Chapter 111
Aria’s face, covered in a blank expression, revealed no emotion at all. Silvert felt something unusual emanating from her. It was as if he were holding a statue carved from ice. At that moment, Aria slowly furrowed her brows, grasped her cheeks with her tiny hands, and began to ponder.
“Was she making a thinking face?”
Silvert recalled that strange, almost alien sensation that had clung to him for a brief moment, but he didn’t think too deeply about it. Perhaps he had just been surprised to see her expressionless after always seeing Aria smiling. He gently patted her head.
“I saw it in a book!”
“In a book?”
“In Grandpa’s study!”
“Oh? You’ve been coming in whenever you handle business and picking things up to read.”
When Marquis Blanche expressed his admiration, Aria giggled and settled on Silvert’s lap. She quietly looked up at Silvert’s white eyes.
“Twinkle, twinkle.”
Muttering as if she were a child admiring the stars in the night sky, Aria smiled brightly when Silvert smiled at her, and she mirrored his grin.
“Grandpa, is the High Priest a strong person?”
“Huh?”
The sudden question caused Marquis Blanche to pause, resting his chin in his hand as he responded unconsciously. Was she curious because Silvert was a High Priest? Blanche took her question as innocent childlike curiosity.
However, Silvert’s expression stiffened slightly. He seemed to recall his own helplessness during the battle with Leopold and Albion. Seeing him hesitate and unable to answer, Marquis Blanche responded instead.
“Yes. Silvert is a strong person.”
“!”
“Stronger than anyone, shining brilliantly, wielding that light to purge the forces of dark magic, and even if he appears gentle, his mental fortitude is unmatched.”
Blanche patted Silvert on the back.
“Let’s say that.”
“…Saying it myself would sound too much like bragging.”
“You’ve never bragged before, yet you say that after the fact.”
Fortunately, Silvert’s frozen expression gradually softened. Though less radiant than before, he smiled at Aria and spoke.
“I’ll visit the Blanche estate once. They plan to perform a blessing ceremony for you.”
“The High Priest will do it personally?”
“Yes.”
Excited, Aria hopped down from Silvert’s lap and bounced around energetically.
“I’m getting blessed too!”
“Do you like that so much?”
She clenched her tiny fists and nodded.
“I like it so, so much!”
“I want to play with Aria more.”
“Hurry up and go.”
“Switch with me. You handle the High Priest duties, and I’ll play with Aria.”
Marquis Blanche waved his hand, silently telling him not to say such nonsense. As a High Priest, Silvert couldn’t leave his post for long.
Originally, he had planned to return to the temple immediately after the conferment ceremony, but because he had cleared his duties the previous day, he now had some time to spend with Aria. Still, it would only be an hour or two at most. Silvert patted her head several times before turning to leave with a look of regret.
“He’s always like that, even though he’s going to visit the Blanche estate in a few days anyway.”
“Aria likes the High Priest. He’s kind.”
Blanche chuckled and patted Aria’s head. Meanwhile, the plate of cookies had been completely emptied. Blanche pulled the string to call the servants, but when no one arrived after a few minutes, he pulled it again. When there was still no response, he got up to fetch them himself.
“Aria, wait here for a moment.”
“Yes!”
He also planned to check on Theodore and Charlotte to see what they were doing. He was curious if Theodore, head over heels for his granddaughter, was working hard to earn her love. Nothing was more entertaining than observing someone else’s love life.
Left alone, Aria patiently waited. She spotted Blanche’s teacup, glanced around, and carefully picked it up with her small hands. She blew on the tea, sipped, and made a face as the taste registered—slightly bitter. Just then, a soft sound of curtains being drawn startled her, and she hurriedly returned the cup to its place.
But the person who entered through the balcony wasn’t Marquis Blanche, Theodore, Charlotte, or Esche. Aria blinked in surprise.
A seven-year-old boy had stepped through the curtains. Dressed in a luxurious uniform, his cheeks slightly flushed, he clenched his fists upon seeing Aria, cleared his throat, and said hesitantly:
“I-I am Wilhelm, second son of the Ecaniel Count family!”
“?”
Tilting her head, Aria observed him silently. Wilhelm hesitated but called out once more:
“If you want, I can play with you!”
The boy appeared quite confident, but Aria didn’t answer and simply tilted her head in the opposite direction. Unlike her cute, charming demeanor in front of Marquis Blanche, she remained silent for a long moment before finally turning her head sharply.
“Hmph!”
“!”
Wilhelm flinched. Aria’s blunt “hmph” left him stammering.
“I-I said I’ll play with you!”
“Aria doesn’t play with little kids.”
“You’re a kid too!”
At that moment, another young man appeared, looking similar to Wilhelm but seemingly about ten years older. He was slightly out of breath, frowned at Wilhelm, and spoke firmly:
“Wilhelm. Come here.”
“Big brother, how did you know to come here?”
“That’s not important. Just come here.”
Wilhelm hesitated but moved to his side.
“My apologies, Miss Aria. My brother was being rude. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
The young man bowed politely.
“I am Belzard, eldest son of the Ecaniel family. You must be the young lady of the Blanche family?”
Aria hopped down from the sofa and curtseyed properly, holding her skirts and slightly bending her knees.
“I am Aria Blanche. It is an honor to meet you.”
Belzard was slightly surprised by her perfect posture and clear voice.
‘Her etiquette is flawless. I heard she was only five… was that wrong?’
He had met her by chance while searching for his missing brother, but he also knew of her reputation through rumors. Aria, an abandoned child, was said to be only five years old. Though Belzard didn’t judge people solely by rumors, Aria seemed so much like a noble child that the story of her abandonment felt false.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm didn’t seem to care whether Aria’s manners were perfect or not. He pouted, unhappy that she had refused his greeting but accepted Belzard’s.
“You didn’t accept my greeting, but you accepted yours?”
“Wilhelm.”
Belzard spoke firmly again, and Wilhelm pouted his lips.
“My brother tried to talk to Aria when she entered, but he got ahead of himself. Wilhelm, even if you want to get closer, you can’t barge in like that.”
“W-Who said I wanted to get closer!”
“You did, didn’t you? You couldn’t take your eyes off Aria.”
“No!”
Wilhelm’s face turned bright red like a raspberry.
He had come along to the conferment ceremony, saw Aria, and felt his heart race strangely. His fleeting thought of “should I talk to her first?” quickly changed to “let’s try to get closer.”
However, as the second son of a prestigious family, Wilhelm was more used to handling people who approached him than approaching them himself. He didn’t know how to approach Aria properly. Moreover, everyone in the Ecaniel household tended to spoil him, so he was confident in a positive sense but oblivious to others’ feelings in a negative sense. This was why he had boldly declared he would play with her if she wanted.
At that moment, Marquis Blanche returned with Aria’s snacks.
“So this is the commotion… Belzard, what brings you here?”
“Marquis Blanche.”
Several servants entered behind Blanche, preparing desserts and tea on the table.
“Bring two more teacups. Since it’s been a while, let’s have some small talk. Please sit.”
“Of course.”
“I heard the Ecaniel Count mentioned you live in the academy dorms?”
“That’s right. The semester ended a few days ago, so we returned to the count’s residence. I’ll go back in summer.”
“It’s been so long since I graduated from the academy, I barely remember. The next semester ends with the graduation exam, right? I’m looking forward to it.”
Aria sat on the sofa, eyes sparkling at the desserts, and popped a warm scone into her mouth. Meanwhile, Belzard introduced Wilhelm to Blanche.
“This is my brother. He wanted to play with Aria and rushed in… I apologize.”
“Big brother!”
“Wilhelm. Quiet now.”
“He’s still young, so I understand.”
Wilhelm’s face was still as red as a raspberry. Meeting Aria’s gaze while eating a scone only made him more flustered. He had never felt this way in a conversation before.
“You want to play with Aria?”
“Ah, no I don’t.”
“Really?”
Wilhelm struggled to answer as Aria’s bright blue eyes fixed on him.
“Then Aria will play with Belzard instead of you.”
“What? Why with my brother?”
“But you said you didn’t want to play with Aria.”
“No!”
Wilhelm jumped up, closed his eyes tightly, and shouted after hesitating.
“Don’t play with my brother! Play with me! I know a lot of fun places since I often visit the palace…”
At that moment, he felt a soft, warm touch. Peeking one eye open, he realized Aria, who had been eating scones like a little rabbit across from him, had come to his side and taken his hand. Wilhelm stared blankly at his hand and then at Aria.
“Let’s play together, Aria.”
“Uh, uh?”
“Come on, let’s go!”
Aria held Wilhelm’s hand tightly and began running with him.
