By then it was already late.
"Peppa, what happened? Why am I here?"
It turned out she had fallen asleep outside, and Claude had carried her back. Her cheeks instantly flushed red, and her mind went blank. Fortunately, after bringing her back, Claude had gone to the capital. Otherwise she truly would not have known how to face him.
Soaking in the fragrant water, Callian remained absent-minded the whole time, worrying about her weight. When Peppa said she was not heavy at all, but rather light as a feather, she still could not feel happy. The next time they met, Claude would surely ask why a man could be so light.
Being overly sentimental was originally a common problem among adolescent girls. In fact, Callian now looked more like a graceful young lady. Anyone with eyes could tell she was not a man.
"I heard that young master Jaelan has recovered his health. How much longer are you going to keep living like this?"
"Peppa, that was far too presumptuous of you to say."
Actually, Peppa was not wrong. Even if she wanted to hide it, she could not hide it forever. Prince Ian had once said that he looked forward to seeing her in women's clothing. Claude had also said that looking at her made him feel hungry. Even if it was for the sake of finding her mother and returning to an ordinary life, she could no longer keep entangling herself with those two men.
Not long after, Jaelan returned, and the moment they met he lifted Callian high into the air.
"Brother, you've changed so much I can hardly recognise you."
"You've grown up too, Callian."
It was really hard to believe that her brother was actually this healthy now. But what Jaelan said next made her freeze on the spot.
"Callian, you really look like a graceful young lady now."
The Marchioness also returned with him this time. She merely looked coldly at the brother and sister. Callian stepped forward to greet her, but she turned and walked away.
"Callian, I have something to say to you. Come inside with me first."
She swallowed nervously, filled with fear and helplessness, while Jaelan beside her remained silent. He only tightly held her hand. Callian's eyes widened in shock.
"Let's go in."
The afterglow of the setting sun made Jaelan look especially tall.
"After being apart for so long, your relationship with Jaelan is still this close. Have you been in contact privately?"
"No. This is our first meeting in four years."
"So you're going to the capital the day after tomorrow?"
"Yes. Thanks to Mother's care, I've already fallen behind in quite a few classes."
"Tater speaks very highly of you. You've done very well, Callian. Now you're also qualified to let Jaelan call you his younger brother."
Callian bit her lip, wanting to speak, but stopping herself.
"After you go to the capital, will you go and look for your mother?"
Seeing that she did not speak, Anata asked again.
How was she supposed to answer? She had lived disguised as a man for four years, and had also been her brother's substitute for four years, but now her brother had recovered and returned. She had also decided to return to an ordinary life and to search for her biological mother. But this was not an easy thing.
Kallia had carried the name Callian and had been active in noble society for a full four years. Many nobles knew her, and they all knew the name Callian. Even Princess Rosina had specially sent a letter because of her concern. To become her original self again overnight and make Callian completely disappear was obviously unrealistic.
Anata had warned her long ago to live quietly, like a shadow. But at this point it was not completely without a solution.
Soon Callian would be going to the capital to study. At that time, if she could pretend to be ill as much as possible, she could disappear from everyone's sight under the pretext of recuperation. After people gradually forgot her, they could hold Callian's funeral, and she could become Kallia again.
Holding a funeral for a living person was absurd enough to leave one speechless, and Callian's emotions surged at that moment. But Anata said with a smile that she merely wanted to keep the promise she had made when she first brought Kallia to the Marquis's residence. But Callian's performance had far exceeded Madam's expectations, and because of that her son Jaelan had also recovered his health.
"So I should completely return your freedom to you now, shouldn't I?"
But when she said this, there was a sinister smile on her lips.
Seeing how hard Callian had worked all this time, Anata had allowed her to attend her brother Jaelan's engagement party. Because Jaelan also hoped his sister could attend — and after completing the engagement ceremony, Jaelan would return to Gear.
"If that is the case, then I also have one request. Please forgive my mother."
At that moment, Callian had already chosen to yield. But Anata had no intention of forgiving her mother.
"Don't you think this request is extremely rude? Callian, you actually dare ask me to forgive her."
But before she could finish speaking, Callian interrupted her.
"If asking for forgiveness is rude, then what are the four years I spent living disguised as a man for my brother?"
Because he was worried about his sister facing their mother alone, Jaelan had been silently standing guard outside the door the whole time. Naturally, every single word of this conversation fell into his ears.
"The reason I became Callian in the first place was to beg forgiveness for my mother."
At this point, she finally could not hold back her humiliated tears.
"So please forgive her."
But even though she was already crying, Anata still had no intention of backing down, and only told her to get out.
Just then, a pair of warm hands rested on her shoulders.
"Mother, enough."
The one who had come was her brother, Jaelan.
"Strictly speaking, Kallia is also a member of the Bell family. Holding a funeral for a living person and treating family this way is simply too much."
But Anata had never regarded Kallia as family. She had only come to the Bell family in order to become Jaelan's substitute. And now her task was complete. Something useless should be thrown away.
Afterwards, the two of them broke into a fierce argument, but Callian did not want her brother to be caught in the middle and troubled. So she silently turned and left.
Jaelan loudly called out, "Kallia!"
Her hand on the door paused slightly. "Brother, my name is Callian."
After saying that, she left without looking back.
At that moment, Callian felt wronged to the extreme. How could she even think of holding a funeral for a living person? These four years of living as Callian were not entirely fake. After going to the capital, she probably would never come back here again, but her heart still felt a trace of reluctance.
At that moment, a figure appeared behind her.
"Peppa, don't come over. I want to be alone for a while right now."
"Today, you don't look like a woman either, huh?"
That voice was obviously not the maid Peppa, but that strange man. Before she could react, the man had already walked to her side.
"We meet again, Kallia."