Behavior that would have seemed just frustrating from another man even appeared somewhat cute.

‘I should wrap this up quickly.’

Just as she thought this and was about to spring up from her seat,

“It seems we’ve said and heard everything we needed to. If you have nothing more to say, let’s part ways here.”

“Hmm.”

Instead of a straightforward ‘Let’s do that,’ a hesitant groan escaped through Dominic’s teeth. Moreover, he showed no sign of getting up.

‘What exactly is this person thinking?’

Karina slightly furrowed her brow, unable to understand. At her reaction, Dominic finally sighed and opened his mouth.

“I heard… a strange story.”

“What?”

Karina, who had been half-standing, sat back down. She had no way of knowing what he was trying to say with such hesitation.

“A strange story? Does it have anything to do with me?”

“…It does.”

“Alright. Tell me about it.”

“Lieutenant Emgiet told me.”

“Emgiet?”

After briefly searching through her memories, Karina nodded with an “Ah.”

“You mean Phiex Emgiet. Yes, I know him. And?”

“Wasn’t he the one enjoying dates with you until a few days ago?”

“That’s right.”

Karina calmly opened and closed her eyes as if to say ‘So what?’ If anything, it was Dominic who was flustered by her naturalness.

“He has a new lover now.”

“Yes. I know. She’s a good woman. She’s also someone Phiex Emgiet has liked for a long time.”

“…You knew all that?”

Finally, Karina could guess what Dominic wanted to say.

This innocent, honest, and diligent man seemed to have trouble accepting her casual conduct.

“Ahhh…”

Karina’s lips curled upward. She had been about to leave, but seeing the confused Dominic made mischief suddenly well up inside her.

“I didn’t expect you to bring up Emgiet’s story, but this is interesting. Please continue.”

Karina, who had been frowning until just now, smiled brightly and leaned back comfortably against the sofa.

“I heard from Lieutenant Emgiet. That… you helped him, Lady Crawford.”

“Help.”

“Is it true?”

“Yes.”

Unlike Dominic’s careful tone, Karina’s answer was straightforward.

“I did help him a bit. It turned out really well. After all, Emgiet’s long-time love was fulfilled.”

“Then is that story true as well?”

“What else did Emgiet say? I didn’t take him for someone with such a loose tongue.”

“He mentioned something about a collector.”

“Huh? Even that story?”

Puhah. Karina laughed and nodded.

“That story is true too. I did that.”

It was certainly strange. Not the content, but this situation.

Emgiet’s story had nothing to do with Dominic, so why was he suddenly asking her these questions?

“Have you ever skipped stones on a river?”

Karina suddenly asked. Dominic slowly nodded, not understanding her intention.

“I have.”

“When you look closely at the stones before skipping them, you realize that no two stones are exactly alike.”

Karina said with a slight smile.

“Men are the same.”

“What do you mean by…”

“Tall men, short men. Passionate men, or men with gentle dispositions. Some are wealthy while others aren’t. Some are intelligent while others are physically strong. Isn’t that right?”

“So you collect these men, Lady Crawford?”

“Of course, I don’t date just anyone. They need to be worth collecting. I have my own standards, you know.”

Karina corrected his words.

“I just want to experience different types if possible. Because I can’t know who suits me well otherwise.”

“Ha. That’s…”

He wanted to ask if that made any sense, but couldn’t bring himself to say it. However, even though he didn’t speak it, Karina saw through what Dominic wanted to say.

“What doesn’t make sense about it, Brigadier General? Dating is, after all, practice.”

“Practice.”

“Yes. For example, you practice swordsmanship every morning, don’t you? So why can’t relationships between men and women be practiced?”

“That’s…”

“What’s wrong with practicing relationships before marriage? At least I want to live happily with my future husband.”

This was sincere. In a conservative world where divorce was unthinkable, marriage was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What was wrong with wanting to marry someone you like without regrets?

“But that’s strange.”

“Well, even if you say it’s strange… I never asked for your understanding. It’s fine. My parents and brother don’t really understand me either.”

Dominic fell silent at Karina’s attitude as she shrugged. In truth, she was right. He, who wasn’t even family, had no right to comment on Karina’s conduct.

“It’s not like I went around threatening men to date me. Despite how it looks, there are quite a few people who voluntarily request dates with me because there’s a rumor that experiencing a date with me is quite helpful.”

Karina continued with a smile.

“And eventually, dating me will help their female partners too.”

“How does that help their female partners?”

“Of course it helps! It might sound a bit strange, but I think of myself as a breeder. I take men with potential, make them into good men, and put them out in the market.”

Improve their weaknesses and maximize their strengths. Dating was nothing more and nothing less than a hobby for Karina. It was enjoyable precisely because it was a clean relationship without emotional entanglement with the other person.

“But relationships between men and women aren’t supposed to be so casual…”

“Come on. What do you mean by relationships? Do you call a breeder who helps train dogs their owner? You don’t, right?”

Dominic didn’t respond to Karina’s words. Certainly, as she said, no one calls a breeder who raises good dogs for adoption their first owner.

“Right?”

Karina grinned.

She could tell what was going through that man’s mind without looking. With his rigid and diligent personality, he must be thinking of Lieutenant Emgiet and all the other men she had met, surely misunderstanding her as a woman who enjoys a promiscuous lifestyle.

She could explain if she wanted to. In truth, it wasn’t much of a relationship between men and women to speak of.

Strictly speaking, it was closer to date coaching than dating experience, but Karina didn’t bother to correct Dominic’s misunderstanding.

Moreover…

The image of meeting men promiscuously is helpful. People forgive her arbitrary behavior, saying ‘that’s just how she is.’

After today, they would return to being strangers who wouldn’t meet again anyway. Though she didn’t know why he suddenly brought up Emgiet’s story.

There was no need to reveal the truth to that man and change the image she had carefully built.

Karina loved her comfortable and peaceful life too much for that.

“Is our conversation finished now? I’m sorry, but I need to go out soon.”

It was time to wrap things up. Karina, increasingly uncomfortable with the awkwardness, threw out a casual excuse.

Dominic, lost in thought, slowly raised his head at Karina’s words. His gaze lingered on Karina’s full red lips.

“What business?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re going out. I asked what business you have.”

“What does that have to do with you, Brigadier General… No, do I have to answer that?”

“Surely not…”

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you going out to do that ‘collecting’?”

Dominic was, as she expected, wrapped up in a ‘serious’ misunderstanding.

Emgiet had said that Karina Crawford was simply a dating coach to him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

No, while perhaps Emgiet maintained such a clean relationship, there was no certainty that every man who had crossed paths with Karina had done the same.

Right.

That kiss wasn’t ordinary.

On a sunny afternoon, if she had to go out, the reason was obvious.

That act of collecting, being a breeder, which she had just talked about without any intention of hiding it.

But so what? He couldn’t understand why he was so angry.

Dominic briefly tapped the armrest, lost in thought.

Why was he feeling so unpleasant?

‘With another man…’

She would repeat what she had done with Lieutenant Emgiet and the men before him with another man.

The moment his thoughts went in that direction, as though lightning had struck him, Dominic understood why he felt so bad.

‘Why.’

Why hasn’t she ever said such things to me, who’s right in front of her?

The moment his thoughts strayed to unnecessary places, Dominic internally cursed himself.

You crazy bastard.

However, Dominic’s gaze remained fixed on Karina’s lips.