Chapter 9 – Part 3

It was meant as a joke, but Eliana, her face reddening even more, obediently covered her eyes. Her reaction was so endearing that Calix couldn’t help but smile. For a moment, he felt the urge to tease her even further.

“Why aren’t you answering? If you keep teasing me, I’ll just leave.”

“Where are you going to go without a lantern?”

She realized she had dropped the lantern earlier, leaving her with nothing to light the way. Walking down the long corridor in the dark didn’t seem like an option.

“You can lend me yours.“

“Take your hands off your eyes, and I will.”

“Have you put something on?“

“Yes.”

Eliana hesitated at the sound of Calix’s voice, which had a playful lilt, suggesting he hadn’t fully dressed yet despite his claim. Cautiously, she lowered her hands, relieved to find him standing with a robe loosely draped around his body, one hand resting on his hip. Only then did she let out a small sigh of relief? Calix bent down slightly as she relaxed to look at her more closely.

“Your ears are as red as apples,“ he teased.

“Huh?”

Eliana instinctively covered her ears with her hands. They were indeed burning hot.

“It’s fine now, really,“ she mumbled, turning her eyes away in embarrassment. Looking around, she realized that the room they were in wasn’t the one she had initially assumed to be his. From the atmosphere, it was clear that *this* was Calix’s actual private quarters. The golden candelabras and the portrait of the first lord of the Vartica family, which she had seen as a child, confirmed it.

“Why are you wandering around at night? Were you curious about my room?“ Calix asked as he watched her take in her surroundings.

“No, I just couldn’t sleep. I wanted to walk down the corridor briefly, but then something strange…”

Eliana trailed off before mentioning the voice she had heard. Something about it made her hesitate.

“Something strange?“ he pressed.

“There was this strange mirror, and you suddenly appeared while I was looking at it. How did you know I was in the hallway?“

“I sensed your presence.”

No one, not even Lamot, dared to approach Calix’s door at night. It was an unspoken rule in the mansion. And there was only one person who ever broke that rule.

‘My only guest.‘

“I see you’ve changed rooms.“

“Yes. A while ago. I just didn’t like the old one anymore,“ he replied, his voice neutral, though Eliana felt his words might carry a deeper meaning, perhaps tied to his long period of isolation.

“And why couldn’t you sleep? Were you scared of being alone?”

Calix leaned in closer to peer at her face, his damp black hair falling over his forehead. His slightly hazy red eyes appeared more relaxed than they had during the day.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not used to the new room. Reading a book might help me fall asleep, so I would ask the maid…“ Eliana paused, realizing she had left her maid behind.

“Was she not there?”

Calix quickly picked up on the situation before she even finished speaking.

“She must have stepped out for a moment,“ Eliana said, trying to excuse the maid’s absence. But the look in Calix’s eyes hardened, displeasure creeping onto his face—the expression of a cold, stern master.

“She probably thought I was already asleep since there was no movement, and it was late. Don’t be upset with her. This is my fault for wandering around instead of just waiting,“ Eliana pleaded, her eyes meeting his.

“Hmm.”

At her insistence, Calix reluctantly let it go. But he wasn’t happy about her roaming the halls alone at night. That wasn’t why he had assigned her a maid.

He had been in his room after showering when he heard a noise outside. Since the incident, he had been acutely sensitive to the slightest sounds. The moment he stepped out, he saw Eliana standing in front of the enchanted mirror, which reflected distorted images based on the viewer’s emotional turmoil.

“I’ll get you a book. No need to wander around looking for one.”

Eliana nodded in agreement.

“Follow me,“ Calix said as he walked over to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. As he moved, his robe shifted, revealing his muscular chest again. Eliana quickly averted her gaze, focusing instead on anything else in the room.

‘No, Eliana, look elsewhere!‘ she scolded herself.

Her abrupt movements didn’t go unnoticed by Calix, who smirked at her obvious discomfort.

‘Is she really that embarrassed?’

Her bashful demeanor only made her seem more endearing to him.

Despite having a proper library elsewhere in the mansion, the tall bookshelves in this room were also filled with books.

“There are so many. I don’t know which would be good,“ Eliana remarked, scanning the shelves.

“If you want something that’ll put you to sleep, this one should do the trick,“ Calix said, reaching for a thick book on a high shelf, well out of Eliana’s reach. He handed it to her.

“It’s a history book.“

“Thanks, Calix.”

Eliana cradled the heavy book in her arms. Even after handing it to her, Calix didn’t take his eyes off her. Something about their informal nighttime attire created a different kind of tension between them. Calix didn’t mind the tension; he found it intriguing.

Eliana felt it, too. Though they had spent time together during the day, laughing and teasing, something about seeing him like this, partially undressed and alone with her in his private room, made her more self-conscious than before.

“Well, I should get going,“ she said quickly, worried she might embarrass herself further if she lingered. Her cheeks were already flushed from the sight of his bare chest.

“Wait,“ Calix called, stopping her just as she was about to take her first step.

“Huh?“

“Why are you in such a rush, like you’re running away?“

“Running? No, it’s not like that.“

“Either way, once you get to your room, you’re just going to try to fall asleep, right?“

“That’s true.“

“Why don’t you stay and chat a bit longer? You’re heading to the capital tomorrow anyway.”

It was true that she was scheduled to leave the next day. Her visit to his mansion was never meant to be a long one.

“Are you going to miss me?“

“Of course.”

Though his reply was brief, his feelings were clear.

Since he expressed his reluctance so openly, Eliana didn’t want to reject staying a little longer. She sat down across from Calix at the table, where a half-filled teacup was already placed.

Calix personally prepared a cup of tea for her. The warm, slightly bitter aroma made it clear that the tea was meant to help her sleep, even though he didn’t say it.

“Were you having trouble sleeping too?”

Calix sat back in a relaxed posture, but he just looked at her quietly instead of answering.

“I was actually about to fall asleep. If it hadn’t been for the sound of your footsteps, I would’ve been asleep by now.“

“You have sharp ears, Calix. I thought I was padding.“

“When you live in this mansion, anyone would develop that. Silence is the norm here.”

Half of it was due to circumstances, the other half by choice.

“I think I understand.”

Eliana immediately grasped the meaning behind his words. As she lay tossing and turning in bed earlier, she wondered how lonely Calix must have been in this vast mansion.

‘It must’ve been many long nights of unbearable silence.’

Calix had probably waited for someone to visit again, hoping the mansion would be lively and joyful. Yet, despite that desire, he faced a reality where it couldn’t happen.

“I was just lying there, and it was so quiet that my ears became sensitive to every little sound. You’ve been living like that for so long, so it makes sense that you’d hear my footsteps easily.”

“…”

“Maybe it’s just me, but… You must have felt lonely in such a big mansion alone.”

Eliana spoke honestly about what was on her mind.

“I felt bad, thinking that it might have been better if I had come sooner. I’m sorry.”

“…”

His brow furrowed, though not out of displeasure. Calix uncrossed his legs and leaned forward slightly.

“Then stay longer.”

“…”

“You can now, can’t you?”

He waited for her to agree, but Eliana slowly shook her head.

“Is it because the Count opposes it?“

‘How did he know?‘

Eliana’s eyes widened slightly.

“There’s no need to be surprised. It became obvious at some point that the Count didn’t like me very much.”

“…”

“I wasn’t even sure he’d allow this visit.“

“To be honest, I came without his permission.“

“Without permission?“

“Yeah. Like you thought, he didn’t like my coming here, but I clarified that I wouldn’t follow Father’s wishes. There’s been quite a stir at home, actually. It’s not just about the broken engagement.“

“What happened?“

“My father and stepmother tried to force me into Benroze Academy.”

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