Becoming the Villain’s Family - Chapter 308
Chapter 308
Aria widened her eyes in surprise, prompting him to sigh and help her to her feet.
He sat her down next to him and asked,
“Why do you always look at me with those eyes? And why can’t you keep still with your lips?”
“My lips?”
“Seems like you’re begging for a kiss.”
Aria covered her mouth with her palm in panic. Was he thinking about that the whole time?
It was shocking yet inexplicable.
‘Did Lloyd from my past life also have feelings for me…?’
She hesitated. She wondered if he regarded her as a divine savior, like other nobles did.
Or maybe, since they were married in this life, he was just going along with it. But his behavior now seemed clear.
There had been mutual affection even in their past lives. Aria had been drawn to Lloyd long before her death.
‘Still, it’s probably best not to say that out loud.’
Such a declaration might resurrect even a dying corpse out of sheer stubbornness.
Aria lamented why she kept her lips moving. She can’t tell him all her thoughts.
“It’s not like that. I’m just cautious with my words.”
“Why be so careful?”
“I’m afraid of hurting you more…”
Aria said, as if he was a delicate piece of glass. So fragile that he might break at a harsh word.
The Grand Duke snorted.
“And because you sit alone under the cherry tree with that look on your face.”
How could she not feel moved and choked up just by looking at Lloyd in this situation? She just wished everyone could be happy.
She was sad about the current situation, where only one Lloyd could be truly happy.
It was her fault for attempting to engage in a simple conversation and apologized for sitting close to him.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Yes.”
“Not your Lloyd?”
“It’s the same Lloyd.”
Aria paused, looked down at him, and continued.
“Lloyd, why were you here?”
“…Ha.”
Aria, who had always referred to him formally as ‘Your Grace’, suddenly started calling him by his first name.
When was the last time anyone had called him Lloyd?
He sifted through his distant memories.
“It reminds me of the time right after the Valentine incident when I dug up my mother’s grave.”
Although Aria had anticipated that his thoughts would involve Sabina, the reason was more shocking than she expected.
“I was afraid that even my mother’s remains had turned to ash, so I dug them up.”
“…”
“Fortunately, the remains were still there, intact, not turned to ash.”
Everything alive had turned to ash, and everything dead had remained by his side. Grand Duke Valentine believed this was the sentence that defined his life.
All his life, he had always thought that way.
“But it seems that in order to bring peace to this world, I’ve been living a life surrounded by corpses.”
Though he felt a destructive urge to smash everything to pieces as he had always done….
He looked up at the golden beams of light filtering through the lush greenery. Wondering if the fate of a Valentine to save the world by sacrificing oneself was inescapable. He let out a hollow laugh.
Aria tightly held his hand and said.
“I was really scared. Scared of losing Lloyd.”
“Is that so?”
“And I’m still scared. Scared of losing the Lloyd that’s with me now.”
“…”
She brought up the reason she had come, to make sure he didn’t sink into gloomy thoughts.
“I came to apologize. My behavior might have made you feel like a stranger.”
“I am a stranger.”
The Grand Duke replied without hesitation.
“It’s not because of your attitude, but everything that makes up this world makes me feel like a stranger.”
“But it turns out you’re not.”
Aria had died and returned.
Her last life. Her last chance. Her last choice.
She had risked everything for Lloyd, saved him, and saved the world.
But now, Lloyd was split into before and after return, and the Lloyd who had reached out to save her was still trapped in a quagmire from which he couldn’t escape…..
If that was the case, her work was only half done. It wasn’t over yet.
“I was filled with peace that I hadn’t remembered about it. But do you know what my first thought was after I returned?”
Aria’s voice carried a distant memory as she spoke.
“It wasn’t about heaven or hell. I just wanted to show you the happiness you could have enjoyed.”
“…”
I wanted to live for you with what little life I had left. Even if it meant burning down to corruption, to become the night that illuminates you.
But now, things were different from when she had nothing to lose and could burn herself recklessly.
‘Now I’ve actually held happiness in my hands.’
She had a lot of things to protect like Elaina and Luca. The human heart is indeed fickle.
“I forgot the resolution I had that day because I didn’t want to lose any part of my happiness.”
I’m sorry.
Aria confessed her selfish feelings and apologized from the heart.
“So, I still want to give you that happiness you could have had.”
“…”
“Will you give me a chance to make things right?”
Will you accept it if I apologize?
Aria bit her lip as she waited for his response, staring up at him.
Silence lingered until the Grand Duke grasped her chin.
“Why—uhp”
Her mouth was covered.
Before he could press his lips against hers, Aria pushed him away.
“Are you insane?”
She stumbled for words without realizing it.
Even Aria, who was usually composed and didn’t flinch, found herself flustered in front of Grand Duke Valentine.
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