Chapter 10 (2/2)

I looked straight at his eyes and declared without pause. I heard Leichel-niisama catch his breath. I won’t let you hurt those important to me any more than this———with that implication, I stared at Leichel-niisama.

“Hmph, what are you learning despite being a mere fool…this is probably why Yuan turned strange…”

Leichel-niisama murmured something. Well, he’s probably holding me in derision anyway.

“Let go of that man immediately!”

Leichel-niisama ordered the soldier who captured Crash-san. The soldier released Crash-san in a hurry and I fell down on my knees.

My eyes met with Crash-san’s. As I lowered my head in apology, pain ran through my hair.

“What are you looking at? Walk quickly!”

Leichel-niisama caught my hair forcibly and threw me out to a soldier.

Oh, I’m glad. So he more or less had a humane heart.

“Big brother, thank you.”

When I expressed my grat.i.tude with a smile, Leichel-niisama looked bewildered.

“What moronic thing are you saying,” he left the house with those final words.

[Leichel]

Several hours after riding the carriage, the palace gates came into view.

At last, I can finally execute this fool. Despite that, seeing Aine’s appearance before makes my heart shake. Throwing away himself for an acquaintance at best and a dog? He was not the kind of man who would take an action like that.

In this situation where I seem like the villain, even the soldiers were unable to conceal their unrest.

No, he was the reason Yuan turned strange—-

I cannot let him live, I tried to convince myself.

Right then————.

“Is it Leichel-sama?”

I heard a voice calling me just as I pa.s.sed the palace gates. When I alighted from the carriage, the King’s personal guards holding torches were lying in wait.

“What is it?”

“An order from the King. He wants have Aine-sama handed over.”

“The King’s order?”

While I was confused, the royal guard took Aine down from the carriage and untied his ropes. As if Aine also do not understand the situation, he looked at me with lowered eyebrows.

His puppy-like expression spured on indescribable emotions. I grabbed the hand of the guard.

“I will not permit it! This man is my exploit, I will execute him——”

“This is a royal order, Leichel-sama!”

“Kuh…!”

The King has not issued an order for a long time! What is the King thinking!?

I remained standing in utter surprise until Aine’s back as he was taken along became smaller.