When The Count’s Illegitimate Daughter Gets Married

Chapter 13

In the meantime, Ian, who had a wound, jumped lightly through the window and came inside.

The villa was quiet again.

Just like when they used to spend their time in silence before.

But, there was no silence as deafening as this time.

“…..”

“…..”

Biting her lips, Larrite wondered how she could get out of this embarrassing situation.

Even if it has been a while since they started to live together, Ian could notice such a small change in her expression.

Somehow, he spoke in order to break the silence.

“You….don’t seem to like cats.”

“…No, actually I like them…”

It became even more awkward.

“Oh, so you like cats.”

“Yeah.”

“Was there a cat passing by? I didn’t see it.”

“Sometimes, it does…”

Their conversation was meaningless.

Laritte decided to put the knife back to its original place.

The blade strangely made a grinding sound as she put it back on the storage rack with no expression on her face.

Krrr

‘Oh, come on.’

She could feel the gaze of Ian from behind her. Turning her head, she peeked, clutching the kitchen counter.

Ian quickly turned his face away from her to avoid getting caught…

But, Larrite was sure that he was looking at her.

“…..”

“…..”

Both of them tried to break the silence but failed every time.

‘Come to think of it, there was something I couldn’t say to him when someone suddenly knocked on the door. The name.’

She thought, feeling chills all over her spine.

“…You know.”

Ian, who was staring at the wall, turned his head towards her in an instant.

Larrite tried to say nothing but…

“Just call me Rose.”

That one word. She said it out carefully so that the opponent would not feel strange.

“Ah….”

“I…I don’t really like my name. That was all. Sorry for overreacting.”

To some extent, it was true. She hated that name.

But, the name “Laritte” itself had been the one to reel shackles on her feet all her life.

Various Gods were introduced to the Iassa Empire through many tales.

Among them, three Gods were enshrined in the temple. There was Toban, the God of Life and Death.

There was an unknown fairy named Tochian, who used to love him.

One day, when Toban left after washing himself in the river, the fairy named Tochian gave birth to a child named Larrite.

Larrite, a beautiful but poor woman, lived a life of promiscuity, unable to give up “her blood.”

[T/N: It means she (not the FL) was not capable of giving birth to a child.]

It was the same even after her marriage.

Afterward, when her husband found out, he killed her with his own hands…..That was what Laritte heard about the tale.

Larrite’s mother gave her the name because she thought it suited her.

Even though she was born with the blood of a noble, she was useless as she was an illegitimate child. Larrite had always been a burden to the Count, which is why he always wanted to starve her to death.

Laritte faced Ian.

‘For now, you can call me Rose.’

Then, Larrite would be the only silver rose in this hive.

And if Ian finds out, the real Rose would be standing next to him.

A normal aristocrat would never marry an illegitimate child.

It was because of the perception that dirty blood would always bring down the family forever.

“…..”

It was not that Ian did not see Laritte’s pale face.

Finally, after being silent for a long time….

He replied.

“….No, thank you.”

“….!”

“If you hate the name so much, I wouldn’t be stubborn.”

His expression showed that he was serious.

In fact, it was not a ‘relaxed’ conclusion.

Ian had reacted instinctively.

He decided not to call her by her name.

He just wanted to become more familiar with her.

He did not recognize the fact himself yet. Not until now.

He retrieved his gaze from Laritte, who was staring at him absentmindedly.

He walked away as if nothing had happened.

“Lunch isn’t ready yet, is it? Then, let me help you with the fish that I brought earlier.”

Ian was the most talented swordmaster who fought in the Western Sea for years, just for the sake of the people of the Empire.

But, Bartolt was the one who rose to the post of the most talented swordmaster in the Empire as he was presented at the top at the prosecutor’s office after Ian was framed.

While….Ian became good at ‘cooking’ fish.

He was used to it.

Especially, after the Western Sea war, when he could not return to the mainland because of his wounds, he had to stay near the sea for a few days.

Also, there were times when soldiers had to feed themselves when the cook was unavailable.

The only main ingredient of food that was available was fish.

However, Ian, who was the supreme commander, did not have to cook.

The troops themselves used to gather in groups to prepare the ingredients while debating about their skin. This helped in driving away their fatigue.

Ian still remembered the memories of that time.

He put down the fish on the kitchen counter.

The first thing that he needed to do was to fillet.

It was a process of removing the fat and bones of a fish.

Ian grabbed the knife which Larrite had taken out earlier. He would also have been comfortable if it was a sword. He began to cut more skillfully than Larrite.

In fact, Larrite had very little experience in cooking.

The Count’s kitchen was always occupied by someone from the early morning and even when she tried to do something with the ingredients, she was easily caught and scolded.

So, instead, she read most of the recipes in the book and memorized them. At least, she got the chance to use it at the villa.

Ian, on the other hand, was easily bending his arm to adjust the blade.

With his experience added to it, he quickly separated out the lean meat of the fish after descaling it.

He put down the knife.

He could not wait long as the sun was already up for lunch.

After mixing thick and salty sauces, he applied them on top of the meat. Then, he needed vegetables. He knew where the food materials were stored, so he rushed.

“Whoa, it was cold.”

After returning, he began to grill the meat.

When the fish’s surface was cooked to a crisp, it gave off a delicious smell.

Butter was needed to be put on top of it when it was cooked to a certain extent.

Butter, made by stirring milk, was a sweet-tasting product that did not go bad easily in the winter. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

After the butter, green vegetables and lemon juice were added…..

Finally, the fish butter steak was finished and it looked luxurious.

“It’s done.”

Laritte stood dazed by the fact that he still hadn’t given up the way of addressing her.

Ian himself had to lead her to the table.

Coming to her senses, she looked down at the prepared food in front of her.

“….Why is there only one serving?”

She was also worried because the fish was quite small.

Ian lied without even blinking.

“Actually, I don’t like fish.”

But Larrite could have easily understood if she had thought about it.

She could not believe he could be this good at cooking something that he did not like himself.

But now, there was no time to think about anything else.

Larrite looked down at the fish steak again.

Unable to stay still, she moved the knife carefully.

She cut a small piece and put it in her mouth. The meat, having a delicious taste, melted inside gently. There was no fishy smell.

Sitting on the opposite side of the table, Ian asked.

“….Does it taste good?”

“Yes….”

His nervous expression was lifted on her reply.

Suddenly, Larrite realized.

No one had ever asked her if the food was delicious.

Nobody cared if the dish suited her taste before.

So, it felt very different.

She hated the word ‘family’.

The first family that she had was her mother, who was a terrible woman.

The next was the Count, who was always ashamed to call Laritte his family.

But for the time being, could she call this man as….her third ‘family’?

“It’s delicious.”

Larrite muttered dryly in her distinctive clear voice.

“It’s very delicious…..”

Laritte, who could not remember his name, was curious for the first time.