The Escape of Layla

"Oh, welcome back, brother"

Charlotte, who happened to have a face in the mansion, changed her complexion when she saw the girl I was holding. He stopped his hand from cooking something and rushed to me.

"Brother, what about the child...?

"... a man of destiny"

Yes, a man of fate. A stranger who, at the same time, is not attracted to his heart, being a "man of destiny" defined by Lewayne's curse.

"Well! You finally met me!! Good, really good!!

Charlotte, impressed by the momentum of tears in her eyes, stuck with me. How can I explain this messed up emotion to my sister?

"... I think I'm gonna like it"

This girl isn't Amelia.

"Huh? Good for you! Oh, but you didn't even kidnap me..."

I smile appropriately at Charlotte, who comes stuck in surprise. There's no way I could say I was trying to kill him instead of kidnapping him.

"... I just helped where I was going and falling. Let me get you dressed."

"You sure are so wet... pathetically"

Charlotte gently wrapped around the girl's coat and was watching.

"If that's the case, I'll take care of it. I'll get you dressed in a minute."

The girl was then forced to change by Charlotte's hand and was lying on the bed. I sit softly by my bedside and stare at the sleeping girl. The girl's face, sleeping easily, was hatefully adorable. Even long eyelashes have made me feel frustrated that they are flax, but if I meditate on my eyes, my mind is somewhat calm for what still reminds me of Amelia.

If I could have met Amelia's rebirth, I would have thought I could love the "Destiny Man" with an extension of my love for Amelia. It's rebirth, so I assumed on my own that it would look just like Amelia even if I didn't remember.

But this girl isn't. It's the face that resembles Amelia, but the colour of her hair, the atmosphere around her eyes, her voice, the way she laughs, the way she talks, the way she smells, everything is different. And yet, how can you attract my heart so much? I'm sorry about this, Amelia.

"... I want to kill you."

If your feelings for Amelia are so sweet, I don't need them. Even if you were a "destiny man" who would break the curse.

I look down at the girl who sleeps easily knowing nothing, shrugging one room of hateful flax hair.

I thought my feelings for Amelia were absolute. I believed that if I couldn't shake whoever I met, even if I did with God, I couldn't change it.

And yet, I can't believe this girl fooled me in just one moment.

I don't want to admit it. I think I'm attracted to this girl because I saw Amelia. Isn't that much more honest? I've been thinking about Amelia for 200 years, so this must be some kind of mistake.

Yes, because this child is Amelia's rebirth.

That's why it's so bright.

Yes, I manage to contain the hand stretched around the girl's neck by saying it almost as implied.

This child is only Amelia's rebirth. With that in mind, I also felt like this face of a girl who sleeps in peace was purely adorable.

Looking straight at the girl's sleeping face with a blur, Charlotte gave me the girl's name from the embroidery of the coat the girl was wearing. The name of this vibrant girl seems to be Leila. I didn't like myself when I said it sounded like Amelia but she felt beautiful.

Then about a day later, Layla woke up. When I wake up, I don't like the beautiful flax color, but I get into my eyes, and it gets extra painful. I want to magically turn it into pale eyes. I even had such a selfish wish just for the peace of mind of mine.

When I told Leila that this was the capital of the Fantasy King, she looked up at me with a bewildered look. He's also very cute with a slightly troubled face and hates it. The way Amelia laughed that made her feel weak, again, she didn't have it.

No, if Amelia and I were blinded by all the differences, I would really be poisoned by this girl.

We need to assume more, more properly. That I am so attracted to this girl only because I see Amelia in her face. [M] This thought is only what is on the extension of my love for Amelia.

So you can treat this girl like you're dealing with Amelia. I already knew I couldn't get this girl's hands off me, so that was the only way to keep my mind at ease.

"I'm Lenhardt Lewayne, the magician. Miss Leila, I've been looking for you."

When I magically remove the bouquet of white lilies, Leila gently grips me. I don't care if Leila likes white lilies.

Because this child is Amelia's rebirth, and it is nothing more than that. We must begin our love affair with our dear Amelia now. Yes, I was desperate to make sure I told my heart and scratch out my worries.

"Miss Layla, please, could you be my bride?"

Amelia never had a proposition-like proposal, so the next time I saw her, she decided to be first. And yet, how can the back of your chest be so sore and tight? Dark emotions just piled up and I wasn't feeling a little happy.

Layla looked at me with a more troubled look, even though she said she was just confused. Seeing that look makes my chest unnecessarily painful. When I said I was the one who decided to look at Amelia and act on Leila, I felt sharp pain in Leila's puzzled expression that didn't attract me.

After that, I think Charlotte saved me quite a bit by coming. Heartwarming Leila laughed at my dishonesty towards Leila and forgave me.

Yeah, that's fine. Forgive me for my dishonesty towards Leila for trying to be honest with Amelia. You can think of Leila as a lousy man. I still wanted to keep my feelings for Amelia. [M]

That's how my life with Leila began, which was painful for me.

Leila, the birthright of the prestigious Duke's family, naturally has never been involved in household chores or anything. Even about myself, with the help of a servant, I couldn't help it.

I was just wondering what was going on, me and Charlotte were going to take care of Leila, but Leila started remembering the chores by saying, "Would you let me do something more than leave you in the mansion?" I guess it's a very serious personality. I was blinded by Layla's hard work in laundry and cleaning. [M]

She also wanted to try cooking, so she converted the kitchen into a mechanism that could be used without magic. One cup of tea Leila, who has never brewed with her own hands, seems to have decided to listen carefully to Charlotte's advice first and desperately remember the cooking process.

Every time I saw that healthy figure, I couldn't admit that I was feeling stronger about favoring Leila. Don't like her behavior or personality that doesn't remind you of Amelia. I'm finally at peace with Leila by seeing Amelia. [M]

While I was at it, I was really pushy. Leila is Amelia's rebirth, so I want her to act just like Amelia and reassure me, and I pushed Amelia's taste into Leila.

But yet, you are.

- You don't understand, Leannhardt. The combination of this sweet and aromatic tea is great!

"Hehe, it's a corner, but I always keep my sugar in one. This is better because you can enjoy the aroma of tea. Thank you for your concern."

No, it's not.

- I like white lilies the most!

"White lily......? Yeah, it's a gorgeous, beautiful flower."

No, it's not.

- Leanhardt!

"Mr. Leanhardt."

No, it's not.

No, no, no, no.

You, everything is too different from Amelia.

You were so different from Amelia that you could easily solve the shallow implication I made just to keep my mind at ease.

It's different, but I'm not attracted to it.

"Eh... Amelia..."

One night, a month after Leila came to the mansion, I whimpered after Leila had gone to sleep, trying to cling to Amelia's painting in a golden rocket. The hand holding the rocket trembles. I'm sorry Amelia is so distracted by Leila, she's going to break my heart because of her guilt. He tells the floor that his tears are pounding.

Oh, even though it was Amelia who taught me these tears. Even though it was Amelia who taught me to love people.

I can't believe I'm pointing that at Leila right now.

He's too flirtatious a person. I don't want to believe that I've loved Leila so easily while keeping her with Amelia for two hundred years. I want to be honest with Amelia. [M]

I want to, though. I'm at my limit now.

"Brother, I'm sorry you're late at night. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the magic equipment at the store."

It seemed that Charlotte had come in without knocking because she had only opened the door of the room a little. Apparently he noticed my anomaly at a glance, and he rushes to the side.

"What... what's wrong, brother"

"Charlotte......"

Looking sideways at Charlotte, who looked badly bewildered, I dropped my eyes on the rocket again.

"... I didn't want to know I was such a flirtatious and dishonest person"

I moaned with a surprisingly weak voice myself, staring at Amelia's painting in my palm. Charlotte seemed to be taking a light breath and watching me, but eventually she put her hand on my shoulder and told me to tell her.

"... brother, it's okay. My brother can like Leila. If you like Leila, you have to forget Princess Amelia."

Charlotte's words were so inclusive that she didn't think she was her sister. No, in years, Charlotte was already five years older, but it was nevertheless a voice that gave her peace of mind. I wonder if this is the strength that made me the mother of one child.

"People's minds don't have to be 0 or 1. In the corner of your brother's heart, I'll keep a place just for Princess Amelia. By adding a little more places for all kinds of people, I'm sure you'll be able to love a lot of people."

Poof, and a grain of tears fell. Charlotte's hand lightens my back.

"Trying to be honest with Princess Amelia is a nice thing. But seeing Princess Amelia in Layla and trying to calm her mind somehow isn't like being honest with Princess Amelia. You know that, don't you, brother?

The boulder is Charlotte. Even my shallow insinuation was obvious. [M]

Yes, Charlotte is right. I was selfish from the start. [M] This is the result of my escape because I didn't want to admit that I loved Leila and I didn't like how I felt about Amelia. In the end, it just made my heart unnecessarily miserable.

You can like Layla. In Charlotte's words, which were derived as a matter of course, I was already at my limit. My vision becomes unnecessarily distorted.

Amelia, I love you. I love you forever and ever. I will never forget you.

But I noticed. When I met Leila, I found out that she was a vibrant girl.

Leila was the only one I had.

I wasn't led by a curse, just the only one purely chosen by my heart. It's a terribly vague expression, but Leila was so special and so strongly attracted to me.

"Eh... sorry, Amelia... sorry... eh"

I pushed a rusty golden rocket against my forehead and apologized to her over and over again in the painting.

You were indisputably my first love. He was the "destiny man" who taught me love.

I won't forget, I won't forget. No matter how much I love Layla, I will never give up the place of my empty heart for you to anyone. Even if they're against Leila, absolutely.

And most importantly, I must thank you. You taught me how to feel, so I could love Leila.

"... Amelia, please... keep an eye on me"

Smiling weakly at Amelia in the painting, I gently closed the rocket. I do feel like my heart is much lighter and my thoughts deeper than earlier, even though my chest hurts.

"... thanks, Charlotte. Thanks to you for letting me know."

"It's nothing, that's about it. Is it a little neat?

"Oh, maybe... I'm okay now"

Yeah, I'm sure I'm fine now. I put my thoughts on Amelia in a corner of my mind and from tomorrow on I'm sure I can honestly love Leila. I don't know if I can salvage the dishonesty of the past month, but I just have to do what I can.

The afternoon after that, I saw Layla myself for the first time and invited her out.

The flower gardens I was so tired of visiting over the course of hundreds of years were also as if walking with Leila had changed the world. Maybe it's because I couldn't breathe because I could forgive my heart that I could love Leila.

Leila was so impressed with the flower garden. He also said it was his first time sitting on the lawn because he was a biological boxed daughter. It healed my heart to look up at the sky and stare at the flowers and see Shaggy Leila.

Then, Layla gently rides herself out and touches the white lily. Now when I look at the combination of Leila and White Lily, it reminds me of my dishonest behavior towards Leila that I've been to, so to be honest, I'm in a complicated mood.

"Mr. Leanhardt, the white lilies are blooming. You like it, don't you?

Leila with a smile and a pure grin, dazzling and unable to watch. Even as I pushed Leila into Amelia's face, Leila kept looking at me. He thinks it's my favorite flower because I bring out all the white lilies. Unexpectedly, I felt the tingling and the pain of being judged on the bottom of my heart.

"Not that I..."

I can't tell you. I can't even tell you about Amelia. I stare back at Layla's straight flax eyes and smile small.

"... does Leila like white lilies?

That's all I pushed. I hope I don't hate it at least.

Layla gave him a slightly bewildered look, but immediately gave him an adorable poor grin.

"Right...... like, falls into the category of. Best of all, it's an anemone flower."

Layla touched the anemone flower in Yaesuki, which was blooming beside her. The sight, like a single picture, burns vividly in my eyes.

Think about it, this might be the first time you've found out what Leila likes. It's obvious because I'm the one who's been pushing Amelia's face, but I couldn't help but notice what Leila likes.

"Well, Leila likes anemones."

Naturally, it gives me zero grin. The small and adorable anemone certainly fits Leila perfectly. If Leila likes anemones, she wants to turn the flowers in this flower garden into anemones.

That heavy emotion makes me laugh at one person in my heart. You can like Layla, as soon as you think about it. It's only a matter of time before Leila poisons you with this. I'm going to be addicted in no time.

But fine. You can get addicted. From now on, I will do everything I can to convey this thought to Leila. Leila's smile, her bell-rolling voice, her poor swinging, her reaction to dyeing her cheeks red as soon as she could light them up, all because I'm in love.