Chapter 4
“Milady, it’s dangerous! Please step back!”
Ritzhaian was completely dumbfounded.
Just as Tilda had worried, she had suspected the man might be someone difficult to bring into the estate. But never—not even in her wildest imagination—had she expected the patient she had nursed back from death’s door to suddenly kick open a door and point a gun at her.
And then there was the nonsense he was spouting.
“A trick? Seduction? W-Who are you talking about? Me?”
“Stop pretending you don’t know.”
Perhaps because the accusation was so absurd, fear never even crossed her mind despite the gun aimed directly at her. Instead, she could only stare back in disbelief.
“I am Ritzhaian Werner, lord of this territory and head of House Werner. I fail to see why I should be hearing such ridiculous accusations.”
The more she spoke, the more anger swelled inside her.
She had devoted herself to nursing him, hoping only for him to wake up.
And this was the result.
Not that she had ever expected gratitude for saving his life—but somehow, it hurt even more because she hadn’t realized she had been hoping for at least a little acknowledgment.
She had been the one to stick her nose into his affairs in the first place.
To make matters worse, she normally disliked flaunting her title. Introducing herself like this only left an even more bitter taste in her mouth.
“You’re saying you’re a daughter of House Werner? Impossible.”
Yet the man took one look at her from head to toe and rejected the claim outright.
What gave him such confidence?
Ritzhaian thought she already knew the answer.
A short, mocking laugh escaped her lips.
“Don’t believe me? Why? Because I look like this?”
The plain dress she wore, stitched and restitched countless times until not a single decorative pattern remained, hardly resembled the attire of a noble lady.
Tilda had repeatedly begged her to buy proper clothes.
Each time, Ritzhaian had refused.
There was no point in keeping up appearances.
And no money for it, either.
“You truly have a talent for insulting the person who saved your life. Believe whatever you want. But let me make one thing clear—I have absolutely no obligation to prove my status to you.”
How she looked was entirely her own choice.
She had no intention of living her life by constantly advertising her noble birth.
But that didn’t mean she would quietly endure someone openly denying her identity to her face.
It hurt.
Far more than she wanted to admit.
Serves me right for meddling where I shouldn’t have…
Just as regret rose to her throat, the man who had been staring at her finally spoke.
Unlike before, his voice was noticeably more cautious.
“You misunderstand. It’s not merely because of your appearance.”
“Then why? What possible reason could there be?”
His response caught her completely off guard.
The way he kept staring at her, his brows tightly furrowed, made it seem as though he simply couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Couldn’t believe what?
She wanted to demand an answer, but instead waited silently for him to continue.
After studying her several more times, he slowly shook his head.
“…Because everyone from the baron’s family is dead.”
Though many words went unsaid, she understood immediately.
He wasn’t denying her status.
He was talking about the fire that had destroyed House Werner.
About the people who had died in it.
Seen from that perspective, his actions suddenly made perfect sense.
“I see. Now I understand.”
The place where she had found him collapsed was none other than the grounds of her family’s original estate.
Hardly a place a random traveler would visit.
And it had happened to be exactly one year after the tragedy.
“So you came to pay your respects, even if a little late? I appreciate the sentiment. Though it seems you never heard the latest news.”
“News?”
“That the Werner daughter who left for the capital to attend her debutante ball survived.”
The man’s expression crumpled with shock.
The hand holding the gun fell limply to his side.
His entire body seemed to freeze.
“Wait… You’re truly the daughter of House Werner? You really survived that incident?”
“It’s been an entire year. Isn’t it strange to be surprised only now?”
“I truly have been… unforgivably rude.”
He lowered his head.
“I apologize. This was never my intention. I misunderstood.”
The sincerity in his apology eased her anger somewhat.
But in its place came curiosity.
Who exactly was this man?
“If you’re truly sorry, then answer my question honestly. Who are you, and what connection do you have to my family?”
The fact that he had come exactly on the anniversary suggested some deeper connection to House Werner.
Surely not to her personally.
Perhaps to her late parents?
Yet he didn’t seem like someone who would have associated with them at all.
“…I owe a debt.”
“A debt? To whom? My parents? What kind of debt?”
“Not a financial one. It’s difficult to explain. But make no mistake—I intend to repay it.”
If not money…
Then perhaps a debt of gratitude.
Her parents had often donated to orphanages and charitable institutions.
Had he been one of those beneficiaries?
But if that were true, she would have known. She had inherited responsibility for the family after all.
The mystery only grew more frustrating.
“A debt that isn’t financial, yet you insist you must repay it? That makes no sense. Don’t I have the right to know?”
But no matter how she challenged him, he remained silent.
He simply looked back at her with the stubborn expression of someone who would endure any amount of questioning without speaking.
Whatever secret he was hiding, it clearly wasn’t something he intended to reveal.
Eventually, Ritzhaian gave up.
“Well… fine. It’s refreshing to see someone so determined to repay what they owe. In that case, I trust you’ll repay the debt you owe me as well.”
In truth, she decided it wasn’t information she needed right now.
Whatever the secret was, she had lived an entire year without knowing it.
A little longer wouldn’t change anything.
And if he truly intended to repay this mysterious debt, she would eventually learn the truth anyway.
More importantly—
There was something else she wanted from him.
“What debt… do I owe you?”
“I saved your life, didn’t I? I was prepared to let that slide as an act of goodwill, but after your appalling behavior earlier… and there’s one more thing.”
Something she desired deeply enough to overlook almost anything else.
Something only he possessed.
“You have ties to the underworld, don’t you? When you mentioned snakes, you were referring to Casa Vacada, the criminal organization. Wasn’t that it?”
“…”
At first she had assumed “snake” referred to her and Tilda.
But the moment he opened the door, he had pointed a gun at them without hesitation.
No matter how unfamiliar this place was to him, that wasn’t normal behavior.
Unless he had overheard their conversation.
Then everything made sense.
He had mistaken them for members of Casa Vacada, the underworld syndicate whose symbol was a snake.
“You seem to know about my family’s circumstances, so I’ll skip the explanation. I want revenge against Carta, the enemy of House Werner. For the past year, revenge has been the only thing keeping me alive.”
The important part was this:
Even after assuming they belonged to a powerful criminal organization, he had been willing to confront them.
That alone spoke volumes.
“You don’t mean… you’ve actually been working with those snakes?”
The moment she said it, he visibly struggled to contain his emotions.
The repeated mention of snakes confirmed her suspicions.
“That’s right. And they recently informed me they’ve finally acquired information about Carta.”
“How? Why would you do something so reckless? Those people won’t help you get revenge. They’ll take everything you have and throw you away the moment you stop being useful!”
Whomever she allied herself with should have been none of his concern.
Yet he reacted as though she had crossed some unforgivable line.
His hostility was unmistakable.
“Why? Because our interests aligned. I appreciate your concern, but I have no intention of protecting myself.”
“Don’t you value the life you barely managed to save?”
“Of course I do. That’s exactly why I need you.”
Casa Vacada wasn’t some small gang.
It was one of the two organizations that dominated the entire underworld.
For a man to react this strongly to their name—
He was likely far more important than she had initially thought.
To the underworld.
And to her.
“I won’t ask you to reveal your secrets. I already know how tight-lipped people from that world can be.”
“Then what exactly do you want from me?”
“Are you good at anything besides fighting?”
“…What?”
“Though, looking at your condition, I doubt you can do much. Fine then. Just be my bodyguard.”
To preserve even the faintest possibility of extracting information from him, she had to keep him close.
The position of bodyguard was merely an excuse.
“A bodyguard…? Do you even know who I am? You’d allow a complete stranger into your estate without knowing so much as his name?”
“I don’t mind. I can learn your name now. Would you care to tell me?”
“You don’t mind? That’s impossible. And even if my identity isn’t an issue, my illness could kill me at any moment. Do you truly believe someone like me is suited to guard anyone?”
“Don’t worry. If your illness stands in the way of my goals, I’ll find a way to cure it.”
The words came easily.
Believing them was another matter entirely.
She had no real basis for such confidence.
How could she hope to solve a disease even its victim didn’t understand?
It was little more than a reckless promise.
Still, she hoped he wouldn’t notice the uncertainty hidden beneath her bold declaration.
Afraid he might see through her, Ritzhaian reached out and grasped the hand holding the revolver.
“So don’t even think about refusing.”
For a long moment, the man stared silently down at her trembling hand.
The silence wasn’t long.
Only the sound of rain tapping against the windows filled the room.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
As if urging him toward an answer.
At last, his low voice broke the quiet.
“You’ll regret this.”
“That’s fine.”
There was no way she could let him leave.
No way at all.
“…Call me Ruben.”
