I Don’t Want to Be a Lady

“Gasp! Gasp, gasp.”

Viscount Girol awoke. Dale, who was sitting opposite Madrenne and playing cards, got up and approached.

“Are you up?”

“You punk! You guys are crazy! How dare you kidnap me knowing who I am!” shouted Viscount Girol, raising the blood vessel around his neck.

“I know who you are. Viscount Girol.”

Viscount Girol asked, looking around with a frightened face. “Where the hell is this!”

Dale replied politely. “It’s a safe place.”

Sparks flew in Viscount Girol’s eyes. He was hiding in a safe place at best but got kidnapped by him, and how is he saying this is a safe place? Viscount Girol felt the urge to slap Dale in the face to make himself feel better. So he tried to lift his arm.

“Huh? Why can’t my arm go up…”

Only then did Viscount Girol realize that his hands were tied to the chair, and he screamed. “Release me! What the hell are you doing! How dare you intimidate a noble! Don’t you know you can get a sentence of summary execution!”

Rattle, rattle. Kiik, kiik. A crackling sound was coming from the worn-out chair.

“If you move like that, you’ll get hurt. Please stay still.”

“You want the man you tied up here to stay still? Would you do the same thing if you were in my position? Release me. Otherwise, I’ll tear you to pieces! You punk!!”

Despite Viscount Girol’s swear words, Dale spoke in a calm voice. “Will you calm down if I cover your mouth?”

Viscount Girol’s eyes widened. “Such a madman! How dare you threaten me! Do you think you’ll be safe after treating me like this! Neither you nor your master will be left alone!”

Dale’s expression changed instantly. His face, which didn’t show the slightest emotion, looked cold like he would cut him down if he brought that up again.

“Please refrain from talking. I cannot tolerate you for insulting my master.”

“What if you can’t tolerate it… Uump! Ump!”

Dale didn’t hesitate to gag him, thinking he might kill this man if he listened to his words again.

“Um! Ump! Uuump!”

Viscount Girol roared with bloody eyes, but no one could help him.

Oh my. He looks so cool when he’s gagging that man. He might as well gag me… Even in this brutal situation, Madrenne was gazing at Dale with a hazy look full of affection.

“Um, I’ll cover your eyes too.”

When Viscount Girol started to curse with his eyes because he couldn’t do it with his mouth, Dale eventually covered Viscount Girol’s eyes. Viscount Girol flopped like a trout out of the water for a while, then limped as if he had lost his energy.

Dale turned away from Viscount Girol and stiffened when he saw Madrenne. It’s really embarrassing. What on earth am I supposed to do with that woman?

Dale, like Duke Kaien, didn’t want to marry. When he first heard the news of his master’s marriage, he honestly felt sad, but he dared to scold his master for having such a heart and forgot about it. Even so, he was a man who promised himself that he would never marry until the end of his life.

However, that woman has the eyes of the woman in love. She was absolutely not his preference, and from what he had seen so far, her personality wasn’t normal either. You got the wrong one.

It was a terrible mistake. Because Madrenne was a cunning person who wouldn’t let go of something after tasting it.

Dale pretended not to know her mind and signaled Madrenne. Let’s get started now.

Madrenne came to her senses at Dale’s signal and nodded. Then she whispered to Dale, “By the way, what’s happening now? Duke Krow and Count Bornes are joining hands.”

“That’s right. Considering his relationship with my master, I don’t understand.”

Madrenne replied to Dale’s words. “Perhaps he offered a reasonable price. Count Bornes is driven by money. He’s the one who tried to sell his daughter too.”

“Is that true?” Dale asked in surprise, and Madrenne winked, pressing her finger down on Dale’s lips.

Ugh, this is so frustrating! What if I’m surprised? Can’t you act straight? Dale groaned and shut his mouth.

Madrenne took her finger, glanced around, and said, “He was outraged because of her marriage with Duke Kaien this time. She was originally going to be sent to become the crown prince’s concubine.”

Dale asked with a firm face. “Crown prince’s… concubine?”

Dale couldn’t believe it. What kind of parents would think of sending their children to become a concubine! Whether Dale believed it or not, it actually happened, and it was enough to shake Viscount Girol’s mind.

“Yes. But things went wrong. He was so angry that I wondered if he killed anyone that day.”

Madrenne swept off her arms as if she was getting goosebumps as she recalled that day. In fact, on that day, Count Bornes was extremely angry, and it was the first time Madrenne had seen him so angry in ten years of her service. Count Bornes never lost his coolness, even when he tortured and killed people. It was unbelievable that Arianne only had a shoulder injury.

Viscount Girol, who had been listening quietly, quickly turned his head. Duke Krow and Count Bornes are on the same page?

He was sticking out his head in the jaws of a snake without knowing that! Viscount Girol realized that if he had stayed, he would have been locked up in there and died. Did you think of selling me after reassuring me that you would hide me! Bornes, you bastard!

Count Girol promised to protect Viscount Girol in exchange for his land in the capital. But he intends to betray me and take that land?!

Grit. He put strength into his mouth with the gag. If you guys come out like that, I have no choice but to think about my own life!

A smile formed on Dale and Madrenne’s lips as they looked at Viscount Girol’s reaction.

“It seems like he’s really fooled.”

“Of course. There’s no one I couldn’t fool if I made up my mind,” said Madrenne as she raised her chin.

Dale thought as he looked at Madrenne. She’s really out of the ordinary. I almost fell for it too… Dale believed that everything Madrenne said was a lie. It was made up to deceive Viscount Girol.

In fact, the great thing about Madrenne was that. She had a clever knack for telling the truth but confusing it as if it were a lie and telling a lie as if it were the truth. She was a woman who controlled people with her talent and lived in her own world.

Dale trembled involuntarily at the sudden chill. Anyway, it seems that fall has arrived. I suddenly feel a chill…

Unfortunately, Dale looked sensible when he was actually dull. The problem was he didn’t take it seriously even though that terrifying woman’s obsession was directed at him.

“Sir Dale, I know a pretty good restaurant downtown. What do you think?”

Madrenne asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Dale replied firmly, “Have you forgotten that we shouldn’t be in the public eye now? I’ll prepare the ingredients, so please wait a moment.”

Dale disappeared without looking back after he had finished speaking. Madrenne smiled and said, looking at his back like that, as if it were funny. “Whatever. An easy opponent is not fun. And since I have a lot of time… Well, while I wait, I’m going to bother that damn thing some more.”

Her backside, humming into the building, looked very happy.

At that time, in Duke Krow’s mansion.

“Report.”

In a dark room, eyes that sparkled with greed more than darkness turned to the man. The man’s mouth opened.

“I met Baroness Devit just before contacting the Kelteman.”

“So?” Duke Krow asked with anticipation in his heart.

“I tried to recruit her, but I failed.”

Duke Krow clicked his tongue. “Tsk. It can’t be helped. What did the Kelteman say? Did they accept my offer?”

“We have failed to make contact with the Kelteman Empire.”

Then murderous intent filled Duke Krow’s eyes. “You’re driving your family to death,” said Duke Krow, glaring coldly at the man sitting on his knees in front of him.

The man had no presence, as if he were a piece of furniture in this room. He was so quiet that Duke Krow wondered if he was really a living person.

Duke Krow strongly desired to erase that nonexistent man from the world. But not yet. He hadn’t achieved his purpose and needed that man to achieve it.

“Could it be that the Kelteman didn’t come to the meeting place?”

“I don’t know. However, things got complicated because Baroness Devit appeared at the meeting place.”

“How the hell did she know about that place and show up! Huh. I’m sure you handle her well, right?” said Duke Krow, bringing the glass to his mouth. Things went wrong this time, but the clean-up was done well. It would have been possible to create another opportunity.

“Baroness Devit is alive.”

“What! Are you saying that now!” Duke Krow couldn’t stand it and threw the goblet in his hand and shouted.

The glass hit the man in the face, and the strong drink flowed down the man’s nose.

“Duke Kaien showed up just in time, so there was no time to deal with her.”

The Duke of Crow crumpled his brows and asked. “He showed up on time?”

“Yes.”

Sweeping his chin with his finger, Duke Krow said, “Did he make a trap and wait for it?”

The man was silent.

“You must have cleaned up the mess, right?”

The man answered Duke Krow’s question. “There are no witnesses.”

Duke Krow’s mouth twisted. “No. Don’t we still have one witness left? Viscount Girol, take care of him too. I will put off your disposition next time.”

The man bowed his head and left the room.

Duke Krow stared at the door the man had left and said, “I’ve been raising a hound with great care, but he’s not doing his job properly. A dog that has run out of usefulness is not worth keeping alive.”

The man who was standing outside the door and listening quietly seemed to change his eyes for a second. Still, soon he returned to his characteristic lack of presence. Then he disappeared without a trace as if he had never been there.

Duke Krow, lost in thought, poured a drink into another glass. Duke Kaien and Baroness Devit had already noticed his plan. That meant he had to get things done as soon as possible. He had to find another way to move spies to the border.

“I don’t know why the Duke and Duchess of Kaien get in the way of everything. I should set an example to Count Bornes. What if you dare to disturb me? They will realize something if they see what happened to her father.”

That night, an imperial investigation unit raided the gambling house of Count Bornes. Count Bornes, who lost his main source of income instantly, smiled dejectedly after receiving the report from his subordinate. His cold, sunken purple eyes shone eerily.

Duke Krow. I don’t know why you’re doing this to me, but you’re touching the wrong person.

“Go to the annex and bring back the Viscount Girol.”

Watching the empty room, the subordinate of Count Bornes, who hurriedly went to the annex to prevent being scolded by him, thought. I guess today is my last day.

Count Bornes immediately heard from his subordinate that Viscount Girol had disappeared.

Thud! Count Bornes sprang up from his seat and shouted, “Krow! You punk!”