I turned reflexively at the sound of Callius's voice—only to find that Karl had already vanished.
Had he sensed Callius's presence beforehand?
One moment Karl had been standing right beside me, and the next he'd disappeared without a trace—as if he'd never been there at all.
Before I could process what had happened, Callius stepped closer and gently turned my face toward him with his hand.
"Chloe.
I heard voices.
You were talking to someone."
"Ah..."
My mind raced.
Should I be honest?
Or should I continue hiding Karl's existence this time as well?
Callius cupped my cheek with his warm palm and spoke again, his voice gentle but searching.
"You're hiding something from me."
"...!"
"Last time, I heard you speaking with someone as well.
This isn't the first time, Chloe."
I searched his face carefully, worried he might misunderstand—that he might think I was meeting someone I shouldn't be.
But there was no suspicion in Callius's dark eyes as he knelt before me.
No doubt.
No accusation.
All I could see in his gaze was genuine concern for me.
"I..."
Should I tell him?
Should I keep this secret to myself?
After a long moment of internal struggle, I remembered Granada's advice.
I took a steadying breath and made my decision.
"My friend.
I was talking to my friend."
Callius's expression shifted almost imperceptibly—a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Friend?
But you were alone the entire time.
I didn't see anyone leave the room."
"You probably didn't see him because he's... very good at not being seen."
Callius studied my face with a mixture of confusion and lingering concern.
I could see him trying to make sense of my words.
I decided to tell him everything—or at least, as much as I could without Karl's permission.
"Actually... the friend I mentioned before came to Ronheim.
He said he would follow me when I decided to marry you and leave Arrental, and sure enough, he appeared not long after we arrived here."
"So this person followed you here?
All the way to Ronheim?"
"Wait—don't think of it like that!
Karl isn't... he's not a man.
Actually, Karl is my friend."
I spoke carefully, watching Callius's expression with each word.
"He's a young boy, not a grown man."
"A boy?
But didn't you say he's been your support since childhood?"
"Karl is... a child who never grows up.
You can tell just by looking at him.
He's hiding right now because you appeared suddenly, but... he's very reluctant to show himself to others."
Callius's expression was difficult to read.
I imagine I would have made the same face if someone had told me this story without any proof to show for it.
"I know.
It's hard to believe what I'm saying.
It sounds impossible, doesn't it?
But it's true.
I promise I'll introduce Karl to you properly, Callius.
Please... trust me."
How foolish must my words sound?
How naive and childish?
Memories of my past life clawed at my chest—all those times I'd tried to speak the truth only to be dismissed, disbelieved, told I was imagining things or losing my mind.
My hands twisted anxiously in my lap as I struggled to find the right words.
But then Callius smiled—warm and genuine—and nodded slowly.
"I grew up experiencing unbelievable things as part of my daily life.
You haven't forgotten that my mother was a Saint who performed miracles, have you?"
"Ah..."
Of course.
How could I have forgotten?
Callius had witnessed the impossible from childhood—had grown up surrounded by divine mysteries.
"If you say it's true, Chloe, then I believe you.
Don't worry about convincing me."
"Really?
You truly believe me?"
"Yes.
Really."
Callius's answer was steady and sincere.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
The relief that flooded through me was so overwhelming that I threw my arms around his neck without thinking.
"Thank you, Callius!
Thank you so much!
I'll definitely introduce you to Karl properly—I promise!"
"Oof—Chloe—"
I hugged him with all my strength, afraid that if I let go, this moment of understanding might slip away like water through my fingers.
"I'm so excited for you to meet Karl!
It's like a dream come true—seeing two of my favorite people together!"
That night, Callius lay beside Chloe in bed, listening intently as she told him everything she could about Karl in exquisite detail.
Chloe was so excited that the words tumbled out one after another, painting a vivid picture of her oldest and most mysterious friend.
"Karl has been my companion for as long as I can remember.
I relied on him so much when I was trapped in the palace—especially during the darkest times."
Callius's expression softened with sympathy as he listened.
For a moment, he set aside whatever complicated feelings he might have about Karl's existence and simply felt grateful.
Callius simply enjoyed hearing Chloe's animated voice as she described her mysterious friend with such obvious affection.
And deep down, he felt genuinely grateful that someone named Karl had been there to support her through those terrible years.
"If I hadn't had Karl by my side, my life would have been so much more terrible.
I don't know if I would have survived at all."
"I'm truly glad you had a friend like that, Chloe.
Sincerely."
"Right?"
Chloe's delighted laugh was like music—light and bright and full of joy.
Lying with her back to the firelight, Chloe's eyes sparkled like stars as she spoke about her precious friend with such obvious devotion.
Callius shifted slightly to face her more fully, pretending to adjust the blanket while secretly pulling her closer into his arms.
Chloe was so absorbed in talking about Karl that she didn't even notice she was being embraced.
"So, Callius, what happened with Karl back then was..."
Her sweet breath tickled the tip of his nose as she spoke, her face so close to his that he could count her eyelashes.
Callius felt a familiar warmth building low in his abdomen.
He pulled Chloe even closer against him.
"The air is cold tonight.
Come closer."
Callius boldly slipped his arm around her waist, secretly hoping she would notice his less-than-innocent intentions.
But this girl—who blushed like a spring rose at the smallest deliberate touch—somehow remained completely oblivious to what he was doing when she wasn't paying attention!
As soon as she felt warm and comfortable, she started to drowse contentedly.
"I always sleep so easily when I'm next to Callius... maybe because it's so warm and safe..."
...while murmuring such innocent words that made his heart clench.
The next morning, Callius summoned Knight Commander Hawick to his study with a specific task in mind.
"Has there been any news of outsiders entering Ronheim territory recently?"
Now that he knew Karl was somewhere in Ronheim, it was only a matter of time before they found him—no matter how skilled the boy was at remaining hidden.
Ronheim was an isolated territory.
Visits from outsiders were exceptionally rare to begin with.
When a new person appeared, rumors tended to spread like wildfire through the close-knit community.
"Check for signs of human habitation in the barns and storage buildings throughout the territory.
Ask the nomadic clans if they've noticed any strangers passing through their camps.
Leave no stone unturned."
"Yes, Your Grace.
I'll see to it immediately."
It didn't take long for Hawick to gather information from across Ronheim's territory.
Reports came flooding in—merchants passing through on their way to distant markets, travelers seeking shelter from the harsh weather, distant relatives visiting family members.
Every single instance of an outsider entering the duchy was meticulously documented and presented to Callius.
But among all those detailed accounts, there was not a single mention of a boy who appeared to be around twelve years old.
Callius also enlisted Granada's help in the search.
"If you notice Chloe meeting with any guests or speaking to anyone unusual—anyone at all—report it to me immediately.
Don't dismiss anything as too insignificant."
"Understood, Your Grace."
As a former assassin with years of experience, Granada possessed both exceptional perception and quick intelligence honed by survival.
If she set her mind to finding someone or monitoring their movements, very few people could escape her notice.
Yet somehow, Karl had managed to evade even her sharp eyes, coming and going from Chloe's room without detection—like a ghost passing through walls.
But Karl remained utterly invisible.
He didn't appear before Chloe for days on end—not even once.
When Callius asked about it, Chloe simply shrugged and said, "That's just how Karl is," with an almost disconcerting lack of concern.
She seemed completely untroubled by her friend's prolonged absence, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Callius found himself increasingly puzzled by Chloe's strangely casual attitude toward someone she claimed was so precious to her.
'What is it...?
What could possibly explain this strange situation?'
The mystery of Karl only deepened with each passing day.
And somewhere in the shadows of Ronheim Castle, an invisible presence watched and waited—patient as stone, silent as snowfall.
Who—or what—was Karl, really?