Chapter 18
If a war broke out, the lives of the people living here would clearly be ruined.
No matter how well Calyx stood at the front and blocked it, there would still be damage from war.
But if Berok were simply killed, there would be some fear, yet there would be no immediate harm.
I didn’t answer. Even if there were only two choices, I felt like there had to be another way.
Calyx seemed to be using Berok’s death merely as a way to reinforce his troops, but no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like the right method.
The problem was that I couldn’t think of any other way either.
Just then, Vodka suddenly lifted his head stiffly. He sniffed the air, then abruptly ran out of the cave. When I tried to follow him a moment later, Calyx spoke.
“Leave him.”
“But Vodka—”
“He sometimes catches Berok’s scent and runs off like that.”
“Will he be okay? There’s still a snowstorm outside, and he went alone.”
“Vodka once stayed outside for ten days in that state and came back.”
Calyx pressed his sword deeper into the campfire. Sparks flew, and the fire burned brighter.
“He always finds his way home, so you don’t need to worry.”
After hearing that, I had no reason to keep standing. I sat down awkwardly.
Now it was really just Calyx and me. The snowstorm was still raging, and only the sound of the fire burning filled the cave. With no one speaking, I felt strangely restless.
Then a question I hadn’t been able to ask Herkel came to mind.
The one billion in slush funds hidden by Count Medix. And his relationship with Calyx. I wanted to pay off my debt quickly and leave this place.
To ease the awkwardness—and because I was curious—I opened my mouth.
“I heard something while passing by. They say Count Medix’s hidden funds are buried somewhere around here…”
“They are nearby.”
My voice rose without meaning to.
“Nearby?”
“This place has all kinds of things buried here. From the slush funds of back-alley scum to the grave of Commander Dwold, once called the greatest hero.”
“Then do you know exactly where Count Medix’s money is buried?”
Calyx tilted his head and looked at me. I awkwardly dragged out my words.
“I just heard people talking about it, so I was curious. They say it’s a huge amount of money.”
Calyx smiled strangely.
“So you’re thinking of digging it up to pay your debt?”
“That would be nice. I still owe a lot, you know.”
Calyx continued, staring straight into my eyes.
“It’s buried near this cave, but it won’t be easy to find.”
“Why not?”
“It happened a hundred years ago. Countless people heard the rumor and came here, but they either became Berok’s food or got lost and froze to death.”
There was a sharp glint of killing intent in his eyes. Even so, my thoughts clung to the money. I wanted to pay off my debt and escape this place as soon as possible.
“But it is around this cave, right?”
“Solpain told me so, so it should be here. Count Medix was a distant relative of Solpain.”
Solpain. They said he was the hunter who practically raised Calyx. Calyx seemed to trust Solpain without question. That made sense—Solpain had taught him how to control his aura with a sword and had practically taken care of him.
I felt a gaze on me. In truth, Calyx had been staring at me for a while now. I deliberately looked at the fire instead.
A soft chuckle reached my ears. When I slowly raised my eyes, I met Calyx’s gaze.
“Don’t you trust me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You look like you don’t trust me, even though I said Solpain told me.”
“No. I was just thinking.”
“Solpain was like a father to me. He wouldn’t lie.”
His tone was firm. I couldn’t guess what kind of person Solpain was since I’d never met him, but to Calyx, he clearly meant a great deal.
At the same time, perhaps because I’d been scammed, Calyx’s words didn’t sit well with me.
I got scammed by a company I trusted. There’s no guarantee you won’t be scammed by someone you trust.
Still, with that much money involved, I planned to dig around here anyway, even if it meant getting fooled again.
“You really don’t look convinced.”
“Huh?”
“Then do you not believe what I said either?”
“What do you mean?”
“That you’re alive, and I’m fine now.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. As I stood there confused, Calyx leaned closer. In an instant, he was close enough for me to feel his breath.
I hesitated and tried to step back, but my back hit the wall.
Calyx looked over my eyes, nose, and lips in turn, then lifted his gaze again. A strange light flickered in his ash-gray eyes.
“You saved my life.”
“……”
“And yet you still don’t believe you’re a princess?”
His low voice filled my ear. I swallowed hard before barely answering.
“I’m not.”
It was impossible to believe. No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.
Calyx let out a short laugh.
“Funny. I felt it clearly.”
“I—I just—”
“Mr. Lerit.”
“Yes?”
“You won’t be leaving until you pay off your debt.”
Wasn’t that obvious? I wondered why he was even saying it. Calyx stared straight at me, then spoke quietly.
“Even if you want to return as a princess.”
That sounded ominous. When I looked at him, Calyx stepped back and drove his sword into the campfire. Sparks flew, and the fire flared up again.
I thought over what Calyx had said. Princess. Not leaving until the debt was paid.
It sounded natural, yet something felt off. Especially his gaze earlier—it was different from before. Before, it had been pure killing intent and displeasure. Now, there was interest mixed in, along with some strange emotion.
Anxiety that had been curled up inside me began to rise.
“Um, Duke?”
Calyx looked down at me, his gaze indifferent.
“What do you mean by not being able to return even if I want to go back as a princess?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. You can’t go to the royal palace.”
Even if I didn’t believe I was a princess, that still sounded absurd. If I got sick of this or wanted out, couldn’t I at least go to the palace once?
Then our eyes met. There was a chill in his lowered gaze.
“You still have a lot of debt.”
“Yes, I know that, but…”
Why “you”? Until now, he’d always called me “that side.” That small difference bothered me. Enough to make me wonder if I really was a princess.
A princess. Me, who had lived such a rough life?
It was so unbelievable it made my skin break out in goosebumps. But when I touched Calyx, he became fine. And he spoke with certainty, saying I was a princess. Others died when they touched him, but I didn’t.
A nasty sensation rose inside me. Calyx himself had said it was unpleasant.
“Duke.”
I felt his gaze. I asked the question that had been floating in my mind.
“Didn’t you say I was unpleasant?”
His gaze dropped slightly beneath his dark eyes. He was looking at my lips.
“Yes.”
For a moment, the air felt thick, like it was suffocating me. It was just one word, but his eyes made it worse. I barely managed to speak, like escaping from a swamp.
“Then shouldn’t I leave this place as soon as possible?”
What Calyx had said before bothered me—that he had something to gain from me. Back then, I thought it was just money. Now, it felt unsettling.
Calyx slowly lifted his gaze. His ash-gray eyes fully captured me. The look was strange enough that I took a small step sideways. A faint slant formed at the corner of his lips.
“Then you stay until you pay your debt.”
“……”
“Isn’t that right?”
“But earlier, didn’t you say I could go to the palace?”
“Even if you go, you’ll die.”
For a moment, I couldn’t speak. Die?
“Because there was someone who wanted you dead from the moment you were born.”
“That’s…”
“Are you admitting now that you’re a princess?”
My lips wouldn’t move. I still couldn’t believe it.
What on earth is going on?
I was scammed and ended up here, trying to catch the scammer, and somehow I’d been dragged into a vortex. I was already busy paying off debt and chasing a fraudster, and now there was a past I didn’t even know about. Calyx’s strange attitude bothered me too.
I moved farther to the side, far enough that his breath wouldn’t reach me. Calyx looked at me as if it were ridiculous. Watching his mood, I asked,
“Aren’t you taking your medicine?”
“Why?”
“You seem stranger than before.”
He let out a hollow laugh. I went on without caring.
“You keep staring at me and coming so close…”
As I said it, my face heated up. I could still feel his unwavering gaze. When I glanced up, Calyx was looking straight at me with a slight frown, as if he truly didn’t understand me.
Avoiding his eyes, I said,
“I’d like us to keep some distance from now on. I don’t want to get emotionally close to someone I’m under contract with.”
It was a warning. Don’t come any closer.
“Ha, Mr. Lerit.”
His incredulous laughter dug into my ear. Calyx’s eyes sharpened.
“Do I look like I approached you emotionally?”
Without looking at him, I answered,
“Then I don’t understand why you insist I shouldn’t go to the palace. If I’m unpleasant, why keep me by your side?”
“Because you’re that kind of existence. Unpleasant, yet necessary to keep close.”
That made even less sense. When I looked at him in confusion, Calyx lifted the corner of his lips in a mocking smile.
“Did Herkel tell you?”
Why was Herkel suddenly coming up?
Startled, I blurted out,
“He did talk about you and me, but that’s not what I meant—”
“I have no intention of approaching you emotionally. It’s just a biological reaction, so don’t worry about it.”
Instinctual made it sound even more dangerous.
