TFLMLD 79

Chapter 79

The Man Who Came Looking for Calypse

After finishing business for the afternoon, I held the usual meeting with the Merchen Trading Company. The collaboration we had achieved with them over the past few months was remarkable. The “Bad Boy” changer, which we produced targeting young men in their 20s, became a huge hit. Mass production and distribution to the Kingdom of Quinzlet had been successfully completed, creating a sensation.

When I received the first profit distribution, I was utterly shocked. To suddenly hold in my hands such a vast amount of wealth—something I thought I would never have in this lifetime—moved me deeply. Being able to focus my entire mind and energy on work was a tremendous blessing. But even so, the emptiness and loneliness that occasionally washed over me never disappeared.

Not being able to reach the children and Macaron, who had once been my everything, made life feel aimless at times. When I struggled while trying hard to turn away from them, Madam Marie advised me that in times like these, the best way was to face it head-on. With her drive, she even subscribed for me to Romanty News, a paper specializing only in imperial affairs. Thanks to that, I was able to see news of Macaron and the children every week.

At first, it was painful, but over time, I grew somewhat numb to it. Just as Madam Marie had said, facing it directly had been a fairly good choice. Today again, I unfolded the neatly tucked newspaper from under the table. Seeing the children’s pictures as they grew day by day filled me with pride and at the same time made my chest ache.

Coral’s name appeared once again, proudly listed as the youngest scholarship student.

“Mom is living well.”
“You’re doing okay too, right?”

At least the fact that the children were smiling on the page was some comfort. Their frequent appearances with Macaron, much more than I expected, felt like gifts being sent to me. Sometimes, even through words in interviews, I could sense that he was thinking of me.

“When do you plan to fill the Empress’s seat?”
“I have no plans—until I find the woman I love.”

There should have been direct references to me, but there were none. The moment my name was exposed to the media, countless inconveniences would follow, and so he had tried to protect me thoroughly. I knew very well that even now he was being considerate of me. And yet, I could fully feel his heart wanting to send me news.

Being able to hear how they were, even from afar, was a great blessing. All the emptiness and sense of betrayal he must have felt had originated from me, and yet he still thought of me to the very end. And for such a man, all I could do was keep myself hidden away.

At that time, in the imperial palace, the ceremony for the appointment of the princess and prince was taking place. The grand carriages and parade, created under Macaron’s direction, were the grandest in history. Magicians were mobilized to cover the snowless winter with white blossoms of snowflakes.

At the center stood Coral in a white dress, like an ice princess, drawing gasps of admiration from all who saw her. But her face remained dark. Throughout the parade, Coral forced a smile only when her eyes met Macaron’s.

The ceremony proceeded toward the Prince’s Palace, where Kai, in a neat suit, stood atop the carriage. His eyes never left Coral, and he quickly noticed the darkness in her expression.

“Mom, when will she come back? I wish she came today.”

Coral still didn’t know their mother had left. Looking at Coral’s small back, Kai couldn’t bring himself to say the usual words—that their mother would soon return. With time, Kai had grown scared too. What if they never saw her again? That fear grew more and more certain in his mind with each passing day.

But when Coral’s eyes met his, Kai forced a smile to reassure her.

“Just a few more nights of sleep, and she’ll be back.”

“…Really?”

“She said if Coral stays well with me and Dad, she’ll come back soon.”

“But Coral never heard her say that.”

“That’s because… Coral’s still too young.”

Coral tapped the ground with her shoes before lifting her gloomy face.

“If Coral had behaved better, Mom wouldn’t have left, right?”

“What are you saying? Mom didn’t leave—she just went to work.”

“But Coral wrote her a letter. Why didn’t she answer?”

“That’s because she’s busy. If you have something to tell her, just tell me. I’ll pass it on.”

Kai swallowed a bitter laugh. In truth, he sometimes thought their mother left because of him. That thought had turned his dreams into nightmares, leaving him waking up drenched in sweat. Since their mother left, all the wrongs he had done to her kept surfacing, making him spend many nights crying.

Trying to make her separate from their father. Acting cold and indifferent whenever she approached. Doing only the things she hated. And then—the contract marriage papers.

If only he could turn back time. If only he had told her not to go when he saw those papers—

Then Mom wouldn’t have left…

He knew their father was searching for her, but Kai grew more dejected. If she hadn’t been found by now, then surely she had hidden herself away somewhere no one could reach.

When the parade began, Kai too scanned the crowds with a faint hope—wondering if maybe their mother was watching from afar. Macaron, leading the parade, did the same, but there was no trace of Calypse anywhere.

“Please tell Mom for me, Brother.”

Kai gave Coral his usual gentle, snow-white smile.

“What should I tell her?”

When his tender voice reached her, Coral lowered her sad eyes and leaned against Kai’s shoulder.

“Tell her Coral misses her very much.”

“…”

“Tell her she has to come back soon.”

“…”

“Please tell her that, Brother.”

Kai held her small hand and nodded silently.

“I’ll make sure to tell her.”

Watching the children, crimson eyes narrowed their steps to match the carriage and parade. At the mention of Calypse, Macaron’s face grew heavier with sorrow. As the parade neared its end, a single tear slid down from his eye.

Another season came around—spring.

Though I had made several attempts at the Magic Tower, the barrier work had failed again and again. I was restless, wondering whether I should change locations or abandon the business altogether. The garden, unaware of my troubled heart, bloomed with flowers, and the gentle wind wrapped me warmly.

And then, today, a strange guest came to the shop.

“I’ve come to see Madam Calypse Fatuang. May I meet her?”

Without warning, he pushed the door open and asked for me. At first, I thought he was someone sent from the palace, and my heart sank. But from his clothing and behavior, he didn’t seem like one.

Sunlight scattered across his dazzling platinum hair, his emerald eyes glowing like the sea. At a glance, he looked a few years younger than me. His boyish appearance gave off a cute impression, and his puppy-like curved eyes never left me.

This man with an air of mystery—I had never seen him before.

He doesn’t seem to be sent by Macaron, and I’ve never seen him. Then how does he know my name?

As these thoughts ran through me, I looked up and met his gaze directly. Flustered, I dropped the glass frame I was holding. Just before it could shatter, the frame floated in the air, and the photo slipped out.

When I turned my head, he was already holding the photo skillfully, drawing it toward himself.

A magician…?

My eyes widened as countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

What is a magician doing in a makeup shop? At the Tower, they wouldn’t even let me set foot near them.
So why come here now, out of the blue, looking for me?

Given my experiences at the Tower, I didn’t like his behavior. I was about to drive him out when he fixed his gaze on me and murmured as though enchanted:

“I can’t believe such a beautiful star has fallen into the Empire.”

What? Was he… talking about me? It sounded like some old-fashioned pickup line, and I hoped it wasn’t. But our shop certainly didn’t sell stars or anything like that.

As I hesitated, my eyes drifted naturally to the photo in his hand. It was of me, Macaron, Kai, and Coral. His gaze was particularly sharp as he stared at one figure.

“This person is…”

His emerald eyes stopped on Macaron.

Does he know Macaron?

That reaction only deepened my anxiety. I reached out to snatch the photo back, and he, looking caught off guard, obediently handed it over. Even after surrendering it, he kept sneaking glances at the photo, clearly still interested. Only after I flipped it face-down did his eyes return to me.

“I apologize.”

His tone was polite, but it carried the unmistakable cadence of nobility.

Is he someone of high rank?

Magical talent appeared rarely and without regard to social status. Still, magicians who entered the Tower could sometimes achieve great merit and rise from low birth to nobility. But that applied only to the rarest, highest-level magicians.

His status aside, what mattered now was why he knew of me and had come here. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to know who Calypse truly was. I decided to feign ignorance.

“Madam Calypse Fatuang isn’t here. Why are you looking for her?”

Despite my sharp tone, he didn’t flinch—just stared at me as if entranced. Was something on my face? He finally opened his mouth, half a beat too late.

“I’ve come to purchase magic stones.”

Magic stones? I knew well that magicians needed large quantities of them. But why come here to buy them?

If he’s from the Tower, shouldn’t the Tower Master handle the supply?

Besides, there were plenty of other suppliers besides us. From the looks of him, he must be a magician from the Southern Tower—but they already had their own magic stone providers.

And above all… wasn’t I the only one who knew that high-quality magic stones were buried in Velica?

“Are you a magician?”

“Yes. I came from the Southern Tower.”

“Then why are you looking for magic stones here?”

“I heard the owner here purchased Mount Velica.”

“And why do you need Velica’s stones specifically?”

At that moment, his eyes lit up, as though realizing something.

“Are you, perhaps… Calypse Fatuang?”