“…Was it Lord Callinan?”
“…Huh?”
I asked back dumbly, momentarily at a loss for words. Of all the names to come out of Arthur’s mouth, why did it have to be Edward Callinan? His name had already been spinning in my head ever since earlier, and hearing it again now caught me completely off guard. Had Arthur perhaps met Edward Callinan somehow? Had something happened while I wasn’t aware?
Arthur’s face was unreadable as he looked up at me, waiting. I forced myself to regain my composure and answered as naturally as I could.
“No, not him. But Arthur, why bring up Lord Callinan all of a sudden?”
“The last time I saw you, you were with him. I just wondered if the person you met today was him, too.”
“Ah, that. It was just a coincidence that time…”
Arthur was talking about the day we met at the Natural History Museum. I thought he’d forgotten about it since he hadn’t mentioned it at all, but clearly, he remembered every detail.
My voice trailed off. Calling that whole day—from Karl’s Bookstore to the museum—“a coincidence” pricked at my conscience. Then again, meeting him at Karl’s Bookstore had been a coincidence… a manufactured one, perhaps, but still.
Even with my unconvincing answer, Arthur only nodded slowly before asking,
“Then, are you sure nothing happened today?”
“Of course! You worry way too much, Arthur. I’m telling you, there’s nothing to worry about.”
I squished his soft cheeks with both hands and grinned playfully. Only then did the concern in his eyes begin to fade. When Arthur gave me a faint smile in return, I ruffled his hair affectionately as we started walking again. I sipped the lemonade he had given me—its bright yellow tang spread sweetly across my tongue.
“So, Arthur. What about you? Everything fine at the Academy?”
“Yeah, mostly… but…”
Arthur’s voice trailed off again. Which meant something had happened.
“What is it? Something’s going on, right? Come on, tell me.”
“The Bluebird Academy has a new chancellor. But, uh… sis…”
“Yeah?”
“That… Lord Callinan and you… what exactly is your relationship?”
Pfft!
I choked on my drink, coughing and spluttering. The sour lemonade burned down my throat and stung my lungs. Arthur’s eyes went wide in alarm.
“Are you okay?!”
I nodded weakly, eyes watering. Apparently, the topic of Lord Callinan still wasn’t ready to leave our conversations anytime soon.
My fake lover and contract partner. The inscrutable high noble. The son of the Minister of Magic. The sole heir to House Callinan. The man who paid off all my debts.
There were many ways to describe Edward Callinan, but very few things I could actually tell Arthur right now.
I finally managed to speak, still catching my breath.
“Wh-what do you mean, ‘relationship’? There’s really nothing special between us. You’re awfully curious today, Arthur. Didn’t I already explain when I first met him?”
“Hmm… back then, when I asked, I said you two looked close. Then you probably said no, and that was it.”
“Right! So, yeah, that’s all there is to it.”
“What kind of ‘all there is to it’?”
“Well… we just know each other because of Lady Dianther. It’s work, nothing more.”
We knew each other because of the young lady I served. Strictly professional, that’s all. And yet, somehow, we’d ended up visiting the museum together.
Arthur’s face showed clear confusion. And honestly, who could blame him? A nobleman of such high rank spending time with me? Even I couldn’t give a convincing explanation. I studied his face and asked carefully,
“But why bring him up in the middle of talking about the Academy?”
“Well…”
Arthur’s expression turned even more serious.
“The new chancellor of Bluebird Academy… is Lord Callinan. Lord Edward Edwin Callinan.”
“…What?”
“Apparently, the Callinan family has sponsored the Academy for a long time—ever since it was founded. Our former chancellor was Duke Devon, but recently Lord Callinan took over the position.”
“…”
“The last time I saw him, he told me to call him ‘Mr. Callinan.’ But now that he’s the chancellor, I can’t really do that, can I? I haven’t seen him at school yet, but I wanted to ask if you knew anything about it.”
I’m sorry, Arthur. I know nothing at all.
I’d just found out myself that Edward Callinan was now the chancellor of Arthur’s academy.
The feeling was like unexpectedly finding a missing teaspoon behind the piano—or in a flowerbed. Like slowly piecing together a mismatched tea set, one item at a time. There was still so much missing, but at least something now made sense.
I recalled the day at the Natural History Museum. It was Edward Callinan who told me Arthur’s class would be on a field trip there, that I probably wouldn’t see him because of lessons. Of course he knew—he was the chancellor.
A chancellor. Unbelievable.
The distance between Edward Callinan and me felt wider than ever. He was someone who could pay off my massive debt as casually as buying dinner, someone who could take on the chancellorship of a national academy whenever he pleased. The sheer weight of House Callinan’s power was clearer to me than ever before.
And I wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Arthur probably sensed it too.
After a moment of silence, I finally said,
“I’m sorry, Arthur. I had no idea he was your school’s chancellor. He’s probably busy with a lot of things, not just the Academy. But I’m sure he meant it when he told you to call him that.”
“…You think so?”
Y
“Of course. Remember, he told you to speak comfortably with him. He’s not the type to obsess over titles and formalities like most nobles. I don’t think he’s the kind to lie either—uh, well, anyway. Don’t worry, okay? And if you ever run into him without me around, you come tell me right away. Got it?”
“Yeah, I will, sister.”
“And if you do meet him at the Academy, remember to call him Chancellor.”
“Yup, I know.”
When had my little Arthur grown so much? Even without saying much, there was always a quiet understanding between us. According to Mrs. and Mr. Alex, Arthur had always been considerate beyond his years—and I could see that clearly myself. He was the sweetest, kindest little brother in the world.
Ever since I met Louizar Canton, since learning about my vanished debt, and since everything involving Edward Callinan began, my heart had been restless. But looking at Arthur now, that uneasy weight seemed to ease just a little.
Which is why I’ll never forgive Louizar Canton for using Arthur’s name like that.
If what he said was true, that he was no longer connected to me in any way… then so be it. But even thinking of him now made my chest tighten. He was someone I never wanted entangled in my life again—not even in my dreams.
So what should I do first?
What can I do?
The answer hovered just beyond reach, slipping away whenever I tried to grasp it.
Arthur chattered cheerfully beside me, smiling up at me as we walked. I stroked his hair again, gently.
Yes… my vacation isn’t over yet. We still have our evening dinner to prepare, the one we planned for just the two of us. Maybe we should buy more ingredients? Or something Arthur needs for the Academy?
We chatted about small, ordinary things as we walked down the bustling streets together.
Life, as always, flowed on in its quiet, shining way.
________✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧𓉞___________
By dawn, Princess Lylaina was already bustling about. Normally, she was never up this early, so the once-peaceful villa was now twice as busy as usual. As her maids helped her get ready, she chattered endlessly.
“Beth, do you think Dian’s been waiting long?”
“No, Your Highness. If you leave now, you won’t be late.”
“Ahh… I stayed up far too late last night. It was so hard to get up this morning. I bet Dian didn’t sleep either. I kept her up late on purpose, and now she’s probably exhausted.”
Lylaina sighed dramatically. Since this was clearly her talking to herself, her maid Beth wisely stayed silent, focusing on arranging the princess’s wavy, red-gold hair. Knowing when not to speak was one of the essential skills for serving royalty.
“Your Highness, please raise your arms for a moment.”
Beth gestured as another maid approached, holding a dress. It took quite some time before Lylaina was finally ready to leave her chamber.
“Lady Dianther del Aspania, before Her Majesty Queen Sophia de Idris.”
“Rise, Dianther.”
Queen Sophia of Martina was a serene beauty. Her soft golden hair gleamed like early spring sunlight, not the blaze of summer, and her green eyes carried a gentle, jade-like glow—foreign and captivating.
Her calm yet steady voice matched the quiet authority of her presence. One could never call her fragile just by her appearance; there was an unmistakable strength behind her grace.
Dianther, holding her skirt, bowed deeply before rising. Though she had greeted the Queen before in the company of her parents, this was her first time meeting Her Majesty alone.
Queen Sophia smiled kindly.
“I heard Lylaina troubled you quite a bit the other day. The Duke and Duchess of Aspania must have been worried.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. My parents were honored by Her Highness’s visit.”
“Good. Lylaina has prepared much for your stay—make yourself comfortable.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Princess Lylaina brightened, her eyes sparkling as she spoke eagerly.
“Mother, you’ll grant my request, won’t you?”
Her voice brimmed with hope and excitement.
