Winfred, who came out of the store, motioned to the servants and guards to stay as far away as possible. They still looked confused, but they were following Winfred’s orders at a distance.
Thank God, Winfred and Ayla, sitting side by side on a bench in a square with a small fountain, were able to talk in a comfortable atmosphere.
Coincidentally, the only people nearby were Winfred’s guards.
“You told me that ring was big.”
“But, if you fit the size now, you won’t be able to fit it later when you grow up. It’s a shame.”
When Ayla grumbled in an exasperated voice, Winfred snorted in frustration. It was a really cute idea.
“… … “How do I know how thick my fingers will become? It may not be much different from what it is now, or it may be so thick that it doesn’t fit.”
“ah.”
When she pointed out the blind spot, Winfred sighed as if he hadn’t thought about it before.
“Well, then we can fix it.”
“I am indeed.”
When Winfred said as if everything had been resolved, she burst out laughing in bewilderment.
There was no awkwardness between Ayla and Winfred, even after more than six months apart, as if they had just met yesterday.
Winfred, who was just looking at his wriggling fingers with his head down as if he had something to say, bit his lip once and raised his head to look at her.
“… … “I kept my promise to you. I told your parents that you said you would come back.”
And at his words, Ayla stared blankly into his yellow eyes.
Did he solve the riddle she asked? Is Winfred’s answer correct?
“Who are my parents?”
When she asked as if testing, Winfred swallowed dryly and opened his mouth in a low voice. It was a low voice that could only be heard by her ears.
“Duke Roderick Heilling Weishafen, and Duchess Ophelia Heiling Weishafen.”
“… … .”
It was a perfect answer, without any unnecessary details.
“Right? “Did I convey this to the right people?”
“Ugh, thank you.”
He asked in an anxious voice, as if he was worried that he might have given the wrong answer and delivered Ayla’s message to the wrong people, and she expressed her gratitude with a humble expression.
At Ayla’s words, Winfred, relieved that he had fulfilled his mission properly, smiled with a melted expression, and then cautiously asked if he had any questions.
“What happened to you…?” … “Did you come this far away? Why did you become separated from your parents?”
“… … “I was too young, so I don’t remember.”
She hoped she could answer Winfred’s questions. But there were too many unclear things. Why she was raised by her enemy, Byron, and why she believed that he was her biological father.
When Ayla frowned as if in pain, Winfred seemed to have made a mistake, so her expression became sullen.
“… … “Are you close with my parents?”
Ayla, who was looking at that scene, asked this.
Rather, it was thought that Winfred might know more about her parents than she does, and might be able to provide information about what happened between them and Byron, and what happened to Ayla.
Even though she lived with her parents for two years, she didn’t know anything.
Since they didn’t know that they were her biological parents, they weren’t particularly curious, and Roderick and Ophelia kept their distance from Ayla because they thought she was still awkward with them.
“huh. “Your father taught me swordsmanship.”
Winfred proudly answered her question.
Of course, he learned it briefly when he was very young and quickly got rid of it because he didn’t have the aptitude for it, but it was true that he was close to his wife and wife through that relationship, so he didn’t bother to tell them the embarrassing truth.
“I see. Then maybe… … “Do you know anything about what happened when I disappeared? Not even a little bit.”
“… … “Umm.”
He was lost in thought for a moment.
Winfred was too young to remember much, but fortunately, he was able to answer her questions. After she found out that this Ayla was that of Ayla, she did some research.
Of course, it was so long ago, and he was worried that other people might find it suspicious, so he couldn’t dig into it too deeply.
After thinking his thoughts for a moment, Winfred opened his mouth.
“I don’t know the details either. I guess the nanny took the baby out while the Duke and Duchess were away on urgent business.”
“… … I see.”
Was that nanny bribed by Byron? So did he take her away from her parents and bring her to Byron?
While she was thinking this, Winfred noticed and opened his mouth.
“However… … Your father seemed to suspect that Byron, my uncle, might be behind it. But… … .”
He blurted out his words.
All the clues proved that the suspicion was true.
Because it was none other than Ayla who told us that Byron was behind the person who tried to assassinate him.
But Winfred was afraid that the truth would come out.
The reason why Ayla was so heartbroken was because of her bloodline.
Even if it’s his uncle whom he never saw when he was very young.
He is afraid that Ayla will hate him. That was so scary.
“… … “You’re right.”
And she so cruelly confirmed the painful truth to him.
‘Then, really… … ‘The person who hurt Ayla is my uncle.’
Winfred asked, trying hard to hold back tears.
“Then, you… … “Are you with my uncle?”
“… … huh.”
Ayla looked at Winfred, who had a somewhat sad face.
If the only prince’s sword training was entrusted to his father, then the relationship between the imperial family and the Duke of Weishafen would not be bad, that is. She thought about whether it would be okay to tell Winfred a secret.
She took a deep breath.
“He plans to use me to get revenge on my father. I raised her by brainwashing her into thinking she was his real daughter. To use her as a blade to kill my father. Of course, she was… … “I don’t know that I know this truth.”
Ayla spoke calmly, but Winfred’s heart ached to hear those words and he could not bear it. In the end, his yellow eyes, which he had been holding back well, became cloudy and tears welled up.
Maybe people can be that cruel.
The fact that his blood was mixed with him couldn’t have felt so terrible.
“… … “Don’t cry, Winfred. Why are you crying?”
She didn’t tell him this because she wanted to make him cry.
Ayla was flustered with a perplexed look on her face, unable to do anything.
Then, Winfred opened his mouth in a tearful voice.
“I’m sorry, my uncle told you…” … He did that… … .”
“… … That’s not what you did. Winfred, you weren’t born as his nephew because you wanted to. It’s not for you to apologize.”
She said, wiping away the tears from Winfred’s eyes with her sleeve.
“Then you don’t hate me?”
“… … “Then, why do I hate you? You are my only friend.”
It was like that.
Her past life where she only knew her father, and her entire current life with the single thought of getting revenge on him.
Winfred was the first and only friend she made.
“thank you.”
“Thank you for not hating me and for not resenting me for being Byron’s nephew.”
Winfred expressed his sincere gratitude.
“… … “What am I thankful for?”
Ayla, who was somewhat embarrassed by Winfred’s sincerity, spoke in a pretentious and innocent tone.
After that, there was a moment of silence between them. It was not an uncomfortable and awkward silence, but a comfortable silence without having to say anything.
And, Winfred took advantage of the silence and moved his hand towards the hand of Ayla, who was sitting next to him.
It was a struggle that came from the thought, ‘Isn’t it okay to hold hands between friends?’
But at that time, Ayla suddenly stood up as if she had remembered something.
“Do you know what’s going on with your mother? Well, I secretly looked at the letter, and she said what my mother did… … “It said that my father liked it. Byron tore up the letter, so I never saw the rest.”
“Uh? Uh, so… … .”
When Ayla suddenly stood up, he flinched, wondering if it was because of his trick! was discovered, but his face turned red from embarrassment.
And he thought carefully about what Ayla said.
“What exactly did the letter say?”
“That is… … .”
Ayla told what she had read as she remembered it. And Winfred, who heard the story, was able to quickly understand what the mysterious letter meant.
The Duchess’s pregnancy and childbirth. He thought it was probably one of those two things.
But whether or not he could tell that to Ayla was a separate issue. Would it be okay if a third party, told her that her parents, who separated more than 10 years ago, had a younger brother?
And he was worried that the news might hurt her.
Being an only child sometimes made him feel very lonely and he wished he had a sibling, but he knew that not every child is blessed with a sibling from the beginning.
