Chapter 5 – Part 1

“His Majesty thinks I’ll desperately try to avoid the annulment, but that’s not the case. There’s no reason for me to remain tied to someone who betrayed me.”

Eliana revealed her honest feelings to Calix more openly than anyone else. Calix didn’t ask if she was serious.

“You’re really going to accept the annulment?”

“Yes. I have no desire to become the Empress of the Moira Empire.“

Eliana’s voice was firm and clear.

“When did you decide this?”

“……“

“Was it the day of the Lequizet party or even before that?”

On the party day, Eliana expressed her emotions more intensely than usual. Her resolve was evident, and there was no hesitation. Eliana was moving with a clear purpose, something entirely different from before.

‘That must be why she’s able to face an abrupt annulment that could ruin the life of any noblewoman so boldly,‘ Calix thought.

“It took a long time to reach this decision.“

“……“

“Even if someone tried to force that position on me now, I’d walk away. I don’t love Crown Prince Cedric anymore. In fact, I hate him.”

The word “hate“ caused a flicker in Calix’s crimson eyes. Eliana thought it was because their feelings matched. Calix, too, must not like Cedric. She couldn’t tell if he shared her intense loathing, but she knew they were aligned.

“You wanted to enter the royal palace for so long.“

“I did. Foolishly.”

Eliana used to say she loved Cedric with a gleam in her blue eyes, so much so that Calix couldn’t imagine them apart. No matter how hurt or scared she became, she seemed like a moth drawn to the flame, willing to throw herself at him.

But now, as if to prove she no longer loved him, the emotions in Eliana’s eyes when she spoke Cedric’s name were neither sweet nor tender as they once had been. Instead, they were cold and sharp—a new side of Eliana that Calix had never seen before.

‘No, it’s not the first time.‘

Eliana’s behavior at the Lequizet party and the hunting competition had been different, too. She was no longer just the gentle childhood friend or the devoted sacrificer for one person. New, stronger impressions of Eliana were forming in Calix’s mind.

“Everyone thinks I’ll be sad if I don’t go to the palace, but I’m not. There are so many things I want to do outside.”

As she spoke, Eliana smiled, not a sorrowful expression but a clean, unburdened smile. Calix couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“You mentioned investing in the city—was that related to all of this?“

“Yes. I need money to do anything. My father’s wishes and the path I want to take are completely opposite, so I don’t plan to rely on him.”

Her resolve was firm, so she could speak so confidently. If she were to confide in one person about her plans, it would be Calix.

Calix was silent for a moment. The crimson glow in his eyes seemed more profound and more complex. Eliana thought it was because she had quickly poured too much of her story into him.

“Everything must feel sudden to you, but I didn’t want to hide anything, so I told you.“

“……“

“The annulment—soon, the whole world will know.”

Eliana continued.

The annulment would bring many changes, not only for Cedric and Eliana but also for everyone she knew.

Eliana’s resolution and transformation were not hers alone. They had also begun to affect Calix, though she was unaware of it.

“This soup is delicious.“

“……“

“It’s so good I’d want to return just for this.”

Having shared her thoughts, Eliana smiled at him.

Even after all this time, that smile reminded him of the young Eliana who had reached out to him at a party in their childhood. Her hand had been so soft, like down, that he hadn’t dared to grasp it too tightly for fear of breaking it.

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, his subordinates entered the room. Calix turned around immediately.

“We’ve received information from Mac Jarvis.“

“Speak.“

“Mac Jarvis says Bero Galizera has left to attend to a patient a little from here. Even if we depart now, we won’t be able to bring him here until 5 a.m. tomorrow. What should we do?”

Calix turned to Eliana to ask her opinion.

“Please have him brought here. It should be fine if it’s early morning as long as we leave for the capital immediately afterward.“

Eliana spoke decisively.

“Then we’ll find a place to stay and wait.“

“I’ll ask Russell to find us a place.“

“No, I already know a place. It’s much safer than anywhere else, so we’ll go there.”

Eliana knew less about the area than Calix did, so it would be better to follow his lead when choosing accommodations.

“Alright.”

Calix gave the order to his men to bring Vero back safely.

* * *

The place Calix brought Eliana to was as large and impressive as any building in the capital.

‘I didn’t know a place like this existed.’

When she had been asking around the area earlier, she hadn’t even noticed it. Calix prepared Eliana and Mila’s most significant room on the top floor.

“I’ll knock on your door at dawn.”

“Yes, please do,”

Eliana expressed her gratitude once more. Calix’s gaze lingered on her face, perhaps longer than usual. She tilted her head, wondering if he had something more to say, but he simply turned and left the room without a word.

After he was gone, Mila couldn’t contain her admiration.

“My Lady, thanks to the Duke, everything worked out so well! He’s truly kind.“

“Even though he seems so cold, he’s really gentle with you,“ Mila added, her voice filled with awe. It wasn’t just Mila—everyone found it difficult to approach Calix. The shift in his demeanor since his reappearance made it even more daunting.

“Does Calix really seem that cold?“ Eliana asked.

“Of course! People say they can’t even look him in the eye.“

“I suppose that’s true,“ Eliana acknowledged. She could see why others might think that, but she wasn’t frightened by Calix, having known him since childhood.

“He’s a friend beyond what I deserve. I didn’t expect him to come all this way to help me.”

Eliana sat down on the bed with a thump.

“This room is really nice. The bed is so soft.“

“Isn’t it? My Lady, everything here is perfect,“ Mila said, taking Eliana’s cloak and beginning to organize the room to her liking.

“You don’t need to tidy up. Take a break—you’ve had a long day,“ Eliana suggested.

“It’s no trouble at all. But please, take a bath first, My Lady.“

“Alright.”

Her dress was stained with dust, and the white frills were now a dingy beige.

After her bath, Eliana lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and lost in thought.

‘I’m so relieved we managed to find a physician.’

It was something she couldn’t have done alone. She pondered how best to express her gratitude to Calix.

‘If it were before, I’d have hugged him tightly and rubbed my cheek against his…’

But now, even imagining it, she knew she couldn’t. Since their reunion, such intimate gestures were naturally out of the question. Though exhausted, sleep eluded her.

“My Lady, are you having trouble sleeping?“ Mila asked.

“Maybe I’m just not used to the bed.“

“Me too. By the way, when Russell and I stepped out earlier, people said that no one around here doesn’t know the Duke of Vartica.“

“Really?“

“Yes, this place was used as a base during the war with another country. Almost no people lived here because of the monsters that frequently appeared in the nearby mountains, so it was chosen. But they say the Duke was so successful that the monsters in the area were completely eradicated.“

“Is that true?“

“Yes, that’s why everyone knows the Duke.“

“Wow.“

‘So that’s what happened… Calix is even more amazing than I thought.‘

Mila’s soft voice gradually lulled Eliana to sleep, her dreams filled with Calix. In the dream, he was smiling at her—a smile reserved only for her.

* * *

Knock, knock.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

When there was no response from within, the knock came again. The sound roused Mila from her sleep, and she opened the door.

“Good morning, Duke. I’m sorry for the delay in answering,“ Mila greeted him with a bow.

“Is Eliana awake?”

At the sound of his voice, Eliana stirred and got up from the bed. It was the dim light of dawn, and Calix was already fully dressed, looking ready to depart at any moment.

“Sorry, I overslept,” Eliana said, rubbing her eyes.

“The physician has arrived. Let’s get going.“

“Okay.”

Bero Galizera, a white-bearded elderly man, had come as soon as he finished his previous appointment, responding to Calix’s urgent request.

“My father’s condition hasn’t improved since he was hit by the arrow. Please accompany us back to the capital,“ Eliana explained to Bero in detail about her father’s situation. He packed the necessary medicines and joined them in the carriage.

* * *

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.