YWPWYLFDM 22

Chapter 22

She seemed to be looking for any opportunity to sneak into the mansion.

But knights were stationed all around the building. No matter how skilled Cloud was, breaking through that guard detail looked nearly impossible. Even someone who considered herself superior to Cloud would likely find it impossible to get inside.

Cloud let out a sigh that could have been either disappointment or relief, and, like before, hid in the shadows to observe the mansion’s movements.

“Well, nothing’s changed from last time.”

Watching Cloud was enough for now. She was planning to find out who was receiving such ironclad security next.

If only there hadn’t suddenly been a presence behind the building where she was hiding…

“I’m sure there was no one here.”

Why did she suddenly sense someone there? She quickly turned her head and peered into the alley.

“That person…? The boy from before?”

Unexpectedly, a boy wearing a hood and grinning mischievously stood there. It was definitely the same boy she had met in the backstreets of Grunfeld.

The boy hurried along, looking excited. Sneaking out seemed to thrill him so much that he didn’t even notice how loudly he was stepping.

It wasn’t just Eila who sensed him. Cloud, hiding in the back alley, had also noticed the boy and was moving along the rear wall of the building.

“…With such a clumsy body, he actually managed to shake off his servant and sneak out. Well, I guess he used teleportation magic, so that makes sense.”

She let out a silent snicker at the boy—but then, Eila realized something strange.

The boy she had seen in Grunfeld was here too. It couldn’t just be a coincidence.

“Could it be… Byron followed that boy?”

It wasn’t entirely impossible. The boy was rich enough to use expensive magic scrolls purely for amusement. And the fact that the boy kept appearing wherever Cloud went seemed like solid evidence.

Eila glanced at Cloud in confusion. Cloud stared at the boy with a blank expression, as if he couldn’t believe the person he had been chasing had suddenly appeared before him.

But when he lowered his head for a moment and then lifted it again, his eyes were sharper than ever—like a predator spotting its prey.

Cloud began to stealthily pursue the boy, cautiously drawing a weapon from his cloak—a sharp dagger.

“…Dangerous. He intends to kill the boy.”

Eila didn’t know who this reckless young master was or why Cloud wanted to harm him. But her body acted first. She couldn’t let this young boy die.

Quickly surveying the terrain from a high vantage point, she moved along the boy’s path at her fastest speed.

Jumping down, she grabbed the boy’s arm—completely unsuspecting of the danger—just as he walked along.

“Uh…?”

The boy was startled and tried to speak, but Eila’s hand covered his mouth.

She pulled him to hide. From the roof, she had spotted a small gap beneath the balcony of the building’s first floor and dragged him there.

Although he was taller and heavier than her, the boy couldn’t resist Eila’s strength.

“Mm, mm!”

Finally regaining some composure, the boy struggled, but seeing Eila’s finger pressed to her lips in a ‘shh,’ he stopped.

“Look over there, you fool.”

Eila continued to cover his mouth while pointing to where Cloud was. The boy’s eyes widened as he noticed the panicked assassin searching for him, dagger in hand.

“No need to cover your mouth anymore.”

Knowing he would keep silent on his own, she removed her hand. His mouth was dripping with saliva from trying to speak.

“Ugh.”

Eila frowned at her hand and wiped the boy’s spit on his black cloak. Even so, he looked terrified, not defiant, carefully observing Cloud’s movements.

“Damn it.”

After several turns searching for the boy, Cloud muttered curses under his breath and disappeared from sight.

Once Cloud vanished, the boy tried to leave. Eila grabbed his arm.

“Don’t go yet. I’ll check first and come back.”

“Uh… okay.”

Perhaps grateful for saving his life, the boy obediently followed her instructions. She went outside, climbed to the roof, and surveyed the area—but Cloud was nowhere in sight.

Landing lightly on the ground, she noticed the boy peeking at her from the dirt below, his golden eyes gleaming in fascination.

“…What are you? Are you even human?”

The boy, crouching in the dirt and peeking out, asked this in a funny way, making Eila chuckle.

Human? What kind of question was that?

“Of course I’m human. Now come out. He’s gone.”

“Uh… thanks… I guess.”

The boy crawled out from his hiding place and thanked her. He added a polite ending, “-yo,” which confused Eila.

“…Why are you speaking politely all of a sudden?”

“Well, you’re my lifesaver… so… -yo.”

Eila couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

“Just speak casually. It’s hilarious.”

She laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

“Alright, then.”

The boy, thinking Eila was mocking him, sulked. But she felt a genuine sense of relief. She couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so freely. Maybe she had never felt this relaxed before.

“Still, why did Cloud want to kill this boy?”

Could this boy be the ‘young lion’ mentioned in the letter? Eila surveyed the dirt-streaked boy and muttered to herself.

“No, he’s not young—he’s a child.”

“…Me?”

The boy snapped, offended. Children often got angry when called small or young.

“You keep calling me small. How old are you?”

“I? Eleven—no, twelve.”

Almost blurting out her age before Byron tried to kill her, she quickly corrected herself. The boy raised his voice, as if to prove a point.

“I’m two years older than you. Don’t you think it’s strange that you keep saying I’m young?”

“…You’re right. You are young. Is this really the time to get mad about that? What if someone sees?”

Realizing the truth, the boy covered his mouth. Even in danger, he got upset at being treated like a child. Definitely a child.

Eila sighed.

“Just because you’re older than me doesn’t change the fact that you’re still a child. I’m young, and so are you.”

“…That’s true.”

The boy was surprisingly quick to agree. Eila smiled, noticing that his clothes were caked in dirt from hiding underground.

“Wait… is my outfit…?”

She looked down at her own clothes. Her black cloak—and even her white pajamas underneath—were covered in dirt.

A disaster. If she returned like this, Laura would surely find out she had sneaked out. Eila pouted.

“Why the long face? Worried you’ll get scolded for dirty clothes?”

Noticing her sulking, the boy asked. She nodded unconsciously. Indeed, if she got caught sneaking out, it wouldn’t be a simple scolding.

She even considered running away and revealing that she was the lost daughter of the Duke of Weissenhafen, returning to her real parents. In a city this large, there would certainly be someone who could help her.

Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to deal with this situation.

The boy silently watched and pulled a rolled-up paper tied with a ribbon from his pocket.

“There’s only one left, but I can’t just watch my lifesaver struggle like this.”

He spoke seriously, and Eila watched quietly, curious about his intentions.

“I command you—awaken the dormant power and help me.”

With a confident smile, the boy recited a spell, untied the ribbon, and the scroll mysteriously caught fire, disappearing into the air. The smoke transformed into a mystical glow that surrounded Eila.

Wide-eyed and confused, Eila looked around her body, unsure what was happening.

“Whoa.”

As the smoke dissipated, her dirt-covered clothes were now spotless, as if freshly cleaned.

“…How’s that? Amazing, isn’t it? Cool, right? It’s laundry magic.”