Chapter 3

"Lord, it seems you will be meeting him."

After being made to wait in the guest room, the woman guided me again, saying that the Earl would see me.

The corridor was dimly lit, just enough to avoid tripping. I walked closely behind her, fearing that even a slight distance would make her back disappear into the darkness.

She stopped in front of a door with particularly lavish designs. After a modest knock, she opened the door without waiting for a response.

The heavy door slowly opened with a solemn movement. The room, which seemed to be a grand hall, was also dim, making it difficult to see the entire space.

From the door, a crimson carpet, almost garishly red, extended to the back of the room. At its end, a chair with a regal and solemn design sat like a throne.

"I have brought her."

The woman bowed in front of the chair.

"...Thank you."

A calm, deep voice sounded, making my shoulders jump.

A man, presumably the lord, sat in the chair.

The Lord of Bradebury, who should be in his fifties, looked no older than his mid-thirties. He was dressed in an old-fashioned, ornate style that seemed to fit him well.

The woman raised her head and stood naturally beside the chair. Her face, now turned toward me, had a blissful expression. The cold, mechanical atmosphere from before was gone, and her lustrous red lips were curved into a thin smile.

I was convinced by this dramatic change.

He was a real vampire.

She was reveling in the presence of her master.

She found joy in her subservience.

"Come closer."

A mocking voice spoke to me, still rooted at the door.

I took a step forward, as if drawn by the invitation. There was an irresistible charm in that voice, surely a power of the vampire. He must have used it to lure her and make her his.

As I approached, I was almost overwhelmed by his presence. Even though he was deeply seated, his tall frame clearly exceeded the average height of a man. His long legs were elegantly crossed, and his well-proportioned arms were propped up, looking bored.

"What is your business?"

A deep, baritone voice asked in a leisurely tone. His dark, unkempt hair was casually tousled, and a thin smile played on his cruel-looking lips.

"I'm not that idle, you know."

Unable to speak, I felt his piercing, slanted eyes scrutinize me, the corners of his mouth still curved in a smile.

"My apologies... My name is Freya Villiers, the second daughter of the Villiers Viscount family."

I bowed hurriedly and introduced myself. Although there was a difference in status, I didn't need to bow so deeply to someone who wasn't royalty. However, I felt an overwhelming presence that made my body move naturally.

"I apologize for the sudden visit. I have a request that I must bring to your attention, and I have come all the way from the capital."

I spoke quickly without raising my head, driven by the fear that any displeasure might lead to dire consequences.

"Hmm... From the capital, and without an escort?"

His eyes narrowed as if trying to discern my true intentions, making his already intimidating appearance even more fearsome.

I quickly bowed my head and continued in a trembling voice.

"Yes. With only a small amount of travel money, I changed carriages and walked on foot at times, desperately making my way here."

"It must have taken at least four days from the capital. A journey alone for a woman must have been difficult."

He spoke as if trying to elicit sympathy, but I knew his words held no genuine meaning. To him, the struggles of a human girl were insignificant.

"And what is this request that you have come so far to make?"

To a lord with no prior connection, a mere local viscount's daughter asking for help.

I knew it was a long shot. But he was my only hope. I needed to find a way to stand up to that man. I couldn't afford to be timid. I had to win his cooperation at all costs.

I steeled myself and raised my head. Then, I looked directly into the Earl's eyes and spoke.

"...I want you to be my lover."

The Earl, as well as the woman standing quietly beside him, were taken aback by this outrageous request.

"How did you come to such a conclusion?"

Faced with a reasonable question, I began to recount my story.

It was embarrassing to explain how I had caught my sister and Nathan in the act, how I was easily discarded and replaced. I had to explain the harsh treatment from my parents, the stark contrast with my sister, and the reasons for my own perceived worthlessness.

Still, I managed to recount the story up to the point where my sister's engagement was finalized, and I took a deep breath.

"So, it's a happy ending, isn't it?"

After hearing this, the Earl of Bradebury commented with a bored tone.

Indeed, the petty squabbles of humans were probably of no interest to him. But unfortunately, the story didn't end there.

"So why should I be your lover?"

"No, just a pretense would be enough."

"Pretense?"

I knew I had no value as a lover. I wasn't beautiful, I lacked wit, and I couldn't hold an intelligent conversation.

I had been raised to believe these things by my parents and was well aware of them. Being with me would bring him no benefit.

But...

"I want Nathan to give up."

"The name of your ex-fiancé. But he's already marrying your sister, isn't he?"

"That's... the problem."

If only it had been that simple. In fact, it had almost come to that once.

I summarized the aftermath of the affair being discovered and the subsequent events.

"You come from a messed-up family."

"I have no words to say..."

Even with the discarded daughter standing before him, he praised the one who had taken her place. Even I, who had grown up in that household, could see its abnormality.

It was painful to expose my family's shame, but it seemed to have elicited some sympathy from the Earl. He listened to my story more attentively than I had expected.

"So, what happened next?"

"They didn't last long. Nathan told Nicole the truth to win her favor."

Perhaps because I had inadvertently used a more casual tone, the Earl's intimidating presence seemed to lessen slightly, making it easier to speak.

"The truth?"

"That he never loved me, and that he had always hated me, loving only Nicole from the start."

At first, my sister didn't believe it. She thought it was just a ploy to win her attention.

But it was true that Nathan was more attracted to Nicole. Her mother-like, cute appearance and blonde hair were more appealing than my dull and unremarkable looks.

I had been told this many times in the form of insults.

Nicole would have been better.

Nicole would have treated me properly.

It's your fault I'm like this.

You made me this way.

Nicole would have.

Nicole could.

All I could do was apologize.

Nathan's feelings for Nicole were genuine. Nicole, too, gradually realized this.

So she quickly grew tired of him.

Nicole is the type who doesn't feed a caught fish. Once she has someone completely under her spell, both physically and emotionally, she loses interest. For her, relationships are just a game, and she finds it particularly exciting to seduce serious, uptight men. She has done this to many capable servants, leaving them broken and used.

She had lured Nathan because she thought he was mine. She had taken him because she thought he was hers. When she found him annoying, she told him the truth.

I don't love you. It was just to spite my sister. Why are you so delusional? Get lost. I'm obsessed with a new servant now.

Hit with these harsh words, Nathan, young and naive, finally understood that his devoted fiancée never existed.

"You were dumped. Serves you right."

I felt a bit of relief when the Earl echoed my own thoughts. Even though I knew it was my own fault, it was a bit uncomfortable to think such things about someone who had been trampled on.

"Still, your sister is refreshingly despicable."

To call someone who isn't human a despicable person—how wicked must she be? She was certainly beyond my control.

"But, in a way, it's a happy ending, isn't it?"

"I'm very sorry, but the story continues."

I hung my head and continued, explaining the final stage that led me here.