Chapter 44, Epilogue: The Three, and One More

Translator: Lizz

 

Several months had passed.

Edward and Gina were extremely busy.

 

The reconstruction plans were going smoothly, and Sylvia and Edward no longer needed to stay with the Mayor constantly – the townspeople were mostly able to manage things on their own.

That was good news, but the fortress itself was falling way behind.

Since Calogero had left for the neighboring country, they hired several candidates for the butler position, but none of them were as capable as Calogero. In the end, Gina and Edward ended up managing things themselves.

 

“Once again, I realize just how amazing Calogero was. He was incredibly good at his job.”

Gina muttered quietly, and Edward begrudgingly agreed.

 

He had been serving as both a priest and a butler. Being a priest involved a fair amount of responsibilities, yet Calogero outperformed every other butler candidate they had. It was astonishing.

What was even more remarkable was that when Gina and Edward had to step away from their duties temporarily, Calogero managed to hold everything together on his own. Whether it was short-term or  gradual, not once did the operations come to a standstill. Now, Edward and Gina are sharing only the part that Calogero used to handle himself, and even so, they’re overwhelmed with work, proving just how capable he really was.

He was probably exceptionally skilled at managing people.

 

Edward and Gina both tended to take on too much work. With two of the same type continuously piling things on themselves, the workload snowballed.

Edward, reaching a breaking point, was seriously considering the last resort: ‘Swallow my pride and ask the Marquis of the neighboring country to recommend someone who could serve as butler’. Just as he was contemplating this, a servant burst in, visibly flustered.

“Ca–Calogero has returned!”

Hearing those words, Edward was so stunned he dropped the papers he was holding, scattering them across the floor.

 

Calogero had returned.

He entered the fortress and greeted everyone, starting with Sylvia.

“I deeply apologize for the trouble I’ve caused. Some of you may not know the circumstances, so let me explain from the beginning. I am originally from a neighboring country. I got caught up in a certain crime, and in order to escape from my pursuers, I threw myself into the river and ended up drifting to this town.”

Calogero spoke with surprising ease, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

 

“So, I went back to the neighboring country and confronted the nobleman with whom I had a bitter connection. Thankfully, everything was resolved. That person had committed serious crimes over a long period and was stripped of his noble status and executed as a commoner. He had married into another noble family, but even they were punished for conspiring with him. With that, my safety was secured, and I was able to return here. I hope to be of service once again.”

 

Edward looked at Calogero with a mix of bewilderment and exasperation, as if silently asking what on earth he was talking about?

Noticing the glance, Calogero responded with a bright, almost audible smile.

“The neighboring country is certainly where I was born and raised, but I’ve already spent more time living here, being cared for by this town. I’ve built my life here. Even if I were to return home, I’d just be an unwelcome guest after the initial greetings. Building trust from scratch in a town where almost no one knows me is extremely difficult, so I see no reason to work in the neighboring country. My background already attracts curious looks as it is. That being the case, continuing my life here just as I always have is the best choice, according to both my father and the Marquis who is my guardian.”

 

The current Calogero looked far too much like his real father, Marquis Onofrio. If they stood side by side, no one would doubt they were father and son. In fact, Calogero resembled the Marquis far more than his own son, the heir to the family. It could only spell trouble.

If he were to serve as a priest in the neighboring country, he would inevitably be appointed as High Priest due to being the Marquis’s son. That would mean the Marquis family would build a church and install Calogero as the High Priest, setting off a web of complicated issues involving power dynamics with the church and conflicts among the nobility. It was sure to become a headache.

That was why the best place to work was this fortress church – close to the neighboring country, and where he could become High Priest without any nepotism.

 

Once Edward understood the reason and realized Calogero intended to stay, his face twisted into a grimace. Calogero, in contrast, offered an even more radiant smile and greeted him.

“I’ve received permission from the church. Once again, I will be serving as butler of the fortress.”

Gina clapped her hands in delight. She bore more of the burden of managing the fortress, so she was genuinely thrilled by Calogero’s return.

Edward, too, had been nearly crushed by the workload during Calogero’s absence, and so he had no objections.

 

As Edward brooded darkly, thinking he’d force work on Calogero, Calogero walked over to stand before Sylvia and knelt down.

“Lady Sylvia… You still know nothing of sin and remain so innocent. I wish you could stay that way forever, but now I understand that knowing sin is also important as a human being. When the day comes that sin finds you, please confess to me. I will guide you through atonement and purify you.”

With that sermon-like speech, he kissed her fingertips.

Edward exploded in fury and shouted.

“Go back to your country!”

 

After his return was approved, Calogero spoke to Gina when she was alone.

“Because of my thoughtless actions, I put your life in danger. I am truly sorry. And… thank you for saving me. You are my savior. Because of that, I will make every effort to grant you one wish, whatever you want.”

 

Gina found Calogero’s phrasing amusing and nearly burst out laughing.

‘Make every effort’ – he spoke as if he already knew what Gina wanted.

“You do know what I want, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’d prefer to be wrong, but I think I do.”

“Then, make that effort… Sir Edward is a serious and kind person. No matter what others may say about him, I believe in him. So I hope you’ll believe in him too, Calogero.”

Calogero gave a wry smile.

He’d expected her to say that, and as he thought, she did. He nodded.

“I promise to make the effort.”

Gina laughed heartily. Whether or not it would work out, he had promised to try. She didn’t think he was lying.

 

Seeing Gina laugh, Calogero smiled softly.

“It’s thanks to you that I’m now able to say such things.”

He wore an honest, gentle smile, something he had never shown before, leaving Gina slightly bewildered.

 

Suddenly, she wondered if Calogero had been through so many hardships that it had distorted him somehow.

There were still lingering tensions.

But as they continued working together within the fortress, she hoped that the friction between Calogero and Edward would gradually disappear.

 

With Calogero’s return, the fortress suddenly seemed to breathe again and began functioning smoothly. Edward, though frustrated, had to admit he’d been bested; Calogero was just that capable.

Despite being a powerful and prestigious noble, he even handled the night patrols. Gina and Sylvia might not have known this, but Edward certainly didn’t expect Calogero to be doing that much. In truth, it was all a ploy to catch a trace of Edward’s covert schemes…

 

Watching Calogero briskly work through the accumulated tasks, Edward couldn’t help but complain to Sylvia, who was standing nearby.

“I really don’t like Calogero. I hate him, but I’ll admit he’s capable. Even with Gina and me working together, we couldn’t match his efficiency. Still, dislike is dislike.”

As he continued to rant endlessly, the clueless Sylvia suddenly puffed out her chest with a proud expression.

“I am great.”

Edward was dumbfounded and burst out laughing.

“Yes, indeed. That’s the brilliance of Lady Sylvia’s command.”

Saying that, he knelt before Sylvia and, just like Calogero, placed a kiss on her fingertips.

 

He spoke to Sylvia, whose eyes had gone wide with surprise.

“No matter where your future takes you, even if you marry the son of some noble family, I will always remain your sword. So please, trust me, and keep me by your side.”

 

Sylvia tilted her head in confusion and responded innocently.

“Edward is a genius.”

Whenever she didn’t understand something, saying that was her go-to – because Edward would somehow always figure it out!