ATEBS 13

Episode 13

Layla carefully dug up the Aiola roots without damaging them.
After putting a few more flowers into the basket, the two stood up.

“I’m going to send a message,” Easton said.

“Oh, okay…!” Layla replied.

Easton stepped far away so Layla wouldn’t hear what he was saying.
He pulled out his communication crystal.

“I found Aiola,” he said.

[“What? Really?”]

“Prepare the carriage. I’ll return tomorrow.”

[“Understood! Travel safely!”]

The light from the crystal dimmed.
Easton stared at the darkened crystal.
It was time to return.

He could finally save his suffering sister. He felt happy, like flying—but also sad deep inside.
He knew the reason why.
With a heavy heart, Easton slowly walked back to Layla.

“Shall we go?” he asked.

“Yes,” she nodded.

Easton immediately picked up the basket, and they began to walk down the mountain.
Unlike the climb up, they said nothing on the way down.
The silence between them felt heavy.

They soon reached the foot of the mountain. Far away, the orange-roofed inn was in sight.

“I guess you’d rather go back quickly than have a toast now?” Layla said with a small smile.

“I have to pack,” Easton replied. “I’ll leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”

Just as they came down, it started raining again. The sky turned dark with clouds.
The mountain path became dangerous in the dark.

“Yes, of course. And I need to prepare the antidote,” Layla said.

“You’ve already helped enough,” he said. “You don’t have to make medicine too—”

“No, please let me help,” she interrupted, grabbing his hand.

Her pink eyes were full of emotion.
Easton stared at her.

“…Alright,” he finally said.

He couldn’t say no. Blushing, he turned around.
His steps back to the inn felt both light and heavy.
It was a strange mix of feelings he’d never experienced before.

“Yes… it’s done!”

Layla had failed many times before. Her face was covered in soot from small explosions, and the house smelled burnt.
But finally, she succeeded.

She had made the perfect antidote for Deploreo poison!
She combined the ingredients in perfect balance and boiled them at the right heat.

No other antidote would work better than this.

She carefully poured the clear antidote into a crystal bottle.

“It’s finished!”

If Easton’s sister drank this, she would recover in less than a month.
Her cheeks turned pink with excitement.

She sealed the bottle tightly and stood up.
Her pink eyes looked out the window.

“Gasp!”

Morning was already breaking.
She had been so focused on making the medicine that she didn’t notice the time.

“He said he’d leave at sunrise!”

She quickly found the cleanest box in her house and placed the antidote inside.
Then she rushed to the door.

“Huh?”

“Ah! Easton…!”

The moment she opened the door, Easton was standing there, smiling.

Layla suddenly realized her face was covered in black soot.

“Ahh!”

Her face turned red, and she looked around for a place to hide.
But there was nowhere to hide outside her small house.

“Here,” Easton said, handing her a clean handkerchief.

Layla reached for it, but then noticed her hands were also dirty.
Easton chuckled and gently wiped her face himself.

“Oh…”

“You made the antidote overnight?” he asked.

Even though he was just wiping her face, she could feel warmth from his fingers.

His blue eyes looked at her so gently.

“It’s okay… Is it that bad to look at?” she mumbled.

“It’s not because it’s bad,” he whispered.

Because… you’re lovely.
But Easton didn’t say that out loud.
He just kept wiping her face.

After he finished, he gave her the handkerchief.

In society, giving a handkerchief to a woman meant proposing marriage.
But Layla probably didn’t know that.

She shyly handed him the box.

“Here…”

“Thank you. Really.”

Easton looked at the box without taking it right away.

“I never thought I’d be able to get it this quickly.”

“I guess… it was your luck,” Layla smiled.

She still felt the warmth of his hand on her face. She couldn’t meet his eyes and quickly placed the box into his arms.

Outside the gate, the carriage and coachman were waiting.

Suddenly, her heart ached.

Easton was just going back to where he belonged…
So why did it hurt so much?

“You have to go now, right?”

“Yes. My sister…”

He smiled sadly and lowered his eyes.

“She’s waiting for me.”

“Yes… you should go. She must be waiting…”

Layla fully understood. In her head, at least.

“…Okay.”

But she didn’t know how to say what her heart felt.

“Goodbye, Easton.”

They weren’t lovers. They weren’t even close friends.
So she couldn’t say “Come again” or “See you soon.”

She simply said goodbye and turned away.

She entered the house quickly.

Strangely, it felt like she might cry.

“…Sniff.”

She slowly walked to the living room, feeling alone again.

Then she saw the honey wine and two empty glasses they had used yesterday.

Layla bit her lip.

Looking at those glasses made her realize something.

“I… I like Easton.”

She finally understood her feelings.

She rushed outside.

“Easton!”

The carriage was already moving.

Even if he couldn’t hear, she had to say it now.

“I like you!”

She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted toward the leaving carriage.

“I like you!”

She looked a mess, but she didn’t care.

Even if he was far, he would hear.

“Please come back! You must come back!”

As Layla cried and shouted again…

The carriage window opened—and Easton leaned out.

“Careful, Easton!” she called.

“I like you too, Layla!” he shouted back.

“I’ll come back! I promise!”

He waved his hand big and wide.

The rainy season was over.
Between the bright green trees, Easton smiled brightly.

He was getting farther away, but her heart beat joyfully.
Layla cried happy tears and smiled at him.

Just as the carriage was almost out of sight…

Boom!

A loud explosion shook the air.

The carriage was suddenly on fire.

“No…!”

Layla screamed and ran toward the burning carriage.
Her cry echoed over the orange rooftops—
but no one answered.