The cheerful knight continued speaking.
“So, you see, Count, when I first faced a monster, I was absolutely terrified—”
“Oh my, is that so?”
I smiled sweetly as I gently pushed the cheerful knight toward the door.
“W-Wait a moment, Count!”
“The meeting is over. Goodbye.”
“But my heroic tale isn’t finished—!”
Bang!
I shut the door on the knight and wiped my forehead. “Phew, finally over.”
I patted the shoulder of the salon staff, who had been covering their ears the entire time.
“Good job. I’ll make sure your payment is processed through the salon. You can go home now.”
The exhausted staff member bowed silently and disappeared. Only then did I take a deep breath and look around the meeting room.
All the knights had left, leaving the space peaceful and quiet. The distant sounds of knights training had turned into a pleasant background noise.
Satisfied, I removed a sheet of paper from my clipboard. On the back were jewelry designs I had sketched during my free time.
If I handed these designs over to Baron Totair, he could work on the samples, giving me some breathing room. The store contracts and hiring of specialized staff could also be left to him.
“At times like this, I really feel like a Count who inherited an estate.”
A strange thrill ran through me as I shivered slightly and walked toward the table.
I gathered the meeting documents and flipped through them, much like counting money with my fingertips. These were the results of the knights’ sincere responses.
“Since I owe Edmund a favor, maybe I should distribute a sample to each knight once they’re ready.”
After neatly organizing the documents, I held them close to my chest and left the meeting room.
Walking down the cream-colored hallway of the knights’ quarters, I finally reached the arched entrance.
I stopped.
Through the gap in the reception room door, I could see a partially uncovered portrait. The faint image of Count Buell’s face was visible.
Drawn in by an invisible force, my feet moved on their own.
I entered the dimly lit room, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.
Approaching the slanted portrait by the window, I pulled away the fabric completely.
The burned and damaged painting, a piece of our past I thought I’d never see again, had been restored to its original clarity.
Gently running my fingers along the gilded frame adorned with embedded jewels, I sighed.
“I thought it was beyond repair.”
The damage had been so severe that even experts had deemed it impossible to restore. I had abandoned it in a corner of the storage room, trying to forget the pain, replacing that sorrow with anger toward the Dien family.
“You’ve found it already?”
A voice from the doorway made me turn my head.
Edmund stood there, hands behind his back. He seemed to know how the portrait had ended up here.
“Brother, why is this here?”
Surprised, my voice came out more accusatory than I intended.
He approached slowly, smiling faintly. “You don’t look very happy.” He murmured under his breath.
Standing right in front of me, his profile was bathed in the orange light. I must have looked the same.
He glanced at the portrait and spoke.
“While we were away for the summer, Rail told me you had cleared out all the furniture, leaving only the portrait in the storage room.”
So he remembered that and took the time to restore it. He was looking after me more than I realized.
Was he always the kind of person to show his care through such delicate gestures? I suddenly felt like I knew so little about him.
My heart swelled, and I rubbed my nose to hide my emotions. Saying ‘thank you’ felt a little embarrassing.
“You must have been worried when I cried after reading Father’s letter.”
“That’s part of it, but I think I simply missed it.”
“Missed what?”
Edmund lowered his gaze. His long silver eyelashes covered his beautiful eyes for a moment before he looked back up.
“Your face, when you see the portrait and smile with joy.”
His golden eyes gleamed like flames, flickering with emotion. Enchanted by his gaze, I let out a breath and answered softly.
“I am happy.”
“Really?”
Edmund studied my face, doubtful. As if I was only pretending to be pleased for his sake. As if he wished I looked more moved than I did.
How could I express this overwhelming gratitude? This feeling was—
I smiled brightly, my eyes glistening.
“It’s the best gift ever.”
His golden eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
Then, his lips curled into a soft smile—pure and gentle, like the first snowfall.
It was as if a cold, intricate statue had whispered only to me that it was alive. A secret just between us.
For the first time in my life, I saw a breathtakingly beautiful, almost unreal smile. My heart trembled.
The next morning, I received a letter from Baron Totair regarding the jewelry designs I had sent.
“He really does work fast.”
It was good news—public opinion about the Buell family was improving.
The management team also responded positively to my brooch, necklace, and belt designs. They would send samples soon.
I smiled, satisfied, but tilted my head at the last part of the letter.
[ Below is the response from the Magic Tower regarding your request.
High-level monster, secondary earthquake, unknown cause of monster appearances.
Since the cause is unclear, mining operations continue, but workers are anxious about another monster reappearance. Should we request another investigation? ]
An unknown cause for monster appearances? That was rare. Not impossible, but certainly unusual.
I decided to hold onto the letter and reply later.
As I prepared to head to the dining hall, a maid approached.
“Count, I found this while washing the clothes from your travel luggage. It was wrapped in a handkerchief, so I assumed it was important and kept it aside.”
She carefully handed me the wrapped item.
I sighed.
I had forgotten.
“A purification stone.”
I had found it in the cave during the monster incident and wrapped it in a handkerchief for safekeeping.
But with everything that followed, I had completely forgotten about it.
“I was supposed to submit this to the temple.”
Purification stones had to be submitted immediately. If too much time passed, the temple might suspect an attempt to keep it for personal use.
And visiting the temple again was the last thing I wanted. I would have to see Lova.
Ugh. I shuddered but thanked the maid. Thankfully, I wasn’t past the deadline.
“Thank you. I almost got into trouble.”
“I was just doing my duty. Please don’t worry about it.”
She blushed and retreated.
Once the door closed, I unwrapped the handkerchief and examined the purification stone. It gleamed with a dark, glassy light under the sunlight.
I hesitated. Should I touch it?
The moment my fingers brushed its surface, a strange sensation rippled through me.
However, despite my tension, nothing happened even after some time had passed. A small laugh slipped out.
As expected, the special power of the Saint’s Attendant didn’t appear, not inside the temple and not outside it either.
I had often wondered if maybe I couldn’t use my ability before because I felt uncomfortable being surrounded by Lova and the priests during the test.
But even in this free and relaxed atmosphere, the ability didn’t show itself.
“Child of Dawn,” yeah right.
I twisted my lips in a bitter smile and slowly shook my head.
Yes, it was at that moment when I was about to take my hand off the stone.
Thump—my heart beat loudly, and a tingling sensation spread through the fingertips touching the purification stone.
At the same time, it felt like my senses were diving deep into the stone, observing every part inside.
Inside, I felt a wave of fatigue and a hollow emptiness.
As I focused on that feeling, I sensed something alive, like sticky tar. The strange substance clung to the inside of the magic stone and transferred its unpleasant energy to my fingertips.
I instinctively knew—this was the trace of the monster that had been sealed inside the purification stone.
Startled, I slowly pulled my hand back.
Still confused by the bizarre and unfamiliar feeling, I stared at the stone and rubbed my fingers together. I wanted to erase the vivid sensation that still remained.
“It’s just in my head.”
Maybe I was tired lately. Maybe I was just stressed from work. Or maybe it was just static electricity or something like that.
Yes, it must be that. If it wasn’t…
I quickly shook my head, trying to push the thought away.
It couldn’t be a divine power. If it were, wouldn’t it feel more holy and dazzling? Not this disturbing and uncomfortable feeling.
I stared at the purification stone for a moment, then wrapped it in a handkerchief as if to hide it.
“No, I need to submit this to the temple right away.”
Feeling anxious, I decided to skip breakfast and head to the temple immediately.
I held the purification stone and went down to the dining hall. I wanted to tell Edmund and Lilien myself that I wouldn’t be able to eat with them.
