Chapter 23
“Lord Kaphir.”
“…Yeah?”
“Are you upset because it seemed like I brushed off your apology?”
The more mature side of Kaphir knew that the right thing to say here was “No.” But he had already shown so many clumsy sides of himself in front of her, so he couldn’t help it—his lips jutted out in a sulky pout. Calliope smiled at the sight.
“Saying ‘sorry’ or ‘thank you’ isn’t something to be ashamed of. If you’re thankful, say thank you. If you’re sorry, say you’re sorry. Just say it.”
“But… my teacher said that saying those kinds of things too easily makes you seem careless.”
“Who said that?”
“My tutor.”
“You’re the heir to the Marquisate. Sure, if you go around overusing those words, it might seem shallow. And sometimes you do have to accept others’ kindness as your due. But that’s exactly why, when the moment calls for it, you should be able to say those words sincerely.”
“I’m not really sure I get it.”
“Those words are just another way of showing respect. So don’t forget that.”
Kaphir went quiet for a moment, turning her words over in his mind. Next to them, Carolie had been listening too. She tilted her head, blinking slowly.
Truthfully, Carolie still didn’t completely like Calliope. Not really. But this girl had given her cake—and had kept her brother from getting hurt.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to play with her. Just a little.
After a moment’s thought, Carolie tugged gently on the hem of Calliope’s dress. Instead of scolding her or pointing out that it was impolite, Calliope simply looked down with those calm red eyes. Carolie met her gaze and said exactly what she’d heard earlier.
“Thanks for saving Kaphir.”
Calliope smiled, surprised by the sincerity in the little girl’s voice.
“That’s it. Well done, Carolie.”
Without even meaning to, Carolie smiled back. And for some reason… she was happy. People were always praising Kaphir and calling her wild and reckless. But now, for the first time, she’d been praised for doing something better than her brother. Even if it wasn’t a big deal, it still made her feel good.
Kaphir looked at them in silence. Despite not sharing a single drop of blood with his mother, Calliope somehow reminded him of Carolie. Maybe it was the red eyes.
After tea and dessert, Calliope sent the two children back to their rooms. Susan returned later—finally having tracked down Jack. She looked fed up, clearly having struggled to find him.
Calliope was yawning wide when she noticed him, and Jack quickly tried to straighten up, but it was too late. She stared at him silently. Jack, knowing he was in trouble, avoided her eyes.
“If you’re tired, just say so. It’s not like I’m overworking you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be. I only just arrived in this household, so maybe I seemed easy to slack off around.”
“No! That’s not it! I just… accidentally dozed off. Honestly.”
“I’m not mad. Falling asleep from exhaustion isn’t a crime. You do the same thing in front of my father?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Susan, where was he?”
“In his room. In bed.”
“I’ll correct that behavior.”
Susan shot him a glare that all but screamed: He wasn’t ‘dozing off’—he was out cold. Jack ended up bowing over and over in apology.
Calliope sat at the table, swapped out her cold tea, and kept teasing him while her new cup cooled. By the time Jack had apologized for the fifty-second time with a worn-out face, she raised her hand. That was the signal to stop. Jack let out a quiet breath of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“This isn’t a punishment. I need you to look into the servant who’s currently attending Ditron Anastas.”
“What kind of information are you looking for?”
“Everything you can find.”
“You didn’t overwork me before, but now you’re planning to, aren’t you?”
“Well, you did seem awfully bored. I mean, you were so bored you went and lay down in your room during working hours.”
“Right… sorry again.”
Calliope raised her hand to cut him off again. Jack wisely shut his mouth.
“And find out who, in this house, hates Ditron the most.”
“The person who hates him the most…?”
“Yes. Among the staff.”
Jack didn’t think she’d give him pointless tasks just to boss him around, so he nodded without protest. Calliope motioned for Susan to clear the teacups, then laced her fingers and rested them on her lap.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll be his greatest misfortune.”
After that, Calliope spent her days comfortably tucked away in the mansion. Even as winter faded and the first hints of spring appeared, she didn’t bother with even a single shopping trip. She simply lazed about, lounging on her bed.
Naturally, the one who benefitted most from this was Jack.
“So, there’s nothing special about the servant currently attending Ditron?”
Calliope, lounging on her bed, picked up a document that was lying near her pillow. A few feet away, Jack lay sprawled on the sofa and lazily wiggled his foot in reply.
“No, nothing unusual. He’s a thirty-three-year-old bachelor, hasn’t married yet. Apparently, he’s sticking with Ditron because he’s saving up for a wedding.”
“A wedding? With no bride?”
Still lying down, Jack turned his head and raised a finger.
“Let’s just say it’s an act of faith—he’s hoping that once the funds are ready, someone will fall into his lap and he can rush them to the altar.”
Calliope gave a dry expression of understanding, then tossed the paper she was holding onto the floor. It fluttered gently before settling, and Jack, groaning like an old man, got up and picked it up.
“He’s not someone we need to pay much attention to. What about the other one?”
“You mean the servant who hates Ditron the most. I’ve got that info too. It’s in the document right next to you—”
Calliope reached across the bed, groping around blindly.
“No, not that one—right, a bit more to the right. Yes. No, not that—next to it. That’s the one.”
With Jack’s help, she finally grabbed the right file. Glancing at the name, she blinked.
“Deyloren. She’s a woman?”
“Correct. Twenty-eight years old. You’ll see in the report, but about three years ago, her younger sister—who served Ditron—was assaulted by him. She lost vision in one eye.”
“That kind of backstory isn’t so rare among his staff, is it?”
“No, not at all.”
There were many who had suffered injuries under Ditron’s hand. Most were kicked out of the estate, and those who lived to tell the tale were considered lucky. If someone displeased him, he didn’t hesitate to go further. Calliope skimmed through more pages in Deyloren’s file, a faint smile curling her lips.
“But she seems to hate him more deeply than most.”
“Apparently, their parents died early. She and her sister grew up relying on each other.”
The file Jack brought contained details of things Deyloren had done behind the scenes. She worked in the annex and, with her long experience, had managed to carry out small acts of rebellion. She skimmed money from Ditron’s allowances, swapped out his supplies for inferior goods, and even helped other servants who tried to escape.
“She’s got guts.”
“She really does. Most people are too scared of noblemen like him. They might curse or complain, but they wouldn’t dare take action.”
“That’s exactly why I like her. Set up a meeting.”
Calliope stood from the bed. Susan, who had been quietly standing by, led her to a chair and began brushing her tousled hair. Meanwhile, Jack slipped into the dressing room and came out naturally carrying a fresh pair of shoes and a gown.
“Are you meeting him again today?”
“I am.”
“You’re something else, my lady. I can’t spend even five minutes near that man without getting furious.”
“Just pretend he’s a barking dog. In one ear, out the other.”
Jack gave her a look. He couldn’t decide whether her calm demeanor was impressive or unnerving.
She hadn’t stepped outside the mansion in weeks, yet spent her days sweetly entertaining Ditron. Her polite, obedient demeanor resembled that of a model granddaughter—it was so convincing it gave Jack chills. To think she could smile like that… and plot like this.
“Oh, and the Marquess wants you to come to his office this evening.”
“Right… It’s about time for my tutors to be assigned.”
“Yes. He used the list you gave him for reference. Some refused, of course. But he did manage to persuade the one you marked as most important. That person said they’ll decide whether to continue after the first lesson.”
“As expected.”
“But how did you know? That person is quietly well-known, but most people wouldn’t even bring up their name in conversation. Do you know how much time it took to convince them?”
Calliope didn’t answer. She simply smiled.
Jack grumbled but still knelt in front of her and carefully slipped the shoes onto her feet. Calliope wiggled her toes, checking the fit. Satisfied, she stood and straightened her skirt herself.
“Quietly try to win Deyloren over.”
“Understood.”
“She already hates Ditron—it won’t be hard. Oh, and if the children stop by while I’m at the annex, tell them to come tomorrow morning instead.”
Susan nodded. Carolie and Kaphir often came to visit when they had time. The Marchioness, who had a strong sense of educational discipline, had already assigned them tutors, so they couldn’t come as often—but still managed two or three visits a week.
Carolie would list off everything she disliked about her tutors to earn sweets, and Kaphir often brought questions he couldn’t solve, hoping Calliope would help him work through them.
