Chapter 62
‘Damn him!’
I returned to the inn, fuming.
I never expected Gabriel would set Archibald on me.
Archibald, like any second son of a noble family, was busy pretending to be oblivious, but he probably jumped at Gabriel’s request.
Anyway, I never liked either of them from the old days.
As I entered the dining room with angry steps, Aslan came running noisily.
“Mom! Are you okay?”
Somehow, I seem to be worrying her a lot lately.
What a useless mother I am.
To reassure Aslan, I raised my arm and flexed.
“Of course, you know how strong mom is.”
“…”
Aslan looked back and forth between my arm and the knights’ arms, then narrowed her eyes.
This is too much…
Even Theodora chimed in, whispering to me.
“Once you’re reinstated, I’ll train you again.”
Damn…
I lowered my arm and pulled down my sleeve sheepishly.
No matter how much I’ve rested for 5 years, Minerva’s body is fundamentally not weak.
I’m even stronger than the average woman.
Above all, the Emperor’s knights, whether women or men, were all burly by default.
Their muscle density was different from birth.
It’s unfair to compare with people like that.
I changed the subject.
“The food’s already out, why haven’t you eaten?”
At some point, various dishes including roasted chicken had been laid out on the table.
Judging by the lack of steam, it seemed to have cooled a bit in the meantime.
Aslan hadn’t eaten a bite waiting for me.
But Aslan puffed up her cheeks as if it were obvious.
“How could I eat without you, Mom?”
Honestly. There was a time when she’d rush to food regardless of whether I was there or not.
Still, I was relieved thinking it probably meant she was becoming more human than cat.
“Let’s sit. I’ll debone the meat for you.”
“Okay!”
The meal started a little later than planned.
The meat of the roasted chicken still had some warmth left, cooled just right for Aslan’s cat tongue.
While deboning and feeding Aslan, two knights who had briefly gone outside returned and whispered to me.
“We’ve taken care of it.”
“We’ve tied him securely to a tree, also preparing for when he wakes up.”
Just in case, I had ordered the knights before entering the inn.
Although Archibald pretends to be oblivious, he’s not actually clueless.
Rather, he’s on the sharper side, which is why I was so irritated earlier.
At this rate, he might discover Aslan’s existence soon.
Archibald, sensing something off about me, would surely come looking again tomorrow morning.
‘He might even have spent the night camping in front of the inn.’
That bootlicker of Gabriel’s, really.
Anyway, as long as Archibald remained in this village, it would be nearly impossible to keep hiding Aslan.
But I felt I could relax now that measures had been taken.
By the time Archibald regains consciousness and manages to free himself from the tree, we’ll already be gone from this village.
‘We need to leave tomorrow, rain or shine.’
I still don’t know what the Grand Duke was thinking when he offered to take charge of my safety.
There are far too many things in the world that could threaten Aslan.
If we start moving quickly now, it’s five days to the Grand Duke Eckhart’s territory.
To turn the Grand Duke Eckhart’s territory into a wall that will protect Aslan in place of powerless me for the time being, it seemed I needed to start preparing from now.
Fortunately, I had some good bargaining chips.
If it weren’t for the original story, how would I have protected Aslan on my own?
I tried to recall how I ended up reading the original story before my possession, but there was no time for such useless thoughts, and it was quickly forgotten.
* * *
The carriage was so quiet that the sound of turning pages was the loudest noise.
It had already been two days since the Mente father and daughter set out on their carriage journey.
“Father.”
In the silence, Ayla couldn’t take her eyes off the rapidly changing scenery outside the window as she asked.
“Where do you think the lady, I mean the Imperial Princess and Aslan have gone?”
At that question, Lloyd, who had been quietly reading a book, looked up, and Ayla finally tore her gaze from the window and chattered on.
“What if bad people are hurting them again?”
Her glass bead-like eyes, seemingly reflecting the sky itself, were full of worry.
Who would have thought Minerva was hiding such a secret!
At first, Ayla was mortified and felt terribly guilty for acting spoiled and immature towards her.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you, Ayla. But I always treated you sincerely. Take care.”
However, that feeling turned into disappointment with Minerva’s short farewell letter.
The three of them had gotten along so well, even if it was for a short time.
All the studying and playing they did together was enjoyable.
That’s why she wanted to at least say thank you.
She didn’t know the details, but she understood that Minerva’s situation was dangerous.
So while she fully understood why they had to part so hastily, she couldn’t help feeling upset, regretful, and disappointed.
Lloyd, wanting to comfort Ayla’s whispered feelings and worries, closed his book and stroked the child’s head.
“Don’t worry. The Emperor’s strong knights will be protecting her.”
“Are they strong?”
“Of course, they’re strong.”
“As strong as you, Father?”
Ayla asked, her eyes shining with innocence.
As strong as me? As a father, it was a question he couldn’t help but be pleased with.
Lloyd couldn’t suppress his smile as he nodded.
“Yes. The knights are as strong as me, so the Imperial Princess and Aslan will be safe.”
Ayla’s expression brightened.
Finally seeming somewhat reassured, Ayla snuggled up close to Lloyd and chattered away.
“But Father, where are we going?”
Lloyd hesitated for a moment, wondering how to answer, then finally replied.
“To the place where I grew up.”
“Where you grew up?”
Ayla’s head tilted slightly at the vague answer.
Lloyd chuckled at her expression, but soon felt a bitterness in his mouth.
Ayla didn’t know Lloyd’s real name or status.
Smart as she was, she probably had a vague idea that her adoptive father’s identity was fake, but she didn’t ask, perhaps out of consideration.
However, going to that place meant Lloyd would have to tell the hidden story.
But was this really the right timing?
It was already a time when she had just learned about Minerva’s hidden identity, and he worried that she might think all the adults close to her had been lying.
No, to be precise, he was afraid of losing her trust.
He had decided to keep it hidden until a certain age, fearing Ayla might feel burdened or follow the same path as him.
But that was Lloyd’s circumstances, not Ayla’s, and the fact that he had deceived her remained unchanged.
Seeing Lloyd’s expression turn serious over what had been a casual question, Ayla became flustered.
“A-are you alright? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“Ah, no. It’s not that. Actually…”
Lloyd’s mouth clamped shut once again.
Seeing this, Ayla’s face grew even more worried.
He needed to tell her, before it was too late. But was it really right to say it now?
Yet, he just couldn’t get the words out.
What if Ayla is disappointed?
If he had known it would be like this, he should have treated Ayla without using a fake name from the beginning.
He had planned to tell Ayla about being a Grand Duke someday and pass on the title to her.
But now the timing couldn’t be worse.
In the end, Lloyd decided to postpone this revelation as long as he could.
Even if that was just for a few days.
Ayla didn’t ask any further and smiled awkwardly, then took out a deck of cards from her handbag.
“Father, I’m bored. Let’s play cards.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
Lloyd shuffled the cards for Ayla, whose small hands made it difficult for her to do it herself.
Even so, he was just as clumsy at it, having rarely played card games himself.
After dealing the hands, they began a game of Old Maid.
He wanted to raise Ayla like Aslan.
Different from himself.
Like a child who is spoiled, lively, and obviously well-loved.
She had become much brighter than when he was raising her alone, but that was thanks to Minerva and Aslan.
Lloyd felt he wasn’t helping Ayla’s emotional growth himself.
Cards were exchanged without either knowing what the other was thinking.
Soon, they each had only a few cards left in their hands.
As Lloyd was about to offer his hand to Ayla, he began to speak.
“Ayla. I was wondering…”
“Yes?”
“Wouldn’t you like to go to a better home?”
