Obsessed by My Husband’s Loyal Dog

“It concerns matters of the Elsen estate.”

The guests seemed eager to discuss the work that had come with his new title of Viscount. Kallian politely declined.

“Sorry, but this is a celebration with my wife.”

“It’s fine, go ahead.”

Elliope casually patted Kallian on the shoulder. The flush in her face had faded considerably.

“My lady.”

Kallian whispered, almost playfully, but Elliope pushed him away quietly.

“You must attend to your duties.”

She felt a pang of guilt when she thought of the tasks that hadn’t been completed because she’d been with him the last few days, but she wasn’t in a bad mood at the moment. She didn’t think she’d feel restless even if she were alone.

“Viscount Elsen, these are matters that can’t be put off any longer.”

The servants urged him. Elliope pushed him away again with more force.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Kallian said, but he positioned himself not too far away and started a conversation. After all, he still had them in sight.

The light from the chandelier flowed along the cold side of his face. Elliope watched his profile in silence for a while, taking in the black hair that flowed down like shards of light, and the eyes that turned deep blue with each blink. It felt like the first time she had really looked at him like that.

‘At times like this, really…’

His face was the perfect embodiment of a capable and loyal vassal of Ilmos, and it made perfect sense. For some reason, her chest tightened. As the light from the chandelier slid down his smooth jawline, she felt a strange hunger.

‘Hunger, of all things.’

It was the first time this had happened. When she was Duchess, she had no appetite and could barely eat. Just before she entered the Duke’s estate, the maids hadn’t served her meals properly. It was an order from above, insisting that she should remain hungry so that she would look more beautiful when she entered the Duke’s mansion.

She often vomited after eating the food they gave her, perhaps because of the fear she felt.

‘This is strange.’

Still, to suddenly have such an appetite… It seemed that Kallian’s insistence that she eat regularly had something to do with it.

A table had been set up in a corner of the banquet hall for the guests to eat and drink. As Elliope quietly approached the table with the food, it was at that moment…

“Ha!”

A laugh, full of disbelief, echoed through the air.

“Lady Layla, Baroness.”

Elliope called to her former maid in an indifferent tone. Along with Rayla, several other maids glared at her with fiery eyes.

“It seems you have no words for us, Your Highness.”

“No, you should call me ‘Viscountess’ now, Lady Rayla.”

“You’re right, Lady Tina.”

“Viscountess Elsen, you really are shameless.”

Despite the blatant criticism, Elliope simply popped a small biscuit into her mouth. It wasn’t as good as the food in the knight’s mansion, but it was passable.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come, even though you’re hosting the banquet.”

Normally, such words would have made her blush.

“How heartbroken must the Duke be?”

“If I were him, I’d apologise to His Excellency and fall into his arms.”

But she felt no shame in front of these maids. Especially when they pretended to be Theodor’s mistresses, as they had done at the previous reception.

At least she did not want to bow in front of Theodor’s mistresses.

“I still find it hard to believe that the Viscountess walks around with her head held high…”

Elliope opened her mouth after swallowing a few more biscuits.

“It’s not like I can’t walk around like that.”

After taking a light sip of the gently bubbling champagne, Elliope quietly studied Rayla.

“The deed is already done. Now that we’re married and everything’s settled, I don’t think there’s anything left to argue about.”

“Now someone from the royal family who was supposed to marry the Duke is seducing someone else, a disgusting lowlife…!”

“A lowlife?”

A smile suddenly appeared on Elliope’s face. It was because something had occurred to her out of the blue.

“Come to think of it, were you planning to do something only these ‘lowly’ people would do to my husband, Lady?”

“……!”

Rayla’s face flushed at the mention of trying to seduce Kallian. Elliope watched her quietly, then whispered.

“You didn’t wear that dress today?”

“What…?”

“The one you wore at my welcoming ceremony.”

“The one you wore when you tried to seduce His Excellency by rubbing yourself against him.”

Elliope mimicked the words with her lips and Rayla’s lips quivered. Elliope continued, her tone almost pitiful.

“I support you, my lady. Being a duchess would indeed be a great honour for a baroness such as yourself.”

“……”

“Among all the competitors, Lady, you must be the exceptional one. But I don’t quite see it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You keep using the term ‘lowlife’ to seduce people.”

Rayla stepped forward quickly, clearly agitated, almost as if she wanted to slap her right away. Elliope clicked her tongue inwardly.

‘She still thinks she’s in a position to teach me.’

But before Rayla could do anything, she was left without a chance to act.

“Eek!”

A hand swiftly slapped her wrist.

“My apologies.”

Kallian had approached unnoticed and reached out to pull Elliope closer.

In an instant, Rayla, who had been pushed aside, turned pale. Kallian didn’t even look at her, but whispered to Elliope.

“I think we’ve enjoyed the banquet enough, let’s go.”

” Haven’t we just arrived?”

“Well, we’ve done what we needed to do… and we should prepare to move to the estate.”

Kallian’s words weren’t entirely wrong. As the main figures of the banquet, they had made their presence known, and it seemed that Kallian had finished his discussions with Ilmos’ vassals. In fact, from the moment Theodor had mentioned the law of the first night, it had been clear that no one would care if they left, except Theodor.

The people here weren’t stupid enough to ignore Kallian Elsen’s influence in the Duke of Ilmos’ territory and his mood. There was no need to stay and suffer the insult.

“Well then.”

Elliope gave Rayla a quick glance. Still, Kallian’s hand, which had been at her waist, was now clearly stroking her side with a deliberate touch. Elliope couldn’t help but shiver.

“…We’ll prepare for the move when we return.”

“You can start tomorrow morning.”

At the whispered words, Elliope unconsciously closed her mouth.

Even though she knew how difficult it was to accept him… when she thought of the smile he had shown her earlier, when she thought of the light from the chandelier flowing down his side, and when she thought of how he longed for her response every time they were together… it became difficult to refuse him.

Once again, her heart raced foolishly. Silently, Elliope closed her eyes and followed Kallian’s lead.

* * *

“Lady Rayla!”

“Lady! Where are you going?”

Meanwhile, Rayla, unable to control her frustration, left the group. She could hear voices calling her from behind, but she didn’t even bother to pay attention.

‘That shameless, lowly woman!’

Ever since Elliope had made a scene and left with Kallian, Rayla and the other maids had been subjected to cold stares. Perhaps if Rayla had given up, like Emma, and followed Elliope as her maid, things might have been different. But Rayla was proud of herself.

Even though she was now fallen, unable to join Leanne and only able to serve as a maid to the illegitimate princess, she held on to that pride.

Her family had once been powerful enough to aspire to the title of earl.

‘And now I’m supposed to bow down to a servant princess?’

From the moment she arrived, Rayla had decided to align herself with the people of the Duke’s estate rather than the Princess. As she endured the harsh stares of the people here, her anger at Elliope only grew.

‘Not just the vomit-inducing poison, but I should have given her something that would have killed her.’

If she had, she wouldn’t have had to endure this humiliation. Her thoughts went on and on.

‘An uneducated, illegitimate child, impure, rolling around in any gutter she could find.’

Seeing such a huge mistake, it was clear that she had probably offered her body to every man in the palace. Such a woman had been sent as the Duke’s consort, but it was no surprise that something had gone wrong along the way.

Lost in her anger, Rayla was walking towards the garden when someone caught her eye.

“…!”

It was none other than the Duke of Ilmos, Theodor of Ilmos. He was sitting heavily on a bench, eyes closed, obviously drunk. Blood dripped from his hand, possibly from the broken glass he was holding.

In her mind, a voice of reason warned her that it was dangerous to approach the drunken Duke. From what she had observed, the Duke was quite impulsive and violent when intoxicated.

But before reason could take hold, her instincts kicked in.

‘This is my chance.’

If she could sleep with the Duke like that…

After all, she came from a noble family in the capital. Her background was different from that of his mistresses. Perhaps, like Kallian, the Duke would decide to marry her.

‘The position of Duchess.’

The thought of it felt like an honour.

“Your Excellency.”

“Mm.”

At her sweet call, Theodor slowly opened his eyes.

When he was silent, the Duke was undeniably an exceptionally handsome man. Rayla couldn’t help but admire him in silence.

“It must be painful for you.”

“……”

“Well, you were never suited to His Excellency in the first place, were you?”

The Duke tilted his head slightly, adopting a listening posture. Rayla smiled and continued.

“Of course not. Were you worthy of His Excellency at all?”

“Are you trying to tell me that the princess is no match for me?”