TVDML 35

35.

Baldwin, now unable to read his book due to my interference, let out a faint smile.

“Okay, okay, I get it—you’re jealous. So stop staring at the ring! Weren’t you going to read too?”

“Then you can’t wear any rings either, Baldwin. Only one goes here. Just here.”

I tugged Baldwin’s left hand and pointed to his fourth finger.

“You’re only allowed to wear a ring on this finger.”

That’s the mark of a proper male lead.

“Here?”

“Yup. You only wear one ring, and only with the person you love.”

Just imagine how happy Camilla will be later on!

I was starting to realize how important early education really was.

If I did well, I might just raise the perfect male lead.

“I promise.”

Baldwin suddenly stuck out his pinky. Something felt off.

Wait, I’m the one making the promise?

“I’m the one making the promise?”

“Then who else?”

“That kind of promise is something you do later, with the person you love!”

“…You can just do it for me, Lara.”

“…Is that how it works?”

I tilted my head in doubt but still hooked my finger with his.

It’s not like I had experience with this kind of thing.

Oh—wait a sec.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to share that ring with the crown prince of Aints or something?”

Better to make sure, especially since I’ve already messed up your life quite a bit…

“Lara.”

Baldwin called my name in a low voice, his gaze anything but amused.

“What?! I was just asking to make sure! That’s all!”

I answered brazenly and pretended to go back to reading my book. Ahem!

Baldwin’s eyes, watching Layla swaying her legs as she read, darkened with a red glow.

He never had much hesitation about cross-dressing. He understood very well how important it was to survive.

Until this body was strong enough to survive without protection, he didn’t mind dressing as a girl.

But in situations like this, even that resolve would waver.

Hair that looked like it was woven from melted silver and golden eyes that smiled like a mischievous cat when they looked at him.

Every time her eyes curved with a smile, Layla looked just like a cat.

A silver cat lying on its back under the lazy sunshine.

So cute, he wanted to gobble her up in one bite.

And yet she didn’t even realize what she was saying when she casually talked about little kittens to Baldwin.

Sometimes, when she rambled about unnecessary things, he’d think: if only he could shrink her down and tuck her away in his heart—then she wouldn’t say such things.

‘Don’t tell me you’re going to share that ring with the crown prince of Aints?’

Baldwin stifled a sigh.

If there was anyone he would share a one-and-only promise with, it would always be Layla.

She was the one irreplaceable person for Baldwin.

“What are you thinking about, Dee Dee?”

Even so, he couldn’t reveal all of that to Layla, who now wore that guarded, feline expression.

She might run far away if he ever did.

Baldwin smiled softly, matching her mood.

“…Just thinking I’m hungry.”

If these feelings were a kind of hunger, then he was constantly starving—on the verge of madness.

At his words, Layla’s eyes sparkled and she immediately sprang up.

“Then let’s go get a snack! I heard a fairy dropped off an enormous cow earlier this morning!”

She hummed cheerfully.

Caliburn had been steadily delivering goods.

Apparently, this was the only small thing they could do for Lorovante at the moment.

While pulling Baldwin up from the bed, Layla added:

“They promised to make meat pies for snacks!”

That wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind, but—

Still, Baldwin followed the purring Layla with slow steps.

Steps far too seasoned and silent for someone who claimed to be just ten years old.

All this time, Layla had tried summoning Radi whenever she was alone, but it had always failed.

Aldis Hawaid had said he could only respond when time allowed.

Apparently, even his familiars worked on that schedule.

So before Layla successfully summoned Radi, she had failed five times.

“Ugh, why is it so hard to call you?”

Layla grumbled.

[“Aldis is busy! Very busy!”]

“Even now?”

[“Right now is fine. He’s at his post.”]

So Aldis Hawaid had been absent all this time?

Was something going on?

According to the original story, there shouldn’t be any major incidents in the Empire at this time.

The main plotline focused solely on Camilla and Baldwin’s life journey.

Which meant that other parts had definitely been skipped or glossed over.

Like the Mage Tower. In the story, the Mage Tower…

Only ever showed up a few times—when natural disasters struck the Empire.

That’s because the one causing disasters across the continent was the demon dragon, Lagnis.

And did the Mage Tower interfere in the affairs of Aints or Fidelro?

Not at all.

Aldis Hawaid, in particular, was just as he was now. Someone who always sided with the victor and only cared about the Tower’s safety.

So if even someone like Aldis had started moving…

Then there must’ve been a natural disaster.

“What happened?”

[“Stuff happened! Big stuff! But you’ll have to ask Aldis. He said I’m not allowed to tell you!”]

“Can I see Aldis Hawaid now?”

Radi nodded its cute little head.

This would be the third time Layla met Aldis Hawaid.

Just like before, Radi grew in size and opened its large beak wide.

Out walked Aldis Hawaid, unchanged from before.

Time always seemed to stand still for him—though he did look slightly more fatigued today.

“Radi said something happened. Is that true?”

“Hello, Lady Layla. It’s been a while.”

“Ah! I was in such a rush I forgot to greet you. Hello, Aldis!”

Aldis gave a gentle smile.

“So what happened, Aldis?”

“Don’t I… smell different to you? You, Layla, should be able to tell.”

A smell only I could sense?

Now that he mentioned it, Aldis gave off a sulfurous scent he hadn’t before.

Like he’d just come up from hell.

“Doesn’t it smell like the demon dragon, Lagnis?”

“This fire smell—it’s from the demon dragon?”

“Correct. You’ll need to get used to it. One day, you’ll be smelling it directly.”

“I’ll be meeting the demon dragon personally?”

Again, let me clarify—Layla Lorovante was never that important a side character.

She wasn’t supposed to have powerful magic either!

And now she’s meeting a demon dragon?

Layla frowned, and Aldis gave her a mechanical smile with a nod.

“Unless you want to see the Vendelheim Empire turned into mashed potato stew.”

…What? Mashed potato stew?

“If you don’t go, Lagnis says he’ll come himself.”

Aldis said it flatly, in the most undramatic voice.

Wasn’t he supposed to help me, not dump more problems on me?

I only wanted to meet Aldis to ask him to take care of things I couldn’t because of my age.

If the giant Mage Tower was willing to back me, I had every reason to take advantage of it.

But what’s this now—a demon dragon?!

“Why does he want to meet me?”

“He said there are those meddling with forbidden darkness without permission. And that the god’s emissary to defeat them is you, Layla. I don’t know the full story either. You’ll have to ask him directly.”

My heart sank.

Aldis may not have understood it, but I… I understood half.

The demon dragon Lagnis brought me into this world?

Maybe that was the secret all along.

Someone had placed me into Layla Lorovante’s body.

My second life didn’t quite feel like a normal reincarnation.

First: this was a novel world.

Second: Layla Lorovante was a real character who originally existed.

Third: I clearly remembered both my past life and the story’s plot.

It was as if someone was saying:

“Hey, you! Don’t you think it’s time you did something inside this story? You’re not really going to live out a tragic life as Layla Lorovante, are you?”

Sure, I could’ve spent my life here living easy with a golden spoon in my mouth.

But someone with knowledge of the future and the story can’t just sit back.

How could I live recklessly knowing the disaster ahead?

It was like someone had implanted a sense of purpose in me.

Honestly, if Lagnis had really brought me into this world, that would actually make the most sense.

You know, that classic trope—

A savior summoned from another world to stop an apocalypse.

“Fine. I’ll go meet the demon dragon Lagnis.”

“Smart decision, Layla. If Lagnis ever moved his enormous body, this continent would really…”

“…become mashed potato stew? I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen!”

I replied confidently.

“Then I’ll discuss the matter with Robellia.”