Surely Lloyd had certainly doubted that a few times.
However,
"Isn't that why you wanted to keep her by your side because you thought it was the child's ability?"
"Stop the nonsense."
Sparks flew from the boy's eyes.
It was the eyes that had completely broken the string of reason that had been holding on to it, though narrowly.
"What burden are you afraid of carrying on a child who has never even felt a warm touch?"
He couldn't hide his threatening energy at all this time.
To the extent that a jaguar wandering nearby reacts to its owner's threatening energy and shows its teeth wildly.
"You're forcing her to repay the favor?"
"What?"
"So are you doing that?"
Lloyd let out a smirk.
"It's none of my business. Whether that child has any special abilities or not. Even if she's a protective shield, I'll never use it."
"….."
"Don't even dream of it. If so, I will inherit the title of Grand Duke immediately."
Lloyd means that if Tristan made fun of him carelessly, he'll kill him.
Has he ever seen such a bastard?
But Tristan was used to the situation.
He knew and was accustomed to Lloyd's desire to kill him, so he only replied with a crooked smile.
"Aria, just touch it."
Lloyd left without looking back.
The jaguar, assimilated with its owner's feelings, growled and threatened once, then followed the boy.
"He has a good brain, but he's very misunderstood. Is it because he was young?"
About the time Lloyd was completely out of sight, Tristan tilted his head and wondered so.
"He has a tendency to judge hastily."
"It's because he's still not good at anything. And you said something that could be misunderstood."
"I knew he was going to be. It's cute."
"Then you'll really be killed."
Is that cute? Lloyd's intention to kill was sincere.
When that day comes, it is very likely that he will pierce Tristan's chest with his sword and say, 'I'm getting your title, Father.'
Dwayne thought he would never understand his master for the rest of his life, no, even in his death.
"I was just wondering if the kid had that long-sought after key in Garcia."
Tristan muttered a little.
"Yes?"
Dwayne, who had not heard, asked.
Then Tristan spoke up.
"That's enough to marry my daughter."
"Who is whose daughter…."
That's your son over there.
The Grand Duke's lieutenant no longer bothered to refute, so he shook his head.
***
"Today, priests will come from the Great Temple."
Aria's shoulders trembled at Dana's passing words.
[The Great Temple of Eden Faith?]
"Of course, is there another Great Temple?"
Eden Faith.
It was also the state religion of Garcia, the Holy Empire, and the only remaining religion in the world.
In Eden Faith, worshiping other gods other than the one believed in was called heresy and idolatry.
To put it simply, it meant that spies from Garcia would come to Valentine's Castle.
'I expected it.'
Every person had to ask God for permission to marry.
Of course, what they meant as permission, was just a formal report saying, 'We are getting married.'
So, priests are coming from the Great Temple of the Eden Faith's Pineta Branch.
'But I know that usually we only need to deliver documents to the temple."
Are there times when they come directly to you?
'It'll be fine.'
Aria hid her identity.
And she could get married hiding her identity.
After all, Count Cortez renounced his custody, and Aria was a commoner who now did not even have a birth certificate.
[Should I meet the priest?]
"No, you don't have to."
Dana firmly shook her head.
"Why does our precious lady have to meet the petty priest?"
Petty priest….
Aria had a shaky expression on her face.
Anyway, that was rather fortunate.
'It won't be a big deal."
Aria was relieved, washed and fell asleep.
***
Annoying noises.
A sharp exchange of words could be heard.
Aria suddenly woke up.
'Who is fighting?'
The sun has gone down.
Aria looked out the window curiously and went out of her room.
She paused her steps for a moment, stood and listened, it was coming from downstairs.
It was so far away she couldn't tell what they were talking about.
Apparently, they weren't the employees.
'Outsiders?'
The villa was almost exclusively occupied by Aria.
But it was originally a place reserved for the vassals or guests.
Since the vassals had been sheltering themselves after the Count Beaufort incident, there was a high probability that they were guests from outside.
"I think it would be better to eavesdrop."
It was intuition.
Aria stalked down the stairs and put her ear to the door where she heard the voice.
"Shh, lower your voice. What are you going to do if someone is eavesdropping?"
What a surprise.
Aria pulled her ears off for a moment and pressed down over her fluttering heart.
"You're worried about everything. How can anyone hear what's going on in the room?"
It sounds very clear.
The voice was mediocre, but the gentle tone that caught her ear had the power to focus the audience.
It's like a person who makes speeches.
'Well, it sounds like an accent I've heard a lot somewhere...'
Somehow she was used to it
It was when Aria was tilting her head.
Their conversation continued.
"Brother doesn't know either."
Brother?
'It was a priest from Garcia.'
She quickly discovered the identity of the opponent.
"I can't believe you're sending Garcia's precious talents to Valentine's."
Send talent?
"Don't you know that there is no choice. In the world, there must be darkness in order for light to exist."
"But to say it's an apprentice, it's nothing different than a hostage!"
Hostage?
What are they talking about?
"I can't let those children become infected with evil. How thoroughly I have managed to prevent them from learning evil since they were young!"
"Still, you can't live in a temple for the rest of your life. For those children, if you think of it as a kind of training…"
"It's too early. It'll be too early. Are you saying that because you don't know how quickly children get into their surroundings?"
Aria was at loss as she listened to their conversation.
'Sending a child from Garcia to Valentine's.'
Looking at the prospect of talent, did they send a candidate for a new priesthood?
'I never heard of it.'
Even Aria, who knew most of the rumors that had spread in the world, had no idea what they were talking about.
That said, it was a top secret that should not be known to anyone.
Most of the things related to Valentine were top secret, though.
"If you send an apprentice to Valentine's, they will surely become tainted with evil, commit sins and fall. I guarantee!"
Well, that's a bit….
Aria, who is living well at Valentine's Castle, was a bit dumbfounded.
Garcia's strict standards of goodness have always been difficult to follow.
"Then let's do this. Have you ever heard of a child who developed divine power late this time?"
"Are you talking about that aspiring knight? His name is…. He, with the name of an angel."
An angel's name.
'Gabriel?'
Aria stiffened.
'The commander of the Holy Knights of Garcia.'
In her past life, he killed tens of thousands of people.
He took the lead and slaughtered the people of the Pineta Empire.
The dead bodies were cut, ripped, and frozen by his hands, and they were lying scattered on the side of the road.
"All of this is God's will!"
He constantly shouted with divine power in his voice.
"Knights of the Kingdom of God, do not be shaken. What you are doing is only a process of purifying the soul!"
"Do not hesitate to kill them! They are already tainted and cannot be undone. The only way to save them is to free them from the bondage of their tainted bodies!"
It was madness to justify his blind beliefs.
Even if she dies, she will never forget that scene.
The voice of the mad knight commander was still vivid in Aria's ears.
'No, no.'
She immediately shook her head.
'I can't be sure.'
Is there one or two people with angelic names in Garcia?
Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, others. In the Holy Empire, the names of angels were commonly borrowed.
"They said he came from the lowest place."
"Ah! We can send that child!"
The priest who insisted that no one could be sent to Valentine's spoke with a voice that suddenly became brighter.
The lowest place.
A place full of all evil in the world.
If he was born and raised in a corrupted place anyway, they wouldn't mind sending him to Valentine's.
"It's good. The divine power that was developed after growing up is a very unstable power."
"Before, he told me to give him a chance to hone his skills. He wanted to become strong quickly. There is no one like him."
"Haha, of course. I'm relieved now."
With those words, the door was about to open.
As soon as the doorknob turned, Aria immediately clung to the wall.
"Maybe with a little bit of luck, he'll volunteer himself."
Her body was hidden behind the door, and the footsteps of the priests were getting farther and farther away.
'Something about the conversation… '