Surprised by his silent presence, Seliya turned around and saw Dietrich, whom she had been looking for, standing there.
Dietrich appeared in black armor with his back to the sunlight and fastened Seliya's coat tightly.
“It’s Cloak. Perfectly tailored to her body.”
He bent down, moved his sinewy hands, and began to fasten the buttons of the pink cloak one by one.
The collarbone, with its faint tooth marks, was completely hidden under the Cloak button.
Anderson, who was watching this from the side, asked in an incredulous voice.
“Your Excellency, was it possible that the reason you went out of the palace earlier was to buy those clothes?”
“...”
“If you were just going out to buy clothes, you could have made me do it… … .”
Dietrich straightened his body and looked at Anderson.
“There is a rumor going around that the Crown Prince’s face has turned hideous. Find out more about what happened.”
Anderson seemed to have a lot to say, but he meekly retreated due to Dietrich's attitude of not telling him whether he was present or not.
"All right."
After Anderson disappeared, Dietrich brought Seliya into his mansion.
Unlike last time, when there were several blind maids, there was not a single person in the hallway.
Seliya, who found this strange, asked Dietrich.
“There were several maids, but why can’t I see any of them?”
“...Everyone was fired.”
Seliya tilted her head at Dietrich's words.
"Why? All of the few maids?”
“One of them was Illeon’s spy. There’s no guarantee the rest won’t do the same.”
Seliya was surprised. More than the fact that the maid was a spy, she was surprised because his voice was so calm as he uttered those words.
“Has this happened a lot?”
“Innumerable.”
“...”
Seliya was lost in her thoughts. If what Dietrich said is true, Illeon was keeping Dietrich in check to a great extent, so why did he allow the Emperor to give Dietrich the dukedom?
And, Seliya realized that Dietrich, who always hid something, was not hiding anything from her and was telling her the truth.
Now, to what extent does she trust herself or not?
Seliya opened her mouth, looking at Dietrich's indifferent face.
“Don’t you think I’m a spy?”
At Seliya's question, Dietrich had a faint smile on his lips.
He only smiled slightly, but the cold atmosphere that had enveloped his body seemed to completely disappear.
“You are not a spy.”
Seliya's eyes widened as she questioned his confident voice.
She was about to ask why he thought that, but before she knew it, Dietrich, who had stopped laughing, interrupted her.
“Oh, you forgot your dagger.”
Dietrich took a dagger from his arms and handed it to Seliya.
The black-sheathed dagger was the same dagger she had used when Dietrich had taught her the swordsmanship.
“That dress you’re wearing is not suitable for hiding a dagger.”
Dietrich took Seliya to a room on the third floor.
The spacious room was equipped with minimal furniture.
A wardrobe, a soft sofa, a desk and chair for working, and a bookshelf on one wall.
Seliya looked around. Looking at the view of the room, which did not even have a bed, she wondered with all her heart whether Dietrich was even sleeping.
Dietrich opened the closet without saying a word and took out a box from the bottom of the closet.
Creak.
Inside the box was a white satin dress and silver, heelless shoes.
Although it was the same white, it was significantly different from the tight mermaid dress that Seliya was currently wearing.
The flowy satin dress had sleeves that did not reveal the body, and the neckline was located near the neck.
Additionally, there was a pocket on the inside of the dress, making it perfect for hiding a dagger.
It was a dress that seemed to focus on practicality rather than beauty.
“What is this?”
“A gift to you.”
Dietrich answered immediately.
“Actually, I was planning to give it to you on the day of the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.”
“...”
“I ended up giving it to you now unexpectedly.”
After he finished speaking, Dietrich sat Seliya down on the soft sofa.
“Anyway, it’ll be more comfortable than the dress you’re wearing now.”
He handed Seliya the dress.
“You can change your dress by yourself, right?”
“You..."
Seliya locked Dietrich's eyes with hers.
The red eyes beneath the straight eyebrows had a warmer glow than before.
Seliya was not used to this kind of kindness and affection.
Since she had always been exploited by him, it was natural for her to be wary and not accept his kindness immediately.
Even though she really needs Dietrich herself.
“What is your real purpose?”
“...”
"Let me know. That way I can help you.”
Dietrich put his arm on the arm of the sofa and looked down at Seliya.
After a moment of silence, he knelt down on one knee in front of Seliya and began to undo the buttons of the pink cloak one by one.
“I am now asking about your purpose.”
“...Shelly.”
He spoke to her, calling Seliya's name in a low voice.
“Maybe it’s the same as you.”
It's an ambiguous answer.
This is not the answer Seliya wanted.
Seliya needed assurance.
“Do you, like me, want the destruction of Abelon?”
So, she said something she had never said to anyone. She revealed her true feelings, which she had been suppressing all along.
The last button of the cloak was undone, and Dietrich's gaze caught the teeth-marked collarbone.
Although they have faded thanks to his rubbing last night, the teeth marks don't disappear in a day.
Dietrich narrowed his eyes and muttered lowly.
“It’s annoying. Your everything.”
After she finished speaking, Dietrich lowered his head to Seliya's collarbone.
Seliya was taken aback by his unexpected actions and her body stiffened.
His soft lips gently curled around her collarbone.
As something hot and soft stimulated her skin, the heat seemed to gradually spread from that area.
Seliya reflexively hugged Dietrich's neck, who was burying his head in her collarbone.
Even though Dietrich had wiped away crumbs before, and even though he had connected his hands, there had never been any contact like this.
Seliya loosened her grip on his head and whispered softly.
“Are you taking revenge like this for kissing me arbitrarily earlier?”
“...”
Dietrich raised his head instead of answering. His lips were moist under the high bridge of his nose.
Seliya, who made eye contact with Dietrich, silenced him.
He looked at her with a very unfamiliar face.
Its vivid red eyes shone like those of a predator.
Unlike the eyes of men when they were lusting after her, they were the eyes of a hungry beast hunting its prey.
Seliya knew those eyes.
The day the kingdom fell and she rode all night on horseback to their ally, the Principality of Inata.
The eyes of a large eagle looked at her as it pecked at the skeletal remains.
Seliya held her breath, feeling like a prey in front of a predator.
- I warned you last time. Be careful because you might get eaten by that person without leaving a single piece of your flesh behind.
Illeon’s words came to Seliya’s mind.
Seliya finally seemed to understand why he said that.
The way Dietrich looked at her now resembled an eagle's. His body hovered above her head, waiting for her to collapse from exhaustion.
As Seliya was looking at Dietrich with a blank expression, his large hand brushed away the hair that was sticking to Seliya's cheek and said.
“I won’t hurt you.”
The voice was so sweet and gentle that it was hard to believe that he had looked at her like that just now.
Before she knew it, his face had returned to its usual emotionless expression.
“What did you just do?”
Dietrich's gaze landed on Seliya's collarbone.
As Seliya followed his gaze, the faint tooth marks disappeared without a trace.
As if it never existed in the first place.
“...How did you do it?”
Seliya asked in surprise.
Dietrich slowly looked at the large green eyes and slowly muttered.
"Well..."
“...”
“Whether it’s annoying or not, wouldn’t it have been better to leave it alone from the beginning?”
He muttered lowly and placed the silver shoes in the box on the floor.
The silver shoes without heels were the same silver as Seliya's hair.
“The day I first saw you, was it right to kill you as you coughed up blood and collapsed in my arms?”
Dietrich's expression was so dry that Seliya could not tell whether what he was saying was sincere or false.
Dietrich, who was kneeling on the floor, grabbed Seliya's right ankle.
“...”
Seliya didn't say anything. Because no answer immediately came to mind.
As if he didn't expect an answer, Dietrich took off the shoes that Seliya was wearing and put a pair of silver shoes on Seliya's feet.
He put her shoes on with delicate hands, as if handling glazed pottery, and silently put on the other shoe as well.
Despite his words, Seliya felt strange at his attitude as if he was treating something very precious.
“What exactly do you want to tell me?”
“What I want to say to you..."
"Yes. If you have something to say, don't be vague. Look me in the eyes and say it. Do you regret saving my life now?”
Dietrich slowly closed his eyes in response to Seliya's question.
The bright red eyes beneath the dense eyelashes contained none other than Seliya.
“I don’t regret it.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Dietrich didn't answer Seliya's question and just spit it out.
“There’s nothing wrong with you.”
As Seliya furrowed her eyebrows at the incomprehensible answer, Dietrich stood up and spoke.
“I’ll just go out first. There’s no way the Crown Prince won’t search my mansion again when he finds out you’re gone.”
“...”
“Resting comfortably, thinking it is your home, Master."
He added the word “master” without even thinking about it and left the room after saying those words.
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