Chapter : 33. The Stray Dog
The dress made of high-quality fabric felt incredibly smooth to the touch.
The dresses Alice had worn until now weren’t bad. It was just that most of them had been the ones Iris tossed to her without care.
To be honest, she wanted this one. And she didn’t want to disregard Karan’s thoughtfulness.
“It is expensive, though…”
At that time, Alice didn’t know that the dresses Karan had already paid for, which she had refused, would all end up in the trash.
So her thought was very simple.
“I should fill the empty closet.”
A sense of relief showed in Alice’s smile as she made up her mind.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll wear it well.”
“I’m glad you accept it so graciously, Alice.”
Karan stepped forward and rested his hand on Alice’s shoulder.
“Shall we begin then? While Alice prepares, I will also get ready.”
Karan moved to the adjoining room with Alice and the person who would attend to her.
Once the door closed, Karan exhaled quietly.
From inside, he could hear Alice and the designer chatting softly.
At times like this, Karan felt frustrated that he wasn’t the designer. He was almost envious of the person monopolizing Alice’s conversation.
He often felt this way. When Alice asked Hartwin to deliver a letter, he wanted to be the footman. When she enjoyed desserts, he wished to be the patissier.
If that was impossible, he wanted to eliminate everyone who caught her attention from the world.
“I’m crazy. What if Alice notices?”
Although he hid his malicious intentions well, his thoughts often showed when he overthought things.
Karan reminded himself to be more careful and stepped away from the door.
As he moved away from Alice’s room, the warmth slowly left his face.
“Have you investigated what Alice is up to?”
Hartwin nodded to the cold voice.
“There’s nothing direct, but we found evidence of her interacting with a few people.”
Karan wanted to find the cause of Alice overworking. If anyone was responsible for pushing her too hard, he would remove them; if any task was overburdening her, he would handle it.
“Good. Who are they?”
“Miss Jasmine Orléans and Miss Devoa Highbris. Miss Jasmine recently took over a workshop and started an accessory business, and Miss Devoa acquired the Phone Newspaper.”
He let out a sigh. Why were there so many people around Alice?
“When was this?”
“After meeting Alice in all cases.”
Karan opened the door to his office and swept his gaze over the desk.
“Prepare so we can track the flow of funds and future actions. Any other leads?”
“There was also Lebert among the people Alice investigated.”
“Lebert?”
The name sounded familiar.
“He is the doctor who treated Alice yesterday.”
“So Alice investigated a doctor… you have surveillance on him, right?”
“Yes. That’s correct. No other anomalies.”
It was still unclear whether these people would pose any harm to Alice. Karan decided to keep an eye on the three.
“What about Chase?”
Alice had said Chase had no feelings for her, but Karan saw it differently.
During the banquet, Chase couldn’t take his eyes off Alice. The subtle heat in his gaze was that of a man looking at a woman.
A spark that could ignite at any moment, potentially consuming everything around it—Karan found it extremely irritating.
“Chase is still quiet. His marriage to Miss Iris is proceeding without issue. What concerns me is that he plans to amend the laws regarding the harem, improving their treatment significantly. Perhaps because he himself was born of a harem, or thinking of my late mother?”
A reasonable person might think so. But Karan considered another possibility.
“He wants someone in the harem. Even if he must improve their treatment dramatically, he wants to keep them. But that person must never sit in the queen’s position.”
“Could it be that he can’t give up on Alice?”
Karan rolled the paperweight in his hand and then clenched it tightly. The gemstone paperweight cracked with a crisp sound.
Hartwin frowned as he watched.
“That was expensive.”
Covering that cost would have required a single contract for the mercenary guild Karan secretly operated.
“Seems like the bastard doesn’t realize his master has changed. What should we do then?”
“Make sure the new master holds the leash tightly.”
“Exactly. Make arrangements with that woman.”
“Whom do you mean?”
“Iris. I need to warn her. That bastard’s trying to run away.”
Karan rattled the stone fragments in his hand as he spoke.
Karan’s sour mood lifted when he saw Alice, fully prepared.
“Ah…”
Alice looked breathtaking.
The red dress accentuated her pale skin, the design highlighted her straight shoulders, and the emerald necklace matched the color of her eyes.
She wasn’t heavily adorned, nor did her features change, yet she drew more attention.
It was likely because she was wearing what he had given her.
Karan suppressed the possessiveness swelling in his chest.
“Do I look strange?”
“No.”
Karan quickly replied before she could misunderstand.
“You’re just so beautiful.”
Alice’s ears flushed red.
“Your gift, your words… men from Tetris are so kind.”
“Pfft.”
Suddenly, Hartwin covered his mouth.
“Ah… sorry, I was about to cough.”
Hartwin waved his hands nervously under Karan’s piercing gaze.
Although he was actually chuckling at Alice’s misunderstanding, the sharp eyes poked at him like thorns, forcing him to add,
“You’re right, Miss Alice. Men from Tetris are kind. Especially His Highness.”
“I see… I’m looking forward to visiting Tetris. Shall we enjoy Bedroka first?”
Alice extended her hand to Karan, freeing Hartwin from the sharp gaze.
Alice and Karan stepped forward together, followed by Hartwin. Their steps were unusually light.
The festival viewing ended without incident.
Alice and Karan danced to music played by street performers and shared snacks purchased from street vendors.
“It’s a shame it’s so short.”
Karan, who had brought Alice to the Wharton Marquis’ estate for the last banquet, said.
“There will be another opportunity.”
“Next time… that sounds so nice.”
“Huh? Next time?”
“Yes. It feels like a promise that we’ll be together in the future.”
Though it was an offhand comment, Alice liked it because Karan did.
“Indeed. But your interpretation is better than the dream, Your Highness. See you in a bit.”
Their farewell lingered. Alice turned first to prepare for the banquet.
Karan remained in front of the mansion for a while even after she entered.
“She must be passing through the hallway now. She’ll open the door and greet Regina.”
Imagining Alice’s movements, Karan only left when he was sure she had safely reached her room.
His steps were heavy leaving her behind. He missed her already, barely having parted.
“Your Highness, she is ready.”
As Karan entered the carriage, Hartwin spoke. Karan looked at him and nodded.
“Location?”
“The lakeside promenade. We’ve cleared it of anyone nearby.”
“Let’s go.”
The carriage moved toward where Iris waited.
“Who does a savage think he is, daring to come?”
Iris stomped her foot irritably. The wet ground from the early morning rain dirtied her shoes.
Muttering, she waved her hand. A gentle breeze brushed over her shoes.
They shone as if they had never been dirty.
Iris waved again, stirring a massive wind across the quiet forest.
Resting birds took flight like a storm. The comical sight made her giggle.
Her meaningless mischief continued. She raised the water temperature at the lake’s edge, making fish float belly-up.
She played a few more tricks, but it didn’t improve her mood.
Iris turned serious. She sensed someone approaching.
The savage who had gotten close to Alice and seated himself next to Chase was coming.
“Who could have made the usually composed Alice lose her cool?”
Iris was curious.
“His appearance is mediocre.”
Time would make his face meaningless. Iris pursued things that didn’t change with time: money, power, and…
“Magic.”
Feeling the mana flowing through her body, she straightened up.
Even though Karan, a savage known for tearing bears apart with his hands, approached, she felt no fear.
Because she could use magic.
“Using offensive magic on humans is forbidden, but if he crosses the line…”
She could use it freely. Iris thought of several offensive spells capable of killing a person and smiled brightly.
“You were looking for me?”
Karan’s gaze swept over Iris. Familiar with the attention, she assumed a stance.
“Yes. I wanted to meet you at least once.”
“You could have seen me at the banquet, but I suppose you called me for something private?”
Iris didn’t want to beat around the bush. She had to arrive early at the banquet.
“Yes. Correct. Since neither of us has much time, let me be brief. You must hold the bastard’s leash firmly.”
“The bastard? I have so many dogs that I don’t know which one you mean.”
Iris tilted her head innocently.
“Not long ago, you took in one. A purebred, picky dog.”
“Chase?”
Karan chuckled. Comparing Chase to a dog was one thing; Iris dropping his title was another. After all, she was just a young lady without a title.
“Are you referring to Chase now?”
Iris omitted his title again, as if to confirm it wasn’t a mistake.
“Yes. Lacking tact but not intelligence.”
“That’s enough praise. What about Chase?”
It wasn’t praise—it was sarcasm.
Karan was starting to get tired. Just looking at her irritated him. Alice, by contrast, made him feel good just by seeing her.
“He intends to amend the harem laws. He seems to need another master.”
For the first time, cracks appeared in Iris’s smile.
“Finally, someone worth noticing.”
Karan stepped back and said,
“Your character isn’t generous enough to share power. If you watch quietly, it must mean you like him considerably. The stray dog, indeed.”
Iris forced her lips into a slight smile.
