Chapter 35 — The Search for a Silver-Haired Girl
Chapter 35 — The Search for a Silver-Haired Girl
Translation: Godtl
When the carriage window was opened, a knight who had been standing guard informed the elderly noble in a small voice.
"They say they're looking for a ten-year-old girl who looks about eight or nine years old, on orders from the Imperial City."
"...."
At those words, the elderly noble's expression distorted slightly. At the knight's words, Lelia was so surprised she couldn't even blink.
The inspection proceeded quickly, and the turn of the procession Lelia was part of was approaching.
The elderly noble thought for a moment, then bang! hit one side of the carriage floor. Lelia watched without even being able to scream.
Looking closely, he hadn't just hit the floor but had grabbed something and opened it.
The perfectly fine floor instantly opened like a door, revealing a narrow space.
"Child, it would be best for you to hide for a moment."
"...."
At those words, Lelia hesitated briefly, then quickly entered the narrow space.
As she curled up like a shrimp, the elderly noble closed the door leading to the floor again.
Lelia hugged her knees and lay on her side, trembling. If she was caught like this and returned to the capital, she might really die.
'It doesn't end with the misfortune of being forced to marry a strange person, but truly....'
She squeezed her eyes shut and grasped the necklace. Even if she was caught, there was hope. She had items made with this necklace.
'But if they find out they hid me, these people might suffer harm.'
The problem was the elderly noble and the knight order people who had helped her. They might have to risk their lives because of her.
She wanted to prevent that at least. Lelia trembled, wondering what to do.
Finally, the turn of the carriage where Lelia was hiding arrived.
After hearing a brief commotion outside, someone spoke from outside the carriage window.
"By His Majesty's command, we wish to conduct an inspection. May we search the inside of the carriage?"
It was then.
Bang!
With an enormous sound, the carriage door opened as if it would break.
It wasn't opened from outside, but the elderly noble inside the carriage had kicked the door open as if to break it.
"Are you saying you dare to search my carriage?"
"B-but this is His Majesty's command...."
Lelia bit her lip, praying 'Please, please.' From outside the carriage, an angry-sounding voice mumbled.
She couldn't hear clearly, but it seemed a problem had arisen between the soldier trying to search the carriage and the elderly noble trying to stop it.
Lelia waited through that time with sweaty palms.
And at some point, when it had become quiet outside.
Thud.
She felt the rebound of someone boarding the carriage. At the same time, the carriage began to depart.
'Was I not discovered...?'
Then, the elderly noble's voice was heard from outside.
"We've passed the gate and come far, so I'll open the door now."
Bang!
Along with a gentle voice that reassured her heart, the door to the secret space opened.
"...My goodness."
The elderly noble clicked his tongue seeing Lelia's face ruined with tears. Then he reached out and lifted Lelia up himself.
"...Th-thank you."
Lelia greeted him while rubbing her eyes roughly with her robe sleeve.
The elderly noble closed the secret space door again with one hand, bang!
"You were frightened. Did you think you would be discovered?"
"Yes...."
"Tsk tsk. I thought you were a brave child, but you're quite fearful."
At those words, Lelia's brow furrowed. The elderly noble smiled mischievously and handed a water bottle to Lelia.
Lelia accepted the water bottle without refusing and gulped down the water.
'Now what do I do.'
Lelia worried as she returned the water bottle. She had to think of how to explain, but her mind wasn't working.
Since she was caught having lied, he might get very angry.
'Or maybe he'll send me back to the capital to avoid getting involved....'
But for a ten-year-old girl to come up with a reason for being chased by the Imperial City was quite difficult.
No answer came to mind other than 'tell the truth.'
"Now where was I. Right, you said you hadn't seen a map of Auraria?"
"...Yes?"
But the elderly noble asked Lelia nothing. As if nothing had happened, he brought up the conversation they were having earlier.
'Is he not curious why I'm being chased from the Imperial City?'
Or perhaps he thought the person the soldiers were looking for wasn't Lelia. He might have just hidden a ten-year-old child who happened to be in the carriage to avoid troublesome matters.
'But....'
Even so, she had been caught trembling and crying in that narrow secret space.
'Anyone would suspect me in this situation....'
Lelia looked at the elderly noble with doubt in her heart. The elderly noble thought for a moment, then asked.
"Then have you heard of the Superion Duke family? We're going there now."
"...Yes?"
Lelia was so surprised her jaw nearly dropped. The elderly noble spoke as if it were nothing.
"The territory of the Superion Duke family is located in the northwestern part of Auraria. It's a border region, so it's the farthest from the capital."
"...."
Lelia gulped. So... the place they're going is the Superion family's territory?
Superion was the maiden family of Lelia's birth mother, Elizabeth.
'Then... surely....'
Lelia looked at the elderly noble before her with a dumbfounded face. The elderly noble with dark brown hair was smiling brightly despite his fierce appearance.
"Then... perhaps... perhaps...."
"That's right, I am the Superion Duke."
The elderly noble spoke as if it was of no consequence. Lelia was inwardly shocked.
'It can't be. He doesn't have red hair, so I never imagined....'
Perhaps the red hair of the current generation of Superion brothers was maternally inherited.
'No, more importantly. Then I'm going to the Superion territory right now?'
Sweat flowed from her clenched fists from unnecessary tension.
Moreover....
'...This person is my mother's father.'
Lelia looked at the elderly noble with different eyes than before. She examined his features delicately, observing closely.
Which part of his face resembled her mother, and did she not resemble her mother at all? She thought such things.
The elderly noble looked at the dazed Lelia for a moment, then spoke.
"...Actually, child, when I first saw you, I thought my dead daughter had returned to life as a young child."
"...Yes?"
"Your eyes... are very much like my dead daughter's eyes."
"...."
At those words, Lelia couldn't answer and just hesitated. It was hard to understand properly.
Before her mind could interpret those words, strangely, tears flowed first.
The elderly noble continued speaking calmly. With a very gentle voice.
"When you looked at me with frightened eyes the first time you saw me, my daughter came to mind. That child was always afraid of me. Because I was a strict father."
"...."
'I should have been a kinder father... that regret has been gouging my heart for a lifetime. That's why I couldn't turn away from you.'
Lelia bit her lip hard. She only shed large teardrops without making a single sobbing sound.
Tears also welled up in the elderly noble's eyes. Moist tears flowed down his wrinkled eye corners.
"How could that expression of fearing me be so similar. Of all things... of all things...."