~CHAPTER 33~
* * *
After the heated chatter of women, Gigi and Maina stepped out of the restaurant side by side.
As soon as they came out, the lights of the signboard went out.
“Oh? Thatās my carriage!”
Gigi laughed, reeking of alcohol.
“Goodbye, Lady Beririch!”
“Maina too, ta-da!”
Gigi slapped Mainaās arm playfully.
“Lady, I told you to call me by my name!”
Maina lowered her head slightly and smiled.
“Iām not good at speaking casually.”
“Huh? Whatās so hard about it?”
“Next time, Iāll definitely call you Gigi.”
Gigi hugged Maina tightly.
“Iām so happy to have a friend as beautiful, kind, and smart as Maina!”
“Iām glad to be closer to you too, Lady.”
“See you again soon, okay?”
Gigi was helped into the carriage by a secretary.
She poked her head out of the window and waved both arms.
“Mainaaaāgoodbyeeeā!”
Maina waved both hands at her.
Watching Gigiās carriage fade away, Maina thought:
‘Why is the carriage wobbling like that?’
Looking down, the street itself seemed a bit strange.
‘Why is the ground shaking?’
Meanwhile, a servant of the Duke Showbottom sitting by the fountain bench frowned.
“How much did that woman drink to stagger like that?”
“Huh? Isnāt she Lord Lennoxās aide?”
“Really?”
The servant narrowed his eyes.
“Lord Lennox is coming!”
“Itās true!”
As if on cue, Caliph strode toward the fountain with his long legs.
“ā¦ā¦”
“ā¦ā¦”
The two exchanged glances, then simultaneously hid behind a large tree bench.
Caliph soon spotted Maina.
“Why are you telling people to come and go?”
Maina, lingering near the fountain, looked up.
“Youāre hereā¦”
Caliph paused, seeing Maina casually acknowledge him.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes dreamy and unfocused.
The scent of fermented red wine mixed with her breath.
She looked unmistakably drunk.
“How much did you drink?”
“Just a little.”
“A little? Thatās nothing.”
“Lady Beririch kept insisting, so I couldnāt refuse.”
Maina carefully enunciated each word, struggling not to slur.
Caliph looked at her skeptically.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You suddenly meet someone, then drink alcohol.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Are you in your adolescence?”
Maina smiled silently at Caliphās subtle sarcasm.
Seeing her like that, Caliph felt a quiet irritation rise.
Some peopleās emotions fluctuate dozens of times a day, yet here she was, calmly dining out and drinking.
For the past seven years, Maina had hardly had any private meetings.
So recently, she had definitely changed.
“Why did you call me out at this hour?”
Caliph got straight to the point.
“A kiss of love?”
“ā¦ā¦”
She tried to act brave for no reason.
A pathetic struggle to deny the gut feeling that their relationship might be ending.
“Loveā¦?”
Maina murmured blankly.
A word that had never appeared between them after marriage.
For a moment, piercing pain cut through the dreamy intoxication.
‘Pull yourself together.’
Maina, still under the influence of alcohol, straightened her back deliberately.
Then she rummaged through the pocket of her dress.
“Here.”
She extended her hand carefully, pronouncing each word clearly.
Caliph looked down.
“What is it?”
“A resignation letter.”
Caliphās facial features stiffened.
“Youā¦”
“ā¦ā¦”
“You insist.”
“ā¦ā¦”
They exchanged a look that carried an unclear meaning.
“Take it back.”
Caliph ordered firmly.
“I have no intention of accepting it.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“You will continue to work with me.”
Maina shook her head.
“Iād rather tap dance with monsters in a dungeon than keep working with you.”
“?”
Caliphās frozen expression was overlaid with a question mark.
She was serious, with no hint of playfulness, despite the ridiculousness of her statement.
“Do you even know what kind of place a dungeon is?”
Caliph furrowed his brow.
“Of course I do. If youāre not careful for even a second, youāll lose your head. You said so yourself, Caliph.”
“Does drinking make you rougher?”
Caliph chuckled wryly.
Maina closed her lips, sensing the subtle mix of reproach and teasing in his eyes.
For a moment, a sad light flickered across her downward gaze.
“I know what a dungeon is. I know about monsters and beasts too.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Knowing too much was the problem, I guess.”
Maina looked up at Caliph.
“I knew how hard and dangerous it was, so you got involved before I did.”
Caliph felt a burning blockage in his throat.
He couldnāt say a word; he could barely breathe.
All he could do was clench the envelope of her resignation letter tightly.
Maina glanced briefly at the fountain and then back at him.
“Lady Beririchās mother said that having even one person who understands you is enough to live in this world.”
Maina smiled sadly.
“Now I also need someone who understands me.”
“ā¦ā¦”
So that person is me.
Caliph wanted to grab her shoulders and shout.
They had spent seven years together.
Who else in this world knew her better than he did?
“Iāll go in first.”
Maina said.
Since submitting her resignation, she had been riding the carriage given by Banze.
“By the way.”
Maina turned halfway back.
“I heard you visited the Marquess Beririchās residence and asked whether hiring lawyers from noble families would guarantee a lawsuit victory.”
Caliph neither confirmed nor denied.
Maina continued as if she didnāt need his answer.
“Whatever the case is, try not to rely on outside help for matters related to lawsuits.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Itās a sensitive matter. Of course, I donāt think Marquess Beririch would reveal the details.”
“ā¦ā¦”
“Do you understand what I mean?”
With her naturally clever face, Maina walked away without waiting for Caliphās answer.
Caliph crushed the envelope in his hand.
He knew tearing or burning it wouldnāt change her mind.
The truth weighed heavily on his chest.
* * *
A week flew by in the two-week grace period.
Caliph maintained his usual schedule, and so did Maina.
Everyone around them carried out their work as usual.
Only the two of them had changed.
The commutes they shared, the company dinners Caliph enjoyed and Maina endured, the disgusting health juiceāall vanished like a lie.
Yet they still lived in the same house.
Sometimes they ate breakfast together; when there was nothing urgent, they even had dinner together.
Maina was almost always in front of him.
She managed her own schedule and handled guild duties, big and small.
They ate together, drank tea together, sometimes strolled in the garden with the staff.
She was within armās reach.
But Caliph could sense that her heart was drifting away.
Each day felt like it was burning him from the inside.
He hoped her smile might change her mind; on the way home alone, it felt like she had already left him.
Even now.
“Beautifulā¦”
Caliph couldnāt bring himself to look at Mainaās side profile by the shining monastery lake.
He feared her face might already reflect that she had settled everything.
“This lake is beautiful every time I see it, right? If I ever leave Lennox Castle, I think this view will be what I miss the most.”
“Huh? Why would the aide leave Lennox Castle?”
Hoji asked innocently.
“I said ‘if ever’, didnāt I?”
Maina smiled kindly.
Right. Why leave?
Caliph wanted to ask, but he couldnāt.
He still didnāt understand why she would want to leave.
If he ever realized the reason, he thought he wouldnāt be able to endure it.
Caliph turned silently.
“Shall we go inside?”
Mainaās voice came from behind, but he didnāt answer.
Marriage? Maybe since the work contract?