Chapter 35
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35
Do I have enough money to buy clothes?
She didn’t have much spare cash. Besides, Rosalyn and Blair’s birthday was just around the corner. For the past few years, she hadn’t had a single penny to her name and had celebrated their birthdays with homemade cookies or hand-embroidered handkerchiefs. This year, however, she had managed to save a little. Since they were both coming of age, she wanted to give them something truly special.
Vanessa picked up the most modest-looking blouse and checked the price tag. She sucked in a sharp breath and carefully set it back down.
Good heavens!
If this was the price of all tailored clothes, she could finally understand why her uncle used to grumble about how expensive it was to raise a girl. After seeing the price, the idea of buying a new outfit just because a few buttons had fallen off and the fabric had worn thin felt utterly extravagant. If she was going to spend that kind of money here, she would much rather buy a gift for the twins.
After all, a place like this was only fit for an elegant lady like Rosalyn.
I thought boutiques like this only existed in the capital.
Linden’s Boutique, which she had once visited with Rosalyn, had been exactly the same. Errand boys bustled in and out of the back door, just as they did here. The heavy air was thick with forced laughter, cloying perfume, and the rustle of expensive fabric. Fine particles of powder drifted from makeup brushes, catching the light like dust motes.
Although she’d had to kill time awkwardly in a chair while Rosalyn had her fitting, it had been an interesting experience. In any case, an item from a shop like this might just satisfy even the fastidious Rosalyn.
“I’m not looking for clothes, actually. Do you happen to sell fans or gloves?”
“Of course. We have accessories to match any outfit. Our selection is as fine as any jeweler’s.”
The proprietress dismissed the clerk and personally guided Vanessa toward the glass display cases. Vanessa’s eyes widened with curiosity as she examined the items. From fans and lace gloves to handkerchiefs, jeweled ornaments, and antiques, the selection was as wonderfully diverse as the proprietress had promised.
Consequently, every price tag was dizzyingly high. Still, this was for their coming-of-age and graduation, so she wanted to get them something proper. Opal necklaces, amethyst earrings, folding fans studded with tiny pearls, luxurious bracelets… Among them, a delicately crafted peridot brooch caught her eye.
Noticing her interest, the proprietress slipped on a pair of white gloves and opened the display case.
“This is a brooch made of Cologne peridot. It’s a matching set with these cufflinks, crafted from the same gemstone.”
She carefully lifted the brooch and cufflinks. The gems glittered brilliantly under the gaslight.
“They are a bit pricey, but the quality is so high they wouldn’t look out of place at a Linden auction. The clarity is excellent, the color is uniform, and the light reflection is absolutely stunning.”
Her voice was subtly persuasive as she tilted the pieces to catch the light.
“As you can see, the craftsmanship is incredibly delicate. It’s the work of a very famous artisan.”
“An artisan?”
“I believe his name was Desang, from Lille. Would you like me to look into it further for you?”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll take this. The cufflinks too.”
Without hesitation, Vanessa pulled out her purse. It was a sum she would never have dreamed of spending on herself, yet she felt strangely at ease. The thought of how happy Rosalyn and Blair would be made the expense feel trivial.
She could always save up again. The only thing she needed money for was university tuition, but that was an impossible goal for this year anyway. Her friends’ coming-of-age, however, only happened once.
“Would you like to take them with you now? We can also arrange for a safe delivery to your residence.”
Vanessa snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. If she gave Gloucester Castle as her address, her identity would be exposed instantly. But she had nowhere else to send them.
“I’ll take them now.”
“Then I’ll have them wrapped for you.”
While the clerk began measuring wrapping paper against the boxes, Vanessa carefully checked the certificate of authenticity the proprietress presented.
River Ross still hadn’t come down. As her eyes idly scanned the shop, they landed on a white muslin dress hanging from a hook. It was an off-the-shoulder design, the kind one might wear to a midnight ball, and the deep green ribbon tied at the waist was exceptionally elegant.
“Would you like to try it on?” the proprietress asked, noticing her gaze.
Vanessa hesitated before shaking her head. “No, thank you. My companion should be down soon.”
“The gentleman will likely take a bit longer.”
Perhaps because of the expensive purchase, the proprietress’s attitude had become noticeably warmer.
“Really… I’m fine…”
“Go on. It might cheer you up.”
In a daze, Vanessa found the dress pressed into her hands as the proprietress ushered her, almost pushed her, into a fitting room.
Vanessa stared down at the dress. It was light, soft, and rustled at her touch, which only made her more nervous. What if she moved carelessly and ruined it?
“Put it on and show me,” the proprietress’s warm, coaxing voice came from outside the curtain. “It’s a new pattern we just drafted, and I’m curious to see how it looks on a young lady.”
It would have been easier to refuse if she had remained wary, but this ambiguous friendliness was much harder to deny.
After a long moment of hesitation, she began to clumsily shed her blouse and skirt. Just then, she heard a bustle of movement outside, followed by footsteps approaching her fitting room.
“Ness. Are you in there?”
A familiar voice came from beyond the curtain.
“River? Are you done already?”
Checking her wristwatch, Vanessa hurriedly gathered the clothes she had just taken off.
“Just a moment. I’ll be right out.”
“I heard you were trying on a dress. Take your time.”
“I’ll be quick. Oh…”
In her haste, her hand snagged on the ribbon of her corset. Since she had laced it up herself after their tryst, the knot she had hastily tied gave way. The laces loosened all at once, and the corset gaped open from her chest to her hips.
As she scrambled to fix it, her elbow slammed hard against the wall with a loud thud. Vanessa swallowed a groan and leaned against the wall for support.
“Vanessa? What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing. I just bumped into something. Just… give me a moment…”
“Are you undressed?”
“A little… Not completely…”
“I’m coming in.”
What did he just say? Before she could even process his words, the curtain was swept wide open. Light flooded the small space, and standing silhouetted against it, the man’s face was cast in shadow.
“……”
As her eyes adjusted, River Ross’s expression came into view. His dark, heavy gaze swept over her, from head to toe.
Her chemise was sheer enough to reveal the pale curve of her breasts, her corset had slipped halfway down her hips, and her thighs were completely exposed. Flushed marks bloomed across her cleavage and the tender flesh of her inner arms, a testament to their morning. The sight was one of utter, intimate disarray.
“Where did you hit yourself?”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
Heat rushed to the tips of her ears under his slow, deliberate inspection. Even though they had shared a bed several times… Vanessa pressed the back of her hand to her burning cheek and glanced past him.
The proprietress and her clerks had vanished. They had likely slipped away discreetly. Or perhaps he had dismissed them. He was, at times, more arrogant than any nobleman.
“My corset… it came undone…”
“Do I need to tighten these laces?”
“Yes.”
“Hold on.”
He gestured with his chin toward a support bar inside the fitting room. Vanessa clutched her discarded clothes, turned her back to him, and faced the mirror. Everything was laid bare in the reflection: her own trembling figure gripping the bar, and River Ross standing close behind her.
Every rustle of his clothing seemed deafeningly loud. He wrapped the dangling corset laces around each of his hands. As she took a sharp, tense breath, he slowly pulled.
Contrary to her expectation of a sudden, organ-crushing tightness, he stopped when it was only moderately snug.
“…You can pull it a bit tighter.”
“I feel like your waist will snap before I’m even finished.”
“It’s fine. Tighter than this. I’ve always worn it that way…”
He raised an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of disapproval and disbelief that women could function while so severely constricted. His next pull was just as gentle. Vanessa turned her head to urge him on.
“Don’t be like that, River. Just a little more…”
A soft chuckle escaped him, and he leaned down. His warm breath brushed against her ear and the bare skin of her nape. With half-lidded, languid eyes, he smirked.
“I’d like to hear those words in bed, too.”
Vanessa gasped, her eyes flying wide. She snapped her mouth shut when she saw their reflection in the mirror. It was a shockingly intimate pose; being completely naked would have felt more modest. This was how a woman would be positioned before being taken from behind like an animal…
Her hot breath fogged the mirror, cleared, then fogged it again. Vanessa squeezed her eyes shut. There she went again, having such thoughts at a time like this…
“Vanessa.”
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. In the mirror, her gaze locked with River Ross’s blue eyes. His face looked as clean and innocent as a young man who knew nothing of desire, which only made her imagination feel all the more shameful.
Pulling the laces a fraction tighter with his left hand, he used his right to tilt her head back. Her back arched, tracing a supple curve.
“Just what kind of wanton thoughts were you having, my lady?”