ITETD 60

Chapter 60

But that was already several days ago. Now, I was too free and bored. The cat I brought from the palace seemed to fully recognize me as its owner. It spent all day rolling around my room like a lucky, spoiled cat.

I named the cat “Baba.” Because of Baba, I spent several busy days playing with it.

Ah, when I stayed at the palace, Calix and I spent time looking over the things I had bought while shopping. Calix liked all the clothes, ribbons, and accessories I got, but he didn’t like the toy soldiers I bought for myself.

Well, I bought those toys partly to tease him. The shopkeeper had kindly told me they were for children anyway.

In other words, we were bored enough to play with toys.
Of course, Calix was still busy with work at the estate and receiving news from the territory. But that was just normal work as a duke.

Actually, Calix had nothing to do about me. The fact that he spent all day inside the mansion beside me showed that well. If Calix was plotting something, he wouldn’t just hang around lazily.

All this was because Tan hadn’t brought the information he was supposed to find.

Tan wasn’t just not coming to me. Fairly, he hadn’t gone to Calix either.

‘When will Tan arrive?’

I once hinted that I wanted to go shopping alone. Calix said since Tan was away, he’d assign someone else to me. I had no choice but to go out once, though I came back quickly.

‘If Tan is away, he’s probably working hard on the investigation, right?’

I was sure Tan would come to me with information about the prince, just like he would report on Renia to Calix. I planned to act when Tan came, thinking that would be when Calix would make a move.

But this long wait was boring, and Tan still hadn’t appeared. Probably because the prince and Renia hid their moves tightly. Even Calix didn’t know that the prince was that crazy.

Meanwhile, the other person I was waiting for was Renia.

This was to try to peacefully persuade Renia: since the Hertrio duke also wants revenge, we shouldn’t fight but join hands to defeat the emperor.

So I was waiting for Renia to come after me.

‘But she’s not coming.’

If her goal was the dragon, she should have come by now.

Wasn’t she trying to kill me because she wanted the dragon? After the poisoning failed, I expected another attack soon, but Renia was oddly quiet.

‘And she even came to talk to me about Milon.’

I shivered recalling that day.

Renia came to me about the dead maid on the last night of the party.

When I went out because someone called, there was Renia, looking scared.

‘She asked me to tell her anything I remember about Milon, even the smallest detail.’

Renia acted like she knew nothing. Her calmness was so convincing that if I hadn’t met the prince first, I might have been fooled. It was disgusting. But I pretended to be friendly because I couldn’t lose.

“Thank you, Prin. Did something come to mind?”

Renia nervously clutched her skirt.

‘Is that also an act?’

Once I knew her truth, every move of hers seemed like carefully planned acting. Renia hesitated and spoke.

“It’s nothing big, but when the palace party was announced, my sister got excited. She thought it was a chance to meet important people and make a mark. I never thought it would be the last.”

She was leading me to believe Milon’s will was true. As she spoke, she pretended to cry with all her heart.

“If you think of anything else, please tell me.”

“Yes.”

She even smiled at the end. I forced a smile too, hiding my trembling lips.

Renia bowed and left like that was her only goal. The tension I felt anticipating her next move vanished suddenly.

That was the last time. After that meeting, Renia did nothing.

‘She hasn’t given up.’

If she planned to quit, she wouldn’t have started.

‘What’s her real plan?’

I hoped she wasn’t secretly training to kill me—it was a chilling thought.

Just then Calix came into the room and called me.

“Rena.”

“Yeah.”

Without turning, I answered.

“Today’s lunch is lamb chops.”

“Sounds good.”

I answered carelessly, uninterested.

One good thing about coming to the estate was that Calix stopped acting like a strict palace courtier. I heard he gathered all the servants once and turned the place upside down like catching rats.

Anyway, Calix stopped his strange behavior after arriving. My queasy feeling disappeared.

Calix kissed my cheek and suggested,

“If you’re bored, want to play chess?”

“I’m tired of chess.”

“Then want to go shopping?”

“It’s too cold.”

Going outside in this weather is freezing.

Calix scrunched his nose like a child and said,

“What would make my lady happy?”

‘If Renia comes, it might get interesting.’

I thought that but didn’t say it. Instead, I gave a compromise.

“I think pudding would be fun.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

His playful tone made me smile.

While Calix called the head maid to give orders, I looked outside. Snowflakes began falling one by one—a real heavy snow.

Excited, I shouted,

“Oh! It’s snowing!”

“Snow?”

Calix sat next to me after I moved to make room. He watched the garden.

“The gardener’s going to have a hard time.”

The snow was falling fast and showed no sign of stopping.

I asked playfully,

“Can I melt all that?”

“If it all melts, it’ll freeze again.”

“Then we can sled on ice.”

Calix smiled teasingly.

“You want to sled? Cute.”

“You’re blinded by love.”

I answered gruffly but wasn’t upset. My face warmed. Watching Calix fuss over building a sled was fun.

‘If I hadn’t survived that day, I wouldn’t see this.’

Maybe because of the snow, I got sentimental.

‘It’s okay to enjoy this now.’

If Renia bothers me later, I can go to her first. She probably doesn’t know I’ve figured her out and is watching calmly. I’ll just strike first.

‘First strike wins.’

For that, I must prepare well.

‘But for now, let’s just play.’

I happily followed Calix as he looked for a carpenter.

In short, sledding was fun. Thanks to the carpenter who said it was easy and finished the sled in two hours.

I had to show the curious servants a magic trick: melting snow, then freezing it again. They cheered exaggeratedly, which was embarrassing. Calix watched, smiling as if finding it cute.

I awkwardly smiled at everyone and caught Calix’s eye.

‘Why is he clapping over there?’

I laughed loudly at his awkwardness.

Meeting Calix’s steady, loving gaze among many people was special. He looked at me with unwavering trust and affection. No one else in the world would look at me like that. That made me very happy.

After playing, the servants stored the sled safely. We sat by the fireplace wrapped in blankets, cheeks and noses red. Hannah brought hot chocolate.

“This reminds me of when we were kids.”

“By the sea?”

“Yeah. Back then and after.”

Calix stayed in Troxia only about a year, but in that short time, we experienced so much together—like the time I sent him up a tree looking for pretty leaves and he almost fell, or when we snuck out at night and got lost.

Back then, we were the only kids in the estate and had to stick close. The servants doted on us.

“You once challenged me to climb the cliff first and the loser would grant a wish. You cheated by using magic to climb in a second and I lost.”

“I have nothing to say…”

I wondered what wish I made then. Calix answered.