Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 106

Calliope realized what was happening and quickly turned around. Clementia’s eyes were wide in shock. Calliope was likely wearing the same expression. Without thinking, she spread her arms as if to hide Isaac behind her.

“Isaac! Go back! Hurry!”

“The Knight of White Snow…!”

“Isaac, please!”

When Clementia stepped forward, Calliope growled sharply. It was the kind of sound that warned she might attack if pushed any further. Clementia seemed to understand and stopped where she was.

“My lady, what is going on here…?”

“Please, I’m begging you, don’t ask questions right now. Just leave. Isaac, go home. I’ll meet you there.”

“But—”

“Run! Now!”

As soon as she shouted, Isaac instinctively obeyed—just like he always did. He turned and began to move. But Clementia immediately called out to the knight outside the door.

“Sir Wolfgang! Stop him. Quickly!”

Wolfgang moved at once.

Calliope panicked and tried to block him, but it was useless. There was no way she could stop the empire’s greatest swordsman with her bare hands.

While she tried in vain, the Crown Prince stepped up and grabbed her roughly by the back of the neck. Fury surged through Calliope. In one swift motion, she twisted his wrist and nearly struck him across the face. Her hand froze just before impact.

“You dare touch me like that?”

She yanked herself free and stumbled back. In front of her was the Crown Prince, behind her was the saintess. She was cornered with no escape.

The only stroke of luck was—

“I lost him.”

Wolfgang returned, empty-handed. Isaac had escaped.

Calliope bit her lip hard. She had managed to help him get away, but now they’d be focused on discovering his identity. That wouldn’t take long.

Her mind raced. Only the saintess and those who had been chosen knew the real names of the heroes. Which meant the name Clementia had just spoken—Knight of White Snow—must be Isaac’s title.

Calliope placed a hand over her chest and shouted clearly,

“It’s me!”

All three turned their eyes to her.

“I am the Knight of White Snow!”

It was the only idea she had. The room went silent.

Clementia looked confused. The Crown Prince looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Wolfgang glanced back and forth, unsure what to make of the situation. But Calliope stood tall in the middle of the room, shoulders squared with confidence.

So that was Isaac’s hero title…

She had never known it. Only the chosen ones were told those names. But “Knight of White Snow”? Who else could that refer to?

Calliope pointed to her hair and said firmly,

“The Knight of White Snow doesn’t mean white eyes. It refers to the snow that falls in winter.”

Clementia finally spoke, her voice hesitant.

“But the records clearly say—”

Calliope interrupted her.

“Then how would I know about the Demon King?”

Her voice was calm and bold. Clementia had no answer.

Calliope raised her chin slightly and stood her ground.

After a long silence, Clementia finally said,

“I’ll let you go—for now.”

For now?

Calliope didn’t trust her, but she wasn’t going to argue. She nodded quickly and gave a brief bow, then turned and walked out without hesitation.

Her footsteps echoed through the hallway. No one in the room spoke until they had faded completely. Then the Crown Prince finally opened his mouth.

“Why did you let her go?”

“I’m sorry. But I have my reasons.”

“Why do you always decide things on your own?”

“Because it’s my responsibility.”

Clementia answered firmly, drawing a clear line. The Crown Prince ran a hand through his hair in frustration and muttered under his breath.

“Fine. Do as you like.”

He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Wolfgang stared silently at the closed door for a moment, then turned to the saintess and spoke.

“I will stand guard outside. If you need anything, just call for me.”

“Thank you, as always.”

“There is no need to thank me.”

Once Wolfgang left the room, true silence finally settled over the saintess’s chambers. Clementia sat on the nearby sofa, letting her body sink into the cushions. Everything had happened too quickly. A man with white eyes, and a woman claiming to be the Knight of White Snow.

But Clementia didn’t believe that woman.

Because the name of the fifth hero was not that.

It had been interpreted as The One Who Sees the Future.

Calliope returned to the estate and shut herself in her room. Wrapped tightly in her blanket, she lay curled up on the bed while Susan hovered nearby, gently removing her earrings and necklace, worry written all over her face.

“Did something happen at the banquet?”

“No, nothing happened.”

Her thoughts weren’t something she could share with anyone. So once again, she had to endure them alone. In the past, she could always find comfort just by being in Isaac’s arms. But now, even that wasn’t possible.

She buried her face deeper into the blanket. She didn’t care if her makeup smeared the sheets. She didn’t have the energy to care.

Then came a knock, followed by the door opening.

It was Jack.

He scratched his cheek awkwardly and spoke with hesitation.

“Um, Lady Calliope, Lord Isaac is packing. He said he plans to return to the count’s estate. Are you alright with that?”

Calliope immediately sat up. She blinked in surprise, showing her confusion.

“Did you two have a fight?”

She opened her mouth as if to answer, then closed it again. After a moment, she nodded. If it could be called a fight, then yes, they had fought.

She had never argued with him before. And now that it had happened, she wasn’t sure what to do. She hadn’t imagined Isaac would ever think of leaving. That alone showed how unaware she had been. Part of it was her fault.

She didn’t know whether to stop him or let him go so he could clear his head.

“He made his decision. Let him go, for now.”

That was the only answer she could give.

Isaac had always done what she told him to do. If she asked something of him, he did it. If she told him not to, he stopped. Only now was she realizing how strange and unhealthy that had been.

And now, for the first time, he had made a decision on his own. She didn’t want to stand in the way of that. She thought he deserved the time to think things through.

Calliope stood and walked to the window that overlooked the front entrance. Down below, she saw Isaac’s carriage being loaded with luggage. His back was turned.

She stood there, watching him. He looked just like the Isaac she remembered. But at the same time, she could see the version of him who had shouted that he was no longer the man from her memories.

She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again.

He looked up, and their eyes met.

Calliope froze. She couldn’t move. In his white eyes, she saw emotions she couldn’t put into words. Her lips parted, ready to call out to him, but no sound came.

Before she could speak, Isaac turned away. Just before stepping onto the carriage, he said her name.

“Calliope.”

That was all.

Then the carriage began to move.

Her knees gave out, and she clutched the window frame to stay upright. Susan rushed over to support her. Tears streamed silently down Calliope’s face.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

She covered her eyes with one hand. Warm tears soaked through her fingers.

“How am I supposed to face you when you say you’re not yourself?”

Her tears continued to fall, refusing to stop. She cried until exhaustion took over, and she fell asleep.

While Calliope slept, Isaac arrived at the count’s estate. He was in his room, unpacking his things. The servants noticed right away that something about him had changed.

The second son, who used to insist on doing everything by himself, now gave calm and confident orders to the staff. He stood with his arms crossed, watching the servants move his luggage.

Someone walked into the room.

It was Erben, his older brother.

“Well, well. You looked like you were on top of the world. What happened? Did you get kicked out?”

He sneered as soon as he saw Isaac. But Isaac said nothing. He simply watched the servants work with a cold expression.

The lack of reaction irritated Erben.

“Did her feelings change? That love you thought would last forever?”

“Brother.”

Isaac finally opened his mouth.

His voice was quiet, but the look he gave Erben was sharp and intense. His white eyes shimmered with something dangerous.

Erben instinctively shut his mouth. For a moment, it felt like he was standing in front of a predator trying to stay calm. He had almost forgotten—Isaac was now called the kingdom’s greatest swordsman. Provoking him without caution would be foolish.

“Be quiet.”

Isaac spoke with restrained anger. And there was something else behind it too—a jealousy he didn’t quite understand. But one thing was certain.

Behind those pale eyes, a fierce possessiveness burned.

Erben swallowed hard.

“You just came back without warning. That’s why I said what I did.”

“There’s a reason I returned. But there’s nothing wrong between us.”

Isaac’s words sounded like a lie, but they weren’t.

“I’ll make sure of that.”

His white eyes were sharper than ever. He looked like a man who had made up his mind.

Isaac couldn’t live without Calliope anymore.

So he decided she shouldn’t live without him either.

That belief filled his entire mind.

No matter who she remembered, no matter what she felt, he would replace it all with himself.

Whatever it took.

Because he had realized that being a substitute was no longer enough.

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