“Wow… An unbelievable, a-amazing face.”

Olentia found her husband’s face both fascinating and surprising.

“My lady has shown me her true heart.”

Her husband’s red eyes were filled solely with her. Not a trace of impurity could be seen.

It couldn’t be described as merely pretty; her heart felt so full it was about to burst.

How wonderful it would be if such a person were truly her husband.

With these thoughts, Olentia promptly fainted.

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After waking from her sweet dream, everything became clearer.

The hideous Count Sokol. And the cunning Countess Kikozellia.

It seemed she would have to discard any remaining attachment to them.

Returning to her room, Olentia said to Bobby with fiery eyes:

“Pack our bags immediately! We must leave this wretched place.”

Bobby shook her head, looking at the darkened scenery outside the window.

“It’s too late, my lady. We’d better move in the morning.”

“Ah… you’re right.”

“What do you plan to do? Surely you couldn’t have obtained a special marriage license?”

“Isn’t it absurd even to you?”

Olentia paced aimlessly around the room before collapsing onto the bed. She felt as if all the moisture had been drained from her body, leaving both body and mind completely parched.

It was a sin, if anything, that she hadn’t been able to cut ties with Sokol until now, even knowing he would do anything for his own benefit.

Olentia pushed her sad emotions inward.

Now was not the time to be merely sorrowful.

There was absolutely no way she would marry Marquis Luxus as the Count and Countess wished. If she had to marry, she wanted it to be with someone of her own choosing.

Olentia made a firm resolution and lay down on the bed, covering herself with the soft blanket. She needed to sleep quickly, wake up at dawn, and leave the Armeniacus estate she had grown so fond of.

The Armeniacus family of the apricot tree.

The large and beautiful Count’s estate that had protected the Armeniacus people.

Only by leaving it could she find a new path.

Olentia squeezed her wet eyes shut and tried to fall asleep.

Bobby looked at Olentia with pity, then turned off the lights and left the room.

Only Olentia remained alone in the spacious room.

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Early dawn.

Several carriages were lined up in front of the mansion for Olentia. One was an elegant carriage, while the others were all luggage carts.

Surely Sokol had prepared them in advance, knowing Olentia would leave the estate.

Olentia gritted her teeth.

“He’s determined to mock me.”

Sokol’s preparation of the carriages was clearly his last meager act of kindness.

With the help of servants, Olentia loaded all the luggage packed by the annex maids at dawn onto the carts. As she planned to travel with only the bare essentials, there wasn’t much.

After checking the luggage, Bobby said to Olentia:

“The preparations are mostly complete, my lady.”

“Good. Let’s go quickly. I want to leave this place as soon as possible.”

Olentia deeply resented Sokol for making her like this. Though it was Kikozellia’s plan, it was ultimately his doing.

Moreover, the Armeniacus estate was a place filled with memories of her parents. There was no way leaving like this could feel good.

Of course, a temporary farewell was necessary to move forward.

Olentia grabbed Bobby’s hand as she headed towards the luggage cart and pulled her to the elegant carriage.

“Let’s just ride together. I’m feeling lonely.”

It was unthinkable for a servant to ride in a carriage used by nobles, but Olentia felt there was no need for such distinctions.

Bobby had no choice but to nod.

“Alright, my lady. I’ll always be by your side.”

Those words were more comforting than she could express.

Just as Olentia was about to bravely board the carriage, she heard the voices of the head butler and the few remaining old servants behind her. When Sokol became Count, he had driven out most of the long-serving staff and brought in new people, so there weren’t many left who had been there from before.

“Lady Olentia!”

“Are you really leaving, my lady?”

Their voices were steeped in deep sorrow. She could feel the emotion in her heart.

Olentia turned to look at them and said:

“I’m going. Take care.”

“My lady, you’ll come back, won’t you? You must return.”

“You all know why I’m leaving, don’t you?”

“Yes. But I’ll remain at the estate.”

“That’s right. We’ll stay and wait for your return.”

It felt as if their decision to stay at the estate was solely for her sake.

Indeed, it would be good if the head butler and servants remained steadfast at the estate.

Olentia felt their utmost sincerity and nodded.

It was truly time to leave the beloved estate.

“We’ll surely meet again. I’ll make it happen.”

Boarding the carriage and pulling back the window curtain, Olentia gazed for a moment at the estate full of red bricks. The estate was adorned with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which her father had brought from the divine land of Cassandra. When she was young, she thought the fruit of good and evil was delicious and often ate it with Sokol. Now it tasted terribly unpleasant and she couldn’t eat it.

‘Brother Sokol must be watching from somewhere.’

She couldn’t understand why memories of eating the fruit and his kindness from childhood were surfacing now of all times.

‘Olentia. Even if you fall off the horse, I’ll surely catch you. Don’t worry.’

‘But then you’ll get badly hurt, brother?’

‘It’s fine if my body breaks, but you can’t. Uncle will scold me.’

‘Hey! Isn’t it just because you care for me too much? Be honest!’

Was it when she was 12?

Young Olentia knew all of her cousin brother Sokol’s heart. No wonder his gaze was so affectionate as he bantered with her.

Sokol, who had just come of age, hugged the unusually small-framed Olentia tightly and said:

‘You caught me. But don’t get too cocky, little one.’

‘Tch!’

Young Olentia stuck out her tongue briefly before focusing on horseback riding again. Though there were many tutors who could teach her riding, she preferred learning from Sokol.

“…It doesn’t feel like such a distant memory.”

Olentia muttered bitterly as she closed all the curtains. She could only feel sorrow for the changed relationship between Sokol and herself.

Even though she had steeled her heart to stand on her own, that feeling remained unchanged.

Olentia had already found a suitable house in Noctifer. She had prepared all the new furniture and items she would need, so she only had to bring herself and some simple luggage.

Her heart fluttered slightly at the thought of truly living alone.

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“So she really left.”

Sokol, watching Olentia’s departure from the third-floor bedroom of the estate, chewed his lips incessantly. He honestly didn’t know why he was chewing them so much. It’s not like he didn’t know she would leave the estate like this.

Seeing Olentia leave felt like abandoning a child by the water’s edge. Perhaps he had come to take for granted that she had settled in the annex.

‘Have I become weak-hearted?’

This wouldn’t do.

Sokol had to pursue the couple’s interests more resolutely than anyone. The former Count was renowned as an archaeologist and the former Countess as a philanthropist, but the main reason they were respected was that they maintained a good relationship without scandal.

Nobles usually caused small and large romantic issues, but the two of them flaunted their love for each other without such rumors.

That’s why Sokol also wanted to maintain a good reputation within the Bonus Empire together with Kikozellia.

But why was it so difficult?

Seeing Sokol’s serious face, Kikozellia carefully brushed back her long hair.

“Sleep a bit more. Lack of sleep can cloud your judgment.”

A gentle voice concerned for him.

But somehow Sokol found that voice irritating. It was truly strange. Everything Kikozellia had done was with his permission.

Sokol tried to ignore the rising uncomfortable feelings and stood before the door. Then he said to her:

“I’m already fully awake. I should start working.”

Kikozellia, who had been tidying the bed for her husband, smiled awkwardly out of embarrassment.

“Ah, yes. I hope God’s blessing follows you today as well.”

The divine blessing she spoke of was solely for the Count and Countess.

Knowing this, Sokol nodded and left the stifling bedroom. It was better to work quickly when feeling unsettled.

“Don’t wander for too long, Olentia.”

She would have to marry Marquis Luxus anyway.

Wandering would only waste her energy. That’s why he quietly allowed her to leave home for a while.

She was in the palm of Sokol’s hand.

Yet he sighed and headed to his office. For some reason, Sokol’s steps were unusually heavy.

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The capital of the Bonus Empire, Geranium.

Geranium was a place with many important landmarks, including Green Park and Gold Street where central nobles gathered, as well as the large Silver Town, Owen Square, and Bonus Cathedral.

Most people living in Geranium were either nobles or of the bourgeois class, all leading comfortable and leisurely lives.

Until recently, Olentia, the heiress of the Armeniacus noble family, had also belonged there.

“The more I look at it, the better it seems.”

Olentia muttered as she looked at her new house again after waking up in the morning.

A few days ago, she had secured a residence in Noctifer, the western outskirts of Geranium. It was called the House of Venus because its roof glowed golden in the sunset.

It was close enough to Geranium for convenient activity during the social season, and its greatest advantage was the ancient city walls nearby that allowed for double or triple security.

Since it was difficult to employ numerous mercenaries like the knights stationed at the Armeniacus estate, she focused on security in this way.