The Escape of Layla

Sit across the table from Monica in the viewing room where evenings plug in. The librarian seemed somewhat surprised at my third visit today, but he never pursued it in depth because he knew that Monica and I used to read together.

"I seemed to interrupt my job, okay?

"Yes, Your Majesty doesn't seem to be going back to that study today, because I'm insisting that we clean it up by tomorrow morning."

Is that a direct instruction from your father? If so, Monica will be a maid quite close to her father. I had assumed that a servant whose father recognized his name would be about that butler who was mistaken earlier.

It was on Monica's face that she was thinking about Monica's strange relationship with her father, and Monica smiled softly, as usual, and answered me before I asked.

"My mother was a nanny to Her Majesty. I had a distant sister the same age as His Majesty...... Even after my mother's death, this is how I serve His Majesty. '

That was an unexpected connection. There's too much difference in status when it comes to childhood training, but if you've been beside your father since he was a young child, Monica may spend a lot longer time with your father than with me or your mother. I can also snort that I have gained enough trust to be entrusted with the management of that closed father's study.

"So Monica's not too scared to look at me."

If Monica lived beside her father, she'd already be used to seeing my face when she said it was a living copy of her father. Monica smiled somewhere to miss her, moving her hand smoothly.

'Your Highness, you look just like His Majesty, but I know you're very kind, so I'm not afraid'

That's like saying that Father is not kind in the dark, but I was purely happy that Monica told me that. Not only does he look like him, but only a limited number of people look at my contents and judge me properly.

'No, the words have passed. Your Majesty has not been as cold since the beginning.'

When Monica lay her eyes down all the time, she bit her lips gently as if she remembered even in the hard past. Seeing that worrying look, I perceive signs that the story moves to the point.

"I can't imagine a father who's not cold... but is it the portrait lady who changed him?

Anemone, pigmented, flax hair. It was all in the possession of the portrait lady. It's enough to create contraindications, so I thought you didn't like that young lady much more, but then I don't know why I bothered to decorate my private study with portraits. I wonder who that warrant is in the first place. I don't know too much about asking questions.

Monica guessed it, she gently adjusted her posture and slowly looked into my eyes. Her hazel eyes taking the sunset sideways were still beautiful in this situation of tension.

'... Did you know that Your Majesty had another queen before you picked up the current queen?

"Oh, I know. I heard from everyone that she was a beloved beauty."

'Loved by everyone... I certainly can't say it's a mistake either depending on what I try to capture...'

Monica looked bitter somewhere and deluded herself, continuing to signal.

"The young lady in the earlier painting is the sister of the queen's fruit.... it was that one who taught me the letters'

I am also convinced that the more beautiful the young lady is when she says you are the queen's sister, who was even called "Altair's treasure". Most importantly, when I heard that he was Teng himself, who taught Monica that beautiful letter, I took the liberty of gaining intimacy.

'And he is also His Majesty's long-time fiancé.... he was raised as young as possible as the future queen, the princess of the Duke's house. "

It took a breath to understand Monica's words.

I can't believe that young lady, a contraindication to this castle, was your father's ex-fiancé.

"... you mean your father married your fiancée's sister"

That's all I hear, what an unpleasant story. I almost despised my father by accident, but it's a royal and duke marriage, so I guess there was something going on. That's what makes me think of it.

'Your Majesty is not such a dishonest person as to transfer your heart to your fiancée's sister. That's all, I can assure you. … although it does not seem that His Majesty's emotions toward him have already lost the form of love'

My heart is moved by Monica's strong eyes, which are somewhere frightened, and which then include anger. There's something hidden in this story that makes a gentle Monica feel so intense.

"... If your father is honest, why did he welcome you as his fiancée's sister? Were you even unhappy with the young lady?

'Right, that's what it is if you put it roughly. That one... Lady Layla was in an unfortunate accident during her engagement to His Majesty, and she was in her sleep for a long time. In the meantime, Lady Leila's engagement with Her Majesty was dissolved, and Lady Leila's sister, your Lady Rose, became her fiancée instead.'

"That was... very unfortunate."

If the sadness of breaking up with my accompanying fiancée for many years meant that she adorned her study with such portraits and felt sentimental, then there was a much more human part of her father as well. That was the honest feeling. Whatever it is, it's about even remembering my father's sympathy.

'Yes, you can say that tragedy started there.... About two years after the accident, Luckily Lady Layla woke up. But by then, His Majesty's fiancée had already replaced Lady Rose, and Laila had been removed from the house of the Duke in disillusionment.'

That's a very actionable lady. By then, did you like your father? It's so sad that it's going to be the subject of an opera from the side.

"... so my father couldn't forget about his missing ex-fiancé and created such a strange contradiction in this castle?

What a sad story if it was painful and created such a contraindication because it reminds me of my ex-fiancé, who disappeared every time I saw her flax hair. I've heard so much about it, and I can't imagine my father loving anyone that much.

'Come on, if it was such a beautiful story, you have no idea how good it was'

Monica continued to talk while showing some hesitation when she signaled with some bitter expression.

'... Your Majesty did not forgive Lady Leila for escaping. We spread our search throughout the kingdom, and finally found Laila, who was in peace in her new land, and took her away.'

That's quite an obsession. A young lady named Laila didn't attract her father much longer. But even though he was running away, his father also does quite tyrannical things to take away a duke's house courtier in one country.

'And His Majesty shut Lady Leila in the Moon Shadow Tower. I was there to take care of Lady Layla... but I don't know that hell for more than two weeks'

"... Father, what the hell..."

I never thought that moonshadow tower would come out here. I can't believe your father used that to imprison your former fiancée, too.

"I can tell you exactly what His Majesty did, but His Majesty was good at spiritually hunting down Laila anyway. There is no escape, that there is nothing else to spend the rest of your life in that tower as a possession of His Majesty... I think I always had the breathlessness to be reminded, even if I didn't like it. Still, Lady Leila was desperately resisting. '

Listening to me, I don't know whose position I should lean against. It was the first time I pitied my father, but when I heard about imprisoning my ex-fiancé, I didn't either.

"So what the hell happened to the young lady? No way......"

Unexpectedly, I imagine the worst. It is hard to believe that a greenhouse-raised Duke's maid can withstand the harsh environment of being imprisoned. It's not strange that you're trying to die yourself by choosing to scatter it clean.

"… I will lay down the details, but Lady Leila escaped from the Moon Shadow Tower and entered a monastery in the Wang capital. If you're a monastery, you won't be forced to take any of your majesty. '

Monica said it would be difficult to escape from the Moon Shadow Tower. It's not an easy environment to get away with, even with the guidance of outsiders. But even after such imposition, the young lady would have wanted to escape from her father.

"Then the lady ran away and lived happily ever after, what kind of story isn't it?

From what I've heard so far, I'm not supposed to be the kind of father to pull your hand lightly. What did you do this time against your ex-fiancée locked in a monastery without power?

'... right. Lady Layla's second escape didn't last that long. Less than a week after entering the monastery, Lady Leila died.'

"Dead...? Is that because of a disease or something?

Has he died of mental and physical strangulation and debilitation? However, I feel uncomfortable with the fact that I will lose my life less than a week after entering the monastery.

'... ostensibly, an accident wound allegedly caused his death'

With that said, Monica's expression seeped so much anger that she didn't think she believed it. I was so uncomfortable listening. [M] At the time, Monica, who witnessed the incident, couldn't have thought of anything.

"... what does Monica think is the real cause of the young lady's death?

"I..."

Monica moved her hand hesitantly but immediately stopped moving. Eventually he shook his neck sideways as it was and gave a weak grin somewhere. The grin made me feel strange anxiety and palpitations.

'No, let's not.' Cause it's no surprise you're being beheaded for disrespect if you say this to a boulder. '

Does that imply that Father in the dark had the warrant in his hands? From earlier on, I feel my faster pulse continues to accelerate with restlessness.

No way, no way. Your father?

Unexpectedly, there is a trembling grin close to ridicule. There is no evidence or anything. I have no doubt or disrespect for the king of a country.

Impossible. On the boulder. How much would that be? I was forced to take care of my usual smile so as to wipe the noisy thoughts in my head.

'... this colored ribbon was worn by Lady Leila during her incarcerated life. When escaping from the Moon Shadow Tower, he asked me to look away.'

Monica stroked its smooth fabric as it seemed important when she took out the colored ribbon. It's a little plain for a Duke's maid to wear, but it's a poor substitute for good taste.

'This anemone... was given to me by Lady Layla's loved ones. Both are contraindicated in this castle, but I really want to keep them with me...'

As the words put it, Monica's eyes staring at the dull anemone's embossed flowers were calm. I wonder what a comfortable time you had with the lady. Perhaps I was so happy to have been taught the letters.

"... did Father create a strange contraindication to this castle because he did not want to remember the lady"

To never remember a sad, distorted love again. Has it taken everything that reminds me of the lady from this castle?

'… may be so, but let us be the opinion of those who have served beside His Majesty from an early age...'

Monica said looking straight at me with Hazel's eyes.

"Perhaps to make Lady Layla completely your own. I don't even want anyone to touch the colors and flowers surrounding Laila... I think that's what they think '

Anemone flowers, colors, flax hair, eyes, all that exists is in the study. If Anemone is still so obsessed with the young lady that she cannot tolerate anything, whether the sun shines, the colour shifts, or the flax hair and eyes in the castle other than Miss Leila's, the thought is a big one. It's so intense that it can be called sick in a way.

"... it's a real miracle I was born. Maybe he's just superior to doing his royal duty."

If you laugh like you throw it away, Monica lowers her eyebrows like she's in trouble. I usually never speak of such a moan in public, but it made me emotional.

"I am very honored to have met Your Highness, even if you were born under political conjecture."

Monica kept a troubled smile on her face and moved her hand so hard to say such a kind word.

'I feel so warm watching Your Highness and the Queen.... The truth is, I wish His Majesty could turn his eyes to both of you...'

"Well, I guess you can't talk about it. That's all I'm obsessed with Miss Leila. There won't be any emotions left for us."

If I knew the secret of this castle's contraindications, I'd feel somewhat unnecessarily empty, even though I thought I might be free from the alienation I'd felt for 15 years. As soon as possible, the air in this castle must not seem severely bitter.

"... I can only pray that the people around His Highness will make up for that thought"

Monica looked at me mercifully. [M] She probably doesn't have that awareness when she tells me that she's the Monica Ten herself. [M]

"Thank you, Monica.... I also appreciate you telling me your secret. Of course I won't tell anyone about the ribbon."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Monica laughed holding the notebook between the ribbon and the pocket in her chest like it was important. Now the late lady envies Monica just a little bit that she can still smile like this.

Is that a warrant that drives your father crazy and makes Monica smile?

I wanted to see you. That portrait alone is unimaginable as to how attractive he is.

"You're totally at sundown"

Monica looked out the window and sent a signal by hand. Indeed, the sunset had almost disappeared and the sky was stained with purple blue. It will be time to eat soon.

"It's time to go... Thanks for today, Monica."

"No, there is no annihilation."

Take a seat, Monica bows politely. A woman over ten years old, but Monica is still cute with a little trick. Looking at Monica, I felt the breathlessness I had felt earlier fade away.

"... does Monica always manage her father's study? Or do you have something else?

'When Your Majesty is here, we may even brew you tea. And then… will it maintain an environment such as cleaning the Moon Shadow Tower'

"That's pretty busy."

'It isn't either. There are other servants in the Moon Shadow Tower.

Monica grinned and sent a signal. Are they using hand signals to communicate with their servants? I don't even think I can get other servants into Father's study, and perhaps I am.

Again, somewhat uninteresting. I looked out the window to delude it, feeling the complex emotions I had this morning swell a little behind my chest again.

"Nevertheless, a moonshadow tower..."

I don't see a tower from here. Positionally, I guess it just looks good from your father's study. Did your father even look out of that study when he was incarcerating Miss Leila in the Moon Shadow Tower?

If so, you have a bad taste, and you have a much smaller grin. Fortunately, Monica didn't seem to see it, and she sent a signal with a calm look.

"Regardless of the use, the area around the moonshadow tower is very beautiful. As the name suggests, something about a beautiful night on the moon is particularly mysterious.... too close brings back all the unpleasant memories, but it's a very beautiful tower for looking away '

I guess you really like the view of the moonshadow tower. Watching Monica's happy face kind of distracts me from this one.

"If it's that pretty, I'll take a look next time"

'Yes.... but for the night, please accompany me with a proper escort?

"Oh, I get it. You're worried, Monica."

I guess Monica is just showing me around as Prince Wang, but I'm not in a bad mood to worry about her. I wish you could be worried about me as Allen.

Oh, you shouldn't. Also, the buds of emotion that are pretending not to look at me are going to grow. I accidentally put my hand on my chest and laughed to delude myself.

As I talked to Monica, recommending my legs toward the exit of the library as they were, I could wonder if I could forget the emptiness and breathlessness I had felt earlier. After all, Monica was amazing, and she had another thing in her mind that she liked, and she would still lid this emotion today so she wouldn't understand it.