The Escape of Layla

Return to your private room from the tower holding Leila, and you'll be greeted by her portrait. It was painted by all the artists and gathered together. All of them were enough to remind me of Layla, but they were still far from real.

I walked up to the cupboard and took out a bunch of correspondence with Layla from inside. I can remember every word of Leila without having to retrieve the letter, but I can always see Leila's beautiful characters.

... even when I was teaching the maid, her handwriting was beautiful.

She sits on a chair and lays out on a desk each letter she gets from Layla. The first letter was from a young age when I was still engaged. Leila was only nine years old, and I was twelve.

The perfect seasonal greeting is accompanied by a few updates. From a young age, her handwriting was so perfect as to be impeccable.

― ― In the meantime, splendid roses bloomed in the garden of the Duke's residence. It is decorated in Rose's room and hallway, and the interior is very gorgeous. Since it is so beautiful, I will try to sew the beauty of the roses with embroidery.

Knowing that Layla had a hobby for embroidery in this letter, I sent her a collection of rare embroidery threads and motifs from neighboring countries along with the following letter.

Every time I gave Leila something, I received a polite thank you letter. As the correspondence grew older, the embroidered work that Layla had stabbed arrived.

- It's awkward, but it was stabbed with a thread from your Highness. I made it up thinking of you, my Highness, one needle at a time.

Even if it was just a social gesture as my fiancée, I was happy.

There's no other man in the world who can get a word like this from Leila.... I shouldn't have been there.

... he said he had been coaxing with someone.

Even if it was in a dream, I couldn't forgive someone other than me for touching Leila.

Leila belongs to me, should belong to me, and even Leila has to behave like me. Other humans had a duty not to let one hair touch the other.

If that didn't happen, at least I should have been happy within my sight. [M] This is what happens when you run away.

... you must be the one to blame for all the pain you've been through. Leila.

You can't allow me to run away and disappear. [M] Whatever happened, you should have stayed with me. [M] That poor voice should have been in a place where I could hear it. [M]

If you hurt, suffer and bully, will you even give up running someday? If you don't do that, will you stay with me any longer? [M]

I wanted to be happy with you.

I wanted only you, not anyone else. [M]

"Leila..."

Try to get attached to the portrait and remember the glorious days that were lost. Even though we weren't sweet lovers in love back then, we weren't in such a bad relationship.

Or is it even my fault? [M] I wonder if Leila has been my fiancé for many years, enduring the pain of making unspeakable gestures.

― ― Your Highness, it is a real pleasure to see you again today.

--Thank you for escorting me to the ball the other day. I still think it's like a dream. I am truly grateful for your treasure-like memories.

Leila's words, told with a modest smile, are still a treasure to me. I didn't doubt that I would eventually become a calm couple who would quietly snuggle up with each other.

Leila was next to me whenever I imagined the future.

I've been looking forward to spending my days with her on the throne, in my private room, in the garden. I wanted to chew on Layla's happiness as soon as I could, whenever I could see her.

... you don't have to do anything. It was enough just to be there for me.

I remembered that I had such a modest wish, and I spilled a self-mocking smile.

Now, there's no place for such a modest feeling anymore. I'm going to have to take all of Leila's things from me so I don't run away again.

Leila's thin neck was tightening when the feeling came back to life. Even the distorted expression was so beautiful that I fell in love with it.

Her heart, her pain, her nightmares, everything is mine. I feel like I can do anything to make her mine. [M]

Feeling dazzled by the swirling emotions, he slowly leaves his body from the portrait on the wall. On the beat, one of the letters lined up on the desk fluttered.

If someone picks it up, I can see Leila's beautiful lettering. She gently twitched her fingertips to follow the heat of her fingers that spelled the letter.

The moonlight from the window casts a shadow of a finger on the letter. Outside the window was a tall tower holding Layla.

- The other day, it's been seven years since we got engaged. I am truly honored to have been with His Highness for so long. Please allow me to serve His Highness in the future.

The letter that I picked up spells a text that, in some cases, can only be read as a sense of obligation to the engagement. A letter that might not be very special to her, but it can't be treated indiscriminately. She touched the fragile object carefully so as to be able to read her writing beautifully.

... Meanwhile, I'm hurting Leila in pieces.

There is something wrong with me. I noticed a contradiction that was difficult to explain, and it was kind of strange and irresistible.

Touching the letter like a stroke, he looked at the tower that contained Layla. I wonder why it seems so different to value a letter or to imprison her, both of which are based on the same thoughts.

The urge to laugh came up, and I leaned against the back of the chair with my shoes and a mocking laugh.

How long have you been laughing like that? Funny as the threads broke, I snorted.

"Leila..."

I call her name, which is not in front of me, and I write to her.

Even when this happened, the figure of her that appeared behind my eyes remained a pathetic figure with a small smile as I called her by her name.