Translator and Editor: nieye

Chapter 64

“It is more so that I can’t speak about it even if I wanted to. Michael, even if he turned into a Hanev, was originally the most noble of angels.”

“…”

“Unless he reveals himself first, you cannot recognize him. Even if I were to tell you, you’d soon forget.”

It was a relationship where one couldn’t be recognized unless the higher being chose to reveal themselves.

Eliana felt a sense of helplessness.

Gabriel spoke to Eliana, who was sitting quietly.

“I summoned you today to issue a warning.”

“…”

“I prioritize your safety above all else. If I ever see any suspicious signs from Verkley, I won’t hesitate to kill him.”

Gabriel’s eyes showed no signs of hesitation.

Eliana felt a pang in her chest at her cold and noble declaration.

“That’s a cruel thing to say.”

“Justice can be a cruel law.” 

Gabriel replied with a polite smile, but Eliana remained stiff and couldn’t smile back.

* * *

As time passed with a heavy heart, Fin expressed her desire to leave the Imperial Palace.

Eliana, looking surprised, asked, “You want to go home?”

“He’s badly injured, my brother. There’s no one else to care for him, so I should go see him quickly.” 

Fin looked restless, tapping her foot nervously.

It seemed like the situation was indeed real. 

Eliana held onto Fin and asked with concern, “Is he badly injured?”

“I’m not sure. I received an urgent letter from my parents…” 

Fin’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Eliana. 

She was already struggling to think clearly.

Eliana felt a chill in her heart, wondering if Hera had done something to harm Fon. 

It seemed like there was a connection between his injuries and Hera.

Eliana tightly held Fin’s hand, trying to reassure her as she had an anxious expression.

“Just stay calm for now, and once you arrive, please contact me. You don’t need to try and rush back here.”

“I’m sorry, and the ceremony is going to take place soon…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m not the star of the show. Be careful and come back safely.”

“Thank you, Miss Eliana.”

With a grateful bow and hurriedly grabbing her belongings, Fin prepared to leave.

Eliana escorted Fin to the carriage.

“It should be fine.”

As Eliana was expressing her worry, someone else approached and spoke.

“You seem quite free.”

Kallius remarked, gesturing to the departing carriage with his chin.

Perhaps watching a lady escorting her maid was an unusual sight for him.

Eliana greeted him politely, “You’ve come to see Her Imperial Highness.”

“Well, yes. It seems you’re very close with this maid.”

“I’ve been with her since I was a young girl.”

“I see. That must be special.”

Kallius nodded his head with a knowing expression.

Eliana curtsied, bowing her head slightly.

“Then, I will take my leave.”

However, Kallius offered to escort her. 

“It wouldn’t be proper of me to let a lady go alone.”

“Since when have you become a gentleman… Haha, then please.”

Eliana was about to decline but then awkwardly chuckled.

His gaze was rather sharp, making it hard to refuse.

And so, Eliana found herself feeling uncomfortable as she extended her hand, unable to refuse.

And thus began the awkward escort.

Eliana was displeased with Kallius’ behavior. He was making a big deal out of nothing.

And throughout the way, Kallius didn’t say much.

‘I thought he offered to escort me because he had something to say, but I guess not. How odd.’

Eliana had no idea that he would escort her, so she couldn’t help but grumble to herself.

As they reached the Imperial Villa after an uncomfortable silence, Eliana silently sang a hymn of relief and quickly expressed her gratitude.

“Thanks to you, I arrived comfortably. Please take your time exploring, Duke Harpons.”

“Just a moment.”

Kallius stopped Eliana’s steps as she was about to enter the villa.

When Eliana turned around to face him, Kallius spoke with a sour face.

“Um… I didn’t know back then.”

“What are you talking about?” 

Eliana tilted her head, not sure what he was referring to or when this “back then” was.

Kallius scratched the back of his head as if disturbed and continued, “When I mentioned Count Mussieux.”

“Ohh.” 

Finally understanding what he meant, Eliana let out a sound of realization.

It seemed like he was referring to the time when he saved the day by mentioning Count Mussieux’s birthday.

‘He must’ve only now heard that things aren’t great between the count and me.’

Eliana waved her hand.

“It’s fine if you didn’t know.”

“It was my mistake.”

“You’re honest about it.”

“Because it’s the truth.”

Kallius remained expressionless. 

Interestingly, in the original story, he only had trouble being honest with Mary.

Despite his straightforward personality, he often found himself saying things that led to misunderstandings when talking to Mary.

Perhaps he’d been pushing away his feelings of attraction so hard that his actions turned out that way.

Since meeting Gabriel, Eliana had been narrowing her thoughts in the direction of stopping Verkley’s revenge. 

However, she still didn’t know exactly how to proceed.

To immediately prevent Verkley’s revenge, she needed to first untangle the complicated relationships.

Among them, the only ones she could influence were Mary and Kallius.

‘It seems like Verkley has become a bit gentler towards Mary lately, so there’s hope.’

She remembered from the original story that Kallius eventually sided with Verkley and rejected Mary.

While it hadn’t happened yet, it was important to be cautious in advance.

Eliana needed to ensure that Kallius wouldn’t support Verkley’s revenge.

In other words, she needed to strengthen the bond between Mary and Kallius.

So that Kallius would realize his feelings and give his all to Mary.

Eliana decided to help Kallius avoid any blunders and opened her mouth, saying,

“Your Grace, this is a piece of advice.”

“Advice? You’re the one giving me advice now?”

Kallius snorted as if it were ridiculous. It seemed to make him slightly uncomfortable.

Eliana wanted to take back her words when she saw his reaction, but she thought of Mary and continued,

“Princess Mary really likes you, Your Grace.”

“…What am I supposed to say? I know that.”

Kallius stretched out his words with a sigh upon hearing the unsurprising statement.

On the other hand, Eliana exaggeratedly explained as if it were an important fact,

“That’s right. Your Grace knows it well. But does Princess Mary understand Your Grace’s feelings?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m advising you to express yourself more.”

“Nosy, aren’t you? Just get inside.”

Kallius remained indifferent.

‘Even after I told you everything! …Ha, forget it. You can’t fill your stomach with the first sip.^[1] Let’s call it a day for now.’

Eliana shrugged her shoulders, about to continue on her way, but she stopped and emphasized once more, 

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but don’t do anything you’ll regret! This is really great advice!”

“I hear all sorts of nonsense.”

Kallius turned away swiftly.

Eliana stared at his heartless retreating figure with a scowl.

Then, she clicked her tongue and mumbled, “Consistently unlucky, not surprising at all.”

Eliana adjusted her pace and entered the villa.

A little later, Kallius’ steps came to a halt.

His expression when he turned around didn’t look pleasant.

Despite saying he had come to meet Mary, he veered away from the Main Palace.

* * *

“Kal?” 

Mary wore a surprised expression as Kallius’ sudden visit caught her off guard. 

Kallius approached her with a faint smile and embraced her.

Mary asked with a puzzled expression, “Why did you come here without saying a word?”

“Just. I suddenly thought of something… so I stopped by.”

Kallius muttered while drawing closer to Mary.

“Did you miss me?”

“Of course.”

Even though it was a habitual response, Mary’s cheeks turned red.

However, Kallius, who was embracing her, had a cold look on his face.

‘Don’t do anything you’ll regret!’

Eliana’s warning, as if she knew something, echoed deeply in his mind.

Whether she was quick to catch on or simply making small talk. 

Kallius had originally intended to meet someone in the palace today, and it wasn’t Mary, but Grand Duke Crombell.

Grand Duke Crombell had secretly requested meetings with Kallius shortly after arriving in the capital.

Normally, Kallius would’ve refused without hesitation, but due to Mary’s inability to manifest her powers, he didn’t decline.

Initially, he had attended one meeting just to hear out what they had to say, but now they were taking place multiple times.

At just twenty years old, Kallius had become the head of his family.

Originally, it should have been his older brother to inherit, but due to family circumstances and his talent as a natural wizard, Kallius had taken his place.

To fill the sudden void left by his parents’ deaths and stabilize the family, he had to be even more diligent.

As a result, he began to naturally incorporate calculations into his interpersonal relationships and grew accustomed to a life driven by such considerations.

Even meeting Mary had been orchestrated for calculated reasons.

Despite her past as a dancer, if he aligned himself with Hera’s side, which held significant power, it would help solidify his family’s position.

Of course, this was based on the assumption that Mary would become Empress.

But according to Kallius’ calculations, Mary was no longer a valuable business partner. 

The likelihood of Mary becoming Empress had diminished since her powers hadn’t manifested.

Furthermore, with Crombell and the saintess entering the capital, one wrong move could potentially destabilize the family he had worked so hard to build.

‘Certainly, that’s how it was…’ 

Kallius came looking for Mary as if Eliana’s words had been some kind of spell.

T/N:

1. Used to remind someone that some things take time, and that one should not rush to judgment nor give up too easily. The English equivalent would be, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” ↵