“I can’t, Dimitri. Even though I could return this box to grandmother someday, a blood oath is irrevocable.”

“….”

“I’m the one who is leaving.”

Rowaine’s words pierced painfully into Dimitri’s chest.

…The person who would leave.

Was she still thinking about that?

‘Why?’

He couldn’t understand. What was lacking, what was dissatisfying enough to make her think about leaving?

‘She was happy and smiled happily when she was with me. She had fun.’

What was that all about?

It felt like a heavy blow to the back of his head. He had thought for sure that their feelings were mutual. He believed she would love him in return, just as he had come to love her. Was it just his own wish? Did he become so blinded by love and make a foolish mistake?

“I was a fool.”

He muttered under his breath, sweeping his hand across his hardened face.

“Dimitri?”

Rowaine tilted her head and opened her round, rabbit-like eyes.

Even as he shuddered amidst a bitter realization, she looked so lovely like that, and that made Dimitri realize something for sure.

…He had been so lost in his own emotions that he thought to himself that there was love reflected in her gaze, touch and laughter.

Upon realizing this, he finally realized that the look in Rowaine’s eyes as she looked up at him was normal, and until now, he had been seeing her the way he wanted to see. She was just naturally bright and kind, but she hadn’t shown any special attitude towards him.

He had been mistaken because he had never experienced this pure kindness of others.

Dimitri clenched his fist in a surge of overwhelming emotions. Was it sadness? Betrayal? It was a hotter and more unpleasant feeling than that.

Perhaps anger.

No, this was a feeling of wanting to throw a tantrum… to ask her to love him. He wanted to hold her like a child, throw a fit, and force her. But could he really do that?

All he could do was open his mouth in a cold voice.

“You’ve been thinking about leaving ever since you came here.”

Embarrassment flashed across Rowaine’s face.

“Because that was our agreement in the first place.”

“….”

Dimitri remained silent. As much as he was reluctant to admit it, he had nothing to say in response.

“Agreement… yes, that’s right.”

He shook his head before walking past Rowaine and approaching Rosanne.

Even at that moment, countless thoughts swirled in his mind. When he thought about it objectively, he had given Rowaine everything he had, be it status, possessions, wealth, or even numerous cats. He had even supported her initiative to establish a shelter for shapeshifters.

He couldn’t recall a time when he hadn’t been considerate towards her, nor ever making her feel uncomfortable.

Despite the fact that it started as a contractual relationship, wasn’t it through various events that they shared emotions beyond that? Though they hadn’t spoken about it, he thought that if things continued like this, they would be together in the future, not because of a contract but with their hearts.

But at this moment, he felt like he had been thrown back to a time before he had met her again.

The depressive feelings stirred up his sense of inferiority that was sleeping deep inside him.

‘…Is it because I’m a shapeshifter?’

No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one reason—his only flaw that everyone in the world unanimously pointed out.

Yes, if not that, then what else could it be?

Even though she loved shapeshifters, that didn’t mean that it was still unpleasant to have a shapeshifter as her husband. It might be contradictory, but humans are contradictory by nature.

Dimitri gritted his teeth as his mood sank significantly.

His cold demeanor was enough to make Count Schdental swallow the wind.

He harbored a deep-seated sense of inferiority due to his birth. As she spent his childhood in Blois, even through a child’s eyes, he could keenly discern how lowly shapeshifters were perceived. Even after being abandoned by the Cayetana and living with his teacher and Esca, he realized through painful experience how much the whole world hated shapeshifters.

As he was labeled as a shapeshifter soldier, he had suffered hardships on the battlefield and was deprived of the bare minimum of human dignity.

So, he vowed time and time again.

Despite his birth, he was determined to make everyone bow before him one day—that was how he became so fixated on power. It was an obsession that began when he was abused by Cayetana and only intensified throughout his life within the depths of his inferiority complex.

Still, he had let go of that obsession in front of Rowaine. He even believed that he could willingly share his power with her. That was how sincere he was.

…But, in the end, did his origin hinder everything?

Thanks to Rowaine, the inferiority complex that had been subsiding resurfaced due to her.

Dimitri replied in a low voice as he saw the question in Rosanne’s eyes as to why he was coming alone, leaving Rowaine behind.

“If Rowaine becomes the leader, there will be many who want to get rid of her. I understand Grandmother’s intentions, but leaving enemies everywhere is enough with just me.”

“That’s why you should protect your wife, right? Aren’t you doing this because you believe it will happen?”

“It’s too much for her to handle.”

“I thought someone like Rowaine wouldn’t want to live weakly in the shadow of her husband. I didn’t think she was that pathetic.”

“….”

Rosanne narrowed her eyes at Dimitri’s silence before asking as if she were suspicious.

“You don’t have any intention of entrusting Blois to Rowaine?”

Dimitri’s Adam’s apple moved noticeably. How could that be? If it were up to him, he would’ve given her anything as long as Rowaine said she wouldn’t leave.

Struggling to suppress the surging emotions, he opened his mouth slowly.

“…I just don’t want to burden her.”

“You two… Hmm.”

Rosanne, sensing an odd atmosphere from Dimitri, glanced back and forth between Rowaine and him as if she was about to say something but then decided to remain silent.

Dimitri pulled a small knife from his pocket and swiftly threw it towards the foot of Count Schdental.

“Let’s begin.”

At those words, the knight released the rope that had been restraining the Count.

After hesitating for a while, he alternated between looking at the knife and Dimitri before eventually picking up the knife with trembling hands.

“Does it have to be like this, Duke?”

Dimitri, feeling unsettled because of Levane, gave the order to Count Schdental without much enthusiasm.

“As a token of the oath, cut off the little finger of your left hand and offer it.”

Count Schdental swallowed dry saliva, spread his hand wide on the ground, and prostrated himself. Then, holding the knife high, he paused and asked.

“If we were to consider this matter forgiven through a blood oath, what about Madam Elbas?”

Dimitri snickered at him.

“To think about someone else even while sacrificing your life, what a truly special friendship.”

“Please answer.”

At those words, he glanced at Cayetana, who was bound nearby and gnashing her teeth. Even she, who had been acting confidently, didn’t seem to have expected her situation to turn out this way.

Despite his low spirits, it was quite satisfying for him to see her contorted face. Dimitri deliberately spoke loudly enough for her to hear.

“Well. Shall we say that she succumbed to despair and took her own life in a state of disillusionment? Or perhaps I could claim she fell victim to a terrible illness and perished? That’s something we can figure out later.”

“So, you’re saying you’re going to kill her anyway.”

Count Schdental closed his eyes tightly as if he had foreseen that his situation would be no different from Cayetana’s. However, in the next moment, just as it seemed he was resigned to his fate, he opened his eyes wide and spoke with meaningful intensity.

“If it’s only death one way or another…!”

He signaled Cayetana with a nod, and whatever she had done, the echoing sound of a longhorn was heard, along with the clattering of horses’ hooves outside the stone walls mingled with the clash of weapons and the sound of soldiers.

She glared menacingly at Dimitri.

“If I’m going to die anyway, I can’t leave you behind and go alone.”

As soon as her words ended, heavily armored knights pushed in from outside and clashed with the Blois knights stationed at the entrance, starting a fierce battle.

“Go! Bring the necks of Duke and Duchess of Blois!”

The one who shouted this was the son of Count Bilbao, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment for defrauding the emperor with shapeshifter slaves.

When Count Bilbao was sentenced, the Bilbao family was ostracized by all the families, accused of being frauds, and plummeted to the bottom. The new lord, who was left in charge of the fallen lineage, harbored deep resentment towards Blois, especially towards Rowaine.

So when Cayetana and Count Schdental were seeking someone to collaborate with them, anticipating that things might go awry, he, driven by malice, staked everything to join forces with the two.

Upon receiving an urgent letter from Cayetana’s maid, the new Count Bilbao gathered the knights of his family, those of Count Schdental, and the hidden soldiers Cayetana had before they surrounded the abandoned castle. His sole objective was to take the lives of Dimitri and Rowaine.

Preparing to die, he swung his sword without hesitation.

“Ha.”

Dimitri let out a deep sigh.

“As if things weren’t already complicated enough.”

As he gestured into the air, the dagger that was flying towards Rowaine suddenly dropped helplessly, blocked by Samael’s wings, who was summoned.

The light from the brazier made his pupils, which were drawing long vertical lines, dilate greatly.

“Good.”

A ghastly smile crept upon his lips. It was a grin akin to the angel of death, Samael, who was excitedly tearing the corners of his mouth open into a wide smile at the smell of blood.

Except for Hyle, who had witnessed Dimitri fighting at full strength on the battlefield, no one had seen such a chilling expression. Someone murmured in a trembling voice.

“De, devil…!”

 
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