CH 33

The music stopped just as Callie was about to respond to Brandon’s joke. Brandon let go of Callie’s waist and kissed her lightly on the back of her hand. 

Everyone watched with smiles as the two danced beautifully. All except Olivia.

Olivia’s eyes blurred as she watched them dancing in a corner, smiling affectionately. Like a fool, she bit her lip hard to keep from crying in a place like this. 

Then, a friendly voice spoke, and a large hand gently wrapped around her shoulder.

“Olivia…” 

It was Leslie, the person who always came to comfort her when she cried since she was little. 

“Do you feel unwell? Your complexion doesn’t look very good.”

“I’ve had a bit of a headache since early in the evening, but it’s getting worse.” 

“Would you like to go out and get some fresh air?”

“Uh huh.”

Leslie escorted the nodding Olivia out into the garden. Olivia took a deep breath, calming her mind as the night air reached the tip of her nose.

Leslie looked at Olivia in pity. 

“Are you alright now?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for bringing me out, Leslie.”

If it’s for you, what’s this much?

“Olivia.”

“Hmm?”

“Brandon…You should give up on him already.”

“…”

Leslie’s words took Olivia aback. 

“He’s married now.”

Olivia had no intention of telling Leslie, but since Leslie had noticed, she had no intention of hiding it.

“It wasn’t a marriage out of love. Your father forced him to do it.”

Leslie felt sorry for Olivia, who did not know how to give up.

“Do you really think so? You know very well that Brandon isn’t one to be forced into a marriage he doesn’t want, no matter what Father says.”

“So you’re saying that the two of them are in love?”

“Well, I don’t know if it’s love yet, but don’t they look like they’re getting more and more attracted to each other?”

“But my feelings for him are greater. How long have we known each other?”

“Olivia, in love, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known each other. So, stop now and find a man who will love you.”

That’s me, Olivia.

“No. I can’t give up. I won’t give up.” Olivia firmly shook her head despite Leslie’s persuasion.

“So, were you thinking of getting rid of Callie? Is that why you asked her to go on the boat?”

Olivia’s face hardened like ice at Leslie’s accusation.

“Leslie, there’s nothing I can’t do to get Brandon. But I didn’t know there were problems with the boat. If the boat didn’t sink, I thought of pushing Callie, who couldn’t even swim, in the middle of the lake. But thankfully, the boat started to fill up with water, right? So I didn’t have to do anything. If Brandon hadn’t shown up, my servant would have gone after Callie after she fell into the water.”

Leslie’s expression grew serious.

“Olivia, it wasn’t you who touched the boat?”

“No. It was just a coincidence.”

Could Olivia’s words be true?

He loved her, but he couldn’t believe what she just said. 

Finally, the party was over, and all the guests had left. After seeing them off, Callie took a long breath.

Brandon, standing next to her, looked at her and smiled. “Good work today, Callie.”

“Yes. I did a great job.”

“Won’t you at least say it’s thanks to me?”

“Did you do anything? The only thing you did during the party was drink wine with other guys and play card games.”

“Did you forget I was willing to be a monkey, Madam?”

“Ah, monkey.”

“So, I hoped you’d invite me to your bedroom tonight as if throwing me a banana. But that doesn’t seem like the case.”

At that time, they ran into Olivia and Leslie, who had finished talking in the garden and entered the house.

When Olivia saw Brandon and Callie, she changed her expression like an actor on stage.

“Callie, today’s party was a great success. Congratulations on doing well. Thank you for your hard work.”

“You helped me a lot. Thank you, Olivia.”

“But how did you get the magician to come? I heard he didn’t even move when the Duke’s family called him. Did you know each other?” 

When Olivia asked about Anton, Callie answered vaguely, “Yes. We met briefly before.”

“Ah. Even so, the fact that he came to the party and put on the show, the magician is very kind to Callie.”

At that, Brandon’s expression hardened. In fact, even Brandon didn’t know Anton would arrive. He, too, was surprised when the magician showed up at the party.

What was his relationship with Callie that he, who stubbornly refused nobles’ invites, accepted hers?

His ears perked up when Callie said they had only met briefly before. 

No man can help but like Callie. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also wise.

That’s why Brandon, who was always surrounded by women, was also attracted to her unique charm.

Did the magician also like Callie and do her a favor?

“I’m grateful to Anton.” Callie ended the conversation this way so Olivia wouldn’t inflate her relationship with the magician with more unnecessary talk. “It’s quite late. We’d better go in and rest.”

At Callie’s words, Leslie led Olivia to enter her house first.

“Let’s head in, too, Olivia.”

But Olivia had other ideas. 

“Is it because the party is so good today? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep yet. Brandon, shall we have some more wine?”

Olivia, who wanted to spend some time with Brandon, spoke to Callie patronizingly.

“Callie, you must have been tired from preparing the party, so you should go in first and rest. You don’t even share a bedroom, so you don’t have to go to bed together.”

What is she even saying?!

Callie clenched her fists.

Ironically, Brandon only shrugged his shoulders and said, “Wine, huh.”

“Yeah. I have something to tell you, Brandon. So, Callie, you’d better go to bed first. Leslie too.”

Callie couldn’t let things go the way Olivia wanted. 

“Olivia, you better talk to Brandon next time. Brandon, I’m tired. Let’s go to bed. I want to go and lie down immediately.”

Callie asked Brandon to go to bed, but she was worried. What if he doesn’t get it? 

Thankfully, Brandon took the hint and even took it a step further. 

“It’s good to go and lie down quickly, but we’re not going to lie side by side and sleep quietly holding hands, are we? You’re so beautiful that I don’t think I can control myself.”

Callie’s face reddened at the blatant question.

“You’re not going to let me be, are you?”

At Callie’s answer, Brandon smiled happily and wrapped his arms around her waist as if confirming that she was his.

“Madam, then shall we go to the bedroom?” Brandon, with his arms affectionately around Callie’s waist, left Olivia and Leslie behind and happily walked away, raising the corners of his mouth.

“Are we going to leave like this…?”

She was conscious of Olivia and pretended they were going to sleep together, but Brandon behaved like a gentleman today, knowing that Callie didn’t mean it.

When he walked Callie to her bedroom, he kissed the back of her hand like a well-mannered gentleman and tried to leave. 

Not wanting to let him go, Callie quickly called out to him. At her words, Brandon turned his head. 

“It seems like you’re telling me not to go… Did I get that right?” His face was filled with curiosity and anticipation. “Answer me. Did I hear correctly?” 

Brandon urged the hesitant Callie.

“Answer me, Callie.” 

Callie made up her mind.

“Tonight, let’s sleep together.” 

When Brandon finally heard what he wanted, he slyly said, “If you’re thinking of lying down side by side and just sleeping, I said it before, but I refuse. Sleeping alone with a beautiful woman beside you is no different from torture.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Haha, then, will you finally allow us to spend our first night together?” 

Callie, who had made up her mind, nodded her head slightly.

Brandon’s eyes were immediately filled with desire. He turned around and strode towards Callie.

Callie gulped as she watched him approach her. “Before that, I have something to ask you.”