“You want to attend the party at the Benston family?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“If that’s what our daughter wants, then do so! That’s fine, right, Kyle?”

Eileen’s father, Duke Kyle, nodded with a bright smile instead of answering verbally.

“But Eileen. May I ask why specifically the Benston family’s party?”

The duke asked in a gentle voice while handing Eileen the cookies prepared for him.

“I thought the Benston family would be a perfect start for my first Bereut social party in five years.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, if you permit, I plan to send a letter through Gabriel soon to confirm my attendance.”

Eileen picked up a cookie with a bright smile.

Just then—

“Miss!”

An urgent voice cut through the cheerful conversation of the three people.

“Gabriel. I believe I told you not to disturb me during tea time.”

“I apologize, Master. But there was an urgent matter that couldn’t wait.”

Despite the duke’s sharp gaze, Gabriel approached Eileen.

Even though Gabriel was playful, he was the head butler who had served the Ceres family for a long time. If he was looking for her despite disobeying the head of the family’s orders, it must be no ordinary matter.

“Gabriel, what’s the matter?”

Eileen put down her teacup and asked with a serious expression.

“Miss Eileen. A representative from the Kingdom of Hailo has arrived!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Eileen jumped to her feet.

At the same time. Monston ducal family—

Knock, knock, knock.

“M-master!”

Along with a short knock, an urgent voice calling for Aaron echoed, and the firmly closed door of the study swung open.

“……Liam?”

The one who entered as soon as the door opened was his servant, Liam.

“What is this rudeness?”

Aaron frowned and put down his documents at the sudden noise.

“I apologize, Master! But the representatives from the Kingdom of Hailo have sent a letter…!”

At Liam’s words, Aaron extended his hand with a surprised face, gesturing for him to quickly present the letter.

“Here it is, Master.”

If it concerned the diamond mine development in the Kingdom of Hailo, the earlier rudeness was understandable. Aaron smiled and opened the letter handed to him by Liam.

“……Damn it.”

But that smile instantly disappeared and turned into anger the moment Aaron read the letter.

“Master. What’s wrong? Is there a problem……”

Flutter, flutter.

Aaron’s hand holding the end of the letter trembled, creating a loud noise. Liam carefully observed his mood.

“That’s the second time.”

“Pardon?”

“That Lady Eileen has interfered with my business.”

Aaron roughly pushed back his cumbersome bangs and sighed deeply.

“To snatch away in an instant what I’ve been working on for half a year. What an impressive lady.”

“Master……”

Despite Liam’s concerned gaze directed at him, Aaron picked up paper and pen with a cold look. Soon, a strange harmony of scratching pen nibs and chuckles mixed together echoed throughout the study.

Having quickly finished with the final signature, Aaron melted the sealing wax and firmly pressed the Monston family seal onto it.

“Deliver this to the great Lady Eileen of the Ceres family.”

“Yes, Master.”

Liam took the letter and immediately sent someone to the Ceres family. The carriage rushed to the Ceres residence faster than usual.

“Where are you from?”

“I come from the Monston family. Our master has sent a letter for Lady Eileen.”

“……What?”

“It’s an urgent letter.”

Gabriel quickly received the letter at the messenger’s additional words. Then he stopped Mary who happened to be passing by.

“Mary!”

“Yes, Head Butler. What is it?”

“Take this to Miss Eileen. Tell her it’s an urgent letter and that it’s from Duke Aaron of the Monston family.”

Mary took the letter and quickly went up to the second-floor study.

Knock, knock!

“Miss! Miss, an urgent letter has arrived for you.”

After Eileen gave permission to enter, Mary rushed into the study holding an envelope.

“Hmm?”

Eileen, who had been reviewing documents, slightly raised her head to look at Mary.

“Where is it from?”

“It’s from the Monston family. Duke Aaron asked for it to be delivered to you, Miss.”

“What? Duke Aaron?”

As far as Eileen knew, there was only one Duke Aaron in Bereut.

Aaron de Monston, the male supporting character and villain from “Oh, My Beautiful Countess.”

In the original work, he was someone who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

He was the actual owner of a large guild with significant influence in the underworld, an object of both admiration and fear among the nobility.

“Mary, I don’t want to read this letter.”

“What?”

“I feel like it might contain something scary……”

Moreover, in the latter part of the story, he even tried to exterminate the male protagonist’s family with his power……

Eileen shuddered with fear.

“Come on, Miss, don’t be like that. Just read it once. Here’s a paper knife.”

Mary handed over the letter and paper knife with a playful tone.

“Ugh……”

Eileen exhaled the breath that had risen to her chin with difficulty and carefully opened the envelope to read the letter.

“……Huh? ‘I would like to meet you, Lady Eileen’?”

“Is that all?”

The short sentence from Eileen’s mouth brought curiosity to Mary. Her eyes sparkled with light, seemingly asking for more details.

“Yes, this is really all. It literally says Duke Aaron wants to meet me?”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know either.”

Even when turned over or folded in half, only that concise sentence was written. There wasn’t even a common greeting. Eileen handed the puzzling letter to Mary.

“It really is!”

Mary, who had been moving the paper around just in case, came to the same conclusion as Eileen. She carefully folded the letter and returned it to Eileen.

“Why don’t you go meet him? You never know! Maybe Duke Aaron fell in love with you at first sight and wants to meet you!”

Mary looked up at Eileen with her hands clasped together. The girl who yearned for a destined love sent her a gaze full of expectation.

“How would he know me when I haven’t attended any parties for the past five years?”

“He must have seen you at your debutante ball!”

“No way. It’s been five years?”

It was strange no matter how she thought about it.

No, more than strange, the content itself was too ominous.

A letter with only the business stated, without even a single greeting, despite never having met face to face.

Eileen grimaced and pushed the letter far away.

“Are you really not going? It could be a destined love?”

What a shame.

Mary, who let out a small sigh, picked up the letter that had been pushed away.

“No, I’m not going.”

Am I crazy enough to meet Aaron?

Eileen swallowed the rest of her words and turned her attention back to the documents.

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Master. A messenger from the Ceres family has arrived.”

The one who stopped the irregular sounds that had filled the study for hours was Liam, who came to the study with a letter.

“Here it is, Master.”

Aaron lightly gestured with his eyes and quickly opened the letter handed to him by Liam. And simultaneously, his face rapidly hardened.

“Master?”

“Ha.”

“Wh-what’s wrong?”

Aaron’s unfamiliar appearance of suddenly crumpling the paper mercilessly and then tilting his head back with a sneer was quite strange.

“The noble Lady Eileen says she’s going to Enbeten now and can’t meet me?”

“What?”

“Being such a noble person, it seems difficult to even see her face once.”

Aaron tore the crumpled paper into pieces. The instantly torn paper was soon gathered into one ball and thrown into the blazing fireplace.

“Well. I wonder how long she can keep running away from me.”

Aaron let out a light, bland smile before turning his gaze to the documents piled on his desk.

“Ah, Liam.”

After examining the documents for a while, Aaron slowly raised his head to look at Liam.

“Yes, Master.”

“I assume the appointment with Fleet Master Helios tomorrow has been properly prepared without me having to check again?”

“Yes, we have an appointment to meet him at two o’clock tomorrow. The Mont family is also launching an intensive offensive to win the contract, but considering everything, we are much more advantageous.”

“Good, well done.”

Surely I won’t lose this one too.

Aaron smiled briefly while having this idle thought, then shifted his gaze back to the documents. But “surely” always worked magically as a jinx.

“Damn it. That Eileen! Eileen!”

With a thunderous noise, the intact wooden table dented under Aaron’s fist.

“The reply?”

“It hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Damn it.”

A feeling of utter defeat enveloped Aaron.

Despite doing his best, Aaron could never beat Eileen no matter what. Eileen always stood in front of Aaron and beautifully took away the business he wanted.

“Fine. I can consider twice as coincidence.”

His head throbbed so badly that his vision seemed to blur.

“But to snatch away seven businesses that I’ve put effort into, one after another, while spouting nonsense about spending money being a hobby.”

It was hard to understand unless she was deliberately choosing to interfere with what he was doing.

“Master. Here’s some water.”

Feeling like his insides were burning, Aaron gulped down the cold water Liam handed him.

“Still, Master, there’s one piece of good news.”

“News?”

“Yes. Lady Eileen is said to be starting her Bereut social parties at the Benston family. If she really went to Enbeten, she’ll be back before then.”

“Really?”

Benston family…… Aaron closed his eyes tightly and savored the word Benston.

“Do I have any other schedules that day?”

“That day, you’re scheduled to attend the Rapid family’s party.”

“Change it.”

Aaron’s low voice resonated between the two men.

“But Master. A sudden change would……”

“Don’t make me say it twice.”

“Yes, Master. I’ll do as you command.”

Knowing that further upsetting his master would do no good, Liam bowed his head and left the study.

* * *