Chapter 58: Condition
—ARIA—
Both father and Cynthia visibly froze at my words.
For several long seconds, absolute silence swallowed the entire study.
Even the crackling fireplace suddenly felt unbearably loud beneath the tension pressing heavily against the room.
Cynthia stared at with widened eyes while Duke Valen remained motionless behind his desk, looking genuinely caught off guard for the first ti since this conversation began.
I almost admired myself a little.
Because clearly neither of them expected to pull out the tragic sacrificial daughter performance this aggressively.
But then suddenly...
...father slamd his hand heavily against the desk.
The sharp sound echoed through the study hard enough to make Cynthia flinch slightly in her chair.
"What nonsense are you speaking about?" he demanded sharply. "Who said anything about casting you out?"
Ah.
There it was.
The angry noble father voice.
Strangely enough, however, the anger in his tone sounded less furious and more alard than I expected. It was like an anger people used when trying to stop a situation from spiraling sowhere they did not anticipate.
anwhile, I remained perfectly calm.
Because if there was one thing I understood frighteningly well, it was emotional positioning.
And right now?
I had successfully cornered both of them without even raising my voice once.
I lowered my gaze slightly afterward before offering father a faint, restrained smile.
"Father," I said softly, "surely you understand this situation better than anyone."
Duke Valen’s brows furrowed imdiately, but I continued before he could interrupt.
"It is not possible for two daughters, one born from the legitimate duchess and the other born out of wedlock, to remain peacefully beneath the sa household forever."
The mont the words left my mouth, Cynthia visibly stiffened.
Oops.
Well.
Technically accurate.
Unfortunately, noble society here operated entirely on legitimacy, inheritance, bloodlines, and public perception. Feelings barely mattered once politics beca involved.
Honestly this world desperately needed labor laws, therapy, and feminism simultaneously.
I sighed softly before looking toward the darkened windows of the study.
"The Empire’s laws regarding succession are strict," I continued quietly. "Even if father personally accepts Cynthia, society will not treat this matter kindly. Nobles will compare us constantly. They will question inheritance rights, household authority, and family legitimacy."
And truthfully?
That part was not manipulation at all.
It was simply reality.
Noble society here was vicious enough to weaponize literally anything.
The original Aria’s downfall began exactly this way. Public humiliation. Isolation. Whispers spreading quietly through noble circles until eventually she beca cornered from every direction.
And then everyone acted surprised when she broke apart completely.
I slowly looked back toward father afterward.
"And eventually," I added more softly, "one daughter will inevitably beco inconvenient."
The atmosphere inside the study shifted instantly.
Duke Valen’s expression darkened sharply.
"That will not happen."
His answer ca imdiately.
Firmly.
Without hesitation.
And sohow...
That surprised more than I expected.
Because truthfully, part of genuinely anticipated hesitation from him. Avoidance perhaps.
But instead...
He rejected the possibility outright.
Father’s gaze remained fixed on now, colder and far more serious than before.
"You are my acknowledged heir, Aria," he said steadily. "Nothing about that changes."
I blinked sohow a little surprised.
Oh.
Well.
That was unexpectedly competent of him.
Who replaced this man?
Still...
I could not stop now.
Not when the dramatic montum was this powerful.
So instead, I lowered my eyes again before smiling faintly like a tragic heroine nobly preparing to sacrifice herself for household peace.
Honestly, if orchestral music started playing behind right now, I would not even question it.
"I appreciate father’s kindness," I said softly. "However, the nobility will not view matters so simply."
Cynthia finally spoke carefully from beside .
"Sister, I never intended to take your place."
Ah.
There it was.
The classic "I never wanted any of this" line.
Honestly, family dramas across dinsions truly followed the exact sa emotional script.
I slowly turned my head toward her.
Then smiled coldly.
"Cynthia," I said quietly, "it must have been incredibly convenient for you to stand beside all this ti while knowing the truth."
The atmosphere shifted imdiately.
Cynthia visibly stiffened.
anwhile, I continued calmly, refusing to look away from her now.
"I welcod you into this estate warmly. I defended you repeatedly despite the criticism surrounding your presence here. I treated you with kindness while you smiled at every single day already knowing exactly who you were."
My voice never rose.
And sohow that made the tension worse.
"So do not sit there now pretending innocence before ."
Cynthia’s lips parted faintly, but no words ca out.
Good.
If she started crying right now, I might actually lose my patience spiritually.
I slowly shifted my gaze back toward father afterward.
"As the only legitimate heir of House Valen," I continued evenly, "I possess sole legal rights to this household’s inheritance, title, and authority."
Father’s expression hardened imdiately.
"Aria...!"
"No," I interrupted calmly. "Let us speak honestly tonight since everyone suddenly wishes for honesty."
The study beca suffocatingly still.
"Did neither of you truly think this through?" I asked softly. "Or did you both simply assu my personality would make matters easier for everyone?"
My smile thinned slightly afterward.
"Did you believe my timidness would grant you freedom from consequence?"
Cynthia’s face paled.
"And tell honestly," I continued colder now, "did either of you ever stop to consider that if this truth reached noble society under the wrong circumstances, I could use it against you imdiately?"
Father’s hand slamd against the desk again.
"Enough."
His voice carried genuine warning this ti.
But strangely enough...
I no longer felt intimidated.
Perhaps because the original Aria had already feared these people enough for an entire lifeti.
And frankly?
I inherited none of her patience for emotional repression.
"You!"
Father pointed sharply toward across the desk, his expression darkening dangerously.
But I rely scoffed quietly before finally standing from my seat.
"Father," I said calmly, "I strongly advise you to reconsider where you are pointing your finger."
The words landed heavily.
Duke Valen froze.
Because unfortunately...
Everything I said was true.
Under imperial law, the legitimate heir of a noble household possessed terrifying authority once succession disputes beca involved.
And Cynthia’s existence?
Legally speaking?
Dangerous.
I folded my hands afterward before continuing almost conversationally.
"If I truly wished to act cruelly," I said quietly, "I could demand Cynthia’s execution this very mont under charges of threatening noble succession legitimacy."
Cynthia’s breathing hitched sharply.
Father’s eyes widened imdiately.
The silence afterward felt monstrous.
Wow.
This empire is genuinely insane.
Imagine getting executed because aristocrats could not keep their personal lives organized.
Truly horrifying governnt structure.
But still, I remained composed.
"Yet I do not wish for that," I continued softly. "I have no interest in destroying her life."
Because despite everything...
I genuinely did not.
Cynthia was manipulative, yes.
Ambitious too.
But at the end of the day, she was still the heroine of this story.
And if I really pursue her demise, I’ll end up in mine too.
I sighed.
"I do not care about preserving my dignity anymore," I admitted quietly. "Nor my reputation. Nor whatever remains of noble society’s expectations toward ."
Father stared at silently now as uncertainty crossed his face faintly.
And suddenly...
I realized he genuinely did not understand why I sounded this detached.
Because to him, status was everything.
Honor was everything.
Family reputation was everything.
But to soone who already died twice?
Those things stopped feeling sacred very quickly.
I lowered my gaze briefly before speaking again.
"I only wish to leave this wretched household."
The words landed far harsher than anything said previously.
And I ant them completely.
Father flinched, like the words struck deeper than he expected.
Even Cynthia looked startled now.
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