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“It was then.”
Someone came running in with hurried footsteps. As the attic door burst open loudly, everyone’s gaze turned toward it.
“Th-the lord just sent Sally to the capital to buy a dress suitable for a young lady!”
One maid spoke while catching her breath.
“You came at the right time. We were just talking about that…”
“She—no, the young lady—is being sent to the Grand Duchy of Valentine.”
At that moment, everyone fell silent.
As if by agreement, all chatter stopped at once.
“And as the Grand Duke’s bride, at that.”
The maids all turned to look at Aria.
Their faces were pale enough to be pitiful. It made sense, considering they had stood by while the child was abused, and some had even participated.
“But there hasn’t even been an official notice that they’re selecting a bride yet.”
Still, the maids knew.
Among nobles, the marriageable age was rarely past fourteen.
And the Grand Duke’s heir had just turned fourteen this year.
“Sh-she’s going to die anyway.”
“Yeah, right. She’ll be offered as a sacrifice to the devil before she can harm us.”
Originally, the Grand Duchy of Valentine opened its gates once every generation.
That was when they sought a bride for the heir who would inherit the duchy.
But that position was, in truth, no different from a death sentence after bearing a child.
Every duchess who married into the family would fall ill and die not long after giving birth.
There were many rumors, but no one knew the truth.
Once you became the Grand Duke’s bride, you would live cut off from all family and acquaintances.
‘It’s basically a sacrifice.’
Even if they called it a bride, that was what everyone believed.
“She can’t even talk, and she’ll be locked up in the duchy forever. What is there to be afraid of?”
Aria listened silently, recalling what had happened the night before.
Without the “Mermaid’s Tears,” controlling the Count with her song had been easier than breathing.
All she had done was slip a single command into her song.
Sell me to the Grand Duchy immediately.
‘Should I do the same to them?’
No, there’s no need.
Though the maids tried to reassure themselves, saying “There’s nothing to fear!”, they all looked uneasy, exchanging nervous glances.
Aria rummaged through the small, worn bag slung over her shoulder.
It was the bag she had carried every day back when she couldn’t speak.
Inside were an ink bottle, a quill, and numerous cards.
She quickly wrote something and held it out.
[Bring it back again. Something edible.]
Wide, startled eyes.
Expressions of disbelief.
“A-are you… ordering me right now…?”
Aria watched them with an indifferent face, then lightly kicked the bowl of soup at her feet, knocking it over.
[Right now.]
Aria looked up at the maid who brought tea with a tense expression.
All she had done was firmly say she wanted the inedible food taken away, yet somehow a full tea time had begun.
Luxurious desserts she didn’t even recognize.
A cloying sweetness filled the air.
‘Now I really do look like a noble lady.’
How long had it been since she was treated like a human rather than a bird in a cage?
After taking a small sip of tea, Aria gestured for them to leave.
“I-if you need anything, please call us anytime.”
As if.
I won’t give you any chance to make up for it.
Her gaze slowly passed over the maids who had cleverly abused her.
‘Spend the rest of your lives fearing I might take revenge someday.’
Aria curved her eyes.
Between her long pale-pink lashes, her crimson eyes shimmered softly.
When she smiled, sweeter than the desserts laid out before her, the maids froze, staring blankly with parted lips.
At that moment, her petal-like lips moved.
—Leave.
Reading her lips, the maids flinched as if burned and quickly retreated.
Their footsteps faded completely.
‘They definitely froze when they saw me smile.’
Is it still unpleasant?
Aria touched her cheek where the scar was now gone.
Back when she was a Siren, Count Cortez had repeatedly told her:
The ones you’ll deal with are nobles of the capital and above. Their aesthetic sense is extremely demanding, and they cannot tolerate anything ugly.
Now, unlike before, she no longer had the massive burn scar covering half her face.
‘Still… better to hide it.’
That expression people made when they saw something unimaginable.
Aria knew it well.
It was the same look nobles had shown when her mask had once fallen off.
Wearing a mask had been her norm.
She decided it would be the same this time.
“Are we even going the right way?”
Count Cortez slammed his fist against the carriage wall near the driver’s seat.
The guide sitting in front replied in a trembling voice.
“I-I don’t know, sir. We’ve been following the path, but we haven’t even gotten past the entrance of the mountain range…”
“If you don’t know, who does?!”
It seemed he had reached his limit.
“Stop the carriage immediately!” he shouted.
They had reached the mountains in the morning, yet now the sun was already setting.
After days of nonstop travel, both the Count and Aria were exhausted.
“Damn those arrogant devil spawn… Who do they think they are, being condemned worldwide…”
The Count muttered viciously through clenched teeth.
Valentine was a land of the unknown.
Surrounded by the Ingo Mountains and forests, it was completely cut off from the outside world.
Outsiders were strictly forbidden.
Even in diplomacy or trade, the Valentine family thoroughly vetted their counterparts.
Naturally, they had completely ignored the Count’s request for a meeting.
‘They didn’t even reply to the letter.’
The Cortez family had produced many musicians.
Among them, the previous head, Maestro Cortez, was a genius conductor and composer.
Even now, he was called the father of music.
‘Even someone like him means nothing to Valentine.’
No wonder the Count couldn’t stand being ignored.
He had immediately hired a guide and was now attempting to force his way in.
“It would be best to turn back, sir.”
The guide from the Adventurers’ Guild spoke.
Earlier, he had boasted of being the best in the field.
Now, he was trembling in fear.
“This was an impossible request from the start. No one knows the path from the Ingo Mountains to Valentine Castle. No one who tried has ever returned alive!”
The Count, who had paid him handsomely, glared murderously.
“You accepted the job. If you won’t see it through, you’ll pay with your life!”
“If you kill me, you’ll all die here as well.”
The Count threw open the carriage door, drew his sword, and pressed it to the guide’s neck.
“Then decide whether you die now or later while finding the castle.”
It was then.
Aria’s attention was elsewhere.
She reached her hand out the window.
Focusing, she felt a tingling vibration across her skin.
‘This is… a barrier?’
The source of a Siren’s power was spiritual energy.
Siren’s energy. A mage’s mana. A priest’s divine power. A shaman’s magic.
Though different in nature, all were forms of energy.
At a high level, one could sense the others.
At the entrance of the Ingo Mountains, a massive barrier was layered like a wall.
‘An illusion-type barrier.’
Such barriers made intruders believe they were endlessly circling.
At their limit, they would fight, kill each other, or even take their own lives.
‘Of course they wouldn’t let anyone in easily.’
At that moment—
Darkness fell over the forest, and growls echoed from all directions.
The ground seemed to tremble.
“What—what is that?!”
Knights and mercenaries drew their swords at once.
“They’re monsters…!”
Screams erupted.
And then—
Everything ended.
Bodies were torn apart.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
At the center stood a man.
Wearing a black hood.
“Interesting.”
His voice was heavy enough to freeze the body.
“When did Valentine’s prestige fall so low? That pests dare crawl in.”
Beasts with glowing blue eyes surrounded him.
The monsters.
“Seems my hounds will feast tonight.”
Aria met his gaze.
Faded gray eyes.
The man stepped through the mist of blood and pointed at her.
“Kill her.”
Her body went numb.
She collapsed.
The monsters closed in.
She shut her eyes.
“Whine—”
…But no pain came.
Instead—
A warm breath.
A wet tongue.
“Heh… heh…”
The monster licked her hand, wagging its tail.
“Ha.”
The man let out a disbelieving laugh.
The monster had lowered itself beside Aria.
Resting its chin on its massive paw, staring at her as if asking to be petted.
‘I… survived.’
Nearby, Count Cortez lay foaming at the mouth, unconscious.
“Did it go mad?”
The man tilted his head and lightly kicked another beast.
It yelped and hid behind Aria.
“Unbelievable. Rabies, of all things.”
He approached her.
Bloodstained footprints marked his path.
Black shoes soaked in blood.
Aria slowly looked up.
“Just what are you?”
His eyes, once half-lidded with boredom, now stared at her intently.
There was a flicker of interest.
“You’re wearing a strange mask.”
Aria remained silent.
“Are you stronger than me?”
Impossible.
He was overwhelmingly strong.
“And yet… you look weaker than an insect.”
‘Siren… friend of animals.’
Aria gently petted the beast.
It rolled over happily.
“Cute…”
She touched its belly.
Soft, warm fur.
“Hmm.”
The man clicked his tongue.
“You’ll get buried in them at this rate.”
Then he grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her.
“We’ll talk inside.”
“I must commend your courage, Count.”
An elderly butler with white hair spoke.
“You are the first to forcefully enter Valentine Castle.”
He handed Aria a warm mug.
“You survived thanks to the young lady.”
Aria looked inside.
Brown liquid.
Floating white things.
“What is this…?”
“Marshmallows,” he whispered.
‘Marsh… melon?’
“…Call the gamekeeper.”
The man ordered.
“We need to feed the hounds.”
The Count panicked.
“My knights and mercenaries… fed to dogs?!”
“Without the young lady, you’d be dead too.”
“…We will compensate you immediately.”
“How much?”
“As much as he wants.”
The Count smirked greedily.
“I brought my daughter.”
He gestured for Aria to remove her mask.
She didn’t move.
“She’s mute.”
That explained everything.
“But still suitable as a bride, no?”
The butler’s expression hardened with contempt.
“You have insulted Valentine.”
The Count trembled.
Aria watched quietly.
‘Good. He’s selling me well.’
Then—
The butler softened toward her.
“Ah, is the mask making it hard to drink? I’ll prepare another.”
‘Why… is he being kind?’
At that moment—
“Woof!”
The beast barked like a dog.
The butler blinked.
“…I thought it was a wolf.”
Aria realized.
‘He values my ability.’
She quickly wrote:
[I can tame all animals.]
[I learn fast.]
[Please take me.]
Silence fell.
The Count grabbed her arm harshly.
“Don’t do anything unnecessary.”
The beasts growled.
Suddenly—
“Ahh!”
A pale hand twisted the Count’s arm.
“Good. I’ll buy her.”
The man removed his hood.
Aria saw his face.
‘The Grand Duke of Valentine.’
Just as expected.
He was—
Lloyd’s father.
