Chapter 103
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103
"No… Wait, just a moment… Your Grace… My apologies."
The frantic sound of someone snatching the receiver echoed through the line. After a chaotic scuffle, the call abruptly cut off. Blood rushed to his head in a surge of fury, yet a laugh escaped his lips. He laughed at the innocent, naive perspective of the young Winchester master—at his shallow assumption that Theodore meant nothing to her.
He had given her his absolute everything. Excluding only the title of Duke, that inevitable and superficial shell, he had given her all of himself. From his basest desires to his every breath, from his fingertips to his toes, his voice, his gaze, and even the faintest trace of his laughter.
Did he truly lack the power to stop one woman from setting sail? He had countless options at his disposal—options to seize Vanessa, break her, and crush her if he had to, just to force her back to his side.
First, if he reported Vanessa Siren Somerset for leaking state secrets, she could be immediately barred from leaving the country and detained. As a woman who had freely entered and exited his office under his protection, there was more than enough circumstantial evidence.
Second, if he requested it of the Minister of the Navy, the military would deploy without question. If the Navy mobilized to block the entrance to the bay, no vessel at the Port of Delta would be able to set sail. He could hold her for at least three days. With war on the horizon, it would be an act of madness, but it was certainly an option.
Third, he could request the Prime Minister to immediately declare a National Mobilization Order. In an instant, every vessel in Ingram would be requisitioned by the military. Though compensation would be paid according to the law, it would be a disaster for private enterprises.
Fourth, Vanessa was not a woman who could abandon the things precious to her. He knew the weaknesses she had revealed with her own lips. Her leash was the simple fact that there was no one else to tend to her parents' graves. And what of the people she had grown fond of? The puppy he had lovingly raised and given to the gardener to adopt? Lady Rosalyn?
"Where shall I connect you, sir?"
When he remained silent for a long moment with the receiver in hand, the operator asked gently. Without answering, he slowly exhaled a heavy, labored breath. Just how cruel do I have to become to keep you? Or rather, what kind of hideous monster must I become in your eyes? He was suddenly terrified, realizing that no matter how many times he turned the question over, he could find no limit.
"Your Grace?"
"…Just a moment, Molly."
He pressed a dry hand against his throbbing temples. There were barely fifteen minutes left until six o'clock, when departure would be permitted. If he was going to act, he had to move now. Yet, the choice was not an easy one.
Among those countless options—backed by a power that seemed to know no bounds—not a single one could bring Vanessa back without hurting her.
"..."
Whichever path he chose, she would be dragged back before him, physically and mentally tattered. Considering the betrayal he felt, it was a fitting consequence. But the relationship that would follow such a capture would become a living nightmare. Like a festering wound constantly weeping blood and pus, they would resent and hate each other. He could already see her, eventually turning away from him forever.
Yet, what did that matter? No matter how broken her soul became, he would still possess her body. He could simply erect an impenetrable wall that no one would dare scale, confining her to a comfortable prison where she would never again dream of escape. Even if he had to blind her beautiful eyes, bind her tongue, and block her delicate ears. He possessed more than enough power and capability to do so.
"I'm so sick and tired of all of this!"
Suddenly, a long-forgotten cry echoed in his mind. He remembered the mottled bruises stamped all over his body and the verbal abuse that hurt far worse—memories of a time when he believed he had to endure it all, not because he was loved, but because he loved.
"Your father is a monster, Theodore. Looking at those blue eyes of yours… it truly makes my skin crawl."
In some ways, his late mother's insight had been entirely accurate. If he used the same base methods as his father to seize a woman, he would end up pinning down her small, weeping, resisting body and fucking her like a dog. The mere thought was horrifying. A wave of nausea washed over him at the realization that he had entertained such an image, if only for a fleeting second.
"..."
The moment he knew he could not bear to fall to such depths, his decision was made. Barely—truly, only barely—he admitted it, summoning all the lofty pride and reason he had built up over a lifetime. It was better for this relationship to end here.
Before she truly became irreplaceable to him. While he could still reclaim everything he had given her. While he could still stop everything at this point. Before he became a hideous monster.
"Are you alright, sir? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"…I am fine."
"If you wish… I could come to your room right now…"
"I will call back later."
He answered as if brushing her off and set the receiver down. Leaning back in his office chair, he stared at his pocket watch. Resting his elbow on the armrest and propping his chin on the back of his hand, he tracked the minute hand's slow crawl. Barely five minutes remained until six o'clock, when the departure ban would be lifted.
"..."
It felt as though soft, golden sand was slipping through the gaps between his fingers as he held the watch. An illusion, yet the sensation was as vivid as reality.
It felt like Vanessa's hair, like the fine gold dust that floated in the warehouse, like her skin glowing under the afternoon sun. What was certain was that their summer was finally drawing to a close. In a way that could never, ever return.
Theodore let out a self-mocking laugh. He smiled as if she were standing right in front of him. Yes, Vanessa. If you hate me that much, then you must leave. You must abandon us both this miserably.
Dong.
His breath caught at the first chime of the clock. Do you truly have the confidence to live without ever seeing her again? Will you really be fine without ever feeling her warmth again…? For once, he was sure of nothing, and his throat went dry. His clenched teeth and the corners of his eyes trembled with a cold, sharp shudder.
Dong.
Each chime was an act of violence. He gripped the pocket watch so tightly that the blue veins on the back of his hand bulged. Under his fierce grip, the metal bit into his palm, and thin streams of blood pooled before dripping onto the floor. Yet, he felt no pain.
Dong.
He wanted to cover his ears.
Dong.
He wanted to smash the watch.
Dong.
What if he changed his mind, even now? A petty whisper from within suggested he call the Minister of the Navy, keep her by his side for now, and slowly persuade her. It sounded plausible enough. After all, there was no guarantee they would repeat their parents' mistakes…
Dong.
The moment the final chime announcing six in the morning rang out, Theodore slowly rose from his seat. He checked the mirror to adjust his tie, wiped his bloodied hand, and picked up the agenda documents he had brought home to review.
As he walked out of the room, the sound of something shattering echoed miserably in his ears. Perhaps it was only an illusion.
* * *
`[Your Lantian pronunciation is a bit strange.]`
The Security Unit officer’s eyes narrowed as he examined her Identity Card. Vanessa forced her trembling body to stand straight and answered in clear, precise tones.
`[I suppose it’s because I lived in Ingram for a long time. I moved there when I was very young.]`
`[What is the reason for your sudden return?]`
`[Marchioness Polignac took a liking to me and summoned me. Before that… I lived under the care of the Winchester Marquessate.]`
`[Were you a maid?]`
`[Yes.]`
The lies flowed with surprising ease. Speaking a foreign tongue helped her detach from her emotions, and she had already rehearsed the answers with Blair several times. The Security Unit officer turned the Identity Card over and over before letting out a sigh.
`[With war on the horizon, things are strict all around. I don’t mean to be like this to our own citizens, but I must ask you to wait just a moment longer.]`
While he made a few phone calls, Vanessa kept her eyes lowered, doing her best not to betray her anxiety.
Originally, she had planned to take her time forging an Identity Card. She didn't need to board a ship and leave immediately. She could have hidden for a while, bought an Ermanian Identity Card, and then slipped out of Ingram among the foreigners when the Deportation Order for Foreigners was issued after the war began.
Thus, everything Blair had prepared for her was entirely unexpected. And compared to her own plans, which had focused solely on bare survival, his arrangements possessed a certain dignity.
`[Do you have a Letter of Introduction or a Letter of Recommendation?]`
`[Here it is.]`
Vanessa opened her bag and showed him the letter bearing the seal of the Winchester Marquessate. With that, a stamp was finally slammed down onto her Entry Permit. The Security Unit officer handed her Identity Card back with a grin.
`[Welcome back to your homeland, Vanessa Liber.]`