Chapter 52
“I Thought They Looked Alike”
“…Did I get possessed by a ghost for a moment?”
Only after following Calier out into the yard did I slowly realize how nosy I had been.
No, how could I, a hostage, be giving orders about someone else’s territory?
‘And why does Calier just accept this from me?’
Why on earth?
“…Hello.”
It was too late to take back my words. I awkwardly waved at Tommy and Jane, who were anxiously watching me through the window.
Calier, unaware of my mixed feelings, sat down on a cut tree stump in the yard.
I stood stiffly before him like a student who had caused trouble in front of a teacher.
Avoiding his gaze, I looked around and then sighed lightly.
“…Please say it. I know I was wrong.”
“What wrong did you do?”
“I made exceptions to the rules and caused confusion.”
“…”
“If you want to punish me, I accept it.”
“Sometimes I think you think of me as a cruel tyrant.”
His unexpected words made me look up at him.
He blinked and smiled.
“Making exceptions isn’t exactly right.”
“…”
“But not everything can always follow the rules. Especially where many people must follow them.”
“That means…”
“I understand what you did. What I want to know is why you acted like that.”
His words surprised me.
‘I thought he’d say I’m overstepping, since I’m neither from Hestonia nor related to Esperos.’
Seeing Calier’s open mind, I spoke with faint hope.
“I’m sorry I stopped Your Grace from revealing her identity. But I thought people who live as if they are dead shouldn’t be told the Grand Duke is here.”
“…”
“When I saw Jane’s face, it looked like she knew she was dead on paper. Maybe she accepted being dead herself.”
I guessed, but this happened in history too.
Some people pretended to be dead to avoid taxes or couldn’t give their children full names to avoid taxes.
“I’m not saying we should excuse those who don’t pay taxes. That would hurt those who follow the law.”
“…”
“I just hope Your Grace can create an environment where people who can’t pay taxes can.”
“…”
“Because things like food distributions are only temporary help. If we can help people long-term…”
“Sis!”
Right then, my deep talk was cut off by Tommy running out of the cabin toward me.
I lifted the short-legged boy into my arms, and May hurried out behind him.
“I’m sorry. I tried to catch Tommy, but he’s too fast…”
“It’s okay. The story ended anyway.”
“Sis?”
May apologized, and I smiled at her.
Tommy looked between me, May, and Calier carefully, then asked quietly,
“I was wondering, does ‘lowest rank’ mean the person at the bottom?”
“Lowest rank? Yeah, I guess.”
“Then aren’t you below that lady?”
“That lady?”
Following Tommy’s glance, I saw May looking at him with a displeased face.
Seeing the awkward tension between them, I laughed awkwardly.
“May isn’t a lady, but why?”
“You said you were the lowest rank earlier.”
“Me?”
‘Actually, I’m also the lowest rank and need permission from those above.’
Remembering what I said, I looked at Tommy surprised.
He tilted his head and asked,
“If that lady is higher, why does she talk politely to you?”
“Uh, did she?”
“Yeah, she apologized for not catching me and you said it was okay.”
…Kids these days are sharp.
I glanced at May, who looked confused.
I smiled awkwardly at Tommy.
“Maybe you misunderstood?”
“Misunderstood?”
Tommy gave me a doubtful look, then turned toward May, who looked helpless.
I bowed to May and said,
“I’ll go to the market, May.”
“Wait, wait, Hei…!”
“Yes, May.”
May laughed lightly as if she noticed my joke.
She closed her eyes tightly, almost like she was about to cry.
“I’ll, I mean, I’ll tidy up the house then…”
“…?”
“I’ll be here.”
I laughed and turned away from May, who looked like she might explode from embarrassment.
Calier watched us silently and shook his head.
“You’re mischievous.”
“Thank you, leader!”
Seeing Calier’s grumpy face made me laugh.
‘…This is fun.’
It’s funny how something so small can bring such joy.
“Do you know which animal greets dinner the best?”
“No. What?”
“Turtles.”
Calier heard the strange joke between the two walking ahead and frowned deeply.
The weirdest thing was the little boy laughing happily while Heidi looked troubled.
Over Heidi’s forced smile, Calier remembered her serious face from before.
His expression darkened.
‘Food distributions are only temporary help. If we can help people long-term…’
Long-term.
Since Shion’s death, Calier had never thought about the distant future.
His only purpose was revenge.
Revenge for his brother Shion, who died alone in a foreign land.
He never let anything else enter his mind.
Even though he was in charge of the territory, he ignored everything else.
The land became a mess under his neglect.
Remstone, the richest mineral, was wasted.
Poverty lasted long, and more people came to receive food every year.
The people outside his sight grew old and died, but no one blamed him.
‘The Grand Duke is kind. Every year at harvest, he’s the first to distribute food.’
‘Everyone heals at their own pace. We just wait for him to overcome his wounds.’
As Calier thought of the blindly trusting villagers, he heard Heidi and Tommy’s voices.
“Is there more?”
“More?”
“Wait a moment. I need to think.”
Calier looked back at them.
Heidi frowned deeply, lost in thought, memories overlapping.
‘He is coming. The moment he finds out Heidi Elliana is here, he will come.’
‘The Crown Prince will come no matter what. It’s natural, and I was sure of it.’
I thought about it.
The villagers who trusted me blindly and Heidi still trusting the absent Delphian.
‘The bee is looking for a new flower. Similar to the one it picked, but different. This flower grows where the snake coils.’
Do you know?
That the man you trust started looking for another woman after you disappeared?
“Leader!”
Calier watched Heidi smiling and waving as the sun set.
The blue sky was dyed red and purple.
Under that strange sky, Heidi’s golden hair was tinted purple.
Why?
For a moment, her face overlapped with Revelia Piace’s.
