Compared to when their relationship was at its worst, he looked like a completely different person.
He wondered if such changes had occurred in his previous life as well.
Did she pay attention to such diverse things and undertake various activities even in the time she had traveled back?
The reports she received regularly while staying on the battlefield did not contain minute details about her daily life. They merely listed businesslike details such as when and where she went out and whether there were any particular issues with her personal safety. Even those reports eventually began to be overshadowed by complaints about the direwolf.
I had never once heard any story about my wife mingling with the villagers or running a textile business.
Even if she told them to keep quiet, is it really possible to keep all those things such a thorough secret?
He considered the possibility that the changes that occurred to her were limited to this lifetime.
The fact that she gradually regained her vitality with Tiuran's help, that she went to the textile market at Lucas's urging, and that she became interested in Kalmor's industry as a result, were all things that happened independently of his intervention.
In that case, the same situation was likely repeated in previous lives.
But would she have made the same choice back then as she does now?
He lowered his gaze back to her face.
A black incense burner was emitting a thin stream of smoke at her bedside. Since she had avoided any medicine other than the ointment for her legs for some time, the scent of the incense, which she hadn't smelled in a long while, felt particularly strong.
As if it were the same for her, wrinkles occasionally formed and then smoothed out on the smooth bridge of her nose.
He bit the handle of the cast iron lid placed on the floor, covered it over the incense burner, climbed onto the bed, and lay down carefully.
As the bed sank to one side under my weight, her body naturally leaned toward him.
He slipped his snout between her neck and shoulder and took a deep breath of her scent. The woman, who had been furrowing her brow as if tickled by his breath, soon wrapped her arms around his neck. It was an action that had been repeated countless times over the past two years. He was clearly aware that he was becoming more precious to her than anything else.
He must have also had a significant influence on her change. However, he could not tell how big a difference it made compared to the influence Khan had on her.
He looked down at his growing body with a look of anxiety. A significant portion of the trouble she had endured stemmed from this wolf. Because of this, he struggled desperately to be regarded as a harmless presence to those around him.
She desperately suppressed the urge to bite the retainers who were acting insolently toward her, and she endured her younger brothers' disrespectful attitude toward her by gritting her teeth.
As a result, many people no longer regarded him as a dangerous being. Her reputation was also improving day by day, and even though there were only a few months left until his return, nothing had happened that would have led to suspicion that she was associated with pagans. Because of this, he believed that a future different from the past was unfolding.
However, at times, that conviction was shaken to its roots.
The moment he saw the man rushing toward her, he froze, recalling the intense impulse that had dominated him.
It felt as if his consciousness had been completely swallowed by the instincts of the flesh. When he came to his senses, the intense taste of blood lingered in his mouth, and beneath his legs, a man with his arm torn off was thrashing about, screaming desperately. Yet, even at the sight of that horrific spectacle, the wildfire-like rage swirling within him did not subside in the slightest.
I will never lose her again.
No one can take her away from me.
If anyone lays even a single finger on her, she will tear them to shreds, leaving not even a trace.
That was the only thought in my head.
If she hadn't stopped him, the man would surely have been reduced to a state where his form was unrecognizable.
As he ruminated on the memory of that day, he quietly raised his head and carefully examined her serene face.
Fortunately, Thalia did not show any signs of fear or reluctance even after seeing me like that. However, the bodyguards and security forces assigned to her, including Lucas, must have come to perceive me as a dangerous presence.
Perhaps by now, a telegram warning of the danger of the direwolf has been sent to him.
He frowned as he recalled that, starting exactly around this time, the number of reports arriving from Kalmor warning of the dangers of the Khan had increased significantly.
Is this just a coincidence?
If the events of the previous life were repeating themselves, it meant that I would be the one attacking Lucas next.
He unconsciously scraped the bedsheets, thinking of his younger sibling who was showing a lot of interest in Thalia.
It was true that she felt a surge of irritation every time she saw Lucas hitting on her. But that didn't mean she wanted to kill him.
In any case, her younger sibling wanted to protect Malia and appeared to be genuinely worried about her. And she needed at least one more person like that. She had not the slightest intention of harming the person who would serve as her shield out of petty jealousy.
Then does that mean my younger sibling is doing something that would make me lose my grip on reason?
He soon forced himself to shake off that thought.
It wasn't just once or twice that she was seized by an intense urge to attack, but she had never lost control unless her life was in danger. That said, it didn't seem likely that Lucas would inflict direct harm on her either.
Perhaps I am overthinking it.
Even if Kalmor's soldiers have become more wary of him than before, couldn't he change their perception depending on how he acts in the future?
Consciously shaking off his anxiety, he soon buried the tip of his nose in her hair and slowly closed his eyes.
***
Her textile business took root smoothly.
The fabric released to the market for the first time received a better-than-expected response, and orders continued steadily thereafter.
The maids' skills also improved noticeably, and defective products were rarely produced.
As production volume stabilized, the process from purchasing yarn to post-processing and sales gradually became systematized, and the plan to produce yarn directly by purchasing wool at a low price also proceeded smoothly, so by the time the Sabbath season was coming to an end, most of the yarn required for textile production could be supplied in-house.
Thanks to this, she was able to recoup all her investment and make a substantial profit within just a few months of starting the business.
Thalia, having paid a portion of the proceeds to her maids, invested all the remaining funds into buying new sheep. The raw materials purchased in this way would be transformed into beautiful fabrics to be showcased at next year's market. By then, she intended to proudly show off her achievements to Barca.
She was completely immersed in the sense of accomplishment of having achieved something for the first time in her life.
The business she launched was yielding results that went beyond merely slightly improving the financial situation of the Grand Duke's family. By having the citizens of Kalmor process most of the wool that was being sold cheaply to outside merchants, she was able to provide new jobs for many people.
The financial situation of the maids involved in textile production had become much more comfortable than before, and the felting and dyeing workshops were also able to reap considerable profits. In a sense, he had made a significant contribution to Kalmor's domestic economy.
When Barca returns and finds out about this, he will probably be shocked.
Feeling the gradually clearing energy of spring, she was filled with a strange hope.
Everything will get better from now on.
So please come back safely.
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