TWRO 31

Chapter 31

Time passed quickly. The day of the Crown Prince’s inspection was now only one day away.

He was scheduled to stay one night at the Calypso estate following his inspection of nearby territories.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to stress over preparations. Mr. Fred Sheeban had officially accepted the position of butler at House Calypso. Had he not, I would’ve been a mess trying to prepare for the Crown Prince’s arrival—emotionally and logistically.

“What are you thinking about?”

I had assigned Aiden to summarize a newspaper article, but he had already finished and laid his pen down.

“Nothing.”

“You’re a terrible liar, teacher.”

He smiled, the faint scar on his face softening with the expression.

“You’re worried about the Crown Prince’s visit tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“…No.”

A few days ago, Aiden had approached me with a proposal.

‘You should take some time away—cool your head while he’s here.’

I was officially employed by House Calypso, so I agreed without protest. More than that, I didn’t want to face the Crown Prince—not until I was stronger.

“I was just imagining what kind of expressions people will make when they see how much you’ve changed.”

“Me?”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that.

“I hope it leaves those who once mocked you speechless.”

“Just because I’ve learned to read a bit, you think they’ll be shocked? They’ll probably just sneer, saying, ‘Oh look, that idiot’s proud he can scribble his own name.’”

“I don’t know who exactly mocked you, but I doubt they’ll be giving you spelling tests. It’s when they talk to you, observe you—that’s when they’ll realize something’s different. That Aiden Calypso has changed.”

His pitch-black eyes met mine.

So dark they held no glimmer, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

He was always straightforward with his feelings, but when it came to his deeper thoughts, he kept them locked away.

“Of course, there’s still more to learn. Like how to spell delegation of duties correctly, perhaps?”

“…Right.”

His eyes slowly dropped to the notebook again. As he corrected the spelling, he spoke casually:

“You believe in me more than I do.”

“Me?”

“I mean, how much can a dumb guy who just learned to write, and who’s already well past his learning years, possibly learn? It feels like I’m wearing clothes that don’t fit.”

“I don’t understand why you’d think that.”

“Because whenever I see you… it just makes me think that way.”

He looked up again. Our eyes met in the still air.

I suddenly wondered what temperature his gaze carried. It was so dark—I couldn’t tell whether it held warmth or cold.

His voice echoed like a breeze inside a cave, but the tone—oddly enough—felt warm.

“No matter how much I study, I’ll never be able to imitate someone born with grace.”

But it wasn’t bitterness I saw in him.

Rather, his faint smile held both awkwardness and quiet pride.

I was the one thrown into confusion now. And why?

“I think the word admire should include respect in its meaning.”

“…What?”

“After class, when I think about how much I admire you, that’s what comes to mind. You’re younger than me, yet you seem to know everything. At least to me, that’s what the word ‘admire’ has come to mean.”

“…Ah.”

My face flushed red. Aiden’s eyes narrowed mischievously.

“What were you imagining just now, teacher?”

As I pressed the cool back of my hand to my burning cheeks, Aiden glanced at the time and stood up.

“That’s enough class for today. We should get going. The inspection’s tomorrow, but the Crown Prince’s attendants will probably arrive a day early. Let’s not run into them.”

“Yes, let’s.”

I quickly went upstairs to grab my things.

It was time to leave the estate—at least for a short while.

The place I’d chosen to stay during my absence was Eva’s home.

Aiden had offered to book me a hotel, but that felt like too much. So instead, I arranged to pay for my stay by covering the cost of the scarf she had wanted.

Eva lived on the third floor of a public apartment building. It had a tiny kitchen and a single room. Aiden looked troubled—perhaps surprised at how cramped it was.

“You sure you don’t want to stay at the hotel instead?”

“I’m fine. Eva’s place is more than enough.”

It wasn’t safe for a woman to stay alone at a hotel or inn.

Aiden knew that, too. With a sigh, he checked the small kitchen window and scanned the surroundings.

“No one’s climbing in from outside, at least. That’s a relief.”

“It’s just three days.”

“If only you knew how to use a sword, I wouldn’t worry so much. Anyway—Eva, please take good care of her.”

“I will. Don’t worry, Duke.”

Despite Eva’s reassurances, Aiden couldn’t stop glancing around before finally heading for the door.

When I tried to follow him out to say goodbye, he stopped me.

“Go inside and rest.”

“No. I’ll at least see your carriage off.”

“That carriage is parked pretty far away.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just think of it as a short walk.”

The road outside Eva’s apartment was too narrow for carriages, so we had to walk a bit.

As I walked beside him, his usually brisk pace slowed so we could match steps.

A strange silence hung between us.

Not uncomfortable—but charged.

Just as we both opened our mouths to speak, Aiden abruptly pulled me into a nearby alley.

Before I could make sense of what was happening, I heard his voice.

“Duke Calypso—what brings you to this part of town?”

The voice belonged to someone all too familiar—Peterson, the Crown Prince’s attendant.

“Personal business,” Aiden replied.

“Personal? Visiting a friend, perhaps?”

This was a poor neighborhood.

His question was laced with mockery—insinuating that Aiden had friends here because of his past.

“And what about you, Peterson? What brings you here?”

“His Highness might inspect this area tomorrow. I came to make sure there aren’t any security concerns. Are preparations for His Highness’s visit complete?”

“I’ve done what I can. Not sure if it’ll meet expectations.”

“His Highness is a gracious man. He values the effort over the result. I’m sure your attempt at hospitality will be… commendable.”

He was being polite, but the subtext was clear: You’re a former slave, so even if everything’s a disaster, we’ll forgive it because you’re ignorant.

I hadn’t known Peterson to be this condescending before.

“I guess I’m only now seeing his true face.”

Leaving House Estarion had taught me many things. This was one of them.

Money, power, and prestige mean even the lowest man will still bow to you.

When I was still Selena Estarion, I hadn’t known. I didn’t need to.

My fists clenched as I watched Aiden endure the insult. I wanted to jump out and scold Peterson.

But Aiden had hidden me to protect me. I couldn’t dishonor that.

“That man won’t be wounded by mere words.”

How humiliated must Aiden feel right now?

And how powerless I felt—it made me angry at myself.

“I agree,” Aiden said. “A man like you still being allowed to speak so freely—that’s a testament to His Highness’s mercy.”

“W-What did you say?”

“If you were my servant, I’d have cut out your tongue or whipped you by now. Education really is a blessing—lets you punish people in more civilized ways.”

I caught a glimpse of his smirk, his shoulders rising in a mock shrug.

The thought of Peterson turning red with rage gave me some satisfaction.

“You’d do well not to cling to your war-hero status for too long. It’ll fade into a forgotten past. In the end, you’re just a former slave who got lucky.”

“We’ll see.”

Footsteps echoed, then faded away.

Once Peterson was gone, Aiden turned toward the alley.

“You probably shouldn’t leave Eva’s house anymore.”

His usual smirking demeanor was gone. His face was grim and hard.

Ashamed that he’d seen me witness that moment, I could only nod in silence.

After parting ways with Aiden at the alley’s edge, I returned to Eva’s place.

“Selena, could you help me with this?”

“Of course.”

She was prepping dinner, so I quickly washed my hands and went to assist.

As we worked, I caught glimpses of the bruises on her arms again. They were fading but not completely gone.

“It’s none of my business. Don’t get involved.”

She clearly didn’t want me to notice, either.

I sat at the table, trying to ignore the knot in my chest.

Eva sat across from me, stealing glances.

“Make yourself at home. Thanks to you staying here, the Duke gave me a pretty generous sum.”

She chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed by her own bluntness.

Then—

Bang! Bang!

A loud knock rattled the door.

My breath caught in my throat. Eva stood abruptly, her face darkening.

“Please, go into the room.”

“What’s going on? If it’s dangerous, shouldn’t we stick together?”

“It’s personal.”

Bang! Bang!

The knocking didn’t stop. It shook the entire apartment.