Chapter 08
“That problem doesn’t matter anymore. The important thing is that such nonsense was said in the first place. If it came out once, what’s stopping it from coming out twice, ten times, a hundred times? Of course, we’ll deal with it mercilessly every time it does—but by then, it’ll already be too late. So the best solution is to make sure that nonsense never comes out at all. That’s why I intend to marry Ivlea off to Grand Duke Aedas.”
“Father. People are already talking nonsense even with the name of House Kallin behind her. So what difference would it make even if she becomes the Grand Duke’s wife?”
If anything, that would be even more infuriating.
Their family was not some insignificant house. Wasn’t that just another way of saying that House Kallin was not frightening, but House Aedas was?
“Francis. It’s not that Aedas alone makes the difference—it’s the combination of Kallin and Aedas. One alone might be thought capable of inflicting a scratch even if they can’t bring us down together, but not the two combined.”
Duke Kallin added firmly,
“They wouldn’t even dare to begin thinking of joining forces against us.”
“….”
“And once Ivlea becomes Grand Duchess Aedas, no one—unless they’ve lost their minds—would dare speak such nonsense, let alone even think it. As long as they have brains, they’ll think: ‘Would the most eligible bachelor in the Empire, the famous Calypso Aedas, really make a flawed young lady his Grand Duchess?’”
“Well… that’s true.”
“So in many ways, Ivlea is better off marrying now. And that too, to Calypso Aedas.”
Francis nodded slightly. Hearing it that way, his father did have a point. But one question still lingered in his mind.
“By the way, Father.”
“What.”
“Is Grand Duke Aedas even going to marry Ivlea?”
“Cough. Not yet.”
Duke Kallin replied in a noticeably smaller voice than before. Francis was dumbfounded by his father’s answer.
“But don’t worry! In any case, Grand Duke Aedas has no choice but to marry our Ivlea!”
Unlike before, Duke Kallin now shouted with confidence. Francis found it odd.
“No choice but to marry her? What do you mean by that?”
“Ivlea is beautiful.”
The Duke declared proudly. It was true that his younger sister was beautiful, but Francis couldn’t see how that had anything to do with the Grand Duke marrying her.
“And?”
“Tsk tsk.”
Instead of answering, the Duke clicked his tongue.
“I explain this much and you still don’t get it.”
He looked at his son as if disappointed.
“The Grand Duke is a man, isn’t he?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t know that?”
Francis retorted sharply, suddenly treated like a fool.
“And what are men weak to?”
“To whom?”
“To beauties.”
“….”
“So Grand Duke Aedas has no choice but to fall for our Ivlea.”
The Duke declared confidently, but Francis was speechless. Typical parent bias—like a hedgehog thinking its child is the cutest. And ordinary man or not, this was Calypso Aedas.
“Father, Grand Duke Aedas is not an ordinary man.”
“What do you mean he’s not! A man is a man! They all go weak in the knees for beautiful women! Calypso Aedas is no exception, you hear me!”
The Duke stubbornly insisted. But Francis knew better. Calypso Aedas was someone who wouldn’t even blink at the most beautiful woman trying to seduce him.
How many women had thrown themselves into his arms, hoping to become his lover—or even his mistress? Among them was Lady Garcia, who was once said to be one of the most enchanting noblewomen.
“Even Lady Garcia, who was said to be stunning, threw herself at him naked and he didn’t even blink. Come on.”
But the Duke only scoffed.
“Garcia was just ‘pretty.’ Our Ivlea is so beautiful it’ll make your eyes pop out. Don’t compare them. It’s insulting.”
The heir of House Kallin really had no sense. No sense at all. With that, the Duke shot Francis one last disappointed look and left.
Left alone, Francis sighed in disbelief.
“That Calypso Aedas, huh…”
He snorted once and went his own way.
Sorry, but his father’s plan was bound to fail.
A complete failure.
Inside the carriage, a heavy silence lingered.
Ivlea sat neatly with her hands folded on her lap, quietly glancing at the man across from her.
Calypso sat with his legs crossed and arms folded, eyes closed.
‘So that’s why that man came to our house.’
She had no idea her father was considering him as a son-in-law. Ivlea found the thought ridiculous.
At first, she hadn’t realized it. She just thought they had business to discuss. But seeing her father carefully “presenting” her in front of the Grand Duke earlier, she had slowly begun to realize the truth.
Her father was trying to attach her to Calypso Aedas.
Objectively speaking, she wasn’t a bad match compared to Calypso Aedas. So in a normal sense, this might have worked out as her father wished.
But what was “normal” in this world was very different from what her father considered normal.
‘There’s no way anything could happen between us…’
But she couldn’t finish her thought.
Calypso had turned his head and was now staring directly at her.
Startled, Ivlea froze.
“Princess, what business do you have at the temple?”
“Eh? Me?”
Her voice cracked slightly. She had assumed he was asleep since his eyes were closed, so suddenly being spoken to while he was staring at her made her flustered.
“Is there another princess here besides you?”
Calypso tilted his head slightly, as if asking something obvious.
“N-no. Ahem. Yes, just me.”
Ivlea quickly cleared her throat and gathered herself.
“Well… I’m going to the temple because…”
She hesitated.
She couldn’t exactly say she was running away from her father to avoid getting scolded.
‘If I say that, it’ll be a disgrace to the family.’
Her father had already been trying to dress things up as “aftereffects” and whatnot. If she said she was fleeing punishment, it would be like admitting he was lying.
She quickly thought of an excuse.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to think long.
“As you know, I just woke up after five years. So I thought I’d offer prayers of gratitude to God, and also pray for good fortune in the future. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
“I see.”
Calypso nodded slightly, as if accepting it.
“Yes.”
Ivlea replied primly. Then silence returned to the carriage.
Unlike before, Calypso rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window.
‘How predictable.’
He let out a cold internal scoff.
The reason Ivlea Kallin boarded this carriage was exactly as he had expected. No—more precisely, it was her indifference that irritated him.
His nephew was currently on the verge of death, and people were going to the temple as if grasping at straws. Yet here was a woman who had just recovered from death herself, casually going to give thanks and pray for blessings, riding in his carriage as if it were nothing.
Her attitude made his already poor mood even worse.
The carriage was nearing the temple. Calypso’s eyes grew colder as he looked outside.
“Ah—no! No! I take it back!”
A sudden urgent voice rang out.
Calypso lifted his hand from his chin and looked at her.
“I take it back! What I said earlier about going to the temple to give thanks for waking up after five years—that was a lie!”
Ivlea shouted in a rush.
“A lie?”
Calypso frowned at the sudden change.
“What do you mean, Princess Kallin?”
“It’s actually… I made a mistake earlier in the office. I was afraid I’d get scolded by my father if you came to our house, so I lied about going to the temple and followed you in this carriage.”
Ivlea closed her eyes tightly once before confessing.
In truth, her sudden change of heart had nothing to do with honor or family pride.
It was money.
At first, she had only been focused on avoiding punishment. But as they got closer to the temple, she suddenly remembered something she had forgotten.
You had to pay an entrance offering at the temple.
Unfortunately, Ivlea currently had no money on her at all. She had been whisked out so suddenly that she hadn’t brought any funds. And what good was being a noble if you didn’t have money in hand?
‘Who would’ve thought I’d be going out like this?’
But no matter the circumstances, she couldn’t explain it like that at the temple. People struggling financially still managed to offer something somehow—so a noble of House Kallin showing up without a single coin would immediately spark rumors.
And temple priests were notoriously loose-lipped.
‘Those priests can’t keep their mouths shut!’
So she had to choose: humiliation in front of one person, or humiliation in front of many.
And she had chosen the lesser evil.
“So what you’re saying is…”
Calypso’s face clearly showed disbelief.
