~Chapter 6~
Even though he was wearing a hood, Aria knew who he was.
The overwhelming power and dangerous aura of the Grand Duke felt exactly like his son.
“Even the way he kills people… it’s the same.”
She stared at him closely, trying to find traces of Lloyd.
“He even looks the same.”
Same hair color. Same eyes. Same face.
The only difference was the hair length.
Lloyd had short hair that showed his neck, but this man had long black hair that reached his chest.
“Hmm.”
The Grand Duke didn’t avoid her gaze and looked straight back at her.
His bright red eyes were so intense that it felt like her face was burning.
He had never received such a fearless stare from a child before.
“What a strange little kid. Didn’t you hear me say I’d feed people to my dogs?”
“……”
“And you know I was going to kill you?”
Aria nodded calmly and grabbed his sleeve tightly.
He flinched.
“Huh? What?”
Aria was surprised too. She didn’t expect that reaction.
He looked down at her small hand holding his sleeve.
“I’ll pay the contract money immediately. The rest will be handled here.”
The Grand Duke gave orders naturally and gestured to William.
“You’re always so impulsive.”
The butler looked tired, like this wasn’t the first time.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course not. I like the little lady too. Animals don’t follow bad people.”
‘Then that would mean the Grand Duke isn’t a bad person…’
Aria thought.
‘That doesn’t sound right.’
Meanwhile, servants stacked boxes of gold coins.
“You will never see the Count again. Since you were declared nonexistent, you must forget everything that happened today.”
The Grand Duke spoke lazily.
“If you break this promise, I’ll erase the Cortez family from the Empire’s history.”
No one doubted him.
Because he was a Valentine.
“Wait… I have one condition.”
The Count, groaning in pain, spoke.
“You still have something to say?”
The tone clearly meant “How dare you?”
Still trembling, he continued stubbornly:
“If she has a daughter, give her to me. Daughters don’t inherit titles anyway.”
“……”
“That’s all I ask.”
He wanted Aria’s future child—hoping it might also be a siren.
‘Even now… he’s still thinking like that.’
Aria thought her father was impressive in a twisted way.
The Grand Duke nodded slightly.
“So you want to become dog food too.”
“What?!”
“If you wish, I’ll erase you along with your family.”
He gestured to the beasts.
The Count immediately shut his mouth.
After leaving everything to the butler, the Grand Duke walked away calmly with the dogs.
“Count, let’s move somewhere else.”
“Why?”
“For the young lady’s mental well-being.”
“…What are you planning to do?”
“You shouldn’t have said that last thing. Then we might have let you go peacefully.”
“……”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you forgot you ever had a daughter?”
The butler smiled as if erasing memories was easy.
“Our interrogators are very skilled. You’ll experience it yourself.”
The knights dragged the Count away.
His screams echoed.
“Shall we go, young lady?”
Aria looked at the smiling butler with an awkward expression.
Later
“This was arranged suddenly, so please excuse the lack of preparation. You’ll stay here until your room is ready.”
The room was large and luxurious, clearly for important guests.
Everything—from furniture to decorations—was expensive.
“More importantly… art.”
Paintings and sculptures filled the room like a museum.
‘The value…’
It was beyond pricing.
‘This is unexpected.’
She thought it would be dark and gloomy.
‘It’s even more luxurious than the imperial palace.’
Was the rumor true? That the Valentine family controlled national assets?
‘I thought it was just a myth.’
William gestured, and a middle-aged woman approached.
“I’m Dana, the head maid and the young master’s nanny. I’ll be taking care of you.”
She looked at Aria like she was a cute little animal.
‘That gaze feels ticklish…’
It was Aria’s first time interacting with people as Aria, not as a siren.
“The young master is probably taking care of his mother right now.”
Lloyd’s mother—someone who would soon die due to the so-called “curse.”
“Please don’t feel hurt. Everything happened suddenly.”
‘So Lloyd doesn’t welcome me.’
Well… who would welcome an unwanted bride?
“First…”
Dana looked her over carefully.
“Write down your favorite foods.”
Aria blinked.
‘I don’t have any…’
She had never cared about food.
As a child, she ate cold porridge. As a siren, she had no appetite.
Even the best food made her sick.
‘I don’t even know food names…’
She knew more about alcohol and drugs instead.
‘This is too hard.’
Ink dripped onto the blank card.
Finally, she wrote:
[Warm soup]
Dana’s face became serious.
‘She looks disappointed.’
Aria quickly added:
[Bread and cheese]
Still not enough.
So she wrote:
[Cocoa with something melon-flavored on top]
“Melon-flavored…?”
Aria explained:
[White, floating, soft]
William almost laughed.
Dana smiled.
“Ah, I understand.”
She nodded.
“I’ll bring it right away.”
[Thank you]
“Anything else?”
Dana asked eagerly.
Aria answered honestly:
[I don’t know food names]
Dana looked like she might cry.
‘Why is she reacting like that…?’
Aria hurriedly wrote:
[If you teach me, I’ll memorize them]
Suddenly—
She was hugged.
Aria froze.
She had never hugged someone before.
‘What a strange person…’
But… it felt warm.
Soft.
Comfortable.
Like touching a puppy for the first time.
She didn’t want to push her away.
“Miss…”
“……”
“You must have had such a hard time. You did well.”
Is she comforting me?
Aria felt confused.
That suffering was long ago.
She had cried a lot back then.
Now… she couldn’t cry anymore.
‘I chose to come here instead of taking revenge.’
So this was enough.
She quietly leaned into the embrace.
“You’re safe now. You did nothing wrong.”
The gentle comfort continued.
‘This smell…’
It smelled like sun-dried blankets.
Like warmth.
Like spring.
The Next Morning
“Oh my!”
Dana was shocked.
Aria was standing by the window at dawn.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
Aria shook her head.
But Dana panicked anyway.
“This is my fault! I should have stayed with you!”
[No]
“You’re still a baby… you must have been scared.”
[No]
Aria waved her card repeatedly.
‘Baby…?’
She was ten years old!
[I’m just small. I’m not a baby.]
Dana smiled softly and patted her head.
“Hehe, not a baby?”
Aria froze.
Slowly, she reached up and touched the top of her head.
