“Ha, haha, no way.”


  “It’s true. She probably made her own barrier this time as well and ran away. Isn’t that right, Lei?”


  “Ai,” I replied obediently. I stopped playing with the blocks.

  “Lei.”


  “Awishthair.” (Alistair)

  “Here.” Alistair pushed his blocks towards me.

  “Thanwsh.” (Thanks)

  “Mm.”


  The Prince remained quiet because he couldn’t believe it, and then he kept firing off questions, “Is it because she’s part of the Four Marquises?! Is it her hidden power?! Can Alistair do it too?!”


  “I can’t. Not yet,” Alistair answered the last question first.

  “I don’t know if this is connected to the Four Marquises. But, Lei said she looked at Alistair’s barrier box and learnt how to produce a barrier,” Bart answered the rest of the questions.

  I also added, “Wash shthudying.” (Was studying)

  “Buufuu.”


  It was the guard who had laughed and not Kyaro. The Prince regained his composure probably because it was his guard who had laughed. Apparently, he thought he had gotten too excited.

  “Lei was on the mountainside. Those who don’t know about Lei’s barrier would definitely search for her on the way to the hut. That’s why she ran towards the mountains where there are a lot of Hollows. Isn’t that right?”


  “Ai. Howwowsh bounce off. Lei waithed for dawn,” (Hollows bounce off. Lei waited for dawn) I answered to Bart’s confirmation. My answer slowly sunk into everyone. Meanwhile, Alistair quietly began cleaning up the blocks. I also destroyed the Rug Dragon room and helped clean up.

  “In other words,” the Prince began, “she has the power to make barriers.”


  No one replied.

  “Based on the fact that dawn was drawing, the enemies had no choice but to withdraw because they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of their barrier boxes,” his voice trembled as he said this.

  “She determined that she would make the best use of her power to deceive the enemies and ran away toward the mountainside. And she dared to endure alone in the middle of a group of Hollows.”


  “And, she was determined to protect everyone in the hut.”


  The Prince looked at me as if he didn’t know my character.

  “Who are you?” These words probably leaked out.

  “Huu,” I called him quietly, and the Prince looked up as if he’s just woken up.

  “I’m Leiwa.”


  “Lei, la.”


  “Ai.”


  At that moment, I heard the sound of the last block going into the box. That sound brought everyone back to their senses.

  “This time, I only thought about myself. I’m really childish,” Alistair began as he closed the lid of the box.

  “I hated it, so I want to grow up as quickly as possible. That’s why I’m going to learn all I can from disgusting adults.”


  Alistair stood up and held his hand out to me. I took Alistair’s hand, and he helped me up.

  “But I give up. I don’t understand adults at all. If adults aren’t going to protect me, then I’ll have to protect myself.” The Prince and his guards looked uncomfortable at those words.

  “Leila is Leila. I couldn’t protect her, and the adults couldn’t protect her. But, I’ll at least protect her heart.” Alistair looked at me gently. It wasn’t the eyes you used to look at something disgusting.

  “Now, let’s go to the dining hall and play with everyone.”


  “Ai.”


  “Then, I’ll come too,” Mill said, and Bart and his crew stood up.

  “Prince and all the guards, please keep your vows,” Bart said as Clyde silently carried the two boxes of blocks. We left the Prince’s room. However, the guard that accompanied Alistair and I followed us promptly.

  “Lei, are you alright?”


  “Ai. I’m fine.”


  Bart was worried, but Mill said, “Well, Lei’s a bit weird.”

  Kyaro and Clyde also laughed as if it were true.

  “Lei, a withthwe, weird.” (little)

  “Gubaa.”


  “Awishthair……”


  Alistair was the one who burst out laughing.

  It got strange, and everyone laughed as they walked down the stairs. The people who were worried downstairs looked relieved.

  A while later, the Prince and his guards also came downstairs.

  “Leila.”


  “Ai.”


  “Leila.”


  “Ai.”


  “Leil.”


  “Huu.”


  “Huu, Lei ish angry.”


  Kyaro was holding his stomach behind me.

  “I, I see.”


  “Say shorry.”


  “Ah, yes.”


  “Huu.”


  The Prince gulped.

  “Leila.”


  “Ai.”


  “I’m sorry.”


  “Ai. Thath’sh awrighth.”


  “Hmph,” I exhaled. The Prince crouched down gently and patted my head.

  “Leila is this cute.”


  “.…… Ai,” I did reply to him, but I was surprised. The Prince realised what he had said and quickly stood up.

  “No, you’re not! Well, you are, but that wasn’t what I wanted to say!” He talked gibberish. “Well, I still have to arrange the search. Let’s go!” He left somewhere.

  “He fled.”


  “He did.”


  That was probably Kyaro and Clyde.

  “Adults are hopeless.”


  Alistair shrugged.