Chapter 93

Aria gracefully sat in midair as if there were an invisible chair. She leaned back as though resting on imaginary armrests, and her blue, translucent hair flowed down beside her like water, so beautiful it took Liliana’s breath away.

“Don’t you know why I call you the ‘big little one’?” Aria asked.

“Of course I don’t. We’ve only just met today.“

“Haha, I thought you were a clever child!“ Aria said, throwing a fist-sized water droplet at Liliana. It transformed into a delicate hand that reached out and gently grabbed a strand of Liliana’s hair.

“The baby must have hair like yours,“ Aria remarked.

Liliana slowly understood what Aria meant, which caused her pupils to widen in shock.

“The original… No, do you know about that child?“

“Of course. Lilith is the baby I love most in this world. How could I not know the only spirit summoner who can perfectly communicate with me?”

Lilith.

The name of the protagonist’s child, the baby Liliana would have with Helio—whom she would never even get to meet.

Liliana was perplexed. Lilith was a child who existed in a future that hadn’t yet come to pass.

Could the Spirit King really know about an unborn child? It’s not as if Aria had read the original story like Liliana had.

Liliana was about to voice the dozens of questions swirling in her mind but stopped herself. There was another person here besides her and Aria.

Feeling awkward, Liliana turned to Hesdin.

“Hesdin, I probably look like I’ve lost my mind right now, but…”

Hesdin raised both hands and shook his head.

“Are you talking about knowing the future, Your Highness? Aria’s spoken of it so much that my ears practically bleed. It’s shocking to see it all unfold, but I’ve known for a while that this isn’t something a normal person like me should meddle in.”

Hesdin was a man of extreme rationality, even in situations that defied logic.

“Please, feel free to speak. Even if I were to betray you, the Spirit King wouldn’t stand idly by, so what do you have to worry about?”

Hesdin could have demanded trust by leaning on the bond they had built as teacher and student, but he didn’t. It was so typical of him that Liliana smiled awkwardly.

Since Hesdin already knew about this, there wasn’t much to worry about. Liliana nodded at him in gratitude before turning back to Aria.

“Lilith made contracts with two Spirit Kings. You weren’t one of them. She contracted with the Spirit King of Light and the Spirit King of Fire, didn’t she?”

Liliana asked, her tone reflecting her confusion. Aria looked highly amused.

“Yes, big little one, that’s what you think.”

Liliana finally understood the meaning behind the title “big little one.“ Since Lilith was a baby, and she would give birth to Lilith, that made her the “big baby.”

But everything else still made no sense.

“It’s not just what I think. It’s the truth,“ Liliana insisted.

“Big little one, that’s not what matters,“ Aria said, standing up. She cupped Liliana’s cheeks in her hands in the blink of an eye.

The cool sensation was oddly pleasant as if she were being enchanted by a water spirit.

Aria smiled confidently.

“I’ll take all the water away for you.“

“Uh…?“

“I’ll take all the water and keep it safe for you. Doesn’t that sound nice?“

“I don’t understand…”

Seeing Liliana’s confusion, Hesdin, who had been observing the situation, stepped in.

“Aria, how do you expect her to understand when you say it like that?“

“Huh? Lilith always understood everything I said.“

“That Lilith, Lilith! Lilith might be a once-in-a-lifetime genius, but we’re just ordinary people.”

Despite being young, Hesdin had become the Empress Consort’s private tutor, outshining all the other professors.

Liliana, for her part, was also exceptionally bright, quickly mastering subjects like politics, economics, and the arts, even though she had never studied them before.

‘Still, it’s hard to be as smart as Lilith, who’s blessed with every protagonist buff imaginable,‘ Liliana thought.

Though she considered her memory quite decent, she didn’t consider herself a genius, so she strongly sympathized with Hesdin’s words.

Except for one part.

“Hesdin, Lilith is the future Empress. You should call her Lady Lilith.”

Liliana defended Lilith, whose birth was uncertain, while Hesdin looked utterly exhausted.

“Ah, I forgot. She’s not even a fetus yet. From now on, I’ll make sure to call her Lady Lilith. Anyway, this isn’t why Aria appeared before Your Highness.“

“Then why?“

“Weren’t you searching for a flaw in the Gathis River? Aria says she’ll create one for you.“

“How… could she possibly?”

At this, Aria clapped her hands loudly, then clasped them close to her chin. She burst into laughter as though the mere thought thrilled her.

“It’s been thousands of years since I’ve embraced such a massive river. This must be what humans mean when they say their heart races.”

Could the Spirit King of water really drain such a vast river?

Liliana was so stunned that she couldn’t close her mouth. But as time passed, her face, pale with fear, gradually filled with joy.

Liliana beamed brightly, like a blossoming flower, and hugged Aria tightly around the neck.

“Aria! Thank you! You’re my savior!“

“Oh my.”

Aria gazed lovingly at the overjoyed Liliana and opened her arms to embrace her. Her dress got slightly wet this time, but she didn’t care.

Vail had made significant contributions in a small battle, and now it was time to end the war with a battle of legitimacy.

* * *

These days, each day for Duke Gabriel felt like hell. When he returned to the capital, no one welcomed him.

At least the nobles, tiptoeing around him, offered some words of concern or acted as though they knew nothing of what had happened, instead prattling on endlessly about parties or business ventures.

But the commoners were different. Every time the Duke’s carriage passed, they turned their heads and whispered.

Some, perhaps eager to meet death, even shouted at the carriage.

“The great Duke Gabriel ran away from Sagreen, didn’t he!”

Duke Gabriel immediately ordered the man to be captured and executed.

However, the commoners were all so dirty and wretched that it was impossible to tell who had done it. And the other commoners even helped hide the insolent ones.

“How dare they! Against me, Duke Gabriel!”

Recalling that humiliating moment, Duke Gabriel began individually throwing items from his desk.

To make matters worse, his damned nephew Vail had achieved great merit, and people were now busy weighing the Duke and Vail against each other.

Who was more suited for Duke Gabriel’s position? Who should be relegated to the sidelines of history, pushed away by fate’s decree?

It felt as if his dead younger brother had come back to life.

Indeed, his brother’s Spirit had entered Vail’s body, returning to torment him again.

Duke Gabriel clasped his hands together and rested his forehead on them.

Should he send Vail far away so he could never set foot in the capital again?

No, that wouldn’t be enough. He should kill him, just like he killed his father.

And then what about Agrina? Would she start acting up, too?

Not to mention, more than just one or two people were eyeing Duke Gabriel’s position, and he couldn’t possibly kill all those from the collateral branches of the family.

Duke Gabriel made his decision. And, as if the heavens agreed, his butler announced Vail’s arrival.

“My lord, Sir Vail wishes to see you.“

“Let him in.”

Surprisingly, instead of shouting for Vail to leave immediately, Duke Gabriel remained calm. The butler, concealing his surprise, smoothly ushered Vail into the office.

“I greet the head of the family.“

“… You’re here?”

Duke Gabriel was still breathing heavily, but he had calmed down considerably. He glared at Vail, sizing him up from head to toe with a sneering look.

Duke Gabriel’s entire body was filled with a deep inferiority complex toward his nephew. He wanted to strangle him to death right then and there. But now wasn’t the time.

If Vail, who had just won great recognition for his accomplishments, were to die at Duke Gabriel’s estate, it would only invite greater ridicule.

Duke Gabriel, his gaze sharp and cold, shifted his focus away from Vail.

“You brought honor to the Gabriel name with your accomplishments. But why… why did you show up there suddenly?“

“I had separately secured permission to participate from His Majesty. I thought the head of the family wouldn’t allow it.“

“So why?“

“Because I needed to achieve something as well. That way, I could at least leave my name in the world.”

Duke Gabriel, rubbing his temples, fixed Vail with an intense stare.

“I know your ambitions aren’t small. You’re trying to break away from my shadow and establish a new family, right?”

No, Vail’s goal was much bigger than that.

He aimed to become a more excellent tree than Duke Gabriel, one so large that it would block all the sunlight, leaving Gabriel to wither and die in the shadows.

But it wasn’t time yet, so Vail remained silent. Duke Gabriel took his silence as confirmation of his suspicions.

“Why? Even though you’re a collateral line, haven’t you enjoyed all the benefits of being part of the Gabriel family?”

Vail felt a sudden urge to slam his fist into the Duke’s face, but he controlled his emotions, keeping his hands neatly at his sides.

Duke Gabriel, thinking that Vail was hesitating, pressed further.

“You may answer honestly.“

“Since you ask, I’ll speak frankly. I was also born into a noble family and raised accordingly. But people call me ‘collateral.‘ They say I’m not a ‘true Gabriel.‘ I want to be ‘real,‘ even if it means having a lower title.”

Duke Gabriel studied Vail closely. If he were in Vail’s position, he would’ve killed the ‘true Gabriel‘ and taken that place himself.

But was Vail different? Vail’s father, his own younger brother, had also willingly stepped down and moved to the countryside to avoid conflict. Perhaps weak blood couldn’t be hidden.

‘If that’s the case, is there any need to kill him and complicate things? If I control him, I might gain even more.’

Having reached this conclusion, Duke Gabriel smiled in satisfaction. He leaned back in his chair and arrogantly gestured at Vail.

“Then become a true Gabriel.“

“How could I be with you and your daughter here?“

Vail spoke dismissively as if the idea had never crossed his mind.

‘As expected.’

Duke Gabriel didn’t fully trust Vail, but at this rate, Vail might separate and form a new family.

And just when everyone was comparing the merits of Vail and Duke Gabriel…

If people began saying that Vail’s family was the ‘true Gabriel lineage,‘ Duke Gabriel’s pride would be shattered.

So, Duke Gabriel made a bold offer.

“Become my son.”

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