Chapter 56
Becoming The Villain’s Family
If Gabriel becomes the popeâs right-hand man in favor of Aria.
âEven if something unexpected happens, there might be an opportunity to get out of the crisis at least once.â
Aria looked at Gabriel. It was a surprisingly clean expression. A pure white expression with no emotions or thoughts mixed in. Integrity and cleanliness.
Right now, white is good and black is evil.
âItâs like a white canvas.â
Itâs so clean, itâs almost like itâs going to stain with whatever beliefs that were placed on it.
She had no idea that such a miraculous opportunity would come. So she wrote down her card, folded it neatly, and held it tightly in his hand. Like delivering a secret message.
[Actually, I saved the angel.]
As he secretly opened the note from Maronnier, Gabriel stared at Aria with a bewildered gaze.
Aria placed her index finger on her own lips as if asking him to keep it a secret. And she turned her back without regret.
âWhat? What did it say?â
Patting Marronnierâs head, who is constantly wary of the boy, she glanced behind her back.
âFor the next five years.â
There was plenty of time.
***
[Shall I pray?]
âYes? Who? Sister-in-law?â
It was when she ran into Vincent by chance and were walking down the hallway together. He asked, pretending to pick his ear to the card that Aria had pulled out.
âA person who blasphemes as if breathing, doing a prayer? Are you going to curse?â
Aria shook her head.
Why would you even pray and curse at God? It would just be a waste of time doing it.
[Iâm thinking of becoming a devout believer for a while.]
âWhat new game is that?â
Well, it was similar in a sense. It took a little bit of acting to tame the saintly dog.
âIn the sense that the fate of me and Valentine is at stake, so it can be said to be a game of risk.â
Aria checked the grandfather clock.
The Edens prayed three times a day: morning, noon and evening. Of course, unless theyâre a very devout believer, theyâll usually skip it because itâs annoying.
âSoon it will be time for the morning prayer.â
Aria headed to the prayer room. Curiously, Vincent followed after her.
âAh.â
And it was as expected.
Aria was able to run into a boy with a troubled look on his face, walking in front of the prayer room. It was Gabriel.
âAs expected, I thought that if it were you, you would not miss a day and keep the prayer time straight like a sword.â
It was obvious without even seeing it. She just knew. No, even if he collapsed, he would have prayed.
âGrand Princess.â
Even though Gabriel was from the lowest place, he went to the Papal Palace on his own feet.
The lowest point is where extraterritoriality law was placed, and where trafficking was rampant.
It meant that he could have fled to another country at any time if he wished.
But he didnât.
âThatâs how strong his faith was.â
Knowing how people from the lowest place in Garcia are treated. He endured all the criticism against his origin and even volunteered to be a paladin. No matter what the circumstances were, he was never broken.
âIf you try to break him, he will become stronger.
Obviously, the more coercive it is, the stronger his reaction will be, so she had to soothe him gently.
âThe prayer room is closedâ¦â
Gabriel mumbled and couldnât finish his words.
It was because Aria took out the key she had kept in her arms before he could even finish his words. Pretending to be familiar, she opened the door to the prayer room.
âDid the Grand Princess come to pray too?â
Aria nodded her head. Then Vincent stared at her with astonishment.
âOh, I see.â
Gabriel said, scratching his cheek. It was a reaction that he did not know that the Grand Princess, who lives in the Devilâs castle, would have come to pray.
âI think I was too narrow-minded because I lacked training.â
He murmured as if embarrassed.
âNo, it was probably what you think.â
The door to the prayer room was locked because no one was using it.
âIf there wasnât a marriage recently, I would have prayed in a ruined place full of dust and cobwebs.â
Aria thought so in her heart, and she first stepped into the prayer room.
The two men followed her.
âI have no idea what youâre thinking sometimes.â
Vincent whispered a small whisper in Ariaâs ear and glanced at Gabriel.
Seeing the symbol of God, he noticeably regained his composure. It seemed to be because he finally found a familiar space in a strange country and among strangers.
âOf course, thereâs nothing wrong with buying likes.â
Like thereâs nothing good to buy apathy.
âI was reluctant because he came from Garcia, but heâll have to purge the malice for five years anyway.â
And if he was a spy of the Pope, there was nothing wrong with being vigilant.
âBut why?â
It doesnât matter if they like or dislike him, shouldnât they just leave it alone?
Vincent glanced at Gabriel with distasteful glances. And he was amazed to see Gabriel praying as naturally as a stream of water.
âWow, sister-in-law. Look at that. There really was a fool who prayed to the God who abandoned the human worldâ¦â
Vincent groaned a little and turned to his side. Aria, who once believed in God, was skillfully praying.
ââ¦..â
He felt like he had fallen into a strange world.
He decided it would be better to get out of here.
***
Aria prayed every day.
For breakfast, lunch and dinner. It meant that three times a day she met Gabriel in the prayer room.
âEven if we met for a while, we just prayed without saying anything.â
But Gabriel could not enter the prayer room without Aria. Because the key was always with Aria. It meant that she had naturally penetrated into one of his daily routines.
âWell, weâre the only ones there.â
After the prayer, Gabriel spoke to her. For the first time in three days. He seemed to think that he had never seen such a quiet prayer room.
It was just a prayer room for all sorts of things, so it was natural.
âI have a question for you, Grand Princess.â
Aria looked up at him.
âAt that time, you said you saved me?â
[Yes. I saved the angel.]
âIâm not an angelâ¦â
Gabriel answered with embarrassment. It was the first time he had ever heard of it, so he didnât seem to know how to deal with it.
âYou really look like an angel.â
Before the change in his body came, he was like an angel just like his name. It looked more so as he was still small in stature and thin in his bones. Aria looked up curiously at his hair, like pure white snowflakes reflected in the sunlight.
[Sparkling like an angel.]
âItâs not sparkling.â
[Your name is also an angel.]
âItâs not my willâ¦â
As if his embarrassment had gone too far, his face began to turn red. His skin was transparent, so the redness was more conspicuous.
âThat, stop talking about angels.â
Gabriel cut if off and went back to the point, as he was overflowing with emotions
âI heard that I was laid leaning against the walls of the Papal Palace. I thought something was strange, did you bring me thereâ¦â
Aria nodded her head.
[I did.]
She didnât know at the time that her relationship with him would end up like this.
âBut how?â
Gabrielâs gaze fell for a moment on her small, fragile body.
He honestly couldnât believe it. She seriously wouldnât have taken Gabriel and traveled that far after taking out all the vagrants.
[Curious?]
It was obvious. Gabriel nodded his head. Aria then grabbed his sleeve instead of his hand and led him to the window of the prayer room.
She opened the window and whistled.
Whistle-
The grasshoppers that were nearby croaked. Birds began to chirp like singing. Gabriel did not know that the sound was in response to Ariaâs call and did not respond.
But he had no choice but to react to what followed.
âKoong!â
Silver rushed in.
The boy was startled by the sudden appearance of the wolf and put his hand on his waist.
Oh dear, he was careless!
âIt is said that in the Grand Duchy there lives a monster-like creature that has been contaminated by the devilâs malice⦠!â
He drew his sword. He thought of jumping out of the window and swinging it without hesitation.
When the wolf monster flopped on the ground and wags its tail softly like a dog at Aria.
ââ¦â¦â
Anyone who saw it, would think that.
âDid you tame that?â
Gabriel couldnât keep his mouth shut.
A black jaguar was approaching from afar, hearing Ariaâs call. And hovered near her.
If anyone is aiming for Aria, it will rip off their nape without hesitation.
âCoocoo.â
Finally, a carrier pigeon sat on Ariaâs shoulder.
She reached out and stroked the pigeonâs head, then sent it back into the sky. And she turned to Gabriel.
âYou got the help from the monsterâ¦. No, animals.â
Aria smiled faintly.
The five-colored light of the stained glass gleamed over her small face. A light brighter than a jewel reflected mercilessly and made his eyes shiver.
Maybe it was because of the spectacular display that Aria showed.
Gabriel couldnât take his eyes off her for some reason.