🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 56
“What was that sound just now?”
“Who’s there?!”
Startled, the two turned toward the pile of wooden beams where Calliope was hiding.
“A sneaky little rat tried to sneak in, huh.”
With a chilling hiss, the Second Prince drew his sword from his waist.
The sharp blade gleamed eerily under the moonlight.
“Ugh, seriously.”
There was no other option.
Calliope chose the most ungraceful method she could think of.
In short, she started running at full speed.
Manuel and Gilbert began chasing after her.
“Catch her!”
“Stop right there!”
‘Would I stop if I were in her shoes?!’
Muttering curses under her breath, Calliope sprinted with all her might.
But her outfit was far from cooperating.
The hem of her dress tangled around her legs, and her shoes were hardly suitable for running.
‘I can’t do this… I’ll just have to take off the shoes…’
“Ahh!”
She tripped over a protruding stone and fell forward.
Thanks to her reflexes, she wasn’t seriously injured, but she had twisted her ankle badly.
Unable to move, Calliope was caught by Manuel.
“And who might you be?!”
“……”
“You’re the famous Calliope Verdi, aren’t you?!”
Manuel, now right in front of her, recognized her and grinned grotesquely.
‘What should I do?’
Sitting on the ground, she gritted her teeth and fiddled with her magical restraint bracelet.
‘Should I just… take him down…?’
She couldn’t just stay still with her life in danger—but acting rashly would only create more problems later.
So Calliope decided to take the initiative.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince?”
She widened her eyes dramatically, pretending to recognize him just now. For a brief moment, confusion flashed across Manuel’s face.
“I was just taking a walk when someone suddenly tried to catch me. I ran out of fright, and I didn’t expect it would be Your Highness… eek!”
Startled by her sudden outburst, even Manuel flinched.
“Why, why are you drawing your sword?!”
Calliope exclaimed in shock.
“Surely, someone like the Second Prince wouldn’t threaten a delicate lady like me, would you?!”
For a moment, Manuel’s face twisted, but when he met her tearful, wronged gaze, it felt like a smack to the head.
After a moment, he muttered almost inaudibly:
“Did I really not notice…?”
Convinced he had been mistaken, Manuel quickly concealed his murderous expression.
The sudden change was almost unnerving.
“Ah, this… I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
He quickly sheathed his sword and put on a friendly smile.
“A misunderstanding?”
Calliope’s eyes widened.
“Yes, a misunderstanding. I thought an assassin had appeared.”
‘Give me a break.’
As she tried not to show her coldly calculating eyes, someone suddenly appeared and blocked her path.
“Brother Manuel.”
The low voice was unbearably cold.
Even Manuel, who was holding a sword, flinched at the chill.
“Rerazie? What are you doing here?”
Instead of answering, Rerazie looked down at Calliope.
Seeing her twisted ankle, his expression darkened further.
Rerazie then turned his gaze to Manuel.
“I was taking a walk with my lover. We were playing a brief hide-and-seek, and she disappeared, so I came to find her.”
“…Hide-and-seek?”
Manuel furrowed his brow, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha! I see! That’s what happened!”
He laughed heartily, as if he had never charged at someone to kill them.
“Ah, yes. The flame of young love! Go on, then.”
Feeling completely reassured, Manuel waved them off.
“And you, brother?”
But Rerazie didn’t miss his chance to counter.
“What were you doing here, alone with your lover’s uncle, in a secluded place?”
Manuel’s laughter abruptly stopped.
Gilbert, standing behind him, turned pale as a sheet.
‘Can’t you keep your mouth shut?’
Manuel glared at Rerazie and sent a silent warning, but Rerazie remained unfazed.
“As far as I know, Baron Roman is under house arrest. Surely you didn’t come here for some secret rendezvous like we did, right?”
“Haha! You make jokes amusingly.”
Manuel curled his lips, but his eyes didn’t laugh.
His venomous, serpent-like gaze stared Rerazie down.
“He’s just a business partner. I rarely have time, so I sent him a special invitation to meet.”
Rerazie didn’t reply. In the end, Manuel was the one who backed down first.
“Then I have work to do, so I’ll leave first. Lady, enjoy your time. Gilbert, you should head back as well.”
After bidding farewell, Manuel left immediately, and Gilbert hurried off as if fleeing.
Once they were gone, Rerazie knelt before Calliope.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“It’s fine… ah!”
Calliope let out a sharp cry as Rerazie gently pressed her twisted ankle. She responded by punching his shoulder.
“It hurts!”
“It’s not fine.”
“What?”
“If you pretend it’s fine, will your injury just heal on its own?”
Caught off guard by the truth in his words, Calliope had nothing to say.
Carefully, Rerazie removed her shoe and inspected her ankle.
“You twisted it pretty badly. Your ankle’s swollen.”
He lifted her dress slightly to show the injury. Calliope sighed lightly as she saw her ankle.
“Ah, now I can’t go to the banquet. I need to manage my connections and gauge how others view our relationship…”
“You’re thinking about work even now?”
“My grandfather always said that to take responsibility for one’s family, a certain level of work addiction is necessary.”
Calliope replied stubbornly.
But she couldn’t argue against Rerazie’s next firm statement.
“Anyway, you can’t go to the banquet in this state.”
“That’s true…”
After checking her condition, Rerazie adjusted her dress and lifted her into his arms.
Calliope, now used to being carried, naturally wrapped her arms around his neck for stability.
“Where are we going?”
“To my palace.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
Rerazie strode forward. Thanks to his long strides, they soon arrived at the Seventh Prince’s palace.
Seeing Rerazie carrying Calliope inside, Aegis ran over in surprise.
“Wait, how did you two end up coming together to the palace…?”
Could it be…? Rerazie stiffened at Aegis’s wolfish gaze.
‘What does he take me for?’
“Stop thinking weird thoughts. Light a fire in my bedroom. Close every curtain.”
Aegis’s face tensed immediately.
“Is someone hurt, Your Highness?”
“Not me.”
Rerazie replied curtly, adding:
“My lover.”
Calliope’s face twisted into a scowl.
