Chapter 19
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 19
"A Circus Troupe."
Walking away from the Seaside, I had filled my stomach after getting hungry, and was now enjoying the Festival when I happened to encounter the Circus Troupe.
At the mention of the Circus Troupe, I hurriedly turned around to look at Lian, who had been following me from behind.
I worried whether the words "Circus Troupe" might make Lian uncomfortable or fearful, but fortunately, his expression showed little change.
"Miss?"
When I looked at him, Lian called out to me cautiously, as if puzzled.
"No, it's nothing."
I brushed it off vaguely and turned my gaze forward again.
The area around the Circus Troupe was indeed packed with people.
The performance was already in full swing, with cheers erupting from various spots.
'The Young Boy....'
But among those performing, there were children again.
It wasn't the dangerous tightrope walking that Lian had done, with flames roaring all around, but it was still quite an unsettling sight.
Two children each stood on a wheel with a wooden pole and were tossing clubs back and forth to each other.
I turned around to look at Lian once more.
I was worried about what Lian might be thinking seeing these children.
And sure enough, Lian's expression didn't look good.
"...Should we go?"
At my words, Lian nodded carefully.
Understanding Lian's unsettled heart, I was just pushing through the crowd to leave when it happened.
Suddenly, a familiar silhouette seemed to flicker past among the people.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong, Miss?"
'Could it be?'
The person I had just glimpsed might have resembled someone from my memory.
However, since that face and build were far from ordinary, I couldn't help but tilt my head while unable to shake off the suspicion.
"It's nothing."
But whether it was him or not, I had no intention of doing anything, so I brushed it off and left the place with Mary, William, and Lian.
After that, when night fell, I returned to the Inn and fell into deep thought.
'It seems right....'
It was about the man I had glimpsed earlier.
Since I had seen him at the Circus Troupe's performance, of all places, I became certain that the man I saw was indeed him.
For some reason, curiosity stirred within me.
If the person I saw was indeed that man, would he try to infiltrate again this time to rescue the children?
And above all, Aiden's anxious gaze from earlier refused to leave my mind.
He had followed me as soon as he saw the children from the Circus Troupe, but it seemed he was remembering the children we had parted with.
'I should check on this.'
It didn't seem like a bad idea to go near the Tent where the Circus Troupe was staying and observe the situation.
If that man really did appear, it seemed worth meeting him again for Aiden's sake.
With that thought, my body moved first.
Before the night grew any deeper, I hurriedly changed into clothes that were easier to move in, disguised myself as a man, and quietly left the Inn.
The Tent where the Circus Troupe was staying was easy to find.
Going a bit further from where they had performed earlier into a more desolate area, I found several large Tents gathered together.
Performance equipment they used was scattered around the Tents, so I immediately recognized this as where the Circus Troupe was staying.
I hid near the Tent so as not to be noticed by anyone and observed the situation.
Since all around was dark, it was perfect for hiding.
The surroundings were quiet.
Only the sound of insects chirping in various places and the rhythmic sound of waves from the distant Sea could be heard—no footsteps of people.
'Did I come for nothing?'
Since I had come thinking it was possible, I felt no disappointment.
Just as I was thinking I should watch a bit longer before returning to the Inn, just in case.
Suddenly, small but urgent footsteps began to be heard nearby.
Though I was moving carefully so as not to be detected, my ears, concentrated to react to even the slightest sound, clearly heard it.
I approached discreetly, yet swiftly, toward where the sound was coming from.
Then I saw two familiar silhouettes entering toward the Tent.
'So he came after all.'
Thinking about what to do, I decided it would be better to wait rather than blindly follow them.
So I decided to wait near the path those two had taken until they returned.
About ten minutes passed like that.
The footsteps had increased from before.
Lighter-feeling ones had been added to the heavy feeling from before.
I drew closer to where I heard the sound.
And finally, near the Tent, I encountered the man—Aiden.
He was with his subordinate and three children.
As soon as he saw me, Aiden was filled with shock as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
Despite my male disguise, he seemed to have recognized me.
He opened his mouth to say something to me, then quickly seemed to realize where he was and closed it.
Then he gestured silently for the children and his subordinate to follow him and went on his way.
I followed them from behind.
Shortly after, we arrived near the Seaside, far enough away from the Tent.
I could see Aiden stop moving and give a command to his subordinate with a glance.
Then the subordinate left with the three children.
I quietly observed what he was doing.
Now that only the two of us remained, Aiden opened his mouth to speak.
"It's been a while."
There was no hint of bewilderment in Aiden's voice.
"Yes. It has been a while."
I replied in an equally measured tone, my voice betraying no emotion.
Silence settled between us once more, and now only the clearer sound of waves reached my ears.
We gazed at each other without averting our eyes for a long moment.
And yet....
There was something melancholic in Aiden's gaze.
He seemed deflated somehow, as though disappointment lingered in his expression.
'Why?'
I was considering that the darkness might have deceived my eyes when he spoke to me again.
"Has it been a year?"
"Yes. A year has passed."
"Meeting you here again suggests you're still traveling."
"Yes. I'm still traveling."
"I've been waiting to see you again."
"Me?"
"Yes."
At his words—that he'd been waiting to see me again—my heart sank slightly.
Though Aiden's voice was plain, the atmosphere his appearance created was enough to invite misunderstanding.
"Why me?"
Seized by an inexplicable feeling, I stared at him intently.
"The young boy who was with you back then never came to the Orphanage and disappeared midway. So I needed to inform you of the situation, and I searched for the Inn, but you had already left."
'Ah....'
It was about Lian.
Though I knew he would surely bring up Lian if he saw me, I felt ashamed for having been seized by such strange thoughts for a moment.
"Did you perhaps not see the child?"
Aiden was asking me about Lian.
I swept away the peculiar and sudden thoughts from my mind and answered his question.
"That child is with me."
"I beg your pardon?"
Aiden looked at me with a bewildered expression, clearly unprepared for my answer.
"The child... is with you?"
"Yes. It's a long story, but to put it simply, I didn't intend to take the child with me. The child came looking for me and asked to travel with me, so we ended up together."
I quickly recounted the story between Lian and myself from a year ago.
"I see...."
From the man's expression, it didn't seem he failed to understand.
Now that he knew I had the child with me, it was time for me to explain why I had sought him out.
"I came looking for you because I was curious about how the children I rescued a year ago were doing. I never even learned which Orphanage it was back then."
In response to the man's silence, I continued with what I had to say.
"I arrived in this city today, and it happened to be during the Festival. While I was exploring, I discovered the Circus Troupe, and the Young Boy I have with me didn't look pleased. I suspect he was reminded of the children he used to live with. So I thought that if I could find out how they were doing, it might ease his worries. I lingered around the area on the off chance, but I never expected to actually meet you."
"You have a warm heart."
Aiden suddenly praised me.
"Pardon?"
I looked at him with a bewildered expression.
"You noticed the Young Boy's concern and took the initiative to come meet me like this. You're a very kind person."
At Aiden's compliment, I smiled awkwardly, my expression tinged with embarrassment.
Then Aiden followed suit and smiled faintly at me.
A handsome man's smile was indeed satisfying.
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