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The Male and Female ‌‌‌‌Leads ‌‌‌‌‌Broke Up - Episode ‌‌‌21

I felt Aiden's gaze shifting between me and the Inn.
"Thank you for bringing me here. So the children we rescued this time will also be sent to that Orphanage?"
"That's correct."
"I see. In any case, I hope you find the person you're looking for. Then I shall...."
"Miss?" ‌‌‌‌
But that was when it happened.
Just as I was exchanging final farewells with Aiden, a familiar voice called ‌‌out to me urgently from behind.
I turned my ‌‌head toward the source of the sound.
It was Lian.
But wherever he had been rushing about, Lian's face was drenched in sweat.
"Lian?"
"Miss!"
Lian called out to me again and approached until he stood before me.
His breathing was ragged and heavy.
"Why are you coming from out there?"
I asked Lian with curious eyes, puzzled by the sudden appearance ‌‌of someone I'd thought was sleeping in his room.
"You had disappeared, Miss...."
'Ah....'
I understood what must have happened.
It seemed Lian ‌‌‌had come looking ‌‌‌for me and discovered I was gone.
He must have been searching for me all this time.
"So Mary and William also know I've disappeared?"
"No."
I was relieved that only Lian knew.
I felt embarrassed at the thought of worrying my ‌‌‌‌people by leaving without a word. I exhaled a sigh of relief.
Then, as I looked at Lian with ‌‌an apologetic expression, his gaze—which had been fixed on me until moments ago—shifted to something behind me.
Lian was looking at Aiden.
I stepped slightly to the side, bringing Aiden and Lian face to face.
"Ah, do you remember him? He's the one who rescued you back in Peorat."
"...Yes. I remember."
"Is this the child from back ‌‌then?"
The two men's voices overlapped simultaneously.
"Yes. That's right."
I answered first, turning toward Aiden.
"You've grown so much."
"Haven't I?"
I stroked Lian's silvery ‌‌‌hair with a somewhat proud expression, pleased that I had raised him to this height.
I felt Lian lower his head slightly, having already surpassed my own height from his rapid growth.
A smile naturally bloomed across my face at his gesture.
"Oh, that's right. Lian, you know those younger siblings you lived with at the Orphanage? They're doing well there. ‌‌I've found out which Orphanage it is, so after our travels end, let's go visit them ‌‌‌‌‌together. Understood?"
"Is that why you went out ‌‌in the middle of the night?"
"Yes. When you looked ‌‌‌so gloomy after seeing the Circus Troupe earlier, I thought I'd check on it. And I actually found them."
I felt Lian's expression waver with emotion at the realization that I had acted out of concern for his feelings.
"Are you moved? Now you know how much I think of you, don't you?"
Though I spoke playfully, ever since I took Lian in, I had carried a sense of responsibility toward him.
Therefore, such actions were simply part of what I needed to do.
"Let's ‌go inside."
I ‌‌‌gently pulled Lian's hand.
Looking up at the dark sky, I saw the moon had already tilted considerably.
It was clear that the night had grown quite late. ‌‌
I needed to hurry to bed if I was to ‌‌‌‌face another day tomorrow.
"Thank you. Please return safely."
And I offered my final thanks to Aiden.
But the peculiar gleam in Aiden's eyes ‌‌captivated me.
"Miss?"
Lian's voice broke the moment we had been gazing at each other for that brief span of time.
"Hm? Yes. Let's go."
And so I turned my back on ‌‌‌Aiden and entered the Inn.
For some reason, my back felt scorched, and my body instinctively straightened.
As the door closed, that burning gaze vanished without a trace.
Once the strange warmth faded from my back, I deliberately spoke to Lian ‌‌‌‌to regain my ‌‌composure.
"How long ‌‌have you been looking for me?"
"Not very long."
"I would have assumed you were asleep if you hadn't answered."
"Something felt off."
Lian's words trailed off vaguely.
"You have good instincts."
As we conversed while walking, I soon arrived at my room.
I smiled faintly and stroked Lian's hair once more.
"Please don't wander alone."
Suddenly, Lian met my gaze and cautioned me with a firm voice.
"I understand. I'll be careful."
His unexpected concern caught me off guard, and I agreed without thinking.
"It's not about being careful—Miss, you're simply too...."
Lian trailed off, releasing a deep sigh.
Yet watching that tiny ‌‌child from a year ‌‌‌‌ago grow so much—and now speak to me with such words—filled me with profound emotion.
"I understand, so stop nagging me. If you grow ‌‌any more, something terrible will happen."
As I said this and ‌‌pushed Lian's back with ‌‌‌both hands to turn back, the corners of my mouth, lifted by pride, refused to ‌descend.
But ‌‌‌Lian's body, which had been yielding to my gentle ‌‌‌push, suddenly stiffened and would not budge further.
"I will protect you forever, Miss."
Then, as ‌‌‌if swearing an oath to me, Lian spoke with deliberate weight behind each syllable.
"Yes. You're my knight for life. So ‌you must protect me."
When Lian spoke to me in a solemn voice devoid ‌‌‌of jest, I answered with equal gravity.
But Lian was still a child.
And his strength was still insufficient to protect me.
"Train just as you are now—no, even harder. You must become stronger if you're to protect me."
Lian's back tensed beneath my ‌‌‌palms, then nodded in response.
"Yes. I will become stronger, without fail." ‌‌
Those ‌‌‌words ‌‌‌‌were both Lian's vow to himself and a promise to me.

* * *
‌‌
The next morning, seeing that Mary had nothing particular to say to me, it seemed that Mary and William, just as Lian had said, were unaware that I had been gone during the night.
"Miss, where would you like to go today?"
Mary asked while stroking my hair.
"I'm not sure. Where ‌‌‌should we go? Is there anywhere you'd like to visit?"
"Anywhere you wish to go is fine with me, Miss."
"Let's ‌‌‌go to the Sea."
"The Sea?!"
At the mention of the Sea, Mary's voice doubled in volume.
"Are we really ‌going to the Sea?"
"Yes. Who knows when we'll see it again, so we should take our fill of it. Don't you think?"
"That's right. You're absolutely right!"
Mary enthusiastically agreed with me, unable to hide her excitement.
"Then I'll go tell William and Lian to prepare."
"Yes, go ahead."
As soon as I finished dressing, Mary left the room ‌‌‌with light steps.
I gazed out the window until she returned.
The Street below seemed alive with ‌‌‌morning vigor.
I closed my eyes gently and drew a deep breath.
A faint scent of the Sea entered my nostrils.
"The Sea...."
Just as I had told Mary, ‌‌‌‌I had a premonition that I would likely never return to this place again in my lifetime.
So I ‌must fill my eyes with it until I can see no more.
While I was thinking that, Mary returned, saying she had finished preparing, and we left the room together.
‌‌‌‌
* * *

During the several days I spent in Ulita, I hadn't seen Aiden since the first day.
Ulita was quite a large city, and since the Circus Troupe hadn't appeared after the first day either, I assumed Aiden had already left the city.
Since we were also leaving this place tomorrow, today was our last night in ‌‌‌‌Ulita. By a curious coincidence, the Festival here was also ending today.
I heard that a grand fireworks display would soon take place to mark the end of the Festival.
So the four of us finished dinner and quickly found a spot near the ‌‌‌‌Seaside to stand.
"Indeed, the end of a Festival is always fireworks."
Mary spoke with a voice full of anticipation.
"Fireworks by the Seaside—it seems so romantic, Miss."
"I know, right?"
It was ‌certainly a rather romantic and atmospheric moment, just as Mary said.
"Oh ‌my!"
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing!"
At Mary's suddenly raised voice, I looked at her and saw her face flushed even in the darkness.
Lowering my gaze slightly, I caught sight of Mary and William standing beside each other, secretly holding hands.
'Ah, I see.'

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