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Chapter 10
*He remembered even that?* Odellia clamped her mouth shut, as if determined not to admit to that one aloud.
Whether she pretended not to know about their past connection or not, Kalix had no intention of forgetting. He couldn’t forget even if he tried—he just hadn’t brought it up until now.
“Fate is quite strange, isn’t it?”
At Kalix’s smiling remark, Odellia felt a sudden heat rise to the back of her neck and scratched the back of her head for no reason.
Those were the very words she had said to him back then.
—
*”What, the shriveled grain—you’re still alive? Fate is strange, isn’t it? Meeting again here.”*
*”……How insolent.”*
*”Just what I’d expect from a young master. Anyway, just patch me up here.”*
*”Wh-what are you doing! Taking off your clothes like that—have you no shame?”*
*”You’re the one who’s more shameful for looking for shame on a battlefield. How sheltered must you be to blush over a woman’s body in a situation like this?”*
—
Back then, Odellia had been no different from a mad dog with nothing in her sights, and Kalix had been a fragile Crown Prince—a green soldier forced into battle, trembling like a leaf.
Now he had grown into a proper man, and that mad dog had become a fool who couldn’t even manage a single waltz step.
Having nothing to say, Odellia simply rolled her eyes quietly. Was it too late to apologize for her rudeness back then? More than anything, she could tell that his words now weren’t meant to make her apologize.
After finishing the treatment, Kalix set Odellia’s foot down. She quickly tucked her feet back under her dress hem.
“……Do you think I can make a successful debut?”
“You beheaded enemy soldiers with a woman’s body—and now you’re losing heart just because you can’t dance?”
“You know how it is. It’s pitiful. And not just my dancing skills.”
Odellia let out a self-deprecating scoff and fluttered the hem of her dress.
“Is the dress uncomfortable?”
“No. On the contrary, it’s quite cool and comfortable with the lower half so airy. But I do worry that I might look ridiculous.”
“That’s unlike you.”
“How was I when Your Highness saw me before?”
At that, Kalix looked up at Odellia. He was still in the middle of treating her other foot, so naturally he was looking up at her.
“The you that I saw……”
Odellia’s battered toes trembled ever so slightly.
Whether that tremor came from her own pain, or from the warmth of Kalix’s hands holding her foot—she couldn’t tell in the end.
“……You were always a wild one, so there’s no need to strain yourself trying to be elegant.”
“A wild one? That’s too harsh!”
So she chose those words, unlike her usual self. But as if she’d been waiting for such lighthearted banter, Odellia made an even bigger fuss for no reason, and Kalix didn’t add anything further.
“I’m just saying.”
Odellia grumbled about how harsh he was, insisting she wasn’t that bad—but she still got up when Kalix rose.
“Ah!”
Whether it was because she’d hastily put on her shoes in her rush to stand, or because she’d finally become aware of the pain in her injured feet—Odellia lost her balance and swayed. Kalix quickly caught her.
What a cliché. Odellia thought she’d just become the heroine of some pitiful romance novel. Maybe she shouldn’t have even glanced at the book Cedric had recommended.
But her reflection in the mirror that filled one wall looked rather awkward for a heroine.
Odellia’s body was as stiff as a tilted log, and Kalix, who caught her, was nothing like the brooding male leads from the romance novels currently popular in the capital—unlike the ones in the book.
“Try to be aware of your injuries.”
It was just a look of exasperation and a scolding tone.
Feeling embarrassed, Odellia straightened herself and fidgeted with her hair. Kalix tilted his head in curiosity, then gave a small, resigned shake of his head.
“I’ll be going now.”
Picking up his jacket, which he’d draped over the sofa, Kalix turned to leave—and Odellia quickly followed.
“……Won’t you stay for dinner?”
“Are you offering me such generous hospitality?”
“People might think I’m turning you away at the door. Every time you leave first, I never get the chance to invite you…… and the timing is right, so why not have dinner together—no, well……”
Her voice began to fade.
“Why are you trailing off?”
“I was just thinking, there’s really no reason for Your Highness to have dinner with me. I’d hate to waste your time.”
And more than that—no matter how much they were cooperating for mutual benefit, having the Crown Prince himself dine at the same table as her was simply unthinkable. There was still a clear gap in status.
So it had been a foolish suggestion, she belatedly realized. Why had she even brought up dinner? She herself was baffled by her own actions.
Kalix stared at her intently, then let out a soft laugh.
“Then I suppose I’ll stay for dinner.”
With a composed face, Odellia gave a brief nod and said to the butler:
“If that’s all right with you…… His Highness Kalix will be staying for dinner. Please prepare it.”
“Yes, Lady Odellia.”
She had been called an emotionless woman on the battlefield—one who showed no screams, no anger, no fear. But now, her fingertips fidgeted nervously with her dress hem, and the corner of her mouth curved ever so slightly upward.
She probably didn’t notice it herself. But Kalix caught that small delight and smiled quietly.
—
***
Time passed quickly.
During that time, Odellia had not only received rigorous training from the Duchess but had also learned about noble genealogies and each house from Kalix.
Of course, since it was impossible to memorize every noble, Kalix personally handpicked a selection of houses and handed Odellia a list.
“I’ve focused on houses with high prestige but financial difficulties. I’ve also eliminated any men whose temperaments would clash with yours.”
Simply put, they were candidates for Kalix’s docile marionette—and candidates for Odellia’s husband.
Odellia flipped through the documents, which were filled with details—small portraits, personalities, tendencies, and even romantic histories. Kalix stood behind her, offering commentary on each one.
“This one has a slight masochistic streak, so even if you treat him roughly, he’d probably enjoy it.”
“A maso-ki? If he has a maso-ki, I can treat him roughly?”
At Odellia’s innocent question, Kalix shot a troubled glance at Cedric and the Duchess. Cedric looked clueless, and the Duchess was barely suppressing her laughter.
*This is going to be a headache.*
“……I’ll explain it another time. It’s not that important. Just means he’s a bit spineless and dull.”
“Like Cedric?”
“That’s harsh, Odellia!”
“……Well, in a certain context, you could say they’re similar.”
With that, Kalix leaned down, took Odellia’s hand, and forced her to turn to the next page. Odellia stopped asking questions and listened to his explanations again.
To an outsider, it looked no different than before—but Cedric noticed Odellia’s unnatural demeanor. His grinning expression turned rather serious.
Regardless, Kalix and Odellia were busy going through the list of husband candidates in close intimacy.
“This one has a cherry blossom allergy, so if you suggest a picnic or a walk, he’d probably have to stay indoors.”
“That might actually be better for me. I don’t need to go flower-gazing anyway.”
“I’ve included this one on the list, but you can eliminate him if you want. His character is rather poor.”
“……”
Odellia stared at Kalix with a flat expression.
“What?”
“……It’s nothing. I was just thinking it’s odd to hear you say that.”
For someone so handsome to say that a man’s character was poor enough to eliminate—no matter how generously she rated the candidates on this list, none of them could even compare to the dirt under Kalix’s fingernails.
They had been going through the list for a while, debating which one was better or worse, when—
The clock struck noon, and servants opened the door to begin preparing for afternoon tea. This, too, was part of the lesson.
“Now, Odellia. Let’s begin your tea-time lesson.”
