《Becoming The Villain’s Family》 Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Trantor & Editor:Latte ¡°Aria, my angel,¡± the emperor said earnestly. ¡°Come and save me.¡± Salvation. The emperor seeks salvation from the monster. ¡®How absurd.¡¯ It was so funny that she could no longerugh. Aria stared at him as he stretched out his hand towards her cage, but she didn¡¯t move. ¡°Please sing!¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Aria! If you don¡¯t sing, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never be able to walk again,¡± he fumed, threatening her into submission. His strength was quickly ebbing, his madness near. After tons of threats and persuasion that lead to nowhere, he finally resorted to begging. He waspletely insane. ¡°Please sing for us. Siren. I beg for your mercy.¡± ¡°Please, Siren¡­,¡± the dancers pleaded. Until just a few months ago, these were the people who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to bring her misery. Theyughed at her and whispered behind her back. The musicians and conductors who yed the song for the Siren. Even the knights who guarded the emperor. They called her a monster. But here they are now, begging on their knees, waiting for Aria to open her mouth. Aria caught her breath as something lunged painfully up her neck. ¡°¡­cough!¡± she spewed. It was blood. The pain throbbed in her chest and the blood slumped all over her body She looked at her hands which was now coated in blood, the red fluid loosening her grip. With teary eyes, she clutched her chest. ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®So this is how I die.¡¯ Aria smiled. ¡®At longst.¡¯ She can finally have her eternal rest. Her tightly closed lips opened and she finally sang. ¡°Come to me, sweet death.¡± As Aria began to sing, the whole audience became silent. Nobody could take their eyes off her. She¡¯s been abusing her voice so it became rough and tired over time. Nheless, everyone was still mesmerized at her singing. Her voice rolled over the hills in sorrowful waves. It was raspy and quiet yet so powerful as it was brought out in a fit of pain. ¡°Come and guide me into peace.¡± The song, which started calmly, wrapped around them like a warm ray of sunshine. They echoed amongst the masonry and up to the rafters, thenforted and stroked them tenderly as if it were the voice of an angel. ¡°Oh, my lord¡­.¡± Someone said as they shed tears with a serene smile. The melody purred to the soul, piercing through and touched their hearts from within. ¡°I am tired of this world¡­,¡± Aria continued singing. This song she sang was a hymn about seeing heaven through death. However, due to Aria¡¯s dark tone, it became apletely different song. It turned into a song to call upon the devil. ¡°Come, the blessings!¡± The irresistibly sweet sound that reverberated in the silence instantly clutched their hearts. Aria¡¯s songs were like poison, slowly devouring their entire being from within. ¡°Come!¡± The murky voice grabbed their ankles and dragged them straight into the swamp. Into the swamp of the abyss, Into the swamp of death, Into the swamp of hell. The sound spread violently as Aria continued to sing at the top of her lungs. ¡°I am waiting for you!¡± she shouted. She begged to God who had abandoned her. She begged to God but ended up getting hurt, cursed, and left alone again. Eventually, she lost hope in God. ¡°Come and close my eyes.¡± If there¡¯s no God, then she sincerely prays that the devil will take her instead. ¡°Gasp, gahk!¡± Suddenly, the emperor let out a strangled scream as he felt overwhelming pain. He couldn¡¯t breathe, it was as if someone was strangling his neck, squeezing the life out of him. A secondter, he lost strength in his feet and he fell to the ground. The impact of the fall shuddered all the way through his body, which only made the pain ten times worse. ¡°Blessed sabbath,e!¡± Aria sang as she let thest note of the song curl slowly from her lips. The song was over. The ritual was finally finished. ¡°Gasp, cough¡­.!¡± The emperor choked as he gasped for air. His hands were shaking and his whole body was soaked with cold sweat. Puzzled, the fallen emperor slowly got back to his feet. ¡°Wha-what on earth is going on?!¡± When the emperor looked around, he realized that most of the audience had fainted. Turns out, it wasn¡¯t just him that had to endure that unbearable pain. Some of the knights that regained consciousness drew out their swords, but their aim was negligent and their feet staggered. The emperor was appalled. If he had a sword in his hand, he would have carelessly ended his own life because he couldn¡¯t withstand the pain. ¡°Thi-this¡­..¡± The dread creeps over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain. ¡°How dare this b*tch¡­.¡± But when he came back to his senses, that fear quickly turned into anger. ¡°How dare you try to kill me!¡± Aria had little to no rights as she was the only Siren remaining on thend. ¡°I saved you from the brink of death, and this is how you repay my kindness?¡± he ranted. Sirens live for the purpose of singing. They are not allowed to do anything else. ¡°Today, I will surely break your will to live. I shall punish you for disobeying me!¡± He took one of the knight¡¯s sword and lunged towards her. Suddenly, a ck shadow cast over her. After living inside the cage her entire life, she finally gained freedom. She closed her eyes. ¡®Sweet death, blessed rest.¡¯ It was then that the door suddenly swung open. A man with ck hair said, ¡°What a sad song.¡± He moved closer with those hollow eyes that stared so deeply into her own, and as Aria raised her head, their eyes met. ¡®The Grand Duke of Valentine¡­.¡¯ The man who sold his soul to the devil. The man who was not supposed to be here actually came. His red footprints stained the white marble floor as he approached her. ¡®He really came.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t believe it. The duke took out his sword which was drenched in blood. The blood on his sword danced merrily as he drew a semicircle on the ground. ¡°If you seek salvation from the devil, then now is the time.¡± Beyond the wide-open door, the blood-stained imperial pce was as serene as a tomb. Just like it was in the beginning. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± * * * The devil killed the emperor. ¡°The sabbath hase,¡± he said indifferently. Then he took the key out of the emperor¡¯s arms and unlocked Aria¡¯s cage. Creak¡ª The cage slowly opened. Standing underneath the chandelier, the devil shone brilliantly. His eyes, which looked like burnt ashes, glistened underneath the lights and when they reflected it, they made tiny stars. In this dark night, his eyes are like the moon, scattering the nascent rays, ever illuminating her soul. ¡®How stunning¡­.¡¯ For the first time in Aria¡¯s life, she was mesmerized by a person¡¯s eyes. ¡°The birdcage is open. Fly anywhere you wish to go.¡± It was a memory that she would never forget even after her death. Aria looked at her shackled ankles with a nk face. Then she raised her head. ¡®The Grand Duke of Valentine¡­.¡¯ A traitor who killed the emperor. Yet, he was her savior. Her cage was wide open. As the grand duke said, if she had wings, she¡¯d dly fly away. But. ¡°I can¡¯t fly anywhere,¡± Aria said as sheughed and wiped her bitter tears. Her death was near. ¡®Put an end to my life¡­¡¯ As Aria was about to open her mouth to make herst will, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her vocal cords. She bent over as drops of blood sttered on herp and knees. By slow, torturous degrees, the coughs eased in intensity and then slowly, slowly passed. She nced at the violent red that stained all over her body before her eyes went nk. ¡°You are a bird with a broken wing¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯snguid gaze briefly touched her twisted leg. ¡°Siren, I¡¯ve heard that listening to your songs drives people crazy.¡± Aria copsed. Her body slowly bing weak. The grand duke held her dying body in his arms and said, ¡°Then I guess your song won¡¯t affect me. Because I¡¯ve always been crazy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If there is a limit to madness, you must prove it yourself.¡± The devil smiled and carried her body. Having no strength left in her frail body, Aria finally closed her eyes in the devil¡¯s arms. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Trantor & Editor: Latte ¡°Shh, Aria. You must never speak, alright?¡± Aria¡¯s mother, Sophia, had been feeding her potions ever since she was born. After drinking the potion, Aria was not able to say anything. She became mute. She couldn¡¯t even cough. ¡°You¡¯re a pathetic failure who should¡¯ve never been born!¡± Aria¡¯s expression sank. Why did she have to be beaten and cursed by her own father? His facial expression was one of absolute disdain. He abhorred her. To him, she was nothing but a burden on his shoulders. ¡®I can speak. I have a name, too¡­¡¯ She med her mother. The mother who would never visit unless it was to deliver potions. The mother who would scold her when she didn¡¯t drink the potions. The mother who had never read her fairy tales or sung her a luby. The mother who had never even embraced her¡­ ¡®Does she even love me?¡¯ Aria knew nothing. She could only watch her as the days went by. When she turned 10 that spring, she learned everything. Sophia had passed away. Her vocal cords werepletely torn. ¡°She took her own life. It was said that shemitted a violent crime.¡± She knew of the truth only after she overheard the maids¡¯ conversations. Sophia tried to protect her from Count Cortez. ¡®I was a Siren.¡­¡¯ Siren. Named after an ancient creature, it was an ability that ran through Sophia¡¯s veins. The ability to charm, lure, control, and heal others by singing. Sirens were mythological creatures that only existed in legends. However, 12 years ago, Count Cortez found out that they truly existed. So he kidnapped a Siren and introduced her to the world. That Siren was Aria¡¯s mother. ¡®Is that how I was born?¡¯ Her whole body trembled. The news pained her, but it was iparable to Count Cortez¡¯s domestic violence towards Aria. ¡°How dare you run away from me, you b*tch! I won¡¯t be your nanny!¡± It hurt. A lot. That day was the worst day of her life. Aria sat there, tears pricking her eyes, pale hands trembling with fear and sadness. She tried to block out the screams, but it was impossible, the noise kept ripping her heart. She felt more pain than the human body could bear and she genuinely believed she would die. ¡®I have to run away.¡¯ She had thought of escaping before. But she was only ten years old. Furthermore, It had only been a while since she discovered her mother¡¯s true intentions, which were to protect her. Suddenly, Aria let out a scream. ¡°Agh!¡± She wailed because she couldn¡¯t endure the pain any longer. ¡°Haha, yes! There¡¯s no way that a Siren¡¯s daughter can¡¯t speak. How dare you try to deceive me?¡± ¡°No! Stop it!!!¡± ¡°How beautiful¡­ like the voice of an angel, as clear and as soft as a feather¡­.¡± In the end, Aria ended up following her mother¡¯s footsteps, living the life of a Siren. The powerful nobles begged her to sing, offering her all of their wealth and shamelessly kissing her feet. The secret social parties of the imperial family and aristocrats turned into a gathering to listen to the songs of the Siren. They did terrible things. She saw many things she shouldn¡¯t have seen. She heard things she shouldn¡¯t have heard. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to know any of this¡­¡± She prayed to God every day. ¡®Please save me.¡¯ But God never responded. Due to her overwhelming talent, the Siren¡¯s songs became even more popr. The people worshipped her as if she were a deity. They begged her to save them. Until¡­ the worstes to the worst. Rumors began to spread throughout the empire. The Siren was rumored to be a monster, not an angel of salvation who borrowed the voice of a God. ¡°The legendary monster deceived all of you¡­,¡± Saintess Veronica said with teary eyes in front of the believers. ¡°I also got addicted to her songs and most of the pce officials went crazy. The Emperor too¡­.¡± Her tears seemed so real that the congregation in the square became agitated. The nobles went crazy. The emperor became a tyrant. The empire fell to ruin. ¡®And it¡¯s all the Siren¡¯s fault.¡¯ The Siren was a fake. Not a sacred being, but a horrible monster. The real one was Veronica, the saintess from the Holy Empire. They shouted in anger, ¡°The imperial family is over because of the monster!¡± ¡°We must clean up the imperial pce that has be a den of heathens!¡± ¡°Be in power, oh Holy Being!¡± ¡°This is not just treason. It¡¯s sphemy! The Siren¡¯s dering a holy war!¡± The benevolent saint shook her slender shoulders slightly. War was inevitable. She raised her head as if she had made a decision. Their eyes rest upon golden arcing rays that fell behind Veronica¡¯s fluttering blonde hair. ¡°I will save all of you.¡± Veronica pledged. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°I will purify the pce and grant God¡¯s grace so that no more innocent sacrifices will be made.¡± Saintess Veronica. The protagonist of a perfectly woven heroic narrative. And Aria, the viin who ruined the empire, the root of all evil. ¡®I drove them to madness? Really?¡¯ Even Aria herself was confused. The imperial family, the aristocrats, themoners¡­ They all said that it was her fault. The war had begun. Men and women of all ages were mobilized for war. They were dragged unconditionally, unable to refuse the conscription. From the street outside came a peculiar, blood-chilling sound. It was like the low snarling of many voices, and it grew louder and louder until it became a sullen, muttering roar. The knights called the scene a ¡®purification process¡¯. ¡°Execute the monster!¡± When the public sentiment arose, the emperor hid Aria in the depths of the pce. ¡°Execution? No. You have to sing like a bird for your entire life.¡± Then he broke her leg, covered her mouth, and held her captive inside a small birdcage. ¡®How long have I been here?¡¯ Aria burst into tears. ¡°¡­¡­¡± This is how she dies. She gazed upon her bloody palms and clenched her fist. ¡®Yes, I¡¯ll just die.¡¯ Once thest remaining Siren dies, no one will have to suffer like her. Aria gave up everything. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t stop her emotions froming out of her rotten heart. ¡°Do you want me to kill you?¡± Aria shifted her gaze to the source of the voice. Lloyd Cardence Valentine. The devilish Grand Duke who was said to have murdered all of his rtives and cut off their limbs at the age of 18. Here he was, staring at a woman with a broken leg, trapped inside the emperor¡¯s cage and dying. ¡°Because you called for me.¡± ¡°I called for you?¡± ¡°The Devil.¡± The Grand Duke of Valentine. A despicable tyrant like the emperor, but he was also a murderer, and he worshipped the devil. Rumors said that he sold his bloodstained soul to the devil. ¡°Call me when you need me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your songs can be heard everywhere.¡± It was as if the devil had offered her a contract with her soul as coteral. ¡®He¡¯ll kill us all¡­¡¯ Aria was dying anyway. What else would she rather do than revenge? A bird with a broken wing will not be able to fly again even if its cage was opened. But at the brink of her death, Aria chose to¡­ ¡°Come, sweet death.¡± Call upon the devil. The Grand Duke, who barged into the pce, murdered all those who stood in his way, with a single sword. Everyonest one of them, all¡­ ¡­except for Aria. The screams tore through the room like a great shard of ss. They were the kind of strangled cry that belonged to those not long for this world Every face was stained with red stter, and limbsy at unnatural angles underneath the light of the chandelier. The night was filled with terror. Aria was the only one who saw the light of salvation behind the Grand Duke¡¯s back. ¡°Too bad. Could I have listened to your song one more time if I hade a little earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to hear you singing.¡± She answered slowly, ¡°Has my song corrupted you, too?¡± ¡°No, I corrupted you.¡± He picked up the finest herb leaves that had been scattered nearby in anguid manner. Then he stuffed it into a smoking pipe and bit it in his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s go to hell together,¡± he said as he pressed the pipe to his red lips and puffed out a cloud of smoke. ¡°I apologize. If you hadn¡¯t called me in, you could have gone to heaven.¡± Hell. The scene in front of her looked like hell. The imperial families and nobles on the floor were lifeless. Their bodies were scattered in multiple ces, stained with dried blood; crimson and the room was filled with a nasty butchershop odor. ¡®Furthermore¡­ the emperor died.¡¯ God asked us to forgive our enemies. Sacrifice yourself for others. Deny yourself. God¡­ But even on the verge of death, the vengeance of a devil was far too sweet. If the price of her revenge was hell, then she was willing to pay for her sins. ¡°Sing, I want to sing.¡± For the first time in her life. Aria wanted to sing on her own volition. ¡°Listen to me.¡± Her voice didn¡¯te out well and she could barely open her lips. But the Grand Duke was still willing to listen. ¡®The Devil who took me to Hell.¡¯ Her savior. He held her in his arms, the pain that weighed on her heart slowly died down. All of her senses gradually escaped from her body as she began to fall into a deep sleep and a faint smile hung around her face as she blinked herst second¡­ * * * Aria had passed on. But as the numbness of sleep slowly faded from her limbs¡­ ¡®¡­a floral scent.¡¯ She smelled the scent of spring. ¡®Is this¡­ Hell?¡¯ Her eyes opened, her eyshes faintly batting against her lids when she blinked and she gasped in a breath. A familiar ceiling covered her vision. It was the attic ceiling that she had been locked up in until she was ten. She pondered for a while, her breathing beginning to steady. How odd she thought, there was no sharp pain in her chest anymore. It had pained her a lot when she breathed. ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡¯ She touched her face. ¡®No burn marks? Why can¡¯t I feel them¡­?¡¯ She sat up, dragged her feet off the bed, and cast her eyes around her surroundings. ¡®The cage is gone.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t locked up. She was free. She could move her whole body freely. Her legs weren¡¯t crippled, her wounds were gone, and she could actually speak. ¡®It¡¯s not a dream.¡¯ Her limbs hadn¡¯t been without pain these past few years, yet here she was, her body was perfect, younger, and healthy. Aria jumped to her feet and ran towards a small window. The petals, which heralded the end of winter, fluttered. ¡®It¡¯s spring.¡¯ The spring greeted her as butterfly wings greeted the air. The sky was blue, the flowers bloomed, and the sun brought a weing warmth that coated her pink-cmine hair. It was a beautifulndscape, something she thought she would never see again. Aria reached outside the window and grabbed the petals that scattered through the air, holding them in her hands as if she were praying. ¡°Ah.¡± She was resurrected. The devil has given her another opportunity. ¡°¡­I can talk.¡± She didn¡¯t drink the potion because her mother had died. The fact that she still lived in the attic meant that her father had not heard her voice. ¡®Father.¡¯ Count Cortez. ¡®The one who ruined my life.¡¯ She sought revenge then, and she will do so now. Her revenge was all that would make her whole again. The first thing that popped into her mind, was not the surprise of turning back in time, or the confusion regarding her unusual surroundings, rather¡­ It was the seven letters of revenge. ¡®He must be drinking by now.¡¯ ¡®He should have been drinking in that ce since morning.¡¯ Aria wanted to visit her father. So she opened the door of the attic without hesitation and immediately headed underground. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Goodness! You scared me.¡± ¡°What, how¡­?¡± The maids were dumbfounded at the sight of her leaving the attic. Aria brushed past them carelessly. She will soon meet her so-called father in the wine cer. ¡°What are you¡­?¡± Count Cortez was too drunk to fully grasp the situation. He was confused about Aria¡¯s sudden appearance, and he held a wry expression. But when Aria began to sing, his face brightened and he was soon bathed in astonishment. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Trantor & Editor:Latte ¡°The song that I heard in my sleep.¡± The dreamlike melody, which seemed to be repressed in water, soon echoed throughout the room. ¡°I opened my eyes, awake from the scattered dreams.¡± Aria¡¯s singing guided the count to the River of Oblivion. Her voice sounded like an ingenious fairy, a yful yet tangy tone. Pizzicato. He could hear the slender strings of a violin being plucked from somewhere far away. ¡°Gone, the mysterious night.¡± At that moment, the song seeded in capturing the count¡¯s deranged heart. This was the song of the Siren. ¡°Thi-this is ridiculous.¡± He said, astonished. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be! How in the world are you able to¡­. Don¡¯t tell me that Sophia¡­¡± the count proimed in disbelief. It was beautiful and angelic, something he never thought he¡¯d yearn in his entire lifetime. ¡®That¡¯s not all.¡¯ The lyrics swam through his head like a wakeful dream, the notes soothing him, siphoning his entire being from within. But at the same time, there was angerced in her words, and a bloody smell filled the entire room. This intensity was something he could not ovee; it seized and locked him in, just like an incurable poison disguised as an angel¡¯s touch, ready to lead him to his morbid death. He could feel it subconsciously. ¡®They are both Sirens, yet the discrepancy¡­¡¯ That song would make sane people deranged¡ªa small voice, yet something that could bring the whole aristocrat under her feet. Perhaps taking control of the empire was not an exaggeration. ¡°Let me hear once more! More, more¡­.!¡± The count begged before stepping on a bottle of liquor and fell to the floor. His bloodshot eyes set rigid on the siren as he outstretched his hand, trying to grip his figment of desire. It was hideous. Aria shifted her gaze upon his body and stared at him, her eyes filled with disgust. ¡®To think that I was sacrificed for someone as pathetic as him. To satisfy the greed of those who know nothing but wealth and power. How stupid I was.¡¯ Count Cortez. He controlled his daughter, who knew nothing, with violencepelling her into his bidding, things beyond imagination. The violence he brought to her, still fresh in her memory. New bruises appeared on her body every night as they caused agony that could only be seen on the inside. She was terrified of him, but not anymore¡­ ¡°My voice shall be thest thing you hear tonight.¡± Aria¡¯s cold words cleared part of the irrational haze in his mind. ¡°Wait! Th-this song is¡­¡± ¡®Yes, you know this song well.¡¯ It was the first song that he told her. A song to deal with nobles who know things they shouldn¡¯t know. ¡°You¡¯ll forget everything.¡± ¡°No! What are you doing!¡± The Siren didn¡¯t address his superficial outcry. Her symphonious voice sprang to life once more, not carrying even a hint of sympathy. ¡°The song was like a mirage. The night disappeared as if it was nothing but an illusion.¡± A part of him faded like a trace of snow in the first of summer. Every single part of the memory residing in him was torn down. A haze gradually veiled his whole body and his memory vanished without a trace. ¡°Everything was a dream.¡± ¡°No, not a dream. The Siren, whom I¡¯ve been longing for, is standing before me.¡± The count desperately shut his ears and shook his head, as if by doing so, could retain a portion of his memory. That voice. Nothing could everpare its worth. With that in his hands, neither honor, power, glory, or wealth could satisfy his greed¡­ Yet his lifetime longing condemned his effort as she sang the final verse, concluding the ending by herself, without him in it. ¡°Ah, everything was just a dream.¡± He was reeling under overwhelming force as the bloody metallic taste passed through his throat. ¡°Siren!!!¡± He shouted as he coughed out blood. His eyes were dull as his determined gaze finally faltered. He screamed his final plea as her voice squeezed away all his remaining strength. The song was over. The deste cry of the count finally stopped, and Aria found no reason to hear his regrets anymore. It made no difference for her as she wasn¡¯t even going to give him a chance to ask for forgiveness. Looking at the senseless count, Aria asked coldly, ¡°Where are the mermaid¡¯s tears?¡± ¡°Mermaid¡¯s tears¡­ it¡¯s uh¡­ inside the drawer of my bedside table, in a jewelry box¡­.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the key?¡± He rummaged through his pockets, his bleary eyes filled with bewilderment. A clinking sound chimed before the key emerged from one of the count¡¯s pockets. Aria ripped the key away from his hand and ran straight into the count¡¯s bedroom. She turned the key and found a jewelry box inside the drawer. She carefully opened the small case. Underneath the box was a pearl earring, its rainbow-colored luster glowed underneath Aria¡¯s shadow. ¡®Found it, the mermaid¡¯s tears.¡¯ She never dared to resist her father because of the pair earrings he had, or better known as, ¡®The Tears of a Mermaid.¡¯ The mermaid¡¯s tears were able to fend off the influence of the Siren¡¯s voice. It¡¯s like a shield that would protect the wearer, even from the malicious voice of the ill-willed Siren. The bearer of this earring was someone even a Siren could never harm. ¡®I was able to flee from my father just after my mother died.¡¯ Ironically, the count used to carry the mermaid¡¯s tears wherever he went, but after Sophia died, he left the earrings untouched inside his drawer. He began to wear it again ever since Aria¡¯s identity as a Siren was revealed. ¡®Mother¡­¡¯ Aria swept the jewelry box with her fingers and clicked open the case. ¡®If only I hade back a few days earlier.¡¯ Aria shook her head. She was fortunate enough to return at the right time. Had she returned even a littlete, she would not have been able to break out of the count¡¯s grasp as smoothly as she did then. As much as she missed her mother and her presence, it was important not to be greedy. Less, she would wind up losing this fortuitous opportunity. Aria sealed the jewelry case shut and clutched the earrings tight within her hold. * * * She really came back. Back to when she was a measly 10-year-old. Aria put her hand on her pounding heart. ¡®I thought I¡¯d be in hell.¡¯ She denied God, yet instead of being punished, she was given another chance. A new life to rebrand those years of foul memories. It was ridiculous. Now there would be no burn marks deforming her skin nor two slender yet broken legs. ¡®I can change the future.¡¯ Aria felt unshackled, for she had been given the freedom she craved for a lifetime. Nothing will chain her ever again, not the count, the repugnant aristocrats, and certainly not the emperor. The seed of her childhood nightmares, which reigned her entire life, was finally gone. ¡®What do I do now?¡¯ Her mind agonized upon her worrisome future. Unfortunately, the potion she had taken had consequences of its own. Apart from losing her vocal cords, the potion also shortened her lifespan. The potion gave Aria¡¯s freedom a time limit. It was something she couldn¡¯t change even if she had traveled back in time. ¡®I¡¯ll die when I reach twenty¡­¡¯ ¡®With this limited time, how can I spend the rest of my life meaningfully?¡¯ Only one thing is for sure, she should never let anyone know that she¡¯s the only remaining Siren. ¡®My songs will drive people insane.¡¯ The Siren¡¯s enchanting music fascinates yet poisons people¡¯s minds at the same time. Their voice could lure them to insanity and corrupt their thoughts. Aria was fed up with such situations. Suddenly, she recalled a peculiar individual who held her on the brink of her death. ¡°Siren, I¡¯ve heard that listening to your songs drives people crazy.¡± It was then. ¡°Then I guess I won¡¯t mind. Because I¡¯ve always been crazy.¡± She recalled the voice in herst moments. His grey eyes blurred as if they had lost their original color, and would only brighten when he ughtered the nobles. His eyes were soulless and lifeless, gaze wandering everywhere as if searching for rity. Perhaps he desired sanity, although he could not stand it. Perhaps being sane tormented his mind. Perhaps that was why he could not take himself off the high, wishful dream that gradually faded as he came into contact with brutal reality. ¡®Lloyd Cardence Valentine.¡¯ He was only at the age of eighteen when he inherited the title of the Grand Duke. However, four yearster, a dreadful ident urred. The Valentines were brutally annihted. The entire bloodline and even their subordinates, they were all killed. Hence it was named ¡®The Valentine Incident.¡¯ Lloyd Valentine was the only survivor of the tragedy¡­ Naturally, he was referred to as the criminal. ¡®Although no punishment was executed.¡¯ The incident was said to be the culmination of the devil¡¯s madness, which was passed on to the Valentines, generations after generations. Even the Emperor overlooked the incident. Simply put, the affairs of the Valentines were invible. ¡®That might be true.¡¯ Indeed he could have been involved with the devil and killed all his parents, rtives, and subordinates. After seeing him ughter the aristocrats without batting an eye, even a dim-witted person would doubt him. ¡®But he didn¡¯t want anything.¡¯ Every single person who signed a contract with a devil had their own desires. It might be gold, glory, or honor, but it was surely something they desired so greatly. Something that they would offer anything to obtain. Even by trading with the devil. But not him. His eyes weren¡¯t even burning with anger and vengeance like what was present in Aria. There was no passion nor zealousness. ¡®His eyes were just¡­ empty.¡¯ His vacant eyes did not desire anything, yet he didn¡¯t hesitate to help her get her revenge. He offered her a choice. Just like a devil. It didn¡¯t ur to her that he could be the one that caused the Valentines¡¯ massacre. ¡®A man who doesn¡¯t want anything.¡¯ Aria gave him the benefit of the doubt. Because he had given her hope. ¡®I will give you happiness.¡¯ If he epts her. ¡®Can I spend the rest of my short life next to you?¡¯ Aria thought. She wanted to be the firefly that illuminated his darkest night. Give her entire life for him, a desire to protect him, and a willingness to take on suffering if it was for his happiness. * * * ¡®The maids are insane.¡¯ The wooden flooring in the attic creaked under the maids¡¯ heavy footsteps. Aria sat on the bed, her eyes set to the window before retracting her gaze back to the maids. The maids put her breakfast on the discolored yellow quilt. On the tray was a watery yellow congee with an odd stench that wafted throughout the room. ¡®This is¡­ porridge?¡¯ ¡°The count told us to wash and dress her.¡± ¡°Why does the count suddenly care about her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± They could not help but sneer at the sight of the young girl. Their eyes were filled with contempt and disdain. Aria was the outcast of the mansion. Every person knew she was the victim of the count¡¯s abuse, yet none held her in favor. Hence they regarded her as a ghost. They stood there, doing nothing but staring at her with their arrogant eyes. ¡°Perhaps the count is nning to acknowledge her as his child?¡± ¡°Eh, no way.¡± ¡°Right. He even dered that he wouldn¡¯t register her as a family even after he died.¡± ¡°Is it because he¡¯s drunk? Ever since her mother passed away, he would only drink throughout the day.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he trying to rece her? Perhaps he¡¯s trying to substitute her mother like an ornamental doll.¡± Aria had all of the distinctive traits of the Siren¡¯s bloodline. Her hair that flowed softly down to her waist, resembling cherry blossoms in mid-spring. Her pupils twinkled as though it was a polished pink sapphire, and a rosy color stained her cheek with a reddish hue¡­. Her appearance contained a lovely aspect that no one can deny. The child¡¯s charming features shone even brighter than a gleeful spring, with such ethereal impression, someone might mistake her as a spring fairy. ¡®Siren.¡¯ People would speak of their diverse beliefs about the legendary creature, but they would always agree about one thing. Their stunning appearances. The Siren sings so sweetly that she lulls everyone into her song¡ªwith her voice she enchants, with her beauty she deprives of reason¡ªvoice and sight alike deal destruction and death. ¡®It used to be an unfounded legend.¡¯ But when Sophia, Aria¡¯s mother, first appeared, the world had no choice but to ept their existence. The existence of a beautiful monster, Siren. ¡®Look at her eyes. They¡¯re like jewels, trapping people with its enchanting gaze.¡¯ One of the maids sat on the bed and stared at the child. Her mind was muddled before she soon came to her senses and said, ¡°What am I saying, she can¡¯t even speak.¡± Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem The approaching footsteps echoed sharply throughout the halls, growing louder every second. After a while, the attic door mmed open, revealing a maid. Everyone¡¯s eyes darted towards her. Panting, the maid spoke, ¡°Th-the lord has just sent Sally to the capital to pick up a new dress for the young miss.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just in time. We were actually discussing that¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s sending her to the Grand Duke of Valentine.¡± The chatter stopped, and a heavy silence settled over them, everyone was speechless. ¡°We¡¯ll be at the expense of the Grand Duke.¡± The maids shifted their gaze towards Aria. Everyone was pale, afraid to imagine what the Grand Duke might do once he finds out about Aria¡¯s mistreatment within the mansion. Unexpectedly, some of the maids sympathized with her. They pitied her because she had been abused all her life. ¡°The Grand Duke hasn¡¯t sent an official letter of marriage though,¡± one of the maids pointed out, trying to reassure the others. Needless to say, her efforts were futile. Due to inheritance and family alliance, marriages were contracted at a young age in most noble houses. Hence the average age of engagement was rarely over fourteen. The Grand Duke of Valentine would turn fourteen years old this year. ¡°Well, she¡¯s going to die anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯ll be sacrificed to the devil before he harms us.¡± The House of Valentine usually searched for marriage partners only once in a generation. Then, the wife would have to bear the child of the Grand Duke and continue his bloodline. The child of the following marriage would get to inherit his session rights, titles, precedence, and entailed property, but it wasn¡¯t as good as it sounds. The Grand Duchess usually dies after giving birth to an heir. There had been many rumors about it, but no one knew the actual truth. Those that became the Grand Dukes¡¯ bride had to break all ties with their family and friends. ¡®They were nothing but sacrifices.¡¯ That was what everyone called them. ¡°You can¡¯t speak, and soon you¡¯ll be stuck in the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion forever. You have nothing to fear, though! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve suffered much worse.¡± While listening to the maids, Aria recalled her memory ofst night. After she got hold of the Mermaid¡¯s Tears, entrancing the Count became quite simple. All she did was add a few words to the lyrics; ¡®send me to the Grand Duke of Valentine,¡¯ and it immediately worked. ¡®Shall I sing to them like what I did to my father?¡¯ No, there was no need for that. The maids kept repeating, ¡°You need not be afraid!¡± but Aria did not respond. There was an uneasy tension in the atmosphere. The maids¡¯ unsettled eyes nced unceremoniously around the room. Then, Aria rummaged through a small old silver bag that she had been carrying on her shoulder. She was mute, so she carried the bag every day as it contained items that helped hermunicate. Inside the bag was a bottle of ink, a quill, and a pack of cards. Aria wrote on a card and held it out to the maids. [Get rid of this. Make it edible.] The maids let out a gasp. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. ¡°Sh-she¡¯s ordering us..¡­.¡± Aria stared at them, her expression as empty as a nk sheet of paper. Then, she kicked the bowl of soup beside her feet and spilled its contents all over the floor. [Right this instant.] * * * Aria gazed at the maid who nervously served her tea. She asked for edible food but was given afternoon tea instead. The maidid mboyant desserts on the table. ¡®I don¡¯t even know what these are called.¡¯ The sweet aroma wafted through the air, but Aria hated it. ¡®These types ofvish foods weremon for aristocrats.¡¯ But not for Aria. How long had it been since she was treated as a human being, not as a bird in a cage? Aria beckoned for them to leave after sipping her tea. ¡°I-if the young miss needs anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to call us.¡± ¡®Not in their life.¡¯ She would never give them the chance to make up for it. Aria red at them, her sight blurred with fury as she remembered the maids who had deftly abused her. It was the kind of re that harbored malicious intent. ¡®I will get my revenge someday.¡¯ Aria shifted her eyes downward, thick pinkshes brushing the apples of her high cheeks. She gave them a smile that seemed sweeter than the delicaciesid on the table. The maids were astonished by the scene before them. Then, she opened her pink lips and mouthed. ¡ªGet out. The maids, who read Aria¡¯s lips, were startled and hurriedly left the attic in panic. After a while, the sound of footstepspletely disappeared. ¡®I¡¯m sure their whole body stiffened when they saw my sarcastic smile.¡¯ How exciting. Aria touched her cheek once more, her smooth skin, which was no longer scarred. When Aria was a Siren, Count Cortez would always tell her about nobles. The aristocrats within the capital were demanding and loathed the sight of anything ugly. Since Aria had a burn mark that covered half of her face, she wasbeled as ugly. Hence why the count forced her to wear a mask. However, she did not need one now as she didn¡¯t have the burn marks anymore. ¡®Still, I should cover my face again.¡¯ The expression of disgust. Aria knew the look. It was the look that the nobles made when she identally stripped off her mask. When they saw her face, their insides would curdle like milk with lemon. The sight of her made them sick from the ends of their hair to the nails on their toes. She did not need the mask. However, Aria¡¯s daily routine consisted of her wearing a mask, so she nned to do it again. * * * ¡°Are we on the right path?¡± Count Cortez growled, irritated by the rattling sound of the carriage wheels. The coachman replied with a quivering voice, ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure, My Lord. We¡¯ve been following the path, but I can¡¯t even see the entrance of the mountain¡­.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then who on earth will?!¡± He shouted, finally losing his temper. ¡°Stop the carriage this instant!¡± He raged. It was definitely morning when they left the mansion, but now, the sun was already setting. Aria and the Count had been riding inside the carriage for days without rest. They were utterly exhausted. ¡°Damn it all! He yelled, gritting his teeth. ¡°That devil bastard, I swear, one day I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± The Duchy of Valentine was an unknownnd. Tucked away amongst the Ingo Mountains and forests, thend was cut off from the outside world. Foreigners were strictly prohibited from entering. Furthermore, the territory had tight security. They would check everyone thoroughly before letting anyone in. Even when engaging inrge and small diplomatic activities or dealings with merchant guilds, the Valentine family had always censored their opponents with great strictness. Understandably, they ignored the Count¡¯s offer to meet. ¡®There wasn¡¯t even a single reply.¡¯ Aria mused. The Cortez family was famous for its lineage of musicians. Amongst them was Maestro Lo Cortez. He was famous for his overwhelming talents in singing, songwriting, andposing. He was known as ¡®The Father of Music¡¯ and was considered to be the most outstanding musician of all time. ¡®Even Cortez, the Maestro of Music, was disregarded by the Valentines.¡¯ Thanks to this, the Count snapped. His rage exploded like magma. He immediately hired a guide from the guild, scheming to break into the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. ¡°It is better to go back, My Lord.¡± The guide calmly remarked. He assured the Count that he was the best in the industry. But Aria was petrified. She felt a chill down her spine. ¡°Your request was ridiculous from the very start! Nobody dares to visit the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. Those that enter the Ingo Mountains have nevere back alive!¡± The Count had given him arge sum of money, yet he told him to go back. Anger boiled deep in his system, and he was ready to kill the guide. ¡°You were the ones who epted mymission! If you dare not take responsibility, you must pay with your life!¡± Count Cortez threw open the carriage doors and drew his sword, ready to cut his neck. ¡°If I¡¯m killed, you too will be chased down by the guild.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll both go down to hell!¡± Count Cortez snarled, the sword cutting deeper into his neck. ¡°Gasp!¡± The two of them continued to bicker; meanwhile, Aria¡¯s gaze was elsewhere. She leaned out of the carriage and stretched her arms out the window. Suddenly, she felt a tingling sensation. ¡®Is this¡­ a barrier?¡¯ The source of the Siren¡¯s power is enchantments. The Siren¡¯s ¡®enchantments.¡¯ The Mage¡¯s ¡®mana.¡¯ The Priest¡¯s ¡®divine power.¡¯ The Shaman¡¯s ¡®spiritual power.¡¯ Each power has its own differences, but the energy¡¯s essence was more or less the same. The barrier blocked the entrance of Ingo Mountain. ¡®Is this perhaps¡­ an illusion?¡¯ The barrier prevented them from entering the mountain by creating an illusion. It seemed as if they walked in a straight path, but in truth, they were constantly circling around the same ce. Some intruders weren¡¯t able to cope with the situation, so they ended up killing themselves. ¡®As expected, this wasn¡¯t easy.¡¯ Then, the sun was gone, and the night time came. The paths that were illuminated just hours before became lost in the ckness. As the forest fell into darkness, Aria heard the cries of beasts. Rumbles¡ª There was a shock and vibration as the ground trembled. ¡°Agh!¡± ¡°Wh-what in tarnation?!¡± The knights of the House of Cortez unsheathed their swords, their skin mmy with nervous sweat. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to go back!¡± The guide wailed, ¡°Goodness gracious, what are we gonna do if the rumor about the monster is true?!¡± ¡°Monster?¡± ¡°The deformed beast. Many timesrger than themon predator.¡­..¡± ¡°What? Why are you telling me that now?!¡± ¡°Because you kept shouting at me! You didn¡¯t even stop to listen!¡± he used. Aria had also heard of the rumor. The reason why so many people thought of the Valentines as devil worshippers were because of the rumor. ¡°It¡¯s the devil¡¯s curse¡­¡­¡± someone muttered. Suddenly, a scream broke out. ¡°Argh!!!¡± ¡°H-help!¡± The sound echoed throughout the forest, desperate and terrified. It was a cry of hysteria and disbelief, bordering fear. The scream was one of the guard¡¯sst words before he perished. Aria fixedly stared at the knights surrounding her and didn¡¯t look away for even a second. Yet, by the time she blinked, another knight fell to the ground, his corpse soaked in a pool of blood. ¡®My eyes can¡¯t keep up, but I know there¡¯s something here!¡¯ A momentter, everyone was dead. The knights, mercenaries, guides, and even the coachmen¡­ the life that had once dwelt within them was nowhere to be found. It was a brutal ughter. The ground was covered with soulless bodies lying limply. Aria lifted her head from the ground. In the midst of the bloody corpses stood a man wearing a ck cloak. ¡°How entertaining,¡± he smirked. His voice was deep, like a low roll of thunder. ¡°How did the House of Valentine fall to such a state? The social hierarchy is nothing but a joke.¡± A massacre had just happened before Aria¡¯s eyes, but she felt no remorse. Her tragic past had diminished her emotions. ¡®This method of ughter¡­¡¯ Beside the man were tworge creatures that seemed to be the ¡®monsters¡¯ that the guide talked about. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the dogs ate.¡± The man called the beasts ¡®dogs¡¯. The creature was huge and grotesque with ck matted hair. They looked like wolves that were three times bigger than the regr size. Then Aria locked eyes with the man. ¡®Gray eyes¡­¡¯ The man came up to her, passing the pile of corpses, and pointed his sword at her. His lips parted. ¡°Kill her.¡± Aria¡¯s brain had shut down. The beasts ran towards her, and her knees gave away as she fell to the cold, hard ground. She shut her eyes, waiting for them to deliver thest, finishing blow. ¡°Kyaa-!!!¡± ¡­ But there was no pain at all. Aria opened her eyes, tears blurring her vision. ¡°Sob, sob¡­¡± The monster licked Aria¡¯s hand and wagged its tail like a dog. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Trantor: Latte Editor:BakaReem ¡°Oh?¡± The man nced over, the corners of his lips fighting a smile and his eyebrows slightly raised. Suddenly, he broke into a fit ofughter. He was amused at the scene. After seeing Aria copse, the beasts lowered their bodies andid on the ground. They stared at her with puppy-dog-eyes, asking to be stroked. ¡®I¡¯m saved¡­.¡¯ Aria thought, grasping her beating heart. Not far away, Count Cortez had fainted with foam in his mouth. ¡°Are you insane? What are you guys doing?¡± he snarled, scowling at the beasts¡¯ absurd acts. The beasts immediately hid behind Aria¡¯s back. ¡°Ha, how amusing,¡± he leered. The man approached Aria. Aria stared at his feet, which left bloody footprints onto the overused dirt path. His steps grew closer to her every second, and once he stopped, Aria lifted her head towards his. The man was tall. ¡®Too tall¡­¡¯ ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± he glowered. Initially, his eyes resembled a dead fish¡¯s; empty and dull. His facial muscles were just as loose. There was no anger, no sadness, no joy nor resentment. He simply seemed¡­ bored. But now, his eyes expressed sentiment. Instantly, emotions shed through his borate marble-like eyes, brimming with astonishment. He stared at her, wondering how someone so dainty could tame his hounds so easily. He was clearly interested in her. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a strange mask.¡± He thoughtfully gazed at therge mask covering her face. The mask was a relic left by Aria¡¯s mother. ¡°My hounds respond instinctively to strong magic. These dogs obey me because no one else could oppose my power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Could you be stronger than me?¡± Impossible. The man was overwhelmingly powerful. He was far stronger than her. No matter how talented Aria is, she was nothing but a mere ten year old who had never been trained. ¡°You look weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Like an insect.¡± The man observed Aria from top to bottom. ¡®Sirens are the friends of animals.¡¯ Being able to interact with them was one of their unique quirks. ¡®To think that this ability could save me from the monsters of the Ingo Mountains.¡¯ Aria glimpsed at the beasts. They had transformed from ferocious-looking wolves to gentle sheeps. They licked her mask, acting vulnerable and cute, making it hard for Aria toe to her senses. Her mask was now dripping with saliva. Truthfully, Aria had never used her ability tomunicate with animals. This was because she had never encountered them. Or to be exact, she wasn¡¯t allowed to¡­ She still remembered the horrific incident¡­ Count Cortez always kept her under surveince and watched her every move. If an animal approached her, he would not hesitate to level his crossbow and shoot them to death. ¡°Did you call that animal? You want its help?¡± he mocked, ¡°Ha, how ridiculous! Don¡¯t even think of running away from me!¡± He picked up his crossbow and fired a bolt. The bolt struck the animal and blood sttered on Aria¡¯s face. The animal whimpered, its body gradually losing warmth. Blood pooled around it, tinting it¡¯s white stomach crimson. It vacantly stared at her, eyes slowly losing its luster. Aria paled as the odour of death rose in the air like invisible smoke. The animal was as cold as the ground itid on. It was now dead. Ever since then, Aria had vowed to avoid animals so that such miserable things would never happen again. She had never considered interacting with animals again, but the hounds before her looked strong. Their skin was thick and sturdy. A bolt would probably feel like a prick of toothpick to them. ¡®How cute.¡¯ One of the hounds looked up at her with its big, round eyes. Its soft, furry ears flopping over as it tilted its head. She hesitated for a moment, but soon gave in to the cuteness and patted him gently. Then, the other hound rolled over, disying its tummy and asking for a belly rub. ¡®So adorable¡­!¡¯ She stroked its belly. The beasts looked simr to wolves, but Aria had finally realized why they were called dogs. Their fur felt like silk against her skin and glistened in the moonlight, reflecting it like a pure, ck mirror. Aria could not resist petting them. ¡°Tch!¡± the man clicked his tongue, ¡°You might as well get buried in the fur¡­¡± He could no longer see Aria. The beasts¡¯ bodies were sorge that their massive fur covered Aria¡¯s tiny self. ¡°You better tell me who you are once you get inside.¡± The man grabbed her by the back of her neck and lifted her up. * * * ¡°Your Lordship is very courageous,¡±mented an old man with slick gray hair. His name was William, and he was the Valentines¡¯ butler. ¡°You are the first people to enter the Valentine Mansion.¡± He ced a mug on the table. ¡°Your Lordship is very lucky too. Your life was saved thanks to the littledy,¡± he said to the Count. Aria leaned towards the mug and peeked at its contents. The sweet fragrance of chocte lingered throughout the room, but it was not hot chocte. She wrapped her hands around the ceramic mug, letting the warmth flow through her fingers. ¡®What is this?¡¯ She swirled the mug and the brown liquid circled around. It looked just like hot chocte too, but it was also condensed. Then she poked her finger inside. Squish¡ª ¡®Soft!¡¯ ¡°Is this marshmallow?¡± Then, the butler whispered something to her in a very small voice. ¡®Drink¡­ melon? It tastes like melon? Is that what he said?¡¯ As Aria stared at the mug, the man wearing a ck cloak finally opened his mouth. ¡°I need to go to the hunting grounds,¡± he said while casually leaning against the wall. ¡°Right now?¡± the butler questioned. ¡°I need to feed the hounds before the mountain animals eat all their prey.¡± Count Cortez¡¯s head was a mess, he couldn¡¯t grasp the situation. Finally, he raised his head and asked, ¡°Wh-where in blue zes are we?¡± Then, the Count shouted his words. ¡°Our family¡¯s personal knights and mercenaries became dog food!¡± He red at Aria, redirecting his anger toward her. Grr¡ª The hounds lying beside Aria got angry and threatened him. Frightened, the Count averted his gaze and lowered his head. ¡°I shall repeat my words. Your Lordship was only able to survive because of Miss Aria here,¡± the butler added. A momentter, the man spoke. ¡°I willpensate you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you have any otherints?¡± Count Cortez was speechless. ¡°But, the amount¡­¡± The butler nervously turned towards the man.. ¡°Give him as much as he pleases.¡± He replied, annoyed. Count Cortez bit his lips. It was a good deal, but unfortunately, he hade for something else. ¡°Actually, I came here because¡­ I wanted to introduce my daughter to your son,¡± he stammered. The Count was afraid of him. After witnessing such brutal ughter, he thought that the man was no different from a monster. He anxiously nced at Aria, gesturing for her to take off the mask. But Aria did not move. The Count gave an awkward smile and quickly zed it over. ¡°Ahem, she will show you her appearanceter. I assure you that she is my real daughter.¡± ¡°Then why have you been hiding her?¡± ¡°¡­Because she¡¯s mute.¡± This one sentence cleared up the whole situation. The reason why the Count married Aria¡¯s mother, amoner, was because she was a Siren. He wanted to acquire the power of the Siren and pass it onto his bloodline. But the Siren¡¯s daughter was mute, so she had little to no value. ¡°Even if she can¡¯t sing, she can be a great tribute to the duchy.¡± Aria wasn¡¯t able to speak, so she could never reveal his dirty secrets. ¡°If you pay the proper amount and take this child in, the House of Cortez will never step foot inside the duchy ever again,¡± heughed. He was like a merchant exining the value of a high-end product. The Count continued, ¡°One w is that she wasn¡¯t taught how to read and write, but she learned it at will. If you ever want to discipline her, you can just inflict a little pain on her arms.¡± Aria listened to his words. Count Cortez actually tried his best to prove her value. Aria just told him to sell her to a great house, but she didn¡¯t expect him to do such a good job. ¡®I just hope the Valentines will ept me¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, the butler was not impressed. ¡°The Count of Cortez, you came here without prior notice, made a fuss within the mansion, and insulted the Grand Duke¡¯s name.¡± ¡°When have I ever insulted His Grace?!¡± ¡°The reason we condoned your rudeness is because your father, Count Maestro Cortez, wrote the masterpiece of the century under the auspices of the Valentines.¡± Count Cortez¡¯s face flushed. He had just been told that the reason he survived was only because of his father. The butler continued, ¡°The Valentines encourage art and respect the value of geniuses. So I suggest that you hold back before further staining the Cortez family name.¡± In truth, what he meant was ¡®If you cross the line any further, then we will not hesitate to kick you out.¡¯ The Count was very much ashamed and hurt, for it was the first time that he had ever been disgraced by someone of lower status. Aria, on the other hand, was impressed. The butler had already known who Count Cortez was. The Count had always beenpared to his genius father. He had lived his life in his father¡¯s shadow, thus leading him to develop an inferiorityplex. ¡®It was unusual for butlers to talk back to guests, but he is the butler of the devil, so¡­¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t believe it. To have gathered such detailed information on an intruder without prior notice, the butler was incredible. Aria nced towards the butler and their eyes met. ¡°Oh, I see. Is the young miss unable to drink because of her mask?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Aria was puzzled. ¡°There must be something that the Duke wore during thest banquet¡­¡± he murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you another mask so you can finish your cocoa,¡± he said kindly. He changed his attitude in an instant. Aria learned that the chocte-smelling-beverage was called ¡®cocoa¡¯. She felt embarrassed. The devilish butler, who seemed to be a vicious character, turned out to be surprisingly kind. Or at least¡­ only to her. ¡®Why¡­?¡¯ Aria wondered. Suddenly, the hounds started barking. ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± ¡°Bark! Bark!¡± A heavy silence ensued, thicker than the uneasy tension in the atmosphere. The Count had a bad feeling, so he took Aria¡¯s cards. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything foolish and stay calm,¡± he threatened, clenching his teeth. Subsequently, he grabbed hold of her arm. The hounds became even more violent. They growled, baring their sharp teeth at the Count. ¡°Argh!!!¡± The man grabbed the Counts wrists and twisted it to an unnatural angle. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take her in,¡± the man said, taking off the ck hood that covered half of his face. Aria stared at him in awe. ¡®The Grand Duke of Valentine!¡¯ As expected, the man was Lloyd¡¯s father. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll His tall figure, his method of ughter, his overwhelming power, and murderous intent. Even with his hood on, Aria could easily recognize this man as Lloyd¡¯s father. ¡®The way they ruthlessly kill people¡­ it¡¯s simr.¡¯ She observed him intently. He looked just like Lloyd. Their hair was jet-ck and coiffed to perfection. Furthermore, they had the same shape of eyes. But they also had their own differences. Lloyd¡¯s hair was short, and it stopped right above his nape. On the other hand, his father had hair that flowed right up till his chest. They rested on his shoulders, straight yet soft, swaying like prairie grass in the breeze. ¡°Hmm.¡± The Grand Duke stared back at Aria, not avoiding her gaze. He had eyes like a pool of pure crimson blood. As Aria peered into his eyes, she felt as if he was searching deep into her very soul. But for the Grand Duke, her gaze was different. It was a curious gaze that he had never received except from his children. ¡°You¡¯re a strange kid. Haven¡¯t you heard rumors of me feeding humans to my dogs?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I even tried to kill you.¡¯¡± Aria, of course, was prepared to die, so she nodded and grabbed the Grand Duke¡¯s cuff. His eyes widened, and he was at a loss for words. He seemed genuinely surprised. ¡®Huh? Why¡­?¡¯ Aria was also confused. She didn¡¯t expect him to react that way. The Grand Duke nced down at the little girl holding his sleeve. ¡°I will deposit the down payment immediately. William, handle all the procedures.¡± He beckoned the butler, ordering him as per usual. ¡°Your Grace is very impulsive sometimes¡­¡± The butler sighed, tired of the Grand Duke¡¯s spontaneous decisions. ¡°Are you dissatisfied with my decision?¡± ¡°Not at all, I am actually quite fond of the youngdy here. One who is loved by animals could never be evil.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not so sure about that¡­¡¯ Aria thought. After that, William ordered the rest of the servants to prepare the money. ¡°As Count Cortez had affirmed previously, you are not to set foot in this mansion ever again. The butler will erase your memories, and you will forget about today¡¯s events.¡± The Grand Duke said in a cold tone. ¡°If you were ever to break your promise, I will not hesitate to erase the Cortez Family name from the face of this country. Think wisely, for your family is at stake.¡± Despite his outrageous remarks to erase the genius maestro, Cortez, from all history, no one doubted his words. For he was the infamous Grand Duke of Valentine. ¡°W-wait, I have one more condition!¡± Count Cortez spoke, holding his twisted arm. ¡°What more do you have to say?¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s tone was full of malice and hatred. He seemed offended by the Count, who dared to ask for more. The Count was terrified, but he still managed to muster his courage and spoke, ¡°When Aria gives birth, you must give the child to me.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that I want.¡± If a Siren gives birth, there¡¯s a high possibility that the child would be a Siren as well. ¡®To think that he¡¯d still be greedy even though I¡¯ve brainwashed him¡­¡¯ ¡°I see that you¡¯re willing to be dog-food,¡± the Grand Duke hissed at the Count. ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you disappear from the face of the earth if you¡¯d like,¡± he threatened. The beasts growled, baring their sharp fangs. Petrified, Count Cortez froze at his seat. He no longer had the audacity to ask for more ridiculous requests. The Grand Duke gestured for William to proceed with the payment procedure. ¡°Escort the Count out.¡± ¡°What?! Why?¡± ¡°Is it not obvious? Your words might emotionally affect Little Miss Aria here, and I refuse to be in the same room with the likes of you.¡± ¡°What¡­.¡± ¡°Had you not spit out thosest words, I would¡¯ve been able to at least kick you out nicely.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Erase his memories, including the fact that he had a daughter,¡± the Grand Duke ordered his knights. Aria didn¡¯t know that erasing the memories of a person was possible. Then, the butler spoke, ¡°The Valentines¡¯ are very skilled at erasing memories. You will only feel a slight tingling sensation on your skin.¡± At the end of his words, a couple of knights dragged the Count to a separate room. A momentter, a blood-curdling scream broke out. ¡®Slight sensation¡­¡¯ ¡°Shall we go, miss?¡± William said, still smiling. * * * ¡°I ask for your understanding over theck of preparations. The Grand Duke¡¯s decision was so sudden that we did not have the time to prepare. Young Miss will be staying here for a while until your room is fully furnished.¡± The room was breathtaking and spacious. It was decorated withvish furniture, and the decorations consisted of luxurious items and sculptures. The colors were like nothing else; vivid and bright. But above all else, the most distinguished part of the room was undeniably its art. The House of Valentine genuinely treasured art. Infamous and expensive artworks graced the room, and paintings that spoke of their profound history were disyed on the walls. The entire room resembled an art gallery. ¡®An appraiser¡­¡¯ Aria was in awe. Her impression of the Grand Duke changed immediately¡­ She expected the room to be dark and gloomy. ¡®Rather, this is more beautiful than the Imperial Pce.¡¯ Indeed, it was more gorgeous and vibrant than the Imperial Pce. ¡®Perhaps the rumor about the Valentines¡¯ having authority over the Imperial Family was true?¡¯ Aria wondered. ¡®I thought it was just a baseless rumor.¡¯ Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. William entered the room with a rosy-cheeked middle-ageddy. ¡°Good evening Young Miss. My name is Diana, and I am the headdy-in-waiting and caretaker of the Grand Duke¡¯s son. I will be serving you from now on,¡± Diana spoke with smiling eyes. Her smile was as bright as the sun, blinding anyone who looked at her in the face. ¡®My eyes¡­¡¯ Aria fiddled her fingers, trying to rx herself. Come to think of it. This was the first time someone had actually regarded Aria as who she was and not her identity as a Siren. ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s son¡­.He must be caring for the Madame right now.¡± ¡®Madame¡­ she must be Lloyd¡¯s mother.¡¯ She was one of the few people who will soon be killed by ¡®The Devil¡¯s Curse.¡¯ She will die soon. ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t too shocked by the Grand Duke¡¯s sudden decision,¡± Diana said in a soothing tone. ¡®Seems like Lloyd won¡¯t wee me upon my arrival.¡¯ Well, who would wee their contracted fiance? ¡°First of all, hmm¡­¡± Diana said, eyeing Aria. Aria was very skinny and frail. Upon meeting her, she couldn¡¯t believe that she was ten years old with that tiny body. ¡°Please write the types of dishes you prefer so that I can prepare them for you in the future.¡± Baffled, Aria blinked her eyes. Then, Diana dipped a quill to the ink and handed it over to Aria¡¯s slender fingers. Dishes I prefer? My favorite food? ¡®I don¡¯t have any preference¡­.¡¯ Aria had ack of appetite. The only food she had ever eaten was cold pork porridge, and she would further lose her appetite whenever she was called a Siren. She didn¡¯t even bother anymore. Eating was just a means to survive. ¡®My knowledge regarding food is limited.¡¯ The only things she knew about was alcohol and drugs. She didn¡¯t want to know, but couldn¡¯t help it. Aria often met nobles who held illegal parties. They were involved in prostitution, drug trafficking, and political corruption. The parties were dangerous and obscene. There was even a rumor that said the Siren would only sing in corrupted ces. ¡®It was tough for me¡­¡¯ Ink smeared the white card. Aria took too long to think, so the ink droplets dripped to the floor. She had no choice but to write down whatever she could think of. [Warm soup.] ¡®Is this enough?¡¯ She thought that it was alright as long as the soup did not smell and was served while still warm. Unfortunately, Diana was not satisfied. She had hoped that Aria would write more, so she nced at her with a despondent face. ¡®She¡¯s disappointed¡­¡¯ And so Aria pondered some more, and after a while, she noted down another menu on her card. [Bread and cheese.] ¡®Is this enough?¡¯ Aria thought. But contrary to her expectations, Diana¡¯s expression sank even more. So she wrote another one¡­ [Cocoa. Tastes like melon.] ¡°Tastes like melon?¡± Diana asked. Aria turned her head towards William, hoping he would exin it in her stead. He bit his lips with a subtle expression, neither smiling nor frowning. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Aria gave the butler a few nces but to no avail. She had no choice but to exin it in writing. [Soft, white clouds floating on top.] ¡°Pfft¡ª! Ahem, I apologize.¡± William turned around, holding back hisughter. Diana burst intoughter as well, seemed like she and William figured something out. ¡°Oh! Haha! The taste is like melon,¡± she nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get it for you right away.¡± [Thank you.] ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± Diana kept asking with an anticipating look, and Aria had no choice but to answer frankly. [I don¡¯t know the names of any kind of dishes.] Diana had a tearful countenance stered on her face. Aria was embarrassed by the sudden change in the maid¡¯s facial expressions. ¡®Is she crying?¡¯ Aria quickly thrust out another card. [If you let me know, I¡¯ll memorize it right away.] Shocked, Diana hugged her. The card slipped out of Aria¡¯s hand. She was bewildered. For the first time in her life, someone had actually embraced her. ¡®What a strange person.¡¯ At that point, the arms squeezed a fraction tighter, and Aria breathed slower, her body melting into Diana¡¯s as all her muscles rxed, giving in to her warmth. It was warm and cozy, just like that time she stroked the hounds. Strange enough, she had no intention to push her away. Aria blinked. ¡°Young Miss,¡± she sniffled. ¡°It must have been so hard. You¡¯re in good hands now.¡± ¡®Is she¡¯s trying tofort me?¡¯ Aria thought, puzzled. No one had ever regarded her as family. Everyone abused her, treating her like a worthless puppet. ¡®It¡¯s always like that ever since I was young¡­¡¯ There were times where she¡¯d cry a lot. But now, even her tears had dried out. She felt nothing. Not even despair. She was detached. Aria wrapped an arm around her shoulders and buried her head into her chest. ¡°It¡¯s all right now. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Diana said while patting her head. Diana continued to console her. The maid of the devil¡¯s mansion emitted a strange aroma. ¡®The smell of sun-dried nkets¡­¡¯ She smelled like the lingering scent of spring on a nket that was dried underneath the sun. * * * ¡°Oh my!¡± Diana was surprised. She was startled because Aria had been standing beside the window since dawn. ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Aria shook her head. Diana looked her in the eyes and concluded that she, in fact, did. ¡°It¡¯s my fault!¡± She wailed. ¡°I should¡¯ve stayed with you awhile longer¡­¡± [No.] ¡°You¡¯re still a baby, but I was careless! You were scared, right? It rained all night too¡­¡± [No.] Aria didn¡¯t usually sleep till morning. Aria tried to gain back her dignity by holding her [No.] card over and over again, but Diana didn¡¯t listen. She kept treating her like a baby, and Aria couldn¡¯t help but blush in embarrassment. ¡®Baby¡­¡¯ Even if she did travel to the past, her conscience was certainly not that of a ten-year-old. [My body may be small, but I¡¯m definitely not a baby.] Aria tried to exin that she was not a baby. Diana¡¯s lips rose into a grin, and she lightly stroked her head. ¡°Ho-ho, aren¡¯t you still a baby?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Aria was flustered. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll ¡®It¡¯s warm.¡¯ Aria thought stroking someone¡¯s head was just a simple action, but it was surprisingly soothing. ¡®I guess this is why the hounds kept pestering the Grand Duke to pet them.¡¯ Aria stared at Diana¡¯s hand, her eyes brightened with each stroke. ¡°Do you mind if I stroke you from time to time?¡± Diana asked. Aria held out a [No.] card to her. But she kept ncing at Diana¡¯s hand brimming with anticipation and hope, so the maid couldn¡¯t help butugh at her innocence. ¡°Why were you leaning against the window?¡± [The flowers outside are beautiful.] Aria pointed towards the window with a quill in her hand. The garden was adorned with gands of the most vibrant blooms. [I can see the flowers. I like them.] Count Cortez used to trap her in the mansion¡¯s attic. So all she could do was gaze out the window and admire the beautiful scenery. It might seem boring and useless to others, but to Aria, the flowers symbolized her hope to survive. ¡°I see, so the young miss fancies flowers,¡± she smiled. ¡°Well, there are a lot of rare nts here in the mansion¡­¡± ¡®Rare nts¡­¡¯ Aria spent most of her life in confinement. So when she heard the phrase ¡®rare nts,¡¯ she couldn¡¯t resist feeling curious. Aria peered at Diana with gleaming eyes. ¡°O-oh! If you stare at me so imploringly¡­¡± Diana exaggerated. ¡®I just stared at her with puppy-dog-eyes, but she looks as if she¡¯s just been attacked.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s raining right now, but would you like to get acquainted with the garden?¡± Aria nodded. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll dress you up with the outfits you brought from home,¡± Diana said as she ordered the maids to bring Aria¡¯s luggage. The House of Cortez sent the luggage. ¡°Which one of these cute dresses do you usually wear?¡± All the dresses were actually brand new. The clothes Aria usually wore¡­ were rags. ¡®But I can¡¯t just tell her that¡­¡¯ She hesitated for a moment but decided to answer honestly. [I haven¡¯t worn any of these. My father bought them for me before we came here.] Diana¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°¡­Upon taking a closer look, these dresses are hideous!¡± ¡®Huh? Didn¡¯t she just say they were cute?¡¯ ¡°The fabric and design used are of poor quality! It¡¯s uneptable! The Lady of Valentine should wear no such thing!¡± ¡®Really?¡¯ Diana made it seem as if the Count was a cheapskate who could only buy his daughter hand-me-down rags. ¡°Call the other maids. We¡¯ll be taking the Young Miss¡¯ measurements,¡± she instructed. ¡®Aren¡¯t we just going to the garden? Why do they have to take my measurements?¡¯ Aria wondered if she¡¯d even have the time to go outside¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll finish this in an hour. Bring me a dress, a silk hat, and ace umbre!¡± ¡®Huh¡­ maybe it is possible.¡¯ Aria stood absent-mindedly; everything went by so fast that she could not grasp the situation at hand. Then, the maids gathered together and began to discuss the dress she would be wearing. One of the maids spoke in a solemn tone, ¡°How about this dress? It¡¯s paired with a cloak, so I think it¡¯s fine for this weather, and she could wear these boots too.¡± The outfits were stunning. They could even satirize those worn by the Imperial Family. Moreover, the detailed linings and the decorations were on a different level. ¡®Now I know why they mocked the Count¡¯s dresses.¡¯ The difference between her dresses and the Valentine¡¯s was like heaven and earth. Aria was fascinated by the gorgeous and appealing dresses. But what she¡¯s most fond of was the sky blue umbre with delicate whitece on its rims. ¡®Wonderful. I got this tiny umbre.¡¯ She often imagined the sound of raindrops hitting an umbre to calm down and rx herself. She couldn¡¯t wait to listen to it in actuality. ¡°Ah,¡± Diana remembered something while ncing at Aria. ¡°The mask you¡¯re wearing looked ufortable, so I made this in a hurry.¡± Diana held out a mask. The mask was made with soft silk, and the inside was stuffed with cotton. ¡®Fluffy, but¡­¡¯ It had rabbit ears. ¡®What on earth?¡¯ Aria red at Diana in protest, but Diana just chuckled. ¡°Rabbits are very friendly. This way, you won¡¯t be scared at night!¡± She grinned, ¡°Our baby won¡¯t have any more nightmares!¡± [I am not a baby.] Aria pouted. ¡°Ho-ho! Of course, you¡¯re not a baby. Young miss is already grown up! How silly of me to make such a mistake!¡± Aria tensed up. Diana was the first person to have ever treated her so kindly. ¡®It tickles.¡¯ Aria had butterflies in her stomach. Diana had shown her so much love and care. While she wasn¡¯t used to it, Aria was still grateful. Diana worked hard on the mask, so Aria had no choice but to ept it. ¡®The Grand Duke, too, has never asked me to take off my mask.¡¯ He didn¡¯t ask, nor did he forcibly take it away. Aria could¡¯ve tricked him about being the Count¡¯s daughter, but he didn¡¯t doubt her even a single bit. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s trying to test me¡­ Treating someone with kindness is one way to assess someone¡¯s true nature.¡¯ Aria needed to regain her senses. She had to prove herself as worthy and had to be as vignt as possible. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ Aria turned her back and changed into her new rabbit mask. Diana, as yful as she was, started poking her cheeks and spoke, ¡°Ho-ho! You¡¯ve been hiding such a pretty appearance behind that mask!¡± She wore that mask for only 10 seconds. Embarrassed, Aria puffed her cheeks and stepped back. ¡°Aw, stop that! I¡¯ll get diabetes from your sweetness!¡± Diana gave a quirkyugh. She then handed Aria a mug. Yesterday, Aria could not drink her cocoa because the mask covered her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a cold day, so drink this and warm up.¡± She brought the cup to her lips and felt the cocoa¡¯s warmth inside her mouth. ¡°¡­..!¡± It was delicious, like nothing she¡¯d ever had. Sweets usually made her feel nauseous. She had even vomited once after nibbling on a piece of chocte. But this was different. It had a rich taste that enveloped her tongue before flowing down her throat and heating up her insides. ¡®I don¡¯t feel queasy.¡¯ Her heart pounded. The ¡®melon-like,¡¯ soft, white clouds that floated on the cocoa had a distinct taste and instantly melted in her mouth. Diana felt genuinely happy as she watched Aria enjoying the cocoa. ¡°Does it suit your taste? Aria thought she had no appetite since she always threw up her food, but she unexpectedly liked it. She wiped the whipped cream on her upper lip with the back of her hand. [Melon is delicious.] ¡°¡­Young Miss is far too adorable.¡± ¡®M-me? Cute?¡¯ Suddenly, Diana raised her hand. ¡®Is she going to stroke me again?¡¯ Aria froze like a nervous rabbit, but at the same time, she anticipated being stroked again. But before Diana¡¯s hand could reach her¡­ Knock-knock! The door burst open, and a concerned maid urgently stepped in.. ¡°Head maid! We have a problem!¡± * * * Aria toured the garden alone. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble! The madame is in critical condition!¡± Because of the sudden deterioration of the madame¡¯s health, all of the servants, including Diana, immediately headed to the Grand Duchess¡¯ aid. Every single one of them. ¡°You can take care of yourself, right? Promise me you¡¯lle back to your room after looking at the flowers.¡± Diana worried. Aria nodded and gently pushed her back, as if telling her to just hurry to the Grand Duchess¡¯ room. A momentter, the sky became dark, and the rain poured even harder. Aria stared at the mansion, listening to the rhythmic pitter-patter of the raindrops hitting her umbre. She was quite worried. ¡®The Grand Duchess shouldn¡¯t die yet, but¡­¡¯ Aria thought that stopping her death could be the first step in avoiding the Massacre of the Valentines. ¡®Diana had said that Lloyd was taking care of his mother.¡¯ He loved his mother deeply, and he struggled with his loss more than anyone else. ¡®Just like me¡­¡¯ She unconsciously clutched her ne and strolled back to the mansion. ¡®The top floor of the mansion.¡¯ There was only one room with the lights on. The servants¡¯ shadows in the hallways could be seen throughout the storey. That must be the Grand Duchess¡¯ bedroom. Aria found her location. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy to get permission to enter the bedroom.¡¯ No matter how much the Grand Duke liked her. Aria was still an outsider. Furthermore, security was strict. Clip clop¡­ ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡®The sound of footsteps!¡¯ The approaching footsteps stomped over the wet grass, and as she turned to run away, she was already caught. ¡°You! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He had a deep voice. ¡°I repeat, what are you doing sneaking around here like a rat?¡± He saw the shock stered on Aria¡¯s face before she could even hide it. He knitted his eyebrows. Suddenly, he drew out his sword and pressed it against Aria¡¯s neck. She raised her head and gazed at the wielder. ¡°Reveal your intentions.¡± He stood there, uniformed in cutting-edge attire, which enhanced his dignified figure, clearly designed by great tailors. Droplets of water-dampened his jet-ck-hair. His eyes were dark, like two obsidian orbs, and his lethal gaze seemed to pierce her. ¡®Lloyd Cardence Valentine¡­¡¯ He was stunning, like those characters in fantasy novels. His beauty was stupefying and surreal, unlike any other. He was an Adonis among the other males. ¡®I knew he was beautiful¡­¡¯ His eyes reminded her of smokey ashes rising from a passionate fire. They were intense, reflecting the me burning deep within his heart. ¡®He wasn¡¯t this mad in the beginning.¡¯ Aria did not like this situation. She was just actually hoping to meet someone who wouldn¡¯t be addicted to her singing. But strangely¡­ ¡®I¡¯m rather d.¡¯ What he held was not a sword dripping in blood. It was a white, shiny sword, mirroring the moonlight and fit for a noble. Aria¡¯s neck began to ache. The boy growled, ¡°Spit it out! Unless you want your head rolling in the mud.¡± Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll A grave silence settled among them. At that moment, time stopped, and all Aria could see was Lloyd and herself. It was as if they were the only two people left in the world. ¡°Let¡¯s fall down to hell together,¡± he smiled. That day, the clouds swept the earth. Her vision was veiled by the lightest of mists. She gazed into his gray eyes, but the haze blurred her field of vision. He stared back, yet his orbs showed no light. They were hollow and empty. As the fog dispersed, so did Aria¡¯s illusion. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It was just a memory. Aria could see her breath forming a small, misty cloud in the cold air. ¡®That was close.¡¯ She had almost spoken. Shaaa©` She snapped back to reality. The time which she thought had stopped began to move again. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand the situation, do you?¡± Aria wasposed, her face stark. Lloyd¡¯s expression darkened, and he pressed the de deeper into her flesh. Blood oozed down her nape. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was painful, but Aria made no sound. She was used to enduring pain and suppressing her moans. ¡°So it¡¯s true. You can¡¯t speak,¡± he snarled. ¡®Was he testing me?¡¯ Aria nervously looked at him. He doubted her since the very beginning. ¡®He¡¯s sharp. Was I found out?¡¯ The cold, icy rain poured over her pale, soft skin. Her posture weakened under the weight of her soaked dress. ¡®It hurts¡­¡¯ Her fingers loosened. Aria dropped her umbre. Tok. Shaaa©` Atst, Aria¡¯s face, which was hidden by her umbre, was finally revealed. Lloyd¡¯s cold expression was now reced with a puzzled look. ¡°¡­Rabbit?¡± Her rabbit mask had caught him off guard. ¡°Rabbit¡­¡± Lloyd murmured. He creased his forehead at the sight of Aria, shivering in the torrent of heavy rain. ¡°Rabbit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to answer my question by disclosing your true intentions, just mouth your words, and I¡¯ll read your lips.¡± ¡®True intention? If it was my true intention¡­¡¯ She had escaped her cage just to meet him. She was willing to sacrifice herself for his sake. Aria would voluntarily be a stepping stone if it was meant to help achieve his, her benefactor¡¯s, goals. She wouldn¡¯t mindpletely burning herself out just to let him shine his brightest, like the splendid afternoon sun, but would instead feel honored just to be given a chance. ¡®I¡­ I can¡¯t say it.¡¯ Aria recalled her memory with Diana. It felt really nice when she was stroked. So she patted his head. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd stared at her as if she was insane. * * * ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve never held weapons before,¡± Lloyd said, touching Aria¡¯s hands. He observed her slender fingers; they were soft and smooth. She had no calluses. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to learn at least one weapon at your age?¡± ¡®The age of ten?¡¯ Aria was shocked. ¡°There are only bones in your body, where are your muscles?¡± ¡®Why would ten-year-olds have muscles?¡¯ Aria tilted her head. Lloyd grabbed her wrist and held it for a while. After that, he ced his fingers on his own wrists, and then, he frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle for you even to be alive! You¡¯re very frail, and your pulse is weak. Your bones are so fragile that they might break if I squeeze too hard!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are all humans outside our territory this weak?¡± Lloyd paused. ¡°You¡¯re even worse than Mother¡­,¡± his words trailed off. He stared at her as if she was a rare animal. One he had never seen before. ¡®I was feeble from the start¡­ and my body only grew weaker because I was abused and malnourished.¡¯ Aria thought to herself. She inadvertently put her hand on her neck and trembled in pain. She sucked in a sharp breath as the pain spiraled across her body. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and flung it towards Aria. Instinctively, Aria grabbed the flying handkerchief. ¡°Use it and throw it away.¡± Aria alternatively nced between the handkerchief and Lloyd¡¯s face. Then, she lightly pressed her nape¡¯s open wound. Lloyd, who couldn¡¯t stand watching, scooted closer to her and snatched it back from her hands. ¡°Let me do it.¡± He skillfully tended to her wound. The wound was not actually deep, but it seemed as if the blood kept gushing out due to it being diluted with the rainwater. He stopped the bleeding in an instant, wrapped the handkerchief over her neck, and tied it. ¡°Why are you wearing a mask?¡± Lloyd lightly tapped her mask with his finger. Stunned by his sudden action, Aria flinched. ¡°You, rabbit.¡± The rabbit mask was soaked with rainwater. ¡®I was d that the cotton was soft, but now it feels ufortable.¡¯ Aria thought. Her appearance was quite funny and amusing, but Lloyd kept a serious face. ¡°Were you preyed by a Rat?¡± Aria staggered at his words. She hadn¡¯t thought that she was under suspicion. His intuitions were rtively sharp. Gutter meant the criminal world. He used such terms to lessen the fatalness of his words. ¡°Those that are raised as prey are unable to speak or have their tongues cut off. This is so that they can¡¯t expose their masters.¡± The prey lived and died for their masters, serving them with loyalty all their lives. They were born to be eaten, and are meaningless without them, just like lifeless puppets. ¡°You came here as Count Cortez¡¯s daughter, but your name isn¡¯t listed in the family register. How will you verify yourself if we didn¡¯t believe you at face value?¡± Lloyd scrutinized. As he had said, Aria couldn¡¯t prove her identity. ¡®Moreover, there¡¯s a lot of bad blood between the Valentines and the Gutter Rats,¡¯ Aria btedly thought. As infamous as the Valentines are, they mainly had many enemies. Therefore, it was understandable as to why he was so wary of Aria¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to tell if someone was prey or not.¡± ¡®Was there such a way?¡¯ Rats had infiltrated and spread out all across the empire, and because of that, the Emperor suffered from massive headaches trying to distinguish them from his loyal subjects. ¡°Say I¡¯ll kill you f*cking rats.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria was unable toprehend how such a conclusion was made. ¡°As expected, you¡¯re one of them.¡± As Lloyd was about to unsheathe his sword again, she quickly ced her hand above his. Her fingers were trembling. ©`For the first time in her life, she actually tried to curse. She closed her eyes. After a brief hesitation, she parted her lips. ©`I¡¯ll kill you f*ckin¡­ That was her first time swearing. Aria didn¡¯t say it out loud, so she wasn¡¯t as nervous as she had thought she¡¯d be. ¡°¡­Just say it straight.¡± ©`I¡¯ll kill you f*cking rats. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡®Did I pass?¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s expression was not the best, but he rxed his grip on the sword handle. ¡°If you¡¯re not working as their prey, then get your hands off,¡± he grumbled. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Standing up for yourself is a way to survive. There is no ce in the House of Valentine for a child as weak as you,¡± he retorted and shook her hand off. As he took his leave, Aria was left alone in the hallway, and after he waspletely gone from her sight, she walked away as well. Suddenly, as she was about to turn around the corner, she heard a bunch of whispers. ¡°The Grand Duke is gone?¡± the maid rattled on, circting all the gossip she had heard among the other servants. They were whispering, but Aria could hear them quite clearly. Sirens were weak in general, but their five senses were exceptionally sharp. The five senses¡ªsight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Like how a particr race was born with artistic talents, Sirens were known for their keen senses. ¡®I¡¯m d I wasn¡¯t found out by Lloyd.¡¯ In fact, Aria had barely escaped. She¡¯d instinctively reacted to the sound of Lloyd¡¯s footprints and turned towards him. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed her senses because of her feeble appearance. ¡®The powerless and weak Aria¡­¡¯ She hoped that he would continue to believe that. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, whenever she gets sick, she drives out all the servants.¡± ¡°I heard that she wanted to be by herself.¡± ¡°Yes, even the Grand Duke and His Highness are no exception.¡± ¡°I also heard that there were a lot of deaths today,¡± the maid said with a sigh. ¡°I know! His Highness tracked down the spies who infiltrated the Grand Duchy the other day, and he captured them all! Furthermore, he locked them inside the jaguar¡¯s cage to set them up as an example,¡± the maid shuddered. ¡®It seems like the father and son, who were driven out by the Grand Duchess, were taking out their anger on others.¡¯ She immediately understood. The Grand Duchess had been fighting between life and death. This might even be herst. If he couldn¡¯t be with her during her death, he might actually go berserk. But he was still going around killing people. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t the offspring of the devilish ducal couple for nothing. ¡®Did he let me live because I seem weak?¡¯ Aria felt lucky. Nheless, she still felt a throbbing pain in her neck. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the first time that the madame fell. She has passed countless hurdles. But this time¡­ ¡° ¡°Be careful with your words.¡± ¡°But, you know. It¡¯s the first time that the madame has actually made a will.¡± The maids went silent. After a while, one of the maids muttered with a saddened voice. ¡°¡­Yes. She wishes to be buried beneath the cherry tree. She was looking forward to springtime, but what greeted us were endless rainy days instead, so she must be disappointed.¡± ¡°She was really anticipating the cherry blossoms to bloom¡­¡± ¡°This damn rainy season. Why is it raging in spring?¡± ¡°Goddammit. Fuck this world. Just perish already!¡± In fear of those in the devil¡¯s mansion, they naturally exaggerated, cursing God and praying for the destruction of the world. After a while, their voices faded away. ¡®Cherry Blossoms.¡¯ The moment Aria heard that, she remembered the cherry trees she¡¯d seen while strolling around the garden. She immediately ran back there. * * * Fortunately, no escort had been assigned to Aria. Furthermore, no one cared about where and what she was doing now that the Grand Duchess was on the verge of death. ¡®And also because Diana had said that it was okay to admire the flowers.¡¯ She waited untilte at night. It was almost dawn. Aria looked up at the sky with her head tilted back and slowly rose from the cherry tree she was leaning against. She ced her hand on the cherry tree. Although the petals had fallen off after the rain, it was still a huge tree. Big enough to be seen from the Grand Duchess¡¯ bedroom. ¡®Song of Life.¡¯ She finally got to sing it again after a long time. Aria closed her eyes. Then, a sweet melody emerged from her lips. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll As she closed her eyes, it felt as if her emotions were spreading out and enveloping everything around her. An intangible bond developed between them, a melody beyond the range of ears, but lucid for the heart. Chirp chirp! Birds tweeted in response to the Siren¡¯s power. Buzz¡ª Bees buzzed around an audience of vibrant blooms, nature¡¯s euphony blending into the pleasant ambiance. Aria outstretched her hand towards the sky. The wind brushed past her fingertips. Leaves swayed in the breeze along with the Earth¡¯s unvoiced singing. ¡®How lovely.¡¯ She was always singing in tune with an orchestra. Not to mention, this was the first time she sang outside. Count Cortez would always watch her closely, in fear that she might escape. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t go outside as freely as she wished to. He would not hesitate to kill animals that approached Aria with his crossbow. Under the count¡¯s restraint, singing was only allowed indoors, the basement where private parties were held, and inside the emperor¡¯s cage. ¡°Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved ne tree,¡± But now, Aria sang at her own discretion. She could hear the birds¡¯ hymn, the insects climbing the grass with serene ease, and the soft breeze caressing her. ¡°Let fate smile upon you.¡± It was almost dawn. ¡°May thunder, lightning, and storms never bother your dear peace,¡± The drizzling stopped. ¡°Nor may you by blowing winds be profaned.¡± Aria leaned over the trunk. A soft smile spread across her lips as she heard the regr beating of its heart. Golden rays of light came down as woven strands, falling onto the trees as it conjured the most brilliant mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and branch. Making the scenery be something so enchantingly beautiful. ¡°Never was made a nt more dear and loving or gentle.¡± Suddenly, the mighty sun breached the horizon, and the sky exploded with gorgeous colors. The light surrounding the cherry trees gradually faded, and golden rays escaped the buds as they bloomed into flowers. ¡°Ugh!¡± Aria almost fell over. She felt dizzy for a moment, so she held onto the tree to support her body. Her body temperature dropped as she was still wearing wet clothes. She was cold and mmy, and she trembled slightly. ¡®Did I overdo it?¡¯ Aria had intentionally left her wound unattended and got soaked all night. The power of her songs became stronger when she was sick and close to losing consciousness. People exert miraculous powers that go beyond the limits of their bodies when they are in crisis. Aria was the same. ¡®Though I can¡¯t hold it any longer¡­¡¯ As much as Aria seemed to have lost her mind, she would always notice her condition beforehand, and right now, she was about to faint. Thump-thump¡ª Someone was walking on the grass. She turned her head to the direction of the sound. A man stood directly in her line of sight. Shocked, the man was at a loss for words. ¡°Y-you, you were talking. No¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That angelic song! No, you were singing, and the tree was¡­¡± ¡®Is he a servant?¡¯ Aria observed the man¡¯s attire. He then smiled as if he hade to his senses. ¡°As expected, I am blessed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey, say something, will ya? You wouldn¡¯t be able to deceive anyone even if you kept your mouth shut.¡± ¡®Did he think it was my weakness? How foolish.¡¯ The man, who had been shouting a few times, began to give up after Aria just stared at him absentmindedly. He started talking to himself. ¡°I knew it was strange. It doesn¡¯t make sense that her origin was kept a secret, especially since she¡¯ll be the future Grand Duchess.¡± Aria¡¯s origin was top-secret. Only the representatives of each department, including the butler and the head maid, knew. Aria asked them to keep it a secret. ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong about taking precautions.¡¯ But because of that, the attendant seemed convinced that Aria was not of noble origin. ¡°I can report this to the butler, but¡­¡± He nced at Aria from head to toe and let out a chuckle. Then, he whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sing more for me, huh?¡± ¡°Sing the song from before. Then I¡¯ll pretend that I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Aria stared at him indifferently; she was already familiar with such snaggers and arrogant nces. ¡°100 million Zahr.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The price of one song.¡± It was a ridiculous price. He looked at her, ck-jawed with disbelief. ¡®What kind of song costs 100 million!¡¯ If Aria sang three songs, he could buy a residence within the capital! ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t seem to understand the situation¡­.¡± The servant began boasting about his evil deeds, and he threatened Aria that he had driven out an innocent maid by framing her as a thief. The servant¡¯s name was Toby. His technique to survive was finding others¡¯ weaknesses and framing them to get rewarded. However, Aria did not listen. ¡°Would you be able to handle the weight of the song, when you can¡¯t even afford the price?¡± Aria replied with a bored tone. At that moment, the sky shed behind Aria¡¯s back, and lightning came. A brilliant shock of white zed throughout the sky, forking towards the unsuspecting ground ¨C the thunderous boom followed after, with its warning a bit toote. Boom¡ª! Toby shuddered, his teeth grinding in suspense. ¡®What the hell, it was just thunder and lightning,¡¯ he thought. However, the situation was quickly reversed. Aria stepped forward towards him, and he unwittingly stepped back. Then, he tripped on a stone and fell onto his butt. ¡°Wa-wait a minute.¡± Toby couldn¡¯t fathom how he had just felt threatened by a child much younger than himself. Aria stretched her hand out to him. ¡°You have topensate for your past mistakes,¡± she spoke before singing the song that he wanted. Toby felt transfixed at the moment; he was unconsciously lost and speechless by her mere presence. He held his breath. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ This must be how the nomads felt when they found an oasis. Or the religious fanatics who finally witnessed God before their eyes. Aria whispered, putting her lips next to his ear as she left him dazzled by the ethereal melody. ¡°You won¡¯t tell anyone what you saw today. You must atone for your sins and pay the price.¡± At the same time, Toby snapped himself out of the trance. ¡®Pay the price?¡¯ Ha, how funny! It was ridiculous to see a little girl with a cute rabbit mask scolding him. He tried tough out loud. But strangely, he couldn¡¯t make any sound. It was as if his throat was clogged. ¡®Uh, what the¡­? What is this?¡¯ He tried to move his hand, but he couldn¡¯t lift even a single finger. Aria passed by his stiff body. She acted as if he was just a stranger on the other side of the road. Then, his feet moved by itself. He couldn¡¯t stop. ¡®N-No! Stop it!¡¯ Toby¡¯s face was as white as chalk. His body moved like a puppet doll. He was going insane inside, desperately trying to move, screaming for help, yet nothing came. His expression remained calm on the outside, and so was his behavior. He walked against his own will until he stopped. In front of him was the 3rd Knights Division¡¯s headquarters. They were in charge of protecting the security of the territory. He knocked on the door, and a voice told him toe in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± In front of him was none other than themander of the knights. He was rumored to be extremely cruel when interrogating suspects. ¡®Oh, no¡­!¡¯ Toby had one more secret he couldn¡¯t tell anyone. He had leaked information about the Valentines¡¯ internal affairs several times. The Valentines were notorious, so every piece of information about them was sold at a very high price. ¡®I was confident that I would never get caught!¡¯ This was very bad. The time during which the Grand Duchess was struggling between life and death was when the Grand Duke and the heir were frequently traveling. The traitor will be thrown into the beasts¡¯ cage without any reconsideration. ¡®Oh, dear God, please! Future Grand Duchess, I was wrong! I admit my wrongdoings!¡¯ No matter how much he prayed, it was already toote. Toby opened his mouth and spoke, ¡°I came to confess all my sins.¡± * * * ¡®My face feels hot, and my ears hurt.¡¯ She could hear the muffled voice of someone shouting ¡®Young Miss, Young Miss!¡¯ from a distance¡­ ¡®So noisy.¡¯ Slowly and reluctantly, Aria uncovered her face. She blinked, closed her eyes, and blinked again. She rubbed her eyes and scanned her surroundings. ¡®Where is this?¡¯ Her eyes were blurry, so she couldn¡¯t figure out where she was. She leaned against the wall. ¡°¡­¡­it hurts,¡± she muttered. Her head felt like it was going to burst. ¡°¡­.Suddenly disappeared?¡± At that moment, Aria¡¯s vision returned to her. It was Lloyd¡¯s voice. ¡°She did not suddenly disappear. She wasn¡¯t in her room in the first ce¡­.¡± Then, she heard voices answering his questions. ¡®Is that¡­ Head Maid Betty?¡¯ Aria could hear Betty stamping her feet. ¡°I was thest one to see her.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I threatened her. I had said that I would kill her.¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± With such a bold confession, Betty seemed to be at a loss for words. She was silent and couldn¡¯t answer anything for a while. ¡°Th-then, it won¡¯t be strange if she hid because she was terrified¡­.¡± Betty stuttered. ¡°It is too dangerous for a youngdy to roam alone in this mansion. And especially because she¡¯s from outside the border!¡± After a moment of contemting silence, he spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility in finding the rabbit.¡± Lloyd¡¯s footsteps went farther away. ¡®Idiot. You¡¯re going the wrong way.¡¯ Aria thought as she listened to the footsteps of the boy walking towards the opposite direction. Aria tried to raise herself, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to do so. Suddenly, she heard the sound of birds chirping. She turned her head, only to find a white pigeon sitting on the windowsill. ¡®Carrier pigeons.¡¯ Some pigeons were trained to send letters. ¡°Little birdie.¡± ¡°Cuckoo!¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask of you,¡± Aria said to the bird. ¡°The farthest room on the highest floor of the main pce.¡± ¡°Coo!¡± ¡°Send them this message.¡± She hoped the bird could convey her words correctly. Though it was unlikely, she ced her faith in miracles. The bird spread its wings and flew out of the window as if it had understood Aria¡¯s words. ¡®Did the bird understand my request?¡¯ That couldn¡¯t have been possible. She tracked the bird¡¯s location with her keen senses. However, her knees began to give out. With one step backward, she crumpled like a puppet whose strings were suddenly cut. ¡°Mdy!¡± She could hear someone yelling from afar, ¡°Hurry, call the doctor!¡± Everything became fuzzy, and by the end of the words, she was out cold¡­ Song Quote: ¡°Ombra mai fu¡± from opera Serse by George Frideric Handel. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ng¡ª! Something crashed into the window, surprising the maid who stood beside it. ¡°Wh-what was that?!¡± Thedy-in-waiting turned her head. It was a bird. The bird had crashed into the window and had fallen due to the impact, but it flew up again and sat down on the windowsill. Then, the bird started pecking the ss, as if asking for attention. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that a carrier pigeon?¡± Carrier pigeons were trained to fly to the west tower, so they never came to the main pce. But this bird was very unusual. There wasn¡¯t even a note tied to its leg. ¡®So this isn¡¯t one of ours.¡¯ Thedy-in-waiting tried to shoo the bird away, but the pigeon didn¡¯t budge. It scratched the ss with its beak, mmed its wings against the windowpane, and chirped loudly. ¡°This crazy bird¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with all themotion?¡± a voice suddenly spoke, followed by a fit of raspy coughs. The voice belonged to Sabina, the Grand Duchess of Valentine. ¡°Yo-Your Grace! I apologize for the racket!¡± the maid bowed. ¡°No need to apologize. What is the bird doing?¡± Sabina¡¯s throat seemed to be clogged, making her sound hoarse. Her silhouette could be seen through the gaps of the canopy bed¡¯s drapes. Her skin tone was ashen, not ghostly like a white person, just subdued and pale. Her once plump hands were now skin and bones. Her fingers now appeared longer, thinner, and frail. ¡°Well, there¡¯s something wrong with this carrier pigeon. He keeps rapping the window.¡± Sabina scoffed, ¡°I¡¯d like to see this brave bird.¡± ¡°Oh, you mustn¡¯t! The doctor told Your Grace to rest¡­¡± ¡°I will only rest once I die.¡± ¡°Your Grace is saying such things again,¡± the maid frowned. Thedy-in-waiting¡¯s eyes glimmered with tears, but she gritted her teeth and endured the pain. She couldn¡¯t just cry in front of the Grand Duchess. ¡°I was lucky to survive yesterday, but today might be myst. So I shall do what I want.¡± Sabina knew that her time was running out. Death is a thorny road, but she had already given up, epted, and was ready to depart. ¡°Madame¡­¡± The headdy-in-waiting, Diana, would¡¯ve been more strict if she was here, but unfortunately, she was away. She sighed and helped Sabina sit on a chair by the window. However, the bird immediately flew away. ¡®Once I find that pigeon, I¡¯ll turn him into food!¡¯ thedy-in-waiting thought, gnashing her teeth. Sabina gazed outside the window and spoke, ¡°Those are¡­ cherry blossoms?¡± Surprisingly, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. ¡°That¡¯s absurd. It¡¯s impossible for them to bloom this fast,¡± thedy-in-waiting muttered. But when she opened the curtains, her eyes widened and her eyebrows raised. The giant cherry trees that lined the pce were clothed in pink and white blossoms, the boughs that used to be so bereft suddenly became beautifully adorned, and their scents were diffused along with the spring breeze. It was akin to a miracle. * * * Lloyd headed to the ce where he first saw Aria. Several jaguars followed him from behind. ¡°Find her.¡± The jaguars roared in response. Suddenly, something fell to the top of his head. Lloyd took it off with his hands and observed the object. ¡®¡­A petal.¡¯ ¡°What on earth¡­.¡± He raised his head. The petals fluttered down like gentle rain. Amongst the bare trees, only the cherry blossoms showed signs of life. ¡°Is this one of Carl¡¯s pranks?¡± ¡®When did he start doing these kinds of things? No, he couldn¡¯t have learned the magic of blooming flowers in the first ce.¡¯ The pce¡¯s sorcerers were in charge of burning the petals, not making them bloom. ¡®Then, this must be the work of someone else.¡¯ Lloyd immediately thought of the little girl who stood absentmindedly under the rain, holding her umbre. The dancing petals resembled her hair flowing in the wind. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s annoying.¡¯ Lloyd thought as he gazed at the cherry trees. A whileter, his jaguars came back while carrying an item in their mouths. It was a small, old leather bag, and it was soaked in rainwater. ¡®It¡¯s that kid¡¯s.¡¯ Aria held the bag tightly as if it were her lifeline before. She must have dropped the bag when he pointed his sword towards her neck. ¡®She must be hiding something.¡¯ Poison? Weapons? Lloyd instantly opened the bag. However, its contents were not what he expected. The bag was filled with cards, ink bottles, and broken quills. Was she using these tomunicate? ¡®That idiot.¡¯ She wrote everything on her cards and didn¡¯t even try to discard them. Her conversations could be easily leaked. ¡®She should¡¯ve burned them on the spot.¡¯ However, this was a good advantage for Lloyd. He could find information about her, and if she were even a bit suspicious, he would kill her. [The flowers outside are beautiful.] She unexpectedly talked about flowers. ¡®Did she like flowers?¡¯ [I can see the flowers. I like them.] He liked them too. ¡®So that¡¯s why she went to the garden? To see the flowers?¡¯ [Cocoa. Tastes like melon.] ¡®Tastes like melon?¡¯ He skipped to the next card. [Soft, white clouds floating on top.] ¡®¡­whipped cream?¡¯ [Melon is delicious.] She must have liked it. ¡®Though it¡¯s not melon.¡¯ [My name is not bitch.] As he went further back, the cards had traces of time. All of them were yellow, and the edges werepletely torn. [I was wrong.] [It¡¯s all my fault.] [Don¡¯t hit me.] [I will try to speak.] [I¡¯m sorry for being a mute bitch.] The cards were wrinkled. There were traces of Aria taking them out and reading them over and over again. The ink was smeared with tears. [Please love me.] That card was thest. Lloyd¡¯s gut clenched. He stood still as if he was paralyzed. Suddenly, one of his jaguars bit his leg, making him lose his train of thoughts. They pointed towards the pce. That could only mean one thing. Aria was there. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The boy, who had been silent for a while, let go of his grip on the broken quill and dropped it to the ground. * * * Even from under the sheets, Aria was radiating heat like a brick right out of the oven. The fever was burning her up, both body and spirit. She could hear the chatter of voices getting louder and louder. Those were the voices of the nobles who came to see the Siren. ¡°Sing for me, my angel.¡± ¡°Is that it? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I spent all of my fortunes to see you. Don¡¯t you dare pretend to be sick! Get up now!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then sing. Right this instant!¡± Aria couldn¡¯t distinguish the voices from imagination and reality. Her head felt as if someone had shaken it until her brain was thoroughly bruised, when suddenly¡­ a nudge to her ribs jerked her awake. Aria¡¯s eyelids blinked open to the ceiling of the room, her breathing rate beginning to steady. ¡°Young Miss! Are you awake?¡± Aria nced upward, her mouth slightly opened. She blinked and tried to refocus her vision. On her left was the Head Lady-in-Waiting Diana, and on her right, was the Head Maid Betty. Both servants stared at her anxiously. Diana tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right¡­¡¯ She was in the Grand Duchy. Aria had almost forgotten. ¡®Were they the ones who took care of me?¡¯ Aria was suffering from a fever. Sheid still as her skin reddened from her blood¡¯s heat. However, there was always someone beside her, running to and from her room with cool cloths and wiping her body with a wet towel. Aria felt weird because their actions seemed to tell her that she didn¡¯t have to take care of herself anymore, even if she was sick. ¡®Oh no, I¡¯m tearing up.¡¯ Diana stroked Aria¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t falter this time. She had gotten used to Diana¡¯s warm touch. Her strokes and hugs brought a feeling of peace she had never known before, calming the storms in her heart, as if telling her she was safe within these walls, protected. The world around her melted away as her touch made the room warmer. ¡°Oh, my,¡± Diana beamed. ¡°How lovely.¡± While patting Aria¡¯s head frantically, Diana remembered that she was still a patient. She scratched the back of her head. ¡°You have to eat this soup before taking the antipyretic,¡± Diana said as she scooped the soup and blew the heat away. Aria flushed red in embarrassment, but she still took every spoonful of soup diligently. ¡®Ah!¡¯ As the spoon went to her mouth, she realized something. Aria scanned her surroundings, searching for her bag. She couldn¡¯t find it. Worried, she wrote on her hands. [Grand Duchess?] ¡°Fortunately, she has crossed the hurdle.¡± ¡®Phew.¡¯ Aria breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Grand Duchess had not passed away yet. ¡°Oh, and the Prince came to see you. But mdy was sleeping at that time.¡± ¡®Lloyd?¡¯ ¡°He wanted to return this to you.¡± It was Aria¡¯s bag. ¡®When did I drop it?¡¯ Aria rummaged inside the bag to write on her card, but she could not find her quill. Instead, what she found was a luxurious fountain pen. ¡®¡­.Huh?¡¯ She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was actually hallucinating because of the fever. It was a fountain pen with gold trim in ck ripple. The nib was gold and adorned with diamonds, and it was decorated with Catalonia¡¯s signature, the world¡¯s most famous craftsman. Even if it were disyed in a museum, the fountain pen would still be considered priceless. Aria stared at Diana with a worried look. Diana shrugged and replied, ¡°He must¡¯ve picked it up from the office.¡± That¡¯s right. The Valentine¡¯s fortunes were so vast that they could never be topped. ¡®When the empress got one of Catalonia¡¯s works, she boasted all night at the banquet.¡¯ Suddenly, Aria found a note in her bag. [Leave when you¡¯re all better.] This was a farewell gift. If Aria did not disappear after she was healed, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her. Aria turned to Diana for advice. [Does Lloyd hate me?] Aria touched her neck, which was wrapped in a bandage. ¡®I thought I could live as long as I hid my abilities as a Siren.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know¡­ I am not able to figure out what¡¯s in His Highness¡¯ mind.¡± Diana replied. ¡°He ordered us to let you try every kind of dessert,¡± Diana muttered, briefly showing signs of trouble. ¡°Even though such a thing isn¡¯t possible¡­¡± Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡®Isn¡¯t that like thest dinner?¡¯ Aria nced back at the note ordering her to leave once she was cured. If she was kicked out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to taste any more desserts. Maybe Lloyd was trying to be thoughtful by ordering the maids to serve Aria all kinds of desserts. ¡°If you want to eat all types of sweets, you have to get better first.¡± Diana said as she gave a pill to Aria. Aria immediately gulped it down. ¡°You take the pills so well. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Diana said. Then, she gave a small jar to Aria. ¡®¡­.What is this?¡¯ Inside the jar, were small, colored grains. They glittered attractively in the light like majestic gemstones, giving off an ethereal glow. ¡°Do you like star candies?¡± ¡®Star candies? This is candy?¡¯ Aria looked inside the jar, opened the cork lid and chewed on a piece of the star candy. The sugary after-taste hovered on her tongue. ¡®I¡¯ll eat one more.¡¯ The candy called to her seductively, promising moments of bliss that would melt on her tongue. Once it was finished, her heart ached for more. But Aria hastily put the lid back on and returned them to the drawer. She wanted to savor them for a long time. ¡®She looks like a squirrel hiding her acorn¡­¡¯ The servants clenched their teeth. Not because they were annoyed, but because of Aria¡¯s unbearably cute actions. They desperately wanted to pat her head. However, only a certaindy-in-waiting was allowed to stroke her hair. ¡®We can¡¯t stroke the young miss.¡¯ She would probably give out the [I¡¯m not a baby] card again, pouting with her cute chubby cheeks. The servants nced at the lovely child, hoping that one day, it would finally be their turn to stroke her head. * * * The servants would bring flowers every time they visited Aria. ¡°This is called Dahlia.¡± ¡°This is a Primrose.¡± ¡°This is Grape Hyacinth. Thenguage¡­¡± Before long, the guest room where Aria was staying became crowded with vases of various flowers. The air was also perfumed by their heavy scents. ¡®This is my first time seeing these many flowers.¡¯ Aria stretched her neck like a meerkat to look outside the window. ¡°Young Miss, don¡¯t stand by the window anymore since there¡¯s a lot of flowers here already.¡± Diana said, holding a bouquet in her arms. Aria nodded. ¡°And from today onwards, these knights will temporarily be your escorts.¡± Diana appointed escorts for her because she was afraid that Aria would get sick again when left alone. The knights, who stood behind Diana, greeted Aria one after another. They were very polite¡­ all except for one. ¡®His name was Sir Anjou.¡¯ To be forced to leave your post just to escort a child. He must have thought of it as a hassle. The knight looked discontented. As Aria observed him closely, her nose started to tickle. ¡°¡­.A-achoo!¡± Everyone stared at Aria with surprised expressions. ¡°Achoo!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..Sniff!¡± Aria snuffled after her sneezing stopped. She didn¡¯t have allergies, but strong aromas tended to make her sneeze. She blushed. ¡°H-Headdy-in-waiting!¡± Betty interrupted whilst holding a book titled¡¸Hospital Etiquette¡¹. ¡°Please look at this. The book said that fresh flowers are banned within hospital premises! Especially for outsiders!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a risk of allergy or infection!¡± ¡°But then!¡± ¡®Outsiders?¡¯ Aria tilted her head, rubbing her itchy nose with the sleeves of her dress. Diana and Betty exchanged nces with each other. ¡°But, isn¡¯t the madame from the outside too? I change the flowers in her vase every morning.¡± ¡°Well, people have different conditions. Some are weaker than the others.¡± ¡°But that means¡­ the young miss is weaker than the madame!¡± ¡°Get rid of the flowers right away.¡± Diana ordered. The maids proceeded to clear out all the flowers in the room. Aria frowned at the removed flowers. ¡°Phew¡­. it almost turned into a huge problem. I apologize for my carelessness. This is my first time nursing a child from outside the border.¡± [Outside the border?] She had heard it a few times before. Aria had to ask what it was to satisfy her curiosity. ¡°I mean outside the territory. The border refers to the Ingo Mountains surrounding the Grand Duchy of Valentine.¡± [Am I weak?] Diana smiled and gently answered the question. ¡°Well, the people from the Grand Duchy are very strong. Everyone here is confident in their physical abilities and strengths.¡± She was right. The beasts she saw here were gigantic. Furthermore, the humans weren¡¯t normal. ¡®Everyone here is confident in their physical abilities and strengths.¡¯ They were the exact opposite of Aria who was weak but had excellent senses. Aria stared at Diana with inquisitive eyes, ¡°Well, no matter how hard you train, one will never beparable to the Valentines.¡± A shiver ran down Diana¡¯s spine. As she swept the goosebumps off her neck, she stared anxiously at Aria. ¡°But why won¡¯t your fever go down?¡± ¡®Because only one day had passed.¡¯ Aria thought. ¡°The book said that if you have a fever, you have to cover your body with a nket and sweat it all out!¡± ¡°Are you trying to kill her? Wrong! What you should do is to give her a cold bath!¡± ¡°Heavens, no! You¡¯ll freeze her to death! The best way is to raise the room temperature to maximum and¡­¡± And so, their argument continued¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve taken the medicine anyway. My fever wille down eventually.¡¯ ¡°Young miss, I made ginger tea.¡± ¡°What if the peculiar taste of ginger worsens her condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The maids had a very creative imagination¡­ ¡°Ho-ho! Do not fret, for I have prepared this in advance!¡± Betty said, revealing a bowl on the table. She was holding another book titled ¡¸Foods to Offer During Fever¡¹. ¡°I made this by beating honey, and egg yolk until they foam. Then, I mixed them with milk and butter using a whisk!¡± She said triumphantly, telling the others that it was what outsiders used as a remedy. One of the maids asked, ¡°But, Head Maid. Don¡¯t raw eggs have a risk of contamination?¡± ¡°Co-contamination?¡± ¡°She could get food poisoning¡­¡± Betty hastily disposed of the bowl. The maids started to gather. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± One of them whispered. ¡°Just watch her until she gets better?¡± The maids murmured with each other in very small voices. Fortunately, Aria could hear them as clear as day, thanks to her keen senses. ¡°Is that really alright? I mean, outsiders are weak in general. But the young miss is probably the weakest of them all! At this rate, it¡¯s safer to think of her as an infant!¡± ¡®¡­I¡¯m not a baby.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t like being treated as a baby. But truthfully, she was no longer embarrassed of the word. This was because they actually cared about her. ¡®I¡¯m not used to it.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t want these moments to dissipate like smoke. ¡®The feeling of being cherished.¡¯ They respected her as a person. Regardless of her status, regardless of her ability as a Siren. Aria couldn¡¯t help but stifle a smile. Then, she clutched Diana¡¯s sleeves tightly and handed her a card. [Thank you.] She thought she would use this card someday, so she had it written in advance. ¡®It should be okay to show it now.¡¯ ¡°Pfft. What a weakling. This is why we shouldn¡¯t allow outsiders inside the border.¡± A small whisper could be heard amongst the other voices. ¡®Sir Anjou.¡¯ He was one of Aria¡¯s appointed escorts. The other servants missed his remarks because his words were very faint. However, it was clear to Aria¡¯s hypersensitive ears. ¡°Their ss is different. I¡¯m not even sure if she can give birth to an heir.¡± Aria stared at the knight, and when they made eye contact, he looked slightly flustered. ¡®No way, I¡¯m sure she can¡¯t hear me.¡¯ It was impossible for her to hear him. She was at a distance where he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear himself either. Moreover, neither the knights nor the servants nced at Anjou, who was sitting in the corner of the room. Aria was the only one staring at him. ¡®¡­..Well, so what if she heard it?¡¯ The knight brazenly raised his chin. He knew it was useless to direct his anger towards her, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his post just to escort a child. And he was all the more pissed off at her, since her origin was unclear. ¡®I¡¯d rather babysit the prince.¡¯ She became the prince¡¯s fianc¨¦ without even doing anything. ¡®There was no dowry, no gifts, and they didn¡¯t even prepare the marriage papers!¡¯ Her father signed a waiver of parental authority and she was instantly the future grand duchess. It was absurd. ¡®They said that the prince held her at swordpoint.¡¯ The knight nced at the bandage around Aria¡¯s neck andughed arrogantly. No matter how much they thought of it as a marriage of convenience, the consent of both parties was extremely necessary to establish a healthy rtionship. However, the prince raised his sword against her exposed neck. So he must have hated her too. ¡®She should be relieved that she didn¡¯t get kicked out, despite how much he hates her.¡¯ It was clear that she was going to be banished even before their marriage. This was why Anjou was not afraid to act rude to the prince¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡®ss.¡¯ Aria snorted at the ridiculous word. Dividing people into sses, based on their social status. ¡®What a foolish judgment.¡¯ Whether it was the Valentines, the emperor, or even the pope. They flocked in groups based on their simr backgrounds. But in reality, we were all humans. Humans who could do nothing but bleed when they were stabbed in the back. The Valentines were outstanding and powerful. Their skills were unrivaled across the empire and beyond. But if it were true, then how did the massacre happen? ¡®Why did Lloyd go crazy?¡¯ Aria thought that all humans, including herself, were imperfect. There was no such thing as a perfect human. ¡®Was it so important whether we were born a noble,moner, or even a ve?¡¯ No. We were all humans, and we were the same. Aria was vexed. The servants had poured their hearts out just to let her feel at home, only for him to ruthlessly trash their efforts. Aria took out her fountain pen and wrote on a few cards. Then, she pointed her finger towards Anjou. He seemed ufortable, but he still approached the little girl. ¡°Just say it. Oh, wait. You can¡¯t! Pardon me¡­.¡± he sneered. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°Goodness, Sir Anjou. Were my ears mistaken?¡± ¡°I apologize. It is my first time seeing an outsider with such a weak body, so I wasn¡¯t mindful of my words,¡± he gave an insincere apology. Diana¡¯s expression was full of disbelief. She couldn¡¯t apprehend the words that came out of his mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t the grand duchesse from the House of Valois? The family had produced honorable knights for generations.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I cannot put my mind at ease. Even the madame, who had been trained as a knight since she was young, couldn¡¯t bear it. Let alone a child as weak as her¡­¡± ¡°Sir Anjou. If you dare say another word, I will not hesitate to report this conversation to His Grace.¡± Diana scolded with a grimace. Then, Aria handed out a card. [What is your age?] Age? ¡°I¡¯m twenty-four this year¡­¡± Since Aria died when she was just twenty years old in her previous life, she should be four years older than him now. She put up a pitiful act. [Health, status, strength. Those things are based on you being born with luck.] [It¡¯s such a pity that you have earned nothing by yourself during your 24 years of life, and now you¡¯re so proud of this hollow shell of yours.] The knight stared at her, too shocked to speak. He had never thought that a ten-year-old girl would criticize him. After he grasped the meaning of her words, his face flushed red in humiliation. ¡®¡­This!¡¯ Anjou Beauport. The second son of the Beauport Family, the grand duke¡¯s vassal. He was a knight from the 4th Order of Knights. The 4th Order of Knights was the order of ordinary knights that were not able to associate with the other orders, and because of that, they were often ignored by the others. As a matter of fact, Anjou was only able to join the order because of his family¡¯s influence, not his abilities. That was his inferiorityplex. He had it hidden in the depths of his heart and didn¡¯t tell anyone, but Aria¡¯s words pierced right through it. [Sick people will get better after taking their medicines, but I don¡¯t know what to do about people with rotten hearts. I¡¯m sorry.] ¡°Pfft!¡± A short chuckle was heard. One of the escorts was futilely suppressing his urge tough. Trembling in shame, his re went from Aria to the other knight¡¯s gaze. However, the knight just shrugged his shoulders, not minding his furious expression. ¡®You are nothing without your family.¡¯ Is what they would say. ¡®These lowly scums¡­¡¯ Sir Anjou gritted his teeth. ¡®Has he even experienced hardships?¡¯ Aria thought. She had been abused all her life, sold by her father as a sacrifice, and was in a situation where she could be expelled empty-handed! ¡°Then, have you ever achieved anything by yourself?¡± Adults should never say such things to a child. Even so, he was blinded by rage. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else to appease his anger. Unexpectedly, Aria smiled at him. She gazed at Anjou as if she was dealing with an immature child¡¯s tantrum. She presented her next card. [When I grow up, I will never be an adult like you.] He was utterly ashamed. Diana, Betty, and the other servants were inevitably surprised. They had never known that Aria, who was so innocent and lovely, had a side like this. But at the same time, they held great respect for her. Especially Diana, since she was the one who knew Aria best. ¡®Although they are both of noble lineage, she didn¡¯t bring up her peerage. She only exposed how he despised his knighthood that His Grace had bestowed because it was nothing more than a mere shell.¡¯ All humans were the same. But without having an ideology, it would be impossible for her to say things like that. It was a revolutionary thought, especially in the Pta Empire, where feudalism existed. ¡°¡­What?! This!¡± Anjou shouted. When he realized he had just yelled at the future grand duchess, he covered his mouth. ¡°Sir Anjou, are you mad?¡± ¡°Do not disrespect thedy ever again! Now, step back!¡± Even the knights, who were displeased with his atrocities, stood up for Aria. ¡°You bitch! I mean, young miss¡­¡± As he directed his angry scowl at her, Aria tilted her head. Since he was so fixated on ss and social status, Aria wanted to show him the real difference. Unfortunately, there were too many eyes here. ¡®Shall I secretly visit himter?¡¯ Then again, he wasn¡¯t worth dealing with. ¡®More than that, he¡¯s very irritating.¡¯ As Aria watched the servants mutter in disbelief regarding Sir Anjou¡¯s audacious remarks, she heard a tiny voice. ¡°¡­Bitch?¡± The voice was short and sounded like it came from a child. However, it was filled with a perceivable aura of intimidation. Startled, everyone turned their gaze to the opened door. Leaning against the door, the boy stared at the knight with a stern look. His eyes were like a void of darkness. Anjou knew that his stone-cold re was targeted at him. ¡°Gasp!¡± His mouth opened in a silent scream, and his unblinking eyes popped like a fashioned toy doll. A bead of cold sweat dripped down his back, and his skin became as pale as the de that shed before his neck. sh¡ª! Decapitation. He was beheaded, and his head rolled on the floor. The knight groped his throat, panting heavily. ¡®M-my¡­ my neck¡­?!¡¯ ¡­His head was still intact. However, he certainly saw a terrible vision of his neck being cut off. This was the power of the Prince. Lloyd sheathed his sword, making it seem like what he had seen wasn¡¯t an illusion. ¡°Y-Your Highness! I was wrong¡­¡­!¡± ¡°You can only repent in the presence of God.¡± Don¡¯t beg the devil for forgiveness. He only needed a mere second to take out his sword and cut off a human¡¯s neck. It was at that moment. The boy, who had sensitive hearing, heard the bedsheets rustle. And when he turned his head, Aria met his gaze. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She shook her head. As if telling him he shouldn¡¯t do it. ¡®What is she¡­¡¯ But Lloyd¡¯s eyes went towards Aria¡¯s neck, which was wrapped in a bandage. It was a wound that he made. His expression darkened. Lloyd squeezed the handle of the sword as if he intended to crush it. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t pull it out. He didn¡¯t want to seem like he obediently followed her words, so he gritted his teeth with a look of impatience and spoke, ¡°That¡¯s a cool nickname!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You called her a bitch. What¡¯s next? Why don¡¯t you continue talking? It seems like you have more to say.¡± Lloyd spoke. He couldn¡¯t just say it. The knight, covered with cold sweat, clenched his teeth and bowed his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t finish your sentence, I might mistake you for a person who¡¯s already tired of living.¡± Lloyd waited for him to speak his words. Subsequently, the huge jaguars that followed the boy wandered leisurely around the room. Jaguars invading the room should be an unusual sight to anyone, but the servants just looked at them as if they were familiar with it. The only one trembling was Anjou. His hands were shaking, and he felt sick to his stomach. ¡°Eek¡ª!¡± The jaguar¡¯s tail brushed past his leg, and he shuddered with an unseemly suppressed scream. Anjou wiped his wet palms to his trousers, moistened his lips with his tongue and said, ¡°Th-the young miss is correct!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. She said the right thing, but I wasn¡¯t able to fathom her words and dared to pervert it.¡± The knight had chosen to throw away his pride, for he was threatened with his life. A person who speaks of ss couldn¡¯t even say a word when the topic was pressed. Aria turned her head away from the knight. As expected, he was tiresome to deal with. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s your fault.¡± ¡°Y-yes! It is.¡± ¡°How will you pay for it?¡± ¡°How will I¡­ what?¡± Instead of replying, Lloyd leaned against the wall again. He had a cruel, disturbing expression coupled with a sinister menace. Sunken, dark eyes mindlessly stared into his. He was the devil that drove his prey into a corner and made them run to the trap on their own discretion. ¡°H-how will I ever pay you back¡­¡± Was he bored because he couldn¡¯t kill him? The boy was motionless. He had a weary look on his face. Aria stared at him quietly. Then, their eyes met again. Lloyd¡¯s forehead creased. The atrocious feeling contained in his sullen eyes, soon disappeared without a trace. He murmured, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the stable-boys said that they¡¯re short on hands.¡± ¡°I will go!¡± ¡°You will? If a knight helps them, their burden would certainly be alleviated.¡± Sir Anjou clenched his fist tightly in shame. ¡®He wants me to take care of the horses and clean its dung?¡¯ Anjou Beauport¡¯s biological mother was the former emperor¡¯s beloved niece, carrying the imperial family¡¯s blood in her veins. Although the situation had changed after the emperor¡¯s death and the crown prince¡¯s ascension, he still remembered the glory he had enjoyed in those days. That¡¯s why he thought of himself no less than the imperial family. Taking care of the stables was the most demeaning thing he could ever do in his entire life. ¡®I will never mingle with them. To think I¡¯ll be the assistant of a lowbrow who can¡¯t even dare to make eye contact¡­¡¯ But he was desperate to survive. ¡®If I refuse, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ He desperately repudiated in his mind. ¡°Ah, how about this. Let¡¯s revoke your knighthood until you can reflect on yourself.¡± ¡°But then!¡± ¡°This is a fitting punishment for someone as daring as you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You seem unhappy.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll follow your orders.¡± ¡°Then kneel,¡± Lloydmanded. His order was simple and straightforward. Anjou immediately fell on his knees and lowered his forehead to the ground. As Lloyd gave Aria the authority to strip off his knighthood, he turned his back on her and left. But before he stepped out of the room, he paused for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He sighed and swept up his disheveled bangs with a stuffy look. All of a sudden, Lloyd strode before Aria with quick steps. ¡°Are you a fool?¡± ¡®Why is he suddenly¡­?¡¯ ¡°Why are you holding back?¡± She wasn¡¯t holding back in the first ce. Aria had already said all the things that she wanted to the knight. Besides, she might have spared the knight¡¯s life, but it was never out of sympathy. She just didn¡¯t want her room to be dirtied with blood. ¡°From now on, if someone tries to touch you, just beat them up. I¡¯ll allow you to punch them, even if it¡¯s the grand duke himself.¡± ¡®But, that¡¯s a little¡­¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t tell whether he was serious or not. While Aria continued to ponder, Lloyd fumbled inside the coat he was wearing and pulled out a brass knuckle. And he gave it to her. ¡®Why is he carrying that around? To beat people up?¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t be more surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll grant you full authority while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡®Why would he do that?¡¯ Before she could ask, he made an excuse. ¡°It¡¯s myst gift to you. Use that privilege to set up a residence outside until I get back. Don¡¯te back to Valentines¡¯ Pce before then.¡± Lloyd led the jaguars away and left the room with them. Ariater found out that the encounter was thest time she would see him before he left for the academy. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Trantor: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll Right before dawn, Aria was suddenly awakened by a strange noise. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ The sound hade from the window. Rousing from her deep slumber, she drowsily walked towards the knocking sound on her bedroom window. She opened her eyes, her eyshes lightly batting against her cheeks as she rubbed the dreams away. ¡°Coo!¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Aria opened the window. It was the white pigeon from before. The pigeon circled around her before it slowlynded on her shoulder. ¡°Hello there. So we meet again.¡± Aria lifted her finger to stroke the pigeon¡¯s head. The pigeon closed its eyes and tilted its head to match her touch. ¡®Whether it¡¯s humans, hounds, or pigeons, everyone responds the same way when their head gets patted.¡¯ She chuckled. ¡°I must look like a fool, talking to a pigeon and all.¡± The pigeon nibbled her fingers in response as if saying, ¡°Are you ignoring me now?¡± Aria, with a quaint expression, wrapped her bitten finger around the bird. ¡°Coo!¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± The pigeon pped its wings and pointed at its leg. There was a letter tied up around it. Aria unwrapped the letter and read its contents. [It¡¯s saddening to say that I am about to die. But the spring you brought to me was ever so brilliant that I wonder how warm summer will be. How prosperous autumn can be. How white the paradise of winter must be. I¡¯ve thought of this for a while. So somehow, I¡¯ll hold on to my life for as long as I¡¯m allowed to. ¨C To the Spring Fairy -] The letter was from the grand duchess. Aria read it over and over again. ¡®The pigeon precisely flew to my bedroom window.¡¯ Aria immediately mmed the window shut and quickly squatted on the floor. Her pulse pounded like a booming drum inside her ears. Was she exposed? ¡®No, the pigeon could have just flown back to me because I was the one who sent it there in the first ce.¡¯ Aria opened the letter again. The grand duchess called her the ¡®Spring Fairy¡¯. Could this mean that she won¡¯t ask Aria to reveal her true identity? ¡®This feels strange.¡¯ She just wanted to do something to prevent the Valentines¡¯ Massacre. However, she never expected to receive a letter. ¡®She said she would hold on to her life.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a request to save her life, but a letter of gratitude to Aria. With the hope Aria had shown, she would like to cling to her life and make a bold ambition to get through it somehow. ¡®I¡¯ve never met the grand duchess in person.¡¯ But Aria wanted her to live no matter what. She ran straight to the garden and picked up a freesia flower. Aria tied a note to the bird¡¯s leg, put the flower in its beak, and sent it to the sky. [I will show you the wonders of all the seasons. Whether it¡¯s spring, summer, autumn, or winter. I will bring the promise of seasons toe until spring arrives again.] * * * Aria needed to find a ce where she could practice singing in secret. She had thought of it as soon as her fever had gone down. After blooming dozens of cherry blossoms with her ¡®Song of Life¡¯, she felt her 10-year-old body reaching its limit. Her powers remained the same, but her current body couldn¡¯t withstand it because she hadn¡¯t been trained at all. ¡®I could die if I tried singing the song of healing or destruction¡­¡¯ But in order to heal the Grand Duke¡¯s wife, she had to do it. She held out a card. [I¡¯m not sick anymore.] ¡°Hmm, I still think you have a mild fever,¡± Diana said, touching Aria¡¯s forehead and neck. Aria stood up from her seat, pretending not to hear her. ¡°You have to rest one more night¡­ Hey? Young miss, are you listening to me?¡± She tried to escape, but she was caught right away. Aria shook her arm a few times before giving up. Then after a while, she looked up at Diana with her big puppy dog eyes. ¡°No. You have to rest.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Stop giving me those puppy-dog eyes. It¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I said, no!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Diana sighed and finally raised both of her hands as a sign of surrender. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± [Garden.] Aria was currently banned from viewing the flowers. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll allow it just this once¡­¡± Diana reluctantly agreed after Aria persistently insisted that she was not allergic to pollen. ¡°However, you muste back before sunset.¡± [Yes.] ¡°If you get lost, ask anyone around for help.¡± [Yes.] ¡°Do not hold back because everyone is willing to help.¡± [Yes.] The conversation took longer than she thought it would. She had to raise the [Yes.] card several times before Diana actually let her go. After a while, Aria finally went to the garden. She looked around as she pretended to admire the flowers in the garden. ¡®The perfect ce where I can sing freely.¡¯ Thump-thump! Suddenly, she heard footsteps that ran towards her at a high speed. Aria hurriedly turned back to run, but it was toote. With rapid eleration and a more bounding motion, the creature came right at her. ¡°Bark!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± Aria shrieked as she was sent reeling backward and fell. Her heart almost leaped out of her chest. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She stared at the panting wolf who was wagging its tail enthusiastically. It was fortunate that she was alone. What if someone else was there? ¡°You¡¯re very naughty,¡± she lectured the wolf while gently touching its snout. It shouldn¡¯t hurt, but the wolf whined, drooping its ears and legs. ¡®It sure knows how to make me feel bad.¡¯ She was thinking of scolding it a little more, but it was too cute. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the wolf. After Aria got up from the ground and confirmed that no one was around, she whispered to it. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Aria asked while shaking off the dirt on her butt. ¡°Bark!¡± ¡°You ran because you missed me?¡± ¡°Woof, woof!¡± It seemed she was right. Aria studied the wolf¡¯s reaction. It seemed to be able to understand what she had just said. ¡®Are we really conversing right now?¡¯ ¡°Hand.¡± As she stretched out her palm, the wolf raised its paw nicely over her hand. ¡°Get down.¡± The wolf lowered himself and leaned on the ground. Aria was deeply impressed with the wolf. She was able tomunicate with animals and could even order them around. It was beyond her expectations. ¡®That¡¯s why my father was so afraid of animals approaching me.¡¯ Sheughed bitterly as she recalled Count Cortez, who had hysterically dictated on killing any living creatures that came close to her. ¡°Do you know a ce where people don¡¯t normally visit? Somewhere I can sing without anyone interfering. A secret ce, perhaps.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°That¡¯s where your leader is?¡± ¡°Woof, woof!¡± ¡®The ce where the leader of the pack resides in¡­¡¯ Aria envisioned the alpha, who was in charge of leading the pack of wolves. It didn¡¯t seem so bad to sing in that ce. Aria climbed onto the wolf¡¯s back and wrapped her arms tightly around its neck. ¡°Please guide me there.¡± Then, the wolf immediately ran towards their destination. Momentster¡­ Aria found herself standing in front of the Grand Duke of Valentine. The leader of the wolves. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria and the grand duke stared at each other awkwardly. On the other hand, the wolf wagged his tail and panted like crazy, as if asking for praise after fulfilling her order. ¡°Wha-what the¡­¡± Dwayne, the grand duke¡¯s personal aide, pulled out his sword, thinking it was an enemy attack. Confused and terrified at the same time, Aria hugged the wolf¡¯s neck tightly. ¡®Is this the grand duke¡¯s office?¡¯ She was already skeptical along the way. The background kept changing rapidly as the wolf ran, and she had noticed the main pce getting closer. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. ¡°Huh?¡± The Grand Duke of Valentine. Tristan observed Aria riding his hound as he put a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a child to ride my hounds like a horse,¡± he said as he lifted Aria up. Aria grabbed her old bag like it was her lifeline while her eyes darted constantly. The grand duke¡¯s smile deepened when he saw the distressed expression on Aria¡¯s face. ¡°I implore you politely. Won¡¯t you treat my dependable canines as mercifully as possible?¡± ¡®How about treating me kindly first¡­¡¯ Aria thought, as he swinged her body around the air like a doll. The Grand Duke of Valentine must not know the meaning of ¡®polite¡¯. ¡°What shall I do with this devilish youngdy?¡± He asked, slowly exhaling a puff of smoke. His way of speech was very stiff and formal. He sounded a bit weird. ¡®I can¡¯t say that I came here to practice singing¡­ .¡¯ Aria rummaged through the old bag and pulled out her card. She struggled while thinking of something to write, but the grand duke just stared at her patiently. ¡®Your Grace?¡¯ It¡¯s too strained. ¡®My Lord Grand Duke?¡¯ However, Aria was not his servant. If she lowered herself too much, it wouldn¡¯t make her look good. After contemting for a while, she decided on the perfect title to address the grand duke. [Father.] Aria held the card close to her nose. She tried to look grumpy about being lifted in such a discourteous manner. [I came because I wanted to see you.] Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The grand duke was silent while the aide beside him was too dumbfounded to even speak. Usually, children would be too frightened to see Tristan, the grand duke of Valentine, because of his bad temper and mischievous pranks. ¡®Other children would cry and run away, but she willingly came over to him in person. What kind of life did the young miss have¡­?¡¯ Dwayne¡¯s expression was sympathetic. [Good to see you again.] Aria held the card tightly with both hands and grinned. She wasn¡¯t used to smiling. However, when she remembered Diana, Betty, and the other servants who took care of her, a genuine smile blossomed on her lips. She had never done it before. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ The mere thought of their kindness made her insides feel warm and fuzzy. As she smiled brightly, the grand dukeughed in a teasing manner. ¡°You missed me, so you came to me while riding on the hounds¡¯ back?¡± Aria nodded. Honestly, she hadn¡¯t seen the grand duke ever since their first encounter. So she wondered where he was and what he was doing. Though she wasn¡¯t that curious. ¡°I see,¡± he said as his lips twisted into a wry smile. The prince had never spoken such words to the grand duke, so he was quite surprised. But hearing these kinds of things wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. ¡°So what, you want to y with me?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Aria didn¡¯t know how to answer him. ¡®I should have thought of a purpose beforeing here¡­¡¯ They had no choice but to stare at each other. The grand duke had never yed with a child before, and Aria had never yed as a child either. ¡°Should I y with you like how I y with my son?¡± the grand duke asked, tapping his red lips with his finger. ¡°Please reconsider, Your Grace! It¡¯s not a normal game for a child to y!¡± Dwayne, who had been silent for a while, interfered with the conversation. ¡°Thedy came from outside the border. Besides, I heard that she had just recovered from a fever a few days ago.¡± ¡®What kind of game do they usually y to make him so nervous?¡¯ Aria pondered for a moment. ¡®I can¡¯t even imagine them ying like a normal family.¡¯ If she had to imagine, they would probably y a violent game with blood sshing all over. ¡°She was sick as soon as she came to the grand duchy. She looks weaker than an insect.¡± The grand duke finally lowered and released Aria back to the ground. He stared at her, curious as to how she was still alive after all this time. Lloyd had never stared at her like that. Neither did Diana and Betty¡­ ¡°So, you¡¯re all better now?¡± Aria nodded without hesitation. [I want to y with the wolves here.] ¡°If you¡¯re only here to y with the wolves, why are you here? Tch¡ª! Kids are quite erratic these days,¡± he muttered discontently, clicking his tongue with an unpleasant expression. ¡®Well, duh. I didn¡¯te to see you in the first ce.¡¯ Aria¡¯s eyes darted around the room while trying to figure out the perfect reply. Then, she began to write on the card. [I¡¯d like to stay next to father.] At that moment, she hurriedly covered her mouth with her tiny hand. The air was filled with cigarette smoke, and it almost made her cough. Fortunately, she was mindful enough not to cough in front of the grand duke. ¡®Ah, I forgot about the smoke because it had always been part of my daily routine in my previous life.¡¯ Her throat burned. As she held back her cough, tears began to umte around her eyes¡ªDwayne, who noticed Aria¡¯s condition, whispered into the grand duke¡¯s ear. ¡°Your Grace, I don¡¯t think inhaling secondhand smoke is good for thedy. Furthermore, she¡¯s already weak. There are also a lot of documents that¡¯s due today.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell her toe back some other time.¡± ¡°Forget it,¡± he said, extinguishing his smoke in the provided ashtray. Then he leaned on the chair and spoke, ¡°Ventte the air.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Dwayne quickly opened the windows to ventte the room. The smoke quickly escaped, but the breeze made the curtains flutter. Aria unconsciously wrapped her arms around her trembling shoulders due to the cold wind. The grand duke stared at her. ¡°You sure have a lot of needs,¡± he said as he got up, took off his coat, and dropped it on Aria¡¯s head. Out of reflex, she unconsciously dropped the card she was holding to the ground. Aria got buried inside the coat and she struggled for a while before she was able to poke her face out of the thick cloth. Then, she looked at the grand duke. He had taken the card that said, [I¡¯d like to stay next to father.] and strangely, he put it in his pocket. ¡®Why is he taking that?¡¯ The coat was so huge that she had to keep pulling just to prevent it from dropping down and obstructing her face. ¡°Then, just breathe well next to me,¡± the grand duke said. He made a request instead of ying with her. Aria wondered why he mentioned about breathing at all. ¡®I¡¯m always breathing, obviously.¡¯ Because of that, she was now conscious of it and it suddenly became more difficult to breathe. ¡®Inhale and exhale¡­¡¯ Aria started counting the intervals of each breath with her fingers. The grand duke chuckled since she looked like she was having a hard time breathing. ¡°You¡¯ll run out of breath if you keep that up.¡± Aria thought he was unfair. She was breathing just fine until he pointed it out. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see Your Grace so rxed as if there¡¯s no more work,¡± Dwayne said, bringing back a stack of papers and cing them all on his desk. ¡°These are the documents you¡¯ll need to approve by today.¡± ¡°I need some time to breathe.¡± ¡°Your Grace can survive even if you stop breathing for a while.¡± ¡°Are you telling me to keep working even if I can¡¯t breathe?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The grand duke kept acting as if he was dying, but surprisingly, he continued to skim through the documents and handled them in good order. Aria had nothing to do, so being the curious girl she was, she stood closer to the grand duke and peeked at the documents he was reading while stroking the hound¡¯s head. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ ¡® It was a document rted to Viscount Cavendish. The report said that all the envoys who had been dispatched to the Grand Duchy of Valentine were dead. Although people feared the grand duke¡¯s power, they were more afraid that the devil¡¯s curse would spread. ¡®So this was that incident.¡¯ Aria recalled Viscount Cavendish¡¯s eerie smile¡­ ¡°The people that left for the grand duchy had died. It could have been an ident, but the grand duke was willing to cooperate when I asked him to give me a huge amount ofpensation. I guess he isn¡¯t such a big deal after all!¡± Viscount Cavendish had argued that the vassals were sick because of Valentine¡¯s curse. The viscount was actually on the verge of ruin. But thanks to the grand duke¡¯spensation money, he was able to pay off his debts and live avish life. ¡°They weren¡¯t allowed entry into our territory, but they still barged in and proimed that they got themselves cursed¡­¡± Dwayne said. ¡°What about the investigation?¡± The grand duke asked. ¡°There are traces of fire in the forest. I couldn¡¯t gather more details other than that.¡± ¡°How annoying. I should just kill him.¡± Aria was taken back at his cruel words. ¡°This much money should be enough to kill him a hundred times.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be even more of a hassle if you murder people carelessly.¡± ¡°Is that something I should care about?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Dwayne replied with an irritated look. Judging by the expression on his face, Dwayne seemed to say that it would trouble him, not the grand duke. ¡®Does this mean that the consequences of him recklessly killing people aren¡¯t his problem, but the aides¡¯?¡¯ The Grand Duchy of Valentine must have had their own regtions. Aria was amazed once again. ¡°Hmm, no. Come to think of it, it¡¯s not bad to give him money,¡± the grand duke said, changing his mind like the flip of a coin. Dwayne¡¯s expression finally brightened. He seemed to anticipate the words that would follow. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how far he¡¯ll hang on to that false hope. I¡¯ll torture him until he crawls at my feet while begging for me to kill him.¡± ¡°Cough! Your Grace. Thedy is listening.¡± Aria silently listened to their conversation and fell into deep thoughts. ¡®There must be a better way. Do we really need to give money to the scammers?¡¯ Viscount Cavendish was a gambler, so it would have been better to make him go bankrupt. ¡®Humans don¡¯t change so easily.¡¯ After receiving thepensation in the past, the Viscount would visit Aria whenever he had time because her songs were worth a lot. Even if he had the money, he would just squander it before long. Aria took out her fountain pen and started writing. At the same time, the grand duke and Dwayne¡¯s gazes turned to her. [I know how to fix this.] ¡°You?¡± The grand duke seemed surprised for a moment, then put his hand on his chin as if waiting for her to do something. [They should take vermicides.] Aria came up with a solution. She was very serious. However, the grand duke, who had been silent for a while, burst intoughter. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll A wave of unrestrainedughter echoed inside the room. Dwayne also turned his head pretending to look away, but his shoulders were shaking uncontrobly. She saw that he was desperately holding back hisughter. ¡®What¡¯s so funny?¡¯ Aria looked at the cards again but found nothing unusual. The forest was filled with actual parasitic worms that could threaten one¡¯s life. ¡°She means that those idiots suffered from parasites,¡± the grand duke said, rubbing his chin with his fingers. Aria¡¯s words really surprised him. She caught him off guard as he wasn¡¯t ready tough this hard. ¡°If what she says is correct, then we can roughly predict the situation. How amusing.¡± The Duchy of Valentine was known for its abundant natural resources. Among them, was the Diamante Mine. ¡®The mine has ores that can be turned into mana stones.¡¯ Although mines were found all around the world, most minerals didn¡¯t have the same hardness, streak, and luster as those in the Diamante Mine. Thus, the price of minerals and ores from the Diamante Mine was far higher than those from other mines. Viscount Cavendish also tried to obtain the rights to trade from the Diamante Mine. However, he unfortunately failed, and upon being restrained, the viscount shamelessly retaliated and tried extortingrge sums of money from the grand duchy. ¡®The problem is that the duchy is rich in natural resources.¡¯ The living beings that resided in the grand duchy were strong as well. Both humans and animals. ¡®¡­Even the parasites.¡¯ Once, Viscount Cavendish¡¯s vassals identally found a peculiar snake. The snake¡¯s scales shone like a rainbow with vivid luster. It was considered a sacred creature and without having second thoughts, the vassals cooked and ate it on the spot. The results were, of course, disastrous. Some of them got paralyzed. Their whole body hardened like stone and they lost their sight forever. In the end, they all died a gruesome death. These were all words spoken by the viscount when he was spending his leisure time inside Count Cortez¡¯s salon. ¡®Ah, I see why theyughed.¡¯ They invaded another man¡¯snd without permission, carelessly ate wild animals, and now, they were fighting between life and death. On top of that, they even asked forpensation when in fact, their misfortunes were all due to their own negligent acts. It was so ridiculous that you could onlyugh. ¡°I heard that outsiders will suffer from stomach aches if they don¡¯t boil the forest¡¯s water before drinking it. Apparently, they also deem all living creatures in thisnd as monsters,¡± the grand duke exined as he shifted his gaze towards Aria. ¡°But how did you know that?¡± [Diana said that I am weak because I am from outside the border. Betty said that if I eat raw food, I will get infected.] ¡°I am amazed. Did you deduce that conclusion after hearing that there was a forest fire?¡± The grand duke asked in admiration. ¡®That¡¯s not it¡­ ¡¯ Aria felt like she was internally stabbed, so she hugged the wolf tightly as it licked her cheeks. ¡°Dwayne.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Give this message to the viscount. They can get rid of the parasitic worms in their stomach with vermicides manufactured by the grand duchy. So tell them to pay the corresponding price for the cure.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°And they have to pay marypensation for trespassing into the Ingo Mountains without my permission. The amount is¡­ ¡± He tapped his finger on the desk while in thought. He seemed to be contemting over the amount the viscount should pay. To help him make a decision, Aria stretched out her arm and pointed exactly to the money that Viscount Cavendish requested, written at the end of the documents. ¡®1 billion zahr.¡¯ The grand duke moved his gaze along the direction of her hand, then stared at her again. The viscount finally reaped what he sowed. ¡°You are wise indeed.¡± At that time, a smile rose around the grand duke¡¯s lips. Though it was a devilish smile that undoubtedly made Aria¡¯s spine shudder. This was what happened when someone dared to belittle the Grand Duke of Valentine. In fact, the grand duke might be imagining Viscount Cavendish crawling under his feet and begging for mercy right at this moment. ¡®He¡¯s scary¡­ at least¡­ I would have thought so in the past.¡¯ Aria¡¯s train of thought was different from back then. She had no mercy for those who vite and trample on other people¡¯s rights in an unjust manner, all to satisfy their own greed. ¡®Only when they¡¯ve experienced it for themselves will people realize how their greed can cause miserable pain to the victims.¡¯ Aria looked at the grand duke with respect. She thought she should learn about the demonic grand duke¡¯s personal principles in which he enacted his revenge ten times harsher than what he received. Dwayne, who was watching her while standing next to him the whole time, finally coughed. Then he whispered into Tristan¡¯s ear, with a trembling smile. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°Well, please watch your expressions. It seems that the youngdy is still afraid.¡± ¡®What? How did he reach such a misunderstanding?¡¯ Aria overheard Dwayne and quickly pulled out another card. She quickly wrote down the words she wanted to say. [Father is cool.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®What is she thinking?¡¯ Dwayne seriously wondered if something was wrong with the child. In particr, she seemed to have lost her sense of fear. ¡°She says I¡¯m cool.¡± After reading the card, the grand duke took it from her hands too. ¡®Again?¡¯ Aria looked down at her empty hand as a question mark appeared in her head. ¡°Turns out, I am surprisingly talented in caring for my child.¡± Dwayne let out an exasperated sigh as he thought badly about his master. Whether or not his aide viewed him respectfully, the grand duke chose to not care and continued to ask Aria. ¡°You have helped me, so I¡¯ll have to repay you. Is there anything you want?¡± A reward. Truthfully, Aria had a wish. That wish was for her to not be kicked out. ¡®Because Lloyd told her to leave when he¡¯s gone.¡¯ However, even if she asked him not to banish her, there was a possibility of her getting no response at all. Furthermore, just surviving and living in the pce was not enough. If she was not epted as part of the family, then Aria would not be able to get involved in anything until the day of the massacre came. She needed to get close to the grand duchess as soon as possible. ¡®It would be better to get her to my side.¡¯ Her help would lead Aria to a greater opportunity. Aria contemted for a moment, then blinked before smiling widely. [I want to meet and y with my father every day.] As she lifted her head upwards, the rabbit ears also bounced along. The scene was lovely. It was so adorable that everyone¡¯s heart tightened, but¡­ With a serious look on his face, Dwayne whispered into the grand duke¡¯s ear. ¡°This makes it clear. She has never been cared for by a decent adult.¡± ¡°Huh. So?¡± ¡°So, among many of the other adults, I have no choice but to rely on Your Gra¡ªArgh!¡± Dwayne, the grand duke¡¯s trusted aide who had always said whatever he wanted even with a de at his throat, was finally punished today as he rolled on the floor. Aria had no idea what and how he was beaten by the grand duke as he just suddenly fell. However, the sound of his groaning seemed painful, so she looked down at him pitifully and started patting him infort. ¡®Ah, mydy. What an angel¡­¡¯ But before Dwayne could thank her, the grand duke grabbed Aria and lifted her up. ¡°Na-ah. Don¡¯t touch him, he¡¯s dirty,¡± Tristan said as he treated his aide like a germ. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can directlye to me. Or¡­ if youe with my hounds like today, you¡¯ll be able to find me wherever you are,¡± he said while taking another card from Aria¡¯s grasp. Unexpectedly, the grand duke had allowed her to visit again. * * * ¡°If youe with my hounds like today, you¡¯ll be able to find me wherever you are,¡± is what the grand duke said. So, Aria rode on top of the wolf without much thought. However, Aria was mortified. Contrary to her expectations, the wolf ran to the opposite side of his office. ¡®This road leads to the mountain range.¡¯ This was the road to the Ingo mountains that Aria had passed through to get to the pce. Aria brooded on whether she should stop the wolf or not. She wondered what the grand duke was doing in the mountains. ¡®He told me toe and see him in person whenever I wanted, so he shouldn¡¯t be in a dangerous ce.¡¯ The wolf finally stopped in front of a familiar mansion. The mansion was built in the forest near the borders of the grand duchy. It was the ce where the grand duke had first bought Aria. ¡®So this is the ce where they inspect the outsiders.¡¯ There were knights in ck armors guarding the entrance of the mansion. They were the 1st Order of Knights called the ck Falcon. They were considered as elite soldiers of the Valentine¡¯s knights and their armors were engraved with the insignia of a ck falcon. ¡®Everyone in the empire knew that insignia. If people saw the ck Falcons in the capital, the streets would be buzzing in astonishment at the sight of them.¡¯ Furthermore, due to Valentine¡¯s reputation, the ck Falcons were also known as a symbol of evil and ominousness throughout the empire. Suddenly, one of the knights reached out to Aria. ¡°Oh, young miss¡­ ¡± Shh. Aria held her index finger over her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. Then she put her ear on the door and heard a sound from the inside. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°Wh-what is the young miss doing?¡± ¡°ying detective?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything even if she puts her ears on the door,¡± the ck Falcons murmured. Aria had a serious expression as if she could really hear something from the inside. Her cute antics caused the knights to feel a pang in their heart. ¡°What are you investigating?¡± A knight asked while suppressing a chuckle. ¡®Should I answer him?¡¯ Aria thought as she stared at the knight whose eyes glimmered with anticipation. In the end, she decided to tell him. [A murder case.] The ck Falcons nced at each other before breaking into hystericalughter. ¡°A murder case. Pfft!¡° ¡°Well, if you stay near the lord, then you¡¯ll never lose your job as a detective!¡± ¡°You¡¯vee to the right ce!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help you find the evidence!¡± They had a knack of lightening up heavy subjects. ¡®I can see that they were trying to brighten things up since I am currently a child, but¡­ ¡® This was not it. Their way of talking would only make kids cry. The grand duke, his subordinates, even his children! All of them had no talent in childcare. ¡®Now I know why the ck Falcons were as infamous as the Valentines.¡¯ Aria thought. Dwayne was the only normal person here in the grand duchy. ¡®He always has an expression that seems to mirror headaches while standing next to the grand duke.¡¯ He must have taken the wrong job. Aria pitied the aide. Then, she focused her hearing senses to detect sounds from the mansion. ¡°Unfair, you say?¡± Tristan spoke. ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. W-well, I do not understand why we mustpensate for the parasites¡­¡± Viscount Cavendish. As soon as Aria knew the other person¡¯s identity, she immediately figured out what was going on. ¡®He must¡¯ve brought thepensation money for the grand duke.¡¯ However, by his intonation, it seemed that the viscount had not prepared 1 billion zahr. It wasn¡¯t unexpected since he did have a lot of debts. ¡°It appears that you have misinterpreted my words. The parasites are also part of our private property. Weren¡¯t you people the ones who took it without my permission?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria heard the grand duke snigger. The Grand Duke of Valentine was deliberately mocking him. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s only fair, but¡­ Your Grace, please¡­¡± The viscount was obviously troubled. ¡®He has no other choice than to agree with the conditions. Since the cause of their illness has been revealed, his vassals might tarnish his reputation if he leaves it as it is.¡¯ Besides, they had spread rumors about the Valentines¡¯ curse when it was actually a parasite infection. It could cause great mishaps if the rumors were to spread within the territory. Viscount Cavendish was wrapped around Tristan¡¯s fingers. ¡°Your Grace, the viscounty had suffered from a massive droughtst year¡­¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°I was out of it because of serious financial difficulties. Please forgive me.¡± Suddenly, Aria heard a loud thud. ¡®Is he kneeling on the floor?¡¯ Aria thought that he was being ridiculous. They were the ones in the wrong, but they were conceited enough to spread malicious rumors and even demanded money. ¡®Apologizing won¡¯t fix anything.¡¯ And as she expected, the grand duke¡¯s response was cold. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯vee all the way here just to see your ugly self?¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Swoosh¡ª! ¡®Did the grand duke put a sword on his neck?¡¯ Even if Aria couldn¡¯t see them, she could roughly predict the situation. ¡°Your Grace, I¡¯ve told you several times already. You can only threaten him after at least 10 minutes of conversation,¡± Dwayne said as he med the Grand Duke. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed him yet.¡± ¡°Well, you can at least talk to him for five more minutes.¡± ¡°You heard that? Let us have an honest conversation with each other for 5 more minutes,¡± the grand duke said to the viscount. Aria thought that the grand duke¡¯s tone was brighter than before. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure that he meant, if you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer within 5 minutes, I¡¯ll kill you.¡¯ Even Viscount Cavendish seemed to have noticed the meaning behind his words. He quickly spoke, ¡°If it¡¯s alright with Your Grace. This is an ancient relic that my ancestors found 500 years ago¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Aria could hear him arranging items on the table. ¡°This is my family heirloom!¡± He was selling his heirlooms. He must have been in a real hurry. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s not bad. I¡¯ll deduce 700 million from your payment. Get the other 300 million within a month.¡± ¡°Ah, a month is too¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Is very¡­ reasonable.¡± ¡°Of course, it is. Now get out.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The viscount finally stood up and stepped back. Aria heard the tter of his footsteps getting closer and closer. But before she could react, the door had already burst open. ¡°What the¡ª? A kid?¡± She became a trapped bird. Aria had leaned her weight on the door, so when he opened it so suddenly, she had no choice but to stumble and fall on her butt. As she lifted her head, her gaze came into contact with Viscount Cavendish. With a crooked face, the viscount spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand in front of a door¡­ Wait, this hair color¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes with a look of impatience. Then, he reached out and took off Aria¡¯s rabbit mask. ¡°¡­..!¡± He caught her off guard. Aria hurriedly bowed her head and covered her face. But it was already toote. Viscount Cavendish had already seen her appearance. ¡°Cortez the clown!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Viscount Cavendish said as he burst intoughter. The House of Cortez was a very famous family. They were known for producing world-ss musicians, but now they were famous for being a disgrace in the nobility. ¡°You look so much alike. I can see the resemnce. But, hmm¡­ since when did that clown have a daughter? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± Unlike his predecessors, the current count was ridiculed as a circus leader. This was because he had taken advantage of the Sirens, a minority race, to bring back his wealth and fame. At this point, the only ones that came to listen to the Siren¡¯s songs were people whose lives were beyond redemption. ¡®Like people who suffered from severe drug addiction and looked for greater stimuli.¡¯ Viscount Cavendish was one of them. ¡°Then, is your song so fantastic, huh?¡± He was a member of a secret society. The meetings they held were aplete secret to the other nobles. Aria knew this because she was also a member of the society. Though it wasn¡¯t easy getting into it because she had to make a pledge. ¡®But after mother died, the pledge was useless..¡¯ Aria¡¯s forehead was dripping with cold sweat. She didn¡¯t think that he would recognize her right away. ¡°Did youe here to sell your songs to the Valentines? Why don¡¯t you stop hiding like a clown and let the whole empire know your name, kid?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°With the Valentines¡¯ financial resources, that kind of thing is bound to happen. Will we be able to listen to the Siren¡¯s song at the capital¡¯s Grand Theater?¡± He grinned at the mere thought of it. ¡°If you truly have inherited your mother¡¯s skills, you will be deemed as an angel who came down to earth with the voice of a goddess.¡± Aria squeezed the hem of her dress to hide her trembling hands. ¡°Maybe you could even sing in front of the emperor. Your father will love that. Haha!¡± The moment she heard that, her face turned pale in an instant. His words were like a prophecy. ¡®That was true¡­¡¯ She was praised. Everyone supported her. Used. The nobles, with their secr ambitions and insatiable greed, was the worst abuse of all. They kept on demanding her for more outrageous things as time passed by. They poured out secrets she didn¡¯t want to know. She asked for salvation. But they broke her leg. Locked her in a cage. And forced her to sing until she vomited blood. However¡­ ¡°Argh! Urk!¡± A member of the ck Falcons urgently covered Aria¡¯s eyes. But, through his fingers, she could see the tip of a sword prating his chest. A gush of blood-soaked on his clothes and trickled down his body. ¡°Five minutes have passed.¡± The Grand Duke of Valentine was the one holding the sword. And as soon as he pulled it out, the viscount fell to the ground. His body was limp. ¡®¡­And I was saved.¡¯ Aria slowly raised her head. The Grand Duke of Valentine put the rabbit mask back on her face. As the fluffy texture brushed her face, Aria shifted her gaze to the grand duke. ¡°Ah, you killed him in the end¡­¡± Dwayne said after chasing the Grand Duke. He seemed to know that this was going to happen. ¡°Sigh¡­ Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll go and settle this matter by using him of insulting the Valentines¡¯ name.¡± As Dwayne quickly grasped the situation at hand, he immediately went out to get the job done. After working as an aide for about 15 years, he had no trouble dealing with these kinds of work. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± Viscount Cavendish didmit a huge crime. Unfortunately, the grand duke wasn¡¯t listening to Dwayne at all. And he quickly muttered, ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t even think about the situation.¡± The Grand Duke did not know anything about the urgent meetings hosted by Count Cortez because he had never paid attention to it. He didn¡¯t expect him to be able to recognize Aria at first nce. ¡°Hmm.¡± Then, he looked at the little girl. She looked pale, tired, and rattled as if she had seen a ghost. Even her eyes were quivering. She was obviously petrified. ¡®Does she hate being known as the Siren¡¯s daughter? If she doesn¡¯t like it, then she can just simply remove the title,¡¯ the grand duke concluded. ¡°Bring me a list of members that attended meetings hosted by Count Cortez.¡± The knights standing before the grand duke obeyed hismands and bowed their heads. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Every single one of them.¡± Take care of them. ¡­Aria nervously gulped. The ck Falcons didn¡¯t speak as they immediately understood the meaning of his words. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Dwayne rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. Fortunately, most nobles on the list have a high probability of hitting rock-bottom. So it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they suddenly died. ¡°What am I? A garbage disposer?!¡± Dwayneined. As the grand duke¡¯s aide started talking to himself, Tristan shifted his gaze towards Aria who kept staring at him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The grand duke asked. Aria quickly rummaged through her bag, took out a card, and wrote on it. [Father, thank you.] ¡®You mean, thank you for killing someone!¡® Dwayne thought. The more he observed Aria, the more he realized something. ¡®She¡¯s perfect for His Highness¡­¡¯ Dwayne couldn¡¯t believe that she thanked him for killing someone. She was the perfect match for the Grand Prince of Valentine! ¡®I guess I¡¯m the only normal person here in the pce¡­¡¯ he cried inside. And as the grand duke read the card, a simr thought came to his mind. ¡®Is this something to say thank you for?¡¯ The grand duke was surprised. He thought that this time, Aria would finally lose it and burst into tears. But contrary to his expectations, the little girl was grateful to him. ¡®I guess I¡¯m quite d.¡¯ The grand duke unconsciouslyid his hand over her head and stroked her. Unfortunately, his hand had so much strength that Aria had trouble raising her head. ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ The grand duke nted his head. Aria too, had the same thoughts. ¡®Why is he patting me?¡¯ She thought, puzzled by his bizarre actions. ¡°Hmm.¡± After a while, he finally removed his hand from the child¡¯s head. However, his question that day remained unanswered for all eternity. * * * After that incident, Aria went to visit the grand duke every day. As she usually stayed for a long time, the office¡¯s furniture started to increase one by one. Starting from children¡¯s sofas, there were endless things like flowers, books, toys, and dolls. ¡®Why did I even buy all of these?¡¯ Tristan, the Grand Duke of Valentine could not understand. At first, he only noticed that Aria kept on getting buried beneath the wolves while she was sleeping, and it somehow looked ufortable. ¡®The hounds have soft fur, but they¡¯re quite muscr and have thick bones.¡¯ So before he knew it, he had bought a soft and fluffy sofa for babies. [Father, thank you.] Moreover, he had never forgotten to take the card from the child who had always smiled brightly and expressed gratitude whenever she could. But as time passed, Tristan noticed something else. Aria tended to be in a daze and stared nkly at the windows. ¡®She must be bored.¡¯ All she did in his office was petting the wolves and staring out of the window before falling asleep. ¡°I think thedy is fond of flowers.¡± Because of the maid¡¯s words, the grand duke decorated his office with vases of flowers. [Father, you¡¯re the best!] Aria was delighted as she kept staring at the flowers all day long. ¡®She either looks out of the windows or gazes at the flowers.¡¯ The grand duke thought that there was nothing interesting in staring at flowers, so he allowed her ess to the library. Surprisingly, Aria reacted more intensely than he thought she would. [Father, you are the coolest person in the entire world!] She held the card tightly with both hands and ran away with a big smile stered on her face. Aria was a child who was very calm when her father sold her as a sacrifice. But this was the first time he saw her express such joy. After that day, Aria often borrowed books from the library and read it in his office to pass time. ¡®She just reads books all day long¡­¡¯ It started from the window to the flowers, and now from the flowers to the books. To Tristan, Aria still needed something more. So he bought the most popr toy store in the capital for her. Truthfully, even Tristan himself thought that his actions were a bit over the top. ¡®I don¡¯t think she likes it very much.¡¯ Was it all for naught? Instead of working, the grand duke stared at the giant teddy bear that boasted a tremendous presence. But when he saw Aria walk and lean in front of the teddy bear, his tenability just copsed. He couldn¡¯t think rationally anymore, so he ended up buying a whole toy store and didn¡¯t even think of it as a bad decision. But¡­ ¡°Something¡¯s missing,¡± Tristan said. ¡°Huh? What else?¡± Dwayne replied. Was this an office or a yground? Dwayne had a lot to say. But Tristan was serious. Then, he bit a cigarette in his mouth and spoke, ¡°Just light this up.¡± As he snapped his fingers at Dwayne, he paused and nced at Aria. ¡°Wait, nevermind.¡± Afterwards, Aria¡¯s half-closed eyes suddenly widened. She rummaged around and gave Tristan a jar full of small, colorful candies. [I¡¯ll give you this.] And as she stared up at him, her eyes glistened like pink sapphires. Was it a gift? ¡°What is this?¡± [It¡¯s star candy.] ¡°Candy?¡± He alternated between the jar and Aria. Her expression was like a stray cat asking to be praised aftering back with a mouse. ¡°You want me to eat it?¡± Aria nodded. The grand duke threw the cigarette he was holding into his desk and popped a chunk of candy into his mouth. It tasted like sugar. ¡®What¡¯s the point of this?¡¯ Suddenly, he stared at the jar and remembered that Aria had always carried it in her arms whenever she came to the office. It seemed that the candies were her most cherished and precious possession. ¡®Hmm. Candies¡­¡¯ Kids loved desserts. Tristan finally realized what that missing thing was. The grand duke gave a happy smile. He packed the jar along with the card, and strode right out of the room. He was thinking of ordering the chef to cook different kinds of desserts every day. Everything was going so well. Until¡­ ¡°The grand prince gave us the same orders, but¡­ thedy is unable to eat anything other than soup.¡± The chef told this to him with a troubled face. ¡°No desserts, except for a few types of drinks and candies¡­¡± Tristan¡¯s face sank. * * * ¡°So?¡± The Grand Duke of Valentine spoke with a cigarette in his hand. ¡°Speak, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± ¡°Well, Your Grace. Thedy is clearly malnourished though there is nothing wrong with her health. However, her body seems to refuse the food tha¡­¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± The doctor broke out in a cold sweat. He might have to write a resignation letter soon¡­ ¡°She has an eating disorder caused by psychological trauma.¡± ¡°Psychological trauma?¡± Doctor Cuirre was in charge of taking care of Aria, however, he felt a bit discontented. There were more than ten doctors here in the pce, but none of them specialized in trauma-focused therapy. The Valentines were cold-blooded people. If they found something or someone that they didn¡¯t like and caused them harm, then they would just remove them from the face of the earth. Whether they were knights or normal civilians, they would not hesitate to erase them from everyone¡¯s memories. ¡®But that would never help the youngdy heal from her mental illness. She has been suffering from psychological trauma ever since childhood, the pain could only be fixed from her heart.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have the confidence to heal Aria. He was a doctor, not a psychologist. The wounds on the body and mind werepletely different things! ¡°The concept of ¡®psychological therapy¡¯ has not been established yet in the scientific world¡­ I have heard of multiple research studies like ¡®cognitive behavioral therapy¡¯ that have demonstrated effective oues. It¡¯s amon type of psychotherapy where you talk with a mental health counselor to ovee negative thoughts. But¡­¡± Unfortunately, Aria was not willing to talk in every session. She seemed reluctant to talk about herself. ¡°Thedy isn¡¯t able to consume food because she has devoured something else.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Emotions; anxiety, depression, anger, frustration¡­ and it can even be a lot more.¡± The grand duke casually brushed off his cigarette ash on the carpet with an expression of uncertainty. Trantions from moonstrantion don¡¯t read anywhere else. He was truly insensitive. The grand duke was an unrivaled monster in every aspect, but he couldn¡¯t escape being an inferior student when it came to empathy. ¡°She had suppressed so many emotions that once her heart was full, there was no more room for her to consume food. The stressful life events she had experienced caused her to¡­¡± ¡°Stop. Just speak in simpler terms.¡± ¡°¡­It means that she can¡¯tugh and cry whenever she wants to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t vomit, she cannot feel better,¡± Doctor Cuirre exined in the simplest possible way. ¡°You sure know your stuff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a hypothesis, though it¡¯s probably urate¡­¡± ¡°You know that, yet you still haven¡¯t found her a cure?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Doctors Cuirre¡¯s pupils dted in shock as he fell t to the floor. Then, the Grand Duke of Valentine stubbed out his cigarette on the doctor¡¯sb coat and gave him a twisted expression. Pshhh¡ª! As he heard the sound of the burning fabric, adrenaline rushed in his veins like a carp through a river, but he couldn¡¯t move a muscle, nor let out a scream. The grand duke leaned slowly to the sofa and said, ¡°Take care of him.¡± ¡°Y-Your Grace! P-please! Spare me!¡± Then, the ck Falcons suddenly moved in unison and arrested the doctor. Cuirre screamed desperately as he was dragged out of the room. Watching the atrocious scene, Dwayne whispered into Tristan¡¯s ear. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He was the only doctor to find out that the cause of her eating disorders was because of psychological reasons.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Psychology is still an unfamiliar field. Do you really think that killing the doctor would benefit us? It might even be harder for Aria to receive treatment because you arrested the only notable doctor alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tristan was silent. He lit up another cigarette, puffed out a haze of smoke with a sigh, and spoke, ¡°¡­Bring him back.¡± And so, the ck Falcons quietly dragged the doctor back. ¡°Doctor Cuirre might have failed to heal her heart, but maybe Your Grace can?¡± Dwayne smiled. Your Grace? Everyone in the room stared at Dwayne with bedazzled expressions. The person concerned even questioned if he was still sane. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t thedy open her heart to Your Grace? She even gave you her precious star candies.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°The little girl thinks that she is alone in this vast world. But you can certainly help her. What does Your Grace think of this arrangement?¡± It was definitely possible. The grand duke recalled the cards he had received from Aria. Not only did the child say that her father was the best, she also said that he was the coolest in the world. ¡®She said she was happy just by standing next to me.¡¯ He was sure that she needed someone to depend on. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the kid toe soon.¡± He got up and left the basement leisurely, as if all of his work was finally finished. Cuirre, who had just escaped death, patted his chest out of relief. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°You¡¯ll have to get married soon.¡± Thud¡ª! Aria dropped the book in her hand as soon as she heard the grand duke¡¯s words. ¡®Why so suddenly?¡¯ ¡°Your wedding will be as luxurious as the empress¡¯,¡± Tristan spoke. Aria tugged the hem of her dress and tilted her head, feigning ignorance at what he said. While ying with her rabbit ears, the grand duke continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you like extravagant weddings?¡± [But what about Lloyd?] ¡°It¡¯s a child marriage anyway. Marriage is just a means ofying the groundwork for you. If you don¡¯t like my son, you can divorce each other once you be adults.¡± Under the imperialw, it was possible to request for an annulment and dere the marriage invalid after the pair reached adulthood. Divorce was allowed within the empire so that they could prevent nobles from recklessly forging their powers and economic status under the pretext of marriage. ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant. I want to ask what Lloyd feels about all of this¡­¡¯ Aria was troubled. She wondered if the grand duke was intentionally ignoring Lloyd¡¯s opinion and forcing him into an arranged marriage he didn¡¯t even want. ¡®If it¡¯s true, then I¡¯ll never be able to get closer to him¡­¡¯ Even back then, she had barely escaped from his threats. Aria wondered if he truly wanted to murder her. She shook her head, still clutching the fringe of her dress. ¡°Hmm? Do you not like my eldest son? Then, how about my second son? He¡¯s in the academy right now, but he¡¯lle back soon.¡± Aria shook her head even more violently. She just wanted to meet Lloyd. She didn¡¯t want to marry him. It would have been better for her to get a job as a maid than to be someone¡¯s fianc¨¦. [I don¡¯t want to be forced into a loveless marriage.] Lloyd was a vignt person, and he was tough to approach. Aria decided to write on her card to distract the grand duke from discussing the topic of imposing Lloyd into an arranged marriage. [If I don¡¯t get married, then I can always y with father.] ¡°Hmm.¡± At that moment, the grand duke fell in deep thought. It seemed he finally realized that his pursuit of Aria¡¯s marriage was at the expense of her own happiness. Then, all that was left was to find a ce where Aria could settle in peace. ¡®It¡¯s not bad to have a daughter.¡¯ The grand duke smiled and wondered if it would be better to just go through the adoption process if his son still had no feelings for her in the future. ¡°I heard from the doctor. He said that you have trouble eating.¡± Aria widened her eyes. Although the grand duke brought up marriage first, this topic was what he truly wanted to talk about. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it means to be unable to express one¡¯s feelings¡­¡± His midwinter eyes were like the grey of thest ashes on a fire. It entuated every feature of his, glistening like stars melted in tinum. ¡°If anyone has ever hurt you, I will tear them apart.¡± ¡®Why would he say that?¡¯ Dwayne thought as he shook his head in disappointment. But Tristan didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°If there is someone who looks at you with an unpleasant expression, I will pluck out their eyes.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If anyone dares to touch you, I will cut off their wrist.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Oh my word¡­¡¯ Dwayne was frustrated, covering both eyes with his palms. He respected his lord more than anyone else in the world, but he was a man who could not make good judgment sometimes. His remarks could make a normal person cry, let alone a youngdy such as Aria! ¡°So, if you could open up your heart, you can cry.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright tough and to be angry.¡± ¡®It¡¯s toote to say that once you¡¯ve said things that could cause her to be more emotionally unstable, Your Grace!¡¯ Dwayne closed his eyes tightly because he couldn¡¯t dare to see Aria¡¯s reaction. But out of curiosity, he slowly raised his fingertips. And as he expected, Aria was dripping with tears. ¡®Look at her. That poor thing is crying in¡­ fear?¡¯ She sobbed into his chest unceasingly, hands clutching at his zer. He held her in silence, rocking her slowly as her tears soaked his chest. She was desperate. Desperate like an imprinted bird who was gripping onto strangers in an attempt to survive. Whether that person was a criminal, a murderer, or even a devil, everything seemed to be irrelevant to her. ¡°¡­¡­¡± If it were the same as before, Dwayne would have thought, ¡®She¡¯s ady with a peculiar personality.¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t say that this time. The grand duke¡¯s aide, who watched with an unsure heart, waited quietly for the child¡¯s tears to cease. * * * [I want to eat breakfast.] Aria stuck out her card. ¡°Yes, here is mdy¡¯s soup¡­¡± [Something other than soup.] Then, Diana¡¯s mouth was agape at the shocking words of the young miss. Soon she covered her mouth with both hands. She couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled at the sight of Aria wanting to eat something other than soup. ¡°Young miss. Do you have something you want to eat?¡± Aria nodded. As soon as she opened her eyes in the morning, she remembered a few captivating dishes from the cookbook that Diana had shown before. She didn¡¯t know why. But she really wanted to eat it. [Scrambled eggs.] With that, the workers in the kitchen were in a huge scurry. This was because the grand duke, who found out that Aria wasn¡¯t eating well, had already warned them to serve her only the finest quality of food. ¡®I have to make the best-scrambled eggs on earth¡­!¡¯ Chef Baker, who poured his soul into making the eggs, came to Aria¡¯s room with a nervous expression. The kitchen maids pulled the trolley inside with trembling hands and set the food on the table. It was a scrambled egg. Just like what Aria had requested. ¡®It looks tasty¡­¡¯ It was as soft and creamy as the picture she saw in the cookbook. Unlike the picture, however, it smelled very appetizing. After hesitating for a moment, she scooped a little of the food with a spoon and put it in her mouth. The soft texture wrapped around the tip of the tongue and melted in an instant. ¡®It¡¯s tasty. Something I never cared about previously.¡¯ She thought that eating was useless. Eating was just a means to live¡­ to survive. ¡®This¡­ So it was like this.¡¯ Aria bit her lips. Was it because the grand duke hadforted her? She felt like everything was finally alright. Then, Aria gulped it down and took another bite. Somehow, she wanted to tear up again. Aria scooped up the next bite and put it in her mouth. She dug into the rich food, stuffing her cheeks until it was too full. And before she knew it, there was none left. ¡°Does it suit mdy¡¯s taste?¡± Chef Baker asked. Weirdly enough, if the emperor were the one who directly assessed the taste of the food, he would not be as nervous as this. After thinking for a while, Aria replied. [It¡¯s very mushy and chewy.] She did her best to describe the taste. This was the best she could do. She had never savored the vors of her food while she was eating. At that time, the kitchen maids who had been silently holding their breath jumped as if they were revived. ¡°Young miss, do you want some desserts?¡± ¡°There is chocte ice cream!¡± ¡°How about the chef¡¯s special macarons?¡± ¡°How about cheesecake?¡± ¡°These are pears coated in honey.¡± ¡°And candies too¡­!¡± Everyone eximed with lots of enthusiasm. Aria took a piece of candy from one of the kitchen maids and put it in her mouth. The fresh scent of mint filled into her mouth. It was delicious, indeed. [Thank you.] Aria took a card out of her bag and lifted it up. Because she had used it often, the edges of the cards were worn out. ¡°How can I finally see that card¡­¡± The kitchen maid, who had handed Aria the candy, trembled with an impressed expression, then struck the arm of the person next to her with her fists. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± The servant, who stood next to her, was dumbfounded and confused. However, the rest of the servants nodded and patted her shoulder as if they understood the reason for the kitchen maid¡¯s odd actions. * * * Spring was over, and summer hade. After the first semester of the academy was over, Lloyd returned to the estate for his summer vacation. ¡°Are youing back too?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s my long-awaited vacation.¡± Lloyd¡¯s carriage arrived at precisely the same time as his half-brother¡¯s. Vincent Valentine. His soft smile was in contrast to Lloyd¡¯s indifferent gaze. ¡°You¡¯re still the same.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed either, brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Vincentughed and eagerly followed Lloyd from behind. ¡°The servants seemed to be preupied today.¡± The two masters arrived at the same time, but everyone in the pce seemed busy over something. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re constructing a new building.¡± At that time, a figure presumed to be an architect stood nearby them. Lloyd raised his head towards him and made eye-contact. Even though he didn¡¯t say a word, the architect came to him in a sh. ¡°D-did you call for me? Your Highness.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes!¡± He opened the paper and handed Lloyd the blueprints. It was a huge scale, even for those who were not familiar with architecture. He wondered if the grand duke was nning to build another pce. ¡°Are you building an amusement park?¡± Vincent asked, watching the architectural drawings closely. He was a talented person who studied with the most prestigious professors at the academy. Thus he had in-depth knowledge in all fields. ¡°Amusement park?¡± ¡®In the grand duchy?¡¯ Lloyd thought. It was absurd. ¡®Why would anyone build an amusement park in a secluded ce where no one can enter?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s like making a luxurious cruise ship in the mountains.¡± Vincent added. Then, the architect spoke, ¡°His Grace instructed us to build a yroom for the young miss.¡± ¡°Young miss?¡± Lloyd halted the architect¡¯s words and stared at him with his dark eyes. ¡°She¡¯s still here?¡± He asked with a stern look. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll ¡°Ha¡­ so that¡¯s how it is,¡± Lloyd muttered with a sigh. She didn¡¯t heed his warnings at all. ¡°So she doesn¡¯t care even if she dies.¡± Vincentughed at the sight of his brother who looked so stressed out. Lloyd immediately headed to the main pce. He was thinking of visiting the grand duke since it seemed like he had finally gone crazy. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Vincent asked. ¡°If he¡¯s really gone mad, then I¡¯ll have to snap him back to his senses.¡± Vincent followed Lloyd with a big smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go together, brother.¡± ¡°Go away.¡± Even with the cold response, Vincent justughed and followed him to the pce. Then, they reached the entrance of the main pce which was blocked with a ¡®cage.¡¯ Or to be more precise, the ¡®wolf cage¡¯ and the ¡®jaguar cage.¡¯ One would only be able to enter the pce through the cage. It served as a security filter to ensure the safety of the pce from intruders. Lloyd opened the door to the jaguar cage without hesitation. Then, a green meadow could be seen from beyond the ¡®cage.¡¯ It was an artificially created space that showed a flowing river, scenery of beautiful flowers, and herbivorous animals that were put in as food for the jaguars. ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to it even after passing here several times,¡± Vincent frowned as he looked at his dirt-stained shoe. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I have to enter and exit the pce through this inefficient route.¡± As he lightly clicked his tongue and lifted his head, Vincent found out that Lloyd didn¡¯t listen to him at all. In fact, he was staring at something else. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Curious, Vincent turned his eyes to where his gaze was directed at. Then, he came to see a rare sight he had never seen before in his entire life. ¡°What the hell is that¡­¡± Rabbits, deer,rks, and squirrels were all gathered together. With the jaguars too! The jaguars were lying idly on the grass while purring very loudly, even though they had food right in front of them. And at the center was a child that had fallen asleep while leaning on the jaguar¡¯s back with a peaceful expression on her face. ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯ It was astonishing. The morning sunlight flowed inside the cage, illuminating summer meadows and alpine slopes all the same. A radiant beam of light draped over her sleeping head as it painted her skin so warmly, and the dust that floated in the air was reflected in the sunlight as it shimmered like a golden light. ¡®A forest fairy?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem real. It felt like seeing an illustration from a fairy tale book. ¡®Invasive species.¡¯ Siren. The daughter of Count Cortez. The daughter of a Siren, who was never known to the public. She was merely an empty shell that was sold by her own flesh and blood. ¡®Is it an innate skill? But even if she was a Siren, to be able to do that¡­¡¯ Her ability was nothing like humans. She was more like a forest fairy that only existed in legends. ¡®A race that only existed in legends¡­¡¯ Since their ability was powerful enough to destroy the whole ecosystem, his curiosity as a schr was inevitably piqued. Vincent began to observe Aria without concealing his eager look. ¡®She¡¯s tamed the beast who has never obeyed anyone else except for their master and even tamed the notorious devil¡­¡¯ Taming animals seemed to be her ability. Was the Valentine¡¯s lineage more easily tamed because their nature was closer to that of a beast than humans? ¡®It¡¯s certainly usible.¡¯ Vincent thought that his hypothesis could be correct. Though¡­ if he had said his thoughts out loud, his brother would¡¯ve killed him. ¡®The jaguars, the grand duke, then¡­¡¯ Vincent¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to Lloyd. ¡®How will it go?¡¯ He was still staring at the girl who was asleep. Unfortunately, Vincent couldn¡¯t see his face because he stood behind him. He suddenly wondered about his brother¡¯s expression as he was never one to feel attached to anything. * * * Lunch that day was herring fillets saut¨¦ed with butter. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ Aria stared at the food with admiration. The fried herring on the tes were arranged with lemon wedges on the side and garnished with chopped parsley on top. The dish was served with a bowl of r¨¦mode sauce to further entuate the vor. ¡®As expected of the House of Valentine¡¯s chef. His cooking is very artistic.¡¯ Aria saturated the herrings in the sweet, sour sauce and popped arge chunk into her mouth. The sauce was smooth while the fish felt rough, nheless, the meat tasted immensely satisfying. The warm mixture was pure ambrosia in her mouth. [Delicious.] ¡°What do you think it tastes like?¡± Chef Baker asked with a happy smile. [Tastes like the sea.] She had never been there before. Sophia, her mother, once told her about Antis. A long time ago, there was a small kingdom called the Kingdom of Antis. Antis was known to be the home of all Sirens. But as the years passed by, the Pa Empire took over the small kingdom and turned it into a coastal city ever since. Unfortunately, the kingdom had somehow disappeared and now, it¡¯s existence was nothing more than a myth. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right,¡± Chef Baker said with pride. He also asked Aria if it would be okay for him to take the card with the [Tastes like the sea.] written on it. ¡®Why do people ask me to give them my cards these days?¡¯ Aria was puzzled, but she didn¡¯t have much use of it anyways, so she gave the card to him regardless. Then, Chef Baker carefully put the card into his arms, as if he were carrying some kind of national treasure. ¡°You did a great job,¡± Diana said as she wiped Aria¡¯s lips with a napkin. The youngdy was finally able to enjoy other dishes besides soup. So, the chef felt as if a hundred-year-old burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Aria peeked down at her belly. ¡®I¡¯ve gained weight!¡¯ Aria used to be so skinny that even her ribs were exposed. However, she was no longer skin and bones. Her body was now full of fat! Thanks to the increasing amount of meals every day, she grew taller and now looked healthier than ever. ¡®My socks aren¡¯t as loose anymore!¡¯ Aria stretched her leg forward. No matter how much she moved, her socks didn¡¯t fall at all. It stuck to her ankle like glue! Her cheeks, which used to be baby fat, were now plump. ¡®But it¡¯s still not enough¡­¡¯ Despite regaining some health, she could not yet sing the song of healing and destruction. Healing songs were songs that could heal any disease, unless it involved bringing someone back from the dead. And the song of destruction was a song that couldpletely destroy the body or mind of the other person. It was the same song that Aria sang to the emperor before her death. And it was the song that she needed the most in the future. ¡®Well, I wasn¡¯t able to sing those two songs until I turned 14 anyways.¡¯ Four years¡­ However, four years from now was already after the Valentine¡¯s Incident. Aria had to find a way to sing that song before the time was up. [I want to eat more.] ¡°Young miss ¡­!¡± Diana was so thrilled that tears started toe out of her eyes. Chef Baker immediately brought the next menu. It was a turkey topped with brown gravy sauce. Aria picked up a fork and knife and skillfully cut the corners. ¡°Have you ever learned table manners?¡± At that moment, Diana¡¯s question stopped Aria in her tracks. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that it was unusual. Such precise movements¡­.¡± Aria realized toote. Unlike when eating soup, table manners are inevitably revealed when eating other dishes. After bing Siren, Aria learned all the manners of a noble from her father. She practiced from day to night. To the extent that it spontaneously wore on her body. ¡°¡­¡­¡± She was caught off guard. Aria suddenly dropped her fork and knife as if her hand had suddenly be weak. Then she lowered her head and held out another card. [I¡¯m hungry, so I don¡¯t have energy.] She didn¡¯t have the power to lift the cutlery, but had the strength to write. It was ridiculous. However, the reactions of the servants were unexpectedly loud. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll cut it!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°Stop it! I can cut the meat better than you!¡± ¡°I have a license in cutting meat!¡± Then, while raising his hand, the chef, who stood sternly in the gap between the kitchen maids, spoke, ¡°I am the best at using knives.¡± No one was able to refute. The kitchen maids quietly backed away. But as the chef gazed at Aria with a face full of anticipation, the youngdy stared at Diana instead. ¡°Oh, shall I cut it?¡± Diana asked. Aria nodded. The head maid smiled brightly and immediately sliced the turkey for Aria. ¡°Here, say ah~!¡± Ahh¡ª The fork entered Aria¡¯s mouth as she chewed on the turkey. Everyone stared at Diana, they were certainly green with envy. * * * Diana was dressing Aria up. She dressed her with a pastel purple gown made of soft, satiny fabric, long and loose. The arms and neckline were trimmed with decadentvender and the white ruffledces were delicately embroidered with small flowers. ¡°As I thought. Pastel colors suit you well,¡± Diana smiled as she saw that Aria¡¯s new clothes fit her perfectly. Aria looked at the mirror. The velvet waist ribbon was decorated with a cute pendant in the shape of a cat. ¡®It looks like Lloyd.¡¯ Its eyes were ck obsidian, the same color as Lloyd¡¯s. And as Aria was fiddling with the pendant. Diana, who glimpsed out the window for a while, hurriedly spoke, ¡°The prince came back yesterday¡­ Do you want me to guide you to him?¡± But Aria shook her head quickly. ¡®He¡¯ll kick me out.¡¯ It was better not to provoke him until the grand duchess was cured. Afterward, Aria headed for the library. There were several libraries in the pce, and all of their walls were soundproofed, so the ce was perfect for Aria to practice singing. Of course, just because the walls were soundproofed didn¡¯t mean that her songs couldn¡¯t be heard. Mages could also cast magic to disable them. ¡®The grand duke thinks that I¡¯m a bookworm.¡¯ Aria pretended to browse through the library books, picked up roughly anything, and headed to the office. Though¡­ that would have been the case even if no one had struck up a conversation with her. ¡°Hello, sister-inw.¡± ¡®Sister-inw?¡¯ Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Trantor:LatteEditor:BakaReemProofreader:Adulldoll Momentster, Aria felt someone¡¯s presence behind her. And as she turned her head, she squinted into the light rays, shielding her eyes against the bright sun ¨C trying to discern the figure that stood underneath the intense ze. He was a boy with blonde hair. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. I guess this is our first encounter.¡± Most of the Valentines¡¯ wives had no second children. They usually died of illness even if they had only given birth to one child. However, since the current grand duke did not have a concubine or an illegitimate son, there was only one possibility left. ¡®He is the Grand Duke of Valentine¡¯s rtive and was probably adopted because he was a genius¡­¡¯ Aria stared at Vincent. Recognizing the meaning of her gaze, the blonde boy smiled and introduced himself. ¡°His Grace has acknowledged my ability, thus he decided to adopt me. I am, of course, eternally grateful to him.¡± The genius of the century, but he was jinxed with ill luck. Vincent Valentine. He was a symbol of the reversal of life, adopted by a person with the highest authority, one that even the emperor would not dare to look down upon. But in the end, he waspletely expelled from the estate before the great massacre. ¡°The grand duke raised a poor orphan who had lost his parents, and, well, it didn¡¯t turn out pleasant. The kid turned out to be a spy from the gutter!¡± The aristocrats who liked to talk about others often chewed on rumors about Vincent at social gatherings. The Valentines were the center of all gossip. Everyone swore and cursed at them, calling them pure evil, but ironically, they still wanted to know more. About their secrets, their wealth, how they were unable to find the grand duchy¡­ In fact, they tend to fantasize about them as if they were charmed by their mysteriousness. ¡®Vincent¡¯s story must have spurred their engrossment.¡¯ Aria had listened to it so many times that she¡¯d even ended up memorizing it. ¡®I heard that he ended up relying on liquor and drugs, and ended his life miserably after wandering around the gutter.¡¯ A spy¡­ Was it true? Aria had doubts. ¡®If one were able to spy on the Valentines, then they¡¯ll have to be exceptionally influential in the gutter and have rats to cover for them.¡¯ Aria looked into Vincent¡¯s clear blue eyes. His eyes were almost translucent, glossy, like the palest blue ss. Yet, at the same time it caught the beauty of a perfect summerke, shining underneath the gentle sun. Indeed, they were the eyes of a schr seeking the truth. ¡°It seems that sister-inw is very interested in epistemology,¡± Vincent said, pointing to Aria¡¯s book. Only then did she examine the title of the book she was holding. ¡¸The Theory of Knowledge¡¹ ¡®¡­a philosophy book?¡¯ Her knowledge was actually quite limited. She didn¡¯t know anything unless it was rted to music or art. ¡®Because I was trapped all my life and had never had the chance to learn.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she had no intention of learning. She wanted to learn if she could. But philosophy was a huge no-no. She wasn¡¯t interested in it at all. ¡°It is said that humans can only make assumptions about the form and nature of things that exist in the social world. It is concerned with whether or not social reality exists independently from human understanding and interpretation. In that sense, ontology and epistemology are like two sides of a coin.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Are you interested in phenomenology? Simply put, phenomenology as a discipline is distinct from but rted to other key disciplines in philosophy, such as ontology, epistemology, and others. It is the study of phenomena: appearances of things, or things as they appear in our experience from the subjective or first person point of view.¡± ¡°???¡± ¡®What was that, an aliennguage?¡¯ ¡°To think that my sister-inw is a person with such interest in knowledge! I¡¯m truly d.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shall I tell you more about the book that you¡¯re reading?¡± Aria looked up at the boy and gave him her best smile as if she was really eager to learn more about philosophy. How his eyes shined, those blue hues like the envy of any summer sky, it did not resemble the grand duke at all. Rather, his orbs were bright and warm. ¡°Ah.¡± At that time, Vincent caught her staring at his eyes. He looked slightly disappointed and it made Aria feel ufortable somehow. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re probably wondering why my eyes look so different from the grand duke. I¡¯ve been able to survive here because I¡¯m considered a genius¡­ ¡± He said, smiling brightly with an innocent look on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t handle being uneducated. The only thing I¡¯m good at is being smart¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m ignorant, then what¡¯s the use of living? I¡¯ll just be a waste of oxygen.¡± Vincent continued, ¡°I would rather die than to live my life as a failure.¡± Aria watched the boy, who was still smiling. As she kept observing him, she finally figured it out. ¡®Ah, so he was banned because he was unlucky.¡¯ * * * ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°See you again, sister-inw.¡± Aria ran into Vincent at the library every day after that encounter. She had to practice singing inside the library, so she had to be extra careful. ¡®It was nice and quiet until he came.¡¯ This ce was built solely for those who had the blood of Valentine. Usually, nobody woulde here except for the librarian who kept going back and forth to organize the books. However, Vincent would be inside the library before Aria could arrive, and he would leaveter than her. ¡®At least I know that he isn¡¯t intentionally chasing after me¡­¡¯ He was a schr from an academic institute who loved learning more than anyone else, so it made sense as to why he kept staying in the library. ¡®The soundproofing is perfect, but my singing might leak out by ident.¡¯ The possibility was tiny but it could not bepletely ruled out. Aria peeped at Vincent, nervously hiding behind the edge of a bookshelf. He was reading a book on a sofa. ¡°You won¡¯t choose a book?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria stared at Vincent with a sullen look. He often argued with her over the simplest, most unnecessary things. He would belittle her if she chose a useless book, and he would give his own opinion about each book he recited afterwards. ¡°You don¡¯t know this either?¡± ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no way that you don¡¯t know what this is!¡± ¡°What? You have no idea about this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve survived when you¡¯re this dumb¡­¡± Her conversations with Vincent had always been like this. ¡®Even if I ignore him, he¡¯ll continue to bber about his so-called area of expertise.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know why he was so interested in her. Aria, who used to be sensitive to insults and provocations, couldn¡¯t even care less anymore. She didn¡¯t know how proud she would feel if she was also a genius, but she knew that if she did the same things as him, she would have made tons of enemies. [Then rmend a book to me.] She decided to respond in a dry manner. He was so annoying. Then, after pondering for a while, Vincent handed her a book. ¡¸Basic Arithmetic That Even Monkeys Can Do!¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria red at Vincent while looking at the contents of the book that read ¡®1+1=2¡¯. Vincent Valentine. His eyes were a perfect spring sky, his mind was filled with curiosity, and his blond hair and gentle smile brought more golden sunshine into the world. ¡®Golden sunshine my ass!¡¯ He might look like an angel. But he certainly had the ability to make Aria want to spit on his smiling face. * * * ¡°¡­ Mdy, did you have a bad day?¡± Diana couldn¡¯t help but ask. Aria seemed to be in a bad mood these past few days. Diana was scared because she looked like a volcano that could erupt at any moment now. And as Diana had guessed, Aria was on the verge of explosion. It didn¡¯t matter if he insulted her openly for being ignorant. But at the same time, it couldn¡¯t be helped as she had never been properly educated! ¡®That¡¯s right, I¡¯m stupid! So what?¡¯ She finally admitted. However, the library was the only ce where she could practice singing without other people¡¯s knowledge. ¡®I can¡¯t stand him! He keeps disturbing my singing practice!¡¯ She needed to learn the song of healing as soon as possible to treat the grand duchess. If Vincent interfered with her and she missed the time of the grand duchess¡¯ treatment¡­ ¡®Didn¡¯t the ancestors say that if I can endure him three times, I should save him from the massacre?¡¯ But what would happen if he crossed her more than three times? ¡®Will it be okay for me to kill him?¡¯ She had been patient because he was Lloyd¡¯s younger brother. There was a limit to her patience, and the little patience she had was waning fast. But in the end, things happened. One day, Vincent was waiting for Aria in the library. ¡°You¡¯re a littlete today.¡± Aria naturally turned her back and reopened the door to visit another library. This library, which Vincent spent his time on, used to be her go-to-ce. It was thergest library in the entire pce, and she used it because it was perfect for sound instion. But still, it didn¡¯t mean that the other libraries weren¡¯t soundproof. ¡®I guess he¡¯ll be nning to read books here from now on.¡¯ Aria tried to pass it that way. Suddenly, Vincent shut the library door shut. The boy leaned obliquely by the door with his arms crossed and looked down at Aria. He struck her cold gaze with an innocent smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re from the House of Cortez, you should know a lot about music.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°My sister-inw¡¯s grandfather, Maestro Cortez, was a genius musician and mathematician who will never be born again. He was the one who invented the 24th note in music.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± He covered his mouth, mocking her, ¡°You do know the history of your own family, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Really? You don¡¯t know this either?¡± Vincent muttered as if he was openly disappointed. Aria¡¯s patience wore thin. ¡°Oh, excuse me. I¡¯ve been talking about things that only I know,¡± he chuckled. That¡¯s it. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore! Aria pushed the book that she was holding into Vincent¡¯s arms in the harshest way possible. ¡°Argh!¡± The boy groaned. Aria walked straight to the organ on one side of the library. Then, she sat down and ran her fingers along the pure white keys of the organ. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Trantor: Latte Proofreader: Sarcasm & Adulldoll ¡®Huh.¡¯ Vincent wanted tough when he saw Aria getting so worked up. Her hands were far too small, and even her feet couldn¡¯t reach the pedals below. She was so short that her legs just kept fluttering in the air, and honestly¡­ it looked somewhat cute. ¡®She¡¯s such a child.¡¯ Vincent thought with a smug look on his face. ¡°Come now, don¡¯t fool around with that organ. It¡¯s not something that you can carelessly touch.¡± It took three years for the famous craftsman, Picarro, to make that organ. It was more than just an ordinary instrument, it was a masterpiece that he had made with his own hands. ¡®It¡¯d be too reckless to let an ignorant child touch such a priceless musical instrument,¡± Vincent thought as he walked over to Aria. However, as Aria¡¯s fingers started dancing across the keys, he immediately stopped in his tracks. Her limber fingers coaxed one melody after another, producing notes that were weaved with such beauty that everything around him became a blur, a transcending experience. ¡®Tata and Fugue in D minor.¡¯ It was a masterpiece of the Baroque Eraposed by none other than the famous Maestro Cortez. Her dramatic slow movements at the start¡­ Adagio. Aria had takenplete control over the instrument. The reverberation of every note was perfect, the tempo was magnificent, and the dynamics thoroughly conveyed her feelings. Slowly, the music filled the room to the brim as the source¡¯s slender fingers danced sweetly on the keys. Her legato approach seemed to add tension to the hand, which produced a heavier sound, making the absence of the pedal as nothing but an insignificant matter. ¡®And she was able to do this¡­ with such tiny hands.¡¯ Her head leaned towards the keys, hair falling past serenely shut eyes. These keys, to her, were a touch to a lover. Sometimes overwhelming, yet asionally sweet. ¡®The instrument of an angel that leads the soul to heaven¡­¡¯ Vincent recalled the name of the organ. Suddenly, his gaze darted to his forearm. He had goosebumps. ¡°¡­.Heroic Symphony,¡± Vincent muttered unknowingly. Sinfonia Eroica, a piece that broke boundaries of form, length, harmony, and perceived emotional and possibly cultural content, but¡­ it was neverposed for the organs. Nheless, Aria¡¯s hands kept flying across the long ivory keys as she poured her heart and soul into the song. Suddenly, the key changed. Ben, theposer of the song, had a nickname for the organ. ¡®The Emperor of Musical Instruments.¡¯ The angel¡¯s performance instantly signaled the reign of an emperor. She tranted the music she heard into notes on an organ with incredible uracy and even recreatedplicated passages from ssical music instantly. It was truly astonishing. ¡°Hungarian Dance No. 5.¡± This time, she yed a violin piece. The fluid motion of Aria¡¯s cavorting fingers were punctuated by the sharp tap of a stato note or a graceful leap as she jumped octaves. There was something about its vibrations that felt so heavenly as if it were liquid energy seeping right through Vincent¡¯s skin. Somehow, the scent of the grasnds got infused with the beats, and it was as if he could see the dance of the barefooted nomads over the meadows. She continued, creating impossibly soothing and amazing melodies from the organ. The excitement of the nomadic people and the pain of wandering around without a ce to settle passed one after another until it finally just¡­ stopped. At the end of the note, the resonance she created stirred wonders into his soul. It was unlike anything he had ever heard before. Vincent clenched his fists to hide his excitement, but what escaped from his lips was a burst ofughter. Aria descended from the chair and stood before him. She parted her lips. ¡ªNow, please go away. Get the hell out of here. ¡®As expected from a soon-to-be-married couple.¡¯ Their choice of words was very simr. Thus, he walked out of the library and, at the same time, Aria mmed the door shut. ¡®She seems to be very angry,¡¯ Vincent thought as he got kicked out. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t think that he would stopughing anytime soon. ¡®Invasive species.¡¯ Vincent remembered the time when he first saw Aria. Indeed, his predictions were correct. His sister-inw was a genius. * * * After breakfast, Aria tried to see the newly bloomed summer flowers in the garden, but an unwanted guest disrupted her ns. ¡°I am a genius,¡± Vincent proudly eximed. She stared at him in disgust. He suddenly dered that he was a genius before sipping his tea and mming it down on the table afterward. ¡°I survived because I¡¯m a genius. Therefore, I cannot tolerate other geniuses who hide their talents.¡± ¡°.¡­..¡± ¡°I understand now. You keep visiting the library to practice ying the organ and avoid the eyes of other people. Am I correct?¡± That was certainly not the case, but if he interpreted it that way, then she could take advantage of this misunderstanding. Aria nodded. She was too irritated to think of another excuse. ¡°Do you cover your face with a mask because you have the face of a genius?¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Sigh, why are you hiding your beauty in in sight? As a genius myself, I can hardly understand,¡± Vincent said as he flipped his shoulder-length-blond hair to the back of his shoulder. Aria stared at him as he fell deep into his thoughts. His blue eyes were as deep as the sea, and it certainlyplemented his golden hair. ¡®¡­I¡¯ve lost my appetite,¡¯ Aria thought after staring at Vincent¡¯s face. There¡¯s a saying that a genius can be aplete idiot at the same time. ¡®I guess that¡¯s him.¡¯ Aria took a strawberry macaron and put it in her mouth, ignoring the blonde boy who was still pondering. Then, Aria¡¯s gaze suddenly shifted to the book Vincent hadid down on the table. It looked thick and sturdy enough to be used as a weapon. [What¡¯s that?] ¡°Oh, this is a codification manuscript that has yet to be revised. I have read all of the proposed legition that¡¯s been revised, though.¡± Come to think of it, even when she ran into him at the library, the only book he read was the exact same book that she saw now. ¡®Does he carry that everywhere so that he can read it anytime?¡¯ He must really be passionate about it. The code ofw varies from each territory, but Aria knew that it usually ranged from a few dozen to hundreds of books. ¡®If a neww code is going toe out, then why is he reading the old ones from before the amendment?¡¯ Was he trying to be a judge? ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t change the subject,¡± Vincent said. He continued to discuss the topic from before. ¡°No one in this world hates young geniuses. People would actually trick others into thinking that they are young so that they can appeal to other people as a genius, on the other hand¡­ isn¡¯t sister-inw really young?¡± Aria knew she was a genius. Count Cortez had always told it to her loud and clear. ¡°You¡¯re a genius! You have a ridiculous vocal range, and you have perfect pitch. Your mother is no match for you.¡± He praised her talent as if it was a gift from heaven. However¡­ ¡°That¡¯s what you call a song?!¡± He suddenly cursed at her, saying that her singing was terrible. ¡°Dammit! How dare you steal Cortez¡¯s talent. It¡¯s mine! I was supposed to be the one to inherit that!¡± His true feelings were revealed once he got drunk. Aria was convinced that she had a divine talent as she watched her father¡¯s inferiorityplex towards her. She inherited her musical talent from her grandfather, Maestro Cortez, while her perfect pitch and enticing vocal cords were inherited from her mother, Sophia. It was only natural that people would be eager to covet her gift. That was why she understood Vincent¡¯s frustration. However, Aria had never been happy even if she was bestowed with such an extraordinary talent. She was exploited by many nobles and had to suffer because she was a natural genius that would never exist again in this world. ¡°If you just talk, the House of Valentine will give you their full support. They love art more than any of the other houses in the empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Think about it. People will praise you as a child prodigy.¡± Aria had already been through that. Countless times. She was even called a ¡®goddess¡¯ by the emperor. What Aria eventually realized after that was the fact that humans cannot be gods. [Vincent.] Aria wrote his name on the card for the first time. [If you survived because you are a genius, then you¡¯ll also die from the same cause by the people who considered you a genius.] ¡°What?¡± Vincent asked with a puzzled look. Aria said those things because she knew that he would be framed and expelled in the future, but he would never be able to understand at the moment. She silently wrote the following. [Your prime of life is probably less than ten years.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [You don¡¯t have to be desperate to be recognized. You don¡¯t have to prove that you¡¯re a genius. If you are doing your job well, recognition will naturally follow.] ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious.¡± Vincent was surprised to hear such mature words from a child younger than himself. For the first time in his life, Vincent actually stuttered and blushed in embarrassment. He was finally acting like a boy his age. ¡°You surprise me every time. I have no idea that you would¡¯ve thought of it that way¡­ by the way, I¡¯m amazed that you can talk to me without using honorifics.¡± So what. Aria was emotionless. She simply didn¡¯t care. Then, Vincent just smiled and shrugged it off, saying, ¡°Well, you¡¯re right anyway. I mean, I shine brighter than the sun just by breathing! I don¡¯t really need to prove myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant.¡¯ Since hepletely misunderstood her words, Aria wrote another card so that he could face reality. [I meant that if you keep behaving like a jerk, then you will be stoned to death.] ¡°What?¡± [So do your job properly.] It was a serious advice. Vincent awkwardlyughed. ¡°Hahaha, you must be joking!¡± [I¡¯m dead serious.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [You can get lost now.] A heavy silence fell. Aria sipped her tea, rejoicing that the atmosphere was finally quiet. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Trantor:LatteProofreader: Adulldoll Vincent was confused because Aria was very different from the rumors. ¡®That indifferent look on her face, it¡¯s simr to brother¡¯s¡­¡¯ He heard that children simr to Aria¡¯s age should typically have a cute and lovely personality. However, she was certainly not an ordinary child. ¡®Why does she act like that?¡¯ Aria treated him differently from the others, and it definitely wasn¡¯t an illusion. ¡°Then, what is your purpose?¡± [To protect someone.] She answered without the slightest bit of hesitation. Vincent was speechless. Aria¡¯s words were like a knight¡¯s oath. Then, she threw her cards into the firece, leaving no traces of their conversation. When the time came, she vowed to use her abilities to protect that person at all costs. * * * Aria recently developed a small hobby. She would tend to stroll around the garden while waiting for a letter from Sabina. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ A few momentster, she saw a pigeon flying to her from a distance. ¡®Finally, a letter!¡¯ Aria enthusiastically thought as her expression brightened. However, when the pigeonnded on her shoulder, the momentary happiness she felt suddenly disappeared. ¡®It¡¯s¡­ not a letter?¡¯ Unfortunately, the letter didn¡¯te. There were days when Sabina would not send her letters but would instead send flowers to her and made the pigeon carry it on its mouth sometimes. ¡®Could it be¡­? Does she not have the energy to write letters anymore?¡¯ Aria was worried because her health might be deteriorating. She took the flowers from the pigeon¡¯s mouth. ¡®I think the massacre is going to happen soon.¡¯ Sabina hadn¡¯t been able to send as many flowers as she used to. Furthermore, the flower she sent this time was almost¡­ withered. Then, as she was petting the pigeon¡¯s head, it suddenly flew away. ¡®What the? That surprised me.¡¯ Aria turned around with a puzzled gaze, wondering as to why the pigeon ran away from her. Consequently, she could see Lloyd and his jaguars walking around in the distance. And as Aria found herself staring at them, so did the boy. He soon frowned when she came to his line of sight, and as Aria noticed his look of irritation towards her, she thought to herself, ¡®Will he try to get rid of me again?¡¯ Aria waited for Lloyd to approach her first as she stayed on high alert. Unlike the owner, the two energetic jaguars immediately ran to her side without the slightest bit of hesitation. ¡®Hello, my feline friends.¡¯ The ck jaguars, or moremonly known as ¡®ck panthers.¡¯ The jaguars had ck satin-like furs and eyes that seemed to be glowing like topaz. ¡®The same color as Lloyd¡¯s hair.¡¯ Aria reached out to stroke their heads. But the jaguars just simply circled her while avoiding direct contact. They were different from the wolves who instantly hugged her, wagging their tails, and even licked her as soon as she came nearby. On the other hand, these jaguars avoided her like the gue. ¡®Why would they approach me first then back away when I try to touch them?¡¯ Aria withdrew her arm. If she tried to touch them again, they would just keep avoiding her. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Thus, she chose to leave them be. Then, Lloyd walked over to them at a leisurely pace. ¡°A little bird told me that you have never used the prince¡¯s authority. The authority that I gave to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will take back those rights. You won¡¯t get the permission to have it anymore.¡± At his words, Aria immediately nodded. She didn¡¯t even want it in the first ce. Lloyd raised his eyebrows. ¡°Ha, I see. So you want to be kicked out without having even a single penny. Which means you¡¯d rather live on the streets instead of having a house to stay¡­¡± he scoffed. But the moment he finished his words, Aria¡¯s iling arms identally touched the jaguars, and it resulted in her getting pped by one of their paws. ¡®Ouch!¡¯ She got hit. Aria stared down at her wrist that was throbbing in pain. It hurt more than she thought. Fortunately, it missed the mark. If it had hit the right spot, she would probably have more than just a sprained wrist. Perhaps a broken bone or two¡­ Aria raised her head to look at Lloyd. But when she held eye contact with him, she was shocked. His expression was terrifying. His eyebrows were furrowed, and she could even see veins popping out of his forehead. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Perhaps he looked like that because he was turning his back against the sun? His face underneath the dark shadows was scarier than ever, and his eyes shone shrewdly in the dark. ¡°Are you mad? Why would you even touch a beast¡­!¡± He yelled. Afterward, he just sighed and facepalmed at himself. ¡°Give me your wrist,¡± he said. Aria gently held out her hand. She didn¡¯t even think twice that he might do something even worse to her. Lloyd was exasperated by her attitude. She was far too naive, careless, and weak. He wanted to scold her for being so defenseless, but he decided to forget about it and just examine her sprained wrist first. ¡°You¡¯re really good at pissing me off.¡± Her hand wasn¡¯t broken, but it was definitely swollen. If she had the blood of the Valentines, a minor injury like this wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. However, Aria wasn¡¯t a Valentine. Lloyd took out a dagger from his bosom, trimmed some branches from a tree, and made a splint from it. He tore the edge of his shirt and wrapped it around Aria¡¯s wrist. ¡®First aid? I mean¡­ it¡¯s not broken, so isn¡¯t this over the top? I shouldn¡¯t be receiving treatment like this,¡¯ Aria thought. ¡°Is that one of your tricks?¡± Lloyd asked while winding the cloth carefully as if he was handling the most fragile bowl of ss. Aria tilted her head. ¡ªTricks? ¡°Getting sick or getting injured whenever I try to drive you away.¡± ¡ªWhy would I try to trick you? ¡°Are you trying to trick me into making me care about you?¡± ¡ªYou care about me? ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd fell into silence. His expression was like that of someone who had just been caught in a mousetrap. The boy then let go of Aria¡¯s hand, shaking her off in embarrassment. ¡°¡­No,¡± he said before pointing his finger at the office as if to say ¡®I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore, so do the rest of the treatment yourself.¡¯ Her wrist was splinted shortly after being hit, so it didn¡¯t hurt as much as before. ¡®The injury wasn¡¯t that serious, anyway.¡¯ ¡°After it¡¯s healed, you should really leave this time.¡± Aria stared at Lloyd, amused. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask since he thought that she was thinking of something unpleasant. She parted her lips. ¡ªThe jaguars are very simr to their owner. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡ªIt is what it is. However, Lloyd still did not understand the meaning behind her words. He was a human, but he would probably look exactly like the jaguars if he were an animal. Plus, even their attitudes were simr. ¡®Indeed, the resemnce is truly uncanny.¡¯ Nheless, Aria shook her head at Lloyd as if telling him to just forget about it. * * * Aria started humming. There were an endless amount of the Siren¡¯s songs, but they were primarily divided into seven categories. She tried to sing them one after another. The Song of Life, the Song of Peace, the Song of Charm, the Song of Sleep, the Song of Oblivion, the Song of Healing, andstly, the Song of Destruction. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Aria could sing the other songsfortably, even without training. However, as soon as she arrived at the songs of healing and destruction, her throat would be hot and sore, as if it was burning like fire. She didn¡¯t even have the chance to sing it properly. ¡°Cough! Ugh¡­¡± Aria grabbed her chest, fell to the floor, and breathed quite roughly for a while. ¡®I¡¯m not getting any better¡­¡¯ She had been taking good care of herselftely. She ate a fair amount of food every meal and even had strolls around the garden from time to time. Still, her body just couldn¡¯t handle singing those two songs! It wasn¡¯t as if there was no progress at all, but the improvement of her singing had grown to the point where it would be embarrassing if she actually told people that her skills had improved at all. ¡®But I have no other choice¡­¡¯ Aria did what she did in her previous life. Practice, practice, and practice inside a locked room until her voice would be hoarse and cracked. ¡®Because I¡¯ve already reached this level in my past life, I thought I could eventually achieve it again if I just practiced consistently.¡¯ Was the method really that bad? However, Aria only knew how to practice this way since she had never received an education from Count Cortez. If she continued to practice like this, she hoped that she could sing those two songs someday. ¡®When will that daye?¡¯ In her previous life, she was just 14 years old when she reached the level. She thought she could shorten the period by about two years if she practiced harder. However, it was still toote. ¡®Is there a more efficient way?¡¯ A way to regain her old skills that only remained as a memory in a short period of time. As sheid down and plunged deep into her thoughts, a string of light finally struck her mind. ¡°Ah!¡± She suddenly arose. ¡®A magic barrier!¡¯ There must be a magic barrier in the Valentine¡¯s Pce. Aria recalled the barrier she saw at the entrance of the Ingo Mountains. People that controlled the barrier were those with a high magical aptitude and had the ability to manipte energy. ¡®Each person is born with different types of energy, but the essence of it is the same at the end.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the method simr? She didn¡¯t know if it was a wise decision. ¡®But at least, it¡¯s a more efficient method than mine.¡¯ Aria ran to the library straight away. She was thinking of finding out the person who made the barrier at the entrance of the mountain range. ¡®But what kind of energy do they have? It¡¯s all so unfamiliar to me¡­¡¯ Aria was in deep thought. The most popr energies in the Pa Empire were the ¡®divine power¡¯ and ¡®mana,¡¯ but there were a variety of other energies as well. The minority races, like the Sirens as well, had different types of energy. Suddenly¡­ As Aria was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the library, being engrossed in her own thoughts, a man who was about to leave the library ran straight into her. ¡°Ouch!¡± He shouted. It was just a simple bump. However, he yelled because he slipped some documents he held from his hands. Aria rubbed her arm and stared at the fluttering papers. The five senses of the Sirens weren¡¯t just about hearing. She caught all of the papers that flew in an instant. And at that moment, her eyes became wide open when she saw the man who collided with her. ¡®This person¡­¡¯ Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Trantor:LatteProofreader:Adulldoll The man hastily picked up the scattered papers. He was in such a hurry that he unconsciously let go of his noble bearing and kneeled on the ground. ¡°Sheesh! Look where you¡¯re going¡­ Huh? Y-young miss!¡± The man hurriedly bowed his head. It seemed as if he knew who Aria was, but unfortunately, the little girl was unfamiliar with his identity. ¡°Is young miss, alright? You¡¯re not hurt anywhere, are you¡­?¡± Aria interrupted the man and presented him a card. [Who are you?] He was slightly offended by her words, but he still answered her question. ¡°My name is Rosen Stewart.¡± Baron Stewart. One of the scribes of the Valentine Family. Aria had heard of his name once. She observed him for a moment before writing on another card. [Why is the scribe of the family here?] ¡°Well, I am here to organize the documents recorded by the other scribes.¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria remembered that besides the Valentines, the scribes could also freely ess the library. ¡®Well, he doesn¡¯t look suspicious.¡¯ Aria secretly approved of him and decided that he could pass. However, the scribe felt ufortable with her attitude. ¡®Why is she looking at me like that?¡¯ She was eyeing him weirdly and even asked why he came to the library. Was she doubting him? ¡®No way¡­ Did she see the contents of the paper?¡¯ But that would be impossible. How could she read the text in less than 30 seconds? There was quite a distance between her and the papers as well. She would not be able to read them as she was so far away. The scribe decided that Aria was just being rude because she hadn¡¯t learned proper manners yet. ¡®She may be able to walk freely around the house now, but she¡¯ll be kicked out soon anyway.¡¯ There are rumors that the Grand Duke of Valentine was protecting her, but who knows how long it wouldst. The scribe knew that no matter how cute Aria was, she would soon be expelled. ¡®The Grand Duke is a fickle person. His love for her is useless and the servants¡¯ kindness will all be for naught.¡¯ Even if the Prince miraculously showed interest in the child, it wouldn¡¯t make even the slightest difference. For it was toote. ¡®Because the day the Grand Duchess dies will be the day she gets kicked out of here.¡¯ The scribe pitied the ignorant child who went around thinking that the world revolved around her, when in fact, she knew nothing at all. ¡®That time will soone.¡¯ But the scribe wasn¡¯t stupid enough to say those words out loud. He was informed that the second son of the Beauport family had received punishment for carelessly making fun of the young miss. So he ought to be careful of his words as well. ¡®Didn¡¯t he ended up working at the stables?¡¯ Every time the scribe encountered Count Beauport, he would look dead inside as if he was a living corpse. Even though he wascking in many ways, Count Beauport loved his son. He was barely able to make his son a knight. But to think that his son would be deprived of his title like this, he must have been heartbroken. And most of all, he must have been embarrassed as well. ¡®It¡¯s better to be a child who didn¡¯t have anything in the first ce than to be someone like him. I mean, he lost everything in one day!¡¯ Rosen didn¡¯t want to end up the same way as Count Beauport¡¯s son did. ¡°Young miss. If there¡¯s nothing else. I have some urgent matters to attend to. So please excuse me.¡± Regardless of what he was thinking, the scribe bowed to Aria very politely. Still, she had a bad feeling about him. Aria recalled the papers she had read and thew books Vincent had been reading since he returned from the academy. She wondered why he was studyingw. ¡®It couldn¡¯t be! Are they aiming for¡­?¡¯ After pondering for a moment, Aria looked out of the corridor window. The scribe was holding the papers tightly as if his life depended on it. Aria pressed the tips of her thumb and forefinger together and brought it to her mouth. Then, she let out a whistle. ¡°Coo!¡± From a distance, she saw several birds flying through the sky at high speed. Aria pointed her fingers to the scribe without hesitation. At the same time, they rushed themselves to Rosen in an instant, as if they were trained soldiers. ¡°Wh-what the?! Arghhh!¡± The scribe got bird poop all over his head as he tried to run away to collect the scattered documents that got ripped. ¡®With this, I¡¯ve earned myself some time!¡¯ Aria nced at him onest time before closing the window quietly. * * * As expected, she had to meet him as soon as possible. She didn¡¯t even have time to ask. Aria went straight to the wolves¡¯ cage. As soon as she opened the door, a wolf rushed towards her. ¡°Hi, Silver. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Silver¡¯s fur was lighter whenpared to the other wolves. That¡¯s why she named him Silver. Though, even with such a simple name, Silver would still wag his tail in excitement whenever she called him that. He was really happy to have been given a name because the Grand Duke had never given him one. After stroking Silver¡¯s head a few times, Aria quickly spoke, ¡°Who is the strongest person thates next after your master?¡± ¡°Woof?¡± ¡°No, not Lloyd. The strongest person after him.¡± The wolf tilted his head and pointed at Aria with the tip of his nose. ¡°Uh¡­ Then, after me?¡± ¡°Aroo!¡± ¡®I knew it.¡¯ As Aria climbed on Silver¡¯s back, the wolf quickly ran as if he had been waiting for this exact moment all his life. ¡®The tower.¡¯ There were two towers in the Grand Duke¡¯s Pce. The west tower and the east tower. Among them, Silver ran up to the spiral staircase of the east tower. And momentster, they finally reached the top of the tower. Aria descended from Silver¡¯s back and knocked on the firmly closed door. Unfortunately, there was no answer. ¡®Someone¡¯s obviously inside.¡¯ She could feel their presence. Aria could sense that whoever was inside, had stopped their movements as soon as they heard her knock. That could only mean¡­ ¡®Are they purposely ignoring uninvited guests?¡¯ Aria grabbed and turned the doorknob. ¡®¡­Seems that it¡¯s locked from the inside.¡¯ After shaking the door a few more times, Aria looked back at Silver with a sigh. The wolf quickly rushed towards her and¡­ Baam¡ª! He rammed through the door! The door was shattered, dust flew everywhere, and a purple-haired man that stood across Aria stared at her in dismay. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Aria felt bad about the mess she made but she was only slightly sorry. If she were her usual self, she would have waited ande back again next time. But now, there was no time for that. Silver stared at Aria as if asking to be praised for what he did, and Aria hugged him in return. Then, she stood in front of the man. ¡°F*ck¡­¡± Did he just swear? He spouted vulgar words whilst running through his curly hair with his fingers. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have broken the door just because I pretended not to be in theb! I guess it¡¯s true when they say that birds of the same feather flock together.¡± The man with purple hair continued to speak, ¡°Wee to the Grand Duchy of Valentine,¡± he said while pping his hands sarcastically. He seemed to have encountered something like this before. ¡®Then, the Grand Duke or the Prince must have alreadye here.¡¯ Aria thought that it might be both of them. She then rummaged through her bag and took out a new card. [Sorry, I really wanted to meet you.] ¡°Oh, of course you do,¡± he responded while clicking his tongue. Afterward, he reluctantly introduced himself. ¡°My name is Carl, I am the shaman of the pce.¡± Shaman? Aria widened her eyes like a surprised rabbit. The source of a shaman¡¯s power is their ¡®spiritual power.¡¯ They had the ability to perceive, contact, and bargain or control the spiritual world. But it was illegal to use those powers. She had never felt such unfamiliar magic before, but nheless, it was really magical. ¡®As expected, the grand duchy enjoyed extraterritoriality and were not governed by the emperor¡¯s jurisdiction. That must be why he¡¯s exempted from the localw and was able to use his powers.¡¯ The shaman was proudly upying the tower, but he would have vited thew if it weren¡¯t for the extraterritorial rights. He was perfectly suited to work in the devil¡¯s pce. Carl began to feel ufortable from being stared at by the little girl in front of him. ¡®What an annoying little girl,¡¯ he thought. He would be lying if he didn¡¯t admit that he was looking down on her. In the first ce, he thought that if he locked the door, the girl would just eventually give up and went back on her own. But things didn¡¯t turn out as he had hoped. Carl despised kids. ¡®Kids are ignorant beings that think all shamans are mages. How uneducated!¡¯ Children loved mages. To them, mages were idols. Not only in children¡¯s books but also in history books. The mages had always yed the role of the king¡¯s helper. Carl knew that the little girl in front of him would be no less the same as the other kids. ¡®She probably came here to see a mage as well. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, there are no mages here!¡¯ Carl scoffed inwardly. ¡°This isn¡¯t a yground. I¡¯m not a mage that can meet your expectations. As you can see, I¡¯m busy and I don¡¯t have time to deal with you. So if you will, please leave,¡± Carl said. Aria stared at the man. ¡®Does he even breathe when he speaks?¡¯ He spoke so fast that it was a bit hard to follow what he was saying. Then, she took out another card. [I want to know how to use energy.] When he saw that, Carl¡¯s eyebrows rose for a moment. Her words weren¡¯t what he had expected. Kids at that age were usually like, ¡®Wow, that¡¯s superb! Teach me how to use magic too!¡¯ ¡°I see that you know the concept of energy.¡± Energy was a generic term for powers such as mana, divine power, charms and enchantments, and spiritual power. Everyone had different types of energy. It was up to the individual¡¯s talents to utilize and develop that energy into power. ¡®If she knew this, then she must be able to distinguish the difference between a shaman and a mage.¡¯ It also meant that she knew each person had different types of innate energy. Carl was still a bit skeptical, but he spoke with a softer tone than before. ¡°Energy is not something anyone can use. If youck talent and your body cannot handle the immense amount of power, you¡¯ll lose your life the moment it flows out of your core.¡± Core. Aria¡¯s eyes sparkled when she heard a new word she hadn¡¯t heard of before. She was so mystified by the new word that she wasn¡¯t able to listen to Carl¡¯s words that followed after. ¡°There is nothing to be discouraged. Only one in a million people can operate energy, and there are only one in ten million that can express that energy into a new form. I, on the other hand, am a genius that is born only once in every century¡­ ¡± Aria pulled the hem of Carl¡¯s ck robe as she listened to him bbering about himself. Then, she pulled out another card. [How long does it usually take to control energy from the core?] ¡°Well, it usually takes a minimum of 5 or 6 years.¡± That long? Turns out, Aria¡¯s growth was already fast, for she was able to use her powers within four years. But she needed less time. Aria was disappointed. ¡®But¡­¡¯ If so, then maybe¡­ [Can you forcibly pierce into my core?] ¡°What? Are you insane?¡± Carl was dumbfounded. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Trantor:LatteProofreader: Adulldoll ¡®Does she want to be killed?¡¯ No matter how much he hated children, he would never kill them. ¡°Mdy, when a person loses a lot of blood, you know they die, right?¡± [Yes.] ¡°Likewise, when the core runs out of energy, the user will die.¡± [Yes.] ¡°Exactly, so stop with the nonsense.¡± Carl thought that his exnation was kind enough for children to understand. However, Aria still stared straight into his eyes, not showing any signs of fear even after knowing that there was a risk of death. [But that¡¯s the only method I can use if I want to use my energy in a short period of time, right?] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The ¡®unique¡¯ method. Aria made a quick decision. There was nothing else she could do than to bet everything on this shaman for now. [Can you do it?] ¡°I can¡­¡± Carl continued to exin. ¡°I have met numerous people who chose to take the risks. However¡­¡± They were mainly fighters. Those humans were all brawns and no brains. They were willing to end their lives if it meant for them to be stronger. Carl thought that those martial artists were foolish and ignorant. ¡°If your resistance exceeds that of humans and is closer to amoebas, then you might seed.¡± He stared at Aria. She seemed to think that she had a high tolerance for pain. ¡°Do you know the proverb ¡®knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom?¡¯ It¡¯s quite a famous proverb in the temples.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Young miss¡¯s energy is so weak that even I, myself, am very impressed to see you still alive and breathing. If I pierce through your core, young miss will immediately stop breathing in 0.1 seconds. So just forget about it.¡± He reached out his hand to Aria. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you out.¡± Rather than being considerate, it was an effort to expel Aria as soon as possible. Aria silently stared at Carl¡¯s hand. She pondered for a moment. Then, she grasped his hands. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, the Shaman¡¯s half-closed eyes opened in amazement. He quickly withdrew his hand as if he had just experienced an electric shock. ¡°What in the¡­ This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Is it possible for humans to have this massive amount of energy? The moment Carl touched Aria¡¯s hand, he suddenly felt the essence she was hiding. It was just a short period of time, but the amount of power she had was unbelievable. ¡°What the hell are you?¡± His snub attitude suddenly changed. ¡®I was caught off guard because of her meek appearance.¡¯ At first, he thought that she only wrote on those cards because she was childish or too shy to speak. But now, he realized that she probably had another reason. Aria looked at him. Then, she parted her lips. ¡°Siren.¡± Aria reached an impasse, and if she couldn¡¯t hide from everyone, she had to choose a reliable figure. Aria had no other choice. She couldn¡¯t keep her secret for long anyway. Thus, she chose to reveal it to a reliable figure. The shaman. He was the only one who could increase her potential. ¡°Have you heard of Sirens?¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Carl replied hesitantly, gritting his teeth. He instinctively realized that he was now caught up in a problematic task. ¡°Damn it. Have you been hiding your powers this entire time?¡± It¡¯s no wonder that she¡¯s still alive. He thought she had barely any energy in her, but turns out, she was hiding her powers. ¡°But how could you know about cores¡­?¡± Carl was confused. Of course, theory and practice werepletely different, but they were deeply rted to each other, so she couldn¡¯t just dismiss one of them and master the other. One could only hide their energy after receiving sufficient knowledge regarding it. ¡®But I can only do it because I remember my previous life,¡¯ Aria thought. She could do it because of her implicit memory. She already knew how to manipte energy in her previous life. However, her current body was weak, and even her core was blocked. Most of her powers were sealed. So how strong would she be if it were to be released? ¡°What in the world are you? How is this possible? This is ridiculous!¡± ¡°I know the basics of manipting energy. But the problem is that the passage where my energy runs through is sealed.¡± ¡®She could manipte her energy even when her passageway was never breached?¡¯ It was certainly possible, but it was inefficient and abusive to the body. He had never seen a person who practiced that way. Carl rubbed his forehead. ¡°So, how were you able to use your energy without the passageway?¡± ¡°I just did it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aria nodded her head. ¡°No, why would you do that?! Why are you doing the same thing as those barbarians when you have such artistic and delicate talent?¡± When asked why, Aria had no choice but to answer. ¡°Because I want to sing. I can only learn to sing by doing it this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I sang until I vomited blood.¡± Carl was at a loss for words. ¡®She wasn¡¯t even treated like a human.¡¯ He understood why Aria hid her voice and didn¡¯t reveal the fact that she was a Siren. ¡®That¡¯s why a 10-year-old told me to break her core without hesitation.¡¯ Carl clenched his teeth. He didn¡¯t think of himself as a righteous person, but he still has convictions. Count Cortez, often referred to as the Circus Leader. He forced Sirens to continue his ¡®circus¡¯ and even had one to give birth to a daughter. What¡¯s worse is that when he no longer needed her, he sold her off. He was a disgrace to humanity, he should have been born as a worm instead. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll change the question,¡± he said while trying to contain the anger that just rose to his head. ¡°Why did youe to me? To learn how to use energy?¡± Carl was willing to teach her if she asked for his help. Seeing her abuse her body like that was heartbreaking to him. But Aria shook her head. ¡°Just pierce through my core.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Breaking your core doesn¡¯t mean that you can immediately use your energy. I can¡¯t even guarantee that it would be sessful in the first ce.¡± ¡°No, I can use my abilities as soon as the passage is cleared.¡± ¡°And how are you so certain¡­?¡± Well, she was able to hide her energy. Carl was ashamed of himself. It seemed as though he can¡¯t brag about being a genius anymore. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hear you out. But why do you want to use your abilities so quickly?¡± This was it. The problematic question she had been wanting to avoid this whole time. Aria took a deep breath. What she had said so far could be epted bymon sense, but after this, her words would only sound like the nonsense of a lunatic. But she was forced to continue. ¡°I know the future and I have to change it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In fact, what will happen in the future¡­ .¡± ¡°Now, wait a second.¡± Carl interrupted her words. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know.¡± Aria was momentarily speechless. She was expecting him to say, ¡®What nonsense are you talking about?¡¯ or ¡®Are you in your right mind?¡¯, but he replied with an ¡®I don¡¯t want to know¡¯ instead¡­? The shaman continued to maintain his overbearing and harsh attitude, but Aria could see that his pupils were shaking. ¡°Foresight? Did you receive a vision? No, nevermind. That doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m not curious about that.¡¯ Aria was surprised for he easily dismissed the question she was most afraid of. Regardless of Aria¡¯s reaction, he continued to speak very frankly. ¡°No matter what the future is, you cannot know or change it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because each person has their own destiny.¡± Destiny? It was absurd. If that was the case, does it mean that Aria was destined to destroy the empire? Why should she bear such fate just because she was born in this world? ¡°Do you mean to say that everything is based on God¡¯s will?¡± ¡°Well even if there¡¯s a God or whatever, there arews and providence that are already set in the world.¡± Aria stared at Carl without answering. ¡°The world may seem like it¡¯s in disorder, but it¡¯s actually passing by a set of rules. One that is fixed and absolute. It¡¯s like a gear that fits in a set of cogwheels.¡± Aria understood where he wasing from. Just like how apples are red, and how the sky is blue. Deers eat grass, and lions eat deer. Divine guidance. That is the providence of the world. ¡®And humans cannot change the future.¡¯ She was also the providence of the world. ¡°Changing the future is like removing the old gear and recing it with a new one. We shouldn¡¯t have to change anything else in order for the world to roll again.¡± Aria gently bit her lips. ¡°Does this mean that if I break aw, a new one wille up?¡± ¡°You understand quickly.¡± She was intelligent. It was unbelievable that she was only ten years old. The reason she didn¡¯t speak like a child, was it all due to her foresight? Carl nodded in admiration. ¡°One must pay the price for changing thew.¡± It was possible, but there was a cost for changing thews of time. His words made sense. If she went back in time and saved people who should have died in the first ce, she would have to pay a reasonable price for their life in return. ¡®I don¡¯t know what the price is, but¡­¡¯ Aria replied vaguely. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°What is strange?¡± ¡°If thew of time is absolute, then why do I know about the future?¡± ¡®Why am I given the chance to go back to the past?¡¯ Since she knew about the future, she would of course try to change it somehow. ¡°Destiny, fate, or whatever. I will not fail to change mine.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t just stand still while waiting for my demise¡­ I have to do something.` ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± That part was questionable, after all. Why would a child who would risk sacrificing herself in order to get her core pierced receive visions about the future? Aria simply came up with the answer. ¡°Because my will is the will of the world and my will is the providence of the world.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Carl was shocked. How did she reach that conclusion? ¡°The world would have known that I would act like this. God knew. So, I am the world. Make sure you follow my will.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± This was absurd. Carl reacted slowly to all this craziness. But she said so without hesitation. She was honestly good at surprising people. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be easy. I may not be able to change much, but I will try. No matter how young I am, I know what is right and I will follow my convictions. If the world is wrong, then I will change it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The biggest price that I have to pay is if I see everything repeating itself again. I can¡¯t bear to endure that without doing anything. I¡¯ll just take responsibility at the end and pay for it even if it¡¯s a hundred times worse!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At that moment, Carl¡¯s eyes wavered. She sounded mature, but she was definitely a child. ¡®She wants to take responsibility for it?¡¯ Carl thought. She still believes that there¡¯s justice in the world and that she could change anything with her powers. Everything had already been decided by the greater force. ¡®She would live an uneasy life.¡¯ But she still believed in the world. Carl realized that he had failed to convince her. Thus he sighed and spoke to her. ¡°Then, prove it.¡± Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Trantor:LatteProofreader:Adulldoll ¡®Finally,¡¯ Aria thought as she nodded her head. She finally had the chance to prove her worth. ¡°I need to leave the pce for a while.¡± * * * Aria managed to get a scroll from Carl. The scroll contained magic that enabled Aria to teleport wherever she wanted. Carl nced at the scroll in Aria¡¯s hand, his eyes filled with regret. ¡°You¡¯ll make a clone that can rece me while I¡¯m away, right?¡± Carl nodded in response. Aria smiled. This was why she chose to expose her identity to Carl. Now, Aria could freely roam outside the pce without anyone knowing. ¡°You may be able to deceive the eyes of normal people, but His Majesty and His Highness will know right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back before anyone finds me.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯m not so sure about that. I¡¯ve given you that scroll. So if you are in danger, juste back right away.¡± Aria nodded. She was in the middle of tearing the teleportation scroll when suddenly¡­ ¡°Arf!¡± Silver, who was quietly waiting, suddenly ran towards her with tremendous speed. The scroll was already ripped in half, so there was no way of stopping the magic. Thus, Silver got warped into the teleportation magic together with Aria. Foosh! There was a tugging sensation, like a brief but intense period of disorientation. Aria¡¯s view of the world faded as the scenery around her dematerialized. The lighting changed softly, but abruptly in only a few moments¡­ Then, as her vision cleared up, she found herself standing at her destination. There she stood, on the grounds of the Holy Empire. Garcia. ¡°Silver¡­ How many times have I told you not to run into me like that?¡± Aria scolded. ¡°Aung¡­¡± Silver whined. Silver just wanted to help. The wolf was Aria¡¯s driver. He always picked Aria from her chambers and helped her travel back and forth inside the pce. He was honestly quite proud of his work. However, Silver was insecure. He saw how quickly the Jaguars befriended Aria, so he didn¡¯t want to lose to them. ¡°Arf!¡± He wanted to be her method of transportation again. Plus, there was nothing in the world that could run as fast as him. At least, that¡¯s what he said. ¡®Still, it¡¯s impossible for a wolf to run faster than a jaguar¡­¡¯ Aria thought. She sighed. Aria actually nned to walk around without any means of transportation, so considering the fact that she was running out of time, Silver could be of great help to her. The coordinates of the scroll were set back to the pce. ¡°Follow the direction where the sun rises.¡± As Aria climbed onto Silver¡¯s back, she began to recall the things she had heard in her previous life. Wherever there was light in the world, darkness also coexisted. There was no exception. ¡®Despite being called as thend chosen by God, even the Holy Empire has darkness within it.¡¯ Even if the temple tried to relieve the poor, people would still starve. ¡®The vige at the end of the East.¡¯ In the Holy Empire, that ce was known as ¡®the slums.¡¯ The vige used to be an abandonednd filled with ruins. However, many vagrants and criminals began to settle down there as they had nowhere else to go. In short, it was a run-down, uncivilized area inhabited primarily by impoverished people. ¡®I¡¯m here¡­¡¯ As Aria was about to get off Silver¡¯s back and enter the vige¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t mess around here and get lost, kid!¡± Shouted a homeless man that bumped into her. The man seemed to be drunk as he was holding a bottle of wine. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this? Your hair color is peculiar. You¡¯ll sell pretty well if you have a nice face,¡± he said while stretching out his hand to take off Aria¡¯s hood. ¡°Grrr¡ª!¡± At that moment, Silver lowered his body and began to growl. He was ready to attack him and bite his throat. ¡°Argh!¡± The wolf was baring his teeth while giving him a menacing re. As soon as the drunken hooligan saw the wolf, he became frightened and ran away. Aria was petrified. She thought to herself, ¡®I was almost kidnapped when I haven¡¯t even entered the vige yet.¡¯ Had she been an ordinary child, she would have already been sold as a ve. Aria was appalled. She could now understand why the priests had given up on this ce. ¡°Silver. You wait here, okay?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Silver protested. But Aria just stroked the wolf¡¯s head. She spoke, ¡°You stand out too much. It¡¯ll be dangerous if I bring you with me. We might get kidnapped and criminals might try to sell us to the ck market.¡± No matter how great Silver was, if a professional hunter, smuggler, or ve trader decided to attack them, they would get caught no matter what. Aria proceeded to hide Silver inside a bush. Then, she tightened the hood on her head. She had to visit the vige as quietly as possible. As the sun began to set, darkness came. ¡°Sa-save me!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sold as a ve! So don¡¯t bezy and get to work!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Hahaha, do you think you can run away?!¡± ¡°Die! Just die!¡± As the night came, all sorts of ugly sounds could be heard. Aria continued to walk while holding her breath. There used to be a temple here. Aria wondered if anyone here still remembered that. Thisnd hadpletely lost its former glory. No one could guess that there were hidden relics here. ¡°Who would have imagined that there would be a relic asleep in the ruins of an abandoned temple.¡± ¡°Surely, no one would have found it except for the saintess. She even searched for it in the slums.¡± Saintess Veronica was the first person to have found and retrieved the relics of this temple. ¡®At least, she was able to in the past.¡¯ When Aria arrived, she took about five steps from the walls of the temple, and then she knocked on the floor. Afterward, she circled the ce and repeated the same behavior over and over again. At one point, she knocked on the ground and heard a hollow sound. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ Aria swept the dirt with her hands and soon enough, she found a wooden nk. There it was¡­ the entrance to the secret passage. Aria grunted as she lifted the wooden nk. But suddenly¡­. ¡°¡­Ugh. So noisy¡­¡± She heard a human voice. Aria stiffened. She slowly shifted her gaze. There was a vagrant who had slept like a dead man on the floor. He suddenly turned his body in another direction. ¡°Hmm.¡± Before long, he fell asleep again. ¡®Thank goodness¡­¡¯ Aria, who was silently relieved, lifted the nk again. Then she climbed thedder and carefully descended to the ground below. Although the ce was dark, Aria was able to walk around with ease thanks to her good senses. ¡®There are only dust and spider webs.¡¯ Not long after, she found a ck box. She opened the lid of the box. ¡®God¡¯s judgment.¡¯ The temple had also written about the relic. To punish those who tried to challenge the authority of God, a thunderbolt would strike down the earth, and those that got hit would bear the powers given by God. ¡®I found it.¡¯ Aria closed the lid after checking its contents. Now, the only thing she had to do was to leave this ce. As she was about to stand up¡­ ¡®What? Something just¡­ ¡® She felt something the moment she touched the wall to support her body. ¡®It¡¯s just a regr wall.¡¯ Aria tapped the wall. Was there something beyond the wall? ¡®I can¡¯t just knock down the wall.¡¯ Aria started examining the walls. Then, she found a brick that could be removed. Aria grabbed the rattled bricks and carefully pulled them out. There was a hole that was only big enough to fit in Aria¡¯s hand. She hesitated for a moment but decided to put her hand through the wall. And as she was rummaging around the hole, she could feel something touching her fingertips. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ A velvet box about the size of a palm. She opened the luxurious box that didn¡¯t match the ce at all. Inside was a beautiful ne crafted like the shape of a water droplet. ¡®The ne that saints always wore.¡¯ Why was this here? She wondered if it was a sacred object, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was. She could hardly even feel the divine power. Rather, there were only traces of it that remained in the ne. ¡®What is this for?¡¯ She didn¡¯t think that the saints would just mindlessly leave these here. ¡®Whatever. I¡¯m out of ideas.¡¯ Aria rose from her seat and wore the ne around her neck. She could think about itter. Her priority was to get out of this ce. Aria climbed back unto thedder and lifted the wooden nk. But when she got out¡­ ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡± Aria found herself surrounded by a bunch of ruffians¡­ Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Trantor: Latte Proofreader: Adulldoll The ruffian grabbed Aria and lifted her up. He wore a luxurious sword on his waist. He seemed to have stolen it from a nobleman. ¡°Hmm? What did you bring with you?¡± He wondered if Aria had carried valuable things with her since she had just crawled out of a secret passage. ¡°We can sell this little girl.¡± Another man removed Aria¡¯s hood in a rough manner. But as soon as they saw her face, their eyes began dripping with greed. Underneath the hood, was a beautiful gem that could even tempt high-ranking nobles. ¡°Wow! With a face like this, we could sell her to a duke! No¡­ maybe even to a king of another kingdom!¡± ¡°How did you end up in a ce like this, little girl?¡± ¡°Wearing such luxurious clothes. Did youe out for a night walk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy for bad guys to catch you if you wander around at night.¡± ¡°You mean guys like us,¡± one of the ruffians joked, earning augh from the rest of his entourage. Aria frowned at their words. At first, everything had seemed far too easy. She was able to breach the security of the vige without any harm done. ¡®But I guess that it¡¯s too good to be true.¡¯ Aria sighed. She didn¡¯t want to do anything that stood out. Though if it¡¯s like this, she would have no choice but to sing. Even though she couldn¡¯t sing the song of destruction, she could still sing a song that would erase their memories. But it might be a little difficult because there were several people. ¡°Now¡­ you stay quiet, kid.¡± As the man reached out his hand towards Aria, she immediately parted her lips. But at that moment¡­ ¡°You there! What are you guys doing?¡± A boy in a white uniform approached them. The boy was white from head to toe. He had pale skin, snow-white hair that glistened underneath the moonlight, and eyes as blue as the midwinter sky. He stood out so much even in the dark. ¡°What¡¯s this? Another kid?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Would we be able to sell him?¡± ¡°Wait, that uniform¡­ is he a knight?¡± The Order of Knights. They belong to the Papal Pce. The ruffians became nervous and stepped back. However, they didn¡¯t run away immediately because the boy didn¡¯t look threatening at all. He was all skin and bones. He looked very frail and tiny. ¡®Is he really a knight?¡¯ He was a frail-looking boy with a delicately beautiful face. If one were to pass by him without closer inspection, he could easily be mistaken for a girl. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that big of a deal, right?¡± The men exchanged nces with each other. While the ruffians¡¯ attention were elsewhere, Aria immediately pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and slowly stepped back. ¡°Are you harassing that child?¡± ¡°Obviously, can¡¯t you see it? Do you want us to bother you as well?¡± Theyughed at the boy as if he were absurd to have approached them without the slightest fear. ¡°Human trafficking is illegal.¡± ¡°Well, my dear knight. Do you know the term extraterritorial jurisdiction?¡± ¡°Even if the vige is exempted from the jurisdiction of thew, human trafficking is hical and inhumane. God is always watching you. So you better stop now.¡± ¡°Bwahahaha!¡± The ruffians grabbed their stomachs and burst intoughter. This was the first time they had been scolded after settling down in the slums. ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy, aren¡¯t ya? Toe to a ce like this and preach the notion of God!¡± ¡°If God is actually watching, then he should juste here right now and punish me!¡± It was clear to the boy that talking wouldn¡¯t work. Therefore, the boy silently drew his sword and lowered himself into a fighting stance. He was in his rxed stance. One could feel the steadiness of his gaze. The ruffians also smiled and drew their swords. However¡­ ¡°Tch, how unlucky¡­¡± Aria muttered, seeing the boy beaten up and sprawled on the ground in a few seconds. ¡®What did hee here for?¡¯ For a second, she actually thought that he could fight since he drew out his sword so nonchntly¡­ ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have set my expectations too high¡­¡¯ Plus, he was wearing the Papal Knights¡¯ uniform. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t knights be able to easily defeat those bums?¡¯ As Aria stared at his uniform once more, only then did she realize that he was nothing more than a squire, the apprentice of a knight. ¡®His uniform¡­ a squire? That¡¯s right¡­ in Garcia, anyone was allowed to be a squire as long as they wished to be a knight.¡¯ The Holy Empire intended to give everyone equal opportunities. Of course, it was still useless if they only had big dreams. If one did not have any talent, they could easily fall behind in less than a month. ¡®By the looks of it¡­ it must not have been long since he became a squire,¡¯ Aria thought. But with those current skills of his, he would never win against those ruffians. ¡®He won¡¯tst long at this rate¡­¡¯ Still, Aria decided not tough at the boy¡¯s dream. Because she believed that those who had the will would one day surpass their limits. ¡°F*ck, his face ispletely bloody. His value is probably less now!¡± ¡°What if we just beat him all the way? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard something so ridiculous. A beating is only natural for guys like these.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, man¡­ this kid can¡¯t even take a punch. We need the money.¡± ¡°Tch, fine,¡± the other man said as he clicked his tongue. ¡®Well¡­ I did receive his help.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t want to get involved with him at the start, but she decided to step into this mess as he had tried to help her. She took a deep breath, put two of her fingers into the back of her mouth, and blew air through her lips. Hearing Aria¡¯s whistle, Silver immediately jumped out of the bush he was hiding in and struck the ruffians. ¡°Argh! What the-?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster, a monster!¡± At that moment, Aria recalled the voice of the Grand Duke of Valentine, casually saying that he would feed his dogs bodies of humans. She promptly closed her eyes and turned her head. Aria didn¡¯t want to see a person being eaten alive right in front of her eyes. However, contrary to her expectations, the screams of the bums gradually became farther away. ¡®They ran away¡­?¡¯ ¡°Pant-pant.¡± Aria slowly opened her eyes. Silver was biting a bunch of rags. It was the clothes that the vagrants were wearing. And there were multiple swords scattered on the ground. ¡®Thank God I closed my eyes.¡¯ Those ruffians would probably be running around the streets naked by now. In an unregted area like this¡­ horrible things might happen to people that run around naked without a weapon. Aria patted Silver¡¯s head for a while, praising him for a job well done. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Silver.¡± ¡°Arf!¡± It was time to get on Silver¡¯s back. But on the corner of her eyes, was an unconscious little boy. She sighed and put the boy on Silver¡¯s back. ¡®I¡¯m going to waste so much time because of this¡­¡¯ Still, if she let him be in such a dangerous ce, some other ruffians might steal his organs or sell him to the ck market. Aria¡¯s weakness was other weak people, she just couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°To the Papal Pce.¡± Thus, Aria brought the fainted boy to the Papal Pce. When they arrived, she leaned him against a wall that was transparent enough for people to notice. ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ Then, Aria ran through her bag to find her teleportation scroll. She was about to tear off the paper and go back¡­ But stopped, Aria was worried that the boy would be frustrated and crushed with what had happened today. ¡®Because the boy who kept his convictions lost the fight, while those who tried to fulfill their greeds by sacrificing others won in the end.¡¯ The world was full of injustice. However, even if everything seemed to be over, the next one would continue to exist, and it would never reach its end¡­ Aria pulled out her card. [You¡¯re convictions are right. Trust yourself and don¡¯t doubt the way you walk on the path of life.] Aria really wanted him to know that. ¡®We won¡¯t meet again anyway¡­¡¯ * * * Aria had set the coordinates of the teleportation scroll back to the Shaman¡¯s Tower. Carl¡¯s face was the first thing she saw after tearing the scroll. ¡°Oh, how burdensome,¡± Aria said while pushing his face away with her palm. Carl, who was still leaning down, looked unhappy and hurt. ¡°You¡¯rete,¡± he spoke after being silent for a moment. ¡°So what happened?¡± Aria asked. ¡°Well, nothing happened. Except for the fact that the second young master was actually the spy of the gutter.¡± He moved faster than what Aria had originally thought. Still, she thought that it would take him at least a day or two to find out about it. Aria nodded her head in response. Then she looked down at a box which she had been holding onto it tightly in her arms. It was a holy relic, Divine Judgment. ¡°Did you already know?¡± Carl asked. ¡°Yes, this is the future that I was trying to prevent,¡± she replied. Even if Aria knew about it, can she really stop it from happening? Aria stared at Carl whose gaze seemed to say those words. If they had already framed Vincent, then time was running out. ¡°Are you close to the second young master?¡± They were not close. In the past, she wanted to punch Vincent as hard as she could whenever possible. However, they haven¡¯t had a dispute these days. So Aria felt indifferent to him. Aria shook her head. ¡°Then why¡­¡± Carl asked, he just couldn¡¯t understand her. Was there something else? Even if Vincent was no longer under suspicion, there was nothing she could gain from it. Only help if there is something to gain, don¡¯t get involved in matters that have no benefits. That was Carl¡¯s motto in life. He had lived such a simple and clear life, thinking that money was all that mattered. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡®It¡¯s really tiring to converse with close-minded people like him¡­¡¯ But that was why people like her, who immediately jump into what they believe is right, always seemed to shine more. Because she could never live like that, turning a blind eye from the injustice of the world. ¡°If the day of the trial is set and the judge decides that the second young master is indeed a spy, it will be difficult to reverse the situation.¡± When the trial begins, it would not be easy to overturn the situation. So he meant that today was herst chance to save him. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Aria rode on Silver¡¯s back. Then, she spoke, ¡°Your leader¡­ ¡± She stopped. She thought about it for a while and then decided to change her direction. ¡°Your leader¡­ guide me to the second strongest person after your leader.¡± Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Trantor: Latte Editor: Adulldoll Tristan pressed the end of a cigarette to his lips. ¡°Haa¡­¡± He sighed while exhaling a puff of smoke. The basement was filled with cold air. The Grand Duke of Valentine usually used this ce to interrogate suspects or criminals. He leaned back on a chair and put back the cigarette into his mouth. The smell of cigar smoke filled the room, and the ce became nothing more than a smoke-filled haze. ¡°So, have any of you ever seen his face?¡± The Grand Duke said as he pointed to Vincent. The youngd was paralyzed to the spot, the menacing aura holding him in a tightening grip as he bit his lips out of sheer panic. There were two men lying t on the floor in front of all the important people present in the interrogation. Both of them were prey of the rats. One was captured by Count Beauport, while the other was captured by the Grand Duke himself. ¡®Bloody hell, I can¡¯t believe he actually caught one,¡¯ Count Beauport, who had been watching from the side, thought as he broke into a cold sweat. Although the man he caught had been proven as an actual prey of the rat, the Grand Duke of Valentine still held many doubts. Thus, Tristan went out of his way to capture one on his own. And he himself might have even personally gone to the gutter as well. If the statements of the two prey differ from one another, it will be them, not Vincent, who would be having knives on their throats. What if they didn¡¯t get their money¡¯s worth? Count Beauport nced to his side. The vassals, including Rosen, shook their heads with resolution in their eyes. ¡®Everything should go ording to n.¡¯ All of them smirked. It seemed that they were sure of their victory. Seeing their determined expressions, Count Beauport felt a bit relieved and decided to rx his mind. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me the truth, I will intercept your master¡¯s hard-earned spices distribution rights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Still thinking of lying?¡± Even after being threatened and tortured, the prey did not talk at all. The prey¡¯s tongue had already been cut off, it was to prevent them from exposing their masters. They would only open their mouths if the gutter rats were harmed or killed. Only then did the prey captured by the Grand Duke opened his mouth. The Grand Duke threw him a mana stone that enabled him to use telepathy. ¡ªI¡¯ve seen him before. The prey¡¯s message resonated in everyone¡¯s minds through telepathic magic. Count Beauport sighed out of relief. He smiled as he began to feel more confident. On the other hand, Vincent couldn¡¯t help but feel more and more anxious. ¡°When did you see him?¡± ¡ªWhen he was nothing but a mere child. He had a striking appearance. So he had always been famous in the gutter. Tristan narrowed his eyes. He suspected that the prey was just spouting nonsense, but he had nothing to benefit from doing so. Rather, he should know that doing so could only lead to raising the Grand Duke¡¯s anger. Surely, the prey of the rats wouldn¡¯t be willing to make such a risky decision. That should have been hisst choice if he actually wanted to safely get out of this dilemma. Tristan was convinced. Without a doubt, Vincent dide from the gutter. At that moment, his expression hardened. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tristan briefly recalled the old days. Vincent Valentine. A lone child who crossed the Ingo Mountains without a single weapon on him. His face had no trace of life other than not being blue. He was injured, and was wearing nothing but rags on his frail, skeletal body. It was like he was breathing without really being alive. The child proved in front of the Grand Duke and his vassals that the blood of Valentine was flowing within him. But that was not the only thing he was able to prove. He showed the Grand Duke that he was a genius of the century that will nevere forth again from this earth. ¡°Your Majesty, please adopt me. I promise Your Majesty won¡¯t regret it.¡± His bold words were ridiculous and absurd. Yet, it was so daring, so conspicuous and cunning to the point that it caused the Grand Duke himself to ept his proposal. Tristan briefly turned his gaze to Vincent. ¡°I don¡¯t care where he is from,¡± he said in a sharp tone. The Duchy of Valentine¡¯s heirloom has confirmed that Vincent was indeed of royal blood. It didn¡¯t matter where he was born and raised. ¡°What I want to know is whether Vincent is a spy or not.¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t know¡­ ¡°You do not know?¡± ¡ªThe master¡¯s right hands, whose tongue has not been cut off, are much more knowledgeable than lowly prey like us. There¡¯s no way we¡¯d know anything about that. It was a dead end. The Grand Dukeughed while shaking the cigarette he held in between his fingers. His gray eyes reflected a ze-like madness, representing the difort in his heart. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll just capture them all.¡± He was on the verge of starting a war with the gutter rats right now. The prey continued. ¡ªI don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a spy, but I¡¯ve seen the boy in the feeding den. The feeding den. It was a ce where many of the prey¡¯s activities were held. A ce that could never be visited unless the person had connections to a rat. ¡°¡­See!¡± Count Beauport immediately cried out as if he had seized his victory. ¡°He was in the feeding den!¡± The testimony came from the prey that the Grand Duke had caught. This meant that Count Beauport couldn¡¯t have meddled with the prey in advance. Making his words more precise! This was absolutely irreversible. The count was convinced. The Grand Duke stared at Count Beauport with a cold gaze and spoke to the prey, ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± The Count trembled back in fear. He had nothing to be afraid of, but the Grand Duke had the scariest expression he had ever seen. The prey shook his head. ¡ªNo. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Grand Duke of Valentine could only do so much to protect his adoptive son. Tristan thought that it was impossible for Vincent to be a spy. Even if he was one, he couldn¡¯t get anything out of it. Rather than having something to gain, Vincent would only lose everything he had acquired and just fall into hell. But it seemed that Tristan had misjudged him. ¡°Is it true?¡± Anything rted to the gutter was an extremely sensitive matter. He had no choice but to interrogate Vincent. The boy parted his lips, ¡°¡­It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Why were you in the prey¡¯s feeding den?¡± ¡°..¡­.¡± There was no answer. He avoided his gaze and bit his lips. Tristan frowned. Silence is an admission of guilt. He might have thought that he would fail to escape even if he desperately tried to exin himself. Although Vincent was adopted, the Grand Duke did not discriminate against his sons. He treated them the same and loved them both equally. If the vassal ims were true, this was the most bitter betrayal that the Grand Duke has ever suffered. He was angry and his heart was shattered to pieces. ¡°Are you a spy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why were you in the feeding den?¡± ¡°Because I made a foolish judgment.¡± He admitted his sins. ¡®Even though I gave you a chance.¡¯ ¡°Ha! Vincent¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I hate answers that would only lead to more questions. This is yourst chance. Answer me truthfully.¡± He had been very considerate of Vincent. The moment Vincent became a suspect, Tristan did not immediately cut off his head or imprisoned him in a dungeon like what he usually did to the others. He did not even summon the vassals to hold a meeting. Before the trial was held, only the five vassals and scribes, Vincent, and the two prey were summoned to the basement to be investigated. That alone showed how patient Tristan had been. He tried to give Vincent a chance to redeem himself. It was a special treatment. ¡®And yet¡­¡¯ The boy didn¡¯t even open his mouth. So that was how it became. The vassals exchanged nces and smiled at one another. ¡°¡­Lock him up and put him in jail,¡± Tristan ordered. As if he didn¡¯t want to see him anymore, he looked away from the regretful scene. As soon as the words fell out of the Grand Duke¡¯s mouth, the ck Falcons moved in unison. They grabbed Vincent and dragged him away. At that very moment, Aria¡¯s words quickly passed through Vincent¡¯s mind. [If you survived because you are a genius, then you¡¯ll also die from the same cause by the people who considered you a genius.] Her prophecy became a reality. The boy gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t say a word. As his shaking eyes slowly turned dull, he closed his eyes tightly. Suddenly, the basement door mmed open with arge thud. ¡°¡­!¡± Someone had just grabbed his hand. The hand was small and soft. Startled, Vincent slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a girl wearing a cute rabbit mask, her ruby eyes staring deep into his soul. ¡°Why are you here¡­¡± Vincent muttered, confused. He couldn¡¯t believe it. The ck Falcons could not forcibly remove Aria¡¯s hand. However, it would be cumbersome not to vite the order. ¡°¡­Refrain yourself from unnecessary contact,¡± Lloyd said as he took Aria¡¯s hand away from Vincent¡¯s. He was the one who opened the basement door. Tristan furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. He spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you not to let anyone in.¡± Count Beauport joined in. ¡°I apologize, Your Majesty. Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid you must leave¡­ Of course, I understand that you must be concerned about your younger brother¡­¡± he said, staring at Lloyd and Aria alternately with an irked expression. ¡°Who¡¯s worried about who?¡± Lloyd snarled as he cut the count¡¯s speech and stared back at his father. ¡°I am not here because of him.¡± ¡°Then, is there anything more important than that?¡± If that was not the case, then he would have to pay the price for interrupting such an important moment. Lloyd silently grabbed Aria¡¯s hand and lifted it into the air. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Aria and to the object she was holding in her hand. She was holding a branch. ¡®¡­What the? A twig?¡¯ It was dried up and looked like it could crumble in a single hit. The scribes and the vassals were confused beyond reason. However, the expressions of the Grand Duke and the Knights changed in an instant. Because they could feel the object¡¯s energy. ¡°Th-that¡¯s!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a holy relic?!¡± ¡°What? A relic?!¡± ¡°Wait, a holy relic?!¡± Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Trantor:LatteProofreader:Adulldoll ¡®Why is she suddenly holding a holy relic?¡¯ Count Beauport thought as he stared in shock together with the other vassals. They were agitated as they didn¡¯t expect this situation in the slightest. ¡°Divine Judgment¡­¡± Vincent murmured. Holy relics were extremely hard to find. They were usually found in unexpected ces. Humans could not look for one. Rather, the holy relics would randomly appear on its own. Once, it was buried under the sea. And at times, it was mixed in the trash. For her to find such a relic¡­ it could only be considered as a miracle. The one chosen by the Gods. Vincent was greatly astonished. ¡®She never fails to surprise me.¡¯ ¡°The Divine Judgment? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing! What could that relic possibly do?¡± The count asked. He was trying to conceal his anxiety and dy as much time as he could. Vincent had already despised breathing in the same air as the count¡ªhearing the count¡¯s ignorant words only managed to irritate him even more. The youngd answered, ¡°When confessing in the face of God, one should always tell the truth. If one tries to deceive God, judgment will fall upon him, and he will be condemned for his sins.¡± God¡¯s Judgment. In ancient times, the relic was used as a training tool for priests so that they could further obey the doctrine of God. But in this situation, the holy relic has a different use. It was to determine who was lying and who was telling the truth. The vassals were in panic. They did not know what to do. ¡®How is this possible?!¡¯ It was like scattering ashes on the already cooked rice. The tension in the basement was palpable. Count Beauport spoke, ¡°J-judgment, but how¡­?¡± At that moment, Aria moved her lips. Lloyd, who was capable of lip-reading, delivered her words to the audience. ¡°Let¡¯s test it, shall we?¡± ¡°¡­..!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. We happen to have someone in front of us that could confirm its effectiveness,¡± he said in a mocking tone. Lloyd continued to lead the situation in afortable manner. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you first, Vincent.¡± The blonde boy bit his lips. Aria approached the boy while holding the relic. Vincent pulled out his hand and held the relic as well. He was extremely nervous. ¡°Are you a spy of the gutter rat?¡± ¡°¡­No,¡± he replied in a subdued manner. Of course, nothing happened. Vincent was vindicated. In a matter of seconds. The situation, which seemed unlikely to be overturned, was easily countered within a snap of the little girl¡¯s fingers. ¡°Have you ever harmed the House of Valentine, or have you ever been involved in a moment?¡± ¡°No, never.¡± The boy responded firmly with a little more confidence than before. He was shaking before, but he had finally regained hisposure. Tristan, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke, ¡°Why were you in the feeding den?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot answer that. However, I never did anything that would harm the house.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The situation was cleared up rtively fast. Count Beauport stared at the scene before him. He was too shocked to speak. ¡®This is preposterous!¡¯ All of his hard work was ruined within minutes! He couldn¡¯t let this happen. ¡®That bloody blighter pisses me off! Does she have a grudge against my family? Why does she keep interfering with my ns?!¡¯ At first, Count Beauport thought that Aria was of no threat. His son was ripped off his title because of her, but it was alright. It could have just been a coincidence after all. But he was wrong. He was led to his defeat because he missed the chance to get rid of her beforehand. Count Beauport wanted to curse at the child, but he couldn¡¯t do so with the presence of the three Valentine men in front of him. ¡®So what if it¡¯s a holy relic?¡¯ From everyone¡¯s reaction, it seemed that the holy relic was authentic. But the Count was bound to nt seeds of doubt. ¡®The holy relic could be a children¡¯s toy for all I know!¡¯ It was suspicious in the first ce! A holy relic appearing out of nowhere¡­ holding mysterious powers. After settling his thoughts, the count finally stepped forward. ¡°But how are we to know if such a relic is indeed real? Isn¡¯t it possible for people to pick up a twig, insert divine powers into it, and make it seem like one?¡± He brazenly asked. The count had finally seeded¡­ Seeded in proving himself a fool, that is. Only idiots could not distinguish the difference between a holy relic and a branch. At his outrageous ims, Lloyd grinned while slowly tilting his head. He took the relic out of Vincent¡¯s hand and handed it to the count. ¡°Then why don¡¯t Lord Beauport test the holy relic himself? Here¡­ try to say ¡®I am innocent.¡¯¡± ¡°I am innocent¡­¡± the count said as he pulled out his hand in order to receive the relic. However, as soon as he made contact with the holy relic, every inch of his body trembled. It felt as if he had just been struck by lightning. After the shock, his body stiffened, and he immediately copsed. ¡°Gasp¡ª!¡° The vassals surrounding him started to panic and quickly retreated back. Momentster, the count finally finished grasping the situation he was in. No matter how skillfully they tried to dig the trap, it was of no use in front of the relic. ¡°I¡­ deeply apologize. I apologize and acknowledge that everything was just a misunderstanding,¡± he smiled while breaking in a cold sweat. Count Beauport had made his choice. He decided that he must get out of this situation quickly. ¡°I shall pay for my sins. But please, Your Majesty¡­ he confessed to being in the feeding den. I hope you understand that it was a misleading situation.¡± However, no one would sympathize with him. ¡°If that were the case, then why would you brazenlye forward as if you had a virtuous sense of justice and loyalty to me?¡± Even a dog wouldugh at how ridiculous his words were. Tristan re-examined the data that Count Beauport presented as evidence. At first, Tristan was blinded by the feeling of betrayal. So he hadn¡¯t been able to scrutinize the documents. But now that the truth hade out, he could see a few loopholes. For example, everything from Vincent¡¯s trivial actions to his major downfall was documented. ¡°It looks as though you are determined to strike him down even if you get caught.¡± Had Vincent not been silent when he was interrogated, the Grand Duke would have questioned his vassals before taking their bait. ¡°Do you have any personal grudges towards the boy?¡± ¡°I-I would never!¡± Resentment. Vincent contemted for a moment, then spoke as soon as he remembered something. ¡°Oh, since the Count¡¯s intelligence quotient is low, I told him to go far away from this ce. My words seem to have been quite a shock to him.¡± The boy looked slightly apologetic. Well, not really. He did not feel any remorse for the man. The count replied, finally admitting and reflecting on his words, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t understand back then! I just wanted you to face the truth, not hurt you!¡± What rubbish! Of course, he had indeed wished for the boy¡¯s death when he heard his presumptuous words. However, the Count was not so discernable to use the Grand Duke¡¯s second son just because he got mad. ¡°Well, look at you now. If you wanted to use me as a spy, you should have invested more time.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°What I meant to say is that you shouldn¡¯t drop it all at once. You should¡¯ve made the Grand Duke doubt me little by little. Spilling the small mistakes first until he fully loses his trust in me.¡± Vincent continued, ¡°I feel like intelligence drops endlessly when I¡¯m in the same space as you, Count.¡± And with that, Vincent finished his words. Of course, he understood why the count moved in a hurry. Still, he wanted to irritate him on purpose. The situation was quickly reversed. ¡®Why, that rotten one! I know the reason why he crawled into the feeding den with his own two feet!¡¯ But this time, Count Beauport couldn¡¯t say anything. Talking about Vincent¡¯s history would not change the situation, and it could only cost him to identally reveal his secrets. ¡°Why do you hold a grudge against me? What kind of rtionship do we have that you would pin all the me against me?¡± ¡°This is getting too long.¡± Lloyd cut off the Count¡¯s excuses that he repeated endlessly. ¡°Just prove your innocence using this,¡± he said before throwing the relic towards him. The Count stiffened as the relic fell urately into his arms. He felt suffocated. Suddenly, Aria grabbed Lloyd¡¯s sleeves. ¡°What?¡± Lloyd frowned in annoyance. The girl tilted her head so that he could look closely at her mouth. She moved her lips. ¡ªManiption of thew. ¡°Maniption of thew¡­?¡± Lloyd conveyed Aria¡¯s words as it was, and when he realized what she meant, his expression became cold. His eyes, which had a calm color like the night sky, gradually started brimming with anger. ¡°¡­When revising the new legition, the vassals used subtle vocabry or added fake outdated data to manipte thew,¡± he uttered, words as cold as ice. The vassals forgot to breathe, and they wondered if they were actually dreaming. Rather, they hoped they were dreaming. ¡®This does not make any sense!¡¯ ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­?!¡¯ ¡®How did she find out? She¡¯s just a child!¡¯ Nobody noticed their corruption. They should have never been caught. However, there was one person¡­ who was suspicious of them and stepped on their tails. That boy was¡­ Vincent. The Second Young Master of Valentine realized that there was something wrong with thew. That was why he was stuck in the library all the time, reading codification manuscripts. To pinpoint the differences byparing the old enactment with the new amendment. The vassals who participated in the act were inevitably terrified when they heard of the young master¡¯s move. ¡®So they decided to take him down first¡­¡¯ But how in the world did the young miss figure that out? ¡®Did the second young master ever talk about it? To the extent that even the child knows?¡¯ ¡®But he shouldn¡¯t have known until a lot of evidence was gathered!¡¯ The secretary, Baron Stewart, was confused and gazed back at Vincent. However, the boy seemed as though he was also surprised. Thus, the scribe stared back at Aria, stupefied as to how she knew of his ns. ¡®How in the world¡­?¡¯ At one point, the scribe met Aria¡¯s gaze. Then, his eyes popped out, and his jaws fell to the ground. ¡®Surely¡­!¡¯ The document! Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Trantor:LatteProofreader: Adulldoll ¡®It might be because of the documents I had dropped when I bumped into her!¡¯ The documents consisted of summarized information regarding the revision of the legition. Only the vassals were allowed to see it. But it would be impossible for ordinary people to understand the bill, only those who had studiedw since childhood would be able to! He couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®Did she figure everything out while I was busy picking up the scattered papers? But isn¡¯t she just a ten-year-old kid?! This is absurd!¡¯ But Aria¡¯s card didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Solicitation, establishment of false institutions, embezzlement, tax evasion, prejudice against women¡­ There¡¯s no end to it. You dare try to deceive the House of Valentine bymitting these kinds of crimes?¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t raise his voice, but it sounded as if it werepletely ruled out of emotion¡ªas cold as ice. ¡°How dare you?¡± Damn it. The scribe broke into a cold sweat. Though the vassals were ignorant of thew, they wrote and organized the documents as tidy as possible. But in the end, their corruption still got caught. It was a ridiculous mistake. ¡°Are these reports true?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I asked if these reports were true, Count Beauport,¡± Tristan asked while staring at Aria with a strange look. Lloyd lifted his sword and pointed it to the count¡¯s neck without saying a word. ¡°W-why me?¡± All of the vassals¡¯ eyes turned to Count Beauport. The answer was obvious. Since he was the one holding the holy relic, it was obvious that he would be the representative of the vassals. ¡®What should I do?!¡¯ The Count looked around desperately, asking for help. However, the other vassals just avoided the count¡¯s gaze. In the absence of any hesitation, Beauport gritted his teeth. He had no choice but to answer. He already knew the answer from the moment when the holy relic appeared. ¡°Cough! Baron Stewart, you havemitted a grave sin.¡± The count handed over the holy relics to the scribe standing next to him. ¡°What?! I only followed your instructions! Didn¡¯t you promise to promote me to aw enforcement officer if I followed yourmands?¡± ¡°Oh, and when did I do that?! Don¡¯t make up lies, you sinner!¡± Surprisingly, the holy relic had no reaction, which means that the scribe¡¯s words were the truth. ¡®He dug his own grave,¡¯ Aria clicked her tongue. The vassals kept passing bombs towards one another, only to btedly realize that they were self-destructing themselves. ¡°Are you aware that you¡¯ve toyed with the Grand Duchy¡¯sw?¡± Tristan finally spoke. He continued, pulling out a sword from his knight¡¯s sheath. ¡°I shall dispose of you all.¡± Aria shuddered. She had felt this killing intent before. In the Ingo Mountains where she first met Tristan, and when Lloyd first entered the pce. The overwhelming aura that makes one¡¯s existence feel like a mere ant. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd was about to pull out his sword as well. However, he stopped once he looked at Aria. With a short sigh, he raised his hand and put it in front of Aria¡¯s eyes. At the same time, Aria heard the sound of a de cutting through the air. Rather than a sharp cutting sound, it sounded more¡­ blunt. ¡°Have mercy! Argh!¡± ¡°Y-Your Highness, please¡­ Oh my Lord! The screams of the vassals could be heard, one after another, until it finally stopped¡­ They breathed theirst. The smell of blood entered her nose. Suddenly, Vincent approached Aria and covered her ears with both his hands. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ Aria stood in confusion. Her vision was covered and now her ears were blocked. Count Beauport¡¯s final plea filled the basement. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Please hear this humble servant¡¯s words! In fact, I¡¯m here because I know a great secret.¡± The Count could not die alone. Now that things havee to this point, he was going to bring down the second prince with him. ¡°D-do you want to know why the second prince wouldn¡¯t tell you the reason for being in the feeding den? Because his mother was a prostitute!¡± ¡°Who his mother is doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± The Count knew that he would answer that. But that didn¡¯t matter. After a moment¡¯s pause, the Count gave Vincent a crooked smile. The boy¡¯s hand, which was wrapped around Aria¡¯s ear, trembled in fear. The Count spoke in a more dramatic tone, ¡°He¡¯s the son of a prey.¡± This is what Vincent was trying to hide. Being the children of a prey was considered to be a great disgrace in the Grand Duchy. It was extremely taboo that many children have been banished from thend. Vincent¡¯s biological mother was a prostitute from the gutter. In addition, his mother voluntarily cut off her own tongue to be a prey to the gutter rat. Fortunately, Vincent ran away before his tongue was cut off and headed for the Valentine Pce. And like a miracle, he was adopted as the Grand Duke¡¯s second son, despite having very little Valentine blood. ¡°Everyone knows that their children are the prey¡¯s right-hand. The offspring of a prey are fed to be another prey without a single exception!¡± Even if one were to thoroughly erase their traces so that they could hide their tail, one could easily reveal them if their tail was long. The Count overheard the story in a brothel. An angel-looking noble boy with blond blue eyes who frequently visits the gutter¡¯s feeding hole. He only heard of those rumors after bribing a bunch of prostitutes. ¡®Cause the deadliest secret is to wander in the darkest ce, not the brightest.¡¯ The Count thought this must be the Grand Duke¡¯s first time hearing it. ¡°Does Your Majesty know that he¡¯s been in and out of the gutter for five years! He ns to sneak out the prostitute, no, the prey, out of the gutter!¡± Count Beauport has always regarded Vincent as an eyesore. ¡®Even though I¡¯ve married a witless woman from the imperial family.¡¯ The House of Beauport had a long history. Although the house was very wealthy, the count was not satisfied and so he married thete emperor¡¯s niece. His wife, thete emperor¡¯s niece, was cherished by thete emperor himself, thus, he was able to establish a rtionship with the imperial family. Nevertheless, he had beenpletely pushed out of the imperial government since the death of thete emperor. Vincent, on the other hand, was regarded and praised as a genius for being a distant rtive of Valentine. Why was the world so unfair? ¡®Why do people say that only nobles have blue blood? Because we were chosen by God!¡¯ So why is it that the count, his wife and his children live less than the son of a gutter rat? It was absurd! ¡°By God¡¯s bones, this youngd is mad! To think of sneaking food out of a feeding den! You want to save her? Or are you bringing your mother to her demise? Either way, I¡¯ll make sure that never happens!¡± Even if Vincent blocked Aria¡¯s ears, she could still hear everything. ¡°Your Highness cannot let this be as the Grand Duchy is at stake! Even if he looks fine, he might have already been brainwashed! Or even if he¡¯s alright now, he might be influenced by his mother someday!¡± The Count shouted in a voice seething with evil. Aria felt Vincent¡¯s hands loosened from her ears. Thus, she ced her hand on the boy¡¯s palm and held it tightly. As if she already knew. She wanted him to know that there was nothing to tremble about. He had nothing to be ashamed of. The hand that covered her eyes and ears flinched at the same time. Suddenly¡­ ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where he¡¯s from,¡± Tristan spoke as if he had read Aria¡¯s mind. He continued, ¡°You know, no one has heard me say the same thing three times.¡± Then a sharp metallic ring cut through the air. ¡°Because I killed them all.¡± The sound of breathingpletely stopped. And red blood soaked the floor. Now all that was left in the basement were the three men of Valentine, the ck Falcons, the stunned preys, and Aria. ¡°Now, move the little ones out of this room,¡± Tristan said as he forced them out of the basement. * * * The ck Falcons escorted the children to the hall. Then, they bowed down, and stepped back. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd was stunned for a moment. Was he kicked out for being a kid? ¡®When it¡¯s such a huge family matter¡­¡¯ He wanted to get back in. Suddenly, he saw Aria from the corner of his eyes. He softened his expression. ¡®¡­.?¡¯ What? Just now¡­ Lloyd tried his best to calm his expression, but he still looked sour. He spoke calmly, ¡°I did what you said.¡± From his inner pocket, the boy took out the card that Aria had handed him. [Is the authority you gave me still in effect?] The first time he saw the card, Lloyd thought, ¡®Of course it is.¡¯ The power was absolute and will never cease to exist. Once she had attained it, no one would be able to defy her orders. It could only be taken away from people of the same power or higher. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s valid,¡± Lloyd replied. He wondered what she was about to do. [Then do as I say.] Aria suddenly gave him an order. It was the most unbelievable thing Lloyd had ever experienced in his entire life. He couldn¡¯t believe she was using the authority he gave her just to order him around. Still, he had no choice. So he followed her for the rest of the day, not knowing what kind of order she was about to make. However, Lloyd expected hermands to be more human-like. ¡®Nasty and selfish.¡¯ Of course, he waspletely off the mark. ¡®I didn¡¯t give her the authority to use it for this.¡¯ Thanks to Aria, Vincent was able to avoid being evicted under false usation. She even dealt with all of the corrupt vassals at once. Though, the oue was good. ¡®This isn¡¯t what I wanted her to wish for¡­.¡¯ Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°Is this all you want to do with my authority?¡± Aria nodded her head. He thought she would regret it even a little bit, but she looked like she had no regrets at all. ¡°Haa..¡± She¡¯s not interested in anything like that, let alone taking a share of the authority she¡¯s been given. Rather, she was using it to help someone who has nothing to do with her. It only made the impression that she didn¡¯t fit in at all with Valentine. ¡®You don¡¯t seem interested in money, fame, or power.¡¯ The most difficult thing to deal with in this world was a human being who could not move with money, honor, and power. Because he doesn¡¯t know what they want. ¡®Let¡¯s try to push what the alternative purpose is.¡¯ But she¡¯s already done it. Aria only said nonsense saying that ¡®being patted felt good¡¯. Still, it felt strangely ipatible to be just a little child who just wanted to be loved. No wonder he didn¡¯t feel good. He didn¡¯t know exactly what it was. The feeling of saving Lloyd from the threat of life several times continued to warn. He shouldn¡¯t be next to her. ¡®As expected, I¡¯ll have to get you out.¡± Lloyd made an even more firm resolve. Knowing that Grand Duke Valentine is aging, that won¡¯t stop him from going out on his own feet. He looked at Vincent for a moment and said. ¡°You¡­ we¡¯ll talk next time.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Vincent still had no strength in his body, but he smiled as if he was trying hard. Lloyd sighed for a moment at the sight of the boy, and then he passed by indifferently. So, only Aria and Vincent were left. Aria tried to follow Lloyd away, but she stopped her steps as if she had suddenly remembered. And she rummaged through her old bag. [I understand. Why did you have to say and act like that.] Of course, it didn¡¯t seem to be overboard, but Vincent was quite desperate. In order not to be ignored somehow. To shake off the shadow of one¡¯s origin that seems to be impossible to escape no matter how hard he tries. He desperately wanted to show the world that he was a genius. Wasn¡¯t it some sort of defense mechanism? [I know you said it in good faith that you listened to my performance and rmended Valentine¡¯s support.] Because that¡¯s your way of survival. She swallowed her words. [I think it¡¯s cute to hear you brag that you¡¯re a genius.. But don¡¯t cross the line. Unless you want to fulfill the myth that geniuses are short-lived.] ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Is this constion or intimidation?¡¯ Vincent was confused. Aria patted his head as if petting him. It was an innocent touch. He can¡¯t feel even a single drop of affection. But Vincent stiffened and fiddled with his own hair. Until she turns her back and walks away. *** Vincent was silent for a while. ¡®Is this a big shock?¡¯ As time passed, Aria had a slightly different thought. If his mother had been the prey of gutter rats and kept going in and out of the gutter, the Grand Duke would have known someday, no matter how long it took. ¡®Then what happened?¡¯ She suddenly wondered. After Vincent was driven out of his past life, the Grand Duke, whoter learned all the truth, found him again. ¡®I don¡¯t know right now.¡¯ After Vincent was evicted, she heard that he died miserably in the gutter. He can¡¯t find someone who¡¯s already dead. That was then. She suddenly heard a knock on the desk. Aria slowly raised her head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sister-inw.¡± It was Vincent. He took a seat in front of Aria, putting down the documents he had brought to the library to study. This time it wasn¡¯t thew code. ¡°His Highness and brother took my mother out of the gutter and moved her to a safe ce.¡± And he suddenly brought this up. ¡°I think you might be curious.¡± Supposedly. After Aria heard those words, she somehow had a thought. A few yearster, Tristan and Lloyd, whoter learned all the truth, must have found Vincent. Although what they found was a cold corpse. ¡®Was this a little, little, a step to prevent the Valentine¡¯s Incident?¡¯ She does not know. But Aria thought she would keep running while doing everything she could possibly do until then. ¡°Why did you help me?¡± Vincent asked as if waking her from her thoughts. Aria tilted her head. And she replied as if he was asking again when she had already told him. [I said I would protect my person.] ¡°Am I sister-inw¡¯s person too?¡± [No, you are Lloyd¡¯s younger brother.] ¡°¡­¡± Her answer was very firm. Vincent was silent for a moment with a puzzled look, and then he let out a faint smile. ¡°You mean you helped me because I was brother¡¯s younger brother?¡± Aria nodded her head. She didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. As if there was only Lloyd in her line. ¡°Um, is there no chance that I will be sister-inw¡¯s person?¡± [Hmm.] ¡°Even 1%?¡± [Hmm.] ¡°¡­ even 0.1%?¡± The question is persistent. The boy¡¯s face, who had been hesitating, became hardened. ¡®Anyway, I said that I helped you because you were Lloyd¡¯s younger brother, so why are you getting so serious about it?¡¯ Aria sighed and wrote a new card. [Try that.] An effort to be 0.1%. Vincent grumbled about whether he was being discriminated severely against, but then he smirked andughed. ¡°I¡¯m confident in trying.¡± *** ¡°Therefore¡­.¡± Tristan looked down at Aria, who looked up at him with her eyes wide open. And he looked away. Standing next to her was Carlin, who continued to stare at her and smirk. ¡°You said you gave me the relics you brought?¡± Then the shaman responded dryly with a soulless voice. ¡°Yes¡­ because the Miss keeps asking for it¡­¡± Even a passing dog knew that there were no relics in Valentine¡¯s estate. Because this ce isn¡¯t called the Devil¡¯s Land for nothing. ¡®So the only conclusion I cane to is that I got it from outside the territory.¡¯ Aria finds out that she has gone all the way to Garcia, so naturally, she mes the relics as Carlin¡¯s. It was because she heard that his hobby was to disappear from time to time and to travel all over the world. ¡®If it¡¯s Carlin, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if he was hiding at least one relic he found by chance.¡¯ Thanks to this, Carlin¡¯s situation became very embarrassing. ¡°Hmm, are you making a fuss?¡± Hearing that, his employer seemed very displeased. ¡°I never said that I needed anything trivial, so you¡¯re the one who makes me buy and donate things first.¡± ¡°Is, is that so.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re whining. You?¡± He doesn¡¯t know why those words sounded like ¡®something like you?¡¯ Carlin was at a loss for words for a moment. Aren¡¯t holy relics enough to whine about? ¡®Why are you so jealous of that?¡¯ The shaman unknowingly nced at Dwayne, the Grand Duke¡¯s assistant. ¡®You are already serious.¡¯ He shook his head as if he understood a hundred times. Carlin changed his words to avoid sparks sttered at him. ¡°Um,e to think of it, I asked politely rather than make a fuss.¡± ¡°Ask politely?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Look at me and tell me what to do! Tristan seemed unwilling to listen to what Carlin had to say. Only Aria, who was able to move through this flexibly because of his sacrifice, smiled brightly. *** ¡°Isn¡¯t this ne a holy relic?¡± Carlin said, carefully examining the ne Aria held out. At first nce, the transparent crystal crafted in the shape of water droplets looked just like an ordinary jewel ne. It was an item she obtained as a bonus along with the holy relics when she went to the Holy Empire. ¡°It ismon for holy relics to contain a lot of divine power, but it doesn¡¯t feel any energy. Of course, the Miss knew it.¡± Aria nodded her head. ¡°It seems to be something that sucks life force.¡± ¡°Sucks life force?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s usually like a magic sword type.¡± A magic sword? Aria was familiar with that notoriety. It is said that just raising the sword sucks energy to the limit, and ordinary people simply die. And it also absorbs energy through human blood. Instead, it is said that the power is enormous as it absorbs a huge amount of energy. ¡°There are quite a few gems like this ne. They¡¯re usually called cursed hems, and they kill all the owners.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s brutal. Aria stared intently at the ne in Carlin¡¯s hand. ¡®So does it mean that Veronica wore a cursed ne that killed even its owner?¡¯ TL Note: So Carlin was previously tranted as just ¡®Carl¡¯? but I think the name is Carlin, so I¡¯ll be keeping the name ¡®Carlin¡¯ from now on ? And since I¡¯m also backreading this as I go, please bear with me if there are slight mistakes~ Thank you for waiting! Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¡®Well, she wouldn¡¯t have died because she was the saint.¡¯ Then Carlin poured magic into the ne. Then the transparent jewel suddenly glowed dark red and trembled, then became transparent again like how it always was. ¡°But magical powers don¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then what do you think works?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be divine power, it could be blood, it could be soul.¡± Carlin handed over the ne again, presuming that it was divine power, as she had picked it up from a temple site. Aria tried to infuse her own magical power, just in case. The jewel was briefly dyed a dazzling purple color, then became transparent again. ¡®Is it not a magical power or a divine power?¡± Aria thought she might not be able to reveal the identity of the ne then for the rest of her life. ¡®I don¡¯t intend to be involved with the Holy Empire as much as possible in the future.¡¯ She tucked the ne in with an uneasy expression. Anyway, that was the point from now on. ¡°Pierce my core.¡± ¡°No can¡¯t do.¡± Then the sword-like sharp answer came back. Aria thought about it. She must have been scammed. ¡°I told you to prove it, but you didn¡¯t say you did.¡± ¡°Swindler.¡± ¡°Who is the swindler!¡± Carlin groaned, but he still averted his gaze as if he was the one being stabbed. It was a mistake to give a chance to a ten-year-old kid, because he wondered what she would be able to do. Anyway, Carlin didn¡¯t want to kill Aria. ¡®No, to be exact, he doesn¡¯t want to be brutally murdered by his employer, precisely for killing the Miss.¡¯ He was an unparalleled great shaman, but nheless he still could not win against the devil. ¡°From my point of view, I think the Miss¡¯ talent will reach someday. No, with my help, it can be done within a year. But you¡¯ll risk your life because you can¡¯t stand that year.¡± ¡°If I die, there is nothing I can do¡­¡± ¡°That attitude is the problem!¡± Carlin had be frustrated. Normal people leave their lives as ast resort, no matter what extreme goals they set. Because that¡¯s human nature. But Aria didn¡¯t really care about her own life. ¡°I¡¯m going to say this after joining in, but it was really crazy to go to the ce alone.¡± It wasn¡¯t really what he meant. ¡°I know that the coordinates are set to the Papal pce, so of course there are things to do there¡­¡± Carlin suddenly started nagging. He sent her knowing that it was safe because the world knew about the security in the capital of the Holy Empire. ¡®Well. To me, the capital seems to be the most dangerous.¡¯ The Holy Empire keeps the siren in check. Because the recovery of the body was a unique realm of divine power. Healing diseases and creating miracles could only be done by those with divine power. It was no exaggeration to say that the existence of the siren itself was a challenge to God¡¯s authority. ¡®Right now, only a few know the existence of the Siren, so they won¡¯te forward.¡¯ When the siren¡¯s name begins to be widely known and praised, they will rush to find their weaknesses. And they were going to use it as an excuse for war by finding out that Aria¡¯s song incites people¡¯s madness. ¡®Like it was in the previous life.¡¯ Aria wondered if the reason the siren lived in hiding for generations might have been because of the oppression of the Holy Empire, which was not written down in the history books. Then Carlin suddenly stopped what he was saying and asked with an annoyed look on his face. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to me right now and you¡¯re thinking of something else.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re waiting for me to stop nagging and pierce your core.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Sometimes, it seems that you really wanted to die.¡± Didn¡¯t she say that she doesn¡¯t want to get involved, but she wants to change the future anyway? To do that, she has to survive. He jumped up from his seat, clicking his tongue at Aria¡¯s stubbornness. ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Carlin muttered something, drew a shamanic circle, and then vanished in the air. ¡®What kind of irresponsible¡­.¡¯ Aria sighed briefly, then patted Silver¡¯s back, who was lying next to her, she said. ¡°The next time you see the shaman, bite his butt.¡± ¡°Ruff!¡± Silver barked loudly. *** After finishing her singing practice, Aria was still standing around the garden today. Because today was the day Sabina sent a letter. ¡°¡­..¡± But in the end, the carrier pigeon did not even bring a flower. ¡®It¡¯s never like this before¡­ .¡¯ It¡¯s ominous. Aria looked only into the air until the sun went down. Dark clouds were floating in the sky as if it was going to rain soon. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± It¡¯s cold. Wearing her summer short sleeveless dress, she shrugged her shoulders and sneezed. As if they had waited, raindrops began to fall, one or two drops at a time. Aria furrowed her eyebrows and stretched her palms toward the sky above. The rain soon became thicker. Shaaa- It was when she was defenseless against the sudden pouring rain. ck darkness fell before her eyes. Aria raised her head in wonder. It was an umbre. ¡°You¡¯re going to copse again.¡± She tilted her head to the limit. Lloyd looked down at her displeased as she squatted down. ¡°Do you think you can be a flower?¡± Yes? ¡°It¡¯s not raining for you.¡± That¡¯s obvious. Aria licked her lips. ¨C Showers usually fall suddenly. ¡°Ha, pretend to avoid the rain and say things like that.¡± There¡¯s nothing to say. Aria, who was quietly in the rain because she was toozy to move, averted her gaze and looked elsewhere. Lloyd let out a sigh as she was fiddling with the flower in front of her. ¡°What do you do in the garden every day, idly standing? Aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡± She¡¯s waiting for a letter. Aria thought to herself. But she didn¡¯t say anything because it was a secret that she and Sabina sent letters. ¡°Because you¡¯re standing here¡­¡± Lloyd shook his head slightly and mumbled something softly. She heard what he was saying, but had no idea what he meant. It was when she tilted her head at her puzzledness. ¡°Grand Prince!¡± The attendant who had been wandering around in search of Lloyd came running towards this side. They were drenched from head to toe. ¡°I think you shoulde and see it now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The Madam suddenly had a seizure.¡± Up to this point, it¡¯s actually happened quite often. But was it different this time? The attendant¡¯s voice trembled uncontrobly as they conveyed their words. ¡°The doctor said it would be difficult to pass today¡­¡± What? Aria jumped up. She can¡¯t believe the end is already here. It was what she expected. It was what she expected¡­. ¡®I didn¡¯t know it would be this fast.¡¯ Aria bit her lips tightly. She hadn¡¯t even sung the first verse of the healing song. ¡®The only answer is to threaten the shaman to pierce her core.¡¯ It was when she made up her mind and hurriedly took her steps. Her wrists were held tightly. Aria raised her head, with eyes wide open, and the de-sharp gaze met hers. ¡°Your wrist is all better.¡± She was hit by a jaguar and sprained her wrist, but now it was fine. Because she wasn¡¯t seriously hurt in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯ll make a mansion for you to live in in the Grand Duchy. I don¡¯t have a hobby of pushing a child who said she would live again.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want, just tell me. I¡¯ll get everything no matter how much it costs or how long it takes.¡± Now was not the time to be like this. Aria, who was in a hurry, shook her hand several times to shake off the grip on her wrist. ¨C Let go. But Lloyd held on tight and wouldn¡¯t let go. He held the ck umbre over his hand to Aria¡¯s. Contrary to the gentle consideration, his eyes were dyed cker than the night sky, and it was cold. ¡°So get out of here.¡± This time it¡¯s real. It¡¯s a real dismissal order. His quiet sincerity was read even without the radical expression of telling her to get out. Aria paused for a moment, holding an umbre that was too big for her to lift. ¡°Call Dana.¡± Lloyd gave orders to the attendant and left without looking back. Aria was silent for a moment, and she stood firm on the spot. Until Danaes and takes her to her room. *** ¡°Why is it raining like this?¡± Dana looked at the pouring rain and muttered as if she was tired of the rain. ¡®It¡¯s really thest chance.¡¯ Aria bit her lip thinking that it was finally time. ¡®I have to save her no matter what.¡¯ Aria recalled that she had returned to the time after her mother, Sophia¡¯s, death. It was simr to the despair she felt then. Even though she has enough power to save her, she feels helpless to give up ording to thews that cannot be helped by human power. Is this fate and is this rational? ¡®No way.¡¯ Going back in time was a miracle out of fate and order. If you get a miraculous opportunity, shouldn¡¯t you do a miracle? *** At dawn, Aria opened her eyes. Carefully, she got up and walked out of the room. And she ran down the hallway. She almost ran into the employees from time to time, but she managed to get through a few crises by hiding herself in a corner. Aria called Silver and climbed on its back. ¡°To the East Tower.¡± A drizzle of rain hit her face violently. Aria shook her wet body, but she didn¡¯t care and clenched her teeth regardless. She went to the shaman and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to cure the Grand Duke¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Pierce the core as promised before.¡± It was a bold deration to change the future and to go against the rules. Note: Some name changes, Carl to Carlin (??) ; Diana to Dana (??) And I added an illustration to Chapter 10 that the previous tler might have missed Thank you for reading~ Chapter 32 It¡¯s not possible. The Madam is the one who must die today. That¡¯s thew. What she wanted to do is break thews of the world. ¡®You can say that¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s hard for Carlin to say no as firmly asst time. He couldn¡¯t even run away. Just like back then, when he reluctantly suggested that she prove her abilities, the current Aria had such a power that he couldn¡¯t resist somehow. ¡®Those damn eyes.¡¯ With a soft color like petals. Strangely, there was a strong power that made people believe and move. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. I must be crazy.¡± Carlin grumbled constantly. It was because he readily epted a ten-year-old¡¯s childish request. Somehow, from the first time she broke the door, he had a bad feeling. ¡°No matter how talented the young miss is, if you forcibly pierces your core, you will die.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll temporarily activate it. In simple terms, I¡¯m going to use my magic to open up a fake path.¡± ¡®I thought you were going to say no again.¡¯ Aria widened her eyes as if in surprise, and then nodded her head. She didn¡¯t care what it was, as long as she could use her powers right now. ¡°However, if you take in an energy that is different from your natural energy, the side effects are huge. It will all going to burden your body¡­¡± Carlin sighed deeply while speaking. Aria was now drenched in the rain. But, whether water drips from her body or not, she doesn¡¯t even think about drying it. She didn¡¯t seem to care about the condition of her own body. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Pleasee back alive, or I will be killed by my employer.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very good at answering.¡± Carlin grumbled to the end. Then after biting his finger, he shed blood and engraved the text on Aria¡¯s forehead. The text engraved in blood instantly turned golden, and permeated without a trace on her forehead. ¡°This is all I can do.¡± Carlin said so and moved Aria to the Grand Duchess¡¯s room in an instant. ¡®If you move me right away¡­ !¡¯ People find out! Aria looked frightened and looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. But strangely, she didn¡¯t see anyone. She of course thought there would be Valentine¡¯s blood rtives to keep her on her deathbed. ¡®No Tristan, no Lloyd, no Vincent¡­.¡¯ Aria panicked and she froze there for a moment. From the sound outside the room, it seems to not be surrounded by guards. ¡®There is no one guarding the room. She found it strange that Sabina didn¡¯t even have someone to nurse for her. ¡®I¡¯m sure today is thest day.¡¯ The interior of the room was so small and simple that it was hard to believe that it was a room used by the mistress of the Grand Duchy. Perhaps it is a structure that considers the movement of patients with difficult mobility. Aria scanned the monotonous wallpaper and simple design of furniture, and found a white curtain spread over the bed, and she turned her direction towards it. ¡®Sabina.¡¯ Beyond the veil was the shadow of death that could not be hidden. Short breathing and light moans. Aria was worried about Sabina¡¯s condition, so she took a step forward. At the same time, a cold voice like frost fell. ¡°Obviously I told no one toe in.¡± Aria was surprised. It was a rough, cracked, thin breath that seemed to break at any moment. But Aria felt a bold spirit that couldn¡¯t be hidden in the voice. ¡®Like a knight, no, like amander¡­ .¡¯ Aria opened her eyes and stopped her steps. The Grand Duchess coughed and coughed, and then spoke to her. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She was only now aware of the situation. All the people who were guarding the Grand Duchess were kicked out, so they couldn¡¯t be by her deathbed. ¡®Come to think of it, I¡¯ve heard of it.¡¯ Whenever Sabina¡¯s illness bes critical, she wants to be alone, and she kicks everyone out. So, her husband and son, who were unable to be by her side, were killing people. ¡®Why are you rejecting everyone?¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s because she thinks that the disease can¡¯t get better no matter what she does. ¡®Or maybe it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t want to show anyone her weakness.¡¯ Aria found the look of Sabina¡¯s son, Lloyd, from her current look for some reason. She thought, somehow, that Sabina was being harsher on purpose. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go?¡± Aria stepped forward and stood in front of the veil. Sabina, who turned her head in annoyance, butboriously, made a voice slightly startled by the shadow smaller than she had expected. She muttered in a slightly bewildered voice. ¡°No one cane in here¡­¡± Through the cracks in the scattered veil, Sabina¡¯s figure caught a glimpse. The pitifully skinny fingers reminded her of a relic she had seen before. Aria suddenly wondered. ¡®What was the Grand Duchess like before she got sick?¡¯ She thought that it would be quite different from how she is lying helplessly like she is now. Aria took a small breath. Then, with the veil in between, a sound filled with magical power flowed in. ¡°Do you know thend where the lemon trees grow.¡± Slowly, quietly, she continued her singing. So as to not strain herself *** The end of life was less painful than she thought. Sabina couldn¡¯t feel anything anymore. Her body, which only felt heavy weight, became lighter and lighter. Lighter than feathers roaming the air. She was finally freed from the bondage of her sick body. Her eyes gradually became blurry, and it went dark in an instant. ¡®Oh, I¡¯m going to die soon.¡¯ Now it¡¯s really over. She thought so. ¡°Do you know thend where the lemon trees grow.¡± But Sabina heard the sound of life breathing into her senses that were gradually disappearing. It was all over the ce. Like a mother¡¯s luby, the song, which bloomed in the sky, quietly permeated her ear like a drizzle. ¡°in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky,¡± The pungent smell of grass brushed the tip of her nose. The fresh green of summer gently tapped her heart. As if to announce her noon, the green color fluttered withfort like water drops falling on the surface of the water. ¡°the myrtle stands mute, and the bay-tree high?¡± Sabina took no care, and she roamed among the overgrown grasses. ¡±Do you know it well? It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one!¡± The gentle melody seemed to be cut off and went to one ce one step at a time. Like a gentle breeze, turning behind her then disappeared and when she looked forward, it pushed her back. ¡°Do you know the clouded mountain mass? The mule picks its way through the misted pass, and dragons in caves raise their ancient brood, and the cliffs are polished smooth by the flood;¡± The river, which was flowing gently, met the sea and shook like a huge wave. The weight of life began to weigh on her again. ¡±Do you know it well? It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one!¡± She wondered if she would wake up from the pain, and her breath, which had been stopped, burst out with a cough. Her chest ached like it was crushed as she took a deep breath. Life and pain go hand in hand. Her vision that had flickered in ck shed, and soon she met the emerald-colored world. ¡±Do you know it well? It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one!¡± Then her pain was gone, and a gentle breeze wrapped around her flesh. As the sound of the singing disappeared, the feeling that had been lost came back. Her world, which she thought had copsed and disappeared, began to bloom again. This time, it wasn¡¯t a hallucination, it was reality. Sabina slowly lifted her closed eyelids. It was raining hard/ Drops of water on the window sill. Water drops flowing through the leaves. Thend is wet and breathing. And.¡­¡­. A singing voice. ¡®I¡¯m¡­..alive.¡¯ She checked the imprint of the little person beyond the veil. ¡°¡­the fairy of spring.¡± Sabina muttered with confidence. Then she saw a really small figure, like a fairy, startled. But she couldn¡¯t continue talking. Because Suma came rushing in uncontrobly. *** ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Aria vomited blood as soon as Sabina fell asleep. This seems to be what Carlin referred to as ¡®the side effect of taking in an energy different from her natural energy¡¯. She felt like she was going to throw up her insides because her stomach won¡¯t turn anymore. Aria was paying the price for lightly passing the shaman¡¯s warning. ¡°Cou, gh¡­.¡± He suggested a safer alternative than piercing the core. Even this is so far. Had he pierced the core as she had asked the shaman in the first ce, she would have been really dead. ¡®Still, I was able to sing a song of healing, even temporarily, so it was cheap at this price.¡¯ She saved Sabina, finally. She had fulfilled her first wish properly. She leaned against the wall for a moment in shock as if she was being ripped to pieces, holding her breath, and finally regained her mind. Then she took out her handkerchief and wiped her lips and her hands roughly, then dug through her arms again. She had originally nned to deal with the guards out of the room by singing the song of oblivion, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡®There was a reason the shaman provided a separate movement scroll.¡¯ Aria grabbed the enchanted movement scroll and tore it to pieces with a blunt de. At the same time, her body immediately moved out of the main pce. ¡®Phew.¡¯ She roughly wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth in the rain, preparing to whistle to call Silver. ¡°It¡¯s raining again.¡± That was then. Suddenly another voice interrupted and broke the silence. Aria raised her head in surprise. On the second-floor terrace, a dark-haired boy was staring intensely at her. [Lyrics quote: Goethe¡¯s novel, Wilhelm Meister¡¯s Apprenticeship, ¡®Mignon¡¯.] Regr updates schedule starting from this week are on Monday and Sunday~ Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Since when has he been watching? Aria quickly looked at Lloyd¡¯s expression. The boy¡¯s smooth forehead had cracks as before. This situation seemed unsatisfying, but he didn¡¯t seem to know anything. ¡®He didn¡¯t see it.¡¯ Aria sighed in relief. If he had witnessed her move with the movement scroll, he would have started to doubt her again. As she lifted her head, rainwater poured in through the hole. Lloyd stared tenaciously at the raindrops that flowed from her eyes and formed a mask, running down her chin. The eyes, cker than the night sky, shone like a wild beast. He asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Is it rain or tears?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, of course it was rainwater. Aria couldn¡¯t understand those words. Then she suddenly remembered a scene in the opera ¡®Aida¡¯. The main character, Aida, was in the rain to hide her crying. Crying in the corner that no one can find out. ¡®Is that a misunderstanding?¡¯ Sold to the Grand Duchy and with no other to turn to, she hid in the rain and cried secretly. Because she was afraid to show people even her flowing tears. It was an absurd misunderstanding, but there was no way to solve the misunderstanding. ¡®No, it might be better to let it be misunderstood¡­.¡¯ Because she doesn¡¯t have any excuses for why she was out alone. So Aria avoided his gaze, as she did not answer the boy¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s a talent to go against my nerves this much.¡± Lloyd grabbed the railing of the terrace and jumped lightly. Mud stuck to the boy¡¯s trousers, which were made of fine fabric. He approached her without paying any attention to his clothes getting wet. ¡°If you speak, I will understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t face anything, I¡¯ll feel bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s rain, people or anything, don¡¯t leave like this.¡± Lloyd came close to her threateningly and clenched his fists tightly. He seemed not to know why he had to put up with this. As if he didn¡¯t know what to do with Aria, who made him say this. Lloyd¡¯s eyes, soaked in rainwater, sank more and more deeper than the deep sea. ¡®Calm down.¡¯ Aria put her hand on the boy¡¯s head as if saying so. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Her hand didn¡¯t even reach the top of his head, so it was closer to touching his bangs. She admired in her mind. The feel of his hair was soft. The slender, slickness was easily disorganized between her fingers. ¡®As expected, this person was still a child? As if he was very surprised, his wide open eyes felt cuter than expected, and Aria was perplexed inside. The Lloyd that she remembers was a fully mature man. ¡°¡­. What are you doing?¡± What are you doing? Well. Aria thought for a moment. ¡®When Dana stroked her hair, I couldn¡¯t pinpoint what to exin¡­..¡¯ The tickling from the fingertips spread all over her body, filling her with warmth, and it seemed as if all her clots were melting away. No pain, no anger, no sadness, no loneliness. She just thought he would like it too. She wanted tofort him. ¨C I hope you don¡¯t get sick. Aria pped her lips. Lloyd¡¯s ck eyes fluttered slightly. He again carefully flicked the rain-drenched ck bangs to the side. Then, even at a young age, his cool and stretched facial features were revealed. ¡®This makes him a little meek.¡¯ A feisty cat. It was when Aria was secretly thinking she was rude. Lloyd, who seemed to have calmed his excitement for a moment, grabbed her wrist roughly. ¡°Who do you think is weak like you?¡± He sighed as he brushed his bangs with his remaining hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re going to hold out while getting rained on.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die. Surely.¡± Aria knew it too. That the Valentine Grand Duchy wives are short-lived from generation to generation. ¡®It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t know.¡¯ Aria looked up at Lloyd with a dazed gaze with such a meaning. Then the boy licked his mouth and then bit it. At the same time, his gaze at her at the same time became cold in an instant. ¡°I won¡¯t even look at you if you cry.¡± Lloyd dragged Aria and took his steps. Even the gatekeepers who guarded the castle gates were confused as they looked at them drenched in the rain. Lloyd naturally grabbed the towel the servants handed over and put it on Aria¡¯s head. And he pressed it on her crown as if to wipe it off. Aria bowed her head for a moment at the strength, then grabbed the end of the towel with her hands and she looked up at him. ¡°It¡¯s no use having eyes like a puppy in the rain.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dreaming of in the Grand Duchy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is hell. It¡¯s worse than any past you¡¯ve been through.¡± As she stares silently, ¡°This is the bottom.¡± The boy re-emphasized it and put on a freezing cold sneer. His brief smile seemed to ask sarcastically why she was staying here when she was weak in body and mind. At the same time, he felt a deep hatred for Valentine. That was also self-hatred. ¡°Once you step in, you¡¯ll never get out. You can¡¯t handle it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Before that, get out. I¡¯ll take responsibility and let you go.¡± Lloyd added, pushing Aria into the guest room. And as she thought he was going out, he threw her into the bathroom. ¡°Can you take a bath by yourself?¡± Can you take a bath by yourself? When Aria was treated as a child by Lloyd, she felt strange. Because, in her eyes, he looked younger. ¨C I¡¯m not a kid. She licked her lips. After reading Aria¡¯s mouth shape, Lloyd snorted back in reply. ¡°That¡¯s right, kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He strode in, turned on the faucet, and poured the hot water in the bathtub. Hot steam rose from the water filled in the bathtub. If she takes a bath here, her flesh will probably ripen. ¡®Do you want me to go in?¡¯ Aria took turns looking at Lloyd and the boiling bath water. He raised his eyebrows as if asking if there¡¯s a problem. The young master, who must have been taking a prepared bath unlike this all his life, didn¡¯t seem to know that he had to control the temperature of the water. Who is really looking at whom and calling them children? ¡®You tried.¡¯ Aria gently stroked the boy¡¯s head, who was standing crookedly. As if weird. ¡°Oh, why again¡­ Hoo, take a bath and change clothes.¡± He let out an annoyed sigh and sped her hand. Then he rummaged through the closet, pulled out any clothes, and forced it into Aria¡¯s arms. With a bang, the bathroom door closed. Outside, she could still feel the boy¡¯s presence. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s watching.¡± Was he nning on waiting outside until she¡¯s all washed up? Aria was bewildered, but she understood his feelings. She had gotten ill after getting rained on-well it was because she used too much power¨C and she barely stays in her room, and he finds her getting rained on outside again. ¡®It¡¯s strange that he wasn¡¯t angry.¡± It was fortunate that people didn¡¯t get angry and shout like fire. Had Aria was with the people she had been through in her previous life, they would have raised their hand already. She knew Lloyd¡¯s different from them. ¡®I thought he would at least ignore me now. I didn¡¯t even think to listen to him and disappointed him many times.¡¯ But contrary to Aria¡¯s expectations, Lloyd still cares about her. He seemed to not want her to get sick. ¡®Because he can¡¯t kick me out when I¡¯m sick?¡± No, he could¡¯ve kicked her out at any time, whether sick or not¡­. For some reason, it felt like her face was heating up from the heat of the hot water. Aria turned the faucet and mixed cold water into the boiling bath water. ¡°I ordered my knight to find a mansion worthy of your living without the Grand Duke¡¯s knowledge. I¡¯ll get it in one day, so don¡¯t get sick until then, stay quiet.¡± You want me to live outside the castle? How? Aria sshed water for no reason and made a sullen expression. ¡°You know, once you get married, you can¡¯t legally divorce.¡± As long as the marriage documents were exchanged, the two were married and could divorce after reaching adulthood under Imperialw. It was aw to prevent even a little bit of the reckless marriage business of the aristocrats. ¡°So now is yourst chance to run away¡­¡± Aria mmed the bathroom door open. Lloyd, leaning against the wall right next to the door, looked down at her with a surprised face. Lloyd stopped talking. ¨C I¡¯m not running away. As Aria said, she could have lived a normal life in the Grand Duchy. She could havepletely ignored the Valentine¡¯s Incident and the misfortunes of this ce. She will be able to live freely. But she didn¡¯t want to live like that. She will definitely regret it. One life full of regrets for her was enough. ¨C Divorce. 10 yearster. When she be an adult ¨C So, marry me. Aria moved her bluish lips to and fro so he could understand. Lloyd, who was paying close attention to the shape of her mouth, didn¡¯t seem to understand at all. ¡°Did you understand what I was saying?¡± Let¡¯s get married to get a divorce? ¡°No matter how much you think about it, I don¡¯t know what you want. I¡¯m worried about your safety, yet you don¡¯t care about your body at all. You¡¯re not interested in money or power. Then¡­¡± Aria hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly. She grabbed the rain-soaked boy¡¯s cor and tugged it. Suddenly she pressed her lips to his closer cheek, pressed it together, and pulled back quickly. ¨C I don¡¯t bite. I came all the way here to marry you, and I have no intention of running away no matter how much you scared me. So even if you hate me, I can¡¯t help it As if saying that. ¡°¡­..¡± Lloyd slowly raised his hand and brushed his own cheeks away from her, that had touched Aria¡¯s lips. The light slowly returned to his eyes, which seemed to have gone out of his mind, and it burned horrible. It looked like a ck me. Aria felt threatened by the threatening aura. ¡®Heuk!¡¯ She quickly closed and locked the bathroom door before the boy regained his senses. It was fortunate that it was a structure that could be locked from the inside. ¡± ¡­.Hey. Open the door.¡± Kuang-!! The doorknob fluttered. Aria was startled and she went into the moderately warm bathtub. She pretends to wash hard while hearing the sound of gritting teeth from outside. Surprised by Lloyd¡¯s threatening aura, her heart raced. Chapter 34 - (Illustration) Chapter 34 ¡°Grand Prince!¡± It was around the time when the rabbit mask had dried up after taking a bath. Suddenly the door swung open. ¡°I heard you were in the rain with thedy. What is going on?¡± Dana rushed over and blocked between Aria and Lloyd. Perhaps it was while she was sleeping, her usual neat appearance was nowhere to be found, her hair was out of shape and her attire was a mess. ¡°Did you threaten her again?¡± Dana noticed the subtle tension between the two and asked. ¡®Well, I felt a death threat.¡¯ It was her fault anyway, so Aria grabbed Dana¡¯s hem and shook her head. Lloyd didn¡¯t seem to care whether he was misunderstood or not, he was just staring fiercely at Aria. It was a gaze like a cold de. If he had been able to kill people with his eyes, she would have already been stabbed to death. ¡°You two¡­ what happened?¡± Dana knew the boy well as she had once been Lloyd¡¯s nanny. Even in her eyes, Lloyd¡¯s momentum was not normal. Dana looked at the two of them in turn and made a puzzled expression. ¡°Fearless rabbit.¡± Is this calling her? Aria tilted her head. ¡°My first¡­ no, that¡¯s okay.¡± It sounded like a little swearing. Lloyd looked like he was about to burst into anger, then swallowed his emotions. He then rubbed his own cheek with his palm. Rubbed his cheeks until his cheeks turned red. Although he immediately returned with a nonchnt look on his face, as if nothing ever happened. [First?] Aria held up her card and asked again, as if she didn¡¯t expect the word at all. Because she thought that it wouldn¡¯t be the first time for a kiss on the cheek. If it was a noble son, a light kiss on the cheek would have been epted as a greeting. ¡®No way.¡¯ However, Lloyd, who looked ufortable, took her card, ripped it to shreds and threw it away. ¡°Why do you want to marry me that much?¡± Lloyd asked. She exined why she came to the Grand Duchy. Simultaneously with her question, the bloody gaze was removed and it began to shine sharply without emotion. Aria felt it intuitively. ¡®He¡¯s going to make a decision based on my answer now.¡¯ Was he going to kick her out of the castle, or will he keep her by his side? So she answered. [I want to bring back the happiness that the person who saved me could have enjoyed.] Her own honest feelings. ¡°¡­what?¡± The boy asked a beatte. And he narrowed his eyes. As if doubting that he had read her card correctly. That was then. Suddenly, a thumping sound was heard and an employee opened the door. ¡°Gre, great thing¡­ No, a miracle has happened! Madam has risen from the sick bed!¡± The timing is coincidental. Lloyd turned to Aria with a hard expression on his face, then asked. ¡°Have she crossed the crisis?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not, she¡¯s suddenly healthy.¡± ¡°What else is that?¡± Lloyd asked with a vicious force. And he strode over and ced his hand on the handle of his sword. It¡¯s like he¡¯s going to sh his throat off if it¡¯s nonsense. But Aria found the boy¡¯s fingertips trembling. ¡°Her body was weakened due to a long illness, but other than that, she is said to be in good health. As if the disease had disappeared¡­¡± ¡°¡­ guide me.¡± Lloyd followed the employee and hurriedly left the ce. Dana also asked Aria for a pardon and quickly followed the boy. Aria looked at their backs and was relieved. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ For some reason, her eyes were blinking. She slumped her body as if she had copsed on the bed. *** Aria¡¯s physical condition was the worst. It was the first time she had been so sick since turning back time. She forcibly opened her core, sang a healing song, and then got hit by the rain, so it was actually strange that she was fine. ¡°Did you faint again?¡± Lloyd¡¯s consideration for pushing her to a bath to avoid getting sick was useless. ¡°Fearless rabbit.¡± It was a name she got used to after hearing once. Aria gently opened her eyes. Lloyd was facing the intense sunlight prating the window. Perhaps it was because she was overwhelmed by the fever, his expressionless face was particrly dazzling. Lloyd suddenly reached out to her. Aria¡¯s shoulders trembled as he touched the rabbit mask as if he was going to take it off. ¡°Why are you crying like this?¡± The boy wiped away the tears, not the mask. Only after seeing the tears on the tips of his fingers did Aria realize she was crying. ¡®I must have cried because of the pain.¡¯ It was physiological tears. Aria was relieved that she hadn¡¯t made a single sound of pain, even though she was in pain as if her insides had been turned over. That¡¯s why habits are scary. ¡°Your mask is all wet.¡± As Lloyd said, the rabbit¡¯s mask was wet with tears or sweat. ¡°You have a fever. It¡¯s better to take it off.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I have to know the face of the person who will be my wife.¡± He had a bitter expression on his face even though he had said it himself. Aria, who heard those words, had a simr expression. ¡®I¡¯m the one who forced you to marry me because we¡¯ll get a divorce in 10 years, but¡­.¡¯ The silly word ¡®wife¡¯ seemed to circte without melting between the two of them. Aria hesitated, blinking her hot eyes, then pped her lips. ¨C Are you going to do it? ¡°You asked me to do it.¡± Yes, but. She thought he might really kick her out of the castle this time. By this time, Aria had no choice but to notice. Lloyd hated her weak body. Even more so for those who are weak but don¡¯t spare their own body. It wasn¡¯t her intention, but he kept seeing his sick mother over and over in her. She did a terrible thing. She thought it was unavoidable if the boy pushed her away because he didn¡¯t want to see her. -I wasn¡¯t sick with the intention of bothering you. ¡°I know. You just can¡¯t take care of your wounds.¡± -Wound? ¡°You¡¯re an idiot who doesn¡¯t even know you¡¯ve been hurt.¡± What do you mean idiot? Still, it¡¯s a better treatment than receiving death threats and being told to go. Aria blinked her eyes. Lloyd took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the rabbit looks like.¡± From the first time Lloyd met her, he called Aria a rabbit. Pink hair and red eyes. Besides, she always wears a rabbit mask. ¡®Whatever I look like, I¡¯m just a rabbit.¡¯ It was a disrespectful expression. But Aria was relieved on the contrary. The sound of the words in her memory of murmuring that she was a hideous demon seemed to fade little by little. That was correct. She could not hide her face for the rest of her life from whomever she would marry. Aria dropped her eyshes, pensive in her thoughts, then licked her lips. ¨C Aren¡¯t you going to chase me away? It was a question of whether she could just pass as a rabbit as she was now, no matter how ugly she was. A nickname that mixes indifference and childish yfulness. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you look like. You¡¯re my first¡­ Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aria looked up at Lloyd, who lookedplicated in many ways, and carefully fumbled through her mask. And she slowly pulled it down. The cool breeze brushed against her wet face in cold sweat. ¡®I must have gotten more ugly because I¡¯m ill.¡¯ Aria felt that she was suddenly terrified, but at the same time convinced that she had nothing to worry about. What was she worried about? ¡®I knew who Lloyd was.¡± He doesn¡¯t want anything. Someone who doesn¡¯t value anything. ¡®I was the first to find out.¡¯ Aria slowly lifted her tightly closed eyelids. A ray of light leaked through the cracks in the window and draped over her face. Long, pure white eyshes hung and fluttered like the p of a butterfly¡¯s wings. ¡°¡­..¡± But Lloyd looked at her face and looked away without a word. And he put the towel over her eyes. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Suddenly, her eyes went dark. Aria blinked again and again under the wet towel. ¡°Lloyd Cardenas Valentine.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Lloyd asked. Even though they know each other¡¯s names, he thought they should just do that. ¡®Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t even told him my full name yet.¡¯ Aria thought her reunion with him was a mess in many ways, and she licked her lips. ¨C Ariadne Cortez. Ariadne. Lloyd muttered the name several times. As if it was engraved in his mind. ¡ª- [Illustration] Her card says ¡®First?¡¯ Oh, and another name change haha! Lloyd¡¯s middle name was tranted as Cardence in the previous tl but I¡¯m changing it to Cardenas ????? ~ Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Sir Knight, Sir Knight.¡± Gabriel let out a small groan at the soft touch that was waking him up. He felt hot water dripping down his face. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He fluttered his eyelids. He struggled with the bitterness to open his eyes, and his bruised, swollen eyes covered half of his vision. Through the gap in his vision, watery golden eyes were visible. ¡®Golden eyes.¡¯ A symbol of divine power. Gabriel stared nkly into the eyes, and jumped to his feet in embarrassment. No, he was trying to get up. But a great pain in his stomach struck him, and he couldn¡¯t help but groan while raising his body vaguely. ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Stay still. You are seriously injured.¡± A small hand pressed on his shoulder. Gabriel looked down at the hand for a moment, then raised his head to check the other person. ¡°Saintess¡­¡± The little girl had a determined expression on her face as tears were dripping down. It was Veronica. Gabriely quietly, feeling the strength draining from his body. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been hurt so much¡­¡± Gabriel, who had been bullied by several rogues, could not open his eyes and look at her. Veronica said, wiping tears from her sleeve as if she was the one hurt. ¡°Sir Knight was lying down, so I moved you to the nearest infirmary.¡± ¡°Oh, did you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for forcibly waking you up. You didn¡¯t even move, so I got scared so I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± She smiled shyly, scratching her cheek, perhaps embarrassed for fussing. Saintess, Veronica. She was quite famous in the papal pce. Although shecks innate divine power, she is a warm-hearted person who embraces everyone with her natural character. ¡®Because you are kind to even a humble apprentice knight like me who might be kicked out at any time.¡¯ First of all, it was Garcia of the Holy Empire that enjoyed absolute power from those who were born with divine power. But even between them, there was a ss. The more shiny and vivid the golden eyes they have as melted gold, the higher their position was. Because it was evidence of high divine power. Veronica¡¯s eyes were so dark golden that they looked almost brown at first nce. But she had a fairly high position in the papal pce. Everyone loved her, Veronica. As a sign of respect and friendship. Gabriel was no exception. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cry for something like me.¡± ¡°Where are those words!¡± At Gabriel¡¯s words, she burst into anger. ¡°God is the one who embraces even a single strand of grass that has bloomed by the roadside. Don¡¯t humble yourself by saying you¡¯re unlike me. Are you going to ignore His love?¡± ¡°I mean, what I meant¡­¡± As the boy stuttered in embarrassment, Veronica let out a hardened face and sighed. ¡°What happened?¡± Gabriel narrowed his eyes and traced his memory. The little child was surrounded by several men, and he was almost beaten up, so he approached without thinking. ¡®I must have been beaten and passed out.¡± He had a dream to change the world. Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s very small, so at least he wanted the world to be a better ce than it is now. ¡®I can¡¯t even stop a rogue.¡¯ He was weak. So much that he can¡¯t help butugh. ¡®What happened to that child?¡¯ He passed out, so there was no way the child could be fine. ¡°It must have been sold as a ve.¡± There was a moment of despair in the boy¡¯s water-colored eyes. His chest has been stuffy. He lowered his head and grabbed his messy silver hair. He was ashamed of himself, but most of all, he was very worried about the child he could not protect. ¡°I went to my hometown and found a child in danger.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t save him in the end.¡± Although he was from the lowest ces, he was given the opportunity to be a knight with the Pope¡¯s grace. He was also given the name Gabriel. But even though he had the same ss as everyone else, he was always behind and the weakest. ¡®It¡¯s a miracle that I haven¡¯t been left behind.¡¯ Although he somehow withstood the evil. Although today, he felt unfamiliar with the white uniform he was wearing. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am standing. Maybe I was still just an orphan from the lowest ces.¡± Is his capabilities just here? Is his dream beyond it? ¡°Sir Knight.¡± That was then. A small, white hand came down like salvation and wrapped around his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself.¡± The young girl who had shed tears because Gabriel had been hurt too much had a determined look for this moment. Without wavering. With eyes full of confidence. ¡°The knight is not wrong, absolutely.¡± She said what he wanted to hear the most. ¡°So, don¡¯t doubt the path the knight is walking.¡± Gabriel opened his eyes wide in shock and clenched his teeth. That one word that he was right. How long has he been waiting for that word? ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± The boy barely answered in a watery voice. ¡®Oh, I see.¡± This is what he desperately wanted. Perhaps, in order to hear these words, he stood there and endured to the end even though he kept circling around the same ce. ¡°Sir Knight.¡± Veronica grabbed Gabriel¡¯s chin and lifted it up. The boy was crying with his water-colored eyes fluttering. Tears were dripping down. ¡°Don¡¯t be shaken, trust me.¡± Veronica smiled benevolently and wiped his tears with her fingers. At that moment, his eyes twinkled strangely. She had found traces of gold that spread like the sunset on the edge of Gabriel¡¯s pale sky blue eyes. A more vivid golden color than that of the Pope. ¡°After all, I wasn¡¯t mistaken about what I sawst time.¡± It was rare, but certainly was, when the divine power was manifestedte. Who would have known? This little, fragile-looking boy, in fact, had the potential to surpass the next pope. She found it first. ¡®Me!¡¯ Veronica was overjoyed. Her dark tan eyes gleamed and she rubbed under the boy¡¯s eyes as if rubbing it with her fingernails. ¡°¡­Ugh, Saintess?¡± The boy let out a small groan and asked curiously. Veronica smiled like the sun and said, ¡°I trust Sir Knight. So, can we walk the road Sir Knight is taking together?¡± She didn¡¯t even need to ask. Everyoneughed at the lowly born that was dreaming and fooling around. But how can he dare to reject the only existence that believes in him? ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that I was right?¡± He cried and swore. ¡°If the saint will be with me, even if I sacrifice my life, I¡¯m willing.¡± Gabriel kissed the back of her hand as a sign of submission. A satiated smile appeared on Veronica¡¯s lips, and then disappeared in an instant. ¡°Oh, look at your wounds. I¡¯ll treat you right away.¡± She ced her hand on Gabriel¡¯s forehead and let her divine power flow. Because of the original innate divine power, the boy¡¯s recovery was very fast with just a little divine power. Even that was satisfactory. ¡°Then, take a rest.¡± She exited the infirmary. And she warmly smiled at the priests she encountered one by one. ¡°Ah, Sister Veronica.¡± That was then. Among the priests who showed affection and interest in her, there was a person approaching with a peculiar fishy smile. Veronica answered slowly, desperately blooming her face that kept trying to crumple. ¡°¡­ Brother Barom.¡± She didn¡¯t know how many times she had suppressed her urge to just ignore him. However, that should not be the case. It was an act that deviated far from the character of the saintess that she had set. Barom nced around and confirmed that no one was listening. ¡°I heard that you didn¡¯t miss the gue of appreciation this time too.¡± ¡°I did the right thing.¡± ¡°How merciful Sister Veronica is. You always reach out to those in need¡­¡± As he continued her words, he lowered his head and whispered into Veronica¡¯s ear. ¡°She has so much divine power that I don¡¯t know how she became a member of the Holy Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you umte good deeds and collect the gue of appreciation one by one, you will not be demoted.¡± The corners of Veronica¡¯s lips, who struggled to keep her smile, trembled. Barom looked at her and said as he passed behind her, shedding scorn, and smirked. ¡°Oh, you must be tired.¡± Veronica was left alone, and she stood there stunned. After a while, she casually walked through the hallway and returned to her own room, when she had lost herposure. However, when she returned to her room, her face, which had been smiling like a painting, became cold. ¡°Annoying bastard.¡± She knew that no matter how openly he insulted Veronica, she knew that only she would be med for it, so he only touched her nerves without anyone else¡¯s knowledge. ¡°I have to take care of that¡­.¡± Veronica murmured softly, rummaging through her sleeves. Then, when she picked up Gabriel, the card she had found with him came out. She thought she had thrown it long ago, but she seemed to have forgotten. ¡°Home.¡± Veronica read the card again. [You are right. Don¡¯t doubt the path you walk.] She couldn¡¯te up with a line that would impress Gabriel. Did God help her? It¡¯s like the card was sitting right there begging to be read. ¡°Were you right? You ****.¡± The girl smirked as she spat out a bitter profanity. Then she tore the card to pieces and threw it in the trash can. ¡°It¡¯s too childish.¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It¡¯s noisy. While Aria was so sick that she couldn¡¯te to her senses, she heard a roar of words. She began to hear words she did not recognize at first, little by little, like ice melting in a ss. ¡°She didn¡¯t say a single word of pain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it is, isn¡¯t it? My sister-inw is naturally unable to speak¡­¡± It was Lloyd and Vincent. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Then why do you say that?¡± ¡°Just wondering¡­¡± It¡¯s like swallowing pain. Lloyd muttered a little, almost as if he was talking to himself. Aria was the only one who heard the words. She suddenly felt as if cold water was washed over her and she came to her senses. He seemed to know that Aria was holding back her groans no matter how painful it was. ¡°Right? What did I say?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Why do you stop talking?¡± ¡°Be quiet. It¡¯s noisy.¡± Vincent didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, as he was embarrassed. ¡°Who said about not getting married?¡± And he grumbled for a while. ¡°The only ones who treat me so harshly are my brother and my sister-inw.¡± When Lloyd stared at him silently, he shut his mouth. After that he was silent. Perhaps they were using Aria¡¯s bedroom as an office, and from time to time the sound of turning papers and books could be heard. ¡®Why are you both here?¡¯ After a while, the sound of turning the paper stopped, and she felt a hand stroking her eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this exhausting?¡± It was Lloyd. ¡®Did I cry again?¡¯ Aria thought nkly. She was in so much pain that the tears flowed, and this was something she couldn¡¯t stand. ¡®Because I can¡¯t make a sound, it seems like tears just keep flowing.¡¯ Lloyd continued to wipe her tears with his hands. His skin was rough, and Aria¡¯s eyshes trembled without realizing it. Then the hand which had paused for a moment, became cautious as if she was tickled by feathers. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s having a nightmare.¡± ¡°Nightmare? Why a nightmare.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to have nightmares if you keep staring at a sleeping person from the side and touching them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lloyd¡¯s hand moved away. Aria thought that the warmth going away was a little disappointing. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s a big deal because my sister-inw is weak. She seems to be weaker than any other people I¡¯ve seen outside the border.¡± Vincent¡¯s words continued. ¡°Siren seems to have specialized abilities in the mind rather than the body.¡± As if he was a student at an academy who was crazy about research, he finished analyzing the Siren with fragments of clues. ¡°You two may have good personalities, but do you know that the other is the worst?¡± At those words, Lloyd and Aria stiffened at the same time. Vincent was so focused on the book he was reading that he couldn¡¯t see it properly. ¡°Worst?¡± ¡°Yes. Put simply, it¡¯s like this. Brother will be poison to my sister-inw, and my sister-inw will be poison to you.¡± ¡°Is this kid going to be poison to me?¡± It was a debate as to whether that could be the case. Lloyd¡¯s reaction was natural. Vincent¡¯s words were surprising even to Aria, who was determined to hide her powers. ¡°Yes. Just looking at the siren songs I found in old books, my sister-inw was born with the ability to stimte people¡¯s emotions.¡± The boy then added, ¡°Even if she can¡¯t sing, you can¡¯t fool the blood.¡±. ¡°Therefore¡­..¡± ¡°On the other hand, Valentine¡¯s bloodline is very weak in mental strength from generation to generation, isn¡¯t it?¡± That was the price of epting a power that exceeded the allowable range of the human body. ¡°Easy to go crazy, easy to break.¡± All of the past Valentine¡¯s Grand Dukes were like that. If the current Grand Duke was the most sane, then everything would be all over the ce. ¡°It means that if my sister-inw wants to, she can dig into brother¡¯s insides as she pleases, break it up, and shake it up.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Or, even if my sister-inw stays still, you will be swayed.¡± ¡°It sounds nonsense.¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. ¡°Well, I was just talking about possibilities.¡± And Vincent, who spoke up, was indifferent. Because he knew that Aria wasn¡¯t like that. ¡®She was not the kind of person who can wield someone else¡¯s weakness.¡± Besides, he didn¡¯t think it would be a big deal because she couldn¡¯t fully control the Siren¡¯s abilities ¡®Easy to go crazy¡­¡­ ¡® But Aria was different. The words ¡®weak in mental strength¡¯ touched her so strongly that it continued to linger in her mind. ¡°Now, what more are you going to deny? Haven¡¯t all the people addicted to your songs gone crazy!¡± Suddenly, Aria recalled the voice of Saintess Veronica in her memory. She resented Aria while her golden eyes resembling the sun were drenched in water. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t have had a worse ending than her previous life, she thought. But, it wasn¡¯t. There was a really, really bad ending. One day, Lloyd was addicted to Aria¡¯s song and went crazy. ¡®It¡¯s okay. Listening to a song once or twice doesn¡¯t make you addicted.¡¯ She thought so hard. To listen to the song to the point of being addicted, they had to be constantly exposed to the siren¡¯s song. Like the emperor who broke her leg, locked her in a cage, and made her sing every day. As long as they don¡¯t get too greedy, they won¡¯t be addicted to Aria¡¯s songs. ¡®Besides, I¡¯m never going to sing in front of Lloyd myself.¡¯ There won¡¯t be any in the future. Aria was relieved at that moment and rxed her body. Sleepiness came again, probably because she was unnecessarily nervous while she was sick. Aria gave herself to sleep without hesitation. *** Not long after Aria fell asleep, a doctor came to visit. Cuirre, who had be her doctor at some point, shook his head. ¡°This is not a cold.¡± She was rained on and the fever rose. But it¡¯s not a cold. ¡°Then what?¡± Lloyd leaned against the wall, folded his arms, and asked. He nced at Cuirre up and down with an unfavorable gaze. Cuirre recalled memories of the past at that moment. The chilling memories of almost being killed for not being able to cure Aria¡¯s eating disorder. But this time it¡¯s the Grand Prince. ¡®What the hell did Imit in my previous life?¡¯ But things are better now. ¡®If Madam¡¯s condition had not improved suddenly, the two of them would have threatened to kill me at the same time.¡± Grand Duke Valentine was now with Sabina. Cuirre thanked heaven that the Grand Duchess had regained her health. ¡°If it¡¯s not a problem with the body, it¡¯s usually the core that contains energy. It¡¯s directly rted to vitality.¡± ¡°Energy.¡± ¡°I think you should get a diagnosis from the shaman yourself.¡± Cuirre shifted responsibility. And Carlin, who took over the baton of death, stood in front of Aria with a facementing his plight. After Aria had absorbed Carlin¡¯s magical energy into her body, she sang forcibly, and she was lying ill now. But Carlin couldn¡¯t have told the truth. This king¡¯s donkey ears are cute*. ¡°That, what¡­ The energy in the Miss¡¯ body got tangled up, so what, roughly, it came to be like this.¡± The shaman, not particrly adept at lying, was busily working his brain. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you exin it properly?¡± Aria¡¯s sleeping face turned pale for a moment as Lloyd gave off a low threatening aura.. She shook her body as if she had chills. Then he became quiet when he had spread the threatening aura. Even while sweating, Carlin was dumbfounded. ¡°The Miss has very weak energy, right? Even if she has a great amount of natural energy, it can¡¯t be controlled. ¡° He began to surround himself with roughly usible words. If he thinks about it deeply, it may sound strange. ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Lloyd passed it over easily. It was because he had never met a person with a low amount of energy. No, to be more precise, it was because he didn¡¯t care at all when he encountered such a person. Carlin knew that, too. ¡°That¡¯s why she should drink the energy stabilizing potion periodically until she¡¯s well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of like Valentine¡¯s bloodline.¡± ¡°Yes. What¡­¡± In fact, there are many more simrities. The shaman muffled the end of his words and then put down the potion he had brought with him on the table. ¡°This is a stabilizing potion. I will tell the employees to give it three times a day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± Carlin had no reason to stop him, who said that he would take on the troublesome work himself. Carlin said so, and then stepped down. Then he ran quickly and mmed the door shut. It was like running away. ¡°¡­..¡± Now there were only two of them left in the room. Lloyd looked down at Aria, who had been asleep for a moment, then lifted one of the potion vials. *** At one point, Aria opened her eyes wide. For a very severe illness, her head was clear enough to be refreshed. How long has she been like that? All of a sudden, the memories of when shey ill flooded her mind. ¡°Come here.¡± She remembered the hand pushing her hair, wet from sweat, behind her ear. ¡°Stay still.¡± It seems that she struggled a bit and rebelled after waking up to take medicine. ¡°Open your mouth. Take your medicine.¡± It seems like she was held in tight arms. Did she forcefully spit out the spoon that had slipped into her mouth? ¡°Swallow properly. Don¡¯t.¡± A voice mixed with annoyance and irritation. But he said in a calming voice when Aria gulped. ¡°Well done.¡± Aria doubted her own memory. ¡ª *) In the fairytale of the King with donkey ears, the hairdresser let out the King¡¯s secret, but I guess Carlin didn¡¯t do it because the King now was Aria, and her ears were cute instead? XD Chapter 37 Chapter 37 To be held in Lloyd¡¯s arms, to feed her medicine, and to take care of her with sincerity. ¡®Is it a dream?¡¯ It must be a dream. Where does the dream start? ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like a dream until I overheard Lloyd and Vincent¡¯s conversation.¡¯ Then it seems like a dream after that. Aria stretched out and looked around. At the same time, the ck eyes met hers. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Lloyd was right in front of her, pressing his forehead with a tired look on his face. Aria rolled her eyes as she lowered the arm that was outstretched up above her. She felt embarrassed because she dreamed of being cared for by him. ¨C Hi. Without realizing it, she reflexively greeted him. The boy raised his eyebrows silently. And after being silent for a long time, he said in a voice that was slightly submerged because it was morning. ¡°Hi.¡± It became even more awkward after they finished greeting each other awkwardly like someone who had met for the first time. ¨C When did youe? Aria pped her lips. Then she paused for a moment, with Lloyd frowning at her, and he replied a beatte. ¡°¡­ just now.¡± It was a dream too. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not that Lloyd doesn¡¯t have a thing to do, he¡¯ll be busy with his sessor ss, and he can¡¯t care for me all night.¡± Then, she thought Vincent had stopped by from time to time to check her condition. Aria nodded her head, drawing a reasonable conclusion inside. ¨C How long have I been sick? ¡°A week.¡± Is that so? ¡®Somehow, from the moment I got up, my body was droopy and I had no energy.¡¯ She was so starved that she swept her stomach, when she couldn¡¯t even feel hunger now. Then she nced at Lloyd¡¯splexion. His condition looks very bad. She doesn¡¯t know if he was so busy with work these days that he hasn¡¯t slept properly, but it seems like his nerves are sharp. Even under his eyes, it was ck. ¨C You look tired. ¡°Anyone who stays up all week long¡­¡± Lloyd continued his words, but then he suddenly stopped, stiffened, and shut his mouth. Then Dana appeared and broke the silence . ¡°I brought a meal¡­ Hyuk!¡± Dana looked at the awake Aria and hardened as a stone as she opened her mouth. It was like seeing Medusa, a monster in myths. Aria realized it toote that she had taken off her mask. ¡®Ah.¡¯ She had a sad expression on her face. Lloyd was so consistent in putting on and taking off her mask so she forgot. In her previous life, she had seen how others reacted when she showed her bare face. She felt a little sad at the thought that Dana might not be smiling like before. But Aria had no intention of wearing the mask again. ¡®Because Lloyd didn¡¯t reject me.¡¯ No, it¡¯d be right to say he didn¡¯t care what she looked like. Thanks to that, it felt like her mind was pierced and she was refreshed. Aria felt like she had escaped from the shadows of the past that had been following her the whole time. However, Dana¡¯s reaction afterward was unexpected. ¡°Where did the Lord bring you such a lovely fairy?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Maybe this is making fun of her? Aria thought seriously. But no matter how she looked at it, it wasn¡¯t the tone of mockering. Because Dana looked really happy. ¡°Now you can sleep well without the rabbit mask friend!¡± She slept well from the beginning. Dana looked at Aria and blushed her cheeks as if enchanted as she kissed her on the forehead. ¡®¡­her lips touched.¡¯ At first she thought it was soft. ¡®Strange. I¡¯ve never felt this way before.¡¯ When Aria was a Siren, she received many kisses. Because everyone was so anxious that they could kiss the back of her hand or the back of her foot. But Aria only felt creepy sensations as if worms were crawling around. It was unlike this tickle that reaches her heart. Aria sped her forehead with both her hands. She was realizing why Lloyd had rubbed his cheek after brushing against her lips. ¡°Hoho.¡± Danaughed as Aria was being adorable. ¡°¡­you¡¯re not really a fairy, are you.¡± It was a small mumble. It was also something she would never hear being said to her. But Aria shrugged her shoulders and turned her head. And her eyes met Lloyd, who was leaning against the window sill. ¡°¡­¡± As if observing her, the obsidian-like eyes staring at her widened slightly in surprise. They averted their gaze at the same time. ¡°Oh my.¡± Dana looked at the two of them alternately and burst into an exmation that they did not understand the meaning. Lloyd threw a blunt word to Dana, who was smiling wide. ¡°What.¡± ¡°Hoo, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a weird habit because you¡¯re constantly fiddling around without hesitation.¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the habit?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Lloyd fixed his gaze out of the window, annoyed till the back of his head, and then abruptly turned his head away. And with eyes squinted in suspicion, he gently pped his lips. ¡°You heard me.¡± Aria shook her head. ¡°I think you heard.¡± Aria shook her head and crossed her arms to make a cross. ¡°Oh my, did the rabbit hear it too?¡± No, how did he figure that out? She was in a cold sweat. The gap between Lloyd¡¯s eyes, who stared at her tenaciously, gradually narrowed and his brows began to wrinkle little by little. ¡®You¡¯re doubting me¡­¡­¡¯ However, what had already happened was unavoidable. Instead of acting suspiciously, Aria tilted her head with an innocent expression on her face. And she smiled faintly as she looked at the flowering tree outside the window. [Because the flowers are pretty.] Out of her old bag, she pulled out the card that she had shown Dana before. It¡¯s as if Lloyd wasn¡¯t listening, he was just staring at the flowers outside the window. ¡°¡­¡± And she smiled once more at the silent boy. Then he nodded his head. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Have a meal.¡± Aria nodded her head. Lloyd made sure she was awake, so he returned as if with no regrets. No, he was going back. Clink- If Aria had just not picked up the spoon improperly and dropped it. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Aria stared at her trembling fingertips in trouble because of theck of strength. Because she was starving the whole time she was sick, her body did not have any energy. ¡°¡­¡± Lloyd let out a sigh. Then he dragged the chair and sat in front of her, was handed a new spoon from the servant, and picked up the bowl of soup. ¡°Ah¨Ce on.¡± It was an order, no, it was a threat. He kept calling her a bunny, and it seemed like he was really feeding the bunny. Aria stared at Lloyd¡¯s face and the outstretched spoon that he held by himself alternately. She was flustered. She was more embarrassed than that. ¡®I keep thinking of my dreams¡­.¡¯ The dream of her being held in Lloyd¡¯s arms like a child, and taking her medicine, kept tickling her mind. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± The way he talked was the same. It was around the time when she thought that her dream reflected reality very well. Dana carefully pointed out his actions. ¡°Grand Prince, be a little kinder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kinder now than ever.¡± Lloyd raised his eyebrows, perhaps if Dana was asking for more here. Is this the kindest he can do? ¡®Well, I wonder if the Grand Prince has ever given food to others in his lifetime.¡¯ Aria suddenly remembered when Lloyd gave her the bath. An expressionless face and a more blunt tone than that. But even though it was clumsy, the consideration was clearly felt. Without realizing it, the corners of her lips rose. ¡°Why are youughing.¡± He asked with a sullen face. ¡®Because it¡¯s cute.¡¯ Aria thought so, but never spit it out of her mouth. ¡°You seem to be having unpleasant thoughts.¡± Lloyd muttered suspiciously. Aria pretended not to understand, and she put her hand on his. For a young age, his big, rough hands trembled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± No, just. She always thought he was blunt and rough, but in fact, she thought maybe he just didn¡¯t know how. Aria opened her lips. ¨C Just so you know. ¡°What.¡± ¨C Act as oneself says? Lloyd frowned. He looked like he had no idea what Aria was trying to do. ¡°Let go. It¡¯ll hurt you.¡± However, it was difficult for him to shake off Aria¡¯s hand. Because his hands were trembling ufortably. While considering what to do, Aria brought the boy¡¯s hand to her mouth with a spoon. ¡°What¡­.¡± With her other hand she ced her hair behind her ear, her eyes half closed and then raised up. And their gaze met. A smile formed on her lips as the soft soup seemed to warm her stomach. ¨C I want you to do it like this. ¡°¡­¡± ¨C Because Lloyd is kind. She called her by his own name, but would it be okay? Aria looked at Lloyd¡¯s reaction. ¡°¡­..¡± The boy, who had been silent for a moment, avoided her gaze at an angle, frowned, then scooped out the soup again and offered it out. He¡¯s definitely a bit more kind than before. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 After a while, Carlin came. ¡°You¡¯re very stable.¡± He said looking at Aria. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve been through it all, you know that energy is nothing like a poisonous holy relic, right?¡± Energy is very useful depending on how it was used, but there is nothing more dangerous when ites to side effects. Carlin nailed it as if he was never going to let her ask him to pierce her core again. Aria nodded her head. ¡®The Grand Duchess¡¯ illness has been cured.¡¯ Maybe she won¡¯t be able to use it for a while. As Carlin said, don¡¯t overdo it, and if she keeps learning for a year, she will reach the level. ¡°You¡¯ve already changed the future enough, so don¡¯t try anymore!¡± Of course, these words were heard with one ear and flowed out through the other. The shaman who was quick-witted, noticed this and started nagging even more. ¡°Recently, they said there are a lot of intruders near the Ingo Mountains.¡± ¡°Intruder?¡± ¡°Yes. Are the whole group out of their minds?¡± Aria had a shaky expression on her face. Because she herself was once an intruder. She, of course, was doing well now that she was betrothed to the Grand Prince. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, but it seems like my employer is leading the hounds endlessly.¡± The moment she heard the words, Aria remembered her first meeting with Tristan. She always wondered if that¡¯s how he handles intruders, with the hounds. ¡°Intruders are the dogs¡¯ daily food¡­¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Well, anyway, the Grand Prince is there, but the castle is still without the master.¡± Carlin spoke very unnaturally and ended up nagging again. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen when the employer is away, so don¡¯t move until you¡¯re fully recovered.¡± Aria put on a sullen expression instead of answering. The shaman was looking at her as if she would be wandering around thinking about what ident to make. ¡®It¡¯s all for a reason.¡¯ Because Aria was calm and usually just looked at the sky when she was not doing anything special. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face. The Grand Prince is already¡­ Well, he¡¯s not in good shape.¡± Lloyd? Her eyes, which were like dried fish until she heard Carlin¡¯s nagging, suddenly came to life. Aria asked anxiously as she raised her bunny-pink eyes. ¡°Why? Is Lloyd sick too?¡± ¡°There will be more days when he won¡¯t be able to leave his room¡­ Anyway, for one reason or another.¡± The shaman, who is not particrly good at lying, struggled today. It was an insignificant answer, so she had no choice but to ask with a questionable face. ¡°What is the one reason or another?¡± ¡°It is unavoidable.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you exin it properly?¡± Aria got angry. Carlin, who had just had this exact same pattern of conversation just a while ago, had a bitter expression on his face. Birds of a feather flock together. Compared to Lloyd¡¯s creepy aura, Aria was cute with that huffing and puffing. ¡°It¡¯s simr to growing pains.¡± ¡°What else is simr to that?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not go near it. You¡¯ll be deluged.¡± She¡¯s not sure exactly what it means to be deluged. Aria, as if unable to sleep, remembered the boy whose eyes were dyed ck. If so, it seemed like she should allow him to rest on his own for a while. ¡®If it¡¯s growing pains, I wish I could sing a song of healing.¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t. Unfortunately, the risk is too great. ¡°Then tell me how to manage energy in the core.¡± ¡°Yes? Already?¡± ¡°You said I was stable.¡± Well, that was true. The shaman wondered if Aria was doing this to tamper with her body again, so he looked at her suspiciously for a moment. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you the theory, so don¡¯t sing until you¡¯re fully recovered.¡± That¡¯s a piece of cake. ¡°No matter how your body is, you will recover in ten days.¡± Aria nodded her head again. Only after highlighting it a few times did Carlin teach her the basics of energy management. ¡°A mass in the core. Think of it as a flowing liquid, not a solid, and imagine it moving around your body like blood¡­¡± *** ¡°Okay, that¡¯s right.¡± The guards at Valentine¡¯s Castle checked several items the merchant was carrying in the wagon. Dolls and toys, medicines, herbs, paper, ornaments, fabrics, and various food materials brought in from outside the border. All of the finest, for Aria, who was to be the Grand Duchess of Valentine. They went through the books again meticulously, and btedly discovered that one item of the transaction was missing. ¡°Um? By the way, I heard that a pony will also be delivered, so why can¡¯t I see it?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Hey. Why don¡¯t you answer me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, the merchant who was questioned bowed his back deeply and did not even move. ¡°Suspicious.¡± Without hesitation, the guard drew his sword and ced it against the merchant¡¯s chin, forcing him to raise his head. As the Valentines thoroughly censors the intrusion of outsiders, they reacted mercilessly to suspicious cases, even if they were already a top trader. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Then the merchant trembled like shivering in a cold sweat, then closed his eyes tightly and barely opened his mouth. ¡°You¡­! You got your tongue cut off!¡± The gutter rat¡¯s prey! The guards were nning to immediately subdue it and call the 3rd Knights in charge of security. Then another merchant, who had been watching them, ran desperately and knelt down on his knees. ¡°Si, Sir! I guarantee this person¡¯s identity! Don¡¯t you know my face well? I¡¯ve been to Valentine¡¯s Castle a few times to deliver stuff!¡± As he imed, the merchant was familiar with the guards. But the guard raised his voice, pushing the de closer to the merchant, whose tongue had been cut off. ¡°What makes a difference with your guarantee? The person¡¯s tongue is cut off!¡± At those words, the other merchant, who knelt down on his knees, said, begging till his hands reached his feet. ¡°This guy¡¯s tongue was cut off because the lord of the territory he was staying in before made fun of his mouth. He¡¯s also unfairly framed!¡± ¡°Huh, you¡¯re wasting time for nothing! How else can you prove that!¡± ¡°There¡¯s solid evidence, Sir. Look at this merchant que!¡± Saying so, the merchant jumped up from the ground and searched through the arms of the merchant whose tongue had been cut off. Then came a wooden merchant que that was carried by each merchant belonging to the merchant alliance. [Name: John Characteristic: Tongue cut off] The guard saw it and lowered the sword he was holding threateningly. And he muttered as he put it in his scabbard. ¡°Well¡­ tell me earlier.¡± You didn¡¯t even give me a chance to talk. As the merchant stared at him with a silent, resentful look, the guard looked over the mountain and coughed heavily. ¡°I know that the white-snow pony is all owned by the imperial family, and it is difficult to conceive and it will take some time, and I was contacted recently¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, good. Pass.¡± The gates were opened. After many twists and turns, the two merchants, who were able to enter the inside of Valentine¡¯s Castle, bowed down to the guards and got on the wagon. ¡°Wow, that was going to be a big deal, right?¡± The merchant gently shrugged his shoulders and said to the other merchant. And when the guards¡¯ appearance became invisible, he hardened his expression coldly and pped the back of the other merchant¡¯s head. ¡°Hey, you ate a pony all of a sudden and you almost got caught before we even started. You bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, on a dignified mission like this¡­¡± The merchantmented his condition and threw the merchant que he was holding on the ground. Then, when he was in the hands of a merchant, what used to be a merchant¡¯s que turned into an ordinary stone and rolled around the floor. ¡°It¡¯s an honor that your ability is suitable for this mission.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right? As nned, stay as far away as possible and do your job without intervening. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± The gutter rat¡¯s prey nodded obediently without resistance. Hans, the limb of the gutter rat, nced at the prey with a distasteful gaze, then stared straight ahead again. Their target was the Grand Duchess¡¯ candidate. *** ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for a walk?¡± Dana said anxiously, chasing after Aria. Then Betty responded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re not feeling well already, but if you take in the cold wind, you¡¯ll have a fever again.¡± ¡°Cold wind¡­ I think it would have been better to wear thicker clothes.¡± ¡°Right, I think so too. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go back to your room and prepare new clothes for now?¡± Aria thought for a moment if it would be okay for her to tell them that today is a windless summer. Though she gave up looking down at the shawl that Dana had wrapped around her shoulder before leaving. ¡®¡­I think I¡¯m going to get hot.¡± She took out a new card and wrote down on it. [Can you both be here?] Chief maid and chiefdy-in-waiting. Both of them must have been quite busy as they had high positions. ¡®When I came to the castle, they had to take care of me until I got used to it, so they were sticking around all day¡­.¡¯ Is it possible that their job so far has been abandoned? Staring at them with such a gaze, Dana and Betty were sweating profusely and avoided her gaze. As expected, they must have left everything they had to do because they were worried about Aria and followed her. That was then. ¡°Chief maid! Chiefdy-in-waiting!¡± A fairlyrge number of servants flocked to find Dana and Betty. Aria looked up at the two of them. As if saying that: there are so many things to do that I¡¯m desperately searching for you two , but you left it all behind. ¡°No, no.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve finished today¡¯s schedule to some extent!¡± Then the chief maid and the chiefdy-in-waiting pped their hands as if saying that wouldn¡¯t be the case. ¡°What kind of fuss is this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Something has happened! The maid¡¯s mansion is on fire!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 The Maid¡¯s Mansion was a generic term for the space where the employees of Valentine¡¯s Castle stayed and lived. Dana and Betty, who lost their home overnight and became homeless, shouted loudly at the same time in surprise. ¡°Then we should put out the fire!¡± ¡°Now that the shaman has arrived, the mes will be extinguished soon. Before that, you two will have toe to rectify the situation and calm the employees.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The two looked at Aria at the same time. Aria was startled to hear that there was suddenly a fire, and she opened her rabbit¡¯s eyes at the same time as she was pushed back as if to tell her to go. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, so go on the trail you always used to go.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t even have an escort knight¡­¡± It was when Betty was muttering as if worried. A ck jaguar, who had been watching Aria from a distance, walked up to her. And it circled around her as if to protect it. It was just walking, but for a moment it was in such a threatening state that it took her breath away. ¡°By the way, there was a reason why she didn¡¯t have a separate escort knight.¡± She forgot for a while. Betty realizedter and nodded her head. And they hurriedly ran towards the maid¡¯s mansion with a peace of mind. Aria, who was left alone with the ck jaguar, started walking along the trail she used to walk every day. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she stretched out her hand. And gently stroked the hair. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s not shaking it off this time.¡¯ She vividly remembers that she had been hit before and nearly cut her wrist, but luckily it seemed to have opened up its mind more than then. It was when she was passing under a tree with many branches. After Aria confirmed that there was no one around, she whispered to the jaguar. ¡°Your name, how about ck?¡± Grrrr- The jaguar cried low at the crude and insincere name. ¡®He doesn¡¯t like it enough to reveal his teeth.¡¯ Silver likes it. Aria scratched the back of her head. Although she tried toe up with something else, she wasn¡¯t very good at naming things. ¡°Then it¡¯s Yellow because your eyes are yellow.¡± Hearing those words, the jaguar suddenly lowered its body low as if it was very wary, entered an attacking stance, and jumped up. As if it was about to attack Aria. ¡®Did you hate it that much?¡¯ At the sudden turn of events, she closed her eyes tightly and crumpled her body. However, the jaguar pushed Aria in one leap and flexibly cut through the air. ¡°Ah!¡± The thrown out Aria fell on her butt. At the same time, the shawl that Dana had wrapped tightly around her even in the hot summer flew in the air. And on the shawl hung a ck snake. ¡®Eh?¡¯ Aria remained frozen for a moment, not figuring out what had happened. ¡®Did I almost get bitten by a snake?¡¯ She was shocked. Because she didn¡¯t even think that there would be an animal that would rush to her. All animals love Aria. It was a rule and there were no exceptions. Just as the Grand Duke¡¯s wolf that broke the orders of their master, the Grand Duke, didn¡¯t kill Aria. But the snake, which fell on the grass, rushed to her without hesitation. ¡®I¡¯m getting bitten¡­..!¡¯ Aria quickly covered her exposed nape with her hand and closed her eyes tightly. However, the jaguar rushed over and killed the snake without hesitation. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And Aria received the snake. The jaguar who finished its hunt, like boasting about the carcass of the dead snake, put it over the hem of Aria¡¯s skirt. Is this the cat¡¯s repayment she¡¯s only heard of? ¡®No¡­¡­.Jaguar¡¯s repayment¡­¡­¡¯ With a bewildered expression on her face, she looked down at what was¡­.. The snake. It was somehow familiar in her eyes. ¡®This snake, maybe¡­..¡¯ From the beginning, she thought she had seen scales ck enough to shine somewhere. It seemed to be a viper that would be popr among the aristocrats in about five years. Precisely, among the fallen nobles. ¡®Taxidermist.¡¯ Once bitten, the body hardens like a stone and makes it immobile like a doll. The peculiar thing is that the victim dies while maintaining the shape they had at the time it was bitten by the snake. Like taxidermy. ¡®There are many nobles who want to own whatever they like, even if it is a stuffed person or something.¡¯ A lot. Eventually, it became a social problem and was banned outright. ¡®Why is the taxidermist here?¡¯ It was evidently the dark district, the gutter, that first began to distribute taxidermist. ¡®The gutter¡­.¡¯ An intruder that appeared near the Ingo Mountains. A fire breaks out in the maid¡¯s mansion, and the taxidermist is aimed at Aria. Combining all of these circumstances. ¡®Kidnapping?¡¯ The taxidermist¡¯s venom was not fatal enough to die immediately after being bitten. Rather, it takes several months for one to die from being bitten by the snake. However, it was perfect for criminal use as itpletely paralyzes the body and renders it immobile. ¡®Kidnapping in broad daylight.¡± It was such a daring and reckless way. Valentine¡¯s isn¡¯t easy enough to hide in the middle of the night, so did they choose to go that far? ¡®Then they would try to finish it quickly.¡¯ Aria leaned close to Jaguar and looked around, vignt. They will definitely be around. ¡®The one waiting for me to fall.¡¯ That moment, Rustle- She heard the sound of stepping on the grass from the person who hid their body. She turned her head towards that side with precision without a single notch. And then she rolled her fingers into her hands and bit them, and blew a whistle. Whik-! At the same time, the birds heard Aria¡¯s call and flew in without hesitation. They pecked with momentum to tear the flesh of the assassin who had been hiding and targeting her. ¡°¡­!¡± Attacked by birds, the assassin scrambled and whipped his hands, twisted his body, and let out a silent scream. He had no choice but to jump out of the grass. He was a man with a gloomy impression. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Not even a scream. ¡®There is a high probability that it is the rats¡¯ prey.¡¯ Aria looked at the man, crouching on the floor, biting his lips as if he was muttering something. She narrowed the gap between her eyes. And she tried to read the shape of his mouth, as Lloyd did. ¡®Can¡­..not?¡¯ What¡¯s wrong? Aria was puzzled and at the same time suddenly felt a sense of anger. How should she say it? ¡®It¡¯s like I shouldn¡¯t be approaching¡­ ¡¯ For a moment she felt eerie and reflexively stepped back from him. Grrr- But from the moment the man appeared, the jaguar, who had been growling wildly, ran towards him like bouncing. ¡°No..!¡± Aria quickly reached out her hand. But it was already toote. The man lifted his head as the jaguar attacked him as if to devour him and she heard the jaguar¡¯s cries as close to a scream. ¡°Kiiing!¡± Aria stood up with a pale face. Because the jaguar was lying on the ground and not moving. ¡®The whole body is paralyzed.¡¯ She quickly approached the jaguar and checked its condition. The beast was only breathing heavily. It had the same reaction she had when she was bitten by the taxidermist. ¡®But there were no snakes near that man?¡¯ The only snake that was there was bitten by the jaguar. Aria held the jaguar in her arms as if protecting it and quickly bit her finger. And again she whistled. No, she was going to whistle. ¡°Ah!¡± Aria couldn¡¯t help but scream. It was because her arm was bent behind her back by a strong grip. ¡°Why is this little kid still moving fine, huh? If you can¡¯t do one of those things, how are you making this team work?¡± Behind her, she heard the voice of a man she had never heard before. ¡®Clearly no one was there!¡¯ He suddenly appeared out of the air. He shoved the jaguar in Aria¡¯s arms with his feet and forcibly pulled it apart. Aria couldn¡¯t resist, and she looked down at the jaguar spread out like a doll, lost for a moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it weirder than that? I¡¯ve heard this one can¡¯t talk.¡± An audible voice. Aria, who had her head bowed for a moment, lifted her head with cold eyes. Then a man tilted his head and blocked her movement. He wrinkled his eyebrows as if in doubt. ¡®Unlike the prey, his tongue is not cut off.¡¯ He spoke in good condition. That means¡­. ¡®One of the limbs of the gutter rat.¡¯ A skillful one too. Because she felt the flow of magic from the flesh that touched her for a moment as she was suppressed. Aria stared at her opponent as if to kill him. ¡°Aww, I¡¯m scared.¡± The reaction was ¡®funny¡¯. Hans smirked at Aria¡¯s zing eyes and ignored it. It was nothing to subdue a ten-year-old kid who had no power. ¡®As the rumor goes, it looks like she knows how to deal with animals.¡¯ However, he was puzzled by the fact that the candidate for the Grand Duchess was speaking in a different way from the rumors. Did he get it wrong? ¡®Anyway, the age, the clothes, and the impressions are exactly the same.¡¯ Hans said, holding Aria very firmly to keep her from moving. ¡°I don¡¯t have time. They¡¯ll notice her ande rushing in, so let¡¯s hurry.¡± Then the prey touched the ground with both hands, and suddenly began to squirm and vomit ck slime. ¡®What is this¡­.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut at the bizarre sight that was hard to capture in her eyes. She just thought he was spitting up a ck, slimy mass, but she looked closely and it was a snake. So, a living snake. The man, to his surprise, was raising the taxidermist in his body. ¡®I was wondering how you get a snake and pass that tricky check!¡¯ If he hides it in his body, of course they won¡¯t be able to find it. And the jaguar had been beaten by the taxidermist that the man had in his body. ¡®Dozens of taxidermists¡­.¡¯ Physically, she had no way of knowing how he had all that in his body. However, one thing is certain: the moment one gets bitten, one will be used for the rest of their life by the gutter rat, and then they will die. ¡°Let me go!¡± She hurriedly twisted her body, but it didn¡¯t really move. ¡°Be quiet, kid. It¡¯ll sting for a while and it¡¯ll be over.¡± There was only one way left. Aria wasn¡¯t gagged and both the men¡¯s ears were open defenselessly. Aria saw the snake running fiercely towards her, and she hurriedly opened her mouth. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 And then the song flowed. ¡°Along the sacred stream, That calmly here is flowing; Enlivened by the songs of birds among the pines.¡± At that moment, Hans¡¯s arm, which had been holding Aria tightly bound, flinched and trembled. ¡®Are you singing in this situation?¡¯ Is this kid going crazy because she was terrified? However, the absurd feelings faded as the cold air melted away in an instant. She sings very well¡­. ¡°On we¡¯ll ride away; On the stream we¡¯ll ride away;¡± The melodies that were softly wrapped around his ears continued as if flowing through a river. Then the snake stopped towering. To be precise, the eyes of the prey, which were controlling the snake¡¯s behavior, became hazy. And he blinked his eyes. Now, as if he didn¡¯t know what he was doing here. ¡°Through wavelets shimm¡¯ring brightly, Carelessly rowing lightly, We¡¯ll reach soon the steeps¡± A song of peace. It was a song that made one lose all their intentions to kill in an instant. Even people in a hostile rtionship could temporarily hold hands. ¡°Where warble the birds sprightly. May the god, keep you from dangers,¡± The melodies that soared to the limit fall from the sky like spring flowers dancing in the wind. Hans stretched out his hand into the empty air. ¡®I have a mission to do¡­.¡¯ A gentle melody that gently embraces his whole body. He felt strangely drained. He obviously didn¡¯t have time to dy until earlier and thought he had to move quickly. Soon it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Till we arrive at the pool just in view, Where wild swans, those snowy wing¡¯d strangers,¡± He didn¡¯t want to do anything. He just wants to stay in this ce and listen to this song endlessly. This ce¡­.. But where is this ce? Ah, Valentine Grand Duchy. ¡®What about that.¡¯ Valentine. He used to think they were evil and meant to kill, but he doesn¡¯t feel any hostility anymore, and he doesn¡¯t feel like fighting at all. ¡°Come and join we their meeting! Ah!e join we their meeting!¡± Hans had no choice but to let go of the hand holding Aria. *** ¡°Why do people split sides and fight and start wars? It would be nice to get along like us.¡± Hans, who decided to be a pacifist as of today, mutteredmentably as he tucked his chin. And the prey of the rat sitting quietly next to him nodded his head as if in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re on a mission to kidnap me?¡± Aria asked a question. ¡°Huh. I was going to make a threat after paralyzing you with a taxidermist. By offering an antidote, that doesn¡¯t exist, as a condition.¡± Then Hans spit out all the truth without hesitation and was speechless himself. ¡°What the hell of a third-ss viin idea is this? Whose idea is this?¡± The prey then stared at Hans. Hans murmured as if he had remembered it toote. ¡°Ah¡­ it was me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was the third-rate viin.¡± The pacifist Hans looked quite shocked by his personality. ¡®It¡¯s my song, but it¡¯s really¡­¡¯ Sometimes it¡¯s scary to see. Aria wondered how he would react the moment he regained his sanity. She was convinced that he would spit out swear words out of great anger and shame. ¡°No antidote?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s still unfinished.¡± Then, after 5 years of wandering in the dark on the gutter, it seemed that the taxidermist would bepleted. ¡°It¡¯s not a real snake, is it?¡± ¡°Chimera. A created creature.¡± ¡°Chimera¡­..¡± Aria thought about it for a moment. It was kind of weird. Even though it was his master¡¯smand to keep(?) snakes in his body, he couldn¡¯t show an intention to attack her. It was because it was a life that was not born naturally. ¡®That means you were trying to use an unfinished poison for me that didn¡¯t even have a proper antidote.¡¯ She thought so and looked down at the jaguar in her arms. Had it not been for this child, she would have been dragged into the gutter by now, and she would have been used as a threat till her death. She is conscious, but her body is frozen like a doll, and she is unable to move. She can¡¯t do anything ¡®It¡¯s as terrible as a previous life.¡¯ Aria looked around her. She wanted to dig further, but s, before the crowds flocked, she had to decide how to deal with this. ¡°Are you going to hand us over to the guards like this?¡± But she didn¡¯t want to. She was almost attacked, and she didn¡¯t want to let it go that easily. ¡®More than anything else, the gutter rat.¡¯ Even if she hands those two over to the security guards, the gutter rats won¡¯t take any damage. She couldn¡¯t leave them like this. ¡®Perhaps it was because of Vincent¡¯s case that they had proper vindictiveness¡­ ¡® Shouldn¡¯t they be properly informed of what will happen if they make hasty tricks? ¡°Are you of high rank in the gutter?¡± Then he put his hand on his waist as if she was asking the obvious and answered confidently. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m trusted too, and I have quite a few younger brothers.¡± It seemed so. He came up with a seemingly dangerous n to infiltrate Valentine¡¯s Castle and kidnap the fiance of the Grand Prince himself, and even put it into practice. ¡°It means that I am confident in my skills and that I am being trusted.¡± He doesn¡¯¡¯t sound like someone who always does things imperfectly everytime. ¡®That prey must have been selected for its ability to hold taxidermist in the body, and the limb was¡­¡¯ Aria nced at Hans up and down. He suddenly appeared out of the emptiness where there was no one and knocked her down. She felt the flow of magic overflowing the moment he touched Aria¡¯s hand. ¡®He must be a wizard.¡¯ That¡¯s pretty outstanding too. Though he never rebelled and he was beaten by a song of peace, because he had no idea that Aria was a Siren. ¡°Then let the pacifists do this.¡± ¡°Huh? What does that mean¡­¡± Aria remembered the song she once sang to be engraved in the soul. ¡°Love is a rebellious bird.¡± And she started singing. A song that makes the opponentpletely obey. It was an enchanting song. *** ¡°Miss! I came running after hearing that you were alone¡­ Uwaaak!¡± Carlin, who quickly put out the fire and ran to the garden, screamed. Because Aria was lying on the grass and she was babbling. Next to her was the jaguar, groaning as it bit her hem to somehow put her in a safe ce. But it seemed impossible to even carry her on its back as Aria couldn¡¯t lift a single finger. ¡°What the hell is this!¡± The shaman was startled and grabbed her quickly. And he looked thoroughly. Her body was limp as if she had run out of energy, but it didn¡¯t look like anything was wrong. He was relieved in his heart. The fire broke out at a coincidental timing, and he ran, just in case, but it was fortunate that nothing happened. ¡°Thank you. My body suddenly lost strength and I couldn¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Wait, did you suddenly be like this while walking?¡± He stuttered, pale white. He was making an expression that he did not know that such a ss-like body existed in the world. Aria added one more word, ¡®would that be possible?¡¯. ¡°You know. I can now sing a song of healing.¡± She smiled faintly as she turned her gaze to the healthy jaguar. It was detoxified before the body waspletely hardened with the taxidermist¡¯s poison, so there will be no particr aftereffects. ¡°Yes? How? No, wait¡­ Didn¡¯t I tell you not to use your powers until you¡¯re all better!¡± You used your powers forcibly and this is what happened! I knew it! Carlin groaned, screaming and nagging. When Aria, who had been attacked in her eardrum, made a groaning sound, his voice soon diminished. ¡°You¡¯re in a strangely good condition after something like that? Your energy is pretty stable¡­¡± ¡°I borrowed Carlin¡¯s energyst time, but once I made a passage, it was easier from there.¡± It was absurd. She seeded in using someone else¡¯s power once, and then seeded in managing the energy entirely with her own power? ¡®Are you saying that you only hear the theory once and apply it at once without trial and error?¡¯ What kind of genius do you have to be to be able to do that? Carlin stuck out his tongue without saying a word. ¡®Is this how other people feel when they see me?¡¯ he thought to himself. Aria was beyond the scope of understanding him, who prides himself on being a genius. ¡°Why did you suddenly sing a song of healing?¡± Carlin didn¡¯t ask, but he looked around for a moment. Seeing Aria¡¯s condition, he was so startled that it was toote to realize. ¡®.. it smells bad?¡± It was too terrible to the point of wanting to vomit, and it was an unpleasant stench as if something unpleasant was sticking to the whole body. He knew this smell very well. The smell of the gutter. ¡°No way, a gutter rat is here? Did they leave?¡± Aria looked up at him with a look of how he knew that. She sniffed a few times and noticed. It was an incredible dog nose. ¡°No, his limb.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Carlin was stunned at those words. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!¡± ¡°I took care of it on my own?¡± ¡°Oh my God¡­.¡± He was speechless, so he stopped and touched his forehead. It looked like Aria had no realization that she was ten years old. Even if she had a side effect of knowing the future, that doesn¡¯t mean she bes an adult. ¡°So there¡¯s a fire, and thedy sings a healing song¡­ What the hell happened¡­ Ah, am I finally getting killed by my employer?¡± I knew this day woulde, Carlin murmured. He was speaking with a serious face. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to keep it a secret that the gutter side sneaked in.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. Of course I¡¯m going to get killed, but they¡¯re aiming for the Miss who will be the Grand Duchess of Valentine. As an example, they should be punished.¡± The shaman answered sharply. He hated seeing the gutter rat more than dying because the rats looked down on Valentine. ¡°I¡¯ll blow up the gutter!¡± Carlin, who was thought to be rational, sounded like Tristan and Lloyd for a moment. Aria thought to herself, ¡®It seems like you¡¯re a Valentine too¡¯ ¡°You know what self-destruction means?¡± ¡°How can I not know.¡± ¡°Self-destruction?¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly acting like an idiot?¡± Aria shook her head and added, ¡°It¡¯ll going to be like that soon.¡± [Lyrics quote: ¡®Flower Duet¡¯ from Delibes¡¯ opera Lakm¨¦] Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Aria looked down at Cuirre¡¯s special potion. A dark-red liquid with an unknown bubble bubbling. It was a very vicious visual that seemed to take life by vomiting blood the moment it was touched. ¡®Are you trying to assassinate me so proudly?¡¯ But the doctor¡¯s eyes were very solemn. It was full of will to somehow transform her fragile constitution into a healthy one. It was very desperate, as if someone had threatened to kill him. ¡°I was told that you copsed from exhaustion while walking.¡± Aria heard that and raised her head. Tristan leaned his back against the post of her bed, looking down at her with a nted face. Then Cuirre¡¯s shoulders shivered and trembled. He suddenly began to shake his whole body like a blizzard in midsummer. ¡®It seems this is the one who threatened you.¡¯ She roughly expected it, though. At that moment, Lloyd, who was standing opposite the Grand Duke, murmured in a low, subdued voice as if scratching the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s not a physical problem, but¡­¡± Then Cuirre turned his face as well as his blue lips, and started sweating profusely like rain. ¡®Maybe this one too?¡¯ Cuirre seemed to be suffering all sorts of troubles because he was caught between the two Valentines. He is being threatened with death by the Grand Duke and the Grand Prince at the same time. ¡®Sorry. I often get sick¡­.¡¯ Aria had no choice but to stare at Cuirre with a very pitiful gaze for a moment. She thought that from now on, she should not be too reckless and think about the future. ¡°She must¡¯ve got the heat. Out of bounds, there was something called heatstroke!¡± Dana said very hard to herself. She clenched her fists and groaned, unable to hide bitterness towards her ignorance. ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it and I was afraid that she might catch a cold, so I foolishly wrapped a shawl in the summer¡­¡± Without the shawl, Aria would have already been bitten by the taxidermist and would not be here by now. Because of the chiefdy-in-waiting¡¯s excessive worry, she had actually saved Aria¡¯s life. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left the Miss¡¯ side even for a second¡­¡± And Betty squeezed tears. If she hadn¡¯t left Aria¡¯s side, she would have been like the jaguar. ¡®No.¡¯ Since the jaguar is a silent beast, it was kept alive without having to kill it. If there were any witnesses, they would certainly have dealt with it mercilessly. Rather, the two women would have survived because they had not been by Aria¡¯s side. ¡®I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ Aria squeezed her eyes shut and gulped down the mysterious potion. Contrary to the appearance as if possessed by an evil spirit, the taste was surprisingly not as painful as she thought it would be. ¡®Uh¡­.¡¯ This meant that she could barely swallow it without picking up the taste. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re amazing.¡± Dana held out the star candy bottle. Aria took it all in haste and poured it all into her mouth. She seemed to have lost her sense of taste, seeing that she ate the candy in chunks, but had no taste at all. ¡®Instead of getting healthy, I lost my sense of taste. Could this be thew of equivalent exchange?¡¯ But, do they really have the same value? She didn¡¯t know it would be more of a loss. Recently, when she was able to understand the saying ¡®living to eat¡¯, she took it seriously. ¡®Health and taste, which is more important?¡¯ It was cute, though, to see her with a serious expression with her cheeks full of a lot of star candy. Tristan, who was looking down at the scene, began to speak. ¡°Is that really all?¡± Maybe he knows something? Aria was so surprised that she almost lifted her head to the point where it was bent. ¡®No, he didn¡¯t notice.¡¯ Even if someone found traces of an intrusion, there was no way that they would have thought that a child had defeated the unidentified assant alone. She tilted her head, pretending not to know anything. It¡¯s just the jewel-glinting eyes as she stares up and the cheeks munching on the candy, puffed up like a squirrel. At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Aria and did not fall. ¡°Huh.¡± Before Tristan could make a decision, he ced his hand on her head and patted her gently. And he mumbled and burst outughing as if it was ridiculous. ¡°Are you saying this is cute?¡± Aria¡¯s head was pressed hard by the uncontroble, merciless hand. I think I remember being crushed like this before¡­. ¡®Are you trying to pet me?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even guess. She just thought she wanted to get rid of it. ¡°Well, don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do if you¡¯re hurt too badly.¡± Her head shook back and forth and her eyes frowned. Aria wanted someone to teach the Grand Duke how to stroke her hair, she thought. That was the moment. Lloyd, who hardened his expression, pulled the Grand Duke¡¯s hand away from Aria. ¡°Isn¡¯t it painful?¡± And he whispered coldly. ¡°¡­..¡± Tristan was staring alternately between his fingers, which werepletely bent back and his son. ¡°It¡¯s my fingers that were painful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry it wasn¡¯t broken.¡± ¡°It would be nice to have a little more power.¡± What is this bloody atmosphere? Valentine¡¯s two father-and-son¡¯s gazes entangled wildly in the air, and a sense of veiling tension passed. That was then. With the sound of a brief knock, the Grand Duke¡¯s lieutenant appeared. ¡°Your Grace, I think you shoulde out for a while, but¡­¡± Without further ado, Dwayne found Tristan and Lloyd, who was exuding a bloody atmosphere. He just said it was fine. ¡°Ah, the Grand Prince is also here. I have something to tell you two.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­¡± Dwayne red at Aria with a troubled glow on his face. Maybe he thought it wasn¡¯t something he would say in front of a small child. ¡°Tsk.¡± Tristan left the ce with a short click of the tongue. No, he was trying to get away. Aria, who reached out her hand hastily, grabbed the hem of the Grand Duke¡¯s robe and looked up intently. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± Well, she guesses she¡¯ll have to listen to Dwayne¡¯s report, so she caught Tristan. But she couldn¡¯t say that. Aria pretended she was a little child who was sick and wanted everyone to be by her side, as she lowered her eyshes and trembled pitifully. And as she raised her gaze, she hesitated and held out a card. [I want to be with you.] ¡°¡­..¡± [Father and Lloyd. Together.] The two father-and-son looked down at the cards for a moment and were silent. And when they confronted each other, now, with Aria in between, they sat down on either side of the bed. The tense threatening aura that seemed to eat each other quickly calmed down. ¡°Report.¡± ¡°Yes? Here?¡± ¡°She wants to be with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dwayne stared distastefully at the master, who had be unarmed. But when Tristan smiled with a look that was going to slit his neck, he sighed. ¡°They say there was an internal division in the gutter.¡± Internal division? Tristan and Lloyd, who had had no reaction before, looked at Dwayne with surprised eyes at the same time. Internal division in that gutter was unthinkable. ¡°Is this urate information?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± If there¡¯s one thing that bothers them the most, it¡¯s that the gutter rat had never been betrayed by their people. It¡¯s not that the rat is that popr, it¡¯s because they were using dirty ways. ¡°The main figure is a magician named Hans. He was said to be a trusted person at one time, even as a candidate for the closest confidant of the gutter rat.¡± ¡°At the end of the day, a wizard.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s very lethal. It seems that the brainwashing magic that had been applied to the prey was dispelled, and the men under him gathered and rebelled properly.¡± The gutter rat must have been careless as it had never been betrayed. When something he didn¡¯t even have in mind actually happened, he was naturally confused and slow to react. ¡°They say they¡¯re struggling quite a bit because they couldn¡¯t put down the rebels at once. But actually, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± This was also an opportunity to hit the jackpot. Tristan thought for a moment, tapping the handle of his chair, then he said. ¡°There must be a spy from the gutter we ntedst time.¡± Last time he was talking about the Vincent case. ¡°Yes. Once Your Grace gives the order, I told them to prepare to move immediately.¡± Aria heard those words and thought. ¡®Yes, I thought so.¡¯ That her own guess was right. In order to secretly get Vincent¡¯s mother out of the burrow of the prey, they¡¯ll have no choice but to sneak inside. Spies must have been nted then. And there is a high probability that it hasn¡¯t been noticed yet because it¡¯s been a while. ¡®I thought so, so I urged that limb. He seems to have done a good job.¡¯ She was relieved inside. As she listened to the conversation, it seemed that there were quite a few spies nted inside at that time. From those who be the limbs of the rat and deliver information, to those who are deliberately caught pretending to be hostages and leaking fake information. Internal maniption was in perfect condition. ¡®Besides, even the wizard who was trusted by the rat is running rampant.¡¯ Heaven gave them a chance to swallow it whole quickly. Tristan was silent for a moment as if he had fallen into sleep, and then stared intently at Aria. ¡°Hmm.¡± By throwing an insignificant gaze. She felt the corners of his lips curled at an oblique angle quite uneasy. ¡°Finally, the time hase to eradicate these damn pests.¡± Lloyd raised his eyebrows as if he was hesitating, then gave the order instead of the Grand Duke, who had his eyes on elsewhere. ¡°Clean up.¡± Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Finally, finally. She was able to see Sabina in person. ¡®How long have I been waiting¡¯ Aria¡¯s heart pounded at the thought of meeting her soon. [What would be the best gift?] She held out her card, her cheeks dyed red like a watercolor painting. Betty¡¯s hand tickled as she wanted to hug Aria tightly. ¡°A flower?¡± [What flower?] ¡°She tends to like all kinds of flowers, but she also likes the flowers that bloom on the trees the most.¡± A flower that blooms on a tree. Especially in the summer, it is rare. ¡®I think I saw it out the window yesterday.¡¯ Aria immediately ran and looked up at the tree in which the buds were in full bloom. The bright red flower buds on each branch looked like burning mes on top. ¡®Fire Tree!¡¯ This fascinating and colorful flowering tree has a name just as it looks. But it was too high to pick the flowers, so she couldn¡¯t reach them. ¡®Should I call the carrier pigeon?¡¯ That was when she thought so. With a rustling sound from above, the flower buds fell down. Aria widened her eyes and reflexively gathered her hands together to catch the falling flower buds. It was as if a fire had erupted in Aria¡¯s palm. ¡°What, was it you?¡± Aria slowly raised her head at the sound of the voiceing. It was Lloyd. He was standing on a tall tree, stepping on the branches, and climbing gently. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd looked at the branches for a moment, pondering. Then, he sped the most splendid and coveted buds of a branch in one fell swoop. It¡¯s like picking up some loot. ¡°¡­..¡± It sounded like the screams of the tree could be heard. The boy jumped off the tree as if he had aplished his goal. Aria was startled and made a strange gesture as if to ept him, then grabbed his wrist. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Perhaps Lloyd was not a human, but a cat pretending to be human. He had a surprisingly smoothnding. ¡°Is your body okay now?¡± Aria nodded her head and opened her mouth. ¨C I heard that Lloyd was sick. ¡°Me? Am I sick?¡± Then, the boy made a face as if he had never heard that before. What? Wasn¡¯t he so sick that he couldn¡¯t get out of his room and he couldn¡¯t deal with it directly when the gutter rats infiltrated? -Carlin said growing pains. ¡°Growing pain¡­ Ahh.¡± It seemed to bete, but he realized what she was talking about. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡± But when she saw the reaction, it didn¡¯t seem like he was talking about real growing pains. For some reason, Carlin¡¯s reaction was also very questionable. It seemed he was lying. Aria wished Silver had bitten the shaman¡¯s butt properly. ¡°Are you going now? I¡¯ve got this, so you can go right away.¡± To bring the branches. ¡®It¡¯s a little.¡¯ If Sabina cares about the fire tree, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a very good choice. Aria was silent for a moment, and then she took the branches from Lloyd¡¯s hand. ¨C Take this. And she moved the flower buds she had kept in her hands into his palms. What looked full in both her hands was barely enough to fill the palm of his hand. ¡°What?¡± Lloyd frowned again. However, he did not criticize or rebel against her actions. Instead he grumbled a little. ¡°Pruning branches is the surest way to prove to mother that flowers have bloomed.¡± Because it¡¯s not loot. ¡°What are you trying to prove?¡¯ Aria rummaged through her bag and pulled out a card. [Because the flowers are pretty.] ¡°Ha, that card again.¡± Lloyd put a flower in his hand into Aria¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­..¡± With a flower in her mouth, she looked up at him with a questioning gaze. She couldn¡¯t immediately figure out what he was doing. ¡°Seeing you y with flowers like that, I wondered if you could even eat flowers. She doesn¡¯t like it because she wants to eat it. ¡®You don¡¯t think I¡¯m a real rabbit, do you.¡¯ Aria was bewildered, then spit out the flower she had bitten. And she put the flower behind his ear while Lloyd looked away for a moment. Feeling her touch his ear, the boy nced back. ¨C Is there something? Aria smacked her lips quickly. Then he seemed to ignore it. As if he could never have imagined that she would dare to y a prank on him. ¡®If you¡¯re used to pranks, you¡¯ll know right away. Haven¡¯t you ever yed a prank before?¡¯ He was surprisingly naive ¡®The first kiss, the first joke.¡¯ As Aria was admiring him inside. ¡°Pfft.¡± Suddenly, she heard a suppressedugh and turned her head. The red-haired boy who had been silently following Lloyd¡¯s back was desperately covering his mouth. His shoulders tremble. ¡®The name, was it Cloud?¡¯ He was never introduced, but Aria had seen him asionally. He was presumed to be Lloyd¡¯s aide and escort. Although too young to escort the Grand Duke¡¯s sessor, seeing him with a sword around his waist, he must be a knight. ¡®He looked the same age as Lloyd, or at most one or two years older.¡¯ At that age, if he was in a position to assist the Young Master, he would surely be a great man. ¡®But it¡¯s the first name I¡¯ve seen him sinceing here.¡¯ That meant that he was one of those who died in the incident. It felt as if she had guessed the tragedy of another genius boy in advance. When Aria stared nkly, he coughed and lifted his head. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Lloyd asked sarcastically. ¡°You seem to know how tough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The knight clenched his teeth and answered. He couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with Lloyd, who had a flower on his head, and was puzzled. Cloud was in trouble and asked Aria for help. Lloyd noticed that gaze and looked at Aria and Cloud alternately, his expression got even worse. ¡°Your eyes are unpleasant. Turn around.¡± ¡°Yes? But I haven¡¯t gotten to the point where I can turn around and escort¡­¡­¡­.¡± As the atmosphere became more reddish, Cloud neatly resigned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of training. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± And he really turned his back on themand and started walking. Even when obstacles appeared in front of him, he dodged it very skillfully. ¡®What kind of skill is that.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t help but nce at Cloud. Anyone would. But Lloyd didn¡¯t like the fact that her gaze was fixed on Cloud. Lloyd grabbed Aria¡¯s wrist as he had always done it, and dragged her, but then stopped. [Because Lloyd is kind.] It was because that word came to mind. Since birth, Lloyd never once looked back on his actions. He knew that he was far from sociable, but he wasn¡¯t particrly conscious of it, and he didn¡¯t correct it. If necessary, he puts it aside and puts it away if it bothers him. He ran towards his goal, looking ahead. Because he was in a ce to do that. ¡°¡­..¡± But why¡­¡­. Why was he being swayed by such nonsense? ¡®It seems that all the kind people are dead.¡¯ Lloyd looked down at his own palm, and thought. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Aria stopped abruptly and tilted her head to see the boy staring at her as if she was an enemy. ¡®I have to go quickly.¡¯ She has to go and see Sabina. Like Lloyd, she stood. Aria grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand. She squeezed it between her fingers, lest he shove it away, and grabbed it tightly. Before when her fever had risen, he felt as cold as an ice cube. It was neither cold nor hot now. Their body temperature was simr. ¡®It feels good to hold hands. Like an unripe early summer day. As Aria had expected, Lloyd tried to shake her hand away. But it was so tight that he couldn¡¯t shake it off. ¡°Me. It hurts.¡± Aria looked up at him half-heartedly without answering. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to crush.¡± But she grabbed his hand tightly and spoke with the shape of her mouth. -Then it¡¯s okay to crush it. ¡°Ha, how could you say something like that? You know how many times I told you to take care of your body¡­¡± ¨C Because it¡¯s Lloyd. ¡°¡­..¡± Lloyd was speechless and couldn¡¯t say anything for a moment. His eyes swayed vigorously in agitation. It was as if his throat was strangled by the gaze of a calmke that came upon him. ¨C So, can I hold your hand now? Aria was not a weird person enjoying the pain. Since she returned, she never put up with anyone who touched her. But Lloyd was fine. Because it¡¯s Lloyd. ¡®Is there any other reason? Aria took the lead and walked first. As she pulled Lloyd¡¯s arm, he was dragged by her hand. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± A deep sigh was heard behind her back. He said he was going to crush her hand as he was going to shake her off. Lloyd followed Aria¡¯s narrow stride silently. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Aria¡¯s heart beat faster and flushed as she got closer to Sabina¡¯s room. She started kicking her sole to the ground. ¡®I¡¯m nervous.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know what makes the visit so nerve-wracking. Lloyd was both puzzled and dissatisfied with Aria¡¯s reaction he had never seen before. ¡°Rabbit, you were so shameless in front of me¡­.¡± Because it was true that she stroked his hair, kissed him, and held his hand, she smirked and averted his gaze. ¡°Because you never had a face like that.¡± What? Aria looked straight up, but Lloyd only stared forward. This, should she answer or not?. ¡®It seems like he said it out of nowhere.¡¯ As she pondered, they arrived at the door of Sabina¡¯s room. Perhaps as he had oftene and gone, Lloyd naturally opened the door and walked in, so she met Sabina in an instant without having to prepare her heart. ¡®Sabina.¡¯ It was the first time Aria had met her in person. But Sabina was just what she imagined. Her ailment was clear on her face and body, but her spirit was not withered at all. She was stiff andpletely wless, but naturally rxed. ¡®Cool¡­¡­.¡¯ That was the first thought she had. ¡°Are you feeling a little better?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still pain.¡± Sabina shrugged her shoulders and touched the sword adorned next to her. It was in the cab, but it didn¡¯t seem to be for decoration. The de stood sharp and it was maintained consistently, and traces of the years were felt, like the paint staining and discoloration in some ces on the handle of the sword. ¡®As expected, she¡¯s cool¡­¡­.¡¯ One day, when her body fully recovers, Sabina was depicted wielding that sword. Aria looked up at her with twinkling eyes without realizing it. Sabina, who looked at her, grinned and asked in a mischievous way. ¡°Would you like to touch it?¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Lloyd let out a sigh, and he briefly discouraged her from doing so. ¡°Hmm¡± Sabina poked him in a funny way and swiped Lloyd up and down. ¡°ss, ss, ss, train, train, train¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems that youth hase to my boring son who only knows how to study. The fever of first love is more summer than spring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Lloyd shook in reply. ¡°No way. With that hot youth on your head.¡± Hot youth. It is the flowernguage of the me tree. Sabina almost took the red flower off the boy¡¯s head. It was then that Lloyd, who just noticed Aria¡¯s prank, turned his head and red at her. The knights and employees that did not look away all the way. ¡°You ¡­ .¡± [Lloyd looks good in red.] ¡°¡­¡± Ho. Lloyd let out a sigh and ruffled his disheveled bangs. She had the talent to keep him from getting angry no matter how angry he was. *** After that, Aria and Lloyd went to visit Sabina every day. Then, they had an unexpected encounter with Tristan. ¡°Hmmmm.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Tristan raised the corners of his lips crookedly and smiled with a mischievous smile. And Lloyd hardened his expression as if he had seen something he couldn¡¯t bear to see. Aria looked at the two father-and-son without a word. They seemed incredibly out of touch together. ¡®It¡¯s like looking at sworn enemies.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t to the extent of hate. It was more of a one-sided hatred. Aria looked at Lloyd, who looked likeva. The eyes were almost pitch ck. ¡®Before, it wasn¡¯t this bad?¡¯ After all, it was right before Vincent was kicked out. And in another situation, they had to agree with each other over the gutter rat issue. The situation outside was getting more serious, so there would have been no time to pay attention to each other. ¡°So, you suspected the child to be a spy and tried to kill her before? Are you going to get married now?¡± Then Lloyd was surprised. The momentum to jump out at any moment and cut off the Grand Duke¡¯s head was slowed down for a moment. Tristan leaned back without a smile. ¡°Do you think I will allow it?¡± It was the tenacity of a daughter-fool father, who said that he would never marry his daughter to any bastard. ¡®No, His Grace has no daughters and only two sons.¡¯ Besides, the bastard he was wary of was his own son. Dwayne, who watched the scene from afar, was very excited. ¡°Who made this child my marriage partner in the first ce?¡± Lloyd did not lose and responded. With his arms folded and his head tiltednguidly. ¡°And you were going to build a y park when before you were going to toss the rabbit for dog food.¡± Then this time, Tristan had no choice but to harden his expression. ¡°Do you think you are qualified to talk about permission?¡± Silence fell between the two father-and-son. It was as if invisible sparks were flying as they confronted each other without a single step back. ¡°You both are trying to kill me.¡± It was Sabina who broke that silence. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Are you both out of your minds?¡± Tristan and Lloyd sunk at Sabina¡¯s eyes burning with anger. At that time, both of them deeply regretted it. ¡°What the hell were you two doing while she was wandering around for a while?¡± Sabina opened her arms towards Aria without hesitation. ¡®Are you asking me toe closer?¡¯ Aria hesitated, blushing, and she approached. ¡°Where in the world can I touch such a small and precious baby?¡± Sabina grabbed Aria¡¯s waist and lifted her, and ced her on her ownp. She was so strong that it was hard to believe that she was a person on the brink of life-and-death just a few days ago. The red eyes stared gently at Aria. Because she was worried that there might have been some trauma left in the child. But Aria just sat there, blinking her eyes wide. ¡°Is this what it is?¡± With her hawk¡¯s eyes, Sabina found a very faint sword mark on the nape of Aria¡¯s neck. With her expression hardened, she nced at her husband and son, sharper than the de. [I¡¯m fine.] Aria took the card out of her bag. [I came prepared for everything.] Of course, she expected to be rejected. For this life, she was risking her life to save Lloyd. If she were to die at his hand, she thought it would be impossible as it is. However, seeing the card, Sabina¡¯s expression was crumpled like a piece of paper. ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡¯s okay. If you keep saying that, you¡¯ll think you¡¯re really okay.¡± How can that be okay? Sabina said firmly. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be okay. That is nothing to say even if you hate these two father-and-son for the rest of your life.¡± The two father-and-son who were mentioned without a story, flinched at the same time. While confirming the existence of a conscience that she didn¡¯t even know existed, and she wasn¡¯t supposed to know in the future. ¡®As expected, the Madam¡­¡­!¡¯ The Valentine¡¯s onlymon sense! Dwayne was so moved that he almost apuded. The moment it came out of Sabina¡¯s mouth, seeing Sabina speaking without hesitation in the murderous remarks made her relieved. ¡°It sounds like a thing of long time ago to hear.¡± Aria nodded her head. When it¡¯s their first meeting. When they see someone they don¡¯t know, that might be the case if the nature of their meeting was to take up swords instead of greetings. That¡¯s what she thought¡­¡­. ¡°But it is just something that happened because it¡¯s been a long time?¡± Sabina said somethingpletely unexpected, and Aria became confused for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to those two until you get a proper apology. And if you don¡¯t want to forgive them, never forgive.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s been a year. They didn¡¯t even know you were hurt.¡± Obviously this¡­¡­. Aria red at Lloyd without realizing it. He also looked at her with aplicated expression as if his thoughts had increased. ¡®You just can¡¯t take care of your wounds.¡¯ ¡®You look like an idiot who didn¡¯t even know you were hurt.¡¯ She definitely has heard the same thing. ¡®That¡¯s what he meant.¡¯ Lloyd knew what state Aria was in. And she realizedter. In her previous life, she suffered a lot of worse things that can¡¯t bepared, so what she experienced at that time was really nothing. She received sincere affection from the employees. Someone is willing to run around for her. Someone is willing to find out what she likes and do it for her. Someone is willing to get mad at her whenever she gets hurt. Thinking about it after she became friends with Tristan and Lloyd. ¡®I think I got hurt.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t hurt. The calluses around her wounds were hard enough for her to bite in pain. Aria had a tearful face. She suddenly became sad. It was the first time she felt this way. ¡®Is this sadness?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she was afraid to die or anything like that. Her feelings for Lloyd didn¡¯t change either. ¡®That can¡¯t be true.¡¯ It was just a little bit of her heart pounding. As Aria shed tears and stifled her nose, Sabina hugged her tightly without hesitation. Aria smelled a faint herb in Sabina¡¯s arms. ¡°Both of you, get lost.¡± Sabina beckoned her husband and her son to go away. Lloyd¡¯s tenacious gaze was fixed on Aria for a moment and did not fall. However, for this time, he had no choice but to back away. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡®There¡¯s nothing worth kicking out for.¡± Aria stopped her tears and stared at the closed door. Her feelings of disappointment did notst long. She¡¯s easily provoked by sensibilities, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s swayed. As long as she wasn¡¯t brimming with ill feelings to the point of revenge, she didn¡¯t have any regrets about the past. ¡®More than that¡­.¡¯ Sabina and her were left alone. She had a lot of questions. Although unfortunately all the questions were something Aria couldn¡¯t ask. Then Sabina said, stroking Aria¡¯s hair gently. ¡°From now on, please pour out a lot of cursing. If you hit because you were born needlessly strong, it will only hurt your fist.¡± Cursing? Aria instantly recalled the swear words she had learned from Lloyd. ¡®You¡¯re a bastard that¡¯s killing me¡­¡­ ¡® No, that¡¯s a bit. ¡®Should I really do it?¡¯ She was in agony. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. No matter how badly I acted like a jerk, it¡¯s only for my husband and my sons.¡± At Sabina¡¯s words, Aria couldn¡¯t hold back for a moment and almost burst outughing. Biting her lip, she desperately held back. Then, as if she shouldn¡¯t, Sabina pulled the bitten lip between her teeth with a stern expression on her face. ¡°Laugh if you want tough.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You can do whatever you feel like.¡± Aria rolled her eyes. ¡®Do whatever I feel like?¡¯ It was a difficult request for Aria. Sabina was telling her to express her feelings. The corners of Aria¡¯s lips raised, like a habit. But Sabina said ¡®Oho¡¯, sternly, and pinched her cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t smile like that.¡± She was caught. Aria was genuinely surprised. She sometimes forced herself tough, but no one noticed it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look good to me, so just mess around like a kid. Just like my sons.¡± Aria remembered Lloyd and Vincent, who were messing around like a child. ¡®Neither of them are affectionate, but they¡¯re really a mess.¡¯ A smile like the wind blew out. Then Sabina smiled happily at her and hugged her tightly. ¡°Yes, like that.¡± As Sabina said, it was very difficult for Aria to act like a child. It just became a habit. Hiding emotions, swallowing, smiling. ¡®The Grand Duke must have said something simr to me.¡¯ He said she can cry if her heart permits. It¡¯s okay tough and it¡¯s okay to get angry. ¡®How can I say what I feel?¡¯ No one cared about how she felt. Even her followers, who fell at Aria¡¯s feet, didn¡¯t want to know if she was happy or in pain. ¡®As expected, do couples resemble each other? Saying that, she had no choice but to hug Sabina. Aria crouched, blushing, and hugged Sabina¡¯s back tightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay to tell me your secrets, if you can afford it.¡± And at Sabina¡¯s next words, her shoulders trembled. It was the answer to a question she kept wondering, but couldn¡¯t ask directly. ¡°If you have a little secret, no one will me you, no one.¡± Aria raised her head in Sabina¡¯s arms. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Spring Fairy?¡± Then Sabina kissed her on the forehead and smiled softly. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Sabina knew it from the beginning. Aria¡¯s identity. *** ¡°You got kicked out.¡± Tristan pulled out a cigarette and muttered. Lloyd, who was treated like the Grand Duke and was forcibly kicked out, frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll just go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Was he asking because he doesn¡¯t know? ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡± The boy turned his back without regret. As if he didn¡¯t deem it worthy of dealing with Tristan. Tristan then lit a cigarette and burst intoughter. ¡°Venting your anger is meaningless.¡± Meaningless? This wouldn¡¯t have happened if the Grand Duke didn¡¯t say useless things in the first ce. But Lloyd admitted it. The root cause is in himself. ¡®Regret¡¯ was it? Lloyd obviously regretted it. For the first time since birth. If it was possible to turn back time, he would dly do so. ¡®Why¡­..¡¯ Why so far? The boy questioned himself. ¡®What is with me.¡¯ From the first time they met, he didn¡¯t know. It would be more urate to say that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off. As if something is still stuck, as if something is missing. ¡®Because of the unpleasant sensation of knowing and knowing nothing in the end.¡¯ The sensation was simr to that felt when seeing a traitor or detecting a dangerous person. So when Lloyd saw Aria for the first time, he misunderstood his senses and almost killed her. Though he knew it wasn¡¯t like that now. ¡®Being too blind.¡¯ Is it sane to say that it is okay to crush her hand because it¡¯s Lloyd? ¡®What do I say?¡¯ He had no memory of doing anything to the child that would have meant that much. Rather, it was Tristan, not Lloyd, who should be thanked by Aria. ¡®Oh,e to think of it.¡¯ She obviously said so. She said she wanted to bring back the happiness that the person who saved her could have enjoyed. At the time, he couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. ¡®Isn¡¯t that person the one who saved you? Lloyd stared intently at his own father. It was a gloomy gaze that gently oozed a threatening aura. Tristan exhaled his smoke slowly and smiled strangely. ¡°You seem to have something to say.¡± ¡°To that child¡­¡± The boy licked his lips as if hesitating for a moment, then wrinkled his eyebrows and spoke. ¡°¡­¡­what did you do?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Rescue, as you might hear.¡± Hoo. Tristan raised his eyebrows as if in surprise, and he answered gently. Because it looked interesting. ¡°I gave her advice.¡± ¡°Are you talking about counseling¡­?¡± You? Lloyd couldn¡¯t believe that at all, so he nced at Dwayne. Then Dwayne replied sullenly. ¡°Well, you can call it counseling.¡± Even though he said that he would rip the mouth, pluck out the eyes, or cut out the wrist during the consultation. ¡°Yes. He said he¡¯d absolutely be on her side.¡± Was that what it meant? Dwayne was full of doubts, but the listener was moved anyway, so he convinced himself that it was. ¡°Then they ate.¡± ¡°A meal?¡± It sounds like she hadn¡¯t eaten properly before then. Lloyd asked urgently. ¡°You mean she couldn¡¯t even eat properly?¡± He knew her body was weaker than the average, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be that much. Then Tristan clicked his tongue as if Lloyd didn¡¯t know that before. ¡°The only things she can eat are soups, drinks, and candy, and even that, she vomited after eating the normal amount.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± He didn¡¯t know that. He had no choice but to be so. Until he went to the academy, Lloyd had no other thought but to kick out Aria. ¡®A child who will soon disappear anyway.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even care. He gave her a fountain pen to rece the broken quill and ordered her to eat dessert before he left. She said marshmallows were delicious, so he thought she would like them. Not knowing that Aria could hardly even eat dessert in those days. ¡®I have given my authority¡­.¡¯ Although it was definitely impulsive. There was absolutely no need for it, but Lloyd himself didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Other than that, I took care of the other things that seemed necessary and the things that seemed annoying.¡± Tristan mumbled, ¡®Hmm, that kid deserves like me,¡¯ he nodded, convincing himself. If it was left as it is, he looked like he would brag by taking out all of the cards that he robbed from Aria. ¡®Therefore¡­.¡¯ Lloyd was deep in thought. The Grand Duke spoke only of things that would normally be called rescue. It was Tristan who had saved her in the first ce from her biological father, Count Cortez. ¡®That¡¯s why she decided to marry me in order to repay the favor to the Grand Duke.¡¯ So helping Vincent not get kicked out, and so does following Lloyd so blindly. ¡®Now I understand.¡¯ At the same time, he felt very dirty. It was as if he had been drowning in mud. More so because he didn¡¯t know why he had to feel that way. ¡®We¡¯re going to get divorced when we¡¯re an adult anyway.¡¯ What is the purpose of a contract marriage? Aria wants to repay the favor. Lloyd couldn¡¯t leave Aria alone, who would alwayse back from where she was, hurt. That was enough for him. Their interests would be mutually satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you.¡± It was then that Tristan spoke. ¡°Ariadne Cortez.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Everything has flowed positively since the child came, as if trying to show hope in this rotten reality.¡± Two men with the surname Valentine never believed in miracles. When there is a cause, there is also an effect. Cherry blossoms bloom twice in spring. Sabina¡¯s illness is also getting better. Suddenly, a holy thing that they didn¡¯t even know existed helped Vincent. It was also an idental opportunity to sweep the gutter that used to be a thorn in the eye. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t a blessing from God, it was the result of someone else¡¯s creation. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must have guessed, too.¡± The cause is Aria. The Grand Duke said so. Ahhh is this the start of a long-standing misunderstanding?? Like Lloyd didn¡¯t think Aria cared for him and only does it for Tristan?? Not the other way around?? Aaaaaa. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Surely Lloyd had certainly doubted that a few times. However, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you wanted to keep her by your side because you thought it was the child¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°Stop the nonsense.¡± Sparks flew from the boy¡¯s eyes. It was the eyes that hadpletely broken the string of reason that had been holding on to it, though narrowly. ¡°What burden are you afraid of carrying on a child who has never even felt a warm touch?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide his threatening energy at all this time. To the extent that a jaguar wandering nearby reacts to its owner¡¯s threatening energy and shows its teeth wildly. ¡°You¡¯re forcing her to repay the favor?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°So are you doing that?¡± Lloyd let out a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. Whether that child has any special abilities or not. Even if she¡¯s a protective shield, I¡¯ll never use it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even dream of it. If so, I will inherit the title of Grand Duke immediately.¡± Lloyd means that if Tristan made fun of him carelessly, he¡¯ll kill him. Has he ever seen such a bastard? But Tristan was used to the situation. He knew and was ustomed to Lloyd¡¯s desire to kill him, so he only replied with a crooked smile. ¡°Aria, just touch it.¡± Lloyd left without looking back. The jaguar, assimted with its owner¡¯s feelings, growled and threatened once, then followed the boy. ¡°He has a good brain, but he¡¯s very misunderstood. Is it because he was young?¡± About the time Lloyd waspletely out of sight, Tristan tilted his head and wondered so. ¡°He has a tendency to judge hastily.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s still not good at anything. And you said something that could be misunderstood.¡± ¡°I knew he was going to be. It¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll really be killed.¡± Is that cute? Lloyd¡¯s intention to kill was sincere. When that dayes, it is very likely that he will pierce Tristan¡¯s chest with his sword and say, ¡®I¡¯m getting your title, Father.¡¯ Dwayne thought he would never understand his master for the rest of his life, no, even in his death. ¡°I was just wondering if the kid had that long-sought after key in Garcia.¡± Tristan muttered a little. ¡°Yes?¡± Dwayne, who had not heard, asked. Then Tristan spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s enough to marry my daughter.¡± ¡°Who is whose daughter¡­.¡± That¡¯s your son over there. The Grand Duke¡¯s lieutenant no longer bothered to refute, so he shook his head. *** ¡°Today, priests wille from the Great Temple.¡± Aria¡¯s shoulders trembled at Dana¡¯s passing words. [The Great Temple of Eden Faith?] ¡°Of course, is there another Great Temple?¡± Eden Faith. It was also the state religion of Garcia, the Holy Empire, and the only remaining religion in the world. In Eden Faith, worshiping other gods other than the one believed in was called heresy and idtry. To put it simply, it meant that spies from Garcia woulde to Valentine¡¯s Castle. ¡®I expected it.¡¯ Every person had to ask God for permission to marry. Of course, what they meant as permission, was just a formal report saying, ¡®We are getting married.¡¯ So, priests areing from the Great Temple of the Eden Faith¡¯s Pa Branch. ¡®But I know that usually we only need to deliver documents to the temple.¡± Are there times when theye directly to you? ¡®It¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ Aria hid her identity. And she could get married hiding her identity. After all, Count Cortez renounced his custody, and Aria was amoner who now did not even have a birth certificate. [Should I meet the priest?] ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± Dana firmly shook her head. ¡°Why does our preciousdy have to meet the petty priest?¡± Petty priest¡­. Aria had a shaky expression on her face. Anyway, that was rather fortunate. ¡®It won¡¯t be a big deal.¡± Aria was relieved, washed and fell asleep. *** Annoying noises. A sharp exchange of words could be heard. Aria suddenly woke up. ¡®Who is fighting?¡¯ The sun has gone down. Aria looked out the window curiously and went out of her room. She paused her steps for a moment, stood and listened, it wasing from downstairs. It was so far away she couldn¡¯t tell what they were talking about. Apparently, they weren¡¯t the employees. ¡®Outsiders?¡¯ The vi was almost exclusively upied by Aria. But it was originally a ce reserved for the vassals or guests. Since the vassals had been sheltering themselves after the Count Beaufort incident, there was a high probability that they were guests from outside. ¡°I think it would be better to eavesdrop.¡± It was intuition. Aria stalked down the stairs and put her ear to the door where she heard the voice. ¡°Shh, lower your voice. What are you going to do if someone is eavesdropping?¡± What a surprise. Aria pulled her ears off for a moment and pressed down over her fluttering heart. ¡°You¡¯re worried about everything. How can anyone hear what¡¯s going on in the room?¡± It sounds very clear. The voice was mediocre, but the gentle tone that caught her ear had the power to focus the audience. It¡¯s like a person who makes speeches. ¡®Well, it sounds like an ent I¡¯ve heard a lot somewhere¡­¡­¡¯ Somehow she was used to it It was when Aria was tilting her head. Their conversation continued. ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t know either.¡± Brother? ¡®It was a priest from Garcia.¡¯ She quickly discovered the identity of the opponent. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re sending Garcia¡¯s precious talents to Valentine¡¯s.¡± Send talent? ¡°Don¡¯t you know that there is no choice. In the world, there must be darkness in order for light to exist.¡± ¡°But to say it¡¯s an apprentice, it¡¯s nothing different than a hostage!¡± Hostage? What are they talking about? ¡°I can¡¯t let those children be infected with evil. How thoroughly I have managed to prevent them from learning evil since they were young!¡± ¡°Still, you can¡¯t live in a temple for the rest of your life. For those children, if you think of it as a kind of training¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early. It¡¯ll be too early. Are you saying that because you don¡¯t know how quickly children get into their surroundings?¡± Aria was at loss as she listened to their conversation. ¡®Sending a child from Garcia to Valentine¡¯s.¡¯ Looking at the prospect of talent, did they send a candidate for a new priesthood? ¡®I never heard of it.¡¯ Even Aria, who knew most of the rumors that had spread in the world, had no idea what they were talking about. That said, it was a top secret that should not be known to anyone. Most of the things rted to Valentine were top secret, though. ¡°If you send an apprentice to Valentine¡¯s, they will surely be tainted with evil,mit sins and fall. I guarantee!¡± Well, that¡¯s a bit¡­. Aria, who is living well at Valentine¡¯s Castle, was a bit dumbfounded. Garcia¡¯s strict standards of goodness have always been difficult to follow. ¡°Then let¡¯s do this. Have you ever heard of a child who developed divine powerte this time?¡± ¡°Are you talking about that aspiring knight? His name is¡­. He, with the name of an angel.¡± An angel¡¯s name. ¡®Gabriel?¡¯ Aria stiffened. ¡®Themander of the Holy Knights of Garcia.¡¯ In her past life, he killed tens of thousands of people. He took the lead and ughtered the people of the Pa Empire. The dead bodies were cut, ripped, and frozen by his hands, and they were lying scattered on the side of the road. ¡°All of this is God¡¯s will!¡± He constantly shouted with divine power in his voice. ¡°Knights of the Kingdom of God, do not be shaken. What you are doing is only a process of purifying the soul!¡± ¡°Do not hesitate to kill them! They are already tainted and cannot be undone. The only way to save them is to free them from the bondage of their tainted bodies!¡± It was madness to justify his blind beliefs. Even if she dies, she will never forget that scene. The voice of the mad knightmander was still vivid in Aria¡¯s ears. ¡®No, no.¡¯ She immediately shook her head. ¡®I can¡¯t be sure.¡¯ Is there one or two people with angelic names in Garcia? Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, others. In the Holy Empire, the names of angels weremonly borrowed. ¡°They said he came from the lowest ce.¡± ¡°Ah! We can send that child!¡± The priest who insisted that no one could be sent to Valentine¡¯s spoke with a voice that suddenly became brighter. The lowest ce. A ce full of all evil in the world. If he was born and raised in a corrupted ce anyway, they wouldn¡¯t mind sending him to Valentine¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s good. The divine power that was developed after growing up is a very unstable power.¡± ¡°Before, he told me to give him a chance to hone his skills. He wanted to be strong quickly. There is no one like him.¡± ¡°Haha, of course. I¡¯m relieved now.¡± With those words, the door was about to open. As soon as the doorknob turned, Aria immediately clung to the wall. ¡°Maybe with a little bit of luck, he¡¯ll volunteer himself.¡± Her body was hidden behind the door, and the footsteps of the priests were getting farther and farther away. ¡®Something about the conversation¡­ ¡® Chapter 46 Chapter 46 A candidate for a priest who has been nurtured and cherished since childhood cannot be let go. Because it can be tainted with evil. But it sounds like a rolling stone from the lowest ce won¡¯t be cared less whether they fall into evil or not. It was tant discrimination. ¡®Besides, wanting him to volunteer on his own means making it his own choice and letting him take on the responsibility.¡¯ As expected, humans are humans. Even for a priest who stands in the church and preaches the doctrine of God. Aria knew a little about how the priest apprentices who were educated under him grew up. Because they made a great contribution to making war as sacred as possible in front of the Church in the future. ¡®What is good and what is evil.¡¯ ording to Garcia¡¯s standards, is it good to listen to the Pope and evil to not listen to the Pope? One thing was certain. ¡°Valentine representing evil and Garcia representing good are the same.¡± The essence was no different. ¡®Anyway, it seems that soon someone with an angelic name wille as an apprentice from the Holy Empire.¡¯ The priests didn¡¯t seem to mind. It seemed that they had to send a child with divine powers to Valentine¡¯s. ¡®Because there is no way to do such a loss without any profit considering Garcia.¡¯ Is there some kind of contract? Aria had no choice but to doubt. ¡®I thought that Valentine and Garcia were opposites of each other. Did they have a rtionship?¡¯ When there is darkness, there is also light. They obviously said so. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Does it mean that Valentine is necessarily evil? That¡¯s thew that governs everything in the world, though. ¡®But there seems to be something deeper¡­..¡¯ It was when she was immersed in her thoughts. ¡°What are you doing standing in the hallway?¡± Suddenly Lloyd¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, ask them to sing a luby.¡± Aria looked up at the approaching boy and pped her lips. ¨C Sing it for me. ¡°No, are you crazy?¡± Lloyd let out a harsh sound without realizing it, then rubbed his lips. As if he had made a mistake. ¡°Not me. The chief handmaiden or something.¡± ¨C I don¡¯t like anyone but Lloyd. ¡°You keep saying things like that, so I¡¯m mistaken¡­¡± Ha.¡­. The boy sighed deeply. Aria looked at Lloyd, wiping his bangs wildly, and she suddenly wondered. ¨C It seems that we often meet at the detached vi. ¡°Well, one of the rooms here is being used as my office.¡± Aria widened her eyes. ¨C Really? Even in the same building, it was not on the same floor, so she didn¡¯t seem to hear Lloyd¡¯s voice. If she had known earlier, she would have gone for him. She looked disappointed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± He thought she knew it. In a ce overlooking Lloyd¡¯s office window, she would always stand looking up at the sky endlessly, as if asking to take a look. Even when it rained on. He wondered what the purpose was. ¡°You just had no idea.¡± Aria heard those words and tilted her head. Lloyd rubbed his finger against his heated earlobes with an expressionless face. He knew for the first time that he lived with so many misunderstandings up to this point. ¨C Lloyd. Then Aria pulled Lloyd¡¯s hem, who was turning his gaze away, and pped her lips. ¨C Your mother told me to curse at you. ¡°¡­..¡± This was another development he hadn¡¯t thought of. He said after being silent for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­Where are you going to do?¡± Lloyd thought it¡¯d be better off listening to her cursing. Even if that makes her feel better. ¨C I¡¯ve never cursed. ¡°You probably know.¡± This person. Aria thought for a moment before she poured out the swear words she knew. ¨C Retard, half-wit, dumb, monster, f***, stupid bastard¡­. It stopped right there. It was because she couldn¡¯t think of it anymore. ¡°Thest thing was the one I taught you.¡± -Huh. ¡°Did you hear somewhere else about the rest?¡± That¡­.that¡¯s how it is. Aria didn¡¯t answer the question, but Lloyd was already convinced. The back of his hand was tightly engraved with veins, and his jaw tightened. His eyes, which had darkened as pitch-ck, shed a tant expression of threatening energy. ¡°I should have taken care of it sooner.¡± Count Cortez. Aria instantly figured out who the boy was thinking of now. It wasn¡¯t aplete misunderstanding. ¡®The secondst thing I heard from Carlin.¡± She¡¯ll keep this a secret forever. Aria swore to herself. It was difficult for her if the capable and useful shaman was sent to the underworld. This time Lloyd spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re bothering me, I just realized that I care about you for no reason. Although it¡¯ste.¡± Aria was confused as to how to take these words. He cared about her for no reason. ¡®Are you saying in a roundabout way that you cared for me because I look like your mother when she was sick?¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s words continued. ¡°I understand why you want to marry me and I have decided to ept it.¡± It seems like he¡¯s talking while grinding his teeth. Aria became even more lost as she read the hazy resentment from the boy¡¯s ck eyes. She wants to give him happiness in return for being saved by Lloyd. ¡®In the end, he will be angry, but¡­..¡¯ Aria had a time-limit. The fact that she would die anyway was also the reason why shepletely hides that she can sing a siren song. ¡®Still, it would be a shock if someone who he had been married to for 10 years died suddenly without saying anything.¡¯ Angry with himself and with his partner. So Aria was never going to tell him her own circumstances in detail. Then Lloyd will remember her for the rest of his life. ¡®Lloyd, will outlive me. I don¡¯t want him to carry the guilt for nothing.¡¯ So, a light sympathy was enough as Lloyd decided to marry Aria. ¡®It¡¯s rather the best scenario.¡¯ They stay married as they are, and when he bes an adult he can go out and find the rest that he didn¡¯t know about. ¡°Are you listening to me?¡± It was when she was in deep thought. Lloyd narrowed his eyes and pulled Aria¡¯s cheeks to either side. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± It looked really serious. His hand was fiddling with Aria¡¯s cheek. He just stretched her cheeks without much thought, because he liked the feel. ¡°Marshmallow¡­¡­¡± Is this serious? Aria, caught by Lloyd¡¯s serious expression, was stunned for a moment. When she showed her sullen eyes, the boy let go of his hand and coughed a little. ¡°I made my own judgment and threatened your life and made it difficult.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I want to apologize.¡± Aria was startled. It was because Lloyd sped her hand politely and bent one knee to the floor. ¡°It will never happen again.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I swear, Aria.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes, who had always been cold, seemed deep for that moment. Even the end is invisible. Aria couldn¡¯t take her eyes off theke-like eyes that illuminated the night sky. He called her ¡®Aria,¡¯ For the first time. ¡°Never again, no one will be able to deny Ariadne Valentine.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t go anywhere. This is your home.¡± My home. ¡®¡­ home?¡¯ Aria had no home. She lived in a cage with iron bars. She was a livestock raised in strict confinement. Where is the luxury of talking to and expressing emotions to livestock that are desperate to live day by day? The Siren¡¯s only worth was singing, and it was thanks to it that she survived. ¡®Home.¡¯ It was a more miraculous word to her than the siren song. She never dared to wish, believing that even if she died and woke up, she wouldn¡¯t have it. Aria¡¯s eyes, who had reacted bluntly to everything he did, shook greatly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m your husband now.¡± ¨C Am I, Lloyd¡¯s wife? ¡°Yes, Wife.¡± Lloyd replied bluntly. He didn¡¯t make a bitter face, nor did he make an awkward face as if he was spitting out unfamiliar words. Just as he would say that apples are red by its natural definition, he called her his wife. ¡°If you allow it, I¡¯ll tell the employees of each department to prepare for the wedding as soon as possible.¡± Wedding? Naturally, she thought that when they got married, they would only exchange documents in an informal way. ¡®I don¡¯t think we can do that?¡¯ Aria was perplexed. Because weddings of young nobles were prohibited byw. That was the privilege of only those who had the right to hereditary powers to the throne. In other words, the only person that can hold a wedding at such a young age is only the Crown Prince. ¡®That skeptical and inflexible Emperor would certainly take it as treason.¡¯ He will definitely run wild. Or, he can remember the incident forever and use him of itter. Aria was well aware of the current Emperor¡¯s personality. Because she¡¯s been watching him closer than anyone else. ¨C It¡¯s illegal to hold a wedding. When Aria asked, Lloyd replied. ¡°You still follow thew. When did you see the Valentine¡¯s do thew?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± That¡¯s right¡­. Aria had nothing to say. If the Emperor wanted to nitpick the wedding, they would have to catch up with the shaman who was zing in Valentine¡¯s castle. He was a criminal just by his existence. ¡®Then, what the Grand Duke said wasn¡¯t a joke?¡¯ Of course, she thought it was a joke to say that he would give her a wedding as luxurious as the Empress¡¯. But it wasn¡¯t. ¨C But then it¡¯d be a blemish for Lloyd when you remarry again. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¡°What nonsense¡­¡± Lloyd¡¯s hands were tense His eyes darkened ck and he rubbed his lips, but when Aria frowned, he let go of her. The boy gritted his teeth and spoke as quietly as he could. ¡°There¡¯s only one marriage in my life. You¡¯re the first andst.¡± Do you understand? Aria paused for a moment at the question, and then slowly nodded her head. Because he said it when he was still young. ¡®When you grow up, you will change your mind¡¯ He stared intently at the back of her hand, which was red with the handprint. His brow wrinkled, but he looked like he was agonizing in a gaze that asked, ¡®Does it hurt?¡¯ ¡°I have to let the world know you.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a ghost, Ariadne. You exist here.¡± Aria patted the back of her tingling hand, and hardened. Ariadne. Every time he called his name, her heart felt strangely pounding and rattling. Is that okay? Can he tell the world about her? ¡®That¡­..¡¯ Her heart raced faster when he said she wasn¡¯t a ghost. Not a siren, not a ghost, not Ariadne Cortez, ¡®Ariadne Valentine.¡¯ It meant epting herself as his family, not her songs. She was afraid. She was looking forward to it. Contrasting emotions disturbed the regr rhythm of her heart. ¡®No, I can¡¯t.¡¯ All the memories of her previous life shed through Aria¡¯s mind. Naturally, Aria had no choice but to think about the past first. Lloyd, who read her anxious gaze, added with a savage smile. ¡°I wanted to set an example for what would happen if someone dared to touch you.¡± Aria looked at Lloyd¡¯s wicked smile, and the him in the future ovepped for a moment. With a lush rich voice, the devil who announced her revenge and plunged her into hell. ¡®Ah.¡¯ At that moment, Aria realized. ¡®I like you.¡¯ She seems to have liked him a long time ago. Even back in time, she saw Lloyd alone and came to the Grand Duke¡¯s residence without any countermeasures. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t noticed this before. ¡®But I think I like you even more.¡¯ A person who gives salvation every time for no reason. A person who is consistent even when she takes off her mask. A person who tells her that she can stay here even if she doesn¡¯t prove her worth with a song. A person who she wants to live again with even if there is another life. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I realized this now.¡¯ It¡¯s bad luck. Aria bit her lip. ¡®You can¡¯t say that.¡¯ It is better to bury this heavy heart for the rest of her life. Lloyd shouldn¡¯t know. Instead of giving happiness, what if she gave him a burden of her heart that he might carry for the rest of his life? ¡°¡­..¡± A storm broke out inside Aria. But she captured all of her feelings and pretended to be as calm as possible. ¨C It¡¯s forgiven. Then a small smile formed on the boy¡¯s lips. The sweet scent of hyacinth emanating from the crevice of the window filled the hallway. It was the name of a flower that said even if it dries and withers, the fragrance never disappears. ¡®It hurts.¡¯ Aria slowly patted her own heart. Her heart continued to pound and she felt it fall to the ground. *** ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± To Veronica¡¯s worried words, Gabriel answered with a faint smile. ¡°I wille back stronger for sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± The saint bluntly rebuked him so that he wouldn¡¯t get hurt for no reason. However, the boy evaded an answer with a hazy smile and got onto the prepared carriage. Soon the carriage departed. Valentine. ¡®I want to protect the saint from all threats. So that she can be free to do whatever she wants¡­.¡¯ Gabriel stared out the window. Veronica¡¯s figure, waving her hand, grew smaller and smaller. ¡®Five years.¡¯ It¡¯s short and long. Gabriel had to stay on Valentine as an apprentice during that time. It was something he volunteered for. ¡®The priest said that ¡®the devil malice¡¯ must be purified with divine power.¡¯ It was a contract of some sort, passed down from generation to generation between Valentine and Garcia. Once a generation, they sent a young priest with great divine power to purify evil as a kind of training. Malice exactly means ¡®malignancy that has been corrupted after being possessed by the devil from hell¡¯. And he heard that the younger they are, the better their ability to purify that malice. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to brother. Valentine is a very dangerous ce. But there is no better ce to practice your divine power.¡± The boy dly epted the offer. Because he thought it was a good opportunity given by God. But he couldn¡¯t understand it apart from that. ¡®Valentine. Devil worshipers.¡¯ Why were they helping them? At least in Garcia, devil worship was strictly forbidden and the punishments were very strict. The suspect was taken away by a heretic inquisitor and tortured, and if they were found true for doing devil worship, they would be trialed. ¡®Valentine is the territory of the Fa Empire, so even if they are worshipers of the devil, we have no choice but to leave it alone.¡¯ He understood that part. But then, why do the Holy Empire have to purify it? ¡®Isn¡¯t that what happened by borrowing the power of the forbidden devil?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something to be helped. It¡¯s a matter between empires, to annihte and overthrow the evil devil worshipers. ¡®This is not right.¡¯ Gabriel thought so. However, he had no choice but to participate in this unsessful n. He had no power over himself yet. ¡®But when I be strong and be an adult.¡¯ Then, I will expose this to the world and make sure the devil worshipers receive their due punishment. Gabriel promised. He never dreamed that he would meet the girl he could not have saved again at Valentine¡¯s Castle. *** ¡°Will the wedding cake sheets be vani or chocte?¡± The baker asked seriously. So Aria also answered seriously. [Strawberry vor.] ¡°Understood!¡± Then, the chef gave instructions to the assistants with an expression that had reached enlightenment of the principles of the world. He was needlessly determined. Not only that, but representatives of each department were moving in unison and preparing for Aria and Lloyd¡¯s wedding. [Everyone looks happy.] At that moment, Vincent, who was sitting across from her, answered. ¡°It must be because they saw hope.¡± He was constantly snacking the meringue cookies that the baker had specially prepared for Aria. The chef nced at him with sullen eyes. [Hope?] ¡°Isn¡¯t the Madampletely cured of her illness?¡± Originally, the marriage of the head of the household was an auspicious asion. ¡®Normally it is.¡¯ But has there ever been a time when Valentine¡¯s weddings, where the mistress had to die giving birth to the heir, a ceremonial asion? If Sabina, whom they thought was only going to die, had not recovered, the marriage would still have gone on like a formality. ¡°It¡¯s a vague hope that Valentine¡¯s curse, which has been passed down from generation to generation, ispletely over.¡± Employees will be able to bless the marriage of the sessor for the first time in their lives. At least a festival was about to take ce. ¡®Perhaps I will break that hope.¡¯ Aria was somehow sweating. ¡®This marriage is also going to break down.¡± She thought that her time-limit should never be discovered. In a simr context to wanting to protect the innocence of a child. ¡®But before I die, I intend to get rid of the cursepletely. I hope they can see it that way.¡± She thought, smiling bitterly. ¡°There is no way the curse can be lifted.¡± Although Vincent struck the candle right away. Aria had no choice but to ask. [You know something?] ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know.¡± What. He doesn¡¯t even know. He was furious as she narrowed her eyes and looked at him pathetically. ¡°The Valentine¡¯s secret is a top secret known only to the head and the heirs.¡± [Still, I thought you could guess something.] ¡°The fact that the Madam was cured has nothing to do with Valentine¡¯s curse.¡± [Then what is it?] ¡°There must have been an external factor.¡± Aria was startled, but she seemingly maintained her unconcerned guise. Whenever she saw him as a genius, he smirked and showed off, but it seemed that his mouth wasn¡¯t the only thing alive. [How do you know that?] ¡°Because even if the curse has been lifted, Valentine is still full of ¡®malice¡¯.¡± Malice? It¡¯s the first time she heard it. Aria stared at him and sent a gaze to ask for an exnation. ¡°Damn it. Was it a secret?¡± Then Vincent sighedte. ¡°Brother will kill me¡­¡± The boy squeezed his long, shiny blonde hair in agony. It was going to be ripped off right before his death for moving his tongue in front of Aria. ¡°Ah, I thought you knew! How could I have known that you were overprotected to this extent!¡± [Can¡¯t you tell me sooner?] ¡°Look at this. If you look at this personality, you will know that I don¡¯t have to go around recklessly.¡± Vincent sighed. As he had already said so far, hiding it was meaningless. He eventually divulged the truth he knew about malice. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°Well, it¡¯s only a guess. The rumors people are talking about are also based on reality to some extent.¡± The first Head of Valentine was once loved by God. And there was a time when Grand Duke Valentine was revered not as a symbol of evil, but as a hero. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know. What happened back then is no longer in the records.¡± God trusted Valentine. So God gave him an oracle. ¡°When the day of salvationes, he will judge the human world himself.¡± And God specifically ordered. When the day of salvation came, he was ordered to go down to hell and annihte the devil, the source of evil. ¡°But instead of annihting the devil, he sumbs to the devil¡¯s temptation.¡± He betrayed God¡¯s expectations and summoned the devil to thisnd before the day of salvation came. Even sold his soul to the devil. ¡°Actually, it was because he was afraid of being saved by God. He didn¡¯t want to leave the human world and go to God¡¯s side, and he didn¡¯t want to let go of worldly things.¡± He had a lot of regrets in this world. Thend, power, and wealth he cultivated. The praise for being a hero. It was for absolutely human reasons. ¡°God was deeply disappointed, and God decided not to engage with humans any longer. And Valentine was forced to live their life epting the curse for the sin of freeing the devil and opening the gates of hell.¡± After sitting quietly and listening to all the stories, Aria came to one conclusion. [God was wrong.] ¡°What?¡± Vincent asked as if he didn¡¯t expect Aria to react like that. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± [Why entrust such an important task to humans? What you can do.] ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± Why was it? Vincent reacted as if he hadn¡¯t thought of it that way. [If the first Head hasid the foundation, God will rule thend and suck the honey.] It came out again, a sharp tone. ¡®Suck honey*.¡¯ He was about to burst outughing. ¡°Where else did you learn those words?¡± Vincent began to be very curious about the next piece of Aria¡¯s writing. [And the reward was to leave all the precious connections in the human world and go to God¡¯s side. Then what about family and friends? They will be judged by God too.] Of course, he didn¡¯t think of it that far. Family. Vincent deeply sympathized with that. As he tried to get his birth mother out of the gutter. ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s true. All his family could go to hell.¡± Aria then held out her card seriously. [And how do you know if God will make you do it again? If you follow the orders diligently, then get the honey sucked again? I think I¡¯ll just go on strike after just getting to taste it.] ¡°Puhaha!¡± Ah really. He couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing out loud in the end. ¡°You¡¯re really spheming.¡± [Because I¡¯m Valentine.] ¡°Yes. You¡¯re absolutely Valentine.¡± Anyway, Aria seemed to understand why this story didn¡¯t go public. Because it was a story that the people of Garcia would seriously believe. ¡®It¡¯s like someone made up a novel.¡¯ An instructive story to be recorded in the temple. Aria¡¯s reaction was overly sarcastic because she thought so in her heart. Vincent seemed to have guessed her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s better to filter the stories that are passed down because it¡¯s bound to be adapted. If you look at the facts here, it¡¯s like this.¡± Vincent summed up the conclusion. ¡°Valentine¡¯s ¡®devil malice¡¯ is passed down from generation to generation on the direct bloodline. Also known as the curse.¡± Aria nodded her head. ¡°As a result, it has irrevocably corrupted Valentine.¡± Even animals that are so huge that you think they are monsters. Even the residents of the estate who are strong at a mutative level with being immune to any poison. Parasites that survive even if they are roasted in a fire and kill people . ¡°It¡¯s all a product of corruption.¡± Aria tilted her head. ¡®I understand what you mean, but wouldn¡¯t it be good if the body was strong enough to be immune to poison?¡¯ If money could buy such a body, the nobles would give their entire fortune. [I don¡¯t know if corruption is bad just hearing about it.] ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s all been purified.¡± [Purified?] ¡°The divine power can periodically purify malice to keep it at this level.¡± Vincent said as if he remembered it toote. ¡°Come to think of it, a priest apprentice from Garcia wille soon.¡± Oh, that¡¯s why. Aria was btedly able to understand the conversation the priests had that day. ¡°If Valentine¡¯s curse corrupts more, it¡¯s their loss after all. It¡¯s an unavoidable symbiosis.¡± It was Vincent¡¯s conclusion that no one knew what the consequences would be if the ¡®devil¡¯s malice¡¯ was further corrupted here. ¡°It may lead to the destruction of the world.¡± Aria heard those words and thought. ¡®In other words, Valentine is like a time bomb that is unknown when or where it will go.¡¯ This was the reason why even the emperor couldn¡¯t touch it carelessly. She could only vaguely guess, but after hearing the clear exnation, it felt like she could grasp it more. Finally Aria found out the secret of Valentine that she had wanted to know for so long. And the solution too. [Then it will be over when wepletely purify the devil¡¯s malice.] ¡°Of course, that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± Vincent¡¯s response was, ¡°Who can do what the Pope couldn¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that? But it¡¯s impossible. If it could bepletely purified, why would Valentine have suffered for hundreds of years?¡± Aria thought. ¡®Because I wasn¡¯t there back then.¡¯ It was Aria who, with her healing song, did aplete treatment that even the Pope could not do. Unless they die, she cures all ailments. It was the reason her song was called a miracle, and also why she was feared, contained, and attacked in the Holy Empire. ¡®And among those with such powers, there would have been no one who was as persistent as me to break the curse.¡¯ So she could. [I can.] ¡°How?¡± [Somehow.] ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have anything nned for it.¡± But it was weird. Since Aria says it¡¯s possible, he really thinks it would be. He thought it was possible that such a miraculous thing could happen. ¡®Like that one day when she appeared like a warrior carrying the judgment of God.¡¯ It waster he learned that the relic came from the shaman Carlin, but Vincent did not believe it. To be honest, he doesn¡¯t think anyone with Valentine¡¯s surname would believe it. ¡®There are only fools.¡¯ Vincent let out a smirk. If they had a personality like him, they would have dug up and investigated what secret Aria was hiding sooner¡­. ¡°If sister-inw says so, I guess.¡± But he didn¡¯t want to argue. He just wanted to watch. He simply trusted and supported Aria entirely. *** ¡°Good morning, Young Madam.¡± Aria rubbed her eyes and stood up. A girl who looked to be about sixteen woke her up. She said good morning in a mutter with a spaced out expression. ¡®Young Madam?¡¯ It was the first name she ever heard. So, is Sabina the Elder Madam? ¡®Kind of cute.¡¯ The employees must have put their heads together and thought hard about the titles of the two Madams. ¡®Elder Madam, Young Madam.¡¯ Aria smiled unknowingly. Then the girl¡¯s eyes, who had been staring at her as if possessed, became more hazy. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her?¡¯ Aria realizedter. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t wear a rabbit mask anymore.¡± Aria groped her empty face. Since she took off her mask, Gina and everyone she meets has a face like that. ¡®At first, I thought it was shocking to see something so ugly¡­ ¡® She was mistaken because of her past memories. However, she soon found out that it wasn¡¯t. Because everyone gathered and praised her. ¡®Did they say that it was like a mysterious appearance, reminiscent of fairy tales?¡¯ At first she thought they were joking, but it turned out to be real. Even Vincent, who doesn¡¯t say empty words even if being beaten to death, looks at Aria¡¯s face and says, ¡®as expected, she¡¯s a face genius**¡¯. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe it.¡¯ Aria waved her hand in front of the stone-hardened girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Gasp!¡± She came to her senses btedly. [Who are you?] Then the girl hurriedly grabbed the end of her skirt and bent her knee. ¡°My name is Marronnier. I am going to serve the Young Madam in the future.¡± Then, Dana, who approached, added an exnation. ¡°She¡¯s a kid who was framed and kicked out the other day. Fortunately, the criminal was turned in to the Knights Order, so she was able to get rid of the false usation ande back.¡± It was something she had heard of somewhere. ¡®No way¡­..¡¯ *) A ng for when you take benefit or advantage of something, self-exnatory actually :p **) A term for someone who is very beautiful or gorgeous or handsome, [like your face is talented (gosh that makes no sense)] Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Aria looked back on what had happened several months ago. The attendant overheard the siren¡¯s song and threatened to try singing more. She heard that they have been using innocent people and habitually collectingpensation. ¡®Is this the maid who was kicked out then?¡¯ Aria stared at Marronnier. She had a cute impression, but perhaps she had had a lot of hardships, so her body was dry and her face looked haggard. ¡°She was originally a child of the main pce, but the Elder Madam suggested that she stay with the Young Madam.¡± If it was the Elder Madam, it would be Sabina. ¡°Now is the time to slowly look for attendants for the Young Madam¡¯s side.¡± Dana said so. ¡°Take her by your side and, if you like her, appoint her as the handmaiden.¡± Dana¡¯s words were as if the decision rested entirely with Aria. ¡°Actually, there is something I heard from the Elder Madam.¡± Then Marronnier looked into Dana¡¯s eyes and staggered closer to Aria and whispered in her ear. ¡°I heard you saved me.¡± Aria was startled. ¡®How in the world¡­ ?¡¯ Only the attendant had to know what made him turn himself over for all the crimes he had evermitted. At that time, Sabina was lying ill. ¡®Even if she found out that I¡¯m a siren, does she usually guess that far?¡¯ Don¡¯t ordinary people think of each as a separate event? ¡®Or maybe only Sabina, who was watching everything from a distance, was the only one who could link the case.¡¯ Aria was a bit fuzzy. She did something that no one knew, but someone noticed. She felt like she had been caught. ¡°Actually, I asked my uncle to send me here.¡± Then Marronnier brought out unexpected words. ¡°I have received a favor that I cannot repay even if I die, so I want to live only serving the Young Madam until I die.¡± Aria only relieved the injustice, so why was Marronnier saying that it was a grace that cannot be repaid even if she dies? But Aria understood why Marronnier said that. ¡®Because she was kicked out under the disgraceful false usations of being a thief.¡¯ Once rumors of her spread, no one would have hired her. ¡®Her livelihood must have been cut off.¡¯ She can¡¯t imagine how much Marronnier must have suffered alone, so Aria couldn¡¯t push her away. ¡®Actually, I had no reason to push.¡¯ It was the first time she had a handmaiden in charge. Aria scratched her cheek with embarrassment, then wrote down her card and held it out. [Please take good care of me, Marronnier.] ¡°Of, of course. Young Madam.¡± Marronnier nodded her head vigorously, with a blush on her face. Aria looked at the eyes trembling with emotion. ¡®You seem to be abouting of age soon.¡¯ It seems that she has no choice but to see Maronnier as her younger sister because of memories of her previous life. Aria smiled cutely without realizing it, and she stroked her hair. ¡°Heuk, Madam stroked me!¡± Marronnier made a fuss, then caught Dana¡¯s re and closed her mouth. *** An emergency summon was issued. All the vassals who guarded the estate were brought up to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. All of this happened overnight. [Already? How?] If they were on the border of the Principality, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to travel a full fortnight in a carriage to the capital of the Grand Duchy. Then Marronnier put on her new pajamas and said, ¡°I heard there are moving scrolls distributed to each estate to be able to use in case of an emergency.¡± Aria suddenly remembered the moving scroll that Carlin had given her. It¡¯s very expensive, he used to boast. Is it? [What kind of emergency?] ¡°For example, wartime situations¡­?¡± Aria was stunned. Is this marriage as dire as a wartime situation? ¡®It is a huge abuse of power.¡¯ In front of her, it seemed as if the vassals were holding their backs. [Since the vassals have gathered, will there be a meeting soon?] ¡°Perhaps it is?¡± Aria had a worried expression on her face without realizing it. Then Marronnier exined to her reassuringly. ¡°The name is just a meeting, but most of it is a formal process. No matter what conversationse and go at the meeting, the Grand Prince will do as he pleases.¡± In the normal case, though. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be that easy.¡¯ The vassals will surely oppose it with terrible anger. Because things are different now. ¡®I¡¯d love to spy on the meeting, too.¡¯ That way she can prepare ahead of time. *** That night, Aria sneaked out of her room. It was possible because she had not yet been officially assigned an escort knight. ¡®There was also the case of Sir Anjou.¡¯ Best of all, when Aria called, she had wolves and jaguars running right away. She didn¡¯t seem to feel the need to attach an escort knight. It was a relief. ¡®The conference room was next to the reception room on the first floor. She went to the back of the conference room building, stepped on thewn, through the garden trees and explored the surroundings. ¡®There it is.¡¯ Fortunately, she was able to find a window that was slightly open. Aria carefully poked her head through the gap. And Vincent followed her leisurely. ¡°¡­..¡± How did he know and followed her? Aria quickly turned her head and stared at him without a word. The boy shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Sister-inw¡¯s behavior pattern has already been analyzed.¡± What the hell is that¡­ ¡°You seem to appear in every ce you don¡¯t have to, but you always want to be at the center of the incident.¡± Aria was terribly offended that she had been spotted by Vincent. ¡®A sharp child.¡¯ Seeing the curious expression on his face, he seemed to have followed her because it looked interesting. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Aria then ced her index finger on her lips as if to be quiet. And she again looked inside the window. Inside the conference room, Lloyd, who was sitting at the top of the table, asked while looking at the crowd. ¡°That is all. Is there have any objections?¡± At the same time, there was a bang and a beating on the desk. ¡°It¡¯s impossible! You can¡¯t even say where she came from!¡± ¡°If she was born into a noble origin, why can¡¯t you say where she came from?¡± ¡°Even an illegitimate child would be more honorable than not being able to reveal the origin!¡± ¡°Even if she¡¯s amoner, why can¡¯t it be revealed? You have to exin the reason for us to understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough to say that we can¡¯t talk about it, it¡¯s absurd. Maybe she¡¯s from the gutter¡­¡± The reaction was as expected. The wedding was meant to announce Aria¡¯s existence to the world. Then Aria could not hide her identity. They¡¯re finding fault with that now. ¡®Originally, they wouldn¡¯t have had any reason to oppose it, as I would only give birth to an heir and die.¡¯ As Vincent said, after Sabina was cured, people saw a vague hope. ¡®The vassal is no exception.¡± They saw the hope of a rise in status. They were obsessed with trying to somehow drive Aria out and put their own child in the ce of the Grand Duchess. If the curse can be healed, if it has been resolved, then they will no longer just have to have children and die. ¡®A chance to be an influential extended family.¡± They couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity. There is a reason why they immediately ran as soon as the summon was issued. ¡°Isn¡¯t this why you were really determined to clear the gutter this time, in order to erase the blemishes of your fiancee without a trace?¡± ¡°Honestly, we have no choice but to be skeptical. Isn¡¯t the timing too coincidental?¡± ¡°Why did you wait and watch the gutter rat and now¡­¡± The vassals eventually drove the opinion as if Aria was from the gutter. ¡®Like Vincent.¡¯ Do they think that Lloyd would have no choice but to reveal Aria¡¯s origin? If such a humble origin was revealed like that, they¡¯re going to bite her even more fiercely. Vincent clicked his tongue next to her. ¡°The pattern is the same every time.¡± Right. Weren¡¯t they bored of it? ¡®But it¡¯s a method that works so well, so perhaps they¡¯ll use the same method every time.¡¯ They said it knowing that if they pointed at the gutter, Lloyd would react sensitively. ¡®Ah, maybe Lloyd¡¯s doubts will rekindle.¡¯ Aria thought so. He said that they sent spies before they cleared the gutter, so he won¡¯t take the suspicions of buying her off. Because he didn¡¯t borate on why he couldn¡¯t reveal the fact that she was the Siren¡¯s daughter. However, ¡°Sister-inw, what are you worried about? The answer is decided anyway.¡± Vincent looked at her seriously hardened face and said with a smirk. ¡°Brother is the answer.¡± That was the moment. ¡°Didn¡¯t I talk about everything?¡± The voice of the arrogant ruler was heard. Anguid tone mixed with boredom and annoyance like a wild beast looking down at a swarm of mice squeaking under my feet. Shrrinng¨C A sharp metallic sound rang out. Aria looked inside the window again wondering what it would be. Lloyd drew his sword from the scabbard around his waist and pointed it at the vassals. He rested his upright back against the back of her chair, and with the elbow sped in the handle, threw and caught the sword with both hands as if ying. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Does anyone have any objections to my marriage?¡± The crowd was silent. A heavy silence descended upon them as they were unable to even squeak, crushed by the ruthless aura. Soon, the voices that had been resounding all the way to the outside of the conference room, ceased to be heard. ¡°None? Then agreed?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Unanimously. I knew you would agree.¡± Lloyd smiled contentedly. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 And he hardened his expression coldly again, as if he had never smiled. ¡°I believe that everyone was prepared and made fun of their mouths.¡± The vassals who were unanimously opposed to those words shook their shoulders. They looked clearly in fear. ¡®Drawing a sword in the conference room¡­.¡¯ If that¡¯s the case, then why did he call the vassals in the first ce? ¡®How can he do that?¡¯ Aria felt strange. No matter how much Lloyd was Valentine, he had not yet inherited the title. ¡®He¡¯s just the sessor.¡¯ But he was leading the meeting on behalf of the Grand Duke, and no one questioned it. Rather, they took it as if it was natural, and they couldn¡¯t even make a sound at the outright threats. ¡°You must be prepared to pay the price for insulting my bride.¡± ¡°Grand, Grand Prince¡­¡± ¡°Look forward to it.¡± A subtle murderous energy was sharply melted into the low words. Aria couldn¡¯t move from the spot as if her hands and feet were tied tight. She was weird, too. ¡®It feels¡­..¡¯ She always wanted to solve it with Siren¡¯s song, as she has always been. Since the vassals will be staying overnight in the castle, they will go to their respective rooms and she was going to brainwash them. But she thought she might have to go find Carlin again, as her body hasn¡¯t been able to brainwash a lot of people at once. ¡®But it was solved at once.¡¯ Lloyd. ¡®It was my job.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just her job anymore. ¡®Because we¡¯re a couple¡­.¡¯ An insult to Aria was the same as an insult to Lloyd, and what will happen to Lloyd will be Aria¡¯s future. Now officially. ¡®Now that I see it, I don¡¯t have to move behind the scenes without anyone else¡¯s knowledge.¡¯ Now, there were people who realized her true identity as the Siren. Sabina and Carlin. Aria knew that both of them would never reveal Aria¡¯s identity in front of others. ¡®Vincent didn¡¯t tell me anything, but he analyzes my behavior patterns at will.¡¯ However, he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of exposing or provoking Aria¡¯s secret. It just meant that he was always watching her with interest. ¡®Maybe he wants to be my person.¡¯ Little by little, she was starting to feel it. That she had a ¡®family¡¯ now. *** That was then. ¡°¡­ Young Madam and Second Prince?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Vincent turned his head in fright. Aria was less responsive than Vincent, because before she heard the voice she felt a little bit of presence. She just stared at the other person. ¡°I came here because I felt a presence, but what is going on here¡­¡± It was Cloud. ¡®Lloyd¡¯s escort knight.¡¯ He must have never imagined that Aria and Vincent were hiding. Cloud put the sword he had pulled out halfway back. ¡°Are you really going to try to cut us?¡± Vincent asked with a stiff expression. ¡°The Grand Prince ordered that all witnesses be dealt with¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± At that moment, Vincent sighed briefly and showed an outright dislike expression. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Aria was more surprised at Vincent¡¯s reaction than to be caught hiding and eavesdropping. It¡¯s the first time he shows a sign of disdain in front of a person. ¡®I¡¯ve seen many times that he just flipped it with a big smile.¡¯ Aria was intrigued in her heart, and she watched them both with interest. ¡°It seems like I should report to the Grand Prince that the two of you are here.¡± Cloud said as if to notify them. The reaction was the most sensible of all the ck Falcon knights Aria had ever seen. To the point that she can¡¯t help but admire a bit. ¡°No, why would you do that?¡± But Vincent just found it absurd. ¡°Weren¡¯t you secretly listening?¡± ¡°I just saw a development that was sufficiently predictable even if I didn¡¯t see it right in front of my eyes.¡± He frowned and responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°I knew they were going toe out like that.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you secretly listening?¡± Cloud repeated the same thing. Vincent looked a little tired. ¡°Let¡¯s just move on. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a big deal, I¡¯ll report it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, let¡¯s notplicate things for nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s notplicated. I¡¯ve seen you two here, and I¡¯m just reporting what I saw.¡± ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake!¡± And Vincent seemed to explode in the end. ¡°If you report it, Sir Cloud will get scolded for almost shing sister-inw! Sir, don¡¯t you think about it? Why are you so inflexible?¡± ¡°What is flexible?¡± ¡°What¡­..!¡± Vincent let out a gasp. And he murmured in disbelief, as if he had seen the end of the world. ¡°¡­don¡¯t you know about flexible?¡± When he sounded ignorant, Vincent wasshing out with all sorts of sarcastic remarks. ¡®There were quite a few times when I really wanted to hit you when you¡¯re talking about intelligence to the point that it was so severe.¡¯ But to say that they don¡¯t know how to be flexible in front of such a person. Aria seemed to understand why Vincent was overreacting to Cloud. ¡°You don¡¯t know about flexible, how do you know the word report? How do you know the word witness? Do you know the dictionary meaning of processing? How the hell do you know about presence!¡± ¡°I just said I don¡¯t know because I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Aaarghh!¡± Vincent couldn¡¯t control his temper and staggered as if dizzy. Then Cloud supported him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°You have a badplexion.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want help from a gori who talks!¡± ¡°Are there such creatures?¡± It¡¯s you, you! Vincent roared. ¡°How do you know the word creature!¡± He must have been very shocked that there were people who did not know flexible. ¡®Maybe he really doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ Cloud was about the same age as Lloyd, but he even joined the ck Falcon knights. Above all, he was enough to take on the task of escorting the Heir Apparent among the many knights. Even if they can hold a sword from the age they can¡¯t even walk, it¡¯s impossible without great talent. ¡®It looks like he just put all of his effort into his innate talent.¡¯ Just like Vincent studied more desperately because he was a gifted genius. What about being a little ignorant? He just has to do his job well. ¡°I don¡¯t know what flexible is, but if you teach me, I¡¯ll learn.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m going to faint.¡± He shook his head and muttered. Then, this time, Cloud looked down at him as if he couldn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s unbelievable how he gets excited about trivial things by himself, and then he copses from exhaustion. ¡°You seem too weak.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Vincent stopped, lost his words and shut his mouth. ¡®Extreme geniuses find each other.¡¯ It would be nice to get along well. ¡®Hmm, no. This is a bit¡­¡­¡¯ He¡¯s the only knight that makes Vincent mad. As she saw Vincent lost his reason and ran rampant, as if the core that had umted inside him was unraveling. As Aria was thinking so, a familiar voice came from behind her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± It was Lloyd. Vincent was screaming so loudly that he couldn¡¯t help it, even if he tried to ignore it. Lloyd stood next to Aria and asked absurdly. ¡°Why are you being so noisy?¡± Aria picked up her card and pointed to Cloud at those words. [After the ceremony is over, I want Sir Cloud to take over my escort for a while.] And seeing the card, Vincent¡¯s face turned pale. *** ¡°Smile, Young Madam!¡± Aria looked curiously at the clear ss marble that was facing her. ¡®It¡¯s a video sphere.¡± It was the first time she actually saw the video sphere. For it was forbidden to record the Siren singing. It was, of course, a rule that Count Cortez had set at will. It was based on the logic that the Siren should be scarce and that they should not be easily essed through video. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you are so lovely. Even the fairies in the forest will be mesmerized when they see the Young Madam.¡± Dana admired and took a picture of Aria. ¡°That¡¯s right. When the Young Madam bursts intoughter, the white snow from the sky will mistake it as spring and will melt by itself!¡± Far from stopping Dana, Maronnier was taking another step. ¡°You know what? I was looking for the Young Madam for a long time in the flower garden yesterday. But I soon realized that it was useless.¡± She said, shaking her head. ¡°No matter where I looked, I couldn¡¯t quite reach the brightness of the Young Madam.¡± Stop it. Aria reached out her hand and covered the girl¡¯s mouth. She felt like she was being brainwashed as she listened to their quick conversation. Marronnier said ¡®Eupeup!¡¯ ¡® and shook her head to and fro, then Aria finally took her hand away and let out a sigh. ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe me. You always looked suspiciously.¡± Aria looked at herself in the mirror. Her image was reflected in the mirror she had always avoided because she was afraid to face each other. Chapter 51 - [Illustration] Chapter 51 [Illustration] Marronnier said, sticking her head out from behind her back. ¡°Young Madam. You know the saying that when you fall in love, that person looks the most beautiful in the world? I fell in love the moment I saw you, Young Madam.¡± It was an unexpected love confession. It was also the most pure and lovely confession of love in the world. Aria in the mirror rolled her eyes like a rabbit and smiled. Then Marronnier hugged her behind her back and said, ¡°So, I want Young Madam to please love the person in the mirror.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°So that my love won¡¯t be pitiful. Yes?¡± The person in the mirror. She looked in the mirror and saw very bright pink eyes. The color was so brilliant that it could be believed to have been made with a delicate pink sapphire. Her hair, which looked just as white as snow, shimmered in a pale pink color as the sun shone over her head. ¡®The face I always see in the mirror.¡¯ Homever, it seems she had never tried to look closely. ¡®My eyshes are incredibly long.¡¯ Although the pigment is close to white, it is inconspicuous. ¡®Eyes that are clear andrge.¡¯ That¡¯s why it seemed to give a more mysterious impression. ¡®The facial features are well bnced, and the corners of the mouth are pretty when I smile.¡¯ And both cheeks were always blushing rosy. It is not a standardized beauty image. But there was definitely a unique beauty. Aria seems to understand why people call her a fairy just by looking at her. It was the first time she had had such a thought, so she looked even more carefully. ¡®Oh, I see.¡¯ Even if everyone in the world criticized her for being ugly, it would have been enough if only her people told her that they loved her. ¡®That¡¯s all I needed.¡¯ Aria smiled somehow. She doesn¡¯t know yet what it means to love herself enough to make her look the prettiest in the world. She had a strong conviction that if she spent time with her people like this, sooner orter she would find out. ¡®How to love me.¡¯ Aria turned her back and hugged Marronnier tightly. Then Marronnier smiled ¡®hehe¡¯ and said that I love you again. ¡°I love you!¡± ¡°Have you confessed your love to my bride now?¡± It was Lloyd. The boy who stopped by the bride¡¯s waiting room just in time tilted his head slowly. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re a couple. I¡¯ll take care of it right now.¡± Marronnier sighed and hid behind Aria¡¯s back. Although she was taller than Aria, so she was not hidden at all. The girl, who trembled like a prey when she had found a natural enemy, whispered softly. ¡°I don¡¯t think my love is deep enough to ept the duel of the Grand Prince.¡± Both of them were making serious jokes. Aria grinned and walked over to the boy who was leaning on the doorstep with his arms crossed. ¡®Usually, he only wore a white shirt and ck pants neatly.¡¯ He looked like a different person when she saw that he was wearing a fancy robe. And the hair that was messed up without taking care of it at all. Today, the hair was properly arranged, and the curls were like waves. ¡®Oh, there¡¯s a mole under the right eyebrow.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know because he had been covering it with his bangs all this time. And. ¡®¡­ I don¡¯t know where to put my eyes.¡¯ Aria was a little embarrassed. Somehow he looks different. Lloyd also looked at Aria and was silent for a moment. ¡®Is it strange?¡¯ Her skirt was inted with frills, and her waist was ented with a cute ribbon. It was a wedding dress designed with a cute feeling rather than a shy and elegant one. ¡®Because I was still a ten-year-old kid.¡¯ It was created by Grand Duke Valentine by inviting the best designers in the capital. ¡®It can¡¯t be weird.¡¯ The hair that came down to the waist was neatly arranged with perfume oil. On top of it was a crown-shaped decoration made of tinum and diamonds. Aria hasn¡¯t worn makeup yet, but she was lightly dusted with the glittering pearl powder over her eyelids. To be honest, today¡¯s Aria was a bit pretty even for herself. ¡®I¡¯ve never thought of myself as pretty, even once in my life, but it¡¯s pretty good if I look pretty.¡¯ It was when Aria tilted her head. Lloyd covered her face with a veil. Huh? ¡®How can the groom put on the bride¡¯s veil¡­..¡¯ Aria gently lifted the veil that covered her eyes and looked at Lloyd. ¡®Well, never mind. I think Lloyd is the most beautiful in the world.¡¯ Today he was like a painting. A painting called ¡®Ink Painting¡¯ from the eastern continent came to mind. She¡¯s only seen it once, and the contrast between ck and white was so sharp that it was a static and neat style of painting. ¡®Is it like a neat orchid because of the red and transparent skin around the eyes?¡¯ She acknowledged it. If Lloyd had looked in the mirror, he would have seen his change yet wouldn¡¯t have reacted at all. Aria pped her lips and praised the boy outright and frankly. ¨C You¡¯re beautiful today. Really pretty. ¡°¡­..¡± Then, the handsome young man¡¯s eyes instantly turned into a beast. His face wrinkled disgustingly, and Lloyd, who hurried over, lifted Aria straight up. ¡®Gasp!¡¯ She was about to scream. Aria covered her mouth and opened her eyes wide. Startled, her heart pounded and ran wildly. ¡°Who are you saying pretty to?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You should look in the mirror and talk¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What is that? Aria bit her lip, thinking she might burst intoughter. ¡°What is that expression?¡± Lloyd raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t seem to be aware of what he was saying. ¡®Young Lloyd is cute.¡¯ Aria knew him very well, who wouldter be Grand Duke Valentine. ¡®I wonder how he will react if I mention today¡¯s event after he grows up.¡¯ Just in time, Dana seemed to be busy filming them with the video sphere. She was making evidence that could not be refuted. ¡®Someday I¡¯ll have to tease you.¡¯ Aria promised that day. Lloyd, unable to understand Aria¡¯s ns, said with a small click on his tongue. ¡°I thought you gained weight. It¡¯s the same.¡± He headed to the soon-to-be ceremony venue, holding Aria. Aria started to panic btedly at that time. ¡®Oh, wait. I have no intention of entering in such a conspicuous way.¡¯ As she struggled, Lloyd grabbed her even tighter each time she did. ¡®Why are you so strong?¡¯ She still thought he was tall and skinny because he was a young boy. She was held in his arms, so his muscles were tant. Because of that, she really couldn¡¯t move. Aria eventually resigned and stretched her body. And she chose to cover her face, which was hot red, with both her hands. *** After many twists and turns, the wedding started safely. Since the bride and groom were young, the ceremony was omitted as briefly as possible. And Aria couldn¡¯t even recite her wedding vows. However, Lloyd, the mastermind behind the wedding, seemed to have no care whether or not it was a formality. ¡®It¡¯s a wedding that was hosted at the risk of being seen as a sign of treason to the emperor.¡¯ Aria¡¯s existence was widely known to the world, so the rest doesn¡¯t really matter. ¡®Then he has achieved his desired purpose properly.¡¯ Because Lloyd touched the privileges of the heirs to the throne, and now it is a wedding that will go down in history. Aria shook her head in her heart. They exchanged rings with each other in the prayer room of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. ¡°Rabbit, reach out your hand hurry.¡± Is this really the new groom¡¯s way of talking? It¡¯s just a formal marriage, but she wanted to make it feel like it was supposedly something. ¡®Suddenly he became less cute.¡¯ When Aria made a sulky expression, Lloyd raised his eyebrows in response. The boy carefully ced the ring over the white gloves she was wearing. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd looked at the ring on Aria¡¯s hand and put a satisfied smile on his lips. ¡®It¡¯s not like he was happy to wee me as a bride.¡¯ Aria was puzzled, and she looked down at the ring she was wearing. ¡®Wow¡­.. It¡¯s sparkling.¡¯ It was a deep blue diamond. Moreover, this unusually shaped crafting method was certainly the ¡®starry joy¡¯of the Memorial Jeweler. It got its name because it sparkles like star dust sprinkled on the dark night sky whenever it receives light. ¡®No matter how the Valentine¡¯s family is, it¡¯s such a high-priced jewel for a wedding like a child¡¯s y that will soon be divorced.¡¯ However, upon closer inspection, it was something different from ordinary jewellery. Like the fluctuating Milky Way, the inside of the jewel shook constantly. This was an artifact with magic. ¡°Close your eyes and imagine you¡¯remunicating your thoughts to me.¡± ¨C Telepathic magic? ¡°Right.¡± Lloyd answered her thoughts. ¨C Is it only for Lloyd? ¡°Yes.¡± Aria opened her eyes gently, then looked around the ring with curious eyes. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Have you ever used magic? You learn it so quickly.¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 That¡¯s because it uses the same energy. ¡®By the way, I¡¯ve heard that people who don¡¯t know how to use energy take quite a while to learn how to use artifacts.¡¯ Aria was surprised inside, but she kept a calm expression on her face. ¨C I don¡¯t think so? ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd stroked his chin and concluded lightly. ¡°You must be a natural.¡± He was also a genius, and there were many talented people around him, so he seemed to take it lightly. Rather, William, who was officiating, looked at her with a new look of surprise. ¡°Now, throw away your worn-out bag.¡± Every time he looked at the bag before, he looked at it as if he wanted to burn it. It seems that the purpose of the special creation of the wedding ring as an artifact was to throw away the worn-out bag. ¡®Deep Blue Diamond Artifact.¡¯ How much would it have cost? Aria had a lot of knowledge in this area, so it seemed like she could get a rough estimate. She was afraid to think deeply, so she stopped. ¨C But you said this was only for Lloyd. Only those who exchanged rings would be able to send and receive telepathy. Using magic stones allows you to use a wider range of magic, but. There was a limit to the magic that could be contained if used. ¨C How do Imunicate with other people if you take away my bag? Then Lloyd raised his head up and brazenly responded. ¡°What¡¯s the point of making others know?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She wondered if this ring was intentionally made with a gem rather than a magic stone. While Aria was silent for a moment, William read the Marriage Promation. ¡°The kiss of the oath¡­¡± Aria and Lloyd looked at William at the same time. He btedly realized it in the middle of the wedding. ¡°What of the oath?¡± ¡°Hmmhmm, excuse me.¡± The butler dered again, realizing that he had not taken into ount the age of the young bride and groom. ¡°Then the smooch of the oath?¡± It ended in a question form. ¡°Just skip it.¡± Lloyd coldly ordered. Then the butler coughed again and made the final deration. ¡°Therefore, the officiant solemnly deres that this marriage has beenpleted smoothly.¡± The guests, who had only rolled their eyes in the bloody atmosphere, got up and pped as if they had waited. *** ¡°You have to carry out the first night.¡± She heard something unexpected. ¡°Are you crazy? Are you a beast?¡± Lloyd was furious. The boy didn¡¯t seem to have received the words well. Aria felt her head ache. ¡°The Grand Prince¡¯s expression is a little¡­ You only need to use one room. Only for one day.¡± The employees, sweating, pushed Lloyd into the room. It looked as if they were trying to rush in all at once using the tools they had to put the wild beast inside the cage. ¡®Maybe they didn¡¯t tell him in advance because they assumed it was going to be like this.¡¯ They¡¯re not nning on having anything unscrupulous about young children, so this is just a simple precedent. Aria quickly calmed down. ¡®It¡¯s just sleeping in the same room.¡¯ Is it something to be so angry about? Aria also thought she couldn¡¯t understand the sensibility of the delicate adolescent boy. ¡®I¡¯ll have to look around the room.¡¯ She looked around, leaving Lloyd, who raised his voice, and the bewildered employees. It was so bleak that she couldn¡¯t believe it was the Grand Prince¡¯s room. ¡®Rather, the guest room I¡¯m staying in would be more morous.¡¯ The person¡¯s life was bound to be buried in the room to some extent. Aria remembered Sabina looking at Lloyd and clicking her tongue that he only knew work, training, and studies. The boy¡¯s regr and monotonous life was melted in this room. Kuang-! Then, the door closed with a heavy sound. ¡°Whoo¡­¡­¡± Lloyd let out a sigh full of irritation. ¡°I sleep on the sofa. You sleep on the bed.¡± ¨C Why? Don¡¯t we sleep together? ¡°¡­you want to sleep together?¡± ¨C No, that¡­. Aria stopped sending a message to him, but she looked down at the bed. It wasrge enough for ten people toy side by side and roll around. ¡®If this is enough, even if you have a bad sleeping habit, you won¡¯t be able to touch even a single hair?¡¯ There is no need to leave the bed in good condition and sleep on the sofa inconveniently. ¨C Why are you so shy? ¡°Sh¡­.!¡± It was a natural question for Aria, but Lloyd seemed stunned by her words. ¡°Ha, fine. Against a child who doesn¡¯t know anything¡­¡± That¡¯s not it. ¡®What kind of life have I been living?¡¯ ording to her memories of living in the heights of decadence and pleasure, Aria was acquiring all her knowledge there. ¡®Inexperience ismon.¡¯ Even though it was the first day after her marriage, she wasn¡¯t nervous at all. They¡¯re just kids, but what was that tension for? They can have a pillow fight or something. Then suddenly, Aria had a yfulness that she did not even know she had. ¨C What is the first night? She asked innocently, blinking her big eyes. Lloyd lost his words as she tilted her head as if she knew nothing. ¡°¡­have you ever received sex education?¡± Lloyd said as she had asked himself first and had alreadye to a conclusion. Considering Aria¡¯s background of growing up, she could not have received a proper sex education. ¡°There is such a thing. It hurts.¡± Something feels strange. ¨C Hurts? ¡°Hmm, death.¡± Lloyd would be the only one who could exin the first night like that. But she didn¡¯t think he didn¡¯t seem to be saying anything because he was toozy to exin. ¡®I think he¡¯s serious.¡¯ Aria saw a light of contempt in the boy¡¯s ck eyes. ¡°You need to know, so I¡¯ll tell you in advance.¡± He sighed and continued. ¡°Anyone who mixes their body with Valentine¡¯s direct blood will be entangled in a curse, fall ill and die.¡± After Lloyd¡¯s very brief exnation, she paused. There was no way a ten-year-old child knew what it meant to mix bodies. He muttered to himself, stroking the nape of his neck with his palm. ¡°What should I do with a kid who doesn¡¯t know anything¡­¡± She could have guessed it roughly when she saw the wives of the predecessor Grand Dukes all died after giving birth to children. ¡®Is that the cause?¡¯ On the other hand, Aria, who immediately understood Lloyd¡¯s meaning, was silent. Considering her current age, she doesn¡¯t think she should pretend to know, she just pretended not to know. ¡®Huh? Wait a minute.¡¯ Aria realized itte. Come to think of it, her marital rtionship was not simply a rtionship that led to the bond of family. ¡®So now, even if I kiss Lloyd, it should be okay?¡± It means that even if they are still young, they are a couple so it is legally permitted. Aria had never thought about it that way, and her mind went nk. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t even touch you when you¡¯re an adult.¡± Although she knew that the words that followed immediately were just a useless worry. ¡®Mixing a body with a direct Valentine¡¯s blood exposes the body to the devil¡¯s malice, and eventually bes corrupted.¡¯ So you get sick and you die. Aria seemed to understand why Lloyd looked like that. She seemed to know why he hated Grand Duke Valentine. ¡®A curse that kills one¡¯spanion, perhaps the one they love the most¡­.¡¯ Did Grand Duke Valentine love Sabina? Did Sabina love Grand Duke Valentine? Did they end up falling in love with each other? ¡®If that¡¯s the case, could there be a more cruel curse in the world?¡¯ Aria stared at Lloyd without a word. ¡®Have he ever thought that it would have been better if he had not been born?¡± If Aria hade to the Grand Duchy a littleter, Sabina would have already passed away. It was hopeless. ¡®Lloyd must have been preparing for her passing while rotting inside, nursing her every day.¡¯ Lloyd seemed to think that his own life had been earned in exchange for his mother¡¯s life. ¡®I¡¯m sure of that.¡¯ Aria looked around Lloyd¡¯s room again. There were no hobbies that boys would normally have. ¡®There are only minimal supplies.¡¯ It was like a quiet grave. It was like the room of a penitent sinner. ¡®Why are you making atonement? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ Her stomach has been getting stuffy. Aria bit her lip, thinking she might cry. ¡®Because if Sabina died, she saw firsthand what kind of life Lloyd would choose and what future he would face.¡¯ So, it hurt her even more. ¡°So, don¡¯t be curious about useless things and go to sleep.¡± The boy said so, then lifted her up and put her down on the bed. Aria didn¡¯t feel like teasing him anymore, so she nodded her head quietly. ¨C You know, Lloyd. ¡°Why.¡± ¨C Thank you for being born. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re happy ¡°¡­¡­Where did you learn those words?¡± Lloyd¡¯s face frowned at the typical proposal line. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 He grinned at Aria¡¯s words and ruffled his bangs before stopping. ¡°Ah, what else is this?¡± His hair, which had been neatly organized at the best, was cluttered again. The boy frowned when his palms were sticky with the wax used to fix his hair. ¡°It bothered me.¡± Looking at his expression, he looked ufortable and wanted to wash it off right away. ¡°Go to sleep first. I¡¯ll wash up ande out.¡± ¨C Hmm. He went into the bathroom attached to the room. After a while, she heard the sound of water pouring through the closed door. Aria quietlyy on Lloyd¡¯s bed, waiting for him to finish showering. But as she was quietly listening to the sound of running water in the bathroom¡­.. ¡®Well, I feel a little bit.¡¯ She knew nothing was going to happen. But her fingertips tickled as if static electricity kept rising. Why is her heart beating faster¡­ ¡®I think I¡¯m crazy.¡¯ Aria pulled the nket up to her neck and closed her eyes tightly. After a while, Lloyd came out of the bathroom. ¡°¡­..¡± He didn¡¯t say anything. Even the sound of breathing could be heard in the room. The sound of water dripping on the floor echoed in her ears. For a moment, she heard Lloyd shaking his head with a towel, and then he walked over to her side. ¡®What, what? He said he slept on the sofa.¡¯ The boy¡¯s breath drew nearer. He bent his torso and stretched his arm over the opposite shoulder. Aria held her breath. She felt the tight muscles wet from water and drops of water dripped down her cheeks. Aria¡¯s eyshes fluttered, and she slowly lifted them up. As Lloyd looked down at her, a twisted smile was on his lips. ¡°Why, you said we should sleep together. Are you afraid?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You must have never heard from the priest that the devil catches you if you stay awake untilte at night.¡± The boy picked up the pillow that was next to her and straightened his back. Then he took it and went to the front of the sofa andy down on it. ¡®So why did youe to me and pick up the pillow from the other side?¡¯ Aria slowly let out the breath she had been holding back, and stretched her body, which had been stiffened by the tension. Btedly, her face became warm and her heart began to beat rapidly. ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ In the middle of the night, with only grasshoppers chirping through the window, her heart was the loudest. It sounded so loud, like her stomach pounding, that she was ashamed that Lloyd would see her own feelings openly. ¡®I was fooled.¡¯ It¡¯s cute that Lloyd didn¡¯t like her for talking about the first night, so she just made fun of him. She even joked with him only once and then she stopped right away! It felt like it got back to her. ¡®It¡¯s like Tristan¡¯s bad personality.¡¯ Aria puffed up her cheeks with a sulky face. It was a childish act, but what about it? It didn¡¯t matter as the only light in the room was a dim candle, and no one was watching. ¡°Why is your mouth sticking out like a beak?¡± But did Lloyd have eyes on the side of his head? She was startled and her cheeks were deted instantly. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As he said, she should go to sleep before she could be more humiliated. Aria closed her eyes tightly without any regrets and went to sleep. *** Aria heard a groan softly in her sleep. ¡°¡­..ugh.¡± There was the sound of a groan and the sound of the leather sofa being scraped mercilessly against the fingernails. ¡®What.¡¯ Her eyes lit up. And she jumped up. Lloyd was crouching on the couch. Aria was so startled that she thought her heart was going to drop to the floor. She hurriedly got off the bed and ran to the couch where Lloyd was. ¨C Lloyd! Aria woke him up by shaking him with her trembling hands. She thought that he was having a nightmare. However¡­. ¡°Keugh, kuuk!¡± Lloyd bowed his back and vomited bright red blood. Aria became pale as she couldn¡¯t do anything. She hurriedly took her hand away from him and took a step back. ¡®Did he just vomit blood?¡¯ Lloyd? ¡®Why, why? Why?¡¯ He can¡¯t. It¡¯s enough for her to die. ¡®Why him. Why him.¡¯ Burn her brightly, then he should be happier than anyone else. Obviously no one was in the room except for Aria, but Lloyd¡¯s shoulder suddenly fell with a loud noise. As if he had received a strong shock from something. ¡®What the hell is this¡­.¡¯ A blue bruise suddenly appeared on the white, smooth skin. A solid red line was drawn, and the wound grew deeper and deeper and blood dripped. The bones were reflected as if they were by a sword. Her mind went nk. Aria couldn¡¯t ept what was going on with Lloyd. It sounded absurd inmon sense, but it was as if a fight had begun inside his body. ¡°Ha, ha¡­¡± How much time has passed Moisture flowed endlessly, and Lloyd let out a rough breath. He wiped the cold sweat dripping from his forehead, then looked at the pale Aria and let out anguid sigh. ¡°Ha¡­ that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to bring you into the room.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Come here, frightened rabbit. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve got a deadly disease.¡± Lloyd tried to reassure Aria, but well. It was not at all. What had happened to him seemed more serious than deadly disease, so she was stiff. Even asking if he was okay seems meaningless. He couldn¡¯t be okay. ¨C Lloyd¡­. Aria sent him a message, contorting her face as if she was crying. She¡¯s speechless, she doesn¡¯t know what to do, and like a fool, she can only think of his name. ¡°Sometimes I have seizures.¡± Lloyd exined lightly. It was a refined expression for whoever heard it. ¡®How can that be a seizure?¡¯ His body was unterally mutted by an unknown force. It was nonsense. Creak¨C The boy grabbed his dislocated shoulder as if he was used to it and tucked it in. There was the sound of his bones snapping together. He didn¡¯t show much pain, and he turned his shoulder to make sure it was moving properly. ¡®Growing pains¡­.¡¯ Was it about this? Then it means that it has been this way ever since then. Aria really didn¡¯t know. Nothing at all. ¡°The karma of the family. From generation to generation, to atone for sins that have beenmitted, like this.¡± He pulled out a bandage and wrapped it roughly over the wound. It was a careless treatment to the extent that she doubted whether the treatment would work properly. ¡°Bing a devil.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Rabbit. Are you scared?¡± Lloyd paused what he was doing for a moment before tilting his head. The warm smile that draped over his lips seemed to represent the current twisted boy¡¯s judgement. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, will you let me go now?¡± He asked like floating. It was as if he had erected a thorn to desperately hide his own wounds. So Aria did not even think of hiding the tears that were flowing from her, and it was dripping, She ran and hugged Lloyd tightly. ¡°¡­..¡± He hardened his body. Then he grabbed her shoulder as he quickly dug into her arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to get blood.¡± ¡°Lloyd.¡± Lloyd paused and stopped pushing. ¡°You¡­.¡± His eyes, which had been slightly distorted by the pain, opened in an instant. Lloyd pulled her out of his arms with more certainty this time, with expression questioning his own ears. ¡°Did you just say that?¡± Aria didn¡¯t care if he felt betrayed and if he asked if she had been deceiving him. But she didn¡¯t like him being sick. To death. She hugged Lloyd desperately. ¡°Please don¡¯t push me away.¡± She rested her forehead on Lloyd¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Did you know. Thend where lemons bloom.¡± And she hugged him tightly, as she whispered a healing song into his ear. ¡°in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky,¡± Originally, it was a song that had to be sung with a clean tone like a flute and a chirping bird. Clear and transparent. The more it did, the more pronounced the effect. However, the melody of the song did not continue smoothly and was cut off with sparse moisture. Because of the flowing tears, the tone was wet like falling raindrops. ¡°¡­..stop.¡± Lloyd tried to push Aria back with his low, locked voice. ¡°the myrtle stands mute, and the bay-tree high?¡± Aria didn¡¯t stop. As if it was submerged in the water, the muffled song continued. ¡±Do you know it well? It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one!¡± She hugged Lloyd tightly and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. She continued to dig into his arms without being pushed away. The more he did it, the more the boy hardened his body as if it had stiffened. The cut, which was deep enough to leave a permanent scar, healed in an instant. This was because, along with Aria¡¯s abilities, Lloyd resilience was far greater than that of ordinary people. ¡°I told you to stop.¡± Finally Lloyd managed to push her away. In fact, if he had used his power to force her off, there would have been no way he couldn¡¯t have done it. No, would it be more urate to say that he didn¡¯t do it? Lloyd¡¯s eyes, which had barely met hers, were dimly blurred and hazy. ¡°Haa¡­..¡± The boy let out his breath slowly. The reaction was a beatte. She was terrifiedte. Vincent¡¯s words came to mind. ¡°Easy to go crazy, easy to break.¡± Because the Siren¡¯s abilities were not physical, but emotional. ¡®I was told that the mental power of the direct lineage is very weak.¡¯ Was it suddenly too much stimtion for Valentine, who was vulnerable to madness? ¡®What if he was already addicted?¡¯ Concerned, she called out his name cautiously. ¡°Lloyd?¡± ¡°What happened to your voice¡­¡± Lloyd let out a slightly cracked voice. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 ¡®My voice?¡¯ Aria btedly covered her mouth and looked into Lloyd¡¯s eyes. She had done it without thinking at all, but when she was about to wait for his reaction, she was terrified. ¡®You deserve to be angry.¡¯ Aria was determined not to be hurt no matter what kind of abusivenguage she heard. Although it didn¡¯t have much of an effect. ¡°You.¡± Aria closed her eyes tightly at Lloyd¡¯s call. ¡°What is it?¡± The boy wrapped his hand around her cheek and pulled her closer. To keep her from turning away and avoiding his gaze. Lloyd¡¯s face was right in front of her. Until his breath touches her. ¡°¡­ Siren?¡± A minority race that puts magic into songs, Siren. At one time, it was treated as a legendary ghost, but known outside the world as the Cortez family. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± Lloyd covered his mouth and muttered again. ¡°It was you.¡± The one who cured his mother¡¯s disease. ¡°But, how have you been able to hide your voice until now?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Count Cortez doesn¡¯t know anything. Otherwise, he won¡¯t sell you to Valentine.¡± Aria knew that he, of course, would me herself. ¡®Have you lied to me all this time? How could you deceive me like that?¡¯ She thought he would say so. But, far from expelling her out of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle for deceiving him, Lloyd was saying apletely different thing. ¡®I ¡­¡­.I think you¡¯re worried for me.¡¯ Aria nkly blinked her eyes. ¡°If the Count has a daughter who has inherited the Siren¡¯s powers, there¡¯s no way he can let you go. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯ll pursue you to the ends of the world and try to arrest you.¡± Because he asked what had happened without rebuking Aria. She had no choice but to exin her circumstances in a slow voice. ¡°Since I was born, I¡¯ve been drinking the potion my mother gave me. When I drink it, I can¡¯t make a sound¡­¡± Aria¡¯s mother hid her daughter¡¯s Siren abilities in order to protect her daughter, and the Count, who felt ashamed of it, hid her existence. So she¡¯s been living as a ghost. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a potion. Is there any left?¡± Aria shook her head. ¡°Any potion is bound to have side effects. If you thought of anything, tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just drank steadily what my mother gave me.¡± She actually knew what ingredients went into potions. Sophia was knowledgeable about the misceneous medicinal herbs and gave Aria her knowledge, albeit briefly. ¡®But if I reveal it in detail, it will onlye out that my current condition is nothing more than time-limited.¡¯ Aria pretended she didn¡¯t know anything, and he narrowed the gap between his brows dissatisfied. But he didn¡¯t ask any more. Aria hesitated for a moment, then she opened her mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad?¡± Then Lloyd responded with frustration. ¡°For what. Your desperate efforts to survive?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°The one who didn¡¯t notice it sooner is the idiot. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Nothing.¡± His rough thumb wiped away the tears from her eyes. ¡°So, don¡¯t be intimidated.¡± She never dreamed that he would say that. She couldn¡¯t even fathom how deep this boy¡¯s understanding was. It seemed that he would understand even if Aria was openly revealing all the sins and shame she hadmitted in her past life. He seemed to embrace her to the bottom. ¡®Even though we met again, you saved me.¡¯ Aria¡¯s throat was choked and she couldn¡¯t say anything, and her mouth couldn¡¯t even move. ¡®Everything you say and do alwayses with a deep meaning.¡¯ She was saved by him today, and she can really do anything for him. Raw, unorganized words were floating around in her head. ¡°¡­..¡± But after a long time passed, the words she brought out were, ¡°We¡¯ve learned each other¡¯s secrets one by one.¡± It was somethingpletely different from what she was thinking. Lloyd let go of her cheek and stepped back. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll find out more.¡± It was a meaningful word. It seemed to imply that Valentine¡¯s secret didn¡¯t end there. She knew. So, Aria answered without hesitation. ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn to tell you. Lloyd didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Lloyd¡¯s face shook like a ripple on a stone thrown into theke. The shaky eyes were revealed between the trembling eyelids. ¡®A look I¡¯ve never seen before.¡¯ It was as if she had secretly looked at his real face, which was hidden between the hard shells that wereyered on top of each other. The shimmering ck eyes grew darker and watery. But he never shed any tears. ¡°Who do you think you are to say that.¡± Rather, the boy was angry. Lloyd revealed this in a voice that seemed to tighten his chest severely. ¡°What are you¡­ what do you know?¡± As if he could never forgive himself. Aria wanted to tell him that if he wants to cry, he can cry. ¡®I want to hug you.¡¯ But Lloyd turned his back on his pride because he thought he should never cry. ¡°I had a nightmare. A very scary dream.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Hold my hand and let¡¯s sleep.¡± She lowered her eyebrows as if in fear. Then, reaching out as if asking for his hand, she looked up carefully at Lloyd. ¡°I won¡¯t try to sneak up on you again.¡± Lloyd noticed her intentions and pointed it out at short notice. But Aria pretended she didn¡¯t hear anything, she ignored it lightly, and she stared at him. She opened her eyes as wide as she could, and she looked at him with twinkling eagerness. ¡°A very scary looking monster ate me.¡± Then Lloyd sighed as he couldn¡¯t win, and grabbed her hand. Aria¡¯s hand was covered with one of his. ¡°I¡¯ll just hold your hand and sleep.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eventually, they happened to be lying side by side on the bed. ¡®Anyway, would it have been a relief for him?¡¯ When one is in a bad mood and depressed, a person¡¯s warmth helps. ¡®Just being next to each other without saying anything.¡¯ Aria closed her eyes and wiggled her fingers as she couldn¡¯t sleep. The rings on their left hands made a sound from each other¡¯s touching hands. Aria said, as if she had suddenly remembered. ¡°You made the wedding ring an artifact for nothing.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You can call me whenever you need my help.¡± ¡°Yes, then call me anytime too. I¡¯ll run to you.¡± Lloyd responded when he had heard something he hadn¡¯t thought of. She understood. ¡®You must have thought of me as something to be protected.¡¯ Because she can¡¯t speak and her body is weak. The boy burst intoughter and was speechless, but he answered meekly. ¡°Yes.¡± *** Lloyd caught her. To be precise, she openly revealed her abilities. ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ She thought so. ¡®Lloyd found out that I had cured Sabina¡¯s disease.¡¯ Her ns to keep Lloyd from feeling indebted werepletely thwarted. Aria decided that she would be shameless now that it has already happened. ¡®Let¡¯s stop the Valentine¡¯s incident openly.¡¯ Now there was nothing to fuss about. ¡®As long as I don¡¯t get caught.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be helped that he had caught her ability. Because she had to treat Lloyd. In fact, in order to prevent the future Valentine¡¯s incident, it was only a matter of time before her powers were discovered. But she couldn¡¯t have any unavoidable circumstances to reveal her personal feelings. ¡®That¡¯s the Maginot Line*.¡¯ Aria made up her mind. She should never get caught liking Lloyd. The next morning, as soon as Aria opened her eyes, she held out a box to Lloyd. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Tears of Mermaids.¡± He opened the box without a word. It contained a pair of tiny pearl earrings that were barely noticeable. ¡°It¡¯s a wedding present.¡± Tears of Mermaids. An artifact that reflects the effect of the Siren¡¯s song. In fact, to her surprise, one of the Sirens made it themselves. In other words, the Siren made her own shackles to control her own power. If asked why she did that, it was in order to sincerely confess to her lover. For you, I would even give up my life. ¡°A token of love.¡± ¡°Lo¡­..¡± Lloyd blushed in embarrassment. It was the first reaction for the first time he had ever heard of such an unfamiliar sound. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I love Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sign that I¡¯ll never do anything that would harm Lloyd and I¡¯ll be absolutely on Lloyd¡¯s side.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll find me suspicious.¡± Lloyd answered, wiping his disheveled bangs, seemingly regaining hisposure. ¡°I know even without this. You must repay your benefactor for the favor.¡± It was a bit sarcastic. ¡°Still, ept it. It¡¯s a token.¡± The boy looked down at the pearl earrings without a word. ¡°I didn¡¯t have my ears pierced¡­¡± But he meekly packed the box into his chest. It meant epting the gift. Aria wondered if the Tears of Mermaids had finally found their ce. ¡®He will never abuse it.¡¯ She was sure. Lloyd would never, ever do that. *) Maginot Line: A line that can¡¯t be crossed. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 A new guest came to the Grand Duchy. ¡°You must have heard from Vincent.¡± On the way back from morning training, Lloyd stopped by Aria¡¯s room and said. ¨C What? Aria responded with a message with a long yawn. Marronnier was right next to her, looking at her with round eyes, so she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°About the devil¡¯s malice.¡± ¨C Ah¡­. Aria nodded her head. ¨C Vincent was telling me but he was worried that Lloyd would scold him. ¡°I did touch him¡­.a little¡± Hmm. Aria remembered Vincent, who was afraid as if his life was over. She decided to take a moment to express her condolences to him. ¡°Anyway, the apprentice from Garcia arrived today. He will stay there for 5 years and purify the malice of thisnd.¡± ¨C Who? ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lloyd replied like a knife. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you really want to, but he¡¯s not here to help us, so you don¡¯t have to treat him well.¡± They¡¯re not here to help? ¨C Then what? ¡°Strict contractual rtionship.¡± He added an exnation. ¡°Be careful, because the Pope is a human being worse than a rat. To put it bluntly, he¡¯s like a spy infiltrating from the inside.¡± The situation was more serious than expected. Aria got nervous at Lloyd¡¯s words and nodded her head as if she understood. ¡®After all, it would be better not to mix words with people from Garcia. I don¡¯t know what will happenter.¡¯ But apart from that, Aria had something to say to Lloyd. ¨C Hey. ¡°Huh.¡± ¨C In the future, don¡¯t hide things and tell me. ¡°¡­..¡± The boy didn¡¯t answer for a moment. He furrowed his smooth brow for a moment, then answered in a heavy voice after a while. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to burden you.¡± It was enough to cure his mother, who had no hope of surviving. That alone meant Lloyd owed Aria a debt he would have to pay for the rest of his life. But Aria shook her head. ¨C It¡¯s not a burden. We¡¯re family. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C Because we¡¯re a family, I want to know everything. Lloyd was at a loss for words. Aria has always had a talent for making people speechless. But he did not panic and epted it. ¡°If you promise not to overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There is no answer. It sounds like you would be trying to help me, even if it was too much.¡± The boy narrowed his eyes. Now it seemed that he could slowly learn how to get away from Aria¡¯s sweet, candy-like words. ¡®If you¡¯re swayed, there is no end.¡¯ He thought he wouldn¡¯t blink his eyes no matter what Aria said now. But instead of words, Aria lifted her little finger. ¨C Promise. ¡°¡­..¡± Lloyd was annoyed. ¡®What are you doing, being cute?¡¯ Aria smiled innocently, took Lloyd¡¯s hand as she pleased, and sped their fingers tightly as they promised. ¡®Damn it, there¡¯s no end to it.¡¯ Eventually, he couldn¡¯t say anything and looked down at his fingers. There seemed to still be a touch left. *** A priest with the name of an angel. The information that Aria knew was just that. After she heard Lloyd, she didn¡¯t even want to know more. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria smiled brightly and took the flowers that Marronnier had picked, when she saw the boy. Their eyes met. When Aria stared at him, the boy couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her either. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere¡­.¡¯ He had silver hair as white as snow and clear blue eyes. A boy with holiness flowing through his body just by standing still. ¡®Ah, I saw it from the lowest ce.¡¯ The apprentice knight who was beaten to death by rogues while trying to save Aria. She thought she would never see him again. She didn¡¯t know they¡¯d meet in a ce like this. ¡®Why must it be him?¡¯ Aria was ufortable with that boy. It was because she had an affinity for him. So she hoped never to see him again. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± However, the boy also seemed to recognize Aria. Then he nced from a distance and she immediately put her hat back on and thought he wouldn¡¯t know. ¡®He has unreasonably good eyesight.¡¯ The boy who couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her, got closer. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± At that time, in front of Aria, Marronnier, who had always grinned and squirmed around like a squirrel, tightened her neck. ¡°How dare the apprentice priest disrespect the safety recklessly! This is the Grand Prince¡¯s wife!¡± Wow. Aria admired. ¡®She could say something like that too?¡¯ She looked at Marronnier in disbelief, then raised her hand and stroked Maronnier¡¯s hair. As if she did well. Then, Marronnier returned to the charming squirrel again and smiled shyly. It was a double personality like. ¡°Are you the Grand Prince¡¯s wife?¡± The boy asked, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Have I seen you somewhere?¡± Hearing those words, Marronnier was terrified as if she was out of breath. ¡°Crazy, crazy. To y tricks on the Young Madam.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a trick¡­¡± ¡°This apprentice priest must have gone crazy. To pollute the Madam¡¯s ears with lines that won¡¯t even be used in ssic novels.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The boy seemed to be very stubborn. When he was misunderstood that he had done a trick, his face went red. She didn¡¯t even know it was because of the unusually light-pigmented skin. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen you from the lowest ce.¡± But he said steadfastly. He wasn¡¯t usually this tenacious. ¡®This is difficult.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t want to be found out that she had been to the lowest ce. Because she had promised Lloyd this morning that she wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless and put a pinky promise on it. ¡®Of course, this is a thing of the past.¡¯ That somehow had something to do with Garcia¡¯s apprentice priest, who Lloyd was extremely wary of. Aria decided to pretend. [First time seeing you.] And she smiled brightly and held out her card. The boy looked perplexed. As if he didn¡¯t know she couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°See? It¡¯s the first time she¡¯s seen you.¡± Marronnier waved her hand as if to go away. The boy still had an expression full of regret. But what if it¡¯s not? ¡°I should stop being disrespectful.¡± He bowed down and apologized. ¡°If you¡¯re lying, there must be a reason.¡± ¡°Hey, you again¡­¡± Marronnier was furious with the momentum to grab his back, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°What I want to say is¡­¡± The boy paused for a moment, then he continued with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe, truly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was very worried. I just thought I couldn¡¯t protect you.¡± He was genuinely delighted. The fact that Aria is alive. So Maronnier didn¡¯t get mad, and she had no choice but to pause for a moment. ¡®It sounds like he really knows the Young Madam¡­.¡¯ She nced at the apprentice priest and Aria in turn. ¡°The greeting iste. My name is Gabriel, who came from Garcia after receiving a mission. I am amoner, so I do not have ast name.¡± Gabriel. Aria was agitated for a moment when she heard the name of the Holy Knight Commander. Her eyes fluttered wildly. ¡®It must be the same person.¡¯ At first she thought hard about it. However. ¡®The priests apparently said that the divine power was manifested btedly.¡¯ Aria carefully looked into his eyes with an anxious gaze. ¡®The eyes are light blue¡­..¡¯ It was obviously sky blue. But when looked at more closely, a golden aura spread over the corners of his eyes. ¡®Symbol of divine power.¡¯ At that moment, Aria took a close look at the boy¡¯s features, which she had never paid any attention to. Surprisingly, traces of familiar faces remained. She wondered why she didn¡¯t recognize him earlier. ¡®I did not know.¡¯ She really didn¡¯t know. The divine power that was manifested veryte also brings about great changes physically. Although he is small and slender now, he will soon grow to be worthy of the title of the Holy Knights Commander. Huge, strong, and overbearing enough to kill tens of thousands of people at once. ¡®Veronica¡¯s loyal dog. The Pope¡¯s henchman.¡¯ Gabriel¡¯s future was to shine brighter than the stars. The moment he bes an adult, he will gain an unprecedented explosive divine power. He would have the Pope¡¯s absolute confidence and would rise to a position that even a cardinal would not be able to gain. ¡®Without him.¡¯ Veronica would not have been able to exert as much influence as her past life. Aria wouldn¡¯t have been called a monster. The innocent people would not have died horribly. The public would not have stirred up to have Aria executed. She would not have been imprisoned in the emperor¡¯s cage. She wouldn¡¯t have died that way. ¡®It¡¯s okay. There is no end to resentment.¡¯ Gabriel was not the direct cause of Aria¡¯s death. ¡®He was just doing his job.¡¯ Even without him, her tragic death was foreseen. Aria tightly closed her eyes. ¡®After all, he is someone who has nothing to do with me¡­ ..¡¯ And she gathered her own feelings. ¡®Oh, wait.¡¯ That was the moment. Aria changed her mind. ¡®If I pull him on my side.¡¯ How about taming this loyal dog in advance? Chapter 56 Chapter 56 If Gabriel bes the pope¡¯s right-hand man in favor of Aria. ¡®Even if something unexpected happens, there might be an opportunity to get out of the crisis at least once.¡¯ Aria looked at Gabriel. It was a surprisingly clean expression. A pure white expression with no emotions or thoughts mixed in. Integrity and cleanliness. Right now, white is good and ck is evil. ¡®It¡¯s like a white canvas.¡¯ It¡¯s so clean, it¡¯s almost like it¡¯s going to stain with whatever beliefs that were ced on it. She had no idea that such a miraculous opportunity woulde. So she wrote down her card, folded it neatly, and held it tightly in his hand. Like delivering a secret message. [Actually, I saved the angel.] As he secretly opened the note from Maronnier, Gabriel stared at Aria with a bewildered gaze. Aria ced her index finger on her own lips as if asking him to keep it a secret. And she turned her back without regret. ¡°What? What did it say?¡± Patting Marronnier¡¯s head, who is constantly wary of the boy, she nced behind her back. ¡®For the next five years.¡¯ There was plenty of time. *** [Shall I pray?] ¡°Yes? Who? Sister-inw?¡± It was when she ran into Vincent by chance and were walking down the hallway together. He asked, pretending to pick his ear to the card that Aria had pulled out. ¡°A person who sphemes as if breathing, doing a prayer? Are you going to curse?¡± Aria shook her head. Why would you even pray and curse at God? It would just be a waste of time doing it. [I¡¯m thinking of bing a devout believer for a while.] ¡°What new game is that?¡± Well, it was simr in a sense. It took a little bit of acting to tame the saintly dog. ¡®In the sense that the fate of me and Valentine is at stake, so it can be said to be a game of risk.¡¯ Aria checked the grandfather clock. The Edens prayed three times a day: morning, noon and evening. Of course, unless they¡¯re a very devout believer, they¡¯ll usually skip it because it¡¯s annoying. ¡®Soon it will be time for the morning prayer.¡¯ Aria headed to the prayer room. Curiously, Vincent followed after her. ¡°Ah.¡± And it was as expected. Aria was able to run into a boy with a troubled look on his face, walking in front of the prayer room. It was Gabriel. ¡®As expected, I thought that if it were you, you would not miss a day and keep the prayer time straight like a sword.¡¯ It was obvious without even seeing it. She just knew. No, even if he copsed, he would have prayed. ¡°Grand Princess.¡± Even though Gabriel was from the lowest ce, he went to the Papal Pce on his own feet. The lowest point is where extraterritorialityw was ced, and where trafficking was rampant. It meant that he could have fled to another country at any time if he wished. But he didn¡¯t. ¡®That¡¯s how strong his faith was.¡¯ Knowing how people from the lowest ce in Garcia are treated. He endured all the criticism against his origin and even volunteered to be a pdin. No matter what the circumstances were, he was never broken. ¡®If you try to break him, he will be stronger. Obviously, the more coercive it is, the stronger his reaction will be, so she had to soothe him gently. ¡°The prayer room is closed¡­¡± Gabriel mumbled and couldn¡¯t finish his words. It was because Aria took out the key she had kept in her arms before he could even finish his words. Pretending to be familiar, she opened the door to the prayer room. ¡°Did the Grand Princesse to pray too?¡± Aria nodded her head. Then Vincent stared at her with astonishment. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Gabriel said, scratching his cheek. It was a reaction that he did not know that the Grand Princess, who lives in the Devil¡¯s castle, would havee to pray. ¡°I think I was too narrow-minded because Icked training.¡± He murmured as if embarrassed. ¡®No, it was probably what you think.¡¯ The door to the prayer room was locked because no one was using it. ¡®If there wasn¡¯t a marriage recently, I would have prayed in a ruined ce full of dust and cobwebs.¡¯ Aria thought so in her heart, and she first stepped into the prayer room. The two men followed her. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking sometimes.¡± Vincent whispered a small whisper in Aria¡¯s ear and nced at Gabriel. Seeing the symbol of God, he noticeably regained hisposure. It seemed to be because he finally found a familiar space in a strange country and among strangers. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s nothing wrong with buying likes.¡± Like there¡¯s nothing good to buy apathy. ¡°I was reluctant because he came from Garcia, but he¡¯ll have to purge the malice for five years anyway.¡± And if he was a spy of the Pope, there was nothing wrong with being vignt. ¡°But why?¡± It doesn¡¯t matter if they like or dislike him, shouldn¡¯t they just leave it alone? Vincent nced at Gabriel with distasteful nces. And he was amazed to see Gabriel praying as naturally as a stream of water. ¡°Wow, sister-inw. Look at that. There really was a fool who prayed to the God who abandoned the human world¡­¡± Vincent groaned a little and turned to his side. Aria, who once believed in God, was skillfully praying. ¡°¡­..¡± He felt like he had fallen into a strange world. He decided it would be better to get out of here. *** Aria prayed every day. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. It meant that three times a day she met Gabriel in the prayer room. ¡®Even if we met for a while, we just prayed without saying anything.¡¯ But Gabriel could not enter the prayer room without Aria. Because the key was always with Aria. It meant that she had naturally prated into one of his daily routines. ¡°Well, we¡¯re the only ones there.¡± After the prayer, Gabriel spoke to her. For the first time in three days. He seemed to think that he had never seen such a quiet prayer room. It was just a prayer room for all sorts of things, so it was natural. ¡°I have a question for you, Grand Princess.¡± Aria looked up at him. ¡°At that time, you said you saved me?¡± [Yes. I saved the angel.] ¡°I¡¯m not an angel¡­¡± Gabriel answered with embarrassment. It was the first time he had ever heard of it, so he didn¡¯t seem to know how to deal with it. ¡®You really look like an angel.¡¯ Before the change in his body came, he was like an angel just like his name. It looked more so as he was still small in stature and thin in his bones. Aria looked up curiously at his hair, like pure white snowkes reflected in the sunlight. [Sparkling like an angel.] ¡°It¡¯s not sparkling.¡± [Your name is also an angel.] ¡°It¡¯s not my will¡­¡± As if his embarrassment had gone too far, his face began to turn red. His skin was transparent, so the redness was more conspicuous. ¡°That, stop talking about angels.¡± Gabriel cut if off and went back to the point, as he was overflowing with emotions ¡°I heard that I wasid leaning against the walls of the Papal Pce. I thought something was strange, did you bring me there¡­¡± Aria nodded her head. [I did.] She didn¡¯t know at the time that her rtionship with him would end up like this. ¡°But how?¡± Gabriel¡¯s gaze fell for a moment on her small, fragile body. He honestly couldn¡¯t believe it. She seriously wouldn¡¯t have taken Gabriel and traveled that far after taking out all the vagrants. [Curious?] It was obvious. Gabriel nodded his head. Aria then grabbed his sleeve instead of his hand and led him to the window of the prayer room. She opened the window and whistled. Whistle- The grasshoppers that were nearby croaked. Birds began to chirp like singing. Gabriel did not know that the sound was in response to Aria¡¯s call and did not respond. But he had no choice but to react to what followed. ¡°Koong!¡± Silver rushed in. The boy was startled by the sudden appearance of the wolf and put his hand on his waist. Oh dear, he was careless! ¡®It is said that in the Grand Duchy there lives a monster-like creature that has been contaminated by the devil¡¯s malice¡­ !¡¯ He drew his sword. He thought of jumping out of the window and swinging it without hesitation. When the wolf monster flopped on the ground and wags its tail softly like a dog at Aria. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Anyone who saw it, would think that. ¡®Did you tame that?¡¯ Gabriel couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. A ck jaguar was approaching from afar, hearing Aria¡¯s call. And hovered near her. If anyone is aiming for Aria, it will rip off their nape without hesitation. ¡°Coocoo.¡± Finally, a carrier pigeon sat on Aria¡¯s shoulder. She reached out and stroked the pigeon¡¯s head, then sent it back into the sky. And she turned to Gabriel. ¡°You got the help from the monster¡­. No, animals.¡± Aria smiled faintly. The five-colored light of the stained ss gleamed over her small face. A light brighter than a jewel reflected mercilessly and made his eyes shiver. Maybe it was because of the spectacr disy that Aria showed. Gabriel couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her for some reason. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Ah.¡± He soon regained his mind. ¡°That¡¯s what it was. Then you wouldn¡¯t have needed help at all from the beginning.¡± Gabriel, who had been engrossed, said, avoiding Aria¡¯s gaze in amazement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I went out for nothing and only caused you trouble.¡± He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. And after putting the apology in his mouth, he quickly added. ¡°Of course, thank you for saving my life.¡± Aria shook her head and held out her card. [The path you¡¯re walking on, don¡¯t doubt it. That choice was never useless.] Then, reading the card, Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®This¡­¡­ ¡¯ It was simr to what he heard from the saint. ¡®Is it a coincidence?¡¯ Aria surprisingly knew the most special words of the person most dear to him. ¡®I think the two of you feel alike.¡¯ Their appearance waspletely different, and their personality seemed to bepletely on the opposite, but the atmosphere they exuded wasparable. Gabriel felt ufortable yet strangelyfortable with Aria, who said the same thing as Veronica. *** Shortly after the wedding, representatives of each department came to visit in turn. ¡°It was supposed to be like this from the beginning.¡± Dana was relieved, saying that now everything is in its ce. Dana, the chief handmaiden of the family department. Betty, the chief maid in the housekeeper¡¯s department. William, the chief butler of the butler department. Baker, the chief chef in the cooking department. The gardener, the hunting ground keeper and stable keeper of the outdoor department greeted her. ¡®Even though I made an acquaintance with everyone.¡¯ Still, she was happy to be officially introduced again. Although everyone was all strangely favorable to Aria. ¡®But why are they so excited?¡¯ Aria was fiddling with the bag, which she was habitually carrying. Then they stared intently at the bag with twinkling eyes. [Thank you as always.] Aria took out her usual card to express her gratitude. Then the hungry eyes followed the scrap of paper she took out. It was as if they were waiting for apliment sticker. ¡°¡­..¡± At first nce, it looked like madness. ¡®How manypliments do you want to hear?¡¯ Is the Valentine family obsessed withpliments? So she immediately picked up her quill and wrote something new. [Please take care of me. Thanks to you, I feel reassured.] ¡°Young Madam¡­¡± The stable keeper was deeply moved when she handed her card. Then the hunting ground keeper, who was next to him, red at him with a gleam in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m really envious, hey.¡± If he envied the stable keeper twice, it looked like there was a force that would even murder him. With a wrinkled body and a face full of scars, he sprayed murderous energy on the stable keeper. ¡®Don¡¯t fight¡­.¡¯ Aria wrote down one more of the cards and handed it to the hunting ground keeper. Then he inted his chest with surprise, and politely epted the card with both hands. The card suddenly looked cutely small. ¡°Do, do you like rabbits?¡± Of course. Aria nodded her head. ¡°If youe to y anytime, I¡¯ll show you!¡± The hunting ground keeper mmed his chest with his big fists and shouted. ¡®I have no reason to refuse.¡¯ Aria, feeling better at the consideration, smiled broadly and nodded her head. Then the stable keeper, who was secretly ring at the hunting ground keeper, grumbled. ¡°Can a carnivorous rabbit be called a rabbit? It¡¯s a monster.¡± ¡°What? Did you just say monster now?¡± ¡°Who knows? When you¡¯re not there, they¡¯ll dash to get two-legged meat.¡± ¡°My child doesn¡¯t eat human-like things! It¡¯s just the appearance, but it¡¯s meek and gentle!¡± Carnivorous rabbit? What kind of rabbit is it? ¡®I believed that no other animal in this castle would surprise me more than the wolf and the jaguar.¡¯ Surprisingly, there seemed to be. The stable keeper shouted loudly against the big hunting ground keeper who was twice as much as himself. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to see the monster. Instead, just stop by the stable. There¡¯s a cute, pure white pony.¡± Pony? She had never seen it before. Because ponies were a luxury item, unlike ordinary horses. The Emperor would bring it in as a gift to the princess. ¡®But, if it¡¯s a pony of the Grand Duchy, isn¡¯t it a little different from a normal pony?¡¯ There might be something more surprising than a carnivorous rabbit. As Aria stared at him silently, the stable keeper waved his hand. ¡°No, that¡¯s a real pony. It¡¯s a gift for the Young Madam with a high price that was offered only to the imperial family.¡± He added that His Grace gave special permission to bring it in. ¡®Wow, that must have been very courageous.¡¯ Aria was so proud of his heart for making a direct request to the Grand Duke. [Yes, thank you. I will definitely go.] Aria smiled brightly and nodded her head. Then this time, the hunting ground keeper became ufortable. ¡°Hng, such a weak creature will soon be eaten by monstrous horses.¡± ¡°Are you insulting our Grand Duke and the Duchy¡¯s noble horse?¡± ¡°Eh? I only said it was like a monster? I don¡¯t know why you are talking about that. Do you think I¡¯ll feel guilty?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± How far will their quarrel go? At first she thought they were fighting, but surprisingly, they seem to get along well. After watching with interest, Dana, impatient, intervened. ¡°If you want to fight, go out and fight! What kind of safety are these¡­¡± The two were kicked out of the room after being pped on the back. ¡°Oh, it hurts!¡± ¡°Hit me gently!¡± It was funny to see a person with one head bigger than Dana making a fuss. It seems that the strongest was Dana. ¡°Good job, Young Madam!¡± Marronnier who was holding up a tray and weighing when to intervene, then rushed over as if it was time to do so. She served a fluffy caramel pudding topped with catalin cream. ¡°This is the chef¡¯s special pudding!¡± Aria scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth, and a strong eggy taste spread through her mouth. Thebination of light eggs and sweet caramel was exquisite. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Aria, who had been savoring the taste of the dessert with a happy face for a moment, stopped. Marronnier is staring at the pudding, ready to drool. ¡®Do you want to eat?¡¯ Aria scooped the pudding and put it in her mouth. ¡°Heuk!¡± Marronnier was startled, but she made an expression that seemed to melt in no time. It was cute to chew on the pudding while puffing her cheeks like a squirrel, so she poked them with her fingers. Then Marronnier said a word mixed with a sigh. ¡°To be loved by a cute person. It¡¯s a really strange feeling.¡± Yes? ¡°I think the rabbit looks at me and says I¡¯m cute.¡± She can¡¯t believe the squirrel looked at her and said she¡¯s cute. It¡¯s definitely a really strange feeling. Aria and Marronnier looked at each other strangely. *** Thest person to visit her was the leader of the ck Falcon Knights. ¡°My name is Dustin.¡± And to her surprise, Cloud was standing next to him. What¡¯s even more surprising is that Cloud¡¯s face was blown up in a mess. It was bloated and swollen. ¡®Did you fight any fierce battles?¡¯ In her mind several ¡®???¡¯ were floating. Dustin said, pointing to Cloud. ¡°This guy will be Young Madam¡¯s escort.¡± Oh, he got permission. She thought it would be good to keep Cloud by her side to fight Vincent, so she came up with it impulsively. Lloyd didn¡¯t like it, so she gave up because she thought it wouldn¡¯te through. ¡°Originally, I was going to be escorting the Young Madam.¡± They didn¡¯t have to attach Dustin. ¡°Even though he is young, his skills areparable to mine, so you can trust him.¡± Aria thought that Cloud would be the best. But, she can¡¯t believe that it wasparable to the leader of the ck Falcon Knights. ¡®It was beyond my imagination.¡¯ Well, they have to have that level of skill to be an escort knight for Lloyd. Aria quickly understood. [Then Sir Cloud is a sword master?] ¡°I am approaching that point.¡± Cloud answered, and Dustin added, cing a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This guy hasn¡¯t been on track, but that¡¯s already enough. If he bes a sword master, he¡¯ll definitely outperform me. He¡¯s an undisputed genius!¡± Dustin burst intoughter as he spoke as if he was proud of his child. He seemed very happy when he said that a boy much younger than him might outperform him. ¡®Even though he must have dedicated his life to the sword himself.¡¯ Geniuses have always been targets of envy and jealousy. Aria could only remember Count Cortez, which she hadpletely forgotten. ¡®Actually, it is not normal to be jealous and abusive to children.¡¯ A somewhat self-pitying smile leaked out. ¡°He¡¯s the youngest sword master. The youngest. I¡¯m sure he will soon be the best sword of the Empire¡­.. Dustin exined as if they were outsiders. ¡®Surely.¡¯ Thinking of the future Lloyd or the present Grand Duke, they were almost like a living, breathing weapon of murder. Even Aria, who was not familiar with swordsmanship, knew. That no matter how talented you are, and no matter how hard you try, it¡¯s something you can¡¯t reach. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of the devil¡¯s malice.¡± She picked up a new card to refresh the atmosphere and clear up her curiosity. [But what¡¯s wrong with his face?] Who had messed up the face of such a genius? ¡°Ah, this.¡± Then Cloud answered. ¡°I was beaten by the group for monopolizing the Young Madam by myself¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wound of glory!¡± Dustin intercepted Cloud¡¯s words in the middle. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°You have to say it right, this guy! It was training!¡± ¡°There is no evil training in the world to fight 17 to 1.¡± ¡°It¡¯s practical training!¡± Is there a real battle where you have to fight against the 17 most elite knights of Valentine? ¡®How extreme is the situation?¡¯ Aria asked, staring intently at Dustin. [Did you hit him?] He said, ¡®Not me!¡¯ andined of injustice. However, as Cloud groaned, it didn¡¯t take long for him to confess. ¡°I did sit by and watch.¡± Don¡¯t say he was dissatisfied because he lost his escort position to Sir Cloud. So he was vindictive and stood by the bullying? Aria gave a determined expression, and she scolded Dustin. [Because he¡¯s my knight, you can¡¯t do it carelessly now.] After all, Cloud was now her escort knight. If he¡¯s her person, she has to protect him. [Tell the other knights. In the future, if you inflict harsh acts on Sir Cloud in the name of training, I will not let you go.] ¡°That, that!¡± Dustin stuttered his words. Then, Cloud, who seemed to react bluntly even if he was stabbed with a knife, showed an unexpected reaction. ¡°It¡¯s the first time that Young Madam has covered for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s frustrated, so I¡¯m just trying not to say anything¡­¡± What kind of life had he been living? As if thrilled, as he spoke in a low-pitched cracked end voice, and it seemed that there was a lot piled up inside. Aria felt sorry for him ¡®It¡¯s not a sin to have a bad head and be tactless.¡¯ Perhaps the knights didn¡¯t know that Aria sometimes felt the same urge to hit Vincent. And they¡¯re actually hitting Cloud in the name of training. ¡®But still, you can¡¯t hit him.¡¯ An urge to do and actually doing are different. Aria looked up at Dustin as if she had something to say. [My knight is crying.] ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± Cloud responded briefly. Aria gave him a wink as if she wanted him to be quiet. ¡°Anything you want me to do?¡± Although Cloud doesn¡¯t look like he understands. Then Dustin, who had been silent for a while, said, as if he was resentful. ¡°That guy, his face was only slightly injured, but the other guys can¡¯t even get up¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t even practice in the morning. Well, I¡¯ll punish them separatelyter.¡± He had already taken revenge. Aria had nothing to say. ¡®Well, he doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of guy who¡¯s going to be beaten quietly.¡¯ She turned to Cloud. The undisputed genius seemed to have no idea after knocking out the 17 knights. ¡°I¡¯m going to put them well. Rather¡­¡± Dustin muffled his words as if he had something to say, and then coughed in vain. ¡°Can you write me a card too?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Aria took a white card out of her bag and scribbled a writing with the fountain pen. [Sir Dustin, nice to meet you.] Dustin epted the card she offered him with a bright face. Oveid was the face of a noble who smirked that he had received a birthday letter from his daughter. ¡®He was bragging about his daughter until the banquet was over.¡¯ For some reason, Sir Dustin would seem to return to the Knights order with a face that anyone could see as itching with pride. ¡®It started by saying thank you for your kindness.¡¯ How did it be like an autograph session? ¡®Why did this happen?¡¯ Every day, there seemed to be a fierce battle for Aria¡¯s handwritten card. She doesn¡¯t know why. *** ¨C Everyone is trying to take my card. Aria briefly questioned it in front of Lloyd. Because she couldn¡¯t figure out why. ¨C Were my words really impressive? It¡¯s like collecting quotes from great men. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think I said so much¡­.¡¯ Rather, didn¡¯t she mainly say everyday things? Aria was in trouble for a moment. Lloyd then turned an undesirable gaze to the old bag she was carrying. ¡°I guessed it, I¡¯ll throw it away.¡± So that¡¯s why he said he¡¯ll throw it away? Ariater realized why he was staring at her bag like it was an enemy. However, Aria was hesitant to give up on it because she has been with her bag like one body so she was attached. ¡®Once it was just a tool for survival, but now it¡¯s not.¡¯ She fiddled with the straps of her bag, which was filled with memories of the Grand Duchy. ¨C But then, how am I supposed tomunicate with others? If he wanted to throw away her bag and stop interacting with cards, he would have given her an artifact to send messages to everyone. ¡®But Lloyd gave me an artifact that could onlymunicate with him.¡¯ No matter how much she thought about it, his actions didn¡¯t match. ¨C For what purpose did you create the gemstone artifact? ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t know either.¡± Lloyd once again groaned at her and ruffled the back of his head. Why do people keep begging for her cards? There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t know. Aria was so cute and lovely that everyone would just want to hug her when she stares up while holding the card she wrote on her own with both her hands. Objectively, anyone can see it. ¡®I know that.¡¯ Why is his stomach so twisted? Why does he feel the urge not to show it to anyone? ¡®No, before that¡­.¡¯ Why did he say that he doesn¡¯t like her being with everyone? He doesn¡¯t even know why he¡¯s doing this. ¡®Have I developed a desire for monopoly since we¡¯re married?¡¯ A desire for monopoly. It was a very unfamiliar feeling for Lloyd, who had never been greedy for even a small thing. How does he monopolize people who are not things in the first ce? Aria had the right tough, talk, and be happy with anyone. Because it was something she had never enjoyed before, he wished she had been with more and more people. However. ¡°I heard that you visit the prayer room every day these days.¡± -Well. ¡°You seem to get along with the apprentice.¡± Why was he saying this? Lloyd touched his finger across his lips and crumpled his face at the impulsive words he had said. Aria didn¡¯t answer right away and she seemed to hesitate for a moment, which made him feel even more strange. ¡®What is this feeling? It¡¯s annoying.¡¯ His stomach became stuffy. He wanted to solve it, conclude it and put it away. So Lloyd came to the most reasonable conclusion. Apparently, Aria is dealing with the Pope¡¯s spy, so he was annoyed. ¡°When did you start believing in God?¡± ¨C I don¡¯t believe it. ¡°Then what?¡± ¨C I think it would be good to be friends with Gabriel. ¡°Ha?¡± But he didn¡¯t expect to hear this. Lloyd let out augh. They¡¯re calling each other names? ¡°So you¡¯re going to get close to each other?¡± ¨C Lloyd knows it¡¯s not good for him to go back to Garcia with only a bad feeling about this ce. ¡°What do you mean? Who is him?¡± Aria couldn¡¯t say that he was the future pdinmander who would ughter the people of this country. When she starts talking about the future, she has to tell the whole truth. She didn¡¯t know how far she was going to talk. ¡®Even in the previous life, Gabriel must havee as an apprentice to Valentine. Because it has absolutely nothing to do with the future I changed. However, after he was in the Fa Empire for five years, he casually killed innocent people. In other words, his five years of apprenticeship did not give him any appreciation, impression, or emotion. ¡®Valentine is notorious for being the devil¡¯s castle, but it¡¯s not such a terrifying ce, and maybe we need to tell them that this ce is also habitable after all.¡¯ Aria thought so. So, she decided to tell the more essential truth. ¨C I don¡¯t care if I don¡¯t need anything other than for my person. ¡°¡­..¡± ¨C Gabriel is never my person. But he¡¯s here to help Lloyd inherit the malice so that it doesn¡¯t get any worse. It¡¯s good because it¡¯s necessary, and there¡¯s no reason other than that. Gabriel means nothing to her. As Aria said that, Lloyd felt the emotions that had been gnawing at him disappear. ¡°¡­?¡± What is it? After all, she¡¯s saying she¡¯s going to keep hanging out with the Pope¡¯s spy, but why does it make him feel better? The fundamental problem remains the same. Lloyd swallowed the still unanswered question and sighed instead. ¡°Keep the line and deal with it in moderation.¡± He didn¡¯t like it though. He had no choice but to say so. ¡°Why are you like this to people¡­¡± People? Aria waited for the words to follow, but Lloyd did not finish speaking. ¡®¡­making them easily enticed to you.¡¯ Is it because she¡¯s a Siren? Less than a year has passed since she came to this castle, and she has already shed it to countless numbers of people. Even if that apprentice from Garcia means nothing to Aria, would he feel the same way? ¡®Useless greed.¡¯ He was not a person who could not and should not have it anyway. Lloyd just decided not to think deeply about the matter. Because it seemed like he would have an insane desire to hide her in a ce no one knew about. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°My god, crazy¡­¡± Hans ripped off his head and uttered a small swear word. Since taking his ce in the gutter, he has been on a very smooth path to promotion. He was also treated more personally than other subordinates because he was a skilled wizard, which is rare even in the gutter. Even if it wasn¡¯t his dream job, he was happy living in his own way because it was a ce where he could show off his natural personality to the fullest. But when he came to his senses, he had be the leader of the rebellion. Damn it, what the hell is this! ¡®Nonsense. I mean, I even got help from these evil bastards, I rebelled against him with my own hands?¡¯ It¡¯s something he had never even imagined. ¡®But did that really happen?¡¯ Moreover, the rebellion seemed to have been sessful. Because the people around him were eagerly telling sagas about the rebellion of the rat¡¯s stronghold. ¡®Even the Master is dead¡­.¡¯ His Master had already be a corpse, and he fell into an eternal sleep in the crypt. The long history of the gutter has already ended. ¡®This is a dream. It¡¯s a dream¡­..¡¯ He was now having an afterparty with Valentine¡¯s subordinates. Hans wants to let his mind go and not wake up forever. However, once his consciousness became clear, it did not return to a state of loss of self-esteem as before. He was going crazy and running around. ¡®Where the hell did it go wrong? I certainly remember how I managed to infiltrate the inside of Valentine¡¯s Castle¡­..¡¯ After that, it was a ckout. He doesn¡¯t know for sure, but under the circumstances, it seemed like something had been done by the devil bastards. ¡®No.¡¯ If he had been brainwashed on Valentine¡¯s, they couldn¡¯t leave Hans alone now. They wouldn¡¯t know what he was going to do when he regained consciousness, so they should have killed him sooner. That said, it had nothing to do with Valentine that Hans lost his mind. ¡®Let¡¯s say I yielded a hundred times and got possessed by the devil¡¯s spirit in my body. But why did I have toe out to the front at all!¡¯ In this case, it was difficult for him to sneak out pretending not to know. Besides, he was seen well by the gutter rats, he couldn¡¯t even say that he was forced to join in after taking the ce away. Who believes that? ¡®Aahh! My life has gone to the mountains!¡¯ Hans was even more annoyed by the noise of clinking sses and chattering. That was then. The devil bastards or Valentine¡¯s subordinates talking to each other over the campfire, spoke to him. ¡°There were some sane people like you among the gutter rat, yes.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I can say goodbye to all those damn rats!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. You perfectly blocked the escape route of the gutter rat that was trying to escape and easily captured it.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­..¡± Hans spit out the emptyugh. He wasn¡¯tughing right now. If Valentine and the gutter were responsible for the darkness in the Empire, now those two mountain ranges have been merged into one. So it was the devil¡¯s victory. ¡®It was also a victory that I gave with my hand.¡¯ He could not understand why he had to go through such an absurd ordeal. ¡°Well, a moment to the toilet¡­¡± Hans put down the ss he was holding and got up from his seat. And as he pretended to go to the toilet, he hid in the dark and naturally turned. ¡°Master!¡± Hans used magic to move to the basement in an instant. The crypt. The rat¡¯s hometown was familiar enough for him that he could walk around with his eyes closed. He naturally went into the basement as if breathing. Then he opened the coffins one by one and eagerly searched for the gutter rat¡¯s corpse. ¡®Ah.¡¯ How long has it been? Hans finally found a familiar face. ¡°Master¡­..¡± He frowned and looked down at the dead gutter rat with pity. And without hesitation, he raised his finger and drew something. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please just die.¡± He had no intention of saving him. Hans muttered. He has always been by his side to see how his Master punishes traitors. He had to force his eyes to see what creative ways his former colleague was being tortured to death. Seeing this, Hans decided. If he¡¯s going to betray the gutter rat, let¡¯s be absolutely sure¡­ ¡®Damn, who knew it would be like this.¡¯ It was Hans who actively helped the gutter rat by the side when it tried to remodel its own body as a test object. ¡®Will this work¡­?¡¯ Swallowing a gulp, he took the dagger from his arms and lifted it without hesitation. And the moment when he tried to hit it with all his might. Grab-, His wrist was held. *** Aria stared intently at the Grand Duke. ¡®By the way, it was this person who started the first card battle.¡¯ She started to get curious as her thoughts went all the way to that point. What was he doing by taking the cards Aria wrote one by one? ¡®Did he take it out and read it?¡¯ She could hardly imagine the Grand Duke taking the cards out of his arms and reading them one by one. She can¡¯t even imagine him having the cards spread out and bragging to people¡­ ¡®What a mystery.¡¯ It was when Aria was observing him and immersed in her thoughts. Tristan was spinning the ss in his hand, looking down at the letter from the imperial pce. Engraved with the Emperor¡¯s seal. ¡°Hmm.¡± Tristan thought for a moment and tore the letter into pieces without even opening it. A piece of paper that had been a letter a while ago flew in the air. ¡°¡­..¡± Dwayne seemed to have forgotten what he had to say. And he gave Aria a nce. ¡®Please, please stop the Grand Duke.¡¯ He seemed to say so. Aria swallowed a sigh and sprinted in front of him. [What letter is it?] Then he stroked Aria¡¯s head. Her head swayed back and forth at the rough hand. ¡°It must be a letter from the Emperor whining.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s angry and asks me tofort him, what is that. My son doesn¡¯t do that.¡± He spoke as if the Emperor was some kind of whiny kid next door. ¡®He didn¡¯t even speak respectfully of the Emperor.¡¯ No, of course, looking at the present time, the Emperor had just ascended the throne as the Crown Prince. ¡®He¡¯s probably seen the Emperor since he was little.¡¯ The Emperor was young enough that he had just recently had hising-of-age ceremony. And since he was young, he was called a fool and spread all kinds of scandals. It was not unreasonable for him to be regarded as pathetic. And Aria deeply understood that he hated dealing with the Emperor. ¡®However, isn¡¯t that too obvious?¡¯ Aria remembered the future Lloyd killing the Emperor like a petty creature. Well, perhaps it runs in the family [Why was heining?] ¡°Well, it¡¯s probably because of your yful wedding ceremony.¡± Of course. ¡®I thought so.¡¯ The Emperor could not tolerate Valentine¡¯s atrocities due to his character. But Valentine¡¯s side ignores the Emperor so much, she wondered if there was an agreement. ¡®They did it without any intention.¡¯ Even theint letter was torn up without being read. Aria was worried if it would be okay with this, but she was actually impressed with how hepletely ignored the Emperor. ¡®I should have done the same.¡± She wanted to learn from him. [As expected, Father is cool.] ¡°Right?¡± Dwayne, who was listening to their conversation from behind, widened his eyes as if he was going to say something ¡®I asked you to stop it, so why on earth are you making it even harder!¡± Aria sneaked away from the gaze. Her heart felt that way, so she just said it honestly, so what should she do? They exchanged nces again. ¡®I would have to clean up everything!¡¯ ¡®Hmm, cheer up.¡¯ Then the aide, who had his foot cut by the ax he trusted, trembled with a sense of betrayal. Themon sense man at Valentine¡¯s Castle was continuing his difficult days today. [By the way, Father.] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Did you not sleep?] Aria noticed that the circles under the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes were darker than usual, and she asked. It¡¯s the same with the rare, starving beast-like eyes. It¡¯s like rubbing his eyes constantly as if he was tired. It was also strange that he brought out a drink she had never seen before. ¡°How did you know?¡± Tristan looked surprised. But he soon added, as if insignificant. ¡°People say that as they get older, they lose sleep.¡± He¡¯s not old enough to say that. ¡®You¡¯re still in your mid-30s.¡¯ But Aria didn¡¯t really know that either. She died before she even got old. Tristan patted Aria¡¯s head once more after roughly finishing his words. This time, her head swayed from side to side like a roly-poly toy. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Kuang-!! At first they thought it was the sound of the ground splitting in two. The earth shuddered with a deafening roar. ¡°Ear, earthquake?!¡± Marronnier screamed and hugged Aria¡¯s head as if protecting her. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling shook violently once, then stopped. ¡°¡­what was that just now?¡± Aria removed the bewildered Marronnier. And, she turned to Cloud, who stood motionless for a moment as if shocked. The boy¡¯s face, whose expression changes unusually rarely, was pale. ¡°Ah, no way¡­¡± He stood by the window and opened it. Aria followed him and looked out the window. ¡®Gasp.¡¯ And she saw a ck pit. Originally there was supposed to be huge traces of the ce where the endless garden was supposed to spread. It looked like an imaginary animal : a dragon, ravaged the spot. And at the center of it was Grand Duke Valentine. ¡®Did the Grand Duke do it?¡¯ How? No, more than that, why? ¡®It¡¯s not like the Grand Duke¡­.¡± He was ruthless and had a bad personality. However, he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would break the ground as if to show off his own power. ¡®Recently, he seems to be in a very bad condition.¡¯ No matter how it is. Aria panicked and she looked at him more closely. Thanks to the Siren¡¯s excellent eyesight, she could see his condition at a nce even from a great distance. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in his right mind.¡¯ She was sure she¡¯s seen that expression before. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Lloyd 10 yearster. With only one old sword, he annihted all living things in the Imperial Pce. ¡°It¡¯s the same as back then.¡± As he swung the arm holding the sword, an eerie sound erupted. It couldn¡¯t be called a sharp shing sound. It sounded like it was being crushed by a presser. Dozens of people fell at the same time. Like a trampled dead ant. As if everything was washed away by a tsunami that reached the sky. ¡°Are you really going to be the devil and try to destroy this world!¡± The Emperor eximed desperately. It was more of a helpless movement than of anger. ¡°Bing the devil. Your Majesty, I was born a devil from the beginning, and wherever I am, there is only hell.¡± Lloyd pointed his sword at the emperor and walked slowly. and¡­. ¡°Young Madam.¡± Aria was immersed in her thoughts, and she was startled by the sound of calling her. ¡°It seems the time hase.¡± Cloud said. ¡®The time?¡¯ Aria questioned herself, but she still kept her gaze out of the window. Quite a number of people surrounded the Grand Duke. Lloyd, the shaman Carlin, the ck Falcon Knights, those who had the power to stop the Grand Duke. And Gabriel. ¡°I¡¯ll immobilize him, so distract him.¡± Lloyd drew his sword. However, the 14-year-old boy was not yet skilled enough to defeat Grand Duke Valentine. Even Aria, ignorant of swordsmanship, felt that the Grand Duke was overwhelmingly strong. Of course, that could be a different story when Lloyd grows older than he is now, but at least for now¡­ ¡®You¡¯re going to get seriously hurt.¡¯ As she terrifyingly thought so, Kuang-!! A sound simr to the roar that split the ground broke out again. A white sh of light shed from the two swords that collided violently. A cold sweat broke out on Lloyd¡¯s forehead from a single blow. ¡°Kugh!¡± He clenched his teeth and swallowed a groan of pain. Aria trembled and leaned her body in front as if she was about to jump out of the window. Then Tristan saw a sh of light from the sword he was holding. ¡®The sword?¡¯ No. At first nce, they may look simr, but it had apletely different feel. So tantly corrupt that it¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s of this world¡­.. ¡°The devil¡¯s malice¡­¡± Gabriel, who was watching the scene, murmured. It was horror. Everyone who watched the scene, without exception, was overwhelmed by the energy and felt absolute despair. Tears welled up in the corners of their eyes at the pain simr to seeing the sun with the naked eye, and their whole body trembled at the eerie ringing in their ears. A rotting stench stung the nose, it was hard to breathe, and they couldn¡¯t spit a single word out of the heavy pressure that blocked the vocal cords. Pure malice that tramples on every insignificant creature that lives in reality, and makes even sickness and death groan. An iprehensible existence. ¡®That¡¯s the devil¡¯s malice that Valentine¡¯s heads have been embracing for generations¡­..¡¯ Aria was the first to have a glimpse of its essence. Chaos itself condensed from the depths of the abyss. She shut her eyes tight for a moment. ¡®I had to purify that.¡¯ If it¡¯s something no one has ever done before, there must have been a reason. It was only when Aria saw the essence of malice with her own eyes that she realized why. ¡®I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t afraid.¡¯ But she only came to her senses when Lloyd moved his sword into his left hand. All of a sudden, she forgot her fears and started worrying. ¡®Is your arm broken?¡¯ The boy gave up his right hand after judging calmly. And he stood up again. Tristan also raised his sword and swung it, as if he had no intention of looking at Lloyd. Twisted and distorted malice followed the sword and drew a trajectory in the air. It was an instantaneous situation. At that time, Aria was terribly surprised. ¡®Gasp, Sabina!¡¯ Because Sabina was heading straight for Tristan from afar without hesitation. ¡®No matter how much you get better, you are not fully recovered¡­.¡¯ Her body, which had been damaged by her long illness, was not something that could be fixed in a single day. To approach the Grand Duke on the verge of a runaway with such a body! ¡®It¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ Aria desperately grabbed the window sill. Scared of thinking so, Sabina mmed Tristan in the head. ¡°.¡­¡± Did she just hit his head? It was a very fierce fist. The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes, which had been hazy for a moment, returned to their original state. ¡°¡­what are you doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to say!¡± ¡°Why are you here in danger?¡± ¡°You are the most dangerous!¡± Tristan continued the conversation at his own will and then picked up Sabina. And he went back to the pce without any hesitation as if he had not caused amotion, . ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is this? Only those who were left were stunned. *** Aria immediately went to Lloyd, checked the condition of his right arm, and sang her healing song. And she asked about the time that Cloud said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s just that the time for recement of the head of the family hase.¡± ¡°What?¡± She asked in surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lloyd still 14?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not going to be reced right away.¡± He turned around his healed arm and started exining more in earnest. ¡°It means that I have begun to properly inherit the malice that has been passed down through the generations.¡± ¡°But why is Father like that?¡± ¡°Because only the shell remains.¡± Shell? ¡°Even though it¡¯s malice, it is the power of the devil. It¡¯s transferred to me, leaving only a powerless and corrupt human body.¡± Aria had an anxious expression on his face. ¡°Then what will happen?¡± ¡°He will suffer from madness for the rest of his life. If his body is weaker than that, the moment the malice ispletely gone, he bes a handful of dust and scatters.¡± Lloyd spoke as if exining the logic of the world. As if it was a very natural process, like circting nature. ¡®That means he¡¯s going to die.¡¯ Or if not, he¡¯ll go crazy. Either way, it was a negative oue. ¡®Oh, I thought it was strange that Lloyd led the meeting instead of the Grand Duke.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know that it was a signal that started the beginning of a generational change. ¡°When will that happen?¡± ¡°It will be at most five years.¡± Lloyd said five years at most, but Aria knew what would happen here four yearster. ¡®Valentine¡¯s Incident.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s rted? She thought it might be something. ¡°There¡¯s no need to make that kind of expression because all the previous grand dukes have been through it.¡± ¡°Was he going to keep doing that until then?¡± ¡°It will only get worse.¡± The answer that came back was even more hopeless. ¡°Before he goes out of control, he will have to enter the detached pce with several barriers.¡± But Lloyd, who said those words, was calm enough to feel cold. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± Rather, seeing Aria concerned for the Grand Duke¡¯s safety with a desperate face, he brushed his bangs in annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The reason to marry me is gone.¡± Not only that, but he also said things that can¡¯t be understood at all. ¡°I think I know why.¡± Because Tristan¡¯s present is Lloyd¡¯s future. ¡°If you ept what is happening to the Grand Duke now as a tragedy, my future will also be a tragedy.¡± Lloyd couldn¡¯t help but react like this. ¡°You¡¯re still okay, right?¡± ¡°Rtively.¡± So that means it¡¯s just a matter of time. Aria thought for a moment, then nodded her head as if she understood. ¡°Then, Lloyd?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Then what will happen to Lloyd?¡± Chapter 61 Chapter 61 The boy kept his mouth shut for a moment. But, did he immediately remember the promise he made with Aria? He continued exining with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll have some seizures and it¡¯ll be stronger than before.¡± He spoke of it as gently as possible. Broken bones all over his body, ripping his bare skin and sticking out. It was a fruition that had to be obtained after enduring countless times of crushing pain. ¡®It can¡¯t be that simple.¡¯ Aria clenched her fists tightly. ¡°What will happen if the devil¡¯s malice is not passed on from generation to generation?¡± ¡°If there is a bloodline, it automatically connects.¡± ¡°No, what if you don¡¯t have children?¡± It was always questionable. Why does Valentine keep having children and seeding it? If it were Aria, she would never have inherited her miserable fate by giving birth to children. ¡®Even if you have met a true love that you will never have again, so you think you want to have a child with that child, it¡¯s not right to give birth.¡¯ If they loved that person, even more so, they would have prevented themselves from having children. Clearly, there must be a reason to have a sessor. Then Lloyd said. ¡°That day will be the end of the world.¡± Ah. Only then did Aria realize. ¡®Valentine wasn¡¯t the devil.¡¯ They passed it on from generation to generation to protect the world from the devil¡¯s malice left behind on this earth. In order to continue the life of thend that was abandoned for breaking God¡¯s orders. Just enduring all the notoriety and criticism. ¡®That¡¯s too¡­ ¡® Her chest felt pain as if it was being cut. Even if Valentine¡¯s original Head really did something to summon the devil from hell. Even if he was cursed to pass on the devil¡¯s malice from generation to generation. Why did it be a karma that future generations should bear? Is it the sin of being born of direct blood of Valentine? Is it a sin to be born? ¡®You¡¯re just born, but you hold a curse, pollute and kill someone you¡¯re married to, and pass the curse to the child born and eventually go crazy and die as ashes?¡± Surprisingly, Valentine has kept it going. For several generations, continuously. ¡®That¡¯s why neither the Emperor nor Garcia ever touch Valentine.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t touch it, it was that they couldn¡¯t touch it. If Valentine doesn¡¯t give birth to a child and pass on the curse, the world will end. ¡®So the rumor spread that Valentine¡¯s direct lineage would kill their father from generation to generation and ascend to the position of Grand Duke.¡¯ They didn¡¯t kill. The predecessor grand dukes lost their power after passing on the devil¡¯s malice and hid themselves in the detached pce. That¡¯s how they imprisoned themselves, suffered madness, and died as ashes. ¡®If this isn¡¯t a sacrifice, what is this?¡¯ However, the world pointed fingers at them as the devil and were afraid of them, while they were nothing but the heroes who saved the world. ¡®Isn¡¯t this unfair?¡¯ She wanted to ask that. Why did Valentine just choose to be criticized instead of taking the rights they deserve? But she soon realized. ¡®It was the same with me.¡¯ After Aria was used all her life for the sake of everyone, she became a monster. If she hadn¡¯t returned the time, her life would have ended and she just died there. Aria had a simr situation with Lloyd. That¡¯s why she was able to understand his feelings even more. ¡®The reason Lloyd refused to marry in the previous life, in the present life, and to the end¡­.¡¯ It was to end it all. ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Lloyd asked self-scornfully. As if he would rather her be disappointed. As if to tell her to give up and run away. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s something you don¡¯t have to deal with at all.¡± Aria strode closer to Lloyd¡¯s. She then raised her hand and she fiddled with his earlobe. The boy¡¯s body stiffened for a moment. A red color began to drift around as if paint had been dropped on the pure white skin. ¡°Where are you touching?¡± ¡°You got your ears pierced.¡± Lloyd had the Tears of Mermaid that Aria had given him before. Although it was so small in size, she had to look carefully to notice that he was wearing earrings. ¡°You said it¡¯s a token.¡± Lloyd removed Aria¡¯s hand. She nodded her head and replied. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a token.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°A token that I will never betray.¡± If he¡¯d rather have the world end, she¡¯ll be with him. She was prepared for that. Aria knew that Lloyd was a sword that could cut through anything. It wasn¡¯t bad to help the tip of the sword point towards the world rather than let him cut himself off. Hate for the world or whatever. Rather than face the same ending as the future, she wanted him to shine like that. It wasn¡¯t the destruction of the world that she feared. Lloyd gave up everything and copsedpletely. ¡°Do you want it to end?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lloyd asked defensively. Aria pped her lips. She didn¡¯t expect she was going to say this directly to Lloyd. ¡°Then shall we go to hell together?¡± She returned to Lloyd what he had told her in the previous life. ¡°Whatever Lloyd wants, do whatever you want.¡± Even if he was the culprit of Valentine¡¯s Incident, there was no harm in it. Not at all. His eyes, unable to take it off Aria, widened as if enchanted, and little by little, they began to shake. ¡°You always¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his words. It was because his neck had been tightly squeezed. He just couldn¡¯t believe the current situation. It seemed to himself, perhaps, that he was being saved. That¡¯s by this little girl. He covered his eyes with his palms, slightly showing his sincerity. ¡°¡­I do not wish for the destruction of the world either.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I want to cut off the atonement for sinspletely from my generation.¡± That was the reason for living a life of a shell without a future. While continuing to lead the same life spinning like a while. Without paying any attention to anything. To end all of this. ¡°For sure, no matter what the cost.¡± Cost. The moment Aria heard those words, the first thing that came to mind was the Valentine¡¯s Incident, even though the reason was unknown. She watched Lloyd, and said as she ced her own hand on his hand on the desk. ¡°If you want.¡± *** Without dy, she went straight to Tristan. ¡°My daughter is here.¡± Daughter? Aria did not know when she started to be the daughter of the Grand Duke. Well, the son¡¯s wife is also a legal daughter¡­. ¡®He¡¯s better than I thought.¡¯ Aria thought as she got off Silver¡¯s back. Outwardly, he was no different. Although he looks a little tired. ¡®Oh, I canceled the fact that he was fine.¡¯ Tristan was breathing a bottle. When she suddenly wondered why he called Aria his daughter, he was drunk. He was just out of his mind. ¡®It¡¯s tequ Latin.¡¯ The most expensive drink in the world. It is made from undiluted liquor aged for more than 100 years, and it is made in a limited edition, so even if you want to get it, you can¡¯t get it. The Grand Duke was slowly reclining on the sofa, blowing a bottle of the most expensive drink in the world. ¡®He said insomnia.¡¯ Is it because he can¡¯t sleep? She heard that the cruelest torture among all the tortures is to keep a person from sleeping. ¡°Umm?¡± Aria took away the wine bottle the Grand Duke was holding. ¡®Drink in moderation while enjoying the taste and aroma of alcohol.¡¯ If he continues to drink, it will only deepen his insomnia and dependence. ¡°Daughter, I¡¯m having a hard time without it.¡± The Grand Duke spoke weakly for some reason. But Aria ignored it. Then she whimpered, put the bottle back on the desk and pulled out her card. [I¡¯m afraid of people who drink.] Tristan looked around the card, narrowing his eyes as if he couldn¡¯t focus well. After a while he barely read the card. ¡°Afraid?¡± Aria nodded her head. Then he graciously let go of the bottle. ¡°There¡¯s everything you¡¯re afraid of.¡± It seemed that he had no intention of drinking any more at the word afraid. He was pressing hard around his eyes as if his head was throbbing. ¡®I guess it¡¯s true that he¡¯s losing strength.¡¯ The Grand Duke felt like he would not get drunk no matter how much alcohol he drank. Yet, he looked drunk. Obviously. Did he want to sleep somehow? [How many days has he been like this?] Instead of the Grand Duke who couldn¡¯t read her words, Aria asked the aide beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t think he slept properly for even an hour in ten days¡­¡± Even Dwayne, who is in a hurry to nag whenever he sees the Grand Duke, looked down today. He seemed genuinely concerned. ¡°Ten days?¡± He held it for ten days? Even if he tried to turn everything upside down, Aria could understand. He had been awake for such a long time, but it was even more surprising that he was able to hold a propermunication. ¡°Hmm, I think that sooner orter, normal conversation will be impossible too.¡± ¡°Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Why, you should let the daughter know what she needs to know.¡± The Grand Duke said with a yful voice and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret when you can still talk to me properly.¡± He flicked his finger at Aria. As she approached him with a puzzled face, he whispered into her ear. It was a terrifying sound, as if scratching the eardrums. ¡°Strangely, I hear your song everywhere.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 An unexpected horror ran down her spine. ¡®What does that mean?¡± Aria couldn¡¯t understand exactly what the Grand Duke was saying. However, Aria could tell that she had been caught doing something secretly. ¡®Did you know that I¡¯m a Siren?¡¯ She bit her lips tightly. Cold sweat seemed to run down her back. Sabina, Carlin, and Lloyd. These three were the only ones who knew Aria¡¯s secret, but it¡¯s unlikely they would have told Tristan. Then how? Did he really hear the song? ¡°I heard it most clearly when I was fully embracing the devil¡¯s malice.¡± She doesn¡¯t know how that¡¯s possible. But if the Grand Duke¡¯s words are true. It meant that he had known she was a Siren from the beginning. Suddenly, she remembered what Lloyd had said in herst life. ¡°Sing when you need me. Your song can reach anywhere.¡± And it really was. When Aria started singing her song, Lloyd appeared in the Imperial Pce. It really felt like he had heard her song. ¡®I thought it was a coincidence.¡¯ Aria thought, maybe it was a mysterious ability, hidden in the devil¡¯s malice. ¡®But why¡­.¡¯ Tristan didn¡¯t ask her, he didn¡¯t interrogate her. He, unlike everyone else, did not seek to exploit her abilities by coveting it. He didn¡¯t even tell the world. ¡®You just didn¡¯t do anything.¡¯ Considering the Grand Duke¡¯s circumstances, he must have been more desperate than anyone else. She could only stare at him with his faded gray eyes, where even the embers of hope had been extinguished. ¡®Faded gray eyes.¡¯ It is white as if there is a thick fog, and the color is like ashes left behind. ¡®The bored eyes that seem to disappear as if they are momentarily blown away by the wind.¡¯ Ten yearster, Lloyd had gray eyes like the current Grand Duke. But now he had a sparkling obsidian. The pupils, purely ck that it couldn¡¯t be seen, were alive at every moment. If that¡¯s the case¡­. ¡®The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes must have been originally ck.¡¯ Like the current Lloyd. ¡®Is it contaminated by malice?¡¯ Aria felt certain. Before Lloyd could have eyes like this, she had to unleash the cursepletely before that. How long has he been doing that? Tristan smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s funny. What¡¯s the use now¡­¡± But Aria did not miss the words he muttered as if passing by. ¡®In fact, it was because he didn¡¯t even expect anything from me.¡¯ He was too tired to hold on to such passionate feelings. He looked like Lloyd, who had chosen to go crazy. It was as if she was looking at her past self, imprisoned in the Emperor¡¯s cage. Aria took out her card. [My songs reach anywhere.] Anywhere. [Battlefield, slums, brothels.] Anyone [On wild flowers blooming among the bricks, even on the stones on the street that are always bright.] No matter how miserable the ce, no matter how low it is, even the bottom. [Even in hell. Even if it¡¯s the devil.] The Grand Duke¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment. This time, the contents of the card seemed to be read properly. [If there is a darkness that is eating you, give it to me.] Aria came back for that purpose. To ept anything in Lloyd¡¯s darkness. To make him shine again. If Lloyd¡¯s darkness had been passed down from Grand Duke Valentine, Aria was ready to embrace the Grand Duke¡¯s darkness as well. [I came here for that.] She sped the card into the Grand Duke¡¯s hand. He looked down at it for a moment and then tucked it into his arms so no one could see it. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Then he leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes and muttered. ¡°What the hell are you going to carry with that small body?¡± Then Aria lowered her head and whispered in his ear secretly. ¡°I¡¯ll sing you a luby at night.¡± And she gently brushed away the disheveled bangs that pierced his eyes. *** The Grand Duke¡¯s bedroom was iparably easier to infiltrate than Sabina¡¯s bedroom. No spells or movement scrolls were needed. Because there was not a single knight guarding the front door. ¡®He must be strong enough that he doesn¡¯t even need an escort¡­¡¯ Even in the midst of losing power. Aria sneaked into the room. And she saw Tristan lying quietly on the bed with his eyes closed. ¡®Are you sleeping?¡¯ His breathing sounds even. Aria waved her palms in front of the unmoving Grand Duke with closed eyes. ¡®Well, even with insomnia, a few people will fall asleep. Because they can¡¯t stay awake all day.¡¯ As hey down like this with his eyes closed, his unrealistic appearance like a statue stood out again. ¡®Hisplexion is also seriously bad.¡¯ She was swept away in an instant when he opened his mouth, so she didn¡¯t even notice. His skin was rough and bloodless, his lips were bluish and chapped, and there was a pitch ck shade under his eyes. ¡®It¡¯s great that you¡¯ve endured so far.¡¯ Aria reached out her hand and gently stroked the Grand Duke¡¯s head as she gently licked her lips. ¡°Hush, hush, sleep well, lovely baby.¡± At that moment, the Grand Duke¡¯s fingertips seemed to tremble for a moment. ¡®¡­Did I see it wrong?¡¯ Perhaps he¡¯s cold. ¡®Come to think of it, he¡¯s sleeping without a nket.¡¯ Aria grunted and pulled the nket that was under the Grand Duke¡¯s body. But it couldn¡¯t move. She clenched her teeth and pulled it with all her might. Thankfully this time, the nket fell out. As if the Grand Duke gently lifted his waist. ¡®Are you sleeping or awake?¡¯ To say that he was awake, she was confused because there was no movement as if he was dead except for the sound of breathing. Aria once again waved her hand in front of the Grand Duke to make sure he was sleeping. ¡®You are sleeping.¡¯ There¡¯s no reason to pretend he was sleeping. She sighed and carefully covered him with the nket. ¡°Hush, hush, sleep well, lovely baby.¡± She hesitated for a moment where to put her hand, then ced it on his chest. ¡®Pat, pat.¡¯ A song of sleep. It was a song she could sing very well. It was because there were many times that the nobles had called her to cure their insomnia. ¡°The stars, the moon, is full of light, Mother¡¯s hand gently shakes you¡­¡± Aria tilted her head and continued to narrow her brow as she sang. Strangely, the more she patted, the more she felt the vibration in her hand touching his chest. ¡°Until the sunes and hits you dazzlingly, Sleep with an angelic face¡­.¡± It was then. It seems that the ¡®angelic face¡¯ was the problem. As soon as that verse came out, a shortugh burst out as if desperately suppressed. The Grand Duke burst outughing out loud as if he couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°¡­..¡± As expected, he was awake. ¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡± ¡°Aah, right.¡± The Grand Duke replied with augh. ¡®I told you not tough.¡¯ How much time has passed. ¡®He¡¯sughing until now?¡¯ Tristanughed, shaking his shoulders until Aria was tired. And he barely managed to get augh. ¡°Ha, really. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯veughed like this.¡± Until, he was barely, barelyughing. Aria thought he wasughing so hard that heughed whenever he said something. Tristan asked, leaning his upper body towards her. ¡°Did my sleeping face look like an angel?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Nope. It was like a demon king sealed in abyrinth. Aria wiped her face. She suddenly felt tired. ¡°It only works if you listen seriously.¡± Aria made a face as strict as possible. Then the person who doesn¡¯t match the seriousness responded with a rebellious smile to her words. The faded gray eyes seemed to glisten with yfulness. ¡°My face is as pretty as an angel, so how can I not get up with excitement?¡± Oh, get some sleep. Aria raised one of her hands and covered the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes. She only got one eye covered. So she raised her other hand and covered it. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The Grand Duke quietly closed his eyes. She squeezed her shoulders and tried to put him back on the bed. He didn¡¯t move, so she struggled and heid down, as if the effort was imaginary. ¡®It¡¯s a shock, really.¡¯ In fact, Aria responded calmly, but she was deeply shocked. It was because she had never seen anyone in her life hold onto their stomach andughed while listening to her song. ¡®It hurts my pride.¡¯ Even though she sang it without magical power as much as possible. She sang as softly as possible in case it would stimte his madness. ¡®I¡¯ll sing it right this time.¡¯ Aria coughed and asked. ¡°There are other lubies too.¡± ¡°Do babies, mothers, the sun, the moon, and the stars appear there too?¡± How did he know? Not only that, baby birds, foxes, and squirrels also appear. ¡°¡­¡­I will go.¡± Aria was stabbed and slowly stepped back, her cheeks blushing. Since he¡¯s already burst outughing once, it seems unreasonable to expect him to listen to her lubies seriously. ¡®Should Ie by the time he begged for sleep so he¡¯ll listen seriously?¡¯ No, but most of the lyrics for lubies are like that. ¡°Don¡¯t go. I really felt like I was going to fall asleep just now.¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Tristan pulled her hem with a smile on his face. It was a soft and gentle voice, as if to soothe a sulky child. ¡®You know how to say it like that.¡¯ Perhaps he looked a little different because he was weaker than before. Aria stood in front of the bed again led by the Grand Duke. He arbitrarily took Aria¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. ¡°Try the hush hush again.¡± ¡°Hush hush¡­.¡± She unexpectedly patted his chest. He closed his half-closed eyelids and let out anguid breath. She sang again. This time, she put her magical power properly. A dreamy voice calmly echoed through the quiet room. ¡°Baby, baby. Lovely baby. Now is the time to sleep. Even the sun was sleepy and went home, and the baby birds, foxes, and squirrels all went home. Baby, baby. Dearest baby. Now is the time to sleep. Shh. If you close your eyes and listen closely, you will hear the whispers of the stars. Baby, baby. Sweet dreams. Countless dreams twinkle within you. Don¡¯t be afraid and go to sleep. Good bye, good night. If nightmarese, I¡¯ll take them all. Sleep well, baby.¡± Hmm, hmm- As she continued humming naturally, she looked at the Grand Duke¡¯splexion. She didn¡¯t even have to put her hand in front of him and wave it, but this time she knew. ¡®He fell asleep.¡¯ While exhaling with a rxed face. The suffocating pressure that always flowed by the Grand Duke¡¯s side disappeared. His calm sleep gave off a different atmosphere. ¡®Hmm, if not an angel¡­.¡¯ Maybe he¡¯ll be like a fallen angel. ¡®Because it looks like the blood of an angel.¡¯ Because it¡¯s the face that passed on the genes to the future Lloyd. After thinking like that, Aria poked the sleeping Grand Duke¡¯s cheek and stepped back. As she was about to try to leave the room, ¡®Umm.¡¯ She nced at the sleeping Grand Duke through the cracks in the door and greeted him good night. ¡°Have a nice dream.¡± She hoped he could sleepfortably today. If nightmarese, she¡¯ll take them all. *** ¡°Saint.¡± ¨C Sir Knight! Veronica answered in a bright voice as if she had been waiting. And she carefully checked Gabriel¡¯s face beyond themunication sphere. She smiled brightly, as if reassured, after carefully examining him for any injuries. ¨C I was always worried about yourte contact. I don¡¯t know if you have gone through any hardships¡­. Then Gabriel smiled softly at her. Veronica has always been the same. She was a person who resembled the constant sunlight. Her every word is so warm and cozy that it puts a smile on his lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that at all. No matter how devil worshipers they are, they won¡¯t be persecuting an apprentice who is in a contractual rtionship.¡± Like it or not, they were in a situation where they needed help, so there was no way they could do anything harsh. ¡®They just ignored me.¡¯ Being ignored has been Gabriel¡¯s daily routine since he was in the Papal Pce, so he wasfortable with that level of atmosphere. ¨C Are you still having trouble? ¡°No, not really.¡± ¨C Even without persecution, you¡¯ll be ostracized. ¡°Isn¡¯t that better? Even if you get attention from those devil worshipers, it¡¯s rather unpleasant.¡± Gabriel continued her words to reassure Veronica, but then stiffened. It was because he thought of Aria. ¡®The Grand Princess¡¯ Ariadne Valentine. At first he approached her without knowing that she was the Grand Princess. He was used to her smiling face while holding the bouquet of flowers handed to her by her handmaiden. The child he thought had been taken away and had been subjected to terrible things, was alive and well. ¡®At first I was worried that she might have been sold to Valentine¡¯s, but¡­.¡¯ Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. To say she was sold, she had a face that was as full as the flower in her arms. He never understood how she could be so clear among the devil worshipers. She wasn¡¯t kidnapped, though, so he thought he would move on. If only she hadn¡¯t said she was the one who saved Gabriel from the lowest ce. ¡®She¡¯s an unpredictable child.¡¯ As the devil¡¯s bride, she casually prays, tames a ferocious monster, and calls him an angel. ¡®And she said the same thing as the saint.¡¯ Well, it could be a coincidence. ¡®Even the circumstances ovep perfectly.¡¯ Gabriel is ignored in the Papal Pce. Saint Veronica is the only one who cares for and cherishes him. Gabriel is ignored in the Grand Duchy. She is the only one who takes care of him and cherishes him¡­ Well not really. In any case, it was the Grand Princess¡¯ kindness. ¡®Now I know where this strange feeling ising from.¡¯ Gabriel realizedter. He wondered why he couldn¡¯t be so harsh on the Grand Princess in the first ce. ¡°I met someone who looked like the Saint.¡± ¨C Looked like? ¡°Yes. She¡¯s ovepping with the saint.¡± Gabriel was anxious, worried, and missed leaving Veronica alone. So he was indecisive towards someone like her. ¡®I have sinned against you two.¡¯ It was a rude thought for both parties. Humans have their own personalities and lives, and they tend to ovep others for the same reason that they have simr attitudes toward themselves. Gabriel felt sorry for that and bowed his head, reflecting on how immature he was. So, he didn¡¯t see Veronica¡¯s expression turn cold in an instant. ¨C Oh, but that¡¯s fake. ¡°What?¡± Gabriel raised his head suddenly. He couldn¡¯t believe that the saint called a person ¡®a fake¡¯. ¡®Fake?¡¯ Veronica, beyond themunication sphere, had a very sad expression on her face. ¨C I mean, it wasn¡¯t really me. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± ¨C You missed me. Gabriel blushed his face. He was ashamed that his heart had been read almost like a confession. ¨C But, it¡¯s surprising. I didn¡¯t know there were people like me at Valentine¡¯s Castle. ¡°No, it¡¯spletely different. I just felt that it was simr to reaching out when I was lonely.¡± ¨C Really? ¡°Yes. And she¡¯s my lifesaver.¡± ¨C That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a personal story.¡± He couldn¡¯t tell where and how he met Aria and how he got saved. Because it was the personal history of the Grand Princess. He couldn¡¯t speak to anyone without her permission. ¨C That¡¯s really¡­ He¡¯s a very grateful person. Veronica muffled her lips and muttered in a slightly lowered voice. ¨C I thought a lot about whether Sir Knight might have been isted on his own, then how tofort you. And as if relieved, she ced her hand on her chest. With a smile as if painted. Gabriel said thank you for her concern. ¨C But, I think it¡¯s a great disrespect if you treat her while ovepping with me. ¡°That¡­..¡± ¨C You will be sad when you find outter. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to distance yourself from her? That was correct. Gabriel nodded as he rubbed the back of his nape as Veronica recalled his mistake. ¡°I will.¡± *** ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ Aria turned to Gabriel, who sat in the farthest seat and raised his prayers. They originally prayed while maintaining a reasonable distance as they sat at both ends in the same chair, but he was far away today. Very far. He was avoiding her so openly that it looked rather strange. ¡°Well, Grand Princess.¡± Huh? Aria looked up with round eyes as if answering his call. ¡°I would like to know if I can keep the key to the prayer room for a while.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It seems like it would be troublesome for the Grand Princess toe with the key every day.¡± Gabriel didn¡¯t seem to realize how strange the things he was saying now. [The angel came to help us, but he was still an outsider.] Gabriel blushed when he asked if they could give the key to an outsider. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was only then that he realized that he had asked for a nonsensical request. ¡°I never meant anything else.¡± [What¡¯s going on?] ¡°I might be rude to the Grand Princess. I thought I¡¯d keep our distance for a while¡­¡± What does this mean again? Aria didn¡¯t know much about Gabriel¡¯s personality at this time. But she knows for sure that he¡¯ll be shoveling and suffering on his own. [I will decide whether the angel was rude or not.] So it meant to tell her what was going on. Gabriel had no choice but to be honest. ¡°I have someone dear to me¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t even finished his speech, but she could guess who it was. He must be referring to Saint Veronica. ¡°I have been ovepping her and the Grand Princess from the very beginning.¡± Aria was shocked at the words. She remembered something she had heard in the past. ¡°If you imitate a saint, does it make you feel like you¡¯re not a monster?¡± Gabriel said sarcastically. At that time, she understood that she meant not to pretend to be a saint to use the healing powers that only priests can use. She never revealed that she was a Siren, and she had never met Veronica yet. But when she heard the same thing again, she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. ¡®Does it look like Veronica and I have a simr atmosphere?¡± Aria tilted her head. She didn¡¯t feel good about something. Effe¡¯s note: BTVF now updates 3 times a week~! Monday, Wednesday and Sunday Join our discord for notifications for each new chapters, or if you have anything to talk about the series. But I can¡¯t help with spoilers since I read at your pace too XD Enjoy! Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter anyway.¡¯ After all, Aria, no matter what others say, was a person who could be happy if only Lloyd was happy. It didn¡¯t matter whether Gabriel looked at herself like the saint or not. She had no regrets or disappointments. It was enough if he remembered the distant Aria and help her once in a while. [I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with that.] ¡°Yes?¡± He must have thought she would be offended. Gabriel looked puzzled. [It hasn¡¯t been a while since we met. Things like that happen, too. People are originally like that.] ¡°People are like that?¡± [Yes. Recalling the people around you and what you¡¯ve been through while epting new things.] ¡°Is that so?¡± Yes. Aria nodded her head. That¡¯s not the case in all situations, but it happens quite often. When they encounter something simr to their environment that made up their surroundings, they are relieved and ept it with ease. And when they encounter theplete opposite, at first they feel repulsed. Of course, after that they get used to it, reject it, or change direction. ¡®That¡¯s why I started praying.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know if he knows. Although it wasn¡¯t Aria¡¯s intention for him to recall the saint in her figure, she thought it was good. She will be epted easily. [Yes at first, you just have to find outter that we are a different person.] ¡°Is that so?¡± Yes. Aria nodded her head again. ¡®You have no friends.¡¯ She swallowed what she wanted to say. Because to say that, that means he didn¡¯t have any friends¡­ ¡®Anyway.¡¯ She wondered what the hell Garcia was teaching kids. Making them feel guilty with just a natural human instinct. It seems like a seriously wrong way of teaching. [Isn¡¯t that so?] ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never been close to anyone other than the saint¡­¡± It seemed so. Aria said it was fine, tapped him on the shoulder a couple of times and then she held out a new card. [If you look closely, you¡¯ll see how I¡¯m different from her.] At those words, Gabriel¡¯s water-blue eyes shimmering in gold widened. And slowly nodded his head. *** ¡°Oh, you were here.¡± The next day, Tristan came to visit Aria. At his own will, he slowly leaned back on a chair and sent the servant and the guards out of the room. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± He was back to the way he was before he suffered from insomnia. Of course, in a situation where he is passing on his power to his sessor in real time, he cannot bepletely healthy. ¡®At least he looks fine on the surface.¡¯ Aria was relieved. In fact, before that, she was so worried that he might have to be locked up in a detached pce right away. ¡°Here you go.¡± At that time, a golden sparkle flew in. Aria suddenly grabbed it with both her hands as if catching an insect. ¡®This¡­.¡¯ Key? ¡°Wedding present.¡± Well, that shouldn¡¯t be too bad. Since she had received so many things from Tristan, Aria showed a shaky reaction. ¡°What key?¡± ¡°Your room.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes widened as if she had never thought of it. It wasn¡¯t an attic, not a prison or a cage for the Sirens. ¡®Am I going to have my own space?¡¯ In the meantime, she was using the guest room of the detached pce, so Aria¡¯s heart started pounding. With excitement, her cheeks blushed and she looked at the Grand Duke. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°Howe you are more happy than when I made your yroom for you?¡± Well, she suddenly had a yroom like an amusement park, but Aria had no idea how to y. She just shivered. But having her own room was one of Aria¡¯s wishes. ¡°I hand-picked the furniture and ornaments brought in.¡± Hand-picked? She suddenly started to get anxious. ¡°If you like it that much, would you go take a look now?¡± The Grand Duke asked with a satisfied smile. It seemed like an impulsive proposal. She nodded her head as she was hoping for some sort of answer. ¡®Because I¡¯m curious about my room too.¡± He said it was hand-picked. Aria was very suspicious of the Grand Duke¡¯s aesthetics, so she decided to prepare ahead of time. ¡°Good.¡± Tristan said so and suddenly lifted Aria up. Like holding a newborn baby. ¡®You look happy.¡¯ Aria staggered far away from the guest room, where she was staying, with the Grand Duke¡¯s long legs. Aria grabbed the Grand Duke¡¯s hem because of the sudden heightened gaze and speed. Suddenly they arrived in front of a door. The Grand Duke gently lowered her down. Aria grabbed the key and wiggled her fingers as she looked up at him. ¡°What are you doing without opening it?¡± Well, she got nervous. ¡®Preparing not to be shocked if some extraordinary room pops out¡­..¡¯ Aria swallowed her saliva for a moment and shoved the key into the keyhole. The door opened with a light click. ¡°Wow¡­..¡± A new look of admiration escaped her lips. However, the sight beyond the door was more fantastic than she had imagined. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m in the forest.¡¯ The vivid green walls and wooden moldings looked like a forest full of cypresses. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was meticulously crafted with crystals in the shape of a butterfly. The paintings on the wall were all forests, cute wild animals, and flowers. The smell of fresh grass, flowers, and trees came from the flowerpots ced here and there. ¡®It¡¯s full of things I like.¡¯ He remembered. She took a step forward unknowingly and was startled. ¡®Fuzzy.¡¯ Green rugs were spread all over the room. At first nce, it looks like grass, but every time she walks, the floor is soft. ¡°Did Father really decorate this room?¡± Aria openly asked if this was really his sense. ¡°Sabina did gave me an opinion.¡± The Grand Duke then made it clear that he had received the help of his wife. ¡®Sabina¡­ ¡® Aria walked around the room, carefully touching every object. There were also many cute and strange animal ornaments. Each one was encrusted with jewels. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s a rabbit.¡¯ Aria found a white rabbit doll lying on the bed and approached it. It was so soft and fluffy that her fingers could fit in it when pressed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not the one I picked.¡± Aria looked down at the rabbit doll curiously at the Grand Duke¡¯s words. ¡®A gift from Sabina? Oh wait¡­¡­¡¯ Rabbit. She could immediately know whose gift it was. ¡®¡­weren¡¯t you in a bad rtionship with your father?¡¯ Aria lifted her bowed head and stared alternately at the Grand Duke and the rabbit doll. Lloyd¡¯s gift being here made no sense if the room was decorated with the Grand Duke¡¯s initiative. Are they not even getting along? ¡®Before they didn¡¯t even get along, he casually dered his corruption.¡± Then Tristan exined in one word. ¡°He suddenly appeared and he said he picked it up on the way and threw it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Well. Aria looked down at the rabbit doll with a subtle expression, and then she smiled and hugged it tightly. The doll had a peculiar smell to it. It didn¡¯t look like there was any hope at all between the two father-and-son. *** ¡®Soft and fluffy.¡¯ Aria hugged the rabbit doll. She hugged it very ¡®tightly¡¯. ¡°¡­..¡± She dared to hold the rabbit doll Lloyd had given her in front of Lloyd. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± He asked impatiently. But she didn¡¯t answer. Aria smiled as she buried her face in the rabbit doll. ¡°You¡¯re hugging everything¡­¡± Lloyd blushed slightly and nced at the rabbit doll. ¡®The reaction is cute.¡¯ Will he be that cute even after he grows up? She couldn¡¯t believe that such a cute boy grew up to be such an adult. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s not that I hate adult Lloyd.¡¯ For sure, he wasn¡¯t cute. She wanted to enjoy this look for a long time. Aria stroked Lloyd¡¯s head. ¡°¡­..¡± Lloyd stopped what he was doing and stared at Aria silently. But was he used to it now? Unknowingly he followed her hand and he tilted his head naturally. He half closed his eyes and drooped the long, densely packed ck eyshes. ¡°Oh, crazy¡­¡± Although he suddenly hardened his expression and took her hand away with a curse. Aria looked up at the boy, widening her eyes. ¡°Why are you cursing me?¡± In the moonlight, a pale blush appeared on the pale white skin. Lloyd rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand for a moment, then said with a straight face. ¡°Read the letter.¡± Did ite for her? Aria was perplexed when she saw Lloyd¡¯s package of letters. Each of the dozens of letters had a family seal stamped on it. ¡®This¡­.¡¯ It was an invitation. ¡®Well, it¡¯s time to get anxious about it slowly.¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s incident must have spread rumors in social circles. The Grand Prince fell in love with a Lady and challenged the Emperor¡¯s authority. Giving out his everything. ¡®Rumors of that kind must have spread.¡± They¡¯re going crazy wondering who the hell she is from. ¡°But why did Lloyd give me this?¡± He wouldn¡¯t have told her to debut in society. Aria looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ve picked out the best families out of all the letters. Choose one of the family to put your name on.¡± Put her name on? It was difficult to understand immediately what it meant. ¡°Choose your paternal family.¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°Is that possible?¡± Her biological father is still alive, can she go for adoption? ¡°Because Count Cortez has renounced your parental authority.¡± Lloyd waved the envelope of papers. Inside was the contract that Count Cortez had written when he sold Aria. Aria seemed to know what the boy was thinking with this proposal. ¡°You¡¯re trying to hide the fact that I¡¯m a siren as much as possible.¡± ¡°I think you want to.¡± Lloyd replied with an indifferent expression. The content of the words, though, was not at all. Isn¡¯t he rather considerate of her to the extent that it was delicate? Aria smiled faintly. He always says what she wants to hear, and he always knows what she needs. Everyone in this grand Duchy was like that. ¡°You¡¯re just going to put your name up anyway, so you don¡¯t have to think too much.¡± ¡°By the way, will they want to do it? Putting a girl they don¡¯t know who she is, on the family list.¡± The nobles were generally proud of their families. Especially if it was a high-ranking noble or a prestigious family. Then Lloyd replied as if she was worried about something useless. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone will be equal in front of Valentine.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Well, definitely. Equally inferior. Even the Emperor would fold his hands. ¡°You make a decision and that¡¯s it, because everyone knows I hate to change my mind.¡± Aria recalled Lloyd¡¯s ¡®Sword Dialogue¡¯* with his vassals. ¡®It¡¯s not about knowing, it¡¯s about making people know.¡¯ Once she nodded her head, she checked all the family patterns on the letter. ¡®You picked a good family.¡¯ All of them were only prominent families with a deep history and wide-spread names. However, she found a familiar family among them and hardened her expression. ¡®Plum blossoms.¡¯ It was a very famous family with a pattern that symbolizes a noble heart, faithfulness, and a clear mind. This is because it was a representative family that practiced Noblesse Oblige with an attitude of integrity as much as the pattern that symbolized the family. ¡®They run ten orphanages in the capital, run charitable events constantly, and have more than 30 adopted children from their families.¡¯ Moreover, they raised all adopted children into great talents. A noble among nobles who set an example. So it was known ¡®The reality ispletely different.¡¯ County Chateau. This is the family that helped sell Aria to the Emperor for self-interest. ¡°It¡¯s like a song from heaven. It¡¯s like the closest touch to the sky.¡± The first time Count Chateau visited the salon, Aria remembers being very puzzled. Because he had a high reputation as a good phnthropist and upright educator, she didn¡¯t know that he woulde to hear the Siren sing. ¡®The imperial nobles are mostly corrupt people, but there are rare people who are like pine trees who keep their beliefs and dignity.¡¯ However, people with noble and upright dispositions did not seek the Siren on their own. ¡®It was when he came.¡¯ Aria then began to doubt the character of Count Chateau for the first time. ¡°This gloomy basement of a mansion is not suitable for a Siren.¡± ¡°¡­.. Could there be a better ce for me than this?¡± ¡°Heavenly¡¯s song should be sung in a heavenly ce.¡± ¡°Heavenly?¡± ¡°The Empire of Garcia. The only ce where God¡¯s voice can be heard. Count Chateau secretly spilled the name of the Holy Empire on Aria. The Chateau family had a deep rtionship with the Holy Empire in the early days. This is because, by doing good deeds in the name of Eden Faith, they have earned Garcia¡¯s favor as a missionary in a foreign country. ¡®The Count then sent me to Garcia to win the favor of the Pope.¡¯ It was until Count Cortez, who had heard of his intentions, became furious and gave a dismissal order to Count Chateau. Count Chateau was quick-witted. When his initial ns failed, he nned to use Aria in other ways. ¡®He nned to sell me to the Emperor.¡¯ Chateau was one of the families that benefited greatly from religious wars within the empire. They received subsidies from the imperial and noble families as the number of orphans increased exponentially due to war. ¡®The more war orphans are not cared for in proper orphanages, the more crime andwlessness the capital bes.¡¯ At that time, she never imagined that the Empire would fall so easily. The nobles were happy to support them. And when they were suffering from abor shortage because of the war, they were provided with an educatedbor force from the orphanage. ¡®Of course, all the workers the County provided were all loyal informants.¡¯ Count Chateau then carried out his n in earnest. He went to the Emperor, who was going crazy day by day to have Aria, and whispered to him that he should hold the execution ceremony in the square. ¡°His Majesty seeks you, Siren. Now you can rest in his cage.¡± Still, she could not forget the Count¡¯s suspicious smile, who came to the imperial dungeon and whispered. He dragged Aria to the emperor, who only hoped that she would rather die. And he used someone of her size and put a mask on and made him hold an execution ceremony. ¡°She was a child from an orphanage run by the County Chateau.¡± In order topletely erase Aria from the world, he killed an innocent life. ¡®He even ruined her face and broke her leg to make her look just like me.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t just that. After being imprisoned in the Emperor¡¯s cage, she learned somethingter. There were dedicated girls with a simr tone to Aria for many years, since the Emperor became addicted to Siren¡¯s songs. Educating those who have innate talent for singing, he dyed their hair the same color as her and put a mask on. ¡®The emperor was already crazy then.¡¯ Count Chateau was able to obtain great wealth, honor and power in the Empire thanks to this. And he fled to Garcia as if he had been waiting for the Fa Empire to crumble. ¡®Looking back, it was Count Chateau who gave the Pope the cause of war in the first ce.¡¯ This is because he brought Aria out to the world, who had been wandering in the shadow while belonging to the Cortez family. Thanks to that , she was honored and admired, and in the eyes of the Holy Empire, she became an excuse for war. As the pope, there would have been no such loyalties to the Fa Empire. ¡°Ariadne?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Aria.¡± Ah. Aria raised her head at the sudden name. She awoke from her thoughts quickly as if she had been bathed in cold water. Lloyd was holding her shoulder tightly. ¡°You are trembling.¡± The boy pointed to her trembling fingertips. ¡°Why do you look like that? Did the Chateau do anything to you?¡± It wasn¡¯t because she was afraid. ¡®Because anger is at its peak.¡¯ Aria grabbed her fingertips and shook her head as if it was nothing. ¡®Because I don¡¯t know why the world is so harsh on me.¡¯ Why? Why? Because what did she do wrong? Why did she always have to live alone in so much pain? Why did she have to be the only one in pain? ¡®I didn¡¯t really want that kind of life. I didn¡¯t want anyone to take advantage of me and I didn¡¯t want to drive anyone crazy. And the truth is¡­..¡¯ It was a dark childhood that she can¡¯t even remember very well, yet there was definitely something called a dream. ¡®Dream¡­..¡¯ On the southern ind at the end of the empire, the sea is turquoise. What about the waterfall that pours down from everywhere your eyes meet? There is also and of golden desert with only sand where nomads live. She heard that the jungles and swamps that bloomed endlessly were all green. So much that her eyes hurt. ¡®I wanted to see the whole scene.¡¯ There were times like that. However, the dream that Aria had so desperately wanted did note true forever. ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a dream.¡± Because it is a fantasy and a mirage. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pile it up. It¡¯ll only ruin you.¡± Lloyd forced Aria, who had closed her mouth immersed in thoughts. ¡°You can tell.¡± In the past, she would have hidden it. Because she knew that even if she prayed and prayed every day, it would nevere true. ¡®Because I realized that I couldn¡¯t escape from reality, which is closer to a nightmare.¡¯ But Aria, who did not even pray to God, opened her mouth. ¡°The thought of wanting to live selfishly.¡± To the boy who will be the devil. ¡°I forgot, but I had a dream. There were a lot of things I wanted to do.¡± ¡°What dream?¡± ¡°I want to learn how to draw. I want to learn swordsmanship and I want to learn cooking.¡± ¡°Then.¡± ¡°I want to learn horseback riding. I want to travel. I like nature. I like to live and breathe. Drawing, walking, swinging a sword, cooking while camping, riding a horse¡­¡± Once the words burst out, the words were endless. A wish that she had never told anyone or had a way to say. In fact, in return for choosing the Grand Duchy, she was naturally giving up on this dream. She thought she had to give up. ¡°I will teach you swordsmanship.¡± Until Lloyd takes her petty dreams seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll have to put a teacher for the drawing.¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°No one cooks like Baker.¡± Yes, she knows it very well. ¡°The animals follow you very well, so you will soon learn to ride a horse. Maybe you will be able to learn horseback riding. I know a ce in the forest that you would like. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Lloyd asked. Aria shook her head. She couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the boy. ¡°You want what I want so much and give up quickly on what you want.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours. It¡¯s your heart. Don¡¯t give up. If someone tries to make you give up, if they try to take it away, even if you kill them, take it back.¡± At that moment, the ck eyes touched the invitation from County Chateau. Aria read a clear murderous energy. Chapter 66 - Illustration Chapter 66 [Illustration] ¡°Lloyd¡­ what are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking him to the rabbit forest.¡± ¡°No.¡± While looking at the invitation from County Chateau with clear eyes. There must have been some kind of plot, but Lloyd naturally turned it around. ¡°I can¡¯t take you to the forest until you¡¯re bigger.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Aria, who had been expecting inside, was shocked and opened her mouth. ¡°Why¡­ you said you¡¯d take me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡± ¡°Compared to Valentine, all humans are weak.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re weak even outside the boundaries.¡± Aria fell into her thoughts at those words. ¡®Now that he¡¯s found out I¡¯m a Siren, don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s determined to hide my energy and make me look weak.¡¯ If so, does she look weak because of the time limit? ¡®I can¡¯t help it either.¡¯ Aria would then be unable to live up to Lloyd¡¯s standards for the rest of her life. Swallowing a bitter smile, she spoke out absurd words. ¡°If I go for a walk with Lloyd, I might be stronger.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What nonsense. Lloyd thought so, but he said as he held out his hand to her. ¡°Leave that aside ande here.¡± He swept aside the invitations he asked her to look at. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just walk on my feet?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to lie down ill for another few days.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be better to be piggybacked than to be carried like this? As she pondered that, Lloyd lifted her up. ¡®Why did I ask?¡¯ And they quickly left the room and walked down the hallway. Cloud, who was guarding the front door, naturally followed them. ¡®I never felt this way when Grand Duke Valentine gave me a hug.¡¯ At that time, she felt cozy and stable without any thought. Now it was difficult to breathe naturally and her heart was beating so fast that her body was twisted. Aria clenched her toes for nothing, then repeatedly straightened it. And as she nced at the knights following them, she asked by telepathic message. ¨C Where are we going? ¡°Garden.¡± ¨C Father smashed it. ¡°It was restored.¡± There were many times when she went for a walk in the garden, but it was the first time she saw it in the middle of the night. ¡®If we went out at night, we wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything, is there a point?¡¯ Aria had a sudden thought, but it wasn¡¯t so bad. The scent of grass and flowers will not disappear no matter what time she sees them. ¨C Lloyd, it¡¯s meaningless if I don¡¯t walk on my feet. No exercise at all. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that? I¡¯m just holding you.¡± They arrived in the garden. Aria opened her mouth wide in admiration. Heading inward, the garden grew brighter with multicoloredndscaping. ¡®That¡¯s all magic stones.¡¯ With illumination magic applied, the splendid shimmering appearance was as if hundreds of millions of stars were being picked and scattered. ¡®I didn¡¯t know this ce before.¡¯ She was mesmerized by the sight she had seen for the first time in her life. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think ofing at night earlier?¡¯ This would be a luxury that only Valentine, the owner of the finest diamond mines, can enjoy. Lloyd sat her on a flower swing in the innermost part of the garden. Aria removed the golden magic stones that were ced on the pure white rose. Putting it in her hand, she looked closely. ¡®It¡¯s like picking up the stars in the night sky.¡± She felt proud. Aria smiled faintly and held it in Lloyd¡¯s hand. ¡°What is this?¡± ¨C Resembles you. ¡°Where?¡± The boy made a face that he did not understand. But he docilely put it in his pocket. Spraaay- The fountain in the garden was lit with more colorful lights than the chandelier. It was so spectacr that she was blown away. The Milky Way seemed to flow in it, and it seemed to resemble a waterfall that Aria had wanted to see with her own two eyes someday. She watched it and opened her mouth. ¨C I like the Angelo family. Duchy Angelo. Among the numerous invitations Aria received, it was a family that was not there And it was also a family that had not heard the siren song in her past life. ¡®It¡¯s almost unique.¡¯ They didn¡¯te forward like Count Chateau. They did a good deed without anyone knowing. They taught the war orphans to use swordsmanship to protect themselves. And the free distribution didn¡¯t stop until the safe was empty. ¡®The Duke and his children were at the forefront when the Empire was on the defensive, fighting to the end and dying.¡¯ They were the ones who left after silently defending the Empire from beginning to end. ¡®It will not be easy to ept.¡¯ There are few families who can be trusted as much as they do. Perhaps Lloyd had the same thoughts as her, he agreed with her and nodded his head. ¡°If it¡¯s Duke Angelo, it won¡¯t be easy. He¡¯s the one who will never break his stubbornness even if a swordes into his neck.¡± As expected, he was nning to put a sword to his neck. As Aria squinted her eyes and looked at Lloyd, he, too, had been staring at her with a simr gaze. ¡°But how do you know Angelo?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, this is one of the contributing founders of the Fa Empire, but I don¡¯t know why you chose Angelo. Isn¡¯t the Chateau a famous family?¡± Lloyd sharply pierced the point. ¡®It¡¯s definitely strange if a child who has been abused knows the true reputation and substance of a good family.¡¯ Aria was embarrassed inside, but she responded calmly on the outside. ¨C It¡¯s strange that a family reputed to be honest sends me an invitation. It seems that the boy was also suspicious of that part. He was silent for a moment. ¨C There must be something. ¡°Hmm.¡± I see. With that one word, it was over. Lloyd stopped talking about it and held Aria again. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. It¡¯s getting cold.¡± She thought he would ask more questions, but the conversation was cut like a knife. For a moment of bewilderment, Aria nodded her head and wrapped her arms behind the boy¡¯s neck. As she melted into the darkness, she thought that only the eyes in his face were shining. *** A few days passed. Aria learned from Cloud what was called ¡®stretching¡¯. It¡¯s an exercise that stretches her body to loosen tight muscles and make her flexible. ¡®Contrary to how it looks, it is very difficult.¡¯ Cloud makes it easy, so why can¡¯t she? Aria sat with her legs stretched out and reached out to her toes. Her fingertips were barely touching her ankles. ¡°You don¡¯t have to overdo it in the first ce. It¡¯ll hurt your muscles.¡± Cloud watched Aria anxiously and spoke in a worried voice. She did her stretching and lifted her head. ¡®Of course you are right, though.¡¯ She¡¯s been hearing those words for five days. ¡®Isn¡¯t it time to overdo it even if my muscles would be slowly torn?¡¯ It was when Aria was gazing at her toes with a vivid gaze. ¡°Young Madam! Dessert is here!¡± Marronnier opened the door and entered with a cheerful voice. ¡°Today is a Mont nc cake topped with marron cream.¡± In a clear voice, she exined about the finely chopped marron cream and the Mont nc cake. A sweet and savory scent slowly spread through the air. Aria stopped what she was doing and jumped up and sat down at the table. ¡°Oh my, Young Madam. Are you listening?¡± Sorry, I wasn¡¯t listening. Aria has been most looking forward to tea time between lunch and dinnertely. ¡®Because Baker serves the most soulful dessert.¡¯ She picked up the fork with a look of anticipation. As if Marronnier suddenly remembered, she spoke to Aria. ¡°But did you hear the news?¡± Curious, talkative, and quick-footed, Maronier was a good source. Aria stared at her, putting the marron cream into her mouth. Although she ate only cream, it was not greasy, and a light sweet taste spread all over her mouth. ¡°Count Chateau is dead.¡± What? The fork Aria was holding, ttered. Who died? ¡®Why Count Chateau?¡¯ Why is it that a normal person suddenly dies? Besides, he was the one who survived after Aria¡¯s death. She pped her lips, in no mood to write the words on the card. ¨C Why? Why did he die? ¡°They said he was murdered. He was found dead in the morning, but they didn¡¯t know who killed him.¡± Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Aria did not see Count Chateau¡¯s future directly in her past life. But she could barely predict how he would live. ¡®He is a person who eats well and lives well until the end.¡¯ He was no one who would give his life in vain like this. ¡°You.¡± Then, as if Cloud cut off her words, he called Marronnier firmly. Aria and Marronnier looked back at the knight, blinking their big eyes, startled. ¡°Hmm.¡± Then, Cloud suddenly showed signs of a sudden stagnation. ¡°Didn¡¯t the chief handmaiden warn you to watch out for that?¡± It was then that Marronnier had realized Cloud¡¯s existence. ¡°Um, but that¡¯s¡­¡± She mumbled and stretched her words. ¡°I always give priority to the Young Madam. I don¡¯t think there should be anything hidden from her. The chief handmaiden will understand that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ugly incident to hear for those who are still young. Please refrain from it.¡± A fifteen-year-old said Aria was young. Of course, Aria is the youngest among them, but in terms of mental age, she is the oldest. ¡®What is that, it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡¯ Why are you covering your mouth all of a sudden? Aria looked at him very suspiciously. Cloud scratched the back of his head as if in trouble. ¡°Anyway, more important news than that.¡± Then Marronnier spoke to her,pletely ignoring the knight¡¯s warning. And that she is ignoring it openly in front of him. Aria admired her maid, whose courage was not ordinary. ¡°After the death of Count Chateau, the Imperial Guard started an investigation. Well, the orphanage run by the County was a hotbed of crime. Can you believe it?¡± Marronnier¡¯s shoulder trembled as if she had all the goosebumps out. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a famous phnthropist among the nobles?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°They did a test on children to develop a new drug? They said that children with outstanding abilities or appearance were scored and sold like ves and received subsidies.¡± In the orphanage of County Chateau, there were children who were promoted externally and children who were used from behind. Even the Siren, Aria, had to go through a long time before the truth was revealed to the world. ¡°That¡¯s all the news I¡¯ve heard. Now, the whole Empire is in turmoil because of this incident.¡± Marronnier ended her talk there. As a thank you for telling her, Aria scooped out the Mont nc cake and shoved it into her mouth. She hugged Aria tightly with a happy smile. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know if I can say this, but it¡¯s retribution.¡± Listening to Marronnier, the current public opinion is, ¡®It¡¯s a shame for a nobleman. He died ordingly.¡¯ Public opinion was not good even among the nobles, let alone themon people. ¡®Because they thought that even if they did the same bad thing, their dignity would be lowered if that fact was revealed publicly.¡¯ Even if they did their crimes behind the scenes, at least they always had to be elegant and noble on the outside. It¡¯s funny, but that was the life of the nobles. ¡®If Count Chateau had just died, everyone would have been mourning and sad.¡¯ Someone intentionally leaked the information. ¡®So that the Guard had no choice but to investigate.¡¯ No matter how ignorant she was, she had to know this. ¡®It¡¯s probably what Lloyd did.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know exactly how and what he did, though. Aria looked back at Cloud. He turned his head slightly to avoid her gaze. ¡®You¡¯re so bad at lying¡­.¡¯ *** ¨C Did you give the Emperor false information that Count Chateau was plotting treason? Aria cut to the chase right away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Lloyd answered her question calmly, turning over the papers. ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s what you did.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t even blink an eye enough to be sly. Lloyd meticulously scanned the papers he was holding, then he held it to Aria. ¡°Come on, sign here.¡± Upon closer inspection, it was a document that was part of Aria¡¯s adoption process. The other side was Duchy Angelo, as requested. ¡®He said that the Duke would not break his stubbornness even if he put a sword to his neck.¡¯ Less than a weekter, the Duchy¡¯s side had sent the adoption papers themselves. It was close to a miracle. ¨C You¡¯ve earned Duke Angelo¡¯s trust with this. Duke Angelo was a man of integrity who could not tolerate injustice. ¡®He has a belief that people¡¯s livese before the blindw.¡± He must have been furious like fire at Count Chateau. And if it had been revealed that Lloyd was the mastermind in this case, Lloyd would have been able to easily win his trust. ¡®Besides, he¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡¯ Aria deeply admired Lloyd¡¯s resourcefulness. ¨C I know it¡¯s what Lloyd did. She told the boy who seemed to have no intention of telling her the truth. ¨C A person died, but to be honest, I think he died ordingly. It wasn¡¯t just out of revenge towards the Count. Because of this, they were able to prevent the innocent deaths of children. The Imperial Family will manage it more thoroughly in the future in order to calm the public sentiment that has be atrocious. This was good for everyone. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Lloyd responded consistently and handed the papers back to Aria again. ¡®Lloyd seems to be a tough one to insist on.¡¯ Aria stretched the pen and skillfully wrote her autograph. Ariadne. It was a sign she had been using since she was a Siren. It was done unintentionally. The boy looked carefully at the flowing, flowing handwriting. ¡°Your handwriting seems to change every time I look at it. Sometimes it looks like a child, sometimes it looks like an adult.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s old-fashioned handwriting. It must be hard to imitate something like this.¡± So sharp. What a scary thing is a human habit. Even if she tries to be careful all the time, it pops out suddenly while she¡¯s not careful. ¡®Whether it¡¯s handwriting, actions, or vocabry used, things to do.¡¯ Lloyd was smart. He was so observant that he would never miss Aria¡¯s subtle changes. ¡°¡­..¡± While not answering anything, Aria made eye contact with the boy for a moment. The ck eyes that glistened like beads were staring straight at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Count Chateau.¡± While telling a lie that feels heinous. ¡°But it¡¯s a good thing that the person who made you look like that died on his own.¡± Lloyd ended the conversation with a bit of sincerity, as if he was talking to someone else. *** ¨C Lloyd, look at this! Aria stood in the ce with a very proud face. Then, with her legs straight, she bent down, bringing her fingertips to the tips of her toes. ¡®Finally, I seeded in stretching!¡¯ Aria returned to the position again, showing a triumphant expression on her face. ¡°¡­..¡± But Lloyd looked like a person who was in trouble on how to respond to a very boring joke. ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ He wanted to say that. But when he looked into Aria¡¯s sparkling eyes with excessive expectations, he couldn¡¯t say that. Marronnier and Cloud, who were watching Aria¡¯s stunts with Lloyd, pped their hands as if they were waiting. ¡°Great!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so proud.¡± ¡°Sir Cloud, I thought you were always honest.¡± Cloud was a fool, but honest. The honest fool said. ¡°No, I¡¯m genuinely admiring it right now, because it was the first time Young Madam seeded to do stretching.¡± ¡°¡­ that?¡± Lloyd looked puzzled for a moment as he didn¡¯t know what to say. Then he murmured seriously, as he looked at Aria like an immature baby who couldn¡¯t even take a step. ¡°Should I postpone the schedule a little more?¡± ¨C Why! She showed it in the sense that she had grown up in her own way. Trust me and leave it to me. She had no idea that what she was trying to brag would backfire on her. ¨C No! No way! Aria shakes her head, and she clings to Lloyd¡¯s arm. She was desperate. ¨C It¡¯s not a sin to be inflexible! ¡°Okay. Calm down.¡± Was it a joke? He smiled warmly and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°These are the things you said you wanted to learn before. Look at it and schedule the day you want, ording to the appropriate time.¡± Aria shyly blushed and nodded her head. The peaceful days continued. *** Veronica didn¡¯t stop Gabriel when he volunteered as Valentine¡¯s apprentice. She actually had no reason to stop him. Because if he went to the devil¡¯s castle, he would have suffered all sorts of hardships while in istion for five years. ¡®No one will help.¡¯ Rather, it was a situation for her to push him to go. Because Gabriel was a dog that she would use a lot in the future. She¡¯s been working hard and she didn¡¯t have to panic for fear that someone might steal him before she could tame it properly. He¡¯s going to the devil¡¯sir. ¡®I wish he had suffered a terrible thing that he will remember for the rest of his life.¡¯ Then Veronica thought of giving her hand to the boy who had lost faith in humanity, pretending to be the only savior. In fact, it was so obvious what she was going to do that she was convinced that this wasn¡¯t a n. It felt more like the certain future. ¨C Oh, sorry. Saint. It¡¯s prayer time soon. But, As she checks her dog each time during the periodic contact, Veronica feels it intuitively. She realized that the future she thought had already been set is slowly changing. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¡°You must not bete for prayer.¡± Veronica said with a soft smile to let him go. And she sent Gabriel, who bowed his head, smiling until the end. The moment the telmunication sphere was disconnected, she returned with a cold face, feeling no emotion. ¡®It¡¯s not ordinary¡­.¡¯ Prayer. For the Garcia native, prayer was almost as natural and habitual as eating. So, to always pray together means to share their daily life that much. ¡®I don¡¯t know if praying with my dog ??is intentional or not. I feel very bad.¡¯ Veronica felt as if she was somehow about to lose her own dog. But, she¡¯ll be worrying for nothing. Because she clearly confirmed the trust and affection deeply rooted in Gabriel¡¯s gaze. She was sure. That girl couldn¡¯t and will never be more important in Gabriel¡¯s life than Saint Veronica. ¡®The first time is always imprinted in the memory.¡¯ Veronica thought so and walked out of the room. But then, by chance, she overheard the priests¡¯ conversation. ¡°He was known as a reputable missionary.¡± ¡°I only knew he was spreading the doctrine of Eden Faith by establishing orphanages.¡± ¡°Everyone would have believed so.¡± Naturally, she heard the story of Count Chateau. It was because the rumors about him spread widely in Garcia. In particr, he was the most trusted by the Pope among the nobles of other countries, so the shock was even greater. ¡®There were even rumors that he would flee to the Holy Empire if he could.¡¯ He was the one who showed such loyalty. He was about to change his nationality. Veronica overhears those words, and she is deeply saddened by it. She had kept an eye on him because she thought he would work well and be a good coborator. ¡®Is that a trick¡­.¡¯ It was such an unnatural death. ¡°Ha, he¡¯s doing such a wrathful thing. How can you experiment with powerless and weak children who were born as human beings¡­¡± ¡°He fell to hell because of the devil. Even if he dies, he won¡¯t befortable.¡± Experiment? Veronica listened to the words and she appeared before the priests without hesitation. ¡°Ah, Sister Veronica.¡± After she responded with a benevolent smile to the priest who greeted her warmly, she cut to the chase. ¡°Then what about the children in the orphanage?¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s veryplicated. It¡¯s a foreign business, but it¡¯s also an orphanage affiliated with Eden Faith.¡± The priests seemed to be contemting whether to manage the orphanage directly with the Emperor¡¯s permission, or whether to leave it alone. ¡®This is quite¡­.¡¯ After a moment of thought, Veronica made her decision, and said, ¡°Actually, at a time of hesitation like this, shouldn¡¯t it be time to care for the children who must have been deeply wounded?¡± With a very sad expression. As sheid her hand on her chest with sad eyes that seemed to shed tears at any moment. ¡°I want to go and help myself.¡± She volunteered to be the manager of an orphanage that lost their master. *** Aria recalled the ne, which she had forgotten for a while. Veronica¡¯s ne, which she wore around her neck naturally, had no effect so it was forgotten as it was. ¡®Carlin said it was cursed.¡¯ It was the ne she found by chance while searching for the relic. ¡®Infused with the magical powers, it gave no response.¡± But it was understandable. It¡¯s because that ne was found on the site of what was once a temple of Garcia. She wondered whether it would react properly to divine powers. No, it was most likely. Aria fiddled with the transparent jewel on the ne. ¡°Gasp, gasp. Sorry for beingte.¡± Then Gabriel came in through the door of the prayer room. Running like someone is chasing him. ¡®You don¡¯t have to run¡­.¡¯ Aria was a little puzzled. Because the two had gathered in the prayer room to pray. There was absolutely no need to apologize for being a littlete to prayer. It wasn¡¯t like they had an appointment to meet. ¡®But it¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been waiting for today.¡¯ Aria pulled out the card as she held out the ne to Gabriel, who took a rough breath. [Can you pour divine power here?] ¡°This jewel?¡± She nodded her head. As if it wasn¡¯t a very difficult request, he dly spilled divine power on the ne. Then, the transparent crystal shimmered in a brilliant golden color as if gold had been injected. ¡°Kuk!¡± At the same time, Gabriel let out a small groan and hurriedly removed his hand from the ne. With that, the jewel became transparent again. ¡°Just now¡­.¡± Huh? Aria blinked her eyes curiously, as if she knew nothing. She actually didn¡¯t know what really had happened. It was simr to when it was infused with magical powers, except that something slightly different happened. ¡°Just¡­just now, it felt like this jewel was trying to suck up divine power on its own¡­¡± Was it his first time experiencing it? Gabriel stuttered, visibly embarrassed. ¡®I think what Carlin said was true.¡¯ This jewel responds to divine power. It was a jewel that ate divine power. Aria has only magical powers, so she hasn¡¯t seen any effect yet. ¡®Well, it seems that even now, the divine power is not being effective at all.¡¯ There seems to be something. Aria looked down at the transparent jewel, immersed in her thoughts. Then Gabriel asked. ¡°What is this ne?¡± [I picked it up by ident.] ¡°Where?¡± The lowest ce. But she couldn¡¯t tell the truth. Then because it was Garcia¡¯s item, and it seemed like it would be taken away because it had to be returned to the Papal Pce. [Carlin identally picked this up, but I asked for it.] ¡°Who is Carlin again?¡± [The shaman of this castle.] ¡°Shaman¡­ What? Shaman?¡± Maybe Gabriel didn¡¯t know until now. Still, it seems that he has been in this castle for quite some time, but his expression is like he had never heard of it before. His information power is so low. He was not interested in anything other than getting really strong. ¡®I¡¯m a fool for thinking for a moment that he might be the Pope¡¯s spy.¡¯ Gabriel seemed to be shocked by the fact that there were criminals proudly in the Grand Duchy. ¡°How on earth¡­ Whoo, never mind.¡± Did he think that Valentine, who is the source of malice, is doing what it is supposed to do? He frowned slightly, not wanting to ask more details. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a shame that I was sent for purification, but I don¡¯t have that much divine power.¡± [Really?] ¡°Um, yes. The priest sent me here because he saw the potential for a big growth after seeing my changing eye color, but¡­¡± Gabriel apologized, saying, ¡®I am still inexperienced, so I don¡¯t know exactly what this jewel is for¡¯. ¡®Well, I see.¡¯ Aria, who already knew how far Gabriel would rise one day, was meekly convinced. ¡®Did he say he was the same age as Lloyd?¡¯ Because he was still young The use of the jewel was something he had to learnter when he became an adult. There was enough time. It is too risky to be seen by a priest other than Gabriel. [Are you going to keep it a secret between the two of us?] Aria secretly forced him to shut up and looked up at him. She had a persistent gaze. She was thinking that she would erase his memory if he did not keep a secret. ¡°¡­..¡± Gabriel couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the flower-like eyes that looked straight into his eyes for a moment. The scenery he saw that day shed through his mind for a moment. Stained ss prating the dazzling light of the five colors, soaring birds, the sound of grasshoppers and a faint smile¡­. Then he hurriedly averted her gaze and nodded his head. ¡°¡­¡­Yes, it¡¯s a secret.¡± *** ¡°Today, you¡¯ll meet the Elder Madam.¡± Elder Madam, Young Madam. It was an unusual name. However, Aria and Sabina liked it so much that they nned to continue being called that in the future. ¡°Every other day, you go to see the Head and the Madam.¡± Aria nodded her head. To be precise, it is the process of treating insomnia and treating a body that has not fully recovered. But she doesn¡¯t know how it would look to others. ¡®Maybe I looked like a child sleeping one day in her mother¡¯s room and the next in her father¡¯s room¡­.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t think so. But she had a strong conviction that it must have been reflected that way, and she felt ufortable. It was when Aria had a trembling expression on her face. Cloud said. ¡°The Grand Prince will be very upset.¡± Lloyd? [Because I monopolize his parents?] ¡°¡­No. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Cloud showed an absurd response. ¡®No, because he¡¯s still fourteen.¡¯ A teenage boy who still has six years left before hising-of-age ceremony. ¡®I don¡¯t know about the Grand Duke since they don¡¯t get along, but how does Sabina know if he¡¯ll be jealous inside?¡¯ However, Cloud answered Aria¡¯s guess with a blunt expression. It looked like he was saying something really stupid. ¡®Well, to make Cloud look like that.¡¯ ¡°It means that he seems to be waiting for Young Madam toe.¡± Oh, he meant that Lloyd will be upset that she didn¡¯t just go to Lloyd? ¡®Things like that happen, too.¡¯ Well, but. Visiting Lloyd¡¯s bedroom in the middle of the night¡­. ¡®A little something, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Aria red at Cloud. ¡°Why are you looking at me that way?¡± With a puzzled expression on his face, he said, ¡®Ah.¡¯ He let out a stupid exmation and shook his head. ¡°The Grand Prince will never look at the Young Madam with those eyes.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still ten years old. You look like a very young child about the same age as his younger brother.¡± Cloud was honest. That¡¯s very¡­.. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°The four-year difference isn¡¯t that big of an age gap. But that¡¯s when you¡¯re an adult. 10 and 14 is like the difference between heaven and earth.¡± The funny thing is that the person who says that is also 15 years old. ¡®I know what you want to say.¡¯ And it¡¯s a natural thing to say. ¡®Why do I feel so bad?¡¯ Aria looked down at her palms for a moment. It looked a little bigger than when she came to the Grand Duchy, but its was still small. ¡®Yes, how big would a ten year old be?¡¯ Aria was cute enough that it wouldn¡¯t be awkward at all to hear that she is called a baby girl. ¡®When will I grow up?¡¯ The faster she ages, the sooner she will die. ¡®It also means that Valentine¡¯s incident ising.¡¯ There are no measures yet, but time is just passing. That¡¯s a terrible hypothesis. However, she had a contradictory thought that she wanted to grow up and grow old quickly. *** Spring of the age of 11. Parting through the petals fluttering in the wind, Aria reached out her hand in the air. The wind brushed past her fingers. As Lloyd said, she was able to ride a horse in no time. ¡®Although it¡¯s a pony.¡¯ In fact, she used to ride wolves like horses, so it might have been a natural result. Kurrrr- Silver wept lowly as it followed Aria as she rode the horse. It was as if it was saying, ¡®A pony who can¡¯t even take a bite took my seat.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s just a short ride.¡¯ Aria patted Silver as if soothing it, and smiled softly. ¡°I never thought I would ever ride a horse again.¡± Sabina closed her eyes and let out a cool smile, feeling the wind hitting her in the face. Aria looked around. The ce they were currently running on horseback was in the thick forest of the Ingo Mountains. Aria, who confirmed that no one was there, drove her horse and whispered close to Sabina. ¡°I promised. I¡¯ll show you all spring, summer, fall, and winter.¡± Until the seasons turn around a few times and springes again. Sabina, who remembered the promise, hugged Aria tightly. ¡°¡­!¡± She¡¯s so strong. Sabina hugged her tightly and pulled her in a sh, Aria lightly flew through the air, allowing her to sit in front of the horse she was riding. Her eye level jumped up in an instant. ¡®Whoa¡­.¡¯ Sabina was really strong. Aria was amazed. It was such a force that she couldn¡¯t even remember when Sabina was lying down with an illness. ¡®Of course she must be weaker than Valentine¡¯s.¡¯ She was born with such strength and physique, but how hard it must have been for her to lie still. Riding the horse and enjoying her freedom without hesitation, Sabina shone more vividly than ever. ¡°Is that cool?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then learn swordsmanship from me.¡± Sabina smiled brightly. Her bright red eyes curved nicely, revealing neat, pure white teeth. Aria stared at her as if possessed by her powerful words, and then she, too, nodded her head unknowingly. ¡®Sorry, Lloyd.¡¯ She seemed to understand why Grand Duke Valentine fell in love with Sabina. *** Summer of the age of 11. That summer was exceptionally hot, so they floated a boat on theke. There was ake with a particrly beautiful view in the amusement park that Grand Duke Valentine had built for Aria. Fishes were swimming leisurely under the surface of theke with their scales sparkling. ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± Aria threw food to the carp. Lloyd stared at her. He was dragged to ride the boat with her and sat across from her. ¡°Is sword training fun?¡± His speech was a bit crooked. Was it dissatisfaction that he lost his position as a swordsmanship teacher to Sabina? Aria felt sorry to have monopolized his mother, who had barely woken up from her sick bed. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°Every day I get embraced in Mother¡¯s arms.¡± In the everyday embrace part, Lloyd sprained his hand for a moment while rowing. ¡°¡­.while receiving swordsmanship training, what is there to embrace for?¡± ¡°In order to get a proper posture, she has to hold me from behind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s b******t¡­¡± The boy mumbled hateful words and bit his mouth. It was no use telling Aria about it, who expresses infinite affection for Sabina. Because she was sure to like her more. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re sorry about that.¡± ¡°Lloyd would have wanted to be hugged by Mother, too. Kissing¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡­.. he would have wanted it to. She couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence. It was because Lloyd burst outughing as if he was stunned. ¡°You¡¯re silly. What¡­ at this age¡­¡± The answer he gave was to do as much as she wanted. What does he mean by this age, still a child? It was Aria who was actually older, so she was embarrassed for no reason. She thought she was being too childish in front of a young boy. ¡®Of course I¡¯m a kid now.¡¯ Then Lloyd spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re mistaken for, but it has nothing to do with Mother¡¯s affectionate behavior.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I wanted to make your dreamse true.¡± It was a nd answer. He wanted to teach Aria swordsmanship and watch her move closer to her dreams. ¡°Because I only learned the sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was speechless for a moment. Lloyd acted like a grown-up who had gone through most of the hardships, but in this regard, he was a surprisingly likable boy. ¡®It¡¯s stupid. My real dream was with Lloyd.¡¯ Horseback riding and swordsmanship were dreams of the past that she had forgotten. It¡¯s good if she can do it, but it¡¯s okay if she can¡¯t. Aria¡¯s current dream is for Lloyd to free himself from the malice, find his happiness, and spread his wings freely. ¡°Then tell me what other things Lloyd is good at. There are many things I want to learn.¡± Not philosophy. Aria added. Lloyd¡¯s eyes widened, perhaps astonished at her words, and then sluggishly lowered it. He thought for a moment, figuring out what he should teach Aria. ¡°So, she kissed you too?¡± He seems to be misunderstanding something. Aria responded quickly. ¡°Kiss on the cheek.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a habit.¡± Lloyd asked suspiciously. He must have recalled the sharp memories of the first kiss. Aria stared at him and she said. ¡°The first was Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Lloyd was the first.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stress it twice.¡± Lloyd was silent for a moment, and then he responded bluntly, as he unconsciously rowed. Aria made a flower base with her hands* and nced at him. ¡°What. Why?¡± The blueke on a summer day began to be colored with gold, and the light of the setting sun was shining on his face. ¡°Your hair has grown a lot.¡± Aria said as she tucked his hair flowing down in front of his eyes and behind his ears. *** Autumn at the age of 11. Aria started learning to draw. ¡°Ummm¡­ you¡¯re creative.¡± The painting teacher tried to praise her for her hard work. Outside the window, the reddish leaves and the clear autumn sky were vast. But on the canvas, where Aria teased the brush, there was only a ckish-red mass that looked like it had burst and was crushed. ¡®What the hell did you draw?¡¯ The painting teacher Draw showed his imagination to the fullest. ¡°You¡¯re describing a fruit tree and ripe fruit falling on the floor.¡± [It¡¯s my face.] ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s a self-portrait.¡± He¡¯s screwed. He was sweating profusely and desperately making excuses. ¡°You are very bold in expressing pink as a dark red color. I didn¡¯t know that you used the intense colors and wild style that are popr in the capital these days.¡± Draw added desperately, ¡°Haha, I¡¯m so straightforward and out of fashion.¡±. ¡°¡­..¡± Aria realized that she had no talent for painting at all. Since she is a Siren who is said to be gifted with an artistic sense, she expected that she would be good at drawing as well. ¡°Is this bizarre?¡± Then Vincent approached and spoke to him. Draw signaled to the Second Prince not to do so. But there was no way Vincent could tell a lie. ¡°You really don¡¯t have any talent.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. You can¡¯t be good at everything.¡± Aria wanted to know why Vincent said all these things. It¡¯s only been a year, but shouldn¡¯t he grow older and more mature? ¡°Well, I¡¯m good at everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the words that followed, Aria thought so. She looked at Cloud without saying a word and picked up the newly written card. [Sir, Vincent looks bored, how about going to the festival together?] Soon it was the Harvest Festival. As if announcing this year¡¯s bountiful harvest, the light shining through the window was as soft as the melody of a violin. Cloud looked out the window for a moment, then nodded his head. ¡°If it¡¯s an order.¡± Cloud was a knight who obeyed everything that he was ordered to. Then Vincent shook his head desperately with a pale, tired face. ¡°Sir Cloud should escort Sister-inw.¡± ¡°Hmm, never mind. If the Young Madam promises not to leave the castle alone while I go to the festival, there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do.¡± ¡°That is negligence, sir!¡± ¡°What is negligence?¡± ¡°Aack!¡± Vincent grabbed the back of his head and staggered. ¡ª- *) ??? ???: apparently a pose where you open your palms on your chin that makes your face like a flower? Chapter 70 Chapter 70 No matter how much Vincent prepared his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°At least you should know about negligence!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°At least if you¡¯re human!¡± Vincent sat down on a nearby chair and wiped his face. It looked like he was carrying all the worries of the world. ¡°Can you get up?¡± ¡°Sir gives me a fresh shock every time it makes me think that I¡¯ll lose my mind.¡± ¡°As expected, the Prince seems to be too weak. Don¡¯t just read books, do exercise in your spare time.¡± ¡°Why are you nosy! ¡­Wait, do you understand the word nosy?¡± Then, Cloud made a face as if he knew what a fool Vincent was. ¡°I¡¯m worried about the Prince, not just the nose. If you just study at a young age, your head will be damaged.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be damaged worse than Sir¡¯s ¡­¡± It was when Vincent mumbled in a very low voice. Marronnier, who had been watching the scene from afar, muttered a little as if to herself. ¡°Festival¡­ it will be fun.¡± Aria stared at her, put down the brush, and got up from her seat. [Let¡¯s all go together.] Then the painting teacher gave a tantly relieved expression. *** She tried street food for the first time. It was salty and spicy, unlike Baker¡¯s dishes that preserved the natural taste as much as possible. ¡®What is this taste!¡¯ Very stimting and intense. Aria felt like being struck by lightning and ate one of the skewers in an instant. ¡°If you eat a lot of that, you will get sick.¡± Vincent chuckled and this time presented a skewer topped with a sweet sauce. Firecrackers shot into the sky and flickered brightly in the night sky. It¡¯s spectacr. Marronnier was mesmerized by the brilliantly lit fireworks. ¡°It is said that when you kiss on the cheek under the mes, your first love wille true.¡± Is she old enough to believe that? If the flower water dyed on your nails in summer remains until the first snowfall, your first love wille true, something like that. Marronnier nced at Aria¡¯s cheek as if regretfully. ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t even think about surpassing the one who owns it¡­¡± She put her hand on her conscience and said. ¡°It is an act of abandoning humanity.¡± Then Vincent smiled and added. ¡°And it is the act of abandoning one¡¯s own life. One day you will disappear without a sound, a rumor or a trace.¡± Hearing those words, Marronnier sighed and trembled as she took a deep breath. ¡®What kind of fairy tale are you talking about.¡¯ Aria felt they were unnecessarily serious about kissing on the cheek, making them cute. Considering all the promiscuous cultures seen in the noble society, that was close to a light greeting. ¡°You must be sad that he didn¡¯te.¡± Then Vincent said teasingly. ¡°Even if you couldn¡¯t share the kiss of the oath, it would have been an opportunity to try the kiss of the oath.¡± He must have been talking about what happened at the wedding. Aria wrote a new note on her card instead of raging at the little boy¡¯s tant provocation. [Sir Cloud, Sir Vincent have something to talk to you over there.] Then she handed the card to the knight and pointed at the bottom of a tree far away. Even though it was far away, it was in a high ce, so it was a position where he could see the situation from where Aria stood at a nce. In other words, it meant that it was not too much for him to leave the spot for a while. ¡°I have to escort the Young Madam, so please keep it short.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­ ack!¡± And Vincent was dragged like a piece of paper with Cloud¡¯s ignorant grip. *** Winter at the age of 11. Aria walked on the pure white snow that no one had stepped on and climbed the steep hill. Not long after that, the hunting grounds keeper¡¯s hut appeared, covered in white from the snow piled up to the roof. ¡°Young Madam! Wee!¡± On the hill, the hunting grounds keeper waved his arms and shouted loudly. The stable keeper, who was quietly walking behind Aria, grumbled, ¡®If he¡¯s going to jump up and down with that size, then there¡¯s going to be an avnche.¡¯. ¡®Cold.¡¯ With each exhtion of her pale breath, the hazy breath obscured her vision and then disappeared. Dana said as Aria gripped her coat tighter. ¡°Warm yourself up in the hut by the fire, I¡¯ll make you some cocoa.¡± She added ¡®Oh¡¯. ¡°And the marsh-¡¯melon¡¯ too.¡± Now she knows it¡¯s a marshmallow. Aria blushed and pouted her lips. And she soon confirmed the identity of the carnivorous rabbit. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn¡¯t get used to the sight of the cute little rabbit scurrying around and eating meat. ¡°Isn¡¯t it really cute?¡± The hunting grounds keeper squatted down in front of the rabbit pen and asked with a happy smile. Well, it looks cute, on the outside. ¡°Would you like to throw some meat?¡± Something feels odd. The basicmon sense that rabbits should eat hay collided in her head. So, instead of answering, Aria had no choice but to show a bitter expression. But has he misunderstood her expression? ¡°What are you showing the Young Madam!¡± Dana screamed. ¡°Why, why are you angry? It¡¯s the cutest rabbit in the world.¡± The hunting grounds keeper tried to exin, flinching his big body at Dana¡¯s insistence. But even that was not sessful Because when their master was threatened, the cute rabbits suddenly showed their teeth and started to inte. ¡®Why are they so big¡­.?¡¯ Suddenly, the rabbit inted like a balloon and became the size of a kangaroo. Wherever the cute and cuddly figure went, it suddenly started to make a ferocious cry while biting the iron bars with its teeth. The stable keeper clicked his tongue. ¡°Right, didn¡¯t I say that it¡¯s a monster. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll eat people too.¡± ¡°What, they don¡¯t eat it!¡± ¡°Is that so? But, if today¡¯s event remains a nightmare for the rest of her life, how are you going to take responsibility?¡± Then, the face of the hunting grounds keeper who gave a vicious impression turned into tears. ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s actually the cutest animal I know, so I thought the Young Madam would like it¡­¡± How sad it was to see therge size getting intimidated. She seemed to feel his desperate efforts to somehow win Aria¡¯s favor. Dana hugged her tightly as if protecting Aria¡¯s front. ¡°Young Madam, you must be scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± But Aria stuck her head out of the warm embrace. And she fearlessly shoved her hand into the iron bars. ¡°Young, Young Madam! You¡¯ll get your finger cut off!¡± The hunting grounds keeper was terrified. Until now, he insisted that it was the cutest rabbit in the world. ¡°You crazy punk! If a rabbit that eats off fingers isn¡¯t a monster, what is it!¡± The stable keeper was terrified at the same time. When Aria¡¯s hand touched the top of the meat-eating rabbit¡¯s nose, both of them put on an expression that seemed to run out of breath. However, the rabbit only sniffed and smelled Aria¡¯s hand. Then it suddenly shrank like a deted balloon and returned to its originalpact shape. ¡°Uh¡­ it was a more gentle monster than I thought.¡± The stable keeper made a stunned sound. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that gentle¡­¡± The hunting ground keeper secretly spat out the truth unknowingly, then took a breath and looked into Dana¡¯s eyes. Dana stared at him for a moment, but somehow, Aria was unharmed, so she seemed to have softened more than before. The carnivorous rabbit twitches its nostrils at Aria¡¯s touch. ¡°Ugh, I get scared every time even when I know that wild beasts follow the Young Madam well.¡± The stable keeper, who watched the scene anxiously, stroked his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not a beast, it¡¯s a rabbit¡­¡± ¡°You shut up.¡± And he condemned the hunting grounds keeper who made excuses to the end. ¡°Well, The Grand Duke and the Grand Prince also tamed them, so still it is a monster rabbit¡­¡± He unconsciously intertwined the Grand Duke and the Grand Prince with the monster, but btedly shut his mouth. A quick nce reveals that, fortunately, no one has heard of him. The stable keeper stroked his startled chest. ¡°Phew.¡± Aria stroked the carnivorous rabbit¡¯s head, and she pretended not to hear the sigh. She had saved one life today. *** ¡°Ah, Grand Princess.¡± Gabriel turned his head, as he looked out at the snow fluttering outside his window. He could feel a presence. ¡°You came to pray today.¡± Aria took the key out of her arms, put it in, and turned the doorknob. They came in and out often, so there was a warm atmosphere in the prayer room. It was thanks to Carlin who cast a heating magic for Aria. [Wasn¡¯t it cold to wait outside the door?] Aria asked. It¡¯s winter, when the toxic chill permeates to the bone. The world outside the window is all white, but what was he looking at while standing still alone? ¡°Today is a special day.¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Then Gabriel gave a different answer to the question. Aria tilted her head. Because it was a special day, did it mean that the waiting wasn¡¯t boring and he didn¡¯t even feel the cold? [Is it your birthday?] She asked because it was a special day. Then Gabriel said no, shook his head lightly and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s Nuah¡¯s birthday.¡± Ah. ¡®The anniversary of Garcia.¡¯ It is the day on which Nuah, a demigod between gods and humans, was born. Garcia was the only one who imed that the Son of God actually existed. In the Fa Empire, the road was running rampantly saying that God could not have children among humans. This was because the Emperor was iming to be the Son of God in order to gain legitimacy in the bloodline of the Imperial Family. He borrowed only a human body, and his soul was undoubtedly the Son of God or something. ¡®In my eyes, it¡¯s just a skit that isn¡¯t even funny.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be ridiculous if God looked down on this scene? ¡®Because there is a son that God did not give birth to.¡¯ However, seeing Gabriel taking Nuah¡¯s birthday really solemnly, it seemed that she had to pretend to be serious. [It¡¯s a happy day.] ¡°Yes, very.¡± The boy replied brightly and wiggled his frozen red fingertips. And he held out the box he had been carrying for a long time, whose purpose was unknown to Aria. ¡®Yes?¡¯ He was giving it to her? Aria widened her eyes and pointed at herself with her finger. ¡°Your bag got worn out a lot.¡± Is it an eptable gift? Aria looked up at him without taking the box he was offering right away. And she stared intently. Then Gabriel, who realized the meaning of that gaze, was embarrassed and added hurriedly. ¡°In Garcia, it is a day to give gifts to those you are grateful to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am also giving this as a token of my gratitude. The Grand Princess took care of me every time, and thanks to you, I was not alone and my life was saved¡­¡± She did take care of him a lot. They prayed together in the prayer room every morning, noon, and evening. Even if it was called prayer, it took about 5 minutes. To be more precise, she pretended to pray. ¡®He was forced to live here for 5 years, but I thought that anyone would be resentful if they were alone, so I took care of him.¡¯ Anyway, as long as he was grateful. ¡®It¡¯s eptable.¡¯ Aria¡¯s senses were getting dulled by the piles of gift boxes that were piling up every day. It didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t cherish the hearts of others. It means that she no longer attaches great significance to a gift. She opened the box Then there was a cute little kid¡¯s leather bag made to fit Aria¡¯s size. [Thank you, I¡¯ll use it well.] With pure delight, she transferred the cards, ink and fountain pens to her new bag. Then she looked up at Gabriel with a faint smile and told him to wait and went to the kitchen. After a while, she returned with a small cake in her hand. [It¡¯s not an anniversary of this country though.] Aria remembered Dana¡¯s words. ¡®She said anniversaries are supposed to be celebrated with family and friends.¡¯ She still didn¡¯t know how Gabriel celebrated Noah¡¯s birthday. But at least it wouldn¡¯t have been in such an atmosphere that no one knew and didn¡¯t care. ¡®It must have been lonely.¡¯ That¡¯s what life in a foreign country is like. Besides, he¡¯s from Garcia, so everyone will be reluctant or hostile. ¡®This is nothing, it¡¯s okay if I take care of him. Do my duty as a human being and not cross the line.¡¯ Aria felt relieved. Not knowing that an anniversary is the perfect day to permeate other people¡¯s memories. She put a candle from the kitchen on top of her cake and lit it. And she hesitated for a moment. [Since it¡¯s the son of God, the age doesn¡¯t really matter, right?] At that, Gabriel burst intoughter and bent his eyes softly. The white boy¡¯s smile resembled a snowke that melts when touched. ¡°Yes, the heart is enough.¡± And, as she always has, she had a brief evening prayer with Gabriel. *** ¡°Cough, cough, Young Madam.¡± It was a day before the new year. Baker, who had always cooked for Aria with his soul, suddenly came. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°You don¡¯t need me?¡± Hey, she does need him every day. It¡¯s because she was no longer able to live without Baker¡¯s cooking. He was an indispensable Aria thought seriously. [Baker is very precious to me.] And she said with all her heart. ¡°Young Madam¡­!¡± When the chef was overjoyed and burst into tears, she felt some sort of remorse. ¡°Can I have that card?¡± He spoke reflexively, then btedly regained his mind and shook his head. ¡°¡­No, this is not important.¡± It¡¯s weird that there are times when Aria¡¯s cards aren¡¯t important. She was rather curious about Baker¡¯s reaction. And she waited for his words to follow. ¡°Actually¡­ when I heard that the Young Madam wanted to learn how to cook, I waited impatiently¡­.¡± After waiting desperately for her toe, he finally couldn¡¯t stand it and spoke to her first. He waited a year and a half. Aria, who hadpletely forgotten about it, widened her eyes. ¡°Maybe you forgot¡­¡± [No. My dream is to be a cook.] Of course, it¡¯s a distant past, but it¡¯s not a lie since she was young. After Aria quickly handed a card, she pondered what to cook. [Come to think of it, it¡¯s Lloyd¡¯s birthday soon.] Last year she couldn¡¯t take care of it because he was at the academy, but this year, she really wanted to take care of her husband¡¯s birthday. ¡®I¡¯m thinking of preparing a separate gift for him, but¡­.¡¯ Cakes are the best for birthdays. While it has be like this, she should bake a cake. ¡°Umm, Young Madam.¡± But when Baker saw the card, he had a somewhat perplexed look. Aria couldn¡¯t figure out why he was reacting like that, so she blinked her eyes over and over again. ¡°The Grand Prince doesn¡¯t celebrate birthdays. He doesn¡¯t even want to take care of them.¡± It was something she hadn¡¯t thought of. She didn¡¯t know Lloyd doesn¡¯t celebrate his birthday. ¡®Well, I¡¯ve never celebrated my birthday in my past life, but¡­¡­.¡¯ It was because the environment surrounding Aria was so extreme. Sophia, the only one who knew her birthday, was unable to afford her daughter¡¯s birthday while she was still alive. ¡®But Lloyd has a family.¡¯ It¡¯s also a decent family. She never meant to criticize him by being high and mighty. Aria celebrated her birthday in a very loud and colorful way this spring. She also received a present from Lloyd. ¡®I wish I could congratte you on your birthday as if it was natural. A person who knows that their birthday is a day to be blessed by everyone who passes by.¡¯ Her heart was aching. She thought she knew what he¡¯s thinking when he didn¡¯t celebrate his birthday. It¡¯s probably the same reason as Lloyd¡¯s bleak life of repeating work and training all the time. [I will take the responsibility. Let¡¯s make a cake.] Aria decided to go ahead with this no matter what Lloyd said. And after a while, she realized what acency it had been. ¡°Hey, the sheet smells like fart¡­¡± One cook mumbled in disbelief. The people who worked in the kitchen of this Valentine¡¯s Castle were all good cooks, even if they were kitchen assistants. They were astonished that there were people in the world who turn food ingredients into poop. ¡®Smells like fart¡­¡­.¡¯ Isn¡¯t the word too harsh? Aria¡¯s flower-petal-like eyes fluttered in shock. The cook then quickly withdrew his remarks. ¡°Oh no, it smells like a fragrant flower!¡± If the cake smells like flowers, wouldn¡¯t that be a problem too? Anyway, Aria sighed deeply and had to discard the fart-smelling sheet. ¡°Young Madam, I will measure the ingredients for the cake and ce them in order, so what if you add them in?¡± Then Baker said, who was watching her anxiously next to her. Aria firmly shook her head. With that, can she proudly say that she made it? ¡®Besides, the cooks stir all the dough because I don¡¯t have enough arm strength.¡¯ At the very least, the ingredients must be put in properly. Aria was on fire. And after several failures, she was able to create a usible cake. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡®I have to tell him when it¡¯s twelve o¡¯clock.¡¯ Aria gave a long yawn and got her body up. She had a hard time waking upte into the night because she was young. But after desperately persevering, the time was approaching. She went to Lloyd¡¯s room with a box of cake, candles, and matches. ¡®Well, about three minutes left.¡¯ Aria checked the wall clock near Lloyd¡¯s room. And it was when she lit the fire with matches. Suddenly the door swung open. ¡°¡­¡­what are you doing.¡±¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Why did he open the door? Lloyd felt the presence standing in front of the door, and as he opened the door, he was bewildered to see Aria burning a match. ¡°ying with fire?¡± Looks like that. Aria was stunned by the conclusion Lloyd had reached. Why is the wife ying with fire in front of her husband¡¯s bedroom? ¡®The surprise is gone¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria looked at the grandfather clock. It was still two minutes ahead of the hour. Although she was caught, she stubbornly took the cake out of the box and lit the candle. And she held it towards Lloyd. ¨C Happy Birthday! Birthday. Then Lloyd remembered that New Year¡¯s Day was the day he was born. He gently wrinkled his brow. Even if it was the birthday that Aria and no one else, took care of, he couldn¡¯t pretend to be happy. His lips hardened. Because he never thought that it was never a curse that he was born in this world. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be happy.¡± Lloyd told Aria, who would probably be disappointed with his reaction. But as if she knew how to react, she said as she ced the cake in his arms. ¨C At least for me, you¡¯re a blessing. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C I want to say, I will try my best to make Lloyd feel like a blessing too. Because you said you didn¡¯t want to burden me. What should she say? Aria, who had been thinking for a while, rounded her eyes and smiled naturally. ¨C Let¡¯s make it together. As a blessing. The bell rang announcing the hour. Ring, ring, ring. It was the moment Lloyd first recognized his own birthday since he was born. *** Spring Summer Fall Winter. After several seasons, spring hase again. Aria weed spring at the age of 14. *** ¡°He¡¯s starting not to get in touch¡­¡± Veronica tilted her head. Then, her fine blonde hair flowed down like a wave. She tapped themunication device on her desk with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. There must be something in the Devil¡¯s Castle that made you lose your mind.¡± She thought she was enough to captivate him. Veronica smirked at the vainughter, then she smashed themunication tool by throwing it against the wall. ¡°This punk!¡± Originally made unbreakable, the magic ball bounced off the wall and rolled over the floor back to her feet. She couldn¡¯t stand her anger and let out a wheezing breath. ¡®I made a mistake.¡¯ It would be the end of the story when she picked up a dog that had been wandering around unsettled and put him into perfect obedience. Such a simple task. ¡°Damn it, I shouldn¡¯t have sent you to Valentine.¡± Gabriel should have felt a deeper sense of loneliness, despair and disillusionment in the Devil¡¯s Castle. In total istion, he should have considered only Veronica as his savior. But in thest step, someone dared to intercept her loyal dog. ¡°Without that dog, my n is¡­¡± Does itpletely fail? Should she rebuild it? Was this a goal that can be achieved without the dog? Nervously biting her nails, Veronica stopped doing what she was doing. ¡°No.¡± This is how life was with its original will. Not moving as she wished. Not knowing when and where its going, and it¡¯s easy to get upset if they don¡¯t manage it consistently. ¡®There is nothing to be agitated about.¡¯ It¡¯s just a natural process. Dogs also forget their previous owners when they change owners and serve the new owner who gives them food without hesitation. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Veronica looked around. She then found several ques of appreciation lined up in a row at the top of her bookshelf. It was a que of appreciation given to the priests and saints who performed the most volunteer work that year in the Papal Pce. Veronica never missed a que of appreciation since she became a saint. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ She picked up one of the crystal ques of appreciation and mmed it in her face. Many times, many times. ¡°Phuh.¡± Veronica spat the pool of blood out of her mouth and then rubbed it roughly with her hand, spreading it across her lips. Then, after picking up themunication sphere that had fallen on the floor, she immediately contacted Gabriel. ¨C Saint? ¡°Sir Knight¡­¡± Her tears fell as if it had waited. *** Swish, swish. In the silence, the sound of turning the papers at an urate speed, like a pendulum, echoed. On the ck wooden desk, books and documents were piled up like a mountain. ¡°¡­.¡± Aria didn¡¯t read a book, but stared at Lloyd sitting opposite her. The man sitting with his back against the pouring sunlight seemed to wander between the vague line of a boy and a young man. ¡®It¡¯s dazzling.¡¯ Aria frowned. Then, his hand, which had been filling the parchment without stopping, stopped abruptly. Lloyd looked up. His dark eyes, which were deeper than when he was young, were revealed under the long eyshes. ¡°What.¡± Lloyd asked, covering the beam of light that had prated the window with his wide back. Aria, whose re had improved even more, opened her eyes properly this time. ¡°It¡¯s just that Lloyd suddenly seems to have grown up alone.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re 18, you¡¯re an adult.¡± Although he still had two years left before hising-of-age ceremony. The Fa Empire was particrly strict, but in other countries, he was already of an age that was recognized as an adult. ¡°But not yet.¡± Aria said with all her might. She somehow couldn¡¯t admit that Lloyd had grown up. Aria¡¯s efforts to grow up quickly were overshadowed, but he also grew so much that he was ahead of her. ¡°Right, it¡¯s not like that.¡± The boy, no, young man Lloyd answered silently without any reaction. Compared to the time when he cried ¡®I¡¯m not a kid!¡¯, he has grown so much that she couldn¡¯t recognize it. Aria muttered sullenly. ¡°You¡¯re not cute.¡± ¡°¡­sorry about that.¡± Look at that. He didn¡¯t make a fuss like before. He just turned his back to the light like a halo and smiled a little bit like a frown. His calm and serene demeanor, not as violent as before, made him look decadent again. ¡®I can¡¯t make eye contact for a long time these days.¡¯ She can¡¯t even make fun of him. If that¡¯s the case, she thought she was going to get beaten up again. Aria had no choice but to avoid Lloyd¡¯s gaze, who was staring at her sternly. She had never been like this. She was strangely awkward and shy. ¡°It¡¯s strange¡­¡± He murmured. Aria thought he had just heard her thought, and she was stabbed and trembled. But Lloyd¡¯s eyes were on her papers, not hers. Embarrassed, she wiggled her fingers for nothing, and asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Diamont market price is booming.¡± Diamont. It was the only material for mana stones. It was a business almost monopolized by Valentine, who had the purest diamont mine. It was also the main source of ie. ¡°Suddenly? Did you reduce the supply?¡± ¡°No way.¡± That means external factors acted¡­ It was not that there was no ce other than the Valentine that supplied diamont. However, it could not match the quality or quantity of supply. ¡°Then the other diamont mine owners have cut supply or there is a problem with the distributor.¡± ¡°The probability of the former being extremely low. Unless it¡¯s a Valentine¡¯s diamont, it¡¯s not traded at the highest price.¡± ¡°Then thetter?¡± If there was a problem with the distributor, it meant that either the ruling management or one of the families they were dealing with was stealing the diamont. ¡°It¡¯s embezzlement¡­ I couldn¡¯t even imagine.¡± Lloyd whispered lowly. And he smiled. ¡°I think we need a major change.¡± It waspletely different from the smile that has its freshness towards Aria. It was an arrogant yet fully ripened smile, with a subtle color that spreads like a fragrance. It¡¯s not good for the heart. Aria turned her gaze away from Lloyd as if on fire. ¡®It¡¯s really unimaginable.¡¯ Who would have known that someone with a gut protruding out of their stomach would dare to rob Valentine¡¯s resources? Aria felt ufortable. ¡®Is there still someone who can go against Valentine¡¯s nting?¡¯ Seeing an example of Viscount Cavendy and Count Beaufort? Is there any in both Empires, that even the Emperor and the Pope, won¡¯t touch Valentine recklessly? Valentine, who cleared the gutter and became the number one viin? If they have the courage to do that, they¡¯ll be a warrior, so why are they embezzling? ¡®It must be either a real idiot or up to something.¡¯ The former is good, but thetter¡­¡­. effe¡¯s note: the ¡®diamont¡¯ is not a typo, the raw uses the word ???? which ends with the t letter, so that¡¯s why i¡¯m keeping it as diamont for now and see if there¡¯s any change in the future! hehe <3 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 ¡®¡­¡­ Even if it¡¯s thetter, nothing will happen.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t worry at all. Because it was Valentine. Rather, she had to worry about the distributors, whose soul Lloyd would rip out with his hands. And if the price of diamont goes up, they¡¯ll get some resentment, but it¡¯s a matter of finding the cause and dealing with it quickly. ¡®It would be nothing.¡¯ Aria ignored it. ¡®Anyway, more important than that matter.¡¯ Aria looked into Lloyd¡¯s eyes as if to confirm again. In fact, she was staring at him for some other reason. ¡®It¡¯s still ck.¡¯ Aria was relieved. Today, too. Fortunately, the jet-ck eyes had not yet faded to gray. ¡®Things aren¡¯t going to get any better.¡¯ Still, Grand Duke Valentine was losing his malice, and Lloyd was inheriting his malice. She could not find a way to purify the devil¡¯s malice. It was just the Siren¡¯s song and Gabriel¡¯s divine power to prevent malice from corrupting. ¡®I kept trying, but the devil¡¯s malice could not be purified by the Siren¡¯s song.¡¯ The past days when she was motivated to do it right away were overshadowed. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ But it was obviously not that there was no way at all. Because her healing song worked well for Sabina, who was about to die of malice. The question was, how to find a way¡­¡­. ¡®If there is no information, there is too little.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t know very intimately about her own race, the Siren, in fact. All she knew was the rumors she had only heard from the nobles and information from Count Cortez. ¡®Besides, obviously, I was known as the only surviving Siren.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even get information from the same Siren. If Sophia had been alive, she might have told her many things, but she was already dead by the time Aria returned. ¡®I even mobilized Vincent to investigate in every way, but to no avail¡­¡­.¡¯ It was just nonsense information that Aria already knew or didn¡¯t know. ¡®It can¡¯t be like this.¡¯ Time flew by, and the year of Valentine¡¯s Incident was approaching. What will happen this winter? It is at most several months ahead. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡­.¡± Aria trailed off. ¡°Are there any Sirens still alive?¡± ¡°Well. They have lived in hiding from generation to generation, so it¡¯s hard to know.¡± What if Sophia was only lucky enough to be caught, and a horde of Sirens were still living away from the world. ¡®I might be able to get the information.¡¯ If she is lucky, she¡¯ll get help. Aria almost had a little bit of hope. But it was so unlikely that she soon regained herposure. She wants to seize even the slightest possibility. ¡°I can look it up if you want.¡± Then Lloyd pulled out a piece of paper from among the graves of documents and held it out. Without even rummaging. ¡®I thought it was just a pile of papers, but did you remember exactly where it was?¡¯ Aria lowered her gaze with a slightly tired face. Upon closer inspection, it was a list of new route development projects. It was also so risky that there were only things that no one would invest in. So, to put it bluntly, they will sink as soon as they set sail. ¡°I think it¡¯s a scammer¡­¡± Even the names of the families were unknown. ¡°At least they had the will to set sail.¡± Really? Have they read any exploration novels? Aria looked through the list in the paper without any expectations. ¡®Wow, some wanted to sail to Navron Sea. I was told that there was not a single ship here that returned safely.¡¯ They were adventurous and have ns and were almost suicidal. If one is bored, but full of money and wants to scatter money in the air, it¡¯s the perfect investment. ¡°Even if they have a will to go, I think they will get the money and run a boat and run away. Why was this in the approved documents?¡± It was so stupid It¡¯s strange that Dwayne didn¡¯t take it out first. Then Lloyd answered, ¡°It¡¯s a business that will fail if it¡¯s not Valentine¡¯s. It seems that the Grand Duke¡¯s aide also put it in as a joke.¡± Meanwhile, Tristan was still called the Grand Duke. So what will Tristan be called if Lloyd inherits the title of Grand Duke from him? Previous Grand Duke? Aria thought inside. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any clues, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to hang around here.¡± Well, it does. Come to think of it, the Siren itself was often dismissed as a legendary monster until Sophia appeared. Even if there were records, it was recognized as a novel rather than a history book. ¡®Siren doesn¡¯t leave a trace and is hiding¡­¡­.¡¯ She was wondering if she could find those vain dreams by unraveling all the world. But even if she does. ¡°It¡¯s like finding a needle in the desert.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, you can send more.¡± Lloyd said indifferently. Valentine¡¯s capital was rotting because it wasn¡¯t overflowing, and there were countless people who wanted to invest. ¡°You¡¯re going to do it even though you know it¡¯s an investment that is sure to fail?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Aria had only seen the nobles whose family was faltering due to failed investment, so Aria was dumbfounded at Lloyd¡¯s waste of money. ¡®If you think about it, that¡¯s the only way to find the Siren. It¡¯s a serious waste of money, but¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria paused without continuing her thoughts. She found a familiar name in the documents. ¡°¡­Antis?¡± A city of legends, the hometown of the Sirens who were submerged in the sea 1500 years ago. It was the only old story Sophia told her while she was alive. ¡°This person.¡± Aria pointed her finger at the one iming to find the treasures of Antis. Some may have known Antis. Because it¡¯s on the record. But it¡¯s rare that people with a sane mind set out to find a legendary treasure that no one believed ever existed. ¡°Can you call this person?¡± Either they¡¯re a bragger, crazy, or really know something. Aria put her hopes up for thest time. *** ¡°It¡¯s a secret, but I¡¯m descended from the royal family of Antis.¡± He was a crazy bragger. Aria let out a sigh at the thought that she had been expecting too much and she was an idiot. She took the time to listen seriously, and there he goes talking nonsense. Besides, that man¡¯s eyes. ¡®You¡¯re not cheating on me. It seems he really believes that he is a descendant of the royal family.¡¯ How surprising. How did it happen? If he had been a scammer, she would have charged him with trying to deceive Valentine and kicked him out, but if he was out of his mind, it would be ambiguous to do so. Aria looked at the man with pity for a moment, then stood up from her seat. The shemanded the ck Falcon [Send him back.] ¡°Wa, wait! I¡¯m not lying. Trust me!¡± ¡®Yes. You seem to really believe that, but¡­¡­.¡¯ She knew the truth. Antis is the Siren¡¯s hometown. Although this is the only known truth in the world. ¡®If there is a royal family in Antis, the descendant will be me, a Siren.¡¯ Aria thought to herself. It wasn¡¯t even funny. And since it was a dynasty that was already buried in the water 1500 years ago and disappeared, what was the use of the royal family? But the man, who had been brutally dragged by the ck Falcon¡¯s hand, suddenly strained his neck and shouted. ¡°There is proof!¡± Proof? ¡°We have a family heirloom. Look at this! There¡¯s a map that opens the door to Antis!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± He took the moment as the ck Falcon stopped for a moment, and quickly rummaged through his clothes. And he pulled out something unknown from his arms. It was a mass of something covered in barnacles. ¡®Sea trash?¡¯ To be honest, it looked like that. There was a lot of stuff stuck together and the shape was distorted, so she couldn¡¯t really recognize it other than a lump. ¡°It was said that if the ancestors sailed on a boat with this map in their arms, the entrance to Antis would be opened.¡± The ck Falcons who watched the scene silently exchanged nces. Then they put their finger next to their head and turned it around. He seemed to have gone crazy, so they were saying to get rid of him quickly. [If it¡¯s that simple, why haven¡¯t you opened the entrance until now?] ¡°That, that!¡± The man panicked and stuttered. ¡°My family was poor from generation to generation, so I didn¡¯t have enough capital¡­ In fact, there was no one in my ancestors or family who seriously tried to explore like me¡­¡± It was just too obvious. Who believes in one story passed down from generation to generation and goes out to sea carrying barnacles, that looks more like thrash. ¡®It looks like that person was really trying to do that.¡¯ Aria asked. [Why are you so serious?] ¡°That, actually¡­¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 There seemed to be something behind the hesitation and twisting of his body. ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t interested, but I broke the Lord¡¯s I serve¡¯s favorite teacup, and I was in debt, and I ended up sitting on the street¡­¡± So, that was why he was aiming for one hundred thousand gold in search of treasure. Somehow, looking at the business n he put out, it seemed that he was focusing on the treasures of Antis, not on Antis itself. ¡°I was in a situation where my wife and children would be sold as well.¡± The matter was more serious than she expected. ¡°I told the Lord about Antis and the map with the feeling of grabbing straws1. Then he told me that he would give me a chance and ask me to find the treasure.¡± That Lord has a bad taste. Aria thought. ¡®You don¡¯t even believe that the guy will bring you the treasure, you¡¯re just pretending to give it a chance for fun.¡¯ And as long as the man has a keen eye, he would have known that. But he had no choice but to do it. Because there was no other way. ¡®It seems he didn¡¯t believe that he was a descendant of the royal family, but somehow wanted to believe.¡¯ If he didn¡¯t cheat on her, the situation would have been so desperate. Aria pondered for a moment, then held out her hand with a new card. [Give me that.] Anyway, it seemed to be true as far as what he had heard of his ancestors. As Aria spread her palms out, the man hurriedly shoved the barnacles into her hands. That was the moment. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Wh, what!¡± ¡°My God¡­¡­.¡± The mass of barnacles, which were close to sea garbage, was suddenly engulfed in white light. Aria herself was so shocked that she almost dropped it. ¡®Oh, that scared me¡­¡­.¡¯ The barnacles that covered it fell as if it was peeling off the skins, and the light that made them frown quickly faded away, leaving only the pink bare inside. The identity of the lump was a pearl. ¡®It¡¯s a conch pearl.¡¯ The most expensive pearl in the world. A pearl with a pale pink, porcin-like texture, produced from arge snail shell. Just enough to fit into Aria¡¯s hand. [You don¡¯t even need to find Antis with a conch pearl of this size. It¡¯s not just enough to pay off your debt, it¡¯s more than enough to buy a permanent residence¡­¡­.] It was when Aria was writing her card kindly for the man. ¡°Ki, king!¡± Suddenly the man knelt to his knees. Aria was just speechless, she had nothing to say. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Is the Young Madam a descendant of the ancient royal family?¡± And as the ck Falcon began to talk, she became even more speechless. ¡°That¡¯s what it was! I wasn¡¯t a descendant of the royal family, but in fact my role was to deliver a map of Antis to the descendant!¡± Fine. Think as you please. Apparently, this man was too impressed with the marine adventure novels. ¡®It seems that there is something really.¡¯ Because she was a Siren? But other than that the barnacle fell, nothing special happened. Aria looked around the conch pearl. ¡®Should I take this on a boat?¡¯ Then the entrance will open? With a very suspicious look, she picked up her fountain pen. [Sell ??this jewel to me.] Of course, if she pays it right, the prince will be staggering. But it was clear that it would cost less than Lloyd¡¯s reckless investment n to send an endless probe. Then the man, very moved by the thought of being able to pay his debts and protect his family, banged his head on the ground. ¡°Of course. King!¡± He was still obsessed with his role-ying. *** ¡°The king hase.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Lloyd seems to have heard the news too. Aria nced at Lloyd, who teased her with a yful smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, show me your wounds.¡± Lloyd rolled up the sleeves of his shirt without hesitation. Then it revealed a deep wound that had been roughly wrapped in bandages. A cut to the point of almost showing through the bones. Aria unknowingly twisted her face and bit her lip. ¡®I¡¯ve been seeing it regrly for years.¡¯ She never got used to it, and she didn¡¯t know why she felt like crying every time she saw it. Aria had to sing a healing song while coughing several times because of her watery voice over and over again. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Lloyd reached out to reach his hand towards Aria¡¯s eyes. His forearms were tight, with only traces of dried blood remaining with the wounds fully healed. Unlike before, he was surrounded by strong and thick muscles. ¡®Is Lloyd¡¯s hand this big in the first ce?¡¯ Aria¡¯s gaze suddenly touched the back of the young man¡¯s hand with blue veins. ¡®He didn¡¯t have anything like that when he was younger¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria thought nkly. She then realized what she had just been thinking and she avoided his touch in surprise. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°No, this is¡­¡± It was a misunderstanding. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not because I hate Lloyd!¡± ¡°I know. Who cries for someone you hate.¡± Lloyd said with a grin, as if she was worried about nothing. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t touch me when you became an adult.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Aria had withdrawn because she was afraid. That¡¯s also a misunderstanding¡­¡­. If she reveals it¡¯s a misunderstanding, there¡¯s no way for her to exin why she did it, so she just kept quiet. ¡®More than that, it¡¯s strange.¡¯ Aria tilted her head. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t he go crazy.¡¯ Of course, she never meant him to go crazy. It was rather fortunate, though. ¡®Considering the speed that the Emperor, the imperial family, and the nobles went crazy in the past, he should have gone crazy earlier¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd did not show any signs of addiction before suffering from madness. Not at all. Even though she was anxious every day for fear that he might be addicted like the Emperor. What if listening to this song starts addiction? So she was terrified the whole time. ¡®Besides, he obviously said that Valentine¡¯s direct lineage can easily go crazy.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t go crazy. ¡®So is Tristan.¡¯ He was fine. Even if he wasn¡¯t addicted to Siren¡¯s song, it was strange to think that the future that woulde to him was death or madness. That¡¯s so¡­. ¡®It is fortunate, but?¡¯ So, what happened in Aria¡¯s previous life? She thought if they were addicted to Siren¡¯s song they would go crazy. So, sometimes, she felt guilty, wondering if it was her fault that the Empire copsed. She often had terrible nightmares in which the horrors of the past were reproduced as they were. Even after she returned, she often had to suffer from the trauma. But what if that¡¯s not true? ¡®It was certain that only those who heard my song went crazy.¡¯ It was when she was immersed in her thoughts. She suddenly felt a light breath, and Lloyd¡¯s face was right in front of her. His cool body scents rushed in with her resting breath. ¡°Yourplexion is bad. Are you sick?¡± His red lips were close enough to touch. Aria was so startled she thought her heart was jumping out of her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re not suffering alone again, are you?¡± She quickly shook her head. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd frowned slightly, as she showed a very suspicious reaction. He brought his face closer. Aria sighed and held her breath. Their foreheads touched each other. ¡°No fever.¡± Lloyd, who approached without any interest, quietly moved away again. He looked at her red hot face and tilted his head. ¡°No, do you have a fever?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sick, don¡¯t hide it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sick.¡± Aria mumbled as she rubbed her cheeks, which were burning red. Her face just got hot. ¡®You¡¯re really treating me like a real child.¡¯ Even as the years passed, he became more and more overprotective. She suddenly remembered what Gabriel had said about four years ago, as if it was quite obvious. ¡°The Grand Prince will never look at the Young Madam with those eyes.¡± ¡°The four-year difference isn¡¯t that big of an age gap. But that¡¯s when you¡¯re an adult, and ten and fourteen are the difference between heaven and the earth.¡± Yes, that was verymon sense. So she got even more annoyed. ording to that logic, the age of 18 and 14 is the difference between heaven and earth. She realized again. ¡®Lloyd ising of age.¡¯ The two letters ¡®adult¡¯ brought up the memories that had been locked under the water. ¡®The Devil Grand Duke.¡¯ Lloyd Cardenas Valentine. Actually Aria had met him a few times before her death. The most memorable was at a social club hosted to promote Aria to high-ranking nobles. Wherever Aria headed, there were always incidents and idents. Because not just one or two high-ranking nobles who were obsessed with her to possess her fully. However, the Count knew Aria¡¯s value more than anyone. He had no intention of selling her even to the Emperor, and those who were addicted to her songs went crazy. It was like that that day too. If a noble couldn¡¯t have a siren, they¡¯d rather die and¡­¡­. ¡°Now I¡¯m.¡± The Devil Grand Duke took his chance by subduing the nobles at once. ¡°Listening to the song.¡± The memory at that time was engraved in her mind so strongly that she could not forget it. ¡°Want to die?¡± ¡ª *) Last hope to do/achieve something Chapter 75 Chapter 75 It was an indescribable horror. The nobles, who were drowning in alcohol and drugs, fled in confusion. Aria stood on the stage, stiff and only breathing heavily. A bright red blood sttered on the Grand Duke¡¯s face, who was all achromatic. The Grand Duke let the blood run down his cheeks, and when it seeped into his lips, he made a smirk and wiped the blood from his lips with his fingers. It looked like a smear after painting a bright red lipstick. ¡°Dirty¡­¡­.¡± At the same time, the gray and crimson eyes that were clouded were intertwined in the air. It was bizarre. As the nickname Devil Grand Duke, it was a bloody appearance in itself. However, the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze, who contained all of her, permeated her skin and reached her heart through the veins. Her heart raced like crazy, thinking she would harden like a stone and never to move again. He licked his blood-red lips. ¡°Go on. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡®At that time, I was already¡­¡­.¡¯ Was I in love with you? When she thought of the red color of that day, when she saw the lips painted before blood. Lloyd nailed that he wouldn¡¯t touch her when she became an adult. She thought it was a little bit disappointing. ¡®In Lloyd¡¯s eyes, I won¡¯t be seen as reasonable in the slightest.¡¯ At least it would be better if she was 24 or 20. By then, unfortunately, she will have already returned. She didn¡¯t know maybe it was already after he passed away. ¡®I have a husband, but am I going to die without a proper kiss?¡¯ That¡¯s a bit. It¡¯s a sad life, isn¡¯t it? Even if she can¡¯t confess, it¡¯s okay if she kissed him once before he died. In a sense of friendship? ¡®No matter how open noble society is, no one touches their lips as a sign of friendship¡­¡­.¡¯ If forced, it¡¯s generally called molestation. In order for Aria to kiss him, she had to choose between molesting, or confessing. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Why doesn¡¯t she just give up? They had no intention of doing it in the first ce, so why was she worrying about it? ¡®That¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria¡¯s gaze touched Lloyd¡¯s red lips. Then hisrge hand stroked her hair. Like touching fragile pottery. Lloyd ruffled her hair lightly, then he said. ¡°Don¡¯t get sick.¡± His hand slipped away in an instant. Aria patted her hair, which was still warm for no reason. *** ¡°There is absolutely no need for a saint to carry it alone.¡± It had been a while since Veronica contacted him in tears with arge bruise on her face. Gabriel was at a loss for words for a moment and was startled to the point of being dazed. He asked as he felt his eyes sh in a moment of rising anger. What happened? Who did that? ¨C ¡­¡­ However, Veronica cut off contact with him that day, only shedding tears without saying a word. And her wounds were increasing day by day. Gabriel was nervous. He could not leave the room because he was nervous, lifting and releasing themunication device everyday. He was so overwhelmed in his heart that whenever she contacted him, he begged her to talk to him. ¨C Ugh¡­¡­. Then Veronica groaned a little. She put her slender hand on the side for a moment, then quickly pretended nothing was wrong. But Gabriel had already seen it clearly. ¡°Then, at least tell me whose work it is.¡± Veronica was silent for a long time. And the tip of her mouth, which had hesitated for several times, was open atst. *** ¡°Saint Veronica!¡± She was just going down the stairs. Veronica heard the sound of stomping and running. She smiled and turned her head. ¡°Brother Barom.¡± Barom, who came hastily dressed, was agitated for a while. ¡°Do you have anything with me?¡± ¡°Is it Sister?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did Sister do it?¡± He asked fiercely. What did he mean when he¡¯s suddenly like that? If he asked that qY, who would understand? It¡¯s because he was so incapable of dealing with it. She almost clicked her tongue. Veronica gave sad eyes that emanated from the depths of her heart, and she reached out her hand towards him. ¡°Brother, please calm down¡­¡± ¡°Put it away!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Barom shook her hand violently. Veronica kept her head down, looking down only at the back of her own hand, which was reddened. ¡°Yes. Needless to say, it¡¯s Sister. Who else but you would spread the absurd rumor that I secretly abused you!¡± Now the Papal Pce WAS in turmoil. Rumors spread that Barom had been harassing and abusing Veronica because of her low divine power. It was an absurd usation. But between Veronica, who was loved by everyone, and Barom, who was attention-grabbing for his harsh words and actions. It was obvious whose side the priests would take. ¡°I don¡¯t know where you got hit, but you¡¯re not doing this to me!¡± Noisy. Veronica frowned at the voice that rumbled in her ear. Now seeing her not even managing her pretentious expression in front of him, Barom was very upset. ¡°But you know, right?¡± As if she couldn¡¯t even look at him now, she fixed her gaze only on her nails, not on Barom. Veronica snapped and fiddled with her nails, and said, ¡°It¡¯s not apletely false rumor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it Brother who persecuted me because I had low divine power?¡± Persecuted? It wasn¡¯t even funny. Of course, he admits that he sometimes was harsh on Veronica by finding useless faults. But it was because Barom felt a strange sense of incongruity in her and who she was, and noticed a hint. Although there was no exact physical evidence, he had a strong sense that she was somehow dangerous. He had only the idea that he had to somehow kick her out of the Papal Pce. ¡°I knew you were like this. I thought I knew something strange about you earlier.¡± ¡°Strange?¡± ¡°Yes! Do you think I¡¯m doing this just because you have low divine power? It¡¯s because everything from your eyes to your actions is so creepy that I can¡¯t even tell you!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She¡¯s strange? Veronica tilted her head. ¡°By the way, Brother Barom was born with the divine power of intelligence.¡± And she mumbled in a low voice, almost as if she was talking to herself. Her gaze, like ss beads, with no emotion at all, turned to him. Barom was startled without knowing it and took a step backwards. ¡°Ri, right. Talking more will just make me feel bad. After all, people like you should be expelled from the Papal Pce.¡± He looked like he had decided on something. ¡®Should I kill him?¡¯ Veronica moved reflexively, stepping on his leg as he quickly turned his back. And while he stumbled on his foot, she pushed his back. ¡°¡­!¡± It was a spiral staircase that was so steep that the incline was dizzying. Barom couldn¡¯t scream properly and fell down the stairs as it was. Ah. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to kill you like this.¡¯ Veronica thought as she looked down at the man who was convulsing on the floor so dark that it looked like he was immersed in darkness. She was slightly impulsive. But for some reason, she just thought that she had to stop Barom from doing what he set out to do. ¡®There¡¯s nothing we can do about dying.¡¯ No matter how high the divine power, if he fell from the stairs by mistake, he was instantly killed. He could not be revived. Veronica still went down the stairs just in case. It would be difficult if he got lucky and survived and gossip about it, so she had to watch him die. Those with high divine power were cumbersome to deal with because of this. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ Veronica looked at Barom, patting him with her feet. As expected, there was no hope. It felt like he was going to die soon. But it was then. ¡°¡­kugh!¡± As she brought her face closer to check the sound of his breathing, he vomited blood. Perhaps that was thest spurt, he diedpletely soon after. ¡°Haa, really disgusting.¡¯ It was dirty to the end. Without hiding her contorted expression like a monster now, she rubbed the back of her hand across her red-stained cheek. It even got into her mouth. ¡®¡­¡­Huh?¡¯ At that moment, Veronica stopped her movement. She was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t think properly for a moment. ¡®The divine power¡­¡­ it improved?¡¯ At first she thought she was mistaken. But the energy in her body, which she had always felt insignificant, increased, even a little. Surely. ¡®No way¡­¡­.¡¯ Was it possible to increase her divine power by drinking the priest¡¯s blood? Veronica looked down as if ridiculing Barom, who was not even moving anymore. Her brown eyes, which had never felt any emotion, began to twinkle with an eerie light. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 ¡°Ah.¡± Veronica turned her head away, clenching her fists instead of reaching out. ¡°No. Not now.¡± Barom was dead and there was blood on his body, and Veronica¡¯s divine power suddenly increased. Anybody would be suspicious. Moreover, even drinking his blood would only increase her divine power the same as dripping water into a dryke. ¡®It works, but.¡¯ In fact, it was almost non-existent. ¡®There must be a way to apply it.¡¯ Veronica remembered the orphanage at that moment. When Count Chateau died, she said she would take responsibility for it instead. She will soon be assigned to the Great Temple at Fa. At that time, she would be formally appointed as the orphanage manager. There were also ten orphanages. Things were going fun. ¡°I wish that day woulde sooner.¡± Veronica whispered and smiled broadly as if tearing her mouth open. *** Tristan became half-jobless. He currently entrusted most of his authority to Lloyd. He hasn¡¯t lost all his strength yet, and he hasn¡¯t lost his sanity to the point of going crazy. ¡®Actually, he has an excuse that he is losing his power, so maybe he¡¯s living the jobless life he¡¯s been wanting for a long time.¡¯ Aria had reasonable doubts. Tristan, who was lying at an angle, enjoying a ss of wine and picking grapes, looked drowsy and rxed. ¡®Not like some kind of Dionysus.¡¯ He was enjoying heavenly paradise alone. No matter how powerful the devil may be, he was likely to despair as he was losing the power he had enjoyed. She had to admit she was d he looked happy. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Daughter.¡± Soon after, her title was settled as daughter. She wondered if she should tell him that when she bes a daughter she will be their family line. It didn¡¯t matter that she wasn¡¯t a real daughter anyway, and he called her whatever she wanted. ¡°I heard from Father that once the malice waspletely gone, you would be gued with madness.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you dissatisfied that I¡¯m not crazy?¡± Tristan looked at her questioning face and smiled. ¡°Originally, I should be confined to a separate pce by now, but I don¡¯t run rampant anymore. I think it¡¯s thanks to your song.¡± Thanks to the Siren¡¯s song. He didn¡¯t go crazy because of the song? She wondered if it was like that. ¡®Then¡­¡­.¡¯ From what Aria and Vincent found, there was no record of being addicted after hearing the Siren¡¯s song and going crazy. ¡®Even if there is a saying that the song was so beautiful that they lost their mind and were mesmerized for a while and then their ship crashed into a reef and sank to death.¡¯ Of course, it was a tragic story, but wasn¡¯t it distinctly different from being addicted to madness? Considering the dire circumstances she had gone through before her death, there should have been at least one case in history where one died of madness from addiction to the Siren¡¯s song. ¡®But it is certain that only those who have listened to my songs for a long time in my past life were crazy.¡¯ What was it? Aria made a strangely ufortable expression. ¡®So it¡¯s not true?¡¯ Did someone deliberately frame her? If the Siren had lived in hiding all their lives, not widely known, and they took advantage of the fact that Aria, who was alone, didn¡¯t know much about the Siren¡­¡­. ¡®But who?¡¯ If they framed Aria and benefited from that, it was, in fact, something so obvious that she could see it. As Aria became the sight of people all over the world, the benefit could be for the country, ¡®Garcia.¡¯ What if Garcia really conspired? After making all the established rulers who control the Empire go crazy, they start a war. And they med the Siren, who has more healing power than divine power, as a monster. It¡¯s a win-win situation because they can get the Fa Empire and get rid of the Siren, which was a thorn in their eyes. ¡®And the sign they made and put forward, that is, Saint Veronica as a hero.¡¯ It was the perfect scenario. Her heart was overflowing with suspicion. But if that happened, everything that Aria had believed would fall apart. Because she thought that the saint who had burned with justice, had set out to save the Fa Empire from the monster. ¡®I thought she was a hero.¡¯ But if Veronica only pretended to be a hero to win the Fa Empire. The nobles were crazy because of Aria. It was because of her that the Emperor became a tyrant, because of her the Empire declined and fell, and because of her the innocent people died. All the tragedies of the past were actually¡­¡­. ¡®What if it was just a ploy?¡¯ It might have been a spection. Aria didn¡¯t know if that was just tofort herself that she did nothing wrong. ¡®But what if it¡¯s true?¡¯ If that was true, it wasn¡¯t the time for Aria to be soid back now. Just keeping her secret wasn¡¯t enough. If the Holy Empire¡¯s intention was to destroy the Fa Empire, war would break out with or without the Siren. ¡®I was wrong.¡¯ Once she changed the direction of her thoughts, she kept thinking only of that case. However, even if Garcia was really the subject of the conspiracy, there were doubts. The question was, how did they drive people crazy? ¡®They can¡¯t make people crazy by using divine power borrowed from the power of God.¡¯ It was then. Tristan tapped and touched Aria¡¯s nose, who was in deep thought. ¡°Want some grapes?¡± It wasn¡¯t that useful though. At that moment, Aria recalled the power most closely rted to madness. ¡®The devil¡¯s malice¡­¡­.¡¯ A devil in the Holy Empire? But it couldn¡¯t be. Because they hated to fall into the devil¡¯s temptation and be corrupted than to die. ¡®They, who started foaming bubbles in their mouth just by looking at the devil¡¯s evildoers, ask the devil for help?¡¯ She can¡¯t even imagine. ¡®And after calling the devil, they¡¯ve been watching Valentine more closely than anyone else.¡¯ What in the world? ¡°Can Father imagine Garcia getting involved with the devil?¡± ¡°Can you imagine me getting involved with an angel?¡± Not at all. Aria was convinced of Tristan¡¯s answer and drew her conclusions. ¡®Then it wasn¡¯t the Pope¡¯s judgment, but someone acted arbitrarily.¡¯ Who¡­¡­. In the end, her doubts were back to square one. ¡°Here, ah.¡± Aria thought as she reflexively chewed the grapes that Tristan had carefully peeled and put in her mouth. ¡®Actually, it is not that there was not a single person suspected now.¡¯ In fact, there were many suspects. Quite a number of Garcia¡¯s priests that Aria has known through her past life. ¡®And¡­¡­ Veronica.¡¯ At this point, Aria had no choice but to think of Veronica¡¯s ne again. For some reason, she thought there must have been a hint there. *** It started raining from the sky. But Aria took her umbre regardless of whether it was raining or not. ¡°Where are you going in this weather?¡± Maronnier said anxiously and held the umbre in Aria¡¯s hand. Aria gave a brief thank you with a thank-you card, and then she rushed to the training hall. She cut the escort after promising Cloud that she would never leave the castle. ¡®I need to meet Gabriel right now.¡¯ She will be able to meet him in the prayer room by simply waiting for Gabriel toe. But she didn¡¯t have the patience to sit still until then. ¡®The thing I feared the most was, undoubtedly, that Lloyd would go crazy for the song I sang.¡¯ But maybe, it wouldn¡¯t happen. How can she stay still? There is no such thing as peace of mind. Aria wanted to see Gabriel right away and she wanted to confirm that there was someone else who framed her. ¡®As expected.¡¯ She thought he would be here. Aria saw him training alone in the corner of the training hall, even on a rainy day, while being hit by the rain defenselessly. ¡®How many times did he practice?¡¯ The way he continued the sword dance seemed more natural than breathing. The neatly cut, pure white silver hair soaked up a lot of rainwater, and he followed the quick movements to shake the water in all directions. Since when has he been like that? The chest of the young man, who still had a youthful face, shook violently as if he was holding his breath. It was indistinguishable whether it was raindrops or sweat drops flowing down the chin. ¡°¡­!¡± But it was that moment. Gabriel¡¯s hand suddenly slipped. He found Aria looking at him with an umbre btedly. ¡°Grand Princess?¡± Without even a single gap, the sharp figure was shattered in an instant. ¡®¡­¡­ Ugh!¡¯ He even cut off his finger with his sword. It was an incredibly stupid mistake for Gabriel. He looked down in dismay at his finger pouring out blood. Aria walked over to him. ¡°What brings you here¡­¡± At that time, Aria¡¯s lips were fluttering. ¡°Yes?¡± He staggered unlike Lloyd, who was able to read the shape of her mouth. Aria moved her lips a few more times, then sighed and reached out her hand. Then she raised hisrge, trembling hand to examine the wound. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Drops of red blood ran down his fingertips. It wasn¡¯t a very deep wound, but it was mixed with the pouring rainwater, and it got red enough to look excessive. ¡®This will heal soon.¡¯ If it was Gabriel¡¯s divine power. It was when Aria was relieved inside and let go of his hand. At that moment, drops of his blood dripped on the ne around her neck. ¡°Ah, my blood¡­ I¡¯ll wipe it off right away.¡± He was very bewildered and grabbed the jewel in the shape of a drop of water dangling from her neck. He was going to wipe the blood on his sleeve. But it was then. A feeling he had before. A strange sensation, as if the jewel was ravenously sucking the divine power with its will, spread rapidly throughout his body. That too, with the momentum to suck up all his energy and kill him. ¡°¡­ kugh!¡± It was iparable to what it was back then. Gabriel had no choice but to let go of the jewel due to the rapidly diminishing energy within him. ¡°What is this ne¡­¡± He was confused and muttered. After absorbing the divine power at will, when he saw the jewel shimmering in a divine light, a terrifying feeling came up all over his body. The jewel became transparent, as it had never changed. But, ¡®Something different fromst time.¡¯ Something definitely changed this time. Aria also felt that something unusual had happened and made a serious expression. ¡°It looks dangerous.¡± Why? She looked at him asking for an exnation. ¡°Perhaps it was a structure that activates when blood with divine power is smeared¡­¡± Gabriel had juste to a conclusion after sorting out the sensations he had been feeling a while ago. ¡°Obviously, if someone with less divine power than me had touched it, they would have just died. They would be drained of energy.¡± This time, Aria was also surprised. Died? She had no idea because Gabriel didn¡¯t look so painful. ¡®When you run out of energy, you die.¡¯ It reminded her of Carlin making a fuss, emphasizing not to pierce her core. ¡°I think it would be a good idea to formally ask Garcia.¡± Gabriel did not continue his words, but his words trailed off in a muffled tone. And he stared into her eyes, as if in disbelief. ¡°Eyes¡­¡­.¡± Eyes? Aria blinked her eyes. And as she looked around, she looked into a pool of rainwater that was glistening. ¡®What, what?¡¯ Her eyes, which were dark and vivid pink, were gleaming with gold. Just like priests with divine powers. ¡®Golden eyes. A symbol of divine power.¡¯ No way, this jewel¡­¡­ Was it a jewel that absorbs divine power and made it usable by the wearer? In a way, it was a useful jewel. ¡®But it would bepletely useless to Veronica.¡¯ Veronica¡¯s divine power was as famous as Gabriel in the past. Because she had bright golden eyes that were bright enough to shine even in a dark basement. Aria clearly saw and remembered it clearly. ¡°Was it possible that a jewel could use divine power?¡± Did Gabriel have the same thoughts as Aria? The young man asked quickly. He saw it before his eyes, so he couldn¡¯t even say it was impossible. ¡°Oh my God, such a thing exists.¡± It was an unprecedented phenomenon. Gabriel looked confused. Aria stared nkly together with him, who stiffened and fell into shock, and then she came to her senses first. ¡®Let¡¯s go inside for now.¡¯ Then she pulled on the hem of his robe and pointed to the guest room where he was staying, the annex. *** Gabriel was drenched in the rain. Aria looked around his room, which seemed to have no servants, then found a towel in the corner and handed it over. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Gabriel, who seemed still in awe, epted the towel btedly. In a very grateful way. Aria looked up at him again. ¡®Compared to when he first came to this castle, he was so big that I couldn¡¯t recognize it¡­¡­.¡¯ She had to tilt her head high enough to meet his gaze. And¡­¡­. ¡®As expected, Gabriel.¡¯ Holy Knight Commander Gabriel. Of course she knew. He was dispatched from the Holy Empire, and whenever he saw Aria, his face was full of contempt and he said. ¡°Listen, monster, Ariadne Cortez.¡± Contrary to his cold impression, he had golden eyes burning hot. ¡°Your sin of daring to disrespect the authority of God can only be repaid with death. Soon, the den of the heathens will be cleansed.¡± And he dered war with a frost-like voice. ¡°When that dayes, I will hand you over to the inquisitor.¡± It was a deration that she would never ever diefortably. ¡°What happened?¡± Aria just stared at him, then Gabriel asked with a genuinely worried face. It felt strange to have the same face as in the past andpletely different words and expressions. Aria rummaged through the bag she had received from Gabriel a few years ago and pulled out her card. [I mean, it looks like there is an angel besides me.] ¡°¡­..¡± Did she nail it right away? He clenched his fists for a moment and repeatedly opened them, and then he finally opened his mouth. ¡°Can you give me that jewel?¡± This was another unexpected development. [Why?] Aria, of course, expressed doubts. ¡°I think I¡¯ve said it before, but there is someone who is very meaningful to me.¡± He was talking about Veronica. ¡°But she has little divine power, so she¡¯s always struggling with that, because she doesn¡¯t think she can tolerate a lot of suffering.¡± Ah. ¡®That¡¯s how it happened.¡¯ The scattered pieces of the puzzle now fit perfectly. In fact, it was not Veronica who found the relic and ne in the lowest ce. It was Gabriel. ¡®Because the priests said that Gabriel¡¯s birthce was the lowest ce.¡¯ If so, that made sense. Gabriel found the relic and the ne in the ruins of an old temple. When he found out what the ne was, he seemed to have given it to Veronica. However, the question was¡­¡­. ¡®Didn¡¯t he say this ne is dangerous?¡¯ [Can I give something dangerous enough to suck up all your energy and kill you?] Had he noticed a contradiction in his own words? Gabriel continued to speak in a hurry, even though he was bewildered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it might be okay if I pour divine power enough to satisfy the jewel.¡± [It¡¯s still a guess.] ¡°But¡­¡­.¡± [It might be satisfied after the person died, right?] Aria thought that if this was the cursed jewel as Carlin described, the probability of that would be very high. ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel was speechless even more. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t been thinking about it until it was toote. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It was a mistake.¡± Gabriel admitted his mistake sooner than expected, bowed his head and apologized. ¡°I lost my reason for a while. Something unpleasant happened to the saint, so¡­¡± Something unpleasant? She didn¡¯t hear what it was. Gabrielpletely shut his mouth, saying that he couldn¡¯t go into detail about the saint¡¯s personal history. ¡°The saint will be disappointed in me if I give her something like this. It¡¯s an object that devours the divine power and imitates it as her own. It is not suitable for her.¡± No, didn¡¯t she wear it every day in her previous life? Moreover, as far as Aria remembered, Veronica¡¯s eyes were distinctly golden each time she looked at them. Everyone remembered it that way. ¡®Maybe in the past, he didn¡¯t give it to Veronica right away without even thinking about it.¡¯ Hmm, maybe. But Aria soon changed her mind. He was blind enough to be called a loyal dog, so he might have really done that. He might have given it without thinking deeply and onlyter noticed the side effects. ¡®Oh, wait.¡¯ At that moment, memories of her past shed through her mind. ¡®The priests murder case.¡¯ An unfortunate incident that took ce in the Great Temple of the Fa Empire. It was an incident in which as many as ten or as few as three priests were murdered throughout the year. ¡®Every time a corpse is found, all the blood has been sucked into it, so there are even ridiculous rumors circting that it might be the work of a vampire¡­¡­.¡¯ As time went on, they were killed with not only their blood but also all their energy sucked out, and eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn¡¯t the work of a human. In the end, the culprit was never identified. But when she recalled the memories of that time, unpleasant rumors came to mind as well. Everyone used to say that Grand Duke Valentine was the culprit. The reason was simple. Because it happened in the Fa Empire, and it was something the devil could have done. ¡®It¡¯s just that when something happens, people want to call Valentine the devil.¡¯ Because it¡¯s interesting. ¡®Although no evidence was found, it was closed as an unsolved case.¡¯ But then, in this case, she had no choice but to know who the culprit was. Because, soon Veronica was sent from the Papal Pce to the Fa Empire. Also, to the Great Temple where the incident took ce. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 ¡®I heard that Saint Veronica, like Gabriel, waster revealed to have divine power.¡¯ But now, it hasn¡¯t manifested. Rather, it was from killing and stealing. At first, the ¡®maybe?¡¯ conspiracy theory was gradually being constructed closer to the truth. Circumstances and evidence were gathering one by one. ¡®Nonsense. I can not believe it.¡¯ Aria was in shock. ¡®But the situation fits it well this far?¡¯ Veronica was actually a murderer. She wasn¡¯t a saint, contrary to what Veronica was actually known for. She had been blinded by power enough to kill people, taking away their divine power and making it appear as her own, earning the respect and praise of the people. If this premise was true. ¡®What about the rest?¡¯ She somehow felt nervous and restless. Aria suddenly stood up from her seat. Then, she followed his curious gaze. ¡®This is not the time.¡¯ She quickly tried to get out of the room but paused and nced back at Gabriel for a moment. She had something to ask. [What do you think about killing innocent people?] ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I asked for the jewel. I¡¯ll fully reflect on it.¡± No, she was not being sarcastic. Aria shook her head and told him more clearly. [I just wanted to ask your beliefs.] ¡°You¡¯re asking the obvious. There¡¯s no reason an innocent person should die.¡± Gabriel answered straight away. It didn¡¯t sound like a lie. Above all, Aria had already met Gabriel once in the lowest ce. He jumped in to save her from peril, even when he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even beat the vagrants. ¡®He is an undeniable good man.¡¯ He had an upright personality that was closer to a pdin than anyone else. Gabriel was like a straight river. A river that rushes towards the sea. She thought that if she had met him without knowing his future, they might have been good friends. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯ll change like that in the future.¡¯ If the reason for such a change was to make the saint¡¯s wishe true. Aria had something she wanted to say in advance. [Even if the saint wants it?] ¡°¡­please don¡¯t insult the saint. There is no way she would want an innocent death.¡± Gabriel said with a hard expression on his face as if he had been insulted. [I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re going to follow the saint even if it goes against your beliefs.] ¡°As a test of my faith?¡± [No, to ask what is the path for the saint.] Will he follow her will or lead her on the right path? ¡®You in your previous life chose the former.¡¯ Aria hoped that in this life it would be different. Because she liked Gabriel before he fell for Veronica¡¯s beliefs. [Gabriel, I told you not to doubt the path you walk.] She wrote with all her heart. Not by the title of angel, but with his real name. She hoped this young man would make the right choice in the future. Taking the path he had dreamed of. Then, reading the card, Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened. He didn¡¯t know what unpleasant things happened to the saint, but it was as if he had forgotten his essence for a while because of it. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± [I will keep this ne a secret. It has no effect when I¡¯m wearing it. Not even the angel should tell this to anyone.] ¡°¡­¡­I understand.¡± Gabriel paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. [Don¡¯t even tell the saint.] ¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything. But¡­ I hope you don¡¯t speak of the saint like a bad person.¡± Gabriel nodded in displeasure. Looking at that situation, it seems that he already believed in Veronica as if he had faith in her, so Aria became infinitely anxious. [People will do anything if they can get what they desperately want.] ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± [It means that even the saint is a human being.] Just like him who kicked his beliefs and became Veronica¡¯s dog, killing innocent people. Aria did not write down her following thoughts. Instead, she wrote something else. [I want to tell you that your saint is not a god but a human being.] And shrugged her shoulders. ¡°¡­..I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d say that.¡± It was an insult to the gentle and almost divine character of the saint. ¡®The Grand Princess must be saying that because she doesn¡¯t know her very well.¡¯ On the one hand, Gabriel was a little disappointed in her, though just a little bit, for judging someone she didn¡¯t even know. But Aria knew. ¡®It must be the first time someone had said this to him.¡¯ Gabriel could not even imagine doubting Veronica. Aria nted in him the buds of doubts. ¡®Go and ask secretly.¡¯ Even if he wants to confirm that this was never going to happen, he will definitely think about Veronica. Aria was sure. ¡®And I hope the results don¡¯t go the way I expected.¡¯ Aria wished so. *** Aria was dreaming. The reason she was convinced it was a dream was because she was breathing underwater. Had it been real, she would have drowned as she had never learned to swim. ¡®Wow¡­¡­.¡¯ The muffled sound of being submerged in water. Bubbles that rise with every breath. Wherever Aria¡¯s eyes could reach, there was only pure blue water. She waved her hand. A blue wave rippled between her fingers and moved forward in front of her. Like swimming. ¡®Is this a ce called the sea?¡¯ She was seeing in her dreams a sea she has never seen before. It was a wonderful experience. ¡®So pretty.¡¯ Although it was in a dream, she didn¡¯t feel it. Aria patted the fish passing by her. Then she felt the touch of a fish that had swam leisurely in the sea until then, and ran away when they felt her touch. ¡®Hmm? I can touch it.¡¯ This is the first time she had ever had such a vivid dream. Aria went a little deeper. She of course thought there would be something like seaweed or deep-sea fish down there. ¡®A city?¡¯ To her surprise, she saw a building that had been eroded over time. A submerged coastal city. ¡®Antis?¡¯ Siren¡¯s hometown. A legendary city that was said to have sunk and disappeared 1500 years ago was unfolding before her eyes. ¡®A very strange dream.¡¯ As soon as she got used to the sea, she swam more proficiently than the first time and headed for thergest building. As she entered the ssless window sill, she saw a chandelier that had nothing but the frame left. ¡®It is¡­¡­ silver.¡¯ If this was Antis, this building must have been the lord¡¯s castle. ¡®It has been preserved almost as is.¡¯ Aria thought so, and she looked around the inside of the castle. Fortunately, the building was submerged in the sea and nothing copsed, so it was easy to see. Then something shiny caught her eye. It was when she was looking around at what was supposed to be the study. ¡®This¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a small storage box in a cylindrical shape. It has a structure that opens when she turns the dial to set the password. ¡®It seems to have been enchanted by preservation magic.¡¯ Does it contain any important documents? Aria picked up the box without any doubt. But at that moment, the sound of cracks in the building was heard. Boomboomboom- ¡®What¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria hurriedly turned her head and looked around. There were cracks in the pirs that seemed to support the center of the building. In real time. ¡®No way.¡¯ An ominous feeling ran through her head. It¡¯s just a dream anyway. Why was her survival instinct suddenly sounding the rm? She felt an eerie glint across her spine. ¡®Run, run away.¡¯ Aria quickly tried to get out of the window. At that moment, there was a sound of something breaking. She was very nervous and looked up. A huge building rubble was about to fall towards her head. ¡®Aack!¡¯ She barely escaped. The wreckage brushed against her shoulder. She thought it was just a dream, but she was struck with a distinct pain she hadn¡¯t thought of. ¡®Isn¡¯t, isn¡¯t this a dream?¡¯ She didn¡¯t even have time to think deeply. In the midst of the pain, she had to stay as far away as possible from the copsing building. Aria grabbed her arm, where something was obviously wrong, and she swam desperately. And at that moment, ¡®Gasp!¡¯ She woke up from her dream. ¡°¡­!¡± Aria bit her lips tightly. A terrible pain rose through her left arm. It was the first time since her return that she has felt pain to this extent. She felt like screams woulde out if she let her guard down. She bit her lip until blood oozed out, examining her immobile arm. ¡®Why?¡¯ The wounds in her dreams were carried over into reality. ¡®Then this is not a dream.¡¯ But Aria obviously got up from the bed. Like waking up from a dream. She had never experienced or heard of such a case in her life. ¡®Furthermore¡­¡­.¡¯ She brought this too. Aria looked down at the cylindrical box in her right hand, making her even more confused. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria realized itter. She put her hand in her arms and stuttered. And pulled out what was caught on her fingertips. ¡®Conch Pearl.¡¯ It was the map to Antis. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Aria first hid the box very deep on her desk. She then looked at her injured left arm. Fortunately, it was notpletely broken, but appeared to be slightly cracked. ¡®What to do?¡¯ If she got treatment from a doctor, all of it would be reported. ¡®If it was Carlin, he would keep it a secret.¡¯ But although he knew how to stabilize energy, hecked the ability to heal trauma or internal injuries. ¡®As soon as Lloyd told me not to get hurt¡­¡­.¡¯ It was unfair. She let her guard down because it was a dream, but Aria lived her life carefully and cautiously in reality. Aria btedly said, ¡®ah¡¯, and she remembered the ne she had confirmed its effect today. Her eyes turned golden, so she pulled away from it for a moment. ¡®I hope it works.¡¯ She dubiously looked for the ne and with one hand hung it around her neck. And as sheid her hand upon her wounded arm, she poured out the divine power. Divine power was the first energy she had ever dealt with in her life, but she was able to get a feel for it sooner than she thought. Because she was very good at manipting energy. ¡°This really works¡­¡± Aria was engulfed in a pure white light, and she murmured as she looked down at her intact arm as if it had never been injured. She swung her arms around, but there was no problem. However, as soon as she used her energy, the ne lost its power and returned to its former in jewel appearance. She checked the color of her eyes reflected in the mirror. It was back to the original pink color. ¡®The divine power is simpler than I thought.¡¯ For the Holy Empire, Garcia, these words might be sphemy. However,pared to the Siren¡¯s magical power, divine power was very simple. She was healed by simply pouring energy into without any delicate process. Compared to Siren¡¯s song, which had to pay attention to pitch, tempo, and even the fluctuations of the lyric, it was ridiculous. ¡®If this was enough, even if you don¡¯t have a talent for dealing with energy, anyone would really be a priest. As long as you have proper divine power.¡¯ Neither the magic she heard from the wizard in her past life nor the magic she heard from Carlin in this life seemed so simple. ¡®It¡¯s kind of weird.¡¯ Aria felt puzzled. If she had topare divine power, it was like magic engraved into an artifact. It didn¡¯te naturally, it looked more like it was made easily by human hands¡­¡­. ¡®No way.¡¯ She dug too deep. Aria shook her head and waited for the dawn toe. *** Vincent Valentine. The young man pushed up the gold-rimmed sses that were slipping away with his index finger. ¡®Is it because he wears sses?¡¯ He was now quite a schr in the atmosphere. Although it was a w that he was too shy for a schr that drew attention just by passing by. ¡°Sister-inw. Actually, there is something I have been wondering about for 4 years.¡± Aria was surprised by that. She wondered how Vincent had been quietly embracing his doubts for four years. Wasn¡¯t Vincent Valentine the one who solved the question on the spot, whether the other person cursed at him or not? ¡®What is it?¡¯ She was genuinely curious. Aria read Vincent¡¯s serious mood and responded seriously. ¡°Why on earth do you call that priest candidate an angel?¡± Was this the question he had been holding for 4 years? Aria straightened her tilted body back towards him, giving him a sullen look. But Vincent was still serious. ¡°He has be a muscr gori now. At the time his gender was vague and he was new, so I didn¡¯t think it was strange to think of him as an angel.¡± Muscr gori¡­¡­. He seemed to be saying that because Gabriel was taller than others and had dense muscle like a knight. ¡°But why is he an angel until now? Now we have to change his title. Something like muscr gori.¡± He lowered his voice seriously. ¡°Aren¡¯t I closer to an angel just by looking at my appearance?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± It wasn¡¯t a joke. Vincent was genuinely asking so. ¡°Even if you go through all the myths, temples, and history books, angels are portrayed with blonde hair and blue eyes.¡± ¡®Who cares?¡¯ Why was he upset? Aria decided that it would be better to just not deal with it. She then started doing what she was doing,pletely ignoring him. ¡°What is that?¡± Vincent asked, pointing to the cylindrical storage box that Aria had been fiddling with before. ¡°There¡¯s a password to it.¡± It just so happens so. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t figure out how to open it. As if Aria had been waiting, she handed it over to Vincent. Her gaze, which seemed to be slightly expectant of him, was also shown as a bonus. [You are a genius] ¡°No, you think a genius is someone who solves problems quickly! You always raise me up only when you need me!¡± [You¡¯re a genius, so you¡¯re smart.] ¡°Sigh¡­¡­.¡± He was upset and angry for no reason. Vincent was disappointed. Vincent, who likes Aria as his person, always wanted her attention and praise. ¡°Is this the end? This is a level with no problems and only answers.¡± No matter how much he tried, he couldn¡¯t do anything, he was stuck. Vincent looked through the box, squeezing it here and there. Then, with a click, a rolled up paper the size of a thumb came out. ¡°There¡¯s the question.¡± He unfolded the paper. Aria looked at the paper over Vincent¡¯s shoulder. {La Sol Fa Re Mi]} On the paper, only five notes are drawn. Aria blinked her eyes. ¡®What does it mean?¡¯ But to her surprise, Vincent seemed to immediately know what that meant. ¡°Ah, this is a pitch name.¡± Pitch name, what? ¡°But with this, no matter how manybinations I put together, words do note out. It seems that it used an extinct ancient script rather than a modern script.¡± Even Vincent seemed to have put together all the characters of the world in his head for a brief moment. ¡®A genius is really a genius.¡¯ He said things so stupidly that she sometimes wondered if he was just a genius because of his habit. Aria stared at Vincent in surprise. ¡°This is something from a certain era¡­ What¡¯s with those eyes?¡± She shook her head as if nothing had happened. [That¡¯s at least 1500 years old.] ¡°Yes? No matter how much I do, I don¡¯t know about ancient scripts 1500 years ago. Most of the ancient characters haven¡¯t been handed down to the present day.¡± Vincent shook his head as if it was going to be difficult. But at the same time, his schr¡¯s blood seemed to be boiling, so he held onto the paper tightly and did not let go. ¡°I think if I know the regional characters, I can find it¡­¡± Aria hesitated for a moment when she heard his murmur. She wondered if she could really say this. But she also had no choice. As Vincent said, there was no way to solve it on one¡¯s own. [That¡¯s an Antis relic.] ¡°¡­..¡± Vincent dropped the box he was holding. He must havee to his senseste, so he hurriedly picked it up and hugged it like a treasure. ¡°How, how, how do you get something so precious?¡± [Got it from the sea] ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, say so.¡± That¡¯s true. [You probably heard that I happened to get a map to Antis a while ago.] ¡°Yes, I heard about it¡­ but I thought you were scammed.¡± Of course, as soon as Aria saw the man, she thought he was a maniac and tried to chase him out. And even after she bought the pearl, she was still skeptical. ¡°Even if it¡¯s true, Sister-inw hasn¡¯t gone out to sea yet?¡± Aria knew that she had to sail on a boat. But she didn¡¯t. As she slept with the pearl in her arms, she found Antis buried in the sea. She also found a storage box from the rubble of the building. And she went so far as to bring her wounds from there into reality. ¡®Who would believe this?¡¯ Somehow dreams and reality connected. She never even heard of such a thing existing. It cannot be created using any energy. To what extent was this, if she told Carlin, he would be terrified and say ¡®this is a very dangerous thing against the providence!¡¯. [Legend has it that Antis was actually the hometown of the Siren. So, as long as you have a map, you can go through your dreams.] ¡°What nonsense is that¡­¡± Vincent looked down at the box and habitually tried to find a fault in it. He said shyly, his cheeks blushing. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He had heard such an absurd thing to say, but he passed it over like nothing. Apparently, he was more excited to find a relic from the legendary ind. ¡®Even when I saved someone who was about to be kicked out of the gutter, he never made that kind of expression before.¡¯ How could he react like that only when he saw a difficult problem that was almost impossible to solve? As expected, he was out of his mind. [Will you keep it a secret?] ¡°That¡¯s a given.¡± He had an atmosphere that he¡¯ll never speak of it even if a sword was put on his throat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you share this dreamlike opportunity with others?¡± She didn¡¯t think anyone would want to share a chance to solve a difficult problem. It needed infinite trust. ¡®I¡¯m d you have a unique taste.¡¯ Aria smiled brightly and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll solve it somehow!¡± Vincent cried out again. Aria clenched her fists as if cheering him. Chapter 80 - Illustration Chapter 80 (Illustration) ¡°¡­¡­good morning.¡± Aria met Gabriel, who had visited the prayer room for morning prayer. A future killer who was too faithful and will pray to God even if the sky should fall. The reason why she was using such an analogy was because Gabriel had a face as if the sky had fallen. ¡®It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen that kind of expression.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she was now weighed down by despair. [What¡¯s going on?] ¡°Yes?¡± [You have a bad expression.] ¡°Ah, did it show?¡± Gabriel groaned as he patted his face. He didn¡¯t seem to realize that he was the type of person who showed all his emotions on his face. It must have been that his emotions rarely changed. ¡°As the Grand Princess said, I think I deified the saint during that time.¡± As expected, it came up. ¡®Since he crossed the continent, I thought he had at least one means of contacting Veronica.¡¯ For example, something like amunication device. [What did you say?] ¡°I didn¡¯t tell the truth. I just asked what she would do if there was a way to increase her divine power¡­¡± He had been too open about it¡­¡­. Aria almost shouted, ¡®You idiot!¡¯. She was so frustrated. That was like bragging that there was a way to get divine power on Valentine. ¡®Are you an Idiot?¡¯ She sighed as she sped her trembling hand behind her back that had wanted to grab Gabriel¡¯s cor. ¡®You don¡¯t have any tricks.¡¯ Had he never lied in his life? Aria thought that if it was Gabriel, he might be. [Then?] ¡°She said that I was not the kind of person to speak nonsense, and asked if I could find a way to increase divine power.¡± Hearing what he said, she had no idea why he was desperate. ¡°But rather than those desperately needing eyes¡­¡± Gabriel couldn¡¯t continue to speak and made a strange expression. He looked full of anxiety. Sometimes people express more with their eyes and actions than with words. ¡°She kept pushing me.¡± As expected. Aria became desperate at the thought that her own hypothesis might indeed be true. ¡®This was possible because Gabriel left Veronica as their trust was not so strong.¡¯ But what if it was after she became a saint? She couldn¡¯t even imagine. By then, Gabriel must have been brainwashed enough to believe the sun was rising in the west, if it were the words of the saint. ¡®Then he must have thought, judged, and acted the same as he did in his past life.¡¯ It was fortunate that Gabriel came to the Grand Duchy at this time. ¡®There is no time to despair.¡¯ She raised her head with a firm expression. Gabriel was still confused. He didn¡¯t seem to know what to do. Aria wrote down a new card and held it out. [Maybe the saint wille to see you soon.] ¡°Yes?!¡± He was so surprised that he didn¡¯t even notice that his title was changed from ¡®Angel¡¯ to ¡®You¡¯. ¡°Th, that. Does she have to?¡± Then, when an opportunity to increase divine power hase, will she wash her hands and stand still? ¡®I would have thought it was impossible unless I was born again.¡¯ In a previous life, it was a divine power that Veronica tried to obtain by killing even a priest from the same empire. ¡®This was better.¡¯ It was necessary to pull her out of Garcia¡¯s field of view as far as it could, and watch closely what she was up to. Originally, enemies should be kept closer and monitored. [It¡¯s a secret between the two of us.] Aria pointed to her ne. ¡°Of course.¡± She had to be able to believe him. She stared at him with wide open eyes as he spoke firmly. He was going to keep a secret from others, but he was that naive, and it seemed he would fall over if the saint dug a trap skillfully. [Just don¡¯t say anything.] ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­¡± She stared at him without a word. Gabriel nodded his head reluctantly, knowing that it was his fault. ¡°I have a duty to guide the saint in the right path¡­.¡± ¨C Where are you now? It was then. Gabriel¡¯s words and Lloyd¡¯s messages were heard mixed at the same time. ¨C It seems that I had to go to the Imperial Pce for a while because of the Emperor¡¯s poor trick. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said anything to the saint and made her take the test. She is a kind person who always takes care of sick people, but I prompted her¡­¡± ¨C Prayer room? Could it be that you are with that apprentice again? ¡°But she was only swayed by temptation, and she will soon recover¡­¡± ¡®Oh, it¡¯s chaotic.¡¯ She already has sensitive senses, but when the two men spoke at the same time, her head rang. Even Aria couldn¡¯t understand what was being said at the same time. Reluctantly, she raised her hand and covered Gabriel¡¯s mouth. Then the endless chirping of words finally stopped. ¨C You¡­¡­ Stay there and wait. Huh? She was just wondering if Lloyd could hear anything. Aria trembled unknowingly as the message was dripping with gloom. At the same time, the door to the prayer room swung open. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Things turned a little weird. Aria was startled, and she released her hand that was covering Gabriel¡¯s mouth. ¡®This is like¡­¡­.¡¯ It felt like she was caught cheating? No, why should she feel that way? Aria was extremely embarrassed. ¡®Actually, I was just dealing with an idiot who trusted people too much.¡¯ But she had no excuses. Lloyd came up to her in the blink of an eye and hid Aria behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s too close¡­¡± Lloyd looked down at Gabriel with a chilling look in his eyes, and then smiled strangely. Of course, he wasn¡¯t smiling because it was funny. ¡°I should¡¯ve taken care of it earlier.¡± It was the kind of smile the devil would make when he was thinking about what to do with the worm crawling under his feet. Aria smelled the insanity she had forgotten for a while because of the continuous peace. The silver-haired young man, who had been silent for a moment in the sudden situation, understood the situation btedly and said, ¡°We just talked for a while. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t misunderstand.¡± He won¡¯t? Aria was relieved as she swept her chest inside at his answer, which sounded natural without any hesitation. She thought that Lloyd had rushed to her and separated the two, because he thought she was having an affair(?). ¡°I didn¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I just made sure of one thing.¡± Lloyd cut it off as soon as Gabriel was about to say something. And exhaling slowly, he tilted his head, and glided his fingers across the gold ornament embroidered on the cor. It was as if he was trying to calm his messed up reason for a while. ¡°Your pretty eyes, it looks like you got it finally.¡± He was talking about Gabriel¡¯s eyes that had gained explosive divine power and became bright gold. ¡°You might not want to lose it again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to be pursuing something hard¡­. you¡¯d better stop and look at your future before you get in trouble.¡± As Lloyd said so, his eyes didn¡¯t smile at all, only the corners of his red lips raised. Because he was in front of Aria, it was a refined expression. At that moment, Gabriel gulped and almost looked at Aria without realizing it. Using his desperate self-control, he managed to return his eyes to the original position. ¡°There has never been such a thing¡­¡± It was a word mixed with deep hesitation, even for himself. Aria read the chilling tension between the two men and shook her head. ¡®How am I supposed to exin this?¡¯ Because the past and the present were soplicatedly entangled, her head was also entangled. It was true that she had to help Gabriel on the right path so that she can avert some future catastrophe. She really needed him to stop a saint who was going to frame her and kill her after starting a war. ¡®I should exin the ne.¡¯ Aria raised her hand to take out the ne hidden under her clothes. Then, realizing her intentions, Gabriel stretched out his hand in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s a secret between the two of us?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He desperately grabbed Aria¡¯s hand and clinged to it. No, like this again¡­¡­. ¡®Of course I did say that.¡¯ The misunderstanding was deepening. No matter how much it was a secret between the two of them, Lloyd was an exception in Aria¡¯s book. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to let go of your hand?¡± It was then. Lloyd¡¯s murderous intent exploded and he grabbed Gabriel¡¯s wrist. It didn¡¯t seem like Lloyd gave much strength, but she could hear the sound of something cracking and bone breaking. ¡°Ugh!¡± Gabriel let out a small groan and let go of Aria¡¯s hand in a trance. Then he wrapped it around with the other hand. His divine power was excellent enough to heal injuries in an instant, but it seems that his wrist was broken. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 ¡®I think he said a long time ago that he was going to crush my hand¡­¡­.¡¯ Even then, it wasn¡¯t empty words. Aria stood nkly, feeling the power of Valentine once again. He could even break the wrist of a young man of a simr size with just a slight grip. It was like a hawk snatching a prey. ¡®My hand must have felt so soft to him that it could be crushed with just a little bit of force.¡¯ She decided to reevaluate Lloyd¡¯s patience in childhood. She wondered how unbearable it must have been when he touched her. She would have been hurt if he had given a little bit of force. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The bones will attach quickly.¡± Then Gabriel, who was holding his broken wrist, said to Aria. As if to reassure her. Aria felt sorry for him, as she hadn¡¯t even thought about him, let alone worry. ¡®Well, why does he have to say something that could lead to misunderstanding that it is a secret between the two of us¡­¡­.¡¯ She would normally take care of the wounds, but now she only thought that he could take care of it on his own. For a moment, there was silence for a long time to the point where she could hear ringing in her ears. Lloyd¡¯s eyes deepened and darkened, and it was pinned to Gabriel¡¯s neck. He seemed to be contemting about breaking that, instead of the wrist. He felt a tant urge for a brief moment, suppressed it, looked at Aria¡¯s face and held onto the string of reason. ¡°Come.¡± Lloyd said to Aria, who was pulled away by Gabriel¡¯s random pull. Without hesitation, she walked right next to him. At the same time, a stillness like midnight came to the eyes that had been lit up with shes. ¨C A secret between the two of you? Lloyd asked telepathically. Aria answered straight away like a sword. ¨C Absolutely not. No, that¡¯s actually right, though. She didn¡¯t want to receive any strange misunderstandings. ¡®But if I tell Lloyd the truth, Gabriel will notice right away.¡¯ Looking at Gabriel earlier, she thought he was an idiot. He wasn¡¯t an idiot. He¡¯s just a far more upright person than everyone else, who doesn¡¯t know that the world is twisted. ¡®And there are times when he makes judgments clouded only by Veronica.¡¯ So if Aria divulged the truth about the ne, he would have noticed. Then, the disappointed Gabriel might go to Veronica and tell her about the ne. If she keeps the trust from this side, only then will Gabriel keep his promise. She quickly rified the message before Gabriel made another strange noise. ¨C There are people that the knight loves as much as his life, but he is doing this because he is afraid of any harm to that person. The secret is directly rted to that person¡¯s honor. ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡± When she told the truth, he sighed. Why¡­¡­ Does he not believe it? ¨C I¡¯m serious. Aria looked straight at Lloyd with transparent and clear eyes that didn¡¯t show a single lie. With just her gaze, the young man¡¯s momentum softened a little. ¨C I believe in you. I do ¨C ¡­¡­. ¨C That bastard¡­¡­. ¨C ¡­¡­ ? ¨C How can I believe it when he looks at you with those eyes? His ck, sharp eyes widened as if they were about to tear Gabriel¡¯s inner feelings apart. Aria was a little frustrated. Gabriel wouldn¡¯t be interested in anything other than Veronica. It seems strange because Lloyd appeared right at an exquisite moment, but Gabriel had only mentioned Veronica all the time. It was a little less than in the previous life, but Veronica was still in his head. ¡®He must rather be a little reluctant to me.¡¯ He must have felt an ambivalence of emotions. He was grateful for Aria for taking care of him sometimes while he was in the Grand Duchy, but it must be annoying for him to understand the nature of the saint who he believed in like faith. Wasn¡¯t it such aplicated and subtle feeling of liking and resenting something? ¨C He must be trying hard to deny his feelings inside. He seems to being to his senseste because there is someone he cares about¡­¡­. But Lloyd sent this message. His gaze touched the bag that Aria was carrying on her shoulder. ¡®Are you talking to yourself?¡¯ Aria tilted her head, as it was somehow like a tone derived from experience. Lloyd left Gabriel on the spot, grabbed her hand and led her out of the prayer room. It was a very delicate, feather-like force that was different from when he was dealing with Gabriel. ¡®His hands are rougher.¡¯ Much bigger and much stiffer. When she took Gabriel¡¯s hand to examine his wounds, there was no feeling or emotion. Suddenly, she can clearly feel Lloyd and her holding hands. Aria felt a cold sweat on her hands. She naturally pulled her hand out, so it didn¡¯t seem rude. Lloyd then frowned as he looked down at his empty palms. *** ¡°The distributor was clean.¡± He said as soon as he got to the room. Then he took out a letter with the seal of the Imperial Family from his arms and threw it on the desk. It was a summons from the Imperial Pce. ¡°The one that was embezzled was the diamont that was paid as tribute to the imperial family.¡± In conclusion, the diamont case that he forgot because he thought it would be no big deal was actually the Emperor¡¯s scheme. Surprisingly, that is. Aria asked. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to gain from stealing it.¡± The diamont sent to the Imperial Family were quiterge, but their purpose was set like a sword. And it was more closely managed. It meant that anyone in the middle doing the embezzling would soon be found out. ¡°So, the diamont was a means, not an end.¡± It was a means. To bring Lloyd to the Imperial Pce. ¡°Somehow, the Emperor has been particrly quiettely.¡± The Emperor has been in constant contact since Lloyd¡¯s wedding. It was an effort to somehow get the rumored Aria out of the castle and into the Imperial Pce. At first, it seems that it was just a sense of shame and light curiosity, but after ignoring it until the end, it went beyond and became an obsession. ¡®The Grand Duke only tore up all the letters that came from the Emperor when it was rted to me for four years¡­¡­.¡¯ As an Emperor, he would have had no choice but to use a hard way. ¡®Are you still noting after I did this?¡® like that. Aria felt like she could understand why Tristan described the Emperor like the kid next door who was whining and begging. ¡°He was thinking of getting someone to embezzle diamont and then frame Valentine for reducing the amount.¡± And since the Emperor only needs to summon Lloyd to the pce, the official who he had used will be killed and dealt with. ¡®That¡¯s just what an Emperor would do¡­¡­.¡¯, she thought to herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t have imagined it because it was so stupid.¡± Ha. Lloydughed out loud, and said as he unbuttoned his shirt. Aria was about to lose her gaze to his bare corbone, but she quickly turned her head away. It wasn¡¯t good for the heart. ¡°It¡¯s not like he just called you out to see your face. Maybe they had prepared something like a trap¡­¡± She asked worriedly. It was because she remembered the moment in the past when she was taken away by Count Chateau¡¯s schemes and imprisoned in a cage after her legs were broken at the hands of the Emperor. ¡°Yes, there must be something to gain. Even if they tie me up, we would die together.¡± That¡¯s right. The Emperor could neither imprison, punish, nor kill Lloyd. The moment the devil¡¯s malice within Lloyd¡¯s body was opened, the Emperor would lose everything. ¡®He has no choice but to act like a kid next door.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because it wasn¡¯t enough, but for Valentine, he had no choice but to use it. Although they continued to ignore the Emperor, he was still the master of a continent. Just because he was born with a lineage, doesn¡¯t mean anyone can do it. ¡®I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯ Although the Empire gradually declined as the Emperor¡¯s reign prolonged. ¡®Besides, they¡¯re destined to lose the continent to Garcia sooner orter.¡¯ However, the current situation was different. If the Emperor¡¯s mind was intact, she could not know how history would change. However, she did not want to send Lloyd alone to the Imperial Pce. Aria pulled out a word from her heart as if she had made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± Lloyd¡¯s reaction was immediate. ¡°What¡­ it will be over if I just go and visit the Emperor by myself.¡± But Aria shook her head. Now that she knew what Veronica had done in the past, she couldn¡¯t wait for things toe to pass, and just quietly hid. ¡°I found out that hiding didn¡¯t solve anything.¡± Did he read Aria¡¯s sincerity? Lloyd tried to add a few more words, but then paused, and closed his mouth. ¡°Are you going to go into the social world?¡± ¡°If necessary.¡± ¡°I know how you will be treated in that lowly ce, but I just have to keep an eye on you.¡± And he said as if he had read Aria¡¯s thoughts. To a woman who had suffered all sorts of treatment in the social circles in the past, the unreasonable usations were rather familiar ¡°I might kill them.¡± It was a quiet voice without highs or lows. The intense emotions were not revealed in his voice, so it was heard more sincerely in Aria¡¯s ears. ¡°¡­¡­¡± No matter how twisted they may be, no idiot would openly insult Aria. Lloyd stands by her side with his eyes wide open, so who will let their mouth loose? But Lloyd didn¡¯t like the attention and the unpleasant gaze towards Aria. Aria rolled her eyes and said. ¡°I have a legal father.¡± She said, remembering the Angelo family. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¡°Oh my, the Young Madam is going out of the estate!¡± ¡°Young Madam! It¡¯s dangerous outside the estate!¡± ¡°Conspiracy and betrayal strike everywhere!¡± Was the news that Aria was leaving the estate that shocking? The employees screamed. On the outside, they seemed to warn that there won¡¯t only be those who love and care for Aria, like in Valentine. ¡°It¡¯s not just good people like us!¡± ¡°They are the ones who smile and stick knives in your back!¡± As they continued, they secretly appealed that they were a good person different from them. It was to show a good side to Aria. ¡®You seem like a good person to me¡­¡­.¡¯ They¡¯re only good to her. She knew that there was not even the slightest bit of kindness to others. Aria remembered the employees who did not blink even when people died one after another. ¡®Of course I¡¯m like that too.¡¯ Still, Aria wasn¡¯t brazen enough to say that she herself was a good person. ¡®You gave up your conscience to look good on me.¡¯ She was about to say that there was nothing more dangerous than Valentine in the world, but she soon stopped. In fact, from Aria¡¯s point of view, they were right to some extent. People at Valentine¡¯s Castle were several times safer than outside the castle. ¨C You¡¯re the only one. Aria patted their heads in that sense. ¡°What, what just happened?¡± ¡°Maybe the voice of the Young Madam?¡± When the employees heard her message, they looked around in amazement. ¨C Yes, that¡¯s me. ¡°Wow! You finally wore an artifact made of mana stones!¡± ¡°I heard that the voice heard through telepathic magic is simr to that person¡¯s real voice¡­¡± Then one employee was amazed. ¡°You have a voice that is as pure and transparent as ark chirping.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too typical of a statement¡­¡± They all scolded the employee. In fact, it was only when they heard Aria¡¯s voice that they immediately understood the rhetoric, ¡®Oh, that¡¯s therk¡¯s chirping voice¡®. Come to think of it, she was curious about something. It was only after Aria heard those words that she had a question that came upte. ¨C But why am I only using mana stone artifacts now? Of course, it was Aria¡¯s choice to carry the bag. It was because the employees constantly begged for cards, so handing them out one by one has be a happy everyday routine. However, no one has suggested the mana stone artifact so far. No one. ¡°That¡¯s because the Young Madam who often walks around with a card is so cute like a bunny¡­ huwaaak!¡± The employee, who had made the politerk remark, was astonished as if out of breath as they spoke their words. It was because Lloyd, who they did not know when he hade, was looking down without expression. ¡°¡­take it.¡± Lloyd nodded at the other employee and removed that employee out of sight. He was using a gentle expression, but it sounded like he was saying ¡®drag it away¡¯. ¡°I hope he didn¡¯t listen to it? I¡¯m not sure. Huh? This must be a dream!¡± ¡°Congrattions. The Grand Prince has just etched your appearance into his memory.¡± ¡°Sa, save me¡­¡± Well, you should have stopped at therk. Another employee who was dragging him tugged at him and clicked his tongue. Aria thought to herself as she had heard all their whispers. ¡®Is it because I¡¯m cute?¡¯ Then at the wedding he suggested that she just throw away the bag¡­¡­. ¡®The fact that the employees think I¡¯m cute¡­¡­ he doesn¡¯t like it?¡¯ It was then. ¡°Shall we go?¡± At Lloyd¡¯s words, Aria suddenly came to her senses. When she turned her head, he reached out towards her as if to escort her. Aria wriggled her hand hidden behind her back and she ced her hand on top of his. She thought it would look weird if she took too much time. Then Lloyd held her hand tighter than usual. As if tangling it together. As if he didn¡¯t even want to let go. A pink blush began to slowly rise on Aria¡¯s pure white cheeks. ¡°Hey, Brother! Sister-inw! Let¡¯s go together!¡± It was then. Vincent ran from afar, waving his hand haphazardly. Taking advantage of that moment, she quickly pulled out the hand grasped by Llord. ¡°Are you surprised that I suddenly interrupted you? Suddenly, I have something to do at the Imperial Pce. Vincent, who was continuing his talk with a smile like a sunny day, took a deep breath when he saw Lloyd¡¯s expression. ¡°Gasp¡­ that scared me. Are you possessed by the devil?¡± Aria raised her head at what he was saying. Lloyd was expressionless, but it was nothing unlike the usual. ¨C Why are you picking a fight? Aria asked with a sullen expression. Vincent was troubled. The voice of his Sister-inw, the daughter of a Siren. As he was going to the Imperial Pce, he was looking forward to hearing from her in the future, even in a message. ¡®A voice that is as pure and mysterious as her reputation floating in the world¡­¡­ I can¡¯t believe I get to listen to things like that.¡¯ Vincent sincerelymented. ¡°So, why did you follow me?¡± Lloyd asked. But Vincent had a very strong foreboding that somehow he had to give a convincing answer. If he wants to live, that is. ¡°I have something to investigate. I wonder if there are more specialized materials in the Royal Library.¡± ¡°The Valentine¡¯s library would not becking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how much I¡¯m researching something really amazing. After reviewing the materials on the Imperial Pce, I¡¯m going to go to the Academy to investigate.¡± Lloyd¡¯s gaze narrowed. And it turned to Aria. She, who had always told Lloyd to do what he wanted, shook her head today. He finally sighed and sat leaning his back. Vincent, who was saved from being driven out of the moving carriage, swept his chest. *** ¡°The Master is waiting for you.¡± Aria followed the courteously polite butler into the castle. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Angelo. It would not be an exaggeration to say thatpared to Valentine¡¯s Castle, this ce was a very different story. The contrasting scenery than the Valentine¡¯s Castle, which was the height of splendor and luxury, unfolded. ¡°Wow, I thought it was an abandoned house¡­ ack!¡± Aria quickly stomped on Vincent¡¯s foot, who spoke without sense. It¡¯s a bit frugal for a Duke¡¯s family, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much like an abandoned house? ¡®Maybe it¡¯s not a stone.¡¯ Aria traced the rough material of the wall. Of course it wasn¡¯t a stone. However, although it was very strong material with a grayish tinge, it seems that they used materials that were not aesthetically pleasing. ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a building that is so thoroughly pragmatic¡­¡­.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know it would be this much. Aria walked down a deste hallway where she couldn¡¯t see a singlemon piece of art. Then she nced through the old, faded curtains with slightly weary eyes. ¡®Not a single picture is hanging.¡¯ But why did they decorate the wall with ornamental swords as regrly as a street tree? There were more than a couple of things that were questionable. ¡®I think I can see why the Angelo never looked for the Siren.¡¯ There was no way someone who neglected even their ce of living to such an extreme woulde to enjoy the luxury of paying 100 million chars for one song. ¡°All the money goes to rescue the poor and prepare for any possible invasion.¡± Vincent muttered in admiration. Aria heard that, and she stopped her steps for a moment, then pulled out a decorative sword hanging from the wall. She thought it was decorative, but the de stood sharp. ¡®Is this also in preparation for an invasion?¡¯ Aria learned why the Angelo family was able to respond quickly when there was a war. When they went to the kitchen for some reason, the chef seemed to be stocking up food rather than cooking. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a single book at this rate.¡± When Vincent saw the brutal castle, he guessed to himself and murmured. Then the butler, who had been quietly guiding the way, stopped walking. ¡°If the Prince wishes, I will have you guided to the library separately.¡± ¡°Oh, would you please?¡± Vincent, who only followed on the way to the Imperial Pce and had nothing to do with the Angelo family itself, replied quickly. The butler personally called an employee, ordered to guide Vincent to the library, and then walked again. And, in front of one door, the butler stopped. ¡°My name is Martin Angelo.¡± Martin, the Master of the Angelo family, stood up with a cane engraved with an eagle. And politely greeted Aria and Lloyd. His stubbornness seemed toe out of his tightly closed mouth. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Luther Angelo, the second son.¡± And the gray-haired young man who had been silently standing next to the Master got up and greeted. ¡°The eldest son has urgent business, so he left for a while.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± And silence passed. Lloyd didn¡¯t seem curious at all about the whereabouts of Angelo¡¯s eldest son. ¡®Suffocating.¡¯ Aria thought as she looked at her legal father and legal brother. She thinks she understands why Lloyd said that they would not break their will even if a knife was put in their neck. ¡®Compared to them¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria¡¯s gaze fell upon Cloud, her escort knight, for a moment. ¡°Why do you look at me that way?¡± Suddenly, the escort knight who had grown as big as the other young men asked. No,pared to them, he seemed to be more flexible. She did not speak directly. She just shook her head. It was about time that she missed Vincent, who had suddenly run away to the library. Duke Angelo broke the silence and said. ¡°It must have been hard for you toe a long way, but I have to tell you without a preamble.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°The gutter rat is alive.¡± Pardon? Chapter 83 Chapter 83 It was really to the point. Aria was speechless for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean.¡± Lloyd, who had been silent for a while with Aria, asked in a low voice. It was four years ago that he overturned the gutter andpletely cleared it. The gutter, which was the home of the rats and the city of pleasure, waspletely closed. And it was currently managed as an estate under Valentine¡¯s. So just like any other ordinary estate. ¡®But, the gutter rat was still alive?¡¯ She can¡¯t believe he was alive and never showed up. If he hadn¡¯t been caught by the Valentine¡¯s informationwork, he would have been stuck somewhere underground and didn¡¯t move even a single step. ¡°It can¡¯t be alive.¡± Lloyd said firmly. ¡°It was a perfect job from execution to checking the body.¡± ¡°Of course I knew that too, but we witnessed a person with the same face as the gutter rat.¡± ¡°Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°I wish I did.¡± Aria thoughtter. Come to think of it, in her previous life, the Emperor pretended to execute Aria and used a recement. If the gutter rat had used the same technique, it would not have beenpletely impossible. ¡®But it would have been a situation where he had been taken away from the stronghold and escaped with trickery¡­¡­.¡¯ At that time, Aria btedly thought of a possibility. What if the wizard¡¯s brainwashing was released earlier than expected? ¡®Wizard Hans.¡¯ She was told that he was doing well after getting a reward in the gutter clearing operation, and that he was moving to a new estate and making a good living. So far, she hadn¡¯t had much of a concern for him. ¡®Because he took the stronghold and killed the gutter rat, and then was woken up from the brainwashing.¡¯ Aria obviously believed he would just give up on the gutter rat. It was because he was obviously not loyal, unlike the ordinary prey and limbs of the gutter rat. He was more of an opportunist than a loyalist. ¡®In the first ce, he has to wake up from his brainwashing after the gutter rat is dead. The story that the gutter rat is still alive¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria concluded that her song didn¡¯t work properly and he woke up in the middle. She didn¡¯t know anything else, but she believed in the effectiveness of her song like a rock. Aria was too shocked by it . ¡®That can¡¯t be true?¡¯ No, really. That can¡¯t be. ¡®Unless the gutter rat dies andes back to life¡­¡­.¡¯ While still unable to calm the confusion, Duke Angelo spoke again. ¡°We found out about it by ident.¡± ¡°By ident?¡± ¡°It was witnessed by our employee who clearly knew what the gutter rat¡¯s appearance was like.¡± The Duke¡¯s exnation was as follows: The employee, who works at the Duke¡¯s Castle, went down to his hometown and found the gutter rat hiding in a mountain near the estate. ¡°Near that mountain, there is a rural vige without even a lord. It is a vige where they earn a living by cultivating medicinal herbs.¡± ¡°Are you saying that the gutter rat was hiding in that vige?¡± ¡°Yes. It was when he was puzzled when the vige chief, who delivers the news once a year, did not appear.¡± There was no exnation after that, but they were able to guess roughly. Because it was all too obvious what the infamous gutter rat would have done in a sparsely visited rural vige. And the Duke confirmed the two people¡¯s guesses and said, ¡°It was strange and he went down to the vige, but he said that the vigers were withered to death.¡± ¡°Withered to death?¡± ¡°Yes. Literally. It seems that all the water was taken from the body, and they died dry like a skeleton.¡± Aria was startled when she heard this. This was because it was a typical phenomenon that urs when all energy is taken away and death urs. Those who can manifest energy are called wizards, shamans, and priests. But that¡¯s not to say that the average personcks energy. Every human being has a little bit of energy. Ordinary people just embrace it without knowing how to manifest it. ¡®The gutter rat was killing people and stealing their energy.¡¯ Over the course of four years. If, indeed, he was really alive. ¡®It¡¯s the same technique as Veronica.¡¯ The difference was that Veronica only aimed at priests with divine powers. ¡®Consequently, it seems that the gutter rat is sucking energy at random regardless of the ability of the people in general.¡¯ But¡­¡­. ¡®If he did something like that, nothing would happen, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ Rather, the different energy absorbed inside the body would collide with each other, and there was a high probability of causing a major side effect. As if Aria had absorbed Carlin¡¯s magical energy into her body, and then vomited blood andy groaning. Could the gutter rat not know that? And if he¡¯s with the wizard now, wouldn¡¯t he know more? What was the alternative reason? She was full of doubts. ¡°The eldest son also heard the news and hurriedly left to investigate the vige where the gutter rat was spotted.¡± The Duke said he was going to tell them when he got the exact evidence, but he added that he was telling them now that they hade this far. ¡°In case you don¡¯t know. If the gutter rat is alive, Valentine would be the one that deserves the most grudge.¡± At that moment, Lloyd grabbed Aria¡¯s hand, who was standing next to him. Startled, she looked up at him. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t looking at Aria, it seemed like he was acting unconsciously. This time, she did not avoid the hand he was holding, but held it tightly. *** ¡°Sister-inw!¡± Aria saw Vincent running down from the end of the deste hallway. His footsteps were light as if flying through the sky, with a bunch of unknown scrolls in his sides. ¡°This library is crazy, really!¡± Whether Vincent sarcastically asked if there was even a book in a ce like this, he changed his stance in an instant. ¡°Aren¡¯t this all ancient records?¡± He took a few deep breaths, then said, trying to calm the excitement. ¡°It¡¯s a material that is not known to the academic world, but how did they get it¡­.. These things are piled up like a mountain in the library. There¡¯s no need to go to the Imperial Pce.¡± It was as if Vincent had forced his family to climb the mountain, and rejoiced when he identally discovered a rare medicinal herb. Judging from that figure, it seems that there was also data about ancient Antis, which sank 1500 years ago. ¡®How can things work out like this?¡¯ In fact, Aria, who thought it was good enough to crack the code was also surprised. She didn¡¯t know that there were still records of the Siren¡¯s hometown. She was half giving up. ¡°I said it was a bit strange. No matter how much relief for the poor and preparation for war, the Duke¡¯s family couldn¡¯t be like this.¡± Vincent clicked his tongue, saying that it was these ancient materials that should be paid more than works of art. ¡°Looking at the vast amount of research materials in the library, it seems that all of their fortune was invested in it¡­¡± Was it that bad? ¡°What Sister-inw asked me to do, I think it will be resolved within a few days if it goes well.¡± Oh. Aria nodded her head, looking at the eyes in anticipation of the unexpected news. She had a bad premonition when it was said that the gutter that she thought was dead might be alive, but fortunately, there was good news. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here. If you are going to the Imperial Pce first, I¡¯ll take the relic as soon as the code is unlocked.¡± Aria nodded her head. Vincent hummed and looked to Cloud, who was standing behind her as he tried to leave. ¡°Sir, please help me for a few days.¡± Normally, even if Cloud was right next to her, Vincent wouldn¡¯t look at Cloud at all, so she wondered why. Cloud seemed to be surprised too, so he opened his eyes wide and looked back at Aria and said, ¡°I will obey your orders.¡± ¨C Do whatever you feel like. Sir, you have been my escort knight for several years, but it¡¯s a temporary job. After all, you cannot bring a personal escort inside the Imperial Pce. And this time Lloyd was apanied by a bunch of ck Falcons. It¡¯s unlikely, but even if they were attacked, the assant would never be able to pierce that many ck Falcons. ¨C Above all, Lloyd will always be by my side. ¡°That¡¯s a huge relief.¡± Vincent muttered with a slightly tired face. Did he feel like he couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation with anyone because he felt it wasn¡¯t safe enough? ¨C But why did you want Sir Cloud? It was the first time Vincent had asked him for help, so she had no choice but to ask. ¡°I know the Sir¡¯s only strength.¡± ¡°What is my strength?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir won¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing next to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why that¡¯s a strength.¡± That means it¡¯s automatically kept secret. But, unfortunately, Cloud didn¡¯t seem to understand. ¡°It¡¯s okay to rejoice a little more, because there are few people as trustworthy as Sir.¡± Aria pped Vincent¡¯s head with a bright face. *** In conclusion, the wizard Hans did not die. Although he thought ¡®I¡¯d rather be dead¡¯. He barely survived after begging for his life, begging with his hand to the gutter rat. ¡°Master.¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Hans called the man in the ck hood. He smelled like a rotting corpse, but Hans didn¡¯t care. It was because his sense of smell had been dulled by being so close. ¡°Master?¡± Only after Hans called the other person again did the man turn his back. Unlike the terrible stench that makes one dizzy when one approaches him, his appearance was surprisingly intact. Because it was the same as the appearance the gutter rat had had in his lifetime. ¡®A shell made of human skin.¡¯ Hans remembered something he had made once with the skin of a snake. He named the creature taxidermist. Actually, he was a little happy back then. He was ttered. Because he felt like a god who created new life. Then the gutter rat, who had been watching the process from start to finish, called out to Hans. ¡°Make me too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want you to make me that too.¡± A body of eternal life that does not die. That¡¯s what the gutter rat wanted. He decided that he would be a chimera himself, and ordered Hans. ¡°But, as the Master saw, that creature is unstable. Don¡¯t you know that unless you swallow a taxidermist and nurture it in your body, you can¡¯t survive?¡± In order to keep the chimera moving, it had to inject endless energy. And it had to be in the body of a truly living being. ¡°At least in a few years it might be possible to make it perfectly. But now it¡¯s too early¡­¡± ¡°Child. Please think hard.¡± The gutter rat said, interrupting Hans¡¯s concerns in the middle. ¡°Energy can be absorbed, and you can keep polishing the body.¡± That¡¯s a good way! Hans, who had no conscience since getting a job in the gutter, found thest king of immorality that even Hans could not think of. He said, ¡®Oh, as expected the Master.¡¯, and he was admired. It was just like that at the time when he didn¡¯t do what he thought of and just continued living. But now¡­¡­. ¡®Can you say that it is alive?¡¯ Hans thought. He didn¡¯t know he was going to be sessful. It was the creature he helped create, but it was bizarre. ¡®Human¡­¡­ chimera.¡¯ He had nothing else to say. Neither alive nor dead. ¡°Now that you have absorbed enough energy, you must start.¡± ¡°Are you talking about it already?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks like our tail will be trampled on soon.¡± Hans said after putting his fingers through the curtains and peering out. ¡°Hmm, I haven¡¯t even picked a suitable shell yet.¡± After that, the gutter rat said as if he found it genuinely pitiful. Hans almost made a sneer without realizing it. ¡®The gutter rat was obsessed with good-looking and beautiful things when he was alive.¡¯ Even now, even now that the gutter rat had be a monster, he wondered if he still cared about the appearance of human beings. No matter how he thinks about it, it¡¯s not normal. This situation and the gutter rat. And himself. ¡°It¡¯s disposable after all. If this job is done safely, you can go back to a new one. It will be difficult if there is a trace.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The man muttered andughed. Then, even Hans, who felt quite ustomed to the gutter rat¡¯s new appearance, had no choice but to feel a sense of creepiness. It was bizarre, as if something that was not human was mimicking a human being. ¡°Bring any shell.¡± At the rat¡¯smand, the wizard had no choice but to answer, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± *** ¡°Wow, the Young Madam is finally making her debut in the social world!¡± Marronnier was so moved that she even had tears in his eyes. She had noints about Aria leaving Valentine¡¯s estate. However, since she became Aria¡¯s dedicated handmaid, she had one thing she¡¯d always dreamed of. ¡°I wanted to brag about our Young Madam, who is more lovely than a fairy and more sacred than an angel!¡± Marronnier was excited at the thought that she could finally achieve one thing on her bucket list. ¡®Debut in the social world¡­¡­.¡¯ Could the current situation be wrapped up in such a romantic word? Aria trembled. The ce she was heading to today was not a fancy banquet hall. It was a battlefield full of enemies everywhere. In fact, it should have been called a participation in war rather than a debut in the social world. ¡®It¡¯s strange to have called Lloyd at this time.¡¯ Lloyd had already visited the Emperor. Naturally, the diamont case ended with ¡®the mistake of an official¡¯. But Lloyd couldn¡¯t go back. Because today was the anniversary of the founding of the Fa Empire. All nobles entering the political world must enter the pce to attend ceremonies and meetings. ¡®Besides, this year¡¯s Founding Anniversary is at the same time as the social season.¡¯ The capital was crowded with nobles from all over the country. The Emperor blocked the way out so that Lloyd couldn¡¯t go back immediately after looking at his business. ¡®If he made up his mind to fight the Emperor, of course Lloyd will win¡­¡­.¡¯ No matter how much, he couldn¡¯t blow his fist while saying ¡®Damn Emperor!¡¯ because he wasn¡¯t allowed to go back. Valentine¡¯s indirect rebellion¡ªsuch as the wedding¡ªwas indescribable, but if confronted head-on, they could be detained. Even if it was Valentine. ¡®That¡¯s why neither Tristan nor Lloyd tried to set foot in the Imperial Pce in the first ce.¡¯ Because they¡¯re the ones who would wield their swords first if they can¡¯tmunicate. How frustrating it must be for the Emperor who can¡¯t speak and can¡¯t even wield a sword. ¡®It looks like a lot of nning.¡¯ It seems that the newly elected priests of Garcia have also arrived. ¡®Did Veronicae too?¡¯ She was sure Veronica woulde. It was highly probable. It was because Gabriel called for the saint, telling her how to increase her divine power. No, actually, she didn¡¯t say she woulde, but it sounds like she would, considering the obvious results. Of course, even if that wasn¡¯t the case, she was supposed toe anyway. It was certain that the time had advanced from her previous life. ¡®Then there will be a wee banquet.¡¯ Somehow, her back hurts already. ¡°Ahhh, so beautiful.¡± As Aria immersed herself in manyplex thoughts, Marronnier adorned her with constant admiration. Anyway, she doesn¡¯t have to go out and get belittled. ¨C Is it pretty? ¡°No, I think I¡¯m going to go blind.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Gasp, close your eyes. Young Madam!¡± Suddenly? Aria nced at her mirror and reflexively closed her eyes. Then Marronnier whispered in her ear in a very serious voice. ¡°Did you know that? The legend of Narcissus, who saw himself reflected in theke and fell in love with himself and eventually died. Little Madame should never look in the mirror.¡± She clenched her fists and added, ¡°Because you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±. Aria was stupid for taking it seriously. Aria decided to just leave Marronnier who was decorating her with a lot of effort. ¡®I think she¡¯ll just take care of it herself.¡¯ She smiled very proudly as she put on a sky blue velvet dress on Aria. The see-through cloak and gloves that reached her elbows were engraved with mystical patterns of shiny silver threads. ¡®Clothes are wings.¡¯ It¡¯s really like wings. In particr, the sky-like cloak that naturally hangs like flowing water. Every time she moved, it cut through the air as softly as a fairy¡¯s wings. ¡®This is really the best.¡¯ A fourteen-year-old cannot have charisma, majesty, or dignity. Aria decided to emphasize her mystery as much as possible among the strengths of her appearance. Then she exudes an atmosphere that, that she was somehow inessible, in a different sense. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re a fairy that no one can deny because I decorated you with full determination.¡± Marronnier muttered in admiration. It wasn¡¯t overly excessive makeup, and although it was set to a subtle level, it truly made her a fairy. ¡°Little Madame, did I say I love you today?¡± She said it at least ten times. But Marronnier never got tired of speaking out her confession of love. Aria smiled softly and nodded her head. ¡°Love¡­¡­.¡± It was then. ¡°I think we have to leave soon.¡± Lloyd, who she doesn¡¯t know since when he was, leaned against the door and tilted his head. He said, tapping his fist lightly over the door only after Aria stared intently at him. ¡°Knock, knock.¡± What kind of person knocks aftering in? Marronnier, who had spread her arms to hug Aria tightly, staggered backwards from that position and crawled into the corner. She was struggling to run away from the threat of murderous energy. ¡®It feels like something like this has happened before¡­¡­.¡¯ But it was different from then. Once upon a time, Lloyd would growl and openly threaten if there was anything he didn¡¯t like. Now, Lloyd didn¡¯t speak harshly or made a harsh face. Just being there gave people unspoken pressure. ¡°Shall we go, Wife?¡± Aria heard her name as ¡®Wife¡¯ was unfamiliar to her, so she fiddled with the tip of her earring for nothing. Dressed neatly in the banquet white robes, Lloyd was shining enough to say it hurts. But it was definitely unfamiliar. ¨C It¡¯s white for some reason. His hair is ck, and his eyes are ck. Why did Lloyd, who would wear even ck shoes and use ck interior furnishings and decorations wear pure white? ¡°Um, trying to be an angel today?¡± ¡­¡­ That¡¯s not it. Aria wanted to tell him that it wouldn¡¯t be, no matter what Lloyd did. But when she saw his smiling face as if he was ashamed of himself as he spoke¡­¡­. ¡®Angel.¡¯ He looks like an angel. The angel was neither Gabriel nor Vincent, who imed to look like an angel, appearance-wise. Aria realized that the angel was Lloyd. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 ¨C Angel. ¡°Stop.¡± Yes. Aria stopped sending her tenth message for the overburdened Lloyd. He feelsfortable when she calls him a devil, but why does he hate it when she calls him an angel? ¨C Lloyd said he would be an angel in the first ce. ¡°You are the angel¡­¡± Am I an angel? ¡°No, nothing.¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t want to say something, but hung up in the middle. There are two ways to annoy people, the first is to stop talking¡­¡­. ¡°Originally, the ceremonial robes are unified in white. I¡¯m going to the banquet right away, so my clothes look like this.¡± In fact, Aria knew it too. It was just because it was fun to see him embarrassed after a long time. ¡®There was only one thing the Emperor was good at. To call in Lloyd and see him in a white robe at an imperial event.¡¯ And that was it It would have been better if the Emperor evaporated and disappeared like this. Aria thought she would never see it again, so she imprinted the white Lloyd intently into her eyes. ¡°Gra, Gra, Grand Prince and Grand Princess Valentine enter!¡± The servant stuttered heavily. Even the trumpeter did not blow the trumpet vigorously, but took a vain breath, and the sound broke off. As the two of them entered the banquet hall, the numerous nobles who had gathered there miraculously split in two. As Lloyd moved without hesitation, the cluttered interior of the social season was swept away. ¡®Wow¡­¡­.¡¯ Looking back, it was like this. Aria suddenly recalled her past life, and she nodded. At banquets, salons, and other gatherings, whenever Lloyd appeared, people¡¯s reactions were the same. They tried not to say a word or even make eye contact in front of him, no matter what they cursed and talked about from behind. ¨C What were you worried about? Aria asked not through the mana stone, but through the wedding ring artifact where she could talk to Lloyd alone. ¨C If this is enough, we don¡¯t even need to go to the Angelo family, right? ¨C There¡¯s nothing wrong with having something ready. It¡¯s not like he wouldn¡¯t leave her for a moment. Lloyd replied that way. Everyone seemed to have no intention of insulting Aria. Rather, they turned their head unnaturally, fearing that she and them would identally make eye contact. ¡®When they sent me the invitation, of course, I thought they would flock like dogs.¡¯ She wanted to see them separately and take a closer look, but would it be a different story if she had Grand Prince Valentine next to her? She also thought it was better not to deal with them back then. ¡®I found out that the Valentine¡¯s vassals who stuck on their origins were very brave.¡¯ After all, they have to have that courage to be a vassal of Valentine. Because they can¡¯t have a subject who can¡¯t even make eye contact and tremble at their masters. And from the opposite end, people who wouldn¡¯t want to even set foot in the devil¡¯s castle. ¡®So, the people I met at the castle are the ones who have been filtered out at least once.¡¯ At least those who have the guts to talk to the Valentine¡¯s bloodline. So, were most of them from the Grand Duchy? Aria nodded her head in eptance inside. ¡®But I can understand that.¡¯ They can¡¯t even bring an escort into the venue. Of course, they¡¯ll also want to avoid Valentine¡¯s blood rtives that have disaster-level powers. In the eyes of the nobles, it would just look like a living, moving human weapon. ¡®It¡¯s like jumping in front of a bomb with bare body to argue with Lloyd.¡¯ A sane person wouldn¡¯t even do anything to stand out, and as expected, they were all sticking to the wall. ¡®Actually, if he put his mind to it, he can kill all the nobles here.¡¯ Even so, they would have known no matter how Valentine was, they wouldn¡¯tmit such a crazy thing. But in the first ce, fear was aw that eroded reason and made it useless. ¡®But still¡­¡­.¡¯ Even at this moment when everyone was terrified and avoided, Lloyd became the main pir of the group. Because there was not a single nobleman who did not cast their gaze on him in this banquet hall now. Whenever this happened, she thought that fear and envy were surprisingly connected emotions. ¡°Well. This is pleasant.¡± Luther Angelo, the second son of the Angelo family, who followed to protect Aria, also looked very awkward. It seems that he has made his own resolve. ¡°It is the first time in my life that I have been able to go to a banquet hall like this.¡± He was also a target of fear and seemed to be awkward. It must be the first time that he has been treated like this since he was born as the son of a Duke. If it had been the way it was, the nobles would have been clinging to him. ¨C Well, then, how about enjoying it since it¡¯s like this? The center of the hall is empty, so dancing with your partner will get you a lot of attention. Aria tried to have a conversation with her legal brother for the first time. Then Luther was silent and answered in a very bitter voice. ¡°I wish you had asked if I had a partner first¡­¡± Ah, ah¡­¡­. Aria couldn¡¯t keep up with her words. A heavy silence came, which was worse than before he tried to talk to him. She picked up a ss of champagne on the table and handed it to Luther as a constion. ¡°¡­¡­thank you.¡± Luther took the cup and drank it at once. The drink was bittler. Lloyd looked at the legal siblings with a puzzled look. ¡°What if the two of you danced together?¡± Then, Luther proposed. Aria said she blinked, as if she had never thought of dancing. ¨C I can¡¯t dance. It was true. She never learned it. She attended so many banquets, salons and gatherings, but she had never socialized. Because she was an entertainer of Cortez. Who would want to see an entertainer in a dress and dancing gracefully? ¡°You don¡¯t know how to dance?¡± Then Lloyd asked. It was as if he had never thought of it that far. ¡°The etiquette is natural, so of course I learned it¡­¡± Without speaking, he frowned slightly. It was his mistake that he misunderstood and did not ask separately. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Lloyd held out his hand. As if for her to hold it. ¡°Finally, I have something to teach you other than swordsmanship.¡± Was he happy inside? Lloyd, who rarely expresses a particrly pleasant emotion, painted a faint smile on his lips. ¡°Because I¡¯m good at everything I do with my body.¡± A brilliant chandelier shone brilliantly above his head. Then, one summer day, on a boat, as the sun scorched, she remembered the promise she had made with the boy. ¡®Teach me what Lloyd is good at¡­¡­.¡¯ Perhaps he still remembered the words that seemed to have passed at that time. ¡®He remembered that too.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t take her eyes off that look. She was captured helplessly. It was when she tried to ce her own hands over Lloyd¡¯s, as if possessed, ¡°The Emperor enters!¡± The servant ignorantly announced. Aria frowned. ¡®Why, now¡­¡­.¡¯ Even the nobles, who did not think of falling from the wall, bowed their heads, forgetting their fear for this moment. And¡­¡­. Aria kept her head stiff and she smiled as she saw Lloyd, who seemed uninterested in whoever came in. His interest was fixed on Aria from beginning to end. It was aplete disregard of the person. ¡®You don¡¯t even turn your head.¡¯ The Emperor who entered the banquet hall must be looking at Lloyd¡¯s wide back. It¡¯s so conspicuous, so there¡¯s no way he can¡¯t find it. Because they even stood in the center of the hall. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Ariaughed bashfully. Lloyd¡¯s tall stature and broad shoulders covered her, so she couldn¡¯t see the Emperor entering. ¡®He thought I might be a little scared if I actually saw the Emperor.¡¯ The Emperor was her worst tormentor. Aria only lived to the age of twenty, perhaps because of the result of the Emperor¡¯s abuse. Even though she was seemingly okay, she was worried inside that she might be left with the trauma of the abuse she had received then. ¡®But it really doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Far from trembling or shrinking at fear. Lloyd covered everything. Maybe not right now, but someday she¡¯ll have to pay for her sins. That was the first thought she had. ¨C Teach me. But not now. As Aria said so, she pointed behind his back. Lloyd didn¡¯t like it very much, but he was forced to turn his back. And he stared at the Emperor with a stern attitude. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve seen Valentine in an official like this. Is this the first time since I ascended the throne?¡± Then, suddenly, their eyes met. The Emperor¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Aria, then dulled out. ¡®The expression he makes when he has a n.¡¯ Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Aria could easily read the Emperor¡¯s expression. At the same time she felt great difort. It meant that in her previous life he had tamed Aria to her liking. ¡®I had to match the mood andfort of the Emperor one by one.¡¯ Aria¡¯s past life shed through her mind quickly. Days filled with pain and misery. It was a memory she would rather have cut out. ¡°I can understand why Grand Prince Valentine looks unfamiliar after not showing his face for a long time, but everyone, please wee him.¡± It was about the time she was getting fed up with the ignorant gaze as he scanned them up and down. The Emperor smiled kindly. And he looked at Aria and Lloyd and told the avoiding nobles, as if it was too much. ¡°Isn¡¯t he our hero who silently defends the empire in the dark?¡± A hero who defends the empire. The nobles, who had no idea what was going on with Valentine, put on an expression saying, ¡®What kind of nonsense is that? As if there was any reason to call the devil a hero. As if they had heard a funny and horrendous joke. They will never know. They will not even try to know. ¡®Pretending to praise, but saying that you¡¯ll be eaten by darkness for the rest of your life and you won¡¯t be able to be a hero.¡¯ Lloyd seemed to read the inside too, but he only raised his eyebrows for a moment, and showed little reaction. Because he didn¡¯t feel anything. Rather, it was Aria who was angry. ¡®How dare you say such a thing.¡¯ Aria pped her lips. The only thing that allowed him to safely ascend to the throne. It was because of the sacrifices of each individual Valentine who gave up on love, happiness, and the future. She wanted to shoot back like that. But then she bit her lip. ¡®You can¡¯t mess everything up with one impulsive mistake.¡¯ Instead, she smiled mischievously. ¨C Greetings, Emperor, the sun of all nations and the bright light. Aria gently curtsied by grabbing the hem of her dress, which Marronnier painstakingly picked, and then releasing it. It was a message using the mana stone. Her cheerful voice echoed through the heads of the nobles in the venue. That voice had the power to make people stop all thoughts and listen to her words. ¡°Oh, you are the rumored Grand Princess.¡± The Emperor looked startled at her voice for a moment. It was pure. The sound of clear and transparent water drops falling on theke reflecting the clear blue sky. And the Emperor showed a hint of disappointment on his face. ¡®It¡¯s a pity she can¡¯t speak.¡¯ He seemed to think so. Aria had to do her best to gather the expression on her face, which was about to be hideous for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that Grand Prince Valentine fell in love at first sight and gave you a keepsake generously¡­¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a false rumor. The Emperor¡¯s gaze, which added so, reached Aria¡¯s earring. Exactly the crystal on her earrings. ¡®Field Steel.¡¯ At first nce, it seemed worthless as if it was just crafted from a piece of iron. But in fact, it was difficult to obtain even with money, and it was a gem with a value that could never be bought no matter how much you paid. It was because a lot of wizards had to stick together in order to craft that jewel. ¨C Oh, you recognized it. ¡°I also have a knack for jewelry.¡± The Emperor replied yfully. Aria knew it too. Even when the treasury ran out when he wentpletely crazy, he didn¡¯t spare money on buying jewelry and luxuries. ¡®Valentine¡¯s wealth, are you jealous?¡¯ It was already predicted long ago that Valentine¡¯s wealth would be something that even the Emperor would envy. So, she smiled innocently and said, ¨C Your Majesty¡¯s eyes are as good as I have heard. ¡°Hmm, was it rumored like that?¡± Aria spoke to him, who she seemed to be in a good mood, in an elegant tone that showed no sign of malice. ¨C To a pig¡¯s eyes, a pearl ne would just look like a worthless stone. A clever twist on the proverb of a pearl ne around a pig¡¯s neck. At first nce, it sounded like apliment to the Emperor who recognized the value of the earrings. But the smile slowly disappeared from the Emperor¡¯s face when he heard those words. ¡®I¡¯m d. He got it.¡¯ She was worried, but he seemed to understand what Aria really wanted to say. Because it meant that the Emperor and all nobles who ridiculed Valentine¡¯s value without recognizing it were nothing but pigs. ¡°Pig. Sure, that¡¯s right.¡± Lloyd muttered next to her. Like talking to himself. His eyes were scanning the Emperor up and down. It was an unexpected reaction. ¡®You can¡¯t say that here?¡¯ Aria forgot to be polite and almost burst outughing while holding her stomach. But she desperately endured it. It was because she was here right now, and if sheughed, the acting would end without a gain. The Emperor struggled to hide his trembling lips. ¡°¡­you say impressive things.¡± Hmm? ¡®It¡¯s strange. At this point, he would throw everything aside and run wild.¡¯ Aria swallowed a puzzlement and looked up at him. Hiding his anger in an instant, the Emperor said with a polite ¡®face that seems to have a n¡¯. ¡°My heart is heavy because of the manamont incident that made me doubt you who are loyal to me.¡± She doesn¡¯t know if it was because it was before he went crazy. He maintained hisposure, even while covering the crazy couple, who turned the Emperor into a pig, with loyalty. Aria was deeply impressed. ¡°After today¡¯s banquet is over, I have prepared a separate dining table for you, so I hope you wille.¡± Then that¡¯s right. Judging from the fact that they were summoned separately, it looks like the Emperor was really nning something. ¡®It should rather be good.¡¯ Just try to y tricks on Lloyd. Aria thought she would put him to sleep with a song and just get away from the ce. *** She got a contact from Vincent. Aria, taking a brief break in the break room, epted without hesitation. ¨C Sir Cloud, don¡¯t move it like that! Treat it as delicately as if you were holding a newborn baby! ¨C I don¡¯t remember holding a newborn baby. ¨C Have you ever seen a person holding one? ¨C Yes. ¨C Ah, don¡¯t you know a metaphor? Metaphor! As soon as she received it, she could hear Vincent and Cloud fighting again. For some reason, the pattern of conversation between these two people remained the same even after several years. ¨C Sister-inw! At that time, Vincent from themunication greeted her with a bright face. After having a meaningless argument with Cloud, he btedly realized that Aria answered the contact. ¨C I have some very good news. Aria rummaged through her bag in anticipation. She couldn¡¯t use even the best mana stones as stacks, so she had tomunicate with cards again when using themunication sphere. [Did you crack the password?] ¨C Not yet, but it¡¯s almost done. Hopefully, I will be able to solve it all within this month. Then why did he call her? ¨C You just thought, what am I calling you for then? [I didn¡¯t say anything.] ¨C I can read all your facial expressions! Ummm, was she too obviously disappointed? Aria patted her own face with her hand, gently avoiding his gaze. ¨C Don¡¯t rush me too much. No matter how much data I have and I am a genius, do you think it¡¯s easy to learn a newnguage? Vincent started making lengthy excuses from time to time. ¨C Besides, this Anteannguage is so different from the officialnguage of the Empire in its structure¡­¡­. In any case, the fact that the progress is slower than nned is absolutely not due to hisck. It was a lengthy exnation. ¨C Anyway, I¡¯ll let you know as soon as it¡¯s finished. This is not something that takes long¡­¡­. Aria picked up the card as she cut his endless excuses halfway through. [I know. Where in the world is there a talented person like you?] Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s always scolded, but at an unexpected moment, he was given praise. Vincent didn¡¯t respond right away. It wasn¡¯t an empty word to make him work hard. Her expression was telling him that these words came from the heart. Vincent hesitated for a moment, unlike him, and then asked with hesitation. ¨C Did I be Sister-inw¡¯s person? ¡®Well? Maybe this is what I said about the 0.1% chance?¡¯ Aria was speechless. She really didn¡¯t know that Vincent would still care about it four yearster. [It has been like that since a long time ago. Idiot.] She showed the card as if to tell him why he was asking something like that. Then Vincent, who had been staring nkly, answered with a bright smile like the sun. *** ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The dinner the Emperor invited was overly extravagant than expected. And the ce was too wide. It was just that there were no people, but with a little exaggeration, it looked nothing like the banquet hall they had been in a while ago. ¡®Ah, I guess¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria knew this ce well. She would know better than anyone. There was not a trace of it now. But right in the middle of this wide hall, there was going to be a huge cage that could fit a person. Aria was locked in that cage, and for about two years she sang for the Emperor. ¡®The nursery.¡¯ The Emperor called the cage that way. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Contrary to what she had remembered, now, only a very long table was prepared. Just like an ordinary dining room. ¡®No, it¡¯s not ordinary.¡¯ After all, it¡¯s the Imperial Pce. Aria thought as she looked at the white tablecloth, luxurious candlesticks studded with jewels, and countless empty chairs and utensils. It was really well decorated like a dining room. ¡°What are you doing standing there? Come on, sit down.¡± The Emperor, who sat at the top of the table, gestured to them toe. Dozens of escort knights and servants following the Emperor were lined up along the wall. A breathtakingly solemn atmosphere. All of the servants had expressionless faces, as if they were wearing masks. Somehow, Aria felt an indescribable strange feeling in all these scenes. ¡®I¡¯m sure I remember there was a circle engraved on the floor here.¡¯ Aria followed the handmaid to the table and sat down, then she sniffed the white tablecloth with her nose. Again, as she remembered, there was a magic circle. Originally, it was a room made for engraving this. It was a magic that amplifies the effect regardless of the type of energy. ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re trying to do a trick.¡¯ It was obvious, but for some reason Aria didn¡¯t feel like running away right away. Because, no matter how hard she tried, the effect of her singing would also be strong. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t know if they can stop all my songs or not.¡¯ Lloyd was right next to her. Whatever the Emperor may do, Lloyd can stop everything. ¡®No, in the first ce, what the hell was he trying to do with Lloyd¡­¡­ ?¡¯ She can¡¯t even imagine. There was no sense of crisis. Before Lloyd came to the Imperial Pce, he said, ¡®even if he tied me up, we would die together.¡¯ The Emperor could neither imprison, punish, nor kill Lloyd. If the Emperor touched Lloyd the wrong way, there would be chaos in the world and the Emperor would die. ¡®¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡¯ How could she not know what the Emperor was thinking? Aria told Lloyd about this. Through the wedding ring artifact that only the two of them can talk to. ¨C Be careful. I¡¯m not sure exactly, but I think he¡¯s trying to use some kind of magic on Lloyd. She didn¡¯t know that this wedding ring could be used in such a situation. Apparently, Lloyd had foresight. ¨C What? Magic? ¨C It¡¯s a room with amplification magic. Then Lloyd looked at her as if how in the world did she know that? Aria asked if it matters now, and she shrugs her shoulders unnoticed. ¨C I¡¯ll tell youter. Well, this time, it seemed like he didn¡¯t want to just pass it by. Obviously, it was some kind of Imperial secret. Aria nodded her head. Then Lloyd added one more word, to make sure she was worried for nothing. ¨C I¡¯m not ming you. You were worried. It was not delivered in real words, but it seemed to be heard. ¡®It was a choice I made not to worry Lloyd, but it made me worry.¡¯ Aria had no choice but to stare at Lloyd. And, she thought to herself. She wondered if she had to go back and tell the story of the future to some extent, hiding only a few fatal truths. ¨C Anyway, it¡¯s highly probable that it¡¯s mental maniption magic. It¡¯s pretty well known that Valentine¡¯s weakness is that. Aria sent her message sternly. It was because she realized toote that if a Valentine was mentally manipted, even they could be helpless. Weren¡¯t they actually vulnerable to madness? ¡°Ha.¡± Then, as Lloyd looked down at Aria, he let out a breath, whether it was augh or a sigh. And he murmured a little as if passing by. ¡°Cute.¡± Cu¡­¡­. She heard words that shouldn¡¯t be heard. No, was he saying that in a situation like this? Her face had no choice but to get burned in this dire situation. ¨C I don¡¯t know what the trick is, but you don¡¯t have to know it. Saying so, Lloyd got up from his seat once. Huh. Aria, who had her hands covering her blushing cheeks, was bewildered. ¡°Why, why are you getting up all of a sudden? The meal hasn¡¯te out yet.¡± Even the Emperor stuttered as if he was bewildered. ¡°I¡¯ll just go back.¡± ¡°What? No, why!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Emperor seemed to doubt his ears because Lloyd put on a really absurd reason. A servant who was carrying appetizers stood tall and was wandering helplessly. Perhaps they might be the biggest victim today. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well. To be precise, it¡¯s disgusting and I feel like throwing up.¡± It¡¯s disgusting and feeling like throwing up¡­¡­. ¨C Isn¡¯t that too much? Although she sympathized with his words from the bottom of her heart, that person was still the Emperor. ¨C If you¡¯re going to say something, turn it around a little. No matter how disgusting the Emperor is, to say that he is disgusting to his face is sphemy¡­¡­. But it was then. ¡®What is this energy?¡¯ Aria was starting to feel really disgusted and about to vomit, as Lloyd said. ¡®It¡¯s hard to breathe.¡¯ A faint sensation that was barely felt at first, gradually deepened, and now began to be distinctly felt as if she could grasp it with her hand. To put it bluntly, it felt like mixing up all kinds of garbage. It¡¯s dirty and sticky, like it¡¯s sticking to your skin¡­¡­. ¡®The gutter rat?¡¯ Aria was startled. It smelled like the gutter rat that had been exined directly by Carlin the other day. ¡®Very faint, though.¡¯ Aria jumped up from her seat and quickly looked around. Knight, servant, maid, kitchen assistant¡­¡­. However, there was no one anywhere that matched the appearance of the gutter rat that Aria had heard of. They had a creepy expressionless expression as everyone was taught when they first entered the pce. Meanwhile, the Emperor¡¯s efforts continued. ¡°No, no matter what. I have prepared a meal, so why not get a drink?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do because I¡¯m very unwell. I might end up being rude to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°There is no greater rudeness than this situation now! Are you breaking an Imperial order!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Emperor seemed to be at a loss for words because his opponent was so proud and shameless. Then Lloyd, who smiled darkly, twisted his lips and said, ¡°I am a loyal servant.¡± In this part, no matter how much Aria believed in Lloyd unconditionally, she couldn¡¯t agree with it. ¡°I can¡¯t help without leaving a piece of advice that bes blood and flesh to Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Would you please let me go at this point, Your Majesty? This is thest piece of advice I give as a loyal servant.¡± Since when did intimidation be advice? ¡®It means that if he tries to do more here, Lloyd won¡¯t let it go.¡¯ Aria paused for a moment, and she stiffened, but she decided that it would be better to get out of the Imperial Pce quickly. ¨C Lloyd, it looks like the gutter rat is hiding here¡­¡­. But it was then. Aria¡¯s eyes met one of the servants, who was bowing his head. Even as his eyes met head-on with the Grand Princess, the mouth burst open andughter leaked out without showing a sign of embarrassment. Then he lowered his head and started muttering something. Aria thought she had just seen a hallucination. When their eyes met, the servant smiled. ¡®What¡­¡­.¡¯ Anguage she had never heard before. No, it was around the time she thought it was more of a spell than anguage. The servant suddenly pulled out a dagger from his arms and took it to his neck. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Uh, uhhk! What!¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± At the moment of the self-injury, screams erupted from all directions. It was an indescribable horror. Flowing blood began to seep into the magic circle spread throughout the room. He suffered fatal wounds that would not be strange even if he passed out immediately, and the bleeding was profuse. But the servant was fine. Aria stiffened as the servant lifted his head and met her gaze urately again. He staggered, got up, and went straight to Aria without any hesitation. He ran as if to kill her. No, he tried to run. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± After Lloyd knocked down a nearby knight, he cut the servant with a stolen sword. The whole ce was instantly dyed red. ¡°Ah, aahh¡­¡­.¡± Some of them vomited and some copsed and passed out. Aria didn¡¯t close her eyes and looked at the servant who copsed like a marite doll with a broken string. But then, the servant rose again. ¡®A bit¡­¡­ clumsy.¡¯ So, that¡­¡­ body. She couldn¡¯t believe it was moving. Aria stiffened, pale and tired. Even she, who resolutely reacts to most things, was surprised by this. That being said, it was almost like a walking corpse. ¡®A walking corpse¡­¡­ The gutter rat?¡¯ She realizedter. What if the gutter rat had a body that did not die even if it was killed from the beginning? ¡®Then everything fits.¡¯ It also solves the question of why the gutter rat was still alive. Aria hastily turned her head away. The knights who found the gutter rat drew their swords. And they blocked the exit quite naturally. That is, the escape route from which Aria and Lloyd could escape. ¡°I can¡¯t let that violent thing get out of here and mess with the Imperial Pce!¡± The Emperor shouted loudly. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 It was an act that could never be done unless they were all nning to die together here and now. But that couldn¡¯t be. Then, ¡®No way¡­¡­ Did the Emperor bring in the gutter rat?¡¯ It didn¡¯t sneak in. From the beginning, the two had devised a n. ¡®The two had no contact in previous life.¡¯ They weren¡¯t meant to be friends with each other, but they were just a symbiotic rtionship. The Emperor simply tolerates the gutter rat, and the gutter rat does not serve the Emperor, but he is aware that the Emperor is the owner of this empire. She never imagined that they would cooperate with each other. ¡®Oh my God.¡¯ How far has the Emperor fallen? Aria suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Carlin the other day. The words that were said so much that it would stick to her ears like a scab, telling her not to go against providence, which had already been set. ¡°Changing the future is like taking the old cog out and recing it with a new cog. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to change something else for the world to roll again?¡± When Aria breaks thew, a neww arises. The neww will demand a higher price and will strangle her. That was the situation she was facing right now. A neww. ¡®The Emperor and the gutter rat be one team.¡¯ Suddenly, the magic circle engraved with blood on the floor slowly began to contain silver, red, and gold light. It was a response to various energies in the gutter rat¡¯s body. ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Lloyd and Aria, who felt the strangeness, turned their heads at the same time to stare into the air outside the window. ¨C Just now, barrier magic¡­¡­. ¨C He used a circle with amplification magic in this room. Hiding nearby. Lloyd lifted his finger and pinpointed exactly where it was. ¨C Upstairs. Maybe a vent. Right. For some reason, she heard something constantly popping out of the vent. ¡®Perhaps the wizard, Hans.¡¯ After Aria discovered the identity of the opponent who had set the barrier, she had no choice but to be even more certain of what she had already been certain of. ¨C Lloyd, the gutter rat. Aria hastily sent a message. Of course Lloyd had already guessed from that moment on, and he answered without showing any signs of surprise. ¨C Yes. ¨C Is there a way to finish it if it doesn¡¯t die? It was then. ¡°Kuuhghh¡­¡± A hole pierced his neck, and the gutter rat made a strange noise. In the first ce, it made no sense that the body made a sound. He swept his chin in surprise and looked down at the fainting kitchen assistant right next to him. And¡­¡­. Changed his body. It was an invisible process, but she had no choice but to know. The servant fell on the floor, stabbed the kitchen assistant with a dagger, devoured his blood, and copsed. ¡°Phew¡­ you devil bastard. You can¡¯t cast spells if you can¡¯t speak.¡± Then, the kitchen assistant, who had been lying down, jumped up with a pale blue face. He was already dead. ¡®I wonder why there were more servants in this room than necessary¡­¡­.¡¯ The servants here might actually be sacrifices for the gutter rat. So that he can defeat Lloyd and achieve victory at any cost. ¡®Crazy bastard¡­¡­.¡¯ There was no other way to call it. Aria red at the Emperor. He just looked a bit nervous, from a distance, as if he was just watching from the other side of the river. ¡°Well, even if you look at me like that, I can¡¯t solve it. Do you know how many imperial nobles are in the Imperial Pce right now? Tomemorate the founding of the country, all the powerful people are gathered!¡± Now, if the gutter rat escapes from this room, many people will lose their lives. That was what it meant. ¡°When all the nobles die, this country is over!¡± But, why are the knights standing in front of the gates, even though they can¡¯t save the Empire from danger? It was an absurd sophistry. Aria saw a glimpse of the smile on the Emperor¡¯s lips, sure of victory. At that moment, Aria, whose reason was cut off, licked her lips. She intended to sing the song of doom. Had Lloyd not suddenly raised his hand to cover her mouth. ¨C Showing off your powers in front of the Emperor and the gutter rat? Ah. Aria came to her senses as if she was covered in cold water. Come to think of it, she remembered it btedly. ¡®The taxidermist.¡¯ Chimera. A bizarre life that is neither alive nor dead, created in the gutter. Obviously, the Siren¡¯s powers didn¡¯t work on those snakes. Because it was not a life born in nature. Obviously, it would be the same for the gutter rat. There was a very high probability that it would not work even if she sang the song. ¡®Even if I die, the gutter rat caught the fact that I¡¯m the only surviving Siren, it will be enough to change me into a new body¡­¡­.¡¯ She hated to even imagine that. Aria wiped the goosebumps sprouting over her forearm, and she bit her teeth. Then, Lloyd raised his body. ¡°It seems like I have a business to do.¡± He said as he brushed off the blood flowing from the sword. And slowly, he moved. The shadow of the sword hung long behind his back. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right.¡± The gutter rat dly answered. ¡°For four years, every day, I¡¯ve been thinking only of you bastard. For today!¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Lloyd replied dryly. As if he had no sentiment whatsoever because he had already heard such words countless times. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you would give me a more creative answer.¡± At the same time, the sword he was holding shed in a very insincere way. What had just been shaped as a kitchen assistant fell on the floor. ¡°Uh, kuuhh¡­¡± The rat, who was groaning with a bizarre sound, killed the servant again and changed into a new body. Once again, the whole area was covered in red. The gutter rat changed into a new body again. ¡°Kuuh, ah! Damn it, if only I had my original body!¡± ¡°Do you think it would be different if it was your original body?¡± ¡°Devil bastard¡­¡± The gutter rat murmured grimly, and picked up the sword that was lying on the floor. At the same time, the two des collided violently and exploded in shes. Just once, while swinging his sword, Lloyd broke and pierced the de that the gutter rat was holding in half. Again, again. This time it is the body of a knight. The knight resisted, but ultimately sacrificed his life because of the silent pressure from the Emperor. ¡°Finally, atst, the Emperor¡¯s most elite knight! The body of a well-trained knight. It will not evenpare to this weak body so far.¡± ¡°You talk too much.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you properly, you devil bastard.¡± Armed with confidence, the gutter rat rushed in. And he bounced off the wall at an iparable speed and crashed into the wall. Kuang-!! The wall cracked and dented. At the same time, the sound of something properly crushing could be heard from the gutter rat¡¯s body. Lloyd calmly raised his sword, as the gutter rat searched for his new body, and stomped his fumbling hand into the ground. ¡°Kaaaagghh-!¡± Do you feel the pain even if you be a moving corpse? Or do you feel hallucinatory pain in an area that is not there? The gutter rat screamed desperately. It sounded like the screams of someone who had changed his body. Her shoulders trembled. At the same time, Lloyd¡¯s gaze returned. ¨C Aria, does it matter if an innocent person dies? He asked. She couldn¡¯t understand what the question meant. It was only that his eyes, which had turned ck with the afterglow of the ughter, seemed a little unfamiliar today. ¨C I don¡¯t care. But you Aria couldn¡¯t help but agree. She couldn¡¯t deny it. It was because it seemed like an unavoidable situation in order to deal with the gutter rat. However, she finally shook her head after contemting. It didn¡¯t matter. After hearing Aria¡¯s answer, Lloyd stopped killing the gutter rat that changed bodies. ¡°Gutter rat, are you going to do that until everyone here is dead?¡± ¡°No, exactly, until the devil¡¯s malice is taken from you!¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡­.¡± Was that the purpose? Lloyd smiled strangely as if it was understandable, then drew his sword. The gaze looking down at the soaring and scattered red things was terribly boring. The gutter rat saw therge hole in his hand and grasped it with his other hand and clenched his teeth. ¨C Aria, no matter what happens in the future, no matter what happens to me, never. ¨C What? ¨C Never sing. Lloyd, who had begged her not to reveal her abilities, got up from his seat. Chaeng-! And threw the sword he was holding. With his arms outstretched towards the gutter rat. It was a reckless act. Aria, the Emperor, and even the gutter rat became dazed, at a loss for words. ¡°Wherever you want to go.¡± ¡°Huh? Are you suddenly crazy?¡± ¡°If you want to steal it, try stealing it.¡± ¡°You think I can¡¯t do it just because you told me to?¡± However, contrary to his sarcastic tone, the tip of the sword raised by the gutter rat was trembling to the point of pity. It was because he had no idea what Lloyd meant by suddenly revealing his chest and giving it away. ¡®Is that a solution?¡¯ Sacrificing himself? She couldn¡¯t believe it. Without knowing it, Aria opened her mouth. However, Lloyd¡¯s words not to reveal her abilities no matter what, first sanctioned her actions. ¡®There must be some reason.¡¯ Aria trusted Lloyd. But, apart from that trust, she had no choice but to grip the hem of her skirt in nervousness. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡°The devil¡¯s malice.¡± Lloyd muttered softly, referring to the great power running through his body. A sigh resembling smoke leaked from his lips. ¡°It is a power that transcends the limits of human beings. With this alone, I think I can rule the world, and I feel like I can be a god.¡± Right? Lloyd asked sarcastically, and a sluggish smile spread across his lips. ¡°I kept pretending not to, and it seems that this power was so coveted.¡± The pitiful eyes are directed towards the gutter rat. It was an obvious provocation. If the gutter rat had the strength to hold the sword firmly and wield it, it was enough distance to pierce Lloyd¡¯s heart. Lloyd stood with his arms wide open. As Lloyd taunted him openly, the gutter rat grimaced and murmured grimly. ¡°Don¡¯t regret it, you devil.¡± The gutter rat crawled on the floor with its broken ribs. With all his energy, heid down on the magic circle shimmering in five colors and began to chant familiar spells. In the past four years, it was a forbidden magic that he used countless times to steal energy. ¡°Still, it¡¯s difficult if you die because you¡¯re the famous Grand Prince in name. I¡¯ll let you live generously. If there¡¯s no devil¡¯s malice in you anyway, it¡¯s just a shell.¡± The gutter rat was well aware of what happened to the sessive Grand Dukes who passed on the power of the devil to his descendants. Yes, they all disappeared halfway through and died. No matter how tight Valentine¡¯s secrets were, if their tail was long, it would be trampled on. ¡®This bastard must be the same. If you take away the devil¡¯s malice, you will live with a tainted body and go crazy for the rest of your life.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it funny? If Lloyd acted arrogantly like that now, he¡¯d go crazy anyway. It will be in his 30s or 40s, no matter how long he lived with the devil¡¯s malice. ¡°But look. I¡¯m not your Valentine.¡± The gutter rat barely got up from the floor, and then let out a squeakyugh. ¡°I have an immortal body that never dies even if you kill me. Besides, it¡¯s already contaminated, so there¡¯s no reason to go crazy.¡± As for the gutter rat, he could be sure that he was the closest to the ¡®evil¡¯ among artificially created creatures. So, he was more confident than anyone else that he would harmonize well with the devil¡¯s malice. He was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be ruined like the Valentines. ¡°I don¡¯t need to pass on the malice by giving birth to a child. Doesn¡¯t it seem like it¡¯s just power for me?¡± So, in the end, he would only take the merits of malice and not all the disadvantages. The gutter rat intended to harbor the devil¡¯s malice for the rest of his life. And he intended, as Lloyd said, to be a god and dominate over this world. ¡®For that, I cooperated with the Emperor.¡¯ The gutter rat opened his mouth to swear allegiance for the rest of his life as long as the Emperor helped. He was a foolish Emperor who was always ignorant of Valentine¡¯s arrogance and trembled upon it, so he was able to get his consent right away. Of course, he was going to kill the Emperor right away if he could only win the devil¡¯s malice. ¡°Kukkuk, this works.¡± At that moment, something inside Lloyd¡¯s body began to bubble and bloom like a mist. It was then that Aria learned for the first time that they could transfer the devil¡¯s malice into another person¡¯s body. ¡®But if that¡¯s the case, Lloyd must be¡­¡­ !¡¯ Assuming that contamination begins the moment Lloyd embraces the malice, there is a high probability that he will go crazy as soon as that power escapes. Or be a handful of ashes. Aria almost stopped running to him. Had Lloyd not smile as if to reassure her when their gaze met suddenly. ¡°As expected, the devil¡¯s malice is like energy. That person was right!¡± It is possible to steal it! Absolute power to rule the world! The gutter rat got the power he had been longing for all his life, and burst intoughter as if he couldn¡¯t be happier than this. The endlessly wriggling ck mass, the devil¡¯s malice, the tip touched the gutter rat¡¯s body. ¡®Now just ept this!¡¯ But the moment he opened his mouth wide as if tearing it apart and burst intoughter, the gutter rat melted helplessly. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± His body copsed. It slipped and flowed. ¡®This¡­¡­ what?¡¯ The gutter rat wanted to speak, but he could no longer carry on his words. Because his mouth is gone. He was unable to smell the blood vibrating everywhere. Because his nose was gone. No sound could be heard. Because his ears are gone. ¡®This is¡­¡­ The devil¡¯s malice?¡¯ No, no. The gutter rat thought as he disappeared from the inside and crumbled. ¡®It¡¯s like purifying me¡­¡­.¡¯ A movement that goes against the providence of the world and seems to erase the existence of a chimera that should not exist. Eventually, he could no longer think. It wasn¡¯t just the body. Everything that made him up shattered to ashes and scattered and disappeared. And there was nothing left in its ce. ¡°No, crazy, nonsense¡­!¡± The Emperor jumped up from his seat and let out a scream. It turned into ashes in an instant and evaporated? Then our n?! What will happen to him who was left alone? ¡®The stench of the gutter rat has disappeared.¡¯ Totally, without a trace. Aria also opened her mouth, and she couldn¡¯t ept the situation for a while. But she jumped out and ran quickly to Lloyd¡¯s side. ¨C Lloyd! Aria, with tears in her eyes, reached her hand towards him. She med herself for being hesitant to hold his hand so far, swinging his hand away and avoiding him. If you¡¯re alive, if you¡¯re by my side, that¡¯s all¡­¡­. ¡°Ah.¡± But this time, Lloyd pushed Aria away. She wasn¡¯t even pushed out in the first ce. He reflexively stretched out his hand, but she just went and bumped into it. On the contrary, Lloyd himself was very surprised. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to fully capture my strength yet¡­¡± However, there was nothing like fog protruding from Lloyd¡¯s body as he said that. He looked down at his palm, clenched his fists until his tendons bulged out and repeated it out. And he said in a suppressed voice, without giving Aria his gaze. ¡°¡­It¡¯s getting back. I think I¡¯ll have to stay and have a more honest conversation with the Emperor.¡± Honest conversation. The Emperor¡¯s body, who had been stunned by those words, trembled greatly. He coughed in vain as if he had never howled at the gutter rat when he got up, shaking in his spot. ¡°You have cleared the hordes of evil that have invaded the Imperial Pce! You have made a remarkable achievement! Today¡¯s work will be rewarded by myself soon¡­ Gasp!¡± The sword, which had been actively used before, was hung under the Emperor¡¯s neck. As if it had been that color from the beginning, it was dyed very bright red. ¡°What, what is this! It¡¯s treason!¡± ¡°It would have been more convenient if it was like this earlier.¡± Lloyd mumbled and knocked down every single knight with his sword, stunned them. Again, as Aria expected, it was an honest sword conversation. ¡°What do you think, Your Majesty? The world almost came to an end due to the cooperation between Your Majesty and the gutter rat.¡± ¡°Huuuhh, uhk! Save, save me!¡± ¡°I saved the world unintentionally again. As Your Majesty said, I guess it¡¯s the fate of a hero I¡¯m born with.¡± It seemed that every breath he breathed was filled with pessimistic energy. Lloyd held the sword to the Emperor¡¯s neck, but he seemed unimpressed. He had neither anger nor revenge for the betrayal. He just looked very tired. With eyes as empty as the Lloyds that Aria had seen in her past life. ¡®Ah.¡¯ This is the future she wanted to change so much. Of course, the future and the situation werepletely different, but Aria¡¯s heart was moved by the fact that he had those eyes. ¡®It was going well.¡¯ Actually, she was going to make sure it worked out no matter what. Aria didn¡¯t take her eyes off the Emperor who had brought the incident to this point. The cold gaze pierced like an arrow. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to the conditions slowly.¡± Lloyd turned his head to look back at Aria. She didn¡¯t say anything. However, she sends a gaze that seems to suggest that it would be better to retreat for the sake of mental and physical health. She wondered if he was trying to torture the Emperor, though. Aria had no choice but to back away by nodding her head. *** ¡°Ah, the Valentine¡¯s carriage over there¡­¡± A ck carriage engraved with the crest of a ck hawk symbolizing Valentine. Veronica looked out of the carriage and muttered sadly. Then the cardinal, who was looking at the documents next to her, asked a question as if puzzled. ¡°Why are you looking for Valentine, Saint?¡± ¡°They have been taking care of Brother Gabriel for several years. Still, if we meet at the Imperial Pce, I¡¯d like to meet and talk with him at least once.¡± Why don¡¯t we stay one more day and then go. Veronica muttered as if she was sorry. Then the cardinal smiled and said as if passing by. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Something like that happened in the Imperial Pce.¡± Something like that? Veronica, who had not yet heard the news, asked again and tilted her head. ¡°It is said that the gutter rat has invaded the Imperial Pce. After coveting Valentine¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s¡­¡± The cardinal ryed the rumors that had now spread throughout the imperial pce. In fact, it was a rumor that exactly matched the actual situation, except that the Emperor had cooperated with the gutter rat to take part in it. He said while clicking his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s funny. Do they think the body of a sphemous chimera thatpletely defies the will of God can receive divine power¡­¡± ¡°Divine power?¡± Divine power over the devil¡¯s malice? Veronica had no choice but to ask that. Then the cardinal, who had been confiding in her unconsciously, stiffened. He had made a mistake, and then he quickly shook his head. ¡°No, nothing.¡± So the conversation was cut off. ¡®Divine power?¡¯ But Veronica never listened to the words the cardinal had inadvertently spat out. She decided to engrave it in her head once. ¡®More than that.¡¯ Chimera. A living being that can live by taking in all kinds of energy and blood and changing the body. Although the gutter rat seems to have failed. The attempt itself wasn¡¯t bad. ¡®In the meantime, it seemed like I was going to get the hang of it.¡¯ Now, she knows for sure. What should she do next? Chapter 90 - Illustration Chapter 90 (Illustration) Before closing the case, they immediately needed a ce to stay that night. In fact, the night was so deep, they could have stayed in the Imperial Pce for a day or so. ¡®I¡¯ve been through something like that, how can I sleep with my feet stretched out in the Imperial Pce?¡¯ She will definitely have nightmares. And she didn¡¯t want to give the Emperor an excuse to make another nonsense again. Aria was tired and didn¡¯t want to stay in the Imperial Pce any longer. ¡°There are a few mansions in the capital.¡± Then, Lloyd said. Insignificantly. ¡®Not one mansion in the capital, not two, but a few¡­¡­.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know about it because she had never been outside the territory. Aria nodded her head as she realized Valentine¡¯s wealth again. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the nearest one, then.¡± Lloyd and Aria left the Imperial Pce that day. Even the moonlight was dark in the middle of the night. The two rode in a horse-drawn carriage. Lloyd was silent the whole time. ¡®Since when.¡¯ It was definitely good. The rtionship between Lloyd and Aria was an amicable one. Careful, kind, and wish each other happiness. It was very friendly. Until the Emperor worked his tricks and the dead gutter rat appeared. ¡®No, there was no change in attitude when the gutter rat appeared¡­¡­.¡¯ Rather, he was surprisingly calm. He pushed the rat to the limit as if he was very calm and used to it. ¡®Oh, I remembered.¡¯ The moment he mentioned that the gutter rat would steal ¡®the devil¡¯s malice¡¯ from Lloyd. It was from then. From then on, Lloyd¡¯s mood suddenly subsided. It was as if they had returned to the first time they met. Back in the day when Lloyd set up a sharp de, pushing away everyone approaching. Aria remembered the words that she had been wanting to say in her heart for a long time. ¡°Lloyd, maybe that bast¡­ No, the gutter rat hurt you?¡± ¡°Hurt?¡± ¡°Um, hurt your feelings?¡± Lloyd let out a smirk without realizing it. Hurt his feelings. It was just an Aria-like, friendly expression. ¡®No, it made you realize reality.¡¯ Maybe, really, maybe, he thought it could be. That he can live like everyone else. After a very deep and sweet dream, he only realized again that the ce he was standing in was hell. ¡®What I have is something no one canpletely purify.¡¯ Even singing the Siren song is useless. It only temporarily alleviates the condition or slows the progression of madness. Again, there is only one way to get rid of the curse. He knew it from the beginning. It¡¯s just that the colors during the four years when Aria appeared were so intense and dazzling. He just wanted to deny it. ¡®It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just. You just have to carry the memories with you.¡¯ It was enough. Don¡¯t be greedy any more. After all, nothing was his from the beginning. Lloyd stared at Aria without saying a word. ¡®Ariadne Cortez.¡¯ When the flowers that had been abandoned during the winter bloom again. In a world of achromatic colors, he came to see the warm sunlight. ¡®A miracle.¡¯ Lloyd never believed the name of the memory. Since when did this happen? He spied on Aria secretly. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her as she opened the window of the carriage and her hair naturally fluttered behind her ears. Lloyd clenched his fists as he looked at her and then unclenched it. ¡®Even though I knew it was poison in my mouth.¡¯ It makes him want to swallow it unknowingly. *** The mansion that was closest to the Imperial Pce. They came to this ce without thinking about it because it was close. Lloyd stopped and looked up silently at the mansion. Then Aria asked as if wondering. ¡°Why?¡± The employees and the knights who followed were all sent to the estate. So, Aria raised her voice without hesitation. Because it was just the two of them. ¡°¡­it¡¯s where I used to live when I was a kid.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, he answered. ¡°From what age?¡± ¡°Well. From when I remembered it?¡± How old was that? Around the age of five? Aria, who had been in her thoughts for a moment, said with a wide smile. ¡°You must have been cute.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd, who remembers very clearly what he was thinking and living at that time, shed an ambiguous sound. Lloyd Cardenas Valentine. A five-year-old child who never celebrates his birthday. From the time he identally discovered the ¡®self-sacrificing spell¡¯ in the book, the child had only one dream. ¡®Let¡¯s die.¡¯ Let¡¯s die. The day hepletely inherits that ¡®power¡¯ from Grand Duke Valentine. Lloyd was going to kill himself that day. He wanted to disappear with the power he had inherited. In order topletely cut off the devil malice that has been passed down from generation to generation like a curse¡­¡­. It was when Lloyd was reliving the memories of his childhood. He suddenly felt a soft warmth from the side of his hand. He looked down and saw that it was Aria¡¯s hand. He raised his head. Aria¡¯s cheeks were smeared with red like watercolor. Lloyd imagined clenching her hand to crush it, then let it go. Rounded rabbit-like eyes and a bewildered expression followed, but he had no choice but to turn his back. *** Self-sacrificing spell. Lloyd had such a perfect memory that he could spit it out in any extreme situation. Well, he¡¯s been memorizing it since he was five. ¨C ¡®Birthday.¡¯ Of course he didn¡¯t celebrate it. Why should he celebrate the day of his birth, because he will soon self-destruct anyway. ¨C ¡®Hobby.¡¯ Didn¡¯t have it. If he had it, he would only be greedy. ¨C ¡®Memories.¡¯ Didn¡¯t make it. It was difficult to create enough memories to reflect on his past. ¨C ¡®Friendship.¡¯ Didn¡¯t want it. That¡¯s just an illusion. ¨C ¡®Family.¡¯ There was, but he lived as if there were not. There was nothing that made a person¡¯s life more regretful than his family. ¨C ¡®Love.¡¯ ¡­¡­ nonsense. ¡®The malice harbored by Grand Duke Valentine haspletely transferred to me.¡¯ Lloyd was convinced. So, he spit out the spell he had been repeating in his mind for thirteen years. A strange character of an ominous pitch ck light was engraved all over his body, riding around from head to toe. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± The pain felt like his whole body was burning. Even though he thought that his body had been dulled by pain from embracing the malice, he could spit a groan with his teeth. But Lloyd persevered. If he can endure this, he will be able to end the nightmare that has been passed down through the generations of Valentine. Even if the ¡®power¡¯ called the curse, which upied most of his body, didn¡¯t run rampant like an outburst of malice. No more screams came out. It looked like his limbs were being torn apart. How much time has passed, on the cold ground, Lloyd regained his mind. He forcibly lifted his body, where the pain was still scattered everywhere, and examined his condition. ¡®The strength¡­¡­ It remains.¡¯ The spell has failed. He had in mind the possibility that it might not seed all at once, so Lloyd did not despair so much. He groaned and got up. Strangely, the ce was as quiet as a grave. A bizarre gloom. There are no sounds of birds, insects, or breathing creatures. Even thatmon wind noise. Lloyd hurriedly looked out the window. The garden, lined with all kinds of flowers and trees ording to Sabina¡¯s taste, had dried up. As if it¡¯s life force were sucked in in an instant. ¡®This¡­¡­.¡¯ What is this? Lloyd slowly backed away from the window and ran to the door and opened it. No one was there. In the kitchen, there were dishes cooked, traces of someone studying in the study room, and documents piled up like a mountain in the office, but no one was there. As if they had evaporated. Tristan, Sabina, and Vincent. He could no longer see the jaguar, which would have been chasing Lloyd¡¯s back If he had wandered around this much. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Ariadne. Lloyd ran nonstop to the door. But when he tried to open the door, his fingertips trembled. What if she¡¯s not there? What if she¡¯s gone? He ran rampant. His own strength. ¡®What if I killed her myself?¡¯ He eventually opened the door slowly enough to hear the creaking hinge. And beyond the door, Without even closing her eyes properly, Aria had fallen on the red puddle on the floor. ¡°A¡­ Aria.¡± This is nonsense.vIt shouldn¡¯t have happened. Lloyd rushed to his feet, and he hugged Aria. Lying in his arms, she was cold in Lloyd¡¯s arms. ¡°¡­!¡± Lloyd jumped out of bed. And he breathed in rough breaths. He looked around as he felt his body cooled to the point of being cold. A night that seems to be crushed by darkness. It was the mansion where Lloyd spent his childhood. Maybe it was a dream. Like ice melting into a ss of water, he realized reality very slowly. Lloyd wiped the cold sweat from his eyes. No, he thought it was a cold sweat. However, the water drops that wetted his fingers had started flowing from the corners of his eyes as the source. ¡®Did you cry?¡¯ Him? Lloyd blinked his wet, pitch ck eyshes, and stiffened for a moment. It was the first day he shed tears in his life. ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± It¡¯s not funny. No one really died, and he had a nightmare and cried. ¡®It was as vivid as reality.¡¯ If Vincent had seen it, it would have been a lifelong tease. That¡¯s when he thought about it and raised his head. Aria was in front of him. ¡®Is this also a dream?¡¯ She stretched out her hand. His hand was touched. Not only was it touched, but she also intertwined his hands without hesitation. ¡°Actually, my hearing is also like a rabbit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems Lloyd is having a nightmare, so I came in at will.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry,¡¯ a brief apology followed. Lloyd blinked his eyes. Drops of tears from the corners of his eyes ran down his cheeks and down his jawline. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Aria reached out her hand and wiped the corners of Lloyd¡¯s eyes. At that touch, Lloyd thoughtlessly said, ¡°I want to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I want to live. With you.¡± He revealed what he had now realized. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Aria stared out of the window for a moment in an empty room. There was no one in the room that the employee who was managing this mansion showed her, and it was unnecessarily spacious. ¡®It feels empty.¡¯ Marronnier, who was always chasing after Aria like a squirrel and chattering. Cloud, who kept silent at the back and sometimes(?) said stupid things. Vincent, who was in pain at Cloud¡¯s stupid words. Sabina, who takes the time every day to teach her swordsmanship. Tristan, who was always troubled by work and bes a happy unemployed person and ys and eats every day. Gabriel, who loses his reason for being involved with the saint, but when they pray together, it somehow feels at ease. ¡®And¡­¡­.¡¯ Her husband, Lloyd. ¡®This is a family.¡¯ Family. A family tied to a 10-year contract. A temporary family who she has to break the Valentine¡¯s curse for and then leave behind. ¡®Now I have to leave in 6 years¡­¡­.¡¯ It was when, ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡± Aria, who couldn¡¯t sleep because her thoughts kept getting deeper and deeper, heard someone groaningter. It was a small sound that had to be heard very carefully. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Lloyd? ¡®Was it an attack?¡¯ Aria instantly forgot that Lloyd, who ughtered people with a single knife, could be attacked. ¡°Emperor bastard!¡± She even spit out swear words. Without hesitation, she stormed into Lloyd¡¯s room. Almost at the same time as the door mmed open, Lloyd raised his body. He took a breath. Perhaps he just had a nightmare. Aria was going to run to him right away and ask what was going on, what nightmare he had. But, She paused for a moment as she saw the tears running down the corners of his eyes. ¡®He was¡­.¡¯ He was crying. Aria was very flustered. Lloyd who never shed a tear. Even when faced with unfair and terrible pain that ordinary people cannot endure. He simply faces all the misfortunes and epts them. That Lloyd was crying. It looked even more pitiful and painful to see the tears dripping without expression. ¡®How should I console you.¡¯ Aria was stunned for a moment, frozen, and only after Lloyd reached out his hand did shee to her senses btedly. His fingertips were trembling. ¡®Because Lloyd shows his fingertips, not his expression, when he¡¯s insecure¡­¡­.¡¯ She quickly grabbed them all and held them firmly. ¡°Actually, my hearing is also like a rabbit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems Lloyd is having a nightmare, so I came in at will. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She rambled on and made excuses. Aria then recalled how he would alwaysfort her with usible words when she seems to be hurt. But seeing Lloyd¡¯s actual expression of pain, for a moment, her head went white and she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡®Is Lloyd this way every time I cry?¡¯ She would rather just be sick for him instead¡­¡­. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± She wiped away the tears. Just like Lloyd did. Then, he said, ¡°I want to live. With you.¡± It was something she hadn¡¯t thought of. But the moment she heard those words, she could realize the true nature of the emptiness, which Aria felt when she was alone in the room. Oh I see. Although she always thought of death and was prepared to leave them naturally 10 yearster. Actually, she ¡­¡­. ¡°I also want to live¡­¡± Before her thoughts, her mouth answered first. I want to live. I didn¡¯t want to die like this. Even after breaking the curse, she wanted to die of old age with Lloyd and Valentine.She didn¡¯t want to be the night, she wanted to be with him and she wanted to be the moon and the stars that light up the night. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from him. ¡®Is there any way I won¡¯t die after I be an adult?¡¯ For the first time, she had that thought. ¡°So what did you dream about?¡± Lloyd looked away from her and said nothing. He wanted to dig out the memories like this. Aria¡¯s memories and his memories. He wept ferociously in front of her, revealing what he had hidden inside him. The self-destructing, festering, rotten innermost thought that he had dreamed of since childhood. ¡°¡­don¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Why are you crying? People can cry.¡± ¡°The crying¡­ erase it from your memory.¡± ¡°No.¡± Aria stubbornly answered. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of between us. We all know each other.¡± ¡°There must be more things that you don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lloyd mumbled so, and then he let out a very deep sigh. And he talked about the ¡®self-sacrifice¡¯, which he had been thinking about since he was very young. ¡°I found a book by chance when I was little. I remember it being here in the mansion¡¯s library¡­¡± This was the moment when Lloyd decided to self-sacrifice. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to say it at all.¡¯ Because of Aria looking up at him with her big, open eyes as if she would listen to anything. Eyes that shine brighter than the stars even in the dark. When he came to his senses, Lloyd had revealed all of his secrets. ¡°In the dream, when the time came and I uttered that spell, the power in my body suddenly went wild. All living things in Valentine¡¯s Castle evaporated.¡± Without a trace. ¡°And you too¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t evaporate, you die bleeding.¡± Lloyd, after a long absence, had a red face up to his ears, turned his head away, and mumbled. He never imagined that the day woulde when he , like a child, would confide in his nightmares. But when Aria heard about it, instead ofughing at him, she made a very serious expression on her face. ¡°Then what was the reason for the outburst?¡± It wasn¡¯t serious, yet she listened to it as if it had actually happened. Lloyd replied with a frown. ¡°Well. It¡¯s just a guess, but since I was trying to harm the body that contains the devil¡¯s malice, it didn¡¯t want the malice to go away, so I think it went crazy.¡± ¡°There is a possibility. I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± But why was she taking this seriously? ¡®It¡¯s just a dream anyway.¡¯ Lloyd was puzzled, but as Aria raised her head and stared at him, he avoided her gaze again. ¡°Are you going to die?¡± ¡°My childhood ns¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°¡­ now I have no intention of doing that anymore.¡± I said I wanted to live. Lloyd added a little. Aria was heartbroken again that Lloyd had been living with those thoughts since he was a child. But she was determined not to let him fall. In fact, the reason why Aria herself was so resolute about her death was because she was no different from him. ¡®It¡¯s very shocking that Lloyd was thinking of self-destruction.¡¯ Once she put that shock aside. ¡®It¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it Valentine¡¯s incident?¡¯ Aria was almost convinced. Lloyd¡¯s dream was telling him how the Valentine¡¯s Incident happened. ¡®Because Lloyd has inherited most of the devil¡¯s malice now.¡¯ Perhaps the time to inherit all the malice coincides with winter, the time when Valentine¡¯s Incident takes ce. It was shocking. ¡®Until now, I thought that the incident was caused by maniption from the outside.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t. It happened because of the spell that Lloyd had chanted to sacrifice himself, the devil¡¯s malice ran rampant. Then. How did Lloyd survive thest life alone? ¡®He tried to save everyone by sacrificing himself, but his power ran rampant and he killed all of his people with his own hands.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t his fault. Of course, it cannot be said that it was not entirely not Lloyd¡¯s fault, but his purpose was to self-sacrifice with the malice. But that was the result. ¡®Then the fact that the future Lloyd attended a depraved meeting that he had no interest in, and suddenly came to listen to the Siren¡¯s songs and started working on drugs¡­¡­.¡¯ She thought he was trying to kill himself. ¡®He had killed everyone he¡¯d been with his whole life, so he was weighed down with guilt.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t try to die any longer. He couldn¡¯t die, so he had no choice but to live. If he tries to die, another outburst will ur, or the malice in his body wille out and destroy the world. ¡®So, Lloyd would rather go crazy at the crossroads of that choice.¡¯ That¡¯s the story of Valentine¡¯s Incident. Aria bit her lip to hold back the tears, until she finally let the tears fall. ¡°No, you¡¯re not going to die¡­¡± When Aria suddenly started crying, he panicked, this time it was Lloyd who was flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m crying Lloyd¡¯s tears.¡± ¡°Yes, I was wrong.¡± He thought that Aria was crying because he was about to die. So he reassured her that he would never do that again in the future. But even though he said that, Aria did not stop her tears. He then wiped away all the tears that ran down her cheeks with his hands. ¡°Rather than self-sacrifice, let¡¯s just destroy the world. Let¡¯s live together in a destroyed world.¡± And he started to say everything to stop the tears. How can this beforting? Aria couldn¡¯t cry, so she let out a smallugh. ¡°I will live to be a hundred years old.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not Lloyd¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Never.¡± These were the words she wanted to tell Llord not only for today, but also for Lloyd in the future. A future that has not happened yet, and will never happen in the future. Saying so, Aria opened her arms wide and hugged her husband tightly. ¡®Heartbeat¡­¡­ It¡¯s loud.¡¯ Perhaps Lloyd was scared too. Aria thought as she buried her face in the arms of the young man who had stiffened. ¡®But why was I dead?¡¯ If his previous life had appeared in a dream, there wouldn¡¯t be Aria there. Then it will be a prophetic dream that will happen in the future. Or a silly dream. ¡®All living things evaporated and disappeared, but why is it that only I am left with a corpse?¡¯ As expected, was it a silly dream? Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Aria asked as she lifted her head out of his arms. ¡°Shall I sing you a luby?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was no reply. However, Lloyd¡¯s dissatisfied gaze, who was staring intently at Aria, spoke instead. To what extent are you going to treat me like a child? ¡®Hmm.¡¯ What to do, Aria hesitated, then shrugged her shoulders and said. ¡°I often sing for Father too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If Lloyd doesn¡¯t want to, I can¡¯t help it.¡± Then Lloyd gave a very displeased expression, and he said as he quietlyid down on the bed. ¡°Sing for me.¡± She also knew he would be like this. Because it was Lloyd who, whenever he had spare time, engaged in a nerve battle between Tristan. Of course, Sabina too, has been participating in the nerve war since she waspletely healed. Aria started singing the song. ¡°Hush, hush, sleep well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The stars, the moon¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°is full of light¡­¡± But Aria could no longer carry on the luby. It was because Lloyd, who was staring intently at her as she sang her song, grabbed her hand stroking his chest and pulled her to his side. Aria suddenly toppled next to him. ¡®That, that surprised me.¡¯ Aria blinked her eyes. Lloyd¡¯s ck hair, disheveled on the pillow, was right in front of her. She lowered her gaze slowly. He was staring only at her, with the moonlight streaming in through the cracks in the window. She seemed to have pierced his gaze. ¡°What are you going to do after I sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sleep too.¡± Did he notice that she was trying to figure out something after putting Lloyd to sleep? Aria struggled to ignore the heart trying to pop out of her mouth, and said, ¡°But a luby would definitely get rid of the nightmare¡­¡± ¡°Just sleep next to me. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right if it¡¯s you.¡± Don¡¯t waste your strength. Lloyd mumbled, and grabbed Aria¡¯s hand with a force that would never let go. And he quietly closed his eyes. Soon, a steady breath was heard. She wiggled her fingers. The hand that was held by him never fell out. Her heart was beating so much that she was worried that it might break like this. Aria gazed intently at the ceiling. Lloyd¡¯s breath was felt right next to her. ¡®I can¡¯t sleep¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria had a strong foreboding that she would be up all night. *** ¡°Uahahahahaha!¡± Hansughed like a madman as he ran down the street at night. Finally free! Finally freed from Master! ¡°No, no. He¡¯s not even Master anymore. Dead, damned corpse!¡± It has been four years. Hans was deprived of his liberty for four years, and was forced to clean up for the gutter rat. He had to find a sparsely popted area, kill all the people in the vige, and he had to offer them up as sacrifices. ¡®That stench again!¡¯ No matter how much his sense of smell bes insensitive to stimuli, how much trouble did he have to deal with the smell of rotting corpses for 4 years? ¡®Good job, my nose.¡¯ In fact, even Hans knew that the gutter rat¡¯s ns were reckless from all sides. He had, to some extent, anticipated that things were going to fail. Sure enough, there¡¯s no way that Valentine can be beaten by a chimera that is nothing more than a creature Hans created. ¡®I don¡¯t know if the gutter rat was alive before bing a chimera¡­¡­.¡¯ No, actually, looking at it today, it seems impossible. Hans remembered that when the curse that flowed from Lloyd¡¯s body touched the gutter rat, it became ashes and scattered. The gutter rat had jumped like a fire moth into a human who had such a terrifying thing in his body. It¡¯s a pity that the gutter rat died, and he didn¡¯t want to have that experience again. ¡®Hmm, I knew the gutter rat was going to die anyway, but I cooperated without any resistance.¡¯ For this moment, right now! From now on, I will never do anything that betrays humanity like making a chimera again! ¡°I¡¯m going to be a pacifist!¡± Pacifist. The moment Hans recalled the word, he felt at ease as if he hade to his hometown. What is this? Since he was born, he has never pursued such a thing as peace, so why does he have such longing and fond feelings? ¡®Actually, is this my aptitude?¡¯ Maybe he had chosen the wrong career path. Hans was shocked. ¡®Now I¡¯ll wash my hands thoroughly and I¡¯ll never think of crime again.¡¯ That was the moment he decided so. ¡°Wizard.¡± Someone called out to Hans, who was running like an unbridled colt. A voice he never wanted to hear again. He stood frozen. Then he moved his neck like ungreased scrap metal, barely staring at the opponent. It was a man in a ck hood that covered him from head to toe. ¡°It looks like things didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°Haha, ah, yes¡­¡± God damn it. The man was waiting, blocking his only way out, as if he had foreseen Hans¡¯ escape. ¡°What about being a pacifist?¡± ¡°D, did you hear me?¡± ¡°Luckily, you seem to agree with us. How about working together for the sake of human peace?¡± I don¡¯t want to. But Hans couldn¡¯t say that. It was because he knew that rebellion was of no use learning from the gutter rat until now. ¡®Unknown forces.¡¯ They approached the gutter rat that had lost everything four years ago and looked like a corpse and asked for various information. They cooperated [¡°As expected, the devil¡¯s malice is like energy. That person was right!¡±] The gutter rat believed that. After bing a chimera, perhaps his intelligence as a human being has also degenerated? Now that there was only one way to restore his former glory, he didn¡¯t know that he was desperately clinging to it. ¡®Aside from that, the devil¡¯s malice is actually the most suitable power for a chimera, so he was always enticed to take it away.¡¯ Hans was very suspicious of those who provoke the gutter rat with vain words. But he didn¡¯t intervene. As he said earlier, it was because it seemed that there would be a moment when he would run away from the gutter rat. But¡­¡­. This wasn¡¯t an escape, it was another shackle. ¡®These damn people have been aiming for me from the beginning¡­¡­.¡¯ Their purpose was not to get rid of the gutter rat. It was aimed at Hans¡¯s ability to specialize in the hical and immoral. ¡°The Master is waiting.¡± There is a Master here too? What pacifist in the world calls himself Master, for God¡¯s sake. Hans was dragged along in tears. *** ¨C Sister-inw, why are your eyes dark? Aria was silent, rubbing her eyes, which had been exhausted from staying up all night. That¡¯s certainly not easy. ¨C Well, I was just trying to solve a problem. [¡°So did you solve it?¡±] Aria asked. Vincent¡¯s mouth was twitching and his eyes were too bright. He looked like he was waiting for her to ask the question. ¨C Of course! In half a day! Vincent said, ¡®Ta-da!¡¯ and pulled out a wad of paper as he made the sound effect with his mouth. There¡¯s even a bunch of worn-out papers that look like they¡¯ve aged for a thousand years. Contrary to the very wretched momentum, the results were sparse. ¡®Is that what was in the storage box?¡¯ It¡¯s a document. What matters is what is written inside. Aria likes talking straight about the main things so she thought she¡¯d ask what it was. If the excited Vincent didn¡¯t start first. ¨C Putting the Antis scale ¡®La Sol Fa Re Mi¡¯ I searched all these five scales and homonyms. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C ¡®La¡¯ means sun. ¡®Sol¡¯ means ground. ¡®Fa¡¯ means faint, ¡®Ray¡¯ means to rise, and ¡®Mi¡¯ means hope. With these wordsbined it means the sun rising faintly from the ground as hope, that is, dawn! ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C I typed ¡®Dawn¡¯ in Antean letters and it worked! The exnation is tedious. Aria shed the unnecessary parts of the lengthy exnation and engraved only the word ¡®dawn¡¯. And she read Vincent¡¯s expression of wanting so much praise, she pped her hands like seals. ¨C More praise please! There is much to wish for too. Anyway, he said he would do it this month, yet he made it in half a day. Aria used her generosity to whistle and cheer. Vincent¡¯s shoulders soared into the sky. [¡°So what is that rotten paper?¡±] ¨C What do you mean rotten paper! A great discovery that will go down in academic history! Of course, Vincent had no intention of publishing this. Aria asked him to keep it a secret. It just meant that what was written on this paper was worth that much. ¨C The identity of the documents in the storage box was a music score. Vincent carefully unfolded the rolled up paper, fearing that the shriveled paper might be torn off. And he coughed. ¡®Are you going to sing a song yourself?¡¯ It was Vincent who always brags that he is good at anything. Aria waited patiently for his song thinking ¡®let¡¯s see how ites out.¡¯. ¨C Fly on the golden wings! ¡­¡­ What did she just hear? Aria doubted her own ears. note: ¨C ¡­ is a dialogue through themunication device [¡°¡­¡±] is a dialogue through Aria¡¯s cards ¡°¡­.¡± is directly spoken dialogues. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Note: -¡­ is a dialogue through themunication device [¡°¡­¡±] is a dialogue through Aria¡¯s cards ¡°¡­.¡± is directly spoken dialogue. Cloud was seen standing defenselessly next to Vincent, then hurriedly plugged his ears. ¨C Fold your wings on slopes and hills! Aria was at a loss for words at the sounding through themunication device. What in the world is this? In one verse, the soaring and prating notes from the bottom coexisted without knowing the limit. The pitch that shakes relentlessly like a song yet is not a song, but more like a summoning ritual of the devil. No, no. The song that Aria thought and sang like a devil¡¯s summoning ceremony in her previous life was not like this. Besides, when he speaks, he speaks well, so why was his tone that way when he sings? ¡®He may be tone deaf, but¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a pitiful tone-deafness. It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t have an ability to distinguish notes, it¡¯s that his vocalizations were messed up. ¡®Screams of ughter¡­¡­ No. I think this is too harsh.¡¯ Aria hesitated for a moment before she picked up a new card. [¡°You must breathe with your stomach.¡±] Vincent looked at the card, stopped the song and answered. ¨C How does the stomach breathe? [¡°And open your vocal cords.¡±] ¨C The vocal cords aren¡¯t even the mouth, how do you control the opening and closing? [¡°With the feeling of increasing the pressure in the lungs.¡±] ¨C I don¡¯t know what you mean. There were words that even Vincent couldn¡¯t understand. Aria sighed and shook her head. Cloud barely took his hand off his ear, showing a rare disgusted reaction. ¨C I thought my eardrum was being punctured. ¨C I thought you were ignorant, but you don¡¯t have any artistic sense. Vincent replied. He didn¡¯t seem to even guess that he was tone-deaf. Why? He seemed to have a deep knowledge of music. ¡®If that¡¯s art, he has no sense.¡¯ Aria thought so inwardly and held out her card. [¡°Is this a song from hell?¡±] ¨C No! I said ¡®Dawn¡¯? Dawn! A song of hope! It seemed to be singing that hope doesn¡¯t exist in this world. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a song of dawn¡­¡­.¡¯ A faintly bright daylight. And it is a word with the meaning of light of hope. It was a song Aria had never heard. ¡®If the sheet music was in Antis, it must be a Siren¡¯s song.¡¯ Aria learned singing from Count Cortez, not from the same Siren. It was only through Sophia, the Siren, that the Count became aware of the songs and the effectiveness of the songs. ¡®That means that he only knows the songs Mother sang while she was alive.¡¯ Aria started pounding. Because besides the songs she knows herself, it means there may be several other songs. ¡®Can we find a lot of other scores in Antis?¡¯ She thought so. ¨C Anyway, the song isn¡¯t over, so listen to it some more. At those words, Aria and Cloud trembled at the same time. ¨C From now on, it¡¯s real¡­¡­. [¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±] ¨C No, you must listen. The next song is¡­¡­. [¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±] Unable to ept any more shock than this, Aria shook her head. Desperately waving the card. But Vincent ignored her and tried to sing the song steadfastly, fixing his gaze on the score. ¨C That¡¯s too much. You asked me to find out about the artifact, so at least pay attention to what¡¯s inside. No, it¡¯s not that she was not interested¡­¡­. Was he doing that because he really doesn¡¯t know what the problem is? Was he doing that on purpose? Aria narrowed her eyes. But Vincent looked up to the sky and had eyes of truth without a single point of shame. ¨C Oh, my beautiful lost homnd! Aria quickly plugs her ears, just like Cloud did. And she couldn¡¯t stand it and spoke with her voice. ¡°Stop.¡± ¨C Yes. Vincent let out a stunned sound. Cloud¡¯s eyes, who had raised his hands to cover his ears, grew as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Stop making noise, turn the score towards me and show me.¡± ¨C Sister, sister-inw just spoke¡­¡­. Vincent was just broken. Aria let out a sigh. The fact that everyone in the family knew that she was a Siren, but that Vincent was the only one who didn¡¯t know that kept haunting her mind. She actually thought she would reveal this sooner orter. ¡®¡­¡­ It was never like this.¡¯ Even in the midst of confusion, Vincent obeyed Aria¡¯s orders ording to his habit. He murmured, turning the score so that she could see it. ¨C Since when¡­¡­ Wait, then you were able to sing the Siren¡¯s song from the start¡­¡­. And he realized. In the meantime, he somehow felt a strange sense of incongruity, as if he was the only one who didn¡¯t know what everyone in Valentine knew. That was it! ¨C That¡¯s too much! He screamed right away. ¨C I knew it was weird too! I knew that everything rted to the family was going smoothly after Sister-inw came, but! And he was guessing there was something. He also kept in mind that it might actually be a Siren song. But, but. ¨C How can you hide it only from me! At the same time, Aria, who carefully studied the song, opened her lips and began to sing the song. ¡°Fly on the golden wings.¡± Of course, it was apletely different song from the song Vincent sang. Vincent, who had been venting his anger for a while, stoppedining in the middle. And he listened to her song seriously. Since the lyrics were written in the Antisnguage, except for the lyrics she heard from Vincent, she reced them with a hum. ¨C Maybe this song¡­¡­. While listening to the song, Vincent muttered with a serious expression, as if he had noticed something. ¨C I¡¯ll go there right now. *** At about the same time as Vincent said he was about to go, the mansion caretaker delivered the news. Marronnier and the ck Falcon that were sent earlier have returned. ¡®Why?¡¯ Aria was puzzled. ¡®I¡¯m going to Valentine soon, so I sent them to go back first.¡¯ Did something big happen? Aria was worried, so she rushed down the stairs and tried to get out of the mansion. But the moment she turned the doorknob to get out, she couldn¡¯t help but find out what had happened. It was because Tristan, Sabina, and Carlin were just about toe in. Tristan was wearing his clothes properly for the first time in a long time. He always had half of his shirt open, lying on the sofa. ¡®Looking like this¡­¡­.¡¯ Scanning his outfit up and down, Tristan said, tilting his lips at an angle. ¡°Did I look cool?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a duke.¡± Then he replied with a smile. ¡°I heard the Emperor did something interesting.¡± Tristan lifted Aria, who was about to leave the door. ¡°It¡¯s because he said he wouldn¡¯t do anything nonsense against Valentine.¡± Aria reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck to bnce herself. ¡°Hmm, it looks like there are no injuries.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± At that time, Lloyd, who came down after hearing the news like Aria, saw the scene. He ran up to him and stole Aria from Tristan. The movements were so quick and precise that she could believe she had been held by Lloyd in the first ce. ¡®I had a feeling it was going to be like this¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria epted the scene familiarly. Tristan and Lloyd don¡¯t even get tired of growling with her in between every time. By the way, ¡°Ah, it hurts.¡± Tristan¡¯s reaction that followed was not familiar at all. ¡°Sigh, to abuse your helpless old father like this. It hurt so much that I thought you would break my arm.¡± What? Aria¡¯s brain just stopped. She looked back on what she had heard. So, Grand Duke Valentine is sick? Was he someone who could feel pain? ¡®Wait. Well¡­¡­ Of course he does. It may be dull, but all humans feel pain.¡¯ The Grand Duke only felt it slightly smaller than the others, but of course he will feel pain. Besides, it¡¯s not like Lloyd has almost inherited all the devil malice. At least with Lloyd¡¯s power, his body had be a body that could groan. ¡°It¡¯s Lloyd¡¯s fault.¡±, after a moment of thought, she turned to Lloyd and said firmly. Then, Tristan, who was standing behind her, nodded his head with a satisfied smile. ¡°Ha.¡± Who is helpless and weak? A monster with a natural body that far exceeds that of an ordinary human with only malicious intent? Lloyd couldn¡¯t get the rest of his exasperated words out. ¡°Where do you pretend to be weak¡­¡± ¡°Lloyd, put me down.¡± Aria said firmly. He looked down at her, and had no choice but to lower her to the floor in the end. ¡°I think it would be better if you blow ¡®hoo¡¯ on it.¡± Tristan held out his finger to Aria and made a proud request. Lloyd didn¡¯t even touch his finger in the first ce. ¡®This must have happened before¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu for a moment. And she turned to Sabina. Sabina looked at her husband, and shook her head. It was a trick that Sabina and Aria used once during the swordsmanship training. That was already a year ago. ¡°Stupid.¡± Sabina, who left a word to her husband, who performs the same tricks as herself, reached out to Aria and said, ¡°Leave the idiots alone.¡± Aria nodded her head and quickly grabbed her hand. The left out Tristan and Lloyd had no choice but to stare at their backs. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°How did youe to be here?¡± Aria whispered secretly while sticking close to Sabina. Then Sabina looked down at her like she was cute. ¡°Of course I came to see the fairy.¡± She fixed and stroked Aria¡¯s hair, which had been messed up by the earliermotion. She had a skillful and gentle touch that was iparable to Tristan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Carlin continued to vomit while chasing after them. Even the staggered body and the sunken eyes were very impressive. In fact, he had no choice but to get an upset stomach. This was because arge number of people had to be moved without additional support, using only his own energy. ¡®When I heard the news that the dead gutter rat was hiding in the Imperial Pce, I knew it was going to be like this.¡¯ He was now dying from the depletion of energy. His eyes flickered around. ¡°I, ugh, I knew it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Many times, I told you not to change the future¡­¡± He was still like that when his body was in that state? Aria looked at Carlin, who was not inferior to the others in terms of tenacity, getting slightly tired. ¡°Future?¡± But Sabina also listened to the words. It¡¯s because his speaking volume can¡¯t be adjusted because he had nausea. ¡°Changing the future?¡± Aria red at Carlin. He looked like he was going to have a very big problem if he didn¡¯t fix it right away. A reckless Aria, who had smashed through the door to pierce her core, shed through his mind. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll do something unusual again.¡¯ Under the pressure of silence, the shaman Carlin suddenly felt his whole body tense. It seemed as if the nausea had stopped. ¡°¡­the word ¡®future¡¯ was used in the sense of viting the established providence that should have taken ce.¡± It seemed that he got better after telling a lie. Carlin is now quite adept at using the ultimate method of cleverly mixing lies and facts. ¡®Why do I have to acquire such a skill?¡¯ I was just doing the research he wanted to do in the Grand Duchy, and I was taking it easy! It was all Aria¡¯s fault. Carlin, an individualist who hated to be entangled in nuisance as much as possible, let out a sigh. ¡°It should have happened.¡± Sabina, who watched it silently, finally opened her mouth. ¡°Does that apply to me as well? Does it sound like I should have died rather than recover?¡± Carlin¡¯s face, which had already turned white, became even more pale. It was like digging his grave very properly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡± What do you mean, no? It was what everyone heard. The lies seem to have reached the limit. Carlin staggered, instantly losing the ability to swing around skillfully. ¡°It¡¯s not that, if it was a result that should have happened anyway, it would be better to end it with the least amount of damage¡­¡± ¡°Is the least amount of damage my life?¡± Are you stupid? Aria gave a pathetic look. It¡¯s not just digging his grave, so he opened the coffin and went in andy down with his hands crossed. The more they went on with the conversation, the more he was about to be covered with dirt. He tried to exin about providence and causality, but eventually bit his mouth. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s already toote.¡± And he spoke with apletely different atmosphere than usual, making eye contact with Aria precisely. ¡°I can¡¯t fix it anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, you will face the same fate at a greater price than before.¡± It was almost like a whisper. A resigned word so small that Aria¡¯s ears could barely hear it. ¡®Are you cursing?¡¯ She had that thought, but Carlin was more serious than ever, and there was concern in his eyes looking at Aria. As if for her to listen carefully. Aria was also about to get a little serious, ¡°You wanted my wife to die?¡± ¡°GASP!¡± Carlin was startled by the sudden voice from behind. It was because Tristan approached silently and ced a heavy hand on his shoulder. Carlin thought his shoulders were falling apart. ¡°No, it¡¯s not! Why are you listening to me with such a twist!¡± ¡°Why are you getting agitated?¡± Tristan found it absurd. The guy who used to lie t on his face in fear just by making eye contact suddenly swelled up¡­¡­. ¡°All right! May all of the family be reconciled to eternal power and glory!¡± The shaman, already tired and exhausted, squeaked, and suddenly blessed them. And he took out a moving scroll from his arms. As his very existence is a criminal, he could not stay long in the capital anyway. ¡®If the magic tower wizards catch his tails, they will continue to pursue him persistently.¡¯ There is nothing more annoying than that. The situation could no longer be rectified and he was thinking of running away. ¡°No, don¡¯t go.¡± However, Tristan naturally reached out and took his moving scroll. Carlin looked down at his empty hands and raised his head nkly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You too will go to the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was then that he realized the reality and broke out in a cold sweat. Did I say too much? ¡°Since you made some mistakes, can I sacrifice you?¡± ¡°What nonsense is that?¡± Tristan shrugged in, then turned to Lloyd. He was chasing after them with a leisurely pace like a beast. ¡°What did the Emperor decide to do?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ve threatened him not to do anything stupid. He¡¯ll listen to anything we ask from this side.¡± Then Tristan answered. ¡°That¡¯s right. Puppet.¡± After muttering the word puppet for a while, he made a clear decision. ¡°Kill him and make him a puppet.¡± Puppet¡­¡­ what? Aria doubted her own ears. ¡°I will go and kill the Emperor, so the shaman, make a puppet that looks just like the Emperor.¡± ¡°No, wait a minute. What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden!¡± Yes, what nonsense. Ariapletely agreed with Carlin¡¯s opinion this time. ¡°If the Emperor is swapped for a puppet, there¡¯s no way the Archmage won¡¯t notice that he is a fake.¡± ¡°Then kill that Archmage too and make him a puppet.¡± ¡°No, are you crazy?¡± Carlin finally said something harsh. Aria was so dumbfounded that she didn¡¯t say anything. Tristan had a normal face as usual, but when he heard what he said, it looked like he had lost half his reason. He muttered fiercely. ¡°How dare he touch my daughter.¡± No, it was your son who almost died. ¡®He almost died.¡¯ Maybe Tristan knew it too. No, he must have known. The fact that Lloyd¡¯s devil malice cannot be taken away by the gutter rat. ¡®Because it was the original power that the Grand Duke had.¡¯ Lloyd, at the moment when he provoked the gutter rat who was about to take away his malice. Both the Grand Duke and the Grand Prince knew it. That the gutter rat poses no threat in the face of the devil¡¯s malice. ¡°Lloyd.¡± Aria tugged on his sleeve and called out. A curious gaze followed her. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and talk.¡± She said pointing down the corner stairs. Lloyd¡¯s gaze followed her fingertips. It¡¯s the perfect ce to get things done without anyone knowing. Lloyd looked down at Aria with eyes that had a lot to say. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­No, nothing.¡± ¡°What exactly is the devil¡¯s malice?¡± Now she had no choice but to ask. There must be something more. [Valentine¡¯s secret is a top secret known only to the Head and the heir.] Vincent had definitely told her that the other day. Aria was now asking if he could tell her the top secret. Lloyd, who then stopped his steps, looked down at Aria with a gaze of unreadable emotions. Then he crossed his two index fingers to make a cross and ced it over her lips. She rattled, thinking that her heart would stop. What is that cute thing? Aria knew Lloyd was acting cute for her in the moment, and she was so dazed that she stiffened and almost grabbed her heart. But she soon realized that it couldn¡¯t be. Lloyd acting cute? It would be faster for the world to split in two than to see his cuteness. Such an absurd illusion¡­¡­. ¡®But it¡¯s visually shocking.¡¯ She didn¡¯t say a word, so her eyes red at him. He had his eyes half-closed. Eyshes of the same color hung between the pupils cker than the night sky. However, when the sunlight leaking through the gap in the stairs touched his eyes, it shimmered white, the exact opposite of the original color. Angel¡­¡­. ¡®It¡¯s so cute with his actions¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria felt as if she could understand why the servants constantly admired her cuteness and just died suddenly looking at her. Aria managed to regain her sanity and trace the meaning of his actions. ¡®It must mean that I shouldn¡¯t say it.¡¯ There¡¯s no reason to put it into action. In such a cute way too. ¡°Ah.¡± Aria realizedter. ¡°A dicta oath?¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t really nod his head, but he was talking with his eyes. Yes. Aria knew exactly what a dicta oath was. When Count Cortez was ridiculed for being the head of the circus and used Sophia as a siren, it was a dicta oath he made by gathering nobles from the shadows. To keep the exact power of the Siren¡¯s song a secret. ¡®Of course, the structure has changedpletely since I appeared, but everyone knows.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t say that she had made an oath anyway, and she couldn¡¯t write it down once she made it anyway. That¡¯s the dicta oath. The price for breaking the oath was his own life. In this case, the other person had no choice but to guess. ¡®Is it the devil malice that contaminates even the chimera?¡¯ Or, she could think of the opposite possibility. ¡®A divine power¡­..enough to purify the Chimera,¡¯ Aria could quickly deduce it. If the devil¡¯s malice is a really evil and unholy power, she already knows it publicly, so there¡¯s no need to keep it a secret while making a dicta oath. Rather, it would be more correct to put more weight on thetter, which is the opposite case. ¡®Divine power?¡¯ Valentine¡¯s malice? However, Aria had seen Tristan run rampant the other day. It exudes an aura that is well suited to the title of the devil¡¯s malice, which was lightly expressed outside on a sword. Furthermore. ¡®It¡¯s enough to make them even make a dicta oath.¡¯ Why, who? How dare. ¡°The Emperor?¡± Lloyd neither nodded nor shook his head. ¡°Or, Garcia?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or, what other country?¡± Again, no answer. But as if to prove that he wasn¡¯t ignoring Aria¡¯s words, he made eye contact with her very precisely. Aria, who was continuing the 20 questions game without an answer, realized at the same time. ¡°¡­the whole world.¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Even though she gave the names of all countries except the little kingdom, Lloyd had the same eyes. Everyone was together. She couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®At least the nobles didn¡¯t know anything¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria remembered all the information she could get as a Siren. They still, and will always believe, that Valentine sold their soul to the devil. ¡®Then it must be a top secret that only the most powerful people, such as the Emperor or the pope, know.¡¯ Not only that, they made Valentine¡¯s direct lineage take the dicta oath. ¡®It¡¯s a viin created with the tacit consent of the world.¡¯ That was Valentine. ¡®Is this the reason why Valentine stopped protesting even when theymitted treason?¡¯ Because they made Valentine their victim. They did this so that Valentine wouldn¡¯t have other thoughts for nothing, and that Valentine didn¡¯t stimte their heart as much as possible. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair?¡± ¡°Well, no matter what Valentine¡¯s powers were based on, at least their ancestors sinned. Karma.¡± ¡°Whatever crimes your ancestorsmitted, I think you paid enough. What did your ancestors have to do with Lloyd?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Contrary to the saying that it doesn¡¯t matter, his eyes were shaking. As if he had been tormented by guilt at times. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s not just another power, but a divine power. She thought it means that Valentine¡¯s ancestors did something great and corrupted the divine power¡­¡­. That part was unknown. Lloyd did nothing wrong. She didn¡¯t know that the word ¡®too nice¡¯ would be so sympathetic. ¡°First of all, you should have an audience with the Emperor.¡± Aria tried to pretend to be calm. ¡°I think I just heard grinding teeth¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an illusion.¡± In response, she decided to intervene in Tristan¡¯s n to turn the Emperor into a puppet. Very actively. *** Tristan asked the Emperor to meet him. Not in an audience room, but in a room engraved with an amplification magic circle. He said ¡®I asked for it¡¯, but to be precise, he should say ¡®I threatened him¡¯. ¡°Hmm, at least I gave Your Majesty some options to decorate your end.¡± He drew a slow smile on the corner of his lips and spread out two fingers, kindly continuing the exnation. ¡°Die at my hands. Die at my son¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Personally, I rmend the second one, because I will lose my strength and I will not be able to finish you all at once. I think it will be painful¡­¡± At that moment, Lloyd, who was standing next to him and silently sweeping the hilt of the sword with his finger, raised his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I also recently inherited this power. Sometimes I lose my sense of direction.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that I might identally dig into the part other than the vital point without realizing it.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unfortunate. Well, anyway. Did you hear that, Your Majesty?¡± Tristan said, twisting the smile that was softly on the tip of his lips. ¡°Now, please choose.¡± Either way, it means to kill the Emperor painfully. Conrad III clenched his teeth in a cold sweat like rain. Bastards until the end. Even then, he couldn¡¯t believe they had the power of God and not of the Devil. ¡®I thought it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble to get into the gutter rat¡¯s body because it seems to be contaminated enough to carry them around¡­¡­.¡¯ The previous Emperor emphasized Conrad III until his death. Never go against Valentine¡¯s heart. But Conrad blew it away. No matter how great Valentine is, vows tied their mouths and curses tied their actions. But no doubt they would threaten to kill the Emperor right away like this. ¡°Even if you lose our lives, Your Majesty will live forever in our hearts.¡± If anyone were to listen to what they were saying now, it would be a spectacle. Were they not proudly revealing their crazy n to turn the Emperor into a puppet? ¡®You, you must be joking.¡¯ Conrad still believed the bloody Valentines were joking. Isn¡¯t that such an absurd n? However, as the situation ensued, his whole body began to tremble like a trembling tree. ¡°Come here.¡± When Tristan gave the order, Carlin approached with a resigned face. There was a doll in his hand. It was a doll that looked exactly the same as the Emperor, except that his eyes were slightly out of focus. ¡°No, why is the shaman here!¡± Now, you are proudly bringing even criminals into the Imperial Pce! Then Carlin murmured, ¡®I know. Why the hell am I here¡­?¡¯. ¡°I won¡¯t do this again. I¡¯m still avoiding the Tower¡¯s pursuit by adding stacks onto sticks.¡± Tristan waved his hand dryly, as if to stop his chat there. ¡°Even, even after doing this¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. I think it will be fine.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Even if they find out about this, any country will tolerate it. Isn¡¯t that Valentine?¡± Tristan said in a sarcastic tone. And after that long silence, Conrad chose. ¡°Sa, save me.¡± He was begging for his life. ¡°I, I will honor you as the heroes who saved the Empire again.¡± ¡°Sigh, what should we do with this idiot?¡± Tristan sighed. The noble tone he had struggled to maintain in front of the Emperor had already been put away. This time the great Emperor was too bad even if his brain was bad. How can they be interested in being crowned a hero? Then there¡¯s no way that Valentine could have lived like this for generations toe. The Emperor was so pathetic that he could not even make such a simple judgment. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in that.¡± Lloyd answered instead. ¨C I¡¯m interested. It was then. Aria, who had been silent all the time, sent the message. It was a calm voice, but its presence was immense. All of Valentine¡¯s attention, who acted as if they were grabbing the Emperor¡¯s throat, was instantly turned to Aria. ¨C I don¡¯t want the devil Valentine, but now I want to see the hero Valentine. These words came out of the hope that Valentine would no longer be framed unfairly. It may not be possible to break the dicta oath that has been passed down from generation to generation, but at least she wanted them to be recognized for what they kept silently. ¡°Yes, actually, I was interested too.¡± Then Tristan nodded his head and changed his words naturally. Carlin, who was standing next to him, with a timid look on his face the whole time, looked at the Grand Duke astonished. ¨C And¡­¡­ I have something to say to Your Majesty, is it okay if I ask for a private audience? Aria narrowed her eyes and smiled softly. As if her sweet, gentle, fragile smile could not kill a single bug. ¡°Well! Of course!¡± Without hesitation, the Emperor took the hand of salvation. Anyway, it was because it was true that Aria had stopped Valentine from running rampage without knowing the limits. ¡®I lived thanks to the mercy of the Grand Princess.¡¯ He stroked his chest. ¡°Hmm.¡± Tristan let out an unfamiliar sound and looked him up and down, and a chill rushed through his body again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Then Lloyd intervened. Since yesterday, Aria¡¯s appearance has been strange, and he has been keeping an eye on her. ¡°I told you not to carry it alone.¡± ¨C No, not that. Aria responded with a full tone and tapped his ear. It was then that Lloyd recognized the Mermaid¡¯s Tears he was wearing. When a siren sings a kind of song that harms the wearer, she takes the effect back as it is. ¨C I get hurt when Lloyd is in the same room. Only when Lloyd heard those words did he realize that Aria was going to do something to the Emperor. With the Siren¡¯s song. But still, he couldn¡¯t leave her. He was nervous to leave her alone. ¡°If I take off the earring right now¡­¡± Shh. Aria lifted her index finger and ced it over Lloyd¡¯s red lips, pressing her face close. And whispered in the ear of the startled young man so that no one could hear it. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°My song, you can hear it everywhere.¡± It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t trust her. How many times does he have to tell her that he cares about her for her to recognize and ept it? Lloyd let out a small sigh and rubbed his red-hot ear. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Aria nodded her head. Tristan patted her hair lightly as he brushed past her. Sabina opened her arms and hugged her tightly, then let her go without any regrets. Lloyd took Aria¡¯s hand tightly and then let it go, giving the Emperor a gloomy, murderous gaze. Soon the door was closed. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± The Emperor let out a long sigh, as if he was barely out of breath. ¡°Everyone is absolutely crazy. Crazy.¡± The Emperor shrugged his shoulders as he remembered Lloyd¡¯sst nce. He only received the eyes, but it felt like his skin was sliced. ¡°It¡¯s good that I have someone you can talk to. I will forget all the past rudeness, so please, if something like today happens, Valentine¡­.¡± He was taken aback as he continued to speak with a mixture of relief. It was because Aria was right in front of him, not knowing when she hade. From the first time he saw her, she seemed to be out of this world, and the beauty that kept catching his attention was mysterious. The flower-like face was in full bloom. Even the Emperor, who had embraced all the beauties in the world, blushed without realizing it. ¡®You¡¯re still young, but when you grow up, you¡¯re pretty¡­¡­.¡¯ As he was about to continue her thoughts, Aria touched her lips, which were dyed in the color of petals. ¡°When we meet again, I thought I¡¯d cut off your legs and lock you in a cage.¡± What? For a moment, the Emperor¡¯s head went nk and he couldn¡¯t think of any words. This, this, this¡­¡­ And, with an idiot-like expression, his mouth twitched. ¡°But I¡¯ve changed my mind a lot. I don¡¯t want to let you go in such a gentle way.¡± ¡°You know how to talk!¡± ¡°Killing you and turning you into a puppet seems to make it too easy.¡± Everyone is so kind, she added. As Aria drew closer one step at a time, the Emperor moved one step further away. He swung his head, looked around, and salivated in a desperate cry. His body and even the blue veins on his forehead were trembling like convulsions. ¡°What, what are you doing! Without catching the crazy bitch who is disrupting me!¡± The knights also seemed to be dazed without being able to grasp the situation and then came to their senses. They grabbed Aria, standing without resistance with blunt force. Before long, Aria¡¯s lips opened. ¡°Hell¡¯s vengeance boils in my heart, Death and despair ze about me.¡± The Song of Doom. Aria has never seen anyone living intact after hearing this song. A song from hell that makes the listener suffer just by breathing and drops them into the abyss. How she looked forward to the day she would sing him this song. She stretched her hand toward the Emperor, leaving behind the staggering knights. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Note: ¡°<bold>¡± is a song ¡° is a shback dialogue ¡°¡­.¡± is directly spoken dialogue. The Emperor stepped backwards, but his foot caught on the sofa and he floundered on it. Aria grabbed his chin and lifted it roughly, smiling brightly. And she poured out the cursed song she had cherished all her life. ¡°Death! And despair!¡± Count Cortez intended to keep Aria by his side for the rest of his life. The war had no end, and the enemy forces brutally ughtered everyone without mercy. It was a dark time. Garcia¡¯s knights, drunken by the madness of war, did not know the extent of the war, and the people¡¯s anger toward the helplessly copsing empire did not go away easily. In the end, Count Cortez, who once dreamed of establishing a religion around Aria, quickly cut her off. That monster is not my daughter! ¡°Then you will not be my daughter anymore:¡± The Mermaid¡¯s Tears were passed from Count Cortez to the Emperor. ¡°Disowned you be forever,¡± The Emperor held the Mermaid¡¯s Tears in his ears and demanded endlessly from Aria. ¡°Sing, sing. My angel.¡± ¡°Sing until your vocal cords are torn to shreds and you die from exhaustion!¡± Does he know how many times she begged to die at the hands of the angry crowd? Aria lived. In the hands of the Emperor. So, she will let him live. In her own hands. ¡°Abandoned be you forever, Destroyed be forever, All the bonds of nature.¡± To inflict more pain on the Emperor than death. She sang the song she wanted so much. ¡°¡­ Kugh! Cough! Cough.¡± The Emperor vomited blood. At the high-pitched sound, ignoring the limits, blood flowed from his eyes and ears, and engraved on his face. He tried to cover his ears, but to no avail. Each syble that Aria spit out became a sharp de, and it pierced his eardrum. A terrifying demonic song that bursts one¡¯s anger unobstructed. ¡°Huuu¡­uoohk¡± It was difficult for him to breathe. The lungs, which had expanded to the limit, felt like they were about to burst while taking a short, hoarse breath. Like a taut bowstring, there was a fear that seemed to be about to break even if one more mistake was made. If it was released, it was mped again, and if it stopped like this, it was released again. Without end. He would rather die and be freed from this fear. ¡°Kill me, kill me¡­¡± This was still just the beginning. Why, you¡¯re already crying? Aria, who smiled briefly, took a deep breath. ¡°Hear! Gods of revenge!¡± Her voice resonated like a loud bell signaling the time. On the magic circle engraved on the floor, the purple wave slowly spread like a painting. The wave of the song was amplified even more, hitting the inside hard. ¡°Hear the mother¡¯s oath!¡± And it finally came to an end. Aria grabbed the Emperor¡¯s cor, who had fallen motionlessly on the floor. Though she seemed to be exhausted by singing the Song of Doom. She painstakingly erased her troubled look perfectly and her eyes gleaming beautifully. Aria engraved the Song of Doom with a soft tone in his ear, who was groaning a little. And she whispered. ¡°There is a saying that I was impressed with when hearing it from Father when I was a little younger than now.¡± Four years ago, Tristan said. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to how far he¡¯ll fall with futile hopes. I¡¯d rather he be begging me to kill him while rolling in the mud and crawling at my feet.¡± The moment Aria heard those words, she thought of the Emperor and the Song of Doom throughout. The day when the Emperor will continue to despair while harboring a glimmer of hope, and earnestly beg for his death. The Emperor begged quickly just by her giving him a little bit of pain, but the ruin that was unfolding before him would not stop. ¡°I think I can see why Carlin refused to know the future.¡± The shaman never wondered what was going to happen in the future. Rather, he cut off Aria¡¯s words in the middle. Never tell the future. Because the foreordained future is more painful than death. ¡°You will die. In endless pain. If you can breathe, you will be thrown into the fires of hell, and if you just want to die like this, you will see futile hope.¡± And Aria foretold the future of the Emperor. He will fail for the rest of his life, and he will be unhappy for the rest of his life. From a bottom worse than despair, from which no matter how hard you try, he couldn¡¯t get out. *** Lloyd took the earrings off and put them on again and looked anxiously at the door. He could only hear the singing clearly, perhaps because the effect of the song she sang was out of reach. A voice full of hate. A voice caught in violent passion. It wasn¡¯t a grudge that had just umted for a day or two. ¡®Do you ever had anything to do with the Emperor? But there could be no contact¡­¡­.¡¯ Come to think of it, she immediately recognized the room engraved with amplification magic. He forgot for a while because the Emperor put him not in a good mood because of the work. Lloyd made a decision without saying a word, took the earring off and put it in his arms. And the moment he opened the door, ¡°¡­¡­Aria!¡± Aria, who had just left, fell into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just lost power¡­¡± She was just feeling a little dizzy. Now that she¡¯s adept at manipting magical powers, she doesn¡¯t copse from singing as much as she used to. ¡°It¡¯ll get better with a little rest.¡± Aria had to calm Lloyd, who was spewing ferocious murderous energy towards the motionless, copsed Emperor. ¡®No, that¡¯s not the way it was¡­¡­.¡¯ Anyone who sees it would think that the Emperor was trying to harm Aria. Lloyd lifted her in his arms before she could even grab her center and walk properly. He checked the inside of the room and gave Carlin a chin gesture, giving a brief order. ¡°Put it away.¡± ¡°In this situation where I¡¯m avoiding the pursuit of the Magic Tower the Grand Prince is giving me ovepping, ovepping, ovepping chores¡­.¡± But Carlin, who received Lloyd¡¯s cold gaze from the front, immediately agreed. ¡®Yes! That¡¯s my situation, right!¡¯ Carlin squatted down, wiped the blood of the fainted Emperor,id him down on the sofa, and made him seemingly normal. Even the knights and employees too. It was a pretty usible destruction of evidence. *** Aria looked up at Vincent, with a face full of things to say. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk?¡± ¡°It must have been Sister-inw who didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Well. He¡¯sing at her again like this. ¡°I am contemting whether I should express my sadness to Sister-inw first or deal with urgent matters first.¡± ¡°Maybe thetter.¡± ¡°Again, you¡¯re speaking to your advantage! It¡¯s usually the former!¡± No¡­¡­ he said it was urgent. Aria was also quite flustered. Because she never meant to reveal that she could speak in this way. In a more serious mood, she was going to reveal her sincere apologies for what she had kept hidden from him. Why did this happen? ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I think your song is wrong.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. No matter what, it¡¯s definitely Vincent¡¯s fault.¡± It felt that he just got more offended. Aria felt a deep sense of regret in her heart, and she lowered the tip of her eyebrows and grabbed Vincent¡¯s hand with both hands. And she said with a warm gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And thank you as always.¡± She thought Vincent was going to be a little more rambunctious. Vincent quickly softened his momentum and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to get over it with just one word?¡± Yes, of course. As soon as Aria answered that deep inside her, he began to exin what he had found out. ¡°At that time the map to Antis, which you obtained from the one who imed to be a descendant of the royal family¡­..no, the madman.¡± ¡°The conch pearl?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± He nodded his head. ¡°Have you ever headed back to Antis with that pearl?¡± ¡°No, that was the first andst time I saw Antis in my dreams.¡± No matter how much she fell asleep with the conch pearl in her arms, that was the end of it. ¡°Can you tell me more about the dream?¡± It was such a vivid dream that she remembered it clearly. Aria traced her memories of that time and exined them almost urately. Except where she hit the rubble of a building and injured her arm. ¡®Then it bes difficult to exin how I was treated.¡¯ She also has to exin Veronica¡¯s ne. In the part where she said that ¡®I picked up the storage box and the building copsed.¡¯ Vincent had a more confident expression on his face. ¡°As expected¡­¡­.¡± What. Don¡¯t realize it on your own and tell me. Aria turned her head towards Vincent and focused. ¡°The Song of Dawn in this storage box seems to have been prepared for the Siren seeking their hometown.¡± What was he talking about? ¡°Please exin in a more understandable way.¡± ¡°No, if I¡¯ve said this far, shouldn¡¯t you understand?¡± There he goes again? Has Vincent ever heard that you can pay off a debt of 100 million chars with a single word? He helped her in both ways, both physically and mentally, but it was also a talent to be nice to him. ¡®¡­¡­ Even if you¡¯re in debt, you¡¯ll want to pretend you don¡¯t know.¡¯ As Aria¡¯s expression turned sullen, Vincent sighed and continued his exnation. ¡°Antis appears to be designed so that no one can enter it.¡± ¡°No one?¡± ¡°Yes. Sirens only.¡± She has to sing this song. He said so, and delivered the storage box that he was holding to Aria. ¡°Only the Siren can do it, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t sing at all.¡± While he added words that Aria could never agree with. ¡°In other words, if youe into contact with the map in the dream and bring this storage box, then the Siren sings the sheet music, so that she can head to Antis.¡± ¡°Can I really go there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure about that¡­ at least you got a clue.¡± The ce is just an imaginary space created to store this object. That was Vincent¡¯s exnation. ¡®Real Antis.¡¯ The Siren¡¯s hometown. ¡°That¡¯s why when I heard Sister-inw¡¯s song at that time and immediately came running. There will be a lot of preparation to go to Antis right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Once in the sea¡­¡± She didn¡¯t even know if she needed some kind of magic to be able to breathe underwater. And since she can¡¯t sing in the sea, she won¡¯t be able to use the Siren¡¯s powers¡­¡­. Aria pondered for a moment before continuing her thoughts, then raised her head and asked. ¡°But how did you find out about that without any real clue?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious just looking at the sheet music. Why are you asking something obvious?¡± Aria just decided to stop him. Song Quote: ¡®Der H?lle Rache¡¯ from Mozart¡¯s opera Die Zauberfl?te. (or Queen of the Night aria from Mozart¡¯s the Magic Flute) Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Aria turned her gaze and said to Cloud. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to find the man who sold me the pearl before.¡± Then, before Cloud could even speak, Vincent answered. ¡°What? That madman?¡± Aria nodded her head. At the time, she thought he was some kind of big talker who had gone crazy, so she paid for the Conch Pearl and let him go¡­¡­. ¡®If Vincent¡¯s conjecture is true, then there may really be someone in his family that has inherited the conch pearl from generations to generations.¡¯ Perhaps not a descendant of the royal family. For now, he was the only one holding a clue to Antis. She needed to keep him close for now ¡°Maybe he has more information than what we found.¡± It wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. Aria ordered Cloud to find him. ¡®What is there in Antis?¡¯ Sirens living in hiding? Or the sheet music for many songs that Aria didn¡¯t learn? Or is there a treasure as rumored? Antis was uncharted territory. So, Aria had no choice but to head there even more. *** The usual time. Conrad III opened his eyes. If there was anything different about him, it was that he had a nightmare he couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°¡­¡­Gasp!¡± The Emperor took a deep breath and jumped out of bed. Cold sweat dripped down like rain. It was a terrible nightmare. He could not remember the contents of the dream at all, but only the eerie fear remained clear and brushed his spine. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡± But as soon as he woke up, he saw a doctor who he didn¡¯t even call. He breathed a sigh of relief, as if the Emperor had risen from the dead. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Conrad raised an eyebrow and asked. What is the reason he was not safe? ¡°Since Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s visit, you¡¯ve been asleep like he¡¯s fainted, so I only know that happened¡­¡± Conrad traced his memory. He remembered being threatened by Valentine¡¯s kin, then the Grand Princess asked for a private audience¡­¡­. After that, there was a ckout. ¡®What did Grand Princess Valentine do to me?¡¯ Scared to think so, the doctor added, ¡°There were no internal or external injuries, but you didn¡¯t wake up, so everyone was very worried.¡± There was no external trauma or internal trauma? The Emperor felt even more uneasy. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Two days. Your Majesty.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Emperor, who just had a nightmare and woke up wildly, then greeted the morning as usual, was dumbfounded. ¡®Did I pass out because I was scared of Valentine? Me?¡¯ It was absurd. But in the circumstances it was. Or, there was a possibility that the Emperor was forced to pass out by getting hypnotized or some special tactic. Either of them were teeth grinding, but it was better than dying and letting a doll just like him rule the empire. ¡®They said there were no internal or external injuries¡­¡­ I should be grateful to the Grand Princess¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know why there is such a good girl who is born with that beauty as the wife of the cursed Grand Prince. They said she was adopted by the Angelo family, but her origin is unclear¡­¡­. It was when Conrad was carrying on his thoughts. ¡°You will die.¡± He heard hallucinations. ¡°In endless pain.¡± A small whisper was heard. Two times, three times, endlessly ovepping. It stuck to his ear like mucus that didn¡¯t fall off. He trembled and looked around. Nothing was there. ¡°If you can breathe, you will be thrown into the fires of hell, and if you just want to die like this, you will see futile hope.¡± The sound grew louder and clearer. As if someone was talking into his ear. He let out a cry. ¡°Wh, what. Who are you!¡± But, looking around, there was no one there. The Emperor drew his sword and put it on the neck of the doctor who was right next to him. ¡°Gasp, Your, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Is it you?¡± ¡°What?¡± The doctor asked in a hoarse voice. He couldn¡¯t figure out why the Emperor suddenly went mad. ¡°I asked if you mocked me?¡± ¡°How, how could that be! I didn¡¯t say anything. As always, I just checked your Majesty¡¯s condition!¡± In Conrad¡¯s ears, the doctor¡¯s desperate rification voice and auditory hallucinations ovepped. ¡°You will be destroyed.¡± With that said, he clenched his teeth. Feeling fear at the sound ofing from nowhere, anger suddenly rose for a moment. ¡°Destroyed! Funny!¡± The Emperor raised his sword and cut off the head of the doctor at once. The doctor who died without even making a single rebellion fell to the floor. ¡°I will enjoy eternal power and glory! I will make a name for myself as the greatest Emperor of Fa ever!¡± He shouted out in a groan. Then the auditory hallucination that had been ringing like a bell in his ear faded slightly. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡± He let out a low breath and lowered his wet sword to the floor. The attendants around looked at him with blue faces and dragged the doctor¡¯s body as if they were familiar with it. ¡°A promise is a promise isn¡¯t it¡­¡± Conrad had to make Valentine a hero. He had survived in the name of it, so he did not know what would happen if he broke his promise. ¡°Well, Garcia¡¯s side will rush at you like a feral dog.¡± But, what to do? Even if it escted into problems between empires, he had to do this. In order not to be a puppet Emperor. It was not a metaphor, she was going to be a real puppet. ¡°Call the aide and tell them to prepare the ceremony.¡± The Emperor ordered his servants. And he thought to himself. Soon, there wille a time when Valentine will no longer be arrogant. Someday, for sure. Valentine will be left only as a family of devils that have disappeared from history. He will make it with his own hands. ¡°You will perish and die.¡± He sighed again and looked around. He still couldn¡¯t see anything, but the evil whispers continued to ring in his ear. It was a feeling of misfortune and destruction eating away, smacking their lips, aiming for a gap. ¡°Stop, stop¡­¡± The Emperor muttered desperately, covering his ears with both hands. However, for a long time, he could notpletely shake off the fear that became entangled in him like a snake. *** ¡°¡­Thank you for your hard work, I confer this medal and trophy to Valentine, who became a hero of our country.¡± Lloyd, who was listening quietly, turned to Aria. She stood with a happy expression on her face, ready to p her hands. He hurriedly approached the Emperor¡¯s neck with force. And he quietly received a medal from the Emperor, who shuddered alone for nothing. Even so, it was only surprising to see how it looked as if it was stolen. The apuse of the nobles with astringent expressions echoed hollowly in the hall filled with silence. ¨C Wow! Congrattions Lloyd! Aria was the only one who was truly thrilled by this situation. She smiled brightly and pped her hands. The recipient of the award must wear a white robe. And wearing a robe adorned with golden epaulettes and golden thread, he was shining like a star just as she had imagined! ¡®Ahh, pretty.¡¯ However, there was a moment of wonder as well as joy. Aria whispered in Tristan¡¯s ear secretly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what Father should receive?¡± Although Lloyd killed the gutter rat, it was still Tristan who represented the Valentine¡¯s house. Then Tristan answered. ¡°That kind of skit¡­¡± He nced at Aria instead of speaking his words, and then suddenly changed his words like flipping the palm of her hand. ¡°¡­that¡¯s too much of a reward for me.¡± When Aria¡¯s request is finished. Vincent also attended the award ceremony. He took a video ball and carefully filmed the scene where Lloyd was awarded the prize. He was thinking of making fun of Lloyd over and over again with this video. ¡°Wow, look at his face.¡± Vincent mumbled in admiration. ¡°Sister-inw, that¡¯s the expression on Brother¡¯s face that I mentioned earlier. That expression that looks like it¡¯s possessed by the devil.¡± ¨C I see only an angel? ¡°¡­? Aren¡¯t the sses supposed to be worn by Sister-inw, not me?¡± Vincent stopped filming and looked down at Aria and said seriously. However, Lloyd, who returned after receiving the award, took the video ball naturally. Crash¨C And smashed it. With just one grip. The image went away little by little, and then in an instant, it cracked and shattered into pieces. Vincent looked down with tired eyes at the shards of ss that had once been a video ball. ¡°Brother, did you know that the video ball was made so that it would never break even if dropped from the top floor of the tower?¡± ¡°So.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying.¡± After Vincent mumbled back and forth, he gave Aria a pleading eye. Aria blinked her eyes and asked Lloyd. ¨C Why? Don¡¯t like it? ¨C No, it¡¯s¡­¡­. Lloyd said with a look of disgust, no. Aria said as she reached out and tidied up his messy hair. ¨C Thank you. For listening to me ¨C ¡­¡­. ¨C Actually, it was just self-satisfaction. One day, I want to get rid of Valentine¡¯s devil¡¯s stigma. Even if they only get one award, it doesn¡¯t change anything. As if to prove that fact, the nobles were still far away and pretended to be the wallflowers. ¡®I don¡¯t know why they attended the award ceremony in the first ce.¡¯ Today, since the foundation ceremony, it boasted the highest attendance rate of any other ceremony. Most of the nobles who came to the capital from the estate for the social season appeared at this award ceremony. ¡®Scary is scary, and curious is curious, right?¡¯ As the object of envy. Even if they can¡¯t even make a sound right now, after today, Valentine will be on the lips of many nobles. Aria frowned and lifted her head,ughing at their duality. At that moment, their eyes met. A girl without any decorations, wearing the coat of arms of the Holy Empire. ¡®Saint Veronica.¡¯ The blonde hair was gently braided to one side, and the eyes were darker than Aria¡¯s memories. Appearing in the banquet hall with an unadorned, modest appearance, she was surrounded by people. The nobles, who had stuck to the wall and did not think of falling, were flocking like swarms around only that area. ¡°Oh, this time I donated money to the temple¡­¡± ¡°I want to say hello to the new saint from Garcia¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to the Saint, peace and quiet of the family hase¡­¡± Although she was a foreigner from a foreign country, she had naturally gained the absolute trust and affection by the single position she held. Aria didn¡¯t move right away. ¡®Actually, I still can¡¯t believe it. The fact that all the misfortunes that have happened to me in my past life were nned by Veronica¡­¡­.¡¯ That moment, Veronica smiled broadly. ¡°Grand Princess.¡± After she apologized to the people around her, she came to Aria¡¯s side. ¡°You are taking care of my knight, so I always wanted to say hello.¡± Neatly curved eyebrows. A smile that is unbelievably holy. A soft hand gently wrapped around Aria¡¯s, which had been lying defenseless. ¡®My knight.¡¯ Aria was certain of the single word that could be passed on by dismissing it as a trivial matter. She was keeping her in check. Aria looked up at Veronica for a moment, pretending she didn¡¯t know, and she smiled brightly and rolled her eyes. ¨C Oh, you mean Gabriel? ¡°¡­!¡± ¨C I also wanted to say hello to the saint once. Your knight is an upright and loyal person. Thank you for sending me a nice person. And once again, she showed a wless, clean smile. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°¡­¡­Nice person?¡± Then Lloyd muttered a little next to her. But Aria focused all her nerves on Veronica, so she couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Gabriel?¡± ¨C Yes. Sir Gabriel. As Aria pretended to be friendly and called his name, a subtle change was seen in Veronica¡¯s expression. She has been living in the same space with Gabriel for 4 years, so it would be natural to think that it was amon name. ¡®As if he didn¡¯t even want that.¡¯ But. Usually, when a Garcia native is sent to Valentine¡¯s Castle, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s lucky if he doesn¡¯t get bullied, let alone have a nickname. The opposite is also true. Because Garcia and Valentine were known to be bitter enemies externally. There¡¯s no way Veronica didn¡¯t know that. ¡®Did you want your knight to be isted?¡¯ Aria looked at Veronica with a piercing gaze inside. And that moment. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Veronica eximed briefly. ¡°As expected¡­¡­.¡± As expected? ¡°After all, you were as kind as I had imagined.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re more than I expected. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re such a beautiful, kind, and lovable person. I¡¯m d. It¡¯s so¡­¡± She was truly amazed. And she was thrilled. As if she couldn¡¯t have been happier than this, she smiled broadly as her face lit up with a color, and tears welled up at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met you, but I feel like I¡¯ve met my lost sister.¡± It¡¯s too much. Aria trembled at the words about her lost sister. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sir Knight was able to live a little morefortably in a foreign country thanks to the Grand Princess.¡± Aha. So, because Aria resembles Veronica¡¯s sister, Gabriel agreed to the name and expressed his liking towards Aria. Was this what Veronica wanted to say? ¨C Don¡¯t say that. I haven¡¯t done anything. Aria smiled softly after the saint, and squeezed her hand tighter as Veronica was holding it. ¨C Rather, thanks to Gabriel, I found peace of mind. He prayed with me every day. Did Veronica hear about that from Gabriel? When Aria said that she had prayed with Gabriel every day, the expression on Veronica¡¯s face showed displeasure rather than surprise. Because the corners of her eyes are very finely frowning. ¡°¡­Found peace of mind?¡± Then she heard Lloyd muttering something next to her. This time she listened carefully, but Aria tried to pretend she didn¡¯t know. The rification would beter. ¨C Of course, it will be of greatfort to Gabriel to be by the saint¡¯s side more than me. ¡°Ah, is that so¡­¡± ¨C You would have been together longer and you would have built more bonds. Aria smiled. Of course, she said this knowing that Veronica had been with him less than four years. It was a word that pretended to be in favor of her saint. If he was such a precious knight, she should have kept him by her side, as if sarcastic. ¡®I¡¯ve scratched your nerves like this, sp aren¡¯t you going to reveal your true color?¡¯ Aria followed the gentle smile and watched Veronica¡¯s reaction. Maybe she¡¯ll make a grim expression or say sharp words without realizing it. Aria expected such a reaction¡­¡­. ¡°No, it seems that he has developed a deeper bond with the Grand Princess, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Unfortunately, however, Veronica was not a simple, see-through pawn like the emperor. The sign of her slightly restraining Aria hadpletely disappeared. And she meekly admitted. Over the past four years, Gabriel has be closer to Aria than herself. ¡®I knew it would be like this, but¡­¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s also notmon. It was for this reason that Aria never doubted Veronica in her previous life. In that moment, she perfectly captures and erases her emotions. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the ne, I might not have suspected her yet.¡¯ But now that her fantasies of the saint have been stripped away, it was evident. Now, Veronica¡¯s expression is mainly the expression that nobles usually make when they throw away cards that are no longer useful. ¡®Gabriel¡­¡­ no longer useful?¡¯ The ne was currently owned by Aria. So Veronica will need Gabriel more desperately than her past life. ¡®Because it will be difficult to obtain divine power.¡¯ Veronica, who was powerless, had to somehow get her hands on him and use him as a chess piece that moved at her will. ¡®Or did you find another way to obtain divine power?¡¯ No, no. Then, when Gabriel secretly looked at Veronica through themunication channel, there was no way that Gabriel, who was dull, could not feel it. Didn¡¯t Veronica alle to the Fa Empire earlier than nned to find a way to increase the divine power? Aria was confused for a moment at Veronica¡¯s unexpected reaction. ¡°Ah, and Sir Knight seems to have said something because of me¡­¡± Veronica blushed in embarrassment. And she immediately opened her eyes wide and then lowered her eyes and muttered as if crying. ¡°Because Icked divine power more than the other saints and priests¡­ it seems that I unintentionally offended others¡­¡± Aria remembered the day Gabriel said that something bad had happened to Veronica the other day. He said he couldn¡¯t tell because it was the saint¡¯s personal history. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what Sir Knight said to the Grand Princess, but I just wanted to convey that you don¡¯t have to worry about it at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy just like this. I don¡¯t want to use other means to increase divine power.¡± Veronica was smart. She was even guessing that Gabriel had learned how to increase divine power through Aria. And first, she drew the line saying that she didn¡¯t need him on her side. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll try to predict what I¡¯m going to ask first and block it in advance¡­¡­.¡¯ It was then. Aria was startled. Veronica stroked the back of her hand with her thumb and let it go. Goosebumps rose from the back of her neck at the sticky touch, with unknown intentions. ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Aria paused, but Lloyd quickly expressed his displeasure. She blinked innocently as Lloyd showed a ferocious look. As if she had no idea. Since she had already let go of her hand, it was an ambiguous timing to say something Aria raised her arm and stopped Lloyd, who was clearly thinking, ¡®Should I just kill this?¡¯ ¡°Great, Saint Veronica!¡± At that time, the cardinal, who was surrounded by the believers and gave blessings, called out to Veronica in a loud voice. He was recognizable at a nce by his morous, white appearance that could be seen from afar. ¡°Oh, Cardinal Andrea.¡± Was the cardinal here? Aria was stunned. It was because she had no idea why the cardinal had attended this award ceremony. ¡®It must be to protest the emperor.¡¯ Because without a consultation he made everyone¡¯s viin, Valentine, the hero. There will also be a lightning bolt from Garcia. ¡°I have something to tell you, so pleasee over here for a moment.¡± He greeted Lloyd and Aria briefly and then tried to take Veronica quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do, so I¡¯ll have to leave.¡± Veronica said sadly. ¡°Please take care of my knight for the rest of the year. A person who is more beautiful than a miracle with a warm heart and is more lovely than a fairy.¡± As lovely as a fairy¡­¡­. No matter how much sugar-coating it is, the rhetoric was too much. ¡°Then I look forward to seeing you next time.¡± And left without regret. Leaving behind only an unknown, strange smile. ¡°What does all this mean?¡± She doesn¡¯t know either. Aria was only full of confusion. ¡®It¡¯s really not normal.¡¯ She just felt it for sure. ¡°Now, all the things are¡­¡± And right now, there was no time to seriously reflect on Veronica¡¯s actions. She had to keep calming Lloyd, who had be quite ufortable, until the ceremony was over. *** ¡°Grand Princess, I understand what you asked for before. I¡¯ve been trying to¡­¡± Cloud words trailed off as if in trouble for a moment. ¡°The whereabouts of the man could not be found.¡± The man¡­¡­. Perhaps he was called Ted. Aria barely recalled in her memory the name, which had passed through her ears as she had heard it before. ¡°Is he missing?¡± ¡°No. He did not disappear, he escaped.¡± ¡°¡­¡­escape?¡± Aria asked, as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°I heard that he has a wife and children. Did they also run away together?¡± Then Cloud responded with a rare wrinkled brow. ¡°It is said that he abandoned his family and fled overnight without paying off his debts.¡± Huh? It was more absurd than his sudden escape. Isn¡¯t he the one who set out to find the vain treasures of Antis to pay off debts and save his family? Then he got the money from the conch pearl, abandoned his family, and fled without paying off his debts? The situation was not right. ¡°Did you confirm that he made it back to the estate safely?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard it from the other ck Falcon.¡± Since she had paid for the pearl, they would have kept an eye on the money to make sure it wasn¡¯t stolen by bandits or used for dangerous things. They wouldn¡¯t have bothered to go inside the estate and check it out. ¡°Then it has to do with the Lord.¡± Aria was sure. The Lord¡¯s humanity has been questioned ever since he taunted his servants for breaking a teacup, putting the servants in debts and taunting them toe find the treasure. ¡°What? The Lord?¡± Then, Cloud looked startled and asked in disbelief. The reaction seemed unpredictable. ¡®No way, he didn¡¯t ask questions, he just came back without doing anything¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria slightly regretted sending Cloud alone. It was simply because she thought lightly that it would be over if Cloud brought Ted. She didn¡¯t expect she would be involved in an incident in the middle. ¡°How is Sir using your head?¡± At that time, Vincent, who was next to Aria, was researching the materials about Antis, asked. He was genuinely puzzled, not mocking. Then Cloud answered calmly. ¡°I hear a lot about it being a decoration.¡± ¡°You are proud of yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m handsome?¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Vincentughed briefly ¡®hoho¡¯. He was over this because he knew he was the one who would be grabbing the back of his own neck and fell* if he reacted more than this. He opened his mouth with a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Haha, yes. Sir¡¯s head is good enough to be used as a decoration.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± Don¡¯t get shy. It¡¯s not apliment. Aria sighed and wiped her face, pping her lips. But in the end, she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡®¡­¡­ If you¡¯re happy, maybe that¡¯ll be enough?¡¯ If the level ofmon sense stopped at that level, would it not be that he just didn¡¯t want to know? Cloud would just be a happy knight if he had a master to serve while honing his swordsmanship. Aria also smiled vaguely, but she still punished Vincent by stepping on his foot for his words. Don¡¯t make fun of my knight. ¡°I just agreed with him because he said his head was a decoration¡­¡± Vincent let out a small groan and was surprised, then put down the documents and said. ¡°I had a quick look at what Sister-inw asked for.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I remember all the records about Antis that I found in the Angelo Libraryst time.¡± After showing off his memory, he shook his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t remember reading anything about it. I can¡¯t find it anywhere else.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­.¡± Was it so? Aria let out a sigh openly, showing her disappointment. She turned her attention back to the news that Cloud brought. ¡°Which family is the Lord from exactly?¡± ¡°It is Viscount O¡¯Neill. He said he didn¡¯t know anything about the man¡¯s whereabouts, but I don¡¯t know if he was pretending¡­.¡± Cloud trembled with a sense of betrayal. Aria and Vincent stared at him with cold eyes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve heard that his family was sold to the Underhill ve.¡± ¡°What? Already?¡± Aria jumped up from her seat. More because the Underhill ve trader was arge-scale ve trader operating around the world based on the Kingdom of Bruto. It was quite a troublesome ce to touch. ¡°When were they sold?¡± ¡°It was a week ago. Usually, after educating ves, they are auctioned off in the market, but recently they are all sent to the Kingdom of Bruto.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The Kingdom of Bruto was a country bordered by Garcia and the lowest ce in between. In order to get there from the Fa Empire by ship, it would take a long time. Was there any reason to move ves from other country to their home country? ¡®It would be a waste of time and money and the procedure would be veryplicated. If things go wrong, it can lead to problems between countries and cause casualties.¡¯ It was not something they would do at the expense of such loss. ¡°I heard that the Kingdom of Bruto has been collecting ves on arge scale recently, but I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Cloud added, ¡°I was told they would be sent there.¡±. Large scale. ¡°They¡¯re going tounch several ships¡­¡± There would be many ves. Aria murmured, lost in her thoughts. She thought that hopefully she could take advantage of this situation. ¡°Even after hearing that, Sir could not have guessed that it was Viscount O¡¯Neill¡¯s¡­ No, don¡¯t. Let¡¯s just not talk about it.¡± Vincent, who heard all the stories next to him, raised his sses and said, ¡°Seeing that ve traders were involved, it seems that he owed a loan to some debt business and the Viscount. He doesn¡¯t seem to want to pay the Viscount for the money, as he seems to have worked hard to get the money from conch pearl.¡± It was a casual tone. Aria remembered Ted, who was desperate to protect his family. Vincent muttered, ¡°A week ¡­¡± and then clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°Just give up. A long time has passed. The man named Ted must have already been killed by Viscount O¡¯Neill.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet.¡± He was a lord of bad taste who did notugh and did not ignore it even after hearing the absurd story of Antis¡¯ treasure. He pretended to give Ted a chance to the end and yed with him for fun. It is very likely that it was still the case today. ¡°Is O¡¯Neill¡¯s estate near here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if it¡¯s close or far, but the shaman is still in the mansion, so we can go right away.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be out for a while.¡± Aria said lightly as if she was going for a walk to the front and got up from her seat. ¡°Now, wait a minute. Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Grand Princess, no!¡± However, Vincent and Cloud simultaneously grabbed Aria¡¯s hem. And they forced her to stop as she was about to go straight ahead. For some reason, at that time, the two of them agreed. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them?¡¯ Aria said as she brushed off the hands of the two who were interfering with her. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She had the confidence to fix it in the blink of an eye. Whether it was ve traders or the lord, infiltrating through the song, brainwashing them and extorting them would be the end of it. But the two men who heard her say it calmly vehemently oppose it. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Yes, never.¡± And Aria was forcibly taken away. To Lloyd. ¡°Come on, repeat after me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I cherish my body.¡± To Lloyd¡¯s harsh words, Aria responded with a sullen expression. ¡°I cherish my body¡­ But isn¡¯t that what Lloyd is supposed to be saying?¡± Then, at her retort, Vincent smirked and clicked his tongue. ¡°Can Brother¡¯s monstrous body bepared to Sister-inw¡¯s ss body?¡± ¡°Just because your body is strong doesn¡¯t mean you can roll it around.¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t roll the ss body even more, because it will shatter.¡± It wasn¡¯t that much. But for an instant, she was speechless. When Aria reveals that she is a Siren, she realized that there were three more people who nagged at her just like Carlin. ¡®No, not just three people.¡¯ Tristan and Sabina would never have let her go if they knew about it. ¡®I should just sneak up on it.¡¯ Aria habitually thought so, but in the end she had no choice but to have a warm smile on her lips. ¡°Yes, I will cherish it.¡± Shouldn¡¯t she be taking care of it from now on? ¡®How to live with Valentine.¡¯ Aria was nning to unravel the identity of the curse that Valentine had been carrying. At the same time, she had to find a way to heal her broken body. ¡®For that I have been desperately researching Antis¡­¡­.¡¯ If there were any Sirens other than Aria in Antis, she wondered if they would be able to heal her time-limited body. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if the Siren¡¯s song works for the same Siren.¡¯ Aria had never heard Sophia sing when she was a child. It was only after Sophia died that Aria realized she was a Siren because Sophia hid it so thoroughly from Aria. So she didn¡¯t know exactly. ¡®Mother died¡­¡­.¡¯ She has no choice but to meet the same Siren and check it out. She could not go to Antis blindly without any information she needed. For that reason, Aria asked Vincent to find out whether her song works with Sirens. ¡®But he said he couldn¡¯t find any rted records¡­¡­.¡¯ Still, the situation was positive. Because the same magicians canmunicate with each other, and the same priests with the same divine power canmunicate with each other. Wouldn¡¯t it be the same with Sirens? If there were Sirens other than Aria, and the Siren¡¯s song worked for Aria¡­¡­. ¡®Then I can be with you for the rest of my life.¡¯ With Lloyd. Until they die of old age. Aria was thrilled by the fact and wanted to go to Antis as soon as possible. ¡®But if you use too much force, it will be putting the cart before the horse.¡¯ Lloyd was right. She had to cherish her body. ¡°Then can I go now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you listened to me at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry right now, so¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of putting people down there?¡± Aria shook her head. This must be done secretly. They shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with Valentine. It would be a public debate, and things might get moreplicated if she got someone to step out of the family on a grand scale. Since it was rted to ve traders in other countries, there was a high possibility that it would be an international problem. She didn¡¯t know whether the story about Antis would leak out. So she had to move in secret. ¡°Or, just say a word to me. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Lloyd said quietly. As if to exin the obvious again. As if he would take care of everything, as soon as her orders were given, just as he did with Count Chateau Aria looked up at him like that, and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd was still displeased, but he sighed and nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. If the ck Falcons in the mansion would be willing to sacrifice their life by Sister-inw¡¯s order, why bother doing it alone?¡± Because she had a habit of doing it alone? In the beginning, it was hard to change a person¡¯s habit. Aria scratched her cheek with a puzzled expression and said, ¡°Notifying the ck Falcons could lead to family problems. I want to move a little secretly.¡± ¡°You and Sister-inw, you two?¡± Vincent had the same unfavorable expression Lloyd had made earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll also ask Sir Cloud if this were to happen. If it¡¯s Sir¡­¡± He would automatically keep it a secret¡­¡­. Aria swallowed the rest of the words and smiled, folding her eyes softly. Instead, she cited a second reason. ¡°Besides, he can defeat a hundred people himself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous about that decorative head¡­¡± Vincent muttered, genuinely worried about the head, ¡°I will go too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Surprised, Cloud replied like a sword. ¡°You will only be a burden.¡± ¡°What? Bu, burden?¡± The blue eyes beyond the sses grew as if they were about to pop out. Hearing a burden from a burden. He was so traumatized that he was unable to speak for a while. *) have you ever seen dramas where one of the characters suddenly grabs the back of their neck and groans in pain and then falls down? If so, then yes, this was what Vincent was talking about! Chapter 100: Illustration Chapter 100 (Illustration) In fact, Vincent was tolerant and did not interfere with things that seemed to be physically challenging at first nce. But this time it was different. If he didn¡¯t follow the enthusiasm and curiosity engraved in his genes, he thought he would regret it. ¡®Because I think I will be able to see the ancient civilization Antis, which disappeared into the sea leaving only the legend with my own eyes.¡¯ But then¡­¡­. ¡°Sir, do you know how valuable the knowledge and wisdom I have in my head is? No, it is a treasure trove that cannot be converted into worldly values.¡± But what, burden? Vincent was so shocked that he burst outughing. ¡°You¡¯re so weak that you stumble from time to time. What kind of strength will this need¡­¡± ¡°Sir¡¯s head is a decoration because you do everything by force!¡± Then the knight, who knew that the word ¡®decorative head¡¯ as handsome, remained silent for a while, and then he answered confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re praising me all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Ah, my blood pressure¡­¡± ¡°Look at that. At a very young age, you even have blood pressure problems¡­¡± Cloud, who had be Vincent¡¯s low blood pressure medicine at some point, looked at him anxiously with his forehead pressed. ¡°Haa, yes. I¡¯m very weak, so I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re going to protect me or not. It¡¯s okay, so just go away.¡± Vincent took a deep breath and looked at Aria with a relieved look. ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± n? Aria thought for a moment. Currently, Tristan and Sabina are tied to the Imperial Pce because they came to the capital at this time. No matter how long it is, she has saved herself five days, so if she wants to solve the case as quickly as possible¡­¡­. ¡°Can I solve everything with my powers?¡± Then, the eyes of the three men who were there all turned to Aria. There were expressions of doubting their own ears for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a reckless n.¡± Even Cloud, who moves the muscles of his body more often than the brain, said so. He knows the meaning of the word reckless. ¡°Rabbit, have you always solved problems like this?¡± It has been a while since she was called rabbit. Aria traced her memory. In the meantime, she hasn¡¯t been particrly conscious of her own actions, but¡­¡­. ¡®It was usually like that.¡¯ After recklessly heading to the source of the problem, solving it with her body whether her body holds out or not That was Aria¡¯s way. Aria realized once again as she traced her own path. ¡®Actually, I don¡¯t even need to make a detailed n, because the Siren¡¯s abilities cover most of the cases¡­¡­.¡¯ The reason it¡¯s ¡®most of the cases¡¯ rather than ¡®all¡¯ is because it can¡¯t be used for many people at once. Of course, there is nothing that can¡¯t be done if she grinds her life to the limit like herst life¡­¡­. ¡®I can¡¯t do that anymore.¡¯ Aria sneaked away from the tenacious gaze of the three men, especially Lloyd. What a heavy silence it must have been. Lloyd spoke to her first. ¡°¡­it¡¯s an urgent matter, so let¡¯s go with Aria¡¯s n for now.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Vincent asked in surprise. But, in fact, it was unavoidable. After a week has passed since they were sold to the ve traders, the ship must already be sailing in the middle of the sea. Even if they run right now, time will be tight. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Vincent nodded his head and dragged Cloud, who insisted he could do it alone. Carlin, who had been watching Aria for quite some time now, nagged the three people as soon as he saw them. Of course, Aria didn¡¯t even listen with her ears. ¡°This time with the Grand Prince, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°This time? It sounds like she went out alone sometimes.¡± ¡°Haha, here¡¯s a moving scroll!¡± As Lloyd reacted quickly, Carlin, in a cold sweat, slipped the scroll into Lloyd¡¯s hand and forcibly tore it apart. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll talk to you when I get back, shaman.¡± In the blurred vision, Lloyd could clearly see only the afterimage of Carlin shaking his body. At the same time they moved to the back mountain near O¡¯Neill¡¯s estate. Aria looked at the Lord¡¯s castle from a distance and said, ¡°We have no choice but to walk to the castle¡­ Kyaak!¡± At the same time, Lloyd hugged Aria. She reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck and blinked her eyes. Now that she was used to it, she wasn¡¯t too surprised. However, his breath and body, which became closer and closer in the blink of an eye, were unfamiliar to her no matter how many times she experienced it. ¡°Let¡¯s move together.¡± Lloyd went down the mountain at such a speed that she thought he wasn¡¯t human. He was followed by Cloud with equal speed. She stopped and looked behind her ¡­¡­. who was chasing after them. They hadn¡¯t even made it all the way down the mountain, but Vincent was far behind and gasping. ¡°Get on my back.¡± ¡°Are you¡­ gasp, crazy?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be left here alone, I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Hah¡­¡± In the end, Vincent had no choice but to be carried by Cloud like a burden. It was only for a moment that his face blushed in shame. He quickly adapted to the situation and took afortable seat behind the knight¡¯s wide back. Originally, the side that used the head and the side that used the body were separate. ¡°The security is poor.¡± It wasn¡¯t actually poor¡­¡­. Aria thought as she looked down at the guards who fell helplessly in Lloyd¡¯s hand, who had not drawn a sword. ¡®By the way, the Emperor¡¯s most elite knights were also blown into the wall at once.¡¯ Even if there was the gutter rat in it. He certainly wasn¡¯t human. Lloyd held Aria in his arms and took care of the guards at once. He said after kicking one of the stunned on the floor to wake him up. ¡°Where is the lord¡¯s room?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t tell you that!¡± He looked up at Lloyd, who had his hood pressed tightly, in a voice trembling with fear. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to speak before you can no longer speak because you have no mouth.¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± Aria raised her hand and tapped Lloyd¡¯s shoulder, who was threatening cruelly. Pat, pat. As if to calm down. ¡°Why.¡± Aria pointed her finger somewhere without speaking. ¡°I can hear Ted¡¯s scream from under the iron bars on the wall over there.¡± ¡°Is that a dungeon? Then there¡¯s no need to meet the Lord.¡± ¡°How, how do you know that!¡± Lloyd silently struck the guard behind the neck with his scabbard, stunning him and then moved again. ¡°Please, take me out! Knight, please! My family is waiting for me toe!¡± And as they got closer, she could hear Ted¡¯s voice more clearly. Aria came down from Lloyd¡¯s arms and looked into the iron bars. It was a dungeon, so she had to bow her head to see inside. ¡°Ted?¡± ¡°Who, who¡­ gasp, are you the king?¡± Aria lifted her hood slightly to reveal her face, and he recognized her at once. Even in this situation, he was still ying a skit. Should she be d he didn¡¯t call her Grand Princess? ¡°Lloyd, can you take this off?¡± Aria said, pointing to the iron bars tightly embedded in the hole. Hearing her request, which makes it intentional that she was going alone, Lloyd immediately revealed his uneasy feelings. ¡°Rabbit, I hope you¡¯re not¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can get in and out of this hole.¡± ¡°You just need to break through the front door.¡± ¡°It takes too long to break straight through the front door of the dungeon. When you broke into the castle, you shoulde in through the small door that procures the castle.¡± It wasmon sense. Besides, if they break through the front door, no matter how secretive they are, they can¡¯t help but be exposed immediately. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m risking my life to jump at this level. And I won¡¯t get hurt.¡± Once Aria began to insist in this direction, she would never break her will. Lloyd sighed and said, lightly twisting all the iron bars and pulling them out. ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous, send me a message right away.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, shoved her body into the hole and jumped off. ¡°Ohh!¡± Ted, who had been skeptical of the conversation from above, fell right under Aria¡¯s feet. Aria paused for a moment as she stepped on his back, stiffened, then panicked, and she hurried down, and said. ¡°I¡¯m here to save you.¡± Ted rubbed his back with the footprints, groaned, and then burst into tears. ¡°King! I believed in you!¡± What is there to believe between them¡­¡­. Aria said, leaving the absurdity behind for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to save you from this prison from now on. There¡¯s no time to dy, so listen to me. Make a fuss so that the jaileres running.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ um? By the way, you can speak from the beginning?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move on from the little things now.¡± Your family is in danger now. At Aria¡¯s added words, Ted, who was as if he had some screws loosened, seriously hardened his face. And with a more serious face than ever, he took a deep breath. ¡°OHH GOODD! OH GOD MY STOMMAAACHH!!!!¡± Then he rolled on the floor and started screaming deafeningly. The guard, who had been ying cards, walked over to him, ignoring his cries. ¡°This madman is starting again¡­¡± And he was startled to see Aria inside the prison cell. ¡°What, what! Who are you? No, how did you get in there!¡± He slowly took a step back. He was ready to run right away and summon hisrades. Aria opened her mouth before that. ¡°Love is a rebellious bird.¡± Opera {Carmen}. ¡°Habanera¡± is sung by Carmen, a passionate and free-spirited gypsy woman. ¡°That none can tame, And it is quite in vain that one calls it, If it suits it to refuse;¡± It was a song of sensual seduction. When this song was sung, everyone fell at Aria¡¯s feet and kissed her feet. ¡°If you don¡¯t love me, I love you,¡± However, when she sang in a clear and transparent tone suitable for a choir, it became apletely different song from the song in her memory. It wasn¡¯t a provocation to seduce and capture. A wounded bird, frightened with its broken leg, sang a mournful song in search of shelter from the rain for a while. Please open the door, please. I am so tired and exhausted. Of course, I don¡¯t intend to be tamed, and if my legs get better, I may fly away soon. ¡°The bird you hoped to catch Beat its wings and flew away,¡± But I¡¯d be happy if you let me go. ¡°All around you, swift, swift, Ites, goes, then it returns;¡± The guard¡¯s eyes slowly began to unravel. He saw the vision of a blue bird blooming with the power of the singing. He stretched out his hand towards his bird, and slowly brought it to his side. Then he reached for his key and fumbled. ¡°You think to hold it fast, it dodges you; You think to dodge it, it holds you!¡± The jailer picked the key and put it in the cell door and opened it. The sound of the door opening echoed through the dungeon as if apanied by Aria¡¯s singing. It was not long afterwards that they could get a usible ship. Lloyd just poured the jewels into the hands of the shipowner, who threatened to never sell the ship. ¡°I¡¯ll drive!¡± Besides, there was also a decent navigator. ¡°Then my family is on the ve trader¡¯s boat to the Kingdom of Bruto?¡± Ted was still confused about what was going on. However, blinded by worries for his family, he obeyed and followed them without panic. ¡°ve trader, no matter what happened¡­¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Vincent answered instead. And he reassured him that they would not touch the ves, at least until the ship reached port. Of course, before that, Aria¡¯s purpose was to retake them. ¡°Do you know why pirates are so hard to catch?¡± Aria leaned on the deck and said. ¡°What happens on the sea is buried under the sea.¡± Shall we go loot the ve traders then? Chapter 101 Chapter 101 ¡°What peace of mankind.¡± Hans murmured as he watched the endless procession of ves entering the building. Again, it was as expected. Because in the first ce, there was no way the peace seekers would want Hans¡¯ power. ¡®What about sacrificing cows for the sake of peace¡­.?¡¯ Where from that can he see the word ¡®cow¡¯? He didn¡¯t count them exactly, but tens of thousands of ves came and went in and out of this building just by looking at it. They pretended to be clean, but the truth was as expected. ¡®Is there anything different from the gutter?¡¯ Theymitted crimes openly there, and in this ce theymit crimes indirectly while cleverly hiding the truth. That was the only difference. ¡®If I were to honestly say that ves aren¡¯t even treated as human beings, what will happen?¡¯ It was absurd to pretend that the experiments taking ce in thisboratory were inevitable to achieve a great cause. ¡®These are not ordinary madmen.¡¯ Hans felt it instinctively. ¡®If I had to choose between the two, I¡¯d rather be a bad person proudly like the gutter rat¡­¡­.¡¯ The secret researchers of the Kingdom of Bruto who had brought him in, sincerely believed that they were the defenders of justice. The scariest things in the world were those crazy about twisted beliefs. It was because they were trying to adapt the world to the standard of justice they thought. ¡°Hey, wizard.¡± At that moment, a huge, rugged man who was attached to be Hans¡¯ watcher approached. He was in a cold sweat. Hans clenched his teeth, reflexively groping his fingers around his neck. His neck was filled with a magic restraint thatpletely blocked the flow of magic. ¡°What are you hanging around here?¡± ¡°Ha, haha. To get some air?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better not to think nonsense in the first ce. Your every move is being monitored.¡± Damn it. He nced up at the magic stones used for monitoring hanging from the ceiling for a moment. And haha, heughed and shivered softly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s too tight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hans pretended to be sly, but the man didn¡¯t blink. ¡®Damn, there wille a day when I will miss the gutter rat in my life¡­¡­¡¯ Still, he epted it as a joke. Where can he live with this suffocation? He decided that it would be better to stopughing awkwardly and just get out of this ce as soon as possible. ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll go back to theb.¡± ¡°Before that, the Master asked me to give you some questions. I want you to answer them immediately.¡± Hans responded by forcefully moving his lips, which was not about to open. ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± ¡°I heard that the gutter rat was one of your failures four years ago. Has there been any progress in chimera research since then?¡± That was a matter of course. In the meantime, Hans was dragged by the gutter rat and forced to continue his research. In conclusion, it could be said that the gutter rat was unlucky. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s something he did himself.¡¯ If the gutter rat had waited five years and then became a chimera, the story would have beenpletely different. There would be no need to absorb the energy of others and constantly change the body. He must have been able to get the body of eternal life he so desperately wanted. ¡°¡­maybe in about a year or so we can make a full chimera.¡± Hans said frankly. He won¡¯t gain anything by lying in the ce where he is monitored even for a brief visit to the bathroom. It was better for him to pretend to give everything, pretend to be loyal, and gain trust. ¡°Is that really true?¡± The man was happy with that remark. ¡°The Master must be pleased.¡± Then, breaking down his overbearing attitude, he tapped Hans on the shoulder a couple of times as if congratting him. In an instant, the atmosphere was rxed, but Hans felt a heavy pressure. ¡°Then the chimera. Could it be that it possesses a specific energy?¡± ¡°A specific¡­ energy?¡± ¡°Yes. Absorbing all kinds of energy here and there only increases the probability of a collision inside.¡± The man also added, ¡°Aren¡¯t humans born with only one energy in the first ce?¡± When Hans heard that, he thought about it. Chimera is so imperfect that it¡¯s been injecting the right energy when it¡¯s needed¡­¡­. ¡°Of course, it can be made. But it will be less efficient. It¡¯s unclear whether it can move properly with only one energy in the first ce.¡± ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t matter if it doesn¡¯t move.¡± Eh? Hans was even more puzzled. If that¡¯s the case, then what did they make the chimera for? In the first ce, the chimera was made to be able to live and move after death. ¡°The Master suggested. When creating a chimera, from the beginning, it should constantly absorb only one energy.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± Hans paused his speech for a moment. And the man got it. ¡°Let¡¯s make a living doll that contains energy forever.¡± The sound of cool waves. The scent of the salty sea. The ship was bouncing along the mighty waves. Aria clenched her chin and looked down at the crashing dark blue waves. It was like a dying star, with the blue waves shattering white against the body of the ship, shining most brilliantly. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The sea, you wanted to see it.¡± She did? Aria traced her memory to Lloyd¡¯s words. She must have thought to herself that she wanted to see the sea. She didn¡¯t spit it out directly. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I just thought you would.¡± Then Lloyd said, as if he knew of course. ¡°I absolutely never wanted to make you suffer¡­ but I remember that you said before that you wanted to go on a trip.¡± Aria only realized after hearing those words. The reason Lloyd was more docile than expected on this matter was that he wanted to show Aria the ocean. ¡®Trip¡­¡­.¡¯ Although she¡¯s on her way to loot a ve ship. Well, it¡¯s a sea trip nevertheless. Aria didn¡¯t know if she would be able to do the camping and cooking that she had dreamed of as her childhood trip romance. ¡°Yes, I like sea trips with Lloyd.¡± Aria replied so and smiled bashfully. She tilted her head as she turned to Lloyd, leaving her hair fluttering in the sea breeze. Hundreds of millions of rays shattered in the waves behind her shimmered along the sun. Lloyd clenched his throat. The smell of the salty sea suddenly made him thirsty. He ran his tongue across his parched lips. For some reason, his neck felt stiff. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty¡­¡± ¡°Would you like some water?¡± Aria patted her waist and handed him the water bottle she had prepared beforehand. Lloyd silently drank the water and wiped the water running down his lips with the back of his hand. And with a frown on her face, she recalled the impulse she had just felt. ¡°Uughh¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t keep his thoughts going at the sound of Vincent¡¯s nausea. They had just started sailing and Vincent was already staggering with motion sickness. ¡°I kind of thought it would be like this.¡± Cloud said as he patted Vincent on the back. Every time he raised his hand and mmed it against the back, Vincent¡¯s body wobbled wildly. She doesn¡¯t know if he¡¯ll fall down the sea or not. ¡°Oh, shut up!¡± Did it hurt a lot? Vincent, who did not lose his dignity no matter what the circumstances, cursed and became angry. Then he grabbed hold of the deck again and let out a grunt. ¡®I heard that candy is good for motion sickness.¡¯ Aria fumbled around her arms. She could feel the candy, which Marronnier always packs one or two. Although it melted a little in her arms. ¡®It would be better than nothing though.¡¯ She pokes Vincent in the back after she peels the candy. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t touch me¡­¡± Then she put the candy in his mouth as he turned his head with an annoyed face. And she gently stroked his back. ¡°Are you having a hard time?¡± Aria asked. His face, which had been nervously contorted and turned blue, softened a little. As she continued to wipe his back, he seemed to feel more at ease. ¡°You really like strawberry taste.¡± Vincent said in a voice like dying. ¡°Go in and sleep.¡± ¡°Well. It¡¯s hard to sleep on hard surfaces.¡± ¡°Would you like ap pillow?¡± ¡°What? Someone will kill me¡­¡± Vincent was startled as he blurted out his words. A gaze was on the back of her head. Aria turned her head with a puzzled face. ¡°Me too¡­¡­.¡± Me too? ¡°I¡¯m sick too.¡± Lloyd kept his mouth shut and mumbled. He looked fine. Rather, he looked brighter than usual from receiving the dazzling sunlight that was reflected on the surface of the water. It was even more contrastingpared to cringing Vincent. ¡°Sick?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He said he¡¯s sick. So he must be really sick. Aria undoubtedly believed him. Isn¡¯t it Lloyd who didn¡¯t make a single weak sound even when his flesh was torn and his bones were exposed? He used to act as if he had no pain in him. Even now, he may be in so much pain on the inside even if it looked like that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­seasickness.¡± ¡°If you know the cause of seasickness, you would never say such a thing. Uughh, the organs in your body are also monsters, so motion sickness itself can¡¯t exis¡­ Uwooghh!¡± She could hear Vincent muttering something from behind, but she couldn¡¯t hear him properly, buried in wretching. ¡®What is he saying now.¡¯ Aria poked her head over the railing and stared at him with a puzzled look as he threw up. ¡°Don¡¯t look at something like that. It will upset your stomach.¡± At that moment, Lloyd gently wrapped Aria¡¯s cheek. And he naturally turned her head towards him. Aria fluttered her long eyshes, then peeled off thest piece of candy and brought it to Lloyd¡¯s lips. ¡°Say ah-.¡± The red lips that had been blushing for a moment opened up. Aria shoved the glistening candy like a bead, and asked. ¡°How is it?¡± Lloyd rolled the candy in his mouth and was silent for a moment. He then muttered slowly. ¡°¡­Sweet.¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 It¡¯s candy, so of course it¡¯s sweet. She didn¡¯t mean to say that. Aria asked again with a bit of concern. ¡°How about motion sickness? Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°No.¡± Motion sickness does not disappear all of a sudden from eating candy. The best way to cure motion sickness is to take medicine and sleep soundly. But she didn¡¯t bring any medicine. ¡°I think I should sleep¡­¡± Lloyd said with a slight frown. Aria was puzzled. Because he usually had that kind of expression when he said embarrassing things about himself. ¡®But what is there to be embarrassed of now? Was he embarrassed of being sick?¡¯ He did the same when he had tears after having had a nightmare before. Lloyd had a tendency to obsessively dislike the way he looked weak in front of others. ¡°Lap¡­¡­.¡± When he hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth. The ship¡¯s original owner and temporary navigator, who had stably raised the sails and adjusted the rudder, approached. ¡°Hoho, it seems that everyone is not used to ships.¡± He took out two vials and gave it to Lloyd, who ims to be sick, and Vincent who was dying. ¡°This ship was originally a small passenger ship for tourists. I stocked up on motion sickness medicine, so if you need it, eat it.¡± Vincent rejoiced as if he had met a savior and epted the medicine. He drank the medicine at once and sat down on the wooden barrel, sighing in relief. The needlessly caring navigator handed Lloyd the medicine as well. Lloyd looked down at the vial silently and then stared at the navigator. He had a nice smile on his face yet he felt a strange chill and hardened for a moment. Lloyd¡¯s eyes were so ck that the pupils could not be seen, like a sharply forged de. It seemed to pierce him rather than stab him. ¡°Hurry.¡± Aria encouraged him by the side. Lloyd was so sick that he couldn¡¯t stand it for a moment. Lloyd obeyed her words and took the medicine. And drop. A ss bottle of motion sickness medicine hit the floor and shattered. ¡°I don¡¯t have power in my hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I got motion sick¡­¡± Lloyd muffled his lips and slowly closed his mouth. Vincent made a face as if he was listening to all sorts of strange things. It sounded absurd, but Aria, who had already been blinded to Lloyd, had apletely different reaction. ¡°Do you have any more medicine left?¡± Aria asked earnestly. The navigator shook his head in a cold sweat as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°Unfortunately, that medicine was thest medicine for motion sickness.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a lot?¡± He said there was a lot and now there wasn¡¯t! The navigator gave an iprehensible gibberish and quickly backed away. ¡®What¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria stared sadly at the motion sickness medicine that soaked the floor of the deck. Lloyd said he was so sick that he couldn¡¯t put strength in his hands. This won¡¯t do. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s go into the cabin.¡± Aria looked up sadly at Lloyd, then she grabbed his hand and led him to the nearest cabin. He was brought along as she led. ¡°Even without medicine, you can fall asleep right away if you listen to my song. You¡¯ll be able to forget about motion sickness for a while.¡± ¡°Not the song.¡± But Lloyd refused like a knife. ¡°¡­because it¡¯s not soundproofed. It might leak.¡± That¡¯s right. Aria was deep in thought. There¡¯s no need to find out that she¡¯s a Siren. ¡°Do you want me to cook for you?¡± She heard motion sickness gets worse on an empty stomach. Then her hand touching Lloyd trembled for a moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m full.¡± Aria recalled her culinary skills. Since making the fart cake sheet as her first dish in her life, she has worked tirelessly to cook usibly. Unfortunately, however, the results were still stagnant. ¡°Let¡¯s lie down for now. Lying down will calm you.¡± Aria tried toy Lloyd on the bed, remembering Vincent¡¯s words, ¡®You can¡¯t sleep on hard surfaces¡¯. The bed looked like only a linen nket on a wooden nk. ¡®Of course, a bed of this size on the sea would be great, although I don¡¯t think Lloyd would be as sensitive as Vincent.¡¯ Still, she couldn¡¯t put a sick person to sleep in a hard ce. Aria climbed onto the bed and after she sat down she pointed over herp. ¡°Come on, lie down.¡± Lloyd was embarrassed when the situation turned out like this, and he looked away for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything. His gaze suddenly fell on Aria¡¯sp. Although it was all covered by the hem of her skirt, she looked slender at first nce. It would have been difficult to put something like his own head on top of it. He didn¡¯t know if maybe she¡¯d get bruises. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Then Aria grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand and pulled him tight, making him rest his head on herp. Standing defenseless, he copsed on the bed. And he looked up at Aria for a moment with a surprised expression. ¡®Cute.¡¯ The expression thates out when he was caught off guard. With a small smile, she gently ran her hand over Lloyd¡¯s eyes, which were as round as a rabbit. His eyes, which had been tightly closed, trembled in convulsions. ¡°I can sing normally without using my powers.¡± Of course, he won¡¯t fall asleep right away. Aria hummed a luby as she tidied up Lloyd¡¯s disheveled hair with an affectionate touch. A dreamy hum sounded calmly inside the cabin. Lloyd asked, blinking his eyes with anguid expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it heavy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as light as a feather.¡± He can¡¯t believe that. Lloyd held his neck stiffly in fear of straining Aria and grinned and closed his eyes. Although his posture was quite ufortable, he was morefortable than ever. Just enough to die like this. The floor continued to shake uncontrobly. Because of that, he suddenly woke up. Winter opened his eyes with a groan. Even when he opened his eyes, he still couldn¡¯te to his senses. His vision was blurred and it was difficult to distinguish the surroundings, and he felt a terrible pain in his head. It was as if someone was banging on his head with a hammer. ¡®Here¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it on a ship?¡¯ He heard the waves crashing in the distance. The wooden floor creaked loudly whenever the floor shook uncontrobly. He had no idea why he had suddenly woken up on a ship. ¡°Ah.¡± Winter let out an anguished moan as he tried to get up. His limbs were tied with ropes so tight that blood could not pass through them. Kidnapping? ¡®I went down to the vige where the gutter rat apparently appeared¡­¡­.¡¯ He was researching the area around the vige. He toured the vige from house to house, looking for traces of the gutter rat. Then suddenly, someone struck him as if they were going to break the back of his head. He wondered if he was attacked by the gutter rat that read the air. ¡®Hmm? Wait a minute.¡¯ Winter Angelo. The eldest son of the Angelo family and the next Duke paused for a moment without continuing his thoughts. For some reason, it felt like the same thing had happened before. He woke up with a terrible pain in his head, and he was trying to remember what happened¡­¡­. ¡°Ah, it looks like it lost its strength again.¡± At that moment, three men approached Winter. They stink so much that he doesn¡¯t know if they even washed. Clothes that are close to raggedy, a ghastly impression, and a messy beard and hair. ¡®Pirate?¡¯ As soon as he terrifyingly thought so, The one at the forefront of them pulled out a drug from his arms, and grudgingly grabbed Winter¡¯s chin and poured it into his mouth. ¡°Uhhp!¡± Winter had no intention of swallowing this suspicious drug. However, the man forced his mouth shut and pped his throat with the de of his hand, so he had no choice but to swallow. ¡°Kuh, kuhk! What the hell did you feed¡­.¡± It was then. Winter¡¯s eyes gradually blurred. He stared nkly into the air, as if he had be a fool. ¡°Why is it that the drug loses its effectiveness so quickly? Is this cheap?¡± ¡°Just looking at the bottle design, it¡¯s the best.¡± ¡°Then is this guy not normal?¡± The man clicked his tongue lightly in annoyance. ¡°Anyway, can¡¯t we just feed him the drug properly and hand him over to theb with the ves?¡± ¡°If the superiors told you to do that, do it.¡± ¡°Did you say he was from a runaway ve?¡± Their employers begged and urged. This ve is overflowing with natural energy, so once they miss it, it¡¯s impossible to catch him, so they have to careful. Of course, they didn¡¯t forget the threat that if they let him run away, they¡¯ll pay it back with their life. The men clicked their tongues. If you are born as a ve and inherit an abundance of talent, you will still end your life in such a miserable way. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit strange?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He looks so clean. His skin is smooth and his hair is ufortably slick¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a face that makes people amazed. What does that mean?¡± The man with the bushy beard said, ¡®Did you have that kind of taste?¡¯ and stared absurdly at the man who was giggling nonsense. He said it up to this point, but he had a look as if there were things that he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Looking at his hands, it seems like he has learned a sword, but other than that, there is no sign of hardship. It seems that he has been cared for from head to toe.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say? That he was a beloved concubine of a nobledy?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a nobleman?¡± Noble. At that, the rest of the men were astonished. Come to think of it¡­¡­. At first, they thought he was just a nice-looking guy, but when they took a closer look, it seemed like he had grown up preciously. ¡°Come to think of it, high-ranking nobles do something like training to develop poison tolerance from a young age¡­¡± Was it because he has acquired some degree of tolerance that he has been trained to do, that the drug doesn¡¯t work well? They stood still for a moment and continued to think, then waved their hands and said, ¡°Ah,¡±. ¡°I think he grew up being loved and raised as a ve of a noble family since he was young, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If he was talented, it¡¯s notpletely umon.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He groaned in dislike, but he couldn¡¯t back down because he was afraid aftering this far. Still, he couldn¡¯tpletely shake off his anxiety. ¡°If he¡¯s a noble¡­ what happens to us?¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Hey, you always have a lot of useless worries. If you¡¯re scared, you¡¯ll die.¡± A man told him to stop. He had a hook on his severed left hand instead of a prosthetic arm. ¡°If we do this safely, we are no longer wanted criminals. Let¡¯s leave this damn sea and step on the bare ground, huh?¡± They were from pirates. At one time, they ruled the sea like a king, plundering and killing. They were proud of their ever-rising notoriety and bounty. ¡®But now it¡¯s all a thing of the past.¡¯ It was all about the youthful days. They wanted to get rid of their past and live a normal life. They were sick of being chased around with the feeling of life that was being threatened all the time. ¡°If we go on like this, our lives will be obvious. I¡¯m sure someday we¡¯ll be hanging around the gallows from our neck as an example.¡± ¡°You just need to feed the drug periodically until they arrive, and then hand it over to theb. What could be easier than this?¡± Once they did this, they were no longer criminals. ¡°Yes. Marry a woman, hehe.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯re not a criminal, is there any woman who would want to marry you?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s the difference with you?¡± Hooked hands and one-eye shed and fought. Why were both of them so passionate about hopeless things? The man with the bushy beard looked at them pathically and shook his head. And he looked up and down at Winter, who had lost his consciousness. ¡®It¡¯s going to be okay.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t go back once he hade this far. He struggled to shake off the rising anxiety. After taking motion sickness pills, Vincent became energetic. While the master navigator brought the meals, they gathered in the dining room and started setting up the plot. ¡°While Brother was looking for a ship, we got minimal information from the information guild, but it will not be urate as it is information we got in a hurry.¡± Vincent gave a rough estimate of the size of the Underhill ve ship. There were three ships in all, and thergest sailing boat has a crew of 50 and can amodate 300 people. It was quiterge for a ve ship. ¡°Since it¡¯s a ve trader, they¡¯re sure to smuggle it through the ¡®lowest ce¡¯, which is a ce with messy public security. By then, it¡¯s already toote. We have to find another way.¡± Aria had no intention of waiting for them tond. ¡°Can¡¯t we retake it from the middle of the sea?¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°During the voyage, the vignce must be at its peak, but what if we got hit by a cannon and sink? No matter how fast we speed up in the first ce, will we be able to catch up with them, since we started sote?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or can the Siren¡¯s song block artileries or speed up sailing?¡± Vincent pointed out Aria¡¯s reckless n poignantly. Why was he talking like that? If they were thrown into the sea, only the mouth of disaster would float. ¡°Let¡¯s make sure¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What, what?¡± Vincent, who felt a gloomy energy that he did not know if it was in Aria¡¯s gaze, hesitated. Then he inadvertently turned his gaze to Lloyd, and was startled. ¡°The rabbit wants to retake it from the middle of the sea.¡± His eyes were saying ¡®dare to throw dirt on my wife¡¯s words?¡¯. This crazy couple was telling Vincent to create a miracle like splitting the sea in two. ¡°Because it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± He sighed and continued. For some reason, his face seemed to have a deep tiredness on it. ¡°Before leaving, I thought you would not have such a n, so I separately looked for Underhill¡¯s hideout. No, I¡¯ll correct it. I found out on my own.¡± Vincent was terrified of Aria¡¯s n, that is, ¡®a n to solve everything with her own abilities¡¯. He was then convinced that in order not to die by expulsion, he had toe to his senses. Aria and Lloyd both had superhuman abilities, so they didn¡¯t use their heads at all. ¡®Don¡¯t bother thinking about it.¡¯ On the other hand, that decorative head. It wasn¡¯t that he did not use his head, but that he couldn¡¯t use it, so it was more of a problem. ¡°Sir Cloud had already heard of their hideout and knew it.¡± ¡°Excuse me? It was me?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Vincent said with a liberated smile. ¡°If the Kingdom of Bruto is the destination, they will have choice but to restock food and supplies in the middle.¡± ¡°You mean they¡¯re going to be anchored in the port in the middle?¡± ¡°No, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with arge load of ves even a trading port. They¡¯re definitely heading for a hideout.¡± Vincent said, ¡®What is the big deal about that?¡¯ to Cloud. ¡°The Sir heard that the ship was going through the Dyke Sea.¡± ¡°Yes, but.¡± ¡°A little twist in Dyke is the Navron Triangle, and no one came back alive after entering the zone. Of course, we should avoid it.¡± Aria heard those words and realizedter and eximed briefly, ¡®Ah!¡¯ ¡®. ¡°There¡¯s a hiding ce on the other side of the Navron Triangle.¡± ¡°There are only two routes that can avoid Navron. One of them is managed by the Empire, so it will be the remaining one.¡± Hearing all the conversation, Ted jumped up from his seat with a determined expression. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll sneak in and bring my family out.¡± Aria shook her head. ¡°We said we were going to retake the ship.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ted, who was puzzled, stared at Aria with one nce in anticipation for a moment. ¡°Ah, the power of the wonderful song I saw back then?¡± Come to think of it, there was a way. The miraculous power that made the jailer take the key from his waist and open the prison door. A sacred and splendid song with mystical power, like a descendant of the Antis royal family! ¡°No.¡± Then Lloyd cut Ted¡¯s expectations like a knife. ¡°Not this time.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­.¡± Aria pped her lips for a moment with a sad expression. But this time, she, too, couldn¡¯t resist being stubborn. It was because Lloyd had the same eyes as when he had just woken up from his nightmare. Of course, he wasn¡¯t crying, but his eyes darkened as if they were wet. It was shaking finely. There was a fearful look in his eyes that he might lose her. ¡°You have to sing so extensively if you want to retake the entire ship.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can you guarantee that your life will not be affected at all this time?¡± Of course, she wasn¡¯t sure. It was because she might have to grind her own life force. Just like when she was imprisoned in the Emperor¡¯s cage in the past. ¡°No, it must be quite fatal¡­¡± Aria had no choice but to answer honestly in the end. She remembered the reasons why Lloyd kept pushing her away when she first came to the castle. He hated sick people. No, he hated himself for being helpless when his people were sick and he couldn¡¯t do anything. Aria didn¡¯t want him to feel the same pain as he did back then. ¡®Yes. Until I go to Antis and find a way to extend my life, let¡¯s not make him worry about it.¡¯ She came to that conclusion. ¡°Just stay here this time. Me and Sir Cloud are enough.¡± ¡°Why am I left out naturally?¡±, Vincent protested. ¡°Are you going too?¡± ¡°I will not.¡± Of course, it was just a polite thing to say. He was left out naturally, so he just felt resentment. Vincent knew his ce very well, infinitely helpless to force. ¡°I, I will go!¡± Ted raised his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m able to use any power, but I have to find my family¡­¡± He spoke desperately, his fingertips trembling in fear. Lloyd stared at Ted silently for a moment, then turned his back as if to let him do whatever he wanted. ¡°Is it okay¡­?¡± Aria said, looking worriedly at the backs of the three people as they left. ¡°Sister-inw, do you know the saying that rabbits worry about jaguars?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it up.¡± Where was such a proverb? She let out a deep sigh. ¡°You care about everything. From what I¡¯ve seen before, if he swings his sword once, his opponent will fall like a leaf.¡± ¡°Well, they went to the wall and got stuck.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re worried about someone who threw humans like darts?¡± Vincent said, astonished. Aria said, ¡®It is so.¡¯ At that thought, she rxed her shoulders, which had stiffened from tension. If it was a problem that Lloyd and Cloud could solve together, she had no intention of taking a risk. ¡°Still, just watching from afar would be fine.¡± Just in case. Aria decided to stand on the deck while they recapture the ship and wait for them to return safely. ¡°WeI¡¯ll be here soon.¡± An ind was slowly emerging over the horizon. The man lowered the telescope he was holding around his eyes. Countless scars were then revealed across his face. He was Maxim, the owner of Underhill very. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to stay on the ind for very long. The superiors urged you to replenish the ves as soon as possible.¡± Maxim wrinkled his brow in annoyance and said to the attendant who was standing behind him like a shadow. ¡°Tell them to depart in two days.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Two days. It was the minimum period required to move the material. They had to move as quickly as possible by mobilizing all thebor force. ¡°Shall we release the ves?¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s obvious that they¡¯ll try to run away for no reason.¡± Maxim pped his hand as if to stop talking nonsense. ¡°How about the ves this time?¡± ¡°One or two people tried to escape, but we broke their legs as an example and they lost their morale at once.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you treat it more harshly. They will be used for experiments anyway.¡± ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be a need for that. Most of the items I got this time arepliant.¡± It¡¯s perfect if they¡¯re obedient. But he couldn¡¯t let his guard down by that either. If they were originally a ve, they wouldn¡¯t even think of escaping on their own if with shackles on their ankles. However, there were some who became ves overnight and were deprived of their freedom. ¡°The quieter they are, the more dangerous it is. Protecting ¡®experimental subjects¡¯ should also consist of protecting the ship.¡± ¡°Yes? But that¡¯s too¡­¡± The attendant stiffened as he recalled the experimental subjects sent from his home country. Chapter 104 Midnight. In the dark night sea, only the sound of waves and the crowing of seagulls echoed asionally. ¡°There, there.¡± Said the navigator, pointing to the pier of the ind in the distance. It was the hideout of the Underhill ves. The navigator, who had been looking around for a while, rode down between the shores of the ind and found a naturally created blind spot. He drove the ship there and anchored it. ¡°Why did they keep the ships sparsely anchored?¡± Aria asked in a puzzled voice. ¡°What? You can see that?¡± Vincent leaned against the railing, opened his eyes, and looked intently toward his pier. It was already far away and it was night, so he couldn¡¯t see anything except a few shes of light. ¡°There are three ships here and there.¡± Aria roughly exined the situation at the pier. There were threerge ships, a medium ship, and a small ship, and only the middle ship had peopleing and going. It was arge ship that was anchored in the most remote location. ¡°What is your sight?¡± Vincent stopped working on futile things and recalled what Aria had said. ¡°Looking at the size of therge ship, it must be a ship carrying ves, and the middle ship seems to be a cargo ship. The purpose of the small ship is unknown¡­¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Something is strange. It would be easier to manage the ves if they were anchored side by side.¡± It was a natural choice in order to save the movement. If there is no reason, who else would go through the trouble of going back and forth on the same road twice needlessly? ¡°Yeah. It would take double the time.¡± Aria agreed with Vincent. It was far wiser for them to put the ships in a position where they could be bridged to each other, even in case of a surprise attack. It was the basics. ¡®I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no way they don¡¯t know that.¡¯ Besides, the ship carrying ves should be monitored most closely, but they put it in the most remote ce. What if the ves run away by taking advantage of the neglect of surveince? ¡®Confident that the ves will never escape? Or was it that they let their guard down so they wouldn¡¯t have to keep a good security guard nearby and not watch it?¡¯ Even so, it was a very unconventional decision. Wasn¡¯t it the merchant guild of the world¡¯s best ves? It¡¯s not like they had done business for just a day or two, so why was this absurd¡­¡­. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it¡¯s just a hiding ce?¡± Then Cloud intervened. ¡°I wish everyone in the world was as simple as Sir.¡± Vincent stopped what he was thinking and replied sarcastically. ¡°About the location where the ship was anchored, isn¡¯t it a minor issue. The given time is not enough, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to think too deeply about that.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± Vincent couldn¡¯t read the minds of the ve traders in the end. It was hurting his self-esteem, though. ¡°It could be a trap in case of an attack. The probability of that happening is low, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with preparing in advance.¡± He finally had to shrug his shoulders and let out a sigh. ¡°Even if it¡¯s going very smoothly, it¡¯s definitely going to be a win-win situation for us.¡± Around the time the ship¡¯s owner went to sleep, while the members of the ve traders was distracted by loading the cargo, they will take advantage of that and recapture the ship. The n was simple and clear. ¡°I¡¯ll take the biggest ship.¡± After saying that, Lloyd got on the ship. ¡°Go safely.¡± Saying so, Aria stretched her hand under the railing. And she gently patted Lloyd¡¯s hand, which was holding onto the rope. Warm hands. Lloyd squeezed the small hand that naturally moved away from the back of his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± As the ship went down, the hand he was holding on to fell slowly. Lloyd stared at her tenaciously until the hand fellpletely, then looked down at his warm hand. ¡°Then can I take the small ship?¡± And she btedly noticed Cloud¡¯s presence sitting opposite her. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay if you goes to retake the ve ship by yourself¡­¡± Cloud, who was once Lloyd¡¯s escort knight, asked himself and came to his own conclusion. And he turned to the smallest ship he was assigned to. If it was that size, he would have been able to handle anything in an instant. ¡°You¡¯ll do it on your own, but I¡¯ll join you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be vignt because it¡¯s small. Because it¡¯s a ship of unknown purpose, it may be the most dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± That way, the two split. Lloyd watched the moon move, and then he climbed thedder on the side of the ve ship. Ted, very nervously, followed behind him. ¡°¡­it¡¯s strangely quiet.¡± He ced his hands on the sword and walked leisurely along the deck. There was not a single person watching the ship. There were no sailors standing on the watchtower or passing by the deck. No one even slept in the cabin. It was a strange stillness. ¡®Is it a trap?¡¯ But even so, he could feel the presence of people somewhere on the ship. ves were obviously on board. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± It was then. A terrifying sound resounded over the ship. Hearing the scream, Lloyd quickly drew his sword and ran. And he stepped down the stairs and went down. The source of the sound was the dock where cargo was loaded under the deck. Without hesitation, he grabbed the doorknob. Crank, crank. ¡®Was it locked?¡¯ A door with a structure that can only be locked with a key from the outside. Lloyd turned the doorknob a few times before listening again to the sound from inside. ¡°Please, please save me!¡± ¡°Please! Is there anyone out there?!¡± ¡°Aackk! A monster, a monster!¡± ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong¡­¡± Lloyd took a step back and kicked the door. The wooden door was shattered at his kick, revealing the scenery inside the dock. He couldn¡¯t see the inside because he was engulfed in darkness, but the bloody smell that had been trapped in an enclosed space hit him. Ted, who came after Lloyd¡¯s btedly, covered his nose and mouth. ves,pletely insane, pushed Lloyd out and tried to run outside, then fell to the floor. It was because they had no strength from starvation throughout the voyage. He just stood still and got pushed by people. Lloyd bowed his back and reached out towards the fallen ves. ¡°Hiikk!¡± The ve, already in a panic, reflexively withdrew and trembled. Lloyd looked around his hand without saying a word. Hands dripping with skin and messy nails. The ve was bruised so much that his whole body had no blemishes. Eyes that could not look directly at him and were slightly out of focus. It smelled like something from a corpse, and the bones were damaged. And¡­¡­ broken leg. ¡°It looked awful.¡± He never imagined this. Lloyd¡¯s gaze fell on the man¡¯s twisted leg. He ripped out the torches hanging from the wall, illuminating the inside of the dock. The walls were all red. Upon closer inspection, he saw traces of numerous scratches with fingernails and beatings with fists. It was like hell. ¡°This, this, this¡­¡± Ted barely swallowed the nausea. He wondered if this was really happening in the same world. Shadows that looked like piles of corpses were piled up like a mountain in a space that was barely lit by light. ¡°No, no way¡­ Lisa! Leo!¡± Maybe his family was among those corpses. Ted, who had been thinking about it that far, tried to jump inside. Lloyd stopped him. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± Don¡¯t be a nuisance. Lloyd sat him, who was rebelling hard and pressed his shoulder firmly. With just that, Ted couldn¡¯t move. It was an overwhelming difference in power. Lloyd looked at the ves in that state. ¡°Please, save, please save, save me.¡± ¡°Who made you like this?¡± ¡°A, a monster¡­ no¡­¡± Guild Master. The man muttered as if chewing and spitting, and then tears fell. As if crushed by fear and unable to fully feel the hatred. ¡°The guild master ?¡± ves were all human beings, but from the point of view of the upper-sses, they weremodities. But what about scratching the products you buy and sell for money? Lloyd frowned slightly. Because he couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell he was thinking. He said to the struggling Ted. ¡°You stay here to keep them from ever diving into the sea.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for your family.¡± If they¡¯re alive. Lloyd added. Ted licked his lips at those words and finally bowed his head. All he can do now is pray to the sky that his family is safe. Lloyd took off his coat and ced it over the head of the youngest of the ves. ¡°Cover your ears.¡± Then he got up and stepped into the dock. The soles of his shoes clinged to the hardwood floor and creaked, making an unpleasant noise. But he moved on without hesitation. Then he put his head down on the floor and put the knife to the neck of the man who was licking blood. ¡°Is drinking blood fashionable these days?¡± ¡°Hii, hi-chik.¡± The man raised his hands, pretending to surrender, and let out a strangeugh. ¡°Is it strange? They said we could eat everything in the warehouse¡­¡± ¡°Everything here is food? So are you my food too?¡± He murmured, trying to push Lloyd¡¯s sword with his fingers. When Lloyd gave strength to the sword, it flew away with his fingers to his death. The man fell to the ground with a gurgling and bizarre sound and died. And when he died, it moved as if it was natural. Like worms that wriggles when it¡¯s in pieces ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡± Chimera. Lloyd sighed. The monster that he thought he would never see again after the gutter rat was on the rise again. He was very sick of it. ¡®Then the wizard¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd remembered the presence of a wizard who used barrier magic and escaped through the vent when he was fighting the gutter rat. Meanwhile, the chimera found a corpse with intact limbs and switched bodies. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. It hurts¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re mean.¡± And started whining. Lloyd raised an eyebrow. Although this chimera had an adult body, itsnguage skills wereparable to that of a child. ¡®I think the gutter rat was better.¡¯ At least in intelligence. Lloyd was puzzled and raised his sword. After he was killed, he was going to bind it tightly so that it wouldn¡¯t be able to target any other body. For an instant, Lloyd swung his sword so fast that a sh of light shed across the de. Their bodies passed by each other. The pierced chimera let out a sound of blood-boiling and the body slowly toppled. ¨C Lloyd! Are you okay? At that moment, Aria¡¯s message was heard. Lloyd replied, retrieving the sword from the Chimera¡¯s body. ¨C It¡¯s an unexpected situation, but I¡¯ve solved it. I¡¯ll fix it soon and go there¡­¡­. Then, something hot liquid dripped from Lloyd¡¯s cheek. What is this? Lloyd groped his own cheek. It stung. ¡®Blood?¡¯ There was a scar on his cheek. A sharp wound as if cut by a sword. At that moment, the chimera, who had been lying on the floor without even moving, slowly got up. Chapter 105 It was different. This chimera was markedly different from the gutter rat. ¡®Did you hurt my body?¡¯ It was the first time it happened except when he was a kid. Although he was off-guard, no one had ever scratched his body. Except for Tristan. Lloyd¡¯s gaze passed through the drooping chimera¡¯s arms and reached the long, sharp ws of a beast. Obviously, the body that the chimera had transferred to was an ordinary corpse¡­¡­. ¡°You hurt me again! You¡¯re a bad person! I¡¯m going to kill you all!¡± At that moment, the chimera got up and shouted loudly. It still spoke like a child. Lloyd wondered if the intelligence level was lowered as much as possible, because the physical abilities were improved. ¡°All?¡± ¡°Right! I will kill you all!¡± All? He raised the torch he was holding and lit the inside of the dock. And at that moment, Lloyd¡¯s eyes met the non-human creatures that were rummaging through piles of corpses. ¡®One two three four¡­¡­ nine.¡¯ Including the leading chimera, there were at least ten. ¨C Lloyd? Lloyd! At that moment, Aria¡¯s message resounded in his head. Lloyd pressed the bloody cheek with his palm with a troubled face. The recapture operation may take a little longer than expected. ¡®She¡¯d be worried¡­¡­.¡¯ But at the same time, Lloyd was relieved that Aria was not here. ¨C Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be over soon. Lloyd sent his message, shaking off the blood flowing on his sword. ¨C Can I trust you? Aria¡¯s message came back, who was quick to notice and was dubious. ¡®When I tricked you pretending to be sick, you were deceived.¡¯ Lloyd replied with a grin. ¨C Wait, rabbit. No matter what he did, the chimera seems to have evolved quite a bit from before. In fact, to make them incapable ofbat, it wasn¡¯t difficult. ¡°I will kill you! I will kill you!¡± He grabbed the chimera¡¯s head and threw it at the wall. The wall of the dock copsed in an instant, leaving arge hole. The ves gathered nearby swallowed their breath with a ¡®hiiick¡¯ and retreated in confusion. ¡°Everyone on deck.¡± Lloyd coldly ordered. The ves, who felt the heavy pressure mixed with each word, could not even breathe properly. All of a sudden, his gaze met the bloody marks on the wall. ¡°If you¡¯re so desperate to live, you should at least show that will. Try harder to make me want to save you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you just want to sit there nkly, you¡¯ll just die.¡± Lloyd grabbed the arm of the chimera, who ran towards him, mutteringnguidly, and pushed it to the ground. At the same time, an eerie sound erupted, and the chimera¡¯s arm was torn like a stuffed toy. It could not be called a battle between humans at all. A few ves, who had only exchanged nces in fear, stood up with a determined expression. Then, they gave strength to their loosened legs and climbed onto the deck. Those with crushed legs were supported by others or climbed far and wide even by crawling. The inside of the dock, which had been crowded with ves, was empty in an instant. ¡°Huh? My food?¡± And the chimera looked around and made a silly noise. The half torn arm was sticking together little by little. ¡®It¡¯s quite annoying.¡¯ Even if he destroys the body until it bes incapacitated, the chimera will change its body over and over again. Besides, now it was even changing its body. ¡®It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡¯ Lloyd watched the grotesque sight of nerves growing and attaching to the severed arm. And he took a deep breath. ¡®If I make it fish food for the rest of its life, hang it from an anchor¡­¡­.¡¯ It was when Lloyd was thinking of ways to dispose of a chimera that was too cruel to speak of. ¡°No food. My food.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not here. Food.¡± ¡°Where did it go? Food¡­¡± The chimera, who had been repeating the same thing as if it were singing, suddenly stopped standing tall. ¡°Hup!¡± Because they could hear the hups of a child. They looked at one ce at the same time. It was behind a wooden box. Without hesitation, the chimeras smashed the crate with their fists. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± At the same time, a woman¡¯s scream rang out. She was so startled that she reflexively yelled, then quickly shut her mouth. But it was already toote. She held the child tighter in her arms as she watched the chimeras stretch out their hands towards her. ¡°Li, Lisa! Leo!¡± Then Ted, who was trembling down the stairs, cried out. He was eagerly searching for his wife and son among the ves on the deck. But he guessed they haven¡¯t been able to get out yet. ¡°No!¡± Ted knew for the first time that he could move at that speed. Ted ran frantically in front of his wife and son and hugged them tightly. While closing his eyes tight. ¡°Kuugh, kuk!¡± Drops of blood poured down Ted¡¯s face. But there was no pain. He slowly opened his closed eyes. In front of him was the chimera, convulsing, pierced by a sword. ¡°Hoo, uhh, huwook! Koohk!¡± Until now, the chimera who only whined in pain no matter how much Lloyd cut, threw, or ripped it. But now it was screaming and twisting its body. ¡°Kuwaaaak-!!¡± The chimera, who was panting and screaming desperately, soon turned to ashes and scattered. It happened in the blink of an eye. Even the other chimeras that were not hit by the sword hesitated and spread their distance. ¡°Grand Prince? Thank, thank you for saving me¡­¡± Ted lowered his gaze slowly. At the tip of the sharply glowing red sword, a group of lights fluttered. A light so bright that it hurts his eyes. However, the emotion he felt to the extent of piercing his bones was ¡®fear¡¯ itself. ¡°Ugh!¡± At that moment, he groaned without realizing it, and the corners of his eyes were moistened. His emotions grew uncontrobly. Tears ran down his chin. It was the sword that saved him, but he was more afraid than when he was attacked by the chimera. His hands and feet were trembling. ¡®Scary. Scary. Scary!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t stand still. It was difficult to breathe. A terrible ringing rang in my ear. The tip of his nose stung and blood dripped down his nose. A malice that was not of this world was persuading him to throw himself into the sea and die. At the same time, his eyes met with Lloyd. ¡°Get lost.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes, who spoke like that, had faded a little more gray than he had seen before. Like ashes scattered on the floor. ¡°They may have looked all over by now.¡± Maxim chuckled, took a cigar from his arms, put it in his mouth and lit it. Then he flicked his finger as if to motion for the attendant who was standing still toe over, spitting out an acrid smoke. ¡°What is it? You look dissatisfied?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s no choice but to do that.¡± He tried to kill all the good ves. Maxim chuckled. ¡°It is a matter directly rted to the trust that I have built up while doing this job. They¡¯re even ves brought in to other countries? If they die, the damage will be huge.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Maxim asked in a harsh tone, interrupting the attendant¡¯s words. ¡°What do you think is the reason why theb gave me ten subjects each so precious?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it was meant as a congrattions for the hard work you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°The head of the researchb used to talk about that kind of crap.¡± The head of the researchb said he was always grateful for Maxim¡¯s hard work, and exined to him the use of the specimen in detail. ¡°The subjects were brainwashed to have a high degree of loyalty, so they asked me to use it to guard and monitor the space.¡± Like a guard. ¡°It was definitely suspicious.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Seeing him answering with a somewhat happy expression, the attendant showed a troubled look. ¡°If theb really sends the subjects under your supervision, nothing will happen. We¡¯ll set sail tomorrow and deliver the ves safely.¡± But if they were sent for testing, all the ves would die. For example, if the subjects were human weapons designed for killing. Maxim was nning to experiment with theb¡¯s plot right now. ¡°Haha, let¡¯s screw some of those bastards. If the experimental materials evaporate on their own, they¡¯ll shed tears of blood because it¡¯s a waste.¡± The attendant sighed and said. ¡°The researchb probably didn¡¯t expect that the Guild Master woulde out like this.¡± ¡°Of all people, me the stupid brain for trying to use me.¡± Maxim chuckled and shook off the ashes. ¡°Oh, watch out for the little boat.¡± In his mind, he wanted to hurt it, but he still had to keep the goods. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to y.¡± ¡°But, Guild Master. It¡¯s okay to stop at this point¡­¡± ¡°Oho, if I¡¯m said I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡± Maxim waved his hand and walked out. The attendant, who was left alone, sighed and followed after him with a somewhat uneasy expression on his face. ¨C Wait, rabbit. Aria stiffened her body at the sweet whisper. It was embarrassing that her cheeks instantly flushed. However, there was also an unknown feeling of anxiety. ¡®Are you telling me to believe you or not?¡¯ It was quite vague It was when Aria was rubbing her ming ears and cheeks with her fingers. Suddenly, people flocked to the empty deck. ¡°Huh?¡± As she lightly expressed her doubts, they continued to push in and the deck was filled with people. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, Vincent asked. ¡°The deck of the ship is full of people. I think they were taken into very.¡± ¡°Oh, was that a person?¡± He said with his eyes wide open. Even with sses on, Vincent¡¯s eyesight was so bad. ¡°You seem to have solved it well?¡± Well, of course. Vincent, who had not been worried about anything from the beginning, shrugged his shoulders and spit out a yawn. He wanted to go in and go to sleep. ¡°I can¡¯t see Lloyd¡­¡± Aria scanned through the ves. But no matter how much she searched, his face was not visible. ¨C Lloyd? Lloyd! In addition, the message was cut off. Sensing that the situation was unusual, she closed her eyes and focused her attention. Rarely, the voices of the ves could be heard. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ right. Savior¡­.¡± ¡°A¡­¡­monster¡­?¡± ¡°A monster that is as bad as¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to die¡­ too.¡± It¡¯s too far away so she can¡¯t hear it very well. As she was frowning and listening as much as possible, Someone cried in a loud voice. ¡°Help! Descendant of Antis!¡± It was Ted. ¡°Grand Prin¡­! No, that person is in trouble!¡± Ted couldn¡¯t reveal the identities of the two in front of a lot of people, so he made it vague. He screamed so loud that the ves standing next to him covered their ears. ¡°Um? I think I hear someone shouting something.¡± Even Vincent reacted. Aria grew pale as she heard that Lloyd was in trouble, then she muttered with a grim, hardened face. ¡°¡­Song of Dawn.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°A dimly dawning light.¡± Vincent, who tilted his head at the sound like floating clouds, responded naturally. ¡°Yes. The light of hope.¡± Aria took a deep breath in her. And she cried like a raging wave with a force that had been drawn to the limit. ¡°Fly, my thoughts, on wings of gold; go settle upon the slopes and the hills!¡± Chapter 106 Chapter 106 ¡°Fly, my thoughts, on wings of gold;¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡­!¡± Vincent eximed, startled. It was because he had figured out what Aria was thinking when she started singing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your life would be in jeopardy?¡± She said it was also fatal. Didn¡¯t she admit it with her own mouth? But Aria just reached out her hand towards Vincent and he shut his mouth at once. ¡°go settle upon the slopes and the hills,¡± The song of dawn, which started from a small boat, swept swiftly across the vast sea with a strong wind. And it took control in a heartbeat As if in response to her song, the waves swelled strongly along the melody. The boat shook like rocking. The feeling of the sea was unfamiliar. ¡°Ohh!¡± Vincent let out a short scream and hurriedly hung on the railing. He had no time to feel motion sick. He struggled to keep his bnce and his eyes red open. His mouth didn¡¯t close. ¡®I knew from the beginning that the Siren¡¯s song was great, but this¡­¡­.¡¯ It was beyond imagination. The sea was answering a man¡¯s call. It was like they were trying to help her with all its might. He knew that she was loved by animals. He thought she was some kind of ecosystem-disrupting species. But it wasn¡¯t. Siren went beyond the ecosystem and was loved by Mother Nature. ¡®How could such a power exist?¡¯ He realized it all over again, but it didn¡¯t make sense. It was an ability that went against the providence. ¡°Oh, my homnd, so lovely and so lost!¡± Aria sped her hands desperately and muttered as if in a whisper. The song that had spread grandly along the mighty waves became as calm as the waves that crashed against the rocks. ¡°where, soft and mild, the sweet airs of my nativend smell fragrant!¡± She spit out a melodious yet mncholic melody. ¡°Oh, my homnd, so lovely and so lost.¡± So, it brought more anxiety. It was a song that was stuck in the heart so much that every word was desperate. As soon as Vincent saw the lyrics of this song, he knew it was a clue that to go to Antis. This was because it was a song that portrayed the lostnd with longing. The ves, who had gathered on the deck, stood as if possessed and listened to Aria¡¯s song. ¡°A song¡­¡± The ve groaned as he grabbed the crushed leg and murmured. The boy, who had been trembling with Lloyd¡¯s coat wrapped around his head, poked his head out of the coat. Ted, still unable to shake off the remnants of fear, sighed in relief. And he hugged his wife and children tightly. Nothing has been resolved yet though. Just hearing Aria¡¯s voice brought peace to their heart. ¡°Oh memory, so dear and so dead.¡± The ordinary daily life was now a past that they will miss for the rest of their lives. All the memories turned into despair. Because their whole life was taken away. Now that they have be a ve, they will no longer be treated as a human being. For the profit of other countries, they will only be tested until they die as materials for the researchb. ¡°Golden harp of the prophets of old, why do you now hang silent upon the willow?¡± Their future was bleak. They were tired of looking up at the sky and praying unanswered prayers. When they tried to conform to fate, the ves saw the light of salvation. A beautiful young man with dark hair who broke their shackles and opened the way when they were about to be devoured whole by monsters. ¡°Rekindle the memories in our hearts, and speak of times gone by.¡± And¡­¡­ a song. A gentle breeze blew. Their hair and hem fluttered in the direction of the singing voice. This was the call to them. ¡°Let me cry out with sadmentation¡­..¡± That was the moment. Aria, who sang as ifmanding the sea by tightening and releasing her vocal cords, raised her voice as if breaking the boundaries. The song quickly crossed the sea and spread across the horizon in an instant. ¡°Look over there. The sun¡­¡± ¡°The sun is rising¡­¡± A whitish light began to spread over the vast, ck sea where nothing could be seen. A red light spread across the sea, leading thousands of halos. The sun was rising. The morning dawns. ¡°may God strengthen me.¡± God¡¯s song. ¡°to bear these sufferings.¡± Strength to bear these sufferings. ¡°May God strengthen me to bear these sufferings.¡± ¡°Give me strength¡­¡± The light of dawn filled the eyes of a ve who hummed along to the song. They realized something. That there were no handcuffs or shackles that bind them now. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you try to run away from the beginning?¡¯ Hundreds of people were brought into very, but they did not try to win freedom together. ¡®Because I was afraid.¡¯ Fearing the darkness that they could not even see an inch ahead, they gave up and resigned. They couldn¡¯t shake the endless despair. But now there were no more bizarre monsters that eat people. ¡°No, even if there is a monster, if you don¡¯t get out, you¡¯ll be locked up here forever.¡± Now it seemed like they could really do anything. ¡°Let¡¯s hoist the anchor!¡± A certain ve eximed with conviction. And without hesitation he pulled the chains with an anchor. ves exchanging nces followed the man, grabbing the chains and pulling up the anchor. ¡°Unfold the sails!¡± A woman from an ind with sailing experience took the helm. She hastily tried to escape, but had injured one of her legs, but her arms were still intact. The remaining ves took the oars. The taut sails moved forward with the wind blowing. Forward, forward. To the wide and free sea road where no one can restrain them. ¡°May God strengthen me to bear these sufferings.¡± Aria finished the finale to the end with a quivering voice, then staggered as she grabbed the railing. ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­¡± It was a familiar pain. Her vision was blurry, and her eyes were covered in ck in an instant. He must have listened to the song, as she squeezed her magical powers to the point that it upset her stomach. ¨C Lloyd. Aria sent a message to him even at that moment. And before she could hear the answer, her body slowly copsed. ¡°Sister-inw!¡± Vincent screamed and hurriedly caught her as she copsed. That moment was thest thing Aria remembered. Nine remaining chimeras. Lloyd was alone from the beginning. But from the moment Lloyd¡¯s sword gleamed with white light, the chimeras faltered and stepped back. As if their intuition said that it was a fight with no chance of winning. ¡°Why are you scared?¡± Lloyd knocked down the wall. Kwaang-! Thick shards of shattered wood surrounded them. Afterpletely blocking the chimera¡¯s escape route, he lifted his chin with the tip of his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so scary.¡± He tilted his head slowly and continued his word. ¡°It must be the salvation of God that you so longed for while you were alive.¡± And whispered like the evil spirit of the night that threw all hope into the abyss. He swung his sword and shattered all the chimeras to ashes in an instant. Silence enveloped the surroundings. His face, stained with boredom and ruin, quietly stared up at the ceiling. To be precise, he followed the footsteps of the ves who were busily running on the deck. In an instant, a destructive impulse arose. ¡®Kill them.¡¯ A great force spun through his body, whispered in a voice full of hate. ¡®Kill the humans.¡¯ ¡®Humans, supremely selfish races. They deserve to perish.¡¯ ¡®Ugly, violent and disgusting.¡¯ Lloyd blinked slowly. The noise that repeated loud enough to make his head ring, gnawed at his mind. It sucked up his reason like a leech. Lloyd dragged his sword to the floor with blurred eyes. And he went up the stairs. ¡°Will he be okay? The savior, can we leave him downstairs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably okay. Because the monster was stuck. Wouldn¡¯t the savior win?¡± ¡°He was a benefactor, but he was a no less a monster.¡± ¡°But even if he fights monsters equally well, he¡¯s still human. He might even die¡­¡± The ves stood with their backs to Lloyd and muttered. Seeing them all gathered together made his stomach twist. To be precise, Lloyd¡¯s ferocious malice writhed. He raised his sword Killing them will take away this disgusting headache. The moment he was thinking about it, ¡°Fly, my thoughts, on wings of gold!¡± He heard a voice. The strength in his hand holding his sword loosened. As her song reached its climax, as she approached the finale, his lost focus and blurred eyes slowly returned. Lloyd sighed, groaning softly, and touched his forehead. And he suddenly lifted his head. ¡°¡­¡­Aria.¡± Lloyd ran to the deck. At the end of his vision, he could see Aria, whose body was drooping helplessly. At that moment, her feet seemed to copse. ¡°Aria!¡± Song Quote: From Verdi¡¯s opera Navo, ¡®Go, thought, on wings of gold! (Va, pensiero, sull¡¯ali dorate)¡¯. a little surprise if you click on the image next to the song~! Chapter 107 Cloud was a Sword Master. Although the two Masters he serves didn¡¯t seem to really care about that part. Lloyd was so overwhelmingly strong to wonder if there was any rival, so Cloud thought the same. But Aria was a very unusual and strange owner. She was seemingly weak and physically weak, but she strangely shows strength in her actions, eyes, and tone of voice. Even though she was someone who he needed to devote himself to protect her, for some reason he felt like a knight that was being protected when he was by her side. ¡®That¡¯s nonsense, so I just ignored it and let it slide¡­¡­.¡¯ But his hunch was right. Somehow, he felt ufortable. ¡®I don¡¯t think that the Young Madam will be that strong.¡¯ Aria was a Siren. She was hiding her power. She was a master of hiding. ¡®Awesome¡­¡­.¡¯ Cloud didn¡¯t show it, but he continued to admire it in his heart. Doesn¡¯t she look like the main character in a novel? In admiration again, he got on the small ship. And the moment he got on the deck, he paused for a moment at the thought that ran through his head. ¡®¡­¡­ It¡¯s good, though.¡¯ Does this mean that he exists? As expected, neither the Grand Prince nor the Grand Princess needs anything like an escort knight? If he was an escort knight and useless as an escort, what¡¯s the difference from worn decoration? ¡®I¡¯m a decoration.¡¯ Cloud was shocked. He thought that only his head was a decoration, but could it be that his existence itself was a decoration? ¡®I can¡¯t be a decoration like this.¡¯ There was a sense of crisis that he had to do something. ¡°Who are you!¡± Then a sailor standing on the watchtower and watching shouted loudly. He aimed his arrow at Cloud. Cloud looked up at the sailor with no reaction. Swish-! The arrows rushed in swiftly. Cloud wrapped energy around his hand and lightly grabbed the arrow that was flying towards his head. ¡°What¡­¡± The sailor was terrified. It was an incredible feat to see with his own eyes. He clenched his teeth, loaded several arrows at the same time, and pulled the bow string taut to the limit. And he shot straight away. Cloud drew his sword and swung it without saying a word. The flying arrows were all broken in half and tossed on the floor. The sailor, who was so startled that he couldn¡¯t even make a sound, was trembling and his mouth was open, eximed. ¡°Its, it¡¯s the test subject! The test subject!¡± Test subject? Cloud threw the arrow that hade into his hand and tilted his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s ridiculous. They said that the test subject would never be released into the small ship! If the material on this ship dies, we will be executed¡­!¡± The sailor, who was muttering in panic, reached out towards the bell hanging from the pole. But. Before he could even ring the bell, Cloud¡¯s hand moved first. He grabbed his shoulder, turned his arm a few times, and threw an arrow straight away. The sailor hit by the arrow could not even scream and his body copsed on the watchtower. ¡°Material?¡± He doesn¡¯t know what it was, but it seemed like something important was on it. Seeing the word ¡®dead¡¯ was used, it must have been a living creature. After rolling his head, Cloud rummaged through every cabin he felt a presence in. ¡°It¡¯s the test subject!¡± Every sailor he met said ¡®test subject¡¯. Cloud stunned all of the crew and then climbed thedder that descended under the deck. ¡°Die!¡± But suddenly, a hand with a hook flew in. Cloud grabbed the hand with a puzzled expression and then swung his opponent up and down. It¡¯s obvious that this face¡­¡­. ¡°Pirate?¡± ¡°Not now!¡± ¡°Is that so? Excuse me.¡± Even while the man was having a conversation, he tried to pull out the hand that had been grabbed with all his might. But it did not move. ¡°What are you standing still for?¡± ¡°Because my feet are on the ground?¡± He was then beaten by the rest of his colleagues. They pointed the sword at Cloud with a face full of murderous nergy. ¡®No, we¡¯re caught¡­¡­.¡¯ The man with the hooked hands felt a cold sweat running down his back. He had a gut feeling that Cloud was no ordinary opponent. Even if they fight, they have no chance of winning. ¡°Oraahh!¡± At that moment, one-eyed rushed in with a terrible shout. Cloud turned around lightly to dodge the sword, then swung the hooked hand like a weapon in the recoil. ¡°Uugh!¡± ¡°Kegh!¡± Cloud blew up the two men at once and then trampled them on the back to prevent them from getting up. He asked, turning to the man with the bushy beard. ¡°Are you going to jump too?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bushy beard immediately threw away the sword and raised both hands to express his intention to surrender. ¡°What is the material that is on this ship?¡± ¡°Material? I don¡¯t know what that means¡­¡± At that moment, a handsome-looking man entered Cloud¡¯s field of vision. ¡®Well?¡¯ Being among the three people, he had no choice but to stand out. ¡®He resembles someone?¡¯ Cloud looked at the man carefully. He was staring nkly into the air with a bewildered expression on his face. His eyes werepletely open. ¡°Who is that person?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Bushy beard rolled his head back and forth along with his pupils. He somehow had a hunch. A hunch that he shouldn¡¯t even reveal the fact that he was a ve before the fact that he was a valuable material to be used in theb. Bushy beard said quickly. ¡°Actually, that guy is our colleague, and he secretly stole and ate the medicine we were carrying, and that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°A colleague? He alone has a different style.¡± ¡°Aside from that, you shouldn¡¯t judge people by their looks!¡± Colleague? As Cloud narrowed his eyes, Bushy beard gulped. Was it also a crude lie? But once he started, he had to keep pushing until the end. ¡°If the boss who hired us finds out, we¡¯ll be kicked out, so we¡¯ve been waiting in secret here until he¡¯s out of energy.¡± ¡°By the way, why did you tie him up with a rope?¡± ¡°If he walks around drunk with the medicine, wouldn¡¯t it be a big deal?¡± The beard began to muffle his words. But speaking of it, it was quite usible. ¡°I see.¡± Isn¡¯t that so? Could you please pass this on? ¡°I don¡¯t know what the material is¡­ but it would probably have been transferred to thergest ship.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to our destination soon, so if they want to manage the goods all at once, they¡¯ll have to keep the ves in one ce.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± That was the end of the doubts. No, he had no doubts in the first ce. Bushy beard was puzzled as he watched Cloud climb up thedder. Anyway, he thought a few words would cast doubt on him. ¡°Did you fall for that?¡± Aren¡¯t you an idiot? Bushy beard murmured for a moment, as if it was ridiculous. ¡°Hey, hey. Wake up.¡± And he shook his groaning fellow as they rolled around the floor. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s gone, so get the material right. We¡¯re running out of time¡­¡± At that time, bushy beard had no choice but to drop the medicine bottle he was carrying. It was because Cloud, whom he thought had left, jumped from the top without stepping on thedder. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be fooled twice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Viscount O¡¯Neill and you say the same thing when lying.¡± As Cloud said so, he struck bushy beard with his sword. He passed the three pirate brothers scattered without even a move and carried Winter on his back. ¡°Didn¡¯t I do one thing?¡± He wanted to avoid being a decoration with this. ¡®It will be morning soon.¡¯ The attendant of the Underhill ves took a deep breath. In the morning he had to lead the crew and dispose of the ships and the bodies. It would be very difficult if the test subjects crawled to the shore. ¡°Hey, who¡¯s going to kill it? It may or may not die.¡± The Guild Master Maxim shrugged his shoulders and pretended to be innocent. But Maxim knew that the ves were dead, and so did the attendant. ¡®Because those subjects must be human weapons made for killing.¡¯ Maxim had noticed this from the beginning. He only thought of killing the ves. After all, the ves were already bought by theb at a higher price than the market price. There was nothing to lose. ¡®Tone down your temper a bit¡­¡­.¡¯ The attendant groaned and let out a sigh and wiped his face. ¡®Roughly, it would be enough to deceive a few sailors and keep them away from thend as much as possible.¡¯ The solution was simple. They just need a few innocent victims. He moved his steps, praying for deep constion and peace to the sailors who would soon be sacrificed. Then he opened the window and stared at the pier. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± The attendant rubbed his eyes. Because he thought he must have been watching something wrong. However, no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, the scenery outside the window did not change. Surprisingly, this was actually happening. ¡°Gu¡­ Guild Master!¡± The attendant rushed and knocked on the door of the next room. Then he went into the room at will and woke Maxim, who was lying on the bed, shaking him. ¡°Are you crazy? The sun hasn¡¯te up yet¡­¡± ¡°Now is not the time to be like this! Look out the window!¡± Maxim patted his hangover-throbbing head and turned his head in the direction the attendant was desperately pointing. ¡°What the hell is that¡­?¡± And he hardened in its ce, as if he had been broken. ¡°¡­why is the ship moving randomly?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to say!¡± Maxim, forgetting to scold the attendant, rushed out of the building. And he ran with all his might until his breath caught on the tip of his chin. They arrived at the pier, but the huge boat carrying ves was already in an ambiguous position to follow. ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­¡± Confused, he murmured, gasping for his breath. ¡°So actually, the subjects were thieves, not dangerous?¡± ¡°Is that possible!¡± The attendant was shocked and chastised his nonsense gibberish. As they were so confused, they heard a faint singing voice in their ears. ¡°¡­¡­a song?¡± Maxim murmured as he stared at the vanishing ship over the horizon. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Vincent reflexively epted Aria, who copsed without strength, but at the same time lost his center and copsed. ¡°Ouch¡­¡­.¡± He rubbed his arm as it hit the floor and pulled himself up. Fortunately, Aria was not hurt because Vincent acted as the cushion. ¡°Sister-inw?¡± He made Aria sit back in his arms and patted her lightly on the cheek, but she didn¡¯t respond at all. She was knocked out. Surprised, Vincent lowered his head to listen to Aria¡¯s breathing. He wasn¡¯t a doctor, so he couldn¡¯t tell the details, but it sounded strangely light. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m going crazy. She¡¯s already weak, why¡­?¡± Vincent could guess how deadly the song she had just sang was to her. Aria has never copsed since she was ten years old. He murmured nervously and then called out to the dazed navigator. ¡°Come on, raise the anchor!¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes!¡± The navigator, drunk on the song, hurriedly raised the anchor and spread the sails. They were able to get out of the ind quickly because the wind blew them strangely out of the ind. ¡°Hmm?¡± Cloud ced Winter roughly on the floor, then looked bewildered. As he was about to climb up outer hull, the boat carrying the ves started suddenly. However, the scenery on the ship seemed to shown them seeded in recapturing the ship together with the ves. ¡®Is this already resolved?¡¯ Cloud scratched the back of his head. He quickly approached Aria¡¯s ship. That was the moment. Cloud was startled to find Aria lying on her back in Vincent¡¯s arms. It was then that Lloyd came to his senses. ¡°Aria!¡± As the ves were building a bridge between the two ships, Lloyd jumped over it and passed over to the ship Aria was on. And he hastily took her into his arms. ¡°Brother.¡± Vincent, who meekly handed Aria over to Lloyd, called him with a worried face. ¡°How did this happen? Why did Aria sing her song¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­don¡¯t you know?¡± The moment he heard those words, Lloyd hardened his body. He actually knew. He knew but he wished he didn¡¯t. How was he supposed to ept the fact that Aria¡¯s life was devoured while trying to save him? ¡°Why why¡­¡­.¡± Why do you¡­¡­. Lloyd grabbed Aria¡¯s bloodless cheek with trembling hands. It was Lloyd who told her to never sing her song. But in the end, Aria had no choice but to sing. It was because Lloyd was briefly engulfed by malice and lost his reason. ¡®Because of¡­¡­ me.¡¯ At that moment, he recalled a nightmare that was engraved like a stigma in his brain. Even then, Lloyd tried to annihte it with God¡¯s malice, but the malice ran rampant in his body. In the end, he eventually had to hold Aria in his arms, who was getting cold as she shed her blood. Of course, it was just a dream. Now is¡­¡­. ¡°Easy to go crazy, easy to break¡­¡± Lloyd muttered. Upon hearing this, Vincent was startled. Because it was something he said when he was young. ¡°Brother, back then there was no meaning¡­¡± ¡°No, you always tell the truth.¡± Vincent lookedplicated, neither affirming nor denying. ¡®Brother will be poison to my sister-inw, and my sister-inw will be poison to you.¡¯ Obviously, his past self came to the above conclusion after a long analysis. Even today, that thought has not changed. ¡°There must be a way.¡± Vincent threw an unbing constion. He twisted his eyes and saw his older brother showing his cruel feelings, so he felt like he had to. ¡°¡­¡­Aria.¡± Lloyd murmured in a whisper and hugged her tightly. She was warm. She was still alive. He could hear her heart beating regrly. Although relieved by that fact, it seemed that the dream woulde true someday. ¡®If, like that dream, God¡¯s malice runs rampant someday¡­¡­.¡¯ Something iparable to a momentary loss of reason will happen. But even then, Aria was going to try to stop his rampage somehow with her own strength. ¡®With this weak body.¡¯ No matter how strong and great the Siren¡¯s abilities were, they were no match for God¡¯s malice. The god who created this world. The source of the absolute world. He bore the malice of that overwhelmingly great being in his body. And, if the dream-like end came¡­¡­. ¡®Can I survive then?¡¯ Lloyd clenched his fists. He bowed his head down and whispered in her ear, unable to hug her tightly for fear of breaking her. ¡°Wake up quickly.¡± And hold her hand As always. How long has she been asleep? She had a very long dream. A longing, painful and sad dream. Aria felt hot tears run down her face to her ears. Although she felt a hotter touch wiping the dripping water. Aria blinked her eyes. The bed curtains filled her vision. ¡°Here¡­¡± It was Aria¡¯s room in the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. ¡®Grand Duke¡¯s castle?¡¯ Her half-dazed head was awakened in an instant. Her certainst memory was singing on the ship, but she doesn¡¯t know how she got here. Has she been sleeping for so long? Turning her head with a bewildered face, Lloyd was staring down at her. With a face that seems to have stayed up for several days and nights. ¡®I think something like this has happened before.¡¯ Aria¡¯s expression, who had been scouring thoroughly as if observing Lloyd, suddenly hardened. With a pale, weary face, she jumped up from the bed. Lloyd pressed Aria¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lay down.¡± ¡°But, Lloyd, your eyes¡­¡± Lloyd blinked his eyes. And fumbled around his own eyes. ¡°Why the eyes?¡± ¡°Your eyes have changed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important about that¡­¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t care whether his eyes were ck or red. But when he started to see the water in Aria¡¯s eyes again, he decided to pay more attention to the color of his eyes. ¡°How did my eye color change?¡± ¡°The color has faded. A bit gray.¡± But as Aria answered his question, she suddenly burst into tears. Lloyd wiped away Aria¡¯s tears with a sign of embarrassment that anyone could see. ¡°Why are you crying over something like that¡­ um, then. I¡¯m going to ask Carlin if there is any magic that changes the eye color to ck.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Why does it matter if his eyes were ck using magic? Lloyd¡¯s eyes were already starting to fade like Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s. ¡®It¡¯s still a little paler, though.¡¯ Does it get closer to a pale gray color the more he gets stained with malice? Aria ced her own hand over Lloyd¡¯s, wiping her eyes. And when she was licking her lips. ¡°Young Madam! You¡¯re awake!¡± Marronnier, who had been dozing next to her, suddenly woke up. Then she ran with a weeping sound. ¡°The doctor is a quack, a stupid idiot. He says nothing is wrong with your body every day.¡± ¡°N, no, there¡¯s really nothing wrong with that¡­¡± The doctor Cuirre countered with a voice full of injustice. But the reaction from the people was chilly. Vincent, who had wide eyes like Lloyd, sarcastically spoke in a cold tone. ¡°Are you saying that a person with nothing wrong would have been unconscious for three days?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also curious about that¡­¡± Even today, Aria¡¯s innocent doctor was being bullied. Aria was surprised that she had passed out for three days, but she soon epted it. ¡®I¡¯ve had such a long dream.¡¯ Probably that¡¯s why she passed out and didn¡¯t wake up. Aria beckoned Cuirre, who was about to cry because of the bullying, to leave. He left the room in a hurry. And she looked at Vincent without a word. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Vincent quickly recognized Aria¡¯s gaze and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But you¡¯d better be prepared.¡± What? ¡°It was bigger than we expected, so the Grand Duke and his wife also got to know the details of this incident.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hear from Brother the details of what happened after that.¡± Their n to sneak around while Tristan and Sabina were in the Imperial Pce was thwarted when Aria copsed. ¡®It wasn¡¯t enough to go out secretly, I came back hurt¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria sighed, not wanting to make them worry for nothing. Yet she made them even more concerned. Lloyd¡¯s eyes faded and Aria copsed¡­¡­. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the handmaide out with me?¡± ¡°What? No. Young Madam can¡¯t do without my devoted care.¡± Vincent pointed to Lloyd and whispered in a cruel voice, ¡°Then he¡¯ll take devoted care of her himself.¡±. And dragged Maronnier, which had hardened like a frightened squirrel. Aria was left alone with Lloyd. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 (Illustration) ¡°What happened to everyone?¡± Aria broke the silence and asked. ¡°What about those sold into very?¡± ¡°They¡¯re okay. We brought them all into Valentine¡¯s Castle.¡± The hundreds of people? Aria was surprised at first, but soon agreed. Looking back, Valentine¡¯s was and is always an extraterritorial jurisdiction. If they decide to hide them in the Grand Duchy, no one will know where the ves were. ¡®It must be the same on the Underhill ve merchant¡¯s side.¡¯ It seemed that in the future she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that any more. ¡°And your brother was on the ship.¡± ¡°What?¡± But this waspletely unexpected. Aria blinked for a moment with a puzzled expression. ¡°Luther Angelo?¡± ¡°No, the eldest son, Winter Angelo.¡± The eldest son¡­¡­. ¡®That was said to go down to the countryside to follow the gutter rat¡¯s trail?¡¯ Somehow, even after the gutter rat¡¯s problem was resolved, he didn¡¯t appear and couldn¡¯t be contacted, so they thought it was strange. He must have been kidnapped by the Underhill ve merchant. ¡°But they¡¯re not usually crazy enough to kidnap the eldest son of a prestigious Duke¡¯s family.¡± ¡°He may have seen things he shouldn¡¯t have seen. Rather, they may have found it more difficult because he was the son of a prestigious duke family.¡± Lloyd further exined. ¡°Pirates were guarding the Young Duke. If things went wrong, they would have thought of putting everything back on the pirates.¡± Aria heard his exnation and understood, but at the same time she felt puzzled. Why was he saying it in a spective way? ¡°I don¡¯t think you heard the exnation yourself, did you happen to pass out and not wake up?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m conscious.¡± Lloyd answered with a slight look. ¡°You¡¯d better check it out yourself.¡± Hmm? Did Vinter lose his consciousness in the shock of being kidnapped? Things like that happen, too. Aria nodded her head for a moment. ¡°Why are Lloyd¡¯s eyes like that?¡± And from the moment she woke up, she asked what she was most curious about. It seemed irreversible that his eyes had already turned gray. However¡­¡­ However, if she knew the cause, it would not happen again. So that it doesn¡¯t get worse, she would make sure it doesn¡¯t happen again. Then Lloyd answered. ¡°There were chimeras on the ship.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was significantly lower in intelligence than the gutter rat, but the physical abilities were superior.¡± Chimera. As soon as Aria heard those words, she understood all the circumstances. She murmured in a dismayed voice. ¡°¡­Hans.¡± ¡°Hans? If it¡¯s Hans¡­¡± Had Lloyd ever heard of him? She narrowed her eyes for a moment and seemed to trace her memory. Aria answered briefly. ¡°The wizard who was on to the gutter rat¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the wizard who rebelled against the gutter rat four years ago?¡± Hans was the one who created internal divisions and helped Valentine sweep the gutter. Aria paused, averting her gaze for a moment before adding. ¡°Actually, I did that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± She said so far, so why would she hide it? Aria exined the whole story. The longer she talked, the more serious Lloyd¡¯s expression became. ¡°So that was why you were ill then?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Aria averted her eyes again. It looked like there was going to be a hole on the side of her that received Lloyd¡¯s relentless gaze. ¡°It was Hans who made the gutter rat a chimera. It was unstable at the time, but now he can make a better chimera. Maybe in 5 years he will make a more perfect chimera¡­¡± ¡°Five years? That¡¯s a pretty urate guess.¡± How do you know that? Lloyd asked suspiciously. Aria closed her mouth, rmed. ¡°¡­Carlin gave a potion and left.¡± Lloyd changed the subject. He skillfully pours the potion into a spoon and brings it to her lips. Aria looked down at it without saying a word. She felt faint again. ¡®Was it four years ago¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria fumbled over her memory for a moment. At the time, she had a dream that Lloyd was taking care of her. When she awoke, Lloyd, who looked somewhere tired, met her eyes. ¡®I thought it was a dream back then.¡¯ ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Lloyd said. It was the same lines as back then, but the tone of voice waspletely different. Contrary to his childhood voice, which was full of annoyance and irritation, now there was a gentle tenderness. ¡°Did Lloyd take care of me all night before?¡± Aria asked. Lloyd looked like he was asking what she was talking about at first, but then he realized it btedly. He wrinkled his eyes. ¡°Is that important now?¡± ¡°Hmm, I want to know.¡± Aria clenched her lips cheekily only when he brought the spoon to her lips. Until he answered properly, she was determined not to take the potion. Lloyd sighed and said. ¡°¡­¡­I did.¡± ¡°All week?¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± ¡°You gave me medicine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aria opened her mouth only then. Lloyd seemed a little relieved after giving her the potion. ¡°Why did you hide that you took care of me?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Then the murmur returned. ¡°You were shy.¡± Aria chuckled. Lloyd, who was staring at her, without showing much shyness, opened his mouth. ¡°Then can I ask you something I want to ask now?¡± Aria stopped herughing and looked up at Lloyd with a surprised look. Because he naturally grabbed Aria¡¯s chin and made her turn her head towards him. Rather, it was Aria who was embarrassed. ¡®I think it¡¯s a bit close¡­¡­.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t even move her hand, so she couldn¡¯t avoid his gaze any longer. Aria¡¯s eyes were dyed red for a moment, trying to avoid his gaze here and there. And at that moment, Their eyes met in the air. ¡®Ah.¡¯ His ck eyes, so dark that she couldn¡¯t even see the pupils, were spreading faintly as if mixed with water. Aria answered, forgetting that she was thrilled by his gaze. Staring straight at Lloyd. Rather, she ced her own hand on the back of his hand and held it firmly. ¡°Yes, anything.¡± Lloyd looked down for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡± After hearing his words, Aria noticed what question he was trying to ask. ¡®Ah, I think he was finally going to ask.¡¯ In fact, Aria knew it too. Four years ago, Lloyd had been suspicious of her. ¡®Even if I tried to hide it, it would have been visible.¡¯ However, he did not ask for details, although he asionally casts doubts on her. It was simply because he epted Aria as Aria. ¡®Still, I couldn¡¯t be silent anymore.¡¯ Her work with the Emperor. Also, there is a remark she just made. In addition, Aria willingly threw her body into danger several times. Aria said. ¡°Actually, I was waiting for Lloyd to ask.¡± Lloyd, who opened his eyes wide as if surprised for a moment, replied with a grin. ¡°I see. I¡¯m waiting for you to tell me¡­¡± Then, weren¡¯t they just wasting time waiting for each other? There was a moment of silence between them at the thought that they had made a fool of themselves. ¡°I actually know the future.¡± To what extent was that an expected answer? Lloyd wasn¡¯t as surprised as she thought. ¡°I was guessing.¡± She was taken aback. He had a reaction simr to when she told Carlin about the future. ¡°What happened in the future?¡± But the answer she got back was different from Carlin¡¯s. Lloyd seemed to have waited, no, more impatient than that, and asked about the future. ¡°It¡¯s too long to talk about, but¡­¡± Aria exined everything she had done in the past. Except for one thing. It was somewhat difficult for her to say that she would soon die from the potions she had drank from her birth. ¡®Honestly, I¡¯m afraid.¡¯ She approached him by deceiving him. Because she was going to leave this world irresponsibly after being one of Lloyd¡¯s dearest people. If he used her of deceiving him, no, even if he didn¡¯t criticize her, she was afraid that he would look hurt. ¡°The Count was said to have lost his mind, so I left him alone¡­.¡± Then Lloyd muttered in a small whisper. Aria, who had been contemting for a moment after finishing her words, lifted her head suddenly. ¡°No, nothing.¡± Shaking his head, Lloyd patted the table with his fingers, giving a cold nce. An overtly cruel emotion ran across his face. It was the murderous energy she felt the other day just before Lloyd secretly dealt with Count Chateau. ¡°Who else are you going to kill?¡± ¡°What a bloody thing to say.¡± It wasn¡¯t something a person with a ferocious energy all over his body would say. Aria looked at Lloyd with squinted eyes as he kept pretending to be innocent, and then she smiled in dismay and shook her head. ¡°Do whatever you want, Lloyd.¡± ¡°Hmm, right.¡± ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Well. I want to show the wife only pretty things and let her hear only pretty things.¡± She doesn¡¯t think he wanted to tell her. Aria wondered if this was Lloyd¡¯s own consideration, so she said. ¡°Yes, I too only want to show the husband only pretty things and let him hear only pretty things.¡± She said it sincerely, but the reaction she got back was bitter. ¡°Is the future me going to be so nice to you just because I helped you once?¡± She can¡¯t say that¡¯s necessarily the case, but the trigger was the salvation of that time. Aria thought for a moment, then nodded her head. ¡°If there was even one happiness in your future, you wouldn¡¯t havee to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It seems that you have reached the limit enough to choose me from among many people.¡± Lloyd seemed to believe that Aria had been driven to the edge of the cliff and that she had no choice but to choose the devil. ¡°Anyway, I should thank myself in the future. Thank you for choosing me.¡± He spoke as if swearing to his soul. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen again.¡± And he put his lips on her palm, and slowly lifted his half-lowered eyelids. Between the densely embedded ck eyshes, the pupils with a colorful light were revealed. As if he wouldn¡¯t let her go even if she regretted itter since she had chosen him. The tips of Aria¡¯s fingers trembled, feeling that her palms were somehow numb. ¡®No.¡¯ Aria licked her lips. She didn¡¯te to him because she had no choice. ¡®I just liked Lloyd.¡¯ She was in love with him at first sight. Aria thought so, and she looked up at him. She only sees Lloyd in her eyes. With eyes that seem to embrace thousands of lights that sparkle like jewels. ¡®One day, when my body gets better, I want to tell you.¡¯ The confession she couldn¡¯t put out of her mouth today. Sabina called Lloyd and Aria into the conference room. ¡®Why?¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t know why until she got to the conference room. However, as soon as she saw the scenery inside the conference room, she immediately realized it. It was to scold her in earnest! ¡°I won¡¯t listen to any excuses.¡± Sabina said as she sat at the head of the conference room and snapped her fingers. Tristan leaned next to her and had a strange smile on his lips. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 ¡°Come here.¡± Aria heard Sabina¡¯s call and reflexively ran. Then Sabina took Aria in a sh and sat her on her ownp. ¡°Finally, the princess has woken up.¡± Tristan said yfully as he took a handful of the pale petal-colored hair and twisted it with his fingers. Aria looked up at Tristan for a moment. He had given Sabina the seat he should have been sitting on originally, and was leaning dazedly next to her, with a ss. Suddenly, a word came to mind that didn¡¯t fit with Grand Duke Valentine¡­¡­. ¡®In the previous life, the Emperor¡¯s lover was standing in that position¡­¡­.¡¯ Then Tristan asked. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Aria shook her head, showing it was nothing. And she quickly erased what she had thought from her mind. ¡°You look happy.¡± She naturally had a smile on her lips. It was a sight she would never have seen if she hadn¡¯t changed the future. Sabina and the Grand Duke. ¡°I think I will do the same even if I go back in time.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sabina raised her eyebrows, and grabbed Aria¡¯s cheeks as she spoke those cheeky words. She was called here to get scolded, yet she proudly dered that she did nothing wrong. ¡°Ohh cosh, I¡¯m going to reflect ontees¡­¡± Aria muttered. Her pronunciation was all blurry because of the cheeks that stretched out on either side. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± She fluttered her eyshes as Sabina fiddled with her plump cheeks and didn¡¯t want to let go. The way she looked cute and pathetic, Sabina had no choice but to stop harassing her. Aria rubbed her red cheeks, and she took the time and said quickly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for secretlymitting a reckless thing without consulting you two.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± While Aria was in the midst of apologizing, Lloyd abruptly intervened. ¡°I took Aria, even though it was considered risky enough.¡± ¡°Then is it okay for you to be in danger?¡± ¡°What? I¡­¡± Lloyd put on an awkward expression, as if he had never expected to hear such a word. Sabina let out a sigh. ¡®I was healed of my illness four years ago, but I¡¯ve been sick since the day that child was born.¡¯ In reality, she had only been a proper mother to her sons for four years. She could see how Lloyd had grown up over the years just by looking at his awkwardness over her worried nagging. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take good care of you, so it¡¯s understandable. There¡¯s no way you could have been properly cared for under this knucklehead.¡± ¡°Knucklehead, are you talking about me?¡± Tristan asked, pointing to himself. Sabina replied with a snort. ¡°Then who else would it be?¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s strange. I think I raised him prettily enough.¡± ¡°Twice the prettiness, he¡¯ll be a dead body.¡± Sabina stretched out the brazen Tristan¡¯s ears. He pretended to be hurt and yelped in front of his wife. ¡°Mother, I am an adult.¡± Lloyd, who had been making an ufortable face for a while, refuted. Then Sabina answered firmly. ¡°Not yet.¡± He still has two years left until he bes an adult recognized by the Empire. Lloyd rubbed the nape of his neck, not knowing what to say. ¡°Even if I am not an adult, I am the Young Head who will soon be responsible for the family.¡± ¡°Does such a person throw himself into a dangerous task without hesitation?¡± Well no¡­¡­. The more he spoke, the more he felt like he was falling into a hole. To argue that it wasn¡¯t even dangerous, something went wrong and his reason was almost taken away by malice and he got eroded. Lloyd decided it was wise to just shut his mouth and listen to his mother. ¡°I will ept whatever punishment you give.¡± This time, Aria intervened, ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to have caused you worry about this. I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t have to worry about it again.¡± ¡°Can I trust you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aria and Lloyd answered her question at the same time. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Sabina sighed again. There are no parents who can win against their children. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯ve done the work, take responsibility until the end. Go and finish your work.¡± Those who were taken into very remain in this castle. Aria thought of them and nodded her head. ¡°Call Vincent on the way.¡± Vincent told Aria to be prepared, since Grand Duke Valentine and his wife found out about this. ¡®He spoke like someone else.¡¯ But he was still a minor and was Sabina¡¯s son. It was the same that he recklessly jumped into something dangerous. ¡®You would be scolded too, idiot.¡¯ Aria smiled broadly and nodded her head. It was a pity that she couldn¡¯t see Vincent flustered as he listened to the worried nagging. Maxim was not so powerful enough that there was nothing to fear under the sky. But, at least within the Kingdom of Bruto, he was the head of the Underhill ve merchant who can take down even a flying bird. He was not afraid of the King either. It was because he knew the King would not be able to do anything about himself, unless he had caused an outright rebellion. By the way¡­¡­. ¡°The Master has entrusted me with your disposal.¡± ¡°Disposal? Me?¡± Maxim responded with a smirk. ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something, but I¡¯m rather the victim here?¡± ¡°Victim?¡± ¡°I lost the entire crew, staff, and ships as well as the ves because the subjects sent from there ran wild. How are you going to pay it back?¡± ¡°You are mistaken.¡± Hearing those words, the man was silent for a moment, and then spoke in a much lower voice than before. ¡°You seem to be mistaken, but you¡¯re just a merchant who supplies ingredients.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Whatever the cause, you failed to carry out your mission. Even valuable experimental materials and subjects were lost at once.¡± Mission? Maxim was not on a mission, he just took on amission for money. In the first ce, it was absurd for the head of a secret research institute run by the state, not the King, to talk about his disposition. ¡°Are you saying that the head of the research institute is going to treat me like a subordinate and even punish me?¡± ¡°Head? The head of the research institute is only the Master¡¯s agent, he¡¯s not the same person.¡± He¡¯s not the same person? ¡®So what?¡¯ It was literally a research institute run by the state. Of course, the wardens and masters were all officials who eat royal sries. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Was the Master supposed to be the King? ¡°Did His Majesty personally order my disposal?¡± ¡°Why do I have to listen to the orders of the King of such a small country?¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, Maxim stopped fidgeting and stood up awkwardly. He had a pretty urate guess at the bottom. And he now smells it was quite dangerous. That¡¯s why he felt intuitively that he shouldn¡¯tugh at what that hooded man was saying right now. ¡°Then who is the Master?¡± ¡°He is infinitely close to heaven.¡± Heaven? So, in the sky? ¡°Is he the Pope or something?¡± It was a bad joke thrown without much thought. There¡¯s no way that the head of a creepy researchb that conducts human experiments or anything like that is God¡¯s agent. But strangely, the man in the hood didn¡¯t answer. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Then he felt a stinging pain in his right arm. Maxim felt frustrated, but it was already toote. He looked down at the injected arm and then slowly turned his head. The men had already done it silently a long time ago. ¡°This is a newly developed poison. You can consider it an honor to be the first test subject.¡± ¡°Wa, wait. Wait. You¡¯re too impatient. If you kill me now, you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Damn it. He had stepped on andmine. Maxim began to utter something urgently. ¡°I heard a song¡­¡± He could see the eyes ncing through the hood open wide, as if surprised for a moment. A fire broke out at that moment. He was like being thrown into the middle ofva. A terrible pain. That was thest thing Maxim remembered. ¡°A song?¡± ¨C Yes. Obviously he said so. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out for now. Save your life as much as possible.¡± ¨C Yes. I will do my best. A conversation was heard in the room. ¡®Song?¡¯ Veronica listened to the conversationing through the crack in the door, and as he finished themunication, she made a gesture. Knock, knock- The sound of the knocking stopped the Cardinal¡¯s voice. ¡°Hmm,e in.¡± Veronica had a familiar smile that was almost engraved on her face. It was that kind of smile that made even those who saw it feel rxed and smile with her. ¡°May God bless you.¡± ¡°May God bless you.¡± After gently putting their hands together to offer a formal blessing, they sat down with a table in between. They were ustomed to pretentiousness. After exchanging meaningless greetings andpliments for a long time, they got to the point. ¡°So I heard you have something to say to me.¡± ¡°Ah, actually¡­¡± Veronica grabbed the teacup she was holding with both hands and lowered her gaze. And after hesitating for a long time, she btedly gathered up the courage to say it. ¡°The words the Cardinal said by chance keep ringing in my ears.¡± ¡°By chance? What¡­¡­¡± ¡°The divine power.¡± At those words, the Cardinal wriggled the corners of his lips, which had drawn a benevolent smile for a moment. ¡°I must have said it was nothing then.¡± ¡°But, how could the Cardinal say such a word without much meaning¡­¡± ¡°Saint Veronica.¡± The Cardinal quietly put down the teacup and said, as if to reveal his ufortable feelings. ¡°I said clearly that I was speaking of nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Whatever you may have guessed, if you dig deeper than this, I will have no choice but to send the Saint to a ce that God cannot reach.¡± It was a pretty brutal threat. For those who had devoted their lives to serving God and devoted their lives to the Papal Pce, it was almost a death sentence. Had it been for another priest, they would have already fallen on the floor begging for their wrongdoing. But Veronica didn¡¯t blink. She didn¡¯t even avoid the Cardinal¡¯s gaze. ¡®Look at this?¡¯ The Cardinal, who had only known her as a weak saint with a good character, raised his eyebrows. It was intriguing. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡°So it seems that¡¯s why you called me so hastily when I was talking with the Grand Princess.¡± He was afraid she was going to gossip. Veronica said nothing, then smiled softly. ¡°Cardinal. I know my ce. I know I won¡¯t be able to ovee it, and I know how to keep quiet.¡± But now she has broken the tacit rule. She risked everything she had and decided to use the words. ¡°I thought maybe I could be of some help to Cardinal Andrea.¡± ¡°The saint?¡± The cardinal responded with a painted smile. The indifferent question was covered with ignorance that she was not even aware of. As if wondering how far she would go beyond the topic. ¡°Is Valentine not the devil?¡± ¡°As expected, you crossed the line.¡± The cardinal shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. The power passed down from generation to generation in Valentine is not the devil¡¯s. It¡¯s none other than God¡¯s malice.¡± Andrea did not deny it. Rather, he readily admitted it. Veronica looked carefully into the cardinal¡¯s eyes. He seemed to have made up his mind on something. ¡®I¡¯m going to kill you.¡¯ I¡¯m going to kill you anyway, so I¡¯ll just let you know. If she didn¡¯t say something useful here, Veronica was literally dead. Andrea continued. ¡°Even though it was part of God, malice should never exist. It was a disaster that we could not know when, where, how, or how it would destroy our humanity.¡± He added, ¡°How can you call that God?¡±. ¡°It¡¯s like the devil.¡± Veronica read the clues hidden in those words. ¡°In the first ce, in this world, neither angels nor demons exist?¡± There was only God¡¯s good faith and the opposing power that Valentine possessed, God¡¯s evil. Angel representing goodness. Devil representing evil. There was no such thing in the first ce. Everything was God. ¡®Everything was God.¡¯ Saving humans and destroying humans. All of them were just the jokes of an absolute being called God. God was not only good. God also harbored malice. If this fact became known to the public, it would cause a huge uproar. ¡°However, if God is one being, why is it divided into good and evil?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Andrea raised his arm to stop her curiosity. It was because he decided that further conversation was a waste of time. ¡°The saint¡¯s final journey will be escorted by Priest Nics.¡± It was when the cardinal went to call a man. ¡°Anyway, it must be that our God is notpletely one now.¡± He can¡¯t believe she has more to say until this moment? Rather than begging for her life, she was only talking about what she had to say. He raised his eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t the usual gutsiness. Veronica¡¯s eyes were shining so much that it exceeded interest and made him even slightly wary. ¡°After all, the God we serve is a half god.¡± ¡°Saint Veronica!¡± ¡°They say that the divine power we are borrowing from God is half the divine power.¡± ¡°¡­I have nothing more to say.¡± The cardinal, who had hardened his eyes and his expression, waved the bell without hesitation. Then, the pdins who were waiting outside moved in unison and caught Veronica. ¡°Take her away.¡± ¡°Valentine, aren¡¯t they annoying?¡± ¡°Ho.¡± Well, there was no way they weren¡¯t annoying. If he could have killed them, he would have already killed them countless times. But even after searching all over the world, Valentine was the only vessel that could harbor ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯. That is why the Holy Father was also patient. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± So shameless. ¡°Only to the saint?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m just a saint, isn¡¯t it worth giving me a chance to try it once?¡± When the cardinal was stunned and unable to issue any orders, she ced her hand on her chest and smiled brightly. ¡°Because it was worth losing.¡± It was an eerie smile that waspletely different from what Veronica had been seen with in the outside world. ¡°I escaped!¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m alive! I thought I was going to die now!¡± The ves embraced each other and ran. To escape safely from the monsters where even the slightest hope was not seen. There were no other words to express other than the word ¡®miracle¡¯. ¡°We are no longer ves!¡± It was the moment that they shared the joy of escaping the ve trade safely. They were busy praising Lloyd throughout the voyage. ¡°Great man. Did you see him pick up a monster and throw it at the wall?¡± ¡°The walls also copsed altogether.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t human power.¡± Then a boy interrupted the conversation. It was Ted¡¯s son, Leo. ¡°I saw him in a book!¡± ¡°Book?¡± ¡°Yes! The hero, Nua, born between god and human.¡± Leo said with a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°When the monster was trying to eat me and Mom, he showed up like Nua and saved me!¡± The child remembered the hero in the book when Lloyd appeared and defeated the monsters with his sword. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about the hero Nua myth.¡± A man patted Leo¡¯s head and chuckled. The myth rted to Nua was very famous not only in Garcia, but also in the Fa Empire. It was widely read as a children¡¯s story book. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Defeat monsters and beasts, too¡­ just like in the myth!¡± ¡°He¡¯s our hero.¡± The ves nodded, remembering Lloyd¡¯s wondrous power that appeared out of nowhere and saved them. Even if they praised him as a hero a hundred times, it was not enough. The harsh tone that initially surprised them was now beginning to appear as one of the hero¡¯s human aspects. ¡°Hmm, a rather human hero is better than an impable one.¡± Then another ve intervened. ¡°The hero is a hero too, but do you all remember that song?¡± It was when they were drowning in a sea of fear and despair. At that moment, a girl¡¯s song gave them courage and shed a light of hope. Like a miracle. ¡°Of course.¡± The ves still could notpletely shake off the emotions and lingering feelings they felt when they heard the song. ¡°Is she on that ship right now?¡± They could not hide their excitement while fixing their eyes on the passenger ship in front. ¡°I thought I was dull-eared, but I didn¡¯t know I would be so moved to hear a song.¡± ¡°I cried. My heart just overflowed.¡± And they shared their special experiences. ¡®I¡¯ll have to stay calm here¡­¡­.¡¯ Ted wanted to intervene, his mouth was itching. But he struggled to keep his mouth shut, and he avoided their gazes. Because he didn¡¯t know how far he could go. Because he knew that Aria wanted to hide her identity. ¡°By the way, can you be sure it was really a human song?¡± ¡°What? If not a person, then what?¡± ¡°What if, maybe it was an angel?¡± What, angel? Hearing that, the ve thought whether the answer was sane or not. But when he thought about it, it seemed right. ¡°It makes sense.¡± He muttered, stroking his chin. ¡°Come to think of it, all of a sudden, the waves just hit.¡± ¡°The wind blows.¡± ¡°I thought when the song reached its climax and the sun was rising over the horizon.¡± No matter how it was Aria, she had no talent to make the sun rise. The sun had only risen in the morning when it was bright and it was time to rise. However, the ves who had already been blinded could not make rational decisions. ¡°She must be an angel!¡± The ves gave meaning to everything and began to praise Aria. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve seen simr stories like this in the temple.¡± The story of an angel who received a revtion from God and freed ves. ¡°The salvation of heroes and angels.¡± It was when everyone was talking excitedly that this must have been heaven¡¯s help. ¡°It sounds funny.¡± A ve who had been silent the whole time intervened. ¡®Is there anyone like that?¡¯ Some of the ves tilted their heads, but then passed them on in vain. There were hundreds of people. It was also the first time they met each other after being brought into very. No one noticed that a stranger was present. ¡°It¡¯s naive to call a hero for defeating monsters.¡± The man said sarcastically. His name was Vibrio. ¡°What?¡± ¡°And how do you know if a singing voice is a call from God? Do you remember the sea and singing?¡± Sea and singing. They reflexively recalled a legend and frowned at once. Seducing sailors passing by with a beautiful song, wrecking the ship and killing it¡­¡­. ¡°Are you saying that the song was a song by the monster Siren?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Vibrio eximed that it was exactly that and pointed at the person who spoke that word. ¡°Everyone loses their minds when they almost get eaten by a monster? Do you know where they are taking us yet we are talking about salvation?¡± ¡°What if we¡¯re all possessed by the monster now?¡± At that moment, a chilling silence hung over the deck. Because they had never even thought of it that way. Chapter 112 Chapter 112 The ves exchanged nces with each other for a moment without speaking. ¡®A monster¡­¡­.¡¯ They knew in their head that it was nonsense if they thought about it rationally. But they saw the same person being eaten by a monster right before their eyes. They were also locked in an enclosed space. The people were someone¡¯s family, lover, and colleague. Hearing Aria¡¯s song gave them hope and courage, but anxiety and fear were still lurking in their hearts. ¡®Good. It¡¯s shaking.¡¯ Seeing that they were agitated, Vibrio smiled satisfiedly. Now, with a little stimtion, he seemed to seed in instigating them. ¡°So, it¡¯s better to turn the ship and go back as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Then all of a sudden, Ted jumped up and screamed. It was such a loud voice that the eyes of the crowd gathered in an instant. ¡°If she¡¯s a monster in the legend, why does she encourage us and not make us want to die?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re nning to do something once they¡¯ve taken us!¡± Vibrio stared at Ted, who sprinkled ashes on the cooked rice. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That ship is just a passenger ship with no artillery on its hull. The ship we¡¯re on is so much bigger and stronger that it¡¯s iparable.¡± ¡°That, that.¡± ¡°If we knew what was going on, and were determined to attack them, they would have no choice but to sink.¡± Of course, it would be easier to run away. Instead of revealing Aria¡¯s identity, Ted tried to reassure people with more persuasive words. Then Vibrio, who was rolling his eyes to and fro with a troubled face, stuttered. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s already toote after the monster reveal their true nature! The only chance to escape is now!¡± He spit out his own words like a quick-fire before Ted could refute it. ¡°And what? Fight it? Are you confident that you can fight that monstrous young man and win?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a monster!¡± Then Leo screamed. Even at a young age, the child had guts that closely resembled his father. The same stubbornness and the loud voice. ¡°Mom said that an ungrateful bastard who doesn¡¯t know grace can go out and die!¡± ¡­¡­ Did she teach him to say that? Ted was speechless for a moment and turned to his wife. His wife Lisa said after stroking Leo¡¯s hair as if it was a good thing. ¡°Suspiciousness is a disease too.¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it true that we got help? I don¡¯t know why you are instigating benefactors as enemies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not instigating, I¡¯m just suggesting a possibility. What if we¡¯re chasing a monster worse than the ve trader?¡± Vibrio threatened whether they could even take responsibility for that. ¡°Yes, I will take responsibility.¡± Lisa said sternly. ¡°So, like before, stay calm in the corner. Don¡¯t disturb the atmosphere.¡± Vibrio was amazed and his lips were shut. And he looked around. Some had anxious eyes, but that was all. The ves who had been silent for a while, far from agreeing with Vibrio, had very suspicious faces. A ve looked at him with squinted eyes and asked. ¡°Who are you more than that? I think it¡¯s the first time I see you. You keep saying nonsense¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever you want! Don¡¯t regret itter¡± Vibrio realized that the operation had failed and took a step back. He went back to the corner and squatted down. And he struggled to hide his disappointment, looking for the next opportunity with hyena-like eyes. The opportunity came unexpectedly quickly. It was because their behavior was very suspicious after they got off the port. They entered a mysterious building, climbed on a suspicious camp, and moved to a suspicious ce with a suspicious technique. ¡°The answer is here. If they have a decent status, would we move in this way in aplicated and secret way?¡± Vibrio spit out one word at a time, heightening the ves¡¯ anxiety. He urged them to run away. He would keep doing that until the ves were persuaded. By the way¡­¡­. ¡®Damn, why¡­¡­ !¡¯ He was busy whispering like a snake, but this time he couldn¡¯t help but be terrified. It was because the ce they had moved to through Carlin¡¯s magic was none other than the Valentine¡¯s estate. ¡®Why is it supposed to be Valentine that targeted our ve trader!¡¯ Vibrio was confident that he could get out of any power, any family, with the help of the ves. But he wasn¡¯t sure about Valentine. No one would be sure. Especially when he thought of the Ingo Mountains, which were full of huge monsters, he was distraught. ¡®Should I run on my own right now?¡¯ He felt a very strong impulse. However, all the test subjects were dead. Maxim couldn¡¯t leave him alone if he couldn¡¯t take even the surviving ves. There was also a way to simply not return to the Underhill ve traders in their home country. But then¡­¡­. ¡®I will be killed, sure.¡¯ Vibrio knew his boss¡¯s personality very well. He was merciless to traitors. If Vibrio had abandoned everything and ran away, Maxim would have even tried to kill him bymissioning an assassin. ¡®Why am I in this situation¡­.?¡¯ Vibriomented inside. Because of Maxim¡¯s bad mood, he was defending the ship by himself, and he was enchanted by an unknown song. Vibrio wasn¡¯t the only one with aplicated mind right now. ¡°Valentine¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the devil¡¯s castle?¡± Watched by the knights, some of the ves who entered the castle muttered in fear. Valentine, the devil. No one in the Empire, no, no one in the world would not have not heard of Valentine. Even those who did not have the ¡®ear¡¯ for the nobles had heard of the Valentine family at least once. ¡°Keep quiet of everything you saw and heard on the ship. You¡¯d better not y around with your mouth. Unless you want your new life back in the mud.¡± And when Lloyd came and threatened them with a subtle threat, their fear reached a climax. Especially when he told them to hide Aria¡¯s powers, he seemed like apletely different person. ¡°Look at that! The hero is just b******t!¡± Vibrio shouted because he thought this would work well. ¡°Where is a hero in that way of talking?¡± ¡°Besides, we were told to keep quiet about the song. Is it true that monsters have lured us?¡± This time, there were ves who were shaken by his words. ¡°What, what if it¡¯s really like that?¡± ¡°Do you believe that?¡± ¡°But, Jose, who was captured with me, is dead.¡± Right next to that ve too. He had no choice but to watch directly as his close friend was devoured and the monster took over his shell. He will never forget the shock of that time as well. Even those who believed that Lloyd and Aria were their saviors and that they were innocent could not speak for that moment. Because they understand his feelings. ¡°All grown-ups are idiots! Why can¡¯t you believe what you see?¡± Only Leo beat his chest as if frustrated, and made a fuss. Lisa sighed and stroked Leo¡¯s head. ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re all just dumba****.¡± ¡°Honey, you promised me that you would only use kind words in front of the child¡­¡± Ted said that too, but his frustration was on the verge of bursting too. So the ves had to tremble in fear for three days. ¡°What will happen to us?¡± They arrived at the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, but nothing happened. They thought they were going to get something. To get beaten. To get neglected. Yet they even provided food in a room that was quite good for ves to stay. ¡°It¡¯s said that they usually provide the best food to death row inmates.¡± In the meantime, Vibrio did not forget to keep stirring up the atmosphere. ¡°It¡¯s good to use it if they feed it well. If everyone has a head, think about it. Let¡¯s run away now¡­ ack!¡± And suddenly he felt a very intense pain in the back of his head and screamed. He grabbed his head and looked down at the floor. A rock rolled around. As Vibrio raised his head, Leo stuck out his tongue and ran away. ¡°This damn little boy¡­¡± Trembling in anger, he ran after Leo. He had once or twice let go of the damn little kid who interfered with everything he was doing. ¡°I need to break the leg of a damn little kid like you before youe to your senses!¡± The anger that he had been holding back until now had reached the climax. Vibrio had no choice but to grab the little boy and use his hand until the boy listened to him. Ted and Lisa were startled and tried to stop him. But at any cost, Vibrio ran at a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes and caught Leo. ¡°You need to be set straight.¡± Hearing this, he raised his hand. He was thinking of smashing Leo in the head. ¡°What are you doing?¡± And it was then. Aria appeared in the dormitory where the ves were staying. She pulled Leo, who stiffened in fear and met eyes directly with Vibrio. ¡°I asked what you were doing.¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Vibrio. An escape genius. He belonged to the Underhill ve merchant and was one of Maxim¡¯s men. It was obvious what he was doing in very. ¡°Let¡¯s set you straight.¡± ¡°Kyaaak!¡± ap-! ap! To subdue those who rebel with fear and strength. He had a great talent for making rebellious ves submissive. In fact, that was the basic qualification of a ve trader. ¡°Did you just piss me off?¡± ¡°Yes? That, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have eyes? You ve bastard dare!¡± The moment they go against his heart, he has to raise his hand right away. It was a very basic method of educating ves. It didn¡¯t matter if he added any nonsensical reason as to why he was bothered by the ves. Harsh punishment. Beat them until they give up. This was because they will learn how to read their owner¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like your eyes.¡± ¡°What was that hand gesture? Did you curse at me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s funny? Are youughing at me now?¡± When he controls their words and actions one by one, people change. Being able to speak but not speaking, being able to act but not acting. If it continues, they will be a ve who cannot think and act on its own. In that way, he lived and managed ves. Without any guilt. Vibrio was mingled among the ves, pretending to be ves now. However, he acted quite usibly, yet he could not give up the habit of that time. ¡°I need to break the leg of a damn little kid like you before youe to your senses!¡± This wordes from habit. Heter realized he had made a mistake, but it was more painful in the back of his head after getting beaten by the same little boy ¡°You need to be set straight.¡± How dare a ve who should have been taken to theboratory dare to throw stones at? He rolled his eyes and raised his hand. He was going to beat the boy up until the boy cried and begged him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± If only Aria didn¡¯t appear at that moment. He would have done the same thing he had done as a ve trader here. ¡°I asked what you were doing.¡± Aria said while holding Leo in her arms. Her eyes, so hot that it almost looked red, nced up and down for a moment at him. ¡®What is that, those eyes¡­¡­.¡¯ He was momentarily distracted by her small body and doll-like appearance. But the moment he met her eyes, Vibrio was startled and had no choice but to step backwards. Goosebumps sprang up all over his body. As if he was a herbivore, encountering a predator at the top of the food chain. ¡®How can I feel intimidated by such a young girl?¡¯ At the same time, his self-esteem was hurt. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Aria tilted her head. She then returned Leo to the arms of Ted and Lisa, who had rushed in. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I asked first¡­ ugh!¡± Aria kicked Vibrio¡¯s shin with her pointy heel. Although it was a little girl¡¯s kick, it hit the bone properly, and his eyes turned white with pain in an instant. ¡°Gasp¡­¡­.¡± He moaned and grabbed his leg and had no choice but to sit down. ¡°How dare you ask me who I am.¡± Aria leaned back and spoke in a soft voice to Vibrio, who was making a sound of pain. ¡°Seeing you try to stomp down on a powerless child with the same authority, I don¡¯t think there will be anyints if I treat you the same.¡± There could be noints. Vibrio clenched his teeth and red at her, with a vein popping on his forehead. He didn¡¯t even have time to think about who she was. It only matters that he has been harmed. Aria raised her index finger, and she poked it so fast, as if she was going to stab him in the eye. Vibrio, startled, tightly closed his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to ask me anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have no right to answer.¡± Aria scoffed at the man, who had withdrawn from fear. And she added, pressing the man¡¯s forehead with her index finger, which she had raised up. ¡°Keep it engraved on your head.¡± It was done on purpose to hurt feelings. Aria knew very well how to taunt this type of person. But at that moment, ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Aria looked down at her hand that touched Vibrio for a moment. She stared briefly at the man, trembling with anger. ¡®Just now¡­¡­.¡¯ She felt it. Something like a flow unique to those who can express energy¡­¡­ It was so weak that she wondered if she had made a mistake. ¡®Is there something?¡¯ She thought he was just an unscrupulous person raising a hand to a child, but digging might reveal something more. ¡®I think I can find out more precisely if we hold hands.¡¯ But she didn¡¯t want to do that at all. She didn¡¯t want to die. Aria pondered what to do as she looked at Vibrio with displeasure and said, ¡°You make me ask twice. Who are you?¡± ¡°I, I am Vibrio.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± Maybe she noticed something? Vibrio was nervous inside, but pretended to be fine on the outside and nodded his head. ¡°Then what else could there be?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Aria briefly put an end to her worries. She wanted to leave it to Carlin to question this man. It was just too suspicious to pass it on as if it was just her feelings. She said to Cloud, who was waiting behind her. ¡°Take him and lock him in the dungeon.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Vibrio doubted his ears for a moment. ¡®No, what did I do?¡¯ However, when Aria¡¯smand was given, he was grabbed by a knight with a tremendous grip. No matter how hard he tried to get his arm out, he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°You¡¯d better stay still. If you try to struggle, you¡¯ll only break your arm.¡± Vibrio couldn¡¯t help but get more tired of Cloud¡¯s blunt tone. ¡®Am I being caught like this? I haven¡¯t done anything yet?¡¯ This couldn¡¯t be. Well, he has not yet even attempted to escape. Vibrio looked around in a cold sweat in the sudden crisis. ves came into his sight, watching the situation from afar. ¡°The song!¡±, he cried out ¡°Isn¡¯t it you who sang it?¡± The ves roared loudly when they heard that the song was sung by Aria. ¡°I guessed it, but¡­¡± ¡°As expected, he was right.¡± The ves were convinced btedly. It was inevitable. It was because the singing voice was heard from so far away, so no one could see Aria singing. Besides, they had no exnation whatsoever. It was because their disposition had been dyed until Aria woke up. ¡°We¡¯ve heard threats to keep quiet about everything about you.¡± It¡¯s Lloyd. Aria thought in the meantime. ¡°No matter how you think about it, it¡¯s strange. There¡¯s only us and your knight in this enclosed space right now.¡± Vibrio deliberately emphasized that the ce they were in was an enclosed space. It was to stimte the fear of being trapped in the dock with the test subjects. ¡°Why are you hiding your identity even from the people of your family?¡± Vibrio raised his voice even more. ¡°What are you going to do to us!¡± He didn¡¯t care if Aria countered that ¡®I have no intention of harming you at all¡¯. No matter how much she tried to persuade him with words, it will take time until it was proven. Anyway, it was enough if there was even a momentary opportunity to take the ves and run away. ¡®All I need to do is show the will of the ves topletely distrust Valentine and run away from the castle.¡¯ That was enough. ¡°When I heard your song, I was thrilled and scared at the same time.¡± Vibrio said, grinding his teeth. ¡°My body moved ording to your will, and my emotions were swayed at will.¡± This was sincere. ording to Maxim¡¯s orders, he was going to watch all the ves until they died, and then he was going to escape, yet he was going to suffer because of the song. But it was that moment. ¡®What?¡¯ Aria, who had not blinked an eye no matter what Vibrio did, responded to that. ¡®Oh.¡¯ He smiled contemptuously. ¡°Do you know the monster, Siren?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the difference between you and a monster, in that your songs wield emotions no matter what the abilities.¡± Is this guy really crazy? Ted, whose patience reached the floor, opened his mouth unbearably. ¡°How far are you going to use your mouth carelessly! This person is¡­¡± At that moment, Aria raised her hand to stop Ted. Cloud pretended to strike Vibrio¡¯s neck with his hand. ¡®Should I stun him?¡¯ He seemed to ask that. But Aria shook her head. She gazed intently at Vibrio, who was desperate to turn herself into the viin. ¡°People like you, I know it very well. Are you not trying to show us a taste of hope by pretending to save us and making us live less than ves again?¡± He, who had been living as a ve trader all his life, suddenly turned himself into a ve and performed passionately. ¡°What are you going to use us for? Prey of monsters? Or are you going to y with human emotions again with that strange ability?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Keeping us in one building and made us tremble with anxiety¡­!¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡­.¡± It was then. Aria, who was silently listening to Vibrio, put her hand on her chest and said. ¡°I apologize if I waste and made you anxious.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to get you out of very somehow.¡± And she closed her eyes sadly. The eyes that were sparsely exposed between the eyshes were pitiful. ¡°But I sang back and forth, so I lost consciousness and copsed for so long.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even though I came right after waking up, I didn¡¯t know it would be thiste.¡± Aria said so, and she smiled softly. ¡°And¡­ it wasn¡¯t me who saved you, it was your free will.¡± It was a gentle, but not weak smile at all. It was only then that the ves realized it properly. At that time, the benefactor who saved them was right in front of them. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 The ves who were exchanging nces, buzzing with each other, lost their words for a moment. ¡°Copsed?¡± ¡°All three days?¡± ¡°But you came to see us as soon as you woke up?¡± In that moment, some of them remembered Aria losing her consciousness and being held in Vincent¡¯s arms. The girl sang the song. And because of that song, she hasn¡¯t been able to wake up until now. ¡°Are, are you okay?¡± Ted asked, startled. Leo, who was in his arms and looking at Aria with twinkling eyes, suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Then, because of us¡­¡± Aria was startled, wiping the child¡¯s tears away. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I just made a choice I won¡¯t regret, and it¡¯s no one¡¯s fault.¡± The ves who heard her were more agitated. ¡®I wield my emotions however I want¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria muttered a little. She¡¯d be lying if she said she didn¡¯t recall the past nightmares when they said those words. In an instant, Veronica¡¯s voice echoed in her head. [¡°All those who are addicted to your songs have gone crazy!¡±] Now she knows it¡¯s a fake usation. However, even now when she was sure that it was a conspiracy, the wounds she received at that time were still engraved deep in her heart. Aria couldn¡¯t help but be agitated. ¡®Still¡­¡­ I believe.¡¯ Just like the words written on the card she left for Gabriel, who lost his consciousness and copsed by the vagrants one day. No matter how many usations he hears, he should not doubt the path he walks. Her agitation was only momentary. Her eyes soon hardened. Her confident eyes did not falter, and immediately burned like mes with a bright light. ¡°When you listen to my song, what did you see?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± At those words, Vibrio stumbled. As he listened to the song, his emotions intensified and assimted, but he did not see anything. Because he did not understand deeply the feelings of the ves. Then Aria answered instead. ¡°Have you seen the world you longed for?¡± All the ves, except for Vibrio, nodded slowly. Light, salvation, hope, courage, freedom. All of that drove them to move. ¡°But, who lifted the anchor and moved the boat?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Freedom is what you win. No one can deny it.¡± Aria added, looking back at the man who had suddenly lost his words. ¡°Vibrio, you too.¡± At that moment, Vibrio trembled and avoided Aria¡¯s gaze. It was because her eyes seemed to pierce his innermost thoughts. ¡°The chains of very have already been broken. You have broken them.¡± Aria didn¡¯t want anything in return. She didn¡¯t even boast that she saved them. It was the first time the ves, as well as those who were unfairly dragged into very, had heard of it, and it was the first kind of treatment they had ever received. They had never even heard of it in their dreams. ¡°The introduction iste.¡± Aria looked around the crowd, strengthening her voice. ¡°My name is Ariadne Valentine.¡± Even without her magical powers, the siren¡¯s unique, mysterious and powerful voice reverberated throughout the room. ¡°Valentine¡¯s Grand Princess.¡± Grand Princess! They didn¡¯t know she would be the real Grand Princess. ¡®Shoot, it¡¯s so different from the rumors!¡¯ Vibrio had a pale, flustered face. ¡®Aren¡¯t Valentine¡¯s brides sold as sacrifices and living like corpses?¡¯ Aria, who identified herself as a ¡®publicly known devil¡¯s bride¡¯, rolled her eyes and smiled like an angel. Because she¡¯s happier and more proud than ever to be able to call herself Valentine. ¡°I have seen your will to never be a ve again.¡± A ve who was holding their pounding heart at Aria¡¯s smile asked cautiously. They had the courage to speak up. ¡°Grand Princess. So what will happen to us now?¡± It wasn¡¯t intentional, but they were kept in suspense for three days, so now they must know for sure. Aria brought out the words that she had been thinking to herself while she was here. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, so you better stay here until you escape the ve traders¡¯ pursuit.¡± ¡°You, you mean here?¡± ¡°I will do my best to help you be independent. But if your heart doesn¡¯t allow it, you can leave anytime after safety is secured.¡± Those who had resigned, thinking ¡®You¡¯re going to make us a ve, too.¡¯, doubted their ears. Can she help them be independent? Was it okay to leave at any time? ¡°There are no ves in Valentine¡¯s Castle, so work and get paid.¡± It was also shocking that there were no ves on Valentine, which was called the devil¡¯sir. Besides, Aria said she would give them the right to own private property. She was really going to free her from very. ¡°¡­are you really saying you don¡¯t want anything?¡± ¡°Huh? What can I ask of you?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­ what did you gain to save us?¡± Gain? Aria looked at her memory when she sang the Song of Dawn. Of course, at that moment, Lloyd¡¯s condition seemed dire, and Ted¡¯s family was aboard the ship¡­¡­. ¡°Because you are on the road that I was heading to.¡± She helped them because they were there. It was a simple and clear reason. And, it was also the most iprehensible reason for them. ¡°You¡¯re an angel as expected¡­¡± Someone could not stand it and raised a voice. No matter how capable they were, there were very few people in the world who would help others by hurting themselves. Rarely, such people weremonly referred to as heroes. But Lloyd did. Aria did too. The ves were more ashamed. Vibrio was the one who instigated and framed them as a devil, and monster, but it was the ves who were scared and shaken. ¡°The feeling we first felt was right. We knew the answer right from the start¡­¡± ¡°Even when we saw it, we couldn¡¯t believe it.¡± They didn¡¯t want to believe it. Because they were afraid of getting hurt when they expected it. They were only thinking of themselves until the end. ¡°Finally, everything is revealed!¡± Ted pointed at Vibrio. ¡®Now I can say it!¡¯ With a very relieved face, he thrust out his chest and shouted out loud. ¡°By the way, you are the most suspicious person here, aren¡¯t you?¡± Then the ves joined in. They broke the silence and raised their voices. ¡°That¡¯s right. From the very beginning, it was ridiculous to pretend to be our spokesperson with your personal opinion!¡± Now they know, that silence puts oneself into very. ¡°The devil, the monster, and whatever, they just did good things!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s so dissatisfying, you can be sold back into very!¡± ¡°What would you do if the Grand Princess was deeply hurt because of you?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯ve been trying to run away with you for a long time, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°If you ran away now, would it be any better than being dragged back into very?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyway, it¡¯s safe here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really suspicious¡­¡± They have now decided to trust their judgment. They decided to believe and act. Because they were no longer a ve. Because they got total freedom Aria looked at them and smiled, then looked back at Vibrio and said, ¡°Look. Everyone says you¡¯re suspicious. Now you¡¯re notining about being locked up in a dungeon, aren¡¯t you?¡± A native ve trader, Vibrio failed to convince the ves. He was angry, but he had to admit that he had beenpletely defeated by Aria. The option of dragging the ves away and asking Maxim for forgiveness had already passed. ¡®Once I;m locked in a dungeon, can I escape?¡¯ No, it¡¯s over. If he was searched, they would know that he could manipte energy. ¡®Right now.¡¯ Last chance to escape. Vibrio took a break from the knight¡¯s negligent gaze, hiding his presence in an instant. ¡°What¡­¡­.¡± Cloud reached out to grab him again. He definitely touched it. But Vibrio slipped out of Cloud¡¯s hand. It felt like he was grabbing sand. It felt like a grain of sand slipping between his fingers no matter how hard he tried. ¡°Loach?¡± Cloud muttered in embarrassment. A loach, look at this escape genius! Vibrio was choking up, but it wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about that. He had to get out of here as soon as possible. ¡®Eekk!¡¯ Then Cloud drew his sword and swung it. A de full of energy passed through Vibrio¡¯s hair. As scary as that, he approached with his sword frantically shing the wind. ¡°Damn it!¡± Cloud was the Sword Master. He couldn¡¯t be apetitor to Vibrio. Vibrio, who ran to and fro like a loach and reached the limit, caught the child near him. ¡°Kyaak!¡± ¡°Put down the sword! If you don¡¯t want to see the girl get hurt!¡± Cloud had no choice but to stand still. Because Vibrio took a dagger from his arms and threatened to put it on the child¡¯s neck. It was a hostage situation. ¡®It¡¯s ugly to the end.¡¯ Aria frowned. She gave Cloud a nce. As ordered, he dropped his sword obediently. ¡°You! Just try and open your mouth too! I¡¯ll cut this girl¡¯s throat before I get brainwashed by the song¡­¡± It was then. As Vibrio spoke, his eyes slowly rolled over, and he copsed. Behind him stood Lloyd, who was unknown whether how or when he appeared. ¡°You?¡± Lloyd asked that, and turned Vibrio over with his feet. And put his feet on Vibrio¡¯s neck. It¡¯s like trying to break Vibrio¡¯s neck. The eyes, which had be something like gray, were boiling with murderous energy likeva for that moment. It was as if his cloudy eyes had properly lost its reason. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Then Aria intervened in her middle and stopped Lloyd. ¡°You can¡¯t kill him. I don¡¯t think that person is a ve.¡± Since it was revealed that he had an ability, the probability that he was not an ordinary ve increased significantly. Plus his ability to escape. If he had been taken as a ve, he would have been able to escaoe on his own sooner. ¡°¡­¡­wake up.¡± Lloyd grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up, mming his cheek with a merciless hand. Vibrio had no choice but toe to his senses with his cheeks swollen with a single p. ¡°I will hand him over to the inquisitor.¡± If Lloyd was going to hand Vibrio over to the inquisitor, there¡¯s no need to p him on the cheek to wake him up. Actually, Lloyd just wanted to hit him. ¡°Ha, why are there always bugs like this around the wife?¡± Lloyd muttered. Aria said while blinking her eyes and stroking Lloyd¡¯s hair. ¡°I told you to wait outside the door.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not a guard dog.¡± Lloyd answered in a slightly hoarse voice. In fact, he was quietly waiting for Aria outside from the beginning. But as soon as he sensed Cloud boosting his energy, he ran inside right away. It was unknown how many times he had suppressed the urge to break Vibrio¡¯s neck since he made a fuss. To wait and see what his wife is doing. What kind of order was that? ¡°Well, if Lloyd intervened, people would have been more scared.¡± Aria said so and gently stroked Lloyd¡¯s head as if to soothe him. He lowered his eyesnguidly and tilted his head as he followed her hand. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡°¡­is that the Grand Prince?¡± People were buzzing Since the Grand Princess was called his wife, they had no choice but to know that he was the Grand Prince. However, it waspletely different from the bloody scenes they had seen so far. With Aria¡¯s touch, he became so calm that they felt a sense of alienation. Like a gentle sheep. ¡®A wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing¡­¡­.¡¯ Someone came up with such an analogy. The hero is a hero, but they thought that he was a vicious hero who could subdue monsters with one hand. He has a strong power that transcends human limits, and he has evoked fear beyond awe. But to have such a human side, it seemed like they needed to see it again. ¡°He must have loved the Grand Princess so much.¡± They lowered their voices and whispered. ¡°That¡¯s why he threatened to throw us into the mud if we don¡¯t hide Grand Princess¡¯ abilities¡­¡± ¡°But why should we keep it a secret?¡± It was a very mysterious and beautiful ability to move people¡¯s hearts with a song. When one person expressed a question, the person next to them clicked their tongue and said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you even know what Vibrio says? We have to keep it a secret because he¡¯s making a fuss by framing her as a demon.¡± Humans reject what they do not understand. She had special abilities they had never heard of before in their life. Those who were once ves clenched their fists and vowed. ¡°Even if we die, we will keep the angel¡­.no, the Grand Princess¡¯ secret!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it to the grave!¡± Their twinkling eyes turned to Aria to the point that it felt a bit burdensome. ¡°We almost betrayed our benefactor without even knowing grace! With the will of atonement, we will live our life repaying the two of your favors!¡± ¡°Please ept us!¡± Aria thought as she heard their roaring cries. For the rest of their lives. She told them they were free to leave. Do they intend to stay here for the rest of their life? ¡°No more atonement. You haven¡¯tmitted such a big crime. And you are no longer ves. You can stay wherever you want.¡± ¡°This is where we want to be!¡± You want to be in the devil¡¯s castle? If they came from outside the border, they would have a stronger sense of rejection. It was a strange thing to the point where her head was tilted. Aria looked at them in surprise and then nodded her head. ¡°If you wish.¡± ¡°Uuwwaaaa!¡± They cheered. ¡°What should we do from now on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give the first dewy fruit to two of you every day!¡± ¡°I will make the garden bright with flowers resembling the Grand Princess!¡± ¡°I will catch a fish¡­!¡± Anyway, it was the first time since turning back time that so many people hade to know Aria¡¯s secret. ¡°Evil demon! Execute the demon!¡± In apletely different direction from the past. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know they¡¯d keep you locked up in the building until I woke up. Was it frustrating?¡± Aria smiled apologetically. And she led them into the great ins. So that they can realize and enjoy the newly acquired freedom a little more. Silver! Long time no see! She didn¡¯t shout out loud, but did Silver also notice Aria¡¯s feelings? ¡°Woof!¡± The wolf barked very loudly and rushed towards Aria. It was Lloyd who grabbed the wolf¡¯s back. ¡°Are you crazy? To crush the wife with your big body?¡± ¡°Kiinggg¡­ Grrrr¡­¡± Silver made a sound that could not be understood whether he was afraid or wary of Lloyd. His tail was immediately curled up between his legs. ¡°Lloyd, let it go.¡± As soon as Aria requested it, Lloyd stretched out his hand that lifted Silver. Aria patted the wolf¡¯s head, which was a little more timid than before. Lloyd looked at them with a distasteful gaze and folded his arms. ¡°It resembles its master, always just rushing in.¡± Umm¡­¡­ Resembles? Aria thought of Tristan as she saw Silver wagging his tail frantically. In some ways, they resemble each other, yet they resemble each other at all¡­¡­. ¡®Rather, it¡¯s ck that resembles his master¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Aria thought as she watched the jaguar approaching Lloyd. ck was looking at Silver with a serious gaze aiming at a prey. Looking at the size of the pupils, it felt like he was about to rush and bite. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous.¡± Aria reached out her hand as before and stroked Lloyd¡¯s head. The soft touch of his ck hair was scattered between her fingers. ¡®By the way, since when did you stop pushing me away?¡¯ Aria was immersed in emotion for a moment. She couldn¡¯t remember exactly. But from a certain moment on, Lloyd epted her hand like clothes that stuck wet. She was somehow happy. Because it feels like taming the most wild beast that even the Siren¡¯s ability doesn¡¯t work at. Lloyd himself would be unhappy to hear this. ¡°Thank you. Foring right away.¡± Aria ran her finger across Lloyd¡¯s half-closed eyelids. The color of his eyes was different from the color that she had seen for four years, so she felt alienated, but at the same time she was delighted. Eyes full of moonlight. The light that illuminates the darkness that she saw in the days when he saved her. ¡°Beautiful.¡± Aria muttered without realizing it. Then, as if surprised, his eyes widened and narrowed. Lloyd, raising the corner of his mouth obliquely, wrapped his fingers around the back of Aria¡¯s hand and interlocked them. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°The best in the world.¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s too far.¡± Aria was always one step ahead of Lloyd. Lloyd¡¯s reaction to Aria¡¯s sincere words were a bit bitter. ¡°I was very worried about Lloyd¡¯s eyes turning gray. It was starting to be corrupted with malice.¡± At first she cried because she was so startled, but now she realizes that she doesn¡¯t have to dwell on such trifles. ¡°It¡¯s not corrupted, it¡¯s been dyed with a bright silver color to shine more brightly than before.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m going to make it that way.¡± Saying so, Aria took her inteced hand even more tightly. She smiled, folding her eyes like a crescent moon. Lloyd couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± He closed his lips and averted his gaze somewhere slightly. And he wrinkled his brow as hard as he could. Aria felt puzzled and turned her head, and Gabriel was standing not too far away. ¡°Because bugs get easily entangled.¡± Lloyd fixed his gaze on Gabriel, as he interlocked and pressed his lips to Aria¡¯s remaining palm. She momentarily twitched her fingers. It was scalding hot. ¡®¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t know my palms could be so sensitive.¡¯ Aria said to Lloyd, who was looking at a prey as she rubbed her cheek, which was somehow flushed with her remaining hand. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be jealous.¡± It feels like she said this before. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it because it¡¯s like a battle of ranks.¡± Then, an unfamiliar answer came back. Why was Lloyd fighting for territory like a wild beast when he was born human? ¡°Let¡¯s listen to what he has to say.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll talk about the saint.¡± Aria recalled herst conversation with Gabriel before leaving for the Imperial Pce. Lloyd suddenly appeared and the conversation was interrupted, but theirst conversation was about Veronica. When she asked Veronica what she would do if she could increase her divine power, her gaze changed. ¡®But she told me she had no intention of using any other means to increase her divine power.¡¯ Aria did not believe Veronica¡¯s words. Because she seemed very good at acting and lying. So she needed to deal with Gabriel¡¯s side, the one who she could see through. ¡°I think we should talk.¡± Maybe Veronica had contacted him separately. ¡°Don¡¯t say you¡¯re going to talk to each other alone.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± Aria avoided his gaze. Gabriel couldn¡¯t speak in front of Lloyd. On the contrary, she doubted that he would be talking about the ne and the saint. ¡°Because you believe in me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Probably, if Gabriel touched me, Lloyd¡¯s clone would bite me.¡± Aria said, pointing to ck. Then Lloyd heard that and said absurdly, ¡°Who is who¡¯s clone?¡±. ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd took a deep breath. ¡°If he does something stupid, bite him and kill him.¡± And he ordered so. The jaguar lowered his body and growled like a loyal knight. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be back.¡± Aria said to Lloyd and turned towards the restless Gabriel. Lloyd nodded his head reluctantly. Yet he somehow didn¡¯t move on the spot. There¡¯s no point in being in a position where he can see them so clearly. ¨C Lloyd? ¨C ¡­¡­. ¨C Lloyd. It was only after Aria sent the message again that he turned his back with a reluctant look and disappeared. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Gabriel let out a deep, silent sigh and looked towards the main pce. He couldn¡¯t concentrate at all. Be it prayer or practice. It has been like that ever since he was told that Aria had returned to the castle, copsed and lost her consciousness. ¡®No, actually, it was before that.¡¯ The longer the Grand Prince and Princess went to the Imperial Pce and stayed in the capital, the more Gabriel felt the vacancy. He had no choice but to. Ever since he came to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, he never not prayed with Aria. ¡®I can¡¯t even visit¡­¡­.¡¯ Gabriel realized his position anew. In the meantime, he could always be by Aria¡¯s side because Aria came to him without hesitation. Because he was only an apprentice. He wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to meet her if Aria didn¡¯te to see him, except if he passed by and ran into her. ¡®Why did you copse?¡¯ ¡®Are you still very sick?¡¯ ¡®Are you awake? Could it be that you are still unconscious? It¡¯s been three days.¡¯ ¡®I wonder if you were injured so badly that you couldn¡¯t move.¡¯ ¡®Is that why you can¡¯t evene to pray¡­.?¡¯ Gabriel opened his closed eyes. His thoughts kept running through his head, and he could hardly continue his prayers. ¡®Please be safe.¡¯ The end of his prayer was always to pray for Aria¡¯s safety. Gabriel looked at the rustling key from his arms without saying a word. Before Aria left for the Imperial Pce, she gave him the key to the prayer room through the servant. It was a consideration for Gabriel, who was deeply religious, and it was proof that she could now trust him with the key to the prayer room. But he rather¡­¡­. ¡®¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t want to receive it.¡¯ Gabriel realized why he didn¡¯t feel happy when the keys were first handed over to him. If he receives this, his connection with Aria willpletely disappear. ¡®Can we meet after you wake up?¡¯ The ce where Aria stayed was the main pce. Gabriel couldn¡¯t evene close to the main pce. So, if she doesn¡¯te out of the pce, he¡¯ll just pass by and not even be able to run into her. ¡®Aren¡¯t youing to pray now?¡¯ The moment he received the key, he had such a feeling. Perhaps it will be difficult to see the Grand Princess again in the future. Gabriel, clutching the key, exited the prayer room and headed for his room. Themunication device in one corner of the room was ringing. It was from Veronica. Gabriel was tired today, but he faithfully contacted her. ¡°¡­Saint.¡± ¨C Long time no see, Sir Knight. Veronica, beyond the video, greeted him with a gentle smile as usual. ¨C I¡¯ve finally been assigned to the Fa branch¡¯s Great Temple, Sir Knight. Aren¡¯t youing to see me? ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel followed her, smiling and trying to avoid her gaze as if embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Saint. I can¡¯t leave Valentine until the purification hase to an end.¡± When Veronica heard those words, she murmured with a look that he hadn¡¯t thought of. ¨C Purification¡­¡­ Thene to think of it, the power of God¡­¡­. ¡°Yes?¡± ¨C No, nothing. She smiled brightly and turned her words around naturally. ¨C So, you¡¯ll definitelye next year, right? ¡°Of course.¡± Gabriel answered bluntly, but he looked somewhat ufortable. It was because he remembered Aria¡¯s words before leaving for the imperial pce. ¡®The saint mighte to the Fa Empire to find a way to increase her divine power.¡¯ Maybe that statement was true? ¡®She must have not known she can absorb divine power enough to make the other person die¡­¡­.¡¯ Gabriel had aplicated heart. He doesn¡¯t know what to say to convince Veronica. ¨C I think I troubled Sir Knight a while ago. Then Veronica lowered her eyes with a guilty expression. ¨C The harsh memories I received from Brother Barom must have put me to the test. Did she recall any bad memories? The dark golden eyes fluttered wide, and drops of dew appeared. Gabriel couldn¡¯t help but panic. Whatever Veronica coveted, she was the victim anyway. She put on a look of disappointment. ¨C I have been guilty of coveting things that are not mine, even for a moment. ¡°Saint¡­¡± ¨C When I asked God for forgiveness, he was happy to forgive my sins, as always. A smirk passed over Veronica¡¯s expression as she wiped away the tears with a hand covering her face. ¨C I decided to live my life grateful for what I have in the future. Although my divine power is weak, I can support children so that they can grow up properly and lead a happy life. And she smiled broadly, trying to close her watery eyes. ¨C So, Sir Knight doesn¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. I¡¯m sorry I made you worry for nothing. Gabriel felt sorry for Veronica and was relieved at the same time. ¡®Yes. There¡¯s no way the saint would do that.¡¯ She was swayed by temptation for a while. As Aria said, Veronica was only a human, not a god. He hesitated for a moment, then said. ¡°Are you okay with Priest Barom¡¯s incident now?¡± ¨C Ah¡­¡­ Actually, I¡¯m notpletely okay. Sometimes I think it¡¯s my fault¡­¡­. ¡°Why is that, Saint¡¯s fault?¡± ¨C Of course I know it¡¯s no one¡¯s fault, but I just¡­¡­ I feel bad. Barom is dead. Very foolishly. Gabriel wondered if that was karma. It was about the time the conversation was over. Veronica brought up another topic. ¨C By the way, Sir Knight, do you have any concerns? Concerns? Gabriel blinked puzzledly and said, ¡®Oh.¡¯ ¡® and patted his cheek. He wondered if everything was revealed in his expression. ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¨C You¡¯re lying. You think I don¡¯t know the knight? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C If you share your concerns, it¡¯s halved. Veronica asked politely. Does he have anything to worry about? Then Gabriel, who was silent for a moment, turned around and showed the corner of his troubles slightly. ¡°¡­I just realized that I am nothing.¡± An idiot who has no idea of his own worth. A ve temperament who puts the values of others before his own and is desperate to serve. ¡®That¡¯s why you can only be a loyal dog.¡¯ Veronica thought. She was not at all jealous of Gabriel, no matter how much divine power he had. Because it wasn¡¯t worth it. ¡°What does Sir Knight mean you¡¯re nothing?¡± He knows his ce very well. ¡°Is that possible?¡± Veronica said somethingpletely different from what she was thinking and smiled a little bitterly. ¡°Then what do I be?¡± ¨C What? I don¡¯t mean that¡­¡­. Arousing guilt and sympathy was the easiest way to get him to speak out. Veronica knew how to use the method very well. Not only his heart and soul, but also his everything will be offered. ¨C Nothing else, just, I realized that I was in a position where I couldn¡¯t even meet her. It¡¯s new. But as soon as she heard Gabriel¡¯s words, she was puzzled and tried to eagerly exin¡­¡­. She couldn¡¯t help but be sure. ¡®Is it toote already?¡¯ The dog¡¯s savior was no longer her. ¡®Hmm¡­¡­ Shall I throw him away too?¡¯ It was a precious loss, but it was also a dangerous one at the same time. If the dog bespletely submissive to its new owner, he will ungratefully reveal its teeth to Veronica. Veronica decided to do what she had in mind for quite some time. After all, before he bes a big threat, it¡¯s better to get rid of him now¡­¡­. ¡®Oh, wait.¡¯ Rather, can¡¯t she use this in reverse? Veronica came up with an entirely different n. A twinkle shed in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± ¨C What do you mean? ¡°Sir Knight that I know are the ones who do not give up even when everyoneughs and points their fingers at you, and perseveres.¡± Veronica said as if she was holding his hand tight. ¡°If you want something, get it yourself. That¡¯s what Sir Knight did.¡± She thought. In the dog¡¯s mind, if she was no longer there, she would shove his back altogether. Down to the abyss. Gabriel, who had been walking around, brightened up as soon as Aria approached him. He looked like a puppy weing its owner who had left the house for a long time. Aria was a little embarrassed. He wasn¡¯t like this before she left for the Imperial Pce. ¡®We weren¡¯t even that close¡­¡­.¡¯ Gabriel had a deep bond with Veronica, which made him suspicious. Aria was wary of him, and she took a step back. ¡°I heard people talking, you copsed all three days.¡± Oh, he was worried about that. Aria had a shy expression. Unless they¡¯re sworn enemies, you can¡¯t help but feel sorry for someone if they copsed for three days. ¡°I have heard that you freed ves from the grip of the ve traders.¡± So that¡¯s why youe here? Aria looked around the temporary building where the ves were staying, and she nodded. ¡®If it is me, I wille here as soon as I wake up.¡¯ Unable to go to the main pce, this would have been the only way for him to meet Aria. ¡°I¡¯m really d you woke up safely. Really¡­¡± Aria waited patiently for Gabriel to bring up the main point. It must have been that he had something to say, so he came all the way here and waited for her. But after a while, he didn¡¯t say anything. ¨C Is that it? ¡°Yes?¡± Gabriel, hearing the message from Aria for the first time, widened his eyes. Seeing that his chest, which had been trembling with each inhtion and exhtion, stopped in its ce, he seemed surprised to the point of forgetting to breath for a moment. ¨C Oh, Gabriel must be new to this. From now on, I¡¯ve decided to speak through messages instead of cards for convenience. Aria nced at the thin string bracelet on her right hand. ¡°Then is this the Grand Princess¡¯ voice?¡± ¨C Yes. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel nodded and shook his head for a moment. There was a pink blush on his cheeks that was white enough to make him look pale. Aria was not impressed. It was because everyone who heard her voice for the first time showed this kind of reaction. ¡°Now¡­¡­.¡± Gabriel said hesitantly. Was this the point now? Aria listened to him and nodded her head. ¡°Now, you won¡¯t call me an angel anymore?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­?¡± At that moment, the jaguar, who was silently standing next to Aria, rushed to Gabriel. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Aria was startled. It was the first time ck had reacted so violently since the taxidermist¡¯s appearance. Grrr¨C ck climbed on Gabriel, stepping on his chest with its paws. Gabriel also drew his divine power with a tense expression. A brilliant golden wave shed in his eyes. ¡®Dangerous!¡¯ Aria was startled by the memories of her previous life in those eyes. Gabriel had divine power that was more specialized for attack than healing. ¨C ck, stop it. As a siren, she knew what the jaguar was thinking. It didn¡¯t understand Gabriel¡¯s words, it just felt some bad feelings from Gabriel. ¡®It¡¯s an overreaction.¡¯ Aria sighed and pulled ck away from Gabriel. Just by a gentle stroke of the fur, ck fell off. ¨C Are you okay? Maybe Gabriel didn¡¯t know that he was going to be attacked. Gabriel answered with a waver in his energy. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just a little surprised.¡± If that divine power had been expressed as it is, ck could have been seriously injured or killed. If a person feels threatening energy, everyone will react that way. Still, Aria, the siren, was not in a very pleasant mood. ¨C I didn¡¯t really care when I wrote it down on a card, but when I talk to the Angel as a message, it seems like it¡¯s ying tricks. We¡¯re both confused. When they talk to each other, they are usually in, but when she sends letters, why were all kinds of rhetoric added? That was the feeling. By the way, ¡°I liked it.¡± An unexpected answer came back. ¡®Is it better to y tricks?¡¯ As Aria stared at him silently, Gabriel waved his hand with a flushed face. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, but suddenly calling me by my first name, so it seems like we¡¯re starting to grow apart¡­¡± At first, whenever she said that he was an angel, wasn¡¯t he very burdened? Now he doesn¡¯t even deny it. ¡®He seems to know he does look like an angel.¡¯ Aria smirked. Although Vincent imed Gabriel more suited to be a muscr gori, objectively, he still looked like an angel. ¡®I wish you could keep your younger inner self¡­¡­.¡± Aria thought so and answered. ¨C Yes, Angel. Then, Gabriel¡¯s expression brightened all at once. ¡°Oh, and if you don¡¯t talk with the card, the bag¡­¡± ¨C Yes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll wear it anymore. Is the Angel sad because it feels like I am neglecting the bag that the Angel gave me? He thought she seemed to have been quite fond of carrying it for four years. Aria said yfully. Then Gabriel shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way. I would have been grateful if you used it just once.¡± And he began to hesitate, as if he had something serious to say. ¡°Well¡­ do you have that ne now?¡± Was this the main point now? Aria thought the introduction was too long, and she replied. ¨C Yes, I do. Of course, since thest conversation ended with the saint, she thought the start would be the saint. ¡®So, after all, did Gabriel inadvertently bring up the ne, and Veronica secretly asked him to take it out?¡¯ If that was the case, Aria wondered how Gabriel was going to get the ne out. ¡°Could you show me for a minute?¡± But wasn¡¯t this a bit too formal? ¡®As expected, Gabriel may not even know the ¡®plot¡¯.¡¯ Aria took out the ne and held it out, thinking Veronica might explode if she saw this scene. If he ran away with the ne in this situation, he would get nothing. First of all, all the people of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle are also on Aria¡¯s side. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ But Gabriel took the ne, held the crystal tightly in his hand, and quietly surrendered himself. ¡®If you do that, your divine power will be sucked¡­¡­.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. Because his divine power was sucked into the ne in an instant. ¡°Ugh.¡± Gabriel managed to swallow his groan and frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t let go of his hand right away like before. He was just inly letting his divine power be absorbed. Suddenly, a cold sweat formed on his forehead. ¡°Here it is. Please take it.¡± Aria was given a gem that went beyond gold light and changed like a lump of gold. ¨C Why is this¡­¡­ ? ¡°I hope you won¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¨C What? ¡°People with divine power self-heals. Of course, it will be weaker than receiving direct healing with divine power, but if you have it as a talisman¡­¡± Gabriel did not know what to say, but spit out a foolish exmation. ¡°The color of your eyes will change, so you probably won¡¯t be able to use it all the time. Then, even while you¡¯re sleeping¡­¡± He floundered, unlike hisrge size, as he looked into Aria¡¯s eyes. ¡°Because this is the only thing I can give to the Grand Princess.¡± Meanwhile, Aria was silent for a moment. Could she possibly heal the shortened lifespan due to the side effects of drugs with divine power? ¡®Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t even think about it until then.¡¯ Like the siren¡¯s song, she will not be able to cure any disease at once. However, if it continues to be exposed to and affected by divine power, it may be effective. Showing her body to a priest who was born with healing power would be dangerous, though. ¨C Thank you. I¡¯ll ept it with gratefulness. Aria meekly epted his favor. And she seemed to want to end the conversation, and sent a message of ¡®Well then¡­¡­ .¡¯. ¡°Aren¡¯t you noting to pray now?¡± Then Gabriel quickly asked her, as if holding on to her. Aria didn¡¯t think much of it, so she was going to think about itter. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ It was really important to be consistent. People¡¯s minds were flexible, so if she stopped in the middle of doing something because it¡¯s annoying, it could have the opposite effect. ¡®And praying in the prayer room wasn¡¯t bad either.¡¯ If it was really annoying, she would have given up sooner. In fact, being with Gabriel made her feel at ease. It was same with thefort she felt when she was quietly listening to the sound of rain or the sound of a river. ¨C I¡¯ll go. ¡°Ah!¡± ¨C But from now on, I think I will only go once a day. ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± Gabriel looked a little sad, but he smiled softly as if he was happy if she coulde anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± He bowed politely, and now he withdrew without any regrets. Aria trembled. ¡®So why did youe to me?¡¯ What was the purpose? Does he simply want to pass on the divine power and ask if she wille to pray in the future? ¡®If you¡¯re worried, it might be. It¡¯s a little too much, but¡­¡­.¡¯ Was he very lonely by himself? ¡®You really came here with nothing to do with Veronica?¡¯ Aria looked down at the golden ne shining like a star for a moment. But she soon shook her head, put it in her pocket, and climbed onto ck¡¯s back. ¡°Guide me to Lloyd.¡± The jaguar ran for a while. Somewhere near the mansion near the Ingo Mountains. She thought Lloyd was secretly eavesdropping, and Aria thought she felt sorry for nothing. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Was he waiting for Aria? He didn¡¯t ask anything. But the darkened eyes and the cruel light at first nce reminded her of a murderous energy towards someone. Aria immediately reported what had just happened to her. ¡°He didn¡¯t say much more than I thought. Actually, I thought he was going to betray me.¡± ¡°I wish it was like that¡­¡± Lloyd muttered fiercely. ¡°Then there must have been a reason.¡± Reason? What reason? Aria, puzzled, stretched out her hand to stroke his hair. But he naturally avoided the touch. Aria¡¯s hand, stopped in mid-air and stiffened from the shock. ¡°Are you upset?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ups¡­ it¡¯s not like that.¡± Lloyd sighed and pulled something out of his arms. ¡°Take this.¡± It was an unknown drug. ¡°If you meet Winter Angeloter, feed him this first.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Aria looked puzzled, but she nodded her head. ¡°Then why are you here? Is something going on outside the castle?¡± ¡°Ah, while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯m doing some cleaning.¡± She doesn¡¯t think Lloyd meant to sweep the floor with a broom. Of course, that means he was going to sweep someone away, like when he cleared the gutter. After all, talking about the future seemed quite shocking to him. ¡®Actually, he must have guessed that my life was at the bottom.¡¯ But hearing the specific situation from the person would have apletely different feeling. Aria could understand how Lloyd was feeling now. ¡®Because I did too.¡¯ He must have felt the emotions she felt when she found out that Valentine¡¯s direct lineage, Lloyd, had taken an oath from generation to generation. Aria was so angry and upset that she immediately went to the Emperor and sang the Song of Doom. Lloyd didn¡¯t stop her. He let her go. Aria also wanted to believe and support whatever Lloyd did. ¡®Because I told you to do whatever you want.¡¯ She would have to let him go. ¡°I¡¯ll be here soon. In less than a day.¡± Aria stared worriedly at Lloyd¡¯s back as he left with the ck Falcons. On her way back as she rode the jaguar she met Vincent. He was squatting on the grass, tired and tattered for some reason. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day yet.¡± He seemed like he aged 10 years more. It must have been quite difficult to hear Sabina¡¯s worried nagging. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Aria came down from ck¡¯s back and asked him, who was shaking his head. Vincent was looking at the ves, no, those who were once ves, running through the grass as they watched the sunset. ¡°It¡¯s just. I was shocked because my expectations were wrong.¡± ¡°What expectations?¡± ¡°You asked what you knew. I thought that singing the Song of Dawn would give you a clue that could lead you to Antis. But it¡¯s just a song that inspires courage and morale¡­¡± It hurt his pride. Aria looked down at Vincent and said, ¡°If it¡¯s a clue, I already got it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I had a dream.¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Vincent blinked with a nk face. ¡°Why did you say that now¡­ of course. You didn¡¯t have the time to tell me¡­¡± And he muttered with a grouchy face while plucking the grass on the ground for no reason. ¡°I thought the world was falling apart because my expectations were wrong.¡± ¡°¡­to that extent?¡± ¡°Of course. What I expected has never gone wrong!¡± Torn grass piled up next to Vincent. It was unfair that he had a hard time alone, but he couldn¡¯t argue with Aria, so he felt like he was raging for nothing. Aria stared at Vincent, who was hooked on some strangeness, and stroked his head. ¡°Your prediction is correct. Totally correct.¡± ¡°Well, I thought so. I can¡¯t be wrong!¡± Yes, yes. For some reason, he seems to be getting more and more foolish. Ariaforts Vincent, who reacts just as expected, and says. ¡°Actually, it was a little difficult to control my emotions. It was such a sad dream that I cried the whole time I slept.¡± Aria knew when she woke up, seeing the tears running down the corners of her eyes. She knew she was still crying. And she realized. Just as she got the sheet music for ¡®Song of Dawn¡¯ through her dreams, she also got the clue about Antis through her dreams after singing the song. ¡°Then why Sister-inw passed out for three days¡­¡± Vincent said as if he had just realized it. Aria nodded her head. ¡°Yes, I think because I was dreaming.¡± The dream seemed to be made to be dreamable when she sings the Song of Dawn. Just as she saw Antis buried in the sea when she slept with the conch pearl in her arms. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why Sister-inw¡¯s doctor has made a diagnosis that there is nothing wrong with your body.¡± Right¡­¡­ She was sorry that she made that person getting suspected as a quack for nothing. Aria decided inside her heart that she had to raise Cuirre¡¯s sry through the butler. ¡°So, what did you dream about?¡± Vincent lifted up his half-drifting sses with his blue eyes glimmering. He looked like a schr and took a listening posture. ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± Aria began to tell the story of her dream as she traced her memory. Aria! Aria turned her head at the sound calling her. ¡°¡­ Lloyd?¡± It must have been his voice. But at the end of her gaze, there was only a vast meadow spread out. ¡®Is it a hallucination?¡¯ Aria smelled the salty sea brought by the wind and turned her head. The sound of waves was heard from far away. ¡®Ind on the sea.¡¯ It was too wide to be called an ind, and by some standards, even it could be enough to be called a single continent. Aria thought as she was wandering around an unfamiliar ind. ¡®As expected, it was a dream.¡¯ The reason she was convinced it was a dream was the same as when she discovered Antis under the sea through the conch pearl. Because she had never seen a scene like this before. ¡®Wow, a waterfall!¡¯ If not, how could she describe the water that was pouring down from wherever the eye could see it. That description was just right. It was so infinitely huge that a cloud bridge bloomed and a rainbow appeared. ¡®A jungle!¡¯ The densely grown trees are so high that they almost reach the sky. No matter where she put her eyes, everything is green. It was the nature that Aria wanted to see so much. Living, breathing nature. Even though she was dreaming. ¡®Is this Antis?¡¯ Aria wondered. It was not developed at all, and nature was preserved raw. Of course, it¡¯s a wonderfully beautiful sight, but¡­¡­. ¡®Obviously, when I saw Antis submerged under water in myst dream, it felt much more civilized than this.¡¯ The ce she saw at the time. It was like a nned city. Buildings were regrly surrounded by the Lord¡¯s castle. She was a little surprised because it seemed to be bigger than the capital of the empire. Of course, it sank, so all that was left was the frames. Aria thought so, and she continued her steps. As she did so, she arrived in a vige where people live. ¡°Well, did I win?¡± Children sitting together were ying, drawing a line on the ground and throwing ores on it. At first nce, the ore looked like a shimmering piece of ss. It didn¡¯t take long for her to realize that it was a rough diamond. ¡°Children, go and bring the guest. The wee feast is about to begin.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The children were excited by the word ¡®feast¡¯ and threw away the ores with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m going first!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go first!¡± ¡°Haha! Run while you can, you idiots! The chocte is mine!¡± The children passed each other and passed by Aria. No, they just passed through. ¡®It looks like I¡¯m invisible.¡¯ If so, was this also an illusion? Or did it actually happen in the past? She looked in the direction the children had run and moved her steps. ¡°Guest! Guest!¡± The children ran up and down and threw themself into the arms of a man. ¡°Oh dear.¡± The man, who almost fell because his body was out of bnce, looked back at the children. He was a man with a kind and innocent impression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me Cavendish?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, the name is too difficult!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surname, not a first name. My name is Raymond.¡± ¡°Then why do you have two names?¡± ¡°Not two, but a first name and ast name¡­ No, that¡¯s fine. Yes, what¡¯s the matter.¡± He grinned uncontrobly, pulled out four individually wrapped choctes from his arms and gave them to the children. ¡®Raymond Cavendish?¡¯ Aria tilted her head to see the man stroking a child¡¯s head with a good-natured smile. He must have been a nobleman, but it was a surname she had never heard of. ¡®Actually, it must be the surname of a noble that existed at least 1500 years ago.¡¯ In particr, it was called a period of turbulence. It must have been quite difficult to survive that period and maintain the family for over a thousand years. ¡®Seeing that he was a guest, he must be an outsider from outside the ind¡­¡­.¡¯ Outsider. Aria frowned. Because she already knew the end of Antis, she had only ominous thoughts. ¡°Guests, it¡¯s the wee feast. Come quickly!¡± ¡°Feast?¡± ¡°Yes,e and dance, sing and y.¡± The children took Raymond¡¯s hand and led him after opening the chocte and putting it in their mouth. Suddenly, the sky became dark and countless stars became clear as if they were pouring down. The bonfire burned. Some grilled food and some listened to unfamiliar instruments. Some bounced the string and hit the drum. The inders, dressed in pure white cloth, held each other¡¯s hands and circled the campfire. ¡°Sing a Song of Peace at the feast.¡± ¡°A song of peace?¡± ¡°Yes. On the holy waters that flow peacefully¡­¡± A child started singing. Then the other people who were there naturally followed along. ¡°Follow the gleaming waves.¡± ¡°Where spring sleeps and birds sing. May God bless you here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together, together.¡± Aria felt a puzzlement as she watched the spectacle. Since Antis was the siren¡¯s hometown, she wondered if they would sing the siren¡¯s song as well. ¡®Of course, the Song of Peace is a siren¡¯s song as she knows of.¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t a siren song. So it meant that they didn¡¯t sing it with their powers. It was just a very well sung choir. As proof of that, Raymond, who was listening to the song, showed no reaction. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. It¡¯s like I am in an elf vige.¡± Instead, he mumbled to himself. ¡°Thend blessed by the gods. When I wondered what that meant¡­ it¡¯s not a blessing, it¡¯s full of love.¡± This was God¡¯s love. And he lowered his voice even more, and whispered in admiration. ¡°I can see why he wants to have it at all costs.¡± Then, a woman sang and danced to the music and smiled at Raymond. She took the coro from her own head and put it on his head. Raymond mumbled as he watched her dance again, mingled among the crowd. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s like a siren.¡± He said it was like a siren. It¡¯s as if he was defining it for the first time now. The mes of the bonfire reflected on Raymond¡¯s eyes, which had been darkened by the darkness, and shone eerily. ¡°Huh? Siren? What is that?¡± The child licked the grilled skewers and mumbled. Raymond squatted down at the child¡¯s eye level and whispered in his ear. ¡°Did you know? There are more delicious things in the world than chocte.¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡± ¡°There is such a thing as a cake. It is a soft caste with white whipped cream.¡± ¡°What is whipped cream?¡± ¡°The moment it touches your tongue, the sweetness spreads throughout your body and melts away.¡± ¡°Wooooow¡­¡± The child admired, wiping the saliva from the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°I want to eat too!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? I want to bring a bunch of friends and introduce them to the inders. To do that, I need the permission of the Lord and the adults.¡± ¡°Adults like guests, too. They even hold feasts for them.¡± It was like family when everyoneughed and talked and shared food together. The boy smiled brightly as he said that. Raymond smiled after the boy and stroked his hair. ¡°I hope the Lord will open his heart soon.¡± ¡°Ah, my father doesn¡¯t seem to like guests very much.¡± The child spoke very candidly, like a child of that age. Raymondughed at that remark. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. If I don¡¯t get permission, the prince can just remember me the day you will rule this ind.¡± ¡°Hnnhh, I want to eat right now¡­¡± The child was a good talker, but he was a child who was unlike a five years old. Hearing this, Raymond paused, pretending to think for a moment, then rubbed his chin. ¡°Hmm, if you tell me the story, I think you might be able to eat the cake without the Lord¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± What are you talking about? The child asked, with his eyes twinkled. ¡°A myth or legend passed down from generation to generation on the ind. Or maybe it¡¯s a secret that only the Prince, the son of the Lord, knows¡­¡­.¡± Raymond closed his eyes and whispered to the child secretly to the child with an innocent smile. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 ¡°Um, I can¡¯t do that.¡± The child just cut it off and refused. ¡°My father told me to never tell the story of the ind to outsiders. The world¡¯s order will change and it bes dangerous.¡± I don¡¯t know what you mean, but I don¡¯t want that. The child threw the leftover skewers into the campfire and shook his head. ¡®Ohh.¡¯ She thought he would go fall for the cake and say it all, but it was a surprisingly straightforward answer. Even though Aria knew it was a dream in her heart, she almost petted the child. But when she realized that the other person was a distant ancestor, she stopped. ¡®So what the hell is that kidnapper talking about¡­¡­.¡¯ A viin who whispers to a child to sell the secrets of the kingdom with a cake as coteral. ¡®Is it an imperial noble?¡¯ Because Antis became a vassal of the Fa Empire. She looked at Raymond with squinted eyes. ¡°The order of the world¡­ You mean that there is a great power here that can disturb the order.¡± Although he was rejected, the man still had a gentle smile on his face. ¡°People are usually afraid of change. But I was just curious about the story behind the beautiful ind.¡± Then suddenly a man waved his hand towards them. ¡°Hey, Ca¡­ whatever! Tell me about your whole country!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Cavendish.¡± Raymond began to exin more about the developed civilization in which he lived. Then people gathered around him and listened. Having lived on the ind for the rest of their lives, they seemed to be very interested in the mystical stories outside the ind. After some time, the people dispersed. ¡°I want to ride a horse-drawn carriage, too.¡± Raymond said to the boy who, seduced by his words, had his eyes lit up like stars. ¡°Come on, look. Prince. Everyone loves stories.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just as the inders want to hear my stories, I also want to hear the stories of this ce.¡± I¡¯m not hurting anyone. He added so, shrugged his shoulders and gave a harmless smile. The child was deep in thought. ¡°There is something that Shadra has entrusted.¡± ¡°Who is Shadra?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know the name of God?¡± ¡°You said you gave a name to a God? No, secondly, can you call the name of God as you please?¡± ¡°Shadra gave Shadra¡¯s name. And why can¡¯t you call your friend¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Huh, really¡­¡± Raymond burst outughing as if he didn¡¯t know which part to point out. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there¡¯s just one or two surprises.¡± Muttering like that. ¡°So, what has God entrusted to you?¡± ¡°Feelings.¡± ¡°God¡¯s¡­ feelings?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Does God have feelings?¡± ¡°What the hell do you know?¡± Where in the world is there no emotion? The child said so and rebuked him. ¡°Hmm, if God certainly has feelings, it must be very important¡­¡± Raymond murmured. Joy, sadness, anger, patience, and others. If the same emotions as humans exist in God¡­¡­. ¡®I¡¯m afraid just imagining it.¡¯ Aria, who was listening to the story from the side, suddenly thought of that. If God treats living beings on earth emotionally, the existence of a human will depend on God¡¯s feelings. ¡®But God left the feelings to humans.¡¯ It showed how much God loved humans. The reason God entrusted the feelings to humans means that no matter how angry a human being, God will leave the feelings behind. ¡°That¡¯s why my father said that this ind, which contains God¡¯s feelings, must be preserved intact. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a mysterious power inherited from God or something like that?¡± ¡°Where is that? Why does Shadra give us powers? If we covet a power that doesn¡¯t match our means, we¡¯re only doomed.¡± Even as the child said those words, he didn¡¯t seem to know what that meant. Of course, though. He was simply reciting the words of his father, the king who ruled this ind. ¡°I thought you were loved by God.¡± ¡°God¡¯s love overflows everywhere.¡± The child pointed to the sky incredulously. He pointed to the ground. He pointed to the abundance of food that they could enjoy at the feast. Finally, he pointed to people who were singing and dancing. ¡°Singing is a gift from God.¡± ¡°Ah, the song.¡± Raymond¡¯s voice was imbued with indifference. He tilted his head so that the child couldn¡¯t see and smirked. ¡°Did the prince want a cake instead of fish and fruit from nature, where God¡¯s love overflows?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that we are human. Once we taste it, we can¡¯t go back to the past.¡± It¡¯s not human¡¯s fault. It is God who gave us this desire, but isn¡¯t it strange to tell us not to be greedy? He asked, covering the corner of his mouth with his hand as he couldn¡¯t hide his twisted smile. ¡°Then the prince must know where God¡¯s feelings are, right?¡± The scene changed in an instant. The night sky, which was beautiful as if it were pouring stars, was dyed ominously dark red. The peaceful sound of singing suddenly ceased. Screams and sobs echoed from all directions. Aria, startled by the sudden fire blocking her way, stepped backwards. But when she touched the fire, she realized that it was not hot, and she quickly ran into the fire. The forest was burning hot. Everything disappeared in the mes. ¡°Cavendish¡­¡± The child, who had grown into a boy, shouted and coughed up blood. A sword was pierced through the boy¡¯s shoulder. He clenched his teeth and grabbed the handle of the dagger embedded in his shoulder and pulled it out in a snap. ¡°Damn it! I told you that coveting power that matches your means will bring doom!¡± The boy let out a bloody cry. Regret, resentment, guilt, anger, and all kinds of emotions swirled in his ck, dead eyes. Burning houses, people being dragged away. Those who resist were brutally murdered and piled up like a mountain in one ce. ¡°You¡¯ve been living in peace without any threats. So, sharing food means you¡¯re talking about family and all that nonsense.¡± Raymond was as old as the child had grown into a boy. He looked down at the boy in the splendid uniform normally worn by nobles, unlike before, when he was wearing an old shirt. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± The boy clenched his teeth and rushed in. But the soldiers came, trampled on the boy¡¯s back, and held their sword to his neck. Raymond looked down numbly at the rampaging boy, then bent one knee to meet him. ¡°Last descendants of Antis. I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°God is not something to be worshiped and thanked for. God is the greatest threat to humans, who are supposed to be top predators. I¡¯m just trying to get ahead before that happens.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to live as a hostage, rather than this wretched ind.¡± Raymond left only those words and left without any regrets. The boy looked up at the burning houses, people, and the castle with empty eyes, and closed his eyes tightly. Hot tears ran down his cheeks. ¡°Shadra¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I ended up getting lost because of my foolishness.¡± Aria looked up at all the burning things before waking up and heard the boy¡¯s voice muttering. ¡°Now everything will crumble, right? But Shadra, don¡¯t give up. I know I¡¯m not worthy to say this, but please don¡¯t give up on us humans¡­¡± Sparks falling from the mes soaring high in the sky were like tears of blood. The boy put them all in his eyes and engraved them in his brain, muttering to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll put everything back. If I don¡¯t make it, my descendants will one day¡­¡± He took what looked like a jewel from his arms and put it in his mouth. And he swallowed it. That was the end of the dream. ¡°Cavendish?¡± Vincent seemed to trace his memory for a moment. Aria, waking up from her thoughts upon hearing his voice, stared intently at him. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it somewhere¡­¡± He wrapped his head up for a while, groaned, and screamed as if he remembered it toote. ¡°Ah! A family that existed when the Fa Empire was still a kingdom.¡± ¡°An imperial nobleman?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that they were the first contributor to the founding of the empire, but they were used of treason and annihted, and all three generations were annihted.¡± It was a pretty miserable past. Of course, now that Antis was in the hands of the Empire, they thought they had be a considerable powerhouse now. She thought that only the family name had been changed and that they would still have passed on from generation to generation. ¡®I thought it might be the current imperial family.¡¯ But to think they would have been annihted for treason. It had an unexpected ending. Can this be called causal retribution? Aria felt ufortable. It seemed like there were more things behind the dream that she couldn¡¯t confirm yet. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s treason. For that, there¡¯s no data rted to that family. Every single line of the family¡¯s name was left off the history books.¡± Usually, no matter how much treason, they don¡¯t burn everything about the family. Vincent added, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the Emperor killed the dog after hunting?¡± ¡°Rather than killing the dog after hunting, it should be said that evidence was destroyed, right?¡± If so, they didn¡¯t have to go to the sea to get information rted to it. Aria came to a conclusion calmly. ¡°I¡¯m going to the Imperial Pce.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Vincent seemed to have more to say than Cavendish. But only his lips twitched, and he couldn¡¯t bring up any words. ¡°Well, I mean¡­¡± Haa. Taking a deep breath, he took off his sses and wiped his face with a worried look. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the story of the mysterious civilization of Antis, which disappeared in ancient times, would lead there.¡± Aria didn¡¯t know either. Since it was a vassal of the Fa Empire, of course, she knew that it would be invaded, but it must have something to do with God. Vincent summed it all up in one word. ¡°I think I¡¯ve learned something I shouldn¡¯t know¡­¡± If Aria¡¯s dream was true, it means that everything they have ever believed could be a lie. ording to Eden Faith¡¯s doctrine, God does not have a name, and God teaches that God must not give God¡¯s name. But in Aria¡¯s dream, the god had the name Shadra. ¡°To sum up, God believed in humans and entrusted them with emotions, but the Fa Empire took them allpletely, right?¡± So that means God doesn¡¯t have feelings right now? Vincent tilted his head and said. ¡°It¡¯s a little strange. Then, when you build an Empire, shouldn¡¯t you use the power of God to establish your position as a Holy Empire?¡± ¡°Well. Garcia¡¯s power was already strong at that time. Would they have allowed two Holy Empires under the sky?¡± Aria was taken aback that she couldn¡¯t continue her words until there. ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why Garcia was aiming for the Fa Empire?¡¯ God¡¯s feelings stolen from Antis were in the Fa Empire? ¡®What Lloyd had was the malice of God. What does this have to do with entrusting God¡¯s feelings to humans?¡¯ Aria let out a short grunt. The deeper she thought, the more she knew nothing. A story from 1500 years ago that has already disappeared from history. There were probably too few clues. ¡°Anyway, it was undoubtedly the Fa Empire that invaded Antis. The clue must be in the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°Agree.¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re scared, you can back out.¡± I¡¯m not forcing you. Aria said softly. It was because Vincent seemed to regret being involved in this. ¡°Who the hell is scared? Rather, I am burning with a passion for learning.¡± However, when Vincent heard this, he said with a groan as if he had an upset stomach. Wait¡­¡­. His eyes narrowed as he continued to speak. ¡°Were being considerate of me?¡± ¡°No, I was serious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of upsetting.¡± She doesn¡¯t know which rhythm he was asking this with. Aria said, ignoring the annoying Vincent. ¡°Because I brought you in. I meant not to overdo it.¡± ¡°If you take me in as you please, please take responsibility until the end. I¡¯ll have to go see where the end of this road is.¡± What, he was saying some weird words. Aria pinched and stretched Vincent¡¯s grunting cheeks. ¡°Hmm, have you ever seen any records of the descendants of Antis?¡± ¡°Ah haaf nohh¡­¡± (I have not¡­) Vincent, with his cheeks pinched, tried to pronounce it properly a few times, then lost his temper and took Aria¡¯s hand away. He said rubbing his red cheeks with the back of his hand. ¡°Did you say that the Prince was taken hostage by the Fa imperial family?¡± ¡°Yes, because Cavendish told the Prince that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be a hostage.¡± ¡°Then, the record may remain in the Chronicles of the First Emperor.¡± Maybe there was information about Cavendish written there, but they were unsure. Aria nodded her head in agreement, then she asked. ¡°By the way, if it¡¯s the chronicle, isn¡¯t it something only the Emperor can read?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡± It was when Vincent tried to express his doubts on Aria. Cloud approached them from afar. ¡°Where the hell is the escort knight wandering around like that? People who don¡¯t even know the meaning of dereliction of duty often give up their duties whenever they have time.¡± Vincent naturally pped his tongue and scolded him. ¡°I was just carrying out orders.¡± Cloud, who had been falsely framed for nothing, turned to Vincent for a moment, then spoke to Aria. ¡°The man named Vibrio was taken care of by the Inquisitor. He was said to be quite docile and I was told to bring Young Madam.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go right now.¡± Aria answered right away. Cloud leads her into the dungeon, and Vincent follows after her. ¡°Who else is that germ-like name?¡± Aria briefly exined the story of a person named Vibrio for Vincent, who had not been present. Talking about what had happened so far, they had arrived at the dungeon before they knew it. ¡°Kuwaaahh!¡± What. Aria, who was walking down her stairs, staggered in surprise. Vincent and Cloud almost simultaneously grabbed her hand and supported her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­¡± The short and intense screams were suddenly cut off like a raging horse. ¡°Young Madam!¡± The inquisitor, who had finished the work(?) smoothly ording to Lloyd¡¯s order, greeted them with a bright smile. It was too brightpared to what he was doing, and it felt strange. He tried to kiss the back of Aria¡¯s hand, looked down at his hand, and then quickly took off his glove. Unidentified blood dripped from his gloves. ¨C I¡¯ll take your heart. Aria politely declined his fierce greeting. Then the inquisitor looked gloomy. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± Meanwhile, Vincent was looking down at Vibrio, who was imprisoned. He was in rags from being robbed of body, mind and soul by the infamous Valentine¡¯s Inquisitor. ¡°Hearing about it from Sister-inw, he looks like a ve trader.¡± ¨C I think so. Aria sent a message while looking back at Vibrio, who was shaking his shoulders. ¡°The ve traders wouldn¡¯t have expected us toe, so he wouldn¡¯t be a spy. Are they plotting some great conspiracy?¡± Vincent was seriously thinking. ¡®I don¡¯t think it was¡­¡­¡¯ Aria recalled the scene in which Vibrio vomited his anger saying, ¡®You are like a demon wielding emotions through song¡¯. The words he used to escape the situation were very emotional. ¡°Maybe he just listened to my song and got swept away with the ves?¡± ¡°Ah, no way. It can¡¯t be. What kind of ve trader is uh, gets swept away by ves.¡± Vincent clearly believed that there was a conspiracy. There¡¯s no way there¡¯s such a stupid person in the world. Aria made a shaky expression for a moment, then looked at Vibrio. ¡°It would be better for him to die right now and not leave behind any bloodline, which would contribute to the development of the race. It¡¯s assuming that there are such idiots as humans.¡± Vibrio seemed to have lost all motivation and was enchanted by the sudden rush of shame. Aria, who was silent for a moment, patted Vincent on the shoulder and cheered him on. ¡°What?¡± It¡¯s just. Nothing has changed, after all. Aria supported his unchanging wit even today. ¡°I know little.¡± There were three pieces of information Vibrio spit out. There was a secretboratory in the Kingdom of Bruto. It was run by the state, and the Underhill ve Traders procures ves as test subjects to theboratory. And they were making chimeras. There were only stories that could be inferred from the stories Aria had heard so far. ¡®I think there must be Hans, who was once a prisoner of the gutter rat in thatb¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria thought for a moment. ¡°It seems like theb side should try to sneak in.¡± It was when she was muttering like that. ¡°Grand Princess¡­¡± Ted, who had been listening to their conversation halfway through, interrupted. It wasn¡¯t that he overheard her, but that he had something to say to her, and she came to find him, and their will just coincidentally ovepped. ¡°Please allow us to go.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not alone.¡± He pointed behind his backs. The young men stood there with wretched expressions on their faces. They were the former ves. ¡°We want to take revenge on our own. That way, we will feel morefortable, and we won¡¯t get involved with Valentine¡¯s, so it will be two wins.¡± Ted sent a lively and meaningful smile. The ck Falcon knew Aria¡¯s origin. Dustin, the leader of the Knights, has known since Aria first arrived 4 years ago. And the rest of the members became acquainted with Viscount Kefendi, who made a fuss over the parasite incident. Everyone was grim when talking about that time. So when Lloyd dragged them to Cortez¡¯s mansion, they thought something wasing. ¡°I knew this day woulde someday.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for the past 4 years!¡± ¡°The scumbag of the world who dared to abuse our Young Madam.¡± ¡°All the employees are the same. No matter how much the Master ordered, how could they leave that little child unattended?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s beam them all together!¡± The ck Falcon did not know the details of Aria¡¯s past and what she had suffered. But they could infer that she must have been abused and neglected before she came to the Grand Duchy ¡°Die!¡± ¡°Look at the bitterness of hell! You sinful things!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back tenfold! I¡¯ll show you just how vicious the devil you are talking about are!¡± ¡°You will never see the sun tomorrow!¡± ¡°Kuhahahaha!¡± An employee, trampled by the knight¡¯s feet, shouted in an unfair voice. ¡°N, no, who are you?¡± ¡°Nothing to know!¡± Lloyd entered the mansion, past the ck Falcons that ran wild like unbridled foals. He looked around the inside of therge hall, then went up to the head of the table at will and sat with his legs crossed. Shortly thereafter, Count Cortez was caught and dragged by the ck Falcons. ¡°Nice to meet you, Father-inw.¡± Lloyd patted the handle of the chair and smiled slowly. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 There was no reply. Because Count Cortez had his eyes half-opened, staring into the air. The stench of alcohol wafted up to the ce where Lloyd was sitting. It was as if the Count had fallen into a barrel and hade out. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Well.¡±, Lloyd rather asked back. ¡°Wake him up in moderation. If I do it on my own, I¡¯m afraid the person to question will disappear.¡± Lloyd would like to break his neck right now, but he shouldn¡¯t let him die so easily. The ck Falcons also agreed with it. They exchanged nces, then moved in unison, and brought the buckets. Ssh- ¡°Oophh!¡± And poured it on the Count¡¯s head. The Count staggered, unable to even focus, and finally looked up at Lloyd. ¡°Siren, bring the Siren¡­ Come on and let me hear the fantastic song¡­¡± Lloyd¡¯s eyes changed when he heard that. On his face, which was filled with only boredom, a murderous intent that seemed to paralyze the whole body was cast. ¡°Feed him.¡± Lloyd threw the vial at the Knight Commander, Dustin. It was a drug that temporarily awakens the mind of those who have lost their minds due to external factors such as drugs, alcoholism, and torture. It was like the medicine bottle he handed to Aria before leaving. Dustin took the vial and poured it into Count Cortez¡¯s mouth. ¡°Kugh, ugh¡­!¡± The Count, who had been coughing violently, slowly raised his head. In an instant, the light returned to the eyes that had beenpletely hazy. ¡°What, what the hell is this¡­ what are you doing! Who is it! Gu, guards! Is there no one there!¡± No one was there. Count Cortez looked around with a pale, weary expression, as if out of breath. And he found outter. The fact that the knights who captured him were wearing ck uniforms engraved with a ck Falcon pattern. ¡®The ck Falcon Knights¡­¡­ Valentine!¡¯ That was the moment. The memories that had been erased by the effects of the drug were forcibly brought to the surface. Count Cortez groaned unknowingly and lowered his head. As his drunkenness faded, his forgotten memories came back to life, and the pain that felt like he was going to break his head continued. ¡®Why was I drinking?¡¯ Because the only Siren died. ¡®The only? No, no. Come to think of it, there was the Siren¡¯s daughter. Of course, it was a halfwit who couldn¡¯t speak, but the Siren¡¯s bloodline doesn¡¯t go anywhere. I could have used her in some way.¡¯ Why did he forget all this time? ¡®As if someone erased my memory¡­¡­.¡¯ That was the moment. ¡°How about forgetting that the Count had a daughter?¡± Count Cortez trembled at the sound of an unfamiliar voice passing through his head for a moment. Yes it was. He was taken to the dungeon by Valentine¡¯s butler and¡­¡­. ¡®I think I met the Inquisitor. It seems that something like pure white smoke has risen¡­¡­ I can¡¯t remember exactly what happened.¡¯ Ariadne. After the Siren¡¯s death, he sold his daughter, who was useless, to the Valentine¡¯s family who paid him money. ¡®I said that? Why?¡¯ She was the only child of the Siren that was barely found. If it was to Valentine, she could be sold at a high price, but it was still a loss-making business. In the next generation, a child who inherited the Siren¡¯s abilities could be born. Because Siren had such a rarity that it couldn¡¯t be priced with money. ¡®It was never my will. Did I go crazy with drunkenness? No, no matter how drunk I was, I couldn¡¯t have¡­¡­.¡¯ If so, no way¡­¡­. The Count recalled a time when he used Sophia to brainwash the nobility and then erased their memory. Siren¡¯s ability? ¡®¡­¡­ Could it be that my halfwit daughter sang a Siren¡¯s song to me?¡¯ But it couldn¡¯t be. No matter how the Siren¡¯s bloodline is, if she can¡¯t speak, she¡¯s useless. Then there was only one conclusion. From the beginning, Valentine¡¯s efforts were made in order to obtain Siren¡¯s daughter. Count Cortez came to that conclusion. ¡®No way, brainwashing!¡¯ To erase the memory of having a daughter by brainwashing! How dare they take the Siren away from him! The Siren was the only power the Count could wield and shake. It was a valuable possession. He felt as if he had lost everything. ¡°You seem to be getting yourself together.¡± Lloyd, who read the Count¡¯s eyes, asked with a twisted smile. ¡°This is our first meeting, right?¡± ¡°Grand Prince Valentine¡­¡± ¡°By the way, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. You gave up Ariadne¡¯s parental authority long ago.¡± Lloyd, who had no intention of stepping down from that very high chair in the first ce, raised his head and said brazenly. Count Cortez grinded his teeth. As he looked up at the Grand Prince while being captured like this, he felt as if he was a sinner bowing his head to the Emperor seated on the throne. Anger filled his heart, but it was more urgent to escape the situation immediately. ¡°Yes, it is. By giving up parental rights, our contract has already ended! Even if it¡¯s Valentine, you don¡¯t have the right to do this!¡± ¡°Rights? You really like rights.¡± Lloyd added coldly. ¡°You had no right to hurt Ariadne either.¡± Count Cortez puffed a vein on his forehead. ¡®Why don¡¯t I have a right! At that time, I had parental authority and ownership of that girl!¡¯ But he didn¡¯t have the courage to say it out loud. He smiled sullenly after trying to calm his anger. ¡°Haha, are you sure you¡¯reing to see me for something in the past?¡± ¡°Yes, the past. Even if I die ande back to life, it¡¯s a memory I won¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°I disciplined my naughty daughter a little¡­¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem to know the dictionary meaning of discipline.¡± It was a tone of pity, but Lloyd¡¯s expressionpletely disappeared and his hard face was terrifying. ¡°Discipline means to educate and nurture character or morals, do you think you are a vessel to teach others?¡± Lloyd exined as if teaching the ignorant. Of course, not like a kind teacher, but like an executioner who recites sentences before making judgments. The Count couldn¡¯t even breathe properly because of the gruesomeness that engulfed his entire body. He asked in a voice that trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Do you want me to pay for my sins?¡± ¡°The price of a sin. I have no intention of judging sins. I have not been able to live with integrity like the wife. Do I deserve that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just to engrave unforgettable memories for you and even after you die. Isn¡¯t that fair?¡± Lloyd, who tapped his temple with his index finger, smiled slowly. And his fingers started at the corners of his eyes and went all the way down along his jawline. ¡°Burn marks.¡± The ck Falcon lifted the iron. ¡°What, what? I gave her a little touch, but I didn¡¯t do it this far¡­!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to make it happen, it¡¯d be better if you remember it. I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± The Count, whose head waspletely bleached in fear, spit out swearing in terror. Lloyd rubbed his neck as if sping it. Didn¡¯t she say he had the little girl practice singing until her throat bleed? ¡°Why don¡¯t you scream until you vomit blood?¡± ¡°Kuwaaahhh!¡± ¡°When you¡¯re done, crush one legpletely and drag him away.¡± Lloyd watched the scene from beginning to end with an unfeeling gaze and ordered. He had a lot to ask Count Cortez. Of course, it would be better to make himpliant first. ¡°Why do I always have to get involved in such a fuss?¡± Carlin, who suddenly approached Lloyd¡¯s side, grumbled. He was recently used as a means of transportation with great acim because he could avoid people¡¯s gaze and tracking. It was the same this time. ¡°Come to think of it, it must have been the Young Madam who started it.¡± ¡°So, are you dissatisfied with what the wife is doing?¡± Lloyd turned to Carlin and smiled. It was a tone that would make the body not even harbor dissatisfaction anymore if he said he was dissatisfied. Count Cortez, who was being subjected to terrible things over his shoulder, was clearly visible. ¡°Haha, no way!¡± ¡°You, guard the Count here. I¡¯ll look around ande back.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Carlin answered like a knife, as if there were no other choice. Lloyd looked around the quiet mansion with a leisurely pace. ¡®Did she say she stayed in the attic?¡¯ He only heard the words, but he had a rough idea of what kind of environment Aria would have grown up in. But still, he wanted to see it with his own two eyes. He wanted to see how much she must have suffered alone in order to care for her in person . By the way, ¡°Ha.¡± Lloyd smirked. Even poormoners would not live like this. ¡®When you first came, you vomited up your entire meal.¡¯ What the hell has she been eating? She has been locked up in a ce like this, was there any way to bring out a proper meal? ¡°¡­shall I just set it on fire.¡± Lloyd muttered grimly. He just wanted to throw everyone into the fires of hell and kill them. ¡®But the rabbit will know that I¡¯m here.¡¯ No matter how much she tells him to do what he wants, setting the mansion on fire and burning everyone to death would be more than expected. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ There was a conflict between his urge and his cool-headed reason. But, ¡®You shouldn¡¯t do anything that stands out.¡¯ Lloyd, who still wants to show off in front of his wife, concluded that way. It was then. Lloyd stumbled upon a wooden box with protruding corners under her bed. ¡®What?¡¯ Lloyd took out the box and opened it. Inside, each bottle contained herbal powder. Almost left only to the bottom. ¡®There is no way that a neglected child in such a harsh environment would have been provided with medicinal herbs.¡¯ It was strange that there was only powder. ¡®It¡¯s like the ingredients before the drug is prepared¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd looked back at the bottle with a puzzled face, and suddenly remembered what Aria had said in the past. ¡°Since I was born, I¡¯ve been drinking the potion my mother gave me. When I drink it, I can¡¯t make a sound¡­¡± No way, this was it? Chapter 122: Illustration Chapter 122 (Illustration) Why these herbs were in the attic could well be inferred. In the room where the cobwebs, dust, and mold growing on the wallpaper were left unattended, it was suitable for hiding medicinal herbs Lloyd pondered for a moment, then grabbed the box. It kind of felt like he had to. Aria grabbed the drug that Lloyd had given her, and she went to see Winter right away. But Vincent and Cloud followed her like little ducklings. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Aria looked back at them and asked. ¡°Because I rescued the Young Duke himself. Thest time I saw him, his condition was so serious that I was worried¡­¡± Cloud replied as if waiting. Besides, he was also Aria¡¯s escort knight, so there was a clear cause. ¡°Then what about Vincent?¡± As if waiting for Aria to ask that question, he said with an excessive twinkle in his eyes. ¡°I have been by Sister-inw¡¯s side until you wake up so I haven¡¯t talked to him.¡± ¡°Why do you have to talk to him?¡± Aria was bewildered. Vincent seemed to not mean to question Winter or to get information from him, but to have a genuine conversation with him. ¡°I have been looking for material in the library of Angelo Castle for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, you did.¡± Thanks to that, he was able to get the sheet music for Song of Dawn. Aria nodded her head. ¡°I heard from the employees, and they said that Winter Angelo was the one who collected and managed the materials in the library.¡± He said enthusiastically. In order to obtain ancient sources and research materials unknown to the scientificmunity, great skill was required. ¡°His information power has to be several times ahead of others, and it is necessary tobine both the passion to run without hassle and the power and driving force to obtain valuable data¡­¡± h h h. Aria, who had suddenly lost interest, was roughly enthralled by the conversation. ¡®Well, it seems that he really liked the Angelo Library and Winter Angelo.¡¯ She thought so, and she walked ahead again. Vincent did not stop expressing his affinity for Winter and followed her around. ¡°He received several offers for senior graduation, but he turned them down in order to seed the will of the family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I thought he was going to take the sessor ss because it was the will of his family. How could I have known that he would have built such a dream library.¡± He must be a genius with the same academic tendencies as me. h h¡­¡­. Vincent seemed excited at the thought of meeting his equal. He was speaking enthusiastically, which Aria didn¡¯t listen to at all. ¡°It¡¯s a pity he got to be on the ver¡¯s ship. If he stays at Valentine with the best doctors, his body will recover quickly.¡± Then Cloud, who heard the words instead of Aria, spoke with a puzzled face. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of it yet. He¡¯s not sick right now¡­¡± It was then. Before they knew it, they reached the front door of the guest room where Winter was staying. After a brief knock, Vincent opened the door with eyes full of anticipation. In the room was a tall young man with dark gray hair, crouching by the window, looking out the window. ¡®Is the condition serious?¡¯ Vincent tilted his head. He imagined Winter to be lying on the bed and groaning, but surprisingly, he appeared to be in good health. ¡°Ah.¡± Winter felt a presence and turned his head. He blinked his dazed eyes wide open. And he gave a foolish greeting. ¡°Heya.¡± Heya? He¡¯s seriously throwing something like that. Vincent stiffened for a moment, not knowing how to react, before he greeted Winter back with a trembling voice. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Vincent Valentine.¡± ¡°Wow! Vincent, nice to meet you! I¡¯m Winter.¡± What is this conversation? He had never heard of Winter Angelo having such a measureless bright personality. Vincent panicked, as if he was talking to a three-year-old child. ¡°Young Duke Angelo¡­ Ugh!¡± If Winter hadn¡¯t suddenly run into him and hugged him. Vincent, who was hugged by a tall adult with all his might, let out a loud voice. ¡°Vincent¡¯s hair is beautiful. Sparkle~sparkle~.¡± ¡°What, what. Who are you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Winter.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way the Young Duke could have suddenly regressed an infant! Then, is it polymorph magic!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a side effect of the drug.¡± Then, Cloud added an exnation that he didn¡¯t do before. ¡°Drug, drug side effects?¡± Vincent, who was hugged by Winter tightly like a doll, groaned to escape. ¡°They said it was a thought-emptying drug. I think he drank it all the time on the ve ship.¡± ¡°Well, then, does this person have to live like this for the rest of his life? Really?¡± In a world that alreadycks genius, there is one more idiot! Vincent was so desperate because he had high hopes of meeting Winter. ¡°No. It¡¯s not. It¡¯s a pretty lethal drug, but since he only had been taking it for a short time, it¡¯s said that if it was detoxified, he can go back to how he used to be.¡± ¡°When is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that either. The doctor said that cases like this are rare.¡± Cloud, who knew quite a lot of difficult words without even knowing about dereliction of duty, calmly exined. Then, after Winter released Vincent, he looked back at Cloud andughed. ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re here to rescue me, right? Cool, like a knight!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like a knight, I¡¯m already a knight¡­¡± What does he mean ¡®Big Brother¡¯? At least Angelo¡¯s eldest son must have been six or seven years older than Cloud. Vincent couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Winter with his mouth open. ¡°You¡¯re cool. Big Brother suddenly appeared like a warrior and defeated all the viins.¡± Either way, it was clear that Winter was bright. ¡°Hmmmm.¡± It was Cloud that had been treated only as an idiot until now. He coughed in vain at the innocently tant praise he had heard after a long time and rejoiced in his heart. ¡°Will I be able to be a knight like you when I grow up?¡± Cloud looked up and down Winter, thought seriously, and answered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be hard? You have a big physique, but you don¡¯t seem to have any talent.¡± ¡°Hiingg.¡± ¡°But at least it looks like you have enough talent as a face essory.¡± ¡°What is that? Is it good?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± This crazy idiot duo. Vincent took a deep breath and brushed his bangs. ¡°Haa¡­¡­.¡± Aria, who watched all this from afar, realizedter. Why Lloyd didn¡¯t borate on Winter¡¯s condition. ¡®It must have been difficult to exin for sure.¡¯ Because he can¡¯t even say, ¡®your Older Brother became a fool because of a drug side effect.¡¯ He would have no choice but to ask her to see it with her own eyes. ¡®Winter Angelo may have seen things that he shouldn¡¯t have seen.¡¯ Aria took out the vial that she had been carrying, and walked over to him. ¡°What is it?¡± Then Vincent, who lookedposed in a moment, asked. With his eyes clouded with glum. ¡°I heard from Lloyd to give Winter this medicine first when he met him. Isn¡¯t it a medicine to calm him down for a moment?¡± The doctor said he didn¡¯t know how long it would take to detoxify, so maybe it¡¯s only a temporary effect. Then Vincent said with a smile. ¡°If there is such a thing, please tell me sooner. It¡¯s good. I¡¯ll give it to the Young Duke.¡± ¡°Go ahead and take your medicine.¡± But Winter, who understood the word medicine like a ghost, shook his head. Then, with a pale, tired face, he then burst into tears. Vincent and Cloud, seeing this, exchanged conversations as if they were in trouble. ¡°Feeding might be a work¡­¡± ¡°Actually, the reason we said we don¡¯t know how long that condition willst is because he refused the drug itself.¡± ¡°No, you still have to feed it, don¡¯t you? He can¡¯t live like that forever, can you?¡± ¡°They said it got worse because he was forced to eat it. He even vomited it out as soon as he eat it.¡± ording to Cloud, they seemed to fail nine times out of ten with Winter. Aria looked down at the vial while silently staring at her brother that was weeping. She took the teaspoon from the table and walked over to Winter. He rebelled and buried his face in the pillow. ¡°Winter.¡± Aria asked as she sat by the bedside and gently stroked the back of his head. ¡°Do you like ice cream?¡± Ice cream? Winter tilted his head. He nced at Aria and the vial for a moment with squinted eyes, then turned his head and said, ¡°No.¡± He was quick witted. Maybe it doesn¡¯t seem to change that he has a good brain even if his mental age suddenly decreases to about three years old. ¨C You really don¡¯t want it? After thinking for a while, Aria sent a message. Then he raised his head in surprise. ¡°What? How did you do it?¡± ¨C I can actually use magic. She wore the artifacts, but it wasn¡¯t a lie that she could use them. Then Winter¡¯s eyes began to twinkle excessively, as if there were stars in it. Like knights, wizards have always been chosen as the positions that children longed for. ¡°I want to do it too, wizard!¡± ¨C You can do it. Aria said as she stroked his cheeks as if she was dealing with a real child. ¨C If you take this medicine, you can be a wizard. ¡°Really?¡± ¨C Yes, that¡¯s true. You can use the same magic as me. With a groaning sound, Winter fell into deep trouble. Aria, meanwhile, took the vial, filled the teaspoon with the drug, and held it out. ¨C You can use the magic of bing an adult. ¡°Wow!¡± And she quickly gave the medicine while Winter opened his mouth. He would spit or vomit it out normally, but he closed his eyes and swallowed the drug. And¡­. ¡°Ta-da, you¡¯re an adult.¡± Aria looked into Winter¡¯s eyes as the light had returned, and said with a smile. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Winter buried his face, which was red as if it was about to burst, in his hands. Chapter 123 Vincent said with admiration. ¡°I think I understand why Brother entrusted the medicine bottle to Sister-inw.¡± If she had a talent for taming, she would solve this problem effortlessly. ¡°Because an animal or a child behaves the same ording to their instincts.¡± Aria heard Vincent¡¯s words and she thought to herself. ¡®Isn¡¯t that a self-introduction?¡¯ It seems that he was the one who was most faithful to his instincts. Anyway, Vincent approached Winter with a much brighter expression. ¡°Are you back to your mind?¡± He did, but he didn¡¯t answer back. Winter remained frozen like a statue for a while, hiding his face. He was like an ostrich that hides one¡¯s head. ¡®You seem to remember them all.¡¯ Aria was convinced after seeing Winter¡¯s reaction. ¡°How about it, when you be an adult, nothing changes, right?¡± And she said as if teasing Winter for not responding. After swiping his face several times with his palm, he barely lifted his head. And he fixed his gaze out of the window with a look like he was about to die. ¡®Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of jumping off.¡¯ He, who seemed to be imagining the extremes for a moment, barely looked back at Aria and said, ¡°I heard you were fourteen.¡± ¡°Well, you have to be an adult to know.¡± She shrugged her shoulders. However, he became more outrageously embarrassed when he confirmed that Aria looked a lot more mature than her age. ¡°Hmm?¡± That was the moment. He lifted his head in surprise as he repeatedly gripped and put the bed sheet tightly. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± Winter¡¯s words trailed off into the air. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Then Aria meekly nodded her head and epted the word. ¡°Ah? Is it okay to say it just like that?¡± Rather, Vincent, who was beside her, asked in surprise. It was a voice mixed with even a little regret. ¡°Yes.¡± Aria had it in mind when she heard from Vincent about Winter. ¡®Originally, I was going to reveal it after more observation, but¡­¡­.¡¯ She soon realized she didn¡¯t have to. She¡¯s got a smart, resourceful, and talented person as her brother, and it would be a loss if she didn¡¯t. ¡®Besides, I am aware of the Angelo family¡¯s integrity. That¡¯s why I chose this family in the first ce.¡¯ But Vincent opened his eyes and protested. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me until 4 yearster!¡± He said it very sadly. ¡®No, that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a fatal secret that Aria was a Siren. Besides, since Vincent had been framed and died in the past, she needed time to find out who he was. She also missed the timing when she tried to tell himter¡­¡­. Aria didn¡¯t try to make excuses, she said as she stared at him. ¡°Well, we caught the Young Duke¡¯s weakness.¡± And she brought up an understandable excuse. When she said that, Winter flinched. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember anything¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s toote to say that.¡± ¡°Forget it, can¡¯t you just forget it?¡± Winter asked earnestly for it. ¡°Well, even if you ask me to forget¡­¡± Aria blurted out her words. Because it seemed that the Valentine¡¯s employees were already aware of it, from what she heard. ¡°I can keep the Angelo family unaware of the Young Duke¡¯s condition. Only until you¡¯re well. I¡¯ll just have to tell them that you¡¯re taking a break here to research the data.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you could just do that.¡± ¡°Yes. If you keep my secret.¡± Vincent still looked full of dissatisfaction, but he still seemed to have epted the conversation. ¡°I¡¯d rather he have a working head though.¡± All of a sudden, he burns with an iprehensible sense ofpetition. His attitude changed in an instant. Until before, he was just looking forward to meeting WInter without knowing what to do. ¡°Inevitably, our positions ovep. He¡¯s not as good looking as me, but he¡¯s quite¡­ he should disappear as soon as possible when he recovers.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Winter asked in confusion. ¡°The strategist by Sister-inw¡¯s side is enough by me.¡± It was the same pattern as when he suddenly called Gabriel a muscle gori. Aria decided to just ignore Vincent¡¯s nonsense. She did not know how long the effects of the drug she had just fed Winter wouldst, but there was no time for useless chatter. ¡°I heard you were kidnapped by a ve trader while you were going down to the vige to investigate. What happened?¡± Then Winter, who was puzzled, replied with a serious nod. ¡°Yes, I was walking around the vige looking for traces of the gutter rat and found something strange.¡± ¡°Something strange?¡± ¡°There was a new building among the old buildings.¡± He added. ¡°I hid and looked inside the room, and there were three men. Among them, there was a man with a corpse-like appearance, and his impression was that of the gutter rat.¡± ¡°The rest of it?¡± ¡°There was a man with long torn eyes. Throughout the conversation, he was smiling so sadly that I couldn¡¯t see his eyes.¡± ¡®Wizard Hans.¡¯ Aria nodded her head. ¡°And there was one more person who appeared to be a helper. He looked big and well-trained, and he was wearing a ck hood.¡± Then Vincent, who was listening intently at the same time, said, ¡°Probably the Emperor¡¯s knight.¡± Aria agreed with that opinion. ¡°It has not been officially announced, so you may not know, but with the Emperor¡¯s acquiescence, the gutter rat invaded during the founding ceremony.¡± In fact, to put it properly, the Emperor and the gutter rat openly held hands and performed their feats. However, there was no need to tell Winter the details of the background. She would have to tell him something about the Valentine¡¯s family. But he shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Emperor¡¯s knight.¡± Winter said with certainty. ¡°Actually, I followed the person who seemed to be the helper. It seems that he is not an ordinary person.¡± Then Winter discovered that the garment he was wearing under the hood was pure white. No matter how much he wrapped it with a hood, every step he took will reveal a little bit of the bottom of his pants. ¡°Because the Emperor¡¯s Knights wear dark blue uniforms.¡± So, as he said, the person would not be the Emperor¡¯s knight. When performing the emperor¡¯s duties, they will wear their uniform no matter what. ¡°So I chased after him and, I was struck in the back of the head and passed out.¡± When Winter woke up, it was the ve ship. After that, it was just as Aria, Vincent, and Cloud knew. ¡°Because it¡¯s white. They usually don¡¯t wear white clothes unless it¡¯s time for a national award, but¡­¡± Vincent mumbled in a dismayed voice. ¡°Indeed, that time coincides with the founding ceremony. The founding ceremony robes are all white, with the exception of the royal family and nobles.¡± That meant that there was a high probability that he was one of those who participated in the founding ceremony. ¡°Hmm, then he¡¯s rted to the research institute of the Kingdom of Bruto?¡± He could be a spy from the kingdom, or he could be an insider of the Empire. Aria asked after thinking for a moment. ¡°Did he have any other physical characteristics?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is that?¡± Eh? Aria looked at Winter, who had turned three again, in vain. He was kind of annoyed. ¡®Why?¡¯ Lloyd frowned because of the unpleasant sensation of constant churning. Annoying? No, he doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s annoying. ¡®Anger?¡¯ It was subtly different from being angry. He doesn¡¯t know. He had no choice but to do something about this seething feeling. ¡°I have done as you told.¡± Lloyd nodded his head roughly to themander, then stood in front of the iron bars and looked down. Inside was Count Cortez, much more docile than he had seen at first sight. Lloyd said, poking out the bag of herbs. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Think again. You¡¯ll remember.¡± No, how do you think of things you don¡¯t know! ¡®Devil bastard¡­¡­.¡¯ The Count looked at the dried grass inside the bag, trembling. Of course, as he was ignorant of nts, he had no way of knowing. ¡°Is this a medicinal herb or a poisonous herb¡­ Ah!¡± Then as it brushed against the Count¡¯s head, he remembered. ¡°Come to think of it, the child¡¯s mother had eaten poison and tried to die.¡± How did you find that¡­¡­. The Count giggled as he shook his sparsely haired head, perhaps half-insane. ¡°She had tried to eat a poisonous poison I had never heard of before, so I searched the whole country and desperately saved her.¡± Ah. Then the Count tilted his head. ¡°Did she poison my daughter by any chance? That bitch.¡± Lloyd, who had a cold expression on his face, rolled up his shirt sleeves without saying a word. And he reached out his hand to the knightmander. Themander sighed and ced the prison key on Lloyd¡¯s hand. Kiikk¨C Lloyd stepped into the bars, pulled out the ring from his ring finger, and put it in his pocket. ¡°Analyze what herb it is.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cuirre let out a bewildered voice when he saw the box Lloyd had put out. He stiffened as he saw what looked like bloodstains on the box. Even Lloyd¡¯s hand, who gave it to him, had blood on it. The doctor broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty old¡­¡± ¡°At least four years have passed.¡± It wouldn¡¯t have changed much in 4 years. Of course, he can¡¯t use it, but if it¡¯s just analyzing the type. ¡°¡­Is it poisonous?¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Lloyd took a handkerchief from his arms and wiped the blood. ¡°Poisonous. Well. I¡¯ll have to analyze it in detail to find out¡­¡± Cuirre looked at the bottles in the box one by one and shook his head. ¡°If it¡¯s poisonous, I can¡¯t be ignorant. I¡¯m sure the other doctor on Valentine will say the same.¡± Valentine, the viin of all, has many enemies. They never knew when and where there might be an attempt to poison them, so their knowledge of poison was second to none. ¡°And some of the herbs here are somon that I can name them right away.¡± Lloyd¡¯s momentum, which seemed to explode at any moment, softened slightly. Cuirre was relieved in his heart and added, just in case. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t know how it will change if it wasbined.¡± Depending on how the herbs used for medicinal purposes werebined, there were cases where they could be deadly poison to the human body. Such cases were very rare. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you. See if you canbine it to make it a voiceless drug.¡± Yes? Cuirre blinked when told to create something out of nothing. ¡°Do you have a recipe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And see if there are any side effects if you overdose on that drug.¡± So, does that mean to develop a new drug in the end? ¡°Am I alone?¡± Cuirre hoped Lloyd doesn¡¯t mean that Cuirre smiled clumsily and sent out an earnest look. But Lloyd only smiled crookedly. ¡°If you tell the outside about today, life will be quite enjoyable.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ I want to live my life boringly.¡± Cuirre, who quickly understood the meaning of Lloyd words, responded quickly. ¡®The closer he gets to an adult, the more he looks like the Grand Duke, not only in appearance, but also in speech.¡¯ His personality was originally the same. Cuirre said, thinking that if he spit this out of his mouth, his neck would fly away. ¡°It may take a long time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Generously, Lloyd gave the doctor a generous grace period and put the ring on his clean hand afterwards. And he asked while opening the door and leaving. ¡°Is there any perfume?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Winter. Would you like to try some more magic pills?¡± ¡°Noo¡­ wizard noona lied to me.¡± As he cried, he shed big dollops of tears and buried his face in his pillow. He looked sad as if the world had copsed. ¡°I told you that if you take the medicine you will be an adult¡­¡± Aria put down the vial with a puzzled look. Can¡¯t he remember when he came back to his sanity? ¡®Well, indeed. If you remember, you won¡¯t act like this.¡¯ On the other hand, the sad thing about it was that he would remember all of this when he¡¯s sane. She doesn¡¯t know how he was going to endure the shame after he has been fully detoxified. Aria looked down at Winter for a moment with pitiful eyes, and then she patted him on the back. It looked like she wasforting a crying child, but in reality she wasforting him in advance, who would recover his sanity in the future. ¡®He said the person was wearing a hood from head to toe.¡¯ It would have been difficult to find more clues from such an opponent. Once again, she decided to give time to the young Winter. ¡®Kingdom of Bruto, chimera, and even spies or insiders.¡¯ Haa¡­¡­. Aria let out a deep sigh. ¡®Has anything like this happened in the previous life?¡¯ Probably, there was. Because the snake-shaped chimera, taxidermist, that Hans made was circted in the gutter a year from now. And in her past life, the gutter rat must have turned his body into a chimera. ¡®However, as the future changes, I think the timing has been moved forward.¡¯ Aria kept thinking about the words and was worried, but she quickly brushed it out of her head. It was because she could not know how the future would change even if she was anxious for nothing, and nothing would change. ¡°Hmm, a noble.¡± Then Vincent muttered as if lost in thought. ¡°In the end, for whatever reason, the conclusion is that we must go to the Imperial Pce.¡± Searching for clues about Antis, and searching for nobles participating in the study of the chimera bymunicating with the Kingdom of Bruto. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a noble associated with Bruto¡¯sb, this will be yourst chance.¡± It was as Vincent said. The socialite season will end with the next two weeks of hunting contests. If they missed this time, they had to wait till next year. ¡®There is no guarantee that the noble wille again next year.¡¯ No, there¡¯s a high chance they won¡¯te. The gutter rat was dead, and they have Hans, the creator of the chimera. ¡°Do you have an invitation from the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°Even if there was, I must have tore it.¡± Then Vincent answered. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Aria remembered Tristan, who she once saw tearing it apart even if they have the imperial seal. ¡°Valentine doesn¡¯t need an invitation.¡± The Emperor won¡¯t say anything. ¡°Let¡¯s attend now, Lloyd.¡± ¡°What? Where Brother¡­¡± Vincent looked around with a puzzled face and gasped in surprise. Because Lloyd was watching them, leaning against the door without a trace of presence ¡°Ah, my heart hurts¡­ Why does Brother always appear like a ghost?¡± Vincent grunted as he clutched his fluttering heart. Then Lloyd raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. ¡°The rabbit knows.¡± Aria notices, but should he have to pretend to have a presence for other people? It was as if he was asking that. Vincent just decided to stop talking. ¡°You came early.¡± Aria said, staring at the window tinted with the sunset. ¡°I said I¡¯d be here soon.¡± ¡°Is everything all right?¡± Lloyd, who stared at Aria silently for a moment, answered, ¡°Yes.¡±. ¡°¡­Did you spray perfume?¡± She sniffed his scent for a moment and asked tremblingly. It was because the moment Lloyd entered, an artificial scent suddenly spread through the air. ¡®It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a heavy musk scent that felt a bit excessive, but surprisingly it matched him quite well. She doesn¡¯t know why he suddenly sprayed it. Then, after a moment of silence, he asked with a smirk. ¡°A change of pace. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, it suits you.¡± Although her nose hurts. About a moment when there was a strange silence, he added in anguid voice. ¡°But are you okay?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°The hunting contest.¡± Hunt. Lloyd pretended to pull the bow without a long exnation. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Aria realized btedly and had a serious face. She knew that the hunting contests still exist, but she never attended them in person, so she didn¡¯t even think about it. Like a fool. ¡®Killing animals.¡¯ It¡¯s not for survival, it¡¯s just for fun. ¡°¡­if it¡¯s just observing.¡± She looked annoyed for a moment, but she tried, pretending she was okay. Aria had nothing to do with the forest where the hunting contest was held. The ce she had to explore was the Imperial Pce. ¡°Because the purpose is different.¡± And she soon made up her mind. She had a lot of work to do. She won¡¯t have time to look elsewhere. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Marronnier doubted her ears. But as expected, she didn¡¯t seem to hear it wrong! ¡°Wow! Young Madam is attending the hunting contest!¡± Hunting contests held in the Imperial Pce were not limited to hunting in the forest. Before and after thepetition, there were balls for almost a full week. In fact, the hunting was only for three days. When she heard that, she said, ¡®What is it? If that is enough, hunting is a bluff, isn¡¯t the essence a ball?¡¯ She was skeptical, but in fact she was right. How great must it be to y the hunting game for nobles who were not mercenaries running in the field. ¡®It¡¯s almost like a meeting point for Ladies and Lords, a love affair.¡¯ It was a ce for poor nobles who had to marry someone they did not even know, so that they could find their partner directly. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing for me. I will be able to stay in the Imperial Pce for a long time.¡¯ Anyway, that was the reason Marronnier was happy now. In this hunting contest, the most outstanding Lady will be elected the Queen of Spring Flowers. It also meant that she would soon be in the spotlight this year in the social world. ¨C Marronnier, I¡¯m not a Lady. ¡°How about that? Is there anyw that says married people shouldn¡¯t wear spring flowers?¡± ¡°You are the Queen of Spring Flowers. What title could be better suited to the Young Madam than this?¡±, she babbled, and then she suddenly frowned at her. ¡°No. You went to the Imperial Pce before, and Young Madam ran into the gutter rat or something, and almost got seriously injured.¡± Maronnier seemed confused as to whether she should discourage Aria from going or not. ¡°If you want to participate in the hunting contest, you¡¯ll have to match your dress and hunting clothes as soon as possible¡­¡± She nced at the clock and calendar on the tabletop. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Young Madam wille back hurt again¡­ Oh, but if you match the dress with the theme of spring flowers, Young Madam will look good as if you were born wearing it¡­¡± Aria watched the conflicting squirrel, then grinned and wiped her cheek. ¨C Go ahead. ¡°Yes!¡± Marronnier ended her conflict as soon as Aria¡¯s permission was given and ran out the door. The figure that bounced off like an arrow was itself like a squirrel running in search of an acorn. ¡°What¡¯s so exciting. How cute.¡± Aria briefly recalled her past memories. The day she attended her first imperial ball at the Emperor¡¯s summons, she was excited at ¡®her social debut¡¯. It was when she was young with a happy smile on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m excited too.¡± Lloyd btedly knocked on the door and said so. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of teaching the wife to dance.¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Ah,e to think of it. ¡®We¡¯ve talked about that before.¡¯ Lloyd was supposed to teach her how to dance, but things got messed up over and over again. ¡®He still remembered it.¡¯ Aria looked down at Lloyd¡¯s outstretched hand. With her raw skills, she became embarrassed to try to learn dance from him. ¡®Well, I mean, isn¡¯t it just man and woman going round and round holding each other¡¯s hands?¡¯ She briefly drew a picture in her mind. They even bent their backs and went round and round¡­¡­ Can she do such a difficult movement? ¡®I¡¯ll watch more closely.¡¯ Lloyd, who read her hesitant look, said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I dance well.¡± It was with great confidence. ¡®You¡¯re good at everything you do with your body.¡¯ Aria grinned and she ced her hand on his. ¡°Oh!¡± Then Lloyd grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. It was too close. To the extent that their breaths could even touch. She¡¯d rather be able to hide her face if he hugged her tightly. It became difficult to control her expression as they were facing each other from a distance that could be reached in front of the nose. Aria stiffened and turned her head as far as she could. Lloyd asked dissatisfied, which allowed him to see only her side profile. ¡°Where are you looking?¡± ¡°I think everyone was turning their heads when they were dancing the waltz.¡± ¡°¡­You have a uselessly good memory.¡± Huh? Did he just mumble ¡®uselessly¡¯? Aria looked up at him with a puzzled face. At that moment, the scent of Lloyd¡¯s usual refreshing bath salt brushed the tip of her nose. By the way, the smell of perfume she had just smelled had almost faded. ¡®Did he take a bath?¡¯ Why? Aria tilted her head as she noticed that the tips of his hair were wet. ¡®Come to think of it, after going out anding back, as a change of pace he sprayed perfume.¡¯ Aria was anticipating where he had been. There were countless nobles who tormented her in the past. But among them, there was the most fundamental culprit. ¡®Count Cortez.¡¯ She forgot her shyness and looked up at him. ¡°I think Lloyd doesn¡¯t like perfume.¡± At that moment, Lloyd stopped. ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Because it has a strong scent. In case of an emergency, you won¡¯t be able to hide your presence. Or it will be difficult to track someone down.¡± It was words that almost treated him as beasts, but it was also words that urately described him. ¡°And you didn¡¯t like the wax you put on your hair on the wedding day, so you washed it right away.¡± Just like today, when he immediately washed away the awful smell of perfume. It was the exact opposite of Vincent, who liked to decorate as colorful as a peacock. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria asked Lloyd, who was stabbed in the face and then turned his gaze away without a word. ¡°¡­ did you kill him?¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡± He didn¡¯t kill him? She looked up in surprise, and he answered. ¡°I left vengeance to you.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Then, as if to concentrate, he ced a hand on her waist. Aria¡¯s shoulders, who were standing defenseless, trembled. ¡°Put your hands on my shoulder.¡± She was led by his hand and ced her hand on his shoulder. ¡°The opposite hand like this.¡± And each other¡¯s hands lightly ovepped. Aria couldn¡¯t turn her gaze way over the mountain this time. It was because Lloyd¡¯s eyes that met hers were shining like the moon in the dark. ¡®Because he¡¯s so pretty¡­¡­.¡¯ She can¡¯t take her eyes off him At the same time he started to move. She was dragged away helplessly. He¡¯s acting kindly for Aria, who doesn¡¯t know how to waltz, but she doesn¡¯t know why she feels like she¡¯s being swayed. ¡°Take it easy.¡± Realizing that Aria had been stiffening her whole body, she gave a puzzled look. ¡°It¡¯s not going well¡­¡± Somehow, she put strength in every movement. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll step on you.¡± Aria lowered her head, chasing his steps. Then Lloyd abruptly stood still and sat down with one of his legs bent. ¡°Give me your foot.¡± ¡°Foot?¡± Aria identally put her foot out, and he took her shoes off. And then as she was suddenly bare feet, she was embarrassed. Yet he lifted her up and made her stand on his own feet. ¡°Just step on it.¡± Their bodies got closer to each other. Perhaps the idea was to learn the steps first, but the basic posture of the waltzpletely copsed. Still, her body was definitely less tense than before. ¡®Other than that, everything is a mess.¡¯ The rhythm of her heart, the blushing face that was just buried in his arms, and her expression. The two of them danced a mess for a while with only steps. ¡°Haha, what is this?¡± After some embarrassment, Aria finally burst intoughter. Now she waspletely rxed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dance alone without you.¡± Aria raised her head for a moment at his meaningful words. Lloyd looked down at her with his back to the moonlight, then put her shoes back on and held out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s do everything together. It¡¯s okay to be stepped on.¡± ¡°What? Were you going to the Imperial Pce again?¡± Upon hearing the news, Baker looked like the world was copsing. The kitchen assistants who were setting the main dish next to him also despaired. ¡°That, that can¡¯t be true.¡± ¡°When the Young Madam wakes up, I was going to show you the cooking skills we¡¯ve been honing in the meantime!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just stay for one more month? I¡¯ve also made a healthy diet for the Young Madam!¡± One of them offered Aria what they were holding dear. It was rolled parchment. As Aria unfolded it, the paper was connected without end, and rolled down the floor, stretching endlessly like a carpet. ¡®Is this a month¡¯s diet?¡¯ ¨C I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a healthy diet, it¡¯s an overeating diet¡­¡­. ¡°What? A person who eats a lot is a healthy person!¡± She was forced to do so. Ariaughed while watching the employees shouting with their whole body not to leave them behind again. Although it was sad that she had to be away from the people she cared for for so long. ¨C I¡¯ll be back soon. She could only say that. Aria finished eating and thought for a moment. ¡®I hide that I know how to speak from Valentine¡¯s employees, and it has be a situation where people who don¡¯t know me found out.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t what she intended, but that¡¯s how it turned out. ¡®Should I tell them now?¡¯ Aria pped her lips, concluding that she shouldn¡¯t make the hasty decisions on her own. So she sent a message straight away. ¨C Lloyd. Come to Father¡¯s office. Tristan, Sabina, Lloyd, and Aria were gathered in Tristan¡¯s office. With the butler they haven¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean this.¡± Lloyd said, ncing at Tristan up and down with his arms crossed. He said it in a way to depend on him, but he seemed full of dissatisfaction when the Grand Duke suddenly popped out. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still going?¡± Then William, the Valentine¡¯s butler, answered. ¡°Well?¡± Tristan asked, sitting next to Sabina, fanning her face gently. ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯re still going?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that you are ying around while entrusting almost all tasks and authority to the Grand Prince?¡± The butler responded to his words with a smirk like a benevolent grandfather. The butler was, in a different sense, a man of great guts,pared to Dwayne, the Grand Duke¡¯s aide, who was always giving advice and getting frustrated as well. ¡®Is that because of his age?¡¯ When Aria looked up curiously, the old man smiled happily and ced a mug in Aria¡¯s hand. ¡°It tastes like melon, Young Madam.¡± She is fourteen years old. ¡®You¡¯re talking about something from 4 years ago.¡¯ When Aria looked up at him with a face full of injustice, he smiled kindly again, and he backed away. ¡°Then have afortable conversation.¡± Soon the door was closed. Aria looked at the door with a nk expression, sipping the half-melted marshmallow cocoa, and said. ¡°Can I tell everyone on Valentine that I can speak?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± Then Tristan sped his chin and pondered for a moment. ¡°Well. Last year alone, there were five infiltrating spies and two assassins.¡± Of course, they took care of everything before things got messed up. Even on Valentine, it was difficult to control the nearly 1,000 employees. There were examples like Sir Anjou, Count Beaufort, and Vibrio. ¡°Then let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean everything while you go to the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°Clean¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Squeaky clean with no stumbling blocks.¡± ¡­¡­She got nervous. Perhaps that means he¡¯s going to kill all impure elements like Count Beaufort. ¡®But I think he¡¯s right.¡¯ Aria, who had an ominous feeling, nced at Sabina without realizing it. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him so he doesn¡¯t run wild.¡± Oh, that¡¯s a relief. Aria, suddenly relieved, smiled broadly and nodded her head. Now, if she just goes to the Imperial Pce, she will be able to tell Marronnier, Dana, Betty, Baker, and all the Valentine¡¯s family. As long as she gets back safely. ¡®¡­¡­ But, I didn¡¯t think that I would get caught up in something like this as soon as I arrived at the Imperial Pce.¡¯ Aria silently looked up at the youngdy that had blocked her. She turned to the right and she blocked her way to the right, and as Aria turned to the left, she blocked her way. ¨C Anything you want to say? Eventually, she had to stop and ask. Then, tilting her head, thedy looked at Aria and responded. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not a big deal. I thought you were a person who would be satisfied with this.¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 ¡®What?¡¯ There was no time to say anything. The Lady, who had only said what she had to say, quickly turned her back and disappeared. Aria stared at her back as she left. She was sure the Lady was insulting her, but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡®A nobody.¡¯ She kind of think that way. It was for the same reason as Sir Anjou. Aria would have said a word if the Lady had stood still, but she didn¡¯t have the motivation to pursue her to the end. ¡®I must have seen her somewhere¡­¡­.¡¯ If the Ladyes from an influential family or has been noticed in the social world, Aria would have recognized her immediately. But neither was it. Aria doesn¡¯t have to pay attention to it. ¡°Ah, here you are! We moved all our luggage to our assigned room¡­ Ah!¡± But it was then. Just when Marronnier approached the end of the hallway, waving her hand, she bumped into the Lady. It was a slight bump in the shoulder. But then the Lady grimly contorted her face and shoved Marronnier. ¡°Kyaak!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. You¡¯re not getting down on the floor and begging for forgiveness right now, what are you doing?¡± Aria, who had only regarded the Lady as an annoyance until earlier, changed her gaze in an instant. Do you dare touch my people? Marronnier staggered for a moment as she was strongly shoved. But, as if she had never been, she stood still, without any sign of pain, and looked up at the Lady with a nk look. A native of Grand Duchy Valentine, she was gifted with a strong body and excellent sense of bnce. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Marronnier made a stupid sound. It was because there was a look of embarrassment on the Lady¡¯s face. ¡°Oh my God!¡± Suddenly, Marronnier fell to the floor with a very clumsy scream. ¡°Wait a minute. You just pretended to fall¡­¡± ¡°I havemitted a deadly sin, huhuu!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be deceived? You¡­¡± ¡°Please forgive me! It¡¯s all my fault!¡± Marronnier pretended to apologize and cut off all the Lady¡¯s words. ¡®You look fine.¡¯ Aria was relieved that Marronnier wasn¡¯t seriously hurt, but she was still upset. Anyway, it was the same fact that the Lady touched Marronnier. Aria moved on without hesitation. ¡°Kyaak!¡± And pushed the Lady. ¨C Lady is the crazy one. ¡°What, what?¡± ¨C You should lie t down but you¡¯re talking nonsense while looking up and down at the Grand Princess even though you didn¡¯t even introduce yourself. Did you not even learn manners? Aria raised Marronnier up and hid her behind her, sarcastically speaking the message. ¨C Besides, seeing that you even touched the child I brought with me, it seems that you want to create a conflict with me. ¡°¡­!¡± ¨C Of course, you must have been determined to take responsibility for your own recklessness. It was a soft voice. So Aria raised her voice and it sounded more gloomy than a rampage. ¡®What¡­¡­.¡¯ The Lady was perplexed. Because she had only heard rumors that the Grand Princess couldn¡¯t talk, and assumed that she would naturally be timid and weak. And the fact that the Lady was negligent was also partly because Valentine was determined and hiding Aria¡¯s origin and identity. In the Empire, unless they were from orphans, they would not be adopted by other nobles. Of course, the Lady had no choice but to view Aria lowly. But whatever she came from, Aria was a woman in a position to be Valentine¡¯s mistress. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t recognize the Grand Princess.¡± So, with a pale, weary face, the Lady had no choice but to bow down. ¨C Apologize. ¡°What?¡± ¨C I asked you to apologize. Marronnier, who was hiding behind Aria, muttered with a moved voice. ¡°Young Madam¡­¡± Aria was so cute and adorable when she was young, when did she grow up to be so strong and reliable! She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and took the time to watch the dazzling growth of her Young Madam. The Lady, who had been staring at Marronnier dumbfoundedly, barely opened her mouth. ¡°¡­are you saying that I should apologize to that maid?¡± ¨C This is my handmaid. ¡°Handmaid? So, you¡¯re saying she¡¯s from a noble family?¡± Unlike maids who did chores, handmaids were often from lower nobles or fallen nobles. It was a precedent that stemmed from the noble sense of choice, that expensive items such as dresses and essories could not be left to themon people. ¨C Whether she is amoner or not, an insult to this child is the same as an insult to me because she belongs to me now. ¡°That, that!¡± ¨C Of course, you should not think you¡¯ll be fine after insulting me. This is myst warning, Lady. Aria added in a very friendly way. Then the Lady opened and closed her lips a few times, and apologized in a crawling voice, as if she had nothing to say. And as she ran away, she left the ce. ¡°Young Madame, you¡¯re the best!¡± Marronnierughed and jumped and hugged Aria tightly. Aria hugged her, and watched the Lady¡¯s back as she disappeared in an instant. Her clenched fists were trembling. The next day. ¡°Young Madame, I¡¯m going to give it to you first¡­¡± Marronnier held out a rose-sealed letter. With a very ufortable look. ¡°Should I rip it off too?¡± Marronnier acted like Tristan when he saw the letter from the imperial pce. Aria fully understood her feelings. A white rose pattern. This was because it was a sign to call for a gathering to which the Ladies who were still unmarried belonged. The content of the letter was formal. Since she was not yet familiar with the social world, it was to make friends through tea time. ¡°It must have been the Lady earlier! There won¡¯t be anything good.¡± ¨C I¡¯ll go. ¡°Yes? Why?¡± ¨C Maybe Marronnier can get a decent guy. Aria smiled softly, stroking Marronnier¡¯s hair gently. The squirrel squirmed, puffing her cheeks, but quickly sumbed to Aria¡¯s sweet whisper and nodded her head. ¡°Well, why would she protect amoner handmaid so hard? Anyone who sees it would think they¡¯re from the samemoner.¡± Burst ofughter. Aria stopped her steps when she heard the voice of the Lady whom she had encountered in her hallway a while ago. The sound wasing from themon room reserved for nobles visiting the Imperial Pce. It was the ce where Aria was invited to tea time. ¡®The tea time hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡¯ She was already involved in this? A sigh came out. Aria was unaware that she was the center of the topic since the gutter rat case. ¡®Well, in fact, I could have guessed enough if I had paid a little attention.¡¯ But she wasn¡¯t even interested. ¡®Because I didn¡¯t even feel the need to.¡¯ So she just found out now. Some nobles were busy making fun of her. ¡°Then which side will Lady Willis bet on? There are quite a few people taking part in the bets now.¡± ¡°Oh, then, where did you bet on, Lady Leshan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with the gutter. I think the decisive evidence is that the gutter was suddenly cleared in the year they got married.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bet a thousand chars there.¡± ¡°Hoho, you¡¯re ying big! You don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s wrong, right?¡± Hahahoho. The loudughter passed by. Aria leaned against the wall and listened silently to their conversation. ¡®It looks like they¡¯re making a bet to guess where the Grand Princess came from.¡¯ The instigator of this bet was the Lady she met earlier in the hallway. ¡®Why are you so interested in me?¡¯ Aria remembered who she was. Lady Leshan. When talking about the Valentine¡¯s rumors, the Lady never fell out. ¡®I should have made more threats.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know that Lady Leshan could be so unreasonable. The nobles participated in the bet lightly without any objection. This is because if things go wrong, all they have to do is put the me on the instigator and escape. ¡®Then what is the purpose of that Lady?¡¯ Did she want attention? There were sometimes such people. It¡¯s about putting a celebrity who gets everyone¡¯s attention on the board to join the influential crowd in the social world. The nobility, who always wanted interesting topics even after life was boring, took the bait. Aria never did it because it was stupid. The desire to be noticed. ¡®Usually that interest won¡¯tst long.¡¯ If so, it would have been destroyed by itself even if she didn¡¯t care. Aria again tried to pass it by without paying much attention to it. ¡°As everyone in this room knows, it¡¯s easy to tell if she¡¯s from nobles like us or not.¡± Until the instigator, Lady Leshan, said these words. ¡°I have prepared several tests for the Grand Princess.¡± ¡°Test?¡± ¡°Yes, the Grand Princess¡¯ answer to the test is a hint for this bet. After the test is over, the second bet will start.¡± ¡°In other words, before the end of this huntingpetition, do you mean to guess the origin of the Grand Princess?¡± A Lady asked in a yful tone. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°You are thoroughly prepared!¡± The Ladies burst intoughter. ¡®This is another story.¡¯ So, she meant to publicly humiliate Aria. If they had been arguing behind her back, Aria would have just ignored it. However, being disgraced in the social world is directly rted to Valentine¡¯s prestige. So she decided to y with the Ladies¡¯ trickeries, even in the midst of her busy schedule. Knock, knock- She went straight into the room without hesitation. ¡°Oh! Right on time.¡± ¡°We were talking about the Grand Princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was so surprised when I first saw you. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you because you were so beautiful like you weren¡¯t from this world.¡± ¡°We are amazed at how much it will be seen in the eyes of the Grand Prince, hoho.¡± The girls, who changed their attitude in an instant, smiled kindly and did not sparepliments. ¡®You covered your mouth with a fan to hide the ridicule.¡¯ Aria, who was quick to the ecology of the nobles, did not respond much and took a seat in the seat they guided. At that time, Lady Leshan pointed to a piece of paper with a butterfly drawing on it and whispered to the Lady sitting next to her. She whispered while covering her mouth with her fan as well, got up from her seat with a picture of a butterfly and approached Aria. ¡°Oh, did you know that? The Imperial Pce chef even prepared a special teatime menu for us.¡± Please choose, Lady. And turned the butterfly picture upside down. The types of tea and the names of desserts were written in a foreignnguage. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Aria didn¡¯t respond and looked down at the menu. ¡®Thenguage of Dunham Kingdom.¡¯ Most of the dishes eaten by the nobility in the Empire were developed in Dunham. Another name for Dunham is ¡®Heavenly Table¡¯. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was a country of gastronomy, and it was a kingdom with an extremely developed culinary culture. Among the nobility, whether or not there was a cook from Dunham was a measure of wealth. ¡®It looks like they¡¯re looking down on me.¡¯ Aria was still 14 years old, but she had been on Valentine four years ago. They think she¡¯d never even learned Dunham¡¯snguage in the meantime. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s so stiff that she can¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°She really doesn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been betting on the poor, low-ranking noble in the countryside. I think it¡¯s not even that.¡± A Lady whispered and giggled a little. She might have lost her bet, but she had fun. No, it¡¯s actually more interesting now. If not now, when would they ever mock the Grand Princess? Also the Grand Princess of ¡®Valentine¡¯. She was a person who was in such a high position that they couldn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°She may have reallye from the gutter. Then, let alone foreignnguages, she would have been in a hurry to learn the officialnguage and etiquette of the Empire.¡± ¡°Now that I look at it, it seems that the manners of nobles werepletely ingrained in her body, but if she was from the gutter, it would have taken her a few years just to get it into a habit.¡± ¡°Then, Lady Leshan?¡± The Ladies and some Madams expected what Aria would say. Will she ask for earl grey? Will you shed tears over the prank? Or was she so ignorant that she didn¡¯t even know that she was being ridiculed? Or, in reverse, read the menu fluently? ¡°Whoa, I¡¯ll bet everything on my second bet.¡± It didn¡¯t matter either way. They were already bored by being tied to the imperial pce, and a clown appeared to entertain them. No matter how Aria reacted, they were ready tough and have fun. However, contrary to their expectations, Aria did not say anything at all. She didn¡¯t hesitate or cry. She called the maid, who was waiting, and ran her fingers through the menu from start to finish. ¨C From here to here, bring it all. And she calmly ordered. Lady Leshan, the youngest daughter of County Leshan, was speechless for a moment. It was because the scale was too big to ridicule for escaping this situation in that way. She didn¡¯t want toe forward yet, so she asked the question unknowingly. ¡°Are you talking about all the menus?¡± ¨C Yes, any problem? ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to only serve as much as you can eat?¡± ¨C Ah¡­¡­ Aria looked troubled for a moment. As if she had never imagined she would hear such a word. ¨C At Valentine, we decided after seeing all the menus prepared by the chef himself, is it different at this meeting? As if it was the first time she had experienced it, she blurted out the end of her words. ¨C If you have to decide what to eat just by looking at the menu on the paper¡­¡­. The expressions of the Ladies and Madams who had been whispering with fans covering their mouth, hardened for an instant. Because they knew all the rumors about Valentine¡¯s wealth. Among them, there were even rumors that Valentine controlled the state-owned property. In fact, they were skeptical of the Grand Princess. She was from a humble status that they couldn¡¯t even reveal her origins. ¡°Well, we¡¯re used to that, too. But it¡¯s the Imperial Pce budget, so we can¡¯t use it carelessly.¡± ¨C Oh, you were worried about that. I¡¯m sure they will tolerate it. Shall I ask His Majesty directly? Just for something like this? The eyes of the Ladies, who were frowning, widened as if they were about to pop out in an instant. No matter where Aria was from, the casual way she says things like that means that Valentine¡¯s influence was huge. ¡°Does that mean¡­ does that mean that the Grand Princess will personally host the tea party?¡± A Lady nced at Lady Leshan and asked. Today¡¯s meeting was hosted by Leshan Youngae. However, whether intentionally or not, the problem was pointed out in front of the organizer. It was a huge insult to the other person, and at the same time, it was no different from openly arguing. ¨C Did it sound like that? However, Aria gave a puzzled expression and tilted her head. And as if to ask them to forget it, she shook her head with a gentle smile. ¨C I was told that in order to belong to a group, I had to follow the rules of that group. I didn¡¯t think much. A bitter silence split between them. In the end, it was all a fuss with nothing to gain. Rather than mocking the Grand Princess, the people present felt a sense of deprivation. Lady Willis, who had been watching the surroundings for a while, noticed that Lady Leshan¡¯s expression was unusual. She pped her hands as if to uplift the mood. ¡°By the way, do you all know that? All of this menu was written by Lady Leshan herself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, she also selected the menu herself.¡± ¡°Oh, she is amazing. There are quite a few menu items that are unfamiliar to me. How did you know about these desserts?¡± Once they attended the meeting, it was the right thing to do to praise and lift the organizer. Even though they had already heard of it, they fussed as if it was the first time they had heard it. Then Lady Leshan softened her expression and answered. ¡°I went to Dunham with my father a few months ago. I wanted to introduce you to the desserts I encountered there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± ¡°Tell me more, please!¡± The Ladies urged with a smile. Thanks to their active support, Lady Leshan quickly reemerged in the spotlight. This was kind of an opportunity. This was thest chance for Lady Leshan, who has never been noticed in social circles, to be the main character at a meeting. She didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. So she exaggerated it even more. ¡°I spent most of my time in the Dunham capital, but on myst day I stopped by the port of Praia.¡± ¡°Wow, even among Dunham, Praia is famous for the most delicious food.¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous¡­¡± One Lady sighed deeply. It was because of the fact that Praia was an ind province, the people tended to be closed, and they used a fairly difficult dialect. It was so unique, even people from the same Dunham Kingdom could not understand their words. Thanks to that, finding an interpreter, no matter how much money they had, was like picking a star in the sky. Lady Leshan, whoughed shortly, continued. ¡°I was lucky. Thanks to this, I learned a little bit of Praia¡¯snguage besides cooking.¡± In the dialect, she spoke basic conversations such as ¡®Hello¡¯, ¡®Nice to meet you¡¯, ¡®It¡¯s delicious¡¯, and ¡®See you again¡¯. The people in this ce were learning thenguage of Dunham Kingdom as the basic culture of nobles, so everyone was amazed. ¡°The pronunciation ispletely different.¡± ¡°I thought I was fluent in the Dunhamnguage, but I can¡¯t understand a word.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to try the local cuisine of Praia.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been working hard to get the recipes.¡± Then Lady Leshan yfully shrugged her shoulders as if she was thinking about something. ¡°Do you know the most famous dessert in that region?¡± ¡°Please tell me soon. I¡¯m really looking forward to this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®otte macadry¡¯. I tried it there myself and it was fantastic.¡± She added all kinds of rhetoric to exin the taste of the dessert in a grand way. ¡°There aren¡¯t many on the menu we introduced today, but if youe to our estate, you can taste it for yourself.¡± ¨C Did you eat it? It was then. Aria, who had been listening to their conversation, interrupted for the first time. Lady Leshan, who was interrupted at the moment when the mood was about to improve, almost distorted her expression. But she struggled to keep herposure and answered. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¨C Lady Leshan, can you spare some time for me? I have something to tell you. However, it was difficult to maintainposure at the following words. Because this was an obvious hindrance. ¡®This is¡­¡­ !¡¯ Was Aria secretly showing off her power and wealth and trying to take the initiative from the organizer? Since Lady Leshan was getting the attention from celebrities in the social world right now, was Aria interrupting her for nothing? It was an opportunity to invite influential people from the social world to her estate! ¡°Please speak here.¡± Lady Leshan had no intention of ying around with Aria¡¯s trick. So she resolutely drew the line. In fact, she had no reason to be afraid to deal with Aria alone. ¡®No, what was scary!¡¯ Such amoner girl! No matter how much Aria was from Valentine, if she presses her a lot, Aria won¡¯t be able to do anything about it. Aria would never set foot in the social world again. ¨C If you wish. Aria, who was staring intently at Lady Leshan, said while cing her finger on the menu board in front of her. ¨C You misspelled it here. ¡°What, what? How could it be!¡± Lady Leshan stuttered in bewilderment. The Ladies, who had been snooping on the menu board in hopelessness at Aria¡¯s words, covered their mouth with a fan and muttered. ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s true¡­¡± When Lady Leshan¡¯s face grew red, the peopleforted her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s amon mistake.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s just the spelling, anyone can easily get it wrong.¡± Of course, even if she said that, a small smirk began to appear in Aria¡¯s eyes. ¨C And in the Praia dialect, ¡®delicious¡¯ is ¡®lentia¡¯ and ¡®See you again¡¯ is ¡®delle patemme¡¯. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay to pass wrong information to the people here. Aria added. ¡®How, how do I do that!¡¯ Lady Leshan, who was trying to get some points with her nonsensical dialect, was astonished. It was not enough for Grand Princess to know the letters of Dunham, she could even speak the dialect fluently! Then the Ladies and Madam rushed to her in a big fuss. ¡°Grand Princess, have you ever learned Praia¡¯s dialect?¡± How can you? The nuance was like that. Aria understood the hidden meaning at the words, and raised the corners of her lips in response. ¨C Because Valentine¡¯s chef is from Praia in Dunham. ¡°What? Really?!¡± ¨C Yes, it was Baker. Besides, Baker¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. Isn¡¯t that the same chef that His Majesty the Emperorpares the imperial cook to every day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He often said that it was the cook¡¯s fault he didn¡¯t get Baker.¡± He spoke so often that even the nobles memorized it. But the famous chef was working as Valentine¡¯s chef. ¨C Actually, what I really want to say is¡­¡­. Aria had a very troubled face, and she stretched her words, pretending to be hesitant. ¨C Praia¡¯s dessert ¡®otte macadry¡¯ has a very strong religious factor, so I¡¯ve never even tried it. ¡°Religious?¡± ¨C ¡®otte macadry¡¯ means ¡®body of God¡¯ in the Praia dialect. ¡°Bo, body of God!¡± They were terrified. The body of God. It was because it was a taboo word that would be more than swearing, with your neck flown away as heresy if it was heard in Garcia. ¨C For being taboo, it¡¯s legally banned in all countries except Dunham. That¡¯s why it hasn¡¯t been brought into the Empire yet. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Lady Leshan. The Lady¡¯s face was so pale. It was as if she had now admitted that she had broken thew with her mouth. In the Imperial Pce too. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 In an instant, Lady Leshan did receive the attention of central figures in the social circle. In a direction she never wanted. ¡°Lady Leshan said that if we go to her estate, we¡¯ll be able to taste it ourselves, right?¡± Lady Willis said with a nce at Lady Leshan, who was stumped without saying anything. ¡°That means they¡¯re making a dessert called the body of God at the Leshan estate¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Lady Leshan, who became a criminal in an instant, broke into a cold sweat and desperately tried to exin. Being the main character was the second problem. In order not to be permanently expelled from the social circle due to such an absurd mistake, she had to somehow get rid of the suspicion. ¡°I¡¯ve only brought in the recipe yet, but we haven¡¯t made it.¡± No one believed it. However, it was also a difficult part to judge by thew if she insisted on it. Although Lady Leshan did admit that she ate the otte macadry, it was in the Kingdom of Dunham. Of course, bringing in the recipe was not without legal problems. Even if punished, a robbery charge would be very weak. Anyway, the response she got back was very callous. The Ladies and the Madams who were there all looked at Lady Leshan with a firm expression ¡°Lady Leshan, were you trying to feed us something like that?¡± ¡°No way. I didn¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Huh, if you don¡¯t know, it doesn¡¯t happen? To think that youmitted such sphemy without knowing anything¡­¡± As if they had never been kind to her, their attitude changed in an instant and they became cold. The nobles were tolerant of breaking thew, but they thought that it would be demeaning if it was revealed. ¡®Besides, they almost suffered damage.¡¯ It would be very sensitive. They ridicule and trample on others who do not belong to their group because they are intrusive. ¡®Unfortunately.¡¯ Aria let out a sneer. She thought that the nobles were still the same as they were in her previous life. Then, Lady Leshan thought that Aria wasughing at her and clenched her teeth and trembled. Aria herself had no idea. ¡°By the way, Grand Princess.¡± At that time, a Lady who was looking at Lady Leshan and Aria spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re thinking of learning even the Praia dialect. That¡¯s great.¡± Then there was a voice agreeing and said, ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡±. At first nce, it sounded like apliment. But in reality, it was meant to test if she got onto their line well. Was it worth it to Aria? ¡®You¡¯re going to test me again.¡¯ She was slowly getting tired. Still, she thought she was going to please them moderately. Because most of them here were influential figures in the social world. But she changed her mind. Aria began to be disillusioned with all of this. ¡®Why do I have to adjust?¡¯ The Grand Princess is her. It was her, who they had to adjust to. ¨C I didn¡¯t learn it. ¡°Yes? So how did you know?¡± ¨C I learned to cook directly from the chef for 4 years and listened to various things about it, so I came to know it on my own. So, it meant that she didn¡¯t have to study anything, just listened to it once and she got to know it. ¡°Oh my, did you learn to cook directly from that famous chef Baker?¡± There was a time when nobles said that cooking was shallow. But that was an old-fashioned idea. As Dunham began to gain worldwide fame as a foodie country, the Fa Empire nobles began to embrace the cuisine more and more actively. Regardless of age or gender. ¡°Could you pass on the recipe to us too?¡± ¨C I don¡¯t know. Baker¡¯s secret recipe¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but that would be a bit of a problem. To the Ladies who made an openly regretful expression, Aria smiled shyly like a young girl and said, ¨C Of course, if I ever have a true friend, I¡¯ll be happy to let them know. Even Baker will understand to that extent. Then they exchanged nces. It was because they were told to stand in line well now. Like giving them onest chance. ¡®You can¡¯t just pretend to be with Valentine.¡¯ They made a decision quickly. To cut the tail. In the first ce, she took part in this bet lightly with this thought in mind. ¡°Lady Leshan.¡± The arrow returned to Lady Leshan in a ridiculously quick time. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a person.¡± ¡°You should have recognized it properly. It would have been dangerous for us, too.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be so frivolous.¡± They denounced Lady Leshan. And, as if for granted, this time, they began to exalt Aria. ¡°What would have happened if the Grand Princess hadn¡¯t been here¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all thanks to the Grand Princess remembering that sphemous dessert.¡± ¡°Oh God. How could she remembernguage and knowledge even though she didn¡¯t learn it separately?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve never seen someone so smart.¡± Aria picked up the teacup, took a sip of the tea, and put it down deliberately with a rattle. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Aria. As Aria smiled with a strange smile, their spine somehow shuddered. They had no choice but to show signs of nervousness. ¨C I want to find a true friend someday. And, of course, that person is not you. Showing boredom, Arianguidly lowered her eyes and continued her words. The sun shone through the window and draped over her head. Then her pale hair gleamed. Like a me. ¨C It sounds like you¡¯re making a fun bet on me. ¡°¡­..!¡± How absurd. ¡®How the hell does she know that!¡¯ Not only Lady Leshan, but this time everyone started to turn blue. Regarding the bet, the members gathered and talked separately before attending the tea party. Of course, it was thoroughly hidden to prevent the story from leaking out of the meeting. ¡®Who told her about it?¡¯ At first, they didn¡¯t even trust each other. Distrust began to bloom in their hearts, and the division broke out in an instant. ¨C I don¡¯t know if that was a sufficient answer. Where did you n to ce the second bet? I wonder. Aria added as if talking to herself, and she smiled slyly. The Ladies swallowed a gulp. It was like realizingte that the lion performing the trick at the circus was actually a beast. She can bite their necks at any time. ¨C Did I look like a high-ranking noble? Or a lesser noble? Amoner as you expected? Maybe I¡¯m from the gutter. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C Why are you so serious? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C It¡¯s just for fun. Smile. At her words, the Ladies and Madams forced a smile. ¡°Ha ha ha¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, howe you have an excellent sense of humor.¡± They looked like they had been dragged to the ughterhouse. Of course, if there was a problem, they were going to drive Lady Leshan away, because they didn¡¯t know if Aria would use everyone of it. ¡°Excuse me.¡± It was then. The knight of the Imperial Pce guarding the front of the room approached with a troubled face. ¡°Grand Prince Valentine hase.¡± ¡°Kyaak!¡± A Lady screamed involuntarily and then hurriedly covered her mouth. It was a reaction as if she had seen a ghost at the moment when the tension was about to rise. ¡°Why, why is the Grand Prince here?¡± Originally, it was impossible for a man to intervene in a women¡¯s tea party. But he was Grand Prince Valentine. The Grand Prince who inherited almost real power from the Grand Duke. Far from being pleased, the Lady was so frightened that she almost copsed from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll just have to go. I just remembered what I had to do¡­¡± ¡°Ho, ho, ho. I have to prepare now to attend the banquet.¡± ¡°Oh, look at the time.¡± Suddenly everyone got up saying they had work to do. Aria didn¡¯t stop them. ¨C If you wish. All she could do was sip the tea in leisurely solitude and answer. There was only the organizer of the meeting and everyone slipped away in an instant. Lady Leshan, who missed the timing to get out, hesitated and ran into Lloyd, who wasing inside. ¡°Grand, Grand Prince¡­¡± ¡°Who are you? Get lost.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± She bit her lip and ran away. It was an act of disrespect, but Lloyd didn¡¯t care. In the first ce, the person who told a Lady to ¡®get lost¡¯ couldn¡¯t care less about manners in the first ce. Just after he immediately erased her existence from his mind, he approached Aria. ¡°Did they do anything to you?¡± ¡°Um, well. They don¡¯t seem to like me.¡± ¡°How dare¡­¡­.¡± Before Lloyd could say anything, Aria picked up the macaron on the table and shoved it into his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t deal with it. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Lloyd quickly became quiet. He pulled out the chair in the seat next to Aria and chewed the macaron. It was as if he was swallowing a poison. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Your handmaiden said something bad happened to you, so I should go.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal¡­¡± It seems Marronnier was very worried. ¡°So why did youe running like this?¡± ¡°Hmm. I was going to wipe them all out¡­¡± Not knowing exactly what had happened, he said so. After all, if they were going to do some tricks on his wife, he nned to snatch their family first and hear the situationter. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Aria smiled softly and patted Lloyd¡¯s head with admiration. ¡°I scolded them all.¡± Then Lloyd paused for a moment, then quietly epted her hand. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°Are you nning to leave the Princess as it is?¡± It was in the midst of a nobles meeting. The Emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, rummaging through the documents, looked back at the person who had put up an agenda rted to the Princess. He was Duke Battenberg. He was recently trying to raise his power on the back of his daughter, Lady Battenberg, the Emperor¡¯s fiance. ¡°What did Natalie do?¡± The Emperor said, pressing his throbbing head firmly. Princess Natalie. She was the only younger sister of the current Emperor. And since the position of the Empress was still vacant, she assumed various duties in ce of the Empress. The Duke doesn¡¯t like that. ¡°You need to hold the wedding as soon as possible. You can¡¯t keep Her Highness by your side forever.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so urgent? Anyway, I will be marrying your daughter, and she will sit in the Empress¡¯s seat.¡± The Emperor said with a haggardplexion. He has recently been suffering from severe insomnia due to the constant nighttime hallucinations. ¡°When is that?¡± The reason that the Emperor, Conrad III, postponed the wedding was actually because of the hallucinations. ¡°If you can breathe, you will be thrown into the fires of hell, and if you just want to die like this, you will see futile hope.¡± It was almost like a curse. No, it was a curse. The Emperor, who was snoring at first, had no choice but to surrender as the nightmares continued. He postponed all important events in the country. So was the wedding. So, of course, Battenberg¡¯s side couldn¡¯t help but feel unstable. ¡°It¡¯s not just that, Your Majesty.¡± Duke Battenberg continued to speak, creating a serious atmosphere for nothing. ¡°I¡¯m telling Your Majesty this because Your Majesty doesn¡¯t seem to think that Her Highness will one day be a threat to you.¡± He meant for the Emperor to be vignt. He wanted to instill doubts about the Princess and get her out of the Imperial Pce as soon as possible. In the current situation, the Princess was the closest person to the throne. ¡°Natalie?¡± Conradughed. The child who buys and collects jewelry and dresses as much as possible and spends all her time in luxury, revealing that her head is empty with every word she says? That child with thin ears* and a fiery personality who is easily swayed by other people¡¯s words? (thin ears means that you easily ept and believe what other people say) Looking at Natalie, the Emperor used to feel a sense of superiority, ¡®Oh, I¡¯m better than her though.¡¯. ¡°Not that child. I¡¯ve been watching Natalie since she was a little girl.¡± The Emperor waved his hand as if telling the Duke to stop. It was something he didn¡¯t even need to hear. Duke Battenberg rebutted several times, but he had no choice but to back down in response to the cold Emperor¡¯s reaction. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± After the meeting, an attendant came. ¡°Later.¡± The Emperor quickly said with an exhausted face. The servant was trembling with fear, but he had no choice but to deliver the news with firmness. ¡°But Your Majesty, Grand Princess Valentine has asked for a private audience.¡± Hmm? The Emperor lowered his hand that was on his forehead and looked puzzled. ¡°Princess.¡± Princess Natalie, adorned by the handmaids, turned her head away from staring into the jewelry box. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­.¡± The handmaid who came to the Princess¡¯ side whispered what happened today in her ear. ¡°A little while ago there was a sh between Grand Princess Valentine and the members of the Rose Society.¡± It was safe to say that almost all scandals taking ce in the Imperial Pce went straight to the Princess¡¯ eats. Because she was very interested in it. ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡± Upon hearing the news, Natalie expressed great interest. And she immediately invited some members of the Rose Society as representatives. ¡°Tell me directly. I heard there was quite a disturbance in the Imperial Pce?¡± The Princess smiled softly, fanning her face with the fan. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for causing concern to the Princess. But it wasn¡¯t a big deal. We solved it amicably between us.¡± A Lady smiled awkwardly. She felt a cold sweat running down her back. She was going to move on as quietly as possible, but things were getting bigger and bigger. ¡°Who? Tell me. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson.¡± No matter how she was the Princess, she used ¡®teach a lesson¡¯ to the Grand Princess. The modifier ¡®supercilious¡¯ really suits her well. Natalie was originally like this. Maybe it¡¯s because she grew up not receiving the love and attention of the previous Emperor and Empress. She always had her own way. Rather, she was able to remain in the Imperial Pce without being killed because of her stupid head and reckless disposition. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak properly, I will teach you a lesson.¡± The tips of Natalie¡¯s sharply sharpened fingernails glistened. Her dark auburn eyes glistened like a snake. The representative of the Rose Society, who swallowed her saliva, barely opened her mouth. ¡°The truth is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our fault.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to the voice that suddenly intervened. It was Lady Leshan. Natalie tilted her head and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember calling you?¡± ¡°I have something to tell the Princess, so I took the liberty toe to you.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fine. I hope it¡¯s funny enough that you dared to set foot in my residence without permission?¡± If not, I will teach you a lesson. The Princess added that, while fiddling under her skirt. The members of the Rose Society, who recalled rumors of the Princess carrying a whip under her skirt, swallowed a gulp. ¡®If it¡¯s the Princess, it¡¯s perfect.¡¯ Lady Leshan thought. The Princess was fiery, simple and stupid. If she was pushed a little, she would go wild. Regardless of logic, she doesn¡¯t even think about the future, and the moment she gets insulted, she ps her opponent first. ¡®It will escte into a battle between the Imperial Princess and the Grand Princess.¡¯ If that¡¯s the case, then the high-nosed Grand Princess won¡¯t be safe. Lady Leshan reported what happened at teatime, with her eyes gleaming in evil spirits. ¡°Of course, we invited Grand Princess Valentine to us first, as a wee.¡± ¡°Therefore?¡± ¡°But it was really hard that she asserted her authority on us because there was a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Asserted authority?¡± Lady Leshan lowered her gaze and said sadly. It was a clever mix of truth and lies. ¡°I prepared the teatime menu for the Grand Princess with great care, but she told me to bring out all the desserts on the menu. We said we couldn¡¯t do it because it was the budget of the Imperial Pce, but as Valentine, if she can¡¯t even do that, she will see His Majesty¡­.¡± Natalie¡¯s eyebrows twitched at those words. It was because Aria really asked an audience with the Emperor at the same time. ¡®Brother readily agreed.¡¯ Even if she was Grand Princess Valentine, could she see the Emperor privately for that reason? The younger sister can¡¯t even see the Emperor at any time herself. When Natalie made an openly displeased expression, Lady Leshan was excited and quickly added more weight. ¡°The real Mistress of the Imperial Pce is the Princess, how can she act like that in the Imperial Pce. I was so surprised.¡± The other members of the Rose Society were silent. They were listening quietly. It was because they thought that Lady Leshan¡¯s scheme was pretty good. And she cleverly mixed up the facts and added some lies, but she wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Oh, really? She dared to do that.¡± Natalie smiled fiercely and folded the fan with a snapping sound. Perhaps she was firmly offended, her bright red lips were twisted at a strange angle. When Aria returned to her room, Vincent was waiting patiently in front of Aria¡¯s door. He turned to Aria, while having a serious conversation with Marronnier. ¡°Sister-inw! You¡¯re safe!¡± Yes, of course she¡¯s okay. She wasn¡¯t invited to a duel, and she wasn¡¯t attacked by an assassin. Aria asked as soon as her eyes met Marronnier with tears in her eyes. ¨C What did you say to Lloyd and Vincent? ¡°Young Madam!¡± But before she could hear the answer, Marronnier quickly hugged her tightly. Aria tried to tell Marronnier she shouldn¡¯t overdo it, but she sighed and had to pat Marronnier on the back. In fact, she doesn¡¯t mind at all. ¡°Having a tea party in this state, how very rxing.¡± Vincent grumbled as he had started researching and working on his own while Aria was away. It wasn¡¯t his intention of scolding her, but rather, he was worried about how much she might have been tormented here and there. All the socialites must be trying to bite off Aria. Like hyenas. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything to the rabbit.¡± Then Lloyd, who was slowly following Aria, growled at Vincent. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say much, did I?¡± Haa, right. I have to worry about people I worry about. Even after the marriageable age, Vincent, who had remained stubbornly single, suddenly became a little lonely. ¡°First of all, there is something to be careful about before meeting the Emperor.¡± Something to be careful about? Aria, who had thought of the Emperor as just an idiot, widened her eyes as if she was really surprised. Seeing her expression, Vincent shrugged. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too defenseless?¡± Does she? Aria blinked her eyes. ¡°Even the lion, the king of animals, is often attacked by cunning foxes.¡± And Vincent exined quite a few cunning foxes. The Emperor¡¯s right-hand man and assistant, Montes. The Emperor¡¯s fiance, Lady Battenberg. And Duke Battenberg, who was behind her. And so on. ¡°Finally, the Princess.¡± Without exining, he suddenly shook his head. ¡°She is more like a bear than a fox. If you upset the Princess, she will tear you apart alive.¡± That was a pretty brutal exnation. Aria sent a message while hugging Marronnier tightly. ¨C Well. I think she is really a fox. ¡°Yes?¡± ¨C No, nothing. Aria shook her head. In fact, Aria knew more about the Princess than anyone else. Perhaps, she knew better than the Princess herself. Because she had a direct conversation with her in the future pce. ¡®She¡¯s acting¡¯ It was also a very thorough performance that deceived even the previous Emperor and Empress. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 The reason why the Emperor entrusted the Princess with the pretty heavy duties was all because he looked down on her. Because he didn¡¯t think she was even the slightest threat to him. And unexpectedly, the Princess performed the entrusted task quite convincingly. ¡®Of course, the people involved were avoiding her because they felt dirty, rather than being charismatically gripped by her.¡¯ Even though the employees cursed the Princess from behind, they never did anything against her. ¡®The Princess looks easy, but she manages her subordinates well, so the Emperor doesn¡¯t disregard her as a static weight, but keeps her by his side.¡¯ In other words, Natalie held the real power of the Imperial Pce to keep the Emperor from being vignt and at the same time to prevent anyone from taking her seriously. ¡®No one knew that it was all nned action.¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t know either. So how surprised she was when the Princess revealed her true feelings. ¡°You are the future I did not walk into.¡± The first time the Princess approached Aria after she was imprisoned in the Emperor¡¯s cage. Unlike when she was always surrounded by people, when Aria was alone in the nursery, the Princess was able to avoid everyone¡¯s gaze and approach Aria. After the banquet was over, Natalie squatted down in front of Aria, who was left alone. She smiled and continued. ¡°If I had been vignt for even a moment, I would have be like you.¡± Aria looked up at her. ¡°Why would you say that to me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bird. It¡¯s your job to sing beautifully. No one listens to you.¡± It looks like she wasn¡¯t going to tell her. As if she already knew, the Princess smiled and sipped the ss she was holding in her hand. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if I say everything now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you want some too?¡± Aria turned her head away without a word. Contrary to the rumor that the Princess raises her hand first if anything goes against her heart, the Princess didn¡¯t care what Aria¡¯s attitude was. ¡°Unlike you, I have achieved a dream.¡± At that time, Aria thought. ¡®What do you mean? ¡® Did shee to ridicule the bird that was caught singing off guard? Or was she asking for apliment because she has achieved her dream? With a pitiful expression, the Princess giggled and smiled as she turned her back to Aria, who was sitting there. ¡°Good health and long life. It was my dream.¡± It was in past tense. She didn¡¯t seem to be very happy with the fact that she had achieved her dream of being in good health and had a long life. ¡°I¡¯m going to be sold as the third concubine of Emperor Garcia so that I don¡¯t die again this time.¡± Aria recently recalled the words that the Princess¡¯ marriage had been decided. She had passed her marriageable age, and soon she was going to be an exiled Princess. She had no choice. ¡°I knew my stupid brother was going to cause a big ident someday, but I didn¡¯t know it was going to ruin the empire.¡± ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Aria asked. ¡°The silence.¡± Did it hit right on the spot? The Princess did not answer for a moment. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to say that.¡± With a grin, she sipped the drink from her ss at once and wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°I also failed. Like you.¡± She said her own dream was a failure. ¡°If I had known that my dreams were so futile, I would have burned them to the ground.¡± In fact, she didn¡¯t even know how to properly see her own desires. Just because she was desperate to survive in the Imperial Pce. She hid herself so thoroughly that she no longer knew what she wanted herself. Outstanding background. Great brain. Excellent acting skills. Even though she had everything, she didn¡¯t even try. ¡°I¡¯ll show it at least once.¡± At least once. The Princess borrowed the influence of alcohol and mumbled bitterly and got up. Aria just stared at her back. At that time, she was so exhausted that the Princess¡¯ words could only be heard as a whining. But now. Btedly, she was able to afford to listen to her. ¡®We¡¯ve both failed in our past lives.¡¯ As the Princess said. ¡®But I got a second chance.¡¯ If so, maybe she should enjoy her chance at least once. ¡®What choice will you make this time?¡¯ Aria thought for a moment. She wanted to ask the Princess¡¯s thoughts before she put the n into action. At least once. The reason Aria asked for a private audience with the Emperor was simple. Because if Lloyd went to visit, the Emperor would have refused with all kinds of excuses. It was understandable. Because the Emperor¡¯s cooperation with the gutter rat turned into a catastrophic failure. And there was an incident where Valentine tried to make the Emperor a puppet. ¡®But if I¡¯m alone, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ Even after suffering from all that, the Emperor would be vignt. ¡®Only traces of the curse remain, and you won¡¯t even remember who did it.¡¯ Just looking at her delicate appearance, he would wonder what she would do to him. In fact, she may be the most dangerous opponent. Aria sat proudly with her legs crossed, facing the Emperor in the parlor. ¡°Tell me everything you know.¡± And she demanded it proudly. She didn¡¯t even order it, but the Emperor found himself kneeling at her feet. He was drunk with the song of seduction and had hazy eyes. ¡°Have you ever heard of the descendants of Antis?¡± ¡°Antis?¡± Then the Emperor, who had rolled his eyes with a nk face, nodded his head. ¡°Yes, of course. It was once a vassal of the Fa Empire.¡± ¡®I knew it too.¡¯ People treated Antis as a city of legends. Because it was not recorded in the history books. But the Emperor replied as if he was sure of its existence. Aria nodded her head to urge him to exin further. ¡°The records say that Antis is like a spring that never runs dry. Thanks to this, the Fa Empire was able to unify the continent because of its abundant resources.¡± He spoke very proudly about taking resources by invading a country that once lived in peace. ¡°Do you know Cavendish?¡± ¡°Cavendish?¡± The Emperor couldn¡¯t answer properly and was stunned. Well, Vincent couldn¡¯t figure out their identity right away, so there¡¯s no way that dummy can react right away when he hears it. Aria thought so in her heart, and she kindly added one more word. ¡°I heard that they were the number one contributor to the founding of the empire?¡± ¡°Ah, that Cavendish¡­¡± Was there anything that just came to mind? The Emperor nodded his head in anger, btedly remembering the Cavendish family. ¡°The traitor of the mothend.¡± Hmmm? Aria looked puzzled. It was because the Emperor¡¯s reaction was more intense than expected. ¡®I thought that the fact that Cavendish was destroyed for treason was a false usation?¡¯ Vincent expected so. It must have been to destroy evidence. But contrary to their spection, the Emperor said, ¡°The Cavendish stole the treasures of the imperial family. After that, they handed it over to Garcia among many other countries.¡± ¡°The treasure of the Imperial Family?¡± ¡°Yes! Part of God!¡± If he¡¯s talking about part of God¡­¡­. ¡®Are you talking about God¡¯s feelings?¡¯ Aria was taken aback for a moment as she continued her thoughts seriously. Since when did God¡¯s feelings be the treasure of the imperial family? ¡®That means that he stole what was stolen.¡¯ It was kind of weird. It was Fa who took God¡¯s feelings, but it was Garcia who increased their power in the name of God. Cavendish betrayed Fa for some reason and joined Garcia¡¯s side and turned over God¡¯s feelings. ¡®Is it Fa who invaded Antis and took the resources, and Garcia the one who took God¡¯s power?¡¯ The Emperor burst into a frenzy. ¡°With the treasure of the imperial family, Fa would havemanded the whole world as a unique and powerful empire!¡± Well. They had this Emperor as a descendant, so maybe it would never happen. Aria thought so, and asked. ¡°Do you know more?¡± ¡°Hmm, none?¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t know anything about the royal family of Antis?¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯ve heard of them being in existence from generation to generation.¡± The Emperor did not answer properly. He didn¡¯t even seem to be able to rte the Antis to the Siren. Well, she didn¡¯t even want it either. Aria nodded her head and held out her hand. ¡°Then give me your authority.¡± With boundless pride, like asking for something she has entrusted to him. It was easy. Aria put the que she had received from the Emperor into her arms and left the parlor. ¡®I have to show it to Lloyd.¡¯ She thought of Lloyd, who must have been anxious after letting Aria go alone, and moved her steps. No, she was about to move. ¡°Grand Princess Valentine.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the voice that suddenly called her up. ¡®The Princess.¡¯ It was Natalie. ¡°Why are you sneaking out like a thief and groping the inside of your arms? Did you steal anything?¡± No way. Who would ask the Emperor for a private audience and steal with pride? It was a ridiculous usation. But Natalie, who had always acted like that every day, was nonchnt. ¡°Show me. What are you hiding?¡± Aria looked up at Natalie. Unlike her previous life, the Princess was strangely hostile to Aria. It was all acting, but it was clear that she disliked Aria. ¡®Did she hear anything?¡¯ There was no reason for the Princess to harbor hostility towards Aria, so Aria tilted her head. ¡°Grand Princess, you¡¯d better listen to me when I¡¯m still nice.¡± The Princess showed her teeth and growled fiercely. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 ¡°I told you to give it to me!¡± The Princess forcibly grabbed Aria¡¯s wrist. At the same time, the metal que Aria had tucked into her sleeve fell and rolled across the floor. The que, which had been rolling with a loud noise, stopped at the Princess¡¯s feet. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± Natalie muttered in disbelief. A metal que engraved with the imperial design. ¡°How can the Grand Princess¡­¡± Usually, when the Emperor entrusts a task to his subordinate, it was handed over together, and it also signifies the Emperor¡¯s absolute trust. At the same time, it was for a faction to enjoy the authority of the Emperor in regards to the things that were ordered. In other words, as long as Aria has this in her hand, she can pretend that she is carrying out the Emperor¡¯s duties. ¡°Ha!¡± Seeing this, Natalie burst outughing. It was something that could only be received by Marquis Montes, the Emperor¡¯s right hand. If it falls into the hands of someone who harbors betrayal, it will be abused. Not to mention if it was Valentine. They were neutral, not on the Emperor¡¯s side or nobles, their independent force was more powerful and dangerous than any other force. ¡®Are you sane, Your Majesty?¡¯ Hearing hallucinations and muttering nonsense every night. Natalie wondered if the Emperor had really gone mad. ¡°It¡¯s not funny¡­¡± And in an instant, her eyes changed. It was so tant that it was imaginable that the word ¡®poisonous¡¯ would suit that expression well. ¡°How dare you ignore me and try to pretend to be a master?!¡± She raised her hand. The Princess was going to p Aria ording to the temperament she had been acting out. But Aria grabbed her hand. It was an unexpected reflex. ¡°What, what! Why don¡¯t you let this go?¡± Natalie was perplexed. It was a situation she had never experienced before. This was because, although she has seen a lot of people falling down or getting dragged, no one has held her hand to avoid her hand. However, the Grand Princess¡¯ hand, which Natalie thought would be soft and tender, was harder than expected. ¡®Did you learn the sword?¡¯ It was surprising. When she first heard the story about the Grand Princess, she imagined a small, slender, and pitiful image. And when she heard about what happened at the tea party with the Ladies, she wondered if Aria was running around with Valentine on her back. Finally, seeing Aria in person¡­¡­. ¨C Why do you seem angry? Natalie couldn¡¯t make sense of it at all. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¨C I think I can understand why the Princess is angry. Suddenly, their eyes met. Aria¡¯s flower-colored eyes were staring at the Princess as if they were piercing through. ¨C That¡¯s what the Princess really wants. Natalie was taken aback and stepped back. She tried to shake off Aria¡¯s hand. But Aria grabbed her hand and didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Hey, are you crazy! Let go of me!¡± Aria picked up the que that had fallen on the floor and handed it to the Princess. It was a magical que that made one could enjoy absolute authority if desired. However, it was also a mirage of a power temporarily borrowed from the Emperor for a moment. ¨C In the not-too-distant future, what would you do if the Empire copsed? And Aria asked. Very serious about the nonsense. ¨C Do you really want good health and a long life? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C Or have you ever listened to your own heart for even a moment? ¡°Are you crazy? How dare you say something like that¡­¡± ¨C Are you confident that you will not regret until the day you die for not revealing yourself? And Aria constantly pushed. Natalie couldn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t even know how Aria knew what she was talking about. ¡®¡­¡­ Did I get caught? No way. My acting was wless!¡¯ She deceived even the previous Emperor and Empress. They treated Natalie like a left-out child until their death. It was as Natalie intended. That way, she would not have gone away in vain at such a young age like her second brother. Natalie, who was stabbed on the spot for the first time, was unable toe to her senses. She just thought it was a mistake. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but this is me. I live by revealing myself every moment! Can¡¯t you look at me?¡± Natalie was bewildered and spat out more words, but it waste. It was because she looked agitated no matter what. In this case, it was better to say nothing. However¡­¡­. ¡®That eye.¡¯ Aria¡¯s eyes, who was staring straight at the Princess without shaking, were so clear that she had never seen it before. Strangely enough, the Princess feels like she wants to confide in everything¡­¡­. ¡°Let me go!¡± Natalie mmed Aria¡¯s hand away. Then she turned her back and ran away without a fight. ¡®Oh, she ran away.¡¯ Was Aria¡¯s push too hard? Aria, who was left alone, scratched the back of her head. There would be a chance againter. ¡°Wow, you really got this.¡± Vincent mumbled in admiration. He was skeptical when Aria said that she could bring the gue with the Emperor¡¯s power, but she truly did. Aria kept her word no matter what she said once it came out of her mouth. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the library to check the chronicle of the first Emperor¡­¡± It was when Vincent spoke with the que in his hand. Marronnier ran from the end of the hallway, gantly running like an angry rhinoceros. ¡°Young Madam, today is the first day of the banquet. The only one who is wandering around the imperial pce corridor is Young Madam!¡± Aria remembered btedly. ¡®Oh,e to think of it, Marronnier was serious about this banquet.¡¯ In order for Aria to be elected the Spring Flower Queen, she, of course, had to stand out not only in huntingpetitions, but also in the banquets. Aria¡¯s words that she waszy came up to the end of her neck and was almost spat out. But she struggled to give a broad smile as Marronnier had been waiting only for today. ¨C Can you give me a minute? I need to check something for a moment¡­¡­. ¡°No, thank you.¡± But the answer unexpectedly came from Vincent¡¯s side. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll go right away without dy.¡± ¨C Are you going to be okay? ¡°What¡¯s not to be okay about?¡± His sister-inw seeded in the most decisive part of the mission.Vincent added and tapped his inner pocket. ¨C Other than that, are you okay by yourself? ¡°It¡¯s better to be alone. I didn¡¯t even have a partner while everyone was moving around in the banquet hall.¡± ¨C Ah. Come to think of it, partner. Aria¡¯s partner was definitely Lloyd, so she hadn¡¯t thought about it. Before she can go to the banquet, she¡¯ll have to get a partner apart in advance. If it was Vincent, who had no friends, let alone dating, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to find a partner¡­¡­. ¡°No, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t ask for it on purpose. What¡¯s with those pitiful eyes?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯m serious!¡± Vincent was choked up by Aria¡¯s long silence. ¡°Can you not see my face? Before I went to the academy, when I was attending the academy, when they saw me, thedies would send me letters¡­.¡± He bragged about how popr he was, then wiped his face away. He thought, what the hell was he doing? ¡°Anyway, I will take care of this, so sister-inw, please look out for the other side while you are attending the banquet.¡± On the other hand, he was referring to the imperial nobleman who hade into contact with the gutter rat. Aria nodded her head. Bona Leshan. Born as the youngest daughter of the County, she grew up receiving the love and attention of the Count Leshan couple. Growing up, she had never heard of bitterness, and thest incident became a devastating shock to her. ¡°Bona! Your recklessness has almost cut off the family¡¯s prestige, our lifeline!¡± ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed with you. After today¡¯s banquet, go back to the estate and keep a low profile for a while.¡± She copsed when she heard the bitter voice of Count Leshan for the first time in her life. And, she thought, now she has nothing more to lose. ¡®Hmm, is the Grand Princess going to be half dead by now?¡¯ Maybe her cheeks would be puffy, or maybe her hair was half ripped off. Maybe she would have been so upset that she couldn¡¯t attend the banquet. Lady Leshan was filled with evil thoughts, and she was going to attend the banquet no matter what. But, the moment she entered the ballroom, Lady Leshan saw an unbelievable sight. ¡®You¡¯re fine¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria was walking around the ballroom with a clean, spotless face. She also caught the attention of all nobles. ¡®Nonsense.¡¯ Lady Leshan wanted to see Grand Princess¡¯ messed up face onest time before leaving for the estate. Or at least she wanted tough at how the Grand Princess couldn¡¯t attend from the first day of the banquet. But¡­¡­. Lady Leshan, who had been staring at Aria for a moment with cold eyes, came closer to her. Fortunately, the Grand Prince was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have been away for a moment. ¡°Grand Princess.¡± Aria, who looked around, stared at Lady Leshan. However, Aria¡¯s reaction was calm. She was not angry, nor did she frown. The gaze that stared at Lady Leshan indifferently, as if she was nothing, twisted her heart even more. ¡°Thanks to Grand Princess, I have learned a lot in life.¡± Lady Leshan whispered in Aria¡¯s ear. In Lloyd¡¯s absence, she was about to hit Aria and make a run for it. She didn¡¯t want to make aeback in the social world anyway. Now that this hase, even just once, she longed to see the Grand Princess¡¯ distorted expression. ¡°You are young, but how intelligent and ingenious. I learned a lot.¡± So she sarcastically pinched Aria¡¯s most striking w. ¡°Perhaps it was because your body was not well. No matter where you were born from, you must have gone through a lot of hardships in the world.¡± At thest tea party, suspicions arose that Aria might have been of noble origin, so she no longer took issue with Aria¡¯s origin. Even if Aria was from a noble family, if she was a dumb mute, she would have grown up under persecution. Then, for the first time, a shadow fell over Aria¡¯s always indifferent expression. ¡®Hoo?¡¯ Lady Leshan saw that and was happy. This is it, it was this! ¡®What¡¯s your weakness? Cannot speak? Growing up under persecution? If I grab on and hang with this, I can win!¡¯ But it was then. As she was about to take one step closer to Aria, someone grabbed Lady Leshan¡¯s wrist. ¡°What? Suddenly, how rude¡­¡± Lady Leshan turned her back angrily, flipping her hand, then hardening her body. ¡°Rude? Do you want to show me what¡¯s really rude?¡± There stood the smiling Princess Natalie with her red lips twisted. Chapter 132: Illustration Chapter 132 (Illustration) 3 hours before it happened. Aria was lost in thought as the maids, who hade with Marronnier, put on the dress. How can she find out the noble who hade into contact with the gutter rat? ¡®Hmm, they were big and looked like they were trained like a knight.¡¯ However, it was concluded that the person was not the Emperor¡¯s Knight. A noble enough to attend the founding ceremony in person would serve the Emperor or the Grand duke, but if not both¡­¡­. ¡®It¡¯s not a knight.¡¯ Then she just had to find an ordinary noble with a body trained like a knight. Then, she can first look up the list of people attending the founding ceremony. Aria was working out her n in her own way. At that time, ¡°You got cream on your lips!¡± Marronnier rebuked her. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria came to her senses and looked down at the te in her hand. It was the remains of her eating the shortcake. It seems that she unconsciously picked up the dessert next to her and ate it. ¡®If I eat sweet things, my head will work well.¡¯ In fact, Aria herself didn¡¯t know that she would eat desserts from the Imperial Pce so well. Because she only remembered that she vomited everything she ate at the imperial pce. ¡®That means that the memories of the past have no longer had any effect on me.¡¯ Of course, the cooking skills were far inferior to Baker¡¯s. Aria licked her lips roughly, and then she casually picked up the macarons from the dessert tray. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you eating well. Please don¡¯t spill crumbs on your dress¡­¡± At that moment, Marronnier begged her earnestly, so Aria had no choice but to put it back down. ¨C Then why did you bring the dessert tray? ¡°Um, ornamental?¡± ¨C Want me to get scolded? ¡°Gasp, it¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Marronnier used a strange expression in her yful remarks. ¡®My pleasure¡­¡­ ?¡¯ Does that mean she wants to be scolded? ¡®You¡¯re not afraid of me at all.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t mean for Marronnier to be afraid of her. Aria felt a strange feeling and picked up the strawberry cream cheesecake. With this, the crumbs will not fall. ¡°Oh my, there¡¯s no spring flower fairy who had cream on her lips.¡± ¨C There¡¯s no such thing as a fairy. Aria showed a sullen reaction. But when she heard the truth that there are no fairies in the world, Marronnier pointed to the mirror. ¡°But Young Madam, mirrors don¡¯t lie! Over there, there¡¯s a fairy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, fairy. If you came here to collect honey, you came to the wrong ce. Flowers are in the garden.¡± Aria stared at Marronnier, who was making a fuss, for a moment with a puzzled look. ¡®How do youe up with such an innovative expression every time you dress me?¡¯ Aria left the dressing room, shaking her head. She didn¡¯t even look in the mirror because she knew Marronnier would have made her pretty enough. ¡°Ah, wait a minute. Young Madam! You still have cream on your lips¡­!¡± It was when she paused for a moment at the sound of Marronnier rushing from behind her. Aria found Lloyd waiting for her outside the dressing room. He was wearing a ck robe that was different from thest banquet. ¡®A dress simr to that for a wedding.¡¯ He usually only wears clothes with minimal decoration, so wearing a colorful robe gave him a distinctly different feeling. ¡®But definitely, he¡¯s grown a lot.¡¯ The robes may be simr, but the feeling ispletely different. She only thought that the boy at that time was as pretty as a neat orchid. Now is¡­¡­. Aria avoided Lloyd¡¯s gaze. He came in wearing a robe with a design simr to the one he wore to the wedding, so she felt shaky. The boy¡¯s growth, which she had forgotten for a while, approached clearly as if she could grasp it. ¡®I just wanted myself to see this¡­¡­ Hmm?¡¯ Aria thought casually, and paused. ¡®What was I thinking?¡¯ It was when she was puzzled by the question mark floating above her head. After staring at her for a moment, Lloyd approached her and stretched out his hand. His thumb touched her lips. Aria shuddered and shrugged, and then she btedly opened her tightly closed eyes. ¡°Looks delicious.¡± He must have cleaned it before. Aria rubbed her now empty lips with the back of her hand for nothing. She could still feel the touch of his fingers on her lips. It was then. ¡°¡­!¡± She almost made a voice. Aria opened her mouth with rabbit-like round eyes. Lloyd put his finger, stained in cream, to his lips. Lloyd, who frowned as she put the macaron in his mouth, muttered without changing his expression. ¡°Sweet.¡± All sorts of words ran through her mind. But she didn¡¯t say anything, and ran straight past Lloyd as if running away. Her face was so hot that she was not confident with his escort. ¡°¡­¡­Where are you going?¡± A mysterious voice followed her. But Aria didn¡¯t stop, she only hastened her steps faster. Lloyd stared intently at Aria¡¯s back. A light fell over her head. The colorful lights engraved in a circr shape looked like an angel¡¯s halo. Her soft pink hair was drooping and fluttering in the air. Intertwined with the dress with countless petals engraved on it, she was like flower petals that bloomed profusely and fell fleetingly. ¡°Today¡­ it¡¯s too much.¡± Suddenly, Lloyd frowned and said. Without realizing it. As always, whenever he saw Aria, his eyes were somehow dazzled. Lloyd stopped for a moment and followed Aria silently. After her embarrassment had subsided to some extent, Aria entered the banquet hall with Lloyd. However, as soon as the gatekeeper announced the appearance of the two, the eyes of the nobles were intensely drawn to them. So much that the back of her head hurts. ¡®Why are you looking at me like this?¡¯ It was a little different from before. At the founding ceremony banquet, their gazes were so attached to the wall that it looked ridiculous. Even now, they didn¡¯te to greet them warmly or say hello, but there was something different about the atmosphere. It was because the nobles stared at them as if they were observing them and did not avoid their eyes even though it met. ¡°Shall I pluck out all the eyes¡­¡± What? After Lloyd¡¯s small murmur, Aria looked up at him, widening her eyes. Then, Lloyd, who looked very ufortable, was struggling to swallow his murderous energy. Although he didn¡¯t seem to be able to swallow it very well. ¡°Everyone can¡¯t take their eyes off you.¡± ¡­¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like that. Aria grumbled inside as she saw the many youngdies bewitched, fixing their gaze on Lloyd. She found it strange. Weren¡¯t these nobles terrified when Lloyd approached them and scattered all over the ce? In the past and in this life. ¡®And then I got caught in that part.¡¯ No matter how good Aria looked on the outside, she was Valentine. The youngdies of prominent families who have a lot of say in the social world are betting on Valentine¡¯s Grand Princess. ¡®Even if it was meant to me Lady Leshan, it was too risky.¡¯ Had it flowed like her previous life, such a thing would never have happened. While Aria was absorbed in her troubles, there was a soft waltz. Although the nobles looked openly curious, no one approached her, so the surroundings were quiet. Lloyd held out his hand to her. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first song.¡± Aria, as she had practiced with him beforehand,id her hands over his hands. It was a reflex action. Then Lloyd, who also grabbed her opposite hand, ced his hand on Aria¡¯s hand and added. ¡°Until thest song, of course.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As soon as the first song was yed, Aria, who was somehow nervous and had hardened her body, smiled a little. ¨C Aren¡¯t you too greedy? ¡°Then, did you have ns to dance with other bast¡­.people than me?¡± Lloyd grabbed Aria¡¯s hand. It wasn¡¯t coercive, but it wasn¡¯t a gentle touch either. He quickly grabbed her body, wrapped his arms around her waist, and led her into the center of the hall. That was the moment. ¡°How dare you.¡± Lloyd whispered into Aria¡¯s ear. Her ears tickled and she was numb in his voice. Aria got the feeling that Lloyd¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem like talking to her. It was like he was talking to someone over her shoulder. ¡®Who is that person? Like you¡¯re going to kill them¡­¡­.¡¯ Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone running behind her back, and Aria tried to turn her head. Then Lloyd grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her into his arms. Thanks to him, she couldn¡¯t even move. ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± Don¡¯t keep it in your eyes and don¡¯t leave it in your memory. He murmured as if flowing to the sound of the music. The voice that seemed to be slightly mesmerized was as if he had said something he wasn¡¯t even aware of. Aria, who only blinked her eyes while being hugged by Lloyd, sent a message. ¨C Lloyd. I¡¯m saying this because I don¡¯t think you know, but we¡¯re holding each other in the middle of the hall right now. They were receiving the attention of many nobles. ¡°Ah.¡± He then released the strength in his hand that had pulled Aria. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 His bewildered eyes wandered through the air for a moment. Aria put her hand on Lloyd¡¯s shoulder and followed the steps she had been working hard on. They were hugging for a while, as if it was actually part of the dance. Lloyd danced slowly following Aria¡¯s movements, and then skillfully took the initiative. As he began to lead the dance, Aria¡¯s awkward movements were instantly offset. A soft melody divided the banquet hall. The shimmering skirt, as if sprinkled with starlight, fluttered in the air as if casting the Milky Way. ¡°I heard the Grand Prince fell in love at first sight and chased after her. The rumors are convincing, she is a beautiful woman.¡± ¡°I heard about it, but I didn¡¯t know that such an appearance could exist in the world.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s a beauty outside of the norm, I think it makes her feel more special.¡± ¡°Not only the looks, but the atmosphere¡­ It makes me wonder if she is human just like us.¡± Aria heard some nobles muttering openly. ¡®That¡¯s better.¡¯ She wanted to hear what they were thinking. The banquet hall was the easiest ce to get information and gossip. The nobles really liked to talk, and Aria¡¯s ears could hear the whispers. ¡®I used to acquire information in the same way in my previous life.¡¯ Count Cortez, who knows the power of information, ordered her to do so. ¡®I¡¯m using this thanks to you.¡¯ Aria sneered and listened to them. The nobles who could not even make a sound at thest banquet because they were terrified, were chattering now. ¡°Isn¡¯t this actually the first time that Grand Princess Valentine has appeared in public?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to live without ties with family or acquaintances for the rest of her life?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard too. Being locked up inside the Grand Duchy, she won¡¯t be able to take even a single step out in her life¡­¡± ¡°Why is this generation different?¡± Aria¡¯s origin was shrouded in a veil, but there was no reason for it to be a major issue. It was impossible since she first appeared in the Imperial Pce. ¡°By the way, have you all heard of the rumor that the Grand Duchess had risen from her sickbed?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice whispered, lowering the volume even further. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not a rumor, it¡¯s true. She didn¡¯t attend the banquet in person, but she stayed in the Imperial Pce for a while.¡± Another woman further exined. Her voice was confident, as if she was proud to know what others didn¡¯t know. Most of them probably didn¡¯t know about it, as only the Grand Duke and her were in an audience with the Emperor. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t pass away?¡± Then thedies who had gathered around her were startled, raising their voice and making a fuss. ¡°Then maybe¡­ the devil¡¯s curse that was passed down from generation to generation has been lifted?¡± ¡°Well, the truth is something only the Valentine knows. But, I¡¯m sure something has gone wrong.¡± ¡°Actually, the Grand Prince even received a medal the other day. He defeated the gutter rat invading the Imperial Pce, right?¡± ¡°If you think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem like they havemitted such a bad thing to be called the devil, but it¡¯s strange.¡± To their surprise, they began to question why Valentine was called the devil. It was what Aria intended. Even so, thedies¡¯ reaction afterwards was not what she intended at all. ¡°Oh, what a shame¡­¡± As one of thedies muttered with sincerity, the sound of chucklingughter spread as if they were making fun of that saiddy. ¡°And, I see, Lady had a crush on the Grand Prince, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s just an unrequited love. He has been taken. Valentine¡¯s bloodlines are famous for their natural beauty.¡± ¡°But what are you regretting about?¡± The Lady was silent and the people around her burst intoughter once more. ¡°Well, where can there be many of those people?¡± After a while, a woman spoke in aughter-filled voice. ¡°If they had known it was going to be like this, everyone would have thought that they would just make themselves a Valentine¡¯s sacrifice.¡± ¡®As expected.¡¯ Aria¡¯s strange sense of incongruity was not an illusion. ¡°He has tremendous strength, wealth, status and beauty. Everyone must be eagerly waiting for the two of them to get a divorce.¡± ¡°Why would Lady Leshan do such a thing to the Grand Princess? She¡¯s been known for having a crush on the Grand Prince since her academy days.¡± Aria stumbled as her feet got caught for a moment. Startled, Lloyd pulled her back and supported her, asking. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Was it like that? Was it because she liked Lloyd? ¡®But I remember that in my past life, she always interrupted and talked malicious things about Valentine¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria naturally thought that Lady Leshan was like that because she wanted to get people¡¯s attention. But turns out it was something she did because she liked Lloyd. ¡®¡­¡­ why?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t Lady Leshan supposed to get angry when people gossip about the person she had a crush on? Or, at least ignore it. It was something that was iprehensible for Aria. ¨C ¡­¡­ You¡¯re popr, Lloyd. Aria looked up at her husband with squinted eyes and said so. Lloyd, whose ears aren¡¯t as good as hers, didn¡¯t seem to understand why she was suddenly saying that to him. ¡°You still can¡¯t concentrate, do your legs hurt?¡± And no matter what the others were saying, he worried for Aria first. He had just seen her stagger and he seemed to have misunderstood her. ¡°Can I bring you some morefortable shoes?¡± Aria, who somehow felt troubled, nodded her head. She probably needed a moment to clear her mind. In fact, her shoes were so high that her legs hurt. ¡°What¡¯s with your lips?¡± Aria¡¯s lips, unconsciously pouting, were sticking out like a beak. Lloyd let out a smallugh seeing her with a sullen expression. ¡°Cute.¡± And he stroked her hair lightly, then said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He quickly left the banquet hall. Aria let out a deep sigh as Lloyd¡¯s hand touched her briefly and moved the hair that had fallen off her head. ¡®Remarriage¡­¡­.¡¯ She was working hard to find the traces of the siren. To live. But the possibility of dying without treating her body was always in her mind. Because the words ¡®forever¡¯ or ¡®never¡¯ are inapplicable in this world. ¡®When I die, I should wish Lloyd happiness. Don¡¯t let go of himself like the past life¡­¡­.¡¯ At that time, she hopes there was someone who loves him enough to entrust himpletely. Someone who he can depend on, share their hearts, and be together for the rest of their lives. ¡®My feeling has be so deep.¡¯ It was when she was thinking bitterly like that. When Lloyd was present, the Lords who didn¡¯t even make a sound, chatted as if they were waiting as soon as he left the ce. ¡°Hey, He¡¯ll eat you up. Eat you.¡± ¡°Even so, does it make any sense to receive a medal from His Majesty? It must have been for the sake of his own safety, not for the Imperial Pce, that he would have killed the gutter rat.¡± ¡°Hero what hero, then can every Tom, Dick and Harry be a hero?¡± ¡°Even women¡¯s eyes can¡¯t see it either. His eyes and lips are like a yboy, but they¡¯re screaming saying he¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°Actually, wasn¡¯t it because of the devil¡¯s curse that made him strong? So if the curse was lifted, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he became weaker?¡± ¡°Then I think I can win¡­¡± Aria was dumbfounded. As Valentine began to be treated as a hero from the always viin role, some openly dissatisfied people appeared. Aria seemed to know the reason. Since he¡¯s a hero, he started to look blissful. ¡®Really, what a mess.¡¯ It was then. ¡°Grand Princess.¡± As if attacked by Aria appearing at the banquet, Lady Leshan, who she had not seen, suddenly appeared in front of Aria. With a murderous expression. As if she would swing her fist towards Aria. ¡°Thanks to Grand Princess, I have learned a lot in life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You are young, but how intelligent and ingenious. I learned a lot.¡± Lady Leshan, who opened her mouth like that, whispered into Aria¡¯s ear so that no one could hear it. ¡°Perhaps it was because your body was not well. No matter where you were born from, you must have gone through a lot of hardships in the world.¡± But when she finally uttered those words, Aria had no choice but to empty herplicated head in an instant. ¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯ She wanted Lloyd to be happy among good people. She hoped that he would be proudly recognized in front of everyone that he was the hero who actually saved mankind. She hoped for him to get rid of the stigma of being the devil. ¡®But why do I have to listen to this?¡¯ Aria touched her forehead. They were very eager to bite him from all sides. As long as he was praised as a hero, everything would work out. She was foolish to think that. ¡®Some got jealous, some nder, some ridicule¡­¡­.¡¯ If a hero was like this, it would have been better to wear the stigma of being the devil. ¡°What? Suddenly, how rude¡­¡± ¡°Rude? Do you want to show me what¡¯s really rude?¡± It was then. Natalie appeared as the savior, and stood in front of Aria. Aria said, ¨C Princess, it¡¯s okay. ¡°What?¡± ¨C Leave it to me. Aria raised her head after she had bowed for a moment and sent a message to the Princess.. It was a very calm voice, and as if it expressed her feelings, it sounded eerie. Lady Leshan, whose face had turned white from the moment the Princess appeared, hesitated and snapped back. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± The Princess raised her eyebrows and asked. ¨C If the hero is actually everyone¡¯s fool, I have to get a new hero story. ¡°Ha, you?¡± Aria seemed to reassure the Princess by grabbing her hand tightly and then letting it go. Then, the Princess took her hand and pulled it back. ¡°Do you want to get scolded? Very scolded.¡± Scol, scolded¡­¡­ ? Aria, who was pushed behind Natalie¡¯s back, widened her eyes like a rabbit. ¡°You¡¯re trying to take my role again. I¡¯m the Mistress of the Imperial Pce? As Lady Leshan admitted.¡± Natalie raised her hand without hesitation, exposing her gleaming fangs. And she swung it. The sound of her hand cleaving the air was so great that she can see why Vincent likened her to a bear. ¡°Kyaak!¡± Lady Leshan didn¡¯t just turn her head, but copsed to the floor. Aria couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut. ¡°How refreshing!¡± ¨C N, no, you don¡¯t have to hit her¡­¡­. ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s because you¡¯re so weak-minded. Actually, just by looking at it, it doesn¡¯t suit you. You¡¯re like a deer.¡± A, a deer? ¡°Let¡¯s go, little deer.¡± ¨C What? Aria was dragged by the Princess¡¯ hands. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¨C Princess? Natalie shoved Aria into the most remote patio and then drew the curtains. ¡°Now say it.¡± ¨C Thank you for your help? ¡°Who wants your thank you?¡± However, the Princess got rather angry after hearing her thank you. ¡°Tell me what you were thinking when you said those words.¡± ¨C In the not-too-distant future, what would you do if the Empire copsed? ¨C Do you really want good health and a long life? ¨C Or have you ever listened to your own heart for even a moment? ¨C Are you confident that you will not regret until the day you die for not revealing yourself? Aria said those. What she meant in her words was clear. The Empire ruled by the current Emperor will soon be destroyed. So it was for Natalie to not be afraid of death, don¡¯t hide herself and reveal herself. All of these words seemed to persuade Natalie to rebel. ¡®I did say it outright.¡¯ Aria covered her mouth and let out a smallugh as she then recalled Natalie¡¯s bewildered look. ¡°Are youughing? What if I use you of treason ording to my nature, what would you say? It¡¯s hard to deal with, no matter how you¡¯re Valentine.¡± Natalie growled violently as she spoke harshly. But somehow it wasn¡¯t threatening at all. ¨C I thought you wouldn¡¯t. Because, it was too far fetched. ¡®Because I said exactly what I heard from the future Princess.¡¯ Even though Natalie was curious about how Aria read her inner thoughts, which she had not even been aware of, it seemed like she would never do such a thing. Then, in response to Aria¡¯s message, Natalie puckered her mouth as if she was speechless. ¡°¡­you don¡¯t really have any solutions contrary to what you look like?¡± ¨C I hear that often. The word reckless. Saying she doesn¡¯t know how precious her life is. Aria couldn¡¯t help it. ¨C I need to be prepared to risk my life to get what I want. She was able to obtain Lloyd¡¯s heart by rushing to death. The boy who repeatedly said ¡®get out of my way¡¯ just by looking at Aria¡¯s shadow began to solidify her existence from a certain moment even when he was by her side. His gaze always followed her. He said he wants to make her dreamse true. He cried because he wanted to live with her. ¨C It¡¯s worth it. Aria said with a bright smile. Natalie was silent for a long time. The girl¡¯s eyes as she spoke her words were as bright as ever before. Her eyes were pure, without any selfishness or desire. ¡°What do you want¡­?¡± Natalia had no choice but to ask. It was because Aria didn¡¯t want anything even when she said something weird to persuade Natalie to rebel. ¨C Well, living happily ever after? ¡°What? Your words and actions don¡¯t match.¡± ¨C I know. Aria smiled as if in trouble for a moment. ¨C I didn¡¯t mean to ask for anything. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have any intention of going forward actively for the Princess. Natalie¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was also hard to believe. She was in a situation where she had no choice but to doubt whether this was another trap. ¡°You seem to have forgotten what you just said? You said you have to risk your life to get what you want.¡± What do you want? She listened to confirm again in a slightly anxious tone. Aria¡¯s intentions. The dark secret that was hidden. ¨C This time, I want the Princess to achieve what she wants and be happy. A suffocating answer came back. ¡®This time¡­¡­ ?¡¯ Natalie was puzzled by that part, but thought Aria said it wrong, and let it go. But the sentence that followed was more absurd. ¡°What kind of saint are you?¡± ¨C That¡¯s not it¡­¡­ I also found happiness this time, so I want the Princess to be happy too. ¡°Are you like a happiness evangelist or what?¡± Huh, it is true. She is like a deer. Natalie, who snorted and smirked several times as if she was shocked, shook her head sharply. ¡°The Grand Princess is just as insane as I am.¡± ¨C Of course, if the goal is right, I want to be with the Princess. There is something I want to get, and if the Princess helps me, it will be much easier. ¡°Huh, cheeky.¡± Natalie didn¡¯t know what to do with this fragile deer that couldn¡¯t even protect herself. ¡°¡­what do you want to get?¡± ¨C A list of nobles who participated in the founding ceremony. ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯m managing it¡­ Wait, you approached me to get that kind of information in the first ce!¡± Aria shook her head to Natalie, who was very suspicious of her. Although the process would beplicated, Aria was able to get the list even without the Princess. ¨C Princess can just bury it on your chest and go the way you want. Because there is no such thing as a wrong path. Aria reached out her hand without hesitation and took Natalie¡¯s hand firmly, and she smiled brightly like a flower. ¨C I just want you to be happy. ¡®This crazy, happiness evangelist¡­¡­.¡¯ A night when darkness fell. A terrace with only asional glow stones attached to it. But strangely, a brilliant light seemed to fall over Aria¡¯s smile. ¡°¡­ my stomach is churning.¡± ¨C What? Are you unwell? Her heart tickled at Aria¡¯s worried words. This time, the Princess had no choice but to leave the ce as if to run away. A lot happened in the brief time Lloyd was away to pick up Aria¡¯s shoes. Lloyd, who had been leaning against the wall with supreme force, shed up as soon as Aria approached him. ¡°Llo, Lloyd?¡± Startled, she whispered into Lloyd¡¯s ear. Then he answered. ¡°You said your legs hurt. Let¡¯s go back.¡± At that moment, the sound of the nobles whispering polluted her ears. Again, they were chattering. Aria frowned. ¨C Lloyd, I have something to tell you. Had he noticed that Aria was going to say something unusual? Instead of speaking directly, Lloyd answered using the wedding ring artifact. ¨C What? ¨C Maybe it was because of me? Lloyd gave a puzzled look at her hesitant message. She said the conclusion from the beginning, so he couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying. Aria quickly added an exnation. ¨C Were you tolerating the nobles because I wanted Valentine to get rid of the stigma and be recognized as a hero? ¨C ¡­¡­ Not necessarily. In fact, it sounded like he was. Aria sighed and said. ¨C Don¡¯t hold it in. Lloyd has be a hero, so you can do whatever you want. Then he was silent for a while, and then went into a nearby longue. Then he knelt down on one knee and took off Aria¡¯s shoes and said, ¡°What you want is what I want.¡± And Lloyd spoke, putting on the new fluffy bunny slippers. ¡°I can¡¯t even hear what other people are saying. It¡¯s not worth listening to at all.¡± It was like that. Aria admits that she cares too much about useless things, and drapes her body on the sofa. She felt that somehow, she had done something very stupid. Even if she didn¡¯t get other people¡¯s approval, it was enough. ¡®I even gave advice to Vincent four years ago.¡¯ She said that the recognition of others will notst for less than 10 years. It was a problem for Aria to lose her mind when it came to Lloyd. ¡°It¡¯s still unfair. You saved the world, but you have to be treated as a viin.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you mean, then¡­¡± No. Aria shook her head. ¡°It has be an image that being a hero is unconditionally adhering to the side of justice and being good.¡± Aria added that she thought she should write a new hero story as she told the Princess. ¡°Let¡¯s make Valentine¡¯s hero.¡± She will only put up with it once. And, if they spoke carelessly, she will have to show that there is only one difference between the hero and the devil . ¡°Ah, that¡¯s definitely¡­¡± Lloyd, who had been kneeling in front of Aria, slowly tilted his head as if lost in his thoughts for a moment. ¡°¡­something I like too.¡± And he slowly raised his lips to show what he was thinking. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a lot of work.¡± The Princess, who came to Aria¡¯s room in a hurry, threw the roll of paper. And before Aria could say anything, she rushed out of the room. ¡®Uh?¡¯ Aria, who was enjoying tea time with Lloyd, stared at her in bewilderment. ¡°What else is that¡­?¡± Lloyd put down the teacup he was holding, lowering his voice and muttering. It was a voice full of vignce. ¡®He doesn¡¯t believe the Princess.¡¯ It was at the moment when Aria was about to nag him. Vincent entered the room with his eyes fixed on the hallway. ¡°Wow, I just ran into the Princess outside, and she was walking like a bear who found some kind of prey.¡± He spoke as if he had found a wild beast. Like treating the Princess as an animal. ¡°She gave me this.¡± Aria looked at the roll of paper. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± A list of nobles who attended the founding ceremony. Aria was really surprised. Naturally, getting the list of attendees would be easier for the Princess than breathing. Because she was taking the ce of the Empress in the first ce. ¡®But why¡­¡­.¡¯ If the Princess had thought to cooperate with Aria, she would have used this list as an excuse to raise her terms. But the Princess was willing to hand over what Aria said she needed and left¡­¡­. ¡®Are you telling me to move as I please?¡¯ To test her out. ¡®As expected, she is very vignt.¡¯ Aria smiled a little. Of course, there must be a lot of it. ¡®The nobles who can participate in the ceremony are mostly influential nobles who have advanced into politics.¡¯ She could tell just by looking at the cover. Aria went through the list. ¡°¡­not there?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A nobleman with a body as hardened as the knight who came into contact with the gutter rat.¡± In the beginning, such nobles were rare. Unless they are of a knight family, they only learn swordsmanship until basic education, but not engrossed enough to train their body. ¡°I think we got it wrong.¡± Aria muttered seriously. In corrting the gutter rat¡¯s intrusion into the Imperial Pce, she assumed that it might be an imperial nobleman. But, it wasn¡¯t. Then Vincent, who made a serious expression at the same time, murmured, ¡°Oh, no way¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a ceremonial robe, it could be a pdin uniform.¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 It was. Even the castle and everything were unified in white. ¡®Is there a possibility that Garcia also came into contact with the gutter rat?¡¯ If so, did the gutter ratmunicate with the two opposing Empires at the same time? Fa and Garcia? ¡°Why such an unreasonable method¡­¡± Aria murmured softly, and Vincent heard her words. ¡°Based on the current clues, it appears that the gutter rat intended to exile to Garcia after pretending to cooperate with the Emperor and taking the devil¡¯s malice from Brother.¡± As he said, on the surface, there was no other choice but to deduce it like that. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± But Aria, who was deeply in thought, shook her head. ¡°Because Garcia must have known that they couldn¡¯t contain Lloyd¡¯s power with a chimera¡¯s body.¡± Garcia¡¯s de facto ruler, the Pope, was not an idiot like the emperor. Especially since they were a group that directly uses the power of God, they should know more about Lloyd¡¯s power. ¡°How are you sure of that?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Aria¡¯s lips froze for a moment and turned to Lloyd. ¡°Lloyd. Can I tell Vincent about ¡®devil¡¯?¡± Then Lloyd, who sped his chin throughout their conversation, fixed his gaze on Aria. ¡°As you wish.¡± It was anguid voice as if asking if she wanted something more. She exined it to Vincent as soon as his permission was given. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s malice,¡¯ not ¡®devil¡¯s malice.''¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Vincent looked suspicious of his ears. Can he believe that all the power that Valentine has been holding is the power of God? Aria understood his feelings too. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it either. If I hadn¡¯t seen the gutter rat evaporate and disappear as soon as it touched Lloyd¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a top secret known only to the Heads of Valentine and the countries. Lloyd is under an oath, so he can¡¯t say anything.¡± Even if she exined this much, Vincent understood it immediately. He stared at Lloyd withplex, emotional eyes before letting out a sigh. ¡°Brother¡¯s personality is getting worse.¡± ¡°Say it again.¡± ¡°It was a slip of the tongue.¡± Vincent quickly removed his gaze and returned to the point. ¡°That means Garcia already knew the gutter rat was going to fail.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Garcia approached the gutter rat knowingly. That meant that their purpose was not the gutter rat. ¡°I think¡­ Garcia wanted Hans.¡± ¡°You mean the wizard who made the chimera?¡± ¡°Yes. The only thing that can be obtained from the gutter rat is that wizard.¡± And Winter, who witnessed Garcia, was immediately kidnapped and put on a ship headed for the Kingdom of Bruto¡¯sb. Lloyd, who was then silent, crossed his arms and frowned. ¡°Come to think of it, there was a test subject sent from theb on that ve ship at that time. It was definitely a chimera like the gutter rat, but it was stronger and even deformed.¡± ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s really Hans.¡± Then there is one conclusion. ¡°The one behind the Kingdom of Bruto might be Garcia.¡± Chimera. Human transmutation. Those who represent the name of God to do such a thing¡­¡­. ¡®Ha, that¡¯s why they used the Kingdom of Bruto. It¡¯ll just end as a controversy if they step behind them.¡¯ Aria, who had been thinking up to that point, touched her throbbing forehead. ¡°Then we should have gone to Garcia?¡± The treasure of the imperial family. In other words, God¡¯s feelings that the Fa Empire stole from Antis were also in Garcia. Besides, there was the possibility that Garcia might be behind the Kingdom of Bruto. Then Vincent, who sat down next to Aria, shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessarily the case.¡± There was something he knew. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking through the Emperor¡¯s Chronicles for several days and nights. I didn¡¯t really expect much, but I found some unexpected information.¡± He didn¡¯t appear during the banquet, and it seems he was locked up in the library and researching materials during that time. ¡°Do you know Viscount Tien? It¡¯s a butler family that has served the Cavendish family for generations.¡± ¡°Um? Weren¡¯t they annihted too?¡± ¡°Yes, of course they were¡­¡± Vincent made a questionable look for a moment, then rubbed his chin. ¡°All of the Tien lineage was executed. But Viscount Tien fled at the end, stealing some of the imperial family¡¯s treasures.¡± ¡°Some?¡± Aria was startled. Not all of God¡¯s feelings were passed over to Garcia? ¡°Surprisingly, it was the Prince, a descendant of Antis, who was taken hostage that helped the Viscount escape.¡± ¡­¡­ What? He helped the butler serving the enemy¡¯s family? ¡®Nonsense.¡¯ There¡¯s no way he would help. Unless¡­¡­. ¡°He pretended to help, and he was trying to get some of God¡¯s feelings back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Vincent nodded his head. ¡°ording to the chronicles, he fell off a cliff and died after escaping.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?¡± After the long talk, he eventually died. Lloyd, who had been silently listening to Vincent¡¯s words, intervened. ¡°Looks like no body was ever found.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Of course, the imperial treasure was never found.¡± Vincent opened up a map that he had on ready. It was a map that embodies the structure of the mountain range surrounding the Imperial Pce. It looked like a copy, but of course, it was a map that only the Emperor could see. ¡°¡­Do you know what happens if you get caught copying this map?¡± ¡°Why do you care about such a thing now? Because it was Sister-inw who brought the que.¡± Vincent shrugged his shoulders and put his finger in one ce. ¡°This is the cliff where Viscount Tien fell. There is a river running underneath. Maybe he survived then.¡± Aria looked at the cliff Vincent had reached with her hand. Climbing the snowy cliff up the mountain range¡­¡­. ¡°Isn¡¯t it connected to the entrance to the hunting grounds?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Not only was it connected to the entrance to the hunting ground, but it could only be reached through the Imperial Pce or across the border. ¡®Hmm, why did he escape through this road? Was he trying to cross the border?¡¯ If he escaped this way, the escape route would bepletely blocked. Aria wondered, and asked. ¡°Hmm¡­ when is the exact time?¡± ¡°Imperial Calendar year 30.¡± This was almost 1600 years ago. However, since some of them belong to God, they would not have disappeared due to the passing of time. There may be some traces left. ¡°Then¡­ I have no choice but to attend the hunting contest.¡± Aria muttered as she bit her lip and let go. Aria was forced to put her name on the list of attendees in the hunting contest. So did Lloyd and Vincent. ¡®Oh,e to think of it, isn¡¯t this the first time that Valentine¡¯s bloodline directly participated in a hunting contest?¡¯ Aria briefly traced the memories of her past life, but they had never participated in any of the hunting contests. ¡®Well, they¡¯re going to crush it¡­¡­.¡¯ It was fun to bet with people of equal skill. What would be the meaning when Valentine who surpasses human strength were to participate in the hunting contest? ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the stable and borrow some horses for a while.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± As Lloyd followed her without hesitation, Aria waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s right over there. You can see it, right?¡± Then said Vincent, who narrowed his eyes and stared desperately in the direction Aria was pointing. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If my eyesight was 50 times better, I would have seen the stable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sarcastic¡­ Anyway, I¡¯ll be back!¡± Aria, waving her hand fluttering, ran quickly to the stable. In fact, Aria ran away to the stable because she had wanted to y with the horses for a long time. When she¡¯s with Lloyd, the horses were terrified and panicked. But after that, As soon as Aria left, thedies approached them. ¡°Lord Vincent, take my handkerchief.¡± ¡°And my handkerchief!¡± ¡°I prepared a strap for the sses.¡± ¡°Where did you go during the banquet? I thought you needed a partner, so I¡¯ve been looking for you every day¡­¡± ¡°I was waiting in front of the room.¡± Waiting in front of the room? Hearing this, Vincent reflexively showed a disgusted expression. It reminded him of nightmares from his academy days when he was tormented by all kinds of courtship. ¡°Ah!¡± He shouted as if he remembered it toote. Sister-inw had to see this scene. It¡¯s not that he couldn¡¯t get a partner, it¡¯s that he didn¡¯t get it because it was annoying! But Aria had already disappeared. He said, with his eyes quivering. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t very helpful.¡± It was when Vincent was tormented by an endless stream ofdies. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Grand Prince!¡± Ady who had been ncing at Lloyd from the beginning spoke to him. But Lloyd was staring at the stable, where Aria had disappeared to get a horse. It was an obvious disregard. ¡°Grand, Grand Prince!¡± She shouted a little louder. It was then that Lloyd¡¯s gaze turned to her. It was such a cold gaze that she could feel the chill. The Lady bowed her head and held out an artifact in the form of a bracelet engraved with protection magic. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡°Do you remember me? I was in the same ss as the Grand Prince in the Academy and always sat in the front¡­¡± ¡°To the point.¡± ¡°Please take this!¡± The Lady reached out a little more towards Lloyd. Some of thedies, who were encouraged by her actions, also offered him gifts. One of Lloyd¡¯s eyebrows soared into the sky, and then returned to its position. ¡°I got a wife four years ago. If you¡¯re that dull towards rumors, then why don¡¯t you just give up socializing?¡± Even with the cold words that showed no leeway, thedies only looked at Lloyd and their face was blushing. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! Actually, I¡¯ve been watching you two closely, but it seems that the Grand Princess didn¡¯t prepare anything.¡± ¡°Therefore.¡± ¡°You need at least one magic to protect your body. So, in a sense of ¡®friendly¡¯¡­¡± The fact that an unmarrieddy gave a present on the day of the hunting contest was nothing more than a confession. However, handing over artifacts containing protection magic in the sense that the wearer would return safely without getting hurt was done among family and close friends. Thedies used that as an excuse. ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ Vincent, who watched the scene, was astonished. In his eyes, all thedies looked like they were excited to die. Just as expected. Lloyd, who understood thedies¡¯ intentions, raised the corners of his lips at a strange angle. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t think you know what happened to the Leshan family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡± It was when the Lady, who was at the forefront, asked. Lloyd leaned back and tapped the tip of the bracelet the Lady was holding with his finger. Just that. The artifact cracked, and then the jewel suddenly became hard and broken. ¡°Kyaak!¡± The Lady screamed and suddenly took a step backwards. The protection magic engraved on the artifact responds to Lloyd¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯ and exceeds its limit. It couldn¡¯t stand it and exploded. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who needs the protection side.¡± Rather, people would have to protect themselves from Lloyd. ¡°Lady, protect yourself. If you don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡± His hand that touched the artifact pointed straight to thedies. The gaze, which showed no emotion, seemed to be telling them to stop it right away if they didn¡¯t want themselves to explode like the artifact. ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­¡± Pale, they ran away, unable to speak properly. Even those who watched the scene with interest turned their heads desperately, as if they had seen something they would never see. It was because Lloyd, who had been silent, suddenly showed a ferocious look like never before. His mood seemed quite bad. Even if they made eye contact, it seemed that he would burst. At that time, ¨C Why are you mad? Aria returned with an assigned white horse and two more horses for Lloyd and Vincent. Then Lloyd blinked slowly and answered without hesitation. ¡°I missed you.¡± The momentum that seemed to explode at any moment had disappeared like melting snow. ¨C ¡­¡­It hasn¡¯t been 10 minutes? Aria replied as if it was ridiculous. But it was a pleasant thing to hear, so she smiled bashfully with her cheeks blushing slightly. ¡°Sister-inw, did you see it?¡± ¨C What? ¡°My poprity!¡± Aria only tilted her head. Because of Lloyd¡¯s behavior, even thedies around Vincent had all disappeared. ¡°Whoo, it¡¯s over¡­¡± As Vincent let out a self-sneering sigh, Aria tapped his shoulder a couple of times as ifforting him. At that moment, Aria¡¯s vision found thedies running away. All of them looked like they had dressed up in the same way as they did at the ballroom. The dress withce fluttering with every step they took and the parasol in their hand seemed far appropriate for hunting. ¡®Am I the only one who participates in the hunting contest among women?¡¯ Aria looked down at the hunting clothes that Marronnier had chosen for a moment. In fact, the ¡®Queen of Spring Flowers¡¯ elected in this hunting contest was chosen by the woman who received the most attention regardless of her hunting skills. Thedies gave gifts they had prepared to the lords, and the lords sacrificed the prey they hunted. ¡®Perhaps Marronnier didn¡¯t know.¡¯ As a native of Grand Duchy Valentine, Marronnier would have never left the estate much. She must have been unaware of the culture of the capital city. ¡®I mean, with a husband, I couldn¡¯t have been chosen in the first ce.¡¯ Still, Marronnier with high expectations was cute, so Aria didn¡¯t tell her the truth in order to protect her innocence. When Aria swallowed her sorry feelings and was about to arrive at the entrance of the hunting grounds with the two men. ¡°Wh, what?¡± The Princess¡¯s ck horse came to Aria¡¯s side, and cried briefly. ¡°Hmm, strange. He¡¯s a picky guy who doesn¡¯t even care about anyone other than me¡­¡± Natalie coughed and asked as if she didn¡¯t know that she would ever run into Aria like this. ¡°Is the Grand Princess also attending the hunting contest? What a surprise.¡± Aria looked at Natalie. She was wearing a colorfully designed hunting suit that was tailored to her body. It matches her very well. ¡®The Princess is also participating.¡¯ Aria nodded her head. ¨C I¡¯m not going to hunt. ¡°You¡¯re attending a hunting contest, but you¡¯re not going to hunt, what¡¯s that?¡± ¨C Because I like nature. I want to take this opportunity to explore the imperial hunting grounds. Aria looked around with a troubled expression. She wasn¡¯t quite wrong, as she was nning to explore the surroundings in search of Viscount Tien¡¯s traces. And she actually likes nature. ¨C I don¡¯t like killing for y. ¡°That¡­ you¡¯re really like a deer.¡± ¨C Yes? Natalie mumbled as if convinced to herself, drove her horse and disappeared. From the moment the Princess appeared, Lloyd, who had been staring in silence, murmured. ¡°¡­deer?¡± It was a name that could never be spoken of without an explicit favor. In an instant, Lloyd¡¯s mood turned harsh. It was when he was openly expressing his displeasure. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the opportunity woulde to see the Grand Prince¡¯s skills myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor. I¡¯ll try my best too.¡± A group of lords, who had been staring at Lloyd for a long time, whispered. ¡°Who knows. Some of us might tarnish the Grand Prince¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°In fact, it could have been just rumors.¡± ¡°At least, there is a strong possibility that he has be weaker than he was before. So, isn¡¯t that why he received a medal bill from His Majesty?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Isn¡¯t that a bit too straight forward?¡± It was such a secretive voice that only Aria¡¯s ears could hear it like at the banquet. ¡®They don¡¯t have the courage to speak in front of him.¡¯ They¡¯re doing that in Lloyd¡¯s presence to look strong. Rather, she wondered if they know it doesn¡¯t make them look good¡­¡­. ¡®Can Lloyd hear this?¡¯ In fact, maybe he had been listening to it from the beginning. Even in hisst life, Lloyd didn¡¯t care what others said. But even if Lloyd treated them like a nuisance, Aria couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¨C Please do it moderately. So she had no choice but to step forward. The lords were startled by the message that echoed in their heads directly from her, and looked back at Aria. They pointed their fingers at themselves to see if she was talking to them. ¨C I¡¯m talking to the lords over there. Don¡¯t say anything that you cannot say in front of the person. But, for those who like to talk, they haven¡¯t experienced something like this once or twice? The lords seemed surprised that Aria listened to them talking amongst themselves, but they exchanged nces and evaded it. ¡°Well I don¡¯t know what you are talking about¡­¡± ¡°We talked about the honor of being able to confirm the Grand Prince¡¯s reputation in person.¡± ¡°Is there any problem with that?¡± Aria¡¯s eyebrows rose for a moment, then went down. It was the expression she learned from Lloyd. She pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back. She then hung the arrow in the bow she had brought. ¡°Excuse me, Grand Princess?¡± ¡®No way¡­¡­.¡¯ All the Lords who were making expressions like that became hesitant. Aria was aiming the bow precisely over the forehead of a Lord, who bbered the most ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°No, are you crazy?!¡± ¡°You, you, you¡¯re aiming your bow at a person!¡± Who doesn¡¯t know that? She smiled brightly at the Lord, whose body was trembling. Petals falling from the tree fluttered like embroidery behind her back. She was like the goddess of the moon in the legend, who was said to enjoy hunting and hiding among humans. ¨C If you keep shaking, the arrow will miss. Far from retreating the arrow, Aria pulled the bowstring tighter. ¡®Re, really? Are you really going to shoot?¡¯ In the unbelievable situation, for a moment, his head was dyed pure white. He thought it was just a joke, considering it was Valentine. But the moment Aria¡¯s eyes met his, he had no choice but to grasp reality. This was no joke. Those were the eyes that were seriously aiming for prey. Fwoosh-! Aria let the bow go with a cold face. The Lord closed his eyes tightly without realizing it and sat down on the spot. His lower body got wet. But the pain he had been waiting for did note. He lifted his eyelids slowly, feeling the cold sweat running down his back. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What, what. He looked around. It was because the arrow was nowhere to be seen. After staring nkly for a while, the Lord noticed that the arrow had fallen right under Aria¡¯s feet. ¨C Oh, my God. I missed. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¨C A squirrel was passing behind the Lord¡¯s back. Aria shrugged her shoulders as if regretfully. ¨C My skills are low, so the arrow can only go this far. No matter how inexperienced she was , the arrow will not fall down on the spot. Unless she just let the arrow go in the first ce and didn¡¯t let go of the bowstring. ¡®You¡¯re trying to ridicule me from the beginning¡­¡­ !¡¯ The Lord¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Even if you¡¯re Valentine, what kind of absurd tyranny is this! This is, it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ll bring it to trial right now¡­!¡± ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Then Lloyd came over to Aria¡¯s side and looked at her hand as carefully as if he was handling ss. He was ridiculously overprotective. It was at the moment when the Lord, who was more emotionally hurt by getting treated like something invisible, was about to explode. ¡°Where does this smelle from?¡± The Princess, who had been watching them from afar, pulled her horse to them and shed a scornfulugh. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Unable to keep his position due to shame, the Lord got up and ran away. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 The other nobles, who were likely to be angry at Aria¡¯s absurd tyranny, coughed for a moment and looked away. The second thing they were afraid of other than the Valentine¡¯s name, was because the Lord got too dirty for them to take his side. The nobles were very cruel to those who lost their dignity. Natalie muttered as she watched the back of the Lords who ran far away. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to hunt¡­¡± The shadow of an animal, let alone a squirrel, did not actually pass behind that Lord¡¯s back. It meant that what Aria wanted to hunt in the first ce was that Lord. ¡°You seem to enjoy hunting humans.¡± Because of Aria¡¯s delicate deer-like appearance, the Princess keeps getting confused. However, Aria kept surprising her by showing a stronger image than she had imagined every time. ¡®So¡­¡­.¡¯ She liked it even more. Natalie was taken aback as she thought about Aria. And she left quickly. It was still too early to make a decision, but it was difficult because she thought she would lose her objective judgment about Aria. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd, carefully examining Aria¡¯s hand, confirmed that she was okay. He turned to the Emperor and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s start the hunting contest, Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor, who had his mouth open and a nk expression from the moment Aria pulled out her bow, came to his senses btedly. ¡°Let, let¡¯s start the hunting contest.¡± It was a very bad deration. Aria, Lloyd, and Vincent rode their horses and ran along the hunting grounds. ¡°What¡¯s going on over here¡­ gasp!¡± If the nobles ran into the three by chance, they were all terrified and avoided, so the surroundings were too quiet. Aria felt peace after a long time, and she ran all the way through the forest. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two hunting?¡± Aria hesitated for a moment, then asked them. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± If they didn¡¯t bring even a single prey, they would almost get ridiculed even more than before. Aria knew that either of them had no qualms about killing. ¡®That¡¯s not to say they¡¯re going to go ughtering indiscriminately, but¡­¡­.¡¯ It didn¡¯t feel right for the two of them to get ridicule from others in order to match her. Then Vincent nced back at Aria and said back. ¡°We have three days of exploring, so we have no time for hunting or anything like that.¡± And Lloyd took over the words. ¡°Well. What¡¯s the fun of shooting an animal that is held so that it cannot escape outside the hunting ground with a bow?¡± No matter how strong people sounded, if they encountered a wild beast in the wild, they would almost be eaten. It was ridiculous that they needed to show their strength by shooting an already captured animal with a bow. This was the real reason why Valentine didn¡¯t even attend various events held at the Imperial Pce. ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡± ¡°And killing a life is a bad thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Life¡­ no, when did you be such amonsense person?¡± Vincent, who had tried to fight back whenever possible, could not bear it and had no choice but to ask Lloyd. If Lloyd was saying that so he will look good for Aria, shouldn¡¯t it be something that was more usible to ept. ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯ve always cared for the preciousness of life in my heart.¡± ¡°The more you go, the brazen you get, the more it seems that Brother is bing more and more like the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°What about the preciousness of life?¡± It was when the two were talking to each other. Aria suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­!¡± Because it was a hunting ground, she was prepared. She had to endure the bloody smell and the dead animals all over the ce. However, when she found a deer fainted with blood dripping, she couldn¡¯t help but turn white. Aria was stunned and frozen for a moment, then she quickly drove her horse towards it. And jumped off her horse. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± Aria ran and held the deer in her arms, not even moving. Vincent muttered in a muffled voice. He thought that if someone had hit a prey in the hunting contest, the servant who was on standby would immediately remove the corpse, so they didn¡¯t think there would be any direct encounters. ¡®How do they handle things?¡¯ Seriously, there¡¯s nothing likable about this Imperial Pce from top to bottom. It was when Vincent was clicking his tongue with cold eyes. Aria looked away from the deer and stared nkly into the air. Vincent, curious about her, followed her gaze and turned his head. ¡®¡­¡­ what.¡¯ But he saw an unexpected sight. It wasn¡¯t just the deer. Carcasses of squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and goats were scattered everywhere. ¡®There are a lot of corpses all over the hunting ground, but they didn¡¯t collect them?¡¯ It was weird As Valentine, they were acting independently, but the other nobles always went hunting with a servant each. Nobles, who care more about aesthetics than anyone else, would have a seizure if they saw this scene, but to leave the animals lying around like this. ¡®By the way, there¡¯s no arrow marks?¡¯ If the animal was killed by a bow, it is normal for the arrow to be stuck in the body. There was no way they would have pulled out the arrow after killing the animals. It was usually the case because it proves that it was the prey that was caught with an arrow engraved with a family pattern. But this was not amon situation. When Vincent was questioning the situation, ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd opened his mouth, in a pretty firm voice. ¡°You can go back now if you want.¡± Aria had note to the Imperial Pce with preparedness to participate in the hunting contest. She didn¡¯t have to ride her horse and run the hunting grounds, seeing the carcasses of the animals that she cherished terribly. ¡°To follow Viscount Tien¡¯s trail, just me and Vincent can do it enough.¡± He got off his horse and ced his hand on Aria¡¯s shoulder. To help her. He thought of sending her back on her horse, who had been shocked and lost her soul. ¡°¡­¡­live.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Still alive.¡± Then Aria murmured. She could hear the faint breathing and the sound of the dying heartbeat in her ears. After hearing Aria¡¯s words, Lloyd was able to take a closer look at the injured animals. The wounds barely avoided fatal points. ¡°They spared their life on purpose.¡± The animals won¡¯t die instantly, but if left like this, they can die from excessive bleeding. In this way, the wounded animals will have no choice but to die in pain. There was a clear sense of malice. ¡°Who in the world¡­¡± Aria clenched her teeth for a moment, quenching her anger, then closed the eyes of the already dead deer with a painful face. She then rose and reached out to reach the tree stump near her. Do you know thend where the lemon-trees grow, She wrapped her hands around the trembling squirrel and sang a song of healing as she whispered into her arms. in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky, A miraculous song that saves even those who were about to die. The song began to resound softly through the forest. the myrtle stands mute, She paused while singing. For some reason, it seemed as if another singing voice was ringing in her ears. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Aria forgot the serious situation for a moment and looked back at Lloyd and asked. ¡°The voice¡­¡± ¡°A song?¡± But he responded as if he had no idea what Aria was talking about suddenly. ¡°If it¡¯s a song, isn¡¯t Sister-inw singing it?¡± Even Vincent suddenly gave a strange look to Aria, who was puzzled. Lloyd spoke as if to reassure Aria that was stiff in bewilderment. ¡°There is no one around us right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± Aria knew it too. That¡¯s why she started singing the song of healing without hesitation. But obviously that song¡­¡­. ¡°Squee¡­¡± At that time, the dying squirrel cried with a delicate sound. As if shedding a groan. ¡­.and the bay-tree high? Aria felt an unknown difort, but she couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to it now. When she saw the squirrel¡¯s ears quivering, she sang the song of healing that had stopped. The mule picks its way through the misted pass, and dragons in caves raise their ancient brood, and the cliffs are polished smooth by the flood; The horrific wounds that had run across the squirrel¡¯s body healed cleanly without a trace. The squirrel, who was in a hurry to breathe, pricked its ears and opened its eyes. The squirrel jumped up from Aria¡¯s hand, wagged its tail, sprinted over her arm, and sat on her shoulder. ¡°Squeak!¡± Aria sighed in relief and let out a smallugh. ¡°It tickles.¡± She got up and checked the condition of the other animals as well. Unfortunately, the animals who missed the treatment period were not saved, but most recovered their wounds and flocked to Aria¡¯s surroundings. ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°Baaa!¡± ¡°Caaw!¡± ¡°Hiihng!¡± They couldn¡¯t understand the atmosphere, even the horses that were sneakily intertwined. ¡°Oh!¡± As a result, Vincent and Lloyd were hit and pushed back by the rushing animals. Animals properly possessed by Aria tended to be unable to distinguish predator and prey. ¡°Uh huh, I guess you¡¯re the fairy in the forest anyway¡­¡± Vincent looked back at Lloyd unknowingly, brushing off the dirt on his trousers, and was startled. Lloyd was staring intently at the animals that took his ce and upied the ce next to Aria at will. With eyes that darkened enough to look ck. ¡°Brother, the preciousness of life.¡± ¡°¡­is it really precious?¡± So, didn¡¯t he clearly say that it was not usible? It was when Vincent was shaking his head. Suddenly, Aria jumped up. ¡°Aria?¡± ¡°Sister-inw?¡± Then, looking back at the empty air, they stiffened and murmured. ¡°I hear it too.¡± A singing voice. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Aria listened to determine the direction the song wasing from. It was so faint that she focused her attention to the fullest. But she didn¡¯t know where the song wasing from. Maybe it was the sound of a ringing in her head. ¡°What song do you hear?¡± Then Aria suddenly closed her eyes and, as if something had been drawn from her, she moved slowly and sang the song. ¡°I think I still hear.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The singing in my ears.¡± ¡°¡­¡­opera?¡± Vincent was perplexed. Why would she reply with a song when she can just say it in words? ¡°Wow, as expected.¡± Is this the Siren¡¯s ss? Vincent rubbed his chin in admiration. ¡°Should I respond with a song?¡± Then. Khmm, coughing, he took a deep breath to sing. But, as soon as he did that, his mouth was closed. ¡°Uhp!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± It was Lloyd. Lloyd, who didn¡¯t care enough to be cold to others, remembered Vincent¡¯s singing clearly. Crumpling his face like a piece of paper, he turned his head back to Aria and looked into herplexion. ¡°Aria?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But no answer came back. She closed her eyes and didn¡¯t even move, as if something had caught her mind. ¡°That soft and strong voice. Like a cooing of doves¡­¡± That was the moment. The moment Aria hummed, a bird was chirping somewhere. She opened her eyes. Then, with a swish, she turned her head and rode on her horse, looking straight in the direction of the sound of the birds. ¡°¡­sister-inw!¡± Aria drove her horse without hesitation. As the startled Vincent raised his voice and called her, Lloyd grabbed the horse¡¯s reins and ran after her. Vincent, who hesitated for a moment, hurriedly got on his horse. ¡°Oh enchanting night. Divine rapture. Oh delightful memory, Mad euphoria, sweet dream!¡± Now, Aria was singing along to the song as she heard it in her ears. With strength in her voice. Of course, it was an impromptu song that she had never practiced before. She didn¡¯t know what effect it had, so just like when she sang ¡®Song of Dawn¡¯, she had to pour out all of her energy without any control. Then her voice showed her the way. The sound of birds, the sound of the wind, the sound of the rustling dry leaves, the sound of a flowing river, It was the sound of a Siren calling. Aria could be sure. ¡®How¡­¡­.¡¯ She ran frantically, narrowing her eyes and clenching her teeth. If she missed the sound even for a moment, it seemed like it would end like this. Aria, almost in trance, drove her horse. At that moment, the scenery she had once seen in her dreams unfolded before her eyes. An endless waterfall. Dense grass and trees reaching the sky. Children throwing gemstones andughing while ying. ¡°In the clear starlight.¡± The Milky Way across the vast night sky. Drums and traditional instruments resound somewhere. In line with the performance, people wearing wreaths circled around the bonfire. The harmonious chorus filled her ears. ¡°I think I still see them, half drawing the long veil, in the tepid night breeze.¡± There was a mist-like haze in front of her eyes. She reached out her hand towards the air. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± She thought she could reach it, just a little bit, a little bit closer. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± A little bit more¡­¡­. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± It was then. The focus returned to Aria¡¯s eyes, who had been distracted for a moment. Lloyd¡¯s scream awakened her. She reflexively pulled the reins. Neighh-! The horse wept loudly and swung its front legs. There was a cliff that was so far down that it looked like there was no end in sight. A thick stone crumbled from the bottom of the horse¡¯s hoof and disappeared without a trace. ¡°Gasp¡­¡­.¡± Aria, who was rarely flustered, swallowed a gasp with a pale face. She did not know that she had rode her horse until she left the hunting grounds quite far away. Besides, she arrived at a cliff. If she did, she would have suffered a violent death. ¡°Aria!¡± Like Aria, the surprised Lloyd, swiftly pulled her off her horse and took her into his arms. ¡°Ha, damn it¡­¡± He muttered a small swear word and hugged Aria tightly. To the point where she can¡¯t breathe. Aria, who was stunned for a moment after receiving the shock, looked up at him. ¡®Your heartbeat is incredibly loud.¡¯ He seemed very surprised. As she listened to the beating of his heart, it seemed that she had regained her stability and reason. ¡°Rabbit, you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There really was no excuse this time. Aria, who was silent for a moment as she hugged Lloyd tightly like a teddy bear, caught her breath and opened her mouth. ¡°The sound was cut off here.¡± At that moment, Vincent, who was following them, said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the cliff where Viscount Tien fell?¡± He crawled on the ground for a moment and looked down at the bottom of the distant cliff to see if there was something to check. ¡°Oh my God. I can see why the Imperial soldiers gave up and went back without checking the body.¡± If they fell from here and survived, they would no longer be human. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible with a Valentine-level body?¡± Vincent mumbled. Lloyd didn¡¯t really deny it. Because he knew that he would be fine even if he fell from here. Because even if he chanted the self-sacrifice spell, he couldn¡¯t die. Then Aria shook her head and said. ¡°But he was running away with some of God¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°Come to think of it¡­ the power that Brother had was also God¡¯s malice.¡± It was not at all strange that he would have survived if he had divine powers. ¡°Malice¡­ is a feeling too.¡± It was when Vincent was muttering the feelings Aria had felt before. Aria stared into the air, startled. She heard the song that was riding on the wind again. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± Without realizing it, she stretched out her hand towards the edge of the cliff. At that moment, she was captured. A handrge enough to wrap around Aria¡¯s hand sped hers. And pulled her inside. Lloyd¡¯s eyes and hers met. He was looking down at her with a firm look. They exchanged nces without a word. After a while, Aria barely spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go down the cliff first.¡± It took a full day just to go round down the cliff. The sky was getting dark and it was difficult to see right in front of them. Vincent sighed and put the map he was holding back into his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s toote to go back to camp.¡± Of course, as long as Aria was present, no wild beasts would harm them. It didn¡¯t change the fact that they had to stay outdoors with no roof above their heads anyway, so he continued to grumble in disapproval. There was a small waterfall at the bottom of the remote cliff. Aria said while pointing at the bottom of the waterfall. ¡°I think we should go there.¡± She didn¡¯t know what was inside. But it was clear that all of the singing she had heard so far came from within. The closer she got, the clearer it was. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lloyd jumped off his horse and threw off everything clunky except for his shirt and pants. And he jumped into the river with only a dagger. As he moved without hesitation for a second, Aria and Vincent had no intention of stopping him. ¡°His body temperature will drop there¡­ No, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Vincent was about to say something. It was because Lloyd, who had crossed the river in an instant, entered the waterfall with a dagger in his mouth. Not long after, Lloyd came back out of the waterfall and said, ¡°After cutting down all the tangled vines inside, there was an entrance to a cave.¡± Normally it would take half a day, but with Lloyd, it was finished in just a few minutes. Aria said coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Sister-inw will definitely experience a drop in body temperature. You¡¯ll end up lying ill.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Are you a doctor? When Aria asked that absurd question, he nodded his head. ¡°At least where Sister-inw is concerned, I am a doctor.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Even Lloyd, whom she thought believed in her heart, jokingly said. ¡°I¡¯ll do the search myself.¡± ¡°However¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to check what¡¯s inside for a while.¡± Because there might be something dangerous. As Lloyd added, Aria had nothing more to say. If there was something really dangerous inside the cave, there was a possibility that the Siren¡¯s ability would not be of much help. For example, something like a trap. ¡°¡­¡­Then hurry ande back.¡± Lloyd nodded his head and entered the cave without hesitation. Aria slumped down on the grass, thinking of waiting for him to finish the search. Vincent took the seat next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll light a bonfire.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Vincent gathered branches and lit them with flint. They sat for a moment with a bonfire in between. However, after a while, Lloyd did not return. Song quote: ¡®The Voice (je croise entendre encore)¡¯ from Bizet¡¯s opera Les p¨ºcheurs de perles. ¡ùLyrics have been adapted ording to the content of the novel. Chapter 139: Illustration Chapter 139 (Illustration) ¡°¡­isn¡¯t hete?¡± Aria asked impatiently. Looking at the watch that Vincent had brought with him, three hours had already passed. At some point, the sound of burning mes began to feel like they were burning inside. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re right.¡± Vincent, who was thoroughly prepared, said as he pulled out the jerky from the bag. ¡°Would you like some?¡± Aria shook her head softly. She had no appetite. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It looks like the cave is deeper than we thought .¡± ¡°I want to go too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aria jumped up. Even Vincent, who was casually chewing the jerky, got up in thought. ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Are you going to drown, being swept away by the current?¡± She doesn¡¯t know why he worries so much. Aria said, pointing her finger down the river. ¡°Lloyd jumped right in, but we can cross over there if we go around.¡± ¡°Anyway. No way.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Vincent sighed deeply and brushed his bangs. And he put his hand on her shoulder and said firmly. ¡°I know that Sister-inw was not in a good condition since you sang earlier.¡± Aria had been shaking her body impatiently, but looked up at him with startled eyes. How did he know that? ¡°It must have been well known by Brother. Although he didn¡¯t express much of it.¡± ¡°Ah, no way¡­¡± Aria realizedter. When Lloyd doesn¡¯t think Aria will give up and go back, he just thinks he¡¯ll finish it quickly, so he leaves her. The exploration was an excuse and he just wants to figure it out and fix it himself. ¡°It¡¯s a useless consideration. You know that. I¡¯m the only one who has heard that song, a Siren. There must be a reason for that.¡± ¡°Do you want to say that it is a call to Sister-inw?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aria was a descendant of Antis. That Antis that God had entrusted God¡¯s feelings to. And this was the ce where the Prince who was taken hostage from Antis and God¡¯s feelings were intertwined. How could it be unrted? ¡°Even if that was the case, you¡¯re not in a good condition right now. At least, right now you won¡¯t be in danger, so if you just wait¡­¡± Kkwaawaangg-!! It happened as soon as Vincent spoke confidently. Suddenly, the ground rumbled with a huge roar as if something was copsing. The earth¡¯s axis shook like an earthquake. Vincent reflexively covered Aria protectively and fell to the ground. ¡°What, what?¡± After a while, he barely got up, and then, in anguish, brushed off the leaves that had fallen on his head. ¡°What¡­¡­.¡± And he turned to the side of the cliff inadvertently and hardened. It was because the entrance to the cave where Lloyd had entered had copsed. Aria, who saw that scene, also turned pale at the same time. ¡°N, no, tha, that¡­¡± Vincent became the fool he hated extremely when the ident stopped his thoughts. With a confused face, he couldn¡¯t properly arrange a sentence for a long time. ¡°¡­he¡¯ll be fine. Since the entrance just copsed, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find another exit ande out.¡± He tried to reassure Aria, even more surprised and not knowing what to do. ¡°If there is another way out.¡± However, Aria, who was trembling pitifully, regained herposure faster than Vincent. She¡¯s terrified, and letting the time pass is of no help to her. She threw everything cumbersome to the floor except her shirt and pants, just like Lloyd did. ¡°Sis, sister-inw?¡± And she jumped into the river. ¡°Sister-inw?!¡± She said she can¡¯t swim! ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t swim either!¡± It was when Vincent fell on the river bank and stretched out his arms to grab even a part of her back. Aria, who was immersed in water, and then raised her head in a ¡°Puah!¡±, exhaling her breath. ¡°A bright light ising from over there.¡± ¡°What? Really¡­¡± The direction that Aria was pointing at had a shing light bright enough that they could barely see it from above the surface of the water. She didn¡¯t know if she could get a clue if she went there. No, more than that¡­¡­. ¡°You don¡¯t need to learn to swim.¡± Vincent stared in dismay at Aria, floating on the water. Large and small fishes circled around her, as if escorting her. The dark, gloomy cave where he could not even see an inch in front of him had an openly gloomy energy. But Lloyd relentlessly stepped into the cave. It was a cave that seemed to have been neglected for quite some time, but strangely, there were no signs of life at all. ¡®This is usually the cave where the wild beasts nest.¡¯ However, there was no sign of any animals living in the cave. None at all. ¡®It was good for me to see it first too.¡¯ It¡¯s an ufortable ce. And the inside of the cave was unnecessarily wide. He¡¯ll have to look around himself to find out, but he didn¡¯t know that maybe he¡¯d have to spend an entire day exploring. Lloyd paused for a moment while walking along the endless cave like an anthill. ¡®Two-way road.¡¯ He stared alternately left and right. In the passage on the right, there was a hum and the sound of the wind blowing. It meant good airflow inside. It also meant that there was a high probability that it would be safe. But Lloyd without hesitation turned his head to the left. ¡®Is it because of this?¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know what it was, but he could feel a clear energy. And strangely, he couldn¡¯t see the inside. Heading this way, he seemed to be able to discover why Aria kept hearing the singing all by herself. He didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, but he felt a certain energy that belonged to God. ¡®It¡¯s unpleasant.¡¯ His stomach churned. Because the malice in his body was too agitated and fluctuating. He set his feet without hesitation into a ce that seemed dangerous to anyone. And at that moment, Ssh¨C ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Something grabbed Lloyd¡¯s ankle. And he was dragged straight into the water in an instant. He went endlessly down. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The passage on the left was an underwater cave filled with water. Lloyd was thrown into the water without warning, but he held his breath without panicking. He looked towards the caught leg, and a lump of light surrounded him as if clutching his ankle. It looked like it was really going to drag Lloyd to the bottom of the cave. ¡®Water ghost?¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s feelings¡¯ or something that was doing this filthy thing. ¡®¡­¡­ No.¡¯ But it seemed right. As the light and skin touched, the churning inside him grew even more intense. Nausea came up. It felt like someone was squeezing him inside, stabbing and tearing him apart. ¡®What kind of feeling is it, it seems like it is constantly colliding with the malice locked in my body¡­¡­.¡¯ One thing was certain: malice and an opposite feeling had met. Lloyd decided to stop being lenient of God and face reality. No matter how physically strong he was, he couldn¡¯t hold his breath in water for long. ¡®It tried to lure Aria off the cliff and kill her.¡¯ His eyes shed in a murderous energy. Whatever it was, he raised the dagger and cut the light without hesitation. But, of course, the mass of light was not of the kind that could be physically cut. The dagger was just creating bubbles and splitting the current. ¡®Can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ There was no choice. He knew from the beginning that the only thing that could oppose God¡¯s power was another God¡¯s power. Lloyd drew out his own power, ¡®God¡¯s malice,¡¯ to the fullest, and made it dwell in the dagger like a sword. And he swung hard towards the mass of light. Kkwaawaangg-!! That was the moment. As part of God¡¯s malice and feelings collided, a fairly distinct roar was heard, even though it was in the water. Lloyd, who reflexively turned his head, was startled. It was because the light that had wrapped around his ankles quickly grew in size and covered him. His eyes were all painted white. ¡°- Lloyd.¡± A sweet voice tickled his ears. It feels a lot more mature than he remembers. ¡®Aria?¡¯ Lloyd suddenly couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. He closed his eyes for a moment because of the bright light flickering around him, and then slowly lifted his eyelids. It was a familiarndscape. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Even though he breathed in with big mouthfuls, there was no such thing as watering in. Because he was in the banquet room of Grand Duchy Valentine. It has never been used specifically except for family birthday parties. ¡°What are you spacing out about?¡± A smiling voice tapped Lloyd¡¯s back with a finger. Lloyd turned his head. ¡°Come here. Today is mying-of-age ceremony.¡± Aria, who was smiling brightly, was beckoning him toe closer. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Coming of age? ¡°Is it a hallucination?¡± Trying to drown him wasn¡¯t enough, now it was showing him hallucinations. Starting small and getting bigger¡­¡­. Lloyd was startled and uttered a swear word. Because he saw himself reflected in the metal decoration. ¡°Eyes¡­¡­.¡± It was after Aria mentioned the color of his eyes the other day. Every time he sees himself in the mirror, he has a habit of checking his eyes first. It¡¯s not a faded silver-gray color like Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s, but it¡¯s not as ck as before, it¡¯s more of a dark gray color. That was Lloyd¡¯s current eye color. But now, ¡®¡­¡­ It¡¯s back to ck again.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just that. As Aria grew up, Lloyd himself had grown up too. His jawline was stiffer, his neck and bones were thicker, and his eye level was much higher than in his memory. He had grown noticeably. It made him feel awkward. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty specific hallucination.¡± ¡°A hallucination?¡± Then Aria asked. Or, something in the form of her who ims that today is hering-of-age ceremony, asked. ¡°Come here, it¡¯s crooked.¡± Approaching him without hesitation, she reached out and straightened Lloyd¡¯s tie. Lloyd couldn¡¯t bear to shake off her hand. If it had been something else disguised as Aria, he would have noticed right away. But this was just Aria. Appearance, voice, atmosphere, scent, energy, everything¡­¡­. It seemed that she would grow up like this as Aria grew older. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­yes?¡± Unknowingly, he frowned at the unpleasantly close-to-reality hallucination and asked so, Then Aria folded her eyes nicely and answered without hesitation. ¡°Your rabbit.¡± She smiled brightly and took Lloyd¡¯s hand, kissed it over the white glove. The pink lipstick marks came out on the back of his hand like a print. Lloyd lost his words for a moment and looked down at the back of his own hand. Her lips marks were clear. ¡°The back of your ear is red.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your reaction today is cute.¡± Aria, who burst into a smallugh, grabbed his hand and led him into the middle of the banquet room. And she danced a dance she had just learned a while ago. Very skillfully. As if she had danced with him countless times, matching his tempo. ¡®If it¡¯s Aria¡¯sing-of-age ceremony¡­¡­ then six yearster.¡¯ He was afraid every moment. As he had seen in his dream, one day God¡¯s malice will run wild and devour the Grand Duchy. Aria, who periodically purifies God¡¯s malice, for Lloyd and Tristan, might somedaye to a limit. There is no way that her body can¡¯t help but be burdened with the purification process. She was already a weak person. Would he lose her forever because of his greed to live? ¡°Aria¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd whispered softly and grabbed her hand. Vincent¡¯s words that they were poison to each other were still engraved in his heart vividly. So now, this moment was like a miracle. The fact that he was not contaminated with malice and that they have safely reached adulthood. Even if it¡¯s just a hallucination. ¡°After I finished mying-of-age ceremony safely, I was able to watch youring-of-age ceremony?¡± ¡°You do.¡± Aria tilted her head as if asking what Lloyd was talking about. Lloydughed bitterly. ¡°If I¡¯m possessed with God¡¯s feelings right now¡­¡± At the same time, he was sure. ¡°Then this feeling is hope.¡± This is the fleeting and ephemeral hope he holds. A ray of light that he could embrace because Aria came to him. The difference between hope and despair made him even more anxious and distressed. ¡°The future that hope shows¡­¡± Lloyd wrapped his arms around Aria¡¯s cheeks. And he gently stroked his finger to confirm her presence. ¡°It tickles.¡± Aria said, shaking her eyshes. Lloyd engraved the jewel-like eyes into his memory. ¡°Are you sick or hurt?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We saw each other yesterday too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something I really want to hear at mying-of-age ceremony¡­¡± Aria muttered in a sulky voice. Lloyd looked down at her and answered without giving much thoughts. Because it¡¯s a hallucination anyway. ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯re so bright¡­¡± This moment, which was nothing more than hope, was so dazzling that it was impossible to capture it all with just a few words of appreciation. He doesn¡¯t think any rhetoric can describe Aria who has grown up safely. Then Aria, who had rolled her eyes back and forth with a blushing face, closed her eyes tightly. Her face slowly moved closer. To the point where he can feel her warm breath. Startled, Lloyd reflexively covered his mouth and took a step back. ¡°Why¡­¡­?¡± Aria asked, lifting her closed eyelids. ¡°This¡­ I never thought about it.¡± ¡°¡­ you never thought about it?¡± She looked hurt. Even though it was just a hallucination anyway, the corner of his chest tingled. ¡°Lloyd, I¡¯m an adult from today.¡± Lloyd looked away for a moment, and he didn¡¯t answer. Aria was his salvation, his happiness, his hope, his miracle, his sweet dream. She was never an object of lust. Never¡­¡­. And it wasn¡¯t until after a while after he licked his lips that he answered. ¡°¡­that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¨C Lloyd! It was then. Suddenly, a light appeared before his eyes in white, and a hand suddenly popped out and grabbed his cheek. Startled, he widened his eyes. In an instant, the hallucination was shattered, and the water overflowed all around. ¨C Lloyd, are you okay? Aria, who didn¡¯t know how to swim, had thrown herself into the water without hesitation, and was right in front of him. It was the real Aria. ¨C How¡­¡­. No, that doesn¡¯t really matter now. He quickly grasped the situation and embraced her waist. Up until now, it didn¡¯t feel like a very desperate situation, but he only thought that he had to get out of there quickly. He had no intention of putting Aria in danger. ¡®Oh, damn it.¡¯ But the light that was pulling his ankles was entangled like a leech and did not want to let go. ¨C Go up first. I¡¯ll follow you soon. Lloyd quickly finished judging the situation and released Aria¡¯s back. He was now nothing but a stumbling block to Aria. ¨C No. But Aria cut him off and refused, and she looked at his ankle. The mass of light flickered and twinkled as Aria¡¯s hand got closer. As if weing her hand. As if it had been waiting for a long time. Lloyd unknowingly grabbed her wrist that was going to the ominous flickering light. ¨C It¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s God¡¯s feeling. It¡¯s dangerous. ¨C I think it¡¯s fine. Aria said with certainty. It was because she felt nostalgic energy for some reason, rather than being mysterious, terrifying. It was wonderful because it was a part of God. Lloyd didn¡¯t let go of that leech-like thing, whether it was God¡¯s feelings or something, because he was afraid that it would transfer to Aria. ¨C Trust me. Her following words made him loosen the strength in his hands. Aria stretched out her hand without hesitation. And she finally reached it. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Aria blinked her eyes. Until before, she had been underwater, but a wide, green meadow was spread out right in front of her. ¡°What.¡± Lloyd? Aria waved her hand as she looked at the lushndscape with bewilderment. A cool breeze brushed against her face and she felt the thick scent of grass. In fact, this was real and so vivid that she wondered if it was just a dream that she followed Lloyd into the water. ¡°I think I still hear. The singing in my ears.¡± Aria looked around in surprise. This was definitely the Siren¡¯s singing voice. It wasn¡¯t just an imitation, it was the Siren¡¯s singing voice that definitely had magical powers. ¡®A profound and elegant baritone voice.¡¯ ¡°Oh enchanting night. Divine rapture. Oh delightful memory, Mad euphoria, sweet dream!¡± ¡®Is there another siren?¡¯ So, was this ce the true Antis, where the Sirens hide from the public eye? She walked in the direction of the song. With hope. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± Aria found a man standing on a cliff in full bloom, facing the sea. ¡°Oh, delightful memory.¡± Aria asked the man who hummed while repeating the same phrase. ¡°What song is this?¡± Then he stopped his singing, nced back at her, and replied with a soft smile. ¡°A song that calls you.¡± ¡°You are¡­¡­.¡± She was the descendant of the Antis royal family she had seen in her dreams. The boy, who was once a child and now looks more middle-aged, but was clearly the same person. ¡°The Siren¡¯s¡­ ancestor?¡± ¡°Siren, yes. I¡¯ve been called by that name for some time.¡± The Prince grinned slightly with a guilty expression. ¡°I am the memory of the one you speak of.¡± ¡°A memory?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just a memory. I don¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°This is not Antis.¡± Aria¡¯s shoulders, which had been filled with unreasonable expectations, drooped. If someone who died and was buried long ago is in front of her, it must be a dream or a fantasy. ¡®Well, of course.¡¯ Thinking about it, it doesn¡¯t make any sense to say that the Sirens made a passage to their hiding ce near the Imperial Pce. Then the Prince spoke as if he had read her heart. ¡°I am the memory of the one who was the ¡®first Siren¡¯ containing ¡®God¡¯s Hope¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­the first.¡± ¡°You are thest remaining siren.¡± ¡°Thest?¡± Aria¡¯s eyes, shocked, shook without mercy. From the moment she discovered the wreckage of Antis through the conch pearl, she had a vague hope that the Sirens might live in hiding¡­¡­. ¡°Because you¡¯re thest, time went back the moment you died.¡± He added. That was God¡¯sst arrangement. Chapter 141.1 Chapter 141.1 Was it God¡¯s arrangement? ¡®In other words, when thest remaining Siren dies, was it designed from the beginning for time to turn back?¡¯ Aria was dumbfounded. She even let out a nervousugh. From the moment she first saw Atis¡¯ past through her dreams, what she had hoped for in her heart had be a reality. ¡®When I called like that, there was not even a response.¡¯ If only God was watching everything and her presence was important enough to turn back time. Why didn¡¯t God ever give her an answer? ¡®I thought I had a new chance after denying God and hoping to go to hell¡­¡­.¡¯ The God in Aria¡¯s perception was the viin. Because the malice that Valentine had cherished from generation to generation was actually God¡¯s malice, not the devil¡¯s malice. Because it was the Saint of Garcia who borrowed the name of God who framed and killed Aria in her previous life. ¡®But now, to hear that God was actually on our side.¡¯ She didn¡¯t feel anything. She didn¡¯t even trust God. She only thought that God was ying with her. ¡°Why is that? What should I say?¡± ¡°You can do it.¡± The Prince, the first named Siren reached out and pressed his hand to Aria¡¯s head. And he stroked her slowly. As if he wasforting the wounds that he might have suffered. ¡°If you¡¯vee all the way here, it means you¡¯ve seen the memories I hid in the Song of Dawn.¡± Aria nodded her head. Btedly, she began to think of the situation rationally. Come to think of it, God was deprived of feelings a long time ago. God was not in a normal state then. ¡°So, is God still in a state of no feelings?¡± ¡°Yes. No feelings, none at all.¡± He was just a ¡®memory¡¯, so he might not know what happened after this memory was engraved. The Prince¡¯s memory added, ¡°If feelings disappear, it would seem that we can judge rationally, coldly, and cut like a sword, but no. Rather the opposite. God without feelings is no longer able to judge anything.¡± God did nothing. This was because, at the same time as feelings disappeared, the reason was also paralyzed. God felt nothing, God ceased to care for the world, and God ceased to love the creatures. And in the end, God even forgot God¡¯s own existence. ¡°After Shadra, I mean God became like that, I seeded to get two feelings in my hands after much struggles.¡± The Prince¡¯s memory said with his arms wide open. ¡°One of them is God¡¯s ¡®hope¡¯. I have nted my memories in hope.¡± ¡°The other one?¡± ¡°The other one¡­¡± He raised his index finger and pointed at Aria. ¡°God¡¯s ¡®conscience¡¯, which I swallowed.¡± It was only after hearing him use the word swallowed that Aria remembered it. The fact that the Prince swallowed something like a piece of jewelry when he was a boy. ¡°After I swallowed it, I became the Siren. Magical powers began to appear in my songs.¡± So he described himself as the first Siren. It wasn¡¯t that the descendants of Antis were Sirens, but that the Prince had magical power after he swallowed God¡¯s ¡®conscience¡¯. And the power of the Siren has been handed down from generation to generation through his bloodline. ¡°Then in me¡­¡± ¡°Yes. There is God¡¯s conscience.¡± Aria put her palm over her heart, looking troubled. It was because she had no idea that a part of God could be dissolved in her own body. She couldn¡¯t even think about it. So, that¡¯s why God¡¯s malice that Valentine harbored was relieved by the Siren¡¯s song? ¡°Why is there a conscience?¡± ¡°Conscience is the only medium between good and evil.¡± Good and evil. Aria heard that and her eyes widened. ¡°I can connect good and evil.¡± The Prince¡¯s memory looked bitter and he said. ¡°Your presence here means that Shadra still hasn¡¯t regained those feelings. Please, I hope that people don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Said the Prince with his hand on Aria¡¯s head. His image, which was clear that Aria felt like was having a conversation with a real human, faded. Aria was startled and stretched out her hand. She touched nothing. However¡­¡­. Suddenly, a lot of information poured into her head like a waterfall. Endlessly. ¡®This is the Prince¡¯s memory¡­¡­.¡¯ Amidst the flood of information, Aria could note to her senses for a moment. She was endlessly flooded with information that she didn¡¯t even know exactly what it was. But one thing is for sure, she learned songs she knew nothing about, except the songs Sophia sang during her lifetime. Siren¡¯s songs. ¡®Ah, all the songs that the Prince heard and learned while he was alive met the pieces of the feelings and became the Siren¡¯s songs¡­¡­.¡¯ His name is Juan. He was the first Siren and thest descendant of the Antis royal family. The moment she wake up, ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Aria pushed the person in front of her and coughed up water. It wasn¡¯t until she sniveled for a while that she realized that it was Lloyd who she had pushed the moment she opened her eyes. ¡°¡­¡­sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s me.¡± Huh? Aria looked puzzled as she flipped her hair that was clinging to her face behind her back. She didn¡¯t know why Lloyd was apologizing to her at the same time. ¡°I hesitated for a moment¡­¡± Oh. Aria soon realized what he was trying to say. ¡®He was trying to do artificial breathing.¡¯ No wonder, as soon as she opened her eyes, there was a face in front of her. Aria rubbed her flushed cheek for a moment and looked away from him. It¡¯s not a kiss, it¡¯s a rescue, so of course she has to say it¡¯s okay. Somehow nothing came out of her mouth. If the other person was Lloyd, of course, she couldn¡¯t help but be indifferent. There was a moment of heavy silence. ¡°Khhmm, but what is that?¡± Aria gave a brief cough, and she turned the topic around. A white mass of light flew around Lloyd from before. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like a fly¡­¡± He answered, waving his hand roughly. In the circumstances, he knew that it was God¡¯s hope that grabbed his ankle and dragged him like a water ghost. However, from the moment Aria woke up safely, Lloyd decided topletely ignore the lump of light. Even just being near it makes his stomach churn. ¡°Are you going to keep it down?¡± Then the light rushed to Lloyd¡¯s head as if in a temper. ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t kick it out. Lloyd.¡± Aria reached out her hand towards the light. Then it flew away and sat quietly on Aria¡¯s hand. ¡®I think I know what to do next.¡¯ After epting ¡®Juan¡¯ memories, she now knows for sure. Why he lured them here. hi, this is a split chapter because it¡¯s quite long~! Chapter 141.2 Chapter 141.2 Although the process was not delicate, she almost fell off a cliff and was at risk of drowning and dying. ¡®Then¡­¡­ What about the dead animals?¡¯ That was probably not what Juan meant. It just happened to be entangled with an external factor. Aria, who tilted her head in puzzlement for a moment, opened the light in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s hope.¡± Hope was spinning around in ce. Yes, it was just the same mass of light no matter where it was looked at from up, down, left, and right. Aria exined what had happened to her while she had fainted. ¡°When Lloyd touched God¡¯s hope, did you see Juan¡¯s memories?¡± ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Lloyd looked away for a moment and answered with a shiver. He couldn¡¯t speak openly about what he had seen through the hope. ¡°I¡¯ll let Lloyd¡¯s body absorb the hope for now.¡± ¡°¡­that?¡± Aria nodded her head with conviction. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut for that¡­¡± Lloyd muttered in a frown. Every time he touched the hope, it was difficult as it tried to shatter the agitated malice in his body and jump out. ¡°Leave it to me. Sirens can connect good and evil.¡± That¡¯s the only thing. Aria pressed the light in her hand over Lloyd¡¯s heart. The twinkling light left Aria¡¯s hand at some point and began to be absorbed into his body. ¡°How do you do this¡­¡± Lloyd, who was startled, muttered so. As Aria¡¯s hand touched him, the malice and hope naturally merged, and melted in his body. Far from being unpleasant and disgusting, he felt an indescribable nostalgic feeling. ¡°Huh? Lloyd¡¯s eyes¡­¡± Aria nced around Lloyd for a moment, then fumbled around his eyes with a startled look. His eyes, which had been dyed dark gray, returned to ck again. It was the color of hope. Lloyd, Aria and Vincent arrived at the campte. The nobles who were resting and chattering got greatly disturbed. Lloyd and Aria were soaked wet, and their clothes and hair were a mess. Even Vincent, who was rtively well-behaved, had a tired and haggard appearance. ¡°How in the world is that¡­¡± ¡°They must have jumped into the river.¡± The nobles exchanged conversations in groaning voices. They looked worried at first nce, but they nced at Lloyd and Aria, and they were allughing at each other. ¡°It seems that the prey the Grand Prince was aiming for was quite difficult.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. To the extent that he drowned in the river and got wet¡­¡± ¡°But it looks like he didn¡¯t catch it in the end. Well, there are days when even a monkey falls from a tree.¡± A Lord surprised them by not trying to make fun of them. It was because Aria was staring at him with a cold gaze. ¡®That crazy woman!¡¯ He could still vividly recall in front of his eyes as Aria was aiming her bow relentlessly at people. However, her actions only instilled more confidence in the Lords. The Valentine, whose curse was lifted, must have lost the devil¡¯s power. ¡®The fact that Grand Duchess Valentine is still alive and running around is proof of that!¡¯ Even though he was insulted, he couldn¡¯t draw the sword himself, but he hid behind the woman¡¯s back. ¡®What an eyesore.¡¯ It was when he was smiling triumphantly. Lloyd, who had been looking towards the sky, not the nobles, said. ¡°Like you said, unfortunately I missed the prey.¡± The nobles, who had been chatting to their heart¡¯s content, became quiet for an instant. Even though they were convinced that Lloyd had lost the devil¡¯s power, their body shuddered at his words. The Lords blushed in shame. ¡°I¡¯m trying to catch it again, but is there a limit to the species that can be caught in the huntingpetition?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know the rules yet? Any prey on the hunting ground.¡± Among them, the Lord, who had been hunting wild bears, struggled to shake off his fear and grumbled. He was talking about his saga the whole time until the three Valentine appeared. And, he was almost recognized as the winner of this hunting contest. ¡°That¡¯s great. The prey just so happens to show up.¡± ¡°What? What is that¡­¡­¡± As he was questioning it. Lloyd pulled out the bow in a rxed motion and pulled the bowstring to its limit. At the tip of the taut arrowhead, an unidentified white halo began to appear brightly. Before he knew what it was, Lloyd fired an arrow into the air. KUAANNG-!! At the same time, a hole was punched in the sky following the arrow¡¯s trajectory. No, at least it looked like that. The arrow he shot blew away the branches that had been so densely packed that the blue sky could not be seen in an instant. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡­ what?¡¯ The nobles were momentarily speechless at the incredible sight. At that moment, a dull sound as if something was falling to the Lord¡¯s back rang several times. He was astonished as he barely turned his head, which could not turn well, and looked back. It was because something in ck mask was gurgling blood and moaning. It was a person who died with a terrible look that was hard to put into words. ¡°Ah, assassin!¡± The nobles that were gathered around them scattered immediately. Either way, Lloyd pulled out his sword indifferently. The halo that was also visible on the arrowhead swayed at a high speed this time and colored the sword splendidly. Lloyd swung the white sword that didn¡¯t match the devil¡¯s name at all and killed the assassins in an instant. And he still approached the nobles without taking away God¡¯s malice. ¡°This will suffice for the hunt.¡± ¡°Uh, uhk¡­..¡± The Lord, who was moring for having caught the bear, let out a choked sound and knelt on the ground. He grew pale and gasped, clutching his neck. He was crushed by the overwhelming aura and could not breathe properly. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯te near me!¡± ¡°He, help me¡­!¡± His whole body trembles in convulsions. Ringing from hell struck his eardrums. The nobleman who heard terrible hallucinations mumbled madly to himself, plugging his ears. Blood gushed out between his closed fingers. The nobles stood defenseless and looked devastated like those in the face of disaster. The power that firmly overwhelms all directions made them feel more than fearful and even wondered. ¡°The, the devil. He¡¯s the devil all right¡­¡± The curse has not lifted. But then, how can the Grand Duchess and the Grand Princess be alive? How can Grand Duke Valentine survive without dying and without going crazy? Whatever the reason, it didn¡¯t matter. A bted regret came. However, ¡®It¡¯s already¡­¡­ It¡¯s already, toote.¡¯ Now, only the devil¡¯s wrath awaited them. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Each time Lloyd¡¯s footsteps drew closer, the nobles froze and copsed. Then they started to beg , pouring out tears and runny noses. ¡°Spare, spare me!¡± ¡°I, I havemitted a mortal sin, Grand Prince. I will never do that again. Please forgive me!¡± Their reaction was ugly and it seemed pathetic on the surface, but it wasn¡¯t just out of fear. When anyone was defenselessly exposed to God¡¯s malice, they would helplessly show such a reaction. Especially if they are powerless. ¡®But it¡¯s different from before¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria could sense a change due to her sensitiveness. Because she had seen Valentine¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯ with her own eyes, even more she had touched it. ¡®It was an endlessly deep, dark and gloomy chaos that was close to an abyss.¡¯ So much so that she didn¡¯t doubt it when she heard that it was of the devil¡¯s. However, now, a faint light of hope was shining and constantly purifying the malice. ¡®More than just fear, it makes you feel awe¡­¡­Feeling a little closer to God.¡¯ The nobles themselves did not seem to be aware of it, though. It¡¯s probably not enough for them to repent of their mistakes, and that¡¯s probably why they were begging for forgiveness. It was all thanks to God¡¯s hope. Thanks to this, the overall mood of the power Lloyd harbored was alsopletely different. ¡°Did Sister-inw feel like that?¡± Vincent also tilted his head next to Aria and asked about his ufortable feeling. After they came out of the cave, he had heard about the situation, but he gave this reaction because he did not know that it had changed so much. ¡°I¡¯ve seen a philosophical book that says that conscience harmonizes two selves that collide with each other. When Sister-inw wasn¡¯t there, he didn¡¯t have a conscience, so even divine power could notpletely purify malice.¡± To purify the divine power, they had to use nothing else but divine power. And in the process, the only person who could be a link was Aria. In the end, she was the only key to purify God¡¯s malice, which has been passed down through the generations of the Valentine family. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m d.¡± Aria sighed in relief. The most reassuring thing is that his reason was still clear and his eyes were shining brightly. In a ck light. ¡®Now Lloyd is not engulfed by malice.¡¯ Aria, who was relieved thanks to that, bit her lip. Somehow she felt like crying. ¡®Now that there is God¡¯s hope, the Valentine¡¯s Incident itself may not happen.¡¯ Aria really hoped so. ¡®Because I am now the only Siren in this world¡­¡­.¡¯ Now that she can¡¯t prolong her life through the Siren¡¯s ¡®Song of Healing¡¯, she may have to think about what happens after she dies. But she might see another hope if they regained God¡¯s other feelings. The only assassin that Lloyd had captured had ingested the poison hidden in his arms and killed himself. Unfortunately, they could not ascertain his background. But at least they knew who the assassin was spying at. ¡°¡­ it was an assassin who was targeting me.¡± Natalie muttered savagely as she grinded her teeth. ¡°I am so blinded by chasing the prey, that I was almost killed by an assassin when I returned to camp.¡± Aria looked up bewilderedly when the Princess exined the circumstances of this case. As she came into the ballroom with blood smeared on her cheeks, she looked as bloody as ever. ¨C Oh, I found injured herbivores in the hunting grounds and treated them. She was puzzled because she didn¡¯t know who the culprit was. ¨C Could it be that the assassins did that too? ¡°Yes, it must have been a trick to lure me in. If I had seen it, I would have followed the bloodstains!¡± ¡­¡­ why. Vincent, who was listening to their conversation, couldn¡¯t help but intervene. ¡°Why would you chase it?¡± ¡°Well, there must be a stronger game there. A beast like a wolf.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ thanks for the reply.¡± Vincent replied sullenly. Obviously, he was clearly thinking to himself, ¡®As expected, a bear¡­¡­.¡¯. Aria thought about it for a moment. ¡®The assassin was waiting in the camp because they failed to lure the Princess into the outskirts¡­¡­ It makes sense.¡¯ Was it? Wasn¡¯t it toox for an assassin aimed at a giant like the Princess? Due to the Princess¡¯ attempted assassination, the hunting contest was unavoidably ended hastily. However, they couldn¡¯t just say ¡®let¡¯s just disband¡¯ to the nobles gathered in the imperial pce, so, at least formally, a ball was held. As before, it was to elect the Queen of Spring Flowers this time. ¡®I don¡¯t care¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria had obtained the information she wanted and unexpectedly gained profits, so now there is nothing to see at the Imperial Pce. ¡®It¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t get the Princess.¡¯ If the Princess didn¡¯t want it, she couldn¡¯t force it. Anyway, Aria gave her a fair chance at least once. ¨C There is something on your face. Aria said as she wiped the bloodstains from the Princess¡¯s cheeks with her fingers. It¡¯s like brushing off cookie crumbs without hesitation. Natalie, who looked at her as if possessed, grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Valentine saved me. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± ¡°I was the one who saved the Princess¡¯ life.¡± Lloyd removed Natalie¡¯s hand from Aria, politely and resolutely, brushing it away. ¡°No? It was because she treated the animals, so I was safe.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t killed the assassin, you wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡± ¡°So, what, do you want to show off?¡± ¡°Yes, I suddenly feel like I wanted to.¡± The Princess said while ring at Lloyd with a dissatisfied look. ¡°¡­Anyway, if you ever need my help, just let me know. I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything to the Grand Prince!¡± Natalie shrieked and stomped like a bear and kicked the door out. ¡°OH!¡± Thanks to this, the Emperor, who had just appeared at the entrance to the banquet hall, mmed into Natalie¡¯s shoulder and almost fell backwards. ¡°Natalie!¡± He roared back to the Princess¡¯s head, but she didn¡¯t listen and disappeared in an instant. The Emperor, who had lost his face properly, smirked for a while, then came to his senses and began the closing ceremony. ¡°Even though something unfortunate happened during the contest¡­¡± He said so and looked at Lloyd. ¡°¡­ I am grateful for being able to get through the crisis safely with the help of the hero representing the Empire.¡± It was Lloyd who hated the medal and trophy he received the first time. But now he responded with a smirk and seemed happy. ¡®Now, I think I will be able to y ording to my nature.¡¯ Aria smiled warmly. It felt good to be able to show the difference between a hero and a devil in front of the nobles. ¡°And the Queen of Spring Flowers elected this time¡­¡± The Emperor looked through the paper handed to him by his aide, and his expression became even more astringent. ¡°Ariadne Valentine who captured¡­ twenty¡­assassins.¡± Aria was startled when her name was called, so she turned to Lloyd. He dedicated his prey(?) in Aria¡¯s name. A bitter silence filled the banquet hall. Lloyd pped his hands in a sluggish motion and nced across the crowd after he responded to Aria with a smile. ¡°Gasp.¡± ¡°Uuugghh!¡± Then, the nobles, who took a deep breath, pped their hands desperately like those who had been threatened. The sound of apuse filled the banquet hall. It was a daily routine as usual. Gabriel finished the training after purifying the contaminatednd. And in the prayer room of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, where Aria was gone, he prayed to God alone. ¡®You said you¡¯de to pray every day¡­¡­.¡¯ A resentment rose. As soon as Aria made a promise with him, she immediately left for the imperial pce. ¡®You should have kept your promise just once?¡¯ Although their age difference was significant, he still thought she was the only friend in the Grand Duchy with whom he could rte. He couldn¡¯t control the endless resentment, but he struggled to suppress that absurd feeling. It was like a miracle from the beginning for the Grand Princess to hang out with him, who was only a knight apprentice. As he grew up different from his childhood, it was natural for him to be negligent. ¡®She was married in the first ce.¡¯ Even if they didn¡¯t have any personal feelings for each other, continuing personal encounters with an outsider was not good for their reputation. It may be okay for now, but when she bes an adult, people around her may be misunderstood and it could turn into a serious problem. ¡®Above all, I swore to give everything to God.¡¯ In fact, the one who had to take care of his appearance the most was himself. He sighed and, as usual, received a call from Veronica. They asked questions to each other. ¨C Are things not going the way you want them to? Veronica asked Gabriel, who couldn¡¯t focus his mind with a nk look. Then Gabriel¡¯s shoulders trembled as if his feet were numb. ¡°What I want¡­ I don¡¯t want anything.¡± There were times when he was almost swayed by Veronica¡¯s words, ¡®If you want something, get it yourself.¡¯. But he soon regained hisposure. Don¡¯t get caught up in this rtionship, just let it flow. ¡®It¡¯s a pity if the Grand Princess doesn¡¯te to pray, but it has to end there. Don¡¯t be foolish.¡¯ It was not good to be obsessed with rtionships when you¡¯re someone who served God. It was not a rtionship that canst for a long time. Even the country where they were born was hostile to each other. ¨C No, Sir Knight. What do you mean there¡¯s nothing you want, right? I¡¯ve never met someone so ambitious as Sir Knight. Veronica gave a deep smile, and she whispered softly like a snake. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Ambitious¡­¡­. Gabriel said, perplexed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it seemed that way.¡± ¨C I¡¯mplimenting Sir Knight right now. Veronica said, tilting her head in remorse. ¨C You said you were going to change the world with a weak body that¡¯s not even a match to a back alley bully. She wasn¡¯t really mocking him. Veronica praised Gabriel in this respect. ¨C I was very impressed with Sir Knight. That¡¯s right, nothing is impossible in the world. Even if you were born with nothing, God will reward you if you earnestly hope and work hard. Just like Sir Knight¡¯s divine power. She smiled brightly as she said that. ¡°¡­That¡¯s too much.¡± Gabriel looked away for a moment and muttered. He stillcked the talent for skillfully receivingpliments. ¡°The words that the Saint said to me at that time also gave me a lot of strength. No, this might be a lot of pressure, but beyond being a source of strength, they changed my world.¡± And frankly, he confessed how he felt at that time. ¡°Sir Knight is not wrong, absolutely.¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t doubt the path Sir Knight is walking.¡± The words Veronica said at that time meant a lot to him. It was the word he had been waiting for all his life. ¨C Come to think of it, you said that there was a lifesaver in the Grand Duchy in the past. Veronica added, as if just remembering it. ¨C At the time, I couldn¡¯t ask properly, is the person the Grand Princess? The sudden and unannounced stabbing made him startled. Gabriel was silent for a moment, then shrugged and tried to deny the fact. ¡°About that¡­¡± ¨C It¡¯s not? Veronica showed a kind smile as if she had already seen everything. Gabriel realized that escaping from here would be of no use. He sighed and asked back instead, ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¨C I just knew it. In fact, besides that, there was something Veronica had just found out. ¡®As expected, the card must have been written by the Grand Princess.¡¯ It was also the Grand Princess who rescued the dog and brought him to the front of the Papal Pce. ¡®Hmm, if he hasn¡¯t noticed about the card until now, does that mean that the Grand Princess has no intention of telling him?¡¯ If he sees the card she left behind, she would have been able to do enough. ¡®It looks like they¡¯ve been close for a while, wouldn¡¯t it be enough to recognize that the dog is weak at words and gets easily trusting?¡¯ The dog is right in front of her, who was willing to sacrifice his life even if she grabbed hold of him and shook him. ¡®¡­¡­ I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Veronica was very displeased with Aria¡¯s existence. Aria had enough, enough power and enough brain. After Veronica saw with her own eyes, she could definitely feel it. ¡®Just by taming the dog, it doesn¡¯t seem like you don¡¯t know the world¡¯s interests. You don¡¯t even touch the weakness that will shake his life.¡¯ Not crossing the line and being stubborn. Doesn¡¯t she look more like a ¡®saint¡¯ as she never loses her humanity until the end? ¡®You seem toe from the same background as me, but it seems you haven¡¯t tried hard enough?¡¯ Or she was just ¡®born with it¡¯. Veronica¡¯s stomach twisted. So, she thought it would be nice to have a go at the Grand Princess. What if the slightest favor she throws at the doges back at her? ¡®If you intercept someone¡¯s loyal dog and tame it, you should take responsibility. Tenaciously.¡¯ She loses everything. Veronica, lost in her thoughts, was silent for a moment, then Gabriel said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want anything more than to make the world a better ce.¡± ¨C I understand. With Sir Knight¡¯s personality, you would like to repay for how much help you received. Veronica said, whatever his excuses it was as if she knew it all. Although Aria has pointed out once he can¡¯t lie. He wondered if it was this severe. Gabriel blushed with embarrassment, and had no choice but to look away. ¡®Actually, there is nothing strange about swearing allegiance with my life.¡¯ Had she been an ordinary girl, he would have done it without hesitation. But since she¡¯s Grand Princess Valentine. It couldn¡¯t be, and he didn¡¯t have to. There were countless people around Aria who would willingly give their life for her. ¡®At first, a master-ve rtionship with her was impossible, and she was careful about continuing my friendship with her.¡¯ Gabriel thought so and decided to draw a line like a sword on said matter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to embarrass the Grand Princess with a sense of personal debt. She doesn¡¯t expect me to repay her.¡± ¨C Oh, does she? As if startled, Veronica covered her mouth and eximed, ¡°Oh gosh.¡± ¨C We had a brief greeting at the Imperial Pce, and she said that she expressed her gratitude for sending Sir Knight back then and that she was veryforted. ¡°Did the Grand Princess really say that?¡± ¨C Why would I lie? It was not a formal greeting, but a sincere message. So, of course, I thought you would be pleased. However, Gabriel was more than happy to hear Veronica¡¯s words. He was excited. He wasn¡¯t even running, but his heart rate suddenly increased. ¡°¡­?¡± Gabriel put his hand over his heart for a moment at this inexplicable phenomenon. Veronica, who had been observing him carefully, was silent for a moment, then showed a guilty look. ¨C Actually, I didn¡¯t say this because I didn¡¯t think it would be a big deal¡­¡­. And, biting her lips, she seemed hesitant to continue, but she confessed. ¨C You said the words changed Sir Knight¡¯s world, so I have no choice but to tell you. ¡°Yes? What is that¡­¡­¡± ¨C I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you. The truth is, I identally read it before and told Sir Knight. ¡°Oh, you mean you¡¯re quoting the words of a great man or a saint?¡± Well, it could have been so. ording to the situation, it is natural for her to use the words she had heard somewhere before. Even His Holiness the Pope often quoted the words of saints. ¡°There is absolutely no need to apologize for that.¡± What¡¯s important about the origins of the word? In any case, during his most wandering and difficult times, the saint¡¯s only faith reached his heart and changed his life. He had only one person who believed in him, so he was able to survive until now. But Veronica said that it wasn¡¯t what she meant and shook her head. ¨C No, I just read the card ced near Sir Knight. ¡°A¡­ card?¡± ¨C I don¡¯t know where the card came from, but on a white card the size of a palm, ¡®You are right. Don¡¯t doubt the path you walk.¡¯ The situation was just right, so I told Sir Knight exactly what I had read on the card. She spoke while fixing her gaze in the air for a moment as if recalling her memories back then. ¡°¡­is that really true?¡± Gabriel asked with trembling eyes. ¨C Yes. I¡¯m sorry. Veronica then lowered her head and gave a sad look, and replied. ¨C I meant to tell you earlier. A white card the size of a palm. Without thinking deeply, he could tell who had left the card. ¡®¡­¡­. It was the Grand Princess.¡¯ Aria definitely saved him. She was the one who took him to the entrance to the Papal Pce. And, It was actually Aria who gave him the first touch of faith. ¡®The first¡­¡­.¡¯ The meaning of ¡®the first¡¯ was intense. So much so that he pledged his life to Veronica for a piece of faith she had said. To the extent that he has shown absolute loyalty to her, sometimespletely ignoring her sullen appearance. So much so that he trusted her unconditionally. He realized it btedly. That he had been serving the wrong savior this whole time. Gabriel spent several nights with hisplicated head. He had no choice but to feel betrayed by the saint who stole the words of others and hid it until now. But he had to struggle to ept that it was not a malice towards him. ¡®It was only a serious problem for me.¡¯ Anyway, Veronica also believed in him, so she must have followed Aria¡¯s card when he saw it. But his attitude could not be as blind as he used to be. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± And it was then. Gabriel, who was just passing through the corridor of the detached pce, stopped walking after hearing the employee¡¯s voices. ¡°What happened in this hunting contest?¡± ¡°Oh, of course. The Grand Prince was said to havepletely trampled on the cheeky nobles.¡± Instead of the tant saga as if talking about idols, they suddenly lowered their voices with concern. ¡°But then, he showed the power of the devil. That, I heard, was bigger and more powerful than the devil¡¯s power of the past seen by the Valentine¡¯s heads.¡± ¡°What? Of course, I knew that the curse wasn¡¯t gone, but¡­ didn¡¯t it get weak? Then how did Madam get up from the sick bed?¡± In fact, only the Valentine¡¯s blood rtives knew the details of this matter. It was for secrecy. ¡°Um, she also learned swordsmanship, and for a person from outside the border, she has a strong body?¡± ¡°Then what will happen to the Grand Princess, who is already weak?¡± One employee added worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ she¡¯ll be like the previous Grand Duchesses¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so mean.¡± The words be seeds. The other users started a fuss saying that should never happen. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡­.¡¯ Btedly, Gabriel recalled the atrocious rumors surrounding Valentine. It was the most typical of them. For generations, Grand Duchess Valentine is cursed by the devil and has a short life after giving birth to the sessors. ¡®Does this mean that the Grand Princess could die at a young age?¡¯ He had never thought of that. Gabriel stood nailed, pale and tired. ¡®The devil¡¯s malice is notpletely purified even with divine power¡­¡­.¡¯ Then. ¡®If I want to save the Grand Princess, I have no choice but to take her outside the Grand Duke¡¯s castle.¡¯ Chapter 144 Chapter 144 ¡°¡­Achoo!¡± Aria, riding in the carriage, suddenly sneezes and sniffles her nose. Then Vincent started nagging her as if he had expected it. ¡°I thought so. Even if I warned you like that, you jumped into the river without hesitation, so what if you fell ill again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ill.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still saying that!¡± Vincent went on a rampage. Aria reflexively frowned at his loud, ringing voice. Then Lloyd, noticing the hint from her, put a nket over Aria¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s noisy. My head is ringing.¡± A gentle and careful hand, yet a cruel tone of voice. At the same time, judging by the way he separates his words and actions, he has already transcended dual personality towards Aria. ¡°Now you have be one body.¡± Lloyd can even read her subtle facial expressions. Vincent was taken aback by the fact that his older brother, who seemed to have no trace of human affection, had be like that. ¡°Anyway, I know that Sister-inw is in a bad condition right now. I assure you, when you go back, you will copse and fall ill.¡± ¡°If you were that worried, you should have jumped into the river with me.¡± Aria responded yfully. ¡°If we had gone together, would I have been a great burden? On the contrary, I helped the two of you because I didn¡¯t go. I was a big help.¡± Ordinary people would react with embarrassment and apologetic response here, but Vincent was still different. He murmured for a moment, and spoke boldly. ¡°Sir Cloud would have carried me across the river with me as a burden.¡± She didn¡¯t know that a mention about Cloud woulde out of Vincent¡¯s mouth first. Aria¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I just told the knights not toe to the Imperial Pce because they were not allowed to enter the main pce anyway. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get caught up in this¡­..¡± Surprisingly, Vincent seemed to regret not bringing Cloud here. ¡°You hated him so much.¡± ¡°It would be nice if he shuts up when he is by my side, but if he¡¯s not by my side, he¡¯s necessary. Anyway, there is no knight like Sir Cloud.¡± He muttered, stroking his chin. Although it was acrimonious, it was a fairly generous evaluation for Vincent¡¯s standard. He said that he was in charge of the head and Cloud was in charge of the body. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him literally what you said.¡± ¡°What? Why do you have to¡­ I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely tell him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want it, so I have to tell him more.¡± ¡°Do you have any hard feelings for me?¡± It was when Aria was making fun of Vincent. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a bit odd.¡± Lloyd was lost in thought and added a word. It was because of Vincent¡¯s words that she might copse again. ¡°Aria¡¯s health is always at a standstill.¡± ¡°Because it is.¡± When she was young, it made sense because her immunity was weak and she wasn¡¯t getting enough nutrition. ¡°But even now, she¡¯ll copse if you overdo it a little bit.¡± Vincent added, tilting his head strangely. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she was born with weak natural energy and her health is bad, but Sister-inw is full of energy, right?¡± It¡¯s not that easy though. As he murmured, Aria avoided his gaze, pretending to be looking out the window. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t tell you in detail what happened inside the cave.¡± And she naturally switched the topic with something that Vincent might be curious about. She then began to exin her story in a verbose way. She was unaware that Lloyd was staring at herself with ck eyes. ¡°So, does that mean that Sister-inw is a descendant of the royal family?¡± ¡°A distant descendant.¡± Even though it is a fallen dynasty. Even thend they ruled has sunk to the bottom of the sea, so it was embarrassing to even say that she was a descendant of the royal family. ¡°Oh my God, you have all the memories of the first Siren.¡± Vincent¡¯s eyes twinkled with interest. ¡°What information did you have?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± Juan¡¯s memory, Aria tried to use it. But she wasn¡¯t aware of all the information at once. By analogy, it felt as if she had inherited a library full of books. ¡°Like finding a book in a library, my head only recognizes the information I need at that moment.¡± ¡°Aha, you ask a question and you get an answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr, but it doesn¡¯t mean just asking a question, it¡¯s like finding out when you desperately need it.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s absurd to ept other people¡¯s memories all at once.¡± Vincent added so and nodded his head in understanding. ¡°Then, it¡¯s unclear when and what information we¡¯ll find out. If it¡¯s Sister-inw, she¡¯s strong enough without having to remember her ancestors¡¯ memories.¡± And she showed an openly disappointed expression. ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± It would be better if she didn¡¯t need this information forever. ¡®You never know what¡¯s going on with people.¡¯ The carriage entered the Ingo Mountains. Aria fixed her gaze outside the window and her eyes were half closed without speaking. But at some point, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Kyak! He, help!¡± A child¡¯s scream was heard not far away. ¡°¡­Stop the carriage, please.¡± ¡°What?¡± While Vincent was bewildered in the confusing situation, Lloyd immediately knocked on the wall on the side of the carriage and made it pull up. As soon as the carriage stopped, Aria immediately mmed the door and ran out. ¡°Sister-inw?!¡± As she ran, she stumbled upon a stone for a moment. Lloyd, who had been following right behind her, hurriedly grabbed her. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± And then ran after putting Aria¡¯s arm around his neck. It was because someone¡¯s scream was clearly audible in Lloyd¡¯s ears too. As she ran in Lloyd¡¯s embrace, she was able to reach the destination in an instant. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Many animals lived in the Ingo Mountains. Vicious animal that would look like a monster to the eyes of ordinary people outside the border. When they arrived at the scene, a giant rabbit was trying to eat a child. It seemed to be the same species as the carnivorous rabbit she had seen in the hunting groundskeeper¡¯s hut. ¡°Stop!¡± Aria descended from Lloyd¡¯s arms and ran to the carnivorous rabbit. Lloyd let Aria go without anything. Because he knew well that no matter how ferocious a beast, they would turn into a gentle sheep in front of Aria. As far as Lloyd knows, it has never been without exception. Because he was sure she would be safe. ¡°Stop¡­ ugh!¡± So when the beast exposed its teeth towards Aria, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on for a moment. Until the rabbit suddenlyes out with its teeth and almost bites her. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Aria looked down at her hand with a nk look. Just before she was bitten, she quickly pulled her hand away so she was only scratched, but if it wasn¡¯t for that, her flesh would havee off. As she paused, the rabbit, which had inted its size, once again ran towards Aria, its mouth wide open. That was then. A song she never heard flowed into Aria¡¯s head. As if a sheet music that has been covered unfolded before her eyes. ¡®This is Juan¡¯s memory¡­¡­.¡¯ The song was engraved in her mind in an instant. She didn¡¯t know why, but she had a gut feeling that she should sing this song right now. When Aria was about to open her lips ording to her instinct. ¡°¡­¡­how dare.¡± Lloyd, who noticed the situation a beatter, drew his sword in a murderous burst of energy. He hadn¡¯t even wielded the sword yet, but the rabbit, crushed by Lloyd¡¯s energy, shrank in an instant. Like an ordinary rabbit. Either way, Lloyd raised his sword high as if he would cut off the rabbit¡¯s head. But Aria stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m just a little scratched.¡± ¡°No, you almost got hurt. Don¡¯t protect it just because it¡¯s an animal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not protecting it. If an animal that can¡¯t attack me attacked me, I should ask why.¡± Aria added. ¡°Like Lloyd kept one of the assassins alive without killing them.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd looked down at Aria with aplicated gaze for a moment, then let out a sigh. She wasn¡¯t actually thinking about that, but it¡¯s obvious that saying so convinces him. ¡°Yeah, let me interrogate it somewhere.¡± Lloyd grabbed the ears of the trembling carnivorous rabbit who had suddenly be weak and small, and lifted it up. The rabbit that was floating in the air swayed. ¡°Ah, rabbits shouldn¡¯t be held like that¡­¡± Lloyd¡¯s eyebrows rose high. It looked quite ufortable and was on the verge of running away. Aria let out a sigh and had no choice but to give up on that. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Aria asked a question and looked at the rabbit carefully for a while. The rabbit¡¯s pupil shook severly and moved its bright red nose for a long time. ¡°It said it didn¡¯t even know? It was sorry.¡± ¡°Ah, tell it to say itsst will.¡± ¡°Lloyd, calm down.¡± Lloyd, who is acting as if he would eat the rabbit right away, made Aria sweat. ¡°Animals, especially wild animals, can¡¯t attack me. It must have been something unusual. It could happen again, so we need to figure out what¡¯s going on before we kill it.¡± Meanwhile, the screaming child crouching on the floor cautiously got up. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Then, the child ran with tears and clung to the hem of Aria¡¯s skirt. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Maybe ten years old at most. The child was so terrified that she was speechless, unable to say anything, just crying. Lloyd looked at the child with sharp eyes and asked suspiciously. ¡°How did you get here?¡± He was already sensitive enough about Aria¡¯s nearly getting injured incident. The child¡¯s shoulders shuddered at the frosty voice. And she began to tremble like a swaying tree. ¡°My, my mom told me to go here, she, she told me not to move, but I¡¯m, I¡¯m scared, so I¡¯m going to wait somewhere else¡­.¡± It was difficult to understand what she was saying because of her mumbling tone and low whispering voice. Lloyd frowned for a moment and asked. ¡°What?¡± Perhaps she got frightened again, the child made a loud ¡®gasp!¡¯ and hid behind Aria¡¯s back. ¡°It looks like the child got abandoned¡­¡± Aria, who roughly understood the child¡¯s words with her keen hearing, muttered with a serious expression. The child was abandoned by her parents in the Ingo Mountains. Aria was naturally forced to recall her own past. ¡®Of course, I was the one who started the situation back then.¡¯ Does this child know that she has been abandoned by her parents? Of course, she would know. How quick witted are kids? It¡¯s probably just that she trusted her parents. Thinking that they would never have abandoned her. ¡°It looks like they want to abandon her in this ce.¡± Lloyd, who inferred all the circumstances, gave a twisted smile. Abandoning a child in the mountains of Grand Duchy Valentine, where all kinds of atrocious rumors circte. Their intentions were so obvious. They just wanted the child to be killed by the devil. ¡°The devil¡¯s job isn¡¯t to kill a naughty kid, it¡¯s to torture criminals in a pit of fire.¡± Lloyd looked up and down for a moment, plotting something. He doesn¡¯t know who the child¡¯s parents are, but he intends to make them pay the price of almost getting Aria seriously injured. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Name, name¡­¡± As if the child couldn¡¯t remember it right away, she paused for a moment, then said. ¡°Laura.¡± It felt strange not being able to answer her own name right away. But Aria did not express it and held out her hand. ¡°Laura, it¡¯s dangerous here, so let¡¯s go together. If you go to the castle, I¡¯ll tell them to find a ce to stay for a while while your motheres.¡± Laura gave a nk look and then nodded her head. And she mumbled in a shy voice, clutching the hem of Aria¡¯s skirt. ¡°Yes, Sister¡­¡± ¡­¡­ Sister? No, of course, Aria is an older sister, but¡­¡­. Aria felt a guilty conscience. ¡®But what was that song?¡¯ The song that came to mind when the child was about to be eaten by the carnivorous rabbit. ¡®I thought I knew what song it was when I was going to sing it¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd reacted so quickly that it ended before she could even sing. Aria thought for a moment, then turned to Lloyd. For some reason, the captured carnivorous rabbit looked very sad and had eyes that looked like it was about to cry. ¡®Well, now is not the time to sing out of the blue.¡¯ Even the rabbit didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of aiming at Aria any more. Aria, leaving this behind, took their newpanion, Laura, and headed with Lloyd to the carriage. ¡°Come here now.¡± Tristan said with his arms wide open, his chest showing. And when Aria just stared at him, he raised the corners of his lips in a funny way and flicked his fingers. ¡°Come here. Now that I¡¯ve been listening to my daughter, you must reward me.¡± Reward? ¡°After therge-scale cleanup, we searched out all those who were suspicious. We buried them in the ground so that there will be no traces and sent them back to nature.¡± Then Dwayne, his aide, who was standing next to the Grand Duke with a tired face, added in surprise. ¡°Your Grace, a fine burial doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s a fine act. Please leave out the useless words.¡± ¡°I fertilized thend and tried to protect the environment, so if this isn¡¯t a fine act, what does it mean?¡± ¡°Using people as fertilizer is not fine, it is gore.¡± Ah? This was what he meant by keeping the Grand Duke¡¯s castle clean while she goes to the Imperial Pce? ¡®To be honest, I forgot¡­¡­.¡¯ Although Tristan is annoyed by everything in the world, he has shown the ability to handle terrifying tasks, once he decides to do something. ¡®In a matter of a moment, all the thousands of employees were investigated.¡¯ Aria, feeling a bit sorry for some reason, averted her gaze unknowingly. Then Tristan sighed, ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡®, and said in a sympathetic way. ¡°The reward is just one hug.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re noting here to hug me.¡± Aria found dark shadows beneath Tristan¡¯s eyes. Apparently, while she was away, his insomnia had increased again. Aria walked over to Tristan and fell into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll sing you a luby too.¡± And whispered. ¡°Hmm, great.¡± It was when Tristan hugged her tightly like a teddy bear and smiled wide. ¡°¡­I knew from a long time ago that you were senile.¡± Lloyd, who had just entered the office, said with a frown. He put the papers down on his desk. The papers that received excessive force from his hand fluttered in the air. Tristan looked up at it for a moment without saying a word. ¡°Do you want to show off your strength in front of your father who has lost his strength and is weak?¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to the Grand Duke¡¯s encouragement to build up more strength, I came back stronger.¡± Lloyd tried to pry Aria from Tristan¡¯s arms. The more he did, the tighter Tristan hugged Aria. Until she suffocates. ¡°Let her go when I¡¯m still nice. At least I want to send you back with flesh and blood intact.¡± Lloyd grabbed Tristan¡¯s forearm and gritted his teeth. It was really going to break if he continued a little longer. Aria, who could not do anything because she was caught between the father and son, finally opened her mouth. ¡°Both of you, stop.¡± The two father and son came to a halt. Dwayne, as usual, was clicking his tongue inside as he stared at the father and son with a nasty rtionship, but was now horrified. His eyes widened to the limit. ¡°The Young Madam talks?!¡± Aria looked at Tristan and said, ¡°Father, please let me go.¡± Then the strength was gone in the arms that were holding her. ¡°Lloyd, stop.¡± Lloyd then took a step back. Dwayne was so startled that he admired it in the midst of his great shock. At the same time, he realized an important truth. ¡®What¡¯s the matter that the Young Madam suddenly became able to speak at this point¡­¡­.¡¯ She has the power to control two wild beasts that run rampant with just minimal words. After suppressing the urge to immediately apud, he looked up at Aria with an emotional gaze. ¡°Since we¡¯ve found all the spies, I want to reveal my secrets to everyone.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so. I¡¯ll have to get an audience right away.¡± ¡°How about having a small banquet?¡± ¡°Banquet?¡± Aria nodded her head. ¡°It¡¯s a banquet that all employees can participate in. I also wanted to say thank you to them for taking care of me and giving me a lot during this time.¡± Thank you? ¡°That¡¯s their work. The Young Madam doesn¡¯t have to be grateful for what¡¯s obvious.¡± Dwayne said confused. But Aria shook her head and said firmly. ¡°I have received kindness, love and attention beyond work. I believe that emotions should be reciprocated with emotions.¡± It was the first time he heard Young Madam¡¯s voice. And her answer, in a voice he heard the first time, really resembled that voice. It¡¯s clear and clean, but like a flowing river, it¡¯s straight and strong as if it¡¯s pouring down the path¡­¡­ ¡°And I also want to reveal everything on the spot.¡± Aria, as if she had never made a resolute voice, returned to her soft look in an instant, blushing in embarrassment. ¡®Angel.¡¯ ¡®Angel.¡¯ ¡®Angel.¡¯ All three of them were thinking the same thing at the same time. The banquet was decided to be held in the rose garden, as all the employees could not gather in the banquet room. Valentine¡¯s garden is truly endless. ¡°Young Madam!¡± Marronnier approached her shyly, blushing. She was not wearing her usual maid outfit, but a gorgeous red dress adorned with rose-shapedce. ¡®Marronnier usually had a lot of romance dreams at banquets.¡¯ When Aria was elected the Queen of Spring Flowers, Marronnier got even more excited and said repeatedly that she had expected it. It was starting to be hard to the ears In fact, the reason she nned this banquet was partly because of Marronnier. ¡®I thought you¡¯d like it.¡¯ Even if she didn¡¯t say anything, Marronnier seemed to be excited about everything. Aria smiled happily. ¨C You look so pretty today. ¡°Hehe, what are you saying.¡± ¨C Really. The roses couldn¡¯t even bloom because they were embarrassed to see you. ¡°It¡¯s just not the time to bloom yet!¡± Marronnier was terrified. As it turns out Aria was a genius who could do most of the work, if only she was given the guide. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should have taught you something.¡± When Marronnier was muttering seriously, ¡°What have I done to the Young Madam¡­¡±, ¡°Be careful.¡± Aria suddenly heard a voice whispering and turned her back in surprise. She didn¡¯t see anyone. ¨C Did you just tell me to be careful? ¡°No? I¡¯m the one who should be careful with what I say.¡± Marronnier was answering as if she hadn¡¯t heard anything. ¡®But I definitely heard it.¡¯ Aria, after returning to her hometown-like Grand Duke¡¯s castle, had been cking off but now she looked around, paying attention. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡¯ Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Aria stood in the rose garden and looked at the window of her room. ¡®Why is the curtain closed?¡¯ The curtains in her room never did their job. Because Aria likes looking out the window. ¡®Actually, I would have thought that if it was normal if they would close it when I was not there, but¡­¡­.¡¯ She looked more carefully. The lights were off in the room, so she couldn¡¯t see the inside. ¡®I¡¯ll have to go check it out.¡¯ Whistle¨C As soon as Aria whistled, Silver and ck ran at the same time. ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°Oh, that surprised me!¡± Marronnier was terrified to see the wolf and jaguar rushing towards her. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean to call both Silver and ck¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria thought so and said, ¨C I¡¯m going to visit the main building for a while, but I want to take just one of you. Then Silver and ck looked at each other¡¯s faces and lowered their bodies, widening the distance as if they were going to jump out. Then they revealed their teeth and started threatening each other. ¨C Both of you stop. ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡± ¡°Grr, Grrrrr¡­¡± ¨C Anyone is fine. It was when Aria sighed as she looked at the two wild beasts, just before they rushed in. The maid chief Betty, who ran to see the disturbance, interrupted. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¨C I¡¯m going to check my room. ¡°Do you have anything you left behind? I¡¯ll take it and be right back.¡± ¨C No, I¡¯ll go. Because I can¡¯t get you to work on a day like today. ¡°No matter how excited I am from the banquet, I can¡¯t leave my work to the Young Madam.¡± Betty cut it off and said firmly. Aria pondered what to do, and she saw Silver and ck still facing each other. She had no choice but to say this. ¨C Then, just check who is in the room and if there¡¯s anything different from usual. ¡°Yes!¡± Betty ran towards the main building. As Aria looked worriedly at her back, she heard Tristan¡¯s voice in the distance. ¡°My angelic daughter said that I should reciprocate feelings with emotions. So I carved my daughter¡¯s deep consideration deeply and embraced it with gratitude.¡± What other nonsense is this? ¡®It¡¯s a banquet that was held in the spirit of me being thankful to them for everything.¡¯ Something was wrong with him. However, the employees who heard Tristan responded enthusiastically and agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll serve you for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joy for us to see Young Madam growing up happy and healthy!¡± At this point, Dwayne, who had been nagging by the side, nodded with a happy face in agreement. ¡°Of course, we have to protect the angel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria was at a loss for words and she was staring at them with a puzzled face. Sabina, who was smiling in amusement, motioned for Aria toe. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± It was when Aria was about to step towards her. Lloyd, who had just entered the garden, approached Aria and asked. It wasn¡¯t a formal banquet, so it seemed like he wasn¡¯t dressed up, but he was dressed in a strange way. ¡®Fasten the button properly¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria barely turned her gaze away from Lloyd, who looked half disheveled, and said, covering her cheek with her hand to hide the flushed color of it. ¨C Betty hasn¡¯te yet. Lloyd smiled briefly at her, and extended his hand to Aria. ¡°Go and enjoy the banquet. It won¡¯t be toote to make an important announcement after the maid chief returns.¡± The Imperial Pce food sucked and was unpleasant. He added. Aria had no choice but topletely agree with that statement. The Imperial Pce chef was pretty good too, but in the end, there is no chef as good as Baker. ¨C Actually, I wanted to cook myself¡­¡­. Everyone trembled at the same time hearing the pitiful mumbling words Aria said, who stood in the center of the crowd. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Although the Young Madam gave a banquet for us, we can¡¯t really watch you cook yourself. We have to serve you.¡± ¡°Of course. You should befortable. Anyway, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it! Come on, enjoy it! Young Madam¡¯s joy is our joy!¡± And they suddenly got rmed and spread apart. In an overly desperate way. ¨C Why do you look like you don¡¯t like it¡­¡­. ¡°What? No way!¡± But why are you sweating? Aria narrowed her eyes as she looked at the employees who vehemently denied her. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Silver and ck were still facing each other, threatening each other at the back. No, she thought so. Until she notices that the two beasts are growling towards the grass and not at each other. ¡®What¡¯s in the grass?¡¯ Aria looked at it for a moment and wondered. All of a sudden, ck and Silver looked at each other again and started growling at each other. ¡®What?¡¯ They might have heard the wind or saw a squirrel passing by. But for some reason she couldn¡¯t get over it easily. Aria immediately ran to the grass. Rustle¨C And with her hand she swept through the grass without hesitation. ¡°Young Madam? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Marronnier suddenly approached Aria, who was searching among the grass, and was startled. A child had been hiding under the grass, crouching her body. ¡­¡­ Laura? At the sound of the call, the child looked up at Aria with a look of dismay. ¡°Gasp, who is this kid?¡± Marronnier asked, terrified, not thinking there would be a child. ¨C Her name is Laura. I brought her because she was threatened by a carnivorous rabbit near the Ingo Mountains. ¡°What a pity¡­ Don¡¯t crouch there ande out.¡± Marronnier took the child out of the grass and brushed the leaves off her clothes. Aria stared at Laura, and she asked. ¨C Why are you here? ¡°I want to meet Sister¡­¡± ¨C Then why didn¡¯t you say so before. Laura should have been in the guest room of the annex by now. That means that she hade all the way here alone. ¡°I thought Sister would be ufortable with me. You asked to keep it a secret.¡± Aria, in a hurry to save the child, unintentionally spoke in front of Laura. She was going to announce it today anyway, so she still asked everyone to keep it a secret. ¨C You mean you were hiding and watching because you were afraid that you might tell my secrets? Laura looked into Aria¡¯s eyes and nodded her head. Aria couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her, as the child looked like she had grown up eating a meal offered unwillingly. And, for some reason, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that the situation was a bit suspicious. ¡®Why did Silver and ck behave abnormally? And the carnivorous rabbit¡­¡­.¡± Why was Laura always near it? ¡®I should keep her by my side and watch.¡¯ Because this was the ce where Aria, Lloyd, Tristan, and Sabina were. It was better than letting the child roam around alone. ¨C I¡¯m not ufortable at all. Aria said as she stretched out her hand towards Laura. ¨C Stay by my side. ¡°Is, is it okay? As an outsider, I dare to be in such a precious ce¡­¡± ¨C If I say it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. If I¡¯m there, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my banquet. Laura seemed confused for a moment, then reached out her little hand with a shy face. It was just before their hands touched each other. ¡°Wait.¡± Marronnier, who was looking at Laura warmly with a favorable gaze, suddenly changed to a suspicious look. ¡°Have I seen you somewhere?¡± ¡°What? N, no.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Re, really. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a huge castle¡­¡± Marronnier tilted her head and narrowed the gap between her eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯ve definitely seen you.¡± And, as if searching for her memories, she was deeply immersed in thought. ¡°¡­Young Madam!¡± It was then. Betty, who had gone to check Aria¡¯s room for a moment, ran up to her, gasping for breath. ¡°Some, something¡¯s wrong! There were traces of someone scouring the Young Madam¡¯s room!¡± In heightened feelings, Betty took a deep breath and spoke loudly. Her voice was so loud that everyone¡¯s eyes turned to her. ¡°What? The spies were all sent back to nature, there should be no traces of that?¡± Dwayne asked, quoting his master¡¯s explicit expression. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re trying to put everything back in ce, but it won¡¯t fool me. There must have been a thief!¡± The employees, who were greatly agitated at Betty¡¯s words, burned with anger at the same time. ¡°How dare they touch our Young Madam¡¯s things out of so many things!¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do. If caught, I will dismember them in five pieces!¡± ¡°Five pieces? I¡¯ll remember them into fragmented pieces!¡± ¡°Fragmented pieces? What I mean to say¡­¡± The ck Falcon, who pretended to be rtively quiet in front of people, spit out words that made people tremble. They looked like they would immediately run out and put what they had just said into action as soon as the order was given. And, finally. Marronnier, who was staring intently at Laura¡¯s face as if tracing her memory, suddenly shouted out loud. ¡°You must have been the maid in the Imperial Pce!¡± Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Imperial Pce? Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Laura. It wasn¡¯t a friendly look. The Valentine¡¯s people would of course be hostile to the Imperial Pce. ¡°Are you a kid who worked in the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°But why are you here?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the Young Madam brought her that was wandering through the Ingo Mountains.¡± ¡°What, then, was she a spy from the Imperial Pce?¡± Laura, pale of the remark that she was a spy, staggered back and faltered. ¡°N, no! I, I¡¯ve never set foot in such a grand ce like the Imperial Pce!¡± But Marronnier was sure. While she was staying at the Imperial Pce, she ran into a lot of servants,ing and going to get Aria stuff. ¡°No, I saw it clearly. You were one of the apprentice maids.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯ve seen someone who looks like me. There¡¯s no way they can use a kid like me in the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°You were called Daisy in the Imperial Pce. I heard the maids say that you suddenly disappeared on the day of the hunting contest.¡± There was a reason why Marronnier paid special attention to the apprentice maids among the many and many Imperial Pce servants. It reminded her of her own childhood, and it was also because she was exactly the same age when Aria came to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. ¡°How, how could that be¡­¡± Was the child even a child? When she was suddenly nailed in the head, Laura gave an outright agitated response. ¡°Are you the one who entered Young Madam¡¯s room?¡± Marronnier, who used to be a soft squirrel, now asked, showing her teeth fiercely. Laura shook her head. ¡°I, it¡¯s not me!¡± And as if she was running away, she backed away. ¡°If not, exin now!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± Marronnier grabbed Laura¡¯s hand and pulled her away. Then something trickled from Laura¡¯s sleeve and fell onto the grass. A ne of water drop crystals. It was the cursed ne that could contain divine power. ¡°¡­so for real?¡± When the words that Marronnier threw to scare Laura were actually true, Marronnier herself was even more flustered. To get to Aria¡¯s room, Laura would have to go through the main pce entrance, where there were wolves and jaguar cages. It was a zone of wild beasts that devoured intruders alive when they entered. Outsiders were never allowed in. ¡°¡­!¡± When everyone was silent for a while without understanding the situation. Laura quickly hung the ne around her neck and widened the distance. ¡®Oh, right. Come to think of it, that ne has Gabriel¡¯s divine power¡­¡­ !¡¯ With that ne, anyone could use divine power. The child¡¯s eyes were instantly dyed with a brilliant golden light. Some employees, noticing the meaning of the eye color, seriously hardened their expressions. ¡°Divine power!¡± ¡°It was a child from Garcia!¡± With the word Garcia, the mood changed in an instant. Iparable to when Laura was known as a spy from the Imperial Pce. ¡°Little child, don¡¯t be silly and stay down. I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­¡± Ugh. A ck Falcon approached the child, but let out a small groan and stepped back. Because of the barrier the child had wrapped around her with the divine powers, he could not get close. ¡®In that brief moment, she was able to use divine power and spread a barrier right away. What is it?¡¯ Aria observed Laura without hiding herplicated feelings. Laura was no ordinary child either. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Laura suddenly fixed her eyes on Silver, who barked sharply at her and revealed its teeth. And then. Silver stopped exposing hostility towards Laura, tilted its head back and howled loudly. ¡°Awwoo-!¡± It was to call its friends. ¡°Huh?¡± Seeing his own dog being controlled by the little child, Tristan twisted his lips in interest. With ck, the situation was no different. Wild beasts running from the wolf and jaguar cage quickly surrounded the crowd in the garden. ¡°Grrrr.¡± ¡°Kuuuurr¡­¡± They were ready to rush and bite at any minute. Aria realized at the same time. ¡®This child can control animals.¡¯ The condition of the carnivorous rabbit she encountered in the Ingo Mountains was strange. Laura passed safely through the wild beasts cages. It was all Laura¡¯s ability that the wolves and jaguars ended up revealing their teeth to their master. Trapped among the wild beasts, the employees broke into a cold sweat. ¡°¡­¡­What should we do?¡± The ck Falcon asked in trouble. If they fight to death, they may be able to win, but those are the beasts raised by Grand Duke Valentine and the Grand Prince himself. However, they are unable to approach Laura, the instigator of the matter, prematurely to subdue her because of the barrier that surrounded her. Then Tristan answered without hesitation. ¡°The Holy Empire is also very stupid. Did they think that sending a little bloody little child would change the situation a little?¡± And he drew the sword that was handed from the knight, and without hesitation aimed the sword at the wolves and Laura, and then spoke his words. ¡°How dare you ruin my daughter¡¯s meaningful banquet. Where did you all get the crazy disease as a whole group¡­¡± He looked like a devil Grand Duke, showing no sympathy. Whether the opponent was a child or an animal, there seemed to be no room for reconsideration if it was a spy. ¡°Annoying¡­ It must have been a long time since I had organized the order.¡± Lloyd also murmured grimly as he scrutinized the jaguars who rebelled against him. Laura didn¡¯t know that the Grand Duke and the Grand Prince would act like this, so she said in a bewildered way. ¡°You, you mean it doesn¡¯t matter if the animal you raised gets hurt?¡± ¡°Unfortunately for you, we¡¯re not merciful enough to put up with a dog that exposes its teeth to its master.¡± Tristan said while knocking out the wolf that attacked first. Did she not expect them to get knocked out? Laura froze for a moment with a face full of despair, then bit her nails, impatiently. She seems to have realized toote that they would not even be able topete with the Grand Duke and Grand Prince even if the wild beastsunch an all-out attack. ¡®If this is the case, I will be caught.¡¯ She has to drag on the time somehow. ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter if they all die?¡± What? Aria doubted her ears. The words she never thought woulde out of a child¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all!¡± At Laura¡¯s words, the beasts suddenly changed their targets. They were not just targeting people, but they were beginning to reveal murderous intent to their own friend as well. And like dogs on the battlefield, they fought with the spirit to kill each other. It was like watching a war. There was Silver and ck in the mix. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, I will have both people and animals fight to death!¡± Laura, who was driven to the edge, cried desperately. When Aria saw animals fighting each other exposing their teeth, she recalled a certain memory. ¡®She suddenly disappeared on the day of the hunting contest¡­¡­.¡¯ Was it Laura¡¯s fault that the animals were being killed in a mysterious way in the imperial hunting grounds? Laura ¡®could have manipted animals to fight and injure each other.¡¯ Then it wasn¡¯t an assassin trying to lure the Princess. It may not be for the Princess, but Laura did that to lure Aria. ¡®Then the child¡¯s purpose is¡­¡­.; That was then. ¡°Kyaaa!¡± One employee let out a terrible scream. He stood idly, not understanding the situation yet, and then became involved in the fight at the same time. He grabbed his bitten leg and made a desperate face. The wolf,pletely lost in the smell of blood, opened his mouth wide. ¡°Kiing!¡± At the same time, the wolf cried and walked away. It was because Sabina struck the wolf with a sword. ¡°Ma, Madam!¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Gasp, yes!¡± The employee, who was looking up to Sabina with a thrilled face, limped and disappeared when told to scram. However, that was only for a while. The wild beasts intoxicated by mass madness still continued to hunt their friends. ¡°Kiiing, king¡­¡± A wolf fell down, pouring blood nonstop. A jaguar breathed heavily on the grass as if it would die at any moment. A ck Hawk confronts a beast after unsessful attempts to approach Laura several times. ¡®If this continues, the wolves and jaguars will fight until they die.¡¯ Although she wondered how Laura could use such a powerful force that even the Siren¡¯s abilities wouldn¡¯t work. Soon, she had no time to think about it. ¡°Kyaaaak!¡± Because she heard Marronnier¡¯s scream. ¡°Everyone, stop! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to kill this one.¡± Laura threatened in a trembling voice. With a dagger engraved with a colorful pattern on Marronnier¡¯s neck. It was one of many weapons that Lloyd gave Aria to use as self-defense. ¡°You think I can¡¯t do it?¡± The child was clumsy and her hands were trembling helplessly. But Marronnier got very nervous. Not because of the dagger the child wielded, but because of the wild beasts that surround her and reveal their teeth. If she tries to resist, they will bite her right away. ¡°¡­it¡¯s Aria¡¯s handmaid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my daughter¡¯s hand maid?¡± Tristan and Lloyd released their lifted sword, constantly watching Aria¡¯s eyes. Aria will be sad if that handmaid dies, they were thinking so. Laura was smart. She finds out that Aria is Valentine¡¯s powerhouse, so she found the weakest of Aria¡¯s entourage. ¡®Marronnier!¡¯ As expected, Aria was visibly agitated and her eyes trembled slightly. ¡°Put down your weapons, everyone.¡± Then Tristan, Lloyd, and Sabina, who were making a bitter expression, put down their swords. The ck Falcon also dropped their swords on the floor. ¡°And you.¡± Laura said, pointing to Aria. ¡°Never sing, never speak, stand beside me.¡± She also knew that Aria was a Siren. This convinced Aria. The child was the one who injured the animals in the imperial hunting grounds. ¡®The barrier was actually made to block the effect of the song.¡¯ She was a pretty smart kid. It made it even more sad. Aria, who stared somewhere in the air for a moment, nodded her head. ¨C I will. And she approached obediently. It was only for a moment that she appeared agitated. Aria¡¯s face went calm again and she approached Laura without hesitation, ¡°You, don¡¯te too close!¡± Surprised, Laura swung the dagger in the air threateningly, and used Marronnier as a hostage in earnest. She pressed the de to the limit to Marronnier¡¯s neck, who was on her knees on the ground. ¡°Kyak!¡± A solid red line appeared on Marronnier¡¯s neck, and blood trickled down. It was around the time when Aria¡¯s expression hardened coldly. ¡°Now!¡± The shaman, Carlin, who suddenly jumped out of the air, shouted. Then Gabriel, who moved with him, broke Laura¡¯s barrier. It was an umtion of his own divine power. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± While Lloyd and Tristan twitched and clicked their tongues, Aria quickly moved towards the bewildered Laura. And she took a deep breath. ¡°Tis thest rose of summer, Left blooming alone; All her lovelypanions, Are faded and gone.¡± The song that ran through her head the moment she first saw Laura threatened by the carnivorous rabbit in the Ingo Mountains. The moment she put the song out of her mouth, Aria knew what this song was. ¡®A song for those who couldn¡¯t leave.¡¯ It was a song of requiem. Soothes the souls of the dead and allows them to rest peacefully. Lubies for the soul. ¡°No flower of her kindred, No rose-bud is nigh, To reflect back her blushes, Or give sigh for sigh!¡± Aria¡¯s gentle tone filled the rose garden, which had never bloomed. ¡®Why did this songe to mind?¡¯ She knew without even thinking deeply. Because Laura was no longer of this world. Song quote: ¡®Thest rose of summer (by Thomas Moore), from Act 2 of Flotow¡¯s opera Martha. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 ¡°Thou, lone one.¡± The employees who heard the song were at a loss and opened their mouths nkly. Their eyes fluttered incessantly until they understood what it was. ¡®Young Madam¡­¡­.¡¯ She spoke in a clear and mellow voice. She sings a song that is transparent and pure like a stream. ¡°I¡¯ll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem.¡± They didn¡¯t even think to express the question of how or when. They couldn¡¯t help but hold their breath. They couldn¡¯t even open their mouths. Because none of them wanted to miss a single moment of this song. Vincent and Cloud also rushed to hear about the incidentte. Tristan, Sabina, and Lloyd were also watching over Aria¡¯s safety. Gabriel was so surprised that he was stunned, but couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her as if he was possessed by Aria. And Laura. ¡°Since the lovely are sleeping, Go, sleep thou with them.¡± The song gently softened andforted the wounded, exhausted, weary, and defiled soul. It washed them clean. Treated them kindly. How can they feel so many emotions in one person¡¯s singing voice? Truly, it was a wave of emotions. Infinitely soft, infinitely warm, infinitely calm, infinitely happy. ¡°Thus kindly I scatter, Thy leaves o¡¯er the bed, Where thy mates of the garden, Lie scentless and dead.¡± A soft voice came crashing down like a rushing wave. It embraced them with the zing spring sun. Everyone in the space was helplessly drenched in the rushing waves. They were immersed in the rush of emotions and felt a sense of happiness that was so deep that they could die. Peace,fort, and rest¡­¡­. ¡°When friendships decay, And from love¡¯s shining circle, The gems drop away!¡± The gentle tone that decorates the finale of the short and calm song whispered. Now let go of all your regrets and rx. There is nothing here that you have ever valued. It was as if it was saying that. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Laura bit her lip. Uncontroble tears welled up, and immediately dripped onto the grass. ¡°I, I¡­¡± Laura, shaking her hand, eventually dropped the dagger on the floor. Tired, she murmured as she looked down at her palm. ¡°¡­I¡¯m already dead.¡± She¡¯s dead. The moment she realized that, Laura put Marronnier down and stepped back. Aria watched Laura silently, then pulled the ne around her neck. ¡°No!¡± Laura desperately reached out her hand, despite the fact that the divine power that was bound to the ne crystal had disappeared. She looked desperate. She showed a tenacity to take the ne at any cost. Aria held her outstretched hand tightly. It was then that she faintly felt an eerie energy that could not be described in words. ¡®Chimera.¡¯ A human body that has renounced humanity, making a dead body move like a living person. Laura is a chimera. ¡®She is a chimera¡­¡­.¡¯ There was a reason Aria didn¡¯t notice it earlier. Laura didn¡¯t have the horrible stench characteristic of a chimera at all. The reason was soon known. ¡®I can feel a divine power.¡¯ It was different from the gutter rat, which had various energies mixed in various ways. Aria felt only pure divine power. Laura is a chimera that was created only with divine power and moves only with divine power. ¡®I think she¡¯s a more evolved form of a chimera than the gutter rat.¡¯ She doesn¡¯t know how this was possible, or who did it. It was possible to infer. ¡®The only person who can achieve this is Hans¡­¡­.¡¯ Currently, Hans is in the Kingdom of Bruto¡¯s researchb, and there was spection that the Holy Empire, Garcia, might be behind the Kingdom of Bruto. ¡®There¡¯s no way this little child would have wanted to be a chimera on her own.¡¯ So she must have been forced to be a chimera by the Holy Empire. ¡°Laura.¡± When Aria opened her mouth, Laura¡¯s shoulders trembled. Her eyes, full of anxiety and regret, fluttered helplessly. Aria spoke more firmly as she looked down at the child that was agitated and didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°It¡¯s okay to stop now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡± Laura blinked and shook her head. And more desperately she clings to Aria¡¯s arms, waving in the air to take the ne, and in the end, she clings to the hem of Aria¡¯s skirt and weeps. ¡°No. No. Give it back.¡± As the tears dripped onto the pink fabric, it began to turn red. It was as if she shed tears of blood. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be abandoned¡­¡± Aria¡¯s brow furrowed deep. Because it matched exactly how she felt before she turned back time, when she was just Laura¡¯s age. It was a sign of tant abuse. ¡°Then, do you think you¡¯ll getpliments if you get this ne back?¡± No. Laura was a smart kid. ¡®She¡¯ll know it best herself.¡¯ By the time she was caught stealing in front of the Valentine¡¯s people, she knew that she was already going to be abandoned. ¡°Laura, I don¡¯t know where you came from¡­¡± In fact, she can only guess. Aria had something to say. ¡°¡­don¡¯t ever go back to the ce where children get abandoned and killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Only you will get hurt.¡± ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s scary. I¡¯m already toote. I¡¯m broken. No one wants a monster like me.¡± Aria actually knew. That it¡¯s already toote. After Laura¡¯s abuse, she became a chimera, neither living nor dying. No matter how much Aria sang the Siren¡¯s song, she could not turn the chimera, which was nothing more than a corpse, back into a human. Her limit was to just soothe her soul. ¡°Have you ever killed anyone?¡± ¡°N, no.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s stop here.¡± Aria put Laura in her arms and wrapped her arms around Laura¡¯s trembling back and stroked her hair. ¡°Laura, don¡¯t ever let your heart be broken. It¡¯ll stay with you after you die.¡± Laura probably just didn¡¯t want to be abandoned. She couldn¡¯t see anything as she was terrified of being left alone in this world. But she couldn¡¯t bear to let the people and animals do things they didn¡¯t want to do. ¡®Then Laura will just give up everything and leave herself to instinct.¡¯ She should not think that she is broken both physically and mentally and be desperate. Because that was the most dangerous situation. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of all the injured people and animals. Let¡¯s pretend it didn¡¯t happen. Laura didn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Laura didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Desperation and anxiety filled her lifeless eyes, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can sleep. So that your precious heart doesn¡¯t get broken any more.¡± A word sweeter than a luby began to slowly spread relief in her heart. Laura¡¯s legs lost strength and slumped into ce. And Laura closed her eyes. A dreadful suffocation came over. Aria sat in the garden andid Laura on herp. ¡°Huuu¡­¡± The child took a deep breath. Laura realized. That she was dying. ¡®No, she¡¯s already dead.¡¯ It¡¯s not that she¡¯s dying, it¡¯s that she epted Aria¡¯s song the moment she heard it. Her own death. The child whispered slowly. Her voice was so low that only Aria could hear it. ¡°I was told to secretly find and steal something that would increase divine power from the Grand Princess¡­.¡± Something that increases divine power. There was only one person who came to mind from those words. ¡®Veronica.¡¯ Aria nced at Gabriel for a moment. A lot of confusion was read in his gaze, which had been directed at Aria from the beginning. And the mysterious heat. ¡®He¡¯s the most suspicious, but I don¡¯t think he mentioned it directly to Veronica about the ne¡­¡­.¡¯ Because Laura said that she was told to find ¡®something to increase divine power¡¯, not a ¡®ne¡¯. ¡°Who made you like this?¡± ¡°The director did.¡± Director? ¡°The orphanage director?¡± ¡°Yeah, after the death of the director, the wizard did.¡± ¡°How did they do it?¡± ¡°I was locked up in a room with no one around, and I kept getting injections. I was fed strange things. They hung strange things on my body. I woke up sick enough to die, but I lived alone among my close friends.¡± Laura stuttered as if recalling her painful memories. ¡°They said I was the first to seed. The grown-ups said I was a chosen child. I was blessed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But, there are still a lot of kids locked up in the room other than me. There are so many¡­.¡± Is it because she heard the song? Or is it because Laura has decided to stop now? She blinked her eyes very slowly, as if drunk from sleep. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± And she apologized. ¡°The saint told me to infiltrate the imperial pce and kill the animals. And she told me to hide and watch.¡± But I¡¯m afraid¡­¡­. Laura snorted and spoke. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let them kill each other, so I made them fight each other.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± It was a courageous confession. However, Aria answered bluntly. Laura¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. As if Aria didn¡¯t know how to react calmly without being angry. ¡°Actually, she asked me to find out exactly what Sister¡¯s identity was. If I didn¡¯t tell her, she would throw me away, so I told her everything. That Sister¡¯s song seems to have a special ability¡­¡± Laura revealed Aria¡¯s identity to Veronica. That would mean that the words also went to Garcia¡­¡­. Aria didn¡¯t answer for a while. She didn¡¯t know her identity would get out so quickly. ¡®You¡¯re really going to hit me this time.¡¯ Laura thought as she was dying. After she said this, even after death she might be beaten and spit in her face. Aria whispered in Laura¡¯s ear with her eyes closed in resignation. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Those bad people, I just need to get rid of them all.¡± Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Aria¡¯s words always had power, even if she didn¡¯t emphasize it. A serious power that could not be taken lightly at all. The power that makes people want to believe. ¡°Before destroying them, I will make them pay a terrible price for it. They will reap what they sow. Because I will make it that way.¡± No matter how long it takes. No matter what cost. Aria said, as if talking about a predetermined ending. ¡°Everyone is very strong.¡± ¡°I am stronger.¡± A faint smile appeared on Laura¡¯s lips, barely lifting her trembling eyelids, and then disappeared. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± And she said for Aria toe closer. As Aria lowered her head, Laura whispered in a lower voice in her ear. Hearing Laura¡¯s words, Aria¡¯s eyes widened wide in surprise for a moment. But she soon regained herposure. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Aria epted Laura¡¯s apology, her eyes curved gently. And she lightly kissed Laura¡¯s forehead, nowpletely dead and not moving. Aria was exhausted, but she decided to sing a song of healing. Even if everyone tried to stop her, she spoke like a knife. Laura trusted Aria and left, so she has to keep her promise. ¡°Gasp.¡± An employee who was shedding tears of emotion after hearing Aria¡¯s song looked down at his legs. The scar from the wolf¡¯s horrific bite had disappeared without a trace. ¡°The wound has healed!¡± One or two wild beasts that copsed to the ground while bleeding also regained their consciousness and got up. Marronnier whispered as she rubbed the nape of her neck, which had been wounded by the dagger. ¡°I already knew that the Young Madam was a fairy, but you were a real fairy¡­¡± The shock was so great that everyone had forgotten that Aria was speaking normally. What does it mean to be able to speak? With her song, the intruderfortably closed her eyes, and their wounds healed in an instant. Even life-threatening injuries! ¡°She was hiding that she was a fairy.¡± ¡°I know. She was a real fairy who came down to the human world¡­ I should have known earlier!¡± Rather, they were focusing on the fact that Aria must be somewhat non-human. Aria smiled at the absurdity. She had no energy, she didn¡¯t even have the strength to smile. ¡®Anyway, I know that Sister-inw is in a bad condition right now. I assure you, when you go back, you will copse and fall ill.¡¯ Maybe she should have listened to Vincent. Of course even if she listened, it didn¡¯t seem like things would change. ¡°I have something to tell everyone.¡± It was a different matter from the original purpose, but Aria briefly exined it. Laura was actually a chimera with a dead body. ¡°You mean she was dead from the start?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re saying that child was taken advantage of?¡± ¡°How could this happen to her at such a young age¡­¡± Even the employee, who was seriously injured from the beast¡¯s bite, had no choice but to show sympathy in his heart when he heard that Laura was already dead. Carlin said without hiding hisplicated look. ¡°Young Madam sang a song, so even the soul of this child was able to close her eyesfortably.¡± ¡°Then, if the Young Madam hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that, the child would have lived as a puppet until she was disposed of or until her body was worn out.¡± Carlin added an exnation. Then the employees got even fussier. It was because they realized again how Aria embraced the persecuted and the weak. ¡°What about¡­ the body?¡± Dwayne asked, hesitating. Instead of answering the question, Tristan turned to Aria. ¡°You decide.¡± Aria replied immediately, as if she had no concern to begin with. ¡°I want to bury her in the cemetery.¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Tristan gestured his head, telling them to move quickly. As Dwayne gave the order to the person next to him, the man nodded his head and moved Laura. The man was also ying the role of the funeral director. Laura¡¯s body looked as if she was still alive. However, Aria was convinced. ¡®Laura¡¯s soul has already left her body.¡¯ Her alive appearance was probably because they forcefully breathed life into her body through divine powers. ¡®They gave Laura the power of a siren.¡¯ Laura, who heard the song of requiem, epted her death and chose to leave her life. ¡®If I recall the Siren¡¯s ability did not work at all with the chimera I first encountered, the taxidermist¡­¡­.¡¯ It was clear what this meant. The chimera was getting closer and closer to a living creature. Even the magician Hans¡¯ talent was getting closer to the devil. ¡®I need to meet him and stop him.¡¯ Aria came to that conclusion and jumped up. Whether it was Garcia, Veronica, or Hans, she thought that something big would happen if she left it like this. ¡°Uhk¡­.¡± But at that moment, she felt dizzy and she stumbled for a moment, nearly copsing. ¡°Careful¡­¡­!¡± Gabriel, who was standing near Aria, stretched out his hand in surprise. However, Lloyd, who approached in the blink of an eye, shook off Gabriel¡¯s hand and embraced Aria. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, but¡­¡± ¡­¡­ She thought she heard a loud sound of a broken bone somewhere. Aria turned her gaze away for a moment, and Gabriel was holding his wrist. His bone seemed to have been broken, but it looked as if it was neatly reattached by his divine power. ¡®It seems that he couldn¡¯t control his strength at all towards Gabriel because Gabriel recovers so quickly.¡¯ Should she tell Lloyd not to do that too much? It was when Aria was staring at Gabriel sadly for a moment. ¡°Are you keeping your eyes on something else?¡± Lloyd whispered in her ear in a voice so low, as if scratching the floor. ¡°I guess the rabbit¡¯s eyes can only see other people. My insides are burning.¡± Aria looked up at him for a moment, then patted his head without saying a word. She¡¯ll let him do this once or twice. Lloyd, who received her hand with a momentarily expressionless face, grabbed Aria¡¯s hand. And he bit her finger painlessly. ¡°If you overdo it again, you¡¯ll get scolded, really.¡± Aria, whose finger got bitten, was startled and stiffened. And she looked down at her own hand in confusion. ¡®I haven¡¯t been bitten by a carnivorous rabbit¡­¡­.¡¯ She was bitten by a person. Aria¡¯s feelings gotplicated. Then Gabriel came up to Lloyd and Aria in his arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat her.¡± ¡°¡­Did I just hear it correctly?¡± ¡°If you heard that I¡¯m going to treat her, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking because I don¡¯t know. I meant to let you know your ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd let out a short smirk and stared at him coldly. Telling Gabriel that if he understood, he should know his ce and go away. It was a cold murderous energy that seemed to swallow Gabriel without a trace if he came close enough. ¡°As a native of Garcia, I know for sure that you lost trust¡­¡± Gabriel struggled to keep his face from contorting with pain. It was painful. The saint to whom he swore allegiance, his homnd and the fact that everything he had believed may be a lie. It was as if his feet were being swallowed from the fear that his whole world might copse. ¡°But I will never do any harm to her.¡± Still, he struggled to say so. Because the first priority was to treat Aria, who looked ill. ¡°You don¡¯t know your ce. In Valentine, the doctor for Aria is always on standby, do you think we¡¯ll need you?¡± ¡°I will be able to relieve fatigue at once.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about fatigue, it¡¯s about energy. Carlin¡¯s potion is enough.¡± ¡°No. Please think more rationally. It is the divine power that specializes in healing through all the energies in this world.¡± Lloyd seemed to be contemting how to get rid of him, yet Gabriel didn¡¯t back down. Aria let out a sigh as she listened to their conversation, and then she suddenly felt her stomach churn and her eyes widen. ¡°Both of you¡­¡­.¡± The world was spinning. ¡°Stop¡­¡­.¡± Aria couldn¡¯t finish her words. Her mind was slowly clouded, and pitch ck darkness covered her vision. ¡°Aria¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Grand Princess!¡± Thest thing she saw was the faces of the two men in dismay. ¡°It was going very well!¡± Cardinal Andrea was truly furious. He gave up pretending to be a man of character. And as he threw things that were on the desk to the floor, he huffed and puffed. ¡°I thought things were going well, but you ruined everything like this? All you had to do was wait for the experiment to finish sessfully¡­!¡± Then Veronica, who was sitting opposite him, clenched her fists as she looked at the shards of ceramics on the floor, shattered to pieces. It was good until she was sent to the orphanage to test subjects at the Imperial Pce. But she may have been overzealous to even send it to Valentine¡¯s estate. Not to say, but it won¡¯t be able toe back. ¡°¡­I admit my mistake.¡± ¡°Does it make a difference to admit it? We lost the first and only sess.¡± ¡°There are already sess stories, so we can create the next one anytime.¡± She retorted without giving in. ¡°The important thing is that we have conclusive information that the Grand Princess is a Siren.¡± Then the cardinal raised his voice even more and screamed. ¡°That was something I already knew from the ve trader! It¡¯s absurd to overhearmunications and pretend to make a great discovery.¡± Ha. On the contrary, it made Veronica dumbfounded. The only thing that Cardinal Andrea learned from the owner of the Underhill ve Trader was that he had ¡®heard a song¡¯. However, Veronica deduced that Aria was actually a Siren with just one vague clue. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t infiltrated the subject into the Imperial Pce, we would have never known. The existence of the Siren.¡± ¡°Huh, then, what. What¡¯s so great about being the Siren?¡± But the cardinal only snorted his nose. ¡°What¡¯s so great? Even though she had recaptured the entire ves from the notorious Underhill ve Trader?¡± ¡°Is there anything impossible with Valentine¡¯s help? What¡¯s the big deal with a singing clown¡­¡± Tsk, tsk, Andrea, who clicked his tongue, rang the bell and called the pdins. And, as if it had been like that, he put on the cardinal¡¯s mask again and said, ¡°Saint Veronica¡¯s skill in retrieving very good specimens was appreciated. By adding to the research done by Count Chateau, she was able to produce results.¡± The pdins who came after hearing the bell caught Veronica. ¡°Let, let me go!¡± And dragged her who was rebelling. ¡°But I¡¯ve already said you only get one chance. You¡¯ve ruined it, so you¡¯ll have to pay the price.¡± Chapter 150: Illustration Chapter 150 (Illustration) Pope of Garcia, Ambrose. He realized the moment he ascended to the papal throne and learned all the truth. God¡¯s feelings that Garcia has possessed from generation to generation. ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯. It has now reached a point where its corruption cannot be stopped. ¡°It is not true that divine power purifies Valentine¡¯s malice.¡± The Pope said to Veronica, who was present in an audience with the Cardinal. ¡°God¡¯s goodwill and malice that got divided will meet and only temporarily stop corruption. Divine power is energy extracted from God¡¯s goodwill.¡± In fact, the goodwill was rotting as much as malice. When malice is corrupted, goodwill also is corrupted too. It was because what was perfect as one was split in two. Tobat the corruption, the Pope said, there is only one option. ¡°Those with divine power must be put in Valentine¡¯s Land.¡± ¡°What do you mean by putting in¡­?¡± ¡°It means to bury in the ground.¡± Literally meant to bury people in the ground. The Pope responded with a look that showed no emotion. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible to use our precious talents from Garcia for such a task.¡± And priests and saints with high divine power were Garcia¡¯s assets. Who would do such a stupid thing to bury their gold in someone else¡¯snd? ¡°I will make a vessel to artificially contain the divine power, bury it in Valentine, and purify God¡¯s malice endlessly.¡± To do this, the Pope came into contact with the gutter rat. It was to kill the gutter rat andpletely acquire Hans, the godfather of chimera. And he sessfullypleted the n and sent Hans to the secretboratory of the Kingdom of Bruto. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Veronica said. As if she has been waiting for it. ¡°Perhaps, Count Chateau may have been preparing in advance, knowing Your Holiness¡¯ deep meaning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°I think the children of the orphanage I took over from the Count would be very suitable as the vessels that Your Holiness is talking about.¡± There is an old saying that children are the closest to God. Because children have a pure and clean body and soul. ¡°If you want to make a chimera, you must use children as test subjects.¡± ¡°Saint, do you think that I don¡¯t know that? Of course, I should have tried. But, children are weak. They die easily before they even be a vessel.¡± Ambrose was always concerned with preventing the corruption. It was also due to that, that he secretly invaded the Kingdom of Bruto. To experiment morefortably. No one knows, but the Kingdom of Bruto has long been a Garcia Territory. The secret research continued from then on. ¡°It means that I have already gone through a lot of trial and error.¡± But Veronica shook her head. ¡°These children are different. They are children who have been modified through experiments.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ modified. That¡¯s interesting.¡± The children of the orphanage run by thete Count Chateau were prepared vessels. The experiment was sessful, as Veronica had already expected. Only one has seeded so far. It was a matter of time anyway. Even though she wasn¡¯t noticed by Valentine because of her greedy desire to increase her divine power. ¡°Send her back to Garcia.¡± The Cardinal ordered the pdins. ¡®He¡¯s trying to send me to the lowest ce.¡¯ Veronica understood his inner meaning and turned white. The other day, the Cardinal had previously threatened to send her out of God¡¯s reach. ¡®You¡¯re going to drop me to the bottom?¡¯ Just for this? It was impossible. ¡°This is wrong from the start! You are using children with their full potential as mere vessels of divine power!¡± Veronica screamed her whole strength. She eximed, giving strength to her toes and trying not to be dragged away. ¡°To bury a chimera of divine power in the ground is nothing but maintaining the current condition!¡± ¡°So, you mean you¡¯re going to go against his will?¡± You are pressing for time. The Cardinal mumbled coldly. Still, he was trying to save her life because she contributed to the sess of the experiment. ¡®If this happens, I have no choice but to dispose of her.¡¯ It was when the Cardinal opened his mouth to issue new orders. Before that, Veronica had revealed her own ambitions. ¡°Like I said before, doesn¡¯t Valentine offend you? See how the whole world is hung up on Valentine! It¡¯s all because Garcia gave up God¡¯s malice!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That should never happen. Valentine¡¯s monopoly on God¡¯s malice is also part of God!¡± Garcia had no intention to take on God¡¯s malice. It was because they thought that malice was a disaster, that it should not exist, and that it is of the devil. ¡®¡­¡­ she¡¯s just making excuses.¡¯ The Cardinal felt very ufortable, as if stuck in mud. To tell the truth, the biggest reason was that Garcia didn¡¯t even have the ability to do that. When evil exists, good can also exist. When there is darkness, there is also light. ¡®Who doesn¡¯t know that?¡¯ If they could take on Valentine¡¯s God¡¯s malice and have God¡¯s full feelings, they would have done it earlier. ¡°Are you just trying to preach a sermon to me right now? Listen carefully. Whether it¡¯s God¡¯s goodwill or malice, an ordinary human cannot ept a part of God into his body.¡± Divine power was nothing but energy that was forcibly extracted from God¡¯s goodwill. God¡¯s goodwill, in itself, could never be put into the body. ¡°What do you think would be different in a chimera? There are only certain people who can receive a part of God in their body.¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, the Cardinal spoke with a brief sneer. ¡°Those who receive ¡®God¡¯s love¡¯.¡± As a lifelong servant of God, it was hard for him to admit that he did not receive God¡¯s love. God¡¯s love that Valentine received. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Saint Veronica. If you have anything to say, I¡¯ll listen to it onest time.¡± Cardinal Andrea would pretend to be generous and listen to her will. But as soon as he said that, Veronica responded rather proudly. ¡°God¡¯s love that¡¯s worth half a penny? I don¡¯t need any of that.¡± And to the Cardinal who was so startled by her words, he couldn¡¯t close his mouth, she spoke like driving a wedge. ¡°We, Garcia, will be the god of this new world.¡± Her body was light and refreshed. ¡®Like flying.¡¯ Aria was puzzled. She had no unpleasant sensations upon waking up, which was strangely often when she passed out. The feeling that her body was being crushed by a lump of rock and that flowing cold sweat. ¡®It¡¯s strange, I must have passed out¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria recalled her memory just before she lost consciousness, and she slowly opened her eyes. Lloyd was in front of her. She greeted him in surprise. ¡°Hi.¡± Lloyd then twisted his lips and gave a sharp reply with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t say hi.¡± Lloyd looked like he hadn¡¯t slept. Hisplexion was noticeably pale and his nerves seemed quite on edge. ¡®Well, he¡¯s really angry now¡­¡­.¡¯ He must have been patient enough. Aria looked into his eyes. Just before she passed out, it seemed that he was struggling to swallow his emotions, but this time again she used her powers until she passed out. ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m pissed.¡± Lloyd looked at Aria and let out an annoyed sigh. In an instant, Aria¡¯s heart plummeted. She wondered if he was angry enough to say that he¡¯s pissed all of a sudden. But Lloyd¡¯s gaze was near her neck. ¡®What?¡¯ Aria patted her neck. There was a ne string at the end of her touch. After Aria confirmed that the thing on her ne was a drop-shaped jewel, she asked. ¡°You know what this is?¡± ¡°The shaman said it is a jewel that draws out divine power to the limit.¡± But unfortunately that bug¡­¡­ that apprentice, no matter how much he holds him back, Gabriel wasn¡¯t pushed back. Lloyd whispered lowly. ¡°He said his divine power seems to be innate.¡± It was then that Aria realized why Lloyd was so upset. So, she tried to poke the corner. ¡°Did I recover quickly because of divine power?¡± Then, as if he was quite offended by those words, the gap between his brows deepened. Gabriel really treated her in a heartbeat as he imed. ¡°By wearing the ne.¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t look very pleased, but he said so. ¡°Maybe it will help you who are weak.¡± Lloyd seemed to have made his decision to get her health back first. ¡°But is it transparent?¡± Aria lifted up the jewel that gotpletely drained of the divine powers. Then he took off the ne with a gentle hand and put it in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll go and draw the divine power.¡± The other person to be robbed of that divine power must be Gabriel. ¡°He said his divine power seems to be excessively innate, so use it to restore your health while he¡¯s here.¡± Aria couldn¡¯t help but look grim. It was because she did not know that the ne and Gabriel¡¯s divine power were being used to restore her health when she passed out. ¡°What did he say? Is it okay?¡± Even if Gabriel was used in that way? Lloyd then murmured with his eyes darkened even more. ¡°He asked me to use it for you. I¡¯m going to tear his mouth off. I want to rip it apart.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rip it¡­¡± Well, if Gabriel¡¯s satisfied, then it¡¯s okay. Aria thought that sooner orter she would have to talk to him properly. The banquet, which had been interrupted for a while by themotion, resumed. This time, not under the rose garden that has not yet bloomed, but under the cherry blossom trees in full bloom. It was because Aria insisted she wanted to. ¡°Well¡­ alright.¡± Of course, Lloyd, who she thought would tear Gabriel apart with a straight face, willingly allowed it more than he thought. When Aria opened her rabbit eyes wide in surprise, he added. ¡°Instead, stay in my arms.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°All day.¡± That¡¯s a bit¡­¡­. However, Aria remembered Marronnier, who was overjoyed when she heard the news of the banquet. She didn¡¯t want to leave the banquet she had specially prepared for the employees as a nightmare. Aria voiced her own voice this time, announcing the start of the banquet. ¡°Everyone, just have fun.¡± ¡°Yes! Young Madam!¡± ¡°Long live Young Madam!¡± ¡°Our fairy! Our savior!¡± ¡°Please stay with us forever!¡± Aria smiled brightly as she was in Lloyd¡¯s arms among the crowd cheering her on and toasting to her. And¡­¡­. ¡°Gabriel?¡± Suddenly Aria felt someone¡¯s gaze and turned her head and muttered a little. He stood with his back against a cherry blossom tree in the distance, and was staring straight at Aria. ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s a lot to say¡­¡­.¡¯ Garcia, Veronica. A number of intertwined andplex interests. It was when she was thinking like that. ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd¡¯s scent grew stronger and his breath quickly closed the gap. And a soft touch fell on her cheeks. In a, kiss. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 What was that just now? Aria¡¯s eyes popped open wide and she sped her own cheek. Gabriel and the many otherplicated thoughts about the future disappeared at once. The ck eyes were intertwined with her. She couldn¡¯t even run away. Because she was in Lloyd¡¯s arms and she was cradled so tightly. By the way¡­¡­. ¡°Why are you avoiding my gaze?¡±, Aria asked Lloyd. His gaze was somehow obliquely deflected from her. ¡°¡­it¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± He said so, but there was no way she could understand what he meant. Perhaps it means that he did it without even knowing it¡­¡­. ¡®What if he was feeling embarrassed?¡¯ Thanks to this, Aria was able to get out of the shock sooner than she thought. In fact, she even had some spare time. So she reached out to Lloyd, who didn¡¯t answer, and fiddled with the back of his burning ear. ¡°It¡¯s red.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s very red. Maybe it¡¯s because your skin is white.¡± ¡°¡­¡­stop it.¡± Finally, his wandering eyes turned to Aria. ¡°Why are you so calm?¡± He kissed her cheek. Of course he wasn¡¯t expecting Aria to be embarrassed, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He didn¡¯t know that she would make fun of him as she looked up at him with a smirk on her face. ¡°I think Lloyd is more embarrassed than I am.¡± Originally, it was thew that the one to be embarrassed first will get made fun of. If Lloyd had shown a brazen reaction, Aria would have been frozen in embarrassment and blushing. ¡°I¡¯m not flustered¡­¡± Lloyd muffled his words and looked away again. It¡¯s ridiculous that he already touched on a topic he¡¯d never thought about. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t know how to act. ¡®¡­¡­ I thought it would be hard to stop.¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s throat choked as he swallowed the words he couldn¡¯t get out. His eyes were sunken as deep as the deep sea, and he moistened his dry lips with his tongue. Maybe it¡¯s because of the hallucinations that God¡¯s hope showed him, or maybe it¡¯s because of the unpleasant eyes of the Garcia apprentice. Raw desires that seemed insane were boiling inside him, and he couldn¡¯t keep his eye on it. ¡®Are you nervous?¡¯ Aria looked at Lloyd¡¯s reaction and was puzzled. His sharp jawline was firmly tightened as if something was being suppressed. Aria looked curiously at the bulging tendon in his neck, then poked it with her finger. Lloyd¡¯s body trembled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°To rx your nervousness?¡± ¡°Just¡­ be still.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aria decided to sit quietly in his arms. And she btedly realized that her heart was beating like crazy. ¡®Ah¡­¡­ I was surprised.¡¯ She was so startled that she reacted as if everything was okay. ¡®I thought I¡¯d like to kiss you once before I die, but¡­¡­.¡¯ Even if it¡¯s just a light kiss on his cheek, but she can¡¯t believe she was reacting like this. If they did anything more, her heart might burst and die. ¡®Should I ask why you kissed me?¡¯ She pressed over her heart, which was elerating, and patted her lips. ¡°Grand Princess.¡± Then, Gabriel, who was standing alone with his back against a cherry tree, approached them. Lloyd¡¯s face wrinkled in an instant. ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting you.¡± ¡°Well, I invited him.¡± Aria carefully intervened. Still, he brought and sacrificed his divine power for her, there¡¯s no way she would alienate him because she couldn¡¯t hold the banquet by herself. She invited him to the banquet through an employee. ¡®It¡¯s right to show a sincerity of returning what you had received.¡¯ Little things like that keep piling up and it bes vindictive. But Gabriel didn¡¯t seem to have much interest in enjoying the banquet. His gaze was always on Aria and never left her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± Held in Lloyd¡¯s arms. Aria gave an awkward smile as she was held in his arms. Although her body had already fully recovered, Lloyd was holding Aria as a gentle warning not to overdo it. But again, it was embarrassing to be like this in front of people. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± Lloyd took the ne out of his arms and gave him an order. He was as dignified as a person looking for the things he had left behind. ¡°Here, the divine power.¡± Aria nced at the two of them in turn and squinted her eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡± Then Gabriel grabbed the ne without any resistance and filled it with divine power. ¡°Now scram.¡± But maybe this time, he was going to rebel so Gabriel just stared at Lloyd without answering. ¡°Scram.¡± Lloyd, with a bewitching smile, nodded his head. As if ¡®what are you doing without going away¡¯? However, Gabriel remained still despite the order being repeated twice. ¡°Garcia apprentice.¡± Lloyd mumbled in a muffled voice. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be chasing after something hard, didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯d be happy to pluck your pretty eyes?¡± But Gabriel was not shaken by the murderous intent-filled threats. ¡°Then, scram.¡± Gabriel simply replied bluntly. ¡°I only care about the health and safety of the Grand Princess.¡± ¡°You only care about her health and safety?¡± Lloyd twisted his lips as if that wasn¡¯t even funny. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried. I¡¯ve never formally studied medicine, so it¡¯s uncertain, but the Grand Princess¡¯ health seems unusual.¡± Did he find out something? Gabriel spoke with a serious face like never before, and Aria asked without realizing it. ¡°How¡­ is it unusual?¡± Lloyd, who was holding Aria, looked down at her for a moment. ¡°No matter how much divine power was poured into you, only your energy was restored, and the Grand Princess¡¯ health itself did not seem to be restored. ¡°You proudly confess that your skills are inferior.¡± ¡°Of course, that is also true.¡± It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡­¡­. Gabriel paused for a moment and looked at Aria¡¯splexion, as if examining herplexion. ¡°It must be my mistake.¡± And after a while, he came to a sad conclusion. Lloyd looked at him like a madman, but Aria was convinced the moment she looked into his eyes. He wasn¡¯t just saying it out of the blue. ¡®He was saying this because he knows I¡¯m running out of time.¡¯ Even though he didn¡¯t know that she was time-limited, he seemed to know for sure that her health was so bad that her life was at risk. And he noticed that Aria was hiding it from everyone. ¡®This is difficult¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd turned his back without hesitation. He must have extracted the divine power, because there was no reason to face Gabriel anymore. He moved away from Gabriel, even though she was holding Aria in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the prayer room every day, Grand Princess. Come to pray whenever you are fully recovered.¡± Gabriel whispered to their backs as they moved away. With a shy smile. Hearing it again, Aria had to think about Gabriel again. ¡®Is this an unconscious action? Or is it intentional?¡¯ She was confused. If it was Gabriel, who was not familiar with what Aria had been through so far, of course it would be the former. For an instant, a golden gaze rested on Aria¡¯s cheek where Lloyd¡¯s lips had touched, and then moved away. ¡®I thought it might be thetter¡­ ¡­ .¡¯ Looking back on the memories of her previous life, Gabriel had a tendency to do anything when he focused his attention on one. Her mind wasplicated. Aria ryed to Lloyd all of the words that Laura had whispered in her ear. Then, hearing those words, Lloyd went through the documents piled up like a mountain on the desk in the office. ¡°I did my own research. She was a child from the orphanage run by Count Chateau. I saw it in a newspaper article once.¡± ¡°Newspaper article?¡± Lloyd handed her a handful of papers arranged by the Grand Duke¡¯s assistant, Dwayne. Aria nced at it quickly. ¡°A kid with a talent for hypnosis?¡± ¡°Yes, they say she can control animals through hypnosis.¡± She might ask if it¡¯s really hypnosis out of the blue, but Aria quickly understood why such an article was published. It¡¯s because the nobles are always fascinated by such a sight. Laura would have taken the lead to get their support. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s real hypnosis, but she definitely had that ability.¡± Maybe it was an ability that she had acquired through experimentation. That meant that there might be countless other children with such abilities. When she realized the truth, Aria couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. She didn¡¯t even want to be patient. She didn¡¯t even want to wait. ¡°Let¡¯s just go and overturn it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Garcia or whatever, right now.¡± Lloyd, who seemed surprised at her sudden announcement, immediately gestured his hand. The ck Falcons who stood behind him and waited for orders toe, moved in unison. ¡°As you wish.¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 ¡°We couldn¡¯t find anything.¡± The knightmander of the ck Falcon Knights said with his head bowed in a very apologetic manner. He had led the Knights to the St. Aquino Orphanage to which Laura belonged. ¡°The saint who was in charge of the orphanage had already handed over the management to another priest.¡± She expected it. Aria asked, passing a candy to Winter, who was grinning and giggling. ¡°The children?¡± ¡°There seemed to be no pre-existing children. All that was there were children brought from other ces.¡± ¡°None? Not even one?¡± ¡°Yes, it looks like the evidence has already been erased. It¡¯s clean without a trace.¡± Aria asked. ¡°The Chateau Orphanage was famous enough to be published in a newspaper article. Besides, everything the Count did was publicized.¡± It could not just evaporate overnight. Considering how much they¡¯re being watched. Then Vincent, who was listening to the report, intervened. ¡°In the past, it was run by an imperial nobleman, but now it has be an orphanage under Garcia. Fa¡¯s involvement must be limited.¡± Aria knew that too, so she didn¡¯t ask the Princess, but immediately sent the knights away. Because she knew there was no point in getting the nations involved. She didn¡¯t know that in the end, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to find a single clue. ¡°Laura was locked in an empty room and tested. There must have been a basement in the orphanage¡­.¡± ¡°There was a separate basement, but it was just a children¡¯s y area.¡± The knights gritted their teeth and murmured. ¡°Trash petty priests. They told us to look around as much as we want as if they already knew we wereing.¡± They came out bold enough to say that¡­¡­. As if the evidence had already been erased without a trace. ¡®But they can¡¯t do that.¡¯ There was no way to dispose of all sorts of evidence without leaving a single trace in the interim. There must have been a leaked clue or trace somewhere. Vincent sighed deeply and muttered. ¡°As expected, I should have followed.¡± That¡¯s why I was anxious to send only that decorative head¡­¡­ Then, when Cloud heard Vincent¡¯s small murmur, he asked in a nonsensical voice. ¡°Am I good enough to be in the decorative head category? It seems that your evaluation is more generous than I thought.¡± Is that what you would say in front of your fellow knights? Vincent looked at Cloud, who still thought that being a decorative head meant he was handsome. ¡°¡­Yes, that is. I have never seen a decoration like Sir Cloud yet.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I heard you said you needed me like a needle and thread.¡± Then Vincent nced at Aria, his eyes popped wide open. Aria avoided his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t remember saying anything out of the ordinary in that case¡­ No, rather than that, why do you know the idiom of needle and thread?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t itmon sense?¡± Vincent seemed at a loss for words, astonished by Cloud¡¯s selectivemon sense. ¡°Call me if you need me. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as weak as the Second Prince.¡± After finishing his words, Cloud stayed next to him with a satisfied look. Vincent, who had been frozen for a moment, gave Aria a silent, tenacious gaze. Aria struggled to avert his gaze and offered a potion to Winter. ¡°Come on, aren¡¯t you a good boy? Let¡¯s drink this.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more candy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want!¡± He adamantly refused the potion. And after shaking his head, he said, trembling in fright. ¡°If I drink it, something terrible will happen. I¡¯m going to, to die.¡± He is. He¡¯s going to die of shame. ¡®Are you unconsciously remembering that you were embarrassed to death?¡¯ When Aria sighed as she held the potion. Vincent, who stared at Winter, then muttered, ¡®Come to think of it, there¡¯s another decoration like Sir Cloud here.¡¯ ¡°By the way, the Duke¡¯s disease. Has it ever been treated with divine power?¡± ¡°No?¡± Come to think of it, she never tried it. ¡°Since it¡¯s detoxifying poison, I think it¡¯s possible, but¡­¡± Aria looked down at the ne hanging from her own neck at those words. Her eyes were now tinged with gold from the effect of the ne. ¡°¡­if there was a way like this, you could have done it a little earlier, right?¡± Winter muttered, stroking his face with his palm for a moment. ¡°Valentine doesn¡¯t believe in divine power. I didn¡¯t expect it to work so well.¡± In fact, it would not have been possible to do this with the divine power of any priest. But because it¡¯s Gabriel¡¯s, it¡¯s possible. ¡®Because his skills surpassed that of the Pope in Garcia.¡¯ Of course, it¡¯s still strange to be able to use that pure divine power so easily with just a ne¡­¡­. Aria tilted her head for a moment, then said. ¡°The Angelo family registered me into the family for revealing the case of Count Chateau¡¯s corruption. I was wondering if you have any information about Count Chateau¡¯s orphanage.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s St. Aquino¡¯s Orphanage¡­¡± Winter said, somewhat relieved of his shame. When Count Chateau died, most of the nobles canceled their patronage, so some children were brought into the Angelo family. ¡°They would be educated and work in our family.¡± ¡°Search for it.¡± The priests were very bewildered by the swarm of ck Falcons that appeared all of a sudden. However, the knights rushed into St. Aquino¡¯s Orphanage and did not even give them a chance to panic. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± ¡°Gasp, Pri, Priest!¡± ¡°Huuh, huhh, huaaah¡­¡± The frightened children screamed and wept. Priest Nik held the children in his arms, red open his eyes and stared at the ck Falcons. ¡°What kind of tyranny is this! If you¡¯ve already searched once, you should know when to give up!¡± ¡°Last time, we just came here as a preliminary survey to see if it would be okay to bring the Grand Prince and Grand Princess here!¡± ¡°Such, such absurd nonsense!¡± Who the hell is the viin here now? Aria stared absurdly at the ck Falcons that came in like thugs to collect debt money. ¡°Please follow the proper procedures! Otherwise, Garcia will not stand still¡­!¡± ¨C It¡¯s Valentine that wouldn¡¯t stand still. Aria broke through the priest¡¯s warning halfway. She didn¡¯t even have to listen to it anymore. Because she was running out of time. ¨C The body of the child you sent is ced on Valentine¡¯s side. ¡°The child we sent? I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡± And the priest reacted exactly as expected. The orphans who were used as test subjects were imprisoned for the rest of their lives and were never publicly known. And even in the newspaper that introduced Laura¡¯s rare abilities, they did not disclose her personal details. ¡®That¡¯s how thorough Count Chateau was.¡¯ There was no evidence as the priest said. But Aria didn¡¯t even respond to that tant denial, and gave a nce. Then the three children who were waiting behind her came forward. ¨C So, do you know these kids? ¡°¡­!¡± Aria confirmed that Priest Nik¡¯s eyes were shaking with surprise. ¨C You wouldn¡¯t have expected it. After the death of Count Chateau, the orphanage run by the Count was used of being a hotbed of crime. ¡®St Aquino¡¯s Orphanage¡¯ was the most notorious of them all. It could be said that the orphanage was the essence of it all. ¨C Most of the children sold out here have suffered so much that it is difficult to even survive. Isn¡¯t it? ¡°Wha, what nonsense is that¡­¡± Children who gain abilities through experiments were for propaganda purposes. The rest of the children who fall below their standards went up for adoption. The condition is that the adopted child will be exposed to the world for the rest of their life. ¡°Are you speaking like that with the proper evidence? If you don¡¯t provide urate evidence, this case will spread between continents.¡± Beneath those words, it carries the meaning to behave well. Aria thought with a smirk. ¡®It¡¯s already a problem between continents.¡¯ To be precise, it wasn¡¯t a matter between the two continents, Garcia and Fa, but between Valentine and Garcia. ¡°I will report this to the Cardinal right away.¡± ¨C Do it. Aria looked back at the children after she replied indifferently. And she asked. ¨C In this orphanage, where is the location you were most reluctant to enter? ¡°The director¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The director¡¯s office.¡± Aria immediately headed to the director¡¯s office. ¡°Wa, wait! If you act like this, we have no choice but to use force!¡± Then Priest Nik stopped her. ¡°Uwakk!¡± His palm was immediately broken by Lloyd. ¡°Try it, use force.¡± ¡°Hu-ugh!¡± The priest groaned, raising his divine powers to the limit and reciting prayers. ¡°Prot, protector of light. With your brilliance, guide me in the fallen darkness!¡± However, Lloyd let out a snort as if it wasn¡¯t even funny, and let the divine power pour out at him. ¡°Am I really the fallen darkness that you¡¯re talking about?¡± What kind of priest cannot even recognize God¡¯s power while reciting prayers? It wasn¡¯t because they were weak that Valentine had never stepped out. They were keeping their promise. The oath made with the whole world. To save this world. ¡°I was hoping you could differentiate between what you couldn¡¯t do because you were afraid and what you didn¡¯t do because you were toozy. If I leave it alone, things are always climbing up without knowing their ce.¡± It was when Lloyd reached out his hand towards the priest to finish him off. Aria asked the oldest-looking child that was from the Angelo family. ¡°Have you ever been here?¡± ¡°Not me, I heard from Jesse. That kid was the director¡¯s favorite, and was always tasked with cleaning the director¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It was as she looked around the director¡¯s office, immersed in thoughts. ¡°¡­I hear a scream.¡± A weeping, suppressed moaning. Aria put her ear to the wall and muttered. The child who was looking around with a slightly nervous look, said as if he had just remembered. ¡°Come to think of it, Jesse was told never to touch the bookshelf. Even going near the bookshelf, the director got angry¡­¡­.¡± Bookshelf. As soon as Vincent heard those words, he picked up the carpet on the floor. Just as expected. A semicircr groove was dug in the floor around the bookshelf. ¡°It¡¯s a structure that opens a secret passage when you pull out a specific book.¡± ¡°Then it would be quicker to turn over the bookshelf.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was when Vincent questioned Cloud¡¯s ignorant solution. Winter, who was carefully looking through the books, pulled out a book at once. [God is with the child.] ¡°It¡¯s this book.¡± At the same time, a clicking sound began to be heard. Vincent checked the title of the book and muttered, convinced that it was the correct answer. ¡°Now a decoration like Sir Cloud is unique.¡± But nothing changed even with the loud sound. The sound of the gears turning suddenly stopped. As if something got caught in it. ¡°It¡¯s strange. It¡¯s a simple device, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t have another passcode.¡± After returning to his senses, Winter, whose brain was spinning fast enough to threaten Vincent¡¯s ce, questioned. ¡®If it¡¯s not a device problem¡­¡­.¡¯ Energy. ¡®The priests double-locked it using divine power.¡¯ Aria ced her palms on the bookshelf, and got a quick realization and went through her arms. She had brought the ne with Gabriel¡¯s divine power around her neck. The priests who had cast anxious eyes at them breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Valentine will pay the price for breaking the implicit non-aggression pact.¡± Priest Nik, who had been screaming desperately, grabbed by the cor by Lloyd, regained hisposure. Until the bright light from Aria¡¯s fingertips turned vivid. ¡°Th, th, that¡­!¡± A divine power that he had never felt before, astonishingly powerful and pure. He never could have imagined that it would exist in this world¡­¡­. ¡°How, how could you have such divine power¡­¡± The divine power was enough to overwhelm even a high-ranking priest. Priest Nik and other priests also lost their spirit and opened their mouths with stupid faces. Click, rumble- The stopped device turned again and a passageway to a hidden secret area was opened. Just then, Aria turned her head towards the priests. Intense golden eyes that captured the radiant light of the sun were staring straight at them as if judging them. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 How can ordinary people use divine power? Priest Nik was shocked and became as hard as a stone. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen such pure golden eyes in my life.¡¯ But up until now, she had bright pink eyes with a hint of red. The eye color changed in an instant. ¡®Come to think of it, she wore a ne a while ago.¡¯ A relic that can contain divine power. He had never heard of such a thing. From the beginning, it was illegal in Garcia to produce it. Because it was sphemy. ¡®But aside from that.¡¯ The Grand Princess¡¯ eyes hinted at something even more shocking. It was the existence that gave the divine power. Does it mean that there is someone in Valentine who can hold that level of divine power? ¡®There was an apprentice sent from Garcia to Valentine. No way¡­¡­.¡¯ He doubted that. It was absurd to be able to put such a tremendous divine power into an object. ¡®Almost, the potential was enough to go beyond the Holy Father¡¯s ce¡­¡­.¡¯ He did not carry on his profane thoughts, but he was startled by that. How could such great talent exist on Valentine? It shouldn¡¯t have happened. ¡®They said they sent half a penny worth of an apprentice who manifested divine powerte¡­¡­ !¡¯ Where do they see him as half a penny? ¡®The divine power that manifestste is unstable, so there is a possibility of a rampaging explosion?¡¯ If the apprentice has that level of potential, even if he went into a rampage, they¡¯ll have to get their hold on him somehow! Or, at least kill him before he manifested his divine power! ¡®This is a big deal.¡¯ Priest Nik was bound by the ck Falcon and sweating profusely. There should be no such disappointment. Someone with such potential was cooperating with Valentine enough to give divine power to a relic. ¡®I must report this to the Holy Father immediately.¡¯ That was then. ¨C You¡¯d better take that priest. Aria suddenly pointed at him and sent a message. Then Vincent murmured and said, ¡®indeed¡¯ ¡® ¡°Let¡¯s take him as bait. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside, so throw him in.¡± At that, Cloud nodded his head in response. ¡°He could be used as a shield for arrowheads. He looks useful.¡± Hearing their conversation, the priest¡¯s face was quickly drained of blood. They were two people who were always arguing, but strangely harmonized well in this regard. Winter also added a word. ¡°From the priest¡¯s reaction, it looks like there¡¯s something. Hisplexion has darkened.¡± ¡°It, it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Ah, as expected. I¡¯m sure of it, because he¡¯s rolling his eyes hard.¡± ¡°Oh, as expected of Sister-inw.¡± ¡°As expected of Little Madam.¡± The burdensome gazes of Vincent, Cloud, and Winter turned to Aria. ¡®He was in charge of this ce, so I was going to take him.¡¯ She thought it would be best to keep him near and watch him so he wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid, so she just said that. However, Aria was somehow bothered, so she decided not to exin them one by one. ¡°On the surface, it looks like an ordinary hideout.¡± Vincent muttered. The wall behind the bookshelf turned, and a long passageway continued inside. And at the end of the passage, afortable looking room appeared. There was a firece, a sofa in front of it, and a rug on the floor. ¡°Is this the end?¡± Cloud looked around with a nk look. There was no such thing as a passage to another room or another ce. ¡°Yes, yes. It seems that you misunderstood because it was a secret structure, but in fact it¡¯s just a general hiding ce¡­¡± ¡°Stop it. It¡¯s ugly.¡± Vincent said pathetic. ¡°There is no way a ce that is blocked by pouring divine power into it is only a hiding ce.¡± Indeed. That¡¯s why the imperial security forces didn¡¯t catch on about this ce when they searched. Aria thought so and fumbled at the wall. There were still faint groans and screams and murmurs trembling with anxiety from somewhere. She couldn¡¯t imagine how far away it was if someone was imprisoned inside, as it could only be faintly heard even by Aria. ¡®It¡¯s hard to guess exactly, but the Siren¡¯s Song will never reach it.¡¯ Aria stared at Priest Nik for a moment. The priest¡¯s shoulders trembled as he received Aria¡¯s gaze straight ahead. He sensed an unknown chill and inadvertently stepped back. ¡®As the three said, it might be faster to use this. Brainwashing with a song¡­¡­.¡¯ It was when Aria was thinking bitter thoughts with an unconcerned face. ¡°There are letters here.¡± Lloyd pulled out a sword adorned on the wall. There were letters engraved in colorful handwriting on it. ¨C Oh, I heard it from here. Aria sent a message with a serious face. And she added an exnation to thepanions who looked at her with puzzlement. ¨C I can hear cries and screams from this sword. ¡°The sword makes a sound?¡± It was when Cloud still did not understand the meaning and asked back. ¡°Pay a sacrifice¡­¡± Winter immediately read the ancient characters engraved on the sword. It was a letter from the time before Fa became an empire and it was divided into dozens of kingdoms. ¡°Hmm, I thought you could read that much.¡± Vincent, who had a sense ofpetition, nced at Winter from the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the script of the Kingdom of Nita? It¡¯s an ancientnguage that is rtively easy to learn because thenguage system is simr to the Imperialnguage.¡± ¡°Yes, it was a kingdom thatid the foundation for the magic that prevails to this day.¡± ¡°When you say ancient artifact, it sounds grandiose, but in the end, the essence is most likely just an artifact.¡± ¡°Rather, it¡¯s bound to be inferior in performance to modern artifacts.¡± ¡°Yes, the functionality will be simple.¡± Vincent and Winter looked into the sword and exchanged information. Priest Nik was so shocked that his eyes popped out and he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. ¡®Those are absolutely crazy people!¡¯ How many types of ancientnguages were there in the world and yet they could interpret and analyze them at once. It went beyond the scope of admirable genius. It was the devil¡¯s talent. What the hell happened to Valentine, that there are only monsters who can¡¯t understandmon sense! ¡°Hmm, I guess we¡¯ll have to make a sacrifice as written here¡­¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Priest Nik at the same time. He wanted to stop crying. ¡°Well, just a drop of blood.¡± And in the end, he had no choice but to confess. What was he supposed to do anyway? If he holds on without speaking, those devils will pierce him with the sword and offer him as a sacrifice. Then, without hesitation, Lloyd cut off his finger with a sword. Drops of bright red blood seeped over the pure white de. At the same time, the sword began to emit a pure white light. ¡®¡­¡­ We¡¯re moving!¡¯ Aria, who felt the wave of magic pulsing from the sword, quickly grabbed his hand. It was because she had an intuition that if she didn¡¯t, Lloyd would move alone. And Winter hurriedly grabbed Aria¡¯s hand. Vincent grabbed Lloyd¡¯s opposite hand, and Cloud grabbed Vincent¡¯s. ¡°Kuhk!¡± And Cloud reflexively grabbed Priest Nik by the neck. Lloyd¡¯s eyebrows soared high into the sky. His murderous gaze flooded exactly at Winter, who was holding Aria¡¯s hand. ¡°What are these leeches¡­¡± Before Lloyd¡¯s words could be continued, they moved to another ce. ¡°Big Brother, Big, Big Sister won¡¯t wake up.¡± Lucy wiped the tears with her sleeve and sniffled. Her older sister Judy, who had beenining of pain for several days, was dangling down without moving. ¡°Stay away.¡± But Matthew spoke coldly and pulled Lucy away from the dead Judy. And he held his breath as close to the wall as possible. ¡°But¡­¡­.¡± Lucy burst into tears. ¡°Big sister is dead, Big Brother. Big Sister is dead!¡± Matthew gripped Lucy tighter and clenched his teeth as she groaned and twisted her body. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you stay still? Don¡¯t be such a baby!¡± And he cried out harshly, showing his struggles as well. ¡°Can¡¯t you remember how Johnny, who was with you before, was dragged out?¡± ¡°Hup.¡± Surprised by those words, Lucy stopped crying and huped. Suddenly she stopped struggling and hardened. The child still remembered the events of that day clearly. Every night, just like a nightmare. ¡®At that time, I miraculously survived because it coincided with the examination time¡­¡­.¡¯ Matthew swallowed his saliva. It was already after one examination. If something like that happened again then they would never survive. ¡°Kuuh¡­¡± But his ominous premonition was exactly right. After her death, as Judy¡¯s body was cooling down, it began to tremble and she began to make bizarre sounds. ¡®It came back to life!¡¯ The priests whoe to check them out once a day called the children in this state a failure who did not receive God¡¯s grace. Simply put, it means a failure among failures that did not even be a chimera. Without consciousness or soul, it was just an eyesore of a moving corpse and ate nearby creatures. ¡°Big, Big Brother.¡± Lucy groaned in fear. Matthew hastily covered the child¡¯s mouth. However, the corpse, who had already felt the breath of life, got up and came to them. ¡®¡­¡­ shit!¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know if he had the strength to fight back, but now he was in such a mess that he could barely breathe. From the days when Count Chateau was alive, he was experimented with for many years. The boy hugged the child tighter and closed his eyes tightly. At that moment, ¡°Since the lovely are sleeping, Go, sleep thou with them.¡± A heavenly voice could be heard in his ears. He didn¡¯t even believe it existed, When he reached his limit, he prayed for salvation, and the voice of God, who he cursed every day, resounded as if reaching out to them. ¡°Thus kindly I scatter, Thy leaves o¡¯er the bed, Where thy mates of the garden, Lie scentless and dead.¡± Matthew slowly lifted his eyelids. A corpse¡¯s hand was right in front of him. No, it was Judy¡¯s hand. ¡®My little sister¡¯s hand¡­¡­.¡¯ The trembling hand quickly lost its strength and fell. The body, which had rushed at them with a terrifying force, fell to the floor like a doll with cut strings. ¡°Ju, Judy¡­¡± Knowing it was suicidal, Matthew still reached out his hand unknowingly. And he swept the hair that got tangled in blood. Afortable smile was drawn on the face full of traces of experimentation. It was like she was being greeted by angels at the moment of death. As if she was saved by God. Really, it was absurd though. ¡°Judy¡­¡± Thick tears ran down the boy¡¯s cheeks. He embraced his little sister in his arms. ¡°When friendships decay, And from love¡¯s shining circle, The gems drop away!¡± The voice was slowly getting closer. He realized that singing was echoing in the hallway. He raised his head. The doorknob clicked a few times. But when it doesn¡¯t open, Kwaang-!! It was soon smashed and forcibly opened. The cloud of dust lifted, and there stood a terrifyingly handsome man, all ck from head to toe. And behind him, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The angel who appeared with her head peeking in, asked. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 As if choosing something to say for a moment, the silent angel nced up at the ck man. ¡°The cage is open¡­¡± The voice that had been muttering softly became more and more confident. ¡°You can fly anywhere.¡± And she smiled broadly and held out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s terrible.¡± Vincent muttered unknowingly. The view inside was gruesome. There were quite a few children who had been experimented on to be a chimera but ended up as a failure and seemed to have side effects. They screamed horribly, writhing in agony with bodies that were neither alive nor dead. Fortunately, they listened to Aria¡¯s Song of Requiem and closed their eyesfortably. ¡®Please go to a good ce¡­¡­.¡¯ The screams of the children still echoed in her ears. Aria closed her eyes tightly and opened them to pray for the well-being of the dead children. ¡°There was aboratory.¡± Then, Winter, who had checked the back room and came, said. ¡°But it seems that all traces of the experiment have been erased. It seems clear that they escaped after taking all the data.¡± As expected. At the time when they almost got caught by Valentine, they couldn¡¯t leave important material in a ce where it might be taken. Veronica has already abandoned this ce. That was probably why she entrusted the orphanage to another priest. ¡®But then¡­¡­ Why did she leave these children behind?¡¯ When Aria was puzzled, Winter added. ¡°There are a total of thirty-six children who survived here. Three or four of them were locked up in the sameboratory.¡± Three or four? ¡°But Laura said she was locked up in an empty room¡­¡± Then the boy, who had not spoken while holding his younger sister in his arms, added a word. ¡°She must be an A-ss child.¡± ¡°¡­A-ss?¡± ¡°Yes, the higher the rank, the more they were locked up in a solitary cell and thoroughly managed. I heard the researchers talking.¡± ss. The expression of tant displeasure that gave her no choice but to wrinkle her impression. Like grading meat¡­¡­. ¡®Come to think of it, I heard that children were graded from Count Chateau¡¯s time.¡¯ The children adopted by the Angelo family were unaware of the existence of the experimented children while they were living in the orphanage. From there, the sses were divided. Children living just like ordinary orphanage children. And the children who were locked up in the basement for the rest of their lives and experimented with. ¡®I should have been involved earlier¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria could only regret it. Count Chateau had died and the country had taken a massive step, so she thought it would be fine. ¡®Because this never happened in the future.¡¯ However, she did not know that these children were leading a more terrifying life than when the Count was alive. Aria remembered Carlin waiting outside. If he had been here, he would certainly have said ¡®the price of changing the future.¡¯. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t those children here?¡± ¡°I heard conversations between the adults. A few days ago, they said that only A-ss children were rushed to anotherb.¡± It seemed that not only the datas but also the children were moved. ¡®Then the children who are left behind here are the children who had poor grades.¡¯ On the contrary, it was fortunate for these children, but¡­¡­. It was unavoidable that her insides were burning with anger. Aria sighed and extended her hand to Matthew. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll treat you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s borrowed power, I can¡¯t fully treat it right away, but it¡¯ll still be helpful.¡± Who could resist a savior¡¯s touch? Matthew stretched out his hand as if possessed, and then a pure white light enveloped him. He nced at Aria and blushed. ¡®You look like my age¡­¡­.¡¯ Strangely, unlike how she looked, she was strangely mature, and an atmosphere that could not be approached flowed from her. Matthew, unable to take his eyes off Aria, was startled at one point. Because Lloyd¡¯s ck eyes were staring at him silently. From him, there was an atmosphere that could not be approached in a different sense. ¡°Then it seems that there is no more information to be obtained here.¡± Lloyd looked away indifferently and said so. But it was then. Lucy, who was looking up at Aria and Lloyd with twinkling eyes, rummaged through her clothes. ¡°There, there, is this.¡± And handed her a roll of paper. ¡°Oh my God, Lucy! How can you give trash to the benefactor?¡± Matthew was terrified. However, Aria did not hesitate to receive the smudged and soiled wad of paper from Lucy¡¯s hands. ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled briefly and stroked Lucy¡¯s hair, then opened the paper. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± Vincent muttered as he lowered his head with a curious face. ¡°It¡¯s a research report.¡± Aria looked closely. Equations that were difficult to read even a single letter were written frantically like code. ¡°The time hase for you to act.¡± Aria handed the report to Vincent without hesitation. ¡°You only use me at times like this.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re my strategist.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right.¡± When Vincent was observing the documents, pretending to give in to her obvious tricks. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re trying to inject something.¡± Winter, who came out of nowhere, interpreted the contents at will. ¡°I was going to say that!¡± ¡°What? Oh, yes. Go ahead.¡± Winter looked at Vincent, who got agitated for nothing, and wondered. He just said what he saw, he didn¡¯t know why Vincent was angry. Only Vincent, who had been deprived of his chance, was regretful. ¡®Is it possible that the Young Duke is aiming for Sister-inw¡¯s bookkeeper position?¡¯ Vincent was very suspicious. But to say that in this situation, he would only look petty and absent. ¡°The Young Duke is right.¡± He sighed and added. ¡°But the problem is that the material used in the experiment is an abbreviation I¡¯ve never seen before. It¡¯s called ¡®Shad¡¯.¡± ¡°Um, I can¡¯t even guess.¡± It was when they were in trouble, thinking of all kinds ofpounds and energy by-products. Aria btedly realized what it meant and said, ¡®Ah!¡¯. ¡°Shadrach.¡± It was God¡¯s name that she heard from the first Siren. Princess Natalie likes rumors. From rumors close to established facts, to absurd rumors. It was so famous that everyone knew about it in the Imperial Pce. So, nobles and servants visiting the Imperial Pce offered all kinds of rumors to win the Princess¡¯ favor. Then a pretty satisfactory reward would return. ¡°There is a saint named Veronica, who has be quite a topic of discussion because she is a rare beauty.¡± ¡°Therefore?¡± ¡°She was famous enough to say that just by looking at her you can have faith. However, it seems that the Saint caused a big problem this time.¡± ¡°Hmm, tell me more.¡± The Princess looked into her sharply trimmed nails and said indifferently. Then the employee told her the little things about the incident in her ears. ¡°The orphanage of St. Aquino, run by Count Chateau¡­¡± Because it was such a horrific incident, the handmaid¡¯s voice grew more and more intense. There was of course the excitement of getting a reward in return. ¡°It was Valentine, who recently made a name for themselves as a hero, that uncovered this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened¡­¡± Natalie tossed one of her expensive jewels to the handmaid who had said, and she motioned for the handmaid to return. The handmaid bowed her head in greeting with a satisfied smile and disappeared. ¡°As expected, I have good eyes for people.¡± Natalie muttered as she drew a satisfied smile with her lips. It was because she had guessed that it was Valentine, especially Aria, that discovered this case. ¡®If the rumor spreads soon enough, Garcia will bleed quite a bit.¡¯ Of course, Garcia will only cut off their tail with Saint Veronica, and will remain ignorant. It was obvious that they would say that the saint acted arbitrarily and they didn¡¯t know. ¡®But even so, they will not be able to prevent the damage to Garcia¡¯s noble image.¡¯ Natalie felt a bit refreshed. At the same time, no matter what, she didn¡¯t want to miss Aria. ¡®If there is the little deer, really¡­¡­.¡¯ She seemed no longer able to hide herself. She seemed rather regretful that she had not revealed herself. She was not afraid of death and seemed to be able to go without hesitation, only her and her own happiness. ¡®In order to win the Grand Princess¡¯ favor, what is the best gift to give?¡¯ And she started to worry. Aria was Valentine. Their money was overflowing and it was rotting. ¡®Power? Fame? Social influence?¡¯ Aria already had that. She¡¯s even chosen as the Queen of Spring Flower, and since then she¡¯s never been seen in public. Aria just threw the Princess away once she didn¡¯t need the Princess and went back to the Grand Duchy again. The nobles, who were doing everything they could to stand out from the social circle, felt deeply skeptical of Aria¡¯s actions. ¡®Even if she doesn¡¯t want to show off on the outside, on the inside, she would be desperately wanting to get entangled somehow.¡¯ But Aria didn¡¯t care about such a crowd. Even Princess Natalie was no exception. She¡¯s just less scorned towards them. Aria was showing some attitude that said, ¡®Cooperate if you want, don¡¯t if you don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡®I just want the Princess to be happy, was it.¡¯ It seemed that Aria didn¡¯t know that it frustrates people more. ¡°Hmm, then¡­ let¡¯s get this out of the way.¡± The Emperor was sure toe out lukewarm. It was because Garcia and his interests wereplicatedly intertwined. But it was a different story for Natalie, who was ignorant, arbitrary, and selfish. ¡®Huhu, I hope the Grand Princess likes it¡­¡­.¡¯ Natalie walked out of the room imagining that Aria would be saying ¡®As expected, I only believed in you.¡¯. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 ¨C ¡­¡­ So, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been willing to put my hands on so that all your efforts don¡¯t go in vain. As Aria read the letter from the Princess, she burst intoughter unknowingly. It was written in a rather formal tone for Natalie, but the intention of wanting to be praised was clearly read in it, saying ¡®Did I do well?¡¯. ¡°You did well.¡± Aria smiled softly as she gave apliment Natalie wouldn¡¯t be able to hear. ¨C However, it seems that Garcia is still thinking about making a move, and recently, arge amount of manpower has been sent to the Kingdom of Leter, which is suffering from a gue. Kingdom of Leter? ¡®Come to think of it, that¡¯s what happened.¡¯ The gue spread quickly, but at first the symptoms of the gue were weaker than that of a cold, so the Kingdom did not take it seriously. But the moment it spread throughout the Kingdom, things happened. People started dying rapidly. It was only a matter of time before the Kingdom of Leter became the Kingdom of the dead. ¡®I know that the treatment will bemercialized around winter of this year¡­¡­.¡¯ However, it was not Garcia who developed the treatment. Although everyone believed that Garcia would develop a cure for it. ¡®Because Garcia is very advanced in medicine.¡¯ They were world famous. Just as when people think of cooking, they think of the Dunham Kingdom, when people think of medicine, they think of the Garcia Empire. ¡®Until that incident happened.¡¯ ¨C On this holiday, the Cardinal and the person responsible for the incident dered that they would prove their innocence in front of the square. The Princess concluded her letter by saying [I don¡¯t know what kind of revenge they¡¯re trying to do, but I¡¯ll figure it out on my own.]. After thinking for a moment, Aria picked up the pen. She then wrote a reply to the Princess and she went out to the garden. ¡°Can you go to the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°Coo!¡± The carrier pigeon cried in protest if she was asking something obvious. Aria smiled briefly and put her forehead to the carrier pigeon, then sent it high into the sky. ¡®Thanks to Princess Natalie, the evil deeds of the Garcia Empire were exposed outside the world.¡¯ But to ask if it made a big impact, unfortunately not. Rather, this aroused resentment. That¡¯s probably because it was the Princess who was driving all kinds of rumors about Garcia that will be imed as the viin. ¡®There¡¯s no way they can¡¯t take it seriously.¡¯ Taking Valentine¡¯s side meant turning the whole world into an enemy. ¡®But, that¡¯s enough for now.¡¯ To nt seeds of doubt. Even if it doesn¡¯t have any effect now, the day wille when it will sprout. ¡°Hmm, soil and water are needed for that¡­¡± When Aria was muttering. Hearing her words, Marronnier asked, putting a shawl on Aria¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you going to grow nts?¡± The gardener who was trimming the grass nearby, nced over at Aria¡¯s side and gave a hopeful gaze. ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡± ¡°Shall I call the gardener?¡± ¡°I think we need more skilled farmers than gardeners.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell the butler that.¡± The gardener looked sullen again. Aria grinned and motioned for him toe over. ¡°Gasp, did you call, Young Madam! Leave anything to me and I¡¯ll make any nt look great!¡± He clenched his fists in high spirits of wanting to raise a nt for Aria that he said he would feed it humans if it wanted to. ¡°nt poinsettia.¡± ¡°What? But it¡¯s a winter shrub¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± The flowernguage of poinsettia was ¡®congrattions with a warm heart¡¯. Because this winter is the winter when the Valentine¡¯s Incident should have happened. ¡®Carlin always warns me that changing the future will bring more catastrophe, though¡­¡­ .¡¯ Instead of being afraid, Aria decided to nt a poinsettia in advance. In order to congratte the future in which no incidents will ur with a warm heart. ¡°It should bloom in winter.¡± Of course, there was work to be done to do that. ¡°Call Carlin. There¡¯s someone I need to find.¡± ¡°This is yourst chance.¡± Cardinal Andrea said in disbelief. This was because, at this meeting, it was concluded with ¡®Let¡¯s give Saint Veronica onest chance¡¯. ¡®I didn¡¯t think the Holy Father would listen to this little girl¡¯s paranoid story¡­¡­.¡¯ The Cardinalmented inside, but he had no choice but to follow orders from his superiors. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is my specialty.¡± Veronica had a knack to arouse incitement. At first, even the Cardinal was so bewildered that he gave her a chance to see the Pope in person. Even other Cardinals, including the Pope, gave Veronica, who had made a mistake once, a new chance. Had her divine power supported her, she would be a bold and fearless figure who would have done more. ¡°Brothers and sisters.¡± Veronica moistened her eyes in front of the crowds in the square. ¡®Today is the feast of St. Michia.¡¯ Saint Michia was a historical figure who impressed many and created a global charitable organization. Eden Faith believers from the Fa Empire hade to celebrate this day. ¡°Recently, I havee to this position because there was a stigma that is painful to even put in my mouth.¡± After hanging the tears in her eyes for a moment, she closed her eyes tightly and ced her hand on her chest. She, with a really distressed, but determined look, said. ¡°But I¡¯m fine, because I wanted to save tens of thousands of people before that, even with all the me.¡± Did she want to save people? The believers gathered in the square were noisy. ¡°As expected, what was the reason?¡± ¡°Anyway, it turns out that there was a ce like aboratory that was hidden in the orphanage.¡± ¡°They found children who were experimented on there.¡± ¡°But, there¡¯s no way the Saint would have done that. She must have had an unavoidable circumstance.¡± Even today was a monumental day for believers. How could the person titled Saint lie on St. Michia¡¯s day? To borrow the name of God andmit atrocities and yet she does it to save people. ¡°It wasn¡¯t aboratory, it was a treatment room. And the children were all from the Kingdom of Leter.¡± Veronica could be proud. Because she never left any details and traces of the child who died while being used as a test subject. And the remaining corpses were disposed of and burned in a ce where no one could find them. All that was left was the testimonies of helpless children and the unbelievable ims of the devil Valentine. ¡°Only children suffering from infectious diseases have been gathered and treated in a separate ce. In order to save those children and develop a cure.¡± They were children who would die if left alone anyway. She took those children and struggled to somehow save them. This was Veronica¡¯s argument. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s why I was sent to the Fa Empire. It¡¯s because the Fa Empire borders on the Kingdom of Leter.¡± ess to the Kingdom of Leter waspletely controlled, but the people of the Empire were terrified. Fearing that one day the gue might cross borders and sweep over the Empire. ¡°Everything had to be done in secret. I couldn¡¯t cause trouble to my brothers and sisters here.¡± Veronica was right. If it was said that the gue had been brought into the Empire, it would have caused a huge stir. Even now, the situation was no different. However¡­¡­. ¡°The development of a cure is not far off.¡± That being said, this made a difference. The murmur of the believers grew louder at the unexpected remark. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°It was a nonsensical rumor that the Saint used poor orphanage children as test subjects.¡± ¡°She was framed.¡± The believers were also relieved to know that the Saint was a good person. Without even realizing that she was swallowing a sneer inside. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to understand my beliefs, because it¡¯s up to you to decide.¡± Tears streamed down Veronica¡¯s cheeks, who couldn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°But I¡¯m standing here with a single thought that I want you to know that I care for you.¡± It was inevitable to develop a cure as quickly as possible and save everyone. That was the gist of her deration. But it was then. ¨C Can you take responsibility for what you just said? A clear and roaring voice resounded in everyone¡¯s mind. People looked around in surprise. ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°Did you hear that too?¡± ¡°Nobody¡¯s there?¡± ¡°A, a sound echoed in my head. Is it an angel¡¯s voice?¡± On the other hand, Veronica, who immediately recognized the identity of this voice, almost distorted her expression. ¡°Valentine¡¯s Grand Princess¡­¡± Is this the voice of the Grand Princess? ¡°Look over there!¡± It was only then that the believers found a figure on top of the clock tower building. It was hard to see because she was far away, but her message was etched in everyone¡¯s mind very clearly. ¨C Can I take it as a sign that once a cure is developed, this situation can be put to rest? ¡®¡­¡­ Look at this?¡¯ Veronica kept herposure by biting the corners of her trembling lips. It was as if Aria had decided that Veronica would never find a cure. ¡®But you made a stupid choice. You were quietly locked up in the Grand Duke¡¯s castle.¡¯ This was the ce where the Eden Faith believers gathered. No matter what Aria says here, they will stand by Veronica. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take, but I think it¡¯s not long since we found the raw material that¡¯s key to a cure.¡± Despite the Grand Princess¡¯ undeserved actions, Veronica responded with a benevolent smile without agitation. Seeing this, the believers did not help but praise the saint. ¡°As evidence of that, as the Grand Princess knows, children who have sessfully been cured are able to go out into the world.¡± The children were Fa¡¯s nationals who had never contracted the gue in the first ce. So it was only natural that they were still alive. Rather, they almost died from the experiment. ¡®But without proof, what are you going to do?¡¯ The believers in this ce only believed that Valentine was a follower of the devil. ¡®Public opinion has already leaned toward me.¡¯ No matter what Aria says here, nothing will work. Rather, it would be nice if she could get away without getting hit with criticism. But Aria never went wild in agitation. ¨C It¡¯s still the same. She mumbled something iprehensible with a hardened face. Her calm demeanor and unknown intimidation made the audience nervous. ¨C This could mean that the Saint proves that the children were used as test subjects when the Saint didn¡¯t seed in developing her cure. ¡°¡­!¡± Veronica was agitated for a moment. If Aria had said it, it would have been like digging Veronica¡¯s grave. ¡®No, this won¡¯t do.¡¯ Garcia will be sessful. They allowed Veronica to speak this out in front of the public because Garcia had already made the decision that they could develop their own cure. ¡°If you misunderstand my will and doubt me, there is nothing I can do about it.¡± After Veronica let out a sigh, she put on a very distressed expression. And she lifted her head in determination. ¡°Within this year, I will definitely develop a treatment and prove it.¡± Behind her blonde hair, swaying in the wind, the dazzling light of the sun fell. ¡°I will give my life so that there will be no more innocent sacrifices.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The audience cheered. It was like a scene reminiscent of a memory from the past. It was the same as Veronica back then, when she incited Aria the Siren to be executed and driving her as a monster. ¨C I hope you will. The clear pink gaze and the hazy golden gaze were entangled in the air. Aria looked at Veronica, the self-proimed protagonist of her own heroic narrative, and put her elbows on the railing and smilednguidly. ¡®However¡­¡­.¡¯ The result won¡¯t be the same as it was then. It was around the time when the poinsettias were in full bloom in Valentine¡¯s garden. In the end, Garcia failed to develop a cure. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 At first everything went smoothly. As a medical powerhouse, Garcia spurred the development of the treatment and the research progressed quickly without any hindrance. Those who underwent clinical trials were finally cured. ¡°Okay, now we really can all take it!¡± Everyone was not suspicious. On the day the medicine was distributed in the capital of the Kingdom of Leter, the King even held a banquet for Veronica and Garcia. ¡°It was all thanks to the believers that we were able to develop a cure. Although there was a stigma, that must have been an ordeal for today as well.¡± After a short congrattory speech, Veronica showed a strange smile. This proves it. As soon as she restores her honor, she will gain immense fame. And she will stand tall as the new symbol of Garcia. However¡­¡­. ¡°KYAAAK!¡± At that moment, something happened. The people who thought they had fully recovered with the treatment had extreme symptoms. The people who received the treatment had seizures and copsed, vomiting blood. ¡°Hey, hey! Get a hold of yourself!¡± ¡°Gasp, not breathing¡­¡± ¡°Dead¡­?¡± Screams erupted from all over the hall where the banquet was held. Some of them looked at the people who had passed out in surprise, and urgently turned to Veronica and asked. ¡°Sa, saint, what should we do?¡± ¡°That, that.¡± Veronica, not expecting anything like this, stuttered. She turned to the Cardinal with desperate eyes. But he ignored Veronica as if it was only natural. ¡°The Queen! The Queen has copsed! Call the doctor!¡± The side effects were seen all over the capital. The situation grew out of control. Fortunately, the first treatment was distributed only in the capital. ¡°It¡¯s not a cure. It¡¯s just temporarily pushing your life force to the limit, making it look like you¡¯repletely healed.¡± Btedly, doctors expressed their opinions on the treatment. Public opinion was turned upside down in an instant. ¡°Then, maybe the Grand Princess was right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the Saint run an orphanage herself to use as a test subject?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. That such a person is a saint. We must remove her from her position immediately!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough. She should be executed for deceiving the faithful!¡± Garcia immediately knocked off Veronica, who was falling out of control. ¡°All these incidents weremitted by the authority of Saint Veronica.¡± It was to prepare for such a situation that they put her in front in the first ce. In case things go wrong, to put everything on that person. But despite her abandonment, Veronica did not panic and insisted to the end. ¡°No, it¡¯s just an usation! A cure can be developed, and it¡¯s only a failed first attempt.¡± She politely apologized for the incident in a timid tone, and then exined to stop the hasty judgment. On the Kingdom of Leter¡¯s side, they seemed unsatisfied, but they could not resist. Although it caused side effects, Garcia was the one who made the most progress in developing a treatment. ¡°Give me a little more time, and a cure will be developed soon.¡± Veronica sharpened her teeth, trying to hide her venomous eyes. It was around that time. The story of a vige reached the temple where Veronica stayed. The gue is spreading rapidly across the country, and strangely, only the vigers of Ritter are fine.¡± ¡°Oh my, how is that possible?¡± ¡°The truth is¡­¡­.¡± When Veronica, who happened to hear the story, was surprised and asked, they added secretly. ¡°They say there¡¯s a little girl in that vige who gets a revtion from God and works miracles.¡± As soon as she heard the rumors spreading secretly, Veronica realized. ¡®This is myst chance!¡¯ She has to grab this. No matter what, no matter what the cost. Veronica packed her things right away and went down directly to the rumored vige of Ritter. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to lure the girl into captivity and then take the vigers hostage and threaten her.¡¯ And after developing a cure, Veronica just had to kill the girl and get rid of her. Together with the vigers. It should have been enough to say that the story of the girl who received a revtion from God is just a rumor, and that they also became victims of the gue. ¡®If a cure is developed and my honor is restored, no one would care about such a rural vige.¡¯ Veronica grinded her teeth. It didn¡¯t evene as far as her dreamed future, so she can¡¯t be broken from this yet. ¡®¡­¡­ Someday, surely, I will make my name known to the world as a being greater than God!¡¯ And she finally arrived in the vige. It was when Veronica was just about to set foot in the vige. The man guarding the entrance to the vige approached her. ¡°Oh, you can¡¯te in recklessly. This is Valentine¡¯s property.¡± One snowy winter day. Aria was reading a letter from the carrier pigeon. Little Deer, isn¡¯t it time to tell me by now? Why did you ask me to grant you and permit for the Kingdom of Leter? Well, it¡¯s not a work for me to get something like that. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d make such a request just to buynd on the outskirts of the country. It was a letter from the Princess. Aria was immersed in her thoughts, and she looked back at what had happened. The red flowers were blooming among the fluttering snow. ¡®Is it time to step out?¡¯ She thought so and moved. As she walked along the garden, she came across a herb greenhouse prepared at her request. ¡°How is it going?¡± When Aria said as she entered the greenhouse, Cuirre and each of the doctors raised their heads. They are currently working on developing a cure for the gue that has spread to the Kingdom of Leter. Of course, as they were given a heavy duty, there was also a huge increase in their sry. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going well.¡± ¡°If things go like this, the cure will bepleted soon.¡± The doctors, including Cuirre, responded. And Cuirre added quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just amazed at how you came up with the idea ofbining these seemingly unrted herbs.¡± It was a word that made the doctors dry their mouths every time. ¡®Well, that¡¯s not what I had thought of¡­¡­.¡¯ But that¡¯s because Aria was told to keep it a secret. Aria was forced to take everything as her own credit. Aria recalled the memories of the past for a moment. About 8 months ago, she asked Carlin. Contact the vige of Ritter in the Kingdom of Leter. ¡®Because the girl who discovered the main ingredient of the vine was there.¡¯ Carlin, who came to carry out Aria¡¯s orders, said. ¡°She didn¡¯t even specialize in herbal medicine.¡± There was only a child who had the knowledge for survival, taking all the herbs around her to save the dying vigers. However, it happened to be a key raw material for the treatment. ¡®But in the end, the vigers all die from the gue¡­¡­.¡¯ They might have thought her words don¡¯t add up. It was because Garcia¡¯s side actually killed the vigers under the guise of the gue. ¡®At the time the story of the girl in the vige of Ritter spread, suddenly Garcia developed a perfect cure.¡¯ And strangely soon, the gue spread rapidly in the vige of Ritter. ¡®It was at a time when Garcia was suffering from a failure in developing the treatment¡­¡­ The culprit is obvious.¡¯ So Aria decided to hide the girl¡¯s identity. To protect her. She herself wanted it too. Eight months ago, as she was contemting what to do with the matter, Lloyd seemed indifferent, and said to Aria. ¡°You just need to buy thend in that vige.¡± She doesn¡¯t think there is such a way. Aria, who came to a bted realization, asked Natalie to obtain a permit for a privatend. ¡°Then, let me know as soon as the vine isplete.¡± ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be long.¡± Cuirre said confidently. But in an instant, his attitude changed, and he suddenly began to feel restless, as if hesitating. ¡°By the way, Young Madam¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°That¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Aria looked at Cuirre strangely as he tried to speak to her. ¡°If there¡¯s something difficult, tell me.¡± And she patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him. She seemed to think Cuirre wanted toin because the job was so hard. It was, of course, a very wrong guess. ¡®Is this the potion the Young Madam drank¡­¡­.¡¯ He looked at Aria¡¯s back and muttered to himself the words, which he had not been able to say to her. Last spring, Lloyd gave Cuirre herbs. Lloyd ordered this and went. See if he canbine it to make it a voiceless drug. See if there are any side effects for overdosing on that drug. ¡®The price of this drug is¡­¡­.¡¯ Cuirre was developing a cure for a gue this time, and at the same time, he knew the answer to the question Lloyd had ordered. ¡®¡­¡­ life.¡¯ And how to tell this to Lloyd, his eyes just went ck. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 ¡®Of course, I need to do more research.¡¯ It was not possible to submit a report based on spection alone. If his guess turns out wrong, he would have to bear all the consequences alone. Cuirre only hoped that his guesses were wrong. ¨C Are you awake? The Queen of the Kingdom of Leter raised her eyelids at the mellow voice. It had been exactly fifteen days since she copsed in the banquet hall. ¡°This is¡­¡± The Queen licked her parched lips. As she looked around, there were eyes, which were more delicate than flowers, that were smiling brightly at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect¡­ that I woulde to heaven.¡± The Queen was still intoxicated with medicine and sleep. As she spoke with a half-asleep look, Aria swallowed herughter and sent a message. ¨C Your Majesty copsed for a while, and you took a cure developed by Valentine, and your illness was cured. Then she took her hand and added. ¨C The reason that this disease spread rapidly only in the Kingdom of Leter is because of the seasonings mainly eaten here. ¡°Seasonings¡­¡­?¡± ¨C Yes, it¡¯s called athousand vinegar. ¡°It¡¯s because of the thousand vinegar¡­¡± The thousand vinegar was a seasoning that was somon that it went into most of the Kingdom of Leter¡¯s food. Aria¡¯s words sounded as absurd as saying that the gue was caused by mustard or pepper. ¨C The thousand vinegar was the host of this gue. That is why soft vinegar, which ispatible with thousand vinegar, is rather poisonous. Her subsequent words were astonishing. The Queen was fed a treatment made bybining medicinal herbs that nullified the thousand vinegar¡¯s effect. ¨C Could you please give me permission to distribute this treatment to the people of Leter? There was no reason to say no. Next to the Queen who had finished understanding the situation, King Leter, who had been by her side all night, was wiping away his tears. ¡°I beg you earnestly. Please do so.¡± The King of a country bowed his head politely in front of a little girl. Valentine¡¯s Grand Princess. Since she haspletely cured all of Leter¡¯s people, her presence has spread throughout the world. ¡°So, did the Grand Princesse out in person to stop Saint Veronica¡­?¡± People remembered the Grand Princess, who appeared on the clock tower in the square that day. Despite everyone¡¯s criticism, she was unwaveringly determined. Because she knows what she has to do, she endures and stays silent and waits. Like a real saint ¡°She knew all the truth.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know¡­¡± Some reflected on their carelessness, while others were busy praising Aria. As Valentine¡¯s image was being re-evaluated, Garcia¡¯s reputation began to get firmly eroded. Public opinion showed no sign of turning back as it was before again. At least Veronica had to be executed, so the people¡¯s anger can subside. But, ¡°¡­Did I just hear you right?¡± The Cardinal lost hisposure and raised his voice as he asked. The pdin who reported to him was sweating cold and bowed his head more deeply in apology. ¡°I found traces of Saint Veronica near the vige of Ritter, but that was all. She disappeared as if she had evaporated¡­¡± ¡°How can it be. Her divine power is also weak, how can she get away being pursued by the Knights?¡± Maybe there is a helper? There was no other way to interpret it. The Cardinal sighed a little as he stroked his throbbing head. Veronica went missing. The reason she, who was close to a high-treason criminal, wasn¡¯t imprisoned in the dungeon earlier was because she had no divine powers or anything, so they looked down on her. ¡°Enough. No matter how great a person helps, it will only waste time.¡± It was only a matter of time before the Papal Pce issued a wanted order across the country. Cardinal Andrea got up from his seat with a cold, hard expression. ¡°This worked out better. I¡¯ll have to ask the Holy Father to delegate the whole study the Saint has been doing.¡± He did not like Saint Veronica from the beginning. Because she doesn¡¯t have any powers, and she only uses her mouth to seize the powerful and twist them. ¡°The research seems to be sessful.¡± Aria was constantly busy from spring to winter. Thanks to that, the other tasks were naturally neglected. She had only one body after all. ¡®But it¡¯s finally over.¡¯ She can¡¯t say pletely¡¯, but Veronica¡¯s big crisis was gone. Until the Valentine incident came, there were no major events that stood in their way. Except to beat Garcia one day. ¡®Well¡­¡­ In fact, the Valentine incident would not have happened if Lloyd had not chanted the self-sacrifice spell.¡¯ Still, it¡¯s better to get rid of things that might have repercussions in advance. ¡®Gabriel is also quiet.¡¯ Aria noticed that he knew something about her condition, but he didn¡¯t tell anyone. So Aria asionally watched him. Now, everything went smoothly. Except for one thing. ¡°Lloyd.¡± At Aria¡¯s call, a blind gaze followed. ¡°What?¡± His eyes, as ck and shiny as ss beads, contained an unfathomable amount of love and trust. As if he would believe and listen to anything she said. ¡°I¡¯m free now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An awkward silence passed. ¡®Why is the atmosphere like this?¡¯ In the meantime, she was so busy that she didn¡¯t even have time to look around. Aria swallowed a gulp and asked, feeling nervous. ¡°Would you like to y with me?¡± ¡°y?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What will you do¡­?¡± Oh right. Aria, who had been constantly running towards her goal without a break, didn¡¯t know what to do when a break time came. ¡®Oh,e to think of it, do my words sound like I was asking him for a date?¡¯ It seems like they haven¡¯t been together for a while, so she just wants to spend time alone with Lloyd. ¡°Like when we were young, boating¡­¡± Before Aria could finish her words, she remembered that it was winter and theke hadpletely frozen. ¡°Or should we go on a trip together?¡± Aria asked with a faint smile. She didn¡¯t even want to hide her blushing cheeks now. Then Lloyd looked troubled and said, ¡®Umm, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ and answered vaguely. ¡®What.¡¯ Aria blinked, widening her eyes at the thought that something went wrong. ¡®Are you upset?¡¯ It was certainly true that she had been neglecting him all year. But it was all for Lloyd. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s upset for some reason.¡¯ The attitude of someone who sulked because they were sad inside and someone who avoided because they had done something wrong was clearly different. ¡®Come to think of it, even though I¡¯ve been neglecting him all this time, he hasn¡¯t said anything.¡¯ Rather than express it, it felt as if he was avoiding Aria. Of course, it wasn¡¯t openly obvious. It was such a small and subtle difference that a dull person would not notice it. When did it start? ¡®Wherever I try to go somewhere alone, he would be there for me, but that¡¯s all.¡¯ Lloyd only stayed with her when she was in a dangerous ce and disappeared when she came to a safe ce. For reasons such as a sudden schedule or something. ¡®I might think of it as a consideration.¡¯ But she doesn¡¯t know why it suddenly became so in. ¡®Why aren¡¯t you doing anything ¡­.?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t even holding her hand. He wasn¡¯t even hugging her. He wasn¡¯t even the lips¡­¡­. Aria didn¡¯t continue her thoughts, but stiffened in surprise instead. Doesn¡¯t it look like he wants me to do something like this? ¡®No, he may want to. If that¡¯s the case, why did he kiss me on the cheek before?¡¯ This was a really difficult problem. As she thought about things, she knew she shouldn¡¯t go too deep, but why can¡¯t her heart work as her mind? Why does the heart always go ahead without keeping it in moderation? ¡®I haven¡¯t found a way to survive yet. So, it is right that we should move away from each other like this¡­¡­.¡¯ But it was always Aria who couldn¡¯t make cool-headed judgments in front of Lloyd. In the end, again, her desire overcame reason. ¡°Lloyd, are you busy? Do you have anything to do after today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go, a trip.¡± And she pushed with force. Aria noticed that hisnguid, half-closed eyes grew as big as rabbits, and she added. ¡°The Grand Princess is going on strike. I want to go and y with Lloyd.¡± And she sped his hand, who still looked troubled. Putting their fingers together and making it tight. Lloyd couldn¡¯t resist Aria¡¯s force and only wiggled his fingers. With his gaze turned away. The exposed back of his ear and the nape of his neck were dyed red. Aria, who had stared nkly at Lloyd for a moment, asked unknowingly. ¡°Do you want a kiss?¡± t/n: uhhh im sorry if the name seems weird ._. i tried matching it with the hanja and settled on this so it might be a y on ¡®thousand ind¡¯ uhh sorry guys ._.v t/n2: i¡¯m sorry if updates have been sporadictely, sses just started the past month so i¡¯m trying to match the tempo and arrange my time well. so please wait a bit while i settle everything down T.T thank you so much! Chapter 158 Chapter 158 ¡°Kis¡­ what?¡± He seemed to be suspicious of his own ears. Cloud, startled to the point where his eyes popped out, quickly stepped back and distanced himself from them. Aria didn¡¯t care why her escort was quickly distancing himself. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can reach him even when I grow up.¡¯ Unless Lloyd bends his back. Aria felt regret as she measured the angle here and there. ¡®It was only when I was young that I identally kissed him on the cheek.¡¯ Now, the difference in physique is so vast that even if she grabs him by the neck, it doesn¡¯t seem like he would get dragged. Aria gave up and said. ¡°I think Lloyd keeps avoiding me.¡± ¡°¡­I never avoided you.¡± ¡°Then kiss me.¡± Lloyd, who was speechless and silent, wrinkled his brow and pped his lips. I don¡¯t know about other people¡¯s speed¡­¡­. Swallowing out the words he couldn¡¯t say, he summed up all the afflictions he was feeling recently in one word. ¡°You¡¯re still young.¡± What does he mean young? The moment Aria heard those words, she remembered Cloud¡¯s words that she had forgotten for a while. ¡°The Grand Prince will never look at the Young Madam with those eyes.¡± If there has ever been a time in her life where she felt unfair because of her age, it must be because of Lloyd. Aria thought so. She knows he likes her blindly, but she wonder if he¡¯s ever seen her as the opposite sex. ¡°Let¡¯s talk again in six years.¡± When Lloyd drew the lines fiercely, Aria murmured for a moment with a sullen face. ¡°¡­what do you think will happen in six years.¡± At the same time, Vincent, who was looking for Aria, approached from the end of the hallway waving his hand. ¡°Ah, you were here. I think Sister-inw shoulde and see¡­¡± But more than that, Aria¡¯s bomb deration came first. ¡°Who kissed first?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Vincent let out a gasp. Then he took turns looking at the two of them with an eye-popping startled look, then quickly slipped to Cloud¡¯s side. ¡°How shameless¡­¡± ¡°meless?¡± Vincent stared at Cloud for a moment, seemingly absurd, then said. ¡°Because the end syble is the same?¡± ¡°The number of letters is the same.¡± ¡°Now, you¡¯re just saying things you don¡¯t know. A shameless person is about someone like you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He heard it all. Lloyd nced at the two whispering men up and down as they put their heads together. It was like a butcher¡¯s gaze, choosing the cuts before ughtering the meat. Vincent hid behind Cloud, trembling unknowingly with a numb feeling in his neck. It was then. Aria saw a carriage through the window and her eyes widened. The carriage had the emblem of the Angelo family engraved on it. It was her legal family. ¡°What¡¯s going on with Duke Angelo?¡± ¡°Oh right.¡± Vincent said as if he remembered it toote. ¡°Sister-inw, I think you shoulde to the parlor now for that matter.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Seriously, I think it could turn into a war.¡± Excuse me? Aria arrived at the parlor with everyone. When the ck Falcon was about to announce their visit. ¡°If you don¡¯t withdraw those words right now, you won¡¯t be able to get out on your own two feet.¡± Tristan¡¯s harsh voice was heard. Aria doubted her ears for a moment. No matter how outspoken Tristan may be, isn¡¯t that too harsh for the Angelo family? ¡®On paper, we¡¯re a legal family.¡¯ Aria opened the door in a hurry. She thought she had to stop Tristan quickly before he said anything worse. ¡°Aria?¡± Tristan, who was fiddling with the hilt of the sword with his bloody aura, looked surprised. ¡°Oh, Grand Princess.¡± Opposite Grand Duke Valentine were Martin Angelo, head of the Angelo family, and his second son, Luther Angelo. The head of Angelo bowed politely in front of the frozen Aria and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you earlier.¡± ¡­¡­ what? ¡°All this time, I only put your name on the family registry, and it seems that I have had no interest in the Grand Princess.¡± He raised his head again and spoke in a serious voice. ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t share blood with each other, the Grand Princess is someone who deserved to be named in the Angelo family.¡± DUchy Angelo. A noble family who defends justice and is willing to sacrifice even their lives for the sake of their beliefs. Those who are upright, have no flexibility, and never break their will even if a knife is put in their throat. Aria was recognized as a person worthy of being named in the Angelo family. Also directly by the family head. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Since this wasn¡¯t something she wanted to be recognized for, Aria blushed for a moment and looked away. In fact, she was really happy. Because she was recognized by nowhere else, but the Angelo family. Then, as sharp as an awl, Valentine¡¯s eyes turned to Martin one after another. Luther added without hesitation. ¡°Yes. I heard that you have a strong sense of justice, quick judgment, and bold action. Rather, you are so great that I wonder what Angelo will be.¡± Aria¡¯s eyes lost their way to the sudden and unexpected shower of praise. As she rolled her eyes, choosing what to say, Tristan answered instead. ¡°Whatever it is, stop it.¡± And he lifted his finger as if to tell Aria toe closer to him. Aria was sorry, but she didn¡¯t want to ede to his request this time around. Aria struggled to turn her back to Tristan, and said. ¡°The Duke must have already known that I can speak, so I¡¯ll say it in words instead of a message.¡± ¡°Do whatever you feelfortable with.¡± Aria told Winter that it was okay to reveal her secret to the Angelo family head and the second son. ¡°If you came here because of the matter of developing a cure, I just did what I could.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily because of that. There are stories I¡¯ve heard from Winter¡­¡± Martin then asked, ¡°Um? But where is Vinter?¡±. ¡°Um, maybe¡­¡± He had run away. Aria muttered those words, then mumbled, avoiding his gaze. ¡°I heard he left for a while to collect some data.¡± It was a white lie for Winter¡¯s sake. ¡°Is that so? I can¡¯t see his face at all because he was so busy.¡± Martin regretted the absence of his eldest son and returned to the point. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Grand Princess isn¡¯t my real daughter.¡± ¡°Is there anything to mourn for? I¡¯m already the Duke¡¯s daughter.¡± On paper. Those words seemed to be somewhat disrespectful, so she omitted them. Then, hearing those words, Martin¡¯s stubborn face began to soften. It surprised Aria and his son, who was present, as well. ¡°Then feel free to call mefortably. Like family.¡± Like family, so¡­.. ¡°Um, so Father? Older Brother?¡± As he spoke, Aria¡¯s back began to tingle. It was because of Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s tenacious gaze. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariater realized why Tristan had said such a rude thing. Because he always insisted on Aria¡¯s title as ¡®Daughter, Daughter¡¯, that the genealogy was twisted. He regarded Aria as his biological daughter, so the very existence of her legal father, Martin, was annoying. ¡°Older Brother?¡± Vincent asked, seemingly absurd. ¡°I called you Sister-inw for fear that war would break out, but I didn¡¯t call him Lord Angelo. Yet, why is he the only one who got to be ¡®Brother¡¯?¡± She hasn¡¯t heard it either. At Vincent¡¯s resolute words, Aria¡¯s eyes were full of absurdity. ¡®Did he think of me like a younger sister?¡¯ So, who is who¡¯s sister? ¡°Lord Luther Angelo, what are your academy graduation grades?¡± ¡°What?¡± He even quarreled with Luther, who had been standing still. Then Lloyd, who had been silent, added in a cold voice. ¡°Aria already has a family, so she doesn¡¯t need another family. She¡¯s just as happy on paper as she is now.¡± Tristan spoke coldly as if he had reached the apex of all the bloody threats. ¡°I am the only one who can be called Father under this sky.¡± Only Aria that was caught in between them got troubled. It was contrasting with the opening of the white outfit Tristan was wearing that was clearly lower than that of hers. ¡°Um, then¡­¡± After hesitating, she opened her mouth. Then, Angelo¡¯s two father-and-son and Valentine¡¯s eyes, who were growling as if they were about to eat the other, turned to Aria. ¡°Either way, I treat you like my own family, but if I had to choose, I would choose the most harmonious and happiest family as my true parent.¡± ¡°¡­Harmonious? Happiest?¡± Tristan muttered as if speaking a word he had never heard before. But soon, he seemed confident, twisted his lips and smiled. ¡°Of course, I can make you happier than anyone else.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use my words.¡± ¡°Including this guy.¡± ¡°Ah, does that mean that I¡¯m the only one who can make Aria happy if the Grand Duke is gone?¡± It was when Lloyd stared at his father with a tight gaze. Aria added. ¡°Of course, if my family gets along badly and fights all the time, I will be disappointed.¡± ¡°And since Valentine and Angelo are family to me, I hope they don¡¯t be rude to each other, because I¡¯ve always wanted to have a caring and kind family.¡± This was an overwhelmingly unfavorable condition for Valentine. Then, suddenly, Tristan put down the sword. He straightened up his half-loose posture and spoke in a polite, noble tone. ¡°¡­wee to Valentine.¡± The head of Angelo, who was suddenly weed, stared at the Grand Duke with great disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s an, honor.¡± Lloyd frowned and spit it out, one letter at a time. ¡°You are, most wee here.¡± Vincent pped awkwardly in a soulless voice. Today, she was ying the role of a happiness evangelist. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 The head of Angelo, Martin dered more solemnly than ever. ¡°I will do my best to be recognized as a harmonious and happy family by my daughter someday.¡± As soon as the word ¡®daughter¡¯ came out of his mouth, he felt like he was going to be crushed by a murderous feeling from somewhere. In any case, Martin was eventually forced to return with no result. ¡®But the families will be at peace.¡¯ The happiness evangelist, Aria, sent heartfelt condolences to them with such thoughts. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡± It was not long after the carriage had left. Winter, who had been hiding somewhere, sighed and appeared. ¡°I was surprised that they came without a message.¡± He murmured as he looked at the road where the carriage had left. Aria looked pityingly at him, who lookedplicated, and said. ¡°Is it okay to send them off like that without saying goodbye?¡± Actually, the two Angelo father-and-son didn¡¯t say it, but it seems like they hade to see Winter. Besides, Winter was the Young Duke who would lead the Angelo family in the future. ¡°Still, it¡¯s unavoidable. You¡¯ll have to reveal it someday.¡± ¡°I know. Well, um. It¡¯s troubling because I am not mentally prepared yet¡­¡± Aria actually understood Winter¡¯s feelings deeply. That¡¯s why she had no choice but to hide him too. Because, ¡®Because the Young Duke had a peculiar condition since that incident.¡¯ He mostly remains in good shape, but asionally the childish personality pops out. Without any notice. Even if Aria used Gabriel¡¯s divine power to fix the condition, she could not fix it at all. ¡®That¡¯s why they say that drug side effects are scary.¡¯ After all, even Aria herself had a time limit because of it. The divine powers may have helped her a little, but it couldn¡¯tpletely fix it. ¡°There must be a way out.¡± For both of them. Aria muttered a promise, and then she patted him on the back. ¡°So, will the Young Duke continue to be here?¡± Vincent wrinkled his expression as he looked up and down at Winter in disbelief. He waited patiently because he thought Winter would go back soon¡­¡­. ¡°You¡¯re not really aiming for my ce, are you? The way you look at your Sister-inw these days is quite disrespectful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstood. I¡¯m just expressing love, respect, and favor as a brother.¡± ¡°Which brother sees their sister with love, respect and favor?¡± Just be honest. Vincent raised his voice. ¡°The Young Duke is aiming for the position of Sister-inw¡¯s strategist.¡± In the end, Vincent himself is no different, so why is he holding on to it so much? Aria doesn¡¯t even remember asking any of them to be her strategist. ¡°How long are you going to be doing this non-productive conversation?¡± Lloyd, who came closer before she knew it, said. It looked boring, as if he didn¡¯t know how long to watch these fools bicker. ¡°¡­Maybe so.¡± Winter turned his gaze to Aria, and muttered a small mutter to the fiery Vincent. ¡°Seeing how you¡¯ve rxed your way in treating me, it seems that youck as much confidence.¡± ¡°What? You have no morals. Don¡¯t sneak in andpete fairly!¡± Hearing that, Vincent threatened it as if he had been reluctant all this time. It was then. ¡°Scawyy¡­¡­.¡± Suddenly, Winter¡¯s blunt face turned into tears, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. He looked around as if asking for help, then slipped into Aria¡¯s back and hid behind her and burst into tears. ¡°You yelled at me! I, I don¡¯t want to fight¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± Seeing him whine, Vincent grabbed the back of his neck. ¡°Wait, the timing is amazing. You¡¯re not doing that on purpose, are you?¡± As he was casting his suspicions. Lloyd, who was holding Aria¡¯s hand with anguid face, grabbed Winter¡¯s back and forcibly pulled him off. ¡°OUCH!¡± ¡°If you want to hang, hang on me. Then I can handle it with less pain.¡± It means he was going to deal with it anyway. Feeling threatened with murderous energy, Winter desperately reached out to reach Aria and asked for help. Aria was troubled for a moment. ¡®Should I see him as a child now? Should he be considered as an adult?¡¯ It could have been a very serious problem. In any case, Aria decided to rescue Winter from the grip that was more tenacious than that of the devil. ¡°Let him go, Lloyd.¡± Winter didn¡¯t want his family to see his figure like that even if he died, so he avoided his family. Because she knew he couldn¡¯t be sane to do something like that. Barely freed from Lloyd¡¯s grasp, he hurriedly ran and hugged Aria tightly. ¡°Older Sister, I¡¯m afraid of that person.¡± The child-Winter will not know. The lifespan of adult-Winter will be shortened soon. The closer they get to the truth about the real God and the Holy Empire. Aria was reluctant to go to the prayer room. But, as promised, she visited the prayer room every day. Because she promised ¡°Grand Princess.¡± Gabriel saw Aria and first greeted her. When did it start? At some point, his in gaze with the characteristic shyness did not step away from Aria. So blindly. ¡®That was the way he looked at Veronica¡­¡­.¡¯ It felt weird. Aria actually didn¡¯t trust him, so she hid everything and offered only a few favors. But, when did he start to look at her like that? ¡°Angel.¡± Aria sat Gabriel down and said. It was a story she had never personally mentioned. ¡°I know that Angel¡¯s precious person is Saint Veronica.¡± ¡°¡­it was.¡± ¡°Is it still?¡± She asked openly if he was a double agent. In fact, she actually knew that Veronica was bad, but it was hard to say openly, but now there is evidence. Because the whole world knew it. Now she won¡¯t be able to get away with it any longer. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I didn¡¯t.¡± Long time? Aria, who thought it was a recent matter, widened her eyes in surprise for a moment. ¡®Is that a lie?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t seem to be lying. ¡°Then I¡¯m d.¡± Aria was relieved. She didn¡¯t know what it was. But Gabriel said, looking at her with eyes vivid with thirst. ¡°I know, too.¡± Suddenly, their eyes met. Golden eyes resembling the sun were burning as if eagerly longing for something. Aria wrinkled her eyebrows without realizing it. She doesn¡¯t know why he was looking at her like that. ¡°The Grand Princess has a time limit.¡± Aria had already expected that he would say that, so she wasn¡¯t very agitated. ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny it, since you seem already convinced.¡± ¡°As expected, the Grand Princess knew it¡­¡± Gabriel muttered without hiding his misery. ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Are you going to tell people? Gabriel shook his head at Aria¡¯s question. ¡°Would you like me to go out of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle?¡± ¡°No.¡± After a brief silence, Gabriel began to persuade. ¡°Staying here will only make things worse. Come with me from Valentine to Garcia.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Aria didn¡¯t know what to say, so her lips only fluttered. Even if he asked them to go out together, she was going to say no, but he had asked to run away to another country together. To Garcia too. ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ He seems not ¡®Maybe Veronica¡¯s brainwashed him firmly.¡¯ Aria looked him up and down with a suspicious look. Gabriel kept talking, regardless of Aria¡¯s thought. ¡°Garcia is an empire with a very advanced medical science.¡± ¡°It¡¯s known that way.¡± ¡°Although the recent development of a cure for the gue has failed, there is no denying that the majority of drugs and treatments out there are from Garcia.¡± Ah, my God. Aria got enlightenment btedly and sighed. ¡®Does he think that the incident that happened this time was all arbitrarilymitted by Veronica?¡¯ Could that be the case? There¡¯s no way Garcia can¡¯t do such a big job alone. ¡®Should I correct the reality and face it?¡¯ It was when there were manyplicated thoughts holding her words and she couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Aria realized the moment her eyes met his suddenly. In her head, even if she knows it, she doesn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡®This knight is a knight serving Garcia. He absolutely believes in the innocence of his country, and has no intention of betraying it.¡¯ She may have misjudged him from the start. At that time, she did not know that Garcia was behind all the evil deeds. It was just that when it turned out that she was a Siren, she wanted to get a little help. Why did things happen like this? ¡°Gabriel.¡± Aria stopped calling him Angel and politely called out his name. ¡°Even if I die, I die on Valentine.¡± And she briefly stated her determination. In the past and in the present, every moment of her life has been colored with Valentine, so she has no regrets. Her life, family, happiness, love, devotion, friendship¡­¡­. She would give her all to Valentine, who gave her all that. The winter rain poured suddenly, for no reason. Gabriel looked down for a moment as the water drops wet the floor, then swung his sword again. ¡®Come to think of it, it must have rained like this before¡­¡­.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that long ago. He stared at where Aria was looking at him that day. Of course, she wasn¡¯t there. ¡®And, there will never be anymore.¡¯ He stopped practicing on his own and looked down at his fingers. The day he cut his hand like a fool. As he was in the rain, his body temperature dropped and Aria¡¯s touch felt hot wherever she touched, and he remembered the warmth of that day. If he goes back to that day, could everything be different? Well. ¡®I vaguely knew.¡¯ He will be rejected anyway. Aria trusted Valentine that it was close to a devotion. Just like he trusts Aria. ¡®It must be because I don¡¯t have any strength or foundation.¡¯ Gabriel recalled a feeling he had once felt. That he can¡¯t do anything even if Aria copsed. He can¡¯t even find her and he can¡¯t even stumble upon her. It was only for a moment that his divine power was helpful. Unless he finds the exact name of the disease and the right treatment,she will wither and weaken here. Gabriel, unable to concentrate on the practice, returned to the room, dripping with rainwater. At that moment, hismunication device rang. ¡®Have it not been thrown away yet?¡¯ It was amunication device he shared with Veronica. ¡®Yes, let¡¯s talk to the Saint instead. Let¡¯s repent our sins and ask the Holy Father for forgiveness¡­¡­.¡¯ However, when he picked up themunication port, there was an unexpected person behind the ss device. ¡°Sir Gabriel, I order your summon. Return to Garcia immediately.¡± It was Cardinal Andrea. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Cardinal Andrea. He took over all of Veronica¡¯s experiments and became the Chief. The Pope gave him an important mission. ¡°I can¡¯t dy any longer. We have something to keep God¡¯s feelings from the corruption somehow.¡± ¡°Yes. I will try to seed no matter what for Garcia¡¯s eternal prosperity.¡± The Cardinal went straight to the Kingdom of Bruto to fulfill his responsibilities. The Kingdom of Bruto, which had already be Garcia¡¯s vassal state a long time ago, took the Cardinal respectfully and guided him to theb. The head of theb with a vile impression and the pdins who escorted and watched him followed. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed as originally nned. The Holy Father hasmanded that.¡± ¡°To proceed as originally nned¡­¡± ¡°Are you pretending to hear it for the first time now? The n to bury subjects in Valentine¡¯s estate.¡± Hearing the Cardinal¡¯s tant expression, the head of theb somehow broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°How was the experiment with injecting Shadra into the subject?¡± ¡°It failed, as the Cardinal had expected from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Never mind. I had no expectations of it.¡± He moved quickly, waving his hand. The head of theb followed after the Cardinal, wiping away the sweat. ¡°Well, by the way, Cardinal. May I ask where the Shadra came from?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sure there must have been an order to zip up any questions about Shadra.¡± ¡°But, but, it¡¯s a more fatally dangerous substance than anything I¡¯ve seen in my life¡­¡± At that moment, an extremely contemptuous gaze fell on the head of theb. It was because the Cardinal, who had stood on the spot, was staring at him to not speak anymore. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The Cardinal, clicking his tongue lightly, stepped forward again. ¡®Shadra¡¯. In fact, the substance called Shadra is a fragmented God¡¯s feeling. Among them, no one in theb knew that it was God¡¯s goodwill. Because it was the top secret among the top secrets. The researchers simply infused Shadra ording to Garcia¡¯s orders for various situations. However, the hundreds of subjects injected with Shadra were contaminated and died without exception. The whole body rotted and melted. ¡°How about the children?¡± The children the Cardinal was talking about wass the ss A children from the Orphanage of St. Aquino. Then the head of theb looked desperate with a look saying, ¡®It¡¯s finally here.¡¯. ¡°It was injected into the body, but it wasn¡¯t absorbed, and it didn¡¯tpletely break down like the other subjects. They just held it in.¡± The result of the experiment was ¡®as expected¡¯. To inject a part of God into the human body. Does it even make sense? If such a thing was possible, why would Valentine¡¯s tyranny be left unattended? ¡®We must take God¡¯s malice and make it Garcia¡¯s.¡¯ The Cardinal was convinced. Veronica must have been a paranoid dreamer too. ¡°The experiment will be a no-brainer. Discard all results.¡± ¡°What? Bu, but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, it looks like there¡¯s something more.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the Shadra injected into the children was not recovered¡­¡± What? The astonished Cardinal paused on the spot again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°As long as it has been injected, it can only be recovered when the specimen is destroyed¡­¡± ss A children¡¯s bodies do not melt right away, because they are chimeras whose body is all made up of divine power. But they didn¡¯t absorb it, so it had no effect. ¡°What should we do?¡± When the head of theb asked, sweating in a flood, the Cardinal answered. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. Put it into operation.¡± He had no choice even though the ss A children were a disappointment. They must stop the corruption of God¡¯s feelings right now. If the corruption was not stopped, the divine power would gradually weaken, and Garcia¡¯s power would also weaken by that much. ¡°But it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± ¡°The head of theb, who is only in name, is saying something new.¡± The Cardinal waved his hand as if he wasn¡¯t even worth listening to, and said. ¡°The energy amplification device is probably being developed as scheduled.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. It¡¯s still in the testing stage¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to do tests like that. It¡¯s toote to waste time on useless things.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you say ¡®but¡¯ one more time, I will deprive you of the position of the head of theb and hold you ountable with your life.¡± At present, the Cardinal¡¯s words who carried the Pope¡¯s mission became thew of theb. The head of theb, who had only pped his lips, had no choice but to nod his head countless times. Gabriel was ordered to return, a year early. It was a sudden call. ¡°Well, whatever.¡± Tristan reacted indifferently. In fact, his reaction was more, ¡®Is there such a thing?¡¯. ¡°Actually, wasn¡¯t he not needed since the moment my daughter joined our family?¡± ¡®Oh,e to think of it, Gabriel was there on Valentine in the name of purification¡­¡­¡¯ Aria rememberedte. It was because she now knew that purifying Valentine¡¯s malice had nothing to do with divine power. ¡°But thanks to that, I¡¯ve gotten a little stronger.¡± There was a little twist with Gabriel, but Aria tried to understand him for the better. If he goes back this time, it will really be thest time. ¡°Grand Princess, onest time.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Gabriel, who had reached out his hand, untied the ne from Aria¡¯s neck. No, he was trying to untie it. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± However, when his hand stretched out behind her neck and looked as if he was asking her for a hug, he felt even more embarrassed. ¡®It¡¯s the same as when he was young.¡¯ Blushing red over something that doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s kind of funny that he¡¯s still the same person as when he was young, even though he¡¯s big enough to be doubtful that he¡¯s the same person. ¡°Pfft.¡± Aria let out a detedugh. ¡°What are you so nervous about?¡± Still, he has been kind to her, and she wanted to spend thest time in a good way. Aria untied the ne and handed it to Gabriel. ¡°¡­¡­thank you.¡± ¡°What are you thanking for?¡± ¡°Foring to see me off today¡­¡± All around them were the horse, coachman and carriage Gabriel was about to ride. However, he has been here for 4 years. It could have been a very sad moment. In fact, since he¡¯s the enemy, it¡¯s only obvious that no one sees him off. ¡®You, too, had a lot of trouble in this small enemy area.¡¯ Next time they meet, they will probably be enemies. Aria looked up at him without saying a word. Somehow, it felt like a mixture of emotions. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes, say anything. At any cost¡­¡± What was he talking about? Aria smiled softly to Gabriel, who was reacting more rigidly than expected. ¡°Please grant my wish just once. Not now, but if we meet again someday in the future.¡± It was as if she had no doubt that one day they would meet again. Gabriel¡¯s face, which had been quiet for some reason, brightened. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°No matter what situation we are in then.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gabriel held the ne in his hand with determination, as if handing over a token of promise. The light of the sun shattered into tens of millions of rays as white and transparent as snow. More brilliantly than ever. It¡¯s like a knight who swears allegiance to his master and recites a prayer on the day of the oath ceremony. ¡°Lady Aria, I will never forget and remember you forever.¡± He spoke her name for the first time in his mouth. Lloyd wasn¡¯t in a good mood. Because tomorrow is the day he will inherit all of Valentine¡¯s curses. ¡®Fortunately, there has been no more body transformation since I grew up.¡¯ If his body hurts, that¡¯s okay. However, it was more difficult for him to gather his mind so as not to assimte into God¡¯s malice. ¡®Again¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd looked down casually at his forearms, which was dripping with blood. He thought the body transformation would never happen. Even though his body is this big, it seems like there was still a ce to. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ He stopped what he was doing, wrapped his arms around with bandages roughly, and pulled the curtains of his office. And, he saw it. Aria with the Garcia apprentice. ¡®How kind.¡¯ Looks like she was seeing him off. Useless. He set aside all the papers he was handling and went out. Pretending to put divine power into the ne, a finger gently brushed against her. A ne that remains as thest token. A gentle smile and¡­¡­. ¡°Lady Aria, I will never forget and remember you forever.¡± He was convinced from the first time he saw Gabriel. It would be like this Still, he left it alone because he knew Gabriel wouldn¡¯t be such a threat. ¡®I know that.¡¯ He wanted to get the knight in the carriage right away and crush his finger that touched Aria¡¯s hand. He wanted to cut off his tongue. He wanted to break his neck altogether. ¡°Oh, Lloyd.¡± One of those things he might have done if Aria hadn¡¯t smiled brightly when she saw him. Lloyd withdrew his cruel urge that had been rising endlessly and stretched out his hand to her. ¡°Lloyd?¡± ¡°Giving things away¡­ he¡¯s flirting with you¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Then he squeezed the hand that Gabriel¡¯s fingertips had touched. As if erasing the traces and engraving it with Lloyd¡¯s own warmth. Chapter 161 Chapter 161 ¡°Dangerous.¡± A familiar whisper was heard in the dream. Before the Laura incident happened the other day, a voice whispered to Aria ¡®Be careful.¡¯ It was dawn. Aria suddenly opened her eyes and let out a small groan. It was because she felt her breath suffocated, crushed by the sudden explosion of energy. ¡°Ha¡­ uh¡­¡± Aria let out a moan and barely got her body up from the bed. Her legs were so heavy as if they were submerged in a swamp, making it difficult to even properly bnce. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Even the air seemed to be heavy. Her hands and feet trembled little by little, and she felt an unfamiliar, intense chill. Kiiiiikkkk! ¡°Ugh!¡± A terrible ringing as if it were about to tear her eardrums apart. It was like the screams of sinners in hell. Aria reflexively sat down and covered her ears. In an instant, red blood ran down her nose. A nosebleed. ¡®This feeling is definitely¡­¡­.¡¯ She had felt it before. A few years ago, when Grand Duke Valentine was on a rampage. At that time, she caught a glimpse of God¡¯s malice. A destructive energy, as if amplified several times, filled the room and overflowed. ¡®Lloyd¡­¡­.¡¯ Hearing this, she straightened her trembling legs and barely got up. With the back of her hand, she wiped the nosebleed and mmed the door open. At the same time, tears flowed. ¡®Ah¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria stretched her hand out into the empty air. The malicious thoughts that God feels toward humans are so clear that they can be grasped. ¡®I wished they died.¡¯ ¡®Die, please die.¡¯ ¡®I regret creating human beings.¡¯ ¡®The race that is infinitely selfish, cunning, arrogant and foolish.¡¯ ¡®These mere creatures will endlessly challenge my authority and reveal their ugliness.¡¯ ¡®Annihte them.¡¯ ¡®Follow my will, end them.¡¯ Her head was about to explode at the suffocating sounds pouring. It would have been more convenient to faint like this. But she ran. She gathered her power to the limit. ¡®Give up, idiot.¡¯ God¡¯s malice fluttering in the air seemed to constantly whisper helplessness, boredom, despair, and pessimism in my ear. ¡®What do you think will change if you go?¡¯ ¡®You are arrogant when you¡¯re just a human being trying to go against fate.¡¯ ¡®Your arrogance will kill everyone.¡¯ Aria quickly wiped away her tears. She has a gut feeling that the moment she gives up now, everything will be over, so she just runs. ¡®Why do I hear the words of God¡¯s malice? Why¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria recalled her memories just before she fell asleep. ¡®Lloyd¡­¡­.¡¯ It was vivid, seeing him saying that he would inherit God¡¯s malicepletely tomorrow with an ufortable-looking face. ¡®No way.¡¯ The day he inherited all God¡¯s malice from Grand Duke Valentine. That day is, ¡®Valentine¡¯s¡­¡­ Incident¡­¡­.¡¯ Her heart felt like it was going to explode with anxiety. No, it can¡¯t be. Why is the future that she had prevented so much was being recreated again? Lloyd wouldn¡¯t do the self-sacrifice spell now? ¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯ Lloyd and Valentine¡¯s bright future seemed not far away. ¡®I believed that all that was left for me to do was to heal my illness and find a way to survive.¡¯ It¡¯s okay if she really can¡¯t change the fate of her dead end. At least she protected Valentine. Even if she couldn¡¯t survive, she thought she could close her eyesfortably¡­¡­. ¡°¡­!¡± Aria covered her mouth and stopped there. She had no choice but to. What she had remembered as a terrible nightmare actually happened. But the red waves flowing like a river were so clear and vivid now. The long hallway leading to the banquet hall was red in all directions, including walls, ceilings, and floors. ¡°Ugh, kuhk¡­.¡± ¡°Huu-ughk, huk! Huaah!¡± Those lying on the floor and not even moving. Those who have lost parts of their body. Those who have beenpletely blown away by being exposed to God¡¯s malice, weeping and crying and begging for forgiveness. All of them who onceughed and chatted, were kind and affectionate to Aria. ¡®Already¡­¡­ Maybe it¡¯s already toote¡­¡­.¡¯ She got dizzy. The worst thing kept running through her mind. However, Aria felt her mind getting more and more alert as the situation escted. ¡®Let¡¯s do what I can right now.¡¯ She took a deep breath. Do you know thend where the lemon-trees grow, in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, And she sang the song of healing with earnestness in her exhaled breath. A song of miracles that can now be sung naturally as if breathing. to be there with you, O, my beloved one! As Aria walked along the hallway, she pushed her energy to the limit with every note, amplifying every sound that resonated with her vocal cords. Do you know it well? It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one! From end to end of the hallway. Her singing voice resounded like a wave of colors. The desperate tone resonating in her mouth seemed to gently embrace God¡¯s malice that spread throughout the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. The song of healing could not revive an extinguished life, but she at least healed all the wounds. ¡®I¡¯m d Gabriel put divine power on the ne before he left.¡¯ Aria grabbed the ne from her neck. At least she won¡¯t faint from treating the wounded. The divine power contained in the crystal of the ne had exhausted itself and returned from golden to transparent. ¡°Grand, Grand Princess!¡± An employee, who was groaning at God¡¯s outright malice and muttering nonsense, cried with tears. Aria asked, taking a rough breath. ¡°What happened? What happened to the others?¡± ¡°The Grand Prince¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t keep up with his words and pointed towards the banquet hall. He didn¡¯t even have time to exin properly. Aria ran straight without dy, and mmed opened the banquet hall door with all her might. And she helplessly hardened at the shock again. Beyond the level of just losing his reason, Lloyd seems to have beenpletely taken over by God¡¯s malice. And Cloud, Vincent, and Tristan who copsed near Lloyd with a dangerous breathing sound. ¡°Ha, there¡¯s nothing done right. I said to evacuate first¡­¡± Tristan, with his face all red, barely opened his eyes and muttered. ¡°Anyway, like Vincent, no one listens. Is it puberty¡­¡± He was still talking. But his body was so tattered that it was painful to even look at it properly. It was a miracle he was alive. ¡®But he¡¯s alive.¡¯ Aria swallowed the tears that kept trying to burst from inside, and she moved forward. Lloyd¡¯s eyes met hers. His eyes, which had barely returned to ck, had faded toplete gray. The same as her previous life. ¡°Lloyd¡­¡± She muttered his name. However, Lloyd just pointed his sword at Aria without showing any signs of agitation. ¡°I know from experience. That¡¯s no longer human¡­ Cough!¡± Tristan coughed in blood. Aria hurriedly ran and tried to support him. But instead, he pushed Aria away and spoke firmly. ¡°It¡¯s the malice that God held, haaa, that wanted to destroy humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Go. I¡¯ll stop it. Sabina went to ask the shaman for help, so you just have to hold on until then.¡± He was still talking nonsense. Tristan was so wounded that he would die if he got hit one more time. No matter how strong he was, he was human. As he said, how can a human body oppose God? ¡®Please, what can I do¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria hugged Tristan tightly who kept pushing her away and trying to get up. At that moment. There was a song that kept ying in her head. ¡®Juan¡¯s memory!¡¯ Aria quickly opened her mouth. ¡°To you, my¡­!¡± But she couldn¡¯t sing a single verse properly. ¡°Kugh!¡± It was because she felt terrible pain like her vocal cords burning and getting cut to pieces with a knife. She felt it instinctively. In the first ce, she doesn¡¯t even have the ability to sing this song, and even if she does, her body can¡¯t stand it. At that time. ¡°Carlin!¡± Aria found the shaman running with a white face. Aria called out his name with all her might. ¡°Young Madam! I came here to take you to a safe ce, but what is this¡­!¡± ¡°I told you! The future I wanted to stop!¡± The future she wanted to prevent. A scene from the past shed through Carlin¡¯s mind. Without blinking an eye, the bold ten-year-old child said over and over again, ¡®I have to change the future.¡¯ ¡°How many times have I told you! Thews of the world can never be broken! Rather, they will strangle you with a greater cmity!¡± Carlin cried out as powerful. This was the result. Everyone will die. Lloyd, who has survived alone, will wander and go crazy with a body that cannot die. She didn¡¯t change anything. Rather, it wille back with a harsher price as much as she desperately struggles. Such is the rule of the world. ¡°No.¡± She had a messed up face. Exposed to God¡¯s malice, tears flowed down the corners of her eyes, and traces of the nosebleed were still left under her nose. ¡°I told you, Carlin.¡± Aria¡¯s emotions intensified, and she grabbed the shaman¡¯s arm and spoke enthusiastically. ¡°If the world is wrong, I will change it.¡± It was the power of a 14-year-old who would copse if an adult male pushed her away. But Carlin could not move as if he was bound tightly. ¡°If this is the price I¡¯vee to pay for trying to change the future, I¡¯m going to pay the full price now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, Carlin.¡± Carlin¡¯s eyelids trembled as he took a deep breath, weighed down by God¡¯s malice. He couldn¡¯t look directly into Aria¡¯s eyes. Then again, he¡¯ll be out of his mind and do what she wants. ¡°Pierce the core.¡± Right now. As he knew, it was a useless rebellion. Because Aria¡¯s words were absolute, making people lose their minds every time. ¡°Shit!¡± Carlin, who spat out a curse, finally closed his eyes and pierced Aria¡¯s core. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Drilling the core literally meant making a hole physically. It waspletely different from creating a path naturally through training. It was like piercing a part of the body with a sword. ¡®Young Madam can¡¯t stand it.¡¯ Carlin knew from the beginning. ¡®However¡­¡­.¡¯ He remembered everything Aria said four years ago. Without missing a single word. ¡®Back when she was young, it wasn¡¯t something she said because she didn¡¯t know how to do it.¡¯ And the way he remembered her words until now and tried to take responsibility, he couldn¡¯t turn away. ¡°Shit!¡± Carlin grabbed Aria¡¯s hands tightly. Closing his eyes tightly, Carlin let his magic flow into her body. Perhaps because she had already experienced it once, she absorbed the magical powers into her body more easily than he could have imagined. ¡°Please, be safe.¡± Carlin pushed the magic that he had sent through Aria¡¯s body into her core. And, He pierced it at once. ¡°¡­!¡± Her vision flickered white. Even Aria, who was ustomed to pain, was shocked that her head went nk for a moment. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Pain like a sword had pierced her body. It wasn¡¯t just that. If her core was pierced, she felt like she would almost certainly die. The reason was that the energy filled in the core was pouring out of control through the hole drilled. The vast magical energy in Aria¡¯s body began to burst out like an explosion. ¡°¡­what are you doing!¡± Tristan btedly figured out what they had done. He shouted, wrinkling her face fiercely. ¡°Are you crazy because you want to die?¡± He was talking about Carlin. Aria grabbed her stomach and sat down on the floor. ¡°Aria!¡± ¡°Cough, kugh¡­!¡± She coughed up blood. Her arm resting on the floor trembled as if to indicate her limit. Tristan eximed, his eyes shing. ¡°Stop it now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± Carlin was frightened and trembling at Tristan¡¯s words, but this time, he reacted calmly. Because he had already epted her resolve in his heart. He said, staring at Aria in pain with a gaze mixed with desperation. ¡°It¡¯s out of my hands. Now it¡¯s all up to Young Madam.¡± Aria bit her lip. And swallowed the blood. ¡®I¡¯d rather be in a lot of pain.¡¯ Because she didn¡¯t pass out and was able to endure it. If she passes out here, her energy will be drained and she will die. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡± Aria caught her breath and tried to catch the energy that was fading away. And slowly, she got up. Her staggering body was so pathetic that people wanted to run right away and help her. ¡°Stop¡­¡­.¡± Tristan reflexively grabbed her wrist. But he soon let her go without strength. It¡¯s because their eyes met. Even though her body was in a mess, her eyes were trembling with a stronger will than ever before. She didn¡¯t have to look like Valentine for that. ¡°Heal your beautiful eyes, ugh, heal your heart and soul¡­¡± Aria sang a groaning song, then grabbed her neck again. As she continued to sing, her vocal cords seemed to be torn. For a moment, that thought ran through her head. ¡®I could really lose my voice.¡¯ Well then, what¡¯s the deal? It was better than losing everyone forever. It would have been cheaper than if Lloyd died. Aria eventually freed all of the magic that she had held at the minimum in order to survive. And she took her step towards Lloyd and sang the song with everything. ¡°Stop your sigh, now rest.¡± Rather, as she went against her survival instincts, it was much easier for her to sing. The pain gradually faded and her mind became strangely clear as her mind was rxed. ¡®It must have been like this before I died¡­¡­.¡¯ This song, written by Aria about her own life, is the ¡®Song of Salvation¡¯. She no longer trembled with anxiety. ¡°Sweet hopeforts our hearts. There is nothing to fear in the hope of happiness.¡± The sound of singing mixed with the energy flowing out of her core relentlessly echoed in the space more intensely than ever before. It rained like a storm and wet the eardrums. ¡®Hope.¡¯ Most of Lloyd¡¯s feelings for her were tant malice for the extinction of humans. But it remained nheless. The hope engraved on his heart. She only hoped that God¡¯s only goodwill, hope, would calm the wrath of malice. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that you shine more than any god in the world.¡± Aria smiled unconsciously at the lyrics. It¡¯s like an untimely confession to Lloyd. She staggered away, and she ced her hand on the sword pointed at her. ¡°I would say that you are the most beautiful of the golden stars.¡± And she pushed the sword to the side. Behind the easily pushed sword, his silver-gray eyes fluttered with confusion. Like he had peeked at God¡¯s bare face. ¡°Those who seek love and virtue, who are courageous and valiant, fear no destruction.¡± Aria did, and Valentine did. No matter how much God hates humans, even if God hates and torments them, and wishes for the end toe. They will never be broken. They will protect their people till the end. ¡°Even if we fall, we do not die. We will have eternal glory, victory and honor.¡± Aria sang thest verse and reached out to Lloyd¡¯s face. And she embraced it gently. Lloyd¡¯s hand moved swiftly and approached her like he was going to grab her neck. However, ¡°¡­¡­Aria?¡± Before that, Lloyd¡¯s mind was awakened first. ¡°Your face¡­¡± Lloyd hurriedly groped her blood-stained lips. Aria, who confirmed that his eyes were focused correctly, copsed. It was in the middle of the night. ¡°Kugh!¡± Lloyd woke up with pain beyond his imagination. The God¡¯s malice in his body was trying to break through his body. It was throbbing. It felt like his limbs were being torn apart. ¡®I¡¯ve definitely felt this way before.¡¯ Feeling dazed, he traced his memory. ¡®Maybe in a dream¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a dream as vivid as reality. After casting the self-sacrifice spell, he ran rampant, and after that, the Grand Duke¡¯s castle was empty as if all vitality had been sucked out. ¡®But why the rampage now!¡¯ He could not immediately determine the cause of the rampage. Because he never cast the self-sacrifice spell. But then he realized it. Not by reason, but by instinct. ¡®The other half went crazy¡­¡­.¡¯ Because God¡¯s feelings, which were originally one, were divided into good and evil. When good runs rampant, so does malice. The moment he realized that was hisst memory. When he suddenly came to his senses, he was standing in the middle of the banquet hall. And in front of him, Aria slowly copsed. ¡°Aria!¡± Lloyd looked around him as she fell, holding her in his arms. All around him was the smell of blood stinging his nose and people who had fallen unconscious. ¡°Ugh!¡± He touched his throbbing head. Btedly, what happened during his rampage unfolded like a panorama. Lloyd was dumbfounded. The nightmare in the dream that made him cry unfolded before his eyes. ¡®Aria.¡¯ Cold hands. Stiff body in his arms. For a moment, reality and nightmare ovepped, he couldn¡¯t make a rational decision. All sorts of emotions were intertwined in his mind. ¡®If you die, I¡­¡­.¡¯ I¡­¡­. I might be the devil and chase you to hell. Lloyd, whose eyes glistened with madness, came to his senses btedly. Aria¡¯s condition, held in his arms, looked as critical as it had never been before. ¡°Call the doctor!¡± He shouted, locking her in his arms. Carlin, who had been watching the sight with an anxious look the whole time, ran quickly to check Aria¡¯s condition. And he muttered unknowingly. ¡°It¡¯s absurd. The magic power has stopped pouring out of her body¡­¡± It was one of two things. Suffocated or awakened. But Aria didn¡¯t die. It was faint, but clearly, she was breathing faintly. Awakened. It meant that even though the core was pierced, she overcame it and grew more. ¡°It seems like I should cancel what I said back then¡­¡± Carlin muttered. Did he say that it was something that someone with no brains would do? He thought there was nothing more ignorant than coveting talents beyond one¡¯s abilities and risking even life. But Aria¡¯s courage saved everyone¡¯s life, so he was ashamed of himself for dismissing it as childish arrogance. ¡®Maybe really¡­¡­.¡¯ She said that she wouldpletely defy the fate of the world and change Valentine¡¯s fate. He had that thought for the first time. ¨C Look, I said I was fine. It was then. Aria said with a message. ¡°Aria!¡± She slowly lifted her eyelids, trembling from the pain. ¨C Lloyd. Aria, who looked at him with a faint smile, asked. It was something that did not suit their current situation at all. ¨C You¡¯ve been avoiding me, right? Why the heck is that important now? Lloyd looked nervously towards the door, waiting for the doctor toe. ¨C Answer. But Aria urged an answer. ¡°¡­¡­yes.¡± He finally had to open his mouth. ¨C Why? Why. Aria asked. She wanted to hear what she already vaguely knew from his own mouth. Lloyd looked down at Aria nkly, and clenched his lips. ¡°¡­because I like you.¡± Song quote: From Vivaldi¡¯s opera Ondo Finto Pazzo, ¡®Rasserena i vaghirai¡¯ ¡®Dird allor, di te, che sei¡¯, ¡®Non paventagiammai le cadute¡¯. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 ¡°Because I like you.¡± It was an honest confession. As if telling the obvious truth, he didn¡¯t even blush this time. Rather, he seemed to spit out his true feelings due to the frenzy at the thought of what might happen to Aria right now. ¨C I already know that. Aria was breathing heavily and looked like she was about to close her eyes and copse at any moment. The twilight of dawn fell upon them. Aria sent a message as she reached out and touched his cheek, which was darkened by the sunset light. ¨C I can tell just by looking at you. The silver-gray eyes that shone with a glow were fixed only on her, and were burning bright like stars. ¨C In the past, every time you saw me, you looked like you hated me. It was Lloyd who looked at people and told them to get out of his life first. From some point on, he always thought of Aria, followed her and looked after her and her well-being. If he doesn¡¯t like her, he won¡¯t be able to do it. ¡°When are you talking about?¡± ¨C In my memory, it¡¯s as vivid as yesterday. Lloyd frowned at that childhood story. Because it wasn¡¯t a past he was proud of. ¨C Lloyd likes me, Tristan, Sabina, and Vincent. There were two absurd names in the mix, but Lloyd didn¡¯t struggle to refute it. No, he didn¡¯t even think about it. Because her condition doesn¡¯t look very good for that. ¨C Don¡¯t be like that. Friendships, affections, interests, and family. Aria added, blinking her eyes, sleepily. ¨C Say it right. Lloyd, who was silent for a moment, sighed and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. So, let¡¯s talk about thister and get you treated first.¡± As Lloyd waited for the doctor, he said soothingly to Aria. Whatever it was, it seemed that he would only be relieved when he heard from the doctor that Aria was safe. ¡°¡­!¡± That moment. The hand that had been fiddling with his cheek naturally wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling him. Lloyd was holding her in his arms, so he had to bow his head helplessly. At the same time, their lips met each other. ¡°Ari¡­ Uhp!¡± Perhaps because Aria brought up the story about four years ago, the memories of that time shed through his mind for a moment. The first time he was grabbed by the cor and kissed on the cheek. A damp breath touched his lips, which was suddenly dragged away just like that time, and then fell away. ¨C Hurts¡­¡­. Aria whined with the message. It was because the lips which were close to each other¡¯s lips hit the other. It was an ignorant act that left only scars for each other. ¨C It bleeds. Sorry. Lloyd¡¯s lips ripped open and blood gushed out. Aria wiped the drop of his blood with her finger and added an apology. ¡°¡­are you stupid?¡± Lloyd muttered, wiping his scarred lips with the back of his hand. His face, which had already been dyed red in the sunset light, became even more red. ¡°Now¡­ is not the time for it.¡± ¨C Yes. He looked at the calm Aria, and looked even more speechless ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be doing it this way the first time¡­¡± Aria herself didn¡¯t know. Her body was badly injured, and she kept thinking about bad things. Lloyd kept avoiding her, so she got impatient and acted hastily without realizing it. ¡®For me, I don¡¯t know how much time I have left.¡¯ More than anything¡­¡­. Aria pursed her lips, then let out a steady breath and grabbed Lloyd secretly by the neck. She had been unable to speak because of the terrible pain from earlier. Her vocal cords seemed to have torn, as she had expected. ¡®Maybe really¡­¡­ I may not be able to speak forever.¡¯ Then she won¡¯t be able to sing. The Song of Healing, the Song of Life, the Song of Peace, the Song of Sleep¡­¡­. ¡®I had no regrets because I was able to stop Lloyd¡¯s rampage, but still.¡¯ Aria suddenly felt regret. She should¡¯ve confessed properly at least once when she could still speak. As she keeps thinking like that. ¡®I have a terrible sense of loss.¡¯ So, she wanted to hear his confession. ¨C Tell me, Lloyd. I want to hear it. After a moment of uproar, the doctors entered the banquet hall in a hurry. Lloyd looked back at them silently for a moment, then said. ¡°You are the only one in my world.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And nothing will ever change my mind.¡± His hand ran across her lips. His fingers slipped between her lips, tracing the wounds on the inside of her lips. Aria¡¯s eyelids trembled. ¡°If I say more, I think you¡¯ll run away.¡± ¨C I won¡¯t run away. ¡°I know.¡± It was more difficult for him to know that. She won¡¯t run away. If it was Aria, of course. If it was an ordinary person, he would have to ept that they would run away. She will never give up on Lloyd. That¡¯s why he wants to avoid her even more. He knew what was going to happen to himself. ¡°I can wait a few years. So, go and make up your mind then.¡± ¨C It was decided from the beginning. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sway you, who is still young.¡± ¨C I¡¯m neither young nor swayed. Aria had already told Lloyd about it. She knows the future. She¡¯s been through all of this once. ¡°You¡¯re young. Regardless of your mental age.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sleep for a moment.¡± Lloyd put his hand over Aria¡¯s eyes, which were twitching. Aria couldn¡¯t stand the drowsiness and fell asleep. Lloyd looked down at her sleeping face and murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know I was such a greedy person¡­¡± What would she know? If a human soul were real, he would have the urge to possess her soul and control her even to death. Whatever her mental age, it was not yet an emotional weight that a 14-year-old Aria could handle. ¡®But if you still choose me when you¡¯re an adult¡­¡­.¡¯ Well. At that time, Lloyd did not know how far his greed would grow. ¡°Gasp, gasp! As youmanded, I ran right away!¡± Btedly, the doctors arrived. These were the doctors who were called by the employees, who were healed after hearing Aria¡¯s ¡®Song of Healing¡¯. ¡°My God, Grand Duke!¡± ¡°Young Master¡­!¡± The doctors went straight to check on the condition of Tristan, Vincent, and others, without taking a moment to catch their breath. At the same time, Aria¡¯s doctor, Cuirre, also arrived. He had been pale since he heard that she had healed the employees with her song. ¡°Young Madam!¡± She was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even tell how long she had left! Cuirre went quiet as the words he wanted to say in his head raged like a storm. ¡®I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a total mess. He quickly checked Aria¡¯s condition. ¡°Fortunately, there are no visible injuries.¡± ¡°I know that too. What about internal injuries?¡± ¡°I think we should give her emergency medicine right away as soon as possible.¡± Cuirre pulled out a vial. A blue, watery liquid fluttered inside the vial. ¡°Um, Young Madam?¡± The doctor gently shook the sleeping Aria, trying to wake her up. But Aria was still asleep without even moving. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Lloyd, who took the medicine bottle, tilted the medicine near Aria¡¯s mouth. Cuirre, who watched him carefully poured the medicine bit by bit, said in frustration ¡°Well¡­ Grand Prince, at what age would it be finished? It¡¯s better to feed it through the mouth¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd stopped what he was doing and looked at Cuirre with ring eyes. Lloyd looked like he was barely showing his patience and holding it in, but that gaze seemed to threaten Cuirre if he dared to say anything. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± The doctor quickly waved his hand. ¡°The others?¡± Tristan, Vincent, and Cloud. Cuirre, who made eye contact with the doctors who was examining them, exchanged signals and nodded his head. ¡°Everyone is safe.¡± Lloyd did not respond to the doctor¡¯s reply. But at the sigh of relief he exhaled, Aria felt a tickle and frowned slightly. ¡°And actually, I have something to ask you¡­¡± Cure hesitated and spoke. Lloyd looked annoyed at him, who had been groaning like a dog in need to do his business. Lloyd said as he got up holding Aria. ¡°Do itter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite important, no, it¡¯s very important!¡± Lloyd stopped walking at those words. ¡°Grand Prince, did, did the Young Madam say anything?¡± ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°For example, difort near the heart, frequent dry cough, sudden weight loss¡­¡± The gap between Lloyd¡¯s forehead deepened. It was because everyone heard that Aria¡¯s condition was serious. ¡°Why are you saying that?¡± ¡°I was going to tell you that¡­ when it bes more certain¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds. 3, 2¡­.¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Lloyd fixed his gaze on Aria that was in his arms, and remained frozen. ¡®Running out of time?¡¯ She doesn¡¯t have much time left to live? The word ¡®running out of time¡¯ passed through his ears as if it was the first time he had heard it. ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not that her body is weak?¡± ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll have to continue research to find out.¡± Lloyd paused for a moment, then turned his head and murmured fiercely. ¡°How dare you say something that is not certain¡­¡± ¡°Gasp, forgive me! But it¡¯s an emergency, so I thought it¡¯s better to let you know before it¡¯s toote!¡± Cuirre gave long excuses over and over again. But Lloyd didn¡¯t listen. Because the pieces of difort he had felt in his head began to fit together like a puzzle. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that she was born with weak natural energy and her health is bad, but Sister-inw is full of energy, right?¡± Even though she has a lot of energy, her body is weak. ¡°No matter how much divine power was poured into her, only her energy was restored, and the Grand Princess¡¯ health itself did not seem to be restored. It was like pouring water into a bottomless pit.¡± The Garcia apprentice showed an ambiguous attitude as if he knew something Lloyd didn¡¯t know. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, a trip.¡± ¡°Do you want a kiss?¡± ¡°¡­what do you think will happen in six years.¡± Aria¡¯s hasty attitude. In fact, he began to think that maybe it was because she knew she had a limited time left to live. ¡®No, before that¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd recalled his memories before his feelings turned to her. The time when Aria¡¯s presence continued to trampled on and offended his eyes, making it difficult to bear. ¨C Divorce. 10 yearster. ¨C So, marry me. Aria offered him a contract marriage. Under the condition that they divorced after bing an adult. ¡®She must have known the future.¡¯ If what the doctor said is true. Then, Aria couldn¡¯t have known that she was time-limited. From the beginning of her life, she knew her body would be like this. ¡®From the beginning.¡¯ Now all questions have been answered. Aria was making the sacrifice, not caring about her own life. Aria doesn¡¯t want anything. Aria talked as if they would divorce and never see each other again when they became an adult. Aria, who often stared at him with aplex gaze that was dotted with hopes and resignation. ¡°I also want to live¡­¡± Aria, who mumbled in a voice that seemed to swallow a cry. Aria was his salvation. She was happiness itself. She was his hope, miracle, sweet dream. ¡®But, when she bes an adult, she¡¯s going to die.¡¯ Who decides that? ¡°You¡¯re thinking of taming me and leaving as you please.¡± He murmured in a trembling voice. His heart went cold. A gloomy feeling that could not be described with just a short word of ¡®betrayal¡¯ swelled in him. ¡®You made me like this.¡¯ I will never let you run away to death, never. ¡®Aria, the path you chose while knowing the future was mostly right¡­¡­.¡¯ But this time it was wrong. From reaching out to him. Lloyd had let go of all the rational judgments he had ever made. Theb has an emergency. Unexpectedly, the subject ran out of control. The ss A children who had been injected with Shadra were suddenly dyed with pure white light and began to release their powers in explosions. ¡°Ku, kuwaack! Ak!¡± ¡°Kuhk!¡± The researchers covered their ears and fell down. The light, which was clearly not of this world, broke through the barrier and mercilessly attacked the researchers. Those touched by the light were blinded, bleeding from their ears, foaming, convulsing, and stiffened. They died without even being able to close their eyes. ¡°It¡¯s absurd. How did they break the barrier¡­!¡± ¡°Da, damn it! Run away!¡± The researchers, who trusted in their barrier and continued their researchfortably in front of the test object, rushed towards the exit in the frenzy. However, there was no way the researchers without any power could withstand God¡¯s power. The light engulfed them in the blink of an eye. ¡°Uack! What is that!¡± The head of the researchb, watching the scene through the window, was startled. As usual, the control room was watching everything. ¡°No, no way, the energy amplification device?¡± But it was strange. No matter how much side effects ur, they cannot create such unheard of powerful energy¡­¡­. ¡®Shadra!¡¯ The head of the research lead realized the source of that light and groaned inside. All those who touched the light copsed and died as if they had inhaled poison gas. Even so, the light was getting closer and closer to them. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not going to break through the control room, right?¡± The head of the researchb said, looking back at Hans, who was always by his side. In terms of abilities, it is no exaggeration to say that he was the center of the researchb. ¡°Hmm, I think it will be enough to break through. The remaining time is at most a minute or so¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°If I use magic, I might be able to evacuate with the head.¡± ¡°Well then, evacuate immediately. Please!¡± ¡°You know, I can¡¯t.¡± Hans said so and pointed to his neck. His neck had a magic -specific restraint thatpletely controls the flow of magic. Hans was forced into theb because of his talent. If the head of the researchb lets him go, he¡¯ll get revenge, and will be ready to kill himself. ¨CPoof! It was then. There was a dull sound as if something had been crushed, and all the windows in the control room were dyed red. ¡°Huwaaahhh!¡± Seeing the dripping blood, the head of the researchb eximed. ¡°I¡¯ll release you,e on!¡± He hurriedly took the key out of his pocket and handed it to Hans. When the restraints werepletely released, Hans took the head of the researchb and moved outside. And for a while, there was only silence in theboratory. ¡°How the hell did you manage this!¡± Cardinal Andrea, who appeared upon hearing the rumors, lost his temper and went furious. ¡°But, as I said¡­¡± ¡°Stop making excuses! How dare you raise your head and talk like that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will report all this to the Holy Father.¡± The cardinal left a threat. Without a single hesitation. His attitude seemed like he really didn¡¯t have any responsibility. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s what upper management is!¡± Without knowing anything they forcefully push and pressure, and when things go wrong, they me everyone below! The head of the researchb, who had foreseen the future to some extent, fell into panic, with a pale face. ¡®How the hell are we going to deal with this situation?¡¯ This was no ordinary matter. Most of the researchers lost their lives. In the meantime, the strangest thing is that the non-researchers who were doing chores were not affected by the light at all. ¡®The subjects were also fine.¡¯ This meant that only those who took part in the experiment died. The head of the researchb would also be dead without Hans. ¡®Somehow, as if justice¡¯s judgment had fallen¡­¡­.¡¯ The incident was unbelievable. And it was also an incident where he had to take all the responsibility. ¡®It is a silent execution.¡¯ Knock, knock¨C At that moment, the head of the researchb responded nervously to the knocking. ¡°Who is it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hans.¡± ¡°¡­Come in.¡± He released the restraint, but Hans has not yet escaped and is still here. The head of the researchb responded with a more rxed face than before. ¡°I think you¡¯ll need this.¡± Entering the room, Hans said, putting a pile of papers on his desk. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡± The head of the researchb looked at Hans suspiciously for a moment, then looked at the papers. ¡°Thi, this is¡­!¡± He stuttered in shock. Surprisingly, the document was full of all the corruptions of Cardinal Andrea. ¡°Where the hell did you get this information?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be important.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°It seems that I want the same thing as the head.¡± Hans gave an ambiguous answer. ¡°I will give it to you on condition that you keep the source of all information confidential.¡± There was only one thing the head of the researchb wanted. ¡®Cardinal Andrea¡¯s fall.¡¯ But a tempting offer came at just the right time. So suspicious. The head of the researchb thought that he should first figure out where Hans got this information and what he was nning to do before making a decision¡­¡­. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Eventually, he picked up the papers. It was because the time was too tight for that. Before the Cardinal came, he had to strike the first blow. The head of the researchb, who had gathered the documents, said to the engineer who was rushing to and fro in the rampage situation. ¡°Openmunication. ¡°But there is a risk that the matter will leak out¡­¡± ¡°Is it time to care about that now?¡± Normally, allmunication to the outside should be blocked no matter what happens, but in an emergency,munication restrictions are lifted. It was theb¡¯s rule. Regardless of the order, the engineer moved. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Around the time the engineer turned the corner of the hallway. A man in a janitor¡¯s outfit was leaning against the wall and blinking. It was as if he had been caught while spying. ¡°Were you eavesdropping?¡± ¡°Ugh, how is that possible? I identally saw the two of you talking while cleaning this ce and couldn¡¯t find the time to get out¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The technician said waving his hand. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Te¡­ well, my name is Ned.¡± ¡°Tened? What a strange name.¡± The engineer looked at him up and down suspiciously, then gave an order. ¡°Take care of the body. It should be preserved as it is.¡± ¡°Understood. Take care of yourself!¡± After a very polite greeting, the janitor turned his back. The other janitors who made eye contact also exchanged nces with him and called for joy. Finally, themunication was opened. ¡®We have a chance to contact the outside!¡¯ Ted swept his chest and quickly organized the information he had gathered during his time at theb. ¡®Finally, the chance to repay the favor to the Grand Princess, the descendant of Antis, is here.¡¯ Chapter 165 Chapter 165 In the meantime, a lot has happened to Ted. After he rescued his family from a ve ship headed for the Brutob with the help of Valentine, he said, ¡°We want to take revenge ourselves.¡± It was to answer Aria¡¯s suggestion that they had to sneak into theb. ¡°Will you be fine? It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Aria said emphatically. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry, but to be more honest, I¡¯m sure some of you will die or get hurt.¡± Maybe all of you, she added. These were not words to break their will, but very realistic words. But the ves, including Ted, did not give in. ¡°We were going to die anyway.¡± ¡°No, it would have been a life worse than death.¡± ¡°Give us a chance to repay the favor.¡± Aria, who was exchanging nces with Vincent and Cloud with a troubled expression, then said. ¡°I can ask Carlin to send you to the Kingdom of Bruto. But after that, it¡¯s beyond my reach.¡± Vincent, who had been thinking for a moment, intervened. ¡°Infiltrate as a janitor who disposes of corpses.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°In such a thoroughly secretiveboratory, they will be strictly picky with identities except for the job of disposing of corpses.¡± Umm, Aria groaned briefly and then she asked again. ¡°Can you really do it?¡± The ves, who swallowed a gulp for a moment, nodded their heads silently. The first thing Ted did was to go to Viscount O¡¯Neill with Carlin¡¯s help. Ted secretly hid in the Viscount¡¯s bedroom in the middle of the night, put a ck cloth over the Viscount¡¯s head and bound his body all over. ¡°What, what. Who are you!¡± And Ted released the anger he had umted over the Lord who had framed him and sold his family to a ve ship. ¡°Die, you crazy bastard!¡± ¡°Kuhk!¡± The Viscount, who had been beaten helplessly, screamed. ¡°Are you Ted?¡± However, the Viscount seems to have found out the identity of the person on the other side of the ck cloth. He trembled and groaned. ¡°Do you think you will be safe even like this? If found, you will be executed immediately! Neither you nor your wife and children will be able to set foot on mynd!¡± The Viscount might think this is a huge threat. Ted didn¡¯t even snort, and even strained his neck. ¡°The sea I¡¯ve been hoping for, you bastard! I won¡¯t even touch my feet in this wretched corner of the vige even if you beg!¡± ¡°Ack! Ughh!¡± He kicked the Viscount hard until he felt relieved, then threw him away. And he decided to carry out what he had originally nned. Infiltrate Bruto¡¯s secret Lab! ¡°They say they¡¯re hiring a janitor.¡± But before infiltrating, Carlin, who was researching prior information about the institute, said so. ¡°Is that true?¡± Now? Wasn¡¯t he overly lucky? Ted replied as if doubting this unexpected luck. ¡°It¡¯s too early to be relieved. At least it¡¯s safe to say that the janitors are reced on a one-year cycle during spring. All the memories from theb will be erased.¡± Carlin said and offered him a contract of employment. There was a use written on it that said [theb will not be held responsible for any side effects that ur in the process of erasing memories]. ¡®What the hell are they doing?¡¯ The ves, including Ted, trembled. Something terrible must have happened in the process of erasing the memory. ¡°That means you have to get the information you need and get out of there quickly before the year is over.¡± They were determined and clenched their fists. When they seeded in infiltrating safely, they had no choice but to carry out their mission. However¡­¡­. The things they saw and heard in theb were so terrifying that every night nightmares came over them. They were expecting to hire a separate cleaner to dispose of the corpses. ¡°Huhu, I want to go back.¡± ¡°This damn bloody smell!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing thingstely. I hear screams ringing in my ears even when I¡¯m still¡­¡± ¡°I miss my wife¡­¡± But at the same time, they were terrified to think that they and their family might have been one of those getting tested. ¡®Until I return my favor to the Grand Princess, I will endure it!¡¯ Ted clenched his teeth and cleaned up the corpses every day. They persisted with the thought of telling the benefactor the stories they had acquired while working hard at theb. ¡°Uncle, Uncle Ted, did you hear that?¡± However, there was one thing he found out toote. The young man from very who hade with Ted said in a very bewildered voice. ¡°This is a nomunication area.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Right. There is no way this ce who hire janitors every year and erase their memories will keep theirmunicationwork open. ¨C ¡­¡­ That¡¯s how it happened. Ted said in a mournful voice over themunication device. ¨C That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t contact you until winter came. He shook his head with an annoyed face. However, what was visible beyond themunication device was not Aria. It was Tristan, Sabina and Vincent, including Lloyd. The Valentine family. Seeing them sitting together like a painting, the impact was no joke. ¨C Where is the descendant of Antis¡­¡­ No, the Grand Princess? It was Aria who gave him themunication device in the first ce, so Ted had no choice but to look for her. But the only thing that came back was a murderous silence. ¡®Is this the rumored Valentine¡¯s family¡­¡­. The atmosphere in the house is seriously different from when the Grand Princess was present¡­¡­.¡¯ The eyes of the Valentine¡¯s family turned to the crystal ball at the same time. It wasn¡¯t that they really spit out murderous energy at Ted, but he was frightened and made a quick report. ¨C In fact, they tried to bury the chimeras infused with divine power in Valentine¡¯s estate. ¡°Bury in mynd?¡± Tristan asked, seemingly lost for a moment. ¡®Divine power¡¯ is used to neutralize ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯. At first nce, it sounds like Garcia is secretly trying to help Valentine, but¡­¡­. ¡°Help, it gives me goosebumps. Even if the world has two sides, there¡¯s absolutely no way it will happen.¡± Tristan said with a frown, as if imagining it brought a lot of disgust already. ¡°Then there must have been a reason for that.¡± Vincent muttered. ¡°Ah¡­ no way.¡± Vincent pondered the reason for a moment, and then changed his expression as if he had realized it. If Garcia was the one who stole God¡¯s goodwill, and the divine power was created by using it¡­¡­. ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t just God¡¯s malice that was being contaminated so far. God¡¯s goodwill was also being contaminated.¡± In the meantime, Garcia¡¯s side pretended to be sympathetic and sent apprentices to Valentine, but in the end, it was also for Garcia. Previously, the contamination was purified by itself, but now it was impossible to purify it with just one apprentice. ¡°Is my guess correct?¡± ¡°Probably, that¡¯s right.¡± Then Sabina answered instead. Tristan and Lloyd could not say anything about this because of their oath. ¡°And what else happened?¡± ¨C Oh yes. It seems that they were injecting a substance called ¡®Shadra¡¯ and ran into an amplifier and it exploded. Shadra. It was the name written on a document found with the help of a child at the orphanage. ¡°As expected, that substance was referring to ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯.¡± After learning the truth, Vincent muttered. It wasn¡¯t until Lloyd heard those words that he was more convinced of why he had gone mad. ¡°Ha.¡± He twisted his lips lightly. What angered him the most was that Aria had overworked herself with an already weak body to prevent his rampage. ¡°I heard you well. I¡¯ll congratte you for your hard work as soon as you return to the territory.¡± ¡°Grand Prince¡­¡± As the moved people were holding hands and crying, Lloyd eximed. ¡°If you want to live, you¡¯d better get out of there quickly.¡± Because I¡¯ll wipe it all away. Ted felt goosebumps all over his body and trembled in spite of his indifferent voice. After themunication was over, Ted and those who infiltrated theb immediately tore the moving scroll. Theirmunication with Ted was cut off. ¡°Do you guys have anything to say?¡± When Sabina tilted her head and asked a question, everyone was silent. While she was sleeping, she had to be suddenly dragged out of the territory. It was because Tristan, who sensed danger, immediately summoned Carlin and gave the order to move Sabina to a safe ce. Of course, the next target he had to evacuate was Aria. Carlin was arguing with Sabina who was asking him to return her immediately, though he returned to the banquet hallte. ¡°Nothing.¡± But Tristan answered confidently. After staring at him for a moment, Sabina let out a sigh. ¡°Tell me againter.¡± Now was not the time for her to me her husband. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all Garcia¡¯s fault that this bad thing happened.¡± It wasn¡¯t Valentine who would sit still even after knowing what had happened. Because they took an oath, but not a restriction on actions. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that an infighting just happened.¡± The head of the researchb seemed to intend to overthrow the Cardinal by ming the Holy Empire for everything. ¡®If he¡¯s the head of the researchb, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be forced to do something like that.¡¯ It was an arbitrary human experiment. The whole world was paying attention to Valentine¡¯s ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯. In other words, if God¡¯s malice were to be wronged, the whole world would rise up. ¡°Let¡¯s sweep it all out at once.¡± Sabina said as she sat across the bed, stroking the sleeping Aria¡¯s hair. In the meantime, Aria¡¯s expression was only calm. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 ¡°Kuhk, huhk!¡± The head of the researchb leaned against the wall and took a rough breath because he felt like he was going to vomit blood. He ran away frantically. He could really taste the taste of blood in his parched throat. But he must not stop here. The head of the researchb ran again and again, even though his physical strength had already reached the limit. ¡®You, you crazy devil bastards¡­¡­.¡¯ It was just yesterday that he reported the Cardinal¡¯s corruption directly to the Pope and survived alone. But now, why is he being pursued by the devil? ¡®Gasp, what?¡¯ But strangely, the sound of the slow footsteps chasing him was no longer heard. The head of the researchb, who paused for a moment and looked around, quickly opened the door to the nearbyboratory and crawled under the desk. And he quickly picked up themunication device he had hidden in his arms. ¡°Hurry up, answer, hurry¡­¡± Not long after, the Pope¡¯s face, with a tantly displeased look, was reflected through the ss. The Pope was not the kind of person who could be contacted privately by the head of a researchb from a small country. ¡°Your Holiness!¡± ¨C I didn¡¯t expect you would call me right away. I hope this time is just as important as thest time. Pope Ambrosio spoke as if to test, with his eyes gleaming like the scales of a serpent. ¡°Your, Your Holiness, help me, I¡¯ll die. What would have happened if you had been unaware that Cardinal Andrea was gathering troops secretly from the Pope? It is clear that I have contributed greatly to being able to get rid of the rebels in advance!¡± The head of the researchb poured out his words so quickly that he did not know if he breathed or not. ¨C Oh, calm down. Who is going to kill you? ¡°Va, Valentine!¡± He lowered his voice as much as possible and screamed in a hoarse voice. ¡°They¡¯re trying to kill me now!¡± ¨C Valentine? Hmm. For a moment, the Pope rubbed his chin without saying a word, as if he were weighing the moment. Meanwhile, the head of the researchb was burning. ¨C You, what¡¯s your name? ¡°What? My, my name? It¡¯s Jackson, but¡­¡± ¨C Jackson, yes. I will remember your name today. And the contact was cut off. The head of the researchb couldn¡¯t believe the reality that was facing him, so he looked at themunication device in dismay. I will remember your name today. It was amon word tofort the soul at funerals. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re being abandoned?¡± ¡°HUWAAA!¡± He trembled in surprise almost as if he was going to have a heart attack. Lloyd was sitting at an angle by the window. He could clearly see the head of the researchb under the desk. ¡°What¡¯s thest thing you want to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not my fault!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s all Cardinal Andrea¡¯s work! I did everything I was told!¡± Lloyd patted the window sill with his finger as he watched the head of the researchb scream fiercely. His expression was still full of utter boredom. ¡°Every single researcher was judged by God¡¯s goodwill and died. But the head of the researchb is iming that he ispletely innocent¡­¡± Suddenly, Vincent appeared from behind and dropped the papers in front of him. The list of experiments carried out by the head of the researchb was written in full. Even the names of those who died unfairly directly at his hands. ¡°Finish him.¡± At the same time as Lloyd pushed down the bug crawling on the window sill, Cloud swung his sword. ¡°Aria.¡± Aria suddenly woke up to the voice calling her. She frowned at the sunlight streaming through the window, then slowly lifted her eyelids. Lloyd looked slightly startled in front of her. His reaction was because he did not know that Aria would open her eyes when he called out her name unintentionally. ¡®Your face is close.¡¯ How much time has passed? Aria couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had happened to Lloyd. The atmosphere between the Lloyd she had seen before she fainted and the Lloyd in front of her right now was strangely different. Of course, he hasn¡¯t changed significantly. ¡®Your gaze¡­¡­.¡¯ It was sticking to her so thickly and tenaciously. Not wanting to take his eyes off her even for a moment, lest she would disappear. Aria thought so, so she reached out to the corner of his eyes. She could clearly see hispletely faded gray eyes were swirling with a peculiarly unusual desire today. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t wake up.¡± Lloyd, who was silent for a moment, muttered. ¡°Come here.¡± It was then. Lloyd suddenly and unexpectedly hugged Aria. He let out a hot sigh in her ear as Aria blinked her eyes, startled without saying a word. ¡°What a relief.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Aria.¡± Yes. She wanted to answer, but only the sound of the wind came out. Like when she took the potion. Aria felt an excruciating pain burning her throat and wrapped her arms around it. ¡°¡­¡­what¡¯s the matter?¡± Aria looked away from him and said nothing. Lloyd, noticing something strange, hurriedly wrapped his arms around her shoulder and looked at herplexion. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you can¡¯t speak?¡± Lloyd¡¯s face slowly revealed a grim feeling. Aria was startled and replied with a message. ¨C I¡¯m okay. She was familiar with being unable to speak. ¨C There are artifacts, so it¡¯s not particrly inconvenient. Aria reassured him, but she feared that he would call a doctor and threaten to kill the doctor. But Lloyd didn¡¯t show any reaction, contrary to her thoughts. All he did was let out a slow sigh after he hid his muddy gaze with all kinds of emotions mixed together behind his eyelids. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get better with treatment.¡± HIs response was surprisingly calm. Aria was bewildered for a moment, then nodded her head in affirmation. It was not a vain hope. If Valentine mobilized all of their wealth and power, there was a fairly high probability that the torn vocal cords would be repaired. ¨C Yes, I will speak again. She doesn¡¯t know how long it will take. ¡®Maybe after I die, I don¡¯t know¡­¡­.¡¯ As soon as Aria thought so. Lloyd sharply hit his point. ¡°When?¡± Huh? ¡°When can you get better?¡± Her heart pounded and fell. Aria just noticed. ¡®You know I¡¯m going to die soon¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd noticed the truth that Aria had been keeping secret. ¡®But how?¡¯ Aria was stunned and lost her words She didn¡¯t expect to be found out about her limited time before she revealed it herself. ¡°I said I wanted to live with you for the rest of my life.¡± ¨C Lloyd, I¡­¡­. ¡°You heard that and you told me that you want to live too.¡± She did. Obviously, she did. Aria thought that by then she would be able to find a way to live. But by the present time, she was half losing her hopes. Of course, she was going to fight till the end, but on the other hand, it means that she was also prepared to ept her death. ¡®If he already knows, the closer he gets, the more ufortable he will feel.¡¯ Before this, Aria wanted to get close to Lloyd even a little bit. She wanted to share a part of his life as his ordinary wife, not as someone who would soon die and leave him. ¡®But it was my greed.¡¯ She was terribly selfish. She knew that the more she permeated his daily life, the more it would be painful for him. Still, she couldn¡¯t stop. Aria spoke after the long silence. ¨C Sorry. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¨C Hold hands with Lloyd for one more day. Kiss Lloyd for one more day. Just for one day, just for one day, I want to tell you my heart. As it increases day by day, I keep getting greedy¡­¡­. Somehow she felt like crying. But Aria bit her lip and held out. It would be better for her to stop leaning on hope and prepare her mind right now. ¡®I¡¯m still afraid of getting resentment.¡¯ Still, rather than breaking the pretense, speaking honestly was a way to not make the situation worse. ¨C There are only two energies that can heal the body. Magic and divine power. However, I am thest remaining Siren, and the divine power could not restore my life. ¡°Therefore.¡± ¨C Lloyd. I¡¯m going to leave a deep scar on you and I¡¯m not sure how to pay you back¡­¡­. She hesitated and then continued her words. ¨C As nned, when we grow up, divorce me. Even now, it means that they should draw a line on their feelings before it¡¯s toote. Just as they first nned. ¨C I won¡¯t bother Lloyd any more with my greed¡­¡­. But before Aria could finish her sentence, Lloyd reached out to her first. The big, smooth fingers took a handful of her hair. ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd kissed it reverently and said. ¡°There are still six years left.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you try to tame me and run away through divorce or death, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡± Lloyd¡¯s gaze touched her ankle for a moment when he said he didn¡¯t know what to do, and then moved away. ¡°If you want to live, focus only on your desires. If someone tries to tell you to give up your heart, kill them and get it back.¡± ¨C Kill them? ¡°Yes, God or whatever.¡± Kill God. There could be no greater sphemy than this. As Aria looked up at him nkly, he murmured, putting his lips on Aria¡¯s hair. ¡°If you leave me in the end, I will rescue you from hell.¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Was it because Lloyd had God¡¯s hope? His words sounded unpredictable, more than Aria had imagined. ¡®I know it¡¯s nonsense.¡¯ But strangely, she wanted to believe it. She wanted to focus only on the desire to live. ¡®Didn¡¯t I do this before¡­.¡¯ Even in a desperate situation, Aria somehow smiled. It was because she had superimposed her image, who said that he could live, that she would save him no matter what, on Lloyd. She wondered if the words she had told people to believe in her so far sounded like this to them. ¨C Alright. Okay. She responded with a faint smile. The Pope was a generous master who tolerated his loyal dog, whether they be corrupt or not. However, when the Cardinal was reported to have been gathering troops without the Pope¡¯s knowledge, he had no choice but to express fierce anger. ¡°Deprive the Cardinal¡¯s position, retrieve his divine power, and banish him to the lowest ce.¡± The Pope coldly ordered. He was only tolerant of loyal dogs. He bestowed many opportunities, power, and wealth in favor of those who imed to be his own dog. But for the dog that bites its owner. They of course have to be beaten relentlessly. ¡°Your, Your Holiness! You can¡¯t do this to me! The head of the researchb must be setting up a ridiculous trap out of spite!¡± The Cardinal was dragged along like a dog. To lose his divine power was equivalent to cutting off his limbs and plucking out his eyes. The Pope said, staring indifferently at the Cardinal, who struggled not to get dragged. ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s no way to know if it¡¯s a trap or not.¡± Valentine¡¯s sudden invasion of the Kingdom of Bruto caused a stir around the world. Rumors spread quickly. From the outside, it was because Valentine and the Kingdom of Bruto had nothing to do with each other. However, the world, including the Emperor, tolerated Valentine¡¯s sudden action. So, with a tacit agreement, Valentine destroyed theb. ¡®There are even rumors circting that the Grand Duke and the Grand Prince have beenpletely engulfed in madness and lost their mind.¡¯ However, those who did not want to make today the day of their death took care of themselves. Pope Ambrose was also forced to remain silent. ¡®Leeches.¡¯ His true intention was to dere war on Valentine because his stomach was boiling with anger. ¡®Valentine has guessed all the truth about Garcia.¡¯ And Valentine must have bitten on the truth like a leech and wasn¡¯t going to let it go. It was clearly visible that they were trying to spread the secret through a devious scheme and try to bring down Garcia. ¡®Especially Grand Princess Ariadne Valentine, no, it should be Cortez.¡¯ The expelled Cardinal despised the Siren as a ¡®singing clown¡¯ and ignored her. Even the Pope had not yet esteemed her highly. Of course, Valentine¡¯s help was enough to reim the ship from the ve trader. ¡®But no matter how much I think about it, it seems that the Siren, the Grand Princess, was the one who stopped this rampage¡­¡­¡¯ Then he had to redo all the judgments he had made so far. ¡°I heard that there is a trainee from Valentine, and his skills are quite good. What¡¯s his name?¡± Then themander of the Holy Knights, who was waiting by the Pope¡¯s side, answered. ¡°His name is Gabriel.¡± ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He has a great potential that has never been seen before.¡± He added with a little bit of admiration and awe. ¡°It¡¯s still a skill that hasn¡¯t surpassed me, but it¡¯s hard to even guess how far he¡¯ll go when he grows up.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It is a skill that even themander of the Holy Knights can admire, who was the pinnacle of Garcia¡¯s force. The Pope pondered for a moment, then said. ¡°Call him.¡± ¡°This is the potion.¡± Cuirre secretly handed Lloyd a vial of medicine. It was made bybining some of the herbs that Lloyd had obtained directly from the Cortez mansion. A potion that not only makes her unable to speak, but also makes her unable to make a sound. ¡°The experiment ispleted as ordered. And my prediction was correct.¡± The doctor did not hide his gloomy expression and continued to speak. ¡°I think it would be better to tell the rest of the family, including the Grand Duke, Young Madam¡¯s condition ¡­¡± It was then. Lloyd looked down at the vial without saying a word for a moment, then opened the lid and drank the contents at once. ¡°Grand Prince?!¡± Cuirre was terrified. ¡°Why would you drink it? It acts like poison to the body¡­!¡± Aria said that she had been drinking it every single day since she was born. Lloyd tried to spit out a few words, but had no sound, and turned to Cuirre. [So, what¡¯s the alternative?] Cuirre looked down at what he had written and reported with a confused expression. ¡°If you haven¡¯t had it in a while, a detoxifying drug might work. However, the Young Madam has been drinking this potion continuously for years.¡± Cuirre knew all too well what the reaction would be if he said this. ¡®Actually, I think she¡¯s closer to time limited¡­¡­.¡¯ Hemented inside, imagining the future, where he would leave before Aria, whose life was limited. But he couldn¡¯t say that he was going to lie about something that waspletely impossible. He said, closing his eyes tight. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to say this¡­¡­but I think you need to prepare your mind.¡± As soon as the doctor had finished his words, he was terrified, shrugged his shoulders, and squeezed his eyes shut. However, no matter how long he waited, he did not hear the sound of the sword being drawn. The cool, sharp de of a sword did not even move close around his neck. ¡®What?¡¯ Cuirre felt suspicious and slowly opened his eyes. Lloyd seemed to be uninterested in the conclusion Cuirre had reached, and wrote again with a stern look in his eyes. [You¡¯ll have to say something more useful than that.] He didn¡¯t know how handwritten words made his heart tremble as much as hearing them with Lloyd¡¯s own voice. This time, the doctor was really prepared to die and shouted. ¡°Grand, Grand Prince. Anyway, it really is like that. With the current medical level, there¡¯s absolutely no way to save Young Madam!¡± [I¡¯m not saying to kill you.] ¡°What? Huh?¡± He made a low pitched sound. Lloyd sighed and wrote again. [Are there any herbs in this potion that you have never encountered before?] Obviously, Count Cortez said, Aria¡¯s mother tried to kill herself by eating a poisonous poison he had never heard of before. So he searched the whole country and desperately saved her life. ¡°Ah, yes. There is a medicinal herb that was obtained from the northernmost region with the advice of schrs who majored in herbal medicine. Unfortunately, the nt only grows in that region.¡± The northernmost tip. ¡®The known location where Antis sank 1500 years ago was also in the north.¡¯ If so, it would mean that there is a high probability that they were adjacent to each other before. ¡®I¡¯ll have to start from there.¡¯ Lloyd made a quick decision and ordered Cuirre. [Go and tell the ck Falcons. Everyone, go to that region, no exception.] With Aria¡¯s consent, Lloyd revealed the truth to the family, including Tristan and Sabina. ¡°I thought it was a bit strange, but no way¡­¡± Vincent muttered, covering his mouth, in shock. ¡°¡­Call the doctor right now.¡± Tristan, who seemed to be confused for a moment, showed a reaction that everyone expected. He had the same reaction when he found out Aria couldn¡¯t eat. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. How ipetent is it that you haven¡¯t been able to properly grasp the state of her body?¡± His faded eyes slowly began to glow with a different light. The light is called ¡®an intent to murder¡¯. ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± As if there was no need to waste time, he drew his sword and moved without hesitation. It was just before another bloodbath. Aria quickly grabbed his hand. And, sent a message for everyone to hear. ¨C Don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m still in good health without any problems, and we¡¯re able to figure it out quickly. It was true. They found out at least a year before Aria¡¯s death. No, she actually thought they wouldn¡¯t know after she became an adult. So she put the condition that they divorced after she became an adult. ¡®But we¡¯ve be everything to each other more than I could have imagined¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria¡¯s continued greed was not limited to Lloyd. It also included the family, whom she will never forget even in death. ¨C Sorry. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯ll survive. Aria copied Lloyd¡¯s reckless remarks while holding Tristan¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Ho¡­¡­.¡± Tristan was reminded of the cigarette he had quit for a while, and he exhaled slowly, calming his anger. At that moment, Sabina¡¯s voice suddenly mumbled. ¡°¡­Ah, is that it.¡± She couldn¡¯t say anything at first, but then she hugged Aria tightly and muttered. ¡°This is how my husband and son felt.¡± Sabina clenched her fists until a vein sprang up over the back of her hand. The helplessness of waiting for a loved one to die of incurable disease. The helplessness that they cannot do anything on their own. Obviously, Tristan and Lloyd must have felt the same way at the time. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time to go to each doctor one by one. The first thing to do is find a way to treat you by any means.¡± Winter then said, as he was listening to all the stories from a short distance away. ¡°I¡¯ll try to mobilize all my connections. Surely, there must be a way somewhere.¡± Then Vincent, who had unconditionally reacted to Winter¡¯s words, took it seriously this time. ¡°If neither the doctor nor the divine powers are of any use, we must really do whatever it takes.¡± He gives some examples. Schrs who study various ancient myths and legends, including a medical doctor who once made a name for himself in the gutter. Even the merchants who only deal with eastern continent goods and the scammers who say they are selling items with mystical powers. Lloyd, who had been silent until the end, finally opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m going to take Aria to the province of Attis at the northern end.¡± Then, he spread out the report posted by the ck Falcon and added. ¡°It seems that Aria can be cured by using flowers that only bloom in that region.¡± Chapter 168: Illustration Chapter 168 The swirling leaves fell on the open book. Aria, who was sitting leaning against the tree, raised her head. The red and yellow leaves harmonized with the blue sky, dazzling her eyes. ¡®Cold.¡¯ It seems like thest day that the harsh winter in the north has ended, but the chilly cold hase again. Aria ced the fallen maple leaf as a bookmark and then she stood up. As she walked, she heard the rustling of leaves beneath her feet. ¡®Shall we bake an apple pie today?¡¯ Apple pudding isn¡¯t bad either. Even though she made it a while ago, the pudding split into ten parts the moment it was removed from the mold. ¡®I think I can seed today.¡¯ She kind of felt that way. With those thoughts, she walked along the maple tree and headed for her house, just straight ahead. It was about the time she put the tea leaves in the kettle and put it on the stove. ¡°Miss!¡± From outside, someone banged on the door and shouted. It was Mrs. Palmer¡¯s voice. As Aria opened the door with a puzzled face, the guest pped herself in the mouth as if she had made a mistake. ¡°Look at what I did, Mrs. Valen.¡± Valen. It was the pseudonym Aria was using in the Attis region. It was strange for Grand Prince Valentine and his wife to stay in a different estate for a long time. They hide their identity and pretended to have moved from another territory. ¡®A young and wealthy couple who moved to cure the weak wife.¡¯ The locals recognized Aria and Lloyd that way. Just as Aria wished to go on a trip, they unintentionally went on a long trip. ¡°Because you¡¯re so young and pretty, I unintentionally called you Miss.¡± Mrs. Palmer said, waving her hand in apology. ¡°I was worried that Mrs. Valen might be starving, so I brought this.¡± And she handed the basket she was carrying to Aria. Aria blinked her eyes with a bewildered look, not knowing why she was giving it to her. ¡®I¡¯m not really hungry¡­¡­.¡¯ Her food has always been enough. It was because Valentine¡¯s cooking department family made high-quality meals for Aria. It was hard for only Carlin, who had to deliver Aria¡¯s meal by movement magic every day. ¡°These humans must know me as a delivery man.¡± Every time Carlin came, he grumbled and cursed the chefs. ¨C If it¡¯s hard, you don¡¯t have toe. When Aria said this, he became furious. ¡°No, then, what are you going to eat in the countryside? You¡¯re already weak, so you should eat plenty of high-calorie foods and nutrients!¡± She doesn¡¯t know what to do. Anyway, thanks to that, even when Aria was here, she was eating just as well as when she was in Valentine. ¡®But why did Mrs. Palmer thinks I am starving¡­¡­.¡¯ Ah, maybe. Aria realizedter. ¡®Thest time I made apple pudding, I was with Mrs. Palmer.¡¯ Mrs. Palmer¡¯s face as she was shocked to see the pudding splitting itself apart and running. Aria quietly decided to grab the basket and put it on the desk. ¡°Oh, you draw too?¡± Then, Mrs. Palmer took an interest in the sketchbook on the desk. ¡°Somehow, from the moment I first saw you, I felt an artist¡¯s temperament from Mrs. Valen. I have a hunch like a fortune teller.¡± She admired Aria over and over as she felt an unusual aura. Aria, feeling some embarrassment, blushed and wiggled her fingers. And she took a card out of her bag with a shy face. [If you are curious, you can look at the picture.] Mrs. Palmer nced into the sketchbook. And she broke into a cold sweat every time she turned to the next and next pages. When she turned to Aria, Aria¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ an ordinary farmer like me couldn¡¯t understand the soul of an artist ¡­¡± Mrs. Palmer frowned, rolling her eyes to and fro, then quickly closed the sketchbook. And she quickly changed the subject. ¡°What about your husband?¡± [I heard he¡¯sing back soon.] ¡°Did you say he left for work?¡± Aria, who had been in trouble for a moment, nodded her head btedly. It wasn¡¯t quite wrong. Lloyd, who has now fully inherited the Valentine¡¯s family, couldn¡¯t leave the estate for long. ¡°Ugh, how can a couple separate like this?¡± But Mrs. Palmer heard Aria¡¯s words and gave a sympathetic gaze as to what she was imagining. With heartfelt regret. ¡°It was an inevitable choice if you wanted to cure Mrs. Valen, but at the age of deathly love¡­¡± ¡®Deathly love?¡¯ Aria was bewildered for a moment. Then she btedly understood Mrs. Palmer words, and her face was dyed bright red in embarrassment. It was because she remembered thest time she saw Lloyd. Lloyd spent half a year with Aria and the other half at Valentine¡¯s estate. ¡®Is it because we¡¯ve been away from each other for a long time?¡¯ Every time Aria saw Lloyd, somehow he felt unfamiliar. It was inevitable. Because he harmed people¡¯s hearts anew every time she saw him. ¡®Every time he was taller and more and more muscr, it was showing through his clothes.¡¯ A voice that resonated deeply, the hands getting bigger and rougher than before, revolved around her head. [I am concentrating on treatment.] After she had shaken off all the afflictions, Aria held out a card with blushing fingers. Her handwriting was crooked and messed up. Fortunately, Mrs. Palmer smiled and gave a secret look, but she didn¡¯t dig further. ¡°Are you going to pick herbs today?¡± After lunch together, Mrs. Palmer asked. Aria nodded her head. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t go too deep. I hope you don¡¯t even go near the mountains until the men return¡­¡± Mrs. Palmer looked at Aria up and down, and continued to worry. Aria stood out even though she was wearing a monotonous dress with simple embroidery. It was because of her gorgeous looks that made people stare at her. ¡®Because I¡¯m weak and ill and my looks are overly conspicuous.¡¯ Five years have already passed since the couple came to Attis. During that time, Aria also grew up a lot. Aria¡¯s mysterious appearance, which was like a fairy, became even more mysterious as she approached adulthood. An atmosphere that makes people, whether a woman or a man, want to give their soul, and even their heart if she wants to. ¡®I wonder if she¡¯s the same human as we are.¡¯ Mrs. Palmer could be sure. All the bachelors in this town must have Aria in their heart. ¡®It would be nice if it stopped there.¡¯ Mrs. Palmer was not alone in her worries that Aria might be exposed to crimes. ¡°Usually, your husband was very protective of you. But it¡¯s not now. So take care, okay?¡± Saying so, Mrs. Palmer put a bright red shawl over Aria¡¯s shoulder. Although it was old and clunky, it seemed to retain the warmth. ¡®I miss Dana.¡¯ Aria smiled warmly as she remembered the chief handmaid, whom she had left behind on Valentine. Then Mrs. Palmer, who looked at Aria, possessed, admired her again. ¡°She¡¯s a goddess, a goddess.¡± As Aria entered the entrance to the Gona Mountains, a strong wind blew away. She closed her eyes tightly and crunched her shoulders, then tightened her shawl and moved her feet. As she set her feet deep into the woods, Aria skillfully began picking herbs. It was the herbs that only grew in this region. ¡®nts that were born and grown in Attis did not sprout at all in othernds.¡¯ But in fact, there was no reason to keep Aria here. She can ask Carlin and the doctors to procure the herbs with movement magic. But the reason why she¡¯s still here¡­¡­. ¡°As expected, I told you she¡¯de.¡± It was then. The men, who had been hiding all over, appeared in an instant, surrounded Aria and giggled. Aria put down the scythe she was holding and raised her head. They were bandits who had been on the rise in the mountains for several months. ¡°Kyah, she¡¯s so dazzling that I can¡¯t look at her properly. I didn¡¯t expect this kind of appearance to actually exist.¡± ¡°By the way, is it okay? I heard a rumor in the vige that this woman¡¯s husband is not normal¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve heard clearly that he¡¯s gone out of town. She¡¯s alone now.¡± ¡°But if she screams¡­¡± Then the other bandit giggled andughed. ¡°Did you not know? This woman can¡¯t speak!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a mute?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t even scream. We¡¯re the only ones here anyway.¡± Some hesitant bandits also came to Aria¡¯s side after hearing the matter and perhaps solidifying their intent. They gave off a strange stench and an unpleasantugh. This must be a plot to take her in the uninhabited mountains. But Aria¡¯s face was just peaceful without any change in expression. ¡°I¡¯ll go first¡­¡­!¡± At that moment, the one who seemed to be the leader of the bandits smiled and extended his hand to Aria. Aria put her hand into the basket and swung the herbs she brought with a carefree face. ¡°AARGH!¡± What, what! The bandits faltered at their captain who suddenly screamed. And their eyes widened, almost popping out. Because the ce where the captain¡¯s hand had been, was empty now, there was only the wrist left. They just stared nkly at the blood gushing out like a fountain in disbelief. ¡°Next.¡± They turned their heads at the sudden, clear voice they heard. The woman who couldn¡¯t speak said with a nk expression, pointing her dagger precisely at them. ¡°It¡¯s no use screaming. We¡¯re the only ones here anyway.¡± another time jump! this time aria became even more badass >.< but i can¡¯t stand the fact that lloyd leaves her alone for 6 months each year!!! whaaaaaattt whyyyy Chapter 169 Chapter 169 It was around the time that Aria had just started her swordsmanship training. One day, Sabina proposed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you learn daggers first?¡± It was because the sword was still too early for a small and weak child. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to wield a sword in the first ce. But self-defense was necessary. So, Aria first learned self-defense technique, which neutralizes the opponent by aiming at the vital point with a dagger. Later, even after growing up and learning swordsmanship in earnest, she did not neglect the dagger. ¡°Kuu, kuhk!¡± The bandit¡¯s painful moan resounded through the forest filled with only the sounds of birds and grasshoppers. Soon, silence. The bandits who had been distracted for a while suddenly burst outughing out loud. ¡°Kuhahaha!¡± ¡°Puhaha! Boss, what disgrace is this!¡± ¡°No matter how careless you are, it doesn¡¯t make sense to say that you¡¯re being attacked by a woman. You¡¯re going to be made fun of for 10 years! ¡°No, noisy, you punks!¡± Then the bandit boss stopped his moaning and shouted with a reddened face. The embarrassment transcends the pain. The bandits were just busy making fun of the boss who had been beaten by a woman. Because they had no doubts that he had somehow been unlucky. ¡°Aha, I see. That dagger, it¡¯s not a normal thing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the kind of thing that the nobles use where even a single swipe of the de inflicts fatal wounds?¡± ¡°Well, if she looked like that, she would receive all kinds of treasures as gifts.¡± Rather, they began to regard the dagger, not Aria, as a legendary sword. However, the boss himself, who suffered the blow firsthand, was feeling something strange. ¡®I don¡¯t think she was swinging it in any way¡­¡­.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because he was unlucky or because the sword was a legendary sword. Clearly, Aria was showing well-trained movements. Besides, for some reason, though the reason was unknown, his survival instinct was calling out to run away immediately. ¡®Dangerous.¡¯ He almost took a step backwards. However, his face and pride as a bandit boss stopped him. He looked back at his men in a cold sweat. They were stillughing and chatting loudly without understanding the atmosphere. ¡°Take, take care of my hand! If there¡¯s even one scratch, know that you¡¯ll get beaten up!¡± He can¡¯t back off after this. Rather, the boss strained his neck and shouted loudly. ¡°But the boss¡¯s hand is already a rag before it¡¯s cut off? Why don¡¯t you just throw it away right now?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you shut up?!¡± Aria felt puzzled by the bandits who wereughing and joking around. ¡®Why are you holding your hand?¡¯ As if it could be put back together. ¡®It is true even if a part of the body is severed, if it has divine power, it can be reattached within half a day.¡¯ She had heard of such a thing. But how do criminal bandits attach their bodies with the help of a priest? ¡®No way¡­¡­ Was there any cooperation from the priest?¡¯ So, how many months have the bandits been able to run wild in these mountains? As Aria was closing her eyes with doubts. ¡°Boss, just rest well with your hand. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± At that time, a bandit with the most slender physique approached with a dirty smile. ¡°It seems that she has no intention of bing obedient, so I¡¯d rather take her out and drag her away. Along with that precious looking sword.¡± And he suddenly clenched his fist. Aria easily avoided the bandit¡¯s fist that was flying towards the pit of her stomach. While the bewildered bandit lost his focus and struggled, she thrust the dagger into the muscle at the back and pulled it out at once. ¡°Aack! My, my shoulder¡­!¡± She remembered what Sabina had told her earlier. ¡°If you stab it here, they will not be able to move their arm at all.¡±, Sabina smiled kindly and exined. Aria traced back her memories of that time, and fixed the dagger. And she said, flicking her finger at the rest of the bandits. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°Hey, this is another cowardly surprise attack!¡± It was a fair match, not a surprise, but the bandits did not see it. No, they couldn¡¯t admit it. Because they¡¯re trying to reason how their partners could be beaten by a weak girl like that in an instant. ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ ¡®That bitch must have done some trick.¡¯ The bandits who had been hesitating rushed towards Aria at once. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Aria sighed and raised the dagger. ¡®The disadvantage of daggers is that if there are many enemies, I cannot avoid fighting unless I kill them at once.¡¯ If the current situation escted into a full-fledged fight, Aria would rtively be at a disadvantage. ¡®Even if they are stupid bandits who have never learned how to fight, there is nothing I can do about the innate physical ability.¡¯ So she had no choice but to incapacitate her enemies as quickly as possible. For that, there was nothing she was more grateful for than their constant belittlement and carelessness. d they were dumb. ¡°Die!¡± The two remaining men joined in and rushed in with all their might. But she only dodged all their attacks in turn. They are sloppy bandits who only know how to hide and loot by surprise. It was almost impossible for them to catch Aria, who was small, light, and formally trained. ¡°Ugh! Don¡¯t dodge like a rat and fight fairly!¡± ¡°Do the bandits consider it a fair y for several men to attack one woman?¡± Aria smirked and shed the man¡¯s thigh as he raised his knee. ¡°This causes excessive bleeding and prevents the knee from straightening.¡± Next is the carotid artery. While the bandit crouched back and screamed, she raised the de and shed the neck with precision. ¡°Kugh!¡± Thest remaining bandit who saw three men fall down in an instant faltered and took a step backwards. ¡°It¡¯s very unpleasant.¡± Aria kicked thest bandit between the legs as hard as she could. It was already toote when the bandits realized she was no ordinary woman. Because they were all already fatally wounded. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She left the moaning bandits behind for a moment and then stared nkly into the air. She rubbed her cheeks in embarrassment. ¡®What is that girl doing?¡¯ Is she crazy? Why is she suddenly dozing nkly when she¡¯s supposed to catch him? It was odd, but anyway, it was a chance. ¡®Do you think that I¡¯ll be quiet?¡¯ Pretending to have lost his power, the bandit who was lying on the floor jumped up. And he sneaked up behind Aria. He tricked Aria by holding the dagger in his right hand, but he was in fact ambidextrous so he could wield the sword with the left hand as well. ¡®Haha, you idiot! You should¡¯ve done a confirmation kill!¡¯ Heughed at Aria inside, with a blunt dagger in his hand. Now, his eyes turned bright red as his intention was to kill the woman. ¡°Take it the same way!¡± He raised his dagger and sprinted, aiming precisely at her neck. ¡®Toote.¡¯ This time she was careless. The distance to the bandit was too close. Aria, startled as she fiddled with the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, reflexively blocked her vital point with her hand. But nothing happened. All she could hear was the sound of iron, a leaking wind, and the sound of pouring blood. It was after the bandits¡¯ moans hadpletely ceased. Even the sound of breathingpletely ceased. ¡°When I hear your voice, I can¡¯t even hear the sounds around me too, but¡­¡± Lloyd put the bloody sword back into its sheath and spoke. ¡°¡­but be careful.¡± He ced his hand on Aria¡¯s left hand, then bowed his head and whispered in her ear. The voice mingled with harsh breathing, perhaps he was running in a hurry, scratching her eardrums in a creepy way. Her ear, which suddenly became hot, was tingling. Aria, who had stopped breathing for a moment, answered, exhaling her breath slowly. ¡°That¡­¡± Aria bit her lip while trying to protest with a bit of resentment. ¡®How can I say that?¡¯ From the moment she heard Lloyd¡¯s message that he was nearby, her heart was beating loudly, and she was buried in the sound of her heart, so much so that she couldn¡¯t hear the surrounding sounds. ¡®I¡¯ll say nothing.¡¯ Aria struggled to shake the warm back and tight arms from her head and turned around. ¡°You can¡¯t kill them all¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Maybe they have a partnership with one of the Attis¡¯ branch priests. I was going to interrogate them.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lloyd thought for a moment, breathing over the nape of her neck. Aria was startled by the unconscious actions he had shown her, and she stepped out of his arms and widened her distance. Lloyd looked at Aria, who suddenly left his arms, with a questioning look. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold because you went away.¡± Was it because he had been away for a long time that he wanted to hug Aria tightly? He, who doesn¡¯t even feel cold, smilednguidly with half-opened eyes with cold as an excuse. His silver eyes, which were revealed between the densely studded eyshes, shone even more in the dark forest. He was so captivating that it was impossible not to approach him. Lloyd grew more and more deadly as the years passed, tormenting the docile Aria. ¡®Now he was saying things like that¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria is nowpletely embarrassed. The cute little Lloyd, who was trembling at the slightest touch, had disappeared. There is only the mature adult Lloyd whose eyes and even the sound of his breathing have be racy. ¡®Huh?¡¯ At that time. Aria desperately turned her gaze away from Lloyd when she noticed something shiny. Broken ss fragments were scattered in the hands of the bandit boss. ¡®This¡­¡­.¡¯ A call re. It was the cheapest artifact. A magical item used to alert colleagues to danger by breaking it in an emergency. Among the artifacts, it was the cheapest, but it was quite a luxury item for a bandit to possess. Aria felt puzzled, and she soon heard the sound of several footsteps running through the mountain path. ¡°¡­¡­annoying.¡± Lloyd felt a presence as well, so he lightly clicked his tongue and pulled out his sword. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Damn it! What the hell is this!¡± ¡°Kuhk, that¡¯s what that punk did.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. This hyung will avenge the Boss!¡± This¡­¡­. Maybe a chance to wipe them all at once? Seeing the group of bandits that appeared after receiving the boss¡¯ call, Aria and Lloyd exchanged nces without a word. ohmyohmy, we are getting proactive Lloyd!! is this even reall aaa- Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Lloyd Valentine¡­¡­. No, Eden Valen, the rumors about him spread very quickly. ¡°They said you defeated the bandits alone?¡± ¡°A group of bandits alone? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Thanks to him, we could live. The bandits caused a lot of damage this year.¡± ¡°Did you say Eden? Hey, don¡¯t you want to apply as a knight of the lord?¡± ¡°What do you mean as a knight of the lord! He did a great job that even the lord could not solve.¡± ¡°Either way, that talent is a waste to rot in the countryside. Isn¡¯t that right? Eden.¡± Eden. As people called out his pseudonym, Lloyd looked down at them without a word, expressionless. ¡°Gasp, are, are you mad?¡± Lloyd just stared at them as if he wasn¡¯t interested, but the frightened people began to falter. ¡®Well¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria understood. When she recalled how she felt when she first met Grand Duke Valentine, she understood the people¡¯s reaction. ¡°We, well, since when were you so close to call his name arbitrarily? Mr. Valen, plea, please, don¡¯t be offended.¡± ¡°Mr. Valen? I didn¡¯t know Uncle could call someone so politely?¡± ¡°Sh, shut up! Billy, you punk, why don¡¯t you go and do your job right?¡± ¡°Why are you scolding me?¡± While Billy grumbled and went to the fields, Aria just stood by the crowds swarming around Lloyd. None of them knew. The fact that it was Aria who caught the bandit leader herself. No one was even suspicious. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ It was unfortunate for Lloyd though. It¡¯s better to be careful until the matter ispletely resolved. ¡°By the way, Mr. Valen.¡± Then the wives approaching Lloyd whispered. ¡°Take good care of your wife.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s already a weak person, so she must have been shocked. I¡¯m just d that Mr. Valen is around.¡± ¡°Besides, she¡¯s such a good person, so pure and innocent.¡± Good, pure and innocent? Hearing the wives¡¯ conversations, Aria frowned. ¡®Was I too pretentious?¡¯ Living quietly to not to be noticed, she didn¡¯t expect to get that kind of evaluation. Even if she didn¡¯t want to hear it, the words she could hear clearly because of her natural hearing were stuck in her conscience. As she listened quietly, the people of this region seemed to regard Aria as ¡®a gentle and naive person who grew up in a wealthy family and knows nothing of the world¡¯. ¡®Uh¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria looked down at her hands without saying a word. Then she wiped the blood on her hands with the cloth inside the basket so that no one could see it. ¡°We alone are worried about what the bad guys will do to Mrs. Valen, so how upset the husband must be.¡± As Mrs. Palmer said so, she turned to Aria. As soon as their eyes met, Aria curved her eyes and smiled. ¡°Oh my gosh. How can she be so cute when she smiles?¡± ¡°Even if she has been badly treated, she probably won¡¯t even know how to properly respond. So, make sure you stay by Mrs. Valen¡¯s side, okay?¡± The innocent Aria, who did not know about the world, was now interrogating the bandit. ¡°I already know that you¡¯ve worked with the priest. Tell me who¡¯s behind it.¡± It would be better to open your mouth when I¡¯m still nice. Aria added so, and she pressed the bandit down with deep sunken eyes. He saw with his own two eyes what hispanions had be with a dagger, so the bandit trembled, and said. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know anything! I¡¯m thest of thest!¡± ¡°The bandits seem to be calling thest pawn ¡®second boss¡¯?¡± Obviously, hispanions called him ¡®second boss¡¯ in a whisper, but how the hell did she hear that? What the hell is her ears¡­¡­. ¡®Damn it. That¡¯s why she kept me alive .¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but mumble inside with a resigned look. ¡°You begged for your life. It would be better to prove the worth of saving your life.¡± The Aria whose eyshes were trembling thinly was nowhere to be found. With her eyes sunk as deep as the deep sea, she uttered threats to thest remaining bandit. ¡°I know they worked with one of the priests, but I don¡¯t know who it is! Trust me!¡± The bandit rolled his eyes to and fro. No matter how she looked at it, that was the behavior of someone who had something to hide. It was as if he was more afraid of telling the truth than losing his life. ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s not my specialty to interrogate. Someone¡¯sing from Valentine castle soon.¡± ¡°Wh, what? What?¡± Valentine? ¡°That Valentine?¡± ¡°Yes, the Devil Grand Duke.¡± I am the Devil¡¯s wife. Aria¡¯s lips rose in a curve as if telling a secret. It was an eerie smile that waspletely different from the smile that was as bright as a flower. ¡°I¡¯ll have you taken to the castle and send you to a professional adviser.¡± In addition, the blunt words put more pressure on the bandit. ¡®That, that¡¯s a lie!¡¯ The bandit did not want to believe that this woman was the Grand Duchess. However, the moment he heard the name, he could finally understand the identity of the overwhelming power that swept the bandits all at once. Because it was a power that could not be exined by any other being. ¡®That¡¯s the power of Valentine, the power of the devil¡­¡­.¡¯ Devil, yes. It was absolutely devilish. ¡°So who¡¯s behind it?¡± ¡°The, the whole temple.¡± ¡°The whole?¡± ¡°Yes! They told us to bring something in return for ignoring the looting in this province!¡± ¡°Something? What something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Only the boss knew! I really don¡¯t know anything other than ordering the things to be sold at an auction house!¡± In the end, he was forced to confide everything he knew. ¡®The whole temple¡­¡­.¡¯ So, the Attis branch priests are all in the same league. ¡®Perhaps even the lord of this province knew everything and closed his eyes.¡¯ Aria remembered the words of the bandit¡¯s second boss, and she sat across the bed, immersed in thoughts. She was making ns for the future. ¡°Did you get things done?¡± ¡°Yes. The bandit was sent to the Grand Duke¡¯s ca¡­¡± She was taken aback and could not respond calmly to his question. Because Lloyd had juste out of the bathroom and was only wearing pants. Drops of water that could not be wiped off from the bare upper body were flowing along curved lines between each muscle. ¡°¡­ castle, but from my senses, it seems that he doesn¡¯t know anything other than what he had confided.¡± ¡°What a waste.¡± Silence came for a moment. Lloyd¡¯s skin, which was clean off all the blood, was wet with water and gleaming pure white. As if sprinkled with pearl powder. Aria was trying to think of something else as she struggled to not give her gaze to that side. ¡®Now, not much time left.¡¯ It¡¯s only one month until hering-of-age. Aria was healthier than she thought. By now she should have been as skinny as a skeleton, dying day after day and vomiting blood, but she didn¡¯t. ¡®Rather, it seems doubtful that I was time-limited.¡¯ She appears to be a full-fledged, ready-to-be an adult girl on the verge of full bloom. It was thanks to her consistently eating good herbs. However, even though she was seemingly fine, she did not know when her life would suddenlye to an end. Because she was still not detoxified. ¡°Ugh, cough! cough!¡± ¡°Aria!¡± Like now. One day, she may copse without warning. As Aria suddenly grabbed her neck and coughed, Lloyd reached out his hand to her. ¡°Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Let¡¯s go to the castle right now¡­¡± Lloyd lifted her up in an instant. She tried to avert her gaze, but now she ended up inadvertently feeling his skin. Aria mumbled as she covered her eyes with her palm. ¡°No, I just got choked.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Lloyd narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously. Only when Aria nodded her head with sincerity, did he sighed. He said as heid her down again on the bed. ¡°You promised me that you would show yourself unconditionally when you are sick.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s not like that.¡± It¡¯s just that she got choked while swallowing her saliva because of Lloyd. Aria turned her head with a blushing face. She didn¡¯t think he would be right in front of her eyes like that, which is why she suddenly swallowed her saliva out of the blue. She has a good sense of sight, hearing, and smell¡­¡­. ¡®Smells like perfume¡­¡­.¡¯ Normally, she didn¡¯t even care about this. Today, all of her senses were extremely sensitive. ¡°Dry your hair. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Lloyd gave her an absurd look, wondering who was worried about whom, when she said that. And there was silence for a moment. He rubbed the corners of his lips with the towel that covered his head and licked his lips slowly. ¡°I want you to dry it.¡± What? Aria lifted her head in surprise. Lloyd wasn¡¯t smiling like he was making fun of Aria. But he also didn¡¯t frown like he used to when he¡¯s shy. ¡°Like the rabbit said, I might catch a cold.¡± He just looked down at her with serious eyes without any expression. He sat down on his knees in front of her when she sat on the bed. In an instant, the eye level dropped sharply. Aria lowered her gaze. Lloyd took the hand on herp and tilted his head, cing it on his own head. ¡°Hmm?¡± Asking her back as if urging her. Aria looked down at him, possessed, and she moved her hand slowly. In silence, only the rustling of Lloyd¡¯s hair under the towel was heard. ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your body is all wet too¡­¡± She was telling him to put on some clothes. Lloyd just looked up at her without saying a word. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°¡­I¡¯ll bring you some clothes. You can dry it.¡± Aria stood up, remembering the shirt Lloyd had left off the other day. And at the same time he grabbed Aria¡¯s wrist. Aria couldn¡¯t move under the gentle pressure that didn¡¯t exert any force. She paused for a moment, her lips twitching. Then he said, leading her hand towards him. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t fit.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Come to think of it, thest time she saw him was half a year ago. Seeing how he had grown so much in the meantime, there was a high probability that it would not fit as he said. ¡®Then because he didn¡¯t have clothes to wear, he was doing that? I¡¯m again¡­¡­.¡¯ She thought he was tempting her. Thinking it was all her misunderstanding, Aria blushed and coughed heavily. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be better to wear it even if it¡¯s a little small. You can¡¯t stay naked like that all the time.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± What? ¡°What does that mean¡­¡± Aria turned her head away, embarrassed by the whispered answer. She was startled when she saw Lloyd¡¯s faceing up too close. If their eyes meet each other, their lips will rub. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Aria couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Lloyd¡¯s eyes that gleamed as brightly as the night that she had waited toe. She couldn¡¯t move. No, she actually didn¡¯t want to move from him. It was around the time Lloyd slowly bowed his head. Knock, knock¨C Someone knocked on their door. ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, he clenched his lips. ¡°Ignore it.¡± Bam, bam-! ¡°This is the message from the Lord!¡± ¡°It would be hard to ignore.¡± Aria said, pushing him away. The Lord¡¯s agent knows that they are at home, so if they ignore the Lord¡¯s agent, they may be kicked out of the territory. Aria, who wanted to pretend she was a meek and ordinary person while she lived here, had already turned her attention towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± Lloyd said so and opened the door. Through the slightly open door, the situation outside got clearly visible. ¡°Gasp!¡± Lloyd towered over him so the agent made a terrified sound. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± What is with this tone out of nowhere? ¡°This cra¡­¡± This crazy punk, he meant to say that. However, when the gray eyes and gaze met him, he lost his words. It was because he had a strong foreboding that if he spit out those words, he would encounter histe father. ¡°Cra, cra¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd tilted his headnguidly urging the agent to keep talking. ¡°Cra¡­ crazy bandits they are. You must have been very tired today to subdue the bandits. Let¡¯s just get down to business.¡± It was unbelievably cowardly. He tried to speak strongly, not understanding why he was talking in a lower posture in front of Lloyd, who was nothing but the estate¡¯s citizen. ¡°Are you Eden Valen? The Lord has decided to hold a festival tomemorate today¡¯s event for your honor. Know that it¡¯s a glory!¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°N, no! The Lord invited you to the castle. A carriage will be sent tomorrow morning, so you are ordered toe with your wife.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can, can you pleasee¡­¡± The agent who could not ovee the feeling of intimidation and murderous energy, ended up begging. He was almost on the verge of crying. Lloyd answered immediately, leaving no room. ¡°I don¡¯t need it¡­¡± He knew this would happen. Before Lloyd could finish his words, Aria swung the door open and interfered naturally. ¡®I have some business to do with the Lord.¡¯ Aria stood between Lloyd and the agent and held out a card. [Please convey that it¡¯s an honor.] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great!¡± The agent, tired of Lloyd¡¯s intimidation, reacted as if he had met his savior when he saw her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll say that you epted it, so I¡¯ll go for now!¡± And he spit out his words out quickly, and hurriedly got onto the carriage and urged the coachman. Looking like he wanted to leave as soon as possible. The carriage the agent was riding in disappeared in an instant. The next morning, as the agent said, the Attis region was in full swing with the preparations for the festival. Aria gazed in a strange way at the scenery outside the window of the Lord¡¯s carriage. Lloyd, who was staring at her, spoke. ¡°The Lord¡¯s son seems to be bothering you.¡± Aria remembered the young man that was being talked about at every turn she went. ¡®When did you hear that?¡¯ Did the wives say that yesterday? ¡°There was such a person.¡± In fact, she didn¡¯t even care about it, so she couldn¡¯t remember the exact impression. She can¡¯t even remember what he looks like, except that his hair is blonde¡­¡­. She thought that she didn¡¯t want anything to do with him as there were countless stories for a long time. ¡°If it bothers you, should I kill him?¡± She didn¡¯t know why she heard the words ¡®I¡¯m going to kill him because he annoys you¡¯. Aria wanted to let Lloyd do his thing, but she shook her head. Because she still had to stay here. ¡°You know Lloyd. That I have a reason to stay here.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Lloyd clicked his tongue and turned his gaze out of the window. As expected, it seemed that the Lord¡¯s son was bothering her. ¡®But Lloyd will be patient.¡¯ He was the person who wanted Aria to survive safely more than anyone else. Five years ago, while analyzing all the information in the Attis region, they discovered a legend. ¡®Ice Flower.¡¯ The Ice Flower, which is said to grow only in the snowy mountains of the Attis region, had the effect of detoxifying all poisons. ¡°The legend of the Ice Flower? Hey, where could it be? It¡¯s a made-up story.¡± The people of this region thought that the Ice Flower was just a fictional flower in legend. No one had found the Ice Flower, let alone kept it. Including locals and foreigners. But Aria thought there wasn¡¯t no possibility at all. This is because the Attis region was the onlynd adjacent to Antis, which was loved by God. ¡®As long as Antis and the Siren are true, the Ice Flower won¡¯t be just a legend either.¡¯ She judged so, and decided to study it a little more closely. ¡®Of course, in the first ce, I had no intention of staying here.¡¯ She initially agreed to stay for a few days while traveling with Lloyd. She hides her identity in order to befortable. But as soon as she set foot on thisnd, she realized it. ¡®It has the energy of God.¡¯ To be precise, traces of Antis were faintly left here. It was also the reason why rare nts that grow in Attis could not grow in othernds. And finally, Aria found traces of the Ice Flower. ¡®Winter ising soon.¡¯ Ice Flower will be in full bloom on the snowy mountain. ¡®We¡¯re really close now.¡¯ All that was left was how to consume the Ice Flower, which freezes everything it touches. The Lord of Attis, Viscount Norton had never gone up to the capital. ¡®It seems like he¡¯s doing everything he can to get an invitation from the Imperial Pce.¡¯ But to no avail. It was because the Norton family was not only powerless, but was also hated by the Imperial family. ¡®The previous head went out of the Emperor¡¯s eyes and was expelled to the outskirts in an exile, so there¡¯s absolutely no need to be called to the Imperial pce.¡¯ It was also the reason why Aria and Lloyd could stay here without changing their appearance. By the way¡­¡­. Aria nced at Viscount Norton, then the Viscountess, and then their son. The Young Viscount looked like he was buried in clothes and jewels, as if all of his fortune were spent on dressing him. ¡®Although I thought that it was on the more luxurious sidepared to the estate¡¯s assets¡­¡­.¡¯ As she did not pay attention, she had no idea it would be this bad. Aria held up a card to the Viscount family. [Did anything good happen?] ¡°Haha, to ask the obvious. Isn¡¯t it a very monumental day when the banditspletely disappeared from Attis!¡± She thought he would go wild, as he had made himself an ipetent leader. Viscount Norton chuckled and greeted them warmly. Aria exchanged gazes with Lloyd for a moment, then gave him a look. Anyone could tell he seemed to be up to something. ¡°Come,e on. I¡¯m going to make a good offer for you, so don¡¯t leave me standing still. Come and sit down.¡± As soon as they sat on the sofa in the parlor, the Viscount got right to it from the beginning. ¡°My family was invited as a distinguished guest of another country.¡± They received an invitation from another country? ¡®Are you trying to get asylum in another country?¡¯ Aria narrowed her eyes suspiciously for a moment, then held out a card. [What exactly are you going for?] ¡°Ah, well the point is¡­¡± ¡°Wait.¡± That was then. Young Viscount Norton, who had been scrutinizing Lloyd with distasteful eyes all the time, suddenly interrupted the conversation. ¡°You don¡¯t have a mouth? Why are you letting your wife speak for you?¡± Does he want to die? ¡®The moment Lloyd opens his mouth, everything will be in vain, so I¡¯m meditating in the middle.¡¯ Aria stared nkly at the Young Viscount for a moment with a meaningful gaze. Then, the Young Viscount, who received her gaze, suddenly blushed, and avoided her gaze. Lloyd¡¯s smile came as he watched the scene, tilting his head crookedly. ¨C Lloyd, be patient. Aria sent him a message, pressing her hand to Lloyd¡¯s knee. She was afraid he couldn¡¯t stand it and killed Young Viscount Norton. ¡°Don¡¯t you interfere.¡± Viscount Norton, who looked at his son with pity for a moment, spoke. ¡°Cough, anyway, the ce we are going is Garcia.¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Garcia. ¡®They were invited as a distinguished guest to Garcia.¡¯ Aria was convinced as soon as she heard those words. ¡®I wondered why the lord is passive in clearing out the bandits¡­¡­.¡¯ She dismissed it as a simpleck of ability, but there was a reason. In the first ce, the lord, the temple, and the bandits were intertwined with each other because of their shared interests. ¡®The temple told the bandits to get things and sell them to the auction house.¡¯ Why did they make such an unreasonable request? The conclusion was one. They intended to obscure the item¡¯s path through the auction. How and by whom the auctioned items fell is kept strictly confidential. It wasmon for even the Emperor to not know about the distribution and sales routes of items sold at auctions. ¡®In this situation, seeing that the lord was happy that the bandits were cleared, it means that the bandits¡¯ role is over.¡¯ There is a high probability that the item has already left the bandits¡¯ hands and is on the auction house. So Viscount Norton was safely invited to Garcia and was able to stay there as a distinguished guest. ¡®He didn¡¯t care whether he betrayed his country and went into exile to another country.¡¯ In the meantime, Aria didn¡¯t want to reveal her power, so she had to sit by the sidelines, but if it¡¯s an item that needs such a cumbersome path¡­¡­. She thought she should know what that thing was. ¨C Lloyd, ask what¡¯s going on. Be respectful and polite. Lloyd, who was silent for a moment at Aria¡¯s message, then spoke. ¡°What are you going to do in Garcia¡­?¡± It was a tone that could hardly fall into the respectful category because he spoke so pressuredly. Viscount Norton looked sourly at Lloyd for a moment. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m mistaken.¡¯ He seemed to be thinking the same thing. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the details. If you escort my family, I¡¯ll pay you.¡± ¨C Aria, it¡¯s better to deal with them now¡­¡­. ¨C Lloyd, bear with it. She can see why this reckless family was driven out to the outskirts. Because they didn¡¯t have a clue even at the most crucial moment. Aria swallowed a sigh and organized her thoughts. And for a moment she gazed at Viscount Norton¡¯s son, Young Lord Norton. He must have been staring at Aria from the beginning, that as soon as their eyes met, his face burned. ¡®Hmm¡­¡­ You seem to have something to say.¡¯ For some reason, she had a foreboding that if the conversation ended like this he would run after her. After thinking about it for a moment, she asked Lloyd through the message. ¨C In the lord¡¯s castle, where is the most remote ce where the voice cannot reach? ¡°What is the object requested by the temple?¡± Aria asked Young Lord Norton, who had hazy eyes. As expected, he fell nicely into the trap. Wherever she went, he followed her without a doubt. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have expected something to happen in his own residence. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. Except for the fact that it¡¯s a book inscribed with forbidden magic¡­¡± Forbidden magic. Upon hearing that, Aria¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly. Then they got information from the temple and gave the mountain range to the bandits. Ambush, then intercept in the middle. ¡®Then from whom?¡¯ She was skeptical, but now it wasn¡¯t a big deal. She didn¡¯t even need to know. ¡°Maybe it has something to do with Garcia as a whole.¡± Lloyd stood crookedly and muttered as he crossed his arms. His gaze was fixed on Young Lord Norton¡¯s vital point. ¡°Probably not. If that was the case, they would have said that they had been invited by the Papal Pce.¡± However, it was not specified, just ¡®Garcia¡¯. It sounds like they¡¯re being too cautious, but maybe there¡¯s something more hidden? Aria, who had been lost in thoughts for a moment, asked Lloyd. ¡°Can Lloyd be the escort for them? I think we need to find out who nned this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, but¡­ if I were to take on the escort mission, I would stand out.¡± Hmm? Aria nced at Lloyd up and down at his words. As he said, he could be seen from a distance or in the middle of the night with his dazzling brilliance. ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable to recognize that I¡¯m Grand Duke Valentine, but strangely, even when I hide my identity, eyes get twisted wherever I go.¡± He said as he ruffled his bangs in annoyance. His ck hair tumbled down again and covered his forehead. His unruly and disheveled hair further enhanced his already decadent beauty. ¡®¡­¡­ You really don¡¯t know why?¡¯ Lloyd had no realization that he was handsome. It was because everyone who approached, be it a woman or a man, was struck down with a sense of intimidation and murderous energy. Thanks to that, she didn¡¯t even have time to say a word of praise. He didn¡¯t even want to listen. ¡®Should I tell you the truth?¡¯ She pondered, but she decided to postpone revealing the truth untilter. Aria felt the need to give him a dull hoodie. ¡°Brother, Sister-inw! Long time no see!¡± As Aria ripped the movement scroll, Vincent greeted them with open arms. To be exact, just Aria. Aria lightly hugged Vincent, who was so happy, and patted him on the back. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Young Master.¡± ¡°Oh, are you calling me by that name because you haven¡¯t seen me in a long time? How sad.¡± ¡°Alright, Vincent.¡± ¡°But, Sister-inw, the back of my head is burning because something is stinging.¡± She smiled as she saw Lloyd, who was about to kill Vincent with his eyes. ¡°Weren¡¯t you prepared to hug me?¡± ¡°As expected, I have to protect my¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t even say life. Vincent, who had held her in his arms for a long time and would not let go, quickly moved away from her. Behind him, Cloud, who had recently be the knightsmander, bowed his head. Aria told them what had happened this time. ¡°So, what is Sister-inw going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to the auction house for a while.¡± Lloyd was not pleased with Aria¡¯s n, but he eventually agreed to it. It was much safer for her to attend the auction in Valentine¡¯s name than it was for her to follow the Nortons and set foot in Garcia directly. She was ying the weak and powerless wife in the first ce, so she couldn¡¯t even follow him. ¡°Then it¡¯s my first date with my daughter.¡± Tristan, who suddenly appeared, took Aria¡¯s hand and kissed the back of her hand lightly. As soon as he heard that Aria wasing to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, he seemed to run right away. Behind him, gasping for breath was his lieutenant, Dwayne, who was growing older as the days went by. ¡®He acted as if he was going out of the castle with a lot of bonuses immediately as soon as Tristan handed over the title of Grand Duke Valentine.¡¯ Surprisingly, he still remained by Tristan¡¯s side. Aria smiled faintly as she wished the two of them eternal friendship(?). ¡°How disappointing. I¡¯m not the first.¡± ¡°Kyaak!¡± Then suddenly someone grabbed her waist. Aria lifted her head, startled by who was holding her tightly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Little Lady. I missed you a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Leave the escort to me today.¡± In an instant, her heart pounded loudly. ¡®The only person who excites me other than Lloyd is Sabina.¡¯ Aria felt some guilt and turned to Lloyd. Standing ufortably amond Tristan and Sabina¡¯s silly remarks, he strode closer and grabbed her cheek. ¡°Go safely.¡± And pressed his hot lips to Aria¡¯s bright red forehead, stamping it. Even if the Valentine¡¯s family was not on the list, they were able to enter the auction house immediately. ¡®Probably the only one.¡¯ Aria was fiddling with the morous dress that she wore after a long time and a mask that covered her entire face. ¡®Thergest auction house in the Empire, Ibel Auction House.¡¯ But at the same time, it was the most dangerous. This is because the Ibel Auction House handles crime-rted items without hesitation. Whether theft or kidnapping, everything auctioned here requires now or discipline. ¡®The dark houses around the world are secretly managing a peace treaty inside the auction house.¡¯ For reference, the gutter rat, the owner of the gutter, was the biggest hand here. ¡®Valentine was not interested in the auction house at all and did not follow suit, so the power is now dispersed.¡¯ Anyway, it was Valentine that struck the gutter. They deserved to be the next master, so it was natural for them to receive special treatment. When she arrived at the auction house, Aria took a seat at the top of the table. ¡°Before the auction starts, I would like to ask you first. Fighting or arguing during the auction is strictly prohibited, and everything must be won with your own money!¡± Because there were so many criminals, they even gave this warning. ¡®There will be the spell book that contains the forbidden magic.¡¯ Garcia was trying to get the stolen spell book without any problems. Aria¡¯s purpose was to intercept it in the middle. ¡°Thedies and gentlemen who came to this ce today are very lucky! There are a lot of very special items today!¡± The host spoke with a bizarrely bright voice. ¡°First of all, don¡¯t be surprised. It¡¯s a Siren!¡± note: thanks for reading! Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Siren? The hall was in amotion. A woman of outstanding appearancees out on stage with her wrists tied. While Aria stood still, unable to hide her confusion for a moment, the people exchanged even more surprising words. ¡°A Siren again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing a lot of Sirentely.¡± Not just one, but a lot of them? ¡®No way. Juan definitely said that I was thest remaining Siren.¡¯ If so, that¡¯s fake. Aria quickly found herposure with confidence. To put up fakes from the start. Although they¡¯re the infamous Ibel Auction House, they¡¯d have to gain the client¡¯s trust first. Does that mean that there are so many people who have fantasies about the Siren? ¡®But in this auction house, each customer is a big shot, so if they got cheated, the aftermath would be no joke.¡¯ Then there was only one conclusion. The head of the auction house believes that the woman is a real Siren. ¡°Why do I see so many monsters from legends? Are they not fakes?¡± ¡°But I heard that the effect is certain? They said that Duke Wright, who snatched a Siren the other day, regained his energy by the effect of the song.¡± How could they work? Even if it really worked, it wouldn¡¯t have been the power of the song. Aria frowned and thought some more. What she is certain of is that this had never happened in her previous life. ¡®No one could ever fake it.¡¯ This was because, among the Siren, Aria, who has more talent than anyone else, was known around the world. ¡®Then what is with this fake?¡¯ Of course, in her previous life, there was an incident in which the Emperor was enchanted and mad by Aria¡¯s song, creating a fake simr to her. This situation waspletely different from that. While Aria was immersed in thoughts, the Siren began to sing. It was a beautiful song. The natural tone was also outstanding, and it was obvious that she was trained to sing from an early age. ¡®She¡¯s a great singer. But I can¡¯t feel a magical power at all.¡¯ As expected, it¡¯s a fake. But the nobles, who fell in love with her beautiful singing voice, looked at her with greedy eyes. ¡°Unfortunately, the Siren doesn¡¯t make her songs effective for so many people at once. I ask for your understanding on that.¡± After adding an exnation like that, the host started the auction. People raised their hands and raised the auction price, and the fake Siren was quickly picked up by her owner. Tristan, who had been sitting with the momentum to overturn everything from the beginning because it was ufortable, opened his mouth. ¡°Shall I catch them all and kill them? It would be better not to leave even traces of this space.¡± Although God¡¯s malice had been passed on to Lloyd, he had the power to destroy this ce just by lifting one of his fingers. Sabina, who would have stopped him at this point, also crossed her arms and whispered low. ¡°I¡¯m not interfering with what Tristan will be doing this time.¡± The atmosphere was unusual. Vincent also muttered in a voice that was unlike before. ¡°No, don¡¯t let them go so easily. We don¡¯t know who¡¯s doing it, but I¡¯m not going to let this slide.¡± He didn¡¯t inherit the rich blood of Valentine, but his personality was no less than that. ¡°I¡¯ll expose them to the very bottom and push them until they take their own life.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­ I hope everyone doesn¡¯t forget their original purpose.¡± First of all, they had to get the book. Aria said as she sweated to stop them who lost their string of reason. ¡°Instead of grabbing and killing them¡­ Can I ask if you could do a background check instead and where they came from and where they¡¯re going to go?¡± It was a difficult request. Knowing the distribution and sales channels of the Ibel Auction House is something that even Valentine can¡¯t be sure of easily. But at Aria¡¯s request, the three nodded without hesitation. At that moment. BANG-!! Without saying anything, she suddenly felt a huge flow of energy, followed by a huge explosion. The building began to shake like it was about to copse. ¡®What did they do?¡¯ Aria stared at Tristan, Sabina, and Vincent in turn. They shook their heads at the same time. ¡°Please, please wait a moment.¡± The host, who had been conducting the auction for a while, was bewildered and headed backstage to understand the situation. Because of the situation, it seemed like he was talking to the person behind the curtain right away. Aria¡¯s ears could hear their conversation very clearly. ¡°Big trouble! Someone touched the ¡®Cursed Core¡¯. It started working!¡± ¡°What? Nonsense! It can only be activated by wizards who deal with magic! Besides, the security is definitely as thorough as never before¡­¡± ¡°All of the surveince tools didn¡¯t work, and all the guards were unconscious. This was nned by a powerful person!¡± Perhaps it was unexpected, the auction officials were flustered. ¡®Cursed Core¡¯ Aria had heard of it. As the name suggests, it was a jewel that contained all kinds of curses. Because it is sealed with magic, only a wizard can break it, and once activated, the space is covered with a curse and bes devastated. ¡°If the Cursed Core has been activated, we will have no more than 10 minutes. Take the most expensive and rarest things and get out.¡± After the conversation, the host ran out onto the stage in hesitation and shouted. ¡°Cust, customers! A major ident has urred. Please evacuate quickly from the auction house!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this auction?¡± ¡°You have to take care of that on your own!¡± Some raised their voices to protest. Not only that, they ordered those who were escorting them. ¡°I¡¯m trying to have some fun, but you¡¯re making me feel bad. Kill them.¡± ¡°Hiickk!¡± It was a very chaotic ce because it was a ce where the criminals who ruled the country went when they were bored. As Aria was exchanging nces with the ck Falcons, including Cloud. Boom-boo-boo-boom!! Once again a roar rang out. It wasn¡¯t just an explosion, it was a dangerous sound that anyone could hear. ¡°10 minutes! If you don¡¯t get out in 10 minutes, I can¡¯t take responsibility for your life!¡± Only then did the rioters begin to swear and run away. ¡°Hmm, it looks like someone started first. It feels dirty to be thete one, but now that it¡¯s like this, I can¡¯t stand still.¡± ¡°Father? We have ten minutes left.¡± Aria had no choice but to remind Tristan, who was muttering slowly, of the current reality. ¡°Enough time to ckmail and dispose of those responsible.¡± He¡¯s just causing more trouble He dered very proudly, then drew his sword and strode without hesitation. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s go together.¡± And Sabina followed him without hesitation. Dwayne, unable to hide his absurd look, groaned. ¡°Oh my God, are you both out of your mind? Besides, you¡¯re weak, haven¡¯t you given all your power now!¡± ¡°I will protect my weak husband.¡± Tristan, weak? Even though he had passed on God¡¯s malice, Tristan was still an overwhelmingly stronger warrior than ordinary people. However, he replied with a grin, as if matching Sabina¡¯s dignified deration. ¡°How reliable.¡± Dwayne, who stood stunned for a moment, followed after them, muttering a bted regret that he should have quit earlier. ¡®Ten minutes?¡¯ As Aria walked out of the auction house, she thought for a moment. Then, what is the purpose of the person who triggered the Cursed Core like a time bomb? ¡®I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re aiming for the auction items.¡¯ There was only one answer. Aria ordered the ck Falcons. ¡°People are locked inside the stage. Release as many people as you can before the time runs out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With Aria¡¯smand, the ck Falcons moved in unison. ¡°Cloud,e with me.¡± Aria sent Vincent, who was the weakest, out of the building first. And she used her five senses to the fullest, and followed the sound of conversations and footsteps of these auction house officials. When she finally arrived at the vault where the auction items were piled up, she caught a glimpse of a hooded man. ¡®The auction items looked empty.¡¯ It seems that some have already been taken away. ¡®Ah¡­¡­.¡¯ But the book remained. At first nce, it was neatly stored in a case that looked like what Young Lord Norton said of a ¡®book with forbidden magic¡¯. When Aria was about to pick up the book. The person¡¯s hand was faster. Perhaps he was also aiming for the book, he snapped his finger and moved it into his arms. ¡®A wizard.¡¯ Aria narrowed her eyes and looked at the other person. ¡°Do you need this book too? Unfortunately, you came at a bad time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s a voice she heard before. As Aria, who had been silent for a while, recalled it btedly, she called out the person¡¯s name. ¡°Hans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­oh.¡± The wizard Hans muttered in a dismayed voice. Probably because he didn¡¯t know that he would meet someone he knew here. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Currently, Aria is wearing a mask and wig, and the mask she wears has magic to change her voice. ¡®If she is a woman who knows me in the Fa Empire, there is a high probability that she is entangled with the gutter.¡¯ Hans, who had finished reasoning quite usible on his own, raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you have to die.¡± ¡°Young Madam!¡± At that moment, Cloud quickly blocked Aria¡¯s front and countered Hans¡¯s magic with his sword. ¡°Sword Master¡­¡± I have bad luck today. Hansmented his situation and looked at Cloud for a moment, judging him. And he made a quick decision. He can¡¯t win. ¡®I must be ready to die.¡¯ But there is no time for that. It was even uncertain whether he could escape safely if he missed the timing. ¡®I have no choice.¡¯ Hans tore up a few pages of the book he was holding and threw the book into the vault. In a deeper ce. And he immediately escaped out of the building with his own movement magic. ¡°Shit!¡± Cloud tried to run after Hans, who was seen through the window, and then looked back at Aria. With a nervous look, Aria picked up the book that Hans threw into the vault. The remaining time is at most 3 minutes. There was no choice. Cloud held Aria in his arms and lifted her up. ¡°Forgive me for my rudeness.¡± Aria was held in Cloud¡¯s arms and he ran out of the building in an instant. She heard several explosions that pierced her ears. When she came out of the building, she saw people released safely. Those who might have be ves. Even Tristan and Sabina seem to have achieved their purpose. After she confirmed that everyone was safe, Aria opened the book. ¡®He must have ripped off the magic he wanted.¡¯ As she sighed and turned over the pages. Aria¡¯s eyes, covered with frustration and resignation, opened wide. Among the many forbidden magic, one stood out the most. ¡®Freeze.¡¯ It was a technique to never be hurt by the cold. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 ¡®Right, with this, the ice flower can be ingested.¡¯ Aria read that part without missing a word with a flushed face. She lost Hans, but it was still a great result. She is one step closer to hope. ¡°Vincent, this¡­¡± Aria sprinted to his side and showed the book to the young man who looked at herplexion. In a matter of seconds, he understood what Aria was trying to say, and his eyes twinkled with a bright face. ¡°Wow! I thought you were going crazy when you said you were going to get this book, but at the end of the day, you almost couldn¡¯t get it and it almost disappeared into a handful of ashes! Of course, it¡¯s a forbidden magic, so you have to think about the side effects, but I¡¯m d you found a way, really¡­¡­.¡± Vincent bit his lip, muttering in a watery voice that showed his joy. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°Who, who¡¯s crying, no one¡¯s crying!¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not? No. Come to think of it, you found a way to save a loved one, so what if I cry!¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re crying.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m not!¡± When he tried to show his temper with red-hot eyes, nothing butughter came out of Aria. Aria left herughter leaking out unattended, and she stroked the hair of the young man who had grown taller before she knew it. Vincent, who had a grumpy expression, asked in resignation, obediently giving his head away. ¡°By the way, is the Holy Empire the main culprit in this situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely. I met the wizard Hans.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Hans¡­ he¡¯s entangled in the Bruto Lab. It¡¯s really a tough life¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know he was going to be alive.¡± After the ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯ rampage incident, all the researchers who took part in the experiment died because of the ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯ that ran rampant at the same time. But now that she looks at it, he almost lost his life. If it was because of ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯, those who did evil things were punished and died. Then, ¡®Hans should be the one to die first.¡¯ Considering the evil deeds he hasmitted since he was in the gutter, it would not be enough for him to fall into hell a hundred times already. But he got out of that mess. Perhaps he used movement magic because he was a wizard. ¡®But when he got out of there, he was still joining the Holy Empire¡­¡­.¡¯ Then, as expected. ¡°Garcia still hasn¡¯t given up on chimera.¡± Garcia would have countless wizards at Hans¡¯ level. However, there is only one reason why Garcia took Hans out when the Bruto Lab waspletely destroyed. Hans is an unrivaled wizard in the field of chimera. ¡°And they stole not only books, but other auction items as well.¡± ¡°Other auction items? All items on the auction are supposed to be private. How did they know the items and steal them¡­¡± Oh wait. Vincent sighed and added, not knowing what to say. ¡°They obviously made amotion with the ¡®Cursed Core¡¯, which meant they knew that the Cursed Core would be on sale soon.¡± Aria nodded her head, indicating that his guess was correct. ¡°Initially, except for ¡®Cursed Core¡¯ and ¡®Book of Forbidden Magic¡¯, all the stolen items were provided by Garcia.¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that Lord Norton was only involved in the ¡®Book of Forbidden Magic¡¯, so the other items were obtained from elsewhere.¡± Like Norton, there was a high probability that they used nobles who were alienated from the Empire. So they could defect to Garcia. Perhaps the intention was to nt a spy inside the Fa Empire. ¡°Hmm¡­ If you check the items that are missing from the list of items submitted for this auction, we can read their purpose.¡± Vincent went straight to Tristan and Sabina. And he seemed to be discussing something with them with a serious face. At that moment. She suddenly felt a gaze. Aria automatically turned her head toward the direction where she had felt the gaze. And at the same time, her eyes were intertwined with the light blue eyes. ¡®Gabriel.¡¯ After a moment getting mesmerized, the people¡¯s chatter could be heard in the distance. He was staring at her very precisely. He had recognized Aria while wearing a wig and a mask as well. Aria immediately recognized him with his hood on too, but¡­¡­. The reason is, ¡°All of this is God¡¯s will!¡± ¡°Glorious knights of God¡¯s Kingdom, do not be shaken. What you are doing is only a process of purifying your soul!¡± ¡°Do not hesitate to kill them! They are already corrupted and irreversible. The only way to save them is to release the shackles of their tainted bodies!¡± Because he was exactly the same as when he came to ughter the people of Fa. Same body, same facial features, same eyes, same sword¡­¡­. ¡®Well, he has grown over time, so it¡¯s only obvious¡­¡­.¡¯ Can he be considered the perfect enemy now that he is in this ce wearing the hood? It must mean that he haspletely turned to Garcia¡¯s side, the Pope. Aria slowly hardened her face, which had been soaked with happiness. Lloyd felt ufortable. Every moment he could spend with Aria was precious, so why did he have to get out of his way and escort those who he didn¡¯t care about if they died? Yes, because it was Aria¡¯s request. ¡®If the things to be escorted go missing due to an ident¡­¡­ There is no need to be an escort.¡¯ Then he will be able to stay by Aria¡¯s side. He suddenly had that urge. But Aria¡¯s request was absolute, so he had no choice but to persevere. However, he could not stop the flow of murderous energy from moment to moment. ¡°Where does the cold winde from? The window is closed¡­¡± In the carriage, the Nortons shivered with chills, but theirfort was beyond Lloyd¡¯s concern. ¡°Hey.¡± That was then. Young Lord Norton suddenly spoke to Lloyd, who was riding a horse. He was on horseback, despite the knights¡¯ persuasions to go in the carriage. He didn¡¯t know, but he felt like he waspeting for something. ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡± Of course, Lloyd didn¡¯t listen. The time he was not with Aria was just a time for him to grow old little by little and one step closer to death. A mere flow of time. And others are just a flying insect that pollutes his ears in the flow of time. ¡°For an escort, I¡¯m just there to protect from external threats.¡± ¡°What? What nonsense is that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you fall on your own and never get up.¡± Even Aria would tolerate that much. If the horse jumped and fell on its own, it was a matter outside the escort¡¯s control. As Lloyd had made a decision while weighing the circumstances. Suddenly, Young Lord Norton¡¯s survival instincts shone. He stopped his running horse and moved as far away as possible from Lloyd. And he cried out. ¡°You, you punk! You know who I am and you dare to threaten me! Know that I will tell Father everything!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I, I didn¡¯t avoid you because I was afraid of you!¡± Is it because Lloyd doesn¡¯t even have the will to deal with this? ¡°What the hell did you do with your wife?¡± However, when Aria appeared as a topic, Lloyd¡¯s gloomy gaze turned to the Young Lord like a knife. It was an indifferent look. Still, Young Lord Norton felt stabbed through those eyes. Young Lord Norton stiffened in surprise, then blushed in shame. ¡®Bastard who forgot his ce just because he was a little bit strong.¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s eyes were horrifying. Young Lord Norton was suffocated in the distant emptiness just by meeting Lloyd¡¯s dead gray eyes. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he clenched his teeth again and began to talk freely. ¡°Having been away for half a year, and barely came back, did you follow me all the way here because of the good money? Do you think she deserves a husband who neglects his sick wife like that?¡± Not a single word was worth listening to. The reason Lloyd was here was purely because of Aria¡¯s request. But his expressionless face suddenly turned harsh. It was because of his own helplessness that he could not do anything for Aria, who was dying day by day. He has no doubts that Aria will survive. Because whatever he needs to do, he¡¯ll make it happen. ¡®If you can¡¯t go against fate.¡¯ In the worst case scenario, Lloyd was prepared tomit the worst of the irreversible. Already, long ago. Even by killing God. Even if he ends up ming himself to death. But sometimes he was out of breath. Aria has always said that he will shine more brilliantly than anyone else. She said his burnt gray eyes are the only moonlight that illuminates the night. The reason Aria decided to marry Lloyd and the contract in the first ce was because she didn¡¯t want him to be corrupted. ¡®Because of those things¡­¡­.¡¯ He fears that Aria will give up her life. He fears that she decides to leave his side. He fears her despair as she sees him being broken and corrupted to save her. He fears that he will never see Aria smiling brightly again. In his nervousness, he wants to twist God¡¯s neck right now. But in the end, he had no choice but to choose but to go through the helpless and human path. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ Lloyd stretched out his hand without hesitation. ¡°Kuhk!¡± And grabbed the fly¡¯s neck with one hand. He hadn¡¯t given any strength yet, but Young Lord Norton began to tremble. More strength then it will just break. The escort knights were startled by Lloyd¡¯s sudden action, and then pulled out their sword. ¡°Are you crazy! Let, let go of the young master¡¯s neck right now!¡± ¡°Mutiny will get you a summary judgment!¡± But since they are knights, they will be able to know. The difference between them and Lloyd¡¯s overwhelming skills. In fact, the tips of their swords while they were talking about the summary judgment were trembling. ¡®Even if I don¡¯t escort them, I can figure out their destination.¡¯ Although it will take more time than nned. But it wasn¡¯t too difficult for him. Lloyd slowly tilted his head as he watched Young Lord Norton¡¯s face changing color every few seconds. Come to think of it, he¡¯d never not crush an insect after hearing the sound of its wings flying. ¡®Since when.¡¯ Lloyd traced his memory. It didn¡¯t take him long, but he could recall right away. The moment Lloyd raised his sword, the little Aria shook her head to tell him not to. That was the beginning. When he learned to be patient for someone. ¡®Aria will be in trouble.¡¯ Although she came to Attis to find a way to prolong her life, she seemed to enjoy her current life. An ordinary house, an ordinary life, an ordinary hobby, an ordinary couple¡­¡­. A trivial but special thing. Meaningless, but shining. It was part of her dream, which Aria had hinted to him in her childhood. If so, that was also Lloyd¡¯s dream. So Lloyd couldn¡¯t break it. ¡®Not yet¡¯ He said so. ¡°There¡¯s a fly.¡± Lloyd let his palm go and continued on as if nothing ever happened. Only those who were left, stared nkly at his back. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Perhaps it was not a bluff to say that they were invited as distinguished guests, the Nortons were able to cross Garcia¡¯s border in an instant without any special procedures. There was no checkpoint, so Lloyd didn¡¯t even have to take his hood off. ¡®Annoying.¡¯ Lloyd wanted an excuse to get a check and blow it all up, so he clicked his tongue lightly. ¡°I have been waiting.¡± They arrived at a mansion. A mansion whose owner is unknown. But Lloyd could quickly guess who was behind it. ¡®If they are friendly to the nobles of other countries to this extent, it is safe to say that the influence of a high-ranking official, perhaps the Pope, is in.¡¯ As soon as he thought like that, the person who greeted them spoke up. ¡°You have proven that to be cooperative with Garcia. We will pay you a reasonable price for what you deserve.¡± ¡°In return, what you promised?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It was as expected. This was not simply a problem limited to the single Viscount Norton family. Lloyd watched silently. ¡®Are they going to nt a double agent?¡¯ A double agent would bemon. To some extent, even in Principality Valentine, spies were periodically searched out and pruned. Even though people outside the Valentine border never even set foot in the devil¡¯sir. So it really wasn¡¯t a big deal. It was boring and obvious enough for him to yawn, and it wasn¡¯t even worth paying attention to. ¡®As long as I have witnessed it myself, I can¡¯t leave it alone.¡¯ But if that happens, Aria might be sad. He didn¡¯t want to take away her little happiness, so he was contemting it for a while. As they walked through the hallway after being assigned their own rooms, he heard a voiceing from the crack in an open room door. ¡°Father, he was trying to kill me! He grabbed my neck and tried to strangle me. Can¡¯t you see the handprints on my neck?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if that bastard is the most powerful soldier in Attis, how can the man who was after my life be protecting us?¡± It was Young Lord Norton. He kept fussing, ¡°What if he tries to hurt me while I¡¯m sleeping?¡±. ¡°¡­ha. This punk.¡± The Viscount sighed as he saw the red handprints left on the nape of his son¡¯s neck. He got strangled? ¡®That¡¯s obvious.¡¯ When a husband saw another man set their eyes on his wife, it was a natural reaction. However, that did not mean that the Norton¡¯s would consider the feelings of the insignificantmoners. It was pathetic what his son had done, but the Viscount was furious at the situation that themoner dared to touch his son. ¡®How dare you try to kill my son.¡¯ Viscount Norton was outwardly scolding his son, but inwardly he was determined. ¡®I must dispose of it.¡¯ ¡°Alright, so get out now.¡± ¡°Are you going to kill him before returning to Attis?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Still, please finish in Garcia as much as possible. No, how shocked Ria¡­. No, Mrs. Valen would be. She is a delicate person. She could be resentful, so make it an unfortunate ident¡­¡± Ria Valen. This is the pseudonym Aria used in Attis. Lloyd could clearly see what he was thinking that it was almost really predictable. Young Lord Norton ns to kill Lloyd in Garcia and take Aria, who has lost her husband and is left alone. He rmended Lloyd as an escort in the first ce for that, and he provoked Lloyd for that as well. No wonder he immediately left and didn¡¯t make a lot of fuss, even after Lloyd strangled his neck. Viscount Norton, who had been silent for a moment due to his son¡¯s indescribable pity, screamed loudly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go out?!¡± It was only after he threatened, that Young Lord Norton rushed out of the room. Lloyd naturally turned his body and stayed out of sight. ¡®Hmm, this is something.¡¯ A satisfied smile appeared on Lloyd¡¯s expressionless face, who had been listening to their conversation from beginning to end. ¡®You¡¯re finally making a cause.¡¯ He can go back to Aria sooner. Aria had just arrived in Attis. When she opened the door to the house, there was Lloyd pouring tea. ¡®Eh?¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t react right away. She didn¡¯t know that Lloyd, who should be in Garcia by now, was already here. Not only that, he was leisurely brewing tea. ¡°Baker said that fruit-flowers blended tea is trendy these days. On the way home, I stopped by the capital to buy tea leaves.¡± Lloyd said as he held out a teacup in front of Aria. She asked as she sat across from him abruptly. ¡°You look good.¡± ¡°It has to be good, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lloyd said, habitually swiping the ring on his ring finger. Aria rememberedter. She had contacted Lloyd straight away as soon as she found the Freeze in the Book of Forbidden Spells. She had forgotten that she was excitedly discussing this and that with the doctors and Vincent before she came here. ¡°I¡¯m d you found a peaceful and ethical way.¡± Lloyd said so and hung a faint smile on his lips. She doesn¡¯t know where ¡®peace¡¯ and ¡®ethic¡¯ are in forbidden magic. ¡®Somehow, it¡¯s rxing.¡¯ Lloyd seemed more and more bored as he got older. He knew how to rx, and learned to enjoy patience and rxation. It felt even more so today. Topare it, she would say that he was like a wild beast that has be drowsy after filling its stomach after a hunt. ¡°Wow¡­¡­.¡± Aria sipped the tea without thinking, then widened her eyes and looked into the cup. It¡¯s just water from tea leaves. The taste and aroma were so different from the tea that Aria made. ¡°Lloyd is a good cook.¡± As Aria kept trying to cook, Lloyd made it with her several times¡­¡­. At that time, Aria understood a little bit what being a durd means after seeing a genius for the first time. He wasn¡¯t that good, but even Baker was surprised by his skill. ¡®He didn¡¯t have any interest in cooking, so he got bored.¡¯ Aria smiled as she drank the sweet, fragrant tea. Even now, he was able to brew a tea that is precisely tailored to her taste. ¡°I remember Lloyd baking a strawberry cake. It was delicious.¡± Although it was actually more correct to say it was a cake he made as he helped Aria from the side. But he did most of it, so it would be right to call it that. ¡°I can make it any time you want.¡± ¡°Ah really?¡± Aria, who still likes strawberry cakes, has sparkles in her eyes just like her childhood. ¡°Then make it for me at mying-of-age ceremony.¡± It will being soon. Aria was often ovee with a vague fear that she might have to leave, perhaps even before hering-of-age ceremony. But not anymore. Because she was steadily progressing in the process of activating the Freeze technique. It was such a peaceful time for her. She is drinking tea rxingly in the autumn sunlight that seeps through the window. She wished she could live like this for the rest of her life. ¡°So why did youe so soon?¡± Apparently, when they exchanged messages with each other, he did not show much expression. Then Lloyd said, ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡® briefly. With an expression that one would make when they think of something that is not particrly worth remembering. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. After confirming that I was hired as an escort to be killed afterwards, I came back first before I got involved further¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Aria suddenly mmed the desk and jumped up, and Lloyd¡¯s words got interrupted in the middle. ¡°Kill? Who? Lloyd?¡± No, but he did nothing and just came back? She was dumbfounded. If it was the usual Lloyd, the moment he found out about the n, he would immediately make them pay for it with their life. But why did he leave them alone ande back? ¡°Why did they want to kill you all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t they take Lloyd because you were a rare talent?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter why.¡± Aria was furious. For whatever reason they dared to kill Lloyd. Aria had pushed him into this situation without realizing it, telling Lloyd to apany them. ¡°Why did you leave them alone?¡± You never have that kind of personality. Hering Aria¡¯s exasperated words, Lloyd¡¯s eyes widened for a moment before answering with a grin. ¡°Because it¡¯s really not that important to me.¡± They dug a trap to kill him, but it didn¡¯t matter. When did Lloyd be such an adult? Aria was amazed. She told Lloyd to put up with their atrocities, but she didn¡¯t mean to stay still as they conspired to kill him. Then Lloyd pulled Aria¡¯s left hand and touched her face as she got closer, then added. ¡°The most important thing to me is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When I feed Aria something sweet, you smile without realizing it, putting flowers between books, bragging about meaningless things to me, making food that tastes strange and giving it to me, taking out a sketchbook whenever you have time and drawing my face.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, things like that.¡± He doesn¡¯t want to lose those things because of some insensitive idiots. Lloyd said so and released Aria¡¯s cheek. This time Aria couldn¡¯t say anything. Aria, who had been frozen for a moment, barely opened her mouth. ¡°I should catch them all and kill them.¡± It was a quote from Tristan. She grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand and stood up. He was simply dragged along by her gentle touch. Lloyd slowly licked his lips as he followed her bold lead. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to stay here in peace?¡± ¡°Yes, I did, but I didn¡¯t mean to force Lloyd to show your patience like a saint.¡± Of course, Lloyd isn¡¯t a saint. He had no intention of being patient anyway. Because after he reassured Aria on the surface, he was nning to mash the Nortons in the mud behind her. He can¡¯t help it if this is called deception, but, in fact, it was Lloyd¡¯s own sneakiness. ¡°I¡¯ll expose them to the very bottom and push them until they take their own life.¡± Aria, who wasn¡¯t very talented at speaking harshly, kept quoting Valentine¡¯s expression. This means that she is pissed off. Lloyd, who was silently following her, said with a smirk on his face. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± aria making strange foods and giving it to lloyd who even find that precious T.T pleaseeee i want to be them so bad >.< Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Two days before Lloyd goes to see Aria. Viscount Norton had to work quite a bit to get rid of Eden. It was because the escort knights that had apanied them had no guts. In the end, he was left with no choice but to hire a skilled assassin himself. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Out, out for a second¡­¡± However, it ended before he even tried. This is because the knights guarding the mansion blocked the Viscount. Feeling pressured, the Viscount stuttered involuntarily. ¡°I must have said that I would ban private outings.¡± The caretaker, who had just rushed in, looked down at him coldly and said so. It waspletely different from his first appearance when weing the Viscount warmly. Viscount Norton didn¡¯t want to lose the trust he had built up just because of this, so in the end he had no choice but to exin the whole story of what he was doing. ¡°You¡¯re saying you hired an outsider as your escort.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not really an outsider¡­ I¡¯d say he¡¯s a migrant who has lived in our estate for 5 years¡­¡± ¡°I have made it clear that it is only a few trusted close aides who can be brought to Garcia, Viscount Norton.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± He desperately exined. Eden was a really inevitable choice for an escort because Nortoncked talent. ¡°I am fully aware of my mistake. Please understand that I will try to rectify it even by getting rid of him.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± A migrant with superior skills that even the Viscount takes all the risks and asks for an escort from. He was also the one who subjugated the bandits alone. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you to take responsibility for thister.¡± The caretaker decided that it would be better to uncover the migrant¡¯s identity first. Meanwhile, ¡®I remembered.¡¯ Lloyd, who had been listening to all these conversations outside the window, finally remembered. ¡®Aide to Duke Battenberg.¡¯ The caretaker¡¯s identity. Lloyd never paid close attention to things like people¡¯s faces and names. But he didn¡¯t care while having a good memory was two different things. The faces he met often were bound to be remembered. Whenever he met the aide in the Imperial Pce, he was always attached to the Duke like a shadow. ¡®If it¡¯s Battenberg¡­¡­ It is thergest foreign force in Fa that raised his daughter to the position of Empress.¡¯ They were different from the Nortons, who had nowhere to lean on in the Empire. There is absolutely no reason to even send his closest aides to a ce like this. ¡®Then since when? Am I missing something?¡¯ But that was all. With this fact in mind, Lloyd tore off Carlin¡¯s scroll and left the mansion. The caretaker hired assassins a dayter. ¡°He seems to have crossed the border a long time ago, so it¡¯s not our jurisdiction.¡± The guild leader of the assassination guild said. ¡°What? It can¡¯t be. He seems to have disappeared since yesterday, but how the hell did he cross the border already¡­¡± ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be the usual way.¡± Neither the Viscount nor the caretaker were dumbfounded. Eden had suddenly evaporated without a trace. And in just one day. ¡°He¡¯s like a rat. He noticed the hint and ran away.¡± Young Lord Norton, who missed the opportunity, gritted his teeth. But Eden had already run away, so there was nothing to do. With that, there¡¯s no way to escape Garcia¡¯s suspicion. ¡°¡­did you lose him on purpose?¡± ¡°How, how could that be!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just good swordsmanship skills. If he used movement magic, it¡¯s clear that there is a force behind him.¡± Let¡¯s talk about the details slowly. The caretaker had to lock them up in the mansion for being so arrogant. The Nortons had to be interrogated there for a long time. ¡°Go back to Fa for now and wait. Your disposition will be announced separately. I¡¯m telling you, but of course you know that there is no point in running away.¡± They returned to Attis, wrecked and with no ie. It was when the Nortons returned after many twists and turns. Lloyd, who they could not even see a strand of his hair, was sitting on the top seat of the banquet room with his legs crossed and waiting. ¡°You¡¯re a lotter than I thought.¡± ¡°Huah!¡± Why is this guy here? When the guy who they even put in an assassination request was still alive, Young Lord Norton was so surprised that his feet went numb and he made a suffocating sound. But first of all, he was furious that amoner would dare to take the top seat. ¡°You lowly thing,e down from there right now?!¡± That seat was reserved only for Norton¡¯s family head. But Lloyd dug deeper into the chair and didn¡¯t move. Rather, as if wondering what to do now, he closed his eyes and even twisted his lips. He looked like he was watching a flying insect struggling alone. ¡®Is he really crazy?¡¯ Young Lord Norton hesitated for a moment in surprise, but soon regained hisposure. This was rather good. Because the more cocky Lloyd was, the more the excuse for his execution. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll call a servant right now¡­¡­.¡¯ However, something was strange. ¡®Is that guy like that¡­ ¡­ ?¡¯ Young Lord Norton immediately found the source of his difort. Most notably, the attire. Lloyd was only wearing a in shirt and pants, but a closer look reveals apletely different look. From fabrics to cutting and embroidery. It looked like everything was put together in a high-end salon. ¡®I¡¯ve never worn such a luxury item before.¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s face was even more splendid when dressed in fancy clothes. He posed a much more noble figure than Young Lord Norton, who had be messy with all the trouble. ¡®Is that shirt button a diamond?¡¯ It can¡¯t be. ¡®It looks like he picked up a usible imitation from somewhere and wore it.¡¯ It was when Young Lord Norton opened his mouth to make a loud noise. At the same time, the door closed with a bang. He turned around immediately. ck Falcons dressed in ck uniforms stood guard like a huge mountain, with the parlor door closed. It was Cloud who stood as their representative. Even among the ck Falcon, when a knight with an extremelyrge physique stood in front of him, it felt as if he was being eaten by the shadows. ¡°What, what are these guys! Guards! Guards! Knights¡­!¡± Young Lord Norton trembled, raising his voice to the limit. Come to think of it, all the employees have not been seen since before.As he was desperately looking around. ¡°I got bored of waiting, so I took care of them earlier than you, so I ask for your understanding.¡± Lloyd said, pointing to the pile of fainted Norton Knights on one side. ¡°De, dead¡­¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t die. Because the wife didn¡¯t want them killed.¡± Of course, you will surely die. As Lloyd said so, he flicked his finger, telling him toe closer. Young Lord Norton, rather pale, took a step backwards. ¡°Uh, uaah¡­!¡± But behind him, the ck Falcons stood guard. ¡°How, how about Mother and Father!¡± ¡°They must pay the price for their sins. But I have decided to show mercy so that they will not see their son¡¯s end with their own eyes.¡± Because the wife is so merciful. Lloyd was adding a little bit of bragging. Aria, who returned from her business, opened the door on the side of the parlor and appeared. She is with Vincent. ¡®Who is that shy mboyant?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t quite grasp the situation, but Young Lord Norton¡¯s face turned bright as if he had found a savior. And he cried desperately. ¡°Ma, Madam! Your husband is trying to kill me! If you don¡¯t convince this madman right now, you¡¯ll inevitably suffer great harm too!¡± It was a threatening tone, pretending to be concerned about Aria. But he meant: If she doesn¡¯t stop Lloyd right away, she won¡¯t be safe either. ¡®You liked me.¡¯ Aria sneered to herself. Young Lord Norton who tried to take the wife by killing the husband. How trash and stupid it was. Aria didn¡¯t even want to show him mercy. She approached Lloyd¡¯s side, neatly ignoring Young Lord Norton. ¡°Did you wait long?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Lloyd, who didn¡¯t budge no matter how Young Lord Norton screamed, was now stepping aside and ced Aria in his spot. Young Lord Norton was stunned for a while with his mouth open. ¡°You¡¯re talking¡­¡± In a sacred voice he had never heard in his lifetime. Lloyd and Vincent stood on Aria¡¯s either side, with her sitting at the top seat. Vincent nced up and down Young Lord Norton and sarcastically flipped through the papers he was holding. ¡°Wow¡­ you guys are really amazing. Isn¡¯t it hard to pig out like this?¡± ¡°Do, do what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been collecting from the remote area such crazy amount. Is this what you call a creative economy?¡± There was so much corruption that it hurt to say it all. As they had gone out of the Emperor¡¯s sight, it seemed like there was nothing to see. Even the gutter rat¡¯s subordinates, who once ruled the power of darkness, went away. ¡°I thought you were only using the bandits to bring things to Garcia. You didn¡¯t miss a moment and you used the bandits to collect all kinds of money too at the same time, right?¡± Stealing valuables was rather the good side. Young Lord Norton encouraged the abduction of permanent residents and did not hesitate to traffic them. ¡°Oh, Brother. You know what?¡± Vincent said with a chuckle. ¡°Last time, it was this one that lured the bandits to Sister-inw who was alone.¡± There was no need to analyze that garbage brain to know why. Vincent added without hiding his disgust. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Lloyd said, looking back at Aria. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± As Lloyd often did, she tapped her finger on the handle, immersed in thoughts. Suddenly, she felt a gaze. As Aria lifted her head, Lloyd took her hand on the handle, as if he had waited for her to look up. And he kissed her hand, and said. ¡°Wife, just give me orders. I¡¯ll take all the responsibility.¡± It was the first time she heard it. Is there an answer he wanted? It was the first time he showed such a desperate look, so Aria couldn¡¯t take his eyes off him for a moment. ¡°Make him feel the same pain as the sins hemitted, even the share of those who suffered innocently.¡± Aria opened her lips and gave the answer he wanted. Lloyd followed her orders and drew his sword. ¡°As youmand.¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 A kidnapping case in a duck farm caused a stir in Attis. People working on the farm were kidnapped one by one in a row. The residents firmly believed that it was the bandits who caused it. At that time, bandits weremon, and the farm was very close to the mountain range. ¡°But the Nortons were the ones who instigated the kidnapping? Even selling the people as ves to other countries?¡± ¡°Of course, I knew from the beginning that they were greedy people, but¡­¡± But it was hard to believe they would use the lives of residents as a means of earning money. ¡°Crazy people! Burn them to death!¡± ¡°We served that kind of thing as a Lord of thend!¡± The residents, who had heard the whole matter from the ck Falcons, finally knew that the Nortons were behind the crime and were furious. ¡°But who are you?¡± It was then a middle-aged man questioned the knights in ck uniforms. A cold voice interrupted the residents¡¯ noisy murmur. ¡°Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t burn them, but¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a particrly loud voice. But every word from the voice, deeply prated the eardrums. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it, since we¡¯ve dealt with them and made them suffer a simr amount of pain.¡± The surprised people turned their heads at the same time. Lloyd passed them, wiping the blood from his cheeks. No, he was trying to pass by. If only Mrs. Palmer hadn¡¯t cried out in a thrilling voice over his back, perhaps she had just realized it. ¡°Aahh, that¡¯s why. You and your wife havee a long way to investigate Attis!¡± He doesn¡¯t know why such an absurd conclusion was reached. People flocked to Lloyd¡¯s surroundings as soon as they heard that, with faces that they realized it toote. This was possible because they did not yet know that Lloyd and his knights were from Valentine. It was also because they were still friendly with Aria and Lloyd. ¡°By the way, I heard it once while passing by. In order to punish corrupt officials, His Majesty¡¯s most trusted servants are sent disguised asmoners.¡± ¡°Gasp, then, by His Majesty¡¯s orders?¡± There¡¯s no way the Emperor would order such a thing by himself. Lloyd, who stood as expressionless as a sculpture among the crowd, added a blunt word. ¡°It¡¯s my decision.¡± ¡°Are you saying that you arbitrarily investigated the Lord¡¯s corruption? If so, then you are like a hero. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, there was something to investigate, so I just dealt with it all at once.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking so insignificantly! So you¡¯ve done such good deeds more than once or twice? I see. You are a representation of noblesse oblige¡­¡± This conversation is going nowhere. ¡®It¡¯s an investigation¡­¡­.¡¯ They thought of Lloyd as a knight of justice who could not stand some injustice. In the end, it did happen. ¡®If I reveal that we¡¯re Valentine, they¡¯ll faint.¡¯ After making an annoyed face for a moment, he turned to Aria. Perhaps it was nice to see Lloyd be recognized by people, she was showing a happy smile. ¡°¡­that¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± When Lloyd glossed over it all in one word, the residents seemed to understand. ¡°So who are they?¡± The middle-aged man kept asking questions, but no one cared about his words. ¡°As expected, she was a nobleman. No wonder that cooking skills¡­¡± Mrs. Palmer mumbled casually, and turned to Aria, startled. She was chatting with Vincent just in time. Mrs. Palmer sighed in relief and swept her chest. ¡°In the end, this is how it came to be.¡± Vincent said, looking at the Lord¡¯s castle, now seized by the ck Falcons. Their greatest goal was to stay quiet here until Aria¡¯s lifespan was extended. ¡°You expected it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s annoying that I¡¯ll have to go to the Imperial Pce to meet the Emperor.¡± When a double agent appeared, he had no choice but to report to the Emperor. ¡®But the fact that even Duke Battenberg was also involved in Garcia is a problem¡­¡­.¡¯ What is happening in the empire? Vincent thought for a moment before asking. ¡°But didn¡¯t Sister-inw want to live a normal and boring life in a corner like this?¡± ¡°Well, I had a dream.¡± It sounded like the dream was no longer there. As Vincent turned to Aria in surprise, he asked. ¡°You don¡¯t like it when you try it yourself?¡± Aria looked up at Vincent for a moment, then said. ¡°No, it was fun, as expected.¡± However¡­¡­. ¡°It was more memorable to read a book together with Vincent in the library than to read it alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very happy with that statement. You know that the back of my head is burning right now, right?¡± I really think I¡¯m going to die. Vincentughed and broke into a cold sweat. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± I want to sing the new luby I had learned to Father, and I want to take swordsmanship lessons from Mother again¡­¡­. Aria turned to the looming Lloyd, who was ring wanting to burn Vincent, and continued. ¡°I want to be by Lloyd¡¯s side all the time.¡± Hearing Aria¡¯s confession, Lloyd instantly became as quiet as a tamed beast. But that was short-lived, and he was still staring at her with a thirsty gaze. ¡®Because it was just a confession that I loved my family a while ago.¡¯ Vincent sighed, rubbing the back of his head, feeling like it had been pierced for some reason. ¡°Let¡¯s buy all of the distribution rights of medicinal herbs in the Attis region from our side.¡± If they did that, they could confidently go back and forth between Attis and Valentine. ¡°Are you really going back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Now is the time to stop ying. While she had prioritized prolonging her life, she left all the work to Vincent. Aria thought. It¡¯s time to return as Grand Duchess Valentine. As soon as Aria returned to Valentine, the Grand Duke¡¯s castle was in a festive mood. Food piled up like a mountain, Dolls stacked like mountains, Toys piled up like a mountain¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a kid.¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re not¡­¡± It was different from when she denied that she was not a kid but in actuality was a kid. She really wasn¡¯t a kid anymore. Unlike Carlin, who frequently visited Attis, the employees who saw Aria after 5 years were shocked. ¡°When did you get so big?¡± ¡°The fairy has returned as a goddess¡­¡± The shock soon turned into a thrill. ¡°When Young Madam¡¯s birthday ising up soon, she¡¯ll really, really, really be a grown up!¡± Marronnier clenched her fists and eximed excitedly. ¡°What would you like to receive for youring-of-age ceremony?¡± ¡°Well, something mature please.¡± Aria let out a smallugh as she passed them by. ¡®Something mature¡­¡­ !¡¯ What is something mature? ¡°A book?¡± ¡°She always read when she was young.¡± ¡°Flowers? Jewels? Dresses?¡± ¡°It was always overflowing.¡± ¡°And document?¡± ¡°Is that the limit of maturity?¡± In the first ce, all of them were not something they could choose and give by their authority. As the employees were in agony. ¡°You are growing up so beautifully.¡± Dana widened her eyes and grabbed her hand. Aria also smiled softly and held her hand tightly. ¡°Young Madame. Wait a minute.¡± It was then. Cuirre, who had been watching the surroundings, appeared next to her and gestured. ¡°I have something to tell you. The results of the research on the freezing technique came out¡­¡± The doctor appeared more cautiously than necessary, so Aria got cautious too. She answered with a puzzled face. ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we all listen together?¡± Aria no longer had to hide her own illness. Because she decided to work it out together. And she didn¡¯t want to fool them anymore. ¡°If there is a fatal w in the freezing technique, it is better to be honest and discuss it together.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­¡± I think it would be better to deliver it to the person concerned first. The doctor mumbled uncharacteristically and motioned for her toe. Aria then headed to the secret ce Cuirre guided. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even eat the ice flowers?¡± Aria asked, looking at the tightly closed door and window. She can¡¯t understand why he¡¯s being so careful about what he would be talking about. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Fortunately, using the freezing technique, we found that eating the ice flowers would be safe.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you call me because something went wrong?¡± Aria stood still and waited for Cuirre to speak. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t say it with my mouth.¡± However, the doctor was so reluctant that it felt severe. ¡°¡­should I just go?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll tell you now!¡± He took a deep breath and then continued talking. ¡°The freezing technique is from the Eastern Continent. So it seems that it¡¯s banned¡­¡± ¡°Eastern Continent?¡± ¡°Yes, the eastern continent has the concept of yang and yin¡­¡± Cuirre had almost all the world¡¯s knowledge when it came to medicine. The Eastern Continent was no exception. He carefully exined the harmony of yin and yang. ¡°Yin and yang are opposite qualities that represent heaven and earth.¡± It was a concept she had never heard of before. As Aria gradually made an expression like ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡¯, Cuirre eventually gave up and brought up the topic. ¡°Your body will continue to freeze during the treatment. It¡¯s enough to feel the cold momentarily, but if left unattended, you¡¯ll freeze to death.¡± ¡°Is there any solution?¡± He said the results were clear that it would be safe. When Aria asked, Cuirre answered by nodding his head. ¡°If you continue to have physical contact with a person born with yang, it can warm you up.¡± ¡°A person born with yang?¡± ¡°Fortunately, that¡¯s what the Grand Duke is. There¡¯s no one like him.¡± So isn¡¯t that good? All she has to do is be by Lloyd¡¯s side and hold him tight while she is being treated. ¡°Can I just be in contact with him?¡± ¡°Cough, that, that would vary from person to person and situation to situation?¡± Does he mean she has to experience it herself to know? ¡°Anyway, you can¡¯t find an elixir in the Western Continent, so please know in advance that this is the only solution.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I have told you for sure, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then I¡¯ll take my leave! Cuirre mmed the door open and ran away. As for why he did that, Aria had no way of knowing. oho conventional physical contact plot ahemahem Chapter 178 Chapter 178 ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Anyway, it ended up being a good thing. Aria thought she had to bring this good news to Lloyd. ¡®Wait¡­¡­.¡¯ And she realizedter. It was only now that she realized why Cuirre was flustered. ¡®Does it mean that the physical contact may have to be more than I imagined¡­¡­ ?¡¯ Cuirre would have told her from the beginning if the warming up was just about holding hands and hugging. ¡®There would be no reason to be so ambiguous.¡¯ Aria stopped walking. Well, so¡­¡­. ¡®The doctor was so embarrassed that he couldn¡¯t speak properly¡­¡­.¡¯ That means¡­¡­she has to do something. Can she interpret it that way? Is it a guess? An over interpretation? ¡®I don¡¯t think so¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria couldn¡¯t get to Lloyd in the end and wandered around the same spot. She had actually thought that she would like to kiss him once before she died. But before she reached that, she began to have negative thoughts. ¡®He didn¡¯t want this.¡¯ She remembered the first night with Lloyd. The boy at that time sternly scolded her that if she slept with the direct descendants, she would get sick and die. He hated his father extremely for exposing his mother to a curse. To kill a loved one because they needed a body to contain God¡¯s malice, and was disillusioned with Valentine¡¯s fate to continue the descendants from generation to generation. ¡®But what¡¯s the difference from Valentine¡¯s Curse if he was forced to do it¡­¡­ ¡® She thought so. ¡®Lloyd said he wanted to give me a choice after I became an adult.¡¯ Of course Aria had intended to choose Lloyd. She couldn¡¯t have chosen something else. However¡­¡­. ¡®Would Lloyd think that I had no choice but to choose him so I wouldn¡¯t die.¡¯ Because of the unavoidable circumstances, it would appear that she had chosen him by force. Just like Valentine¡¯s fate, who had to pass on their descendants from generation to generation. ¡®It¡¯s not like that at all.¡¯ No matter how fine she was, she felt guilty. Aria clenched her lips for a moment then thought. It would be better to postpone it until after theing-of-age ceremony. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Aria was startled by Lloyd¡¯s question. Then he stared at her with puzzled eyes. It was because she overreacted to his question that he only threw lightly. ¡°I was just asking if everything was alright at the auction.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Aria muffled her lips and nodded her head. Because of Cuirre¡¯s sudden words, the auction incident waspletely forgotten for a moment. She hesitated for a moment, even when she was about to reply that nothing had happened. Because she remembered that moment she suddenly met Gabriel at the auction house. ¡®It was the same as the previous life.¡¯ Perhaps the only future Aria could not change was Gabriel. In the first ce, she had no intention of bringing him to her side or changing his thinking. She just thought they would stay acquainted enough to get a little help if she ran into him in the future. ¡®But, would it have been different if I had listened to his concerns more actively, kicked out Saint Veronica, and started showing affection for him?¡¯ When she was reunited with Gabriel after five years, the first thought that Aria had was regret. She regretted that, as human-to-human, she had overlooked his misfortune. ¡®But how can I arbitrarily judge his life as being unhappy?¡¯ Although she soon came to her senses that she shouldn¡¯t regret it. She was not God. It was Gabriel¡¯s choice that he sided with Garcia. Aria had no intention of criticizing his choice. ¡®There¡¯s none¡­¡­.¡¯ The memory of the day Gabriel told her to run away to Garcia together crossed her mind. Gabriel was blindly trusting Garcia, making it impossible for her to reverse his thoughts. But, it actually wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t impossible. In fact, she hadn¡¯t even thought of caring for Gabriel so deeply. ¡®Maybe it wasn¡¯t thest chance to get him out of Garcia.¡¯ From the first time she saw him, she felt that. ¡®He¡¯s like pure white paper that gets dyed with the surrounding colors.¡¯ Even if she didn¡¯t aim to get a little help from him in the first ce, but rather pulled him to her side and wanted to get him out of Garcia. Then she might have been able to stop him frommitting ughter to such an extent that even his beliefs were tarnished. At least, if Gabriel, who had lost his saint¡¯s spiritual support, reached out to her, she wouldn¡¯t have turned away¡­¡­. ¡®It¡¯s just a meaningless thought now.¡¯ It was that kind of feeling. Aria said, brushing her thoughts away. ¡°Ung. There was nothing special.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you bumped into something dangerous on your own¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I met the Pope¡¯s subordinate, but Sir Cloud took care of him and defeated him.¡± ¡°You were lucky everything went without problems.¡± ¡°Ung.¡± ¡°I had a realization that it was dangerous enough that you had to be lucky.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ung?¡± The question was strange. Aria lifted her head and looked up at Lloyd. He clenched his chin, staring intently at Aria. ¡°I¡¯m getting angry now.¡± Lloyd is angry at her. ¡°I only wish for one thing. That you don¡¯t get into dangerous things on your own. You don¡¯t even want to do my only wish, and you don¡¯t want me to get angry?¡± Lloyd said coldly as if he was really angry. The cold expression on his face was unfamiliar. Aria looked into his eyes and made excuses in mumbles. ¡°Thanks to that, I found a secret to increase my lifespan¡­¡± ¡°identally.¡± Aria was overly lucky. Of course, her knowledge of the future also contributed to that luck. She was lucky. At least in this lifetime. ¡®So you¡¯re going to jump into something reckless.¡¯ Still, the results are good. Lloyd knew how to stop her recklessness. Very effectively. Lloyd¡¯s eyes gleamed eerily for an instant, then hid it within his eyelids. Aria, who looked at him, puzzled for a moment, said. ¡°Can you not be angry?¡± It was a sad, shaky voice. The drooping eyebrows were expressing her upset feelings. ¡°You don¡¯t like me getting angry?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Well, I¡¯m soft. Lloyd sighed deeply. Actually, this time he wanted to be angry, but he couldn¡¯t be angry. As Aria said, there was finally hope to save her. ¡°So, how far has the secret magic progressed? I heard that the doctor has delivered a message to you.¡± ¡°Um¡­ it was.¡± There was a reason Cuirre secretly spoke to Aria, then jumped out. Knowing that Lloyd was sensitive to her problem, he passed it on to her instead. ¡®I can¡¯t even say it either¡­¡­.¡¯ Ariater decided that she would meet Cuirre separately and interrogate him. ¡°Research shows that you can definitely consume the ice flower if you use that technique.¡± Lloyd then looked visibly relieved. ¡°It¡¯s an urgent situation. Can we start right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult right now¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I know the future, but my life is very different from myst life. I¡¯m a lot healthier too. So I¡¯m not going to die right away as an adult.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want to say.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we postpone the treatment until after mying-of-age ceremony¡­¡± Lloyd looked like he didn¡¯t understand at all. Aria swallowed a sigh and added some exnation. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a little anxious. I don¡¯t know what will happen while receiving treatment¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the biggest reason, but it was also the reason why she couldn¡¯t get the treatment right now. Although Cuirre said that Lloyd had a strong yang, she would somehow be able to do it. ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll work 100 percent. It¡¯s a terrifying technique that can freeze a healthy person to death.¡¯ Then Lloyd¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°You mean that it may not be possible to guarantee your life.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡­.¡± If she doesn¡¯t continue physical contact until her body warms up, she¡¯ll freeze to death. ording to Cuirre, that¡¯s it. ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous way.¡± It¡¯s like giving her lifepletely to Lloyd. If anything goes wrong¡­¡­. ¡®Lloyd¡¯s going to have to carry the guilt for the rest of his life.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to imagine that. ¡°I¡¯ll have to find another way.¡± ¡°If possible.¡± Until the day of theing-of-age ceremony, she will try to find a way, and if there is still no way¡­¡­. ¡®To be honest¡­¡­ I guess I should.¡¯ Aria got nervous, took a gulp and nced at Lloyd. Maybe they need some mental preparation or practice in advance. If they do it all of a sudden, it¡¯ll be very nerve wracking. ¡°Lloyd.¡± With a serious look, he looked at her again. He looked like he would listen to any unreasonable request. Aria asked casually. ¡°Would you like to kiss me?¡± It was a proposal simr to the one she had unintentionally thrown one day five years ago. But she was convinced that somehow Lloyd would give a different reaction now. Chapter 179.1 Chapter 179.1 Lloyd¡¯s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then narrowed between the gaps. ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± He, who was sitting down, pulled his chair and got up. And he approached Aria without hesitation. In an instant, his face came closer. His breath touched her cheek. Lloyd reached out his hand, grabbed Aria¡¯s back and pulled her. ¡°Do you mean the same thing as back then?¡± His expression, which had softened in an instant when Aria said not to be angry, became more fierce than before. ¡°Back then?¡± Oh. ¡®Does it sound like I¡¯m making onest request before I die?¡¯ He seemed to have misunderstood that she had asked him to kiss her because Aria had given up her own life. ¡®Well, I already have a record of doing it.¡¯ She hid from him the fact that she was time-limited, and she forced herself from confessing her heart. With the current flow of conversation, it was easy to make it sound like that again. ¡®No, it¡¯s the other way around¡­¡­.¡¯ She asked because she wants to live. With Lloyd. But she didn¡¯t want to be honest yet, so she licked and chewed her lips, blushing without saying a word. ¡°I just want to¡­¡± And she mumbled. Seeing Aria¡¯s embarrassed expression, Lloyd rxed his hand little by little. Her fine hair fluttered between his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood.¡± He was rather intimidated by Aria¡¯s courageous confession. Lloyd sighed as he pressed his own forehead to her forehead lightly and then sighed away. Aria grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand that was leaving without a hesitation. ¡°Why are you leaving?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can just concede to me.¡± Aria whined and whispered in a small whisper. ¡°I¡¯ll be an adult soon¡­¡± Less than a month left now. What is so different now and then? But she could no longer speak. When she said these words herself, she began to feel out of control. ¡®I just looked very young.¡¯ Aria opened her lips and closed it repeatedly, looking up at Lloyd with a trembling gaze. ¡°Ha¡­ Listening to you, I remember more vividly the moment I almost touched you without patience after saying I would wait until you became an adult.¡± Then he mumbled his words with a sigh. Those words sounded as if he was regretting what he was about to do to the little girl. Aria shot back at him. ¡°That¡¯s right. At that time, Lloyd tempted me first!¡± ¡°Tempted?¡± As Lloyd said so, he sped her cheek softly. He kissed Aria on her forehead and slid his lips down slowly, almost touching the lips. ¡°Uht.¡± Her breathing got suffocated. Her toes were curled up, her fever was rising, and it was as if all the hairs on her body were standing up for no reason. All of a sudden, her eyes got entangled. It seemed that she would be eaten by the gray eyes of his, which was flushed with heat. Aria closed her eyes tightly without realizing it. ¡°I think this might be a temptation.¡± Lloyd slowly lifted his head away as he pressed on Aria¡¯s forehead, which continued to twitch whenever his breath touched. ¡°You¡¯re too scared.¡± ¡°No, this is my first time¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time too.¡± It¡¯s his first time, so why did he look so good? They¡¯re both inexperienced, but why does his every action feel so expert? Aria was genuinely curious. It was the same when he came out of the bathroom without even wiping his hair and brazenly asking her to dry his hair. He still doesn¡¯t blink an eye. ¡°When I was young, even just kissing gave you murderous energy. When I said embarrassing words, you even cursed and turned red ¡­.¡± ¡°Now you do.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Aria looked up at him in protest for a moment with a red face. ¡°¡­does it change when you be an adult?¡± Aria died as soon as she became an adult. And as soon as she died, she returned back to the time when she was a child. Her days as a child were more than necessary, but her days as an adult were very short. So, she wondered if she was so different from Lloyd, who has been an adult for four years. ¡°Well, at least the rabbit at theing-of-age ceremony will have the same reaction as now¡­¡± Lloyd grinned and patted her hair. ¡°Then I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Even if you die, even your soul. Swallowing the words, he passed Aria and left the room. Aria followed behind him with devastated eyes. ¡®You will keep what you said until the end.¡¯ She sighed and fell on the bed. At this point, she got arrogant. And she became even more curious. How will he react after she proudly deres that she will be with Lloyd on the day of theing-of-age ceremony? ¡°- Lloyd.¡± Aria suddenly called for Lloyd, who stood paused. While walking escorting her, he paused and stared into the banquet room, he looked unpretentiously cute. ¡°What are you spacing out about?¡± Aria poked her finger in his back with a smile in her voice. And she said as she stretched out her hand, in front of him, who was standing still, asking for his escort. ¡°Come here. Today is mying-of-age ceremony.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lloyd answered, staring down at Aria¡¯s hand. ¡°Somehow, I feel like I¡¯ve seen a scene like this before.¡± As he said so, he took Aria¡¯s hand, kissed the back of her hand and let it go. Still, he did not take his eyes off her for a moment, and looked at her with a tenacious gaze. While Aria was thinking hard about how to exin the yin-yang harmony to him. ¡®In the end, I couldn¡¯t find any other way but the freeze technique¡­¡­.¡¯ Of course, she reacted more sensitively than usual. ¡°The back of your ear is red.¡± Lloyd looked down at her curiously as he fiddled with her earlobe. ¡°This is different from back then.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± Aria couldn¡¯t stand his gaze and her face was about to burst. At the same time, voices resembling boos filled the banquet hall. ¡°How long are you going to monopolize the main character?¡± ¡°Yes, the little deer is in trouble because of the Grand Duke!¡± ¡°Descendants of Antis! May you live long!¡± ¡°Brother, I heard that you made this cake, did the employees get hit with an arrow in the head as a group?¡± ¡°¡­they weren¡¯t in the vision of God¡¯s hope that I saw.¡± Lloyd muttered grimly. It was the day of hering-of-age ceremony. *thest scene is a nod to Chapter 139~ Chapter 179.2 Chapter 179.2 Aria nced at Lloyd with a slightly reddish face, then let go of his hand and joined the crowd. Conversation with him is important for her, but she had to greet those who came to congratte hering-of-age first. ¡°Thank you all foring all the way.¡± Aria said as she grabbed the hand of the Angelo family head, who was standing in front of her. ¡°Father too.¡± There was a deep crease in Tristan¡¯s forehead, who was waiting for Aria toe running to him. ¡°Older Brothers too.¡± Next were Winter and Luther. She shook hands with the Angelo sons in turn. Vincent was watching it, figuring out how to effectively eliminate hispetitor. ¡°Here, Little Deer.¡± The Princess who appeared at Aria¡¯s invitation held a long, thin ss in her hand. ¡°What is this?¡± The golden liquid was shimmering in a more splendid shine under the light of the chandelier. ¡°Being an adult means you¡¯re old enough to drink.¡± ¡°What are you giving to a person who is not even physically well?¡± Lloyd cut in with a frown. The cooks were startled and quickly retreated with the presents. The ¡®mature gift¡¯ requested by Aria was fruit wine made with a heavenly secret that has been passed down from generation to generation in Dunham. ¡°A little bit is fine.¡± Natalie, already intoxicated, said waving her hand. ¡°Absolutely no.¡± It was then. Aria, who was looking at the ss with a twinkling gaze, licked her lips and said. ¡°Pretty.¡± In her past and present life, she had never tried alcohol. Because she had never even wanted to drink before. ¡®It is said that alcohol is what makes you drunk in the atmosphere.¡¯ She was surrounded by the people she loved, so she wanted to eat, drink, and have fun with them. ¡°Just one drink.¡± Natalie said with a smirk, and Lloyd sighed and touched his forehead. And he looked at the Princess with a gloomy gaze for a moment. The Princess shot back with a, ¡®What?¡¯ Meanwhile, Aria took a sip and swallowed the alcohol. ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± It tastes just like a normal drink? It wasn¡¯t as bad as she was told. Although her throat and stomach tingle a little the moment the drink passes her body. ¡°Right?¡± The Princess patted her hair. Aria nodded her head and took another sip of the alcohol. ¡°What is that?¡± Then she asked, pointing to the bottles the cooks were holding. They were passing the bottles to each other, but then got surprised and looked at Lloyd¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a gift for Young Madam, but I¡¯m worried that it might harm your health¡­¡± ¡°Oh, is it alcohol? But I think I¡¯ll be fine with one more drink.¡± It seemed like the cooks made it themselves. Aria was going to drink just one more drink as a token of sincerity. She wouldn¡¯t have done that if she had known it would be thest memory of hering-of-age ceremony. Aria suddenly opened her eyes to the cool feeling that brushed her cheek. In her vision was the full moon. The night was clear without a single cloud, and a brilliant feast of stars embroidered in the sky. She turned her head, pulling her gaze from the window. ¡°Are you awake?¡± It was Lloyd. When she woke up, his hand left her as she blinked her eyes. Ariater realized that this was her room. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You suddenly fell asleep.¡± ¡°¡­Really? Did I sleep?¡± Lloyd looked down at her. It was a silent affirmation. Aria doesn¡¯t know much about alcohol, but she¡¯s seen people drinking and having fun countless times. The gathering with Siren was depraved and debauched, but she had never heard of people who drank a couple of drinks and fell asleep. ¡®Was I so weak in alcohol.¡¯ Aria sighed and rubbed the corners of her eyes. Luckily, she didn¡¯t have a hangover. ¡°Did I drink and do something strange?¡± Aria thought of her biological father, who used to be violent when he drank. ¡°Aria.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If you drink again, you will be in trouble.¡± Oh, she must have done something very strange. Aria had to nod her head meekly. Lloyd had been telling her not to drink and yet this mess happened. ¡°Did I hit you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did I get drunk and hit Lloyd?¡± The question sounded rather strange. But Lloyd immediately understood the intent of her question, and held back, grinding his teeth. ¡°Come here.¡± He looped his hand on the back of Aria¡¯s head and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Lloyd?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you hit me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You became talkative, chattered, talked longer, blushed, and kept smiling¡­¡± ¡°Is that my drinking habit?¡± Doesn¡¯t it sound normal? ¡°Never drink again.¡± She doesn¡¯t know what the problem actually is, but Aria meekly nodded her head again. As Aria bowed her head and reflected on herself, Lloyd opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m d. I had something to say, but I think you¡¯re sober before the day ends.¡± ¡°Did Lloyd have something to say?¡± Lloyd too? ¡°Um¡­ Lloyd first then.¡± He went silent for a moment, then said. ¡°Today, our contract is over.¡± Shepletely forgot. As she focused only on what they had inmon, she forgot that their marriage began as a contract. ¡°Are you going to divorce me ording to the contract?¡± Aria tried to get the words out of her mind. Then the Devil Grand Duke, who had grown up, kissed her hair with reverence and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯re an adult, you have to sign an adult contract.¡± The terms of the childhood contract were unterally set by Aria, so now it was Lloyd¡¯s turn. ¡°Let me be by your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Forever, I will be by your side.¡± That¡¯s all I need. Aria blinked her eyes at Lloyd¡¯s words. He is saying what she wanted to say. His fingers pressed against her lips as his lips were clenching, waiting for her to answer. Telling her to answer her carefully. Telling her this is herst chance to choose. ¡°Even if you regret itter and run away, it will be of no use. Even if you do something far beyond the eptable range, I will never let you go.¡± Aria just smiled without saying a word. She then said, clenching his hand that touched her lips. ¡°I meant everything I said as a child. If Lloyd wanted an end, I would go to hell with you.¡± And she paused for a moment and ced her own lips on his hardened lips. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Their lips touched for a while. She thought she needed to do something more. ¡®What how¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a clumsy result for something exciting. It was unfortunate, but it was her first time, so she wondered if there was anything she could do about it. ¡®By the way, this is not the first time.¡¯ Her memories, which she had been trying to forget, shed back to her. She remembered that when trying to force a kiss, she smashed her teeth and ripped Lloyd¡¯s lips. Was it from then? Aria¡¯s body couldn¡¯t keep up with her mind at all. ¡®Kissing seemed easy when you just looked at it.¡¯ She was likely to make another mistake if she tries more. Aria was a bit red when she tried to step back. Lloyd came as close as she backed away. As the startled Aria lifted her eyelids, he whispered in a low, subdued voice. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The moment she thought that the end of his voice was split, Lloyd¡¯s head tilted like the moon that met the sun. In an instant, Aria¡¯s gaze met his lips. The red color that was painted on her lips for theing-of-age ceremony had dyed his lips. ¡°You got lipstick on you.¡± Aria unknowingly raised her hand and ran her finger across his lips. She had rubbed it hard with her hand but instead spread it out rather than wipe it off. Lloyd stared at Aria, who paused and stopped what she was doing. All of a sudden, their eyes were entangled. A hot sh of light shed over his eyes, which were twinkling in the moonlight. At the same time, he chewed her fingers. ¡°Ah¡­¡­!¡± It stung. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much, but why did she think she was going to get eaten? As her lips parted in response, he rushed over her lips. Aria tightly closed her eyes. Her head was bent and the heat rushed in, filling her with his scent in an instant. It wasn¡¯t the first time, but it was also the first time they kissed properly. It was gentle, sweet, and everything seemed to fit, but her first encounter with him was unexpectedly tenacious and rough. She was pushed back without a chance to breathe. ¡°Llo¡­yd, wait¡­¡± It was hard for her to breathe, so she pushed against his chest. At that moment, Lloyd, who had backed away, nced down at her and pressed their lips together again. His eyes, burning with heat, were blurry without focus. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any traces of reason in him at all. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m out of breath¡­¡± Lloyd continued to hit her lips hard as she struggled to catch her breath. As time passed, Aria became more and more disheveled. Tousled hair, puffy lips, flushed cheeks, hazy eyes¡­¡­. More and more, Lloyd changed his direction several times and kept blocking her breath. He gripped the back of her head as she kept retreating back and pressed her tightly to him. He relentlessly devoured her, as if he would devour everything from her. As a result, her center of gravity shifted towards the bed. The two of them slowly leaned over and eventually copsed onto the bed. ¡°Llo¡­ ugh!¡± Aria was startled as she was about to call him. It was because of his teeth touching her lips. Aside from her heart beating like it was about to explode, her back was preupied with the feeling of being swallowed by a wild beast. A chilling sensation ran through her body, and she unknowingly grabbed his robe. If she hadn¡¯t been lying in bed right now, she¡¯d definitely have copsed with no strength in her legs. ¡°Lloyd, I¡¯m having a really hard time.¡± Aria finally shed tears and dered her surrender. Lloyd had excessive stamina and Aria was regretfully weakpared to him, so it was a seen result. Lloyd gave a thirsty gaze as she clutched her chest and let out rough breathing. And he realizedter. He pushed her too hard. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my first time.¡± I went out of control. He muttered as an excuse. He thought he would be like this, so he pretended to be meek until she became an adult. ¡°Are you having a hard time?¡± Lloyd asked cautiously, stroking her eyes. He gave her both the illness and medicine. ¡°So far¡­¡± Aria sighed and looked up to see that the lipstick smeared on his lips waspletely erased. When she wiped it with her finger, it didn¡¯t look like it was going toe off. It was rather embarrassing and it was hard to make eye contact with him. ¡°I think¡­ you can just do it softly and slowly from now on¡­¡± Aria only realized after spitting those words out. She should have gotten out of the way first. Lloyd, who had locked her under his arms, put their lips together again as if he had been waiting for it. ¡®I¡¯m not saying to do it now¡­¡­.¡¯ But this time she didn¡¯t even think of pushing him away. The kiss that was soft and melted her like the sun made her just want to wrap her arms around his neck without realizing it. ¡°I told you to stop!¡± CRASH-!! ¡®What.¡¯ Natalie, who happened to pass by the Emperor¡¯s office, turned around in surprise. ¡®Here we go again.¡¯ It was the sound of the Emperor going on a rampage. Originally, he wasn¡¯t a very good-tempered person, but he wasn¡¯t like that¡­¡­. ¡®Well, he was suffering from insomnia, and he has been hearing auditory hallucinations. And recently he destroys everything he touches.¡¯ The frequency of the Emperor¡¯s violence was increasing, and Natalie was on the verge of losing her ce as the viiness. What is difficult is that the Emperor, far from being defeated, began to wield tyranny as well. Although he was still running rampage within the eptable range. She can¡¯t shake the feeling that it¡¯s like the eve of the storm. ¡°He¡¯s really going crazy.¡± Then she will be in trouble in many ways. Still, Natalie had not given up on her dream of having good health and a long life. She walked past the Emperor¡¯s office indifferently, lightly kicking her tongue. ¡®I wanted to drink more.¡¯ It was the day after she visited Valentine¡¯s estate. Natalie naturally recalled Aria that she had seen the night before. The drunkard who keeps repeating absurd words was so cute. Without realizing it, she doesn¡¯t know how many times Aria hugged her. ¡°You see, I-ah, I want Natalie be happy.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Yeshh¡­¡± ¡°Are you calling my name whatever you want?¡± ¡°Forgih me. But, I wand, Natalie happy¡­¡± She took turns telling people that. To the Valentines and Angelos. She wanted everyone to be happy. As Natalie stroked her head unknowingly, Aria tilted her head like a purring cat. Eventually, Lloyd, who couldn¡¯t bear to see it anymore, exploded and carried Aria. ¡®I wish I had stayed a little longer on Valentine. I wonder what the reaction will be the next day.¡¯ But unfortunately for her, being a Princess was not such an easy job. She was immediately forced to return using the movement magic scroll. ¡°Your Highness, could you spare a moment for me?¡± It was then. A familiar but unwee voice called out to her. Natalie looked up at Duke Battenberg with a gentle smile. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried that I haven¡¯t been able to see you at the Imperial Pce since yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Should I report to you all where I am?¡± He was wearing the same expression like a mask, but the trembling corners of his mouth were reflecting his insides. Natalie asked sternly. ¡°Just get the point.¡± ¡°Why do you want to turn Garcia into an enemy?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying something strange. Since when was Garcia not an enemy?¡± ¡°Of course, they are not allies, but Your Highness knows that we must notpletely reject them.¡± The Princess¡¯s actions toward Garcia were tant. Because she didn¡¯t even try to hide her malice towards them in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯m speaking about this because you don¡¯t seem to know, but what you are doing is an act that is close to rebellion against His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s deep will.¡± The Duke spoke to Natalie, word by word. It was like talking with a bear who couldn¡¯t understand human speech. ¡°You dare defy me¡­!¡± Natalie, as usual, was going to run on rampage again. But at that moment, Aria¡¯s words filled her head. ¡°I want Natalie to be happy.¡± I hope you are happy. Aria always said that to her from the moment she first met. She told Natalie to go the way she wanted. Because there is no such thing as a wrong path. It was a semi-impulsive act. Natalie put on a venomous look, and instead of anger, she hardened her expression coldly. Cold and cruel, expressionless. It was the expression she had originally. ¡°Is it an act that is close to a rebellion?¡± Natalie¡¯s red lips curled into an arc as if hearing something very interesting. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re going to say?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I still wake up in my sleep when I think of the nightmare during the hunting contest.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I know you sent the assassin. She wanted to say that. ¡°Even if I¡¯m a thorn in the eye, it¡¯s troubling to make a false usation like that, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who regarded me as a thorn in the eye?¡± The piercing words were so sharp that Duke Battenberg was perplexed. It was something Natalie would never normally do. He doesn¡¯t know if she could grab him by the neck and swing her fist right away. As he rolls his head in embarrassment, Natalie adds one more thing. ¡°There is something I found out by chance. Among the apprentice maids who came in after being rmended by the Battenberg family, there was one from the orphanage of St. Aquino.¡± What a surprise. She continued with an exaggerated startled expression. ¡°How did a child who had been used as a test subject by the emunicated Saint Veronica enter the Imperial Pce after being rmended by the historic Battenberg family?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a huge coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡± He must have hidden itpletely. There was no way the Princess could know any information rted to that. Never. ¡®She heard from Valentine.¡¯ Otherwise, there was absolutely no room for that information to leak out. ¡®The Princess is with Valentine.¡¯ After all, was it not a coincidence that the Princess¡¯s actions seemed to be helping Grand Duchess Valentine secretly? What¡¯s more, with that simple and stupid look, how can she hold Battenberg¡¯s weakness. It was the first time that the bear, who had only been running on rampage because of her temper, exposed her ws to him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you live quietly?¡± Natalie patted Duke Battenberg a couple of times before passing him by. Chapter 181: Illustration Chapter 181 Duke Battenberg stood there for a while, staring nkly at the Princess¡¯ back. He was guessing that Princess Natalie wouldn¡¯t be as stupid as the rumors. No, he was almost certain. ¡®But I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever reveal her true nature.¡¯ What that meant was clear. She dered war that she would no longer be silent and would not stand Battenberg¡¯s atrocities in the future. The Princess ostensibly revealed that she mighte forward to keep the Duke in check. ¡®Princess Natalie.¡¯ As of the present day, with the Emperor having no descendant, she was next in line of session to the throne. ¡®Ha, where are you trying?¡¯ The Duke snorted. He thought this day woulde someday. That is why he continued to be vignt. After predicting it in advance, he was prepared by any means possible. ¡®Sending an assassin is just one of many plots I have prepared.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know how great she¡¯s been hiding all this time, but it¡¯s already toote. ¡®Because God allowed me to be by God¡¯s side.¡¯ God will give the glory of victory to Battenberg. As always. On the day of theing-of-age ceremony, Aria¡¯s intention to reveal everything to Lloyd unfortunately ended in failure. While her first kiss with him had left her mind blown away, it had passed midnight. Ding~Dong~The bell rang announcing the hour. Aria was startled and grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand that was digging inside her dress. Her reason returned, albeit btedly. ¡°Lloyd¡­¡± She pressed her trembling hand over his, and licked her wet lips. ¡°I had something to say¡­¡± She brought those words out so Lloyd would regain his reason too. But his eyes were still clouded and without hesitation he lowered his head and buried his lips in the nape of her neck. It was hot. Every time his breath touched the nape of her neck, Aria sped her hand tightly. She wanted to just leave her whole body in the scorching heat, but she suddenly came to her senses. She closed her eyes tightly and her eyelids trembled before she raised her voice again. ¡°Lloyd, I have something to say, something to say!¡± ¡°Later.¡± He refused to the end. She doesn¡¯t know how he was able to hold it in until now. ¡®I feel like I¡¯ve been deceived.¡¯ It seemed right that Lloyd also liked Aria as the opposite sex. Perhaps it was from the beginning. Was it because Aria and her meaning are so great to him? Even when she heard that there was only her in his world, she couldn¡¯t quite understand whether it meant love or affection. ¡®I know for sure now¡­¡­.¡¯ His eyes looked so tantly lustful that her face lit up every time she looked into his eyes. They always seemed to have the same feelings for each other, but perhaps she¡¯s a fool because she¡¯s been fretting so far? ¡®Wasn¡¯t Lloyd the same?¡¯ Just as Lloyd was salvation to Aria, Aria was salvation to Lloyd. So Lloyd may have the same thoughts Aria has. Because they are the only people who are important to each other, they confuse love and family. ¡°Lloyd.¡± So it might be a littlete, but Aria felt that she had to say this. ¡°I like Lloyd.¡± Then Lloyd paused, stiffened, and he slowly pulled their lips apart. Aria smiled bashfully as she looked at his surprised face. She was only saying something normal, so why was he surprised? ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another way to express this feeling other than love.¡± That one word tied a cor around Lloyd. After he had stiffened for a while, he buried his head in Aria¡¯s shoulder as if he had suddenly lost his strength. And as he foreshadowed his future of being wielded helplessly by her, he let out a briefugh. It felt like he was bound by an invisible string. It was the first time he had ever felt this kind of feeling in his life, but it was satisfying. A sense of fullness seemed to fill the part of his heart that had been forcibly cut out by himself since his childhood. ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd scanned her parched lips with his tongue. Still, it was stillcking. He couldn¡¯t stand the thirst. He wants to possess not only her heart, but also her body and soul. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say this.¡± ¡°Tell me what you meant.¡± ¡°In this position?¡± On the bed. In the position as if she was being attacked with Lloyd on top. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Of course, it doesn¡¯t matter except the embarrassment¡­¡­. What the content afterwards was a problem. Aria opened her mouth to tell him in detail what she had heard from Cuirre. ¡°The freezing technique¡­ Well, something about strong yin and yang? What did he say¡­¡± In fact, she could not yet understand the concept of energy in the Eastern continent. It¡¯s because she¡¯s never felt it before. She couldn¡¯t ept it all right away, so she was actually lost about half way through. What about the sun and the moon, what about the sky and the earth¡­¡­. ¡°Did you understand what I said?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lloyd, who was silent for a moment, asked. ¡°Then can I do it now?¡± In fact, it was no longer a question. He started nipping at the nape of her neck and around her corbone again. Aria responded with a trembling voice as she felt his hand approaching her without hesitation. ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Even if she doesn¡¯t exin it in detail, the result is the same anyway, so perhaps it doesn¡¯t matter. When she closed her eyes, the darkness fell over her, but his warm breath flowed through her lips. Aria felt alive as she swallowed the breath. No matter how cold winter or dark night. Even with the ice flower that freezes everything. If she was with him, she would certainly not be scared or hurt. Aria suddenly woke up. ¡°Ugh¡­.¡± She looked down at her hands. As she bowed her head, water drops fell. ¡®Why am I crying?¡¯ She was startled and hurriedly wiped away the tears that were flowing uncontrobly with the back of her hand. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ It was difficult to understand the situation. Because she was crying from the moment she woke up. Aria hastily looked around her. A pure white space where the limit of the space looked indistinguishable. Aria stood alone among the petals fluttering in the air. ¡®A dream?¡¯ Thendscape can only be described as a dream. However, Aria¡¯s heart started to beat to the point that it hurts because of the anxiety. ¡®Up until now, my heart was overflowing with happiness¡­¡­.¡¯ But now, the moment Lloyd and her fell in love and touched each other felt like a dream. She stretched her hand out in the air, dazed. No matter how hard she tried, the petals missed her hand, and they flew out between her fingers as if to tease her and fluttered through the air. Aria bit her lip. ¡®¡­¡­ I have to get out of here.¡¯ She ran to escape the pure white space that shone painfully bright in her eyes. She ran and ran and ran. Because it was a dream, no matter how much she ran, her breathing did not be heavy. But along with that, she grew more and more anxious. At that moment, arge hand held her tightly with great strength. ¡°¡­ Lloyd?¡± It was Lloyd. Aria blinked her eyes with a startled look, and again the tears fell uncontrobly down her chin and dripped down her cheeks. ¡°Were you trying to run away?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You whispered in a sweet voice that you love me, and you tried to run away¡­¡± Run away?Aria just wanted to get out of this pure white space. It was when she bit her lips in surprise trying to make an excuse. ¡°Did you just lie to me?¡± Lloyd spoke faster. Aria did not know which one was the dream right now. But for some reason, she felt like she would never see him again. There was a very vivid sense of loss. Aria opened her mouth as she had something to say to him. ¡°I¡¯m not running away.¡± ¡°¡­I won¡¯t be fooled anymore, Aria.¡± Lloyd gave a twistedugh. A vivid madness that seemed to have no intention of letting it hidden, clearly appeared on his face. ¡°At the moment you are relieved that your life hase to an end and you are freed from my grasp¡­¡± Lloyd sighed and swept Aria¡¯s eyes. Pretending to wipe her tears, he sharply raised his fingernails and scratched her skin. Like giving a warning. ¡°¡­you will open your eyes in Valentine¡¯s Castle, in my room, in my bed, Aria.¡± Showing his ferocious raw inner side, he whispered softly, nailing his point. ¡°If you¡¯re going to run away to death, you¡¯d rather pray that I die.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­¡± Aria let out a gasp and got her body upright. At the same time, she was forced to lie on her back, moaning because of her twitching and aching back. What is this dream? She was in a cold sweat. Aria wiped her sweat with the back of her hand, then slowly turned her gaze. Lloyd was asleep with a calm look like a beast. While making a soft breathing sound. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Lloyd lifted his eyelids as she stared at him, unable to wake him up. It seemed that her gaze was too tenacious. ¡°You can¡¯t sleep?¡± Lloyd asked in a low voice. There was no sleepiness in his eyes. He frowned as if his eyes were too dazzled by her, stretched out his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°Sleep more.¡± You¡¯re tired. Lloyd pressed his lips like a stamp over her head, then lifted them off and whispered. ¡°Or, would you like me to put you to sleep?¡± Aria tried to nod her head unknowingly, then paused and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Lloyd must have said that at dawn too¡­¡± She still vividly remembered how Lloyd said he would put her to sleep but made it harder to fall asleep. She remembered frantically being carried away by him, drunk with pleasure. She was tired, as Lloyd said. It felt like she had been to heaven and hell countless times. ¡°That¡¯s why you fell asleep.¡± She was asleep. But rather, it¡¯s like being exhausted and fainted. Aria looked at him and made a sullen look. ¡°I slept well because of Lloyd?¡± ¡°Would you like some more?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll die¡­¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t for the strange dream, her whole body was so overworked enough to fall asleep through one day. ¡®So I just had a nightmare?¡¯ After waking up from her dream, she checked again and Lloyd was the same as usual. Sweet and kind. His emotions were always melting hot. So the person she saw in her dream felt indescribably strange. ¡®It wasn¡¯t that he got angry. He pushed me like I was someone else.¡¯ Like he was pushed to the brink, his reason doesn¡¯t exist anymore. There was no way Aria would leave his side without a word in the first ce. ¡®Nonsense dream?¡¯ It was embarrassing, so she just wanted to forget it. But it was so vivid. And to pass it on as a nonsense dream, isn¡¯t there already a time when this happened too? On the night when the gutter rat waspletely defeated. ¡®It was Lloyd¡¯s dream back then.¡¯ He once had a dream that seemed to hint at the Valentine¡¯s Incident. He could call it a dreame true. Because he didn¡¯t know the future like Aria did. ¡®Then, is this a warning to me too?¡¯ Someday in the future, Aria might run away in tears, and Lloyd might catch her and spat out those menacing words. ¡®No way.¡¯ Aria ced her own hand on Lloyd¡¯s lips as he approached to kiss her. Then he curled his eyebrows in dissatisfaction, but soon closed his eyes and kissed Aria¡¯s palm deeply. ¡®It¡¯s absurd, but if¡­¡­.¡¯ If Aria wants to leave Lloyd¡¯s side, there will be only one reason. When she decides that Lloyd will be in danger if she stays with her. ¡®If it was that amount of risk, I would have taken it.¡¯ Aria and Lloyd have already gone through countless crises. Even so, to choose to leave while ignoring Lloyd¡¯s earnest request to stay by his side¡­¡­. ¡®It¡¯s impossible unless there is some kind of crisis.¡¯ Were they facing such a crisis? A crisis worse than the Valentine¡¯s Incident or Lloyd¡¯s rampage? Aria¡¯s expression seriously hardened. Then, as Lloyd looked down at her hand, he looked puzzled, raised his hand and ced it on her forehead. ¡°I think you have a fever.¡± Aria blinked her eyes for a moment, and responded without much emotion. It¡¯s been a while, but in the beginning, she would experience frequent minor illnesses. ¡°It will be better if I rest well.¡± Aria replied indifferently, thinking to reassure Lloyd. At that moment. As the tip of her nose was tingling, she suddenly noticed that it was dripping with blood. ¡°Ah.¡± It was a nosebleed. As she gazed down puzzledly as her blood soaked the nket, her head suddenly began to spin. ¡°Llo, Lloy¡­¡± Before Aria could finish her words, her body copsed down. ¡°Singing?¡± Natalie visited the Emperor¡¯s bedroom and raised her eyebrows. Then the gatekeeper, who was at the end of her gaze, said with a flustered look. ¡°Actually, it seems that His Majesty has been looking for young and beautiful womentely¡­¡± Women? Natalie didn¡¯t care who the Emperor was ying with. But if he abandoned his affairs and listened to singing all day long, that is a different matter. ¡®Is the Emperor really ***ing crazy?¡¯ the question was welling up to the tip of her throat, but she struggled to swallow it. She was eventually given permission toe in. ¡°Your Majesty, have you¡­¡± Been well, before the words were even spoken. Natalie lost her words. It was because she had lost her gaze to a beautiful woman who was trapped in a cage. ¡®What else is that?¡¯ The Emperor¡¯s strange behavior astonished the Princess once again. The ve trade in the Fa Empire was very secretive. Even the nobles were reluctant to show off ves in such an exposed ce. ¡°I¡¯m done with greetings. By the way, Natalie.¡± ¡°Ah, well, yes.¡± The Princess answered tremblingly while still fixing her gaze on the cage. ¡°What do you think?¡± The Emperor, Conrad III, crossed his arms in appreciation, pointing to the cage and asked. What the hell was she supposed to think? ¡®Brother, are you really crazy?¡¯ Or does he want her to hide behind him and be just moderately crazy so that she can enjoy the rest of her life leisurely? Perhaps he didn¡¯t want an answer while asking that question in the first ce, he continued. ¡°They say she¡¯s a Siren. Doesn¡¯t her song exude admiration?¡± Siren. She¡¯d heard rumors that such a thing is popr these days. A heavenly race that does magic through songs or something. Contrary to the fact that the name of the tribe was clearly derived from a monster, there were even rumors that they were actually a descendant of angels. ¡°Thanks to her, my insomnia seems to be getting better little by little. I haven¡¯t heard any strange voicestely.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Natalie nodded bitterly. She didn¡¯t have the sensibility enough to enjoy arts in the first ce. But it was a really good song. As she listened to it, she was moved, she wanted to listen to it more, and she was getting more possessed. At the same time, she had a feeling that it would be really dangerous if she continued to listen. ¡°That¡¯s enough singing.¡± Natalie tly refused and brought her point. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take her to the office together?¡± ¡°What? Such a terrible thing to say. That song is for me. Only, only me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really creepy¡­ Anyway, please stop and go see the affairs. Since this meeting is attended by envoys from other countries, the aide cried and asked me to tell you that if you don¡¯t attend, the damage will be severe.¡± ¡°Ah, the meeting. Yes, I have to go.¡± Conrad III¡¯s voice seemed to be half lost in his hazy eyes. And he finally lifted his heavy butt off the bed. ¡°Ugh!¡± He fell down quickly. Then he touched his forehead, perhaps his head was throbbing. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hearing Natalie¡¯s worries, the Emperor fell into deep confusion. The moment he was about to leave Siren¡¯s side, he felt like he was waking up from a sweet medicine. The headache that haunted him returned. ¡°You will die. In endless pain.¡± ¡°You will be destroyed.¡± It felt like a terrible hallucination came by. No, it was obvious. The moment he was engulfed by the fear that grew in an instant, he started sweating and lost his breath. His whole body was trembling. The Emperor, who went white with fear, stuttered. ¡°No, no. Go away!¡± ¡°What?¡± He seemed to havee to his senses for a moment and after trembling for a moment, he spoke as if he was being chased. ¡°Natalie, my condition seems to have gotten worse, so I need you to attend as a proxy. I can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Do you think that makes sense?¡± As Natalie asked back sternly, the Emperor raised his voice abruptly. ¡°You dare to disobey me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come,e on. Siren. Your fantastic singing voice. Don¡¯t stop,e on!¡± He was really like a lunatic. He mumbled something she can¡¯t understand, and then suddenly got angry and shouted for her to leave? Natalie was eventually forced to leave the room at his will. ¡°How, how is he?¡± When she came out of the bedroom, the Emperor¡¯s aide, who hade in advance and was waiting, asked her. Marquis Montes. Montes was a family with a long history that was loyal to the Emperor from generation to generation enough to be called the dog of the imperial family. ¡°He told me to go instead.¡± ¡°Ha. What is that¡­¡­¡± After grabbing the back of his neck, he seemed to want to fall, but he didn¡¯t. Because it was his responsibility to take care of the future matters. He can¡¯t expect much from the recently insane Emperor and the long-time rumored ignorant Princess, so now the fate of the empire was in his hands. ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll be right next to you, so you can just sit down prettily.¡± Then, after a moment of thought, Natalie held out her hand. ¡°The document. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Give me all the documents that havee up for His Majesty today. I will decide everything.¡± The affairs that the Emperor abandoned. She was willing to look into it instead. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Her body had no strength. It felt like she was losing her mind. ¡®Why?¡¯ It was the first thing that Aria thought of. She wasn¡¯t that bad as before to suddenly copse, almost like dying. Not yet. ¡®Maybe already¡­¡­.¡¯ Has her death advanced? It was frustrating. Because she thought at least there was half a year left. ¡®But that was just my wish.¡¯ in fact¡­¡­ She had a foreboding for a long time that she might copse and die without notice, even though she looked fine on the outside. The confusion onlysted for a moment. She soon gave up. She now felt sorry for Lloyd, who would bear all the burdens if she copsed. ¡°¡­Aria, Aria!¡± As Lloyd rushed to hold her, Aria recognized her surroundings btedly. She slowly blinked her shaky eyes. Damn it, he swore while he held her and moved quickly. It was the same when he met the doctor. His words seemed to snap off. He couldn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying himself. ¡°There were no signs. Obviously, she had her check-up a few days ago, she was the same as usual¡­¡± It seemed that the doctor did not know how this happened either. ¡°¡­Is it because of Valentine¡¯s malice?¡± Lloyd, who looked rather grim, spoke first. It was called a curse, and even though it was the malice that originated from God, no one questioned it. He thought she would be fine. Everyone thought she would be fine. Because it was none other than Aria who purified Valentine¡¯s curse. As God¡¯s feeling passed through the Siren¡¯s blood from generation to generation, he thought it would not hurt her. But maybe that was just his thoughts. ¡°Your Grace¡­¡­.¡± Cuirre¡¯s words trailed off and he looked confused for a moment, then he shook his head for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s not because of that. The symptoms that Madam showed me before aren¡¯t showing up at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°For now, I can only see that her body has reached its limit due to the toxins that have umted in her body.¡± The doctor seemed to be unsure of something, but he made a diagnosis like that for now. Lloyd didn¡¯t answer. But he could feel Aria in his arms. He knew that she had just given up on the extreme thoughts she had in her mind. The gloomy energy pooled in her and made her whole body be numb. Rather than embracing an open murderous energy, it was more of a destructive energy. ¡®I don¡¯t know exactly what you were thinking.¡¯ He knew it because he had been with her for a long time. And, it just broke his heart that she thought like that. ¡°It would be better to return to the Attis region as soon as possible.¡± Cure quickly made a decision. Even if she wasn¡¯t under the influence of malice, he was certain that her condition was unusual. ¡°Have you heard of the side effects from Young Madam? So, in the Eastern continent¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I understood it well either. Please borate on the point.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± What does he mean by borate? A long silence surrounded them. ¡°That, I mean, that¡­¡± While the doctor was sweating, Aria slowly felt that she was at her limit. ¡®Now I have no choice but to leave it to the sky.¡¯ Fortunately, Aria¡¯sing-of-age ceremony is in winter. Ice flowers only bloom in winter. Although it¡¯s still early winter. ¡®Please, I wish the snowy mountains were in full bloom¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria closed her eyes as she felt her consciousness gradually blur. ¡°I told the shaman to learn how to use the Freeze technique immediately at any time.¡± As Valentine¡¯s doctor had done the work ahead of time, the work progressed quickly. As Cuirre exined, Carlin headed straight for the Gona Mountains of Attis with the two of them. ¡°Keep this with you.¡± He handed over the movement scroll to Lloyd, which has now be an almost necessity of life. As they headed towards the center of the mountain range, the extreme cold of the north came. At the center was a cave. ¡°Legends and all, there must have been a reason why no one has set foot here for so many years.¡± Carlin muttered, his head spun unknowingly. He spent years just finding this cave. ¡®The unknown energy surrounding the cave continued to hinder the search.¡¯ The ice flower that freezes everything around it. It was no ordinary ce where such ice flowers grew. ¡®I heard from Young Madam that there is an unusual energy in the Attis region, but¡­¡­.¡¯ It was not enough with just a cold protection spell, so he covered his body with fire magic, but there was no way to stop his body from trembling from the cold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t seem to get in anymore.¡± Even if he is a genius shaman himself, it will be possible if he goes beyond the limits of human beings. As he thought so, Lloyd answered. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± As expected by Carlin, the Grand Duke, Lloyd was fine. Even though Carlin was barely able to stand with his magic, it was freezing cold. If he had been an ordinary human, he would already freeze to death. Lloyd added, handing over Aria that he was holding in his arms. ¡°Protect her well.¡± He was ready to kill Cuirre if Aria felt any difort. ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± At that moment. Aria, who had lost her consciousness for a moment, murmured, her eyelids trembling. She gripped Lloyd¡¯s coat tightly. ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd quickly cupped Aria¡¯s cheek. At the tip of her nose, he breathed a small sigh, and then took her back into his arms, warm by his heat. ¡°If you get out of the cave anyway, the flower will melt.¡± ¡°There is no definitive information.¡± ¡°It¡¯s highly likely that¡¯s why it¡¯s been staying here all this time.¡± Lloyd, who was trying to make sure the inside was safe first, gave up quickly. In fact, he didn¡¯t even have time to do that anymore. Because this was already an emergency. Lloyd immediately ordered Carlin. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll engrave the magic right now.¡± Heid out the items necessary for the magic on the floor, took out his brush, and quickly drew bright red characters on Aria¡¯s wrist. It was because it will be the most effective when engraved on the spot. ¡°Is it alright if I just engrave the text?¡± Lloyd, who watched it, narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously. ¡°If you read the book and follow it, anyone can try it. Of course, there are very few who can withstand this technique.¡± Above all, in order to see the effect of the Freeze technique, two conditions follow. First, they need to know how to manage their energy. From Carlin¡¯s point of view, the energy of the Eastern continent was very simr to qi. Of course, digging into the details, it¡¯spletely different. The shaman concluded that at least the source was the same. ¡°After you consume the ice flower, you have to continue to channel the energy throughout your body. As you know, the moment the flow stops, you will stop breathing.¡± And the second time she used energy, she had to endure the extreme yin and cold that rapidly umted in her body. Without Lloyd by her side, it was a method they would not have even tried. ¡°If you don¡¯t use energy, nothing will happen. But it starts the moment you use it. Once you start, you have to hold on to the end.¡± No matter what happens. Carlin repeated it several times and insisted firmly. ¡°Then, I hope you¡¯re safe.¡± Carlin was afraid that it might get in the way, so he canceled all theyers of cold protection spells that he had hung on her. Aria curled up in the cold for a moment, but that was all. It wasn¡¯t so painful that she couldn¡¯t even try to enter the cave. ¡°You¡¯re really going in.¡± Carlin muttered as he looked at the backs of the two people who had disappeared into the cave unharmed. ¡®As expected, though.¡¯ Aria was just as unusual as Lloyd. Therefore, she must give hope to countless people, including Valentine. ¡®How should I say this, I wonder if the ice flower is God¡¯s arrangement for the two of you¡­¡­.¡¯ Carlin stiffened for a moment. There was something he had been insisting on for a long time. The theory that if one were to try to change the future, only newws will be applied, and in the end, the world will inevitably return the same. The theory that each person has their own destiny and cannot go against rules and providence. But Aria shattered his theory. All fate was reversed and twisted. ¡®I wonder if the world is leading the Young Madam to make such a choice¡­¡­.¡¯ No, no. It was an absurd idea. He shook his head tormented by the endless stretch of thought. And he waited for Aria and Lloyd toe out. The silver-haired knight barely lifted his feet from therge magic circle engraved with blood on the floor. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± The blonde woman raised her head in a low murmur of gloom. As she chanted the incantations, she said with her golden eyes dazzling. ¡°Of course.¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 One day five years ago, Gabriel realized. When Aria first reached out to him it was out of necessity. ¡®The Grand Princess never once gave me a heart.¡¯ She never even hinted. She rarely ever was serious. It was only when he left her side and reached a ce he couldn¡¯t reach her, that he could see it. It wasn¡¯t that she did wrong. Because she was kind, she just showed a little kindness. Just like towards everyone else. He was the one in the wrong. ¡®I am dragged around with a leash like a fool because of one kind word, one light smile.¡¯ Ariadne Valentine. A person cold and noble as snow. A person who will never look back no matter what he says, even though she smiles with her face. She didn¡¯t care about anything except Valentine¡¯s well-being. Even her own life. How could that be? ¡®Can¡¯t that be me?¡¯ For the first time in his life, he did not know what to do with the intense emotions in his heart. He thought countless times. He resented it. He also regretted it. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t think of any way to change his mind. Shall I get down like a dog and beg? Shall I give her my life? Shall I sacrifice my soul? ¡®What the hell do I have to do so she¡¯ll allow me to be by her side?¡¯ It was hard for him to admit that he wasn¡¯t supposed to do anything. Was it because he was so insignificant that she didn¡¯t even look at her for a moment? Day after day, when his throat was dried up by the unknown thirst, he was summoned to Garcia. ¡°Everyone said they praised you. Even themander of the Holy Knights said you had a great skill, so I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it.¡± An audience alone with the Pope. It was something he had never dreamed of. But when the dreamlike opportunity came, Gabriel didn¡¯t feel any excitement. ¡®In the past, I would have sworn allegiance and my eyes would be bright with curiosity, saying that I would make a better world¡­¡­.¡¯ He just bowed his head without saying a word. He felt like his emotions were broken these days. ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± But even so, Gabriel did not deny this opportunity that would nevere again. He thought he should never let it go. To dedicate his lifelong allegiance. He realized that he was too insignificant to be taken advantage of by Aria. When Gabriel decided to work for the Pope, Veronica appeared in front of him. ¡°Have you been wondering where I¡¯ve been all this time?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Uhng, I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± When he met Veronica again, she had golden eyes as bright as Gabriel. ¡®Symbol of divine power.¡¯ What are those eyes? How is she still alive? Why was she wandering around the Papal Pce without being executed? It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t curious, but he didn¡¯t want to ask. But even though he didn¡¯t ask, she began to babble. ¡°I was indebted to Duke Battenberg. Do you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He is a high-ranking nobleman of Fa. He said he wants to be a people of the new world that the Holy Father will open up. He is a cute new servant of His Holiness.¡± The fact that Veronica is alive and well here now means that it is the Pope¡¯s will. Gabriel didn¡¯t reply. It was because the moment he answered, it seemed like she was going to bite and stick to him endlessly. ¡°I¡¯vee up with a proposition, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± She spoke calmly to Gabriel, who was about to turn his back and leave. ¡°Valentine¡¯s Grand Princess¡­ No, is she the Grand Duchess now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a story that has a very deep connection with her, do you want to hear it?¡± Veronica knew she was always capable of digging into the weakest part of a person. Then Gabriel stared at her with a murderous gaze. ¡°If you do as I say, you will get her body and heart. Completely, all yours.¡± Would you like to hear it? As she asked, this time he couldn¡¯t turn his back. But he soon rejected her sweet words and spoke coldly. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see you today. Never touch her.¡± Veronica smiled as if she knew that. He thought that her unusually dazzling eyes were tinged with a strange light. It was from then. Gabriel realized that his memories were beginning to fade. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suffering from an excruciating headache, he suddenly came to his senses. He stood in a ce he had never set foot in. He thought it was because of stress. Of having rolled like a dog for thest five years. Being willing to do anything if it was an order. Anything¡­¡­. Whenever Gabriel hesitated, the Pope said. ¡°All this for the eternal glory of the Holy Empire and the Kingdom of God.¡± Then, he heard a strange hallucination. ¡°All of this is for Aria.¡± ¡ªlike that Gabriel felt like something was falling apart inside him. His mind was all messed up. To be precise, from the moment he met Veronica again. ¡®My head hurts.¡¯ He wanted to befortable. As his headache grew so severe that even rational judgment became impossible, he recalled what Veronica had said. ¡°If you do as I say, you will get her body and heart. Completely, all yours.¡± He eventually went to Veronica. ¡°I was waiting, Sir Knight.¡± Her golden eyes curled finely, as if she had expected everything. ¡®All of this is for Aria.¡¯ Come to think of it, that was correct. All he does now is so that she could take one nce at him and look at her. So Aria will understand. ¡®It¡¯s okay if she doesn¡¯t understand.¡¯ Aria will be by my side anyway. Veronica pulled the mirror out of her arms. She then stood with her back to the magic circle engraved red in blood, and she looked into the mirror. Instead of Veronica, the mirror reflected a couple of man and woman. Arge adult male and a rtively small adult female. ¡°The curse seems to have been properly applied.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t walk to death. It only made the disease slightly worse.¡± Gabriel said after closing his eyes tightly in a moment of pain. ¡°Keep your promise. If she ever gets hurt, my sword will be at you first.¡± ¡°Did I not expect that?¡± Veronica didn¡¯t blink an eye at his threat. This time, she really wanted to keep her promise. At least while she¡¯s alive. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t look at me like that. Me or Sir knight. Do you think it will be different?¡± Veronica looked at him for a moment with sympathy, then said. ¡°You¡¯re the biggest contributor to this.¡± A woman who willingly uses the lives and human rights of children for profit. Gabriel joined her tactics, even though he knew this wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work out as I say.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t fully believe what you¡¯re saying.¡± Gabriel clenched his teeth for a moment and averted her gaze, then he spoke. ¡°If Miss Aria¡¯s surroundings are threatened, she ovees the crisis with her power, and the more that happens, the stronger Garcia¡¯s power is¡­.¡± Conceptually, it was iprehensible. It was Gabriel himself who was willing to be swayed by those words, though. ¡®Why the hell am I saying that¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡°Ugh!¡± That was then. He suddenly groaned in pain and touched his forehead. In recent years, a terrible headache came and gued him constantly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t think too deeply. You¡¯re suffering from a severe headache.¡± Poor thing. Veronica whispered pitifully, leading Gabriel, who was staggering, towards the chair. And whispered in his ear, who was barely sitting on the chair. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Look at my eyes.¡± Veronica lifted the chin of the knight that was frowning in a cold sweat. And she said, pointing to the splendid gleaming golden eyes that seemed to contain the light of the sun. ¡°Do you think this just happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ obviously, because you absorbed the divine power of another person¡­¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, you once poured divine power directly on the Grand Duchess.¡± She continued with a condescending smile. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t think of it that way, but to my surprise, it just happened naturally.¡± One day, Veronica suddenly received an overflowing divine power. For no reason. Like a sudden blessing from God. Why was it? After much deliberation, she came to a conclusion. ¡°It was God¡¯s will for me to go.¡± No matter how much Aria tries to block her way, she wille back stronger. ¡°God opened the way for me to win.¡± As soon as she realized that, Veronica was willing and able to fulfill her own ambitions, supported by God¡¯s expectations. ¡°The curse that we put on has obviously weakened her body rapidly. But look at this.¡± She looked at the man and woman in the mirror. The scene where Lloyd puts an ice flower on Aria¡¯s lips. ¡°Let¡¯s see. After the Grand Duchess heals, we will have more power.¡± That will prove it. She added that, and smiled brightly. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Lloyd stared into space for a moment with a displeased look. He held Aria tightly in one arm, and waved his hand to squeeze something. Like catching bugs. And he spread his bare hands with a more puzzled look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Aria, feeling suspicious, carefully observed where he was looking. ¡°What is that¡­ is it a ghost?¡± ¡°Ghost? Can you see the shape?¡± Lloyd asked in surprise. She replied, blinking her half-closed eyes, dazed by the heat. ¡°I can¡¯t see it well, but there¡¯s something moving like smoke. It¡¯s a bad feeling.¡± Like smoke¡­¡­. Lloyd narrowed his eyes as he muttered back Aria¡¯s words. He only felt the energy, but somehow it seemed to follow Aria. ¡®From Valentine¡¯s Castle.¡¯ From when Aria¡¯s condition deteriorated rapidly without knowing exactly why. He thought he knew what Aria was talking about, this bad feeling. ¡®Like being observed.¡¯ It¡¯s not outright malicious intent chasing her for life or death, but it feels like she¡¯s being observed, like a test subject in aboratory. Rather, it was more annoying. He was lost in thought for a moment, then reached out to Aria, who seemed unable to even keep her eyes open. And he said, covering her hot eyes with his hand. ¡°Rest.¡± Inside the cave, there were not evenmon traps. There was no figure standing guard. Even though it was a ce where a miraculous herb that can detoxify all toxins grows. The reason was obvious. ¡®It¡¯s probably because there hasn¡¯t been anyone who can set traps yet.¡¯ In the legend of the ice flower, it seems that there is a person who protects the flower. Without hesitation, Lloyd headed to the location he had seen earlier. Thorn vines were so tightly packed that it appeared to block the passage. And the ice flower that bloomed in the gap. ¡®The flowers are blooming.¡¯ Lloyd was relieved in his heart. Even though it was still early winter, the ice flowers were in full bloom. He carefully ced Aria on hisp and plucked the flowers. ¡°Put on a glove and touch it!¡± Surprised as Aria let out a gasping breath, he tried to examine his hand. Actually, she would have to eat the flowers herself, but what¡¯s the big deal about touching them briefly with his hand? Lloyd, unlike usual, lightly ignored her, and he brought the flower to her lips. Aria looked at the flower pushed in front of her dissatisfied, but she chewed on it because she couldn¡¯t distinguish anything. ¡°Lloyd is reckless with your own body¡­¡± After she managed to swallow the flower, she pursed her lips in an arguing way. But Lloyd asked about her condition first. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ah. Aria also knew the importance of this moment, so she would have to postpone her questioning untilter. She pondered Lloyd¡¯s question for a moment, then she answered puzzledly. ¡°Hmm, it seems like nothing big is happening?¡± She doesn¡¯t know if it hasn¡¯t worked out yet. There was no change in her body except for a slight shiver from the chill. At that, Lloyd checked his hand, which was fine. ¡®I didn¡¯t even get frostbite.¡¯ It was a different result from the reputation of the ice flower that would freeze everything it touched. He thought it was because his body that epted God¡¯s malice was exceptionally strong, but that¡¯s not the case, if it had no effect in the first ce¡­¡­. ¡°Then it¡¯s not the ice flower?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be. It definitely looks the same as the ice flowers we¡¯ve been researching in this town.¡± Blue petals resembling roses, stems extending endlessly from inside the cave like vines, and leaves blooming profusely as if reminiscent of trees in the forest. ¡°¡­¡­wait.¡± It was still the beginning of the cave. Lloyd broke off another ice flower and held it in his hand. It would have been normal if his hands were frozen and damaged to the point of being unusable, but he was still fine. He said, crushing the flower petals in his hand. ¡°This is not the ice flower.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡­.¡± Aria didn¡¯t study alone. The talents of Valentine and Angelo, including Vincent and Winter, were willing to step out and join them. In the process, they found ample evidence that the ice flower was not just a legend. They found a phrase in an old document that seemed to imply where ice flowers were found. ¡°Obviously this cave is correct.¡± Aria spoke confidently. Lloyd didn¡¯t disagree with her. ¡°Yes. It doesn¡¯t change that the ice flowers are here. It¡¯s just that there are real flowers.¡± ¡°Real flowers¡­¡± Aria looked up at the vine with a stunned gaze for a moment. Countless blue roses that looked like ice flowers were in full bloom. ¡°Then, everything here must be fake.¡± Somehow, it was too easy. In the first ce, the legendary herb could easily be obtained. After staring at the thorns for a moment, Lloyd drew the sword from his waistband. Then, with one hand holding Aria in his arms, he began deftly removing the vines with his other hand. Aria asked shyly. ¡°Lloyd, have you ever trimmed a tree or something?¡± ¡°Do you think I have?¡± No, it doesn¡¯t seem like it. But how skillfully the cutting was done, not a single stem with sharp thorns stuck out towards Aria. Even though the vines are thick and lush like trees in the forest. Thanks to this, they were able to enter deeper ces very easily. ¡°The cave is quite deep.¡± Lloyd murmured softly. As he said, it looked deeper than she had vaguely expected from the outside. ¡®It goes on endlessly.¡¯ Aria stared up at the wall of the cave. The vines no longer blocked the passage, but continued endlessly inward along the walls. Like guiding them. ¡°Ah!¡± Then. Aria was suddenly startled and she touched her forehead. ¡°I just remembered¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She continued her words in a cold sweat from the sudden rush of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°I must have seen it somewhere here.¡± If they go on like this, surely¡­¡­. Before Aria could finish her words, thanks to Lloyd¡¯s quick steps, they had reached the end of the cave before she knew it. ¡°¡­there was a door.¡± And there was a big door there. ¡°Where did you see it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think it was a dream¡­¡± Aria muttered. A door. There were signs of human touch. As expected, it was not just a naturally formed cave. ¡°Hmm.¡± Lloyd, who had been tapping lightly with his fist on the door of the cave for a moment, put Aria down for a moment. ¡°Wait, Lloyd. You¡¯re not trying to do what I¡¯m thinking, are you?¡± Lloyd, who had raised his fist toward the door, gently put it down again. And he went silent for a moment. Then, with his back turned, he replied nonchntly. ¡°No.¡± No? What, no? He was going to break the stone gate with force. ¡°This is a ce where you can feel God¡¯s power.¡± As Aria said that, she examined the patterns densely engraved on the stone gate. Of course, she knew it would be engraved with characters she couldn¡¯t read. But¡­¡­. ¡®I can read it.¡¯ Aria finally realized why she felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when she had seen it for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s Juan¡¯s memory.¡± The memory of the ¡®first Siren¡¯ she had forgotten because she hadn¡¯t used it for a while. The information that remained in Juan¡¯s memory quickly entered Aria¡¯s head. ¡®This is thenguage of Antis.¡¯ An ancient text that is now extinct. Previously, even Vincent was barely able to interpret the text, but now she was able to read it on the spot through Juan¡¯s memory. Aria fumbled her hand on the stone gate, and she read the ancient Antian script. ¡°I will give all my heart to the children who have awakened happiness in me. When the dayes when the bnce of the world is at stake, wake me from sleep.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It says so.¡± Lloyd listened to her, and she muttered after a moment lost in thoughts. ¡°Isn¡¯t God the only being in this world who can talk about the bnce of the world?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± It was like a word spoken by God to the people of ancient Antis. However, it was not the ambiguous and rigid way of speaking that was conveyed in an indirect manner like oracles heard in a temple. It felt like a letter of love from God to those who are really dear. ¡®Come to think of it, even the children of Antis used to call God Shadra, like a friend¡¯s name.¡¯ Aria read the other characters inscribed just below God¡¯s words. [Prove yourst conscience.] Chapter 186 Chapter 186 ¡®Last conscience.¡¯ The text looked separate from God¡¯s affectionate letter. Aria traced the scrawled words with her fingertips. At the same time, Juan¡¯s memory leaked into her head as if it was unfolding in front of her eyes. ¡®This letter was engraved by Juan.¡¯ She saw him clumsily banging on the door with a hammer and a nail. ¡®Prove your conscience?¡¯ Juan said that conscience is the only medium connecting good and evil. And he swallowed the conscience among the pieces of God¡¯s feelings and became a Siren. ¡®If it¡¯s thest conscience¡­¡­.¡¯ Could it be that it was referring to Ariadne herself? ¡®Then did he know I wasing here?¡¯ Even if she thinks it can¡¯t be. Aria slowly moved her lips in front of the stone gate. Ah- aaahhh- Then she started a meaningless humming with no lyrics. But that alone would be enough to prove that she was a Siren. Then, the stone gate, which did not move even when pushed, began to shake greatly in anticipation. Rumble, rumble, rumble, boom. Eventually, the stone gate opened. It was different from the entrance where there seemed to be some hidden treasure. The space inside the door waspletely dark, and a cold air leaked out. Lloyd hugged Aria tighter as she curled up and trembled. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± She stared up at him. Was the doctor right when he said Lloyd was overflowing with energy? In his arms, she was able to endure the terrible cold to some extent. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± She was startled as Lloyd moved on with a stride as unhindered as he had been. But suddenly quickly backed away. As soon as he stepped his foot, the bottom of his feet almost reached an endless cliff. He almost fell right down. It was pitch ck and he couldn¡¯t see right in front of him, so it was toote to notice. ¡°Gasp, is the cliff still connected to the end?¡± Aria muttered in a voice full of absurdity. ¡°At least to the naked eye it looks that way.¡± Lloyd was equally surprised. Surely, at the entrance it felt like they were opening the way for the Siren. ¡°It¡¯s probably a trap¡­:¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Aria muttered as she recalled Juan leaving a message to thest remaining siren. And she was sure of it. ¡°I see a faint light on the other side.¡± She couldn¡¯t see it well because it was so far away, but a light was definitely there. ¡°There¡¯s something. I think we should go over there.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Looking down at the open floor. They had to go to the other side of the cliff, but there was not even a bridge here. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Hmm, in the current situation, the only answer is to call Carlin.¡± To have made it this far and go outside ande back with Carlin? They¡¯ll waste a few more hours. ¡®My condition is not very good to endure that.¡¯ Lloyd knew that too, so he hesitated without being able to act immediately. ¡®No, because there should definitely be a way to get there, Juan wrote those words.¡¯ She thinks so, and it was when she was searching her memory. Aria suddenly lifted her head and looked back at the thorny vines that lined the walls. ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ Aria took a deep breath. And then, without warning, she began to sing the Song of Life. ¡°Tender and beautiful fronds of my beloved ne tree,¡± ¡°Aria!¡± ¡°Let Fate smile upon you.¡± She persevered and sang despite Lloyd¡¯s loud warning. Then the thorn vines heard her song, and began to move. The vines intertwined with each other and in an instant created a bridge to cross to the other side. ¡°Ari¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cross.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd sighed and rubbed his forehead. As she sang when she was supposed to conserve her energy, of course, Aria¡¯s condition would rapidly deteriorate. He groaned and clenched his teeth as he crossed the bridge. In an incredible momentum. ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Lloyd is angry. She¡¯ll get in a lot of troubleter. Aria blinked her flickering eyes. Just when she thought it was hard to keep her consciousness because she was getting out of breath. Lloyd suddenly drew his sword from his waist, spewing murderous energy. ¡®Gasp.¡¯ Wh, what? Aria stiffened her body. ¡°Are you that angry?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lloyd found it absurd. Had he been angry with Aria and wanted to punish her, he would have kissed her tenaciously, rather than drew his sword. Until she cried and clung to him to stop. ¡°Again, hold on tight.¡± Aria finally heard the ¡®sound¡¯. The sound of something crunching and quickly climbing up the wall. Lloyd swung his sword in the direction of the sound. Then, the cluster of lights on the de flew along the trajectory and collided with it. BOOM-BANG-!! His sword aura shed with a pitch-ck object, split it in half, and then shattered the cliff. A chunk of rock fell off the cliff and rolled down the bottomless end. At the same time, the vine bridge swayed precariously from side to side as if it was about to break. ¡°Kyaak!¡± Aria screamed and she tightened her arms around his neck. Even in the midst of this confusion, Lloyd held her in his arms and kept her bnced. ¡°What? Why is it attacking us?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Lloyd frowned for a moment, seemingly lost in thoughts, then he swung his sword again and continued his words. ¡°It¡¯s a very dirty and unpleasant feeling.¡± ¡®Dirty and unpleasant¡­¡­.¡¯ Is this a beast¡¯s intuition? He caught and killed the attackers before they even showed themselves. Thanks to that, even Aria couldn¡¯t figure out what he was killing. ¡®Actually, there¡¯s no need to see with my own two eyes when the creature climbing up a cliff makes such a strange sound.¡¯ If possible, she didn¡¯t want to confirm forever. Because it feels like a nightmare. Still, why does she feel like she needs to check it out? ¡®Is this Juan¡¯s memory?¡¯ She pressed her hand over her throbbing heart. In the meantime, they came to a cliff on the other side that seemed to never end. And, Aria saw it. ¡°¡­¡­what¡¯s this?¡± There was an enormous scale of thorny vines covering the cave. That too, wriggling like tentacles, was quite dirty and unpleasant. If an ordinary person saw this ce, they would shout, ¡®Monster!¡¯ and run away. ¡®Could it be that all the thorny vines surrounding the cave came from here?¡¯ Aria desperately grasped Lloyd¡¯s hand as he raised his sword to cut the vine as he had always done. ¡°Wait, wait a minute. Wait a minute, Lloyd.¡± She felt weird. ¡®I feel sick to my stomach.¡¯ Aria, not knowing why, felt like she was going to cry, and she twisted her eyes. Her hands were weak and trembling, but Lloyd stopped like a loyal dog and waited for her next words. ¡®Oh, what am I thinking¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria soon regained her mind. ¡°Khmm.¡± After trying to control her emotions and clearing her throat, she said. ¡°If the vines that make ice flowers started from here, isn¡¯t this something like a root?¡± A root is the source of life. If so, there was a very high probability that there were real ice flowers here. ¡°You have to eat the flower that blooms on such a nasty thing?¡± Lloyd looked very reluctant. Like he didn¡¯t want to know that the legendary flower they were looking for was the flower of a tentacle monster. Although Aria must agree with him. ¡®I feel strangely nostalgic.¡¯ Very much. ¡°I¡¯m sure there was a light here¡­¡± Said Lloyd, who had been searching around the thorny clump. ¡°It must be this flower.¡± The flower he pointed to was blooming alone. It had a twilight blue color, but it did not sparkle brilliantly. Aria looked down at the flower that barely held its precarious light, then slowly raised her head. She studied the vines carefully and said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this look like a human face?¡± ¡°Where are you looking?¡± ¡°If you look at the form again, head, neck, shoulders, chest, waist, pelvis, legs¡­¡± Aria said something nonsensical, then looked up at the ¡®face¡¯ of the vine again. A blue ice flower blooming under the eyes. ¡°It¡¯s like tears¡­¡± Aria recalled the phrase engraved on the stone gate. I will give all my heart to the children who have awakened happiness in me. When the dayes when the bnce of the world is at stake, wake me from sleep. Wake me from sleep. Don¡¯t say this is¡­¡­. ¡°Shadra?¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 No way, it can¡¯t be. ¡°God looks like this¡­¡± There¡¯s no way. Even if God lost all feelings, God would not have be this miserable. It is God, after all. Even while repeating that, Aria realized. Because there was a ck hole pierced in what was supposed to be God¡¯s heart. ¡®As if someone had cut out the heart.¡¯ Aria tried again to recall the scene Juan¡¯s memory had shown her. God who lost his emotions also lost his reason. God, who couldn¡¯t feel anything. God, who could no longer even love the creatures. And¡­¡­. Aria licked her dry, white lips. ¡°In the end, God even forgot his own existence. Is that why God became like this?¡± The God, who once resented death. But she knows now. After God became what the world would call a monster, he slept in a cave. Aria didn¡¯t know what kind of expression she was supposed to make. ¡°Is this God?¡± Lloyd also muttered in disbelief. He was born with the karma of having to bear God¡¯s malice from generation to generation due to the sinsmitted by Valentine¡¯s ancestors. From the moment he was born to the day he died. He was destined to live in pain for the rest of his life. However, the God who brought such fate was right in front of his eyes. ¡®That¡¯s the way it is.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but be upset. Silence fell between the two of them. They couldn¡¯t evene up with anything to say. The two of them stood still for a while, looking up at the thorny-vines of the once-God. At that time. Aria suddenly lowered her head and let out a painful moan. ¡°Haah¡­¡± She has been enduring until she finds the ice flower, and eventually reaches her limit. In fact, her body was almost fainting. Realizing that this was not the time, Lloyd picked the ice flower without hesitation. ¡®We found it right this time.¡¯ As soon as his fingers touched it, his skin began to freeze in the blink of an eye, like it had been frostbitten. If he holds it any longer, it would be fast enough that he might have to amputate his fingers. ¡®Can Aria just eat this right away?¡¯ At the same time, he was worried when he felt the chill. If Aria chews and swallows this flower, he was wondering if her mouth and esophagus will be severely injured in the process. He made a quick decision and brought the flower to his mouth without hesitation. Lloyd rolled the flower on his tongue for a moment. ¡®It doesn¡¯t melt.¡¯ It would be natural. It was so hard that he couldn¡¯t even chew it with his teeth, so she had no choice but to swallow it whole. He lowered his head over Aria¡¯s lips, who was surprised by his sudden action. Then he handed her the flower and kissed her tenaciously. Without giving her the slightest gap to swallow. He said quickly. ¡°Use the energy. Right now.¡± She quickly spread her energy all over her body before her entire body froze. Then, from the tip of the letter Carlin had engraved on her wrist, a white light shimmered, and it came up on her wrist in an instant. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Aria broke out in a cold sweat from the cold air that spread through her. The extreme cold, which she had never felt before in her life, came upon her. Not only her internal organs, but even her heart froze, so a cold fear engulfed her whole body. ¡°Uht¡­.ugh!¡± Aria groaned and reached out her hand desperately for Lloyd. Like he was her lifesaver. She curled up, groaning in pain, then suddenly coughed up blood among her cries. ¡°Cough! Kuhk¡­¡± ¡°Aria!¡± Lloyd said hastily, holding Aria¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Aria, do you recognize me?¡± She nodded her head with difficulty. Lloyd held Aria in his arms and whispered in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb your breathing. Never lose your mind.¡± With an even more painful face. Fearing that she could not bear the pain and fainted, he continued whispering and pping her cheek lightly. Aria squeezed Lloyd¡¯s back tight until her fingernails left marks, then tears dripped. It froze and seemed like it was about to break into pieces. ¡®¡­¡­ I have to keep managing the energy so that the flow doesn¡¯t break.¡¯ She desperately held out. She had to constantly circte energy so that she wouldn¡¯t be frozen by the extreme cold. But she instinctively felt that even if she endured like that, it was not enough. It wasn¡¯t because the yin energy itself disappeared from her body. There was only one way. As the doctor warned them beforehand. ¡®If you don¡¯t ept yang energy into your body, you¡¯ll die¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria closed her eyes, her eyshes quivering before she let go of his hand. And she cupped his cheek. Her icy hand ran down his cheek and she brushed the nape of his neck as if it was hers and wrapped it around. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± She thought she was going to get burned. With her half-open eyes, Lloyd¡¯s eyshes trembled, unlike Aria who was muttering so. The coldness that touched his back seemed to set his nerves on edge. ¡°Aria.¡± As Lloyd hurriedly put her name in his mouth, she pulled Lloyd by the neck. Before she even thought about it, her survival instinct forced her to hug Lloyd and kiss him. It tasted like blood. The extreme negative that freezes everything and the pr positive that burns everything meet and intertwine. Lloyd held her and swallowed everything in her, then suddenly put his gaze behind her. The unpleasant aura was hovering behind her back. ¡®It¡¯s still following her.¡¯ Lloyd gave Aria his heat and red at it with a murderous gaze. He stretched out his hand at once. And he grabbed the aura. Like crushing it in his hand. Then, an unknown energy emitted an unearthly sound and illuminated the form at first nce. ¡®A pattern?¡¯ Lloyd memorized the pattern that shed and then disappeared in just a few seconds. The energy that started to distort from the edge waspletely destroyed and disappeared without a trace as if it was crushed by the overwhelming force in an instant. At the same time, Aria parted her lips and made a startled sound. It was still painful, like being stabbed in the heart with a piece of ice. She still froze to death. But even so, the aura that had been tormenting her, as if weighing down her whole body, disappeared in an instant. ¡°Lloyd. I think I¡¯m feeling a little better¡­¡± ¡°Shh, focus.¡± Lloyd took off his coat andid it on the floor, rubbing Aria¡¯s frozen lips with the tip of his finger. And he said, pressing her tongue, which was exposed between the cracks of her gaping lips, softly. ¡°You¡¯re still like an ice field.¡± However, Aria was hot as if she was scalded wherever she came into contact with Lloyd. Aria just rolled her eyes and looked up at him. Lloyd¡¯s face filled up her clear, transparent eyes that were watery and sparkling. She pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m so cold.¡± I want you to hold me until I melt. Lloyd hurriedly rushed to her lips again. They shared the heat slowly again. ¡°¡­ Lloyd.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine now¡­¡± Aria mumbled, burying her face in her hands. When she struggled to dispel the aftermath of the freezing spell, she couldn¡¯t even think because of the pain that went beyond her imagination. When she came to her senses, she finally remembered the past events and felt unbearably ashamed. ¡°How many days have passed?¡± Being in a cave, they couldn¡¯t get a sense of time. Still, she could feel that a very long time had passed. Carlin probably froze to death while waiting for them outside the cave. There would be no one(?) to warm his frozen body. ¡®Imitted a terrible thing in front of the sleeping God¡­¡­.¡¯ Even though God¡¯s current appearance was shocking, it was still quite a solemn atmosphere. But she had no choice but to live, so she excused herself. Afterwards, she felt like she was swept away by the atmosphere, but it was true. ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± ¡°Lloyd, did you not hear me?¡± ¡°I heard.¡± ¡°Did you hear that right? I¡¯m really not sick anymore.¡± Lloyd licked her lips without answering her words. Her swollen lips seemed to tingle at the slightest touch. It was a gentle, smooth movement, but Aria whined and pushed him away. ¡°This is a punishment for treating your sick body carelessly.¡± He parted his lips from her lips and spoke shamelessly. ¡°Is that what Lloyd should say?¡± ¡°Then punish me too.¡± There really won¡¯t be an end to this. Aria had to get out of this boundless kiss quickly before Carlin really turned into an ice statue. ¡°I¡¯ll punish you when I get home.¡± Lloyd seemed to finally have the will to go back. He picked up Aria, who couldn¡¯t get up because her legs were weak. She hesitated for a moment, as if choosing her words, then spoke. ¡°This ce¡­ what should we do?¡± ¡°As you said, we¡¯ll think about it after we go back.¡± That was right. There was nothing they could do now. Even so, there was a lingering feeling. ¡°Can¡¯t we wake up God?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± God still lost his feelings. If God wakes up, God will not feel anything and will not even be able to love humans. However, Lloyd couldn¡¯t just return God¡¯s malice. Because God will then be an evil God full of malice. ¡°But, God was crying¡­¡± Was it thest tear before losing emotion? Every year, ice flowers bloom in ces where the tears have touched¡­¡­. What would God who had all the feelings look like? ¡®I want to see it myself.¡¯ Aria felt an intense desire that broke her heart. And as she stepped out of the cave, she sensed that the time hade. It¡¯s time for her to take Garcia downpletely. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 It was just before exiting the cave. They had to cross the vine bridge again. Aria was crossing the bridge in Lloyd¡¯s arms without any warning. And it was then. Again, a strange sound came from under the bridge. ¡®Aren¡¯t they all dead?¡¯ It was a distinctly different sound from when they came in droves. Unlike earlier, when small sounds close to gnawing came at the same time, it was such a huge sound that they could feel the thumping and shaking of the ground. Surprised, Aria hurriedly grabbed Lloyd¡¯s wrist and said. ¡°Be careful. It looks like it¡¯s one, but it feels different than ever.¡± She doesn¡¯t know if it¡¯s an animal, an insect, or a monster. ¡°I¡¯m sick of it.¡± Tsk, Lloyd clicked his tongue lightly and raised his sword. Even though Aria didn¡¯t warn him, he too felt it through his senses. When he raised the sword and tried to swing it, Aria saw the form for the first time. It was a ck lump with a grotesque appearance, in which all elements of the body were distorted. Eyes, nose, and mouth. both arms and legs. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± The appearance was shocking. If someone had a weak stomach, they would have vomited. It was a feeling simr to what she had felt when she first discovered God, who had be a tentacle monster. It¡¯s so bizarre that it¡¯s hard to believe that it was a creature that exists in this world. When she sees that, her insides churn and her eyes tingle¡­¡­ It was such a strange feeling to even say she felt anxious. ¡°Lloyd, wait¡­¡± Aria stopped him with an urgent voice. As a result, the sword did not cut the creature in half at once like before, and missed at an angle. Shriiieeek¨C! Unfortunately, it seemed that he could not avoid a vital point. The living creature, like a dying insect, managed to climb up the cliff. And then it stopped movingpletely. It is dead. ¡°Was that important?¡± Lloyd asked, perhaps surprised when she dissuaded him. He had doubt and concern on his face. ¡°¡­no, nothing.¡± It was already dead. Aria looked at the motionless creature in vain, but she soon gave up. She had no knack for bringing the dead back to life. ¡°The tentacle monster was God after all. Then I thought that this monster might have been something else.¡± Thinking about it, isn¡¯t it rather strange that a monster is guarding the sleeping God? Then Lloyd, who heard her words, btedly remembered something. ¡°Come to think of it, in the legend of the ice flower, they said that there is the flower¡¯s guardian.¡± Aria remembered too. If the ¡®flower¡¯ here is ¡®the sleeping God¡¯. That monster could have originally been God¡¯s guardian. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it too weak to be called God¡¯s guardian?¡± ¡°You said that when God lost all the feelings, God forgot even its own existence.¡± Even God has been broken. ¡°God¡¯s guardian would be the second most sacred being after God, so it must have been most affected by God who lost the feelings.¡± Of course, it¡¯s all just spection. ¡°Or, it could be a real monster born from a broken God.¡± Now there is no way to confirm that this is true. ¡®Because there are no surviving individuals anymore.¡¯ Now all that¡¯s left is to really go back. Aria squeezed her eyes shut, taking her gaze away from the fully breathless creature. But at that moment, a familiar song popped into her head. ¡®The song of healing.¡¯ Aria suddenly felt like she had to sing that song. It was a unique sense she had acquired since she gained Juan¡¯s memory. ¡®Why?¡¯ It¡¯s already dead. The song of healing can never bring anything back to life. But she can¡¯t ignore this feeling. ¡°Lloyd, can you drop me down there?¡± Aria said, pointing her finger in front of the grotesque creature. When Lloyd obediently carried her away, she began to sing beside the dead creature. Do you know thend where the lemon-trees grow, But she sang, in a mumbling voice that seemed unsure, like she was following the words one by one. in darkened leaves the gold-oranges glow, a soft wind blows from the pure blue sky, the myrtle stands mute,¡­.and the bay-tree high? Fortunately for her, after a while she was able to sing with ease. ¡®My body must have improved a lot.¡¯ Her exact condition can only be known after a diagnosis by a doctor. Aria felt that she was able to sing effortlessly and more easily than before. She was more adept at carrying her powers in it. The mule picks its way through the misted pass, and dragons in caves raise their ancient brood, Aria paused her song for a moment and then managed to pull it off. and the cliffs are polished smooth by the flood; The natural scenery contained in the lyrics of the song seemed to be drawn in her head. Because she had already seen it in her dream. That was Antis before being buried. A ce where nature, which used to be all green, lives and breathes wherever one sets their eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sure.¡¯ The song of healing was none other than a song that described the scenery of Antis. She wondered why she hadn¡¯t thought about it before. to be there with you, O, my beloved one! The people of Antis who were loved by God more than anyone else. God said they taught God happiness. God loved them so much that God was willing to give all the feelings. It¡¯s there I¡¯d be gone, to be there with you, O, my beloved one! Then, the ¡®dragon¡¯s ancient brood in the cave¡¯ is¡­¡­. Finishing her song, Aria lifted her eyelids. The dead creature, of course, didn¡¯t even move at all. ¡°What is that?¡± But Aria found something in the crevices of the grotesque creature. The limbs were twisted, so she couldn¡¯t tell exactly where the body was. Lloyd stretched out his arm and pulled it out with a single stroke. ¡°This is¡­ an egg.¡± It is a veryrge egg. It was much bigger than Aria¡¯s head. ¡°There¡¯s not a single scratch. Is it because of the song?¡± ¡°Yes. Fortunately, I don¡¯t think the egg waspletely prated.¡± Aria said as she didn¡¯t hesitate to remove the ck slime clinging to the egg. She then stared up at Lloyd in silence as she cradled the smoothed egg in her arms. Her round eyes, like those of a rabbit, glittered as if they contained the Milky Way. What she wanted to say was obvious to him. Lloyd frowned and seemed lost in thoughts for a moment, then sighed and said, ¡°Do whatever you want. Even if it¡¯s a monster¡¯s egg, I can easily subdue it.¡± And if that egg was the egg of God¡¯s guardian, they couldn¡¯t leave it in this ce even more. Aria and Lloyd were able to get out of the cave only after getting the egg. Cuirre, who was examining Aria with a serious face, put down his stethoscope. For the first time, a bright smile appeared on his face, which had only been full of worry. ¡°You are in perfect health.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like people of your age.¡± She blinked nkly for a moment, then turned to Lloyd, who was standing right next to her. She felt strange. Is it really over? Like this? ¡®I¡¯m not time-limited anymore now?¡¯ Her heart was beating fast as if it had malfunctioned. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Now she could be with Lloyd for the rest of her life, until she died of old age. ¡®To think we can do everything together.¡¯ Aria raised her hand and put it on Lloyd¡¯s. And she clung to his hand and held on tight, letting out a foolishugh. She feels overwhelmed and doesn¡¯t know what to do. However¡­¡­. Aria¡¯s mouth stiffened at the sudden uneasiness that passed through her head. Although she managed to quickly straighten it. ¡°Why are you making that face?¡± Her expression disappeared in an instant, but Lloyd never let go. He cupped her cheek and lifted her up to look at him. ¡°Say anything. Don¡¯t hold it in.¡± He whispered in a soft, kind voice as if it would melt her ears. Then turned his head and gestured at the doctor. Scram. ¡°Everyone else outside is waiting with the test results.¡± ¡°You can tell them the results.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d never want to try to hear it through my mouth¡­¡± Muttered the doctor, not wanting to explode like a shrimp caught in a whale fight. Vincent might want to wait, but it was clear that Tristan and Sabina would force their way in. ¡°Say that we¡¯re spending time alone as a couple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cuirre quickly left at Lloyd¡¯s words. Aria blushed and pushed his chest. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wrong.¡± So what happened? He asked again. She tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but she revealed a slightly sullen expression. Then she leaned her head on Lloyd¡¯s shoulder and muttered, rubbing it childishly. ¡°Actually, right before I got sick, I had a strange dream.¡± ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± ¡°A dream in which I perhaps try to run away from Lloyd¡¯s side?¡± Then the hand that was stroking her hair stopped. ¡°It¡¯s like I was about to die in that dream. I know it¡¯s impossible, but it was so vivid it felt real.¡± But Aria is really healthy now. That¡¯s why, like in the dream, perhaps she can¡¯t escape death. ¡°The fact that I¡¯m healthy is proof that it¡¯s not a precognitive dream, but a nonsense dream, right?¡± As Aria muttered, swallowing her uneasiness. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s impossible.¡± Lloyd added in a low voice. ¡°Unless I die.¡± Spitting out exactly the same words as her dream. Chapter 189: Illustration Chapter 189 (Illustration) Vincent, who had been kicked out, was hanging around outside. ¡®Spending time alone as a couple.¡¯ Is that the price he paid for worrying about his sister-inw for the past six years? It was bittersweet. He was sure his brother wanted to monopolize his sister-inw every moment. ¡®What to do with that monopolistic desire.¡¯ Vincent clicked his tongue. Lloyd hated Aria¡¯s even spending a little time with her family. ¡®Well, should I say it¡¯s fortunate that he didn¡¯t do anything to throw the world into chaos, considering Brother¡¯s personality?¡¯ He could still vividly see Lloyd walking around with his eyes turned upside down after learning that Aria was terminally ill. He was afraid every day if Lloyd would do something¡­¡­. Vincent looked up at the sky with a vague look. ¡°What.¡± Suddenly it rained from the sky. ¡®In winter?¡¯ But after a while, he noticed that it wasn¡¯t rain. Because a small pellet fell on Vincent¡¯s head. ¡°Ack!¡± It¡¯s hail! ¡°Gosh¡­¡­.¡± He shook his head and groaned. Soon, hailstones began to fall from the sky. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Vincent ran into the building, protecting his head. However, he noticed Cloud standing in front of the entrance. Above his head, hailstones the size of a man¡¯s fist were about to fall on him. ¡°Sir, avoid it!¡± It was the instantaneous power of the moment. He pushed back the knight with all his motor skills. The hailstones collided with the floor and shattered with a loud sound. ¡°Did you¡­ save me?¡± The knight, who btedly grasped the situation, asked with a moved look. ¡°Yes.¡± Vincent meekly agreed. ¡°Your head is already a decoration, but if you get hit with something like that¡­¡± He shook his head with a look of horror. The thrilled Cloud was already halfway listening to Vincent¡¯s words. ¡°If you¡¯re going to run away to death, you¡¯d rather pray that I die. Because that¡¯s the only way.¡± Around the time Lloyd¡¯s words in the dream rang in her ears. Before she could even look at Lloyd¡¯s expression, hailstones suddenly began to fall from the sky without warning. All of Aria¡¯s nerves turned to the window. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen hail like this in my life.¡± The hailstones were gradually increasing in size as time passed. She thought that people could die if they got hit in the head with something like that. It was then. ¡°Coo, coo!¡± A carrier pigeon that had barely escaped the hailstones flew in through the window. It¡¯s almost like running away. ¡°Ack.¡± Aria nced at the carrier pigeon that hadnded on her shoulder. A familiar smell of perfume emanated from the shivering carrier pigeon. ¡®The princess?¡¯ It¡¯s Natalie¡¯s letter. Aria unfolded the paper and studied the contents without a word. However, as time passed, her expression became serious. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lloyd, who had been patiently waiting for her, finally opened his mouth. At the same time, someone knocked on the door loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to interrupt your time, but I think you two shoulde out now!!¡± It was Vincent¡¯s voice. Whatever the big deal it was, he burst open the door, ready to be beaten by Lloyd. ¡°What.¡± He let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Lloyd and Aria were not in that atmosphere. ¡°What a relief. I heard some serious news just now.¡± ¡°Serious news?¡± ¡°Well, where the hell am I supposed to start with this¡­¡± Vincent hesitated for a moment, the end of his words trailed off. After that, Tristan opened the door wide and came in, sat down on the bed and said, ¡°Recently, they say that arge-scale massacre has urred in some viges.¡± ¡°Some viges?¡± Lloyd, who had crossed his arms and looked at Tristan with an unkind look, tilted his head. Of course, that¡¯s notmon. But it wasn¡¯t an incident that happened within Valentine, so he wondered if it was something to convey to even interrupt his time with Aria. ¡°The vigers abused each other mercilessly, killed, and even cannibalized each other, until they all eventually died.¡± Vincent added urgently. ¡°In addition, I heard that there were riots of quiterge forces all over the world and arson was set. The mes quickly died down and there seemed to be no major damage.¡± The ¡®serious news¡¯ didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°I hear eyewitness reports of seeing monsters everywhere. The number of unknown infectious diseases and natural disasters is also increasing. Big and small disasters have always existed in the world. Of course, this time the unusual incidents came in a series, making people talk about the apocalypse. What Vincent was paying attention to was what happened next. ¡°The fake sirens are getting more attention because of this incident.¡± Fake sirens. As the world went into chaos and began to turn to madness, mentally devastated people sought out healers. It was the fake siren that appeared in front of those people. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on their movements ever since I first became aware of their presence in the auction house.¡± Thanks to that, they were quick to notice. Hearing the words added by Vincent, Aria then opened the letter she was reading in front of everyone. Mental illness is circting in the imperial pce like an epidemic. Other nobles, including His Majesty, are also going crazy. There are an increasing number of people whoin of mental illness and collect Siren as if they were a tranquilizer. Aria revealed that she was a Siren only to Natalie among the figures in the Imperial Pce. However, thest part of the letter was this. His Majesty may call you. I don¡¯t know why, but it seemed like he knew your identity. I will block it as much as possible from my side, so please never respond to the summons. The emperor was looking for Aria. Even though he doesn¡¯t know that she is the real Siren. ¡°Certainly the princess didn¡¯t tell the emperor, right?¡± Vincent asked suspiciously. Then Aria shook her head and replied. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± If that were the case, Natalie would have said it confidently, considering her personality. She wouldn¡¯t have even warned Aria in the first ce. ¡°It¡¯s more likely that someone in Garcia leaked my identity to the emperor.¡± ¡°As expected¡­¡­.¡± Vincent sighed and added, as if he had already anticipated that possibility. ¡°Do you remember? The other day, when we went to check the auction list at the Evil Auction House, the person in charge burned the ledgerpletely andmitted suicide.¡± Thanks to that, he was left at a loss as to what Garcia¡¯s purpose was. But now he was able to be sure. ¡°Then, there is a high probability that the disasters happening in the empire are also Garcia¡¯s fault.¡± If that¡¯s the case, Aria had no reason to hide her identity. The time hade for her toe forward, as she was determined now. ¡°All nobles, including the emperor, are going crazy¡­¡± Aria murmured softly. Although the process was a little different, the same thing as her previous life was happening. It made her get goosebumps. Carlin¡¯s words suddenly came to her mind. That no matter how hard she struggles, she will meet the same fate in the end. ¡°The Emperor and the nobles kept looking for Sirens because of the madness, and rumors will circte after they got addicted to Sirens.¡± ¡°Rumors? What rumors?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the Siren¡¯s fault.¡± The nobles went mad. The emperor became a tyrant. Everything, even the decline and fall of the empire. She spoke as if she was foretelling the future. ¡°Sirens will be burned at the stake. And the already polluted Fa Empire will be hopeless, and the people will be brutally ughtered. Garcia will use this incident as an excuse to try to take over the empire.¡± However, it was not a prophecy. Because it really happened. Only Lloyd understood Aria¡¯s meaning. ¡°I see.¡± Lloyd said, hugging Aria tightly from behind. ¡°Then now would be the best time to strike back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aria looked up at Lloyd in surprise. He said, holding the anxious Aria tight and giving her strength. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult as long as you know all their tricks. Now you just have to do it.¡± Said Sabina, unable to hide her dissatisfaction as her son embraced Aria and her chance was taken away from her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a matter of properly finding evidence that this is all Garcia¡¯s work and publishing it to the world?¡± He said sarcastically, ¡®It¡¯s like falling for their own trick¡¯. Then Vincent agreed. ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t been able to get the evidence yet, but it¡¯s just a matter of time. This case has a very long tail. Just how many people were involved¡­¡± Of course, Garcia would have thoroughly erased the traces, but there was nothing they couldn¡¯t do if they asked the Angelo family for help. Aria looked back at the reliable Valentine family, and let out a smallugh. She suddenly thought that if these people had made up their minds, they would have conquered the world. ¡°¡­¡­right.¡± Aria, however, felt uneasy for some reason. ¡®As Carlin said, things have changed because I changed the future.¡¯ Garcia got everything they wanted in her past life. The world went the way they intended. But this life is different. Every time they tried to do something against humanity, Aria thwarted their ns. Nothing would have gone as nned. ¡®Then there¡¯s no way Garcia would do the same thing as in her previous life.¡¯ She had a feeling she was missing something. However, she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. At that moment, Aria couldn¡¯t erase her uneasy look. Crack¨C She raised her head in surprise hearing the sound of something breaking. ¡®Ah.¡¯ The glossy ck egg came into Aria¡¯s sight. It was the egg she had picked up from the cave. ¡®Is it trying to hatch?¡¯ She asked Carlin for a spell that would heat the eggs to a temperature close to her body temperature, but she didn¡¯t know it would work so well. She approached the egg in surprise. She lifted the egg carefully and thenid it on a cushion A small, jet-ck thing was breaking out of a hard egg. CRACK! The sound roared loud once. As she watched it, forgetting to take a breath, short, chubby arms popped out, followed with the legs. ¡®Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t look like that monster.¡¯ From the shape, it doesn¡¯t look like all the elements that make up the body had been distorted, as seen in the cave. ¡®It looks like an animal.¡¯ After a while. Finally, the creature that broke the shell suddenly popped out of the egg. ¡°Mya?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mya mya!¡± It was a cry like calling the mother. ¡°Ha?¡± Lloyd, who twisted his mouth crookedly, let out a mischievousugh. our babies now have a baby of their own T.T Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°D-Dragon!¡± Vincent eximed in astonishment. Why did a dragon, a divine creature, suddenly appear here? ¡°I thought it was only in human imagination!¡± Vincent, who had just broken down, stuttered. Aria too, replied in a half-bewitched voice. ¡°I thought so too.¡± She thought as she cradled the newborn baby dragon in her arms. ¡®As expected, the dragon did protect God.¡¯ So, is this baby the child of the ¡®ancient dragon¡¯ in the song? It may have been that God had been holding onto it after losing all the feelings, and then it hatched btedly. ¡°Mya mya!¡± The dragon cried again, cing its paw on Aria¡¯s cheek. ¡®Cute¡­¡­.¡¯ Short, plump limbs, big, round starry eyes and drooping ears. Even the wagging tail like a dog and dainty wings! It was really, really lovely. ¡®Is this what love at first sight is like?¡¯ When she was saved by Lloyd, she thought it was love at first sight. In a different sense, Aria fell in love again. ¡°Mya!¡± Then, the baby dragon put its mouth on Aria¡¯s cheek and started sucking. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± What do dragons eat? Since it¡¯s a reptile, so bugs? Lloyd answered when she asked in a puzzled voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a kid like this.¡± However, upon hearing Lloyd¡¯s voice, the dragon¡¯s expression suddenly turned ferocious. It even made a low growl. ¡°Gasp, the baby can get mad.¡± Aria was startled. Besides, do dragons count as animals? Or is it because it was still young? She felt like she could somehow understand what the baby dragon meant. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± ¡°It means go away?¡± ¡°Even I can understand that.¡± As Lloyd narrowed the space between his eyes and answered bluntly. ¡°Where did thise from?¡± The people who had gathered because of the suddenly hatched dragon also expressed curiosity and interest. First, Tristan pressed down on the dragon¡¯s head, and the dragon grabbed Tristan¡¯s hand and bit him. ¡°Take your hands off?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He said after contemting, stroking his chin, not caring that his hand just got chewed. ¡°Something is bothering me.¡± Vincent, who had been walking around with a flushed face from earlier, intervened. ¡°I, I want too!¡± He brought his face closer to examine the dragon. Then, unlike when dealing with Lloyd and Tristan, where it was openly wary of them, the dragon let out a sigh as if Vincent was annoying. ¡°Ack!¡± The problem was that the baby dragon¡¯s sigh was mixed with mes. Vincent struggled for a long time as his bangs caught on fire, and managed to put out the fire using water from a flower pot. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty mean fellow.¡± Sabina approached with a voice mingled withughter and tapped the dragon¡¯s horn. Then the dragon sniffed with a cold expression, but did not reject her touch. ¡°Mya.¡± ¡°It smells like that guy, but it doesn¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Aria couldn¡¯t read animal thoughts very urately. She only infers from roughly felt emotions, situations, and expressions. Of course it has quite an uracy. ¡°Perhaps it dislikes Father and Lloyd because you two smell strong? It also seems vague about Vincent¡­¡± Smell? Vincent, who was wiping his water-drenched face, looked annoyed at the few twisted strands of his hair. ¡°The only thing I can infer is that it is about Valentine¡¯s blood. You two are blood rtives, and I am not.¡± It was a pretty usible guess. Aria and Sabina always hang out with Lloyd and Tristan, so it seems that the smell permeated them a bit. ¡°Why does it hate Valentine?¡± ¡°Mya!¡± ¡°It says they¡¯re an enemy¡­¡± It seems like the dragon really hates it. To be imprinted as an enemy on a creature that was just born. Aria broke out in a cold sweat and lifted her head to look up at Lloyd. He let out a low breath and muttered self-deprecatingly. ¡°It protected God. It seems like it inherited its mother¡¯s feelings.¡± The dragon was God¡¯s guardian, and Valentine was carrying on God¡¯s malice from generation to generation after sinning against God. Exactly what the crime was, though nothing was known. ¡®And the person itself doesn¡¯t seem to know either.¡¯ Does this baby dragon know? The event of the day¡­¡­. ¡°Mya mya!¡± Aria, who was silent for a moment, decided to bring the dragon something to eat. ¡°Huweenngg!¡± The baby dragon burst into tears as it overturned the te of insects. ¡°Kyaaak!¡± Seeing the worm wriggling on the floor, Marronnier backed away in surprise. ¡°Wo, wo, worm! Help me!¡± ¡°Calm down. They are just wriggling.¡± ¡°I hate it!¡± ¡°Puuehh!¡± As Aria wasforting Marronnier, Baker held a bottle in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s goat¡¯s milk.¡± ¡°Milk is what mammals eat.¡± ¡°You never know.¡± She was dubious and brought the bottle to the dragon¡¯s mouth. Then, like the dragon had waited, the tears stopped and it started sucking on the bottle. ¡°It drinks milk.¡± Maybe they got narrow-minded, seeing only the reptilian exterior of the dragon? As Aria reflected, she wiped the tears from the dragon¡¯s eyes. Then the dragon rubbed its cheek against her hand and made a childish ¡®myuaa¡¯ sound. ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s insanely cute.¡± Some of the employees even grabbed their hearts for how cute the dragon is. Like Aria, it was love at first sight too. Even though the dragon didn¡¯t even pay attention to them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have to raise a child at a time like this.¡± Vincent shook his head as he watched Aria. He was running around all day and night collecting evidence that Garcia was the cause of the current disaster. He, of course, asked the Angelo family for cooperation. As proof, Winter was right in front of Vincent, and he was looking at the data with a serious expression. No, he should be there¡­¡­. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Winter suddenly shouted in a clear voice. At the same time, a vein popped out in Vincent¡¯s forehead. ¡°Who is the older brother, who!¡± ¡°Big Brootherrr, there are bugs crawling on the books ¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the text you were reading a moment ago!¡± Aackk! He screamed, clutching his head. ¡°When did you have infantile regression again! Weren¡¯t you all healed?!¡± The symptoms were getting less and less and he seemed to be fine for a while, so Vincent was caught off guard. Winter was still suffering from the drug¡¯s side effects. ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry right now¡­ Wait, since you¡¯re a genius, weren¡¯t you a genius too when you were young? They say that even if you regress as an infant, you have to be an extraordinary genius. Just like me!¡± As Vincent was arguing with Winter on why he was a genius. Cloud came close to them. Because of the sudden natural disaster, he was on his way back after taking care of various things as themander of the ck Falcon Knights. ¡°I¡¯mte to tell you about something sudden. Could you give me a minute?¡± ¡°What is it? Please briefly tell me the main points.¡± Vincent flipped through the papers quickly and replied in a dry voice. Then, as requested, Cloud simply spat out the main points. ¡°I will follow you for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s burdensome.¡± Vincent was disgusted and responded immediately. ¡°Why did Sir follow so many people? Stay by Sister-inw¡¯s side.¡± ¡°The escort position was taken away before. Besides, being Young Madam¡¯s escort was also a temporary job.¡± ¡°Originally, you were Brother¡¯s escort, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He says he doesn¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need either.¡± ¡°You need it.¡± Hearing thest word, Vincent felt embarrassed and opened his mouth. Is Cloud going this far just because Vincent saved him from almost getting hit in the head by hailstones? Cloud was so stone-headed that Vincent doesn¡¯t think he would have died even if he was hit by hailstones. He thought Cloud would be more of an idiot, so he stopped it. ¡°Do I care?¡± ¡°Please let me follow you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Vincent murmured lowly. ¡°Can¡¯t you see it¡¯s chaotic right now?¡± Strangely, Vincent tended to get particrly emotional in front of Cloud. ¡°Then I will stand by your side until you allow it.¡± As Cloud brazenly insisted and Vincent tried to open his mouth just before the explosion burst. ¡°¡¯Sword that Cuts Through mes¡¯ is arson.¡± A clear voice, typical of a child, intervened. ¡°Roar of Hell¡¯ is massacre, ¡®Death¡¯s Oath¡¯ is human sacrifice, ¡®Hell Seeker¡¯ is a monster, ¡®Infiltration of the Mist¡¯ is a natural disaster, and ¡®Those Who Breaks Through the Silence¡¯ is an epidemic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I found these items.¡± Winter smiled broadly as he connected the map spread out on his desk with a line to all the recent disasters. Chapter 191 Chapter 191 The investigation was expected to take at least a fortnight. This was because, of course, they had to look at everything byparing the goods stolen from the auction with disasters. Moreover they had to run on their feet on the spot to see which local lord was involved. ¡°How do you know?¡± Everything at once too. When Vincent asked, Winter frantically shook his legs and answered. ¡°Forbidden items are amazing. It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You have extraordinary taste. These are terrifying things that can make a whole vige go wild.¡± There were children who insisted on memorizing the types of extinct creatures for no particr reason. Just like that, it seems that Winter had a hobby of memorizing forbidden items in his childhood. With that, along with countries and regions where they can get banned items. ¡®Rather, I think he forgot about it after he became an adult.¡¯ Isn¡¯t this a gifted criminal¡­¡­ But Vincent decided to hold back. Thanks to Winter, they knew the type and distribution of the product right away. ¡°Gathering evidence may be finished sooner than expected.¡± Soon, they will be able to wipe out the remnants of Garcia all at once. Vincent immediately wrote down the words on the paper, folded it neatly, and stood up. And he ran to Aria, who was cradling the sleeping dragon with a whisper. ¡°Sister-inw, please deliver a letter to the Princess.¡± After confirming that Aria had tied the paper to the carrier pigeon¡¯s ankle and sent it flying, he said. ¡°Sir Cloud, follow me. I have something to do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Vincent got up from his seat, Cloud replied, sharply alert. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go to the imperial pce, so please escort me for a while. Of course, escorts are prohibited from entering the pce.¡± ¡°Yes, I will follow you for the rest of my life.¡± Am I talking to a wall now? Vincent was stunned, but as he grew increasingly annoyed at dealing with Cloud, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± He doesn¡¯t know he¡¯ll regret it for the rest of his life. ¡°Has everyone gathered?¡± When the Princess appeared, everyone jumped up. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Shh. Your voice is loud.¡± Uhp. A nobleman who was wearing a hood hurriedly shut his mouth. Natalie gave him one nce before continuing. ¡°Is this all the people?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Everyone has gone crazy except you.¡± She sighed and took off her hood. Then, the hesitant nobles took off their hoods one by one. ¡®This is, to some extent, as expected.¡¯ The officials gathered in the conference room were generally highly skilled, but they were tired of conspiracies and tricks. To put it mildly, a loyalist of integrity and innocence. To put it badly, they were an obstinate single-minded person who couldn¡¯t read the current trend. ¡®Non-mainstream people.¡¯ They were rejected by the Emperor for saying the right things and ignored even among the same officials. ¡®The drums of the imperial family that hit here and there.¡¯ After staring at the officials for a moment, Natalie crossed her arms and tilted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have any friends?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Have you ever gone to gatherings that nobles like to go to?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with friends!¡± They didn¡¯t even pay attention to such promiscuous and hical gatherings, even if they were invited. Even when the host enticed them to just drink and enjoy themselves, they did not step in. ¡°How could you do unpardonable atrocities against human beings when you have a family¡­!¡± ¡°Okay. Calm down.¡± ¡°If going to a gathering like that is the only way to make friends, then I don¡¯t need friends for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Natalie wasn¡¯t saying this to point out their narrow friendship. They¡¯re not crazy, but everyone else is crazy. ¡®It means that only those who are constantly exposed to the gathering are crazy.¡¯ At that time, the one who stepped in front of Natalie was the Emperor¡¯s right-hand man and aide, Marquis Montes. ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you His Majesty¡¯s faithful dog?¡± Saying that to his face? The Marquis raised his eyebrows hearing the words that were intended as an insult. ¡°Please say it properly. I am the imperial family¡¯s faithful dog.¡± Natalie couldn¡¯t help butugh at this situation as well. Even if the world went crazy, this person would remain sane and nag at her. Even though he is the Emperor¡¯s right-hand man, if he was in this position, it was only obvious. ¡°Your Highness, there is definitely a background behind the man-made disaster.¡± ¡°Yes. You guys must have guessed who it is.¡± ¡°I have a conviction and it¡¯s overflowing¡­¡± Duke Battenberg. There was none other than him. At first, he moved secretly and thoroughly, but at a certain point, he began tomunicate with Garcia more and more boldly. ¡°But do you know what? That rat is still in this ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What?¡± It was when Marquis Montes was possessed by a mysterious voice. Drawing a sword from her waist, Natalie suddenly decapitated an official without hesitation. ¡°Uh, uh, uhhkk-!¡± Seeing a person who had been alive and well suddenly copsed with blood gushing out, the rest of the officials turned blue. ¡°What, what, what are you doing!¡± ¡°No, wait, wait! Bringing a sword to the main pce is treason!¡± Natalie replied absurdly, wiping away what was on her cheek with the back of her hand. ¡°Is this the time to discuss that?¡± Tsk, she clicked her tongue and snapped her finger. ¡°That person is one of the many people behind Garcia¡¯s conspiracy.¡± Then Vincent, who had been waiting silently behind her, took off his hood. ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ without reserve.¡± After sending a letter in advance, he met in person and told the list about the nobles and Garcia. ¡®Why am I here¡­¡­.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know that he would suddenly be asked to apany to the meeting room and see the scene where an insider was killed with a single stroke. ¡°There are a lot of snitches outside the imperial pce. Let¡¯s clear it up at once.¡± The Princess put her sword back into the scabbard, As soon as she started to step forward, everything went smoothly. ¡°Hmph, even if they underestimate me, they underestimated me too much. Did they think that this Fa Empire I¡¯m in would copse in their low-key way?¡± ¡°They must have downyed Your Highness¡¯s dissolute life. You enjoy drinking and gatherings more than anyone else.¡± Then, Marquis Montes, who had been frozen at the sight of the corpse, finally opened his mouth. It was. As the Marquis said, the only thing they didn¡¯t expect was Natalie¡¯s move. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t expect it at all either.¡± She was so good at acting. Even he, who imed to be the imperial family¡¯s faithful dog, was fooled. ¡°We guessed that you would fall into the craziness faster than anyone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say scary things. If even Her Highness went mad, then the Fa Empire will fall into Garcia¡¯s grasp.¡± Natalie was the only hope and miracle that could solve the current desperate crisis. ¡°I have been presumptuously underestimating Your Highness.¡± ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. It was on purpose. If you¡¯ve been tricked, it means that my acting worked well.¡± Marquis Montes bowed respectfully in front of the Princess and made an earnest request. ¡°Take His Majesty¡¯s powers and act as regent.¡± ¡°I brought it as youmanded.¡± Aria looked down at the woman sitting on her knees in front of her. She was the fake Siren that Aria sawst time at the Evil auction house. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you speak?¡± The fake Siren could sing, so there was no way she couldn¡¯t speak. Even as Aria asked the absurd questions, she was absolutely serious. ¡°Where did you get the power of singing?¡± She was lost in thoughts as she watched the fake Siren remain silent. If it had been someone else, without thinking twice, she would have the fake siren dragged to the interrogation room. This time she couldn¡¯t. This is because the probability of the woman being a victim who was just thoroughly used was high. ¡®In my previous life, there was definitely a fake that took my ce. It wasn¡¯t that serious, but¡­¡­.¡¯ The woman was taken advantage of and died unjustly. As Aria was deep in her thoughts. Suddenly, a ck object popped out in front of her eyes. ¡°Mya!¡± What a surprise. ¡°I told you not to follow me.¡± ¡°Myamya!¡± The little dragon pped its tiny wings and flew up into Aria¡¯s arms. And then it babbled, pointing at the fake Siren. ¡°Mya!¡± Does it feel a strange aura? The dragon was pointing right at the woman¡¯s ear. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 As the dragon told her, Aria reached for the fake Siren¡¯s hair. ¡°¡­!¡± Then the fake Siren, who was staring at the baby dragon in awe, got startled. She pped Aria¡¯s hand roughly. p! As soon as there was a loud noise, she was even more startled. ¡°Shhh, that¡¯s okay.¡± Aria widened her eyes, then gently patted the fake Siren¡¯s hair. Her hand, which had touched the top of the fake Siren¡¯s hair, naturally descended and tucked the hair behind her ear. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As soon as I know exactly where the power came from, I¡¯ll send you right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t hurt.¡± The fake Siren¡¯s eyes, which had been on a sharp edge, being wary of Aria, soon closed tightly in resignation. Behind the ear lobe, there was a bizarre pattern engraved there. It was in a position that would go unnoticed by others unless they looked into it properly. ¡°What is this?¡± Still no answer. It wasn¡¯t that the fake Siren was ignoring Aria¡¯s words, but that she seemed unable to speak even though she wanted to. ¡®Perhaps, they might have made something simr to an oath.¡¯ There was no way Garcia wouldn¡¯t have prepared that much. Aria swallowed a sigh andmanded the ck Falcon. ¡°Transfer this pattern to paper.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m not good at drawing, why don¡¯t you draw it yourself?¡± The ck Falcon reflexively asked a dumb question, then hit himself on the head and shouted ¡°I¡¯ll do it right!¡±. Aria looked down at her own hand, cursed with bad drawing ability, for a moment in silence, then let out a sigh. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Vincent what kind of pattern it is when he returns.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t yet learned where the fake Siren got her power from, so she couldn¡¯t free her yet. ¡®A storm is about toe soon.¡¯ It was before the storm. Nobles, all of them, bought fake Sirens with all their wealth. The Empire was in a frenzy, and the Sirens began to gain a reputation among themon people. ¡®The difference from my previous life is that fakes have appeared, and I¡¯m not the only Siren.¡¯ ¡®Uniqueness¡¯ was great. Because the rarer the gem, the higher the value. In her previous life, only the Emperor and high-ranking nobles could hear the Siren¡¯s song. ¡®But it¡¯s different now. Ordinary people with wealth and personal connections can also buy Sirens.¡¯ Even if Valentine¡¯s side tried to find the distributor, it was useless. No matter what kind of method they used, the number was overwhelminglyrge. With Natalie¡¯s help, they even banned it byw, but the bacsh was quite strong. Those who were already addicted to it,ining of madness, began to appear. ¡®A drop in rarity means that the Siren¡¯s value is declining.¡¯ To put it more bluntly, the Siren¡¯s ¡®ss¡¯ has fallen. ¡®The analogy is that people are using Siren as a tranquilizer.¡¯ At least in her previous life, until she was used of being a monster, she was praised as the voice of an angel sent by God. Some even worshiped her like God. It became a religion. ¡®But in this life, their ss dropped.¡¯ What would happen if it was revealed that Aria was a Siren? People will think that Aria is on the same level as the fakes. ¡®Valentine will be like that too.¡¯ Previously, everyone was afraid of the devil and at the same time even harbored awe. But in fact, as time goes they will start to regard it as an insignificant existence. ¡®Is that Garcia¡¯s purpose?¡¯ However, in that case, Aria can just have to reveal in front of everyone that she is the real Siren. It was enough to reveal all of Garcia¡¯s evil deeds. ¡®I¡¯ve already gathered all the evidence.¡¯ Valentine¡¯s and Angelo¡¯s information power has been so good ever since. ¡®Among the officials, some who did not join Garcia and were not mad also sided with the Princess.¡¯ Preparations are proceeding sequentially. Now all they have to do is blow it up. However¡­¡­. ¡®There¡¯s no way Garcia wouldn¡¯t know that¡­¡­.¡¯ They were too calm. As if waiting for some time. Aria, lost in thought, walked towards Lloyd¡¯s office. ¡°Aria.¡± But at that moment, Lloyd, who was walking opposite her, ran into her in the corner. He held her arm with a serious stiff expression unlike usual. ¡°There¡¯s no time. I¡¯ll assign Carlin to you, so go to the Angelo family right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What? What are you talking about?¡± She was so dumbfounded that she almost frowned. ¡°Why do I have to go to the Angelo family now?¡± ¡°The Emperor has been killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Aria doubted her own ears. Why did the Emperor, who was alive and well, suddenly die? ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± It had never happened in her previous life. In order for Garcia to take advantage of the Emperor¡¯s madness, they must keep him alive until their goal is achieved¡­¡­. ¡°Princess Natalie was named the culprit. Under the pretext that she tried to kill the Emperor and usurp the throne in an emergency.¡± Ah. ¡®Natalie.¡¯ There was something different from her previous life. Natalie made up her mind to act on her own. ¡®I kept encouraging her to be happy, so¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria knew it wasn¡¯t her fault that this happened. But she still couldn¡¯t stop her heart from throbbing with anxiety. ¡°There¡¯s no way the Princess would kill her blood rtive with her own hands at this time. If she could do that, she would have killed him a long time ago.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s not the Princess¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°What, what about Vincent? Is he alive?¡± ¡°It looks like he narrowly escaped the situation thanks to Sir Cloud.¡± Aria let out a sigh of relief. But it wasn¡¯t time to be relieved. Because the Princess was framed for killing the Emperor. ¡°Duke Battenberg.¡± Lloyd pointed out the culprit at once. He had seen Duke Battenberg¡¯s aide join Garcia before. What reason would Fa¡¯s biggest rtive¡¯s family have to join a foreign force? They already have enough power. If Garcia intervened, their stake would rather decrease. There was only one possibility. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve been promised the throne.¡± The Duke harbored ambitions to be Emperor. Now, he was clearing the biggest stumbling block to his ambitions. First, the murdered Emperor. Second, the unexpectedly wise Natalie. ¡°Then we have to go get her right away.¡± Aria paused her words. It was because Lloyd suddenly narrowed his brows and pressed his hand tightly to his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°My eyes are a little dim.¡± He¡¯s not that old yet. Aria looked up at him anxiously for a moment, then reached out her hand. She looked at his reddened eyes as she cupped his cheek carefully. It doesn¡¯t seem like an eye disease. ¡°Have you umted fatigue?¡± ¡°It looks like that.¡± There was never a time when his eyes were blurry from fatigue. Lloyd, who was not interested in everything in the world, but was not particrly interested in his own body, passed it off as just that. ¡°You have to avoid the whole scene for now.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Listen. Because Vincent was caught up in the treason, Valentine would also be involved.¡± Vincent is now under custody and under investigation. Soon, Duke Battenberg, who took the real power, will use this as an excuse to arrest them. Aria could get a rough idea of how things were going without Lloyd¡¯s need to borate. ¡°But it¡¯s Valentine.¡± The Valentine. They were great men who did not blink an eye while threatening to ¡®take his neck¡¯ right in front of the Emperor. But why were they scared of Duke Battenberg who only held an official position? ¡°Mother and Father also allowed it.¡± ¡°Then it makes no more sense. Everyone would have had enough to show the Duke what real treason was, who dared to use him of treason against Valentine.¡± Lloyd then slightly frowned, then closed his eyes and pressed his temples tightly. ¡°The reason why Grand Princess Valentine hid her voice has been announced.¡± ¡°Just because it¡¯s known that I¡¯m a Siren doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°For some reason, they even involved Count Cortez, who had be a fool.¡± Lloyd added. So that¡¯s why he wants her to steer clear of it? ¡°I¡¯m Valentine¡¯s Madam now.¡± Where in the world is a Grand Duchess who ran away, leaving her people behind? Aria briefly red at Lloyd, who appeared out of nowhere and uttered nonsense. Lloyd¡¯s face was as if he wouldn¡¯t blink an eye even if a needle went in. ¡°Aria. Wait a minute.¡± ¡°No.¡± But as Aria¡¯s resentful gaze continued, he finally let out a sigh and said. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling good.¡± ¡°Lloyd?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can protect you.¡± It was apletely unexpected, strange thing. It was also the first time in her life that she heard his weak voice. Aria, who had a nk look at his sudden confession, grabbed Lloyd¡¯s hand and lost her temper. ¡°What is wrong with you? How can you be sick? Why are you hiding that important story?¡± To say the important thing at the end! As Aria was huffing and earnestly losing her temper. Lloyd¡¯s gazended on the piece of paper she was holding. It was a piece of paper with the copied pattern that was engraved on the back of the fake Siren¡¯s earlobe. ¡°That pattern is¡­¡± From the eerie aura that relentlessly pursued Aria when she copsed. When Lloyd crushed the energy with his hand, it was the same pattern that shone and then disappeared. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 ¡°Where did you find out about that pattern?¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t answer the question. And he suddenly changed the subject. Aria narrowed her eyes before she answered. ¡°It was engraved on the fake siren¡¯s body.¡± The unpleasant energy that chased Aria and the fake siren. Somehow he felt they were both connected to each other. And they both had something inmon. It is impossible to figure out where the power ising from. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with your body?¡± There must be a reason why he suddenly became ill. ¡°Isn¡¯t this why Lloyd¡¯s body hurts?¡± Aria asked nervously as she held up the pattern on the paper. ¡°No, it has nothing to do with that power. I know because I destroyed it myself.¡± Lloyd shook his head. ¡®So you¡¯re sick for some other reason? The Lloyd who never caught a cold?¡¯ He had never had amon fever, except when he suffered from epting God¡¯s malice. That¡¯s why Aria was able to realize how serious the situation was now. Besides, Lloyd never showed signs of being sick unless he was sick enough¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not feeling well, but it¡¯s not that serious. I¡¯ve never had anything like this before, so I decided it would be better to prepare in advance.¡± ¡®Lies.¡¯ Obviously it was a lie. At that moment, Carlin, who had been running towards them, stopped in a startle. And to Lloyd, he looked like he was saying ¡®Have you not convinced her yet?¡¯. ¡°Carlin.¡± Aria called his name softly, but firmly. ¡°You seem to know why Lloyd is sick.¡± All of a sudden, Aria had a unique look in her eyes. It was an irresistible eye that attracted people helplessly. Behind Aria, Lloyd held his forehead, raised his eyes, and exuded a vicious murderous energy. This was an honest look, saying he would kill him if he told the truth. ¡°Help me.¡± Carlin had no choice but to surrender, raising both of his hands. ¡°Just be honest.¡± What¡¯s the use of hiding when everything is already revealed. ¡°And Lloyd, don¡¯t do it either.¡± Why was he intimidating the shaman when he can¡¯t even lie in front of her and tell her honestly? As Aria stared silently, Lloyd frowned. ¡°That, that¡¯s actually¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just do as I say for a moment?¡± As Carlin was about to tell the truth. Lloyd said, interrupting him. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about hiding. I¡¯m talking about usingmon diversionary tactics. During the investigation, you can work together with the Angelo family and reveal the evidence you¡¯ve gathered so far.¡± That sounds usible. If he had said that from the beginning, Aria would have gone obediently. Even if he didn¡¯t say that he was sick. ¡°I just have to do that, right?¡± ¡°One day, just one day, do as I say.¡± After that, even if you ask me to stay away from you, I won¡¯t be away from your side for a moment. Lloyd said and he pressed the back of her hand to his lips and pulled away. It was a kiss that weighed heavily on her heart more than usual. ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t have time to argue like this.¡± Lloyd pressed his eyes again and gestured towards Winter. Winter, who had been in his right mind for some time, came to Aria¡¯s side and reached out his hand to respectfully serve her. ¡°I will escort you.¡± One day. It was hard to refuse his words when he asked Aria to hide alone for just one day. ¡°Just one day.¡± Aria wanted to shake off the hand, but she couldn¡¯t. As expected, Battenberg immediately summoned Valentine. Valentine was dragged along without resistance. Lloyd, Sabina, Tristan. ¡°¡­if you have something to say, say it.¡± Somehow, Lloyd unexpectedly ended up riding in the same carriage as Tristan. Tristan, who was sitting across from him, smiled. ¡°You haven¡¯t told my daughter yet, have you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually because I¡¯m alive that you¡¯ve be like this now.¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ be quiet.¡± It was the truth that Carlin told them without Aria¡¯s knowledge. Aria has saved many people who should have died. One of them was Tristan. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen anyone alive to my age among the Grand Dukes of Valentine.¡± Currently, Tristan is in his mid-40s. He¡¯s not young, but he¡¯s far too young to die. However, Tristan has already exceeded the average lifespan of a Valentine¡¯s blood rtive. Without even losing his mind. ¡°It¡¯s because I, who should have died, is still alive and well, so you¡¯re not able to show off your strength properly.¡± No matter how much God¡¯s malice was passed over. Tristan muttered that and asked Lloyd, who had been rubbing his eyes from earlier. ¡°Can you see ahead?¡± Hearing those words, Lloyd stiffened for a moment. Tristan seemed to notice that Lloyd had been avoiding his gaze from earlier to avoid hisck of focus being caught out. ¡°¡­it¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Looks like your vision is getting blurry.¡± And Tristan put the palm of his hand on Lloyd¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°You have a fever, too.¡± ¡°Let go.¡± Lloyd let out a sigh as he shook off Tristan¡¯s hand that touched him at will. ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t just me you for being alive that I suddenly became like this.¡± ¡°Are you consoling me?¡± ¡°Ha, consoling? What nonsense are you talking about when you¡¯re not even heartbroken?¡± Lloyd decided to just take it lightly and ignore Tristan, acting like he was alone in this situation. ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no way my body could be ruined like this for a mediocre reason.¡± Something was happening. He was helpless because he had not yet figured out the exact cause. As soon as he found the slightest clue, he would uproot and destroy it. ¡®No.¡¯ He will destroy them all before the day passes. Whatever it was. Either Duke Battenberg or Garcia. It was advantageous to get the upper hand after knocking them out as soon as possible, before his condition deteriorated further. As promised with Aria. Of course, Aria¡¯s path was not smooth. If she refuses to respond to the summons and says that she would go into another ce alone, there was no way Garcia could send her off smoothly, only saying ¡®Oh, really?¡¯. ¡°At a time when the Emperor is killed and Young Madam is revealed to be a Siren, it was a lot of trouble and conspiracy.¡± Carlin, who sneaked out of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, spoke with Winter and Aria who was on his either side. Garcia will rush at her without any hesitation, so the key is to get away as quickly as possible. But as soon as he said that¡­¡­. ¡°Please surrender obediently.¡± They got caught. In the Ingo Mountains of Valentine nevertheless. ¡°Eh?¡± Carlin made a dazed noise. Breaking out in a cold sweat, he repeatedly activated the movement spell formation carved on the ground. However, the spell only gave a fleeting moment of light, but did not activate. ¡°No, that¡¯s nonsense.¡± How is this possible? ¡°They have the power to nullify magic? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing!¡± Carlin raised his voice unknowingly, taken aback by a phenomenon he had never experienced before. If it¡¯s a very strong divine power, it can block the spell to some extent. But to nullify it in the first ce? It was impossible. ¡°No one will get hurt if you just follow us without resistance.¡± It was Duke Battenberg who forcibly summoned Valentine under the pretext of treason. But right now, it was Garcia¡¯s knights who stood in the way of Aria, Winter, and Carlin. ¡®Looks like there¡¯s nothing to run away from now.¡¯ Aria looked up and down at the knights wearing the pdin uniforms. Then, she took out the movement scroll she always carried in her arms and tore it up. ¡®I was expecting it..¡­.¡¯ As expected, it didn¡¯t work at all. ¡®Is it because it¡¯s a scroll made of magic?¡¯ Aria looked back at Carlin. He didn¡¯t seem to have expected this situation at all. Lloyd, who sent Aria along with Carlin, should have never expected it at all. ¡®He saw that Carlin was the only one who had the power to protect me in this situation.¡¯ And they found a way to neutralize the shaman¡¯s power in advance. ¡®The magic doesn¡¯t work.¡¯ Winter has no power. Then, all that was left was the Siren¡¯s song. Aria gritted her teeth and asked. ¡°What are you going to do with me?¡± Then the knights answered without any agitation. ¡°We will never harm the Siren. We¡¯ll just take you to a safe ce.¡± Carlin found it absurd, and replied instead. ¡°What, the pests talk.¡± It was just absurd that people whose existence itself was a harm talked about safety. Although he pretended to be calm on the outside, Carlin was desperately plotting a way to get out of here. ¡°Damn it.¡± The conclusion was just profanity. Aria muttered a small sigh following Carlin. ¡°¡­¡­They put up a barrier.¡± Since they were determined toe and get the Siren, they must have made this much preparation. But still, Aria opened her mouth. ¡°Along the sacred stream, That calmly here is flowing; Enlivened by the songs of birds among the pines.¡± The song of peace. Even if they block it with a barrier, it is divine power. Divine power is power that is nothing more than energy borrowed from God¡¯s power. It was not enough to block the force based on God¡¯s actual power. ¡°Through wavelets shimm¡¯ring brightly, Carelessly rowing lightly, We¡¯ll reach soon the steeps¡± Besides, Aria is now back in good health. The pdins, who were using divine power as a barrier, ended up struggling while breaking out in a cold sweat as Aria¡¯s song got longer. Aria took a deep breath and raised her voice as much as she could. She then continued to sing as she poured it with overwhelming force. ¡°Where warble the birds sprightly. May the god, keep you from dangers,¡± ¡°Kuht¡­!¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± The barrier cracked and shook mercilessly. Pdins felt the limit and closed their eyes tightly. That was when the barrier was about to be broken. ¡°Lady Aria, I was looking forward to seeing you again.¡± Gabriel, who straightened the barrier right before it was about to be shattered, took on Aria¡¯s energy and stretched out his hand to her. ¡°For a moment, please be at ease.¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 ¡°Ugh!¡± Aria coughed up blood as her powers suddenly flowed back. And she looked up at Gabriel with surprised eyes. He was trying to pour out his divine power with a more painful expression. Just to treat her. ¡®How the hell¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria, who touched Gabriel¡¯s hand, looked up at him with startled eyes. Compared to thest time she saw him, the absolute amount of divine power had increased. Aria gritted her teeth and drew a dagger from her chest. But before she could swing it, it was blocked by Gabriel¡¯s hand. The apprentice knight, who was beaten almost to death by vagrants while trying to rescue her, had be a knightmander before she knew it. He also has overwhelming skills. ¡®Is it possible that one person¡¯s body can contain this much energy?¡¯ In the first ce, things that could not be epted bymon sense were happening at the point where Carlin¡¯s magic didn¡¯t even work. However, one thing is certain. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± It was Gabriel who nned this. He had spent several years in the Grand Duchy and was aware of the situation here. As for the shaman, Aria never knew this was going to happen when she leaked the story. ¡°Now, you will never call me angel forever.¡± It was a voice mixed with resignation, as if he hadn¡¯t wanted it in the first ce. And that was thest thing Aria remembered. When she regained her consciousness, she was in afortable room. Inside the room bathed in the calm sunlight of the morning, objects symbolizing God were ced here and there. ¡°Here¡­¡± A cracked voice came out. ¡°Cough!¡± As Aria let out a dry cough, a ss of water appeared in front of her eyes. Aria kept her indifferent eyes, only rolling her eyes to stare at the other person. ¡°It may be inconvenient, but please stay here for a while. We will prepare a ce for you soon.¡± Why was he arranging a ce for her? While Aria fainted, what did he think about and what decision did he make? ¡®I¡¯m not even curious.¡¯ Aria listened all around, not answering his words. Fortunately, she heard the voice of a passer-by, perhaps he hadn¡¯t intended to confine her in a remote ce. ¡®An ent unique to the Fa Empire.¡¯ That means they haven¡¯t left the Empire yet. Fortunately. They hadn¡¯t gone over to Garcia. ¡°How much time has passed?¡± ¡°Four days.¡± Four days. Three days had passed since the day she had promised Lloyd. Something should have happened a long time ago. ¡®Lloyd said he was obviously not feeling well. Will he be alright¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria bit her lip and looked worried before she asked. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him if possible, but he was the only one she could talk to, so she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°How¡¯s everyone?¡± ¡°¡­His Holiness will soon dere a holy war.¡± Holy War. How can the word ¡®holy¡¯ that represents sacredness and the word ¡®war¡¯ that represents discord can coexist? It was something she had heard in her previous life, but still it was absurd. Aria said with a smirk. ¡°I asked what happened to my family, my husband, and my people.¡± ¡°My people.¡± Gabriel simply followed Aria¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t respond. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t expect an answer.¡¯ Then she has to find out for herself. The curtains were drawn, but the light wasing in so she could tell it was daytime. She lifted herself from the bed and reached for the curtains. At the same time, Gabriel¡¯s hand wrapped around her wrist. ¡°You said I was right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m right, so don¡¯t doubt the path I¡¯m walking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lady Aria told me.¡± Do you remember, he asked. Aria, who had been ignoring him all along, finally responded to his words. ¡°So why.¡± It was her favorite phrase. But she didn¡¯t just tell it to anyone. She said it only to those who wished for their dreams toe true, and to wish them well. ¡®At that time, Gabriel was like that.¡¯ White as snow, small and fragile. A young boy who dreams of justice despite his frail body andck of strength to fight anyone. How could Aria not cheer him on? ¡°I heard that you moved me to the Papal Pce and left a card with those words written on it. Although I haven¡¯t seen it myself¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it yourself?¡± But how did he know that it was Aria who left the card behind? Aria asked reluctantly, and he began to exin. At that time, Veronica hid the card that Aria had left, and spoke what Aria had said. Because of that, there was a time when Gabriel served Veronica like a benefactor. ¡°Those were words that changed my life.¡± It changed his life? Ariaughed and looked down at her own hands for a moment. Although she was not handcuffed or shackled, it looked like it. ¡°What I expected of you was an innocent pdin who defends justice and does not tolerate injustice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your life has changed.¡± At least he didn¡¯t try to kidnap and imprison Aria like this in her past life. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that to justify what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I just wanted you to know.¡± Aria quickly grasped the situation. Now she was kidnapped. That¡¯s because she¡¯s a Siren. After going through her previous life, turning time around, she was now back to square one again. She was dumbfounded, and let out a nkugh. ¡°So, how are you going to use me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to use you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The answer was rather unexpected. Aria looked back at Gabriel, frowning her eyes for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cover it up with lies. I¡¯ve already figured it out.¡± ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding. There¡¯s no way I can use Lady Aria.¡± ¡°Because you swore allegiance to Garcia. Garcia will need a siren.¡± Aria asked, recalling the memories from her previous life. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Pope ask you to bring me?¡± An area that could never be reached even with the Pope¡¯s divine power. That was the Siren¡¯s ability to heal. Because she could bring a person from the brink of death back to life if they heard her song. She wondered if that was what they wanted. ¡®Or maybe they¡¯ve noticed that God¡¯s goodwill is embedded in my abilities¡­¡­.¡¯ When Aria threw a sharp look at him full of wariness. ¡°You must have been through a lot of things where your abilities were exploited.¡± Gabriel said, looking at her with pity. It wasn¡¯t until Aria heard that that she looked straight into Gabriel¡¯s face. She remembered clearly the face she had seen in her previous life. At that time, Gabriel looked at Aria as the leader of all evil who must be punished. But now¡­¡­. ¡°Your person.¡± Gabriel bowed his head. He pressed his lips against the back of Aria¡¯s hand and whispered. ¡°I will do that for you.¡± And Gabriel, who raised his head, had a terribly desperate face. ¡°Lady Aria is the reason I swore allegiance to the Pope.¡± Hearing those words, Aria was taken aback. In his golden eyes, which shone more brilliantly than before, old emotions that he may have been harboring for some time zed. A feeling that seemed closer to hatred than love, that seems to have rotted and festered. ¡°Ha.¡± Aria had nothing more to say. Although she vaguely noticed since before that he was looking at her with a gaze vivid with longing¡­¡­. Now his eyes were so tant that she couldn¡¯t ignore them. So she drew a sharp line. ¡°I¡¯m married.¡± She was asking him if he wanted to do this to someone who has a husband now. However, Gabriel did not blink an eye and continued his words immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t care.¡± Aria said, trying to swallow her anger. ¡°I have a husband.¡± ¡°You cannot maintain a marriage with a family that does not exist in this world, Lady Aria.¡± What? Aria was stunned and opened her mouth. ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to get rid of Valentine?¡± ¡°As you have heard.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Since much earlier than you know.¡± ¡­¡­ I was crazy. He added, holding Aria¡¯s hand tightly. It seems that he had nothing to shy away from now. No matter how hard she tried to pull it off, he held on tight and wouldn¡¯t let go. Like he was afraid that she would be a mirage and disappear. ¡°I have no intention of letting you go where I can¡¯t see you again. Even if you hate me for the rest of your life¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Aria¡¯s head, which had been unable to function due to Gabriel¡¯s sudden action, began to return to reason btedly. ¡°I think you¡¯re really crazy.¡± And she stopped rejecting Gabriel unconditionally and looked at him. His condition was seriously strange. ¡°Have you been brainwashed?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look into my eyes. No matter how distracted I am, I won¡¯t make a choice like this.¡± Gabriel defends what he believes to be justice. It was like that in the previous life too. Gabriel believed that Garcia was on the side of justice, so he believed that it was right. So he willingly took on the role of the viin. But he¡¯d destroy everything to possess the person he wanted. ¡®It¡¯s a choice that doesn¡¯t look like Gabriel at all.¡¯ No matter how much a person changes, can their personality change? As Aria suddenly grabbed his cheek and tried to look at him around, Gabriel¡¯s eyes shook slightly for a split second. ¡°Because I¡¯m like this¡­¡± And he whispered in a lower voice. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t give up on you.¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Aria frowned. And she sighed and said. ¡°I regretted doing you half-hearted kindness.¡± Should she let go of his hand at all? Or, to not let go at all. ¡®I should have done that.¡¯ But what can she do when it¡¯s already way toote. Besides, she couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on with everyone in this situation. So she had no choice but to follow her intuition. ¡°It¡¯s not toote now. Please be considerate of it. Your kind words, actions, eyes, smile, everything¡­¡± Gabriel whispered dangerous words. Then, a dark aura fell over his eyes. However, Aria was preupied with checking Gabriel¡¯s condition, no matter what he said. ¡°Keep your back down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Gabriel, who blinked with a dazed face, bent down as if possessed by something. Aria looked behind his earlobe. Then, ignoring the knight¡¯s body turning stiff, she examined his exposed body here and there. At one point, Aria¡¯s gaze reached the nape of his neck, revealed beneath the cor of his pdin uniform. At first nce, it seemed that she had seen a ck pattern. ¡°Did you know what was in the back of your neck?¡± Gabriel rubbed the nape of his neck with the palm of her hand, blinking slowly. His pale skin turned red, unable to hide his emotions. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Check it.¡± ¡°Does it matter now?¡± Gabriel looked perplexed. It was because he expected that Aria would hate him extremely, resent him, and even pour out abusive words. Well, it seemed that way just a few minutes ago¡­¡­. He regained hisposure in an instant and was only concerned with what was on the nape of his neck. ¡°Are you the one who stopped Carlin from casting spells?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look. You don¡¯t intend to tell me anything right now anyway.¡± Then what can she do? Right now, she can never defeat him with power or ability. Then it was right to do what she could for now. ¡®And at least I know that Lloyd is safe.¡¯ If Lloyd¡¯s body, which harbors ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯, disappears, this world will perish. Knowing that, she was able to act so calmly. ¡°Check it out quickly.¡± Aria told him with unbelievable force that she was the one who had been kidnapped. Gabriel opened a few buttons on his uniform that were fastened to the top of his neck, and examined the nape of his neck through the mirror. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As expected¡­¡­.¡± At that moment, Gabriel and Aria reacted simultaneously. They met eyes for an instant. Aria muttered that without realizing it because the pattern on the nape of his neck was the same as the pattern on the Siren¡¯s ear lobe. Gabriel is¡­¡­. ¡°You look like you know what it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know it was in your body.¡± Gabriel reacted unknowingly, as Aria immediately saw through his thoughts. He closed his mouth and averted her gaze. ¡°Ugh!¡± At the same time, he grabbed his forehead and groaned from an unknown headache. He has been getting so many headachestely that he is used to it now. ¡°Commander!¡± It was then. Someone presumed to be a member of the knights urgently called Gabriel from outside the door. ¡°I think you should see it.¡± Gabriel nced at Aria and opened the door, holding his forehead. He opened only a little gap so that they could have a conversation. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Duke Angelo, who had been silent until now, hase forward himself.¡± The knight whispered as low as possible, but unfortunately Aria heard everything he said. ¡®Fortunately, the n went ahead.¡¯ Lloyd had a reason to convince her to go to the Angelo family. It was because all the evidence of Garcia¡¯s evil deeds had already passed into their hands. Aria had nned a move with the Angelo family in advance. The moment Valentine sends someone, they would immediately go ahead with the n. But if they suddenly lose contact, immediately explode the evidence they have been gathering. Gabriel was silent for a while. Still clutching his throbbing forehead, he whispered in a low, subdued voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t you take care of it earlier?¡± ¡°As you know, there wasn¡¯t enough justification to get rid of the Angelo family.¡± It took time because they were an upright family with no dust or speck. The knight whispered in a troubled voice. ¡®I thought so, so I asked the Angelo family.¡¯, Aria thought. After all, the reason she decided to join the Angelo family in the first ce was because they were wless and transparent. That it was a hard time to put a false name on them. And Aria¡¯s choice was right. ¡°¡¯That person¡¯ ordered the Commander. To immediately, bring the Grand Princess to the square in front of the temple.¡± Hearing those words, Gabriel¡¯s face, which had been holding his forehead, suddenly became stern. ¡°Lady Aria wasn¡¯t supposed to ever step forward?¡± Then, as if the knight knew in advance that Gabriel would react like that, he calmly conveyed more words. ¡°That person said that if you take care of this, everything will go as you wish. Tnd there will be nothing to take it from your hands for the rest of your life.¡± At that moment, Gabriel let out a low moan with an ¡®Ugh¡¯. Perhaps his headache was getting worse. Soon after, he lifted his head and muttered with slightly hazy eyes. ¡°For the rest of my life, in my hands¡­¡± Aria stood behind him, narrowing her eyes. She had seen the ck pattern on the nape of Gabriel¡¯s neck turn red in an instant. ¡°Lady Aria, this is all for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The blurry eyes returned to normal. But unlike before, when he seemed to have regained his sanity a bit, he started to soundpletely insane. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand.¡± After all, you will stay by my side. Gabriel muttered that and gave a faint smile. ¡®I¡¯m used to it¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria looked down at her ankles without words. The power-controlling shackles on her ankles rattled as she walked. The ce where she was walking on right now was definitely the pure white hallway of the temple, but it seemed to ovep with the entirely golden pce hallway. ¡®As expected, this ce was a temple.¡¯ The Great Temple of the Fa Branch. There was a reason Gabriel stopped Aria from opening the curtains. If she had opened the curtains and looked out, she would have known right away that this was a temple. ¡®Then, Carlin and Winter should be somewhere here?¡¯ Aria kept an eye on her surroundings as she was being dragged by the pdins. Before long, she was able to reach the square. And. ¡°Fellow believers.¡± A familiar voice came. Even if it¡¯s just one word, she can figure out the other person in an instant. ¡®¡­¡­ Veronica!¡¯ Aria hastily raised her head. Veronica stood with her back to Aria. There were so many people in the square that it was hard to believe. ¡°Suddenly, I received very heartbreaking news.¡± Veronica was facing the square, with her arms outstretched towards the congregation. Like a priest preaching doctrine. It was a scene that made Aria feel deja vu, as if she had seen it somewhere. ¡°It is news that those who misinterpret the will of God are ndering the Holy Empire.¡± Veronica was wearing the splendid dress of a cardinal. Her golden hair, which seemed to have absorbed the sun, fluttered in the wind, holding a brilliant light. ¡°Nobles of the Fa Empire. Those who are said to be of noble blood and are well-liked by generations. Among them, the imperial family. Those who call themselves descendants of God.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are they so easily seduced?¡± When the crowd was agitated, she went on with her words softly, then raised her voice to the fullest. ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re not saved!¡± When Aria heard that Veronica was missing, she was sure Veronica was alive. She thought Veronica would be alive and running away from her pursuit, but she didn¡¯t know that she would still be active in the heart of Garcia. ¡®How on earth can you stand up in front of that crowd?¡¯ She must havepletely lost the trust of her followers, including Garcia, due to the gue incident. ¡®I know she almost got the death penalty. She suddenly disappeared overnight, so she could not be punished¡­¡­.¡¯ But how? What happened? ¡®Did the ¡®that person¡¯ the knight meant was Veronica?¡¯ What was she thinking to bring Aria into this ce? Aria couldn¡¯t hide her confusion and she was dragged in front of the square. ¡°Ariadne Valentine.¡± Veronica, who had her back turned, turned her head towards Aria. ¡°No, Ariadne Cortez.¡± While calling Aria¡¯s real name. ¡°She is the hidden daughter of Cortez, and the leader of the Sirens.¡± A legendary monster was hiding in Valentine¡¯s estate. Her deration, mixed with sadness, made the audience tremble. ¡°Poisoned by the siren¡¯s song, most of the officials in the imperial pce went mad. Not only the Emperor, but even the Princess¡­¡± She paused for a moment, then spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°That¡¯s why the Princess murdered the Emperor. She broke thews of heaven because of a monster.¡± Seeing the teardrops on the Saint¡¯s eyes, the believers gathered in the square were agitated. ¡°Poorly, those who were not saved easily fell for the devil¡¯s subordinate, the siren¡¯s temptation.¡± After saying that, Veronica stretched out her arm towards Aria. And she very readily undid the shackles from Aria¡¯s ankles. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Aria wondered if Veronica had set another barrier as she took Aria¡¯s shackles off. But turns out that wasn¡¯t the case. Veronica literally set Aria free. ¡®What kind of n is this?¡¯ Aria was left to wonder. ¡®Or do you want me to at least use my abilities in this ce?¡¯ Unlocking the shackles means that her Siren ability was unlocked too, so what would Veronica do¡­. Aria thought she should prove that she is a Siren by singing a song right now. ¡®But if that happens, it will prove the nonsense rumors that the Siren¡¯s song drives people mad.¡¯ Didn¡¯t Veronica just say it with her own mouth? Aria is the devil¡¯s subordinate and the leader of the Siren. Aria was confident. If there were no disturbances around, she could inspire all who gathered in this square with her song alone. It wasn¡¯t just arrogance. ¡®Did she underestimate me?¡¯ She nced Veronica up and down, narrowing her eyes. Then, at this moment, Veronica¡¯s eyes met Aria¡¯s for the first time. Aria got startled. Veronica¡¯s eyes, which used to be closer to light brown, were visibly white. ¡®That¡¯s beyond the golden color¡­¡­.¡¯ It¡¯s the color of lemon. No, the pupil¡¯s color was so light and bright that it looked almost white. The boundary with the whites of the eyes got blurry. At first nce, it looks like a white fog has formed in the eyes¡­¡­. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Aria saw this somewhere. For a moment, she was terrified and got goosebumps. A sh of realization shed through her mind. ¡®Eyes like Lloyd¡¯s.¡¯ To be exact, it was the same eyes as the Valentine¡¯s family. She was able to notice it at once without thinking deeply because she saw it every day. Lloyd¡¯s eyes, which were so ck that she couldn¡¯t see his pupils, turned into faded gray eyes. Veronica¡¯s eyes, which had been golden, had turned into lemon-colored eyes, as though her eyes were fogged. ¡®Then what does that mean¡­¡­.¡¯ Her blood seemed to run cold in an instant. Did Veronica realize Aria¡¯s agitation? She smiled. ¡°There is yet another proof that Grand Duchess Valentine is the devil¡¯s subordinate.¡± At that moment, Carlin was dragged out from backstage. Unlike Aria, he was tied up all over his body and even had a gag. ¡°This is a shaman.¡± ¡°Shaman¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As you already know, if the power borrowed from God is divine power, then the power borrowed from the devil is magic.¡± ¡°Uhp!¡± Carlin twisted his body and tried to resist, but was beaten roughly by the knight and was rendered incapacitated. There was no way that a shaman who had been using magic like his limbs could physically beat a knight. ¡°This person has dedicated his life to working for Valentine, even attempting to steal the Siren away.¡± Said Veronica, cing her hand on her chest, expressing a sincere regret. ¡°So, how can she not be the devil¡¯s subordinate?¡± And Veronica trampled on Carlin¡¯s hand. When Aria saw the sight, she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¡°Do you know thend where the lemon-trees grow,¡± Aria gritted her teeth and began the song of healing. The sound of her singing, which had been small, began to spread slowly through the square like ripples. ¡°It¡¯s the song of the monster!¡± ¡°Damn it, everyone cover your ears!¡± The people who were fooled and frightened by Veronica¡¯s instigation shuddered and plugged their ears. But instead of attacking the frightened people, Aria¡¯s song only embraced them as tenderly as a gentle tone. ¡°¡­¡­uh?¡± A man who had plugged his ears looked down at his hands. The wounds he had suffered quite deeply from getting caught up in an unwanted fight a few days ago were healing rapidly. The other believers also saw their wounds and scars recovering without being able to hide their surprise. Of course, even Carlin, who had been unconscious for a while, opened his eyes. At that moment. ¡°Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to make an announcement.¡± Veronica dered as if she had waited for Aria to began to sing her song. ¡°That I have inherited the power of God.¡± For an instant, the people in the audience fell silent at the same time. Like they don¡¯t know what to say. Most of them looked suspicious and couldn¡¯t believe their ears. How dare a mere servant of God speak of the power of God. It was nonsense. But unbelievably. ¡°I am God¡¯s agent who will set this Fa Empire right.¡± As she stretched out her hand into the air. God¡¯s ¡®miracle¡¯ iparable to what happened just a moment ago urred. ¡°My, my arm¡­!¡± The one who lost their arm grew a new one. ¡°My God! I can stand!¡± Even those who lost their legs in the war can stand up on the floor with their two legs intact. A person who could not open their eyes could suddenly see, and a person who waspletely ill suddenly regained their health. ¡®The Siren¡¯s healing ability to revive people on the brink of death¡­¡­.¡¯ It was the Siren¡¯s unique ability. An ability that can never be acquired even with the divine power of the Pope. However, Veronica was using that power. In the blink of an eye for all these countless people at once. That wasn¡¯t all. As she moved her hand as if sweeping the air, all the bushes within the line of sight grew lush. Flowers bloomed Trees sprouted. Forest grew. ¡®The song of life.¡¯ It was like the effect of the song of life. In addition, it was several times more powerful. ¡°What, what is all this?¡± ¡°Is what I¡¯m seeing real?¡± The believers, who had been distracted for a while due to the endless miracles, btedly recognized the situation and were immersed in joy. ¡°God¡¯s agent!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that the Saint brought!¡± It was as Aria felt. Veronica was currently fully epting ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯ into her body. At one time, her divine power was so insignificant that even the Papal Pce rejected her. Of all the outrageous things that had happened to Aria so far, the most unbelievable had happened. ¡°What have you done?¡± Even Aria, who always maintains herposure, gritted her teeth this time and muttered in a much lowered voice. Then Veronica said, smiling brightly as if she couldn¡¯t be more happier. ¡°Thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°The more you ovee the crisis, the more strength you have, the more you live persistently, the more I gain the power that is closer to God.¡± She lowered her head and whispered in Aria¡¯s ear. It was all thanks to Aria that Veronica was able to acquire the divine power and finally ept God¡¯s goodwill into her body. ¡°You fulfilled your usefulness. So.¡± Now you¡¯re stuck in a cage. She let her voice, filled with only murderous intent and venom, flow into Aria¡¯s ear. ¡®I didn¡¯t think this will really work¡­¡­.¡¯ Hans. He was once a servant of the gutter rat, and was also the ace of the Kingdom of Bruto¡¯s secretboratory. And now, under the Pope¡¯s order, he was working as Veronica¡¯s exclusive wizard. Hans finished a very long project today. ¡®God¡¯s feelings, Shadra.¡¯ He finally seeded in injecting it into a living human body. ¡®¡­¡­ Why did I seed?¡¯ Even though he was in such a state. ¡®It was an impossible experiment in the first ce.¡¯ Hans was doing this together with Veronica, keeping it a secret from the Pope. He was certain that it would fail anyway, so he kept it a secret. But one day, Veronica suddenly had divine power. An endless one even. It had been a long time since an absolute amount of divine power that surpassed the Pope¡¯s appeared. ¡®I can¡¯t understand anything.¡¯ He continued to inject pieces of Shadra one by one, but there was no rejection at all. Even children with the cleanest and purest souls almost died due to rejection. ¡®Could she really have been chosen by God?¡¯ Even though he had such doubts. He doesn¡¯t know anymore¡­¡­. If that woman, who values human life no more than the life of insects and treats human emotions like chess pieces, was chosen by God. He wondered what it would be like to believe that he was the viin. ¡®I mean, being God is no big deal.¡¯ He stood alone at the back of the square, watching with mixed eyes as Veronica dered herself God¡¯s agent. ¡°This, this ungrateful woman¡­!¡± I saved you, so you repay my favor with the enemy? The Pope writhed and screamed his heart out. After Veronica proves she has divine powers, she immediately pulls down the Pope. ¡°Is anyone there?! If anyone catches that woman who dares to impersonate the name of God, I¡¯ll exonerate them!¡± Veronica said, looking at the out-of-shape ugliness very amusedly. ¡°Your Holiness.¡± And she stood before the Pope, who was dragged down like a dog from the throne. ¡°What is the measure of status in Garcia?¡± ¡°Uht.¡± ¡°It¡¯s divine power.¡± Veronica tilted her head and spoke again. ¡°But isn¡¯t it funny that you coveted the highest position with a modest divine power? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How dare you stand against me, who has the power of God.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Pope Ambrosio¡¯s face turned bright red, unable to withstand the burning anger. What is with the thief who stole everything he built? ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll be safe!¡± As Veronica said, the Pope was not a mere facade. He has that ability. Ambrosio raised all the divine power he possessed and poured it out on Veronica. As the huge energy rose and rushed like a wave, the chandelier struck by the divine power fell and was smashed. The floor cracked, and the building shook. ¡°As I said.¡± But Veronica raised her arm without batting an eye. She did just that. ¡°Before me, no, before God, you are worthless and meaningless.¡± As soon as she reached out her hand, the divine power disappeared without a trace. The Pope ended up getting dragged along, stunned. ¡°Lowly bug.¡± Veronica clicked her tongue briefly. However, her face, looking down at her palm, began to turn white in no time. ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Her hand started to get wrinkled and distorted like those of an old person. Veronica was taken aback and covered it with her other hand to hide it. As ¡®God¡¯s goodwill¡¯ was injected into the human body, the speed of decay elerated even more than before. Thanks to that, her body could not stand it and was copsing as it decayed. The more she uses God¡¯s power, the more it became¡­¡­. ¡°I must kill Grand Duke Valentine andpletely ept God¡¯s malice¡­¡± It is the only way to prevent decay. Veronica bit her lip and muttered the same thing over and over as if she had lost her mind. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡®No.¡¯ Veronica quickly regained herposure. ¡®I already expected that it would turn out like this.¡¯ What she was doing now was the process of epting the power of God. She was trying to be a God-like being with a human body, so she was fully prepared for this price. But even if sheforted herself, she couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious. The nervousness seemed to dry her throat. ¡®I don¡¯t even have time to rx.¡¯ She really didn¡¯t know that as soon as she used the power of God, she couldn¡¯t stand it for a day. The degradation proceeded rapidly. ¡®I can¡¯t evenst half a day at this rate.¡¯ It seemed as if the presence of God within her body reminded her every moment that her body was nothing more than an insignificant thing. To think that she could only be this much, this couldn¡¯t be. She looked like she was about to vomit from the displeasure. ¡®Valentine¡¯s family members went mad and died after being exposed to malice for a long time, but they carried God¡¯s malice in their bodies for at least ten years.¡¯ But for me, why? Why, what was so different about me? Veronica gnashed her teeth, eyes bloodshot with evil. She felt that if she didn¡¯t kill Grand Duke Valentine right away to take away God¡¯s malice, she would die in vain. ¡°What about the Grand Duke?¡± She immediately asked her subordinate. Veronica¡¯s subordinates, who had been brainwashed for quite a long time, were willing to give their life if it was her order. ¡°He responded sensitively to the sound, but waspletely unresponsive to light. He seemed to have lost his sight apparently.¡± That¡¯s a relief. Even that ¡®special¡¯ Grand Duke Valentine is a helpless human being after all? He, too, was helplessly copsing. He finally lost his eyesight. There has never been a more appropriate time than now. Veronica then felt her throat, which had been tight with tension, loosen. ¡°Guide me right now.¡± She ordered furiously. ¡°What you promised me.¡± It was then. Gabriel said, blocking Veronica¡¯s path with eyes half-crazy. ¡°Later.¡± ¡°Keep your promise now.¡± ¡°Really¡­ you are a trouble to the end.¡± Is it because of his innate divine power? Unlike her other subordinates, the sparse brainwashing didn¡¯t work well, so it troubled her. In her mind, she wanted to kill Gabriel by breaking his neck right away. ¡®But I can¡¯t.¡¯ Because Gabriel was a necessary existence. He had a role to y. After she safely epts God¡¯s malice into her body, he will be there to fulfill her ambition to be God who rules the entire world. Besides, Veronica and Gabriel¡¯s current interests were remarkably aligned. Right, the death of Grand Duke Valentine. ¡®At least there¡¯s not even a 1% chance that will interfere with me.¡¯ ¡°All right. Do whatever you want. The Grand Duchess is locked in a room. In a cage that canpletely block the Siren¡¯s abilities.¡± She waved her hand roughly like trying to clear away a pesky fly. ¡°Since His Holiness, ashamed of his lowly skills, stepped down from the throne with his own feet, now I have no choice but to dere the holy war myself.¡± Veronica said without batting an eye. To dere a holy war directly. That meant that she would ascend to the position of Pope herself. Then, perhaps her subordinates had waited, he approached Gabriel and bowed. At that moment, Gabriel saw. Looking over the cor of the priest who bowed his head politely, Gabriel saw the same pattern he had seen in the mirror engraved on that priest too. ¡°I will guide you.¡± Without looking back, Veronica led the rest of the men into an undergroundbyrinth. Gabriel stood still, lost in thought for a moment, looking at the blonde hair, which had lost its luster. For a long time. The undergroundbyrinth. Abyrinth that one can never get out of once they step into it. Even among those who worked at the Great Temple of Fa, it was a space that only a few knew. ¡°Hurry up. Quickly!¡± Veronica feared that her body would copse at once and she would die, so she could not use divine power. All she could do right now was to harass her subordinates with all the threats. And she finally arrived. ¡®Grand Duke Valentine!¡¯ In front of Lloyd. ¡°Are you a little more aware of the situation now?¡± Veronica said as she approached Lloyd, who stood leaning against the wall. She pretended to be rxed, but she was shaking as she was losing her mind with nervousness. Lloyd closed his eyes, and didn¡¯t answer. ¡°As soon as you use the divine power you have, you will die without being able to endure the corruption.¡± It was the reason Lloyd was caught. As soon as he arrived at the imperial pce, he drew God¡¯s malice with the thought of overturning everything within a single day. But he couldn¡¯t put it into practice. Immediately, one of his eyes went blind. ¡®It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t subdue them even though I was blind¡­¡­.¡¯ He instinctively felt that if he used the power of God more than this, he would die. ¡°You must be in the same situation.¡± ¡°Then kill me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. The world will perish.¡± Of course, even Veronica can¡¯t kill Lloyd right away. There was only one way to bring out God¡¯s malice that was harbored in Lloyd¡¯s body. Before she could kill him, she had to transfer his powers into her own body. She will be able to kill him after that. ¡°Hans!¡± With Veronica¡¯s call, the wizard stepped forward. ¡°Extract the malice and inject it into me!¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡­.¡± However, Hans was only making an expression as if he had chewed a bitter fruit. He seems to have been oblivious to Veronica¡¯s obsession with power, but a part of his heart was uneasy. ¡®Why are you so calm?¡¯ Of course, it was to no avail if Lloyd rebelled now. Rather, the more he used the power of God, the more he was simply asking to die together. ¡®But he would have been able to resist even without using the power of God?¡¯ Hans, a native of the gutter, knew it well. The gutter people once regarded Valentines as rivals. The gutter rat, the master of the gutter, used to curse at Valentine whenever he had a chance. So, listening to it every day, Hand could automatically understand the temper of the Valentine family. ¡®In the first ce, he heard that their innate body itself far surpassed that of humans, and that its strength was formidable. And even if their body is broken or shattered, they are crazy people who will rush and attack¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡°Those devil bastards will never give up even if God descends right in front of them. But what happens when those bastards are strangely obedient? That means they¡¯re preparing to fool you.¡± Why do the words that the gutter rat had said with a trembling mind resurfaced right now and does not leave Hans¡¯ mind? ¡®In the first ce, the gutter rat was fooled by Grand Duke Valentine and died, just as he said.¡¯ Hans thought for a while before saying. ¡°This man¡­ can you put him to sleep?¡± However, Veronica¡¯s subordinate, who was standing next to him with an expressionless face, answered. ¡°The drug doesn¡¯t work on him.¡± ¡°I heard that there is an anesthetic that can put brown bears to sleep in seconds¡­¡± ¡°We already tried to put the brown bear to sleep.¡± It means it was already used. ¡°Well, then, there is also a drug that can put a person into aa with just one injection¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all gone.¡± Is this person a monster? ¡®Is he in this current state after being injected with so much drug that they ran out of it?¡¯ Lloyd looked like something more than a brown bear. Hans hesitated. It was because he felt like the moment he touched Lloyd, Lloyd would tear himself apart like prey. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Do you want to die? Veronica muttered bloodily, her venomous eyes widening. ¡°You were obedient so I let you go. Do you want to be brainwashed with ¡®that power¡¯ too?¡± Then Lloyd¡¯s gaze briefly turned to Hans. Lloyd¡¯s eyelids closed, but he was looking straight in the direction of the sound. ¡°Try it.¡± Lloyd crossed his arms and raised his tightly closed lips at an angle. Hans wanted to use the movement magic to get out of this ce immediately. But, judging by the circumstances, he could never escape. ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ If you die, you die! Threatened by threats from both sides, he eventually reached out to Lloyd. As soon as he touched Lloyd¡¯s hand, he thought he would show his power immediately, but Lloyd still did not show much resistance. ¡°Would you like to draw some blood?¡± Are you going to stand still? In any case, Lloyd doesn¡¯t seem to want to run away. Feeling a bit morefortable, Hans took out the equipment he had be ustomed to through experiments. And after carving a magic circle on the floor, he ced natural rocks in every corner. And he filled the magic circle with Lloyd¡¯s blood and Veronica¡¯s blood. ¡®Damn it! I don¡¯t know what will happen!¡¯ He closed his eyes and chanted a magic spell. He broke out in a cold sweat from the tension. And, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, nothing happened. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 ¡°Ugh.¡± It was then. Veronica let out a low moan and cupped one side of her face. Then she murmured in a voice that was distinctly different from the first one, a voice so low it was scratching the floor. ¡°What are you doing, do it right.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± I think I did it right. Hans thought something had gotten tangled up in the middle of the incantation and repeated the spell, but still nothing happened. ¡®I wrote down the spells urately¡­¡­.¡¯ It should either seed or fail, but nothing happens. The spell itself is not working at all? ¡®Maybe God¡¯s malice can really only be handled by Valentine, so it¡¯s impossible to transfer it to someone else¡¯s body¡­¡­.¡¯ But to say that, there was a time when he tried to temporarily transfer the malice to the gutter rat. Of course, the gutter rat melted away as soon as the malice touched him. That means it¡¯s not impossible to move it. So, if he had to put the current situation in words. ¡°It seems that goodwill and malice will never mix¡­ They are separate like water and oil, and they do not even try to enter the saint.¡± ¡°What crazy nonsense! The feelings were originally in one body!¡± What was originally one has been divided into two. They were just going to be ced back together. So to say they don¡¯t want to mix? ¡°No, even if you scold me¡­¡± What can he do, if it doesn¡¯t want to work in the first ce? Hans felt the situation was unfair, but Veronica was also taken aback. She hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that it would be impossible to transfer God¡¯s malice at all. ¡°Bring a stronger spell!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s beyond my ability. It¡¯s already exceeded the range I can handle.¡± Hans replied sternly. It was close to a miracle that he had already fully instilled God¡¯s goodwill into Veronica. Now, it has left his hands. ¡°Ha!¡± With that word, Veronica, who was trembling with her head bowed down, lowered her hand from her cupped cheek. And when her face was finally revealed, Hans could only gasp for a moment. It was because Veronica¡¯s face was terribly distorted, like her skin had melted. ¡°You worthless bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Kuuhk!¡± Veronica waved her arm without hesitation. Then, the enormous power she wielded burst out in an explosion. With no time to fight, Hans was thrown hard against the wall of thebyrinth. The wall copsed in an instant. Trapped under the rubble of a huge stone wall, Hans couldn¡¯t even make the slightest movement. It was unknown whether he was alive or dead. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡­.¡± Veronica stumbled with a rough breath. Then, her subordinates who were waiting around her hurriedly helped her. There was no agitation at all towards her face which had turned ugly. They had half lost their own will. Of course for Lloyd, having gone blind in both of eyes, he had no idea that one side of Veronica¡¯s face was melting. ¡°You¡¯re very impatient.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± In front of Veronica, who suddenly swore, Lloyd just smiled leisurely. Like he knew from the start that it would be like this. ¡°¡­¡­you know how, do you?¡± Veronica shook off her subordinates¡¯ hands and staggered over to stand in front of Lloyd. ¡°You must know how to bridge God¡¯s goodwill and malice.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Veronica bit her nails. Threat? There is no way it will work. For now, there was no choice but topromise with each other. ¡°Alright, you do know. If we keep going like this, we¡¯re both going to die anyway. Let¡¯s just have our fair share of goodwill and malice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about we be Fa¡¯s Valentine and Garcia¡¯s Papal Pce, as we always have been?¡± Veronica¡¯s original n to be a god by epting all of the malice and goodwill went awry. The n was unfeasible. But even if it did, she wasn¡¯tpletely at a loss. She somehow got the power of God. With that power she was able to bring down the pope, and Garcia was now in her grasp. ¡®Now I¡¯m just taking a step back. For bigger things.¡¯ She was not giving up. Veronica has lived only for this moment. She sneaks into the Battenberg family and constantly persuades and brainwashed the family head. She whispered that only him could make her a true god. That only she could make him the Emperor. Just like with Gabriel, she didn¡¯t even have to use her powers. It was only in an instant that Duke Battenberg, who had ambitions in the first ce, fell for Veronica¡¯s tricks. ¡®If you squeeze a few tears with a nice face, you will quickly gain sympathy. Like an idiot, believing that the only person who can save me is him.¡¯ In that sense, as her face was now distorted was a huge blow to her future ns. ¡®I have to be perfect.¡¯ To be a god, she must be an idol that transcends humans. From her abilities to her appearance, personality, and intelligence. All aspects should be overwhelmingly excellent, so that no one would dare to surpass her. So now she has no choice but to say this. ¡°Of course, I can guarantee the lives of everyone involved with the Valentine family. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a bad suggestion?¡± So if Lloyd knows how to connect goodwill and malice, he should speak up now. Despite Veronica¡¯s earnest persuasion, Lloyd remained silent and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall. It seemed like he waspletely ignoring her and turning away. It made Veronica just grow more and more nervous. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious what I did to your wife?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I handed her over to my knight, but I don¡¯t know what would have happened by now.¡± Only then did Lloyd react. He stretched out his hand precisely towards Veronica. Several of her subordinates stood in the way, but Lloyd pierced them through. ¡°Now I can¡¯t see anything, so I can¡¯t control my strength at all.¡± His eyes werepletely open. He had lost all his sight, and his blurred eyes looked dry. There was no glimpse of the passionate anger. As if it wasn¡¯t even worth it. ¡°I wasted a lot of time trying to control my power from before¡­¡± Lloyd murmured in a world where he could see nothing but total darkness. And he blinked his eyes slowly, thennguidly lowered them and spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it turned out this way before I got used to the feeling of being blind.¡± After shaking off the blood and chunks from his hands, he dealt with the priests and knights one by one. With no sword and no sight, he moved only with his hands and senses. Because of that, he had to be more brutal with his hands than usual. Veronica flinched and stepped back. Lloyd drew closer to her, who was holding her breath. ¡°What is yourst will?¡± ¡°You know what will happen if you kill me!¡± ¡°There are many ways to make sure you never wake up without taking your life.¡± Before she knew it, thest remaining subordinate had copsed. The road to hell spreads out in the undergroundbyrinth where one can never escape once they step in. ¡®Damn, I never thought to use this trick, but¡­¡­.¡¯ Thest bastion. But now there was no way. Quickly stepping back, Veronica swiftly drew a dagger from her chest and slit her wrist. ¡°Kugh!¡± Long solid red line was dripping with blood. The dagger vibrated with a low hum in response to the drops of her blood. A bright red pattern appeared on the de that had absorbed her blood. It was like the mark on the false siren¡¯s ear lobe, and the very one that gave off the unpleasant aura that had pursued Aria. It was also the pattern on the nape of Gabriel¡¯s neck and the subordinates that Veronica had been leading. Finally¡­¡­. [¡°What is the matter, Contractor?¡±] A ck figure appeared. A grotesque figure with two bird heads attached to a human body. Veronica said hastily to the giant human bird. ¡°Make a contract with me.¡± [¡°The contract is already in progress.¡±] ¡°I want an additional contract!¡± The bird head tilted as she spoke impatiently. [¡°I will listen.¡±] ¡°Lend me your malice.¡± [¡°Hoo. My malice?¡±] It¡¯s been a long time since the figure has been such a greedy person. The figure stopped mumbling and burst intoughter. [¡°Do you understand the meaning of what you are saying? You¡¯re going to ept this Mammon¡¯s malice?¡±] Mammon. The Devil of Greed. He whispered in a funny way, but Veronica didn¡¯t bat an eye. As she was using God¡¯s feelings at will, there was no way for her to fall for the devil¡¯s trivial threats. [¡°Are you trying to be a Devil God?¡±] Devil God. Lloyd stopped what he was doing and raised his head in the direction of the voice. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Make me a Devil God.¡± Veronica made a grotesque expression, groping her own face with her hands, unknown whether she was smiling or not. [¡°That¡¯s a pretty novel wish.¡±] Mammon murmured as he ran his finger under his beak. [¡°Then what is the price?¡±] ¡°The remaining half of God¡¯s feelings.¡± She replied, pointing her finger at Lloyd. Exchanging ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯ that Valentine had carried for generations and the ¡®Devil¡¯s malice¡¯. ¡°Take that human to hell.¡± oohh so we finally find out the reason for veronica¡¯s sudden change!! Chapter 199 Chapter 199 A familiar ce. A familiar cage. ¡®Can¡¯t say I¡¯mpletely used to it.¡¯ Because it was not the imperial pce, but the Great Temple. Aria groped her ankle. The shackles, starting from her ankles and continued for long, vividly evoked memories of her unwanted past. At that moment. The door opened and a man entered the room. It was Gabriel. ¡®In the end, the only thing that has changed from the past is that the Emperor has changed to Gabriel.¡¯ It reminded her of Carlin¡¯s words that the newly appliedw would strangle her at a greater price. Aria raised her head. And she had her eyes on Gabriel, who was getting closer and closer to her. Certainly, from an objective point of view, Gabriel was so much stronger that he was iparable to the Emperor. ¡°What do you want now?¡± He wanted to possess her, so he must have a purpose. Aria said with an expressionless face. ¡°Do you want me to sing a song?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The song won¡¯t have any effect, though.¡± However, Gabriel¡¯s expression changed slightly at her calm question. He said, slightly furrowing his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say I didn¡¯t have to understand?¡± There was no way he would have done this to be understood in the first ce. Gabriel would have known that Aria would act like this. ¡°What you¡¯ve done is beyond my patience.¡± ¡°I¡­. know.¡± Does he really know? ¡°Then why are you looking at me like that?¡± Although Gabriel maintained hisposure on his face, his helplessly swaying eyes revealed his agitation. Aria sighed. Even though she knew Gabriel was brainwashed, she found it difficult to contain her anger. ¡°Right, then at least you can tell the whole story about it for now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­If Lady Aria wants it.¡± Did he think that if Aria knew a few more facts in the situation that was already on the verge of catastrophe, nothing would change? ¡°Anything, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Gabriel agonized, but eventually knelt in front of Aria obediently. His image ovepped with the Emperor¡¯s figure when he begged Aria to sing. ¡°That pattern, what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Devil¡¯s mark.¡± Devil? Aria froze for a moment hearing the unexpected words. Did the devil really exist? Although she wondered what a big deal it is that there is a devil in the ce where God exists. ¡®How far are you going to fall?¡¯ Could it be that they even borrowed the devil¡¯s power? Her head was all pounding. ¡°Did the devil and Saint Veronica make a contract?¡± ¡°As you can guess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Carlin was effortlessly taken.¡± ¡°In the first ce, magic is energy derived from the devil. It is useless in front of a real devil.¡± ¡°Then did you borrow the power of the devil to nullify the effect of the spell?¡± Gabriel nodded his head obediently in an affirmation. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there would be patterns on my neck or other priests¡¯ necks¡­ Of course, I could have guessed, but my judgment got clouded. Or it seems like my memory is interrupted frequently with headaches¡­¡± Gabriel frowned even as he said that. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. ¡°Why did Angel do that then?¡± ¡°An angel is a servant of God. I¡¯ve heard that if God doesn¡¯t exist, angels can¡¯t use their power, no matter how strong they are.¡± ¡°Then, how can you get rid of that pattern?¡± Gabriel widened his eyes, not expecting to hear such a thing. However, Gabriel immediately lowered his head and muttered in a voice full of resignation. ¡°It is impossible until the contract is over.¡± No, there must be a loophole. ¡®He said it was the devil.¡¯ A contract with the devil cannot be normal. There might be some kind of unfair use hiding there. As she was thinking about those things¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have told you in advance that it wouldn¡¯t work anyway¡­¡± She btedly recognized his words in her head. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work anyway?¡± ¡°Yes, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I can never disobey the saint.¡± Her. Aria couldn¡¯t help butugh at the absurdity. ¡°I thought it was ridiculous at first too.¡± But he saw firsthand how Veronica had changed. On several asions too. ¡°As you told me to ovee the crisis and be stronger, she became stronger and stronger. Endlessly¡­¡± Gabriel looked at Aria in the cage and pped his lips with a thoughtful face. However, his expression changed from moment to moment. ¡°It¡¯s best for Lady Aria to stay here.¡± ¡°Best to be kept in a cage?¡± ¡°Even if you try to escape from this ce on your own, it¡¯s useless. I¡¯m sure the saint will be stronger.¡± Maybe she will get the full power of God and there will be no one to stand against her. Gabriel muttered further. It seemed that he really believed that it would happen, not because he wanted it to be so. ¡°So you locked me up?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention, but I¡¯m saying this because I think you¡¯d be better off staying there.¡± As he briefly mentioned earlier, if Aria ovees this difficulty, Veronica will be stronger. If Veronica bes stronger than now when she has God¡¯s goodwill in her body¡­¡­ Well. Will there be anyone to oppose her? ¡®Veronica must have been like that.¡¯ It was thanks to Aria that Veronica was able to acquire divine power and ept God¡¯s goodwill into her body. No matter how hard Aria tries, she will just meet the same fate in the end. ¡®It¡¯s something I¡¯ve been hearing since I turned back time.¡¯ I will carve out my own destiny. If I can¡¯t change the future, I¡¯ll get over the bigger hurdles somehow. Even as she said that she would rather pay the price, she thought to herself. What if I really can¡¯t change it? However, the end of that worry was always the same conclusion. ¡°I knew that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­you knew?¡± ¡°Ten years ago.¡± Then Gabriel looked dazed. Ten years ago, Aria was only ten years old. ¡°I had a rough idea of what the future was going to bring. So I tried to correct it, and I was constantly warned. Exactly like what you just said.¡± Does she know what the future holds? Gabriel had a hard time fully understanding her words, but he didn¡¯t ask for details. He just replied. ¡°Is this the result?¡± Aria was unfazed when he made a point that struck her to the core. ¡°Yes. I changed the future, and this is what happened.¡± ¡°Then your choice is wrong.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°This is not the end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end.¡± ¡°No, the end hadn¡¯t happened.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know what¡¯s going to happen in the future. But isn¡¯t it obvious what will happen in the future?¡± Even if it looks like Aria can deal with Veronica now, the moment Aria ovees her difficulties, Veronica will gain more strength. ¡°It may look like the worst situation in your eyes, but at least it¡¯s not to me.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°I saved many precious people who should have died in the future I knew.¡± ¡°Even if it caused the devil to get involved in this world, and you¡¯re like this now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even when Aria wasn¡¯t involved, God¡¯s goodwill and malice were getting more and more contaminated. The world was gradually copsing. After all, it was the end. The future was foreseen from the moment God lost all the feelings and was broken. ¡°Remember? You decided to grant me one wish.¡± If they meet again someday. No matter what situation they find themselves in, please grant one wish. As Aria said, she pulled the ne from her chest. She put it in Gabriel¡¯s hand. Gabriel was silently looking down at the ne he had once given to Aria. ¡°I said I regret being half-heartedly kind to you, but I don¡¯t think I will regret leaving the note that day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me regret it.¡± Gabriel slowly raised his head. You¡¯re right. So, don¡¯t doubt the path you walk. Even though it was a word he heard through Veronica¡¯s mouth, that word was still strongly imprinted in his mind. ¡°¡­¡­Are you saying that even now, after being put through this?¡± His face, which had been struggling to maintain an expressionless face, copsed terribly. He thought it was useless no matter what she said. He was aware that he had gone the wrong way for a long time. ¡°Angel.¡± Then Aria called him in a calm voice. ¡°I knew what was going to happen in the future, but when I first saw you, I said it purely for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to extremes just because you¡¯ve made a few bad choices.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You put on the wrong button from the start, but you can stop now.¡± Aria believed. It¡¯s not toote for Gabriel to give up his obsession with her and start living his life. Then, the dream of the young boy who wanted to change the world a little bit better woulde true. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how to stop now.¡± Aria made precise eye contact with the golden eyes and spoke in a strong voice that did not waver at all. ¡°So, release me.¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 ¡°This is all I can help you with.¡± Gabriel, who was still sweating, touched his forehead and muttered while covering the nape of his neck with his palm. ¡°If I actively help you, the devil¡¯s mark will activate again and I will be brainwashed.¡± If that happened, he would hold on to Aria¡¯s ankle again. iIth Gabriel¡¯s words, Aria answered without looking back. ¡°It¡¯s enough. This is the end.¡± As if topletely sever their rtionship. It sounded like she would never see him again. ¡°The cage is open, so fly anywhere.¡± Aria left with only those words. It was a strange statement, as if Gabriel, not her, who had been imprisoned in a cage and was finally freed. Gabriel, who stood for a while in the empty room where Aria had left, replied slowly. ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Aria ran. The moment she arrived at the undergroundbyrinth Gabriel had told her about, she was lost for a moment about where to go. Soon she was able to orient himself. ¡®Sounds of conversation.¡¯ She could hear the sound of loud talking. Not only that, but there was also the sound of something breaking, copsing, and piercing all at once. She ran aimlessly in the direction of the sound. And when she finally arrives¡­¡­. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came this far.¡± There was Veronica, smiling contentedly with a clean face. One side of her face, which had been horribly melted just before, was clean with no trace of distortion. ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t fully consider the possibility of this happening.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Gabriel tell you that when youe here, I¡¯ll be stronger than before?¡± Veronica muttered in a heartfelt voice. ¡°Thank you, but stepping out for justice is only possible when you have the strength to stand against me. At this point, you¡¯re no longer brave, you¡¯re just stupid and foolish.¡± But Aria was no longer paying attention to whatever Veronica was talking about. Because in front of Veronica, there was Lloyd, whose body was drooping like a corpse. ¡°¡­ Lloyd?¡± Is it a dream? Or did she just see a fantasy? Lloyd¡¯s body was sitting against the wall, not even moving. Aria pursed her lips. ¡°Lloyd.¡± She called his name over and over again. She came over and knelt down on her knees. Veronica just watched the scene. Like she¡¯s doing because it¡¯s interesting to watch Aria. Aria dropped to her knees, holding Lloyd¡¯s shoulders tightly and holding him in her arms. ¡®He¡¯s not breathing.¡¯ No, it must be an illusion. Aria held Lloyd tighter and lowered her head with a pale face. She put her ear close to his face. She can¡¯t hear a breathing She ced her fingers on his neck. No pulse. Even the heart¡­¡­. His already white skin had turned pale and was gradually losing its warmth. ¡®No, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯ Aria thought as she held onto Lloyd¡¯s weak hand and shared her warmth. ¡®Blood doesn¡¯t even flow.¡¯ A person cannot die suddenly without showing any signs of injury. Yes, so he just passed out. ¡®He said he wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡¯ He was in so much pain that he passed out. Making an irrational decision, she sang the song of healing. She sang and sang again. If she does that, Lloyd, who haspletely stopped breathing, will open his eyes. ¡°Stop.¡± Veronica said, letting herugh slip away as she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Awakening Aria to the reality she has been ignoring, and trampling on her. ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead. How can he be dead when he looked like he was asleep¡­¡± ¡°I sold him to the devil.¡± Throwing her into the mud. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I sold Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s soul to the devil.¡± Aria slowly raised her head. Unlike her pitiful dripping tears, her eyes were deeply sunken as if they contained hell. ¡°God¡¯s malice harbored by the Grand Duke¡¯s soul must be crossing hell by now.¡± Veronica was able tough heartily. It was thanks to all the troublesome things getting solved at once. ¡°If I can¡¯t get God¡¯s malice, it¡¯s right to get rid of it. It¡¯s also because I¡¯ve cleared the obstacles that will ruin my brilliant future.¡± Hell? Lloyd went to hell after getting his soul sold to the devil? If the soul had already left this world, it would have been right to consider him as dead, as Veronica had said. ¡®He¡¯s¡­¡­ dead.¡¯ It can¡¯t be. ¡°I certainly kept my promise to put you into Gabriel¡¯s hands. But now that you¡¯re here, that fool has released you from his cage.¡± Then. She raised lips. ¡°I can do what I want now.¡± Veronica wondered. When Aria faces a major crisis and ovees it, Veronica gains greater power into her hands. So what if Aria died and came back to life? ¡®What if she goes to the brink of death and then I heal her just before dying?¡¯ What if Aria repeats it endlessly? How much power does Veronica get? ¡°As expected, I should use you more.¡± The malice she had received from the devil was still unsteady, wriggling inside her. Veronica grabbed Aria¡¯s hair without hesitation. She kept Aria away from Lloyd. Aria didn¡¯t scream or moan, her eyes still fixed on Lloyd. Even though it was obvious that she couldn¡¯t reach him, she stretched out her arm toward him. Veronica was starting to get bored with that consistent response. So she raised the power of God and fired at Aria. ¡°¡­!¡± Until Aria looked at her. Wha-bang-! Until there is a change in Aria¡¯s facial expression. Weak human body. Veronica grabbed Aria by the cor as she became tattered in the blink of an eye, letting out a feeble breath and pulled her up. ¡°Now, be a good girl? It¡¯s time to get healed.¡± Veronica intended to show Aria to the priests before she died. At that moment. Aria pursed her lips. It was obvious that she was about to sing a song, so Veronicaughed at it outright. ¡°Huh, what can you do with the Siren¡¯s power?¡± But Aria, with empty eyes without focus, didn¡¯t care and started singing. She sang a song to the devil. ¡°Come, sweet death.¡± Veronica¡¯s face, who had tried tough at Aria, hardened. Aria¡¯s breathing, which had gradually faded throughout the song, soonpletely stopped. Mammon pretended to be nonchnt, but he was currently jumping for joy at the unexpected profit. ¡®God¡¯s malice!¡¯ It would have been better if it was God¡¯s goodwill, but he got a part of God anyway. When would that be? Will this opportunitye again in the next hundreds or thousands of years? ¡®Never.¡¯ Have any other devils ever had this kind of luck in their hands? ¡®Never!¡¯ To get half of God¡¯s feelings. This is something his father, Satan, has never experienced! He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement at the thought that he would soon be able to get hold of God¡¯s malice. He acted alone, inplete secrecy, as he did not want to share this luck that he would never have again. The idea that only he could savor God¡¯s feelings one by one was already making his mouth water. ¡®By the way¡­¡­.¡¯ Mammon looked back at Lloyd, who silently followed behind him with a calm face. He must be the one dragging human souls to hell, but he didn¡¯t know why he felt like a guide to hell right now. ¡®Is it because that human isn¡¯t afraid at all?¡¯ Then Lloyd should be scared of Mammon instead. ¡°Your soul will be tortured to no end and tormented forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should we start withva?¡± The Devil of Greed threatened. Then, Lloyd, who was silently walking with the scenery of hell in his eyes, answered. ¡°I must be clear.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are not going to hell.¡± The scenery of hell seemed to have moved like the human world. The form may be the word. But the reality waspletely different. The traces of nature were not even visible, the buildings were in ruins, and the souls were biting each other like monsters. Whether it was because Lloyd had a devil next to him or because they were overwhelmed by an unknown force, they didn¡¯t even dare to approach him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to show Aria anything like this for the rest of my life.¡± A world full of red and ck. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if it was apletely differentndscape from the ground? It was more distasteful as it seemed to embody a world on the brink of destruction. ¡°Now you are in hell.¡±, Mammon emphasized. He was actually speechless hearing Lloyd¡¯s words. They are currently in hell, is it sane to say that he was not going to hell? ¡°You seem to be denying reality!¡± Mammon crackled with the bird¡¯s beak and uttered a voluptuous speech. ¡°Listen, human. You are now in hell, and soon you will be imprisoned in my castle and ripped off your emotions for the rest of your life. Until not even the faintest light of your soul remains!¡± Lloyd listened to the words with a bored expression. ¡°I¡¯ll have to show you what I saw¡­¡± It was then. Mammon inadvertently turned his head, checked the figure in the distance, and his body stiffened. ¡°Fa, father¡­¡± It was Satan With Satan¡¯s appearance, the souls that devoured each other ravenously disappeared in an instant. ¡°I must have told you not to call me that.¡± After the destruction of God, devils werepletely forbidden from contracting with humans. However, Mammon broke the rules and contracted with humans and secretly sneaked into hell like a rat. Seeing Satan, the Devil of Wrath expressing his wrath without hesitation, Mammon urgently made an excuse. ¡°But Satan. This is a human with ¡®God¡¯s malice¡¯!¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± Only then did Satan examine Lloyd carefully. And soon, his face contorted like a yaksha. ¡°A human with God¡¯s malice? You¡¯re not talking about Grand Duke Valentine, are you?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s right. But how could you have given a title to a mere human¡­¡± ¡°This worthless idiot!¡± ¡°Kuhk!¡± Mammon, crushed by the overwhelming force, gnawed like a dying worm. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the Valentine family are descendants of the demigod, Noah!¡± Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Noah, the son of God and a demigod. Mammon trembled as soon as he heard the name. ¡°That-that punk¡¯s descendant?¡± Lloyd stared at the devil indifferently. Mammon froze in shock and was speechless for a while. ¡®What the hell have you been doing all this time, to be getting that kind of reaction here and there¡­¡­.¡¯ Lloyd tilted his headnguidly, then twisted his mouth. At the same time, Mammon¡¯s shoulders trembled and Satan looked troubled. Lloyd snapped his finger at the two devils. ¡°Looks like you have a lot to talk about.¡± Who will start first? Lloyd opened his eyes. He blinked in the pitch ck darkness. His vision, which had been all ck, slowly began to recognize the surroundings. He was able to see again. A priest who witnessed the corpse¡¯s eyes open just right next to him, gasped. He was carrying Lloyd¡¯s body to be burned on Veronica¡¯s orders. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he dead?¡¯ A little while ago, the priest thought that Veronica had finally gone mad. Veronica had asked to burn Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s corpse right away in case he was going to do something. What would a corpse whose soul had already escaped do? Not long ago, the priest wasughing out loud in his head. But now the priest¡¯s face was pale and his whole body was trembling. ¡®I, I need to tell her right away¡­¡­.¡¯ But before the priest could even turn around, Lloyd¡¯s hand grabbed him by the cor like a hawk snatching a prey. ¡°Where is Aria?¡± ¡°Wh, what? Who is that¡­¡± ¡°Ariadne Valentine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡± If you don¡¯t tell me right away, you will die. Overwhelmed by his instinct to survive and losing his judgment, the priest immediately revealed the truth. ¡°Grand Duchess Valentine is dead.¡± Lloyd¡¯s body instantly stiffened at those words. And suddenly his face was contorted like someone who had been strangled. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°Truly!¡± ¡°Why are you lying?¡± If the priest was going to tell lies, then he¡¯ll make him speak out the truth. Without hesitation, he snapped the priest¡¯s wrist and broke it neatly. ¡°Kuwaack!¡± ¡°Say it again.¡± ¡°Re-really¡­ Aak! Ack!¡± Now, the opposite wrist. The priest struggled in pain. Because of the priest¡¯s innate divine power, if he stayed still, he would be healed. But if left like this, it seemed that Lloyd was poised to break his neck. As Lloyd¡¯s hand gripped the priest¡¯s neck without hesitation, the sweating priest shouted desperately. ¡°Even after her death, the Grand Duchess did not look like a corpse! Feeling strange, the saint realized after carefully examining the Grand Duchess.¡± He cried out, closing his eyes tightly. ¡°That thest God¡¯s goodwill that the saint could not absorb is in the Grand Duchess¡¯ body!¡± Lloyd stopped what he was doing. If the priest knew that far, what he had just said was bound to be true. ¡®Really Aria¡­¡­.¡¯ Veronica said she passed Aria on to Gabriel. The moment he heard those words, a fire broke out inside. But the situation already happened, so he tried to swallow his anger and think rationally. If Aria had stayed with the knight, at least her life would not be threatened or harmed. He intended to hold it in only for a little while to get through hell. To protect Aria. ¡®At that brief moment¡­¡­.¡¯ No, no. ¡®It was better not to be separated from my side even for a second.¡¯ The problem was that he had decided that by his side was the most dangerous ce for her to be. So he tried to put her in a safe ce. If it was Aria, she would do anything to save Lloyd. Even while he was led by the devil to traverse hell, Lloyd did not feel any emotion. For the first time, the light of despair shed in his eyes. Like a soldier defeated in a war. ¡°¡­ I asked where she was.¡± However, Lloyd¡¯s eyes, which had shook so pathetically, soon took on apletely different light. Like his temper was reversed. The ck eyes were dyed in a thicker darkness and burned fiercely. ¡°Un, undergroundbyrinth¡­¡± The priest, who was soaked in madness and saw the glistening eyes, fainted as he forgot how to breathe. Lloyd let go of the priest¡¯s cor as if tossing him off, then hit the vital point with a single blow. He left the fainting priest behind and moved on without hesitation. It wasn¡¯t just Aria. Lloyd would do anything to save Aria too. Whatever it is. Veronica forcibly breathed the power of God into Hans, who was holding his breath. A miraculous ability that can revive anyone as long as they don¡¯t die. ¡°Gasp¡­¡­!¡± She thenmanded Hans, who was coughing and clutching his chest. ¡°God¡¯s goodwill remains in that woman¡¯s body. Extract it now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait, wait. I just recovered, so my energy is not in good condition. If I forcefully do it, I could die¡­¡± ¡°Right now! Even if you die, I¡¯ll somehow search for you and pull you out right now!¡± Hans, who was breathing heavily, slowly raised his head. Veronica was biting her nails in nervousness. ¡®Somehow I thought it was strange.¡¯ She should not overlook the bizarre phenomenon in which God¡¯s goodwill and malice does not converge with each other. ¡®Siren, a race of fantasy endowed with abilities most simr to the power of God¡­¡­. Damn, I¡¯ve had plenty of leads!¡¯ In a hurry to deal with God¡¯s feeling that was degrading at a fast pace, she passed by without even seeing the truth in front of her eyes. As a result, if she did not absorb thest piece of goodwill Aria had right now, Veronica would soon die. ¡®The devil didn¡¯t just give me malice for no reason¡­¡­.¡¯ It was given to her as he saw through the imperfection of God¡¯s goodwill. Knowing that she would be self-destructing even after being given malice without being able to properly absorb and unify the two opposing powers. ¡®If I die, the contract will be broken and there will be no need to fulfill the contract anymore, so he wille to reap his malice.¡¯ With God¡¯s goodwill all at once! It was like extending a hand to the other person. ¡®But, it¡¯s still okay.¡¯ If only she could somehow absorb thest remaining fragment of goodwill¡­¡­. Veronica looked down at Hans. Perhaps her threats had worked, Hans moved unexpectedly swiftly. The process was the same as before. Veronica¡¯s blood and Aria¡¯s blood were used to draw a magic circle and cast a spell before she died. ¡°¡­¡­finally!¡± I can finally be aplete God! Veronica eximed in ecstasy as the particles of light began to shimmer and envelop her body. ¡®Pure white light, symbol of God!¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t take long for her to realize that the light was only a temporary sparkling effect caused by magic. ¡°Eh, what is this? Kyaaakk!¡± As soon as Veronica saw something wriggling around her, she screamed. It wasn¡¯t pure white light. They were white, translucent monsters. Monsters clumped together in a terrible shape, as if they had been in and out of a huge press, endlessly crawled out of the floor and wriggled. ¡°Hey, you know?¡± Hans, who stopped talking, raised his lips and said. He had been speaking politely, but his tone was originally like this. ¡°My dream, at some point, was to be a pacifist.¡± Hans looked down at his hands. He has gued many. He killed countless people. At one time, he felt no guilt. Because that¡¯s how he was originally. ¡°It¡¯s strange. I¡¯m a third-rate viin, so when did I start to have dreams like that?¡± He finally figured it out after years of being dragged around. ¡°It¡¯s like someone nted a strange subconscious in me.¡± After muttering that, Hans nced at Aria. When he looked away for a moment. Suddenly, his torso was pierced by an explosive arrow of light, and he crashed into the wall at great speed. ¡°¡­¡­Kugh!¡± He vomited blood. ¡°You crazy bastard! Get these horrible things off me right now?!¡± Puhahaha. Hans let out augh as his whole body was soaked in blood. ¡°They¡¯re made by you, don¡¯t you like them?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is the only way a third-rate viin like me can be a pacifist.¡± Hans couldn¡¯t summon the souls, but he could recreate exactly how the experimented people died. And the visions could have kept following Veronica. It wouldn¡¯t be possible after Veronica became aplete god, but at least it was possible now. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need anything like you anymore.¡± The arrow of light that flew again pierced Hans¡¯ heart. This time he was obviously killed, without an inch of error. The wizard¡¯s head fell helplessly. ¡°I guessed from the time you acted half-heartedly, expressing sympathy when you used to work under the gutter rat.¡± You can only do this much. Veronica tutted and clicked her tongue. And she stretched out her hand to Aria, whose body was still warm even though she had been dead for quite some time. ¡°Do it yourself.¡± Then she snapped her finger and ordered her subordinate who had inherited some magical knowledge from Hans. ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± When Veronica held Aria carelessly and tried to hand her over to a subordinate. ¡°¡­¡­! Her wrist suddenly disappeared. It was neatly cut out. Veronica looked at her hand and let out a long scream. And when she looked up. ¡°Kugh, Grand Duke¡­. Valentine¡­¡± Lloyd, holding Aria securely in his arms, was looking down at her right in front of her nose. Chapter 202: Illustration Chapter 202 (Illustration) Grand Duke Valentine came back alive from hell. ¡®What the hell, what the hell!¡¯ That devil had told her, so she urged her subordinates to burn the corpse quickly. But she didn¡¯t really think that he woulde back alive. It was just something done with the thought that there was nothing wrong with being careful! ¡®Could it be that the contract was unterally terminated?¡¯ Veronica urgently checked the status of her contract with the devil. And she let out a sigh of relief. The contract had not yet been broken and was still intact. ¡®Well, that can¡¯t be. If the contract is unterally broken, the devil will have to bear all the responsibility and burden.¡¯ There was no way the devil would take such a loss. If so, how the hell did Grand Duke Valentine get to be here? And in perfect condition too! ¡°Huu, ugh, kuhk¡­¡± Veronica bit her lip. She decided to use the power of God while enduring the bursting pain. But it was strange. She poured her healing powers upon her severed wrists to no avail. No change happened. ¡°What, what, why is this¡­ It can¡¯t be like this! It can¡¯t be like this!¡± In the meantime, Lloyd pierced the priest¡¯s shoulder with one stroke. ¡°KUAAGH!¡± The priest screamed and trembled. He tried to get Veronica¡¯s hand away without Lloyd¡¯s knowledge. Even though it ended in failure before he even bowed down. ¡°Sp, spar, spare¡­kuhk!¡± And he stopped breathing. Lloyd picked up what the priest was aiming for instead. It wasn¡¯t the hand. He tapped the hand with his foot and pushed it aside, grabbing the dagger hidden in the sleeve of her dress that was cut as well. ¡°N, no¡­¡± Lloyd hung Veronica¡¯s dagger straight down her throat before she could speak. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the dagger react to your blood?¡± It was only after hearing his words that Veronica was able to figure out why Lloyd hade and cut off her wrists. ¡°Crazy bastard¡­¡± She gritted her teeth and chewed more swear words. Lloyd obtained the dagger that summoned the devil and at the same time tried to summon Mammon using the blood that flowed from Veronica¡¯s wrist. ¡®Because if you want to go to hell with a human body, you have to summon the devil first¡­¡­.¡¯ He had no interest in anything other than reviving Aria. Veronica said, trying to swallow her groan. ¡°You have to have my will to summon the devil.¡± ¡°Will?¡± There was no emotion whatsoever in his question. He brought the de of her dagger to her neck without hesitation. Gradually the de dug into her neck. ¡°If it¡¯s your will, then call him now.¡± ¡°You, you crazy!¡± He doesn¡¯t even give her a chance to think. Veronica swallowed her groan and grabbed the de of the dagger with one hand. At that moment. Veronica¡¯s pupils widened as she saw Lloyd¡¯s face. ¡°Your eyes¡­!¡± It was a very bright ck. The turbid aura as if they had been fogged up, waspletely gone. ¡®Isn¡¯t that a sign of degradation?¡¯ Veronica, too, hase to know since she epted God¡¯s goodwill into her body. The first thing that changed when she epted God¡¯s feelings was her eyes. The more degraded the emotion, the more it fades into a paler color. ¡®But why? Why alone?¡¯ How could such a thing be possible? Veronica was still hearing the screams of the constantly degrading feelings inside her. Her own eyes would be cloudy without her having to look in the mirror. ¡®Did he make a contract with the devil?¡¯ Did he make contact with the devil toe up from hell without dying? But then he can summon the devil on his own, he had no reason to bother Veronica. ¡°Why! What are you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Damn, why am I not cured!¡± Veronica screamed in frustration as she was desperate and sent sharp shots of the power of the God. She stepped back for a moment and Lloyd, who easily dodged, answered. ¡°You cannot use God¡¯s power on yourself.¡± God cannot use God¡¯s powers on their own. In fact, Veronica had just recently attained God¡¯s goodwill, so it was no wonder she noticed now. The problem is¡­¡­. Of all times, now. ¡°No, that¡¯s nonsense.¡± She has the power of God, but she can¡¯t use it directly on herself? Veronica looked nk, as if she had been hit hard by someone. She even forgot the pain in her wrist for a moment. ¡°Such absurdity! Then what¡¯s the point of possessing the power of God!¡± ¡°Have you ever seen God use God¡¯s powers for themselves?¡± Veronica was speechless for a moment. She frantically rummaged through her memories. She was horrified. Because there really wasn¡¯t. ¡®Not even once.¡¯ In the scriptures and in the numerous God-rted books she encountered, God always worked only for humans. It was as if God existed for humans. ¡°It seems like you didn¡¯t even know that even after bing the saint.¡± ¡°But, but that¡¯s just a story made up from a human point of view!¡± Veronica has believed that all her life. Actually, Lloyd was no different. But following Aria around and thinking about what he saw and heard, well¡­¡­. He wondered if it could be said that it was all lies. ¡°That¡¯s why humans can¡¯t be God no matter what they do.¡± Lloyd looked down at Aria in his arms. And he hugged her tighter. She¡¯s still warm. Like alive. Lloyd pressed his lips to her forehead, a faint smile on his lips. Then, thest remaining God¡¯s conscience in Aria¡¯s body was felt intact. At that moment, ¡°Shut up!¡± Veronica exploded all the energy she had in her. ¡°What? Humans can¡¯t be God no matter what they do?¡± Sheughed and screamed like a madman. ¡°That¡¯s only for Valentine! Even though you were born with a body that transcended human beings, you chose to sacrifice for the sake of this worm-like world because of your weak mental state!¡± As the imperfect goodwill began to boil in her body, her body was ruined and flowed out of control. But Veronica took advantage of the devil¡¯s malice and she somehow straightened her body that was about to copse. She gradually changed into an ugly, inhuman look, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®If only I could be God!¡¯ If I kill Grand Duke Valentine on the spot and im God¡¯s malice, I can reverse everything. And after that, I will also take thest remaining God¡¯s feelings in the Siren¡¯s body! ¡°DIE!!!¡± Veronica shouted in a bloody voice and unleashed her powers, which she had gathered to their limits, at Lloyd. Then, suddenly, a grotesque figure popped out and blocked her vision. It was the illusion spell, no, a curse, that Hans had cast on her before he died. Losing her bnce in her moment, Veronica stumbled. The power hit the wrong ce and zed through thebyrinth in a straight line. ¡®SHIT!¡¯ You¡¯re dead, damn it! ¡°Go, go away! Go away!¡± Veronica stirred the empty air and screamed like a madman. And now she began to unleash her powers wherever she saw the terrifying visions. A ray of light from the sharp shot passed Aria¡¯s cheek just barely. Lloyd quickly covered his arms around her, though no damage was done. Lloyd¡¯s expression immediately changed when he saw the skin on her cheek. In his eyes came the murderous energy that seemed to burn his retina. HIs patience had reached its limit. ¡°It¡¯s not even worth dealing with¡­¡± He just didn¡¯t want to face her. Lloyd, who couldn¡¯t even feel the value of speaking anymore, omitted his words. He lost even the will to give an exnation. He simply stretched out his hand towards Veronica. At the same time, God¡¯s conscience that remained in Aria¡¯s body wriggled. Hearing the whispered words of the conscience, Lloyd spat it out of his mouth. ¡°Joy, peace, prosperity, dreams, passion¡­¡± Conscience is the only medium between good and evil. Goodwill that heard the call of conscience flowed out of Veronica¡¯s body immediately. ¡°Uh, uh?¡± Veronica made a dumb noise. The power was draining out of her body out of control. ¡°Freedom, honesty, happiness, faith, love, friendship, consideration, trust, gratitude, courage¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°¡­Challenge, courtesy, encouragement, humility, innocence, wisdom, justice, mercy, victory¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± God¡¯s goodwill. Small chunks of light flowed out and were absorbed into Lloyd. Countless emotions flew up like fireflies and poured down towards him in a gxy. The endless waterfall of emotions was forming a universe. ¡°Ah, aahh¡­¡­.¡± Veronica waved her hand through the air, trying to catch any ball of light. But she soon copsed as her body fell, realizing that she had no hands. If she hadn¡¯t had the devil¡¯s malice, she would have diedpletely. ¡°Do you have the will to summon the devil now?¡± Lloyd asked softly, dropping the dagger in front of her. His voice was so low that it scratched the floor. Veronica wished she had rather died. At that time, Veronica regrets for the rest of her life that she did notmit suicide. Aria was about to cross the river of hell. The boatman, waiting with the boat afloat on the ck river, nced up at Aria and shook his head. ¡°You cannot cross.¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°Still, you can¡¯t go.¡± She can¡¯t go. But Lloyd is across the river. Aria clenched her fists in nervousness thinking of where and what Lloyd might be doing, then stared at the boatman. She had no fear of going to hell. ¡°Do you need a fare? Then, Anything you ask for¡­¡± ¡°Anything?¡± It was then. Aria shuddered as she felt a gentle hand wrapped around her waist. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said you would pay any price to go to hell. You should be scolded.¡± She reflexively squeezed the arm around her waist. And she couldn¡¯t believe it at all, no, she actually wanted to believe it. But she couldn¡¯t bear to look back. ¡°Are you the devil to test humans?¡± ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± I think it is Lloyd. She tried to speak calmly, but a watery voice came out. And the tears that formed around her eyes were dripping down without a chance to wipe them away. Aria swooped around. And the moment her eyes met his, she was sure that this was not a fantasy. That this was not the devil¡¯s trick. How did he not go to hell. How did hee to rescue her. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ Because Lloyd was alive and well in front of her now. ¡°Yes, scold me a lot.¡± Aria whispered as she closed her eyes. ¡°So that I can feel that you are here now.¡± Then Lloyd grabbed her chin and pulled her by the waist at once. The devil, rushing to rescue her from her hell, swallowed her breath along with her soft lips. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 How long was that? The ck ashes that had been scattered in the sky turned into flower petals at some point. Aria, who inadvertently raised her eyelids, realized through her mind. ¡®It is a sight seen in my dream.¡¯ The world of consciousness right before crossing over to hell. The pure white scenery, whose surroundings could not be distinguished, resembled her dream. ¡°Were you trying to run away?¡± ¡°You whispered in a sweet voice that you love me, and you tried to run away¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to run away to death, you¡¯d rather pray that I die.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way.¡± Aria remembered exactly what Lloyd had said in her dream. ¡®Now I understand why he said those things.¡¯ Knowing that he was dead, she recklessly pursued him to hell. ¡®I moved hastily.¡¯ The moment she saw his pale corpse, she lost her sanity. She should have believed that Lloyd couldn¡¯t die in vain. Lloyd would have gone to hell without hesitation because he was sure he would survive. However, since Aria, whom he thought would be safe, was dead, his eyes would have turned upside down too. ¡®But it¡¯s different from the dream.¡¯ Even though Lloyd was in the same situation, he didn¡¯t say anything like that in the dream. Far from getting angry that Aria had taken her own life, he rather kissed her as if tofort her. Why? ¡®Maybe it has something to do with the boatman saying that I can¡¯t cross?¡¯ So while Aria was lost in her thoughts for a moment, he said, ¡°You need to concentrate.¡± After a short and persistent kiss, Lloyd whispered between his lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°You were very angry in my dream.¡± ¡°What exactly did I say?¡± ¡°Lloyd told me to beg Lloyd to die too if I was going to run away to death.¡± He wiped Aria¡¯s teardrops from her eyes. She shuddered unconsciously. Lloyd in the dream raised his sharp fingernails and scratched her skin, pretending to wipe away her tears. Like giving her a warning. But now it was different. He only wiped away the tears with a gentle, tender manner. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Even if I die, you won¡¯t be able to run away to death.¡± Aria was confused for a moment. Lloyd in real life didn¡¯t look as ferocious as in her dreams, though he was the same as usual. ¡®I think he just made a more dangerous statement than in my dream¡­¡­.¡¯ For a moment, she felt a chill. However, there was an important issue to address, so she decided to postpone that part for now. ¡°Is Lloyd alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± Lloyd added as he cupped Aria¡¯s cheek. Just cutting her off and reminding her of the truth. ¡°You too.¡± I¡¯m alive too? Come to think of it, it was strange. Aria had already died once, so she vividly remembered the feeling when her breath stopped. ¡®Rather than dying this time¡­¡­ It was as if her soul was being forcibly pulled out right before she died.¡¯ She pondered her memory. Unlike reality, it seems that she almost died in her dream. That¡¯s why Lloyd was so angry. As she was thinking about that¡­¡­. ¡°I didn¡¯t pass on the dream I heard from you before.¡± Lloyd just talked about the dream. ¡°That devil said that the means by which our ancestors could intervene in our affairs were through dreams or a sixth sense.¡± That devil? Aria turned in the direction he pointed, and she freaked out. A huge demon with two bird heads was staring at her. ¡°Wha-what is that?¡± Aria pushed Lloyd¡¯s chest. He answered with a slight tilt of his head, without being pushed back in the slightest. ¡°The devil.¡± Devil? Aria looked over Lloyd¡¯s shoulder at the devil with her eyes wide open. It¡¯s bizarre to have a human body with a bird¡¯s head¡­¡­. But more than she vaguely imagined¡­¡­. ¡°You just thought it was kind of cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡­not really.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think everything is cute because they¡¯re all animals.¡± What, animals? ¡°You insignificant creature, who are you calling animal!¡± Mammon was outraged. Raising his head, Lloyd¡¯s bloody gaze met the devil, and his shoulders trembled. ¡®The devil got scared by humans.¡¯ It was a rare sight. As Aria stared at it curiously, unable to hide her expression, the devil cleared his throat. ¡°It is true for the dream. Your human blood rtives often warn you of the near future in that way.¡± He added that not all devils and blood rtives can do everything. Intervening is only possible if it helps to put an end to chaos in the world and maintain bnce. ¡®Through a dream or a sixth sense¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria had a memory that went through her head like a sh. ¡®Come to think of it, before danger befalls me, I¡¯ve heard someone whispering to me.¡¯ ¡®Dangerous¡¯ and ¡®Be careful¡¯. Thanks to that whisper, Aria was able to prepare for danger at the crucial moment. ¡°I thought it was possible that your dream had hinted at the future.¡± Lloyd didn¡¯t dismiss Aria¡¯s dream as just a dream. He remembered the memory of her dream that was vividly imprinted in his memory. Valentine¡¯s incident. Aria lying cold in a pool of red blood. ¡®And it was also reproduced in reality.¡¯ Lloyd didn¡¯t want to go through something like that again. So he made a deal with the devil. To prevent Aria¡¯s dream of choosing her own death to happen. ¡°As a condition of returning God¡¯s feelings to their original state, I ask that you not be allowed to set foot in hell for the next 100 years.¡± ¡­¡­ how many years? Aria was momentarily bewildered by those distant numbers. Mammon suddenly trembled and cried out in a loud voice. ¡°Right! If there is no God, even devils cannot make contracts with humans!¡± She didn¡¯t ask, but did she touch on a topic? The devil suddenly threw a fit. Aria blinked her eyes with a ¡®what¡¯s going on¡¯ expression. ¡°Did you sign a contract?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s because I broke thew¡­¡± Mammon, who broke thews of hell, was to be punished with endless dismemberment for the next hundreds of years. Even so, Satan sought leniency, and his punishment level was greatly lowered. ¡°The devil cannot directly intervene in matters rted to God. And if the devil cannot make a contract with a human¡­¡± Mammon clenched his beak as if his pride was hurt. Lloyd, who had been listening silently, responded instead. ¡°It¡¯s like losing the value of his existence. If it¡¯s not in the form of a contract, he can¡¯t exert any influence on the world.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ you damn human.¡± When Aria heard the truth of hell, she was stunned. Since angels are servants of God, they cannot move without God. As expected, it was the same with the devils. Moreover, to think that a devil with absolute power that humans cannot dare to surpass is actually living as a parasite on humans. If they don¡¯t tempt humans, test them, and touch their desires and make a contract with them, the devil loses its value. They can¡¯t live. ¡®Then Lloyd is holding the devil¡¯s lifeline.¡¯ That¡¯s why the devil was watching Lloyd¡¯s eyes like that. ¡°If two living humans stay here for a long time, the bnce will be broken. Go back!¡± ¡°Hmm, who dragged that living human to hell before that?¡± Mammon had nothing to dispute, so he exercised his right to remain silent. ¡®Is that the devil who dragged Lloyd to Hell?¡¯ After hearing that, Aria¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡®It was the devil who made a contract with Veronica.¡¯ How dare you covet Lloyd. She mumbled. ¡°You bird-head¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± These cheeky humans! The people of this generation are all self-indulgent. The devil¡¯s authority has fallen to the bottom. This was all due to the prohibition of contracts between humans and devils since God¡¯s feelings were lost. Humans lost their fear because they had not personally experienced the greatness and fear of the devil that shook the world! ¡°Once upon a time, just hearing the name Mammon, humans cried out for God¡¯s mercy and begged on the floor¡­¡± Mammon couldn¡¯t speak anymore. It was because Lloyd smirked as if telling him to talk more. The devil turned his topic unnaturally. ¡°Anyway, I couldn¡¯t drag you to hell, so I didn¡¯t get a fair price for my malice.¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Lloyd asked. ¡°The original contract was that the human would be able to use the devil¡¯s ability as much as they wanted until they fully acquired the power of God.¡± And the price was simple and clear. ¡°In the contract, you would take all of God¡¯s feelings when that human life was short.¡± Lloydzily curved his eyes as if he knew. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to get paid either.¡± ¡°Yes. Damn it. We already negotiated something.¡± Mammon looked at Lloyd and Aria up and down for a moment, licking his lips. To be precise, while imagining God¡¯s feelings that their bodies would have. ¡°There is no point in continuing the contract.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of destroying it now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My ability was wasted on that person.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you there while I¡¯m at it.¡± The devil couldn¡¯t be kind for nothing. Of course, it was actually more of a dismissal to get rid of the two of them who are troublesome to deal with. Lloyd said, stopping the impatient devil. ¡°No, I want you to cancel the contract exactly when I say it.¡± What, you self-indulgent human! ¡®I want to kill him!¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t. Because Lloyd was the only hope and salvation who would give the devils a reason to live. ¡®Hope and salvation, such a terrible thing!¡¯ Being a devil yet ruined to the point of wishing for something like that. It was deplorable. Mammon watched with trembling eyes as Lloyd¡¯s smile grew. And he begged again and again for the day when God would be revived and the age of the devils woulde again. ¡°¡­¡­Hey, can we just stay put like this?¡± Vincent, who was imprisoned in the dungeon of the imperial pce, kept peeking outside in uneasy feeling. Tristan, who had been leaning against the wall with his knees out to Sabina, answered. ¡°Don¡¯t step out.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± The Empire¡¯s current situation waspletely in chaos. The Princess was framed for killing the Emperor, and Valentine was imprisoned in the dungeon for participating in treason. Moreover, Duke Battenberg was ready to do anything to be the next Emperor. Garcia was just to proim the holy war. Lastly, Saint Veronica boasted that she had obtained the power of God in a public ce and even showed off her ability. There is no more mess than this! ¡°Can¡¯t you break through the iron bars right now? Same goes with Sir Cloud!¡± Of course, Valentine is so notorious that everyone is standing guard, but pushing a little, they can break through. The door is already open, but why does he have to wait patiently! ¡°Let¡¯s stop doing things that don¡¯t suit our temper, okay?¡± Then, Cloud, who was standing upright next to Vincent, spoke. ¡°You have to move more calmly. What are you going to do after breaking the iron bars? Even if you do that, it will only increase your sins.¡± Vincent was silent. Did he just hear such a thing from the Sir Cloud? He doesn¡¯t know why, but he felt as if Cloud was pushed to his limits. It may mean that the situation is at a dead end. ¡°Sir, do you know what the word sin means?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Still, Sir does something called development. Although you will soon be executed and die.¡± Vincent clicked his tongue as he looked at Cloud, who was proud of himself in this situation. ¡°So why are we going to wait until the trial?¡± Of course, Tristan, who chose to stay quiet, was also unfamiliar. It was the first time in his life that he was ying the role of waiting for someone toe to the rescue. ¡°Vincent.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I was destined to die by now. Same with Sabina.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Vincent slurred his words. But he silently affirmed it. ¡°The same goes for you.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it myself, but it probably did.¡± Tristan briefly remembered his past. The days when Vincent was falsely used of being a spy from the gutter. Aria had foreseen what was about to happen, so she hade to him with the relic. ¡®The shaman said.¡¯ The more they intervene with who should have been dead in the first ce, the moreplicated the situation bes. Tristan agreed. Actually, he knew. That¡¯s why, at the point where he was supposed to be dead and was still alive, he chose to live like a moocher without intervening in everything. ¡®The future belongs to the living.¡¯ Of course, there were times when he lived his own way and even if he tried to stay still, things didn¡¯t go as he thought. He knew it was time to stay put, at least now. ¡°Have you ever heard that just being still helps?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re hearing it for the first time.¡± Tristan smiled interestingly, and Vincent couldn¡¯t contain his astonishment. To think that such a carefree person was Grand Duke Valentine, who once engulfed the world with force and fear. He couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Then let¡¯s get executed like this?¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t have to wait that long.¡± Tristan thought back to the past. He had been thinking about it ever since he heard Aria¡¯s song. This child is the key Garcia has been looking for. The key that will reconnect the distorted and decaying world into one. He felt it intuitively. That this miracle child would bring a miracle to this rotten world. ¡®Then what should I do?¡¯ Tristan pondered for a long time. And he came to a conclusion with Sabina. Let¡¯s protect this child. Body, mind, soul, never let her be hurt. Until a new eraes. ¡°Soon you¡¯ll be free to run amok.¡± ¡°When is that?¡± ¡°Well, if you take a break and look around, you¡¯ll find out.¡± Vincent couldn¡¯t stand the stuffiness inside and bit his fingernails. ¡®Damn, this isn¡¯t the time to be like this.¡¯ Even if they have to beat the crazy officials, they have to somehow bring them to their senses. And after revealing the Princess¡¯s innocence, she should be crowned the Empress¡­¡­. It was then. Kuang-! Suddenly, the imperial knights burst through the door. A considerable number of wizards were assisting behind them. It looked like they wanted to create a sense of intimidation, but it was clear that they were more nervous instead. ¡°Drag them out.¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± Vincent blinked his eyes with a stunned face. It was still too early for Duke Battenberg or the Holy Empire to use their hands. ¡°Your execution date has been decided.¡± ¡°What, what? We haven¡¯t been tried yet?¡± ¡°The crime of participating in treason is subject tow without exception, whether it be the imperial family or the great noble.¡± Law? ording to thew¡­¡­. ¡°Destroy three generations?¡± ¡°You understand fast.¡± Themander of the imperial knights snapped his finger, and the armed men came pouring in and dragged them away. ¡°Hey, are you going to stay still?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever stood in front of the execution table.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say it as if you were out on a trip! Aaaagh!¡± Vincent punched the knight in the chest in frustration, but his arm was bent by the knights and he waspletely subdued. ¡°We must proceed immediately!¡± Duke Battenberg shouted to the top of his lungs. ¡°But if we don¡¯t hold a trial, the nobles will rebel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that the imperial family and nobles are given immediate punishment without trial. This will be mentioned over and over again and will be a big disaster in the future.¡± ¡°At times like this, keep calm¡­¡± ¡°Why calm!¡± He was enraged at the carefree officials. Do they really not know that this is an urgent time? The current situation he heard about through his direct subordinate was shocking itself. ¡®I can¡¯t believe the Saint can¡¯t even use the power of God properly!¡¯ In addition, it was said that she could not stand the power of God that she had epted. In the end, she became a hideous figure worse than death. ¡®She was so confident that it was God¡¯s will that she obtained the power of God.¡¯ The Duke felt like he had finallye to his senses after having been used for something. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ A nasty headache. He groaned for a moment, clutching his throbbing head. There was only one way to do this. Public execution of the Princess and Valentine as soon as possible. ¡®Fortunately, the Valentine Grand Ducal couple were taken to hell and died.¡¯ If they were alive, it would have been best for him to run away as quickly as possible. But since they were dead, he still has a chance. Thest chance of a lifetime. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡®Besides, the contract with the devil hasn¡¯t been broken yet.¡¯ All the forces that stood in the way of the Duke bing Emperor were still mad. Drunk with the song of a fake siren made with the power of the devil! There was no other way to exin it than that God was helping him. ¡°Now is not the time to be leisurely thinking about what will happenter.¡± ¡°But the Valentine Grand Ducal couple are dead, and the forces that will hinder us¡­¡± ¡°No, if the devil who made a contract with the saint behaves capriciously, public opinion will be overturned in an instant. If we miss this time because we were arguing, we will be put to death!¡± Before anyone could say anymore nonsense, they had to be suppressed by showing off overwhelming power ¡®It¡¯s rather a good thing. Because Garcia Empire will never copse.¡¯ Garcia¡¯s foundation was strong. All over the world, Eden Faith was worshiped as the only belief, designated as the state religion, and there were countless temples, priests, and followers. In other words, they were a tremendous force that won¡¯t copse! ¡®Even if saint Veronica messes things up, there won¡¯t be any problems with Garcia itself.¡¯ He was sure. That¡¯s why he had to quickly rise to the position of Emperor without missing the opportunity. That way he won¡¯t be treated as a discard. ¡®At the same time as executing the Princess, Valentine, who is the most powerful force as the next Emperor, will bepletely annihted.¡¯ If that happens, even if the nobles regain their mind, they won¡¯t be able to resist. In the future, if there is someone who keeps on talking about legitimacy, he can mobilize Garcia¡¯s force and crush them. The Duke was confident of his victory. ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t just skip the trial.¡± ¡°Then what do you intend to do?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay to execute the sentence on the spot at the same time as the trial?¡± He has already ordered the Supreme Court. Now, all he has to do is proceed as nned. He said, looking around at the officials gathered here. ¡°I believe that no one will step away quietly.¡± No matter how great Battenberg was, he could not be Emperor alone. What¡¯s more, a few nobles who had gone mad were stating to regain their mind ¡°Unless, of course, you want to go crazy again. The officials trembled and were unable to say anything as Battenberg added with a grin. The trial began. Arge crowd gathered. They were here to see the execution of the imperial family and nobles who they dared not even look at the hem of their clothes. Of course, only nobles could enter the courthouse in the end. However, after the trial is over, they were ready to boo and throw stones at the Princess and nobles who were to be sentenced and taken straight to the executing table. ¡°¡­So, I sentence the death penalty to Princess Natalie and the Valentine family who instigated this treason. In addition, kin punishment will be applied to the families that participated in this treason, and all traitors will be sentenced to be purged for three generations.¡± After solemnly proiming, the Supreme Court judge raised the baton. It was then. ¡°Haah, wa, wait¡­!¡± Suddenly, a knight guarding the courthouse burst through the door. He said with a heavy breath. ¡°I, I think you should pause the judgment!¡± Pause? Duke Battenberg almost shouted that the knight should be executed together without knowing it. It was just around the corner! ¡°Outside right now¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± He didn¡¯t even need to hear more. The Duke dared not know his ce and then yelled thunderously at the knight. ¡°Once the trial begins, no one can suddenly break into the sacred court! It¡¯s your job to drive out whoeveres! You can¡¯t even do that?!¡± The Duke vowed to strip the knight of his title as soon as the trial was over. At that moment. The knight¡¯s eyes suddenly turned slowly, and he fell to the ground. ¡°Oops.¡± Lloyd, who appeared while stepping on the knight¡¯s back, said with regret. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s suffering from some kind of chronic disease. He copsed without me even lifting my hand.¡± The sacred court was greatly agitated. Grand Duke Valentine, who was rumored to have died under the judgment of God, appeared intact. He is also very healthy and shining as usual. Duke Battenberg, who had been stiff for a moment, shouted until his mouth foamed. ¡°Grand, Grand Duke Valentine¡­!¡± Then, Aria, who had been hidden by Lloyd¡¯srge size, appeared. The Grand Duchess is alive and well! ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m, sure you must have died¡­!¡± ¡°How sad. Calling someone alive and well dead as dead.¡± Lloyd slowly twisted his mouth without much agitation. Like he knew from the beginning that the Duke would react like that. He gave a precise, prating gaze. No, it was the gaze of the one who hadid down the groundwork from the beginning. ¡®It¡¯s a trap!¡¯ The Duke realized it btedly. ¡®Damn it, it was a rumor spread by the Grand Duke!¡¯ Lloyd had deliberately allowed people to believe that he died and was taken to hell. ¡®To create this situation!¡¯ But how? Duke Battenberg¡¯s aide said they had seen Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s corpse. It was information from his trusted aide. It would definitely not be a lie. ¡®Did he pretend to be dead?¡¯ What madman. He pretends to be dead and is taken to the morgue to set the stage in his favor. The Duke, whose mouth was wide enough to let in insects, closed his mouth. He wanted to suppress the sound of his teeth gritting with fear. ¡°To judge Valentine without its family head, is this a trial that makes sense?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Do it again from the beginning.¡± Right in front of my eyes, clearly. Lloyd satnguidly next to the used seat and said. Aria also sat down casually next to him. ¡°Brother, you are alive!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡± The faces of Vincent and Cloud, who were standing with gloomy expressions, brightened. Sitting in a separate seat, Natalie let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Aria was unscathed. Tristan and Sabina, on the other hand, only showed strange smiles as if they had already expected it. ¡°Or, Order!¡± The judge struck the baton. Even the judge who said that seemed confused, not knowing what to do next. He was at a loss as to what to do, and looked casually at Duke Battenberg. ¡®That idiot!¡¯ The Duke clenched his teeth. ¡®It¡¯s fine. Calm down. There is no one on their side in this court anyway.¡¯ There are only nobles who Duke Battenberg had bought. He was able to calm down quickly. ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯re going to judge the devil¡¯s subordinate too.¡± Of course, the devil¡¯s subordinate here was referring to Aria. ¡°Devil¡¯s subordinate.¡± Lloyd¡¯s eyes, which had beennguidly folded, suddenly shed with a bright light. He snapped his finger. ¡°There is the devil¡¯s subordinate, so should we share important matters that depend on the rise and fall of the country?¡± Then, his thumb and forefinger clicked together and made a sound. At that moment, something great happened. The boundary between the outside and the inside of the court suddenly disappeared. To put it simply, the walls and roof of the building werepletely gone. ¡°N, no. What is this!¡± The Duke was frightened. Of course, everyone else, including him, looked back at Lloyd in amazement. In particr, the people who were waiting for the trial to end were so shocked that they stood still like dead rats. ¡°You destroyed the building!¡± The Duke pointed at Lloyd. ¡°I didn¡¯t destroy it, I made it transparent. To put it simply.¡± Now, the outside can see well and hear clearly. Lloyd exined inly with his half-curved eyes. ¡°How is this possible!¡± ¡°Think of it as some kind of magic.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Magic doesn¡¯t work in the courthouse!¡± ¡°Why does that matter now? I, who was brought in for treason, will receive a fair judgment in front of many people.¡± There must have been some nefarious trick that Grand Duke Valentine did that the Duke did not know of. ¡°I can¡¯t believemoners are participating in a sacred trial. These are people who have never read a single word of thew. There is no case in this¡­!¡± ¡°No case?¡± Then, Natalie intervened. ¡°With the exception of the nobles gathered here, everyone has gone mad, can the Duke afford to argue the case?¡± ¡°At times like this, shouldn¡¯t the sane nobles stick together?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re sticking together or cahooting together.¡± Natalie made a smirk with a caustic tone, then looked around the audience and continued her words. ¡°Even if you haven¡¯t learned thew formally, you know better than anyone what is right and what is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Proceed with the trial. Even though I was used of treason and stood before the court, I will order it with the authority of the only surviving member of the imperial family.¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Damn it. He couldn¡¯t help it. ¡®I thought it¡¯s a ploy to incite themon people and win public sentiment somehow, but it¡¯s useless.¡¯ Because those savage dogs and pigs won¡¯t raise the hand of sinners. The Duke pretended not to lose hisposure yet, and he tried to speak calmly. ¡°As the Grand Duke knows best, the evidence of Valentine¡¯s involvement in the treason is so clear that it is meaningless to exin it.¡± Then, the officials who joined the Duke¡¯s forces, in other words, the officials who did not want to go crazy again, actively stepped forward. ¡°Yes. First of all, Grand Duchess Valentine over there, is a siren.¡± ¡°The fact that His Majesty lost his mind before he passed away, and the other nobles became mad. It has already been proven that the Siren did it.¡± ¡°And the massacres, human sacrifices, natural disasters, and epidemics that urred throughout the empire, as well as the other ominous misfortunes that followed.¡± ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that already over?¡± Aria asked. ¡°The Angelo family must have already sufficiently proven that Garcia was the one who instigated the incident, right?¡± ¡°And Saint Veronica proved that she was an agent of God, she confirmed that those ims were false.¡± Aria smiled and said. ¡°The news is veryte. Did you know that Saint Veronica is actually the devil¡¯s contractor?¡± Duke Battenberg was speechless for a moment. It was because he didn¡¯t expect that Aria knew that far. But he soon calmed down. It wouldn¡¯t change anything if Aria knew the truth. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about! You¡¯re insulting the most holy person, do you have any proof!¡± Duke Battenberg¡¯s blood rushed to his neck, his face reddened with blood. Like really angry. Full-on smoking. Believing that there was absolutely no way she could prove the truth at this point, he became more brazen. ¡°If there is evidence, there is where it probably is.¡± But Aria brought out some unexpected words. ¡°Wh, where?¡± ¡°There, your neck.¡± It¡¯s repulsive, so I don¡¯t really want to see it. As Aria was muttering with a trembling expression. Lloyd covered Aria¡¯s eyes and flicked his fingers in the air for a moment with the other hand. Just like that. The Duke¡¯s clothes, except for his underwear, suddenly split into pieces and fell to the floor. ¡°UWAA!¡± He screamed and tried to cover himself, but to no avail. His bare body has already been exposed to the whole world. Except for Aria, whose eyes were covered by Lloyd. ¡°Uhh¡­¡­.¡± When Natalie crumpled her face like a piece of paper and tried to look away. She caught something in her view. The Duke¡¯s neck Aria spoke of. There was a ck pattern in a ce that would not be visible at all because it was hidden by the cor. ¡°What is that?¡± Natalie expressed her doubts by squinting her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the devil¡¯s mark.¡± Winter, who had blended in among the crowd, broke through and appeared among them. Naturally stepping into the court, he opened an ancient book from 3,000 years ago and held it out. ¡°It is the pattern of Mammon, the devil of greed, to be exact. It is also proof that Duke Battenberg is the ¡®devil¡¯s subordinate¡¯ whom he wanted to judge.¡± Even though it was a book of thousands of years, the book had restoration magic on it. Thanks to this, many people were able to see that the pattern in the book and the pattern engraved on the Duke¡¯s neck were perfectly identical. Aria thought, seeing that Gabriel hadn¡¯t noticed the pattern on the back of his own neck at all. ¡®I wonder if Duke Battenberg has the devil¡¯s pattern engraved on him as well.¡¯ He was more reckless than imagined, as if he had been brainwashed. She asked the devil himself, and the devil said yes. ¡°No! Since when is this on my body¡­ Anyway, it¡¯s unfair! It¡¯s not like I made a contract with the devil!¡± That would be unfair. He didn¡¯t know he was brainwashed. However, the public, who were already watching the trial with interest, were greatly agitated. Because the evidence was clear. ¡°So, he was the one who actually made a contract with the devil, but used Valentine¡¯s side of being the devil?¡± ¡°Valentine has been infamous for being the devil¡¯s contractor since long ago. They¡¯re the easiest opponent to frame.¡± How mean. So sly. Countless spectators flocked to surround the courthouse, whispering. ¡°Then, it was not Grand Duchess Valentine, who made a pact with the devil and brought chaos to the world?¡± ¡°My vige was ruined because of that rotten fellow! Everyone went mad and died!¡± ¡°Our vige has been burned down!¡± ¡°Our vige was hit by an earthquake¡­¡± Public opinion was not good. Somehow, the Duke became a ce to me for everything Garcia and Veronica had done. He cried desperately. ¡°I¡¯m putting everything on the line that I really didn¡¯t make a pact with the devil!¡± ¡°Then how would you describe the pattern?¡± To rify right now, he needs to bring in Veronica. There was no way the saint wouldmit such a terrible act alone, so it was inevitable that Garcia¡¯s involvement in it would soon be revealed. But when that happens, the Duke would end up falling with Garcia too. The Duke, caught in a dilemma, decided to turn the arrow in the opposite direction. ¡°You must have done that!¡± As always. ¡°Didn¡¯t you make the walls and ceiling transparent, didn¡¯t you tear all my clothes! And without a spell!¡± Duke Battenberg shouted without giving up even while hiding behind the seat and desperately covering his body. ¡°He set a trap. To bring me down! It¡¯s clear that he used that devilish trick. It must be magic or something!¡± He must not even know what he was talking about. Lloyd and Aria stared at each other in silence for a moment. ¡°Do I have to keep dealing with that?¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for Aria, Lloyd would have blown up this court a long time ago. Then, Aria, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, grinned like a mischievous child and took his hand. God¡¯s goodwill and God¡¯s malice in Lloyd¡¯s body. And thest remaining God¡¯s goodwill in Aria¡¯s body. ¡®God¡¯s conscience¡¯. When the two of them were together, they could unleash the full power of God. ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of with a heart that wishes for happiness.¡± Aria closed her eyes and started singing. The Song of Salvation. It was the song she sang to Lloyd when he lost his reason and nearly caused the Valentine¡¯s Incident. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that you shine more than any god in the world. I would say that you are the most beautiful of the golden stars.¡± Although at that time, her vocal cords were torn and the blow was so great that she lost consciousness. Now that she is singing, Aria is convinced. ¡°Those who seek love and virtue, who are courageous and valiant, fear no destruction.¡± If the Siren¡¯s power, which is only a small piece, bes one with Lloyd, there is nothing that cannot be achieved in this world. ¡°Even if we fall, we do not die. We will have eternal glory, victory and honor.¡± Is this a monster¡¯s song? ¡®No way.¡¯ No one will dare to refute the sound of this song. Rather, they will realize. The siren¡¯s song is the voice of God, leading this fallen and crumbling world to glory and victory. A calm voice pounded people¡¯s hearts like a storm. They couldn¡¯t even think of rejecting it, and they epted it helplessly and were swept away. It was then. A strange phenomenon happened. The devil¡¯s mark on the back of the Duke¡¯s neck suddenly disappeared without a trace. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± What happened? The contract between Veronica and the devil waspletely broken. ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡± Lloyd squeezed Aria¡¯s hand tighter and said. It was the sign of a promise made with the devil. The moment Aria sings her song, the contract with Veronica is terminated once and for all. ¡°Yes. Completely.¡± Although there are still things to be sorted out. Now it was just the little things. ¡°Now is the time.¡± In Tristan¡¯s eyes, tired of boredom, an interesting light shone vivid for the first time in a long time. Now is the time. A new era where he can run amok without any restrictions in the world. The future for Valentine is finally wide open. ¡®Why, I am alive.¡¯ Veronica felt the devil¡¯s malice draining from her body. If so, she should have died. Her bodypletely copsed¡­¡­. ¡®How much time has passed?¡¯ Her sense of time has long since been lost. She was just being swept to and fro in the blinding darkness. She doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on. Chapter 207: (End of Main Story) Chapter 207 ¡°Oh, are you awake?¡± Then someone spoke to Veronica. It wasn¡¯t a familiar voice, but it wasn¡¯t really an unfamiliar one either. ¡°¡­¡­Valentine¡¯s shaman?¡± Veronica asked with a very nervous face. ¡°Thankfully, you do remember. I would have been sad if you had forgotten me.¡± He would never bring that up out of joy to see her. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± Carlin released Veronica¡¯s eye covering, who looked very nervous. It was broad daylight. She looked around with a frown and a puzzled look. And she looked into the mirror. ¡°KYAAAAAAKKKK!!¡± She could only scream. ¡°Mo, mo, monster¡­!¡± She knew that the tissue of her skin had melted away as it could not copse. But this was the first time she had seen it in the mirror. Her appearance was no less of an absolutely terrible monster. Standing like this in front of the public, she could be stoned to death. It was something out of a horror novel. A bizarre thing that doesn¡¯t exist in reality! It was then. ¡®In reality¡­¡­.¡¯ Suddenly, a memory shed through her mind. ¡®In reality¡­¡­ I¡¯ve seen it.¡¯ St. Aquino¡¯s orphanage. She conducted human experiments. The experiments were aimed at children who are still young, pure, divine, and even strong. She tried to create chimera by forcefully injecting God¡¯s goodwill into them. As a result, all kinds of side effects appeared. Many of them took on the appearance of hideous monsters, just like Veronica in the mirror just now. ¡®And those children struggled in pain all their lives and died.¡¯ Veronica, who was in shock for a moment, was trembling all over her body. And she cried out desperately clung onto Carlin. ¡°Then, kill, kill me! Kill me!¡± Then, Carlin covered the notebook he was holding in absurdity. The cover of the notebook had Hans¡¯ name written on it. It was one of the chimera¡¯s research materials that he left behind before he died. ¡°I barely saved you, so why would I kill you?¡± ¡°¡­You saved me?¡± Veronica¡¯s gaze was fixed on the notebook, lying casually on the desk. Then, no way¡­¡­. ¡°Am I a chimera?¡± Then, Carlin looked as if he couldn¡¯t understand why she was shocked again. This was something she had done up until now, so she has never expected that it would turn out like this? ¡°How does it feel to be a chimera?¡± ¡°Kill, kill me, please¡­!¡± The reason why Veronica was able to survive her hardships so far and be fine was because she had faith. She had faith that one day she will be the most respected and influential great person, and everyone will look up to her. The faith that she is a worthy person to rise to that position even if she had to kill everyone and trample on them. But, it¡¯s all over now. ¡®What a ghastly, horrible, wretched, terrible person.¡¯ She can¡¯t believe her future would be like this. Unable to deal with reality, she would rather escape to death. But Carlin spoke surely. ¡°Live and watch with your eyes open. What is the result of the evil deeds you havemitted so far?¡± Veronica reached for the scalpel on theb bed, but it ended in vain. The ck Falcons, waiting by her side, held her tight and dragged her away. The ce she was taken to was the za. ¡°Gasp, monster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°How terrible. I¡¯m afraid it wille out in my dreams.¡± ¡°Die, you monster!¡± A child threw a stone. The stone hit Veronica, and blood flowed from her head. The pain felt dull. Because she was a chimera. The blood had stopped before she knew it, and no more flowed. ¡°Ahk, that was a real monster!¡± ¡°Execute the monster!¡± ¡°No, burn the monster!¡± People jeered and threw stones. Veronica gritted her teeth and staggered away. Full of despair, poison began to fill her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that such a thing was called the saint! As expected, Garcia must be the den of pagans!¡± People who already heard that she was saint Veronica shouted. ¡°We must expel all Garcia¡¯s forces out of the Fa Empire!¡± ¡°Princess! Please take power!¡± ¡°This is not treason! It is a war with a holy mission!¡± The za in front of the great temple. It was a familiar ce. It was a ce that Veronica often used to incite believers in the name of God. Veronica lifted her head with her hair scattered and bloodshot eyes. Princess Natalie was standing on top of the far-off podium. Having all her charges cleared, she looked down at Veronica with a lofty gaze in her impable attire. ¡°No, there will be no war.¡± The people were perplexed at that. It was because the remark was as if she was scared and tucked her tail. ¡®Well, since she¡¯s been through such things. She might be sick of conflict.¡¯ ¡®Poor woman. But, the person who will rule this empire in the future was this weak.¡¯ The people understood the Princess¡¯ choice, but at the same time, they started to worry about the future of the empire. But Natalie¡¯s words didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Countless people have already been sacrificed. I will no longer let innocent people die on thisnd.¡± Natalie turned her head and gave a nce back. Then Lloyd and Aria came out in front of the podium. The story that the Valentine couple had already cast out the devil with the power of God was widely spread among the people. ¡°Mya mya!¡± And above all. A small dragon with its eyes open sat on Aria¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s a real dragon!¡¯ It was an unbelievable sight even after seeing it with their own two eyes. A dragon was God¡¯s guardian. Such a dragon following Aria without hesitation had already proved a lot. ¡°Truly God¡¯s agents!¡± People finally realized and admired Natalie¡¯s deep meaning. That¡¯s right. Even if they didn¡¯t start a war to sweep them all out, if Fa had the power of God, Garcia would copse helplessly. ¡°All of Garcia¡¯s priests all lost their divine power. No, divine power did not exist in the first ce!¡± In the present, when both God¡¯s goodwill and malice have beenpletely recovered, no children with divine powers would be born in the future. The huge support foundation that formed the Holy Empire disappeared without a trace. ¡°My innocent people have already paid a heavy price, this body dirtying my hands is enough.¡± Natalie proimed with a mighty voice. ¡°The Holy Empire, Garcia, will be directly judged by me and my officials.¡± People froze in a daze. To think that the imperial family had no hesitation in saying that they would directly get their hands dirty. But it was only for a moment that the people were dazed. Soon, thunderous cheers broke out among the people. Natalie was the seed of the wise monarch they had been waiting for for a long time. Moreover, since she was going to seed the throne soon, they were overjoyed to be able to watch with their own two eyes a moment that would go down in history. ¡°Long live the Empress!¡± Cheers roared. Sparks flew in Veronica¡¯s eyes as she watched the whole scene while being bound by the knights. ¡®Uncivilized and lowly things. You idiots who only know how to be incited!¡¯ I am God¡¯s agent! GOD¡¯s agent! Chosen by God! Loved by God! God was generous to me! God gave me divine power. God¡¯s goodwill, which even the most sacred soul could not ept, was fully epted by me! But, but why? This can¡¯t be my ending. ¡®Yes, this is all because Valentine interfered.¡¯ You stole my destiny. Those leeches sucked my blood and now they¡¯re standing in that shining spot. As she thought so. Aria¡¯s gaze, holding the baby dragon in her arms, suddenly turned to Veronica. Behind Aria¡¯s hair, which at first nce seemed to glow white, the brilliant sun cast a halo-like on her. ¡®Ah.¡¯ That moment, Veronica realized. ¡®So, all of this¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria was the one who suffered, but the more Aria gained strength, the stronger Veronica was too. In fact, it was God¡¯s arrangement. To make Veronica endlessly overdoing it until she self-destructs. In the end, to give all the glory to Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Valentine. ¡®God waited for me to be like this¡­¡­.¡¯ It was a truth she never wanted to ept. END hello! effe here <3 thank you for reading ¡®bing the viin¡¯s family¡¯! okay so the ending for veronica that we have been dreading for, still curious about what happened to gabriel tho ._. but that aside at least aria and lloyd get their happy end and all the bad stigma off them >.< see you in the after stories~! Chapter 208: After Story Prologue (Illustration) Aria went back to the cave with Lloyd. To the cave where God sleeps. They were bringing back the feelings that God had forgotten. ¡°We havee a long way.¡± Aria ced her hand where God¡¯s heart was supposed to be. And Lloyd¡¯s hand ovepped over Aria¡¯s hand. God¡¯s goodwill, malice, and conscience. When the two of them tried to give everything back. Suddenly, someone grabbed Aria¡¯s wrist with great force. ¡°Ah!¡± Aria looked up in surprise. ¡°Lloyd?¡± It¡¯s not. At first nce, she almost mistook him. But when she took a closer look, it waspletely different. The other person was so huge that she doubted if it was the same person. ¡®But they look very simr.¡¯ Even the hair color and eye color are the same. That¡¯s when Aria pursed her lips to ask who he was. The man spoke first to her. ¡°It is not yet time.¡± Not yet time? ¡®Then when should I return God¡¯s feelings?¡¯ ¡°Then, when¡­¡± ¡°Shh. You¡¯ll know when the time is right.¡± After the man replied with a nonchnt face, he suddenly gave Aria a baby dragon she didn¡¯t know where he had brought it from. ¡°Mya mya!¡± ¡°Until then, take good care of yourself.¡± And then he suddenly disappeared. Aria looked down at the dragon in her arms with a nk face for a moment. It was ck, like the baby dragon Aria was currently raising, but the eyes were pinkish like petals. The eyes were the same color as hers. ¡°¡­!¡± Aria jumped up. ¡®A dream?¡¯ Chapter 209: After Story 1 After Story 1 Aria went back to the cave with Lloyd. To the cave where God sleeps. They were bringing back the feelings that God had forgotten. Just looking at the enormous scale of thorny vines that covered the walls of the cave seemed overwhelming. Aria and Lloyd cut through it and headed inward. God was asleep in the same form as before. God lost the heart. ¡°We havee a long way.¡± Aria ced her hand where God¡¯s heart was supposed to be. And Lloyd¡¯s hand ovepped over Aria¡¯s hand. God¡¯s goodwill, malice, and conscience. When the two of them tried to give everything back. Suddenly, someone grabbed Aria¡¯s wrist with great force. ¡°Ah!¡± Aria looked up in surprise. ¡°Lloyd?¡± It¡¯s not. At first nce, she almost mistook him. But when she took a closer look, it waspletely different. The other person was so huge that she doubted if it was the same person. ¡®But they look very simr.¡¯ To some extent, the man resembles Tristan and Lloyd,parable to the two father-and-son. Even the hair color and eye color are the same. When Aria pursed her lips to ask who he was. The man spoke first to her. ¡°It is not yet time.¡± Not yet time? ¡®Then when should I return God¡¯s feelings?¡¯ Aria frowned slightly and twisted her wrist to free it from his grip. The man looked so much like Lloyd that she couldn¡¯t resist the rude touch. ¡°Then, when¡­¡± ¡°Shh. You¡¯ll know when the time is right.¡± After the man replied with a nonchnt face, he suddenly gave Aria a baby dragon she didn¡¯t know where he had brought it from. ¡°Mya mya!¡± ¡°Until then, take good care of yourself.¡± Aria looked down at the dragon in her arms with a nk face for a moment. It was ck, like the baby dragon Aria was currently raising, but the eyes were pinkish like petals. She had seen these eyes before. ¡®It has the same eye color as mine.¡¯ She touched her eyes and lifted her head. ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± She was going to ask who he was and why would he leave the baby dragon behind. However, the man had disappeared without a trace before she knew it. ¡°¡­!¡± Aria jumped up. ¡®A dream?¡¯ Her sense of reality returned slowly. She blinked her eyes slowly. The summer sun filtering through the window blinded her eyes. Aria frowned her eyes and stood firm for a moment before she let out a pained sound and put her hands on her waist. She was tired. She seems to have closed her eyes for a moment, but she even has a strange dream¡­¡­. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not a nonsense dream.¡± These vivid dreams usually hinted at the future. ¡°What kind of dream is this?¡± Lloyd put his arms around her waist and pulled her. Aria¡¯s cheeks blushed as she unknowinglyy back on the bed and was pressed close to him. Last night, both of them were busy gathering each other¡¯s clothes. ¡°Umm¡­¡­.¡± Aria was lost in thoughts, wondering what she was dreaming of. ¡°I think I met Lloyd¡¯s ancestor?¡± ¡°¡­¡­My ancestor?¡± ¡°Yes, he looks just like Lloyd. He¡¯s a lot taller and a lot bigger¡­¡± She said while thinking about how to describe the man she had seen in her dream. ¡°He was like a hero from a myth.¡± Then Lloyd was silent for a moment. ¡°So, did you like it?¡± ¡°What?¡± She doesn¡¯t know why the story was going that way. Did she like his big body? ¡°No, Lloyd is already big, but I can¡¯t handle it if you¡¯re bigger¡­¡± Aria, intoxicated by slumber, seemed oblivious to the fact that what she had just said sounded very strange. Lloydughed as Aria was cute when she was acting strangely. ¡°It must be my ancestor.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The demigod, Noah.¡± Born between God and human, Noah. ¡®That mythological figure is Lloyd¡¯s ancestor?¡¯ Aria didn¡¯t expect more surprises here. Noah was a legendary hero. While Valentine¡¯s first patriarch was disgraced of being cursed for life for viting God¡¯smand. But they are both actually the same person. ¡°Come to think of it, the head of Valentine¡¯s family was also once revered as a hero.¡± Aria finally understands how Lloyd has a body that transcends that of a human being. In fact, it was because his ancestor transcended humans. So he could have epted God¡¯s malice. ¡°Pfft.¡± Sheughed unknowingly. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°No, Garcia worshiped the demigod Noah, designating his birthday as a memorial day.¡± But, in fact, Valentine was a descendant of Noah. ¡°That¡¯s funny.¡± Valentine, whom they insulted and pointed at as the sinful devil, was in fact the bloodline of the God whom they revered. How can she notugh? It was both embarrassing and outrageous. ¡°Did Lloyd know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°From the beginning.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Aria looked at Lloyd in surprise. Even though he could burst into resentment at the Holy Empire¡¯s agitation and fabrication, he had a nonchnt face as if he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Then why did you stay still?¡± ¡°I thought Noah betrayed and ruined my flesh and blood, until I knew the truth.¡± Come to think of it. Aria btedly recalled her past memories. Lloyd believed that his ancestor had sinned and that all his unhappiness was his ancestor¡¯s karma. He, the descendant, had to pay for his ancestor¡¯s sins. ¡®Garcia, these guys are no good.¡¯ She even thought it was foolish to just let them self-destruct because they would surely copse on their own. But she changed her mind. She will thoroughly step on not only their faith, but also history and culture, so that not even anything remains. ¡°What did Noah say in your dream?¡± Lloyd asked Aria again. ¡°He suddenly appeared when I was trying to return God¡¯s feelings with Lloyd. He said it wasn¡¯t the time yet and stopped me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not time?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know why he said that as he looked like he was in a hurry¡­¡± Lloyd¡¯s ancestor was vehemently against it. Besides, that ancestor is God¡¯s son. ¡°I can¡¯t help but listen to it¡­¡± Is there something she needs to do beforepletely handing over the feelings to God? Of course, in order topletely crush Garcia, it was better to have God¡¯s feelings. As Aria was locked in deep thought for a while. She felt something btedly and muttered, stiffening her body. ¡°Something¡­.. seems to touch me.¡± Something hard and heavy. ¡°Why are you talking like you¡¯re not familiar with it?¡± Lloyd added yfully. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time you got used to it?¡± Aria struggled to get out of his arms. Of course, it was to no avail. ¡°Is it not enough to do that yesterday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s enough even if you do it until the sunes up.¡± Aria, of course, knew that Lloyd was not normal. But, wasn¡¯t he tired? She was very upset. Why does she always have to open her eyes in the morning with her body and mind in tatters? And she¡¯s the only one like that. ¡°I won¡¯t, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep teasing me?¡± Aria trembled at the touch as he brushed her with obvious intentions. He would quick to notice everything about her, yet he only pretended not to know at times like this. ¡°Can I say something vulgar?¡± Aria sighed. It was because his body wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how much she pushed. ¡°Try it.¡± ¡°Are you in rut or something like that?¡± Lloyd let out a lowugh at those words that came out without hesitation. In front of him, Aria, who usually doesn¡¯t say anything unpleasant, said that. It looked pretty vulgar. ¡°I suspect it.¡± I can¡¯t control it, and I don¡¯t even know when I try¡­¡­. Lloyd muttered seriously. Eventually, he admitted that he had been too much with her and let her go. ¡°Just kiss me.¡± When Aria gave him a suspicious nce, Lloyd politely closed his eyes. His eyes loosened slowly and the straight closed lips. His face, which had been shining since morning, even looked submissive, as if he had never harbored any infatuation. It was ridiculous. She can¡¯t believe it¡­¡­. Her hand went to him without her knowledge. ¡°¡­¡­Lloyd, where did you learn such an innocent look?¡± Aria felt the opposite. When she was young, she was the one who used to provoke him and act innocent. Of course, she didn¡¯t do that on purpose, but to hide her identity¡­¡­ ¡®Did Lloyd feel this way too?¡¯ Aria cupped his pale cheeks. Then, a light blush appeared on his cheeks and on the back of his ears, like paint spreading. As she gently stroked it, he tilted his head to follow her touch, gently curling his eyes. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Aria thought that she was also quite seriously swayed, and she lightly kissed his tightly closed lips. ¡°Are you satisfied now¡­ uhm!¡± Lloyd grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled her. And he showed through actions that he was not satisfied at all. He swallowed her as if he had been waiting for her. Digging deep into her as if he was going to pull her out until he was out of breath. Aria¡¯s ears rang with the same thing she had heard the previous night. ¡°St, stop.¡± It wasn¡¯t until after a while that their lips parted with the sound of a rough breathing, and Aria realized that she was lying underneath him. She felt like she was going to fall for his foolish temptation again. Aria hurriedly slipped out from under her tight arms that held her. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd let out a low sigh and ran his tongue over his wet lips. The eyes that had been hidden behind his eyelids, pretending to be docile until now, shimmered like those of a beast. Suddenly their eyes met. ¡°As you said, I think I¡¯m in rut.¡± She knew he was tricking her and he gained victory through it, so why does she still feel unfair? Chapter 210: After Story 2 After Story 2 Aria remembered something from her past. When she asked, ¡®What is the first night?¡¯, he replied, ¡®you¡¯re going to die.¡¯ The rough and innocent boy from that time, grew up and became a beast. ¡®At that time, I thought he was like that because of the malice he harbored.¡¯ Now that she sees it, it has a different meaning. ¡°You know. I think Lloyd will kill me someday.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen, but I hope you be stronger.¡± How long will my wife be weak? Lloyd whispered in a pity and kissed her exposed shoulder. ¡°No matter what I do, I won¡¯t be as strong as Lloyd¡­¡± What could she do to catch up with God¡¯s lineage? She shook her head for a moment. And shey quietly on the bed. It was to fill theck of sleep. ¡°Lloyd, go do your business.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must work hard, Your Highness.¡± ¡°There is no such urgent task.¡± ¡°Really? But why is Vincent swearing at Lloyd downstairs?¡± Lloyd sighed and got up. ¡°I will be back.¡± Aria closed her eyes at a kiss that was dripping into her forehead. Anguid morning. Aria, who has been sleeping a lottely, fell into a deep sleep again. It was not until muchter that she became aware of her bizarre dream again. Summer, a long-awaited rainy day. Aria took Lloyd¡¯s hand and walked down the street. In Lloyd¡¯s hand was a blue parasol withce. Of course, it wasn¡¯t his, it was a parasol that matched with Aria¡¯s dress. Lloyd was holding it and tipping it towards Aria. ¡°Lloyd, is it that fun?¡± Aria gave up halfway and whispered softly. She had already said it three times. Of course, she tried to take away the parasol he was holding truly, not just in words. It failed of course. ¡°It¡¯s hard to lift it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even breathe well.¡± She couldn¡¯t breathe? She was momentarily speechless. ¡°It was so hot that I was just panting a little¡­¡± It was scorching hot today. Aria wasn¡¯t sweating, but instead she seemed to be drained of energy from just a short walk in the scorching sun. Maybe it was because she wore ufortable formal clothes. Her breathing quickened and her whole body was limp. But despite that, she couldn¡¯t just stretch her body in the heat. ¡®Because there are eyes to see.¡¯ It¡¯s not just ¡®eyes to see¡¯. Right now, Aria was being watched by those who she especially wanted to look good for. She gritted her teeth and straightened her back. While maintaining a neat and disciplined gait. Lloyd looked down at her for a moment without saying a word, then added as he let out a faint sigh. ¡°I know you wanted to look good¡­ But know that I¡¯m holding back, wanting to hug you as much as I can.¡± Hug her? Here? Aria shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a talk in people¡¯s mouths for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Lloyd smiled as if he knew her answer. So it seems like you should listen to me quietly. ¡®Making such a face while holding a cute parasol¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria had a secret conversation with him, but she stopped and looked around. The people of Valentine¡¯s territory lined up left and right. They held a basket in their arms and scattered petals at every step they took. ¡°The hero who saved the empire!¡± ¡°Our savior hase!¡± ¡°Wee, agents of God! Wee!¡± ¡°Please look here!¡± Today was the day she went out to inspect the territory with Lloyd. Aria was taken aback by the more intense wee than she had expected. ¡®Well, since I saved the country, perhaps it¡¯s a natural reaction.¡¯ Garcia¡¯s foundation was destroyed, and the imperial family waspletely overturned. After that, it was the first time she appeared in front of the local people. Could it be that rumors of Aria and Lloyd have already spread in Valentine¡¯s territory? People flocked endlessly. ¡°Were there originally this many people in the territory?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a Grand Duchy.¡± Thanks to this, they were trapped in a procession of people and could not escape. Although she was smiling and waved gently, it was actually a bit frustrating. ¡®Still¡­¡­ That¡¯s good.¡¯ Monsters, viinesses, devil¡¯s subordinate. It was a word referring to Aria. The devil refers to Lloyd. However, they became God¡¯s agents and heroes before she knew it, and received all kinds of praise and wee in front of people. ¡®It¡¯s like a dream.¡¯ When she opened her eyes, she still felt like she was still trapped in a dark cage. Suddenly, there were times when she became anxious that all of this might be a vision she was seeing after she died. ¡®But, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ The bright expressions of people desperately waving their hands while sweating, their cheers, are so vivid. As if to reciprocate, Aria said with a faint smile. ¡°No matter how, I can still lift a parasol.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Lloyd raised his eyebrows exaggeratedly as if he didn¡¯t know. ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t even lift a parasol because you couldn¡¯t hold my hand properly.¡± Aria realized it btedly. The fact that she shook off Lloyd¡¯s hand at one point was because of the heat. ¡®¡­¡­ Was that aint?¡¯ Aria looked up at him for a moment, puzzled. Lloyd looked even more puzzled. He noticed from her reaction that she didn¡¯t shake his hand off on purpose. ¡°You mean you knew I was holding the parasol but didn¡¯t know you let go of my hand?¡± ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know. It¡¯s my hand.¡± Lloyd replied shamelessly. However, that was also true. It was because she never let go of Lloyd¡¯s hand unless there were circumstances beyond her control. Unless she was really having a hard time. ¡°Aria.¡± Lloyd smiled softly with his eyes and held out his hand politely. ¡°Stop pushing yourself ande here.¡± Before I hug you. Then he leaned over and whispered uncivilized words into her ear. Aria stopped being stubborn and she obediently epted his escort. Lloyd dispersed the crowd in the blink of an eye. Aria was relieved to see the crowd who had gathered like a miracle would happen just by approaching her, splitting in all directions. In fact, hot and exhausted, she was in no mood to refuse his consideration any longer. ¡°Go and change intofortable clothes.¡± Aria went into a clothing store and changed into a sheer summer dress. When she came out feeling much more at ease, the people who had been lined up endlessly in a thin line were scattered before she knew it. ¡°Where did everyone go? Aria spotted Lloyd leaning in the alley next to the clothing store and asked. He looked down at her and said. ¡°They dispersed on their own.¡± Oh, really? Aria shrugged her shoulders. It seemed that they had stopped greeting her, noticing that she looked distressed. ¡°You look disappointed.¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re my people. I want to greet each one of them¡­¡± Each one? Lloyd recalled the number of local residents who had flocked to see the two today. Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d have such ambitions.¡± ¡°Is it enough to call an ambition?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll be the first Grand Duchess to copse while being greeted.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡± It¡¯s all because of the weather. Aria told him that all humans suffer from heat. ¡°Get some rest and you¡¯ll feel better.¡± said Lloyd, putting his hand on her head, as she was stubborn. ¡°Let¡¯s greet them slowly. We have plenty of time ahead.¡± It was true. Because of the deal with the devil, Aria was given the next 100 years. ¡®I¡¯m not time limited anymore, really.¡¯ She could die of old age. She could spend the rest of her life here. With Lloyd. Aria, who had finished her thoughts up to that point, put on a happy face like a cat enjoying the sun. ¡°Aria.¡± She turned her head automatically at the voice calling her softly. When her eyes met with the striking ck eyes. He naturally blocked out the surrounding gaze with the parasol he was holding and looped her waist. Kiss. Lloyd pressed his lips as if he was stamping a seal, then whispered to her lips. ¡°Shall we go further inside?¡± He held out his hand as if offering an escort. Behind him she could see a gloomy alley. A dark shadow was cast over it, and it seemed that no matter what the two of them did in hiding, they would never be found out. ¡°As a gentleman, you are proposing to behave not at all like a gentleman.¡± Did he insist on using a parasol for this? She knows it¡¯s not, but it suddenly urred to her that might be the case. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Aria nced back, her cheeks flushed. In fact, she was a little moved by the in kiss, which was different from usual. Besides, they were already standing at the entrance of the alley. It meant that the current ce doesn¡¯t have many people. ¡®If only for a moment¡­¡­.¡¯ As she was at a loss. ¡°Rock paper scissors!¡± ¡°Eh.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t put out anything. You¡¯re the tagger!¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± ¡°Tagger, tagger!¡± Children ran out of the alley, screaming. Aria was startled and shook off Lloyd¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, kids. y quietly!¡± From afar, a woman who was presumed to be their mother approached with a look that could not stop them. Aria further distanced herself from Lloyd. ¡°Oh so, sorry, sorry.¡± A woman approaching spotted Aria and Lloyd and stuttered. She seemed concerned that the children were so noisy that they might offend the Grand Duchess. She was surprised, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t know what Aria was trying to do with Lloyd. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for.¡± Aria smiled softly at her and stroked her chest. The children running around vigorously despite the scorching heat were just cute. ¡°It¡¯s cute, right.¡± Aria smiled and turned to Lloyd. But he didn¡¯t seem to hear what she said. He was staring at the child and the mother of the child who held the child¡¯s hand with a strange expression. foreboding much?! sleeping a lot, easily tired, the dream!! mini-lloyd iing!! Chapter 211: After Story 3 After Story 3 How to say¡­¡­. The slightly furrowed brow contained an emotion close to displeasure. ¡®No, is it an inconvenience?¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like he was making that kind of expression just because his time alone with Aria was interrupted. ¡°Lloyd?¡± As Aria called him cautiously, Lloyd looked back at her btedly. ¡°Huh.¡± He responded meekly and quickly managed his expression. It was the usual Lloyd again. But she still felt a strange feeling in him that she couldn¡¯t exin. ¡°Hmm, unfortunately we¡¯ll have to postpone exploring the alley untilter.¡± ¡°No, not eventer¡­¡± When she answered the mischievous joke, narrowing her eyes, he smiled and held out his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go back today.¡± Since they did juste down to greet today. Communicating with them in earnest will be for next time. ¡°Yes.¡± Aria took his hand and turned her head in the direction where the children had left. ¡®Does Lloyd hate children?¡¯ Of course, he reacted unkindly to everyone except Aria. It was no exception just because the other person was a child. As a human being, he was considerate and took care of the weak, but that is all. ¡®But looking at parents and children, to be making that expression that was beyond bored and ufortable¡­¡­..¡¯ What does it mean? Seeing Lloyd¡¯s reaction, Aria was left withplicated feelings. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Aria simultaneously spoke of ipatible desires. Lloyd had to ponder for a moment which one he should help first. ¡°Aria, are you sleeping?¡± He called the attendant and ordered them to bring a light meal, then took the drowsy Aria back into his arms. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re sleeping.¡± Lloyd skillfully tidied up her disheveled clothes and talked to her so that she wouldn¡¯t fall asleep. ¡°Uh¡­ I can¡¯t wake up.¡± Aria murmured in a sleepy voice before barely lifting her eyelids. Breakfast was served soon after. Aria¡¯s eyes twinkled in her dozed off sleep. After a while, she said, looking down at the te that had just been scraped clean. ¡°I seem to be eating too well these days.¡± Did I gain some weight? Aria tilted her head for a moment, then she said. ¡°I want to eat more strawberries.¡± Then, the kitchen family, who had been having fun feeding Aria these days, brought strawberries in a basket. Lloyd held her, who was eating the strawberries, like a precious treasure. ¡°¡­¡­Aren¡¯t you feverish?¡± He touched Aria¡¯s forehead, which felt especially hot. She chewed hard on the strawberry and muttered, ¡®Is that so?¡¯. ¡°Uuuhhp!¡± Gasp, perhaps she ate too well. Aria covered her mouth and retched, then she looked at Lloyd¡¯s eyes. She has had such an appetitetely. Thanks to that, she didn¡¯t know the limits of her stomach and would stuff food into her mouth and vomit it all out. ¡®I was hiding it from Lloyd because I knew he would be worried.¡¯ She didn¡¯t hide it, but it was more like she didn¡¯t mention it. Just as expected. Lloyd, whose expression hardened seriously, said in a subdued voice. ¡°¡­¡­Call the doctor.¡± Cuirre was dragged right in front of Aria because Aria had one false nausea. Sabina, Tristan, Vincent, and Cloud followed after him like sausages on a link. When they heard that Aria was sick, they ran like crazy. ¡°Mya mya!¡± The dragon too. The dragon cried and rushed into Aria¡¯s arms. Then, Lloyd grabbed the dragon¡¯s wings without hesitation with a rough movement. ¡°What do you mean Mya Mya? Speak properly.¡± The dragon was no longer a baby. After only a few months of growth, it was able to grow past babbling and speak humannguage to some extent. It was still small. As a human being, maybe it had grown to the level of a child? ¡°Sheesh.¡± The child dragon lightly clicked its tongue and swung its head away. Aria, who had been silently watching the scene, was examined by Cuirre, and she said again as if she remembered it btedly. ¡°Come to think of it, a dragon appeared in a dream I had before.¡± ¡°A dragon? That smander?¡± The child dragon chewed on Lloyd¡¯s shoulder. He didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°No, it was younger, smaller, warmer, and had pretty pink eyes. Noah gave it to me¡­¡± At that time, Cuirre, who had finished examining her, raised his head. ¡°You are pregnant.¡± While giving results that anyone can guess. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, at least no one present here expected such an oue. The Valentine¡¯s family fell silent for a while. Time passed. ¡°Uh, so¡­ a nephew?¡± Vincent spoke first in a bewildered voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about time?¡± Well, of course, he thought it would happen a long timeter. He rubbed the nape of his neck, dumbfounded that he hadn¡¯t even imagined that he would ever have a nephew. Perhaps one of the reasons is that Aria got married when she was 10 years old¡­¡­. Another reason was that, for the Valentine family, having a child from the head of the family was not considered a blessing at all. With the birth of the child, the Madam will suffer and die, and the head of the family will be locked up in a tower and go mad. ¡®There was a culture of hiding the children of the family head.¡¯ But now it¡¯s a blessing. It was no different from others. No one was going to die with God¡¯s malice just because a child was born. Recognizing this fact, Vincent¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s very good!¡± The child of Valentine and the Siren. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what an extraordinary child it would be. He was happy to have a nephew, but apart from that, it was also a very interesting thing from a schrly point of view. ¡®Pregnant? Me?¡¯ Aria recognized the reality one beatter than Vincent. ¡®¡­¡­ a child?¡¯ She looked down at her belly, feeling her slumber disappear in an instant. Although she knew that one day she would have a child with Lloyd. ¡®That¡¯s already¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria immediately turned pale, covering her mouth. The first emotion that crept into her was fear. It was scary. The fact that she has a life inside her body. ¡°Aria? Aria!¡± She slowly rolled her eyes at the hand that held her shoulder firmly. ¡°Aria, it¡¯s okay. Breathe. Huh?¡± Lloyd calmed her down. Aria was btedly realizing that she had forgotten to breathe, and she let out a slow breath. ¡®It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like children.¡¯ It was clear that if it was a child with Lloyd, they would be so cute and lovable that she would want to bite it. But¡­¡­. ¡®I will never let my child live an unhappy life like me¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria¡¯s mother, Sophia, said. She told Aria not to associate with anyone and not to love anyone. She must cut it off. Even though she didn¡¯t have to think about it anymore, she couldn¡¯t stop the sudden surge of anxiety. ¡®It¡¯s in the past.¡¯ Aria closed her eyes tightly, then opened them, she tried to say calmly. ¡°It¡¯s just because I suddenly remembered her past.¡± That was all. It¡¯s a good thing to forget now that everything ended with a happy ending. After a while. Lloyd came to see Aria. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± After being alone in her room for a while, lost in thought, Aria nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She was a little annoyed when she realized how long traumas from the past gnaw at people¡¯s minds. ¡°No¡­ Actually, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fine.¡± Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt. She pursed her lips with a flushed face. But at that moment, she lost her words. The memories of summer days came to mind. The day they shook off all the incidents and misfortunes that blocked their path, and were crowned as heroes in front of Valentine¡¯s people. ¡®Didn¡¯t Lloyd show some strange reaction that day¡­¡­.¡¯ The children were ying lively, and the mother of one child was taking care of her child by her side. And Lloyd, who was watching them, had a cold, hard expression. Soon, he showed signs of difort. ¡®Why haven¡¯t we both talked about a child before¡­¡­.¡¯ It would be more urate to say that neither of them had that in mind. ¡®Of course I should have done it.¡¯ It was while she was contemting what to say. Aria raised her head in a sudden sense of incongruity. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± Lloyd was standing at a distance. It felt strange because Lloyd had been the person who had always been close to her. Chapter 212: After Story 4 After Story 4 ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± Me? Lloyd stopped talking. It¡¯s soplicated in his head that he doesn¡¯t know what to say. Perhaps Aria had felt his feelings, she didn¡¯t say anything. Her beating heart seemed to cool down. ¡®What about ordinary people?¡¯ Jumping for joy? Saying thank you, I love you, shedding tears? To have heated discussions about whether the child is a girl or a boy, who do they want the child to resemble? She recalled what she had read in the novel and tried to substitute it. It seemed that none of that was happening to Aria and Lloyd. In her imagination, the two creaked. Like an actor who ys a role that doesn¡¯t suit them. ¡®Me and Lloyd¡¯s child.¡¯ Aria unconsciously lifted her hand andid it gently on her belly. It¡¯s just t. She hasn¡¯t felt anything yet. It was nothing like usual. ¡°They say it¡¯s 6 weeks.¡± Then, Lloyd, who had been keeping silent, finally opened his mouth. He fixed his gaze on Aria, who was stroking her stomach. ¡°They say it¡¯s healthy.¡± He seemed to convey the doctor¡¯s words instead. Things to watch out for in the early days of pregnancy flowed from his mouth. He didn¡¯t even seem to know what he was talking about. ¡°Huh? Uh, ah. I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aria sighed in response. They had nothing more to say. Aria turned her head with a stiff motion and asked in an awkward voice. ¡°What about Lloyd?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do you think about having a baby?¡± ¡°A baby ¡­¡­.¡± Lloyd blinked slowly at Aria¡¯s question. The two shining eyes below thenguidly rxed eyes shimmered as if they contained a wonderful universe. ¡®It¡¯s not that he hates it.¡¯ She could tell just by looking at his face. Aria looked at him in silence and asked. ¡°Would you like to hear the heartbeat?¡± ¡°The heartbeat?¡± Lloyd widened his eyes. ¡°Can you hear that?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t guess and I didn¡¯t know it because it was dull, but it seemed like I could hear it if it was in a quiet ce.¡± ¡°Does it have a heart?¡± ¡°I can hear the sound so it¡¯s¡¯ probably there right?¡± ¡°Does it have eyes, nose and mouth?¡± ¡°Well? Maybe there is?¡± ¡°The limbs?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± It was a silly conversation, but they were very serious. Possessed, Lloyd slowly approached her and knelt down on one knee. Then he carefully put his ear to her stomach and closed his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t hear it.¡± ¡°Is it because you¡¯re not a siren?¡± Aria¡¯s stomach only rumbled. Seeing her husband, with his ears dyed red, leaning against her stomach with a serious expression and closing his eyes, was cute. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Lloyd and Aria had simr feelings. Like a ve who has broken their shackles and is free for the first time. Having rights they never imagined and believed they couldn¡¯t enjoy, they were just fascinated. ¡®Naturally, that¡¯s a given¡¯ It was something everyone could enjoy. It felt like she was suddenly alone in an unfamiliar foreignnd. ¡®No, I¡¯m not alone.¡¯ Aria muttered that, then she smiled faintly. Since there are at least two of them, this unfamiliar anxiety will be quickly ovee. She did think so. If it hadn¡¯t been for Lloyd, who had hardened before she knew it. ¡°If it¡¯s something you can¡¯t handle, I don¡¯t mind you telling me honestly.¡± Hearing his unexpected words, Aria blinked her eyes nkly. ¡°What, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I said it¡¯s difficult to handle, what would you do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Aria.¡± ¡°Did I understand it right?¡± Was he going to terminate the child? ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Just because she was pregnant, maternal love didn¡¯t happen overnight. However, she could not calmly listen to him saying that he could destroy life that had already formed. Isn¡¯t this Lloyd¡¯s child? Lloyd¡¯s and no one else¡­¡­. ¡°It¡¯s your child too.¡± Aria cupped her fists tightly with trembling fingertips. Lloyd held her pale hand. With a firm and strong hand. ¡°Aria, I put you first.¡± Aria shook his hand. Lloyd stiffened for a moment, he squeezed her hand tighter again. ¡°Let go.¡± This time he didn¡¯t let go even though she told him too. He held her hand stubbornly until he realized that she was shaking. Aria gritted her teeth. ¡°Let go!¡± Instead of following her orders, he said firmly ¡°I put aside everything like love, ethics, and conscience and only think of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I only need you. I only need you to be safe.¡± Lloyd said, showing that he would never back down, but his eyes were shaking slightly. Even with sincerity. Aria, who was speechless for a moment, managed to part her lips. ¡°You speak like I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know why Noah came to your dreams and forced you to have a child, saying that it¡¯s still too early.¡± Lloyd and Aria each had God¡¯s feelings. Lloyd has God¡¯s goodwill and malice. Aria has God¡¯s conscience. If she conceives and gives birth to a child in this state, this child will be a vessel to inherit God¡¯s feelings. Just as what Valentine has done for generations for God¡¯s malice. Aria understood what he meant by saying this and refuted. ¡°Valentine¡¯s curse is over.¡± ¡°Can you guarantee that?¡± ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°It would be beneficial for both God and Noah to get their emotions back from us as soon as possible, so why talk about the time?¡± Lloyd was convinced that it was Noah who wanted a child between them. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out what exactly Noah would want from a child. Aria agreed with that part. Because it was what her dreams were suggesting. ¡°Of course, the child will be affected by God¡¯s feelings¡­ but it will be fine.¡± ¡°Of course the child will be fine.¡± It¡¯s Valentine¡¯s bloodline. Lloyd added cynically, then twisted his mouth. Aria was taken aback by his reaction. ¡°God and Noah won¡¯t harm the two of us. Then why did they help us all this time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps it was because they wanted a child to be born of us. The child will exist only if you and I are alive.¡± Why was he so pessimistic? Besides, it was quite usible, which made even Aria that was listening to it uneasy. Aria gasps as he suddenly seems to have returned to being the vignt boy he was when they first met. Aria bit her lip and looked at him, swallowing his emotions. ¡°Valentine¡­was a sinner. A life that was born after devouring its parents and to die from madness. It would be a blessing if it did not exist in this world.¡± Lloyd has always thought so. He said he would end it all on his own. Since he was only five years old. He was just free from the curse, and he was just thinking about living with Aria now. But the anxiety that this might not be the end choked his breath. ¡°You, like Mother¡­¡± He gritted his teeth for a moment, then continued in a suppressed voice. ¡°I will never let that happen.¡± It was a desperate plea for her to live. Aria looked down at Lloyd on his knees and let out a deep sigh. The past trauma. That nasty thing seemed to be eating away at Lloyd as well. The news that Aria was expecting a child spread quickly. ¡°A baby? A baby who resembles the mistress?¡± Some employees lost their minds as if they were happy just imagining the appearance of a baby. They whispered words that would be offensive if anyone heard them. Even while walking down the street, they would stop and drool profusely. ¡°Wow¡­¡­ it would be lovely, lovely, lovely, right?¡± ¡°Soft mochi¡­¡± ¡°I want to bite it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to put it in my pocket!¡± There were not one or two servants who were scolded by Dana, the chief handmaid, after saying strange things. Not only that, but the kitchen staff were more motivated than usual. Until they were overheated. Baker served dishes without knowing the end. ¡°If you have something you want to eat, just let me know. When we receive your order, whatever ingredients you need will be airlifted and served within three hours.¡± ¡°No, not that far¡­¡± Aria was burdened and answered shyly, but she couldn¡¯t stop the chefs from running wild. Most of them were like that. They couldn¡¯t hide their excitement at the blessing of a new life. ¡®It seems like everyone got a big drink¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria was amazed that they couldn¡¯t get out of their overexcited state. Overjoyed. Is this amon reaction of ordinary people? ¡®Me and Lloyd, on the other hand¡­¡­.¡¯ Aria knew too. What Lloyd was worried about. The story of the Valentine family has been heard so much that it is heartbreaking. ¡®But now it¡¯s just an old story.¡¯ Noah could have appeared out of nowhere in his descendants¡¯ dream to dy returning the goodwill and malice. Isn¡¯t Noah also the son of God? But¡­¡­ ¡®Actually¡­..I don¡¯t know.¡¯ She just wants to believe that. In order to prevent the destruction of the world, Noah was willing to bear God¡¯s malice and made his descendants inherit it from generation to generation. If the existence of the world depended on their child, Noah would choose the world over his descendants. ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s disturbing. ¡®I¡¯ll have to walk a bit.¡¯ Aria went out of her room and walked down the hallway. ¡°How could I have known that a day like this woulde to Valentine¡¯s castle?¡± Then, by chance, from a distance, she heard the maids talking. ¡°I know. It¡¯s natural to be happy when a child is born.¡¯ ¡°When the head of the family was born, nobodyughed. They said that the atmosphere inside the castle was thin ice, so they couldn¡¯t even breathe properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course. At that time, everyone thought the madam would die.¡± ¡°Even the former Grand Duke always seemed so murderous. There were not one or two servants who died from malice just because they were in the same space¡­¡± ¡°There were even rumors that he had already gone crazy.¡± Aria took a deep breath and focused on the conversation. It was the first time she had heard of it. ¡®Although I certainly knew.¡¯ Of course, there was a difference between guessing things on her own and hearing the situation directly through the employee¡¯s mouth. Only then did Aria realize why the employees were so happy. Until now, no one had ever blessed a Valentine¡¯s child. ¡®Then, Lloyd at that time¡­¡­.¡¯ A 5-year old boy who memorized a self-sacrifice spell without hesitation. Even though she fully predicted what kind of environment he grew up in¡­¡­. ¡®I want to hear more about it.¡¯ It seemed that it would show her the way forward. The next morning. Sabina went to Aria¡¯s bedroom. Originally, it was the day they took swordsmanship lessons together, but that day was different. ¡°Mother, I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can you tell me the story of when you first had Lloyd, no, when you first came to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle?¡± Aria asked cautiously. Then Sabina widened her eyes for a moment. Like she was being asked a question she never expected. Aria was worried that asking about the memories of that day would be disrespectful to Sabina, and that it might remind Sabina of her wounds. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be particrly pleasant to hear.¡± But Sabina responded with a deep smile. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t matter that it was a story about when I was out of my mind.¡± Chapter 213: After Story 5 After Story 5 ¡°You ungrateful bitch!¡± Sabina¡¯s head jerked roughly. She let go of her swollen cheek and spat blood on the floor. ¡°How dare you run away! How can you repay the kindness of giving birth to and raising you?¡± This time her head turned the other way. Her tingling face was now numb. ¡®Give birth to me?¡¯ Sabina twisted her mouth. ¡®You just litter everywhere.¡¯ Her escape n was perfect. If there was one thing she overlooked, it was Count Valois¡¯ greed and obsession were beyond her imagination. She didn¡¯t know that they nted people from the manor to the port where they could only reach it by riding a horse for 15 days. Sabina¡¯s n to cross over to the foreign country by hiding among the cargo of a trading ship was foiled. ¡®That must mean that you¡¯re betting everything on this marriage.¡¯ It was almost close to madness. Sabina let out a grin, leaving her messed up face unattended. Because she missed herst chance to escape to another country. She was fed up with all this now. ¡°This, you¡¯re still¡­!¡± ¡°Father, please stop.¡± At that time. While Sabina, who was brought to the mansion, was beaten, a man, who was watching all of this from a distance, stood in the way. He was Gary Valois, the eldest son of Valois. ¡°Gary! Seeing this woman¡¯s cheeky appearance, do you still think of treating her as a younger sister? This thing tried to ruin your prosperous future!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to punish her, please avoid her face. We shouldn¡¯t leave any traces until the wedding.¡± Of course, it was never for her safety. The Count, who was breathing heavily,ter recognized Sabina¡¯s disfigured face and made a stinging look. He tutted, clicked his tongue, and gestured. ¡°Lock her in the room. Summon all the members of the Knights and keep an eye on her.¡± If the Count misses her this time, the end will not just be paying a tribute. The head of the knights bowed his head with a nervous face. Sabina didn¡¯t even look at the head of the knights, only staring at her own older brother, Gary. Suddenly their eyes met. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked anxiously. Then he lowered his head and whispered softly in her ear. ¡°I said harsh words to you to ay Father¡¯s anger, so don¡¯t be too sad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best so that Father can¡¯t touch you again. Go upstairs and take care of yourself.¡± Just hearing it contained the tenderness of his concern for her. However, unlike his voice that pretended to be extremely tender, his eyes were infinitely indifferent and cold. Sabina read a faint hint of satisfaction on his lips. The reason for his contradictory attitude was clear. It was a tant sense of inferiority. A gaze that thoroughly looked down on her. A mocking smile, wondering if Sabina finally understands her ce. He was born a predator with everything. Nevertheless, he was intoxicated with his sense of victory when he saw his younger sister who had to live many of his rights deprived. There was only one reason. ¡®Because I have a talent for swordsmanship.¡¯ A huge talent for it too. Those who noticed Sabina¡¯s potential spoke of her as the child of Valois who inherited the talent most closely. Valois had produced great knights from generation to generation. On the other hand, Gary¡¯s talent was always one step behind her. No matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t surpass her. ¡®It must be because of that.¡¯ He only revealed his satisfaction after he trampled on Sabina and even plundered her life. ¡®For such a person, I¡¯ve been doing this¡­¡­.¡¯ Gary turned his back on Sabina and took the Count outside the mansion. ¡°Sabina.¡± Then the Countess, restless as she watched the husband and son, came to Sabina¡¯s side. She was the second wife, not much older than Sabina. ¡°Sabina, don¡¯t be like that. As you know, our family¡¯s fate depends on it. When your brother does well, our family and you will do well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that child, would you have been able to survive until now? You would have starved or froze to death while wandering the streets.¡± You should know how to be grateful. The Countess told off Sabina. Sabina was an illegitimate daughter. The daughter of a courtesan, who once dominated the social world with her outstanding looks. Her presence was a speck of stain for Count Valois. It would be like something of dirty water thrown out without warning in the Count¡¯s life, which should be bright and splendid. The reason Sabina was able to join the Valois family was thanks to Gary¡¯s words. [¡°I want a younger sister.¡±] That one sentence. Thanks to the child¡¯s whining, lightly spat out as if he wanted to raise a dog. ¡®Since I survived that way, I should die for Brother and the family?¡¯ In that case, it would have been better to wander the streets from the beginning and die there. ¡°Mother.¡± Sabina, who had been keeping silent the whole time, called her in a low voice. They are only ten years apart. Her stepmother still had a childishly innocent face. ¡°Mother too, don¡¯t rely on those bastards, and find a way to live secretly. It¡¯s not toote now, so at least find a money line.¡± ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°Before you get hit like me.¡± The Countess seemed greatly taken aback by Sabina¡¯s unexpected words, and she said nothing for a moment. ¡°What do you mean by that!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cursing you, and I¡¯m not ming you. If I disappear from Valois forever, who will be the next target?¡±¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The Countess noticed it instantly. Whenever something big happened to the family, Sabina was the one who was med for it. ¡°I know you have no ill will. Mother probably did it because you also wanted to survive.¡± The Countess had neither power nor wealth. Rather, the Count had bought her looks and youth at a high price. It was obvious to see how the Countess would be treated in the family without Sabina, who had no backer. She, as a weakling, will pay the price for sacrificing another weakling. ¡®¡­¡­ That¡¯s not good.¡¯ Sabina thought. So she¡¯d rather the second wife who had no children to run away. Before she couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t get caught, Mother.¡± She doesn¡¯t know if she¡¯ll hear it. Sabina slowly closed her eyes. Everything went wrong, so it seemed like it didn¡¯t matter. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Now, is she going to die? ¡®A life where she dies as a surrogate¡­¡­.¡¯ Sheughed like mad as she was dragged and bound by the knights. What a useless life. Sabina looked at herself in the mirror. She always neglected herself as if she didn¡¯t care what happened, nor did anyone around her care. But now, forcibly dolled up in the name of marriage, she was different like a different person. Who the hell is this? ¡®Pretty.¡¯ Her bangs, which covered her eyes, were neatly cut straight up to her eyebrows. Then the eyes hidden behind her hair were revealed. Eyes bright red. Some cursed it, saying it was the color of the devil, while others nced at it, saying it was like a jewel of the devil. She had been hiding it behind her dirty hair all her life because she felt bad either way¡­¡­. ¡®Damn it, it¡¯s disgustingly pretty.¡¯ Sabina was disgusted with her alien beauty. After all, it was the primary cause of her death. ¡®If I had been born as a man who looked exactly like Count Valois, I might have been the heir.¡¯ Even if she was an illegitimate child too. She would have been treated better than she is now when her appearance is exactly like the courtesan. ¡®If only I had been born a man I wouldn¡¯t have been sold as a disposable surrogate. At least I could have survived and lived my life.¡¯ No, she¡¯d rather be ugly¡­¡­. However, what use would it be to think like this in the present situation? She is a woman, she is pretty, her escape has failed, and she is no different than a trapped rat. ¡°The carriage from Valentine¡¯s family has arrived, Miss.¡± The employees conveyed their words with tense faces. Their faces were concerned that Sabina, driven into a corner, would suddenly go mad and start her rampage. If she decides to go on a rampage, they would only be able to subdue her if all of the knights stick together. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get out on my own feet.¡± Sabina shook the hand and walked briskly. Her eyes, which had been half-opened as if she had given up, red up again like fireworks. ¡®I don¡¯t intend to die like this.¡¯ There was only one thing Sabina wanted. Her life. With one single desire to live, she walked and walked the dirt road. Even though she endured all kinds of violence, insults, and false usations, and suppressed her dreams and talents, she only wished for one thing¡­¡­. ¡®Are you going to take away even that?¡¯ Everyone she knew wanted her dead. Every single person. Then she will live. Even if she kills, she will live. She would crawl out of the underworld just to see them despair. Chapter 214: After Story 6 After Story 6 ¡°Grand Prince¡­ ack!¡± Dwayne screamed out of nowhere. He almost stepped on a bottle of alcohol rolling right in front of the door and trip. This isn¡¯t some kind of minefield. ¡°Get some venttion!¡± The smell of alcohol, tobo, and blood. Dwayne sighed and opened the window and pulled back the curtains. Tristan,nguidly immersed in the darkness, frowned as the sunlight entered the room. ¡°It¡¯s bright.¡± He muttered in a very low voice. Dwayne, who inadvertently turned his head and tried to unleash his nagging, shuddered. Because there was inhuman ferocity embedded in Tristan¡¯s thick, dark eyes. It was an animal-like look. Even though his body was stretched helplessly. ¡°Have you been doing this all night?¡± ¡°I think I may have left in the middle.¡± ¡°Why do you sound like you¡¯re guessing?¡± ¡°There is a sword scar on the stomach.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Dwayne sighed and lowered his gaze hurriedly. As Tristan said, Tristan¡¯s shirt was torn in half and there was dark red dried blood. ¡°How did this happen¡­! Did you go to the arena again? What about the treatment!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. The wound has healed.¡± He urgently checked the wound, but it was almost healed, leaving only a red mark like a sword cut on the strong abdominal muscles. Dwayne knew that sooner orter even traces of it would be gone. That¡¯s how long he has been watching Tristan. ¡°You have not been like that for a while, and then again¡­¡± He murmured in a muffled voice. It was a monster-like resilience everytime. ¡°¡­ Grand Prince, have you forgotten something?¡± ¡°They ran out of liquor. Fill it up.¡± ¡°What? It hasn¡¯t been long since the butler filled the wine cer? It¡¯s already¡­ no, not that!¡± Don¡¯t tell me you have forgotten what day it is today? Dwayne asked in an anxious voice. ¡°Today?¡± Tristan lit a new tobo and let out a slow puff of smoke from his lips. ¡°Is it my birthday?¡± ¡°There is half a year left.¡± ¡°Sorry. I was confident.¡± Dwayne swallowed his annoyance at Tristan¡¯s silly joke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but do you know today¡¯s date?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot so it¡¯s summer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot because you¡¯ve been drinking so much that your body heats up.¡± What kind of conversation is this? Dwayne let out a deep sigh and murmured. ¡°It seems like I was expecting too much from the Grand Prince.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been acting up a lottely. You seem to need attention, should I please you?¡± He snapped his fingers, eyes half-opened by his drunkenness. He was acting helplessly and talking nonsense, but everyone knew that if Dwayne was caught in his grip, it wouldn¡¯t take even a second for him to die. Dwayne quickly stepped back and quickly got his point across. ¡°Today we will send a carriage to Valois¡¯ family.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?! That¡¯s because the person who will be the Grand Duchess will ride it!¡± ¡°Since when did my bride live there?¡± Of course because she was born there! Dwayne pped his forehead. He was stupid for expecting that he would be able tomunicate with a drunkard in the first ce. He cried and spoke in a desperate voice. ¡°Before the carriage arrives at the Grand Duke¡¯s castle, please sober up, wash up, and dress neatly. I beg you.¡± ¡°Hmm, a bride¡­¡± Tristan turned his ss around and thought. He desperately yearned for death. But his boring life pulled him like a swamp and never let go. ¡®Did I finally have a woman to share my death with?¡¯ The tobos he smokes nonstop are made from abination of poisonous weeds that are likely to make people cross the underworld as soon as they inhale it. Although the poison vtilized in an instant as it entered and exited his body. He was fine even after drinking alcohol that was so strong that a normal person¡¯s body would have been ruined long ago. He survived even when he was mortally wounded. No matter what he did, he didn¡¯t die. His actions close to self-torture made him feel alive. ¡®If you want to die, do your duty.¡¯ Like saying so. ¡°She¡­¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t know who the Valois woman was. He doesn¡¯t even think he wants to know much. However, if there is one thing he wishes for, it is that she has no regrets in her life that she could ept death with dignity¡­¡­. ¡°I want you to mess with me.¡± Rough enough to inflict wounds that will never heal. To carve death deep into his bones so that he can fall into hell. A heartfelt smile finally formed on Tristan¡¯s lips. ¡°Sabina.¡± Gary was waiting for her in front of the mansion. But she passed by, ignoring his very existence. Gary paused for a moment before letting out a smirk. And he said soothingly. ¡°Sister, you won¡¯t even say goodbye for thest time.¡± He stopped Sabina as she went straight to the carriage without looking back. Like watching her being dragged to the ughterhouse before she died. Sabina stopped her steps. She was wondering what nonsense he was talking about. ¡°I guess you have nothing to do.¡± ¡°You are my one and only sister, and you are going away a long way. I will not be able to attend the wedding, so I should see you off like this.¡± Gary smiled. The mouth curled an arc seemed to enjoy himself. ¡°I believe you will do well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are the pride of the family. You will surely shine as the Grand Duchess of the Valentine family and raise your children wonderfully.¡± At first nce, it was a virtue that one would say as an older brother. However, since Sabina was bing the wife of Valentine, it was nothing but ridicule and insult. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you a lot. If you miss your hometown,e over anytime.¡± Gary patted Sabina on the shoulder. Her gaze rested on the carriage that stoppedpletely in front of the mansion, and then swung around. Towards Gary. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m going to be the Grand Duchess of Valentine, so I¡¯m the pride of the family?¡± ¡°Of course. Many youngdies besides you were nominated, but in the end, it was you.¡± Sabina urately grasped the meaning of Gary¡¯s words. That means ¡®you have the highest value only when you enter the marriage market, so know your ce and stop being satisfied¡¯. Don¡¯t even dream of the sword. ¡°Now that you¡¯re going to be the Grand Duchess, you should grow up too. My father said he regretted not hiring a private tutor for bridal lessons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s useless to regret it now. By all means, you should keep quiet in the Grand Duchy.¡± He smiled mischievously, like he was worried about his younger sister. After Sabina silently listened to Gary¡¯s words, she slowly pursed her lips. ¡°If I am the pride of my family, then Brother will be the shame of the family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what?¡± ¡°Brother acknowledges that I am worthy enough to be chosen among the candidates for the Grand Duchess, and besides that, I have many other talents that cannot be counted.¡± There is swordsmanship. Sabina smiled as she added. While copying Gary¡¯s hideous smile full of pretense. ¡°Brother would not have even set foot in the imperial pce without me, and there is no expression that refers to you more urately than the word ¡®shame.¡¯¡± Gary looked like he doubted his ears as Sabina spoke in a soft voice. And soon, his whole body turned red. It was because the price he received for selling Sabina was enormous wealth and Gary ¡®joining the Imperial Knights¡¯. ¡°You know what?¡± ¡°You, you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Low self-esteem and low mental quality are evidence of low intelligence where you feel satisfied by pouring your low spirits into the weak.¡± She can¡¯t be the one to say things as she was about to die anyway. Now that she had gone all the way, she wanted to feel refreshed. ¡°Your value in the marriage market is low, and you have no exceptional talent in swordsmanship¡­¡± Sabina seemed bored, her eyes half-closed as he poured out her words. ¡°In addition to that, your intelligence is also low. You have the personality to ridicule even your younger sister¡¯s life¡­ so I can truly say that you are aplete shame.¡± ¡°Are you really crazy?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I almost forgot Brother¡¯s innate talent.¡± She covered her mouth and gave an exaggerated look of surprise before she whispered in his ear. ¡°You inherited the deepest feelings of envy, inferiority, victim mentality, and entitlement. Father must be very proud of a son who looks just like him.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­.¡± Gary seemed stunned and couldn¡¯t say anything. The look of him trembling with anger was ready to throw his fist at any moment. But he struggled to suppress his emotions, and raised the corners of his trembling lips. ¡°You seem very angry, Sabina. Calm down and we¡¯ll send you a letter soon, so let¡¯s talk about it then.¡± The reason he was able to control his emotions was simple. It was because he still looked at Sabina below him. If the dog he raised was genuinely angry, shouldn¡¯t he deal with it sincerely? Yes, yes, and move on. Sabina felt very sorry for him. ¡°You¡¯re smiling at a false sense of superiority. Even though the day wille sooner orter you¡¯ll realize that you¡¯re an empty shell with nothing.¡± She looked at him with an insignificant nce for a moment, then shook her head and headed toward the carriage. But, then. ¡°An empty shell?¡± Gary, who was struggling to tolerate Sabina¡¯s insults, suddenly muttered lowly. ¡°A bitch who¡¯s about to die is saying that!¡± Then he grabbed her by the cor. Perhaps Sabina had touched his wrath, he even had murderous energy in his eyes. Sheughed at Gary who grabbed her by the cor, twisting her mouth. She had given up on being respectable. ¡°Am I wrong? Or should I say that selling your sister is a talent?¡± ¡°Do you think you would have been brought into the family if you hadn¡¯t even had a smooth face? ¡°Then what is the value of your existence? A pest who eats the family?¡± Sabina said, her eyes widening and squeezing Gary¡¯s chest with her fingers. ¡°You are nothing. Nothing.¡± With a smile that made people angry as a bonus. Chapter 215: Side Story 7 Side Story 7 That is to say, Gary hadpletely severed the thread of reason that he had been desperately clinging to. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s nothing!¡± He said, gripping Sabina¡¯s cloak even tighter. ¡°The power I hold is my talent and strength. As evidence, I will be a royal knight, while you¡¯re helplessly walking towards death right now.¡± Moreover¡­ He looked around with a defiant expression and added with a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that no one is seeing off the daughter of a count on her journey to the afterlife.¡± Count Valois was currently away on a trip. He knew that only a carriage would be sent from the Valentine family. ¡°And the Grand prince didn¡¯t evene to greet you himself.¡± Gary raised his voice in mockery of Sabina. ¡°This is the proof that you¡¯re nothing!¡± There was no need to listen anymore. Sabina looked at him indifferently, then clenched her fist. And she struck him straight on. ¡°Cough¡­¡± She coldly looked down at Gary, who was coughing and even vomiting saliva. ¡°No one¡¯s watching, how fortunate.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t that no one was there, as a servant guarding the door was watching them. However, he quickly averted his gaze when Sabina¡¯s eyes nced over him. ¡°Did you see?¡± She asked for confirmation. The servant seemed to struggle for a moment, then obediently answered. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t open my eyes, perhaps due to a speck of dust.¡± It was because offending the youngdy who would soon be the Grand Duchess was even worse than going against the master¡¯s orders. Sabina smiled contentedly. ¡°Since my brother went out of his way to see me off, let¡¯s go to the afterlife together. I¡¯ll send you off.¡± She casually cracked her wrist, making a thud, and slowly moved her steps. A shadow loomed over Gary sprawled on the floor. ¡°Open it.¡± Sabinamanded, while wiping her bloody fist on her cloak. It was when the coachman, who had been watching the whole process from afar, tremblingly approached to open the carriage door. The door opened weakly by itself. ¡°Huh?¡± She looked inside the carriage with a puzzled and absurd expression. There was a ck-haired man, with his arm outstretched toward the door, shivering his shoulders. In an awkward stance as if he had stopped while trying to kick the door and leave the carriage. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sabina muttered unknowingly. There was a reason for such a reaction. The man in front of her was not a pleasant first impression, even at his best. ¡°¡­The smell of alcohol.¡± Sabina frowned and muttered. It didn¡¯t seem like he had been drinking in the carriage. However, it was as if he had just crawled out of a liquor store, the smell of alcohol was emanating from him. At the carriage sent from Valentine, what could it possibly mean that a drunkard was riding? ¡®Is it a test?¡¯ To see how I react? Or is it a new kind of harassment to teach me a lesson? It was confusing. But soon, she thought: ¡®So what?¡¯ Having stepped on the perpetrator who had forced her to sacrifice her entire life, there was nothing left to be afraid of in life. Although it was a reckless act driven by reaching her limit, it was very satisfying. ¡®I¡¯ll survive.¡¯ Sabina had already made up her mind. She couldn¡¯t die because she had unfulfilled dreams. But for her, who would be the Grand Duchess, there was only one way to live. ¡®To be divorced.¡¯ To get out of the Valentine family no matter what. For that, Sabina had to actively show that she was not the person Valentine wanted. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She looked down at the man who was still silentlyughing with his waist bent, lost in thought. What Valentine wanted was clearly a ¡®sacrifice.¡¯ In fact, Sabina had lived a life no different from a sacrifice so far. But ironically, it was only after bing a ¡®real sacrifice¡¯ that she wanted to escape from this sacrificial life. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t I be able to get a divorce if I show the opposite attitude of a sacrifice? Being rebellious, not being humble, having a strong desire to live, not listening to what people say, acting as I please, being arrogant¡­¡¯ Anyway, she had to show apletely different side from the way she had lived so far. But Sabina felt like acting that way would suit her. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d raise your fist there¡­¡± It was then. The man spoke in a voice that seemed to be suppressing hisughter. ¡°Did you see everything?¡± Sabina nced at Gary lying on the floor and asked. But after saying it, she realized it was a foolish question. Of course, he couldn¡¯t help but see it with the window there. ¡°I heard everything, too.¡± However, the man¡¯s following words werepletely unexpected. ¡°You heard the whole conversation? How?¡± ¡°My ears are a bit sharp.¡± It was convincing since the conversation wouldn¡¯t have beenpletely inaudible if the carriage door was open. But to have heard the whole conversation¡­ ¡®No, it¡¯s better this way. I was showing apletely different side from the sacrifice that Valentine wants.¡¯ Where would there be a sacrifice that threatens to personally send their own flesh and blood to the afterlife with their fist? Sabina was secretly pleased. If she continued to act recklessly and uninhibited like this, it would be fine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a family matter.¡± ¡°I can see that you don¡¯t seem to need any help, but I was willing to help.¡± Help? ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s why he was in that awkward position.¡¯ The man tried to open the carriage door and step out when Sabina was about to suffer a great humiliation from Gary. Because of Sabina¡¯s sudden outburst, he ended up sitting down andughing like crazy. ¡°Well, even if you say you¡¯ll help¡­¡± She nced down at her slightly bruised fist swinging violently in the wind and looked back at Gary. Could it be that his actions were amusing? This time, the man burst outughing outright. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that. I misspoke.¡± Fortunately, she understood. Sabina rxed her clenched fist. Then, she looked at the man with disbelief and blurted out a remark. ¡°You must have a wicked sense of humor tough at someone in pain like that.¡± This only made himugh even harder. Sabina had never seen someoneugh so heartily in her life. ¡®And his face is¡­¡¯ Sabina couldn¡¯t help but admit as she scanned the man from head to toe. ¡®¡­incredibly handsome.¡¯ ck hair contrasting against his pale skin and obsidian-like eyes that seemed to absorb all light. Thebination of colors appeared neat and refined. However, his unusually dark lips and the area around his eyes gave him a strange aura. Especially his rxed eyes, which seemed toplete the picture. Along with the colors around his eyes, they gave off an inexplicable sense of destion. ¡®Although he doesn¡¯t look strong¡­¡¯ Tall stature, broad shoulders, and a muscr chest that looked like they belonged to a warrior. Despite his masculine appearance, strangely, the first impression he gave was that of beauty. A peerless beauty who possessed both ssical and extravagant beauty at the same time. ¡®A friend of the Grand Prince? Or someone who serves by his side, like a handsome attendant?¡¯ Having never been involved in high society, Sabina couldn¡¯t figure out who the man was. She didn¡¯t know much about nobles either. That¡¯s why she could easily strike up a conversation with this listless drunkard as if they had been friends for years. ¡°Are you going to keep standing there?¡± The man, who had risen from his seat, boldly grabbed her hand and pulled her. Sabina was startled and tried to shake him off, but the man was faster. He lifted her up with one hand, pulled her over, and sat her down on the opposite seat. ¡°Make yourselffortable. We¡¯ll be riding for a while.¡± The man tapped on the wall near the coachman¡¯s seat, and the carriage soon started moving. Sabina sat nkly on the seat, staring at her hand. Then, she raised her head. ¡®Huh.¡¯ He seemed oblivious to the audacity of his actions. He leaned back in his seat, calmly closing his eyes. After a while, Sabina finally managed to speak. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Resting his arm on the seat handle, he slightly tilted his head and opened his eyes narrowly. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Who said you could hold my hand?¡± Sabina had hardly ever had any contact with people, let alone the opposite sex. She had never left her family¡¯s estate, and even within it, she had been ignored, never having been properly escorted. Naturally, she reacted sensitively. ¡°Did it make you ufortable?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a problem¡­¡± A problem? What exactly? Just as she was about to retort, he spoke. ¡°We have to do more than that, you know.¡± The man reached out, tapped the tip of her finger, and yfully winked. ¡°Get used to it quickly.¡± It was then that Sabina realized that this man was Grand Prince Tristan Valentine. ? Chapter 216: Side Story 8 Side Story 8 ¡®I want to kill him¡­¡¯ What? I have to do more? Who decided that? Sabina clenched her fist and trembled. ¡®I¡¯ve only known him for a short time, and he¡¯s saying such things.¡¯ He must have looked down on her. Either that or he was a frivolous man who could say such things to a woman he had just met. But she couldn¡¯t punch the Grand Prince. Because she was in a position to be sold off. ¡°You look like you want to kill me.¡± A remark that pierced right through her thoughts. Sabina looked up at Tristan in surprise. And she was even more shocked to see a faint smile on his lips. Is he insane? ¡°Are you not used to this treatment?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any intention of adapting to your situation either.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sabina barely swallowed her rising curse. ¡®Until now, I¡¯ve been able to treat the Grand Prince disrespectfully because I didn¡¯t know who he was.¡¯ Now that she knew he was the Grand Prince, her situation had changed. Though they were soon to be married, Sabina was still an illegitimate child of a Count¡¯s family. Illegitimate children cannot enter high society, and their names aren¡¯t even recognized by their families. They cannot be buried in the family tomb even after death. But the person she was facing was someone so high-ranking that she would have never seen him in her life if he hadn¡¯t be her husband. ¡®It seems like he knows that I¡¯ve just found out who he really is.¡¯ At first, he must have let her speak freely because he found it amusing that she didn¡¯t know who he was. But now it¡¯s different. If he has any pride, he won¡¯t tolerate any more rudeness. Sabina swallowed her anger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have the luxury of finding a new bride. You¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡± It was a tant objectification. It didn¡¯t matter who she was, just give birth to a child and die¡­ She tried her best to suppress her anger and put on a nonchnt expression. And she opened her mouth with a calm voice. ¡°You mean I should quickly get used to it and produce an heir?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the luxury of finding a new bride, so you have no intention of letting me go.¡± Tristan gave a deep smile. It was an affirmation. ¡°You have a hand that¡¯s held a sword before.¡± When was that? Sabina frowned deeply. It was because she remembered when Tristan escorted her and brushed the callus on her palm. Just as people who study develop a callus on their middle finger, people who hold a sword also have a unique callus. He had noticed it like a ghost. ¡°Let me give you some advice before we arrive at the Grand Pce.¡± His indifferent gaze met Sabina¡¯s. The ck eyes that confronted her were like a pit that no light could enter. So deep that it seemed impossible to see what was at the bottom, they were simply dark. ¡°Give up. Your dreams, your life, your future, your talents, your possibilities, everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Valentine is such a ce.¡± Submit and surrender. Then, it¡¯ll get easier. ¡°I promise you the most luxurious, splendid, and peaceful death.¡± Tristan whispered like a seductive demon. He seemed eager to grant her wishes, even if she wanted to bathe in diamonds. As long as she obediently epted her fate as a sacrifice. ¡®Yeah, I expected that.¡¯ In fact, Sabina might have had a little hope. When she was beating up Gary, who had insulted her, Tristan smiled at her. He said he was willing to help her directly. Perhaps Valentine was not as notorious as its reputation, and maybe it had a little humane side. If she exined her situation, maybe he would pity her and let her go. Maybe, they could be friends who could talk and understand each other¡­ It was a foolish expectation. ¡®He must have heard my conversation with Gary, so he can guess how I lived in such an environment.¡¯ But this man had no interest. He was only telling her to die as befits a sacrifice since she was sold as one. Valentine, the notorious demon, was just as she had heard in the rumors. ¡®I expected this, didn¡¯t I?¡¯ How could her situation now be different from when she was oppressed in her family¡­ ¡®Everyone is begging me to die, even a demon I just met.¡¯ At that moment, she gave up the stupid idea of asking for mercy from a demon. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Sabina obediently answered in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re quick to understand.¡± Tristan, wearing a fake smile, closed his eyes as if there was nothing more to say. He wanted to surrender his body to the intoxication and sleep like a dead man. ¡°Tristan Valentine.¡± If only she hadn¡¯t suddenly opened the carriage door. It was when the carriage had just entered the Ingo mountain range. Tristan frowned slightly with a drowsy face. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Inside the running carriage, Sabina opened the door and turned her head. A fierce cold wind blew in, and her long hair fluttered roughly. ¡°Listen carefully.¡± Something hot and shining began to gather in Sabina¡¯s eyes. A dynamic and powerful me, as if it could swallow everything around it. ¡°No matter what, Valentine cannot destroy my soul.¡± She said it fiercely. Emphasizing every word. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make you give up on me.¡± It was a confident deration. For a moment, Tristan couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. Her red eyes, which he had thought were just an unusual color, felt hot and burning like fire. It was a star. A star that burns its body and shines more brilliantly than ever before, just before breaking. Knowing its destiny to shatter but still burning its life to shine brighter. A strong vitality that he had never seen before¡­ ¡°By any means?¡± ¡°Even if it means killing you.¡± Sabina coldly replied and jumped off the carriage. From inside the running carriage. ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, Tristan reached out his hand. But due to his drunkenness, he couldn¡¯t focus and grasped at the air. Sabina jumped out of the carriage, rolling roughly on the ground as shended. However, she wasn¡¯t seriously hurt. The carriage was moving slowly, and the damp ground was covered with fallen leaves. ¡°Are you thinking of running away?¡± Tristan, who had immediately stopped the carriage, asked with a baffled tone. It was impossible to escape from Valentine¡¯s grasp, which could even bring down a flying bird. Sabina knew that all too well. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll run away and fight again until you realize that finding a new bride is an easier path.¡± Sabina knew that if Valentine was determined, he would find her even if she fled abroad. Jumping out of the carriage was her resolution. She was determined to never let things go his way, even if it meant burning her own body. ¡°You should be the one to give up.¡± Sabina said as she showed the sword in her hand. It was the old, stained sword that Tristan always kept by his side. ¡®When did she¡­¡¯ He groped his waist and slowly raised his head. Sabina had already turned her back to him. The drunken haze in his head cleared, and he soon sobered up. Tristan suddenly wanted to touch her eyes, which had been burning like mes. More precisely, he wanted to grasp her soul reflected in her eyes. To prevent her from running away, to extinguish the fire, and to bring her downpletely. It was a destructively overwhelming desire. ¡®Have I ever coveted anything other than death?¡¯ No, he hadn¡¯t. But now, Tristan wanted to ruin herpletely. He wanted to show her that there was something worse than hitting rock bottom. ¡®The saying ¡°bad taste¡± isn¡¯t wrong.¡¯ Seeing her, so full of life, made him want to drag her down to his level, his insides boiling and twisting. He twisted his lips. ¡°I just decided I want to be with you until death, no matter what it takes.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard¡­¡± Sabina, who had stopped in her tracks, muttered with a genuinely contemptuous voice. Tristanughed as if he found it amusing. ¡®Being insulted and enjoying it.¡¯ She thought she had encountered quite a madman. Sabina had no choice but to turn her head. And the moment their eyes met, she realized. ¡®No, he¡¯s really insane¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a phrase meant to insult the other person. It was truly the look in the eyes of a madman. It wasn¡¯t that they were so deep that one couldn¡¯t see inside. It was because those eyes were shattered and broken in every aspect that made up a human: basic emotions, reason, ethics, and soul. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, make it as painful as possible.¡± She had to defeat him somehow. He was an opponent iparable to the Valois family. In terms of power, wealth, and madness¡­ Sabina burned with the desire to break his will somehow, but at the same time, she felt suffocated by the enormity of the task. ¡°Is Your Highness safe¡­ Huh? Where did you go?¡± Tristan, who had gone to fetch the bride, returned riding the carriage alone. Dwayne asked with a confused look. ¡°I dropped her off in the mountains.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± He doubted his own ears. ¡°She wanted to get off there.¡± ¡°Are you joking?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not funny at all!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke. I found it amusing.¡± It would be even more amusing. Tristan took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Dwayne was momentarily baffled by his master¡¯s temperament. ¡®Ah, well. Saying it¡¯s not a joke must be a joke.¡¯ No matter how reckless he was, he believed that he wouldn¡¯t be so inhumane as to torment his future bride to the point of death (?). Then where on earth had the youngdy Valois gone? ¡°I¡¯ve made arrangements for her to return safely, so don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. You¡¯ve been considerate, allowing her to enjoy a walk on her own?¡± Dwayne hoped it was the case and lit the end of the cigarette. Smoke rose. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Tristan took a deep draw of the scent of death and slowly exhaled. He hadn¡¯t known Sabina for long, but he thought he could roughly understand what kind of person she was. She was definitely not the type to calmly ept death, like someone with a terminal illness. ¡®She shone more brilliantly than anyone else and had a burning, fiery vitality.¡¯ Had she not been involved with Valentine, her future would undoubtedly have resembled the sun. A natural smile formed at the corners of his mouth. It was enjoyable just to imagine what he would have to do to extinguish such a ring, irritating light. ? Chapter 217: Side Story 9 Side Story 9 ¡°Ugh¡­ damn it.¡± Sabina irritably brushed her hair back. Wherever she went, it was nothing but a dense forest. She stopped walking and furrowed her eyebrows. The mark she had made on a tree with her sword a while ago reappeared. ¡®I¡¯ve been going around in circles.¡¯ Sabina sat down on a thick tree stump, wiping her sweat. Having heard her determination, Tristan simply started the carriage. And left her behind. ¡®I should have known it was too easy.¡¯ He left her without any intention of taking her back, which meant he was confident that she couldn¡¯t escape. For example¡­. ¡®Once an outsider steps into this forest, they can never get out.¡¯ It didn¡¯t really matter that he left her alone. In the first ce, she was the one who jumped off the carriage. But even knowing that she couldn¡¯t escape, and that she couldn¡¯t go to the grand castle alone, he still left her. That was a different story. ¡®As if I can see the intention of making me suffer.¡¯ He could be called petty and narrow-minded if it was for that reason. ¡®Or maybe he¡¯s curious about how far I can defy him. He might have found my reaction intriguing¡­¡¯ But considering the Grand Prince¡¯s amused expression even while being insulted, thetter was more likely. ¡®I have no confidence in winning against a madman.¡¯ The people of the Valois family all had ws in their personalities, but at least they were not insane. ¡®They say a person¡¯s mind is like ss. Once it¡¯s broken, it can never be put back together.¡¯ Sabina recalled what her mother had told her. It was the first andst piece of proper advice her parents had given her. That single phrase had been deeply ingrained in Sabina¡¯s mind until now. ¡®I still have to try.¡¯ Sabina sighed and looked up. Dark clouds filled the sky, and darkness began to envelop it. Now it seemed like it would rain. ¡®First, I need to find a ce to shelter from the rain.¡¯ At least no wild animals had attacked her yet. Who knows what will happen when night falls. ¡®My first outing is full of ups and downs.¡¯ Sabina decided to spend the night in the forest instead of trying to leave the mountain range. It would be troublesome if she exhausted her energy here and copsed in the wind and rain. ¡®I think I saw something like a cave between the rocks earlier¡­ Ah, here it is.¡¯ A dried-up waterfall and a cave that seemed to have been formed by the erosion of the waterfall. The entrance was quite small. ¡®Can I get in?¡¯ Sabina threw a rock into the small gap. The sound of it rolling echoed. The inside seemed to be more spacious than she thought. Sabina waited for a moment in case a wild animal would jump out, and then, after judging it safe, she pushed her body in. ¡°It¡¯s cozy.¡± Better than she had expected? She dragged some fallen leaves into the cave and piled them up on the floor before lying down on them. The soft pile of leaves seemed to be enough to spend the night. It was fortunate that the current season was autumn. ¡®I think this ce is good enough to stay.¡¯ Next was food. Since she was isted in the forest anyway, the Grand prince woulde to pick her up, but there was no telling when that would happen. She could starve to death right away. ¡®He said I have to give birth to a sessor, but he wouldn¡¯t actually kill me, would he?¡¯ However, she couldn¡¯t just rely on him and wait indefinitely. In the end, Sabina went out of the cave to look for fruits or mushrooms. She gave up because she couldn¡¯t tell which ones were edible and which ones weren¡¯t. ¡®I guess I have no choice. Shall I try hunting?¡¯ She had to do it quickly before the rain came. Sabina drew the sword she had taken from Tristan. Breaking a person¡¯s mind is simpler than you think. Even the most resilient warriors who have experienced life and death countless times can¡¯t escape the copse of their minds when trapped in an isted space without anyone to talk to. ¡®Especially for those vulnerable to madness.¡¯ Tristan knew this well. Better than anyone else. Tristan¡¯s gaze lingered for a moment on a spot as he looked out the window. The neglected pce, showing the marks of time, blended quietly into the darkness. It was then. Kwagwang-!! A sh of lightning and a thunderp shook the earth. Dwayne paced back and forth from one end of the room to the other, listening to the storm. ¡°It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡± ¡°Is this the right time to say that?¡± Dwayne was Tristan¡¯s childhood friend and now an aide. Although he was proud to be the only one who knew the Grand prince as well as he did, today was different. Tristan was showing behavior that Dwayne couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve never disobeyed yourmand?¡± Of course, he had talked back many times. He hade close to having hisst words be a mistake. So, he had been careful and kept the line. ¡°But no matter how I think about it, this isn¡¯t right.¡± For the first time, Dwayne mustered the courage to advise Tristan. ¡°To kill the bride before bringing her to the kingdom? And to abandon her in the forest!¡± Being torn apart and eaten by wild animals? Or you could get swept away by the wind and cold, shivering until you sumb to hypothermia. Or being struck by lightning and dying? All kinds of pessimistic imaginations were vividly painted in his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t kill her on your own. She¡¯s still alive.¡± Leaning against the window, Tristan looked out and tilted his wine ss. He pretended to be indifferent, but his expression was uneasy. ¡®I didn¡¯t even n on doing this.¡¯ Balua¡¯s young princess, not knowing how dangerous Valentine was, ran alone into the forest, so he was just curious about what her reaction would be if he left her there and went away. He nned to bring her back after leaving her alone for a few hours. He knew how dangerous the Ingo Mountain Range was to outsiders. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect there to be no news yet, though.¡¯ Tristan ordered the forest wolves, the leaders of the forest. He told them to protect Sabina from the nearly monstrous beasts in the forest without being noticed. If she seemed even slightly hurt or frightened, they should bring her back to the castle immediately. Tristan couldn¡¯tmunicate with the wolves, but they understood their master¡¯s words. They carried out the order. And they hadn¡¯te back yet. ¡®Evidence that she¡¯s still fine.¡¯ In this storm. Without screaming, trembling, crying, or getting hurt. ¡®Is that even possible?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a matter of physical strength or weakness. It was about how fragile the human mind was. Even trained knights would scream and fall to their knees in the face of fear. But still¡­ ¡®Anyone would think she¡¯s had experience being lost in the forest several times.¡¯ Tristan recently heard a story about Sabina. That Count of Balua pretended to have raised her with as much affection as his own daughter, but that couldn¡¯t be true. One could tell just by listening to the conversations between Sabina and Balua¡¯s eldest son. Moreover, they could find out all the truth through Valentine¡¯s intelligencework. ¡®I heard this is her first time escaping the mansion¡­¡¯ Is this a case of a one-day-old puppy not knowing the fear of a tiger? Then, the person who had been investigating Sabina put his hand on his waist. It was Dwayne. ¡°I have to speak my mind even if a knife is at my throat!¡± Ever since the night descended from the sky and thunder and lightning struck, he had been confronting his lord. That¡¯s how wrong Tristan¡¯s behavior was to everyone who saw it. ¡°What kind of trauma are you trying to inflict on the fragile and weak outsider?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If this continues, the Grand Princess will be afraid to even go outside the castle in the future!¡± ¡°Fragile and weak?¡± Tristan just sneered. Those adjectives didn¡¯t connect to Sabina at all. However¡­ Everyone is fragile and weak. ¡®Yeah. The hunting dogs might have made a mistake, too.¡¯ Tristan had told them to bring her back if she showed even the slightest sign of fear. But can wolves really sense human emotions so urately? ¡®What if the stupid dogs mistook her fainting for sleeping¡­¡¯ If that were the case, it made sense. The wolves had been carrying out Tristan¡¯s orders well so far, but that wasn¡¯t important now. Unable toe up with a rational conclusion, he had no choice but to put down the ss of alcohol he was drinking. ¡°Ugh!¡± Tristan approached with a cold, hardened face and an ominous aura. Faced with his unprecedented murderous intent, Dwayne unknowingly took a defensive stance and clenched his eyes shut. ¡°Ahh! A loyal servant like me is going to die like this!¡± When people are in an urgent situation like this, their true feelingse out. He called himself a loyal servant and waited for the pain that would follow. But surprisingly, nothing happened. ¡®Huh.¡¯ Dwayne, who slowly opened his eyes, looked around with a puzzled expression. There was no one else in the office besides him. ¡°¡­Did the Grand Prince change his decision?¡± He thought he would hear more threats of murder, but he never expected that his advice would be heeded. It was a first. Dwayne, already forgetting the embarrassing scene, stood there with his mouth open. *** Sabina recalled what she had read in a book while chewing on rabbit meat. If you¡¯re staying in the forest, don¡¯t carelessly spill the blood of animals. Because beasts will smell it and swarm. ¡°Ah.¡± Sabina, who had tensed up reflexively, looked down at the remaining rabbit meat roasting in front of the fire. And then, she looked down at the rabbit skin and the sword, tilting her head. ¡°But I¡¯ve already done it.¡± She had lost her mind due to hunger¡­ ¡°Is it because it¡¯s raining?¡± She rxed her tense shoulders. Indeed, even a wild beast would lose body heat when exposed to rain, so why would they go hunting in the rain? Then She should just rx. The area around the cave was peaceful. ¡®I¡¯m thirsty after eating meat.¡¯ She washed arge leaf as big as her head and folded it diligently. Then she drank rainwater from the cup-shaped leaf. In just one day, Sabina hadpleted her adaptation and had already be a perfect wild person. ? Chapter 218: Side Story 10 Side Story 10 There was a reason why the name ¡®Ingo¡¯ was attached to the Ingo Mountain Range. It was because if you couldn¡¯t endure the harsh hardships that woulde upon you the moment you set foot there, you wouldn¡¯t survive. Evenpasses couldn¡¯t find their direction here, spinning in circles. Poisonous nts were everywhere. The beasts called monsters, failing to find their prey, ended up eating each other. The predatorsy in wait, hoping for an unprepared human to stumble blindly into their trap But. ¡°Ha, really¡­¡± Tristan let out a hollowugh, looking down at the sleeping Sabina. She was sleeping with afortable expression on her face, clutching his sword as if it were her own. He couldn¡¯t even be angry. ¡°It seems she¡¯s asleep.¡± The storm was still raging. The inside of the cave was filled with flickering light. Crash! Boom! A bolt of lightning struck nearby, making a sound like a cannon falling. It was loud enough to cause tinnitus. But Sabina had already be ustomed to the thunder and lightning. She let out a small moan, furrowed her brow, and held the sword a little tighter, but there was no sign of waking up. ¡°I¡¯m d she¡¯s safe and sound.¡± Dustin, a knight from the ck Hawk Knights who rushed here at Tristan¡¯smand, spoke nervously. ¡®When I heard that the future Grand Princess was alone in the forest near the Ingo Mountain Range at night, I hurriedly organized a search party¡­¡¯ He had expected a difficult rescue mission. Above all, he was worried about her mental state. He could imagine how scared a powerless woman would be when left alone in the forest. But¡­ Dustin looked down at the peacefully sleeping Sabina with confused eyes. ¡®Is she a bit clueless?¡¯ At that time, the tracker who was looking around the cave spoke. ¡°There are several folded leaves at the entrance to collect rainwater.¡± Tristan and the ck Hawks¡¯ eyes turned to the tracker simultaneously. ¡°If she had drunk from the river, she would be lying sick by now.¡± All kinds of life swarmed in the river that flowed through this forest. For example, parasites. But Sabina had not drunk from the river, but from rainwater before it joined the river. Thanks to that, she looked fine. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she caught that rabbit, but as you all know, this forest is not an environment where such weak herbivores can survive.¡± As he said, there was meat with the skin removed and spread out on the cave wall. It seemed that she had caught it in advance, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hunt if the stormsted a long time. ¡°The only rabbits that inhabit this ce are carnivorous rabbits¡­¡± Carnivorous rabbits. The knights who had once been deceived by their cute viciousness turned pale. They must have recalled the nightmare of that time. The tracker added as if to confirm the suspicion. ¡°This is indeed a carnivorous rabbit. They look very cute, but¡­ they are very vicious in nature and love to tear people apart..¡± Upon hearing that, Dustin had a realization. ¡®She¡¯s not a clueless person, but someone who could survive on a deserted ind by themselves.¡¯ It was the moment when the ck Knights¡¯ prejudice that anyone from outside the boundary was weak was shattered in an instant. Of course, this was only in the case of Sabina. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying she caught the carnivorous rabbit herself¡­¡± A weak creature in the forest, but a monster by outside standards. To defeat it with just a single sword. The ck Knights cried out inwardly. ¡®Your Highness, you must not let her go!¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s the most eligible for Valentine!¡¯ ¡®If not for her, there would be no woman in the world who can handle Your Highness!¡¯ However, no one dared to say it out loud. It was because Tristan had a cold and sinister expression in his eyes. ¡°I see, I can clearly see how peaceful my bride has been here, and how many times she has ovee the threat of life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that the end of our conversation?¡± Why don¡¯t you try more, huh? Tristan¡¯s voice echoed softly through the cave. With his arms folded and his head tilted leisurely, Dustin shouted hastily. ¡°We¡¯ll take her to the castle right away!¡± Dustin recalled an old saying about the one who passes gas ims the throne. (something like he who smelt it dealt it) Of course, he didn¡¯tck the discernment to say it out loud. In any case, no matter how healthy Sabina appeared, she had been abandoned in the forest for a day. He quickly picked up Sabina. Sabina had been exposed to the damp, cold wind all along. They could avoid the rain in the cave, but not the wind. Because of that, she instinctively clung to the warmthing near her. ¡®Come to think of it, her lips seemed to turn blue from the cold¡­¡¯ Dustin, who had been worried, suddenly stiffened. It was because Sabina snuggled into his embrace. ¡°This, this makes it difficult!¡± The knight¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, the burly knight who had been struggling was knocked to the ground. After knocking him down, Tristan trampled on his back and embraced Sabina. ¡°How dare you hold my bride in front of me? You¡¯re quite bold.¡± But she was the one who hugged me. Dustin couldn¡¯t voice his grievance and sobbed as he was trampled on. ¡°Remember this.¡± ¡°Yes? Are you saying you still don¡¯t remember me?¡± ¡°I know. Justin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dustin!¡± Tristan, regardless, looked down at Sabina, who was in his arms. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She seemed to like his warm body heat and the strength that had supported him so far, as she showed afortable smile. Not only that, but she also hugged him tightly and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Tristan unknowingly held her tighter and embraced her more firmly. ¡®She¡¯s different.¡¯ When her red eyes were wide open, he was captivated by her gaze and couldn¡¯t notice anything else. ¡®Was the touch of silk like this?¡¯ He recalled the texture of the clothes he had casually worn until now, without any particr thoughts. So light, small, soft, tender, and something he didn¡¯t want to let go of once he grasped tightly¡­ It was then. A small, thin hand entered Tristan¡¯s view. Sabina was gripping something so tightly that her knuckles turned white. His hesitation was brief. Tristan gently released her hand and checked the contents. It was a note. Supporting Sabina with one arm, he unfolded the crumpled note without hesitation. To my dear Sabina. As he read down the note, Tristan¡¯s brow furrowed as much as the note. It was like a content whispering of secret love to a lover. **** Sabina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± She looked up at the banner on the ceiling with a bewildered sound. Theyers of delicate fabric looked so fragile that they might tear if brushed by a hand. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the cave floor. No wonder the bed was sofortable. Sabina touched the floor. When pressed with a finger, it softly gave in, and when released, it bounced back resiliently. It was a soft bed that even insomniacs would fall asleep as if dead once theyy down. ¡°Madam, have you woken up?¡± Sabina looked up at the smiling woman. She brought some water and politely ced it in front of Sabina. The fragrance of flowers filled the air, perhaps from the scented oil. ¡°My name is Danara, and I will be attending to you from now on.¡± ¡°Madam?¡± Sabina immediately showed her displeasure. Wasn¡¯t that a title that seemed to nail down that she was already the mistress of Valentine? Of course, since they didn¡¯t know that Sabina was hoping for a divorce, it was natural for them to call her that. ¡°I¡¯m not used to it yet. I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Then should I call you Miss?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± So, it seems that she was moved to the castle while she was asleep in the cave. ¡®How impatient.¡¯ She thought she could endure it for at least a week. She clicked her tongue. If he nned to pick her up right away, why did he leave her there in the first ce? ¡®I wanted to show him my determination properly.¡¯ The forest was more livable than she thought. No wild beasts were seen. Ah, of course, she heard their cries. ¡®When I was about to drink from the river, I suddenly heard the low howling of a wolf somewhere and avoided it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t have the confidence to fight a wolf without getting injured, but fortunately, the wolf didn¡¯t chase her. And once she left the riverbank, there were rabbits at every crossroads, making it easy to find food. She thought she could hold out for quite a while, but¡­ ¡®Well, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ From the moment Tristan brought Sabina here, he had already lost. Because he couldn¡¯t break her will. ¡®I should just keep doing this.¡¯ Until he gives up. After washing her face, Danara politely handed her the towel she had hung on her arm. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Sabina awkwardly replied. It was because she was not used to receiving help from others. And she tended to be very polite to kind and gentle people. ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for? It¡¯s my job.¡± Sabina looked up at Danara, who was smiling brightly, and scratched her cheek. Her attendant was very different from the Grand Prince. She seemed so soft, as if she had never shown anything but a tender smile in her life. ¡®I thought everyone in the Valentine family was like the Grand Prince. Was it a prejudice?¡¯ At least everyone in the Valois family was like the head of the Valois family. Of course, it was difficult to say that everyone was like that. There was just one person, her true friend whom she could never forget in her life. ¡®But that person can¡¯t be considered a part of the Valois family¡­¡¯ Sabina rolled her eyes at the unfamiliar feeling, and stiffened when Danara took her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to serve such a beautiful person.¡± ¡°Uh, really?¡± ¡°Please call me anytime you need me. Just pull the bell rope next to the bed.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Please go. Sabina swallowed her words and nodded. She couldn¡¯t bear her endless weakness in front of such an annoying person. She had to escape from here before the wedding ceremony. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Sabina sighed and searched her clothes, but nothing came to her hand. It couldn¡¯t be. ¡°It should be here¡­¡± The note she had never taken out of her clothes was gone. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± ? Chapter 219: Side Story 11 Chapter 219: Side Story 11 Startled, Sabina turned around. Tristan stood by the door, waving a crumpled piece of paper. ¡°You should have taken better care of something so precious.¡± I did take good care of it! But Sabina couldn¡¯t say that. Recallingst night¡¯s events, she remembered falling asleep with the note in her hand. Being left alone on a stormy night, even with her strong survival instincts, she couldn¡¯tpletely erase her feelings of anxiety. ¡®I think I held onto it forfort¡­¡¯ No, that must have been the case. That¡¯s why Tristan ended up with the note. Sabina bit her trembling lips and finally said, ¡°¡­Give it back.¡± She tried to sound calm, but couldn¡¯tpletely hide her shaking emotions. Worried that Tristan might tear the worn and tattered note. His voice was desperate, trembling with unease. ¡°Is this note the reason?¡± ¡°For what?¡± Sabina asked, focusing on the piece of paper fluttering in his hand. ¡°The reason you said you would make me give up on you, even if it means killing me.¡± ¡°Speak clearly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if this note is what gave you that look in your eyes, what breathed life into your will to live.¡± She couldn¡¯t understand why he was asking that. ¡°The will to live?¡± Did ¡®he¡¯ give me the strength to live? Hesitant, Sabina replied while still fixated on the note. ¡°Maybe¡­ it might be.¡± She wondered what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t been by her side. ¡®I can¡¯t be sure since it didn¡¯t happen, but yes.¡¯ That person was her mental support, her only pir during her childhood. Perhaps without him, she might have withered away day by day in the Valois family. Or maybe she would have epted her fate as a sacrifice and willingly agreed to Tristan¡¯s proposal. ¡°It¡¯s not the note itself, but the person who wrote it that¡¯s the cause.¡± ¡°So, the person who wrote this note is your true love?¡± Only then did Sabina look at Tristan. The demonic Grand Prince had a twisted, unfathomable smile. He seemed quite displeased. ¡®True love?¡¯ Why would he mention that all of a sudden? She was so bbergasted that her expression hardened, unable to even muster a hollowugh. What nonsense. Why would he think that¡­? ¡®Ah. Maybe it appears that way to others.¡¯ Sabina recalled the contents of the note. It was thest letter from that person. She had read it over and over until the paper was worn and tattered. ??? To my dear Sabina, If you are reading this, it means you have safely found my note. I¡¯m d as your knight that you remembered the secret spot I mentioned in passing. I¡¯m relieved not to be remembered as the rude one who left without saying goodbye. Mydy, did you know that if you ride south for a fortnight, there¡¯s a port? And from there, you can take a small boat to the trading city of Naphta. I¡¯m heading there. My old friend Ga will tell me which trade ship to board. I trust you remember my friend¡¯s story, as clever as you are. Of course, it would be troublesome if people knew I was there, so I¡¯ll rent a space in the cargo hold. Mydy, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll settle. But wherever it is, it will be thend we dreamed of. There, you and I can be anything. In thend of dreams, mydy, Sabina, I will wait for you. With love, A. ??? Sabina had endured physical and mental abuse yet remained intact, all thanks to A. A. Allen. The middle-aged knight who had protected Sabina all her life. He influenced her in everything ¨C her reliance, thoughts, dreams, beliefs, knowledge, speech, lifestyle, and attitude. It was Allen who taught her swordsmanship. He was more of a father to her than her own absent father. ¡®But then, one day, Allen suddenly disappeared.¡¯ Without a word to Sabina. It happened three years ago when she was fifteen. She resented and missed him, then suddenly remembered the secret spot he had mentioned in passing. Rushing there, she dug under thergest zelkova tree and found a note. Along with the note was a small cloth pouch containing several small jewels. It was funds Allen had prepared for Sabina. ¡®Since then, I¡¯ve been waiting for a chance to escape¡­¡¯ Her attempt to flee failed, and she ended up at the Valentines. Allen said he would wait for me in thend of dreams. ¡®It¡¯s been three years since then. I wonder if Allen is doing well.¡¯ She believed he was. He was like her, or rather, she was like him. So he must be alive. She sighed and looked quietly at Tristan. ¡®If I tell him I have a true love, would he give up?¡¯ Even if Tristan wanted to marry her to have an heir, he was a man with emotions. What if the woman he was to marry was deeply in love with another man? Would he let her go out of pride if he knew she nned to elope with her love? That thought crossed her mind. After a moment of silence, Sabina, as if troubled, averted her gaze and said, ¡°Then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Beforeing to Valentine, I was nning to run away. I wanted to spend my life with him in thend of dreams.¡± Leaving out the part about a true love, it was all true, so she could brazenly say it without blinking. ¡°The day I forget him will nevere in my lifetime¡­ Can you let me go?¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Tristan nodded as if he understood. His surprisinglypliant response caught her off guard, but then, ¡°I forgot one thing.¡± He neatly folded the note and ced it in her hand, saying, ¡°Give up your love as well.¡± Of course, it was to be expected. She wasn¡¯t surprised. Sabina red at him with fierce eyes and shook off his hand. ¡°How many times do I have to say it? If you try to make me give up, I will kill you.¡± Tristan, barely holding backughter, firmly grasped her escaping hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve said it too. Make it as painful as possible.¡± Their eyes met in the air, raw with unhidden emotions. Sabina red at him with burning anger and hatred. At that moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his seemingly void of humanity, pitch-ck eyes. Before she could take a closer look, the trace of it vanished. ¡°How about a bet?¡± A bet? The devil proposing a bet was never a good sign. She wanted to decline, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to be choosy now. ¡®After all, what could be worse than the current situation of having a child and dying?¡¯ Sabina shook off his hand again and crossed her arms as if to challenge him to speak. Tristan looked down at his now warmth-deprived hand and said, ¡°It will take a month to prepare for the wedding. The one who breaks the other¡¯s will first during that time wins.¡± ¡°And if I win?¡± ¡°If you win, I will let you go freely. I¡¯ll ensure that the Valois family cannot harm you even after annulling our engagement.¡± It was an offer Sabina couldn¡¯t see any harm in. ¡®Actually, the conditions seem suspiciously favorable.¡¯ Tristan didn¡¯t need to propose such a bet. Even if she resisted, he could ignore it and proceed with the marriage to get what he wanted. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ¡°You can¡¯t harm me physically or torture me in any way.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how badly you think of me, but alright.¡± He seemed quite confident. Sabina couldn¡¯t understand where Tristan¡¯s confidence came from, but she had no choice but to ept. ¡°If I win¡­ well, you know what it means.¡± This time, Tristan respectfully took her hand, pressed his hot lips on it, and said, Sabina¡¯s fingertips twitched. But she didn¡¯t avoid his gaze and stared back at him. ¡°It¡¯s a bet. Sure.¡± ¡°Hmm, yes.¡± His lightughter and breath tickled the back of her hand. ¡°When you give up everything,¡± He said with a smile, revealing a childlike innocence yet tant madness, like a child plucking the wings off a butterfly, ¡°I¡¯ll take everything you are for myself.¡± ? Chapter 220: Side Story 12 Chapter 220: Side Story 12 Early in the morning. Dwayne was about to start his day¡¯s work afterpleting all preparations. That¡¯s when he heard this conversation: ¡°The Grand Prince was smiling.¡± ¡°From drinking?¡± ¡°No, sober.¡± ¡°Then, was he killing someone?¡± ¡°No, nobody was killed.¡± ¡°He fed someone to the wolves?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, no.¡± It was hard to believe. He stopped and listened intently to the maids¡¯ conversation. ¡°He was just smiling, just smiling.¡± With a faint smile lingering at the corner of his mouth, as if letting out a detedugh. This meant that the Grand Prince Valentine was ¡®giggling.¡¯ ¡°It must be something good.¡± It was strange. Tristan usually had a sarcastic sneer when he smiled. And the situations in which he sneered were mostly predictable. When personally executing a spy, when threatening someone¡¯s life, or when drunk and babbling nonsense¡­ ¡®So, even the Grand Prince can have moments of genuine joy.¡¯ After all, despite his monstrous physique, he was human. Naturally, he had emotions. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen such an expression before.¡¯ Dwayne thought this as he hurried to the office. He was too curious to see Tristan¡¯s pleasant smile. And then¡­ ¡°You¡¯re early.¡± Dwayne was met with Tristan, who looked more foul-tempered than ever. ¡®They said he was giggling! Giggling!¡¯ He wanted to sue the maids for fraud. How was that a smiling face? ¡®It looks like a face ready to crush anything that gets in its way!¡¯ Trembling, Dwayne dutifully recited the day¡¯s schedule. Continuously ncing at Tristan as he worked. ¡®Goodness, it¡¯s true.¡¯ For a moment, Tristan, deep in thought, faintly smiled. But soon after, his face twisted angrily again. His mood was unpredictable. ¡®He may have many ws, but he wasn¡¯t fickle.¡¯ His moods were straightforward. Kill if someone did wrong, spare them if not. Wasn¡¯t Tristan a tyrant who only operated in extremes and ck-and-white thinking? ¡°Do you have something to say? Your disloyal gaze is piercing.¡± Feeling Tristan¡¯s gaze, Dwayne quickly lowered his head, realizing he had been staring as if Tristan was mad. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Your loyal servant Dwayne was merely concerned about the Grand Prince.¡± He was genuinely worried. Worried that Tristan might go mad and end the Valentine lineage. Worried that it might lead to the end of the world. ¡°You speak well for yourself.¡± ¡°No, who else could care for the Grand Prince as deeply as I do?¡± Tristan stared at him, uttering sarcastic ttery, then said, ¡°Prove it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Bring me a detailed list of knights who have served the Valois family from 18 years ago to now.¡± Eighteen years? Such a specific, oddly disturbing number. But soon Dwayne had an epiphany. ¡®Right, the future Grand Princess is eighteen this year.¡¯ He quickly understood why Tristan issued such an order. ¡°Should I focus on knights who had contact with the future Grand Princess?¡± ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any obvious connections.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Ady oppressed by her family and a knight sworn to loyalty wouldn¡¯t have shown their rtionship openly.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Not showing their rtionship openly? ¡®Ah, so he means¡­¡¯ Was he asking to investigate the past lovers of the future Grand Princess? Dwayne finally caught on. That exined Tristan¡¯s wildly fluctuating mood. ¡®He smiles thinking of the future Grand Princess, then rages remembering an unknown past lover?¡¯ Such a human reaction! Has he trulye to like her in just a few days? I never thought I¡¯d see something so astonishing. ¡°But why would you¡­ if you like her¡­¡± Dwayne trailed off. Who would lock up someone they like in a mountain range teeming with monsters, where a misstep could mean death? Only our Grand Prince would. ¡®If he were my brother, I¡¯d knock some sense into him¡­¡¯ But that would mean a one-way ticket to the afterlife. He couldn¡¯t hide his conflicted feelings and cleared his throat to speak. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re concerned about that knight. It¡¯s a rtionship that has already ended. Now that she¡¯s here in Valentine, she will soon marry you¡­¡± Honestly, it seemed pathetic. Now seeking out someone unrted. But Dwayne wasn¡¯t foolish enough to voice these thoughts. ¡°Usually, people don¡¯t n a love¡¯s escape from a rtionship that¡¯s ended.¡± He gasped. He hadn¡¯t anticipated such a deep connection. ¡°The Lady of Valois failed to escape, so she¡¯s here. The knight escaped long ago, boarding a trade ship in Naphta.¡± Tristan recalled the worn and tattered note. If it was always with her, it would have worn out even faster¡­ ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably been 2 to 3 years. Someone named Ga in Naphta might know his whereabouts. Find him.¡± As youmand. Dwayne nodded, but a sinister premonition made him look up. ¡°And what will you do¡­ when you find him?¡± It couldn¡¯t be just to check his whereabouts. Surely, he was going to secretly find and kill the knight! Dwayne looked at Tristan as if he was the scum of the earth. ¡°You need to hide your gaze better.¡± ¡°Was I that transparent?¡± Tristan scoffed and flicked his finger. He spoke to his advisor, who approached tremblingly and then, after getting flicked, sprawled out on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for him just because he¡¯s the Lady¡¯s past lover.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Dwayne asked skeptically. It seemed like he¡¯d seize and kill the man on sight. ¡°He¡¯s the pir that held her spirit together, the driving force that kept her alive.¡± ¡°Are you saying that person meant so much?¡± If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll never win her over. What use is it? Even if you kill him, he¡¯ll live on in her heart. Dwayne cautiously asked. ¡°Have you considered that acting on this thought might make the Grand Princess hate you?¡± ¡°Hate? What¡¯s that.¡± ¡°What? ¡®What¡¯s that¡¯? Don¡¯t you want to win her heart?¡± Tristan looked at him as if he was talking nonsense. ¡°I¡¯ll shatter her heart.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°If I destroy and erase the person who ignited her will to live right before her eyes, she¡¯ll break, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And then she¡¯ll fall into my hands.¡± Good heavens¡­ Dwayne silently brushed his hand over his face. What¡¯s the point of crushing the spirit of someone you like and forcing them into possession? ¡®Like plucking a flower to adorn?¡¯ All that would remain would be to watch her wither away day by day. ¡®Don¡¯t you want a happy family, Grand Prince?¡¯ He wanted to ask. Even though it meant an early end to life. ¡®At least for the time left¡­¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have more days filled with senselessughter, like today? Dwayne wondered if Tristan wouldn¡¯t want to hold a child born not for the grand purpose of saving humanity, but as the fruit of love. Wouldn¡¯t he want to teach his child about love? But he never voiced these thoughts. Sharp-witted Dwayne knew. Such words would never reach Tristan. ¡°Stop talking nonsense and get it done.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He hoped Tristan would realize the situation before it became irreversible. Dwayne left, hiding his troubled feelings. *** Sabina had made a bet with the devil. A bet with her life at stake. Since her life was on the line, she had no choice but to win. Unfortunately, the wedding preparations proceeded steadily as nned. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Sabina swallowed a curse, ripping off the diamond ne that was choking her. ¡®At this rate, I¡¯m really going to end up married.¡¯ People came and went in the morning. A woman who ran the finest tailor shop in the capital hade rushing over. Unwittingly, Sabina ended up fitting a wedding dress worth a mansion. It wasn¡¯t her choice. ¡°The Grand Prince insisted on the highest quality. The fabric is the same as those presented to the royal family.¡± Sabina wondered why she had to participate in this charade. But the bet¡¯s term was ¡®while the two prepare for the wedding.¡¯ That meant she had to cooperate with the preparations. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you like that ne?¡± The gentle voice of her attendant, Dana, startled her. Sabina turned to see Dana, seemingly worried about upsetting her future mistress. ¡°Your skin is as white as snow, and diamonds suit you best¡­¡± Dana trailed off, offering another ne, ¡°Or how about this ruby, like your eyes? It¡¯s delicately crafted, ording to thetest trend.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± No, she had to be firm here. Raise her voice, make a scene. The spacious room,vish decor, furniture, expensive dresses, and jewels. All of these were the price of her life. If she epted everything quietly, she¡¯d just smoothly be a sacrifice. But¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s pretty. It¡¯s just heavy, that¡¯s all.¡± Hurting kind and gentle people was harder than facing death. Sabina ended up quietly putting the diamond back on. ¡®Harassing innocent people is something my father or brother, scoundrels, would do.¡¯ There was someone else she needed to confront. The Grand Prince Valentine, who promised an opulent and peaceful death if she submitted and bowed to him. A scoundrel who saw his bride only as a tool or toy. ¡°But¡­ is it normal to give such arge room?¡± She was staying at the top floor of the main pce. Valentine Castle was enormouslyrger than the Valois family¡¯s, but her room was even more massive. When Sabina asked, perplexed, Dana sighed shortly and answered. ¡°It was the room of thetedy, the Grand Duke¡¯s wife, who passed away a year ago.¡± ? Chapter 221: Side Story 13 Chapter 221: Side Story 13 Though Dana tried to sound calm, her eyes were tinged with sadness. Until now, she had only pushed aside everything rted to the Valentine family, never truly knowing their inner circumstances. ¡®There¡¯s nody of the house here now.¡¯ Sabina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, then she tightly grasped the hem of her skirt. The deceased Grand Duchess was, after all, what her future held. ¡°Was she a good mistress?¡± Judging by the look in Dana¡¯s eyes, it seemed so. ¡°How could we, mere servants, dare to appraise the noble character of such an esteemed person? However¡­¡± Dana hesitated for a moment, as if wondering whether she should continue. However, looking into Sabina¡¯s eyes, which seemed purer and more honest than any knight¡¯s, she feltpelled to share. ¡°She was so delicate, frail, and pitiable.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°She was always closest to death. Despite my efforts, I couldn¡¯t heal her wounds.¡± Just from hearing this, Sabina had a rough idea of what kind of person the Grand Duchess was. Likely a suicide wisher or a sacrificial person, as desired by the Valentines. Regrettably. ¡°What about the Grand Duke then?¡± Sabina asked, seizing the moment to inquire about him, given that he was still alive, indicating Tristan was still the Grand Prince. However, she had never seen his face. ¡°The Grand Duke¡­¡± Dana trailed off, ncing briefly out the window. ¡°You¡¯ll probably never meet him in your lifetime.¡± *** Aaaaah! Help, save me! Aaah, aaaaah¨C It was as if she had heard desperate screams in her dream. Startled awake, Sabina threw off her nkets and sat up. ¡®Dream? Reality?¡¯ Getting out of bed, she flung open the firmly locked window. She scanned around with tense eyes. But only silence. In the serene night, only the asional sound of insects filled her ears. No matter how long she waited, the screams did not return. Was it a hallucination, or a terrible nightmare? Sabina sighed deeply. ¡®I must be under extreme stress.¡¯ That would make sense. Talking face to face with the Grand Prince was suffocating and mentally exhausting. ¡®It¡¯s like something inhuman trying to imitate a human.¡¯ As she leaned against the window, looking up at the star-filled night sky, an old pce caught her eye. It lookedpletely out of ce amidst the grandeur and opulence of the Valentine pce. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ Sabina recalled her morning conversation with Dana. When talking about the Grand Duke, the maid¡¯s gaze hadnded on that ce. ¡®Is the Grand Duke living there?¡¯ And she had said she would likely never meet him in her lifetime. It couldn¡¯t be some absurd reason like the Grand Duke being shy. If he was alive but never left the pce, it could mean¡­ ¡®Is he imprisoned?¡¯ Whether by choice or force. If it¡¯s not confinement, what other reason could there be for a Grand Duke to not step outside? Sabina thought of the imprisoned Grand Duke, the frail Grand Duchess, and the mad Tristan. It felt like she had inadvertently opened the first page of a story entangled with Valentines. ¡®Forget it. It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯ Why should she bother knowing the backstory of these insane devils? ¡®If I get the chance, I¡¯ll run without looking back.¡¯ She harshly closed the window and locked it firmly. Never intending to open it again. *** Another person had died in the old pce. Hearing the news, Tristan responded nonchntly. ¡°Did he break the barrier again?¡± Dwayne gasped at Tristan¡¯s casual use of ¡®he.¡¯ But he soon let out a long sigh and spoke as ifmenting. ¡°This time it¡¯s not something to be taken so lightly.¡± Dwayne pulled out several envelopes from his pocket and stacked them on the desk. When Tristan looked at him questioningly, he clearly replied. ¡°These are petitions from the wizards of the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Petitions?¡± ¡°The wizards from the Magic Tower seem to be too afraid of the royal family and the former Grand Duke to resign, so they are pleading for some leniency instead.¡± ¡°Tch, ipetent fools.¡± ¡°I partly agree, but¡­¡± To question thepetence of these wizards was indeed an exaggeration. The wizards residing in Valentine were originally the best in the field, tasked with protecting the royal pce. Yet even they struggled to manage the demonic curse that came with the Valentine bloodline, a curse overwhelmingly powerful. ¡°Even so, the former Grand Duke is unlikely to break through the multipleyers of barriers ced around him.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough then?¡± ¡°But every time the barrier is forcibly broken, the wizards vomit blood and grow weaker. They fear they might not live even half their lifespan if this continues.¡± ¡°Tch, weaklings.¡± Tristan scorned the wizards of the Magic Tower as incapable and frail. He tossed the petitions unread into the firece and put a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Ask them if they¡¯re willing to shorten their remaining lifespans to just one day.¡± I knew he would say that. Dwayne swallowed his words and lit the fire. He felt sorry for the wizards, but anything was better than allowing the Grand Duke of Valentine to escape the secluded pce. ¡°It¡¯s astonishing. Not a singlepetent wizard in this empire.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that seems to be the limit of the highest authorities in the magic industry.¡± There was nothing that could be done about it. ¡°Just tell them to hold on a little longer. Soon, all the demonic power will transfer to me. Then, the Grand Duke will be nothing more than a powerless madman.¡± Tristan exhaled smoke, imagining himself trapped in the old pce someday. He was born with a body stronger than any previous Grand Duke. Even stronger than his own father, who was said to be the strongest. ¡®But like my parents, my mind is the weak link.¡¯ His mother died insane, and his father was imprisoned in madness, waiting for death¡­ Tristan could easily foresee his own future. ¡®With a strong body but weak mind, who could stop me if I were to go mad?¡¯ That¡¯s why he urgently needed to produce an heir to inherit his malice. Once the malice was fully passed on to the child, his own urge to rage would disappear. ¡°The magic industry should develop further.¡± He muttered casually, a statement that would make any wizard foam at the mouth. ¡°They need stronger barriers to contain a Grand Duke¡¯s rampage.¡± Tristanughed twistedly, tapping the desk aimlessly. Then, he suddenly asked. ¡°What is Lady Valois doing?¡± Dwayne responded with a cautious tone. ¡°If you mean the task you ordered previously, we¡¯re still sending out the ck Hawks to search. It¡¯s expected to take a few days.¡± Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t nning to execute that chilling n immediately. That was the concern. But Tristan¡¯s sudden mention of Sabina wasn¡¯t for any specific purpose. Just, Thinking about going mad¡­ Suddenly, the image of her ming red eyes came to mind, and he wanted to see them in person. ¡°Lead me to her. Where is she now?¡± *** Valentine was thoroughly isted from the outside world. Not only that, but the entry of outsiders was also strictly screened. The grand and magnificent castle was nothing less than a colossal prison for Sabina. ¡®There¡¯s probably no way she can escape on her own.¡¯ If only there was a slight chance. Walking silently along the corridor of the main pce, she was lost in thought. Still, she was checking every possible escape route in case of an emergency. ¡°This is the office.¡± The middle-aged butler, leading Sabina around the castle, pointed to an ornately decorated door. ¡°His Excellency the Grand Prince is in here.¡± She cast a questioning look, as if to say, ¡®So what am I supposed to do about it?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s almost time for dinner; perhaps you and His Excellency could dine together¡­¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The butler, William, didn¡¯t press further and tactfully withdrew. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve seen enough of the castle. Could you guide me to the training ground?¡± ¡°The training grounds, mydy?¡± The experienced butler had no choice but to question her request. ¡®Why would she want to go to that sweaty ce?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the sweat smell. The scent of metal, blood, oil ¨C all sorts of odors lingered in the air at the training grounds, a ce neglected despite the air being filled with various stenches. Even the maids avoided it. ¡°¡­This way, please.¡± But if the future Grand Princess wished to go there, what could he do? ¡°Huh, madam!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the madam.¡± The ck Hawks stirred at the sight of Sabina. She frowned slightly. ¡®Why am I being addressed as madam everywhere before even getting married?¡¯ As Sabina was about to correct her title, one of the knights eagerly approached her. ¡°Madam, is it true?¡± Unfazed by the sudden appearance of the man, Sabina asked, ¡°What¡¯s true?¡± ¡°That you single-handedly defeated several carnivorous rabbits!¡± The butler, who was covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief, turned to Sabina with a shocked expression. ¡°The Madam?¡± Carnivorous rabbits? As Sabina looked clueless, the knight excitedly exined. ¡°You know, those creatures that look like cute, harmless rabbits, but if you¡¯re fooled by their appearance and approach them, they suddenly turn into muscle-bound monsters and attack!¡± What in the world¡­ ¡°Huh? Why do you look like you have no idea what I¡¯m talking about?¡± As she looked puzzled, the ck Hawks who had been part of the scouting party chimed in. ¡°Didn¡¯t you catch several carnivorous rabbits and roast them when you were in the Ingo Mountains?¡± ¡°Wow, really? Even I can¡¯t do that. You¡¯re extraordinary.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive! I saw it myself ¨C exactly five of them.¡± ¡°To catch five carnivorous rabbits at once? You could even take down that guy.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be sprawled out in no time.¡± The ck Hawks were enthusiastically praising Sabina. Of course, Valentine¡¯s elite knights could easily handle five carnivorous rabbits. They were delighted. The previous Grand Duchess had been physically and mentally frail, inspiring pity even from a distance. Not that they resented her, but¡­ They had hoped the Grand Prince¡¯s partner would be strong both physically and mentally. To them, Sabina was the perfect Madam. ¡°I could learn a thing or two from you.¡± ¡°Haha! Maybe one day, when I¡¯ve improved my skills, I could formally request a sparring match with the Madam?¡± The ck Hawks seemed to be in high spirits, oblivious to what they were saying. ¡®What are they even talking about?¡¯ The rabbits Sabina had caught were just ordinary ones. Not muscle-bound monsters. ¡°The rabbits I caught were just¡­¡± ¡°Just ordinary rabbits.¡± That¡¯s when another knight, who had been silent until now, joined the conversation. He scanned Sabina from head to toe, then let out a snideugh. It was a clear sneer. ? Chapter 222: Side Story 14 Chapter 222: Side Story 14 ¡°It seems the hunting grounds keeper managing those monsters didn¡¯t notice, but if they had ever hunted one, they would have realized immediately.¡± The knights reallyck insight. The knight added thatment. ¡°If it really was a carnivorous rabbit, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to pierce its vital points so easily¡­¡± ¡°Sir Bart.¡± ¡°Why? Did I say something wrong?¡± Despite the other knights¡¯ brief attempts to dissuade him, Bart continued speaking. ¡°As the knights have seen, there were no signs of hunting on the rabbit¡¯s skin. It was simply crushed by overwhelming force.¡± The ck Hawk knights frowned at his tactless remarks, looking at him with displeasure. Who would bother disputing the truth of the matter here? They were just looking for an excuse to praise the future Grand Duchess. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the hunting grounds keeper said? Normal rabbits don¡¯t inhabit that forest.¡± ¡°Just because they don¡¯t usually inhabit there, doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be there. There are plenty of rabbits used as food in the wolf pens. It could have escaped during the transfer. Or someone might have released them.¡± ¡°Sir, you really are¡­¡± One of the knights massaged his forehead, seemingly frustrated. ¡®I want to say he¡¯s at it again.¡¯ But he seemed to be holding back his words because of Sabina. ¡°Knights really should open their eyes and see. Don¡¯t overdo the ttery. I thought you were a dog wagging its tail, not a hawk.¡± Bart snickered and shook his head. ¡°What, a dog? This guy¡­¡± ¡°Does it upset you? If I held up a mirror to your faces earlier, you¡¯d be too embarrassed to even lift your heads.¡± ¡°Ah, that socially inept jerk.¡± ¡°Focus on your training. As soon as the captain is away, you ck off. When will you ever reach the next level?¡± ¡°Huh, you¡¯re one to talk about training? The one who¡¯s most half-hearted of all¡­¡± ¡°At my level, I can afford to be. But you knights would have to train sleeplessly to barely reach my feet.¡± He taunted the ck Hawk knights and then swung his sword showily. Anyone could see it was a move conscious of Sabina, meant to show the gap between ordinary people and knights. It was a clean and bnced move, making one wonder if he really became a knight through mere talk. ¡°Why is he causing a scene again?¡± ¡°If you have aint, why don¡¯t you challenge him?¡± Bart shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m more than willing to take anyone on.¡± Bart¡¯s personality was notoriously troublesome, but unfortunately, his skills were impable. The ck Hawk knights, the elite of the Valentine knights. The most skilled among them was the deputymander, Dustin, but Bart was the next strongest. A natural genius, born into a family renowned for swordsmanship and following a formal path to knighthood from a young age. A case of talent backed by environment. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Of course, Sabina had neither the knowledge nor the interest in hisplicated circumstances, but she could guess from Bart¡¯s attitude. A young master who grew up spoiled, relying only on his skills. Sabina fiddled with her silk glove while keeping her gaze fixed on the knight. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I have no connection with thedy. You might get hurt, so if you need an escort, ask another knight¡­ Ugh!¡± And without hesitation, she took off one glove and threw it in Bart¡¯s face. Bart, who didn¡¯t expect the delicatedy he disregarded to act so aggressively, was caught off guard and hit squarely. ¡°I have aint, so I¡¯ll take you on.¡± ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t meant for yo¡­ Ah!¡± Sabina threw her other glove as well. The fluttering glove again hit Bart¡¯s face urately and fell. ¡°Are you, a knight, nning to go back on your word?¡± ¡°¡­Miss Valois, do you understand the meaning of what you are doing?¡± Bart addressed her without the dreaded title of ¡®Madam,¡¯ which Sabina had been loath to hear. It should have been what she wanted, yet why did it leave her feeling more disgusted? ¡°I am different from the knights; I¡¯m fully aware of my actions. Throwing a glove is a way of challenging to a duel, what else could it be?¡± Sabina¡¯s words implied that Bart was recklessly leaping without understanding the situation. A knight, whose face was filled with arrogance, saw one of his eyebrows shoot up to the sky. ¡°Sorry, but I am not familiar with the duel customs ofdies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I don¡¯t know them either.¡± Sabina looked around and pointed to one of the ck Hawk knights standing with a nk expression. ¡°You, be the observer.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Set the rules.¡± ¡°Uh, I mean¡­ yes?¡± ¡°And I would appreciate if you lend me a sword.¡± The duel was decided in an instant. The knights, who had been frozen in shock, regained their senses and shouted in unison. ¡°Calm down, please!¡± ¡°I fully understand your desire to beat that man to death right now, but if you get hurt¡­¡± The knights looked back and forth between Sabina, slightlyrger in stature than other women, and Bart, who was overwhelmingly taller and bigger. There was no way she could match him. More importantly, if the Grand Prince found out, they were all as good as dead. ¡®Get hurt? Well, that wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡¯ Sabina thought inwardly. Any injury to her body could reduce her value in the marriage market. Maybe, it could even be a pretext for annulment. ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t set the rules within a minute, I will decide them arbitrarily.¡± ¡°No! Then it must be a fight without endangering lives, without harming each other¡¯s bodies, and without crossing swords¡­¡± ¡°Are you joking right now?¡± She looked at the flustered knight with disbelief for a moment. Then she boldly drew the sword hanging at his waist and set the rules herself. Until one is unable to continue the fight.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Bart burst intoughter, seemingly amused. Regardless, Sabina swung her sword. Her movements were fluid and graceful, like flowing water. Bart, who reflexively took a stance to counter, was shocked. He had thought Sabina wouldn¡¯t even be able to withstand the weight of the sword, let alone swing it. But what was this movement now? ¡®Do the Valois family teach women swordsmanship too?¡¯ Even though Valois was one of the most renowned knightly families¡­ That¡¯s when it happened. Without a moment to think, her sword, like a snake wrapping around its prey, began to constrict his movements. It was a style of swordypletely different from overpowering with size and strength. Bart quickly came to his senses and narrowly avoided her strike. ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t just a strike. It was¡­¡¯ Confronted with an unfamiliar style of swordsmanship he had never seen before, he couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure. One thing was certain. ¡®That was a series of connected attacks.¡¯ If he had been careless, he would have been trapped like an ant in a pitfall trap. He would have been incapacitated in an instant. He hated to admit it, but¡­ ¡®So, this is the Valois bloodline.¡¯ Bart, who had not intended to take Sabina seriously, had no choice but to change his mind. She was a properly trained swordsman. If he didn¡¯t counterattack, he might lose the duel. ¡®Damn, this is unbelievable.¡¯ There are several knight families in the Empire. Valois was the most famous. Next in fame was the Rodri family. Bart Rodri. Born in the Rodri family, he had to endure being called second-best from a young age. Despite possessing the most exceptional swordsmanship skills. Then, one day, ten years ago. Bart had a chance encounter with Gary, the eldest son of the Valois family, and had an opportunity to spar with him. Bart, utterly disgusted by always being considered second-best, charged with gritted teeth and defeated Gary, the eldest son of the Valois family, in just three exchanges. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with Valois? It seems they were seriously overrated.¡± That¡¯s how he had scoffed back then. He assumed Sabina, ady from that not-so-special family, would be the same. That was until he saw her swordsmanship. ¡°Haah!¡± Bart charged with a battle cry. But Sabina easily dodged or deflected all his attacks. He might have been stronger, but in terms of speed, he was no match for her. And that swordsmanship. This unfamiliar style, deviating from the traditional Empire¡¯s swordy, perfectlypensated for Sabina¡¯s smaller stature and weaker grip. ¡°Such petty tricks!¡± ¡°Petty trickery? I wonder if you know how many like you have fallen to these ¡®petty trickery.''¡± ¡°Who taught you swordsmanship? This is not a known style in the Empire!¡± ¡°You still have the luxury to talk? It seems I¡¯ve been too lenient with you, Sir.¡± ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Bart clenched his teeth and swallowed a pathetic groan. Every time she countered, it seemed like a scream would escape his lips. All of Sabina¡¯s attacks narrowly missed his vital points. ¡®She¡¯s serious.¡¯ This was realbat. A war. If he let his guard down, it wouldn¡¯t just end with incapacity, but with his head flying off. Suddenly, their eyes met. Her red eyes shimmered with desire and excitement. It was the look of a hunter enjoying the hunt. He, who had mocked her for not being able to catch a carnivorous rabbit, now seemed to have be the prey himself. ¡®Is she trying to kill me?¡¯ A chilling sensation, like standing on the edge of a cliff, ran through his body. He swung his sword desperately, driven by rage. His movements began to grow in spite of the cries. The rebound made his strikes powerful but was a bad move that quickly drained his stamina. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± As the duel prolonged, Bart¡¯s shoulders heaved greatly. On the other hand, Sabina, who had mostly dodged or parried attacks aiming for vital points, was still in good shape. ¡°Is it over?¡± As Sabina asked nonchntly, looking at the panting Bart, he shouted, trembling with humiliation. ¡°No way!¡± Bart charged, kicking the ground. Now blindly, he aimed precisely for her vitals, just as Sabina had done. His sword¡¯s tip moved so fast that only its afterimage could be seen, passing close to Sabina¡¯s heart, throat, and in front of her eyes. Every time that happened, the ck Hawk knights turned pale, their hands sweaty. ¡°This is madness.¡± ¡°Hey, observer! Stop them now!¡± ¡°How in the world do I¡­¡± ¡°Is that even a question? We should all rush in and pull them apart!¡± Even if it meant sacrificing a limb or two, what did it matter at this point? Just as the ck Hawk knights were preparing to intervene amidst the fierce duel, Sabina dove into Bart¡¯s arms. ¡°An opening.¡± She jabbed her sword¡¯s edge into his thick thigh. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Bart screamed, dropping to his knees. At the same moment, Sabina stomped on his wrist, forcing him to release his sword. After confirming the look of defeat in the knight¡¯s eyes, she coldly looked down on him. Chapter 223: Side Story 15 Chapter 223: Side Story 15 ¡°Vi, Victory, Madam¡¯s victory!¡± The knight, who had inadvertently be a witness, eximed out of fear that another deadly duel might unfold. Even so, he himself seemed utterly bbergasted. Really, did Madam actually win? ¡®Bart, that guy, I¡¯ve never even beaten him.¡¯ And it¡¯s not like he was casually sparring while going easy on Sabina. Bart, pushed to his limits, swung his sword mercilessly as if it were a real battle. But she managed to win without inflicting serious injury on the gigantic knight. ¡®She did get a wound on her thigh, but since it missed the muscle and tendon, she should be fine after treatment without any aftereffects,¡¯ The words they ttered Madam with, about needing to learn from her, turned out to be true. Sabina was beyond the knights¡¯ wildest imaginations. ¡°Why has someone like her never¡­¡± Has she never been known to the outside world? Why did she be the Grand Princess? It was a profoundly regrettable matter. As knights of the Valentine family, no one dared to openly speak of it. But internally, the ck Hawks all shared the same thought. Such a shining talent, what a waste. ¡°If she were born into the true Valois bloodline, she would undoubtedly be in a much loftier ce¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°To be born with the soul of a knight and carry such a cruel fate¡­?!¡± The knight, muttering to himself, almost screamed out loud. Because Tristan was right behind him, repeatedly juggling his sword with a bored expression. Every time the silver de of the sword cut through the air, the ck Hawks turned pale as if they had seen a ghost. ¡°Gr¡­!¡± Before the ashen-faced knight could speak, Tristan firmly grasped his sword. And mercilessly struck the knight¡¯s sr plexus with the hilt of his sword. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet.¡± The knight couldn¡¯t even make a sound, forced to swallow his pain and tears. However, in truth,pared to the crime hemitted, this was a light punishment. Not only had he made a dangerous remark, but he had also merely watched the duel of the Grand Princess without doing anything. ¡®I won¡¯t be able to walk on two legs today.¡¯ He would have to crawl out of the training ground like a bug. The Hawks, anticipating the future, crossed themselves and called out the names of gods they never believed in. Tristan seemed indifferent to whatever they were doing. His gaze was fixed in one direction. ¡°Gr¡­ No, how long have you been here?¡± A knight asked in a low voice. Tristan rolled his eyes towards the knight and replied with a faint smile. ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t set the rules within a minute, I will decide them arbitrarily.¡± He¡¯s been here since the duel started! And he just watched silently? ¡®Ah, no.¡¯ Tristan had drawn his sword from its sheath. Eventually, he was just showing off tricks by throwing and catching it, but initially¡­ ¡®He must have drawn his sword to stop the duel.¡¯ It was as the knight had guessed. Tristan had hastily drawn his sword, only to realize that Sabina needed no help and simply observed. Just as he did when he saw her up Gary. ¡°Always far beyond expectations.¡± I knew he had learned to use a sword early on, but to this extent. *** ¡°I¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± At Sabina¡¯s deration, Bart bit his lip until it bled and hung his head low. It was an undeniable,plete defeat. ¡®Could I win if we fought again?¡¯ It was because he was careless. He tried to turn his thoughts to preserve his pride, but still¡­ Even if he could turn back time, he had no confidence in beating Sabina. Bart had no choice but to cleanly ept his defeat. ¡°I have¡­ lost.¡± Sabina, clenching her fists and trembling, looked down at the man and said, ¡°Apologize.¡± Bart gritted his teeth. He moved his tattered lips, which had been tormented and chewed up. ¡°Please forgive my rudeness.¡± ¡°Of course, even if Sir apologizes, I won¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡­What? Bart, dumbfounded, lifted his bowed head. Regardless, Sabina calmly continued speaking. ¡°Are you the strongest knight among the Valentines?¡± ¡°¡­No, I am not.¡± ¡°Really? Judging by your demeanor, I thought you were the best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I see your skills are such that you can be arrogant. You¡¯ll barely reach my feet even if you train sleeplessly through the night.¡± And she returned Bart¡¯s haughty words back to him. It was an expected response. Anyone would retaliate when their talent is belittled and they are humiliated, especially by someone weaker than themselves. This was the result of defeat. Something that had to be endured and epted. ¡°Don¡¯t you aspire to be the best?¡± ¡°Why¡­ wouldn¡¯t I.¡± ¡°Really? Judging by your demeanor, I thought you were a carefree person without ambition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your character leaves much to be desired, but at least you acknowledge quickly. That too is a talent not easily acquired.¡± But then came an unexpected reply. Bart looked up at Sabina with a dazed expression. ¡°You have all the qualities to be the best, except for character. It¡¯s regrettable, but what can we do? I just hope you¡¯re not a fool who repeats the same mistakes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go and train.¡± Having acknowledged his defeat, she meant he should quickly go and train to be stronger. Bart found it hard to understand why she suddenly said such things. Why wasn¡¯t shepletely crushing him? Why wasn¡¯t she binding him, pouring violence, and instilling fear until he begged like a dog? Sabina was genuinely recognizing his talent, not mocking him. Even though she had every reason to be hostile towards him. This was utterly unfamiliar to Bart, the knight. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Madam¡­¡± As Sabina turned to leave, he called out to her without realizing. Then he got up, limping, ignoring his twitching leg muscles. At the moment he was about to speak with flushed cheeks and lost eyes¡­ He met eyes with Tristan. Have you ever seen thendscape of hell? Bart felt like he saw the illusion of hell flickering behind Tristan. He fell to his knees as if he had just gotten up. ¡°What, why are you here?¡± Sabina frowned upon discovering Tristan behind her. ¡°I¡¯m here because you are.¡± He then sheathed his sword back at his waist and approached her. Sabina stepped back as he came closer. ¡°Shall we talk?¡± ¡°Speak from there.¡± Tristan stopped and raised his hands lightly. ¡°My wife is also very considerate. Saving the life of a man who doesn¡¯t know his ce in a duel¡­¡± He then coldly looked down at Bart, who looked like he might faint at any moment. ¡®Who¡¯s your wife?¡¯ Sabina was so incredulous that she was about to retort that. If only Tristan hadn¡¯t mercilessly stepped on Bart¡¯s thigh, the wound bleeding profusely. She was momentarily lost for words. ¡°Krhh, ugh¡­¡± The knight trembled as if convulsing, forcefully swallowing his screams. He knew that making a noise would bring even greater pain, a lesson learned over time. ¡°The punishment for Sir Bart will be decided by me.¡± Sabina frowned. Tristan was digging deeper into the wound she had carefully made to avoid a fatal injury, with his military boots. It looked like a cruel act of venting to anyone. But she couldn¡¯t intervene. ¡®He treats his own people like this.¡¯ It only further plummeted her already low opinion of Tristan. ¡°Do as you wish. He¡¯s your knight.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Tristan seemed quite satisfied with her decisive response. He wiped his blood-soaked military boots on the ground of the training area, saying, ¡°Now, to the main point.¡± ¡°You handle the sword quite skillfully.¡± ¡°You knew that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Why, is my swordsmanship sharper than you imagined, losing your interest?¡± Sabina mockingly spoke, embedding her hopes in her words. She clearly hoped that would be the case. Reading her sentiment, Tristan drew a deep smile on his lips. As if all that didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°It must not have been an easy environment to learn swordsmanship. Whose technique did you learn?¡± Sabina narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression saying, ¡®Are you also going to say that?¡¯. But the man¡¯s eyes,ughing as if painted, seemed somehow deeper than usual. Anger, annoyance, confusion¡­ His eyes looked devoured by all sorts ofplex and negative emotions. ¡®Is he angry? Why?¡¯ He was always unpredictable, but today even more so. After a brief contemtion, Sabina decided to ignore Tristan¡¯s words. She returned the sword to its rightful owner and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drop by asionally in the future.¡± ¡°Eh? Of course, Madam cane whenever she wishes, but¡­¡± The decision wasn¡¯t theirs to make. The ck Hawk hesitated to finish his sentence, merely ncing at Tristan. Sabina sighed and turned around. ¡°Surely you won¡¯t confine me in the castle and prevent me from moving about after proposing the bet.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be petty to restrict her actions after initiating the bet. She looked up at Tristan. Under his still dark gaze, some emotion was violently stirring. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But if you want to achieve what you desire, you should at least show the courtesy of answering my question.¡± So, who did you learn it from? Tristan threw the question again and quickly approached her. A shiver ran down her spine as she heard his whispering voice. Sabina felt her mood twist. She clearly indicated she didn¡¯t want to answer, and she disliked his response as a threat. It was even more dreadful to know she wasn¡¯t in a position to resist. ¡°Why ask if you know? You seem to know already, asking so persistently.¡± Sabina whispered back, pulling Tristan down by the cor to her eye level. She spoke to him slowly, word by word, without resistance, as he willingly bent down. ¡°He¡¯s my beloved, who else?¡± Quietly, just for him to hear, secretly. ¡°Not just in swordsmanship. My beloved is my will, my thoughts, and even my dreams.¡± He¡¯s everything that makes me. After whispering sweetly into his ear, Sabina released his cor. It was the first gentle voice she had used in front of him. It wasn¡¯t particrly fabricated. Just the thought of Allen made her naturally sound that way. ¡°It¡¯s better not to ask such obvious questions in the future. Everything that makes mees from my beloved.¡± Sabina firmly drove the point home. As if there was absolutely no ce for him in her life. ? Chapter 224: Side Story 16 Chapter 224: Side Story 16 ¡°Looking at your your eyes, I see no intention of backing down.¡± Sabina shook her hands as if she had touched something filthy. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to leave on my own.¡± Then, she turned her back. Tristan did not stop her. In fact, he knew. He had to realize it the moment he saw Sabina¡¯s duel and read her rhythm. The sliding steps like a snake¡¯s movement, the flexible arm movements, the skill of freely manipting the center of gravity¡­ ¡®That is Castaigne¡¯s swordsmanship.¡¯ Silver Snake, Castaigne. Usually, snakes have a sly and vile image, but Castaigne was different. His swordsmanship, reminiscent of a snake, was called ¡®Silver Snake¡¯ because it was as noble and steadfast as silver. Silver Snake also means a gracious master, and from someone¡¯s perspective, it had that meaning too. That someone was the king. The king of the Roaz Kingdom, a vassal state of the Empire. ¡®Castaigne has been teaching swordsmanship to the kingdom¡¯s heirs for generations.¡¯ But since it became a vassal state of Fa, even Castaigne had fallen. It was unclear why ady of the Valois family would use Roaz¡¯s swordsmanship, especially that of an extinct family. ¡®Although I had my suspicions.¡¯ Sabina had just given Tristan certainty by mentioning her beloved. Her ¡®A¡¯ had a very deep connection with Castaigne. ¡®The sword of Silver Snake. She learned a technique that suits her too well. It strikes unexpectedly, yet never crosses the line¡­¡¯ As if the meeting of ¡®A¡¯ and Sabina was destined. ¡®The one who carries on Castaigne¡¯s will.¡¯ She might have just learned his swordsmanship, or she might be the only survivor of the extinct family. ¡®A survivor¡­ I heard they were all eliminated without exception.¡¯ If they existed, she would surely harbor great malice towards the Valentine and Fa Empire. Of course, it was none of his business. Anyway, it was only a matter of time before the man suspected to be rted to Castaigne would be caught by him. ¡®Will, thoughts, and dreams.¡¯ As Sabina said, ¡®A¡¯ could be said to be everything that made her. Erasing ¡®A¡¯ from her would be like cutting off a part of her body. Tristan vividly recalled the impulse he felt when he first saw her. His mouth was dry, and his skin tingled. It felt like pulling the bowstring towards a beautiful bird soaring freely in the sky. ¡®I can bring it down.¡¯ Right down to where I am. To cut off its wings, put it in a cage, I will hold her tightly and whisper death into her ear as she loses everything¡­¡­. Tristan had never gone against his impulses. His sharp arrow had never missed its target. It would be the same this time. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± The sun hanging outside the window was already setting. ¡°Huh?¡± Aria looked at the sunset sky with a nk expression. When had time passed so much? ¡°You¡¯re stopping here¡­?¡± ¡°Are you left wanting more?¡± Sabina yfully smiled. ¡°I¡¯m worried it might be too much for a pregnant woman if the story gets too long. I should be going back now. There are things I need to do.¡± It was painful not to be able to hear more of the story, far from being too much. But she had to endure it since there were things Sabina needed to do. Sabina, somewhat disappointed, patted Aria¡¯s head and then left the room. Aria stared at the closed door for a while before stepping out of the room a beatte. Whistle- ¡°Woof!¡± As she whistled, Silver rushed in as if he had been waiting. Sorry to Silver, but his approach seemed slightly threatening. Aria reflexively wrapped her arms around her belly as if to protect it, then withdrew her arms, letting out an awkwardugh. She found her own reaction strangely unfamiliar. ¡°Take me to your leader, please.¡± ¡°Awooo!¡± Aria was about to climb onto Silver¡¯s back to execute themand when she suddenly soared into the sky. ¡°Leader?¡± It was Tristan. He did not grab her by the nape of the neck and lift her as he used to when she was younger. Instead, he carefully cradled her in his arms and gently embraced her. Although he still didn¡¯t ask for permission, at least he wasn¡¯t as rough as before. ¡°So, my dog was calling for me¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°How would I understand thenguage of dogs?¡± Calling a wolf a dog seemed to be the same, then and now. Aria chuckled and stretched outfortably in his arms. Her actions showedplete trust in him. ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± ¡°I missed my father.¡± ¡°What amendable thing to say.¡± ¡°I am quitemendable.¡± ¡°Justmendable in words, though¡­¡± He seemed to expect Aria to do something for him. Like the time when he snatched away the card that said she loved her father, around when she was ten years old. Since it was revealed that she could speak, she couldn¡¯t give cards anymore, so she had just pecked his cheek lightly¡­ ¡°Father, I think you might not realize this, but I¡¯ve grown up.¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to be a mother soon.¡± His body tensed up momentarily. He really didn¡¯t know. Judging by his reaction, he must have momentarily forgotten. ¡°A child having a child. Especially one with a frail body¡­¡± Tristan finally seemed to realize, chuckling awkwardly. Frail body? She wondered what he was referring to. ¡®And is that something you should say, Father?¡¯ Having heard many new stories from Sabina today, Aria couldn¡¯t help but look at Tristan with fresh eyes. To think he once said to a stranger, no, to a woman he would marry, to give up her dreams and future and die with him. Even nning to drive Sabina into despair by killing her most beloved person and then iming her. ¡®Did he really go through with that insane n? Mother ended up staying with the Valentines after resigning to the loss of someone as precious as her entire life.¡¯ A dramatic story naturally came to mind. Even though she thought it was impossible, the thought that it could be true came to her mind simultaneously. Because, when Tristan first met Aria¡­ ¡°Why are you widening your eyes like that?¡± ¡°When you call me a child or say I have a weak body, it reminds me of when I was little.¡± ¡°When you were little¡­ You followed me quite well even when you were just the size of a fox.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± She tapped her cheek with her index finger, pretending to be lost in thought, and then suddenly eximed as if she remembered something, ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, the first time you saw me, you wanted to feed me to the wolves.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You looked me in the eye without a hint of hesitation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I still remember what you said then. ¡®The dogs will feast after a long time. Kill her.''¡± Aria raised her head and spoke in a deep voice, mimicking him as best as she could. Hernguidly half-closed eyes, as if opening them was too much effort, were a bonus. ¡°Pfft!¡± Dwayne hurriedly covered his mouth to suppress hisughter. Although not perfect, she had urately captured Tristan¡¯s manner of speaking and expressions. ¡°Did I say that?¡± ¡°You also said I was weaker than a bug.¡± ¡°Hmm, you remember that for a long time.¡± Tristan spoke with a bit of difort. And the man who usually wouldn¡¯t flinch at any threat, now avoided A ria¡¯s gaze. To hide his wavering eyes. Although he maintained a rxed smile on his lips, it only made him seem more restless. ¡°And you just brushed it off casually. Lloyd came to me, knelt down, and apologized¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­Should I kneel?¡± Upon hearing Tristan¡¯s quick reply, Aria rxed her stiff expression and burst intoughter. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± It seemed that he finally realized Aria had made a mischievous joke. ¡°Now you¡¯re the one teasing me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grown up, you know.¡± ¡°Alright, I take back calling you a child.¡± Tristan, conceding defeat with augh, gently set her down. He seemed exasperated, but his eyes were filled with tenderness for Aria. ¡®Well, he did try to kill me on sight back then¡­ but let¡¯s chalk that up to me being a stranger.¡¯ However,pared to the stories she heard from Sabina, this was rtively mild. After all, once he knew about Aria¡¯s situation, he didn¡¯t abandon her but saved her from Count Cortez. It seemed Vincent was saved in a simr manner. And, despite his unconventional way of showing it, it was clear he loved his two sons. The deep affection in his eyes when he looked at Sabina was iparable to when he looked at Aria. ¡®Tristan was a ruthless yer to those who crossed him, but at the same time, he was a devilish Grand Duke who cherished and loved his family.¡¯ This was true even before he met Aria. That meant, before that, he was even more irredeemable, and it was Sabina who humanized him. ¡®How exactly?¡¯ What did she do? Aria became incredibly curious about the unfinished story of Sabina. ¡°Your eyes seem full of curiosity.¡± Tristan astutely asked. Aria didn¡¯t refuse but answered promptly. ¡°Actually, I heard about your younger days.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°About how you used to treat your life and the lives of others as if they were nothing¡­ leading a rather dramatic life.¡± Tristan turned to look at Dwayne. Dwayne frantically waved his hands as if to say he was innocent. ? Chapter 225: Side Story 17 Chapter 225: Side Story 17 ¡°I heard it from Mother.¡± At those words, Tristan suddenly became as calm as if he had never been otherwise. Dwayne heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Do you want to hear about that time?¡± ¡°I just came to say hello after hearing about Father.¡± It was also to check how different he was now. ¡°And though I am curious about many things, I won¡¯t ask Father.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Father, you can¡¯t speak, can you? You only say you¡¯d rather kill than persuade.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it, but¡­¡± True to her words, Tristan was not much of a talker. His vocabry was unmatched when it came to threatening people or teasing them maliciously, though. He looked at Aria with aplicated expression. Today, she seemed unusually defiant. He couldn¡¯t fathom what Sabina had told her. ¡°My behavior back then is indefensible. I humbly ept that.¡± He said this while gently tapping Aria¡¯s head. ¡°If you¡¯re done, go inside and rest.¡± He seemed to have learned how to pat her head properly, unlike when she was young, when her head would shake back and forth. ¡®You say I¡¯m not a child, yet you treat me like one.¡¯ Aria twisted her head with a dumbfounded expression. Tristan smiled as if he found her cute. ¡°I wish the child would take after you.¡± It was a casually thrown remark, but it was sincere. He hoped the child would be as cute and lovely as Aria, not like his son whocked any cuteness. But then¡­ At those words, Aria felt a sudden surge of emotion. ¡®I wanted to hear those words directly from Lloyd.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t realized it. The news of the child came so suddenly that she hadn¡¯t had the leisure to think that way. ¡®Because Lloyd seemed like he didn¡¯t need a child¡­¡¯ But in truth, she had hoped he would be overjoyed like any ordinary person. Even if he didn¡¯t cry, she wished he had said thank you, and that he loved her. She had hoped for a heated debate about whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and who it resembled. ¡®I know why Lloyd said that.¡¯ She knew he said it because he treasured Aria too much and feared losing her. And if their child were born bearing the cursed fate of the Valentines¡­ ¡®Lloyd might think it¡¯s better if the child isn¡¯t born.¡¯ Her thoughts spiraled negatively. Aria suddenly felt unbearably sad. What was the use of understanding with her head? Her heart couldn¡¯t ept his thoughts at all. She bit her lip hard. She swallowed her emotions as best as she could. Fortunately, Tristan, who had finished his farewell, was already far away, showing his back. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± After Tristanpletely disappeared, she finally let her tears fall. The sorrow overwhelmed her, making it hard to control her emotions. What, why¡­sniffle, why am I like this?¡± She snuffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. ¡°Madam, Young Madam?!¡± A servant, who spotted Aria in this state, eximed in shock. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Pretend you didn¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to gather everyone, so keep quiet.¡± She just wanted to be alone. After speaking calmly, she went out to the garden. Once in a secluded corner, away from people¡¯s gazes, her restrained tears burst forth. ¡°Hic, huu-uuh, heup, huwaah¡­¡± She cried so hard that it sounded like gasping. It was almost like wailing. She wouldn¡¯t cry this bitterly even if someone died. ¡®Why am I like this, really?¡¯ Aria herself was the most bewildered. Since birth, she had experienced all sorts of extraordinary events, but she had never cried her heart out like this before. There were times when she nearly died and came back to life, not just once or twice. There were moments when she almost lost her voice. She even chose death once, heading towards hell. Compared to those events, this was really nothing. ¡°Kii-iing, kiing.¡± A wolf and a ck panther, who found Aria crying pitifully, gathered around her. Since the animals did not bother her and merely stayed by her side quietly, Aria did not bother to shoo them away. ¡°Aria?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Aria heard the voice of the person she least wanted to encounter at this moment. She stopped crying and lifted her head. Lloyd emerged from the bushes, calling her with a face full of panic. ¡°Ari¡­¡± Aria pped away Lloyd¡¯s hand as he reached out to her. p. With all her might. Although Aria was the one who pped, and Lloyd was the one who got hit, it was Aria¡¯s hand that turned red. She screamed silently. It felt like she had struck a rock, sending a jarring sensation through her bones. Lloyd, momentarily stunned by the impact, noticed her slightly furrowed brow and stepped closer. ¡°Aria.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Go away.¡± She rejected him outright, even though he had only called her name. At this, Lloyd¡¯s already pale face turned even paler. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. You need to see a physician.¡± But even against her dismissive words, he firmly insisted. ¡°I can walk there myself.¡± ¡°You were crying so hard you couldn¡¯t even stand¡­¡± He twitched his fingertips, clenched his fist, then released it repeatedly. He wanted to embrace her tightly while she cried, but he couldn¡¯t because she refused. ¡°Ha. Who do you think made me cry?¡± Aria let out a hollowugh and, without even trying to wipe her tears, red at him. ¡°Go away before I say something hurtful to you.¡± She was aware of her state. Not at all rational, and struggling to control her emotions. ¡®I originally nned to have a calm conversation with Lloyd after hearing all about the past from Sabina.¡¯ So much for being calm. If she stayed, she felt like she might blurt out something she didn¡¯t mean. That would only worsen the situation. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Say whatever you want.¡± But then Lloyd spoke. Maintaining a distance from her. ¡°Just don¡¯t hit me. It hurts your hand.¡± Right¡­ He was correct. Valentines might be physically strong, but their spirits were fragile. And Lloyd, who loved Aria more than anyone, was no exception. Now that they had be everything to each other, a single word from her couldpletely shatter his heart, trample it, tear it apart. ¡°What do you think I¡¯ll say?¡± Aria thought her tongue was not just thorny but armed with a knife. She could manipte and control the mind of the one who fell for her. But she chose not to. Because she knew the duty of being human. Because she loved him deeply, too. ¡°Say anything.¡± Lloyd¡¯s eyes conveyed his message. Say anything, even if it cuts me to pieces, even if I drown in your harsh words, just don¡¯t tell me to leave. ¡°Lloyd.¡± Aria called his name. ¡°A single word can embed itself in a person¡¯s heart for a lifetime and can even kill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that.¡± She did not want to be like those who gnawed at her spirit and nted deep traumas within her. So, she stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s not meet until I calm down.¡± And then she had to say what Lloyd would least want to hear. ¡°¡­When will that be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I can¡¯t control my emotions at all¡­ for now, I¡¯ll stay in the room I used to use before.¡± ¡°Rather curse, yell, and hate me.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t respect that kind of preference.¡± Aria responded to his earnest words with a joke. She didn¡¯t have the energy to take it seriously. And still with a tear-stained face, she pushed away Lloyd, who was blocking her path. Lloyd was pushed away effortlessly. At that moment, he heard a ringing in his ears. A chilling sound, like scraping metal against his ear, echoed, and his vision ckened. While he hesitated, Aria had already distanced herself. Lloyd stepped forward to follow her but startled himself. He thought for a moment that the ground beneath him had copsed. But it was just a foolish illusion; the ground was t. *** ¡°What¡¯s going on? In just half a day, my child has be a shadow of herself.¡± Sabina embraced Aria, who hade to her bedroom, and said. Aria, burying her head in the soft, warm embrace, replied, ¡°I¡¯m just so curious about the rest of the story that I¡¯m drying up.¡± For such a reason, her eyes were swollen and terribly red. Sabina called a servant to bring some ice. Then, she wrapped it in a towel and ced it over Aria¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who made you cry? It¡¯s okay. Tell me.¡± ¡°Cry? It¡¯s just trivial things making me feel so sorrowful.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did Sabina rx her eyes, as if she understood. ¡°It¡¯s normal during pregnancy.¡± ¡°How long will thisst?¡± ¡°Well¡­ until you give birth?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Maybe even after you give birth?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Aria, shocked, pulled down the towel from her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s still early, so it¡¯s rtively mild.¡± ¡°This is mild?¡± ¡°From what I remember, around 28 weeks, you might want to kill your husband, and almost actually do it.¡± That¡¯s a bit¡­ That seems like a very subjective experience. Chapter 226: Side Story 18 Chapter 226: Side Story 18 What on earth happened around week 28¡­ Whatever it was, it was undoubtedly entirely Tristan¡¯s fault. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a difficult situation.¡¯ Aria told Lloyd not to meet her until she could control her emotions. But as Sabina said, wouldn¡¯t that mean she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet him even after giving birth? ¡®I thought it would only be for a few days at most¡­¡¯ Well, everyone is different, after all. Aria believed that unlike Sabina, she would soon feel better. She didn¡¯t like the idea of living without seeing Lloyd at all, nor did she want to show him a crying and ugly side of herself. ¡®I have no choice but to avoid him as much as possible for now.¡¯ Aria decided to stop thinking about Lloyd. ¡°Since you¡¯re so curious, shall I tell you the rest of the story?¡± Lying in bed, Sabina tapped the space beside her and spoke. Aria quickly nodded her head and took the spot next to her. ¡°How far did I tell you?¡± ¡°You said that father tried to find and kill someone named Allen.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°¡­Did he really kill him? Right in front of you?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask. If that was true, Aria felt it would be difficult to treat Tristan the same way as before. Even though Sabina had already forgiven him. ¡®What he did in the past doesn¡¯t just disappear.¡¯ Aria waited for Sabina¡¯s response. She was, of course, expecting to hear that he hadn¡¯t killed him. It would have been an unforgivable act, even for a saint. ¡°To tell you the conclusion¡­ Allen did die.¡± Her story continued. ¡°¡­What?¡± He really killed him? Someone who was as precious to Sabina as if he were her everything? The most unbelievable worst-case scenario turned out to be true. Aria grimaced seriously, sighed deeply, and closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± She felt confident that she wouldn¡¯t be shocked by any story now. And she was prepared never to associate with Tristan again! Sabina chuckled lowly, then whispered into the ear of Aria, who seemed to react as if she had heard something terrifying. ¡°Allen did die, but¡­ Tristan didn¡¯t kill him.¡± The story went on. *** ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Dwayne, with a troubled expression, handed over the documents investigated by the ck hawks. Next to the name Allen Castaigne, the two red letters ¡®Deceased¡¯ were clearly written. ¡°Estimated death age is 42?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°And that was three years ago?¡± ¡°As you see.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The reason why the search for ¡®A¡¯ was dyed more than expected was now clear. He had been misled by the word ¡®lover¡¯ and focused on searching for men around Sabina¡¯s age, which caused some confusion in the search. Indeed, it was a cute lie. ¡®Did she think I would let her go if she said he was a lover?¡¯ Of course, that was impossible. He snorted softly. ¡°After all, if he were to pass on his entire life and knowledge to Miss Valois, there would have been a significant age difference.¡± He had foolishly fallen for it. Why hadn¡¯t he doubted her lie and just epted it? Tristan stroked his chin with his gloved hand, pondering for a moment. But no clear conclusion came to mind. ¡°¡­Why are youughing?¡± Dwayne asked. In fact, he almost blurted out, ¡°Why are you grinning like an idiot?¡± but he managed to ask in a more polite manner. ¡°When did I?¡± There was no need to suddenly be stern. Tristan, seemingly unaware of his own smile, fiddled with the corner of his mouth and stared intently at Dwayne. It was a look that said, ¡®Why are you talking nonsense?¡¯ ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± Dwayne felt wronged but decided to keep his mouth shut on this matter. Arguing with someone unaware was just a waste of breath. ¡°Sudden death as the cause of death?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± A heart attack, of all things. Even a passing dog wouldn¡¯t believe it. Dwayne added an exnation with a sense of unease. ¡°If a noble from another country suddenly dies, the Imperial Security Force investigates, right? The documents you¡¯re holding, Grand Prince, are the results of that investigation.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting the royal family likely manipted the cause of death?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± While Dwayne regretted Allen¡¯s death, he also felt relieved. This meant Tristan couldn¡¯t execute his insane n to kill the benefactor in front of the involved party. ¡°Hmm.¡± That ¡®hmm¡¯ sound from Tristan. Whenever Tristan fell into thought, he tended to make oundish remarks, so Dwayne waited tensely. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about Castaigne.¡± ¡°Yes. He was presumed to be the only survivor of that disaster.¡± ¡°The only surviving member of the Castaigne family was a knight in the Valois family¡­¡± The Valois had been blindly loyal to the emperor for generations. So he had secretly infiltrated the Valois family and became a knight? ¡°Sabina Valois inherited the most talent of the Valois. Anyone skilled with a sword would have recognized it at first nce.¡± Allen had taught her everything he knew. He dedicated himself to Sabina. And he had a very strong influence on her life, bing her everything. ¡°And he died three years ago.¡± Tristan threw the documents he was reading onto the desk. ¡°So, he left that note to Miss Valois just before he died.¡± He might have been caught in the act of stirring up rebellion or other foolish acts, risking his identity being exposed. But, that wasn¡¯t the important part. ¡°What matters is, Allen Castaigne attempted to flee to another country, and secretly left a note to lure Miss Valois there.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± Dwayne groaned and continued. ¡°¡­It¡¯s possible he approached the Grand Princess solely as a means for revenge.¡± Or he might have approached her for revenge but genuinely cherished only Sabina. However, no one could know or find out his true intentions. After all, Allen Castaigne was dead. The dead tell no tales. Never. ¡®Miss Valois seemed unaware of Castaigne.¡¯ Tristan was probably the only one who could have guessed it by swordsmanship alone. Because Tristan had once seen Castaigne¡¯s swordy as a child. Specifically, the moment when the Duke of Valentine fought several times with the head of the Castaigne family and stabbed him in the heart. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Dwayne asked, sweating. ¡°You don¡¯t n to tell the Grand Princess everything¡­ do you?¡± Tristan had intended to capture Allen and kill him in the most miserable way in front of Sabina. But Allen was already dead. Considering Tristan¡¯s goal was to break Sabina¡¯s will andpletely crush her¡­ There was still one more method left. To tell this cruel story directly to Sabina herself. ¡°In truth, your will, your thoughts, your dreams, your beliefs were all manipted by a hypocrite who approached you solely as a means for revenge.¡± Dwayne was shocked. Tristan¡¯s blunt words seemed to stab him in the heart. And the extent of the wound the Grand Princess would receive upon hearing those words was unimaginable. Even if she tried to deny it, the truth was forever unknowable, and circumstantially, it seemed highly likely she had been used. ¡°You could say that.¡± Tristan, with a furrowed brow, repeatedly tapped the desk in his office. It meant he was uneasy, and also that he hadn¡¯t yet made a decision. ¡®I thought he would rush to tell her¡­¡¯ He was ready to execute the n of killing the benefactor in front of the involved party without hesitation. But why was he hesitating to say that this benefactor might actually have been a betrayer? Dwayne felt puzzled by his behavior. It seemed like Tristan was reluctant, or maybe it was just a misconception. ¡°How trivial.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Where exactly? ¡°I wanted to ruin him with my own hands.¡± Hearing this, Dwayne doubted his lord¡¯s mental state once more. Regardless of his advisor¡¯s disloyal gaze, Tristan lost all interest immediately after hearing of Allen¡¯s death. Because the only chance to directly shatter her soul was gone. ¡°If you tell the Grand Princess about Allen Castaigne directly, she will surely be mentally devastated. She might even copse¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. It would be because of that guy, not me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°She will hate and resent that Allen for the rest of her life, not me.¡± Dwayne, pondering over what his lord was ranting about, finally realized it. So, in the end, Tristan wanted to leave the strongest impression on Sabina? He wanted to be the only person for her. ¡°Are you saying all this time your n was based on the belief that there¡¯s no emotion stronger than hatred or murderous intent?¡± When Tristan confirmed with silence, Dwayne sighed. ¡°Grand Prince¡­¡± Are you a fool? He wanted to ask sincerely, but the fact that he couldn¡¯t made him figuratively weep tears of blood. ¡°Just confess that you like her!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve never liked her.¡± Who would want to ruin and drag down someone they liked? Tristan looked at Dwayne, who suddenly started shouting excitedly, with a look of pity. ¡°That shining soul¡­ I wanted her to lose her will to live and stay by my side for the rest of my life. Since I don¡¯t have much time left, it would be even better if she could kill me with her sword skills.¡± ¡°That¡¯s love!¡± Tristan, startled by Dwayne¡¯s sudden outburst, scanned him from top to bottom and then wore a look of pity. ¡°Oh, boy. What a taste¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, we need to check what¡¯s going on.¡± Tristan decided to head to the royal pce to find out the circumstances of how this Allen died. ¡®Miss Valois seemed unaware that he had died.¡¯ How he would deal with her could wait until after he knew the whole truth. *** ¡°Valentine left?¡± Sabina, unable to hide her astonishment, asked. ¡°Yes, he went to the pce briefly for an investigation but will return soon.¡± ¡°How soon is soon?¡± ¡°Probably within a few days.¡± The Grand Prince of Valentine had left his domain. Well, the domain was running fine, so it was his freedom to leave for a while¡­ ¡®But we¡¯re still in the middle of our bet.¡¯ And not much time was left. Just one week. As the days passed and the promised time approached, Sabina¡¯s anxiety reached its peak. ¡®This could be a chance to escape.¡¯ ? Chapter 227: Side Story 19 Chapter 227: Side Story 19 Sabina had tried everything to break his will. She had indulged in luxury, starved herself, and even tried to find an escape route, only to be caught by Tristan. In a panic, she put a sword to his neck, threatening to kill him if he didn¡¯t let her go. ¡®But instead, he found it more amusing.¡¯ Because of that, Sabina had to feel the unpleasant sensation of bing like a clown. Throughout all her desperate efforts, Tristan strangely did not take any action. Which made her suspicious. ¡®It was his proposed bet. He must have been confident that he could beat me.¡¯ But why didn¡¯t he move? Moreover, with only a week left, why did he head to the royal pce saying he had to investigate something? Was he just beingcent? Or maybe¡­ ¡®Is him leaving the Grand Duke¡¯s castle when the betting period is almost over a trap?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t stand the anxiety, always waiting to escape. The reason was obvious. To toy with her. ¡®That¡¯s so like him.¡¯ Every time Sabina saw Tristan, she felt like he was like a broken vessel. A shattered vessel couldn¡¯t be returned to its original state no matter how much you tried to piece it together. Moreover, it couldn¡¯t hold anything. It would just leak out. Break the will of such a person? ¡®Facing those eyes glittering with madness, all my willpower crumbles.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t out of fear. It was because he was someone who just didn¡¯t understand. ¡®He feels like apletely different species.¡¯ If there was a way to avoid him and escape safely, she wanted to take it. ¡®But it¡¯s too intricate¡­¡¯ Sabina actually knew. No matter what she did, Tristan wouldn¡¯t show any reaction. Of course. Would a madman who asks to be killed even blink an eye when a sword is put to his neck? Rather¡­ ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t die from something like this.¡± He pushed away the de of her sword with the tip of his finger and licked his lips with a smile. With a yful attitude. His expression didn¡¯t show even the slightest impact. From that moment, Sabina decided. Just ignore the madman and focus on escaping. ¡®If I manage to escape and avoid being caught, he will eventually give up.¡¯ The guy who rambled nonsense about surrendering to Sabina because it was too bothersome to find a new bride. He would probably give up after a bit of searching. Sabina decided to add the trouble of finding a new bride to him. ¡®¡­Even though that¡¯s not satisfying enough.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t that just create another victim? ¡®Forget it. Am I in a position to care about others now?¡¯ I have to survive first. Having finished her thoughts, Sabina asked Dana, who had brought her the news. ¡°But isn¡¯t the royal pce quite far from here? It would take about two weeks back and forth by carriage.¡± ¡°There are mages from the Mage Tower in the Valentine estate. They can use teleportation magic to reach the royal pce in an instant.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In fact, she already knew this information from the butler William. But Sabina pretended to be surprised as if hearing it for the first time. ¡°Teleportation magic¡­ Impressive, but usually, when going to the royal pce, don¡¯t they take many attendants? It seems difficult for all those people to teleport at once.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Dana, already worried about that aspect, sighed deeply and said, ¡°Normally, His Grace prefers to go to the royal pce alone, but His Majesty hasmanded toe with a proper entourage when summoned for an audience.¡± She knew very well that the Emperor was a stickler¡­ no, someone who valued principles, old-fashioned manners, and order. Count Valois often grumbled about it too. However, it seemedpletely out of character for the Grand Prince to listen to someone else¡¯s words¡­ ¡°It¡¯s unexpected. He actually listened.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t, he would be bothered even more, so he said it¡¯s necessary topromise to some extent to coexist under the same sky.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he said it would be troublesome because if he became a rebel, he would have to be the Emperor after killing the current one, and that would be even more bothersome.¡± Dana sighed and shook her head. It was a different side of Dana. Sabina had thought of her as purely gentle and kind, but being a Valentine, her words were quite direct and unreserved. ¡°He really hates troublesome matters to an extraordinary degree.¡± The more she knew about him, the more absurd he seemed, but it was fortunate. Sabina thought that if she disappeared, he wouldn¡¯t bother to find her. ¡®But for someone who hates trouble, he went to the extent of making a bet with me, which seems like a self-invited hassle.¡¯ Why, though? She had doubts, but Sabina decided not to be curious anymore. How could she understand the mind of a madman? He probably did it to crush her more definitively. ¡°Thanks for telling me.¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing. Now, I will leave. Have a peaceful night.¡± ¡°Yes, Dana, have sweet dreams too.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Dana blushed for a moment as she looked up at Sabina, then left with a softugh. Sabina waited until she could no longer hear Dana¡¯s footsteps. When only the sound of the crackling firewood filled the room, she quickly pulled out a bag from under her bed. ¡®I¡¯ve packed everything.¡¯ All she needed to do was safely escape from the Ingo Mountains. ¡®It¡¯s possible.¡¯ Sabina had previously experienced a strange phenomenon of walking in circles in the same ce while lost in the Ingo Mountains. It was actually due to an illusionary barrier set up by the mages. ¡®To cast magic over the entire range of the mountains must be immense.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know much about magic, but she understood the universal principles. Maintaining a powerful spell over such a vast area with limited mana seemed unlikely. There had to be a weakness somewhere. And Dana¡¯s worried demeanor earlier gave her confidence. ¡®While they¡¯re using mana to teleport arge group of people and during its recovery, other spells must weaken rtively.¡¯ Especially a barrier that had to be maintained 24/7 without a moment¡¯spse. If someone asked if it was just spection, she had no answer. It was, to some extent, a spection. But what really reinforced Sabina¡¯s guess was something that happened that night. The morning after she heard a terrible scream from the secluded pce where the Grand Duke Valentine was imprisoned. Sabina heard the conversation of the maids who came to tidy her room. ¡°Did you hear the screamst night?¡± It was information she¡¯d rather not know. She wanted to dismiss it as a hallucination or a dream. Lying in bed, missing the timing to get up, Sabina wondered whether to reveal she was awake or not. That was until she heard what the maid said next. ¡°I heard the kids working in the secluded pce died, obviously. It¡¯s been the talk of the day.¡± ¡°They were desperate not to be assigned to the secluded pce for a reason.¡± ¡°But why did they die? I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s not like they were new to working there.¡± ¡°The barrier broke.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The barrier?¡± The maids nced at Sabina, who they thought was asleep, and whispered even lower. ¡°Actually, the mages from the Mage Tower came because of the barrier at the secluded pce, right? But it broke?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it seems even the mages couldn¡¯t handle His Grace.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s really serious.¡± ¡°Even so, they say that the secluded pce is protected by severalyers of barriers, so His Grace won¡¯t be able to leave the pce at all.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to be a relief¡­¡± The maids sighed in relief but couldn¡¯t fully hide their anxiety. ¡°I heard from a mage, that¡¯s why the barrier around the Ingo Mountains is rtively weak. If you know the trick, even ordinary people can break through it.¡± ¡°Is that really okay? What if there¡¯s an invasion from outside¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Valentines, after all. Few would dare to invade, and they also have to contend with the beasts of the Ingo Mountains.¡± And they would have to deal with His Grace as well. Hearing thestment added by the maid, the rest of them became solemn. Sabina, pretending to be asleep, was annoyed but inwardly agreed. In that sense, the Valentines were an impregnable fortress. ¡®So, if only the Grand Prince weren¡¯t there, it might be manageable.¡¯ It was a weakness born from relying too much on the Grand Prince. Resolved, Sabina shook off her thoughts and climbed over the terrace railing. She carefully stepped on the protruding pieces of the building¡¯s exterior wall and descended. After lightlynding on the grass, Sabina held her breath and surveyed the surroundings. There was no one. She already knew this since she had been checking the servants¡¯ movements from her window every day. That was when she felt it. Sabina drew her sword at the presence she felt behind her. Was it impossible to avoid detection even after understanding their movements¡­? As she thought this¡­ ¡°What¡­¡± It was a wolf. The fearsomelyrge wolf she had seen in the Ingo Mountains. Sabina now knew that it belonged to the Grand Prince. ¡°Going to tell your master?¡± She let out a hollowugh and sheathed her sword, feeling somewhat deted. She knew the well-trained wolf wouldn¡¯t attack her. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± But the wolf growled lowly. It lowered its body to the ground, its silver eyes, so like its master¡¯s, ring fiercely, as if ready to pounce¡­ ¡®Did it notice that I was trying to escape?¡¯ To offer her up to its master? Sabina was pondering whether to draw her sword again, her hand on its hilt, when suddenly¡­ ¡°Hey!¡± The wolf abruptly struck Sabina, making her lose her bnce, and then carried her on its back, starting to run. ¡°No, you crazy wolf!¡± The wolf must be out of its mind, just like its master! Sabina reflexively wrapped her arms around the wolf¡¯s thick neck to avoid falling off. After running for what seemed like forever¡­ ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Sabina gasped for breath and finally managed to get off the wolf¡¯s back. She was dizzy from the speed at which they had raced. ¡°Where in the world is this¡­¡± As Sabina looked around, she trailed off in surprise. They were near the Ingo Mountains. ¡°What, you¡­¡± It was as if the wolf was helping her escape. Sabina called out to the wolf in confusion. However, the wolf was already running back the way it came, its lush ck fur fluttering behind it. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Is this really a trap?¡¯ While she was lost in her chaotic thoughts¡­ Kwaang!!! A tremendous roar erupted, shaking the ground. The sound wasing precisely from the direction of the Grand Duke¡¯s castle. ? Chapter 228: Side Story 20 Chapter 228: Side Story 20 ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Sabina staggered and barely managed to regain her bnce by leaning against a nearby tree. Her gaze was inevitably drawn to one ce. A massive me, wrapped in a searing red band so bright it hurt the eyes even in the thick darkness, had swiftly overturned the sky. ¡®Could it be, the wolf knew that an explosion was going to happen¡­?¡¯ From the detached pce where Grand Duke Valentine was said to be trapped, thick ck smoke rose incessantly, covering the sky. It was an ominous sight she had never seen before in her life. ¡®Grand Duke Valentine has gone berserk.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know why he was trapped in the detached pce, nor why he was confined within severalyers of barriers. And she hadn¡¯t even tried to find out. But at this moment, Sabina could no longer pretend to be ignorant. Grand Duke Valentine was in a state too dangerous even for the mages to handle, and there was no way to control him now¡­ ¡®No, no, that can¡¯t be. There are severalyers of barriers in the detached pce, so the Grand Duke shouldn¡¯t be able to get out.¡¯ The mages of the Magic Tower are famous, so they should be able to prevent an explosion like that. And even if the barrier was broken, he could be subdued and imprisoned again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to worry. If I run away now¡­¡± Sabina turned her back. She gripped her bag strap more tightly and moved forward. No, she wanted to move. Right now. She clenched her teeth. It was rather a blessing in disguise. In this chaos, there would be no one to chase after her as she fled. And if there was a problem with the Duke¡¯s barrier, maybe the mages had lifted the barrier magic on the mountain side. Focusing all their efforts on stopping Grand Duke Valentine. After all, even if she returned to the castle, nothing would change. Even though the Grand Prince Valentine was currently away, and he had taken the ck Hawks as his attendants, and even though there was a need for one more person to stop the Duke¡­ Still, they could somehow hold on until the Grand Prince Valentine returned. However. ¡°Damn it.¡± She couldn¡¯t seem to take a step away. Sabina recalled Dana¡¯s kind smile. She had told her to have a good dream. But it turned not only into a nightmare but also thest one¡­ ¡®If I go back, I might not have another chance to escape.¡¯ Even so, Sabina was already running. She knew that the Grand Prince Valentine would return soon after hearing the news. But if they lost their lives in the brief time when both Sabina and the Grand Prince Valentine were absent, wouldn¡¯t that be the end? It wasn¡¯t just Dana. There were many people in the Grand Duke¡¯s castle who didn¡¯t fit the infamous name of Valentine. ¡®What a fool I am.¡¯ She had finally gotten a chance. Sabina gasped for breath as she ran down the slope. When she thought she couldn¡¯t get any closer no matter how much she ran, as the wolf had left her so far away. When she lifted her head, gasping for breath, she saw the detached pce engulfed in huge mes from a considerably close distance. The old castle, with its walls copsed and turning ck, looked like the remains left after a meteorite had fallen. And in the center of the pieces of bodies caught in the explosion stood Grand Duke Valentine¡­. As if submerged in a red sea made of fire and blood. The reality was more horrific than she had imagined, making it feel almost unreal. ¡°Damn, stop it somehow!¡± Sabina heard someone¡¯s shout. ¡°The Grand Duke must not be allowed to escape from the castle!¡± ¡°But Sir Gerald, there¡¯s a limit to maintaining the defense magic! The mana stones are almost depleted!¡± ¡°Bring in the Diamont! We have no choice now that it¡¯se to this. The Grand Prince Valentine would also condone it!¡± Of course, he would condone the unauthorized use of Diamont, a part of Valentine¡¯s assets, but he would never overlook their ipetence in letting the barrier be broken. Knowing this fact better than anyone, Mage Gerald shed tears of blood in his heart. Then, a boy standing at a distance muttered as if to himself. ¡°If only Brother Calin were here¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even mention that guy! Surely you¡¯re not still in contact with that irredeemable person, are you?¡± The boy, startled by Gerald¡¯s unnecessarily sharp hearing, responded in a flustered tone. ¡°Master, is that really the issue right now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in contact with him, aren¡¯t you! I¡¯ve told you over and over to think of that kind of person, who has abandoned both human decency and faith, as if he were dead¡­¡± Kwa-gwang-!! It was the second explosion. The massive defensive wall encircling the detached pce in a semi-circle shattered helplessly. At the same time, several mages turned pale, sweating profusely, then bent over and vomited blood. ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Master!¡± The boy, shocked, rushed to the staggering Gerald. Yannick, the direct disciple of the Archmage, had never seen his master so helpless. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ The boy, with trembling eyes, turned to look at the detached pce. The Grand Duke seemed unharmed even after rendering several mages incapacitated. ¡®He¡¯s even barehanded.¡¯ He had no weapons that could be considered threatening, not even a sword. Yannick, who had thought the Valentine lineage manifested their powers through swords, was inevitably bewildered. ¡®Was the sword just for show?¡¯ While the boy had this realization, Gerald, after vomiting blood, immediately resumed casting defensive magic. ¡°We can¡¯t keep this up forever with defense alone!¡± ¡°Yikes, you fool. Are you suggesting we attack the Grand Duke?!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stop him even if we attack! The best chance of survival is to abandon the castle and flee!¡± At that moment, several people who spotted Sabina approached in shock, swallowing hard and then rushing towards her in panic. ¡°My goodness, why are you out here? This ce is dangerous. Please, get to safety.¡± ¡°You there, what are you doing! Hurry and escort thedy to a safe ce!¡± Among them were mages, knights, and servants. Most were unfamiliar faces, but some were known. ¡°Sir Bart.¡± Sabina called the name of the blonde knight. ¡°Bring the most avable mage who can exin the situation. Someone who can be spared for a moment in this serious situation.¡± In other words, she was asking for a junior or an assistant, as she hadn¡¯t been formally introduced to the mages yet. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what¡¯s going on? Your life is in danger, please flee¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decide whether to flee or not. In this situation, where the Grand Duke is berserk and the Grand Prince Valentine is away, whose word should you listen to?¡± Sir Bart remained silent, then spoke a beatte. ¡°It¡¯s the Grand Princess.¡± Neither the title of Madam nor Grand Princess pleased her, but that was none of her concern. Having given up on fleeing anding here, Sabina had to resolve this crisis no matter what. Otherwise, she would regret not having fled. ¡°Uh, wait a moment!¡± Bart obediently followed Sabina¡¯smand and brought the Archmage¡¯s assistant. It was the youngest among them, Yannick. Sabina asked bluntly. ¡°Are you avable?¡± ¡°Do I look like it?¡± The young boy, dragged into this precarious situation, snapped back. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask. Even though the opponent is a Valentine, why can¡¯t such mages from the royal pce do anything?¡± The mage¡¯s assistant hesitated for a moment upon hearing Sabina¡¯s words. It was then that something seemed to strike the boy, and a light shed in his eyes. ¡°You must have heard of the curse passed down in the Valentine family.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then this will be quick.¡± He nced nervously towards the detached pce, then added without dy. ¡°It¡¯s the malice of a demon.¡± ¡°The malice of a demon¡­¡± ¡°Not just power borrowed from a demon, but the malice of the demon itself.¡± Sabina couldn¡¯t precisely understand what that meant. But she had a rough idea. The difference between power lent by a devil and the power of the devil itself was iparable in magnitude. ¡°A mage uses mana, right? Mana can be said to be energy obtained from the life force of all living things on the earth.¡± The life force of thisnd and devil. Sabina realized what Yannick was trying to convey. ¡°So, they¡¯re opposites?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more of a predator-prey rtionship than being opposites. It¡¯s unteral consumption.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Sabina decided to speak candidly instead of holding back her words. There was no room for consideration in the current situation. ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t that make the mages of this castle useless?¡± Yannick seemed quite struck by Sabina¡¯s words. ¡°But you¡¯re right¡­ We mages are useless!¡± ¡°No, why go that far¡­¡± Sabina, trying to dissuade the self-deprecating boy, asked, ¡°Is there no other way to suppress this ¡®malice of a devil¡¯?¡± ¡°Of course, there is. We call His Holiness the Pope.¡± The Pope. There was no time to go to Garcia in a situation where they could die at any moment. It would be faster for the Grand Prince Valentine to return from the royal pce. ¡°In the same sense, a high-ranking clergyman with strong divine power would also be effective.¡± ¡°Any other methods?¡± ¡°¡­A shaman.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We call a shaman.¡± That was what Yannick had wanted to say from the beginning. ¡°You need to call Brother Calin, who was emunicated from the magicmunity.¡± Chapter 229: Side Story 21 Chapter 229: Side Story 21 A Shaman? But shamans are¡­ ¡°Under the devil¡¯smand, aren¡¯t they immediately burned at the stake upon discovery?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t been able to bring a shaman into Valentine Castle until now.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t Valentine himself the embodiment of the devil¡¯s power?¡± Yet Valentine, the devil himself, is left alone while shamans are not allowed. What kind of contradiction is this? Yannick seemed to understand her bewildered reaction and added. ¡°By His Majesty¡¯smand¡­¡± It was ridiculous. So, that¡¯s what it means. Grand Duke Valentine is also a devil, but his power is too strong to be dismissed. But rtively weaker shamans are seen as easy targets to strike down. ¡°Huh¡­ I see.¡± Sabina sighed and pressed her forehead. ¡°If things continue like this, we won¡¯tst until the Grand Prince arrives. Then it¡¯s over.¡± Yannick looked up at her with a gaze filled with desperation. It was so intense it was burdensome. ¡°I have a summoning scroll given to me by Brother Calin to use in case of danger.¡± She raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Can you call them right away?¡± ¡°Yes! Only once, though!¡± ¡°And he¡¯s a criminal, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you value your life?¡± Those who cooperate with devil are also executed. In this empire, only Valentine¡¯s name is allowed in association with devil. ¡°So go ahead and threaten me, p my face, and yell at me!¡± Yannick closed his eyes tightly and shouted recklessly. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Sabina let out a hollowugh. It seemed this boy wanted to create a situation where Sabina, unable to withstand her coercion, had no choice but to summon the shaman. ¡°You¡¯re trying to shift the responsibility onto me?¡± ¡°Anyway, once you¡¯re married, you¡¯ll be part of the Valentine family. The Grand Princess won¡¯t be punished.¡± Now the devil¡¯s name would be allowed for her too. ¡®If I summon the shaman, it means I¡¯ll have no way to escape from here.¡¯ The moment she summons Calin, she would be shackling herself and tying her fate to Valentine. She clenched her mouth shut. She had rushed here wanting to save people. But sacrificing her life, dreams, and future for them was a different matter. Miss, I can¡¯t tell where thend I will settle in will be. But wherever it is, it will be thend you and I have dreamed of. ¡­Allen. Sabina thought of a name she longed for terribly. It had been three years since she had seen him. Gradually, her memory of his face and words faded, and her imagination grew poorer. She wanted to cross swords with him. She wanted to hear his affectionate nagging. She missed him terribly. In thatnd, you and I can be anything. In thend of dreams, Miss, Sabina, I will wait for you. Sabina wanted to be anything with him. Whether as teacher and student, or father and daughter. Together with the one person who respected her as an individual in her short life. ¡°Madam?¡± Yannick nced nervously behind him and bit his nails in anxiety. Sabina stood still, frozen, without any reaction. ¡°Madam, we don¡¯t have time for this right now!¡± Finally, Yannick raised his voice in urgency. This startled Gerald, who was struggling to maintain a defensive spell. ¡°Yannick, you brat! What nonsense have you been spouting to the madam!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± ¡°Your mouth is full of lies! The situation has gone this far and you still haven¡¯te to your senses!¡± Yannick groaned in pain, then fumbled in his pocket and firmly ced something in Sabina¡¯s hand. It was a scrap of paper. She looked down at it for a moment, then the boy whispered in a low voice. ¡°Even in this crisis, the master is an old fool who ignores our only hope¡­¡± ¡°Yannick!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m going.¡± At that moment, he lifted his head, which he had been scratching at the back of, and was startled. ¡°Ma, Master!¡± And he stuttered, pointing his finger. ¡°Behind you! Behind you!¡± Gerald turned his head. He gripped his staff tightly, as if to crush it, his throat vibrating. The Grand Duke Valentine, who had been motionless like a statue, began to move. With each of his indifferent steps, the gathered people twitched and trembled. Blocked momentarily by a barrier hastily erected by the mages, he raised his hand. And then¡­ ¡°No way!¡± He grabbed thest remaining barrier. Literally, he pushed his fingers into the barrier and grasped it. A violent me sparked along with an ominous sizzling sound from the barrier, pierced by brute force. The Grand Duke¡¯s hand began to cken and burn. He seemed to feel no pain at all. The terrible smell of burning flesh. The brutal sparks that seemed to devour his hand. He tore apart the barrier he held without any finesse. The magic circle surrounding the forcibly broken barrier lost its power in an instant and shattered into pieces in the air. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Cough, kuk!¡± Even the mages, who had barely held on, vomited blood and copsed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As the Grand Duke took a step, the knight at the front let out a pain-filled cry. He covered his mouth and nose with his palms. Blood dripped dreadfully between his palms. The Grand Duke, with an utterly unfeeling expression, passed by the knight who copsed on the ground. His face was terribly detached. With each of his steps, the young grasses instantly rotted and crumbled to ash, scattering in the wind. ¡°Everyone, snap out of it!¡± They couldn¡¯t just stand there helplessly and be attacked. A knight, tense with anxiety, held his sword, as if brainwashing himself. ¡°That¡¯s not our Grand Duke we swore loyalty to. It¡¯s a devil wearing his guise!¡± He suppressed the primitive fear squeezing his breath and ran, exerting all his strength to the limit. ¡°Han Ah!¡± No sooner had his short yell ended than he was immediately impaled, as much as the recoil of his own charge. The Grand Duke didn¡¯t avoid the knight¡¯s strike at all, simply extending his hand. He acted exactly as he had when breaking the barrier. He grabbed and tore at the lodged fingers. People turned their heads away from the scene, too cruel to witness. The knight copsed. He seemed to no longer breathe. The Grand Duke stepped over him and mechanically moved towards the next opponent. ¡°Sa, save me¡­!¡± ¡°Aaaah!¡± ¡°Guk, gua, agh!¡± Bizarre screams and overwhelming fear spread contagiously. ¡®This is the power of Valentine.¡¯ He reached out his hand like a disaster to his own people, taking their lives. Without reason or emotion. Like a god governing disaster,e down to this earth to judge humanity. ¡®This is the malice of the devil¡­¡¯ Exposed to the Grand Duke¡¯s power without any barrier, a tingling murderous intent ran through her body, making her tremble uncontrobly. Sabina clenched her trembling arms tightly. Suddenly, Sabina¡¯s eyes met the unfocused eyes of the Grand Duke. ¡®There¡¯s no reason left. Completely devoured.¡¯ By something called the malice of the devil. Sabina read the intention of malice in those faded eyes. An overt intention to annihte all life present here. ¡®It won¡¯t end with just a few.¡¯ At that moment. Why was it? Sabina recalled a detestable face that habitually asked to be killed. ¡®Tristan Valentine¡­¡¯ If malice is passed down through generations, the current state of Grand Duke Valentine might be Tristan¡¯s future. Was that why heughed so joyfully at the mention of killing him? Perhaps it was the most desired phrase he wanted to hear in his life. ¡®It¡¯s strange. This doesn¡¯t seem like the Devil Grand Duke at all¡­¡¯ Holding a devil within himself, isn¡¯t he protecting everyone from the devil? ¡®Rather, isn¡¯t it closer to a sacrifice¡­?¡¯ At that moment, Sabina realized the core of the truth she had been deliberately avoiding. Without knowing the detailed circumstances tied to Valentine, she had pierced through the essence. She tasted blood in her mouth. Because she was biting her lips. ¡®Allen.¡¯ He is the person Sabina respects the most. ¡®So, it¡¯ll be alright.¡¯ He will carve and polish his path more brilliantly than anyone on thend of dreams. ¡®Even without me.¡¯ Sabina tormented her lips for a while. And at the moment the Grand Duke reached out his hand towards Gerald, when Yannick rushed in to protect his master, she eventually tore the paper in her hand. ¡°Damn kid¡­ I¡¯m sure I told you to avoid dinner time!¡± That¡¯s when it happened. A man suddenly appeared before Sabina, bombarding her withints. He ruffled his messy purple hair and his eyes widened in shock. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± Now is not the time to leisurely introduce each other. Sabina immediately pointed behind him. ¡°What the hell did Yannick sell me to¡­ Oh my god, damn it!¡± Calin cursed as he spewed profanities. Because the Grand Duke was right in front of him. Only about 10 seconds away from reaching him. The shaman, startled enough to stop his heart, bit his finger to draw blood, then swiftly drew characters on his forearm. At the same time, words poured out of his mouth like a machine gun. It sounded like a prayer at first listen. ¡°¡­May the light that guides us from God not forget the shadow cast at our feet in the fire!¡± A prayer-like incantation, close to sphemy. ¡°Huuk, hah¡­¡± Calin let out rough, unbing breaths, sweating coldly. The Grand Duke¡¯srge hand was about to grasp his head. ¡°Surely you weren¡¯t going to rip off my head¡­¡± Not the hair, but the head. Calin trembled violently, fearing that his ominous imagination might actually be real. And he quickly backpedaled to put distance between himself and the Grand Duke. ¡°What¡¯s this situation? Who are you?¡± Yannick, the main contributor to summoning Calin, briefly exined. ¡°He¡¯s Grand Duke Valentine.¡± ¡°This crazy son of a bitch¡­¡± Calin let out a string of profanities like a spell. Yannick interrupted him, throwing out the main point. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll exinter. Can you do something about this?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Just tie him up for a while like now. I didn¡¯t even expect you to solve it.¡± ¡°This brat¡­¡± Calin, once a promising genius of the century, but now a shaman who betrayed the magic world and his master, seduced by the power of the devil. He looked around. The mages were wary of him. With tant hostility and faint hope that he would intervene and solve the problem. ¡°Always so difficult¡­¡± Calin twisted a bitter smile, then turned to Sabina. He immediately recognized that she was the superior. ¡°I can only hold it for a few minutes at best.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Sabina drew her sword. ¡°Are you not¡­ going to run?¡± He asked with a stunned expression. It was meant to tell her to escape. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Sabina made her choice. A foolish decision not to run away. Having made a dumb decision to give up her dreams, brilliant future, and dear ones, she ought tomit an equally enormous act. ¡°I have to take responsibility for my choice.¡± ¡°Responsibility? To whom are you saying you¡¯re responsible?¡± ¡°To me, to myself.¡± Sabina faced the Grand Duke tied in the shadows nonchntly. And holding her sword, she pierced it straight through his heart. ? Chapter 230: Side Story 22 Chapter 230: Side Story 22 The sensation of a sharp sword piercing through flesh was vivid. Sabina almost reflexively loosened her grip on the sword. Though she had swung a sword countless times, this was the first time she had resolved to take a life. Her first murder. When Sabina was faced with the situation of having to take another person¡¯s life, her eyes trembled uncontrobly. The pressure was overwhelming beyond imagination. She swallowed a groan, clenched her teeth, and drove the sword in. ¡®Even if the Grand Prince uses the Magic Tower, it¡¯s impossible for him to get here in just a few minutes.¡¯ Physically speaking. He wouldn¡¯t have prepared a forced summoning scroll like Calin did. That left them with only one possible ending. Waiting hopelessly for the Grand Prince to arrive and being helplessly attacked. ¡®Or trying to escape and getting caught and mercilessly killed.¡¯ Either way, it was a death sentence. What¡¯s the point of barely surviving alone? If she had chosen that, she would have already crossed the mountains and fled outside the territory. ¡®If not me, then who else would take the Grand Duke¡¯s life?¡¯ Who would dare to even think about it? Thus, she made the best choice she could. The devil¡¯s malice would engulf all life here and still greedily crave more. Her intention was to protect everyone from the Grand Duke. ¡®And¡­.¡¯ Sabina knew Tristan¡¯s wish well. She hoped the Grand Duke, born under the same fate, would find peace. It seemed like the human thing to do. The sticky blood flowing along Sabina¡¯s sword de heated her hand. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She felt like she was going to vomit. But, turning away from it, she finally pierced through the Grand Duke¡¯s heartpletely. He, bound by his own shadow, was still frozen like a statue even as he bled. As if he was never a living being to begin with. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Those who survived were dumbfounded, doubting their own eyes. They were so shocked they couldn¡¯t even speak properly. ¡°The Grand Duke is dead, dead¡­!¡± Even Calin, who was rtively less shocked, couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. ¡®What did I just see?¡¯ Killed the Grand Duke? Is there anyone in this world who has the right to execute him summarily? Even the Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare to treat Valentine carelessly, let alone be wary of him! The Emperor¡¯s dogs, no, the mages who are struggling even against Valentine, prove it. Sabina spoke calmly. ¡°If I don¡¯t kill him, I die. You know that.¡± ¡°But if you kill the Grand Duke, you will die too!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m going to die either way, it¡¯s better if more people live.¡± Calin, the genius shaman, opened his mouth stupidly. He didn¡¯t know who she was or what was happening. And, he felt like he would feel better only if he could beat Yannick, who had suddenly summoned him to this ce. For a moment, his heart raced. ¡®Damn, that¡¯s impressive¡­¡¯ Who is she? A knight? She looked like a nobledy raised in luxury¡­ He genuinely wanted to ask her name. Then, Calin¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. He noticed the Grand Duke¡¯s fingertips, which had been motionless, twitching. ¡°Retreat immediately!¡± He shouted urgently, his expression hardening. But the Grand Duke was faster. He firmly grasped the sword de embedded in his body. Sabina could only nkly watch the bizarre scene of the Grand Duke pulling the sword out of his body. ¡°Is he¡­ alive?¡± How is that possible? She had definitely pierced his heart. That sensation was still vivid in her hand. If he was human, he couldn¡¯t possibly be alive after being stabbed in the heart¡­ ¡­she thought, until that moment. Bang-!! A tremendous noise exploded right in front of her. ¡°Madam!¡± Before she could evenprehend, she lost her hearing instantly, and a ringing noise was the only thing she heard in her ears. At the same time, Sabina was caught up in a powerful shock. When she regained consciousness, she was already sprawled on the ground in a mess. ¡°Ugh.¡± Sabina barely managed to drag her hand, which refused to move, to her ear. It was damp with blood. Seeing the red blood pooled thickly on the floor, she couldn¡¯t guess where it wasing from her body. Her whole body just felt hot. As if burning up. Breathing was difficult. Something seemed wrong with her bones¡­ ¡®I think I¡¯m going to pass out.¡¯ She forced her eyes open, which were about to close. Sabina, still holding her ringing ears, strained to lift her head. The surviving knights were holding their swords, and the uncopsed mages were holding up their staffs. All of them were blocking in front of her. ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke has suffered a fatal wound. Hold on by any means!¡± Despite their resolute shouts, all their faces were pale, and they seemed to have lost their will to fight. But perhaps because Sabina had taken the initiative to throw herself into the fray, knowing there was no chance of winning, they confronted the Grand Duke. ¡®Are they fools?¡¯ They had barely survived because she threw herself in, but why were they willingly entering the fire pit? Of course, even if they ran away, the chances of survival were extremely low, but wasn¡¯t it worth trying? ¡°Go¡­¡± With a cracked voice, Sabina stuttered out. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s after me¡­¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s gaze, blurred as if clouded by fog, had been fixed on Sabina from the beginning. The reason was clear. Everyone else was insignificant, easily swept aside by a flick of his finger, but she was the only one who had managed to wound him. ¡°Speak sense! What knight abandons their lord and flees!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no mage who would do that either.¡± However, Grand Duke Valentine paid them no heed. He moved unhesitatingly. His presence was even more imposing than before he was stabbed. His movement, rigid and static like a statue, noticeably quickened. He flung aside the knights and mages in his way as if they were mere nuisances. Literally tossed them aside. Watching people being thrown into the air, drawing parabs, felt unreal. Behind him, as he charged towards Sabina, only wreckage remained as if a storm had passed. A shadow loomed over Sabina. So huge it felt like she would be crushed by it. ¡°Kuk¡­¡± And then he grasped her throat with a hand that could pierce through a person. Sabina quickly grabbed and tore at the Grand Duke¡¯s hand. As expected, he didn¡¯t budge. ¡®My feet, can¡¯t reach.¡¯ Struggling desperately to breathe, she iled, but her airway tightened more and more. Her vision slowly turned ck. ¡°Madam! Ugh, Madam!¡± Yannick, dragging his broken leg, desperately tried to reach her. Gerald seemed to have lost consciousnesspletely. Lying down bleeding, it was impossible to tell if he was dead or alive. Calin kept mumbling, reciting a spell. ¡°¡­Please, please! Damn it! Damn it all!¡± The spell that worked before seemed to be a fluke, as unfortunately, nothing was working now. It was strangely desperate for someone who was suddenly summoned without any connection and caught up in a tremendous incident. ¡®Is this the end?¡¯ She thought she had lost sensation from being caught in the explosion, but the pain of being strangled was unimaginably terrible. But perhaps it was a blessing. Once the pain surpassed its limit, she couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. Strangely, evenughter escaped her. ¡®My neck is being strangled by a monster who can smash barriers with bare hands and pierce people with a finger.¡¯ Strangely, he didn¡¯t snap her neck immediately. Most of the people thrown by his hand seemed to have survived as well. Now, it meant he didn¡¯t even have that much strength left. She closed her eyes as if relieved. ¡®At least that¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Though she wasn¡¯t killed instantly, she knew she wouldn¡¯t live much longer. The Grand Duke¡¯s sudden rush towards Sabina must have been for that reason. Her strike had been quite fatal to the devil. Not a bad oue for the price of her life. ¡°Sabina!¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Just as Sabina¡¯s airway, which seemed almost at its end, suddenly opened up. ¡°Ugh, Cough, Choke¡­!¡± The grip on her throat loosened abruptly, and air rushed in violently. She coughed violently. Each time, her lungs felt like they were being pierced by sharp awls, causing excruciating pain. ¡°Cough, Cough, Sigh¡­¡± Tears of physiology streamed down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t have the energy to wipe her eyes and just blinked. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if she had fainted on the spot, but the intense pain kept her mind clear at that moment. ¡®It hurts.¡¯ She seemed to be tightly held in someone¡¯s embrace. ¡°Grand¡­¡± The Grand Prince? As if her vocal cords were damaged, she couldn¡¯t properly utter that word. So she couldn¡¯t even ask why. Tristan Valentine, holding Sabina, looked down at her with a face full of desperation. ¡®Did he just call my name¡­?¡¯ His ck eyes, which she thought had lost all human emotion, flickered. Almost as if they were about to cry. ? Chapter 231: Side Story 23 Chapter 231: Side Story 23 Arriving at the audience chamber, Tristan was puffing on a cigarette. The Emperor sent a disapproving look at his unmatchable breach of etiquette. ¡°You really never change, do you?¡± ¡°People say it¡¯s time to die when they change, don¡¯t they?¡± Tristan, recalling the servants and ck Hawks who followed him under the guise of an escort, curled his lips into a smile. The Emperor had always found them inefficient and worthless, denying them entry to the main pce. ¡°In that sense, Your Majesty will live a long and healthy life. It seems you will maintain your current form until the day I die.¡± Although it sounded like apliment at first, it was a sarcastic remark implying that, like before, the Emperor¡¯s mindset was rigid. Of course, such criticism only worked if the other party was self-aware, so the Emperor felt no impact. ¡°Enough with the ttery, let¡¯s get to the main point.¡± At the words of Emperor Conrad II, Tristan replied with a peculiar smile, exhaling smoke. ¡°Do you know Allen Castaigne?¡± The Emperor surely knew the name Castaigne. It was a question asked with certainty. ¡°That¡¯s something the Grand Duke would know better.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you there at the scene? At the tender age of five.¡± As the Emperor mentioned, Tristan at that time was excessively young, beyond mere description. ¡°But why did the Grand Duke bring you all the way to Roaz at the age of five?¡± Observing a conquest war at such an age. There were limits to early education. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a man of few words. All I know is his way of throwing his children into danger.¡± ¡°Is that some kind of beast¡¯s way of training?¡± The Emperor was incredulous. Tristan simply raised his red lips, offering no particr response. The Emperor¡¯s method of raising children was not much different, being almost fantastical. ¡°Getting back to the point, I witnessed the moment when Count Castaigne died. However, Allen Castaigne was not there.¡± Had he been there, he would have been killed long ago. ¡°I believe Your Majesty must surely know of him.¡± ¡°Even if I do know, am I obliged to tell?¡± ¡°Of course not. But as you know, I am about to marry thedy of the Valois family. It¡¯s certain that they are deeply connected to the Castaigne family. If they were harboring the seeds of rebellion, that would be a different story.¡± There¡¯s always a pretext to dig deeper. Tristan, as if genuinely troubled, made a despicable face and flicked the ash onto the pristine marble floor, like a blemish. ¡°As you know, the Grand Duke was a man without mercy. I clearly remember the catastrophe that befell the Castaigne family that day.¡± The main contributor to the fall of the Roaz Kingdom was Valentine. For Valentine, the Castaignes were an obvious target for extermination. They were one of the four strongest pirs supporting Roaz. ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it, that I was the only one who didn¡¯t know Allen Castaigne had been alive for 15 years since that day?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Count of Valois pushing his illegitimate child onto Valentine, the forced marriage ¨C there are too many suspicious points.¡± Tristan¡¯s eyes shed fiercely, as if he would take down the Valois family. Forced to exin, the Emperor, deeply involved in the matter, sighed. ¡°The Duke of Valois said he didn¡¯t know the man was Castaigne. How could he know, when a fallen noble from a copsing country had deliberately hidden his identity?¡± ¡°Hmm, he knew nothing¡­¡± ¡°The man was receiving support from wealthy imperial sponsors, raising rebels in another country. But a long tail is easily stepped on. The Count noticed them before they could act, and I ordered their execution. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± It was a strange affair. Preventing the rebellion beforehand and saving the empire from danger should rightfully earn one rewards and praises. ¡®But he kept the truth hidden, informed only the Emperor, and secretly gained benefits behind the scenes?¡¯ Moreover, Allen Castaigne was treated as a sudden death, and his end was not made public. Unless something was fishy, that sly man wouldn¡¯t have concealed himself. ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡°Is it something to be proud of, not knowing a rebel has been organizing a rebellion for 15 years?¡± It was a very Emperor-like statement. ¡®That¡¯s probably the Emperor¡¯s shallow reason. But the reason why Count Valois hid it¡­ there¡¯s only one.¡¯ He wanted to eventually send the shameful illegitimate child to Valentine for disposal, fearing that the quick-witted Tristan might find out. Because hemitted something that should never be revealed to Valentine. ¡®He nned it from the start.¡¯ He used Allen Castaigne. If it was Count Valois, he couldn¡¯t have failed to recognize Castaigne¡¯s swordsmanship immediately. ¡®He was the only noble to participate in the Roaz subjugation campaign, aside from Valentine.¡¯ Of course, Valentine monopolized all the glory, making the participation meaningless. But he would know about Castaigne¡¯s swordsmanship. To amoner, maybe not, but he was from the most famous swordsmanship family in the empire. ¡®Yet he took Castaigne into his family, knowing this, and waited quietly for 15 years.¡¯ He was waiting for the right time. The perfect moment to boast to the Emperor about finding a rebel. Tristan, who realized all these circumstances in an instant, let out a shortugh. Thanks to this, Count Valois achieved everything he wanted. ¡®Selling his daughter, pushing her to death¡­¡¯ To Count Valois, Lady Valois was nothing more than a tool. Less than human. ¡®Well, I¡¯m no different.¡¯ To Sabina, both the Count and Tristan would feel equally horrific. He forced her into a life where she was already at rock bottom, to a life of bearing a child and dying. ¡®Why did I even have that impulse in the first ce?¡¯ Tristan lived a life of acting on his desires first. But for the first time, he questioned his own impulses. He couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡®If I was annoyed by the light that thedy had, I could have just snuffed it out. There were countless ways to keep her by my side. Why did I want to ruin her with my own hands?¡¯ Where did this absurd impulsee from, wanting to make her hate him the most? Hoping she would harbor murderous intent and kill him¡­ ¡®Anyway, she can¡¯t kill me with a human body.¡¯ If something happened to Tristan¡¯s body, evil would roam the world, leading to its destruction. He knew Sabina couldn¡¯t kill him. But why¡­ ¡®If she stays by my side, she¡¯ll only hate me¡­¡¯ He thought it would be better if that hatred reached its extreme, close to murderous intent. Maybe. But in reality. ¡®¡­Did I just want to keep her by my side?¡¯ Sabina, who always harbored a strong vitality at any moment. Her soul, burning like a me. Maybe he was deluded that her light could even purify the evil of a god who only wished for human destruction. ¡°That¡¯s love!¡± Tristan suddenly recalled what Dwayne had said. ¡®Absurd.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be for such a reason. He despised baseless hopes more than anything in the world. Holding onto such things was for fools lost in delusions. Tristan felt a wave of nausea and blockage, furrowing his brow and deeply inhaling the smoke. His taste was disgustingly bitter and dry, making him feel increasingly unpleasant. To the point where he wanted to grab and crush whatever was bothering him right in front of his eyes. As the smoke obscuring Tristan¡¯s view cleared, his gaze met the Emperor¡¯s. Conrad II involuntarily flinched when his eyes, resembling an abyss, met Tristan¡¯s. For some reason, he recalled the saying that for the Valentine bloodline, everything within sight was within striking range. It was at that moment. ¡°Your Majesty! Please forgive my rudeness!¡± Dwayne, who had been waiting quietly outside the audience chamber, rushed in with a face pale as death. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Normally, this would have warranted a severe reprimand, but the Emperor asked leniently. He wanted to get out of the sinister Grand Prince¡¯s sight as soon as possible. Then Dwayne, as if his soul had been snatched away, spoke in a daze. ¡°Your Grace, you must return to the Grand Duke¡¯s castle immediately.¡± *** Sabina thought she must be dreaming or unconscious. Otherwise, it was impossible for Tristan to show such an expression, such a look in his eyes. Yet, he seemedpletely unaware of the face he was making. ¡°Are you insane? Why did you do such a reckless thing? If evil were to be released from the Grand Duke¡¯s body¡­¡± Tristan, about to shout with veins bulging in his neck, looked down at Sabina, who seemed close to death, and clenched his teeth. Now was not the time for this. ¡°Take her to the physician immediately.¡± He ordered Dustin, who hade with him from the pce. Dustin quickly took Sabina and ran as steadily as he could. Sabina, limp and powerless, could only be carried in the arms of the knight. Over his shoulder, she saw a scene unfold. The Grand Duke Valentine, staggering to his feet, swung his fist. The sheer force of the blow made Tristan¡¯s long hair flutter as if in a typhoon, and his skin seemed to be shed by a sharp de. Tristan, briefly rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand, twisted his lips. He drew his sword to block the punch, spinning half around and swinging back at the Grand Duke. As the Grand Duke twisted to avoid his strike, dozens of trees lined up nearby were sliced in half in an instant. That was the limit. She could no longer withstand the surging pain. Sabina closed her eyes. Andy motionless as if dead. ? Chapter 232: Side Story 24 Chapter 232: Side Story 24 It was an early afternoon, with the sun high in the sky, when Sabina opened her eyes. She immediately sat up, fully alert. There was no particr pain in her body. ¡®What happened? I¡¯m sure before I fainted¡­¡¯ Just before passing out, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to check her own condition. But she could roughly guess what had happened. Her body had been covered in blood, bones felt crushed with pain, there was a stabbing pain in her organs, her ears were ringing, and her vocal cords were damaged¡­ ¡®¡­I almost died.¡¯ She had thought she would at least be seriously injured, if not dead. Sabina felt around her body. Instead, she felt unusually refreshed and light, as if reborn. ¡°Ahem, aah.¡± Her voice came out clear. She felt puzzled at this. ¡°Madam!¡± Dana, who had been dozing off beside her, suddenly woke up upon hearing her voice. Her face, previously buried in fatigue, instantly brightened. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Dana.¡± The culprit who had caused Sabina, who could have escaped, to return to Valentine Castle. ¡°You¡¯re safe.¡± Sabina stretched out her arms and hugged her tightly, smiling. Taken aback by her sudden action, Dana soon frowned and grumbled. ¡°Safe? That¡¯s what I should be saying to you! I was just quietly sleeping in my room at that time!¡± On the other hand, what about Sabina? Not content with running to the annex, she confronted the Grand Duke Valentine head-on and even stabbed a sword into his heart. ¡°You should have at leaste back safely after causing such a huge incident¡­¡± How shocked she had been when Sabina returned in the arms of a knight, covered in blood. Remembering that scene, Dana¡¯s eyes teared up again. If Dana¡¯s heart had been any weaker, she might have died of a heart attack by now. ¡°I was so worried you would never wake up!¡± It seemed a considerable amount of time had passed since Sabina had fainted. ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a week.¡± Dana said with a sniffle. ¡®A week¡­¡¯ It had to be a week. The exact day the bet was supposed to end. Sabina realized that her title as ¡®Madam¡¯ had now be fixed, a status she could no longer be dissatisfied with. ¡°Ha¡­¡± She let out a hollow sigh, curling up and hugging her knees. A sudden feeling of weakness overcame her. Despite being prepared, facing such an oue made her feel utterly miserable. ¡°Was it a doctor who treated me?¡± ¡°Of course not. How could a doctor heal such wounds in just a week?¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°If you need anything, just call.¡± Dana pointed to the room next door as she spoke. ¡°The Pope himself is on standby.¡± The Pope? ¡°Did I hear that right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± There might be an emperor in the Garcian Empire, but he was just a figurehead, a puppet. The real powery with the Pope. To think she received intensive treatment from the ruler who governed an entire empire. It seemed like a cruel joke, but Dana was serious. ¡°How did that happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I can only guess that the Grand Prince made some sort of deal.¡± ¡°Right¡­ The Pope could heal external and internal injuries in an instant.¡± Sabina muttered dully, as if in a trance. It was because Dana had talked about an unbelievable event as if it were just another day. Suddenly, the extent of Valentine¡¯s power became clear to her. ¡®But still, it¡¯s strange that Garcia would willingly help, especially since Valentine possesses the devil power that the Holy Empire so deeply detests.¡¯ It was strange. No matter how she thought about it, it was just too unusual. Emperor and Pope alike, those at the pinnacle of power, seem to be excessively favoring Valentine. It¡¯s as if they are either ckmailed or owe him a great debt¡­ Lost in thought, Sabina was interrupted when Dana hurried out of the room to call someone. After a brief silence, Sabinay down on the bed. ¡®Let whatever happens, happen.¡¯ Her despair was short-lived. Once the deadline for the bet had passed, her anxiety vanished, reced by a sense of relief. Her mind felt clear and more focused. She wondered if she had been too hasty, causing things to go awry. ¡®Well, even so, the Grand Duke¡¯s rampage was bound to happen.¡¯ Even if she could turn back time, Sabina would have acted the same. Her actions, seemingly meaningless, ultimately saved people. If she hadn¡¯t bought time, they all would have died. She decided not to deny that fact. At that moment, the sound of the door opening made Sabina turn her head and her expression hardened reflexively, then she awkwardly scratched her cheek. Tristan Valentine. After all, she owed her life to him. ¡°You came to rescue me at just the right time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you had been even a secondte, I might have really died.¡± At Sabina¡¯s additional words, his eyebrows shot up. ¡°Yes, it was a shocking moment for me too.¡± Sabina brushed off his response. Feeling awkward, she turned her head away from Tristan¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°Is the Grand Duke dead?¡± She recalled the scene she had seen just before fainting. The Grand Duke and the Grand Duke¡¯s son were shing. It was a scene that looked less like a human fight and more likeva and a tidal wave colliding. ¡®If he, if he killed his own father¡­¡¯ The thought that she might have instigated such patricide made her ufortable. ¡°The Grand Duke cannot die.¡± Tristan replied after a long silence. ¡°Not until he transfers all his power to me.¡± ¡°By power, you mean¡­ the devil¡¯s malice?¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯ve heard about it.¡± So, he¡¯s still alive. Sabina felt a sense of relief inside. Even though she made an unavoidable choice to save everyone, she was d he didn¡¯t die. She had learned to wield a sword to protect, not to kill. ¡°Then why did you do something so reckless?¡± Tristan asked in a suppressed voice. His restrained, emotionden voice sounded very unfamiliar. ¡°To save people, there was no other way.¡± ¡°No, even if the Grand Duke had died, you couldn¡¯t have saved anyone. You would have just turned to ashes¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Sabina blinked in slight confusion, unaware of the full situation. Tristan just looked down at her with an expressionless face. ¡°But, yeah. It¡¯s more my fault for not exining properly. It¡¯s my mistake.¡± He was neitherughing foolishly nor showing any signs of rage or madness. His expressionless and calm demeanor made him appear more human. ¡®Is that really him?¡¯ Sabina slightly doubted whether he was really Tristan or someone else wearing his guise. She had expected him to be overjoyed at havingpletely won her over. ¡®Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?¡¯ While Sabina was sizing up the devil who suddenly started acting human, ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The bet, I lost.¡± Tristan suddenly dered his defeat. ¡°I¡¯ll grant you a divorce as promised. I¡¯ll make sure the Valois family can¡¯t eveny a finger on you by crushing them thoroughly.¡± Crushing them thoroughly wasn¡¯t part of the bet¡¯s condition. Although he had promised to take measures so that the Valois side couldn¡¯t harm her. ¡°I¡¯ll look for a ce for you to stay. Stay here until you¡¯re fully recovered. We might not have married, but I¡¯ll make sure you get the mansion and alimony.¡± Overly generous offers flowed smoothly from the lips of the devil. ¡®Not only dering defeat in a bet that was already won, but also offering to take revenge on my behalf and give me a house and money?¡¯ It just doesn¡¯t make sense. Did he suddenly feel disillusioned with his own heartless nature and decide to be a better person? Sabina couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Did you eat something wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, have you been ying with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Given Tristan¡¯s behavior she had observed so far, the probability was very high. He never really intended to marry in the first ce and wasn¡¯t obsessed with her, but perhaps he found her reactions amusing and yed along. Enjoying seeing her get swayed and desperate by his every word. ¡°Did you find it amusing?¡± ¡°No.¡± But Tristan denied it. Knowing that he wasn¡¯t one to lie even at the brink of death, Sabina felt even more perplexed. ¡°I wish it were that simple¡­¡± He muttered. He hadn¡¯t touched alcohol recently. When he came to see her, he didn¡¯t even take out a cigarette in front of a patient. Tristan found no amusement in the current situation. The moment when he witnessed Sabina nearing death and the fear of losing her, the wave of emotions that swept over him. The moment he almost got swayed like a fool by uncontroble emotions. Realizing that he actually hoped she wouldn¡¯t die. All of it was unamusing to him. ¡°When it¡¯s time to let go.¡± So, Tristan decided to let her go. ? Chapter 233: Side Story 25 Chapter 233: Side Story 25 Sabina suddenly felt a surge of anger well up inside her. It wasn¡¯t that she disliked the idea. On the contrary, it was something she would have weed with open arms. But after having prepared herself to be left in this ce, bruised and battered, being told to leave now felt utterly ridiculous. ¡°You¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve met who¡¯s so recklessly inconsiderate.¡± ¡°Now you realize?¡± It was only then that Tristan cracked a sly smile. She thought she deserved every curse thrown at her, but the response she got was unexpectedly polite. ¡°Really, I don¡¯t have to marry? I can just leave and go wherever I want?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll remove anything that stands in your way before it bes a nuisance.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Why would you do that for me? Unable to understand, she asked, and he replied, ¡°Think of it as an act of atonement.¡± It was a tempting offer. So tempting that she wanted to write a contract and stamp it with a seal before he could change his mind. ¡®Considering I almost lost my life, it seems fair to ept this as the value of my life.¡¯ Moreover, Sabina had saved people as well. It wasn¡¯t something she did expecting a reward, but there was no need to refuse an offer willingly given. ¡®Of course, that¡¯s how it should be¡­¡¯ But Sabina was curious about something else first. Whether there had been some change in his feelings¡­ No, more fundamentally, there was a problem that continued to bother her. ¡®Valentine, what exactly is it?¡¯ The most powerful family in Fa. No, beyond that level, a family with a unique presence in the whole world. But they were cursed, generation after generation, to live with the devil¡¯s malice, leading them to madness and death. People said it was the price for seeking the power of devil in human form, but well¡­ The Valentine she had seen and experienced didn¡¯t seem particrly obsessed with powerful forces. Especiallypared to the Valois family she had grown up in. ¡°What does it mean that even killing the Grand Duke couldn¡¯t save everyone?¡± Ignoring Tristan¡¯s words, Sabina asked. It was an unbelievable situation, but it kept seeming like Valentine was sacrificing himself for the sake of many¡­ ¡®Have I gone mad?¡¯ If she hadn¡¯t seen the Grand Duke¡¯s rampage, if she hadn¡¯t harbored doubts about Valentine¡¯s circumstances¡­ ¡®Such thoughts wouldn¡¯t have even crossed my mind.¡¯ The Grand Duke Valentine was just an unmatched lunatic, and she didn¡¯t want to think any more of it. Sabina regretted it. Right. You told me to give up. On dreams, life, talent, future, everything. ¡®A despicable devil, a bad guy, that¡¯s what you are.¡¯ Sabina was chewing her lips when, Tristan, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. ¡°If I tell you, you won¡¯t be able to leave here.¡± Sabina was momentarily speechless, then moved her lips. But soon, she closed her mouth tightly and turned her gaze out the window. It would be foolish to kick away the same opportunity twice for some naive sense of justice and righteousness. But¡­ ¡°Just tell me one thing.¡± There was something she needed to confirm. ¡°If the Grand Duke is killed, does the world be endangered?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a big secret.¡± She thought it wouldn¡¯t be harmful to know that much. Becausebining everything she had seen and experienced over the past month, she could guess. The devil¡¯s malice. The overwhelming urge to annihte every foolish human from thisnd. And the rulers who, despite harboring such a dangerous power, show leniency. ¡°Is it because the Grand Duke contains the devil¡¯s malice that the world can maintain peace?¡± Sabina asked again. In fact, she might have wanted him to say that it couldn¡¯t be true. Tristan answered reluctantly. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve figured out quite a lot from just one encounter.¡± It was the exact opposite of what she had hoped for. Yet, even with his confirmation, her mood didn¡¯t improve at all. Instead, it felt incredibly unsettling. ¡®Get a grip.¡¯ So, what? Even if the devil turned out to be a savior in disguise, nothing changed. Even if Tristan turned out to be a great hero who would save humanity in the future, Sabina had no reason to stay in the Grand Duchy. To her, he was still no different from a devil. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Sabina quickly regained herposure and decided to ept his kindness. However, she never intended to ept it all. ¡°But leave the Valois family alone. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with them anymore.¡± And if I do seek revenge, I¡¯ll do it with my own hands. She added that. Tristan then wore an expression as if he knew she would say that. ¡°¡­Did you just smile?¡± Sabina asked, slightly disgusted. ¡°I always smile.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you call a smile¡­?¡± She pointed out his smile because it waspletely different from his usual twisted grin. ¡®Enough.¡¯ But Sabina decided not to pursue it further. It seemed he wasn¡¯t even aware of it himself. ¡°It would be easier for you if you left the revenge to me.¡± ¡°Do you think I like taking the easy way?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Tristan lifted the corners of his mouth. That smile, again. Every time he smiled like that, her nape used to feel chilly, but now, it strangely made her clench her fists. She wanted to punch him right then. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve eaten something wrong. Since the Pope is here, it would be better if you received treatment too.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sabina answered nonchntly to his yful question. There was no longer any reason for them to grab each other by the cor and snarl. ¡°Hmm.¡± Tristan then slightly shifted his gaze, showing an awkward reaction. ¡®It should have been time for him to speak nonsense with a rxed tone and expression.¡¯ People change so much. If it¡¯s not because he ate something wrong, could it be that his time is up? ¡°Do you realize that you¡¯re behaving strangely?¡± At that, he let out a short sigh and brushed his face with his hand. It was strange. Every action he took since waking up was unnecessarily human. ¡®And clumsily human at that.¡¯ There was no change other than the fact that Sabina had almost died. Of course, normally people wouldfort and care for someone who has narrowly escaped death, but has the Grand Prince ever been normal? Sabina pondered for a moment and then pointed at Dwayne, who had followed Tristan. ¡°I identally found out that your aide is terminally ill.¡± Me? Terminal? Dwayne was bewildered by suddenly bing a terminally ill patient, but he kept his mouth shut and assessed the situation. Tristan nced at Dwayne for a moment, then turned his head away without any attachment and responded briefly. ¡°Oh well.¡± ¡­Is that all? ¡°I¡¯llpensate you generously for your life, so make sure to properly hand over your duties before you go.¡± ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± ¡°Every human dies. You¡¯ll surely fall into hell, so go ahead and find a good spot there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a novel curse. But I hear there are levels in hell, and I¡¯m not sure if I can reach the deep level where the Grand Prince will end up. It seems our fate ends in this world.¡± Dwayne spat out casually. Their exchange of curses seemed quite routine. ¡°Anyway, why are you here? Get out now.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m regrettinging here myself. I¡¯ll dly leave.¡± The aide bowed and left the room. ¡®His personality hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯ He was exactly the same as usual when dealing with Dwayne. Sabina scrutinized Tristan¡¯s reactions from beginning to end, then asked, ¡°Do you like me?¡± It was a question as sudden as a bombshell. She was not the type to be clueless. And she certainly wasn¡¯t the type to pretend not to know something when she did. Besides, Tristan was not someone who deserved her consideration. ¡®Normally, I would have shown consideration.¡¯ After all that she had endured from him. His abusive words up until now made this question seem like a mere trifle. ¡°¡­What?¡± Tristan responded with a hollowugh. He was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the unexpected attack. Me? Like you? The words ¡®me¡¯, ¡®you¡¯, and ¡®like¡¯ seemed to orbit separately in his mind. Even though it was a simplebination of words known to a three-year-old, it felt oddly unfamiliar, as if he was hearing it for the first time. Should he deny it? Or should he mock her for her delusion? Tristan pondered which reaction would appear more natural. And at the same time, he realized. The moment he pondered over it, he was already doomed. ¡°Ha.¡± The next hollowugh he let out was a mockery directed at himself. Tristan, wearing aplex expression, slowly raised his hand to cover his mouth and turned his head. As if not doing so would lead to him saying something he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Is it true?¡± Sabina reached out her hand. She then caught Tristan¡¯s long hair, which fell to his waist, and tucked it behind his ear. The tip of her fingers touching his ear caused it to redden rapidly. ¡°It is true.¡± Tristan growled fiercely, then trailed off. Because Sabina was staring right at him, having just be aware of his feelings. Her clear eyes looked straight at him. The vivid redness that had made Tristan fall for her at first sight did not leave his face. ¡°But what should I do? I don¡¯t like you at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is this treatment unfamiliar to you?¡± Sabina, mirroring the line she had heard during their first encounter in the carriage,ughed. The corners of her mouth curled up in a seductive curve. Sheughed heartily, revealing her pearly whites. It was hrious. Truly, too funny. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ It had been too strange when he suddenly said he would let her go. The reason he acted that way was because she had be an existence he could no longer trample on. Because she had be exceedingly precious to him. ¡°Tristan.¡± Sabina softly called his name, tilting her head towards him. As if she would kiss him. Being so close, Tristan could be felt momentarily holding his breath. ¡°Are you really going to let me go?¡± ? Chapter 234: Side Story 26 Chapter 234: Side Story 26 It was at that moment. Sabina read the agitation in the wavering gaze before her, not missing the unhidden heat. ¡®I should stop here¡­¡¯ She no longer wanted to be entangled. She had already obtained what she wanted. Getting more involved with him could lead to unforeseeableplications. Yet, it seems the human heart cannot be severed as cleanly as a knife. ¡®Am I just going to let go of this opportunity?¡¯ It was the moment she realized she had the upper hand in their rtionship. Memories of the hardships she had faced until now swiftly passed through her mind. ¡°Looking back¡­¡± Sabina began, her words preceding her thoughts. ¡°In your own way, you must have thought that wanting to be with me until death was a sign of interest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since Valentine is fated to never escape death.¡± Ultimately, it meant he wanted to be with her until his dying moment. For Valentine, who could never escape death from the day he was born, this might have been an inevitable conclusion. ¡®It must have been a deeply passionate feeling.¡¯ Even though, to her eyes, it seemed more like an devil dragging her into a swamp. ¡°Go ahead and confess your desperation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then how will you know if I will change my mind?¡± Sabina spoke mockingly. She slid her hand that had touched his ear down to his firmly set jawline and made him look at her. Tristan, who had been silent, suddenlyughed fiercely. His eyes, which had been staring nkly, now flickered like dark smoke. ¡°Do you really want to hear?¡± She expected him to be hurt in his pride and trembling with shame. Or at least to get angry. Or to rage like a madman. But Tristan was neither. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about my emotions. I didn¡¯t even know they existed.¡± It seemed so. When Sabina had asked if he liked her, he had shown a remarkably clueless response. ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why I want to hear his confession.¡¯ She wanted to see him break down. To hold his weakness in her grasp and shake it. She wanted him to be truly hurt. At least as much as she had suffered. Then it seemed like she could bepensated for all the humiliations she had suffered at the hands of the Grand Prince. So, she was about to nod without hesitation when he said¡­ ¡°Do I have permission to unleash my raw, unrefined emotions on you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Once you hear them, I¡¯ll never let you go. Even after death.¡± His following words erased her impulse to proceed. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect him to be so humble¡­¡¯ But she hadn¡¯t expected him to warn her either. Always the same man. It was a pity, but gambling with the urge to break him seemed too costly. She couldn¡¯t just fall into his grasp for a moment of control. ¡®It¡¯s a shame, but let¡¯s stop here.¡¯ Sabina showed her hands in surrender, signaling she had no intention to attack further. ¡°I¡¯ll stop the jokes here.¡± Jokes. Tristan frowned. His stomach seemed to churn at her words. ¡°I¡¯d rather ask for something else than mock you.¡± Sabina refused the revenge he had offered as a form of apology and instead requested something else. ¡°Find someone for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°His real name is Allen Castaigne. I introduced himself to you as my lover, but that was a lie. He¡¯s my only mentor and like a father to me.¡± Tristan didn¡¯t respond. He just gazed at her intently, as if assessing her reaction. ¡°If you find him, I¡¯ll forget everything you said and did to me.¡± Her offer to forget didn¡¯t sound particrly positive. To forget was to treat it as if it meant nothing. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± Sabina looked at him incredulously as if she couldn¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t understand, and then answered. ¡°I won¡¯t hate or despise you.¡± So what? Tristan had always lived closely with emotions like fear, disgust, hatred, and murderous intent. Even if Sabina harbored such feelings towards him, he had nothing to fear or change. ¡®Rather, isn¡¯t it better that you hated me so much that you wanted to kill me?¡¯ Being hated to the extreme is better than being nothing at all. There were times when he thought so¡­ ¡°Does that mean you forgive me?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± Ironically, he wanted to be forgiven. Even if nothing would change because of it. No, it might actually be a loss. ¡®Such a foolish judgment.¡¯ Does harboring emotions for someone also lead to a decline in intelligence? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could find Allen.¡± Sabina added, emphasizing again. As Tristan gave no response, anxiety became apparent in her eyes. Even though she knew she held the upper hand in their rtionship, that was her expression. ¡®You asked me to open up my feelings¡­¡¯ Ironically, it was Sabina who was tantly showing intense emotions. It was quite touching. ¡®Heartbreakingly touching.¡¯ At that moment, Tristan was certain. If Allen were alive, he would have definitely been the one to sever his lifeline. He surely wouldn¡¯t have resisted the impulse. Be it a father figure or whatever. The fact that Allen, Sabina¡¯s only person, could shatter her soul just with his life or death¡­ ¡®It almost drove me mad with jealousy.¡¯ After locking Allen in the dungeon, he imagined binding Sabina with ropes, restraining her, and then brutally¡­ ¡°Tristan?¡± Sabina called his name as if to urge him. ¡®Should I tell her that I killed him?¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to hurt her and lose her forever. In fact, he wanted to be forgiven for everything. Caught between contradictory emotions, Tristan eventually chose the foolish path. ¡°I knew the whereabouts of Allen Castaigne from the beginning.¡± And he announced his death. *** Count Valois had finally achieved everything. He had perfectly utilized even the blemishes that tainted his life, enabling him to paint the picture he desired. ¡®I¡¯vepletely gained the Emperor¡¯s trust.¡¯ He executed a traitor and, in return, formed a marital alliance with the Imperial family. Gary Valois was going to marry the Empire¡¯s only princess. Although her position was ambiguous due to being the daughter of a concubine, royal blood still flowed in her veins. ¡®The position can be solidifiedter.¡¯ Even if she was from the concubine¡¯s side, wasn¡¯t she still favored by the Emperor? With her mother¡¯s influence and Valois¡¯ support, she could build a more formidable force than now. That was enough. Now that Valois¡¯ eldest son had be an Imperial Knight, if he could just stand beside the Crown Prince who would one day be the Emperor¡­ The Count was immensely satisfied with his cunning. ¡®What was I even worried about all this time!¡¯ Laughing loudly, the Count kept pouring drinks into his ss. His young new wife, refilling his cup, smiled beautifully. Perfect. His life was a masterpiece painted by a master. Now its value would be recognized by the whole world¡­ ¡°Ah, by the way, I heard from the butler. You¡¯ve been managing the ounts for a few months now?¡± At that moment, the Countess paused while pouring the drink. But soon, as if nothing had happened, she spoke in a gentle voice. ¡°I can¡¯t always be a mere guest in this house.¡± ¡°Such nonsense. What do you know about managing wealth¡­¡± ¡°Being born as a merchant¡¯s daughter, I may be ignorant of other things, but I was thoroughly educated about money from a young age.¡± That¡¯s why the butler trusted my abilities and left it to me. She added in a soft voice, looking down. ¡°Did you even learn anything proper in a house that only had debts after blowing up their business?¡± The Count openly scorned her. Despite being insulted right to her face, the Countess just smiled sweetly. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­¡± Unable to speak against her lovely smile, the Count clicked his tongue and emptied his ss. How long had it been like this? As the Count drank continuously, he eventually fell onto the bed, overtaken by the effects of the alcohol. When he awoke from a deep sleep, he was startled. ¡°What, what is this?¡± The Count found himself waking up in a cell. Dense iron bars frustratingly obstructed his view. ¡°Huh? What?¡± A severe hangover pounded in his head like a hammer. Was that the reason? Yes, it must be the reason. Seeing such ludicrous illusions must be due to that. The Count tried to move his body. However, his hands were tied behind his back, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn¡¯t free himself. ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ Such a scenario was never part of the perfect n he had designed for his life. He had never even imagined it. ¡°Hey, is there anyone out there?!¡± The Count raised his voice. There must be some mistake. ¡®I¡¯ve never done anything to deserve this!¡¯ As he raised his voice in indignation, the sound of footsteps approached closer and closer. Soon, the door of the dungeon swung open. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Father.¡± ¡°¡­You!¡± Sabina sat across from the Count¡¯s cell, crossing her legs and sitting on a chair. She said nothing, just staring intently at him. His daughter¡¯s gaze alone made the Count understand the entire situation. Or rather, he deluded himself into thinking he understood. ¡®I knew from the beginning she was an ungrateful wretch, unappreciative of everything I¡¯ve done for her¡­¡¯ He gritted his teeth. He hadn¡¯t expected her to go to such insane lengths. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± Muttering darkly, he eventually shouted. ¡°Think you¡¯re here for revenge? Do you think you can get away with this?¡± The Count¡¯s backing was the Emperor himself. ¡°You fool, you might not know since it hasn¡¯t been made public, but His Majesty is supporting the Valois.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sabina replied calmly, showing no signs of surprise. She must have been too bold, believing that the Emperor would bow down to Valentine, and stepped out of line. But did she really think the Emperor was so powerless as to do nothing when his people were harmed? ¡°Even if Valentine¡¯s power reaches the heavens, it¡¯s still under the sky. The nobility and the royalty are of different leagues!¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s obedience to the Emperor¡¯s orders was proof of that. You fool! The Count Valois wanted to scream these words, but restrained himself, not knowing what the cornered Sabina might do. He then spoke in a cating tone. ¡°It¡¯s not toote. If you let me go now, I won¡¯t press charges.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Before His Majesty finds out, huh?¡± Sabina, who had been silent all this time, let out a snicker and replied. ¡°His Majesty already knows.¡± ? Chapter 235: Side Story 27 Chapter 235: Side Story 27 The Emperor already knows? That meant he had turned a blind eye to Count Valois being kidnapped. The Count naturally did not believe it. ¡®He must be out of his mind.¡¯ Instead, he thought it was Sabina who was crazy. Given the situation Sabina was in, it was not unreasonable to think so. She was recklessly charging in to somehow take revenge on the Count who had driven her into a corner. Like a moth to a me! ¡°I took pity on you when you were born, I tried to let you have the title of Grand Duke¡¯s wife before you die, but you don¡¯t appreciate the kindness and keep struggling to climb up!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Think carefully. Do you think dying after enjoying everything and dying right now are the same?¡± Sabina sent a cold nce at his threat and then stood up from her seat. ¡°I omitted it because it was bothersome to talk, but you¡¯re saying it for me. So, do you choose to die right now?¡± She took out an elegant envelope with the Emperor¡¯s golden seal from her bosom. And then she pulled out a document inside and pushed it in front of the iron bars. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A certificate of body forfeiture.¡± What? The pale-faced Count hastily crawled over and scanned the contents of the paper. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a real certificate of body forfeiture. But he couldn¡¯t bepletely relieved. ¡°This, this is¡­!¡± The interrogation right of the Valois family! ¡°No, no way! It must be a forgery!¡± ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s impossible?¡± Sabina asked with narrowed eyes, as if doubting his intelligence. ¡°Have you not been tacitly allowing the only heir of Castaigne to enter your family?¡± At that, the Count couldn¡¯t help but be shocked as if his breath was taken away. ¡°How could you possibly know that¡­!¡± He reflexively let out a confirming nuance and then hastily covered his mouth. ¡°You sent me to the Valentines thinking I would know nothing. I don¡¯t understand why you are so foolish.¡± In fact, there was a reason for Count Valois¡¯ naive judgment. It was a rumor, secretly spread, that brides sent to the Valentine family were like sacrificial offerings and nothing more than seed bearers. He guessed that Sabina would not even be treated as a human there. ¡®He couldn¡¯t have imagined that I would uncover Allen¡¯s matter.¡¯ The Count clearly knew that Allen and Sabina had a close rtionship. And he read the note Allen had left for Sabina. ¡®I buried it back under the tree after reading it. It¡¯s a trap I set for when I eventually escape.¡¯ Using the note left by Allen Castaigne, Count Valois found his base three years ago and killed him. And knowing that Sabina had fled to the harbor, he forcibly brought her and sent her to the Valentines. The deeper he delved, the more vile he was. ¡°You alsomitted the crime of overlooking treason.¡± ¡°Do you have proof? Proof that I overlooked it?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find proof that you overlooked it.¡± Ha, see! How could you possibly find evidence that I knew and overlooked it? ¡°I found evidence that you participated in treason.¡± The Count, who was about to burst intoughter, soon distorted his expression. ¡°That¡¯s why His Majesty the Emperor expelled the Valois.¡± Expelled the Valois. At that statement, the Count felt a shock as if his heart had plummeted to the bottom. ¡°Participated, that¡¯s nonsense! It¡¯s not participation! Did you really report that to His Majesty?¡± ¡°It was not treason.¡± Sabina murmured in a low voice mixed with a hollowugh. ¡°The rebel army raised by Allen, you were the one who paid the most significant amount of their funding. And you still say that?¡± Everyone who supported the rebels was punished for participating in treason. But there was one who didn¡¯t receive punishment. ¡®The anonymous sponsor.¡¯ The one who provided the most substantial funding. Valentine had tracked him down and eventually discovered the source of the secret funds. It was Count Valois. ¡°If you weren¡¯t involved, then what was your intention in sponsoring them?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Could it be that you were making donations to the rebels, something you¡¯ve never done in your life?¡± It was obvious. ¡°You must have wanted to strengthen the rebel forces.¡± Only if they were a significant threat to the Emperor, not just small fry, could he expect to reap a great reward. To elevate his own status. Donating money and providing military support. ¡®And nting spies in advance would make it easier to crush the rebelster.¡¯ Sabina bit her lip. ¡°Did Allen die by your hand then?¡± ¡°What does it matter! He deserved to die. The bud of treason must be crushed!¡± ¡°You were the one who sowed, watered, nurtured, and then crushed it!¡± And then he murdered them all. After thoroughly using them from the beginning¡­ For a moment, thinking of Allen, her vision blurred. ¡°You must have received thanks from them, basking in all the credit¡­¡± Sabina muttered, covering her eyes with her palm. ¡°Do you have a certificate proving I sponsored the rebels?¡± Legal action couldn¡¯t be taken based on someone¡¯s testimony alone. The Count desperately demanded any such evidence to be presented right away. At that, Sabina lowered her hand. Her eyes were zing with bright red fury. ¡°Do you think I would be doing this without such evidence?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about. How could you possibly¡­¡± At that moment, the Count recalled his wife. He surely had fallen into a deep sleep after drinking the alcohol she had served him, only to wake up in this cer. He had been slow to grasp the sudden turn of events. Finally realizing the situation, Count Valois¡¯ eyes bulged as if they would burst. ¡°¡­You plotted this together!¡± Sabina silently looked down at the Count as he repeated the same words. Until his futile resistance subsided and an ufortable silence settled. The Count btedly noticed the temperature. The air in the cer was as cold as midwinter. And then, the sound. ¡°Father, do you hear this sound?¡± In the chilling space, where even frost seemed to form, the sounds of hot blood and screams echoed ceaselessly. Though muffled by the walls, it was clear someone was being tortured. ¡°This, this sound is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a quite capable interrogator in Valentine. Fortunately, I don¡¯t have to dirty my hands.¡± ¡°You, you bitch!¡± Sabina remained unfazed by his tant murderous intent. Having dealt with Grand Duke Valentine, the Count seemed more like an insignificant bug. ¡°If you confess your crimes, you will be publicly executed. Along with Gary Valois, whom you cherished so much.¡± ¡°Gasp, gasp! No!¡± ¡°Treason erases three generations.¡± At Sabina¡¯s added words, the Count gasped for air. ¡°It can¡¯t be. It¡¯s impossible!¡± His grand vision was being shredded before his eyes. All in a single moment. ¡°You think you will be safe!¡± Sabina still bore the name of Valois. Since the wedding had not taken ce. But she smirked and replied. ¡°I will be safe.¡± Sabina left the underground dungeon. At the same time, she frowned. Being in the dark cer had made her eyes sensitive to the bright blue sky and the mild autumn sunlight. ¡®The air ispletely different above ground.¡¯ She turned her head at the familiar smell of smoke, noticing Tristan putting away a cigarette that seemed freshly extinguished. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early? I thought you¡¯d unleash your anger after meeting your blood rtive after such a long time, but there¡¯s not even a scent of blood.¡± He asked. He meant to ask why, despite setting out for revenge, she hadn¡¯t beaten the Count to a pulp beforeing back. Sabina silently gazed at the cigarette butts piled at his feet before speaking. ¡°If I had intended to dirty my own hands, I wouldn¡¯t have sought Valentine¡¯s help in the first ce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Tristan smirked and took off his coat, draping it over Sabina¡¯s shoulders. Her eyebrows shot up instantly. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± He had noticed her body trembling slightly. He had be more perceptive since bing aware of his emotions. His attitude and tone remained the same, but it was clear that he was now entirely focused on her. As if she was the only existence in his world. Sabina looked straight into his deep ck eyes. In those eyes, like empty pits where nothing else resided, Sabina was reflected, like a mirror. As if filling his shattered humanity with her presence. As if he had be aplete person because of her. Such was the intensity of his gaze. ¡°What about your stepmother?¡± Feeling almost suffocated by embarrassment, Sabina changed the subject. ¡°I sent her to a ce where the Emperor¡¯s eyes will never find her. She should be able to spend her remaining days in peace there.¡± Sabina did not ask where that ce was. They had cooperated just for this incident, and she had no intention of seeing her stepmother again. As long as she was safe, that was enough. ¡°Why did you bite your lips like that?¡± Tristan asked, frowning as if displeased. Her lips, dotted with blood, were as red as flowers. ¡°It seems the Count really infuriated you.¡± He leaned in, gently wiped the blood with his thumb, and whispered in a low voice. ¡°If such a thing is your family and it¡¯s hard for you toy your hands on them directly, just give the orders. I¡¯ll make everything just as you wish.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll make everything as you wish.¡¯ After a moment of contemtion, Sabina slightly parted her lips. ? Chapter 236: Side Story 28 Chapter 235: Side Story 28 ¡°Will cutting off limbs make me feel better?¡± At that moment, a fierce murderous intent explosively surged in Sabina¡¯s eyes. But soon, she closed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Doing so won¡¯t bring back the dead.¡± Once again, her red pupils were revealed between her densely packed eyshes. It was a lightpletely different from usual. Her gaze, blurred with moisture, seemed like a fragile candle that could be extinguished with a mere breath. Tristan stiffened in surprise. He reached out his hand thoughtlessly but couldn¡¯t touch her. Afraid that she would crumble at the slightest touch. ¡°Even if I cut off the Count¡¯s arms and legs, does that mean Allen didn¡¯t actually betray me?¡± After hearing the whole truth from Tristan, Sabina felt as if her heart was being torn apart whenever that thought crossed her mind. It felt like she was clutching at her mutted heart, aimlessly floating alone in the vast sea. ¡°¡­It might not be a betrayal.¡± ¡°Yes, he might have truly cared for me.¡± But what good does that do? ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if he approached me as a means of revenge.¡¯ If his initial intention was that but he ended up treating her sincerely, it was fine. She could forgive him. However, Allen ultimately chose revenge for his family over Sabina, meeting a horrific end. How far he intended to involve her was unknown¡­ What use was it now? ¡°Now I can¡¯t even tell if my anger is directed at Valois, Allen, or Valentine.¡± Sabina first felt a strong murderous intent towards Count Valois. He was clearly a viin in anyone¡¯s eyes, and she had suffered much at his hands. Without hesitation, she nned her retribution against him. And she acted on it. ¡®So, what¡¯s next?¡¯ Sabina had nned to seek out Allen after safely escaping from Valentine¡¯s Grand Duchy. She had never considered any other possibilities. Either she would never escape Valentine, or she would be with Allen. Even if Allen was no longer in this world due to an unforeseen ident, she would carry on his will¡­ But now, knowing all the truth, she couldn¡¯t even do that. ¡°Die gracefully if you¡¯re going to die.¡± The traitor, Allen Castaigne. My pir, my support. My will, my thoughts, my dreams. My faith. ¡°My¡­ hypocrite.¡± She absent-mindedly fumbled with the ck coat draped over her shoulders. Then she pulled out a cigarette. Along with an artifact imbued with fire magic. ¡°What are you trying to do¡­¡± Sabina ced the cigarette in Tristan¡¯s mouth. And she lit the end. He inhaled the smoke out of habit, then exhaled. The smoke hazily blurring his vision made thenguid look of her eyes appear and disappear, bing clear again and again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to consider me, just smoke if you want to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know what to do now.¡± We should leave this ce first. Sabina muttered in a hollow voice. Tristan silently stared at her face, now tinged with a faint red hue, for a while. Eventually, he reached over Sabina¡¯s shoulder and extinguished the cigarette against the wall. The distance between them closed significantly. ¡°What?¡± Was it because she was startled? Sabina¡¯s eyes, previously clouded, suddenly regained their sharpness. ¡°Was your soul, said to be unbreakable even by Valentine, just this?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­.¡± Sabina recalled the words she had said when she first met Tristan. ¡°Give up? No, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make you give up on me.¡± Everyone wanted Sabina to die. They tried to make her give up her dreams, her life, her future. They attempted to erase her potential itself. They promised her a morous and peaceful life until the moment of her death if she epted her demise. Those words touched a spark deep within Sabina. And like pouring oil on it, her body and mouth moved on their own. ¡®Did I think of Allen then?¡¯ It seems not. In front of her, nothing could be seen except for the mes burning fiercely red. It wasn¡¯t someone else¡¯s will, thought, or dream, but hers. ¡®It wasn¡¯t just then.¡¯ Even when she poured out all the words she wanted to say to Gary and swung her fist. Even when she taught a lesson to the knight who dared to act arrogantly towards her. Even when she thrust a sword into the heart of the Grand Duke of Valentine. It was all her will. ¡°If you don¡¯t know what to do, act as if you¡¯re going to engulf everything just like then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sabina froze with her eyes wide open. ¡°That¡¯s you.¡± Tristan moved even closer to her side. He came close enough for their breaths to touch and cupped her cheek, lifting it. And he looked into her red pupils persistently. As if searching for some trace. ¡°If you don¡¯t know where to direct your anger, burn everything that annoys you.¡± ¡°¡­Burn it?¡± ¡°If I dare to shake you, then you should burn, engulf Valentine, and even the devil¡¯s malice.¡± Sabina in Valentine was always like that. In the Valois mansion, it was unclear how she hid that ferocity, burning uncontrobly. She acted as if she would engulf everything that dared to touch her. Just like Tristan¡¯s analogy, she was fire. ¡®Probably, it was because I was pushed to the limit.¡¯ But Sabina knew that was her true nature. She felt more liberated when threatened with her life than when she was living repressed. As if escaping from a suffocating cage. ¡°¡­You¡¯re unnecessarily tall.¡± It hurts my neck. Sabina, craning her neck, frowned and harshly brushed away his hand. ¡°Now you¡¯re more like yourself.¡± Tristan, finally finding what he wanted, lit up his eyes and lifted the corners of his red lips. A near-ecstatic emotion blossomed around his eyes. He willingly knelt on one knee in front of her. Still filling his dark pupils entirely with her. ¡°Sabina.¡± Tristan had never coveted anything other than his own death. The first to fill his monochrome world with intense color was undoubtedly Sabina. He wanted to embrace her and dye everything red. Even if it meant burning me and setting the world on fire. ¡°Be my will.¡± Tristan blurted out without thinking. As he had warned before. But at the same time, he knew. The raw words he was spouting now were more sincere than at any other time in his life. ¡°Be my thought, my dream, my faith¡­ and burn me over and over. Leave not even ashes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will dly offer every single hair for you to burnfortably.¡± He took Sabina¡¯s hand. And pressed his hot lips onto the back of her hand without taking his eyes off her. ¡°I will dly ept even your hypocrisy.¡± She, who used to flinch excessively at the warmth of a stranger, now looked down at him calmly. ¡®You told me to engulf you.¡¯ Instead, it was as if he was staring at Sabina, ready to engulf her. Despite kneeling and acting blindly devoted, the ces his fervent gaze touched felt as if they were being scorched. Sabina¡¯s unheld hand twitched. And then she slowly raised it. ¡°Grand Prince!¡± That was when. An interrogator, justing up from the basement, called Tristan out of breath. Sabina was startled and shook off his hand, and Tristan¡¯s momentum became menacing, interrupted at a crucial moment. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It seems you need to see this.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s trivial, I¡¯ll make your life just as trivial, understand that.¡± ¡°Ba, Count Valois has confessed something quite important, it seems.¡± The interrogator trembled but still bravely conveyed his message. ¡®An important matter?¡¯ Sabina turned to look at Tristan. Tristan, who had not taken his gaze off her eyes, immediately met her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s make the Count pay for interrupting us.¡± It was you who got interrupted, not us. Sabina intended to retort, but somehow, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything. ¡®I was definitely about to pat his head just now¡­¡¯ Recently, the beast that pretends to be tame and submissive was smiling with a cunning look in its eyes. Sabina avoided his gaze and quickly headed downstairs.+ *** Count Valois had thought ¡®surely not¡¯ in his heart. Surely that bastard child, that weak and obedient rat, couldn¡¯t ruin his perfect life. He didn¡¯t feel the reality of it until an interrogator, covered in blood, entered the prison and began to take out torture tools. ¡°Screaming might lessen the pain a bit.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Should we start off lightly at first?¡± The interrogator hummed a tune as if asking for an opinion and picked up something that looked like pliers from the array of toolsid out. The Count turned pale as if all the blood had drained from his body instantly. Cold sweat ran down his entire body. ¡®Is this¡­ really happening?¡¯ Was he drugged, suffering from a terrible hallucination? Was Sabina, who amounted to nothing, not just bluffing? ¡®No, this can¡¯t be. It¡¯s absurd. For Valentine to actively participate in a mere personal revenge of a bastard child and for His Majesty to abandon Valois¡­¡¯ However, vivid pain quickly threw him back into reality faster than anyone. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± The Count writhed in pain as if he was a fish being salted alive. The interrogator mechanically moved his hands without any hesitation. ¡°Ugh, cough, ack¡­!¡± It was real. He convulsed as if vomiting blood, gasping for breath. Really, really? This hell? Then, he would surely end up on the execution block, looking like a rag. ¡°They weren¡¯t rebels!¡± The Count, driven into a corner, cried out desperately. ¡°What do you mean, they weren¡¯t rebels?¡± ¡°Allen Castaigne didn¡¯t gather rebels! They were just ordinary orphans!¡± *** Chapter 237.1: Side Story 29 Part 1 Chapter 237: Side Story 29 Part 1 The Roaz Kingdom was a defeated nation. The war had produced numerous orphans, and the number of children with nowhere to go only increased endlessly. There was a limit to the number of people an orphanage could amodate. The remaining children had to live in slums, scavenging for garbage to eat, or be ves, not even treated as human beings. ¡°Allen had provided those children with a ce to live and food to eat¡­¡± He had nothing to do with the rebellion in the first ce. The sry he earned as a knight was entirely spent on taking care of the children. ¡°And the donations¡­¡± Allen had received support from wealthy patrons. It wasn¡¯t for raising a rebel army. It was to establish a school that orphans from the Roaz Kingdom could attend. ¡°But a private academy without the Empire¡¯s permission is clearly illegal.¡± The Empire would never permit the construction of private educational facilities for the people of a subjugated nation. ¡°Because it would be the seed of rebellion.¡± Naturally, it would have been done in secret. Count Valois had used this to disguise the children as rebels. Then the reason it took 15 years¡­ ¡°Did you really wait until those children grew up enough to be convincingly disguised as rebels?¡± ¡°Yes! There was never any rebel army, and no one ever conspired for rebellion! I just helped to establish the academy. I am innocent!¡± The Count, blinded by fear, continuously imed his innocence while trembling. ¡°Innocent?¡± Yes, if he wasn¡¯t supporting a rebel army in the first ce, he would be innocent. ¡°And the most innocent of all was Allen!¡± Not only him but also the people who sponsored the school for the children, a friend named Ga, and even the children themselves¡­ The nd of dreams¡± Allen mentioned in his note must have been a peacefulnd where the children could restfortably, y, and learn¡­ ¡°How many innocent people did you sacrifice?¡± Sabina¡¯s face turned cold upon hearing all the truths that Count had hidden. But her eyes were burning like the mes of hell. ¡°Did those children die by your hand?¡± ¡°Anyway, the right to interrogate is invalid. No matter if it¡¯s Valentine, you have no right to interrogate Valois without any basis!¡± Completely consumed by fear, he rambled on before suddenly changing his tone. And he murmured in apletely deranged, unpleasant voice. ¡°Would you still charge me with treason now? Shouldn¡¯t you clear that man of his wrongful usations?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Sabina let out a tearful sigh, her breath hitching. A boiling rage and relief engulfed her, leaving her unable to regain herposure for a while. ¡°Allen cared for me, not because he wanted to use me.¡± He simply felt sympathy for a young child who was oppressed by his own family. It was just an act of kindness. ¡°Just as he had done for other orphans.¡± Allen was simply a person who stood by his beliefs. Sabina saw him for who he truly was. Having realized the entire truth, Sabina quickly calmed down. She wiped the corners of her eyes. ¡°I can save my tears forter.¡± There was something else she needed to do first. ¡°Count Valois.¡± She had discarded the trivial title of ¡°father¡± and the formalities. ¡°Nothing has changed. Only from treason to the crime of insulting the royal family. You still mocked His Majesty, do you think he will revoke the right to interrogate because the truth has been revealed?¡± Do you think he would reconsider? Sabina looked at him with contempt, as if she couldn¡¯t bother to associate with his foolishness. ¡°At least now, the right to interrogate will lose its effectiveness!¡± The Count stammered in rebuttal. It was a struggle for survival. He grabbed the iron bars and shook them back and forth, shouting. ¡°Release me at once!¡± Then, Tristan, who had been showing a pleasant smile by her side, added, ¡°If it¡¯s not treason, then there¡¯s no need to hang heads at the city gates. We might even obtain the right to execute on the spot.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°It would be easier to deal with them, right? You would know better, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Know better, indeed. Treason was tied to the security of the state, making it extremely difficult to obtain the right to execute. Count Valois was able to obtain that right because the opponent was a fallen noble from a minor subjugated nation. But it was a different story for an imperial noble. For Valentine to obtain interrogation rights was unprecedented. ¡°You talk too much.¡± Tristan extended his hand and made a gesture of grasping the Count¡¯s neck out of thin air. Just that action turned the opponent¡¯s face pale as if he was being strangled. ¡°¡­I¡¯m trying my utmost patience. But how long do I have to listen to this nonsense?¡± Chapter 238.2: Side Story 29 Part 2 Chapter 238: Side Story 29 Part 2 He crouched down to Sabina¡¯s level and looked up at her. His head tiltedzily, like a dog waiting for amand. ¡°Stay still.¡± This time, she did not hold back her impulse. Sabina¡¯s handnded on Tristan¡¯s head and then lifted off. She left the stunned Tristan and took a seat on a chair. Standing the entire time was going to be quite a long day. ¡°I said what¡¯s the point of cutting off limbs if the dead don¡¯te back to life. I might have to take back those words.¡± What she was about to do now definitely had a meaning. ¡°It¡¯s quite significant.¡± The Count had to pay for the crime of falsely using innocent people as traitors and leading them to death. He had to wriggle in agony through an eternity of pain, enough for the souls of those unjustly killed to be appeased. ¡°Continue with the interrogation. I¡¯ll have to watch from here.¡± Then, an interrogator waiting on the side asked in surprise, ¡°Are, are you sure? It might upset your stomach¡­¡± ¡°Yes, make it upsetting enough. I want to see him suffer with my own eyes.¡± That way, the souls of the deceased might be appeased. ¡°Come here. Watch quietly with me.¡± Sabina crossed her legs and flicked her finger towards Tristan. He made a face like a surprised rabbit, then smiled, revealing his fangs. ¡°Ha ha.¡± And he quietly stood by Sabina¡¯s side. Like a dog wagging its tail. Willingly putting the leash around his neck. ¡°If it¡¯s the queen¡¯smand.¡± *** Sabina looked down at the tombstone engraved with Allen¡¯s name. His body could not be recovered. Naturally. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯ve always liked children quite a bit.¡± To think he secretly took in children and even tried to establish an academy. ¡°It would have been nice if you had given even a hint.¡± She guessed why it was a secret. Sabina wouldn¡¯t have wanted it, considering how she was a true Fian through and through, unlike Allen. ¡°But I¡¯m d Allen wasn¡¯t a traitor.¡± She was selfishly grateful for the truth that he had no intention of rebellion. Her sincere feelings towards Allen meant she had never been betrayed, not even once. ¡°Now rest easy. I¡¯ll establish thend that Allen dreamed of.¡± Sabina decided to build a school. ¡®Naturally, an academy only for the children of Roaz would be too much.¡¯ She nned to build a school that anyone with the zeal to learn could attend, regardless of origin, status, or talent. That would require a tremendous amount of capital and connections¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. A familiar low voice interrupted her thoughts. Are you doing mind reading now? ¡°I even said I¡¯d make it happen the way you want if you justmand.¡± Ah, that was the statement. Sabina adjusted her expression and replied, ¡°The interrogator has done a good job, so now it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°Why not entrust it from the beginning?¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have the knack for going easy like an interrogator. What if you can¡¯t control your strength and end up killing them.¡± At that, Tristan¡¯s red lips curved into an enchanting line. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± To think the word ¡®gently¡¯ coulde up after watching Count Valois being interrogated from start to finish. Dwayne, standing next to his lord, showed a disgusted face. ¡°I thought, madam, no, miss, that you were the only conscience andmon sense of Valentine¡­¡± The moment Dwayne corrected himself from ¡°madam¡± to ¡°miss,¡± he received a set ofpletely opposite res. One was with eyes that seemed bewildered and shaky, while the other was so ferocious it felt as if being pierced by a harpoon. Sabina quickly regained herposure and replied. ¡°I¡¯m only merciless to the wicked.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right.¡± Dwayne nced at Tristan, who seemed ready to kill with his gaze for saying the right thing. Aha, so that¡¯s why you were so merciless to the Grand Prince¡­ ¡°Does plucking out those insolent eyes fall under the category of wickedness?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already in the category of the wicked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s regrettable. Now that I¡¯m already a viin, I feel like doing something worthy of one.¡± Dwayne quickly covered his eyes with his palms and shouted. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the Valois family to take care of the rest!¡± And he dashed off. Left alone, Tristan and Sabina stared at each other for a moment without words. An awkward silence settled in. ¡®Has it already been three months?¡¯ Tristan had given up on the bet he proposed. Sabina had epted it immediately without any hesitation because, at that time, all she thought about was escaping. However, as she decided to take revenge on the Valois family, their marriage had to be indefinitely postponed. ¡®Not calling off the engagement right away was because I needed a reason to continue staying at Valentine.¡¯ But outwardly, it was only a postponement of the marriage, the servants of Valentine all realized it. The fact that Sabina would soon be leaving Valentine. ? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!