Chapter 63
“Uh…”
What does he mean by that?
Ayla’s face showed clear signs of confusion.
Realizing belatedly that his words might be misinterpreted, Lloyd quickly added:
“No, of course I have no regrets about adopting you. I just wanted to ask about your desires, so please answer freely.”
Only then did Ayla relax, fiddling with the cards in her hand.
She thought she was already living quite a luxurious life.
Three lavish meals a day without having to do anything.
Soft dresses that made her feel good just by wearing them.
A daily life that wasn’t dependent on weather, cool in summer and warm in winter.
“If I became a child of an even better family, could I live an even more luxurious life than this?”
“…Maybe?”
Lloyd answered ambiguously.
Ayla was already enjoying the best things, so there wasn’t much room for improvement.
Ayla thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head and drew a card from Lloyd’s hand.
“I like how things are now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I have you, Father.”
“…”
“And the lady said that the higher one’s status, the more responsibility they have to bear. She also said there are many who don’t take responsibility, but what if I become such a person later?”
“That won’t happen.”
Lloyd immediately refuted.
No matter how unpredictable a person’s growth might be, the idea of Ayla becoming that kind of noble was unthinkable.
He thought he was expressing his trust, but Ayla’s expression darkened a little at his words.
While grateful that Lloyd believed her to be a good child, she also felt uncomfortable.
Ayla had already indulged too much in her current abundant life.
If she were to return to her orphanage days while knowing the taste of luxury.
And if given the opportunity to become a noble’s child, she felt she might do anything to secure that position.
She could easily ignore children younger and more desperate than herself.
Poor children can’t survive by just being good.
Lloyd, who didn’t understand poverty, probably couldn’t comprehend Ayla’s feelings.
Ayla smiled quietly, then grinned, showing her empty hands.
“I’m done.”
“…Ah.”
While lost in thought, Lloyd was left with only the joker in his hand.
“You’re really bad at this game, Father.”
“…I’d have to have played before to be good.”
“Then let’s play a different game. Do you know cat’s cradle? The lady taught me.”
Ayla asked, pulling out a long string from her handbag.
It seemed like they were both about to say something important earlier.
But not wanting to turn Ayla’s first journey into an unpleasant memory, Lloyd shook his head.
“I’m not sure. Why don’t you teach me?”
* * *
“My, what nice weather.”
A merchant driving his cart to the village for deliveries looked up at the sky and exclaimed admiringly.
As if last night’s heavy rain was a lie, the sky was clear without a single cloud.
If it weren’t for the puddles here and there, one might think nothing had happened the night before.
Somehow feeling that today would be lucky, he started singing without realizing it.
“Riding on the wind…”
“…ing!”
“…?”
It seemed like someone just sang along.
Embarrassed at the thought that someone might have heard him, the merchant stopped his cart and looked around.
There was no one on the road but him.
“Oh my, I must have heard wrong.”
Traveling the same road every day was boring, but to the point of hearing things?
The merchant grabbed the reins again.
Having confirmed that no one was around, he felt more at ease and started singing again without realizing it.
“Let’s go on a secret journey…”
“…ney!”
“Eek!”
The merchant stopped his cart again.
It wasn’t just his imagination after all.
Someone had been singing along with him from earlier!
The place the merchant was passing through was a forest path.
Although it was barely large enough to be called a forest, the densely wooded area itself was already sufficiently frightening.
Could it be bandits?
But this forest was close to the village.
It was also broad daylight, not a time when bandits would be active.
The merchant held his breath and listened carefully to the surrounding sounds.
“…elp me!”
And he heard the voice again.
“…ease help!”
Listening closely, it didn’t sound like a ghost, but rather like a desperate person’s voice.
But the world is a dangerous place.
There were bandits who used people pretending to be in trouble as bait to attack.
The merchant took a club he kept for self-defense and carefully got down from his cart.
He could have just passed by, but if someone was really in trouble, he had to help.
It might even be someone from the village, which could be beneficial for business!
After carefully moving towards the source of the voice, the merchant could hear it clearly.
“Help me!”
“Argh!”
And he screamed.
There was a dirty beggar tied to a tree!
And not just tied, but suspended from a branch, dangling in the air.
Anyone would scream at such a sight.
The merchant fell backwards but managed to hold onto his club as he shouted:
“W-who are you!”
“A p-person! Please save me!”
The somewhat dim-witted looking man burst into tears upon seeing the merchant and pleaded.
“I was attacked by bandits and have been like this since last night. Please save me!”
The merchant looked around suspiciously.
There was no luggage or horse.
He had never heard of bandits tying up their own companion in a high tree just to rob passing merchants.
Moreover, this young man looked a bit slow-witted.
There was a light scratch on his cheek, as if from a knife.
He was clearly an innocent victim.
The merchant quickly dismissed his suspicions and sighed.
“Wait a bit. I’ll go get a knife to cut the rope.”
With the merchant’s help, the young man was soon able to get down from the tree.
“You saved my life. Thank you.”
The young man smelled bad.
Not like muddy water, but as if he had rolled in a sewer.
Even with yesterday’s heavy rain, he shouldn’t smell like this if he had been in the forest all along.
This was the only suspicious part, but feeling sorry for the young man who had lost everything and suffered all night, the merchant expressed his concern.
“Be careful. Bandits sometimes appear even though this is near the village.”
“Yes, I really let my guard down and paid for it.”
He speaks well for someone who looks like they’d be robbed even if they were careful.
As the merchant was about to leave, feeling he had done a good deed, the young man grabbed him.
“Um, could you possibly give me a ride to the village? I’ll compensate you.”
The smelly beggar-like young man held out a gold coin.
This was even more suspicious than if he were a bandit.
Who gives a gold coin just for a ride to the village?
When the merchant openly showed his suspicion, the dim-witted looking young man earnestly bowed deep at the waist and pleaded.
“This is all I have left. Please, I’m begging you!”
How could one refuse such a desperate plea?
Moreover, that gold coin came from his waistband.
It really was his last possession, hidden at the risk of his life and offered despite the embarrassment.
The merchant reluctantly offered the pitiful simpleton a seat next to his cart.
“Well, get on then. Keep your money.”
“R-really?”
“No matter how desperate I am, how could I take everything from someone who has nothing?”
“Thank you so much!”
The man bowed deeply.
At the same time, a strong odor wafted out, and the merchant slightly changed his mind.
“Sit a bit further away.”
The sewer smell was just too much, no matter what.
* * *
Half a day had passed since leaving the village.
The carriage had been moving quickly without rest since morning, and now they were passing through a forest said to be a shortcut to Grand Duke Eckhart’s territory.
‘I wonder if Archibald has contacted Mars and his wife by now.’
It was somewhat comforting to think that they wouldn’t send any more foolish people now that news of the Imperial Knights being with me would have reached them.
Nevertheless, my fingertips were nervously tapping on the window.
Archibald had needlessly brought up unnecessary thoughts.
‘You haven’t made up with Gabriel yet? Ridiculous.’
