Chapter 55
Becoming The Villain’s Family
A new guest came to the Grand Duchy.
âYou must have heard from Vincent.â
On the way back from morning training, Lloyd stopped by Ariaâs room and said.
â What?
Aria responded with a message with a long yawn.
Marronnier was right next to her, looking at her with round eyes, so she couldnât help it.
âAbout the devilâs malice.â
â Ahâ¦.
Aria nodded her head.
â Vincent was telling me but he was worried that Lloyd would scold him.
âI did touch himâ¦.a littleâ
Hmm.
Aria remembered Vincent, who was afraid as if his life was over.
She decided to take a moment to express her condolences to him.
âAnyway, the apprentice from Garcia arrived today. He will stay there for 5 years and purify the malice of this land.â
â Who?
âI donât know.â
Lloyd replied like a knife.
âI wonât stop you if you really want to, but heâs not here to help us, so you donât have to treat him well.â
Theyâre not here to help?
â Then what?
âStrict contractual relationship.â
He added an explanation.
âBe careful, because the Pope is a human being worse than a rat. To put it bluntly, heâs like a spy infiltrating from the inside.â
The situation was more serious than expected. Aria got nervous at Lloydâs words and nodded her head as if she understood.
âAfter all, it would be better not to mix words with people from Garcia. I donât know what will happen later.â
But apart from that, Aria had something to say to Lloyd.
â Hey.
âHuh.â
â In the future, donât hide things and tell me.
ââ¦..â
The boy didnât answer for a moment.
He furrowed his smooth brow for a moment, then answered in a heavy voice after a while.
âI donât intend to burden you.â
It was enough to cure his mother, who had no hope of surviving. That alone meant Lloyd owed Aria a debt he would have to pay for the rest of his life.
But Aria shook her head.
â Itâs not a burden. Weâre family.
ââ¦â¦â
â Because weâre a family, I want to know everything.
Lloyd was at a loss for words.
Aria has always had a talent for making people speechless. But he did not panic and accepted it.
âIf you promise not to overdo it.â
ââ¦â¦â
âThere is no answer. It sounds like you would be trying to help me, even if it was too much.â
The boy narrowed his eyes. Now it seemed that he could slowly learn how to get away from Ariaâs sweet, candy-like words.
âIf youâre swayed, there is no end.â
He thought he wouldnât blink his eyes no matter what Aria said now. But instead of words, Aria lifted her little finger.
â Promise.
ââ¦..â
Lloyd was annoyed.
âWhat are you doing, being cute?â
Aria smiled innocently, took Lloydâs hand as she pleased, and clasped their fingers tightly as they promised.
âDamn it, thereâs no end to it.â
Eventually, he couldnât say anything and looked down at his fingers.
There seemed to still be a touch left.
***
A priest with the name of an angel.
The information that Aria knew was just that. After she heard Lloyd, she didnât even want to know more.
âAh.â
Aria smiled brightly and took the flowers that Marronnier had picked, when she saw the boy.
Their eyes met. When Aria stared at him, the boy couldnât take his eyes off her either.
âLooks like Iâve seen him somewhereâ¦.â
He had silver hair as white as snow and clear blue eyes. A boy with holiness flowing through his body just by standing still.
âAh, I saw it from the lowest place.â
The apprentice knight who was beaten to death by rogues while trying to save Aria.
She thought she would never see him again. She didnât know theyâd meet in a place like this.
âWhy must it be him?â
Aria was uncomfortable with that boy. It was because she had an affinity for him. So she hoped never to see him again.
âIt canât beâ¦â
However, the boy also seemed to recognize Aria.
Then he glanced from a distance and she immediately put her hat back on and thought he wouldnât know.
âHe has unreasonably good eyesight.â
The boy who couldnât take his eyes off her, got closer.
âItâs you!â
At that time, in front of Aria, Marronnier, who had always grinned and squirmed around like a squirrel, tightened her neck.
âHow dare the apprentice priest disrespect the safety recklessly! This is the Grand Princeâs wife!â
Wow. Aria admired.
âShe could say something like that too?â
She looked at Marronnier in disbelief, then raised her hand and stroked Maronnierâs hair.
As if she did well. Then, Marronnier returned to the charming squirrel again and smiled shyly. It was a double personality like.
âAre you the Grand Princeâs wife?â
The boy asked, narrowing his eyes.
âHave I seen you somewhere?â
Hearing those words, Marronnier was terrified as if she was out of breath.
âCrazy, crazy. To play tricks on the Young Madam.â
âNo, itâs not a trickâ¦â
âThis apprentice priest must have gone crazy. To pollute the Madamâs ears with lines that wonât even be used in classic novels.â
ââ¦..â
The boy seemed to be very stubborn. When he was misunderstood that he had done a trick, his face went red.
She didnât even know it was because of the unusually light-pigmented skin.
âI think Iâve seen you from the lowest place.â
But he said steadfastly. He wasnât usually this tenacious.
âThis is difficult.â
Aria didnât want to be found out that she had been to the lowest place. Because she had promised Lloyd this morning that she wouldnât do anything reckless and put a pinky promise on it.
âOf course, this is a thing of the past.â
That somehow had something to do with Garciaâs apprentice priest, who Lloyd was extremely wary of.
Aria decided to pretend.
[First time seeing you.]
And she smiled brightly and held out her card.
The boy looked perplexed. As if he didnât know she couldnât speak.
âSee? Itâs the first time sheâs seen you.â
Marronnier waved her hand as if to go away. The boy still had an expression full of regret.
But what if itâs not?
âI should stop being disrespectful.â
He bowed down and apologized.
âIf youâre lying, there must be a reason.â
âHey, you againâ¦â
Marronnier was furious with the momentum to grab his back, but he didnât care.
âWhat I want to say isâ¦â
The boy paused for a moment, then he continued with a faint smile.
âIâm glad youâre safe, truly.â
ââ¦â¦â
âI was very worried. I just thought I couldnât protect you.â
He was genuinely delighted. The fact that Aria is alive.
So Maronnier didnât get mad, and she had no choice but to pause for a moment.
âIt sounds like he really knows the Young Madamâ¦.â
She glanced at the apprentice priest and Aria in turn.
âThe greeting is late. My name is Gabriel, who came from Garcia after receiving a mission. I am a commoner, so I do not have a last name.â
Gabriel.
Aria was agitated for a moment when she heard the name of the Holy Knight Commander. Her eyes fluttered wildly.
âIt must be the same person.â
At first she thought hard about it. However.
âThe priests apparently said that the divine power was manifested belatedly.â
Aria carefully looked into his eyes with an anxious gaze.
âThe eyes are light blueâ¦..â
It was obviously sky blue. But when looked at more closely, a golden aura spread over the corners of his eyes.
âSymbol of divine power.â
At that moment, Aria took a close look at the boyâs features, which she had never paid any attention to.
Surprisingly, traces of familiar faces remained. She wondered why she didnât recognize him earlier.
âI did not know.â
She really didnât know. The divine power that was manifested very late also brings about great changes physically. Although he is small and slender now, he will soon grow to be worthy of the title of the Holy Knights Commander.
Huge, strong, and overbearing enough to kill tens of thousands of people at once.
âVeronicaâs loyal dog. The Popeâs henchman.â
Gabrielâs future was to shine brighter than the stars. The moment he becomes an adult, he will gain an unprecedented explosive divine power.
He would have the Popeâs absolute confidence and would rise to a position that even a cardinal would not be able to gain.
âWithout him.â
Veronica would not have been able to exert as much influence as her past life.
Aria wouldnât have been called a monster.
The innocent people would not have died horribly.
The public would not have stirred up to have Aria executed.
She would not have been imprisoned in the emperorâs cage.
She wouldnât have died that way.
âItâs okay. There is no end to resentment.â
Gabriel was not the direct cause of Ariaâs death.
âHe was just doing his job.â
Even without him, her tragic death was foreseen. Aria tightly closed her eyes.
âAfter all, he is someone who has nothing to do with me⦠..â
And she gathered her own feelings.
âOh, wait.â
That was the moment. Aria changed her mind.
âIf I pull him on my side.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
How about taming this loyal dog in advance?