It wasnât far to the next town. The narrow road suddenly spread out from where we stayed on the third night, so there were hardly any dangers from the Hollows. I noticed that we were running along the coastline, but I think weâll get there before noon. When I regained conscious again, I was on a bed in the inn, and I had a band-aid wrapped around my arm.
Dory quietly came into the room carrying a tub while I was looking at my arm.
âDory.â
âOh my!â
Dory put the bucket down next to the door and quickly walked to the bed. She put a hand on my head first.
âYou donât have a fever. Thatâs good.â
âWe in thown?â
âYes, you fell asleep on the way here Leila-sama, so it must have been quick for you.â
âAi.â
I must have been tired. Dory helped me up when I was squirming.
âYou had a little cut, so I wrapped a band-aid around it just in case. You were dirty, but itâs fine since you were wearing your clothes properly.â
âAi.â
âLei-sama.â
âAi?â
Dory brought a chair to the side of the bed and held my hand. She held it gently as not to hurt my wound.
âYou canât be reckless.â Dory is probably talking about me protecting my allies. Well, it was reckless. But, the situation had been absurd to begin with. It was a difficult choice for a one-year-old to make.
No. It wasnât difficult. I would always make the same decision. I donât want someone to die protecting me. So, I didnât reply to Dory. I just stayed quiet and looked forward.
Dory gently let go of my hand.
âI wonder why? I know in my head that thereâs no point in talking to you about this because youâre still a baby, but everyone talks to you like this,â she smiled wryly while speaking.
âEat a light breakfast, and weâll go downstairs. Everyone has been worried about you.â
âAi,â I was able to reply properly this time. Bart and Mill showed up while I was eating, but I didnât see Alistair, who would normally show up first.
âWhereâsh Awishthair?â
âH-heâs...â
Kyaro looked at Clyde, and Clyde shook his head faintly. They looked iffy.
âHe ishnâth injured, ish he?â
âHeâs okay. Alistair is, I mean, heâs confused about climbing the stairs to adulthood or going back to himself.â Kyaro scratched his head because he didnât know what to say.
âHeâll definitely come up here to hug you and not let you go, but right now heâs stubborn. Alistair that is.â
âAi.â
âI think itâs fine for him to act his age, but he wants to grow up faster.â
So, thatâs why heâs lost right now. I tilted my head a little, and Clyde lifted me up.
âYouâre so cute, Lei.â
This isnât the time to say that. I slapped Clydeâs hand, and Kyaro looked serious, âThe Prince being attacked is a major incident. Alistair is following the Prince even though the Prince is going around, giving orders all over the place.â
âAi.â
Speaking of which, Alistair was like that from the start.
âAwishthair awsho obshervesh Barth whiwe thravewwing.â
So that he would be able to take the initiative without being taught. What does he have to see? How does he have to move?
Clyde swayed me gently, âLei also observes a lot.â
Because thereâs not much I can do other than observe. I always think theyâre remarkable.
âNow, shall we go down? Everyoneâs worried about you.â
âAi!â
Every inn is similar. We went down the stairs and slowly headed to the dining hall.
âLei-sama!â
âLei-sama!â
People were calling me from all directions.
âAi!â I replied in a loud voice, and everyone was relieved. Meanwhile, one of them came out to the front and kneeled down in front of me.
âLei-sama!â
He had a bandage around his neck. He was the one who was taken hostage. You got hurt at that time.
âNecw hurth?â
âJust a little bit, Lei-sama. Just a little bit.â
His neck hurts a little bit.
âHeaw quicwwy, w?â
âLei-sama, I...â The servant quickly put his hands on the floor. Whatâs going on? I was surprised.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âIâm sorry you were taken away by the enemy because of me. E-even though it doesnât matter what happens to me!â
It does matter. He was flustered for some reason, and the door opened with a bang. The Prince and Bart entered.
âLei!â Alistair, who was with them, ran up to me and lifted me up.
âAre you alright?!â
âAi.â
He was just holding me, but I was honestly curious about the person on the floor.
âAwishthair down.â
âDonât wanna.â
âAwishthair!â I made my tone a little stronger. Alistair reluctantly put me down.
âIf I hadnât said that I wanted to hunt Hollows and stayed by your side... Iâm sorry.â
âNo, itâs because I was taken hostage.â
They both looked down. I understand their feelings. When I looked up, Dory and everyone in the room looked as if they were thinking about what they should have done. I looked at the entrance and saw that many of the guards were injured and bandaged up.
The Prince remained silent and had a poker-face on.
I looked back at the two who were looking down.
âIf you were thhere Awishthair thhen you wouwd have been widnapped.â
Alistair raised his face in surprise.
âThey couwd have thawen anyone hoshthage.â
The servant raised his face.
âBecaushe Lei wash there.â
âLei! Youâre wrong!â I shook my head at Alistairâs voice.
âEveryone wash burdened becaushe Lei wash thhere.â
Itâs the truth. No one said anything. But, I know.
âLei bad?â
âHow can you be?! What is so bad about you being yourself?!â Alistair screamed.
Itâs the third time. People fought desperately for me. Someone got injured trying to defend me. I canât help but think this even if itâs unpleasant.
I looked up.
âThe bad onesh are thhe bad peopwe.â
Everyone was dumbfounded and went silent.
âThe bad onesh are thhe peopwe withh bad thhoughthsh.â
âThe bad ones are the bad people...â The servant muttered.
âLei ishnâth bad. Awishthair ishnâth bad. Everyone did thheir beshth.â
The Prince nodded as if he agreed with me.
âLei-sama!â
âAi, sthand.â
âYes!â
The servant stood up.
âLei!â
âAwishthair, puth me down.â
Alistair was still holding me. It was no use, so I put my hands tightly around his neck. Then, I looked straight at the Prince.
âYewwow eyesh.â
The Prince widened his eyes.
âWhat is...?â
âBad pershon shaid Leiâsh eyesh are vioweth. Lei awsho shaw thhe bad pershon.â
âYellow eyes.â
The room became noisy.
âLei.â
âAi.â
âTell me more.â
How annoying, but okay.