As Iovet stepped out of the carriage, he locked eyes with the only woman in the bowing crowd who held her head high and faced him directly.
‘Britney Whitlow.’
Startled by the contact, Britney flushed and quickly lowered her gaze.
‘She looks like a doll.’
Perhaps it was merely the lingering influence of Duke Whitlow’s own handsomeness, but his daughter, Britney, was undeniably beautiful. Iovet didn’t particularly care who he took as his Crown Princess, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt if she were pretty.
‘But more than that…’
Iovet lifted his chin.
His gaze caught a curtain fluttering on the second floor of the mansion. Someone had been standing behind it only a moment ago, peering down at the arrivals.
‘Is that the flower of House Whitlow?’
He had seen portraits of Iris before, but never in the flesh. Since the Duke allowed the lovely Britney to appear in society, Iovet had been intensely curious about the woman the Duke kept hidden away, claiming she was too precious for the world to see.
Guests typically stayed in the West Wing, but as the Crown Prince, Iovet was escorted to a special suite in the main building. The master of the house, Count Kaybrant Green, guided him personally.
“Are you pleased with the room?”
“It is excellent.”
“Please, make yourself comfortable.”
As Kay turned to leave, Iovet caught him by the wrist.
“Count Green. Do you intend to just walk away?”
“Do you have an order for me, Your Highness?”
Iovet signaled his aide, Setni, to step outside. Once the doors clicked shut, Iovet glared at him.
“If you use that nauseating tone of voice one more time, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Oh my. That god-awful temper of yours hasn’t changed a bit, has it, Your Highness?”
“Kaybrant Green. If you keep this up, I’m just going to leave.”
Iovet’s words came out through gritted teeth, a low growl, but Kay only offered a faint smile.
“Still hot-headed as ever.”
Back in their youth, long before Iovet became the Crown Prince, they had studied at the Academy together. When everyone else cowered before the Prince, Kay was the only one who treated him without reserve. For a man who had to survive a minefield of schemes within the Imperial family, Kay was his only true friend—the only man whose back he trusted.
“Explain.”
“Explain what?”
“This marriage.”
“I’m twenty-seven, Your Highness. It would be far stranger if I weren’t married by now.”
“Shall I tell you what’s actually strange? You ignored Princess Mary even though she practically lived in your shadow. And now, all of a sudden, you present the ‘flower of the Whitlow family’?”
Princess Mary Catven of the Minas Arik Kingdom. If one were to list the beauties of the Elerond continent, her name was always the first on the tongue. It was an open secret that she had been infatuated with Kaybrant Green, chasing after him with the singular goal of becoming his wife. Years ago, she had even packed her bags and moved into the elder Count and Countess Green’s estate, waiting for his return. For a time, rumors had run rampant through the nobility that she had pestered the old Count and Countess into consenting to a union.
The rumors had died out when nothing came of it.
“Io. She’s not just the flower of the Whitlow family; she’s the flower of the Green County. You know we’ve already filed the marriage registration at the government office.”
“Duke Whitlow is a pathetic man.”
“And yet, you’re considering the Duke’s eldest daughter for the position of Crown Princess.”
“Of course I am. It’s better if one’s in-laws are pathetic—as long as they hold status. But you’re different, Kay. Princess Mary would have been a far greater asset to House Green than the Duke’s youngest daughter.”
“Well. My wife is already a great help to my family. Though, that’s not the only reason I married her.”
“If you’re going to claim the Whitlow flower is an asset, you should have at least quashed the rumors that you bought her with a gold mine. Do you know what the city is whispering about this marriage?”
“I do. They’re saying, ‘In the end, Count Green is just a man like any other,’ aren’t they?”
“Is it worth it?”
“It overflows, Io. It overflows.”
For a moment, Iovet doubted his own eyes. A sweet, tender smile had bloomed on Kay’s lips—a look Iovet had never seen on him before. The expression vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“Io. It would be hurtful if you truly thought I chose my wife based solely on her appearance.”
So there was something else. Iovet knew Kay wasn’t the type of man to be so shallow.
Kay leaned in close, whispering into Iovet’s ear.
“She was the one who chose me.”
***
Unlike the bride, who only had to focus on looking beautiful, the groom had a mountain of responsibilities. For Rishi, however, the day was spent being preened, dressed, and pinned by Jen and Nella.
Left alone to read for a while, I heard a knock.
“Lady Iris. You must sleep early.”
Krisina nagged me about the necessity of rest for my skin. I had no choice but to retreat to bed, and to my surprise, I fell asleep almost instantly.
*Sreuk.*
I stirred at a soft touch against my forehead and opened my eyes to see Kay. It was comforting to see his calm, ash-blue gaze fixed on me.
“Sorry for waking you.”
His bass voice was a pleasant rumble.
“No. Are you done with your work?”
“Yes.”
Kay slid under the covers. The warmth radiating from his body beneath the quilt sent a strange, fluttering sensation through me, even in my drowsy state. He lay at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, and did not move toward Rishi.
‘I think we used to sleep closer before.’
At some point, Kay had begun to maintain a cautious distance.
‘Since when?’
I tried to recall, but the effort felt like too much, so I let it go. Instead, I wanted to pull him into a hug. For the first time in a while, I wanted to bury my face in his firm chest and breathe in his scent to my heart’s content. The impulse felt both embarrassing and awkward.
‘What is wrong with me?’
Kay lay perfectly straight, his eyes closed and his hands resting neatly on his chest. His thick-knuckled fingers were beautiful. I felt a sudden, irrational urge to interlock my fingers with his.
Rishi squeezed her eyes shut.
‘Just sleep.’
Unable to shake the sense of longing, I muttered, “I like the puppy version better.”
If he were in his wolf form, I could hug him under the guise of his soft fur.
I peeked through my lashes and saw him smiling faintly, though his eyes remained shut. With a single blink, a massive black wolf was lying where he had been. The wolf kept his eyes closed, but Rishi knew this adorable creature wasn’t actually asleep.
Pretending not to notice, I wiggled closer and draped an arm over the wolf’s waist.
The wolf stiffened slightly.
Rishi buried her face in his soft fur. Why did I feel like I had finally found my place? I didn’t dwell on the question; instead, I clutched the wolf and drifted into a deep sleep.
***
When Krisina and Erwel arrived the next morning, Rishi was sitting in the suite’s living room, reading. A trolley laden with bread, soup, fruit jam, butter, salad, and braised meat—all sent by Kay—sat beside her.
“You’re here early.”
I reached for the bread, but Krisina rushed over, pushing the trolley aside with startling speed. I stared at her, my eyes wide.
“How much did you eat for breakfast, Lady Iris?”
“A piece of bread and an orange?”
“That is enough.”
“Are you trying to starve me to death, Krisina?”
“It can’t be helped. The party starts at 4:00 PM. To look your most beautiful in the dress, you should have eaten nothing today. Since you’ve already had some, we must stop here…”
I swallowed a sigh. I had forgotten the tradition of fasting before wearing the gown—the very reason I had always loathed these parties.
“Even if you make that face, there is nothing I can do. You are the main character today, Lady Iris. You must shine brighter than anyone.”
“Wolf fur…”
Suddenly, Erwel muttered, staring at a tuft of black fur he had plucked from the floor.
I looked at him, startled. His eyes held a newfound sharpness.
“Iris. It seems a wolf has been coming and going from this room. A black wolf. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Pardon? Ah… no wolf has come in…”
“Another hair.”
Erwel picked up a second strand. My throat went dry.
“Judging by the length, it seems to be a large one…”
“A wolf? Does it make any sense for a wolf to just wander into this mansion?” Krisina scolded him, but Erwel remained grim.
“Look, Krisina. This is wolf fur. See for yourself.”
He held the two hairs in front of her. Krisina squinted, then frowned.
“It really is. Iris, are you sure you aren’t hurt? Did you not feel anyone—or anything—breaking in last night?”
“Ah… not at all. Nothing…”
“Perhaps it’s still hiding in here. Please wait, Iris.”
Before I could stop him, Erwel began to search the room, checking every corner. I was in a bind; I couldn’t tell them the fur belonged to Kay. After a while, Erwel returned with a puzzled expression.
“There was a lot of fur near the bedroom door… Iris, may I check inside?”
“No. You cannot.”
I said it firmly.
“But if a wolf is coming and going, it’s a security matter. A hungry wolf is dangerous. We must report this to the Count.”
I wondered what Kay’s expression would be if he were reported for “breaking into” his own wife’s bedroom. While I tried to distract Erwel, Krisina disappeared and returned with Jamie.
“Excuse me, Iris. I heard something serious has happened.”
“Look at this, Jamie,” Erwel said, holding out the hairs. “Wolf fur. A black one, no less.”
“Ah.”
Jamie stiffened, his lips parted. He looked as if he were trying to swallow a laugh, his face turning an interesting shade of red.
“It’s surely a hungry one. It must have wandered in while prowling for food. If this creature pounced on Iris, her delicate neck would be snapped in an instant.”
“Ah… yes. That… would be a big problem,” Jamie managed.
“We must strengthen security. If it’s still in the bedroom… it would be best to inform the Count and have the room inspected.”
“Indeed,” Jamie agreed, his voice trembling slightly. “I will make sure to tell the Count properly.”
“And look here,” Erwel added, pointing at the floor near the bedroom door. “Judging by the sheer amount of hair, it seems it rolled around here before entering.”
Jamie looked like he was about to burst into tears—or perhaps he was just fighting to keep from exploding with laughter.
“Could it be shedding season?” Erwel asked earnestly.
Jamie let out a strange, gurgling sound as he stifled his mirth. He hung his head, taking a moment to compose himself before finally replying:
“Well… perhaps it’s just a wolf with a lot of *aegyo*.”