CH 53

As soon as she arrived at Count Cardel and got off the carriage, a strange atmosphere greeted Ophelia. Originally, the butler or servant would come out to greet her, but there was no such thing. 

Did something happen?

Ophelia tilted her head. 

“I told you to trust me earlier, right?” Jasmine, who got off the carriage first, continued. “There are mercenaries here.” 

“Mercenary? Why all of a sudden?” Ophelia asked. 

“It is said that mercenaries were recruited for the Count’s exploration of the western continent, but I don’t know why they came to the Count.” 

“I see.” 

No one can come out because they are busy managing mercenaries. But why is this a chance to win the favor of Countess Cardel? Ophelia tilted her head. 

“You’ll know when you go in, but if there’s a problem—”

Jasmine smiled at Ophelia. 

“Wouldn’t Madam be able to take care of it?” 

“Huh?” Ophelia laughed in vain. “You must think of me as an all-around solver.”

“So, is there anything that Madam can’t solve?

At Jasmine’s bold words, Ophelia burst into laughter once again. 

“No.” Ophelia said, twisting her lips. “There’s nothing I can’t solve.”

Ophelia walked forward proudly, and soon she saw a real ‘problem.’

******

“Where are you going, leaving us alone?”

What does this mean?

Ophelia, who was entering the backyard, hesitated and listened.

“You’ll have to go get the Count now, or you’ll be stuck here, you’ll have to choose between the two.”

It was an unfamiliar voice. However, Ophelia could immediately sense that the owner of this voice was a mercenary.

“E, Even if I’m not there, I won’t be a nuisance to you.”

As she got closer, she could see the Countess blocking them.

Hmm. What she was worried about happened to reality. If this happens, Count Cardel will lose his reputation—.

Should I help her?

But she doesn’t want to step up for no reason. Ophelia was troubled by ambivalent emotions. 

And then.  

“Don’t our eye-catching things disappear?”

What? 

What kind of bullshit are you talking to the Young Ladies? 

As soon as she heard this, she suddenly thought she should step up. And now, if she goes out and saves the Countess and the Young Ladies, ‘It’s definitely good if it’s beneficial, but it won’t hurt to help.’

Ophelia took a quick step. 

“What’s going on?”

Whoosh. 

As soon as she entered the backyard, the wind blew once. Ophelia’s cold silver hair fluttered in the wind. 

“I could hear your words from afar. Very dirty and filthy words.”

Her eyes flashed briefly. 

“Why don’t you shut up?” 

The atmosphere turned around in an instant. All of the mercenaries who were laughing shut their mouths, and the Young Ladies, who were embarrassed, made a welcoming gesture.

Ophelia Ryzen! The uninvited person! 

But she’s never been happier to see Ophelia Ryzen than today! Countess Kadel looked at Ophelia with adoration and respect.

“W, who are you?” Said the mercenary who seemed to be the boss. Ophelia turned her head towards him. 

“You don’t know me?” 

The wind blew once more. Because there was a strong wind this time, everyone frowned. However Ophelia was standing straight. She was staring at the mercenary with a bloody and frightening face, without the slightest change in expression.

Gulp. The mercenary swallowed a dry saliva.

“There are only two cases where you don’t know me.” 

Ophelia took a step closer to the mercenary. 

“A vagrant who doesn’t live as an Imperial citizen”. 

“….”

“Or a bastard who looks down on the Duke of Ryzen.” 

Duke of Ryzen! 

The mercenary’s face has lost its color.

What was the Duke of Ryzen? He’s the King of the back alley! Without blood or tears, he’s famous for being cruel—!

Am I now facing the Duke’s wife?

The mercenary’s eyes trembled. 

‘But—’

Anyway, the opponent is just a poor woman. If he shows signs of backing down here, he will be unable to face the other mercenaries.  

Wouldn’t it be possible to keep the words from even entering the Duke’s family if he makes a rough threat? 

The mercenary thought so and crossed his arms. 

“S, so what do you want me to do?” He said with a snort. “It’s ridiculous to be angry because I didn’t say it to you in the first place! Are you saying you’re the spokesperson for those women?” 

“You?”

Ophelia slowly raised her eyes. Her indifferent eyes headed for the mercenary. Ugh! The mercenary unknowingly breathed heavily. 

“How can you be so ignorant?” 

Ophelia reached out her hand. In fact, the mercenaries were much bigger and scarier than her. And there were many of them. However, there was another reason why Ophelia was not afraid. 

The name of Duke Ryzen? 

It’s not that.

She believed in herself. 

‘I can use black magic now, right?’

Ophelia’s feelings right now are anger. She should use black magic in return for this. That’s what she thought. As soon as that happened, her head cooled down. On the contrary, her fingertips got hot.

She remembers this feeling.

‘I can use it.’

She was reckless in front of Fleur, but not now. After all, having experienced it once, she thought she could control it now.

She suppressed her emotions as much as possible and concentrated her mind by letting the emotions flow little by little. 

“I should give you warning.”

A black energy flowed from Ophelia’s fingertips. 

“Aah!”

The energy that came out in a flash grabbed the mercenary’s back and went up high in the air. 

“Oh my!”

“Madam!”

The people shouted. But Ophelia didn’t lose her strength. 

“You must have underestimated me for being a mere woman. Am I the only one? He must have looked down on everyone here and dared to face the nobility.” 

“U-ugh—!”

The mercenary hanging in the air couldn’t breathe properly and foamed. Ophelia looked at him indifferently.

“It’s not a big deal anyway, so I think it’ll be okay to kill him here and get rid of it.” 

“Hiik!”

She meant it. 

Ophelia was thinking of turning the mercenaries into pieces right now. But she can’t do that. Because this is Count Cardal’s place. 

Besides, it seemed like a bad idea to see her grab and beat someone in front of people who were already afraid of her. So it was better to show generosity at the right time. 

“The owner of the house doesn’t seem to want it, so I’ll stop here.” 

“Ugh! Uck!”

The fallen mercenary rolled on the floor breathing heavily. Ophelia glanced down at the mercenary and kicked his arm. 

“Go away.” 

“I, I’m sorry!”

“I’m sorry!”

The mercenaries ran away in a hurry. Ophelia took a deep breath with a happy heart.

I’m sure other people will welcome me, right? 

Since she defeated the mercenaries! So Ophelia smiled and looked at Count Cardel.

“Can I sit here?” 

But it was then. 

“Hiccup!”

One person hiccuped and soon began to cry. 

“Hiik—”

Ophelia looked at the Young Lady with an expression that she didn’t understand the reason.

“—Why are you crying?”

The Young Lady took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. 

“I, it’s scary.”

“I’m sorry!”

“….”

What does this even mean? Ophelia opened her mouth wide in embarrassment. 

“Madam.”

At this time, Jasmine quietly talked to her. 

“It was too strong.”

Ah. 

I guess it was too much.

Show off my strength to raise my reputation. 

I’m so strong that I fail—

*****

However, fortunately,Countess Cardel guided Ophelia to the seat. She didn’t give out tea time seats because the Young Lady cried so much that they couldn’t sit down.

Instead, the Countess led Ophelia to the drawing room.

Ophelia knew the meaning of this action very well.