| 11

The indoor clothes Kirhin provided were certainly bright in color according to his taste, but Beitram, who emerged wearing them, still seemed to exude the smell of blood. I sat next to Kirhin after preparing simple tea, alcohol, and snacks.

Chess is a two-player game, so it was a good opportunity to observe from the side. Kirhin smiled as he arranged the chess pieces while Beitram took his seat.

“I’m not very skilled, so I’m not sure if I’ll be a worthy opponent.”

“What about the lady?”

Those narrow eyes turned toward me. I was about to put a honey-coated almond in my mouth to calm my nerves when I answered.

“I don’t know how to play.”

I did know, but I had barely learned the basics. So the plan was for Kirhin to be the opponent while I watched to see what Beitram was thinking.

“I heard you were learning all the noble accomplishments, so that’s unexpected. How about it? Would you like to learn on this occasion?”

“What?”

He wasn’t giving me a chance to eat my almond. As I stared at him blankly, Kirhin intervened.

“Lord Balshwin’s chess skills are famous enough to be compared to His Majesty’s. Would you find enjoyment in playing with such a little girl?”

“That depends on where one finds the enjoyment in a game.”

Beitram picked up a piece with an expressionless face.

“Instead, I’ll start without a queen and knights. And if you beat me even once, I’d like to grant you one wish.”

My eyes met Beitram’s directly. Beitram’s lips curved loosely.

“After all, you treated a wound I didn’t even know I had.”

“I’ll do it.”

I could almost hear Kirhin’s eyes rolling, but I switched places with him. Beitram’s side looked somewhat empty with three pieces missing.

I half-listened to Beitram explaining the rules while thinking about what wish I would make if I won. Actually, what I wanted most was permission for the trade deal with Freemont, but saying that would reveal that the Bickman family and I were involved in that matter, so I obviously couldn’t ask for that.

……I couldn’t wish for him to die either.

“You learn quickly.”

When I captured his last bishop with my knight, Beitram readily complimented me. But it was a meaningless compliment. It was already the seventh game, and I was losing every time.

Moves that I couldn’t anticipate at all would somehow, before I realized it, surround me like a spider’s web and topple my king every time.

Surprisingly, he seemed genuinely focused on the game. The sound of burning logs and distant rain created a peaceful atmosphere. The fact that Kirhin, who had been nervously chewing almonds for a while, was now dozing off was proof of that.

“It seems the Count is being too lenient. Is this how you express your gratitude?”

At my words, Beitram moved his rook to capture my knight with a rather cheerful face. As I clicked my tongue, he said quietly.

“Checkmate.”

“How?”

Unable to understand why even after looking at the chessboard, I asked, and Beitram’s explanation followed. He showed no signs of annoyance and even seemed kind. After hearing his explanation, I shook my head.

“Facing someone who calculates all possibilities in advance like this, it doesn’t seem possible to win.”

“Well. If you concentrate a bit more, wouldn’t it be possible? Since you don’t seem to have a wish you desire, you’re not desperate enough. Shall we change the conditions?”

While rearranging the pieces, Beitram glanced at Kirhin. Exhausted from entertaining guests while drinking throughout the party, Kirhin’s head had fallen to one side. Beitram’s voice quietly cut through the air.

“If you don’t win against me even once, Baron Bickman won’t see the sun tomorrow morning.”

A chill ran down my spine instantly. It felt as if someone had suddenly gripped my heart. Unable to exhale the breath I had been naturally taking all this time, I raised my eyes. Those transparent glass-like eyes were coldly smiling.

This wasn’t just idle talk. He was a butcher who could swing a knife at a person at any time. The vivid fear of death loomed before my eyes. Feeling my throat constrict on its own, I clutched the chess piece and barely suppressed my trembling.

“You’re being excessively rude. Using someone’s life as a subject for jokes.”

“It’s not a joke, so it can’t be called rude. Isn’t the real rudeness being committed by the person playing the game without sincerity, Lady Bickman?”

The corner of Beitram’s mouth twisted. I had the illusion that a fishy smell was rippling. I knocked over my own king and said.

“I have no intention of playing a game with my brother’s life at stake.”

“Then how about someone else’s life?”

“I also feel the same with my life……”

As I was trying to answer calmly, I stopped speaking when I saw what he took out of his pocket and placed on the chessboard. It felt like all my hair stood on end. My heart was pounding as if it would jump out of my mouth. I couldn’t believe it.

I reached out with trembling hands and picked up the intricately crafted perfume bottle. The brilliant green jewel, reminiscent of someone’s eyes, sparkled in the dim light.

“Why, how did this end up in your hands, Count?”

“Because I failed to kill the owner of this perfume bottle.”

Beitram added, loosely curving the corners of his eyes.

“If you don’t beat me, I’m thinking of trying again.”

I wanted to get up and leave this place immediately. It was hard to maintain my composure. My mind was filled with thoughts of Lars.

Could he be in danger? Had he come here with the intention of doing something to him and then harming my brother and me? This meaningless chess game might just be entertainment.

My breathing becomes increasingly rapid. Could I survive if I begged? Should I scream now to wake my brother? No, if something happened to him, do I even have a reason to live?

Amidst these dizzying thoughts, I barely raised my eyes to look at Beitram and frowned. Those cold eyes were watching me intently, as if trying to read my thoughts.

No, that’s not it. If he had killed Lars, the Count wouldn’t need to go through such trouble.

Lars was the one who orchestrated this with some purpose. If the Count had found and harmed him, the Bickman family would be nothing more than insects that could be crushed under his fingernail at any time.

“……Perhaps.”

Taking a difficult breath, I forcibly raised one corner of my mouth.

“Did you encourage Troy Langberton to kill me, Count?”

“What?”

Beitram’s brow furrowed. I spoke up with as little emotion as possible.

“This perfume bottle is mine, and the only person who tried to kill me was that man. But you said you failed, so…”

The firewood crackled as it burned. After a moment of silence, Beitram gave a shallow snort.

“Clever. Very clever, Lady Bickman. Honestly, beyond my expectations.”

“Thank you for the compliment, but……”

“I find you interesting. That’s why I’m giving you a chance. A chance to save him.”

Interrupting me, Beitram moved a pawn one space. Seeing my gaze shift to the chessboard, he smiled leisurely and whispered.

“There won’t be a second chance, so why don’t you use that smart head of yours well and try to beat me?”

I swallowed dryly. Cold sweat ran down my spine.

There seemed to be no way out. With my mind too complicated, I decided to believe the simplest thing for now.

The Count would not kill me or Kirhin here, at least.

Probably.

“If you’re a butcher who kills people anytime as rumored, you could strangle my neck with your hands whenever you want.”

I gripped a pawn. And slowly raised my eyes to glare at those golden-green eyes that didn’t seem human.

“If you’re angry because I made it boring, I apologize. Then, thinking my life is at stake, I’ll do my best.”

The thin lips crossing that dark red face draw a cold curve. With one hand clutching the perfume bottle that had returned to me as if for support, I began to move my pieces.

* * *

Lars looked up from the map of Freemont he had been studying. The violent storm had subsided a little, but the sound of rain was still noisy. It was a night when any commotion would likely be drowned out.

Looking out the dark window, he naturally sighed and frowned. With the weather this terrible, those who attended the Bickman family’s party today would be stranded.

It would be her first time hosting so many guests as the lady of the house—was she doing well?

The sound of burning logs seemed suddenly louder, and Lars sighed as he rubbed his face. The last image he had of Lucienne was vividly coming back to life in his mind.

There was no need to burn the invitation.

Frowning, he silently stared into the darkness.

In fact, until he ran into Lucienne that day, he had been planning to officially entrust her with organizing the ledgers for the Nix merchant group. Lucienne would certainly do that job better than anyone else.

He was worried, it was true, but as she said, they shared the same fate as long as she belonged to the Bickman family. Besides, Balshwin’s attention was already drawn to her, so it was too late to pull out. It would be better to know the situation and respond quickly.