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I looked out the window while yawning slightly. It seemed it had rained at dawn, as the fog hadn’t completely cleared, making the scenery look murky. Just like my mind.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, I was lying on the sofa in the study with a blanket over me. It seemed I had moved there after finding it uncomfortable to sleep at the desk.

I felt like I had dreamed something while sleeping, but my mind was so hazy that I couldn’t remember anything. After washing and grooming myself, it was already approaching lunchtime when I sat at the table.

Thinking it would be better to have a proper lunch later, I ordered tea. The hunger was satisfied with milk tea and a little fruit. Maya brought a teapot when she noticed my cup was empty and grumbled.

“Miss, you really don’t know how to take care of your body. Why on earth did you sleep on that hard sofa when you have a soft, fluffy bed? You’ll really get sick that way.”

“If you were so worried, you should have woken me up instead of covering me with a blanket. What a lot of talk from someone who let their mistress sleep on a sofa.”

When I snorted mockingly, Maya blinked her eyes.

“Me?”

“Weren’t you the one who came in the early morning and covered me with a blanket?”

“You said you didn’t need help with bedtime because you had to work late, so yesterday I went straight to my room with Shanti. And then I went to your room this morning.”

“Who is Shanti?”

“The little girl you brought. Did you bring her without even knowing her name?”

I awkwardly averted my gaze at Maya’s bewildered expression and picked up my teacup.

“Teach her well. She’s a clever child.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make her just like me.”

“……”

Though I had much to say, I tactfully blocked my mouth with the warm tea. It seemed better to argue with Maya after lunch.

“You’ll rest at the mansion today, right? It’s time to prepare summer dresses, so we could call a dressmaker for once……”

“I was thinking of stopping by the merchant group this afternoon. I want to look around the new warehouse too. There must be work piled up. And I need to deliver the new contracts we brought back.”

I tried to casually change the subject, anticipating what she would say, but Maya wasn’t one to give up so easily. She approached me intimidatingly and lowered her voice.

“Miss, you know I don’t say this often, right? There’s a big party this week. Lady Isabel’s engagement party! I’ve been telling you about it for a month.”

“Seems like you mention it every time you open your mouth. Isn’t that often?”

“The point is, Miss, that this is not the time to be in and out of that merchant group every single day. You’re already twenty-two. Lady Matu, who got married two years ago, is already a mother of one!”

I stretched my lips and folded my arms across my chest.

Maya’s fervor, which had started last year, was growing increasingly intense this year. It was because I had reached an age that awkwardly straddled the outer boundary of marriageable age, so Maya, being a loyal maid, couldn’t just stand by.

After passing twenty-two, the number of meeting requests significantly decreases. In this country, there were only two cases where noble ladies didn’t marry: either they had a major defect like illness, or they had committed themselves to a convent to serve God.

Until now, I had avoided it using various circumstances as excuses, but I couldn’t escape this custom either. If I didn’t marry and continued to go around managing the merchant group as I did now, I didn’t know what kind of unsavory rumors I might become entangled in.

Since I couldn’t do outside work if I entered a convent, I did need to find a marriage partner if I had to choose. But I had a big problem. I looked at Maya calmly and said:

“It’s not my fault that no match has been decided.”

“……But it is your fault that you’re not trying.”

Though she hesitated very briefly, Maya stood firm with her head held high. Exasperated, I frowned.

“Your tongue has grown quite long, Maya.”

“All thanks to you, Miss.”

After her bold retort, she seemed to feel guilty and plopped down next to me. Her expression had hardened darkly.

“No matter how difficult it is to find someone, I think you should attend such gatherings more actively, especially at times like this. Otherwise, people will misunderstand even more. If we just stay quiet like this, truly, those idle people will wag their tongues carelessly.”

I immediately understood what Maya meant. I had already heard through the merchant group about rumors that might circulate in markets or maid gatherings.

It seemed the inevitable time had come. Unable to resist Maya’s dejected face, I let out a faint sigh and wrapped her hands with mine.

“Alright. But not this week. It will really be difficult to make time.”

“Then next Tuesday. Lady Rangler’s tea party. On Thursday morning, there’s a noble ladies’ gathering hosted by Lady Temasi, and on Friday, there’s a dinner party hosted by Duchess Pichet. Since the nature of the three gatherings is different, the first priority is to get dresses made. You haven’t bought new clothes recently.”

Who turned the once-innocent Maya into such a meticulous character?

Feeling overwhelmed by her, who was now wielding her whip like a sheepherder with gleaming eyes, I raised my hand weakly in an attempt to resist.

“Wait. Do I have to attend all three?”

“Well, if you insist you can’t, we’ll skip the tea party. It’s important to show your face at the noble ladies’ gathering, and you absolutely must attend the dinner party. It’s the most splendid party with the most attendees.”

I knew better than anyone how splendid Duchess Pichet was. After all, the Nix merchant group was in charge of the jewels she purchased.

Though my head was already spinning, I decided to resign myself. Life is a series of choices. If it became truly unbearable, I could always put everything down and enter a convent, so I needed to make at least a minimal effort.

“Fine. But let’s stop by the dressmaker’s on the way to the merchant group this afternoon to get measured.”

“Yes! Then I’ll tell them to prepare lunch right away!”

Maya ran down the corridor with a bright smile. I let out a hollow laugh and pressed my temples firmly.

With more tasks to do, I needed to allocate my time well. As I was thinking about the most efficient route, I saw Maya walking back hesitantly toward me.

“What now? Do you have more orders?”

“Miss……”

Seeing her face, usually not one to trail off like her mistress, now colored with tension, I stood up. Looking out the window, I noticed a huge man just dismounting from a black horse.

My whole body stiffened. A terrible feeling of disgust welled up, making my clenched fists tremble. And simultaneously, fear seeped deep into my bones.

I hated myself for fearing him. It seemed like it would never change, no matter how much time passed.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The heavy sound of knocking on the door echoed. Most visitors rang the bell attached to the door, but he always knocked.

Though the sound was expected, my heart seemed to freeze coldly. Maya looked at me with anxious eyes before walking toward the door with small steps. I heard Brook greeting him.

“A splendid day, Count. It seems you’ve been hunting.”

“A carriage loaded with game should arrive soon. I brought it because it’s not much use to me.”

I got goosebumps at his unpleasant voice that sounded like scraping metal. I gritted my teeth and took a breath. My hand was automatically reaching for the dagger in my chest.

“Count.”

“Bring something to wipe with.”

His footsteps approached after naturally giving instructions to Maya as if it were his own house. After closing my eyes briefly and opening them again, I turned my head to see Beitram with a reddish face spattered with blood.

He didn’t wear the attire that nobles typically wore for hunting. He wore neither a leather vest to protect his body nor a thin mesh armor. As if not afraid of beast claws, he often went hunting in a flannel shirt more suitable for wearing at home.

The shirt he wore today must have been white. Although now it looked like a red shirt with a few white spots.

“Lady Bickman. It seems lunch isn’t ready yet.”

He brushed back his disheveled hair while addressing me with an expressionless face as he removed his gloves. I stared at him without moving and opened my mouth.

“I see you’ve returned alive again today.”

I noticed Maya stumbling as she brought a wet towel and a basin of water. However, Beitram merely raised his eyebrows calmly.

“Do you wish for my death so much?”

“No. Lord Balshwin, you must never die while hunting, absolutely not. So always be careful.”

At my answer, his lips tilted askew. His eyes, split between blue and golden-green, gazed at me as if finding me interesting. His thin lips opened slowly.

“Because you must kill me with your own hands?”

Maya’s arm, kneeling beside him and lifting a towel soaked in warm water over his head, trembled slightly. When I didn’t answer, Beitram snorted briefly and picked up the towel to wipe the blood stains from his face.

“For that, you should focus more on sword practice than frequenting the merchant group. That is, if you don’t want to see innocent people die again.”

His ominous, low voice evoked old memories. With clenched fists, I answered with a face feigning composure:

“Have patience. I’m looking for an opportunity.”

“There are many who want to kill me, so you should hurry. You might lose your turn. Ah, and.”

Beitram, who had raised one eyebrow as if it were no big deal, casually threw the towel he had used to roughly wipe the blood stains from his neck into the water basin next to Maya. Looking sideways at Maya, who was startled and looking up with wide eyes, he laughed.

“Also remember that if you fail, it will be this maid’s neck that gets cut this time.”

I heard Maya inhale strangely. With a noticeably tense face and trembling pale lips, she fell right on her backside as soon as Beitram raised his hand.

The water basin overturned, spilling the water stained red with blood onto the floor. Maya’s bewildered eyes were welling up as if she might cry. Beitram frowned and clicked his tongue.

“She’s useless, so I could cut her down now, but I’m hungry, so bring me a meal first.”

“Y-yes! I’ll b-bring it right away.”

With a voice trembling pitifully, Maya barely managed to speak as she struggled to leave with the water basin and towel. Her steps were so precarious that it was a relief she didn’t fall.