Chapter 23 (1/2)

Heavenly Castle • In the Dining Hall]

「Delicious!」

「Ah, hey, Mea. Eat slowly. Even so, this is really delicious, isn’t it?」

When everyone was eating breakfast while having such conversations, Rant suddenly opened his mouth.

「Come to think of it, is Ayla-sama related to the royal family of Azul Kingdom?」

Hearing such words, everyone’s eyes turns to Ayla.

The face of Ayla, who was delighted to inform me that she was able to skillfully peel a potato, froze after hearing the few words of Rant.

A moment of silence continues and Schnee hastily says.

「Hey, Rant! …..No, Ayla-san has the same red hair which is the trait of the Azul royal family that we have heard before, so we had a talk that maybe you are related to them. However, although the deepness is different, we also saw someone with red hair besides you so maybe you just have similar hair color.」

When Schnee explained that while pinning down the head of Rant with one hand, Ayla suddenly stood up while covering her mouth.

「I, I’m sorry…..!」

Ayla quickly said words apology and rushed out of the dining hall. Her face became pale as if the blood instantly drained from her face.

The running sound through the passage went far and A1, who was at the entrance of the dining hall, turned his face to Ayla’s back.

「…… I’m going to look for her shortly」

When I said that, the Torraine and the others stood up quickly.

「We will also go」

「Ah, no, it will be difficult if she’s still confused, so please wait here first.」

While smiling wryly at the offer of Torraine, I refused gently and headed in the direction where Ayla ran.

She ran to the elevator as I thought to myself. While I’m on my way, I could hear that Rant was being scolded. So when I looked back, A1 was walking this way rapidly in big steps.

We entered in the elevator and I chose the first floor. I hesitated for a moment, but I felt that she was probably going outside.

「You’re worried aren’t you, A1」

It became silent after I said that and we rushed out to the floor as soon as the elevator was opened.

As I expected, as the main gate was in middle of opening, I saw the figure of Ayla running outside from the gap between the doors.

「Ayla!」

I chased her while calling out her name. Ayla rushed out and stopped at the slope.

The slope looks gentle because it is curving midway, but the left and right only have fences about the height of the waist, so she will be seriously injured if she tried to jump over it.

Imagining that Ayla got hurt before my eyes, cold sweat ran on my back.

「Ayla…… that, I don’t care about it, so I won’t ask anything . . . . let’s go back to the castle together. Torraine and the others are also worried, you know?」

When I gently said that, Ayla turned around to look at me. Her eyes were full of tears and her mouth was tightly closed in order to keep herself from crying.

I gently held out my hand to Ayla who shed tears as she looked at me.

However, maybe because she was hesitating over something, Ayla had no sign of approaching me.

And, suddenly A1 who was standing next to me started walking. No way, I wonder if he judged that it was an instruction when I said ‘Let’s go back’?

My reaction was delayed after seeing A1 who suddenly started to move and during that time, A1 is already drawing near to Ayla.

「Ah, don’t, don’t come……」

Ayla let out a voice while drawing back reflexively from the approaching A1.

「Kya……!?」

She’s only a few steps away from A1’s reach, when her butt hits the fence of the slope, her body bends backwards.

Oh no!

The moment when I was about to start running, A1 reached out his hands at an unstoppable speed.

He gently supported Ayla who was about to fall down and carried her within his arms.

A1, who secured Ayla in a princess carry, came back silently as if nothing had happened.

「…… As one would expect of A1」