IBYVS 09

Chapter : 09

At Kalib’s words, I looked to Cedric in disbelief.

Guardian? Ward?

Cedric met my eyes briefly, as if to say “wait a moment,” then turned to Kalib.

“Kalib. That’s not an easy thing.”

“Why not?”

“If you, the heir to a grand duchy, become her guardian, it gives her a solid status, so it’ll be easier to persuade the vassals. But what about Ellia? What does she think?”

“Ellia said she liked being with me…”

Kalib trailed off mid-sentence.

A heavy silence followed.

Then, Kalib muttered in a strangled voice, as if something was caught in his throat.

“She never actually said that, did she…”

His small head lowered quietly, but I had no words to offer him.

Of course, I liked being with Kalib too.

It wasn’t just because he reminded me of Yoon—it had grown into genuine affection.

As long as Kalib didn’t fall into darkness, the world wouldn’t be plunged into chaos.

So there was no need for me, a mere extra, to avoid the main characters anymore.

The problem now was me.

I thought I was just a background character—but I was the villain.

Not a villain who would do something terrible in the future, but one who already had.

Even if those actions had been committed before I possessed Ellia’s body, I was still Ellia now.

And I already knew the truth.

So how could I tell Kalib, “I want to be with you”?

That would be deceit.

So all I could do was watch as Kalib’s shoulders trembled now and then.

After a while, Cedric broke the awkward silence.

“For now… shall we move? We should return to the Grand Duchy and properly discuss the terms of this contract marriage.”

“Ah… yes.”

I nodded faintly, sneaking a glance at Kalib.

He hadn’t wanted to go back to the Grand Duchy.

That place was cold and lonely.

He’d probably been relieved to be going with me—but I’d practically rejected him just now…

Wasn’t he completely deflated?

But when I glanced his way, Kalib’s expression was unexpectedly composed.

His red eyes didn’t reveal what he was thinking, but at least he didn’t look dejected.

Was he so clever that he understood the situation quickly?

I was relieved—because he was a genius… No, wait.

Even I was thinking like this now. Was I any different from the others?

I used to pity how prematurely mature he was, and now I was relieved by it.

I suddenly disliked myself a little.

With Cedric’s teleportation magic, Kalib returned to the Grand Duchy.

No—he was supposed to.

The Grand Duchy should’ve been pitch-black, but instead, it was whitewashed with snow.

“…What is this?”

Kalib looked up at the snow-covered Grand Duchy, glowing in the soft light.

The snowstorm had stopped, and the sun glittering against the icy walls was beautiful.

But the sight was completely different from the estate Kalib had seen about twenty days ago.

As Kalib stood stunned, Cedric spoke with an awkward expression.

“There were circumstances.”

“What kind of circumstances freeze an entire castle?”

Kalib asked, clearly in disbelief.

Cedric paused for a moment, then gave a small grin.

“If you’re that curious, how about attending the vassals’ meeting?”

In fact, Cedric had long wanted Kalib to attend those meetings.

But Kalib, afraid of the vassals’ sharp glares, had always said he wasn’t ready.

So Cedric often had to bait him like this.

But Kalib always slipped away like a fish.

This time, Cedric had expected the same.

“…Sure. I’ll attend.”

To Cedric’s surprise, Kalib agreed to attend the meeting.

And he wasn’t the only one shocked.

“You—you’re going to attend?”

Ellia, who had been staring blankly at the enormous Western-style castle, gasped in surprise.

‘In the original story, Kalib never once attended a vassals’ meeting until Cedric fell into slumber…’

Even Ellia, who knew the future, hadn’t seen this coming.

Kalib, however, had his own thoughts.

‘Right now, Ellia might not like me as much as I like her.’

But he figured that was just because they hadn’t spent enough time together yet.

‘It’s okay. After she marries my brother and before the curse is lifted, I’ll have time.’

Kalib clenched his slightly chubby fists.

‘Until then, I just need to make her fall for me.’

If he could get Ellia to want to stay with him of her own accord…

Then even after she divorced Cedric, she could remain by his side.

‘I can do it. I already have a plan.’

And that’s why Kalib, who had always been too afraid, boldly chose to attend the meeting now.

He looked straight at Ellia and said,

“I can’t keep running forever. And now that you’ll be staying in the Grand Duchy… I want to protect you.”

Though he didn’t say it outright, it was clear the words “even if only for a little while” were implied.

Ellia stared at him, dazed.

She looked uncertain, as if wondering if she even deserved such special treatment.

Cedric, too, was a bit stunned by Kalib’s sudden change.

‘That woman… gave Kalib the courage to do this? In just twenty days?’

He glanced at Ellia, who was silently watching Kalib with a strange gaze.

Then he extended his black-gloved hand to her.

“Ellia.”

When her eyes met his calm, deep voice, Cedric said,

“Let’s go.”

Ellia stared at the hand offered by this cold, emotionless man—then cautiously took it.

‘It feels… strange.’

With Cedric escorting her, she finally felt the full weight of being tangled up with the “main characters.”

‘And not only that—I’m marrying Cedric while still playing the role of the wicked fairy Ellia.’

Was this really the right choice?

With an uncertain and anxious heart, Ellia stepped into the dark castle.

A stir ran through the chamber where major matters of the family were discussed.

Not even Kalib’s first appearance in the chamber or Cedric’s use of weather magic to summon him had caused such an uproar.

Bang!

Marquis Reynold Babylon slammed the table.

“Marriage to a woman of unknown origin?!”

His sharp voice made Kalib’s red eyes narrow from his seat of honor.

But Reynold, enraged, stared only at Cedric, who sat at Kalib’s right.

Barely containing his anger, he raged on.

“This is the only Grand Duchy in the Ifrecent Empire! How can you, the presumed heir, take a commoner as your bride?! This is outrageous!”

“Watch your words. Kalib is present, yet you call me the heir. And besides, she is the woman I love.”

Reynold felt a chill run down his spine at the coldness in Cedric’s voice.

If a black beast with hydrangea-blue eyes existed, it would be Cedric.

His gaze, devoid of emotion, was all the more terrifying.

‘I… I can’t breathe…’

Reynold felt like he was drowning in a deep lake, unable to speak.

Cedric looked around at the silent vassals and said,

“I arranged this meeting to inform you, not to ask for your approval.”

He added that he had no intention of becoming Grand Duke, and thus his spouse didn’t need to be a noble of equal rank.

Reynold nearly collapsed, clutching his neck in shock.

But the other vassals said nothing—as if they’d expected it.

In truth, they couldn’t say anything.

‘He buried the castle in snow for nearly a month because Kalib went missing.’

‘If we oppose him now, who knows what madness he’ll unleash—maybe he’ll lock us all in the castle.’

‘Or worse, maybe he’ll target us directly this time!’

Even cursed, Cedric was said to be the strongest mage alive.

Of course, the idea of a commoner becoming Grand Duchess was unpleasant.

But they could solve that later by having Cedric remarry a noblewoman.

‘If it comes to it, we’ll just get rid of the commoner.’

‘She’s not a noble, so it won’t matter.’

‘Plenty of heads of noble families remarry after losing their spouses—it wouldn’t harm the Duchy.’

‘Love? That kind of thing rarely lasts more than three months.’

That was the general consensus.

But Reynold was the exception.

‘This is the Grand Duchy of Indigentia! My sister’s house!’

He was the only brother of the late Duchess Idisel Babylon Indigentia—Kalib’s maternal uncle.

Of course, that didn’t mean he could overpower Cedric.

“Well then, shall we move on to the wedding arrangements?”

“Yes, the sooner the better.”

Cedric discussed the wedding with Kalib, looking completely relaxed.

Reynold clenched his jaw, glaring at the two.

‘I can’t beat Cedric with magic. And even if I plead emotionally, he won’t listen.’

And he couldn’t bow his head to Kalib either—his pride wouldn’t allow it.

Better to accept a commoner as the duchess than to lower his head to the one who took his sister’s life.

That’s how much Reynold despised Kalib.

‘If Idisel were still alive, I’d already be the second most powerful man in this house!’

That thought alone made him furious.

So instead, he aimed to make Cedric, the adopted son, the Grand Duke.

‘Then I can manipulate the vassals to obstruct Cedric and eventually control him.’

Besides, there was another reason Kalib mustn’t become Grand Duke.

‘I have no choice. I’ll have to… take matters into my own hands.’

Reynold quietly nodded to himself as he remembered the reports that Ellia was completely ignorant of noble etiquette.