"That's not that important. What matters is that you pushed me so terribly, that you held me in your hands and shook me like a toy."
Eric didn't look embarrassed or sorry as he spoke slowly but forcefully, one word at a time.
If he were a person who felt sorry for these stories in the first place he wouldn't have made such a dirty plan.
"I understand your anger, but it was for your sake."
"For me?"
"Because the young lady needs to be protected. The lady's walls are much thicker than I thought, so no matter what I say, I don't think you will easily take my hand."
So you were planning on pushing me until I leaned on you?
As I snorted, Eric turned his head and clapped his hands.
At the same time, a bag containing something heavy fell at his feet with a dull sound.
He reached down and untied the bag's strap, revealing the contents inside.
The moment I saw the faces of the dead men with my eyes wide open, I froze in place.
"There is no way a wise person like you wouldn't know who is behind these people, right?"
"You're crazy. Why are they still stealing the body?"
How did they bring the body from the police station?
Moreover, both bodies were not healthy.
"These are servant knights belonging to the Count of Brium. Of course, he is not an officially titled knight. So even if you report what happened to you, the Count of Brium's family will not suffer any damage."
"..."
"Isn't he truly a mean person? Not only was it not enough to abandon her wife and daughter, he faked their deaths as an accident and then tried to kill her daughter, who has now come back to life."
Eric spread his arms exaggeratedly, as if in a play.
"Isn't he truly a shameless man?"
"So, to protect me from him, you fed me something suspicious and told the others to 'destroy me'?"
"I thought it would be better for everyone. I needed the young lady's trust, and the young lady needs a protector."
I quietly denied it to him who was looking at me with his head held high as if asking what was wrong.
"No, Eric. I don't need a guardian."
"That's such a shame."
Eric muttered sadly.
"I wanted to make a deal with the lady. In a way that provides stability and trust, and allows you to become the person I need. If that's not possible..."
He knocked on the outside door again. This time, a man appeared alive and struggling with both arms tied.
"Why not try a new deal?"
Hugh, who had a gag in his mouth, looked at me and shook his head like crazy.
I looked at the man who was desperately resisting with my eyes wide open, but I couldn't help it and threw out a word.
"Stop struggling."
Then, if you get exhausted, someone will carry you.
Even if you were caught by someone else's hand when you were caught, shouldn't you walk out with your own feet when you leave?
***
Eric, who was laughing and chuckling with interest, winked, and the men lined up on both sides of Hugh removed the gag from his mouth.
"Are you crazy! If you ran away, you should have gotten as far away as possible! What will I do if you come into this person's den?!"
I was dumbfounded when I met his burning eyes.
Who is the one who has been caught and taken hostage by that human right now? Who are you talking about?
I turned my head away from Hugh, who was shouting quite earnestly and said to Eric.
"I'm sorry, but this person is not important and precious to me that you are mistaken if you thought I would agree to do business with you. That person has to protect me in the first place because I don't have an obligation to protect that person."
"Is that so?"
"The reason I stayed here is because I wanted to know your purpose for screwing me up and stabbing me in the back."
Eric, who was looking at me quietly, shook his head.
"Young lady. There is nothing you can ask of me. Your guard is in our hands, and there is no way you can escape from me now."
"..."
"If you want to save him, come with me."
I glanced at Eric as he reached out for me, then took a couple of steps back and grabbed the wool sack.
"I'm sorry, but I guess you can ask. As Eric said, a deal is determined by whether or not you have the cards to negotiate with the other party."
I looked at Hugh, who had become quite a while ago.
"I really don't care what happens to that guy. It wasn't my article to begin with."
Eric's eyes narrowed as if he was trying to determine the truth of what I was saying.
I continued calmly.
"And one more thing. If you don't convince me of the right reasons, I can get you into even more trouble than you already are."
Eric sighed at the words he said while looking at the wool piled up in the warehouse.
"Of course, if all the supplies we spent this time burn up, we will suffer a loss. That's not a threat, it's an annoyance. It's as annoying as someone snatching a snack out of my hand."
Without saying a word, I ran my hand through the bag of wool and opened my yellow palm for Eric to see.
"I don't know if you know, but pollen contains an ingredient that Instantly explodes with the power of fire. Now this warehouse is full of that pollen."
That's why it was possible to ignite fires in distant warehouses at the same time. If you collect a lot of pollen flying, in the air and light it on fire, it spreads quickly.
"I don't know what's going on, but Eric wants to put in so much effort to tame me into an obedient alive state. I don't want to do that."
"..."
"So, I'm thinking of risking your life, my life, and the lives of the people outside the warehouse. Wouldn't that be enough to be used as a bargaining chip?"
At my words, the smile that had been on Eric's face disappeared.
I had no choice.
If I didn't keep my oath properly, I would die within a year anyway, and I hated being swayed by the will of a person who had already stabbed me in the back.
"What did you..."
It was only when I heard Hugh's muttering next to me that I realized that he was in this warehouse with me.
I didn't feel sorry for his devastated face.
Since he was caught by Eric anyway, if this situation is not reversed, he will either be harassed to death or be dragged around as a hostage.
Wouldn't it be better to end your life here and have a peaceful death?
"But judging by the amount of pollen in this place, the pain will only be temporary."
Hugh looked at me as if he was taken aback by the words I gave him as if to comfort him, then closed his mouth.
Suddenly Eric, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly bent over and started bursting into laughter.
I didn't say it to be fun.
"This. Excuse me, young lady."
Eventually, he finally stopped laughing and raised his hand towards me.
Eric laughed so hard that he wiped away the tears from his eyes and continued.
"Surely, if the Lady says what you said, the hundreds of people guarding the outside of the warehouse will be of no use. No matter how great their skills are, they will die before then."
"Maybe."
"I never thought that the Lady would have this kind of side. I thought that you would be a naive person who grew up in a noble manner and did not know how to care about things or be suspicious of people. You really are an interesting person."
I looked at him intently without saying a word.
He cleared his throat, perhaps because of the pollen that was filling the warehouse, and spoke with a smile that almost cut me.
"Did you ask what I plan to do with the Lady?"
Gray eyes flashed coldly today.
"I wanted to use you as a stepping stone into the Count of Brium's family. I think that if I use the Count's bloodline, the Lady, I will be able to dig deeper than just giving a lead."
Eric confessed his crazy plan with a calm smile as if he were saying something every day like "The weather is really sunny today."
"I want the Count of Brium family."
I slowly blinked thought back on his words, and finally managed to say one word.
"This is crazy."
Hugh opened his mouth and for the first time since meeting me, his eyes showed agreement with what I said.
Even though it was an absurd statement, I believed it.
When I met his gentle gaze, I became even more certain that his words were sincere.
'He's really crazy.'
He smiled brightly while looking at me and asked with his hands clasped.
"I have already told you my purpose. So what should I do now?"
"..."
"What did you plan to do, my lady? Do you plan to send the family's servant to visit your father, who tried to kill the lady, and argue with him? Or are you going to return to the principality and enjoy a stable life like before?"
As I was lost in thought, looking at Eric's grinning face, Hugh who was next to me, took a deep breath and shook his head repeatedly.
"He's crazy... That's crazy."
I know that much.
But it's quite a pain to deal with a person with such glaring eyes.
Basically, a person who is quietly crazy is more scary than a person who speaks harshly or acts harshly.
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