Thanks to spending more time than expected at the house on the hill, the carriage carrying the two arrived at the Count’s mansion exactly at the promised time.

As Kyle, who got off first, extended his hand, Ael recalled what had happened earlier when getting off on the hill and very carefully, but without appearing timid, took his hand and stepped down onto the ground.

The Count’s mansion was a house that exuded history and tradition.

Some might dislike it as too old-fashioned, but to Ael it was a beautiful mansion with an ancient architectural style she had never seen in the capital.

Compared to the Oltbea mansion they had just visited, its size might not even be a tenth, but the dignified atmosphere and elegance built up over the years were in no way inferior to Oltbea’s grandeur.

At that moment, another carriage approached the Count’s mansion at high speed, making a loud noise.

A man and woman soon alighted from the carriage that had entered roughly.

Those people narrowed their eyes upon seeing Ael and Kalon. At that sight, Ael realized who they were even though they hadn’t introduced themselves.

‘It’s the Gunter couple.’

Although she knew it was terribly rude to judge people by their appearance, Ael sensed it the moment she saw the Gunter couple.

The fact that she would never be able to get along with those people.

As if to prove Ael’s thoughts, the Gunter couple looked Ael and Kalon up and down and said, as if for them to hear:

“We had expectations since they said people from Ash Company were coming, but it’s nothing special.”

The Gunter couple looked at the people from Ash Company while inwardly cheering.

They had expected executive-level employees they knew by face, like Nisha or Ino, to come, but those standing there were unfamiliar faces.

Moreover, though their attire was neat, it was by no means flashy. Seeing this, Piel Gunter was certain of his victory.

‘Those Ash Company bastards probably don’t know that I’ve become a Viscount starting today.’

Recalling the letter of appointment he had received this morning, he held his head high.

Viscount was a non-hereditary single-generation title that remained from the days when meritorious service was rewarded with honor instead of money.

It was also a title that had disappeared long ago and could only be seen in books for a while.

But as the era of commoners making money arrived, the Viscount title began to attract much attention.

Those who have obtained money want to gain honor. For such people, the Viscount title was the highest honor they could obtain.

The royal family quickly noticed the demand for the Viscount title and began selling it.

Of course, they didn’t openly demand money. They just had commoner merchants make donations under the pretext of showing their loyalty to the royal family.

As a result, the royal family recently acquired several new merchant ships and was able to repair the old palace and decorate its interior.

The nobility disapproved of the royal family’s behavior. More precisely, they were reluctant to have commoners, even with a single-generation title, hold their heads high and enter high society claiming to be nobles themselves.

‘But now that their names are on the noble register, what can they do about it.’

Even if they couldn’t be invited to the aristocrats’ sophisticated parties, they could attend long-standing events where invitations were sent to everyone listed in the noble register.

That alone made the Viscount title worth its price.

‘Hebrides Count is also a foreigner, so he’ll surely prefer me, now a nobleman of Denertum, over those commoners from Ash Company.’

The Gunter couple had also ordered their own investigation into Count Hebrides.

However, apart from the fact that he had long since cut ties with high society and had served as the headmaster of an academy, there were no notable records.

‘If so, he must have been buried in the countryside for decades, so he’ll be absolutely amazed when shown the latest trends.’

Viscount Gunter recalled the nobles he had met. How envious they all were of his wealth, even while pretending not to be.

Of course, Ash Company’s scale was overwhelmingly larger, but those who came today were mere employees.

‘Besides, being foreigners, how much could they know? Their level will be fully exposed by dinner time.’

The Count wanted both parties to stay for dinner today.

Like other nobles, he probably intended to judge them by their conversation and manners at the dinner table.

That’s why the Gunter couple was even more confident.

The two had hurriedly paid a large sum to learn noble etiquette. The man who claimed to have taught many nobles appeared very elegant and refined to the Gunter couple.

Moreover, in his hand was an invitation written in ancient language that the Gunter couple couldn’t read.

They couldn’t read it even if they tried. No, they couldn’t read it at all.

But not wanting to appear ignorant, the Gunter couple pretended they could read the letter of recommendation without any problem.

The new teacher demanded a large sum from the two. They thought it might be excessive, but they had to endure if it meant having someone who had educated marquis families as their teacher.

As the lessons began, the Gunter couple found them easier than expected.

They had thought it would be more difficult, but the teacher praised them endlessly, saying they were following his lessons easily because they were so perfect.

Moreover, the etiquette teacher told the Gunter couple about recent high society events among the nobility.

Some of these were incidents that the Gunter couple vaguely knew about through hearsay.

When they expressed curiosity about these events, the etiquette teacher whispered gossip as if it were the most secret information in high society, telling them not to mention that he had told them.

‘A count who has been living quietly in a place like this would surely find any story I’ve heard fascinating.’

In Viscount Gunter’s mind, his victory tonight was perfectly envisioned.

If it were his usual self, he would have been wary of the other party and exercised more caution, but today, intoxicated by the elation brought on by finally becoming a viscount, he was hardly able to make rational judgments.

Moreover, if Ash Company had come in equally splendid fashion, he might have been a little tense.

But since they appeared in such plain attire, he no longer even noticed the people from Ash Company.

At that moment, someone who appeared to be the Count’s butler came out and opened the door wide. Then about ten servants came out from inside and lined up on either side of the entrance.

Shortly after, an elderly couple emerged from inside.

Ael looked at the approaching elderly couple.

The man with a white beard reaching just below his chin was clearly Count Hebrides, whom she had seen in portraits.

Then naturally, the person holding his hand and walking with him must be Countess Hebrides.

‘That person…’

Ael was about to approach the Count and Countess, recalling the gift she had asked Nisha to bring.

At that moment, the Gunter couple, as if unwilling to be outdone, rushed to the Count and Countess and greeted them.

“Greetings, Count Hebrides. I am Piel Gunter. Please call me Viscount Gunter.”

Viscount Gunter greeted loudly enough for Ael and Kalon to hear. As he did so, he glanced back to check their expressions.

Surely they must have been startled and flustered at the mention of viscount?

Indeed, as he expected, the two had surprised expressions. But Viscount Gunter failed to notice.

That the two were surprised by something else.

Ael and Kalon were perplexed. Of course, they were also surprised by Gunter suddenly calling himself a viscount.

But what shocked the two even more was the viscount’s behavior.

“Ael, weren’t we not supposed to greet before the Count greeted us first?”

“That’s right.”

Moreover, the viscount only greeted Count Hebrides, and before even greeting his wife beside him, he ordered his coachman.

“What are you doing? Quickly bring the gift I prepared for the Count!”

At the viscount’s continued actions, Ael now felt more anxious.

‘Just who taught the viscount etiquette?’

When meeting the host, if they outranked you, the proper thing was to silently bow your head in greeting and wait until the host offered words of welcome.

Then, after the host introduced their family, one should introduce oneself – that was the principle, but Viscount Gunter was ignoring it all.

He even dared to give orders to his servant in front of the Count.

Once you’ve entered another’s domain, you should ask permission even to use your own servants in their presence. Yet he was even raising his voice.

Ael observed the Count and Countess’s faces.

“Ah…”

As expected. The Count’s face, which already looked quite stern, had hardened.