YWPWYLFDM 64

Chapter 64

The knights looked extremely uncomfortable. They had been repeatedly told not to leave the young master’s side, yet the gold coin pouches in their hands were far too heavy to resist.

They claimed it was just a gift to have a drink at the festival, but the amount of money they had received could easily buy an entire tavern—well, not a grand one, just a small inn that commoners frequented.

“Be back here in five hours. I expect you won’t go anywhere else.”

“…Yes, young master. Five hours. You really mean it?”

In the end, unable to resist the temptation of gold, the knights took the pouches with both hands and left one by one. Even the coachman couldn’t escape the same trick. Once Gerald led Ayla into a building, it was just the two of them.

Ayla scanned the interior warily, but the place seemed harmless—a neat café decorated with plants here and there.

“Welcome!”

A waiter, perfectly dressed with a bow tie, greeted them.

Ayla, who had never been to a café before, glanced around curiously while Gerald quietly spoke with the staff and quickly secured a private room. It was a spacious room lined with plush, comfortable sofas.

‘…Did we really come all the way here just for a café?’

If she had only wanted to enjoy some sweet drinks and desserts, there was no need to come so far.

As Ayla sat down on a sofa, Gerald chose to sit unusually close to her, despite plenty of other available seats. She could have pushed him away, but instead, she decided to observe him to see what he was up to.

Soon after, the drinks Gerald had ordered arrived. It was tea brewed with a fruit she had never seen before, preserved in honey. Judging by its appearance, it seemed like a type of lemon or orange, but the pulp was a deep orange color.

Even after the tea arrived, Gerald continued to act suspiciously.

When the waiter offered to pour the tea into a pretty glass, Gerald insisted on keeping the teapot and drinking from it himself. Puzzled, the waiter obeyed and left the teapot on the table. That’s when Ayla realized Gerald’s true intention.

From his jacket pocket, Gerald had taken out a small vial and dropped a single drop of its liquid into one of the cups.

Although he tried to be discreet, he was clumsy enough that Ayla caught him immediately.

‘…That’s not some health tonic, is it?’

Ayla looked at Gerald in disbelief as he handed her the cup with the drug inside. It was foolish to think he could move so obviously and not be noticed.

She even considered pouring the tea over his smug face, but restrained herself—if he got burned by the hot tea, dealing with the aftermath would be too troublesome.

‘And I don’t even know what this is.’

Ayla pretended to sip the tea, bringing the cup to her lips. Gerald’s eyes gleamed with triumph.

‘Look at him.’

Sighing internally, she put the cup down. Whatever he intended, she had no plans to play along now that she was aware of it.

“Why, why? Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

Seeing her refuse to drink, Gerald asked anxiously.

Ayla shook her head, fluttering her long lashes.

“No, that’s not it… I want to try something else.”

“Something else?”

“That… chocolate pound cake.”

Ayla cast him a pitiful look she had used before to soften Cloud’s heart. Gerald’s face turned bright red. He had been ignoring her earlier, telling her to eat as much as she wanted, but now he couldn’t resist the temptation.

“…I see. They probably have it here. I’ll order it for you.”

Falling into Ayla’s trap, Gerald rang for a servant, and while he was distracted, she quickly swapped the cups. Since the glasses were identical, Gerald didn’t notice, and Ayla ordered the chocolate cake she wanted.

With a mischievous smile, Ayla took a sip from her cup, and Gerald happily drank from his, unaware of the switch. The tea had a slightly bitter but tangy-sweet flavor.

She expected the drug to take effect immediately, but nothing happened—until Gerald, rubbing his eyes and yawning, began to nod off.

Soon, he fell asleep with a light snore.

‘So it was a sleeping potion.’

Ayla guessed he had planned to take advantage of her while she couldn’t resist him, thinking she wasn’t strong or fast enough. She considered disabling him with her hidden dagger but decided it might actually be an opportunity instead.

“…Hey.”

Gerald showed no signs of waking, even when she tapped his cheek with the blunt side of the dagger. He was in an incredibly deep sleep.

Ayla rummaged through his pockets, finding the leftover pouches of coins he had given to the knights.

‘…For the next three and a half hours, until the knights come back, I’m truly free.’

She tossed the pouch in the air and caught it again, listening to the jingling coins. After all, she had come to enjoy the festival, and since the mischievous brat had disrupted her plan, she might as well use his money to make the most of it.

She had memorized the route from the carriage, so she could easily find her way alone. No one was watching or interfering; she only needed to return on time.

Opening the window quietly, Ayla slipped out of the café. The fresh air outside felt incredible.

As always, she climbed onto the rooftops. Walking on the ground felt oddly awkward to her, and from above, she could easily spot a shortcut to the festival streets.

Jumping over walls and sprinting across rooftops, she made her way toward the bustling festival.

When she arrived, the vibrant scene before her was so full of life and warmth that she felt the happiness radiating from the crowd. Initially, she had planned to join them, but watching from above was enough to make her feel the joy.

So she stayed on the rooftops for a while. There was still plenty of time.

Dancers twirled, singers performed, and people clinked glasses, laughing over trivial conversations.

“Mom, I want that!! Get it for me, please?”

“Oh, you again! How can you still have room for more after eating so much?”

Children tugged on their parents’ hands, pleading for snacks. It was a scene so beautiful it almost brought tears to her eyes.

To others, it may have been ordinary, everyday moments, but for Ayla, these were memories she wanted to cherish.

After watching from above for a long while, she felt her previously empty heart finally full. She descended from the rooftop, eager to experience the festival firsthand.

The first thing she bought was a sandwich stuffed with meat and vegetables between thin bread slices. The spices were a bit strong for her, but the flavor was delicious. She cooled her tingling tongue with a sweet, chilled yogurt drink, grinning with excitement.

“Step right up! Throw a shuriken at the target and win a prize!”

“Daddy, I want that doll! That doll!!”

Not long after, Ayla spotted a game booth where participants could throw daggers at a target to win prizes.

“Hmm, that rabbit doll? Piece of cake,” she thought. A girl tugging at her father’s sleeve begged him to play. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the game.

But the result…

“Ah, a miss! Any challengers next?”

His throw fell far from the target. The daughter, devastated, began to cry.

Ayla watched and paid a coin to participate herself.

“Eh? You’re going to play, miss? It’s harder than it looks…”

The shopkeeper was flustered seeing a young girl, so well-dressed, wanting to participate. Even if the game weapons were dulled, an accidental hit could injure a noble child.

But Ayla ignored his warnings.

“…Enough talk. Hand me the dagger.”