Chapter 116
At Kalima’s words, my expression cooled noticeably. I really didn’t want to ask this, but the question slipped out on its own.
“Where exactly is the appeal?”
“Oh, how heartless.”
It wasn’t heartless—it was just the truth. What was so admirable about adults squabbling over whether a baby would be a son or a daughter?
If anything, Kalima’s face, calling that ‘cool,’ looks far more mature.
When I let out an unimpressed snort, Kalima smiled awkwardly and said,
“Well, if Your Grace stays here, then when I cause trouble back home, I’ll have somewhere to run to.”
“You ran away here?”
So that was it. She had a reason for returning to the Luke Ducal House!
I stared at her, dumbfounded, lips parted, and Kalima brushed back her thick hair irritably as she explained.
“My mother called me home for the first time in ages, and what do I find waiting for me? A suitor. I told her repeatedly that I had no intention of going on blind dates, but she ignored me completely. I was so upset and furious.”
“Oh dear.”
I knew this story well. Our newspaper’s advice column was full of letters just like this—people who had no intention of marrying, yet whose parents kept pushing them.
So she ran away to avoid the blind date. She must’ve been at her wits’ end.
As I looked at her with sympathy, Kalima bit her lip slightly and added,
“So I smashed up the reception room before leaving.”
In other words—she’d caused an incident.
I can practically hear Duke Potentia’s sigh from here.
Of all places, she’d wrecked the reception room—the face of the estate. They’d prepared it for a formal matchmaking meeting, and she’d destroyed it.
Imagining the scene, I forced an awkward smile and asked,
“Kalima… are you against marriage altogether?”
“No. Marriage is something you do when you meet the right person, isn’t it?”
Then why go that far to ruin a blind date? That seemed excessive. When I frowned in confusion, Kalima shrugged.
“But not right now. There are far too many interesting things in the world.”
“Ah.”
Right. Plenty of people delayed marriage simply because they loved their freedom.
Just as I nodded in understanding, Kalima’s real problem revealed itself.
“Watching His Grace fuss like that is entertaining enough already—but imagine how different he’ll be once he has grandchildren! Just thinking about it makes my heart race.”
Her eyes sparkled like stars as her cheeks flushed. I frowned deeply and asked,
“…So you’re saying you don’t want to get married because watching my father is too entertaining?”
“I suppose that’s one way to put it!”
“….”
Now I understood perfectly why Duke and Duchess Potentia were so desperate—and why Duke Potentia treated my father like an unruly pet.
If it were me, I’d think my father was the root of all evil too.
She hadn’t wanted to become a knight, yet my father was so “impressive” that he’d gone ahead and knighted her anyway. When she wasn’t accepted into his own order, she joined my father’s instead. And now she was postponing marriage as well.
Strictly speaking, though, this is also Duke Potentia’s fault.
If he’d supported Kalima’s wish to become a knight from the start, she wouldn’t have latched onto my father as her emotional anchor.
Right. What Kalima truly loves isn’t my father himself.
She still wanted to be a knight.
“Kalima, you want to return to the front lines, don’t you?”
“…Mm.”
Faced with my blunt question, she hesitated, then sighed softly and nodded.
“Yes. That’s true.”
As expected. I nodded in return.
Scratching her cheek shyly, Kalima smiled faintly.
“When I left, I hated it so much—it felt miserable. But once I was gone, I started missing it. Because it’s what I truly wanted to do.”
“Kalima.”
I looked at her with gentle concern and spoke slowly.
“Shouldn’t you do what you truly want to do?”
Life is short. Even doing only what you love, it ends too quickly. Just as Kalima had supported me all this time, I wanted to push her forward—to help her live the life she desired.
“I became a reporter purely by chance. If I hadn’t gotten tangled up with Princess Banerinne, I’d still be working as a palace clerk.”
Being a palace clerk wasn’t bad. It was busy and difficult, but I’d chosen it myself—passed a fiercely competitive exam through hard work.
I never imagined that job would lead me into nightmares.
But after everything, here I was. Now, at last, I could speak of the past with a smile.
“Anyway, I became a reporter—and I’m glad I did. I still want to remain one.”
At that, Kalima clapped her hands.
“Oh, I’ve heard that story! Because nobles aren’t allowed to own newspapers, the commander became the owner instead. We laughed ourselves silly, saying he’s completely unsuited to being a company president.”
Serulian as a newspaper CEO—it really didn’t suit him.
Even after the Roe antidote was developed, the Special Division still existed. There were still people who couldn’t access the antidote and turned into Roe, not to mention other monsters threatening the world.
Perhaps because he’d been a Roe hunter from the start, it was hard to imagine him as anything other than a knight.
Well, officially he’s the owner—but I handle all the actual work anyway.
I shrugged.
“Handling two roles at once, even having two bodies wouldn’t be enough. Still, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I love both.”
It was exhausting, left me no time for myself—but this was the life I’d chosen. I wanted Kalima to understand that.
“If life is a long journey that eventually leads you back to where you belong, then you should follow what keeps calling you back. That’s your destiny.”
I expected Kalima to leap up with a radiant smile—but instead, she hesitated.
With an awkward smile, she said,
“But my father won’t allow it.”
“You’ve done plenty without his permission already.”
“Living freely as I please and living as a knight are completely different. The moment I become a knight, I fall under my father’s authority. Until now, His Grace shielded me from his interference—but he can’t anymore.”
“…I see.”
I hadn’t realized she carried such worries. The Kalima I knew always seemed fearless, unbothered by anyone’s control.
That’s why she admired my father so much.
A superior who supported her dreams, blocked interference, and told her to live as she pleased—anyone would fall for that.
But my father has fully retired now.
Retired—and with so much free time that he wants to raise children.
And Serulian is too young to stand against Duke Potentia.
That left only one option.
After a long moment of thought, I lifted my head and said confidently,
“Then, Kalima—I’ll go with you and persuade Duke Potentia myself.”
“What?”
Her eyes widened. I smiled brightly.
“Let’s go convince him right now!”
Without delay, we called a carriage and headed for the Potentia Ducal House. My father and Serulian were frantic to follow, but I stopped them.
“This is something only I can do. Please don’t get involved.”
Just holding them back drained me of energy.
As I sighed heavily, Kalima laughed inside the carriage.
“You’re very loved, my lady.”
“Yes. Too much so.”
I replied with an awkward smile.
The Potentia estate wasn’t far from the Luke estate. Perhaps because the carriage bore our family crest, we entered without any formal procedures.
As we stepped down, Duke Potentia himself—dressed casually—was waiting for us.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the young Duke of Luke.”
Holding my skirts, I bowed lightly.
“I’ve only just inherited the title. Please treat me informally.”
“The day I treat anyone bearing the name Luke casually will never come.”
Even my courtesy was met with hostility—proof of how deeply he resented the Luke family.
Crossing his arms, he asked,
“So. What brings you here?”
“Kalima.”
“Kalima?”
Only then did he notice his rarely seen daughter standing beside me, and he looked startled.
I went straight to the point.
“Please allow Kalima to become a knight.”
After locking eyes with his daughter and falling silent for a moment, Duke Potentia spoke coldly again.
“And why should you be the one to say this? Do you believe you have the standing to interfere in my household’s affairs?”
“Perhaps not—but I think I do.”
I’d expected this reaction. And I had my justification.
Linking arms with Kalima, I declared loudly,
“Because Kalima is my lady-in-waiting!”
