CH 117

Aria was startled. It was the first time Black had reacted so violently since the taxidermist’s appearance.

Grrr–

Black climbed on Gabriel, stepping on his chest with its paws.

Gabriel also drew his divine power with a tense expression. A brilliant golden wave flashed in his eyes.

‘Dangerous!’

Aria was startled by the memories of her previous life in those eyes. Gabriel had divine power that was more specialized for attack than healing.

– Black, stop it.

As a siren, she knew what the jaguar was thinking. It didn’t understand Gabriel’s words, it just felt some bad feelings from Gabriel.

‘It’s an overreaction.’

Aria sighed and pulled Black away from Gabriel. Just by a gentle stroke of the fur, Black fell off.

– Are you okay?

Maybe Gabriel didn’t know that he was going to be attacked. Gabriel answered with a waver in his energy.

“Yes, I’m just a little surprised.”

If that divine power had been expressed as it is, Black could have been seriously injured or killed. If a person feels threatening energy, everyone will react that way.

Still, Aria, the siren, was not in a very pleasant mood.

– I didn’t really care when I wrote it down on a card, but when I talk to the Angel as a message, it seems like it’s playing tricks. We’re both confused.

When they talk to each other, they are usually plain, but when she sends letters, why were all kinds of rhetoric added?

That was the feeling.

By the way,

“I liked it.”

An unexpected answer came back.

‘Is it better to play tricks?’

As Aria stared at him silently, Gabriel waved his hand with a flushed face.

“No, it’s not like that, but suddenly calling me by my first name, so it seems like we’re starting to grow apart…”

At first, whenever she said that he was an angel, wasn’t he very burdened? Now he doesn’t even deny it.

‘He seems to know he does look like an angel.’

Aria smirked. Although Vincent claimed Gabriel more suited to be a muscular gorilla, objectively, he still looked like an angel.

‘I wish you could keep your younger inner self…….”

Aria thought so and answered.

– Yes, Angel.

Then, Gabriel’s expression brightened all at once.

“Oh, and if you don’t talk with the card, the bag…”

– Yes, I don’t think I’ll wear it anymore. Is the Angel sad because it feels like I am neglecting the bag that the Angel gave me?

He thought she seemed to have been quite fond of carrying it for four years.

Aria said playfully. Then Gabriel shook his head.

“There’s no way. I would have been grateful if you used it just once.”

And he began to hesitate, as if he had something serious to say.

“Well… do you have that necklace now?”

Was this the main point now? Aria thought the introduction was too long, and she replied.

– Yes, I do.

Of course, since the last conversation ended with the saint, she thought the start would be the saint.

‘So, after all, did Gabriel inadvertently bring up the necklace, and Veronica secretly asked him to take it out?’

If that was the case, Aria wondered how Gabriel was going to get the necklace out.

“Could you show me for a minute?”

But wasn’t this a bit too formal?

‘As expected, Gabriel may not even know the ‘plot’.’

Aria took out the necklace and held it out, thinking Veronica might explode if she saw this scene.

If he ran away with the necklace in this situation, he would get nothing. First of all, all the people of the Grand Duke’s castle are also on Aria’s side.

‘Hmm?’

But Gabriel took the necklace, held the crystal tightly in his hand, and quietly surrendered himself.

‘If you do that, your divine power will be sucked…….’

She couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Because his divine power was sucked into the necklace in an instant.

“Ugh.”

Gabriel managed to swallow his groan and frowned slightly. He didn’t let go of his hand right away like before. He was just plainly letting his divine power be absorbed.

Suddenly, a cold sweat formed on his forehead.

“Here it is. Please take it.”

Aria was given a gem that went beyond gold light and changed like a lump of gold.

– Why is this…… ?

“I hope you won’t get hurt.”

– What?

“People with divine power self-heals. Of course, it will be weaker than receiving direct healing with divine power, but if you have it as a talisman…”

Gabriel did not know what to say, but spit out a foolish exclamation.

“The color of your eyes will change, so you probably won’t be able to use it all the time. Then, even while you’re sleeping…”

He floundered, unlike his large size, as he looked into Aria’s eyes.

“Because this is the only thing I can give to the Grand Princess.”

Meanwhile, Aria was silent for a moment.

Could she possibly heal the shortened lifespan due to the side effects of drugs with divine power?

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t even think about it until then.’

Like the siren’s song, she will not be able to cure any disease at once. However, if it continues to be exposed to and affected by divine power, it may be effective.

Showing her body to a priest who was born with healing power would be dangerous, though.

– Thank you. I’ll accept it with gratefulness.

Aria meekly accepted his favor. And she seemed to want to end the conversation, and sent a message of ‘Well then…… .’.

“Aren’t you not coming to pray now?”

Then Gabriel quickly asked her, as if holding on to her. Aria didn’t think much of it, so she was going to think about it later.

‘What should I do?’

It was really important to be consistent.

People’s minds were flexible, so if she stopped in the middle of doing something because it’s annoying, it could have the opposite effect.

‘And praying in the prayer room wasn’t bad either.’

If it was really annoying, she would have given up sooner.

In fact, being with Gabriel made her feel at ease. It was same with the comfort she felt when she was quietly listening to the sound of rain or the sound of a river.

– I’ll go.

“Ah!”

– But from now on, I think I will only go once a day.

“……I see.”

Gabriel looked a little sad, but he smiled softly as if he was happy if she could come anyway.

“I’ll be waiting.”

He bowed politely, and now he withdrew without any regrets.

Aria trembled.

‘So why did you come to me?’

What was the purpose?

Does he simply want to pass on the divine power and ask if she will come to pray in the future?

‘If you’re worried, it might be. It’s a little too much, but…….’

Was he very lonely by himself?

‘You really came here with nothing to do with Veronica?’

Aria looked down at the golden necklace shining like a star for a moment. But she soon shook her head, put it in her pocket, and climbed onto Black’s back.

“Guide me to Lloyd.”

The jaguar ran for a while.

Somewhere near the mansion near the Ingo Mountains.

She thought Lloyd was secretly eavesdropping, and Aria thought she felt sorry for nothing.

“You’re here.”

Was he waiting for Aria? He didn’t ask anything.

But the darkened eyes and the cruel light at first glance reminded her of a murderous energy towards someone.

Aria immediately reported what had just happened to her.

“He didn’t say much more than I thought. Actually, I thought he was going to betray me.”

“I wish it was like that…”

Lloyd muttered fiercely.

“Then there must have been a reason.”

Reason? What reason?

Aria, puzzled, stretched out her hand to stroke his hair. But he naturally avoided the touch. Aria’s hand, stopped in mid-air and stiffened from the shock.

“Are you upset?”

“I’m ups… it’s not like that.”

Lloyd sighed and pulled something out of his arms.

“Take this.”

It was an unknown drug.

“If you meet Winter Angelo later, feed him this first.”

“What is this?”

“You’ll see.”

Aria looked puzzled, but she nodded her head.

“Then why are you here? Is something going on outside the castle?”

“Ah, while I’m at it, I’m doing some cleaning.”

She doesn’t think Lloyd meant to sweep the floor with a broom. Of course, that means he was going to sweep someone away, like when he cleared the gutter.

After all, talking about the future seemed quite shocking to him.

‘Actually, he must have guessed that my life was at the bottom.’

But hearing the specific situation from the person would have a completely different feeling. Aria could understand how Lloyd was feeling now.

‘Because I did too.’

He must have felt the emotions she felt when she found out that Valentine’s direct lineage, Lloyd, had taken an oath from generation to generation.

Aria was so angry and upset that she immediately went to the Emperor and sang the Song of Doom.

Lloyd didn’t stop her. He let her go. Aria also wanted to believe and support whatever Lloyd did.

‘Because I told you to do whatever you want.’

She would have to let him go.

“I’ll be here soon. In less than a day.”

Aria stared worriedly at Lloyd’s back as he left with the Black Falcons.

On her way back as she rode the jaguar she met Vincent. He was squatting on the grass, tired and tattered for some reason.

“It hasn’t even been a day yet.”

He seemed like he aged 10 years more. It must have been quite difficult to hear Sabina’s worried nagging.

“What are you doing here?”

Aria came down from Black’s back and asked him, who was shaking his head.

Vincent was looking at the slaves, no, those who were once slaves, running through the grass as they watched the sunset.

“It’s just. I was shocked because my expectations were wrong.”

“What expectations?”

“You asked what you knew. I thought that singing the Song of Dawn would give you a clue that could lead you to Atlantis. But it’s just a song that inspires courage and morale…”

It hurt his pride.

Aria looked down at Vincent and said,

“If it’s a clue, I already got it.”

“……What?”

“I had a dream.”