However, without any time to relieve his frustration, Klaus ended the conversation.
“I’m just here for a quick inspection, so the Count doesn’t need to worry too much.”
“Is there something wrong?”
“If the Count didn’t do anything that would bother him, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Klaus grinned. Count Belen wiped his sweat again and quickly nodded his head.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty! We, the Counts of Velen, are far from the capital, so we don’t have ruthless traitors like Duke Cissena nearby!”
“That’s good news.”
“thank you!”
Count Belen smiled broadly. It wasn’t a good look to see a greasy, fat face smiling.
hmm… … . I shouldn’t say this right away, but he’s not a likable character.
To quote the Lopan database after a long time, he is a typical supporting villain character who panders to power and has a greasy stomach.
These characters only enrich themselves by sucking the blood of the people, so they are bound to be driven out by the main characters.
Of course, we cannot be sure because reality and fiction are different.
I, too, have tried and failed several times to apply ro-pan clichés to this world, so I didn’t come forward already.
However, according to Lariette, the reason the guards became rebels was because of their own treatment.
‘I have to pay attention.’
I looked harshly at Count Belen, who was rubbing his hands to please Klaus.
Count Belen didn’t seem to notice my gaze and kept rubbing his hand against Klaus.
“Then we will prepare a separate place for you to stay.”
“Yes, I would appreciate it.”
Still, it’s nice to stay at the count’s house. A bedroom would be nice too.
Thinking like that, I tried to sip the tea in front of me, but accidentally burned my hand under the cup filled with tea.
“Ah, hot….”
Be hot. Before he could finish speaking, Count Belen shouted.
“Hey! What are you doing now? The lady that His Majesty the Prince has in mind almost burned her hand!”
“S-sorry!”
The maid who brought me tea jumped out and knelt down.
Wow, I thought it was some sort of sliding thing.
Surprised by the sudden development, I hastily waved my hand.
“No. I just accidentally brushed my hand.”
“Then I should have made it so that it wouldn’t get hot even if your hands brush against it. I’m sorry. I trained the servants incorrectly!”
“I’m sorry, miss!”
no… … .
In this empire, it is etiquette when serving tea to keep it at a hot temperature. Naturally, a teacup filled with tea is slightly hot.
In order for the tea cup to not be hot even if you hold it with your hand, the tea must also be cool, but that is against etiquette.
It was just my fault for not holding the handle of the teacup properly in the first place, so why did I have to watch the maid bend down to her knees?
“I’m really fine.”
“but!”
“Well, when I’m in a good mood, I shout out that it’s hot, right? It has nothing to do with the teacup.”
I grew tired and shook my head at Klaus. Klaus saw my tired complexion and came out.
“From the way the young lady speaks like this, it really doesn’t seem like it was a big problem. Are you planning to continue talking in a tiring way?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I almost made trouble!”
“The lady doesn’t want to escalate the matter, so make sure there is no separate punishment or punishment for this.”
“Yes, I understand, Your Highness!”
“Then I would appreciate it if you could tell me as soon as the room is ready. I would like to have a chat with you.”
“Yes, I understand!”
I’m glad. Because Klaus helped me figure it out in some way.
Count Belen, who repeatedly bowed his head, left, and I leaned back on the sofa in the living room.
I only met and said hello to Count Belen, but everything made me feel even more tired than usual.
“You don’t look good, young lady.”
Klaus touched my forehead with concern. I liked the feeling of Klaus’ slightly cool hand on my forehead.
“It’s no big deal.”
“You don’t have a fever.”
Klaus’ hand dropped.
I suppressed my regret and followed with my eyes the trace of the shadow of my hand moving away.
“It’s just that I don’t think Count Belen is a good fit for me.”
“okay?”
“Also, preconceptions based on first impressions play a strong role.”
“Tell me about it.”
“It’s just a prejudice.”
“You know that I trust the young lady’s prejudices.”
Klaus said lightly. I also chuckled when I heard that voice.
okay. Klaus would make the decision anyway. I’m sorry it seems like I’m talking behind his back, but I can apologize later when the investigation confirms that he is innocent.
“He bows his head to me just because he is close to His Majesty, and it feels like a typical villain who panders to power.”
“Is the young lady just someone I’m friends with?”
“Well… you were talking nonsense about being the next princess or something.”
I clicked my tongue. I was shocked when I first heard it, but once the momentum subsided, I came to my senses again.
What is the next princess? It seems that what happened at the salon was reproduced and enlarged, causing such a big stir.
“That’s true too. If you do some research, you will know that I and Your Highness are not related to each other, like the princess and all. There are many ways in which you respect me even without bowing your head to me, but this is too much.”
“Yeah. It was a bit too much.”
“Besides, Lariette clearly said that she stood up because of the way the guards treated her. I don’t know if she is a person who treats others as well as she treats me, but considering what she did to the maid earlier, it doesn’t seem like she is that kind of person.”
No matter how you look at it, all of his attributes seem to make him a typical villain.
Even if he wasn’t a villain, I didn’t want to get close to someone who would kneel an innocent maid just to make me look good.
Fortunately, Klaus also nodded to what I said.
“Yes. His attitude is strangely dramatic.”
“Isn’t that what you think?”
“Normally, it doesn’t feel good to be tangled up with people who bow their heads like that, ready to lick the bottom of their shoes.”
Klaus nodded.
“I need to find out if there is any relationship between Count Belen and the guards.”
His red eyes shone sharply.
The room that Count Belen gave to me and Klaus was clearly a room decorated with expensive items.
Our family, Count Sebes, was also a family that gained great wealth through commerce, so there were many expensive items in the house, but Count Belen went too far.
“…I can’t lie down.”
Whatever you touch, it becomes gold or silver. Fist-sized jewels were also embedded there.
My face shined so brightly that I didn’t need a reflector to look in the mirror.
This is because the surface decorating the mirror was much larger than the surface reflecting my face.
It’s not pretty, but I’m sure it’s expensive.
‘Is there anyone who likes something like that?’
but. In my previous life, when I worked at a company, there were people who couldn’t be bothered to treat me expensively.
People who lie down as if they will die if they are treated even slightly less.
I felt even worse thinking that this was a room that treated such people.
I prefer a simple, modern room rather than a flashy room like that!
I’d rather have the whole room painted pink!
If you’re trying to please people, at least consider their tastes!
“Well, did you say we were gathering together?”
Since Count Belen is that kind of person, only people who like to be treated well would gather around him.
People who feel that sleeping in a room like this is a treatment of their own worth.
‘eww. hate.’
Anyway, I was so comfortable in the carriage today that I couldn’t sleep.
I need to get some fresh air in the front garden.
‘Try on this headdress that Klaus gave me.’
I carefully put the blue headdress on my head. If a strange person attacks me, I have to defend myself.
When I think about it that way, Klaus gave me a lot.
“……No. Let’s not think about it for nothing.”
I patted my feverish cheek and slowly left the room.
Because it was late, only a few maids passed quietly through the hallway. The expressions on the faces of the maids, who crouched down without making eye contact with me, all looked like they were soaked in fear.
‘Is it because of my mood?’
I was about to go down the hallway, tilting my head.
“……Who is this?”
“huh?”
When I turned my head, I saw a man with his tongue curled as if he was drunk, looking at me.
The man with dark brown hair and green eyes was nice-looking, but his eyes were droopy and he didn’t look very impressive.
However, looking at the clothes he was wearing, he was definitely not an employee.
‘Ah, are you by any chance Count Belen’s son?’
I didn’t have a good feeling instinctively. I kept my guard up and tried to bow my head.
“Nice to meet you. I’m three… ah!”
Before I could finish speaking, the man reached out to me and tried to grab my wrist.
‘This bastard?’
Fortunately, my body, which had become accustomed to Herta’s agility training, reflexively latched onto the man’s hand to avoid touching it.
The bastard looked at me and his hand in the air, then made a face of displeasure.
“……what?”
“So, I belong to the Count Sebes family… Ah!”
hey! Let’s introduce ourselves!
The drunkard tried to grab my shoulder again, as if he had no intention of listening to me.
And this time too, I naturally turned around and escaped the drunkard’s touch.
However, the more a drunkard is provoked, the more crazy he goes.
“Are you ignoring me…!”
“No, let’s talk!”
“Do you know who I am?”
Since I don’t know, let’s say it in words, you idiot?
The crazy guy started flailing his arms at me like a zombie. His drunken eyes were extremely grotesque.
I began to run backwards little by little, dodging my body here and there.
Who would have thought that Herta’s evasion skills, which I thought I would learn but never use in my life, would shine in a place like this!
“If I get caught, I won’t let you go!”
“But you’re speaking informally when you said you saw me!”
“Have I just been treated rudely by a woman like you?”
Ahh! The crazy guy was more aroused!
The speed of the crazy man approaching quickly increased. I hurriedly pulled away, but the end of the hallway was gradually approaching.
Hey there, God. If you’re listening, please grant me one wish.
In a situation like this, shouldn’t a nice guy suddenly show up and save you, or something like that?
It was that moment.
“What are you doing now?”
Klaus!
