You Will Pay With Your Life For Deceiving Me

 Time passed quickly.

 

 After escaping from city life for a short time, she began to wander again in the forests and mountains, where there was no one around.

 

 Ayla was born in the fall and has just passed her birthday. No one has congratulated her on her birthday.

 

 She would have been thirteen years old based on her physical age, but older if she included her memories from her previous life.

 

 “… … “Well done.”

 

 Cloud complimented Ayla, who gazed at his face. She always saw the large scar on his right side.

 

 It felt strange because she had a scar that wasn’t there in her last life. Of all the things she changed by going back in time, it was the most visible one.

 

 She could explain it as evidence that she has traveled back in time and that something has dramatically altered.

 

 “Miss?”

 

 As Ayla just stared at his face without reacting to his praise, Cloud asked curiously.

 

  “… … Huh? Thank you for the compliment.”

 

 Ayla finally woke up from her thoughts and smiled shyly, her cheeks blushing. Recently, she has been showing tremendous growth, so she has always been praised.

 

  It was so foolish. Both Cloud and Byron.

 

 She had already reached the highest level they wanted, but they did not know that she was hiding it and pretending that her skills were gradually improving. She is just happy.

 

 Just say, ‘Good job.’ He said it bluntly, but she knew. Cloud was surprised by the speed at which her skills were improving. It was thanks to overhearing his conversation with Byron a few times.

 

 People say, ‘I can only say that he is truly a genius.’ They praise him as ‘a skill sent from heaven.’ They make such a fuss to Byron behind his back, but in front of him, he appears oblivious.

 

 “Then I’ll leave it at that for today. miss.”

 

 “… … already?”

 

 Although there is still a lot of training time left. When told that it was already over, Ayla blinked blankly.

 

 “Yes. The remaining time… … “It is free time. I have permission from the master, so you can stay comfortably.”

 

 Free time. When she heard that she even got permission from Byron, she felt her mouth drop open.

 

 It was the first time she had free time in her life but she didn’t know what to do.

 

 Since she would always be under observation, she won’t be able to live a totally free life. She was completely unaccustomed to the unexpected quantity of time that she had to herself.

 

 ‘What should I do?’

 

 She was deep in thought. What she wanted to do was sneak into Byron’s room and eavesdrop on his conversations or dig up information.

 

 Isn’t this something that can’t be done on a bright day like this?

 

 After she joined the Duke’s house, she sometimes had the luxury of reading books in her spare time.

 

 There were no books here that a child would be interested in reading, other than scary books related to assassinations.

 

 “walk… … “Can I?”

 

 “As long as you don’t go too far, it’s okay.”

 

 In response to her question, Cloud nodded. Being able to move around freely was truly unbelievable.

 

 Of course, she wasn’t alone. Cloud attached one of his subordinates to her. She didn’t know if it was to protect her or to watch over her.

 

 Even though the trusty knight quietly followed her from afar, she felt strange walking freely around the fortress.

 

 Because she never attained that freedom in her previous life.

 

 Was skill the problem? In her past life, if she had learned everything at once like she does now, would she have been able to have this much free time?

 

 ‘… … ‘What’s the point of thinking like this now?’

 

 Ayla looked out over the landscape, trying to get her mind off the ideas that were plaguing her. Now that fall had really arrived, the countryside was breathtaking.

 

 Trees with crimson and yellow leaves covered the entire forest of broad-leaved trees. Countless fall blossoms covered the fields.

 

 ‘It’s pretty, though.’

 

 As autumn deepened, Ayla’s worries also deepened.

 

 It was because winter would come soon.

 

 ‘When winter comes… … . What should I really do?’

 

 For a while, she wandered around freely every night, gathering information.

 

 The reason she can walk around hidden now is because she was able to hide herself by climbing a tree with thick leaves. It was also because she was less visible when she wore dark-colored clothes on a dark night.

 

 But when winter comes, things change.

 

 All the leaves would fall, and the naked tree would not be able to hide her body.

 

 Moreover, when snow piles up, black clothes actually stand out. Since she was working outside in the dust all day, she didn’t have any brightly colored activewear.

 

 However, the winter in the Peles Empire was too cold to walk around wearing only thin white pajamas.

 

 And leaving footprints was also a problem. No matter how quietly and lightly she walked, she couldn’t help but leave footprints in the accumulated snow.

 

 It would be fortunate if the snow kept falling and erased her footprints, but it was also a problem that traces of walking around in the snow would remain.

 

 ‘… … ‘We can’t stop winter from coming.’

 

 No matter how much she went against the laws of nature and returned to the past, she couldn’t stop the passage of time.

 

 She sighed as she looked at the red dragonfly flying among the pink cosmos.

 

 It was when Ayla returned to the fortress after finishing her walk.

 

 There was a loud crashing sound and something fell in front of her. It was a silver drinking cup. Surprised, she looked around. There was a broken window on the second floor.

 

 ‘That’s… … . ‘It’s Byron’s room?’

 

 The noise didn’t stop there. Something kept breaking and loud crashing noises were constantly heard.

 

 What is going on? Byron used to be violent and unreasonable when he got angry, but that didn’t happen very often. But she thought that things like that were becoming more frequent these days.

 

 Ayla vowed to herself, avoiding the window in case something else flew in. Tonight, she would find out why Byron was so angry.

 

* * * *

 

 ‘… … How else should I convey this?’

 

 It was right after Ayla went out for a walk. Cloud discovered that Jeon Seo-gu had flown in and quickly checked the information.

 

 After checking the contents, he became meditative and froze in place for a while.

 

 This was because it was very difficult to convey to Byron because the information was hastily conveyed using a magic telegram.

 

 Byron’s nephew, who is now appointed Crown Prince. After his failed attempt to kill Winfred.

 

 She expected him to be harshly reprimanded when he returned after a few days.

 

 After that, Byron treated Cloud so well that it gave him goosebumps. He never got angry or threw things at him.

 

 Moreover, even Ayla’s performance has been very satisfactory recently. Byron’s mood seems to be better than at any time during the years he has watched him.

 

 But if he tells her this.

 

 Cloud was worried that the wound around his eye, which had barely healed, would burst again.

 

 This was because it was news that there was no way Byron wouldn’t throw things away.

 

 ‘I can’t help but tell you that.’

 

 It was really embarrassing. To the point where he inadvertently thought it would be better if it were someone other than him who checked this Jeon Seo-gu.

 

 However, the only one who could handle this level of information was Capella.

 

 ‘Okay. ‘I’m better than your sister-in-law.’

 

 Thinking like that, Cloud took a steady step and found Byron.

 

 And just as he expected.

 

 “… … “What did you say just now?”

 

 Byron was horribly angry.

 

 “Lady Heling. … … She says she is with child.”

 

 Cloud closed his eyes tightly after once again delivering news that would make Byron uncomfortable. The drink in Byron’s hand was sure to fly to him.

 

 However, the glass did not fly, and suddenly a loud clinking sound was heard.

 

 Cloud opened his eyes in surprise and realized that the glass that Byron had thrown broke the window and flew out, not by him.

 

 It didn’t stop there. Unable to bear his boiling anger, Byron swept the items on the desk with his arms and threw them all on the floor.

 

 Byron had been expressing his anger for a while and quickly walked towards Cloud.

 

 When he silently extended his hand, Cloud realized that he was asking for the letter that Jeon Seo-gu had delivered, and politely placed the letter on Byron’s hand.

 

 After checking the letter, Byron seemed unable to hold back his anger and crumpled the letter and threw it in the corner of the room. Then, with a wave of his hand, he ordered Cloud to congratulate him.

 

 Cloud unconsciously sighed in relief as he came out of Byron’s room. It was because he was so nervous that he wasn’t even breathing properly.

 

 ‘… … I guess I’ll have to tell this to other people today too.’

 

 Until Byron calls first, don’t go near his room.

 

 He shook his head and went down the stairs.

 

 Byron was left alone and picked up the bottle of alcohol on his desk.

 

 The glass he threw had already flown out the window, so he had no choice but to drink the bottle.

 

 But no matter how much he drank, the fire burning in his heart would not go out.

 

  He had a constitution that made it hard for him to have children. They said Ayla would be his first and last. He suddenly became very angry at the news that he was having another child.

 

 He couldn’t believe it, so he opened the letter he had thrown in the corner and read it again.

 

 No matter how much he checked, there was no way the content he had already read would change, and Byron, once again filled with anger, tore up the letter and burned it.

 

 He knew it in his head. Roderick and Ophelia were officially a married couple. Moreover, they also had a daughter named Ayla.

 

 But his heart couldn’t accept it.

 

 The fact that a different man hugged Ophelia. Oh, that traitor Roderick. The bastard was hugging Ophelia, that was for sure.

 

 The fact that his beloved Ophelia is carrying that man’s kid once more.

 

 He didn’t want to accept it.

 

 Byron threw the bottle of alcohol that was on the bottom. The bottle hit the stone wall and shattered into pieces. It looked like Byron’s heart had been hurt by love.

 

 “Ophelia. Oh, my Ophelia… … . why. why!!!”

 

 He collapsed on the bed. Ophelia cried out, but it was a call that could not reach her in Venator.

 

 After struggling in pain for a while, he sighed.

 

 “And yet, I love you, Ophelia.”

 

 He love her so much, being hugged by different men so many times.

 

 Byron confessed his desperate love.

 

 Killing the newly born child was enough.

 

 Roderick will be killed by his daughter’s hands. All he had to do was kill his own younger brother at Ayla’s hands.

 

 And he would place Ophelia, who was left alone, by Byron’s side.

 

 Thinking of the beautiful Ophelia, who would one day wear the crown of the empress, Byron went to sleep.