Chapter 87: I am Me

“Hmph, baskets are a hassle, but it’s much better than riding a dragon. Leila-sama, do you like Wester?”

I didn’t feel the need to answer, so I pretended that I couldn’t understand him.

“At any rate, whether it be Luke-sama, or Leila-sama, the Four Marquises are clad in gorgeous colours. How about it, Leila-sama? I have a grandson around your age.”

I didn’t feel the need to answer. It’s bothersome for you to talk about boys to a one-year-old infant. I took a whistle out from the pocket of the Rug Dragon on my shoulders.

“What is that dirty stuffed animal? Well, I still have five grandchildren.”

“Puu.”

“They look like me and are handsome.”

“Puu, puu.”

“Kyee,” the Rug Dragon matched his voice with my whistle. They also sped up.

“Smart.”

“Puu, puu.”

“Kyee.”

“Ah.”

The tanuki took my whistle.

“Gib bacw.” (Give back.)

“Ill-bred children don’t listen to what others say.”

I wanted to say that taking a child’s things makes you a lousy adult, but I didn’t want to talk to him much. I turned away and took another whistle out from the Rug Dragon’s pocket.

“Puu.”

“What?! You still had more?!”

I didn’t feel the need to answer. I turned my back to him.

“Puu, puu.”

“Kyee.”

“Leila-sama!”

“Puu.”

Dance, Rug Dragon, dance. Be happy and speed up.

“Kyee!”

“Puu, puu.”

“Kyee!”

“Kyee!”

“Why are the Rug Dragons running so fast!? Because of this whistle?! Leila-sama, stop it.”

“Puu.”

“Kyee!”

“Ah.”

He took my whistle again. What’s with this adult? I took out another whistle.

“Ah!”

“It’s this stuffed animal, isn’t it? Jeez.”

Herman didn’t just take my whistles, but my Rug Dragon as well.

“Gib bacw!”

“You don’t need a stuffed animal with bad stuff inside. Such a dirty item doesn’t look good with those pretty clothes,” Herman said as he quickly opened the side of the basket and threw my Rug Dragon away. He chucked my Rug Dragon.

“Jeez, listen. People of high-status…”

I interrupted the tanuki and screamed, “Dragwon!”

“Kyee?”

“Sthop!”

“Kyee.”

The Rug Dragon was puzzled for a moment and quietly stopped.

“Leila, what’s wrong?” Huu immediately came. I’m sure he should have seen what had happened.

“Down.”

“But…”

“Picw up dragwon.”

The Prince looked at my face, and looked at Herman in amazement.

“You… What did you do, Herman?”

“What? I just threw away a dirty stuffed animal.”

“So it was Lei’s bag that fell?!”

“Huu. Down.”

The Prince got off his dragon and took me out of the basket.

“Even if she’s from the Four Marquises, to use a Prince…” I heard a voice from behind me, but I didn’t feel the need to answer.

We hadn’t proceeded that much since the stuffed animal was thrown away. I slowly returned in the direction that we came from and looked for my stuffed animal. It’s been with me ever since Lentforce. I was able to get along with everyone because I had it. Sometimes, it even saved my life. It’s not dirty. It’s important.

“Here.”

A pink Rug Dragon entered my sight as I was looking down.

“Awishthair.”

“I picked it up right away, so it’s not dirty.”

“Ai.”

I hugged the stuffed animal tightly.

“Ai. Thanwsh.”

I looked up at Alistair. The stuffed animal was certainly not dirty. But, Alistair’s glittery embroidered clothes were dirty behind his thighs, and his hands were dirty. He must have rubbed his face with those hands, since his face also had a little mud on it.

He probably got off the Rug Dragon quickly so that he could pick up the stuffed animal immediately after it was thrown. That’s why he slipped and fell and got dirty.

Weren’t you happy about meeting your Nii-sama? Didn’t you want to look as cute as possible when meeting him, even though you were saying you didn’t like it and that it was troublesome?

But, I spent the last six months in Wester. I wore normal clothes with my Wester associates and worked properly. Well, I also built blocks. The Albans Leila is also the Wester Leila.

Isn’t it fine to show Nii-sama this? I was confused by the tanuki who had suddenly appeared and said I had to be like a Four Marquis.

I looked at Alistair, took the ribbon off my hair and threw it away. It blew in the prairie, and my blonde hair immediately got messy.

“Lei, you…”

Next, I have to take off my clothes. I couldn’t. I couldn’t remove the buttons.

“Unbuththon buththon, Awishthair.” (Unbutton button, Alistair.)

“Lei.”

“Unbuththon.”

Alistair reluctantly unbuttoned my buttons. I took off my clothes, sat down, and took off my frilly socks. And I was finally in my underwear. I wore my stuffed animal again, turned around and crossed my arms.

“Thish ish fine. Lei ride on dragwon by hershewf.” (This is fine. Lei ride on dragon by herself.)

“Bufo.”

“Kyaro!”

“So-sorry. You can’t cross your arms properly.”

It’s not funny. I heard a rustling noise behind me, and Alistair stood next to me. He had taken off his jacket and shirt and was only wearing his singlet. He folded his arms.

“I can’t take off my pants.”

“Thath’sh importhanth.”

“Right?”

“Bufo.” I heard this from the guards.

“How savage…” The tanuki was shivering.

“It’s more barbaric to suddenly throw away a baby’s toy, right? Jeez.” Bart shrugged. Dory quickly rushed over with her luggage.

“Now, this is the clothing you have worn up until now,” she said, and dressed me in my usual clothes. Alistair was also given clothes, and he wore them.

When I got dressed, I briskly walked to where Herman was. The servants who were riding in the imperial carriage peeked out to look.

“Oh my, it’s so cute how you’re tottering.”

“Noth thoththering!” It’s important, so I corrected him.

“Yes, you’re right. You’re walking briskly.”

“Ai.” I nodded and stopped.

“Hewman.”

“Wh-what is it, Leila-sama?”

“Dragwon importhanth.”

“But it’s dirty.”

“Importhanth.”

“Hah.”

He might have given up because it was useless for him to say anything else. I pushed once more, “Lei ish Lei. Niini wiww undershthand eithher way.” (Lei is Lei. Niini will understand either way.)

“Hah.”

“Don’th need beauthifuw cwothhesh.” (Don’t need beautiful clothes.)

“But.”

“Don’th need.”

“… Okay.”

I turned to the Prince.

“Huu.”

“What?”

“Ride dragwon. Leave shthraighth away.”

“Understood.”

Clyde came straight away and put me into a Rug Dragon basket alone.

“Well done. You did well.”

“Ai.”

I am me. I won’t lose to a tanuki.