After Putting the Slayer of the Night to Sleep, I Ran Away - Chapter 67

“Protecting? Who is protecting whom?”

“Me, Your Highness. You saw it today, didn’t you? If it weren’t for me, something terrible might have happened. It was really dangerous.”

Ayla chuckled playfully and shrugged her shoulders.

Though she meant it as a lighthearted jest, it presented Leo with the opportunity to finally bring up what he had wanted to say.

“Speaking of which, don’t do anything that dangerous again.”

“Why not? Thanks to me, Edward wasn’t hurt.”

“Instead, you got hurt.”

At Leo’s stern tone, Ayla blinked rapidly.

“It’s a good thing you had potions; what would you have done if you didn’t?”

“But there’s no way there wouldn’t be potions in the envoy’s escort procession.”

“Would you still think that if your arm had been severed?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you thinking about your friend? If the injury had been even slightly deeper, that’s what would have happened. You need to know that potions aren’t a cure-all.”

As if finally realizing the danger of the day, Ayla’s face turned pale. Leo didn’t miss the opening.

“Don’t risk danger to protect someone. Not unless it’s to protect yourself.”

Ayla unconsciously bit her lip.

At that moment, Leo asked an unexpected question.

“Or, is Edward someone precious enough for you to sacrifice your own body?”

“Wh-what? No, it’s not like that!”

Startled, Ayla waved her hands. Precious? It was an absurd assumption.

“We’re not exactly close, so why would he be precious?”

“You say you’re not close, yet you call him by name so readily.”

“Well…”

Because he’s like a younger brother.

Though not of the same blood, he was outwardly their cousin.

Edward would think so, and perhaps because of that, she didn’t dislike how he treated her so warmly.

It was just that, and nothing more…

“You didn’t pay any mind when I told you to call me by name.”

Ayla’s eyes widened at the hint of emotion in Leo’s tone.

Come to think of it, he had said that. That they should sort out their titles, and she should call him by name.

But perhaps because she was always in a position of being protected, it was difficult to call him by name, four years her senior.

She liked it when he called her by name, but…

Ayla stealthily glanced at Leo’s profile as they sat facing each other.

Seeing his displeased expression, with his head turned slightly away, he looked sulky.

‘Cute.’

She quickly bit her lip at the thought that escaped her. Otherwise, she felt a smile would burst out.

But the more she tried to hold back her laughter, the more her cheeks twitched. Leo, finally noticing, raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Mmm.”

Instead of answering, she continued to bite her lip, shaking her head with a blush coloring her cheeks.

Her expression clearly showed she was suppressing laughter, shamelessly and cutely conveying, ‘I am absolutely not laughing.’

Leo let out a hollow laugh and rubbed his face with his hands.

Though he had felt it many times before, whenever she acted towards him like a normal person, his guard would drop.

To see such an expression on her face when most people looked at him in terror.

What on earth did she think of him?

“Ayla.”

“Yes?”

“You!”

Just as he was about to ask what she thought of him.

“Ayla!”

Bella appeared through the suddenly opened door, her voice filled with surprise.

“Are you okay? They said you were hurt!”

Bella, who entered almost at a run, approached the table and grabbed Ayla’s shoulder, examining her all over.

Then, as if relieved, she suddenly turned sharply to Leo.

“What did you do to make her get hurt? Are you going to entrust a child to me like this?”

Huh?

Taken aback by the sudden attack, Ayla quickly tried to stop Bella.

“Bella, what’s wrong? I’m fine.”

“You’re fine now, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t hurt.”

“That’s true, but it’s not Your Highness’s fault.”

“Why isn’t it his fault? You got hurt while he was there. They said your arm was almost severed?”

“That’s…”

Ayla trailed off, unable to say it wasn’t a big deal.

She had just been thoroughly scolded by Leo.

“If you take a child with you, you should protect them well.”

“I admit it. I’m reflecting.”

Ayla, feeling a bit sorry at Leo’s sincere apology, weakly retorted.

“It’s not Your Highness’s fault. And I’m not a child…”

“What are you proud of?”

Bella, turning her attention back to Ayla, began a torrent of scolding.

“Look at me. Even with one hand gone, it’s this inconvenient. How much more inconvenient would it be without an arm?”

“Bella.”

“A girl who looks like she’d blow away in the wind? Playing with a dagger? Do you want to be truly punished?”

“That’s not…”

“What do you mean, ‘not’? Promise me right now! That you won’t do it again.”

“I understand, calm down, Bella. But where were you? I didn’t see you.”

At Ayla’s question, which skillfully changed the subject, Bella startled as if realizing something.

“I was training and heard the news, so I just ran over.”

“Training?”

“Yes. I can’t help it. I’ll come back later, Ayla! Rest, no. Reflect!”

After delivering her final words, Bella quickly disappeared.

Ayla was completely bewildered.

Was Bella, always this kind of person?

From their first meeting, she had been straightforward, positive, and combative, but she seemed even brighter now.

Ayla tilted her head, staring blankly at Bella’s empty space.

“But training? What kind of training?”

Leo, who had been listening, replied.

“She’s learning the dagger.”

“Dagger?”

“I recommended the dagger because she wanted to learn to wield a weapon with her left hand. It’s easy to carry, and fundamentally, the Shan people are agile.”

“I see. That explains why it was hard to see her face.”

Ayla nodded, having learned something new, and looked at Leo.

“Right, didn’t you have something you wanted to say earlier?”

Leo gazed at Ayla for a moment, then replied with a smirk.

“We’ll talk about it next time.”

He then picked up the cat on his lap and placed it on the table before standing up.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. You must be tired and surprised today, so get some rest.”

He was still curious about how she truly felt about him.

But then he realized, this wasn’t the best time to ask that question.

He would ask later, when more time had passed.

Leo made that decision.

Ayla stood up to see him off and followed him.

“You should go to your room and get some good sleep too, Your Highness. Don’t stay up too late. Understand? You must be tired from today’s fight too. You need to sleep well to recover.”

“Are you worried about my night?”

“Of course. You didn’t sleep much yesterday, did you? I woke up in the morning and you weren’t beside me and in the morning too.”

Ayla puffed out her cheeks, sounding displeased.

“Ah!”

“Don’t tell me, you really left because you were afraid you’d wake me up?”

As Ayla grumbled, Leo was reminded of the previous night.

The night he had fallen asleep after watching her sleep soundly beside him for a long time.

“That’s not it.”

“Then?”

“Because I might wake you.”

That’s why he had left.

Seeing her asleep beside him, she was beautiful, yet it made him feel dissatisfied.

He hadn’t just brushed the hair falling on her cheek aside; he had wanted to kiss her soft skin.

“You couldn’t sleep again? You could have woken me if you were bored.”

How much could he say to her, who innocently replied without knowing his thoughts?

That it wasn’t because he was bored, but because he wanted to hold her.

That if he said he wanted to ravage her sleeping lips and torment her all night long.

‘Will she run away?’

Leo swallowed a bitter smile and bid her goodnight.

“Have sweet dreams, Ayla.”

“Yes. You too, Your Highness.”

Ayla smiled faintly and waved her hand.

Truly, his feet felt heavy as he walked away.

Ayla looked around with sparkling eyes.

The festive energy, which she felt for the first time, made her heart flutter.

On the street, where colorful flags fluttered, merchants were calling out to customers in cheerful voices.

“Wow!”

Ayla marveled continuously as she curiously examined the stalls lined up on both sides.

“There are so many people. It’s amazing where they all came from.”

“It’s that big of a festival. There must be countless events commemorating the founding day.”

“I see!”

As Leo, walking beside her, asked Ayla, who was engrossed in looking around.

Support