The beautiful Kallia, who now lived in a den of luxury, had soft, lustrous, light blonde hair and a pair of emerald-like eyes. And yet she had no choice but to live for four years under the identity of the young son of the Marquis's household.
As it turned out, her half-brother on her father's side was gravely ill. The family needed a replacement for Jaelan, and she was that unlucky person.
During the four years her brother was abroad, no matter how many letters she sent out, she did not receive a single reply. As it turned out, the Marchioness had been secretly intercepting everything.
Jaelan, who missed his younger sister beyond measure, had no choice but to find a reliable helper. That man was called Ian Sigeo, the third prince of the Kingdom of Gear. Over the past four years, they had long since become friends who could talk about anything.
Jaelan placed the letter into his hands and asked him to help send it to his younger sister Callian. He had long wanted to meet the angelic little sister whom his good friend praised to the skies.
"All right. I'll help you deliver it to Kosova. More accurately, I'll deliver it to your sister Callian in person."
Jaelan was so shocked by the decision he had made on his own that he froze on the spot. By the time he came back to his senses, there was already no sign of Ian left in the room. Under Jaelan's stunned gaze, so shocked he could not speak, Ian flipped over the window and leapt down, then ran off into the distance with the letter in hand.
At this moment, Anata's voice drifted over. Facing this mother who had obstructed communication between the siblings, Jaelan felt as though a fishbone were stuck in his throat.
Towards this prince from an enemy nation, she was actually very grateful that he could be so close to her son. But because of political reasons, Anata did not wish for Jaelan to become too close to him. Although on the surface he always followed his mother's wishes, in Anata's eyes this son of hers was growing farther and farther away from her.
In order for her mother to recognise her smoothly, Callian had to have a set of girls' formal clothes. But there had recently been a string of public security incidents in the capital targeting noble women. Although Callian looked like a boy at first glance, she could still possibly be mistaken for a young lady, and Betty was not at ease about the two of them going out.
But this was no challenge at all for the exceptionally clever Callian. She casually made up an excuse and successfully persuaded Betty.
"All right, then I'll go and prepare the carriage. But you absolutely must be careful."
But the moment she looked up, master and servant were already nowhere to be seen. At this moment, they were leisurely making their way through the bustling streets.
Meanwhile, outside the Selby Marquis household, soldiers stood on high alert. As it turned out, Marilyn had fallen victim to criminals last night and was now lying in bed unconscious.
"His Highness will personally lead the Imperial Guard to capture the criminal. We will certainly punish them severely, so please do not worry."
The one leading the troops this time was none other than the young duke, Claude. The criminal's identity had already been confirmed. He was a revolutionary dissatisfied with the class system. Saying that he still had matters to attend to, Claude left ahead of the others, leaving only the crown prince standing there alone in disarray.
The crowd on the street surged noisily. They happened to pass by a candy shop. Thinking of the way Callian had knocked over the candy last time, the corners of Claude's mouth lifted slightly.
Isn't it just a little candy? Was that really worth making that kind of expression?
But the young master who had been walking suddenly froze in place. It turned out that she seemed to have seen a familiar person.
But this did not affect their enthusiasm for shopping. What Callian wanted to buy most, sure enough, was still clothes. Isn't our Kallia in need of a dress?
The young master stared absent-mindedly at the women's clothing in the display window. "If I buy this for Betty, will she be happy?"
A noble young lady passing nearby drew her attention. Originally, she too should have been like them — wearing a beautiful dress, strolling the streets with two or three close girlfriends, and having afternoon tea. But all of this was probably impossible to realise in this lifetime.
Just as she was feeling deeply dejected, a man's voice called out to her, and her pupils instantly shrank as she froze in place. Because that person was clearly calling her Kallia, but aside from a few people close to her, no one knew her true identity. She had never met this strange man before.
She stammered as she spoke. "You've mistaken me for someone else."
But the man said with complete certainty, "Impossible. You must be Jaelan's younger sister."
Simply because the siblings looked far too much alike.
Only after quite a while did Callian remember to ask who the other party was, but that person kept deliberately keeping her in suspense.
"I am the friend who came to eat fruit sherbet with you."
So they went to a fruit drink shop. Compared with Callian's restraint, the man seemed extremely excited. But he was nearly dying from the heat and suggested sitting on the outdoor terrace, only to be decisively refused by Callian. It was only because his gorgeous foreign attire was simply too conspicuous.
But in Ian's eyes, Kallia dressed as a man was even more conspicuous. Callian instantly became angry and stressed that she was a boy, and that her brother was only joking with him. But to Ian, who knew the truth, this was not important at all.
After calming down, Callian thought of her brother again. Was his health all right?
"Of course. Jaelan has always been waiting for your news. He said that he had never received a single reply from you."
Actually, he also knew that the letters had all been intercepted by the Marchioness. But Jaelan missed his younger sister far too much. That was why he had asked Ian to be this messenger.
"You need to hurry up and eat so that I can go back, Kallia."
Callian was very dissatisfied that he kept calling her by her real name, and raised her hand to push away what he was feeding her. But when Ian saw this, he only became even more energised, calling out "Kallia" again and again. He simply could not stop.
"Before long, Jaelan will return to Kosova, and when that time comes, you can reply to him in person."
As he spoke, he placed the letter into Callian's hand. Looking at the letter before her, a faint unease arose in her heart. If her brother returned in good health, where should she go then? Could she really become Kallia again?
Looking at the girl opposite him, whose thoughts were in turmoil, Ian still lifted the corners of his lips.
"What a lovely young lady. Kallia is Callian. All right then, Callian, I invite you to Gear. As soon as I get back, I'll send an invitation. You must come. I'm very much looking forward to seeing you in women's clothing."
After saying that, he gently took Callian's hand and performed a standard hand kiss.