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Chapter 11
Miti tightly clenched the hands hidden beneath her crossed arms.
Her palms were already damp with sweat.
“What did you just say?”
The Count asked back with a faint laugh, as if he had just heard complete nonsense.
‘No way.’
Still, Miti stubbornly maintained a blank expression.
She only hoped he couldn’t tell how nervous she really was.
“I said, prove to me that your proposal wasn’t a joke.”
As she spoke, Miti pressed her crossed arms tighter against her ribs.
Otherwise, she felt like the sound of her wildly beating heart would reach Count Kirchhoff’s ears.
‘Surely he won’t sue me just for this.’
Honestly, when she first headed toward the Count’s estate, she had completely lost her reason.
But after thinking carefully, something felt strange.
Count Kirchhoff was an efficient man.
Even if his beautiful appearance hid the poisonous nature of a snake, he was still someone who instinctively understood what would lead him to his goal the fastest.
‘No matter what, it’s true that I caused him financial damage.’
If the Count’s goal in approaching her was simply to force the Sestol family to withdraw their mining investment, then pressuring them financially through a lawsuit would have been enough.
To a Count who had not fallen in love, Minachelti was nothing more than a ladder he needed to step on to gain money.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Which meant he had no reason to pity her yet.
‘There’s no way he’d personally come all that way just to mock me.’
The more she thought about it, the more pointless the Count’s actions seemed.
Unless he truly wanted her to join the Magic Tower.
That was why Miti decided to hear the answer directly from him.
If his words truly made sense, she was willing to seriously consider joining the Magic Tower.
But if not—
Then even if she got sued anyway, she at least wanted to punch him once first.
‘You better answer carefully, Count.’
Grinding her teeth internally, Miti waited for him to speak.
She acted boldly, but inwardly she was tense.
After all, her future depended on his answer.
“Ha.”
At that moment, the Count crooked one corner of his lips upward and laughed softly.
It was a laugh filled with many emotions.
“I believe I was short-sighted.”
“……”
Miti rapidly spun thoughts through her head, trying to predict what he would say next.
The atmosphere around him shifted strangely, but it did not feel sharp or dangerous.
‘Seriously, I can never figure out that personality of his.’
The longer the Count delayed his next words, the sharper Miti’s nerves became.
She honestly worried about how long her hot temper could survive this situation.
“I never once considered that there might be someone in this capital who didn’t know how obsessively interested I am in magic.”
“What?”
“But thinking about it now, it makes sense.”
Miti genuinely could not understand what Count Kirchhoff was talking about.
“Women who show talent or interest in magic are criticized and forced into silence……”
The Count slowly nodded while continuing his thoughts.
It almost looked like he was organizing ideas inside his own head while speaking aloud.
“And you still don’t have a proper marriage prospect. Despite your level of talent, you seem strangely ignorant about magic.”
Murmuring to himself, Count Kirchhoff suddenly snapped his fingers.
“It seems your family worked quite hard to keep you away from magic.”
“What are you even talking about?”
Unable to hold back anymore, Miti finally interrupted him.
But the Count paid no attention to her complaint.
“I believe there was more than enough room for misunderstanding. But when I told you to join the Magic Tower, I was serious.”
“Then prove that sincerity to me.”
“There’s more than enough evidence already. Simply return home and ask Sir Sestol how serious I am about magic.”
“Then why did you tell me to join the Magic Tower first?”
“Didn’t I explain already?”
The Count shrugged lightly and smiled.
Miti recalled what he had said yesterday.
‘Something about proving my abilities… and being able to use magic freely.’
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, still unable to understand his true intentions.
“Stop dragging things out and making people frustrated. Just say it clearly.”
“I’m more surprised that you don’t already understand this.”
“Why do you want me to use magic freely? Are you trying to make people criticize me for being interested in magic?”
“Me? Criticize you? Why would I?”
The end of the Count’s eyebrow twitched.
At the same time, his eyes grew cold.
“Your magical power has already been verified.”
With those cold eyes fixed on her, he began walking forward.
One step.
Then another.
Without realizing it, Miti slowly stepped backward to avoid him approaching.
Then suddenly she stopped herself.
‘I can’t back down here.’
This was a battle of pressure between her and the Count.
And she absolutely refused to lose to him.
‘Because he’s annoying.’
Miti forced strength into her weak legs that instinctively wanted to retreat.
Like a predator approaching prey, the Count slowly walked right up to her.
He was so tall that she would have had to tilt her head back just to properly see his expression.
That fact alone hurt her pride for some reason, so she stubbornly kept glaring only at his chest.
“You possess magical power impressive enough to make anyone greedy for it.”
“How do you know anything about my magic?”
“I already requested an investigation from the Magic Tower. The results reached me surprisingly quickly.”
His laughter poured down over her head.
Then suddenly their eyes met.
The Count had bent down to lower himself to her eye level.
They were close enough for their breaths to touch.
If Miti hadn’t instinctively leaned backward, their noses would have already brushed together.
‘Has this man completely lost his mind?!’
Miti immediately tried to push his shoulder away.
But his shoulder was much firmer than she expected.
And Minachelti’s body was even weaker than she realized.
The strength drained from her thin stomach that lacked even a little muscle.
Her tilted balance slowly fell backward beyond her control.
“Ah—!”
Just as she was about to fall and slam onto the floor, the Count reached out.
His long, firm arm wrapped around her waist.
The hand that had been pushing him away ended up grabbing onto him instead.
Suddenly trapped in his arms, Miti’s face twisted horribly.
“Haha. You’re the first lady who’s made that expression while being held by me.”
Apparently amused by her expression, the Count laughed brightly.
“Do you think I’m some kind of clown?”
Angered by his laughter, Miti growled.
“You keep laughing right in my face every time you see me. If you don’t want to get punched, stop it already.”
“What can I do? You’re amusing.”
“Do you think I walk around looking like this just to entertain you?”
“Then stop making me misunderstand.”
“You’re unbelievable! Take your hands off me already!”
“If I let go now, you’ll fall.”
The Count tilted his head shamelessly.
It was exactly the kind of expression only someone fully aware of their own good looks could make.
Miti’s eyelids trembled like someone suffering from malnutrition.
“I don’t care if my head cracks open or my butt breaks. It’s my body, so stop worrying about it and take your hand off my waist.”
“That’s difficult when your hands are gripping my clothes so desperately.”
The Count smiled sweetly and shrugged one shoulder.
Sure enough, just as he said, she was clutching his shoulder tightly.
‘Damn it. It’s instinct, okay?’
Miti bent her knees to regain her balance, then pushed him away.
The Count also released the arm around her waist and stepped back cleanly.
He brushed off his shoulder where she had grabbed him, but the wrinkles in his clothes refused to disappear.
“Th-then why did you suddenly shove your face so close to mine?”
Embarrassed, Miti raised her voice.
“I thought you didn’t dislike my face.”
“You’re ridiculous. You’re not my type at all!”
“Is that so?”
Breathing angrily, Miti glared at the Count’s smooth face.
She desperately wanted to wipe away the relaxed attitude he kept maintaining the entire time.
“Let’s return to the main topic. I came out in the middle of work.”
After briefly checking the time, the Count casually returned the conversation to the beginning.
“Then I’ll say it directly. I want to request your help in developing magic that interferes with time.”
Even this request was spoken calmly.
