Chapter 46
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Whether he had noticed her presence, his growling voice came to her—just as yesterday, but with less ferocity than before.
Having endured this arduous journey simply to meet her husband, Fiona finally found the iron pillar to which he was bound. Feeling her way up the chains and grasping Caligo’s wrist, she felt his warmth transmitted to her. Strangely, at that moment, Fiona experienced a measure of comfort.
To her, this beast bound here waiting helplessly seemed far less threatening than the humans above who wielded their glib tongues so freely.
Even the darkness, which had once terrified her, now felt like a veil mercifully concealing her shame. The darkness did not trample her pride nor violate her dignity as those damned Jayden and imperial nobles had.
“Good evening, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”
This was the moment she had wondered about all day—his well-being. In place of an answer, his soft breathing reached her, and her wounded heart seemed to ease just a little.
“Have you been well?”
Yes, you at least cannot wound me with words. That fact brought Fiona great peace. She even thought that deciding to accept Caligo as family had been not such a poor choice.
Perhaps, just perhaps, we were brought together like this to shelter each other in this unjust world. As Rose and I did in childhood.
“I told you I would return. Do you remember?”
As if in answer, a metallic sound filled the stone chamber. She wished it were truly his reply. She wished Caligo welcomed this union as much as she did. That he recognised her, acknowledged her as his family.
“Surely you have not forgotten me in a single day?”
She asked playfully, expecting nothing. That he did not thrash and rage as yesterday was already great progress.
But in the next moment, the unbelievable occurred.
“Grrk, Pi, krruuk, ona…”
Just as Fiona had hoped, Caligo’s voice clearly spoke her name. In the darkness, Fiona’s eyes widened.
“What, did you just… what did you…”
From his lips came an answer she had not expected—had not even imagined. Like one who has not spoken for a very long time finally forcing out sound, his words were still rough and guttural, but unmistakably her name.
“You… you can speak?”
She was utterly dumbfounded. Rose, whom she had tried to teach for years, could never manage such a thing, yet it had happened in a single day? She could not fathom what miracle this was. Or had he always been able to speak, but for some reason remained silent until now?
Caligo, listening quietly to her astonished voice, called to her again in low tones.
“Fio, na…”
Like a child learning to speak for the first time, he repeated that name over and over. Yet for Fiona, even this was a great achievement.
“Yes, that is right. That is my name. Heavens, you can speak.”
Of course, other desires immediately began to stir within her.
“Do you perhaps remember the name I gave you? I told you I would call you by that name from now on.”
Fiona asked again without great expectation. Or perhaps, in her heart, she had hoped for another miracle. And Caligo fulfilled that hope perfectly.
“Kal… leego…”
The pronunciation was clumsy, but not difficult to understand. He remembered the name she had given him. Fiona nearly cried out in joy.
“Yes, that is your name!”
This was not merely the ability to speak. It meant he remembered past events and understood her requests.
They had said he was a speechless beast, yet communication was possible. This was a gain she had not even hoped for.
For some reason, at that moment, the face that rose in Fiona’s mind was that of Jayden Troyes, with his contemptuous expression as he pushed her into this place.
He despised and disregarded Caligo so thoroughly. What expression would he make if he saw this?
Her heart swelled with the desire to bring Caligo before him and boast, but the impulse remained mere imagination.
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