CH 135

For a while I couldn’t take my eyes off Richard, who was beside Countess Millard.

The paladin commander who was sent to catch the demon worshipers suddenly attends the banquet.

I’m not the only one who was surprised, but other nobles also looked at him with curiosity.

Countess Millard opened her mouth with a happy face, apparently satisfied with the gaze.

“I have something I want to show everyone who attended today’s party.”

Countess Millard did not explain what she was going to show.

She just smiled meaningfully as if it was a secret.

Still, there was only one thing that could be deduced from this. It means that it is clearly related to the Paladin Commander over there.

“So, I hope you enjoy the party.”

Applause spread through the ballroom as she spoke.

I felt uncomfortable because I had not heard of the news that she was preparing something.

<Watch out for Countess Millard.>

I suddenly remembered the warning Argen had given me.

But then I felt an intense gaze upon me.

Cold blue eyes.

My gaze locked with Richard’s, but I pretended to be calm and turned my head.

He’s not a person I want to meet right now.

****

“I think the world has changed a lot these days.”

The woman with the red hair glanced at me.

“You know, people are getting into social circles who shouldn’t have a chance in the old days.”

“……”

“There are more and more people living in the status of aristocrats. But do you know that blood can change? Isn’t that right, Camilla?”

The gaze that looked at me coldly changed innocently as if it had never been like that.

Those around them caught their breath at the question of the red-haired lady.

“I don’t know what blood you’re talking about, but it’s an era where we see power more than before. How is blood so important at a time like this?”

The social circle is a place where there are more aristocrats with a conservative attitude than the aristocrats with a progressive tendency.

The young people are progressing forward, but…

“Ah, please tell me in case you misunderstand me. Camilla is different from them.”

The woman said, putting her hands together, as if worried that I might be misunderstood.

“Unlike them, Camilla didn’t buy the status of aristocrat, did she?”

“…….”

“Well, unlike some of the rags to riches who make their way into society because times have changed, there’s been a class of people like Camilla for a long time, and who can blame them?”

The woman turns and speaks to me.

“Either she was a commoner who bought her status and entered the society, or Woman, who entered the society as a Marquis mistress.”

Both are disgusting.

It looked quite displeased that people who were not of noble blood were going into aristocratic society.

I smiled at the foolish attitude that showed her emotions as it was, and I tried to respond kindly to her.

“Lady Klett’s resembles her father a lot.”

At that moment, a young man who was nearby interrupted the conversation.

Perhaps he is acquainted with the red-haired lady, or the woman’s eyes stand out.

“It’s been a while, young master Paello. But what does that mean that I resemble my father in the first place?”

“Lady Klett’s father says something similar and I thought to myself, you must have learned a lot from him.”

“Yeah… My father often says that.”

“He will be very proud. I heard about the lady’s father in a newspaper recently.”

At that moment, the red-haired woman’s face was completely red.

“… That’s not a newspaper, it’s cheap gossip! Don’t believe in blatant nonsense.”

The woman suddenly left without knowing what to say.

The back of her neck turned red for some reason.

The combination of her expression and the circumstances of her departure suggested she was embarrassed.

The man smiled at me when I looked at Young master, who was named Paello, with a puzzled mind.

“To call it a cheap gossip paper would be an understatement, it’s a newspaper that many nobles circulate.”

“What is it about that newspaper that makes lady Klatt react like that?”

“Recently, the business run by the Klet family has gone bankrupt. And the gossip magazine has an article criticizing that one of the causes of business failure is a conservative mindset.”

“Ah.”

“It’s been quite a joke in the social world for a while.”

The man shrugged.

He suddenly appeared and helped me, but the goodwill was not so surprising.

There are two types of socialites, one is, like lady Klett’s, who views the mistress as lowly and recklessly hates it.

The other is the kind who try to line up with me for the future, like this young master now.

This is not new, as it has happened frequently since becoming Argen’s mistress.

‘I love the status.’

It’s a thought I’ve been feeling these days.

Young master Paello, who helped me, left with a wink.

‘It’s useless because I’m going to break up with Argen after a year anyway.’

I thought it was useless, but I felt a stinging gaze from somewhere. When I turned around, Richard was staring at me.

‘Did you notice?’

The fact that I am Rosie.

However, as if by chance our eyes met, Richard smiled and turned his head.

I watched Countess Millard.

Richard was still by her side.

‘I should approach her….’

It’s not easy with Richard by her side.

‘I’m sure he will stick to her until the banquet is over.’

I have no choice. I have to move and just approach him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there are a lot of people approaching Richard to line up, so my existence seems to be hidden.

I crossed the banquet hall to reach Countess Millard.

“Oh, look there….”

“Ah, that’s the woman…”

I forget it.

I’m pretty famous too.

As soon as I moved, the eyes were focused.

After this, it would be unreasonable to distract and retreat.

Without hesitation, I approached Countess Millard to speak to her at least once.

And then.

“Hey!”

“Ugh!”

A lady, who was holding a wine glass, suddenly swung her body and bumped into me.

Her shoulder hit me, but the problem is…

“Ugh! the dress… Are you okay?”

When that lady looked at my chest wet with wine, she became contemplative.

I also got annoyed.

‘This is expensive….’

No, this is not the problem.

I was going to have a harder time approaching Countess Millard, let alone enjoying the party.

“I’m sorry. I should have seen the person behind me…”

“It’s okay. You have nothing to worry about.”

The question is, what should I do now?

But then Countess Millard, who heard a small commotion, approached me.

“Oh, my goodness, your dress is wet.”

“… Countess Millard.”

“It’s going to be hard to party like this, so if you don’t mind, I could lend you my dress?”

Countess Millard made a suggestion to me.

This was really unexpected.

****

“I don’t know if the size is right. I can’t give you an old fashioned dress, so I’m going to give you clothes now… You know, after having a child, you gain weight, so why do you have to wear clothes a few sizes larger than other lady?”

Countess Millard laughed shyly.

“Still, if you shorten it by fixing it with a string, I think you can wear it prettily.”

I’m not a noble, so it’s far from the expression “Young lady”, but she always showed respect for me.

“Young lady has a very pretty body. I was just like that back then.”

As she said this, she handed me the clothes the maid had brought her.

“You’re still pretty.”

“Oh my, you speak as beautifully as you look.”

From the outside, she seems like a really nice person.

But Argen was wary of Countess Millard. There must be something about Countess Millard that makes him want to avoid her.

Nevertheless.

‘Now is a good opportunity.’

How many chances are there to be alone with the Countess?

When I’m about to open my mouth to talk to her.

“Madam, I think you should come out and see.”

At the wrong time, a servant called her from outside.

“What’s happen?”

“… It’s urgent.”

Knowing I’m inside, the servant did not tell me the details of the situation.

“Please excuse me for a minute. You can change into that dress I just gave you.”

The Countess excused herself and left the room for a while.

I changed into the dress she gave me in the room and waited quietly in the room.

For a long time.

When the Countess didn’t reappear, I cautiously left the room.

But there was no one outside the room.

Standing alone in a hallway engulfed in darkness, I felt a chill.

‘Why is nobody there?’

When I entered the room with the Countess, the servants were waiting outside.

Then I heard a noise from the corner at the end of the hallway.

“Ouch….”

What is this sound?

I think someone is over there…

It was ominous as if something was happening. I slowly moved in the direction of the sound.

Just before turning the corner.

“Aaaah!”

“Ugh!”

A man, presumably screaming, came out.

We couldn’t avoid each other and bumped into each other. The man’s body leaned forward, and I couldn’t bear the weight, so my body went backwards.

“Ugh.”

I pounded my buttocks so hard that tears came out.

“Hey….”

I pushed off the man and put my hand on his shoulder, but something damp got on my hand.

I let go of my hand reflexively and check what’s on my hand…

“… Blood?”

I looked at the man in amazement.

“… Save me, please.”

The man murmured madly with his confused eyes as if he had lost his reason.

It was a familiar face.

The man who helped me in the banquet hall.

Why is this man…

“Don’t run away.”

Just then, the front of a shoe peeked out from around the corner.

I looked up in a daze and saw…

My eyes locked with Richard, who was holding a blood-stained sword.