A carriage could then be heard approaching from afar.
Camila’s face brightened up. The guests she was waiting for were coming.
There was a total of three carriages. Soon after, it stopped in front of the house. Camila quickly ran towards the carriage to greet the people.
‘Who is it?’
Elrose looked at the people who were getting off. The carriage they came in looked expensive, however, a family crest was not attached anywhere on there. It meant that the riders were not aristocrats.
Besides, they didn’t just come in the carriages. There were also quite a number of people who came on horseback.
“Oh my god.”
The sight left Lakshan sighing.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re mercenaries. They’re… a bit of a menace.”
“Do you know them?”
“A little? They don’t know me.”
Just as Lakshan had said, those who got off the horses were the type where people could tell they had rolled on the battlefield. Nevertheless, it was a bad impression. There were many rough cuts on their forearms.
Under their escort, three men got out from the carriage and approached Camila, and greeted her.
“It’s good to see you again, Countess. I’m glad you’re happy to see me.”
Camila replied with a smile.
“Of course, I’ve been waiting for a long time. But there’s a bit of a problem…”
“What problem? What problem can there be? You’re not asking me to raise the price now, are you? We deliberately looked at your place after some work…”
“It’s not like that… someone troublesome suddenly turned up.”
Camila said so and looked at Elrose. Then, all the men followed her gaze.
“This is…?”
“I’d like to ask who you are.”
The men exchanged glances between one another and replied to Elrose’s tone.
“We are the chairmen of the Merchants Association who promised to meet Countess Camila today.”
Although it may sound polite, their eyes were sharp. Elrose then spoke confidently.
“I’m Elrose Espensia Basilin. I’m Count Basilin from today.”
“…!”
The merchants’ faces hardened as they realized the type of situation they were in. Then, Camila spoke to them.
“If Elrose came a little later, then our contract would’ve ended without a hitch…”
Those words made the merchants’ eyes flash. Now they understood what Camila meant.
If only Elrose had come later.
To be exact, Camila would’ve been able to sign the documents for the authority to dispose of the property if she was still the countess.
One of the merchants raised his hand. The eyes of the mercenaries standing behind him then changed.
“I see. Then I hope the new Count comes a little later.”
When he said that, the other merchant continued.
“What are you talking about? Didn’t the new count come after the contract was signed? Maybe next week? Or maybe the new count never came?”
Elrose bit her lips at their words.
‘They’re going to lock me up.’
That must be it if she was looking at the harsh atmosphere. Maybe she won’t even end up in captivity. Lakshan whispered to Elrose the moment she clenched her fists.
“Elrose, do you want me to take care of them?”
At his words, Elrose doubted her ears.
“What will you do? Are you going to beat them up all by yourself?”
“There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Elrose almost burst into laughter from his reply while forgetting the type of situation they were in.
“I almost asked you to do that.”
She really did because Lakshan spoke so confidently, it was very believable. But of course, it could still be impossible. Their opponents were all mercenaries who looked very strong. In addition, there were over twenty of them.
How could Lakshan, who doesn’t even have a single sword, knock themall down?
“I know it’s just empty talk, but thank you.”
Elrose replied. There was no one by her side here right now.
All the servants were watching to see where they should stand, and Camila and the merchant association were about to drag her somewhere. But, Elrose was still grateful that there was at least someone who was siding with her.
“You’re not going to ask for help?”
Lakshan asked as if he didn’t understand.
“Nope. It’s my problem.”
At her words, he nodded after a while.
“What will you do now?”
Then, Camila shouted at the mercenaries who were standing.
“What are you doing? Come on, don’t just stay there!”
The mercenaries moved as they quickly followed Camila’s orders without any hesitation. But what they caught was Lakshan, who blocked Elrose from them.
Elrose had no idea what was going on.
“Leave it alone! Why do you care?!”
Then Lakshan said.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re my wife. I should worry about you, but it’s a shame that I have to say that.”
“…”
At Lakshan’s words, Elrose nodded.
What was wrong with him?
Meanwhile, another mercenary caught Elrose. Eventually, the two were pushed in front of Camila and the merchants.
“Who would recognize a long-lost count if she came back?”
Camila lifted Elrose’s chin.
“I guess you haven’t learned any obedience in the 14 years you spent in the monastery. You look exactly the same as when you were a kid.”
“What contract are you trying to make with the merchants?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just the countess trying to get rid of the old house while grieving over the loss of her late husband.”
“…!”
The merchants standing next to Camila laughed silently.
“They’ve been begging him to sell the mansion for a long time. He wouldn’t sell it even in the end.”
Camila recalled her late husband. He was a man who robbed his young daughter’s inheritance from his ex-wife, and he squandered the stolen property with excitement. He also couldn’t stand it if people didn’t treat him well.
“He said so proudly that he would continue the pride in the name. But, what pride? He didn’t even sell this mansion at the end. If he had sold it and moved to the south, I would be living in a bigger place now.”
As the war ended and people flocked to the capital, the commercial district also quickly grew. Thanks to that, shops have now sprung up here, which used to be residences of other aristocrats. Plus, this mansion had the largest land in the old commercial district.
So, the merchants all had their eyes on this land. They saw it as a large tract of land that can become a new and huge commercial district. If they bought this place, destroyed the mansion, and took out the garden, they would be able to build buildings here. In a few years, the numbers would multiply.
“It’s over now. My husband died and you came back too late. When you open your eyes again, it’ll already be sold. No, maybe you won’t ever see it…”
Camila then said in a whisper.
“Because you might meet your parents.”
Camila thought that with this situation, Elrose will finally realize what’s happening and beg on her knees. But instead, Elrose uttered a completely different phrase from Camila.
“Did you think this was unexpected?”
“What?”
“I know my situation, and I have no one to stand by me.”
No one came to tell her of her father’s death. So, Elrose knew that no one could be trusted. She then looked at Lakshan who was beside her.
It’s funny. The only person who seems to be on her side was the first guy she saw a couple of hours ago. Lakshan then looked at her as if asking ‘what are you going to do now?’ while Camila continued to stare at her.
‘What does she believe in?’
Elrose had a confident attitude contrary to what Camila had thought. It was like someone who had a bone of faith. (t/n: it’s just saying she’s got a lot of faith.)
‘No way.’
Camila knew very well that there was no one who could help Elrose. She didn’t even think that it was her husband standing next to her. At that time, a servant near the front door shouted.
“Someone’s coming!”
People’s eyes turned towards the sound. Some lights were approaching the mansion on the complete dark road.
“What’s that?”
One of the merchants stared blankly at the approaching light. It was rushing toward the mansion at a great speed. Soon, the wagon and the people who were running towards the mansion came into view.
Camila’s face hardened as soon as the carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
“Who are they?”
Camila saw a man getting off his horse in a panic. Those people were completely different from the mercenaries brought by the merchants.
They were all dressed in imperial court uniforms.
The mercenaries then looked at their employers with confused eyes.
If Elrose disappeared from here, no one would be able to find her, but the moment something happens to her, the imperial palace people would arrive.
In other words, touching them was like pulling out a knife in front of the emperor.