"Is that possible?"
Her biological father is still alive, can she go for adoption?
"Because Count Cortez has renounced your parental authority."
Lloyd waved the envelope of papers. Inside was the contract that Count Cortez had written when he sold Aria.
Aria seemed to know what the boy was thinking with this proposal.
"You're trying to hide the fact that I'm a siren as much as possible."
"I think you want to."
Lloyd replied with an indifferent expression. The content of the words, though, was not at all. Isn't he rather considerate of her to the extent that it was delicate?
Aria smiled faintly. He always says what she wants to hear, and he always knows what she needs.
Everyone in this grand Duchy was like that.
"You're just going to put your name up anyway, so you don't have to think too much."
"By the way, will they want to do it? Putting a girl they don't know who she is, on the family list."
The nobles were generally proud of their families. Especially if it was a high-ranking noble or a prestigious family.
Then Lloyd replied as if she was worried about something useless.
"Don't worry. Everyone will be equal in front of Valentine."
"…."
Well, definitely. Equally inferior. Even the Emperor would fold his hands.
"You make a decision and that's it, because everyone knows I hate to change my mind."
Aria recalled Lloyd's 'Sword Dialogue'* with his vassals.
'It's not about knowing, it's about making people know.'
Once she nodded her head, she checked all the family patterns on the letter.
'You picked a good family.'
All of them were only prominent families with a deep history and wide-spread names.
However, she found a familiar family among them and hardened her expression.
'Plum blossoms.'
It was a very famous family with a pattern that symbolizes a noble heart, faithfulness, and a clear mind. This is because it was a representative family that practiced Noblesse Oblige with an attitude of integrity as much as the pattern that symbolized the family.
'They run ten orphanages in the capital, run charitable events constantly, and have more than 30 adopted children from their families.'
Moreover, they raised all adopted children into great talents.
A noble among nobles who set an example. So it was known
'The reality is completely different.'
County Chateau.
This is the family that helped sell Aria to the Emperor for self-interest.
"It's like a song from heaven. It's like the closest touch to the sky."
The first time Count Chateau visited the salon, Aria remembers being very puzzled.
Because he had a high reputation as a good philanthropist and upright educator, she didn't know that he would come to hear the Siren sing.
'The imperial nobles are mostly corrupt people, but there are rare people who are like pine trees who keep their beliefs and dignity.'
However, people with noble and upright dispositions did not seek the Siren on their own.
'It was when he came.'
Aria then began to doubt the character of Count Chateau for the first time.
"This gloomy basement of a mansion is not suitable for a Siren."
"….. Could there be a better place for me than this?"
"Heavenly's song should be sung in a heavenly place."
"Heavenly?"
"The Empire of Garcia. The only place where God's voice can be heard.
Count Chateau secretly spilled the name of the Holy Empire on Aria.
The Chateau family had a deep relationship with the Holy Empire in the early days. This is because, by doing good deeds in the name of Eden Faith, they have earned Garcia's favor as a missionary in a foreign country.
'The Count then sent me to Garcia to win the favor of the Pope.'
It was until Count Cortez, who had heard of his intentions, became furious and gave a dismissal order to Count Chateau.
Count Chateau was quick-witted. When his initial plans failed, he planned to use Aria in other ways.
'He planned to sell me to the Emperor.'
Chateau was one of the families that benefited greatly from religious wars within the empire. They received subsidies from the imperial and noble families as the number of orphans increased exponentially due to war.
'The more war orphans are not cared for in proper orphanages, the more crime and lawlessness the capital becomes.'
At that time, she never imagined that the Empire would fall so easily.
The nobles were happy to support them.
And when they were suffering from a labor shortage because of the war, they were provided with an educated labor force from the orphanage.
'Of course, all the workers the County provided were all loyal informants.'
Count Chateau then carried out his plan in earnest.
He went to the Emperor, who was going crazy day by day to have Aria, and whispered to him that he should hold the execution ceremony in the square.
"His Majesty seeks you, Siren. Now you can rest in his cage."
Still, she could not forget the Count's suspicious smile, who came to the imperial dungeon and whispered.
He dragged Aria to the emperor, who only hoped that she would rather die. And he used someone of her size and put a mask on and made him hold an execution ceremony.
"She was a child from an orphanage run by the County Chateau."
In order to completely erase Aria from the world, he killed an innocent life.
'He even ruined her face and broke her leg to make her look just like me.'
But it wasn't just that.
After being imprisoned in the Emperor's cage, she learned something later.
There were dedicated girls with a similar tone to Aria for many years, since the Emperor became addicted to Siren's songs. Educating those who have innate talent for singing, he dyed their hair the same color as her and put a mask on.
'The emperor was already crazy then.'
Count Chateau was able to obtain great wealth, honor and power in the Empire thanks to this.
And he fled to Garcia as if he had been waiting for the Fineta Empire to crumble.
'Looking back, it was Count Chateau who gave the Pope the cause of war in the first place.'
This is because he brought Aria out to the world, who had been wandering in the shadow while belonging to the Cortez family.
Thanks to that , she was honored and admired, and in the eyes of the Holy Empire, she became an excuse for war.
As the pope, there would have been no such loyalties to the Fineta Empire.
"Ariadne?"
"….."
"Aria."
Ah.
Aria raised her head at the sudden name.
She awoke from her thoughts quickly as if she had been bathed in cold water. Lloyd was holding her shoulder tightly.
"You are trembling."
The boy pointed to her trembling fingertips.
"Why do you look like that? Did the Chateau do anything to you?"
It wasn't because she was afraid.
'Because anger is at its peak.'
Aria grabbed her fingertips and shook her head as if it was nothing.
'Because I don't know why the world is so harsh on me.'
Why? Why?
Because what did she do wrong?
Why did she always have to live alone in so much pain?
Why did she have to be the only one in pain?
'I didn't really want that kind of life. I didn't want anyone to take advantage of me and I didn't want to drive anyone crazy. And the truth is…..'
It was a dark childhood that she can't even remember very well, yet there was definitely something called a dream.
'Dream…..'
On the southern island at the end of the empire, the sea is turquoise.
What about the waterfall that pours down from everywhere your eyes meet?
There is also a land of golden desert with only sand where nomads live.
She heard that the jungles and swamps that bloomed endlessly were all green. So much that her eyes hurt.
'I wanted to see the whole scene.'
There were times like that.
However, the dream that Aria had so desperately wanted did not come true forever.
'That's why it's called a dream."
Because it is a fantasy and a mirage.
"What are you thinking?"
"….."
"Don't pile it up. It'll only ruin you."
Lloyd forced Aria, who had closed her mouth immersed in thoughts.
"You can tell."
In the past, she would have hidden it. Because she knew that even if she prayed and prayed every day, it would never come true.
'Because I realized that I couldn't escape from reality, which is closer to a nightmare.'
But Aria, who did not even pray to God, opened her mouth.
"The thought of wanting to live selfishly."
To the boy who will become the devil.
"I forgot, but I had a dream. There were a lot of things I wanted to do."
"What dream?"
"I want to learn how to draw. I want to learn swordsmanship and I want to learn cooking."
"Then."
"I want to learn horseback riding. I want to travel. I like nature. I like to live and breathe. Drawing, walking, swinging a sword, cooking while camping, riding a horse…"
Once the words burst out, the words were endless. A wish that she had never told anyone or had a way to say.
In fact, in return for choosing the Grand Duchy, she was naturally giving up on this dream. She thought she had to give up.
"I will teach you swordsmanship."
Until Lloyd takes her petty dreams seriously.
"I'll have to put a teacher for the drawing."
"Teacher?"
"No one cooks like Baker."
Yes, she knows it very well.
"The animals follow you very well, so you will soon learn to ride a horse. Maybe you will be able to learn horseback riding. I know a place in the forest that you would like. Let's go together."
"….."
"Is there anything else?"
Lloyd asked.
Aria shook her head. She couldn't take his eyes off the boy.
"You want what I want so much and give up quickly on what you want."
"….."
"It's yours. It's your heart. Don't give up. If someone tries to make you give up, if they try to take it away, even if you kill them, take it back."
At that moment, the black eyes touched the invitation from County Chateau.
Aria read a clear murderous energy.