Lili was such a cute nickname.
The name Liarte is usually shortened to Lia.
‘I see.’
She then realized.
The nickname Lia was similar to Lian.
So Carmen may have made a new nickname for her altogether.
It didn’t feel bad.
Liarte thought it was a nickname for a beloved bright child.
Lili.
Her first own nickname.
She didn’t want to reject the nickname Carmen had struggled to come up with.
Above all, she liked it because it was the first nickname she had.
“Thank you, Carmen.”
Liarte was smiling involuntarily.
“I’ll gladly be called Lili.”
It was the first time Liarte smiled since she came to Birce.
Carmen also felt better as the wary child seemed to have opened her heart.
“Okay, Lili.”
It occurred to her that that voice resembled Michael.
But it has more of an adult composure.
‘Come to think of it, Carmen is pretty young,’
She couldn’t believe he had a son the size of Michael.
If Liarte hadn’t gotten used to Michael’s face, she might have seen Carmen as incredibly handsome.
Above all, his face at the moment of smiling beautifully resembled Michael.
“Michael and Carmen are very similar.”
“I hear that a lot. I told you last time that I’ve never been told that I look like my father.”
It was common knowledge that Aaron and Carmen had opposite personalities.
“Michael looks like a combination of me and my father.”
Carmen smiled cheerfully and languidly.
“Like me, he doesn’t concern himself with Elheim, but he prefers force over diplomacy like my father.”
Because it was new information about Michael, Liarte listened to Carmen attentively.
Then she found a catch.
“If you and Michael do not concern yourselves with Elheim, then is Aaron interested in Elheim?”
Carmen’s smile widened a little.
“Yes, that’s right. Now that you’re not a part of Elheim anymore, I’m telling you this. Until after my father’s generation, there were many of Birce who hated Elheim.”
“Why?”
“My mother died. She’s not from here, but from a small kingdom.”
“Your mother?”
It was about Michael’s grandmother.
“She was poisoned, but Elheim didn’t rid her body of the poison, so she passed away, unfortunately.” (e/n when you think they couldn’t get worse…)
Soon Carmen spoke to Liarte.
“But it was a long time ago. When the previous Duke of Elheim was alive.”
When Liarte was born, her father’s predecessor, her grandfather and the then duke of Elheim, was already dead.
“I see.”
“Lili.”
Carmen had that sly smile.
“Later, make sure to ask Michael about what Lili means.”
“Does it have a meaning?”
At least Liarte didn’t know the word.
“Well…”
Carmen seemed unwilling to answer.
Then, Aaron looked around, shaking his head slowly.
“Aaron.”
“Father.”
Liarte and Carmen immediately approached Aaron.
Aaron coughed a few times and vomited some water.
Unlike the time when he lashed violently like an animal or just blanked out, his burning red eyes could now be seen clearly.
His eyebrows were very curved.
Aaron, who was coughing again lying face down on the floor, stood up straight.
“Father.”
Aaron’s eyes, fluctuating and widening, reached Carmen.
“It’s the foxy Carmen. Am I seeing a hallucination?”
Aaron looked around as if he still didn’t know what was going on.
“Didn’t I faint from madness? Where is this?”
“Aaron.”
Liarte approached him.
“Have you regained your senses?”
Aaron noticed Liarte.
It was that moment.
There’s an indescribable emotion in Aaron’s blazing eyes.
“Who are you?”
As a man of Birce, Aaron smelled the scent of water as clear as Michael and Carmen.
Since he didn’t smell anything fishy on her, he only noticed now that there was a water awakener before his very eyes.
“Are you okay, Aaron?”
Liarte showed him her hands out of habit.
Long black hair and contrasting white palms.
Her blue eyes were clearly a symbol of Elheim.
Aaron was absent-minded for a moment.
He felt familiar with her somehow. He doesn’t remember, but it felt like he had seen her somewhere.
“Aaron?”
As soon as Liarte called his name, Aaron Birce’s expression became one of fright.
“Who are you?”
There was a low growl that was comparable to that of an animal.
“Are you a child of Elheim?”
Liarte and Carmen exchanged glances.
Only then did the two notice that he would have no memory of her as Aaron collapsed long before her arrival.
“Father, this is Liarte. She’s a guest and she’s going to stay here in Birce.”
Aaron looked confused but was steadily moving away from Liarte.
It was visible that there was a strong resentment toward the family of Elheim.
The last time that Carmen saw a sane Aaron was almost a year ago.
Therefore, Carmen could not easily recall what Aaron’s personality was like.
“Send her back now, Carmen Birce!”
Aaron frowned.
Originally, his character was not compatible with Carmen, who was now Duke.
“Don’t you remember how your mother died? You and Michael may not care about Elheim, but I do not want see her coming into this family.”
As he spoke, she felt how Aaron was feeling. Her heart ached.
Strangely, every time the woman who appeared to be a water awakener raised her hand, he wanted something sweet.
When he looked at her closely, she looked like a person who just came of age.
He thought she seemed to be around Michael’s age.
Aaron stared at Liarte, ignoring the strange feelings he felt.
“I can’t stand Elheim, so send her back, Carmen.”
He resembled Michael and Carmen, but the only thing in those red eyes was rejection.
It was the look of rejecting Liarte.
Aaron didn’t respond even though she showed her palm.
‘Is it because my treatment wasn’t perfect?’
Danterion said that everyone who ingested the Black Powder remembered what had happened in the meantime.
But Aaron did not recognize Liarte.
“I can’t send her back.”
Carmen said with a stern look.
“If you won’t send her back, I will leave.”
“No.”
This isn’t the Aaron that Liarte knew.
He was tied up like an animal, but he was the kind of person to obey people when they gave him treats.
It wasn’t the Aaron who opened up a little bit to Liarte.
“I’d rather leave, Aaron. So don’t be worried.”
He hated Liarte so much that he said he would leave his family who he had barely regained after getting better.
“I’ll get my stuff. Even if it’s really late, I’ll leave today.”
Aaron felt familiar with the awakener from Elheim.
Why did he feel like he had met those watery eyes often?
“So, you can stay here.”
Liarte said.
It was a calm reaction as if it was natural for Aaron to hate her.
“I’ll leave Birce as you wish.”
She turned around.
She would be lying if she said she wasn’t hurt.
Soon Liarte walked slowly and stood before Aaron.
“Stay healthy.”
With a whisper, a candy touched Aaron’s hand.
As he watched it without knowing the meaning, Liarte gradually moved away.
“Okay.”
A sudden headache wrapped around Aaron’s head.
It was a splitting headache.
Candies and scraps of tangled memories were mixed up and flowed into his head.
The sweet taste of candy.
“Here.”
The hand that someone held out and reassured Aaron.
“Good job.”
Small compliments that followed everything he did as he was told.
“Good boy.”
He didn’t know what all these memories were about.
He gave up everything because he thought he was afflicted with the terminal madness disease of Birce, but when he came to his senses, was it not the current situation that a person from Elheim came to visit?
Now there was no sign of the water awakener.
Looking closely, this was a small mansion behind the main building that imprisoned people with insanity for generations.
The person who had handed him the candy seemed to have walked out of the mansion.
‘What have I been doing so far?’
As his memories gradually cleared up, it began to stabilize completely.
He remembered that he would never forget how he was tied up.
Aaron has been suffering from insanity until now.
Losing control of his body, he was trapped in a body that cried like an animal.
The memory gradually recovered.
Over time, most of his memories came back.
“Here.”
There was a person who gave him a reward and said they would definitely save him.
Some time has passed now since Liarte left.
Carmen kept on supporting Aaron, who was suddenly distressed.
Horror pervaded Aaron’s face.
“What have I done now?”
The memory of Liarte came back to him completely.
Liarte was the one who came to Aaron, who was suffering from madness, and finally saved him.
Elheim had nothing to do with it.
He remembered her subtle reaction toward Aaron, who looked at her unfamiliarly.
It was, obviously, a hurt look.
Liarte had a habit of trying to hide her feelings, so he didn’t immediately notice it.
He remembered being told how she wanted to stay in Birce with Michael.
What he has just done was an irreparable mistake.
Aaron Birce ran off like crazy.
* * *
(e/n d*mn right, you better go apologize rigHt Now!!)
Lili was such a cute nickname.
The name Liarte is usually shortened to Lia.
‘I see.’
She then realized.
The nickname Lia was similar to Lian.
So Carmen may have made a new nickname for her altogether.
It didn’t feel bad.
Liarte thought it was a nickname for a beloved bright child.
Lili.
Her first own nickname.
She didn’t want to reject the nickname Carmen had struggled to come up with.
Above all, she liked it because it was the first nickname she had.
“Thank you, Carmen.”
Liarte was smiling involuntarily.
“I’ll gladly be called Lili.”
It was the first time Liarte smiled since she came to Birce.
Carmen also felt better as the wary child seemed to have opened her heart.
“Okay, Lili.”
It occurred to her that that voice resembled Michael.
But it has more of an adult composure.
‘Come to think of it, Carmen is pretty young,’
She couldn’t believe he had a son the size of Michael.
If Liarte hadn’t gotten used to Michael’s face, she might have seen Carmen as incredibly handsome.
Above all, his face at the moment of smiling beautifully resembled Michael.
“Michael and Carmen are very similar.”
“I hear that a lot. I told you last time that I’ve never been told that I look like my father.”
It was common knowledge that Aaron and Carmen had opposite personalities.
“Michael looks like a combination of me and my father.”
Carmen smiled cheerfully and languidly.
“Like me, he doesn’t concern himself with Elheim, but he prefers force over diplomacy like my father.”
Because it was new information about Michael, Liarte listened to Carmen attentively.
Then she found a catch.
“If you and Michael do not concern yourselves with Elheim, then is Aaron interested in Elheim?”
Carmen’s smile widened a little.
“Yes, that’s right. Now that you’re not a part of Elheim anymore, I’m telling you this. Until after my father’s generation, there were many of Birce who hated Elheim.”
“Why?”
“My mother died. She’s not from here, but from a small kingdom.”
“Your mother?”
It was about Michael’s grandmother.
“She was poisoned, but Elheim didn’t rid her body of the poison, so she passed away, unfortunately.” (e/n when you think they couldn’t get worse…)
Soon Carmen spoke to Liarte.
“But it was a long time ago. When the previous Duke of Elheim was alive.”
When Liarte was born, her father’s predecessor, her grandfather and the then duke of Elheim, was already dead.
“I see.”
“Lili.”
Carmen had that sly smile.
“Later, make sure to ask Michael about what Lili means.”
“Does it have a meaning?”
At least Liarte didn’t know the word.
“Well…”
Carmen seemed unwilling to answer.
Then, Aaron looked around, shaking his head slowly.
“Aaron.”
“Father.”
Liarte and Carmen immediately approached Aaron.
Aaron coughed a few times and vomited some water.
Unlike the time when he lashed violently like an animal or just blanked out, his burning red eyes could now be seen clearly.
His eyebrows were very curved.
Aaron, who was coughing again lying face down on the floor, stood up straight.
“Father.”
Aaron’s eyes, fluctuating and widening, reached Carmen.
“It’s the foxy Carmen. Am I seeing a hallucination?”
Aaron looked around as if he still didn’t know what was going on.
“Didn’t I faint from madness? Where is this?”
“Aaron.”
Liarte approached him.
“Have you regained your senses?”
Aaron noticed Liarte.
It was that moment.
There’s an indescribable emotion in Aaron’s blazing eyes.
“Who are you?”
As a man of Birce, Aaron smelled the scent of water as clear as Michael and Carmen.
Since he didn’t smell anything fishy on her, he only noticed now that there was a water awakener before his very eyes.
“Are you okay, Aaron?”
Liarte showed him her hands out of habit.
Long black hair and contrasting white palms.
Her blue eyes were clearly a symbol of Elheim.
Aaron was absent-minded for a moment.
He felt familiar with her somehow. He doesn’t remember, but it felt like he had seen her somewhere.
“Aaron?”
As soon as Liarte called his name, Aaron Birce’s expression became one of fright.
“Who are you?”
There was a low growl that was comparable to that of an animal.
“Are you a child of Elheim?”
Liarte and Carmen exchanged glances.
Only then did the two notice that he would have no memory of her as Aaron collapsed long before her arrival.
“Father, this is Liarte. She’s a guest and she’s going to stay here in Birce.”
Aaron looked confused but was steadily moving away from Liarte.
It was visible that there was a strong resentment toward the family of Elheim.
The last time that Carmen saw a sane Aaron was almost a year ago.
Therefore, Carmen could not easily recall what Aaron’s personality was like.
“Send her back now, Carmen Birce!”
Aaron frowned.
Originally, his character was not compatible with Carmen, who was now Duke.
“Don’t you remember how your mother died? You and Michael may not care about Elheim, but I do not want see her coming into this family.”
As he spoke, she felt how Aaron was feeling. Her heart ached.
Strangely, every time the woman who appeared to be a water awakener raised her hand, he wanted something sweet.
When he looked at her closely, she looked like a person who just came of age.
He thought she seemed to be around Michael’s age.
Aaron stared at Liarte, ignoring the strange feelings he felt.
“I can’t stand Elheim, so send her back, Carmen.”
He resembled Michael and Carmen, but the only thing in those red eyes was rejection.
It was the look of rejecting Liarte.
Aaron didn’t respond even though she showed her palm.
‘Is it because my treatment wasn’t perfect?’
Danterion said that everyone who ingested the Black Powder remembered what had happened in the meantime.
But Aaron did not recognize Liarte.
“I can’t send her back.”
Carmen said with a stern look.
“If you won’t send her back, I will leave.”
“No.”
This isn’t the Aaron that Liarte knew.
He was tied up like an animal, but he was the kind of person to obey people when they gave him treats.
It wasn’t the Aaron who opened up a little bit to Liarte.
“I’d rather leave, Aaron. So don’t be worried.”
He hated Liarte so much that he said he would leave his family who he had barely regained after getting better.
“I’ll get my stuff. Even if it’s really late, I’ll leave today.”
Aaron felt familiar with the awakener from Elheim.
Why did he feel like he had met those watery eyes often?
“So, you can stay here.”
Liarte said.
It was a calm reaction as if it was natural for Aaron to hate her.
“I’ll leave Birce as you wish.”
She turned around.
She would be lying if she said she wasn’t hurt.
Soon Liarte walked slowly and stood before Aaron.
“Stay healthy.”
With a whisper, a candy touched Aaron’s hand.
As he watched it without knowing the meaning, Liarte gradually moved away.
“Okay.”
A sudden headache wrapped around Aaron’s head.
It was a splitting headache.
Candies and scraps of tangled memories were mixed up and flowed into his head.
The sweet taste of candy.
“Here.”
The hand that someone held out and reassured Aaron.
“Good job.”
Small compliments that followed everything he did as he was told.
“Good boy.”
He didn’t know what all these memories were about.
He gave up everything because he thought he was afflicted with the terminal madness disease of Birce, but when he came to his senses, was it not the current situation that a person from Elheim came to visit?
Now there was no sign of the water awakener.
Looking closely, this was a small mansion behind the main building that imprisoned people with insanity for generations.
The person who had handed him the candy seemed to have walked out of the mansion.
‘What have I been doing so far?’
As his memories gradually cleared up, it began to stabilize completely.
He remembered that he would never forget how he was tied up.
Aaron has been suffering from insanity until now.
Losing control of his body, he was trapped in a body that cried like an animal.
The memory gradually recovered.
Over time, most of his memories came back.
“Here.”
There was a person who gave him a reward and said they would definitely save him.
Some time has passed now since Liarte left.
Carmen kept on supporting Aaron, who was suddenly distressed.
Horror pervaded Aaron’s face.
“What have I done now?”
The memory of Liarte came back to him completely.
Liarte was the one who came to Aaron, who was suffering from madness, and finally saved him.
Elheim had nothing to do with it.
He remembered her subtle reaction toward Aaron, who looked at her unfamiliarly.
It was, obviously, a hurt look.
Liarte had a habit of trying to hide her feelings, so he didn’t immediately notice it.
He remembered being told how she wanted to stay in Birce with Michael.
What he has just done was an irreparable mistake.
Aaron Birce ran off like crazy.
* * *
(e/n d*mn right, you better go apologize rigHt Now!!)
