Obsessed by My Husband’s Loyal Dog

The black dress, like the pale pink one that had been laid out earlier, looked brand new. The faint scent of fresh fabric hung in the air, as if it had just been bought.

‘In the meantime?’

It seemed he had gone down the mountain while she was bathing. The slightly crumpled edge of the box suggested how hurried Kallian must have been, making Elliope nervous again.

No matter how she looked at it, the effort he had put into it was obvious.

‘Yesterday he had almost…’

Yesterday he had almost succumbed to her seduction, but had pulled himself together, probably because of his clumsy handling of the situation. He had simply put her to sleep, as if rejecting her advances altogether.

Even when he had prepared the bath water earlier, he had acted strictly as a calm and collected knight, without any unnecessary emotion.

And yet the sight of the slightly dented box made her mouth dry.

The thought that he had genuinely considered her needs clashed with the belief that such a thing was impossible, leaving Elliope overwhelmed and unable to find her balance.

‘Why… you…’

His whispered words came back to her. Elliope wanted to ask him the same thing.

‘Kallian.’

Why… why are you…?

She couldn’t even begin to guess what he was thinking. She wasn’t even sure if the agreement between them – the feverish, dreamy, solemn one he’d whispered – was still valid.

The black dress crumpled slightly in her hands. Startled by the sensation of the new fabric rustling and creasing under her grip, Elliope quickly released it.

The dress, like most noblewomen’s gowns, had clearly been designed with the assumption that someone would help her put it on.

However, during her last year at the Grand Duke’s estate, no maids apart from Emma had ever really helped her, despite her position as Grand Duchess.

During this time, Elliope had been forced to learn how to dress herself.

As a result, she was able to put on the dress without much difficulty, her practised hands moving with ease despite its intricate design.

The dress required the long decorative ribbons at the back to be tied in a proper knot, otherwise they would trail untidily across the floor.

It was at this point that Elliope summoned every ounce of courage she possessed.

“My lord.”

“……”

“Kallian, my lord.”

The door to the hut opened quickly, as it had before, leaving a small gap no wider than a finger. Through the gap, Elliope spoke in a low voice.

“I’ve finished dressing, but… could you help me with something?”

“……”

Only the sound of even breathing came in response. For a moment, Elliope had to resist the sudden urge to swear she wouldn’t try to seduce him again, as she had the night before.

Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the loose straps at the back of her dress, waiting for his response.

Instead, to convey that she had no ulterior motives, Elliope subtly showed her fully clothed self through the narrow crack in the door.

The black dress, similar but different in design to the one she’d worn the day before, was enough to make her look like a sensual young widow, even if it wasn’t quite as provocative as her previous dress. Today, however, she seemed more untamed. Without make-up or a properly styled coiffure, her natural look gave her a raw, unpolished allure.

Kallian, who had been quietly watching her through the door, finally entered the hut.

“I truly apologise if it feels like I’m treating you like a maid or servant, my lord.”

“All I need is for you to tie these ribbons at the back.”

Hesitating for a moment, she turned her back to him, revealing the untied ribbons of her dress. A strange feeling of vulnerability, as if she were turning her back on a predator, struck her, a feeling that buzzed at the base of her neck before suddenly fading into silence.

As before, Kallian made no verbal response. Instead, she felt his fingers slowly brush the top of her waist, near the base of her spine. It seemed he intended to tie the ribbons into a proper knot from there.

The rough leather of his gloves brushed against her waist as his hands moved back and forth. Though she could feel the busy movement of his hands, not a single fingertip actually touched her body.

But his gaze was unmistakable.

She could feel it slowly tracing the curve of her prominent neck bones, then drifting lazily down the line of her shoulder blades beneath her dress, and finally following the straight line of her spine.

After lingering for a moment on the knot he was tying, his gaze dipped briefly to the small dimple at the base of her lower back before returning to her neck.

The soft hairs along her skin stood on end, rising and falling as if in response to the path of his gaze. Elliope fought the instinctive urge to raise her hand and cover her neck.

“It’s done.”

Kallian said abruptly, offering no further explanation.

Without a proper mirror to check, she had no choice but to reach back and feel the knot with her fingers, tracing the fabric to confirm it was tied securely.

“…….”

The ribbon was tied far more elegantly than she had expected, neatly and skilfully.

After fastening the bracelet she had found at the bottom of the box – clearly intended to complement the dress – her outfit was finally complete.

The bracelet was designed in a unique style: delicate embroidery adorned a knot of fabric that twisted like a vine around a thin silver chain, ending in a clasp set with a blue gemstone. Recognising it as a bracelet characteristic of the Ilmos region, Elliope slipped it easily onto her wrist.

Watching her, Kallian spoke again briefly.

“Usually, people have a hard time wearing it for the first time.”

“…….”

That was all he said, but Elliope could feel the weight behind his remark.

It carried an unspoken approval of the way she had addressed him – the ‘stranger’ Kallian Icerick – without any introduction, as if she already knew who he was. More than that, it hinted at her boldness in offering him a deal, as if she fully understood what he wanted.

Elliope felt the subtle tension in his words, knowing they implied far more than he had said.

‘He might start to suspect me.’

It was only natural, Elliope thought, and so she kept her lips sealed.

But there was no way she could explain how she knew these things. She couldn’t tell him that she had been discarded like a ghost in the Grand Duke’s mansion for three years and then died in a way that felt deeply, deeply wrong.

Nor could she admit that perhaps even the God of Death had been so angered by her sins that she had been cast out by Death itself.

And she certainly couldn’t reveal that he had been involved in those very sins, which was why it had been so easy to seduce him last night. Not when she had already lost so much ground with him.

“…I learned before I came here.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. The night before she was sent to the Grand Duchy of Ilmos, she had been drilled not only in various techniques, but also in knowledge that would please the Grand Duke – things that, she was told, might win his favour.

Her answer was just vague enough to suffice without inviting further questions, though her voice wavered slightly under his scrutiny.

Dresses, accessories and make-up styles popular in the Grand Duchy were among the things she had been taught.

“……”

Kallian stared into her eyes for a moment before silently holding out a cloak that resembled a large sack.

As Elliope put it on, he offered his hand as if to walk with her. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on his large one, her body naturally drawn forward.

—

This time there were no ambushes or attacks on their journey.

As before, they rode together on the horse, but now she sat in front while he held the reins behind her. Unlike before, however, he made a clear effort to avoid any contact with her as much as possible.

As they rode, Elliope’s emotions fluctuated between nervousness and resignation, swinging back and forth in an endless loop.

By the time they finally entered the Grand Manor of Ilmos, Elliope was mentally exhausted, drained by the emotional turmoil of the journey.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

Kallian muttered as he slowed the horse as they entered the main street.

People looked at Elliope, or rather at Kallian sitting behind her.

“Isn’t that Sir Kallian?”

“Why has he returned alone?”

“Who’s that riding in front of him?”

Since Elliope was wrapped tightly in the loose robe-like cloak Kallian had given her, the only thing they could infer about her was her small stature, leading most to assume she was either a boy or a woman.

Naturally, most of the onlookers assumed she was a boy. The idea of Kallian riding so close to a woman simply didn’t occur to them.

“Did he bring a child as a companion?”

“Wait, has he ever been the type to ride with someone like that before?”

The townsfolk, clearly familiar with Kallian, gossiped casually in hushed tones as he passed.

“Still, it’s a relief to have him back.”

“Exactly. With Sir Kallian in charge, the problem will be solved.”

‘What problem?’

Elliope wondered, her curiosity piqued. The answer came in the next whisper.

“I heard that the princess sent by the royal family has disappeared…”

Elliope tensed instinctively and clutched the cloak tighter around her.

‘Ah. If only I could stay missing forever.’

But with the towering, broad-shouldered man sitting firmly behind her, that was almost impossible now.

For some reason, she had a deep certainty that no matter where or how she tried to escape, Kallian would hunt her down. Especially after last night, he must already suspect that she was thinking of escaping.

‘What should I do?’

If escape was impossible, and seducing Kallian to replace her husband had failed, what options were left?

Even as Elliope wrestled with this painful dilemma, her head beginning to throbber, Kallian’s black steed carried her steadily past the gates of the Grand Duke’s manor.

The knights stationed there bowed sharply as they recognised Kallian, who stepped forward to take the reins of his horse. As he had done the day before, Kallian dismounted first, then effortlessly lifted Elliope from the saddle and set her down on the ground.

When she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, he naturally guided her hand to his arm, making sure she held on to him as they walked.

But Elliope’s mind remained confused. From the moment they entered the manor, a dizzying haze began to creep over her thoughts, eating away at her composure.

By the time they reached the long corridor leading into the main building, her mind was completely blank.

The last time she had walked down this corridor, it had been behind the knights carrying her husband’s coffin.

Elliope felt as if she might collapse at any moment. Clutching the strings of her cloak, she stepped into the great hall of the manor.

At that moment, an intense and passionate voice echoed through the room.

“Say that again!”

The familiar voice sent a dizzying shock through her mind. The sharp and fiery tone could only belong to…

‘Baron Taleon.’

Baron Taleon, her late husband’s vassal and steward of Ilmos Grand Manor, was shouting angrily at someone.

The reply came in a sarcastic tone, thick with a foreign accent.

“You think I can’t repeat myself? All right, I’ll do it again.”

“You insolent-!”

“I said you have a sharp tongue for a usurper of Ilmos, Steward Taleon.”