Chapter 74
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74
“Then… you can just do the same.”
“Do whatever I want?”
“You’ve always done whatever you wanted anyway, so why stop now?” she retorted cheekily.
Letting out a dry laugh, he seemed to take her words as a challenge, suddenly scooping her up into his arms. Startled as her feet left the floor, Vanessa gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around River Ross’s neck. A moment later, she landed softly, hips-first, on the plush bed.
The strength he used to lay her down was incredibly gentle. River Ross’s habitual tenderness felt exceptionally sharp today. To her own surprise, her nose began to sting with unshed tears. It was all his fault. At a time when the world was condemning her, treating illusions as truth, his kindness would only make her misunderstand…
“I’m sorry if you thought that way.”
Yes, it was a misunderstanding. Just as River Ross had said, theirs was a relationship of pure physical desire, with no future. It had been a temporary, transactional arrangement from the start, so no matter how much they played at being lovers, the limits were clear.
Even so, she had yearned for this all along—this warmth, this moment of skin against skin, of two people soothing and validating each other’s existence.
She had been holding on, pretending to be fine, but looking back, it had been so difficult that even breathing felt like a struggle. It would be one thing if she had brought it upon herself, but being condemned for a scandal she didn’t even understand, Rosalyn avoiding her calls for days, and suspecting her own uncle of being a murderer…
Vanessa quickly wiped away a tear that slipped down her cheek, bewildered by her own sudden outburst. No, really, is this something to cry so much about? As she sniffled, clutching the fabric of his shirt, River Ross asked in disbelief.
“Are you crying, Vanessa?”
“No! I’m not… Just, for a moment… let’s stay like this.”
Fearing he would pull away, she quickly added, “Afterward… you can do whatever you want.”
Theodore was momentarily speechless. He stared down at Vanessa, then let out a dumbfounded laugh. He thought he finally understood how she saw him. A dog in heat, perhaps? Then again, since they had practically devoured each other every time their eyes met, it was a natural conclusion. Even just now, he had been the one to carry her to the bed.
He didn’t rush her. Readily relinquishing his shirt to her grip, he laughed softly and leaned his cheek against her forehead. Putting more weight on the hand supporting him on the bed, he used his other to slowly tuck her disheveled, sun-spun hair behind her ear.
“And here you were, telling me to do whatever I wanted.”
“…I’m almost calm. Just a moment…”
“I’m not going to do anything to you right now, so lift your head.”
“Why…?”
“Because I want to look at you.”
Because he wanted to look at her. At those words, Vanessa’s entire face flushed bright red. She stood no chance against River Ross. He was doing this knowing full well that she liked him.
If the temperature of emotions could be measured, hers would always burn hotter than his. Just like that night on the ship. Just like that moment when she had loved him too much to calculate or measure a thing.
“Just wait a moment. Right now… my face is a mess…”
“Let me see.”
River Ross’s large, warm hand cupped her chin and tilted it up. His gaze followed, searching her face intently as if looking for something.
“…”
With his thumb, he gently stroked her wet cheeks, her eyes, and her bitten lips. The gesture, oddly enough, made her think of Dahlia’s warm tongue—that wet, affectionate puppy who would lick every little cut she got from the garden shears.
Of course, River Ross was no dog, nor was he as warm-hearted as Dahlia. Vanessa eventually let out a watery laugh.
“That tickles.”
“Your face doesn’t look like a mess to me, but you seem to have lost some weight.”
“No way. Lately, I’ve been living on nothing but sweets…”
“You seem to have a bit of a fever, too.”
“It’s just because the weather is so hot.”
“Your face is flushed.”
“That’s because you’re… looking at me from so close…”
“Vanessa.”
The moment he called her name, she lifted her head, which had been gradually drooping, and met the clear blue eyes looking down at her.
“If things are hard, don’t force yourself to endure it alone. Tell me.”
“…What do you mean, hard?”
Vanessa shook her head and dropped her gaze. It was nothing, yet the tears kept spilling over, making it hard to bear. She bit her lip hard, then forced a smile as if nothing was wrong.
“No matter what rumors are floating around, or what the newspapers are shouting, none of it is true. And I’m perfectly fine, without a single scratch.”
As she stubbornly blinked back her tears, he stared at her with unreadable eyes, as if looking at some strange creature beyond his comprehension. After a long, tense silence, he slowly nodded.
“Right,” he murmured, his voice sweet. “If you’re truly that fine, then I’m glad.”
“This is all because you showed up without a word… If I had known, I would have prepared myself. I didn’t even know you were arriving today.”
“My business in the South finished a bit early. Though I have to go back to Linden in four days.”
Vanessa stared at him blankly, her eyes wide. She wanted to act nonchalant, but she couldn’t completely hide her dismay.
“…In four days? That soon?”
He nodded casually and rose from the bed. He moved naturally to the desk, opened the cigar box, and pulled out a cigarette, rolling it against his lower lip.
It was a half-unconscious habit. But just as his hand reached for a match, he paused. With a touch of irritation, he slowly swept back the hair falling over his forehead.
“I have some matters left to handle.”
“It’s a shame your stay is so short… Actually, I have plans tomorrow as well.”
If it had been anything else, she would have postponed or canceled, but this was a meeting with Mr. Benjamin Dawson. What’s more, he was bringing along an important figure he called ‘the painter.’ Mr. Dawson deserved a great deal of credit for persuading someone who had adamantly refused to show themselves. Since there was no telling when they could reschedule if this fell through, her priorities were clear.
“I’ll return as soon as things in Linden are sorted out.”
“…How long do you think that will take?”
“I’m not sure. About ten days? There are a few complicated issues.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes at him. Did River Ross really believe this summer would last forever?
By the time he returned, it would already be the last week of August. Considering soldiers on long-term leave had to return to duty by the first week of September, they had very little time left together. Summer was drawing to a close.
She slightly regretted her past confidence, when she had sworn she would never cling to him in tears. She shouldn’t have made that bet. If she hadn’t, she could have at least put on a brave face and asked to extend their contract until autumn—no, until next spring…
She let out a sigh. It was a pointless hypothetical. Perhaps it was for the best. She was already overwhelmed with her uncle; she didn’t need the added distraction of worrying about her relationship with him.
“And when that’s over, Vanessa.”
River Ross’s voice cut through her downward spiral. A rare emotion flickered across his handsome face—something solemn, almost rigid. His eyes, exceptionally blue today, captured her gaze.
As she stood momentarily captivated by their depth, he spoke.
“When that time comes, there is someone I want to introduce to you.”
* * *
The Welder Tea House had nothing going for it except for its quietness. The cramped interior was packed with grimy, worn-out tables, and the only other customer was an old man snoring softly at the bar.
Vanessa took a seat by a window coated in a thick layer of dust and ordered a lemonade. Just as she was beginning to worry she had come to the wrong place, the bell above the door chimed.
“Vanessa. You’re already here.”
Mr. Benjamin Dawson approached, accompanied by a man with his hat pulled down low. Their clothes carried the heavy, damp scent of summer rain.
“We’re late because of a sudden downpour. Have you been waiting long?”
“It’s fine. But I have less time than I originally thought. My maid is scheduled to pick me up in thirty minutes.”
“Then we must hurry. This is Mr. Jack Wiltshire, the representative of Moretz Investment Company.”
“Mr. Wiltshire. Thank you for coming all this way. I am Vanessa Siren Somerset.”
She offered her hand with a ladylike smile. A faint, fleeting smile touched the pale face of the man looking at her.
“Actually… this is not our first meeting, Lady Vanessa. I met you once when you accompanied your father as a child.”
“Is that so?”
“I used to carry you on my shoulders.”
Recalling the past, the man let out a heavy sigh.
“If not for that memory, I would never have… agreed to step forward like this.”
He looked around the tea house with profound anxiety, as if expecting someone to burst in at any moment with a gun.