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Chapter 42
“I can’t go. And not just me—you want Father and Callisto to come too? That’s ridiculous.”
“Etienne, calm down.”
“Why would the Empress want to see Callisto? I absolutely refuse to go.”
When Father came to the drawing room after hearing about the Empress’s invitation from Cliff, I was almost out of my mind.
What I had feared had finally happened. As expected, Roen must have suspected Callisto that day. The Empress likely sent the invitation because she wanted to see Callisto’s face herself.
The Empress knew the face of Marie Louise, Callisto’s mother. If she saw Callisto in person, she might confirm his bloodline. That meant going was a problem—but not going would also be a problem. If we refused, she would only grow more suspicious of Callisto.
I anxiously bit my nails, muttering incoherently.
“I’ll say his manifestation hasn’t finished yet—that he’s still in pain.”
“My child, Etienne.”
“I’ll say he’s still in the middle of manifesting… That should work. They wouldn’t demand we bring a child who’s still in that state.”
“But you can’t stall forever. The Empress won’t give up so easily.”
“Then….”
I looked up at Father, feeling utterly desperate.
“Then what do we do? The Empress will try to get rid of Callisto….”
“Compose yourself. If she truly suspected, she wouldn’t be probing like this—she would’ve sent assassins already. She’s approaching cautiously, in case Callisto really is my son.”
“Is that really it…?”
Father’s words made sense. Perhaps things would have been different before, but lately the Winyeats family had been rising in power. The Empress’s family, the Harrington ducal house, even owed us a debt. No matter who she was, she couldn’t recklessly harm the bloodline of a count’s house. Thinking that way calmed me slightly.
“Then… please make it clear, Father. We should also come up with an excuse about Callisto’s birth mother….”
“You know as well as I do that a temporary fix won’t solve this. We need to divert the Empress’s attention away from Callisto.”
“…What do you mean?”
Only then did I realize Father’s intention, and my face hardened. He frowned slightly, as if it couldn’t be helped.
“It would be best to send Callisto to the academy. If he spends a few years somewhere beyond the Empress’s reach, her interest—and that of Prince Roen—will fade.”
“But Father, Callisto is still too young. We can’t just send him away to an academy….”
“Etienne.”
Father let out a short sigh. His expression was sympathetic, but his voice was firm.
“The Empress will keep summoning Callisto. You can’t make excuses every time. You won’t be able to protect him forever. And it will be a good experience for him as well.”
“….”
I couldn’t argue, because he was right. I briefly wondered if I should enroll alongside Callisto—but I was already an adult. It made no sense for me to attend an academy meant for children. My mood sank as I lowered my gaze, worrying about how to break the news to Callisto.
When I arrived at the training grounds near the end of sword practice, I saw the children gathered in a tight circle, whispering among themselves. Their voices were serious.
“…That’s what happened. Anettsa clearly beat him, but she still got rejected!”
“The marquis’s son who lost to Anettsa—did he pass the palace knights selection?”
“Yeah! And someone I beat several times passed too! I got rejected!”
“Anettsa got first place and Kevin second… If both of them were rejected, something must’ve been arranged behind the scenes.”
Callisto sat among them, his small face scrunched up, listening to Anettsa and Kevin vent. Lawrence, with a serious expression, was organizing the situation as he listened to the Gilros siblings. Just from overhearing, I understood what had happened—the results of the palace trainee knight selection had been announced.
“So it followed the original story after all.”
I had hoped otherwise, but the corruption of noble society hadn’t changed. Despite their superior skills, the Gilros siblings—minor nobles—had been rejected, while sons of marquis and count families had been accepted instead. The siblings, who had trained for years for this goal, were deeply discouraged. I saw Callisto awkwardly pat Kevin’s shoulder with his small hand, trying to comfort him.
In the original story, after failing the knight selection, the Gilros siblings joined the navy—a world where only strength mattered, free of class discrimination. Callisto, determined to leave the shadow of the Winyeats family, went with them. This time, too, they would likely seek another path. I had already planned to sponsor them so they could study at the academy.
As my thoughts reached the academy, I remembered Father’s suggestion about sending Callisto there. My steps slowed.
“If Callisto goes with the Gilros siblings, he won’t be lonely.”
That way, he could avoid the Empress and fully develop his abilities. In every way, Father’s plan was right. The only thing holding me back was that I didn’t want to be separated from Callisto.
“Hyung!”
Callisto spotted me and brightened, running over to hug my waist. Behind him, Lawrence hesitated before approaching, still sulking from having his proposal rejected.
“…Etienne, you’re here?”
It didn’t even take him a full minute to come over.
The children gathered around me, complaining about the unfair treatment of Kevin and Anettsa. I spoke carefully.
“We could request a retrial using the Winyeats name. But even if you get in that way, you’ll face discrimination. They’ll try to exclude you instead of giving you opportunities.”
“So we can’t become knights?”
“That’s so unfair! Kevin and I were the best!”
Kevin and Anettsa grumbled dejectedly. I added gently,
“What about the academy?”
“The academy…? It’s hard to get into, and it’s expensive! Could we even go?”
“With Father’s recommendation and our support, it’s possible. If you’re interested, I can arrange it.”
“We’d like that, but… isn’t that too much to ask…?”
Anettsa looked hesitant. They had grown more mature than I expected. Smiling, I said,
“It’s not a burden—it’s an investment in talent. There’s no one in the Empire more promising than you. It’s the knight corps that made the mistake.”
“Hehe… you always say such nice things, Etienne!”
“But we’re not the best in the Empire! That’s not true!”
“Right, right. Callisto is way better than us!”
“…Callisto?”
They weren’t the type to flatter. Feeling a bit proud, I glanced at Callisto, who was blushing and squirming shyly.
“What if Callisto goes to the academy with you? It’d be easier to adjust with friends.”
“With Callisto? That’d be great!”
“Callisto’s leaving for the academy? Etienne, you’re staying here, right?”
“…What do you mean, hyung?”
The children all chimed in. Lawrence looked delighted, while Callisto’s face crumpled, on the verge of tears.
“Why do I have to go to the academy? I’m not going!”
I didn’t want to send him away either. But I didn’t want to scare him with the truth. I hesitated.
“Calli… at the academy, you’ll have more opportunities, and you can develop your abilities—”
“I don’t need that! I want to stay with you!”
“You might feel differently when you’re older—”
“Why are you trying to send me away? Do you not like me anymore?”
“What? No! Of course not!”
Panicking, I hurried to comfort him. Seeing his amber eyes fill with tears, I realized I needed to tell him the truth—about his heritage, his identity, and the Empress. Avoiding it would only hurt him more.
But this wasn’t something to discuss in front of others. Holding him close, I whispered,
“I’ll tell you everything soon. After we return from the palace… I’ll explain everything. So don’t cry, okay?”
“The palace? Why are we going there?”
Callisto looked up, startled. I forced a reassuring smile.
“The Empress… invited us to a tea party. It’ll be fine. We’ll go, see what’s going on, and then decide what to do together. Alright?”
“….”
His expression darkened. Even as a child, he understood what such an invitation meant. Remembering Roen’s recent visit, his face turned pale.
“…Okay. Tell me later, hyung.”
A shadow fell beneath his long lashes. My heart ached for him—but there was nothing I could do for now.
