Inside were a loaf of bread and a bottle of juice, and some fruit that seemed untouched.

“Did you really leave something for me to eat?”

I couldn’t understand. There should have been a shortage even if forty people had just a little, yet they left food for me?

“It won’t be night when you return home now, will it? You will be hungry if you don’t have dinner.”

I hadn’t heard whether they chose a stubborn revenge target or settled as territorial residents. But judging by the leader’s attitude, it seemed like the latter.

“……?”

It still felt strange. The bandit leader was overly polite.

‘Is what’s good, good?’

I looked around again. Some kids were sitting in one corner, just sucking their fingers.

I was also hungry, but I had no hesitation.

I went to the children and deliberately asked sulkily and gruffly,

“Did you eat?”

“Yes, we were all given equal portions.”

It seemed that I could trust the man called the leader a bit more. I handed the basket to the children.

“Anyway, you eat this.”

“……!”

The children’s eyes widened as they hastily took the basket. Then they started breaking the bread and eating it amongst themselves.

They were very thin and looked very hungry, but their sharing made me proud.

These children had been wandering for a long time, but there was no doubt that their camaraderie was no different from family.

I must feed them generously when I take them to the mansion.

Philip might be surprised, but wouldn’t it be fine to feed and rest them for a few days in the training ground or nearby meadow?

“Madam?”

Then Sir Mild called me. The act of distributing food was unfamiliar, so I put in a plausible reason for him to understand.

“Do I have to eat the food that the bandits have left over? Starving is better.”

“Ah……”

“And Sir Hoil will bring food.”

Finally, Sir Mild bowed his head, looking like he had understood.

“You are entirely right, Madam.”

Now I have to listen to the story until Sir Hoil comes.

What happened in the meantime?

“We had just finished the meeting to follow the Countess’s will and were about to distribute the food when those guys stormed into the cave. There was some fight to capture them.”

“……?”

It was a bit strange.

‘If you fought the enemy and won, shouldn’t you be pumped up?’

But the bandit leader looked listless, unlike that.

When I looked at him questioningly, the bandit leader rubbed his rough hands together and carefully replied,

“That’s the thing.”

Polter was recalling the earlier incident with Count Philip Morris, rubbing both hands in front of Ellen.

“You, you guys?”

The image of Count Morris, tense as he searched for Ellen, unlike the days of being chased, seemed as if something good could be gained if done well.

“That woman? Hahaha!”

Polter abruptly stopped laughing and speaking.

I almost said, “Wait, I’ll be back soon.”

That’s when it happened. A heavy shock, and a flash before my eyes.

“Boss!”

“Argh!”

“Captain!”

Screams erupted from all around.

I realized that I had been hit by Count Philip Morris.

‘The punch of a nobleman who is only dandy in appearance is nothing!’

I wanted to say that, but for some reason, my voice wouldn’t come out. It was eerie how my mind felt adrift.

There was a brief silence.

‘Weren’t there many people here?’

I strained to open my eyes, and faintly saw a woman dressed in black in the darkness.

The woman facing me gestured as if chasing away a fly.

‘How will it be if you come over just because you took one hit? It’s not time yet.’

The woman standing like a phantom disappeared.

“Captain!”

“Honey!”

“Wake up, Captain……”

Worried, soft voices gradually grew louder, buzzing in my ears.

“You brat!”

“You’re dead!”

“Hey, what are you doing! Attack!”

This time, the distinct voices were those of my comrades, who were proud of their strong fists.

“Blanc, sit!”

Count Philip Morris’s firm command was heard.

“Woof.”

The reaction of a dog that seemed to listen very well to its master.

“Ugh!”

I came to my senses abruptly. Reflexively, I wiped my face, which felt full of moisture. My palm was red.

“Grunting.”

It seemed my nose was bleeding. A metallic taste filled my mouth.

“Are you okay?”

The person vigorously shaking me to wake me was my wife.

“It’s, it’s okay.”

I staggered to my feet and looked around.

Despite the chaos, the big dog sat obediently at the cave entrance, following its master’s command.

Not knowing Blanc’s nature, I was thankful that the big dog was just a gentle giant. Then my gaze met Count Philip Morris’s.

Count Philip Morris was swiftly dealing with the men attacking him.

I couldn’t close my mouth.

Unbelievable as it was, the count was knocking down the bandits with just one punch.

A vein throbbed on Count Philip Morris’s forehead.

‘How much must he love his wife to be so enraged?’

Philip’s appearance was enough to remind me of Ellen’s exaggerations.

Then, one of the comrades angrily wielded an ax from behind.

“Die! Monster! Die!”

The other comrades drew swords and bows. With the appearance of bows, the situation was over.

But as Count Philip Morris whirled to dodge the ax, a purple light was drawn in the air.

‘What, what is that?’

I doubted my eyes.

A faint purple phantom like smoke circled around him. It looked like the devil of terror had appeared.

‘Could it be… an aura?’

A special energy that flows from the body of a master who has reached the pinnacle in swords, fighting, magic, etc.

But that was only a legend passed down through word of mouth.

Count Philip Morris easily struck the comrade wielding the ax in the abdomen.

“Cough!”

Flying away, the fallen comrade neither moved nor regained consciousness.

The hairs on my head stood on end, and my spine tingled.

“Screech! He’s dead!”

Women and children cowering in the corner began crying and throwing stones at Count Philip Morris.

It was a desperate measure to save the men who had fallen helplessly.

Thud! Thump!

But the flying stones were blocked by the aura surrounding him and fell weakly.

Count Philip Morris easily caught one of the stones.

The veins on his hand holding the stone protruded. The cold look in his eyes was far from playful, as if he was going to throw the stone back.

My heart felt like it was dropping. To the women and children, it was just a rock, but in Count Philip Morris’s hand, it looked like a terrifying lethal weapon.

Whoever is hit by that stone dies!

“Count Philip Morris’s house will become the target of my mad love’s relentless revenge!”

Then Ellen’s warning clearly crossed Polter’s mind.

“Gasp!”

Everyone, including Polter, was horrified. It was a massacre.

“I should have listened to the Countess’s words then!”

He loves his wife so much that he goes crazy!