It was not just his physique that had changed. The fine downy hair that covered his entire body transformed into glossy, smooth bristles, and thick, mane-like fur grew densely on his neck. Thanks to this, no one mistook Khan for a large hunting dog or a sheepdog anymore.
Anyone could see that Khan was a direwolf. And a very beautiful and majestic one at that.
"How long on earth do you plan to keep that beast inside the castle?"
Thalia, who was sitting on a garden bench reading a book, turned her head toward the direction from which the voice had come. Raina, who appeared to be returning from a horseback riding outing, was looking down with eyes full of disgust at Khan, who was lying prone at her feet, clutching the reins in one hand.
Raina soothed her horse, which was snorting roughly, and snapped irritably.
"The horses are getting anxious because you've been running around stirring up trouble with that beast! Isn't it time to stop this insane behavior of keeping a monster around?"
"You said you started taking proper etiquette lessons last year, but it looks like you've just been wasting your time."
Thalia let out a faint sneer and added as she turned the pages with an indifferent expression.
"Judging by the fact that they still can't distinguish between superiors and subordinates and are talking recklessly."
"Would anyone be as bad as you?"
Raina let out a venomous laugh and sneered.
"Rumors of the wickedness you have been causing are all the way up to the East, so how dare you talk about etiquette to anyone? You should mind your own business!"
At that moment, Khan sprang to his feet and bared his teeth. Seeing this, Raina flinched and stepped back.
Thalia stroked the growling Khan's back and put on a feigned relaxed smile.
"Don't pick a fight for no reason and go your own way. If you anger my wolf any further, I can't guarantee what will happen to the stallion you cherish so much."
"Are you... threatening me right now?"
“Take whatever you like.”
Thalia lowered her eyes coldly and added in a low voice.
"I am the mistress of Kalmor. Whether I raise the old wolf who keeps wolves in this castle or not is none of your business."
"Don't make me laugh! I am Princess of Sheerkhan. This is the home where I have lived my entire life! Who do you think you are...!"
"I suppose I should remind you that I am the Princess of the Roem Empire."
Thalia scanned Raina with a languid gaze and flashed a threatening smile.
"Everything on this continent is under my father's rule. The Grand Duchy of Sheerkhan is no exception.'
Her hand slowly stroked Khan's thick mane.
"So, you'd better not make the mistake of stirring up a hornets' nest by provoking someone who is minding their own business. If you keep provoking me, I might chop up every single horse you cherish so much and throw it to Khan as food."
Raina's slender, tanned face flushed dark red with rage. Clenching her fists and trembling, Raina soon pulled roughly on the reins and walked toward the stable located behind the main castle.
Thalia glanced at her retreating figure and lowered her gaze back to the book she was reading when, this time, she heard Lucas's frivolous voice.
"You are really heartless."
Thalia cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. Lucas, with a red bunka loosely draped over his shoulder, was sitting on the railing of the terrace leading to the Great Hall.
He jumped down from the railing and approached her.
"Please go easy on jer. She's just as much of a beehive as you, sister-in-law. If you provoke her more than necessary, you never know what she might do..."
"Did you two set a day to take turns catching me?"
Thalia slammed the book shut and glared at him with icy eyes.
"Don't pick a fight for no reason and get lost. The stench of your words is so strong I can't stand it."
"Don't lie. What smell? I just came out of the shower!"
Lucas frowned and rebutted, yet, as if still unsure, he opened his collar and sniffed.
As the wind blew, the robe-style coat draped diagonally parted, revealing a bronzed, muscular chest in its entirety right before her eyes. Thalia snapped her head away as if she had seen something she shouldn't have.
Lucas, who had grown taller in the span of a few years, now had the appearance of a full-fledged young man.
The face, which once retained a youthful appearance, transformed into that of a man with bold lines and distinct contours, and his hair grew so dark that it appeared almost black when tinged with a deep reddish-brown. In contrast, his eye color became significantly lighter, to the point where it looked nearly golden. All these changes were utterly unsettling.
Thalia jumped up from her seat.
"If you don't go, I'll go."
Then, as she was about to leave, leading Khan, who was glaring at Lucas warily, Lucas quickly blocked her path.
"Wait a moment! I came here for business."
“Business?”
Thalia asked back with a suspicious look on her face.
Lucas, who had been stalling for a moment while rubbing his sun-tanned neck, soon began cautiously.
"A large-scale textile market is being held downtown. I heard that artisans from all over the East have flocked there to showcase a variety of goods, so I was thinking it would be good for you to go check it out, Sister-in-law."
Thalia furrowed her brow at the unexpected proposal.
"Are you asking me to go out with you right now?"
"I'm just asking you to make a brief appearance at an event at the auction house. Please don't misunderstand."
He raised both hands and spat out urgently.
"Not only wealthy merchants from the East but also ladies from noble families will be coming to purchase goods. The Sheerkhan family needs to save face to some extent, which is why we are asking for your help."
"Why do I have to go out of my way to a place like that? You can just go and buy anything."
"I have terrible taste in things. Raina didn't exactly have praiseworthy taste either."
Lucas let out a deep sigh and confessed.
Thalia frowned and looked him up and down.
Wearing loose-fitting Eastern-style cotton trousers and with his sleeves roughly rolled up, he looked more like a wild man or a hunter than a nobleman.
Come to think of it, Raina also usually wore clothes that were comfortable for horseback riding.
“Please do me a favor.”
He placed his hand on his chest and made a polite request.
Thalia, who had been watching the scene with a repulsive look, snorted harshly.
"No. Don't bother me with such trivial matters."
Then, as she was about to walk past him, Lucas grabbed her arm and started crying loudly.
"Please don't do that. Just help me out this one time. Sister-in-law, wouldn't it be a good opportunity to make a strong impression on the influential figures of the East as Grand Duchess?"
"I am the Grand Duchess of the East, even without making a name for myself."
Thalia shook his hand away violently and said.
"I have no intention of trying to get approval from others regarding something that has already been decided, so you can take your younger sibling."
At the firm refusal, the man's lips tightened slightly. Looking down at her with narrowed eyes, he suddenly pulled the corners of his mouth up.
"Then how about we do this? If you accompany me, Sister-in-law, I will provide you with detailed information about the situation in the North that I know."
Thalia, who was about to turn around, paused and looked up at him.
A man with his arms crossed in front of his chest leaned his upper body toward her and added in a low voice.
"Aren't you curious about news of my brother? If it were me, I could tell you more details about the war situation in the North and his current whereabouts than anyone else."
For a moment, a burning heat surged through her ears. Thalia, her eyes sharpened as if to conceal it, shouted in a shrill voice.
"Who said I wanted to know that? Don't jump to conclusions!"
The man, who had been staring down at her face, shrugged his shoulders.
"Understood. Since you say you dislike it that much, I guess there is nothing I can do."
Then, he took a step toward the garden.
Thalia, who had been watching him with anxious eyes, finally grabbed the hem of his coat.
It had already been several months since the news of Barcas reached her. She didn't want to fall for such an obvious trick, but she simply couldn't suppress her burning anxiety.
"I'm going. I'll go with you, so please let me know how Barcas is doing."
At the words she spat out in a hushed, hesitant tone, a peculiar expression flickered across the man's face. Was it ridiculous that she was worrying about the husband she had pushed away so heartlessly, now that she was finally doing so?
Thallia, awkwardly lowering his eyes, added curtly.
"Don't get the wrong idea. My position depends on Barcas being safe... That's why I'm just curious."
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