A strange world

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

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

Sitting next to the countess, a little girl of only eight or nine years old tilted her head cutely.

"Can't."

Because Annan himself didn’t know. But the girl didn't know that Annan didn't know. She pursed her pink lips in grievance, 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 protects the North. Many things are secrets, and it is right not to tell you."

"oh."

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

"Annan."

Annan gently corrected the girl's pronunciation.

"peaceful."

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

Annan's rosy cheeks faded slightly and turned light pink again.

The considerate Countess saw Annan's embarrassment and explained to him: "Girls, go and enjoy the banquet. Our King in the North wants to be quiet."

With chuckles, the young girls winked at Annan and walked away, taking Dela away with them. A bold noblewoman quietly thrust a note into Annan's palm as she passed by.

"Please sit here, Levis...I'm sorry, I should call you Mr. Annan."

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

"good……"

When he sat opposite the countess, his pair of white and shiny legs that stretched out from the fluffy skirt and posed in an elegant posture became the new focus. Annan tried to meet the countess' eyes, but almost fell into those eyes that looked like the full moon, and the opening and closing of her red lips made her mouth dry. Annan had no choice but to climb up the tall bridge of his nose.

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

"It doesn't matter." Annan asked casually, not caring whether it was an excuse or something, "Did the earl die because of an accident?"

"No, he is too old..."

The countess twisted her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes gently.

Annan blinked blankly.

"My husband was already seriously ill when you were attacked. He expressed his regret to me after hearing about you." The countess looked at Annan sadly and appreciatively, "Morgan has passed away. Fortunately, you are fine... "

Annan smiled implicitly, as if he felt that this sentence was not quite right.

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

"Just call me Annan." Annan replied, "I live in the wine lady's manor."

It's no secret. Rumors of his affair with the Wine Lady spread along with "The Revenant".

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

"...Okay ma'am."

The change of title did little to ease Annan's reserve.

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

"It's okay, Ms. Wine is just like you..."

By the time Annan realized he had said the wrong thing, it was already too late. "I'm sorry. I meant, my friends would protect me."

"It's okay..." The countess flashed a hint of loneliness, "It may be a little abrupt, but Sir Annan, can I ask you something in the name of the countess?"

"Please say."

"The manor has been a lot empty since my husband passed away. The servants and children always talk about your stories, so can I invite you to the manor as a guest?"

"certainly."

Annan could feel the countess' care and love like an elder - although it seemed a bit strange because she was too beautiful.

"How did you and the Wine Lady meet?"

"It was an accident. After I was rescued, I worked in a pub..."

These are also not secrets. Annan only selected interesting things that happened in the tavern to tell the countess. Being alone made her unexpectedly like these stories, and her smile was rippling and sparkling.

"So you changed your name to Annan at this time."

"Yes……"

Fortunately, the countess seemed more interested in the wine lady than her name: "Is she beautiful?"

"Yes."

"Then is she as beautiful as me?"

The Countess' eyes fell on Annan with expectancy, and she raised her head slightly. This movement made the slender outline of her neck clearer and more 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 little king and the king in poker, no matter their appearance, figure or status.

Speaking of poker...

"Thanks……"

The countess chuckled cheerfully. Every woman doesn't like to praise, and then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "I haven't been so happy for a long time after my husband died."

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

"What?"

Annan, who felt a little dull, sat up slightly. When he talked about this, he was no longer bored.

"The palace painter from the royal capital came to the manor a few days ago and painted a portrait for my husband. I can ask him to paint one for you too."

Annan leaned back on the soft sofa again.

"Do you not like it?"

Annan thought for a while and said, "Do the portraits of the palace painter move?"

"It can move..." The Countess' eyes paused on Annan's chest, "Only magic paintings can do that."

Annan could not imagine the point of sitting in one place for hours just for a portrait. But the countess is worth getting to know regardless of her status.

"Since it's your invitation...when?"

"So what are you doing now? I'm a little tired too..."

"Um...of course."

Annan stood up and reached out his hand to help the countess up in a gentlemanly manner, but the countess did not let go. Instead, she held Annan's arm and walked out under the envious gazes of the surrounding guests.

Annan could feel the countess's hot body temperature coming from the fabric against her arm.

"I found you!"

A black-haired girl suddenly stopped him.

Annan still remembered this girl from a cannibal family: "Do you have a problem with me?"

"Of course, follow me!"

"Sorry, the Countess and I still have things to do." Annan declined her invitation.

"You have to come with me!"

The black-haired girl grabbed Annan's arm.

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

The black-haired girl sniffed at her, showing disgust: "Your meat is smelly and old, I don't like it."

The Countess's beauty was marred by a frown.

dumb--

At this time, the piercing crow interrupted the confrontation between the countess and the black-haired girl.

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

Jeffrey Olmedo, who was smiling and chatting with the guests, looked at the fiery red silhouette lingering on Annan's shoulder.

"Crow Messenger..."