TMDW | Chapter 005

Chapter 5

“Callion, I’ve come.”

Shayla burst into Callion’s bedroom again with enthusiasm.

“I’ll come in for a bit.”

The door was open as usual, but he gave no sign of his presence despite being inside.

‘I knew you’d act like this.’

Shayla called out toward under the bed.

“I’ll clean your room first, and if you get bored, come out and watch or do something.”

But Callion remained silent. This time, Shayla began cleaning as quietly as possible without trying to see his face noisily, as she had before.

She carried cleaning tools borrowed from one of the maids.

Though nominally a count’s daughter, Shayla had years of experience caring for her older sister.

Her father absolutely forbade servants for fear the world would learn of her sister’s existence.

Shayla handled cleaning her sister’s room, helping her bathe, even accompanying her on outings.

‘A little pup like this, I can take care of easily.’

True, he was a bit moody…

But his size was somewhat similar to Layla’s.

“Cough, cough.”

Shayla couldn’t stop coughing from the dust accumulated everywhere.

“It seems one or two days won’t be enough…”

She didn’t feel time pass from her intense focus. She spent half the day cleaning, and the sun had already set outside the window.

Shayla placed the cleaning tools in a corner of the room, then approached the bed to say goodbye.

“Callion, I’m going now. See you tomorrow.”

Suddenly, an angry voice came from under the bed, which had been quiet the whole time.

“Enough, go back to the capital!”

“Alright, see you tomorrow. Bye.”

Shayla responded calmly, but her ears caught a sad whimper of “hyu, hyu.”

It seemed to be his habit to express displeasure when things didn’t go his way.

‘How does this boy eat his food, I wonder…’

Perhaps the servants brought it, or he managed on his own.

* * *

The next day.

‘My whole body aches…’

After hours of cleaning, her legs were trembling.

‘If cleaning continues like this, a week won’t be enough just for the floor.’

There must be a more efficient cleaning method. Professionals surely knew it.

Shayla summoned a young maid who usually followed her.

“Why do it yourself, my lady? Let me do it!”

“I can’t, so just tell me the method. How do I make a dusty floor shine?”

“If you insist…”

The maid was clever. She didn’t ask twice, but went to the storage and brought everything.

“Are all these cleaning tools?”

“Yes.”

There were things Shayla had never seen before. While wondering, the maid said proudly:

“Young lady, cleaning depends on the tools.”

Shayla felt she was reliable.

Shayla learned to use the tools and cleaned Callion’s room.

“Aren’t you curious about this sound? If you want, you can come out and watch.”

But Callion stayed hidden under the bed, without looking at her.

He didn’t yell today: “Go back to the capital!” as before.

“Wait, don’t rush to approach him. Just let him know you’re always there, and wait until he approaches you first.”

That was Henry’s advice.

Shayla wanted to face that little lump with sparkling sapphire eyes, but she endured.

She focused on cleaning.

To get close to him, she had to visit his room often, but the accumulated dust made breathing difficult.

So how was it for Callion, who spent most of his time here? How annoying must it have been for him?

“Ah, the ceiling is full of cobwebs…”

Shayla boldly climbed the ladder and shook the broom to remove the webs.

A finely painted ceiling mural appeared.

The great Hamelock mountains, and behind them emerged the Demos. The black warrior wielding the iron ruler’s sword slaughtering demons…

This was the most famous legend in the north.

The legend of the black wolf.

The Battle of Hamelock Valley.

1277.12.01 Mikeli Rosen.

From the date, it was clear this painting was done when the duchess was pregnant with Callion.

It seemed painted based on the prophecy that the duchy’s successor would be a hero saving the north.

Shayla unconsciously looked under the bed.

In that narrow, dark space, Callion was hiding, quietly waiting for her to leave.

No matter how she thought, he didn’t seem like he’d become that great black wolf…

‘Hero of the north… is that really possible?’

Surely, the duke, and Callion himself, had asked this question many times.

For seven years since his birth.

That boy who showed himself to no one and always hid, seemed somewhat understandable today.

* * *

After a week of cleaning Callion’s room.

‘Now the room is habitable.’

She wiped the dust from the window frame, and the foggy windows became relatively transparent.

Shayla was worried about Callion, who could barely see out the window. So she brought some wine forbidden to nine-year-olds and cleaned the windows well.

“Don’t say I gave it to you, young lady!”

The maid was named Hanna, and she was very helpful.

Quick-witted and flexible. Shayla was happy to find a suitable maid to be her personal assistant.

“I’ve come, Callion.”

Shayla entered Callion’s room exhausted.

It was late evening.

“I’m a bit late today, aren’t I?”

In the morning, the head maid accompanied her to tour the castle, and in the afternoon, Antonio explained the internal finances.

“I was busy with some things, forgive me.”

She toured the castle and memorized the fief’s main schedule.

Shayla was busy. She tried to spend the day and afternoon with Callion as much as possible, but today she couldn’t.

“I couldn’t postpone the schedule to evening.”

You can’t tour the castle at night.

Anyway, he doesn’t come out or respond. Shayla felt like she broke a promise, so she began justifying without being asked.

“Tomorrow I won’t be late. I promise.”

For a week, she came daily at the same time to clean. Perhaps…

‘Perhaps he was waiting for me.’

It was a faint hope.

Even while touring the castle with the head maid or listening to Antonio’s explanation, Shayla only thought of Callion, who might be waiting for her.

“Callion…?”

But, contrary to expectations, he wasn’t in the room.

She looked under the bed, but the white lump wasn’t there. She felt disappointed while sweeping the dust.

“Did he go for a walk thinking I wouldn’t come?”

If so, that’s sad…

Suddenly, she heard quick footsteps from the hallway.

When she turned, she saw Callion entering the room quickly.

“Callion!”

She called out unintentionally, and Callion stopped in place. Then he said:

“What? You haven’t gone back to the capital yet?”

He muttered in a grumbling tone.

“I thought you had returned home.”

“Were… you searching the castle for me thinking I left?”

“No!”

Despite his angry shout, Shayla smiled playfully.

‘He wandered looking for me until his paws turned black!’

They might have been dirty before, but anyway. His small fluffy body looked extremely endearing in the clean room.

“In truth, you’re relieved now, aren’t you? Happy that I came to your room?”

“I’m not happy at all!”

“Liar.”

“I’m not a liar!”

“But…”

Why is he wagging his tail then?

This was the first time she saw his tail raised.

It was always drooping, making her worried, but it seems he knows how to wag it.

‘He says he doesn’t want me, but his tail is so honest.’

But if she said that, his tail would go between his legs and he’d run away.

‘I hope his tail stays raised.’

“Cough.”

Shayla wanted to hug that white lump and kiss it a hundred times, but she endured. She cleared her throat and turned her head.

“Patience brings blessings.”

Wait. Be patient until this arrogant one approaches you first.

“This is the only way to become friends with the young duke.”

Shayla turned her head with integrity.

“…Alright, I’ll finish cleaning. If you’re bored, you can watch from the side.”

The floor was relatively clean, but the corners still needed a precise touch.

Like that wardrobe.

‘I wish I could get rid of it.’

What makes a cherry-colored walnut wardrobe in this elegant room?

Moreover, it looked discolored from moisture, like a coffin.

Having an ugly wardrobe in the middle of the room without a mirror was distorting.

“Stop this stupid work. Why don’t you go home?”

Callion suddenly approached, pacing around Shayla with anxious steps.

“You’ll regret this marriage later…”

“Can I open this wardrobe?”

She wanted to throw it out entirely, but it might contain something important.

‘What could be important?’

He doesn’t even wear clothes…

But the wardrobe seemed out of place in the room, as if hiding something precious kept for a long time.

“…Do whatever you want.”

What’s this strange silence? It seems worrying…

But since she got the owner’s permission, Shayla opened the wardrobe door confidently.

The warped wood creaked.

As the wardrobe opened, gray dust rose like smoke.

“Cough!”

After waving her hand for a while, Shayla saw the contents.

‘Children’s clothes…’

It was full of carefully sewn children’s clothes, shoes, and gloves.

Though worn by time, each piece was made with love.

They still retained their original ironed shape.

‘All… new.’

Clothes no child wore.

Shoes no one put on.

In the wardrobe corner, there was an inscription. When she wiped the dust, faint words appeared.

To our beloved child

Callion, from your mother

Winter 1

277“…”

Shayla couldn’t say anything.

This was a children’s wardrobe the duchess prepared for Callion before his birth.

Items a mother prepared expecting naturally that the great prophecy’s child would be born human.

Shayla felt a tightness in her chest.

She remembered the beautiful duchess in the portrait she saw in the capital.

Callion’s mother who died at twenty.

She hadn’t heard the reason directly, but Shayla easily guessed the cause of death.

The year of death next to her name in the portrait.

‘It was seven years ago.’

Usually, mothers who give birth to monsters die during childbirth; Shayla’s mother didn’t escape this fate either.

‘So it discolored from moisture…’

This wardrobe hadn’t been opened for seven years.

Suddenly, she felt heat in her throat.

This child awaited with love.

These beautiful clothes.

She couldn’t dress her son in them and left.

Shayla felt sorrow for the duchess, but was more worried about Callion who lived seeing this wardrobe daily.

The grief of those left behind hadn’t ended.

She turned quietly, but Callion wasn’t there.

As usual.

Accustomed to loneliness, he had long returned to the darkness under the bed.

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