We rushed to the mayor’s mansion .
It’s been quite some time since I’ve come to this town . The people in this town were friendly to me since the beginning, and they were furious when they found out that Amy and I had nearly been kidnapped . They even added that I was an important child of this town . Once they found out that I was also helping people increase their magic power with Alistair, they were thankful and decided that they wouldn’t treat me in a special way .
They treated me like any other child in their town .
It’s been a while since I’ve come to this town, I grew a lot in the time I spent here, and I could control my body better . I couldn’t run yet, but I could walk to the mayor’s mansion without getting tired .
I walked fast to the mayor’s mansion in the afternoons while holding Alistair’s hand .
“Say, Bart,” the butler, who came with us, kept glancing at me . “I think we should hurry . ”
“Oh, ah . Let them wait . It’s important for kids to walk by themselves . And- . ”
“And?”
“Nah, it’s nothing . ”
Bart was focused on the wrong thing . Now, we’re at the edge of town . We’re almost at the mayor’s mansion . Fuu .
“Well, it’s fine for her to walk by herself . But it’s not as cute as tottering . ”
“Oh boy, I didn’t say that alright?” Bart muttered his excuse . I stopped and turned around .
“Noth thoththering!”
“Oh, oh? Sorry . Yeah, you’re not tottering . You’re walking fast . ”
That’s fine . For some reason, everyone was laughing really hard, and Alistair and I reached the mayor’s mansion . The butler opened the door and led us to the parlour as a servant who knew the way .
When he got to the parlour, he looked at Bart as if he wanted to say something, but held it down in the end and knocked on the door .
“Come in . ”
It was exactly like the time with the previous messengers . I felt weird and glanced up at Alistair . He looked forward with serious eyes .
When the butler opened the door, Bart went in first, then Kyaro and Clyde, then Alistair and I, and Mill was behind us as if he was defending our backs . Like the other time, the mayor sat on the sofa in the back, and a messenger sat opposite him . They were gracefully holding their teacups . There was a servant behind the mayor and two people, who I didn’t know, next to the wall . They’re probably the messenger’s guards .
“You’re here?” The messenger stood up after the mayor said that and looked at us .
“Otousyama…”
“Lei?” Alistair heard my quiet mutter . Alistair, Bart and the others froze for a second because they were surprised .
“I’m wong . ”
That’s right . That person is probably around 20 years old . He had lighter hair than the mayor, but darker than mine; his blonde hair was tied in a ponytail to the back . He had a good posture and dark violet eyes .
Yeah, there’s no way for him to be my father since his age, hair and eyes are all different . Father is taller than him, and I can never tell what he’s thinking from looking at him . The man’s face distorted a little as he gently said, “Lei . ” He never looked at me with such dark and cold eyes .
“Uoah . ”
“Lei?”
I want to go home . I want to go home . I want to go back to where father is . I love Bart and Alistair, but I want to go back to where father and brother are .
“Uoooaaah . ”
Alistair let go off my hand when I burst out into tears . Mill picked me up while Alistair was panicking .
“Miww noth Otousyama, go home . ”
“Oh, is that so? Yeah, it’s okay . ”
Mill couldn’t understand what I was saying at all, but he gently swayed me while holding my head to his chest . I’ve endured it all this time, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore when I saw someone who looked like father . I couldn’t stop crying .
“This baby doesn’t know anything,” The messenger said in disappointment .
“There’s a rumour going around saying that she’s really smart . ”
“I’m surprised that they sent a messenger who would intimidate and make a baby cry,” Bart growled .
“Bart . ” The mayor’s voice didn’t sound as energetic as it usually did .
“What is it, mayor?”
“This person came from the capital . ”
“I’ve heard . ”
“His name is Hubert Wester . ”
Bart looked as if he was searching through his memories .
“Hubert… Gilbert, Hubert… Hubert!” Then he looked as if he realised something and the mayor said in a worn-out tone, “Yes . The 2nd Prince of Wester . ”
My tears stopped . I’ve never seen a prince in this life or my previous one . I rubbed my face on Mill’s clothes, and he gently patted my back .
No, I just saw one .
“*SNIFF* . ”
I lifted my face off Mill’s chest and looked at him . His gentle brown eyes were looking at me just like they always are .
Yeah . So what if he’s a prince? I just got a little upset because he looked like father, but father is way more handsome than him and brother is also handsome even though he’s small right now . And they don’t have such a nasty look in their eyes .
Well, father generally has a poker-face… But at least he doesn’t have a nasty look in his eye .
I rubbed my eyes on my sleeves and looked at Mill . He looked at me questioningly and seemed to have noticed something . He wiped away the tear marks on my cheeks with his sleeve .
“Miww chu shhouwd hab a handwerchief . ”
“My bad, I forgot about it . ”
I laughed a little when I saw Mill smiling wryly .
“Miww, thhanwsh . Doww . ”
“You’re alright now?”
“Ai . ”
I asked Mill to put me down and turned around to look at Alistair . Alistair’s face was stiff, and he looked at me in worry and gently wiped the remaining tears from the corner of my eyes .
“Awishthair hand . ”
We held hands, and I turned to look at the messenger .
“Oh . ”
It’s not ‘oh’ . I can’t be easy-going just because he looks a little like father!