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Chapter 27
“Achoo!”
It wasn’t until Reidmore sneezed mid-step that I realized his clothes were still damp.
I stopped walking and summoned a spirit.
“Undine.”
[Kalia!]
As soon as the spirit arrived in response to my call, she clung to my face and rubbed her head affectionately.
[I missed you, Kalia. I really missed you. I was so, so worried.]
“Thank you. I’m okay now.”
Though her whole body was barely the size of my cheek, she used all her strength to press herself close to me, trying desperately to be near.
She looked so cute that I gently stroked her back and said,
“Can you do me a favor?”
[What is it?]
I gestured toward Reidmore, who was watching us in awe, unable to hear our conversation.
Undine read my thoughts and snapped her fingers.
“Oh.”
All the moisture evaporated from Reidmore’s body. The clothes that had been clinging to him dried instantly, and the dirt flaked off.
“Uh… thanks.”
Reidmore blinked in confusion but thanked both me and Undine.
After sending the spirit away, we took a small path back to the dormitory.
We had poured out our feelings and cleared things up between us. Both of us walked silently, lost in thought about everything that had happened.
As we passed the place where I had dumped water on him, Reidmore suddenly spoke.
“Let’s go home together after class tomorrow. We need to talk to Father about what to do next.”
I stopped walking at his words. His expression was filled with firm resolve.
“I’m going to put an end to that monstrous family.”
I, too, had finished organizing my thoughts. I took a deep breath and replied.
“I’m… okay.”
“What? Why?”
It was going to be a long explanation. I motioned toward a bench nearby and sat down. He approached with a dissatisfied face and sat beside me.
We turned halfway to face each other. I began speaking slowly.
“This is my matter. You don’t need to get involved. I’ll handle it myself, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Why is it your matter alone?”
His voice was hard as he replied.
“Now that you’re under our family’s guardianship, your matters aren’t just yours anymore. They’re our family’s matters too.”
I opened my mouth to argue but decided against it.
“Besides, you’re my friend now. Don’t say such ridiculous things like asking a friend to just stand by and watch.”
Reidmore shook his head firmly.
“Helena Barden is crazy. Don’t listen to her. She’s just bluffing.”
Just then, the streetlights turned on. The magic-triggered lights bathed his face in a warm amber glow.
Under that gentle light, his voice and expression felt even more sincere.
“Kalia, just letting this go isn’t right. Don’t worry—trust Desmere.”
“But…”
Something still lingered in the back of my mind, and I let it out.
“What if it really turns into a rebellion or something like that?”
“That won’t happen.”
He shook his head, absorbing all my doubts with confidence.
“She’s exaggerating, that’s all.”
But that wasn’t all. I argued further.
“People won’t believe me.”
“There’s a clear witness—why wouldn’t they?”
He looked confused, frustrated that I was denying something that seemed obvious to him.
But I, too, had something that felt clear to me.
“It’s hard for people to change what they’ve believed all along. They hate admitting they were wrong.”
“Kalia…”
Reidmore said my name with a voice full of pity. Then, with conviction, he added,
“You don’t have to worry about all that in advance. Anyone with sense will change their mind.”
“…More than anything else,”
I cleared my throat and steadied my voice.
“I want to take revenge with my own hands.”
His eyes widened. I declared once more.
“I’ll do it myself.”
His red eyes swirled with mixed, unspoken emotions.
“That’s what will give it meaning. Taking them down using the power of the ducal house would be… too easy.”
Helena Barden.
Baron Gareth Barden.
Baroness Pally Barden.
They treated me worse than a pig or a dog. Shouldn’t I be the one to cut their carotids and force them to kneel in the dirt—to justify this worthless life of mine being allowed to breathe the air of the world not once, but twice?
The warmth I’d felt from my earlier conversation with Reidmore cooled. A crooked smile crept to my lips.
I stared straight at him. Our eyes met directly.
“Will you let me do it my way?”
A moment passed—slightly longer than a blink—before something flickered across his gaze.
“…Of course. I told you I’d make anything you want happen.”
I smiled softly. That promise had already sealed his answer.
“Thank you.”
“Let’s go back. It’s getting cold.”
He said that, then paused just before standing. He took a breath.
“Achoo!”
A sniffle followed. I stood up after him.
“You’re going to catch a cold.”
“Uh, and whose fault do you think that is?”
Reidmore looked at me like, no way.
“Well, you’re the one who earned yourself a shower.”
“…Tch.”
He grumbled but didn’t argue. I chuckled inwardly at the sight.
Reidmore walked me to the entrance of the girls’ dormitory, then waved exaggeratedly several times while walking backward.
***
The next day, after class ended, Reidmore was waiting outside the lecture hall.
He had been leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed but straightened when he saw me.
“Let’s go.”
I nodded, and we headed toward the main gate together.
As we walked, I could feel the stares of everyone we passed.
Reidmore scowled deeply.
“I can’t believe there are this many people in the empire who don’t even realize it’s rude to stare. What a disgrace.”
He shouted loudly, and the staring eyes quickly turned away.
Even though I told him it was fine, he stayed on edge until we reached the carriage, acting like an overprotective watchdog or a big brother defending his little sister.
Once we were inside the carriage, he grumbled non-stop.
“I can’t stand it, seeing you subjected to those looks. Those brainless, pathetic idiots…”
“I told you not to worry.”
“I’m angry. Angry that I was once one of those idiots giving you those same looks.”
He turned his head away from me, staring grimly out the window. We made our way to the mansion in silence.
“Young Master.”
When we arrived, Ayla came out to greet us.
“What brings you he—”
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Reidmore holding my hand as I got out of the carriage, eyes going wide.
“Ayla, where’s Father?”
“His Grace is in his office.”
She answered hurriedly. As Reidmore passed by, she silently mouthed, What’s going on?
I’ll tell you later.
I mouthed back, then entered the mansion.
Standing in front of the office door, I turned to Reidmore.
“I’ll talk to His Grace alone.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“This.”
I handed him the necklace. Reidmore nodded.
“I already summoned the jeweler yesterday. I’ll leave it with him now.”
“Thanks.”
I turned to knock, but then he called out behind me.
“Kalia.”
I looked back to see his determined expression.
“Good luck.”
I smiled and nodded, then knocked.
“Come in.”
The voice answered right away, as if he’d been waiting. I took a short breath and opened the door.
The room had a heavy, stately atmosphere. It felt like an extension of the Duke himself.
I closed the door and sat in the armchair in the center. The Duke looked at me from behind his desk.
“What happened to Ashley?”
I asked first.
“He’s been locked in the underground prison.”
“I see.”
I nodded. His brow twitched.
“…You’re not going to ask more?”
“How many people know about this?”
“Myself, Obed, Reidmore, and a few trusted subordinates. No one else.”
“I already told Reidmore, but I want this matter buried.”
“I heard.”
He massaged his temple with his long fingers, then covered his eyes. He pressed down for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.
I waited silently.
After a pause, he slowly spoke.
“I understand why you want this buried. But let me ask again. Are you truly going to bury all these secrets? Desmere has the power to inflict on them a hundred times more suffering and humiliation than you’ve endured.”
“But that would come at a cost to Desmere too, wouldn’t it?”
He dropped his hand and looked directly at me. Though not much time had passed since we first met, he looked older than before.
After a few seconds of frowning, the Duke finally muttered irritably.
“I also heard from Ridim about that arrogant brat from the Barden family flapping his tongue without knowing his place. If you’re letting some hollow threat like that bother you, forget it. It’s nonsense.”
