CH 158

“Kis… what?”

He seemed to be suspicious of his own ears.

Cloud, startled to the point where his eyes popped out, quickly stepped back and distanced himself from them.

Aria didn’t care why her escort was quickly distancing himself.

‘I don’t think I can reach him even when I grow up.’

Unless Lloyd bends his back. Aria felt regret as she measured the angle here and there.

‘It was only when I was young that I accidentally kissed him on the cheek.’

Now, the difference in physique is so vast that even if she grabs him by the neck, it doesn’t seem like he would get dragged.

Aria gave up and said.

“I think Lloyd keeps avoiding me.”

“…I never avoided you.”

“Then kiss me.”

Lloyd, who was speechless and silent, wrinkled his brow and flapped his lips.

I don’t know about other people’s speed…….

Swallowing out the words he couldn’t say, he summed up all the afflictions he was feeling recently in one word.

“You’re still young.”

What does he mean young?

The moment Aria heard those words, she remembered Cloud’s words that she had forgotten for a while.

“The Grand Prince will never look at the Young Madam with those eyes.”

If there has ever been a time in her life where she felt unfair because of her age, it must be because of Lloyd. Aria thought so.

She knows he likes her blindly, but she wonder if he’s ever seen her as the opposite sex.

“Let’s talk again in six years.”

When Lloyd drew the lines fiercely, Aria murmured for a moment with a sullen face.

“…what do you think will happen in six years.”

At the same time, Vincent, who was looking for Aria, approached from the end of the hallway waving his hand.

“Ah, you were here. I think Sister-in-law should come and see…”

But more than that, Aria’s bomb declaration came first.

“Who kissed first?”

“…!”

Vincent let out a gasp. Then he took turns looking at the two of them with an eye-popping startled look, then quickly slipped to Cloud’s side.

“How shameless…”

“Blameless?”

Vincent stared at Cloud for a moment, seemingly absurd, then said.

“Because the end syllable is the same?”

“The number of letters is the same.”

“Now, you’re just saying things you don’t know. A shameless person is about someone like you.”

“I see.”

He heard it all. Lloyd glanced at the two whispering men up and down as they put their heads together.

It was like a butcher’s gaze, choosing the cuts before slaughtering the meat.

Vincent hid behind Cloud, trembling unknowingly with a numb feeling in his neck.

It was then.

Aria saw a carriage through the window and her eyes widened. The carriage had the emblem of the Angelo family engraved on it.

It was her legal family.

“What’s going on with Duke Angelo?”

“Oh right.”

Vincent said as if he remembered it too late.

“Sister-in-law, I think you should come to the parlor now for that matter.”

“Why?”

“Seriously, I think it could turn into a war.”

Excuse me?

Aria arrived at the parlor with everyone. When the Black Falcon was about to announce their visit.

“If you don’t withdraw those words right now, you won’t be able to get out on your own two feet.”

Tristan’s harsh voice was heard.

Aria doubted her ears for a moment. No matter how outspoken Tristan may be, isn’t that too harsh for the Angelo family?

‘On paper, we’re a legal family.’

Aria opened the door in a hurry.

She thought she had to stop Tristan quickly before he said anything worse.

“Aria?”

Tristan, who was fiddling with the hilt of the sword with his bloody aura, looked surprised.

“Oh, Grand Princess.”

Opposite Grand Duke Valentine were Martin Angelo, head of the Angelo family, and his second son, Luther Angelo.

The head of Angelo bowed politely in front of the frozen Aria and said,

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you earlier.”

…… what?

“All this time, I only put your name on the family registry, and it seems that I have had no interest in the Grand Princess.”

He raised his head again and spoke in a serious voice.

“Even though we didn’t share blood with each other, the Grand Princess is someone who deserved to be named in the Angelo family.”

DUchy Angelo.

A noble family who defends justice and is willing to sacrifice even their lives for the sake of their beliefs. Those who are upright, have no flexibility, and never break their will even if a knife is put in their throat.

Aria was recognized as a person worthy of being named in the Angelo family. Also directly by the family head.

‘Ah.’

Since this wasn’t something she wanted to be recognized for, Aria blushed for a moment and looked away.

In fact, she was really happy. Because she was recognized by nowhere else, but the Angelo family.

Then, as sharp as an awl, Valentine’s eyes turned to Martin one after another.

Luther added without hesitation.

“Yes. I heard that you have a strong sense of justice, quick judgment, and bold action. Rather, you are so great that I wonder what Angelo will be.”

Aria’s eyes lost their way to the sudden and unexpected shower of praise. As she rolled her eyes, choosing what to say, Tristan answered instead.

“Whatever it is, stop it.”

And he lifted his finger as if to tell Aria to come closer to him.

Aria was sorry, but she didn’t want to accede to his request this time around. Aria struggled to turn her back to Tristan, and said.

“The Duke must have already known that I can speak, so I’ll say it in words instead of a message.”

“Do whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Aria told Winter that it was okay to reveal her secret to the Angelo family head and the second son.

“If you came here because of the matter of developing a cure, I just did what I could.”

“It’s not necessarily because of that. There are stories I’ve heard from Winter…”

Martin then asked, “Um? But where is Vinter?”.

“Um, maybe…”

He had run away. Aria muttered those words, then mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

“I heard he left for a while to collect some data.”

It was a white lie for Winter’s sake.

“Is that so? I can’t see his face at all because he was so busy.”

Martin regretted the absence of his eldest son and returned to the point.

“It’s a pity that the Grand Princess isn’t my real daughter.”

“Is there anything to mourn for? I’m already the Duke’s daughter.”

On paper. Those words seemed to be somewhat disrespectful, so she omitted them.

Then, hearing those words, Martin’s stubborn face began to soften. It surprised Aria and his son, who was present, as well.

“Then feel free to call me comfortably. Like family.”

Like family, so…..

“Um, so Father? Older Brother?”

As he spoke, Aria’s back began to tingle. It was because of Grand Duke Valentine’s tenacious gaze.

‘Ah, that’s why…….’

Aria later realized why Tristan had said such a rude thing.

Because he always insisted on Aria’s title as ‘Daughter, Daughter’, that the genealogy was twisted. He regarded Aria as his biological daughter, so the very existence of her legal father, Martin, was annoying.

“Older Brother?”

Vincent asked, seemingly absurd.

“I called you Sister-in-law for fear that war would break out, but I didn’t call him Lord Angelo. Yet, why is he the only one who got to be ‘Brother’?”

She hasn’t heard it either. At Vincent’s resolute words, Aria’s eyes were full of absurdity.

‘Did he think of me like a younger sister?’

So, who is who’s sister?

“Lord Luther Angelo, what are your academy graduation grades?”

“What?”

He even quarreled with Luther, who had been standing still.

Then Lloyd, who had been silent, added in a cold voice.

“Aria already has a family, so she doesn’t need another family. She’s just as happy on paper as she is now.”

Tristan spoke coldly as if he had reached the apex of all the bloody threats.

“I am the only one who can be called Father under this sky.”

Only Aria that was caught in between them got troubled.

It was contrasting with the opening of the white outfit Tristan was wearing that was clearly lower than that of hers.

“Um, then…”

After hesitating, she opened her mouth.

Then, Angelo’s two father-and-son and Valentine’s eyes, who were growling as if they were about to eat the other, turned to Aria.

“Either way, I treat you like my own family, but if I had to choose, I would choose the most harmonious and happiest family as my true parent.”

“…Harmonious? Happiest?”

Tristan muttered as if speaking a word he had never heard before. But soon, he seemed confident, twisted his lips and smiled.

“Of course, I can make you happier than anyone else.”

“Don’t use my words.”

“Including this guy.”

“Ah, does that mean that I’m the only one who can make Aria happy if the Grand Duke is gone?”

It was when Lloyd stared at his father with a tight gaze. Aria added.

“Of course, if my family gets along badly and fights all the time, I will be disappointed.”

“And since Valentine and Angelo are family to me, I hope they don’t be rude to each other, because I’ve always wanted to have a caring and kind family.”

This was an overwhelmingly unfavorable condition for Valentine.

Then, suddenly, Tristan put down the sword. He straightened up his half-loose posture and spoke in a polite, noble tone.

“…welcome to Valentine.”

The head of Angelo, who was suddenly welcomed, stared at the Grand Duke with great disbelief.

“It’s an, honor.”

Lloyd frowned and spit it out, one letter at a time.

“You are, most welcome here.”

Vincent clapped awkwardly in a soulless voice.

Today, she was playing the role of a happiness evangelist.