Edmond gritted his teeth and glared at Montree with a fierce look. Despite the threatening aura, the Baron stood unfazed, accustomed to dealing with all sorts of people and knowing Edmond since he was a young boy begging for piggyback rides.

“If you don’t want to hear an old man’s nagging, find yourself a partner.”

Montree hoped that Edmond, who had spent years protecting his sister and establishing a foundation, would now find his own happiness.

Passing Edmond with a cunning gleam in his eye, Montree stopped and glanced back slyly.

Edmond furrowed his brows.

“For the last time, there’s nothing between us…!”

“The future of relationships between men and women is the most unpredictable,” Montree chuckled deviously, tapping his cane as he walked away.

Edmond, his ears turning red, gripped a vine tightly, glaring after the sly old man.

“Sigh.” Standing still, listening to the maid’s 15th warning, I exhaled heavily.

Tugging at the blindfold, I glanced at the maid askew.

“Enough, I think. I’d like to meet Countess Wickley now.”

“Of course. Please keep the blindfold on.”

Startled, the maid adjusted my blindfold and took my hand, placing it on her arm.

Once again, plunged into darkness, I heard the sound of a door hinge after a while.

Silently following the maid, I eventually sat in a chair. The scent of flowers and soil suggested we were in an indoor greenhouse.

“Countess Wickley will be here shortly. Shall I serve some tea first?”

“That would be nice.”

After taking the tea order, the maid moved towards the door. Another maid set down the tea in front of me.

Smiling faintly at the mint aroma, I said, “Thank you for the tea, Countess Wickley.”

Clatter-. The maid, seemingly startled while setting the tea, made a noise.

The hint of panic was palpable.

“May I take off the blindfold?”

“…Yes, you may.”
I removed my blindfold, responding to her hesitantly uttered answer. Blinking against the sudden light, I saw Countess Wickley, looking flustered, standing beside me.

She appeared to be in her early forties, her hair meticulously tied up without a strand out of place, and her eyes fully covered by a veil.

“Please, take a seat, Countess Wickley.”

Countess Wickley, regaining her composure as if she had never been startled, elegantly moved to the opposite seat. Meanwhile, a maid, looking at me as if I were a ghost, approached hesitantly. She shakily set down the tea and refreshments before disappearing, a rather amusing sight.

It was Countess Wickley who broke the ensuing silence.

“How did you know it was me?”

“Intuition.”

Countess Wickley’s expression soured, as if she thought my answer was nonsensical or a joke.

“It really was intuition. If I had to reason it out, maybe it was the hint of mint scent coming from you?”

Her preference for mint was well-known in social circles.

Countess Wickley slightly squinted her eyes, then relaxed them.

“Quite perceptive.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Countess Wickley sighed languidly, lifting her tea from within her veil. She seemed weary.

“Forgive me, I was curious to know what kind of person the reclusive Countess Viel is.”

Although her tone suggested a sense of superiority, which was slightly offensive, I could understand her perspective.

It was a kind of test. The way one treats their inferiors often reveals their character quickly and effectively.

Furthermore, my research before coming to the duchy indicated that Countess Wickley greatly values her people, to the extent that there were rumors about how dearly she regards them.

As a noble, it’s possible to conceal true intentions and show a plausible demeanor, so she had to find a more transparent method.

‘Given the absence of a dismissal, it seems I’ve passed that test.’