Chapter 127
Of course, the shadow wriggling by the wall next to the front door wasn’t easy to ignore, but Carius deliberately looked elsewhere.
Then, with a giggle, a snowball flew with a thud!
“Ahaha, gotcha!”
“Oh, looks like I was tricked.”
Even though he was hit by the snowball, Carius spoke calmly, showing no sign of surprise, as if he had expected it.
Lamia narrowed her eyes as if she knew Carius had let himself be fooled on purpose, but Chloe was extremely pleased.
As long as Chloe was happy, that was enough.
Everyone thought the same.
“Carius, Leviche says there’s a really amazing snowman over there. Want to go see it together?”
Chloe suggested.
Snowmen could be found all over Ronheim.
When children were bored, they would roll up snow anywhere to make snowmen.
Apparently, some children of the castle staff had come inside the inner courtyard and built a snowman combining all their skill and experience.
Chloe tugged on Carius’s sleeve and led the way, with Carius following behind.
Every time she hurried, her fine silver hair swayed gently around her waist.
‘She’s finally grabbing properly.’
Carius gently took the hand of Chloe that was holding his sleeve and intertwined their fingers.
Chloe’s pace slowed slightly as she walked ahead.
As Carius matched his stride with hers, her grip tightened.
Carius ignored the shy smile forming on her lips.
There were three snowmen: a husband, a wife, and a child, forming a happy family.
“Aren’t they so cute?”
Chloe pointed at the snowmen.
The two of them still held hands.
“There’s a baby snowman too. It even has a scarf. How adorable! Even the baby snowman looks just like a little baby—it’s really cute.”
To Carius, all three were just big, round lumps of snow, but Chloe seemed to feel a variety of emotions looking at them.
His attention wasn’t on the snowmen, though—it was entirely on Chloe. He was curious about her thoughts, whatever they might be.
“Do you like babies?”
“Yes, they’re just so, so cute.”
Chloe clenched her fists and lifted them to her chest as if she could die from happiness, her shoulders trembling.
“When my mother was alive, noblewomen would bring babies to me, asking me to name them. If I was lucky, I’d even get a chance to hold a baby for a short while. Do you know how soft and sweet-smelling babies are, Carius?”
Excited, Chloe shook the hand she held with Carius back and forth.
“No one frowns at a smiling baby. A baby’s smile fills the heart of anyone who sees it.”
Chloe’s long explanation about how adorable and lovable babies were naturally transitioned into talking about children in general.
“When I was young, I dreamed of having lots of children when I married. I wanted my home filled with the sound of their laughter, to create a happy family.”
A brief shadow of sadness passed across Chloe’s face as she spoke.
“But… that didn’t happen.”
As she looked into the distance, recalling the past, speaking as if her marriage had already failed once before, Carius couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
What exactly was she thinking?
Carius firmly brought her wandering mind back to him.
“If it’s only you, Chloe, I’ll always agree.”
“Huh?”
“Because it’s a dream I also desire.”
“Eh? Ah…!”
Chloe made a small startled expression.
For a moment, she seemed to forget that she was married, which made Carius a little irritated.
He smiled mischievously and stepped closer to her.
“If you’re ready, Chloe, anytime.”
It was only then that Chloe realized what he had just said, and her neck stiffened.
Her mind was filled with all the lessons Lamia had passionately taught her about what could happen in a couple’s bed.
“D-Don’t tease me!”
Chloe’s face flushed bright red as she bolted away.
Carius had no intention of letting her go easily.
He couldn’t easily shake off the mischievous feelings that arose from Chloe momentarily forgetting her presence beside him.
He leisurely caught up with her quick steps.
“Where are you going?”
“To my room!”
“To your room? It’s still daytime, and already? I didn’t realize it was that urgent.”
Chloe’s steps came to a sudden stop.
Her face burned to her ears as she realized the meaning behind Carius’s words.
“Alone! I’m going alone. Don’t follow me.”
If he teased her further, she might cry.
Carius nodded with a satisfied smile.
“See you tonight, Chloe.”
“……!”
Chloe stared blankly at his retreating figure as he disappeared into the distance.
Lamia and Leviche, who had stepped aside for a moment, quietly returned to Chloe’s side like shadows.
Sernia was waiting for a reply to the message she had sent, pretending to still be loyal to Kabala, as Chloe had instructed.
“Kabala won’t respond to you. He’ll think your usefulness is over.”
Chloe felt sorry for Sernia, who was crying after Lucas told her that her younger brother was probably already dead.
“…I hope my prediction is wrong, Sernia.”
But Chloe’s prediction was correct.
No matter how long they waited, there was no reply from Kabala.
Chloe felt a bitter sense of futility that the person responsible for experimenting on her and her brother with their lives in his hands was entrusted to save him.
Sernia, overwhelmed with guilt and frustration at her own foolishness, requested an audience with Chloe.
Chloe went to her.
“Please help me take revenge on Kabala.”
Otherwise, she felt she couldn’t bear it.
Chloe nodded as if she understood Sernia’s feelings.
“Alright. Let’s do it together.”
“Kal came by last time.”
Chloe mentioned this randomly while having dinner with Carius.
Carius’s hand, holding the cutlery, froze.
“R-Really?”
“On the day Carius caught Kabala’s spies.”
Chloe’s mouth felt dry.
Apparently, she had been so anxious and distressed that she had called out to her imaginary self that day.
Thinking of her trying to tie the hastily made Platus bracelet around her wrist while hiding her fragile side made him feel sorry for her.
“I had a bit of an argument with Kal. Well, I guess it was really just me snapping at him.”
“An argument? Why?”
Was there some internal conflict troubling Chloe?
‘There were also clashes with Kal before.’
Even on the day Carius first learned of Kal, Chloe had shouted at him as if in a nightmare.
Her blue eyes glimmered with sadness under her lowered lashes.
She hesitated slightly, then shook her head.
“It was nothing serious. Still, it drains my energy. I don’t want to fight with Kal… It hasn’t happened before, but recently, it keeps happening like this.”
Chloe looked up at Carius with her wavering eyes.
“I don’t regret what I said to Kal. But I keep thinking maybe I should have handled it more wisely… I worry that I hurt him, and it’s weighing heavily on me.”
Carius was at a loss for how to comfort Chloe.
She must have had no one else to confide in, which is why she was telling him. How frustrating it must have been.
But he couldn’t lightly say anything to her.
What did the conflicts within her mean?
All he could do was hold her hand and reassure her that it was alright.
He didn’t know whether it was better for her to realize that Kal was just an imaginary figure, or to leave her unaware.
To tell the truth to someone who had endured so much and been called a mad princess would be like confirming what everyone else said—that she was crazy.
He didn’t know what scars it might leave, what resistance it might stir, and whether it was truly the right thing to do.
Still, he couldn’t just leave her like that.
After a sleepless night of worry, Carius hurriedly left for somewhere at dawn the next day.
