Chapter 31

Chapter 31. While the count was away from the mansion

It was a wine bar she often went to with her brother when he was single. But after her brother got married, Henelone could no longer go to this wine bar. She didn’t give up and came alone, but the gazes weren’t very kind. She had visited alone once before, and after a while of drinking, she left the wine bar in a daze. After that, she suffered from rumors that she had no man and that she had suffered a broken heart.

“I am even more grateful to you for introducing me to such a great place. As you said, the pianist’s skills are amazing.”

“Really? You don’t know how much I missed that performance.”

“Haha! You have an amazing knowledge of music.”

“Oh, no… it’s not that good. I just like listening to it.”

Henelone smiled shyly at Adrian’s praise. She had great fun while she was with him. No matter what Henelone said, Adrian did not ridicule or make fun of her, but answered cheerfully, and sometimes seriously.

She thought it was a good thing she came out.

Henelone, smiling brightly, took a deep breath of cool air and looked up at the dark night sky. She was so busy talking that she didn’t really notice the passage of time. The sweet scent of wine lingering in her mouth, the fantastic piano playing, and the cool night breeze. She liked everything.

‘The moon is bright too.’

Henelone, who was walking while looking at the round moon floating alone in the dark, featureless sky, stumbled from the rush of intoxication.

“Are you okay, Henelone?”

“Uh, ahk…. Yes, I’m fine. I guess I lost my footing for a second.”

Adrian, who had helped the stumbling Henelone, carefully tried to straighten her up, but the ribbon around her Henelone’s neck got caught in his button and slipped down. Adrian, who quickly grabbed the ribbon before it fell to the floor, smiled and came close behind Henelone.

“Gosh, sorry. Can I tie it up again?”

“Huh? N-no… I’m fine.”

Without any time to refuse, Henelone quietly surrendered her neck to the ribbon that was wrapped around her. Goosebumps, goosebumps. The feel of the cold silk touching her neck gave her goosebumps. She guessed she drank too much because she was intoxicated by the atmosphere.

“Henelone, on your neck……”

“Huh? Ah!”

She was so shocked that she covered her neck in a panic. There would still be traces left. She turned her head and glanced at him, and she saw that Adrian was narrowing his eyes. Probably because it was getting dark and making it difficult to see. Henelone, who tried to calm her pounding heart, spoke indifferently as if it was no big deal.

“I guess I was bitten by a bug last night. It was itchy, so I scratched it and it made a scar.”

“…It must have been a very large bug.”

Adrian, who finished the ribbon by giving strength to his hand, took a step back and smiled. Henelone, who was awkwardly fiddling with the ribbon in a somehow subdued atmosphere, hesitantly opened her mouth.

“…It’s late at night. I need to go back to the mansion quickly.”

“I’ll take you to the front of the mansion.”

Henelone, who nodded her head politely at his hand being held out to her, got into the carriage, escorted by Adrian.

“…Ha.”

Heinz, who was hiding in a dark alley where the streetlights could not reach, let out a deep breath and gritted his teeth. Blood pooled in his tightly clenched fists and his fingernails dug into his skin. Yet he didn’t feel any pain.

He had no reason to snatch Henelone’s hand away from that man.

***

The sound of willow tree leaves rustling as the strong wind blew filled the garden. It had been raining all morning, and the wind on his skin was quite cold. Heinz, brushing away his hair that had become disheveled in the wind, slowly opened the library door into the dark day. The door, which he personally tightened and greased, no longer made the loud creaking sound it once made.

Shwaaa.

Once again, a strong wind came in between the doors and swept through the inside of the library. Although the cool breeze might have been chilly, Henelone, sitting in front of the fireplace, was busy reading.

Tak. Heinz closed the door and looked at Henelone in silence. He was overcome with an incomprehensible hot emotion that surged across his face, which was no different from usual.

What did you do yesterday, who is that man. What were you together until such a late night, why did you surrender yourself obediently into the man’s hands. Where did you go in the carriage with him. He had a lot of things he wanted to ask, but his mouth wouldn’t open.

The flickering light in the fireplace was turning her ivory skin red. Her eyes roll as she reads the text, and her eyelids slowly droop. Heinz’s eyes fell on Henelone’s lips after looking at her long, brown eyelashes. Her moist pink lips were shiny. Henelone was so focused on the book that without even realizing it. Her slightly parted lips gently twitched.

He knows what pl*asure those lips give him. Sweet moans, skin rubbing painfully against each other, tongues tangled together. Heinz, recalling all of the remaining memories, approached her, suppressing his darkly burning emotions.

“…Young lady.”

“…Yes?”

She answered a beat late. Heinz paused for some reason, as her face was so dazed. He looked down at the book in her hand.

<History of the Empire Volume 12. Battle at sea>

This is a book he also read. However, Heinz’s expression as he looked at the book changed.