IOWYC Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was unexpectedly Kallion who broke the tense atmosphere and stepped back.

He roughly brushed his bangs aside and warned with a sharp glare.

“Don’t come near this room again.”

After giving that harsh warning with a chilling gaze, he coldly turned around.

I stared at his back while holding my wrist, where the pain was now starting to throb.

There didn’t seem to be anything suspicious in that room to make me doubt him.

Then suddenly, Layla came to mind.

I knew her room was in the servants’ quarters, but she always stayed late in the office with Kallion.

It wouldn’t be strange if Kallion had made her a private room next to his office.

The bedroom I had entered looked lived-in.

The furniture and decoration were too feminine to belong to a man.

And Kallion’s reaction—as if he had something to hide—was overly sensitive.

Everything pointed to Layla.

“Ha—”

A dry laugh slipped from my lips before I realized it.

In the past, I wasn’t even allowed on the third floor, so I never even knew that room existed.

Thinking back now, my past self seemed pitiful and foolish.

I stared at the bruised wrist and forced myself to calm down.

‘Whoever he’s with in that room… it doesn’t matter anymore.’

Yeah, because the me who used to be hurt by those things is gone now.

Ignoring the pain in my wrist, I turned and walked away coldly.

* * *

“Good day, Madam.”

Layla greeted me in a business-like tone.

I glanced at her briefly and then returned my eyes to the papers I was reviewing.

“I’m here to collect next month’s estate maintenance budget.”

While checking the list of supplies for the upcoming banquet, I handed over the documents without hesitation.

Layla also accepted them without much comment.

If that room really was Layla’s, then I had indeed entered someone else’s room without permission.

But I didn’t care so much about who owned it.

What mattered was understanding clearly what that room was for.

“The room at the far end of the third floor.”

Layla gave me a puzzled look.

I looked straight at her and asked bluntly,

“Is that your room, Miss Layla?”

She seemed to realize which room I was talking about, and her expression stiffened slightly.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was checking empty rooms and happened to go in. I didn’t know someone lived there.”

Layla thought for a moment and then gave a strange smile.

“I see. It’s fine, Madam. That room is more precious to Lord Kallion than to me.”

She didn’t clearly say yes or no to my question—but her answer leaned more toward yes. Especially when she mentioned how much Kallion cherished the space they shared.

Of course.

Compared to a newlywed bedroom with an unwanted wife, the room of a beloved mistress must be far more valuable.

I ignored her meaningful smile and focused back on the papers.

There was still a lot to handle for next week’s banquet.

* * *

As Kallion returned to the estate from his outside duties, his eyes fell on Yuliana sitting on the garden terrace.

Though she wore a long-sleeved dress, her wrist—partly exposed—was clearly bruised.

Kallion’s brow furrowed slightly.

Even if she was the daughter of his enemy’s family, even if there was nothing he liked about her, the fact that he had physically hurt a woman bothered him.

Not that he regretted dragging her out of the room.

No, this was all her fault.

Why did she go where she wasn’t told to?

When he saw the door to his mother’s sealed room open—a room he himself rarely entered—his mind went blank with rage.

He didn’t even let maids in there regularly.

So seeing someone from the hated Heister family in there triggered his anger and deep trauma.

Then, their eyes met.

She looked at him with disgust just as he did—and then looked away coldly, as if he were something filthy.

Any guilt he had over her bruises quickly vanished.

‘She really doesn’t think she did anything wrong, does she?’

Kallion irritably entered his office and collapsed into his chair, staring out the window in her direction.

At that moment, there was a knock, and the head butler entered.

“A letter has arrived from the head of the family, sir.”

A letter from Father?

Kallion frowned slightly but opened the envelope with a bored look.

“How are the banquet preparations going?”

He asked flatly as he broke the seal. The butler replied with a bright face.

“Thanks to Madam, everything is going very smoothly.”

Kallion looked at the butler in surprise.

‘I thought she left everything to Layla and the butler, but… maybe not.’

He turned back to the letter as the butler eagerly continued talking.

“She’s been renovating old parts of the mansion, giving attention even to the servants’ uniforms. The staff feel more motivated now.”

Kallion’s expression turned thoughtful.

Was it Yuliana, not Layla, who did all that?

Even though he had been disappointed in Layla recently, he had always trusted her to manage things well. So he assumed she was handling it.

“She even checked the unused rooms herself and instructed detailed remodeling plans. The workers say she’s incredibly meticulous.”

So that’s why she was going around checking rooms?

Now that he thought about it, he might’ve gone too far in yelling without listening.

“Did you ever tell Yuliana about my mother’s room?”

The butler’s face turned pale.

“Did the Madam… go into that room? Oh dear, I must’ve been careless. That floor is usually off-limits by your order, so I didn’t think… I’ll personally apologize to her.”

Seeing the old butler almost panicking, Kallion sighed and rubbed his forehead.

His eyes kept returning to the bruise on her wrist.

Then, glancing again at the letter from his father, he muttered,

“Forget it. I’ll just talk to her myself.”

The letter was handwritten by the head of the Valdormer family—his father.

It bluntly ordered him to act properly before their cold marriage drew more gossip.

“I’ll talk to her over dinner.”

***

The dining room was filled with awkward silence.

It felt too big for just two people sitting at opposite ends.

Kallion’s invitation to dine together was surprising, but not shocking.

By now, both families were probably pressuring him.

I tried to ignore the heavy air and took a spoonful of soup.

Kallion spoke first.

“Like I said before, don’t do things you weren’t asked to do.”

I looked at him quietly.

He avoided eye contact, continuing,

“Just manage the staff and update the ledgers on time. That’s all.”

I responded bluntly,

“You’re apologizing in a very strange way.”

He went silent.

Even though we were no longer close, we had once been married in the past life.

I could still catch the subtle change in his voice.

But I didn’t want to argue anymore.

I sighed and said,

“I understand that the room is important to you. I won’t enter it again.”

He looked surprised.

‘Did she find out it was my mother’s room? Maybe someone told her.’

He relaxed slightly and replied,

“Thanks for understanding.”

That made me freeze.

He really just thanked me for accepting his affair?

Was he always this shameless?

In the past life, whenever I questioned him about Layla, he treated me like I was crazy.

But now he was openly admitting it.

It didn’t make me angry—it just left me speechless.

I chewed my food, trying not to show how I felt.

He misunderstood and tried to explain more.

“I got a letter from the main house. We should have dinner together regularly now.”

Then, just in case I got the wrong idea, he added,

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just to avoid any unnecessary family drama.”

“I won’t misunderstand.”

I looked at him calmly.

“If you’re worried I’ll fall for you again… don’t be. That won’t happen.”

Maybe you think I’ll always love you no matter what you do.

But you’re wrong.

I looked directly into his violet eyes.

“I don’t love you anymore, Kallion.”

Silence fell.

It felt like time had stopped.

He froze, staring at me.

Then, in a quiet voice, he asked—genuinely confused—

“Why?”