Translator : Ariana
Chapter 4. Johannes Belliard
***
Riena returned to her room and gazed out the window with a face full of thoughts. Then, sensing a presence, she turned around.
Joanna, who had followed her, stood there with her head deeply bowed, as if guilty of a crime.
"My lady, I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Riena approached Joanna, who could not continue speaking and was shedding tears. Carefully lifting Joanna's face, she noticed that her cheek was even more swollen than before.
"I'm sorry. Does it hurt a lot? You're suffering unnecessarily because of me. How's the inside of your mouth? Is it torn?"
"It seems to be slightly torn, but it's okay."
"Okay, my foot. Go see the doctor quickly. It's not a scar that will leave a mark, but it's better to apply some ointment."
Joanna sniffled again.
"Is this really the time to worry about me? My lady, what are you going to do now? Even if you send another letter to Sir Verna, the lady of the house will immediately notice."
"Well, I'll have to think about that again."
Riena, mumbling with a bitter face, gently turned Joanna around.
"For now, don't worry about me and go see the doctor. I'm tired, so I need to get some sleep."
"Are you really alright?"
"Of course. So, you should rest well too."
"Yes. Please call me if you need anything at all."
"I will."
After Joanna left, Riena stared silently at the closed door for a moment, then walked over to the bed and sat down.
It was a night when sleep wouldn't come easily.
***
That night, Riena couldn't sleep properly, troubled by continuous worries. She tossed and turned all night, only to be woken up by Joanna, who shook her urgently after she had just dozed off.
"My lady! My lady, please wake up!"
"Ugh, what's the matter?"
"It seems we have a guest at the mansion!"
"A guest?"
Riena's eyes shot open at that single word. She quickly got out of bed and ran to the window.
As Joanna had said, there was a carriage standing at the mansion's main gate.
Her heart began to pound.
"Could it be Raul?"
"Are you talking about Sir Verna? I'm not sure."
"It must be Raul. Yes, Raul came down to his hometown, so there's no way he wouldn't come here! And who else would come at this time but Raul?"
Though it was a bit puzzling that Raul had come by carriage instead of on horseback, she thought it was possible.
With Joanna's help, Riena hurriedly changed clothes and ran downstairs. From the hall, she could see the Countess Dyke welcoming the guest.
Just as she was about to rush down the stairs, she stopped when she saw the guest who had entered the mansion take off his hat.
It's not Raul?
Her longtime friend, Raul Verna, had hair the color of wheat. It was too dark to be blonde and too light to be brown—a unique hair color that resembled the ripe wheat that colored the fields every autumn.
But the guest who had entered the mansion had bright blonde hair that was noticeable even from a distance.
Moreover, the body revealed as soon as he took off his jacket was also different from Raul's.
Raul had the sturdy build of a knight who had held a sword for a long time.
Unlike his slender childhood, he had built quite a bit of muscle, to the point where Riena had jokingly said, "If you move even a little, your shirt might tear."
But the man talking to the Countess had a build similar in height to Raul's but a different physique. His shirt, which clung to his body, didn't seem to be a burden, as his frame was more slender.
Who could he be?
At that moment, the man looked in Riena's direction. He raised his hand to excuse himself from the Countess Dyke and started walking towards Riena.
His long legs stretched out smoothly. It was amazing how he could maintain such grace while walking so quickly.
"It's been a long time, Lady Dyke."
When the man finally approached her, Riena recognized who he was.
"Lord Belliard?"
When she unconsciously muttered his name, the man's face lit up with a bright smile.
"You remember me."
He removed the white gloves he was wearing. Then, he gently took Riena's right hand and lightly kissed the back of it. He treated her as if she were a delicate sugar doll that could break with the slightest pressure.
"I've missed you very much."
His fingers slid between Riena's slender, white ones.
"You're still as beautiful as ever."
"Th-that's..."
As Riena cautiously tried to withdraw her hand from his, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Do you dare to touch that hand?"
The voice belonged to Viscount Rotman, who, unnoticed until now, was glaring at the two of them with a flushed face. As soon as the man noticed the approaching Viscount, his expression turned cold for a split second.
However, before anyone could detect it, he put on a perfectly drawn smile once more.
"Who might that be?"
"A guest visiting the mansion..."
"A guest, you say! I am the fiancé of Lady Dyke, Viscount Rotman!"
No one noticed the sinister chill that momentarily hovered around the man's lips again.
***
The man's name was Johannes Belliard. The only son and heir of Marquis Belliard.
Riena had seen Johannes a few times at the capital's parties when she attended with her father, Count Dyke.
"It feels somewhat nostalgic seeing you, my lady."
With those words, Johannes had approached Riena, who was alone on the terrace.
"Strange. Haven't we met somewhere before?"
At the time, Riena thought Johannes' sweet words were just the usual pick-up lines of men in romance novels, so she tried to avoid him.
However, Johannes had a peculiar charm that made others feel comfortable, and their conversation turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable.
"I hope to see you again soon."
For a brief moment, Riena felt an attraction to him. But when she discovered that Johannes was kind and affectionate to everyone, even men, she quickly dismissed any budding feelings.
After that, they ran into each other at a few more parties, danced, and talked.
But that was all. Riena didn't particularly engage with Johannes after that. He didn't contact her first, and she didn't feel the need to reach out to him either.
But why did he come all the way here?
Riena wondered as she slightly bowed her head to avoid Johannes' gaze, which remained fixed on her with a constant smile.
A guest visiting the mansion without notice, in the absence of Count Dyke.
After calming down the agitated Viscount Rotman, Riena led Johannes to the drawing room.
As they sat in silence, Johannes, who had been quietly observing Riena, finally spoke.
"I heard the news about Count Dyke. My condolences, albeit belated. I was unaware until later and couldn't attend the funeral. Please forgive my rudeness."
Riena raised her head and shook it.
"No, it's fine. My late father would understand. You're a very busy man. It's not easy to come all the way from the capital."
In the Empire, where magic was advanced, there were magic portals connecting various parts of the Empire. By using these portals, one could travel to different regions in the blink of an eye.
However, the nearest magic portal to the Dyke estate was three days' travel by carriage. Given that it was a border region, the portals were placed far away to prevent easy use in case of an enemy invasion.
As a result, only those with very close ties to Count Dyke attended the funeral.
There was no reason to feel disappointed that Johannes had not come.
"My mother also passed away suddenly a few years ago, so I understand your feelings well. If you ever feel troubled or sad, you can come to me. I hope I can be of help."
"Thank you for saying that."
"It's not just lip service; I genuinely want to be of assistance to you."
"Yes, I understand. But I don't want to be a burden. Just hearing you say that is already a great help."
With those words, their conversation paused. Johannes looked like he had more to say but hesitated, while Riena had nothing specific to add, so she fiddled with her clasped hands.
Unable to bear the silence, Riena spoke first.
"Do you plan to stay in the Dyke estate?"
"Yes. I heard the Dyke estate is beautiful in the fall, so I plan to stay for a few days and enjoy a vacation."
"That's right. The autumn leaves here are very beautiful. I hope you enjoy the lovely scenery while you're here. Have you found a place to stay?"
"I came in a hurry, so I haven't had a chance to arrange anything. My assistant has gone to the village to look into it."
"It's the busy farming season, so the village might be quite occupied. If you don't mind, how about staying at our mansion?"
"Would that be alright?"
"Of course."
Riena smiled, her eyes curving gently.
"I'll have the guest room prepared right away. It won't take long. I'll ask them to prepare it quickly so you can rest and recover from your journey."
"Thank you, my lady. I didn't intend to impose, but it seems I have."
"You're not imposing at all. Please wait just a moment."
***
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