Layla's
Future 3
Under
a clear autumn sky so blue it felt like you could fall into it, I stepped down
from the carriage with Ashren-sama's help and headed toward the church's
front courtyard. Dressed-up people had already gathered and were chatting
happily here and there.
Though
there were many familiar faces, it seemed they didn't recognize me. More than
that, their gazes were poured onto Ashren-sama next to me.
「Who is that gentleman?」
「I've never even seen him at an
evening banquet.」
Excited
voices whispering here and there. There was no way he couldn't notice the gazes
of the young ladies looking at him with flushed cheeks and enraptured
expressions, yet Ashren-sama calmly looked straight ahead.
「I am realizing this anew, but you
really are incredibly good-looking, Ashren-sama. You are quite used to
being stared at, aren't you.」
「If you say that, you are dense to
gazes, Layla. Thanks to that, rather than paying attention to the young
ladies, I am busy keeping those guys in check.」
After
narrowing his ice-blue eyes sharply and looking around, Ashren-sama
looked down at me with an exasperated face. Even being looked at with such a
face, I had absolutely no idea what he meant. As I wondered what he was talking
about, Ashren-sama let out a small sigh, grabbed a bundle of my hair,
and... unbelievably, pressed his lips to it.
「W-Wha. Ashren-sama!?」
Small
squeals of "Kyaa" rose from all around. Looking at me turning red
again and trembling my lips, Ashren-sama smiled in satisfaction.
「This should have taken care of most
of them.」
Therefore,
what are you talking about? Even when I furrowed my brow and lightly glared at
him, there was no way Ashren-sama would care. As someone having him
accompany me, I couldn't say anything. As I was pursing my lips, going Ugugu,
a maid holding what looked like a list of attendees approached.
「Excuse me, dear guest, but may I ask
for your name?」
「Yes. I am Layla Wilbas.」
「...!」
The
maid gasped and her eyes widened.
「I am Ashren Naturi. I am
accompanying her as her escort, is there some problem?」
When
he smiled with his cold, light-blue eyes, the maid hurriedly shook her head,
saying "Not at all."
「Please excuse me. It is just that,
your atmosphere is quite, um, different from when I saw you before.」
Saying,
"I will prepare a welcome drink immediately," the maid bowed her head
and left.
「She said she's Layla Wilbas.」
「Lady Aisha's older sister,
and Lord Carter's former fiancée, right?」
「I heard she got heartbroken and left
for a foreign country out of spite, though.」
Perhaps
having overheard the conversation with the maid, a murmur spread out like a
ripple with us at the center. Next, the people who looked at me widened their
eyes.
「That is Layla?」
「Isn't she more beautiful than Aisha?」
I
couldn't hear the exact contents of their conversations. They were probably
mocking the pitiful me who had her fiancé stolen by her younger sister. I was
prepared for the curious gazes, but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling.
However, I didn't want to drop my gaze here, as that would feel like losing, so
I purposely pasted a smile on my lips and faced forward. As if backing up my
feelings, Ashren-sama gently placed his hand on my back.
「Don't you think it's our win if we
just enjoy the attention?」
「Just what exactly are you fighting
against, Ashren-sama?」
At
those words that went completely beyond my expectations, I unintentionally
burst out laughing. With that single sentence, my tense feelings dissipated,
and the tension left my shoulders. While reproaching his mischievous smile, the
hand placed on my back was reassuring.
Just
as he said, ignoring the surrounding gazes, Ashren-sama escorted me to
the center of the venue.
—And.
At that moment.
「Oneesama! You came!」
The
high-pitched voice echoing through the venue unmistakably belonged to Aisha.
Clad in a pure white dress with her pink-blonde hair tied up high, today's
leading lady headed straight for me. But, Aisha's feet stopped just a
few steps away from me.
Aisha's gaze shifted from me to Ashren-sama
standing next to me. After widening her ruby-colored eyes, she sharpened her
gaze and looked at me. Of course, the one who reacted more than me to the color
of jealousy floating there was Ashren-sama.
Sliding
the hand that was just resting on my back downward to grab my waist, he pulled
me tightly against him. And then, he floated a perfect smile that would leave
anyone entranced.
「I am attending as Layla's
escort today.」
「...Ashren-sama is escorting
you, Oneesama...」
Looking
at my dress and the blue diamond necklace, Aisha contorted her face in
frustration.
「Aisha, congratulations on your marriage.」
「...Thank you, Oneesama.」
But
she quickly recovered and floated a glamorous smile, then, unbelievably, took
my hand. Making her ruby-colored eyes tear up, she lowered her eyebrows and
feigned a fragile appearance. At Aisha's usual tactic, I reflexively
braced myself.
「Oneesama, I thought I absolutely had to
apologize properly for things turning out this way.」
「Do not worry about it. You didn't do
any—」
「You really are angry, aren't you.
But I am entirely the one to blame, so please do not blame Carter-sama.」
It
seemed she had no intention of listening to my words. Her voice grew even
louder, as if acting like the tragic heroine herself.
「Because you were far too busy, Oneesama,
and wouldn't pay any attention to Carter-sama. I only thought I would at
least keep him company in your stead, since you wouldn't try to do a single
fiancé-like thing. I never imagined that he would break the engagement and say
he wanted to marry me.」
I was busy because the two of you pushed all your work onto me. She has a lot of nerve saying that when they were having secret meetings while I was sparing no time for sleep to do research. Even so, today is Aisha's wedding, so I swallowed my words hard. And yet, Aisha's words still continued.