The approaching footsteps echoed sharply throughout the halls, growing louder every second. After a while, the attic door slammed open, revealing a maid. Everyone’s eyes darted towards her.
Panting, the maid spoke, “Th-the lord has just sent Sally to the capital to pick up a new dress for the young miss.”
“You’re just in time. We were actually discussing that….”
“He’s sending her to the Grand Duke of Valentine.”
The chatter stopped, and a heavy silence settled over them, everyone was speechless.
“We’ll be at the expense of the Grand Duke.”
The maids shifted their gaze towards Aria.
Everyone was pale, afraid to imagine what the Grand Duke might do once he finds out about Aria’s mistreatment within the mansion.
Unexpectedly, some of the maids sympathized with her. They pitied her because she had been abused all her life.
“The Grand Duke hasn’t sent an official letter of marriage though,” one of the maids pointed out, trying to reassure the others.
Needless to say, her efforts were futile.
In most noble houses, due to inheritance and family alliance, marriages were contracted at a young age. Hence the average age of engagement was rarely over fourteen.
The Grand Duke of Valentine would turn fourteen years old this year.
“Well, she’s going to die anyway.”
“That’s right. She’ll be sacrificed to the devil before he harms us.”
The House of Valentine usually searched for marriage partners only once in a generation. Then, the wife would have to bear the child of the Grand Duke and continue his bloodline.
The child of the following marriage would get to inherit his succession rights, titles, precedence, and entailed property, but it wasn’t as good as it sounds.
The Grand Duchess usually dies after giving birth to an heir.
There had been many rumors about it, but no one knew the actual truth.
Those that became the Grand Dukes’ bride had to break all ties with their family and friends.
‘They were nothing but sacrifices.’
That was what everyone called them.
“You can’t speak, and soon you’ll be stuck in the Grand Duke’s mansion forever. You have nothing to fear, though! I’m sure you’ve suffered much worse.”
While listening to the maids, Aria recalled her memory of last night.
After she got hold of the Mermaid’s Tears, entrancing the Count became quite simple.
All she did was add a few words to the lyrics; ‘send me to the Grand Duke of Valentine,’ and it immediately worked.
‘Shall I sing to them like what I did to my father?’
No, there was no need for that.
The maids kept repeating, “You need not be afraid!” but Aria did not respond.
There was an uneasy tension in the atmosphere. The maids’ unsettled eyes glanced unceremoniously around the room.
Then, Aria rummaged through a small old silver bag that she had been carrying on her shoulder.
She was mute, so she carried the bag every day as it contained items that helped her communicate.
Inside the bag were a bottle of ink, a quill, and a pack of cards. Aria wrote on a card and held it out to the maids.
[Get rid of this. Make it edible.]
The maids let out a gasp. They couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Sh-she’s ordering us……”
Aria stared at them, her expression as empty as a blank sheet of paper. Then, she kicked the bowl of soup beside her feet and spilled its contents all over the floor.
[Right this instant.]
<figure> — There was a shock and vibration as the ground trembled.
“Agh!”
“Wh-what in tarnation?!”
The knights of the House of Cortez unsheathed their swords, their skin clammy with nervous sweat.
“That’s why I told you to go back!” The guide wailed, “Goodness gracious, what are we gonna do if the rumor about the monster is true?!”
“Monster?”
“The deformed beast. Many times larger than the common predator……”
“What? Why are you telling me that now?!”
“Because you kept shouting at me! You didn’t even stop to listen!” he accused.
Aria had also heard of the rumor.
The reason why so many people thought of the Valentines as devil worshippers were because of the rumor.
“It’s the devil’s curse……” someone muttered.
Suddenly, a scream broke out.
“Argh!!!”
“H-help!”
The sound echoed throughout the forest, desperate and terrified. It was a cry of hysteria and disbelief, bordering fear. The scream was one of the guard’s last words before he perished.
Aria fixedly stared at the knights surrounding her and didn’t look away for even a second.
Yet, by the time she blinked, another knight fell to the ground, his corpse soaked in a pool of blood.
‘My eyes can’t keep up, but I know there’s something here!’
A moment later, everyone was dead. The knights, mercenaries, guides, and even the coachmen… the life that had once dwelt within them was nowhere to be found.
It was a brutal slaughter.
The ground was covered with soulless bodies lying limply.
Aria lifted her head from the ground. In the midst of the bloody corpses stood a man wearing a black cloak.
“How entertaining,” he smirked.
His voice was deep, like a low roll of thunder.
“How did the House of Valentine fall to such a state? The social hierarchy is nothing but a joke.”
A massacre had just happened before Aria’s eyes, but she felt no remorse. Her miserable past had diminished her emotions.
‘This method of slaughter…’
Beside the man were two large creatures which seemed to be the ‘monsters’ that the guide was talking about.
“It’s been a while since the dogs ate.”
The man called the beasts ‘dogs’.
The creature was huge and grotesque with black matted hair. They looked like wolves that were three times bigger than the regular size.
Then Aria locked eyes with the man.
‘Gray eyes…’
The man came up to her, passing the pile of corpses, and pointed his sword at her.
His lips parted.
“Kill her.”
Aria’s brain had shut down.
The beasts ran towards her, and her knees gave away as she fell to the cold, hard ground.
She shut her eyes, waiting for them to deliver the last, finishing blow.
“Kyaa-!!!”
…
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But there was no pain at all.
Aria opened her eyes, tears blurring her vision.
“Sob, sob…”
The monster licked Aria’s hand and wagged its tail like a dog.