No Romance Fantasy Horror Consultation —
CHAPTER 61,…………………………………………………….
“Let’s hope it’s good news.”
Count Gielea, who had given a brief greeting, turned away.
His back as he walked seemed somehow withdrawn, even a little tense.
‘What on earth happened?’
The answer to that question came during dinner.
“This must be about the Countess.”
As soon as she heard the story, Yujire reached this conclusion.
She had been sitting in the study all day—where on earth did she get that information?
“Did you hear any new information?”
“No, but there’s already the story I knew.”
The Gielea Count and Countess were known throughout society for their harmonious relationship.
It was almost a fairy tale: they fell for each other at first sight, dated, and married.
They couldn’t bear being apart from each other for even a moment…
“…That, at least, is the surface story.”
But in reality, things were a little different.
First of all, that love story was entirely a lie.
“It was a marriage of convenience. Both had something to gain.”
To explain, one had to start with the inheritance conditions of the Gielea family.
The countship could not be inherited by someone unmarried.
And Count Gielea had not been engaged until he became an adult.
Many people felt burdened by his somewhat blunt and prickly demeanor.
“That’s when the Countess appeared.”
At that time, the Countess was a noble from another country.
There were rumors that she had escaped her family to avoid abuse.
Given the circumstances, she probably wanted to stay in the Empire.
“So naturally… they probably didn’t think of each other as ideal partners, right?”
“It was a marriage of convenience?”
It wasn’t Laseil who reacted, but Elian.
Her eyes widened, showing she was clearly surprised.
“They seemed so close!”
“Well, they might have grown to genuinely care for each other while living together. That happens a lot.”
“True.”
Marriage of convenience had once been a hot topic in society.
The story went that the wedding was held with a predetermined end date for the marriage.
But few actually divorced at the time set in the contract.
Most developed genuine feelings while living together.
“Would Count Gielea be one of those people?”
Laseil asked.
The Count he had just seen didn’t seem the type to fall in love at all.
If anything, he seemed more likely to coldly push away anyone approaching him.
‘Though there are stories he is incredibly kind to his wife…’
It was hard to believe without seeing it for himself.
Considering what was said about his usual demeanor, it seemed even more unlikely.
“Well? Who knows?”
“I just hope they don’t bring up ghosts…”
Ruzea, who had been quiet until then, muttered.
“Just hearing about it already makes me tired.”
“Hadn’t you adapted?”
“I’ve adapted to being next to the lady, not to this estate.”
Ruzea grumbled.
Meanwhile, Elian continued speculating.
“Did their relationship sour? Or did they genuinely grow to love each other? Is that why he wants to confess?”
“If it were that kind of problem, he wouldn’t have come to me.”
“Could it be a ghost possessing the Countess?”
“Don’t say things like that!”
Ruzea muttered in horror.
Unfortunately, it would be revealed a few days later that her remark was half correct.
“Excuse me.”
The Count greeted politely as he entered the reception room.
It had been three days since he sent the letter to arrange this meeting.
For some reason, he seemed eager to resolve a problem quickly.
“Good evening, Count Gielea.”
Laseil watched the Count while Yujire offered a dry greeting.
Compared to before, his face looked quite haggard.
‘Could that speculation really be true?’
He looked like someone heartbroken over love.
Yet what came from the Count was unexpected.
“It seems the Countess likes me.”
Despite being somewhat flustered, Yujire remained composed.
Laseil noticed he was drinking tea slightly more frequently and in larger sips than usual.
“I see. They say harmony between a married couple is a blessing.”
“…No. The problem is that she shouldn’t like me.”
The Count explained with a bitter expression.
“You already know, don’t you, Viscount?”
“Are you referring to the fact that it was a marriage of convenience?”
“Yes. Everyone who needed to know already knows.”
‘So it really was true.’
Laseil recalled the additional explanation Yujire had told her last night.
Some keen observers had already guessed it was a contract marriage.
The Count also seemed to have roughly noticed this.
“That’s the problem. The contract period will end soon.”
“Do you want to keep the Countess from leaving?”
Yujire asked.
It was a purely formal question, with no hint of doubt.
“On the contrary. I hope she doesn’t become attached to me.”
Yujire remained silent for a moment.
From her expression, it seemed she was restraining herself from saying something like “don’t be so self-conscious.”
A tense silence stretched briefly.
‘Could it be he actually intends to drive her away?’
Laseil sensed something unusual in Yujire’s atmosphere.
After working since early morning, she was likely on edge.
If that tension peaked, there would be nothing strange about her throwing Count Gielea out.
‘Though the last time she did something like that was three years ago…’
Still, caution never hurt.
The conversation resumed after a little while.
“…I understand your intention.”
Yujire replied with a neutral expression, unreadable.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to come to me.”
‘That’s true.’
It was a matter to be discussed with the Countess herself—or possibly with a witness to the contract.
There seemed no reason to come to Yujire, who was effectively a stranger.
“I came because it seems a ghost has possessed her.”
“…Did I hear that wrong?”
“I came because it seems a ghost has possessed her.”
“……”
This was already the second time such a thing happened.
Fortunately, Ruzea was not there.
“…In that case, you should ask Sir Jaen, not me. Would that be alright?”
Laseil nodded readily.
Her own schedule wasn’t too busy anyway.
She had confidence in handling ghost-related matters—whether it was a real ghost was another matter.
“You mean Sir Jaen?”
The Count looked subtly reluctant.
He seemed to dislike the idea of ‘asking’ a lower-ranking noble.
Yujire noticed his unease immediately.
“If it doesn’t suit you, that’s fine. Sir Jaen, you may leave.”
“No, no. I would like to ask for your help.”
“Then the invitation should be addressed to Sir Jaen, not me, right?”
Laseil blinked.
She hadn’t expected the conversation to go this way.
‘Even if I receive it…’
She didn’t particularly feel like attending society gatherings.
Then she remembered something she had heard before.
‘Other knights are coming too, right?’
Even foreign knights could attend if they held noble status.
It might be a chance to learn new sword techniques.
Just the possibility of meeting skilled swordsmen was enticing.
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“How about it, Sir Jaen?”
“I’d be grateful.”
Laseil quickly accepted the proposal.
The Count’s explanation began after Yujire returned to the study.
“How exactly did things get strange? Some say a ghost possessed her because of a personality change.”
“Are there people like that? In any case, it’s completely different from my situation.”
With a long sigh, the Count began recounting the day of the wedding.
It was the first time they had faced each other since signing the contract.
Since it was a marriage of necessity, they agreed not to have any feelings.
“Until then, it was fine.”
The Countess had shown no emotion beyond human affection.
Count Gielea, too, had been reassured until that point.
