Chapter 10 – Part 7

“Isn’t she the crown prince’s former fiancée?”

“What does that matter? I love her.“

“Calix! Of all the women in this vast empire, is she the only one you can love? Violet is a hundred times better than Eliana, who was cast aside by the royal family. The Harvey family never sided with the royals when we were in trouble, unlike the Leibertes, who betrayed us.”

“…”

Calix was well aware of the Leiberte family’s stance when the Vartica family was struggling. When he had finally recovered from his grief, he had thoroughly investigated what had happened.

It was true that Eliana’s family had supported the royal family. But at the time, most families had done the same, and only a handful had spoken out for fear of drawing attention to themselves.

‘Everyone believed that my father’s death wasn’t an accident and that the royals were behind it.’

That was why they had all been so cautious.

Calix hadn’t realized how deeply Linda had held onto that.

‘Or maybe she’s just using it to oppose Eliana and push the woman she’s chosen onto me.‘

“I’m not justifying their actions, but most families sided with the royals at the time. If we exclude all those families, we’ll have almost no one to associate with in Moira.”

“I don’t care if we don’t associate with them. But there’s no reason to accept one of them as family.”

Linda bit her lip.

“Eliana Leiberte isn’t suitable. She doesn’t fit as your partner. No one speaks well of her. She’s a woman who’s despised wherever she goes.“

“Aunt, please don’t speak ill of Eliana. No one knows her better than I do.“

“You…”

Linda had been caring for Calix, her late brother’s only son, all these years. But when it came to marriage, she was deeply hurt by how firmly Calix was asserting his own will.

“So this is why Eliana Leiberte raised her voice at me.“

‘Raised her voice?’

Calix frowned deeply.

“Don’t tell me you went to see Eliana?”

“…”

She hadn’t meant to bring this up. But in her anger, the words slipped out.

“I asked if you went to see her.“

“Yes, I did. I ran into her a few days ago when I was out with Violet in the city, and we exchanged a few words.“

“What did you say?“

Calix’s voice grew louder, his red eyes brimming with concern and anger.

“I asked, what did you say to her?“

“I told her that the two of you could never be together and that I would introduce you to a better woman. My feelings remain unchanged.“

‘The day Violet and Linda went to the city…’

It was the same day Eliana had greeted him in front of the others. He now recalled the hardened expression on her face. Afterward, she sent a letter saying she would contact him if she needed help, but that contact never came.

“You’ve made a big mistake,“ he said sternly.

“I did it all because I want the best for you. Eliana is simply not an option.“

“...”

“Violet likes you.”

That was a meaningless statement.

When the statue was revealed in front of the Minon Clock Tower, Violet had confessed her feelings to Calix, her eyes expecting a positive response. However, Calix had rejected her without a second thought.

“I already have someone I love. It’s someone you’ve already met. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your confession.”

Calix stood up from his seat.

“I’m not done talking yet, so sit back down,“ Linda commanded.

“I’ve said everything I needed to. I don’t require your opinion on whom I choose as my partner,“ Calix replied firmly.

“Calix! How can you say such a thing?“

“If you keep pushing like this, I’ll have to refuse to let you come to the estate anymore.“

“What?”

It was the most shocking thing Linda had heard in recent times. Her cheeks and lips trembled slightly. Linda had a bad feeling since Eliana had been invited to stay at the estate for a night.

One night.

‘That night wasn’t just about visiting, was it?’

As that thought crossed her mind, Linda felt she was too late. Calix’s feelings for Eliana ran far more profound than she had realized, making her attempts to introduce him to someone else seem utterly foolish.

“The night you invited that woman to stay, did you sleep with her? Is that it?”

Calix didn’t bother to answer, only looking at her with a gaze full of displeasure. The coldness in his eyes showed he didn’t even want to engage with her question. Linda realized, too late, that her question had been in poor taste.

“Leave. I don’t want to continue this conversation. Lamot, escort my aunt out.“

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The moment Calix gave the command, Lamot moved to Linda’s side.

“How can you do this to me? Over a mere woman!”

Linda looked back and forth between Calix and Lamot, but nothing changed. The atmosphere made it clear that she would be thrown out if she didn’t leave alone. All the care she had shown him, nursing his wounds and trying to protect him, seemed forgotten, and a wave of bitterness hit her all at once.

“Would you throw me out, Lamot, even if I refused to leave?“

“I will escort you to the door with all due respect,“ Lamot replied, sticking to his orders.

Linda turned to Calix.

“Listen to me, Calix. You’ve been charmed by that fox of a woman because you’ve been alone for so long. She has a terrible reputation and issues with the royal family. She has nothing but trouble to bring into your life. Even without all that, how could you even think of being with the Crown Prince’s former fiancée? Have you lost your mind? If you don’t meet Violet, you’ll regret it later.“

“Nothing you’ve said deserves careful consideration.“

“…!“

“I will not regret this. If anyone ends up regretting their words, it will be you.”

Linda gasped, enraged. She rose so violently that her chair was pushed back with a loud scrape. Worried she might hurt herself, Lamot reached out to steady her by the arm.

“Let go of me. Don’t pretend to care.”

Linda forcefully shrugged off Lamot’s arm and stormed out.

Calix lowered his head.

“Ha…”

As if the situation wasn’t already tense from his rejection of Violet’s confession, his aunt had worsened things by saying harsh words to Eliana. It was no wonder Eliana had reacted the way she did.

After rejecting Violet’s confession, his heart must have been in turmoil. To make things worse, Eliana had likely seen him with Logan, Thompson, and Violet, leading her to imagine the worst.

Eliana probably decided that distancing herself from him was the best action. Even if she had feelings for him, she would have reasoned that stepping aside was right.

‘But she doesn’t even have feelings for me.’

Calix lifted his head.

“Cancel all my appointments for today.”

Calix gave the order to Lamot and immediately returned to his room to prepare to leave.

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