Chapter 82
“Let’s Go Back, Rebellia.”
Calliere knelt on one knee before me as I sat there blankly, unable to grasp the situation.
My eyes trembled as his deep voice reached me.
“You cry easily.”
“…”
“Rebellia Piace does.”
His large hand gently wiped away the tears rolling down my cheek.
Only then did I snap back to my senses at the touch of his fingers.
I pushed his hand away quickly.
“I-I don’t know what you mean.”
“What part was hard to understand?”
“…”
“Speak. If you ask me, I’ll answer anything.”
I froze, startled by his kind words.
He looked at me with a face that truly seemed ready to answer anything I asked.
‘Wh-what is going on…? How could he look at me like that after I deceived and used him? Doesn’t he resent me?’
Questions with no answers spun in my mind.
I clenched my knees tightly. His red eyes showed no hatred at all, and that alone made my heart ache painfully.
Finally, I opened my mouth.
“…How did you know I was Rebellia Piace?”
“I saw your violet hair.”
“…What?”
“When you gave me medicine during my fever, your violet hair shone under the moonlight.”
“…!”
“Of course, I thought it was just my fever making me hallucinate.”
I bit my lip at his unexpected confession.
I had thought he must’ve learned from Lafer… but it turned out he had seen it himself.
‘So even if I had stayed in the Grand Duchy, my identity would’ve been exposed sooner or later…’
As I realized this too late, I nervously bit at my lips—until his finger suddenly touched them.
“…!”
I looked up in shock. His gaze met mine.
“If you don’t want to bleed, you’d better stop, Rebellia.”
“Ah—s-sorry. I didn’t realize.”
I hurriedly moved my head back, and he withdrew his hand without resistance.
He spoke again in his calm tone.
“And to add to my earlier answer—just because I remembered your violet hair didn’t mean I immediately realized you were Rebellia Piace.”
“…Then how?”
“Because we met once before.”
His words made me recall the day he had visited the mansion, when I was secretly preparing to leave with my father’s help.
“…You remember that brief encounter at the mansion?”
“The mansion?”
“…?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, yes. That too.”
“What?”
Only now did he act as if he remembered. I stared at him in disbelief.
He smiled playfully.
“Don’t you think that means we’re fated to meet?”
“W-wait. Are you saying… you met me before that time too?”
He squinted mischievously.
“Before I answer, I want your answer first.”
“…Answer to what?”
“Will you return to the Esperos Grand Duchy with me?”
“…”
“Everyone is waiting for you.”
“…”
“So come back, Rebellia.”
“…To the Esperos Grand Duchy.”
My head spun in confusion.
“Mother was sick? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me the truth? I thought you abandoned me… I thought you ran away to live happily without me…”
“Things are turning out quite interesting.”
Crocan recalled Rebellia’s teary eyes as he smirked cruelly.
Her crying face looked exactly like Anna’s.
‘Don’t touch my daughter, Crocan Piace! If you hurt her, I’ll kill you!’
He remembered Anna’s desperate scream. For more than ten years locked in darkness, she had only ever thought of her daughter.
“If only you had died, Anna… then Rebellia wouldn’t be swayed like this.”
He laughed coldly.
“In the end, your longing to see your daughter just once more is what shackled her.”
The situation was perfect.
Rebellia could never ignore her mother now. The only question was when she would accept his deal and steal Lemstone mining rights from the Duke.
“A father’s duty is to push his child forward when she hesitates.”
Crocan grinned. Back in Xeros, much work awaited him.
“…I can’t go.”
“May I ask why?”
Calliere’s calm voice met my heavy refusal.
I hesitated, then whispered.
“I deceived you, Your Grace… and everyone in the Grand Duchy.”
“…”
“So I can’t just go back as if nothing happened.”
“Even if I say it’s fine?”
His words stunned me. I quickly shook my head.
“…And right now, I’m not Heidi Eliana. I’m Rebellia Piace.”
‘No one would welcome me…’
I swallowed the words I couldn’t say aloud. I was not the beloved heroine, but the despised villainess—Rebellia Piace.
“Rebellia.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
“Truth is… I hate golden hair.”
“…?”
“Because it’s the same color as Delphian Xeros’. Every time I see it, I remember his face.”
I blinked in shock. He stood up slowly from where he had knelt.
“Well, if you truly can’t return, then there’s nothing I can do.”
“….”
“This time, I didn’t come to force you.”
“…Your Grace.”
“And I had no intention of kidnapping you either.”
His added words made me laugh softly. The heavy air eased a little.
Calliere whistled, calling his horse that grazed nearby.
I stood up to see him off.
“Do you live in that little house?” he asked, glancing behind me.
“Yes… it’s small, but enough for one person. There’s a room downstairs and an attic. I stay in the attic—it feels safer than the first floor.”
My answer grew long, betraying my regret. I quickly looked away, embarrassed.
He smirked playfully.
“Good. That means tonight I can stay there.”
“…What?”
“It’s too late to cross the forest now.”
I stared at him wide-eyed. He pointed toward the darkening woods.
“The Babylon Forest is the perfect place to get lost at night.”
His smiling face sent a shiver down my spine.
