Damian’s unfortunate incident was buried, time passed and the quickly entered May, the month of which fox hunt is held in the hunting grounds. After Damian incident, Rowena grew to hate the forest. Still, she couldn’t not go the the hunt, but that didn’t mean she would take Damian with her, so this time she would let Joanne accompany her for the hunt. While Melissa, whom she trusted the most, would stay behind with Damian at the townhouse.

“The young master will be well taken care of by the nannies and myself. Don’t worry, Rowena. We have the teacher now too.”

“Please, …. If anything should happen, please send a telegram immediately.”

“You make it sound as if you are going away for a long trip. It’s just a brief event, you’ll be back in three or four days, max.”

Melissa pushed Rowena who had worry in her eyes to prompt her to go as she gently scolded her in a manner that wouldn’t make Rowena despise her.

“Then have a safe trip.”

“Okay …”

After being pushed out, Rowena turned around several times and got into the carriage. As she sat down in her seat and composed her expression, Killian, who was reading a book, casually asked.

“Are you that worried about the child?”

“That’s…….”

Killian was the one who had allowed him to be brought to the capital with them and had also given him a room in the same townhouse, on the same floor, albeit a little further away from hers. At first, she was worried that he might realize Damian’s true identity and even objected at the beginning, Rowena’s heart beat faster on more than one occasion Killian was close to lay eyes on her boy, but the way he didn’t care about the child as if he were a totally non-existent being made her feel more reassured.

“It’s not that…”

He was being generous at best, but she couldn’t let her nerves get the best of her. Rowena shook her head, thinking of an excuse for a moment.

“Then?”

“Lady Taldon will be there too, won’t she?”

Rowena looked out the window.

“I don’t like that.”

His index finger reached to her pouting lips. Startled by the playfully light touch of his hand, Rowena quickly turned her head to look at him.

“Killian?”

There was an awkward tension in the air. The person who had done the act also blinked, as if he couldn’t believe what he was doing. But it was only for a moment before Killian, smiling wryly, stared at her. Rowena’s face turned bright red as she looked at him as if he was observing her, as if he was finding something funny.

“Why, why do you look at me like that?”

“You’re wearing the necklace.”

“What? Oh, this ..”

He narrowed his eyes at the necklace that he personally had given her to wear around her neck before coming to the capital. Rowena avoided his eyes as she touched her neck.

“It’s just beautiful.”

Until her escape plan succeeded she needed to be on his good side, this meant nothing more, nothing less. Participating in this hunting season was just another example of that.

“Rowena.”

As soon as she turned her head toward the man calling her, Rowena held her breath as he approached her face. Killian leaned toward her and took a few locks of her long blonde hair and started to curl it around his finger.

“The Taldon girl doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Really?”

“Between you and her, there is no way of comparing, she can’t compete.”

His words were plain, but seemingly kind. She had been with him for over three years, but hearing those words for the first time made her heart flutter and her eyes burn. 

At the same time, the fact that she could still feel so emotionally disturbed by this man, angered her in a way she can’t describe. Trying to hide her flustered eyes, filled with mixed feelings, Rowena silently took his hand off her, and then she threw her gaze back to the window and looked away.

“Don’t you think it’s too late to say that?”

Although her tone was flat, pretending to be unconcerned, she had a red hue under her eyes. Watching her side profile, Killian realized that since their reunion, Rowena had not cried in front of him. She just smiled like a flower and chirped like a bird.

The last time he had seen her cry was that night five years ago.

He had always hated crying, whether it was a child or a woman. It was a weak means of self-preservation, nothing more, nothing less. He despised the kind of person who would try to control a situation with a few drops of tears. To such people, tears are a means of appealing to their emotions and trying to manipulate others into doing what they want.

-You’re the devil. You played  me, didn’t you?

He recalled the face of a woman with red, bloodshot eyes and tears in her eyes. 

…Did he think like that back then??