The feeling that had engulfed her when they met again a few months earlier struck Rowena again. Rowena, who swallowed her saliva, softly spoke in the ensuing silence.

“Are you feeling under the weather? Did something happen?”

Maybe it was her imagination, but he looked different. His face was paler than usual, but his cheeks were a little flushed like a person who had suffered from a severe illness or a serious injury.

But what came back to her genuine worry was cold sarcasm.

“I didn’t know you were that interested in my work.”

“…….”

“Were you that nosy five years ago? Or is it a newly developed hobby?”

Instead of giving her a casual answer, Killian responded in a bit of a harsh tone, unlike his usual sarcastic tone, and lowered his empty glass. This man’s actions were always a mystery to her; he always spoke in a matter-of-fact manner even when he said the most vague and cryptic things , even in moments when it’s almost obvious. Curling her lips in embarrassment and rising anger, Rowena gripped the hem of her nightgown.

“You seem to be in a bad mood today. Shall I sleep in the other room?”

There was no reply to her last question , so while keeping her anger under control, Rowena stood up, but as she was about to leave the bedroom, he grabbed her wrist.

“Rowena.”

“…… yes?”

Surprised, Rowena looked down at his hand, gripping her wrist, and stopped.

There was something wrong, after all. He was a man who was sensitive to her leaving his side and would always grip her wrist to hold her back with force to make her unable to leave, but not so much that it would cause a bruise. But the hand that had just grabbed her wrist was weak enough to shake it right off if she wanted to.

Rowena thought about what would happen if she shook off this hand and ran out the door. Would Killian come to get her, mocking her feeble defiance, or would he leave her be?

At the same time, she remembered the rumored Marquis’ daughter, whose face she had never seen. There were mountains of questions she wanted to ask… Still, in truth, there were even more things she didn’t want to know.

The thoughts that filled her head were mixed up like tangled threads. Just as she was about to grasp one of the threads, a question interrupted her in a low soft tone.

“The past five years…”

Rowena doubted her ears.

“…How have you been?”

“What?”

“After I went abroad with my ex-wife, how have you been?”

Killian looked up at her dryly. Her heart pounded as she faced his blue eyes that seemed to see through everything. Rowena unconsciously brought her other hand to her heart.

Five Years of Life

It was a question she hadn’t heard once in the past four months. Killian had been more sensitive than ever after their reunion and would act on it if she had only mentioned the past five years, even if it was unintentional. If possible, it was as if he wanted to gouge that period out of her head.

It was a topic she had also avoided because of the fact that she had Damian, whom he thought was a child she had with another man.

Suddenly she wondered why he was asking these questions. Her mouth went dry, and her hands started to get sweaty. She then slowly turned her head toward the person who was still waiting for an answer.