The Obsessive Male Lead Is Jealous Of My Doll - Chapter 75

Chapter 38.1

As soon as the puppies saw Ignis, their tails wagged excitedly, and they scampered over to him. But he didn’t react, merely leaning back into the sofa. His eyes remained indifferent as he silently watched the rain streak down the window.

‘Zion, there’s absolutely no way! Not in a thousand lifetimes! So stop worrying.’

Karentina reassured the dolls, firmly stressing her last words before ending the conversation. Then, she stole a quick glance at Ignis.

It was such an unfair world.

Dressed in something so simple, yet he still managed to make this modest sitting room feel like a grand banquet hall. She inwardly clicked her tongue at his unrealistically handsome appearance, which made everyone around him seem like mere squids in comparison.

As if he had noticed her piercing stare, Ignis slowly shifted his gaze to her.

Caught off guard, Karentina flinched.

‘Oh, my. That scared me.’

Ignis’s expression instantly soured, his brows knitting together as if making eye contact had ruined his mood.

‘…With how much he hates it, there’s no chance of anything happening.’

Shaking the thought from her head, Karentina tossed the rest of her half-eaten vanilla cookie into her mouth.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

Time flew by as Karentina became completely absorbed in sewing alongside Madam Sharon, who had returned with an armful of embroidery supplies.

“My husband got so drunk that he grabbed onto my skirt and begged me not to be mad. He held on so tightly that he ripped my dress, so of course, I made him buy me ten new ones.”

“Hahaha!”

Madam Sharon was an incredibly entertaining storyteller. Thanks to her, Karentina laughed so much that her cheeks started to hurt.

“By the way, I noticed the main street was packed with people. Is there some kind of festival going on?”

The madam’s wrinkled eyes crinkled with a soft smile as she lowered her embroidery.

“It’s Thanksgiving season here in the West, a time for offering gratitude.”

“Thanksgiving?”

“Yes, it’s a tradition that’s disappearing in most parts of the Empire. I suppose they don’t celebrate it in the North?”

Seeing Karentina tilt her head curiously, Madam Sharon chuckled and explained.

“Thanksgiving is a day when people abstain from meat and offer tributes to the gods in gratitude.”

“Ah!”

Karentina remembered reading about it in the original story.

The heroine, Ceria, had parents from the West before they passed away. Because of that, she played a major role in sharing information about the region with Ignis.

The West was a land of farmers, and they had a long-standing tradition of offering tributes to the gods while praying for a prosperous harvest.

Among these offerings, meat was considered the most valuable tribute, so during this period, people refrained from eating it. Instead, they celebrated Thanksgiving by consuming fish and seafood. Since the West was near the sea and had an abundance of seafood, the tradition had endured over the years.

Thanksgiving was said to last for ten days leading up to the New Year.

“Tonight’s dinner will be something to look forward to. It may not be the famous Western steak, but I have something special planned.”

Madam Sharon stole a quick glance at Ignis before bursting into a cheerful laugh, her eyes twinkling.

‘…What’s got her so excited?’

A shiver crept up Karentina’s arms, making her blink in confusion.

̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊

“It seems the room for the Lady is almost ready. I’ll go check on it one last time and return shortly.”

“You really don’t have to go through all that trouble…”

“It feels like my own daughter has come home after getting married. I can’t help but be excited. Please don’t take away this joy from me.”

Madam Sharon smiled warmly before leaving the room.

Karentina, still fumbling with her stitches, was completely absorbed in her embroidery when a tall shadow loomed over her.

A long shadow stretched across the floor.

“You’re pretty clumsy at this.”

A low voice from above startled Karentina, making her snap her head up. Ignis was gazing at her embroidery with an unreadable expression as he spoke.

“W-Why are you just staring at it like that?!”

Flustered, she quickly hid her tangled embroidery, but Ignis merely shrugged indifferently.

“It’s not like I was trying to look. This sitting room is just too small.”

Karentina narrowed her eyes sharply at the absurd excuse.

“It’s only because it’s my first time. With enough practice, I’ll be better than anyone.”

“Is that so? I’ll be waiting to see that.”

Ignis smirked as he watched Karentina widen her eyes, then reached down and picked up one of the puppies beside her.

The puppy had soft yellow fur and was the tiniest and most well-behaved of Norman’s litter.

Despite expecting his touch to be rough, Ignis handled the puppy with surprising gentleness. Was it the effect of being in an unfamiliar place? Or had he been influenced by the peaceful atmosphere of Baron Rodon’s estate? Either way, his face looked a little different than usual.

The cold and rigid demeanor he always carried had softened, almost like the warmth of spring.

“It’s warm.”

“…Do you like dogs?”

At her question, his expression darkened.

“I used to.”

Though his tone was calm, a trace of emotion lingered beneath his words.

Karentina put down her embroidery hoop and fixed her gaze on Ignis. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice.

“There was a dog I raised in the imperial palace. It was my friend when I was a child.”

As he gently stroked the puppy again, his expression grew distant, as if lost in childhood memories.

“It was a very gentle dog. It grew up pampered in the palace, always surrounded by people. It was so naive and trusting that it never even showed its teeth, not once.”

Hearing Ignis repeatedly refer to it in the past tense, she hesitantly asked,