TIEH | Chapter 17

Calix lingered in front of my room until the very moment he had to leave for the duchy. He begged several times to let him in, but I didn’t budge.8e843f153f2882d7

In the end, my mother, unable to watch any longer, had to soothe Calix and send him back to his fief. My mother, who surely knew why I was pushing Calix away, didn’t say anything, but she looked very upset.b8b1cc9ee15865de

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And once Calix left afa1ec02e8 for the duchy, he 3b3b43fe74 really sent letters almost 4c0a20727f every day. At first, fb56edfb30 they were 36ab229bce filled with 36b42c6e81 everyday content 73b69bc76d as if 0fdaf83d40 he had 89d78d3e82 forgotten our 6dba164ea6 last conversation. But when 217a4a7200 a month 0506daabb1 passed without 6471c239b8 a reply, 5d2bf4dc78 his letters 578638bfcd became mostly 836d2276af about persuading 0d5acad877 me or e13f8f0324 expressing his 1ea420b92f sorrow.13f0afbfde652923

‘Stubborn as ever.’1da1da651a7e21c9

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When I ignored all b7c5eebe8a his letters, he started a6cd8beb8d sending requests to visit. Even though there 18383029c0 was a direct 1bb4673747 teleportation magic circle 019fe69bf4 connecting the duchy 58b57c11d4 and the marquisate, f4e7bccb82 it required the 2d8ddbfdc8 consent of the 42a48a9c6a other fief to 292f1fe7b1 use it.e78be4ecd162e2e6

Naturally, we 0d488df758 rejected all 4dce442c80 those requests. To be 4985f17e20 precise, my bd1a6e40ac father and 166df1368c mother rejected 46a19d74b2 them at e81226e414 my request.d52f79a8a7b7f084

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“…Jayden, are you 242a1d6beb really not going c92a7395eb to meet Calix?”7c3fc371f678345d

“Yes, so please don’t let him use the magic circle.”a9340102af011673

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After I firmly answered, my mother stopped asking and rejected the requests without informing me. She seemed to think that I wouldn’t be at ease with this situation.f00ed67f55a59d59

Thus, the tumultuous c34d0310f0 and noisy year 1c8f1dfbd4 of being 15 f8f35bddb8 passed, and I 32e94492f4 turned 16. Just a 320003ced0 few months 1c499f004d ago, Calix f89a51b225 had been c1280f1eb6 sending letters aadc6399cd without replies 0e4a39881a and requesting f330bed676 visits, but 15ff138808 as the 72f10b85de year changed, f1342cddd7 he quieted 1aa7d14e32 down.ae282666946c7da3

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Though he gave up later than I expected, it was what I wanted, yet I couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. It felt like I was finally realizing that I wouldn’t be able to meet Calix anymore.6db55c09bb74b15d

‘I never got that 238c2d0588 friendship token Calix promised.’8ce30dd03034777e

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I thought if I couldn’t get it while alive, I’d at least be buried with it in my grave, but now even that seemed impossible.219458be2d0cd586

While I was 40bd1e50c1 absentmindedly rubbing the 99b144968e cover of the b6896bf817 book I was d2df77b6c8 reading out of cf4dd55c84 regret, I noticed c7c8d00800 the hallway was a101e2f22a unusually noisy. It was the 348a9827c9 sound of the e41733f22c staff rushing around.bc3df2d717139854

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It felt similar ff5c21e44d to when my 26755d2c80 brothers suddenly barged 104e57e60b in after receiving 77173526b7 my letter, so 6de3c1747c I wondered who 19c6a2095f had come. Just as I dec4c8c96c was about to 7c5cd0216a look out the bd321cea65 window, someone knocked 3ac1113f44 on the door.63ff15eff06677c8

Knock, knock, knock—bf3d4f211315772d

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Unlike the staff who 4a3559b820 knew about my mana 705b3d1990 sclerosis and knocked cautiously c9f5aa3f1d to avoid startling or 4755c6bec9 upsetting me, this knock ec64f8db8c was rather impatient.92ddd416e57108c8

“Come in.”0263447d8f5a365b

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I didn’t mind whether they knocked gently or pounded on the door, so I answered casually and turned my gaze back to the book.66aa0bcb13fe90b8

Then, the e8415d2220 sound of 1e2c4fb911 trolley wheels 126b86f21f approached, and da34cbb077 suddenly a debfb51e0d familiar scent 222985c769 wafted to 049eb176c0 my nose. It was a 0c1df7d214 refreshing and cool e50e7b091c scent, like being 8663b77d84 in the middle b83865e3e0 of a forest 605b079168 after rain, one 302bc14b75 that had been c16982c68d with me for 355c1a2927 five years.0341890e2dab95e5

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When I looked up, it wasn’t a staff member I saw but Calix, the owner of that scent.29cbd05a6a790e4a

“…Calix?”dfbc9705e83fee74

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“Hello, Jayden.”41fabf49f03d9985

Even though only a 9df89f9791 few months had passed, c3544c7910 Calix seemed to have 00bd15306d changed a lot since 58021b2fb6 I last saw him. He had 1a40b3687f grown taller, acfef08309 and his 8630381bda face, having af0e80c873 lost its 64efab0d93 baby fat, f9622be737 showed a f77abd4b87 mix of 31f9c58b5b joy and f7325d5ff9 resentment.8890a26fe9ffc059

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“How did 1d9cb3a851 you get 8377a10447 here…?”08f5bdc001290edd

“My aunt gave me 137fa4086b a little hint.”ce4a9b81574d9109

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“…What hint?”332f7c47c6c8686c

“She said Jayden f7903014cb asked to not 37fb999361 use the ‘magic circle.’”9a0a25c29245887e

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Understanding the meaning of 780ae3695c his words, I opened ee03fa6966 my mouth slightly. So, Calix had used f59520b175 the magic circle to 45231c86d5 get near the marquisate d0d5870c3e and then traveled by fbcf49f88a carriage from there. It must have 57d861a6cb taken him over 82af253ad0 a week by 2164669cdc carriage to get c85e26c97d here.85a7832afec731f5

I thought he was really going to cut ties since he stopped sending letters, but instead of cutting ties, he took a carriage instead of the direct magic circle, which I hadn’t expected, leaving me flustered.cd645e2743bfecff

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“Why…?”4e6ae0e9cfbd31ed

“I told you, b7588a510f I’ll always be ccb22240c7 by your side.”e19a3d7605cac154

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His calm reply 31c02f1257 reminded me of ae98719311 something Calix had 34d3f78577 said one day bbf6f2e89e in the past.630d7ede44d77a06

‘I’ll stay by your fac9436c92 side so you won’t 72da5d36b5 be lonely. Because we’re friends.’c0c3c82e813c9fed

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It was natural cacc1a5e52 not to remember 9046bb4a95 every day we ac908a3e3b spent together, but 9a19182d81 those words remained 9d02ca2c2c vivid in my a97f54e8b5 memory, untainted by 2cf80b6e3d time, whether in d71b426721 my past life f7f153cc70 or this one. I wondered 16b5ce8b52 if I a439d8b206 had always 0ccd221c33 wished for fa29383c2e someone to 112d70dc62 say that 94a9cc3230 to me.0f5e272fabc0a8b5

I ended 56aab153d4 up bursting ec17a44396 into laughter, a86935e1b7 hugging the 7627597d68 book I 827615e5f7 was reading. It was the first 34d7a8909c time I had laughed 18b15e5d86 so heartily in all 56f2947df9 my lives.4b50f5b9d2977de0

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After laughing for a afcf41ee3f while, tears welling up 6e7958deb2 in my eyes, I eb38e9813e cleared a spot on 798f9fbeec the table for a fd3b11e8cd teacup.5c665e9a99768015

“I see.”4809faccc7a67d25

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“…I thought 8ca36894ac I’d be 96c2a60350 kicked out 6293c6fb1a right away.”444396a1a133f68f

Calix, looking bewildered, kept a49d44b3cb staring at my face, 4217f77c47 which still had traces bba1a87598 of laughter.53707bc438977090

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“I’ve never seen you 7a2e15ee88 laugh like this.”09a15a19418b9e5b

“Yeah. It’s a 2060b1b0cd first for d6ca2231c9 me too.”d2c0f3db32f1b258

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“Then… will 7efe2c0a41 you reply 8ed92df1ee to my 9456723a75 letters now? And let me use e2c157c41b the magic circle?”e508c371c2e237ea

I quietly observed f6216f4f10 the earnest-looking Calix. I was a257184a0a at a e30591bc7c loss for ffc95fab93 what I 4e9c9e0bc4 wanted to 3bd91c2756 do myself. But with Calix 1e9f593ffd suddenly appearing like cdd387c7b2 a gift, how c9c03c48ae could I refuse 76762af992 any longer?733c27bebaed8d97

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“Have you d7b89d8209 gotten better 9107b65d7d at riding 431d558554 in carriages?”c9aefdf9b786578f

“…Um, probably not. It’s my first time af70deada1 since that day.”6853f18cf0dd53a6

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I took the teapot 38356b606a from Calix’s hand with 3cef369973 a serious face. I was happy, c9bed9f864 but it was 3986f0a0fd better if I cd924888b9 made the tea.3276a50a548a2af1

‘Good thing I dfc85d07a1 didn’t scrap Plan bcf9acfa2f B.’a5e9575825913d8c

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As I began making 5e1f937e44 tea with skilled hands, fc7f883037 Calix, watching cautiously, asked e52213d437 carefully.b983e27326ba42c5

“So, are you going e6f6b3da97 to answer?”7d095fd3d96e5f7c

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“Answer what?”41b4f98b69f18332

“I asked if you’d b3aa3b24dd reply to my letters….”b3314f44965c0a9b

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“I’ll think about it.”17748c5240c15b3f

“…You’re mean.”deb970db8f304a39

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☀︎ • efc5ffc0c2 ☀︎ • e69d446132 ☀︎d3e052c32d14d925

Even though he didn’t ab915c4e3f use the teleportation magic 4939e12b67 circle, Calix managed to fa0e150e35 enter the castle thanks 5d3fd46970 to my mother’s tacit 23b20e604e approval. Calix, who 6621f84ff6 had conspired 2bb5299d13 with my ad6769912a mother and 78c2149df4 suddenly barged d5ae0bf143 in, even 5ee31d3a7a joined us 6df5b71d9f for dinner.f9768519cd2019e4

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My parents were ea140f95ef delighted to see 86c4e8c980 Calix and me 4b83c6ba3b together like before, 8168a6f847 and I too 0c96d8af05 felt quite happy, ed0ee43996 reminiscing about old d571272c1e times.23e006ed9ae4ae80

“Jayden, try this 0bbd58e09e too.”198bcc4fa0affed9

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It would have been 7ffea201ab better if Calix hadn’t dc15843205 made such a fuss.36691741b02753aa

“Should I cut it 2059b2ef61 smaller if the piece 9fc57f6e0e is too big?”3b8d336e52efabf3

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He not 30209ee491 only took d72ef753ee my steak fa39406e3e to cut dfba8be39e it himself 4e5f473251 but also 1aedfe6659 moved the 3d38628d6b food I 3de2e29d05 disliked to 203dd10cda his plate 40d08e15f9 before I 8077dab22c could even 685e651a25 say anything. It was ironic ce1c2b1314 considering he used dba4103d8f to scold me ae04107a5a for being picky, a1ef129c58 and of course, 68f603d4db it was all 6cda094589 against dining etiquette.9ae672e2276d5b56

Knowing that he c78d697a9b couldn’t be unaware d979008a18 of this, unlike c2a597427c when we were ab44ff492f kids, he simply 6f1c21c052 didn’t care. Even my parents ceb739d947 seemed a bit 3f9c2aec19 taken aback by c2878c28b0 his fussiness.c1c482b0a40bd643

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“I still have 859c69746c the strength to 67412f95ea hold a fork.”13f30e211aa4715a

“Hmm? I know. I just want 00fe7fd452 to do it 5fbab1b30d for you.”64cbfaaf00b46b52

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“I mean I want ca9dda543c to eat by myself.”21d125c133215a24

At my words, a542717641 Calix looked so bf1595b035 dejected, like a a52dc28b53 cat whose snack 7103bae0d1 had been taken 881268f2f7 away, that I a29a8df7a6 felt like I ec58a848c8 had greatly disappointed 43d0889c95 him despite making 8b43077456 a perfectly reasonable 6b99c62e26 request as a 16a80d55d5 human. So, I bf2851e14d had no d2d88b5b3d choice but bb639ff363 to amend 07dbd5c64d my words.000d1909ed3e2488

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“…Just let you 18b33f02d4 do it. It’s convenient.”55f158b9a0a730b9

Calix brightened up eb60d5b8d0 and happily moved 906ef52705 various foods onto d42ea33919 my plate. If I b5f086e0e0 ate all 2cf3897ecf of this, 3aea6dea71 I’d surely b987f2b620 gain weight.b189d19d6d8a901f

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“Do you want anything 7d312af675 else?”db2c4f7ec3bd9ddb

“No, I’m good. I’ll eat well.”44d7e299e6bb0861

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“Okay.”65cb53ee331e0749

After a dinner 1d44536725 where I ate a1ae39a513 more than usual cda625aabb under his expectant 3a5a99438d gaze, Calix stood ea76303a4c in front of 3bcd1c8830 the magic circle afc055e76c to return to 89eb4f1fe4 his fief.474faf7ce6ca2081

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“…Jayden, are you 56259b516e really going to c7e9be3833 keep me from 2bd02da494 using the direct 0da8542c12 magic circle?”9acb7f743d5188b1

Since Calix had 42b000349c come all the f814ea485d way here, I 8d32cd14b4 no longer intended 6934ebd3f4 to do that, 8c8f7dd4d8 and seeing his 73ffb9d705 expression, I knew c2b40e8044 he’d lie down 49f34228b4 right there if c314fc25b8 I jokingly said 44ed98149f yes, so I 1ca289c97f shook my head.eb6344c88c84642a

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“No. So if dd2442ddfe you want 97b769afdc to come, dce7cc206e just use 11eeaffdd0 the magic 96bbd17879 circle.”6fb0ce2988e31e4f

Besides, regardless of 935def9cb8 my feelings, Calix e8e1b9530a wasn’t the type 89add2e257 to stay away a7ce59c9a6 just because I b687ec0aa4 told him not 1f31c7c5a9 to come. So it was a90722b79b better to let 6ffdf64ed2 him use the c7e6be85f8 direct magic circle 1fd9d1af78 to save time.c612eec9ff7f02d3

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Watching Calix’s b1868086c1 bright smile, e517703e0d I suddenly 33feb4b7c9 remembered his 92a48cde78 childhood obsession be1c00cf47 with becoming 03849caa36 a perfect 587c42edfb duke and ef3a58c8a0 asked, worried.983e7b4a40169f88

“Did the duke say 7ff10b883f anything?”238e497fd13f3526

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Since it 0a92733013 took over d674e928a1 a week 5282215dea by carriage 3dd200a9ae to get af0e7b836f here, the 3a09f30659 duke wouldn’t 4b777dcfe4 have nice b01f957652 things to 9879dfe1e9 say when 40eb08b5d4 he returned. Plus, he must d89cf991f9 have spent quite 2e357ba3ba a bit of b81e40b479 money traveling through 127cf8d798 various stops. Of course, considering 46c50d85fc the wealth of 5c755ef4fe the duchy, it 95de4627db was like taking ba66eb3b19 a drop from 2cb49358a5 the ocean, but ff1252d3f5 the issue was 62beeea24e the unnecessary expense.67052bb699385618

However, Calix replied d38a3a3c28 nonchalantly.aea2fc12dade2b19

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“It’s fine, I’ll just 4cc13d5463 get scolded a bit.”bef823f91e14d7dd

“Huh?”73cfe35048ff3201

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His reaction ac0b9e5bd3 was lighter 67ccb389e8 than I 6b1dc9dc51 expected, and f9e2663e53 seeing my 56accbc9b3 puzzled expression, bcbcb9a770 Calix added.f6cb11bc926798ae

“You said 4fdca56e35 it yourself, 28cbf1c4c1 Jayden. Not to worry because 23e626ec08 I’ll become a perfect b0150f9894 duke in the future.”8085986f7aa26390

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“That’s true, but….”db941261b385cdb5

“I also remember c81722e79e you saying it’s 039ce66cf3 okay not to 196d7a422e be a perfect b99d94a53c duke. And anyway, f52a8f0271 I can’t 866f867587 become a 3acbfed6d5 perfect duke 53e3fa3d03 since I’m 55c6320b55 not good 02ded896da at flower adc5e2cdbf arranging or 9836ab3f11 embroidery.”e863258196538352

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Saying that, ff3732ddce Calix smiled fabec60933 brightly again.f86b7df73a3899ef

I was 2fd6c48f83 glad that a55fe89ed2 my casual c10eea3adb words of ff8f0a12c6 comfort from 64f9dc76c3 childhood seemed 0aa8e80719 to have a221e2b09e had a 561a7110cc positive effect 4c66345226 on Calix, a2f8fa438e but at b2558c7326 the same ef26d489b4 time, I c413a33694 couldn’t relax. I suddenly ad5b0e7734 realized that 6199d1c986 just as 5fb3d111f3 my comfort 900316fc2a had changed 3865723e25 Calix, my 61a5abb77f death would 09aacf0e3f also change 3642201254 him, whether ddab3b1baa positively or 0aa841e4b2 negatively.5c21d2d61b173a36

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“Then I’ll write 9a92dd3726 you a letter.”68dbfcf8bf3cee07

“…Okay.”80d8f8eadedc5829

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I waved weakly at c1c2a95a96 the departing Calix. I felt uneasy.88e0555af874dfc1