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Merc strolled leisurely down the street after leaving the guild, still garnering attention. The Count would be out of the guild and into his carriage in no time. He’d then take the road leading to his mansion.

All that was left was for Merc to stroll up to the carriage and stand in front of it. And if she used Mana Hardening all over her body, she wouldn’t be hurt even if she was run over by it.

With this in mind, Merc headed towards the road leading to Count Fonan’s mansion. Soon the carriage she’d been expecting approached her from behind.

The sound of hoofs. It’s horses.

She would have hated to be run over by Belball carriage, but fortunately for Merc, the carriage approaching her was drawn by ordinary horses. Because Merc had looked after the Belball and the horses in the elf village, she could recognize them by the sounds their hooves produced.

She understood the position of the approaching carriage without turning around, relying solely on her ears.

Another 100… 50… 30 meters. Okay, now!

At that point, Merc, who had been walking at the far end of the street, transitioned dizzily to the middle of the road and obstructed the carriage approaching from behind.

“Whoa! MOVE!”

The coachman’s voice echoed, and Merc turned to face him, her face shocked. She then collapsed in front of the carriage, which thankfully came to a complete stop. It didn’t matter if it was due to the horses’ reflexes or the coachman’s competence, Merc had avoided being run over.

“W-What happened?!”

A well-dressed man hurriedly exited the carriage, most likely surprised by the abrupt stop. It was none other but Count Fonan.

Got you.

Merc placed her hand on her chest and continued to act terrified. Count Fonan alternated between looking at the pale coachman and Merc until he eventually decided to approach Merc.

“Hey! Are you…”

Count Fonan’s voice abruptly cut off as he observed Merc up close.

“I apologize, Miss. How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Count Fonan asked as he got down on one knee and looked at Merc.

The count’s glance shifted from her face to her chest, then back to her face, as Merc had anticipated. Instead of bringing this out, however, Merc adopted a startled expression and clung to the Count with her gaze.

“Yes… N-No, wait. No, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I was startled and fell down…”
“That’s terrible… Why not come with me to my mansion? I want to apologize properly and you will also have the chance to rest. What do you think?”

The Count inquired, his voice shaking, his intents clear as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Then he gently lifted Merc in his arms.
　
It was a bona fide bridal carry.

“P-Please let me go. I can walk on my…”
“Do not fret. I’m not the type of man to let a woman walk on her own after she’s fallen down on her bottom. Come on, let’s go in the carriage.”

Merc couldn’t help herself and had to say something to the Count, even if she did so subtly. She had expected the Count to touch her, but she had not expected this. The Count, on the other hand, took Merc’s comments as a sign of politeness and carried her inside the carriage with a smile on his face. They sat across from one other, and the carriage continued to move as if nothing had happened.

“T-This is the first time I’ve been in a carriage such as this. C-Could you be a nobleman, perhaps?”
“You could say that. I am one of the nobles looking over the City of Logholt. My name is Tamayna Fonan.”
“Oh my! Then you are Count Fonan?”
“In the flesh.”

Count Fonan puffed out his chest, his expression full of pride as Merc put her hands together and stared at him with admiration.

“Amazing… I’m honored to be able to meet you.”
“You’re flattering me… That is to say, I’m surprised. I never imagined that there was such a beautiful lady here in Logholt.”
“You’re the one flattering me… I’m just visiting, I’m going back to Ende tomorrow.”
“Oh my. That’s unfortunate.”

When Merc made up a narrative to keep their conversation going, the Count frowned unexpectedly. He was probably thinking that letting Merc go would be a waste.

What a vulgar man…

The Count, who had been buried in thought, turned his piercing eyes toward Merc as she continued to act innocent.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t get your name.”
“What? Oh… It’s Zera.”
“Zera. A beautiful name.”

Because the question came so unexpectedly, Merc opted for the name Zera instead of the one she’d prepared beforehand. She most likely made the error because she was speaking in an unnatural way, which threw her off.

Regardless, the name Zera was popular among both men and women across the continent, and it was frequently used to name girls. That is also why Count Fonan accepted it without seeming suspicious in the least.

Merc was merely bothered that she’d chosen the name Zera over every other option.

Well, it’s fine. I doubt the Count will be able to trace this name back to that man.

Merc inwardly apologized to her old friend for using his name without permission and bowed her head in gratitude for the compliment, simply saying “Thank you.”

“Zera, did you come with someone?”
“No, I came alone.”
“I see…”

The Count’s eyes narrowed when he heard Merc’s reply. Merc, though, pretended not to notice. Even though it was clear that the Count, who was notorious for his fondness for ladies, was up to no good, Merc ventured to take the risk.

After all, this was exactly what Astard had envisioned, and it was required in order to save Doctor Glodel. The carriage carrying the Count and Merc, now named Zera, was approaching the Count’s mansion, which was where the doctor was supposed to be.