In the end, there were no ‘friends’ to help her when she was falling apart. Neither her adjutant, nor the comrades she thought were friends, nor any of the knights she had formed a camp with. They did not open the door when she asked for help.

That’s why she felt more desperate. She felt shabby. On the other hand, she envied that Alejandro had a friend who would immediately follow him. Nerea stared blankly at his back and swallowed a sigh.

While trying to dispel her heavy heart, thinking this complexity would improve if she saw the armor.

Nerea, who had been looking out the window, suddenly became calm.

There he is again today. The blonde man who resembles Lady Lancaster.

As the main gate of the merchant guild opened and the carriage entered the premises again. Nerea unconsciously pulled down her hat.

The white hat Heather bought her. The hat with a long trailing end perfectly covered Nerea’s hair and face.

“There will be many people today, but you don’t need to worry too much. Just pulling your hat down like that, not a single hair can be seen.”

Alejandro’s words were only half right. People didn’t fail to see her because of the hat, they only saw Alejandro.

Unlike last time, the merchant guild full of people was bustling with energy. Everyone they met smiled brightly at Alejandro.

“Master, you’re here! Thank you for the vacation!”

“Master! We love you. It was truly a sweet holiday!”

“Quiet.”

Love confessions overflowing with happiness burst out here and there.

At Alejandro’s rebuke, they shut their mouths tight, but people’s eyes still sparkled towards him.

He’s quite a beloved master.

“Alejandro seems to be very popular.”

As she felt a corner of her heart warming up for no reason, Heather whispered. Nerea met her eyes with the same thought and smiled gently. It was then.

“Count, you’re he- No, Master! Master, please come here for a moment!”

Johnny, who came running hurriedly from the corridor far away, corrected his words. Nerea, who had tensed for a moment, smiled a little as she heard puzzled voices around saying, ‘Why is he calling the Master Count?’

Ah, right. Alejandro was a count too.

But this smile didn’t last long. When Johnny whispered something, Alejandro asked back chillingly. Though it was a small voice, it rang clearly in Nerea’s ears.

“Who, applied for a tribute to the imperial festival?”

It seemed that today again wouldn’t be smooth sailing to see the armor.

.

.

.

Please.

Alejandro following behind was terribly quiet. Johnny prayed to a god that might exist somewhere, feeling as if he was entering the eye of a typhoon.

Please. Let it not be Grace.

But God didn’t answer Johnny’s prayer.

The Vice Master’s office instantly fell silent.

“Yes. I applied. We can’t keep avoiding a relationship with the imperial family forever.”

Johnny put his hand to his forehead in front of Grace, who answered confidently. Separately, Grace tried hard to suppress her desire to frown.

Again.

The ‘Count’ who came along behind Alejandro and Johnny like a decoration.

The ‘Count’ wearing a navy dress after covering most of her hair and face with a white hat looked just like an ordinary woman. Grace couldn’t understand what she was trying to do.

If she was going to reclaim her Count title, how could she have such difficulty showing herself?

At this time when she should be desperately trying to make even one more supporter by showing that once brave appearance.

It was then.

“Just submitting regular items should be enough. To swear loyalty to the imperial family…”

The low voice was chilling. Grace felt her breath catch as she inadvertently looked up.

Unlike the smiling lips, the eyes were terribly cold. A blackly forged chill rippled and pricked Grace’s chin.

“Is it because of your knighthood?”

“…What are you saying! You’re the one who needs to come to your senses, Alejandro Rosa!”

Knighthood.

At those words, Grace came to her senses as if she had been doused with cold water.

What she was doing now wasn’t purely for herself.

“Right now, the merchant guild itself is being treated as an eyesore because of your stubbornness. Why are you avoiding a relationship with the imperial family to such an extent!”

Her decision was clearly prioritizing Rosa. The knighthood and Lancaster baronetcy were secondary.

Grace quickly turned around. And she glared at the Count in the white hat with purple eyes that seemed about to spark. Stupid eyes were briefly visible under the brim of the tacky hat.

“Since the Count is here, please tell us. Respected Count, was the imperial family the reason for your seclusion?”

Sharp malice was evident in the clear voice. Grace took one more step towards the Count.

To be protected standing behind Alejandro and Johnny. Grace believed her own eyes were certain. A lazy and passive noble lady. Now Grace couldn’t see the sparkling strength of the past in Nerea.

As she heard the sound of heels spreading roundly, Nerea suddenly recalled the sound of Brianna’s heels she had heard a few weeks ago. Unlike those dizzily high heels, Grace’s footsteps were heavy and solid.

“Do you perhaps know how precarious our Rosa merchant guild’s, and Alejandro’s position is because of the relationship with the imperial family, Count?”

The sound of heels that could be heard even through the sweet voice was quite ostentatious.

When Nerea, who had been looking down at Grace’s dress hem for a moment, slowly raised her head, Grace screamed as if in horror.

“You don’t care about that at all, do you! You just ran away. Because you were afraid you could no longer be recognized as a knight!”

“That’s enough. I can’t listen anymore. Lancaster.”

A chilling voice stopped Grace’s words.

Grace, who had been drunk on hatred, suddenly came to her senses. A face so cold it gave her chills was approaching her.

It was then.

“Relax. Alejandro.”

The Count, who had stepped in front of Alejandro at once, spoke too calmly.

“But…!”

“Are you going to react like that every time? That must be the common thinking?”

Grace couldn’t understand. That languid voice was rather defending her.

Alejandro hesitated, then turned his back. The aqua eyes visible under the white brim looked at Grace and said.

“Yes. The lady is right. I ran away and secluded myself.”

It was an admission so easy it made her lose strength. Grace, swallowing an empty breath, pressed Nerea once more, stuttering.

“So, so what are you going to do, you who ran away?”

“This time, I’m going to try not to run away.”

Grace couldn’t understand.

How could she be so confident? Barely returning after ten years, is not running away all she can say?

“Don’t speak so easily when you don’t know anything.”

Alejandro’s efforts, Johnny’s sweat. The dogged determination that cultivated Rosa. Alejandro, unprecedentedly without a knighthood, rose from baron to viscount, and then to count. If that effort ended with just that woman, Grace couldn’t accept it even more.

“…There is a lot I don’t know.”

At the low voice, Grace suddenly raised her head.

“That’s right!”

“Nevertheless.”

Nerea spoke over Grace’s hesitant voice.

“Ten years ago, when the imperial family didn’t welcome my victory and took my father’s side.”

Suddenly, strength entered her voice. Perhaps because of the overwhelming spirit, Grace involuntarily repeated Nerea’s words.

The imperial family took the side of the acting count? Not the hero?

“I know that Alejandro has prepared many things for me for a long time.”

Grace, who had been swept away by Nerea’s words like a wave for a moment, suddenly came to her senses and glared at her.

“Knowing just that, now you…!”

“So I was going to learn some social etiquette from the lady before the ball. Unfortunately, it seems the lady doesn’t like me very much.”

Suddenly, aqua eyes pierced straight into Grace. Grace held her breath, which suddenly turned cold at the unapproachable dignity.

Is this what they call a hero?

She thought it was just a hero of the past now. But the sharp spirit was as fierce as Colton, the captain of the merchant guild’s guards.

“That, that’s…”

“Do you have more to say, Grace Lancaster?”

Alejandro cut off Grace’s mumbling words. At the clearly drawn line, she held her breath tightly.

Alejandro, Johnny, and the Count were divided from Grace by where they stood.

What’s different?

Grace couldn’t understand.

Why… for that woman who doesn’t seem to be able to properly claim even the count title. What kind of existence is a former hero that makes Alejandro and Johnny go to such lengths.

What’s so good about a fool who can’t even properly protect what they have and loses it.

Among the sadness that suddenly welled up, one sharp truth popped out.

If it were her, she would never have let it be taken away. Having such a delicious count title and even a knighthood, to run away immediately just because of a little injury.

Not even thinking of extracting anything from the country she had given such loyalty to.

“Ten years ago, when the imperial family didn’t welcome my victory and took my father’s side.”

It was then. The words the Count had said casually a little while ago came to mind. Grace’s eyes shook violently.

Not once had she thought that the imperial family would not welcome Nerea Esteban.

She thought that Nerea Esteban, who had achieved many merits but collapsed at the end, had lived a comfortable life, with the image of a father longingly missing his daughter.

Reluctant to admit the error in her thinking, Grace hesitated. Then Alejandro said.

“I explained it kindly, didn’t I? That my life is already subordinate to the knight. That betting your life on me would be the same as betting on the knight.”

That’s right. It was what Alejandro had said when she said she would bet on him. That if she wanted a baronetcy, she might one day walk in a different direction from Alejandro.

Looking at the purple eyes brimming with tears, Alejandro smiled gently.

“It was you who agreed knowing this seven years ago, Grace Lancaster.”

“…”

“If you want to pull out, I’ll accept your resignation anytime. You can demand shares if you want. But.”

“…”

“Give up the thought of taking Rosa from me now.”