Chapter 142

“The Raff Kingdom…”

“What is it? Do you want to visit the Raff Kingdom? If that’s what you’re thinking, give it up. The relations between the kingdoms are horrible these days.”

Mason, who had been standing there, frozen, for a while, seemed to have come to his senses and sat down next to Louis, who was muttering to himself, cutting in on his words.

As if interested in his words, Louis remained silent and looked at Mason.

Mason felt his gaze and started talking as if he were in his element.

“He didn’t seem like that, so why would Count Serdian do such a thing… Although the royal palace covered it up, word still passed on to Raff… Ah, just pretend you didn’t hear this.”

“What is the connection between Count Serdian and the Raff Kingdom?”

He noticed that he, too, was aware of Count Serdian’s charges.

When Mason hesitated and blurred his words, Louis pretended not to know and asked again.

“Ah! What am I saying? It was a slip of the tongue. Hahaha. It seems that there is quite a bit of friction between the traders and the people at higher positions… There are also rumors that people from the Stellen Kingdom are secretly being sold, so that’s why.”

“Ah… I see.”

With a bitter smile, Louis turned to look at the papers he was examining.

Of course, Mason’s last words about the people of the Stellen Kingdom being sold bothered him, so the letters in front of him did not make sense.

***

Orhan, who brought a small carriage for Ayla, who couldn’t ride horses, looked at her with a joyful expression on his face.

“I don’t know who the person paying you is.”

Theon, who stood next to Ayla and looked at the two of them, spoke out with a dissatisfied expression on his face.

Orhan dropped his head down, as if he had lost his vitality at Theon’s cold voice, and his lips twitched slightly.

“If you go by carriage, Your Highness will also be nice and comfortable. Well. I understand why you’re talking like that even though you’re happy. Orhan.”

Ayla, who was looking at Orhan, spoke bluntly towards Theon. At the same time, Theon’s face slightly distorted.

“I will ride your horse back to the palace. It’s getting dark, so we should depart soon. Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Princess Zenia says you must do that, so is there any other way? If we’re all set up, let’s stop talking and go. I don’t know if you know, but a lot of time has passed.”

‘Why don’t you just say thank you, you prideful…’

She glanced at Theon, who uttered harsh words towards Orhan, to see if his animosity from earlier still remained.

Soon after, she turned her gaze to Elin, who was standing next to Ayla and keeping silent like a dead mouse.

“Elin. I don’t know when we will meet again, but… Can you stay well until we meet again?”

“…”

“There are things I have to deal with in the Royal Palace, and there is also what happened earlier, so I won’t be able to see you for a while.”

“Can we… Meet again?”

As if she had sensed their parting, Elin had tears in her eyes, and Ayla hesitated to answer.

As Zenia’s mission was almost over, there was no promise of meeting with Elin anymore.

Perhaps because of her feelings towards Orhan and Elin, Ayla was also heartbroken for parting with them; but there was no way.

They were hired to help Zenia in the first place, so if her work ended, their relationship would naturally also end…

“Of course… We can meet again. So don’t worry. Will you listen to Orhan and stay healthy?”

“Don’t worry about me! I will do my best to become a person who can help the Princess.”

As if her emotions were rising, Elin wiped the stream of water running down her cheeks with the back of her hand and spoke lively.

There was sadness in Ayla’s eyes as she brushed off Elin’s hair as if she were proud of her.

***

The two people inside the carriage were not saying a word all the way through.

Ayla, who looked out of the carriage with a blank expression on her face, had a sense of loneliness that she had never felt before.

Theon, who looked at her from time to time, fixed his gaze on the book she had brought from the mansion.

Ironically, it had been on the same page for several minutes.

“Now… I won’t be able to see Orhan and Elin, right?”

“?”

Ayla, who had been silent for a long time, spoke in an indistinct voice with her eyes wet with tears.

Theon frowned slightly, then lifted his head and fixed his gaze on her.

“They were good friends… It’s really sad.”

“What do you mean?”

“Zenia’s game is as good as over now. So now they must go back to where they came from… When I think I will never see them again, my heart feels empty.”

Theon, who had been forcibly holding back a laughter that was about to burst out at the sight of Ayla, who was speaking with her eyes closed and her hand rested on her chest as if she were drunk with emotions, finally let out a ‘pfft’.

As if disturbed by his laughter, Ayla turned her gaze and looked at Theon.

Ayla rolled her blue eyes, which had sunk heavily, and looked out the window.