Chapter: 32
Despite the tense atmosphere that felt as if thin ice might form at any moment, Brandon remained perfectly calm.
In fact, he even went a step further.
“Come to think of it, Count, you’ve stepped down from all your positions in the knight orders, haven’t you?”
“……”
“Technically speaking, my military rank is higher now. So wouldn’t it be reasonable for me to at least ask for your name and rank?”
Even if someone had smacked him on the back, they probably wouldn’t have been able to stop Brandon’s reckless advance.
In the end, Rose began to show symptoms of distress.
“Wow, I can’t breathe. I think I’m going to die.”
Whether she said that or not, Brandon simply smiled brightly at the Count.
Apparently the Count wasn’t an ordinary man either. Even in a situation where most people would have gotten angry, he instead burst out laughing.
“Hmm, ahaha.”
The problem was that the laugh didn’t sound cheerful at all.
“Hahaha!”
When the Count laughed, Brandon laughed along with him.
The two men roared with laughter, yet the people watching looked like they were about to burst into tears at any moment.
This is insane.
The adjutant and Rose muttered to themselves.
“Are you seriously asking that, Executor?”
“I am always serious, Count!”
Brandon answered with his hands clasped behind his back.
“If you don’t wish to tell me, perhaps you could at least confirm the information I already know?”
“Let’s hear it, then.”
“Kenneth Allot. Born a commoner. Joined the knight order after winning a gladiator tournament. After proving himself the most skilled in the order, he achieved victory in the Battle of Arneos without a single casualty. For his repeated achievements, he was granted the title of Count.”
His tone was mechanical and stiff, as if he had memorized an entire paragraph from a document.
“You have quite a good memory.”
The Count said it almost admiringly.
“It’s nothing special.”
Brandon shrugged.
“If I couldn’t memorize even something basic like that, I had to go hungry for four days.”
Four days without food?
At those words, both Rose and Dorothy reacted at the same time.
But Brandon, who had brought it up himself, spoke in a calm tone as if it were nothing.
“What I’m most curious about is this. Count, was your graduating class… perhaps the 487th?”
Count Allot quietly stared at Brandon.
His gaze was calm, yet sharp enough to seem as if it could see straight through a person.
But even he couldn’t read the true thoughts of Brandon, who always behaved so lightly.
“I don’t know why you’re asking that, but yes, I am from the 487th class.”
“Is that so? Thank you for confirming.”
“…?”
While thanking him, Brandon cast a glance toward where Dorothy was standing.
Why is he looking at me in a situation like this?
Count Allot, the 487th class, and Dorothy.
Those words didn’t seem like they should go together at all.
After glancing briefly at Dorothy, Brandon returned to his usual sly and relaxed demeanor.
“I was simply curious. As expected, you’re truly impressive, Count. I’ve heard how famous the 487th class is.”
“You brat… you dare try to probe me.”
“I’m the type who can’t suppress curiosity. I’d appreciate it if you thought of it as youthful inquisitiveness. I’m still young, after all.”
“Are you saying I’m old?”
“That’s a relative concept.”
Count Allot scoffed.
As Dorothy watched the scene unfold, she realized that quite a crowd had gathered around them.
Every now and then, the name Count Allot popped out of people’s mouths.
They had only run into him briefly on the street, yet so many people had already recognized him.
That alone showed how famous he was.
“Count Allot is here?”
“You mean that war hero?”
“Hurry and go call Devin. That guy worships the Count!”
The guards in particular were overwhelmingly interested.
Most of them were stealing glances at Count Allot with eyes full of admiration.
The man who wields the finest sword in the Empire.
Seeing the looks in people’s eyes made the weight of that title feel very real.
“By the way, who’s the person standing next to the Count?”
“Isn’t that the gentleman who sometimes walks around the street?”
“And isn’t the girl next to him the one who lives next door to Dorothy?”
“Yeah, the one who couldn’t leave the house because she was sick.”
“Why is she out on the street today?”
“What kind of relationship does she have with Count Allot?”
“They don’t seem like ordinary people either.”
The most surprising part was that the man standing before them had been born a commoner.
If he rose from a commoner to become a Count, just how extraordinary must his swordsmanship be?
He must have gone through relentless, blood-stained effort.
Even while simply standing still, the pressure he gave off could be felt—it must have accumulated naturally over many long years.
Dorothy stared at Count Allot, losing track of time.
Perhaps he noticed her gaze.
As the Count looked around at the crowd, their eyes met.
He stared directly into her eyes for a moment before looking away.
“Since the audience has grown, I suppose it’s about time for me to take my leave.”
“You’re still very popular, Count.”
“It’s merely fame from my younger days.”
“Count!”
His adjutant, who had stepped away briefly, came running back breathlessly.
“I’ve called for the carriage. Please come this way.”
“Very well.”
“Safe travels, Count. I hope your journey is peaceful.”
Brandon suddenly bowed deeply in farewell, completely erasing the arrogant attitude he had shown earlier.
“…?”
“What are you doing?”
His attitude had changed so abruptly it was like flipping the palm of a hand, leaving even the Count and Rose dumbfounded.
“It’s only proper to greet an elder who is leaving, Sister.”
“……”
“Did you see that just now, Count? I’m actually quite polite.”
“……”
“I’ve made it a habit to respect my elders and treat them courteously.”
Brandon shamelessly sang his own praises without the slightest hesitation.
Eventually the Count seemed to give up on dealing with him.
Even though Brandon continued praising himself beside him, the Count simply turned his head away.
Cough, cough.
The Count coughed as he began walking toward the carriage.
Then he stopped.
“I almost forgot to thank the young lady.”
“Pardon?”
“The water. Thank you. It was very refreshing.”
With a gentle smile, the Count spoke to Dorothy.
“It was nothing. I hope you feel much better soon.”
“I’ll think about that. And… regarding the rudeness I showed earlier, I will repay that debt someday.”
“If you ever need help, feel free to contact me.”
After saying that, the Count stared at Dorothy for quite a long time.
His eyes held a mixture of countless emotions as he looked at her.
* * *
After the Count left Selbrums, Brandon let out a light sigh.
Even though he had acted as if it were nothing, it seemed the situation hadn’t been easy for him either.
As he habitually brushed his bangs back, his eyes met Dorothy’s.
Brandon quickly covered his mouth with the back of his hand, looking slightly flustered.
“Ah, I wanted to show only my perfect side. But I’ve already ended up showing you such a disheveled appearance. I came in such a hurry.”
“Huh? A disheveled appearance?”
Where exactly did he look disheveled?
His bangs were damp with sweat.
And he was wearing just a shirt without his jacket, with a few buttons undone—but aside from that, he looked the same as usual.
“I think you look handsome.”
“…Ugh.”
Dorothy spoke honestly.
Handsome was handsome, after all.
Caught off guard, Brandon covered his face with both hands.
“…?”
What’s wrong with him?
As she tilted her head in confusion, Rose commented,
“At this rate he’s going to die.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s stop here and go back home.”
Even though Count Allot had left, people were still staring at them.
Nearby was the carriage Brandon had arrived in.
Thanks to that, Dorothy got to ride in a noble’s carriage for the first time in her life.
“I seriously thought my heart was going to stop. Brandon, are you insane? Asking a Count for his name and rank like that!”
Rose clutched her forehead as if just remembering it was a nightmare.
“And why did you suddenly start acting polite at the end?”
“I’ve always been a polite gentleman, Sister.”
“Dorothy! You’re the same!”
Dorothy, who had been quietly sitting and looking around inside the carriage, tilted her head.
“How could you talk back to a Count so calmly without backing down even once?”
“As I said earlier, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Good grief, my head hurts. Out of the three of us, I’m the only normal one. Whenever I’m with you two, I feel like I’m the strange one.”
Sighing as she pressed her forehead, Rose looked at Dorothy, who still seemed cheerful.
“Come to think of it, you and the Count kind of resemble each other.”
“Pardon?”
“I know your hair and eye colors are different. And that man is a messy person who doesn’t even comb his hair. But for some reason… I don’t know why… it just feels similar.”
Brandon, who had been quietly listening, let out a short laugh.
But he didn’t explain why he laughed.
“No way.”
Dorothy brushed it off with a smile, but her thoughts were still complicated.
Because Count Allot had left behind a question.
How did that man know my mother’s name?
Did he investigate it separately?
And there was one more question left in her mind.
Why did he look at me like that?
His expression had been filled with longing, as if remembering someone.
A face tinged with regret kept lingering in her memory.
