“Turning a servant into a husband and renting a room would mean a conclusion has already been reached.”

Count Philip Morris’s voice was as monotonous as usual. Of course, the arrogance contained within remained unchanged.

So, Evie had become newly annoyed at the count.

She thought he would be somewhat taken aback, but he came out so boldly instead.

Evie thought him a truly unlovable creature, and laughed sweetly.

“Count, I thought you might want to hide your identity.”

“You knew that and you still came to this house. A thoroughly calculating personality.”

Despite Evie’s gentle voice, the count’s response was close to scorn and crossexamination.

“It might be good to calculate again. If you think you’ve found a weakness.”

The count added with his arms crossed defiantly.

Wearing glasses makes a person look somewhat more studious, but even with dull glasses perched on his nose, the count was still authoritarian.

So, Evie smiled, quietly grinding her teeth.

DS was right.

DS had told her to approach the count while maintaining a line.

The current situation did not threaten the count, and going against his feelings would be to our disadvantage, he said.

Looking at the count’s attitude now, it certainly seemed that way.

The situation was neither a weakness nor a threat to the count.

Who could blame a great nobleman for living secretly in a rural village?

Dereliction of duty, desertion of the front?

That would only become a crime if there was someone higher up to investigate.

“A weakness, don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing that could be a weakness to the count. Even if there was, I couldn’t do anything about it, you know.”

So Evie said, opening her shawl at her chest, and spoke as politely as possible.

“I never thought I’d see you, Count, in a place like this. If you think I’ve been stalking you, that’s a misunderstanding.”

“Rest assured, I’m not overestimating you to that degree.”

“……That’s right. I don’t have the ability to stalk you, Count. Running into you during the day was purely a coincidence. And it was also an opportunity for me to seek your understanding.”

Despite the count’s scathing attitude, Evie spoke quite charmingly.

So the count’s head tilted slightly, as if to say he would listen to what she had to say.

Though consistently headstrong, Evie patiently continued speaking.

“I saw you during the day. How you dealt with the children.”

You threw the ball at them when they asked for it, you nasty child.

“It looked nice for a moment. I could dare to guess that this is your precious daily life.”

Yeah, dereliction of duty, desertion of the front. These things don’t matter to the count. You can simply suppress it with power.

But what about in this village?

You said you settled here 2 years ago.

You said you taught the children to read.

And you were also famously meantempered.

Why would you, who could live like an emperor if you wished, choose such a dreary life?

Evie inferred the answer easily.

Sometimes it happens in Tienda. Eccentrics who feel disillusionment and cynicism about aristocratic life.

Those oddballs who have too much and throw tantrums saying that such a life is meaningless.

Evie thought Zion Laurel was clearly one of them. So she decided to negotiate with this.

“Stable daily life is necessary for everyone. But I can’t live as I used to. Since you, Count, left Tienda.”

More precisely, since you ruthlessly threw that declaration and left.

Thinking about it again still made her rage, but Evie pleaded, chewing on DS’s words to keep the line.

“So I want to ask for your mercy, Count. The only one who can give me back my daily life is you, Count. And you, Count, I think you understand the importance of daily life better than anyone.”

Evie looked up cautiously at the count as she finished speaking.

Then she doubted her eyes.

The count was smiling, not answering. No, looking again, it was quite a fitting smile.

The smile that lingered on his lips was cynicism if it were to be named, and mockery if it were to be deciphered.

“Surely, you understand the value of everyday life more than anyone else,” the Count said, smiling as he repeated Evie’s last words.

“If you don’t withdraw your declaration, I’ll ruin your everyday life as well. This sounds like a threat, does it not?”

“You’re not wrong.”

Evie answered honestly because of the curse, but she was not flustered.

No matter how politely she spoke, the meaning wouldn’t change, and it would be better to admit what she should admit, as this formidable Count would not be easily fooled.

The Count’s smile deepened.

Evie was a little scared, but she also felt defiant.

Compared to what you have done, isn’t this level of threat a mere joke? She wanted to argue.

At the same time, she wanted to persuade him earnestly.

Having spent two years here, even teaching the children. So this must be an important place for you too. Please compromise to some extent!

It was when Evie looked at the Count with such a desperate heart.

The Count wiped his smile and asked,