SOWD Chapter 100

Chapter 100

“The reason may have been Madam Bohem, but the person who truly changed me was you, Count. You believed in my words—you believed in me.”

Honestly, Idel hadn’t expected much.

She had never thought her life would take a turn for the better so easily. She had assumed that Laszlo would harbor feelings of contempt or even hatred toward her.

But he had believed in her.

He probably didn’t realize just how much that had affected her life.

“You gave me the recognition and comfort I had never received in my entire life, Count. You gave me the strength to keep going. So when I say that I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, I truly mean it.”

In the end, a faint shimmer of tears welled up in Idel’s eyes.

Her slightly damp gaze, paired with her gentle smile, made her look even more breathtaking under the moonlight.

Laszlo suddenly felt ashamed of his own insignificant words, realizing how inadequate they were.

It became too much to continue looking at Idel, who shone like a moon goddess. So, he buried his face in his hands.

“I’m…”

I’m not that great of a person. I never said anything profound or meaningful. I just said whatever came to mind to get through the moment…

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say any of it out loud.

Telling Idel—who had managed to find meaning and strength in his words—that those words had been empty would have been too cruel.

Instead, he said something else entirely.

“If anything… I thought you hated me. You didn’t like me at first, did you?”

“Huh? I did?”

“Well… Do you remember when you almost fell while stepping out of the carriage?”

“Yes. You caught me just in time, saving me from embarrassing myself.”

“You recoiled in shock and pushed me away. I mean, I get it. It makes sense to be repulsed by the person who turned you into a prisoner.”

Laszlo nodded as if he understood completely, but Idel quickly shook her head in protest.

“No, no! That’s a misunderstanding! I only stepped back because I thought I had been rude…!”

“Rude? How so?”

Idel hesitated, feeling embarrassed to explain herself. But she couldn’t just leave it vague.

“Well… It’s just that… pretending to be dizzy and falling into a man’s arms is actually a very classic… seduction tactic.”

“Really? But that wasn’t your intention, was it? I think you just had a cramp in your leg.”

“Yes, exactly! But I thought you might misunderstand the situation, so I…”

Laszlo’s face suddenly brightened as the realization dawned on him.

“So… it wasn’t because you hated me?”

“I—I was a bit scared, but I never once thought I disliked you.”

“Not even once?”

“Not even once. And as for being scared, that was only during the early days after I arrived at the mansion.”

“Does that mean I’m not scary anymore?”

Laszlo’s lips curled into a relaxed smile, and Idel playfully lifted her chin.

“Well, I have come to realize that you’re quite sloppy in many ways.”

At that, Laszlo burst into laughter.

It was such a warm and genuine sound that the cold night air suddenly felt less biting.

After laughing for a while, Laszlo fell silent, staring at the darkened garden before speaking again, his gaze still fixed ahead.

“I may not seem reliable, but I want you to believe this—From now on, I will protect you.”

Idel could feel the weight of his words even without looking at him.

“So…”

Laszlo slowly turned his head to meet Idel’s gaze directly.

“Don’t try to handle things alone anymore. Whether you’re hurt, struggling, upset, or even just having a bad day—tell me.”

He let out a deep breath and continued in an almost pleading voice.

“Give me a chance to protect you.”

“I… I don’t know if I deserve that…”

“You’re the one who turned a brute, mercenary fool like me into the Count of Crisches. Yet I have nothing to offer you in return… It’s embarrassing.”

Laszlo propped his chin on his hand and grumbled. He looked less like a twenty-eight-year-old man and more like an annoyed eighteen-year-old boy—so much so that Idel couldn’t help but find him endearing.

I really need to stop thinking he’s cute.

Without realizing it, she let out a small laugh and nodded.

“In that case… I’ll be in your care from now on.”

At those words, Laszlo’s expression completely softened.

Whatever had been troubling his mind before stepping into the garden—it was all but forgotten now.

A Short Time Later

News of Angela’s engagement soon spread.

Since she was considered one of the most beautiful women in high society, it was bound to be a hot topic. However, the bigger surprise wasn’t her engagement itself—it was who she was engaged to.

“Leandro Bilbro? I’ve never heard of him.”

“He’s a distant relative of the Marquis of Winblair. He came to the empire a few years ago to study and has been staying at the marquis’s estate.”

“Doesn’t that make him insignificant?”

“Not at all! He’s actually the heir to Til Amand in the Kingdom of Pess.”

While the surname Bilbro was unfamiliar, there wasn’t a single noble who didn’t know Til Amand.

Silverware, candlesticks, sacred relics, and ceremonial items—anyone who dealt in silver knew of the famous Til Amand silver.

“That means he must be incredibly wealthy.”

“And it also means he has considerable influence in the Kingdom of Pess. Honestly, this is a better match for her than marrying into the royal family itself.”

Once people learned about Leandro’s background, Angela’s engagement was widely acknowledged as a wise choice.

However, from Emperor Dimarcus’s perspective, this was an unpleasant turn of events.

“So, this means Count Bliss has aligned himself with Winblair, is that it?”

“Most likely. A noble family wouldn’t arrange such an important marriage without careful consideration.”

Count Talon, the emperor’s ever-rational attendant, stated the facts plainly, despite knowing they might not sit well with Dimarcus. There was no point in sugarcoating things—after all, the emperor wasn’t asking because he didn’t already know the answer.

After pondering in silence for a while, Dimarcus spoke, not even bothering to look at Laszlo as he asked,

“What do you think? Until recently, Angela Bliss was practically throwing herself at you. Now she’s suddenly engaged to some unknown man.”

Of course, Laszlo couldn’t care less about who Angela married.

But from a political standpoint, something about this situation did feel off.

“It’s unexpected. She didn’t seem like the kind of woman who would settle for marrying a mere wealthy noble from a small kingdom.”

“You don’t sound disappointed.”

“…I assume you already know I spent more time avoiding her than entertaining her advances. What’s your real reason for asking?”

Dimarcus chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. Laszlo gritted his teeth internally—he was certain the emperor found amusement in teasing him.

“In any case, Count Bliss is a man who knows how to calculate his moves. The fact that he suddenly switched allegiances means that either Leandro Bilbro has more to offer than we initially thought, or the Marquis of Winblair made an exceptionally generous offer.”

“But why now? Winblair never showed any interest in Count Bliss before. Why suddenly make such a drastic deal?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s what’s bothering me.”

Why now…?

So far, there had been no reports of Count Bliss gaining any new leverage.

Aside from their historical ties to foreign royalty and Angela Bliss herself, their family wasn’t particularly noteworthy.

While expanding one’s influence was always a strategic move, from Isaac Winblair’s perspective, there was no clear reason why Count Bliss was the best choice for an alliance.

After some thought, Laszlo finally spoke.

“If their deal isn’t the whole picture, then we need to look into Leandro Bilbro more carefully.”

“I already did some digging. He’s an unknown name, but he hasn’t been completely absent from social circles—he was just overlooked.”

And now, he was suddenly flaunting his engagement everywhere.

Laszlo’s instincts told him—this wasn’t just a love story.

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