Chapter 12
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12
She stared at him, utterly speechless. Of course, she had plenty to say. There were countless things she wanted to demand, questions that needed answers, and grievances she longed to voice.
The problem was, she had no idea where to begin. The sky was painfully clear, the garden—heavy with the scent of fresh grass—was so quiet it felt detached from the world, and the man standing before her was, of all things, dazzlingly handsome.
"No. Not a single thing."
Vanessa glared, forcing the corners of her mouth into a tight smile. She spun around, turning her back on him, and marched toward the rose bushes with brisk, determined steps. At least, that was the impression she tried to give. She scrunched her nose and gripped the watering can tightly. Don't cry. Don't even look at him.
Her efforts to keep from feeling any more miserable collapsed in less than half an hour, all thanks to River Ross, who was completely engrossed in a poplar tree, paying her absolutely no mind.
"..."
She hated how small she felt whenever she stood before him. She hated her situation—merely waiting for the day she’d be sold off—and she hated this castle filled with its convincing forgeries. She hated this garden, as ruined as her own heart, and this one-sided relationship where she was the only one who cared.
Vanessa swallowed a heavy sigh, feeling utterly ridiculous and pathetic.
* * *
"Dahlia!"
It was a dramatic cry. Theodore paused from planting a sapling and narrowed his eyes, looking toward the source of the sound. A puppy was yapping noisily as it bounded across the garden. A rare, bright smile spread across Vanessa's face as she scooped up the white ball of fluff.
The name she called out so sweetly, Dahlia, rang a bell. It was one of the pups from a dying dog the maids had taken in a few days ago. After being caught sneaking into the kitchen for food several times, it seemed she had decided to openly claim ownership of the puppy. The tiny dog was now loyally licking her face and hands.
"That tickles… Why are you here? Where’s Mary?"
To his surprise, Lady Vanessa was now attempting to hold a conversation with the puppy. Theodore watched her foolish display as he slowly drained his lukewarm canteen.
She was persistent and diligent. That was the conclusion he’d reached after observing her today. At first, she couldn't focus and kept making mistakes, but at some point, she had taken charge, rummaging through every rose bush. She snipped off leaves with black spots, sprayed pesticide, tilled the soil, and meticulously laid dried pine needles under each plant.
She didn't even seem to realize she was covered in dust from head to toe. At this rate, she was a far better worker than the lazy cat in the backyard.
"Look at that belly. Dahlia, what did you eat to get so full?"
Her touch was tender as she gently patted the puppy's plump stomach. The May sunlight, filtering through the lush branches, cast a glow over her golden hair. As the wind rustled the leaves, shadows bloomed and faded across her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her lips, and her small ears.
Theodore slowly let the polite, mask-like smile fade from his face. The desire that swelled within him whenever he looked at Vanessa had, at some point, become an annoyance. It was like a mouthful of lukewarm water he could neither swallow nor spit out.
If he wanted her, he could take her right now. They had a deal, and the choice was fair to them both. There was no room for complications, and even if a problem arose, he certainly had the means to resolve it.
But why? What was making him hesitate?
No matter how many times he asked himself, the reason remained unclear. He had agreed to this arrangement far too impulsively. He deliberately averted his gaze from Vanessa, as if brushing away a troublesome thought. It was then that her chattering voice suddenly changed.
"Ri—River..."
When he removed the hand covering his weary eyes, he saw Vanessa's face, which had turned deathly pale in an instant. The woman who had been laughing and holding a puppy just moments ago was gone.
She couldn't even raise her voice, looking as if she’d swallowed something vile. What on earth had she gotten herself into now? Theodore sighed and pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against.
"What is it?"
"On… my back…"
"Speak slowly. Breathe."
Vanessa nodded, trying her best to follow his instructions, but it was a futile effort. Her trembling showed no sign of stopping.
She attempted a calm smile, but quickly gave up and whispered through pale lips.
"A sp—spider… I think a spider… g-got inside my clothes."
"A spider?"
Vanessa barely managed to nod, her eyes brimming with tears. Blood seeped from where she was biting her lip to stifle a scream.
Theodore swallowed a dry laugh and ran a hand over his face. Her restraint irritated him. Was there any reason to hold back so desperately? Vanessa acted as if her life depended on it. Or like someone who had spent her entire life holding back, never daring to scream or sob.
"..."
Theodore slowly exhaled the emotion choking his throat. Now he knew. He knew whose face he had been superimposing on Lady Vanessa’s all this time. He knew why that gaze, silently begging for his attention, felt so familiar.
"River, please…"
"Stay still."
He grabbed her trembling arm and pulled her toward him. Any suspicion that this was some new trick of hers vanished. Beneath the loose collar of her blouse, a dark red spider covered in bristling hairs was lurking.
It was quite large, and even he had to admit it was a hideous creature. Without so much as a twitch of his eyebrow, Theodore snatched the spider and flung it to the ground. Then, as naturally as possible, he plucked a strand of golden hair that had caught on her collar. The moment he let go, Vanessa’s tightly shut eyes snapped open.
"Did—did you get it?"
"There was no spider. You mistook a strand of your hair for one."
"…What?"
"Here."
Theodore turned her palm upward and placed the hair onto it. Tilting her head, Vanessa looked up at him, her lips pursed. Her wide, round eyes were filled with suspicion.
"Did you check properly? Was there really nothing?"
"I told you, there wasn't."
"That can't be. Look again, closer."
Vanessa parted the collar of her blouse with her own hands and bowed her head. She even gathered her wavy hair to one side so he could get a better look.
Theodore let out a dry, disbelieving laugh at the absurd sight. What in the world did this woman take him for?
"Do you want me to put my hand inside and check?"
"Would you?"
The immediate reply to his half-sarcastic question made his eyes widen before his lips twisted into a smirk. This was either a refreshingly bold trick or she was hopelessly naive.
For a moment, he was speechless. Vanessa, who had already undone a few buttons on her blouse, urged him on with desperate eyes.
"Hurry, River."
He swallowed a fierce laugh. What an incredible woman. A woman who missed the correct answer every time, yet was never quite wrong. He wondered just how long she could keep up this maddeningly innocent act.
Theodore wrapped a hand around Vanessa's waist, pulling her flush against his body. With his other hand, he unbuckled her skirt and pulled her blouse free from where it was tucked. A crack finally appeared on her clear, unwavering expression.
"Ah…"
Her cheeks, flushing a beat too late, were infuriating. As if she had no idea what would happen, even though she was the one who asked.
His hand slipped inside her clothes, slowly stroking her back. Her skin, warmed by the summer sun, was soft and damp. It was tender flesh. Each time he moved, faint red handprints bloomed on her skin before fading away.
Keeping his eyes locked on her face, he slid his hand along the curve of her lower back. He tapped and rubbed lightly with his fingertips, then pressed firmly with his palm. With every scrape of his calloused hand against her soft skin, Vanessa's breathing grew ragged.
"Ah…"
Her fluttering eyelashes, her tightly bitten lips, her neck flushed a deep red, her hair cascading over it, her hand gripping his arm…
It would be a lie to say she wasn't beautiful, reacting so sensitively to his every touch.
"Vanessa."
When he called her name softly, her ear, peeking through her golden hair, twitched like a cat's. He smiled and lightly bit her earlobe.
"I can't tell like this."
He lifted the startled, struggling Vanessa and sat her on the garden table. The fingertips gripping his forearm trembled faintly. Her blouse was bunched up, her skirt had slipped down to her hips, and a small, ribboned undergarment barely contained her swelling breasts.
Heat coiled in his gut at the sight of the disheveled woman yielding to his touch. He could hardly believe it—that he could get so aroused by a woman with messy hair, covered in dirt and dog drool.