"Ah."
Mrs. Wellesley belatedly opened her mouth.
"I can only apologize for my Great-Niece showing such an inadequate appearance."
"Please don't lower your words. Are you not the ones who saved my life?"
"That's not right. It wasn't us who saved the Count's life, but the lady beside
and another gentleman who isn't present here. Since those two are our guests, we cannot steal that credit."
Mrs. Wellesley's voice as she said this was quite cold. Though the lady had a stern and strict impression, she was fundantally warm-hearted and affectionate. Mrs. Wellesley had never spoken to Cider or Esperanza in such a voice. She had never once shown such obvious reluctance.
"In any case, I hope you recover quickly. You must be tired from experiencing such hardship, so we'll take our leave now. Esperanza, let's go. Dr. lson. Please take care of treating our guest."
"Yes, yes. Madam, please leave it to ."
Leaving behind the bewildered young man, Mrs. Wellesley brought out Esperanza, who was equally puzzled. The young man could only widen his eyes without having a chance to greet his life saviors.
"Doctor, did I do sothing wrong? I didn't even get to introduce myself."
Such a questioning voice could be heard through the slowly closing door. When the door completely closed, Mrs. Wellesley's upright body swayed.
"Are you alright?"
Esperanza hurriedly supported the lady. The lady, who had been breathing heavily, barely managed to steady herself and stand up.
"I showed an unseemly side. I hope you'll understand. We are not people who treat unexpected guests coldly. It's just, just."
Mrs. Wellesley took a deep breath.
"Let's talk in a little while. I need to rest."
The lady's maid approached as if she had been waiting and supported her. Watching Mrs. Wellesley's retreating figure, Esperanza realized that the lady had called the young man in the room 'Count.' Unlike Esperanza, who had only thought of him as a high-ranking noble, those who knew Nine Holder's social circles well knew the man's identity.
They had recognized him at first glance.
They didn't seem to know each other. That young man hadn't recognized them. Not even Cordelia, who was popular in Nine Holder's social circles. He probably wasn't from Nine Holder.
Moreover, Cider hadn't recognized him either. Though it had been in a dark forest, though his face had been hard to see covered in blood, he still hadn't recognized him at all while riding the sa horse all the way.
'That person doesn't give a glance to things he's not interested in anyway.'
There seed to be no way to satisfy her curiosity right now. Esperanza told the maids to bring so warm milk to Cordelia's room, then returned to the reception room.
As she sat alone in the empty reception room just fiddling with her hands, Cider entered, apparently having woken up late.
"No one's here?"
"Sothing happened worth it. It's a bit awkward to talk about here."
Then there was only one place to go. They headed to Cider's laboratory. As soon as they entered the room, they firmly closed the door. An adult gentleman and lady alone in a closed room—it would horrify Cordelia or Mrs. Wellesley if they saw.
Though it was a chaotic room with unfinished organizing, since they had put quite a lot back into Esperanza's inventory yesterday when going to the forest, there seed to be plenty of space. Esperanza found a suitable spot and sat down, imdiately sighing.
"About the person we brought yesterday."
Even explaining the whole story from beginning to end, it wasn't a particularly long tale. Cider, who had roughly grasped the situation, frowned.
"You didn't recognize him yesterday, did you?"
"I didn't know. No matter how ignorant I am of social circles, if he were a prominent figure in Nine Holder, I couldn't not know his face. He might be so drifter getting by, but if he were soone I'd seen before, I would have recognized him."
A figure who had never appeared in Nine Holder's social circles until now. However, a figure that Cordelia and Mrs. Wellesley recognized at first glance. Moreover, if Cordelia fled at first sight and even Mrs. Wellesley showed hostility?
"But the person in question seed to have no idea why?"
"He was asking what he had done wrong."
"......It seems coming here wasn't voluntary. Well, if he had any conscience, it wouldn't be possible."
The most conscienceless fellow in this mansion easily spoke of conscience. At Esperanza's reproachful gaze, Cider smiled brightly.
"Don't you know?"
"How would I know?"
When she replied complainingly, Cider raised his index finger and shook it briefly.
"I'll give you a hint. Soone like Lady Cordelia has no particular enemies. The sa goes for the Mabelwood family. Because they never forget courtesy in any situation."
It was a random statent, but those words dispersed the hazy fog as if they had peered into Esperanza's frustrated heart.
"No way. No, why?"
"You understood. This is why I really like you."
Cider, sitting with his chin propped up, said casually.
While Esperanza paused montarily, he opened his mouth again as if those words had ant nothing at all. This ti, what he uttered in a gentle voice was soone's na.
"Renfrew of Dunbarton."
Once her thoughts reached that point, the young man's na also beca clear. Even Esperanza, who only knew people from the world thirteen years later in Dunbarton, could recall his na.
Alastair Renfrew. The eldest son and heir of the Duke of Dunbarton. Called Count Sterling, the Duke of Dunbarton's second title, he would be positioned as Duke of Dunbarton in the world thirteen years later.
'Who was the Duchess again?'
There seed to have been one. She couldn't rember well. Esperanza's venture into conquering the Dunbarton dungeon was already a story from several years ago. The Renfrew family rarely ca out from the north, so there was little chance to see them in Nine Holder or other regions.
"Lady Cordelia is in a pitiful situation. She ca to the territory to avoid Dunbarton, only for Dunbarton to appear in the territory."
Cider said in a reading tone without a trace of sympathy.
"......She ca to avoid Dunbarton?"
"You didn't know?"
Not at all. She had naturally thought it wouldn't be because of those two that she ca to Mabelwood. But it was because of Dunbarton.
If it was Dunbarton, she might well be disgusted. Just not slapping the battered Alastair Renfrew across the face earlier should be praised as Cordelia's rationality.
"Why does Dunbarton co to Nine Holder at this particular ti! They're not particularly close to social circles anyway!"
"Still, they need to marry. Alastair Renfrew must have reached marriageable age too, and marriages are especially early in such conservative regions."
"To say it was unavoidable, that area has its own social circles among themselves. Do they really need to risk scandal?"
It wasn't an era that discussed marriages between different social classes, and coming to Nine Holder wouldn't necessarily get him a better bride. Moreover, with Baron Mabelwood wielding influence in social circles now, it would be more than predictable that Dunbarton wouldn't be well-treated in Nine Holder.
"It probably doesn't matter. Look, who ended up running away in the end?"
Right. In the end, that's all just theory. Esperanza got up from her seat.
"I should go see Cordelia."
"......Do that."
"What about you?"
"You're not asking
to follow along too, are you?"
Cider said with narrowed eyes and a smile. Of course not. When Esperanza shook her head, he imdiately added.
"Give
back my research equipnt. ......Don't show Lady Cordelia what I gave you yesterday."
He seed to have had so trouble researching without equipnt yesterday. Esperanza chuckled as she opened her inventory.
??????°??☆????°??????
Cordelia was tearing at her pillow with reddened eyes. Esperanza, who had only thought she would be sniffling speechlessly, stood dumbfounded at the door just watching that sight.
"What, I said no one should co in......! Esperanza?"
"Uh, are you okay?"
"What wouldn't be okay? That conscienceless bastard, how dare he set foot on my land. Esperanza, do you know who that man is? Dunbarton! It's Dunbarton!"
She didn't look okay at all. Looking now, her reddened eyes were that way purely from anger and humiliation, and she didn't seem to have been crying.
"Moreover, he didn't even recognize . No matter that we only exchanged portraits, I suppose he erases forr fiancées from his mory. I won't let this slide. I couldn't earlier because Grandmother was there, but I'm going to chase him out now. How dare he, how dare he......."
As soon as Esperanza entered, Cordelia grabbed her as if it was perfect timing.
"Won't you help
a bit? Esperanza learned martial arts in Paolun. So that shaless bastard won't harm ."
Though she thought there was no way he would lay hands on Baron Mabelwood's granddaughter on Mabelwood's land, Esperanza silently followed. If it would put her mind at ease even that way.
Moreover, it was Cider and Esperanza's doing that brought that man here. Hadn't Cordelia been struck by lightning because of them?
Cordelia knocked on Alastair Renfrew's door.
"Co in."
A low voice for a young man of that age welcod them.
"Ah."
Perhaps thinking it was a doctor or servant, when a girl in a pretty dress poked her head in, Alastair Renfrew rolled his eyes in confusion.
"I ca to apologize for the earlier rudeness."
"There's no need for that. Rather, I'm the one causing trouble, so I should be sorry."
So he knows he's trouble? Cordelia sneered inwardly. However, outwardly she maintained courtesy as if eting any gentleman at a ballroom.
"Even so, it's true that I committed rudeness. However, I would be grateful if you gave
a chance to make excuses."
"Please do."
A light flashed in Cordelia's eyes as she approached the bed where Alastair was sitting.
"I don't know if Count Sterling knows , but I recognized who you were as soon as I saw you."
eting the green eyes of the young man who couldn't hide his puzzled expression, Cordelia spoke with venom.
"I couldn't believe it. How could Count Sterling of Dunbarton grace this humble Mabelwood? How could you dare to do so?"
"What......."
Mabelwood? Alastair repeated that na in his mouth. This place is Mabelwood? Co to think of it, he had been too flustered to ask anything.
"You surely won't say you don't know."
Alastair, who had been trying to get up hurriedly, groaned at the surging pain and sat down on the bed. Regardless, Cordelia glared at him coldly and bent her knee.
"The introduction is late. I am Cordelia Mabelwood. I wonder if you rember this na."
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