🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 26~
Ivelina couldn’t believe her ears.
“W-what did you say?”
“Ah, it was just so absurd that I said it without thinking…”
Delphina sighed.
It was obvious why Ivelina had brought Kasen all the way to the North.
‘She just wants to see me suffer because of Kasen.’
Unfortunately for Ivelina, Delphina was now confident she could see Kasen’s face and feel nothing at all.
Delphina began preparing to cook. She spoke to Ivelina.
“Go stand over there. I need to get to work.”
At her words, Ivelina’s eyes flared.
“Are you giving me orders right now?”
Even so, she backed away, seemingly unwilling to stay close to Delphina while she cooked.
Delphina actually welcomed the distance.
Walton quietly came up beside her and whispered,
“Lady Rikaion really has a nasty personality, doesn’t she?”
Pfft.
“She’s completely different from you, Lady Delphina. So brash and rude… how can anyone be like that?”
Delphina found the situation funny.
Back at the academy, she had always been the one called unpleasant.
“There’s a reason Ivelina keeps harassing her.”
“If Delphina had a better personality, Ivelina wouldn’t get so angry.”
Delphina smiled faintly at Walton. He just shrugged.
She didn’t want to think too deeply about it. After all, she had more important things to focus on.
‘Cooking is more important than Ivelina right now.’
Delphina looked ahead.
‘He’s here again today.’
Her gaze landed on Calyx. Today’s dish was soup rice again—just like the day before.
But there was a reason for it.
Laborers in the North typically worked every other day.
Working two days in a row was rare.
Building the northern fortress walls was that grueling.
‘They say if you work consecutively, the cost of healing surpasses your day’s wage.’
That’s why they rotated shifts.
But Calyx didn’t seem to care. He looked calm as ever, his hair damp with sweat.
Which meant he had, once again, worked to his absolute limit.
Even the laborers around him were amazed by his stamina.
“Enjoy your meal.”
Delphina handed him a bowl of soup rice, which had been simmering for three days and was now much richer in flavor.
A faint blush rose on Calyx’s face. He happily took the bowl and went to his seat.
Soon, a loud exclamation rang out.
“Khhhhh!”
Calyx looked incredibly pleased. Seeing him like that lifted Delphina’s spirits—dampened earlier by Ivelina.
But Ivelina, still displeased, spoke up to Delphina.
“Give me some too.”
Delphina looked at her.
A cook does not refuse someone who says they’re hungry.
‘But… is Ivelina really asking because she wants to eat?’
Delphina handed her a bowl of soup rice. Ivelina accepted it with a cold expression.
“Hmph. Are you seriously expecting me to eat this here?”
Delphina glanced around.
The laborers looked visibly uncomfortable because of Ivelina’s outburst.
Even aside from that, Delphina felt the need to move her elsewhere—for the sake of the other guests.
“Go eat over there.”
Fortunately, there was a table set up inside a nearby tent, out of sight.
Ivelina scowled and stomped away. Walton tried to deliver the bowl to her.
“I’ll do it, Walton.”
“But Lady Delphina—”
“It’ll be better this way.”
Knowing Ivelina’s personality, if Walton brought her food, she would surely insult him. Delphina didn’t want to witness that.
Just then, Calyx appeared behind her.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Cal? It’s not that heavy, really.”
“No, it’s not that. There’s… something else that’s bothering me.”
“Something bothering you?”
“Yes. That person doesn’t seem like she has a very nice personality.”
Delphina gave him a small smile.
“You noticed that too, Cal?”
“You can’t hide a person’s true nature.”
After a moment of hesitation, Delphina nodded.
She had no reason to refuse the Empire’s strongest knight offering to accompany her.
When Calyx set the bowl down in front of Ivelina, she turned to Delphina and asked sharply:
“Delphina, do you remember?”
“……”
“At the academy, when we used to hang out together. You often got drenched, remember?”
Delphina replied flatly, correcting her:
“You mean you threw water on me. It’s not like I got soaked by accident.”
* * *
Calyx had no particular thoughts about the people of the Duke of Rikaion’s household.
That included Ivelina’s behavior as well. Occasionally, nobles would lash out at commoners. It happened.
Of course, Calyx despised those kinds of nobles, but even if Ivelina behaved badly toward him, he was willing to turn a blind eye.
After all, he was currently just “Worker Cal.”
‘If I reveal my true identity, the other workers would feel uncomfortable around me.’
Still, he had followed Delphina out of concern.
He suspected Ivelina might try something vile against her—and he had been right.
The moment he heard Ivelina say she used to pour water on Delphina during their academy days, Calyx’s expression darkened.
“Did I? I don’t really remember. It’s been so long, after all.”
“So long ago…”
“Yeah, who even remembers stuff from school? We were just kids. And everyone makes mistakes, right?”
Ivelina said it with a smirk, lifting the bowl of soup in her hand.
“Hmm… Maybe doing it again will jog my memory?”
And with that, she moved to pour it right on Delphina.
But the one who got hit wasn’t Delphina.
In an instant, Calyx and Delphina had switched places.
Drip, drip—hot broth slid down Calyx’s hair.
Delphina rushed to him in shock.
“Cal, are you okay?! Oh no—look at me. We need to get you treated right now!”
His silver hair was drenched and sticky with broth.
As she reached to wipe his soaked head, Calyx gently shook his head.
“I’m fine, my lady. I don’t get hurt easily.”
He then turned and stared silently at Ivelina with calm but penetrating eyes.
“This food is extremely hot. If Lady Delphina had been hit, she could’ve been seriously burned.”
At that moment, Ivelina felt a chill run down her spine. But she quickly reminded herself—only a commoner and Delphina were present here.
‘So what if he glares?’
She glared back, wide-eyed.
“What? What are you gonna do about it, you lowly commoner?”
“Pouring hot soup on someone—do you think that’s okay? Right now, you shouldn’t be shouting—you should be apologizing!”
At Delphina’s words, Ivelina snorted.
“Who asked for your opinion?”
Calyx spoke slowly.
“Lady Delphina is to become the Grand Duchess of the North. Do you really think behavior like this is acceptable?”
Ivelina shrugged.
“Where’s your proof?”
“……”
“So what if she almost got burned? Do you have proof I did it?”
That was it—proof.
The only people present were Ivelina, Delphina, and Calyx, a mere commoner.
No matter how clear it seemed that Ivelina had tried to pour soup on Delphina, without evidence, there was nothing that could be done.
