Chapter 48
Having had to stay and drink tea as well, Lea’s body lost all strength the moment she stepped out of the Empress’s palace. Her tension dissolved at once.
But because Calix was beside her, she had to pretend she was fine and keep walking as if nothing were wrong.
“Lady Haisley.”
Just then, Zion approached and extended his arm.
“…Sir Zion?”
Lea called him softly, not understanding why he was offering his arm. He responded with a smile.
“Please allow me to assist you.”
“Ah… I’m fine.”
“Yes, I’m sure you are. This is just my excessive concern, so please allow it.”
Lea hesitated, then reached to rest her hand on his arm. But at that moment, Calix extended his arm from her other side and said,
“Sister, you should be using the arm that isn’t injured.”
Then, turning to Zion, he added,
“If you’re going to help someone, shouldn’t you at least be aware of where they’re hurt?”
“…My apologies, Lady Haisley.”
“No, it’s all right.”
Lea was terribly flustered. She couldn’t understand why Calix was suddenly being so considerate.
She could tell, just by the look in his eyes, that he still held her in contempt, so why was he acting like this today?
“I have something to discuss with you, Sister. Don’t refuse me this time.”
“…Then, I’ll excuse myself, Your Highness.”
Truthfully, Lea found Calix’s behavior overwhelming. More honestly, she was worried that these small gestures of kindness might stir her heart again.
She feared she’d once again grow foolish and desire him like she had before regression. So internally, she repeated to herself like a chant,
There’s no way he’d like someone like me. He’s just showing concern because I’m injured. Don’t read into such trivial kindness, Lea.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and Zion, Calix spoke in a cold, sarcastic voice, completely different from before.
“What kind of scheme are you running, Sister?”
“…Pardon?”
“Suddenly using formal speech. Pretending to care about the Cantabrian Empire. You even sent a letter to the temple on your own, without my permission, when I haven’t even handed over the silver-furred fox to you yet?”
Calix was furious. So this was it. She had raised such a fuss about using formal speech and suddenly started treating him like a proper Crown Prince—all because she was trying to use him for her image.
He had thought she was just a fool, but her actions today proved otherwise. Of course, it made no sense that the daughter of Bianca could be foolish to begin with.
So, since when?
Had she been deceiving him from the start? Was all that foolish behavior over the last five years nothing but an act?
He looked at her with eyes full of disgust. When those crimson eyes bore down on her, Lea froze like a frog in front of a snake.
No… The letter to the temple—she had only said that because she didn’t want to give the silver-furred fox to her mother. That’s all.
‘What do I do… I’ve made Calix angry again.’
Lea’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest. The contempt in Calix’s eyes reminded her all too vividly of before her regression, and fear washed over her in waves.
“Is the injury just a lie, too?”
“Ah…”
“Where exactly does the truth end and the lies begin with you? After tormenting me like a child for so long, do you have no shame? You think I’d just hand it over?”
Calix, having long abandoned formal speech, was too angry to realize how irrational he was being. The truth was, he had never wanted to give the silver-furred fox to a woman like her in the first place.
It was essentially a gift from Luna, something precious to him.
He had only said he’d give it to Lea to annoy Bianca, who had been eyeing it greedily.
Yes, he remembered full well that he’d said it was a gift to wish her a speedy recovery. But for some reason, his anger now was uncontrollable.
Was it because it had failed to provoke Bianca? Or was it because Lea was now acting so differently from before?
“I’ll just consider it given. Make up whatever excuse you want to the temple. You’re always good at thinking on your feet.”
Calix withdrew the arm that had been supporting her and turned on his heel to walk away.
Lea, who had been frozen stiff the entire time, lost all strength in her legs and collapsed to the ground.
“S-Sorry… Cal…”
Muttering the same words over and over like a fool, she stared blankly in the direction Calix had gone.
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