It was hard to tell from a distance since he was wearing a raincoat over his head, but up close, it was clearly Walter.
Upon their last encounter, due to the circumstances, she had not noticed certain details that now caught her attention.
His high nose, straight jawline, and beautifully tanned skin were clearly that of a man. However, traces of boyishness still lingered on his face.
“Now that I’ve proven that I can deceive Sophia, tell me what you know, Edith.”
She was taken aback by the unexpectedly soft tone in which he uttered these words.
If others heard him address her like that, suspicions would surely be raised before an alliance could be formed.
“Walter. Now everyone thinks of me as the Viscount’s fourth wife…”
“Ah, now you are a Lady.”
Walter’s eyebrows rose slightly as if he knew.
“As a diligent employee, I have come in the place of someone else who received Lady Sophia’s order, so don’t be surprised.”
“…”
His face was as graceful as that of a dignified nobleman, but when he used honorific titles, he gave off a strangely invidious feeling.
She was ashamed of herself for pretending to be a Lady when she had nothing.
『 I can see that he never served any high-ranking people. Maybe that’s why?』
She couldn’t be certain how he knew his way around the estate or why he had come, but she felt a sense of relief. This rebellious man wouldn’t listen even if Sophia commanded him to.
“I would like to look around the eastern garden of the viscount’s estate.”
“…”
Walter held out one hand while holding the horse’s reins with the other.
Edith quickly grabbed his hand and climbed onto the saddle to avoid the gaze of the servants.
Walter led the way, holding the reins. As the mansion receded into the distance, he turned and smiled wryly.
“I heard that you returned to your room with a few gold coins you received from Sophia.”
“…”
Edith was speechless for a moment. It was surprising that he knew what had happened this morning.
If it hadn’t been for Anne and Marie’s inquiries beforehand, she might have thought that Walter was simply looking through the mansion’s windows with nothing to do.
『 It was the first time I had held so many gold coins at once, so everyone nearby must have seen my surprise.』
If such information had reached him, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for Walter to misinterpret her actions.
The woman who had despised everything about the Viscount until yesterday suddenly appeared today with gold coins in her hands and adorned with expensive dresses and jewelry.
For Edith, it was all an act that she had done because she had no other options. But it didn’t seem likely that this man would see it that way.
“Walter, there’s something I want to propose to you, specifically.”
“I suppose Lady Sophia must have taught you this refined way of speaking. It’s surprising how well it suits you.”
Walter looked at Edith with a firm expression.
As her blue eyes remained clear, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted at the thought of her being seduced by Sophia’s greed.
『 So in the end, she ended up falling for the money, didn’t she?』
If Edith had carefully received and kept the coins Sophia had given her, it would probably signify her intention to participate in Sophia’s schemes.
This was very upsetting to Walter, who wanted Fortrion’s downfall more than anyone.
“Yesterday you begged me not to let other men touch you, but today you pretend to be a Lady and tell me you have a special proposal…”
Walter leaned in slightly, trying to read her expression.
“It seems M’lady has changed her mind and wants to have a child as Sophia wishes, and you happened to think of me just when you need a man.”
Edith’s gaze changed as she stared at him, momentarily unable to find her words. It didn’t take long for her to fully understand Walter’s words.
He meant that she had thought of him as the man who would impregnate her.
Heat rushed to her face due to his mocking words. She didn’t need it. She hadn’t even considered it.
“I had no intention of asking you for one night. I have no intention of being swayed by Sophia’s plans. This is for a deal between us…”
“What did you want to buy from me that you brought so much money?”
Walter tossed a gold coin as if showing it off, then caught it again.
Edith hastily reached into her pocket, realizing that she must have dropped it when she got on the horse.
“With this amount, at least, it should help M’lady sleep soundly, right?”
“Give it back. I brought these gold coins to use in case another man shows up, not you.”
“That sounds like it’s not even worth spending on me.”
Walter’s eyes sparkled mischievously as if he had found a toy to tease.
“I’m a diligent servant of the Fortrions who doesn’t mind dirty work, so if you’re looking for someone for your personal entertainment, I’d be the one for you to spend money on than others.”
Edith froze, her mouth slightly open. The high-grade joke from him left her dizzy.
Did Walter think that using formal language automatically dignified his words?
And to refer to himself as a diligent servant. It was beyond belief.
“I know you don’t do chores.”
“…”
“Looking at those scars and calluses, these are the hands of someone who has been honing his swordsmanship for at least several years. They are not the hands of a mere stableman.”
Walter was a little surprised by Edith’s keen eyes. In the short span of time during his exchange of vulgar jokes, she had noticed that his hands were callused as he moved his hands up and down.
『 Contrary to the rumors spread by Sophia, she must have done something decent outside this place.』
Walter handed the gold coin back to Edith.
It was fun to tease a woman who was showing her embarrassment, but now that he had more or less understood what kind of person she was and how much she disdained Sophia’s plans, it was time to get down to business.
“Enough of the jokes. I hope you keep the promise you made earlier.”
Jokes huh? Who was making fun of whom?
Edith suppressed the urge to retort and chose her words carefully. In order to form an alliance with him, it was now important to put on a serious face.
“The Viscount said that he had been searching for me for a long time and said that he had finally found me.”
“…”
“Sophia said something similar when she first saw me. I didn’t understand the meaning back then. It was the first time I had met people from Fortrion. But…”
Edith noted the subtle change in Walter’s expression.
“Walter, you must have some idea why the Viscount brought me here by kidnapping me.”
“…”
Edith confirmed her suspicions when she saw Walter’s expression harden.
When Walter initially rescued her, he acted like someone desperately searching for something.
⋙“Listen. I couldn’t care less about Sophia’s orders or your body.”⋘
“…”
⋙“Tell me what Nicholas Fortrion said and what he touched before the assassins reached him.”⋘
Asking that question meant that even Walter didn’t know if what he was looking for was a word from the viscount or an object.
If Walter had known exactly what he was supposed to receive from the Viscount, his question might have been more precise.
Ultimately, Edith came to a simple conclusion.
“You urgently came to me with that question. That must mean that the Viscount left his estate to bring you something he promised you, but he was ambushed and he returned in an unconscious state.”
“…”
“But I was the only one that the Viscount searched for that day. He didn’t touch anything I had. It’s not that I have another inheritance.”
Walter’s forehead wrinkled. At the same time, frustration and disappointment clouded his entire face.
“But the Viscount said that he had been looking for me for a long time. That would mean that something you’ve been waiting for has a lot to do with me.”
Edith finished speaking, giving Walter time to think.
When he asked what the Viscount was doing before he lost consciousness, there was an undercurrent of emotion in Walter’s calm voice.
A worry about losing something forever. An urgent desire not to lose it.
Edith did not know what the Viscount had promised to return, but Walter was obviously desperate now. His face must have had the same expression she had when the viscount had taken the precious necklace from her.
Edith was grateful.
“Also, the Viscount bought me as his fourth wife. Choosing a woman he has never seen before as his fourth wife will likely serve as a legal means for him to confine me within the Fortrion Manor.”
“…”
“I don’t know what you agreed to receive from the Viscount, but it’s probably related to me. So please protect me and continue to deceive Sophia as you have.”
Walter laughed like someone who had heard something ridiculous.
“For someone who doesn’t even know why the Viscount was looking for you, you seem quite confident in making requests.”
However, Edith also expected that Walter would not be happy with her proposal.
“If you protect me, I can help you too.”
Walter was about to ask who would help whom, but as she continued, he paused.
“Walter. You’re also trapped within the estate due to an imprisonment spell, right?”
“…”
Seeing his reaction, Edith had a hunch that her deduction was accurate.
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
