IBWCD 20

Chapter 20

The Count looked down with weary eyes at his daughter, who was running wild with excitement.

She seemed to see nothing in her eyes now, as she remained unmoved by his presence.

The Count knew there was nothing to be gained by arguing with someone who couldn’t understand him.

“It is none of your business.”

“Why, after all the disgrace I’ve suffered because of her!”

The Count rubbed his brow in a wave of exhaustion.

“Kidnapping…”

It was essentially a sergeant of the Ryo family who took her away.

A bachelor with nothing to show for it would have been enough to make the grand duke’s head of government, and he would have been swamped with people trying to get in line.

But because of what his wife had done, he was in a position where he couldn’t say a word.

If he spoke out, he would be excommunicated from the church for allowing an illegitimate child to remain unrecognized in the genealogy.

Not one for fuss, the Count gestured toward the door for them to be quiet and leave.

“Keep your voice down, for there are many ears to hear.”

But Erze had no intention of leaving.

Her lips twisted up in a fierce line as she unceremoniously pulled out her chair.

“You must have ears to hear,” she said, ”for no matter how many times I pull the string, not a single ant comes in!”

Most of the Countess’s users were fired.

Only the maids and butler, who had witnessed the commotion, were left behind.

This wasn’t to apologize for his indifference, nor was it to punish them for their part in the abuse.

It was a matter of cutting back on labor costs as a way to plug the hole in his finances.

“But what if you get rid of my personal maid? Who’s going to comb my hair? I’m sick and tired of eating hard pieces of bread dipped in soup!”

Erze, who had been grumbling like an iron woman, jumped up from her chair.

He stomped his feet in disbelief at what was unfolding before him.

“And you say I must give you all my jewels and trinkets to pay the debt? How did I get them? I’d rather be dead than in debt, and I can’t do that!”

The Count sighed heavily.

“So much for your immature behavior. Can’t you handle a family crisis in a more mature manner?”

“Do I look calm now? You look like you’re about to get yourself in trouble?”

“Erze Lawrence.”

“Ha, I should have been in the Grand Duke’s bedchamber, no, if my father hadn’t been blinded by her in the first place…!”

Pak!

Unable to control his anger, the Count finally swung his hand.

Erze fell to the floor, slapped, and began to sob.

‘What, the grand duke beat him?’

Meanwhile, as the Viscount watched the chaos unfold, the image of the grand duke he had once encountered flashed through his mind.

A man with black hair the color of the night sky and an air of ruggedness.

The streets he passed were crowded with ladies eager to catch a glimpse of the wild man.

But he could not get close enough to any of them to indulge their furtive fantasies.

Gold eyes shaped like beasts.

Wearing a cloak made of demonic byproducts, he exuded the flesh of a man bent on slaughter.

“Tsk!”

Alas, there was nothing he could do if the pretty woman had caught the Grand Duke’s eye.

He couldn’t risk his life just to get a glimpse of her bottom.

‘Then…’

His eyes, as white as an old fox’s, lazily swept over Erze’s firm breasts and flawless skin.

She was so pale, like her mother, that he hadn’t paid much attention, but now that he saw it, she could forgive himself.

What’s the point of a face that you can’t see when the lights are off?

He’s not a prude, so he figured she’d be easy to tame in bed.

Being the Count’s biological daughter, it might even work to his advantage in the long run.

“Well, look here. Count Lawrence.”

Erzé and the Count’s eyes turned to him at the same time.

Erzé blinked back tears and shuddered at the sound of the viscount’s voice, as if she’d thought they were the only ones in the room.

The viscount stroked his chin in a benevolent manner.

“Why should you blush? The Lawrence family needs money, and I need a pretty wife to spend it on.”

Money galore and a cute wife.

Erzé’s face, stiffened by the murderer’s words, slowly straightened.

Her mind was now filled with a vengeful desire to repay Evelyn for her humiliation.

To her, the viscount’s words sounded as sweet as honeyed fruit.

In Erzé’s eyes, the viscount was neither as old nor as hideous as rumors had made him out to be.

‘What’s wrong with being old? He has no son to inherit his fortune, so if he dies early, I’ll be thankful!’

Besides, she saw no reason for him to harm her, the count’s honored daughter.

Erze’s eyes flashed blue as she finally found an outlet.

* * *

The next day.

Evelyn set out again for Adelheim with an escort following her at a distance.

Reah, who had received the letter, had contacted her immediately.

Below the note that she had almost missed it, she had written a place and time.

‘If you don’t come today, you won’t be able to see me for a while.’

*Click*

Evelyn headed to a dessert cafe with a cozy atmosphere.

Etoile.

The interior is as adorable as the colorful sign, and the sweets are lined up on the shelves.

As she reached for a cake with an eye-catching design, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Miss?”

Evelyn turned around, her face flushed with color. Leah was staring back at her, a look of recognition on her face.

“Reah…!”

Reah’s eyes widened. She dropped her bag and threw her arms around Evelyn.

“Oh, my God, I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried when you suddenly disappeared after that day!”

Though they hadn’t known each other long, they’d bonded over saving Reah’s life and calling for help.

Without her, she wouldn’t have met Kalian or reached out to her for help.

Having made a friend for the first time in her life, Evelyn patted her on the back, hoping that this closeness would not be broken.

“I’m sorry, I should have at least told you before I left, but I didn’t have time.”

“Don’t say that, it’s a good thing you did!”

Judging by their complete lack of knowledge of what she’d been through, the staff who’d seen Louise being escorted out must have been very careful to keep their mouths shut.

‘What does it mean, by the way, that she won’t be seeing her for a while?’

Evelyn picked up her bag for her.

“Let’s go inside and talk, what do you want to drink?”

It wasn’t a good idea to have a conversation in the middle of the store, so they moved inside under the canopy. Soon, their two orders of tea and dessert were served.

“So, miss, where are you now, by the way, and are you staying with the dreaded grand duke…?”

Reah was always quick on her feet. She didn’t think that the man who had been called by the Grand Duke wouldn’t notice her predicament.

But she couldn’t tell the truth just yet, so Evelyn nodded and skirted around it.

“Yes, that’s right, the grand duke has agreed to take me under his guardianship, though it’s a secret for now.”

If the truth came out later, she would have an excuse. It was quite common in noble society for guardians and wards to become close.

Reah blushed, pleased that she had imagined something similar.

“Oh my, oh my, how did you end up together? I was actually so afraid of the Grand Duke that I was worried something might go wrong with you.”

“Perhaps he is a bit cold, but he’s not as scary as you think.”

Reah put down her teacup after taking a sip and waved her hand in disbelief.

“Oh, that’s just because you’re so beautiful, how hard must the Grand Duke have tried not to look scary?”

“No, nothing like that.”

At her assertion, Reah’s shoulders shook like someone who had been wronged.

“No, of course not! Even children know how scary the grand duke is, and I dare say he’s interested in you-no, not just interested, but a huge crush.”

Alas, she was wrong.

Evelyn smiled bitterly and ran her fingertips over the rim of her teacup.

A man’s flawless, perfect face loomed above the swirling brown tea.

An iron-blooded grand duke.

Who would have guessed that a man so cold-hearted as to bleed blue was actually a man who loved one woman so much that he couldn’t afford to look away.

Not even her, his wife.

Evelyn shook off the thoughts racing through her head and shifted her gaze to the suitcase on the table beside her.

“What’s with the suitcase, anyway? Are you going on a trip?”

Reah grinned coolly.

“Oh, you know what? I actually got fired today.”

“What, fired?”

While Evelyn stood there dumbfounded, Reah began to recount the events that had transpired at the manor.

In addition to the dismissals of the manor’s employees, there was the big news of Viscount Fairfield’s stay at the manor and his strange relationship with Erze.

‘After all that ranting yesterday, I suppose there’s no hope for her at the manor.’

She pauses to applaud Erze’s decision to take the thorny path.

“Well, it’s a good thing, since I was going to leave for my brother’s place anyway.”

Evelyn’s complexion darkened sharply at Reah’s next words.

“Why are you going there all of a sudden?”

“Well, actually…”

When Reah was sure no one was around, she lowered her voice, bracing her upper body against the table.

“A merchant who came into the harbor a week ago died of a high fever, and the townspeople have been falling ill, starting with the owner of the inn where he stayed.”

“And the symptoms? Just a fever?”

“No, not yet. I’m guessing it’s just a simple fever, given the lack of additional deaths. Anyway, they’re short-handed, and I should go help.”

Reah sounded cheerful, but Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.

Litchev.

The place she was headed to would soon be overrun by bizarre plagues and mutant monsters.