At Haimon

Io, caught off guard by Scarl’s momentum, timidly pushed his cheek instead of slapping it like other women might.

“D-Don’t touch me! You shameless man!”

Despite her flustered gesture, Io was taken aback by Scarl’s solid chest, which didn’t budge an inch. However, Scarl, completely ignoring her resistance, didn’t even look at Io and instead contemplated exploring the outer castle further.

“Well… what do you think? Between us.”

Io was startled by this unexpected side of him.

His body possessed the firmness of a trained knight, so unlike his frivolous tone. How could someone’s words and actions be so different?

Curiosity about him began to stir within Io, but Scarl’s subsequent smarminess only fueled her annoyance.

“By the way, can you explore the castle alone? Haimon said the scenery is worth seeing. I’ve been sitting on the train for too long, and my body feels stiff.”

Why did the gods bestow the talent of a Hero upon such a person!

Even if her first impression of him was the worst, he was her grandfather’s guest.

“Just follow me! And absolutely! Don’t come within 1 meter of me!”

“Hahaha. What a shame… Well, as you wish.”

Contrary to his words, Io was not on Scarl’s mind.

Instead, Scarl was meticulously scanning the structure and personnel inside the castle, avoiding Io’s bothersome gaze.

The reconnaissance of the vast and inefficient outer castle concluded in that manner.

Just as Io’s suspicion deepened due to Scarl’s suspiciously thorough inspection of every nook and cranny, a servant arrived, bringing the search to an end.

“Baron Scarl. Count Krintos Haimon invites you to lunch.”

“Great. I’m hungry, so that works out well! Let’s go.”

“Miss Io has also been instructed to dress up and attend.”

“Understood, Sebastian.”

Scarl, having been invited to lunch, immediately departed, and Io hurriedly headed to her room to change.

Io downplayed Scarl’s reputation to her waiting nanny, saying it was greatly distorted.

“Lavna! The person called Scarl is completely different from the rumors!”

Especially the way he treated her like a piece of furniture while she was right next to him…

‘What is he thinking? Not that I need his attention!’

“What is it, Miss?”

“No, it’s just! I’m telling you, Grandpa made a mistake this time! He’s just famous. That’s all he is!”

The more she spoke, the more her anger towards Scarl surged, pushing back the fear of impending death.

‘Is he trying to fight me? He must be?!’

Even if it was her grandfather’s wish, preparing for married life with such a person was utterly dreadful.

‘I’d rather die!’

“Really! How could someone like that have done such a thing! I can’t believe everything I read in the newspaper!! It must be a lie!”

The nanny, who had been gently massaging Io’s shoulders, suddenly coughed mid-sentence.

“Hoo hoo hoo. Miss, you’re so… cough cough- That’s just how men are.”

“Oh my. Lavna, are you catching a cold?”

Seeing her nanny’s runny nose, Io reached out to take Lavna’s hand, but the nanny pulled away.

“I, I think so. Miss. Please don’t touch me, you’ll catch it.”

“Ah, okay. I’m surprised. Nanny, you get colds too.”

“Of course. I’m a person too. Cough cough- Now, shall we put on this dress?”

“Alright.”

“Oh my. Your chest has grown another size, hasn’t it?”

“Really? That guy was staring at it earlier too… I don’t know what men find so great about these lumps of fat.”

Even as she said that, Io proudly thrust her chest out towards her nanny.

The nanny, looking at her with affectionate eyes, wondering what to do, quickly draped the dress she was holding over Io’s naked body, lest anyone see.

“Making enemies of all the women in the world— cough cough. It sounds like.”

“Thank you, Nanny.”

Lunch was a simple affair with only three people present.

Count Krintos Haimon, Roberto’s son and the head of the Haimon family, his daughter Io Haimon, and their guest, Baron Scarl Bernatore.

The atmosphere at the meal was far from amicable.

Although the family was experiencing misfortune, there was an undercurrent of anger, displeasure, and discomfort towards Scarl, rather than gloom, despair, or frustration.

Count Krintos was in a foul mood due to the reports he had received that morning.

The orders of Roberto, the influential former head of the Haimon family and his father, were understandable.

His beloved daughter, whom he cherished more than anything, was the target of an evil demon and might die in a week. Marriage to the person who could resolve that? He didn’t quite agree, but they were in a position where they had to accept any help, even from a small hand.

However, he couldn’t tolerate the fact that the person in question was such a frivolous fellow, and someone who had somehow done something to Old Man Shen, the family’s coachman.

If they could just get rid of the demon, he would somehow smooth things over.

To think he had to marry Io off to such a fellow. Really. His father was getting old and senile.

Scarl, as reported by the guards and the soldiers on the outer castle walls, was arrogant and self-centered.

Krintos had sent soldiers into the city to find the coachman Shen, but he was secretly suspecting Scarl based on the additional reports coming in.

The sword marks and bloodstains that had come out of the coachman’s seat were clearly Shen’s.

Who in this land would dare to harm the coachman of a carriage bearing the Haimon crest?

Although the most suspicious situation was that of a demon.

Scarl, as an outsider, could not be ruled out as a suspect.

However, Krintos couldn’t directly question Scarl because he was his father’s guest and the person who would handle his daughter’s affairs. And because it was extremely logical to assume that no criminal would commit a crime and then brazenly come to visit.

He forcibly suppressed the urge to say something to Scarl, who was eating without observing the basic etiquette of a nobleman, and looked at his daughter’s face, who was eating quickly as if she wanted to leave the table as soon as possible, just like him.

“Io. Do you like Scarl?”

In this respect, Krintos resembled his father, Roberto.

Inwardly, he was endlessly worried about his daughter, but outwardly, he appeared to be just like any other head of a family, only caring about the family.

Io, unaware of her father’s true feelings, felt betrayed by her father, who had brought up the topic of engagement even as his daughter faced death.

“Yes. Well…”

The atmosphere plummeted in an instant.

Before the conversation between father and daughter could become more acrimonious, Scarl interjected.

“The food is delicious, Father-in-law.”

Krintos, who stood up abruptly and pointed at Scarl while spewing fire, shed the mask he had been wearing until just now, when he had been politely asking about Scarl, and revealed his true feelings.

“Who! Is your father-in-law?! Who!!”

Scarl, with a carefree expression, speared a piece of steak with his fork and chewed on it.

His mouth was smeared with sauce, and the sound of his chewing was vulgar.

Scarl, pointing at himself with his dirty fork to answer Krintos, said,

“Me.”

“Finish what’s in your mouth before you speak!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Krintos threw down his utensils and stormed out.

Scarl, as if thinking that he had intervened appropriately in a situation that was about to worsen the relationship between father and daughter, but not expecting such a violent reaction, pouted and looked at Io with a “What did I do wrong?” expression.

“…”

Io, baring her teeth and biting her lower lip, clenched her molars and faced the remaining man.

“…You. Follow me.”

Io, expressing her discomfort by slamming her utensils down, led Scarl to the tea room next to her room. Scarl, who was following behind, breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and quickly changed the subject.

“Miss Io. Is there anyone around you who has a cold? Or who has a dry cough…”

“What are you trying to say?!”

She was disgusted by his friendly question, even though they had only just met, and vented the anger she couldn’t show in front of her father.

“Why are you doing this to me!!”

“What?”

“You’re making me annoyed with everything! Right now! Are you doing it on purpose?! Ugh!”

Io, who bit her tongue hard while speaking, teared up.

Scarl, pressing down on her shoulders to make her sit down, quickly brewed tea and poured it into her cup first.

“Here. Here. Calm down. Have a cup. Drink it all.”

“This is my house! What are you! Let go! Let go of my hand!”

He recalled a method that had worked well on her when she was being very resistant.

“Io.”

A low, deep voice and calm demeanor that was hard to believe was coming from the same person who had been so frivolous just moments ago.

Io’s pupils, once again surprised, widened uncontrollably, but Scarl silently filled only his own cup.

That brief moment relaxed Io, and she even asked him first.

“W-Why are you curious about that person?”

“I’m vulnerable to colds.”

It was clearly an irrelevant question, but Io, thinking that there was something behind Scarl’s changed behavior, thought of the nanny she had just met.

“…Lavna.”

“Lavna? Who’s that?”

“My nanny. That’s my nanny’s name. Baron Scarl.”

If she had felt nothing but frivolity from Scarl’s appearance until now, he now seemed as cold and detached as the north wind.

“Lavna… I see. I’ll be careful of her.”

“A, alright.”