Chapter 48
“Was the hunt successful?”
“Well enough. Are you feeling all right?”
“To be honest, I came in because it was noisy outside.”
Wrinkling her nose playfully, Rowena smiled and wound her arms around Killian’s neck.
“How many did you catch? Will you have a fur made for me again this year from a fox you caught yourself?”
“I was thinking of it, but the forest keeper says the silver foxes in the area have been wiped out.”
“What a shame.”
“You never liked it much, saying it was cruel.”
“You knew?”
Rowena’s eyes went wide, and she asked on.
“And you still kept giving them to me? How mean.”
“Because the look on your face when you hate something is amusing.”
“What a terrible hobby!”
He pressed his index finger to Rowena’s lips as she furrowed her brow. Killian narrowed his eyes and warned her in a low voice.
“I keep calling you pretty, and you grow more impudent by the day. You never think about what comes afterward.”
“You told me I could be honest. If you hate it this way and hate it that way too, what tune am I supposed to dance to? Ah!”
At her unhesitating retort, Killian’s mouth tilted into a slanted smile, and he gave her cheek a light tug. When Rowena exaggeratedly grimaced, he let go.
He took off his coat, tossed it roughly over the rack, and dropped onto the bed.
“We’ll return to the capital early the day after tomorrow.”
“Early in the morning? But tomorrow night is the banquet. Won’t that be too much?”
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d be pleased because of the child.”
“What?”
“No?”
“Well…”
It was Rowena who was surprised by the unexpected words. He still rarely mentioned Damian, but at some point the way he referred to him had softened considerably from “that brat.” It was fortunate, but she was afraid that it would gradually become interest, and that interest would grow until it finally led to the truth—that Damian was his biological son.
“I may be a mother, but I’m a woman too. I like dressing up beautifully and having fun.”
Rowena answered deliberately coolly, then finished taking off her corset and put a slip and a thick robe over her drawers. Killian, who had been lying down and watching her, suddenly asked,
“Did anything happen with Lady Talden?”
“Who knows.”
Sweeping her long hair to one side, Rowena sat down beside him.
“I’m too old to be getting into hair-pulling fights.”
At her light joke, Killian’s briefly hardened mouth relaxed. He pulled her by the waist until she was lying down, then abruptly asked,
“If she grabbed your hair, were you planning to let her do it quietly?”
“No?”
“Then?”
“I’d have to grab hers too.”
At her bold answer, Killian finally let out a low laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s strange.”
Killian lightly pressed Rowena’s round-eyed nose once and added softly,
“In the past, you would have just kept your mouth shut and let it happen.”
“I tried that, and the result wasn’t good.”
For once, it was Rowena who cut off the warm, friendly flow of conversation.
“I’m really tired today. I should sleep now.”
“Rowena.”
She subtly brought the conversation to an end and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, but he suddenly tugged her waist from behind.
“Why haven’t you said it lately?”
“Said what?”
“That you love me.”
The hand around her waist tightened. In the suffocating silence, Rowena quietly let the strength drain from her body.
After a long while, when she deliberately made her breathing sound steady, he seemed to think she was asleep and did not press her for an answer.
“The way you look at me is the same as it was then.”
“…”
“And yet, somehow, it feels different.”
Muttering as if in a whisper, Killian rested his chin on the crown of her head. Pressed against him so closely not even a sheet of paper could fit between them, Rowena pretended to be fussing in her sleep and pushed his arm away. But his persistent hand remained wrapped around her waist until the end and would not let go.
As the days passed, Rowena grew more and more curious about what was going on inside the head of the man behind her.
At one point, he had said she could act if she wanted. Now he told her to be honest. He had not cared whether she resented him or pushed him away, but now he was hoping for something utterly absurd.
* * *
Night passed, and before they knew it, the final day of fox-hunting season dawned. Even within the shorter-than-usual two-day schedule, the men had achieved remarkable results.
As Rowena watched the foxes piling up beside the tent, she thought it was a barbaric tradition. Five years ago, she had been too busy gazing only at Killian to look at anything else, but now she saw things she had failed to notice back then.
“I’m truly envious, Miss Philone.”
While Rowena was counting the limp foxes with her eyes, Countess Rachel, who was seated beside her, spoke.
“What are you envious of?”
“His Highness caught the most foxes this year. The partner of the gentleman who catches the most foxes receives extra points at the banquet.”
“By extra points, you mean becoming the queen for one night?”
“Yes. You heard about it?”
“Joanne told me yesterday.”
“There are two ways to receive extra points. One is if the gentleman accompanying you catches the most foxes during the hunt. The other is if the queen names you.”
The countess unfolded one finger at a time, then smiled and concluded,
“But since the queen did not take part this time, if you set your mind to it, Miss Philone, you are the most likely to become tonight’s heroine.”
“I’m not very interested in that sort of thing.”
Rowena smiled awkwardly and brought her teacup to her lips.
“Even if I did become that, there’s nothing I could do.”
Even if she could name a gentleman and receive his escort, there was no one in particular she wanted to choose, and she did not want to create any possible trouble by naming someone. Nor was she bold enough to reign as queen and order various people about.
“I suppose so. Since the finest man in this country is already by your side, I understand.”
Interpreting Rowena’s answer in her own way, the countess opened her fan, glanced subtly in one direction, and whispered,
“But in my opinion, Miss Philone, this time it would be better for you to be greedy and seize that position.”
The person she indicated with her eyes was Veronica, who was smiling brightly at the center of the group.
“Because what Lady Talden is aiming for is His Highness. You can’t let her steal him from you, even for one night, can you?”
Rowena smiled, at a loss for how to respond, when Veronica, who had turned her head at just that moment, met her eyes. Veronica excused herself from the person she had been speaking with and rose, approaching the two of them.
“Lady Talden!”
“Countess!”
Countess Rachel greeted Veronica with a radiant smile, as if she had never been keeping her in check.
“What are you two doing here by yourselves? Are you having a secret conversation?”
Veronica, who had likewise greeted them brightly, sat down opposite the two.
“We were simply admiring the view. This is your first year taking part in the fox hunt, Veronica. Are you enjoying it?”
“Of course. I’d been ill and stayed only on the estate, so seeing the capital and attending an event like this on such a bright day—I can’t tell you how wonderful it is.”
After answering the countess amiably, Veronica addressed Rowena as well.
“It has been a long time since you attended too, hasn’t it, Miss Philone?”
“Yes. It has.”
Rowena could not remain expressionless toward someone speaking to her with a smile, so she pulled up the corners of her mouth and answered. But at the words that followed, her expression stiffened.
“How long has it been? About… five years?”
Veronica deliberately paused, then drove the dagger in while pretending not to. The startled countess looked back and forth between Veronica and Rowena. The past five years. It was a topic everyone in society was curious about, but no one dared mention in front of the person herself. Even the countess, who had grown somewhat close to Rowena, found it difficult to bring up lightly, so she was flustered that Veronica, who was practically her rival in love, would mention it so casually.
The countess was gauging Rowena, who had frozen in place, and was just about to say something.
“That’s right. You know quite well. You must be very interested in me.”
After staring at Veronica for a moment, Rowena struck back. At her unexpectedly calm reply, it was the other woman who was rendered speechless.
“Well. Rather than interested… you are so famous, after all.”
For a young lady who had only recently made her debut, Veronica had grasped the ways of society quickly, but she was still no match for Rowena, who had been through every hardship imaginable. At Rowena’s roundabout question asking whether she was openly keeping her in check, Veronica bit her lip and stammered out an answer.
“Oh my. Am I so much of a celebrity? I truly had no idea.”
Rowena widened her eyes as if surprised and shifted her gaze to the countess.
“Since we’re on the subject, I think I may be a little greedy, as you suggested, Countess.”
“Greedy? What do you mean?”
Veronica, who had barely managed to smile just as Rowena had moments ago, tilted her head. The countess, inwardly impressed by Rowena’s formidable bearing, answered in her stead.
“Tonight’s queen.”
“Ah…”
The feigned peace shattered. Veronica, her mask fallen away, sprang to her feet. At the sudden shift in attitude, the countess’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Why are you leaving already? You should sit a while longer.”
“I was just in the middle of a conversation and came over. Then please excuse me, Countess. …
Miss Philone.”
Veronica turned sharply and walked away. Watching her retreating figure, the countess nudged Rowena’s arm with her elbow.
“What was that? You were acting so demure, but you’re quite something.”
“I only said it because I got angry.”
Rowena smiled in embarrassment and rose from her seat as well.
“Then I’ll be going too. It will be lunchtime soon.”
“You’re dining with His Highness today, aren’t you? Then I’ll see you tonight.”
The countess readily nodded and waved.
As Rowena left the ladies’ area and headed toward her private tent, Joanne followed closely behind her. And as soon as Rowena lifted the tent flap and stepped inside, Joanne began pouring out questions as if she had been waiting for the chance.