Chapter 43

Enria’s mouth dropped open at Caldeon’s casual mention of killing his old friend, whom he trusted with important matters.

Since the words coming out of this man’s mouth were usually serious, it was not something to just laugh off.

“Why on earth would you go so far as to kill him?”

“I will kill him if you continue to take an interest in that fellow.”

“I keep telling you I’m not!”

“If you show even the slightest interest in that fellow…”

“I said Rose likes him! And I’m friends with Rose!”

Enria’s face twisted in annoyance because of Caldeon, who was suddenly on high alert as if she might hit it off with Tearen.

It seemed he lacked the common sense to realize that no matter how handsome someone was, people generally didn’t develop feelings for their friend’s crush.

Especially since he was already determined to kill Tearen, whom she had only met once and was only curious about because her friend Roseanne had a crush on him.

“I don’t know when exactly he seduced Lady Kaznaren, but that fellow will probably be killed by Rahar.”

“I’m curious why Rahar would try to kill Lord Tearen when it’s perfectly natural for two consenting adults to date if they like each other.”

“Why? Because that fellow…”

Caldeon, who had spoken as if it were obvious, paused and stared at Hayden, who was in her arms and looking up at him.

Come to think of it, Tearen hadn’t done anything explicitly wrong, so Rahar had no clear grounds to kill him.

Killing Tearen simply because his sister liked him didn’t make sense in many ways.

Caldeon himself couldn’t clearly explain why he had such thoughts.

While he was lost in thought, unable to finish his sentence, Enria rubbed her lips against the forehead of Hayden, who was hugging her and playing with her necklace.

Caldeon looked at Enria and said, “That fellow is quite popular with women.”

“I’ve heard that. But that’s not a reason for Rahar to kill Lord Tearen just because Rose likes him.”

“Men who attract many women all have their reasons.”

“If we follow that logic, Lord Caldeon, you are the one who attracts many women, aren’t you?”

Enria let out a hollow laugh, and Caldeon retorted with a serious face that he was completely blameless.

“You are the only woman I’ve ever had. And you will, of course, be the only one in the future. Are you doubting my pure heart…”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m saying that it might just be the women showing interest in Lord Tearen, not that Lord Tearen is meeting this woman and that woman.”

“He does. Countless times.”

“I heard he doesn’t reject women who come to him but doesn’t chase after those who leave. But he’s not a playboy who dates many women at once.”

Enria had definitely heard that Tearen was the type who pursued relatively clean relationships, dealing with one person at a time.

Caldeon scoffed at Enria’s words, muttering, “One person at a time, my foot.”

“Rose said he’s never cheated on anyone.”

“Do you know how many women surround that fellow at a Royal Palace ball or a place where many nobles gather? Married women, single women, even young ladies who aren’t adults yet…”

“Your situation, Lord Caldeon, is no different.”

Enria cut Caldeon off and crossed her arms, giving him a look that asked if he agreed.

She went on to say that Caldeon was also surrounded by women when he went to Royal Palace balls or places where nobles gathered, which flustered Caldeon.

“Come to think of it, Rahar also receives similar attention from young ladies, though not as many as Lord Caldeon, so I don’t know why you single out Lord Tearen.”

“…Well.”

“Anyway, you’re all in the same boat, and I don’t think it’s right to treat only Lord Tearen as a bad guy.”

“I blocked not only the women who left but also the women who came to me!”

“You inherently distrust humans, not just women, Lord Caldeon.”

Having nothing more to say to Enria’s remark, Caldeon remained silent for a moment, twitching his eyebrows in displeasure. He finally said that they should still be wary of Tearen.

“I keep telling you there’s no reason to be! Why would friends…”

“What if he decides to try and seduce you?”

“A woman with a child? Surely not.”

“He has high standards, just like me. He will definitely fall for you.”

A hollow laugh escaped her, as Caldeon spoke as if it were a certainty, though she felt it was completely unlikely.

In any case, since he was a man with a frighteningly intense possessiveness over what was his, she decided it would be best not to provoke him unnecessarily.

Especially regarding matters of the heart.

Enria let out a short sigh and assured him that she would never make eye contact, telling him to relax.

Consequently, when Rahar and Tearen arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle later, Enria did not look at Tearen’s eyes when he presented her with the illusion gem necklace for Hayden, instead bowing her head and offering her thanks.

Since she had told Roseanne beforehand, the only people puzzled by Enria’s behavior were Rahar and Tearen.

“Thank you. Hayden will be so happy.”

“I wanted to put it on him myself, but he’s asleep. I should have come earlier.”

“It’s just a short nap, he’ll wake up soon. When he wakes up, please put it on him yourself, Lord Tearen.”

Enria smiled and replied to Tearen’s words, and Tearen nodded and smiled at her.

“But… it seems like you’ve been deliberately avoiding my eyes since I arrived. Am I wrong?”

“Pardon? Ah…”

“Indeed. Enria, why aren’t you looking directly at Tearen?”

Rahar asked, tilting his head curiously, and Enria looked at him.

Rahar’s face immediately flushed red as Enria made eye contact with him right away.

Roseanne looked at Rahar with a disdainful expression, approached Enria, linked her arm through Enria’s, and said, “Why do you think? It’s because of that overly dramatic man over there.”

Her gaze was fixed on Caldeon, who was having a serious conversation with the spirits far away.

“Hmm? Caldeon?”

Tearen and Rahar simultaneously turned their heads and looked at Caldeon.

Caldeon, who had been discussing something seriously with Blizzan, turned his head toward them when he felt their gaze.

He quickly scanned Tearen and Rahar, then fixed his eyes on Enria before resuming his conversation with Blizzan.

“Why is that fellow the reason?”

Rahar asked, looking at Caldeon, and Roseanne let out a short sigh and said, “Enria was only allowed to invite Lord Tearen on the condition that she wouldn’t make eye contact with him.”

At that, Rahar’s eyes widened slightly in understanding, and Tearen, like Caldeon, twitched his perfectly sculpted eyebrows in disbelief.

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t get it. Why exactly am I banned from entering the Grand Duke’s castle?”

Tearen asked Rahar what he had done wrong, sounding wronged, and Rahar stared intently at Tearen’s face for a very brief moment, then clicked his tongue and said, “Your very existence is a mistake.”

***

Somehow, Caldeon’s spirits, Rahar’s spirits, Roseanne, and Tearen all ended up having dinner together.

It was originally a gathering to celebrate the completion of Hayden’s walking play floor, but it had turned into a full-fledged banquet.

This was partly because Hayden had fallen asleep right before Rahar and Tearen arrived at the castle, and also due to Roseanne’s suggestion to have a meal together since they had all gathered after a long time.

Of course, Enria, who was not supposed to make eye contact with Tearen throughout the meal, found it difficult to eat comfortably due to the awkwardness of having to manage her gaze.

“Enria, how is it living in the Grand Duke’s castle?”

Silri asked Enria as she sliced the meat on the plate in front of her.

“Oh, it’s good.”

When Enria replied with a smile, Silri asked if it was more comfortable here than in the Spirit Village.

“Well, they have such different vibes.”

“It would have been fun living in my house, too, though. Since that child’s father took you away…”

At the mention of ‘that child’s father’ from Silri, Caldeon, who was next to Enria, seemed to suddenly recall something and said, “It would be best not to use that damn magic that can’t be undone again.”

Silri, who correctly understood that he was referring to the magic that prevented them from telling who Hayden’s father was, curled one corner of her mouth into a crooked smile.

“Well, who told you not to recognize your own son?”

“It wasn’t a situation where I could think he was my son, so I couldn’t help it.”

“That also seems to be a problem.”

At Caldeon’s words, Silri put down her fork and knife used for cutting the meat and continued speaking toward him.

“You thought he was someone else’s child in the first place, which means you didn’t trust Enria, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“Whatever the case, if you had trusted her, you would have known he was your son the moment you saw Hayden.”

At Silri’s words, Caldeon’s face twisted in annoyance.

Roseanne, who was sitting next to the baby, insisting she wanted to be the one to feed Hayden, looked up at Silri.

The gazes of Rahar, Tearen, and all the spirits sitting at the table were also directed toward Silri.

“Especially since humans are creatures for whom trust is important, aren’t they? You said you love Enria, but you didn’t trust her.”

“It’s not that I didn’t trust her, but there was a reason…”

Unable to just listen, Enria stepped in and spoke to Silri.

“It was too obvious that a Saintess couldn’t have a child with Lord Caldeon, who possesses dark mana. It was natural for Lord Caldeon not to think of it at all.”

“Just because he couldn’t think of it, does that justify suspecting the child was someone else’s?”

Silri shrugged once at Enria’s words and added that he wasn’t sure.

At that, Enria’s expression stiffened slightly, and Caldeon looked at Silri with a chilling gaze and said, “I couldn’t help but think he belonged to another man if he wasn’t mine.”

“Exactly. That kind of thing means you didn’t trust her…”

“It wasn’t a matter of trust or distrust. At least not then.”

Caldeon’s gaze turned to Enria.

No matter how much he trusted his partner, after seeing her disappear with another man, and finding her over a year later raising a child he couldn’t possibly have with her, he couldn’t help but think that way.

Enria understood Caldeon, but she still felt a sense of disappointment about that part, and that disappointment subconsciously showed on her face.

Caldeon, noticing Enria’s expression, said to her, “Enria, I didn’t truly not trust you. It genuinely wasn’t about that issue…”

“Then what was the problem?”

Silri cut Caldeon off and asked with a slight scoff.

At that, Eva, who had been quietly sitting and eating, spoke calmly toward Silri.

“I saw it myself. Caldeon’s woman disappearing with another man.”