/
“No. I’d have to refuse, too.”
In order to catch Rowaine, Herman had to pester her in various ways because it was not enough for him to engulf her with the sweet talk. Still, it was not in vain as he managed to succeed in holding her.
‘Still, that look… it isn’t my expectation.’
Smiling to himself, he shook his head slightly. He could not believe he was rejected by Rowaine. After all, she was always the one who was insisting on him to go play with him first because she was always bored.
As he thought so, Herman glanced at Rowaine, who was standing in front of a large window in the drawing room with languid eyes. He could not smell her perfume, which usually stung his nose whenever he saw her, like usual, and that somehow made her feel even more unfamiliar.
‘She’s different.’
Rowaine was such a fickle person, so he thought that she was just pretending to be changed because of some tide this time because she liked to show him a new side — one day, she would act like a shy girl, and another day, she would act like a bewitching woman. Even after, she would act like a virtuous lady.
…So, what is it this time? What was her plan of going to Blois? Had she gotten tired of playing around with the Emperor?
Although Herman was curious, he did not care much since he thought Rowaine would soon get bored and come back to beg him to play with her. However, that was a mistake… It was because this time, Rowaine has not shown her face to him for quite some time.
‘What could it be?’
As he was lost in his thoughts about Rowaine, the wine glass in his hand quivered a little.
The blood-colored liquid was very fragrant though Herman’s mind was all directed at the person in front of him. She was the one who liked his smiling face. But now, no matter how determined and smiling he was, it was difficult to attract Rowaine’s attention.
‘Hmm.’
Somehow, he did not like it. It felt like he was looking for something that you normally don’t even know existed when you have already lost it. Watching her, who kept staring out the window, made his nerves a little sensitive.
Erman whispered softly, hiding his sharp feelings behind his smile.
“You’ve changed, Duchess—like someone else wearing Rowaine’s shell.”
“Because I’m married.”
Rowaine had an awkward expression stained on her face.
Even that expression was unfamiliar to Herman. It was the first time he knew she could make that kind of look…. Or, perhaps, it was because she was using honorifics? Even the way she spoke was unfamiliar.
“People change when they find true love, don’t they?”
‘…Lies.’
Herman’s eyes narrowed.
At that moment, Duke Blois entered the drawing room.
‘He must’ve come here after hearing that she was alone with me like a demon*.’
[ T/N: Here, it meant specifically, ‘In a manner of being amazingly precise and accurate in action or guess.’ ]
Rowiane rejoiced to see the Duke of Blois, who was staring at Herman with pleased eyes, emitting wariness against him as if protecting a treasure in front of him that no one was allowed to touch. Was he not like a stranger to Rowaine? The Duke of Blois would not even know her true self.
“Dimitri.”
When Rowaine reached out her hand, Duke of Bloise wrapped his hand around her waist as if he had been waiting. Even though she seemed a little surprised at first, she soon gazed up at Duke of Blois with a face like she was falling in love.
As though he was concerned, the Duke whispered to her ears softly the next moment.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t feeling well?”
“….?”
“It’s better to rest early because you’re ill.”
“Oh, right. I did. That’d be nice.”
Herman laughed to himself.
‘Is that what you call acting now?’
He knew that Rowaine would try to provoke his jealousy by flirting with the Emperor. At the time, he did not think much of it… but why was his stomach feeling so twisted now?
With an unpleasant feeling crept into him, he suddenly opened his mouth and spoke of Rowaine’s preference that he knew.
“The Duchess, Rowaine, has always loved stormy days. I guess the Duke doesn’t seem to know that yet.”
At his arrogant tone, the Duke of Blois narrowed his brow.
“You say you’ve been friends for a long time though you don’t know much about my wife, do you? She doesn’t like days like this.”
“Is that possible? On days like this, we would all gather together and enjoy scary stories until late at night. If you listen to the story I’ve prepared, you’ll forget about being sick and enjoy it.”
Saying so, Herman reached out his hand towards Rowiane.
‘Hold it, Rowaine. As you always do.’
Even when she was playing around with the Emperor, she never wavered at his outstretched hand. Because of that, he was confident.
However…
“I’m sorry. But, I’m tired today, so I need to rest early.”
…He was rejected.
This time, it was a real refusal that would not work, even if he pestered or squeezed her. Herman stared blankly at the back of Rowaine, who was leaving the drawing room with the Duke of Blois. At the same time, his mask, which had been smiling tenderly the whole time, was crumpled.
‘…Is she really Rowaine?’
At this moment, he thought back to how the dog shapeshifter and Rowaine were looking at each other earlier.
ﾟ･ : * ✧ * :･ ﾟ
As night fell, the wind grew stronger, and the rain streamed down like a torrential downpour.
I was in the room chatting a little bit with Agwen about the employees, and at some point, the rain got so loud that her voice was barely audible. By the time I realized that I was speaking with a loud voice, the wind rumbled and shook the window.
“Ah…”
Startled, I muttered quietly and glanced out the window. At that moment, lightning flashed behind the curtains, and a loud bang was heard as if something exploded somewhere.
“The thunder is loud.”
“…I know. It wouldn’t break the windows, would it?”
“It’s a sturdy window that survived last year’s typhoon without any ambivalence, so it’ll be fine. If you’re worried, should I have your servants hang up the shutters?”
“Oh, my God. Do you want to kill someone?”
The wooden shutters were used to increase the thermal effect by hanging outside the window. Because of my anxiety, I could not help but imagine people hanging from windows in this weather, trying to install the wooden shutters.
“I’m okay. Just… can you bring me some of the lights that decorated the bathroom back then?”
I thought that if I slept with a small light on, I might be less afraid. On a thundering night like this, I was not confident if I could sleep alone in this spacious bedroom.
‘It’s really scary.’
However, to ask Agwen to sleep with me…
‘It’s a job that requires overtime pay. How much does she want to get off work?’
I wanted to keep the time off to the employees.
‘I’m not young enough to cause trouble to others just because I’m afraid of thunder.’
After Agwen turned on the lights and left the room, I laid down on the bed before pulling the blanket up to my neck.
‘Come to think of it, what are Coco and Sasha doing now…?’
At dinner, the two of them seemed excited about playing the new card game they had learned from Liddell in the evening as if they couldn’t care less about the weather.
‘If Sasha came to see me because she was afraid, she would hug her and sleep with her.’
Nonetheless, it seemed like Sasha’s valiant personality would not make her afraid of thunder and lightning.
Swwoooosh—
At the terrifying sound of the wind, I hurriedly pulled out the blanket more and covered my face up half way.
“I’m scared…”
I mumbled without realizing it, then shook my head and alluded to myself in a slightly louder voice.
“I’m not scared! I’m not afraid of anything! Haha! It’s just wind and thunder! No, I’m afraid…”
…It seemed like it was going to be a long night.
ﾟ･ : * ✧ * :･ ﾟ
Before falling asleep, Dimitri, who had transformed into a cat, was lying curled up in a box while hugging the cat cushion he had taken from Rowaine previously. No matter how much he sniffed, the cushion no longer smelled of grass from her.
As he was smacking his lips*, he could suddenly hear a voice from the secret door that connected to Rowaine’s room.
[ T/N: It’s an idiom which means, ‘To be dissatisfied or embarrassed because something does not go as one wishes.’ ]
“I’m not scared! I’m not afraid of anything! Haha! It’s just wind and thunder! No, I’m afraid…”
“….”
Resting his face with a languid expression, he glanced at the door.
‘She’s more scared than I thought.’
He could hear the occasional murmurs of ‘not scary’ or ‘scary’ coming and going. When the thunder rumbled, a small groan was heard, and Dimitri ran to the secret door. However, he could not open the door and just stand in front of it.
‘If I go, she’d feel burdened.’
Rather than put her to sleep, he would make her wake up completely.
‘Should I bring Sasha?’
As he was thinking about it, Dimitri suddenly saw his reflection in the mirror. He then stroked his chin with his round paw.
[ T/N: OMG- THE IMAGERY! SO CUTE I CAN’TTT (〃∀〃)ゞ ]
Even though it was absolutely unacceptable—to quote Rowaine, he was now ‘Blue, the cute little gray cat.’ Additionally, she also did not know that Blue was Dimitri… and he wanted to fall asleep smelling Rowaine.
‘Good.’
After telling the devil to open the door, he went out proudly and scratched the door of Rowaine’s room next door with his paws. There was a rustling sound from inside before the overly cautious footsteps got closer and closer.
As the doorknob crept open, it seemed as if he could feel the inner feelings of Rowaine, who was not sure. When the door was opened just a little, she then peered into the thin crevice with fearful eyes.
Seeing him sitting at the door, she opened the door wide with joy.
“Blue! It was you! Oh, I thought something was coming.”
Rowaine, rubbing her chest, sat down in front of Dimitri and held out her hand.
“Were you in the mansion? What kind of person opened the door for you? And, how did you get to the fourth floor? How do you know my room? Oh, did you smell me? This is so amazing.”
At her questions, Dimitri approached the delighted Rowaine and rubbed his body against her, lighting abruptly flashed.
Because of that, Rowaine flinched before hugging him without realizing it.
‘….!’
Dimitri, being embraced in her arms wide, widened his eyes. Not only that she was not even wearing a shawl, but her nightgown was also relatively thin with a deep chest cut. Dimitri’s body stiffened as he could feel his cheek pressed against her bare chest.
“I’m sorry, Blue. I was so surprised that I didn’t even realize.”
Rowaine, who quickly calmed down, put down Dimitri with a sigh.
It was a strange feeling. Obviously, he tended to avoid physical contact with others, but what was this disappointment…?
While he was distracted by his thoughts, all of a sudden, Rowaine whispered to him in a subtly voiced voice.
“Would you like to sleep with me?”