Although they looked very similar on the outside, in other aspects she was nothing like Jaelan at all. Watching Callian seriously practise her pronunciation, Claude lightly curled his lips.
This child is rather interesting.
The slum girl Kallia had been forcibly taken away by the Marchioness without any preparation. In the blink of an eye, she had become the Bell family's young master.
In order to properly serve as her brother Jaelan's substitute, she desperately learned to read and studied arithmetic. But in the end, this place did not have her mother. So every day food lost its taste, and every night sleep would not come.
Jaelan also noticed that Callian had grown much thinner lately. He had heard that Callian was performing very well in class. It would have been one thing if Lady Bell did not praise him, but she even spoke sarcastically, saying he was inferior to her son Jaelan.
But Jaelan did not think so. Callian had only been attending lessons for a week, and being able to perform like this was already very good. He felt that his mother should not put so much pressure on his younger brother.
Watching her own son constantly favour an outsider, Anata immediately became furious. It seemed she could only wait until Jaelan was absent to talk to him again.
Callian kept her head lowered the whole time, not daring to say a single word. Only after the lady left did she slowly raise her head. Looking at her angel-like older brother, she finally smiled again.
Jaelan also told her about how he had met Claude. It turned out that Claude was the Lord of the North, the young master of Duke Hall's family, and the two of them were the same age. Callian only felt that the man was especially handsome and especially frightening.
Jaelan warmly invited him to go hunting together next time, but Callian refused at once, because she had never touched a gun before.
"It's okay. Everyone has a first time."
Just then, a sudden commotion came from outside the door.
"Young master, the Marquis has returned."
Hearing that his father had come back, Jaelan sprang up from his chair at once. "Father is back!"
By the time they hurried outside, the servants had already lined up neatly to welcome the master of the castle. Jaelan had always been the apple of the Marquis's eye, and he adored this son dearly.
Callian, however, stood far away. Faced with the father before her, she felt only unfamiliarity in her heart. The Marquis also noticed Callian, and she lowered her head in fright at once. As she felt her father getting closer and closer, her heart was instantly engulfed by unease.
Her father crouched down in front of her and softly called her name. Callian timidly raised her eyes. What entered her sight was her father opening his arms and calling her over. She froze for a moment at first, then took nervous steps and slowly walked towards him.
The next second, she fell into a warm embrace. Her father gently rubbed her little head, and a strange emotion instantly surged into her heart. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Welcome back, Callian."
What he did not know was that Callian was already crying uncontrollably at this moment.
He had clearly heard that it was a girl, but the Callian he saw was dressed as a boy. How could Madam let a girl pretend to be a boy?
"We don't need a daughter."
He only needed to hold on until Jaelan recovered his health.
"For the sake of the family, I only hope he can temporarily serve as a substitute."
"For the family's interests, you really are cruel."
"The truly cruel one is the Marquis. To think that he actually developed real feelings for a maid."
Originally, she had thought the Marquis was merely fooling around. She had also believed he would soon come to his senses. But just when Jaelan had only just learned to run around, that woman's belly actually began to swell. Because she might be carrying a son, even the servants began to act according to her mood.
And on the day Jaelan had his accident, she only felt as though the sky were collapsing. She was convinced that the culprit was that woman. Because the woman was pregnant, she could only drive her out. She would never forgive the woman who had done something so excessive to her. And it was from that day on that Jaelan began walking step by step towards death.
What the Marquis wanted to know now was how Callian's mother was doing these days. But how could Anata possibly tell him? She wished that woman would die as soon as possible.
Seeing this, the man bent down and soothed his wife's emotions. He swore on the family's honour that he would never forgive that woman until death.
Callian, who should have been attending tea parties in a pretty little dress, was at this moment standing alone in the snow as the young master of the Marquis's family, tasting snow. So in order to become a qualified substitute, she had to live on as a boy.
Snowflakes suddenly began to drift down from the sky. Compared with the children's excitement, the adults' expressions were utterly cold.
"Marilyn, let's go out."
Marilyn quickly refused the princess's invitation on the grounds that it was too cold outside. In reality, she was simply afraid that staying with the princess would make her look childish. She was afraid her childish side would be seen by the young duke she admired. That little thought of hers was exposed by the princess in a single remark, and Marilyn instantly became embarrassed and angry.
The noisy sounds outside drew the princess's attention. As if an idol boy group had made a dazzling entrance, the princess excitedly threw herself towards the glass window. Even Marilyn, who had been acting tough, could not help but move closer as well.
Her gaze quickly locked onto Claude, but that person was looking in another direction instead. Following his line of sight, a thinly dressed little boy was looking up at the sky. Everyone was curious about what exactly he was doing.
It seemed like he was tasting the flavour of snow.
The noble women immediately began discussing it all at once. Anata felt that he had disgraced the Bell family, and immediately ordered the maid to take Callian back to his room.
But the princess had become interested in the little boy. "How old is he?"
Faced with the princess's question, Anata immediately greeted her with a smile. "Twelve years old, Your Highness. Three years younger than Jaelan."
At this moment, Marilyn regretted more than anything that she had not agreed to go out with the princess earlier.
They clearly looked very alike, but the sharp-eyed princess still became suspicious. "Is that child really a boy?"
Hearing this, Anata's heart tightened. She was far too beautiful. No one would doubt it even if she were said to be a girl. But after living so many years, Anata had seen every kind of scene. She still said with a smile, "A lot of people say that, Your Highness."
Not hearing the answer she wanted, the princess gave a cold snort and turned away, no longer looking at her. It didn't matter anyway, because in her eyes there was only brother Jaelan.