The Only One (4)

‘Father will surely…’

She knew her father, Ernst, well. That although he acted as if he would give her everything after her mother’s death in her childhood, in reality, his nature was greed itself.

In her childhood, she didn’t know this side of him and simply followed him, knowing him only as a caring and capable father.

But as she grew up and learned more, she began to feel a distance after realizing how everything she enjoyed was created.

She was different from her father and the things he had done. She wanted to realize this and prove it.

‘Fortunately, the security isn’t that tight.’

Moving at dawn, just before daybreak when everyone would be most tired, Laila quickly jumped over the wall and infiltrated the annex.

By Ernst’s strong orders, the subordinates guarding the place were on duty in a confused state, not knowing what was inside, and thanks to this, there was a gap as they couldn’t focus on their vigilance.

Laila, who was training to be a knight at the academy, easily exploited this gap.

Even though she was the boss’s daughter, if caught, she would be forcibly dragged out by those who prioritized Ernst’s orders, but if she infiltrated without anyone knowing like this, there would be no such problem.

‘Even magic surveillance… but I can still do this much.’

There are various methods of security besides people standing guard directly. The same goes for magic set by mages to detect movement and sound alarms, but Laila is a knight who trained using mana.

It was easy for her to notice the barrier magic and carefully cross over it by finding gaps.

“It’s here.”

Having arrived at the deepest room on the 3rd floor of the annex like that. Laila, catching her breath, carefully grasped the wooden doorknob with gold decorations on the door carved with elaborate designs.

Befitting a place storing the most precious thing, inside was Ernst’s most valued possession.

“Hello? I’ve been waiting.”

A fresh breeze suddenly brushed past Laila’s body in a place where not even a breath of wind had been blowing. The voice that sounded as if it knew she would come was from the bed in the room.

“M-me…?”

Laila, approaching in a daze, unknowingly swallowed dry saliva. As the red-eyed elf girl sitting on the bed grinned and snapped her fingers, the door borrowed by the wind closed again with a thud.

‘Is it really an elf?’

While Ernst had at least seen one from afar, for the young Laila, this was her first time seeing an elf in person. Enchanted by this mysterious race she had only heard of in stories, Laila flinched as she saw the girl slowly rise and approach her.

“I expected it from when I first saw you. Even now, with eyes that look like you’re dying of curiosity.”

The girl still looked up at Laila with the corners of her mouth raised. Not knowing her identity, Laila didn’t realize what kind of danger she was in.

“My name is Isilia.”

“I, I am…”

“I know, Laila.”

Isilia revealed her name on her own. Overwhelmed by the atmosphere and having given up the initiative, Laila tried to reveal her name, but Isilia nodded, saying she already knew.

“Your father seems to want to make me a family treasure. To pass down to you, and to your children. You probably vaguely know that, so why did you come?”

‘I need to know her true intentions a bit.’

Isilia sat down on the bed with a thump, crossing her legs and smiling. Approaching Laila was originally included in the plan.

If necessary, she was thinking of taking Laila hostage to escape this place, but for now, she intended to decide after seeing Laila’s reaction.

Exactly what kind of person Laila was, what thoughts she held. If she could know that, she could find a better method.

“I was worried that father might hurt you. Sometimes, though rarely, father can become violent.”

“You don’t know your father. As you say, your father is greedy. That’s exactly why he might tie me up like this to prevent me from running away, but he won’t hurt me.”

At Laila’s answer, Isilia wiggled her crossed legs. It was then that she noticed the chain tied to the slender girl’s ankle.

It was just a thin chain that could be used for a necklace, so it wasn’t a scary or rough object, but Laila’s eyes twitched.

“—?”

‘That’s right. Maybe it’s because I’ve been through so many things with such formidable people. Now I’m starting to see it too.’

Moreover, that wasn’t all. Isilia, along with the spirits who had questions, discovered the lie in Laila’s wavering eyes.

The claim that she came out of concern for Isilia was a lie. Laila was still very inexperienced at hiding her true nature boiling inside.

‘Why am I like this? I can’t take my eyes off.’

Of course, it was natural. Throughout her life so far, Laila had never felt a lack of anything.

The impulse now stirring in her inner self was the intense greed inherited from her father. That nature, which had not manifested for over a decade, awakened today upon seeing this one-of-a-kind treasure.

‘She has the same eyes as her father.’

Isilia smiled faintly at Laila’s eyes, which were looking at her in exactly the same way as Ernst’s, only different in color.

“How about waiting calmly? If your father dies of old age, his wealth will naturally become yours.”

“I can’t wait. I want it right now. But father will never give it to me.”

Laila, her breathing becoming rough and her heart starting to beat faster, widened her eyes, not knowing why she was committing such impulsive actions.

Isilia, who had been pushed down onto the bed by Laila, smiled as she looked up at her, who was looking down as if crushing her.

‘Ah…’

Seeing Isilia lying beneath her, her brilliant silver hair embroidering the blanket, Laila felt her body gradually heating up and, as if entranced, reached out to caress that face.

She was completely dominated by her emotions, so immature that even she didn’t know what she would do if she went one step further from here.

“Not the ears.”

The hand caressing the soft cheek moved towards the long ears characteristic of elves. However, the moment she reached for them, which looked like they would feel soft and pleasant to touch, Isilia, who had been lying quietly without resistance, grabbed that wrist.

‘Aren’t ears quite important to elves?’

Isilia, who could be said to be the origin of elves, actually didn’t mind at all if her ears were touched, but to the elves of this era, ears were considered precious parts.

“Why? I…”

Laila struggled in surprise, but surprisingly, even with a knight’s strength, it was impossible to shake off Isilia’s hand gripping her wrist. From the start, Isilia, who had already sufficiently developed her communion with spirits, was no match for a mere academy-level knight trainee.

“You’re not my master yet, are you?”

And with that, Isilia began her work on Laila. Without needing to threaten, without needing to use force, to make the boss’s daughter take her out of this place on her own.

“I resent father. No matter how much I beg, he won’t give you to me.”

“That’s right. But actually, if you really want it, there is a way.”

She whispered to Laila, who had become tearful. Laila’s eyes widened at the mention of a way.

“You know? If you untie me and take me out of here, you could have me all to yourself. After that, if we run away far to a place your father doesn’t know, we could be together forever.”

It was a fatal whisper. It was an absurd temptation to betray her father and give up everything she was enjoying.

However, just as her father Ernst had become a wealthy and powerful figure controlling the area from nothing, using that greed as his driving force, Laila too found it impossible to deny her innate nature.

“I’ll do it.”

In the end, unable to overcome her nature, Laila nodded.

* * *

“—?”

“I didn’t know either. I can’t believe she was that kind of child.”

After Laila had left, the morning sun had already risen brightly, illuminating the room. I, already awake, spent time chatting with the spirits.

The honey trap wasn’t in the plan at all, but thanks to Laila showing an unexpected side, the plan was significantly modified.

“Actually, I didn’t expect much, but in this case, there’s no choice.”

I thought she was just an ordinary pretty girl, but she’s scarier and more talented than expected. And that talent wasn’t simply talent as a knight.

When Laila and I encountered each other and made physical contact. Laila probably didn’t notice because she was distracted by me, but actually, the spirits rode on or attached to her body and played pranks.

It meant that while not quite spirit magic, she had the talent to draw out some degree of spirit power. If I, the only one in this world who knows how to handle spirit magic, helped her a bit, she too might become a unique spirit knight.

‘If she really works for me, there’s no reason not to reward her.’

I was a bit concerned about making her betray her father and organization with her own hands, but I thought it would be fine if I could give her that much compensation.

Ernst wouldn’t sincerely retaliate against his beloved daughter either, so if I succeed in handling Laila who betrayed and ran away as I please, it means I’ll absorb Ernst’s influence intact.

All of this unintended outcome was entirely due to Laila’s innate nature.

“The scheduled time is tonight. Let’s rest a bit more until then.”

I decided to loll about in bed and rest until Ernst came to bring the meal himself.

If Laila comes tonight after finishing preparations to run away, I planned to escape this place with her and return to Ethan.