CH 7

2. Her absence

Calix had already despaired when Beatrice promised a future with the Crown Prince. I hated the fact that the girl who gave me warmth for the first time had escaped his arms.

The pain was nothing compared to the abuse he had experienced as a child. Calix realized a feeling of helplessness that drove him out of his mind.

‘I felt like I had lost the most important thing in life.’

When he had said that, Margaret asked him after hesitating, ‘Are you giving up on life?’ He laughed and replied cheerfully, ‘I’m not sure if I’m going to do that.’

‘It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Margaret, I’m not in a situation where I can make decisions without giving up on my own right now.’

It was bullshit. To be sincere, Calix regretted not being honest at the time.

I should have told you. It’s exactly what you think. It’s hard to give up because of you. I want you to live with me. I want you to tell me that.

“Florencia Eilish is pathetic. She just didn’t know how, and neither did you.”

“…how.”

Would it have been different if I had known? A sense of shame began to creep up from the bottom of his consciousness.

Calix bowed his head, remembering the day he’d first met her.

The past played out slowly in his mind and Calix laughed unconsciously.

If you think about it, it’s just a memory of a time when I met a woman who didn’t have much of a presence, but it was funny that it remained so strangely accurate.

He murmured: ‘When this recollection is over, will you sit before me?’

‘Will you find me?’

***

Calix and Florencia met from time to time, exchanging correspondence. To call it an old-fashioned alliance.

She was, as far as he knew, the cleverest and most meticulous woman, and the person she could give the most practical help. Calix had quite a bit of trust in Florencia as a partner.

A temporary alliance that can be abandoned at any time. The hostility toward Beatrice and the hatred toward the prince. The relationship between them was all that they had, but the relationship was quite solid.

Anyway, until then, Calix Hamel had no interest in Florencia’s younger sister.

“What do you think the prince will do?”

Florencia asked. Calix chuckled with a crooked smile.

“That’s a hell of a crush. You too, me too.”

It was true. For Florencia, the crown prince, and for Calix, Beatrice was the reason and the only light of life.

Florencia agreed with a short laugh.

‘I was saved.’ Calix replied, Florencia, asked why he likes Beatrice.

The finger with the teacup was strained. What Beatrice said was vivid as if she had just heard it.

‘I am… the Crown Prince’s person.’ His lips twisted.

“I will keep Beatrice alive. The crown prince will be decapitated in front of her.”

“Ha, dream on. You protect your love without a wound, but my love is to cut off his throat? Do you think I will help you? Cut it out, Grand Duke. I agree to kidnap Beatrice, but I have no intention of joining your rebellion.”

“That’s what rebellion is all about.”

“No, I’m helping you with your work, and I’m not obliged to obey your orders. Don’t even think about asking me to cooperate in this area.”

“That’s unexpected.”

Calix stared coldly at the woman, who snorted rejection with ridicule. Apart from the desperate love she had for the prince in her blue eyes there was something diluted in her unique sharpness.

To add a bit of exaggeration, she was as docile as a villain who conspired to kidnap the Crown Princess.

“My love is not over yet. I mean, I don’t want to give up halfway and lock him up like the Grand Duke. His Highness will rise with your power. I’ll just remove the annoying eye prick in the process.”

Having said that, Florencia laughed like a cat, saying that there is a reliable guild.

It was in the past, she was a woman who would have sharpened her teeth, and would kill her with her own hands. Calix couldn’t take his eyes off her in surprise.

Perhaps aware of the stare, Florencia explained dispassionately

“There’s a kid who wants to look nice.”

“Huh.”

Florencia bowed her head as if recalling something, and smiled as if she couldn’t help herself before whispering.

“I don’t expect much. If I’m like this all the time she’ll end up despising me. They always talk about me as a murderer.”

Calix was silent, partly because he didn’t know whom she was talking about and because she didn’t want him to know much about her.

It was precisely shortly after that he first met Margaret Eilish.

“Ah! Miss!!”

The maid’s screams rang through the hall. Florencia removed the grim smile and immediately shouted in a hysterical voice.

“Mel, this stupid girl…!” Mel. Callix finally remembered that Florencia had a sick sister.

If you think about it, it was said that the evil woman in front of you was less likely to be tyrannical at home, but it seemed that it was after her younger sister died of an incurable disease and came back to life.

The door opened hastily. It was only then that Calix was able to properly look at the young girl of rumors.

A pretty young-looking woman with a pessimistic expression was there smiling innocently.

“What’s the fuss?”

Ha. He took a breath and laughed unconsciously.

If Florencia resembled the night sky, her sister resembled the morning sky.

Under the same light purple hair as her older sister, I could see scarlet eyes shining like the dawn.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t impressed by those brightly colored eyes under the light-colored hair. Those eyes were looking straight at him.

“Can’t you just shut up and humbly thank me for my worries?”

Margaret gave her answer with a dry cough, and arranged her clothes, casually.

“Pardon my rudeness. I couldn’t say hello right away because I wasn’t feeling well. It’s Margaret Eilish.”

Calix tried to greet her, but without her next words, he could have responded quickly and politely, in an aristocratic, gentlemanly manner.

“Are you enjoying the conversation?”

‘…no way.’

Realistic doubts swept through his mind. Did she hear him and Florence talk? He hardened the mouth that had drawn the arc again and gave a dry greeting with a pretty nervous face.

He was thinking about it.

“You must be the rumored young lady. It’s Calix Hamel.”

Margaret nodded, her eyes still on him.

He didn’t remember what emotions were in them. However, Margaret only whispered with a lack of motivation and vitality. In a very small voice that no one could hear:

“You’re going to fail.”

Calix asked in a sharp, forged voice, hiding his embarrassment. Confusion raged behind his hardened expression.

“Young lady, what did you just say?”

‘We have been caught. She’s aware of the treason plan!’

For an instant, Calix’s black eyes flashed with life, then he clenched his teeth.

The room was soundproofed, which means that no sound will leak out unless the door is opened.

Therefore, the possibility of overhearing the conversation of the woman in front of him in the room was highly unlikely.

Calix decided it was necessary to reaffirm the meaning of Margaret’s whispers.

The unexpected part was that her behavior was faster than his judgment.

“It’s an honor to meet you… Cough!. As you can see, my condition is og…”

She continued, raising her voice as if for others to hear, while Calix was lost in her whispers. He reluctantly replied in a worried tone.

“I understand. You must be in a lot of pain.”

“I can’t deny it.”

That was all. Margaret laughed with a smile on her face and laughed at Florentina’s scolding to go back to your room right away.

“Ah, I can’t believe my sister is so mad.”

“Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep quietly. If you get worse because you keep leaving the bed and walking around for no reason, it will be unfair.”

At that time, Calix saw the two sisters and swallowed, a sister who pretended to be sick with a docile evil woman.

It’s a good comedy, isn’t it?

Margaret’s acting skills were pretty good. Her pale skin, low voice, and blurred eyes were perfect elements to claim that she was an obvious patient. At first glance, there was no evidence to suspect that her condition was acting.

But Calix was not fooled. Margaret folded her eyes and smiled, her mouth curled in a girlish manner. As if she’s already convinced he won’t be fooled.

“Well, Grand Duke… Cough!”

The dry cough sounded like a scratching of the neck. Margaret grabbed both hands as if imitating other young people, and said, “I had something I wanted to give you if I were to see the famous Grand Duke”.

So, when she added, she took the liberty of coming. Calix knew that it was a request for a private meeting with him. Perhaps everyone knew, except for the low-ranking maids who remained naive.

Margaret Eilish hadn’t put half her effort into faking shyness, to the point of being insincere.

So, Callix was genuinely curious about the woman’s true self at the time. In a strangely cynical attitude, you can’t find any longing or desire for yourself.

Of course, at that time, he had to be displeased with the expression that he was not even interested in a woman other than Beatrice.

Calix was cool enough to distinguish between curiosity and favor, and there was no misleading attitude in expressing that he could not help thinking of his ally Florencia

Margaret did not even lead him to her room, or any kind of private space…

Calix couldn’t comment on the fact that it was rude. It wasn’t exactly like that.

As if she had prepared it in advance, she held out a small, carefully wrapped box from her pocket. He didn’t take it.

‘Margaret knew I would do it, and I was indifferent.’

Calix laughed self-deprecatingly.

At that time, what did Margaret say?

When he refused the gift, she only shrugged her shoulders once, saying, ‘I tried anyway.’

After that, yes.

“If you love Beatrice, you can do whatever you want.”

Calix swallowed the bitterness and lowered his head. The conversation at that time remained in his memory, even if it was fragmentary. Margaret continued her words.

“But you know you can’t accomplish anything by doing this.”

“It’s none of your business. How did you know that? No, I’ll ask you again. Who else knows about this besides your sister?”

Callix pushed a bit nervously. Knowing that Beatrice’s heart had already leaned toward the crown prince, Margaret’s point was not very pleasant, so the tone he uttered was crushed as if he had clenched his teeth.

Margaret stopped laughing. With a very serious attitude, she faced the sinking black eyes and pursed her lips with a gentle voice.