Chapter 19

“Go, I’m tired.”

“I’ll just stay a little while. I’m really exhausted.”

Briseyes sighed as Callisten rubbed his hair against her thigh.

“Someone might misunderstand if they see us. Go away.”

“Just one minute.”

When she thought about how long it would take him to come all the way from the imperial palace to here at this late hour, her hand that was about to push him away stopped in mid-air.

“Brother Mihail was saying that the Marquis Philia family will no longer remain neutral.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m going to become Emperor.”

“Then you’ll need the power of the Grand Duke Mays family too.”

“I don’t need that.”

He looked up at her firmly. Then he smiled with an enraptured expression and said:

“What I need isn’t the Grand Duchess Mays, but you, Bri.”

“You need Brother Mihail and Father more than me.”

“I need them too. But I need you much more.”

“You’re good at lying. Did you only learn how to lie on the battlefield?”

“Hahaha.”

He laughed at her words as if amused and stared at Briseyes. His eyes were still full of vitality and sparkled like red jewels.

“I won’t lie to you.”

He said this and took her remaining hand, placing it on his head.

“Ugh……”

He stifled his breath to avoid reacting more strongly.

Seeing him appear to be in pain, she deliberately stroked his head.

“What did you promise my father?”

“A duke… title.”

“I see.”

Briseyes suddenly recalled how powerful the Marquis Philia family was. With vast granary regions as their territory, their income was already the highest in the Empire.

They also owned many mines and merchant companies. Moreover, the Marquis Philia family’s influence extended to most businesses in the capital.

“If I help you, what will you give me?”

“I’ll give myself to Bri.”

“Give me something useful.”

He trembled at her words but pretended to be fine and smiled. Every time he moved, the sound of iron friction from the chastity belt made Briseyes think he was truly out of his mind.

“I’ll help you get divorced.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, let’s go to Jeronis’s office together.”

At Callisten’s words, she smirked and removed her hand.

“Why did you stop stroking?”

“The minute passed a while ago. Go back now.”

He sighed regretfully at her words but soon nodded.

“See you tomorrow, Bri. Sweet dreams.”

He said this, caressed Briseyes’s cheek, and left.

⁕⁕⁕

Third period.

It was Administrative Welfare Theory class.

“Is there any student who can answer this question? I’ll give one bonus point to the student who answers correctly.”

Briseyes immediately raised her hand since it was content she had prepared in advance. Normally, since no student other than Briseyes would raise their hand, the professor would have called on her right away.

But this time, Delilah had also raised her hand.

“This is the first time someone other than student Briseyes has raised their hand.”

The professor said with a hearty laugh.

“Usually student Briseyes takes most of the bonus points, so would it be alright if I call on student Delilah first today?”

“Yes.”

Briseyes had an ominous feeling but nodded her head anyway.

“Thank you, Professor!”

Delilah said with a bright smile, and when the professor gestured for her to speak, she began.

“The difference between the two welfare theories lies in how they distinguish who should receive welfare. The first theory considers whether those eligible for welfare are hardworking but poor. The second theory differs in that it considers people who have become poor due to social factors.”

“Correct. In your opinion, student Delilah, which theory do you think is more correct?”

“I think the first theory is correct. People who don’t deserve aid shouldn’t receive help.”

The professor nodded at Delilah’s words.

“Student Briseyes, which theory would you like to focus on?”

“I agree with the second theory. Those who are socially disadvantaged find it difficult to escape the cycle of poverty. This can lead to riots if discontent accumulates.”

“Correct.”

The professor looked back and forth between the two with a satisfied smile.

“I’d like to give points to both of you, but since student Delilah answered first, I’ll give the bonus point to her.”

“Thank you!”

Briseyes sat down, trying hard to maintain her expression. She felt strange seeing Callisten rolling his pen and pretending not to know the answer, even though he surely knew it.

Delilah was someone who had been occasionally mentioned as a genius in the original work.

And Callisten was smart enough to match her.

It was obvious that if she slipped up even a little, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her current position.

In reality, Callisten’s composure came from having learned all the Academy subjects when he was young.

She turned around when she felt paper touch her elbow. Her seatmate Callisten was pushing another unnecessary note toward her.

「 Is the key still in the first drawer beside your bed? 」

She ignored him and looked forward, knowing what he meant. He then pulled his chair closer, pretending to sit up straight while moving very close to her.

“The core of this theory lies in the attitude toward poverty. Whether to view poverty as an individual problem or a social one…”

「 I couldn’t sleep at all. Thinking my key would be in the drawer beside your bed. 」

She ignored his note again and quickly moved her pen, taking notes on what the professor was saying.

“Solving the poverty problem can make the Empire prosperous. For example, in the now-vanished Biaten, they supported poorhouses to raise mercenaries…”

Suddenly, Callisten leaned toward her and whispered very quietly.

“I killed all those mercenaries… mmph…”

“Quiet.”

Briseyes covered Callisten’s mouth. He smiled at her as if even that made him happy.

“Thus, the theory that implementing noblesse oblige helps the entire noble society…”

She sighed and pushed him away. Then she felt strange when she saw Demian stroking Delilah’s head and smiling as if she were cute.

She thought she had moved on, but why did she feel unresolved every time she saw them?

Suddenly, Demian gently bit Delilah’s index finger as she playfully touched his lips, then released it.

At that moment, her eyes met Demian’s.

She turned away and tried hard to focus on the class.

⁕⁕⁕

“Where are you going, Bri?”

It was Demian who stopped Briseyes when class ended.

“I have something to do.”

“If it’s not urgent, let’s go to the mansion. Mother will be alone.”

“You go, Demian.”

“I’m going to the tailor with Dili. She doesn’t have clothes that fit her.”

Delilah had been continuously wearing Briseyes’s clothes.

“Just get her a uniform. How long is she going to wear mine?”

Briseyes decided to think that she had given Delilah her uniform. Yet she felt displeased. It wasn’t just dresses that she was borrowing without permission.

All sorts of jewelry, shoes, and even her books.

“They’re just objects, don’t be so petty.”

Demian’s attitude was even more hateful.

“Go back to the mansion and keep Mother company. She’ll be bored alone.”

“…Alright.”

Briseyes said this and went outside first.

Callisten, who followed her out, tilted his head curiously.

⁕⁕⁕

After boarding the carriage at the main gate, she said:

“To Jeronis’s office.”

Callisten was pleased that Briseyes had deliberately taken his carriage and smiled as he looked at her.

“I thought you weren’t going.”

“Why?”

Callisten smiled at her words as he looked at Briseyes.

“Bri, I’m always watching you.”

She felt dejected, thinking that this perceptive man might have realized her feelings.

“Don’t say anything.”

“Okay.”

She didn’t feel good thinking that he probably knew everything—how she kept being disappointed in Demian and yet was hurt by his actions.

She thought she could cut off her lingering feelings cleanly.

But emotions didn’t seem to be sorted out so easily.

“Bri, won’t you look at me?”

She shifted her gaze to look at him at his words. When Callisten saw her looking at him, he smiled like a pure madman and met her eyes.

“Actually, at my victory ceremony.”

Briseyes was recalling Callisten’s victory ceremony that she couldn’t attend.

“The Emperor told me he would grant me one wish.”

“Ah, right. What did you wish for?”

She was recalling Demian’s wish that she had heard from Ella.

‘Master wished to be able to remain loyal to His Majesty the Emperor forever!’

She remembered that he had made a surprisingly normal wish. She had expected him to wish for marriage to Delilah, or to make her his official mistress, or something like that.

“Are you curious?”

“I’m not curious.”

When Briseyes turned her head away again, he moved to sit beside her this time.

“It’s cramped, move away.”

“My wish was to have you.”

Briseyes turned around in surprise at his words.

“Huh……”

Because of this, she was looking at Callisten with their faces almost touching. Her lips were positioned close enough to touch the tip of his nose.