Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 44

Calliope paused from admiring the array of rings, bracelets, and earrings she had laid out before her. She pushed a diamond bracelet to the side with a resolute expression and said firmly:

“I’m not backing down either.”

“I’ll say it again… There’s no need for you to spend this much money on me—”

Before Isaac could finish, Calliope raised a finger to silence him.

“You’re my fiancé. Saying you’re not worth spending this much on means that I, your fiancée, am not worth it either.”

Taken aback, Isaac raised his voice slightly for the first time.

“That’s absolutely not what I meant.”

Calliope let out a soft laugh as she looked at his face, now taut with emotion.

“Just as you think I’m worth it, I feel the same about you. Simply for being who you are.”

With those words, she quietly fastened the diamond bracelet—earlier set aside—onto his wrist. Isaac, lost in thought, didn’t stop her. Calliope carefully examined the bracelet and added it to the list for purchase.

While she continued to toy with his wrist, Isaac seemed to come to a conclusion. With gentle hands, he began unfastening the bracelet.

“Is this… related to what you said before?”

“What do you mean?”

Isaac glanced down at the clear diamond. Calliope once told him it reminded her of his eyes, though he thought his could never reflect such a beautiful light.

“You said there was someone I reminded you of.”

Calliope lifted her gaze from the now-unfastened bracelet, a slight look of surprise in her eyes—perhaps the first time he had caught her off guard.

His expression, as she looked up, wasn’t bitter or sad. Of course not. To him, she was still just a recently-betrothed fiancée. There was only a calm and detached composure on his face.

“Why do you think that?”

“Because… I can’t think of any other reason you’d treat me this kindly.”

Calliope hesitated. She couldn’t quite tell what kind of answer would be best for him right now. In the past, the two of them had quietly grown used to each other’s presence. They would take walks on secluded forest paths, read books in the family’s library, or stroll through parks in the capital.

Though there hadn’t been many words between them, they slowly became accustomed to one another. Isaac had given her time—never approaching too closely nor leaving her side. He simply stood by until she was ready.

Her trust in him had grown from that. A belief that, even if she was slow or hesitant, he would always be there. Calliope wanted to offer him that same kind of trust in return.

“Do I really seem that way to you?”

“…A little.”

She gave a faint, bittersweet smile. But the Isaac she remembered—and loved—from before her regression and the Isaac in front of her were one and the same. Sensitive and perceptive as always, he had already picked up on the small cracks in her facade. My man really doesn’t miss a thing.

“If it felt that way, I’m sorry. But I promise you this: to me, my fiancé—my future husband—is only you.”

Calliope picked up a diamond ring that had been lying in front of her. Even in a moment like this, she was determined to place something in his hand. Isaac found it a bit ridiculous, yet as he looked down at the ring now snugly fitted to his finger, he felt a strange sense of comfort.

Someone who would smile at him even if he had nothing, someone who didn’t need a reason to care. A kind of affection he’d never had in his life. His fiancée, pale and lovely, slid a ring onto his finger as though making a proposal.

“Just as you once promised me.”

Isaac nodded without protest. Thirsting for even the smallest drop of affection, he decided to be satisfied with just that. Even though she hadn’t outright denied that she might be seeing someone else in him, he felt he shouldn’t ask for more. Just as he had been forced into this engagement by family duty, he believed she, too, must have her reasons for loving someone who wasn’t truly him.

That day, Calliope examined not only Isaac’s clothes and jewelry but even his shoes and sword before letting him go. It was rather endearing to see someone with such stamina look slightly worn out. She thought they had enjoyed themselves, but one thing weighed on her mind.

He seemed oddly subdued after that conversation.

The comment about seeing someone else in him… Calliope had assumed that the present-day Isaac didn’t harbor romantic feelings toward her yet. Early on, he was simply committed to the idea of an engagement. Any affection between them would gradually grow over time.

“Still, it seems to have had some effect.”

For him to start noticing such things meant that either affection or possessiveness had started to take root. Though his gloominess tugged at her heart, it was, in fact, good news. Calliope mused in the carriage as she returned from sending Isaac off.

“Well then, it’s time to move on to the next step.”

Moments like this… are perfect for stirring things up.

Lately, a strange tension had settled over the Esteban estate. The dynamic had long seemed perfect: the Count, a close confidant of the King; his capable eldest son who managed the household in his place; and the quiet, withdrawn younger son who lived as though he didn’t exist.

But now, the presence of that younger son—Isaac—who had lived like a ghost in the family, was beginning to grow. As a result, the servants who had always ignored him were starting to become uncertain and cautious. This shift was one of the main reasons for the uneasy air that filled the estate.

“That’s a ring I haven’t seen before.”

The comment came from Erben, whom Isaac had run into by chance in the hallway. Instinctively, Isaac curled his fingers. Behind Erben, a servant glanced at his hand and briefly looked impressed. The ring on Isaac’s finger was clearly expensive.

Isaac hesitated, unsure if he should reply. But sensing that Erben expected an answer, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“Lady Anastas gave it to me…”

“Of course she did!”

Erben snapped, making no effort to hide his irritation. Isaac’s shoulders tensed. Lately, any recognition he’d received within the household had far less to do with him and more to do with his fiancée, Calliope Anastas.

After returning from what had only been their second meeting, Isaac had seemed subdued and tired. As he walked alone back to his small room, the servants watched him go and clucked their tongues, thinking, of course—what did we expect? But the very next day…

“A delivery has arrived from the House of Anastas.”

Gifts had started arriving under Isaac’s name. The clothes were made from the finest fabrics reserved for royalty and high-ranking nobles, embroidered with gold thread and adorned with gemstones. The jewelry was crafted solely from pure diamonds and gold, and the shoes gleamed with the smooth finish of fine silk.

But the most jaw-dropping of all was a letter that had arrived with the diamonds:

“To my fiancé, whose eyes shine just like diamonds.”

Even setting aside how embarrassingly cheesy the message was, the items were all of the highest quality—far too luxurious to be stuffed into Isaac’s tiny room. What would he do if his fiancée suddenly came to visit and saw where he kept them?

Left with no choice, Erben reluctantly gave Isaac a dressing room. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it was far better than the servant’s quarters Isaac had been living in until then. The fact that the dressing room was bigger than his actual room was, frankly, ridiculous.

That woman from House Anastas… I thought she had no real influence, being the daughter of a previous wife.

But clearly, that wasn’t the case. The scale of her spending made that obvious. If she were as neglected in her family as Isaac was in his, there’s no way she’d be in a position to send him such lavish gifts—or have him moved to a better room. As the younger brother who had once been treated like a curse began to rise in standing, Erben’s frustration grew.

Erben stared at Isaac in silence for a long moment. Just then, a servant came hurrying down the hallway toward them.

“Young master… um…”

The servant whispered something into Erben’s ear, and his face twisted in anger.

“Let me guess—your oh-so-wonderful fiancée has sent more gifts?”

“No, sir… that’s not it.”

The servant bowed, clearly nervous under Erben’s glare.

“Lady Anastas has come in person. She’s arrived with the gifts herself.”

“What?”

Even Isaac raised his eyebrows at that. From where they stood in the hall, they had a clear view of the estate’s front gates. A series of carriages was rolling in—first a white one that clearly belonged to House Anastas, followed by four brown ones of unknown origin.

From the lead carriage stepped a girl in a vibrant red dress—Calliope Anastas herself. It was Erben’s first time seeing her in person.

Calliope stood at the grand entrance, bathed in warm sunlight, and opened a lace parasol. Her maid Susan and footman Jack reached out to take it from her, but Calliope ignored them and rested it lightly on her shoulder. She gave a playful twirl, then opened her arms wide and called out cheerfully:

“My love! I’m here!”

The lace parasol fluttered in the breeze. Hearing her voice echo down the corridor, Isaac sighed and placed a hand on his forehead.

Erben and Isaac made their way to the entrance at a brisk pace. Calliope, dressed in dazzling red and flanked by one maid and one footman, looked radiant in the sunlight. But instead of greeting Erben first, as etiquette would require, she walked straight past him and addressed Isaac.

“What happened to the outfit I bought you? Why are you dressed like that?”

“…It was uncomfortable. I’ll go change right away.”

Isaac was wearing his usual plain white shirt, choosing it over the ornate clothes she had given him. The real reason, of course, was to avoid provoking Erben.

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