Chapter 171
writer:Kim Ro Ah      update:2022-08-17 15:33
  After checking the red flower pot, I went straight to my grandfather’s office.

  Knock! Knock!

  "Grandpa, are you there?"

  "Hmm? Tia? Come on in."

  Whatever it is, my grandfather still looked busy.

  He was reading documents one by one, stacking papers like a mountain on both sides of the desk.

  “I’ll call you John, would you like some cookies? Just finish what’s urgent and go there."

  Grandpa, too.

  No matter how old I am, I was still given some cookies.

  Though the cookies from butler John are especially delicious.

  Instead of answering, I approached my grandfather’s desk and said,

  "Can I have a moment of your time? I have something to tell you."

  It would be nice to have a relaxing conversation with my grandfather after a long time.

  There are a lot of things that need to be prepared quickly to get Larane out.

  "……It must be urgent."

  My grandfather put down the flag pen he had in his hand because he felt something unusual from my expression.

  "Tell me, Tia."

  "I’ll make it short, Grandpa."

  I took a short breath and said.

  "I’m thinking of helping Larane escape."

  Grandfather was not surprised or angry.

  He was just staring at me.

  It’s an expression to keep talking.

  "Larane agreed too. My grandfather is trying to prevent Larane from getting married, but I know too, Granpa. That Larane won’t last long."

  "Hmm……"

  Grandfather sighed low instead of answering.

  "Like this, the power fight between our family and the Imperial Family ends, and Larane becomes free from marriage with the Imperial Family. After that, it takes too long to officially exchange proposals with Luman."

  I don’t know if I can get there.

  "Grandpa doesn’t know about this. It’s because Larane, who can’t stand it, is escaping for love."

  The difference between heaven and earth is whether Larane gets the permission of the householder to escape.

  "But if the Knights aren’t guarding the front door tonight, and if the gate open, it’ll be a lot easier for Larane to get out of the mansion, Grandpa."

  My grandfather’s brown eyes stared at me.

  I asked carefully.

  "Are you all right, Grandpa?"

  In fact, it’s also a gamble to tell my grandfather the story of Larane.

  Anyway, it was disgraceful that Larane, Lombardy’s direct lineage, fled for love with someone.

  Most aristocrats will lock all doors even if only the letter ’L’ from ’Escape of Love’ comes out.

  How about Grandpa?

  At first glance, a smile crossed my grandfather’s eyes.

  And again, holding a pen in his hand, he said.

  Oh, I knew it!

  A subtle smile hung around my grandfather’s lips.

  "I know. Then I’ll go, Grandpa!"

  I nodded and walked out of the office.

  Now the preparation is complete.

  * * *

  It’s night.

  The sky is also helping Larane, and the moon has not risen tonight.

  Under the dark night sky, I tapped his familiar back and said.

  "Thank you for your hard work today, Perez."

  This plan cannot be established without Perez.

  So I asked him to make time for me on a comfortable day ’Tonight and Tomorrow Night’ in the letter.

  He jumped over Lombardy’s wall tonight and came to me without a reply right away.

  Hmm. Escape of Love may be Perez’s specialty.1

  "Tia, it’s rare that you need me. I’ll come when you call me."

  Perez replied with a sneaky smile.

  Then he pointed to the terrace of Larane’s room and asked.

  "You want me to put you back up there, right?"

  "Yes, and today you have to drop Larane’s as well as me."

  "Larane Lombardy too?"

  Perez tilted his head a little surprised and said.

  "Are you trying to get her out today?"

  "……You talk as if you knew I was trying to get Larane to run away?"

  "I thought Tia wouldn’t just wait and see. But if it’s today……"

  Perez glanced up at the sky and replied.

  "That’s a good day. Shadows don’t look good on days like this."

  "What, you sound like you’ve done a lot?"

  "……Sometimes at the Academy."

  Perez didn’t say much about it.

  I thought he only studied like a model student because he graduated with top grade and graduated early.

  I don’t think it’s right to see him say that sometimes.

  Leaving aside some curiosity about Perez’s academy life.

  "Come here, Tia."

  Perez said, reaching out to me like last time.

  "You……"

  The way he talks is weird.

  "Why?"

  Perez looks at me with an innocent face as if he doesn’t know anything.

  "Oh, it’s done, it’s working."

  Perez picked me up like last time.

  Still, it’s the second time, and there’s a much more stable posture than last time.

  Perez’s arms support my hips and I wrap my arms around Perez’s neck.

  And then his face…… is in front of my nose.

  Thump!

  Perez’s eyes, which I can only see in the dim light of the night, were looking at me.+

  Strange.

  It’s dark, so everything else has lost its light.

  But, Perez’s red eyes are as red as a ruby.

  I passed Perez’s gaze and said with my face buried in his neck.

  "Put me up."

  "……Yes."

  Whoosh.

  A couple of big winds blew, and I thought Perez’s body was getting stronger, and I was on the Larane’s balcony.

  "Thank you, Perez."

  Coming down from Perez’s arm, I had to admit one thing.

  It is very regrettable to be away from him.3

  I deliberately turned my head not to see Perez’s face and knocked on the window.

  Knock! Knock!

  Soon after, the door to the terrace opened and Larane appeared.

  And she said with a strange expression.

  "No one is protecting me tonight. Everyone went to bed early,"

  She added.

  "I think it’s worth being a person who doesn’t know how to lie."

  It was a little self-help word.

  I asked with a slight tap on Larane’s shoulder.

  "Are you ready?"

  "Yes, here."

  The bag showing was small enough to be lifted with one hand.

  "Is that really enough, Larane?"

  "At first, I didn’t know what to do. But there weren’t that many things I really want to take."

  Larane’s face looked very lonely saying so.

  "But just in case, why don’t you look around the room one more time?"

  "No, it’s okay, Tia."

  Larane shook her head.

  "I want to start over."

  It was a determined and calm face I had never seen before.

  It is not just an ’Escape of Love’ with Avinox.

  I could see that tonight was even more meaningful for Larane.

  "But I’m not very…… can we go down?"

  Larane asked, looking down the terrace with a slightly nervous face.

  It’s scary, it’s supposed to be scary.

  It’s not like you’re tearing a sheet and making a string.

  I hugged Perez again to reassure Larane.

  "Let me show you first. You can count on Perez, Larane."

  Perez nodded with me, lifted me with one arm, and landed safely on the ground with just a few steps, just like when he came up.

  I waved a big hand at Larane up there, meaning it was ’Okay’.

  "I’ll be back."

  Perez, who left a short word, back to the terrace again.

  "Oh, that’s how you climbed over the wall."

  Not being hugged, I could see how Perez moved at a glance.

  "How powerful is that?"

  At the same time, Perez is indeed a man of superhuman physical ability.

  Not long after, Larane stepped on the ground safely.

  "Wh, whoa……"

  She was probably nervous, but she has to move fast from now on.

  "Let’s go, Larane. It’s over there."

  The three of us walked through the woods of the mansion and arrived as close to the main gate as possible.

  And there were two horses and people waiting for us.

  "……Gilliu, Mayron?"1

  Surprised, Larane’s little voice trembled.

  "I brought two of the mildest horses in the stable."

  "You have to see your face on the way, Larane."1

  Gilliu and Mayron grinned at Larane.1

  "Two of you…… Thank you. I won’t forget."

  At Larane’s words, the twins scratched their cheeks embarrassingly and shrugged.

  "What’s wrong with you like I’m never going to see you again?"

  "Right. You’re not going to kick me out if I go to the East, are you?"

  Larane managed to regain her smile at the playful words of Gilliu and Mayron.

  "Larane can ride a horse alone, right?"

  "Yes, I’ve learned horseback riding since I was a kid. Don’t worry, Tia."

  Larane replied, wearing on the dark robes the twins had prepared in advance and put down the hood.

  "Give me your hand, Tia."

  Perez, who was on the horse first, reached out to me.

  And as soon as I took that hand, my body was lifted and settled in front of Perez.

  "We’d love to go, but the fewer people we have in this kind of thing, the better."

  Gilliu said, helping Larane get on the horse well.

  "Go safe, Larane."

  Mayron held the reins of the horse in Larane’s hand.

  "……Thank you."

  Larane eventually shed tears, but the smile was not removed from her face.

  "Let’s go."

  With my horse, Perez began to drive.