“What are you doing? Hurry up and take off the wheel. The Count is busy, so make it quick!”
As Rose’s smile deepened, Casa shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“We can give you the wheel. But before that…”
Rose called Casa over and whispered to him.
Nodding, he approached the knight with a smile, causing the man to back away with a pale face.
“What, what, why, what!”
“It seems there was a misunderstanding.”
Casa smiled, holding a hammer in his hand.
“My master says that to replace the wheel, we should break the broken one first. Doesn’t that make a lot of sense? Unlike someone else?”
As the Brill Count’s carriage stirred, Rose spoke softly.
“Don’t worry, those inside. Casa is very skilled. He won’t hurt you. So you can relax. We’ll just break the wheel and replace it with ours. It’ll just shake a bit, that’s all.”
Her smile deepened.
The people of the Chaos Merchant Guild feared Rose the most when she was like this.
Usually, she was a very straightforward person.
She believed in letting things be, but she was like a ghost to her enemies.
Her boundaries between good and evil were clear, and she never let anyone off the hook.
She was as kind to her people as she was cold to others.
As the beautiful smile on her pink lips under the hood deepened, Rose’s cold voice fell.
“Begin.”
Casa swung the hammer.
Bang!
But before the second strike could begin, the carriage door opened.
The Count with golden-brown hair who emerged was tall but somewhat slender.
His pale face was full of anger, and his sharp eyes and thin lips with a mustache twitched, giving him a haughty and harsh appearance.
“What on earth is this! Knowing full well who I am, how dare you act so recklessly!”
The Count, who seemed ready to use his rank to suppress them, was stopped by a voice from inside the carriage.
“…Father. Please stop.”
Hearing the groan from behind, the Count was startled and brought a woman outside.
The blonde lady, led by her father’s hand, was quite a beauty.
Given her meticulously calculated attire and the fact that the only thing at the end of this road was Duke Aytan’s estate, Rose wore a faint smile.
‘Is she trying to win over that man? She must not be as desperate as I am, yet she’s choosing a difficult path.’
Then, seeing the lady’s somewhat indifferent expression, Rose’s gaze turned cold.
‘It’s on her father’s side.’
While the blue eyes of the blonde woman exuded boredom and arrogance, the Count looked anxious, like someone being chased.
He probably wanted to secure a position before the local powers approached the Duke.
‘He’s no different from my father. Using his daughter as a tool to cling to power. It’s such a common story.’
Rose’s lips twisted in a sneer, but her voice remained gentle.
“I’m sorry for startling you. I really intended to replace the wheel out of goodwill…”
Despite Rose’s shameless words, the Count, unlike before, didn’t immediately get angry and instead examined her demeanor and attire.
Though she appeared ordinary, he seemed to notice that her clothes were all expensive and her behavior didn’t match that of a commoner.
‘Hmm, he’s quick-witted.’
Rose’s smile deepened at the sight of him, no different from an opportunist riding the tide.
The Count, gauging the situation, briefly lowered his eyes before asking with an uncomfortable expression.
“I’m Count Brill. May I ask which family you belong to?”
“Oh, Count Brill. I’m Rose of the Isaac family. I’m on my way to see Duke Aytan.”
Count Brill narrowed his eyes warily, stroking his mustache.
“For what purpose…?”
Instead of answering, Rose removed her hood, letting her black hair cascade down like a waterfall.
Deliberately running her fingers through her hair, Rose further confused the Count.
“My hair is quite… an unusual color, isn’t it?”
“Th-that black hair is quite striking.”
“Oh… I’m embarrassed. It’s a family trait.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed Rose could hear the sound of Count Brill’s eyes rolling.
She intentionally left him to wonder about her relationship with Duke Aytan.
“Are you perhaps…”
“We’re well acquainted.”
Rose slyly feigned ignorance.
Watching this, Casa’s shoulders shook as he tried to suppress his laughter.
Count Brill looked as if he wanted to ignore everything, but he maintained a semblance of politeness while expressing his dissatisfaction.
“…Wielding a hammer at a carriage with people inside is excessive.”
“Oh? Is it? I didn’t know. You asked for the wheel of my carriage, so I was just trying to cleanly deal with the broken one in a hurry. I didn’t realize it was such an unreasonable action.”
Rose blinked innocently, like a naive young lady unaware of the world.
Count Brill seemed like he wanted to shout, but he held back and forced a smile.
Rose glanced at her carriage with an innocent expression.
“But even though I offered to help, it’s quite a dilemma. I’m on my way to Aytan. If I give you the wheel, how am I supposed to get there… Do you have a reasonable alternative, Count Brill? I can’t just stay here. Everyone’s waiting. But I can’t ignore people in distress either; it doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Who is waiting… for you?”
“Of course, the Duke. I was invited. Hmm? Weren’t you two as well?”
“I am, as one of the major nobles here…”
“Hmm, I see?”
Casa watched Rose play along with the Count, finding it both fascinating and admirable.
‘How can she talk so calmly with someone like that? I felt like I was going to die from disgust.’
In Casa’s eyes, he noticed the blonde woman standing quietly.
With a pale face and delicate features, the noblewoman, dressed in luxurious yet restrained attire, watched Rose with languid eyes.
That type is the most exhausting.
Quick to grasp the situation but unlikely to have a good nature.
It’s even harder if it’s a woman.
Because they’re detailed.
“Hmm…”
As Casa stared at the noblewoman, Rose’s voice reached his ears.
“Wouldn’t it be better to ride together in my carriage rather than blaming each other’s wheels?”
‘What?’
Casa’s face twisted in surprise.
Before he could express his dissatisfaction, the Count’s daughter, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
“My name is Isabel. Since you’ve offered, it wouldn’t be right to refuse. I’ll gladly accept.”
“It’s nothing.”
After exchanging a few more polite words, they joined the carriage.
The coachman boy, Jorge, was startled, but when Rose smiled at him, he quickly grinned and nodded.
Casa, observing the situation, muttered quietly as he led Rose to the carriage.
“Why are you deliberately bringing them along?”
“Just because.”
“What about the Duke? He won’t be pleased if he finds out you’ve brought uninvited guests.”
“I’m fulfilling the contract. The shield, you know. It seems like that’s the reason for going to the Duke.”
“That?”
“A coincidental matchmaking?”
“Ah.”
Casa frowned.
As she comforted him, Rose looked at the Count and his daughter walking ahead.
Her expression was gentle, but her gaze was as cold as ice.
“When someone tries to end things nicely, you shouldn’t take advantage and make them a fool, right? So they should handle the bad ending themselves.”
Hearing her words, Casa put the dagger he was holding back into his pocket.
“How?”
“Wait.”
At Rose’s words, his red eyes sparkled with anticipation.
*** *** *** *** ***
After leaving some personnel to repair the broken carriage, they were finally able to set off.
Even though the number of people increased, the inside of the carriage was rather silent.
Count Brill and his daughter Isabel were particularly taken aback by the unexpected luxury in the otherwise plain-looking carriage.
It featured the finest sofas, vibration-resistant magic, a subtle fragrance, and a transparent ceiling that allowed them to view the outside scenery.
Additionally, it had a heating function, making it warm as soon as they sat down.
Rose smiled as she reached towards the carriage door and pulled out a thin wooden board.
In an instant, a table was formed, and she pushed the shelf behind her head to take out teacups and hot water.
“Would you like some tea?”
Before Count Brill could respond, Isabel coldly declined.
“No, thank you.”
“Well, we will arrive soon, so it’s unnecessary.”
Rose put it away without offering a second time, causing the expressions of Count Brill and his daughter to turn cold.
Casa, observing, suddenly extended his hand as if he had an idea.
“I want a cold drink. I feel nauseous. I think I’m going to throw up.”
Isabel, horrified, clutched her dress and moved away from Casa.
Though they were already sitting diagonally and couldn’t touch, her reaction was excessively dramatic.
Seeing Casa’s eyes narrow, Rose sighed.
‘He’s about to cause trouble.’
As Rose slapped his thigh to stop him, Casa pouted and turned his gaze outside.
His red eyes widened as he gulped down the drink in one go.
“Oh? It tastes like apple.”
“I prepared it in advance.”
Feeling a bit better, Casa squinted his eyes and finally smiled coyly.
He really looked like a fox.
Finding him cute, Rose couldn’t help but tap his shoulder.
“Do you like it?”
“I like it.”
Casa’s seductive smile with half-closed eyes was truly enchanting.
From across, Isabel’s sticky voice reached them.
“You seem very close for a mercenary and a contractor. What kind of relationship do you have?”
The question implied a serious relationship between Rose and Casa.
The intent was too impure to take at face value.
Rose had little desire to engage with a young girl who seemed barely eighteen.
“He’s my guard. And a friend.”
“Oh, a friend. I see. I’ve heard that older women these days have close male friends, but I didn’t expect it to be true. Fascinating.”
Isabel smiled kindly while mercilessly trampling on others’ reputations.
But before Rose could respond, Casa spoke first.
“Hey, lady.”
Isabel seemed shocked that a mere mercenary dared to speak to her.
She opened her fan to cover her nose and mouth, openly displaying her discomfort.
Casa, unfazed, expressed his annoyance bluntly.
“It’s so noisy I could die, so why don’t you stop?”
Count Brill shielded his daughter with his body and protested.
“Lady Isaac, don’t you think your mercenary is being too forward?”
“I can’t help it.”
“Are you saying you can’t even control the mercenary you hired?”
“No. It’s because he’s a top-class mercenary, so I can’t help it.”
Count Brill, momentarily dumbfounded, looked at Casa anew with a startled expression.
“There are only three top-class mercenaries in the world.”
The Count, who clearly didn’t believe it, stammered.
“How could such a young man… Wait, now that I think about it, red eyes and red hair… Could it be the Red Fox? Are you really the Red Fox?”
“That’s right.”
The Count seemed so shocked that he didn’t even notice Casa’s insolent behavior.
Top-class mercenaries didn’t move for money. They only accepted conditions they liked.
Above all, they were known for being extremely picky about choosing their clients.
It seemed that from that moment, the Count’s attitude, which had been uncertain about Rose’s status, changed drastically.
He must have concluded that only ‘Duke Aytan’ could employ such a mercenary.
The Count, who had been keeping his distance, suddenly wore a friendly expression and apologized to Casa.
“I failed to recognize a top-class mercenary who could be treated as a quasi-noble anywhere. Sir Casa, I hope you can overlook our mistake due to our inadequate introductions.”
Casa let out a sound of disbelief at the Count’s astonishing change in attitude.
“Huh?”
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