Chapter 11

I Did the Impossible Again

“I’m a little disappointed. I liked how you were yesterday. You seemed more… human.”

I had only muttered it to myself.

But when our eyes met, Makaron’s red pupils widened.

“…What?”

Today, I learned another secret about Makaron.

He had incredibly sharp hearing.

In an instant, a stunned expression spread across his face.

He leaned against the railing like a painting.

“So… until now, you thought I was a monster?”

His voice rose as if he were angry.

Behind his calm face, his sharp eyes stared straight at me.

If this had been our first meeting, I probably would have been scared.

But now…

It was funny.

Maybe it was because I kept remembering what happened yesterday.

At this point, even my inner thoughts were starting to slip out naturally.

“You sure have good ears.”

“What… did you just say?”

“Nothing. But why are you getting angry?”

“…”

“Aren’t you here to apologize?”

He let out a dry laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it, and clenched his teeth.

“I am not angry.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“I am apologizing.”

Apologizing with that posture and that expression?

I crossed my arms and stared at him.

He finally straightened his posture.

Honestly, I never expected an apology from him.

After all…

Makaron was a victim of this incident too.

“How is Kai doing?”

The moment I mentioned Kai, Makaron’s expression became slightly stiff.

Knowing how protective he was of Kai…

I thought there was a good chance he had come here to apologize in Kai’s place and end the matter.

But…

“That boy needs to be punished.”

Although his voice stayed calm…

His flushed face clearly showed how angry he was.

I had always thought our parenting styles were completely different.

But strangely…

At this moment, I felt we were alike.

Still…

“You didn’t give him a harsh punishment, did you?”

“He doesn’t need one.”

“…!”

“He’s probably suffering enough trying to make the antidote.”

Just as he said…

The lights inside the laboratory down the hallway had been on all night.

That laboratory belonged only to Kai.

He was definitely inside, working desperately to make Coral’s antidote.

Imagining Kai sweating while making medicine…

I felt a little sorry for him.

But I couldn’t help smiling.

Coral still reacted violently just from seeing Kai.

People really do receive back exactly what they do to others.

I never thought it would happen this perfectly.

*

For an entire week…

Kai never left the cramped laboratory.

“I’m embarrassed that you’re my brother.”

Those words still stabbed his heart like a knife.

Coral definitely hated mushrooms… Since when did she start liking them?

When Coral accidentally drank the soup with the Ice Thorn Potion…

Kai had almost stopped breathing.

And when his father drank the soup with the Sweet Fool Potion…

Kai felt like tearing his own hair out.

He had only wanted to separate his father and stepmother.

Instead…

Everything became a complete disaster.

Worst of all…

Coral had become a fierce little kitten—but only toward Kai.

Every time he thought about Coral…

He felt like crying.

The only thing he could do now…

Was hide inside the laboratory and make the antidote without letting Coral see him.

It had already been seven days.

Even after working nonstop with all his strength…

He still couldn’t finish the antidote.

Little by little…

Panic began to grow inside him.

Does Father know I was the one who mixed the medicine?

No way.

If Father knew… there’s no way he would have stayed quiet until now.

But Father’s medicine already seems to have worn off… Why hasn’t Coral recovered yet?

Should I secretly ask Father for help…?

But…

Kai didn’t have the courage to stand before Makaron.

If Father finds out I drugged him… how disappointed will he be?

And what will Coral think of me?

No matter what…

Kai had to secretly put the antidote into Coral’s soup without anyone noticing.

After thinking it over…

He decided to sneak into Makaron’s laboratory today.

He barely managed to get inside.

But he had no idea when his father might return.

His little heart pounded nervously.

Working as fast as he could…

Kai flipped through the piles of pharmaceutical documents on the table.

But…

There was nothing about the antidote.

Every tick of the clock made his heartbeat even louder.

Just as he opened the last booklet…

A single sheet of paper slipped out and fell to the floor.

Kai quickly picked it up.

But…

〈Marriage Contract〉

It was a document that definitely didn’t belong among pharmaceutical papers.

Kai started putting it back…

Then suddenly stopped and unfolded it again.

Wait… a marriage contract? Do people actually sign contracts when they get married?

Curious…

He began reading.

Then…

His entire body froze.

“The contract marriage between Wife Calypse and Husband Makaron will end after one year.”

Then…

Does that mean…

Father’s marriage is only a contract?

The paper in Kai’s hands trembled.

*

A few days later…

Kai entered the West Annex with his head hanging low like a criminal.

Compared to before…

His cheeks had become thinner.

His shoulders drooped.

Dark circles surrounded his tired eyes.

Even Makaron felt a little sympathy after seeing him.

That boy must be suffering too.

But despite what he was thinking…

His voice remained cold.

“What is it?”

“I…”

Kai closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.

For a long time…

He couldn’t say anything.

Makaron quietly watched him.

He must have failed to make the antidote.

But then…

“I did it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The one who mixed the medicine… it was me.”

“…!”

Kai lowered his head even further.

His face looked completely defeated.

Makaron fell silent.

Why did he suddenly change his mind?

After hesitating for a long time…

Kai finally spoke again.

“…I won’t do it again. And… I’ll be good to Mom too.”

His attitude was completely different from before.

Not long ago…

He had desperately wanted to chase away his stepmother.

Is this because of the antidote?

If so…

Makaron had planned to let him suffer a little longer.

“You admitted the truth yourself this time, so I’ll let it go.”

“But…”

“You will still take responsibility.”

“Yes.”

“You will personally make Coral’s antidote.”

Kai slowly looked up.

“I already finished it.”

“I gave it to Coral today.”

Makaron felt as though someone had struck him on the back of the head.

Then… why did he come here to confess today?

Is Kai truly regretting what he did?

Has he really started opening his heart to Calypse?

It wasn’t that long ago that Kai had begged him not to marry her.

So why did his feelings suddenly change?

He wanted to know.

“What made you change your mind?”

Kai’s eyes turned red.

“I… I don’t know.”

But inside…

There was something he could never tell his father.

Over the past several days…

Kai had faced the biggest dilemma of his ten-year life.

Whenever Kai ignored her and kept avoiding her…

His stepmother still approached him first.

She smiled warmly at him.

He kept telling himself…

It’s fake.

She’s only pretending.

But deep down…

Kai already knew.

A smile like that…

Kindness like that…

Couldn’t be faked.

Then…

The day he found the marriage contract…

He finally confirmed it.

Everything she had done…

Had been genuine.

Kai knew it was already too late.

If she finds out I was the one who mixed the medicine…

She’ll hate me.

The thought of those warm eyes changing into hatred…

Was unbearable.

Kai silently lowered his head.

Even after Kai left…

Makaron couldn’t sleep.

Too many things had changed because of her.

“Was it her… again? Did she change Kai’s heart this time too?”

Thinking back on everything Calypse had done…

A smile unknowingly appeared on Makaron’s face.

*

The mansion was peaceful once again.

Coral had completely recovered.

She was willing to meet Kai now.

Things between them were still a little awkward…

But Kai visited Coral every day and did his best.

Every day…

There seemed to be one more trace of Kai inside Coral’s room.

One hundred flowers.

An enormous letter that seemed impossible to finish reading.

Silk that was sold only once a year—and only to one person.

The silk seemed to have shaken Coral’s heart.

But whenever Kai was around…

She never showed it.

Who does my daughter take after to be this adorable?

Sometimes…

Watching Coral made me feel like she was an expert animal trainer.

Perhaps because of the medicine incident…

Whenever Kai accidentally met me…

He immediately lowered his head and ran away.

Other than that…

Our days were peaceful.

A month passed.

Today, after finishing my makeup, I walked out alone as usual.

Early in the morning…

Makaron came to the East Annex.

His handsome face, which I had been seeing far too often lately, looked busy as always.

He could have knocked…

Judging by his tired appearance…

He had probably been waiting for a while.

Even so…

He was still ridiculously handsome.

Anyway…

Unlike before, when he always looked overly confident…

These days, there was often a faint redness on his face.

Today was no different.

But when I looked more closely…

His expression seemed unusual.

He stared at me for quite a while.

Only after a long silence did he finally speak.

“Kai… says he wants to learn swordsmanship.”

“I see.”

The moment I answered calmly…

His eyes widened noticeably.

“How did you do it?”

For once…

The confident Makaron looked completely confused.

It was surprisingly fun to watch.

The secret?

It was actually very simple.

Coral had several older boys she liked.

Among them…

She admired Netro because he was good at swordsmanship.

So…

I simply told Coral to say that in front of Kai.

For some reason…

Makaron looked so easy to tease.

I smiled.

“That’s a trade secret.”

Besides…

I had no intention of telling him.

For Kai’s privacy.

Makaron let out a small laugh.

Then, perhaps realizing it, he immediately forced his expression back to normal.

“Have you already chosen a swordsmanship teacher for Kai?”

“Yes.”

Makaron looked slightly worried.

“It’s already past the beginning of the year.”

“Most people have full schedules by now.”

“If it’s difficult, we can wait until next year.”

“Or… I can find someone myself.”

He still seemed a little awkward around me.

His eyes often wandered away.

But the way he spoke…

It felt like he had finally accepted me as someone inside his circle.

Until now…

His sharp personality had always been for protecting the people he cared about.

And Kai was the one he cared about the most.

The fact that he was discussing Kai with me…

Meant a lot.

Did Kai’s medicine incident change his mind?

Maybe I was imagining it.

But…

It didn’t feel bad.

No…

It felt good.

Has he finally started trusting me… even a little?

Before…

He had been like a cat with its claws out.

Now…

He looked more like a gentle puppy.

After thinking carefully…

I gave him the answer I had already decided on.

“How about inviting Duke Shupen Knight?”

Shupen was the head of the famous Knight family, known for swordsmanship.

He had followed the perfect elite path—

Graduated first in his class at the Academy,

Commanded the Imperial Knights,

And fought in countless battles.

His reputation was just as famous as his achievements.

The Mad Swordmaster of the Battlefield.

The Empire’s only Sword Master.

The Playboy of the Century.

And…

One of the Empire’s F2.

Of course…

I wasn’t choosing him just because he was one of the Empire’s three most handsome men.

Definitely not.

But…

The moment I mentioned Shupen Knight…

Makaron suddenly looked troubled.

Do the two of them not get along?

Frowning, he asked again.

“You mean…”

“The head of the Knight family, Shupen?”