Chapter 114
Lionel didn’t deny it. Evelia spoke carefully to persuade him.
“I also care about Ruth a lot, although not as much as you do. I consider him like my son. So, I hope you can trust me too.”
“…….”
“But you probably won’t believe me if I just say this.”
Evelia decided to show some of what she had.
“Queen Clarisse is using forbidden magic.”
Although these words were shocking, Lionel was not greatly shaken.
‘I guess you knew.’
Evelia observed his expression and continued.
“My husband wasn’t just unwell, he was under a curse. We think it was Queen Clarisse’s doing.”
Perhaps Clarisse’s plan was correct, Evelia thought.
‘The same incident occurred in the original novel.’
In the original novel ‘Aria of Light’, Ruth found out that Cassis was not his biological father and searched for him.
However, he was unable to meet his biological father. This is because Lionel had already died from a mysterious illness a long time ago.
Suddenly, Ruth realized that Cassis and Lionel had similar symptoms and began investigating the correlation between the two.
Of course, by his side were Samuel, his teacher and head of the information guild, Sierro, and Aria, who had begun to be revered as a saint.
Until now, it was a story that I had not thought deeply about because I was thinking about surviving as ‘Evelia’ right away. Since it was a story about the Kingdom of Cesia, I thought it had nothing to do with me.
But it was not a story to be ignored.
Because I didn’t read ‘Aria of Light’ all the way through, I didn’t know how Ruth and Aria got revenge on Clarisse Cesia. But there was one thing we knew.
‘The Queen’s assistant and her laboratory.’
However, this was information she only knew because she had read the original novel. If you asked me where the information came from, I couldn’t tell you exactly.
She needed the other person’s unbounded trust.
And Cassis said he trusted her completely.
“It is said that black magic can use human blood as a medium. There must be a laboratory somewhere in the kingdom that procures that blood. Isn’t the prince looking for that too?”
“Are you saying you can find it now?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you exactly that.”
“Haha.”
Lionel burst into laughter as if it were absurd. Evelia continued speaking steadfastly.
“You don’t lose anything.”
“…….”
“Think about it. It’s not much, but you have time to think about it.”
Only after I said everything I wanted to say did the tension seem to ease. Evelia poured herself another cup of tea, which was still steaming, and drank it carefully.
Lionel asked in a low voice.
“What do you want?”
“Yes?”
“What do you gain by helping me?”
Evelia opened her eyes round and then laughed helplessly.
“I’m not helping you. It’s about cooperation.”
“Cooperation?”
“You and I are trying to protect Ruth. We have the same desire, so let’s cooperate.”
“…….”
“If I were to be honest, I want peace in my family.”
Lionel looked at her with a somewhat vague look on his face.
“You look like Julia.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
After saying those words, Lionel stayed silent for a moment and stood up.
“Let me think about it some more.”
“All right.”
Evelia also put down the cup and stood up.
“Ah, by the way.”
“……?”
“And when this is over, we plan to tell Ruth the truth.”
“Is it true?”
“Yes. I will also give Ruth the choice. To stay here or follow us back to the Empire.”
Evelia lowered her eyes and whispered.
“It’s sad, but I will let Ruth go if he decides to stay. But if Ruth wants to live with us….”
She soon faced Lionel with a determined face.
“I hope you send Ruth away with a smile. Please help us receive the blessing so that Ruth doesn’t get sick.”
As if caught off guard, Lionel was silent again before answering.
“Sure.”
He opened the door, escorting Evelia.
“I don’t have the shame to catch Ruth anyway.”
It was a word that somehow felt sad.
14. Counterattack
Ruth sat by the bedside and looked at Aria, who was sleeping soundly. I don’t know exactly what happened since he’s with Lionel, but he said Aria fell asleep from exhaustion.
Well, Aria was always like that. The child was weak, and would get tired easily even if she ran just a little. In fact, she was told she shouldn’t be running in the first place because her heart was bad.
She looks so healthy, chirping like a sparrow…
I don’t like being sick. Ruth, who was often in pain due to the curse, or in fact the power of Celsion, knew how painful it was to feel as if his entire body was being split apart.
He hated being sick himself, but he hated the thought of Aria going through that terrible pain even more.
Could it be that Aria is still sick?
Ruth carefully placed his hand on Aria’s forehead. The area where my palm touched was hot.
Is there a fever or not? I put my other hand on my forehead, but I couldn’t tell.
Eventually, Ruth lowered his hand and whispered softly.
“Don’t be sick, Aria.”
At that time, Aria, whose eyes were closed, pursed her lips.
“I’m not sick, you idiot.”
“Yes?”
“I’m just a little sleepy.”
“Really? You’re not hurt?”
“Yes. It’s because I used my holy power.”
“Holy power?”
“A child like you doesn’t need to know.”
For reference, Ruth and Aria were the same age, seven years old this year. However, for some reason, Aria seemed dignified when she said those words, so Ruth quietly nodded.
Ruth looked at Aria sleeping quietly and remembered what happened at the training hall earlier. Why did I hate it when so many people, especially children my age, looked at Aria?
Furthermore.
‘I want you to only be friends with me.’
I know it’s greed. Don’t you have Anthony besides Aria?
However, since I can stay with Aria without Anthony, I wish Aria would only be friends with me.
Ruth held Aria’s small white hand.
“Let’s continue to be friends for the rest of our lives.”
It was a desire as strong as the desire when he wants Evelia to become his stepmother, no, perhaps stronger than that.
*****
Aria slept a little longer, and then woke up quickly, knowing she hadn’t been lying when she said she wasn’t in pain. At that time, Lionel and Evelia entered the room.
“Sister Eve!”
“Mom! Uncle Lionel!”
The two children ran at the same time. However, while Ruth naturally hugged Lionel, Aria stopped still in the middle. She was shy when she met Lionel for the first time.
Ruth astutely noticed this and gestured.
“Aria, say hello. This is Uncle Lionel.”
“Uncle?”
“Yes! He’s Aunt Julia’s friend.”
Evelia added.
“Hello, Aria. My name is Lionel Cesia, the first prince of the Kingdom of Cesia.”
Aria approached him and bowed politely.
“I’m Aria Denoa.”
Lionel looked down at Aria and smiled.
“Are you Ruth’s friend?”
“Yes!”
Aria, who had answered loudly without realizing it, soon silenced her voice.
“Yes. I’m Ruth’s best friend.”
At that moment, Ruth’s ears turned red. Lionel pretended not to see it. Instead, he knelt down on one knee in front of Aria and was at eye level with the child.
“You must continue to be close friends with Ruth. Got it?”
“Yes…”
“Okay, thank you. I guess you also cured Ruth’s illness.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Lionel carefully raised his hand and stroked Aria’s head. Aria flinched for a moment, but then silently accepted his touch.
Then she opened her eyes and asked.
“But Unc… No, prince.”
Aria hastily corrected the title. It seems that even Aria of the world could not call a prince of a country ‘uncle’.
“What’s wrong?”
Lionel’s attitude toward Aria was also quite friendly, just like when he was toward Ruth. It was probably because she was his son’s only friend.
Aria asked innocently, looking back and forth between Ruth and Lionel.
“The prince is Ruth’s uncle?”
For a moment, Lionel and Evelia’s faces stiffened.
Evelia spoke quickly to ease the awkward atmosphere.
“No, Aria. He’s just an uncle in name, not a real uncle.”
“Ah.”
Aria tilted her head as if it was strange.
“But the energy I feel from Ruth and the Prince is similar…”
Eita, Aria revelando os segredos, casos de família 😬