IDGM 57

Chapter 57

At first, I waited for Callius, wondering whether all the things Lamia had told me were even plausible.

At that time, I only felt embarrassed and awkward.

“Could something like that really happen?”

I couldn’t believe it.

If the first night was truly like that, I wanted to postpone it a little.

But as time went on and Callius did not return until late, my mind wandered, recalling the first night I had experienced with Viscount Pelsus in the past.

It was nothing but a horrific memory.

A shiver ran through me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Painful memories tend to linger stronger and clearer than pleasant ones, tormenting a person.

“What if Callius acts like Viscount Pelsus?”

The fear that had already taken hold of me amplified my negative thoughts.

“What if Callius realizes I’m inexperienced and suddenly changes? What if he gets angry because I don’t know anything about what to do in bed?”

The longer I waited, the more “what if” scenarios spiraled into one another, fueling every possible bad thought.

Meanwhile, Callius still hadn’t appeared.

I began to feel something was wrong.

“Why isn’t he coming? Without any message. He must know that tonight is supposed to be our first night together.”

I hadn’t desperately hoped for Callius to arrive, but I never imagined he wouldn’t show up on our first night without saying a word.

Even though the fireplace blazed, I felt cold and pulled the blanket up to my neck.

The chill that tormented me last night had returned.

Alone, I struggled against the cold, fear, and anxiety, completely losing my composure.

Eventually, I became so absorbed in negative and extreme thoughts that I even felt a psychological distance from Callius.

As the night deepened, the feeling only grew stronger.

“He doesn’t respect me either. If he doesn’t come into the bedroom on our first night together, the servants will gossip about it all over again.”

Since all the Ronheimers were on Callius’s side, they would likely assume I had done something terrible to make him leave me alone.

“I thought we had grown close, but we were just a strict business relationship.”

Then I considered that perhaps he was avoiding me, which might be why he hadn’t come to the room.

“Did I do something terribly wrong? Did I offend him? Maybe he’s angry that I sent someone to collect Vermis mushrooms without consulting him? Did I do something I shouldn’t have?”

The deeper I sank into despair, the more extreme my thoughts became.

I became hopelessly despondent.

Fear bred anxiety, and anxiety bred self-loathing.

Rational thinking is only possible when the mind is strong.

Even while objectively recognizing that my mind wasn’t strong enough and that I was trapped in endless worries, I couldn’t break free from my negative thoughts, and it tormented me.

“Ah, why am I like this? I could just ignore it, or think I’ve claimed the bed comfortably. Why can’t I do that?”

I curled up sideways, hugging my knees and burrowing deeper into the blanket.

What I felt most now was intense loneliness.

“I wish someone were here beside me.”

I needed someone who could understand and comfort me without words, someone to reassure me so I wouldn’t feel anxious.

I shivered under the blanket for a long time.

Then, someone called my name in a small voice, and I startled, throwing the blanket aside.

“Chloe!”

“W-Who…?”

I noticed the door to my room slightly ajar.

Through the narrow gap, I saw a familiar, welcoming face.

“Cal!”

I couldn’t believe it.

It was truly Callius.

He had really come all the way to Ronheim to follow me.

I quickly got up and left the shared bedroom.

Callius greeted me with a wide smile.

“See? I got here faster than you thought, right? Did you wait for me long?”

Astounded that Callius had appeared as if by magic, I rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

Snow had melted into droplets on his head and shoulders, and his small body was freezing.

“Oh my, you really came! You actually came!”

“I left you a note saying I would follow you. Didn’t you see it?”

“I saw it! But the path looked so difficult, I was worried you couldn’t make it alone. I thought you might give up along the way…”

Callius smiled confidently, standing on tiptoe to gently stroke my hair.

“You fool, I promised. Have you ever seen me break a promise?”

I hugged his small frame and burst into tears.

My one and only Callius.

The fact that we were together again brought me immense relief.

Callius came out of the hall the next day around noon.

Since all the windows in the hall were covered with thick curtains, he hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Hearing the time from Mainz, he was shocked.

“I was in the hall for that long?”

Just as much as I worried about Chloe, he was eager to find the records showing that my mother had lifted the curse.

He frantically searched every record in the hall, which was why so much time had passed.

“Did you find the records?”

Mainz asked, and Callius shook his head heavily.

“There were no records about the curse anywhere.”

“Don’t worry too much. There are many places that hold records about the saint besides this hall.”

Mainz tried to comfort him.

Callius, however, raised an eyebrow in surprise at the barely concealed joy on Mainz’s face.

“That doesn’t look like the expression of someone offering comfort. Something good must have happened, Mainz.”

“I apologize… I was being reckless,” Mainz said, bowing slightly in embarrassment.

Callius had left the hall with no results, burdened with worry, and yet Mainz couldn’t hide his happiness.

But how could one help it if they were pleased?

Mainz couldn’t contain a smile despite feeling guilty.

“What happened, Mainz?”

“Well, my lady ordered something incredible yesterday!”

“Incredible?”

Mainz carefully took the Vermis mushrooms he had wrapped in a handkerchief from his pocket and showed them to Callius.

“What is this?”

“These are called Vermis mushrooms.”

Mainz explained in detail what Chloe had instructed him to do the previous day.

“…So I thought we had nothing to lose, and sent herb collectors to find these, and wouldn’t you know it—they actually found Vermis mushrooms!”

In truth, Mainz had never fully believed Chloe.

After all, in over sixty years living in Ronheim, he had never seen a Vermis mushroom.

Mainz was knowledgeable about herbs.

Under his father’s teaching as an assassin, he had studied poisons and herbs with Granada extensively from a very young age.

Even if Vermis mushrooms existed, he was sure they couldn’t be found in Ronheim.

Yet the herb collectors had searched the terrain Chloe had described and actually brought back Vermis mushrooms.

And quite a lot of them.

“According to my lady, these are so rare in the south that they sell for one gold coin each.”

“Really?”

Mainz’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes! My lady said we could sell them to solve Ronheim’s food shortage! When I told her we had gathered so many, she told me to report it to you immediately.”

Chloe wasn’t pursuing personal gain—she wanted to solve Ronheim’s food problem.

Callius was astonished at the unexpected news.

How had Chloe, who had been in Ronheim for so little time, come up with such a plan?

Even more surprising considering how harshly the Ronheimers treated her.

“I didn’t realize my lady cared so much about Ronheim’s welfare.”

Mainz spoke excitedly, almost spitting as he described it as if ready to dance.

“With this amount, all the people of Ronheim’s lands will have more than enough food to last the winter! This winter, no one will starve!”

Winters in Ronheim were harsh, even in summer, snowstorms often struck at dawn.

Most animals hibernated, making hunting difficult.

There were always people who died of hunger during Ronheim’s winters.

Callius rejoiced with Mainz and asked about Chloe’s whereabouts.

“Where is my lady now?”

Then he suddenly remembered that last night the servants had likely cleaned the Marquess’s wife’s room, so Chloe might have changed rooms. He asked urgently:

“Has my lady moved to her room?”

“Yes, she slept in the shared bedroom last night.”

“Oh my.”

Callius pressed his hand to his forehead.

“She wouldn’t have entered without notice, so she’ll probably misunderstand and think I didn’t come intentionally.”