Chapter 28
While I was shaking my head inwardly, Amarcus seemed to realize that he had overreacted and hurriedly cleared his throat.
“Ahem… Callios. Seeing you treat me so coldly really hurts. Isn’t this a bit much toward a cousin you haven’t seen in a while?”
What on earth was he talking about? He was the one who had just been spewing venom at Callios.
Callios, apparently just as dumbfounded, replied in an incredulous tone.
“Since when were we ever close enough to laugh face-to-face? Stop with the nonsense and get to the point.”
At that, Amarcus snorted softly.
“The butler said you caught a terrible cold and needed rest. But listening to you now, you don’t sound sick at all?”
“Oh, I see. Were you hoping I’d caught a terminal illness or something?”
“Ah, why are you taking it that way? I came out of pure concern to visit you, you know?”
Amarcus’s pointless little performance dragged on.
“You don’t look that unwell… If it’s just a simple cold, there shouldn’t be any problem joining us for dinner later. I came all this way, so it’d be a shame to dine with Uncle alone without you. What do you say? Why don’t you come to the banquet with me, even now?”
There was a strange edge of provocation in Amarcus’s suggestion.
When Callios didn’t answer right away, he pressed on, as if trying to dig something out.
“Or… is there some other reason you can’t leave this room? Hm?”
I knew perfectly well that Callios had no easy answer to that.
At the moment, there was simply no way for him to endure the pain and make it all the way to the dining hall.
What do we do? Should I jump in and make up some excuse?
Just as I bit my lip, agonizing over it—
“Fine. Lizzie, bring me my outerwear.”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
Amarcus and I blurted out in unison, stunned by the unexpected response.
Ignoring us completely, Callios made a clear movement as he rose from where he had been sitting.
Soon after, I heard his footsteps heading toward the door.
“Lizzie, you’ll lead the way.”
He spoke to me, where I was waiting by the door.
Startled by the sudden order, I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I quietly stepped forward to stand ahead of them.
Amarcus, who had been so confident earlier, looked utterly flustered the moment Callios actually stepped out into the corridor.
“You’re really going? To the banquet?”
“Yes. I’m going. You’re the one who suggested it.”
“Well, that’s true, but… really? You’re actually going? All the way to the banquet hall?”
“How many times are you going to ask?”
As the stretch of corridor lit by mana stones grew shorter, my anxiety rose with every step.
What on earth is Callios thinking…?
Amarcus, drenched in sweat, seemed busy scrambling to explain himself.
“No, it’s just that I heard you were… very sick. I was worried, that’s all. I only meant you should speak up if it’s too much for you.”
At those words, Callios suddenly stopped walking.
“Ah.”
He let out a short, amused laugh.
“No wonder. I was wondering why you’d invite me to dinner for once. Turns out you were hoping I’d be too weak to even leave my room.”
“What? That’s not—”
“Why bother making excuses? You’re being so obvious about how much you dislike this.”
Callios continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“The dinner invitation was just lip service. In truth, you didn’t want me getting in the way of your time sucking up to my father.”
“W-What?”
Amarcus stammered visibly, having been hit right on the mark.
“No need to get so worked up. I’ll take the hint and bow out. You enjoy a nice, cozy dinner alone with my father.”
With that, Callios leisurely turned around and spoke to me.
“Lizzie, let’s go back to the room.”
“Huh? Ah—yes.”
Now that I finally understood his intention, I hurried after him.
Almost immediately, Amarcus’s panicked shout echoed from behind us.
“Wait! Hold on, Callios! At least tell me where the banquet hall is!”
The area where Callios was staying had undergone extensive renovations, and the layout had changed considerably.
To prevent him from running into outsiders, the passageways had been cleverly divided and restricted.
Amarcus must have had no trouble finding his way here with a servant’s guidance, but locating the banquet hall on his own would take quite some time.
“Damn it! The way’s blocked!”
Hearing his muttered curse from afar, I couldn’t help but smile to myself.
He was too proud to follow us or ask for directions, and that made the whole thing strangely satisfying.
Meanwhile, Callios and I calmly made our way back to his room.
“…Is it really okay to just leave him like that?”
Listening as the clear stream of curses beyond the door gradually faded, I asked cautiously.
This section of the corridor was especially dark compared to the others.
If Amarcus wandered around alone trying to find the banquet hall, he might very well end up late for his appointment with the Duke.
“So what?”
Callios replied indifferently, as though it didn’t interest him in the slightest.
“Everyone struggles at first. I learned the same way—by tripping and running into things.”
He finished with a shameless little laugh.
Sometimes, he could be frighteningly cold. Was this another one of the male lead’s many facets?
“Still, it looked like Lord Amarcus was eager to figure out what we’re hiding.”
“He’s probably heard that I haven’t left my room for months. Today was likely meant to confirm exactly what state I’m in.”
“Somehow, I don’t think he’ll give up after just one attempt. What should we do?”
Seeming to agree with my concern, Callios tapped his fingers lightly against the table, deep in thought.
After a moment, as if he’d reached a decision, he spoke.
“If Amarcus is so curious about me, then there’s only one solution.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll attend.”
“Uh… attend where?”
A sudden sense of dread crept over me.
“Where else? The ball that’s coming up soon.”
“Wha—?”
My mind went completely blank.
In his current condition, he’s going to a ball?
Noticing my disbelief, Callios asked lightly, amusement in his voice.
“Why are you so shocked? We already went as far as the forest once, didn’t we?”
“But that was in the middle of the night, and you were completely covered by a cloak.”
A ball would be full of eyes watching. No amount of concealment like that would work.
Where does he get this confidence from…?
Sensing my doubt, Callios spoke slowly.
“Actually, after we returned to the estate that day, I realized something.”
He continued carefully.
“I hadn’t noticed before because I was too busy, but… when I’m exposed to light, my illness is painful, yes—but it doesn’t actually damage my body.”
As he finished speaking, Callios gently pulled my hand and placed it against his cheek.
“See? That outing lasted quite a while, but there isn’t a single mark.”
“Oh…”
Just as he said, not a scratch—his skin was smooth and flawless, befitting a male lead.
It’s better than mine, I thought sourly.
I’d been stuck doing maid work I was never meant for and had even ended up with rough, irritated hands.
When I puffed out my cheeks in displeasure, Callios asked bluntly,
“What’s with that annoyed look?”
“Ahem! I’m not annoyed at all.”
I quickly answered calmly and changed the subject.
“But what if it’s not an external injury… what if it’s internal damage?”
At that, Callios replied steadily.
“The doctor examined me thoroughly. There’s no issue. He just prescribed a small amount of sedative, considering how shaken I was.”
Then he added, his voice firm with conviction,
“So all that’s left is to find a way to manage the pain. That’s all.”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
His argument was convincing enough that I found myself nodding.
In the original story, Callios must have identified the flaw in his illness as well…
Considering how smoothly he ended up with the heroine later on, it was likely that enduring the pain didn’t come with any serious side effects.
