Translator: Khan

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

Anyway, Aria would not go to anyone but himself, and even if she left him, he would not let her go, so he had plenty of chances to ask. So he kept his mind deep in his heart, wanting to know the truth.

"You'd better go home because it's late, and you might catch a cold."

He wrapped up her shoulders covered by his coat and changed the subject, pretending to be casual. In no time, his look was changed and smiled with a soft smile that he had always shown to her.

"… Yes."

In response, Aria looked suspicious, but she was naturally beside him, convinced that there would be a reason. She was also good at hiding her facial expression, and he didn't know what she was thinking, but maybe she thought it was nothing.

She then took a step forward and immediately her vision turned to her room. When he cleared his doubt, he felt a sense of regret for not wanting to part with her. As he looked down at her face, thinking of the conversation that would take a moment, he said, as if something came up.

"It will all be settled soon."

"… Oh, I see. I thought it would be the time after a while, but already… and would Mielle show up?"

Aria said, paying great attention.

"Maybe so, because they think they'll win."

"I hope she'll be back as soon as possible," said Aria, and her doubts about Asher had disappeared. She was delighted as if she were a kid playing a new prank.

'What is so fun? Is it because Mielle will be ruined? Or is it because the Count's family will be ruined? Or both?'

If someone knew Aria's cruel temper with a sulky smile that seemed to have a secret design, he would have been busy calming his surprised heart, but she was only a beautiful woman to Asher.

"I'm afraid I'll go now. I'll see you on your birthday."

"That long?"

Since it wasn't that late, he took the hand of Aria, who was surprised and asked him a question. He asked Aria with a lovely smile,

"Will you visit the Imperial Castle?"

"That's…"

As she hesitated because she was also busy, he smiled a little.

"If you allow me, I will secretly visit you like this if I have the time. If I can't, I will make sure to send you a letter."

"… I see."

It was really late, so he left regret behind and kissed Aria on the back of her hand and said goodbye then disappeared.

Soon after he disappeared, Aria, who had had a soft girl's face, looked at her hand with a cold face.

"The ring…"

The ring that had taken Asher's attention! It had been a royal ring for generations, and he had explained that when Asher used his power, its color changed. After a while, it returned to its original state, but it reminded her of the ring that glowed blue, immediately after using its power.

The last time she had listened to it with no attention, but he had said that the color had changed when he had seen her ring. She had forgotten, but she remembered that he had also looked at her hand with strange eyes.

'…No way!'

Because of the crazy idea, her face hardened. She also wondered that if she used the hourglass, the ring would shine like Asher's.

'No, it can't be.'

Last time, she had used the hourglass but not today. She only remembered taking a walk near the pond of the Imperial Castle. Nevertheless, she took out the hourglass she had left in the cabinet just in case, and even though she thought it was impossible, she wanted to check it.

Aria, who had been weighing the time with her pocket watch for a moment, turned the hourglass slowly. She put the speeding hourglass on the table and lowered her trembling eyes to check the ring on her hand.

"…!"

The ring unbelievably emitted a blue light like when Asher had used his power.

'What the hell is this…?'

'Why... Why is the ring glowing? Was it because I used the hourglass? Was it because I'm using a power that was the same as Asher's even though I'm not a part of the royal family?' The ring was glowing blue, and she thought that it was the only answer.

'… Is that why he mentioned the color of the ring right after I used the hourglass? Did he know what was happening all along...?'

When her thoughts reached that far, she lost her energy. There was a chance that Asher knew about her ability. She had thought she would have to say it someday, but she hadn't wanted Asher to notice it first.

'What should I do? Should I tell it to him?'

She was worried but got no answer. Most of all, she wondered if he knew it and if it might shine in another way. Furthermore, she was drowsy because she had used the hourglass.

'... I'll ask him about the ring again.'

The question would not be answered if she grumbled alone, and as Asher had confessed his secret, the time for her to confess her secret was coming near.

* * *

"Brother, I think this birthday party should be big."

Aria, who had ignored him, treating him like someone she didn't know, suddenly spoke to him, and Cain was stiff. She had talked through the servants when she had something to say, but what was the reason?

"... What?"

He didn't understand what she was saying, and he asked again what she had just told him, and Aria added a little smile because he said it in a slightly dumb tone.

"I told you I'd have to make my birthday party a little bigger because not only my friends but also your acquaintances who live in the mansion would attend."

In her words mentioning the soldiers, Cain, who understood what she meant, cleared his throat and pretended to be casual.

"That makes sense."

It was funny that he could not refuse her request even though it was obvious that he was having problems with money.

"Can I tell the butler that? I will say that you gave me permission."

"... Okay, do it."

Aria had not given him a glance, and he seemed satisfied that she had acknowledged him as the head of Count Roscent family and that she asked his permission. Perhaps he thought it was worth it to push his father down the stairs and serve as the acting Count even if he did not know that it was a ruined family.

Cain didn't know, but the Countess had already taken almost all of the Count's family's money away, and that the Count's family had no money to spend on an expensive birthday party. No, the Count's family had no money to even hold a birthday party.

The Count, who did not know that his family finances were in danger, had allowed the Countess, who had melted his heart, to use his property under the pretext of taking care of himself.

Of course, she had only got his permission but had not reported to anyone. That was because she had used the property but had not stated that she had used it.

'So there's no record, so you're stupidly aware that the Count's family still has a lot of money left.'

All this was because Cain had not informed the Count that he was not doing his business properly, nor had he asked for advice. If the Count was in good shape, he might have known what was going on, but he was in a state of instability, and he could not make a proper judgment.

There were many things that were happening, and those were eating up the family of Count Roscent, and it was in a very bad situation to fall straight down if someone touched it lightly with his fingers.

"Thank you, brother."

"Well, it's nothing, and it's an occasion that is only held once a year, so it's not bad to make the most splendid one in the entire empire."

As soon as the words fell, Aria, who gave Cain a bright smile, immediately instructed the butler to make the party grander.

"Yes? Bigger than we originally planned?"

"Yes, there are a lot of people in the house beside the guests I would invite."

The butler looked worried, but as it was the instruction of the wise Aria, he said he would do so.

"I'll do my best not to disappoint you."

He really did his best to prepare the party. Since it was winter, the garden was minimally decorated, but the mansion was fully decorated. Asher, who she had been expecting a visit in the meantime, did not appear and sent a letter to inform her of his regards.

'He must know my power, too.'