Chapter 13 (1/2)
The Count’s glare at Brian was as piercing as a blade.
“Count Brunn. This ugly pervert peeped at me and my people.”
“My Lady! Everything is due to my negligence!”
Count Brunn closed his eyes tightly.
“He also snuck a peek at Lana when she was having a bath last time!”
Sayre raised her voice from the side. Kynemeia glanced at her direction before facing the Count again.
“That’s how it is. I trust you’ll handle it well this time.”
“I will not disappoint you this time.”
She smiled and nodded, ‘That’s right. You can’t just let that pervert walk around in my fief with his head held high.’
“I trust you.”
Brian, who had his head lowered all this time, got on his knees and crawled towards Kynemeia.
“M-My Lady! Please have mercy…”
Ugh, Kynemeia’s body shuddered as she broke out in goosebumps.
“If you call out to me one more time, I’ll cut off your tongue.”
Brian covered his mouth with both hands in a hurry.
“And you weren’t supposed to beg for mercy from me.”
Kynemeia’s gaze slid to Lana.
“L-Lana. I-It’s all my fau—”
As Brian folded his hands together, Lana gave him a sweet smile.
“I seem to hear a dog barking from somewhere.”
“Well, you’re right.”
Brian, who couldn’t even attempt to address Kynemeia, sunk into despair. When the Count clicked his tongue and yanked him by the scruff of his neck, the six pieces of white gold coins poured out of his embrace.
“…!” Oh noes!
Lana quickly snatched up the fallen coins and scurried over to Kynemeia.
“Thank you very much, My Lady.”
Lana bent her waist at 90 degrees.
“If you weren’t here, My Lady, my sister and I would’ve—”
“It’s okay.”
“—become murderers.”
“Hmm…?”
Upon hearing such unexpected words, Kynemeia muttered, ‘It truly wasn’t a false charge…?’
It meant that they originally would’ve killed him before setting off to roam the battlefields.
‘What very good timing…’ If she were a little bit later, she would’ve had to head north to find Behemoth.
“By the way, here’s your money.”
Lana said as she extended the white gold coins. Kynemeia looked at them.
“You know…”
Breaking her silence, she folded Lana’s fingers, pressing the coins tightly into her hand. Lana’s eyes widened in confusion as she clutched the money.
“Sayre, Lana. All of this is the investment I’m proposing to you.”
“…Pardon?”
“What do you think?”
“This, all of it?”
Lana’s mouth fell open and Sayre, who was by her side, let out a screech. Even though it was pretty much a done deal judging by their expressions and gestures, Kynemeia still asked again on purpose.
“Will you make a contract with me?”
“Yes!”
“Yes, yes! Yes!”
Sayre and Lana brightened as they embraced each other. Kynemeia smiled as she gazed at the sisters.
* * *
Everything was smooth sailing afterwards. Brian’s parents scraped together all of their possessions to raise the settlement money. Considering the parents’ sincerity and Lana’s opinion as the victim, Kynemeia settled the case by putting only their son in jail. And Sayre and Lana, who came to the Grand Duke’s castle, readily signed the contract.
“You can live in the Grand Duke’s castle as well. Or if you prefer, I can make you a workshop in another area.”
Kynemeia laid out the suggestion because she supposed they would feel too uncomfortable to continue living at their current residence.
“Thank you for your consideration, but it’s fine, we’re comfortable with our current place.”
“They won’t be able to harass us. All of them know that we’re acquainted with Lady Mia.”
Okay, she replied smilingly.
The sisters then gripped onto their hammers.
“Moreover, we have these hammers.”
“Right. We have our hammers.”
Kynemeia swallowed the question ‘Just what are you planning to use those hammers for?’ without giving voice to it.
‘It’s a bit shocking to find out that their murder charges weren’t falsehood…’
‘So the characters don’t always say the truth. Well, it’s a useful discovery.’
Since everything went smoothly up until the contract signing, there was only one thing left to do for Kynemeia: re-engraving the incantation on her body.
“KYAAAAAA!”
She continuously shed tears the entire time the incantation was getting done.
“It must be painful.”
That night, Nanny Vanessa came to Kynemeia’s bedroom and soothed her wrist. The incantation on her thin wrist that vanished before was now back.
“No. It’s not painful at all.”