Nobles who enjoyed hunting would often present their finest game to the woman they were interested in. The size of the game or how fearsome a beast it was could be seen as a way to prove one’s feelings for the woman.

I turned back with a deliberately calm expression, leaving behind the servants’ excited faces, but it was clearly an issue I needed to consider.

Chester had always been courteous and listened to my random stories without showing any sign of boredom. I also enjoyed hearing about how he had wandered and lived in various places when he was young, making him the person I met most frequently after Kirhin’s succession ceremony. Though recently I had declined his visits several times because I was busy.

In Edmus, a woman’s marriageable age is typically between 17 and 20. And for nobles, it was customary to get engaged first and then prepare for marriage over a period of six months to a year.

As everyone thought, Chester was the best marriage prospect for me. Probably no better match would appear. I knew this well in my head. Very well.

I gave a formal bow of gratitude.

“The most important thing is not getting hurt. Above all, I’m glad you returned safely.”

“I’d like to return those exact words to you.”

Chester’s voice lowered as he sat on the sofa following me. He pulled himself forward, interlocking his fingers. His golden sun-like eyes were gazing at me seriously.

“I was very worried when I heard the news. The hunting competition was held in the Cumen region, so I only found out after everything was over. What exactly happened, Lucy?”

Sometimes when he revealed his affection for me like this, I would feel unnecessarily embarrassed. I noticed his gaze was fixed on the bandages wrapped around both my wrists, and I pulled down my sleeves.

“It was nothing but a misunderstanding. The culprit was caught, and I’m safe, so it can be considered resolved. This is just because an overly concerned maid insisted I keep them wrapped, worried that the scars might still be visible.”

I glared at Maya, who had just brought in tea while suppressing a mischievous smile. As I continued watching her retreat with small steps, Chester picked up his teacup and said,

“Still, after such an incident, it would be good if you could recuperate in a warmer region. Why are you so busy? You haven’t rejected meeting me three times because you don’t like me, have you?”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly at his pretend-hurt tone as he looked at me with wide eyes.

“I really was busy. The head maid position is vacant, so there’s a lot of household matters to handle.”

“You’re doing that yourself? Couldn’t you have the butler or other maids do it?”

“I thought I should learn about it. A master who knows nothing tends to be disrespected everywhere.”

A light smile appeared on Chester’s lips. It was an elegant, leisurely smile. He gazed at me quietly and spoke,

“You truly are wise. Beyond your beautiful appearance.”

The tea I had just taken a sip of nearly choked me like a stone blocking my throat, but I managed to compose my breathing with all my strength. As I blinked and fidgeted with my teacup, Chester smiled brightly and asked,

“So, is Lucy also planning the Bickman family’s New Year’s party?”

There was one more major burden for me besides understanding the internal situation, which was already keeping me busy. That was the upcoming New Year’s party. Just thinking about it made my neck feel stiff, so I straightened my back firmly.

“I’m thinking of holding it on a small scale. There’s not much planning involved, just preparing invitations.”

Chester, who had been nodding at my words, raised his eyes. His golden eyes were sparkling.

“I have a favor to ask. Will you grant it?”

“What is it?”

“Invite me to the party.”

“That’s not difficult……”

“As your partner.”

My smiling lips froze awkwardly mid-response. Chester stood up from his seat and knelt on one knee before me. Resting his arm on his raised knee, he looked up at me and spoke in a quiet but clear voice:

“I formally request the right to escort Miss Lucienne Bickman that day.”

* * *

Lars was holding a letter in his hand, but his gaze had flown out the window long ago. The problems he had to consider were never simple, but among them, Lucienne was truly not an easy matter.

‘Just wait and see. If you send me to the convent, from that day on, I’ll become your biggest headache. Not Beitram Balshwin.’

He would guarantee that only she could make such a fearless statement. When they first met, he had merely thought her bold, never imagining she would become such a troublemaker, growing her presence like a snowball.

The bigger problem was that it didn’t seem like mere bravado. Until just a few months ago, Lucienne had spent her days caring for an elderly patient, but now she had perfectly mastered all the qualities required of a noble family’s young lady. Her learning ability was impressive, but even more astonishing was her ability to take action.

Lucienne was not the type to sit quietly in a corner. She actively verified what she had thought up in her small head by going out into the field. She didn’t care whether it was a succession ceremony where everyone was dismissive, a recitation meeting where she had to overcome the curious gazes of strangers, or the butcher’s district that people avoided. She seemed to have no sacred boundaries.

That meant Count Balshwin was no exception either. Feeling his head grow distant, Lars closed his eyes tightly.

……She can speak of him so lightly because she doesn’t know much about the Count.

He wanted to think that way, but his instincts told a different story. The gray eyes that had asked him to trust and rely on her contained an indomitable will. It didn’t look like something that would easily fade away.

In fact, he had always sought out people like her. Bold people who wouldn’t succumb to the reputation of Beitram Balshwin, known as the existing demon, and could overcome that fear. Clever people who could read and utilize situations. People prepared to sacrifice themselves willingly for the greater cause.

If Lucienne had been a man of about twenty, he would have welcomed her with open arms. He would have offered any price. But…

Frowning, Lars rubbed his face.

Recently, Lucienne’s beauty had become as noticeable as flowers blooming abundantly in midwinter. Praise for her abundant hair like beautifully woven silver thread and her calm gray eyes that conveyed a different level of intelligence was frequently heard.

Yesterday, a wandering minstrel in the marketplace had recited a song that turned her kidnapping incident into a heroic tale. Every line was so sweet that it was unbearable to listen to without grimacing, making it impossible to hear until the end.

If only she had a cause. If she had a reason worth risking her life for.

Then he could reach out his hand and ask her to come to his side, even if it meant refusing all the other flowery paths laid before her.

‘I want to help both of you.’

Recalling Lucienne who had said that with straightforward eyes, Lars couldn’t help but laugh helplessly. If that was the driving force moving her, it was woefully insufficient. He couldn’t make her cross hellfire with him for such a meager reason.

‘If someone were to come rescue me, I’d like it to be you.’

But try as he might to shake it off, the bold gaze that confronted him head-on immediately pulled at all his nerves. It wasn’t difficult to recognize the emotion contained in that fervent gaze that had scrutinized his face thoroughly, as if determined not to leave even a single hair unknown.

For such a reason, it was even more impossible. Yet, even while thinking it impossible, Lars could not understand himself for constantly trying to revisit that gaze.

“……You’re not listening to a word I’m saying right now.”

Yanken, who had been talking beside him the whole time, finally voiced his discontent. Lars let out a hollow laugh and turned to look at him with his arms crossed.

“Nix says he’s ready too. Start distributing the goods tomorrow. Keep watching around the merchant group for a while.”

“Rafkin is in charge of that. Fortunately, Nix is quite skilled. And his hatred for the Count remains strong.”

Nix’s family had been merchants trading goods to and from Freemont, but they were all massacred by Balshwin several years ago. Only Nix survived because he was in another province on business at the time.

Even though he wanted revenge, he couldn’t even see Balshwin’s face, so he suffered from helplessness every day. He tried to somehow continue the family business, but the merchant group quickly fell into ruin. Just as he was barely maintaining its existence, Kirhin found him.