Episode 16

A proposal? The proposal I know of...?

“W-why are you bringing that up all of a sudden! It’s already in the past...”

“You’re the one keeping something already past in your heart and acting rudely, Count Sirius. Isn’t the reason you’re insulting this child now because you still hold a grudge over what happened three years ago?”

The more I listened to Reuden, the more appalled I became. I didn’t know exactly how old that man was, but he looked at least twenty years older than me.

And three years ago, he had proposed to Rene Blair, been rejected, and was acting like this because of it?

‘And three years ago, Rene Blair was a minor!’

I naturally recalled how the count had gone on about an old nobleman.

‘So the old nobleman was him.’

In a way, it was astonishing that the count had spoken as if it were someone else’s story.

The count feigned innocence.

“That isn’t it! What kind of person do you take me for...”

“I’m not a fool, Count.”

“...”

“I know very well what sort of vulgar things you’ve been spreading about this child behind her back, so stop lying.”

At Reuden’s cold voice, the count tried to shout something again, but then faltered and looked around. At that action, I also glanced around. The nobles were now openly watching.

Perhaps Reuden also sensed the many eyes on us, because he withdrew his icy gaze and let out a sigh.

“Enough. Let’s stop here. I hope nothing like this happens again.”

As if he had no intention of making the matter bigger, Reuden ended the argument. Then he abruptly pointed at the cane and changed the subject.

“More importantly, there was something I wanted to ask. That cane of yours...”

Reuden’s words never reached their end. The count had suddenly bowed his head and begun trembling like an aspen leaf.

What?

At the slightly bizarre sight, I unconsciously edged behind Reuden.

“Again, again... Again, you humiliate me in front of so many people...”

The nobles’ murmuring grew louder at the count’s strange behavior. He muttered rapidly.

“I thought I was finally saving face again... It’s ruined again... Why? I did what it told me to, so why? Why? Why?”

Reuden seemed to sense something odd as well and did not continue what he had been saying. He watched the count as if observing him.

‘Something feels dangerous... Shouldn’t we get out of here?’

But before I could move, the count stopped whispering rapidly and abruptly raised his head.

His eyes, so black they seemed uncanny, were fixed precisely on me.

“This is all your fault.”

“P-pardon?”

“This is all your fault! If only you hadn’t humiliated me three years ago!”

What is he saying? Is he saying it was my fault—no, Rene Blair’s fault—for rejecting his proposal?

The count finally began slamming his cane against the floor. At his violent behavior, the nobles backed away with faces that said they had truly seen every kind of madman now. Whether they did or not, the count glared at me with a murderous ferocity, as if he might kill me.

Why did he suddenly change like this? My disbelief slowly turned into fear. The count’s hand gripping the cane was shaking so badly it looked as though he might swing it at any moment.

“Stop whispering! What did I do for you to whisper about me!”

Extremely agitated, the count swung his cane around and threatened the people nearby. Voices began saying that someone should call the guards.

Only Reuden was unfazed; instead, he took a step closer to him.

“Count, come to your senses...”

“Shut up! Shut up! Don’t give me orders!”

The count’s voice, ringing out thunderously, sounded strange. It was as if two voices were mixed together.

Anxiety rose in me that he really might hit someone, and I tried to grab the hem of Reuden’s clothes. If only Reuden hadn’t taken another step toward the count and slipped out of my reach.

As Reuden approached, the count, who had been on high alert, raised the cane into the air.

In that instant, I had the illusion that everything was slowing down. I could see the cane lifted into the air with perfect clarity.

A large black jewel was set into the handle of the pitch-black cane. That black jewel was so dark it seemed as though it would swallow up even a single point of light.

No.

Reuden can’t be hit.

That was the only thought chaotically filling my head. My legs moved forward on their own, and as if I had never been hiding behind Reuden, I blocked his path.

Naturally, the cane came toward me.

And I, without realizing it, caught that cane.

So easily it was almost absurd.

“...”

A cold silence, like death itself, fell.

The area, which had been noisy because of the count’s rampage, fell silent in shock when I caught the cane so effortlessly.

Of course, I was shocked too. Shocked by what, you ask?

By the count’s frail strength...

‘Wasn’t he swinging it with all his might?’

The thought flashed through my mind that even if Reuden had been hit, it might not have hurt at all.

“Ngh...”

At that moment, the count looked startled, as if he hadn’t expected me to catch the cane, and then pulled on it so hard his face turned blue.

But the cane held in my hand did not budge.

‘Look at that... How weak does he have to be to not even be able to take back his cane?’

Feeling pity, I looked at him with sympathetic eyes and lightly tugged the cane. The count staggered.

“It’s dangerous, so please let go of this.”

“W-won’t you let go?”

“You’re going to swing the cane again, aren’t you? It’s dangerous, so you let go first.”

Meaning for him to release it, I tugged the cane again. But though the count staggered, he absolutely refused to let go. At that point, I even began to wonder what on earth this cane was to him.

He had been holding it preciously since earlier... Could it be something very important?

Just as I was starting to feel even more sorry for him and debating whether I should simply let go, someone grabbed my arm. It was Reuden.

“Let go of it, quickly. Do you even know what that is?”

“Why, why? Is this some family heirloom after all...? Or one of the few treasures in this world...?”

“What? Never mind that. Let go, now.”

Slightly frightened by Reuden’s terribly serious expression, I immediately let go of the cane.

But I shouldn’t have done that. No, at the very least, I should have warned the count that I was going to let go. The reason was simple. The moment I released it, the count, who must have been pulling with all his strength, was unable to withstand the recoil and staggered backward.

It would have been nice if it had ended there, but it did not. Staggering backward against his own strength, the count finally tripped over his own feet, his body tilted backward, and he crashed into something.

“Gasp.”

Crash, clatter—the sound of something breaking and being crushed rang out clearly. Shocked by the unintended situation, I immediately covered my mouth with both hands.

At that moment, a sound pierced my ears.

Ding.

Today’s final mission complete!

-Reward: 100 Gold-

That was right... The place the man had fallen was none other than the table where the cake had been.

* * *

There was only one reason the vain Count Sirius had approached her, who was famous throughout the kingdom as a hellion. If he made that hellion kneel beneath him, many people would think highly of him.

But unexpectedly, the hellion did not commit any so-called mad acts, and she even smiled at him as if she found him amusing. So Count Sirius changed his mind and let his greed grow.

Ah, if only I could form a connection with a marquis family. If only I could have this young thing as my wife.

The count hosted a grand banquet without a second thought. He intended to propose to her in front of many nobles. He had not the slightest doubt that she would accept his proposal.

But what answer had he received?

Accept? Refuse?

It was neither.

She opened her fan, hid her mouth behind it, and looked down at him with a laugh.

‘You dare think of marrying me? As if you were worthy?’

It was blatant mockery.

This must have been what people meant when they said their vision turned red and their veins swelled. Only then did Count Sirius realize.

Far from making her kneel, he was the one who had ended up on his knees.

Ah, what utter humiliation was this?

Blinded by rage, the count charged at her, thinking to recover even a little of his fallen honor. Yet for some reason, the one sent sprawling was himself. And of all places, onto the cake he had so carefully chosen.

How had he lived after that? Wherever he went, it felt as though everyone was talking about him, so he shut himself away.

And yet today, three years later, just like that day, Count Sirius had once again gone sprawling onto a cake.

‘Why? I only did what this cane told me to do! It clearly said no one would be able to look down on me! So why…….’

Unable even to bring himself to get up, Count Sirius clutched the cane tightly and screamed inwardly.

A cane so strangely black that every part of it seemed pitch-dark.

A few days ago, it had arrived in a package sent anonymously to him, who had spent three years living like a ruined man. Along with some ridiculous letter saying that as long as he possessed the cane, no one would be able to look down on him.

Naturally, Count Sirius had not believed it. No, to be precise, he had tried not to believe it. Until a certain voice began speaking to him.

It was fine if they called him mad. It was fine if they said it was an auditory hallucination—no, a delusion all his own. The more he acted according to that voice, the less people were able to ignore him.

In just a few days, he had regained his rightful place.

‘But why? Why does that woman still, still look down on me! Why does she humiliate me like this! If that wench hadn’t humiliated me three years ago, I wouldn’t have wasted all that time!’

-Then just teach her a lesson so she can never ignore you again.

When the voice he had heard for the past few days rang out again, Count Sirius flinched. Then he looked down. Sticky cream clung to his body, his face, and his hair, but the cane was perfectly fine. It was clean, as if nothing had happened.

-Beat her thoroughly, eh? That’s how you make sure others don’t look down on you.

The voice echoed ominously inside his head.

It was right. Not once, but twice—she had humiliated him in the exact same way. He had to grind that woman’s nose into the dirt…….

As if bewitched, Count Sirius rose silently to his feet. Gripping the cane tightly, he charged straight at her as she spoke with his brother.

Whoosh. With movements swifter than before, Count Sirius swung the cane.

Thwack.

A sickening, heavy sound spread through the air.