Chapter 6
Then, a sudden realization struck—Susan had referred to the visiting noble simply as “Lord Noble” instead of stating his actual name.
“Yes, the Marquis of Kerenik.”
When she responded with the same smile, Sandes’ eyes widened in surprise.
“Hahahahaha!”
Bursting into hearty laughter, Sandes shut the door properly before stepping closer to them.
“Madam, forgive me, but do you two know who I am?”
Caught off guard, Erina instinctively looked at Susan, who had already risen to her feet, offering an awkward smile. A wave of embarrassment rushed over her.
Sandes, noticing Erina’s flushed cheeks and flustered demeanor, couldn’t hide the amusement on his face.
“Madam, married, you say…?”
John’s murmuring, utterly out of sync with the mood, helped Erina regain her composure.
“You clueless man!”
“Argh! Dear! Ouch, my foot!”
It seemed his foot had been stepped on under the table. With a spoon still in hand, John hopped in place, making for a comical sight.
“Susan and John seem to be doing well. And it looks like there’s a new guest.”
“Of course, Marquis. Thanks to you, we’ve been well. It’s been nearly a month, hasn’t it?”
Susan and Sandes exchanged brief greetings.
Then Sandes’ gaze shifted to the child standing quietly beside Erina.
His eyes trembled slightly.
“Leo…?”
“My goodness, so you feel it too, Marquis?”
A cryptic exchange passed between Sandes and John, followed by a moment of silence.
“They look very similar, but the child’s name is Bill. You know that’s impossible, don’t you, Marquis?”
“Yes, you’re right, Susan. That’s true.”
As Susan, John, and Sandes all turned their eyes toward him, a flustered Revil instinctively burrowed into Erina’s embrace.
Startled, Erina sensed the child’s unease and gently held him close.
Even though they had only spent a short time together, she couldn’t push away a child seeking comfort.
Her careful patting seemed to calm Revil, who suddenly pulled away from her arms, as if realizing his actions.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“Now, now, since the Marquis is here, why don’t we all eat together?”
Susan, watching them warmly, stepped in to smooth over the moment.
“No, I’m fine. Please finish your meal. I’ll head home.”
Sandes’ casual attitude toward Susan, a commoner, was strikingly different from the nobles Erina had encountered before.
“Madam, why don’t you finish your meal as well? Bill doesn’t seem to have eaten enough either.”
“Ah, I’ve already finished. I was just waiting for the child.”
“M-Me too! I finished eating too!”
Revil, startled by Erina’s words, quickly responded, as if afraid of being separated from her.
“Oh dear, I see. Well, you’ve nearly finished anyway. Oh, Marquis.”
“Hm?”
“The lady needs a place to stay tonight since her carriage hasn’t arrived. Why don’t you help? Your villa is the largest in town.”
“But she has a husband. If rumors spread…”
“My goodness! Are you implying that you’re that kind of shameless man, Marquis?!”
“Susan!”
“There’s hardly any crowd in this town. You can rest easy.”
Sandes let out a deep sigh before nodding under the pressure of Susan’s kind yet firm smile.
In this small village, Sandes’ villa was the largest and the only proper mansion.
Susan figured that a woman as refined as Erina would be better off staying there than in her own modest home.
With servants to attend to her, it made sense for Erina to go to the villa with Sandes.
“Countess Eols, would that be acceptable?”
“…Yes. The Marquis is not an indecent man, so if you offer me a room far from yours, that would be fine.”
“Countess…”
Sandes let out an exaggerated sigh, his voice feigning weariness.
Erina removed the necklace hidden beneath her dress.
“Thank you for the wonderful meal, Susan.”
Susan looked down at the delicate white hand holding out the necklace.
The rose-gold necklace, adorned with an amethyst, was elegant and refined.
Clearly, it was far too extravagant a price for a simple meal.
When Susan hesitated to accept it, Erina gently took her hand and placed the necklace in her palm.
“It’s a token of gratitude for your kindness and hospitality. Truly, thank you.”
A mere bowl of rice had helped Erina shed her anxiety and led her to meet Sandes.
Though the necklace was one of her few remaining valuables, she had no regrets in parting with it.
Seeing the resolve in Erina’s expression, Susan hesitantly accepted the necklace and smiled warmly.
“Think nothing of it.”
Just that smile alone filled Erina with warmth. Even if she never returned to this village, she knew she would never forget it.
“Take care, little gentleman.”
Susan bent slightly, gently ruffling Revil’s hair.
Perhaps feeling shy, Revil merely lowered his head without responding.
With that, their farewells were complete.
As they left Susan and John’s house, the outside world had already been swallowed by darkness.
Fortunately, the village lights kept the path illuminated, making it easy to follow Sandes in silence.
Before long, they arrived at the large house at the edge of the village.
Without looking back, Sandes stepped inside, sensing their presence behind him.
“Your Excellency, it has been a while.”
A middle-aged maid greeted Sandes warmly before turning her gaze toward Erina and Revil.
She looked back and forth between them and Sandes, clearly surprised.
“It seems the Countess missed her carriage and will be staying the night.”
“Ah, I see. It’s an honor to meet you, Madam. You may call me Chemil. I’ll prepare a room for you right away.”
There was something about Chemil’s speech that reminded Erina of Susan.
“Prepare the room farthest from mine.”
“Pardon? Oh, of course, I will.”
With a warm, Susan-like smile, she disappeared to make the arrangements.
Sandes, who had been standing with his back to Erina and Revil, slowly turned around.
His face, which had been so open and kind with Susan, John, and Chemil, was now cold and expressionless.
It was exactly as the novel had described him.
The light brown of his hair, which once evoked warm sandy beaches under the sun, now seemed as lifeless and brittle as dried bark.
Erina couldn’t understand why his color reminded her of Revil, whose hair darkened when soaked by rain.
Now that she thought about it, their hair colors were quite similar.
“Countess.”
Her thoughts were interrupted.
“What brings you to this remote place?”
Though he left the sentence unfinished, Erina understood the implication.
“The child is quite exhausted. May I put him to bed first, Marquis?”
Sandes held her gaze with his gleaming golden eyes before nodding.
As he turned to leave, he suddenly hesitated and glanced at Revil, who was trying his best to shrink into himself.
His eyes were filled with countless emotions.
But Erina couldn’t decipher them.
“Madam, this way.”
Chemil reappeared, ready to guide them, and Sandes turned away without hesitation.
Following Chemil, Erina and Revil were led to their room.
“The accommodations may be lacking, but you should be able to rest comfortably. Do you need a change of clothes?”
Erina assured her that she didn’t.
Then she hesitated before asking a favor.
“I need to speak with the Marquis for a moment, but I fear the child will be uneasy. Would you mind watching over him?”
“Of course.”
“Sleep well, Revil.”
“But…”
Sensing his fear, she gently stroked his hair.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Though reluctant, Revil didn’t protest. He simply squeezed her hand tightly before finally letting go, as if trying to reassure himself.
The way he quickly resigned himself to the situation made Erina ache.
At the same time, seeing the name ‘Eols’ attached to Revil unsettled her.
“The Marquis’ office is about halfway down the hall. It’s the only door painted blue, so you won’t miss it.”
After entrusting Revil to Chemil once more, Erina made her way to Sandes’ office.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and stepped inside.
The office was well-lit, and Sandes sat on a sofa, motioning for her to take a seat opposite him.
As she did, he studied her in silence, his gaze heavy.
“There are too many things I want to ask. I don’t even know where to begin.”
Resting his left arm on the sofa’s armrest, he propped his chin up, his voice slow and drowsy.
“Marquis, what are your thoughts on House Eols?”
At her unexpected question, Sandes lightly tapped his cheek with his index finger before smirking.
“Eols, Eols… House Eols.”
As he repeated the name, unrestrained hatred flickered across his expression.
His once clear blue eyes, reminiscent of the open sky, darkened with seething fury.
A chill swept through the room as a deadly aura filled the space, sharp enough to send shivers down her spine.
