Adel’s body was thrown further than expected onto the ground.

“Cough! Cough!”

Coughing from the shock, she glared at Stone and laughed.

“It’s a pity. I should have cut off your arm.”

While being grabbed by one arm by Stone, Adel had drawn the dagger hidden in her skirt with her other hand. Unfortunately, it had only cut his sleeve and grazed his skin.

In fact, Adel had started carrying a knife in her garter belt because of Stone. So that she could fight back against those who meant harm at any time.

“Adel, my cute cat. You’ve become more fierce since I last saw you. How can I not love this?”

But Stone calmly licked the blood oozing from his skin and laughed.

“Stop blabbering and get lost!”

Adel extended her dagger and prepared to strike again, but she had no strength to stand.

Meanwhile, Stone approached her and crouched down, eye to eye.

“The rumor of your engagement, is it true?”

“Yes. I will marry him soon.”

Stone furrowed his brow in apparent difficulty.

“Such a thing…… Have you forgotten what I said? That your soul is entirely mine?”

“Crazy talk! I’m his woman now. You think the Earl will spare you?”

Adel shouted louder, trying to conceal her trembling.

But Stone was not moved.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re his woman yet?”

“What?”

He took a handkerchief from inside his jacket. He had returned the handkerchief with the initials ST on one corner to April earlier.

“If he had seen the tattoo on your back, his expression would have been interesting when he saw this handkerchief. But he was just calm.”

Then Stone laughed heartily.

“Adel, you haven’t even shown him your back yet? And you call yourself his woman.”

Watching him snicker, Adel’s lips trembled.

“……You met him?”

“From afar only. I was curious. Whether he knew about the mark on your back. If you two had slept together.”

Then, he whispered into Adel’s ear in a chilling voice.

“You were still waiting for me, weren’t you?”

Adel pushed Stone away with all her might and stood up.

“Shut up! And if you even touch him a little, I won’t stand by!”

But Stone clapped his hands as if amused.

“Great, Adel! But you’re not his woman yet. You haven’t shared a bed, you haven’t had a wedding with vows before the gods. The two of you, you’re nothing to each other.”

“No. He and I have already shared our souls…….”

Stone put his finger to Adel’s lips.

“Shh! Adel. There’s still plenty of time to turn back.”

“To turn back?”

“To come back home. The cat that left home.”

“……!”

Adel had momentarily forgotten. How cunning and cruel this man could be.

“I’ll truly cherish you now, so you won’t even think of running away.”

And at that moment, as Stone reached to grab Adel’s neck,

Swoosh.

The long, cold blade of a rapier blocked his hand.

“Step back, Your Grace.”

“Chris……!”

Christine, who had come unnoticed, drew his sword and placed a barrier between Stone and Adel. Behind him were a few of his guards, including Zimmerman.
“Are you okay, Adel?”

Christine, who had sheathed his sword, helped Adel, who was crouched down, to her feet.

“Yeah, just a bit dizzy.”

Then Stone chimed in with Adel.

“Don’t misunderstand, Count. I was only trying to help my fallen mother up.”

Christine looked at him with eyes as cold as ice.

“Adel is no longer related to your family. Don’t call her by that title.”

“Ah, yes. But the Emperor has excommunicated her from the family without even my permission. I will object to this matter through the nobles’ council.”

Christine’s eyebrow rose slightly.

“You will pressure the Emperor by riding on the back of the nobles’ council?”

Stone was one of the five elder members of the nobles’ council. Forces the Emperor wanted to restrain the most.

“If you have power but can’t use it, aren’t you a fool? Until the judgment is made, neither marriage nor engagement between the two will be effective.”

Then Stone, smiling gently, offered Adel a handkerchief.

“Here, wipe off the dirt on your hand.”

He purposely handed it so that his initials were clearly visible. When Adel refused to take it, looking embarrassed, he put it in her hand with a smile.

“I’ll visit you again later, mo.ther.”

And it was then.

Whoosh!

A chilly wind brushed Stone’s cheek, and then his handkerchief was impaled vertically on a tree right in front of him.

It was Christine’s rapier. Stone’s handkerchief was pierced on the tip of the blade.

“What is the meaning of this?”

When Stone looked back coldly,

“That handkerchief would be more suitable for wrapping a cat’s leg, Viscount.”

Then he suddenly picked up Adel and walked past Stone. His guard followed as if escorting them.

Watching them disappear, Stone’s blue eyes gradually turned fierce and dull.

“Count Christine Bice… I really like you.”

His red tongue greedily licked his lips.

(This is a time divider.)

Once away from Stone, Adel felt like she could finally breathe. Her mind became clearer as the medicine’s effect seemed to wear off.

“Let me go, I’ll walk on my own.”

“You said you fell because of dizziness.”

“That was… Actually, I tripped on a rock and was embarrassed to admit it.”

Adel whispered, almost confessing, and Christine’s steps halted.

“Adel.”

His voice calling her name was deeper than ever.

“Why?”

Adel looked at him with an inexplicable sense of unease.

“You really have nothing to do with Stone?”

For a moment, something seemed to hit Adel’s heart hard.

“Nothing to do with him? What do you mean?”

“You two looked a bit special.”

Adel denied strongly with a dumbfounded expression.

“What a terrible thing to say? You know how much I hate him!”

As he set Adel down, Christine raised his hand and sent a signal. Zimma and the guard who had followed him retreated far back.

Though it was still midday, dark clouds gathered, and the sky darkened. The gloomy sky looked ominous, as if something might fall from it at any moment.

“Then what’s this mark?”

Because of the lowhanging sky, his voice sounded somehow grim.