Chapter 61
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 61
"You've been fidgeting with that for a while. What's around your neck?"
"Oh, this?"
Vanessa blushed and dropped her hand from the necklace. It was mostly hidden by the lace on her collar, but for some reason, she felt too embarrassed to show it off. Especially since it wasn't hers—she had only borrowed it.
She mumbled an excuse and tucked the necklace completely inside her dress.
"It's nothing."
"Hardly nothing."
Logan's face had gone pale, as if he had caught a proper glimpse of it in that brief moment. He looked like he’d seen something he shouldn't have. Granted, the necklace was conspicuously lavish compared to her modest attire. It probably looked awkward on her, like a little sister wearing her older sister's jewelry.
Feeling self-conscious, Vanessa tugged at the ribbons of her hat, trying to cover her chest a little more.
"Does it look that strange?"
"No, it's not that it looks strange…"
"Logan Dawson. Be honest with me."
When she fixed him with a serious stare, Logan's cheeks flushed, and he quickly averted his gaze.
"At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me… but that thing around your neck, isn't it the Mermaid's Tears?"
"The Mermaid's Tears?"
Even after hearing the name, her expression remained perfectly serene, showing no hint of surprise or alarm. It was Logan who was thrown off by her nonchalant reaction.
"That famous necklace by Demures… Don't tell me you don't know it?"
Vanessa blinked her wide eyes at him, then suddenly burst into a clear, bright laugh.
"I'm sorry. Your expression was just so… Of course I've heard of it. It's incredibly famous."
"Right, well. Then I suppose that's… a relief, but…"
"Were you that shocked because you thought this was the real thing?"
Vanessa smiled, her heart feeling much lighter.
"Unfortunately, it's a replica. I borrowed it from a friend."
"…A replica? That?"
"Of course, it seems to use higher-quality gems than a typical imitation. But the Mermaid's Tears is Demures' masterpiece. It was even displayed at an exhibition. Who could possibly wear something like that so casually?"
Logan looked down at her, his eyes unreadable. He seemed either utterly speechless or deeply pitying. Rubbing his face with a lean hand, he met her gaze with a solemn expression.
"Vanessa Siren Somerset."
He let out a deep sigh, a worried look clouding his eyes.
"You'd better brace yourself."
Just as she was about to ask what on earth he meant, the doors opened. Before she even realized they had arrived, a soft, warm light washed over her face. Vanessa squinted for a moment, then found herself facing a grand hall that resembled a massive glass greenhouse.
It was a formal, elegant space, a world away from the bustling noise outside. As the doors shut softly behind them, Vanessa instinctively glanced back before taking Logan's arm and letting him guide her forward.
Sheer white curtains, deep green carpets, rows of round tables, the soft clinking of glasses, and refined laughter filled the air.
At the far end of the hall, an orchestra played classical music while well-dressed stewards carrying trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres weaved between the tables of seated gentlemen. Logan raised a hand toward one of them.
"Great-Uncle Benjamin."
"Ah, Logan."
An elderly man, who was gathering a deck of cards as if a round of whist had just ended, spotted Logan and beamed. He gestured for them to approach, then leaned over to speak to the other gentlemen at his table.
As they walked toward him, Vanessa stared at the old man, not daring to blink. She observed him as closely as she could without being rude. Although she had memorized the photograph of him published in the local paper ten years ago, it was hard to be certain if this gentle-looking man was the one she was looking for.
"I'll be there in a moment… Just a quick chat, and I'll join you shortly, so go on and get a drink… Yes, my boy."
The other gentlemen rose from the table, preparing to move deeper into the hall. Benjamin Dawson accepted his coat from a steward and put on a mock-stern face for his grandnephew.
"You rascal. Where have you been? Your mother has been looking all over for you since this evening."
"What for?"
"How should I know? Though I suspect she might have received your report card by express mail."
The two men’s faces crumpled into matching frowns of worry. Judging by their easy rapport, Logan clearly held his great-uncle in high regard.
"But aren't you going to introduce me to the young lady beside you? Whose daughter is she?"
"Oh, right. Great-Uncle, this is Lady Vanessa of Somerset. She wanted to ask you something, so I brought her along."
"Please, just call me Vanessa."
Vanessa gracefully extended her hand. A seasoned lady of high society might have offered only a brief curtsy, the way young women her age often subtly looked down on their elders.
But for Vanessa, who had faced one new experience after another all day, simply maintaining a straight posture and a gentle smile took all her strength. She had no choice but to rely on etiquette books and the lessons from the St. Louis etiquette teacher, not to mention Rosalyn's advice.
Benjamin seemed somewhat surprised by her old-fashioned greeting, but he soon smiled warmly and brought her gloved hand toward his lips in a courtly gesture. He continued to smile with fond, grandfatherly warmth until he caught Logan's eye and cleared his throat.
"Somerset? Ah, now that you mention it."
The old man furrowed his brow, searching his memory, then let out a soft exclamation.
"Yes. Yes, indeed… I recall meeting your parents a long time ago. My goodness. You were just a little girl back then."
Finally. Vanessa offered a bright smile to hide the nervous trembling in her heart.
"I heard that you once provided legal counsel to my parents. We must have met then, but unfortunately, I don't remember it…"
"You were at an age where you wouldn't. Were you about five years old?"
"Please, feel free to speak comfortably with me."
The old man stared at her quietly for a moment, his eyes a clear sky-blue. Soon, a genial smile creased the corners of his eyes, which were etched deep with the passage of time.
"May I? And here I thought you had come to see me as a client."
His gaze held a sharp intelligence that age had not dimmed. Vanessa quietly steadied her breathing. Benjamin Dawson seemed like a sincere man.
Of course, that was the judgment of a girl barely twenty, whose only solo ventures had been to boarding school and the cathedral. She didn't trust her own intuition when it came to 'adults.' They were skilled at wearing masks, and she didn't yet possess the insight to see through them.
The gentleman before her, in particular, exuded a profound depth of experience. She felt that no matter how she tried to hide or probe, he could keenly sense the truth and unearth it. Lawyers, after all, were trained for exactly that.
Clumsily hiding things or testing the waters won't work.
Having made up her mind, Vanessa tightened her grip slightly on Logan's arm.
"Logan. I'm sorry, but could you give us a moment? It's a family matter."
"Ah."
Logan, who had been watching their exchange with a blank expression, straightened up, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Of course. I'll go grab a whiskey soda."
"Don't drink too much, and don't get carried away, Logan. Be careful with your medicine," Benjamin called after him.
"Great-Uncle, do I still look like a child to you? Well then, Vanessa."
Logan took her hand in an old-fashioned gesture of farewell and winked. Even as he did, his cheeks flushed a deep red.
"Don't forget I helped you. I'm going to charge you a very steep price for it."
He gave his great-uncle a playful salute and walked toward the other side of the hall. Vanessa watched his retreating figure for a moment.
How should she put it? At some point, she had begun to feel that something was off about Logan's attitude. There was no way to explain it, and she couldn't pinpoint why, but a peculiar discomfort settled in her chest like a heavy weight. Vanessa lightly pressed a hand to her heart. This was a completely different feeling from how her heart raced when she thought of River Ross.
"So, Lady Vanessa."
Pulled from her thoughts, Vanessa raised her head at the sound of her name. Her eyes, instantly focused, shone with a bright intelligence.
"Yes."
The genial smile was gone. Sitting across from her was an elderly gentleman with the cold, sharp face of a lawyer.
"There must be a reason you sought me out, going so far as to use my grandnephew as an escort."