The conversation with my younger sibling ended like that.
For now, my sibling would return to the homeland to inquire about the Marquis’s intentions, and after that, either the Marquis would come here in person to see me, or my sibling would simply return as before.
Although my sibling came here disguised as a shadow’s groom, it wasn’t like they were carrying anything important.
They hadn’t originally planned to come this far, and probably only intended to briefly stop by the capital before returning to the territory.
I just informed the shadow, as a formality, that my sibling would return to the territory, and I told them that it would be better to depart in the day rather than at this time of night, so I would decide tomorrow.
If preparations were thorough, we could leave in a day or two.
After finishing the conversation with my sibling, it wasn’t quite midnight, but it was already late enough for the night to be deep.
I quickly returned to Ayla’s room.
“Did you enjoy a secret meeting somewhere?”
As soon as I entered the room, Ayla, who was lying on the sofa reading a book, asked casually.
The book in her hand was small and thin. Most of the books in the Count’s library were made of parchment, thick and heavy, and not the kind of books one would read while lying down.
If it were a book meant to be read casually, it was natural to pick something like that.
……………In fact, it could be said that it was impressive how much Seila was able to hide such books.
After all, many of the servants working here were commoners forced to work due to the Count’s threats.
While not all of them were illiterate, there certainly weren’t many who could read fluently.
Moreover, reading a book with a confusing title like “The Lady and Maid’s Unspoken Secret,” which Ayla was holding, would not be easily understood by someone in a hurry.
“No, Miss.”
“Luna, could you explain the word ‘secret meeting’?”
“…………It refers to meeting someone in secret without others knowing.”
“Then, can we say that what you were doing just now wasn’t a secret meeting? I don’t know where you went or what you were doing.”
“……Sorry, Ayla.”
“Hmph. Well, fine.”
Ayla said that and closed the book with a snap.
She casually tossed it onto the table in front of the sofa and turned her body to lie down facing me.
If Ayla had been a man, I would have thought it was the posture of a charming rogue.
But it was Ayla, wasn’t it? The woman I had loved for a long time.
Furthermore, Ayla wore a thin and comfortable dress before going to bed.
The V-shaped neckline didn’t quite align with her neck; rather, the V-shaped part seemed so low it seemed more like the chest area than the neck.
Through the side of her slouching dress, I could see her chest slightly gathered to the side. Naturally, the curves of her waist and below were also clear.
If it were a commoner’s home, they couldn’t afford expensive lighting, but this was the mansion of a noble, a high-ranking Count at that.
Though the lighting was a bit dimmer than during the day, it was bright enough not to let Ayla’s figure blend into the shadows.
“Can you tell me who you were meeting?”
“……I was talking to the shadow’s groom.”
“It seems you became quite close in that short time. Well, you seem about the same age, and although he’s not ugly, I guess.”
“Ayla.”
“Did I offend you?”
It was indeed an offensive remark.
That person was my younger sibling. My real sibling. I could understand what Ayla was trying to say, but of course, there was absolutely no reason for that.
Still, there was another part of her comment that bothered me.
Ayla had praised my sibling. Of course, it wasn’t a comment filled with emotion, but rather an attempt to provoke me, I guessed.
But I didn’t like hearing Ayla praise another man. Especially when it was about his looks.
Ayla never talked like that, so it wasn’t something I expected from her.
“I’ve exchanged greetings a few times, but he just slightly bowed his head,” she said.
Is she trying to make me jealous? Does she really think she has feelings for him?
“That’s a strange thing, isn’t it? If he’s a groom from a minor noble family, it’s hard to imagine he’s actually a noble himself, don’t you think? No noble, no matter how desperate they are for money, would want to be a groom for someone of a lower noble rank.”
But what Ayla said next made me feel a little awkward for another reason.
“However, that groom didn’t deeply bow or tremble in fear. He simply bowed his head and stepped aside. He wasn’t afraid of me. Could it be because he worked under someone special, like a shadow? Or is there something else going on? For example, maybe he’s a noble himself?”
“…….
“Then, it makes sense why you would keep talking to him. Luna, you’re always such a mysterious person.”
Ayla said that and got up from her seat.
Then, she slowly walked toward me.
“I understand that you went to the Empire. If you have the skill, you can earn money or honor from it. If you have the ability to hunt dragons, it’s understandable to think of hunting dragons.”
Ayla slowly walked behind me.
“But if you’ve captivated the Empress there, the story changes a bit, doesn’t it? Well, if you want the highest power, I can see why you might do that. But, hmm, such power always comes with side effects.”
“Ayla.”
“Or maybe it’s the opposite? Maybe you didn’t mean to, but the Empress acted on her own? Perhaps she fell for you because you were cross-dressed?”
“The Empress never fell for me.”
“Well, she didn’t seem completely in love, that’s for sure.”
Ayla’s hand touched my back.
I couldn’t help but focus on the sensation. Her fingers brushed lightly over my clothes and pressed firmly against my back.
Then, her fingers slowly moved in a circular motion, approaching my side.
“But didn’t you consider it? If you could hunt dragons and your appearance wasn’t bad, and if you were someone who could help with power. It would be strange not to consider you.”
“…….
In fact, I had almost fallen into such a situation and had to escape, so I couldn’t argue back.
“You don’t seem to want to answer.”
A bead of sweat began to form on my temple.
The main reason I felt troubled about the possibility of a witch, shadow, or even the Empress coming to find me personally was this.
Of course, there was the thought of secretly nurturing this territory, but the main reason was Ayla’s reaction.
In the end, the reason I was here, and why I was trying to protect this territory and reconcile Ayla and Seila, was, of course, for Ayla.
More precisely, it was for my personal desire.
To be recognized by Ayla in any way and stay by her side. And in order to do that, Ayla had to be safe.
“Then, the man you’ve been talking to regularly, who isn’t so ordinary, is he really an ordinary person? He can’t just be a common groom, can he? He might even be the son of a noble who owns a vast territory.”
Ayla slipped her hand inside my side and then grabbed my arm.
“Then you might also be someone from a family of similar standing to that man. Perhaps even someone from a much higher-ranking family than I, the Count’s wife.”
I couldn’t respond.
In fact, I could only praise myself for not sweating buckets. Though, under my hair, I was already slightly damp with sweat.
Ayla pulled my hand. My hand was slowly pulled toward Ayla, without any resistance.
“To hunt dragons, deceive the Empress, form a relationship with the witch of the forest, and trade information with the shadow… and yet, someone who has learned all this power is moved by something as small as this. By the hand of a baron’s illegitimate daughter, sold as a toy for the Count. It’s strange.”
“As I’ve said before, I won’t ask about your true identity. I’ll learn about it slowly. But still, please don’t betray me too greatly.”
I would never betray her.
Even if Ayla ever were to abandon me.
After all, my life essentially began with the tips of Ayla’s fingers.
If that’s the case, then it would only be natural that she would be the one to take it all away.
Ayla smiled faintly. She hadn’t learned anything, but seemed to enjoy my troubled expression.
“Come this way. Just now, I was reading about how the mistress learns the secrets from her maid. I want to try it out on you.”
No. Perhaps she was happy not about what she had learned but about what she might extract in the future.
Feeling a bit conflicted about Ayla’s appearance, I walked toward the sofa with her.