Chapter 60: Room to Breathe

We finally departed. It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a journey on a Rug Dragon, but unlike when I came to Lentforce, I had room to breathe because I had more strength and I understood life in Frontier more.

“Hmmm, hmmm.”

“Kyee.”

“Hmm, hmmm.”

“Kyee.”

It was fun to hum. There’s nothing I can do about being interrupted when I stop.

“Hey.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

“Hey, the toddler who’s playing innocent over there.”

Oh? There’s only one person who calls me like this. The Prince’s Rug Dragon started walking beside mine before I knew it.

“Ith’sh Lei.”

My name is not the toddler who’s playing innocent.

“Leila.”

Well, Leila’s fine too.

“Whath?”

“Stop your weird humming.”

“Bufu.” That’s definitely Kyaro.

“Why?”

“The Rug Dragons are running faster. They’re going to ruin the schedule.”

I guess I have to stop.

“Ai.”

“Good.”

The Prince went back to the vanguard when he heard my honest answer. But I was finally having fun humming. Wouldn’t this make me miss my tune? I stopped humming and sung in my head instead while waving my hands around. Hmm, hmmmm. My hands are conducting, and my legs are swaying.

“Kyee.”

“Kyee.”

“Kyee.”

“Hey.”

Hmm, hmmmm.

“Hey, playing innocent.”

“Ith’sh Lei.”

“… Leila.”

“Ai.”

Hmm.

“Stop that.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you see that the Rug Dragons are excited?”

“I shee.”

Then I guess I have to stop. The Prince glanced at me a few times before going back to the front. I won’t do anything even if you don’t look at me so much. Well, I have nothing to do now. I fidgeted and felt the sweets in my pocket.

“Shweethsh.”

I had put the sweets I’d received from the townspeople in my luggage, but I kept a few in my pocket. I took the sweets out with a rustle.

“Kyee,” the dragon I was riding out let out a small cry.

“Ith’sh fine. Thhey’re shweethsh.”

“Kyee.”

I feel like he had just said, “Then that’s fine.” The sweets in my pocket were wrapped in paper. It was unexpectedly difficult to unwrap it. Twisty, twisty. Just a little more.

“Ah.”

“Buufuu.”

“Argh.”

“Kyee.”

It fell. Well, I can pick it up and eat it later. And I’m confident that Kyaro is the one who’s laughing. Oh, bother. I also heard other noises, but I ignored them. I should still have another one in my pocket. *RUSTLE*

The dragon stopped while I was doing this. Everyone got off their dragons as if they were annoyed. Is it time for a break? They should be letting me down soon too. Clyde was laughing for some reason as he walked towards me and took off my belt.

“Lei, you did great.”

“Why?”

“It’s nothing.”

He laughed while picking up the sweet I had dropped and gave it to me. Hrm. It’s still wrapped in paper so it should be alright. I unwrapped the last bit and was about to put the sweet in my mouth when I was stopped, “You can’t, Ojou-sama!”

It was Dory. She’s probably going to say that I can’t eat it because it dropped or something like that. I quickly put the sweet into my mouth before she could say it.

“Ah.”

*CHEW CHEW* It’s a cookie.Yummy. Then, I asked the guard near me, “Wather pweashe.” I put the flask that had been opened for me on my mouth and gulped the water down.

“Ah, you didn’t even pour it into a cup!” I heard Dory’s shriek from over there.

“Thanwsh.”

“You’re welcome.”

The guard smiled when I thanked him.

I dashed towards Alistair and the others since I was satisfied.

“We’re taking a little break,” Alistair told me.

“Ai.”

I sat down next to Alistair.

“Ojou-sama is-. Sitting on the ground! Oh, my goodness!”

She’s funny.

“I’ve prepared a seat for you here, so please sit on it.”

When I turned towards Dory, I saw that she had prepared a simple chair and table with tea and snacks on top of the table. I was impressed that she could prepare these things in such a short amount of time. But I didn’t feel like drinking tea.

“I don’th need thhoshe. Wather’sh fine.”

“Here, water.”

I got water from Alistair. I already ate cookies before, so I’m fine now.

“Shall we play a little while we’re resting?”

“Ai. Fuu, bwow.”

“Oh, the whistle?”

“Ai.”

I stood up with Alistair, and we went to look for grass.

“Ojou-sama! It’s dangerous!”

“Kyee.”

Even the Rug Dragon wanted to say something.

“Oba-san, it’s fine. We’re playing in a place where everyone could see us. Dragon, it’s fine.”

“Kyee.” The dragon seemed to have understood.

“O-oba-san…”

Dory looked like she was going to collapse. I’m going to play. We stayed where everyone could see us. Alistair removed the grass, peeled off the leaves and made some whistles.

Our break finished while we were playing. Next will be lunch break?

“Go!” The Rug Dragons started moving when the Prince said this. The wind blowing across the prairie was a sign of autumn, and the grass which fluttered in the wind was a little yellow. The stem of the grass whistle, which I’d been taught to play before summer, was becoming somewhat harder than before.

I took out the whistle, which had been cut into a perfect size, out of my pocket.

“Puu.”

“Kyee.”

“Puu, puu.”

“Kyee.”

Hrm, it makes a beautiful sound. Now, again.

“Hey.”

“Puu.”

“Hey, pla-.”

“Ith’sh Lei.”

“… Leila.”

“Ai.”

The Prince again? I probably look fed up with him.

“You, are you that fed up with me?”

“Puu.”

“St… op-.”

“Puu?”

“Th… at.”

The Rug Dragons look fine?

“That laid-back sound is annoying.”

“Nu fweedom.”

“What did you say?”

The Prince stopped his dragon, opened the basket and took my whistle. He’s a tyrant! The group began moving again.

Fine. If you don’t like laid-back sounds, then it would be fine if it’s not laid-back, right? I took a different grass whistle out from my pocket. I had this one made a little bit shorter. I also have longer ones than the one the Prince took.

“Piii.”

“Kyee.”

“Pii, pii.”

“Kyee.”

This doesn’t sound laid-back, does it?

“Piii, ah.”

“Get out the rest.”

“…”

“You can blow on it during break time.”

“Bufuu.”

I feel like that’s not Kyaro. I reluctantly handed him the whistle.

“Will I make it back to the capital safely?” The Prince muttered as he went back to the front. You can be more laid back.