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Chapter – 44
Count Lermer stared unblinkingly at the administrator who had just uttered the name “Bolsheik.”
Under that sharp gaze, the administrator hunched his shoulders even more than before, but there was no sign that he was lying.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the Count would have verified the administrator’s words from multiple angles, not just once, but twice, maybe even three times.
This wasn’t just any family; it was a matter involving the Bolsheiks.
On top of that, with the head of the Bolsheik family, who had been dormant for years, now awake and causing a stir, if one intended to probe the Bolsheiks, verifying the facts repeatedly wouldn’t be enough.
But now was not a normal time.
The Count was practically blinded by the faint thread of hope he had barely managed to find.
And the aides who should have been restraining the Count were also in a complete state of frenzy.
“We must go to the Bolsheik young lady! We must send someone to the Bolsheik family, right now—!”
“Father.”
Before the excited Count could even finish his sentence, the identical twins called out to him simultaneously.
The aides, who had been more excited than the Count and hadn’t even noticed who had entered, bowed their heads in unison. The administrator and the worker, who had been standing there dumbfounded by the excitement of their superiors, also bent their backs deeply.
The twins took a step toward the Count, who looked ready to dash out immediately.
“If you’re looking for the Bolsheik young lady, she probably isn’t at the Bolsheik residence right now.”
The Count, who had reflexively leaned forward, settled back into his chair and asked,
“What do you mean by that?”
“If you wish to find the Bolsheik young lady, you should go to the Callient Ducal household. We haven’t heard any news of her being moved to the Bolsheik residence.”
Following Anri’s words, Kelly added on, and the twins nodded simultaneously.
The reason the twins knew about Asili’s whereabouts was simple.
It’s only natural for people to want to become closer with someone they find likable and admirable.
Wanting to get closer to Asili, who seemed to have no interest in them whatsoever, the twins began earnestly gathering information about her surroundings.
Wasn’t it the act of an intensely self-centered person to push themselves onto someone without any thought, just because they wanted to be friends?
Like the Crown Prince, for instance.
The twins weren’t that kind of person, so they busily searched for things Asili might like or things they could share with her.
However, none of the information about the Bolsheik young lady, who had appeared as suddenly as if she had fallen from the sky, was properly known.
True to the reputation of that Ducal house, not even a crumb of information about her had emerged from the Callient residence.
It wasn’t as if Asili was making appearances here and there, sweeping through the social scene either.
Since the Duchess Selection competition, she had been literally nowhere to be seen.
They had sent letters a few times, but all they received were polite rejections.
It was in the midst of this that they heard their father’s loud voice shouting, ‘Go find the Bolsheik young lady!’
Just as Asili had coincidentally been in that place at that time, the twins passing by this place at this time was also a coincidence.
“So, that means—”
“Father.”
Anri and Kelly took turns speaking, making eye contact with each other.
Asili had definitely said ‘Thank you’ to them.
If that was the case, then they should be able to receive an explanation about this matter in return.
They had been contemplating how to force a connection, as they had absolutely no means to do so, and were even considering demanding a return for that gesture of thanks.
But no matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn’t figure out what to ask for or where the line was that wouldn’t hurt Asili’s feelings.
Nodding in unison once more, the twins spoke again.
“We’ll go.”
“We’ll go.”
At the twins’ unexpected words, the Count looked at them for a moment as if weighing something, then opened his mouth.
“Can you get an answer from the Bolsheik young lady?”
“Yes.”
At Anri’s unwavering reply, the Count nodded without a second thought.
“If you say so, then it must be true. I leave it to you.”
A smile touched the corners of the twins’ mouths, who rarely ever smiled, at this unshakable trust.
They both simultaneously rushed towards the Count and hugged his neck.
“We’ll do well.”
“Don’t worry.”
In response, the Count hugged the twins with both arms, as if accustomed to this, and let out a soft sigh.
“Alright. I’m counting on you.”
And so, through a tangle of coincidences, Anri and Kelly found themselves with a pretext to meet Asili again.
Asili, the one whose careless remark uttered in passing had turned the Lermer County house upside down, had now reached her intended destination but was just loitering in front of it.
She looked around several times before narrowing her eyes.
“Is this the right place?”
“Yes… The place you described is exactly… here.”
The expressions on Asili and the servant’s faces were quite similar as they stood before a house that was, to put it nicely, modest… but to be honest, on the verge of collapse.
“Does someone even live here?”
“That… seems to be the case.”
Along with the servant’s awkward answer, Asili swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape her lips.
No matter how much she told herself she hadn’t come with any expectations… Well, the human heart is just like that, isn’t it?
She knew that expectation leads to disappointment, so she deliberately shook her head, but couldn’t one still help but hope?
Asili was the same.
From the moment she heard the story from Haidel until she arrived here. She told herself repeatedly not to expect anything, but she ended up hoping anyway.
She knew you can’t be full from the first spoonful, but still, shouldn’t you be able to at least take that first spoonful?
If she could find even the smallest clue, no bigger than a fingernail, that would be more than enough.
She shook her head.
“You can’t judge anything just by its appearance.”
Of course, first impressions are based only on outward appearance, but she tried hard to think positively.
“Let’s knock on the door first… wait, if I knock on this, won’t it just fall apart?”
“Shall I just call out?”
“Yeah, that’s probably better.”
The servant took a deep breath and shouted.
“Hello! Is anyone home?!”
The loud voice, emanating from the depths of his belly, certainly must have echoed inside that shabby—no, desolate—house.
But from inside, not even the sound of someone moving could be heard, let alone an answer.
As the servant took another deep breath, Asili stopped him.
“No, if you shout one more time, I think the door might fall off.”
It was questionable whether that plank of wood could even function as a door; it was shaking precariously.
The servant’s eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back.
Asili grabbed the servant’s shoulder and pulled him a little closer to her, then spoke.
“This is no good. Let’s go back.”
They had come all the way to the outskirts of the outskirts, the remote edges of the capital, and before they could even find any value in the trip, they risked getting caught up in a collapsing house.
Just as Asili was about to turn away—
Creeeeeeeeak.
A hinge screeched, grating on the nerves, and the door opened.
Then, a strange voice reached Asili’s ears, who was rubbing her goosebump-covered arms.
“Who is it?”
The voice had an eerily resonant quality to it, causing Asili to let out a hollow laugh.
Was this a haunted house?
“Ah… Young Lady, I’ll protect you…”
Perhaps thinking similarly, the servant, his face pale and terrified, his chin trembling, tried to push Asili behind him.
“It’s fine. It’s broad daylight.”
At Asili’s words, which were impossibly composed and even dry, reminiscent of Ludwig, the servant quickly calmed down.
Asili gently stroked the servant’s back and spoke.
“I came on Haidel Bolsheik’s introduction.”
Then the door clattered and opened just enough for one person to pass through.
“It’s fine. I’ll go.”
Asili stopped the servant, who naturally tried to enter first to check things out, and stepped inside the door alone.
She couldn’t very well bring the servant along when she needed to talk about things like other worlds or dimensions.
Once inside the house, Asili let out a low exclamation without even realizing it.
“My goodness.”
The interior was something you could never imagine from the outside.
Countless books were packed densely inside, but each one looked clean enough for a fly to slip off.
“Excuse me.”
As Asili tilted her head and peered inside, a figure suddenly appeared before her.
“You said Haidel sent you?”
“Yes…”
Asili gave a reflexive answer, then looked down at the person facing her and made an indescribable expression.
The person was much younger than expected… yes, it was a young person, almost a boy.
This figure, shorter than Asili, narrowed his eyes, looked up at her, and spat out bluntly.
“What are you looking at?”
“Ah, my apologies. You said ‘scholar,’ so I expected an elderly gentleman with white hair, or at least a middle-aged person with graying hair.”
She had already been staring with unabashed curiosity, making it impossible to deny.
So, rather than trying to cover it up by saying it was nothing, it seemed better to be honest and explain thoroughly. As she gave a detailed explanation, the other person also shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not minding much.
“An old man… Well, in terms of age itself, that might be true. Based on the years I’ve lived, I should have been buried underground long ago.”
The reply was completely unimaginable coming from a voice that hadn’t even undergone puberty yet. Asili’s long eyelashes fluttered rapidly like a hummingbird’s wings.
“Well, you’re not the first or second to react like that, but you’re the only one who’s been this honest about it. Wait a minute. You said Haidel, right? That red-headed… You, with that hair and those eyes. Don’t tell me?”
“I am Asili Bolsheik.”
What did age matter…? She had a feeling she’d just glossed over something enormous, but Asili first offered a polite greeting.
The boy waved his hand dismissively and jerked his chin.
“Sit over there for now.”
Without another word, Asili perched on the arm of the sofa he had indicated with his chin.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“Before that, may I confirm something briefly?”
“Confirm?”
