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nChapter 64

n‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’

nAfter all, Aria, no matter what others say, was a person who could be happy if only Lloyd was happy.

nIt 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.

nI don’t know what’s wrong with that.

n“Yes?”

nHe must have thought she would be offended.

nGabriel looked puzzled.

nIt hasn’t been a while since we met. Things like that happen, too. People are originally like that.

n“People are like that?”

nYes. Recalling the people around you and what you’ve been through while accepting new things.

n“Is that so?”

nYes. Aria nodded her head.

nThat’s not the case in all situations, but it happens quite often.

nWhen they encounter something similar to their environment that made up their surroundings, they are relieved and accept it with ease. And when they encounter the complete opposite, at first they feel repulsed.

nOf course, after that they get used to it, reject it, or change direction.

n‘That’s why I started praying.’

nShe 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.

nShe will be accepted easily.

nYes at first, you just have to find out later that we are a different person.

n“Is that so?”

nYes. Aria nodded her head again.

n‘You have no friends.’

nShe swallowed what she wanted to say. Because to say that, that means he didn’t have any friends…

n‘Anyway.’

nShe 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.

nIsn’t that so?

n“I’m sorry. I’ve never been close to anyone other than the saint…”

nIt seemed so.

nAria said it was fine, tapped him on the shoulder a couple of times and then she held out a new card.

nIf you look closely, you’ll see how I’m different from her.

nAt those words, Gabriel’s water-blue eyes shimmering in gold widened.

nAnd slowly nodded his head.

n***

n“Oh, you were here.”

nThe next day, Tristan came to visit Aria.

nAt his own will, he slowly leaned back on a chair and sent the servant and the guards out of the room.

n“Are you okay now?”

n“Thanks to you.”

nHe 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 successor in real time, he cannot be completely healthy.

n‘At least he looks fine on the surface.’

nAria was relieved.

nIn fact, before that, she was so worried that he might have to be locked up in a detached palace right away.

n“Here you go.”

nAt that time, a golden sparkle flew in.

nAria suddenly grabbed it with both her hands as if catching an insect.

n‘This….’

nKey?

n“Wedding present.”

nWell, that shouldn’t be too bad.

nSince she had received so many things from Tristan, Aria showed a shaky reaction.

n“What key?”

n“Your room.”

nAria’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.

n‘Am I going to have my own space?’

nIn the meantime, she was using the guest room of the detached palace, so Aria’s heart started pounding.

nWith excitement, her cheeks blushed and she looked at the Grand Duke.

n“Thank you so much.”

n“How come you are more happy than when I made your playroom for you?”

nWell, she suddenly had a playroom like an amusement park, but Aria had no idea how to play.

nShe just shivered. But having her own room was one of Aria’s wishes.

n“I hand-picked the furniture and ornaments brought in.”

nHand-picked?

nShe suddenly started to get anxious.

n“If you like it that much, would you go take a look now?”

nThe Grand Duke asked with a satisfied smile. It seemed like an impulsive proposal.

nShe nodded her head as she was hoping for some sort of answer.

n‘Because I’m curious about my room too.”

nHe said it was hand-picked.

nAria was very suspicious of the Grand Duke’s aesthetics, so she decided to prepare ahead of time.

n“Good.”

nTristan said so and suddenly lifted Aria up. Like holding a newborn baby.

n‘You look happy.’

nAria 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.

nSuddenly they arrived in front of a door.

nThe Grand Duke gently lowered her down.

nAria grabbed the key and wiggled her fingers as she looked up at him.

n“What are you doing without opening it?”

nWell, she got nervous.

n‘Preparing not to be shocked if some extraordinary room pops out…..’

nAria swallowed her saliva for a moment and shoved the key into the keyhole.

nThe door opened with a light click.

n“Wow…..”

nA new look of admiration escaped her lips. However, the sight beyond the door was more fantastic than she had imagined.

n‘I feel like I’m in the forest.’

nThe vivid green walls and wooden moldings looked like a forest full of cypresses.

nThe chandelier hanging from the ceiling was meticulously crafted with crystals in the shape of a butterfly.

nThe paintings on the wall were all forests, cute wild animals, and flowers.

nThe smell of fresh grass, flowers, and trees came from the flowerpots placed here and there.

n‘It’s full of things I like.’

nHe remembered.

nShe took a step forward unknowingly and was startled.

n‘Fuzzy.’

nGreen rugs were spread all over the room. At first glance, it looks like grass, but every time she walks, the floor is soft.

n“Did Father really decorate this room?”

nAria openly asked if this was really his sense.

n“Sabina did gave me an opinion.”

nThe Grand Duke then made it clear that he had received the help of his wife.

n‘Sabina… ‘

nAria walked around the room, carefully touching every object.

nThere were also many cute and strange animal ornaments. Each one was encrusted with jewels.

n‘Oh, it’s a rabbit.’

nAria 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.

n“Oh, that’s not the one I picked.”

nAria looked down at the rabbit doll curiously at the Grand Duke’s words.

n‘A gift from Sabina? Oh wait……’

nRabbit. She could immediately know whose gift it was.

n‘…weren’t you in a bad relationship with your father?’

nAria lifted her bowed head and stared alternately at the Grand Duke and the rabbit doll.

nLloyd’s gift being here made no sense if the room was decorated with the Grand Duke’s initiative.

nAre they not even getting along?

n‘Before they didn’t even get along, he casually declared his corruption.”

nThen Tristan explained in one word.

n“He suddenly appeared and he said he picked it up on the way and threw it.”

n“…..”

nWell.

nAria 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.

nIt didn’t look like there was any hope at all between the two father-and-son.

n***

n‘Soft and fluffy.’

nAria hugged the rabbit doll.

nShe hugged it very ‘tightly’.

n“…..”

nShe dared to hold the rabbit doll Lloyd had given her in front of Lloyd.

n“Do you have anything to say?”

nHe asked impatiently.

nBut she didn’t answer. Aria smiled as she buried her face in the rabbit doll.

n“You’re hugging everything…”

nLloyd blushed slightly and glanced at the rabbit doll.

n‘The reaction is cute.’

nWill 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.

n‘Of course, it’s not that I hate adult Lloyd.’

nFor sure, he wasn’t cute. She wanted to enjoy this look for a long time.

nAria stroked Lloyd’s head.

n“…..”

nLloyd stopped what he was doing and stared at Aria silently.

nBut 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 black eyelashes.

n“Oh, crazy…”

nAlthough he suddenly hardened his expression and took her hand away with a curse.

nAria looked up at the boy, widening her eyes.

n“Why are you cursing me?”

nIn 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.

n“Read the letter.”

nDid it come for her?

nAria was perplexed when she saw Lloyd’s package of letters.

nEach of the dozens of letters had a family seal stamped on it.

n‘This….’

nIt was an invitation.

n‘Well, it’s time to get anxious about it slowly.’

nLloyd’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.

n‘Rumors of that kind must have spread.”

nThey’re going crazy wondering who the hell she is from.

n“But why did Lloyd give me this?”

nHe wouldn’t have told her to debut in society.

nAria looked up at him.

n“I’ve picked out the best families out of all the letters. Choose one of the family to put your name on.”

nPut her name on? It was difficult to understand immediately what it meant.

n“Choose your paternal family.”

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