Ah.
At those words, I recalled an important detail I had forgotten.
In the original story, Lennox lost his memory in the early part. The only thing he remembered was the name “Lennox.”
“…And at some point, he regains memories about his family.”
When was that again?
I felt like I almost remembered, but couldn’t quite grasp it—it was maddening.
How could I forget something this important?!
“Then how did you know about Euclid?”
Within the Empire, “Lennox” wasn’t such a rare name.
Yet he figured out he was a survivor of the Euclid family from just that?
Was Callisto’s information network better than I thought?
“You suddenly sent me a boy, so I figured there might be some secret about his birth. I looked into it a bit.”
“Uh… yeah. We really are such trusting friends.”
“…We are.”
Callisto nodded with a serious face.
He clearly hadn’t caught my sarcasm at all.
‘Callisto was always a bit oblivious.’
I decided, being the generous person I am, to let it slide.
“Ahem, well, that works out then. He’s someone your side was looking for anyway.”
I quickly moved the conversation along.
At my words, he remained silent, not denying it. As I said, the Skylar family had been searching for a survivor of the Euclid family.
According to the original story, Marquis Skylar had been childhood friends with the Duke of Euclid.
So he had secretly been searching for his friend’s son after he became a fugitive.
‘In the original, he never found him, and Lennox eventually ascended to the throne.’
Callisto adjusted his glasses, looking somewhat flustered.
“Still, I didn’t expect it to be done like this.”
Understandable. Lennox had suddenly been kidnapped and brought to the marquis’s estate—he’d probably mistaken Callisto for the kidnapper.
“Well… I did plan to send him more properly, but things turned out this way.”
I pulled out a document from my bag and handed it to him.
“It’s a sponsorship contract.”
As he skimmed through it, surprise filled his eyes.
The contract stated that the sponsor would cover everything—from Lennox’s education to his health, upkeep, and even future marriage expenses.
“So the rumors were true—you’ve already taken control of your family.”
He must have inferred from the contract that I held the family’s finances in my hands.
‘That’s not actually true.’
I hadn’t even inherited the title of count yet, so I couldn’t use a single coin of the family’s wealth.
But I hid that fact and nodded calmly.
Before I knew it, his blue eyes were fixed directly on me.
“Clen, there’s something I want to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t understand why you’re going this far. We have ties to the Euclid family, but Count Jacquelin…”
“That’s right. My father played a part in the downfall of the Euclid family.”
I didn’t deny it.
People said Count Jacquelin had taken the lead in executing the traitorous Duke and Duchess of Euclid.
The Emperor had even tried to reward him with a marquis title, but he stubbornly refused.
‘And not long after, both the count and his wife died.’
A mysterious carriage accident.
My instincts—honed by years of watching dramatic soap operas—told me there was something behind it.
Of course, as an ordinary person, I had no intention of digging into it.
I’d rather live quietly in ignorance and die peacefully.
“…I’m not blaming you for that.”
His blue eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
“Well, you never know. You can know the depths of ten fathoms of water, but not even one of a person’s heart…”
I waved it off, trying to move past the uncomfortable topic.
Watching me, Callisto’s expression softened.
“Clen, you’re actually quite kind when you look closely.”
“…What?”
It seemed Callisto had misunderstood something big.
“You couldn’t just leave Lennox all alone, so you sent him to me, right?”
“…Y-yeah. That’s right.”
Not at all. I could’ve left him just fine.
Feeling awkward, I hurried to the main point.
“Anyway, you’ll be the sponsor on the surface. But I’ll handle all the financial support for Lennox.”
I pulled out another contract and handed it to him.
“So just think of yourself as an intermediary acting on my behalf.”
It stated that all expenses Callisto used under the pretense of supporting Lennox would be covered by Clemens Jacquelin.
“A double contract, huh. Then Lennox will never know you’re behind this.”
“Right. And just to be clear again—this must absolutely remain a secret. Got it?”
Callisto smirked and nodded.
“I do value my friend’s life. Don’t worry, secret sponsor.”
If it became known that I was supporting him behind the scenes, my life would essentially be over.
Whether at Lennox’s hands or the Emperor’s.
“The documents are flawless. There’s nothing to revise. We can proceed as is.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah, it’ll go smoothly.”
At his added remark, I couldn’t shake off a slight unease.
“…If the boy agrees to the contract.”
Who would refuse such generous support? I scoffed inwardly.
“Oh, wait, Clen.”
Just as I thought the conversation was over, Callisto called out to me again.
“What?”
“It seems Lennox lost his necklace. Do you happen to know anything about it?”
“No, I don’t.”
I inwardly flinched.
If it was the necklace Lennox mentioned, it must be the Euclid family heirloom.
If he kept it, it’d be like walking around with a sign saying, “I’m from the Euclid family—please execute me at once!”
So I had taken it.
In the original story, the greedy Arthur had stolen Lennox’s necklace and sold it, which ironically helped Lennox avoid the Emperor’s notice…
But since Arthur had been driven out by me, I had no choice but to take on that role.
‘Of course, I’m not selling it—I’m just keeping it safe… just keeping it.’
I had no intention of selling something that belonged to someone else.
I had at least that much conscience.
“Then he must have lost it somewhere.”
Callisto accepted my answer easily.
‘I should get him something nice later.’
Thinking that, I took a sip of my tea.
—
However, the next morning.
A letter arrived early, stating that the sponsorship contract had been rejected.
‘Is this for real?’
I wished it were a dream.
But it was all too real.
I spoke to Lisa, the maid newly assigned to me.
“Prepare for me to go to the Skylar estate.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I had planned to avoid running into Lennox as much as possible.
If he ever found out I was behind the support, he’d surely grow suspicious of me.
‘This wasn’t part of my plan.’
With no other choice, I put on a white cat mask to cover my face and headed to the Skylar estate in broad daylight.
Upon arrival, I spotted the stables in the distance.
‘They said Lennox works there.’
I couldn’t see clearly from afar, but I’d heard he gathered hay and fed the horses.
Doing such menial work, he should’ve realized how valuable sponsorship was.
‘Is he still too young to understand?’
But after surviving five years in the back alleys, he should be more worldly than most kids his age.
“Haah…”
The more I thought about it, the more complicated it became.
‘There must be a reason.’
When I entered the reception room of the Skylar estate, Callisto was already there, looking troubled.
I got straight to the point.
“Why on earth is he refusing the support?”
Callisto spoke with a very awkward expression.
“He keeps asking what the price is.”
“…The price?”
“He’s lived outside for so long that he’s become very suspicious. He doesn’t trust kindness without a reason.”
It was pitiful, but this turn of events put me in a difficult position.
As I stood there, flustered, Callisto continued,
“Even when I tell him there’s no price, he just keeps asking the same thing over and over.”
He sighed after finishing.
“If he absolutely needs a price, then we’ll have to set one from our side.”
In truth, I hadn’t intended to demand anything in return.
But if he was that uneasy about it, there was no helping it.
‘Then I’ll just have to show him clearly that the world isn’t so generous!’