“Countess.” Orkis, who had been watching, called out with a firm voice.
“…Huh?” Only then did Seraphie snap out of it and look up. “Oh, um, what did you say?” Seraphie, who had been lost in thought, fumbled with random documents, embarrassed that she had made such a mistake during an important business discussion. Her face flushed with shame.
“Shall we take a short break?” Orkis suggested, glancing at the nearby grandfather clock. It had already been almost an hour since the two had sat down to talk. Standing up, Orkis began to pour the pre-prepared tea.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
The sound of tea filling the cup began to be heard.
Despite feeling sorry, Seraphie couldn’t help but admire Orkis’s flawless manner of pouring tea. He’s good-looking and well-built. Anything he does looks like art. And speaking of art, Seraphie was reminded of the scam that she had been suffering from.
“…Are you feeling unwell?” Orkis, who was returning with the prepared tea on a tray, asked seriously. Seraphie’s face had twisted into a grim expression in the short time he was gone, and for a moment, he could sense danger, as if she was really about to bury someone alive.
“Please.” Orkis handed over a teacup and made a request. “Do it after the mining starts.”
“Do what?” Seraphie asked, staring blankly at the teacup handed over.
“The burial.”
At those words, Seraphie glanced at the doodles scribbled on the documents. She was aware of having written something but didn’t realize it was such a violent word. It seemed her temperament was getting worse since coming here.
“It’s not like that.”
Seraphie denied it, but Orkis didn’t believe it.
“If you really want to, just give me a heads-up.”
Even if Seraphie actually did a burial, Orkis wouldn’t be too disappointed. Rather, Orkis would be willing to write a petition, thinking about how terrible the other person must have been for Seraphie to go that far. Of course, he intended to help make sure she wouldn’t get caught before that.
“So, what’s the issue this time?” Orkis asked. “Did Katio send another marriage proposal letter?”
“Proposal letters come all the time.”
Now, Seraphie was receiving proposal letters with a resigned heart. With the weather getting warmer, she had taken to using them as material for paper folding rather than kindling. In fact, she had gotten to the point where she would feel a little disappointed if they stopped coming.
“Of course, it’s better if they don’t come.” With a soulless reply, Seraphie took a sip of tea. “…Wow.” Seraphie, who was sipping the tea absentmindedly, widened their eyes.
“What is it?” Orkis, who had returned to his seat, asked.
“The tea is delicious.”
“It’s the same as what you always drink here.”
“Really? But the aroma…” Seraphie tilted her head and took another sip of tea. Then, as if confirming her thoughts, she nodded. “The aroma is much smoother, and the aftertaste is incredibly clean… What did you do to make it taste so different?” Her praise was genuine and serious, without any hint of flattery or exaggeration.
Orkis, who was listening to the praise, casually brushed the corner of his mouth with a hand. The hidden corner of their mouth was lifted in satisfaction.
“If it wasn’t Katio, then why are you so eager for a secret burial?” Fearing that his crumbling expression might be revealed, Orkis hurriedly steered the conversation back on track. “Shall I tell you a good spot to do it?”
“You’re better at joking than I am.” Seraphie chuckled briefly, but then her expression grew serious.
Should I really tell him about it? Even upon reconsideration, the scam at the gallery was shocking.
That day, Seraphie ultimately did not sign a sponsorship contract with Aidal. She sent him away, using the excuse that the contract would be finalized later at the gallery. After that, she speculated about who might have been involved in the scam. Was it a gallery staff? Was it Aidal himself? Or was it the gallery owner, who she didn’t meet that day but had the power to orchestrate everything?
Finding the culprit wasn’t the only issue. She also needed to understand why such an absurd act had been committed. If they thought Seraphie was just a rich but powerless fool, it was a serious problem. Being disrespected even by commoners would be a severe blow to the honor and reputation of the Vallidus family.
“Lord Felicia.”
After organizing her thoughts for a moment, Seraphie carefully chose the words to say. It was still unpleasant to talk about what had happened. Moreover, Seraphie wanted to resolve this issue without the help of Orkis or the Felicia family.
Luckily, I have evidence. The sketch that had captivated Seraphie was still wrapped and untouched. However, Seraphie’s mouth moved unconsciously.
“I…”
Fortunately, the question that came out now was completely unrelated to the scam Seraphie had suffered. Yet, in some ways, it was the one thing she least wanted to reveal.
“Do you think I can do this well?”
Seraphie, startled by what was said, quickly closed her own mouth. The teacup in their hand rattled noisily, spilling a few drops onto the table. Just as it was impossible to gather spilled water, there was no way to take back the question she had unwittingly voiced.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just talking about the current business!” Seraphie hastily added, but it was no use trying to cover it up with the excuse of a thriving business. Seeing Orkis staring intently, it seemed it was already too late.
“Just…” Feeling embarrassed, Seraphie averted her gaze. “It’s like a kind of anxiety.” She mumbled, trying to pass it off as a momentary worry that had suddenly come to mind, though she knew it wouldn’t work.
In truth, it wasn’t a fleeting moment of anxiety. Seraphie was always anxious. It was she just ignored it because she was too busy struggling to survive each moment, but it often kept her tossing and turning at night.
To Seraphie, this world wasn’t just unfamiliar. It was like standing alone in the middle of a vast ocean. All she had were fleeting bits of information and a handful of foresight.
Seraphie was worried if she was truly heading in the right direction toward what she wanted. To put it bluntly, she was scared and terrified.
“…”
“…”
The room quickly became awkward. In fact, the awkwardness was only felt by Seraphie. Orkis continued to gaze at her in silence. His unbroken stare made it hard to gauge what he was thinking.
Orkis wasn’t particularly deep in thought. He was simply reminded of a passage from a book he had recently read. ‘A traveler crossing a desert, relying on a single star in the dark night sky.’
“Countess.” Orkis finally moved his tightly closed lips.
Seraphie tensed up for no reason. But what Orkis said was unexpected.
“Do you know the first thing that comes to mind when I think of you, Countess?”
“…What?” Caught off guard, Seraphie let out a foolish-sounding voice.
“Of course, you wouldn’t know.”
So, instead of answering, Seraphie tilted her head.
“It’s the sense of intimidation.”
“I-Intimidation?”
Another unexpected word popped out.
Me and intimidation? There was no connection at all though? As if she had already forgotten her fear and seriousness from moments ago, Seraphie looked puzzled. Her eyes darted around.
“You must have forgotten,” Orkis said, now with a noticeably softened tone, as he recalled their first meeting. “Do you not remember snatching my sword and stabbing it between the legs of the former Count Vallidus?”
“…”
“As you know, Countess, I’m quite strong.”
“Not just quite. You’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?”
“Since you know well, there’s no need for false modesty.” Orkis corrected. “I’m one of the strongest knights in the empire. Yet, a woman who hadn’t even received training took my sword.”
At that time, Seraphie was an absolute weakling. Much more frail than now, with no stamina at all, and even suffering from violence, an absolute weakling. But Orkis couldn’t see her as a weakling.
Seraphie had taken the sword from one of the strongest knights in the Empire without him noticing and stabbed it between her father’s legs. Those blue eyes at that time were not of someone who had given up on everything. Like an envoy of the god, she solemnly declared judgment on the former Count Vallidus, exuding an indescribable sense of intimidation.
“Countess, you tend to underestimate yourself.”
“I’ve never really—”
“You do.”
Seraphie, who was about to argue, flinched.
“That damn threatening letter from the Katio family and the low reputation of your family.”
Seraphie always pushed herself relentlessly, believing she had to bear and solve everything on her own. It was as if she thought she wasn’t enough. As if only by doing better and constantly striving could she resolve things.
“None of it is Countess’s fault.”
The insulting marriage proposals were the fault of those who sent them without permission, and the ruined reputation of the family was also the fault of the previous count. Seraphie, the true victim, was struggling to overcome this unjust situation without avoiding it. And what was the result?
“You’ve accomplished everything.”
She took her father’s title, confidently revealed herself to the nobles, and secured a solid financial foundation. She overturned everyone’s expectations.
“Countess is doing well,” Orkis said confidently.
However, Seraphie couldn’t simply accept this. How much did he know about me? How can he make such a bold statement without even knowing how much effort I’m putting in? Yet, when she felt those sweet words firmly supporting her anxious heart, Seraphie was overwhelmed. The tears she had been holding back fortunately disappeared, leaving only her rough, shaky breaths.
“…”
“…”
Seraphie tried to calm her surging emotions. And Orkis patiently waited for her.
Ah. Seraphie finally understood. From the first meeting until now, Orkis had been seeing the ‘real me.’ The one who crossed over from another world, struggling to return to the place she originally lived, even willing to touch the original work to survive. He’s been seeing me all along.
He was seeing the real person inside Seraphie.
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