He looked down at the figure carefully, and when the wolf showed no particular aggression, he turned his gaze towards her.
"What on earth are you doing?"
"...I was just trying to show that Khan is not dangerous."
She muttered awkwardly.
Barcas, who was about to say something sharp, closed his mouth when he saw that the back of her neck was dyed red.
Suddenly, the realization crossed his mind that it had been almost two years since he had seen her this close.
She, too, seemed to be aware of that fact, muttering in a trembling voice.
"Khan will never hurt me. So don't be so fussy and just let it go."
He glanced at the still nervous direwolf and placed her down a short distance away.
She immediately took a step back from him, but seemed to have no intention of going any farther, slowly pushing him away from her until their breaths were just enough to touch.
His stomach churned at the sight of those strange eyes.
Although she seemed a little anxious, she didn't seem as hostile as before.
She didn't even look distressed at the sight of him. Rather, she fixed her gaze on him with such intensity that she didn't even blink, as if trying to get a closer look.
He too stared intently at her face, framed by her wet, golden hair.
The blue eyes, now clear of the shadow of sadness, shone with a dazzling light in the summer sunlight. The two, flushed with color, seemed slightly more alive than when he last saw them.
It was exactly like this when she had his child.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a feeling like swallowing fire and ice at the same time weighed on his throat.
Barcas, whose face had been distorted slightly, reached out to her again, driven by a strong impulse.
At that moment, the beast that had been approaching slowly began to move its body noisily.
Barcas, completely soaked in the torrential downpour, looked down at the wolf with a fierce gaze. The beast, as if nothing had happened, had just let go of its fierce gaze and was wagging its tail gently at its master.
"Let's go back to the castle first, as you said."
Thalia, who, like him, was drenched in water, sighed softly and turned around. The dire wolf followed close beside her, as if it were a given.
Barcas, who had been watching the sight with astonished eyes, soon let out a heavy sigh and quietly followed after them.
As they arrived at the main palace, Lucas and the servants, who had been waiting for them to return, came rushing towards them.
"Did you come to enjoy playing in the water too, brother?"
Lucas, who had been pulling him up and down while he was completely soaking wet, muttered in disbelief.
Barcas walked past the group and into the main palace without saying anything.
Thalia, who had entered the Great Hall earlier, was drying the wolf's body with a large towel in front of the kitchen stove. Barcas approached her, snatched the towel from her hand, and dragged it away.
She was a woman who had lived her entire life being served by others. She probably only ever bathed herself a handful of times. The sight of her one day being served by a beast was unsettling.
"Leave this wolf's dregs to the servants and go up to your room. I want to hear an explanation of what has happened."
"No, Khan doesn't like being touched by anyone other than me."
"Didn't you claim that this wolf doesn't harm anyone?"
He pointed out coldly.
"If that's true, then leaving it in the hands of the servants for a while won't cause any problems."
Thalia glanced down at her wolf, unable to find a word to refute.
Barcas, who read the anxiety in her gaze, asked sharply.
"Your Highness, aren't you sure that this wolf is harmless?"
“It’s not like that!”
Thalia, who had been denying loudly, suddenly gave him a look of discontent.
"And don't keep saying 'wolf, wolf'. I told you his name is Khan. Who would feel good if someone called you 'human, human'? If you're going to call him that, call him by his proper name."
"..."
He swallowed a sigh that had reached his throat.
Most of the eastern nobles would be offended if they learned that the Grand Duchess, a descendant of the Osirian people, had given a beast a name from their tribe. Do they still make this request knowing this?
He felt a little tired of his wife causing trouble over even trivial matters like names, and he waited, throwing a towel to the servant.
"Take good care of that wolf."
Then, as he was about to take her out of the kitchen, Thalia suddenly grabbed his arm.
"I said this wolf's name was Khan, so call him Khan."
Barcas frowned at the sight of her desperate face.
Je couldn't understand why she was so fixated on the wolf's name, but the issue was so important to her that he couldn't help but agree.
He muttered as if sighing.
"Khan."
Then her face brightened. Thalia said in an excited voice, dragging him towards the wolf.
"Want to touch it? The fur is so soft and fluffy."
Barcas turned his gaze to the beast sitting quietly with its paws together before the fire pit.
The wolf, standing with its hindquarters flat on the ground and its forepaws firmly planted on the ground, looked like a loyal hunting dog. But he could read the sorrow in the blue eyes that gazed at him.
“Go ahead and touch it.”
She urged on brightly, as if she didn't notice the beast's spurt of air.
Driven by the strange anticipation in her eyes, Barcas reached out to the wolf. It seemed obvious he would be bitten, but he couldn't refuse her request.
He strained his nerves, ready to speak at any moment, and carefully stroked the still-wet, damp face. A murderous glint flashed in the wolf's eyes. Surprisingly, however, he didn't bare his teeth or snarl. It seemed he was desperately suppressing his anger because of his master.
"How is it? Is it quiet?"
She said it proudly.
He suppressed a bitter smile and carefully withdrew his hand.
It was clear that this creature possessed a strong aggression. However, it seemed to possess at least a certain level of intelligence and self-control, enough to discern the situation.
'But you never know when or how it will change.'
When they were pups, they might have been able to control it somehow, but now that they are adults, it won't be as easy to change as before.
Barcas, who had been looking down at the giant wolf with a pensive expression, soon turned around.
"Let's go to the room now."
The woman who had been looking up at him with eyes that seemed to be expecting something had a clouded expression on her face.
Perhaps she wished he'd shown more active interest in her pet. Her heartbroken expression made him feel uneasy, but he forced himself to remain composed as he left the kitchen.
"First, I think it would be better to change out of your wet clothes."
Finally, when they reached the bedroom they shared, Barcas gently pushed her into the room and spoke in a polite tone.
"Call the maid and change into new clothes. I will also come see you after I get myself ready."
She stood at the door, gave him a puzzled look, then nodded.
He immediately moved to the next room and threw off his damp armor and the gambeson made of wyvern hide.
Meanwhile, servants arrived with water and a change of clothes. He washed himself immediately and put on a clean tunic and eastern-style cotton trousers.
He changed his muddy boots into new ones and went back to her bedroom, where Thalia, perfectly dressed in a gorgeous blue dress, greeted him elegantly.
He stood frozen on the threshold, studying her carefully. It was the first time he'd seen her so adorned since the day she came to sleep with him.
Do you usually dress like this or...
"What are you doing here instead of sitting down?"
Thalia, sitting on a chair with a thick cushion, gave him a calm look.
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