As the sun was setting, the woman who he had been waiting for came back and the sound of her knocking at the door came to his ears.

 

“Your grace…”

 

“Come in.”

 

Killian looked at the door as it slowly opened.

 

“Your grace…”

 

A frightened voice echoed in his ears. Rowena, who was so intimidated, continued.

 

“…You’re home early.”

 

“Miss Philone.”

 

Rowena’s surprised heart was swept away at his calm answer.

 

The Duke’s face was calm, contrary to the expectation that she would be cornered as soon as she opened the door and entered the room. 

 

It had been a long time since he had been home, but he was still in his outdoor clothes, not his indoor clothes.

 

The fireplace was crackling, the smell of wine was faint, and on the table in front of the couch where he sat, there were delicious slices of cheese and a bottle of wine with two glasses.

 

“Why are you drinking alone……”

 

In an attempt not to upset him. Rowena became determined, as she put on a smile and tried to start a conversation.

 

Instead of answering, he pushed the seat on the opposite side to her as a gesture to sit. Rowena approached timidly.

 

As soon as she sat down on the couch, Killian poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her.

 

“Before” 

 

Rowena took a sip from her glass, and he began to speak slowly, his voice sounding as if it was coming from a faraway distance.

 

“I once had a dog.”

 

“Dog…?”

 

Rowena’s eyes widened. It was the first time she’d heard of it. There was no animal in his residence that she could see, except for a taxidermal stag’s head if that even counts.

 

“It was a gift from the Queen, a very beautiful hound. It was a female dog with glossy black fur, elegance, and a cleverness”

 

Killian, who had cut a piece of  cheese quite nicely, placed the slice on the knife and moved it towards her mouth.

 

Startled, Rowena tried to reach for the handle of the knife, but he ignored her hand, and so she had no choice but to open her mouth as he placed the knife in her mouth.

 

The cheese melted on her tongue and as the sweetness spread over her taste buds, Killian withdrew his hand after making sure she swallowed the cheese.

 

“When we went hunting birds, she would bring me the prey that I shot before I could tell her to do so. “

 

It was hard to imagine him caring for a dog at all, considering he had no compassion for humans. However, Rowena listened to his story carefully.

 

“Then one day, I had to run an errand. Upon my return, I found that the dog had escaped by breaking its leash and didn’t come back.”

 

“She didn’t return for good?” 

 

Rowena asked softly, feeling sorry for him. Killian shook his head.

 

“No. Instead, she mated with a mixed-breed dog and got pregnant. When she returned with her swollen belly, she rubbed her cheek against my pants as if nothing was wrong .”

 

The blood rushed to Rowena’s face at the unexpected twist of events. It was a good thing, after all, since the dog he thought had escaped returned and even had a child.

 

Killian, who had been staring at her face, spoke softly.

 

“I waited for my dog to give birth, and..”

 

Before she knew it, the window seemed to have opened a bit and a cold breeze blew across the room sending shivers down her spine.

 

“…And?”

 

Killian placed the glass on the table before ending the story swiftly.

 

“She gave birth to a few mongrel dogs that didn’t look anything like her, and I killed them right in front of her eyes. One after the other, eventually, she went crazy and tried to bite me, so I got rid of her too.”

 

“…….”

 

“So I don’t have dogs now.”

 

The burning embers in the fireplace had died down and the room, which had been warm just a moment ago, turned cold in a matter of seconds.

 

Rowena hugged her shoulders in an attempt to cope with the sudden chill that penetrated her entire body. Even in the darkness, she could feel a pair of blue eyes staring at her.

 

Could it be that he realized that she had secretly gone to the publisher? Her lips trembled.

 

“Miss Philone”

 

Her pupil widened eyes as it became more accustomed to the darkness, and before she knew it, he was standing in front of her, he reached out and lifted her chin, his blue eyes were glowing despite the pitch-black darkness surrounding them.

 

“I will never forgive any dog that betrays me.”

 

“Your…Grace…”

 

“But if it’s just a mistake made on a whim, I’m willing to overlook it.”

 

Of course, you’ll have to pay the price… Swallowing the rest of his words, Killian declared.

 

“It looks like we will have to postpone moving to my residence in Rockford for a bit due to circumstances. I’m going to be busy for a while now and I don’t think I’ll be stopping by here much, so wait quietly until the social season is over.”

 

He did not trust Rowena Philone. However, Gertrude’s words were just as unreliable either.

 

With that, Killian left the mansion.