A few weeks ago I received a letter containing shocking information from Elaine.

Dimitri and I were busy handling the rebellion caused by Count Schdental and Cayetana, trying to calm the ferocious atmosphere in Blois. In addition, it was even more hectic for me because I was tasked with keeping the shapeshifter shelter stable.

…No, in truth, it was just an excuse, and honestly, I was so distracted because of Dimitri.

“Don’t you have something to say to me, wife?”

Dimitri, who had been lingering by my side and brushing his shoulders against mine since earlier, whispered seductively in my ear.

“I want to hear sweet words.”

“Dimitri, don’t keep doing this.”

I grabbed the papers I was reading and sat down on the sofa, trying to get away from him. But instead of staying away, he laid on my lap casually as if it were his right to do so.

He spoke languidly, tapping his foot that extended beyond the edge of the sofa.

“Just one word is enough.”

“Why are you lying down here? Who told you that you could do this?”

“My heart.”

“Ha, shameless!”

“I was answering you obediently.”

“Get up.”

“I don’t want to.”

Dimitri, who was lying down with his arms crossed with a determined face, even closed his eyes in defiance. His confidence left me speechless.

‘No, how can the one who is courting and hanging on be this confident and reckless?’

That’s right. Last night, I rejected Dimitri’s confession of love for me.

“Tell me you love me, Rowaine.”

“Dimitri, I… I don’t love you.”

“Lies. You’re in love with me. You just can’t take that step because all you need to do is admit it.”

“Don’t be pushy.”

“You’re the one who is being pushy, not me. Is it because I’m a shapeshifter? Is that why you don’t want to admit it?”

“It’s not like that. There’s no reason. I just don’t love you, that’s all.”

Up until that point, I had complicated feelings.

I had countless thoughts about what our relationship would be like from now on, whether I would lose Dimitri like this. I didn’t want to destroy the intimacy we had built with him over time. Through various experiences, we had developed a bond beyond friendship… something like camaraderie.

Even though it might be a selfish thought, I didn’t want to lose that. It would be so sad.

As I became depressed and looked at Dimitri, his face looked more like he didn’t understand than he was hurt.

“I don’t understand it even more if there’s no reason. If it’s not because I’m a shapeshifter, there’s no reason for you not to love me.”

“….”

“See, you’re still looking at me with the eyes of someone in love even now.”

“When am I?”

“You told me I’m perfect. You said you like beautiful people, and you even said I’m pretty. Besides, I’m not old.”

“What on earth does that all mean? When did I say such things?!”

“If you mess things up and then claim you don’t remember, what’s the value?”

“You were the one who said it, yet you couldn’t remember?”

It was a face filled with intense unfairness.

Dimitri kept insisting that I loved him, showing no doubt in his claims. Instead of feeling defeated, he wore a very confident expression.

‘It’s better than being awkward, but…’

I looked down at Dimitri, who was lying on my lap as if he owned it.

‘Even though he knows, he acts like he doesn’t.’

As if sensing my gaze, he opened his eyes slightly and spoke.

“If you want to touch it, you can.”

“Yes?”

Then, he pulled my hand and placed it on top of his head.

“You’ve been staring at me greedily.”

“When, when did I…!”

I stood up, flustered. For some reason, my face felt flushed and I couldn’t stand it, so I said fatally to Dimitri.

“Don’t follow me.”

I grabbed the documents and left the office. I was planning to go to the office I had set up for the shapeshifter shelter to avoid him.

Dimitri shook his head as he watched Rowaine leave the office with a flushed face.

“It would be easier if she just admitted it.”

He muttered and turned to Coco, who was curling up in the shape of a loaf of bread on the window sill across from him, basking in the sun.

“Was I wrong?”

Coco yawned lazily and stretched before he rolled over to lie on his back, gazing at the sky.

“Rowaine must be embarrassed.”

“Honorifics.”

“…Uh, leader.”

Although he didn’t know where the title ‘leader’ that Sasha and Coco used to call him came from, he thought it wasn’t a bad thing, so he let it slide.

“She obviously likes me. I don’t understand why she’s denying it.”

Even though Rowaine claimed he was being pushy, he had never forced anything.

‘She looks at me as if I’m so endearing when she gazes at me.’

He could sense whether someone liked him or not. Animals were sensitive to such things, and Dimitri, as a shapeshifter, was no exception. No, but even if he weren’t a shapeshifter, anyone who saw Rowaine’s gaze would have been able to tell in the first place.

It was that blatant… Rowaine’s feelings.

‘…But why?’

What could be the reason for denying it?

‘There must be something I don’t know… No, I don’t think so.’

Dimitri let out a small sigh as he speculated about other reasons that made her not want to admit, and left Rowaine’s deserted office without hesitation.

Only Coco, lying stretched out as if he had fainted, seemed completely disinterested, leisurely basking in the sun as if nothing else mattered.

While Rosanne was sitting by the window, gazing outside, she saw Rowaine riding away somewhere on her horse. Judging by the comfortable and casual attire suitable for activities, it seemed like she knew where she was going without even needing to hear.

“It looks like she’s going to the shelter again.”

She knew that Rowaine was preparing something with the shapeshifters. However, it seemed like there was more than just that reason for her frequent visits to the shelter.

“There’s something wrong. Something…”

Rosanne squinted her eyes and stared at Rowaine’s back as she was moving further and further away, then stood up.

“I need to meet with Dimitri.”

Her maid, Lena, politely supported her.

“I’ll make sure to convey that.”

Dimitri, who had spent all his time crumpled up in Rowaine’s office, was now looking through the documents Hyle had brought him, thinking that it was time to fulfill his duties as the duke. Then, the butler delivered the news of Rosanne’s visit.

He sighed and set aside the documents.

“Why do people look for busy people like this? It hinders me from working.”

“You seem to be aware that you were busy.”

When Hyle looked at the back of his master’s head as he complained with cold eyes, Dimitri, who had vented his dissatisfaction because of an unwelcome guest, shrugged his shoulders.

“Really? I didn’t know. By the way, why are your eyes so wide open like that? If your eyes hurt, go outside and stare at the wall.”

Hyle was taken aback, wondering if Dimitri had eyes in the back of his head, too. He didn’t know, but cat shapeshifters actually have a wider field of vision than ordinary humans.

After punishing his aide, he greeted Rosanne with a sullen attitude.

“I didn’t know you were still in Blois.”

While Rowaine and Rosanne had a good relationship, it didn’t mean that the relationship between Rosanne and Dimitri had improved. Between the two, there remained a long-standing awkwardness and discomfort, like a habit that refused to be fixed.

When Dimitri wasn’t within her defensive range, Rosanne had a history of turning a blind eye to Cayetana’s abuse.

Despite the fact that Rosanne tolerated being on the same boat with him only because she was so instrumental in making him the duke, Dimitri had never fully accepted her. Therefore, conversations between the two were always on thin ice.

“If you hadn’t been unreliable, I would’ve already been able to return to Elbas with peace of mind.”

“What else do you want to nag me about now?”

“Just like a parrot*. Tsk. You wouldn’t be so blunt with Rowaine, would you?”
[ T/N: This sentence isn’t a commonly used idiom but rather a colloquial expression. It translates to ‘Just like a parrot’ or ‘like a talking bird.’ It implies someone is repeating words or phrases without understanding their meaning, similar to how a parrot mimics speech without comprehension. ]

“Aha. I guess you’re in a fitful situation because you lost both your son and his wife, so you’ve got no one to interfere with.”

“Are you making sarcastic comments about Rowaine’s weaknesses like you did with me?”

While words were exchanged, it couldn’t be considered a conversation as each person was only saying what they wanted to say. The two stared sharply at each other, engaging in a pointless confrontation.

Rosanne was the first to withdraw her fierce gaze.

“It seems like Rowaine is avoiding you.”

“….”

Because it was true, Dimitri couldn’t refute it.

“It seems like she’s taking charge of various matters, but her heart isn’t in Blois. No matter how many responsibilities you give her, you’re going to have to fill that gap with a substitute. You can’t hold onto people in that way.”

Dimitri stuck his tongue out at the fact that Rosanne had even noticed such things.

‘A ghostly old woman*.’
[ T/N: It’s a figurative expression which translates to ‘ghostly old woman’ in English. It’s likely used metaphorically to describe an old person who appears ghostly, perhaps implying a mysterious or eerie demeanor. It’s not a standard idiom but rather a descriptive expression. ]

He retorted bluntly.

“…Rowaine values the shapeshifters, so she won’t leave them behind after just appointing a substitute.”

“You still can’t grasp your wife’s heart yet because you’re just believing and taking your time relying on just that fact.”

Rosanne clicked her tongue and stood up. It seemed like she had conveyed everything she wanted to convey to Dimitri.

“I like that girl. If you’re being unreliable and let Rowaine slip away, I’ll regret ever giving you a chance.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of Grandmother’s regrets, but I also like her. There won’t be such a situation.”

It was a firm response.

As Rosanne turned away without a response, Dimitri didn’t notice that, as she left the office, she was smiling with great satisfaction.

‘He’s better than my pathetic son.’

Her expression quickly darkened as she thought of her son. She had lost her son, grandchildren, and recently her daughter-in-law.

Having lost everyone she wanted to protect, now all she had left was Dimitri and Rowaine.

 
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