Read Novel Full Chapter 37, Calogero’s Despair and Resolve
Chapter 37, Calogero’s Despair and Resolve
Translator: Lizz
“Uwaaaah!”
“Please calm down, Lady Sylvia.”
Calogero was at his wit’s end.
Edward had disappeared, Gina had collapsed and was bedridden, and all the responsibility had fallen on Calogero’s shoulders.
At some point, he must have wished for this. He wanted to take control to protect Sylvia from all sins.
But when it actually happened, all that remained was a man struggling to handle a crying child.
Seeing Calogero’s distress, one of the maids stepped forward and picked up Sylvia.
“There, there, Lady Sylvia, don’t cry so much. Gina will get better soon, and Edward will be back in no time.”
“Edward isn’t here…”
“It’s okay, he’s just playing a little hide-and-seek, isn’t he?”
“But, but…”
“You have to stay strong, or Edward will scold you when he comes back.”
With these reassuring words, she soothed the child.
Watching this, Calogero keenly felt his own shortcomings.
That sinful man was remarkably skilled at winning people’s trust.
More than anything, he was not trusted by Lady Sylvia.
No matter how much an untrusted man tried to console her, she would not listen, and there was no way he could truly protect her from all sins.
And now, with both of the people she trusted incapacitated, the burden had fallen squarely on his shoulders.
Sylvia, unable to stop crying and completely unhelpful, left Calogero rushing around frantically.
Through this experience, he came to understand firsthand just how exceptional the two of them had been.
No matter how busy or exhausted he was, he never forgot to cast [Heal] on Gina.
Before long, Gina managed to regain consciousness.
Sylvia, still crying, clung to Gina.
“…I’m sorry for worrying you…”
“Ginaaa! Edward isn’t here!”
“…Please don’t cry, Lady Sylvia…”
Even though Gina had regained consciousness, she was still bedridden.
“Lady Sylvia, Gina’s wounds have not fully healed yet. She’s still in pain, so please let her rest.”
Calogero spoke gently, but Gina slowly shook her head.
“…Please, let Lady Sylvia do as she wishes…”
At those words, Calogero bit his lip.
He had blamed Edward for Gina’s injuries, but in truth, the responsibility lay with him.
Edward had not simply abandoned them; he had been hunting down assassins who had infiltrated the castle in search of Calogero.
And now, that realization weighed heavily on Calogero’s heart.
Edward had neither denied nor affirmed the accusation that he had invited the assassins in. He had not even refuted the charge of an attempted assassination of the Third Prince, something that should have been his sin.
Calogero recalled Edward’s sins, as deep as blood. Were they truly his sins? Why had he vanished without a word? Sin is a matter of awareness, and Edward was conscious of his own.
The High Priest had urged him to atone, but Edward had replied, seemingly with genuine conviction, that he had no recollection of wrongdoings. The High Priest had found that terrifying. At the time, Calogero had scoffed inwardly – ‘See? That’s the kind of man he is.’ But now, looking back, there were too many inconsistencies.
Edward’s supposed crimes and his actions contradicted each other, creating fractures in the image Calogero had built of him, and now those fractures had become mysteries.
If Edward were truly the man Calogero believed him to be, he would have shifted all responsibility onto Calogero and banished him from town.
Yet, instead, he had left of his own accord. Even though the assassins had been after him.
Even now, they were still after him…
Calogero shuddered.
He had let one escape.
That assassin would report to the Chief Justice, informing him that the assassination had failed. It was easy to predict what would happen next – they would gather more numbers and strike again.
Now, there was no way to know for certain whether Edward had orchestrated everything.
If, instead of leading them in, he had simply been responsible for security and resigned out of guilt for allowing the assassins to infiltrate…
Then when they struck again, they would slip into the fortress with ease and eliminate everyone.
At the very least, that man had been a true knight in terms of bravery.
And now, he was gone.
“I was the one who should have left…”
Calogero was overcome with regret.
Calogero had made up his mind to leave the castle.
Even if the still-innocent Sylvia were to be tainted by sin in the future, that would only be possible because she was alive. At last, he understood the true meaning behind the High Priest’s words.
He was too inexperienced, not only unfit to serve as a priest but even as Sylvia’s attendant.
Yet, with Edward gone and Gina bedridden, it was Calogero who was holding everything together.
There was an overwhelming amount to do, and on top of that, Sylvia was constantly crying, unable to do anything else. Calogero had informed the Mayor about the fortress being attacked and had him send a letter of protest to the neighboring country, temporarily raising the bridge to shut off movement. But if forces from the Duke’s territory, there would be nothing he could do. The bridge at the back gate remained lowered.
He had tried to raise the bridge, but no matter what he did, it wouldn’t budge. When he asked Gina, she said, ‘…Without Lady Sylvia’s permission, it won’t go up…’, so he asked Sylvia to raise it, but,
“Edward won’t be able to come back, so no!”
She refused to listen.
He tried to convince her, telling her that scary people would come again, but she stubbornly refused to accept it.
With no other choice, Calogero took it upon myself to guard the back gate.
The assassins could only enter through the back gate, so if they found him, they would eliminate him immediately and leave.
Edward’s strength had been spoken of by the survivors. If they killed him, they would retreat before Edward could find them. There was no reason for them to take unnecessary risks.
Resolving himself, he continued to handle the growing pile of tasks while staying in a room near the back gate.