<CHAPTER 74>
Bean Powder Family
Even to such blatant insult, Rek answered with a relaxed face.
“You speak too harshly, Father-in-law.”
“Ha, father-in-law?”
The Count snorted and pointed with his chin to a bundle of documents on the table.
“I investigated what kind of fellow dared to take my daughter. Seems you strut around arrogantly because you have a title, but who are you to act like a noble in front of anyone when you’re from a country that’s just a dot on the map, a Duke without a single proper territory?”
Count and Duke.
Judging by title alone, the Count couldn’t show such arrogant attitude in front of Rek.
But what the Count was arguing about wasn’t simple genealogy but real power.
The Terbaon Count’s family had a solid position within the Empire due to their long-established foundation. To such a Count, a Duke from an unfamiliar remote small country had no value to be recognized.
“Stop it, Father.”
As soon as Ehilie spoke, the Count shouted.
“Quiet! You keep your mouth shut and stay still. Where does a mere woman interfere with her father’s words—”
The Count couldn’t contain his anger and even pointed his finger while huffing.
“Completely taken in by a man with no background! I took pity on you as someone with nowhere to go, and this is how you repay my kindness by tarnishing the family’s name?”
Tarnish?
Ehilie let out a hollow laugh.
***
“Ha. Hahaha.”
It’s not even funny.
She could listen to insults about herself all day. She was used to hearing such things.
But she couldn’t endure insults to Rek.
“Father, you should speak properly. Is there even anything left in our family to tarnish?”
“Wh-what?”
Eyes as dark as the night sea and as piercingly blue stared straight at the Count.
The Count flinched at his daughter’s unfamiliar appearance, always cowering before him.
“If it’s about tarnishing, my brother has already done it thoroughly, so there was no place left for me to tarnish.”
“Have you gone mad? How dare you open your eyes wide and talk back to your father!”
The Count, coming to his senses belatedly, glared and threatened.
But Ehilie calmly continued what she had to say.
“It’s widely rumored throughout the Empire. That the eldest son of Terbaon is an irredeemable scoundrel. Gambling, women… he causes every kind of accident. I wonder if you know he gambled away all the donations meant for the temple.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Still, you cherished him as your biological son, but now even you can’t handle him? You’ve even locked up that precious son in his room. Is it only now becoming shameful that your only heir to the family is not in his right mind and can’t act like a proper person?”
Only choked sounds flowed from the Count’s gaping mouth.
Ehilie smiled brightly at him.
“If you don’t want to create any more shameful situations, it would be best to leave alone a daughter who goes out and lives quietly without causing trouble. Your son is already crazy, so it wouldn’t do for your daughter to become crazy too.”
Ehilie rose from her seat, having finished the conversation.
It was practically a one-sided fact bombardment rather than a conversation, but so what.
There was no need to be polite to someone who didn’t keep manners.
“Let’s go, dear.”
Ehilie openly linked her arm with Rek’s in front of the Count.
Rek, as if finding her incredibly lovely, rose from his seat with a deep smile on his lips.
“Take care, Father-in-law.”
Only the Count remained in the room they left, clutching his neck and grinding his teeth.
Ehilie, who had dealt a refreshing blow to the Count, was about to return home in a good mood.
But her wish couldn’t be fulfilled.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
A sharp voice stopped Ehilie.
It was the Countess.
“If you’ve come home after a long time, it’s manners to stay overnight. If you leave like this, what will others think of our family?”
She always criticized Ehilie in this roundabout way.
There was a time when each of her words had caused deep wounds in Ehilie’s heart.
Now she could answer without being affected at all.
“Hmm, a bean powder family?”
At her bold answer, the Countess made an expression of shock.
“Wh-what?”
“Everyone probably already knows even if I don’t do anything. Just because you close the trash can doesn’t mean the smell won’t come out.”
“Heh, you’ve gone mad. Where did you learn such frivolous language?”
“You really don’t know what truly frivolous language is? Shall I show you?”
Now that all her memories from her previous life had returned.
She was ready to show, if desired, the demeanor of a warrior race engraved in her heart.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Countess was someone who knew how to distinguish her opponents and pick her battles.
“You seem confused from fatigue due to travel. Why are you standing there blankly? Take these guests to their rooms immediately.”
At the Countess’s command, knights guarding nearby rushed over and blocked the corridor. Two maids who attended her also approached hesitantly.
It was practically a threat using force.
“What shall we do, Ehilie?”
Rek asked gently from beside her.
His voice was infinitely tender, but his gaze scanning the surroundings looked as if he would fight all those knights at once.
Ehilie sighed and answered.
“Let’s just sleep here for one night.”
“Understood.”
She didn’t want to cause any more unnecessary commotion.
In the end, the two were forcibly confined to a guest room. Knights stood firmly guarding outside the door.
It was under the pretext of ensuring the safety of precious guests.
“…I’m sorry.”
Ehilie apologized in a small voice, her head bowed deeply.
“I showed you an unsightly scene for no reason.”
“It certainly wasn’t a pleasant sight.”
Shouldn’t he at least say it’s okay with empty words at times like this?
…She only thought this.
She really was sorry to Rek.
“Still, I enjoyed it.”
“Huh? What?”
“Thanks to that, I learned a different side of Ehilie.”
“I didn’t know Ehilie was so good with words. I’ve fallen for you again.”
Ehilie cast a sidelong glance at him as he said embarrassing words and put on his usual smile.
“…Don’t tease me.”
“Tease? I’m serious. To survive in this harsh world, you must know when to show your claws.”
He whispered sincerely and lightly kissed Ehilie’s forehead.
Soon his lips curved up playfully.
“From now on, if anyone bothers you, don’t endure it and scratch them. I’ll take care of the aftermath.”
“Aren’t you going to dump it all on Lord Herond?”
“Caught.”
“I knew it. You always make Lord Herond do the troublesome things.”
“Yes. But I handle important matters personally.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
For some reason, it lacked credibility.
During their stay at the mansion, Ehilie had never seen Rek working separately.
Just looking at the end of the mansion, it was practically a ruin from lack of maintenance.
Ehilie decided to let it pass without mentioning it.
Because she knew this man, who dumped all troublesome matters on his butler, always stepped forward without hesitation when it came to matters concerning Ehilie.
“By the way.”
Rek’s gaze turned to the bed in the room.
“Your mother has quite a sense of humor. She deliberately gave us a room with only one bed.”
“…No, this is. That is…”
“The bed of a wealthy Count’s family must certainly be sturdy, right?”
The air in the room changed instantly. How could she calm a man burning with gleaming desire? Ehilie was troubled in many ways.
***
The night grew deep.
“Mmm… Rek. Where are you going?”
Redemberg Lu Edeltein quietly slipped out of bed. He had tried to move as carefully as possible so as not to wake Ehilie. But because Ehilie was holding him tightly in her sleep, he was eventually caught. Her drowsy appearance, unable to even open her eyes fully while looking for him, was so lovely that he almost forgot his purpose and lay down beside her again. Redemberg carefully covered her with the blanket and kissed her soft cheek.
“Sorry for waking you. Ehilie, I have some business to attend to and will step out for a moment.”
“Business… ah, bathroom, yes.”
Ehilie mumbled in a sleepy voice and closed her eyes again.
He had intended to finish with one, but when he came to his senses, he had showered kisses on her nose and forehead too. It was quite severe.
“Sleep well, Ehilie.”
He whispered languidly and slowly moved his steps.
Opening the door without making a sound, the two knights guarding outside exchanged glances. Their eyes looking at Redemberg were as if they had spotted prey wandering in during their boring watch.
Soon one blocked his path.
“What is your business?”
“I have some business to attend to.”
Before his short answer ended, a silver blade flashed and flew at him from the darkness.
Redemberg lightly twisted his body to avoid the sword.
The heavy sword drew a horizontal line on the wall. It was where his neck had been just moments ago.
