For Count Gordon (3)
He was the best-looking man in this town.
Every day, young women would flirt with him. He ignored their desperate glances and approached an outsider he had never seen before. The stranger who wore a large cloak had the kind of charm that attracted attention despite not being a famous beauty.
The handsome man spoke to her with a sweet voice.
“Hello. Are you busy right now?”
“Yes.”
“What are you busy with? I can help you…”
“I’m raising a child.”
“Yes?”
“I am raising a child.”
The green-eyed woman, who seemed unimpressed by his attractive face, did not change her expression at all.
“Pfft.”
The man that stood next to her laughed. An old robe with a hood covered his face. Meanwhile, the good-looking man’s face turned red then blue. He then yelled at the man who laughed at him.
“What’s up with this dumb bastard!”
Swish!
The hood fell to his shoulders. The surrounding people stared in awe with mouths agape. His hair, neatly tied together, was like the night sky. Though his eyes were sharply raised, he carried a gentle charm. His face was free from blemish. For a full three seconds no one moved.
“Oh, I can’t get enough of his face….”
“Oh yes…”
“Beth, can you honestly deny their words? Can you?”
Beth decided to not respond to any unnecessary comments. Even so, it was evident that she could not deny he was handsome, though she disliked him.
“…..”
She admitted that he was indeed captivating. Kedrick was so mesmerising, that he could be dubbed a national treasure if he were a sculpture instead of a human.
“Put your hood back on…”
Fatigued from the carriage ride, she had neither the desire nor will to respond to him. She needed to conserve her energy for the Count.
Kedrick didn’t argue and pulled his hood over his head.
“So, where is the Count?”
“Right. If there was a portrait, he would be easy to find…”
Beth thought about current Count Gordon and shook her head.
She felt Claire’s lovely appearance was inherited from her mother.
“I think he’s blond.”
“Well, he must be blond.”
Claire was also blonde, and the current Count Gordon was also blond. But the countess…
‘Was red hair dominant….?’
Beth recalled Mendelian Inheritance, which she had learned in middle school from her previous life.
Mendel, what do you think?
(T/N: Mendel is the father of genetics.)
“My lady’s blonde hair is prettier.”
“That’s right.”
“The Count’s blond hair is the color of a rusty gold handle covered in dust.”
“Haha, you don’t call him master anymore?”
“I was fired, so who is the master?”
Kedrick just smiled at Beth. Her remarks could be considered treason. Then he looked around. Once the townspeople awakened from their daze after seeing Kedrick, they left to handle their own matters. Only one did not budge.
The young man they had initially met.
Kedrick smiled while he observed the young man. He caused him to fall from being the town’s beauty to an Average Joe.
“Are there any men who live alone in this town?”
“Ah?! Is there one or two like that?!”
Beth inserted herself between the angry young man and Kedrick and asked,
“If not one or two, how many?”
“How would I know that…?!”
“You’d better find out now.”
Kedrick smiled and approached him. Meanwhile, Beth approached him without a smile.
Suddenly, the young man was pinned against the wall. Unable to retreat, cold sweat ran down his back. Beth studied the plain-looking young man.
His face was free of freckles despite having rough skin. His clothes were clean compared to others. His hands were unscratched. His arrogance was still there from before.
‘Hmm…..’
While Beth made her assessment, Kedrick trapped the cheeky young man with a kabedon.
“What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“Let’s call him Kay.”
Kedrick No.2, a name suitable for a person who has the countenance of a skirt chaser.
(T/N: Because 2 in KR is ‘eee’ so K-ee, Kay.)
Of course, Beth didn’t think Kedrick was still seducing women.
‘If Kedrick seduced someone, he wouldn’t care if it was a man or woman.’
Plus, he would only seduce someone who was wealthy. Essentially, Kedrick was far better than the young man.
“That’s not even close to my name.”
“It doesn’t matter. Your true name and what I need are unrelated.”
In other words, his name was insignificant. Beth replied with a bright smile. When Kay saw the angelic smile Beth flashed, his face became distorted. Kedrick, aware of the meaning of such an expression, prayed for a peaceful future for him.
Beth glared at Kay. She pinched his cheeks.
“Kay, whatever you’re thinking, remember, I’m not an easy person.”
“….”
“You better come up with a list of men who live alone within the hour before I gather all the women you’ve cheated with in this town.”
“Hoo.”
Kedrick exclaimed with admiration. Meanwhile, Kay’s face turned pale upon hearing the threat. Kedrick looked at Beth and clapped for her quick deduction.
“I believe you know what will happen within an hour on the dot.”
Beth removed her hands from Kay then wiped her hands on Kedrick’s cloak. Kedrick flung the end of the cloak away.
“We’re busy, unlike you who are incompetent.”
Kay ran away with a blue face. Beth watched him disappear and Kedrick asked her.
“How did you know?”
“That he is a playboy?”
“Yes.”
Beth looked around at the villagers. She then pointed at Kay’s shoes and hair. She smiled and replied.
“Compared to others, his shoes were clean. Of course, he could have just worn new shoes, but his hair was still in place and he didn’t smell. It seemed like he hadn’t worked.” Kedrick nodded as he thought about his appearance.
“His hands were clean as well and he didn’t have freckles.”
“He could have been the son of a wealthy family, no?”
Beth sniffed and replied, “His skin was a bit coarse. It didn’t seem like he was from an important family…”
“Ohh…”
Kedrick lifted the hem of his shirt and sniffed.
“You don’t have much of an odor.”
“Haha. Just in case.”
Beth was in a very tight situation. The people on Claire’s side in the mansion was just Beth. Now Claire had Julia, Anne, and Catherine. There was also Ryan but… he was still young and inexperienced.
‘The other three…’
The other three had no power.
As an ordinary person, Beth had neither magic nor money. She had no way of knowing how Claire was which made it difficult to be so far away from her.
Beth was worried. She was unable to protect Claire. What if in that short span of time, the angelic young miss became the devil incarnate…
‘How did I raise her?’
If Claire were to become corrupted, even just the slightest, Beth intended to expend all of her strength to plunge the Count to a worse place than hell where he could never crawl out of.
“Beth.”
Kedrick called her.
“Yeah?”
“Fingers.”
Beth looked down at her hand. Then up at Kedrick with a puzzled look because there was nothing wrong. He smiled and then explained,
“Did you know? Whenever you are nervous, you move your index finger.”
“…”
She had a habit she was unaware of. At least according to Kedrick.
“You know, when dealing with others it is vital to not wear your heart on your sleeve.
“I didn’t know.”
“Well, improve a little more.”
Kedrick, the man who was an expert in concealing his heart, explained. Beth thought so. She was convinced. The majority of the thoughts and feelings he disclosed were mostly superficial. Like when he sniffed himself.
Even so, Beth didn’t say anything. She knew he wouldn’t give an answer even if she asked. So she decided it was best to keep silent.
Often silence would rise between them. Such is the case now. It was quite a strange sight. The visitors stood far apart quietly. The two stood out like a sore thumb as the town’s people would sneak a glance as they carried on their business
Time had passed. Eventually, Kay (pseudonym) ran back. His handwriting was smoother than his skin.
This kid must have seduced women with love letters.
As her opinion of Kay plummeted, Beth read the list he brought.
“All right, let’s go.”
“Where to?”As Kay walked, Kedrick was behind him. Kedrick grinned from ear to ear. He firmly held Kay’s tender shoulders. Like a workaholic boss, Beth waved the piece of paper he brought and said,
“Lead to me each place. From the nearest to the farthest.”
“…Wh, What?”
“I do not like repeating myself.”
“That’s right, Mr. Kay.”
“Ah! My name is not Kay…!”
“Shall we go, then?”
“Let’s go.”
Beth pointed her chin to take the lead at the angry man who snapped his name wasn’t Kay. Kedrick took the list from Beth and handed it to Kay then pointed his chin as well.
Kay was in tears. He felt it was absurd to be treated this way. His only crime was teaching romance to women in town.
Kay walked with heavy steps. As the group made way, the people’s eyes were glued on them. The most handsome man in town walked with the two impressive strangers, though unfamiliar, it was a sight to behold. Their faces could make an empty stomach feel full just by looking at them.
Beth ignored their comments. Even so, she was in a bad mood. The men they sought tried to escape upon seeing Beth and Kedrick. Some tried to jump out the window. Initially, they thought it was the Count. Alas, it was not.
Beth held her throbbing head.
A town that is secluded, yet the literacy rate wasn’t bad.
Compared to her own village, this was just amazing.
Well, the place I lived had no outsiders.
Even if her village did not often interact with other regions, the literacy rate shouldn’t have been so low. Then her village would have developed. She also would not have been destined to be sold to such an old man.
Beth hid her bitterness and followed Kay’s lead.
“Huh?”
Smoke had billowed up from the forest on the outskirts of the village.
“What is that?”
“There’s no need to look over there. It’s not worthwhile.”
The mysterious and magical phrase used in classic movies was ‘It’s not worthwhile.’
“Does a man live alone over there?”
“Yes, but he’s crazy. He’s not worth talking to.”
What was this clichéd line?
In fact, she felt it was totally worth talking to him.
“Please guide me over there.”
Beth’s past life experience told her.
“What?! “
“As I said earlier, I hate repeating myself.”
‘The Count is there.’
Beth’s intuition was never wrong.
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