(122) To have you (2)
“Little Lord?”
At Ariana's voice, Geor barely came to his senses.
He couldn't even fathom how much time had passed since he entered this room. He suddenly realized how deeply he was in love with Ariana.
Yes, I see. That's how I felt. That's why I was so scared and nervous, unable to do anything about this small, fragile girl.
"Are you okay?"
Ariana asked Geor, who had entered the room and stood there blankly, unresponsive, with a worried look on his face. He was even glad that she was concerned about him.
“It’s okay. I just thought it might be too late.”
“What?”
“A birthday present...”
Geor held out the box he had been holding tightly to the whole time.
Ariana looked down at the box, slightly surprised, then smiled faintly. Geor knew that smile wasn't sincere.
“I didn’t know that Little Lord would prepare a birthday present for me.”
Ariana's small hand reached out toward the box. Geor resisted the urge to grab it and handed it to her.
He kept his eyes glued to Ariana's face as she opened the box and examined what was inside. He worried if she'd like the gift, so he carefully studied her eyes and expression.
Inside the box was a bracelet. It was an elegant yet charming bracelet, with two rows of diamonds densely encrusted around the wrist and an amethyst butterfly attached to it.
Ariana smiled brightly, as if she had received a gift from another family member, but Geor could tell that her smile wasn't sincere.
“Thank you, Little Lord. It’s truly beautiful.”
He wanted to see her sincerity.
If he couldn't have her, he wanted to at least be her real family. He wanted her to relax and let go of the weight on her shoulders, like she did when she was with Averaster or Isabelle.
At least that much.
“Ariana.”
He impulsively called her name. Grasping the ends of her hair wasn't something he had intended to do either.
His body moved on its own.
Ariana looked up at Geor, her eyes wide open in genuine surprise. Her clear, blue eyes were filled with only Geor. Geor loved that.
“My family is the White family.”
"Ah..."
“Russell White, he’s my father.”
“Yes. I am well aware of Little Lord’s loyalty to my father.”
“But you don’t know how I feel about you.”
Ariana's eyes fluttered.
Geor bent down, meeting her eyes, and kissed the tip of her hair.
Even she, a smart woman, hadn't anticipated this behavior, and her lips parted unconsciously. Seeing those luscious red lips, a desire he didn't want to name clumped tightly around his lower abdomen.
"You, too."
Geor barely managed to suppress his greed.
“This is my family.”
There was something strange about Geor today, Ariana thought.
Geor's violet eyes were very close. She noticed for the first time that the edges of his pupils were red.
She could sense his sincerity in his suppressed voice. She could tell he had thought long and hard before making his decision.
Ariana never doubted Geor's loyalty and affection for her father, Lord Russell. However, she was the problem. Russell's own daughter, who had suddenly appeared. Geor's biological father, Duke Obelius, was an uneasy presence.
And now, torn between the two, Geor has come to a conclusion. He has decided on the path he must take.
But.
‘Why is it like this...’
Will it be hot?
His gaze was so hot that it was almost painful, and she felt like she was being swallowed up by deep and profound emotions, which made her feel embarrassed.
Ariana took a step back without realizing it, but the tip of her hair was still in his hand.
There was no way her hair could feel anything, but the area where she was being held felt hot. A strange air enveloped Ariana and Geor. Only then did Ariana realize she and Geor were alone in this room.
For some reason, her heart was pounding.
“I understand your feelings, Little Lord.”
“No, Ariana.”
He lowered the hand that had been holding her hair. His fingertips lightly brushed Ariana's shoulder, leaving a warm, lingering sensation.
Ariana held her breath without even realizing it.
“We’re family.”
Geor had a mischievous smile on his face as always.
“Call my name.”
"Ah."
Since we're family, it's natural to call each other by our names. But why does it tickle me so much?
After a moment of hesitation, she managed to say his name.
“Geor.”
Then a very pleasant smile spread across his lips. A warm, affectionate, and slightly wistful smile, like the sunshine of a spring day just beginning.
“Yes, Ariana.”
Geor took a bracelet from the box Ariana was holding. He then lifted Ariana's wrist and put the bracelet on her wrist.
That insignificant act came across as heavy.
A butterfly with purple amethyst wings landed on Ariana's slender wrist. Geor stared intently at it and spoke.
“I look forward to working with you in the future.”
At dinner, Grandfather Theodore looked at the bracelet adorning Ariana's wrist and said,
“The bracelet goes very well with your hair color.”
Ariana glanced back at Geor.
Geor, sitting next to her father, was silently moving his fork.
“My brother gave it to me as a gift.”
It was the first time Ariana had called Geor "brother." Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, then quickly broke into smiles.
The whole family noticed the subtle tension between Ariana and Geor. It was a feeling of unease, a sense of wariness.
The two tried to hide it, but there were fragments of emotions that could not be hidden.
The family watched with anxiety, believing it was an inevitable war of nerves between the adopted son and the returning biological daughter.
“Little Lord?”
At Ariana's voice, Geor barely came to his senses.
He couldn't even fathom how much time had passed since he entered this room. He suddenly realized how deeply he was in love with Ariana.
Yes, I see. That's how I felt. That's why I was so scared and nervous, unable to do anything about this small, fragile girl.
"Are you okay?"
Ariana asked Geor, who had entered the room and stood there blankly, unresponsive, with a worried look on his face. He was even glad that she was concerned about him.
“It’s okay. I just thought it might be too late.”
“What?”
“A birthday present...”
Geor held out the box he had been holding tightly to the whole time.
Ariana looked down at the box, slightly surprised, then smiled faintly. Geor knew that smile wasn't sincere.
“I didn’t know that Little Lord would prepare a birthday present for me.”
Ariana's small hand reached out toward the box. Geor resisted the urge to grab it and handed it to her.
He kept his eyes glued to Ariana's face as she opened the box and examined what was inside. He worried if she'd like the gift, so he carefully studied her eyes and expression.
Inside the box was a bracelet. It was an elegant yet charming bracelet, with two rows of diamonds densely encrusted around the wrist and an amethyst butterfly attached to it.
Ariana smiled brightly, as if she had received a gift from another family member, but Geor could tell that her smile wasn't sincere.
“Thank you, Little Lord. It’s truly beautiful.”
He wanted to see her sincerity.
If he couldn't have her, he wanted to at least be her real family. He wanted her to relax and let go of the weight on her shoulders, like she did when she was with Averaster or Isabelle.
At least that much.
“Ariana.”
He impulsively called her name. Grasping the ends of her hair wasn't something he had intended to do either.
His body moved on its own.
Ariana looked up at Geor, her eyes wide open in genuine surprise. Her clear, blue eyes were filled with only Geor. Geor loved that.
“My family is the White family.”
"Ah..."
“Russell White, he’s my father.”
“Yes. I am well aware of Little Lord’s loyalty to my father.”
“But you don’t know how I feel about you.”
Ariana's eyes fluttered.
Geor bent down, meeting her eyes, and kissed the tip of her hair.
Even she, a smart woman, hadn't anticipated this behavior, and her lips parted unconsciously. Seeing those luscious red lips, a desire he didn't want to name clumped tightly around his lower abdomen.
"You, too."
Geor barely managed to suppress his greed.
“This is my family.”
There was something strange about Geor today, Ariana thought.
Geor's violet eyes were very close. She noticed for the first time that the edges of his pupils were red.
She could sense his sincerity in his suppressed voice. She could tell he had thought long and hard before making his decision.
Ariana never doubted Geor's loyalty and affection for her father, Lord Russell. However, she was the problem. Russell's own daughter, who had suddenly appeared. Geor's biological father, Duke Obelius, was an uneasy presence.
And now, torn between the two, Geor has come to a conclusion. He has decided on the path he must take.
But.
‘Why is it like this...’
Will it be hot?
His gaze was so hot that it was almost painful, and she felt like she was being swallowed up by deep and profound emotions, which made her feel embarrassed.
Ariana took a step back without realizing it, but the tip of her hair was still in his hand.
There was no way her hair could feel anything, but the area where she was being held felt hot. A strange air enveloped Ariana and Geor. Only then did Ariana realize she and Geor were alone in this room.
For some reason, her heart was pounding.
“I understand your feelings, Little Lord.”
“No, Ariana.”
He lowered the hand that had been holding her hair. His fingertips lightly brushed Ariana's shoulder, leaving a warm, lingering sensation.
Ariana held her breath without even realizing it.
“We’re family.”
Geor had a mischievous smile on his face as always.
“Call my name.”
"Ah."
Since we're family, it's natural to call each other by our names. But why does it tickle me so much?
After a moment of hesitation, she managed to say his name.
“Geor.”
Then a very pleasant smile spread across his lips. A warm, affectionate, and slightly wistful smile, like the sunshine of a spring day just beginning.
“Yes, Ariana.”
Geor took a bracelet from the box Ariana was holding. He then lifted Ariana's wrist and put the bracelet on her wrist.
That insignificant act came across as heavy.
A butterfly with purple amethyst wings landed on Ariana's slender wrist. Geor stared intently at it and spoke.
“I look forward to working with you in the future.”
***
At dinner, Grandfather Theodore looked at the bracelet adorning Ariana's wrist and said,
“The bracelet goes very well with your hair color.”
Ariana glanced back at Geor.
Geor, sitting next to her father, was silently moving his fork.
“My brother gave it to me as a gift.”
It was the first time Ariana had called Geor "brother." Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, then quickly broke into smiles.
The whole family noticed the subtle tension between Ariana and Geor. It was a feeling of unease, a sense of wariness.
The two tried to hide it, but there were fragments of emotions that could not be hidden.
The family watched with anxiety, believing it was an inevitable war of nerves between the adopted son and the returning biological daughter.
They waited, thinking that someday things would get better, whether it was Ariana calling Geor "Little Lord" or Geor constantly calling Ariana "Princess."
And today, the wait has come to an end.
"It's Ariana's birthday present. I'm the only one who gave it to her too late."
Everyone smiled happily at the sight of Geor calling Ariana's name so casually.
Her grandmother, Carradine, said.
"It looks like the Crown Prince will be getting married soon. When the wedding happens, the empire will throw a grand party. You can attend wearing that bracelet."
“Oh, Grandmother. I don’t plan on attending the Crown Prince’s wedding.”
"So? Why? It's going to be a huge party. There's going to be a lot to see."
“Just. I don’t really want to go yet.”
Ariana's family interpreted her refusal as a desire to avoid facing the Bronte family.
Tiedore nodded.
"Yeah, the answer is to avoid meeting people you don't like. I wouldn't go to places like that, and I'd rather go on a date with my granddaughter!"
“Father, you must go.”
Theodore shook his head at Russell's words.
"Why would I go there? I'm just an ordinary old man with nothing to show for it. You and Geor, come to the capital."
"Yes, Russell. That would be good. The Emperor disapproves of us, so what good would it do for us all to go together? I don't want to run into the Western Lord, and I don't think Rachel would be a good person to see."
When Carradine came out like that, Russell sighed helplessly. Geor smiled faintly.
"It's still a few months away. Since it's the Crown Prince's wedding, there's a lot to prepare, so it'll probably take a while. Ariana might change her mind by then."
Ariana nodded, but was sure her thoughts wouldn't change.
Years later, until the day of her debutante, she didn't want to face them. She wanted to clip their wings without them noticing, lay the groundwork for their downfall someday, and remain silent.
After dinner, Ariana returned to her room, dismissed Catherine, and sat down on the sofa. Shini, who had returned from her day's work, stood next to Ariana and spoke.
"Master, I created something called a sword today. Shall I show you?"
When she had no special duties, Sini would learn swordsmanship from Lanster or read books. Whenever Lanster saw Ariana, he would praise Shini's talent.
“Yeah, show me.”
Shini took out a sword from her waistband and stood holding it with both hands.
Every time Shini learned something new, she would show it off to Ariana. At first, it seemed awkward, like a child imitating an adult, but now she was showing off her skills with such skill that she felt like a fully qualified knight.
Sini stared intently at the sword for a long time, and Ariana waited silently for the sword energy to extend. But even after a long time, no light emanated from the sword.
After a while, Shini lowered his sword and said.
“I think I’ve used up everything today. I’m sorry, Master.”
Ariana smiled a little because the dead Sini was cute.
“It’s okay. Come here and sit down.”
Sini naturally came and sat down next to Ariana. Ariana, as always, rested her head on Shini's shoulder.
No matter what Ariana did, she was most comfortable when she was with Shini, who considered everything "good weather."
“Look at this, Shini. It’s the bracelet I got from Geor.”
As Ariana raised her wrist, Shini said.
“It’s a butterfly. It’s pretty.”
“Yeah, it’s really pretty. They say it goes well with my hair color.”
“It really suits you.”
"Geor must have chosen this with great care. He said I would be his family from now on."
“Master, you have a large family. Everyone in your family is kind.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ariana remembered Geor when he gave her the bracelet. And the strange sensation of meeting his heavy eyes.
“Geor was a little strange.”
“How?”
“Well, it’s hard to put into words... It’s a bit... I guess it’s a difficult decision.”
Having observed Jeor for so long, I am certain that he is not a man who speaks with two mouths.
From the moment he called Ariana his family, he turned his back on Duke Obelius, who was trying to harm Ariana.
“Is it a difficult decision to call you family?”
"Because Geor's biological father hates me. If he tries to kill me, Geor will have to point his sword at him."
“That won’t happen, Master.”
"Yes?"
"The trap you've set will deal a major blow to Duke Obelius. Then, you have two choices: either stab him while he's still shaking, or chase him away."
Ariana was thinking of stabbing him.
She uncovered ample evidence that Catherine secretly communicates with the Duke of Obelius. She also obtained evidence that the Duke of Obelius is scrambling to amass his own army.
These two things alone made Duke Obelius mortally guilty. He could have justifiably made up a reason to destroy the Obelius family.
And today, the wait has come to an end.
"It's Ariana's birthday present. I'm the only one who gave it to her too late."
Everyone smiled happily at the sight of Geor calling Ariana's name so casually.
Her grandmother, Carradine, said.
"It looks like the Crown Prince will be getting married soon. When the wedding happens, the empire will throw a grand party. You can attend wearing that bracelet."
“Oh, Grandmother. I don’t plan on attending the Crown Prince’s wedding.”
"So? Why? It's going to be a huge party. There's going to be a lot to see."
“Just. I don’t really want to go yet.”
Ariana's family interpreted her refusal as a desire to avoid facing the Bronte family.
Tiedore nodded.
"Yeah, the answer is to avoid meeting people you don't like. I wouldn't go to places like that, and I'd rather go on a date with my granddaughter!"
“Father, you must go.”
Theodore shook his head at Russell's words.
"Why would I go there? I'm just an ordinary old man with nothing to show for it. You and Geor, come to the capital."
"Yes, Russell. That would be good. The Emperor disapproves of us, so what good would it do for us all to go together? I don't want to run into the Western Lord, and I don't think Rachel would be a good person to see."
When Carradine came out like that, Russell sighed helplessly. Geor smiled faintly.
"It's still a few months away. Since it's the Crown Prince's wedding, there's a lot to prepare, so it'll probably take a while. Ariana might change her mind by then."
Ariana nodded, but was sure her thoughts wouldn't change.
Years later, until the day of her debutante, she didn't want to face them. She wanted to clip their wings without them noticing, lay the groundwork for their downfall someday, and remain silent.
After dinner, Ariana returned to her room, dismissed Catherine, and sat down on the sofa. Shini, who had returned from her day's work, stood next to Ariana and spoke.
"Master, I created something called a sword today. Shall I show you?"
When she had no special duties, Sini would learn swordsmanship from Lanster or read books. Whenever Lanster saw Ariana, he would praise Shini's talent.
“Yeah, show me.”
Shini took out a sword from her waistband and stood holding it with both hands.
Every time Shini learned something new, she would show it off to Ariana. At first, it seemed awkward, like a child imitating an adult, but now she was showing off her skills with such skill that she felt like a fully qualified knight.
Sini stared intently at the sword for a long time, and Ariana waited silently for the sword energy to extend. But even after a long time, no light emanated from the sword.
After a while, Shini lowered his sword and said.
“I think I’ve used up everything today. I’m sorry, Master.”
Ariana smiled a little because the dead Sini was cute.
“It’s okay. Come here and sit down.”
Sini naturally came and sat down next to Ariana. Ariana, as always, rested her head on Shini's shoulder.
No matter what Ariana did, she was most comfortable when she was with Shini, who considered everything "good weather."
“Look at this, Shini. It’s the bracelet I got from Geor.”
As Ariana raised her wrist, Shini said.
“It’s a butterfly. It’s pretty.”
“Yeah, it’s really pretty. They say it goes well with my hair color.”
“It really suits you.”
"Geor must have chosen this with great care. He said I would be his family from now on."
“Master, you have a large family. Everyone in your family is kind.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ariana remembered Geor when he gave her the bracelet. And the strange sensation of meeting his heavy eyes.
“Geor was a little strange.”
“How?”
“Well, it’s hard to put into words... It’s a bit... I guess it’s a difficult decision.”
Having observed Jeor for so long, I am certain that he is not a man who speaks with two mouths.
From the moment he called Ariana his family, he turned his back on Duke Obelius, who was trying to harm Ariana.
“Is it a difficult decision to call you family?”
"Because Geor's biological father hates me. If he tries to kill me, Geor will have to point his sword at him."
“That won’t happen, Master.”
"Yes?"
"The trap you've set will deal a major blow to Duke Obelius. Then, you have two choices: either stab him while he's still shaking, or chase him away."
Ariana was thinking of stabbing him.
She uncovered ample evidence that Catherine secretly communicates with the Duke of Obelius. She also obtained evidence that the Duke of Obelius is scrambling to amass his own army.
These two things alone made Duke Obelius mortally guilty. He could have justifiably made up a reason to destroy the Obelius family.
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