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, completely 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 philanthropist 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 slaves 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 Blanc 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 accordingly.' Public opinion was not good even among the nobles, let alone the common 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....'

***

- 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 week later, the Duchy's side had sent the adoption papers themselves. It was close to a miracle.

- 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 lives come before the blind law."

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.

- I know it's what Lloyd did.

She told the boy who seemed to have no intention of telling her the truth.

- A person died, but to be honest, I think he died accordingly.

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 become 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 vocabulary 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 black 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.

***

- Lloyd, look at this!

Aria stood in the place with a very proud face.

Then, with her legs straight, she bent down, bringing her fingertips to the tips of her toes.

'Finally, I succeeded 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, clapped 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 succeeded 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?"

- 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.

- No! No way!

Aria shakes her head, and she clings to Lloyd's arm.

She was desperate.

- 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, according 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 isolation 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's lair.

'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 plan. It felt more like the certain future.

- 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.