Chapter 7
Erina met Sandes’ sharp gaze head-on, despite carrying the name ‘Eols’—a name he loathed.
For Sandes, it was an odd feeling.
She was nothing more than an insignificant presence in his long-standing plans, yet her unwavering stare unsettled him.
Strangely, looking at her, he didn’t see her brilliant, shining colors. Instead, he was reminded of the deep crimson hue of House Eols, which glowed as if to mask its ugliness.
It was the color that had stolen away his sister—the only reason for his existence—and his nephew, the last thread tying him to life.
Even though time had dulled his hatred, whenever he recalled those memories, it felt as if his blood would boil, making his mind reel.
Suppressing the flood of emotions, Sandes swallowed them with a sigh.
Just as he always had.
“Hmmm.”
His exhale, slow and languid like that of a predator, sent a chill down Erina’s spine.
“It seems the Countess of Eols isn’t very fond of House Eols.”
Sandes’ gaze had softened slightly from earlier, but Erina tightened her grip on her handbag to keep herself steady.
“I have a proposal for you, Marquis.”
“A proposal?”
At the mention of a deal, Sandes’ demeanor shifted. His family, after all, managed all trade related to the imperial family.
“From the powerless Countess of Eols?”
“Yes.”
Despite his mockery, Erina nodded without hesitation.
Her unshaken reaction was something Sandes found unexpectedly fascinating.
He could see traces of anxiety beneath her composed mask, but even that intrigued him.
Lowering the hand that had been supporting his chin, he straightened his posture and asked again.
“What’s the proposal?”
“I’ll tell you once you accept the deal.”
“Countess, do you not understand the basics of negotiation?”
His tone fluctuated between polite and casual, but Erina remained utterly unfazed.
“However, I can tell you what the deal will result in.”
She sat down, placing her handbag on her lap before calmly continuing.
“The downfall of House Eols.”
A flicker of interest passed through Sandes’ eyes.
For someone who bore the name Eols, who enjoyed all its privileges, to speak of its ruin…
It was an irresistibly sweet bait.
One he simply had to bite.
“Ha. Very well. I accept the deal.”
The moment he agreed, Erina unlatched her handbag.
She met his burning gaze directly as she pulled out a mana stone and placed it on the table.
For the first time, Sandes’ composed expression wavered.
The light purple glow of the stone reflected in his eyes.
“This is…”
“I’ve found a mana stone mine.”
Like a man possessed, Sandes reached out and carefully picked up the mana stone.
Mana stones emitted their own glow, and on its surface, a name was engraved—”Erina Medelia.”
“Erina Medelia.”
“Yes. Not Erina Eols—Erina Medelia. I own it. What do you think?”
Sandes’ mind raced.
No matter how he looked at it, no matter how he analyzed it, the conclusion was the same—this was an incredible deal.
Even if everything else about the arrangement put him at a disadvantage, the exclusivity of mana stone distribution alone would outweigh any losses.
And Erina knew that.
With mana stones, one could activate dormant artifacts. Simply controlling their distribution would give her absolute leverage over the nobility.
Everyone understood the rarity and scarcity of mana stones—their value was practically limitless.
Controlling their trade would not only solidify one’s standing but also grant immense influence over entire noble factions.
But in the original novel, Faylon had cast aside such power.
Out of excessive loyalty, he had turned over the entire mana stone trade to the imperial family.
Of course, this had ensured his house would be loved by the royal family for generations.
But that was all.
In the end, only Sandes—who controlled imperial trade—had reaped the true benefits.
And in the novel, Sandes had viewed Faylon as a complete fool.
‘An idiot who doesn’t even know how to use what he has.’
In the original novel, when Sandes took control of mana stone distribution, he had scoffed at Faylon, calling him ‘a fool who didn’t even know how to use what he had’.
The ridiculous thing was that every noble he traded with had agreed.
In the novel, once Sandes secured the mana stone mine, he completely lost interest in Rose.
As if his business with her had concluded.
Of course, it helped that right before transferring the mine to Faylon, Rose had declared that he was the only one for her, firmly rejecting Sandes.
But Sandes had waited.
And the moment that moment came, he had cleanly severed his lingering attachment to Rose, as if none of it had ever mattered.
Unlike Faylon, who had given everything to the imperial family in the novel, Erina planned to offer Sandes only a portion of the mana stone mine’s profits.
Unlike Rose and Faylon, who gained nothing in the end, she intended to stand behind a formidable shield—Sandes—and claim everything.
Faylon’s coveted love from the imperial family, Rose’s satisfaction in being adored by people, and a solid political standing among the conservative nobility—she would have it all.
“Exquisite.”
Sandes was still transfixed by the mana stone, and seeing the captivated look in his eyes, Erina felt some of her tension ease.
“I have many questions, but let’s first discuss the exact terms of this deal.”
His tone was noticeably more respectful now.
Hearing it, Erina allowed herself a faint, relaxed smile.
“Once the existence of the mana stone is revealed, I will divorce. Quite easily, at that.”
“That makes sense.”
The name engraved on the mana stone was ‘Erina Medelia’.
In the Asilium Empire, where mana stones were regarded as divine, a name inscribed upon one was absolute.
The imperial family, which governed noble marriages and divorces, would undoubtedly approve hers without hesitation.
“Throughout the entire process, I want you, Marquis, to act as my patron.”
“Hmm?”
Sandes seemed caught off guard—likely because he had yet to hear about Rose entering the Eols estate just the day before.
In the novel, there had been a passing mention of Sandes being excessively wary of House Eols.
He had collected even the smallest scraps of information about them.
At first, Erina had thought it was because of Rose.
But something deep in her instincts told her that wasn’t the full story.
“The Count of Eols has brought a woman named Rose Asilla into his estate, claiming she is the love of his life.”
“What?”
Sandes’ gaze snapped to her, as if demanding confirmation.
“The Count refuses to listen to me, and the Countess Dowager constantly finds me lacking, now calling her the new daughter-in-law.”
His face hardened.
To the rest of the nobility, she was nothing more than a powerless countess, forced into an arranged marriage after losing her inheritance to a cousin.
That was the extent of what anyone knew about Erina Eols.
And yet, for some reason, Sandes found himself unable to look away as her eyes slowly filled with tears.
“Whether I do nothing or act correctly, I am condemned either way.”
The sheer cruelty of her reality struck her as she spoke it aloud, and before she could stop herself, a tear fell.
It seared a path down her cheek, crossing over the wound there, leaving a stinging pain in its wake.
As if the anger she had bottled up for so long was finally leaking through.
“There is nothing I can do in that place. So, Marquis, please—”
Her voice broke.
Tears dripped down uncontrollably.
Sandes clenched his jaw, unsure of what to do with the crying woman before him.
Then, almost instinctively, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out.
Erina struggled to hold back her sobs, barely able to breathe properly.
Something about watching her force herself to swallow her cries unsettled Sandes.
If she were going to cry, she should just wail like everyone else.
Instead, she trembled, barely holding herself together, and hesitantly accepted the handkerchief.
Burying her face in it, she let everything spill out in front of him.
She wasn’t comfortable around him—not by any means.
But this was a truth she had told no one.
A pain she had suppressed alone.
She had told herself she was fine. That she could endure it.
But the moment she spoke it aloud, the dam broke.
“Lady Erina Medelia.”
Not Countess Eols.
Hearing her own name—her real name—torn from Sandes’ lips, her sobs deepened.
Sandes was at a loss.
He had never felt kinship with anyone before.
His life had been built on hatred.
And yet, he could feel her sorrow.
It was as deep and raw as his own.
It unsettled him.
He had always thought crying was useless.
People had sobbed before him, begging for mercy, pleading with their tears.
And he had always coldly cast them aside.
But this woman…
Why did he find her pain so unbearably frustrating?
Why did he have to restrain the impulse to wipe away her tears?
Why was he speaking without thinking, something so unlike him?
“…I promise.”
His voice was lower than before, more measured.
“Until this deal reaches its perfect conclusion, I will stand as your patron and protect you properly.”
He resisted the urge to brush back the strands of hair sticking to her damp cheeks.
Instead, he simply waited for her.
After a long while, Erina finally gathered herself, quickly wiping away her tears.
She flinched slightly when the salt stung her wound, causing Sandes’ face to twist in irritation.
“Don’t tell me the Count of Eols hits you.”
His gaze lingered on the slight swelling and the thin cut on her cheek.
“No. It was the Countess Dowager…”
“Ha. What a ridiculous household.”
For Sandes, this was beyond absurd.
In noble society, such actions were unacceptable.
Domestic violence and infidelity were not only morally condemned but also legally punishable.
And yet, Faylon—a knight—had done nothing?
Sandes let out a short, incredulous laugh.
“Honestly, there’s no need for elaborate planning. Just the grounds for divorce alone will be enough to achieve the deal’s goal.”
He was right.
If Erina simply gathered the necessary evidence, the divorce would be granted.
But in the novel, Erina had never taken that step.
Because she had loved Faylon.
How pathetic.
But she wasn’t the only fool.
The Erina who had known the original story and still tried to change things had been just as foolish.
She, too, had clung to the naïve hope that things could be different.
“Marquis, I…”
Sandes’ expression darkened slightly.
Surely, she wasn’t about to say she still loved Faylon, even after all this?
“I don’t want them to simply fall.”
At those words, the strange discomfort in Sandes’ chest disappeared.
“I want them to drown in the filth they created, suffering every ounce of pain they inflicted on me.”
The rage and hatred in her eyes were as fierce as his own.
And, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he liked that.
“Only then… will I finally be able to breathe.”
Erina had told herself she didn’t hate them.
She had believed it.
That she didn’t hate her husband for refusing to listen.
That she didn’t hate the woman who had brazenly entered her home.
That she didn’t hate her cruel, critical mother-in-law.
But she did.
She hated them so much she could barely breathe.
And for the first time, she let herself admit it.
