I AM NOT THE LOVE INTEREST!

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 me with widened eyes while Duke Valen remained motionless behind his desk, looking genuinely caught off guard for the first time since this conversation began.

I almost admired myself a little.

Because clearly neither of them expected me to pull out the tragic sacrificial daughter performance this aggressively.

But then suddenly...

...father slammed 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 alarmed than I expected. It was like an anger people used when trying to stop a situation from spiraling somewhere they did not anticipate.

Meanwhile, 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 immediately, 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 same household forever."

The moment 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 became 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 became 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 become inconvenient."

The atmosphere inside the study shifted instantly.

Duke Valen’s expression darkened sharply.

"That will not happen."

His answer came immediately.

Firmly.

Without hesitation.

And somehow...

That surprised me more than I expected.

Because truthfully, part of me genuinely anticipated hesitation from him. Avoidance perhaps.

But instead...

He rejected the possibility outright.

Father’s gaze remained fixed on me now, colder and far more serious than before.

"You are my acknowledged heir, Aria," he said steadily. "Nothing about that changes."

I blinked somehow 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 momentum 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 me 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 me.

"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 dimensions truly followed the exact same 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 me all this time while knowing the truth."

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Cynthia visibly stiffened.

Meanwhile, I continued calmly, refusing to look away from her now.

"I welcomed 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 me every single day already knowing exactly who you were."

My voice never rose.

And somehow that made the tension worse.

"So do not sit there now pretending innocence before me."

Cynthia’s lips parted faintly, but no words came 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 immediately.

"Aria...!"

"No," I interrupted calmly. "Let us speak honestly tonight since everyone suddenly wishes for honesty."

The study became suffocatingly still.

"Did neither of you truly think this through?" I asked softly. "Or did you both simply assume 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 me 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 immediately?"

Father’s hand slammed against the desk again.

"Enough."

His voice carried genuine warning this time.

But strangely enough...

I no longer felt intimidated.

Perhaps because the original Aria had already feared these people enough for an entire lifetime.

And frankly?

I inherited none of her patience for emotional repression.

"You!"

Father pointed sharply toward me across the desk, his expression darkening dangerously.

But I merely 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 became 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 moment under charges of threatening noble succession legitimacy."

Cynthia’s breathing hitched sharply.

Father’s eyes widened immediately.

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 government 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 me."

Father stared at me 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 someone 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." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The words landed far harsher than anything said previously.

And I meant them completely.

Father flinched, like the words struck deeper than he expected.

Even Cynthia looked startled now.