Aria adjusted her sitting position, a curious gaze flickering in her gaze.
"What about him, brother?" She asked her brother.
"Why are you so interested in him?" He asked. "So much that you had a dispute with Nathan."
"How did you know?" Aria asked, though she didn't sound surprised.
"Is there anything that can be hidden from me?" He asked, smirking. "Now tell me what I need to know."
"Brother, I don't know what you want to hear..." She said and rose to her feet. "But I can't tell you anything important for now. All you need to know is that I and Lucas are now an item."
"What?" Aria's brother's voice boomed through the room, the air around him instantly turning cold enough to mist his breath. The candlelight flickered violently, reacting to the sudden surge of mana that leaked from his body. Even the little Silver had to hide behind Aria.
Aria picked Silver in her arms, "Sorry about that darling," she said to the little creature with a warm smile on her face. Then to her brother, she gazed at him, unfazed by his reaction. "You heard me, brother. Lucas and I are now together so don't assume that Nathan and I have something in common, he's no more than a mere class mate."
"Together?" he repeated, disbelief etching every syllable. "Do you even know what you're saying, Aria? That boy—he's nothing but a reckless fool who barely understands the basics of magic! How could you lower yourself to—"
"To what?" Aria snapped, her calm composure cracking for the first time. "To being with someone you don't approve of? Or someone who isn't from a noble bloodline like ours?"
Her brother—Lord Cyril Voss, eldest son of the Voss family and current heir—took a slow step forward. His presence was commanding, every movement carrying the pressure of an advanced-stage Ice Mage. "You're not thinking straight," he said. "Is this because of what happened last winter? You're trying to defy Father and Mother again, aren't you?"
Aria looked away, her tone suddenly quiet but firm. "This has nothing to do with them. This is about me. And besides, Lucas is from a renowned family. They mustn't be noble for me to accept them"
Cyril's eyes narrowed. "You've changed, Aria. Ever since that day at the tournament, when that boy appeared… you've been different."
Aria gave a small, humorless laugh. "Colder? I thought that was what our family was best at."
Cyril's jaw tightened. "You're playing a dangerous game. Do you even know who he truly is?"
Aria turned her gaze toward the window, watching the faint snowflakes fall against the glass. "I do," she murmured. "Perhaps more than you think."
Cyril stared at her in silence for a long moment. His instincts told him something wasn't right—this wasn't just about a boy. Something deeper was pulling his sister toward Lucas Hilton, something he couldn't yet understand.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low but sharp. "If Father finds out about this, you won't be able to protect him, Aria. You know our family's stance on outsiders especially those from rival houses."
Aria turned back to him, her expression unreadable. "Then let him find out," she said simply.
Cyril's eyes widened slightly. "You'd risk your place in this family… for him?"
Aria walked past him, her tone distant yet certain. "For the man who carries my fate—yes."
Cyril's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. "Aria!"
She paused but didn't look back. "Let go, brother. You wouldn't understand even if I told you everything."
Cyril's grip loosened, his mind racing. "Then make me understand, Aria. Who is he to you?"
Aria slowly turned her head, her eyes glimmering with a mysterious light that seemed to come from somewhere beyond this world. "He's my boyfriend!"
Cyril stood frozen, his fingers still trembling slightly from the cold energy that had flared moments ago.
"She's joking," he muttered under his breath, staring at the door that Aria had just walked out through. "She must be joking."
But deep down, he knew she wasn't. That steady and unyielding look in her eyes, they were frighteningly calm, a look he had never seen before. His sister, who had always obeyed the family's traditions and respected their name, had just declared rebellion in the most unexpected way possible.
"She said he's her boyfriend…" Cyril repeated, his tone low and filled with disbelief. "Lucas Hilton?"
He began pacing across the room, his boots echoing against the marble floor. Every step carried the weight of confusion and irritation that grew heavier with each passing second.
"That boy is nothing but a troublemaker. He barely passed the academy's entrance exam, he spends more time gambling and drinking than training, and his dueling record is—" he stopped, exhaling sharply, "pathetic at best."
The little creature, Silver, peeked from behind a chair, its large silver eyes watching him with cautious curiosity. Cyril glanced at it and frowned. "And what are you looking at? Can't you see your owner is making me anxious?"
Silver squeaked softly and hid again, its tiny tail twitching nervously.
Cyril pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "What went wrong?" he muttered to himself. "Ever since that tournament, she's been... distant. That's when Lucas started appearing around her too often."
He remembered the event clearly—the day Aria had faced Lucas Hilton in a duel. Back then, Lucas had been arrogant and undisciplined, relying on brute force and mere magic items rather than true powers. Yet, even when he lost, he had smiled. That same night, Aria had refused to talk to anyone.
Cyril's eyes hardened. "It must have started there."
He walked to the window, looking out into the moonlit courtyard where flakes of snow danced through the air. The thought of his sister—his precious, brilliant, and usually logical sister—getting entangled with someone like Lucas made his stomach twist.
"No," he said finally, his voice quiet but firm. "Something isn't right. There's no way Aria would throw away her future for a fool like him. He must have done something. Perhaps… manipulation?"
His gaze darkened, and a faint chill began to seep from his body, frosting the edges of the glass.
"If that's the case," Cyril said, straightening his coat, "then I'll just have to see for myself what kind of game this Lucas Hilton is playing."
He turned toward the door, his steps steady and purposeful now. "I'll pay him a visit tomorrow."
Before leaving, he cast one last glance toward the window, his reflection faintly distorted in the frosted glass.
"If you've done anything to hurt her, Lucas Hilton," he murmured, his tone cold as the snow outside, "I'll make sure you regret ever stepping into her life."
Then, without another word, he left the room.