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nChapter 30

n“Is this all you want to do with my authority?”

nAria nodded her head.

nHe thought she would regret it even a little bit, but she looked like she had no regrets at all.

n“Haa..”

nShe’s not interested in anything like that, let alone taking a share of the authority she’s been given.

nRather, she was using it to help someone who has nothing to do with her.

nIt only made the impression that she didn’t fit in at all with Valentine.

n‘You don’t seem interested in money, fame, or power.’

nThe most difficult thing to deal with in this world was a human being who could not move with money, honor, and power.

nBecause he doesn’t know what they want.

n‘Let’s try to push what the alternative purpose is.’

nBut she’s already done it.

nAria only said nonsense saying that ‘being patted felt good’.

nStill, it felt strangely incompatible to be just a little child who just wanted to be loved.

nNo wonder he didn’t feel good. He didn’t know exactly what it was.

nThe feeling of saving Lloyd from the threat of life several times continued to warn.

nHe shouldn’t be next to her.

n‘As expected, I’ll have to get you out.”

nLloyd made an even more firm resolve.

nKnowing that Grand Duke Valentine is aging, that won’t stop him from going out on his own feet.

nHe looked at Vincent for a moment and said.

n“You… we’ll talk next time.”

n“Yes, brother.”

nVincent still had no strength in his body, but he smiled as if he was trying hard.

nLloyd sighed for a moment at the sight of the boy, and then he passed by indifferently.

nSo, only Aria and Vincent were left.

nAria tried to follow Lloyd away, but she stopped her steps as if she had suddenly remembered.

nAnd she rummaged through her old bag.

nI understand. Why did you have to say and act like that.

nOf course, it didn’t seem to be overboard, but Vincent was quite desperate.

nIn order not to be ignored somehow.

nTo shake off the shadow of one’s origin that seems to be impossible to escape no matter how hard he tries.

nHe desperately wanted to show the world that he was a genius.

nWasn’t it some sort of defense mechanism?

nI know you said it in good faith that you listened to my performance and recommended Valentine’s support.

nBecause that’s your way of survival.

nShe swallowed her words.

nI 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.

n“…..”

n‘Is this consolation or intimidation?’

nVincent was confused.

nAria patted his head as if petting him.

nIt was an innocent touch.

nHe can’t feel even a single drop of affection.

nBut Vincent stiffened and fiddled with his own hair.

nUntil she turns her back and walks away.

n***

nVincent was silent for a while.

n‘Is this a big shock?’

nAs time passed, Aria had a slightly different thought.

nIf 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.

n‘Then what happened?’

nShe suddenly wondered.

nAfter Vincent was driven out of his past life, the Grand Duke, who later learned all the truth, found him again.

n‘I don’t know right now.’

nAfter Vincent was evicted, she heard that he died miserably in the gutter. He can’t find someone who’s already dead.

nThat was then.

nShe suddenly heard a knock on the desk.

nAria slowly raised her head.

n“It’s been a while, sister-in-law.”

nIt was Vincent.

nHe took a seat in front of Aria, putting down the documents he had brought to the library to study.

nThis time it wasn’t the law code.

n“His Highness and brother took my mother out of the gutter and moved her to a safe place.”

nAnd he suddenly brought this up.

n“I think you might be curious.”

nSupposedly.

nAfter Aria heard those words, she somehow had a thought.

nA few years later, Tristan and Lloyd, who later learned all the truth, must have found Vincent.

nAlthough what they found was a cold corpse.

n‘Was this a little, little, a step to prevent the Valentine’s Incident?’

nShe does not know.

nBut Aria thought she would keep running while doing everything she could possibly do until then.

n“Why did you help me?”

nVincent asked as if waking her from her thoughts.

nAria tilted her head.

nAnd she replied as if he was asking again when she had already told him.

nI said I would protect my person.

n“Am I sister-in-law’s person too?”

nNo, you are Lloyd’s younger brother.

n“…”

nHer answer was very firm.

nVincent was silent for a moment with a puzzled look, and then he let out a faint smile.

n“You mean you helped me because I was brother’s younger brother?”

nAria nodded her head.

nShe didn’t hesitate for a second.

nAs if there was only Lloyd in her line.

n“Um, is there no chance that I will become sister-in-law’s person?”

nHmm.

n“Even 1%?”

nHmm.

n“… even 0.1%?”

nThe question is persistent.

nThe boy’s face, who had been hesitating, became hardened.

n‘Anyway, I said that I helped you because you were Lloyd’s younger brother, so why are you getting so serious about it?’

nAria sighed and wrote a new card.

nTry that.

nAn effort to be 0.1%.

nVincent grumbled about whether he was being discriminated severely against, but then he smirked and laughed.

n“I’m confident in trying.”

n***

n“Therefore….”

nTristan looked down at Aria, who looked up at him with her eyes wide open.

nAnd he looked away.

nStanding next to her was Carlin, who continued to stare at her and smirk.

n“You said you gave me the relics you brought?”

nThen the shaman responded dryly with a soulless voice.

n“Yes… because the Miss keeps asking for it…”

nEven a passing dog knew that there were no relics in Valentine’s estate.

nBecause this place isn’t called the Devil’s Land for nothing.

n‘So the only conclusion I can come to is that I got it from outside the territory.’

nAria finds out that she has gone all the way to Garcia, so naturally, she blames the relics as Carlin’s.

nIt was because she heard that his hobby was to disappear from time to time and to travel all over the world.

n‘If it’s Carlin, it wouldn’t be strange at all if he was hiding at least one relic he found by chance.’

nThanks to this, Carlin’s situation became very embarrassing.

n“Hmm, are you making a fuss?”

nHearing that, his employer seemed very displeased.

n“I never said that I needed anything trivial, so you’re the one who makes me buy and donate things first.”

n“Is, is that so.”

n“But I can’t believe you’re whining. You?”

nHe doesn’t know why those words sounded like ‘something like you?’

nCarlin was at a loss for words for a moment.

nAren’t holy relics enough to whine about?

n‘Why are you so jealous of that?’

nThe shaman unknowingly glanced at Dwayne, the Grand Duke’s assistant.

n‘You are already serious.’

nHe shook his head as if he understood a hundred times.

nCarlin changed his words to avoid sparks splattered at him.

n“Um, come to think of it, I asked politely rather than make a fuss.”

n“Ask politely?”

n“…..”

nLook at me and tell me what to do!

nTristan seemed unwilling to listen to what Carlin had to say.

nOnly Aria, who was able to move through this flexibly because of his sacrifice, smiled brightly.

n***

n“Isn’t this necklace a holy relic?”

nCarlin said, carefully examining the necklace Aria held out.

nAt first glance, the transparent crystal crafted in the shape of water droplets looked just like an

nordinary jewel necklace.

nIt was an item she obtained as a bonus along with the holy relics when she went to the Holy Empire.

n“It is common for holy relics to contain a lot of divine power, but it doesn’t feel any energy. Of course, the Miss knew it.”

nAria nodded her head.

n“It seems to be something that sucks life force.”

n“Sucks life force?”

n“Yes. It’s usually like a magic sword type.”

nA magic sword?

nAria was familiar with that notoriety.

nIt is said that just raising the sword sucks energy to the limit, and ordinary people simply die.

nAnd it also absorbs energy through human blood.

nInstead, it is said that the power is enormous as it absorbs a huge amount of energy.

n“There are quite a few gems like this necklace. They’re usually called cursed hems, and they kill all the owners.”

n“…”

nIt’s brutal.

nAria stared intently at the necklace in Carlin’s hand.

n‘So does it mean that Veronica wore a cursed necklace that killed even its owner?’

nTL Note:

nSo Carlin was previously translated as just ‘Carl’? but I think the name is Carlin, so I’ll be keeping the name ‘Carlin’ from now on ?

nAnd since I’m also backreading this as I go, please bear with me if there are slight mistakes~

nThank you for waiting!

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