Chapter 26

My heart felt so heavy as a lump of lead.

Because although the issue with Sean has been settled. I still have more problems to solve.

The matter of my relationship with Calix. And most of all, the anxiety about the unknown future.

‘Calix must be in the lord’s castle right now.’

What face should I show him when I confront him again. When we meet, what would be the right thing to say······.

‘Welcome banquet.’

I sat upright on the bed and sighed.

A few hours ago, the Lord sent an official letter to the city announcing that he would hold a banquet to welcome the Divine Lady and the Grand Duke.

Every citizen across the country without exception was ordered to greet the Grand Duke and the Divine Lady.

I was pondering if I should go too, but the Lord sent a separate invitation to Alice.

Telling Alice herself, as well as her family, that we must definitely attend.

‘I never thought that Alice’s good performance in the lordship would bring about this result.’

Come to think of it, have Alice told the lord that she was leaving Canelo?

‘I guess not yet. It’s been a hectic couple of days.’

The lord wouldn’t want Alice to leave.

But she was originally from the Ecreé Marquis. If Alice says she’s going back there, the Lord will have no choice but to let her go.

‘That’s right. We don’t have to worry too much about that.’

I got out of bed and headed for the closet. For now, the most urgent problem was the banquet. We even received an invitation from the Lord himself, so we had to go, but I’m not sure myself, if I have the courage to look on Calix’s face, and I didn’t even have clothes to wear.

‘There are still some few dresses but······.’

I opened the closet door. Then I looked for the dress I had buried deep inside and pulled it out.

It was the dress I wore long ago when I was still in the Ecreé Marquis. It was a design that was already way out of fashion even during those times.

In addition, the fabric was slightly faded and the white lace had turned yellow. No matter how I look at it, it was an old dress. However, there was nothing else to wear other than this.

All I had was a few blouses, a skirt, and two coats. Regardless of how many commoners attend the banquet, they would probably dress up and go, and it would be too embarrassing to just wear casual clothing.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have at least kept a neat suit.’

Mom always wears weird clothes! Letty’s voice seems to ring in my head. I placed my dress on the bed and began to wonder with a long face where to start mending it.

✧────── ೋღღೋ ──────✧

“Mom will just say hello and come back. You have to be good with your grandma and play nicely with your friends, okay? Eat and listen well, do you understand?”

“Okay~! But mom, your clothes are weird!”

“······Um-hum.”

Mom knows too. I replied at the child with a bitter smile. Then Letty shook her head as she made a complicated expression on her face.

“Mom is pretty, but your clothes are all weird. Later on, once Letty made a lot of money, I will buy you many beautiful clothes!”

I purposely put on a look full of anticipation.

“Wow! Really?”

“Of course!”

I smiled lightly and patted the head of the squealing child. Then Letty stared at my chest and said.

“But the bluebird is good!”

“Ah······.”

“Mister Cal gave it to you, correct?!”

“······Ah, correct.”

My smile faded at the thought of Calix. Worried that Letty might notice my sadness, I immediately put on a bright smile. Fortunately, Letty did not seem to notice because she was fervently looking at the bluebird brooch.

“Mom. Letty······.”

“Huh?”

Letty looked up at me. Then suddenly said in a serious tone.

“Letty likes Mister Cal!”

“Oh······ Is that so?”

“Yes! I like mister so much! Just like my dad!”

My heart sank at Letty’s last words. I couldn’t answer and could only bite my lips, then Alice’s voice was heard from behind.

“Rose! We’re going to be late!”

“Oh, yeah.”

I turned to her and answered, leaving a kiss on Letty’s forehead. Then the child burst out giggling saying it tickles.

“Mom will be right back.”

“Yes, goodbye!”

Letty smiled and waved her hand. Her other hand was holding the hem of Mrs. Marivone’s clothes, the grandmother at the neighbor’s house.

“Thank you for this favor.”

“Don’t worry about it and go.”

Mrs. Marivone responded in a distinctive lyrical voice. She was one of those few people who liked me. I heard that she also raised her child alone when she was young, so it seemed that she felt sorry for me and Letty.

“Thank you, Madam.”

“What Madam······ quickly go ahead!”

“Yes.”

Afraid that the tiger-like Mrs. Marivone would yell at me, I rushed to the carriage. Alice was already seated inside.

Alice was wearing a magician’s suit. Then she glanced at my outfit and said.

“······It didn’t look better even though you’ve already mended it, Laure. I told you it’s best if I buy you new clothes, but you vehemently refused······.”

“······.”

My cheeks blushed as I turned my eyes around. Then I saw myself over the windowpane. Dressed in an old shabby dress. A dress that was extracted of all it’s distinctive laces and was now only left with a rustic rose pattern fabric.

“······.”

I thought it didn’t really matter, but now that I was wearing it, I feel extremely embarrassed.

‘I don’t have to stay long anyway.’

I just have to say hello and leave.

There won’t be anything to talk with Calix in the banquet hall. On the surface, he and I are nobles and commoners.

‘And it doesn’t matter what other people say.’

Even though that was what I keep saying in my mind, I still feel intimidated for no reason.

Having the thought that Sia will definitely look very beautiful tonight.

✧────── ೋღღೋ ──────✧

Lord Canelo’s banquet was glamorous, extravagant, and crude.

But this was never his cup of tea. Calix has been in a bad mood ever since he stepped into the banquet hall.

The city lord was trying to gain the divine lady’s favor, while desperately consuming the bean curd on the table. What a very greedy man.

And the son of the lord had been drinking a lot since the beginning of the banquet, and now he’s completely wasted. The maids on both sides were laughing and making a fuss at him, it was ridiculous to think that such a man was a member of the high society.

‘No matter how far this place is, or even though it’s called the edge of the world.’

Calix sighed with an extremely fatigued expression on his face. He’s pouring a strong drink into his mouth when someone approached his side and sat down gently. What is it? Calix frowned and turned his head. Then a thick scent whiffed his nose.

“Hello. Your Grace. Nice to meet you. My name is Amelia Keimnell.”

“······.”

Keimnell was the name of the lord’s family. If so, this woman must be the daughter of lord Canelo.

Calix looked up at the woman and poured alcohol into his glass. In the meantime, the woman drew closer to him.

“And your purpose for approaching me is?”

As Calix perplexingly push the woman away, the woman suddenly put on a cold expression and whispered.

“Because my damn father ordered me to do it.”

“······.”

“Please. Please pretend you are interested. Otherwise, that man······ No. The lord is going to be furious with me later. He’s going to say I’m not being useful to him.”

“Ha! how convinient······.”

Calix glared at Amelia Keimnell with a cold glint in his eyes. But the woman just laughed lightly and suddenly grabbed Calix’s hand.

“What the······.”

“If you don’t eat enough, you’ll get drunk. Then my father will bring the Grand Duke into my bedroom.”

“······.”

This family really makes him speechless. Calix shook his head.

Amelia Keimnell grinned and poured whiskey on his glass. Then gulp. She swallowed everything in the glass in one gulp.

Calix asked in a rare astonished voice.

“Are you crazy?”

“You don’t have to worry. They call me the walking drunkard.”

Then Amelia Keimnell poured another drink on the glass and Calix looked at her with a disgusted face.

“However, Your Grace.”

Amelia, who had put down the wine glass, whispered. Calix made a frown on his face, showing signs of annoyance.

“The divine lady has been staring at me since earlier as if she wants to kill me.”

“······.”

“Once the banquet ends, please let her know. Amelia Keimnell was only told by her father to do it.”

Calix threw his fork and sighed loudly. He doesn’t want to share even a single word with that damn divine lady······.

But if he didn’t say anything, it seems that Amelia Keimnell would be harmed. Sia was the type of woman who might actually do that.

‘A divine lady with that kind of personality, the world must be ending soon.’

Calix glanced at Sia. As his eyes met with her, Sia smiled.

The extremely pretentious smile made him feel disgusted. Calix, who seemed to see something ridiculous, turned his head and looked away from Sia.

By the time the banquet was at its peak, the citizens stepped up one by one and entered the venue. They bowed down to Sia and Calix then hurried out. It was obvious that they had come reluctantly because of the lord’s order.

Calix wears an annoyed expression, and the city lord was anxious that he would have been offended. It seemed that the Lord himself did not think that he was the main culprit who ruined Calix’s mood. The lord could only glare at his useless daughter.

Calix sat with his arms crossed, hoping that the time would pass quickly. All he could think of was Laure. He felt restless, anxious, and his heart was in terrible pain, he felt like he could die of suffocation.

一I won’t run away, so don’t worry.

“······Haa.”

It was the moment he sighed closing his eyes, reminiscing the frail back he saw last time,

“This is Alice Winterwood and Rose Winterwood Osborne.”

The moment he heard those words, Calix opened his eyes.

✧────── ೋღღೋ ──────✧

My cheeks were burning hot.

When I arrived at the Lord’s castle and met Lucy and the others, I mean, the faces of those people who hated me, ridicule was visible in their eyes.

Perhaps it’s because of my shabby clothes. I tried not to care. It’s only for a short time anyway, and I’ll be leaving this city soon.

But after entering the banquet hall. And the moment my name was called.

The eyes of all the people sitting on the seat of honor were focused on me. Then my mind went dizzy for a moment.

“Oh. Our Canello’s talent is finally here!”

The lord greeted Alice with a warm welcome. And I stood there like a scarecrow with my head down. Please don’t let anyone be interested in me.

From the front, I felt a sharp gaze pricking at me, but I didn’t want to look at it. Because I didn’t have to see who it was.

Calix.

At first glance, he was sitting side by side with Sia at a table in the middle.

I couldn’t see the details, but Sia was wearing a robe as white as snow, and in contrast, Calix was wearing a black robe.

If I would just raise my head and stare straight ahead, it occurred to me that I would be able to see the figure of two people, so perfect together as if they were taken out from a picture.

My heart felt depressed for no reason. Even more so than the time after I badly parted with Calix.

“Come on, say your greetings, and sit over there.”

“We intend to only say our salutations and go.”

“What a sad thing to say! You and your sister should also graze the seats! Maids!”

‘······?’

As I stealthily turned my head at the unexpected words, my eyes made contact with Calix. As a result, I quickly bowed my head. Then my heart pounded wildly.

“······I guess we don’t have any choice. Rose, I think we have to sit for a while and go.”

“Ah······.”

Alice looked back at me and said. I gloomily bowed my head as Alice wrapped her arms around my shoulder and headed for the head of the table.