Beitram, furrowing his brow, stood up and grabbed Chester’s shoulder. Though Chester was tall, he wasn’t as tall as Beitram.

“Don’t raise your voice in front of me. I hate noise very much. To the point where I can’t stand it without eliminating it.”

A palpable killing intent coated his low, intimidating voice. Seeing Chester stiffen in surprise, I stepped toward him and said.

“You should go back, Lord Chester. The rain is getting heavier.”

“But, then the same applies to Lord Beitram. If he stays here alone and unnecessary rumors spread……”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

Releasing the hand he had been pressing down with, Beitram added dryly.

“I swear before the lady that I will not leave a single mouth that spreads useless rumors.”

His tone suggested this wasn’t just idle talk, even without the oath. I took a short breath as Beitram glanced at me with an eerie smile.

Chester couldn’t do anything here anyway. Whatever the Count’s reason was for coming here, there was no place for him in it.

In a worst-case scenario, his friendship with the Balshwin family would prevent him from protecting me with his life, and his relationship with me would hold him back from turning away. Neither option seemed particularly helpful.

“You should leave before it gets any later. By returning safely, you’ll be helping me, since I invited you here.”

I spoke to Chester once more. Seemingly having made the inevitable judgment, he looked at Kirhin once and turned around.

“I’ll visit as soon as the weather improves.”

After looking back at Beitram a couple of times, he put on his hat and the coat handed to him by a servant. When the door opened and closed, the mansion was enveloped in silence.

I could see Kirhin rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants. Still, he seemed to have calmed down somewhat, wearing a smile tinged with resignation.

“You should wash up first. Take the Count to his room. Quickly, give him that towel first.”

Maya, who had been holding a towel for some time but hadn’t dared to approach, came forward hesitantly at Kirhin’s words. However, as soon as she received Beitram’s gaze, her legs seemed to give out, and she collapsed on the spot.

“I-I’m sorry, my lord. I’m sorry.”

Her small hands, holding up the towel above her head, trembled violently. Seeing Beitram approach her with narrowed eyes, I quickly intervened and snatched the towel.

“That’s enough. You go get medicine to treat wounds.”

At my voice, Maya, finally breathing as if she had come back to life, barely got up and disappeared with hurried steps. Beitram, taking the towel I handed him, asked as if my words were unexpected.

“The blood on my clothes isn’t mine, though.”

“Some of it is yours, Count. Drops of blood keep falling from your wrist.”

Of course, he would have been covered in the blood of the beast he hunted, but some of it was his own. Despite being washed away by the rain, vivid red droplets still dotted his path.

“Hmm,” Beitram exhaled languidly. His gaze was once again intensely scanning me.

“You’re kind. And your eyes are quick.”

“Not at all. If the floor gets dirty, many people will have to work hard.”

At my words, which implied that his blood was dirtying the floor, Beitram’s lips tilted faintly. Raising his brow, he spoke as if he had just remembered something.

“Ah. Is this a habit from when you were a maid?”

“Lord Balshwin. My sister’s honor is the same as my own.”

Kirhin intervened with clenched fists. Knowing how fearful he usually was, I was quite surprised. As I blinked, assessing the atmosphere, Beitram shrugged and laughed.

“Yes, since they’re the same, are you the one damaging your precious sister’s honor? After all, the vulgar rumors about why Miss Bickman came to this mansion must have originated from a man named Kirhin Bickman.”

“You go too far!”

As Kirhin’s voice rose, his face reddening, a vein bulged on Beitram’s forehead. Recalling his words when threatening Chester, I hurriedly stepped between the two.

“Count. Surely you didn’t come here to talk about such vulgar rumors, as you say. What is your reason for coming to the Bickman house through this storm?”

As I deliberately lowered my voice to sound calm, Beitram slowly looked at me. His eyes, which seemed devoid of life, emitted a transparent light.

“I believe I already told you.”

“No.”

I shook my head and said.

“If you’re referring to the nearest hunting ground to the mansion, that would be Rarefield Forest, but on the western edge of the forest is the winter villa used by the Odonell family. The Odonell family would have welcomed you with open arms, of course.”

Odonell was a successful merchant who helped with Balshwin’s trading business. If Beitram had barged in there, the servants managing the villa would have gladly given him the entire place and more.

Balshwin had come to this mansion. Naturally, it couldn’t be a visit without purpose. So I tried to touch on that with the most innocent face I could muster.

Beitram stared at me without blinking once. It felt like an invisible long needle was piercing my eyes and stirring up my insides, making it difficult to endure for long. As I awkwardly raised the corners of my mouth in the ensuing silence, Beitram suddenly burst into laughter.

Though he was clearly smiling, he felt like a beast baring its sharp teeth and roaring. I swallowed dryly and reminded myself.

If I knew nothing, I wouldn’t fear him so excessively. All I had heard were just a few rumors that seemed exaggerated.

My wariness of him should definitely be different from Kirhin’s. So it would be better to take a bold approach.

“Would you like to play chess? It’s still too early to retire.”

“……What?”

At Beitram’s sudden question, I parted my lips slightly. Beitram showed his teeth and grinned.

“I’m very interested in you siblings. That’s why I came here.”

Astonished, I looked at Kirhin. He was looking at me as well. An awkward atmosphere hovered around us.

“Then I’ll return shortly in a more gentlemanly appearance.”

Watching Beitram casually follow Brook after giving a light nod, I took a deep breath. Kirhin, who had been staggering, fumbled for a chair and collapsed into it.

“Brother.”

As I sat at his knee and carefully looked up at him, cold sweat was running down his pale cheeks. Licking his parched lips, he muttered.

“This isn’t good. This really isn’t good. He must have noticed something. He came to harm us. The day has finally come. I didn’t think it would come so quickly. I wasn’t mentally prepared at all. Marina, I didn’t even say goodbye to Oliju.”

“If that were the case, he would have had many other opportunities.”

“What?”

Kirhin’s blue eyes, which had been unfocused and trembling, finally turned to me. I gently patted the back of his hand and whispered.

“He barged in when everyone was here, so if something happens to us tonight, the Count would inevitably be implicated. If he intended to harm us, he would have chosen to handle it quietly.”

“You, aren’t you afraid? This is Beitram Balshwin, the Blood Butcher. He personally came to our mansion. How can you be so calm?”

“I think this is an opportunity.”

“Opportunity?”

Kirhin’s mouth fell open as if genuinely surprised. I nodded briefly and lowered my voice, scanning our surroundings.

“The Count doesn’t yet know everything about you, brother. So he must have come to find out. And as Quido said, he’s also interested in me.”

At the name Quido, Kirhin instinctively lowered his body. He seemed to finally understand why I was looking around cautiously. I spoke quietly to him as he glanced around.

“Since we’ve encountered the Count anyway, we need to find out what kind of person he is. We can’t just be victims.”

Kirhin took a breath as if he’d been struck, then let out a long, heavy sigh. With slumped shoulders, he began to tear at his hair.

“You seem to have no fear at all. Until this morning, you were like a person at death’s door, and now your eyes are suddenly shining……”

Suddenly, Kirhin stopped speaking. With a contorted face, he brought his head close to mine and asked accusingly.

“You, you’re doing this because you’re thinking of him, aren’t you? You want to use this as an excuse to get involved in business again? I’ve never seen such a moth to a flame!”

“We don’t have a choice right now anyway.”

As I spoke firmly and stood up, Kirhin looked up at me with an incredulous face. I raised my eyebrows and smiled brightly.

“Let’s prepare for the game.”