“Why are you here?”

Despite trying her best to maintain composure in front of Grit, Aria crumbled helplessly at Lloyd’s appearance.

She couldn’t understand. Why he had appeared before her eyes.

Aria looked in Grit’s direction. What entered her sight was his sinister smile.

“Aria.”

“Don’t come any closer, Lloyd.”

As Lloyd drew even closer in an already short distance, Aria tried somehow to put space between them.

She pushed him away and tried to step back.

But Lloyd didn’t budge when pushed, and closed the distance again when she stepped back.

Aria disliked Lloyd, who had completely escaped her control.

She was scared, not knowing where he might lunge. The more he acted like this, the more she felt repulsed by the idea of becoming his woman.

What she had liked was Lloyd who moved entirely according to her will.

“Haven’t you realized what situation you’re in yet?”

As Lloyd gripped her wrist strongly and gave her a beastly glare, Aria shrank back, but soon frowned.

“This is none of your business.”

She clearly wanted to draw a line with Lloyd.

Though he might truly be able to help, Aria no longer wanted Lloyd involved in her affairs.

But Lloyd’s thoughts were different.

He didn’t want to let go of this delicate wrist he was holding. No, he had no intention of letting go.

“Do you really think you can get out of this situation without my help?”

The situation before her eyes was not just bad, but the worst.

She had nearly committed murder in front of others.

And that too, of the person most likely to become royalty in the current empire.

But fortunately, it ended as an attempt, and there was even someone prepared to sacrifice in her place.

So the biggest problem here was Grit Odoi.

‘If I could just do something about that person, I wouldn’t need the likes of you.’

The unclear point was precisely ‘why Lloyd was here’.

Everyone in the capital knew that the relationship between the Odoi and Percy families had fallen apart.

Yet the legitimate heir of the Percy family had appeared at the Odoi mansion with perfect timing.

It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Lloyd turned his gaze to Aria.

Aria ignored Lloyd’s gaze and looked at Grit.

She was hoping for an explanation of what exactly was going on.

“What is it that you want?”

She felt no guilt whatsoever for what she had done to Clea.

Right now, she just wanted to quietly cover up this incident somehow.

Meanwhile, Grit’s gaze fell on Lloyd.

Lloyd frowned once as if displeased, but soon nodded to him.

‘Arrogant fool. Not even knowing who would be at a disadvantage here if you don’t deal with me.’

Grit was thoroughly enjoying the current situation.

Although his initial plan had gone awry, he hated the Hersher family as much as Clea.

Feeling elated at having cornered the most precious treasure of an enemy family, Grit answered the question.

“If the young lady offers a value that satisfies me, I could turn a blind eye just this once.”

“How much would that be?”

At Grit’s answer, Aria inwardly clicked her tongue.

Unless he broke off the deal, she had some idea of what he might demand.

Everyone knew that the Odoi family was currently embroiled in financial difficulties.

Moreover, it was hard to find a family willing to lend him money.

Aria felt relieved.

She thought that in this situation, that was all he would demand.

That is, until she heard the amount Grit proposed.

“How about this much?”

“Are you joking right now?”

“A joke? Ha, do I look like someone who would joke with the young lady?”

Aria was bewildered by the cynical voice.

Of course, she had thought it would be within the range she could pay from the money she received from her mother.

But Grit proposed an amount far beyond what Aria had expected.

Aria frowned at the amount equivalent to the Hersher duchy’s annual budget.

No matter that she was the young lady, she couldn’t freely use the family’s assets as she pleased.

Even if Aria requested it, it wouldn’t be easily accepted.

On the other hand, Grit didn’t care what decision she made.

If she refused, he could just inform people and put the Hersher family in a difficult position, and if she accepted, the Odoi family would gain sufficient funds.

Either way, it was beneficial for Grit.

‘If that happens, I won’t have to sell the business rights.’

Grit still had greed.

He hadn’t sold the business rights yet.

The retainers wanted to sell the business rights so the family could return to stability.

They were still urging to quickly dispose of the business rights, but Grit didn’t want to hand over what he had earned to others.

He still couldn’t let go of his attachment to the business.

“Aria, I’ll help you. So take my hand.”

Lloyd smiled leisurely.

He thought that she would surely take his hand like before.

Because he was the one who had done everything she asked without complaint all along.

This time too, she would reluctantly take his hand to escape the current crisis.

But Aria frowned and pushed Lloyd’s hand away.

He still thought it was just because of her petty pride.

Thinking she would surely give in if he pressured a bit more, completely unexpected words came from her mouth.

“I’ll pay.”

“Aria?”

Lloyd doubted for a moment if he had heard wrong.

Not just Lloyd, but the expressions of the servants beside her also hardened.

No matter who she was, it was impossible to know how Duke Hersher would react if he found out about this.

There was a chance he might immediately realize Lloyd was involved and call for a tripartite meeting between the families, but Aria spoke without hesitation.

“Let’s write a promissory note.”

“Can you really pay?”

“I’ll stake my name on it.”

Lloyd’s eyes widened at her words.

He couldn’t even imagine she would say she’d pay directly.

Grit also doubted if she had the ability to pay, but thinking they could discuss it again when the time came, he had a promissory note prepared as she said.

“There’s no way you have that much money!”

Lloyd shouted, unable to accept it.

Aria no longer felt shocked by that sight.

Rather, with a sneer on her lips, she said to Lloyd.

“Do you have money? You’ve practically been abandoned by the Grand Duke and Duchess.”

“What did you say?”

“I will never marry you, Lloyd Percy.”

“Aria!”

She quickly skimmed over the prepared promissory note and stamped her seal on it.

Lloyd reached out to grab her from behind, but was blocked by the servants of the two ducal families.

One side could no longer stand by and watch the disrespect towards their master, while the other was to protect her who had agreed to pay.

Lloyd called Aria’s name repeatedly as she walked away.

But Aria showed no sign of stopping.

“My lady.”

“Just endure a little longer.”

Rather, she turned her gaze to the maid kneeling and looking at her.

The maid lit a spark of hope upon hearing Aria’s words.

If told to die here, she could die to show her loyalty to Aria and her family.

But the maid was also human and had the desire to live.

As the maid looked at her with eyes full of trust, Aria inwardly sighed.

‘Should I be satisfied that things ended to this extent.’

It was an almost impulsive act.

In fact, the reason she had brought the knife was for something else.

It was to prepare for Grit threatening her.

She too was aware that she was entering enemy territory.

Though she wondered if such a dangerous thing would unfold in the capital, it was still to prepare for any situation.

But from the moment she encountered Clea, she lost her composure.

She completely forgot the original purpose of visiting this place and focused only on Clea.

She hurriedly left the mansion.

She didn’t want to stay here any longer with Lloyd present, and there was one more decisive reason.

‘Clea, if you visited here, the item I’m looking for is probably already gone.’

An item containing memories of both Aria and Clea.

The reason Aria had bothered to visit the Odoi mansion was because of that very item she had used to transfer the curse to Clea.

She burned with hostility at the thought of having missed the item by being one step behind Clea.

‘It’s a shame I couldn’t see you suffering in agony, but you’re still not free from the curse.’

As long as she couldn’t escape the curse, she was still on borrowed time anyway.

Thinking time was on her side, she let out a sigh.

First, she had to deal with the situation at hand.

To keep Duke Odoi’s mouth shut, she had to give him what he wanted.

But she didn’t have the funds to fully bear that right now.

Aria pondered deeply on who she could ask for help.

Then suddenly, one person came to mind.

“Send someone to call Baron Lockin to the mansion immediately.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

That person was Barwin, who had helped her before.