“Nothing has changed since then, and nothing will change now.”

“…….”

“You don’t need to ask questions, just eat whatever I provide for you, wear whatever I give you, and follow whatever I tell you.”

Instead of responding, Rowena looked at their reflections in the mirror. The woman who gave up her neck without any resistance, and the man who dominantly buried his head in her neck. She felt like a herbivore, helplessly revealing her vital points. Depending on this man’s whims, not only her situation but also Damian’s could change.

Killian is trying to remind her of her place in the world. How different his position was from hers…

After realizing that, the rebellion that had been faintly building up in her head quickly tucked its tail and disappeared.

“I understand, Killian.”

Smiling like a doll displayed in a department store, Rowena raised her hand to touch the back of his hand that covered her neck. She ran the tips of her fingers across his muscular hand, as if to appease his mood. At the passing contact, Killian reached for her other hand and held it tightly. As he interlocked his fingers with hers, she could almost feel the pulse in her neck, where he had wrapped his hand around, quickening nervously. 

After a few moments of silence, he bit his lips, then slowly called her name, while Rowena stood motionless like captured prey, waiting only for the hunter to dispose of her.

“Rowena.”

“…….”

“The thing is-“

As he was about to say something, the sound of a knock outside the door cut through the cold air.

“Miss Rowena.”

“Ah.”

“It’s Melissa. I’ve brought your scarf and coat. May I come in?”

Rowena felt happy to hear the voice and hurriedly opened her lips to answer; when she was about to tell her to enter, her face was turned to the side, and a heated tongue entered her mouth.

“Eum… ha…”

His tongue devoured her mouth entirely, sweeping through every inch of her mouth’s roof and teeth until finally interlocking his tongue with hers before he pulled away. He then gently removed his hand that was holding her, slowly parted from her, and m headed toward the door, which had gone quiet after the first knock. Melissa stepped back when he opened the door, not even daring to look at him. The two women, frozen in place, came to their senses when Killian was finally out of their sight,

Entering the room and closing the door, Melissa approached Rowena and wrapped a scarf around her. After her heart calmed down a bit when she felt Melissa’s slightly shaking hands, she began to talk.

“You were surprised, weren’t you?”

“N-..No.”

Melissa, who shook her head, quickly changed her answer.

“Actually, a little bit…..”

Rowena smiled at the honest answer.

“By the way, why are you so late? The dressing room is right next door.”

“There are so many clothes it took me a little while to find them.”

“Oh, I see.” -She answered without much thought 

Rowena, who answered indifferently, put on her coat. Dressed warmly, she looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she looked like a princess from the north that she had read about a long time ago in one of her uncle’s books.