Chapter 66
Barthél shook his head as his thoughts wandered.
‘What an absurd idea…’
Still, he couldn’t stop looking at Laura.
Soon, the dishes began arriving at the table.
Asel politely took a few bites, then said:
“It’s your right to appoint a deputy, but you should seriously consider replacing the current one. How could you allow someone to steal imperial supplies for personal gain?”
“I’ll consider it.”
Count Barthél let the words go in one ear and out the other—but his eyes never left Laura.
Meanwhile, he quietly studied her taste in food.
‘She prefers meat over vegetables, but doesn’t like strong spices. She eats seafood only when it’s lightly seasoned… but it’s not her favorite.’
He suddenly shivered.
‘That’s exactly like my wife’s taste.’
‘No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions…’
He forced himself to stay calm.
This was just a guess—he couldn’t create awkwardness based on a hunch.
If he pushed too hard and scared them off, that would be a disaster.
“Are you listening, Count?”
Just then, Laura glanced at a stew far down the table.
She seemed unsure if it was proper to call a servant during a serious conversation.
But…
The Count got up and brought it to her himself.
Laura looked up in surprise.
“Huh?”
“You seemed to want it.”
She felt embarrassed.
“Th-thank you, Count.”
“It’s nothing.”
He gave a small smile—his cold face warming ever so slightly.
After that, he brought every dish she glanced at over to her.
At first, Laura thanked him… but as he continued, she started feeling uncomfortable.
‘I’m not the only one eating here…’
“Um… this is a bit much…”
“Nonsense. You need to eat more.”
“Exactly. Just look at those skinny wrists—are those even human wrists?” (Asel chimed in)
…What?
Laura swallowed her embarrassment.
With both the Count and Asel teaming up, there was nothing she could do.
“What’s your plan here?”
Angel was watching DinDin.
Not because of what he did—but because of what he didn’t do.
“You, who usually throws table manners out the window, are sitting here with perfect posture and eating like a textbook noble. Why?”
Even his shirt was fully buttoned—something he never did.
He was even chewing and swallowing before speaking.
Angel stared at him until it clicked.
DinDin was sneakily glancing at Count Barthél.
“Wait… are you scared of him?”
“What? Me?! No way!”
“Just yesterday, you called him a washed-up, glory-drunk old man…”
“WHAT?! I never said that!”
DinDin quickly covered Angel’s mouth and looked around in panic.
When he saw the Count wasn’t paying attention, he relaxed and whispered:
“Didn’t you notice?”
“Notice what?”
“They look alike.”
DinDin nodded toward Laura and the Count.
Angel didn’t get it.
How can you not see two people who clearly look like father and daughter?
“Never mind.”
‘No use spelling it out for someone that clueless.’
DinDin sat up straighter and focused on his meal.
If he wanted to impress his future father-in-law, he had to play it smart.
* * *
The warehouse was destroyed, but not everyone got the supplies.
Many people weren’t there when it collapsed.
So Laura launched Sirin’s express delivery service.
She chose who deserved help, and Sirin delivered the goods.
Laura hoped this might increase her curse reduction score…
But then:
– The New Goddess Rudina says duplicate rewards will not be given.
…Rude.
‘You could’ve told me before I started!’
– ♪(´ε｀*)
If she weren’t a god, I swear…
Still, Laura didn’t want to leave things unfinished, so she continued working for hours.
That quiet afternoon…
‘Feeling a little drowsy…’
Asel was busy with paperwork in his room, and Angel was by his side doing who-knows-what.
DinDin was busy with merchant stuff.
Out of the four of them, Laura was the least busy.
She wandered the Count’s garden.
Even though the Count had been secluded for years, the garden was beautiful.
The gardener must’ve kept it up, hoping the Count would one day come out.
She realized just how deeply respected he must’ve been.
Meanwhile, Sirin lay on her palm, being spoiled.
– Scratch under my chin… ah, paradise… paradise is so close…!
As Laura rubbed different spots, Sirin fluttered and stretched his wings in bliss.
– My body… melting…
…Was this guy secretly an old man?
Just then—
“Is that your spirit?”
Laura looked up in surprise. The Count had appeared.
He wore a light shirt, probably out for a walk, and his butler wasn’t with him.
“Yes. His name is Sirin.”
– I am honored to serve!
Sirin nodded seriously.
“May I touch him?”
– Do as you wish.
Sirin sat calmly on Laura’s hand as the Count stroked him gently.
He scratched behind Sirin’s head and neck.
Sirin blinked slowly and yawned.
That meant he liked it.
“You’re good with spirits.”
“My wife was a spirit summoner.”
The Count smiled faintly.
Sirin enjoyed it for a while, then flew up and perched on his shoulder.
He leaned his small head against the Count’s neck and said:
– That’s it! That smell is familiar!
– Where did she go?
The Count’s face dropped.
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t even know if she left me… or if something happened to her. She vanished years ago.”
– Oh…
Sirin looked apologetic.
He had been with Laura since she was a child, so he understood human emotions to some extent.
“It’s alright. It was a long time ago.”
The Count smiled—but the sadness didn’t go away.
Sirin flew back to Laura’s hand, awkward and quiet, and started grooming his feathers.
Then the Count asked:
“So, young lady… what led you to be engaged to His Highness?”
Clearly, he was trying to change the subject.
Usually, love stories were light topics—but not this one.
“Uh… well, things started off a little badly, to be honest…”
Laura explained how she was adopted into the House of Lewaze and what happened afterward.
She had never opened up to anyone this much before.
But strangely, the Count made her feel comfortable.
As she spoke, the Count nodded along, but when she said she was labeled a villainess in high society, he became furious.
“Outrageous! And what did the prince do while all this slander spread?!”
“Well… it wasn’t just slander. And His Highness didn’t exactly choose to be engaged to me.”
“Even so! The Marquess was the problem! If someone is to blame, go after the source! Letting you take the fall like that—it’s shameful!”
“Huh…?”
Laura stared at him, dumbfounded.
No one she’d ever met had defended her so strongly without hesitation.
