We were silent on the way home.

  I stared at the dark streets that had hardly any people on it. I recalled it vividly when I closed my eyes.

  I opened my eyes.

  I left my body to Mill, who was holding me against his chest.

  “Barth.” My voice was quiet, but it was heard clearly on a quiet night.

  “What is it, Lei?”


  “Lei shhouwdn’th go?”


  “That’s right. You’ll be lonely,” Bart joked.

  “If you want to go, then go,” Mill rocked me and said as he looked up at the night sky.

  “But.”


  “Bart thinks so too, but we were negotiating.”


  Kyaro took over, “We don’t want them to think that they can easily take you.” He smiled.

  “Then.”


  “Oh yeah. You need to go back to your pops.”


  “Ai.”


  “He is a Prince, so you can trust him.”


  “Ai.”


  I didn’t want to think about it, and my body shook.

  “Lei are you cold?”


  “Noth cowd.”


  “I see.”


  “So, what should we have for dinner?” Mill asked, as he adjusted the way he hugged me.

  “Pothathoesh.”


  “Lei likes potatoes.”


  “Mashhed onesh.”


  “We’ll buy that too.”


  “Ai.”


  Alistair kept looking down.

  No one talked about what happened today or about what would happen in the future while we were eating or lazing around. There was nothing they could do.

  I’ve already decided. Alistair will worry for many years to come.

  But, I will go back to father. I might have a tough time getting back there, but I was just moving from one warm place to another. However, Alistair was different.

  He had to go from a warm place, where he could work independently as a hunter to a place where he had to be alone.

  The place wasn’t Kingdom, which he hated so much. But he had to be involved with Wester’s royal family and work as a noble.

  When we went back to our room, Alistair was still sitting on the bed while hugging the barrier box even after I’d fallen asleep.

  The next morning, we acted like we always did. It wasn’t a day off for them, so Mill didn’t make any tea. We quickly got ready and went to Brendel’s shop. Bart talked to Brendel about what had happened yesterday, and I went to where the building blocks were.

  Alistair was silently filling magic stones today. I glanced at Alistair while playing with the blocks because I was curious since he usually helps me with them.

  I got up and toddled to where Alistair was. No, wait, I walked briskly to where he was. I stared at Alistair, who was so focused on his work that he didn’t notice me.

  At that moment, the commotion at the store front had suddenly gone quiet, but I didn’t have time to worry about that. Alistair’s magic is about to run out.

  I breathed out and knocked the magic stone out of Alistair’s hand. He raised his head in surprise and looked at me.

  “No more.”


  “Lei, I’m.”


  “Chu can’th do ith, dangeroush. Chu don’th hab tho go!”


  Alistair held his hand which had been slapped and looked down.

  I put my hands on his lap and looked up at him. Summer was over. But, his eyes were as blue as the summery-blue sky. I could see a spark in his eyes.

  I stretched my hands out to Alistair.

  “Cawwy.”


  “Lei!”


  Alistair hugged me tightly.

  “Chu don’th wanth tho go?”


  “I don’t.”


  I feel like I can hear the sounds of sniffing coming from everywhere inside of the shop.

  “They’re only 1 and 11, you know. Think carefully if you really want to shoulder them with the future of Wester.”


  “Understood.”


  The Prince replied to Bart. Alistair and I were taken aback and let go off each other. The Prince muttered as he stared at us, “Violet and summery-blue eyes. Beautiful. And you can’t escape from your heavenly fates. The same goes for Wester’s royal family.”


  I, who had been looking at the Prince, stood up without holding Alistair’s hand and looked at him.

  Alistair looked at me, and I saw that his hesitancy was gone.

  I grinned. Alistair raised the corners of his mouth a bit.

  “Awishthair coow.”


  “Am I?”


  This time, his mouth turned up, and he looked as if he was really smiling before declaring, “I’m going to the fief capital.”