~Chapter 9~
When Aria focused all her senses, she could hear life breathing all around her.
Chirp! Chirp!
Birds reacted to the siren’s power and began singing.
Bzzzzz—
Insects filled the air with steady, high-pitched sounds.
Aria lifted her hand and gently waved it through the air.
The wind brushed past her fingertips. Grass and branches rustled softly against each other.
It sounded like music—like they were playing along with her song.
‘How fascinating.’
She had always sung to the accompaniment of an orchestra.
Come to think of it, this was her first time singing outdoors.
‘Whenever I went outside, I was always gagged.’
The Count had constantly watched her, afraid she would escape.
He even carried a crossbow and killed any animal that approached her.
The only places she was allowed to sing were enclosed spaces—
underground parties of powerful nobles, or the Emperor’s cage.
“My beloved plane tree, with your soft and beautiful leaves.”
Aria began to sing freely.
Listening to birds and insects,
matching the rhythm of wind playing through grass and trees.
“Fate shines upon you.”
Dawn was breaking.
Light slowly spread across the dark sky.
“Thunder, lightning, and storms shall never disturb your peace.”
The light drizzle stopped.
“Even the greedy southern wind shall not defile you, lovely tree.”
Aria stepped closer and pressed her ear gently against the trunk.
For a moment, it felt like she could hear a heartbeat.
A soft smile appeared on her lips.
A faint glow began to wrap around the tree.
The light grew stronger—like sunlight pouring down—
golden rays filtering through the leaves.
It was dazzling.
“Fate shines upon you.”
At that moment, the sun rose.
Morning arrived in brilliant white light.
The glow around the cherry tree slowly faded,
and golden particles began to fall from its buds.
Soon, they formed into flower buds.
“Ugh!”
She nearly collapsed.
Her vision spun, and she grabbed the tree for support.
Her body temperature had dropped from staying in wet clothes all night.
She shivered.
‘Maybe I overdid it.’
She had deliberately left her wounds untreated and stayed in the rain.
When her body was weak and her mind blurred, her song became stronger.
Like how humans surpass their limits in extreme situations.
‘My body can’t handle it as well as I thought.’
She felt like she might collapse.
Aria, used to losing consciousness, recognized the signs.
She was about to leave—
Rustle.
Someone stepped on the grass.
She turned immediately toward the sound.
A man stood there, staring at her.
His expression was dazed, then quickly turned awkward.
“You—you can talk. No… wait…”
“……”
“That heavenly song… and then the tree…”
A servant.
Aria checked his clothes.
The man smirked and approached.
“Looks like I’m lucky today.”
“……”
“Say something. Staying silent won’t fool me.”
He acted arrogantly, thinking he had leverage.
When she didn’t respond, he started rambling.
“I always thought something was strange. How could the Grand Duke’s bride be completely secret? Doesn’t make sense.”
Aria’s identity was strictly confidential.
Only a few high-ranking staff knew.
She had requested it herself.
‘Better to be careful.’
But the servant assumed she wasn’t a noble.
“I could report you to the butler right now. But…”
He looked her up and down and swallowed.
Then leaned close and whispered:
“Sing again for me.”
“……”
“When I call you, you come and sing. Then I’ll keep quiet.”
Aria looked at him calmly, as if used to this kind of person.
“100 million Char.”
“…What?”
“The price for one song.”
The servant was shocked.
‘One song costs that much?!’
“That’s enough to buy a mansion!”
“Hey, you don’t seem to understand your situation…”
He bragged about falsely accusing a maid before.
His name was Toby.
He survived by exposing others’ secrets or framing them.
Aria listened carefully.
“If you can’t afford the price of my song, can you bear its weight?”
she said calmly.
At that moment—
Lightning flashed behind her.
A white streak cut across the sky like a blade.
BOOM!
Thunder shook the ground.
Toby flinched.
‘It’s just thunder… right?’
But the situation suddenly reversed.
Aria walked toward him slowly.
He stepped back without realizing.
Then tripped and fell.
“W-wait!”
He didn’t understand why he felt afraid of a child.
Aria extended her hand.
“But you should at least pay for your sins.”
She began to sing.
Toby’s thoughts stopped.
He couldn’t breathe.
‘Ah…’
It felt like a starving man finding water.
Or a fanatic seeing a god.
As he stood entranced—
Aria whispered softly into his ear:
“You will not tell anyone what you saw today. Go confess your sins and accept your punishment.”
Suddenly, his mind returned.
‘Confess?’
He tried to laugh.
But no sound came out.
‘What… what is this?!’
He tried to move.
But couldn’t even lift a finger.
Until Aria walked away—
He couldn’t do anything.
Then his body moved on its own.
‘Stop! STOP!’
His face turned pale.
Like a puppet, his body walked by itself.
Soon, he stood in front of the Third Knights’ office.
He knocked.
Entered.
“What is it?”
The captain and a notorious interrogator were inside.
‘No…!’
Toby had another secret—
He had sold internal information.
‘I was never supposed to get caught!’
Bad timing.
The Grand Duke’s wife was dying.
Traitors would be fed to beasts.
‘Please! I’m sorry!’
But it was too late.
His mouth opened on its own.
“I’ve come to confess all my crimes.”
Later
‘My face is hot… my ears are ringing…’
Voices echoed faintly.
Everything blurred.
Aria slowly opened her eyes.
Her breathing was heavy.
‘Where am I…?’
She couldn’t tell.
She leaned against a wall.
“…It hurts.”
She whispered.
She felt like passing out.
She should at least reach her room first.
“Suddenly disappeared?”
Her vision snapped back.
It was Lloyd’s voice.
“Not suddenly… we don’t know when she left…”
Betty, the head maid, replied nervously.
“Then I must have been the last to see her.”
“…What?”
“I threatened her to leave. I was going to kill her.”
“…WHAT?!”
Betty was shocked into silence.
“Then… it’s no surprise she’s hiding somewhere…”
she said weakly.
“The estate is dangerous for her.”
Lloyd paused, then said:
“I’ll find the rabbit myself.”
His footsteps faded.
‘Idiot. Wrong way.’
Aria thought weakly.
She didn’t have the strength to call out.
Then—
Co coo…
A white pigeon sat on the window.
‘Carrier pigeon…’
“Bird.”
“Coo!”
“I have a request.”
She spoke, half-delirious.
“At the top of the main palace… the last room.”
“Coo!”
“Deliver a message.”
Don’t lose hope. Everyone is waiting for you. Please endure. Believe in miracles.
The pigeon spread its wings—
and flew away.
‘It listened…?’
Her knees gave out.
Her body collapsed.
“Miss!”
Someone shouted from afar.
“Call a doctor!”
Her vision faded.
And everything went dark.
