Garden of May - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
‘A woman desires a man, and the man gladly accepts…’
Such things were only acceptable in normal relationships. Of course, Vanessa had no idea what was generally permissible between ‘lovers.’ Growing up, the only man close to her had been Blair, and unlike Blair, even a glance from River Ross sometimes made her nervous.
“Sugar or liquor?”
“Just milk, please.”
“I don’t have any milk.”
“Then just tea is fine.”
He retrieved the necessary items from the cupboard. Inside the bare cupboard, there was nothing but a couple of bottles of strong liquor and a tin of tea leaves. As if he kept only the bare minimum, ready to leave at any moment.
The army bag in the corner of the cottage appeared untouched since the day he arrived. Ready for him to depart immediately, should the need arise.
Watching his back, her chin still resting on her hand, Vanessa impulsively spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about what to do next.”
“What kind of thinking?”
“About my plan to ruin my reputation. Since you said you’re… incapable of having children.”
“The South is rather conservative, isn’t it? Even a rumor of you being alone in the garden with a man at night would be devastating.”
“That wouldn’t make it into the newspapers.”
“You want it in the newspapers?”
“Rumors can be quelled. People’s memories fade. But if something is recorded, it becomes an eternal truth. And I wouldn’t deny it.”
He turned from where he was adding tea leaves to the kettle and looked at Vanessa’s pensive face. Lost in thought, she didn’t notice his gaze as she continued slowly.
“What if I… experienced morning sickness during the wedding ceremony? There would be reporters there.”
“They’d call for a doctor.”
“Couldn’t I bribe him somehow?”
“Would you even be able to contact one beforehand? You said you’d be secluded.”
“What if I had a seizure? Something to make me seem unstable, mentally or physically.”
“A performance you can’t maintain is better left unstaged.”
“What about pretending to be infatuated with any man who comes along?”
“Aren’t you doing that already?”
Click. With a chuckle, River Ross placed the teacup on the table, without even a saucer. “Uncertain plans will only ruin your life, Vanessa.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the teacup before her. One thing was certain: he had ruined the tea. If it could even be called tea. The dark, brownish-black liquid looked bitter.
‘No amount of sugar could fix that…’
She subtly pushed the cup away and looked at him.
“Anyway, I just came to see you today. To tell you I’ve recovered.”
“You sound like a merchant trying to prove their trustworthiness to a client.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. Our relationship isn’t exactly superior to that.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“After I eat the sandwiches.”
Checking her wristwatch, Vanessa took out her manuscript, fountain pen, and ink bottle from her bag. She still had some work to do on the manuscript due tomorrow.
She waved a hand dismissively at River Ross, who was looking at her with a bewildered expression.
“Don’t mind me. Do what you need to. I just need to finish this up.”
He watched her meticulously arrange her manuscript pages, the corners of his lips curving upwards.
“A novel?”
“Ah… yes. I mentioned I had some disposable income last time.” She answered casually, but it felt a little contrived.
Vanessa looked at him with slightly embarrassed eyes. “Do you also think such labor is unnecessary for someone like me?”
“Well…” He picked up her fountain pen from the table. “I think it’s preferable to doing nothing. The days of inherited land generating income are over.”
“You believe in the value of labor?”
“I believe in the value of money. It solves a lot of problems.”
“So that’s why you joined the Naval Academy. The highest position a commoner can achieve.”
“Something like that.”
He handed her back the fountain pen with a nod, as if telling her to ignore him and continue. Vanessa hesitantly took the pen.
It truly was a pressing deadline, and she needed to finish now to be able to send it via messenger in the morning. At first, she had been anxious about ruining her purity as quickly as possible, but spending time like this with a man as eye-catching as River Ross, it seemed scandals would arise on their own.
‘If I linger here a bit longer and return to the castle around the time the servants return, I could secure a few witnesses.’
“Vanessa.”
She had momentarily forgotten about River Ross, completely absorbed in her writing. She’d just finished the last full stop. At the sound of her name, she looked up just as River Ross grasped her chin. He leaned down and gently kissed her, his lips softly enveloping hers.
