The beautiful countess claimed to have seen Levi as a child, so Annan tried to hide her identity with shyness and shyness.

"Brother An Ning, can you tell us about the Reeves family?"

Sitting next to the Countess, the little girl, who was only eight or nine years old, tilted her head cutely.

"No, you can't."

Because Annan himself doesn't know. But the girl didn't know that Annan didn't know, and pursed her pink lips aggrievedly, and her eyes welled up with mist.

The countess exuded maternal love and gently touched her soft hair: "The twelve kings of the north are the bedrock that guards the north, and many things are secrets, so it's right not to tell you." ”

"Oh."

The girl wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, raised her head and said cautiously: "I'm sorry, Brother Anning......"

"Annan."

Annan gently corrected the girl's pronunciation.

"Tranquility."

The girl who was missing her front teeth said in a milky voice, causing the ladies to chuckle.

Annan faded slightly, and his rosy cheeks turned pale pink again.

The empathetic countess saw Annan's embarrassment and explained it for him: "Girls, go and enjoy the feast, our king of the north wants to be quiet." ”

With chuckles, the young girls wink at Annan and walk away, taking Deella with them. A bold noblewoman also quietly slipped a note into the palm of Annan's hand as he passed by.

"Please sit here, Levi...... I'm sorry, but I should call you Your Excellency Annan. ”

The Countess pointed to the sofa next to her. Annan wanted to say no, but he happened to see the ravines that appeared when the countess leaned forward.

"Good ......"

As he sat across from the countess, his fair-skinned legs, which stretched out from the puffy hem of his skirt and posed gracefully, took on a new focus. Annan tried to make eye contact with the countess, but he almost sank into those full moon-like eyes, and his lips opened and closed to dry his mouth. Annan had no choice but to climb the bridge of his nose high.

"I'm sorry, but my husband, Earl Morgan, passed away a few days ago, so I didn't have time to invite you to be a guest......"

"It's okay." Annan didn't care if it was an excuse or what, and asked casually, "Was the earl's death due to an accident?" ”

"No, he's too old......"

The Countess gently wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

Annan blinked blankly.

"My husband was seriously ill at the time of the attack, and he felt sorry for me when he heard about you." The Countess looked at Annan sadly and appreciatively, "Morgan has passed away, it's okay, you're fine......"

Annan smiled implicitly, as if he didn't think the sentence was quite right.

"Your Excellency, Lord of the North, where do you live now?"

"Just call me Annan." Annan replied, "I live at the estate of the Wine Lady. ”

It's no secret. The scandal between him and the wine lady spreads along with the "vengeful ghost".

"Then you will call me Madame, or my name, Maria."

“…… Good ma'am. ”

The change in title did not ease Annan's inhibitions.

"Would you offend the wine lady by living there?" The Countess was still worried about whether Annan would be troubled: "And I heard about your attack...... Annan, can you move to the Earl's Manor temporarily? No one would dare to bully you here. ”

"It's okay, Lady Wine is just as ...... as you"

Annan realized that it was too late to say the wrong thing. "I'm sorry. I mean, my friends will protect me. ”

"It's okay...... "The countess flashed a hint of loneliness, "maybe it's a little abrupt, but Your Excellency Annan, can I ask you for something in the name of the countess?" ”

"Please."

"After my husband died, the manor was much more empty, and the servants and children were always telling your story, so could I invite you to the manor?"

"Of course."

Annan could feel the care and affection of the Countess as if she were an elder—though it seemed strange that she was too beautiful.

"How did you and Miss Wine meet?"

"It was an accident, and I worked in a tavern after I was rescued......"

Again, these were no secrets, and Annan only picked out the interesting things that happened in the tavern and told them to the Countess. Being alone made her unexpectedly like these stories, and she smiled and sparkled.

"That's why you changed your name to Annan at this time."

"Yes......"

Fortunately, the Countess seemed to be more interested in the Wine Lady than in the name: "Is she beautiful?" ”

"Yes."

"Is she as pretty as me?"

The countess landed on Annan with expectant eyes, tilting her head slightly, a movement that made the slender outline of her neck more defined and elegant.

"Of course not as beautiful as you." Annan said honestly, "I have never seen your beauty......"

The Countess and the Wine Lady are like the kings and kings of the playing cards, regardless of appearance, stature or status.

Speaking of poker......

"Thank you......"

The Countess chuckled cheerfully, there is no woman who does not like compliments, and then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "I have not been so happy for a long time since my husband died. ”

"I want to give you a gift, Annan."

"What?"

Annan, who felt a little dull, sat up straight slightly, and he was not bored when it came to this.

"The court painter of the royal capital arrived at the manor a few days ago and painted a portrait of my husband, and I can ask him to paint one for you as well."

Annan leaned back into the soft sofa.

"Don't you like it?"

Annan thought for a moment and said, "Will the portraits of court painters move?" ”

"Will ......move," the countess's eyes paused on Annan's chest, "only magic paintings can do that." ”

Annan could not think of the meaning of sitting in one place for hours just for a portrait. However, the countess is worth getting acquainted with, regardless of her status.

"Since it's your invitation...... When? ”

"So what about now? I'm also a little tired......"

"Hmm...... Of course. ”

Annan, who stood up, gentlemanly reached out to help the countess, but the countess did not let go, but took Annan's arm and walked out under the envious gaze of the surrounding guests.

Annan could feel the Countess's hot body temperature coming from the fabric against his arm.

"I found you!"

A dark-haired girl suddenly stopped him.

Annan remembered the girl of the cannibal family vividly: "Do you have something to do with me?" ”

"Of course, follow me!"

"I'm sorry, but the Countess and I have something to do." Annan declined her invitation.

"You have to come with me!"

The black-haired girl grabbed Annan's arm.

"Rhona Gilman. You should be reserved and polite. The Countess stopped her rudeness.

The black-haired girl sniffed at her, and disgust emerged: "Your flesh stinks and is old, I don't like it." ”

The Countess's beauty was stained by frowning.

Dumb –

At this time, the shrill crow chirped to interrupt the confrontation between the countess and the black-haired girl.

A fiery red afterimage flew from the terrace into the banquet, attracting everyone's attention.

Jeffrey Olmedo, who was smiling and talking to his guests, looked at the fiery red silhouette that haunted Annan's shoulder.

"Raven ......"

(End of chapter)