Chapter 8 – Part 12

At Lamot’s words, Eliana looked at Calix.

“What should we do?“

“Whatever you want.”

Eliana chose to tour the mansion before having tea.

“I’ll guide you personally.”

Before anyone else could speak, Calix declared that he would lead Eliana himself. After instructing the servants to store the gifts properly, Calix pointed to the left side of the staircase for Eliana to follow.

In the distance, Eliana could vaguely see the corridor’s end.

“There was a particularly rough section before entering our territory. I told them to drive carefully, but I’m unsure if they did.“

“Did you? It seemed fine to me, so I guess the coachman was cautious. The carriage was wonderful, far better than my family’s.“

Engaging in light conversation, the two gradually disappeared from view. The sound of usually solitary footsteps was now accompanied by another. Calix, who typically walked briskly, willingly adjusted his pace for Eliana.

Logan, Thompson, and Lamot stood there, quietly watching. It was the first time they’d seen Calix, known as the ‘cold-blooded‘ and the ‘immortal swordsman‘ who had led the ducal house without a shred of vulnerability, exhibit such behavior.

“They must be very close friends,“ Thompson remarked to Logan.

“Friends, yes…“

Logan’s ambiguous response made Thompson tilt his head in confusion.

“What, aren’t they?“

“They are.”

But that answer felt almost redundant, making Thompson wrinkle his nose slightly as he nudged Logan’s arm.

“What was that? You acted like they weren’t.“

“Did I?“

“Yes.“

“Perhaps I misspoke without realizing.”

Logan turned away first. Touring the mansion would take quite a while, so there was no need to keep standing there.

“How dull.”

Thompson followed Logan’s lead.

“By the way, those desserts looked incredible. They seemed exactly like the ones I’ve seen in books.“

“Indeed, the care that went into them is extraordinary.”

Logan and Thompson walked away, chatting among themselves, with Lamot following behind.

* * *

The Vartica mansion, though showing some signs of age, still largely resembled what Eliana remembered. Of course, she didn’t realize that Lamot had made great efforts to position the statues and artworks as they had been in the past. He had even retrieved pieces from the basement, where they had been hidden after the previous duke’s death.

The most significant difference now was that all these artworks belonged to Calix. In the past, Eliana had walked the corridors with her father, who would explain the significance of the items they passed. Now, Calix owned everything.

As they moved through the halls, Eliana encountered items whose uses she couldn’t even begin to guess. Noticing her curiosity, Calix explained each one to her. By the time they finished, Eliana felt the Vartica mansion was more like a massive museum.

“Calix, you’re lucky,“ she said.

“Lucky, how?“

“You can see all this whenever you want.”

Calix responded with a faint, knowing smile.

“I’ve never thought of it that way.”

“Really?“

“Yes.“

“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

She thought that being born into wealth might make everything seem ordinary as they continued down the hall.

But for Calix, it wasn’t the abundance of valuable items that felt meaningless. It was the emptiness that came from the absence of people. That was why he had instructed Lamot to store everything in the basement. Whether or not rare treasures surrounded him, it made no difference if there was no one to share them with. At least, not for Calix.

By the time Calix and Eliana reached the end of the corridor, they found themselves in front of a green-painted door. It gave off the distinct impression that not just anyone was allowed inside. With his hand on the doorknob, Calix turned to Eliana.

“Do you want to see this too?”

This was a secretive place that only adults were allowed to enter during her childhood. There was no reason to refuse his offer now—her curiosity had long been piqued.

“Yes. I want to see it.”

Unlike the brightly lit corridors, the room was dim. Though vast, the items inside were arranged closely rather than spaced out.

Because of that, the lighting was sparse, and they had to move carefully.

The room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard, making Eliana tense. As she cautiously moved, she accidentally stepped on Calix’s foot behind her.

“Oh, sorry.“

“It’s fine.“

“Without realizing it, I got nervous.“

“Don’t worry too much about it. It’s fine if you break one or two things. We can just replace them.”

In truth, that was a lie. The items were rare and valuable, collected from outside the empire, and difficult to obtain again.

“Mhm.”

Only then did Eliana relax, wandering around and asking Calix questions. She hadn’t realized it before when she wasn’t concerned with making money, but the more they talked, the more she could grasp the vast scale of the Vartica family’s trade. The deal she was currently involved in seemed like child’s play in comparison.

Eliana stopped before a statue of a woman from the island of Datria. The statue’s gaze met hers at eye level as if it had been crafted with her in mind. Eliana stared back, lost in thought.

“Make a wish.“

Calix’s low voice sounded from behind her.

“Why?”

Eliana asked without turning around.

“Try it. If there’s something you want.”

Calix suggested something he had never tried, though the statue had always been in his mansion.

“Does this statue really have such power?“

“The person who gave it to me said so.“

“...”

“I’ve never tried it myself.”

“Why not?“

“…I don’t know.“

“A wish, huh…”

Eliana had already had one wish granted—her broken engagement. Her next wish was to amass a fortune and leave Moira for good, never to return.

Unaware of her second wish, Calix was telling her to make one.

“Will it really come true?“

“Who knows? If you believe, maybe it will.”

If her second wish came true, she would be happy. But it would also mean never seeing Calix again. Eliana shifted her gaze behind her.

Calix’s red eyes were fixed solely on her. Perhaps because he was curious about what wish she would make, his gaze was deep and intense.

Eliana’s pale cheek looked soft, almost inviting to touch. They were standing so close that he could feel her tension as she deliberated.

“Did I give you too difficult a problem?“

“No, it’s just… I have so many things I want to wish for.”

Saying this, Eliana turned away. She remained silent for a moment, as if praying, then turned back to face Calix.

“I made my wish.“

“...”

“Aren’t you going to ask what it was?“

“Tell me later.”

With those words, Calix walked past her and approached the statue himself. He didn’t close his eyes but remained silent for a moment.

“Let’s go, Eliana.”

He pointed towards the door as he spoke. Though he hadn’t said anything, it was clear that he had made a wish, too.

‘What did you wish for?’

She was curious.

After touring the main building, the two headed out to the garden, where a vibrant array of flowers unfolded. Calix mentioned how much the mansion had changed, and as Eliana listened, she imagined how the once colorful place must have turned dark.

But the mansion they faced was much better than she had feared. Without Calix’s hint, she wouldn’t have noticed that the garden had changed. It was still beautiful. Like a butterfly, Eliana began to explore every corner of the garden.

Calix captured every moment in his gaze. Even though he owned everything here, he didn’t hold the same affection for the garden that she did.

‘I didn’t even know this garden existed…’

He probably would have remained indifferent if he hadn’t met Eliana again and talked with her in the Madrino mansion’s garden. But now, seeing how much she loved it, the garden suddenly seemed valuable.

It wasn’t just a feeling. A new presence had entered the once-lonely space, changing its atmosphere entirely.

Calix took note of the flowers that particularly caught Eliana’s eye. He also remembered the food she liked. When they were children, he didn’t care much for sweets, but because Eliana seemed to enjoy them, he always asked the servant,

‘Bring more desserts.’

Eliana mistakenly remembered this as his fondness for sweets, but it didn’t matter.

The time apart—the deep despair that made him want to see no one—had utterly consumed him. But after struggling desperately to escape that despair, he could now fully recall the happy moments of the past.

There had been so much that happened before he could call her back to this mansion. When he opened the closed door and stepped outside to meet Eliana again, he first heard the news of her engagement.

Rather than pouring out his emotions, Calix prioritized respecting her choices.

But now, everything has changed. Calix moved closer to where Eliana stood.

“I was worried after what you said at the Madrino party. But the garden is more beautiful than I feared. I was concerned that everything would be in ruins.“

“Lamot put in a lot of effort before you arrived.“

“Really? Because of me?“

“Yeah, for you, our only guest.”

Calix nodded.

“You didn’t have to go that far.”

Though she said this, Eliana looked pleased. Seeing her expression made him glad they had tended to the garden.

***

“I enjoyed the tour, Lamot. The mansion is magnificent,“ Eliana complimented, brightening Lamot’s face.

“I hear it’s all thanks to Lamot’s efforts,“ Calix added.

“There’s no need to thank me. The mansion must be prepared when a guest is visiting,“ Lamot humbly replied.

“If my visit caused you too much trouble, I’d feel bad.“

“If Lady Eliana is pleased, it’s no trouble at all,”

Lamot responded with sincerity. This kind of pure hospitality was something Eliana hadn’t experienced elsewhere. Especially after her broken engagement, most people had viewed her as an unwelcome guest, casting judgmental glances. Although she responded confidently, those moments still lingered in her mind.

“Eliana really enjoyed it, all thanks to you,“ Calix added, swelling Lamot with pride.

“Shall we move to the drawing-room?“ Lamot skillfully suggested the next destination.

“Sure.”

The guest drawing room, decorated in soft beige tones, came into view. Calix seated Eliana on the sofa and took a seat across from her, sunlight pouring into the room.

“Bring some tea, along with the gift Eliana brought,“ Calix instructed.

“Yes, Your Grace,“ replied the maid, who soon returned with the necessary items. Calix picked up the cookies Eliana had baked for him. They were so small and cute that he felt eating them would be a shame.

“I only made them but haven’t tried them myself, so I don’t know if they’ll taste good,“ Eliana said, looking at him with wide eyes.

Calix put a cookie in his mouth.

“Well?“ Eliana asked, her eyes round with curiosity. Though she had received compliments on her skills before, it had been a while since she baked, and she felt nervous.

Instead of answering, Calix simply gazed at Eliana, who was waiting expectantly. Her slightly pouted lips betrayed her anticipation. Her expression was so endearing that he forgot all about the taste of the cookie.

“Is it bad?“ Eliana asked again when Calix didn’t respond, her tone playfully mischievous as if teasing him for his silence.

“Is this a taste test?“ he finally asked.

“Huh?“

“You look like you’re about to cry if I say it’s not good.“

“So, it’s not good then,“ Eliana said, starting to look disappointed. But just as she was about to feel down, Calix lifted his head and chuckled.

“It’s good. More than good.“

“Liar.“

“I’m serious,“ Calix replied, brushing off the crumbs left on his lips with his thumb.

“Are you planning to open a dessert shop or something? Why are you so concerned?“

“It’s my first gift in a while, so I didn’t want to give you something that didn’t taste good. You like sweets, after all. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Eliana was convinced that Calix loved sweets.

Whenever they had tea time at this mansion, the table had been filled with exotic desserts that were hard to come by at the Leiberte family estate. Eliana had always believed that the Duke and Duchess prepared them because Calix loved sweets.

“If it’s from you, even bitter medicine would taste good to me.“

“If you say that, I might actually make some. I’ve studied herbal medicine, so I’m better at making bitter things than sweet ones,“ Eliana joked.

At this, Calix raised one of his dark eyebrows.

“Maybe even poison?“

“Why would I give you poison?“

“That’s why I’d drink it. Because I know you wouldn’t give me poison.”

In the middle of their playful banter, his low voice caught her off guard. His words were filled with trust.

‘I’m glad I came here.’

Here, she didn’t need to respond to evil with evil or match violence with violence. She felt she could just be herself and speak freely.

“What I mean is, you don’t need to worry whether something tastes good or bad. Whatever gift you give me, it’ll always taste good to me.”

Eliana nodded and tried the cookie she had made. It was very sweet and delicious.

“It’s good.“

“Yes, really sweet,“ Calix said, still focused on her. His remark didn’t sound unpleasant—in fact, it carried an odd feeling, as if it was more than just a simple dessert review.

“Odd…?”

Eliana stared at him, not quite understanding what kind of feeling Calix was giving her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?“

“Nothing, I just like your voice.“

“…”

Eliana said she liked it, though his voice, which seemed to softly tickle her ears, felt strange.

With an expression that seemed both knowing and not, Calix picked up another dessert. Though he typically didn’t touch sweets, he ate more than usual.

***

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