“….…”
“……”
Fortunately, I recognized him right away, which spared me from doing anything disrespectful.
From my place at the far end of the corridor, I bowed my head and waited for Duke Graham Callinan to simply walk past me.
He had definitely seen me—our eyes had met squarely as he stepped out of the room.
But he said nothing. Nor did he ignore me. He simply stood there, looking at me in silence, and that was what felt strange.
Does that mean he has some business with me?
I hesitated, unsure what to do, when a voice reached my ears.
The moment I heard it, my entire body stiffened.
“Don’t take it too personally, Minister. His Majesty, too, feels that this matter—”
“……”
Truly, today was not my day.
I instantly recognized that voice. It was one I had hoped never to hear again so soon.
I lowered my gaze even further, afraid that he might recognize me. I wanted nothing more than to run away right then and there. But if I turned and fled now, it would only look suspicious.
“…Is something the matter, Minister Callinan?”
“……”
“…Over there. Who’s that?”
The Crown Prince of Idris, Leon de Idris, had noticed me. His voice dropped, cold and sharp enough to chill the air.
I clenched my trembling hands and exhaled shakily.
Stay calm, Amel.
There’s no way Prince Leon knows that the person Edward Callinan was meeting with just now was me.
The door was closed—no one could’ve seen who was inside. So stay calm.
“I—”
“Forgive us, Your Highness. She’s an employee of the household.”
Before I could stammer out an excuse, someone else cut me off.
It was Duke Graham Callinan.
It was the first time I’d ever heard his voice—quiet but firm. I could only stare at him, at a loss for words.
His gray eyes met mine, calm and unwavering.
“Hmm. Is that so? Then I can’t help wondering what a mere employee was doing here, skulking about like a stray cat.”
“She’s new. Still untrained, I’m afraid. I’ll have the butler instruct her properly.”
“That would be best. After all, the behavior of one’s servants reflects directly on the reputation of their master, wouldn’t you agree?”
Prince Leon’s lips curved into a smile, but I couldn’t bring myself to do the same.
None of this made sense.
An employee? A new hire?
I had no idea what Duke Graham Callinan meant by that.
Could it be that he’d mistaken me for someone else?
Yes. That must have been it.
He must have confused me with another servant of the Callinan household.
I hesitated…
Should I correct his misunderstanding, or should I stay silent and thank the heavens for this miracle?
In the end, I chose not to correct Duke Callinan’s enormous misconception. Deceiving a high noble was surely a crime, but surviving this moment mattered more.
I can fix it later. I’ll explain everything when the time comes. Right now, I just need to…
“I’m concerned that this new employee might have overheard something sensitive.”
“The servants of the Callinan estate are discreet, Your Highness. Those who can’t hold their tongues have no place here. You needn’t worry.”
“You truly trust your servants? You prefer the hard way over the easy one, I see, Minister.”
Prince Leon scoffed softly and took a step toward me—then another. Until he was right before me. He bent slightly to meet my gaze. I should have bowed to him, but my mind had gone completely blank.
“Hmm… You look familiar. Have we met before?”
“F-forgive me, Your Highness, Crown Prince of Martina…”
“Haha. Even the way you speak is the same. I remember now—at the Heren Villa, wasn’t it?”
He smiled. His red hair glowed in the lamplight, a stray lock falling over his forehead. Our eyes met—those golden eyes that always made me uneasy.
I shivered as I remembered how, back at Heren Villa, the color of his eyes had suddenly changed.
Will they change again, right here before me? What color are they, really?
“Why are you so nervous? Did you overhear something just now?”
“N-no, I got lost… As soon as I entered this corridor, the master came out, so I didn’t hear a thing.”
“A servant of the Callinan estate getting lost, hm? You must really be new. So, you were at Heren Villa that day following Edward Callinan, then? He was Princess Lylaina’s guest, wasn’t he?”
Prince Leon was recalling that day. But since I wasn’t actually a servant of House Callinan, his assumptions would all miss the mark. I stayed quiet. I couldn’t let him find out the truth.
My silence drew a low, amused laugh from him.
“Not answering? You do know I’m the Crown Prince, don’t you? You’re braver than you look.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“I’ve heard that one too many times today—it’s getting tiresome. What, do you think I’m going to bite? Hah. Anyway, miss, you’re saying you didn’t hear anything, right?”
“Yes, I didn’t hear… anything.”
“If you’re lying, I’ll be truly annoyed. Even if you did hear something, you’ll say you didn’t. To anyone. Including yourself. Understand?”
His golden eyes locked onto mine. His lips smiled, his eyes curved sweetly like a crescent moon—but the warmth in them was a lie. It was a warning, thinly veiled.
“Your Highness.”
Duke Callinan’s calm voice broke the tension. Prince Leon straightened as if nothing had happened.
“You shouldn’t take the long way when an easier one is right before you. ‘Trust,’ in this situation, is a foolish word. You should think carefully about what’s truly wise.”
“……”
“Accept some help from others for once. You’re not the same Callinan as before.”
Despite his words, his smile was gentle—too gentle, almost mockingly so.
That smile chilled me.
Maybe because I already knew: Prince Leon hated Edward Callinan enough to want him dead. And Edward Callinan felt the same way.
What in the world happened between them?
If the prince hated Edward so deeply, did he also despise Graham Callinan?
He must have, I thought.
Anyone who hated the son that much could hardly be fond of the father.
“Don’t frighten my subordinates too much, Your Highness. People might misunderstand your intentions.”
“I didn’t know the Minister of Magic had a sense of humor. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.”
Prince Leon laughed aloud. I hadn’t realized before that he was someone who laughed so easily.
“Very well. I’ll take your advice to heart. You must mean it in a fatherly way—I can’t ignore that. And…”
He looked at me. I flinched, and he seemed to chuckle at my reaction.
His smile was dazzling, almost intoxicating—and deeply unsettling.
“I can’t stand leaving my curiosities unanswered. I might have to borrow this servant from you later.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness, but that won’t be possible. No servant of this house may be taken elsewhere. If you require staff, I will personally select trustworthy individuals and send them to the palace.”
“Ah, what a pity. It’s this girl I’m interested in. But I see—you must be quite attached to her. She’s only just joined you, and already you’re so protective.”
Prince Leon’s grin widened.
“You, who once swore to remain celibate for life—have you had a change of heart? Seems that vow of yours wasn’t quite as heavy as you claimed. What a shame.”
The words were cutting—so much so that my face went pale just hearing them.
Though his tone was teasing, Duke Callinan’s reply was icy calm.
“That jest is in poor taste, Your Highness. Please remember your dignity. If not, you may find you have fewer people left to follow you.”
Can he really speak that way to the Crown Prince?
I thought in alarm. But the prince only gave a short laugh, unfazed.
“Enough. I should go. You already know my temperament, so I won’t apologize for speaking too frankly. I trust His Majesty’s will has been made clear.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then, until next time. This Callinan ball is proving quite entertaining.”
As he said that, his eyes fell directly on me. I gripped my skirt tightly in my clammy hands and kept my head bowed, silent.
Finally, Prince Leon turned and walked away.
Duke Graham Callinan remained motionless, saying nothing until the prince had completely vanished from sight.
“……”
Now that we were alone, the silence between us grew heavier.
The Duke—his lips set in a hard line—looked straight at me.
