Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 32

“Damn it, I should’ve brought a maid with me!”

Vercia, who had grown up surrounded by straightforward and boisterous knights, wasn’t used to the subtle, layered speech of high society.
Raised like a precious jewel within her family, her social awareness was a little below average — though thankfully, she was quick to adapt to unexpected situations.
Thanks to her striking looks, her naturally cool demeanor, and the maid carefully chosen by her family, no one had ever realized her shortcomings.

“Why did Aunt Circe insist I come alone today?”

For the first time, Vercia felt she might be exposed.

While Vercia sat there feeling uneasy, Circe was in her office, working through the family’s budget plan for next month.
After spending four hours buried in paperwork, her eyes grew tired. She set down her pen and took a sip of the tea her maid had brought her.
A soft breeze from the open window caught her attention, and she looked outside.

“Has Lady Vercia Dylas arrived yet?”

“Yes, my lady. Everyone has gathered, and the party has just begun.”

“Good. I really hope she gets along with Calliope.
There’s so much she could learn.”

Circe thought of her niece — raised with endless affection, resulting in a stubborn and proud personality, paired with a slight lack of sensitivity.
Vercia wasn’t foolish by any means, but because of her unusual upbringing, she had more than a few rough edges.

It had been Circe’s idea for Calliope to invite Vercia — not for Calliope’s sake, but for Vercia’s.
She didn’t want Vercia to become timid, but at the very least, she hoped she would get used to the kind of language and subtlety that ruled the social world.
Up until now, her noble status and her maid’s guidance had shielded her — but that couldn’t last forever.

“Keep me updated throughout the event.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Meanwhile, despite the tension caused by Vercia’s arrival, the tea party began in a soft, pleasant atmosphere.
Perhaps it was thanks to Calliope, who had smiled warmly and officially opened the event after confirming all the guests had arrived.

Held out on the terrace, the tea party allowed the guests to enjoy the view of the sunlit gardens.
Thanks to magic maintaining a cool temperature, the inside of the house remained refreshing and comfortable.

The young ladies relaxed, smiling brightly as they admired the view.

“Oh my, this flower represents our family!”

“Look! There’s one from ours too!”

The girls excitedly pointed out the flowers that symbolized their families, hidden among the colorful blooms scattered across the tables.
It was a small event Calliope had prepared — a thoughtful detail, making it clear she had paid attention to each guest.

The young ladies seemed delighted, smiling warmly as they chatted among themselves.
Calliope walked between the tables, lightly conversing with the guests and asking if there was anything they needed.

“I’m perfectly comfortable. But where did you find this flower that represents our family?
It’s not in season—it must have been hard to get.”

“I imported it from overseas.
The flower is so beautiful, I really wanted to include it.”

“You’re right. It’s difficult to grow, but it’s absolutely gorgeous.”

The young ladies beamed, their expressions filled with genuine warmth toward Calliope.
It wasn’t surprising — many of the girls had not yet debuted, and those invited were carefully chosen for their gentle personalities.
Well, except for one unplanned guest.

Calliope’s eyes flickered briefly toward Vercia, who sat quietly, sipping her tea without responding to the girls trying to strike up conversation.

“Lady Dylas, your dress looks stunning.”

“Truly! I think only you could pull off such a color so elegantly.
Oh, would you like to try some desserts?”

Despite the arrangement of small, open tables designed to let everyone mingle freely, the young ladies near Vercia were clearly nervous.
They kept trying to talk to her, but Vercia only gave the faintest nods, keeping her answers to herself.

The tension at the table was so obvious that Calliope finally approached.

“Is everything comfortable for you, Lady Dylas?”

“Ah—Lady Anastas!”

The two girls looked at Calliope like they were seeing a savior.
They must have been incredibly stressed.

Calliope, pretending not to notice their desperation, smiled gently.

“I have a few words I’d like to share with Lady Dylas.
Would you mind mingling with the others for a bit?”

“Of course!
We’ll step away right away.”

“Please, enjoy yourselves.”

The two girls quickly stood, politely excused themselves, and hurried toward another group, flashing Calliope grateful looks as they left.

Calliope sat down beside Vercia and glanced at the table.
At least half the desserts and tea had been eaten — so Vercia hadn’t completely lost her appetite.
Then why was she sitting here, radiating coldness?

“What’s bothering you?”

Vercia didn’t respond immediately.
She simply stared at Calliope with her sharp, intense gaze.
Because of the way her eyes naturally narrowed, it looked almost like she was glaring, but there was no anger — just a faint flicker of uncertainty.

Calliope, who had spent most of her life learning to read people’s moods, could sense it.

“If there’s anything making you uncomfortable, please let me know.
I’ll do everything I can to fix it.”

“No, there’s nothing wrong.”

“Really?
Still, I’m a little worried.
You don’t seem to be enjoying yourself, Lady Dylas.
And the other young ladies seem concerned about you as well.”

What Calliope really meant was: You’re making the others uncomfortable, you know.
But even with that meaning hidden between the lines, Vercia simply shook her head again.

That’s when Calliope felt something strange.
Sensing something off, she smiled and continued casually.

“I must not have prepared the party well enough.
The other guests seem satisfied, so I was getting a bit overconfident.
I should have put more effort into making it better.”

In other words: Everyone else seems fine, so why are you the only one unhappy?
Even so, Vercia didn’t frown or glare—she just sighed and spoke sharply.

“Next time, make sure it’s more dignified.
If my aunt hadn’t recommended you, I wouldn’t even have come to something like this.”

Her words were blunt and prickly, but somehow, they didn’t quite match her feelings.
It sounded like she was just answering what she heard, not really responding to the hidden meanings.

Calliope finally realized it.

Ah… she’s not used to the way high society talks.

Most young ladies struggle with the social language before their debut, but Vercia had already debuted earlier this year, as soon as she turned sixteen.

“Lady Dylas, you don’t have to be so formal with me.
Just speak comfortably.”

“…What?”

True, it had only been a few months since her debut, so it wasn’t unusual for her to still be learning.
But for the daughter of a duke, Vercia was clearly far behind the average.
She wasn’t picking up on the hidden meanings behind words at all — just replying to the literal sounds she heard.

Even young ladies who hadn’t debuted yet were usually better at it.

Now I understand why the Marchioness recommended her.

Calliope remembered meeting Vercia for the first time after her own debut at eighteen.
Among noble ladies, some debuted at sixteen, and some as late as eighteen — Calliope herself had pushed it right to the limit.

Back then, Vercia had been colder, more confident, and sharper.
At that time, there was no awkwardness in her speech.
Although, thinking back, they hadn’t really had real conversations—only a few sharp exchanges, more like verbal sparring.

“Actually, the Marchioness personally asked me to keep an eye on you,” Calliope said gently.

“My aunt?”
Vercia immediately frowned.

Of course, Calliope was lying.
But Circe probably wouldn’t mind if Vercia never realized it.

Most young ladies wouldn’t notice the small slip in Calliope’s words, but Calliope, who had lived a life once before, certainly did.

Thinking back to her past, she remembered: Vercia had always been glued to her maid’s side.
It wasn’t unusual for noble ladies to keep a maid nearby, but with Vercia, it had been almost excessive.
There were even rumors that she wouldn’t meet her fiancé without a maid present.

So… was it because of this?

It seemed likely now.
As Vercia got older, she must have gotten better at hiding it, but she never fully mastered the nuances of social conversation.
Instead, she had become colder and quieter, probably to hide her weakness.

“Yes, the Marchioness worries about you a lot.”

“I’m not a child anymore!
I can handle myself!”

“Of course she knows that.
But you’re her precious niece — it’s only natural she’d worry.”

“Hmph. Even so…”

Even when Calliope subtly hinted that Vercia might be lacking because she was so pampered, Vercia only snorted in irritation, not truly catching the hidden meaning.
Yeah, it’s obvious now.
Calliope smiled to herself, realizing something she hadn’t fully understood before: how much she herself had grown.

Thinking about it… How bad was I back then, if I lost an argument to her?

“Anyway, since you’re here, you should talk with the other young ladies too.
It must be boring sitting alone.”

“Didn’t my aunt tell you?”
Vercia snapped.

Calliope paused, thinking carefully, then leaned in slightly and whispered.

“Here’s what we’ll do.
I’ll give you a little signal during the conversations.”

“…What kind of signal?”

“Just watch my left hand.
If I spread all my fingers, it means it’s something good — you can agree.
If I only fold my index finger, it means it’s something bad — be careful.”

Calliope smiled reassuringly.

“Everyone here today is friendly and easygoing.
You won’t have much trouble.”

Vercia hesitated for a long time but eventually stood up.
Of course she’s bored sitting alone, Calliope thought.

As Calliope watched her, she suddenly realized who Vercia reminded her of.
A smile tugged at her lips.

Ah, that’s right… Carolie.

Laughing quietly to herself, Calliope followed after her.

The other young ladies, who had been chatting in small groups, visibly tensed as Vercia approached.
If Calliope hadn’t been standing behind her, smiling and signaling that it was fine, the girls would have stayed frozen with nerves.

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