“I told you not to underestimate me.”

Evie’s rebuke was calm, and so Cassard missed the chance to get angry.

“Besides, saying it was a misunderstanding now is too late. By now, the other nobles will have noticed. They’ll think that I exposed your fraud.”

“You brought that upon yourself.”

“If I hadn’t done this much, would I have had the chance to talk like this? I would have been treated like a crying child who can’t even retaliate.”

Cassard, who was growling at Evie’s reasonable refutation, suddenly narrowed his brow.

“Thanks to you, my reputation has been completely destroyed. Until yesterday, I was a candidate for sainthood, more virtuous than anyone, but now they will think of me as a snake, ready to reveal weaknesses and attack. But trying to act as if it never happened only sounds like mockery, doesn’t it?”

Evie asked in a voice that was indifferent, if not heartless, and a strange gleam appeared in Cassard’s eyes, which had been sharply raised.

He forgot his anger and stroked his chin with his hand as if he found it interesting.

“…Indeed, I underestimated you. It wasn’t a reckless attack, but a gamble.”

Cassard mumbled and looked at Evie with a sneer.

“Ha, I was really fooled. How much did you pretend?”

“As much as I needed to become a saint.”

At Evie’s reply, Cassard finally laughed properly.

Being a graceful person, he readily admitted his mistake. He had thought that Evie was a common fox, all appearance and pretense. He had been annoyed that she seemed to be overreaching, but listening to her, Evie’s judgment and eloquence were more satisfactory than he had anticipated.

With that, he could not simply scold her. Evie was not someone to be scolded and cajoled but to be negotiated with.

Realizing this fact, Cassard changed his attitude again.

“I underestimated your ambition. Now I’ll treat you properly. So what you want is…”

“Nothing.”

Just as Cassard was speaking seriously, Evie abruptly cut him off, and he was bewildered once again.

“I have nothing I want from you, Your Grace. The certificates and seals were just a test.”

“A test?”

“I was going to give you a chance if you apologized properly, but you really are useless, Your Grace.”

As she spoke, Evie’s voice remained monotone, as if she was merely stating facts.

“Didn’t you ask if I want to be a saint? I answered honestly earlier, but in line with the intention of the question, I’ll answer again. Of course, I will, but it has nothing to do with you, Your Grace. So don’t think you can control me with that.”

Evie’s words became more and more ridiculous, and Cassard, wondering how far she would go, questioned with one lip stretched long.

“How can that have nothing to do with me?”

“Because you won’t be there at the saint’s selection ceremony, Your Grace.”

Cassard was dumbfounded.

“I’m serious.”

“Heh.”

Evie’s added determination was met with a hollow laugh.

To not be there at the saint’s selection ceremony meant one of two things: “I’ll kill you,” or “I’ll replace Count Montra.”

“Even if that’s possible, is this worth doing?”

It was such an exaggerated story that Cassard wasn’t even angry. So he asked with a sense of curiosity.

“You’re mad about yesterday, but is this something to risk your life over? You’re not stupid, so why?”

“It’s worth risking my life. I always have been. And the real fool is the one who doesn’t know what he did wrong.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“You, Your Grace, need to assess the situation first.”

Cassard warned her in a soft voice, but Evie didn’t bat an eye.

So Cassard felt very strange.

He wasn’t even angry now, and he didn’t feel like scolding or negotiating with Evie. Instead, he was dominated by unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings.

As he struggled with this strange signal, Evie chatted calmly again.

“If I had planned to withdraw moderately, I wouldn’t have used a letter like this. I would have gone to you, Your Grace. Threatening is much safer than exposing. I wrote the letter intending to go all the way.”
“Then why go all the way!”

Cassel wanted to shout at Evie, who kept coming on strong.

So far, he had been furious with Evie for “fooling him.” Apart from being mad as hell, that was all he perceived.

But now, Evie was really out to get him, and Cassel really felt a sinking feeling, realizing he’d touched something more venomous than he thought.

“Damn it, where did something like this come from……”

Of course, he didn’t think Evie could threaten his position or his life.

He just felt it would definitely be tiring if she got hold of him and wouldn’t let go. An invincible enemy collecting his weaknesses, the mere thought was a headache.

So, Cassel started thinking of getting rid of Evie, putting aside revenge and everything else.

“Yeah, I get it. I understand that you’re angry with me, but……”

“Really?”

Cassel tried to negotiate again, and Evie quickly retorted.

“Do you really know what the Count did wrong?”

She even changed her words to probe the wrongdoing.

Cassel thought of an answer to the question while looking at Evie with disdain.