The door leading to Chloe's room was slightly ajar.
At first, he had no intention of eavesdropping on Chloe's conversation.
But he felt a little strange and went closer to the door.
'Who are you talking to?'
It was strange. He couldn't hear the other person's voice, only Chloe's.
'Are you muttering to yourself?'
There was a high and low pitch in her voice, as if she was talking to someone, and she muttered for a long time, but Callius didn't think much of it.
There are bound to be people who organize their thoughts by muttering to themselves.
'It could be some kind of game.'
Chloe continued to talk to herself in her room for a long time after that.
A little later, Chloe finally entered the shared bedroom.
She always looked tired because she didn't get enough sleep, but today she looked even more tired.
Callius knew very well why she was tired, so instead of telling her that she looked tired, he expressed his concern in other words.
“You look unwell. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, did I do that?”
Chloe quickly gave a faint smile.
“No, what’s going on?”
Chloe's voice as she spoke was a little different than usual.
Callius had a strange feeling that she was drawing a line between him and her.
The atmosphere was similar to the last time, when he accidentally left her alone on their first day of marriage.
But he was wrong then, and he is not now.
'I must be mistaken.'
Callius decided to assume she was just tired and feeling down.
Chloe circled the bed and lay down closer to the fireplace.
It was a place much further away from Callius than usual.
“You're going to fall. Come closer.”
Chloe responded listlessly to Callius's suggestion.
“It’s because it’s cold. I like it the way it is now.”
When she was feeling down, he seemed to feel down too.
Callius pondered over an interesting topic of conversation to cheer her up, and then told her about what had happened during the day.
“Something interesting happened while training the knights today.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, as a kind of cooperative training, we sometimes split the knights into teams and play ball. Alex was bragging before the game started that he had been practicing new techniques and that we shouldn’t be surprised.”
“...”
“The ball finally gets to Alex, and he gets all cocky and starts spinning around with the ball...”
Callius, who had been observing Chloe's expression, stopped talking as he saw Chloe not smiling at all.
“Are you not having fun?”
Chloe smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t know much about the ball game that Callius is talking about.”
"Still, it would have been hilarious if you'd seen it in person. Alex's expression was the best."
“Is that so?”
"Yes."
“...”
“...”
An awkward silence separated the two.
Callius lay there, twiddling his fingers and staring at the ceiling, wondering if there was anything more interesting to talk about.
Then he finally remembered an anecdote and opened his mouth.
“A few days ago...”
But as soon as he opened his mouth, Chloe cut him off.
“I’m especially tired today. I’ve had a lot of work to do.”
“Oh, yes.”
“I’ll sleep first.”
“Yes, good night, Chloe.”
“...Callius too.”
Callius sighed quietly and glanced at Chloe.
Chloe had already closed her eyes and was trying to sleep.
He had come to the bedroom early, wanting to talk to her more, but he kept his mouth shut and let Chloe rest without showing any sign of it.
'You must be tired.'
If anyone lost sleep every day, everything would feel like a hassle.
Callius was determined again today to quickly find a clue to lift Chloe's curse.
The next day, Callius gathered some of his men.
Brentian, Hawick, and a few other knights he felt he could truly trust gathered quietly in Callius's office.
Callius gave each knight, except his aide, Brentian, a pouch containing jewels.
“What is this?”
The knights who opened the pouch opened their eyes wide at the sight of the sparkling jewels inside.
“What is this really?”
Brentian was also surprised to see the fine jewel and looked at Callius with wide eyes.
The knights may have thought it was Callius's private property, but Brentian did not.
'It's not Ronheim's craftsmanship.'
If an ornament was made with such delicate and splendid craftsmanship, it was definitely from Arrental.
Callius gave the knights a cool order without telling them where the treasure came from.
“Go abroad and sell this.”
“Yes? Us?”
The knights looked at each other.
“But we don’t even know how much these things are worth. We don’t even know how to handle these trinkets.”
“So, I’m asking you to do more, so don’t worry and just take as much as you can afford.”
“Is that okay?”
“If I get scammed...”
Callius nodded with a face that said not to worry.
"It's fine. I'll leave it up to your discretion. Don't worry. You can use some of them for personal use. However, not a single one of them can be left in Ronheim."
The knights asked with one accord.
"Are you testing us? Please tell us what kind of test this is!"
"That's not it. I plan to cash it out and use it for the Knights' budget. It's time for everyone to get their weapons and armor replaced."
At those words, the knights holding the treasure bags became much more cautious.
Thinking of these as their new weapons and armor, they seemed to weigh more than if they were just expensive trinkets.
“I didn’t know my lord had this much wealth...”
Someone muttered in excitement.
“You gave it to us...!”
Callius wanted to say that it came from Chloe, but held back.
If he says something like that now, the knights will praise Chloe, but as time goes by, it won't end there.
Rumors could have spread that they came from Chloe.
The knights would risk their lives to protect the secret of Callius, to whom they swore allegiance, but Chloe's secret was unlikely to be so protected.
'No matter what happens, Chloe must be protected.'
If Chloe's plans went awry and something went wrong, he would take responsibility and cover everything up.
Right now, keeping Chloe safe was more important than letting the knights down their guard.
“I will leave everything to your discretion, but there are a few things you must keep in mind.”
Callius urged heavily.
"There are four things you must observe. First, scatter them to the four corners of the earth, east, west, south, and north, and sell them as far as possible. Second, do not let anyone discover your true identity, not even that you are Ronheimian. Be careful of all your habits, speech, and actions. Third, be sure to return alive."
It was an unusual story.
Tension appeared on the knights' faces.
They realized that this was not a simple jewel trading.
Callius looked at each of the knights and emphasized them.
"You don't have to pay for the jewels, you don't have to lose them, you don't have to give them away to a beggar. Just bring back enough to be of some use to the Knights. But you must, absolutely, keep in mind what I tell you."
The knights' postures suddenly straightened. They answered with restraint and precision, as if they were one person.
“I obey your orders!”
“I will trust you.”
Then, Callius, who was about to turn around, looked back at the knights and added:
“Oh, and when you go abroad, spread one rumor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It is said that in the coldest lands of the North, Restio blooms all year round.”
For a moment, the knights looked puzzled as to why such an obvious story had to be spread, but they answered seriously.
“Yes, I understand!”
I had faith that there was a reason for what Callius was doing.
The knights who were suddenly summoned left Ronheim.
Although they had to leave again shortly after returning home, no one complained.
Callius watched the backs of his sturdy knights as they left.
Brentian approached him and whispered softly.
“Please tell me the truth. Could it be that the Princess asked you to do this?”
At first, he had no intention of eavesdropping on Chloe's conversation.
But he felt a little strange and went closer to the door.
'Who are you talking to?'
It was strange. He couldn't hear the other person's voice, only Chloe's.
'Are you muttering to yourself?'
There was a high and low pitch in her voice, as if she was talking to someone, and she muttered for a long time, but Callius didn't think much of it.
There are bound to be people who organize their thoughts by muttering to themselves.
'It could be some kind of game.'
Chloe continued to talk to herself in her room for a long time after that.
***
A little later, Chloe finally entered the shared bedroom.
She always looked tired because she didn't get enough sleep, but today she looked even more tired.
Callius knew very well why she was tired, so instead of telling her that she looked tired, he expressed his concern in other words.
“You look unwell. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, did I do that?”
Chloe quickly gave a faint smile.
“No, what’s going on?”
Chloe's voice as she spoke was a little different than usual.
Callius had a strange feeling that she was drawing a line between him and her.
The atmosphere was similar to the last time, when he accidentally left her alone on their first day of marriage.
But he was wrong then, and he is not now.
'I must be mistaken.'
Callius decided to assume she was just tired and feeling down.
Chloe circled the bed and lay down closer to the fireplace.
It was a place much further away from Callius than usual.
“You're going to fall. Come closer.”
Chloe responded listlessly to Callius's suggestion.
“It’s because it’s cold. I like it the way it is now.”
When she was feeling down, he seemed to feel down too.
Callius pondered over an interesting topic of conversation to cheer her up, and then told her about what had happened during the day.
“Something interesting happened while training the knights today.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, as a kind of cooperative training, we sometimes split the knights into teams and play ball. Alex was bragging before the game started that he had been practicing new techniques and that we shouldn’t be surprised.”
“...”
“The ball finally gets to Alex, and he gets all cocky and starts spinning around with the ball...”
Callius, who had been observing Chloe's expression, stopped talking as he saw Chloe not smiling at all.
“Are you not having fun?”
Chloe smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t know much about the ball game that Callius is talking about.”
"Still, it would have been hilarious if you'd seen it in person. Alex's expression was the best."
“Is that so?”
"Yes."
“...”
“...”
An awkward silence separated the two.
Callius lay there, twiddling his fingers and staring at the ceiling, wondering if there was anything more interesting to talk about.
Then he finally remembered an anecdote and opened his mouth.
“A few days ago...”
But as soon as he opened his mouth, Chloe cut him off.
“I’m especially tired today. I’ve had a lot of work to do.”
“Oh, yes.”
“I’ll sleep first.”
“Yes, good night, Chloe.”
“...Callius too.”
Callius sighed quietly and glanced at Chloe.
Chloe had already closed her eyes and was trying to sleep.
He had come to the bedroom early, wanting to talk to her more, but he kept his mouth shut and let Chloe rest without showing any sign of it.
'You must be tired.'
If anyone lost sleep every day, everything would feel like a hassle.
Callius was determined again today to quickly find a clue to lift Chloe's curse.
***
The next day, Callius gathered some of his men.
Brentian, Hawick, and a few other knights he felt he could truly trust gathered quietly in Callius's office.
Callius gave each knight, except his aide, Brentian, a pouch containing jewels.
“What is this?”
The knights who opened the pouch opened their eyes wide at the sight of the sparkling jewels inside.
“What is this really?”
Brentian was also surprised to see the fine jewel and looked at Callius with wide eyes.
The knights may have thought it was Callius's private property, but Brentian did not.
'It's not Ronheim's craftsmanship.'
If an ornament was made with such delicate and splendid craftsmanship, it was definitely from Arrental.
Callius gave the knights a cool order without telling them where the treasure came from.
“Go abroad and sell this.”
“Yes? Us?”
The knights looked at each other.
“But we don’t even know how much these things are worth. We don’t even know how to handle these trinkets.”
“So, I’m asking you to do more, so don’t worry and just take as much as you can afford.”
“Is that okay?”
“If I get scammed...”
Callius nodded with a face that said not to worry.
"It's fine. I'll leave it up to your discretion. Don't worry. You can use some of them for personal use. However, not a single one of them can be left in Ronheim."
The knights asked with one accord.
"Are you testing us? Please tell us what kind of test this is!"
"That's not it. I plan to cash it out and use it for the Knights' budget. It's time for everyone to get their weapons and armor replaced."
At those words, the knights holding the treasure bags became much more cautious.
Thinking of these as their new weapons and armor, they seemed to weigh more than if they were just expensive trinkets.
“I didn’t know my lord had this much wealth...”
Someone muttered in excitement.
“You gave it to us...!”
Callius wanted to say that it came from Chloe, but held back.
If he says something like that now, the knights will praise Chloe, but as time goes by, it won't end there.
Rumors could have spread that they came from Chloe.
The knights would risk their lives to protect the secret of Callius, to whom they swore allegiance, but Chloe's secret was unlikely to be so protected.
'No matter what happens, Chloe must be protected.'
If Chloe's plans went awry and something went wrong, he would take responsibility and cover everything up.
Right now, keeping Chloe safe was more important than letting the knights down their guard.
“I will leave everything to your discretion, but there are a few things you must keep in mind.”
Callius urged heavily.
"There are four things you must observe. First, scatter them to the four corners of the earth, east, west, south, and north, and sell them as far as possible. Second, do not let anyone discover your true identity, not even that you are Ronheimian. Be careful of all your habits, speech, and actions. Third, be sure to return alive."
It was an unusual story.
Tension appeared on the knights' faces.
They realized that this was not a simple jewel trading.
Callius looked at each of the knights and emphasized them.
"You don't have to pay for the jewels, you don't have to lose them, you don't have to give them away to a beggar. Just bring back enough to be of some use to the Knights. But you must, absolutely, keep in mind what I tell you."
The knights' postures suddenly straightened. They answered with restraint and precision, as if they were one person.
“I obey your orders!”
“I will trust you.”
Then, Callius, who was about to turn around, looked back at the knights and added:
“Oh, and when you go abroad, spread one rumor.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It is said that in the coldest lands of the North, Restio blooms all year round.”
For a moment, the knights looked puzzled as to why such an obvious story had to be spread, but they answered seriously.
“Yes, I understand!”
I had faith that there was a reason for what Callius was doing.
The knights who were suddenly summoned left Ronheim.
Although they had to leave again shortly after returning home, no one complained.
Callius watched the backs of his sturdy knights as they left.
Brentian approached him and whispered softly.
“Please tell me the truth. Could it be that the Princess asked you to do this?”
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