As they climbed the winding spiral staircase and got closer to the ground level, tension and anticipation built up.

“Ah…”

A gasp escaped Eve’s lips as she stepped onto the wide, immaculately clean corridor that seemed to shine. The sight of the corridor, brightly lit by sunlight, was like a dream.

‘How long has it been?’

This was the first time she had left the basement since being brought to Count Renox’s mansion.

Outside the corridor windows, lush green grass swayed in the wind. Eve couldn’t take her eyes off the scenery for a while.

While she was captivated by the outside view:

“I’ll go finish my conversation with Count Renox. Meanwhile, prepare yourself to move to my domain.”

“Prepare to move?”

Eve looked at Medric with round eyes, wondering what preparations were needed since she had already gathered her belongings from the basement.

Medric stared back at Eve, then stopped a passing servant and said:

“Have Eve bathed thoroughly and provide her with proper clothes.”

“P-pardon? Yes, sir.”

The startled servant looked at Eve and Medric with wide eyes, then bowed reflexively.

Eve finally understood what Medric meant.

She looked down at herself. Besides her darkened skin, her clothes were covered in dirt and bloodstains from rolling on the ground.

‘Indeed, I couldn’t go anywhere like this, let alone to his domain.’

She felt embarrassed by her appearance, which she had grown accustomed to. After rotting in the basement, she had strayed far from the proper appearance of nobility.

“I’ll see you later, then.”

Eve watched Medric disappear toward the reception room after saying what he needed to, then turned to follow the servant.

***

Medric sat down in a chair placed at one side of the reception room.

Across from him, Baptiste and his son Joseph were standing to greet him.

“Did your conversation go well?”

Baptiste bowed his head to Medric with an awkward smile.

“Coffee.”

As Medric sat down, he asked a servant standing by for coffee. Baptiste’s face turned red at Medric’s attitude of ignoring him.

After drinking about half of his coffee, Medric set the cup down on the table and spoke.

“I plan to leave today.”

“By leaving, you mean…”

“I’m taking Eve with me.”

Baptiste’s body stiffened. Joseph beside him grimaced and his lips twitched.

Though he had roughly guessed from the conversation in the basement, he hadn’t expected it to be announced so bluntly.

Baptiste hid the complicated expression on his face and said:

“Would you please reconsider taking Eve away?”

“Why should I?”

“…The cost of bringing Eve here was substantial. Could I offer you something else instead of Eve?”

“In place of Eve, could you offer your family crest?”

Baptiste nearly bit his tongue. ‘A family crest, of all things!’

The family crest was given by the royal court as proof of their protection. No matter how valuable Eve was—no, regardless of who it might be—nothing could be exchanged for the family crest.

Baptiste couldn’t even respond to Medric’s demand, which exceeded his expectations.

Though Joseph had been ordered to remain silent until Baptiste spoke, he couldn’t contain himself any longer.

Joseph slammed his fist on the table.

Bang!

“This is too unreasonable! Eve was originally under the care of the Renox family—what reason do we have to hand her over, even to a duke?!”

“Control yourself!”

Baptiste stopped Joseph, who was trembling with uncontrollable anger, with a stern voice.

This was in the presence of the Duke of Archild, after all. At the very least, they should avoid giving him any reason to find fault with them.

Unaware of Baptiste’s concerns, Joseph unleashed his pent-up frustration.

“I’ve wanted her for a year now. You may not know this, Duke, but Eve and I have shared intimate moments together. Even if you are a duke, Eve would prefer to be with me!”

Baptiste’s mouth fell open.

“Shared intimate moments…?”

Medric, his brows tightly knitted, made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

When Joseph’s eyes met Medric’s, his earlier bravado vanished, and he lowered his gaze. Medric’s eyes looked fierce enough to devour someone.

The blazing look in those crimson eyes was enough to make one’s knees weak just by looking at them.

Joseph flinched momentarily at that gaze, but determined not to back down, he leaned forward with his eyes lowered and spoke once more.

“I claimed her first. For Eve, being with me would be better than with a duke she’s meeting for the first time…!”

“Enough.”

This was truly the limit.

Medric stood up and approached where Joseph was sitting.

“Listen carefully.”

Joseph unconsciously retreated a step.

“With one word, you could lose not only your life but your entire family.”

As that low, threatening voice pierced his ears, Joseph froze as if his body had turned to stone.

A threat to a nobleman. Despite the difference between a duke and a count, there was basic etiquette that should be observed.

Joseph felt anger rising above fear at Medric’s condescending attitude and threats, but his body wouldn’t respond. Fear enveloped him—fear that if he continued speaking, he might truly not be able to gather his bones afterward.

“Should I demonstrate it personally?”

Medric spoke while looking directly at Baptiste.

It was a warning. A warning not to displease him any further.

A precarious tension filled the reception room.

Baptiste then spoke to a servant outside the reception room.

“It seems Joseph is unwell. Guide him to his room and call for a physician. I have urgent matters to discuss with the Duke, so don’t let anyone in!”

Now that the family had been mentioned, Baptiste couldn’t remain silent.

He couldn’t afford to provoke Medric further and escalate the situation.

“Father! What are you saying? This is different from what you said earlier!”

“Enough! You’re in the presence of the Duke. You seem very tired, so let’s continue our conversation after I finish speaking with the Duke.”

It would take considerable effort to appease Joseph, who would surely be upset after being dismissed like this, but there was no other choice at the moment.

As servants dragged out Joseph, who was throwing a tantrum and refusing to leave, finally only Medric and Baptiste remained in the reception room.

A brief silence fell. Baptiste wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, wrung his hands, and once again brought up Eve in an attempt to negotiate.

“Please forgive my son for disturbing you. He still doesn’t understand the ways of the world.”

As Baptiste humbly bowed his head, Medric’s demeanor seemed to soften compared to earlier.

“I only want one thing. To take Eve with me. Nothing else matters.”

Baptiste kept his head bowed low and thought quickly. In this situation, the best course of action was to step back and give Medric what he wanted to appease his anger.

In conclusion, Baptiste decided to send Eve to Medric before incurring greater losses.

“Very well. It’s fine for you to take Eve now. However…”

Baptiste changed his objective. He glanced up at Medric cautiously.

“About what you mentioned earlier… regarding the tribute to the royal court that disappeared…”

“Ah.”

Medric spoke as if it were of little importance.

“I’ll come back to discuss those matters later. Taking Eve is the priority now.”

Baptiste bit his lip hard.

He had hoped that by giving up Eve, the issues of tax evasion, forgery, and embezzlement would be forgotten, but with things having become so complicated, this wasn’t the time to ask for leniency.

He never knew when Medric might bring these matters up again to threaten him.

Baptiste couldn’t shake the feeling that letting Joseph have his way had only made things worse.

***

The servants’ hands were busy preparing Eve.

Not only had the countess’s old toilette room been opened, but since Eve had no suitable clothes, even the countess’s dresses were prepared.

After being thoroughly washed by the maids in hastily prepared bathwater and soaking in water mixed with fragrance oils, Eve felt her mind clearing and her thoughts lifting.

The bathwater must have contained medicinal herbs along with the fragrance oils, as she could feel the pain from her wounds subsiding and the redness diminishing.

After the meticulous bath, Eve was dressed in a plain chemise with a thin robe over it.

Eve’s body was covered in too many visible wounds. The maids busily applied powder to her body while she wore the robe.

“Do I really need this?”