“It’s champagne with a tangerine scent. I like it.”

Sokol nodded at Kikozellia’s words.

“I think it’s worth about 2 gold per sip.”

Sokol, who had a poorer father compared to his uncle, the former Count of Armeniaca, had a habit of converting everything into money.

This costs this much, that costs that much.

His mind was filled with nothing but money.

“You still speak like a bourgeois.”

Kikozellia put down her champagne glass and said calmly, yet with a slightly displeased twitch of her lips at his persistent habit.

Sokol looked at her with a smirk.

“It’s because I enjoy a life where I can drink this every day.”

Kikozellia glanced around unnecessarily before speaking.

“Of course you would. But that’s a year in the past now. You should get used to it.”

“Of course I should get used to it. Both you and I should live like royal nobility.”

“Yes, of course.”

“By the way, about Olentia. It seems she’s about to appoint a lawyer soon.”

Sokol hadn’t forgotten Olentia’s determined gaze. His cousin sister would ultimately endure a legal battle.

He had to prevent the fact that they were a disgraced family from becoming known. If a legal battle were to unfold, it would be very difficult to show one’s face in the Bonus Empire.

At that moment, Kikozellia clutched the napkin on her lap tightly and said,

“Marquis Luxus will find a match this spring, I suppose.”

Sokol tried to recall the Marquis Luxus’s good points at the mention of his name.

“That man is quick with numbers and easy to communicate with.”

Kikozellia smiled slyly.

“Yes. Marquis Luxus is a man of great material desires. That’s why he’s so devoted to new businesses, searching the world like combing for lice, isn’t it? With the head of the family being away from home so often, they’ll need stability. That’s the role of the lady of the house. Moreover, once married, he can acquire the young lady’s vast fortune, so it’s killing two birds with one stone for the Marquis. Of course, he won’t be able to take all of that fortune entirely.”

Kikozellia planned to proceed with a political marriage using Olentia, who had inherited a vast fortune. She had already told Marquis Luxus that she would send Olentia to him by any means necessary, proposing to share her wealth.

How much money had been invested and grown from Olentia’s inheritance? Kikozellia had no intention of giving up that money.

Of course, the same was true for Sokol.

Although he felt a bit strange thinking about Olentia spending her life with Marquis Luxus, he agreed with his wife’s plan.

Sokol took a bite of the avocado tartare served as an appetizer and said,

“It’s truly fortunate that Marquis Luxus is so smitten with Olentia. Her appearance is quite presentable, after all.”

Recalling Olentia’s fair cheeks and fantastic platinum blonde hair, Sokol smiled lightly. His small eyes narrowed, and his cheekbones rose.

At the mention of appearance, Kikozellia pouted her lips.

“There are so many beautiful young ladies in the Bonus Empire. It was just luck that Olentia caught Marquis Luxus’s eye. The Luxus Marquisate is the only family that can rival Armeniaca, aside from the Grand Ducal family. It’s a good thing for the young lady as well.”

Kikozellia said this despite knowing that Marquis Luxus was a womanizer.

Count Sokol tilted his head for a moment.

“That may be true in terms of status, but it’s a fact that his reputation isn’t good. I should have a deep conversation with him sometime.”

“Is there really a need to go that far? Bringing him into the family before the marriage…”

“Is there a problem?”

“The problem, if there is one, would be the young lady. From her childish behavior to her sarcastic tone in everything. If she were a servant, I’d want to crush her underfoot. If she were to offend Marquis Luxus’s mood…”

“My dear, watch your words, even if it’s just between us two. She’s not someone to be treated like that.”

Sokol’s voice was quite firm.

Kikozellia hesitated for a moment before putting on a coquettish mask on her face again.

“I was unbecoming of a Countess for a moment. I’ll be more careful.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

“Anyway, I hope Archbishop Werbu will issue a special marriage permit before Olentia appoints a lawyer. Time is of the essence.”

Kikozellia felt elated at the thought of ruthlessly using Olentia.

Sokol was in the long gallery of the Armeniaca Count’s residence. The long gallery, a narrow and elongated corridor, displayed beautiful artworks and sculptures of the Count’s family.

The paintings and sculptures depicting the exploits of ancestors who possessed divine power for generations were splendid. Many showed them holding sunlight or creating white spheres.

Armeniaca meant apricot tree in Latin, and in the Bonus Empire, the apricot tree was famous for warding off ghosts. That’s why many people from Armeniaca were born with divine power for generations. Of course, such abilities had completely disappeared about 100 years ago.

However, the ancestors’ exploits remained clearly in art, decorations, and architecture. Even in the Bonus Grand Cathedral, paintings depicting the ancestors’ exploits were hung. Although Olentia didn’t feel it at all.

Olentia approached Sokol, who seemed to be ruminating on the artworks, or rather, the ancestors’ exploits.

“The special marriage permit. Did you apply for it yourself?”

The question was concise. The heart was desperate.

That was Olentia’s current state of mind.

Sokol unclasped his hands from behind his back and slowly turned to look at Olentia. Olentia unconsciously hid her right arm wearing the bracelet behind her back. Somehow, in this place, in this situation, she felt it shouldn’t be seen by Sokol’s eyes.

Then Sokol stared intently at her hidden right arm and smirked.

“Why are you hiding Pieta? Afraid I’ll take it away?”

Olentia calmly retorted.

“You haven’t returned the inheritance either. This bracelet Father gave me. There’s no guarantee you won’t take Pieta too.”

Pieta was a sacred bracelet given as a gift by her late father when she was young. Her father had achieved the great feat of discovering Cassandra, a land imbued with divine power, and found this bracelet in the process.

Could she communicate with the celestial god through the Pieta bracelet?

The bracelet, made of white opals shimmering in various colors, was decorated with a few blue-green larimar gems with net-like patterns in the middle as accents. It had a modest yet elegant charm.

At first, Olentia had no idea she would be able to communicate with God through the bracelet.

But it happened when she was 12 years old. She had nearly fallen down the stairs, but the power of the bracelet saved her, and she heard God’s voice.

After that day, the whole household was in an uproar. Only Olentia, who had become the contractor by accidentally using the bracelet’s power, could use its power. Her father did his best to prevent this from leaking out, and fortunately, the truth hadn’t spread so far.

Because there had been very few instances of hearing God’s voice until now.

Still, Olentia thought of the Pieta bracelet as her life and never took it off her body. In a way, it was no different from the best inheritance her father had left behind.

As Olentia stepped back with a determined look to protect the bracelet, Sokol took a step closer to her.

“What? Are you scared? Because the bracelet’s contractor might change someday? Right? I would be better than you, who’s useless.”

“Don’t belittle me. This bracelet was found by Father at the risk of his life, and it’s mine. The contractor changing? I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Maybe so. But the former Count is dead.”

‘Your uncle is no longer by your side. You’re alone.’

When the Count of Armeniaca died, Sokol had clearly said so.

It hadn’t even been five years since her parents passed away.

But when Sokol openly mentioned death, hot tears began to well up in Olentia’s eyes.

She had no intention of crying at all.

But how could she not expel the impurities when her insides were rotting?

Olentia spoke directly to Sokol through her blurred vision.

“I don’t need to ask you any more about the special marriage permit.”

“…”

“You’ve become utterly despicable.”

With that, Olentia left the long gallery.

She had a dream.

It was certainly a dream, as her husband appeared wearing a bauta mask.

Even though Olentia knew it was a dream, she was comfortably nestled in his arms. Being a dream, there was no scent, just a feeling of warmth.

Why did it feel so good? Why did it feel so comfortable and happy?

Even though it was a dream husband who didn’t properly show his face. He always appeared wearing a mask in her dreams and never took it off himself.

Even in the first dream, it was Olentia who removed the mask.

But the masked husband stroked Olentia’s hair and said,

‘Were you satisfied?’

‘What… what do you mean? What exactly…’

She wondered what he meant, but then realized she was completely naked. It was surprising that she only noticed this fact now.

Olentia was startled and covered her dazzling nakedness with a blanket. Seeing her flustered appearance, her husband removed his mask himself. As his long, white fingers took off the mask, it felt like watching the most beautiful play in the world.

She was absorbed in observing her husband’s face, which she hadn’t seen in a long time.

It was a marvelous face, as if receiving a god. The straight, neat eyebrows and the softly connected bridge of the nose were fantastic.

Especially the red eyes, which seemed to melt all beautiful red hues of the sun, roses, and rubies, were imprinted in her mind.

That’s when it happened.

‘I will remove the mask in the bedroom, my lady.’

A sweet voice that melted her eardrums was heard.