SOWD Chapter 99

Chapter 99

She had worried that he might have already gone inside, but Laszlo was sitting on a bench in the western garden of the mansion, deeply lost in thought. The cold wind occasionally ruffled his hair, yet he remained motionless, as if he couldn’t even feel the temperature.

Idel hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching him.

“The night is cold, Count. And it’s quite late.”

At her words, the man who had been as still as a statue suddenly turned his head sharply.

“Idel…?”

He looked somewhat surprised.

“Did I interrupt your private time?”

“No. I just came out for some fresh air, that’s all.”

Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on her.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by his intense stare, Idel continued walking toward him without stopping.

“You met with Mr. Jacob earlier, didn’t you?”

“How do you know that?”

“He dropped this. I was on my way from that direction myself.”

Idel took out the cravat she had been holding in her arms and handed it to him.

Now that she was up close, Laszlo’s appearance seemed slightly disheveled—unlike his usual self.

He was still wearing the shirt and pants from earlier in the day, but his cravat was half-undone, with only one side of his collar standing up, and he had merely thrown on an unbuttoned coat over it.

“The night wind is chilly. Leaving your neck exposed like that will make you catch a cold.”

“I could say the same to you. Coming out in the cold night air with nothing but a shawl—you’re the one who’s going to catch a cold.”

Idel chuckled softly and sat on the bench, keeping about a handspan’s distance between them.

“There’s a certain charm to late autumn. The moon is bright, and the sound of the insects is quite nice.”

“Indeed. Every season carries the blessings of the gods, but the time between late autumn and early winter has a bittersweet quality to it, making it even more special.”

It was the first time Idel had ever heard Laszlo say something like that. The comment made her feel oddly ticklish inside, but she pretended not to notice and gazed at the same dark, cricket-filled night as him.

A long silence stretched between them before Laszlo finally broke it.

“My apology is late, but… I’m sorry for watching your private meeting without permission. That must have been a moment you didn’t want to be seen.”

“I was a bit embarrassed, but I understand. You needed to know what my father was after.”

“…The Count of Canyon doesn’t seem like someone who wouldn’t realize the risks, so why would he pull such a bold move?”

Laszlo sighed as he spoke.

But Idel truly felt indifferent about it. She had no problem taking a punch from Dustin when he was overcome with rage—it was proof that he couldn’t refute her words.

Idel smiled faintly and said,

“He probably didn’t care even if you were watching, Count. To him, I’m just a card to be discarded whenever I become inconvenient.”

Even if Laszlo criticized Dustin for his outburst, the old nobleman had no reason to cower. If anything, he would have boldly claimed that he was simply scolding his daughter for shamelessly clinging to Laszlo for survival.

To the old aristocratic faction, that stance would have even looked like a show of loyalty. In that way, Dustin had something to gain from his actions.

“What bothers me more is what my father said at the end. He claimed he was planning something to restore my honor. But he’s not the kind of person who would do anything for me.”

“Well… I can take a wild guess.”

“Huh?”

“He probably intended to use you as a spy. There are rumors that the three great families would pay a high price for my information. The Count of Canyon likely wanted to use you to gather intelligence and sell it to them.”

At those words, Idel let out a hollow laugh. She had known he wouldn’t be doing anything for her sake, but even now, he was only thinking about how to use her.

How consistent, in the worst way.

However, there was one thing Laszlo had misunderstood.

“He wasn’t just planning to sell information. He wanted to use it as a means to build a connection with them. My father craves power above all else.”

Laszlo didn’t respond. Any words he could say would feel like rubbing salt into Idel’s wounds.

Instead, he decided to apologize for what had been weighing on his mind all day.

“To be honest… I misunderstood you.”

His lips felt dry as he met Idel’s steady gaze, but he forced himself to continue.

“When you married the Duke of Lancaster, I thought it was because of your vanity or thirst for power. I believed that if you had truly hated the situation, you would have run away.”

“……”

“You were a well-known figure in high society since childhood, so I assumed you weren’t an ordinary person. Even as a prisoner, I thought you would look down on my mansion—this house that doesn’t even feel like a noble’s estate. I know now… it was all my own inferiority complex.”

He had known it, yet he couldn’t help himself.

From the moment he first saw her, he had thought, She is someone from a completely different world.

Bringing such a person into his shabby home and treating her as a mere maid—it had stirred insecurities within him that he hadn’t even known existed.

At first, he had doubted her. Then, he ignored her. Later, he observed her, denied what he saw, struggled with shame, and finally, felt sympathy and pain for her.

Over the past year, living with Idel had forced Laszlo to confront a whirlwind of emotions he had never experienced before. And through that process, he had slowly come to understand the kind of person she really was.

“I know now that you weren’t driven by greed. You simply did the best you could in a situation where you had no way to escape.”

A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

It had taken him too long to realize this. And in that time, he had undoubtedly hurt her with his careless assumptions.

However, Idel’s response was completely unexpected.

“Thank you. I truly appreciate it, Count.”

Laszlo was caught off guard, unsure whether her words were sincere or sarcastic, but Idel smiled gently.

“When I got married, there were only two kinds of people—the ones who pitied me and the ones who despised me. The rumors spread by those who hated me were so vile that I can’t even bring myself to repeat them. You might have heard them.”

“I… I don’t think I have.”

“Then that’s a relief. Some of the people who wanted me as a prisoner probably believed those rumors were true.”

Laszlo suddenly recalled the men who had shamelessly demanded to take Idel as a captive. He didn’t remember all their faces, but he could still vividly recall their demeanor.

Like hungry wolves…

Thinking that their desire had been fueled by such disgusting rumors made his stomach churn.

“Regardless, you’re the first person who has ever tried to truly understand me and even apologized. I never expected it, but hearing it now… it brings me great comfort. Thank you.”

She thanked him, yet Laszlo felt no joy.

“Why thank me? This is what should be expected. The ones who blindly believed those ridiculous rumors are the ones who should be scorned!”

But Idel simply shrugged.

“It’s not that surprising, really. That’s just how people are. Why would anyone go out of their way to understand someone else’s circumstances when they’re busy dealing with their own lives?”

Laszlo scoffed.

“What, are you a saint now? That level of tolerance is beyond reasonable.”

The cold night wind carried his voice to her, brushing against her neck. Idel shivered slightly and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders.

“Maybe that’s the answer after all.”

“What is? That you’re a saint?”

“Of course not.”

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