Chapter 9

9. Uncomfortable Escort

Callion spread the ointment over the bruise. Adelaide frowned at how much it hurt when he barely applied any pressure.

“Does it hurt much?”

“Just a little… I can bear it.”

Callion frowned at her pretense of being fine.

Just how weak is she?

He’d failed to control his strength in his haste, but even so, he hadn’t expected to be bruised like this.

“Are your bones okay?”

“Maybe.”

“You should probably call a doctor and get it checked out.”

“It’s not that serious. I had no trouble eating my meal.”

“It’s not just your wrist, is it?”

With that, Callion pressed firmly on Adelaide’s back.

“Ouch”. A groan escaped her.

“Look at that.”

“I… didn’t know about my back.”

“It must be from when I hit you yesterday.”

He slapped the air out of her lungs, which must have bruised as badly as her wrist.

Adelaide shook her head as she opened it, adjusting her disheveled gown. 

“Servants will gossip if a doctor comes and goes. If it gets unbearable, I’ll call for one.”

If she went to a doctor and they found out he was addicted to nerium leaves, it would ruin all her carefully laid plans.

‘It doesn’t matter after I send Elaine away.’

While not knowing her true feelings, Callion spoke with a frustrated expression.

“I don’t know why you’re so stubborn, but being patient is not something to brag about. My grandfather, who taught me that a monarch should not show signs of hardship, also acted harshly in front of my grandmother.”

Callion’s voice rose at the mention of the Emperor. Adelaide nodded thoughtfully, remembering the Emperor and his wife, who were known for their golden threads.

“No matter how superficial it is, I am your husband. Telling me that you’re in pain won’t make you weak.”

“…….”

“So be honest with me.”

His eyes turned straight to her. Adelaide awkwardly averted her gaze.

Every time Callion was kind to her, she was reminded of what she’d done to him, and it wasn’t a sin that would go away by turning back time.

“I hope applying the ointment will make me feel better soon.”

“I wish I hadn’t hurt you further.”

“I doubt that.”

Adelaide rolled her eyes. Callion followed her with a wry smile.

“I’ll leave the ointment here. Apply it twice a day. Ask a maid to apply it to places you can’t reach.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Oh, and I’m considering assigning a knight to you.”

“A knight?”

“How can I be sure that what happened yesterday won’t happen again? I think a knight would give me peace of mind.”

Having a guard would make it cumbersome to move around.

Regardless of his intentions, if he assigned someone, they would prioritize their orders over hers.

There was a lot to do in secret, and she wanted to refuse, but he didn’t seem like he would back down easily.

…Well, knights have been secretly following her whenever she goes out, so having a guard won’t change much.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“He will be here tomorrow to introduce himself.”

Finished with the last of his business, Callion turned, and she stared at his back, too broad to take in at a glance, then slid off the bed.

“Your Grace, wait.”

‘What am I doing? ’

Regret flooded her the moment the words left her mouth, but she couldn’t take them back.

Adelaide pulled out a pair of gloves from a drawer and held them out to him.

“Take this…….”

“What is this?”

Callion asked, looking at the colorful gift wrap.

She should have taken the ribbon off. She answered with a heated face.

“It’s a pair of gloves. I bought them while I was at the market.”

She closed her eyes tightly in shame. She wanted to give it up quickly and get out of this situation. But no matter how long she waited, there was no sign of her gloves being taken.’

“If you don’t feel like it, I can give them to…….”

“Oh, no. It’s not like that…….”

Callion suddenly came to his senses and waved his hand. The man, covered up to his neck, swallowed dry saliva.

‘I’m going crazy’

As she got out of bed, her white skin came into view through her loose nightgown.

After a few futile attempts to find a place to put his eyes, Callion took the glove.

“Thank you.”

A smile spread across Adelaide’s face.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The training grounds were still buzzing from the morning’s training, and two men stood in the center of the field, swords pointed at each other.

The one who moved first was Callion. After completing his search, Callion swung his sword with terrifying force. The opponent, who had predicted his movements, took a couple of steps back and struggled to block the sword.

Boom, The sword clattered into the air. Callion picked it up from the ground with a smirk on his face.

“Sorry, I’ll try again.”

The knight he’d been fighting grimaced and sheathed his sword.

“That’s four times that you dropped your sword.”

“Has it only been four times yet? ”

“If you’re going to continue, at least take off your gloves. What’s the point of sparring if you can’t handle three matches?”

The man pointed to his gloved hand.

“Still, I’m stronger than you.”

Jokingly, Callion unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the man. The man’s jaw dropped, and he raised his sword with a reluctant look on his face.

Boom! The result was the same this time. After missing the sword in two strikes, Calion clicked his tongue.

“The gloves are too slippery. It won’t work.”

“You figured that out in five tries?”

The man on the dirt floor scolded, his tone rude. The way he looked down at his gloves with a coy smile on his face was almost comical.

“Who gave those to you?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“You’re wearing them to show off anyway, aren’t you, Is it from the Duchess?”

“You were quick to notice.”

Callion chuckled and agreed.

“Don’t you hate wearing gloves?  ”

“Me?”

“You wouldn’t even wear the gloves my sister gave you because they were uncomfortable.”

Lucid Lephisto, Shayla Lephisto’s biological brother, grumbled.

There was a time…… when he did.

The memory suddenly came to mind, and the hand with the gloves felt a bit awkward.

“I refused three times, and yet your sister forced them on me. What can I do about it?”

“Then why are you wearing them now?”

“Maybe I’m getting old because my hands are always cold.”

He’s getting worse.

Lucid, three years younger than him, snorted at Callion’s answers, dusted off his as$, and stood up.

He wondered why he would challenge someone who hadn’t been back in two months to a duel.

Now that he knew the purpose of the duel was to show off his gloves, he saw no reason to suffer further.

“I’m going to go back inside.”

“I’m not done with you yet.”

“Please tell me.”

A smile spread across Lucid’s face.

‘Yes, even though their relationship may be strained, he’s not so cruel as to not even ask about the well-being of his former fiancée.’

He heartily applauded his sister’s tearful request for news of Callion.

“I want you to escort the Duchess.”

“What?”

He had to stop for five seconds.

“Are you saying that you will entrust me with protecting the Duchess? ”

“That’s what I said.”

What kind of a lord was he, asking his former fiancé’s brother to escort her sister’s rival.

Choosing his words carefully to keep from swearing, Lucid barely opened his mouth.

“If there’s no one else you trust, then ask Julian.”

“You know what Julian thinks of the Duchess.”

“…….”

The commotion in the marketplace yesterday had reached his ears late at night when he returned to the castle.

As soon as Lucid heard that Callion had personally saved Adelaide from almost losing her life, he knew exactly what was going on.

‘Julian won’t work.’

Then there’s only one other person he can think of.

“I don’t know anyone else I can trust as much as you. Please, I’m asking you.”

“You’re cruel.”

Lucid accepted the offer without question.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

“I’ve been ordered to escort the Duchess.”

Adelaide greeted the stranger with a sense of embarrassment.

She had shortlisted dozens of candidates since Callion had told her about the escort, but the man before her was not on the list.

His name is Lucid Lephisto.

As the eldest son of the Duke of Lephisto and Shayla Lephisto’s biological brother, Lucid Lephisto is the highest ranking man in Castle Tiflis aside from Callion.

Why did this man take charge of my escort?

“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

She held out her hand to gauge his intentions, and Lucid kissed the back of it without hesitation.

“Feel free to treat me like any other servant.”

Adelaide raised an eyebrow as Lucid turned to leave.

To treat the son of a duke like any other servant. For a commoner, just hearing a member of such a prestigious family talk like that would be enough to make them bow their heads in respect.

‘What is Callion thinking? ’

She remained silent, pondering Calion’s intentions.

She wondered if he was using the escort as an excuse to keep an eye on her. With Lucid by her side, she would be unable to move.

Adelaide rubbed the back of her hand where Lucid’s lips had been and turned to the window.

The castle, strangely silent, didn’t even echo with the sounds of training.

“It’s been three days already.”

Today was the last day she had agreed to meet Sycamore.

She was sure he’d come, given the irresistible bait she’d laid out, yet lunchtime passed with no word from him.

Maybe he didn’t think Callion had a chance. Or perhaps he desired a different course of action.

Either way, if he refuses her offer, he cannot be spared.

‘Elkius wanted to ruin the seed of the Alberden family.’

It shouldn’t be hard to get rid of Michael Alberden if she leaks that he’s running the guild under the alias Sycamore Venture. Not that it should come to that, of course.

“Your Grace, this is Jensen.”

…He’s here.