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nTranslator: Latte Editor: BakaReem Proofreader: Adulldoll

nRight before dawn, Aria was suddenly awakened by a strange noise.

n‘What…?’

nThe sound had come from the window.

nRousing from her deep slumber, she drowsily walked towards the knocking sound on her bedroom window.

nShe opened her eyes, her eyelashes lightly batting against her cheeks as she rubbed the dreams away.

n“Coo!”

n‘Huh?’

nAria opened the window.

nIt was the white pigeon from before.

nThe pigeon circled around her before it slowly landed on her shoulder.

n“Hello there. So we meet again.”

nAria lifted her finger to stroke the pigeon’s head. The pigeon closed its eyes and tilted its head to match her touch.

n‘Whether it’s humans, hounds, or pigeons, everyone responds the same way when their head gets patted.’

nShe chuckled.

n“I must look like a fool, talking to a pigeon and all.”

nThe pigeon nibbled her fingers in response as if saying, “Are you ignoring me now?”

nAria, with a quaint expression, wrapped her bitten finger around the bird.

n“Coo!”

n“H-huh?”

nThe pigeon flapped its wings and pointed at its leg.

nThere was a letter tied up around it.

nAria unwrapped the letter and read its contents.

nIt’s saddening to say that I am about to die.

nBut the spring you brought to me was ever so brilliant that I wonder how warm summer will be.

nHow prosperous autumn can be.

nHow white the paradise of winter must be.

nI’ve thought of this for a while.

nSo somehow, I’ll hold on to my life for as long as I’m allowed to.

n– To the Spring Fairy -

nThe letter was from the grand duchess.

nAria read it over and over again.

n‘The pigeon precisely flew to my bedroom window.’

nAria immediately slammed the window shut and quickly squatted on the floor. Her pulse pounded like a booming drum inside her ears.

nWas she exposed?

n‘No, the pigeon could have just flown back to me because I was the one who sent it there in the first place.’

nAria opened the letter again.

nThe grand duchess called her the ‘Spring Fairy’. Could this mean that she won’t ask Aria to reveal her true identity?

n‘This feels strange.’

nShe just wanted to do something to prevent the Valentines’ Massacre.

nHowever, she never expected to receive a letter.

n‘She said she would hold on to her life.’

nIt wasn’t a request to save her life, but a letter of gratitude to Aria.

nWith the hope Aria had shown, she would like to cling to her life and make a bold ambition to get through it somehow.

n‘I’ve never met the grand duchess in person.’

nBut Aria wanted her to live no matter what.

nShe ran straight to the garden and picked up a freesia flower.

nAria tied a note to the bird’s leg, put the flower in its beak, and sent it to the sky.

nI will show you the wonders of all the seasons.

nWhether it’s spring, summer, autumn, or winter.

nI will bring the promise of seasons to come until spring arrives again.

n* * *

nAria needed to find a place where she could practice singing in secret.

nShe had thought of it as soon as her fever had gone down.

nAfter blooming dozens of cherry blossoms with her ‘Song of Life’, she felt her 10-year-old body reaching its limit.

nHer powers remained the same, but her current body couldn’t withstand it because she hadn’t been trained at all.

n‘I could die if I tried singing the song of healing or destruction…’

nBut in order to heal the Grand Duke’s wife, she had to do it.

nShe held out a card.

nI’m not sick anymore.

n“Hmm, I still think you have a mild fever,” Diana said, touching Aria’s forehead and neck.

nAria stood up from her seat, pretending not to hear her.

n“You have to rest one more night… Hey? Young miss, are you listening to me?”

nShe tried to escape, but she was caught right away. Aria shook her arm a few times before giving up.

nThen after a while, she looked up at Diana with her big puppy dog eyes.

n“No. You have to rest.”

n“…..”

n“Stop giving me those puppy-dog eyes. It’s useless.”

n“……”

n“I said, no!”

n“……”

n“Sigh…”

nDiana sighed and finally raised both of her hands as a sign of surrender.

n“Where do you want to go?”

nGarden.

nAria was currently banned from viewing the flowers.

n“Alright, I’ll allow it just this once…”

nDiana reluctantly agreed after Aria persistently insisted that she was not allergic to pollen.

n“However, you must come back before sunset.”

nYes.

n“If you get lost, ask anyone around for help.”

nYes.

n“Do not hold back because everyone is willing to help.”

nYes.

nThe conversation took longer than she thought it would.

nShe had to raise the Yes. card several times before Diana actually let her go.

nAfter a while, Aria finally went to the garden.

nShe looked around as she pretended to admire the flowers in the garden.

n‘The perfect place where I can sing freely.’

nThump-thump!

nSuddenly, she heard footsteps that ran towards her at a high speed.

nAria hurriedly turned back to run, but it was too late.

nWith rapid acceleration and a more bounding motion, the creature came right at her.

n“Bark!”

n“Aaah!” Aria shrieked as she was sent reeling backward and fell.

nHer heart almost leaped out of her chest.

n“……”

nShe stared at the panting wolf who was wagging its tail enthusiastically.

nIt was fortunate that she was alone. What if someone else was there?

n“You’re very naughty,” she lectured the wolf while gently touching its snout.

nIt shouldn’t hurt, but the wolf whined, drooping its ears and legs.

n‘It sure knows how to make me feel bad.’

nShe was thinking of scolding it a little more, but it was too cute. She couldn’t help but smile at the wolf.

nAfter Aria got up from the ground and confirmed that no one was around, she whispered to it.

n“How did you get here?” Aria asked while shaking off the dirt on her butt.

n“Bark!”

n“You ran because you missed me?”

n“Woof, woof!”

nIt seemed she was right.

nAria studied the wolf’s reaction. It seemed to be able to understand what she had just said.

n‘Are we really conversing right now?’

n“Hand.”

nAs she stretched out her palm, the wolf raised its paw nicely over her hand.

n“Get down.”

nThe wolf lowered himself and leaned on the ground.

nAria was deeply impressed with the wolf. She was able to communicate with animals and could even order them around.

nIt was beyond her expectations.

n‘That’s why my father was so afraid of animals approaching me.’

nShe laughed bitterly as she recalled Count Cortez, who had hysterically dictated on killing any living creatures that came close to her.

n“Do you know a place where people don’t normally visit? Somewhere I can sing without anyone interfering. A secret place, perhaps.”

n“Woof!”

n“That’s where your leader is?”

n“Woof, woof!”

n‘The place where the leader of the pack resides in…’

nAria envisioned the alpha, who was in charge of leading the pack of wolves. It didn’t seem so bad to sing in that place.

nAria climbed onto the wolf’s back and wrapped her arms tightly around its neck.

n“Please guide me there.”

nThen, the wolf immediately ran towards their destination.

nMoments later…

nAria found herself standing in front of the Grand Duke of Valentine.

nThe leader of the wolves.

n“……”

n“……”

nAria and the grand duke stared at each other awkwardly.

nOn the other hand, the wolf wagged his tail and panted like crazy, as if asking for praise after fulfilling her order.

n“Wha-what the…”

nDwayne, the grand duke’s personal aide, pulled out his sword, thinking it was an enemy attack.

nConfused and terrified at the same time, Aria hugged the wolf’s neck tightly.

n‘Is this the grand duke’s office?’

nShe was already skeptical along the way. The background kept changing rapidly as the wolf ran, and she had noticed the main palace getting closer.

nThis wasn’t supposed to happen.

n“Huh?”

nThe Grand Duke of Valentine.

nTristan observed Aria riding his hound as he put a cigarette in his mouth.

n“I didn’t expect a child to ride my hounds like a horse,” he said as he lifted Aria up.

nAria grabbed her old bag like it was her lifeline while her eyes darted constantly.

nThe grand duke’s smile deepened when he saw the distressed expression on Aria’s face.

n“I implore you politely. Won’t you treat my dependable canines as mercifully as possible?”

n‘How about treating me kindly first…’ Aria thought, as he swinged her body around the air like a doll.

nThe Grand Duke of Valentine must not know the meaning of ‘polite’.

n“What shall I do with this devilish young lady?” He asked, slowly exhaling a puff of smoke.

nHis way of speech was very stiff and formal. He sounded a bit weird.

n‘I can’t say that I came here to practice singing… .’

nAria 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.

n‘Your Grace?’

nIt’s too strained.

n‘My Lord Grand Duke?’

nHowever, Aria was not his servant. If she lowered herself too much, it wouldn’t make her look good.

nAfter contemplating for a while, she decided on the perfect title to address the grand duke.

nFather.

nAria held the card close to her nose.

nShe tried to look grumpy about being lifted in such a discourteous manner.

nI came because I wanted to see you.

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