The Land Of Thorns
A message part 4

“Pe-request what do you mean Prince?”

Lilia blushed so much that she blushed her cheeks and turned away her face unable to see Edgar's face before her. His mind felt a little muddled, Lilia imagining Edgar asking him a strange thing that made him feel not ready to fulfill his request.

“Lilia you will help me out of this place!”

Edgar in the same position saw him with his eyes sparkling - twinkling like he was looking at a treasure before him, hearing her request made Lilia sigh in relief which made her break away from Edgar keeping her distance with him.

“...., thank God I think the Prince asked me to do a strange thing, I feel a little relieved .... uh, where?”

In the same manner Edgar looked at Lilia, ignoring what Lilia was saying, he was so focused on imagining her plan. She thought Lilia was the key to getting out of this place.

He himself had already repeatedly tried to get out of this place, but it was unthinkable for him to ask others for help since he had previously assumed he had no allies in this place.

“Well we do now, wait for me in the garden tool storage.”

“What now?”

“Yes, hurry up before it gets dark!”

***

In the courtyard of the house that afternoon Edgar was already seen preparing because the place he felt the direction of a blacksmith made him carry his sword to all change the uncomfortable handle in his hand. He did not bring much stuff because he only intended to settle for a while and go home when it was dark.

Edgar had suspected that many leaves were cleaned in the yard, these leaves could help him to get out of this place. Not long after that Edgar was hiding in a sack that was in a freight cart along with another sack that only contained leaves as disguise.

“Are you sure of this Prince?”

“Yes of course, no talking. No sack can speak Lilia.”

“Ah .. I forgot something, briefly Prince.”

“Ha! Hoi Lilia!”

Lilia seemed to be remembering something she should have brought, it made her arrive - suddenly running away. Edgar heard Lilia's footsteps running away, the sound of her steps becoming smaller and disappearing, making the atmosphere seem silent.

“...”

Not long after that Edgar heard the sound of footsteps walking closer and followed the footsteps of others following him. The sound of footsteps sounded different from the footsteps of Lilia he heard, the voice stopped not far from the wagon where he was hiding, Edgar heard a not-so-obvious sound as if they were whispering.

“Did you say Sonne? It's crazy they didn't say Sonne was getting ready, we didn't get paid for it if it happened!”

The voice was like the voice of a woman with her tone sounding so faint. Edgar could hear what they were talking about, but hearing them say Sonne made him feel curious.

‘...., Sonne? Are Sonne's troops preparing to continue the war?’

Shrek - the shrek!

Edgar's curiosity to hear their conversation made him forget that he was in hiding which made him accidentally make sacks - sacks that nearby rang when he moved.

Edgar felt that they were conscious and began to approach him. It made Edgar nervous to hear footsteps approaching him.

“Why? Did you hear anything from that wagon?”

“Yes, I kind of heard a sound from inside that wagon?”

“Most of it is just insects! you have always been excessive in your heart - be careful.”

“Stop your mouth! If there's no business with me anymore go, I don't want others to see that we know each other.”

“Iya, yes .. alright!”

Edgar heard the voice of someone nearby looking familiar, the voice came from a man. While the voice that was far away from her did sound that female voice.

“That sound sounds like .. Akhsan! But who's the woman he was with?”

He felt clueless whether Akhsan's instincts were so sharp that he realized there was something suspicious or indeed Edgar who was always unlucky. So that Akhsan continued to disturb him while sneaking out of this house.

Without Edgar noticing, Akhsan walked closer and closer towards the wagon, Akhsan saw in the wagon that there were some sacks large enough to make him curious to see the contents of the sack.

“What are you doing here Akhsan?”

She stopped because of the voice that emerged from Lilia calling out to her, Lilia walked over to Akhsan with some cloth she was carrying along with Celine whom she had unconsciously followed behind.

Edgar who was inside felt relieved Lilia had come at the right time.

He spoke in his mind while refraining from staying calm hiding inside.

“...., ahem, should I ask what are you doing here?”

‘Eh! … You guys?’

Lilia and Edgar, they both thought the same thing feeling surprised to think that Akhsan knew Edgar who was inside.

“A-a-what do you mean by you guys?”

“Oh... don't you consider that little human a subject anymore?”

Her finger Akssan pointed towards Celine who was hiding behind Lilia, it made Lilia turn her head and look at Celine who looked smiling.

“Celine! Why are you following me? Not that I told you to wait at home.”

“Can't play? Can't come?.”

Celine pouted to answer him her face looked disappointed as she felt that Lilia had not invited him to play.

Knowing what Celine meant made the two of them feel relieved even though there was still Akhsan who might still be suspicious.

“Where are you going?”

“A-a-I ma-mau dump .. garbage?”

The feeling of relief was only temporary according to Edgar who was hiding, he felt weak and resigned when he heard Lilia reply sounding nervous and unsure like that.

“What rubbish? instead of being burned as usual?”

“The sacks in this cart, as it enters the autumn many dried leaves fall off .. see!”

Hearing Akhsan looking in disbelief made Lilia head for the wagon and Lilia opened the sack around Edgar to reassure him, Akhsan looked at the contents of the sack there were only piles of leaves - dried leaves and Celine who was curious to see made him climb into the wagon.

“Ah Celine you don't have to come, get off there!”

“No!”

“Celine!”

Lilia looked puzzled as Celine did not want to leave the place, forcing her to come along. Seeing Akhsan who kept watching him made him feel like there were not many options before Akhsan grew suspicious of him.

“Then where will you take it?”

“... an acquaintance of mine asked for it, he said it would .. turn this into fertilizer!”

“Alright, it looks like I'm bothering you, I'm sorry.”

Lilia tried to remain calm giving her smile making Akhsan just nod in understanding. Lilia tried to pull the wagon a little hard at first but slowly she pulled it easily. Lilia pulled him over deliberately carrying the wagon away so that Akshan would not check on him as he picked up the donkey.

“It looks like you're having trouble, do I want to help?”

“Ah, no need, it also looks like you have other business.”

“Actually no, after all why didn't you previously tie it to a donkey first?”

“That's because ... I don't want to make his donkey mess up the leaves I collected!”

“Alright ... oh, where is Mr Edgar?”

Lilia was nervous which made her sweat a little as panic was showered with questions that were hard to answer for her and stopped her steps hearing that.

‘Quiet Lilia you can definitely, give her a good reason!’

Edgar spoke to himself in his encouraging mind.

“Pa-pa-prince Edgar ... sleep! This afternoon he was not feeling well he said, so he felt he did not want to be disturbed.”

Lilia smiled so stiffly that it made her look like a wooden doll.

“Once yes, I will have someone find medicine for him later .. heart - heart on the way.”

Lilia nodded in agreement and pulled the wagon back away. Akhsan was still speechless watching Lilia pushing the wagon, feeling a little strange to see Lilia as she was not, but Akhsan felt that there would be something fun later that made her seem to smile looking at Lilia who was getting away.