ODFEN 14

Chapter 14…

 Canceled. 

Calix ignored Yukar’s intense gaze and picked up the purple origami paper.

‘Hmm.’

It had been something Rubellin had given him, as if doing him a favor, worried that he might take her frog-colored paper. Where on earth did she get the idea that he would want something so trivial? Even after thinking about it again, it was utterly absurd—but even more absurd was Lucina. Hiding Rubellin behind her back while staying wary of him. No matter how he looked at it, the sight of a fragile human protecting a member of the imperial family—normally a figure to be feared—was unfamiliar.

Calix set the origami paper down and turned his gaze to the nearby heart-patterned blanket. He recalled Lucina trembling as she wrapped herself in that blanket. He closed his eyes.

That night when the rain fell.

From the time the pale moon rose during the day, his magic had begun to surge violently through his veins like waves. At that point, he had already suspected that the time had come—the period, once every six months, when the vast magic stored in his ring would erupt. For about a day, his body would transform into something abnormal and burn with fever. But since the exact timing could not be predicted, he always felt uneasy when he sensed the signs.

Unable to stay still, he had been walking through the rear garden when the rose vines covering the wall caught his attention. The persistent rain seemed to seep beyond his body into his mind, making him behave unlike usual. After confirming that no relatives were nearby in the garden, he carefully removed his ring.

As the thorns that had extended over his knuckles slowly retracted, magic began to swirl violently within his body.

‘Ugh…’

He groaned, suppressing the surging magic, and hurriedly plucked a rose with his trembling hand. Soon, the petals in his grasp darkened, losing their original form. Thud. Thud. Dry petals fell through his fingers.

‘Still no change.’

Calix stared at the withered rose at his feet with a bitter smile. He had tried it knowing it was impossible—it was mere stubbornness. The ancient text said, “Only the strong can control abilities.” He wanted to prove that he was not weak, contrary to what was written there. Clenching his fist tightly, Calix distorted his expression.

“Damn it.”

But he was still weak.

Swallowing his curse, Calix turned away without hesitation and stepped under a tree. As he stared at the trembling leaves, he heard a splash from somewhere—a sound of someone stepping into a puddle.

Lucina Ranfort. It was her.

The moment Calix saw her running through the rain, it felt as if time slowed down. He watched her in a daze, only looking away once she came under the tree.

Soon after, Lucina handed him a blanket.

A blanket. Something with which he had no connection. As he stared blankly at it, she urged him a few times before trembling and abruptly pulling it back.

“If you insist, I have no choice.”

Such shameless words left him speechless. If that was the case, why had she come all the way here in the rain to bring a blanket? She had stayed by his side for quite some time. Even though she must have felt the overwhelming pressure of his magic without him wearing the ring, she only flinched like a small animal startled by a loud noise—and still went on to drape the blanket over his shoulders.

While she approached, he had barely suppressed the surging magic rising like a spring, biting the inside of his cheek until it bled. Whether she was brave or simply careless—it was unclear.

“Flowers are living things that bloom and wither. So… so please don’t worry about it!”

Even someone as indifferent to others’ emotions as he was could tell that Lucina was awkwardly trying to comfort him. Calix was bewildered. A fragile being who sneezed from just getting caught in the rain—who was comforting whom? Yet strangely, that single sentence felt warm, like the blanket resting on his shoulders.

After renewing his contract with Lucina, Calix deliberately stopped visiting the training room. If they didn’t meet, there was no need to worry about things like a “harmonious household” or “acting as a couple.” Moreover, since it had been agreed to keep their arrangement confidential except to Lucina’s assigned attendants in order to perfectly deceive the princess, it was convenient. After all, he had said she could attend classes only when she felt like it.

Lucina didn’t seem to rush him either. Every day at noon, she would come to his office, deliver her report, and leave. She was enthusiastic about officially becoming an educator. According to Mevern’s reports, she was annoyingly proactive in everything, and according to Rinell’s reports, she showed no suspicious behavior and could be considered a safe individual.

“Today we played with clay!”
“Today we touched flower petals!”
“Today, our Rubellin—”

Every day without fail, she would arrive and begin her report with “Today—today—.”

But today… why?

Calix lifted his gaze to the clock shaped like a golden world tree. It had just passed 12:05. Following the movement of the clock’s pendulum, his eyes shifted toward the door.

“Why isn’t she coming?”

Calix folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. He had thought it was bothersome, but now that she wasn’t arriving on time, he found himself unsettled.

‘Achoo!’

The sound of her sneeze echoed vividly in his mind. Could she have caught a cold? Tsk. She shouldn’t have done unnecessary things like that.

“Your Majesty?”

Yukar, holding documents that needed to be addressed today, glanced sideways at his lord while pondering when to present his report. Meanwhile, a devil resembling his master seemed to whisper that now would be the perfect time to steal a piece of origami, floating above his head.

After struggling internally, Yukar eventually shook off the temptation and looked at the first page of the documents.

“Ahem! Your Majesty, please listen.”

Though no response came, Yukar assumed permission and began.

“Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Raonel has requested trade. They are currently experiencing a shortage of minerals and wish to exchange minerals and their specialty silk—”

“I’ll check it.”

Bang—. Suddenly, Calix slammed both hands on the desk and stood up, heading for the door.

“Your Majesty?”

Yukar blinked in confusion.

“Your Majesty, where are you going during state affairs?”

Before Yukar could get an answer, the massive golden door swallowed Calix whole.

“Your Maj—esty…?”

Yukar was left alone in the office, completely bewildered.

Cough.

Rubellin watched me closely as I coughed repeatedly, her face turning sorrowful. She gently patted my back with her small hands.

“Eomma, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine—cough!”

No, I definitely was not fine. They say love and coughs cannot be hidden—and that couldn’t be more accurate. I turned my head and kept coughing until it subsided.

Ah, I shouldn’t have gone out yesterday. I must have felt sorry for the emperor that day… If I hadn’t even given him a blanket, I wouldn’t have caught a cold.

Cough!

Regret filling me, I coughed deeply from my core. After some time, I finally calmed down.

“Alright, then let’s go back to origami—”

Wait, where had we left off? I stared blankly at the paper in my hand. What were we even folding to begin with? My mind was too hazy to recall.

Seeing my dazed expression, Rubellin grabbed my collar and shook me.

“Eomma, focus! You mustn’t die!”

“Ugh.”

She shook me back and forth like a balloon at a festival. As my vision swayed, a hand suddenly appeared between Rubellin and me.

“Meberun?”

Meberun glared at me, eyes blazing.

“Please step away from the princess! What were you doing while I was just a little late? As an educator, your mental state is completely unacceptable!”

Perhaps because of my cold, Meberun’s sharp words felt even harsher today.

After the formal contract, Meberun had become even stricter with me. This was because I had declared to Ken, Rinell, and Meberun that I would act as a show couple with Calix for Rubellin’s emotional development. Unlike Ken and Rinell, who accepted it surprisingly easily, Meberun had initially exploded in anger, calling it an absurd contract clause. But eventually, he accepted it—realizing he had no authority to oppose it and that my reasoning made sense. However, he still seemed unable to understand my teaching methods.

“Please get up immediately! You are being a nuisance to the princess!”

Unable to argue against Meberun’s point, I was scolded.

To be fair, I had been fine in the morning, but after eating, I started to feel chills. I thought it would pass, but once class began, my fever rose and the coughing wouldn’t stop. I should have rested, but I couldn’t bear to disappoint Rubellin.

When I blinked, Meberun’s flushed, angry face filled my fever-blurred vision.

“Sorry, Meberun. Are you very angry?”

My voice came out hoarse and cracked.

“You should be apologizing to the princess, not me! That’s it—class is over! Over! Finished!”

Meberun grabbed my arm and pulled me. He looked ready to drag me out like a dog on a leash.

“Ugh. My arm’s going to come off, Meberun.”

“Eomma!”

At my pained voice, Rubellin jumped up in alarm. She glared fiercely and raised both hands as if to push Meberun.

“Eomma, don’t pull her!”

“No, Rubellin!”

I quickly pulled her into my arms with my other arm.

“Eek!”

Startled, Meberun staggered backward and released my hand, stumbling onto the floor. He backed all the way to the wall. While being pushed by Rubellin wouldn’t hurt me, Meberun would likely suffer broken bones at minimum.

Rubellin, still in my arms, shouted loudly.

“I don’t like you! Don’t hurt Eomma because she’s in pain!”

Meberun raised his hands in protest.

“I’m not hurting her, Your Highness… I was just worried I might—”

“Ssshh!”

Rubellin bit her lip firmly and glared at him.

“I’m not crying, Your Highness… I was just worried I might pass my cold to you…”

Rubellin placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her round belly, putting on a stern expression.

“Meberun! Don’t cry! Adults aren’t supposed to cry over things like this!”

“Yes…”

“And if you interfere between Eomma and me again, you’re in trouble!”

“Sniff… yes…”

Meberun looked like he might burst into tears any second and run away.

Rubellin turned to me with a proud expression.

“Eomma, I did well!”

“Yes, you did.”

I smiled faintly, feeling a bit better. I might earn more of Meberun’s dislike today, but how many people in life would so passionately take my side like this?

“Then shall we stop class for today?”

I gathered the scattered origami papers on the desk. Rubellin looked at them reluctantly, then nodded vigorously.

“Yes! Because Eomma is sick!”

“You’re such a good girl.”

Rubellin helped me tidy up the papers with her small hands.

As I smiled softly at her cuteness and picked up a storybook, a refined hand suddenly reached out from behind and blocked my view. I blinked blankly, and a hand as cold as ice pressed against my forehead.

“Is that Rinell?”

I asked weakly, my voice fading.

“….”

The owner of the hand remained silent.

After a moment of silence, I placed my own hand over the one on my forehead. The larger-than-expected hand twitched slightly. Running my fingers over it, I felt the rough knuckles and prominent veins of a man’s hand.

…Ken?

Whoever it was, the cold touch eased my fever.

I grabbed the hand and turned around.

“Don’t worry. We were just about to finish class—”

I stopped mid-sentence and stared blankly.

Was my fever so high that my mind was melting like boiling water in a kettle? Why did the person in front of me look like Calix?

To confirm reality, I poked his cheek with my finger.

His soft, squishy cheek dimly caved in. The sensation was vivid.

Wait… is that really Calix?

“Eek!”

Startled awake, I leaned back. Before I could fall, Calix supported my waist lightly. He frowned.

“Are you desperate to crack your head open?”

“Y-yes?”

I glanced down at the hand supporting my waist. The place he touched felt hot, as if burned, and I shifted slightly.

“T-this… could you let go…”

“Let go and it’ll be interesting.”

“Pardon?”

“Watching you smash your head against marble would be quite a sight.”

“….”

I quietly grabbed his arm. I’m not letting go.

Calix glanced at my hand and smirked. With a firm pull, he straightened my upper body. At the same time, his face came so close that our breaths mingled.

I met his red eyes and quickly lowered my gaze in surprise.

“Y-Your Majesty. What brings you here…?”

Calix looked me over with a dissatisfied expression.

“Canceled.”

“Pardon?”

Canceled?

“Cancel what you said about taking care of yourself.”

As soon as he said that, his hands slid under my waist and beneath my knees. In an instant, my view tilted, and my body lifted into the air.