CHAPTER 13
“Haah…”
Lloyd was just as troubled.
Back at home, he leaned against the window, sighing deeply over and over again.
“Damn it, I should’ve sent someone with her. At least Ayla!”
But it would’ve been far too suspicious for Ayla to go to the market alone.
And if she walked around the market with Aslan, they were bound to run into someone eventually.
Lloyd shook his head.
‘We never should’ve gone out…’
…No. That wasn’t quite right either.
Aslan had begged him to see the traveling musicians. She’d really wanted to go.
Lloyd stopped pecking the window like a woodpecker and collapsed into a chair.
Eight years ago, he had secretly asked the Emperor for a fake identity and a quiet country estate.
In return, he agreed to fulfill one request.
That request started as an arranged marriage proposal… but later changed, after Minerva was exiled, to ensuring she lived comfortably in isolation.
Minerva had been silent for five years.
Honestly, Lloyd thought he’d gotten off easy, considering what he’d received in return.
Until he found out about Aslan.
‘Why is that girl always flitting around like that?’
She looked just like Minerva—but her behavior? Completely different.
Even as a child, Minerva had never been like that. Maybe Aslan took after her father?
‘Whose child is she, anyway…?’
Lloyd tried to imagine who the man Minerva had fallen for could be.
A servant? A fallen noble? A commoner?
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t picture it, so he gave up on the fantasy.
Besides, Lloyd wasn’t in a position to meddle in anyone else’s personal life—especially not Minerva’s.
He barely had time to manage his own.
His top priority was raising a proper heir.
That’s the whole reason he was out here pretending to be a rural lord.
Minerva’s safety? That was a distant second.
‘She won’t be coming out for a while anyway, so I’d better stay far away from Fran Village too.’
He had to report to the Emperor regularly, but if he explained that Minerva was suspicious of him, His Majesty would surely understand.
If he just kept a low profile for a few months—or even a few years—Minerva would be able to live in peace.
That would be enough to repay the kindness he’d once received.
But since when had the world ever gone Lloyd’s way?
“Hello, mister!”
“…Mis—what?”
His peaceful plan was shattered just days later…
…when Aslan stormed into the manor.
* * *
Maybe because she knew she was in trouble, Aslan was quiet the entire way home.
When Louisa heard what had happened in the market, she flew into a rage.
“They weren’t even trained bodyguards, and you just let the young lady get kidnapped by a bunch of thugs?! Where was that so-called loyalty when you followed the master out?”
“That’s enough, Louisa. It was unavoidable.”
“But Master—!”
Louisa was already on edge after their encounter with Viscount Mente.
But I had been the one closest to Aslan at the time.
Louisa’s words cut deep—because they were also directed at me.
I wanted nothing more than to escape this noise.
“Everyone, leave.”
Maybe Louisa sensed something in my tone, because she stopped shouting and left quietly with the other servants.
At last—silence.
I sighed quietly, pressing my temples to ease the pounding headache.
Then I turned to Aslan.
“Aslan.”
“Y-yeah?”
She answered in a small, nervous voice.
I’d never seen her this tense before.
She must have known she was in the wrong.
Expecting a scolding, Aslan fidgeted, glancing up at me anxiously.
But I didn’t intend to yell at her.
Instead, I stretched out my arms, pulled her into a hug, and blinked back tears.
“I’m just glad you’re safe…”
“M-Mom?”
Even though she’d been found out, Aslan was still here—safe and sound.
Right. Deep down, I knew I could never keep this secret forever.
It was just one of many possible outcomes.
And both of us were still alive.
“It’s okay. You must’ve been scared.”
…
Pat, pat.
I had meant to comfort her, but instead, I felt a small hand gently patting my back.
Aslan, her eyes shifting awkwardly, was trying to comfort me instead.
Really—how did I end up being the one comforted by a child?
I laughed through my tears, feeling both proud and guilty.
Sensing my unease, Aslan shook her head firmly, trying to reassure me.
“I wasn’t scared at all! Look!”
She spread all ten fingers wide.
They were a bit rough from scratching wood here and there, but they were far duller than when she’d been a cat.
“And I hissed too! Like this!”
Hssssss!
Aslan scrunched up her face and bared her teeth like an animal.
Her dull little canines weren’t threatening in the least.
And that squishy, crumpled face? Adorably fierce.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Really, Aslan? My goodness, you’re a wild beast!”
“Of course! I’m stronger now that I’m human, right? I won’t let anyone hurt you, Mom!”
She puffed out her chest dramatically, trying to keep the laughter going.
She was so sweet.
And I felt awful for making even this wild child tiptoe around me.
I patted her fluffy hair gently, and she immediately relaxed, purring with contentment.
‘Ugh, she’s healing my soul…’
The soft vibration soothed my nerves.
I really had to stop thinking so negatively all the time. It only made me worry more.
‘Honestly, if Id Mente were one of Mars’s agents, I’d have been dead years ago.’
He’d had five years’ worth of chances to kill me while Aslan was still a cat.
Maybe… he really was just a clueless country noble.
I handed the lion plush I’d managed to save during the chaos back to Aslan and casually asked:
“Did you growl at Viscount Mente too?”
“Nope! He didn’t seem like a bad guy. He’s Ayla’s dad.”
So she didn’t see him as a bad person.
Even though every instinct I had was screaming to stay away from him.
Sometimes children saw the truth.
Sometimes they were just… too innocent.
And they were easily swayed by friends.
“You must’ve gotten close to Ayla in such a short time.”
“Yeah! She’s like a doll, and she listened to me a lot. She’s really nice!”
“What did you two talk about?”
“I said I missed you, Mom.”
“…That’s all?”
“Hmm…”
Aslan hesitated for a moment—then dropped a bombshell.
“What’s an academy, Mom?”
“Wh-Wh-What?”
I had never once mentioned an academy to Aslan.
How could she possibly know?
No way…
“Did Ayla tell you?”
“Uh-huh.”
She nodded without hesitation and started chattering again.
“She asked if I’d take the test for Pororong Academy, since I look like a noble. What does that mean, Mom?”
…
I pressed my forehead with a hand. I didn’t even know where to begin correcting this.
But at least there was one small mercy:
‘She remembered the name as Pororong Academy instead of the Royal Povace Academy…’
Thank goodness she didn’t remember it properly.
I wiped my mouth and muttered vaguely,
“It has nothing to do with you, Aslan.”
“Why?”
“You can’t go there.”
“Why not!?”
Her voice rose in disbelief.
“Is it because I ran off in the market?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then whyyy?”
Where do I even begin?
I couldn’t bring myself to say it: I’m a criminal and can never leave this estate.
I was too ashamed—as a mother.
So instead, I shook my head and said, vaguely,
“Remember how I said I made an enemy of someone really powerful? That’s why you can’t go.”
Aslan’s face crumpled like the whole world was unfair.
“But you’re the one who got in trouble! Why can’t I go to the academy!? I wanna go! Let me gooo!”
She threw herself on the floor and started rolling around in protest.
Oh, cursed gods.
Just when one crisis passed, another began.
And from that day forward, Aslan’s tantrums officially began.
