IBDF 08

Chapter 8

Whether Callios had no strength left to resist, or whether he was actually waiting for someone to approach him first, he remained still, letting me hold his hand.

I tightened my grip on his hand and continued speaking.

“I’ll help you.”

“The doctor turned pale and ran off in a rush.”

“He hasn’t been outside in over half a year. He doesn’t even eat properly. Something must be wrong.”

“If the rumors about his health are true… what will happen to the Duke’s family?”

It had been three days since Callios regained consciousness. In the secluded corners of the mansion, the servants whispered their speculations to one another.

Strictly speaking, gossiping about the master’s family was forbidden. But they couldn’t control the secret murmurs that circulated quietly among themselves.

“Can someone who’s too sick to come outside inherit a title?”

One servant, chewing bread, lowered his voice to ask.

“The master doesn’t have any other sons. If that happens, won’t the whole family go to someone else by mistake?”

“Shh!”

Another servant, startled, scolded his colleague for speaking carelessly.

“Watch your mouth!”

“What’s the point of keeping quiet among ourselves? If the young duke doesn’t come out of his room, even the villagers will start to suspect! He must have some serious illness.”

It made sense. No matter how much they tried to keep things quiet, rumors would inevitably leak out. Once out, they would spread uncontrollably. Especially among the nobles constantly watching the Levanyion dukedom—they would rush to learn the truth with fiery eyes.

According to the original story, around this time the Duke grows increasingly anxious about the precarious line of succession and begins looking for another heir to replace Callios.

‘….’

The thought made my throat tighten, and I clenched my fists.

“Watch your words! If the master hears that we’ve been gossiping… we won’t survive—ugh!”

One of the servants, who had been lightly scolding his colleagues, suddenly gasped in surprise.

“…When did you get here?”

“Me? I’ve been here for a while.”

The servants, who had been munching bread in the corner, went silent at once. They hadn’t noticed me sitting there all along.

Well, sometimes even people with sight can’t see as clearly as they think.

“Oh… you’ve been here all along…”

Their voices carried a trace of embarrassment, then they began whispering among themselves.

“That’s her, right? The one serving the young master…”

“What? That means she heard everything we said!”

“She’s blind, isn’t she? She can’t even see our faces. Let’s just leave quickly.”

Um, we can hear everything, you know?

“Ahem, we’ve finished eating, so let’s be going…”

“Agreed.”

The servants awkwardly rustled to their feet. As they hurried toward the exit, I politely greeted them over their backs.

“Thank you for your work today, Jared, Tom, and James from the stables.”

There was no response. Instead, the sound of hurried footsteps faded into the distance.

So, to summarize the current situation: the household staff had begun to suspect Callios’s condition.

Of course, knowing the ending of the original story, I wasn’t overly worried. In the original, Callios eventually leaves his room on his own and safely claims the Duke’s title, even ousting the father who had come to find a replacement heir.

It’s a happy ending, yes—but the process leading to it is… rather grueling.

I could vividly hear Callios’s voice breaking with despair in my mind, and it made my chest feel as if a stone had been placed on it.

Continuing to empathize with him made it difficult to remain passive. Pressing my throbbing temples, I went up to Callios’s room.

“Do you know how shocked we were when we heard the young master had collapsed?”

I stopped in my tracks at the voices coming from inside the room.

“We’ve been worried about him night and day.”

Recognizing those unwelcome voices, I furrowed my brow. It was Mary and Dorothy.

“So from now on, we’ll serve you, young master.”

“We’ve grown quite accustomed to the darkness here, haven’t we, Mary?”

“Yes, we have.”

What is this sudden change of attitude? When did they run away because they didn’t want to work here?

I had heard that since that day, Mary and Dorothy had been busy under the strict supervision of the head maid. Why were they sneaking around here now?

“Think about it, young master. She’s only been here for a month. How can someone whose background we don’t even know be allowed to stay by your side all day?”

Clearly, they were talking about me.

Unaware that I was standing by the door listening, they continued chattering eagerly.

“That’s right! And I hear she’s an orphan with no parents!”

“Blind and an orphan… The head maid is really cruel! How could she assign someone so unfit to serve the young master? He must have been quite shocked, right?”

Hearing this, I felt my blood boil.

I may not be Lizzy Swan, but I knew from her aunt how kind she had been when living only with her mother. Mary and Dorothy had no right to insult Lizzy Swan with such words.

“Compared to her, we’ve worked diligently here for two whole years.”

“We’re proven, reliable maids!”

“……”

Callios had not responded at all. But because he hadn’t thrown anything, Mary and Dorothy assumed he was listening intently.

Excitedly, they continued their speech.

“From now on, we’ll be your loyal hands and feet!”

“Um… but young master, for that, we’d need your cooperation, or rather… your help.”

“Could you speak to the head maid for us? We’re better suited than Lizzy Swan to serve the young master.”

Ah, that was their goal. It’s easier to serve a master lying in bed all day than to work under the head maid’s supervision.

After asking so transparently, Mary and Dorothy waited for Callios’s response.

But instead of answering, Callios asked,

“…Her name is Lizzy Swan?”

What? You didn’t even know my name?

“Yes? Yes, Lizzy Swan. But young master, you don’t need to remember the name of such a lowly girl… screeeech!”

Suddenly, the sound of water splashing rang out. Mary and Dorothy screamed in unison.

“Y-young master!”

“Ah, sorry. I spilled some water.”

Unlike the maids, Callios spoke calmly.

“The blankets are all wet. Go and wash them.”

“What?”

Mary and Dorothy asked in confusion.

“You said you’d be my loyal hands and feet. You plan to let me sleep in these damp blankets? Wash them, quickly. These too, and these.”

“What?!”

“Not moving fast enough?”

In the darkness, objects whooshed through the air. Soon came the sound of pillows being hit—thump, thump.

Mary and Dorothy screamed and flailed around, bumping into things in the darkness. They barely brushed past me and fled outside in a rush.

Huh… déjà vu?

I clicked my tongue at the direction they had disappeared.

Then, in the suddenly quiet room, Callios said,

“…What are you standing there for?”

I asked him with a slightly surprised look.

“How did you know I was here?”