Chapter 10
‘It can’t be helped. I’m already the villainess—what’s a little more infamy?’
Now was the moment to assert the absolute justification of her actions.
She wasn’t alone anymore. She had Noah to protect.
‘To do that, I can’t lose my place in the Marquis’s estate.’
If expelled, even her last shield—being a direct descendant of House Ophensa—would crumble. The young Marquis wouldn’t make her departure gentle, either.
‘I need an ally to keep me rooted here. The Vice Tower Master is the best bet.’
This was why she’d timed her scheme for his visit.
‘He’s always seen me as Ophensa’s rightful heir.’
Marcel, the half-elf Vice Tower Master, had loyally served generations of Tower Masters. He revered the Ophensa bloodline’s magical prowess as essential to the role.
After Calyphe’s mother died, he’d clung to hope that the wayward girl would awaken to her duty.
‘If I meet even a sliver of his expectations, he’ll block the young Marquis’s efforts. At least buy me time.’
A permanent solution would come later. For now—
Calyphe waited calmly as the pale-faced Vice Tower Master finally spoke.
“Your intent is… clear, Lady Calyphe. But why record Baron Colben’s confession?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
She rested a hand on Noah’s shoulder. The boy stiffened.
“To clear our child’s name.”
“Our child?”
The word clanged dissonantly from Calyphe’s lips. Servants exchanged shocked glances—all except Noah, whose cheeks burned crimson as he stared up at her with undisguised delight.
‘I heard she abused the boy… Why does he look at her like that?’ Marcel studied Noah’s reaction, troubled.
“…You reduced a noble to this state… for him?”
His gaze shifted to Baron Colben, unconscious not from the cane strikes to his shins, but from humiliation.
‘She didn’t slap or kick him like before. She used formal discipline.’
The deliberate avoidance of his face spoke volumes—this wasn’t petty vengeance, but a calculated defense of the child.
“Correct.”
Calyphe’s voice rang through the hall as she addressed the crowd.
“Mark this: Harm Noah, and you harm me. Adjust your conduct accordingly.”
Silence.
“Vice Tower Master, Young Marquis. We’ll retire now. Any grievances can wait.”
Her exit was regal, devoid of a culprit’s guilt. The stunned assembly let her pass.
“Come, Noah.”
“…Yes!”
She departed, leaving the Baron’s mopping-up to others. Only then did Marcel exhale.
‘Has she finally matured?’ The thought stirred unexpected emotion. But—
“How… undignified.”
The young Marquis’s smirk snapped Marcel back to reality.
“Not at all.” He straightened. “This is typical of Lady Calyphe.”
A missed opportunity. Had she shown this spine earlier, they might have salvaged the Ophensa line together.
“Let’s tend to the Baron first.”
Marcel approached the unconscious noble. While his healing magic couldn’t match divine miracles, it sufficed for flesh wounds.
As his hand hovered over the injuries, his mage-trained senses prickled.
‘This magic…’
Not unfamiliar. A resonance from years past.
‘Impossible. This is Calyphe’s mana!’
The same energy that had vanished when she became magically inept.
“Vice Tower Master?”
“Y-Young Marquis. Touch here.”
At Marcel’s urging, Kaiman pressed a hand to the wound.
“…I sense nothing. What’s amiss?”
“It’s… gone.”
The trace had evaporated. Marcel frowned.
“…A false alarm. Wishful thinking, perhaps.”
He excused himself hastily. Behind him, Kaiman stroked his chin.
“Calyphe… Still a thorn.”
The Vice Tower Master’s softened stance irked him. Variables were pests.
‘She can’t stay.’
A solution lay ready—marriage. Exile her to the borderlands through a political union. Multiple candidates sprang to mind.
“Time to propose matches.”
With the estate in uproar, I took Noah shopping.
“Welcome back, Lady Calyphe!”
The boutique staff fawned as we entered. VIP treatment—perfect for splurging on Noah’s wardrobe.
‘Today’s the day! Time to dress him like the prince he is!’
My gaming self had bankrupted herself for his pixel outfits. Now, with real gold? Glorious.
But before I could speak, attendants paraded pastel dresses.
“Custom designs per your request, my lady!”
“I never ordered these.”
“B-but your deposit for ‘pure, innocent styles’…”
Memories flooded back—Calyphe’s past self scheming: ‘That man prefers muted tones. Lure him with this aesthetic.’
Possessor’s drawback: random inconvenient recollections.
“Not today. Clothes for him.” I nudged Noah forward.
“F-for me?”
“Pick anything.”
Noah hesitated, then produced a grubby pouch from his pocket.
“Can I… use this?”
Inside: buttons, glass shards, three copper coins.
“Miss, that’s hardly—”
I kicked the clerk’s shin.
“Plenty! We’ll take the whole store.”
Noah’s smile outshone the trinkets. As he browsed, system alerts flashed:
[Noah’s Affection +10]
[Current Affection: 0]
[Hidden Route Unlocked!]
Colben’s takedown had reset the negative scale. Better yet:
**[Synchronization with ‘Calyphe’ Removed]
[New Quest: Hidden Ending]
Objectives:
1.Reach Affection 100
2.Secure Guardian Before Noah’s 9th Birthday
Failure: Death]**
‘Calyphe’s free! Now just survive.’
Short-term? Manageable. Long-term?
‘Kaiman knows I’m digging in. His countermove…’
Political marriage. The original plot’s trap. But two could play that game.
I needed leverage—a high-status husband to legitimize my stay. Someone like…
The silver-haired swordsman from Noah’s random events. The one who boosted his skills before vanishing.
‘Earring on one ear. Vision impairment. Owns a knight order—must be a count.’
His training quote: “I’ll teach you. My knights don’t follow mediocrity.”
Perfect candidate. Now to find him.
Moonlight bathed the capital’s skyline as a man addressed his communication stone.
“Report.”
“—No issues, my lord. Your arrival will set society abuzz. Prepare for fresh rumors.”
“Heron. Silence.”
The aide chuckled. “Still sore about the Calyphe marriage gossip?”
“Enough.”
He severed the connection.
Alone, he traced the silver earring in his drawer—legacy of a vow.
“Alone with that woman? Never.”
