Garden of May - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
The man, who had seemed ready to bolt at any moment, was now meekly held within her grasp. Vanessa seized the opportunity, pouring out a stream of increasingly desperate pleas. “Any scandal won’t break until after you’re gone. I won’t ruin your holiday, or even inconvenience you. I’ll ensure your safety, no matter the cost.”
“….”
“There won’t be any obstacles… or anything that could harm your future. All eyes will be on me, so your name won’t be directly mentioned. Even if it is, as long as I keep my mouth shut, no one will know….”
Much of what Vanessa said was naive, even delusional. Yet, she seemed to genuinely believe it could happen. Stripped of her flimsy promises, her message boiled down to one thing: she didn’t want her life chained to a marriage. She wanted a scandal, a way to dramatically devalue herself in society’s eyes, to become a forgotten, unwanted doll. She insisted this was the only way she could protect herself.
Theodore, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked, as if just remembering, “What about the child you need? Is it because of the annuity?”
“I can’t say that’s not a reason, but it’s also the surest way to ruin my reputation. Simply sleeping with someone won’t prove my ruined virtue.”
“Why not just marry someone suitable? Or find a man willing to elope? It doesn’t seem like it would be difficult for you.”
“I don’t want to get married.”
“You need a child, but you don’t want to marry?”
“Marriage is just being bound to one person and periodically performing that act. Unless I truly love someone, why would I need such an arrangement?”
Theodore chuckled. She was strangely stubborn, audacious in her thoughts, yet simultaneously practical. Perhaps this was why Lady Vanessa hadn’t bothered him from the start.
She wasn’t one of those women who prattled on about marriage being the sole dream and ultimate destination in life.
Vanessa still clung desperately to his hand. Feeling the slight tremor, the memory of their satisfying kiss from a few days prior flashed through his mind.
Her small tongue, soft and yielding, her red lips, uncontrollably swallowing her moans, the feeling of summer melting away. A sudden, burning impulse rose within him.
Theodore licked his lips, a predatory grin spreading across his face. ‘This is ridiculous. I’m not some lovesick teenager.’
“What if, Vanessa,” Theodore said, lifting her chin with his long fingers. Her clear grey eyes, fixed on him, trembled like a pinned butterfly. “What if, no matter what we do, you don’t conceive?”
“Then… then I’ll have to find another way….”
Her mouth was so small he wondered if it could even fit his c*ck. It would be quite a sight, though, to see her stripped of her prim attire, just taking him in her mouth.
Lady Vanessa’s face was undeniably exquisite. He’d have to see her bre*st to be sure, but her slender, elegant figure was perfectly his type. Even her slightly unhinged mind was tolerable; she was a more than satisfactory woman.
He had the power to rescue Vanessa from this messy predicament right now. With enough money, he could erase this troublesome woman from his life forever and silence the Count, at least for a while.
So, this relationship hinged entirely on his choice. A choice born from a theatrical whim, his decision to live as a commoner, not a Duke, for the summer. And Lady Vanessa, unfortunately, was a casualty of his playacting.
‘What to do?’
He had three options: take her as a commoner, save her as a Duke, or ignore her proposal and end his perfect summer holiday.
The answer was clear and simple. He still wanted to enjoy his southern escapade, and Lady Vanessa was the first woman captivating enough to hold his interest. There was no reason to refuse a woman willing to spread her legs for him, even without his title. He smiled languidly, handing the power back to her.
“I don’t need a child. I’m incapable of having one.”
“R-really? Biologically? Or….”
“We can explore your curiosity later. But if you’re still willing, we could enjoy each other for a while. It might even tarnish your reputation a bit.”
Vanessa hesitated for a moment before nodding, a blush warming her pale face. It was clear she considered it a win, as long as her virtue was compromised. He found even her transparent motives somewhat endearing now.
“Yes. Alright.”
“River Ross. I have one condition. For as long as we’re ‘enjoying’ each other, we’ll be exclusive.” She clutched her skirt, her grey eyes shimmering in the sunlight. “I want you to take this seriously. Not as a fling, something easily discarded, but as if we’re truly lovers. This is a transaction between equals.”
Theodore’s lips curled at her carefully added words. “That’s already proving difficult.”
“At least for the summer. We’ll part ways cleanly after that.”
