Of course, the shadow on the wall next to the front door was fidgeting, making it difficult to ignore, but Callius deliberately looked in the wrong place.
Then, with a loud crackling sound, a snowball came flying in.
“Ahaha, I fooled you, right?”
“Oh, man. I got fooled.”
Callius said calmly, as he was hit by a snowball, without showing any sign of surprise, as if he had been taken by surprise.
Lamia narrowed her eyes as if she knew that Callius had deliberately tricked her, but Chloe looked extremely satisfied.
As long as Chloe is happy, that's enough.
Everyone thought so.
“Callius, Leviche says there’s a really cool snowman over there. Do you want to go see it together?”
Chloe suggested.
Snowmen were everywhere in Ronheim.
When children were bored, they would make snowmen by gathering snow anywhere.
It seemed that the children of someone working at the castle had come into the castle and built a snowman in one corner of the yard, a testament to their experience and skills.
Chloe took the lead, pulling Callius's sleeve, and Callius followed.
As she walked, her fine silver hair gently swayed around her waist.
'Now you're catching them well.'
Callius gently removed Chloe's hand from his sleeve and intertwined them.
Then, Chloe, who was walking in front, slowed down her steps slightly.
Chloe's hand tightened as Callius walked beside her, matching her stride.
Callius pretended not to notice the shy smile on her lips.
There were three snowmen. They were a happy family of snowmen consisting of a husband, wife, and child.
“Isn’t it so cute?”
Chloe pointed to the snowman.
The two were still holding hands.
"There's even a baby snowman. He's wearing a scarf. How adorable. Even a baby snowman is really cute."
To Callius, they were all just big, round snowballs, but Chloe seemed to be experiencing a variety of emotions while looking at them.
His attention wasn't focused on the snowman or anything, but solely on Chloe. He was curious about her thoughts. Whatever they were.
“Do you like babies?”
“Yes, it’s so so cute.”
Chloe clenched her fists and shook her shoulders, raising them to her chest, as if she was dying just thinking about it.
"When my mother was alive, noble ladies would come to me with their babies, asking me to name them. If I were lucky, I'd be given the chance to hold them for a moment. Does Callius know how soft and wonderfully smelling they were?"
Chloe waved her hand back and forth, overcome with excitement.
"No one frowns at a smiling baby. A baby's smile fills everyone who sees it."
Chloe's story, which had been going on for a long time about how cute and adorable babies are, naturally led to a conversation about her children.
"When I was young, I always wanted to have lots of children when I got married. I dreamed of filling my home with the sound of children's laughter and creating a happy family."
A sad look passed over Chloe's face as she spoke.
“I couldn’t do that though...”
Callius was puzzled as he watched Chloe, her eyes gazing into the distance as if reminiscing about the past, speak as if her own marriage had once failed.
What on earth are you thinking?
Callius returned her soul, which seemed to have drifted away from Ronheim for a moment, to his side in a firm tone.
“As much as you want, Chloe.”
"Yes?"
“Because it’s a dream I’ve been hoping for too.”
“Huh? Ah...!”
Chloe made an "Oops" expression.
Callius felt a little annoyed at Chloe for seeming to have momentarily forgotten that she was married.
He smiled grumpily and took a step closer to Chloe.
“Anytime, if Chloe is ready.”
Only then did Chloe's neck stiffen as she realized what he had said.
Her mind was filled with stories of the countless acts that could occur in a marital bed, which Lamia had once enthusiastically taught her.
“No, don’t tease me.”
Chloe ran away with her face flushed red.
Callius had no intention of letting Chloe go so easily.
It was because the ill feeling he had towards Chloe, who had momentarily forgotten his existence while she was by his side, did not subside easily.
Callius often kept up with Chloe's leisurely pace.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to my room!”
"In the room? It's still daytime, and already? I didn't realize it was this urgent."
Chloe's footsteps stopped abruptly.
Her face flushed up to her ears as she realized what Callius meant.
“I’m alone! I’m going alone. Don’t follow me.”
He felt like she would cry if he teased her anymore.
Callius smiled contentedly and nodded.
“See you tonight, Chloe.”
“...!”
Chloe stared blankly at the back of Callius as he quickly disappeared into the distance.
Lamia and Leviche, who had briefly stepped aside, returned to Chloe's side like shadows.
Sernia was waiting for a reply to the message she had sent, pretending to still be loyal to Kavala, as Chloe had instructed.
“Kavala won’t give you an answer. It will think your needs are over.”
Chloe felt sorry for Sernia, who was crying at Luca's words that her younger brother was probably already dead.
“...I hope I’m wrong, Sernia.”
But Chloe's prediction was correct.
No matter how long she waited, there was no answer from Kavala.
She shouldn't have just left her younger brother like that.
She felt utterly devastated that she had entrusted her younger brother's life to the person who experimented on his and her own.
Sernia, who was in unbearable pain from blaming herself for her foolishness, asked to see Chloe.
Chloe came to find Sernia.
“Please let me take revenge on Kavala.”
She felt like she couldn't stand it otherwise.
Chloe nodded, as if she understood Sernia's feelings well.
“Yes. Let’s do it together.”
“Last time, Karl came looking for me.”
It was something Chloe said out of context while having dinner with Callius.
Callius' hand holding the cutlery stopped.
“Is that so...?”
“The day that Callius captured the Kavala spies.”
His mouth feels rough.
That day, she seemed to be so anxious and distressed that she summoned an illusion of herself.
He felt sorry for her, thinking that she must have been hiding her frail appearance behind the bravely made plaited bracelet she tied around his wrist.
"I had a little argument with Karl. No, it's more accurate to say I unilaterally attacked him."
“You argued? For what reason?”
Was there a conflicting worry in Chloe's mind?
'It seemed like there was friction with Karl before.'
Even on the day when Callius first learned of Karl's existence, Chloe was screaming at it as if she were having a nightmare.
Her blue eyes were shining sadly through her lowered eyelashes.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally shook her head.
"It was a trivial reason. Anyway, that's why I keep losing energy. I don't want to fight with Karl... It's never been like this before, but I don't know why it keeps happening these days."
Chloe looked up at Callius with sparkling eyes.
“I don't regret what I said to Karl. But I keep wondering if I should have been a little wiser in my response back then... I'm worried that Karl might have been hurt, and it's weighing on my heart.”
Callius was confused as to how on earth he should comfort Chloe.
She must be telling him because she has nowhere else to talk. How frustrating it must be.
But he couldn't say anything to Chloe rashly.
What does the conflict happening inside her mean?
All Callius could do was hold Chloe's hand and tell her it was okay.
He couldn't tell if it was better for her to realize that Karl was just an imaginary entity or if it was better to leave it unnoticed.
Telling her the truth, after being called the Mad Princess and suffering all kinds of hardships and injustices, isn't that the same as telling her that she's crazy, as people say?
Callius didn't know what kind of scars it would leave, what kind of backlash it would provoke, and above all, he wasn't even sure if doing it was the right thing to do.
But that doesn't mean he can just leave her like this.
After spending the night in worry, Callius left in a hurry the next morning.
Then, with a loud crackling sound, a snowball came flying in.
“Ahaha, I fooled you, right?”
“Oh, man. I got fooled.”
Callius said calmly, as he was hit by a snowball, without showing any sign of surprise, as if he had been taken by surprise.
Lamia narrowed her eyes as if she knew that Callius had deliberately tricked her, but Chloe looked extremely satisfied.
As long as Chloe is happy, that's enough.
Everyone thought so.
“Callius, Leviche says there’s a really cool snowman over there. Do you want to go see it together?”
Chloe suggested.
Snowmen were everywhere in Ronheim.
When children were bored, they would make snowmen by gathering snow anywhere.
It seemed that the children of someone working at the castle had come into the castle and built a snowman in one corner of the yard, a testament to their experience and skills.
Chloe took the lead, pulling Callius's sleeve, and Callius followed.
As she walked, her fine silver hair gently swayed around her waist.
'Now you're catching them well.'
Callius gently removed Chloe's hand from his sleeve and intertwined them.
Then, Chloe, who was walking in front, slowed down her steps slightly.
Chloe's hand tightened as Callius walked beside her, matching her stride.
Callius pretended not to notice the shy smile on her lips.
There were three snowmen. They were a happy family of snowmen consisting of a husband, wife, and child.
“Isn’t it so cute?”
Chloe pointed to the snowman.
The two were still holding hands.
"There's even a baby snowman. He's wearing a scarf. How adorable. Even a baby snowman is really cute."
To Callius, they were all just big, round snowballs, but Chloe seemed to be experiencing a variety of emotions while looking at them.
His attention wasn't focused on the snowman or anything, but solely on Chloe. He was curious about her thoughts. Whatever they were.
“Do you like babies?”
“Yes, it’s so so cute.”
Chloe clenched her fists and shook her shoulders, raising them to her chest, as if she was dying just thinking about it.
"When my mother was alive, noble ladies would come to me with their babies, asking me to name them. If I were lucky, I'd be given the chance to hold them for a moment. Does Callius know how soft and wonderfully smelling they were?"
Chloe waved her hand back and forth, overcome with excitement.
"No one frowns at a smiling baby. A baby's smile fills everyone who sees it."
Chloe's story, which had been going on for a long time about how cute and adorable babies are, naturally led to a conversation about her children.
"When I was young, I always wanted to have lots of children when I got married. I dreamed of filling my home with the sound of children's laughter and creating a happy family."
A sad look passed over Chloe's face as she spoke.
“I couldn’t do that though...”
Callius was puzzled as he watched Chloe, her eyes gazing into the distance as if reminiscing about the past, speak as if her own marriage had once failed.
What on earth are you thinking?
Callius returned her soul, which seemed to have drifted away from Ronheim for a moment, to his side in a firm tone.
“As much as you want, Chloe.”
"Yes?"
“Because it’s a dream I’ve been hoping for too.”
“Huh? Ah...!”
Chloe made an "Oops" expression.
Callius felt a little annoyed at Chloe for seeming to have momentarily forgotten that she was married.
He smiled grumpily and took a step closer to Chloe.
“Anytime, if Chloe is ready.”
Only then did Chloe's neck stiffen as she realized what he had said.
Her mind was filled with stories of the countless acts that could occur in a marital bed, which Lamia had once enthusiastically taught her.
“No, don’t tease me.”
Chloe ran away with her face flushed red.
Callius had no intention of letting Chloe go so easily.
It was because the ill feeling he had towards Chloe, who had momentarily forgotten his existence while she was by his side, did not subside easily.
Callius often kept up with Chloe's leisurely pace.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to my room!”
"In the room? It's still daytime, and already? I didn't realize it was this urgent."
Chloe's footsteps stopped abruptly.
Her face flushed up to her ears as she realized what Callius meant.
“I’m alone! I’m going alone. Don’t follow me.”
He felt like she would cry if he teased her anymore.
Callius smiled contentedly and nodded.
“See you tonight, Chloe.”
“...!”
Chloe stared blankly at the back of Callius as he quickly disappeared into the distance.
Lamia and Leviche, who had briefly stepped aside, returned to Chloe's side like shadows.
***
Sernia was waiting for a reply to the message she had sent, pretending to still be loyal to Kavala, as Chloe had instructed.
“Kavala won’t give you an answer. It will think your needs are over.”
Chloe felt sorry for Sernia, who was crying at Luca's words that her younger brother was probably already dead.
“...I hope I’m wrong, Sernia.”
But Chloe's prediction was correct.
No matter how long she waited, there was no answer from Kavala.
She shouldn't have just left her younger brother like that.
She felt utterly devastated that she had entrusted her younger brother's life to the person who experimented on his and her own.
Sernia, who was in unbearable pain from blaming herself for her foolishness, asked to see Chloe.
Chloe came to find Sernia.
“Please let me take revenge on Kavala.”
She felt like she couldn't stand it otherwise.
Chloe nodded, as if she understood Sernia's feelings well.
“Yes. Let’s do it together.”
***
“Last time, Karl came looking for me.”
It was something Chloe said out of context while having dinner with Callius.
Callius' hand holding the cutlery stopped.
“Is that so...?”
“The day that Callius captured the Kavala spies.”
His mouth feels rough.
That day, she seemed to be so anxious and distressed that she summoned an illusion of herself.
He felt sorry for her, thinking that she must have been hiding her frail appearance behind the bravely made plaited bracelet she tied around his wrist.
"I had a little argument with Karl. No, it's more accurate to say I unilaterally attacked him."
“You argued? For what reason?”
Was there a conflicting worry in Chloe's mind?
'It seemed like there was friction with Karl before.'
Even on the day when Callius first learned of Karl's existence, Chloe was screaming at it as if she were having a nightmare.
Her blue eyes were shining sadly through her lowered eyelashes.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally shook her head.
"It was a trivial reason. Anyway, that's why I keep losing energy. I don't want to fight with Karl... It's never been like this before, but I don't know why it keeps happening these days."
Chloe looked up at Callius with sparkling eyes.
“I don't regret what I said to Karl. But I keep wondering if I should have been a little wiser in my response back then... I'm worried that Karl might have been hurt, and it's weighing on my heart.”
Callius was confused as to how on earth he should comfort Chloe.
She must be telling him because she has nowhere else to talk. How frustrating it must be.
But he couldn't say anything to Chloe rashly.
What does the conflict happening inside her mean?
All Callius could do was hold Chloe's hand and tell her it was okay.
He couldn't tell if it was better for her to realize that Karl was just an imaginary entity or if it was better to leave it unnoticed.
Telling her the truth, after being called the Mad Princess and suffering all kinds of hardships and injustices, isn't that the same as telling her that she's crazy, as people say?
Callius didn't know what kind of scars it would leave, what kind of backlash it would provoke, and above all, he wasn't even sure if doing it was the right thing to do.
But that doesn't mean he can just leave her like this.
After spending the night in worry, Callius left in a hurry the next morning.
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