In truth, even with the hood on, Aria could tell who he was.
The Grand Duke’s overwhelming power and oppressive presence were exactly like his son’s.
‘The way he kills people… it’s the same.’
She stared intently at the Grand Duke, searching for traces of Lloyd.
‘He looks exactly the same too.’
The hair color, the eye color, even his features looked as if they had been stamped from the same mold.
The only difference was the length of his hair.
Lloyd’s hair was short, exposing the back of his neck, while the Grand Duke’s pitch-black hair, darker than the night sky, brushed against his chest.
“Hmm.”
The Grand Duke met her gaze directly without avoiding it.
Those vivid crimson eyes staring back were so intense that her face almost stung.
For him, it was the first time a child had ever looked at him like this, aside from his own sons.
“What a strange little thing. Didn’t you hear me say I feed people to my dogs?”
“……”
“And you know I was trying to kill you?”
Aria nodded.
She had come here fully prepared to die.
At the same time, she tightly grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
The Grand Duke flinched.
‘Huh? What was that?’
Aria was just as surprised. She hadn’t expected that kind of reaction.
He looked down at the small hand clutching his sleeve.
“I’ll pay the deposit immediately. Handle the rest of the procedures here.”
After a moment, the Grand Duke spoke.
He gave the order as naturally as breathing and gestured to William.
“You’re impulsive as always.”
The butler looked thoroughly tired of it, as if this wasn’t the first time.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all. I rather like the young lady. People loved by animals are rarely bad.”
By that logic, the Grand Duke wouldn’t be a bad person either.
‘That doesn’t sound right.’ Aria thought to herself.
In any case, William ordered servants to stack up chests of gold coins.
“I trust I won’t be seeing you again. You said she’s a child that doesn’t exist, so you’ll forget everything that happened today.”
The Grand Duke added lazily,
“If you break that promise, I’ll carve the name Cortez out of the Empire’s history, root and branch.”
Even such a terrifying declaration did not sound like a bluff.
This was Valentine.
“W-wait, I have one condition.”
The Count groaned, clutching his twisted arm.
“You still have something to say?”
The unspoken words How dare you seemed to hang in the air.
Even so, trembling, he continued stubbornly,
“If she gives birth to a daughter, give the child to me. Daughters can’t inherit titles anyway.”
“……”
“That’s all I want.”
If a Siren’s daughter had a child, there was a chance that child might also be a Siren.
‘Even now… even while being manipulated, he can still think like that.’
Aria found it almost impressive, in a way.
The Grand Duke nodded, as if he understood.
“So you want to become dog food as well.”
“W-what?!”
“If that’s your wish, I’ll erase you along with the history of Cortez.”
He gestured toward the beasts.
The Count shut his mouth instantly.
Leaving everything else to the butler, the Grand Duke departed leisurely with the beasts.
“Then let’s move you elsewhere, Count.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious? It wouldn’t be good for the young lady’s emotional well-being.”
“Wh—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
“You shouldn’t have said that last part. Then at least you might have been sent off peacefully.”
“……”
“Wouldn’t it be best if you forgot you ever had a daughter?”
It was unclear how such a thing could even be possible.
But the butler spoke as if erasing such a trivial memory would be effortless.
“Valentine’s interrogators are quite skilled. You’ll experience it firsthand.”
With that, knights dragged the Count away.
His screams echoed miserably.
“Shall we go, young lady?”
Aria looked up at the kindly smiling butler with a complicated expression.
“Since this was decided so suddenly, preparations are lacking. Please understand. Until your room is ready, you’ll be staying here for the time being.”
The room, clearly meant for honored guests, was wide and luxurious.
From the furniture to the decorations to each individual sculpture, everything was of the highest quality.
‘More than anything… these are artworks.’
Hadn’t they said Valentine loved and supported the arts?
Masterpieces one would normally only see in history books were scattered everywhere as if it were nothing.
It felt more like a museum than a residence.
‘The appraisal value…’
No, it was pointless to even think about it.
They were beyond price.
‘Honestly… this is unexpected.’
She had imagined something far gloomier.
‘It’s even more lavish than the Imperial Palace.’
Could the rumors be true, that Valentine controlled national assets?
‘I thought that was just a myth.’
At that moment, William gestured behind him.
A middle-aged woman approached, cheeks slightly flushed as she glanced at Aria.
“I am Dana, the head maid and the Grand Duke’s son’s nanny. I will be attending to you from now on.”
She looked at Aria as if she were a small, adorable animal.
‘That gaze is… ticklish.’
Aria fidgeted awkwardly.
It was her first time interacting with someone as Aria, not as a Siren.
“The young master is probably attending to Madam right now.”
Madam. Lloyd’s mother.
The woman said to be doomed by the so-called “devil’s curse.”
She must be lying in bed now.
“Please don’t feel hurt. This was decided suddenly, and preparations are needed. You must be confused as well.”
‘So Lloyd isn’t welcoming me.’
Well, that made sense.
Who would welcome an unwanted bride?
“First… hmm.”
Dana examined Aria carefully.
Seeing her small, frail body that didn’t match her age, she said,
“Please write down the foods you like and want to eat.”
Aria blinked blankly.
Dana dipped a pen in ink and placed it in her hand.
Foods she liked? Foods she wanted?
‘I don’t have anything like that.’
She had never had much of an appetite.
As a child, she ate cold porridge.
As a Siren, she had no desire to eat at all.
Even food prepared by royal chefs made her nauseous.
Food was just for survival.
‘I don’t even know many food names…’
She knew far more about alcohol and drugs instead.
That knowledge had come naturally from her past.
After hesitating, she wrote:
[Warm soup.]
That seemed sufficient.
As long as it wasn’t cold, foul-smelling food.
But Dana’s expression turned serious.
‘She looks disappointed.’
Aria quickly wrote another card.
[Bread and cheese.]
“….”
Still not enough?
Then—
[Cocoa with the melon-flavored thing on top.]
“Melon-flavored?”
Dana tilted her head.
Aria looked toward William for help.
He pressed his lips together, making a strange expression.
‘What is that look?’
So she explained:
[White, floating, soft.]
“Pfft— excuse me.”
William turned his head.
Dana suddenly understood.
“Ah, melon flavor.”
She nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll bring it right away.”
[Thank you.]
“Anything else?”
[Actually, I don’t know food names well.]
Dana looked like she was about to cry.
‘Is this something to cry about?’
[If you teach me, I’ll memorize quickly.]
At that moment, Dana hugged her tightly.
Aria froze.
It was her first time being embraced.
‘She hugged me… what a strange person.’
But…
It felt soft.
Warm.
Like touching a dog for the first time.
She didn’t feel like pushing her away.
“Miss.”
“….”
“You must have had a hard time. You’ve done well enduring it.”
Was she… comforting her?
‘That was a long time ago.’
Aria had cried a lot back then.
But now, even tears wouldn’t come.
Still, she quietly buried her head in Dana’s embrace.
“It’s alright now. You did nothing wrong.”
The gentle comfort continued.
It smelled like sun-dried blankets.
A scent that made one want to lie in sunlight.
“…There’s still warmth.”
Aria touched her head.
She hadn’t known being patted could feel like this.
‘Is that why the Grand Duke’s hounds begged for it?’
She stared at Dana’s hand.
“Shall I pat you more?”
[Not a baby.]
Yet she kept glancing at the hand.
Dana laughed.
“Why were you looking outside?”
[The flowers are pretty.]
She pointed outside.
White flowers trembled in the spring rain.
[I like seeing them from here.]
She had always looked outside.
It was her only window to the world.
“You like flowers, just like Madam. That’s wonderful.”
Rare plants…
Aria’s eyes sparkled.
“Would you like to see the garden?”
She nodded quickly.
Soon, she was dressed in elegant new clothes.
A sky-blue lace umbrella caught her attention the most.
‘So this is what people used in the rain.’
The sound of raindrops excited her.
Dana handed her a soft pink mask.
With rabbit ears.
“….”
“It’s a rabbit friend. It will keep nightmares away.”
[Not a baby.]
“Of course not.”
Still smiling.
‘This is… overwhelming.’
Even the Grand Duke hadn’t tried to remove her mask.
‘Are they testing me?’
She steadied herself.
Then—
poke.
Dana touched her cheek.
“Such lovely rosy cheeks.”
Aria froze.
Then—
Cocoa.
She drank it.
“…!”
It was sweet.
Rich.
And for the first time—
She didn’t feel nauseous.
‘I like sweet things.’
[It’s good. Melon.]
“Miss… you’re too adorable.”
‘Me?’
Then—
“Head maid! Something’s wrong!”
Aria ended up walking the garden alone.
“The Madam’s condition has worsened!”
Everyone rushed away.
The rain poured.
She looked toward the main palace.
‘She must not die.’
If she did…
Something terrible would follow.
‘Lloyd… loved his mother.’
Just like she once had.
She clenched her necklace.
Then—
rustle.
“Hey. What are you doing there?”
A cold voice.
A blade at her throat.
“What are you sneaking around for?”
She looked up.
A boy stood there.
Drenched in rain.
Sharp.
Elegant.
Dangerous.
‘Lloyd Cardenas Valentine…’
Not madness.
Not decay.
But—
Life.
Burning brightly.
‘So he wasn’t always broken.’
Strangely—
‘I’m glad.’
His blade gleamed white in the moonlight.
Her heart pounded painfully.
He leaned close.
“Speak. Unless you want your head rolling in the mud.”
