PHATFO 19

[Chapter 19]

The Count probably came out thinking he’d chase away some noisy guests disturbing the estate.

But the moment he reached the center of the commotion and realized who the dazzling woman was—more radiant than summer flowers—his bluster immediately vanished.

“Hil—Hil…”

“Since you seem to recognize me, I’ll skip the introductions, Count.”

The Count simply nodded.

The smell of alcohol was strong in his breath as he inhaled and exhaled. Lady Hilton, pretending not to notice, opened her fan and used it to block the air between them.

“From your letters, I imagined you as a refined man who loved art and culture. The way you described the art street in the Rohilton estate with such detail showed your sincerity and passion. But…”

Swish—

She lowered her fan, revealing her eyes. Her cool blue gaze wiped the smile from her face, and its sharpness was enough to make the Count stagger.

“I never imagined you’d be the kind of heartless person who could overlook something so cruel.”

Lady Hilton wasn’t just a successful merchant—she was also a major investor who funded promising ventures.

She had two main standards when giving out money: profitability and morality.

The Count desperately needed her investment—not only to calm the angry buyers of Charlotte’s paintings but also for personal reasons.

Since he, like his wife, could no longer attend social events, he had started dreaming of succeeding in business to silence those who mocked him.

“Even that country girl who used to play with my daughter made it big—so why not me?”

But any business required money. With funds already tight and no other options, he tried turning to Lady Hilton, assuming he could easily charm a young woman like her.

So now, trying to save face, he awkwardly shook his head.

“This… This is all a misunderstanding. I just returned and didn’t see exactly what happened.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, of course. You! How many times have I told you—no matter how angry you get, you should talk things out! My goodness, how could you treat this poor girl like this? What would my late brother think if he saw this?”

The Countess opened and closed her mouth in disbelief.

Honestly, I felt the same. The Count had never cared about how Charlotte or the Countess treated me—but now he was pretending to be a concerned guardian?

Lady Hilton saw right through him but kept her mocking smile hidden behind her fan.

“How fortunate that the Count is such a man of character. I’ve been seriously considering your proposal, after all.”

“Truly?”

The Count’s red cheeks lifted with a delighted smile.

“Yes. And this is the household of my dear friend Bella…”

Friend?

The Count’s eyebrows twitched. He blinked several times, as if trying to judge the weight of her words.

Maybe the alcohol was wearing off—his gaze on me had become sharper.

“Then… you came here today because…”

“Yes, partly due to your invitation, but mostly to spend time with my new friend.”

Her voice had returned to its usual elegant tone, and her fan was lowered again.

“So, Count, is there any reason why Lady Rohilton shouldn’t go out for a visit?”

The Count hurriedly shook his head.

As if to say: “Of course not—let me have your investment.”

“No, not at all. That girl is free to go wherever she likes. She’s not under anyone’s control.”

“Wonderful.”

“But… as you can see, she’s a bit disheveled. Wouldn’t it be better to let her change before heading out?”

The Count’s words sounded reasonable.

But his real motive was thinly veiled: he wanted to use the excuse of getting me dressed to separate me from Lady Hilton and interrogate me.

Lady Hilton, however, cut him off immediately.

“Apologies, but half the day is already over. I don’t want to waste any more time. Luckily, I brought plenty of spare dresses. I’m sure we can find one that fits her.”

“And I’ll be acting as her guard, so there’s no need to assign any knights.”

She was clearly refusing to allow anyone to monitor me.

“Well… that’s good to hear. Have a lovely time, then.”

The Count forced a smile to hide his anxiety, patting me on the shoulder like a kindly uncle.

“Yes, Count.”

I replied like a well-behaved lamb and got into the carriage.

The carriage carrying me quickly left the Count’s estate behind. It didn’t stop or turn once—almost as if it, too, couldn’t wait to escape that dreadful house.

The Count watched it go.

The lavish carriage—lined with gold on every side—disappeared from sight.

As reality settled in, the Countess collapsed.

“What… what just happened?!”

The Count shouted at the servants nearby.

But no one could answer him.

Lady Hilton’s visit had actually been planned since the tea party.

“If I ever send you a letter with flower petals inside, come to the Rohilton estate without question.”

But Camilla had not been part of the plan. We hadn’t agreed on anything. That’s why it felt so awkward now, sitting across from her in the carriage, listening to the wheels turning.

Thankfully, Lady Hilton answered the question I couldn’t ask.

“When I said I’d be visiting you, she offered to come along. Said it would be wise to prepare for any unexpected situations.”

The Hilton family did have knights. But arriving at the Rohilton estate with guards would have caused issues.

Especially if the goal was to get me out of there.

“People might say Lady Hilton kidnapped me by force.”

But Camilla was a noblewoman, so her visit could be passed off as a personal gesture of affection. Lady Hilton had made the smartest decision to protect us both.

“Thank you… for coming, My Lady.”

“It wasn’t a burden at all, so don’t worry.”

“Just curious… are you going to count today as one of the three favors?”

I asked playfully, winking at her.

Camilla immediately shook her head.

“…No. Protecting someone weaker is my duty.”

Her firm gaze landed on me briefly, like a knight’s shield. It was so strong, I instinctively sat up straighter.

Lady Hilton laughed softly.

“You look like you have a lot of questions.”

“…Wouldn’t anyone?”

I knew Lady Hilton had many connections—but I never imagined Camilla was one of them.

Camilla had always felt like someone who would never bow her head for anyone.

“It’s because she owes me a debt.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the debtor, by the way.”

I looked between the two, confused, until Camilla explained:

“Lady Hilton helped me earn my knighthood title. In return, I promised to grant her three favors—whatever she asks. That’s the extent of our agreement.”

Her words were clear and concise. Even with my cloudy head, I understood.

“So Sir Ahwila didn’t have the title from the beginning…”

Just five years ago, society looked down on Camilla. She was called an oddball noblewoman for learning swordsmanship.

Then she won the imperial fencing tournament, received a personal commendation, and was officially knighted. That changed everything.

“But that was an unusual event—women weren’t even allowed to participate before then…”

Back then, I thought it was just luck.

“But Lady Hilton helped make it happen. She must’ve used her connections to open the path for Camilla’s dream.”

I knew Camilla’s potential because I had seen the future. But what had Lady Hilton seen that made her so sure Camilla was worth investing in?

“Is this what they call a businesswoman’s intuition?”

A chill ran down my spine—and I was intrigued.

“Is it really okay to tell me all this?”

No one in high society knew this story. That meant it was a secret.

“I trust you to keep it. And more importantly… you deserve to know. You’ve done me a great favor, after all.”

I slowly raised my hand and pointed to myself.

“Me?”

Just as I was about to ask what she meant—

“We’ve arrived, Madam.”

The carriage stopped.

“Shall we get out, Lady?”

Camilla got out first and offered her hand to escort me.

As expected, we had arrived at the Hilton estate.