Spoilers

Are u unemployed? (Genuinely asking)

Thank you for asking, but No. I am a post doctoral research fellow and I do this because it’s a hobby.

As she started her warmup, Claude left her alone as always, because he was sure that she wouldn’t not skip the training or wander away. As far as they were concerned she was foolish girl who would do anything to be in favour of Byron. As Claude left her alone, she wanted to see if she could still handle all the skills she mastered in her past life, by the time she was 16 before entering the duchy she was better her tutor Claude at infiltrating and spying for information. She was thankful to Byron for teaching her these skills which she can use to bring him down. She tests herself and is happy that she still carries her skill set despite being younger. She washes up after training and heads to dining room where she finds Byron haughtily draped on his duchy chair. The morning meal is always later than the breakfast and earlier than Lunch as Byron sleep in and wakes up late. She had to school herself to lunge at him and keep her expression so that she can stay by his side until she can learn more about him. After pulling her mouth into a smile she harmlessly greeted him and walked up to him at his beckon and knelt before him as he ran his hand through her hair. Through out her life with him, they always took great care of her hair which she misinterpreted as Byron’s obsession with her mother. She took her seat as and started her meal as Byron started complaining about his meal while savouring the wine. He conditions her that he could go back t enjoying gourmet meals as long as his daughter does a good job so he can stop hiding. As she was leaving the room after the meal she sees a dagger on Byron’s side which was the dagger she used to kill her father. It was dagger that Byron treasured which had a scabbard of platinum with lavishly decorated with amethysts. She now realise that the dagger was in the image of her mother and is further disgusted with Byron’s obsession with her mother. Given how loving her parents were towards each other, its clear that its Byron who is coming in between them. She goes back to training and keeps here skills hidden so as not to raise Claude’s suspicion about her getting suddenly better. After she was done with training and dinner, sea was locked back in her dark room as always by Laura, once she was alone she looked around the room, during their years of wandering around abandoned forts she came across some old books, one of which was about architecture which showed how to find most of the secret doors and wash that are usually built into forts. She soon found a door in the floor and jumped into the dark passageway heading towards Byron’s room which was not the second floor, luckily she did not come across any of the Byron’s men once she stepped out the hidden passageway. She reached his room and hid as she sensed Claude approaching, once he entered Byron’s room she eavesdropped on them from her hiding place. Claude who was reporting about her training progress said that she was training well and that she was excellent at handling the weapons even through she just started the training that day. Aila held her breath worried that she should help back her skills more but Byron and Claude just reasoned that she must have inherited these abilities from Roderick, which relaxed her. Claude’s reported that Weishaffen troops were seen in the village nearby to which Byron ordered to find the next hide out as soon as possible. Aila was disappointed that they were leaving soon when she’s just started using the secret passages. Her days continued the same and much to her disappointment she could spy any useful information. Until the eve of the day of their departure, she sneaked into the passage to stuff her training suit that she had stashed in the tunnel so she can snoop during the night. As she heads to the laundry, she hears Claude addressing a woman sister-in-law when he laments that he feels guilty about deceiving a child to which the woman and Laura reminds him that Roderick killed his brother and turned their family into criminals. Aila waits until they leave and leave her laundry at the designated place and gets back to her room still shocked that Claude, Laura and Capella. She is briefly worried if her father is actually a villain like Byron and his people claim. She shooks herself out of the thought that even if it so she cannot forgive Byron’s kidnapping a 2 year old and turning her into an assassin. She woke up the next ot rude Laura and got ready for the voyage tot next hideout. She was dressed as a rich man’s daughter and a bonnet tied tightly to keep her hair hidden. Laura repeats her instructions that she should not remove the bonnet. After a few days on the road, they arrive at another abandoned ruins and she remembered this location as he room in the attic was beautiful. She starts looking of hidden passages but sadly could not, he disappointing repetitive days continued when Claude said that they were going to do a special training and were going to trek the mountain nearby. She wondered if this was Claude’s consideration and she remembered that he sometimes let her explore and she was sure this was done without Byron’s knowledge.Either way his pity while still deceiving her isn’t helpful to her. They reach the top of the mountain and she feels a little happy looking at the view as he had been feeling down for the past few days. She looks at the ruins they were staying and looks at her room and froze when she realises that her room dimensions from outside don’t look the same from the inside. She is certain that her room has something hidden. She finished the day and once Laura locks her in she starts exploring carefully looking around her room when she finds a small gap on one side of the wall. She slides in her fingers thankful for her younger, small hands, she hears a click when pushed a small protrusion and the bricks door open but it was a just a secret space adn then she looks at the other wall where she finds a similar latch and finally gets into the hidden way. She smuggle her training clothes and heads out of the passageway avoiding the night guards and silently climbs onto the tree next to Byron’s room. She watches him pinning after her mother with disgust and waits until he passes out drunk. She looks at the letter that he already read and some drafts he wrote, which describe a young lion getting more impudent and is untouchable as long as the lion is guarded by the wolf and Byron mentions that he has a good hunting dog to take care of the wolf. Aila deduces that the hunting dog must be her, which makes Roderick the wolf, but she isn’t sure who the lion would be. She heads back to her room before its late still thinking about who the young lion is adn who Byron is who seems to planing a conspiracy with many people given the correspondence. She wished she paid better attention to her successor lessons.
The same night Claude wakes up Byron showing a message he received from t eh duchy that Ophelia had fallen ill and is unconscious.

That's so cool. Also, I felt that the user who asked that was a bit rude.

Thank you

As soon as Byron heard that Ophelia was sick, he almost ordered Claude to prepare to go to her, but then remembered Rodeerick next to her and held his cut of right hand and trembled in fear. He ordered Claude to leave and sank into his thoughts. Aila, during her training, could sense that the atmosphere in the hideout was different; she was afraid that maybe she had got caught yesterday, even though Byron looked passed out. But seeing how Laura was being the same rude self, she reassured herself that they probably hadn't caught her. Because if they knew about her snooping, she would not be let out or worse, killed right away. She was also anxious because she did not remember a tense time like this in her previous life. she remembered seeing a weird bird that Claude which probably carried a message for Byron which is the reason for this atmosphere. she decided that she should try to find out this letter. she waited for night and climbed back on the tree and peered into the dark room to confirm that Byron is sleeping, but to her surprise she found him sitting in the dark, she waited but then went in search for claude to see fi shew can find out anything from him. As she was wandering, looking for him, she reached the room Laura and Capella shared and heard Claude coming in, looking for Laura. She learns that Byron is looking for Aila, and she rushes back to the room just in time before Laura opens her door and Byron walks in. He asked in a murmuring Ophelia's name and reached out to Aila, despite her nervousness, she unconsciously avoided his touch, but immediately covered up her action as if she had just woken up and asked in a feigned happy voice if he was here to see her. Byron's face distorted as he saw Aila's blue eyes and pulled back his hand, and went back asking her to go back to sleep. Aila breathes a sigh of relief and decides to stop her nightly activities for now. After that night, Aila did not see Byrom, who holed himself up in his room, and she wondered if this change was because he had received any bad news. She vaguely remembers seeing Claude catching a bird on the day when Byron visited her room. She wonders if she could get the information from Claude and puts on an act that she is anxious about Byron being disappointed in her, as he had not seen her for a while. With a blunt face, he calms her, but he does not elaborate on the reason. She ignores the look of guilt, as this would not help her if he isn't going to help her. The days continue, and she sees a similar bird with a note attached to its leg, and Cluade gets the note from the bird and heads inside after instructing her to train alone. Ail, after making sure she is alone, scales up the tree next to Byron's room and hears Claude relaying the message that the person recovered and is conscious now.
That night Aila was once again being groomed for her dinner with Byron, she ruminates on wheat she heard earlier in the day and stifled a gasp as she realised that the only person the selfish Byron would be worries about is her mother. she worries about her mother who she remembers boating about her health despite her delicate appearance. During dinner, she once more suppresses her kill urge and displays a happy act of eating together with her father. Byron, still perched haughtily on his chair, orders Claud, who was standing nearby by to put their recent discussion into action. Clauis de shocked, but his reluctance is shot down by Byron. Aila's curiosity about this vague conversation a few days later, when Claude leads her to a Vivarium filled with poisonous creatures and plants. She is shocked again as she did not start training with poison until she was 15. Does this mean she would be sent back to the duchy early? But that would make it difficult for her to foil his plan as she still doesn't have enough information yet.

Her toxicology classes started, which could be dangerous to a 12-year-old, but fortunately, she retained her knowledge from her past life, so she stayed safe, but still feigned clumsiness so Claude would not become suspicious. She is now sure that Byron is anxious about pushing his plan after her mother's collapse. she decides to resume her spying as she can't collect more information is she just stays put, she is back in Byron's room after he passes out. she looks around the room and sees that his desk is clean and scours the room in dismay when she happens upon a map which has bunch of places marked with Xs including Venator, the capital of peles empire. Despite wandering around the empire, she isn't familiar with those places. Just as she is looking for more information when she hears rustling from the bed, and she immediately hides under the desk as Byron walks up to the desk and closes the window she came through. She nervously waits for him to fall back asleep under the desk when she comes across another piece of paper with the same places and dates written on it, the earliest just a few days away and along with various inn names written next to those places. She takes another look at the map and infers that Byron is tracing someone's journey from the capital to the west and back. She remembers in her past life them staying in these places, which is suspicious given how Byron avoided even small villages as much as possible. At that time, she was only excited about visiting cities, although she never left the inns they stayed at, but now she wonders if they were following the journey of the little lion or her parents.
Another night, she sneaks into the vivarium and brews a powerful sleeping draught, erases her traces from the lab and stashes the small bottle with the draught in her pocket. The next day, Laura again rushes her to get ready for the road. Aila hides the bottle under her belt and heads out to the carriage. They travel for a few days and arrive at the castle gate of the city of Grunfeld, which has tightened security. Aila is fed a potion which turns her hair and eyes brown. They rented the entire Inn that Byron marked on the paper. Aila wonders if the tightened security is because of the little lion and if he is the reason for Byron to risk the increased security and come to the city. Once they head upstairs for the rooms, Laura cockily instructs Aila that she cannot look out of the window or step out of the room and informs her that Claude would be busy for the next few days so she can rest in the mean time. That night, Capella comes to her room to watch her. Whenever they stayed at inns in her past, Capella and Laura took turns to watch her through the night. Aila was disappointed as she could not find out what Claude was busy with tonight. She brewed the draught for Laura, who would hide that she had fallen asleep, but Capella might get suspicious. At the same time, Byron is talking to Claude inquiring about the status of his orders. Claude reports that it's set and it should cause a commotion. Byron, without batting an eye, orders that his plan be changed and orders him to just kill him, and when Claude is taken aback, he reiterates his orders to kill his nephew. Claude tries to confirm the orders again, as the plan was to follow and just cause disturbances to disrupt the journey. Byron frowned at Claude, as recently he had been questioning his orders, including the time when he started Aila's toxicology lessons. Claude asks if this haste is because of Lady Heiling ( Byron doesn't allow his men to address Ophelia as Duchess Weishaffen, but with her maternal family name) and when Byron admits to it and accepts the orders at Byron's rebuke and heads out.
Aila pretends to be sleeping while nervously waiting for Laura to drink the water, which has the draught. Soon, Laura takes a sip of water, and soon after, she passes out. Aila gets up and checks if Laura is completely out and covers herself with a robe. She looks out the window and notices Claude just leaving the inn, and follows him out, climbing the roofs. After a while, she sees him stopping in a dingy alley. She tries to get down closer to him and jumps down when someone suddenly appears out of nowhere. She rushes to close his mouth, seeing as he is about to shout, and her robe opens to reveal her silver hair. The boy ( here comes a completely new type of ML) with golden eyes reminiscent of Byron, the boy nods his head at her gesture to keep quiet and warns him that this isn't the place for kids when she deduces that he is a noble young lord who sneaked out using a teleportation scroll. She tries to get away from him before Claude notices her, but the boy is still amazed by her parkour. Just as she was wondering how to rid herself of him, she found a servant who seemed to be looking for the noble boy. She jumps away from the place just as the servant finds the boy and asks him to head back. Aila, from her perch, sees that the boy has black hair like her father, which is different from Byron's red hair. She still finds Claude hiding in the same alley, looking at a mansion which is tightly guarded, and she wonders if that's where the little lion is. She heads back to the inn before someone notices her absence.
The next day, they left for the next city of Bar Haight and again took over another inn. She stayed put in her room for a week so as not to raise suspicion, and then she headed out again after putting Laura to sleep. She just planned to look around, but she found Claude sneaking out in dark clothes and a mask, and she immediately followed him and kept an eye on him as he spied on another guarded mansion looking for a way in. As she kept her eye on him, she noticed the boy she met in Grunfeld again appearing in the alley as if he sneaked out again and noticed that Claude was shocked to see the boy. Now Aila is sure that Claude's target is this boy, she followed them swiftly, looking at the boy walk the more deserted alleys, she quickly pulled him onto a veranda at a brief moment when he was out of Claude's sight and shushed him, pointing at Claude. The boy stopped struggling, looking at the assassin, after Claude walked away, looking for the boy. Aila wonders if this boy is the young Lion, but he seems too young to have been involved with Byron 10 years ago. She notices her white nightwear is dusty and is agast at being caught, but the boy, indebted to his life's benefactor, used a spell to clean her up. Looking at him being proud about the spell, Aila burst into laughter and thanked him for saving her from a predicament. The boy was not satisfied with this spell as his sign of gratitude, and looked for something he could pay her back. As he pulls something out, a silver coin falls out, and when Aila picks it up, she sees a lion on the coin, and everything clicks into place. The lion on the coin represents the imperial family, and the young lion could mean the emperor or the crown prince. She remembered that the then-crown prince was 20 years old, which would make the young lion the Byron was referring to the emperor, along with her father, referred to as the great white wolf. Byron was planning treason. Aila paled when she finally put this together in her mind, and the boy, looking at her complexion changing, asked if she was feeling sick. She looked at the boy and asked if he was the crown prince, and he confirmed that he was in the process of being indicted as crown prince and introduced himself as Winfred Ulysses Vito Peles. ( Our Winnie is her)

Aila bewildered asks Wilfred for confirmation if he had an uncle. Winfred hesitated for a moment but made up mind to answer Aila as she is his benefactor. He confirmed that he had an uncle Byron Lionel Vito Peles. Aila lets out a deep breath after finally finis g out who Byron is and what he is planning. He is planning treason to kill the emperor and the crown prince. Winfred, watches Aila’s varied expressions and asks if she was a foreigner as this is a well known incident in the empire where the first prince committed treason to kill the previous emperor while his father (now emperor k was chosen as a crown prince. His ploy was foiled by Roderick and Weishaffen knights when they came for the late emperors rescue who passed away three years ago of poor health. Aila confirms that she is from the empire but there is a reason why she did not know about this. Aila contemplates that she could leave as she found out Byron’s plan but decides against it when she remembers her pendant which was used in the last life to prove her identity and also she wanted to give Byron the taste of the same betrayal where his plan a]would collapse at the verge of success. Winfred who had been quiet for a while said with a start and offered the pocket watch he took out but Aila declined as she would be caught for sneaking out. Winfred did not accept that and said she could just hide and Aila’s gave a sad smile remembering how difficult it was to hide a small bottle of sleeping draught. Winfred exclaimed that he could solve that problem as well and whistled when a box appeared out of thin air. He offered the box which is hidden by magic and can only be summoned by the owner, Aila felt greedy as this box would very helpful for her to collect and store information safely but she hesitated as magic tools leave a trace. Winfred assured that this was made by the strongest wizard ans is layered with security magic so it cannot be traced unless the wizard is stronger than the maker. As she is lost in her thoughts her face darkened when she admitted that she cannot whistle and Winfred laughing reassured that he can change the command to a finger snap. He then asks for her name ans she says Aila Heiling as she could not reveal her full name after which Winfred transfers the ownership to her. Winfred tilted his head at the name Heiling as it sounded familiar but could not quite place it. She the warns him not to sneak out anymore as the person who targeted him today is Byron and will continue to do so. She cannot tell him how she knows this but asks him to relays a message to her parents if he figures out who she is. She asks him to tell only her parents and no one else that she will come back to them. She leaves him at a safe arena close to his mansion and disappears.
Once back the inn room with Laura still passed out she calls out the magic box and looks at pocket watch which should be helpful for her keep the time from now on during her nightly activities. She places the bottle she hid in the box as well and felt accomplished for foiling Byron’s plan to assassinate Winfred who is a very sweet boy. Just then she heard the sound of footsteps stopping at the door and so she went back to pretending to be asleep. It was Claude looking for Laura came into the room when the door did not open after his knocking. He shook her awake and thankfully Laura lied saying she just dozed off for a moment and had been watching Aila all night. Claude gave some snacks he bought at the night market and said she can share some with Aila if anything is left over. Aila felt the blatant irony at Claude doting on his Neice while he was out just a few hours ago trying to kill Winfred.
The next day Winfred with muscle pain from his escapade was lost in thoughts reminiscing about his encounter with Aila who seemed like a moon fairy appearing during the night and saving. His heart tightened when he saw the wounds the little hands and also the non physical wounds she seemed to be carrying.he came out of his thoughts at his chamberlain and asked him to summon Sir Dexen the commander of his escort. Alexia Dexen the second daughter of Dexen family, a vassal of Weishaffen and trained under Roderick. Her only Son Bradley was Winfred’s playmate. So he knew she was a strict mother so he nervously confessed that last night he met an assassin sent by Byron and he was helped by someone avoid it. He kept Aila’s identity to himself as he wanted their meeting to be his special memory and explained that the assassin was with gray hair he carried a unique dagger. Winfred although not very versed in swordsmanship or other physical activities is good at painting. He drew a sketch of the dagger and Alexia immediately recognised the dagger being unique to Aire family and remembered Claude Aire who was had grey hair and brown eyes. His elder brother Bayfold perished during the treason 10 years ago. She is now sure that it is indeed Byron who attempted the assassination of Winfred and is worried about how to safely escort the crown prince who is of similar age to her son.
At the inn, Byron is deeply displeased with Claude who still could not kill Winfred. Winfred was on a journey that every crown prince of the empire had to make to the holy mountain in the west named after the founding emperor Primus Arpa Vito Peles. Emperor Primus, before his death left a will saying that he would become a guardian deity of the empire and disappeared from this mountains. His descendants never found him or his remains and so the princes pay homage to this Mounika in before they ascend as crown prince.He was the one who was supposed to go on this journey during his generation but it was his younger brother who finished that journey and now his Nephew was finishing that journey which was extremely unpleasant to him. He roared at Claude that he cannot come back until he kill Winfred and threw the wine glass at him. Claude headed out again and cased out the mansion checking for a way in when one of the guards called the rest for a meeting leaving behind only the skeleton crew. Claude taking advantage of this trike of luck immediately infiltrated the mansion and headed to the room that had the most number of guards and was surprised at how easily everything worked out. He threw a smoke bomb at the guards and entered the room expecting the prince but met Sir Dexen and I’mmedeiately realised that he walked into a trap. Alecia scolded him that his brain became sluggish if he fell for such a trap and attacked all together. He took on all of them at the same time and sustained a deep cut above his eye and shoulder from Alexia, Claude knew he would dies this rate ew a flash bomb and escaped from the mansion with he knights chasing after him.

Correction - Winfred Julius Vito pales

The next few days Aila did not head out into the city and only sneaked into the lobby to pilfer some writing necessities, but the atmosphere had been unusual recently and Laura looked depressed. So she sneaked out after she out Laura to sleep and heard the conversation in the Byron’s room where his men were reporting that they still did not find Claude. As Byron ordered them find him at any cost and if dead to bring back his corpse. Aila slipped back into her room and thought that the only reason Claude would be missing for so many days was if he was caught or hurt by the imperial guards. This incident was also new and if so is this because if the information she gave to Winfred? Does that mean they set a trap for Claude, Aila bit her lip as Claude’s a sense might derail her plan of showing Byron that she is gradually improving she can go back to the Duchy sooner. A couple more days later an unknown man came by the inn asking for Capella that an old man from the outskirts asked to give her a letter. The guard who took the letter found Capella in Aila’s room and showed the letter, she immediately recognised Claude’s handwriting and went to Byron to report leaving the guard to watch Aila.
Capella shows the letter to Byron and he breathes that Claude, his most useful tool is still alive and instructs that they need to leave this city soon and meet up with Claude later who was getting treated for his injuries. Capella hesitates at his orders as the censuring is more stricter now and even if he changed his hair and eye colour his features are not going to change. Aila who was left alone with the guard tried to pry some information but did not yield anything as he did not know much, but she found the answer in Laura’s more energetic behaviour. It seems they found Claude and he at-least seems to be alive. Aila packed up and headend out to the Carriage but they asked her to wait and soon after Byron walked out and opened the carriage door. She found the floor of the carriage open with a hidden space, Byron along with her stowed into the space and the door closed. Being in close proximity of Byron, once again brought up her anger towards him and guilt o her parents which were boiling over and then she remembered Winfred who was mesmerised by her skills calling her cool and pretty. She went back to that night and was comforted with that memory and that Winfred her first friend in both lives. She could now tolerate being stuck with Byron. Alexei’s men reported that they still could not locate Claude, she struck her chair that she should not let him get away that day. Now she had confirmation that Byron was indeed alive and is still plotting. While she was mulling over the mistake Winfred found her and recited the instruction he received from his father, the Emperor said the Alexei would be forgiven as long as she safely escorts Winfred back to the imperial palace. Although grateful, Alexei could not forgive herself as keeping the prince safe was her duty and that isn’t even a punishment. Winfred felt more embarrassed that his sneaking out troubled so many people, despite his good intentions he can’t argue that he cause a lot of trouble. Alexei looked at Winfred who was focused on the book at hand and asked if he was looking for something to which he vaguely sidestepped the question because he was looking up the noble almanac for Aila. Heiling sounded familiar to him so he assumed he would find the family name in the almanac hoping he could figure out her identity soon. Claude was hiding out in a physician’s house who regularly treated criminals for the right price. He was the one who sent he letter to Capella. At that time Capella and Laura weee behaving like some overbearing nobles to hurry up the inspection at the gate. Once safely through they send away on less travelled roads into a forest and met up with Claude who was waiting for them.
They again wandered around forests and ruins as time flowed by and soon it was fall when Aila’s birthday passed. She was now 13 years old. Claude praised her for improving well not knowing that Aila had already mastered all these skills and just feigning to be improving. He said that she can use the rest of the time as free time and she wandered around the forest with her escort worried about the approaching winter as it would make it difficult for her to climb and hide in trees, her footprints would also be left in the snow when it starts sticking to the ground. She soon headed back as stating out too long would just make things harder for her, when she heard a sound form Byron’s room and a glass flew out of the window.
while Aila was on her walk Claude received another message but was worried about how to convey the message which would definitely worsen Byron’s mood. As he expected Byron’s flew into a rage reading the hastily written letter which said that Ophelia was with child. Claude decided to let everyone know not to approach Byron’s until he call for them for the time being. Byron was stewing in his room at the news, Ophelia had a constitution that made it harder for her to have children. It was said Aila would be her first and last child but she was with child again. Byron decided to have Aila kill the newborn as well along with her father before he made Ophelia his Empress. That night Aila once again sneaked out and climbed the tree and could smell the alcohol through the broken window . She threw a rock in to make sure Byron was indeed asleep and carefully stepped in the room. The alcohol stench made her eyes water but she still looked around the room for any messages or letter. She found some torn and burnt pieces in the fire place. She stashed those pieces and returned to her room and tried to read the burnt message, it’s said the duchess but the important part of the letter was illegible but at the bottom it was written that the Duke was very happy. Since her father is happy she could infer that her mother was fine. After that night she stayed in her room. Lest Byron comes to find her like the other time. She still kept an eye on Byron’s mood and noticed that he still had meals with her but gave her cold looks sometimes. She decided to go out at night again as she needs to collect more information before winter sets in. She founds quite a few people who were in collaboration with Byron along with some foreign nobles . She found out that count senosfon of Inselkov kingdom was financing him but could not find out what the deal between them was, no foreign noble would finance a traitor of another country without some profit. She woke up another day feeling sluggish given all her nightly activities, finished her training as usual and was out on a walk when came across a rabbit. She uncharacteristically followed the cute rabbit and lost track of time. She was late and when she returned, Byron along with Claude and Laura were standing at the entrance. Byron feigned disappointment saying that his daughter seems to enjoy the outdoors a lot and punished her to stay out night. Aila understood that he was venting but still pleaded as she could not raise his suspicion, Claude and unexpectedly Laura also tried to stop Byron’s as the cold nights might make her sick. Soon after clouds gathered and it started raining, Aila was always in exceptional health, a trait she definitely inherited from her mother but even she would fall ill if she stayed out in the rain and cold all night. stayed out as the clouds gathered and rain poured down. Claude was still persuading Byron that leaving the child in rain would not be beneficial, Byron also knew that but could not go back on his order due to pride but just as he was rescinding the order, Laura came rushing in saying that Aila passed out. Claude rushed out before Byron could give the order landing himself for waiting time persuading Byron instead of bringing the child inside. Claude carried Aila who was burning with fever inside and looked at Byron with resentment or which Byron just nonchalantly ordered them to care for her so her training isn’t interfered with. Aila delirious with fever dreamt of her mom warmly caressing her and holding her affectionately when she was young, then she saw Winfred who wiped her tears away asking her not to cry and then she saw Claude who was guiltily looking at her and apologised. Aila wanted to scream but could not muster up the energy but retorted, what are you apologising for? Is for a deceiving a foolish child. She lashed out in her dream and passed out again. Claude who was taking care of her was shocked, since when did she know and how far does she know. Aila woke up two days later, still tired and stayed on bed rest. While she was resting winter has set in and Aila grew a little taller. After recovering a little she came out of the fort and saw snow everywhere, despite it being inconvenient for her spying, she always liked winter. Her father said that as a Weishaffen she would be more comfortable in the cold just like him.

Hiram Tobais Vito Peles, the current emperor of the Peles Empire and is having tea with his only son. Like his good friend Roderick, he also loves his wife Selene very much and when she fell ill after childbirth. He concluded that they won't have any more children and is very affectionate with his son. Given how busy both of them are with state affairs, he always cherished these brief respite with his son, but his lovely son seemed lost in thought, and when teased him about being lost in thought, Winfred denied it and when his father sulked a little. He came clean and said that he had been feeling uncomfortable in his chest and did not have an appetite. Hiram remembered that his son's recent health check was unremarkable and smiled, realising what was ailing his teenage son. Winn, noticing this, asks him if he knows what is wrong with him, his father teases him that he is lovesick and inquires about who the young lady is. Winn shuts his father down so that he feels like in pain, not excited and elated when people fall in love. Hiram laughed, making fun that his son is still a child and winn walsk ou,t bristling. Winn thinks more about Aila as he could not see the name Ailing in the almanack and is stumped; these days, his thoughts are completely occupied by her, and he admits that he likes Aila. Another day, he was relaxing with his father and mother, when Selene noticed her son lost in thought and blushing, thinking about the night he met the cool and beautiful Aila. Selene suggests that he visit the Weishaffens as the duchess entered a stable period. She hopes that Roderick will be more helpful to her son than her mischievous husband. Winn is excited when he hears that Ophelia is better and the Duchy finally has an heir. His parents made a subdued face when they heard this, at which Winn remembers that the Weishaffens lost their daughter. Hiram lightens the mood, bringing up the memories about a 4-year-old Winn who declared that the princess would be his bride. Winfred denies it, saying that he doesn't remember and feels as if he has sinned against Aila. He wanted to express his feelings with purity and wanted Aila to be his first love.
Back in the Duchy, Opehlia was resting in a comfortable chair, caressing her lower abdomen where her second child was growing. She had been suppressing thoughts of guilt about whether she deserved to be a mother, having lost her 2-year-old daughter, but she could not endanger her second child, who came to her. Roderick, who brought in a letter for his wife from her longtime friend, was hoping that her energetic friend Candice would lift her spirits. They wondered if she could explain how Ophelia was pregnant again. After waking up from her coma, she lost something precious, and then she found out that she was pregnant. She decided to accept that it was god's gift and hoped Candice would be able to shed more light.
A few days later, Winfred visited them bringing all sorts of gifts, herbs, foods and toys that are good for the mother and child. They were in the drawing room after Winfred explained the gifts, and he started fidgeting. And Roderoick, noticing this, left the room as Winfred and Ophelia often shared secrets. He had been a great comfort with his warm personality when Ophelia was devastated after losing Aila. Once Roderick left them alone, WInfred apologised, saying that he had given the magic box she had gifted him to another person. Ophelia waves off his apology and assures that the magic box was his and he can do whatever he wanted but she was more interested in the person he gave it to. Winfred blushed remembering Aila and Opehalia immediately noticed it, while lost in memory Winfred remembers the day Opehelia gifted him the box where she said her full name, Ophelia Heiling Weishaffen. Now he understood why he could not find the name in the Almanac as he remembered Opehelia came from a neighbouring republic. Does that mean Aila is the the Duchess’s relative, he felt excited at the prospect of finding out Aila’s identity. He felt foolish for not making the connection sooner given her shimmering silver hair. He started asking questions about her family if there are any other silver haired family members who came to the empire. Ophelia after answering a couple of questions asks directly why he is asking these questions. Winfred hesitates but trusts Ophelia to keep his secrets just as she had done all this time and confesses that she met 12 yr old silver haired girl. After confirming that her brother’s daughters with silver haired were older than 12, she pales and asks if he knows her name and Winfred answers that her name was Aila Heiling. She asks where he met her and he explains her met her in his journey in Grunfeld and Baha’i in the west. She asks what his eye Color was and Winfred answers that she had blue eyes like the Duke and immediately realises what the meant. Ophelia immediately started shedding tears. The duke working in his office looked up at the Butler’s call saying that the crown prince was looking for him. He rushes to the drawing room where they were and notices his wife in tears. Looking at the flustered prince he asks what happened when Opehelia incoherently just says Aila’s name. After making sure that they are alone Winfred recounts his meeting with Aila. Hearing the city names he recalls the incident that Alexei told him about when Winfred sneaked out at night and was almost assassinated. When Roderick asked is it was the same time, he confirms it is and that it was Aila who saved him. After Roderick digests the news that Aila was indeed alive as they both believed all these years, Winfred clears his throat and says he has a message from her. He relays that she promised to come back to them one day and asked them to wait for her. Winfred was in his way after the emotional meeting with Weishaffen feeling completely drained when he realises that the baby he said he would marry was Aila. Roderick asked him to keep this fact to himself for Aila’s safety.
A couple of days later, Candice Epocher, director of magical academy of the republic of Tamora arrives at the Weishaffen to meet her friend after a king time and also take care of her during her pregnancy and assist her with magic so the child can born safely. Once she showed her to her room, she asks for a favour revealing that Aila is alive and has the magic box with her. She asks her help in tracking this box although it would be extremely difficult.

Suddenly, one day, Byron's party was packing up, leaving in a rush disguised as fur merchants. Aila could guess that either imperial guards or the Weishaffen knights must be nearby. After travelling for a while, their party was stopped by the guards, who were checking the forest road. The guards check their authenticity and open the ecarriages to inspect if they were fur merchants as they claim. One of the guards gets suspicious of Claude, who has a scar over his eye and Byron, who was hiding his hand. The imperial guard was described by Claude and Byron again as they tightened security measures. As the Guard insists that Byron show his hand, Claude kills him and sends Byron, Capella and the girls ahead in the fastest carriage and gives a dagger to Aila to protect them. He is still suspicious about Aila, but he still gives her the dagger, given his urgency. They get a little further when reinforcements catch up to them. Aila steps out to fight, and Byron orders her to kill them all, but Aila wounds them without killing them. She cannot save all of them, but she wanted to save at least a few as they were innocenAfterter a while, Claude caught up and Aila, still wounding the knights, whispered to them to play dead so they could survive. Soon, the fight ends, and they rush out of there. After this altercation, rumours start to spread that Byron was still alive which spread fear through the empire but there was another rumor that never saw the light as alexei who heard the report from the survivors about a silver haired girl who told them to play dead ordered them keep this to themselves as the rumors might endanger the girl who might be a hostage.
A few days after this incident, Alexei escorted Winfred to Weoshaffen as she wanted to report this in person. Winfred carried a frame wrapped in paper and met the Weishaffens and Candice, who reminded him of his father. After greetings, Winfred fidgeted, and Roderick sent all the servants out, noticing it, Winfred still kept quiet, looking at Candice, and Roderick reassured him that all the people in the room knew about Aila's existence. WInfred sighed and gave the frame to the Ducal couple, and when they opened the gift, they found a portrait of Aila from he night she met Winfred. Ophelia and Roderick were touched and overwhelmed looking at the girl in the portrait, whom they remember as a 2-year-old. While they were happily appreciating the picture, Alexei gestured to Roderick, and he led her to his office, leaving the others behind, understanding that she had something to say about Aila. Alexei recounted the testimonies of the knight who survived and explained that they heard Byron's men referring to the silver-haired girl as a young lady and Byron as her father; she also seemed to be trained in Aire swordsmanship. Alexei expressed about the girl's identity, but knowing Byron, Roderick was certain that the girl was Aila and felt helpless at not being able to immediately rush to her and bring her away from danger. To not strain a pregnant Ophelia, Roderick decides to keep this information to himself.
On the other side of the empire, Byron and his party are hiding out in a bandit cave in the mountains after their brush with the imperial guard, and Byron was irritable at having to hide out at such a location because of the rumours that are spread through the Empire but fortunately he did not suspect Aila as there we no rumors about her. The knights seem to be keeping it quiet for her safety. Claude watching Byron's tantrum suggests that they should hide out underground like before, as that seems to be the safest option. Byron adamantly rejects it, saying he will think of something else, while he was stewing, Aila tried to find out about this underground from Claude, but only found out that 11 years ago they hid in underground waterways. Byron, after he finished thinking, asked Claude to contact the Inselkov kingdom and to find a way through the sea so they could lie low in a foreign kingdom until the rumours calm down.
Winfred, while dealing with his everyday duties, was looking at Aila's portrait he had drawn on a smaller frame for practice and looked for the handkerchief he had laid out that night for her. It's a handkerchief he had been cherishing and noticed that he misplaced it, despite asking the chamberlein's help he could not find out even after a couple of days and just as he was giving up he found on a brown haired maid named Binka who was away on leave for the past couple of days. Roderick was in office, looking over the various reports from the spies he placed with the nobles who showed affinity to Byron, he was sure that Byron was receiving help from the imperial nobles, as he could even find his tail despite all these years of search across the kingdom.
Season changed as the winter melted away, and Byron and his men were still hiding out in the mountains while heading toward the sea. He was happier with Aila's progress and praised her skills in hunting and her contribution during the skirmish. He promised to allow her to roam freely when they get to Inselkov, to Aila's surprise. That night, after confirming that Laura was asleep, Aila sneaked out to Byron's tent to spy when she heard Claude expressing concern over letting Aila roam freely. Byron calms him down that to tame a hunting dog, you need to give out carrots once in a while, and he isn't worried about Weishaffens as they cannot exert influence over a foreign kingdom or about Aila running away, as he had a curse placed on her to kill her for such situations. Aila felt her heart stop at those words, and it made sense to her, as it would be difficult to control a person through brainwashing alone. Just as she decided to die rather than let Byron control her after she was back in the duchy, Byron reassured him that he would remove the curse before sending her to the duchy so that Ophelia would not notice the magic. She remembered that before she was sent to the duchy in her past life, she underwent a ritual with a shaman, which seems to the ritual to lift the curse.

The next day, Byron's party arrived at the sea. Aila, despite her dismal circumstances, was excited to see the sea for the first time in her life. They climbed aboard a small boat, which took them to a bigger vessel in the middle of the sea. The vessel was owned by a merchant Guild who was ordered by the count to take good care of them. Byron, Capella and Laura were seasick, so she was seasickand Claude allowed her to go up to the deck. A couple of nights later, they came across a pirate ship while Aila was on the deck for her free time. She, along with Cladue, joined the battle much to the sailors' surprise, and as they were about to be overwhelmed by the pirates, another ship approached them and an energetic woman, along with her crew, gave them a hand. As the tide of the battle changed, a pirate approached the woman from behind the blindside but was rescued by Aila. Once the Pirate retreated, the boisterous woman waved off the gratitude, saying that merchants should help each other, as she was about to thank Aila for saving her, a frail-looking man came up from below the deck, calling the woman Natalia. A couple more days on the sea and they reached the Inselkov kingdom, the count sent a cart with a hidden space to bring them covertly into he count's estate. Count Ernst Senespon was waiting with his 16-year-old son, Gerald and wife to welcome Byron and his group. Gerald completely ignores Byron and is only focused on the beautiful Aila. When Ernst noticed his gaze and asked Byron about her identity, he said that she was his daughter. Once Ernst set Byron and the others in the annexe of the mansion, he pulled his son aside and scolded him about his attitude toward Byron and asked him to impress Aila, thinking to himself that he could marry his son to an Imperial princess. Later that night, Ernst was currying favour by pouring Byron the expensive alcohol he had been saving up for later. Byron, now pleasantly drunk, praised the count for his care and would keep his favour in mind for his deal, at which he slumped down explaining that his side of things went down the wrong road as the heir her was supporting was overthrown by the illegitimate son of the previous king. Byron arrogantly assured him that once he becomes the emperor, he can make the count the king instead of placing someone else on the throne. Count eyes glazed at the thought without considering the feasibility of the statement, and went on to pour out more alcohol. Byron requested to change the door to his daughter's room so that it could be locked from the outside and revealed that she was just a hunting dog he was raising, not his real daughter. Ernst swallowed nervously at almost making a mistake.
Aila's routine did not change much despite being in a foreign country, while training, Claude suggested she take a break and offered her some hot chocolate. He had been kinder recently, and just as she relaxed, both of them felt a presence in the bushes. Claude rushed towards the bushed with sword drawn and Aila pulled out her dagger, Gerald show as hiding fell back on his butt when he saw a sword thrusted at him suddenly. He dusted himself off, glaring at Claude and glanced at Ail, who still hadn't put away her dagger, looking at him in annoyance. Noticing his gaze, Calude realised that he was smitten with Aila and groaned at the trouble that was coming his way. Gerald tried to flirt and asked Aila for her name, to which she responded that she doesn't have one. He laughed obnoxiously and said that he would call her a pretty girl moving forward. Aila frowned again, but hearing someone call for Gerald, he left, saying he would be back again. On the other hand, in the empire, Winfred was having a nightmare where he saw himself walking away with some youngster who draped his arms on her shoulders. His Chamberlain woke him, and as he was groaning about the day ahead, Binka barged in while he was changing, and the Chamberlain reprimanded her for this behaviour, which is not tolerable. Winfred dissuades him, saying that Winifred woke up later today, interrupting her wor,k and reassuring Binka that he will get out of her way soon. Later in the afternoon, the Chamberlein Joseph asks Winfred if he likes Binka and almost gives him a stroke when he says that he does, but as an older sibling. Joseph sighs and advises that his behaviour, no matter how grateful he is for her finding his precious handkerchief, would arouse suspicion among the staff, the prince is in love with a maid. Winfred was horrified that he almost created salacious gossip about himself, which Aila might hear when she comes back to the duchy and decides to be careful of his behaviour.
Back in the kingdom, Aila was enjoying her break again, when Gerald showed up again, she was sure that he was having the servants of the annexe keep an eye on her and let him know, otherwise it doesn't make sense for him to disturb her breaks all the time. He offers the chocolate cake, but Aila rejects it, saying he can enjoy it by himself. She dodges him while cleaning when he rudely tries to grab her hand, but luckily, Claude comes just in time as he becomes more insistent and escorts Aila inside. Later, Claude reports that he has nothing else to teach Aila as she has mastered everything he taught her, which pleases Byron as he can set his weapon loose on Roderick. Cladue then mentions Gerald, who had been buzzing around Aila recently. Count frowns and decides to have a word with Count, as the only focus of his daughter, who resembles Ophelia, should be him. The count flustered divulges that he instigated his son in the hopes of being in alwa with Byron and He sneers inwardly at the simpleton in front of him. Later that night, Ernst wakes up Gerald, furious that he didn't listen to him. Geralb cannot just comply with his words without a proper explanation, to which Ernst explains that Aila is not Byron's biological daughter and explains that he doesn't need to cajole her anymore. Gerald smirks and answers that if she is not his respected guest's daughter, what does it matter if he showed interest and closes his door.
At the Weishaffen manor, Roderick is pacing outside the labour room, worried for Ophelia, who was two weeks early. Candice reassures that she is here to make sure nothing bad would happen, and soon after, they hear a baby cry from inside, and the midwife announces the birth of the young master of the duchy. Ophelia names him Noah Abner Weishaffen, a beautiful baby with his father's black hair and his mother's purple eyes.