Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 107

The next day, Calliope woke up far later than usual. She had been so drained that she didn’t open her eyes until well past noon. As she sat up and stretched, her body felt sluggish and her mind was still hazy.

With no motivation to do anything, she dragged herself out of bed, slipped into her slippers, and wandered around aimlessly. That was when she spotted a book on her desk—the one Kaphir had given her as a gift.

“Oh, right. I forgot about this.”

She had been curious at the time and asked Jack to look into ancient languages, but she hadn’t opened the book once since then.

With nothing better to do, she picked it up and began flipping through the pages. She couldn’t read the text, but she looked over the illustrations as she turned each page.

As she kept flipping, her expression gradually changed. Her fingers moved faster, and by the time she reached the end, her brows were tightly furrowed.

From the illustrations, it looked like a story about a supreme deity. But something about it felt off.

What she had learned about the one true god was simple. There was only one god who created the world. That god stood alone.

But in this book, there was one god and two goddesses. Multiple illustrations showed the two goddesses reaching out toward a towering figure of light—the supposed one god.

“What is this?”

She even recognized a symbol associated with the Imperial Temple. Though the design had changed slightly over time, it was still familiar. Why would Gillan have a book like this?

Calliope closed the book and stood up. She went to find Jack right away.

“Jack.”

“Yes, my lady?”

Surprisingly, he wasn’t nodding off. Maybe he was trying to stay alert after what happened yesterday, knowing her mood couldn’t have been good.

Calliope didn’t care either way. She got straight to the point.

“Did you find anything on ancient scripts?”

“I brought what I could to the library, but the oldest records only go back about two hundred years. Just like you said, there wasn’t anything older.”

“I see. Let’s go check anyway.”

Calliope started to walk out of her room in her nightclothes, but Susan rushed over, alarmed. She quickly wrapped a long, thick cardigan around her shoulders and tied it in the front.

“You can’t just walk around like that.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You’ve really been acting strange lately. You know that, right?”

At Susan’s concerned scolding, Calliope gave a tired smile.

“I know. But it’ll all be okay. Don’t worry.”

Wrapped in the cardigan, she made her way to her study. The materials Jack had found were already waiting in the library. She opened the book from Kaphir and began comparing the symbols to the old writings Jack had brought.

It took some time, but she came to a conclusion.

“Some of the characters are similar. Others don’t match at all.”

It was impossible to fully decode the book. She couldn’t tell whether the language had simply been lost or if it was being kept hidden on purpose.

As she sat there thinking, one person came to mind.

“Gillan.”

Gillan Andres. It had to be him.

She remembered that it was Gillan’s younger sister who had likely pulled the book off a shelf full of magical texts and handed it to Kaphir because it looked interesting. If so, the book originally belonged to Gillan. Which meant he might actually know how to read it.

Calliope called out to Jack.

“Send a letter to Gillan Andres.”

“What should I write?”

“Tell him I want to meet at the Andres estate sometime soon. There’s something I need to ask him.”

“Understood.”

While Jack left to deliver the message, Calliope sat in quiet thought. More than anything else right now, she needed information about the temple.

But she couldn’t ask the saintess directly, and visiting the Imperial Temple wasn’t an option. The kingdom also worshipped the one god, but unlike the empire, it wasn’t especially devout. That meant books related to creation myths were hard to come by.

She began to consider her options carefully.

What could help her break through this situation?

Calliope firmly believed that only a god could turn back time. If not a god, then who could possibly do such a thing? That’s why she was determined to find clues in ancient religious texts. Maybe even a method for reversing time itself.

She knew that mages didn’t like to share their knowledge. If she wanted answers, she would need something to offer in return.

The truth was, Calliope already had one possible solution in mind: helping Gillan marry Berchia.

They had been naturally engaged in the past, so with a little effort, rekindling that relationship wouldn’t be too difficult.

Gillan had likely agreed to the engagement back then in order to escape his family. That meant there was a good chance he would accept her offer again. And if she helped him with his revenge as well, perhaps he would be willing to help her in return.

“I don’t know where he got it, but this book clearly contains ancient records about gods and temples. I need it.”

Ever since what happened yesterday, Calliope had been overwhelmed with thoughts. She couldn’t stop blaming herself for ruining the opportunity. The image of Isaac—so different from the man she remembered—wouldn’t leave her mind.

So she wondered again.

“Is there a way to turn back time?”

She had once been a rational person, but not anymore. She was now prepared to do anything to get the man she loved back.

If time really had been reversed, then it could only have been done by divine will. Who else could perform something so impossible? That was why she had decided to dig deeper into matters of the divine. She sent a letter to Gillan, knowing he would likely ask for something in return. But she had something to offer.

Calliope slowly ran her fingers over the old book she still couldn’t fully understand.

“It’s alright, Isaac. I’ll make everything right. I’ll bring everything back.”

Her red eyes glowed with a strange light.

Later that afternoon, while she was still waiting for Gillan’s response, something arrived. At first, Calliope thought it was his letter, but what she received was something completely unexpected.

Jack entered, carrying the delivery. He looked somewhat uncomfortable as he handed it to her. It was a letter—and an enormous bouquet of flowers.

“These are from Sir Isaac Esteban.”

“From Isaac?”

Calliope blinked, visibly caught off guard. The bouquet was filled with rare and precious flowers. Some of them were out of season, and others—like the golden blooms—were worth more than five gold coins each. The bouquet was so large that she could barely wrap her arms around it.

“He sent… this?”

She accepted the bouquet with an awkward expression. Jack opened the attached card and showed it to her as she held the flowers in her arms.

The card read:

Your one and only, Isaac.

Calliope’s eyes wavered. She tightened her hold on the bouquet. Not a single thorn remained, and everything had been carefully arranged with soft fabric and delicate wrapping. It fit perfectly in her arms, with nothing sharp or painful to press against her.

Frowning slightly, she closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Susan and spoke.

“Put these in a vase. Give me the card.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Calliope took the card and gently ran her fingers under the words. Your one and only, Isaac. That possessive phrase struck something deep within her.

All it did was make her realize how much of this had been her fault.

And now, she felt truly sorry—for the Isaac who stood before her in the present.

Gillan’s reply came sooner than she expected.

Not long after receiving Isaac’s gift, a letter arrived later that evening. It said she was welcome to visit the Andres estate the next morning.

Calliope quickly wrote back to confirm, then began preparing.

The following day, she wore a simple velvet dress and a coat over it, and headed to the Andres estate with Jack by her side. Resting quietly on her lap was the book Kaphir had given her. She planned to ask Gillan about it.

When they arrived, they were shown into the drawing room. The estate felt oddly empty. It seemed the rest of the family was away.

They didn’t have to wait long. Soon, Gillan entered the room.

“Welcome.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.”

“It’s no trouble. I happen to be the only one at home today anyway.”

“Where is your family?”

“Probably out enjoying some winter boating.”

He said it casually, as if it didn’t bother him. Calliope, already familiar with his family situation, didn’t offer any comfort. She simply gave a quiet nod. Words of sympathy in situations like this often just made things worse. She knew that from experience.

“The truth is, I came today because there’s something I need to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Calliope took the book Jack had carried from the carriage and placed it on the drawing room table. She gently pushed it toward Gillan and asked,

“I want to understand what’s written in this book.”

Gillan gave an awkward smile, as if caught off guard.

“So that’s where it went…”

“My younger brother bought it from your sister and gave it to me as a birthday present. But the writing is so old that I can’t make any sense of it.”

Gillan crossed one leg over the other and laced his fingers together, resting his hands on his knee. He replied calmly,

“It was originally mine, but at the same time, it belonged to my sister. That’s always how it was. Whatever she had never truly belonged to me. But I was different. So if you received it from her, then that book is yours now.”

Then, although his face still wore a polite smile, there was a subtle shift in his tone—something slightly displeased.

“But that doesn’t mean I have any reason to translate it for you.”

Calliope nodded, as if she had expected that answer.

“That’s why I came to offer a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Jack, wait outside.”

She gave the instruction without hesitation. Jack gave a brief bow, as if he had anticipated it, and quietly left the room. Once the door closed behind him, Calliope turned back to Gillan.

“You told me once that you wanted revenge.”

Gillan’s eyebrow twitched upward.

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