Chapter 13
It was dawn, before the sun had risen.
Aria woke up to a faint tapping sound somewhere.
‘What… is that?’
The sound came from the window.
Half-asleep, she stumbled out of bed.
Rubbing her eyes and peering out the window, she heard it again.
“Coo coo!”
Oh.
Aria’s eyes widened as she opened the window fully.
The white dove she had seen before circled around her and gently landed on her shoulder.
“Hello. We meet again.”
She remembered how the dove had helped her before she collapsed from her fever.
Aria raised her index finger and stroked the dove’s head.
The dove closed its eyes and tilted its head in response to her touch.
‘Wolves, people, or doves… everyone enjoys having their head petted, I guess.’
Aria couldn’t help but smile quietly.
“Talking to a bird… I must really be foolish.”
Hearing this, the dove gently pecked her finger—not hard, as if saying, “Are you ignoring me?”
Aria held her finger in surprise.
“Coo coo!”
“Uh, uh?”
The dove flapped its wings and pointed to its leg.
A note was tied there that she hadn’t seen before.
Prompted by the dove, Aria untied the note.
Neatly written on it was:
[When I thought I might die, I realized how precious life is.
The spring you gave me was so brilliant.
How warm will summer be?
How bountiful will autumn be?
How pure and white will winter’s paradise be?
I’ve kept thinking about it. So I’ll try to endure as long as life allows.
–To the Fairy of Spring–]
Surprisingly, it was a letter from the Grand Duchess.
Aria read it again and again.
‘She carefully sent it through my window.’
The realization made her slam the window shut and crouch on the floor, her heart pounding.
Had her identity been discovered?
‘No, maybe the dove just came to me because I sent it.’
Aria looked at the note again.
The letter called her “Fairy of Spring.” Perhaps that was the Duchess’ way of not revealing her identity.
‘I feel… strange.’
All she wanted was to do something to prevent the Valentine incident.
She didn’t expect to receive a letter like this.
‘She said she’ll endure.’
It wasn’t a desperate plea for help.
She had seen hope in Aria and expressed gratitude, with the courage to endure.
‘A person I’ve never met…’
And she knew she might die soon.
Aria felt determined to save her no matter what.
She ran to the garden.
After hesitating for a few minutes, she picked a freesia flower.
She tied the note to the dove’s leg and placed the flower in its beak, sending it into the sky.
[I’ll show you everything. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Until spring comes again.]
Aria realized she needed a place to secretly practice singing.
She thought this after recovering from her fever.
After making dozens of cherry trees bloom with her “Song of Life,” she painfully felt the limits of being ten years old.
Her siren abilities were intact, but her untrained body wasn’t enough.
‘The Healing Song or the Destructive Song could shock me to death if I sing them now…’
To heal the Grand Duchess, she had no choice but to do it.
She solemnly held out a card:
[I’ve reduced my fever.]
“No, you still have a slight temperature,” Dana said, feeling Aria’s cheek and neck. Aria pretended not to hear and quietly got up.
“You really should rest one more night… Hello? Are you listening?”
Aria tried to run but was immediately stopped. She struggled a little, then looked at Dana with pleading eyes.
“You must take absolute rest.”
“….”
“No matter how puppy-dog eyes you give me, it won’t work.”
“….”
“Hmm, I said no!”
“….”
Finally, Dana raised her hands in surrender.
“Where do you want to go?”
[The garden.]
Currently, Aria was forbidden to see flowers due to overprotection.
“All right, just garden sightseeing is fine…”
Thanks to Aria insisting she had no pollen allergies, Dana reluctantly agreed.
“Return before sunset.”
[Okay.]
“If you get lost, ask anyone nearby for help.”
[Okay.]
“No worries. Everyone will gladly help you.”
[Okay.]
Aria had to shake the card several times to answer.
Finally, Dana let her go with a little relief.
Aria wandered in the garden under the guise of flower viewing, looking for a place to practice singing.
Suddenly, something rustled and approached quickly from behind.
Aria turned, startled—but it was too late.
A creature pounced on her silently, like a predator going for prey.
“Grr!”
“Ahh!”
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
Aria screamed lightly, falling on her backside.
“…”
It was a wolf wagging its tail happily.
If anyone had been nearby, it would have been dangerous.
“Cheeky.”
She lightly tapped the wolf’s nose to scold it.
The wolf whimpered and drooped its ears and tail, pretending to be sorry.
‘So it can act cute too.’
Aria laughed a little.
“How did you get here?”
After shaking off the dirt, she whispered to the wolf:
“Did you run here because you missed me?”
“Woof woof!”
Apparently yes.
She observed the wolf’s reactions, trying to understand.
‘Could we really communicate?’
“Paw.”
The wolf put its paw on her hand.
“Down.”
The wolf lowered its body and lay flat.
Aria marveled at how she could not only communicate but make requests to an animal.
‘No wonder my father feared animals getting near me.’
She remembered Count Cortez, who ordered all life around him to be destroyed, and smiled bitterly.
“Do you know a place in the castle where no one interferes?”
“Woof!”
“Where your leader is?”
“Woof woof!”
The wolf led her to the wolf leader—the head of the pack.
Aria climbed onto the wolf’s back, holding on tightly.
“Lead the way.”
The wolf dashed off.
To the Valentine Duke.
“….”
“….”
Aria and the Duke looked at each other silently.
The wolf wagged its tail wildly, asking for praise.
Dwayne, the Duke’s aide, had drawn his sword thinking it was an attack, but now awkwardly sheathed it.
Aria, holding the wolf tightly, looked around in surprise.
‘Is this… the Duke’s office?’
She noticed something strange while the scenery shifted rapidly as the wolf ran, bringing them closer to the main hall.
“Hmm?”
The Valentine Duke, Tristan, slid the cigarette he had been holding between his fingers, observing Aria riding the wolf with interest.
“I didn’t expect someone to ride my hound like a horse.”
She literally flew—well, Tristan lifted her by the scruff of her neck.
Aria clutched the strap of her old bag like a lifeline, eyes darting everywhere.
Her nervous expression made the Duke smile wider.
“Please handle my hunting dog gently, if you don’t mind.”
You should handle me gently, she thought, dangling by the scruff.
“Why have you come here, miss?”
He exhaled smoke lazily, his tone sharp despite using honorifics for the woman marrying his son.
Aria couldn’t say she came to practice singing.
She dug in her bag and pulled out a card.
After struggling to write, she finally addressed the Duke with the card:
[Father.]
She held it close to his nose, playfully showing a little mischief for being roughly handled.
[I came because I missed you.]
