. It was a statement I made directly to the Emperor.”

“Ah…”

“This is my first visit to the Imperial Palace since then.”

“I see…”

Lucas suddenly seemed much larger.

This man had protected and guarded Leo, that man.

Thinking that, I felt so grateful that he was there.

“At that time, most of the captured assassins died with their mouths shut, but one of them spoke. Who do you think was behind it?”

Ayla’s heart sank as Lucas turned to look at her.

Her voice trembled.

“…Could it be that the one behind it was…”

“Yes. It was Everett.”

“Ah…”

A chill ran down my spine.

Ayla’s face turned as pale as a corpse.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, leaving marks.

“I see… So that’s why…”

Now I understood a hundred, a thousand times over the sharp looks I had received.

Diana’s actions when she came to find me were only natural.

What was I thinking, talking about knocking in front of her?

I was speechless with shock.

My chest felt tight, as if I had choked on the rye bread I had just eaten.

“Since you are to be Leo’s partner, I thought you should know this much. You need to know the past properly so that you never…”

“…”

“So that you never hurt that child again under the same name, do you understand?”

“Of course. I will keep that in mind… I will keep that in mind, Count.”

Ayla slowly stood up and bowed towards Lucas, who had a stern expression.

“I should go in. Please forgive me for leaving first.”

“No. Go ahead.”

Ayla turned as Lucas gave his permission.

She, who looked somehow precarious, gradually moved away.

Lucas, still sitting on the bench watching Ayla’s retreating figure, rubbed his face.

Now that he was alone, the face of the dignified and charismatic old general was gone, replaced by a face filled with bitterness.

His gaze returned to the moon in the sky.

“Am I going senile…”

His cracked voice was filled with emptiness.

“To be spiteful at this age.”

He had been pacing the garden, thinking of Leo suffering.

When he found Ayla sitting leisurely on the bench, eating bread, he couldn’t help but feel angry.

Who was that boy suffering for right now?

Even though he knew Ayla was not to blame, he couldn’t suppress the rising spite.

But seeing her shocked expression, he was belatedly filled with self-loathing.

“I’m such a mess…”

Lucas stared at the moon with a weary face.

He could only hope.

That, as the children said, the duchess could restore Leo’s stolen nights.

And if possible…

That she could also eliminate cursed nights like tonight.

“…It’s okay.”

Ayla, who had been looking at herself in the mirror for a while, nodded.

Dior’s Zane had altered the dress to her liking.

She also packed the tea leaves she had prepared as a thank-you gift from the shopping district she had visited with Vivian.

As Ayla finished preparing to go out and left her room, she widened her eyes at the unexpected figure standing outside the door.

“…Your Highness?”

“Hello, Duchess.”

“When did you arrive? I haven’t seen you for two days…”

“Ah. I had some schedules.”

Ayla quietly sighed, seeing that Leo didn’t seem inclined to answer in detail.

Even though they were about to get married, she wasn’t even informed of his schedule.

Just as she was about to lower her head, feeling that she didn’t deserve to feel disappointed, he spoke.

“What’s wrong?”

“Yes?”

“Did someone bully you while I was gone? Why are you so down?”

“Yes? No. Bully me?”

“…Hmm.”

Leo, narrowing his eyes, scratched the back of his head and said.

“Let’s go. We’ll be late.”

“Are you taking me?”

“Kind of. I also have business at the Imperial Palace. Let’s go together and come back together.”

I was glad to hear his words.

Leo held out his hand as if to hurry me along.

When I placed my hand on his large palm, which was probably twice the size of mine, I felt the rough texture of the calluses embedded here and there on my skin.

The warmth of our clasped hands quelled the disappointment I had felt a moment ago.

At the same time, guilt began to rise.

“…Is it really okay for me to be by Your Highness’s side?”

Leo’s footsteps stopped abruptly.

A faint anger flickered in his eyes as he turned to look at her.

“I knew it.”

“?”

“What bastard said something?”

Ayla’s eyelashes fluttered at his rough language.

The thought flashed through her mind that she should never tell Lucas that she had heard about his past.

A cold sneer hung on Leo’s lips.

“Tell me. Which bastard is it?”

“I can’t. I won’t. It’s just… I just have some shame…”

“Why does the Duchess?”

“…Yes?”

“What did the Duchess do wrong to me that you’re talking about shame?”

“That’s…”

“I’ll say it just once, so listen carefully.”

Her head nodded involuntarily at his words.

“Don’t be intimidated by things that aren’t your fault. I’ll be disappointed.”

I didn’t want to disappoint him.

“Yes. I will.”

“…Good.”

Leo, who had started walking again, persistently asked.

“So which bastard is it?”

I had been to the Main Palace, where the Imperial Palace banquets were held, several times, but this was my first time entering the Empress’s Palace inside.

Passing through a corridor decorated entirely with fresh flowers, an outdoor garden with a fountain sculpted with the water spirit Undine stood out.

“She is waiting inside.”

“Thank you.”

Following the guidance of the Empress’s Palace maid, I walked along the garden path.

Roses that grew and bloomed on the arched fence emitted a fragrance everywhere.

Before long, a circular table appeared in a wide open space.

When my eyes met Empress Tatiana, who was leisurely strolling around, Ayla gracefully bent her knees.

“I greet the moon of the Empire, Her Majesty the Empress.”

“You’ve come. Welcome, Ayla.”

A welcoming smile appeared on Tatiana’s beautiful face.

Her long, flowing silver hair sparkled in the sunlight.

“Come and sit down.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ayla approached the table, sat down, and handed over the beautifully packaged tea leaves.

“These are tea leaves that are good for relieving fatigue, Your Majesty. I tried it, and it has a nice scent.”

“Thank you. I should taste the tea that my nephew gave me as a gift.”

Tatiana smiled and accepted the tea leaves, then called a maid and handed them over.

“Please prepare tea, Madam.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the maid left, Tatiana, with a smiling face, looked at Ayla.

“You must have been curious as to why I called you?”

“To be honest, yes. I was curious, Your Majesty.”

“I thought so. Actually, there’s no particular reason. I just suddenly felt sorry when I thought you were getting married and leaving far away. Being in the Imperial Palace, I felt that I hadn’t shared much affection with my nephew, so I called you.”

“I’m the one who hasn’t visited often.”

“Hehe. What’s the point of talking about the past? It’s important to discuss the future rather than the past.”

“The future…?”

“Yes. So, about that…”

Tatiana smiled kindly and continued.

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