Kallian, as expected, expressed his intention to go with Elliope. This had been quickly agreed upon before Elliope even stopped by Charlotte’s place.

“Dylan, pack my things separately.”

Kallian said, not long after returning from Zenya. Dylan simply nodded without commenting.

“How long do you think you’ll stay?”

“I’m not sure. Our Duke is so unpredictable.”

“I’ll prepare enough, just in case.”

“Alright.”

After Dylan left, Elliope quietly looked at Kallian. She hesitated for a moment before asking her question.

“…Are you really going to go with the Duke?”

Of course, if he did, she would feel completely reassured. But to be honest, Kallian still seemed a bit upset since the night she left with Ruben. Besides, there were still things to do in Elsen.

“You’ve just returned to Elsen and there must be things for you to do there.”

But when Elliope said this, Kallian just frowned.

“So you plan to leave your dog behind when you go to the duke’s residence?”

At those words, Elliope was momentarily at a loss for words.

Kallian always referred to himself as Elliope’s dog. It seemed to be true even when he was angry with her. Elliope felt a mixture of surprise and, oddly enough, a certain happiness she hadn’t expected, and she could feel her temples throbbing. She muttered unintentionally.

“…So…”

“So?”

“Why do you always say it like that?”

Kallian replied rather cynically.

“Well, if it’s a dog, then it’s a dog, right?”

“….”

“I am your dog. The kind that only gets cuddled and praised when it’s convenient for you.”

“That’s not it…”

“Isn’t it?”

Judging by his words, he seemed to be a sulking man, but the intensity of his presence had an edge that made it difficult to dismiss with such a simple remark. Kallian’s gaze was sharp, almost painful, making it difficult for her to meet his. 

It was then that Elliope quietly lowered her gaze and stared at her own fingertips. 

“You won’t get a second chance, madam.” 

“Pardon?” 

“Do you remember what happened the first time you left me?” 

“……” 

“Don’t you already know?”

At these words, Elliope remembered the head of the man who had flown before her. The head of the man from Seor.

Elliope exhaled calmly.

What came to mind when she remembered the scene was Kallian’s emotionless gaze in the midst of the blood splattering everywhere. There was also a vague fear that if such a look was directed at her, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. 

“You don’t need to see such things.” 

Maybe Kallian didn’t want to show her such a sight either. 

Maybe he thought she would be frightened by something like blood. 

‘But really, it doesn’t matter.’

Elliope was already quite familiar with death.

The thick blood she spilled and the searing pain. By then, Elliope had learned that the human body could bleed that much. So could violence. Theodor, for whatever reason, laid his hands on her from time to time. Each time, Elliope learned what it felt like to be hit with a sharp slap, to have ink bottles thrown at her, or to feel her scalp tear as her hair was pulled. 

‘It only got worse as time went on.’

A few months before his violent death, Theodor became overly sensitive and irritable. The intensity of his violent outbursts increased steadily. Cruel punishments and almost torturous discipline of the servants also became common. In the end, it was a common sight to see servants in the duke’s residence losing their lives for a simple mistake.

Unlike Kallian, who killed the man on purpose this time, Theodor’s actions were far worse, as he did such things purely for amusement. The only time he was stable was when he was with Charlotte. 

“Sigh, Charlotte.” 

“Your Highness.”

“You will be on my side, won’t you?”
That was the way he was before he died…

As is often the case with the dead, that man’s deeds were glorified and his misdeeds forgotten. After his death, and the moment he became the duke of the previous generation, he was remembered as a compassionate father to his people. The violence he committed against his wife and the chaos he created around him were erased as if they had never happened.

As Elliope reflected on those times, Kallian spoke casually.

” That place is quite dangerous.” 

It was as if he knew all about Theodor’s violence, as if he understood it completely. 

“Still, it’s the Duke’s residence. It should be safe…” 

“The more it is the Duke’s residence, the more dangerous it is.” 

“….” 

“They want you and the Duke to meet alone.” 

There was a sharpness to his words and Elliope shivered. 

When she subtly raised her eyes, Kallian stared at her with an expression she couldn’t quite define. The emotion reflected in his eyes didn’t seem to be pure anger, which made her feel uneasy.

“……”
‘Jealousy?’
Elliope instinctively thought of one of the emotions she had read about and her body stiffened. 

“I’m serious, madam. When the viscount gets jealous, it’s really scary.” 

Ruben’s words came back to her. She also remembered what he had said about the dog doll. 

This man, known for being cold, always gave Elliope the strange feeling that he could be jealous. Even in moments when he was angry, he made no attempt to hide it… And now she felt that he was jealous of Theodor and no one else. In spite of all this, Kallian continued to speak, as if to bring the matter to a close.

“This time I won’t let you leave me.”

“……”

“I won’t allow it.”

***

When Charlotte heard that Kallian would be accompanying her, she accepted Elliope’s offer without hesitation.

Earlier she had said there was no need to visit the Duke’s residence, but now she nodded, eager to go immediately and find out where she could sell her goods.

Three days later they left Elsen territory and arrived at the Duke’s residence. When Kallian saw Charlotte, whom Elliope had brought with her, he said nothing.

Just as with Zenya, he acted as if whatever Charlotte did was entirely up to her.

“Wow, there are definitely a lot of busy roads here.” 

“That’s right.” 

Charlotte looked out of the carriage window, admiring the scene several times. The streets around the Duke’s residence, which were larger than those in Elsen, seemed quite impressive to her. 

Elliope, watching her, couldn’t help but remember the first time she had entered the Duke’s residence and felt nervous, which made her smile slightly. 

“I never thought it would be like this.”

‘I never thought I would spend three days travelling in a carriage with my ex-husband’s mistress to meet him.’ 

In the midst of her thoughts, there was a knock at the window. When Elliope opened it, she saw Kallian on his horse right next to the carriage. 

“We have entered the Duke’s residence, so we should be at your quarters soon.” 

“Have you found a new place to stay?”

“The place I used before has already been given to another knight.

“Oh, what a shame! I really wanted to see the residence you used!”

Charlotte interrupted and spoke, but Kallian didn’t seem to mind. When Charlotte noticed this, she pouted.

“By the way, why are you riding a horse?”

“….”

“It would have been better if we rode together in the carriage. It’s spacious and big enough.”

Kallian still didn’t answer.

In fact, Elliope had been asking herself the same question. When they stopped briefly to rest and disembarked from the carriage, and when they were some distance from Charlotte, Elliope thought that Kallian might find the carriage more comfortable than riding a horse.

“Isn’t it unnecessary to ride a horse? It would be more comfortable to go in a carriage.”

“Do you want to do it in front of her?”

“…….”

“In that case, I don’t mind.”

Elliope was taken aback by the answer and could say nothing more.

Elliope was taken aback by Kallian’s answer and couldn’t say anything more. She didn’t have the strength to ask what it all meant. She remembered her first night in the carriage and her face flushed. 

‘It’s as if he thinks of the carriage as a… mobile bedroom.’ 

Even though she was hurt, he didn’t seem to want to neglect their physical relationship.

They finally arrived at the accommodation Kallian had arranged. It was the largest place near the Duke’s residence. 

“Welcome, sir.” 

“Yes.” 

“Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you. We used to see each other quite often when you were at the Duke’s residence.” 

While the owner greeted Kallian cheerfully, Elliope looked around the place with an unusually subtle gaze.

In fact, most people had been looking at her that way since she entered the Duke’s residence. Elliope wasn’t particularly surprised. To them, Kallian was the perfect, pure and faithful knight, while she, Elliope, was the sinful woman who had corrupted such a model knight. 

Nevertheless, Kallian whispered to her, “The Imperial Family’s ambassador lives in a separate room of the Duke’s residence, so you won’t meet him outside.

“Really?”

“Please rest for now, and when you have recovered from your journey…”

He was speaking calmly when suddenly there was a knock at the door of the lodgings.

“Who is it?”

Kallian asked, and the door opened to reveal a knight from the Duke’s residence.

The expression on his face as he looked at her was not pleasant.

Elliope thought that, like the innkeeper, he might be one of the knights who was unhappy with her presence.

But the knight’s expression didn’t improve when he saw Kallian. Instead, when their eyes met, his face became even more submissive, as if he felt guilty.

Kallian looked at the knight’s dishevelled face and asked.

“What’s wrong?” 

The knight scratched the back of his head, sighed softly and looked between Kallian and Elliope. 

“The Duke… is coming straight to the Duke’s residence.”