Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 13

“Someone like me, who popped up like a baby duckling out of nowhere? I highly doubt it.”

Illan’s gaze locked onto Calliope, who simply shrugged.

“A baby duckling.”

“Yes.”

Jack watched the bizarre exchange between father and daughter. His master, the Marquis, sometimes had thoughts that went off on strange tangents, and it was fascinating how she could pick out the specific word he was fixated on, as if she were used to it. Maybe that’s why they say blood is thicker than water.

“Father is away from the mansion more often than he’s here. I don’t want to have to be mindful of the butler or the family’s opinions every time I spend money. Give me money that is entirely my own, that I don’t have to report to anyone.”

Illan now understood why she had said she didn’t need it. He had been so focused on his new life that he had temporarily forgotten.

Illan, his father, had always been someone who thought and judged like that. He thoroughly distinguished between what was necessary and what wasn’t. He was certain that if his existence hadn’t been necessary for the family, he wouldn’t have sought him out like this.

“Alright. I understand what you mean. Then we’ll proceed that way. The land, the mansion, and the gold mine will remain in the family’s possession until you come of age, and I’ll make arrangements for them to become yours on your coming-of-age day. And I’ll make arrangements in advance regarding the allowance for maintaining your dignity. Once you’re registered in the family, I’ll have the allowance paid out each month, with Ithiel’s share added on.”

“Thank you.”

“Beauchamp.”

Instead of responding to Calliope’s greeting, Illan called for Jack, who, as if he had already been told, brought several sheets of paper, an ink bottle, and a pen from his desk.

“This is a contract to notarize the promise I made to you.”

Calliope stared at the meager sheets of paper before picking up the pen. It wasn’t something that should pass between a father and daughter, but it was more reassuring this way. And besides, her father was originally that kind of person. If she hadn’t experienced regression, she would have been hurt by his aloof attitude, but not now.

Jack, with a troubled expression, pointed out where she should sign. Calliope changed the name of her mother to her own and specified that the deadline was within a month after she came of age. If she vaguely wrote “after becoming an adult,” she didn’t know how long it would take to receive it.

After Calliope signed, Illan wrote his name below hers and said,

“You know how to write.”

“Yes.”

“Did Ithiel teach you?”

No. I properly learned to write after coming into this family. I learned simple spelling from Ithiel, but not enough to read and write fluently. She was always busy working, and writing wasn’t really necessary for the lives of commoners. After coming into the family, I was scolded so much for not being able to read and write properly.

“Yes.”

But she couldn’t say that out loud, so she easily affirmed it. Illan’s eyes, once glanced at, were unfocused, like someone reminiscing about a beautiful memory. She didn’t know why he was reminiscing about her mother as if she had done something great. If she was so precious, he should have protected her well.

Calliope pursed her lips into a straight line and abruptly stood up from her seat.

“I’m tired. If there’s nothing else to discuss, I’ll be going.”

“A servant will guide you to your room.”

Before leaving after greeting him, Calliope asked,

“If I don’t like the room, can I change it?”

He lifted his gaze from the documents and stared at his daughter, who had a face exactly like Ithiel’s but a personality that was nothing alike, for a long time before answering.

“Yes.”

With those words, Calliope left the office, guided by the servant. Illan put away the contract he had drawn up with his daughter and ordered Jack.

“Follow Calliope.”

“Yes? Aren’t I returning to work?”

“Stay by Calliope’s side for a while. You’ve spent time with her, so you’ll be better than anyone else. Return when her exclusive maid is decided.”

Jack chased after Calliope, who had already left, with an expression that showed he didn’t know whether to be happy or upset.

The Marquis was a master of sharp work processing and immense information processing, and his subordinates were naturally ground down day and night. He couldn’t decide whether to be relieved at being temporarily freed from that hellish mountain of documents or to be saddened by the fact that he had to cater to that unyielding young lady.

“Why are you following me?”

Calliope, who hadn’t gone far yet, asked as she subtly approached him, having recognized him like a ghost. Jack, feeling a slight chill at her senses that had recognized him without even looking back, replied.

“The Marquis told me to follow you.”

“Ah, so you’ll be attending to me for a while. You’re going to have a hard time.”

“No, well… I don’t think it’ll be that hard. Following the young lady is more interesting than being buried in a mountain of documents.”

“It must be interesting. From now on, wear clothes with a lot of buttons. Preferably gold buttons instead of silver ones.”

“Pardon?”

Jack blinked for a moment before understanding that it was a joke and scratching his cheek with a laugh.

“Are you planning to tear off all my buttons? Even as a joke, that’s terrible.”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

“……”

“……”

“…I’ll buy clothes with a lot of buttons.”

The two finished their conversation without noticing the strange expressions on the faces of the servants who were listening to their conversation. After that, Calliope walked, guided by the servant. She left the upper-floor hallway where the office was located, went down to the lower floor, and then headed to the place that connected the buildings.

Just as she thought. It was the same in the past. Her father placed her in a room in the annex, not the main building, and took measures to prevent her from encountering other members of the Marquis family. At that time, she had breathed a sigh of relief, but now, well. A laugh seemed to burst out from between her pouting lips.

No Different

“Here it is, young lady.”

In the meantime, they had given her the largest room in the annex, but even so, the annex was still the annex. In the past, she hadn’t been able to enter the main building even after she came of age. How much ridicule she had received after that fact was rumored in society.

The daughter of a former wife of humble origins. Her mother, Ithiel, had clearly married formally and given birth to her, but they pointed fingers at her and didn’t hesitate to belittle her as if she were a bastard.

‘It’s awkward to encounter other members of the Marquis family, but.’

She entered the room through the door that the servant had opened and pretended to look around before scolding in a voice that soon became lightly subdued.

“I’m going to be the Marquis’s young lady now, and this is all I get?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll have to change rooms.”

She heard a voice urgently calling her, “Young lady,” but she didn’t even pretend to listen and left the annex room. And as it was, she walked down the hallway they had passed through and headed back to the main building.

Her strides were quick. The servant didn’t dare to touch the noble young lady’s body to stop her, nor did he think of passing her to block her, and hurriedly followed behind. Since she had received permission to change rooms if she didn’t like them anyway, he wouldn’t dare to stop her recklessly.

‘Knowing it, why did I go through the troublesome confirmation?’

She had mistakenly thought that her father’s attitude toward her would change because her attitude had changed. Because the daughter who used to answer “Yes, yes” prettily as he ordered was no longer like that.

But the only thing she could confirm was that her father wouldn’t change no matter how she acted. He felt guilty and would grant her anything if she asked, but he wasn’t someone who would take the initiative to take care of her.

Calliope went up to the third floor of the main building and pointed to a door with an antique pattern engraved on it.

“This will be good.”

The servant looked at the room she was pointing to and showed a troubled expression.

“Young lady, but this is…”

She knew why he was making a difficult face. This room was.

“The room my mother used to use, right?”

Illan had never given the room on the third floor that Ithiel had used to anyone else. Because he had married when he hadn’t been able to seize the family’s power, her mother had received a room on the lower floor, not the upper floor. Her father had brought in the highest quality wood to decorate not only the clothes and furniture but even the door, as if to make up for it. Of course, that became the spark that was pointed at as extravagance.

“Tell Father. I chose this room. Let’s move the things that were prepared in the annex room tomorrow. It’s late.”

“But young lady, until now, the Marquis has never allowed anyone else to use this room.”

“Then this will be the first time. If you’re really dissatisfied, tell him to come and drag me out.”

It seemed to the servant that the young lady was stubbornly insisting on something unreasonable. But to Jack, it was confidence based on a reason. The Marquis had already uttered permission that she could change rooms if she didn’t like them.

The thorough Marquis had probably kept this room in mind when he received that question. If not, he would have answered, “Tell me, and I’ll change it to another room,” instead of “Yes.”

“Go to the Marquis.”

Jack said to the servant in an indifferent tone, and he bowed deeply and stepped back. He would run to the Marquis and report it right away, but he probably wouldn’t say to drag Calliope out.

That servant had only been working at the Marquis’s mansion for two years now. To think that he still hadn’t fully grasped the Marquis even after two years, he wasn’t a talented person. Calliope watched the servant disappear and opened the door herself and entered the room.

“Oh, this is my first time seeing it in person too.”

“It’s good.”

The inside of the room was well-maintained as if time had stopped. The furniture wasn’t old, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the bedding. If someone saw it, they would call it a scene with lingering affection, but to Calliope, it just looked pathetic. Utterly pathetic. Stupid man, why are you letting go and doing things you regret?

“It’s well-managed, so I can probably sleep right away.”

“Ah, are you going to sleep? Shall I prepare a bath for you?”

“What?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you planning to attend to me yourself?”

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