Before long, he began slowly patting my head.
…What is this?
Is he treating me like a dog now?
As I furrowed my brows in utter confusion at his inexplicable behavior, he suddenly muttered under his breath.
“…You are smaller than I thought.”
Huh?
I pushed his hand away from my head and puffed out my cheeks in complaint.
“Smaller?! I’m still growing!”
Callius chuckled softly and asked,
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen! I might still grow another inch or two, you know!”
I firmly believed that Lizzy Swan’s growth plates hadn’t closed yet!
Callius, however, sounded unconvinced.
“Hmm….”
“What kind of reaction is that?”
Ignoring my question, he murmured, “Seventeen…,” and then set off on his own, using the wall for support.
Seriously, what was that about?
He was only fifteen, yet he was already taller than me, wasn’t he?
…Well, what was the point of comparing my frame to the male lead, who was destined to grow tall anyway?
I smoothed down the hair his hand had ruffled, pursing my lips.
‘At least it’s reassuring. It seems he hasn’t completely given up on living.’
Just seeing that lethargic boy display this much enthusiasm was enough to give me a glimmer of hope.
As time passed, the scent of spring grew richer by the day.
From the warmth caressing my skin, I could tell, even without seeing, that colorful blossoms had opened all throughout the estate.
The fragrance drifting through the ducal residence put even the working maids in high spirits.
Because of that, Melissa, the Head Maid, had to come check on them nearly every ten minutes.
“Daydreaming out the windows again! Do you have no intention of paying attention?!”
Despite her scoldings, the moment Melissa walked away, the maids went right back to giggling among themselves as if nothing had happened.
Everyone seemed joyful.
Yet that vitality vanished entirely the instant one stepped into the corridor of the West Wing on the second floor of the main building.
Windows shuttered tight.
A chill seeping from the walls.
A silence so heavy it felt like a tomb.
It was as though spring had passed through here and deliberately chosen to bypass this place alone.
“My Lord?”
When I arrived outside Callius’s room, I poked my head inside and called out into the stillness.
There was no answer.
Where had he gone this time?
I stepped back out into the corridor to search for him.
Ever since he had learned how to walk in the dark, he had not missed a single day of practice.
Thanks to that, his walking had improved by leaps and bounds, to the point where he could wander freely along the West Wing’s corridor on his own.
Even his frail body had begun to regain its strength, since he now ate properly whenever meals were brought to him.
Compared to his earlier self, when he had looked like a soulless, breathing corpse, the change was truly astonishing.
“My Lord, where are you?”
I walked slowly down the hallway, calling out to him.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, I felt my cane catch against something, bringing me to a halt.
Reaching out, my fingers touched someone’s back.
Though he had put on some weight, his slender frame was still unmistakable, and I immediately knew it was Callius.
“My Lord? What are you doing standing here?”
“I was walking down the hallway… and remembered that a painting hung here.”
The faint rustle of his hand brushing along the wall where the painting was mounted reached my ears.
“A painting?”
Curious, I cautiously stretched out my hand toward the wall as well.
Before long, my fingertips met the texture of canvas and hardened oil paint.
As I swept my palm across it, I realized the piece was immense.
It seemed to cover nearly the entire wall.
How many times had I passed through here without ever noticing a painting of this size?
“What kind of painting is it?”
I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“It is ‘The Judgment,’ by the painter Marius Karian.”
“Oh, the title alone sounds imposing! But… what is being judged?”
“What is being judged? Naturally… the Apostates.”
“The Apostates?”
“It is an account from the Holy Book. When the Ruler of Light, Rodin, saved the world from the Ruler of Darkness, he passed judgment upon him and his followers.”
“Oh….”
“What is with that reaction? You sound as if you are hearing it for the first time.”
“…Don’t tell me you have never read the Holy Book even once in your life?”
I’m an atheist…
…Would the temple come arrest me if I said that aloud?
Well, names like the Ruler of Light and the Ruler of Darkness did come up a few times when Helena awakened as a saintess in the original story.
‘But those weren’t important parts, so I just skimmed right over them.’
“I cannot read books.”
“You can still hear the Holy Book recited if you attend prayers.”
Ah… even that excuse fell flat.
“Sometimes when I look at you… it feels as though you come from another world.”
“A-another world?! I was born and raised right here in this empire!”
Rattled by his unexpected remark, I hastily scrambled to change the subject.
“Ahem… anyway, I’m curious about the painting. If only I could see it!”
At my words, Callius fell silent for a moment, then took my hand.
“W-why are you taking my hand…?”
“Stay still.”
He abruptly took a few steps forward, tugging me along with him.
Then he raised my hand and set it against the canvas.
“Right around here… is where the Ruler of Light, Rodin, is.”
He began explaining the painting's composition, his voice calm and measured.
“This is where the sun rests. Rodin sits upon the clouds in brilliant golden armor, gazing downward.”
“Is he handsome?”
"…"
“Ah, I’m sorry. I won’t interrupt. Please, go on.”
“…And on this side…”
After guiding me several paces to the right, he lowered my hand toward the bottom of the canvas.
“Here is Carx and his followers sinking into the mire.”
“Carx?”
“…Don’t tell me you don’t even know who Carx is?”
His voice carried clear suspicion, prompting me to hurry and defend myself.
“Oh, I’ve heard the name before! I just don’t know the details. I’ve never visited the temple…”
“Carx is the Ruler of Darkness.”
Callius continued,
“You could consider him the complete opposite of Rodin, the Ruler of Light. He harbored deep resentment because mortals built temples only for Rodin, offering sacrifices and praises to him alone.”
“Mmm, that would certainly make someone angry.”
“So Carx revealed himself before humanity and demanded that they worship him just as they did Rodin.”
“Yet the mortals were terrified of his darkness, and every last one of them fled.”
Hmm… just how dreadful did he look for them to run the instant they laid eyes on him?
“Enraged by this, Carx rallied his followers… ah, they are referred to as the ‘Apostates.’”
“The Apostates.”
“Yes. Carx used them to steal Rodin’s ‘light’ and buried it deep beneath the earth, plunging the world into darkness.”
“Oh, then what happened?”
“A war broke out to reclaim the light. Stripped of his radiance, Rodin was initially pushed back quite far, but…”
The soft whisper of his hand tracing the contours of the painting sounded in the quiet.
“Once Rodin infiltrated the subterranean depths alongside his daughter and sons to recover the light, the tides of war turned. Afterward, he captured Carx and all the Apostates, sealing them inside the mire. This painting captures that very scene.”
“So Carx and those… Apostates are still trapped underground?”
“Yes. It is said they wander in eternal darkness to this day. It is the Ruler’s punishment.”
“Oh, that’s so interesting! I love mythological tales like that!”
“Mythological?”
“Yes! I’ve always enjoyed hearing myths and folklore! Won’t you tell me another story?”
“Haah…”
Callius let out a heavy sigh, releasing my hand all at once.
“You… speak like that in front of others, and you could be punished for blasphemy.”
Ah! That’s right… this was a world that devoutly worshiped the Ruler of Light!
I snapped my mouth shut in an instant, nervously gauging his mood.
Surely not… he wouldn’t turn me over to the temple, would he?
“Ah, it’s just that you told it so well, I thought it sounded like one of the fairytales I used to hear as a child!”
I offered a forced laugh to smooth over my blunder.
“Isn’t that right? In this day and age, stealing the light or being trapped in eternal darkness… things like that don’t happen anymore!”
“…And why wouldn’t they?”
