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Chapter 15
“Lady Odellia, what did you just say?”
“It’s tasteless, the tea. Too bitter.”
“…C-Cognac? You mean you drink alcohol?”
“Isn’t it cost-effective? When you drink it, your body heats up, so during the harsh winter, instead of lacking blankets, I’d down some cognac and sleep. A few of my comrades froze to death doing that, though. Ohohoho!”
Odellia tried her best to imitate a lady, covering her mouth—but since she didn’t have a fan, she raised her teacup saucer instead. And out of habit from joking around with her comrades, she lifted her elbow and gave the Marquis a solid jab in the ribs.
The Marquis, stunned, turned pale and rubbed his side as he spoke.
“…Truly, you have a remarkable sense of humor.”
The Marquis carefully wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief. Watching him, Odellia let out a small inward sigh.
*’Ha, blew it. I blew it.’*
Odellia picked up her teacup again, but this time she didn’t bring it to her lips—she quietly set it down. Because a laugh had escaped her lips without her realizing it. If she’d taken a gulp of tea right then, she might have earned the label of “the woman who sprayed tea after the éclair incident.”
The suppressed laughter soon spread to her shoulders, and eventually, Odellia burst out laughing.
“Honestly, cognac—really. Ha, haha… Hahahaha!”
“L-Lady?”
The Marquis stared at Odellia as she suddenly broke into laughter, slowly adopting a wary look. His expression subtly betrayed the thought creeping through his mind: *Is this woman insane?*
—
***
After what felt less like a date and more like torture, Odellia boarded the carriage and returned to the mansion. Completely drained, she fell into a deep sleep during the entire ride and only woke when the carriage came to a stop.
Exhausted, shoulders slumped, she trudged inside—and the moment she crossed the threshold, her eyes went wide.
There was a figure standing by the window, bathed in long rays of sunlight.
It was Calix.
At the unexpected sight, Odellia’s fatigue vanished in an instant. Life returned to her face.
In the scene where the sunset light streamed through the window, Calix stood leaning against the frame, one hand casually in his pocket, with the garden as his backdrop. As if he had been there all along.
His presence was weighty and quiet.
“Did you enjoy your date, Odellia?”
He slowly turned his head. Meeting his gaze head-on, Odellia’s heart trembled with an inexplicable flutter. She could feel her own cheeks burning for no reason.
Just as she tried to avert her gaze in embarrassment, Calix spoke again.
“You must have had fun. Your face is red.”
At that, Odellia quickly shook her head. She replied in a slightly grumbling tone.
“…It’s the sunset.”
Calix tilted his head slightly, then strode toward her. *Ah, was that too rude?* Odellia stiffened slightly.
Stopping before her, Calix bent down slightly and gazed intently at her face. It was an unexpectedly close distance. Odellia tensed up instantly, her body going rigid.
“Wh-Why are you…?”
Calix studied her face from various angles for a long moment, then spoke in a playful voice.
“Indeed. It must be the sunset, I suppose.”
A soft chuckle escaped him, the corners of his mouth lifting.
In his crescent-moon-shaped eyes, Odellia caught a glimpse of her own reflection. Her lips were slightly parted as if entranced, and her unfocused pupils were trembling.
She must have looked utterly foolish—so much so that she felt she’d surely be found out. Hastily, she whipped her head away and stepped back.
“I heard you were busy… Did you finish your schedule?”
“I was curious. Whether your first date went well or not.”
“I ruined it.”
“Why? Did you spit out an éclair again?”
At his teasing question, Odellia lowered the corners of her mouth slightly and said.
“No, that’s not it… but the man talked far too much. It drained the life out of me.”
“I see. He is a talkative sort. Still, I thought you liked men who talk a lot, since you always seem so close with Cedric.”
Calix let out a short laugh. At that smile, Odellia’s lips began to curve upward in response—but then she blinked in surprise at the unexpected remark.
“Excuse me? Cedric is just a friend, so I spend time with him. That Marquis, though—he talked so much my ears were about to bleed.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Pardon…?”
“It’s a relief. That you don’t like that kind of man.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned his head.
“You don’t seem to have eaten dinner yet. Shall we dine together?”
Staring blankly at Calix, Odellia found herself nodding before she knew it. *He’s probably just being cautious—worried that a talkative person might spread rumors. Yes, that must be it…*
—
On the dining table, steaming dishes were arranged neatly. The silverware and pristine plates suggested a formal dinner, yet the room was quiet. The Duchess and Cedric had both already left. The meal, with just the two of them remaining, was strangely silent.
Odellia was hungry. Very, very hungry.
What she really wanted was to just grab the food with her hands and tear into it. If she’d been alone, she’d have roughly chopped the thick, hefty meat, stuffed it into her mouth, savored the juices, and swallowed it down with relish.
But she couldn’t do that here. So she cut the thick meat on her plate into tiny pieces and daintily placed them in her mouth.
*I should have eaten something back at that pavilion, even if it gave me indigestion.* A belated regret clung to the back of her throat.
“Did you eat before coming?”
Calix’s low voice cut across the quiet table.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why are you picking at your food like that? Are you unwell?”
The question was straightforward, but laced with concern.
Odellia set down her fork and thought inwardly. *I can’t exactly devour my food like a starving beast in front of His Highness. That would be undignified.* But she couldn’t say that aloud.
Calix glanced at her plate, tilting his head slightly.
“How strange. From what I saw before, you ate quite heartily. You even tore meat off the bone with your bare hands, didn’t you?”
Odellia flinched and looked up.
“Th-That was only on the battlefield…!”
“Besides, this is your favorite menu.”
Indignation and embarrassment rose simultaneously—but then she lowered her gaze, scanned the table, and suddenly looked up again.
“…But how did you know what my favorite food is?”
Calix kept his gaze on the table for a moment, then looked at Odellia and lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.
“You’ve always been crazy about meat, haven’t you?”
His tone was familiar. Teasingly gentle, and somehow as if he knew everything. Feeling her face flush, Odellia stared down at her plate for no reason. A single piece of meat still sat there, lonely.
She poked at it absently with her fork, fidgeting her fingers, her lips parting and closing several times. Hesitation showed even in her fingertips.
Watching her in silence, Calix slowly folded his napkin as if finishing his meal. Then he said softly,
“After dinner, shall we take a walk together?”
“Yes. I’d like that.”
The answer sprang out before she could stop it—short and clearly affirmative. Feeling she’d agreed too eagerly, she added belatedly, *if Your Highness has the time.*
Calix merely let out a low chuckle.
—
***
The two stepped outside and walked slowly along the small path in front of the mansion. Under the soft lamplight, Odellia’s shadow stretched long. Calix matched his steps quietly beside her.
Small groups of people gathered here and there on the streets, and some were glancing at Calix, whispering. Feeling their gazes, Odellia hesitated, then cautiously spoke.
“Your Highness, I’m worried this might spark a scandal… Perhaps it would be better to head back?”
Calix turned his eyes to her and asked mischievously.
“Since when did you start being so swayed by people’s stares, Odellia?”
“That’s not it—it’s just that people might recognize you…”
Odellia simply hated the thought of Calix’s name or every little action of his being plastered across cheap tabloids. It felt like he was being treated like a disposable commodity.
She didn’t mind her own name being used as gossip fodder, consumed and tossed around by people. But the thought of Calix’s name being dragged into it—especially alongside hers, which was always at the center of controversy—was far from pleasant.
Seeing Odellia lost in thought, Calix stopped walking.
“I don’t mind. But do you?”
