《Obsessed with Regressors》


 Chapter 1.1

    No no!


    A scream that didnt belong to her came out of her mouth. No, it was not a scream. She frantically reached out and ran to block everything in front of her.


    The blood-soaked man was brandishing a sword. His great sword cut down the servants who were blocking his way to her brother and mother.


    No!


    She almost fell down the stairs and ran down them. She didnt even feel the pain of a bumped knee or the palm of her hand when she fell. She just wanted to stop him from killing her family the same way he killed the servants.


    The movement of the mans sword seemed very slow but her were even slower.


    No!


    As if foreboding something, her mothers screams burst out. And no long after, the mans sword pierced her brothers chest.


    No!


    Even after falling down the last flight of stairs, she looked at her older brother and screamed. The mans eyes seemed to glow darkly. Her brothers Olivers face contorted in front of him.


    Oliver!


    Oliver!


    The screams of her mother and hers burst out at the same time. Oliver slumped in her mothers arms.


    No, no, no. This is a dream, this is a lie.


    Her mind went blank at the unbelievable sight. Why did that happen? Why was that man attacking her family?


    Countless thoughts passed through her head, but she couldnt catch a single one. Because the man pulled the sword out of Olivers body.


    She closed her eyes tightly at that brutal scene. But she saw the man shake off his brothers blood with one swing of his sword, and she saw Olivers body collapse into her mothers arms.


    Oliver!


    Her mother screamed and hugged her brother. In front of them, the man turned towards her mother.


    No.


    Reflexively, she jumped up and run to the man. That bastard, the killer, she couldnt let him hurt her mother.


    Stop!


    She hugged him by the waist and pulled him. She tried to keep away the man from her brother and her mother.


    Lady Biscon.


    The mans voice was dark and heavy. He was even slightly polite. Calling her by her correct title in that situation felt like a bad joke.


    No, a bad joke was better. She felt goosebumps all over her body at the mans behavior and the way he spoke. Even so, she didnt let go of waist.


    Even if he cut off her arm, she couldnt let go.


    Let go.


    The man spoke calmly. He was still using a gentle and polite way of speaking.


    Why are you doing this?


    Tears came out, but she tried hard not to cry out loud.


    Oh, Mother!


    Her voice came out strangely because of her crying. She sobbed and called her mother.


    You have to run away.


    All around her mother was devastated. The bodies of the dead servants and the moans of those wounded by the mans sword were terrifying.


    Mom, come on!


    She shouted as she pulled the man. But even though she was hanging on and pulling with her whole body, the man was moving as if he was not constrained at all.


    Mother!


    She couldnt possibly do it. Holding on to the curtain with one arm and holding the mans waist with the other, she turned her head to see if her mother had run away.


    Her mother was still sitting in front of the man. She saw that her brothers body, limped in her arms, was stained red like the mans. The difference is that the blood that dyed the mans body was the blood of the people he killed, but the blood that stained his brothers body was the blood from the his wounds.


    This beast!


    Her mother shouted as she hugged her brother. Her eyes were staring at the man. She stared at Oliver in her mothers arms and prayed that he would not die.


    Please stay alive. Please, please stay alive.


    Maybe someone who ran away will call for help. If enough people come, she might be able to save her brother.


    In the corner of her head praying earnestly, there was another strangely rational her. And that rational being already knew that her brother was dead.


    Kill me too!


    Tears flowed again at her mothers cry.


    No, no, mother. I tried my best to stop the man. Please, please anyone, please help me.


    The man said nothing. He just took one step towards her mother. With that alone, she missed him and, unable to overcome the recoil, bounced against the wall and fell.


    The next moment, the man looked back at her. Oddly enough, the attitude seemed concerned about her. A light crossed his eyes.


    As she hit the wall and let out a moan and moved her body, the mans eyes flashed with relief.


    But she, who bounced off, did not see. As soon as she corrected her posture, she came to her senses and looked at her mother.


    Mother!


    Mother is still there. Why hasnt she run away?


    Perhaps she was distraught over her brothers death.


    No, no. Oliver is not dead. Hell still be alive. If only someone comes if a doctor comes.


    She made up my mind and jumped at the man again and shouted.


    Mother!


    She hoped her mother would come to her senses and run away. Still, a corner of her head thought it couldnt be: his son died in his arms and her daughter was throwing her body at the killer.


    Could her mother run away from such a situation?


    But its already too late. The man picked her up and put her on his shoulder.


    Leave me! This beast!


    A few curses came out of her mouth. In normal circumstances that would be an abusive language that would make her mother widen her eyes and scold her. And Oliver, her brother, would have laughed.


    Tears came out of her eyes and she couldnt breathe.


    Its a dream. It cant be real


    While thinking so, she scratched and slapped the man on the back.


    Mother! Mother! Run away!


    She was on the mans shoulders, so she could only see his back. However, she knew her mother was hugging her brother in front of the man.


    Her mothers head moved at her shouting. The light returned at her mothers eyes, which had been glaring at the man as if she couldnt see anything else but him.


    She screamed as she saw her struggling on the mans shoulder as she cradled her sons corpse.


    Eugenie?


    Run away!


    At her scream-like shout, her mother hesitated and tried to get up. But as Olivers body tumbled out of her arms, her mother sat down again, hugging her sons body.


    She was seeing something that couldnt be seen. Her heart was already torn to shreds as it hung on the mans shoulder like a piece of luggage, but at the same time her heart crumbled at the sight of her mother.


    Eugenie! Eugenie!


    Her mothers screams made her struggle harder. But the man didnt care and moved towards her mother. Then he moved the sword from his right hand to his left hand.


    Thats because of me.


    As she watched the mans appearance, she realized that fact. He switched his sword to his left hand because his was carrying her on his right shoulder.


    His left hand raised the sword. A scream escaped from the mouth of her mother who was still holding Olivers body.


    No!


    Clinging to the mans shoulder, she hesitated. She tried to turn her around to see her mother, but it was almost impossible. And the next moment, the mans sword plunged into her mothers chest.


    Everything became strangely stillness and ominous movement. Her heart stopped and started beating fast as if it were about to explode. She screamed as she struggled to get away from the man.


    No!


    Just like that, she jumped out of the bed. She saw the dimly lit interior of her room in front of her. For a second, she looked around frantically, unable to comprehend the situation.


    It was dawn. It was quiet as if everyone was asleep, but after a while, she heard someone running into her room.


    My lady, whats going on?


    Ann came in without knocking on the door and examined her. Soon after, Shirley followed her and turned on the light. Then, the room quickly brightened.


    its my room. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming and lay down on the bed.


    Sorry. I must have had another nightmare.


    Again?


    It was the same dream as last time. Its so awful.


    As she thought about it again, tears began to flow.


    Oh my god, that was so horrible. A dream in which a man Ive never seen before suddenly enters my house and starts killing my mother and brother.


    It was a terrible dream to even mention, so she just said she had a dream in which the house was robbed.


    Dont worry, my lady, because this is Seymaria Street, the safest place in Current.


    Right, my lady. Do you know that even robbers get their necks like this when they rob in this town?


    As Shirley said that, she pretended to slit her throat.


    She knew. Seymaria Street, where nobles lived, would be the second safest area in Current, the capital of Balcian. Where was the first one? It must be the Royal Street where the palace was located.


    Still, she was sad and scared. In her dream, she knew the man and the man knew her name, so he must know her too.


    But he was a man she didnt know. He was a man she had never seen before, until she saw him in a dream a few days ago. Still, the mans face appeared clearly in her mind. He had jet-black hair and blue eyes. He was very tall and of a sturdy build.


    Can I bring you some warm milk, my lady?


    Ann asked kindly as she was still crying. Its a bit embarrassing to ask for warm milk for having a nightmare at this age. But Anne and her were alike, shes grown up with her and was like her big sister so she didnt have to pretend, thats why she sniffed and nodded at her.


    As Anne looked at her, she nodded at Shirley that went out and while the dor closed, Anne astride the bed and stroked her hair.


    Thats why I told you not to read such scary books, my lady.


    She seems to think she was having those dreams because of a novel she read a few days ago. She didnt think it was because of the novel because it was a completely different dream, but she didnt say anything.


    After a while, Shirley brought warm milk, and she said as Anne handed it to me.


    Go to sleep again, my lady. You have to go to the palace this afternoon.

 Chapter 1.2

    You said you had another nightmare last night?


    That evening, at a ball held at the palace, Oliver asked her with a smirk. Because she then frowned and shook the fan a bit roughly, he sighed and added.


    Mother was worried.


    Its not that shes worried about me, but shes probably telling my older brother to come in early.


    Her attack wiped Olivers youthful smile from his face. Yesterday too, Oliver slept in the club. Its good that he got a room there, he should have slept face down on the game table after playing cards all night with his friends.


    She clicked her tongue with a pathetic expression and said.


    If thats the case, why dont you get a house and move out?


    Among the noble men of Olivers age, there were often people who got a house and move out. If one was married, its natural, and even if one was single, one got a single persons house.


    At her point, Olivers face returned to a haughty smile. She was glad Oliver and she didnt look alike. As much as she knew how unlucky that smile was, she didnt have to worry about being as unlucky as he was.


    How could I leave you when my little brother has nightmares and cries every night?


    Well spoken, really. She shook her head at her shameless older brothers excuse and said,


    Does it count as worry coming in just once a week?


    If ones home was decided by the number of times one sleeped there, Olivers house would not be the Biscon Mansion, but the High Hat Club, a male aristocratic club. Oh, it would be the same even if she counted the number of meals in place of the number of nights.


    At that point, Oliver put on an expression that he had nothing more to say, and she had a premonition of victory. Then their mother, who had returned from greeting Mrs. Martha, interrupted.


    This is all because of what happened at Lingard Manor. Poor Mrs. Lingard, I do not know if she has arrived.


    Shouldnt she have arrived by now? Where did you say that Mrs. Lingards parents were?


    When the opportunity to change the subject came, her brother quickly snatched it up. She also joined her mothers story with a worried expression on her face.


    The Lingard Mansion was on Escon Street, one block from Seymaria Street, and it was robbed a while ago which caused a commotion because Eschen Street was the second safest street after Seymaria Street, and Lingard Mansion was where Baron Lingard and his wife lived.


    She heard that Lingard Mansion was robbed at dawn a few days ago and that someone had hit the baron on the head hard enough to knock him out. The baroness heard someone entering her house and she escaped to the study, so she was not harmed.


    Nuggetel is about a week by carriage from here, so she should have arrived by now. But Ill have to calm my nerves, so I wont be able to write the letter for a few more days.


    Oliver and she nodded politely at their mothers words before she asked cautiously.


    Have they not caught the culprit yet?


    Then her mothers expression changed. She looked at her with her concerned expression, took her hand, and patted the back of her hand.


    Dont worry, Eugenie. Theyll catch them soon.


    She realized her mother was worried about her having nightmares. As Oliver said, her mother seems to think that she was having nightmares because of the incident at Lingard Mansion.


    Maybe was right since the first time she had a nightmare was the day after the incident at Lingard Mansion. When she said nothing, Oliver interrupted with a nod of his head.


    Thats why you cant give all your servants vacation at the same time.


    On the day the Lingard mansion was robbed, Baroness Lingard gave all the servants a leave of absence. That morning, she said, all the servants, except for the butler, left the mansion to return to their hometowns.


    In the end, it was said that the only people left in the mansion when the robbery took place were Baron Lingard, his wife and the butler.


    Someone might have brought in a robber.


    At Olivers words, their mother made a terrified expression. If the robber knew that all the servants were away on vacation that day, it was because someone informed him.


    She frowned and her mother added as if to comfort her.


    Dont worry, my dear. Because we all have people we can trust.


    It would have been the same for Baron Lingard and his wife. But she nodded silently, as it didnt seem like a good idea to say such a thing in that situation.


    I thought they had a trustworthy person.


    Then Oliver opened his mouth. He lowered his voice so he couldnt be heard.


    I heard from someone I trust that Lady Devon is crazy.


    Oliver!


    Her mother was taken aback by her brothers words and let go of her reproach. It was crazy, probably because his words were too radical. Sure enough, her mother added, slapping Oliver on the arm.


    Speak like an aristocrat.


    Ah, yes. Noble Lady Devon has lost her mind.


    Oliver!


    Once again her mother slapped Oliver on the arm and she hesitated whether to smile or frown. That noble lady, Lady Devon, was the daughter of an earl like her, and our title was the same.


    A noble lady was a title used for a princess or a dukes daughter, so her older brothers words earlier were kind of sarcastic.


    By the way, by Lady Devon, you mean Millie, right? Eugenie, werent you at the same meeting as her?


    Yes.


    Millie and she belong to the White Rose Society. It was a service meeting of aristocratic ladies. Of course, they didnt just do volunteer work, they also met irregularly and drank tea.


    But since she wasnt very close with Milly, she had a bit of trouble remembering the last time she saw her. Did they do anything special at that time?


    I dont think there has been much change.


    The last meeting of the White Rose Society was two weeks ago. It was not a regular meeting, but as always most of them attended to drink tea at the chairmans house. The thing was, she didnt remember what Millie said or if she did anything particularly strange. In fact, she had forgotten about Millie until she remembered it at that moment.


    She was the quiet type and lived a normal life like the other noble ladies. The reason why her name has risen the most in social circles was because of the news of her engagement.


    Its not that she was particularly engaged or that she was engaged to a weird partner. Millies fiance was Lord Baltigor, whom she remembered as a quiet person like Millie. Its just that socialites were passionate about someones love, engagement, and marriage.


    Its a pity that the poor girl has lost her mind.


    Her mother gave her a pitiful look, as she said so. She lost her mind, what did she do? She always thought of the quiet Millie and imagined her doing something that would make her say she was crazy. But she couldnt imagine it.


    How will the Viscounts of Baltigor react?


    Olivers question brought her to my senses. She knew. Sir Baltigor, who was pushing aside their marriage, was still engaged with Millie.


    They will break off the marriage.


    At her mothers sighed words, she sighed as well. She felt sorry for Millie and Lord Voltigor, who only knew her face.


    Rather than that, Oliver. This is not the time to talk about engagements.


    It wasnt long before she sighed over the sad story of Milly and Lord Baltigor that her mother slapped Oliver on the shoulder with her fan, and cast her gaze to one side while continuing her words.


    Lets go over there.


    Seeing where her mothers gaze was directed, she saw several unmarried young ladies gathered together with their companions. The purpose of those proms was definitely to find a mate.


    And unlike her, who got engaged a few months ago, Oliver wasnt even engaged yet, and he didnt even have a marriage rumor.


    She waved at Oliver, who was being led to her mother like a cow to the slaughterhouse. Normally, Olivers engagement should have been earlier than hers but it wasnt probably due to Olivers delay.


    Could you be alone for a while?


    Taking Oliver away, their mother asked with a worried expression. She was not a child, but sometimes she felt like a five-year-old when listening to her mother.


    Sure.


    She said, holding back a laugh at her mothers concern.


    There is an awning over there. Ill go there if necessary.


    Only after her mother looked back at the awning where her best friend was she nodded her head. And then, along with Oliver, they headed towards a gathering of unmarried women.


    Eugenie, did you come alone?


    As soon as her mother left, a familiar voice spoke to her. When she found her mothers distant relatives, Sir Escalee and his daughter, Julia, she greeted them with a smile.


    Hello, Sir Escalee. And Julia.


    Now that she had just turned eighteen, Julia was wearing a lovely dress like a young girl who had just made her social debut. She complimented her dress and explained to Sir Escalee that her mother and brother had gone over there for a while.


    Then Sir Escalee stroked his chin and said.


    I guess Oliver still hasnt found a woman he likes?


    Unfortunately.


    She sighed with an excessively sorry attitude and said so. Sir Escalee grinned at her attitude and then looked at Julia and said:


    In my heart, I want to ask him what he thinks about taking Julia as his wife, but


    Father!


    At the same time as her eyes widened, Julia shouted. My Just like that she started pretending not to see her face turning red.


    Fortunately, it seemed that Sir Escalee was just talking without a proper objective. He chuckled at his daughter, who was blushing in her face.


    Because Im too weak to stand near Oliver.


    She smiled as she saw Julia twisting her body, as if she was quite embarrassed. Sir Escalee said so because he heard that Julia was rejecting all her marriage talks.


    Its an excuse. Of course, Julia hasnt graduated from her academy yet, but everyone knew that Lord Escalee, who lost her wife and raised her daughter alone, wants to spend more time with her daughter before marring her out.


    Julia is perfect. Its because Oliver is too old.


    As she thought, Sir Escalee smiled happily at her words. The Countess of Biscon may be a coveted position, but Oliver is a bit older for Julia.


    For a father who cherishes his daughter, having a son-in-law 10 years older than her daughter was a big drawback.


    By the way, why isnt His Highness coming yet?

 Chapter 1.3

    Julia asked abruptly as if she wanted to change the subject.


    She knew. Since it was a ball held in the royal palace, the royal family should declare the beginning. Thanks to that, everyone in the ballroom was waiting for the King and Queen to come together and while just chatting.


    ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well, are you?¡±


    In response to Julia¡¯s question, Sir Escalee shook his head with an improbable expression. So far, no word has been heard of the current king, King Rupert, being ill.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±


    Then, her wife, who was by her side, intervened. As we said hello, she nodded her head and said to Julia.


    ¡°His Highness the King is a descendant of the fairy Mago. They don¡¯t get sick.¡±


    ¡°However¡­ ¡±


    Julia tried to tell her that couldn¡¯t be the case, so she quickly yanked her hand. Of course, she didn¡¯t stop her because she believed her words. Because that was a palace ball, and to question His Highness¡¯s ancestry there was just as stupid as going to dance in a dress in midsummer.


    Ah, the second stupid thing was already done.


    ¡°But the princess was originally weak?¡±


    Julia whispered to me. ¡®Do you know that Genevieve, the older sister of the current king, King Rupert, was told to be unwell since she was a child.¡¯


    There was even a saying that she was fortunate for coming to age safely and for marrying her neighbor, Newkirk.


    It was the year she was born that Princess Genevieve married Newkirk. So it was a little strange to her that Julia knew the story of Princess Genevieve.


    When she put on a look like asking how, Julia shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°At the academy. My history teacher likes stories like that.¡±


    ¡°A story like that? Like the fairy and the dragon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an indispensable part of Balsian¡¯s history.¡±


    Balsian, the hero who defeated the ferocious dragon in this land. And his colleague and lover, the fairy Margot. Balcian died without recovering from the wounds he suffered in the battle with the dragon, but Margo did not leave for the fairy world for the sake of the child she had with her lover.


    Thus, the country founded was Balsian. The current king was the descendant of the child that the fairy Mago gave birth to with Balsian.


    She cast her gaze to the portraits of Balcian and Margo hanging in the ballroom. Perhaps because of the fairy, Margot, who was wearing something like butterfly wings.


    ¡°I think it is because of the recent appearance of the Prophet that both the King and Queen are not coming yet.¡±


    Mrs Sipper spoke in a low voice as if telling a secret. If it was a prophet, it was possible. Occasionally, for the entertainment of a ball or tea party, the host would bring in soothsayers and fortune-tellers. And for the most part, it didn¡¯t matter. To be honest, she didn¡¯t think anyone who said they could see the future actually could. Because if they could see the real future, do they really need to make money by telling others about it?


    ¡°Are you the Prophet?¡±


    Mrs Sipper smiled as if Julia¡¯s curiosity was to her liking.


    ¡°The prophet said he would make a tremendous prophecy regarding the future of the country.¡±


    ¡°A great prophecy?¡±


    This time she showed her curiosity. What was a great prophecy about the future of the country? There is no particular problem with Balsian. In other words, there was no problem with military power, economy, or finance. Since the present king had a son, it could be said that the issue of succession had been resolved.


    So, for the prophecy here to be enormous, it would have to be the extent of ruining the country.


    No, was that too harsh? She tilted her head. Was there anyone who could say in front of the king that his country would soon be ruined?


    ¡°I do not know. I don¡¯t know what he said to His Highness. The last thing I heard was that he might have an audience with His Majesty.¡±


    She nodded her head at Mrs Sipper¡¯s words that said the prophet might have met His Majesty by now. So, if the prophet met His Highness, His Highness, who heard the prophecy, might be in a bad mood, so he might be late because he was trying to control his mind.


    And if the prophecy was unpleasant enough to make His Highness control his heart, it would probably mean that the country would perish or that the death of His Majesty the King was soon to be.


    To be able to talk about one of those two cases in front of His Highness, the Prophet was most likely either overly brave or insane. Prophesying to others is ultimately one of two things.


    ¡°Excuse me. I have someone over there to say hello.¡±


    Sir Escalee, who must have seen someone he knew, apologized to Miss Supper and left. Julia stayed here, she seemed to want to hear more of Mrs Sipper¡¯s exciting story, but she was taken away by Sir Escalee.


    Mrs Sipper looked at the escalators as they left her seat, and she said in a low voice.


    ¡°Poor thing. Sir Escolee must be very worried about his daughter¡¯s marriage.¡±


    ¡°She is still eighteen.¡±


    She said with an expression that it was not a big deal to Mrs Sipper¡¯s concerns. Unless it was Mrs Sipper or her mother, those days everyone got married in their twenties. Same for her.


    ¡°Well, when she¡¯ll be 20 years old, they¡¯ll say she is an old maid.¡±


    As she thought, Mrs Sipper said with a smile. She would be like that when she was a mother, or so she was told. After all, nobles got engaged when they were young.


    But lately things have changed a bit. As nobles began to send their children to the academy, naturally, the marriage age of nobles began to be delayed after the age of nineteen.


    Her mother lamented that noble ladies would work too, but she thought it was a pretty good change. Wouldn¡¯t that be better than sitting all day embroidering?


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to get married too late, though. You should also think about the child to be born.¡±


    She listened to Mrs Sipper¡¯s words as she thought about the meeting of the White Rose Society.


    ¡°Who was your fianc¨¦?¡±


    Still, she was quick to answer when asked who her fianc¨¦ was.


    ¡°Sir Rencid. Sir Awning Rencid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the eldest son of Viscount Rencid? He¡¯s a good young man, he¡¯s a bit slim, though.¡±


    Everyone said so. Awning was on the tall side, but he was rather thin. Miss Siffer tried to console her with the same words as the others.


    ¡°Once you two get married, he will get fat. Do not worry.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why everybody thought she was worried about her husband being skinny, but she smiled and nodded her head silently. Then, all of a sudden, the surroundings started to become noisy.


    ¡°Look over there.¡±


    It seems that His Highness the King has arrived. Quickly correcting her posture and tidying up her attire, she raised her head and turned her gaze to the royal doorway. But it was still empty, and people¡¯s eyes were looking in a completely different direction.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Mrs Sipper, who realized the strange change of people later than me, asked, but she couldn¡¯t tell her what was going on. They quietly made their way to the crowd and found a surprising sight in the middle of the ballroom.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What kind of event is this?¡±


    The middle of the ballroom was empty, as if dancing had begun. And in the space surrounded by people, a handkerchief was spinning in the air.


    ¡°Is it windy?¡±


    ¡°Did someone open the window?¡±


    ¡°But there is no wind anywhere else.¡±


    As people said, the wind was blowing in a whirlpool only in the middle of the ballroom. Could that be possible? She was confused, but soon she thought that this was some kind of event.


    Could it be that His Highness the King used magic to make a dramatic appearance? Space movement magic was a bit expensive to use for an event like that, but wasn¡¯t this the royal palace? They could pay that much for entertainment.


    ¡°Back off.¡±


    As the handkerchiefs began to fly in larger circles, the people hesitated and retreated. She didn¡¯t think that handkerchief would hurt anyone, but if that wind was magically created, it¡¯s a bit ominous.


    Two hundred years had passed since the Wizard¡¯s Tower was built in the capital, but magic was still a bit mysterious and inconvenient for ordinary people to get close to.


    As the people withdrew, the handkerchiefs circled larger and larger. Could this not be an event prepared by the royal palace?


    She thought so when she realized that about a family of ten people could fit in the circle drawn by the handkerchief.


    And just the next moment.


    Pop!


    Inside the circle drawn by the handkerchief, there was a sound of something exploding, and thick smoke came out. Mrs Sipper, who was standing next to her, was startled and took her hand, so she did the same.


    Soon after, people shouted with small applause.


    ¡°Oh my gosh!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Everyone seemed to think that His Highness the King¡¯s family would appear in the smoke. However, as the thick smoke subsided and the heads of many people began to appear little by little, the shouts and clapping of people died down.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think is His Highness the King?¡±


    ¡°My God, what does this smell like?¡±


    Soon, an indescribable stench filled the ballroom. What the hell did that smell like? She tried to obscure the smell with a fan, but soon realized it was the smell of a number of people emerging from the smoke.


    It was like the smell of a stable. And sometimes it smelled a bit like the smell one got when dismantling a chicken or a pig in the kitchen.


    ¡°Who, who are you!¡±


    It was a familiar voice that confirmed the identity of the people who appeared first. She turned her head and confirmed that it was Sir Escalee who asked the other person¡¯s identity.


    It was only then that people seemed to realize that the person appearing in the smoke was not His Majesty¡¯s family and could be a dangerous person.


    ¡°Save people!¡±


    ¡°Security! Security!¡±


    In an instant, there was a congestion with people trying to escape. Being pushed back by people, she had to struggle not to fall, let alone run away.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡±


    The hand that was holding her was pushed away, so she reflexively grabbed Mrs Sipper¡¯s hand. And as she looked at her, she saw a man pushing her and trying to escape.


    Where have all the gentlemen gone? She reflexively kicked the man in the shin and shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even know how to respect elders?¡±

 Chapter 1.4

    At that moment, the eyes of the people who appeared in the smoke turned to her.


    ¡®Shit. I guess my voice was too loud.¡¯ She thought, quickly letting go of Mrs Sipper¡¯s hand to get away.


    ¡°Are you okay, madam?¡±


    Her sleeves were all wrinkled from the man pushing so hard. Mrs Sipper nodded her head blankly at her question, then looked back at the retreating people with a wink.


    Everyone was back toward the wall and the entrance. Perhaps some had already gone out since the door was open.


    ¡°Who are you! Reveal your identity!¡±


    It was the brave cry of Sir Escalet that stopped the people who were worried about whether they had to run out of the martial arts president. When his question suddenly turned to the people who appeared, the people who slowed down began to retire.


    ¡°Who is that person?¡±


    Mrs Sipper whispered to her. She was curious about that too. She looked at the outfits of the people who suddenly appeared.


    ¡°He looks like a mercenary.¡±


    To be honest, he seemed like a dirty mercenary.


    Perhaps the costume looked dirty because of something on their bodies. For reference, that was not water.


    She had seen soldiers training on a rainy day before, and although they looked a bit distressed, they weren¡¯t stained that bad.


    However, the weapon he was holding was definitely that of a mercenary. Quite a few had swords, but many also had spears and clubs. Sometimes there were people with weapons that I couldn¡¯t figure out how to use.


    ¡°A mercenary?¡±


    Mrs. Sipper asked with a horror look. That was the ballroom of the royal palace after all so all space-traveling magic was blocked there. So everyone thought that event was caused by the king himself.


    Even Sir Escalee seemed to think so. He looked for a moment at the people who appeared in the middle of the hall, then he asked.


    ¡°Is it the Templars? Where do you belong?¡±


    Then, the people who suddenly appeared looked at one place all at once. There was a terrifying looking helmet.


    The problem was that the helmet contained a human head.


    ¡°I remember it was polite to introduce yourself first when confirming someone¡¯s affiliation.¡±


    Before long, the head inside the helmet spoke a little slowly in a low voice. She didn¡¯t know if that head was a living person or not.


    She thought, estimating how tall the man in the scary-looking helmet was, he was about a head taller than the average male.


    In addition, the man¡¯s helmet had two long horns on it, making the man look even taller. Sir Escolee seemed to be taken aback for a moment at his words, and then he said politely.


    ¡°I am Roin Escalee, the leader of the Black Wolf Knights. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Sir Escalee.¡±


    She was staring at Sir Escale, so she couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face. But the helmet he was wearing and his large stature and body felt quite daunting.


    She noticed Mrs Sipper holding her hand and trembling slightly, and turned her head. It was natural to be scared. She was scared too.


    Her heart was mixed with the belief that it was an event prepared by His Highness the King and the fear that those people might be intruders. If it were the latter, it would be wiser to run away immediately.


    Because she didn¡¯t know what purpose the unknown man came there for, and how he came there.


    ¡°Elliot Burns.¡±


    Then, the big man in the helmet opened his mouth again. With his heavy tone and voice, it took her a moment to realize that the words he spoke were his name.


    Elliott Burns. There was no aristocrat named Burns. If so, it means that the man was a commoner. The ballroom started to get noisy again.


    And the man who introduced himself as Elliott Burns slowly looked around the ballroom.


    The moment his blue eyes turned towards her, she froze as if she had been struck by lightning. It was a familiar face. It was a face she had never seen before, but she knew.


    She knew his face. No, she knew him. The killer who appeared in her dreams last night and a few days ago, the same man that killed her family in those dreams.


    Dark eyebrows and a chiseled chin. A large man with cold blue eyes and jet-black hair.


    ¡°Lady Biscon?¡±


    Her heart started beating like crazy. Her body froze with fear, so she did not hear the call of Mrs. Sipper, who stood right next to her.


    ¡°Lady Biscon, are you okay?¡±


    She barely understood Mrs Sipper¡¯s words as she waved and whispered while holding her hand. She startled and turned her head, and Mrs. Sipper pulled her back and whispered,


    ¡°Come this way. That man is looking this way.¡±


    It was then that she realized that Burns and she had been gazing at each other for quite some time, with their eyes locked. And the moment she realized that, she felt the taste of iron in her mouth.


    That was a dream¡­ It was a dream. They had never actually met, and they were seeing each other for the first time that day.


    ¡®Is it?¡¯ In panic, she wondered if she had ever met Elliot Burns.


    ¡®We had never met, we don¡¯t know each other.¡¯


    Then why did she dream of that man? A dream in which that man killed her family?


    ¡°I have a message to deliver to His Highness the King.¡±


    As she rummaged through her head in terror, Burns¡¯ gaze passed her slowly. She realized she was holding her breath only when he took his eyes off her.


    ¡®Oh My God.¡¯


    She thought maybe she was crazy. Does it make sense to see a man one has never seen in their dreams and be terrified?


    ¡°His Highness the King?¡±


    She could see Sir Escalee¡¯s face contort at Burns¡¯ words. After taking a breather, she began to wonder where Julia was.


    Sir Escolee loved his only daughter very much. There was no way he would leave Julia alone and go out against unknown people.


    After putting her tiptoe on and checking the people gathered behind Sir Escalee, she was able to find Julia among the crowd. And who did Sir Escale ask for Julia?


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Unknowingly, a moan came out.


    Julia stood next to her mother and Oliver stood in front of them as if trying to protect the two of them.


    When she saw it, fear began to creep in again. She was so afraid that she couldn¡¯t think properly.


    In the dream, the man, Elliot Burns, knocked down the servants who stood in his way and hurt her mother and brother. What if it was not a dream?


    An absurd, irrational fear crept into her head. Reflexively, she tried to run in front of them, but was stopped by Mrs. Sipper, who was holding her hand.


    ¡®Uh, what do you do? Mother and Oliver stand just off the back of Sir Escal¨¦. What if that guy was sweeping the ballroom like before? No, what if he attacks mother and Oliver while looking at Sir Escalee?¡¯


    Once again, the last dream overlapped in her head. The fearsome Elliot Burns, who defeated the servants who stopped him and made his way to Oliver and her mother without hesitation.


    ¡°I have brought a message from Daaribhorn.¡±


    The moment Elliot Burns said that, a moan of ¡®Ouch¡¯ resounded throughout the ballroom. Daaribhorn? She frowned at the first name she had heard since taking history lessons with her tutor.


    ¡°Daaribhorn? You mean the dragon?¡±


    Sir Escalee also had an expression of disbelief. She quickly switched between her mother and Burns.


    ¡®What do we do? What do we do?¡¯


    His appearance now was a little different from the one she had seen in her dream. Besides, there were Sir Escalee and other knights.


    But that didn¡¯t make it secure. It was because all the servants who stood in the way of the man in the dream felt like fallen leaves blown away by the wind.


    But what if it was like a precognitive dream?


    ¡®Eugenie Biscon! You¡¯re an intellectual with common sense and you know that¡¯s nonsense, right?¡¯


    Two parts in her head started fighting. The part that insisted that her dream might be a precognitive dream and the part that insisted that precognitive dreams were nonsense.


    At that time, Burns¡¯ gaze turned to Sir Escalee¡¯s back. No. She opened her mouth unconsciously.


    ¡°Mr. Burns.¡±


    In an instant, silence fell in the ballroom. The people who whispered quietly, and the footsteps of those who quietly retreated, all stopped.


    And Burns¡¯ gaze, which had been directed at her mother and Oliver, turned to her.


    Her heart started beating like crazy again. She saw him approaching her and started taking deep breaths. Surprisingly, Elliott Burns approached her confidently and without hesitation.


    ¡°Noble Lady Biscon.¡±


    The moment he opened his mouth, she couldn¡¯t believe my ears. He did know her.


    Elliot Burns knew her name. He even mocked her. She remembered her dream again. She opened her eyes wide and looked at him, then looked around in a strange mood.


    Before she knew it, the people around her had retreated far away. Between being relieved or scared, she decided to be relieved after seeing people withdrawing from her.


    ¡®I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to eat any more anyway.¡¯


    ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    He looked crazy. Or maybe she was too scared to calm down. When her sense of humor returned, she asked with a frown.


    They¡¯d seen each other for the first time at that moment, and there was no way he knew her name. So there was no reason to ridicule her as a noble lady.


    At her question, Elliott Burns stared blankly at her for a moment. Then he said quietly.


    ¡°No, you do not.¡±


    That was a polite answer. Not only in her dreams, but also the behavior he showed to Sir Escalee earlier were suspicious.


    When she saw Burns answer politely and calmly, which was the complete opposite of how he dealt with Sir Escalee, she had another impression of him.


    He was a strange man. His blue eyes stared at her as if they were looking right through her.


    ¡°Then why¡­ ¡±


    She wanted to ask why he was looking at him with those eyes. It was a strange gaze. A gaze that somehow made her feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°What did you say, my lady?¡±


    But Burns seems to have misunderstood her question. He replied as if he had heard her why, and then she remembered that she had asked him a question.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯ She only talked to protect her mother and brother from his gaze. She tried not to look for her mother among the people behind his back. That man should not see her mother and brother.


    ¡°If you want to have an audience with Your Highness¡­ ¡±


    She put her hand in her bosom, trying not to tremble. Ann always puts her handkerchief there. She held out a handkerchief to Burns, looking him straight in the eye so he wouldn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯d better wipe your face.¡±

 Chapter 2.1

    ¡°Your Highness, this is Elliot Burns.¡±


    The place where the servant took Eliot was the king¡¯s office. Elliot looked with a bored look around the office, which was slightly different from his own memories.


    The office, slightly smaller than the audience room, had a large desk in the middle. The current King, Rupert Saunderkids, sat behind a desk, well-dressed.


    Thinking he was probably about to attend the ball, Elliot slowly approached the King. Sir Escalee, who had followed him, tried to stop Elliott, but the King raised his hand with a tired expression and stopped Sir Escalee.


    Then he looked at Elliot and asked.


    ¡°Burns, that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of that name.¡±


    It was an unknown last name. It was a surname unknown to Rupert as well as his queen Cilicia and for the close subjects of the king and queen. That is, for the noble subjects.


    Elliot grinned at the King¡¯s reaction to not knowing his surname. Elliott would have been more surprised if anyone knew it.


    He said without even showing respect to the King.


    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering whether I¡¯m an aristocrat or no, the answer is no,  majesty.¡±


    He knew it. The King looked at Eliot with a disapproving look on his face. Elliot¡¯s face was a mess with dried blood. The hair clinging to the blood made his impression even more terrifying.


    However, it was not Elliot¡¯s terrifying appearance that made the King displeased, but the fact that his good looks were revealed nonetheless.


    Being such a handsome man, he couldn¡¯t help but listen to the story somehow. Because the people around Rupert and Cilicia tell all sorts of stories to get their attention.


    Among them was an idiot who made nasty prophecies about the end of the country.


    ¡°I heard you brought a message from Daaribhorn.¡±


    The King asked, looking at the crown on the desk. It was brought by an attendant before Elliot arrived. Elliot followed the King¡¯s gaze and looked at the crown.


    ¡°Did you check that it is genuine?¡±


    At Elliot¡¯s question, the King let out a small sigh. It was. It took him a while to get someone in that night to confirm it was genuine.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t check whether the jewels were real or not. That crown was given to Daaribhorn as a gift from Rupert¡¯s great-grandfather more than a hundred years ago.


    It was a gift, in simple terms, a tribute. It was one of many jewels sent with the intention of not disturbing the country. In particular, that crown was specially made for Daaribhorn.


    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t know if you really met Daaribhorn, but at least it will be proof that you have been to Daaribhorn¡¯s lair or met someone who has been.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re clever.¡¯ Elliot thought so with a smile. Just because this was a gift from the King of Balcian to Daaribhorn more than a hundred years ago, it does not prove that Elliot received it directly from Daaribhorn.


    Of course, he was right that he received it directly from Daaribhorn.


    ¡°If necessary, I will wait for you to confirm with Daaribhorn.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    At Eliot¡¯s cheeky words, the King sighed and refused. He decided to meet Elliot not because Elliot brought him the crown. Not because that crown was real but not meet Daaribhorn himself.


    ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    At the command of the king, soldiers brought a man in. Elliott did not recognize the man¡¯s emaciated face from worry at first. But the moment he spoke, Elliot remembered who he was.


    ¡°Your Highness, the story I told you is true.¡±


    As soon as German entered, he clung to his desk and began begging. Rupert asked Elliot without even looking at his face.


    ¡°Tell me, Burns. What is Daaribhorn¡¯s message? Is he trying to attack this country?¡±


    Only then did German hear Elliott¡¯s name and involuntarily gave out a small moan, ¡°Hick.¡± The two never met. But he knew Elliot Burns.


    Did Burns know German?


    ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯ German thought Burns didn¡¯t know him. He had never met Burns, and he had never heard his name. Not really.


    It was all in his dreams that he saw Balsian fall and met Burns. Of course, even in his dreams, German only ran into Burns a few times, but he never talked deeply.


    ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. Daaribhorn said he would forgive it this time.¡±


    At the unexpected words, a surprised look appeared on Rupert¡¯s face as well as German¡¯s.


    ¡°Is he going to forgive it this time? What are you talking about?¡±


    Elliott shrugged his shoulders at the King¡¯s urging to ask what that meant. And only then did he begin to look at the people in the office one by one.


    He saw a few familiar faces. Of course, none of them would know Elliott. Oh, except for German next to him.


    Elliot saw German startled to see him. There was only one reason why anyone here could be surprised to see Elliott.


    That he too had a dream where he saw them.


    A mischievous smile crept across Elliot¡¯s lips. He opened his mouth, very curious about what German had dreamed.


    ¡°Speaking of forgiveness¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t look embarrassed at all. Seeing what Elliott was saying, the King as well as everyone in the office thought so.


    Elliot Burns said that he was not an aristocrat, but he was using difficult words that an aristocrat would use. And his attitude was hard to see as a nobleman or a commoner.


    He was too cheeky to be called an aristocrat and too arrogant to be called a commoner. ¡®What¡¯s he doing here?¡¯ Sir Escalee thought so.


    ¡°Why would a certain noble son whom Your Highness and everyone in this room knows well incur Daaribhorn¡¯s wrath?¡±


    People in the office thought for a moment that Elliott was being sarcastic. It couldn¡¯t be. There was no way a commoner would dare to be sarcastic in the middle of the day in front of His Majesty the King. But Elliot Burns was being sarcastic. He casted his gaze not on King Rupert, but on the duke, Germaroth, standing next to him.


    Duke Germaroth¡¯s brow furrowed as he gazed at him. What was that cheeky commoner saying?


    But the next moment an ominous thought came to his mind. His only son, Hildezar.


    He heard that a strange letter was sent to the Duchess from his son, who had left for a trip with a friend a few weeks ago. There were rumors that there was a dragon¡¯s nest nearby. The Duchess showed it last week saying that he wrote that he would take a lot of dragon treasure when he went back.


    ¡®Shit. What did he say?¡¯ The events of the past week appeared vaguely in Duke Germaroth¡¯s mind. He seemed to be bothered by his wife, so he replied roughly, telling her to let their son take care of himself, since he was already thirty.


    ¡°Who is that idiot who incurred Daaribhorn¡¯s wrath?¡±


    The moment the King said that, Duke Gurmaroth remembered how he had been annoyed with his wife that it couldn¡¯t be a real nest. Even if it were a real nest, how would a son who went on a trip with just a few friends get into it?


    But, but what if it¡¯s a real dragon¡¯s lair? What if his stupid son had his head spinning for that moment and hired a bunch of mercenaries to enter?


    If he had a minimum of intelligence he would have returned to the capital without looking back, but Duke Gurmaroth knew that his son was not clever. He reflexively spoke to the King.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important, Your Highness.¡±


    People¡¯s eyes turned to the Duke. He felt that Burns¡¯ expression as he looked at him seemed to be smiling.


    That fueled Duke Germaroth¡¯s anxiety.


    The good news was that the author has been forgiven by the dragon, even though he didn¡¯t know what he did. Duke Gumaroth¡¯s head spun quickly. It was enough to punish his son¡¯s foolish behavior as soon as he returned.


    For now, he didn¡¯t want to get himself into trouble because of his son¡¯s stupidity.


    ¡°It means that Daaribhorn has withdrawn his anger. That is, that the prophecy of interest is wrong.¡±


    German¡¯s face turned pale at the words of Duke Gurmarot. At the same time, everyone in the office looked at German. Except for one, Elliot.


    ¡°I, but, Izaga¡­ ¡±


    German didn¡¯t know what to say and started talking gibberish. He prophesied Balthian would fall within the next decade. A few months later, an enraged Daaribhorn would attack Balcian, resulting in the deaths of most of the royal family.


    That prophecy was denied by Burns, who had just received Daaribhorn¡¯s forgiveness.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Rupert turned his head towards Elliot and opened his mouth. Two things could be learned from that incident. That some fool¡¯s son had dared to offend Daaribhorn, and that the man in front of him solved it.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t possibly defeat the dragon, right?¡±


    At the King¡¯s question, Elliot smiled and said,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something that your Highness¡¯ ancestors also failed?¡±


    Even the hero Balsian could not defeat the evil dragon Krysa, although he chased it to the edge of the continent. Sir Escalee, who understood Elliott¡¯s point, shouted first.


    ¡°So rude!¡±


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the office was so cold that it froze. Elliott was the only one who wasn¡¯t angry there. The King, who had been looking at him with a hard expression, asked with a tired expression.


    ¡°Then how did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I saved the child of Daaribhorn.¡±


    Did Daaribhorn have any children? The people in the office looked at the king with a look full of astonishment. There were two dragons on that continent, but neither have children yet. That was fortunate.


    However, if Daaribhorn gave birth to a child, there would be three dragons on the continent. That¡¯s because a newborn dragon was born.


    Elliot spoke to speed things up rather than to reassure people.


    ¡°It¡¯s still an egg, so it will take some time to wake up.¡±


    ¡°Well, then we have to get rid of the egg before it hatches¡­ ¡±


    Surprised, the Duke of Gurmaroth shouted and then stopped. The moment he realized the oddity, he saw Elliot sneering.


    ¡°Trying to tough that egg took me four months. Looks like someone still doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s obvious.¡±

 Chapter 2.2

    The stupid nobleman touched the dragon¡¯s egg and it was Elliot who appeared when the egg was about to break. He protected the egg from breaking and offered a deal in front of an enraged Daaribhorn. Now that he has kept the egg, he asked him to cover up the problem of the Balsian nobleman who touched the egg.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Daaribhorn decided to turn a blind eye.¡±


    Yes, that¡¯s what happened. At Eliot¡¯s answer, Rupert groaned and closed his eyes. That was a story that would make anybody sweat cold down their back. Unbeknownst to him, a Valcian noble had touched the dragon¡¯s egg and it almost broke.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that stupid bastard? You said it was a nobleman of Balsian, right?¡±


    The King¡¯s anger was next directed at the nobleman who fearlessly touched the dragon¡¯s egg. According to Burns¡¯ story, the nobleman who made the country dangerous cannot stand idly by.


    ¡°Peha.¡±


    It was the Duke of Germaroth who stepped out again. He wasn¡¯t sure if the idiot who touched the dragon¡¯s egg was his son but it would be too late to check it before King¡¯s anger was directed to his family.


    He decided he had to get Burns on his side.


    ¡°We will find out later. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to talk about what kind of reward is worthy of the hero who saved the country?¡±


    At the Duke¡¯s words, Elliot laughed inwardly. He must have noticed.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Sighing at the duke¡¯s words, the King instructed that Burns¡¯ room was prepared in the palace. If Burns was right, he saved the country. So he deserved to be rewarded.


    Of course, they still needed to make sure what Burns said was true.


    He met a fraudster who said he had already seen the future of the country. At the king¡¯s request to leave, the attendant took Elliot out of the Oval Office.


    ¡°Elliot Burns.¡±


    German quickly followed Elliot and called out to him. When the rest left German behind, the door to the Oval Office closed. Elliott slowly turned around and saw German follow him out and said as if he knew it would.


    ¡°You know me.¡±


    ¡°I kno¡­ yes, I know you.¡±


    German said so and glanced at Elliot. As things were, he had no reason to know, and no need to know. He didn¡¯t inherit the title, but unlike him, the third son of a viscount family, Burns was a commoner. But according to his dreams, Burns was not an ordinary commoner. German asked, staring for a moment at Elliot¡¯s statuette-like appearance, one head taller than he was, and with dried blood.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Elliott wasn¡¯t embarrassed by German¡¯s sudden question. He asked sheepishly, staring at German.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The dragon¡¯s nest. How did you know where it was? And, and how did you know Germaroth¡¯s son was there?¡±


    A smile appeared on Elliot¡¯s lips at German¡¯s question. He tilted his head and asked curiously.


    ¡°I never told you that it was Germaroth¡¯s son the one in that nest?¡±


    ¡°Me, I know! I¡¯m a prophet!¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    At German¡¯s insistence, Elliot looked at him with interest. He asked, putting his hands on his hips.


    ¡°If you¡¯re a prophet, try prophesying what will happen to me.¡±


    At Elliott¡¯s provocation, German couldn¡¯t say anything. No wonder. It was different from the future he saw.


    In the future he saw, most of the royals died due to Dragon¡¯s wrath. The plague has killed many people and revealed that a woman they never expected was royalty, forcing her to converge on behalf of the little prince.


    And Elliot Burns¡­


    He became an earl for defending the borders from foreign invading Balsian, which was declining.


    ¡®If it¡¯s the same thing, it¡¯s that in my dreams, Burns was, and still is, a hero.¡¯


    ¡°I guess it was a lie.¡±


    When German couldn¡¯t say anything, Elliot snorted in front of him.


    ¡°Ear, you¡¯re going to become a nobleman.¡±


    Finally, German couldn¡¯t stand it. In the dream, Elliot Burns was the Earl of Burns. Elliot¡¯s face turned cold as he snorted.


    He said, looking down at German with an expressionless face.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a prophecy. If it were a proper prophecy, I¡¯dl guess which fiefdom I¡¯ll get.¡±


    ¡°That is, that¡­.¡±


    In the dream, Burns was the Count of Sinentra. This was because the marquis of Sinentra and his successors had died, so the estate was returned to the royal palace. However, it was about five years later that Burns became Count of Sinentra in German¡¯s dream. After Daaribhorn¡¯s anger and plague had passed.


    Everything went too fast. German realized that his dream would no longer come true and that angered him.


    ¡°You dreamed it too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    German shouted suddenly, and the servant who had been separated for a while so that the two could talk, looked back to see what was going on.


    ¡®Should I help?¡¯ He hesitated for a moment, but unlike German, who yelled, Elliot was motionless when he heard the yelling, so he decided to wait and see.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a stupid! You dreamed! So you¡¯ve found the nest! That¡¯s it!¡±


    German¡¯s angry shouts could be heard all the way into the Oval Office. The faces of the King and the Duke of Germaroth were contorted.


    He thought the blasphemous voice was a prophecy, but he was about to let it go when he saw the face of the viscount in the distance. He¡¯ll give it some attention at home, if not his father could decide to send his useless third son somewhere for making unnecessary noise in the palace. That was his plan but in the end he couldn¡¯t contain himself.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡±


    At the angry murmur of the Duke of Germaroth, Lord Escalee and the knights stepped in. When they opened the Oval Office door and walked out, German was pounced on Elliot.


    ¡°You saw it! You saw it too!¡±


    They saw German, who was running like a madman, pounce on Elliot. In front of the startled knights, Elliot dodged German just by turning lightly. Not only that, but Elliot even slipped German¡¯s leg, which he had avoided. Seeing German falling, Lord Escalee lightly clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Hey, that guy is a prophet too! You saw the future like I did!¡±


    German, who saw the knights coming out of the office, shouted with his face dyed red. The knights looked at Elliott in bewilderment, but he had an expression that he didn¡¯t know what German was talking about.


    ¡®Lord German looks crazy.¡¯ Lord Escalee sighed and approached German, who was slumped to the ground. He said, lifting him to his feet.


    ¡°Stop now before his Highness punishes you and your family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real! I really saw the future!¡±


    ¡°You mean the future of Balsian¡¯s downfall?¡±


    The knight who had followed Lord Escalee said with a sneer. From the beginning, they thought it was a ridiculous prophecy. Unbeknownst to Chrysa, Daaribhorn has never been seen except when he first appeared on the continent.


    There were rumors that Daaribhorn was dead. Although thanks to that, there are also treasure hunters who want to find gold in the nest of dead dragons.


    ¡°Yes! Daaribhorn is alive! This guy is proof of that!¡±


    German shouted at the knight that his prophecy was not wrong. The only difference was that Daaribhorn didn¡¯t attack Balsian, but Daribhorn was alive. Sadly the knights had a different idea.


    Laughing at German, the knights shook their heads and walked up to German, grabbing one of his arms.


    One of them said, dragging him to the other side of the hall.


    ¡°Come to your senses, Lord German, if all you have to say is that Daaribhorn is alive my son knows that too.¡±


    Of course, the knight¡¯s son believed rather than knew.


    At the knight¡¯s words, German had something stuck in his neck. Not. He really saw all that destruction. A fiefdom turned into a sea of fire due to the attack of Daribhorn and the plague.


    The death of his father and two older brothers made him a viscount that he never thought he would become, but it was not a very pleasant life. He just wanted to change that. Of course, it was natural to get some benefit from that.


    ¡°You must have gone crazy.¡±


    Seeing German being led away by the knights, Lord Escalee said to Elliot that was staring at German with an incomprehensible expression.


    ¡°Viscount German must be upset.¡±


    Lord Escalle said so and patted Burns on the shoulder, who still said nothing. At the inquiry, Elliot¡¯s eyes turned to Lord Escalee.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Elliot laughed, twisting one lip.


    ¡®Is that true?¡¯


    ¡°I remember he had an older brother.¡±


    At Eliot¡¯s words, Lord Escalee wondered how he knew. But then he nodded and said.


    ¡°Lord German is the third son of the Viscount, so yes, he has two older brothers.¡±


    The older brother even had children. In other words, that family had no problems with the inheritance in the future. But at the same time, it also means that the Viscount had two children who cannot pass on property or titles. Elliot said sarcastically.


    ¡°Viscount German might like it.¡±


    At the sarcastic words, Lord Escalee¡¯s brow wrinkled. But he, too, knew that Elliott might be right.


    Children who were unable to pass on titles end up becoming a source of concern for their parents. Especially if he was a nobleman who was not as wealthy as Viscount German.


    ¡°I have a question.¡±


    Again the servant began to usher into Burns¡¯ room. Lord Escalee walked alongside him under the pretext of protecting Elliot and spoke up.


    ¡°How did you find the dragon¡¯s nest?¡±


    Even if it wasn¡¯t German¡¯s words, he wondered. The dragon¡¯s nest was deeply hidden and protected. How did he find it? Of course, Lord Escalee did not believe German¡¯s words that Burns was also a prophet. But how did he find it and how did he get into it?


    Everyone might be curious about that. Elliot said slowly.


    ¡°I heard a rumor that a young nobleman was gathering mercenaries to enter the dragon¡¯s nest.¡±


    He followed the young nobleman. The answer, which was much simpler than he thought, made Lord Escalee stunned. He said with a smirk.


    ¡°Everybody was thinking about it, yes. There was such a way.¡±


    A smug smile appeared on Elliot¡¯s face. That¡¯s the most plausible story. Rather than the ridiculous story that he saw the future.

 Chapter 2.3

    ¡°Oh my God, that guy caught a dragon.¡±


    Two days after the palace ball, her mother and she were sitting side by side on the couch, reading the newspaper. They were reading the same newspaper and sitting side by side, so naturally they were looking at the same page.


    So her mother¡¯s words were not directed at her, but at her brother, Oliver.


    Oliver was leaning lazily on the couch across from them, reading the same newspaper as them. Currant¡¯s whisper. Simply put, gossip.


    The newspaper, the second-highest selling newspaper in the capital of Balsian, after the Balxian Daily, was so popular that everyone who could subscribe to the newspaper, as well as the aristocracy, subscribed to a copy.


    But why were there several copies in the house? Because Oliver had to read it at the same time as them.


    Of course, Oliver seems to say that one part belonged to their mother and the other belongs to him.


    ¡°Where? Ah, I found it. Huh.¡±


    At his mother¡¯s words, Oliver flipped through a few newspapers and found the page she was reading. I asked, waiting until he finished reading the article.


    ¡°Is that skillful?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, Burns¡¯ swordsmanship skills?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have a subject, but Oliver understood right away what she was saying. He said, slowly stroking his chin.


    ¡°It was pretty good. By the time I graduated, he was the winner.¡±


    ¡°He was the winner by the time you graduated? Could it be, that savage is from the Academy?¡±


    Her mother, who had been engrossed in the newspaper for a while, was surprised by Oliver¡¯s words. Oh dear. she immediately knew what her mother was going to say.


    One didn¡¯t have to be a prophet to know that. Her mother turned her head to her as soon as Oliver agreed.


    ¡°Look at that, Eugenie. It¡¯s the academy that these savages go to. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t send you there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she replied roughly as she turned her head back to Oliver. Originally created by commoners to acquire knowledge, the Balsian Academy also began to be popular with the aristocracy.


    That was because wealthy commoners have been inviting intellectuals at great expense, and the level of education at Balsian Academy had increased. Thanks to that, several positive things had happened. The aristocracy¡¯s socializing age and age of marriage had increased.


    Oh, and of course, some people saw that as a disadvantage. So not the former, but the latter. Although it seems that sometimes the former was also cited as a disadvantage.


    The nobles were too friendly with commoners.


    Now, most of the nobles sent their children to the Balsian Academy, but very occasionally they did not send them to the academy but left them to tutors. Just like her.


    ¡°Do you think he handled the sword well?¡±


    She asked Oliver again. In her dream, Burns easily defeated the servants who stopped him. The servants almost looked like leaves blown in the wind.


    But that was her dream. Wasn¡¯t that what dreams were supposed to be? It¡¯s exaggerated more than necessary.


    She was praying that Oliver would say that it wasn¡¯t. Even though she heard that he was the winner of an Academy swordsmanship match.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that he handled the sword well¡­¡±


    Oliver paused as he picked out words for a moment. She was a little relieved. She didn¡¯t think it¡¯s handled well. So her dream was just an exaggerated dream.


    But the next moment, Oliver patted his chin and said:


    ¡°I think it¡¯s more correct to say that there wasn¡¯t a weapon he couldn¡¯t handle.¡±


    Holy. Her expectations were dashed. She didn¡¯t think her dream was a real premonition or anything like that since foreshadowing was ridiculous. For one thing, she didn¡¯t believe in foreknowledge or prophecy. But what could she say about Elliot Burns?


    Maybe, maybe, the appearance was different. She started an attempt to revive the flames with smoke from the extinguished candle. There were quite a few people who looked alike. Maybe the Elliot Burns in her dream and the Elliot Burns she saw two days ago felt similar simply because their eyes were similar.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    Just as she was barely calming down, the butler came in. Her gaze naturally turned to the little box he was holding. And the gaze of his mother and Oliver did the same.


    It was her mother who got up first.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, Lord Rencid must have sent you a present.¡±


    Awnings? She remembered her fianc¨¦, whom she had forgotten. Not. Strangely, she had a hunch that the package held by Butler Biggs was not from Awning.


    ¡°Who sent it?¡±


    Funnily enough, her voice trembled slightly, very slightly. She felt ominous. That¡¯s not the way Awnings act. After all, Awnings never sent her gifts for no reason.


    ¡°It was sent by a man named Elliot Burns.¡±


    Biggs¡¯ voice was like thunder echoing through the dry sky. It was the same in that her heart was jumping.


    ¡°Burns? He sent Eugenie a gift?¡±


    Her mother was also a little surprised. She sat stiffly, looking at Biggs with only her eyes. He looked at her, asking what to do with the parcel he was holding.


    What¡¯s in there? The box was thin. Was there anything that could fit in there? She didn¡¯t know what to do, and Oliver, who had been watching, stepped in and said:


    ¡°Do Miss know him?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Her mother¡¯s answer popped out before she could speak. She shook my head and was forced to accept the parcel from Biggs.


    What the hell? The small box was as light as it was in size. As she hesitated to open it, Oliver said.


    ¡°Tear it off.¡±


    When urged, she couldn¡¯t help but tear it open. She didn¡¯t like it, but she opened the box in front of her mother and Oliver.


    ¡°Handkerchief?¡±


    What was inside was a handkerchief. Of course it wasn¡¯t hers. But her name was embroidered in one corner. As she stared at the handkerchief with a frown, Oliver asked.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the handkerchief you lent me last time?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    This was a much more expensive handkerchief. The handkerchiefs one took to the ball were usually the most luxurious items one had.


    The handkerchief Burns sent was much better than that. Not only were the edges decorated with lace, but¡­ She looked down at the ornately embroidered handkerchief. Then the mother, who couldn¡¯t wait, reached out and picked up the handkerchief.


    ¡°That¡¯s very good.¡±


    It¡¯s probably the most luxurious handkerchief she could get as a gift. As she unfolded her handkerchief to see the full embroidery, a small card fluttered from inside.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    That time, Oliver showed interest. He picked up the card that had fallen to the floor faster than I did and whistled softly.


    That attitude, she didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Oliver.¡±


    Sure enough, their mother pointed to him and checked the card he was holding. She said with admiration.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be as savage as he looks.¡±


    What the hell was it written that they both do that? She took the card from Oliver and checked the contents. It said in elegant letters that the handkerchief he had lent me was an apology for the dirtiness and that he would return it as a new one, even though it lacked the kindness she had bestowed.


    Yes.


    She remembered her mother¡¯s comment that he didn¡¯t seem to be as savage as they thought. That was a card that could at least be played by someone with an education like a nobleman. So was the content as well as the handwriting.


    After all, it was just a nightmare. It¡¯s not something grandiose like prophecy or foreknowledge.


    After a few days of being on the floor, her pulse loosened and she lost her energy. She left the handkerchief in her mother¡¯s hand and slipped out of the family room with only the card in her hand.


    It¡¯s still morning, but she thought she needed to lie down a bit.


    ¡°Are you not feeling good, my lady?¡±


    As she entered her room, Ann followed a moment later and asked: she sat down in a chaise longue by the window and held out a card to Ann.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to lie down a bit. Keep this away.¡±


    At her request, Ann accepted the card and pulled a small box out of her arms.


    She was seeing a lot of boxes that day. Just as she thought so, Anne said excitedly.


    ¡°Someone told me to give this to the lady earlier.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    It¡¯s not that she saw a lot of boxes, but she thought she was getting a lot of gifts that day. Anne put the box in her hand and asked if she knew.


    ¡°Who could it be? It must be from Lord Rencid!¡±


    Again, she thought, it couldn¡¯t be. If it was from Awning, he would have sent the gift more loudly. Not only for her mother and brother to know, but also in social circles.


    He always was like that. She has only received gifts three times, all of which were small in Currant¡¯s whisper.


    ¡°From Awning?¡±


    Thinking that it wasn¡¯t possible, she tilted her head and unpacked the box. Unlike the thin box earlier, this one was small enough to fit in her hand.


    When she unpacked it, she saw a black case inside. No matter how she looked at it, it looked like a ring case.


    ¡°Oh my God, Lord Rencid must have sent the ring.¡±


    Listening to Anne excitedly, she cast her gaze through the ring on my left ring finger. She already had an engagement ring. Could it be that he was already giving me a wedding ring?


    She quickly realized that it couldn¡¯t be. Awnings wasn¡¯t that passionate. Besides, the ring was held by Viscountess Rencid.


    Carefully opening the case, the ring inside revealed. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t the wedding ring that Ann and her expected. As she lifted the ring with a frown, Ann tilted her head and asked strangely.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit clunky.¡±


    Clunky was just right. The ring inside the case looked like a man¡¯s ring dragon. Not only in size, but also in design. It¡¯s a design she had seen a lot of times.


    She held a slightly larger ring on her thumb as well and began to ponder where she had seen a ring like that. The ring had an emblem on it.


    That emblem¡­


    ¡°Signet ring?¡±


    She was so startled that she jumped up and shouted: Ann, who was watching closely, looked at her asking what it was, but she couldn¡¯t answer.


    A signet ring was literally a ring with a signet on it. And not any particular signet but the family seal. In other words, only the head of the family could have it.


    ¡°Who, who sent it?¡±


    ¡°What kind of man¡­? I was bringed by an errand boy.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see who sent it?¡±


    She tried to stay calm for the frightened Ann. But it¡¯s a signet ring. What kind of crazy guy would send something like this to someone else?


    Frightened, Ann said cautiously.


    ¡°There was no word from anyone. Naturally, I thought it was sent by Lord Rencid. If it¡¯s the name of the person you brought¡­¡±


    Ann paused, and her face turned as white as a blank sheet. Why? She looked at Ann nervously.


    After a moment, she whispered, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Sin, I¡¯m sorry, my lady. I guess it wasn¡¯t the name of an errand boy. It must have been the sender¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    She urged, and Anne hesitated again. Strangely, at that moment, she remembered the face of a man that often popped into her mind these days.


    ¡°Bur¡­ Burns.¡±

 Chapter 2.4

    There were quite a few crazy people in the world. Some people would disagree, but for her, one of the crazy things involved courting someone who was married or had someone to marry.


    And it¡¯s crazy to give a family signet ring to someone outside the family.


    If so, it meant that Elliot Burns was twice insane. Let¡¯s not think about whether a person might go crazy twice. She got out of the wagon, wondering where he might have gotten his signet ring.


    ¡°Lady Biscon!¡±


    Miss Lisa Grunt, president of the White Rose Society, hugged her happily when she saw her. She hugged her shoulder and gave her a brief greeting to know how she was doing.


    ¡°It was hot, so I prepared cold tea. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s palatable.¡±


    If her mother had listened, she would have said that it was a verbal theft with a stunned expression. However, cold tea was lightly popular with young people. It¡¯s also great for showing off one¡¯s wealth.


    She headed to her seat prepared by Miss Grunt and greeted those who had already arrived. Today was an irregular meeting, so a little less than half of the total number of people sat down.


    Suddenly, she remembered Lady Devon. Speaking of which, she had forgotten. Her brother did say that Lady Devon had lost her mind.


    Just in case, she checked the refreshment room and didn¡¯t find Lady Devon. Didn¡¯t she attend? Just as she thought so, Miss Grunt looked at her expression and asked with a smile.


    ¡°Lady Biscon heard the rumors, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She was embarrassed. Her face burned because she seemed to be someone who only paid attention to the rumors but she whispered as if she was telling a secret story that she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a big deal. I¡¯m worried about getting busted.¡±


    Yes? Didn¡¯t her brother say that the lady would break up with her fiance? She couldn¡¯t understand what Miss Grunt was saying, so she rolled her eyes. She turned her head, looked somewhere, and spoke to her again.


    ¡°But would they break up? Everybody would understand.¡±


    Understand what? That the lady was crazy? She stared blankly at Miss Grunt and asked in a small voice.


    ¡°Why, why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Honestly, I put up with it a lot. Miss Rogosso would have understood if it wasn¡¯t for her sister.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Miss Rogosso?¡±


    Not Lady Devon?


    At her question, Miss Grunt looked ¡®what?¡¯ and tilted her head.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Miss Rogosso. Baroness Kernel is Miss Rogosso¡¯s sister, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why Baroness Kernel was coming out. Her gaze reflexively searched for Miss Rogohso. She was present. She was talking to other people around her, and they seemed somehow rigid.


    ¡°Did Baroness Kernel have a problem with Lady Devon?¡±


    Miss Grunt looked again, ¡®What?¡¯ For a moment, an expression flashed quickly across her face, and then she burst out laughing.


    ¡°Oh my God, Lady Biscon.¡±


    What did she do wrong? Seeing her embarrassed, Miss Grunt stopped laughing. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought you knew.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about Lady Devon, is it?¡±


    That¡¯s how much she noticed. At her question, Miss Grunt nodded yes and leaned toward her and began to whisper.


    ¡°Lady Devon has heard that it has been decided to break up. It¡¯s unfortunate, but¡­¡±


    After saying that, she shrugged her shoulders in an extremely aristocratic manner.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Was that what she wanted? She stared at Miss Grunt in surprise. Then, seeing her expression, she let out a small sigh and patted her hand.


    ¡°Oh my God, Lady Biscon. You¡¯re really not interested in rumors.¡±


    That was a pretty good posture as an aristocratic woman. But it wasn¡¯t really that good. We should listen to social gossip. That way, one could get a lot of information. And that information helped fathers, husbands, and brothers who ruled over the estates.


    She admitted frankly.


    ¡°A good friend like Miss Grunt made me ignorant.¡±


    Oliver always tells her: ¡®Oh my God! Now that Eugenie knows, the whole Balxian finally knows!¡¯


    She was always late in rumors. Especially towards gossip. Fortunately, Miss Grunt smiled at her words and patted her hand again.


    ¡°Call me Lisa. Okay. Lady Devon said she asked for a breakup.¡±


    ¡°Rumors that you let go of your mind, then¡­¡±


    ¡°They asked me to break up for no reason.¡±


    If so, it is understandable that there are rumors that she was crazy. Marriage in the nobility was more like a contract between families. Although they were married parties, they were more of a contractual product, not a contractor.


    Since one of the contractual products said that wanted to break the contract, of course it must have been rumored to be insane.


    Why the hell was that? She sighed as she thought of Lady Devon. Beside her, Lisa continued to speak.


    ¡°And Miss Logoso¡¯s story is because of her sister. Baroness Kernel, that recently had a lover.¡±


    Lover. The word lover was a bit surprising, but it¡¯s not uncommon. As it is a contract between families, there are also couples who keep their lovers separate. I hate it.


    To be honest, as Lisa said, Baroness Kernel understood. Her husband, Baron Kernel, was a great flirt, and she had heard rumors many times.


    If she was late to the rumors, Baroness Kernel would know. And the socialite knew everything. Sure enough, Lisa lowered her voice and said playfully.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she a good enough person to be polite to her husband so far?¡±


    She thought so. They laughed face to face and sat down in their seats.


    Since they were gathering for tea or a drink as an irregular gathering, today¡¯s gathering was light. As much as the cold tea was prepared, the accompanying dessert came out warm. Something like a freshly baked pie.


    After chatting and eating for a long time, they didn¡¯t get up until close to dinner time. The story that took the most weight was by far the story of Elliot Burns, the man who caught the dragon. And the story of strange smoke coming from the Sorcerer¡¯s Tower and the need for some help from the students who remain in the academy.


    The academy accepted poor but intelligent children as scholarship students. They provided tuition and some living expenses, but that¡¯s during the school year. When school holidays came, scholarship students had to work to find a place to stay and earn some money.


    ¡°If Eugenie can help you, it will help you a lot.¡±


    Lisa, who had become quite close thanks to this meeting, crossed arms with her and headed to the front door. Find someone to sponsor the scholarship students. Of course, her house was difficult. She was not wealthy. But she could help them find people to work during the holidays and give them some money.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look it up.¡±


    Having said so at the front door, she looked at Lisa and quickly added.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    It was said that there are often people who make them do dangerous things. Lisa chuckled at her words and pressed her arm together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait to hear from you.¡±


    What should she arrange for her? Escorted by Lisa, she stepped outside and got into the carriage in front of her. Ann, who was already waiting for her in the wagon, looked up and asked.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°How was Anne?¡±


    While they talked in the refreshment room, Ann would have had tea with the maids who followed Lady too. She heard that the Grunt mansion was fine with servants¡¯ waiting rooms.


    Luckily, Ann seemed to have enjoyed it too. She said, pulling out a handkerchief wrapped in sweets from her pocket and showing it.


    ¡°They even brought me sweets.¡±


    ¡°These sweets were delicious.¡±


    They ate too. She started talking to Ann about what went into the sweets and how they would be so crunchy and delicious. Ann told her that it would have to have a lot of butter in it to be this crispy, and she was surprised if the sweets had butter.


    It wasn¡¯t until the wagon stopped that we realized that Biscon Manor wasn¡¯t where they arrived. Anne, who opened the door first, looked puzzled and turned to the coachman.


    ¡°Jim, where is this?¡±


    The next moment, Ann¡¯s body stiffened. She quickly checked the outside through the window.


    That was not Seymaria Street. Was it Escon Street? She squinted as she looked closely, and as she checked the distance, she heard Ann¡¯s short scream.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    ¡°Ann?¡±


    Startled, she went and saw men outside the wagon. She was frozen at the carriage door, staring at the men and Ann who had been captured by them.


    What was it? What¡¯s going on?


    She just couldn¡¯t understand it. Abduction? That was the first thing that came to her mind. But kidnapping her, for what?


    Would her house be able to pay her ransom? How much would those guys ask for? As she was thinking about it, a familiar man appeared behind the men. He looked at herand said with a make-up smile.


    ¡°Lady Biscon, you must have been surprised to come here all of a sudden.¡±


    Who was it? She remembered the man¡¯s name, trying to soothe her thumping heart. German. It was Otis German. Was he the third son of Viscount German?


    Viscount German was not very rich. Moreover, since Otis had two older brothers, it was less likely that he would become a viscount or that he would help his brother who had become a viscount and stay in the family.


    After all, Otis was several years older than Oliver, but he was still single.


    He didn¡¯t mean he kidnapped her and tried to marry me. That was the most likely thing, but she had no intention of being bothered. She said, grabbing her bag.


    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised. Will you release my maid?¡±


    At her request, Otis¡¯ eyes turned to Ann. She realized why she didn¡¯t recognize him. He was drier than the last time she saw him. Even so, her eyes were glowing brightly, so she was a little scared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rough.¡±


    At Otis¡¯ direction, the men let Ann go. She burst into tears and hugged Ann as she ran up to her, glaring at Otis and the men.


    The men were not seen as servants. Maybe he¡¯s a mercenary. He quickly looked around and could see that this was Balrog Street, not Escon Street.


    ¡°You know this is a crime, right?¡±


    She said, grabbing the carriage door. They hijacked the wagon and kidnapped her and Ann. Of course, it¡¯s a crime. But she was going to say that if they let them go, they wouldn¡¯t report it.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡±


    Otis was relaxed. There were only two women versus six men over there, and one of the women was an aristocrat so he was sure to win.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Bicon. I have no intention of hurting you.¡±


    ¡°I want that to include my maid.¡±


    She hugged Ann and said coldly. If the perpetrator¡¯s goal was not her, then it was Ann. But Ann wasn¡¯t Otis¡¯ goal either.


    He chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t care about your stupid maid either. You just have to sit back and relax.¡±

 Chapter 2.5

    It was true that all they had to do was sit still and wait. After some scuffle, she sat with Ann in a small room that looked like a study.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a bachelor¡¯s mansion.¡±


    Ann, who had calmed down and stopped crying, whispered to her. She didn¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. She glanced at the man wandering around the couch they were sitting on, and said.


    ¡°It seems there are no servants.¡±


    It¡¯s been quite a while since they arrived, but the car still didn¡¯t seem to want to go, let alone come out. The landlord was not very good at treating guests. Even if this house belongs to Otis.


    The man snorted at the word servant. Judging from that reaction, it¡¯s highly likely that this house doesn¡¯t belong to Otis either.


    What was Otis¡¯ purpose? Why did he kidnap her?


    He left her there, so it was clear she wasn¡¯t the target. He even told the mercenary watching her clearly that there would be no reward if they touched her. So she stood up and asked the man.


    ¡°Who is Sir German waiting for?¡±


    The man who had been spinning around the sofa distractedly stopped. He gave her a rude look, then he smiled and sat across from her.


    ¡°Why should I tell the lady that?¡±


    He didn¡¯t look like an idiot. She tilted her head and said.


    ¡°I am not a young lady, but Lady Biscon. You better not be cocky.¡±


    The man must have thought she would be intimidated. He hesitated at the reaction that was different from his own expectations, and then spoke in a broken voice.


    ¡°Why should I tell you that?¡±


    Honorifics seem awkward. The man who said that added hurriedly.


    ¡°Lady Biscon.¡±


    Did that man know what it means to be Lady Biscon? She looked straight at the man as if she was having a snowball fight with him. Then, to her surprise, the man avoided her gaze.


    ¡°Sir German has no intention of harming me. It must be because my father is the Earl of Biscon. No matter how this ends, I don¡¯t want to take the wrath of my family.¡±


    Was it not like that? At her explanation, the man made a dumbfounded expression.


    What if it was found out at her house that Otis kidnapped her? She would try to solve it quietly first. Unfortunately, her family was not very wealthy. No, not being rich was a bit generous to define them. The Earl of Biscon, to put it simply, was poor enough to save face. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t think Otis was after her for no reason.


    All she could say about her family was that it¡¯s old and that she was betrothed to the heir of Viscount Rencid. Mother and Oliver would ask the Rencid family for help, and German would have to take the blame from the Biscons and Rencids.


    She didn¡¯t know what Otis was aiming for, but she hoped it¡¯s worth it. That kind of matter was sure to come out in the palace.


    She confirmed that the man understood what she was saying and continued.


    ¡°When I get home, I will tell my father everything that happened here today. Sir German, since his father is a Viscount and a nobleman, he must be a little scolded. But you, an unnamed mercenary¡­¡±


    At her words, the man said with a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°Tetto.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Mercenary Tetto. Can you handle the wrath of a nobleman?¡±


    Only then did Tetto seem to understand the situation. He looked at her with a puzzled expression and jumped up from his seat. Then he sat down again and asked politely this time.


    ¡°What, what do you want? No, are you scared¡±


    ¡°I wonder who the one Sir German is waiting for.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know either. Sir German said that he owed a debt to him.¡±


    ¡°A man? Is he a noble?¡±


    Tetto nodded at the first question, but shook his head at the second. But she couldn¡¯t say if the man was not a noble or if Tetto didn¡¯t know.


    Was he trying to collect gambling debt? She shut her mouth for a moment while she was lost in thought. Wait, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important. The important thing was why had to be her?


    If Lord German didn¡¯t hurt her, that means she was a hostage. Could it be that Lord German was trying to collect a debt from Oliver? It was a pretty plausible idea. Since Oliver wasn¡¯t engaged yet and his only close family in the capital were their mother and her. It would have been better to kidnap her rather than her mother.


    The question was, what debt did Oliver owe? Was it a gambling debt? It was polite in the social world to pay off gambling debts by the next day, but many people failed to do so.


    ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡±


    Tetto, who was slightly stunned, looked up at her question and he said confidently.


    ¡°Lord German said that Eug¡­ no, Lady Biscon was very important to him.¡±


    It had to be Oliver.


    She gnashed her teeth inside. He was the most useless older brother in the whole world. What the hell was he doing? She jumped up from her seat to cool off. Then, just like Tetto did, she began spinning around the sofa.


    ¡°Ah, lady¡­ ¡±


    Ann spoke to her with a look on her face asking if she was okay, but she didn¡¯t stop. After about five turns around the sofa, she stopped and spoke to Tetto.


    ¡°When will the tea be served?¡±


    ¡°What? No, yes?¡±


    ¡°I mean tea, tea. Isn¡¯t it polite to serve tea to guests?¡±


    At her prompting, Tetto stood up in embarrassment. She pointed to Ann and said.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t even know how to serve tea, you can have my maid serve you.¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be. Naturally, Tetto mumbled no, then scratched the back of his head and asked.


    ¡°Can I bring any tea?¡±


    ¡°No one would expect a great tea in a situation like this.¡±


    ¡°Then stay here for a while.¡±


    Having said that, Tetto went out of the study and there was a rattling sound as to what was being done outside. Could this library be locked from the outside?


    She tried turning the doorknob just in case, but it wouldn¡¯t budge, so she quickly gave up and turned to Ann.


    ¡°My lady, you are so wonderful. How can you drink tea in this situation?¡±, said Anne in admiration.


    ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ She was dumbfounded and said with a smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get over anything in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­ ¡±


    Ann, who was about to ask why she had the mercenary bring her tea, widened her eyes as she realized the reason for her quickness. She passed her and started checking the window inside her study.


    ¡°Ann, come here.¡±


    The window was slightly open. She quickly helped Ann get out of the window. The window was a bit small, so it caught on her butt, but she managed to get it out when she pushed it.


    ¡°That¡¯s Okay! Miss, come out.¡±


    Outside the window, Ann held out her hand. But she shook my head and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going, go home now.¡±


    ¡°Me alone?¡±


    ¡°You heard me. I¡¯m the only one Sir German is aiming for. If we¡¯re lucky, Oliver will come with the money.¡±


    But after that, it¡¯s a problem. Lord German called six mercenaries. It¡¯s good if Oliver brings someone along, but what if he comes alone? What if Lord German wants to hurt Oliver even for the money?


    She quickly explained to Ann and added.


    ¡°Then go home and call someone. Contact Sir Escalee.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ ¡±


    ¡°If we both run away, those guys will try to catch us. All Sir German wants is me, so as long as I remain, you can escape.¡±


    Perhaps. Since there are six mercenaries, maybe one of them can go to catch Anne. So she had to make them waste time. Ann reluctantly ran away at her persuasion, her tears welling up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will suit your taste¡­ ¡±


    Fortunately, Tetto returned some time after Ann left. Now she needed to pretend she didn¡¯t know where Anne went. She let go of her pretension and sat down on the sofa, accepting the glass Tetto offered her.


    My God, he didn¡¯t bring any sugar or milk, only the glass tea alone that was not a cup but a glass.


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until after handing her the glass that Tetto opened his eyes as if he realized something strange. He sniffed her surroundings and then started wandering around the little study.


    ¡°Where is the maid?¡±


    When he realized that Anne had run away, my overbearing aristocratic acting no longer worked. But even if she was scared, she didn¡¯t need to be caught frightened.


    She took a sip of the tea and took a sip. Then she looked straight at Tetto and said.


    ¡°All Sir German needs is me.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then you asked me to get her car to make her maid run away?¡±


    It¡¯s amazing he realized that just then. She frowned and looked down at the car. What kind of tea was that? Judging from the dark color, it must have used too much tea leaves. There were even a couple of tea leaves floating in the glass.


    ¡°You¡¯d better learn how to make tea, Tetto.¡±


    ¡°This person¡­ ¡±


    Tetto¡¯s fist went up, but he didn¡¯t hit her or anything. Fortunately, it seems that the question of whether he could handle the wrath of a nobleman she put into his head was still there.


    ¡°Answer me!¡±


    It was when Tetto shouted out loud. There was a loud noise outside.


    Cudang-tang, bang! Tight!


    It was the sound of something breaking. Or collapsing? She stared at the study door in terror. The sound disappeared as if it had been cut off. What¡¯s going on? Tetto¡¯s and her thoughts collided. And an idea seemed to come to his eyes.


    It was in a moment.


    An ominous stroke hit the back of her head. She instinctively sat down.


    Bang!


    There was a loud noise. The sound of something breaking. Then, Tetto said, ¡°Ouch¡± in surprise.


    The knocking on the door made no sound at all. She prayed with her head bowed that it would be Oliver or Sir Escalee who came in.


    ¡°For a moment¡­¡±


    A man¡¯s boots were visible under the table. It was black and rough. Not Oliver¡¯s. Was it Sir Escalee? She didn¡¯t know. But the next moment the boots moved without making a sound.


    Bang!


    Again, there was the sound of something breaking, followed by the sound of something pouring rain behind her.


    Was it Sir Escalee? Or could it be that Ann had already called someone?


    She felt her heartbeat all over her body because she was squatting and hugging herself tightly. She forgot to breathe and waited for the man in the black boots to do the next movement.


    And soon there was a surprisingly friendly voice.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

 Chapter 3.1

    ¡°My lady, a guest has arrived.¡±


    Early afternoon, she was sitting in the room and stood up at Shirley¡¯s words. She quickly came up to her and supported her.


    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    She was fine. It¡¯s a little bit of commotion, but her appetite was back and she could get up.


    As soon as Otis German kidnapped her, or rather, returned home with the help of Burns, she collapsed. On the first day, the fever rose and she couldn¡¯t come to her senses. On the second day, the fever went down a bit, but she lost her appetite and couldn¡¯t eat anything. It was only last night that she was able to eat even thin soup, so it¡¯s obvious that she didn¡¯t look very good. She asked, trying not to look in her mirror as Shirley retouched her baggy dress.


    ¡°How is Ann?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Ann has already brushed herself off. She ate two bowls this morning too.¡±


    ¡®Thank God.¡¯ A sigh of relief flowed out. They were lucky. That day, they told her, Anne, who had slipped out of the house¡¯s study, ran towards the boulevard to call for help. They said she ran into Burns, who was riding his horse into the house.


    ¡°It must have been difficult. Because she ran home from there.¡±


    She said that and turned her head and was shocked to see herself in the mirror. ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯ She looked like a ghost. Even otherwise, the bloodless face was as pale as that of a dead man. Even though Shirley worked hard to decorate, she looked completely sick.


    She let out a small sigh and lightly patted her cheek with the palm of her hand. Even if it wasn¡¯t her intention, she showed an unsightly side to Burns, but she didn¡¯t want to show a pitiful side.


    ¡°I mean.¡±


    She heard that Burns asked Ann to ride his own horse, but she refused, saying she did not know how to ride. She only left her room when Shirley checked her back one more time and said she was done.


    ¡°Mr. Burns.¡±


    Elliot Burns was sitting alone in the guest parlor. Perhaps because he was the benefactor who saved her, her mother gave them the best drawing room to talk.


    ¡°Noble Lady Biscon.¡±


    As soon as Burns saw her, he got up and greeted her. Then he took her hand and kissed the back of it.


    She was not a noble lady. She tried to teach him that the title was wrong. But Burns asked first.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    There it was again. In an instant, her memory went back to when he saved her. Burns came in after breaking down the door.


    The reason he asked that was because when she checked the library, she saw Tetto stuck in a bookshelf and she blew.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±


    She said with a sigh. Then Burns asked, raising one eyebrow.


    ¡°I should have apologized.¡±


    ¡°No, you helped me. Let me ask, why did you come?¡±


    She thought it would be Oliver or Sir Escalee who would come to her aid. So she asked Burns, who went in her rescue that day, why he went to visit Biscon¡¯s residence in the first place. But it was rude.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a question I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±


    She heard that too. The reason Burns was in front of that house then. She was going to say she was rude though. But then her mother walked into the parlor and said:


    ¡°Mr. Burns, welcome.¡±


    Until then, Burns was holding her hand. As soon as she realized that, he naturally let go of her hand and bent over her mother.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to visit you, Countess of Viscon.¡±


    Here mother was momentarily taken aback, as if she hadn¡¯t expected Burns¡¯ polite behavior, then she smiled and said,


    ¡°You are the one who saved my daughter, and I should have invited you first. Since this child was sick, I was not in a hurry.¡±


    When I heard that I was sick, my face became hot. It is embarrassing.


    When her mother said she was sick, her face became hot. It was embarrassing.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that serious.¡±


    Burns nodded his head knowingly but she saw the way he exchanged glaces with her mother.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m glad Lady Biscon is safe. I am so sorry that I made you go through such an inconvenience.¡±


    When the butler served tea, Burns said without touching the cup. There was a disagreement about what happened to Burns, but she had heard why it happened.


    Her mother raised the teacup and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Mr. Burns¡¯ fault. In the end I wonder why German¡­ ¡±


    She paused, her mother seemed to choose her words, then she spoke quickly.


    ¡°Because he did something irrational.¡±


    She was told that it was Burns, not Oliver, that German tried to attack. He told the royal family that he had seen the future and claimed that Balxian was destroyed by Daaribhorn.


    He was too brave or too crazy.


    Unfortunately, the latter seems to have worked better. German, who heard that Burns defeated Daaribhorn, said that Burns had a grudge against him when his prophecy was wrong.


    And there¡¯s where she didn¡¯t get it, German seemed to think she was very important to Burns. So he planned to blackmail Burns by kidnapping her. She didn¡¯t know what threat he was trying to make. German was said to be unable to speak now. She sipped her tea and asked Burns, who thanked her mother for understanding.


    ¡°But why did Lord German kidnap me?¡±


    Tetto, ratther, the mercenary tasked with monitoring her was like if she was important for Sir German¡¯s goal. So, naturally, she knew that Oliver owed Lord German a great debt. But last night, Oliver, who had come to check on her, sneered when she asked if Sir German had any gambling debts.


    ¡®That guy is broke.¡¯


    ¡°Ah, that¡­ ¡±


    A moment of hesitation crossed Burns¡¯ face. He took one look at her and then turned his head to her mother and said:


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I can only guess that it was because I returned the handkerchief to Lady Biscon.¡±


    ¡®Handkerchief? Oh.¡¯


    It was then that she remembered how he had sent her a handkerchief. The handkerchief she lent him was dirty, so he said he would return it for a new one.


    She guessed so. That must have started a rumor. He had her initials embroidered on the handkerchief he sent her, and he would have had to order it from a shop. Unless Burns had embroidered it himself.


    A slightly wicked thought came to her mind. Imagining that big man squatting and embroidering a small handkerchief. It was so out of place that it¡¯s almost laughable. She was giggling alone when she heard her mother speak in a softer voice than she thought.


    ¡°Then it is certainly not Mr. Burns¡¯ fault. Mr. Burns was just being polite.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡±


    More and more her mother seemed to like Burns¡¯ well-mannered behavior. And oddly enough, she wasn¡¯t too happy with this situation.


    ¡°I heard that you handle weapons very well.¡±


    Her mother¡¯s ensuing question made her realize why that situation was unpleasant. Because of that dream. A dream in which Eliot Burns killed her mother and Oliver.


    Giving him the handkerchief in the first place was to keep her mother and Oliver away from him. But that¡¯s just a dream. She recalled the difference between that situation and the dream. First of all, in the dream, Elliot Burns was not in that well-dressed suit.


    A tight-fitting vest and a shirt with silver threads. Elliot Burns now looked like a young aristocrat. He was also the heir to a very wealthy and historic family. It wasn¡¯t the Elliot Burns she had seen in her dreams. He looked like a mercenary or maybe a general in those dreams.


    She honestly didn¡¯t know. She has only had that dream twice and her eyes were always focused on him attacking people.


    ¡°It¡¯s not at the level the lady is asking about. It¡¯s just enough to protect myself.¡±


    As the near-perfect answer slipped from Burns¡¯ mouth, she saw a satisfied look on her mother¡¯s face. Looks like Elliot Burns would win her mother¡¯s heart.


    She started to have strange thoughts. It¡¯s not like Burns wanted to be the lover of an aristocratic wife. Although her mother was not a mistress, she was told that she had been made such an offer in the past.


    She was now an ordinary countess, but until Oliver¡¯s birth she was the personal maid of a princess whose mother was now married to a neighboring country. She was told that there were cunning men with the calculation that if they became her mother¡¯s lover, they might make a kite for the royal family. It was also her mother¡¯s pride that she was not swayed by so many temptations.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    Oliver appeared after a light socialite talk between his mother and Burns. He was holding a trophy in one hand that he hadn¡¯t seen since coming from the club. Who did he steal it from? She glanced over, but Oliver passed the trophy to Biggs, and he sat down next to her and said to Burns.


    ¡°Elliot Burns. If I had known you were coming, I wouldn¡¯t have gone out today either.¡±


    Apparently, Oliver and Burns became quite close while she was ill. At her older brother¡¯s unreserved attitude, Burns only grinned without saying anything.


    Or maybe she was the only one who thought they¡¯ve become friends.


    Soon after, a servant brought Oliver¡¯s tea, and he continued, raising the cup.


    ¡°You did well to get out though. Mother, do you know what I heard at the club today?¡±


    ¡®Huh? Suddenly?¡¯ Her mother and she suddenly looked puzzled when Oliver started talking about the club. Just in case, she looked up at Burns, and he had a look on his face as if he knew what Oliver was to say.


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    ¡°I heard that His Highness the King has decided to give Mr. Burns a title here.¡±


    For a moment there was silence in the living room. She hesitated whether to be surprised or congratulated, but her mother turned her head to Burns and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, Mr. Burns. No, I should call you Lord Burns.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Lord Burns.¡±


    Oliver looked funny. He smiled and spoke.


    ¡°Count Burns.

 Chapter 3.2

    ¡®Oh, uh.¡¯


    Being speechless seems to be used at times like that. She was so surprised that she forgot that it was rude and she kept staring at Burns. No, Count Burns.


    ¡®Oh my gosh. Count?¡¯


    It seems that her mother was also speechless for a moment. She paused and then said with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s a ramp. Which estate would you receive?¡±


    Wisdom-hit. Not all nobles had estates. And not all titles could be passed on to children. However, if he was a count, he may also have estates and pass them on to his children like my father.


    She held her breath watching the conversation between her mother and Burns, or Count Burns. Then, all of a sudden, she realized that it was a good thing. Reality was getting further and further away from her dreams. Because Burns in the dream treated her mother and Oliver like enemies. At that point, it didn¡¯t look like Burns would kill her mother and brother.


    ¡°Probably Lambert.¡±


    Count Burns spoke politely, and her mother nodded her head. ¡®Where was Lambert?¡¯ said Oliver as she recalled a geography class she had taken years ago.


    ¡°Welcome to this side, Count Burns.¡±


    Count Burns smiled and nodded at Oliver. She guessed she should say something too. But she didn¡¯t know what to say, so she opened and closed her mouth.


    ¡®Congratulations? Are you okay?¡¯ She had to say something so she said hurriedly.


    ¡°You will be making your debut in the social world.¡±


    Count Burns¡¯ gaze turned to her. He looked at her curiously and smiled.


    ¡®Oh my god.¡¯


    That facial expression change was really, really awesome. As if turning on a light in a dark room, Count Burns¡¯ face began to glow. He said, tilting his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know social etiquette, so I¡¯ll need some help.¡±


    ¡°In that case, our Eugenie can help.¡±


    Oliver said before she could understand what Count Burns was saying. ¡®Huh? What help?¡¯ Her older brother said to her who was confused.


    ¡°When it comes to etiquette, no one knows it better than Eugenie. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if that was a joke or a compliment. Normally, it would have been a joke. Oliver always made fun of her for being inflexible. But he wouldn¡¯t do the stupid thing of making fun of his sister in front of guests. Right?


    As she looked at Oliver in silence and smiled, he said to Count Burns:


    ¡°Eugenie will be able to write you a decent list of teachers. A letter of introduction if you want.¡±


    Oh, that was it. She internally let out a sigh of relief. As her older brother said, she had a list of etiquette teachers. That was all thanks to her mother, because she valued her daughter¡¯s manners very much. Instead of attending an academy, she was taught by teachers handpicked by her mother. Among them, her mother paid the most attention to her etiquette education.


    ¡°I¡¯ll write down a list of decent people.¡±


    She said with a smile to Count Burns. Since Count Burns was an adult man, it would be good for the etiquette teacher to be a man of some age.


    ¡°Please. And if you don¡¯t mind, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to ask of you.¡±


    Count Burns, who had greeted her, turned to Oliver that said,


    ¡°Tell me anything. If I can help, I should help. You¡¯re my junior ha ha ha.¡±


    There it was, Oliver¡¯s bravada.


    She looked up at her mother and tried to roll her pupils. Of course she was just about to do it but didn¡¯t actually do it.


    A smile appeared on Count Burns¡¯ face. But it felt a bit different than before. His face didn¡¯t seem to glow or look soft.


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know much about the social world. However, since I will receive a title, I will soon have something to invite guests to, and I will be able to receive visits from guests.¡±


    That¡¯s it. He was an upstart aristocrat who defeated the dragon and received a title. People will be interested in him. And if he was still single¡­


    ¡°Right. Count Burns, are you single? Maybe engaged?¡±


    Oliver asked as if he had the same thoughts as her. When Count Burns said that he had no fianc¨¦, her older brother grinned and said,


    ¡°There must be people who will go to you for reasons that are trivial. You should be able to politely decline it.¡±


    A single man with a title was not very common. Besides, if he was even handsome like that, it¡¯s almost at the level of a natural monument. She smirked at the thought of how many servants would come and go in Count Burns¡¯ house. And when Count Burns¡¯s eyes met her, she froze.


    ¡®Oh, it must have been a strange face.¡¯


    It must have been a strange expression. It was because Count Burns had a funny expression on his face.


    ¡°I have to help. Don¡¯t worry, Count Burns. I will be your guardian.¡±


    Oliver? She tried not to roll her eyes. Guardianship was a pretty cumbersome position. Usually, it refers to a person who helps young aristocrats who have just made their debut in the social world. Of course, the guardian must introduce the person to the nobleman he had to take care of and accompany him to banquets and parties. Oliver and she were guarded by their parents, and since they were young, they learned social etiquette, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult, but Count Burns was different.


    Oliver had to teach and guide him from start to finish. But could her brother really do such a troublesome thing? The last time she attended the palace ball, her mother had to beg Oliver not to be late. But since Count Burns said thank you, she kept her mouth shut. She thought he picked the wrong person to ask. He was really pitiful.


    ¡°I will invite you to my house soon.¡±


    After about an hour, Count Burns got up from his seat and said that. In the meantime, they heard that he was still staying at the palace and that he was looking for a place to live in the capital. Oliver and her mother advised him to throw a small party once he was crowned. Meanwhile, she compiled a list of etiquette teachers to be given to Count Burns.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    She escorted him to the front door and handed him the paper she had written on. Among the most talented etiquette teachers in the capital, she wrote down the names and addresses of people who met the criteria. Of course, they were all men of a certain age.


    ¡°This is a list of etiquette teachers. You can just say that I introduced them to you.¡±


    Count Burns had a look on his face as if  asking what that was, so she added quickly. Some of the people on the list have taught her and some not, but they know each other since they had exchanged opinions several times through letters regarding etiquette.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Count Burns made an expression as if he had forgotten it, and then he grinned.


    ¡°Thank you, noble Lady Biscon.¡±


    ¡°I am not ¡®noble¡¯.¡±


    She really needed to point that out. She spoke as softly as possible. A noble lady was a title given to a duke¡¯s daughter or princess.


    ¡°My father is Countess Biscon, so I am Lady Biscon.¡±


    Fortunately, Count Burns didn¡¯t look upset. Well, if he was a person who accepts other people¡¯s comments like that, it would have been okay if she had recommended Professor Currum, who she deliberately left out. Well, Professor Currum has a bit of a short temper.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for teaching me, Lady Biscon.¡±


    Count Burns said goodbye to her gently and took the paper in her hand. Then he got everything, including hers, into his hands. Because his hands were big she gently tried to remove her hand, but Count Burns asked, holding her hand.


    ¡°You could have given it next time.¡±


    Her cheeks got a little hot when he asked why she was in such a hurry. To be honest, she still wanted to stay away from Count Burns. Even if he was very different from the dream, he had the same face as the murderer who killed her mother and brother in her dream. She couldn¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable.


    So she hurried and gave him the list now, that way there would be no reason to contact him again. But she couldn¡¯t say that, so she made an appropriate excuse.


    ¡°You said you were planning to get a house soon and throw a little party. I think you need someone to help you.¡±


    An etiquette teacher would be of great help to him. In particular, he¡¯ld tell him that he shouldn¡¯t hold the hand of a woman with whom he has nothing to do with his bare hands for so long.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Fortunately, Count Burns apologized and let go of her hand, perhaps recognizing her gaze. It¡¯s not that he was holding it too hard, but her hand was hot. She took a half step away from him and said.


    ¡°Well, I hope this helps.¡±


    ¡°Enough has been already done, Lady Biscon.¡±


    Count Burns said that and smiled again. And he took one look at Oliver, who was standing behind her, and he said gleefully.


    ¡°Baron Biscon, I will receive a lot of your guidance in the future.¡±


    Oliver must have liked the flattery words of Count Burns. Her older brother, who was standing behind her, smiled broadly, took a step forward, and spoke to Count Burns.


    ¡°Then. Don¡¯t worry about the etiquette teacher. If you can¡¯t find one, Eugenie will take responsibility and teach you.¡±


    Who was that crazy brother? Startled, she stamped Oliver¡¯s foot. Thanks to that, Oliver let out his moan, ¡°Ugh,¡± and quickly backed away.


    Who teaches who? She had no intention of hanging out with Count Burns any more. She turned her head, intending to tell him Oliver was just joking. And when she saw Count Burns¡¯ expression, she hesitated involuntarily.


    His eyes were shining. The cold blue eyes shone as if they were receiving light. But when she blinked, the light disappeared as if it had never been there.

 Chapter 3.3

    ¡°Eugenie, is that true?¡±


    Rumors that Elliot Burns had become a Count quickly spread throughout the capital. No wonder he was in the newspaper the very next day after visiting her house.


    When the story spreaded through Oliver¡¯s club, it was published in the newspaper two days later at the latest. If you wanted to spread the word, you had to tell the men¡¯s club members.


    I was at a ball with Julia, daughter of Lord Escalee, and Viscount Aston. Viscount Aston was showing off his wealth at the ball, and one of them was the ice sculpture decorated in the middle of the ball.


    ¡°If this piece of ice is enchanted to not melt for the rest of the day, that will be perfect.¡±


    She looked at the ice sculpture of the fairy Margo and said calmly. Viscount Aston himself boasted.


    The price of ice cubes were also expensive, but to cast a magic that doesn¡¯t melt for a day, he wanted to show off his riches in so many ways.


    However, the story Julia was telling was not about ice sculptures. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, crossing her arms at me.


    ¡°I mean Count Burns.¡±


    ¡°Burns became a Count?¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s in the newspaper. No matter how late she was to rumors, she read the newspaper.


    She tried to tell Julia that she knew it before it was in the newspaper. Knowing that before it appeared in the newspapers freed me from the infamous stigma of being the most late to rumors in Balthian.


    But that wasn¡¯t what Julia was asking. She took two cups of tea from the servant and handed her one.


    ¡°I heard that Eugenie will be Count Burns¡¯ etiquette teacher.¡±


    ¡°What? Cough.¡±


    I was sipping the tea that Julia gave me, and hearing it made me go crazy. said Julia, rubbing my coughing back.


    ¡°I heard that Earl Burns asked the Viscons for help to adjust to society, right?¡± she said.


    ¡°No, Cough, right, Cough, Cough.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t answer properly because of her cough. Julia also listened to her and asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s right or that is it wrong?¡±


    ¡°Wrong. No, you are right.¡±


    Her throat hurted. She said ¡°Hmm¡± and cleared her throat. In the meantime, Julia was making a face asking what kind of answer that was.


    Where the hell did that rumor come from? It must have been Oliver¡¯s work. It is also clear that he went to that damn men¡¯s club and boasted with great pride.


    They should call her brother a peacock, not her. Oliver was definitely a peacock when it comes to paying attention to his outfit every morning.


    She asked the servant for another cup of her tea, and she said to Julia.


    ¡°You are right about Count Burns asking for help, and the part about Oliver helping him is true too, but you are wrong about me becoming an etiquette teacher.¡±


    Weird rumors needed to be corrected. Damn it. If Julia was talking about it, half the people there may know the rumors, right?


    She deliberately raised her voice.


    ¡°All I have decided to do is recommend a etiquette teacher. It¡¯s absurd that I become Count Burns¡¯ etiquette teacher.¡±


    It seemed that the people around them were listening to her conversation with Julia. As soon as she finished her words, people started whispering.


    ¡®Ugh.¡¯ She sighed and looked at Julia. She looked at her with a puzzled expression and said.


    ¡°I heard Count Burns was very handsome?¡±


    He was good looking, but she said it softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s that so?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°You saw him. At the palace ball.¡±


    He suddenly showed up at the ballroom and made a fuss. The matter was still in the newspapers. The Balcian Daily wrote an article on how Count Burns dragged so many people and moved in front of the palace with the help of a wizard.


    There were several opinions. But neither was very likely. Didn¡¯t it make sense that Count Burns was a wizard strong enough to forcibly perform large-scale spatial movement in the anti-magic palace?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see him. A little on the face¡­¡±


    There was a lot of stuff buried in it. Besides, he was wearing a terrifying helmet. She said, nodding her head, not minding when Julia paused in her speech.


    ¡°He is handsome. By the way¡­¡±


    Uncomfortable. She didn¡¯t even want to be friendly with him. Also because of the dream. It also takes the fact that there was no weapon that cannot be handled by him.


    But she couldn¡¯t say that. However, it bothered her to end her sentence with ¡®handsome¡¯.


    She hoped Julia didn¡¯t get too close to Count Burns. That was also because of the dream. She wished Julia the best. To be honest, she agreed with Lord Escalee that she didn¡¯t want for her to marry yet.


    ¡°Not good.¡±


    After she said it all, she looked at Julia¡¯s face, and she had a strange expression on her face. It¡¯s like a crucian carp. She thought of a crucian carp she had seen in the garden of a certain house. It looked like it had something to say, but it seemed like it couldn¡¯t.


    At that moment, an ominous feeling hit the back of my head once again. No, was it just a blow? A familiar voice came to my ears.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he good-looking?¡±


    ¡®Oh My God. Damn, damn, damn, damn it!¡¯


    The curse that couldn¡¯t come out of her mouth rose up to her throat and crawled down. She turned my head with a creak and found Count Burns standing right behind her.


    ¡°Bur, Count Burns.¡±


    She barely said hello to him. Damn it. She wished he didn¡¯t hear it, but she couldn¡¯t be sure. Before she knew it, Julia was running away with her backward steps.


    That traitor.


    While she was criticizing Julia with only her eyes, Count Burns was holding her hand and saying hello.


    ¡°Noble Lady, Biscon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just Lady Viscon.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Elliott, too.¡±


    She hated that. She quickly pulled her hand out of his and apologized.


    ¡°Sorry. It didn¡¯t mean anything bad.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Julia is still young. She shows interest in Count Burns, what?¡±


    As she scrambled to make excuses, what he said came to her mind a little later. Did he say he knew When I widened my eyes, Count Burns spoke again.


    ¡°I said I knew. That Lady Biscon can¡¯t say anything in a bad way.¡±


    Wait, saying that made her embarrassed. Her face started to heat up.


    She meant it in a bad way. He was handsome, but he was a bad guy in her dreams, so he was not good. She meant just that.


    But to agree with her because she didn¡¯t mean it badly, she felt guilty. She bit her lip and looked at Count Burns, then apologized again.


    ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t just talk about other people¡¯s stories. Especially if it¡¯s not a good story.¡±


    Even if Count Burns wasn¡¯t listening, she shouldn¡¯t have said anything bad about it. After repeated apologies, Count Burns looked at her quietly and said,


    ¡°Then would you give me the honor of dancing with Lady Biscon?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so sorry, I¡¯ll forgive you with one dance.¡±


    Dancing, she hesitated for a moment at Count Burns¡¯ request. His actions in the dream still lingered in her mind, but first she was ashamed of having behaved rudely in the grip of such an absurd dream.


    So she nodded and said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with that.¡±


    ¡°Twice is fine if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Laughter flowed out at Count Burns¡¯ joke-like words. SheI quickly checked where Julia was and said with just the look of his mouth.


    Stay there.


    Julia rolled her eyes, but she nodded her head. Yes, she should. Julia was able to attend that prom because she was with her.


    Since unmarried female nobles must have a companion. She was Julia¡¯s best companion ever.


    ¡°Did you also learn to dance from the tutor?¡±


    Count Burns asked, holding her hand. As she reflexively tried to withdraw her hand, she realized that the song being played was nearing its end.


    They have to go into the next song. He must have held hands because he feared that he would lose me, his dance partner, while the current dancers rushed out and the next ones rushed in.


    ¡°Yeah. A little bit. How about the Count?¡±


    Since he went to the academy, he must have learned. Thinking so, she looked at Count Burns, but his expression was strange. Why was he like that? She tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°Have I made any mistake?¡±


    ¡°No. Calling me Count is a bit¡­¡±


    Why? He was Count Burns. So he should be called Count. Count Burns said to her what the problem was.


    ¡°That¡¯s awkward.¡±


    Was it? Come to think of it, he would have been called only Burns all that time. That¡¯s why the title of Count must have felt awkward.


    She smiled to reassure him.


    ¡°You will get used to it soon.¡±


    Everyone did. She was told it was usual to get used to it quickly. Miss Albany, whom she had been close with, said that when she became Baroness Crum, she felt awkward for a while, and after about three months, the title Miss Albany became rather awkward.


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    When the music ended and people started clapping their hands, Count Burns said. Wait, why were they already holding hands? She didn¡¯t have to hold hands because she had to clap first anyway.


    As she removed her hand from his and began to clap, Count Burns clapped along with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to change the title just because it has changed.¡±


    That¡¯s it. She was supposed to call her Baroness Crum, but it was a bit difficult because Miss Albany had been on her lips for years.


    But that wasn¡¯t Count Burns¡¯ case since she had called him Burns for a very little time. She asked as she walked into the middle of the hall with Count Burns when the applause stopped.


    ¡°Have you ever had an old friend whose title has changed?¡±

 Chapter 3.4

    After spitting it out, she thought it might be. Just because he wasn¡¯t a noble didn¡¯t mean that his friends weren¡¯t noble either. Especially if he had attended the academy, he would have hung out with nobles, so he might have noble friends. But even so, if they were old friends, they would call each other by first names, so at best he would be mistaking the names to use during official occasions or on envelopes. She had to double-check her letter envelope every time her friend Angela wrote her a letter after her marriage.


    ¡®Every time I write Miss Albany, not Baroness Crum.¡¯


    ¡°Not friends.¡±


    Arriving in the middle of the hall, Count Burns stood side by side with her and quietly opened his mouth. So, was there any confusion? She quickly bowed her head towards him and thought before the music started.


    When she looked up, Count Burns was bowing down to her. Ike, she guessed he didn¡¯t know.


    She remembered that he was looking for someone to teach him noble manners, and that he had asked for her help. Maybe he¡¯s confused now. Because he entered a world he knew nothing about.


    ¡°Did you learn ballroom dance at the academy?¡±


    As the music started, she asked while holding Count Burns¡¯ hand. His large hands gently touched her waist. Judging by his attitude, he didn¡¯t seem to have danced much before. His hand hesitated, as if he didn¡¯t know if it was right to touch her waist. A stranger would think that Count Burns was too nervous about dancing with her. But his dancing was good. Count Burns said, taking the next step without difficulty.


    ¡°Yes, but what I learned at the academy wasn¡¯t very helpful.¡±


    ¡°But do you dance well?¡±


    Dancing better than Awning sometimes bumps into her as if the steps were confusing. But Count Burns was not like that. Count Burns didn¡¯t budge even when the man who adjusted the distance bumped into him from behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay?¡±


    The man he bumped into was about to bounce off, but Count Burns didn¡¯t even look at him. In response to her question, he had a look on his face asking what she was talking about.


    He was obviously bumped into. Because when the man bumped into her, Count Burns¡¯ hand on my waist was strong. When she narrowed her eyes, Count Burns smiled helplessly and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a light brush.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t have been lightly brushed. But his bravado was cute, so she laughed and moved on. She also had a shave like that.


    Count Burns smiled after her and said,


    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I practiced to dance with Lady Biscon?¡±


    That¡¯s a really funny joke so she laughed out loud without knowing it, but she was startled and covered my mouth.


    ¡°You say nice things.¡±


    It sounded ridiculous, but it¡¯s nice to hear. It¡¯s more because he¡¯s a person who didn¡¯t normally say white things like that. Count Burns was also smiling at her. He had a pretty scary face when he had no expression, but when he smiled, he became like a boy.


    Wait, that was not the time.


    In a daze, she missed a beat by staring at his face. She hurried back to catch up with the others. But there was one thing she forgot. That Count Burns¡¯ hand was still on her waist.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Things happened in an instant. Unlike her, who tried to pull back, Count Burns didn¡¯t know she was going to pull back, so he thought she was falling and he pulled her. In the blink of an eye, she was hugged with her cheek against his chest.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Assessing the situation was very slow. And as soon as she figured it out, her reaction was very quick. She separated from Count Burns at the speed of light. And she said hurriedly.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s okay. Very strong no, strong, no, not this¡­ ¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what she was trying to say. Meanwhile, her face was getting hotter.


    ¡®Oh My God.¡¯


    She¡¯d rather be sick somewhere. It wasn¡¯t that her face was red.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve been well.¡±


    Ironically, Count Burns smiled and said that, then extended his hand to her again. In that situation, it was better to just dance. If she ran away because she was embarrassed, people would talk about it for a long time. And maybe two days later, it will be published in a small volume in Current¡¯s Whispers.


    The thought of her story being published in the newspaper made her feel so terrified that she never wanted to leave the house again if it happened. She took Count Burns by the hand and started dancing slowly with the others.


    ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡±


    After dancing awkwardly for a while, Count Burns said. Any story was good to avoid that awkwardness so she nodded so as not to look too desperate. Then Count Burns bowed his head to her and whispered in her ear, as if he were telling a really secret story.


    ¡°Actually, I hate proms like this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Because he didn¡¯t like dancing? Oliver didn¡¯t like proms very much. They seem to think that dancing in front of people was too strange. However, dancing was the best way to become intimate with the opposite sex in a public place.


    ¡°There are too many people. I would like it to be a little bit less occupied.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    In the joy of having a common ground, she spoke quickly. She also didn¡¯t like that messy scale. She especially hated proms.


    In social circles, unmarried women were not allowed to dance. One could only accept or reject requests from men. So the number of times they were invited to dance at a ball became a visible measure of their popularity.


    Of course she was lucky. She had a brother named Oliver Biscon. Her brother¡¯s friends used to politely ask her to dance because she was his friend¡¯s sister. Huh, thinking about it like that, useless Oliver did help.


    ¡°I came here because Viscount Eston and his father have a business relationship. I like gatherings of at most ten people.¡±


    The reason she went to Viscount Aston¡¯s ball even though she didn¡¯t like it was because it was a social life and a duty at the same time. As a person belonging to an aristocratic society. The life she enjoyed was something she could enjoy because she was an aristocrat. All of the expenses come from taxes from the father¡¯s estate and from the business run by the family. That business was also intertwined with that of Viscount Eston. As the daughter of the Earl of Biscon, she had a duty to smooth out her relationship with the Viscountess of Aston. The same goes for other aristocrats.


    ¡°I like the smaller size.¡±


    After taking another three steps, Count Burns whispered as he came back. Didn¡¯t she tell him that she liked the small size too? But what Burns was talking about on a small scale was a different story. He put his palm on her palm and continued his words.


    ¡°You only need one important person.¡±


    She felt strange. But it went by so fast that she didn¡¯t have time to realize what it felt like. She asked him, taking two steps to the right with her palms in his hands.


    ¡°It is a female?¡±


    When she turned her head, Count Burns was already looking at her. He looked at her and said quietly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    She felt like she knew a little bit about the emotions that quickly passed by a moment ago. A little jealous, and envy. But she didn¡¯t know who she was envious of. Was it because Count Burns had found someone so important that he didn¡¯t need anyone more, or was she jealous of the woman who had become that kind of person to him?


    Was he going to marry? But Count Burns said he was not even engaged. She shut her mouth for a moment, torn between curiosity and rudeness.


    Then Earl Burns asked.


    ¡°When did you get engaged?¡±


    He knew she was engaged. Realizing that fact made her feel weird again. In fact, she thought he was flirting with her. That was, until he said he had an important woman. And that, to be precise, was Count Burns¡¯ fault. That his actions were misleading.


    When Earl Burns put his hand on her waist or her palm to palm, she seemed nervous. And he just acted like he was trying to protect her. Usually that made her think he had pretty strong feelings for her. No one would ask for a first song to a hated one.


    She said, frowning as she tried to interpret Count Burns¡¯ actions.


    ¡°Half a year ago.¡±


    ¡°Is it rude to ask about your engagement?¡±


    Count Burns asked, probably because she answered with a frown. Could it be? She was dumbfounded by his ridiculous question, but immediately remembered that he had just entered aristocratic society.


    He said he didn¡¯t know much about aristocratic etiquette. So she wrote down a list of teachers who would help him.


    If that¡¯s the case, it seems that he really didn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing right now. She sighed and grabbed the arm of Count Burns, who was putting his hand on her back. Then, with a light push, she said.


    ¡°There should be gaps between us when we dance.¡±


    As expected, Count Burns had an expression that he did not know. Right.


    Thinking like that put her mind at ease. And she got a little embarrassed. He just did it because he didn¡¯t know. Not because he was tempting her.


    ¡°And it¡¯s not at all rude to ask about engagements. It won¡¯t cause a break up.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Count Burns nodded his head humbly. She would tell him soon. She took her hand off his arm and quickly took a step back.


    ¡°How about you?¡±


    Count Burns, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly asked. How are you, what? She raised her head and immediately met eyes with Count Burns, who was looking down at her. That guy, his eye color was really pretty.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦. Is he important for you?¡±


    Was he important? She involuntarily furrowed her nose at the strange question. Then, conscious of Count Burns¡¯ gaze, she quickly changed her expression and said.


    ¡°Absolutely. Because he is my fianc¨¦.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t come here with him.¡±


    The sharp question left her speechless for a moment. That¡¯s it. Like most aristocrats, Awning and she met through family introductions, not dating. And even taking that into account, the number of encounters was rather small.


    ¡°That goes for you too.¡±


    Because she was stabbed in the middle of the day, she spoke sharply without knowing it. He said he had an important person, but he came alone, right? Elliot didn¡¯t say anything to her point.


    ¡®Damn it.¡¯


    She sighed. To be honest, sometimes it¡¯s a bit questionable. Whether Awning really wanted to marry her. But it was a feeling she also had. Was that marriage right? Her mother said many aristocrats met and married their spouses through family introductions. She said she would be anxious at first, but get used to it as she lived, and they would become colleagues. So to Awning would be the same. She calmed down and opened her mouth again.


    ¡°Sorry. Awning, my fianc¨¦ said he wanted to hang out with friends as much as possible before marriage.¡±


    He did. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to sleep out if they got married anyway. So, before getting married, he said he wanted to hang out with friends as much as possible. That¡¯s understandable. Oliver still goes on trips for a month or two with his friends. Every time that happened, her mother hoped that her brother would quickly meet his mate and settle down.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Count Burns nodded as if he understood her explanation. Then he added, moving slowly to the music.


    ¡°I would use it as an opportunity to get to know my fianc¨¦ better.¡±


    It¡¯s not an attitude of wanting to know at all. She was about to say something, but she sighed and said, not to use up today¡¯s rudeness.


    ¡°Because you are not my fianc¨¦.¡±


    The music was over.


    They bowed to each other, facing each other from a little distance apart, as they had done in their first dance. Soon there was the sound of people clapping their hands.


    ¡°Can I ask you to dance again?¡±


    After bowing, Count Burns asked. After all, it seems like he wasn¡¯t joking when he said earlier that if it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay twice.


    I said with a smile so as not to embarrass him.


    ¡°If the Count is my fianc¨¦, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Can I give you the ring tomorrow?¡±


    ¡®What?¡¯


    She looked up at what that meant, and Count Burns said casually.


    ¡°If you are engaged, you should give your partner an engagement ring. I will prepare it by tomorrow.¡±


    He¡¯s more fun than she thought. She laughed at Count Burns. But he didn¡¯t laugh. Wasn¡¯t he kidding? She said carefully.


    ¡°I remember when I told you earlier that I had been engaged for about half a year.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±

 Chapter 3.5

    She guessed that was a joke too. What man could not laugh at his own jokes?


    They made their way through the crowd and headed towards the less crowded wall. It reminded her of the ring, but she had something to ask him.


    ¡°Did you send me something other than a handkerchief?¡±


    Like a signet ring. The errand boy who brought it said that Mr. Burns had sent it. She was worried to have understood it wrong, but unfortunately Count Burns nodded his head.


    ¡°Is that, by any chance, the Count¡¯s?¡±


    She had a sudden thought. If she did not know him, she would have thought that he had usurped a foreign nobleman. But Count Burns, whom she had known for the past few days, did not seem like the kind of man to snatch the signet ring from.


    ¡°It is yours now.¡±


    She hesitated at Count Burns¡¯s relaxed answer. It was hers now, did he give it to her? She asked again in disbelief.


    ¡°You gave it to me? Completely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady Biscon, it is yours.¡±


    That man was crazy. She was sure of it, so she asked cautiously.


    ¡°You know what you gave me was a signet ring, right?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know what it is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Crazy it¡¯s crazy. Slowly, she began to withdraw from Count Burns. But she was Lady Biscon. That means she had to break up politely.


    ¡°I need to find Julia.¡±


    She tried to get away from Count Burns by using Julia as her excuse. Where did she really go? When they started dancing earlier, she was next to a pole. But even when she looked at not only that pillar, but all the pillars in the venue, Julia was nowhere to be seen. Was she behind a pillar? It occurred to her that she should really start looking for Julia, not to get away from Count Burns.


    ¡°Are you talking about Miss Escalee?¡±


    Count Burns looked around and he asked me.


    ¡°What color was the dress she was wearing?¡±


    It was light pink. There were ruffles on her sleeves. After hearing her explanation, Count Burns made a strange expression and asked again.


    ¡°How old is Miss Escalee this year?¡±


    What did looking for her have to do with how old Julia was? Even though she thought it was strange, she answered meekly.


    ¡°She is eighteen. She is graduating from the academy next year.¡±


    ¡°She is old enough to get married.¡±


    What does that matter? As she frowned, Count Burns raised his hands as if he had misunderstood. She explained it to him.


    ¡°Unmarried women shouldn¡¯t be alone with a member of the opposite sex.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    It felt like a play. But Count Burns had an expression as if he had heard that for the first time, so she thought it was my mistake and continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very good for your reputation if people find out you¡¯re alone in a closed room.¡±


    ¡°What if my reputation is bad?¡±


    ¡°The best thing is to marry the person you were with.¡±


    At her words, Count Burns began to think of something. She said as she walked along the wall looking for Julia.


    ¡°In the old days, if you couldn¡¯t get married, you went to a monastery or you couldn¡¯t get married for the rest of your life.¡±


    Not so much now. However, backwords follow. ¡®Why were you doing that there?¡¯ To the point where one couldn¡¯t show their face to the social world for a while.


    ¡°If you are engaged and you are alone with someone else, it can be grounds for a breakup if you are caught.¡±


    ¡®So Count Burns would do well to beware. I¡¯ve seen men who are less handsome than this guy act stupid. I have heard of a man who was murdered by a woman¡¯s brother after refusing to marry a scandalous man. It¡¯s a very old story.¡¯


    She was about to give Count Burns a warning about what she had heard. If that¡¯s the case, she¡¯d rather be on the killing side than being killed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    They walked along the wall looking for people, but Julia was nowhere to be seen. However, she couldn¡¯t ask others about Julia¡¯s whereabouts. It¡¯s worse when rumors spread that she¡¯s out of sight of her companion. She frowned, not knowing what to do. Where did she go? Although Julia was feisty, she was not such a silent child.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look toward the terrace.¡±


    At Count Burns¡¯ words, she was the first to say that it couldn¡¯t be. A terrace for a ball like that was truly a place for a secret meeting. But it was winter story. She heard that there was no better place to enjoy a tryst than on the terrace where no one wants to go out because it was cold. It¡¯s hot summer now, and everyone may have gone out expecting the night air to be cool. And Julia might be among them.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s in the break room.¡±


    At Earl Burns¡¯ point, she remembered the break room. Maybe Julia was sitting in the break room. In the end, they each decided to check out the terrace and the common room and parted ways. She went to the common room, Count Burns to the terrace.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    A smile appeared on Count Burns¡¯ face as she lightly thanked him before going to the break room. That man had the ability to lift and hold a person¡¯s heart many times.


    Viscountess Aston has made several common rooms. And since she had men and women separated as was customary, she only had to check half of the break room. Unfortunately, Julia was nowhere in the break room. Where the hell did she go? Slowly, she started to have bad thoughts.


    She was not a child who was not responsible enough to stay out of her sight for this long. Maybe she was in a different place that she couldn¡¯t even find. That was a crowded ball, but she was kidnapped with absurd ease just a short while ago. What if Julia was like that too?


    Uneasy, she didn¡¯t see the person coming from the other side and bumped into them.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Because of the bump, she fell backwards and hit her butt. She groaned and put her hands on the floor. And she said reflexively.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t see¡­¡±


    ¡°Biscon?¡±


    It¡¯s an unknown voice. When she looked up at the voice calling her name, she still didn¡¯t know who it was. No, did she? However, he was not the only one who made a statement when they met.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    She asked the man who was looking at her with a terrified expression. Did they know each other? She thought about it again, but it was still the first time she saw that guy.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The man shook his head, said that, and walked right past her. What? She stared blankly at the back of the man who was leaving in a hurry. It¡¯s her fault for not looking straight ahead, but wasn¡¯t that the same for that guy? In that narrow hallway¡­ She looked up to see where the man might have come out, but the other side was just a wall. She thought it was a hallway because he was slightly inside, but it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    That man, where the hell did he come from? She woke up in bewilderment, but the servant approached her in surprise. She asked him, pointing to the slightly recessed wall opposite.


    ¡°Is there a door over there?¡±


    ¡°A door?¡±


    At the sudden question, the servant looked at her as if she had hit her head while falling. She shook her hand to reassure him.


    ¡°I just ran into someone coming out of there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there are stairs over there.¡±


    Stairs? The stairs were in the middle of that mansion. But the next moment she realized that the stairs he was talking about were for servants. It was a staircase used by servants to move things unseen when moving goods or when guests arrived. If so, that man was a servant. Wasn¡¯t he?


    The attire was not that of a servant. Besides, if he was a servant, he couldn¡¯t have bumped into her and left like that. She had a strange thought. A banquet with so many people was likely to involve uninvited guests. Maybe they were stealing upstairs while they¡¯re making a lot of noise downstairs. Or enjoying a tryst. In some cases, lovers went upstairs to hide from the public eye and enjoy a tryst. Then, to avoid suspicion, they come downstairs with a time difference. Which one? After a moment of hesitation, she spoke to the servant.


    ¡°The person who bumped into me was not a servant. You¡¯d better check upstairs just in case.¡±


    If it¡¯s a thief, it¡¯s better to let them know. She went back to the place where she was supposed to meet Count Burns, hoping that if it was a tryst, the remaining woman had escaped by another route.


    ¡°Eugenie!¡±


    Julia was there. With Count Burns.


    ¡®Oh my gosh.¡¯ She let out a sigh of relief and took Julia¡¯s hand. What the hell was she doing? When they met again, Julia was a little excited.


    ¡°Do you know what I saw?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what it was, but she felt like she needed to remind her again that she shouldn¡¯t get out of her eyes. She sighed and tried to tell her that if she did that again, she would never go to proms with her again. But Julia whispered to her first.


    ¡°Baroness Kernel has a lover.¡±


    What? Julia¡¯s sudden words made her hesitate. Baroness Kernel? The story she heard from Lisa popped into her mind. Come to think of it, she said Baroness Kernel had a lover and she was worried about her brother.


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay to take an interest in someone else¡¯s private life.¡±


    As her heart sank, she gave Julia a caution. It¡¯s not only wrong to follow someone who enjoys a tryst, it¡¯s also rude. Besides, Julia was still underage and unmarried. She continued talking.


    ¡°Seeing a scene like that isn¡¯t very good for you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even see anything important. I¡¯m just about to start¡­¡±


    Having said that, Julia turned her head and looked at Count Burns. She said a little poutingly.


    ¡°Because the Count is here.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s good.¡¯ She sighed. And she sent a grateful smile to Count Burns.

 Chapter 4.1

    Julia Escalee was an ordinary girl. Even if she didn¡¯t think so. She was not high-noble like Eugenie Biscon, nor rich like Viscount Aston, and though she was pretty, she was not as strikingly beautiful as Lauren Leeds. She didn¡¯t even show a brilliant genius in any one field during her academy days, like Elliot Burns. she was just plain


    Because of this, people used to remember Julia as the daughter of Sir Escalee, the leader of the Black Wolf Knights. That was quite a privilege for ten-year-old Julia. No matter where she went, she pretended to know her when she said that she was the daughter of Sir Roin Escalee. But 18-year-old Julia was different. She didn¡¯t like that her father was Lord Escalee. Especially when no one asked her to dance at the ball, she thought.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s good that the pathetic guys don¡¯t stick around because your father is Sir Escalee.¡±


    Aida, who was eating a sandwich, said with a frown. She also went to a prom a few days ago. She was a bit better than Julia, but Aida wasn¡¯t too fond of the ball either.


    There were three men who invited her to dance, and they were all too old or too nasty. In that respect, Aida envied Julia. At least Julia had a father named the Knight Commander behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem being a pathetic guy. I will never be able to fall in love like this.¡±


    Julia grumbled as she ate her portion of the omelet. Even in her academy, she was famous. To be precise, she was famous for Sir Escalee. He sometimes gave lessons to the students of the academy, and some of the students of the academy aim to become knights.


    ¡°How are you, Lauren? You went to the prom two days ago too.¡±


    Aida asked Lauren, patting her grumbling Julia¡¯s hand. The three of them were close enough to meet and have a meal even during vacation, but like students of Balsian Academy, where all ranks attend, their positions were different.


    Julia had no title or estate, but still belongs to the aristocratic society thanks to her father, who was the second son of a nobleman. Aida was a child from a wealthy merchant family, though not aristocratic. And Lauren, a fallen aristocrat, could not have entered the academy without the help of her guardian.


    ¡°Lauren, are you okay?¡±


    Julia asked, realizing that Lauren hadn¡¯t said anything since before. As for the prom, she had done it several times before. Besides, although Lauren was assisted by her guardian, she had more dresses than Julia because that guardian was her distant relative and he was quite spare. So it¡¯s not like she¡¯s in a bad mood because of the prom.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ¡±


    Lauren looked down at her own little-touched food. She was a little thinner than before vacation because she had lost her appetite a few days ago and stopped eating.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of quitting the academy.¡±


    Julia and Aida¡¯s eyes widened at Lauren¡¯s sudden bomb declaration. The two of them looked at each other in silence, then turned her head to Lauren and began to persuade and console her individually.


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°Are you quitting? Why? Perhaps¡­?¡±


    Maybe her guardians did no longer support her? That was the first thought that came to Aida¡¯s head. If that¡¯s the case, she could solve it. All she had to do was ask her mother to sponsor Lauren. Of course Lauren would say no, but Aida would not let her say no.


    What should she say? Lauren shut up to her two friends¡¯ concerns. All night last night she was worried about what she should do, and that was her conclusion.


    She would quit the academy.


    It occurred to her, exactly, that she should get away fromLord Masterson, who now sponsored her. But she didn¡¯t know how to explain it to her friends. Lauren opened her mouth slowly after a long silence.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me. It¡¯s okay though.¡±


    Because she couldn¡¯t believe her either.


    At Lauren¡¯s words, Aida and Julia¡¯s eyes collided. In front of her two friends, Lauren took a deep breath before continuing her words.


    ¡°I had a dream a few days ago.¡±


    * * *


    She stayed up late in my bedroom the day after Viscount Aston¡¯s ball, perhaps because she was too nervous to find Julia.


    ¡®Oh my, it¡¯s hard.¡¯ After walking around Viscount Aston¡¯s spacious mansion in her ball shoes, her legs hurt. Without changing her clothes, she sat on a long chair and raised her legs.


    It seems to be hot today. A warm wind was already blowing in through the open window. Hot tea on a day like that would be perfect¡­ she suddenly missed Lisa. Should she write a letter asking if she could visit her to play? She was thinking that, but someone knocked on the door and came inside before they could even hear her answer.


    ¡°Miss.¡±


    ¡°Ann? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ann, who had rushed in, came quickly towards her and she said,


    ¡°I think you should go and see. Aston Mansion is in trouble.¡±


    What did that have to do with her? As she was about to ask that question, she remembered what happened last night. The man. He¡¯s the man you¡¯d expect to come down the stairs for a servant. She then told the servant to check upstairs. She hoped that the man she bumped into simply found a place to rendezvous. But it seems that it was not.


    She frowned and got up from her seat.


    ¡®Oops, it¡¯s a bridge.¡¯


    While frowning at her sore muscles, Ann brought clothes for her. Soon after, she heard the butler approaching from outside and talking.


    ¡°My lady, a man from the Viscount Aston has come. He says he has something to ask about last night.¡±


    After changing her clothes, she went down to the parlor and saw her mother sitting in front of the errand boy from the Viscount¡¯s house. As she stood in front of the door and her eyes met hers, she pretended not to lift her palm and said to the errand boy.


    ¡°So, what exactly does the Viscount want from my daughter?¡±


    The elderly errand boy was unfazed by her mother¡¯s question. He still spoke politely but confidently.


    ¡°Master just wants to talk to Lady Biscon.¡±


    ¡°Then the Viscount would have come in person. If he wants my daughter to go there, I must know exactly what his purpose is.¡±


    He wanted her to go? Why?


    She stood still, unable to understand the conversation between her mother and the errand boy. If they wanted to talk to her about a thief, someone from the Viscount¡¯s house would have said they wanted to talk to her. It¡¯s rude to ask her to go otherwise. That¡¯s why her mother was so angry. In the end, after several scuffles, the errand boy said as if he couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Actually, the Viscount didn¡¯t send me.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± said her mother, snorting at him as if she knew it. If she were to be called by the Viscount, he wouldn¡¯t have called her to go. He was acquainted with her father. There¡¯s no way she could think of anything to do with the thieves.


    But then who was calling her to go?


    She was holding her breath and listening to the story in the drawing room. Since that was her story, rationalizing speaking, that was not eavesdropping.


    ¡°I will be honest with you, madam. In fact, last night the Viscount was ambushed and knocked unconscious.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know whose mouth it came from. Startled, she shut her mouth, only to realize that ¡°what¡± was heard very close by. Startled, she turned around and saw Oliver standing right behind her.


    ¡°Shh.¡±


    Oliver, as she found herself, quickly put his finger to his lips and pretended to be quiet. What was he saying now? He made the loudest noise. She gave a pitiful glance and cast her gaze back toward the drawing room. Wrong. She saw her mother and the errand boy, who were already inside, staring at them.


    It¡¯s all because of Oliver.


    She pretended not to see her mother, who gave her a disapproving look, and went inside. In that case, it was best to be bold.


    ¡°I heard you came from the Viscount Aston house.¡±


    The errand boy also told her the story as if he didn¡¯t know. Because of what happened yesterday, Viscount Aston wanted to talk with her. So, if possible, the errand boy wanted her to go with him. But when asked what was the matter, he repeated the same story he had told her mother. Viscount Aston lost consciousness in yesterday¡¯s raid.


    ¡°Attacked? But who did?¡±


    Oliver, standing next to her, asked after he had decided to follow her in. The errand boy looked at her at Oliver¡¯s question and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to come and check it out.¡±


    ¡°Why Eugenie?¡±


    In response to her mother¡¯s question, the errand boy looked at her mother. At the same time, the events of yesterday flashed into her mind.


    ¡°The man.¡±


    She opened her mouth unconsciously. The man who bumped into her. She thought he was simply a thief or someone trying to have a tryst. She explained it to her mother and Oliver, who looked at her with puzzled expressions.


    ¡°Yesterday at the prom Julia, no, I was looking for something for a while and bumped into a guy.¡±


    Did the man attack Viscount Aston? She wondered if that was the case, so she turned to the errand boy. He said impassively.


    ¡°All I have heard is that I must bring Lady Biscon to ask her some questions about the man that attacked the Viscond.¡±


    ¡®What will we do?¡¯


    Her mother¡¯s and her gaze collided. At other times, she would have been angry at the rudeness, but she was concerned that Viscount Aston was unconscious.


    She sighed and told her mother.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    Viscount Aston¡¯s house was like a house of mourning. Last night¡¯s glamorous ball seemed like a lie, and she had a hard time managing her expression.


    ¡°Eugenie.¡±


    The Viscountess Mary Aston greeted her with her drawn face during the day. How frightened was to know her husband must have been attacked in the middle of her prom. She held her hand and comforted her.


    ¡°Are you okay? If there¡¯s anything I can do, just say it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking you to come here. Jake is so stubborn¡­¡±


    As expected, it seems that it was not Viscount Aston and his wife, but their son, Jake Aston, who said she had to go there. While she was saying she was fine, a slightly stern-looking man appeared through the parlor door.


    ¡°Eugenie.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Translator Note:


    My, another one having strange dreams¡­ Do you think she saw Bunrs in thse dreams too?

 Chapter 4.2

    ¡°Jake.¡±


    She nodded at Jake and said hello. Unlike Viscount Aston, who was a bit short, Jake resembles his mother and has a good physique. That¡¯s very fortunate. Oh, of course, that was what grown-ups said.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Jake asked abruptly as he entered the parlor. She was more impressed with his rough tone than the content of the question.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Jake!¡±


    At the same time as she asked back, Viscountess Aston was startled and scolded Jake. What was that? She struggled not to strike a hostile pose. What meant not putting her hands on her waist or crossing her arms in front of her chest.


    ¡°Eugenie came for us. So don¡¯t be cocky with her.¡±


    ¡°Am I cocky? Mother, you speak very carefree. Today my father¡¯s work is mine.¡±


    That was the problem. She tried not to react to Jake¡¯s cocky attitude toward his mother in front of the guests. The reason why Jake has not yet been engaged despite being the heir to the wealthy Viscount Aston was that too. And was the reason she rejected his proposal.


    Jake Aston was no slouch.


    ¡°Now, tell me, Eugenie. How did you attack my father? Did he beat you very hard?¡±


    ¡°Jake!¡±


    At Jake¡¯s accusation, the Viscountess glared at his son. He told to the Viscountess with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°Mother, be quiet. Didn¡¯t she become this way because of that bastard¡¯s prom? Aren¡¯t you sorry for father?¡±


    ¡®Oh my God.¡¯


    Who would want to be in a situation like that? It was so terrible there right now. Viscountess Aston was white with her shame and wounds, and her servants vanished in an instant.


    Jake Aston wasn¡¯t just cheap.


    She had to do her best not to look sympathetically at the Viscountess. How embarrassing would that be? His own fucking son doing that in front of guests. The sympathy was so great that the anger subsided. She looked at Jake with an expressionless face.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    ¡°Ah, God.¡±


    When the Viscountess began to weep, Jake cursed in annoyance and left. She sat down on their sofa and comforted the weeping Viscountess.


    ¡°It will be fine.¡±


    After seeing Jake, she thought the troublemaker in her house was at least human. At least Oliver doesn¡¯t talk like that to his mother.


    She comforted Viscountess Aston by rubbing her back. As if this were quite common, servants came in with hot tea and handkerchiefs as soon as Jake left. She didn¡¯t like seeing other people¡¯s family affairs like this. As she was thinking about that, the Viscountess, who wiped away her tears, spoke to her in a subdued voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to show you an embarrassing image, Eugenie.¡±


    Shameful look. If Oliver had behaved like that to their mother in front of the guests, she would have strangled Oliver in his sleep that night. But she spoke softly, as she did not wish to disgrace the Viscountess any longer.


    ¡°I understand. No one would be sane if their father wasn¡¯t conscious.¡±


    At her consolation, Viscountess Aston smiled sadly. She knew. Jake¡¯s behavior wasn¡¯t out of concern for his father. He¡¯s such a guy. But at least saying that would ease the Viscountess¡¯ shame a little.


    Fortunately, the Viscountess comforted her hand and said,


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m happy or sad that you rejected Jake¡¯s proposal.¡±


    She laughed silently. After rejecting Jake¡¯s proposal, the relationship between her house and the Viscounts Aston had become awkward for a while. Fortunately, through the efforts of both families, they got closer again. If anyone were to ask her what effort Jake put into bringing the two families back together, she¡¯d say that he didn¡¯t even poke a nose at the ball yesterday.


    ¡°My servant said you saw a man.¡±


    She asked cautiously as she went upstairs with her. She described in detail where she met the man and what he looked like. Of course, she moderated how she met the man. She didn¡¯t see Julia, so there¡¯s not much good from rumors that she¡¯s been looking for her.


    ¡°So I asked the servant to check upstairs. I thought the man was trying to steal something or have a tryst.¡±


    She went to the place where she bumped into the man and told the Viscountess and her maid who followed. The Viscountess nodded her head and turned to her maid. Then her maid quietly withdrew.


    ¡°Have you ever told anyone else that you met a strange man here?¡±


    If she told someone? She put on a bewildered expression at the Viscountess¡¯s question. Aristocrats want to keep the unsavory incidents in their homes a secret. Of course she didn¡¯t tell anyone.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that at the ball, a lady made a noise about a man stealing?¡±


    She pointed out gently. It¡¯s rude to the person who did that, but it¡¯s rude to ask if they did it. Fortunately, the Viscountess blushed at her remark, and she quickly excused herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eugenie. Actually, the constable came this morning.¡±


    ¡°A constable?¡±


    The names were slightly different, but every city has an organization that manages public order. There was a constable in the capital, but it was not very common for a constable to come to the aristocratic neighborhood. It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t trust or ignore the constables. Because when a constable came to a house, it meant that something dishonorable had happened to that house.


    A fight broke out or a robbery broke out.


    Either way, being known in an aristocratic family was unwelcome. Of course, most nobles tried to solve it quietly, and if they needed help, they contacted a knight they were close to or a higher-level investigator.


    ¡°Someone reported it.¡±


    The Viscountess whispered, blotting her tears with her handkerchief. It means that someone reported to the constable that the Viscount was attacked. Naturally, none of them would have reported it. She opened her mouth in surprise and asked quickly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the servants report it?¡±


    ¡°No. There was a report this morning, but from last night to this morning, no one has left this house.¡±


    It seems that the Viscountess has already checked with her butler. Then, naturally, the reporter becomes an outsider. She asked with a frown.


    ¡°What report did the constable come here with?¡±


    That¡¯s important. Was it a report that the Viscount Aston has been robbed or that the Viscount was unconscious after being attacked?


    When the Viscountess heard her question, she looked startled. She whispered as if she hadn¡¯t thought of it.


    ¡°Oh My God.¡±


    It seems it was the latter. She whispered that no one would hear her.


    ¡°I heard that my husband had a big fight with someone¡­¡±


    Indeed, that¡¯s how it was reported. Of course she would have checked the servants. And then she doubted her. The reporter picked it up and reported it so that the police officer could check the Viscount¡¯s condition. If so, the reporter was the most suspicious.


    ¡°Thank you, Eugenie. Thanks to Jake¡­¡±


    The Viscountess, who had been holding her hand and saying that, hesitated. Jake? She looked at her and asked.


    ¡°Does the constable suspect Jake?¡±


    A mistake appeared on the Viscountess¡¯s face. Right. That¡¯s why Jake was hostile to her earlier. Because he could clear himself by finding the culprit who attacked his father.


    Wait, was that really a false accusation?


    She got out of the Aston mansion after listening to the Viscountess¡¯ request to keep the story a secret. She wanted to see Viscount Aston, but she had no choice but to leave because he was still unconscious.


    Oh, of course, she was asked to keep the fact that the Viscount was unconscious as a secret.


    ¡°My lady.¡±


    On the carriage ride home, she wondered if Jake might have attacked the Viscount. She saw how he treated his mother, the Viscountess. Would he who behaves like that to his mother obey his father? Thinking hard, she belatedly realized that the coachman was calling her. When she opened the window and asked why, the coachman said.


    ¡°Looks like someone is following you from behind.¡±


    From behind? When she checked behind me, as the coachman said, someone was following her wagon. It¡¯s insane to ride a horse and run at full speed in a city like that. She frowned when she saw that it was Jake who was chasing her on horseback.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go, lady.¡±


    Anne said so, but she directed the carriage to stop. She just wanted to ignore him and go. However, she thought she would feel guilty if someone was seriously injured by Jake¡¯s words.


    Of course, she¡¯d be willing to ignore it as long as there was a guarantee that only Jake would get hurt.


    ¡°Jake.¡±


    As the carriage stopped and Jake approached, she opened the carriage window and greeted him. If he apologized for the rudeness earlier, she was willing to accept it generously. But Jake Aston was Jake Aston. Instead of apologizing, he jumped off his horse and slammed the carriage door open.


    ¡°Eugenie Biscon!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Ann, who was sitting across from her, was startled and screamed at her. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ she said frowning.


    ¡°Did you follow me all the way here to check my name? Don¡¯t you think there are more important things than that?¡±


    Her accusation forced Jake to pause. He made a face as if he didn¡¯t understand her accusation, then asked again.


    ¡°Is it you? Is it yours?¡±


    She was pretty sure Jake¡¯s grades in English were terrible. Oh, of course, she didn¡¯t think the other class scores would have been high.


    She added with a sigh.


    ¡°I heard that the level of education at the academy is high, but I guess it wasn¡¯t necessarily like that.¡±