Translator: Nox

Chapter 17

“Tell Grandmother that I will return when it is time, so she should keep her protests within reason.”

• …Have you finally met a lady you actually wish to marry?

“Is that the rumor? That I’ve run off on a romantic elopement?”

Theodore gave a short laugh and adjusted the receiver. Beneath the brim of his low-slung straw hat, his lips curled into a handsome arc. Women browsing the stalls nearby whispered among themselves and glanced back at him.

In truth, it wasn’t just them; every eye in the general store was focused on him, however discreetly they tried to act. It seemed his effort to blend in by borrowing shabby clothes had been in vain.

• According to the rumors, yes. That is the case.

The voice coming through the receiver was exceedingly polite and smooth. It possessed a refined dignity, yet carried the heavy weight of the intangible illusions of class—exactly the kind of presence he had grown weary of in high society.

Perhaps that was why he found everything about the South satisfying so far. The slight lack of gravity, the way people’s lives collided with such vivid reality, and even the shallow, simple curiosity directed at a stranger. These were all the polar opposites of the capital’s social circles.

• If it is merely a misunderstanding, would you like me to issue a correction? I can contact the newspapers immediately.

“No, don’t bother. Why go through the trouble for a rumor that will vanish on its own if left alone?”

• …Should I perhaps prepare for a wedding within the year?

“Forget that as well.”

At the sound of his low chuckle, the eyes in the general store drifted toward him and then scattered once more. He was about to relay a few more instructions and wrap up the call when his aimless gaze out the window landed on a woman. Vanessa—it was her.

Vanessa was sitting by the fountain in the square. With her knees pulled up and her elbows resting on them, she looked as young and fresh as any girl her age. Her golden hair, waving down to her waist, caught the summer sunlight and shimmered with a soft glow.

Her curious grey eyes were still full of life, but her cheeks and shoulders looked noticeably thinner. It seemed the rumors of her being bedridden for several days hadn’t been entirely false. Theodore exhaled slowly.

• Master?

The voice on the other end prompted him again. Only then did Theodore remember he was in the middle of a call. He brushed his mouth with his free hand.

“One moment.”

As if their appointed time had arrived, Vanessa checked her pocket watch and sprang to her feet. She held a briefcase tightly in her hand. A white ribbon, stained with the green of grass, was tied in the hair of the woman as she walked away with determined strides.

The way she glanced around every now and then reminded him of a cat guarding its territory. It was quite amusing and cute that she didn’t even imagine someone might be watching her from afar. Vanessa’s pace gradually slowed until she stopped in front of a certain building. After cautiously checking left and right, she slipped into the dark interior.

Theodore narrowed his eyes, examining the building that had swallowed her. It was old, dilapidated, and dingy. The ancient structure, which looked as though it had been built in the previous century, didn’t even have a sign. It looked like a breeding ground for dangerous and illegal activities.

• Has a problem arisen?

Well. Could it really be called a problem? It was just Lady Vanessa. A woman who, on the surface, wore a face so clear it seemed she knew nothing of the world’s filth, yet frequented such a suspicious building in secret. She had even seemingly disposed of the servant who usually accompanied her.

“…….”

Whatever Vanessa was hiding was none of his business. They weren’t proper lovers, nor were they in a relationship where they shared secrets without reservation. In the first place, Vanessa didn’t even know his true identity.

So, even if Lady Vanessa were so desperate that she was buying a man…. Theodore let out a hollow laugh.

“I didn’t think I needed anything. But it seems I just found something.”

A subtle edge entered his relaxed voice. Sensing the change in mood, the butler fell silent for a moment in bewilderment. Soon, the answer came without delay.

• Please tell me whatever I can do to help.

“Look into Vanessa Siren Somerset.”

• Somerset. Do you mean the young lady of the Earl’s house?

It was such an uncharacteristically impulsive command that Norman had to ask again. Nevertheless, Theodore gave a cool affirmation.

“Her debts, her reputation at school, who she usually associates with—that sort of thing.”

He had reached the point where he was truly curious about what kind of environment could make someone so recklessly desperate.

---

“Well then, I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. Have a safe trip back.”

Vanessa walked down the stairs, sent off by the man’s energetic farewell. Her steps, which had been composed at first, grew faster and faster once she left the building. Even though she was out of breath and her cheeks were flushed, it wasn’t easy to shake off the chill of that old building.

It was a space that never felt quite comfortable no matter how many times she visited. The dark interior, the crumbling hallways, and the subtle unpleasantness of the cold, damp air. And.

“How should I put it… it’s a bit dull.”

As her editor’s voice echoed in her mind again, Vanessa slowly slowed her pace.

“So, will a lover appear to help our Miss Welsh in the future?”

“A lover? But the main focus of this novel is finding the murderer… is such a thing really necessary?”

“Lady Lawrence.”

It had sounded quite like a sigh. When she flinched at the pen name she still couldn’t get used to, the editor’s gaze had fallen on her sharply. For a moment, she had been struck by a sudden anxiety, wondering if she had looked unnatural.

After tapping the table and sinking into thought for a while, the editor had spoken again.

“Unlike other detectives, isn’t our Miss Welsh a young woman?”

“Well, yes, but….”

“I think the happy ending readers want is for her to find true love while solving the case and end up getting married.”

“But… there isn’t even a suitable character.”

“How about this Navy Officer? He’s handsome, unmarried, and wealthy, so he seems perfect.”

“Vanessa, over here!”

Startled by the sudden voice, Vanessa snapped out of her thoughts. Before she knew it, Rosalyn and Blair were waving at her from across the street. Vanessa swallowed a sigh and forced a bright smile onto her face. she couldn’t let her own mood ruin the precious time with her friends.

Even today’s outing would have been difficult to get permission for if it hadn’t been for her two friends. Lately, it felt like the surveillance had grown much stricter. It might just be her imagination, but… in the past, she had been relatively free to roam as long as she was accompanied by a servant. Now, eyes followed her wherever she went. The only time she felt somewhat free was when she stayed within Gloucester Castle.

“Let’s go inside.”

Clustered together, they swarmed into the Winchester twins’ favorite coffee house. While Blair ordered two large lemon sorbets and a coffee, Rosalyn couldn’t contain herself and blurted out a question.

“How was it? Did they say they’d contract this novel too?”

“Yes. And from this contract onward, I’ve been given a fixed spot at the bottom of the advertisement page. Before, it was only included when there was extra space.”

“Oh my goodness! That’s wonderful, Vanessa!”

Rosalyn laughed brightly and opened her arms toward Vanessa. Vanessa gave Rosalyn a light hug before letting go and smiling back. Blair, who had been watching with the same indifference as if she were watching an uninteresting play, rested her chin on her hand and asked.

“It’s good to try your hand at economic activity, but don’t do it to the point of exhaustion. Once you get married, your husband’s wealth will be yours anyway.”

At Blair’s words, the bright smile on Vanessa’s lips faded. As the atmosphere turned icy in an instant, Rosalyn cleared her throat and gave Blair’s shin a hard kick under the table. Blair, who would usually have made a fuss and pretended to be in pain, continued with a serious expression.

“It’s true. Once you’re married, the pension will start coming in soon.”

“To be honest, I’ve been looking for a way to avoid getting married altogether.”

At her blunt confession, Rosalyn and Blair’s mouths fell open in unison. It was as if what she had said was some great challenge to the world.

“Even if running away is realistically difficult, I’m planning to propose independence to my uncle by offering to cover my own living expenses. To do that, I need even more money than I have now.”

Surprisingly, Blair seemed a bit flustered by those words—entirely forgetting who it was that had been sitting leisurely with her, helping her plan ways to ruin the wedding.

“Wait, Vanessa. You’re really not going to get married?”

“That’s right.”

“Lord Roden might be a disgusting old man, but how is a woman supposed to live alone without marrying? No, aside from all that, your uncle won’t just stand by and let it happen in the first place….”

“If I look for a way, I’m sure I’ll find one.”

Rosalyn, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between the two, cut in with a raised eyebrow.

“Vanessa. You don’t mean that method you mentioned last time, do you?”

“…….”

“Are you truly insane?”

“Last time? What did you two talk about?”

“It’s something.”

Rosalyn brushed off Blair’s curiosity somewhat sharply. She grabbed both of Vanessa’s hands and examined her with eyes that were narrowed sensitively.

“You haven’t started yet, have you? No, even if you have, it’s fine. You just have to stop right now.”

“Rosalyn.”

“Just give him one child and live separately. The honeymoon might be terrible, but after that, you can just live your life with a couple of lovers.”

“…….”

“Everyone lives like that, Vanessa. You know what kind of married life my cousin has.”

Vanessa slowly pulled her hands from Rosalyn’s tight grip. It would have been better if he were a much older man—a man who wanted nothing from his wife but an heir.

Lord Roden was a man barely over fifty, and it was no exaggeration to say his vigorous and filthy sexual life was the most famous in Ingram. If it had been a mere rumor, it wouldn’t have been this horrific.

Vanessa barely managed to swallow the unpleasant emotion rising in her throat. It was always like this when she recalled her first meeting with her fiancé. When she thought about how he looked at her, listened to her, and touched her…. Vanessa had been out of her mind ever since.

‘To the point where I begged a man I just met to take my virginity.’

Of course, it hadn’t all been just an impulse. River Ross was a man who would remain a good memory even if everything fell apart. The kind of man who would satisfy every fantasy of anyone’s first time….

“Vanessa Siren Somerset. Are you really trying to become like Lady Rowen?”

Vanessa swallowed a groan. It seemed it wouldn’t be easy to just brush this off. Since she had already spoken the words herself, it was difficult to deny it completely….

Just as she was hesitating, not knowing what to say, Blair grabbed both of their shoulders and pressed them down toward the table. It was the moment they unexpectedly leaned forward. He brought a finger to his lips.

“Shh. Look over there.”