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Chapter 3
Kallix looked at the woman before him with desperate eyes.
To say these words, he had squeezed out the last bit of courage he had left.
But the woman’s face remained completely expressionless.
Silver hair that resembled moonlight, and vivid violet eyes. Even her slightly upturned gaze was beautiful—but she looked cold.
Despite Kallix’s pleading, the woman only widened her eyes and glared at him sharply. Her tightly sealed lips showed no intention of giving a kind answer.
The desperation in Kallix’s eyes soon turned into despair.
As expected… it had been pointless.
Slowly, Kallix lowered his head.
“So,”
The one who finally spoke was not the woman, but a man.
The same man who had stood with Kallix on the cliff, gazing down at the pitch-black sea at night, and had kindly invited him to come along.
But Jonathan, who was not as kind as his voice suggested, bent down and met Kallix’s gaze.
“So you’re saying you’ll behave like a good child?”
Kallix quickly nodded.
He wouldn’t see anything, hear anything, or say anything.
He would stay quiet and obedient, as if he didn’t exist—a good child.
Because that’s what people wanted from him.
“How admirable.”
At Jonathan’s praise, Kallix’s eyes widened.
“But we don’t need you.”
At those words, Kallix felt like his heart dropped straight to the ground.
“I brought you here to make my sister happy.”
Jonathan grabbed Kallix by the shoulder.
“But you’re completely useless.”
“Ah…”
“Instead, I’ll send you to someone nice. His work may be rough, but he’s fairly kind to children.”
Jonathan was speaking in a gentle tone when—
“Brother.”
Reina, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise.
“I thought you didn’t like the child?”
“I find your thoughtfulness toward me touching.”
At her words, Jonathan’s face brightened.
“Then I’ll switch him out for another child. This one looks decent enough, but the way he talks is a bit creepy…”
He trailed off as he glanced at Kallix.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he suddenly reached out his hand.
“What’s this?”
He abruptly grabbed a string peeking out from Kallix’s collar and pulled it out.
It was a leather necklace, with a small wooden carving hanging from it.
“Ah!”
Startled, Kallix reached out, but Jonathan lightly pushed him away and examined the carving closely.
“What is this creepy thing?”
Jonathan asked, his voice suddenly turning cold.
The worn, hand-touched carving resembled the kind of figure shamans used for curses.
If the child possessed something so ominous, he should be thrown out of the estate immediately.
“Answer me.”
Frightened by his harsh tone, Kallix spoke with a trembling face.
“It’s a toy… a carving of a hero from a fairy tale…”
“Ah.”
Only then did Jonathan’s expression relax.
“Where would an orphan get something like this? You must’ve stolen it.”
“No!”
Kallix shook his head frantically.
“P-please give it back.”
Afraid it would be taken away, he grabbed the string and pulled.
With a scoff, Jonathan let go of the necklace and turned to Reina.
“See? Just touching a shabby toy makes him jump like that. Looks like he’s got sticky fingers too. We should pick another child.”
“No. I like him. Like you said, he resembles that stray cat.”
Of course, Reina had no idea what that stray cat she supposedly liked even looked like.
“I was getting bored anyway. I’ll take the child out for some fresh air.”
“You’re taking him out? What are you planning to do out there?”
There was no concern on Jonathan’s face—only curiosity and interest.
“Want me to come along? You’ve never had a toy like this before. I can show you how to have fun with it.”
Reina had no desire whatsoever to learn.
‘Looks like I’ll have to use that method.’
If she left things like this, Jonathan would keep clinging to her.
“Brother.”
Reina let out a small sigh.
She raised her hand and stared at it absentmindedly.
“Why are you being…”
She lightly scratched her thumbnail with her thumb as she continued,
“…so annoying?”
At her cold muttering, Jonathan’s eyes widened.
Then he burst out laughing.
“Alright, alright. I’ll stop bothering you.”
As expected.
‘It works on Jonathan too.’
Whenever Reina didn’t want to deal with the count and countess, she behaved like this.
She had learned from overhearing the maids’ gossip that Reina supposedly had anger management issues.
She usually reacted indifferently, but once she got angry, she would lose control to the point of a fit.
Because of this, the estate had been thrown into chaos several times, so everyone was careful not to provoke her.
‘They said fiddling with her nails like this is a warning sign.’
After learning this, Reina used it whenever necessary—and it worked every time.
“Then I’ll lend you one of my servants. Take him with you.”
Jonathan, who seemed to have backed down, made a suggestion.
“He’s tight-lipped, so he’s trustworthy.”
It seemed he had assumed Reina was going out to dispose of someone.
“That’s alright. I’ll take my own maid.”
Reina stopped picking at her nails and called out.
“Maya.”
Maya was Reina’s personal maid.
Jonathan narrowed his eyes slightly at the unfamiliar maid who appeared.
“I’ve never seen her before.”
That made sense—Maya had been hired after Jonathan had left.
“What happened to your previous maid?”
“She talked too much.”
Reina replied shortly, then looked at Maya.
“I’ll be going out with the child. Prepare things.”
She spoke calmly, but her hands were damp with nervous sweat.
* * *
At that same time, the Ingersoll estate was bustling.
The Grand Duke of Ingersoll had returned after being dispatched to a conflict region under the Emperor’s orders.
“Your Grace, welcome back. You’ve worked hard.”
The estate’s butler greeted Lucius respectfully.
“Where is my uncle?”
“He has stepped out briefly.”
Taking Lucius’s coat, the butler asked,
“The bath has been prepared. Would you like to dine after you’ve rested?”
Lucius nodded and headed to the bath.
He dismissed the servants who followed him and bathed alone.
Afterward, he changed into comfortable clothes.
His jet-black hair, usually neatly slicked back, now fell loosely over his forehead.
Unlike when he had entered the estate in gleaming armor like a sharpened blade, he now looked like an ordinary nobleman.
Lucius sat on the sofa and leaned back comfortably.
Blinking slowly with eyes that felt gritty like sand, he closed them.
His steady breathing filled the silent room.
Knock, knock.
At the sound, Lucius slowly opened his eyes.
Though he had only rested briefly, his gaze was now sharper than ever.
“Your meal is ready.”
Guided by the butler, Lucius entered the dining room and sat at the table. Dishes of appetizing food were placed before him one by one.
He glanced at them indifferently, then shifted his gaze to the seat across from him.
The chair was empty—no food, not even cutlery had been set there.
“Where is Kallix?”
At his question, the butler’s face showed unease.
“Have you… not heard?”
“Heard what?”
“Young Master Kallix is currently at a sanatorium in the south.”
Lucius slowly turned his gaze toward the butler.
His calm eyes instantly sharpened.
“A sanatorium? What are you talking about?”
“Ah, there must have been some misunderstanding. Sir Martin surely informed you—”
“My uncle sent Kallix to a sanatorium?”
Sir Martin was Lucius’s uncle.
He was also the guardian who had raised the Ingersoll brothers after they lost their parents young.
Until Lucius came of age to inherit the title of Grand Duke, Martin had managed the estate and territory as the temporary head.
Even now, whenever Lucius was away for long periods, he naturally took on that role.
“Young Master Kallix’s health worsened suddenly, so he was sent to a sanatorium in a southern resort area for recovery.”
A sanatorium at a resort.
Lucius let out a dry laugh.
It seemed his uncle had grown quite fond of his role as “temporary” head—so much so that he thought himself the real one.
“Your Grace,”
The butler spoke cautiously, watching his expression.
“Shall we proceed with the meal—”
“No.”
Lucius cut him off firmly.
“I’ll be going out. I don’t need it.”
“What? You’ve just returned after a year—”
At the butler’s attempt to stop him, Lucius smirked.
He stood and walked past him.
“W-where are you going?”
“To the south.”
“To the sanatorium where Young Master Kallix is?”
“Yes. And tell my uncle this as well—”
Lucius quickened his steps.
“Tell him I’ve gone to bring Kallix back.”
