24-Hour Hoebinghwan Counseling Office, Episode 7
“……It must be my imagination.”
Jack tried his hardest to believe it was just his imagination.
But seeing Laura smile like that in front of the Noble Association building, it felt as though something big was about to happen at any moment.
Of course, she herself wouldn’t realize it was a big deal and would stir up trouble anyway.
“Count, I will wait here.”
“Good. I won’t be long.”
Laura turned away from Jack.
‘This damned gray building.’
The building called the “Tree of Glory” was not particularly large. However, it was as tall as the tallest building in the Imperial Palace.
That made the Noble Association’s intentions clear.
‘Not that it has anything to do with me.’
Laura had not the slightest interest in such things.
‘How annoying. Those looks.’
But as Laura walked down the marble path toward the building, her expression was far from pleasant.
“……The head of House Rien has finally arrived.”
Naturally, there were nobles at the Noble Association building.
Nobles with nothing better to do, at that.
“Using a rental carriage—she doesn’t even feel ashamed, does she?”
“Indeed. But for her to come here, it seems she’s finally made her decision.”
Worthless insects loitering outside the Noble Association building with nothing to do on a weekday afternoon.
Laura neatly ignored the voices coming her way.
“Welcome, Count.”
A knight gatekeeper who recognized her offered a brief, polite greeting.
This “Tree of Glory” building was the center of the Noble Association, and half of its entire security force consisted of ‘knights.’
That alone was enough to tell how great their power was.
Creak.
The gatekeeper opened the door, and Laura entered the building’s grand hall.
And without a moment’s delay, she headed to an office on the first floor.
‘Hmm?’
The office door was open.
“Mr. Cross. How do you expect to get anything done like this? Huh?”
“I followed the proper procedures—”
“Procedures are important. They are, but isn’t this a complete disregard for the Noble Association?”
Laura entered the office, slightly furrowing her brow.
‘……Hah, does that bastard Tess never get fired?’
A man who looked to be in his late thirties, Tess, sat with his legs crossed arrogantly.
Tap. Tap. Tap!
He repeatedly rapped the bundle of documents in his hand against the desk, raising his voice.
“Come on, you have to work with some consideration for the Noble Association’s dignity!”
Tap!
That sound grated on Laura’s ears.
“Isn’t that right? Huh? You’re like a rookie, aren’t you? A rookie, right?”
Tap!
Laura looked at the man standing across from Tess with his head bowed.
He certainly looked young enough to be in his early twenties.
“……This is my third year.”
“Wow—how shocking!”
Tess spoke theatrically, in a manner obviously grating to anyone watching.
“And after three years, you still work like this!”
“……I followed the proper procedures. You must hand over the materials listed in the documents—”
“Ah, enough!”
As Tess raised his voice even higher, the man bowed his head further.
‘Hmm.’
However, Laura tilted her head.
A man standing with his arms behind his back and his head bowed as if being punished.
But the two hands hidden behind his back were clenched into fists.
‘Looks like he’s about to throw a punch?’
Veins bulging in hands that looked ready to strike Tess at any moment.
‘Are they about to fight?’
She might even witness a fistfight between a Noble Association employee and an Imperial Palace official.
The moment Laura thought so.
“Ah! Count!”
Someone approached Laura.
Because of that, Laura failed to see the red aura rising from the palace official’s hand. The ominously surging red aura soon vanished from the official’s hand.
“Count, what brings you—”
The approaching office employee trailed off upon seeing the telegram in Laura’s hand.
“Well, if it isn’t the esteemed head of our empire’s great meritorious family.”
Tess quickly approached.
His greasy face plastered with an obnoxious, unlucky smile.
“It’s been a while, Baron.”
Tess was a baron himself.
That was likely why he acted that way even toward an Imperial Palace official.
‘The official is probably a commoner.’
After a brief greeting, without so much as giving Tess a glance, Laura held out the telegram to the employee and answered.
“I’ve come to declare my intention to attend this noble conference.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Grand Noble Conference to be held in one month.
Just as the employee trailed off, gauging Laura’s reaction.
“My, what a wise decision, Count.”
Clap, clap, clap!
Tess even clapped as he spoke to Laura in a friendly manner.
‘Should I hit him?’
She seriously considered it, but Laura forced herself to endure.
Baron Tess. He was a toady of a meritorious family who had long awaited the downfall of House Rien.
“May I go?”
That was why Laura had no need to deal with Tess.
“Ah, yes, yes! We will send the detailed schedule and related matters later!”
The employee answered kindly, full of pity, and Laura turned around.
“Then I will be on my way.”
She didn’t even spare Tess a glance.
“Heh.”
From behind, Tess’s sneer and mocking voice reached her.
“Whew, one headache will be resolved in a month.”
Laura halted for a moment.
She turned back and stared intently at Tess.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Tess coughed.
‘The look in her eyes.’
At that murderous gaze, as if looking at a general of the military, Tess averted his eyes from Laura.
‘Hmph. It’s not like she’s ever even held a sword!’
Even while looking away, he never thought he would lose to Laura.
‘For a house with someone like her to……’
Meanwhile, the employee couldn’t hide his sorrow seeing the young Count subdue Tess with only a look.
In the midst of that, Laura looked at Tess and thought.
‘……Should I throw a dagger?’
She recalled the dagger hidden in her coat but held back.
‘I can’t afford the settlement money.’
It was a phrase she repeated like a spell to endure every time she saw Tess.
Flustered, Tess yelled at the Imperial Palace official for no reason.
“Anyway, I can’t give you the materials, so get out! What kind of absurd request is this!”
“……I will visit again.”
The Imperial Palace official bowed his head calmly and politely, then passed by Laura and headed for the office entrance.
‘……Huh?’
Laura glanced at the passing man’s face.
Bangs that seemed to cover his eyes. Gray irises visible between strands of gray hair.
‘Murderous?’
It was a murderous gaze, enough to send a chill down Laura’s spine.
She imagined it was what the eyes of a mercenary wandering a battlefield might look like.
Then, a mutter from the man reached her ears.
“This filthy empire, I should annihilate it all with my magic—”
Hm?
Laura’s eyes widened.
The man stopped dead and covered his mouth with his hand. As if he hadn’t meant to say it.
He hurriedly looked back.
‘I didn’t hear a thing.’
Not wanting to get involved in unnecessary trouble, Laura moved with an expression that said she hadn’t heard anything.
At that sight, the man let out a deep sigh of relief.
“Ha, I’m going crazy.”
He watched Laura walking away for a moment, then soon turned his head.
“……It’s getting harder to control.”
His life as an official might end up in shambles like this.
He sighed again and suddenly recalled something.
What that bastard had spat out.
“Well, if it isn’t the esteemed head of our empire’s great meritorious family.”
He had seen the faces of most of the meritorious family heads by now.
Save for one.
House Rien, the Count’s family.
‘So that’s Laura Rien?’
The man’s gaze turned to her once more.
Laura Rien was already leaving the Noble Association building.
“……Rien.”
The name told to him every night in his dreams.
Cross, a Grade 10 official of the Imperial Administration. He stared intently at Laura’s retreating figure.
Gray irises, a shade darker than his gray hair, trembled.
* * *
Swoosh.
Laura pulled aside the carriage window curtain and raised her voice.
“Jack, we can go.”
“Yes, Count!”
Jack’s voice came through the gap in the driver’s seat window, and at the same moment, the carriage departed from the Noble Association.
And after that.
The news of Count Rien’s attendance at the Noble Conference spread everywhere in an instant.
The title of the Five Great Meritorious Families might change!
That fact alone carried tremendous significance.
* * *
“Count, we have arrived.”
“Thank you, Jack.”
As Laura stepped down from the carriage, the atmosphere stirred.
Everyone glanced at Laura and whispered.
“……Shall I wait?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
Laura smiled at Jack’s words as he looked around.
“Please be careful.”
He continued carefully.
“……Because this is the Mercenary Quarter.”
This was the Mercenary Quarter located in the south of the capital.
Mercenaries from all over the continent gathered here, and since most engaged in rough work, incidents never ceased in the Mercenary Quarter.
Thus, except for merchants and related parties, those who sought to come to the Mercenary Quarter were extremely rare.
“Jack, do you think I’d come back injured from somewhere?”
“Of course not!”
Our young lady coming back injured! That’s absurd!
Even if stranded on a remote island, she would eat and live well!
Jack thought so but still looked at Laura with worry.
In response, Laura returned the greeting with a smile and opened the door of the building before her.