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Chapter 3
The only person who would ask such a question at a party was naturally the host himself.
And as expected, Count Renearn Kirchhoff had just approached Mirhel Sestol Mirhel and started speaking to him.
Thankfully, the annoying Erhael Lizier Erhael was nowhere nearby.
“Of course. It’s an excellent party.”
“I’m glad you think so. I only hope the lady beside you is enjoying herself as well.”
Count Kirchhoff smoothly shifted the topic.
“Lady Sestol, if you don’t mind, may I ask for a dance?”
The Count extended his hand toward her.
Instead of immediately taking it, Miti first glanced at Mirhel.
Mirhel gave a faint nod.
Only after receiving his permission did Miti carefully place her hand on top of Count Kirchhoff’s.
I have to ask permission for even this?
“Yes, of course.”
How suffocating.
“It’s my honor.”
Count Kirchhoff guided her toward the center of the ballroom.
People naturally stepped aside to make way for them.
Miti decided to think positively.
Dancing awkwardly was still better than standing around like decoration.
As the soft violin music played behind the curtains, she simply let her body move on its own while listening absentmindedly.
After dancing for a while, she made eye contact with Erhael, who was dancing with another gentleman.
That same sly smile curled onto Erhael’s lips again.
Miti glared at the back of Erhael’s head and let her imagination run wild.
I wish a bear would suddenly appear somewhere.
A giant bear smashing through the mansion windows and charging inside, exposing fangs as thick as a child’s arm, vividly appeared in Miti’s mind.
“…ardon?”
The people who saw the bear would panic, scream, and run around wildly like fleas.
Naturally, Erhael would be among them.
The image of Erhael desperately running barefoot while doing something that looked like tap dancing to survive was strangely satisfying.
“Lady Sestol?”
While everyone else was in chaos, only Miti herself would bravely roll up her sleeves and approach the bear—
“Lady Sestol? What exactly are you thinking about right now?”
“First, I’d punch it in the snout with an uppercut.”
“Pardon?”
“Huh?”
Count Kirchhoff’s eyes widened.
At the same time, Miti’s eyes widened too.
“What did you just say?”
“What did I just say?”
Their mouths opened and closed at the same time.
Miti blinked rapidly as she tried to remember what she had said.
But before she could, Count Kirchhoff answered first.
“You said you would punch it in the snout with an uppercut.”
“I said I’m having so much fun dancing with Your Excellency.”
She shamelessly lied.
The excuse came out automatically, but cold sweat trickled down her back.
“You’re quite humorous. Me punching a bear? Haha. Just look at my arms. Your wrist is probably thicker than my upper arm.”
“I never mentioned a bear.”
“When did I say bear?”
“Just now, my lady—”
“I can’t even catch bugs.”
Miti calmly laughed and immediately cut off the Count’s questioning.
She could feel Count Kirchhoff’s gaze sticking to her cheek.
While she struggled to think of a way to smooth over the situation, the song finally came to an end.
The two of them stopped moving like music-box dolls whose springs had run out.
It’s over.
She secretly sighed in relief.
It felt as though she had somehow completed her task decently enough.
“Sir Sestol is over there. Allow me to escort you.”
Count Kirchhoff gentlemanly guided her back.
After returning her to Mirhel, the two men began casually talking.
“I heard you are researching mana stones.”
“Yes. We’ve successfully reached the stage of refining mana.”
“That is truly interesting.”
While they exchanged formal conversation, Miti quietly drank something to soothe her dry throat.
Did Mirhel even know?
That Count Kirchhoff only approached Minachelti because he had hidden motives.
Of course he doesn’t know.
Miti scoffed inwardly while finishing her drink.
Then she picked up a little more food.
Now that she had danced with the Count, she wanted to go home.
How much longer until we can leave?
As she lightly tapped the polished marble floor with the tip of her shoe, the topic suddenly shifted toward her.
“I would like to speak with your sister a little longer. If she is willing, I would also like to personally show her around my estate.”
“His Excellency is offering to guide you himself. What do you think, Miti?”
“Huh?”
Miti blankly stared back at him.
Perhaps dissatisfied that she could not answer immediately, Mirhel’s brow slightly stiffened.
“His Excellency is kindly offering to show you around the mansion.”
My feet hurt.
That was her first thought.
Only afterward did she remember why she had come to this party in the first place.
Right. If I want to go back, I have to do this.
Miti barely managed to raise the corners of her trembling lips.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
She never had a choice anyway.
Her role had already been decided, and if she wanted freedom as quickly as possible, it would be better to cooperate and keep the story flowing correctly.
Why does it have to be sightseeing of all things?
Still, she did not suddenly feel eager to do it.
Her body was unbearably uncomfortable. Breathing felt difficult as though she were drowning, and the hard pointed shoes made it feel like her toes were about to break.
She genuinely wanted to find whoever invented these shoes and beat them up.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes.”
She recalled the massive size of the mansion she had seen while arriving.
Then she looked once at Count Kirchhoff’s shoes and once at her own.
At this point, all she could do was pray for the safety of her toes.
Damn shoes. Damn giant mansion. I hope the whole thing collapses.
“The structure of the mansion is somewhat unique. Instead of separate rooms, we use the corridors as long galleries.”
“I see.”
The gallery he guided her through was long and full of things.
Unnecessarily full.
Both sides of the windowless corridor were lined with expensive items displayed as if they were meant to show off wealth.
“This porcelain vase was imported from the Eastern Continent.”
“Mm.”
Miti answered carelessly while staring at the items inside a large display cabinet.
Is this a mansion or a money exhibition?
What if someone stole or broke these things after leaving them out so openly?
Miti grumbled inwardly.
“The whole mansion is very flashy.”
“Pardon?”
“This mansion.”
Miti shrugged.
At her crooked remark, a faint sharpness appeared in Count Kirchhoff’s eyes.
It seemed he realized she was mocking his taste.
She did not care.
So what if he noticed?
She was already playing along with his ridiculous act, so she figured she had the right to throw a few verbal knives.
“Ah.”
The Count’s brows twitched, as though he understood the hidden meaning behind her words.
“To be honest, it’s not my taste. It’s Miss Erhael’s.”
“Really?”
“I don’t yet have a woman who can host parties and manage the estate for me. So I asked Miss Erhael for help.”
The Count deliberately emphasized Erhael’s name while glancing at her.
It was probably a shallow attempt to provoke jealousy by mentioning another woman.
Or perhaps he wanted to remind her that the position beside him was still officially empty.
Maybe that would’ve worked if I didn’t already know your true nature.
Unfortunately, Miti felt no need to satisfy the Count.
Instead, his little tricks only irritated her.
The reason the Count treated her kindly was money.
He wanted to take the investor position in the mine development project, but the Sestol family had already invested in it.
This handsome and talented man would seduce her, blind the Sestol family, and deceive them with his smooth words.
And the moment Baron Sestol withdrew the investment money, the Sestol family would collapse.
Completely.
And then I’m supposed to cling to this man’s pants and beg him to save me.
Compared to the humiliation waiting for her in the future, Miti felt this level of sarcasm barely counted as revenge.
“I’ve known Miss Erhael since childhood.”
“I see.”
Miti replied indifferently and fell silent.
The Count stopped explaining the decorations filling the hallway.
The silence was instead filled by the sound of slow footsteps.
“Lady Sestol seems somewhat different from the rumors I heard.”
“The rumors that Minachelti Sestol is dull, naive, and timid?”
“Haha. No.”
Renearn Renearn Kirchhoff’s neat teeth showed as he smiled. His bluish-gray eyes curved gently with amusement.
“The rumor that you’re desperate to marry someone powerful.”
Count Kirchhoff spoke in a soft voice that sounded almost like a confession of love.
