Chapter 08
The surroundings fell into a tomb-like silence.
It felt as if time itself had stopped, leaving only the two of them behind.
“Let’s just fall into hell together.”
Pale smoke rippled through her vision, and their gazes intertwined through eyes blurred and ashen, losing focus.
The Duke let out a faint, empty laugh, his expression oddly hollow and detached.
For a moment, it felt like an illusion—then it scattered along with the memory of cigarette smoke.
“Ah.”
Aria moved her lips slightly. Only a faint, ragged breath escaped.
“That was close.”
She had almost said it.
Ssshh—
Reality slowly returned.
And then, time—thought to have stopped—began to flow again.
“You don’t seem to understand the situation.”
Perhaps because Aria had reacted so calmly without even flinching, Lloyd’s expression hardened as he pressed the blade closer.
A thin line of blood ran down her neck.
“……”
A burning pain followed, but Aria made no sound.
She was used to holding back pain and suppressing her voice.
“So you really can’t speak.”
Was he testing her?
Aria looked up at him tensely.
If he had reached that conclusion, it meant he doubted her very existence.
But he’s sharp. Does he have good instincts?
Cold sweat ran down her forehead, mixing with rain as it dripped from her chin.
The dress Dana had carefully chosen was already soaked and ruined with rain and blood at the collar.
It hurts…
Little by little, strength left her hands.
Aria’s grip loosened, and the umbrella slipped from her hand.
Thud.
Ssshh—
At last, her face—previously hidden beneath the umbrella—was revealed.
The boy who had looked cold and indifferent showed a brief flicker of disbelief.
“…A rabbit?”
Because of the rabbit mask that had suddenly appeared.
“…Rabbit.”
Lloyd muttered it again, still baffled.
Standing in the pouring rain, Aria trembled violently as he frowned deeper and deeper.
“Rabbit.”
“……”
“If you’re planning to reveal your intentions, speak with your lips. I can read them.”
Intentions?
If that was so… then—
I came out of my cage to meet you. To become the night that makes you shine brilliantly.
I’m willing to become kindling, so you can burn brightly—so feel free to burn me as much as you like.
I can’t say something like that.
Aria recalled the thoughts she had held before meeting Lloyd.
And without meaning to, her lips moved.
—It actually felt good when you patted my head.
“……”
Lloyd stared at her as if she were insane.
“You don’t seem to have any experience handling weapons.”
Lloyd spoke while touching Aria’s hand.
He observed it carefully, examining it from every angle. No matter how he looked at it, it was just a soft child’s hand without a single callus.
“At your age, you should at least know how to handle one weapon.”
At ten?
Aria tilted her head, puzzled.
“There isn’t even muscle—just bones.”
Wouldn’t having muscles at ten be the unusual thing?
She tilted her head slightly.
Lloyd grabbed her wrist and lifted it. Her arm followed limply.
He let go, examined his own hand, then frowned and looked back at her.
“You being alive is a miracle. No strength, weak pulse. Even your bones are fragile—if I grip you too hard, you might break.”
“……”
“Are all humans from beyond the boundary this weak?”
He muttered, “My mother wasn’t even this weak…”
The way he looked at her was like she was a rare animal he had never seen before.
Her body was already naturally weak—and had become even weaker due to abuse.
Aria thought this to herself and absentmindedly touched her neck, then flinched as if burned.
It stung so much tears nearly came out.
“……”
Lloyd rummaged through his coat and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief.
He tossed it toward her.
Aria caught it in surprise and looked at him.
“Use it, then throw it away.”
It was a plain white handkerchief with no embroidery.
She looked between the handkerchief and Lloyd, then awkwardly wiped her neck.
Watching her uncomfortably, Lloyd suddenly stepped closer and snatched the handkerchief back.
“Give it here.”
He efficiently bandaged her wound.
It was only a shallow cut. The rain had mixed with the blood, making it look worse than it was.
He finished quickly and tied it around her neck.
“Why do you wear a mask?”
He tapped the rabbit mask.
Startled, Aria leaned back.
His brows twitched slightly in irritation before settling again.
“You, rabbit.”
The soaked rabbit mask dripped water continuously.
Made of cotton, soft and fluffy—Dana probably hadn’t expected this weakness.
Aria stared blankly.
He didn’t even laugh at her ridiculous appearance, but instead said seriously:
“Are you food for sewer rats?”
Aria startled.
“Sewer rats” referred to the masters of the underworld.
The underworld was the name used for the dark districts.
“Those raised as food are either born unable to speak or have their tongues cut out.”
They were tools raised to serve their masters for life—puppets without reason.
“You came in under the identity of the Cortes family’s young lady, but your name isn’t on their records. How do I know you didn’t come from the underworld?”
There was no way to prove it immediately.
Aria recalled that Valentina had been hostile toward the underworld.
“Only one way to tell whether you’re food or not.”
Is there such a way?
Even the Emperor struggled with infiltrators from the underworld.
“Say: ‘I’ll kill those sewer rats.’”
“……”
“Not going to say it?”
“……”
Aria didn’t understand how he reached that conclusion.
“So you are food after all.”
Killing intent rose sharply as Lloyd’s hand returned to his sword.
Aria quickly placed her hand over his.
His fingers twitched in surprise at the contact.
—I’ve never cursed before.
She closed her eyes tightly.
—Those sewer rats… I’ll kill them.
Her first curse.
Even though she hadn’t said it aloud, she strangely felt relieved.
“Say it properly with the subject.”
—Those sewer rats… I’ll kill them.
“Hmm.”
Was that a pass?
Lloyd looked unimpressed but loosened his grip on the sword.
“If you’re not food, then leave.”
“……”
“Walking out on your own two feet is the only way to survive. There’s no place for weak children like you in Valentina.”
With that, he released her hand and walked away.
She was left alone in the corridor.
Only after he disappeared completely did Aria move again.
“Did the young master disappear?”
She was about to turn the corner toward her room when she heard voices.
Maids were whispering.
But Aria could hear them clearly.
Seiren had weak bodies but extremely sharp senses.
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch—all of them.
As if her body had been designed entirely for art.
‘I’m glad he didn’t notice.’
Actually, she had almost been caught—she had instinctively turned toward him when she heard his footsteps.
But he hadn’t noticed while interrogating her.
“Someone said he left again?”
“Yes. The madam always sends everyone away when her condition worsens. Even the Duke and the young master are no exception.”
“Looks like there’ll be more deaths today.”
“So it goes. The Duke is out leading knights to suppress bandits, and no one knows where the young master is.”
“He once infiltrated the castle and caught all the spies, then threw them into the jaguar enclosure as an example…”
The maid shivered at the memory.
Aria thought:
So the Duke and his son, unable to stay by the Duchess’s side, vent their frustration violently.
She understood.
If your wife—or mother—was on the brink of life and death, and you couldn’t even stay with her, it would drive anyone mad.
But still, killing people… that’s why they were called the Demon Duke and his son.
I survived because I look weak.
It was lucky.
Her neck, where the handkerchief was tied, throbbed faintly.
“Has the madam ever spoken like this before?”
“Not really… but this time it really feels like…”
“Be careful what you say.”
“But she said she wished to be buried under the cherry blossoms…”
“Spring was what she always waited for…”
“Damn rain. Why is it always spring?”
“Damn god. Damn world. May it all end.”
As expected of the Demon Duke’s castle, they casually cursed the gods as they walked away.
Cherry blossoms.
At that word, Aria recalled the trees she had seen in the garden.
She immediately ran toward them.
Fortunately, Aria had not yet been assigned a guard.
And with the Duchess’s condition worsening, no one cared where she went.
And Dana had said she could look at flowers in the garden.
She had just stayed out until late at night.
It was dawn.
Aria leaned against a cherry blossom tree, looked up at the sky, then slowly stood.
She placed her hand on the tree.
All the petals had fallen due to the storm, but it was still a massive tree.
Visible even from the Duke’s consort’s bedroom in the main palace.
Life’s song.
It had been a long time since she last sang it.
Aria closed her eyes.
And began to sing softly.
