Chapter 88: Reunion

The group began advancing by smoothly avoiding the grumbling Herman. Was the dragon’s basket always this big? I let out a heavy sigh.

I won’t blow the whistle and make the dragons excited. I will behave myself from here on and get taken to the capital. Hm hmm. Hm hm hmm.

“Kyee.”

“Kyee.

Oops. My excitement flowed out. I pretended not to notice the Prince’s cold gaze towards me, and sat properly.

The autumn sun warms the prairie. I, who was tired from my confrontation with the tanuki, seemed to have fallen asleep before noticing.

“Lei!” Alistair said. I’m sure Mill is preparing breakfast on the first floor, but I was still sleepy.

“Lei. Lei. We’re nearly in town!”

I suddenly woke up. Oh yeah, I’m not in Lentforce anymore. We’re nearly at the capital. In front of me, I saw a big town, which the town of Lentforce couldn’t compare to, with a big castle at the back and mountains towering behind the castle as if they were protecting the castle.

The town was next to the mountains, the same as Lentforce, but this town didn’t have a barrier. In other words, it was vulnerable to the threat of Hollows at night. However, I could see that the mountains were actually quite far away as we got closer. They looked close because of their height.

Even so, why is the capital near such a mountain range? It would be safer if they just made it at the prairie.

My doubts didn’t matter as we approached the town. The town wasn’t surrounded by walls; instead, each and every house was built robustly.

A lot of people were gathered at the entrance of the town, cheering loudly.

“Prince Hubert!”

“Welcome back!”

Many voices resonated to welcome the Prince. The Prince sometimes waved his hands at the people and looked quite like a Prince. He glanced at me and narrowed his eyes as if he was saying something.

“It’s because you’re looking at me with those eyes, Lei.”

“Lei awwaysh woowsh wiwe thhish.” (Lei always looks like this.)

“No, you definitely thought, Huu looks like a Prince.”

“… Gufo.”

Alistair, who was next to me, said, and I think the knight couldn’t hold in his laughter. You’re not qualified to be a guard, are you?

The people must have noticed our interaction because their cheers got quieter and they soon went silent.

“Awishthair’sh fauwth.” (Alistair’s fault.)

“It’s because you made a weird face.”

“I didn’th.”

They paid more attention to us when we talked in whispers.

“It’s a Lisburn.”

“He really has summery-blue eyes.”

“I never thought I’d get to see two of them in such a short time.”

They whispered amongst themselves, but in a good way. Some grasped their chests and looked at Alistair with longing eyes. Even though there weren’t really any benefits from being part of the Four Marquises. Were the Four Marquises respected this much? Or did the Nii-samas do something?

“Lei, those eyes.”

“Lei awwaysh woowsh wiwe thhish.”

Alistair, who must have been nervous when he showed his big eyes, laughed, and the people got noisy. They paid attention to him to see was laughing at. Ah, dammit.

“Oh, she’s so cute.”

“I wonder who she is.”

“Oh, perhaps…”

Apparently, they couldn’t see the colour of my eyes over the basket. The Prince slowed down his dragon.

“Leila, it turned into a show, but I have to show you to the people in this mood, or else they won’t be satisfied.”

“Ith can’th be hewped.”

“Is that what you’re supposed to say?!”

Huu smiled wryly and nimbly got off his dragon. The people also got noisy when they saw the Prince’s wryly smile. The Prince is popular, after all.

“Hubert-sama smiled.”

Come to think of it, he had a poker-face on when I met him. In fact, he is called the Ice Prince. I smiled.

The Prince opened the basket, and held me while I was smiling.

The Prince has dark blonde hair and dark purple eyes. In short, he looks like me if they just see our hair and eye colours. A chubby baby, who had lighter hair and eye colour than the prince, tilted her head while smiling. No, I just lost my balance when I was held and my face tilted to the side.

“Ooh,” a roar echoed through town. The Prince smiled wryly and said, “You’re really popular. I’m not used to holding you. Bart!”

“Yo.”

“Can you ride your dragon while holding Lei?”

“I can.”

Bart’s Rug Dragon sniffed me and turned to the front as if saying it was fine. Bart held out his arms, held me and I was on top of the dragon. A crackling cheer.

“Amazing, Lei. Do you want to wave?”

“I don’th wanna. Niini mushth have done shomethhing.”

“Your Nii-san? That surely explains your popularity if he did. Now, let’s go.”

“Ai.”

To be honest, I was feeling mischievous, so I waved, but the crowd cheered even louder, which scared me, so I stopped. I can’t be an idol.

We ended up parading through town and finally approached the castle. Is Nii-sama there? I grabbed Bart’s clothes in anxiety, and he patted my back.

“It’s alright. Just a little more. Just a bit more.”

“Ai.”

A space opened up at the end of the street and became a large plaza with bright cobblestones paved neatly on the ground. The townspeople only followed us until here. The castle was on the other side of the plaza. It had white castle walls, a large gate, knights, lots of guards at the gate, probably some civil officials, and some small nostalgic figures.

“Niini.”

“He’s the real one this time?”

“Ai.”

And he’s probably gotten bigger. Isn’t he a bit skinny? The person standing coldly in proper noble clothes is certainly Nii-sama. He was looking straight over here.

“Down.”

“But isn’t the Prince supposed to get off first or something?”

“Barth, down.”

“Lei, okay. Clyde!” Bart called Clyde and Clyde got me off the dragon. Alistair nimbly got off his dragon and came up next to me.

“Should I hold you or hold your hand?”

“Ith’sh oway. I’ww waww.” (It’s okay. I’ll walk.)

I walked when I was with Nii-sama. Alistair took a step backward and followed me from behind. Onii-sama had been looking straight at me for a while now, but he hasn’t moved.

I know. I know. Even when I first met him, he didn’t move from behind the door. The next time we met, he was as expressionless as Otou-sama. There’s a lot of love inside him, and it’s always shouting to be let out.

But it won’t come out. That’s Onii-sama.

So, I’ll go. I began walking briskly with confidence. Six months have passed, and the tottering Lei has gotten this big, Onii-sama. No one moved or talked. I was the only one moving forward briskly. Then, I stood in front of Onii-sama.

“Oh, oh, you’re tottering like always.”

“Noth thoththering!”

“Oh, oh. Just what I expect from you, Lei.”

Honestly, nothing about Gill has changed except for his height. Nii-sama’s pale violet eyes stared at me. Jeez, both Otou-sama and Nii-sama are cowards. Still, I’ll never forget about them.

“Ai! Niini!” I stretched both my arms.

“Lei… Lei!” Onii-sama finally moved and hugged me.

“Lei! Lei!”

“Niini!”

“Lei…”

I patted Nii-sama’s back as he hugged me tightly. It’s going to come out. Something’s going to come out!

“Luke, Lei looks like she’s in pain.”

“Eh, oh.”

Nii-sama finally loosened his arms. Then, he hugged me again.

“Niini, I’m bacw.”

“Welcome back, Lei.”

Nii-sama looked as if he would cry and tried his best not to cry. Then finally, a tear fell from his eyes. Finally. We finally meet.