Chapter 29
Chapter 29. While the count was away from the mansion
The man was staring up at her, his honey eyes wide, as if he was very surprised by something about her. His slightly open mouth seemed to show his shock at first glance, so Henelone took a step back from him.
Why are you looking at me like that? Could it be that he is not Count Russell? Even so, is there a need to be so shocked? Henelone, embarrassed by the man’s inability to continue speaking, offered him a hasty apology.
“S-sorry. Am I looking for the wrong person?”
“…No. No.”
The man who suddenly got up from his seat at Henelone’s apology shook his head hastily. She didn’t come to the wrong place. Henelone, relieved, sat down while being escorted by the man. He was a man with very good table manners. Except he looked at her with those strangely startled eyes.
‘Let’s laugh first.’
Henelone, recalling Diana’s words to always smile brightly, raised the corners of her mouth. Then, the man who had been looking at her from a distance with his bewildered eyes suddenly smiled so brightly that his eyes were dazzling.
“I am Adrian Russell of the Harfield Kingdom.”
“Ah, I am Henelone Pallenberg of the Günther Empire.”
Adrian was smiling brightly as he kept making eye contact with Henelone, as if he had never been embarrassed. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she awkwardly looked away, but the man’s cheerful voice rang in Henelone’s ears.
“I think it was a good idea to come out.”
“…yes?”
“Haha, actually, I was almost forced to come out because of my adult relatives.”
“Ah, I see. Me too….”
“But, I’m a little… excited.”
“…yes?”
“Is this… love at first sight?”
What is that.
Henelone, with her mouth wide open, looked dumbfounded at the man, whose cheeks were blushing shyly.
***
“Move!”
“Kyaakk!”
The central intersection of the new town had a large floating population in the middle of the day. A man who was running hurriedly as if he was being chased by something pushed the woman who blocked his path. He disappeared into an alley in an instant. A woman fell on her knees on the dirty stone floor, crying. Then, two grim-faced men ran to her side.
“Where did that bastard just go?”
“Yes?”
“Where did that skinny bastard go!”
“Um, that alley over there…!”
“He’s so quick. Hey, Grant! I’ll chase him, so you tell the captain!”
“He’s not the captain, it’s the Duke. You stonehead.”
“This bastard is making a mess again. I’m leaving!”
Roger, the red-haired man who raised his middle finger toward Grant, quickly disappeared into the alley pointed to by the woman. Grant, who was left alone, raised the woman who had fallen to the floor with a careless hand.
“T-thank you……”
“Of course. But… do you have a lover?”
“Huh? Oh my….”
Grant, smiling, approached the woman and asked. Looking closely, she saw that the woman had a rather masculine face. Her face was slightly blushing, and as she shyly twisted her body, a heavy bass sound that sounded like thin ice separated the two.
“Grant.”
Even in this situation, Heinz, who was glaring at Grant, was walking toward him with great strides. Grant, with his fierce eyes as if he wanted to catch and kill him, shouted at the woman and hurriedly ran to Heinz.
“Oh my, if you can, find someone!”
“What did you say?”
The woman, her face frozen coldly, raised her middle finger towards Grant’s back.
***
“What about Roger?”
“He followed that bastard into the alley over there.”
Heinz looked at the alley indicated by Grant and frowned. The alley he pointed to was from the new town to the old town, and was complex and winding like an anthill. If one was not a native of the old town, it is easy to get lost and wander. Jumping in there while being chased. Either he’s a native of the capital’s old town, or he’s an idiot who doesn’t know anything. Heinz, who had gathered his thoughts, motioned to Grant.
“You go into the next alley. He might come from there again.”
“Yes!”
Grant gave a salute at Heinz’s command and quickly ran to another alley. Heinz caught a glimpse of his back and slowly walked away, rubbing his aching temples.
‘How on earth did he know about the tower?’
The tower where the deposed crown prince is imprisoned, and the only people who know about it are Emperor and his closest confidants. Heinz’s mind was complicated by a rat that sneaked into the tower.
‘Is information leaked?’
They may have simply been poking around and ended up at the tower by chance But his intuition was screaming that it wasn’t that. Heinz, with a fierce look on his face, entered the alley.
No, he was about to enter.
“…Henelone?”
If it weren’t for Henelone, who blushed shyly in front of that bastard.
Heinz stopped walking and looked at the two sitting affectionately in the cafe with his eyes shining sharply.
As the man mumbled something, Henelone raised her hand to cover her mouth and shyly lowered her eyes and burst into laughter. Suddenly, the man with a bright red face leaned closer to Henelone and whispered something again.
Due to the man’s sudden movement, Henelone’s hand, which was lying on the table, suddenly collided with the man’s hand. Heinz’s red eyes sparked as he looked at them.
Heinz, who had been watching the inside of the cafe with half-closed eyes, turned around, clenching his teeth so much that his chin bulged.
‘I’ll come back after I kill the rat.’
