After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 47

“Edward, see Ayla off properly.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“We’ll see each other in a few days, Ayla.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After Tatiana’s farewell, Ayla and Edward set off.

It hadn’t been noticeable when the three of them were together, but walking alone with him was quite awkward.

Just as they were leaving the Empress’s palace, Edward spoke first.

“About the preparations for the hunting ground viewing seats that my mother entrusted to you.”

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for the Princess to see and decide for herself?”

“Indeed, it would be nice if I could. I need to know the condition of the facilities to decide whether to replace or reinforce them.”

“There’s a schedule to check the hunting grounds in five days. How about we go together then?”

“Is that alright?”

“What reason would there be for it not to be, when your cousin is a prince? Besides, you’re helping my mother with her work, so I should definitely do that much for you.”

Ayla smiled along with Edward’s affable eyes.

Was it because Tatiana wasn’t there?

Edward’s attitude and expression felt much more relaxed.

“I will. Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Hmm. Now that I think about it.”

“…?”

“As my mother said, it’s a bit heavy to use formal titles between cousins. I see Sister Schuel often, so we use comfortable titles.”

“Is that so?”

“If it’s alright with you, how about we lighten our titles a bit?”

It seemed like a trivial suggestion, but Ayla couldn’t readily answer.

They were cousins, but they hadn’t visited each other often, and above all, she wasn’t even a real cousin.

Seeing Ayla’s hesitant reaction, Edward gave a wry smile and shrugged.

“I don’t really have anyone else I can lighten titles with unless we have a special relationship like this. Everywhere I go, it’s ‘Your Highness, Your Highness.’ It’s suffocating.”

“Ah!”

“If it’s alright with you, please allow me to use your name. You can call me Edward too. It’s a bit much for a cousin to call you ‘Princess,’ don’t you think? It doesn’t seem very close.”

Well, that’s because we aren’t close.

Ayla thought to herself, but after a brief moment of consideration, she nodded.

She thought of Bella and Vivian, who had approached her first.

Thanks to their friendly way of speaking, she was able to become friends with them quickly, and now they were both her good friends.

Wouldn’t it be good if she could have a good relationship with Edward too?

“Yes. Then shall we get along comfortably? Since we’re cousins.”

It was when Ayla smiled and reached out her hand.

“You shouldn’t hold hands with just any man, Princess.”

Leo, who had appeared unnoticed, grabbed Ayla’s arm from behind.

Thanks to this, Ayla’s body was turned, and when she looked up in surprise, Leo smiled brightly and stood in front of her.

In Edward’s eyes, which were facing Leo, there was a flicker of joy, as if he was truly welcoming him.

“Brother, it’s been a while.”

“Edward.”

“You returned while I happened to be away from the capital. I apologize for the unintentional delay in greeting you.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

The emotion that Edward was showing towards him was clearly affection.

But why?

Edward, who would be turning eighteen soon, was four years younger than Leo.

The two of them had only lived together in this imperial palace as half-brothers for seven years.

Even if you consider that Edward was eight years old when Leo left this place, it was questionable whether he would even remember him.

Leo carefully examined Edward in front of him.

He had the same blonde hair and golden eyes as Frederick, sparkling as he looked at him.

Overlapping that image was an eight-year-old boy who looked exactly like him.

“Brother! Brotheeer!”

His half-brother, waving his hand with a harmless face that knew nothing and smiling brightly.

Leo shook off the rising thoughts and turned his head towards Ayla.

“Is your business finished?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Then let’s go back now.”

Ayla hesitated with a face that seemed to say, “Is this okay?” at Leo’s attitude, which clearly ignored Edward, and then nodded.

“Thank you for seeing me off, Your Highness. Then I’ll see you in five days.”

“Alright. Ayla. Brother, please be careful on your way. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Edward smiled as if he wasn’t at all bothered by Leo’s dismissive attitude.

Ayla’s face was a little hot at Edward’s changed title in front of him, but she didn’t have anything to say, so she just gave a nod.

Edward watched the backs of Leo and Ayla as they turned and walked away for a long time before turning around.

Ayla diligently followed behind Leo, who was walking ahead.

However, it wasn’t easy to keep up with his large strides while wearing high heels.

Eventually, the distance between them began to widen. Just as she was about to feel a sense of disappointment, Leo’s steps came to a sudden halt.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

She was taken aback by him asking with a slight frown.

Ayla, who was pondering how to react to this, slightly lifted the hem of her skirt.

“Your Highness, would you like to try them on?”

“What?”

“If you take just one step in these, you wouldn’t say that.”

Leo’s gaze fell downwards.

The shoes she was wearing came into view.

“Your feet are as small as the palm of my hand.”

‘Can they really be that small?’ As Leo thought this, Ayla slightly twisted her ankle as if to say that wasn’t the case.

Only then did Leo’s eyebrows twitch as he noticed the high heels of the shoes.

The hem of her skirt was barely covering her ankles, so it wasn’t fully visible, but at that height, it wouldn’t be surprising if her ankle was bent at a right angle.

“Is it possible? To walk in something like that.”

“If Your Highness walks just a little slower, there won’t be any problem.”

“Ah! I’m sorry.”

Leo, with a face that said he had made a mistake, took a few steps back and offered her his arm.

Ayla chuckled at Leo’s attitude of offering a belated escort as if he had just remembered, but she placed her hand on his arm without saying anything.

Just as they were barely able to walk side by side, Leo asked abruptly in a tone that showed he didn’t like something.

“What’s this about seeing each other in five days?”

“Ah. I was going to tell you anyway, but Her Majesty the Empress said she wanted to tell me about the inner workings of the palace before I left. There’s no harm in learning it for me, so I accepted.”

“Why bother learning such things.”

“It might be helpful for the internal affairs of Eisenfelt. They say the viewing platform at the hunting grounds needs to be replaced, and I thought it would be better to see it and decide for myself. Prince Edward said he’s going to the hunting grounds in five days, so I’m planning to go with him.”

“Just the two of you?”

“I don’t think it will be just the two of us. Wouldn’t there be a lot of people going with us? I can’t inspect the hunting grounds alone.”

“I’ll assign you an escort, so take them with you.”

Leo reached out in front of the carriage.

Ayla, who missed the timing to answer because she was getting into the carriage by holding his hand, nodded belatedly.

“I will. Thank you.”

In the meantime, Leo, who had gotten into the seat next to her and instructed the coachman to depart, waved his palm towards her.

Ayla blinked, not knowing what it meant, and sent a questioning look, Leo once again beckoned her with his palm.

“…?”

‘What is this?’ While thinking this, Ayla placed her hand on his palm.

Then, as if it was the correct answer, Leo’s long fingers wrapped around her hand as if to hold it.

“It would be a disaster if the carriage overturned while you were wearing those, so it’s best to hold on.”

“Pardon?”

“Just kidding.”

Next to Ayla, who was asking back, Leo leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

Only then did she remember that he had looked slightly haggard this morning.

He looked exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept for days.

“Yes. Please get some sleep.”

At her permission, Leo’s lips slightly curved upwards and then went down.

Ayla, who was looking out the window for a while, turned her gaze at the even breathing, and saw Leo, who had fallen asleep in the meantime, with a comfortable face.

‘His eyelashes are long too.’

Ayla’s gaze lingered on his face, which was swaying with the movement of the carriage.

She felt unreal about the fact that he was sleeping next to her now.

“Sweet dreams.”

After whispering that, Ayla couldn’t take her eyes off his face for a long time.

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