IRER 75

Chapter 75 

 The Deferred Ending

“What on earth is the Chief of Staff thinking?”

“…….”

Brody laid Caleb down on the bed, covered her with the blanket, and adjusted her pillow, speaking gently as she did so.

Caleb, perhaps feeling it was awkward to speak while lying down, sat up, saying she felt fine.

“In any case, I ended up having a hard time all because of me.”

Brody said this with a look of apology. River had needlessly teased Caleb, making her worry about being punished or not, and Brody had let that anxiety run its course.

To think she acted as if she were going to give a severe punishment without actually intending to—it was the kind of manipulation only a skilled strategist could pull off.

Fuming slightly, Brody moved with even more vigor. It was better to expend her energy moving than to sit idly.

The table was full of dried herbs. While tending to Caleb, Brody had been preparing various necessary medicines beside her.

Though her movements seemed brisk, they had a leisurely quality; they looked casual, but her fingers were precise.

Caleb quietly watched her flowing motions and finally responded.

“No, ma’am. It’s probably thanks to your defense that my punishment was light. Otherwise, how could I have ever expected any favor?”

“That’s right—the lady in question is ‘that head maid Caleb,’ after all. Ah!”

Brody exclaimed, as if she had suddenly realized something, nodding as she continued.

“I see. So, because she’s a capable person, the lady must have orchestrated this to put her to use.”

How many different schemes had she been considering at once? Brody felt her irritation rise again and ground the herbs with more intensity.

The grinding sound of the herbs filled the room.

Caleb looked at Brody with worried eyes and asked,

“Are you alright, ma’am? Even with me as a maid?”

Brody raised her eyebrows, as if to say, Is that even a question?

“It’s my honor. Is there a lady in the capital who doesn’t know Head Maid Caleb?”

“That’s flattering.”

“Not flattering. I was in the same household, after all. Everyone knew your skills.”

“…….”

Caleb reflected silently as she observed Brody’s precise, confident movements.

Was this the same woman she had known before?

She recalled Brody during their time in the Duke’s household.

Before Jacks McCarthy became a Duke, a maid had been unjustly punished by him.

Brody timidly defended the maid and ended up receiving a few lashes herself, being told not to interfere and sent back to her room.

The maid ended up receiving even harsher punishment because of Brody’s involvement.

That night, Brody visited the maid to treat her injuries. Even as the maid scolded her for causing more suffering, Brody treated her thoroughly and left with a guilty expression.

She couldn’t even manage her own situation, yet her heart was warm—such a naive young lady.

That had been Caleb’s impression of Brody back then.

Since they rarely met afterward, the memory had long been buried in her mind.

That young lady… is the same madam now?

Caleb blinked as she looked at Brody, who now seemed like a completely different person.

Could she still be the same—warmhearted but unable to handle her own circumstances?

Caleb sighed unconsciously.

“You went too far, ma’am.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“What if suspicion had fallen on you too?”

Brody slowed her grinding slightly, replying nonchalantly.

“Ah. Neither of us would have done that. I only acted because I thought I could—it’s nothing to worry about.”

“…….”

Caleb shook her head internally.

As expected. She might seem more confident now, but deep down, she hadn’t changed.

How could someone so innocent and weak survive the harsh North?

Caleb spoke again, her voice calm but serious.

“Why do you trust me?”

Her tone felt like a reproach, causing Brody to stop her hand and glance at Caleb with mild curiosity.

When she looked at her, Caleb continued,

“As the Chief of Staff said, why trust me? What do you really know about me? We were in the same household, but we weren’t close enough to share trust. Reputation is often just a surface thing. You don’t truly know me.”

Brody had no answer—she couldn’t respond.

Caleb was right. Without having read the novel, she wouldn’t have trusted Caleb. She had no reason to.

But ‘I know her from the story’—this alone couldn’t be explained.

“Would it count if I said I felt a bond because of shared struggles?”

“That’s the reason for goodwill, not for trust.”

“Goodwill is the starting point of trust.”

Brody exhaled, displeased with Caleb’s response.

After a pause, she smiled gently again, speaking more quietly and carefully.

“Fine. I don’t have a reason to trust you either. So I’ll just make one.”

“Make a reason to trust?”

“Yes. A very traditional one. I treated you. I defended you. You owe me a favor—would you betray me?”

“So if I say I won’t betray you, that’s enough to make you trust me?”

“Of course, that’s not all. What I’m about to propose is ongoing, and it should give you plenty of reason to trust me.”

Caleb looked confused.

Brody took a breath and spoke in a lower, more careful voice.

“I’ll find your daughter for you.”

“……!”

Caleb’s eyes widened. Her breathing became shallow, unlike the composed, calm woman from moments ago.

She gripped the blanket with trembling hands and rose slightly, almost crawling toward Brody as her voice cracked,

“My daughter… my daughter!”

“Calm down, ma’am. I waited to speak until you were composed. If you get too agitated, I’ll give you a sedative and put you back to sleep. Do you understand?”

Caleb, trembling and fidgeting, was finally able to regain some control.

Brody, satisfied that her mental state had improved, nodded.

Caleb sat neatly at the edge of the bed, facing Brody.

Though her hands still gripped the sheet tightly, white at the fingertips, at least they could have a conversation.

Brody began to explain, prompted by Caleb’s anxious gaze.

“How did I, a servant of the Duke’s household, come to be in the North?”

Caleb’s lips began to tremble.

“Y-you’re saying… you’re a spy?”

“Hmm, ma’am. I’m not the Duke’s young lady anymore. Please call me ‘madam’ again.”

Caleb nodded repeatedly, having slipped into the old habit of calling her the gentle young lady from the Duke’s house.

But Caleb no longer perceived Brody as that weak young lady.

“And I’m not a spy either.”

Caleb let out a relieved sigh. She had become anxious after hearing about her daughter.

Brody smiled bitterly in her mind. If she had truly been a spy, what would Caleb have done?

Brody had been trained as a spy when she originally infiltrated the North as a prisoner to assassinate the Northern Duke—but that was the original Brody. Now, she still carried those memories.

Brody spoke quietly, brushing her lips with her index finger.

“I know their routes. Quite a lot of information.”

“You… you mean you can access the Empire’s intelligence network?”

“I’ll do it subtly, without leaving a trace.”

“Ah……”

Caleb covered her face with her hands. Overwhelmed, she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

Brody, crossing her arms, tapped her own arm lightly, then spoke firmly.

“This is top secret, ma’am. The Emperor knows, but… if I approach the Empire directly, you wouldn’t be happy. You understand what I mean, right?”

Caleb lowered her hands, meeting Brody’s gaze. Tears streamed down, but her eyes were resolute.

“Yes… yes, I understand, ma’am. I’ll keep this secret. Otherwise, I won’t find my daughter. I will absolutely, absolutely keep it secret.”

Brody nodded.

“Good. Then it’s settled, right?”

“Yes?”

“I mean, can I trust you now?”

Brody handed her a handkerchief.

Caleb, hearing her words, tried to smile but instead buried her face in the handkerchief and cried uncontrollably.

Though she spoke cheerfully, seeing Caleb like this pained Brody.

In Brody’s memories, Caleb had always been elegant, like any noblewoman. She served the Duchess and had been a famed head maid. ‘Head Maid Caleb’ had been a source of pride for the Duke’s family, so the Duchess took special care of her appearance.

But now? Her face was sharp and gaunt with suffering. Her hands rough, bones protruding. Even having read it in the novel, it was hard to imagine the hardships she endured.

“W-will I… be able to meet my daughter? Will she… be safe?”

Caleb asked in a trembling voice. She wasn’t asking for an answer; she had asked herself this countless times over the years.

Is my daughter safe? How is she doing? Is she even alive…?

Normally, one couldn’t hope recklessly, but Brody could answer. In the original story, the two had been reunited by the Princess. Brody even knew where to find her daughter.

There was no need to use the Empire’s network—once the time was right, she could bring her daughter back.

Brody cautiously embraced her shoulders.

“You’ll be able to see her.”

At Brody’s calm words, Caleb’s pupils trembled. How could one dare speak of hope? Her gaze seemed to ask.

Caleb hesitated in the face of hope. She wanted her daughter alive, but if she were dead, could she endure life beyond the hope she dared to grasp?

Reading her mind, Brody tightened her hold.

“And even if that’s not the case…”

Even if that’s not the case…? Does she mean if my daughter has died?

Brody bit and released her lips, finishing what she had to say despite the difficulty.

“You won’t know until you find out. So be strong.”

“…….”

A single tear fell from Caleb’s blinking eye.

Yes. What she must accept—hope or despair.

Caleb needed that now.

A still-deferred ending.

It needn’t be despair, nor a guaranteed hope.

But to learn the ending, she had to survive.

Fighting to accept the outcome—just that process—would keep her alive.

Caleb bit her lips until they turned white.

In her eyes now shone both pain and determination.

Brody nodded firmly, as if agreeing with that resolve.