Chapter 2

The place the man pointed to was a brunch café that had just opened.  

“The weather is nice today, so the outdoor seating should be fine, right?”  

Helen was too flustered to speak. As if he hadn’t expected an answer in the first place, the man smiled faintly and led her to the outdoor terrace. He nonchalantly pulled out a chair and gestured.  

“Have a seat.”  

“Why should I?”  

“Isn’t it better than collapsing on the ground?”  

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Her legs were trembling from the sudden sprint. Helen resolved to catch her breath for a moment and reluctantly dropped into the chair. The man smiled knowingly, as if he had anticipated this, and sat across from her, raising his hand to call a waiter.  

Helen stared incredulously at the man calling for service. His shameless attitude, despite dragging her into a messy affair, was utterly baffling.  

“Who exactly are you?”  

“Call me Ray. Have you had breakfast?”  

“That’s not the issue right now…”  

“You haven’t, have you? Good. I didn’t want to eat alone.” 

Before Helen could respond to his unreasonable attitude, the waiter arrived. The man ordered a simple breakfast: poached eggs, bacon, toast with cheese, and orange juice. Only after finishing his order did he turn back to Helen.  

“By the way, I’m sorry about earlier. For dragging you into that mess.”  

“I thought you’d forgotten, but it’s a relief you remember.”  

“Won’t you forgive me?”  

Well, if you don’t, there’s nothing I can do. 

He chuckled lightly.  

Was this what it meant to be taken advantage of while wide awake? 

Helen narrowed her eyes instead of responding. She could feel the piercing stares of passersby glancing at her. It was no wonder—her companion’s devastatingly handsome appearance could melt even the worst temper. To anyone watching, it might seem absurd for her to be angry at such a flawless person.  

The man, observing Helen as if studying her, rested his elbows on the table and clasped his hands under his chin. His strikingly handsome face leaned closer, making her uncomfortable.  

“What’s your name, Miss?”  

“I’d rather not tell you. And I don’t need breakfast…”  

“I saw you standing at the bus stop earlier. Were you waiting for a carriage?”  

“And if I was?”  

“It already left. I saw it myself.”  

“You…!”  

Helen was beyond disbelief. She had only met this man a few minutes ago, yet her entire schedule had been thrown into chaos in that short time. Her face turned red with frustration. Finally, the man, as if trying to soothe her, asked gently,  

“Where were you headed?”  

“Why should I tell you that?”  

“Groene Hall, wasn’t it?”  

“How do you…?”  

“You’re the new tutor, right?”  

Did the people in this town have some uncanny ability to recognize outsiders? 

As if reading her rapidly changing thoughts, the man chuckled softly.  

“On the ground.”  

A job posting had fallen there. Embarrassed, Helen picked it up, only to hear him make an offer.  

“I’ll give you a ride.”  

“Why would I—”  

“You’ll need to get there somehow, won’t you?” 

Before she could finish her sentence, the man stood and pulled out her chair again, inviting her to sit.  

“I have to go there anyway. You don’t want to be late, do you?”  

“……”  

“You’ll get there much faster with me than by carriage, even if we eat first. I promise. And again, I’m really sorry about earlier.”  

The deep voice resonating above her made Helen look up at him. His face, now soft and polite, was a stark contrast to the mischievous expression he had worn earlier. He was so gentlemanly and courteous that it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been slapped by a half-dressed woman on the street.  

Who on earth was he? 

Helen scrutinized him from head to toe. He was an enigma. His demeanor was that of a refined nobleman, yet his actions and speech were the opposite. He had been slapped by a woman on the street early in the morning, dragged a complete stranger into his mess, and showed no remorse.  

The conclusion came surprisingly quickly. Judging by his casual attire, he was likely a servant of Earl Somerset’s household. No nobleman with high standards would be slapped by a street woman, especially not someone from a prominent family.  

“Are you done inspecting me?”  

His face suddenly leaned closer, causing Helen to gasp softly. Her mind went blank for a moment before he straightened up and gently pressed her shoulders, urging her to sit back down.  

“Then join me for breakfast. Think of it as charity for a lonely man eating alone.”  

Before she could react, her stomach growled loudly.  

“Breakfast is served.”  

Almost simultaneously, the waiter arrived with a cart of food. Helen’s face turned bright red. She wanted to crawl into a hole. As she lowered her head in embarrassment, the man casually rubbed his stomach.  

“My stomach is protesting from hunger. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that, shall we?”  

“Of course.”  

The waiter, unfazed, began setting the table. The enticing aroma of the food wafted up, tickling her nose. Helen swallowed hard. It was her first time traveling such a long distance, and she hadn’t eaten anything since the previous evening, fearing she might get motion sickness.  

Her pride was wounded, but she was undeniably hungry.  

Then came the decisive comment.  

“I already ordered for two, so if you don’t eat, I’ll just have to throw it all away.”  

“Throwing it away would be… wasteful.”  

“Exactly. So dig in.”  

“Well, thank you for the meal.”  

Helen made up her mind. After all, this could be considered compensation for his earlier rudeness.  

“But before that.”  

Helen rummaged through her bag and pulled out something, extending it to him.  

“Wipe this.”  

It was a handkerchief. The man blinked in surprise. Clearing her throat, Helen added,  

“There’s a lipstick mark on your neck.”  

“Oh…”  

It had been bothering her for a while, but he seemed completely unaware.  

“Where?”  

Instead of answering, Helen pointed to the left side of her own neck. Taking the handkerchief, he lowered his gaze. Helen found herself momentarily captivated by his long lashes, which spread like fans, and his fair neck, partially hidden by his golden hair.  

“Thank you. I’ll wash this and return it.”  

Feeling flustered, Helen coughed lightly and changed the subject.  

“Are you a servant of the Earl?”  

“Ah.”  

After a brief pause, he nodded.  

“Something like that. I assist him closely.”  

“I see.”  

“Well, anyway.”  

Having wiped the lipstick mark from his neck, the man smiled faintly.  

“Won’t you tell me your name?” 

***

Helen felt slightly embarrassed about how seriously she had declined earlier because the meal turned out to be quite satisfying. Once she was moderately full, she followed the man to where the horses were tied.

It was a short distance, but during the walk, he managed to capture the attention of not only young women but also elderly ladies. By the time the overwhelming attention began to feel burdensome, they had reached their destination. Standing in front of a black horse, the man extended his hand.  

“Ladies first.”  

As soon as Helen accepted his help and settled into the saddle, he climbed up behind her naturally. Then, he took hold of the reins and flicked them.  

The horse, responding to the signal, began to move, its hooves clattering as they left the city behind at a rapid pace and entered a forest path.  

The mansion was located deep within the woods. Helen had heard a brief explanation beforehand about its rather inconvenient location. It was tied to the history of the Somerset Earldom, which stood at the center of the Ethelwood aristocratic council.  

The Somerset family was a prestigious lineage with a history spanning over a hundred years. Several decades ago, during the height of the nationwide peasant revolts, the Somerset Earldom had also suffered significant damage. Afterward, leaving behind their burned-down mansion, they carved into a high mountain to build the sturdy structure known as Groene Hall.  

“Helen, what’s your first impression of this place?”  

The sudden question prompted Helen to respond without much thought.  

“It seems well-organized.”  

“I hope I didn’t ruin it for you.”  

“That’s not the case.”  

In truth, she hadn’t had much chance to look around properly, but Helen answered vaguely and cautiously began to speak.  

“What is it like to work for the Somerset Earldom?”  

“What do you mean?”  

“Well, the atmosphere, for instance.”  

In reality, she was curious about the people of the Earl’s household, but it was difficult to ask directly.  

Her posture also felt strangely uncomfortable. She was constantly aware of the broad chest pressing against her back, so she stiffened her back as much as possible to avoid contact. Whether he noticed her discomfort or not, the man leisurely explained.  

“Well, Young Master Henry is nine years old and a clever child. Though he’s a bit timid.”  

Henry was the second son of the Somerset family and Helen’s future pupil. The hopeful news brightened Helen’s expression.  

“What about the Earl and Countess?”  

“They’re relatively harmonious, for a noble couple.”  

There was an inexplicable undertone of cynicism in his response, as if there was more to the story. As she waited for him to continue, he added,  

“The eldest son is infamous for being a complete scoundrel.”  

“……”  

Helen’s back straightened even further. His blunt and scathing remark about a member of the family he served was shocking. She glanced around nervously, worried someone might hear, though the act seemed almost comical.  

“There’s even a rumor that one of his former lovers attempted suicide because of him.”  

“…Is he someone with a promiscuous history with women?”  

Helen thought she might have uncovered the reason for the job posting’s peculiar requirement: “Must not be beautiful.” The man smirked slyly.  

“Well, what do you think?”  

“I think you can’t know based on rumors alone.”  

“And?”  

There was a faint hint of curiosity in his voice. Helen continued.  

“Rumors tend to be exaggerated and distorted. I only believe what I see and hear for myself.”  

There was no response. Instead, just as the silence started to feel awkward, she heard him mutter something, as if to himself or perhaps in reply.  

“…Interesting. More than I expected.”  

“Pardon?”  

As she began to turn her head, he nudged the horse’s flank. The sudden acceleration caused her body to tilt backward. Just as she was about to fall, the man wrapped an arm around her waist.  

Before she could straighten her back again, her head inadvertently rested against his broad chest. Raymond whispered into her ear,  

“What about me, then?”