TOOCM | Chapter 026

Episode 26

“Surely you’re not saying Kaiden is going himself?”

“They need to be trained.”

Kaiden gestured toward the knights with a nod, speaking casually.

At this, Reina pursed her lips.

He said it so nonchalantly that she almost nodded in agreement without thinking.

Snapping out of it, Reina grabbed Kaiden and said,

“You don’t have to go yourself.”

“Why? Don’t want to hang out with me?”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Reina trailed off, avoiding his gaze.

Of course, having him by her side would be the most reassuring.

But given who they were meeting, she couldn’t help but hesitate.

She wasn’t sure how he’d react if he knew she suspected Lady Mary.

As the silence stretched, Kaiden tilted his head to meet her eyes.

“There’s no better escort than me, you know.”

“…”

“If you really don’t want me to, I can send someone else—”

“No!”

Reina firmly grabbed him as he started to turn away.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come. There’s just something I haven’t told you yet.”

“What? Were you planning to meet some guy behind my back?”

Kaiden teased, and Reina blinked in surprise.

In that fleeting moment of silence, Kaiden narrowed his eyes and asked,

“For real?”

“It’s a man, but not like that.”

“A man, you say?”

Kaiden’s expression turned incredulous, and Lily, unable to stay quiet, spoke up.

“She’s meeting Lady Dalia’s former history teacher.”

“Why him?”

Seeing Kaiden tilt his head in confusion, Reina said softly,

“I’ll explain on the way.”

***

Baron Clam stared at the person before him with a tense expression.

He had agreed to meet after receiving a letter from the new duchess.

All he wanted was to clear up the injustice of his dismissal.

But who could’ve imagined Duke Crensia would come along?

Facing such an unexpected high-ranking figure, Baron Clam’s nerves were at their peak.

Meanwhile, Kaiden stared intently at the baron, who was nervously wiping sweat with a handkerchief.

“All I wanted was to address some suspicions regarding Baron Clam’s dismissal.”

“His enthusiasm for teaching seems a bit excessive. Is there something else on your mind?”

“I’ll tell you after we meet with Baron Clam.”

Kaiden couldn’t wrap his head around why Reina wanted to meet Dalia’s former history teacher out of the blue.

From what he recalled, Baron Clam was expelled after Lady Mary caught him attempting inappropriate physical contact with Dalia.

The idea that Reina planned to meet such a man alone was absurd.

To him, Reina, wandering around oblivious to the dangers of the world, seemed as vulnerable as a child left by the water’s edge.

Given his belief that the world wasn’t such a kind place, this only heightened his concern.

Kaiden asked with a slight lean, his tone sharp,

“So, what’s this private matter you need to discuss with my wife?”

His challenging attitude made Baron Clam shrink instinctively.

But he hadn’t come unprepared. With a resolute expression, he said,

“Thank you for coming to hear me out.”

“No, I should thank you for responding to my sudden letter,” Reina replied gently.

Relieved by her kind tone, Baron Clam continued,

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but that day was truly a misunderstanding. Lady Dalia choked on some food, and I was trying to help when Lady Mary burst in.”

“Choked on food?”

“Lady Dalia accidentally swallowed a hard candy and couldn’t breathe. I was holding her from behind to perform chest compressions when Lady Mary stormed in and got angry. If she hadn’t jumped to conclusions, things wouldn’t have escalated like this.”

Baron Clam explained his grievance with a pained expression. Kaiden, listening quietly, asked,

“Then why didn’t Dalia say anything? If you were truly innocent, she would’ve spoken up.”

“That’s what puzzles me too. She couldn’t have been unaware, yet I’ve tried contacting her multiple times and never got a reply.”

At this, Kaiden’s expression turned thoughtful.

Reina, observing them silently, said,

“Her messages probably never reached her.”

“Not reached her? Are you saying someone deliberately intercepted them?” Kaiden asked.

Reina answered with silence.

Perhaps Lady Mary had been intercepting the baron’s letters.

Baron Clam continued,

“After being expelled, rumors spread, and I couldn’t find work in the North. I was surprised to get your letter. I’m just glad I can finally clear my name.”

“If we confirm your innocence after speaking with Dalia, you’ll be compensated,” Reina said.

“Thank you, Duchess!”

Baron Clam shot to his feet, bowing deeply.

Even as Reina waved him off, flustered, he kept bowing, his eyes brimming with tears.

As the atmosphere softened, Baron Clam began to explain the situation in greater detail.

***

After Baron Clam left, Kaiden, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“You don’t believe everything he said, do you?”

His expression showed clear skepticism.

Reina, tidying up, replied,

“Well, I think it’s at least worth looking into.”

“The world is full of people who lie without blinking. You seem to see the world too kindly.”

At Kaiden’s sharp remark, Reina looked at him steadily.

Her blue eyes held no trace of blame, only calm resolve.

Caught in her gaze, Kaiden fell silent, and Reina murmured with a sigh,

“If anything, you’re the one who sees the world too kindly, Kaiden.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You accepted someone like me without a hint of suspicion, didn’t you?”

“You’re nothing like him,” Kaiden retorted, frowning.

Reina replied calmly,

“What’s the difference?”

“…”

“I’m just someone you haven’t known for long either.”

Kaiden was momentarily speechless at her composed counter. Reina continued evenly,

“Haven’t you found it strange that Dalia’s teachers have been replaced so frequently in recent months? That’s what’s been bothering me the most.”

“…”

“I wasn’t sure if it was just paranoia, so I reviewed the reasons for all the previous teachers’ dismissals. Every single one was based on Lady Mary’s testimony—unilaterally.”

“Are you saying you suspect Lady Mary?”

Reina nodded lightly and said,

“The timing is awfully convenient. It all started after the young duchess passed away.”

At the mention of the late duchess, Kaiden’s expression grew serious.

Come to think of it, Aiden had been too preoccupied with his late wife’s affairs to pay much attention to Dalia lately.

And with Kaiden himself busy preparing for the war against the magical beasts that came every hundred years, Dalia had naturally been neglected.

The realization that Lady Mary might have been manipulating Dalia in the meantime stirred a boiling anger within him.

How dare she try to control his niece?

But the anger was quickly followed by deep guilt.

After all, this had happened because the adults in her life had left her unattended.

“Even though Dalia is my heir, I couldn’t keep tabs on everyone Aiden trusted,” Kaiden said.

“I understand,” Reina replied, looking at him with sympathy.

It was clear he felt overwhelming guilt for neglecting his niece.

In a low, heavy voice, he asked,

“Could Lady Mary have been abusing Dalia?”