Chapter 11

Helen Godwin finished organizing the teaching materials with the sound of the bell marking the end of the lesson.  

“It’s almost time for horseback riding. Shouldn’t you get ready?”  

Normally, the riding instructor would come twice a week, but recently, due to unforeseen circumstances, the lessons had been handed over to Raymond.  

“I don’t want to go.”  

“Henry?”  

Helen was surprised. She had expected Henry to jump up with excitement, but instead, he shook his head.  

“What’s this? You’re saying you don’t want to ride?”  

“Well, today is the day Diana is coming, and she said she wants to observe the lesson.”  

Diana was his brother’s fiancée. Helen was momentarily at a loss for words, and Henry continued to grumble.  

“Diana pretends to be interested in horses, but I know the truth. She’s just doing it to get some attention from my brother.”  

“Henry, you shouldn’t say such things.”  

“But I really don’t like it. I’d rather—”  

“Rather?”  

“I wish you were my future sister-in-law instead, Miss Helen.”  

Helen was again left speechless by his unfiltered honesty. Henry’s eyes sparkled as he began to plead.  

“Now that I think about it, whenever I talk about you, my brother listens with great interest. Can’t you two just get married already? Please?”  

“…Stop talking nonsense and get up now.”  

Helen firmly dismissed the absurd suggestion. After sending off Henry, who looked sullen, she was left alone to organize the teaching materials. Suddenly, laughter came from outside the window. Her gaze naturally turned in that direction.  

“It’s that person I saw last time.”  

Unconsciously, Helen murmured to herself. In the garden, the radiant woman she had seen before was laughing. She had a graceful figure and charming eyes that smiled playfully. Dressed like a shy flower in a pink dress that perfectly complemented her fair skin, she was a striking young lady.  

And beside her was Raymond. Helen couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the atmosphere seemed cheerful. As Helen absentmindedly stared at the two from above, Raymond suddenly looked up.  

Her heart sank. Just before their eyes could meet, Helen quickly drew the curtains. Her pulse pounded loudly in her ears. In the darkness, her gaze fell on her hands. Hands that were nothing like those of the delicate young ladies she had seen.  

These were hands that had done housework, milked goats, held pens, and nursed the sick. They were large, rough, and lacked any semblance of beauty. These were things she hadn’t paid attention to before.  

Clenching her hands into fists, Helen closed her eyes and thought of her late mother, who had passed away when she was young.  

—Helen, I’ll teach you a spell.  

—A spell?  

—Yes. Whenever you face something difficult, repeat it to yourself.  

‘I’m proud of myself.’  

“I’m proud of myself.”  

‘I’ve always done my best and moved forward without looking back.’  

“I’ve always done my best and moved forward without looking back.”  

As always, the spell worked. Repeating it to herself gradually lifted her spirits. Blocking out the laughter outside, Helen began organizing her thoughts about what needed to be done today.  

She would prepare for the next lesson and reply to Simon’s letter. Tomorrow was payday, so it wouldn’t hurt to think about what she wanted to buy. She also needed to decide on a birthday present for Henry.  

* * *  

From afar, Henry waved his hand while riding a horse.  

“Brother! Let’s race!”  

“Alright. Go ahead to the hill first!”  

Raymond shouted back, and Henry nodded before galloping off to the hill with a loud cheer. Watching from her saddle, Diana looked down at her fiancé, who stood beside her. He had helped her onto the saddle and was now holding the reins like a knight.  

“If we’re going to race, won’t we need another horse?”  

“We can ask the stable hand to bring another one.”  

“Isn’t that too much trouble? Why don’t we just…”  

“I wouldn’t dare commit such impropriety.”  

Cutting her off before she could suggest riding behind him, Raymond smiled faintly. The light scent of perfume. The unpleasant warmth of another’s body. Women always brought an uneasy sensation, except when he was physically intimate with them.  

“Raymond.”  

“More importantly…”  

“….”  

“I don’t let anyone ride my horse.”  

Of course, there was one exception—Helen Godwin. She didn’t carry any scent. Even when he held her in his arms, there was no unpleasantness. Occasionally, she smelled faintly of grass, but it wasn’t offensive. Strangely enough.  

“I see.”  

Diana blushed. Glancing at her briefly, Raymond fell silent. This was supposed to be his time with Henry. They had already spent an hour talking in the garden earlier, yet she had insisted on tagging along, making things bothersome.  

“I…”  

Naturally, it was Diana who broke the heavy silence.  

“Am I so unattractive?”  

“Diana.”  

“I know you’re not thrilled about this engagement, Raymond.”  

Diana’s face was on the verge of tears. Raymond inwardly clicked his tongue.  

“Still, I’ll try my best to win your heart.”  

Her voice was pitifully earnest. She was a delicate woman, the kind most men would want to comfort and embrace immediately. Yet, even as he looked at this tearful beauty, his heart remained unmoved.  

“I seem to have caused a misunderstanding.”  

Still holding the reins, Raymond looked up and smiled.  

“There’s no need for you to try.”  

Both you and I are just puppets of our parents.  

“I like you just the way you are, Diana.”  

This marriage wouldn’t happen anyway, so there was no point in trying.  

Someone like her could easily find a better match. Of course, breaking off an engagement wasn’t exactly honorable for a woman, but if the reason lay entirely with the other party, it wouldn’t be much of a blemish.  

“I…”  

Diana’s mood brightened again as she began to speak. Raymond, however, had already shifted his gaze toward Henry.  

“Brother! Hurry up!”  

Behind him, the stable hand, quick-witted as ever, appeared with another horse. After excusing himself to Diana, Raymond lightly stepped onto the stirrup and mounted the saddle. The horse neighed and reared up before galloping toward the hill.  

The wind brushing against his cheeks felt pleasant as it caressed his forehead and neck. Everything was proceeding according to plan. The engagement was set for a month later, and capturing Helen Godwin before then wouldn’t be a problem.  

But.  

—Gerald, what’s this letter?  

—Ah, it’s a letter addressed to Miss Godwin. It seems it got mixed in.  

—To Miss Godwin…? The sender’s name sounds like a man’s.  

It all began with a letter on the silver tray in the hall. When Raymond picked it up by chance, the response he received irritated him. She was an only child. She had no brothers, and as far as he knew, no lover either.  

—Simon…  

—Sir?  

—Have someone discreetly investigate this.  

—What?  

—She’ll be teaching Henry for the next year. It’s better to ensure there’s nothing questionable about her.  

—Ah…  

The requirements for a tutor were simple: a virtuous woman before marriage, modest, educated, and, most importantly, from a devout family. If she had an inappropriate relationship with a man, she wouldn’t be morally qualified to teach a child.  

Understanding his meaning, Gerald nodded.  

—It could be that he’s just a pure friend who needed help and wrote her a letter.  

Raymond tapped the corner of the letter as if it were something distasteful.  

—We might be able to help her, then.  

Everything was just starting to fall into place. Any foreign element that could disrupt it wouldn’t be tolerated. That was all there was to it.  

A clear voice broke his train of thought.  

“Brother?”  

“Oh, sorry, Henry.”  

“What were you thinking about? You looked so scary.”  

“Nothing. Just…”  

Raymond quickly adjusted his expression and smiled playfully.  

“Just?”  

“I’m hungry.”  

“What? That’s all?”  

“I’m not lying. I’m so hungry I could eat you, my little monster.”  

“Idiot!”  

Henry burst into laughter. Raymond narrowed his eyes teasingly.  

“If you don’t run fast, I might just swallow you whole.”  

“Think I’ll stay still for that?”  

Laughing brightly, Henry tightened his grip on the reins.  

“Catch me if you can!”  

The boy’s cheerful voice echoed through the cold winter air. It wasn’t long before Raymond followed after him.  

There was no need to rush.  

The promised day was next week. Capturing a tutor inexperienced in matters of love wouldn’t be difficult.  

* * *  

Sarah Winkle was the most popular singer at Janus Pub.  

Her flowing black hair, alluring olive-green eyes, and sensual figure, combined with her sultry voice, made her a star. Though the pub was somewhat obscure, business had steadily improved since she started performing there.  

With rising sales, the owner, Jenin, replaced the previous singer, Scarlett, with Sarah as the pub’s main attraction. She even provided Sarah with a private dressing room.  

“Sarah! You were perfect again today.”  

“Thanks, Jenin. What about those flowers?”  

“Some man asked me to give them to you.”  

“Hmm.”  

Sitting at the dressing table, Sarah reached out and took the bouquet. She pulled out the card and opened it with a look of anticipation.  

“…Not him.”  

“What?”  

“Nothing.”  

The sparkle in her eyes quickly faded. Setting the card down, Sarah resumed fixing her makeup.  

“Put it over there. Or give it to Scarlett.”  

“Why? Don’t you want to keep it? It’s so bright and pretty.”  

“No, thanks.”  

Snapping irritably, Sarah turned her attention back to the mirror. That’s when she noticed an uninvited guest in the reflection.  

“You’re so considerate, I don’t know what to do with myself.”  

“Scarlett.”  

“It’s fine, Jenin. Leave us.”