Chapter 11
“Lea! Are you okay?”
Delia, who was next to me, startled, grabbing my shoulders and pulling, cling me back. If Delia hadn’t pulled me back, I could have been seriously injured by the shattered glass.
“The vase…!”
The steward, who was informing the maids, rushed in, alarmed. The decorative vase had broken, water spilled, and the flowers were a mess.
“I apologize!”
How the interior is arranged reflects how much effort has been put into welcoming guests.
If the indoors aren’t lavish when guests arrive, they might think they are being ignored. Such rumors spread quickly in the social circles of nobility.
Knowing how important interior decoration is, breaking it was a big mistake.
As I hurriedly bent down to pick up the broken glass, someone grabbed my hand.
“I will take care of this, Would you please bring a dry cloth to wipe away the water?”
It was Ronan.
Ronan shook hands with me to thwart my plans.
It was the moment I had been longing for.
“…!”
Just at that moment, Ronan’s desired memory was revealed.
“I obtained Demaroxin.”
“Did you confirm that it’s really Demaroxin?” “Yes, I’m certain.” “Alright, Where did you get it?” “…Didn’t you need a poison?” “I need the poison, and I also need the one who sold it. Since you brought it, you must have found the seller. Bring that bastard here.”
The memories I had about the deadly venom, Demaroxin, were limited to this.
Ronan captured the man selling the deadly venom and brought him before Laches. However, there was no information about what happened next, as only the man selling the venom and Laches had a private conversation.
With these memories, it remained a mystery why Laches wanted that venom and what he intended to do with it.
However, there was an unexpected revelation.
“Should I have killed Reperentia after all? Or should I have kept her alive beside me?”
There was a memory of Laches seen through Ronan’s eyes.
“What’s this?”
It was the memory of the night before changing accommodations when Laches looked at me under the window late at night.
Ronan was Laches’ bodyguard, and even that night, he was hiding nearby, protecting Laches from potential threats. Thanks to that, I could hear everything Laches murmured.
“At that time… when I looked through the window, Laches was murmuring something.”
I remember Clearly, Laches was mumbling something under my window, and after that, he looked at the window of my accommodation, leading to our conversation.
After I said I would go down to meet him, Laches gestured to Ronan, who was hiding to go back.
Having received the order, Ronan went back, and that was the end of the memory from that day.
“Should he have killed me?”
Perhaps, regretting not being able to kill me first due to my earlier demise?
“It was dangerous.”
The fact that I was from Reprentia was not something I wanted to be known. I had to hide it somehow.
If Laches, that is, if he decides to kill Reprentia, then I will die right there.
The owner of the fortress of Bivolentus was Laches, and I was just a powerless noble lady with no one to stand up for me.
“Are you okay?”
Ronan asked, examining my face as I tightened my grip on his hand. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t let go of Ronan’s hand yet.
“I’m sorry, You mentioned a dry cloth, right? I’ll get it.”
I let go of Ronan’s hand with the excuse of getting a dry cloth and hurriedly left my seat.
“Laches looked for Demaroxin not necessarily to use it for extreme measures, but it felt more like he was looking for a distributor. …But he’s definitely pondering whether he should have killed me. There’s no room for doubt about that.”
My hair stood on end.
I knew Laches’ laughter was a mask, Every smile he showed was deception.
Even knowing that, I reluctantly broke down the barriers and allowed the man who questioned everything to enter.
“He said it was capricious, not consideration.”
All his choices and moments were whims.
Even the moment of sparing my life and, conversely, the choice to kill me.
All of it was possible because he was the great lord of Bivolentus.
The man, who seemed anything but noble on the surface, like a delinquent, was actually a nobleman through and through, arrogant to the core.
“Where are you rushing off to so urgently?”
The strides that had been walking as if searching for the answer were halted by someone grabbing his arm.
“Your face looks pale again, Caught a cold this time too?”
A faint sound of laughter escaped from Laches’ lips as he spoke.
It was deception.
“…The fever, it broke…”
He swallowed a dry gulp, and Laches smiled strangely, as light as a dandelion seed.
Deceptively light, his smile was oddly frightening.
“The fever broke, yet your face looks pale. It must have been quite expensive, considering you can’t afford it with a maid’s salary.”
“Yes.”
I replied, breathing steadily. Facing fear directly might be the reason.
The blood that had been swirling in my head chilled coldly.
If Laches, if this man, were truly a murderer intent on killing me…
“So, in the end, isn’t it just a matter of making sure this man can’t kill me? There’s no guarantee of staying safe just because I’ve lived as a obedient servant.”
I raised my head, meeting Laches’s gaze head-on. Not running away.
“So, are you in the midst of running away?”
For the first time, I felt strength in his hand that held my wrist.
Laches’s eyes, questioning if I was running away, sank deeply, as if that was the essence.
“Answer me, Are you trying to escape?”
“I’m on my way to get a dry cloth.”
“…”
“The inkwell broke, and the ink spilled.”
As if discerning lies, Laches scanned me with his narrow eyes. Then, the strength gradually faded from his grasp.
“I must have misunderstood, I thought you were running away.”
His expression, clouded and impure, cleared as if it had never been contaminated.
“Why would I run away? I’m living, warming up in a comfortable room, having a delicious meal thanks to the Duke’s capriciousness.”
“The words are as sharp as shards of glass.”
“It seems like a broken vase piece stuck to you. I need to get a dry cloth, so excuse me, Your Grace.”
After releasing the grabbed wrist, I stepped aside to let Laches pass. I couldn’t turn away first in front of the owner of this castle.
“The welcoming ceremony is so polite that there’s nothing to say.”
Laches laughed and walked through the path I cleared. Only then did I exhale a sigh of relief, smoothing out the keen edge of tension.
However, soon after taking a few steps, Laches returned as if he had something to confirm.
“Oh, by the way, I was about to forget. Is it true that you were rejected by Ronan?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, There’s a rumor that you were rejected by Ronan.”
Why do I have to hear this from this man? Why did such a rumor spread while I was following Ronan?
“I wasn’t rejected.”
“But there’s talk that you were following Ronan.”
“Well…”
This is the problem, If I deny it, then when asked why I was following him, I have nothing to say.
“…I’ll just say I got rejected, I followed him around and got rejected.”
“I didn’t know you were into that kind of guy.”
“He’s good-looking.”
“…So you value external factors.”
“Then why did I follow you, Sir Knight? But do you really care about the investigation in the mansion yourself?”
“If you bother him once, he’ll keep bothering you.”
Whatever displeased him, his tone had been ticking me off.
He was truly an uncontrollable man.
“If you don’t take that thin fabric, the butler might scold you….”
“If you got rejected by Ronan, try following me this time.”
“…What?”
“Is there anyone in this mansion with better external qualities than me?”
Laches lowered his upper body, confidently bringing his face closer. If I hadn’t instinctively moved back, my nose might have grazed him.
“…Is this another whim of yours?”
“Is that not allowed?”
With a weak, mocking smile, his face was captivating. Infinitely reckless and mischievous.
Is he still thinking that he should have killed me with that wicked smile?
“I don’t want rumors to spread that I followed him twice and got rejected.”
“Why is it that I can’t read this man’s memories? There’s no one as difficult to understand as him.”
“Are you sure?”
“About what?”
“There might be rumors this time that you got rejected, you know?”
I took a step back, and Laches approached me as much as the distance I retreated. His agile movements were still deceptive.
“Are you kidding me?”
I extended my arms to push his shoulders away, turning my head to the side.
“That day, I brought you to the room when you were hurt. Do you remember what you said to me?”
“What did I say?”
“You begged for your life.”
“…!”
I felt strength in the hand on his shoulder, The face that had been composed revealed a blush.
“That was just…”
“So try following me. Well, if you cling and beg….”
“Are you telling me to cling and beg right now?”
Unconsciously, I cut off Laches’ words. He stopped speaking, and as he breathed, he looked at my blushing face and raised the corners of his mouth.
“I was asking if you would follow me if I clung and begged.”
My face became even hotter, Who on earth would say such things to a maid? He was truly an unpredictable man.
“Lord Deverti and Lady Palo will be arriving soon.”
As the names of those two were mentioned, I unknowingly bit my lower lip hard. In an instant, soft fingers came in to prevent me from biting my lips.
“Looks tough Still, I hope you give them a flawless welcome. Don’t break the tray again due to nerves.”
“Sure.”
“Of course, with my whims, I could exclude you from working today.”
“…”
“How about it? Do you feel like following me now?”
With a quiet laugh, Laches gently brushed my lower lip and then let go of my hand.
He was the ruler and dominator of the North, Everything depended on his word.
And Laches knew it very well, and he knew how to use it.
Instead of answering, I bowed my waist in greeting. Laches turned and walked away, his laughter echoing.
“I present Viscount Viorrentus.”
Dettor and Celia had arrived, I stood in the second row, bowing my waist as I waited.
“We should help each other, Please stay comfortably until the carriage is repaired.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Dettor’s attire seemed modest. I heard that the invested funds had been recovered, but it seemed like a significant blow.
He, who usually wouldn’t wear the same clothes twice and only wore outfits tailored by famous designers, was now wearing the same clothes again.
“Nature is so beautiful! I saw on the way here that there are still places in the North where the snow hasn’t fully melted. The capital is already experiencing the beginning of summer, and you can’t find any trace of snow. If there’s time, I’d like to look around. Can I ask for guidance later?”
Celia remained unchanged.
She was still affable and seemed carefree.
“I might find it difficult to escort you personally. I’ll arrange for someone to accompany you, so feel free to explore when you want.”
“Ah…”
“But as you probably know, there are water spirits in the northern region, so I recommend not wandering around. It’s not just a beautiful tale; there have been people who were swallowed by water spirits.”
“Wh-what?! Water spirits? Are they really real?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Are you not lying? I thought it was just a made-up story to glorify the greatness of the noble families… So, you’re saying there are people who died from water spirits in the northern region?”
Delia smiled brightly, Some were taken aback by her question, while others tried to hide a sad expression.
Laches remained silent with the same smiling face, not uttering a word.
His fist clenched so tightly that veins bulged on the back of his hand.
“Uh… scary.”
Surprised Delia shivered, sweeping her arms down. Dettor, who usually harbored inferiority towards Laches, took this opportunity to wrap his arms around Delia’s shoulders, laughing confidently.
“Why are you scared of such small water spirits? Don’t worry, Delia. If a water spirit appears, I’ll protect you.”
In response to Dettor’s self-assurance, Laches covered his mouth as if wiping away a smile. It was evident that he was mocking, looking at the trembling shoulders.
“Ahem, Have you had your meal? Instead of lingering here, let’s go to the dining hall.”
“I was just getting hungry. Oh, but before that, may I go change into a dress?”
“Of course, I’ll have someone guide you to your resting place, so take your time to look around, and we’ll meet at the dining hall.”
Having suppressed his mocking laughter, Laches called a servant to guide the two guests.
Two people wandered through the vast interior of the castle, following the butler.
The maids who had been waiting at the main entrance dispersed naturally as the guests disappeared.
I silently watched the backs of Détor and Delia as they moved away.
I knew that even if I died, it wouldn’t make a difference to these two.
Seeing their shameless faces with my own eyes was different from knowing it in my thoughts.
“I personally don’t see what’s handsome about those faces.”
As I clenched my fist tightly, a nonchalant voice interjected from the side.
“I heard the Earl of Deverty is rumored to be handsome, Nirelle also fell for the Earl of Deverty’s face. What about your thoughts?”
Laques asked seriously, stroking his chin.
“Am I handsome, or is the Earl of Deverty handsome?”
“What meaning does my answer have?”
I didn’t want to choose between the two, As I was about to answer vaguely, Laques suddenly grabbed my shoulder and turned me around, pushing me towards another direction.
“Any maid who doesn’t answer that the master is handsome should go right now and tidy up the garden.”
Sending me out into the cold night, What a scoundrel.
But as a maid who couldn’t refuse the master’s command, I nodded briefly and moved away.
…
Détor, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around at the sound of conversation. The voice seemed familiar.
Behind, Laques was talking with the maid.
A master who converses so openly with lower servants.
Just as Détor’s gaze was about to turn towards the maid’s face.
Laques suddenly grabbed the maid’s shoulder and pushed her away, making it impossible to see her face.
“…”
With a cold gaze illuminated in the darkness, Laques stood alone, staring at Détor, who had turned around.
It was the gaze of a male, standing tall and defiant, wary of an outsider who dared to challenge what belonged to him.
Just a mere maid.
Détor, feeling a chill, forced a chuckle, turned his body, and walked away.
