Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 56

Regardless of the annoyed expression on Otis’s face, Calliope turned toward Lady Berchia, who still hadn’t moved.

“Lady Berchia, didn’t you say you were here to choose a gift for your father? I thought perhaps Lord Glayderth could help you with that.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Calliope smiled sweetly. Otis looked visibly pained. Asking him to help another woman—when he already avoided women in general—was just cruel.

Those eyes… she’s terrifying.

Still, under Lady Berchia’s unwavering stare, he gave a reluctant nod. Her gaze was utterly devoid of interest—if anything, it resembled the way one would look at a rival from the opposing faction. Cold and indifferent.

With a sigh, he agreed. He had no other plans after this anyway. Lady Berchia, who had been frozen in place, finally approached them.

“Then, I’ll be in your care.”

“Do you have anything specific in mind?”

“I wanted to take a look at ties.”

Her voice was calmer than usual, each word deliberate and unhurried. As Calliope tapped her chin lightly with one finger, she leaned subtly toward Isaac and whispered,

“This is turning out to be quite the entertaining scene, isn’t it?”

She smiled in that ambiguous way—neither fully amused nor indifferent. Isaac, clueless as always, blinked once in response, which she took as agreement.

But something in his demeanor seemed… off. Calliope raised her eyes. His expression—calm as ever—held something uncertain. She studied him quietly. He didn’t look away.

“…Ah.”

Finally recognizing the unease behind his silence, she spoke.

“Was I being inconsiderate?”

“No, not at all.”

“Yes, I was. I mean, having a male friend help pick your fiancé’s clothes is a little…”

“…That’s not… it.”

Isaac lowered his gaze. Traditionally, the engaged couple would choose their outfits together. But Isaac, having no knowledge in such matters, knew he wasn’t any help.

So he had remained silent. But Calliope, for whatever reason, looked at him and smiled teasingly.

“Well then. The Duke of Dylas has blond hair, so red tones would suit him. Nothing too bright, though—something slightly darker would be best.”

“You’ve met my father?”

“I haven’t debuted in society yet, but I’ve had plenty of chances to meet him.”

Otis, ever passionate about fashion, flipped through the catalog and began making suggestions without restraint. His eyes were completely focused on the pages—but Berchia’s eyes never left his fingers turning them.

“Lady Calliope, if the cuffs are going to be diamond, then the handkerchief should—ugh.”

Otis turned his head mid-sentence and froze. Right beside the sofa, Calliope was lightly kissing her fiancé.

He turned away with a snap.

So that’s what the silence was about.

There was a soft smooch as Calliope pulled away and cheerfully asked,

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“What are you doing? In public?”

“What else? A kiss. It’s not even a real one—it was just a peck. We’re engaged. Can’t I kiss my fiancé?”

“Why here, though?”

“He looked a little down.”

Even as she answered Otis, her gaze was still on Isaac. His ears were tinged with red, which made Calliope giggle without meaning to. She reached up and brushed his long bangs aside so they wouldn’t cover his eyes.

“How about now? Feeling a little better?”

“…A bit. Yes.”

“Only a bit? Then I’ll have to fix the rest on the way home.”

“That’s… not what I meant… I mean—yes. Understood.”

Isaac started to shake his head, then met her glittering eyes—and quickly nodded instead.

Otis watched him and clicked his tongue inwardly. He’s already completely under her thumb.

Not that he blamed him. With a woman like her, it was inevitable. Even if he were engaged to her, he probably would’ve ended up the same way… well, maybe not exactly like that, but close enough.

Otis, who had been deep in thought, suddenly caught himself.

Wait. Why am I imagining being engaged to that woman?

Even as a hypothetical, entertaining the idea of being engaged to someone already promised to another was completely out of character for him. It was something he’d never allow in his own code.

Well… we almost were engaged, so I guess it’s not that strange.

While Otis sank into a brief spiral of self-scolding, Calliope had now comfortably leaned against Isaac and was watching Lady Berchia. She was noticeably quiet today. Her voice was calm and collected, her posture neat and proper. Anyone unfamiliar might think she was a shy and gentle young lady from a conservative noble house.

She hasn’t taken her eyes off Otis Glayderth all day.

Calliope lazily shifted her gaze to the side.

Was she like this before?

In the past she remembered, nothing like this had happened. There had never been any rumors about Lady Berchia having feelings for Otis Glayderth, nor had she shown any obvious signs.

Even now, she was staring at him—but her face was so unreadable that it didn’t look like admiration. Had Calliope not returned from the future, she might have missed it altogether.

I’m pretty sure she was engaged to someone else back then. A cousin of the king, I think… what was his name again…?

It wasn’t someone significant enough to recall. Not worth dwelling on. Calliope gave no hint of her observations and quietly finished selecting Isaac’s full ensemble.

After saying goodbye to Lady Berchia and sending Otis off, he paused before stepping into his carriage and leaned down to whisper to Calliope.

“You noticed Lady Berchia kept staring at me, didn’t you?”

Calliope looked up at him without surprise. Of course he had noticed. Someone as perceptive as Otis wasn’t likely to miss something like that.

“And yet you played it off quite shamelessly.”

“Well, I can’t exactly accuse her in public, can I? But seriously… why did you set us up?”

“…Sorry?”

“She always looks at me like she’s ready to skin me alive whenever we cross paths. I get that our families aren’t on the best terms, but I’m still human. It makes me uncomfortable. Please don’t do that again.”

So much for being perceptive.

Calliope smiled vaguely, thinking to herself. As far as she could tell, Lady Berchia had been less intense than usual. But perhaps Otis’s reaction was colored by his well-known discomfort around women.

Still, she couldn’t deny he had been an enormous help today. So instead of saying, You’re hilarious, she simply offered a polite smile and waved him off.

Once Otis’s carriage disappeared, Calliope turned her full attention to Isaac. Since he’d clearly been left out of the quiet conversation, he looked a little sulky. She took the time to cheer him up in the carriage—thoroughly and sincerely.

When he dropped her off at the marquess’s estate, there was a faint bite mark on his jaw.

Nothing unusual happened after their unexpected run-in with Otis and Lady Berchia.

Calliope diligently attended her family lessons and spent time with Isaac. Her shared sword lessons with Lady Berchia also continued without issue—though, admittedly, not much progress was made in terms of friendship.

“You did well today, my lady.”

Susan handed Calliope a towel. As always, after sword training, she was wiping off sweat and preparing to head back. Lady Berchia typically disappeared straight into the house without so much as a farewell.

“Want to have some tea before you go?”

But for some reason, today, instead of heading inside, Lady Berchia approached Calliope after placing her wooden sword back in the rack. Her behavioral patterns were usually easy to read, but her expression was difficult. Calliope tilted her head, uncertain.

Still, when someone of higher status invites you for tea, it’s not something easily declined—especially not when you want to maintain a cordial relationship. So, Calliope nodded politely.

Rather than the drawing room, they sat at a terrace outside the estate. A large tree provided shade, and the breeze was pleasantly cool. Calliope gently pinched her sweat-dampened blouse and fanned it slightly.

“What’s the occasion?”

“……”

Lady Berchia didn’t respond right away.

“We’re both soaked in sweat. Doesn’t seem like the ideal time to sit and drink tea, does it?”

Berchia frowned slightly at Calliope’s light remark.

“What does sweat have to do with drinking tea?”

“Nothing really.”

Most noble ladies hated sweating—and even more so, hated being seen sweaty. It was one thing to sweat during training; quite another to sit down in that state for tea.

“Usually, you disappear the second training ends. What changed today?”

“I wanted to discuss something.”

“Discuss?”

“Yes.”

“With me?”

“Why not?”

“We’re not exactly close.”

“…That’s true.”

Berchia hesitated, her expression twisting slightly, then nodded.

“But if I had to pick the person, I’m closest to among the girls our age… it’d, be you.”

“Ah~.”

Calliope nodded in understanding. She must really not have any friends. Then again, the thought made her smile fade a bit. She wasn’t all that different. In the past, she hadn’t had any real friends either.

As long as she had Isaac, she didn’t need anyone else—and the same went for him. They hadn’t needed “friends” in the traditional sense.

“You have a maid, a duke for a father, and a duchess. If you came to me, an outsider, for advice, that must mean it’s something your family can’t know about.”

“Right. It’s not that serious, though.”

“I figured as much. You wouldn’t confide something important to someone like me.”

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