The Male Lead’s Father Refuses to Break Off Our Engagement

Chapter 56

 

“Lady Aria, would you like to go to the young master room and stay with him? I’ll bring the dessert to your room.”

“Okay!”

Annie, who received Evelia’s glance, took Aria out.

Samuel urged again.

“High Priest, is there something wrong with our Aria?”

“Isn’t Lady Aria suffering from an unknown fever?”

“How did you…”

Samuel’s eyes opened wide. He told a story that was unusual for him. It was as if he had been possessed by the high priest.

“It’s gotten a little better recently after I fed her with Talan flowers, but before that, she was often sick. On days when she got emotional or played vigorously, she always got sick and was confined to her room.”

“I see. It’s a talan flower… Have you ever seen any priest?”

“I visited several priests, but they couldn’t find a specific cause.”

“That’s quite possible.”

Samuel approached the High Priest, ready to kneel.

“High Priest, what is going on here?”

“Lady Aria was born with greater divine power than me.”

“… Yes?”

“Historically, cases like Lady Aria’s have been canonized as saints.”

Samuel blinked a few times, as if he didn’t understand.

“So, are you saying that the reason Aria has been sick so far is because of her divine power?”

“That’s right. She was in pain because her body could not handle the strong power. You said she got better after you fed her with Talan flowers, right?”

“But no other priest said anything like that.”

“How could a mere human understand the saint’s deep meaning?”

It is said that Aria’s power was so great that not a single priest could notice it.

Samuel focused on other things than the fact that Aria was powerful.

“So what do we do from here on out, so she doesn’t get sick?”

“She’ll slowly learn to control her powers, and once she’s able to control them, she’ll be healthy.”

“Then….”

“The best thing is to take Lady Aria to the temple…”

“That’s not possible.”

The high priest stroked his beard and smiled, as if he knew that would happen.

“Then, is it okay if I visit the Marquis Denoa residence regularly and meet Lady Aria?”

“The High Priest, directly?”

“I would like to do so if the Marquis Denoa would give permission.”

“We are honored.”

“Then I will give you a message and visit you soon.”

The high priest left the mansion after saying that he would send good medicine to Aria first.

The people remaining in the living room all looked confused except for Evelia.

Even Cassis was slightly frowning as if he couldn’t believe it.

“So…”

It was Logan who broke the silence.

“You mean that Lady Denoa has strong divine power enough to be praised as a saint and was able to heal the young master?”

Evelia nodded.

“I guess so.”

Samuel buried his face in his hands.

“Oh my god, how did something like this happen…”

Even though he found out the truth about Aria, he was not happy. Evelia asked in confusion.

“Aren’t you happy? You knew the reason why Lady Aria was sick.”

“But…”

Samuel took a deep sigh.

“I wanted Aria to live a normal life.”

“Ah….”

Now I felt like I could understand what he was worried about.

‘If I become a saint, my life will be complicated.’

The Denoa family would also receive attention from the social world, unlike now.

In the original story, Aria’s cure for Ruth’s fever and her elevation to sainthood occurred after she came of age.

‘I guess it got messed up because I changed the original.’

Looking at Samuel’s confused face, I felt guilty.

“I’m sorry.”

Samuel raised his head and made a puzzled expression.

“Why are you apologizing, Lady?”

“Just….”

Evelia was speechless.

“It’s because I called Lady Aria for no reason and it’s got complicated.”

“No, you didn’t, and I think it’s a good thing you did it.”

Cassis joined the conversation between the two.

“Now that I think about it, I was late in greeting you.”

He bent down towards Samuel. Samuel’s eyes widened, and then he waved his hands in confusion.

“There is no need to do that, Duke.”

“Thanks to Lady Denoa, Ruth has become better, and as his father, and I will make sure to repay you and Denoa for what you have done today.”

“Then…”

Samuel smiled kindly.

“There is no need for a material return. “Please just allow Aria to get along with Confucius like she does now.”

Cassis answered yes without hesitation.

 

*****

 

As if keeping his promise to Samuel, Cassis let Aria stay for a few more days.

Thanks to this, Aria was able to stay at the Adelhard mansion as a guest.

The two children were very excited. As if they weren’t tired, they stayed together all day and played various games.

Now the two children were playing house with dolls.

“By the way.”

They were in the middle of having fun. Aria, playing the role of mom, held the doll tightly in her arms and asked.

“Why does sister Eve live here?”

In fact, Aria had been asking Samuel for days.

“I want to bring her home, too!” she said.

But Samuel was stubborn. It’s okay for them to come over to play, but it’s not okay for Evelia to live with them in their mansion.

Why does Ruth’s house work but not her house?

If she wasn’t even related to Ruth, why was she living with him?

She asked her brother that question, but he didn’t give her a clear answer.

Aria, who was thinking over and over again in her small head, decided to ask Ruth directly.

“Umm, Eve?”

“Yes! Why does Sister Eve live here when she’s not even your family?”

Ruth answered confidently.

“Because my father and Eve are going to marry!”

“Marriage?”

Aria said, “Hmm.” she made a sound and tilted her head to one side.

“So your dad and Eve like each other?”

“Huh?”

Ruth tilted his head.

“I don’t know?”

“Why wouldn’t you know that?”

Aria pouted her lips.

“It’s in the storybooks. Marriage is for people who like each other.”

The back of Ruth’s head felt tingly as if he had been hit.

‘That’s right. Isn’t it?’

It was a story that clearly appeared in a children’s book that Ruth had read.

A story about a princess and a prince who like each other and getting married.

Then…

‘Do you think Dad and Eve like each other too?’

The child’s face turned red with excitement.

 

*****

 

While Aria went to take a nap, Evelia went to check on Ruth.

Ruth was waiting for her with half-closed eyes.

“Eve.”

Evelia wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

“Yes, Did you have fun playing with Lady Aria today?”

“Yes!”

After answering loudly, Ruth looked around and whispered to Evelia.

“Eve, do you like my father?”

Evelia coughed, momentarily flustered.

‘What does this mean all of a sudden?’

She blinked, not knowing what to say to the unexpected question, and Ruth asked again.

“Aria said that marriage is between people who like each other. But my father and Eve are getting married!”

“They are, aren’t they?”

Ruth’s eyes were bright. Evelia groaned.

‘I can’t destroy his innocence.’

There was no way she was going to say, ‘You can marry someone even if you don’t like it.’

Ruth would learn about arranged marriage later when he grew up, but for now, she wanted to protect his pure innocence.

But my jaw dropped. I like Cassis. I didn’t want to say something like that, no matter how empty the meaning was.

As Evelia’s silence prolonged, Ruth became sullen.

“You don’t like my father?”

“No!”

Evelia responded reflexively.

“I like him.”

Ruth smiled brightly again.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“Well, I don’t know?”

Ruth stretched his arms high into the sky.

“As much as the sky and the earth?”

Evelia laughed for a moment.

‘Cute.’

Ruth, who had been timid when they first met, now began to express himself in front of Evelia.

Although he was still a little cautious, he became brighter, perhaps because Evelia cared for him with affection.

Ruth’s nanny also said, ‘Thanks to Lady Venion, he has become much brighter these days.’

As if she had hesitated for some time, Evelia matched Ruth’s rhythm.

“Yes. I love it as much as the sky and the earth.”

Then, belatedly, she muttered and whispered.

“But this is our secret.”