Certainly, that’s clearly Zion Laurel.

“He pretended not to know me.”

That means he doesn’t want to be caught looking like this right now.

“The Count is playing the role of a teacher in this outskirts…”

Evie descended the stairs, swallowing her delight at this unexpected secret, and whispered to Dius, who had been waiting outside the house.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet for now.”

As Evie said this and turned around, suddenly Dius grabbed her arm.

So, taken aback, Evie’s eyes met those of a woman in the backyard of the twostory house.

The woman, who seemed to be between middle and old age, was just returning from hanging laundry and was holding an empty basket.

The woman muttered at Evie with a surprised face.

“Is it you, Evie?”

Evie didn’t hear the words properly because of her earplugs, but she recognized her at a glance.

“Auntie…”

“My goodness, it is you!”

The woman threw her basket and ran to Evie, and then seized her with wrinkled hands.

This woman was Mrs. Marso, the owner of the twostory house. When the fortune teller brought Evie to this house, she had taken care of Evie as if she were her niece.

Mrs. Marso held Evie’s hands and poured out questions about what she had been doing all this time.

So, Evie, feeling awkward, chose to faintly stagger and fall.

“Ah…”

Almost simultaneously, Dius caught Evie and said,

“She must be very tired from the long journey. She seems to need rest right now, may we visit again shortly?”

“Of course, take your time. No, rest at our house. I’ll squeeze some lemon…”

“Thank you for your kind words, but our luggage is in the carriage.”

Mrs. Marso made a regretful face at Dius’s polite refusal.

“I see. Oh, have you decided where to have dinner tonight? I’d love to treat you since it’s been a while…”

The lady lovingly looked at Evie and spoke.

Evie, feeling the meaning in her expression, nodded in Dius’s arms.

“Thank you, ma’am. We’ll be back at dinner time.”

Dius bowed politely, and turned with Evie.

Evie continued to lean on Dius as if she was still dizzy, as they walked.

In that state, Evie spoke so that only Dius could hear.

“You did great.”

“That’s too kind of you.”

The two of them whispered mischievously and strolled away.

But naive Mrs. Marso kept watching their retreating figures for a long time.

And a little above her, on the second floor, there was someone else observing them.

The man, who was standing with his arms crossed and leaning back, was silently watching Evie, who was being supported by the butler.

Then, looking displeased with something, he quietly furrowed his brow.

.

.

.

“―I’ve been here for about 2 years. He’s a kind person. Thanks to him, the damage from the dark night has reduced a lot. But his personality is a bit…

“―I don’t know what he does. He’s gone for half a month every month, and he comes back all battered. And his personality is a bit…

“―I think he might be a mercenary. There’s a huge arena not far from here. Maybe that’s why his personality is a bit…

“―He teaches the children how to read and write. He doesn’t seem to be a bad person looking at how the children follow him, but still, his personality is a bit…

At the villagers’ testimonies that Dius had gathered, Evie burst into laughter.

“I’m relieved. It seems Count Laurel’s unpleasant personality isn’t just toward me.”

Evie liked people’s evaluation of the Count’s personality.

Of course, the rest of the stories were equally interesting.

“So, in summary, this ‘teacher’ person settled in the village 2 years ago, he leaves for somewhere half the month, and comes back always injured. Plus, he’s strong enough not to fear the dark night, and while he’s in the village, he teaches children how to read and write?”

“There’s one more thing. He came back two days ago, and he was away longer than usual. For a month and a half.”

“He must have. He was in Tienda.”

At this wellmatching story, Evie’s smile deepened.

“You should be on the lookout, living in the countryside like this. The tastes of the nobility are truly incomprehensible.”

Moreover, that house was where Evie and her uncle used to live.

All sorts of guesses disturbed Evie’s mind. But Evie focused on one thing, putting everything else behind her.

“How secret must this situation be to the Count?”

“Are you thinking of threatening him?”

“If necessary.”

Evie did not deny it.

To seize a stranger’s secret discovered by chance and threaten them with it, it’s definitely a vile act.

But Evie thought it was okay to be vile towards the Count.

“If I think about what that person did to me, what’s so big about a threat?”

Evie casually laughed as she recalled the Count’s misdeeds.

That extremely badtempered man approached her with promises of care and then brutally slapped her when Evie didn’t move as he wanted.

When the Count employed the nobles to criticize Evie, she really felt as if she had been dragged out into the street.

That misery is still vivid, and to meet the Count here of all places.