They had been delayed—
All because of the sudden encounter with the Acolyte, Silverhorn Abraham.
And then Adrian fainted.
Ariana was quite worried and was about to abort the plan, when suddenly he woke up and told her it was fine.
Now...what he saw in his dream was undoubtedly concerning, but he didn't want to delay his eting with his future in-laws, so he insisted.
They were t by several obstacles, but finally… they were close.
Their destination lay just ahead.
The elder brother of the Count lived in a nearby town, still within the Lockwood family's territory. It was a place that once made him feel happy, but now, Adrian had a different feeling.
Inside the quiet carriage, Adrian and Ariana sat close, their hands gently clasped, fingers interlaced.
Both of them were nervous, though Ariana's nerves were easier to see.
Still, she wasn't fidgeting anymore.
She was quiet and calm on the outside, but clearly preparing herself for whatever might co.
"Aria," Adrian said softly, "if he says no—"
"Don't say sothing so negative now," she cut in, shaking her head. "Not when we're this close."
Adrian let out a quiet laugh. "Alright. But if he does say no, I might just take you and run away tonight. Leave a letter behind telling them they can na our child—if they want."
Ariana sighed and smiled faintly. "Let's not run just yet. I don't want to hurt Mum."
He leaned a little closer, voice teasing. "Hmm… then maybe tomorrow morning."
That made her laugh gently. And slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder.
No more words were spoken after that. They simply sat there—sharing the silence, holding onto each other.
Ten minutes passed.
Then, the carriage slowed and ca to a soft stop.
The mont they'd been waiting for… had finally arrived.
The duo stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the mansion standing before them.
It was grand but not flashy—designed with quiet elegance.
Fitting, considering that Lockwood Victor, the man who lived here, was an architect by profession. He not only designed buildings, but also served as an advisor to Count Lockwood himself.
The guards at the main gate recognized them imdiately and opened the entrance without question.
As they walked through, Ariana's gaze shifted to the carriage already parked in front of the mansion. Her brows furrowed.
"Has Uncle arrived already?" she asked, slowing her steps.
Adrian followed her gaze and shook his head. "I don't think so. There's no family insignia on it. It doesn't belong to the County."
"Hm…" Ariana tilted her head slightly, confused—but it didn't stop her feet from moving forward.
They stepped inside.
Just past a short staircase lay the reception hall, and they could already hear voices—low conversation and the occasional laugh.
As they entered, the quiet murmur of the room shifted.
Eyes turned. Conversations stopped.
Then a voice broke through the silence.
"Ah, there they are," said a silver-haired man, rising to his feet with a satisfied smile.
Ariana's eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces. Three people sat nearby: a well-dressed woman, a man with a quiet presence, and a young man—probably in his early twenties—who looked just as unsure as she felt.
The silver-haired man turned toward them proudly.
"Mister Velemint," he said warmly, "this is my lovely daughter, Ariana."
His hand gently motioned to her before landing on Adrian.
"And this is my younger brother's son—Adrian."
Turning to his daughter, Victor added with a proud smile,
"He is my close friend, a well-established trader—Mister Hayden Velemint. That's his wife, Irene, and their son, Aston."
Ariana and Adrian gave polite nods to the family, and the lady of the house soon gestured with grace, "Co, sit."
Ariana, however, couldn't shake a strange feeling.
Her father knew she and Adrian were coming today—so why did he invite guests? And not just any guests, but a family with a son who looked just the right age for arranged introductions.
She sat down beside Adrian, her heart torn between suspicion and disappointnt.
anwhile, Hayden turned to Adrian, smiling warmly.
"I've heard about you, Mister Adrian. A friend of mine stays in contact with Tower mbers quite often."
Adrian nodded, relaxed but alert. "Yes. I recently visited the Tower as a ntor."
"Your achievent was well-spoken of. I even heard you were invited to join the Capital."
As the two n fell into polite conversation, Ariana leaned closer to her mother, her voice low.
"Why are they here?"
Morgana blinked in surprise. "…Just a casual visit, maybe? Why?"
Ariana sighed, feeling the weight in her chest. She couldn't exactly say, We ca here to tell them we're together.
So she mumbled, barely loud enough for her mother to hear,
"…I couldn't stay long, and I just wanted to spend a little ti with the family."
Morgana's sigh matched her daughter's. "What can I say… your father is an unpredictable man."
Apparently, he had invited the Velemint family at the last minute—just for a "casual" chat. And since they were vacationing nearby, they'd agreed easily.
Ariana glanced toward the n again.
Victor was keeping Adrian thoroughly occupied, asking questions, exchanging pleasantries—blocking her at every angle.
And then she felt it.
A gaze.
She turned slightly and saw Aston smiling at her.
Oh, great.
Why had she made eye contact?
"Hello," he said cheerfully. "It's been a while since we t."
Ariana raised an eyebrow. "Have we t before?"
He looked embarrassed, and Victor quickly stepped in,
"He's visited us in the past. Don't you rember? You used to play together."
Ariana frowned, trying to recall—but the mory was blank.
Then Adrian stepped in, his voice casual but helpful.
"If I rember right, he was your first sparring partner… other than your teacher."
Ariana blinked, the mory clicking in. "Oh, right… You ran away crying."
She didn't an to be harsh. It just slipped out with the mory.
Adrian chuckled softly and redirected Hayden back to their conversation, pulling the attention away from a flustered Aston.
The poor boy looked deeply embarrassed, clearly rembering that loss—and the fact that it had been to a girl who had only just started training.
Victor glanced around awkwardly before offering,
"Ah, Aria… Why don't you show Aston around? Maybe your mother's gallery?"
Ariana instantly frowned. "Shouldn't Mom be the one showing her own paintings?"
Her response made Victor's jaw tighten slightly.
From the corner of her eye, her mother nudged her gently.
A silent plea.
Ariana looked at her—and saw the gentle, wordless request in her eyes.
She sighed under her breath and stood up without another word.
Aston followed quickly. "Lead the way."
As they walked off, Ariana didn't speak, but she glanced over her shoulder.
Adrian was watching her.
His eyes said it all. He wasn't happy. And she knew why.
But for now, he stayed silent. Victor hadn't crossed a line—yet—so Adrian held himself back. If things changed, though, he wouldn't stay quiet. Not even for the sake of anything.
The conversation at the table continued, but Adrian wasn't listening anymore.
His eyes were locked on the corridor Ariana had disappeared into.
Hayden began, "I've been thinking of hiring a Runesmith. Do you—"
His sentence was cut short.
Aston stord back into the room, his face dark with frustration.
"Dad. We need to leave. Now."
Everyone turned.
Behind him ca Ariana, walking slowly, her expression calm… but cold.
The silver-haired headmistress had made her point—
And Adrian knew, without a word,
Sothing had happened.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comnt.
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