Having just personally seen that angel-like older brother coughing up blood in great mouthfuls, Kallia, who had not yet recovered from her fear, was taken to the Marchioness's room.
Faced with the scrutinising gaze of the beautiful auntie, Kallia appeared especially cautious. She respectfully saluted and greeted Madam.
"Now that you are clean, you look much more pleasing to the eye."
She sincerely thanked Madam for giving her such delicious food. But the person she most wanted to see right now was still her own mother.
Kallia was completely enveloped by the cold aura emanating from Madam. Sensing Kallia's fear, Anata smiled and extended a hand towards her, signalling her to come over. Although she was very afraid, for the sake of seeing her mother, she still forced herself to walk over.
"Kallia, I am sorry. You can no longer see your mother again."
Hearing this, Kallia's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Your mother committed a grave crime. She stole something extremely precious."
For a moment, Kallia could not believe her ears at all. "H— How could that be?"
Thinking that she would never see her mother again, Kallia fell completely into despair, and her eyes instantly filled with tears.
"Your mother stole something very precious to me, but now it can no longer be recovered. So she ought to be punished. Do you not agree?"
Looking at the increasingly crazed Madam before her, Kallia gathered her courage and grabbed her skirt. "I will help you find it back. Maybe you only misplaced it."
As she said this, tears as large as beans kept falling non-stop.
"My mother is not a thief."
As those words fell, Anata finally stopped hesitating and had Betty bring it in. An exquisite gift box appeared before Kallia, and inside it lay a sharp pair of scissors.
Watching Madam pick up the scissors, Kallia's eyes widened suddenly. What Madam said next completely rewrote her life.
"Kallia Bell. From now on, as long as you live as Callian Bell, both your mother and you will remain safe and sound. I guarantee it."
"But I — I am Kallia."
"No. From today onward, you are Callian Bell. Short hair suits you very well too, Callian."
And just like that, before Kallia's shocked eyes, all of her beautiful golden hair was cut off.
Unable to accept all of this at once, Kallia curled herself into a tiny ball, sobbing weakly. Soft-hearted Betty comforted her gently.
"Kallia's mother has not been punished. She is only receiving treatment, and Madam is not a bad person either. So as long as you obediently listen, you'll be able to save Laura."
Hearing the name Laura, Kallia suddenly opened her eyes. "You know my mother?"
Betty smiled as she replied, "Of course. And this is also your father's home."
This was the first time she had ever heard the word father from someone else.
Following Betty's gaze, she saw a huge portrait hanging prominently on the wall. Looking at that man, whose hair colour and eye colour were the same as hers, she suddenly remembered what her mother had once said.
"Your father also has beautiful light golden hair, and handsome eyes like emeralds."
Kallia and her father looked exactly alike.
Mother, what exactly is going on?
So it turned out that Kallia's appearance was only meant to make her Jaelan's substitute. The two of them really did look very alike. Kallia, who should have been living in the slums, at this moment appeared in the Marquis's residence as a boy.
So it turned out that she was the Bell family's illegitimate daughter, only because her half-brother from the same father was gravely ill and no one knew on which day he might suddenly die. And the enormous Bell family could not be left without an heir. Before her brother made a full recovery, she had to live as Callian Bell. Only in this way could she see her mother again.
That was why. If the family had no heir, it would be looked down upon by the other nobles. And precisely because of this, Kallia, though a girl, was raised as a boy. Even if something really happened to Jaelan, the Bell family would still have someone to inherit it.
"After all, she is the Marquis's child. The two of them really do look alike."
"But Callian is perhaps a bit too beautiful."
The moment she saw her father's portrait last night, she had already guessed it. Perhaps what her mother had stolen had never been an object at all.
Everything here was far too complicated. She was not sure that as long as she obediently listened, Madam would really send her back to her mother.
Flowers were blooming here, and the decorations were magnificent. Everything was beyond comparison with Ruber.
A sudden gunshot startled her. What happened?
She looked in the direction the sound had come from, and saw that not far away a boy was slowly lowering the gun in his hand. Clearly, he was very satisfied with his performance just now. After noticing that gaze, the boy suddenly turned his head.
Such a handsome older brother.
Such a beautiful younger brother.
And just like that, their gazes met in midair.
At that moment, Jaelan appeared from who knew where. "Callian."
Callian respectfully saluted her older brother. But what greeted her was a big hug.
"You finally came out of your room. You have no idea how worried I was."
Callian was hugged so tightly by him that she could barely breathe. Only then did Jaelan release her and warmly introduce his younger brother to Claude. Upon hearing the words younger brother, Callian suddenly pushed him away.
Claude at some point had already walked up in front of them.
"Very alike."
Callian froze for a moment, and when she looked up, she met Claude's eyes. He carefully sized up the boy before him. Then he let out a faint scoff and turned to leave.
What does that mean?
The boy raised the gun again. Then he pointed to his ears, signalling her to cover them. But Callian did not react at all. With no other choice, Claude had to tell her out loud to cover her ears. Although she did not know why, Callian obediently did as she was told. Only then did the boy reveal a satisfied smile.
Remembering the huge gunshot from just now, she fearfully covered her ears tightly.
Load. Aim. Fire.
His entire series of actions flowed as smoothly as water.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The birds in the woods instantly scattered into flight. A faint lavender fragrance, and the intense smell of gunpowder that shook the soul. That was her first impression of Claude.
"Now that there is suddenly an extra younger brother — do you not find him an eyesore?"
"Why would I find him an eyesore?"
"Because that is proof that deception once existed."
Jaelan placed the gun on the table and said calmly, "All deception comes at a price. My younger brother Callian has already paid a great deal for that deception."
Neither of the two, locked in confrontation, had any intention of backing down.
"Anyway, I am very happy to have an extra younger brother. Claude, so you do not need to worry."