She continued to eat her salad with a nonchalant expression on her face and waited for the cold threat to come back at her, but instead, she heard him pull his  chair back.

Without a word, Killian slipped past her, exited the dining room, just to return a few seconds later. Just as Rowena turned her head to look at the presence of whoever was approaching behind her, something thick and fluffy was placed on her shoulder.

“This is …….”

It was a shawl made of silver fox fur. The texture in her hand was smooth, and it had a subtle sheen to it. Rowena, who had been mesmerized stroking the shawl in a daze for a while, belatedly came to her senses and opened her mouth.

“I already have a silver fox scarf.”

“It’s different from that.”

“…….”

“You can wear whatever you want as long as you wear this shawl over it.. and the necklace too, just like I said.”

Rowena couldn’t believe her ears . She expected him to get angry or ignore her and leave his seat, but to her surprise, he showed off his petulant and self-righteous nature.

He held her shoulder over the shawl while she paused at his unexpected move. Killian brought his face next to her ear and whispered.

“Or do you want to go out naked without wearing a shawl?”

“No- no I don’t.”

Unlike the chilling words, his hot breath tickled her ear. Sensing that she would be in big trouble if she showed any more stubbornness, Rowena coyly dropped the attitude.

“I’ll do as you said. Thank you for the shawl, too.”

“Good. I was almost pondering tying you up and locking you in the tent tonight.”

After saying that one line, he lifted his hands from her shoulders and pulled away. Rowena opened the shawl to cover herself and hide the goose bumps on her skin instead of replying to his words, which she could not tell if he was joking or not.

On the other hand, one of the enemy’s childish peering eyes that had been watching them from outside the barracks quickly disappeared.

* * *

The outdoor banquet was glamorous and different from the usual indoor events. The weather was slightly cold, there were no clouds in the sky, and the moon’s brilliant shine brightened the night, so even without special lights, the surrounding area was brightly lit.

Among all the beautifully dressed women who wore heavy makeup on their faces, only two stood out by far. Miss Philone and the young lady of the Taldon family.

If Rowena, with her alluring black dress and elegant silver fox shawl, was a decadent beauty, Veronica who flaunted her youth in a fresh forsythia-colored dress and adorned her braided hair with the same flowers, looked like a fairy out of the forest.

People stole glances sideways at the two of them, while pretending they were not. and Rowena walked among the people, pretending not to notice the comparing and judging glances.

“You look so gorgeous tonight, Miss Philone~!”

“Thank you for saying so. You also look so beautiful, Countess Rachel!”

“Ho- ho, you’re being so sweet.”

Countess Rachel asked softly after exchanging an affectionate greeting with Rowena.

“What about his excellency?”

“We came together, but he stepped to talk to the other gentlemen a moment ago.”

“Well, the Duke doesn’t seem too anxious. What is he going to do if someone steals his beautiful partner while he’s at it?”

“Isn’t it because he’s confident he’ll get her back because of the bond they share?”

Rowena, who had slyly retorted the Countess’s joke, held a glass filled with champagne from the silver tray of a passing waiter. The Countess looked at her in surprise as she gulped it down without hesitation.

“Were you always such a good drinker?”

“Only when I feel like drinking.”

“I don’t remember you being one five years ago”

“Hmm, I  guess I must’ve not wanted to drink much back then?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Rowena handed the empty glass to another waiter.

“You tell me. Are you sure you really have not become a merchant somewhere? How did you become so good at talking?”

“The thing is, it took me a long time to realize that there is nothing to come back from behaving nicely.”

That was when the Countess doubted her ears at Rowena’s sarcastic answer.

“Your Excellency~~~!”

Veronica’s cheerful voice rang out high through the crowded vicinity.

“It’s been a really long time since we’ve seen each other.”

The sudden commotion made both of them look at Veronica almost at the same time. Veronica, who had meekly greeted Killian by grabbing the hem of her dress, looked up at him with sparkling eyes. Killian, perhaps because he was talking to someone else or perhaps holding a glass in one hand that he turned his head toward her, and responded indifferently.

“Lady Taldon. Didn’t we meet yesterday? although I didn’t get a chance to greet you.”

“Not yesterday.”

Veronica, her mouth hanging down in remorse, asked in a charming voice.