Today, I was planning to learn chess at Baron Kito’s mansion. Ah, but before that, I’ll briefly stop by the market to have some ice cream. If there’s a fountain pen store nearby, I might take a look as well. If there’s time left, I may also drop by the library in the square. I’ll go to the mansion to learn chess when the appointment time comes, but definitely before six o’clock…

“Lise.”

Isabel’s call interrupted my speech. Sitting leisurely on the sofa reading a book, she slightly furrowed her brows. I thought it was because of the sunlight.

“There’s no need to go into such detail.”

“What?”

“I told you yesterday, didn’t I?”

I was flustered by Isabel’s firm words. I had a strange feeling, especially since I had detailed my day’s plans to Isabel yesterday as well.

It was before I headed to the Backus mansion for violin lessons.

“Ah, yes.”

Realizing this, I awkwardly smiled.

“Aren’t you going to be cold?”

Isabel closed her book and eyed my barearmed outfit.

“It’s a short distance. I’ll be back before it gets dark…”

“Are you going with Yurik Fenton?”

“No. I meant to ask him after visiting the Backus mansion yesterday, but I forgot. Roger didn’t let me go.”

After glancing at the time, Isabel spoke.

“Alright, make sure to come back before the count returns.”

“…I will.”

It’s one thing to discuss daily plans, but her sendoff still felt awkward.

I hurriedly opened the front door and stepped into the garden when I felt a presence.

Looking up, I saw two women murmuring at the front gate. They were neither maids nor nobility.

My outfit exposed my arms and was light, but theirs were much worse. Seeing their deeply plunging necklines made me uncomfortable.

The chattering women noticed me late and ran off. I tried to catch them, but they quickly disappeared down the hill.

“…What was that?”

I felt uneasy.

Not much later, I encountered the two women again.

It was in front of a famous dessert café. Despite being quite close, they were oblivious to my presence. Taking this opportunity, I scrutinized them closely.

“Isn’t it pretty expensive, Styana?”

“Don’t worry. I told you I have a lot of money.”

Judging by their accents and mannerisms, they weren’t nobility.

They seemed to be in their midtwenties, and their faces were moderately pretty. What caught my eye was a pure beauty with brown hair and silver eyes.

She was called Styana.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“If I run short, the count will give me more.”

At the mention of ‘count,’ I perked up my ears. There was a high likelihood that they were talking about my father.

In addition to being in front of the Marsen mansion earlier, there were only about five count families nearby, including the Marsens.

How did they know my father?

I wanted to hear more about the count, but they turned their attention to the menu. They were dissatisfied with the unfamiliar names of cakes, drinks, and alcohol.

‘Come to think of it, they resemble each other.’

I stared at Styana. She resembled a redhead who had claimed to be my mother and stormed the Marsen mansion before.

“How about we order the most expensive thing?”

“…You really do have a lot of money, Styana.”

“From what I see, the count has completely fallen for me. I might even become the Countess.”

I stared hard at this woman named Styana.

Realizing my presence, her face paled progressively.

“Styana?”

Recognizing who I was, Styana quickly left the café with her companion. Already suspicious, their fleeing made them even more so.

“Wait a moment!”
He immediately followed the women. He called out to them loudly, but they did not stop and disappeared into the alleyway.

The alleyway was deeper than he thought.

The deeper he went, the more unfamiliar and dangerous the path became. The absence of sunlight made it even more frightening. The women, quick on their feet, were nowhere to be found; he had lost track of them.

He stopped and looked around. The dreadful smell and the eerie atmosphere. Did such a place even exist in Hosha Village?

It wasn’t a good place to stay long. He needed to get out to a populated area before something bad happened.

Having assessed the situation, he was quickly turning the corner of the alley when he bumped into someone.

“……!”

The person he bumped into was a man obviously drunk. With a flushed face, the man looked down at him and cracked an ugly smile. Behind the man lay several other men whose eyes were bloodshot.

“This is no place for children.”

“……”

“Especially not for a young girl dressed so neatly.”

His instincts told him to run, but the man’s menacing hand grabbed his hair.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t worry. I’m too cowardly to sell or hand over a noble young lady. I have no interest in children anyway.”

“Then let me go!”

“But, if you have something valuable, that’s a different story, young lady. Give me all your money and the clothes you’re wearing, and I’ll let you go quietly.”

He was truly out of luck.

“Come on, young lady!”

Giving up money was one thing, but undressing was out of the question.