Ch.128Chapter 128 – House of Count Metis (2)

True to her mother, Eve and the Countess certainly resembled each other greatly.

The Countess had blonde hair while Eve had silver hair, but their faces were definitely alike.

“Mr. Kay, isn’t that person someone we saw in the carriage before?”

“Was… I?”

“Before we went to the Jerenna estate.”

Sarah said that, but honestly, I couldn’t quite remember.

Come to think of it, maybe we did briefly pass by each other…

“Have you been well?”

“Of course, Eve.”

The Countess responded with a bright smile to Eve’s words.

Seeing this, Eve immediately continued.

“Actually, the reason for my visit today is…”

“Eve, if you’re going to talk about business, let’s discuss it a bit later.”

The Countess immediately cut off Eve’s words and stepped forward.

Then she reached out and took Eve’s hand.

“This is your home. Before standing around discussing stiff business matters, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to come inside and spend time as a family first?”

“I am no longer…”

Eve seemed about to say that she was no longer part of this family.

But she immediately stopped herself.

I suspected she was concerned that offending someone in the household might prevent her from achieving any of her objectives.

“Come now, please come in.”

The Countess smiled and pulled Eve along, and Eve quietly allowed herself to be led.

They climbed the stairs, and a massive door opened.

A grand entrance hall appeared, adorned with luxurious carpets and decorations alongside an enormous mounted ram’s head.

“Wow…”

Christina immediately let out an exclamation of admiration.

It was indeed a magnificent and splendid scene.

“They must have… a lot of money.”

“Indeed.”

Sarah quietly commented with a hint of envy, and I agreed.

Even to my untrained eye, the place was filled with items that looked extremely expensive.

Meanwhile, Eve, looking somewhat uncomfortable, came between Sarah and me.

“Well, they earn income through trade with Metis. Of course they have plenty of money.”

“If you go a bit further north, you reach Florence or the Kingdom, right?”

“Yes. From what I know, they either trade with merchants who travel between those places or engage in direct commerce.”

Eve nodded and answered Beatrice’s casual question.

The Countess must have overheard our quiet conversation, as she approached with a smile.

“On the other hand, we’re also known as a martial house. Since the Metis County is located close to the frontier of the Mikea Kingdom, I’ve heard there were many opportunities to establish military achievements in the past.”

I thought that the Metis County might have a deep history of warfare.

Or perhaps they had participated in many wars.

I wasn’t sure how many private soldiers they had, but the soldiers I’d seen before entering the mansion appeared quite skilled.

“That’s why many people in our family show talent with the sword from a young age. Isn’t that right, Eve?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Eve answered the Countess’s words with some distance in her tone.

More than that, she was deliberately avoiding eye contact with the Countess.

The Countess was looking at Eve with a somewhat regretful expression.

‘Is it awkward?’

Considering Eve’s reason for running away, it would be fair to say she left for her family rather than because she disliked them, but running away is still running away.

The awkward atmosphere between the family members must be due to that.

Perhaps seeing the behavior of the mother and daughter as somewhat sad, the butler named Sebastian from earlier approached discreetly.

“My lady.”

“Oh my, look at me. To celebrate our Eve’s return, I’ve prepared a banquet.”

“We’ve already eaten…”

“Eve. Please don’t dismiss your mother’s sincerity.”

Eve remained silent for a moment at the Countess’s words.

“Unfortunately, my friends aren’t familiar with table manners…”

“This mother will be lenient with Eve’s friends as long as they haven’t committed any crimes.”

The Countess said this while giving us a slight smile.

Eventually, Eve nodded as if conceding defeat.

“Then, despite our impudence, we’ll accept.”

The Countess beamed at Eve’s response.

+

The dining situation was somewhat uncomfortable.

First of all, maids and people who appeared to be butlers stood against the walls of the dining room watching the diners, which made those of us unaccustomed to such things—myself, Sarah, and Christina—feel intimidated.

Additionally, the conversation between Eve and the Countess felt quite distant, which added to the discomfort.

“Eve, when I heard you were coming, I instructed the chef to prepare dishes you used to enjoy. Isn’t it delicious?”

“Yes, well…”

“By the way, your room is still well-maintained. Feel free to visit it anytime.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Come to think of it, you look a bit thin. Wouldn’t it be better if you ate more?”

“……”

It felt like they both had something they wanted to say but were avoiding it and talking about other things instead.

Both Eve and the Countess’s expressions were gradually darkening, making the atmosphere increasingly gloomy.

“Th-this meat is delicious!”

Surprisingly, Christina, who hadn’t gone berserk despite having meat in her mouth, awkwardly broke the silence.

The Countess smiled with relief and said:

“I’m glad it suits your taste. This was meat that Eve fell in love with when she was young. Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

“Oh, have you tried the soup or bread? Those are also Eve’s favorites.”

“Ah, yes! They’re delicious.”

When Christina answered with some embarrassment, the Countess’s eyes sparkled slightly.

‘Surely not…’

I briefly wondered if she was going to make us the topic of conversation.

Of course, that premonition was correct.

“Sister, how did you come to know our Eve?”

“Oh, well…”

“You, the small young lady, how about you and our Eve?”

“I’m her rival—I mean, employer and employee, with Eve…”

“Your table manners are perfect. If I may ask, what is your name, miss?”

“I am Beatrice of the Magic Tower, my lady.”

The Countess addressed everyone in our group.

Judging by how politely she spoke to us despite our non-noble status, she didn’t seem to be unnecessarily fixated on social rank.

As the Countess continued learning about us, she would address Eve each time.

“So thanks to the Sister, I was able to meet you healthy like this. Right, Eve?”

“Let’s say so.”

“Employer and employee, you say? Is your employer impressive enough to satisfy your standards?”

“Let’s say so.”

“Do all mages from the Magic Tower have such perfect table manners?”

“I just now learned that person is familiar with table manners.”

The Countess persistently bombarded Eve with questions.

And Eve patiently answered each one.

Though the conversations weren’t lengthy, mother and daughter were at least communicating.

Then the Countess’s gaze fell on me.

“Hmm… could you perhaps show your face?”

“I’m sorry, but I suffered severe burns…”

I had already asked for understanding before the meal and was eating with my helmet slightly raised.

She wasn’t forgetting this; she was simply trying to draw me in because she wanted to talk with Eve.

“My lady, Kay is somewhat uncomfortable showing his face, so please understand.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

The Countess nodded and backed off at Eve’s words.

It seemed my part of the conversation was over.

“…But she steps in to protect this person first?”

Apparently not.

“What is your relationship with Eve, sir?”

“We are friends.”

When I gave my prepared answer, her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Really, just friends?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

The Countess’s gaze remained fixed on me for a moment.

Then she looked at Eve, then back at me.

“Hmm… oh?”

After that, she smiled brightly as if she had figured something out.

“I’m glad you’ve developed an interest in men.”

“What are you saying now?”

“Honestly, I was a bit worried as you’re passing your prime age. You suddenly ran away, breaking your mother’s heart, then your original fiancé decided to break off the engagement, and when Rachel sent updates about you, she said there were no men in your life…”

Eve was about to respond but immediately stopped.

She seemed to realize that saying anything more would be digging her own grave.

She lowered her face, apparently embarrassed, which made the Countess’s smile even brighter.

“Are you embarrassed?”

“No.”

Eve began cutting her meat with a slightly irritable manner.

Unlike earlier, the Countess’s mood seemed to have brightened, which helped dissipate the heavy atmosphere somewhat.

After a while, Eve quietly spoke up.

“My lady, there is something I would like to request.”

“Call me Mother.”

“…Mother. There is something I would like to request.”

The Countess nodded once at Eve’s words.

“I already know, but may I ask what it is?”

“I would like to meet the Count.”

“Call him Father.”

“…I would like to meet Father.”

The Countess nodded.

Judging by her expression, it seemed she would grant permission without much difficulty.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Pardon?”

Eve asked again, somewhat bewildered.

The Countess responded with a slightly sulky expression.

“You. You’ve finally come home after so long, and if I let you meet him right away, you’ll just say ‘I’ve finished my business, I’m leaving’ and escape through the window like last time.”

Eve had told us in Jerenna estate.

She had run away with a maid named Rachel, whom she considered like a sister.

I had been slightly curious about how she managed to run away from such a large mansion, and apparently it started with climbing out a window.

“I’m sorry, but this is really urgent…”

“No. We should at least spend a few days together as a family, catching up. Spread the news to everyone around. Have a party.”

The Countess looked at Eve and spoke.

“I won’t interfere.”

“Then I’ll go find him myself and ask.”

“Aren’t you taking your mother’s words too lightly?”

The Countess spoke firmly.

Soon Eve’s expression grew a bit colder, and they began staring at each other with cold gazes.

Even in this situation, my first thought was how much they resembled each other.

Fortunately, both of them soon relaxed their expressions.

“…I apologize. It’s an urgent matter.”

“That’s alright. And actually, there’s another reason why it’s not possible.”

The Countess smiled slightly, her stern expression from earlier completely gone.

“My husband left urgently a few days ago saying he had something to prepare, and hasn’t returned since.”

“…Suddenly, you say?”

“Yes.”

The Countess said with a smile.

With an expression similar to Eve’s when she had a winning smile, she continued:

“But he did let me know beforehand that he would likely return by tomorrow.”

“I understand. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Eve said this and then turned her attention back to her meal.

‘The timing is unfortunate.’

While it wasn’t the worst-case scenario Eve had mentioned, the timing was certainly poor.

To think we would arrive just when he happened to be away for a few days.

Since it was no longer appropriate to bring up business matters, I quietly continued eating.

During this time, the Countess, eager to reconnect with Eve, brought up various topics, and her efforts bore fruit as the atmosphere between mother and daughter lightened somewhat by the time the meal ended.

The Countess rose first.

“First, let me show our guests to their rooms.”

“Thank you.”

“Eve, you should sleep in your room.”

Eve’s expression changed to one I hadn’t seen before.

Simply put, she looked sulky.

“Fortunately, since we don’t have any other guests staying, I can provide one room for each of you.”

The Countess said this and walked down the corridor.

Befitting a large mansion, the corridor was quite long, and after walking for some time, we reached an area where the guest rooms were clustered.

“You can freely choose any of the rooms here.”

At those words, Beatrice stepped forward and opened one of the doors.

Inside was a space so vast it seemed excessive even for one person.

“…Sarah, do you want to share a room?”

“Do you think that would be okay, Chris?”

The two looked at each other and started a conversation, apparently intimidated by the enormous beds.

They were even trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Eve quickly spoke up.

“As you can see, my friends are uncomfortable. I think it would be better if I stayed with them…”

“That’s enough, Eve.”

“I think you should stop, sister.”

The response didn’t come from the Countess.

A tall handsome man and a beautiful young woman were approaching from the far end of the corridor.

“Excuse me.”

“I am Cain Metis. Honored guests.”

“I am Abelia Metis. Honored guests.”

As the two introduced themselves, the Countess smiled and explained who they were.

“They are Eve’s older brother and younger sister.”

These were people I had heard about before at the Jerenna estate.

“Sister, it’s been so long, we should play together in your room like old times.”

“Listen, Abelia. I came here for important business…”

“Don’t try to distance yourself from family. Besides, I need to hear why you ran away.”

“There are complicated circumstances behind that…”

The two approached Eve, speaking to her.

Soon Abelia was seen grabbing Eve’s arm.

“Let’s go, sister.”

“Ah.”

Apparently unable to strongly resist her younger sister, Eve eventually gave in without much resistance and allowed herself to be dragged away.

“When I heard my sister was coming, I rushed home as soon as my school break started, traveling all night.”

“I, I see.”

“Since it’s a rare opportunity, shall we also hear stories from Eve’s school days? After all, your sister has become your junior.”

The Countess joined in, surrounding Eve.

Then she looked at us.

“We need to catch up with our daughter. Please rest well.”

“Excuse me, I—”

“I’ll send her back to you in the morning.”

She wasn’t going to let Eve go tonight, it seemed.

Unable to strongly oppose her family, Eve was showing uncharacteristic bewilderment.

Soon she began looking at me.

“Kay…”

Her expression clearly asked for help.

However, the other side had already made their move.

“Oh my, oh my.”

“Looks like there’s one more thing to learn about.”

“Ah…”

In the end, Eve was escorted away with both arms held.

“Will she be alright?”

“She’ll be fine.”

Beatrice spoke as if it were nothing.

She had been all polite in front of the Countess, but as soon as the Countess disappeared, she relaxed her demeanor.

“Neither the Countess nor her sister seemed to have any ill intentions.”

“You can tell that?”

“Helmet. Don’t underestimate a woman’s intuition. They’re genuinely happy to see her.”

So Eve’s safety wasn’t a concern, at least.

“Are you worried?”

“Well, I heard she ran away, so I was quite concerned before we came.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the light in Sarah’s eyes seemed to dim slightly, but it was scary so I decided not to look in that direction.

Beatrice smiled somewhat bitterly.

“…Considering our journey, I think they need this forced family time.”

She spoke in an uncharacteristically melancholic voice.

“You never know what might happen. Suddenly, you might never be able to meet again.”

With those words, Beatrice turned her gaze away from me.

Her words contained regret, sorrow, and longing.

Clumsy words of comfort would be worse than saying nothing at all.

“Anyway, Lady Eve will be fine, my benefactor.”

Christina said this as if to reassure me.

“If you’ve finished your conversation, I think it would be better for you to go in and rest now.”

“Ah.”

Cain’s voice immediately evoked a feeling of guilt.

Absorbed in our conversation, we had kept him standing there the whole time.

“I apologize for taking up your time.”

“It’s fine. Now, ladies, please go in and rest first.”

Cain smiled as he looked at Sarah, Christina, and Beatrice.

Sarah tilted her head slightly.

“…The ladies?”

“Yes. The ladies.”

After saying that, Cain erased his smile.

Then he looked directly at me and spoke.

“You and I need to talk.”

As Cain said this, I could sense hostility and jealousy in his eyes.

It was going to be a long night.