Chapter 87. Asterope Franz, Part IV
Translator: Khan
Editor Group: Liber Reverie
Aria smiled with satisfaction at her answer. Annie was really lucky to meet her. If Annie behaved well, Aria was willing to recommend her to a lower aristocrat, but her elder brother met her requirements and she could make him have a reputable occupation, and she might save Annie’s entire family.
Aria hadn’t even thought about it, but as Annie had been born with luck, she might save Annie’s entire family. Now that her brother would be in her hands, Annie would never be able to escape from her.
“Really? Hmm. I see.”
The two maids cocked their heads, but did not ask why she asked such questions. They thought that their master just wondered.
‘Let’s think slowly about the items I will hoard, and let’s stop by the casino first.’
At that time, it would be better to take Annie alone out. It would be better to show her as much as she could. Besides, her brother was going to fall into her hands as well.
When she organized her thoughts, she was able to enjoy the scenery with ease. The spring breeze warmed her up, and her mood was great. If she accumulated wealth and built up power to use people like slaves, she would be able to confront the princess. Then she could take Oscar away again and hurt Mielle. No, she could get rid of Mielle, even though she would not take Oscar away from her. It was hard to imagine like there was a fog because it was still a distant future.
“Uh? Miss! Someone is staring at this side?”
Then, Annie said. Jessie, who sat next to her, also expressed wonder, ‘Uh?’
“He is looking around this cafe, isn’t he?”
There were countless people, because the building was beautiful, or because they were envious of the aristocrats who enjoyed leisure. Aria had appreciated this building countless times before she had become a noblewoman.
“No! He’s staring right over here.”
When Annie said so, Jessie also said, “It’s weird.” Then she jumped up from her seat with a look of surprise as to remember him who was looking at this side.
“Miss! That’s the man!”
“The man?”
“Yes! The man who we met in the general store and the square!”
‘If the places are the general store and the square… Don’t tell me, Asher?’
He was an unidentified man who had disappeared magically. Aria looked up and checked out the terrace thoroughly. But he, who Annie and Jessie had said, was not there already.
“Uh? Where did he go?”
“He was there just before?”
Aria looked for his traces for a long time with them, who stretched their bodies out of the terrace and looked around, but there was no sign of him.
‘Why on earth does he keep appearing?’ At the very least, the connection had been just tied with the right to participate in the casino, and a slender string, which Asher would not let go of, tied up Aria.
“That’s weird… He must have been looking this way. Was he passing by?”
Annie snooped back to her seat. Somehow Aria didn’t feel good. So, as she was about to stand up leaving the coffee, a bunch of tulips popped out through the curtains on the terrace.
“Jiminy!”
Surprised Jessie screamed, and Annie also held her chair, then turned deadly pale. The uninvited guest behind the curtains revealed himself so that Aria, including them, would no longer be surprised.
“Oh my, I didn’t mean to scare you… I’m so sorry. I think you’ve already seen me over the terrace, so I made a mistake.”
“… Asher?”
“It’s been a long time. Lady Aria Roscent…”
“…”
He really showed up! She couldn’t believe that he had even checked her face from afar, and come here. She was afraid of coincidences and his strange tenacity. When Aria refused to answer, Asher urged her to receive a bouquet of flowers.
“My arms hurt. Please accept it because it is a bouquet prepared for you.”
“… what brings you here?”
“I’ll let you know if you receive this bouquet of flowers.”
It was Aria who was confined on the terrace, so she was obliged to receive his bouquet. The tulips received were something Aria had seen. They were the tulips that Lane had given to her last time and that they were sold at a flower shop near the Imperial Castle.
She remembered the tulips had been different in shape of any shops. When Aria smelled the scent and identified it, Jessie cocked her head.
“That’s weird. I’m sure he didn’t have a bunch of flowers in his hands until a while ago…”
“Uh? Come to think of it, I didn’t see it either.”
When Annie said so, Aria’s heart began to pound as if it were to burst out. He was a strange man, as expected. What had happened at the square last time was so, and she thought he was not an ordinary person.
‘What the hell is he?’
“It’s too dark, but can I come in?”
“No! You said you’d let me know when I receive a bouquet of flowers, so please finish there.”
“You’re cold-hearted.”
He was rude before he could judge her cold heart. What kind of education did he get and practice the rude act to the people he met? Come to think of it, he had even kissed her forehead last time. She had been embarrassed and he had suddenly disappeared, and she couldn’t even slap his cheek.
Even she who had been from the common people felt his rudeness, but what would it be like in a noble society? She thought he might have been ostracized. So Aria adamantly refused again.
“I can’t because I was just about to go back.”
“… even if I knew all your secrets?”
At that word, the throbbing heart sank with a thud.
“Well, what…?!”
‘What nonsense are you talking about?’
Aria, speechless, was dumbfounded. Then Asher behind the curtains opened his mouth again to remove her hesitation.
“I said I know all your secrets. So why don’t we have a chat for a while?”
“… what, what secret are you talking about?”
“Is it okay to make a statement here? I didn’t know it was such an easy secret.”
‘What the hell are you talking about? Don’t tell me, do you know the secret of the hourglass…? How?!’
Aria’s gaze swept through Jessie and Annie. They looked worried but curious about what secret their master was being threatened with. Aria glanced at the hourglass.
‘Yeah, let him talk fast and then turn over the time with the hourglass.’
She didn’t know what secret he knew, and she couldn’t ignore it.
“Annie, Jessie… will you excuse us for a moment?”
“Miss…!”
“But!”
“It’s all right. Please leave us for a while. It’ll be over in a minute. Oh, by the way, leave the box there.”
If he told the secret he knew as soon as he came in, she could turn even this moment with the hourglass, in some cases.
Aria gave a firm order, and Annie and Jessie could no longer hold on and vacated their seats. Aria nodded when they said they would put the knight on standby.
After that, as if he had waited, he entered the terrace. Suddenly he showed up and interrupted her outing in a long time, but he made a good line on his lips; she looked suspiciously at him as he was mean and nasty, but he laughed loudly.
“Do you hate me so much?”
“Wouldn’t it be good? I’ve been threatened on a holiday for a long time.”
“Oh, I apologize for that. If I didn’t do that, I felt like I was going to be refused admittance.”
At the sight of Aria, who still seemed angry, even though he apologized, Asher stretched out his hand on the floor with one knee down, still smiling. Surprised, Aria blinked.
“Please forgive me for my rudeness, lady. I’ll be careful not to let this happen again.”
He was not to be careful that this would happen again; it was something that they should not see each other after today.
‘If you say it like that, it’ll be over. Why?’ Aria couldn’t help but reach out to Asher, who didn’t mind, though she had sharpened her claws a few times.
Moreover, it was a fairly straight and upright attitude for a lower aristocrat, though she didn’t know where he had learned it. While Aria admired it, Asher kissed Aria on the back of her hand in a clean manner.
She thought he dropped his lips after a while, but he kissed the back of the white, soft hand of Aria politely. Aria’s face glowed red from his careful handling of something very precious.
