Chapter 5
Bobby brought warm tea to Ollentia, who was lost in thought.
“Miss, are you really alright? It doesn’t seem like everything is fine.”
Bobby was perceptive. No matter how much Ollentia insisted she was fine, he kept asking the same question.
“I wish you wouldn’t hide anything from me. I don’t want to see you struggling alone.”
“Well… it’s just a little embarrassing, so I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Miss being embarrassed? That surprises me even more. Usually, you just brush things off without a second thought.”
Ollentia fidgeted with her lips and tucked the long strands of hair behind her ear. Her heart was restless.
If I’m going to be this anxious alone, I might as well just tell Bobby.
“So, about what happened outside today…”
In the end, she gave in and told Bobby everything. Normally composed, Bobby might be shocked.
As expected, he nearly dropped the teapot he was holding.
When his arm went slack, Ollentia shouted in alarm: “Bobby! Focus!”
After a moment, Bobby regained his strength, lifted the teapot, and spoke with a pale face.
“Y-Your Grace… the Grand Duke? Are you alright? Nothing happened to you, did it?”
Bobby focused more on Ollentia meeting the Grand Duke Belial than on the human traffickers.
“What do you mean, nothing happened?”
“Well… like being drained of energy, or—though that would never happen—being captivated by His Grace. You know, that sort of thing!”
Seeing Bobby, usually wise and practical, ramble like this made Ollentia realize just how notorious the Duke’s rumors must be.
If anything happened… didn’t His Grace say some terrible things whenever he got the chance?
Ollentia recalled Dimidius from earlier that day and clicked her tongue.
“Well… it’s nothing.”
“Huh?”
“I just… well, if you look at it strictly, he actually helped me. Kind of ambiguous, though.”
In the end, she had escaped the human traffickers, so technically, she had received help. That was why she had wanted to know his name.
But after learning Dimidius’s identity, the fact that he helped her felt strangely ambiguous.
That doesn’t feel right.
She didn’t want to behave cowardly.
Ollentia firmly said again, “He did help. I’m grateful.”
Bobby let out a sigh of relief.
“Ha… I’m glad. I was worried you’d run into an even worse person while trying to avoid the traffickers.”
“Honestly, the rumors might be exaggerated. He didn’t seem like such a bad person.”
“Well… the fact remains that Grand Duke Belial is half-human, half-horse. There are people who claim to have seen him kill someone.”
“Kill someone…?”
Ollentia’s voice wavered like a candle in the wind. The thought of Dimidius strangling someone earlier in broad daylight sent chills down her spine.
He was already intimidating with his large frame. Ollentia clasped her shoulders with both hands and shivered, feeling a cold chill run through her body just from being near him.
“Bobby… I think I was really in danger, like you said.”
Bobby slammed the teapot onto the table and clenched his fists.
“I should have been there with you! From now on, you must always move with a guard knight. It’s too dangerous otherwise.”
“Right. I thought it might be okay until now, but since I’ve appointed Yulsa, I should hire a personal guard.”
“You’re planning to bring mercenaries into the Count’s residence? Will that even work?”
“If it doesn’t, I’ll have to leave the Count’s estate. I should’ve done this from the beginning.”
Money wasn’t an issue. With the Count of Socor repeatedly appealing, the legal battles would drag on, so she couldn’t stay at the estate indefinitely.
The thought of truly stepping into a new world made Ollentia’s heart race. She sipped her rosemary tea.
“I hope from now on, there are only happy days. I really want to be independent.”
As she relaxed, the door suddenly burst open, and Countess Kikozelia entered. She rarely came to the annex, and even when she did, she always knocked. Why was she behaving like this?
Ignoring the knock, Kikozelia swept her lace-heavy dress as she stood before Ollentia. She looked unusually bright, her large eyes sparkling with curiosity and her thin lips curved into a smile.
Something feels wrong.
Ollentia set down her teacup and furrowed her brows.
“What is it? You should at least knock before entering.”
But Kikozelia ignored her and said,
“Miss! Archbishop Werb has set the date for your wedding. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Ollentia’s eyes widened as she looked up at Kikozelia.
What do you mean? Could it be… they set the wedding date because I didn’t want to marry?
Clutching her skirt, she shouted,
“You mean… a special marriage permit? Without my consent? That can’t be!”
She couldn’t believe it. Even though Socor had done terrible things and Kikozelia had been insincere, she never thought they would force a marriage.
But seeing Kikozelia’s flushed face, it seemed she was wrong.
A special marriage permit was traditionally issued when a wedding had to happen urgently. Once granted, it meant the Archbishop had been consulted, and canceling the marriage was not easy.
Believing Socor’s words and waiting, she had delayed her request to end her guardian’s protection, which was a fatal mistake.
Ollentia’s face turned pale. She knew exactly who Socor and Kikozelia had in mind for her husband: Marquis Luxus.
Every morning, he came with bouquets and jewelry to propose—a notorious libertine of Green Park. An alcoholic, changing women every other day. Recently, he had come to the Armeniaca estate, grabbing Ollentia’s wrist and refusing to let go.
What are you doing now, Marquis Luxus?!
Ollentia tried to pull her hand away, shouting sharply, but Luxus merely licked his dry lips. His eyes were dark and impure.
It’s obvious we’re meant to be together… so why all the formalities?
“What are you saying? I have no intention of marrying you!”
“Lady, it is heaven’s blessing. Even your soft flesh welcomes me,” he said, in words as cheap as his demeanor.
Ollentia’s stomach churned, and she clenched her hands.
At that moment, Count Socor descended the stairs. Ollentia looked to him for help, thinking he would rescue her out of old affection. But Socor merely laughed heartily and extended his hand to Marquis Luxus.
“Ha! You like my cousin so much, Marquis?”
Watching them laugh, Ollentia couldn’t remember much after that. The shock was overwhelming. Even now, in front of Kikozelia, her head spun.
“You’ve crossed the line. Was this really necessary? We’re already living comfortably. Do you want to sell a person like this?”
Ollentia shouted coldly, and Kikozelia shrugged.
“Ask others, Miss. In the Bonus Empire, aside from the Grand Duke Belial, which family rivals the Count of Armeniaca?”
Kikozelia, the Countess of Armeniaca, wore a completely different style than the late Countess Malisa. While Malisa favored luxurious, elegant fabrics like silk and velvet, Kikozelia preferred light materials with elaborate decorations.
Ollentia thought the outfit suited her.
“Do you have to simplify it so much?”
“There’s only Marquis Luxus, right? I found the perfect match for you, Miss. Be grateful.”
Having said her piece, Kikozelia left. Alone with Bobby, Ollentia gritted her teeth.
“This is absurd, Bobby. Marquis Luxus… they must have discussed my inheritance with him.”
Bobby’s eyes welled up with tears.
“I can’t let such a rogue near you, Miss!”
“Of course not. Marrying Marquis Luxus… just thinking about it is terrifying.”
“What will you do?”
“First, I need to talk to Socor. Find out if he applied, and what’s really going on. I need to know his intentions clearly.”
She suspected her guardian Socor had applied for the special marriage permit. After all, Kikozelia’s opinion would reflect his. But she needed to confirm to gauge his stance.
The day before:
Kikozelia, having bought all the new dresses presented by the tailor, headed to the Armeniaca estate’s famous tulip garden for lunch.
The tulips bloomed in clusters, coloring the ground in vibrant hues. If the weather was nice, she often dined in the garden with Count Socor.
The Count was already in the tulip garden, wearing a white vest and navy frock coat, looking sharp and neat.
As the spring breeze blew, Kikozelia’s hair, styled with camellia oil, fluttered. She sat down with a pleased expression and sipped her aperitif.
