Chapter 173
He watched the scene carefully, then, seeing that the wolf showed no sign of attacking, turned his gaze back to her.
“What exactly do you think you're doing?”
“...I was only trying to show you that Khan isn't dangerous.”
She muttered awkwardly.
Varkas was about to rebuke her sharply, but the sight of her flushed nape made him fall silent.
It suddenly occurred to him that this was the first time in nearly two years that they had stood this close to each other.
She seemed aware of it as well, murmuring in a trembling voice,
“Khan would never hurt me. So stop making such a fuss and put me down.”
Still keeping a wary eye on the tense direwolf, he set her down a short distance away.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she immediately took a step back. Yet she made no attempt to retreat any farther. Instead, she remained close enough that they could feel each other's breath as she quietly studied him from head to toe.
Something about that strange gaze made his stomach churn.
There was no trace of the hostility she had once directed at him. Nor did she look pained by the sight of him.
Rather, she stared without even blinking, her intense gaze fixed on him as though trying to memorize every detail.
He, too, stared unblinkingly at her face framed by wet golden hair.
The shadow of sorrow had vanished from her blue eyes, which now shone brilliantly beneath the summer sun. Her cheeks were fuller than the last time he had seen her, glowing with healthy color, while her once-thin body had regained graceful curves, radiating a sensual vitality.
She looked exactly like this when she was carrying my child.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a strange sensation, as though he had swallowed fire and ice at once, gripped his throat.
Varkas swallowed hard.
An overwhelming urge suddenly seized him to confirm that the woman before him was truly real. As though possessed, he began reaching out toward her—
At that moment, the wolf sauntered over and gave its body a tremendous shake.
Drenched from head to toe by the torrent of water that sprayed down like a sudden rainstorm, Varkas glared fiercely at the beast. The wolf, however, acted as though nothing had happened, calmly wagging its tail at its mistress.
“Let's return to the castle first, just as you suggested.”
Talia, equally soaked by the shower of water, let out a quiet sigh before turning away.
The direwolf naturally fell into step beside her.
Watching the scene with speechless disbelief, Varkas silently followed behind.
As they approached the main castle, Lucas and the servants, who had been waiting for their return, rushed toward them all at once.
“Did my brother also decide to enjoy a swim?”
Looking Varkas up and down in astonishment, Lucas muttered in disbelief.
Without answering, Varkas simply walked past him and entered the castle.
Talia had already gone into the Great Hall and was standing before the kitchen hearth, drying the wolf with a large towel.
Walking over, Varkas took the towel from her hands.
She had spent her entire life being waited upon by others. She had probably bathed herself only a handful of times in her life.
The sight of her personally tending to nothing more than a monster twisted something deep inside him beyond endurance.
“Leave the care of this wolf to the servants and return to your room, Your Highness. I would like to hear an explanation of everything that has happened.”
“No. Khan doesn't like anyone except me touching him.”
“Didn't you insist this wolf doesn't harm people?”
He pointed it out coldly.
“If that's true, then leaving it with the servants for a little while shouldn't cause any problems.”
Unable to find a rebuttal, Talia glanced uneasily down at her wolf.
Reading the anxiety in her eyes, Varkas added sharply,
“Or are you yourself not certain that this wolf is harmless?”
“That's not it!”
Talia denied it loudly before suddenly shooting him an irritated look.
“And stop calling him 'wolf' all the time. I already told you his name is Khan. How would you feel if someone kept calling you 'human, human'? If you're going to call him, use his proper name.”
“...”
He swallowed the sigh rising in his throat.
To the people of the East, the fact that the Grand Duchess, who came from Osiria, had given a monster a name belonging to the Khan people would be seen as an unmistakable insult.
Did she know that and still insist on this?
Feeling a trace of weariness at having his wife create conflict over something as trivial as a name, he tossed the towel to a waiting servant.
“Take good care of... Khan.”
Then he turned to lead her out of the kitchen.
Before they had taken more than a step, Talia suddenly grabbed his arm.
“I told you his name is Khan. Say it properly.”
Varkas frowned.
He couldn't understand why she cared so much about the wolf's name, but if it truly mattered that much to her, there was no reason he couldn't indulge her.
Almost like a sigh, he murmured,
“Khan.”
Only then did her expression brighten.
Taking him by the arm, Talia led him over to the wolf and said excitedly,
“Would you like to pet him? His fur is incredibly soft and fluffy.”
Varkas looked toward the beast sitting obediently before the hearth.
Seated neatly with its hindquarters on the floor and its forepaws planted before it, the animal resembled nothing more than a loyal hunting dog.
Yet the blue eyes fixed upon him blazed with unmistakable hostility.
“Go on, pet him.”
Apparently oblivious to the killing intent radiating from the beast, she urged him with an innocent smile.
Unable to refuse the hopeful look in her eyes, he eventually reached out.
He was all but certain he would be bitten, but he simply couldn't reject her request.
Keeping every nerve on edge so he could pull his arm back instantly if necessary, he cautiously stroked the wolf's still-damp face.
At once, murderous intent flashed through the wolf's eyes.
Surprisingly, however, it neither bared its fangs nor growled.
It seemed to be desperately suppressing its fury for the sake of its mistress.
“Well? Isn't he gentle?”
She asked proudly.
Swallowing a bitter smile, he carefully withdrew his hand.
There was no doubt this monster possessed powerful aggression.
Yet it also appeared intelligent and restrained enough to distinguish one situation from another.
'...But there's no knowing when it might suddenly turn savage.'
He had been manageable while he was still a pup, but now that he was nearly fully grown, controlling him would no longer be so simple.
Standing there with a thoughtful expression as he looked down at the enormous wolf, Varkas finally turned away.
“Let's go to your room.”
The woman, who had been looking at him with eyes full of expectation, visibly dimmed.
Had she hoped he would show more interest in her beloved companion?
Something about her disappointed expression unsettled him, but he forced himself to remain composed and left the kitchen.
“You should change out of your wet clothes first.”
At last they arrived at the bedroom they had once shared.
Gently ushering her inside, Varkas spoke with quiet courtesy.
“Please summon a maid and change into fresh clothes, Your Highness. I shall also make myself presentable before coming to see you.”
Standing in the doorway, she gave him a puzzled look before quietly nodding.
He immediately went to the adjoining room, stripped off his soaked armor and the wyvern-hide gambeson, and discarded them.
By then, the servants had already prepared hot water for washing and a fresh change of clothes.
He quickly bathed, then dressed himself in a clean tunic and traditional eastern cotton trousers.
After replacing even his mud-covered boots with a new pair, he returned to her bedroom.
Talia greeted him gracefully, dressed impeccably in an elegant blue gown with an elaborate design.
Varkas stood motionless on the threshold, studying her carefully.
It was the first time he had seen her so meticulously dressed since the night she had come to share his bed.
Did she normally dress like this?
Or...
“Are you just going to stand there? Come in and sit down.”
Seated calmly in a chair piled with thick cushions, Talia looked at him with complete composure.