As she came out of the fortress, every time she took a step, there was a cheerful sound of crunching snow.
Other than being a difficult season to move covertly at night, winter was a great time of year.
She didn’t get cold well by nature, and she felt better just by looking at the snow.
‘Now that I think about it, my father said that. The reason I like winter is because I have Weishafen blood.’
The Weishafen territory in the north used to have long winters and a lot of snow. Even though she has never been to the territory, when Ayla said that she liked winter, Roderick smiled brightly and said that.
At the time, she laughed at Roderick because she didn’t even know he was her biological father. But now that she thinks about it, what he said seemed plausible.
“Are you here, lady?”
It was Cloud’s face that she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Cloud was still looking at her with a cold look, unable to tell what was on his mind.
“You rested for a long time, so your stamina has probably dropped a lot. First, let’s just focus on recovering your stamina. You have naturally good stamina, so you should be able to recover quickly.”
Ayla nodded at Cloud’s words and started running through the snow-covered yard.
In the past, she didn’t get tired even if she ran for several laps without stopping, but she soon started to run out of breath, perhaps because her stamina was low.
It was an unpleasant experience. To get revenge on her, stamina was needed.
Ayla gritted her teeth and ran. Making small footprints in the pure white snow. Just like that, without stopping.
* * *
“Win. “Is there something you’re worried about?”
Hiram Tobias Vito Peles, the emperor of the Pheles Empire, looked at his only precious son and asked kindly.
It was a time for the father and son to share tea, but Winfred was unable to concentrate on the conversation and kept getting lost in his thoughts.
However, Winfred had no answer to his question. He seemed to be absorbed in his thoughts.
“Hey, Win. Win? Winfred! “Prince!”
“… … uh? yes? “Did you call me, Abama?”
What are you thinking so hard about? In the end, the answer came only after the emperor shouted and called him the title of crown prince.
“I asked if you were worried about something. How busy have you and I been? It’s been a while since we’ve spent time alone like this, and I’m starting to feel sad because you don’t even care about your father.”
Winfred couldn’t help but burst into laughter as she saw his father making a pouty expression that was unbecoming of a dignified emperor.
He wants his son to laugh, because when the ruler of a country pouts, how can he not laugh?
“I’m sorry, father.”
“… … So, what are you worried about?”
Hiram asked with a urging look as if telling him to speak quickly.
“yes? Are you worried? “Oh, you don’t have any worries?”
Winfred’s behavior was very suspicious as he answered in a hurry. He answered so urgently that his voice cracked.
“Is it not there?”
“… … yes. no.”
No matter how many times he asked him, he kept his stubborn face and kept his lips tightly shut, which was frustrating.
“Hmm. I see.”
Hiram felt a bit let disappointed. He was certain that he was close enough to his kid that he wouldn’t feel ashamed if he exposed it anyplace, even if he was a little uncomfortable to say this out loud.
In the past, this child would have told him that he was worried about something before even asking, but no matter how many times he asked him, he still didn’t answer.
But it wasn’t something he could do anything about just because he was sad.
‘Fourteen is that age.’
At this age, his father had a secret. He knew it in my head, but his heart sank.
And Winfred noticed the change in his father, became restless, not knowing what to do.
‘Are you upset? What should I do?’
Once Hiram started to sulk, he would end it for a long time. It was clear that he would probably grab his mother tonight and tell her all that he was sad about.
Then, it was Winfred’s responsibility to scold the Empress for why he made his father sad.
Empress Selene was physically weak, but that did not mean her heart was weak. The rich man was very tightly held by the Empress.
However, he couldn’t completely reveal his concerns.
‘… … I don’t know where on earth I heard the name Heiling.’
Even though he carefully read hundreds of pages of the imperial noble list, He could not find a family called ‘Heiling’.
He thought it was a foreign noble, but Ayla clearly said she was from the Empire so that probably wasn’t the case.
He believed in Ayla’s words, ‘We can meet again’, but he couldn’t just wait and do nothing until then.
He wanted to find out who Ayla was and who her parents were. He wanted to pass on Ayla’s words.
However, it hurt his pride to ask someone else.
This is like a homework assignment that Ayla gave him, but isn’t it something that can’t be solved with the help of others?
‘Oh, again.’
Thinking about Ayla, his heart ached. There are palace doctors who regularly check the crown prince’s health, so it shouldn’t be a health problem.
“That’s… … .”
Winfred opened his mouth intending to soothe his upset father and find out the cause of his strange symptoms.
“I keep feeling a tingling sensation in my chest like I have a cramp. I can’t concentrate on work and I have no appetite.”
Hiram’s heart seemed to sink at his son’s sudden confession. He was worried that something was wrong with his precious son’s health.
However, he soon realized that it was not a health problem. Every week, he receives a report on Winfred’s health from the palace doctor, and the report he received a few days ago said that he was in very good health.
Then there was only one thing left. Lovesick.
One of Hiram’s eyebrows rose. He had an expression of interest.
‘My son has grown up a lot.’
“I’m already old enough to fall in love.”
“Well, by any chance. Before such symptoms appear, isn’t there a condition such as ‘when I meet someone’ or ‘when I think of someone’?”
“…! “…! How did you know?”
After all, the emperor is not something that just anyone can do. He didn’t want to talk about Ayla, so he left it out on purpose, but he wondered how he found out.
It wasn’t something that happened before because we couldn’t meet, but it was true that he did that every time he thought of Ayla.
Hiram seemed to find it fun to pick on his son and hummed with a mischievous smile.
“What is it, father? Do you know why I’m doing this?”
“I know.”
“Then please tell me quickly.”
Winfred was impatient and looked angry as he continued to talk without giving an answer.
Since it seemed like if he continued to worry more, he would end up back in the crown prince’s womb, even though it was tea time with the emperor, the emperor opened his mouth.
“It’s lovesickness, a lovesickness. “I don’t know who it is, but it’s because I love that person.”
Winfred was left speechless because an unexpected answer came back.
No. He’s not an idiot, and it’s not like he didn’t know that he thought of Ayla in a special way. If he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t have a reason to think about it so often.
However, it was different from the feeling of ‘liking’ that Winfred knew.
“… … “Isn’t it the feeling of love that makes you feel excited, tremble, and your heart pounding? It’s not that, it’s like a cramp in your chest, and it’s frustrating as if someone is squeezing your heart.”
He’s never experienced love in particular, but his nanny said that. That’s what happens when you like someone. You’re happy just by being together.
But that wasn’t how Winfred felt. Whenever he thought of Ayla, her heart felt so tight that it felt like she was going to cry.
That’s love.
“I thought you were all grown up, but you’re still a child, a child.”
Hiram shook his head, but his face was full of smiles.
He had no idea who the intended victim was, but the thought of his only child growing up so quickly and experiencing his first love made his heart sing.
“Who are you? huh? “Is this a lady I know? No, is she not a lady?”
By any chance, isn’t it Yeongsik? If the crown prince of the empire is a sodomite, there may be some difficulties in continuing the imperial bloodline.
Still, Hiram was willing to respect his son’s love no matter what.
“… … “I’ll go back.”
What is the emperor thinking in his head? Isn’t he playing the big drum and snare drum all by himself, and even the cymbals are ringing?
Winfred jumped up from his seat, wondering how he could be serious in front of such a father.
“Winfred, Win! … … Are you really going? okay. This father won’t wait until you’re ready! “Come back whenever you’re ready to tell me who you are!”
Seeing the prince walking away, the emperor shouted loudly in a happy voice.
* * *
After that day, the crown prince became very sulky and did not even properly greet the emperor.
Selene, who heard the reason, scolded Hiram, saying, ‘Stop teasing my son,’ and Hyrum, who was downcast, apologized several times to Winfred before he was relieved of his anger.
It is true that Hirum was angry because he was teasing her, but Winfred thought about his father’s words carefully.
He wonders if the feeling of such tightness in his heart is because he really like Ayla.
‘And I came to a conclusion myself. ‘It is true that I like Ayla.’
