BTVF 19

Chapter 19

“Ha… finally.”

Lloyd let out a low breath and murmured.

“Does it mean they don’t care if they die…?”

At his quiet muttering, the architect beside him flinched, and Vincent’s eyes rounded with amusement as he chuckled.

Lloyd immediately headed toward the main palace.

He intended to go see the Grand Duke. It seemed that the man had truly lost his mind.

“What are you going to do?”

“If he has really gone mad, then as his son, I have a duty to give him eternal peace.”

Vincent laughed lightly and leisurely followed behind Lloyd, who was walking briskly ahead.

“Shall we go together, brother?”

“Get lost.”

Despite the cold insult, Vincent ignored it and smiled calmly.

At the entrance of the main palace, there were the enclosures.

“The wolf enclosure” and “the jaguar enclosure.”

To enter the palace, one had to pass through these enclosures, which served as the first line of defense against intruders.

Without hesitation, Lloyd opened the door to the jaguar enclosure.

But instead of the expected danger, a surprisingly lush green meadow spread before them.

It was an artificially created space, with a flowing river and herbivorous animals running around—placed there as food for the jaguars.

“No matter how many times I pass through here, I never get used to it,” Lloyd muttered.

Vincent looked down at his dirt-stained shoe tips and frowned—a rare expression from him.

“I don’t understand why we have to take such an inefficient path just to enter the palace.”

He lightly clicked his tongue and looked up.

Then he noticed Lloyd had stopped, staring at something ahead.

‘Hmm?’

Curious, Vincent followed his gaze.

And he saw a rare sight he had never witnessed in his life.

“Wh-what the hell is that…?”

Rabbits, deer, sparrows, squirrels—all gathered together.

And they were with the jaguars.

Despite having prey right in front of them, the jaguars lay on the grass leisurely, growling softly.

At the center, there was a child.

Leaning on a jaguar’s back, the child was peacefully asleep.

‘Unbelievable.’

Sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling, filling the enclosure.

Golden rays shone over the child’s head, and the dust floating in the air sparkled like gold.

‘Not even a forest fairy could look like this.’

It felt unreal.

Like an illustration from a fairy tale book.

‘An invasive species in the ecosystem.’

A Siren.

A species unknown to the world.

She had been sold off quickly by Count Cortez, and Vincent had thought there would be nothing of interest—a mere empty shell—but it wasn’t so.

‘It seems innate. But even for a Siren, I didn’t expect this…’

It looked less like human ability and more like something out of a fairy tale, suitable for a forest spirit.

‘No wonder they were called a legendary species.’

A power strong enough to disrupt an ecosystem—Vincent, as a scholar, couldn’t help but be intrigued.

He stared openly, showing no attempt to hide his fascination with Aria.

‘Taming predators that serve no one but their master, even controlling the infamous Demon Grand Duke… this isn’t ordinary skill.’

It seemed her ability was to tame animals.

Perhaps, being a direct descendant of the Valentine line, it was easier for her to control creatures than ordinary humans.

‘Plausible.’

He thought it a convincing hypothesis.

Though voicing it aloud would probably cost him his life at the hands of the brother standing next to him.

‘Jaguars, the Grand Duke, and next…’

Then his gaze fell on Lloyd.

‘I wonder what will happen.’

He observed silently as Lloyd stared at the sleeping girl.

Although Lloyd’s back was turned, so his face couldn’t be seen.

Vincent was suddenly curious what expression someone so normally unemotional would be making.

That day’s lunch was herring, gently cooked and scented with butter.

‘Wow…’

Aria was amazed.

Lemon slices were arranged in waves around the herring.

Remoulade sauce was drizzled along the edges like rolling ocean waves.

Golden flakes sprinkled on top gave the impression of the sun glimmering over the sea surface.

‘As expected from Valentine. Even the chef’s dishes are works of art.’

Aria picked up her fork and tasted the herring.

Fragrant and chewy.

The subtle flavor of the fish and the tangy sauce blended perfectly.

[This is delicious.]

“What does it taste like?”

The baker asked with a satisfied smile.

Aria thought for a moment and answered:

[Like the sea.]

She had never been there herself.

But her mother, Sophia, had once told her about Atlantis—a former minor kingdom, later absorbed by the Pineta Empire, now vanished into legend.

The home of the Sirens.

“Perfect.”

The baker said proudly.

Then he asked permission to take the card labeled [Like the sea].

‘Why do so many people want the cards I write these days?’

Aria wondered, but since the card wasn’t particularly needed, she gave it to him willingly.

The baker carefully tucked it into his chest as if it were a treasure.

“Thank you very much.”

Dana gently wiped Aria’s lips with a napkin and smiled.

Seeing her lady eat beyond just soup seemed to relieve a century-old blockage in Dana herself.

‘Well done, young lady!’

Meanwhile, Aria poked at her own stomach.

‘I’ve gained weight.’

Fat had returned to her once-flat stomach.

It was fascinating.

Increasing her daily meals little by little had helped her grow taller and gain weight.

‘My socks don’t fall down anymore.’

She stretched her legs.

No matter how she moved, her socks stayed snug around her ankles.

Even her cheeks, which already had a little flesh, had become plump.

‘But it’s still not enough.’

Despite regaining some health, she still could not sing the Healing Song or the Song of Destruction.

The Healing Song could cure any disease short of bringing the dead back to life.

The Song of Destruction could completely destroy a chosen part of someone’s body or mind.

These were the songs she sang most often, envied even by the Emperor.

And they were the songs she would most need in the future.

‘Well, I first sang those at fourteen.’

Four years from now.

After the Valentine Incident.

Aria had to somehow bring forward the time she could sing them.

[ I want to eat more. ]

“Milady…!”

Dana’s eyes brimmed with tears at the joy, and the baker immediately brought the next dish.

Roast turkey with rich brown gravy.

Aria took the fork and knife and skillfully cut a corner.

“Have you ever learned table manners?”

At that moment, Dana asked, and Aria froze.

“I thought her posture and every movement were exceptional…”

Unlike with soup, formal courses made all manners visible.

After becoming a Siren, Aria had been trained by her father in all noble etiquette.

So well, it became second nature.

“….”

She realized too late.

Her hands suddenly went limp, and the fork and knife dropped.

She bowed her head and presented a card.

[I’m too hungry and weak.]

Though she had no strength to hold the utensils, she could still write—a clearly impossible situation.

Yet the servants’ reaction was explosive.

“I’ll cut it for you!”

“No, I will!”

“Step aside! I can slice the meat well!”

“I have a certificate for meat carving!”

Then the head chef, standing solemnly among the eager assistants, spoke.

“I cut it best.”

No one argued.

The assistants quietly lowered their hands.

Just as the head chef expected, Aria silently looked at Dana.

“Oh, shall I cut it for you?”

Aria nodded.

Ignoring the disgruntled cooking staff, Dana cheerfully sliced the turkey for Aria.

“Please, go ahead.”

Ah—

Aria bit into the turkey, savoring it.

Dana smiled proudly, drawing envious glances from the staff.

Dana then dressed Aria in an indoor gown.

A pale yellow dress, bright, cheerful, and perfectly adorable.

Layers of lace were delicately embroidered with tiny flowers.

“I knew pastel colors would suit you well,” Dana hummed with delight.

Aria looked in the mirror.

Her gaze paused for a moment.

The velvet waist ribbon had a cute cat pendant.

‘It looks like Lloyd.’

The eyes, rendered in jet-black obsidian, matched Lloyd’s color.

As Aria fiddled with the pendant, Dana glanced out the window and subtly nudged.

“The Grand Duke returned just yesterday… shall I show him in?”

But Aria quickly shook her head.

‘Even though I’m fully recovered, why would he chase me out?’

Until the Grand Duchess’s illness was cured, it was best not to provoke him.

Aria quickly ran toward the library.

The library had multiple soundproof study rooms—perfect for practicing her songs.

Even though the Siren’s voice had magical properties, it didn’t diminish in a soundproof room.

Just as a mage could set the range of a spell, it made no difference here.

‘The Grand Duke probably thinks I’m just a bookworm.’

Aria pretended to browse the shelves, casually picking up a book and heading to a study.

If no one had spoken to her along the way, that would have sufficed.

“Hello, sister-in-law.”

Sister-in-law?