Chapter 26
I immediately asked the butler.
“Um, is there a warehouse or safe where Prod kept money? I want to at least recover some of it.”
“The money stored here isn’t much. The rest is all kept separately in the royal vault.”
The royal vault. For a moment, I felt dizzy. That was a highly honorable place, open only to a select few by the royal family.
They stored money or precious treasures there, and ordinary people couldn’t enter.
Even if someone tried to sneak in, the security was so strict it was impossible.
“Do you want to recover even a small amount?”
Calyx asked. I shook my head. I thought of the merchants who had previously come to pay money here. If they came, it would only be right to return their money. They had endured a lot of tyranny here already.
“I won’t take the money. Just make sure that any merchant who comes gets all their money back.”
The butler bowed.
“As you wish.”
I left the mansion with Calyx. Even though we had found the scammer, seen his face, and grabbed him by the collar, I still didn’t feel satisfied.
I didn’t feel like killing him, but a wicked feeling rose inside me.
“Damn him.”
My hands still trembled.
A carriage appeared in front of me. I froze for a moment. Memories of the cave came back—an unbearable awkwardness and endless irritation.
The inside of the carriage would be the same.
“Aren’t you getting in?”
“Huh?”
“We need to go find the scammer.”
“Oh, right.”
I couldn’t refuse since Calyx was helping. His information network was certainly better than mine.
And above all, he had money. I barely had enough to buy food right now.
Before, I had worn Calyx’s cloak, so people gave me extra bread or lowered prices. Now, that money was almost gone, and I was close to starving.
In a way, Calyx actively helping was a lifeline.
“Maybe it’s lucky I’m involved with Calyx.”
Thinking that, I quietly got into the carriage. Calyx sat opposite me.
“So we’re going to that beach now?”
“Yes.”
I unfolded a map from my pocket. Riding to Elrili Beach by carriage would take at least three hours. Three hours.
‘Will this be okay?’
Calyx’s scent, which had bothered me before, seemed to drift to my nose again.
I kept glancing at him. Surely, he also felt awkward with me in the carriage. Could we handle three hours together?
As I sneaked peeks, our eyes met. I quickly turned to look out the window.
For a moment, I felt his gaze, then it disappeared. A faint forest-like scent lingered.
Calyx had said he didn’t wear perfume, so why did this smell come?
‘Annoying.’
Even Calyx had said he smelled perfume on me. Could he still smell it now?
I stole a glance at him.
He was looking at a ledger, calm and composed. His black hair gave off a cold feeling, and his eyes, looking down, carried a chilling presence.
His shirt was spotless, not a speck of dust. A blue topaz on his wrist caught my eye. His large hands holding the ledger showed blue veins.
I kept staring at this strange aura when suddenly he spoke.
“Do you have something to say?”
Startled, I blurted out quickly.
“No!”
I said only that and looked away. But I felt his gaze—persistent, as if searching for something I wasn’t saying.
It was so intense and irritating that I turned my head.
“Seems like you have something to say?”
“I don’t.”
Then Calyx’s scent hit me again. Only then did I remember something I wanted to say.
“About the perfume…”
Calyx looked at me quietly. After a pause, he asked,
“Do you still smell it on me?”
He didn’t answer immediately. He stared into my eyes for a long moment before slowly saying,
“Yes.”
Even though it was a simple word, it tickled my ears. And he was staring at me.
‘I shouldn’t have asked.’
I was even more aware of it now. I tried to act like it didn’t matter.
“I don’t wear perfume, so why do I smell it?”
“I don’t know. It’s annoying, but it’s there.”
Was he teasing, or just annoyed by the situation? I couldn’t tell. Annoying. Like Calyx, I was annoyed too.
‘Why did he insist we ride together?’
He had told me to take a separate carriage before for long rides. I peeked at him. Our eyes met.
He lightly closed the ledger.
“Lerit.”
“Yes?”
“Say what you have to say.”
“I already did.”
“For someone who says that, you keep watching me too closely.”
“I was just looking. I turned my head and happened to glance.”
A scoffing laugh followed. He crossed his legs and looked at me.
“Just happened, huh? You were staring pretty hard.”
Calyx’s piercing gaze met mine. I mumbled awkwardly.
“I was just curious. At first, you were uncomfortable and told me to ride separately. Now, it’s the same three-hour distance, yet we ride together…”
“Uncomfortable?”
“Yes, very. Well, not very…”
I closed my mouth. I was too flustered to speak properly.
“If it’s uncomfortable, you can take another carriage. It will take longer than this one.”
Calyx looked straight at me and asked,
“Will you get off?”
“No!”
Get off? This carriage was much faster than others. You could even feel the speed.
Calyx picked up the ledger and said,
“If this is just an emotional thought, you’d better drop it.”
Startled, I looked at him. He raised his head as if nothing had happened.
“I hate unnecessary attention.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Duke, I didn’t see you like that.”
His calm, arrogant tone made me feel alert. Crazy, liking Calyx? No, just uncomfortable. He acted differently than before.
And in the cave, I had felt that suffocating awkwardness.
Now I remembered—Calyx had also looked at me intently earlier. His tone was different; sometimes informal.
“By the way, Duke, before you called me ‘you,’ but now sometimes it’s informal…”
I watched his reaction. He raised one eyebrow, cold and annoyed.
I added hastily,
“I was just curious why it changed suddenly.”
Calyx laughed as if it was ridiculous.
“Do you think I’m interested in you just for that?”
“No. I didn’t say that. I just said it changed.”
Calyx smirked and looked at me.
“Lerit.”
His low voice made me focus instantly. He spoke slowly without waiting for a reply.
“You have a way of getting on people’s nerves.”
He was smiling, but his eyes looked sharp. I quickly said,
“I’m sorry if I annoyed you.”
If he was annoyed, I had to obey. Right now, Calyx had all the authority—from this carriage to my debt.
“Don’t say unnecessary things. If it’s uncomfortable, you can find another carriage.”
A threat. The Calyx I knew hadn’t changed. I didn’t speak further and stared out the carriage window.
The snow was gone. Now, green plains appeared. My heart felt a spark of hope.
‘If I just find that scammer…’
I would pay back my debt and leave this miserable place! Just thinking about it made me happy.
I forgot to smile and just stared at the green fields.
Calyx casually looked up and noticed Lerit’s hopeful, bright face. He stared for a long time.
Curiosity? Not interest. He watched her because of curiosity.
His instinct, not cooled yet, told him he couldn’t kill her easily. Wanting her was just for power.
No emotions—just instinct.
After all, Lerit had royal blood. She would be selfish and destructive, like her father.
Even though he should have looked away in disgust, his eyes kept following her. She was just smiling, looking outside.
Calyx’s gaze sharpened.
Why, why.
Questions filled his mind. Then the carriage stopped.
The middle door opened. The coachman shouted urgently.
“Your Grace! One wheel is off, the carriage isn’t balanced!”
Calyx got down immediately. I followed, curious. The coachman stood by his side. Calyx found the slightly off wheel.
“And the other wheels?”
The coachman checked the rear. After a moment, he returned, stamping his feet.
“I thought I kept them all, and we did regular repairs… I don’t know why this happened.”
He looked like he was about to cry.
“Gold and silver might have worn slightly and be invisible. I’ll give you tools to check later, so don’t worry.”
I immediately asked the butler.
“Um, is there a warehouse or safe where Prod kept money? I want to at least recover some of it.”
“The money stored here isn’t much. The rest is all kept separately in the royal vault.”
The royal vault. For a moment, I felt dizzy. That was a highly honorable place, open only to a select few by the royal family.
They stored money or precious treasures there, and ordinary people couldn’t enter.
Even if someone tried to sneak in, the security was so strict it was impossible.
“Do you want to recover even a small amount?”
Calyx asked. I shook my head. I thought of the merchants who had previously come to pay money here. If they came, it would only be right to return their money. They had endured a lot of tyranny here already.
“I won’t take the money. Just make sure that any merchant who comes gets all their money back.”
The butler bowed.
“As you wish.”
I left the mansion with Calyx. Even though we had found the scammer, seen his face, and grabbed him by the collar, I still didn’t feel satisfied.
I didn’t feel like killing him, but a wicked feeling rose inside me.
“Damn him.”
My hands still trembled.
A carriage appeared in front of me. I froze for a moment. Memories of the cave came back—an unbearable awkwardness and endless irritation.
The inside of the carriage would be the same.
“Aren’t you getting in?”
“Huh?”
“We need to go find the scammer.”
“Oh, right.”
I couldn’t refuse since Calyx was helping. His information network was certainly better than mine.
And above all, he had money. I barely had enough to buy food right now.
Before, I had worn Calyx’s cloak, so people gave me extra bread or lowered prices. Now, that money was almost gone, and I was close to starving.
In a way, Calyx actively helping was a lifeline.
“Maybe it’s lucky I’m involved with Calyx.”
Thinking that, I quietly got into the carriage. Calyx sat opposite me.
“So we’re going to that beach now?”
“Yes.”
I unfolded a map from my pocket. Riding to Elrili Beach by carriage would take at least three hours. Three hours.
‘Will this be okay?’
Calyx’s scent, which had bothered me before, seemed to drift to my nose again.
I kept glancing at him. Surely, he also felt awkward with me in the carriage. Could we handle three hours together?
As I sneaked peeks, our eyes met. I quickly turned to look out the window.
For a moment, I felt his gaze, then it disappeared. A faint forest-like scent lingered.
Calyx had said he didn’t wear perfume, so why did this smell come?
‘Annoying.’
Even Calyx had said he smelled perfume on me. Could he still smell it now?
I stole a glance at him.
He was looking at a ledger, calm and composed. His black hair gave off a cold feeling, and his eyes, looking down, carried a chilling presence.
His shirt was spotless, not a speck of dust. A blue topaz on his wrist caught my eye. His large hands holding the ledger showed blue veins.
I kept staring at this strange aura when suddenly he spoke.
“Do you have something to say?”
Startled, I blurted out quickly.
“No!”
I said only that and looked away. But I felt his gaze—persistent, as if searching for something I wasn’t saying.
It was so intense and irritating that I turned my head.
“Seems like you have something to say?”
“I don’t.”
Then Calyx’s scent hit me again. Only then did I remember something I wanted to say.
“About the perfume…”
Calyx looked at me quietly. After a pause, he asked,
“Do you still smell it on me?”
He didn’t answer immediately. He stared into my eyes for a long moment before slowly saying,
“Yes.”
Even though it was a simple word, it tickled my ears. And he was staring at me.
‘I shouldn’t have asked.’
I was even more aware of it now. I tried to act like it didn’t matter.
“I don’t wear perfume, so why do I smell it?”
“I don’t know. It’s annoying, but it’s there.”
Was he teasing, or just annoyed by the situation? I couldn’t tell. Annoying. Like Calyx, I was annoyed too.
‘Why did he insist we ride together?’
He had told me to take a separate carriage before for long rides. I peeked at him. Our eyes met.
He lightly closed the ledger.
“Lerit.”
“Yes?”
“Say what you have to say.”
“I already did.”
“For someone who says that, you keep watching me too closely.”
“I was just looking. I turned my head and happened to glance.”
A scoffing laugh followed. He crossed his legs and looked at me.
“Just happened, huh? You were staring pretty hard.”
Calyx’s piercing gaze met mine. I mumbled awkwardly.
“I was just curious. At first, you were uncomfortable and told me to ride separately. Now, it’s the same three-hour distance, yet we ride together…”
“Uncomfortable?”
“Yes, very. Well, not very…”
I closed my mouth. I was too flustered to speak properly.
“If it’s uncomfortable, you can take another carriage. It will take longer than this one.”
Calyx looked straight at me and asked,
“Will you get off?”
“No!”
Get off? This carriage was much faster than others. You could even feel the speed.
Calyx picked up the ledger and said,
“If this is just an emotional thought, you’d better drop it.”
Startled, I looked at him. He raised his head as if nothing had happened.
“I hate unnecessary attention.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Duke, I didn’t see you like that.”
His calm, arrogant tone made me feel alert. Crazy, liking Calyx? No, just uncomfortable. He acted differently than before.
And in the cave, I had felt that suffocating awkwardness.
Now I remembered—Calyx had also looked at me intently earlier. His tone was different; sometimes informal.
“By the way, Duke, before you called me ‘you,’ but now sometimes it’s informal…”
I watched his reaction. He raised one eyebrow, cold and annoyed.
I added hastily,
“I was just curious why it changed suddenly.”
Calyx laughed as if it was ridiculous.
“Do you think I’m interested in you just for that?”
“No. I didn’t say that. I just said it changed.”
Calyx smirked and looked at me.
“Lerit.”
His low voice made me focus instantly. He spoke slowly without waiting for a reply.
“You have a way of getting on people’s nerves.”
He was smiling, but his eyes looked sharp. I quickly said,
“I’m sorry if I annoyed you.”
If he was annoyed, I had to obey. Right now, Calyx had all the authority—from this carriage to my debt.
“Don’t say unnecessary things. If it’s uncomfortable, you can find another carriage.”
A threat. The Calyx I knew hadn’t changed. I didn’t speak further and stared out the carriage window.
The snow was gone. Now, green plains appeared. My heart felt a spark of hope.
‘If I just find that scammer…’
I would pay back my debt and leave this miserable place! Just thinking about it made me happy.
I forgot to smile and just stared at the green fields.
Calyx casually looked up and noticed Lerit’s hopeful, bright face. He stared for a long time.
Curiosity? Not interest. He watched her because of curiosity.
His instinct, not cooled yet, told him he couldn’t kill her easily. Wanting her was just for power.
No emotions—just instinct.
After all, Lerit had royal blood. She would be selfish and destructive, like her father.
Even though he should have looked away in disgust, his eyes kept following her. She was just smiling, looking outside.
Calyx’s gaze sharpened.
Why, why.
Questions filled his mind. Then the carriage stopped.
The middle door opened. The coachman shouted urgently.
“Your Grace! One wheel is off, the carriage isn’t balanced!”
Calyx got down immediately. I followed, curious. The coachman stood by his side. Calyx found the slightly off wheel.
“And the other wheels?”
The coachman checked the rear. After a moment, he returned, stamping his feet.
“I thought I kept them all, and we did regular repairs… I don’t know why this happened.”
He looked like he was about to cry.
“Gold and silver might have worn slightly and be invisible. I’ll give you tools to check later, so don’t worry.”
