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Chapter 16
Translator: Eonnicorn / Editor: Scarlet
“I see. As far as I know, the Bale Castle is not the only property you bought, but also quite a few properties around here.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then, how about entrusting me to manage your land and the Castle in the Crocs Field? After all, I was in charge of Lord Massies’ land before. There’s never been a problem while I was managing the land.”
“Oh, that
 I’ll look into it once I return.”
Count Holland answered slowly with a stilted smile. He was getting tired now, sincerity vanished from his tone. He would turn his head once in a while, glaring at Ruth and scrunching his face to form an angry expression. Ruth, as expected, completely ignored him.
“Thank you very much, my lord. Does the food fit your palate?”
“It’s delicious. Thank you for your care.”
Although it’s palpable that Count Holland’s answer was out of politeness, the Baronet was on cloud nine as if he had found a job. The Baronetess was also in a good mood as she raised her hand to bring out more wine.
And at that very moment, Eva’s face hardened. To be precise, she saw a familiar bracelet on the wrist of the Baronetess.
It was the only thing her mother left behind. A simple platinum bracelet with small sapphires and diamonds embedded, giving off a sense of extreme luxury. The bracelet might not be rare or expensive like the jewels her father sold, but it was priceless to Eva. She hid it deep in the closet but the Baronetess still found it and took it. The Baronetess sneaked into her room to steal it and acted like nothing happened.
Her anger rocketed, the hand that was holding the glass of water trembled. It felt like she was about to explode from the things she had been enduring all day. She wanted to approach the Baronetess right away and yell at her to give back the bracelet.
Suddenly, Eva felt a gaze on her. She whipped her head around, only to discover that Ruth looking at her with narrowed eyes, seeming to read her. Upon meeting his chilly gaze, it reminded her of her initial problem.
‘Okay, let’s focus on one thing at a time.’ Eva bit her lip hard, pressing down her frustration. When messy matters mixed up unyieldingly, pick up the most urgent and important first. If she got distracted by too many things, it would stress her out and leave her on edge.
Suddenly, the meat felt tough, the salad became soggy, the wine distorted into bitterness, and the water tasted sour. She hoped that the meal would be over soon, but the Baronetess and Pamela initiated another conversation.
“Oh, right. Thank you for taking Pamela home, Lord Holland. I’ve caused you trouble.”
“No, that’s not true. I’m honored to bring home a beautiful lady.”
Count Holland formed a smile to entertain them. It seemed he could pull it off straight away at the right moment. Eva felt sorry for the Count by now. Ruth, who came with him, clamped his mouth, not providing any help. The Count had been dealing with this all alone.
“Oh, my. You’re so kind. Speaking of, it seems that Lord Holland isn’t yet married. Are you already married by any chance?”
“No, I’m not. My mother is zealously looking now.”
“I see. Though arranged marriage is not strange, love is the core of marriage, no matter what anyone says. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a relationship started from destiny?”
Those words were clearly referring to Pamela. The Count merely accepted her out of kindness, not showing any particular interest in her, but she seemed to push ahead a bit because of excitement. Besides, Pamela technically isn’t the protagonist of a ‘fated relationship’, she was more fit as a sly spy.
“Indeed. Of course I’ll seize it if that chance ever appears.”
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A subtle silence followed after the Count replied with a calculated comeback. ‘If you meet someone by destiny someday, you’ll seize them,’ that means he hasn’t met his fated one yet. Or at least it might be an implication that Pamela isn’t the one.
“How about Sir Ruth? Are you married? Or do you have anyone in mind?” The Baronetess quickly regained her composure and shifted the subject of the question.
Eva’s wandering mind went back on track once she heard it. His identity is an enigma to her, that’s why, unknowingly, her entire fiber became more sensitive in waiting for his answer. Needless to say, if he was the Crown Prince, she didn’t expect his answer to be full of fondness. She was fifteen and he was twenty. She understood that he wasn’t in the age or situation to have a passionate romance with his childhood fianceĂ© who didn’t even remember his face.
However, she was curious. About what he felt about the engagement that had bound him for a long time. About his opinion of the existence of his ex-fianceé who has plummeted down and disappeared.
If possible, she wanted to know if there was a woman he loved other than his designated fianceé.