Chapter 6

Wait? For whom?

Frozen like a statue, the sound of buttons being undone behind her continued. No. From her fingertips, she began to stiffen gradually. The fingers that had undone a couple of buttons brushed against her pale, soft skin. 

Every spot touched felt as if it had been burned. Even the damp breath. Helen, who was frozen as if caught in a spider’s web, barely managed to move her lips.

“St-stop….”

“Ah, is this a game?”

How amusing. 

His soft whisper carried a playful tone. Thinking her frozen state was due to nervousness, Raymond gently kissed her exposed nape to soothe her.

“…Ugh.”

It was a touch so soft and secretive that it was hard to believe it belonged to a man. His hand slowly moved lower. In the darkness where her sight was blocked, only the raw sensation remained. 

Long, elegant hands. Warm, soft lips. Golden hair brushing against her skin. She knew she had to resist, but she couldn’t move. It felt like being swallowed whole by a wolf with its mouth wide open. Her mind was growing hazy.

It was then.

“Tanya.”

The name of the maid. It felt like being struck by lightning out of nowhere. The blood that had been boiling all over her body instantly ran cold. Just before his lips, which had been trailing down her spine, could go any further, Helen kicked him away as if a horse had reared up.

Thud.

“Ugh!”

There was a sound of a body hitting the floor, startled by the sudden attack to the shin. Helen quickly grabbed a candle and lit it with a match she had brought just in case. The face revealed in the light was filled with shock.

“Helen?”

It felt like waking up from a daze. Her face, hurriedly fixing her disheveled clothes, glistened with tears. It was only then that Raymond, realizing his mistake, reached out to fix things. Helen, brushing away his hand, wiped her tears with the back of her hand as they spilled over.

“Don’t you dare touch me.”

“I’m sorry. I….”

“I’m warning you—don’t say a word.”

Helen, her voice sharp as if spitting out the words, shakily buttoned up her undone dress with one trembling hand. The buttons at the back were hard to reach. Watching her struggle, Raymond quietly picked up the shawl that had fallen to the floor.

“Let me fasten it for you.”

“….”

“You can hit me again if you want, but at least let me do this.”

His voice was gentle and gentlemanly, as if he hadn’t just done something so shameless. Cold tears dripped from her chin. When Helen nodded weakly, he approached and fastened the buttons with care, making sure not to touch her more than necessary. His quick hands soon finished fastening the last button, and he immediately stepped back a pace. Like dealing with a hissing kitten, he cautiously apologized again.

“I wasn’t in my right mind earlier.”

“….”

“I was like a rabid dog about to bite someone. I’m truly sorry, Helen.”

The predator that had pounced on her as if to devour her whole had now transformed into a large dog with its ears drooping. Comparing himself to a rabid dog, Raymond lowered his gaze. For some reason, the image of her student Henry overlapped with his, and Helen felt her anger deflate. He was the kind of man who, even after doing something outrageous, could quickly lower the other person’s guard.

Helen, finishing tidying up her clothes, spoke firmly.

“It’s fine. It’s not something I can’t understand.”

“Helen….”

“A rabid dog can bite anyone when it’s drunk.”

The fact that he was the Earl’s eldest son and her employer’s son didn’t even cross her mind. Several empty wine bottles were visible nearby. Simon, when drunk, usually didn’t remember anything the next day. Judging by his composed face but reckless actions, Raymond Somerset must also be drunk. Thinking he wouldn’t remember, she became bolder.

“But you’ll need a muzzle.”

“….”

After being subjected to such an act, this much was understandable. Raymond, listening blankly to Helen’s words, let out a soft laugh.

“You’ve got me there.”

“To be precise, I hit you twice.”

“Enough. The dog has surrendered. I give up.”

“Should I put a leash on you too?”

“Please do.”

His faintly smiling face looked as pure and transparent as a boy’s. He didn’t seem like the same man who had just moments ago pounced on her like a beast. The way he clasped his neck with both hands, as if wearing an invisible leash, was strangely suggestive. Especially from her position of looking down at him. Raymond pulled on her sleeve as if teasing her and guided her hand to his cheek.

“Maybe then I’ll be tamed.”

His provocative gaze looked up at her. His skin was cold and smooth, a stark contrast to her flushed body. The cold air of the underground felt strangely warm.

“That’s enough. A drunk dog that bites people is useless anyway.”

“Haha. You’re amusing today, Helen.”

“Just leave. I’ll pretend nothing happened today.”

It felt ridiculous to keep scolding a drunk person. Staying any longer would drive her crazy. Why did it feel so hot in here? Helen turned her back sharply. At some point, Raymond had followed and taken the candlestick from her.

“I’ll walk you back.”

“I don’t need it.”

“What if you run into a ghost?”

“I’ve already encountered something worse, so I’ll be fine.”

“Then at least take this.”

What he handed her was a small package of cheese and bread.

“I brought it to eat with wine, but I’m full now.”

“….”

It was exactly what she had been looking for. The open door to the underground storage now made sense. Staring blankly at the snack, she saw Raymond raise a finger to his lips playfully.

“Just keep today a secret, okay? I’d hate to be accused of stealing wine.”

“You are a thief.”

“I told you, I’m a dog. A hungry dog.”

Playfully raising both hands like a dog with its paws up, he walked past her and toward the kitchen door. As he grabbed the doorknob, Helen impulsively opened her mouth.

“The woman you were with earlier today—”

“….”

“Isn’t she supposed to be your fiancée?”

A slight pause followed. Opening the door, he turned his head and asked back.

“So what?”

Even in the darkness, his elegant features were clearly visible. It was the same face she had seen under the tree before. A face devoid of any trace of emotion. Unable to hold his gaze, Helen averted her eyes.

The door closed quietly.

* * *

Earlier that day.

What would happen if I flipped this table over right now?

Raymond Campbell Somerset thought as he watched the woman sitting across from him chatter nonstop. The tea had cooled, so she wouldn’t get burned. At most, she’d cry in shock.

As a result, this engagement would be ruined. Everything would fall apart.

“…And so, my father bought me this dress that day. It’s the one I’m wearing now. Does it look alright?”

“It suits you well. It’s the color of violets.”

His hands itched to move, but outwardly, he maintained a charming smile. As long as the exterior remained intact, it didn’t matter if the inside rotted away.

She was a woman who claimed to have fallen for him at first sight at some ball he didn’t even remember and had been pursuing him for a year. Despite the rumors that followed her, her persistence had paid off.

As a result, they were now on the verge of an engagement.

“I spent so much time choosing this. The design is slightly different from the one I’ll wear for the engagement ceremony.”

“Is that so?”

Everything was part of the Earl of Somerset’s calculations. Though she came from a slightly lower-ranking Baron’s family, her father was a renowned wealthy man, so her background was solid. Her looks weren’t bad either.

She was considered a beauty in social circles. Petite, with a curvy figure and an innocent face. The quintessential noble lady.

As his bored gaze wandered over her shoulder, the woman, noticing his distraction, nervously changed the subject.

“Do you like the sea?”

“I enjoy swimming.”

“That’s perfect.”

Her bright smile was followed by an absurd statement.

“If we get married, my father said he’d give us an island as part of my dowry.”

An island?

He barely suppressed the laughter that threatened to escape.

Even if they got engaged, there was no guarantee they’d make it to marriage. Aristocratic arranged marriages were often broken off depending on mutual needs. So much for being innocent—she seemed quite naive about worldly matters.

“That sounds great. An island is more than I deserve.”

“Don’t say that. It’s not too much at all.”

An entire island for one body. She was selling herself at a high price. Oblivious to his sarcasm, the woman shyly turned her head to look at the garden.

“It’d be nice to spend about a month there right after the wedding. After that, maybe a week every year….”

Her thoughts seemed to be blooming in a garden, if not already in heaven. Too lazy to respond, his gaze wandered and met a face looking down from the second floor of the main building. Brown eyes. Reddish-brown hair with a hint of red. A woman who didn’t stand out in any way.

Helen Godwin.

The tutor of his younger brother, Henry, who had been avoiding him ever since the day by the lake. Like avoiding the plague, she would disappear whenever he tried to greet her. Her behavior had begun to irritate him.

When their eyes met, there was a subtle flicker of emotion. A reaction he was all too familiar with. Casually shifting his gaze, he noticed Henry waving enthusiastically. When their eyes met, Henry mouthed the words.

‘Brother, what are you doing?’

‘Entertaining. It’s boring me to death.’

Feigning a yawn, Raymond saw Henry stifle laughter. The woman seated across from him followed his gaze to the second floor. Realizing her mistake, she leaned in and whispered.

“Ray. Who is that woman?”

“My younger brother Henry’s tutor. She’s been here for about two weeks now.”

“How dare a servant look down on us like that. How rude.”

Raymond remained silent. The woman, oblivious to the peculiar silence, continued.

“Henry must feel awful too. Studying with such a dull woman. If it’s alright, I can introduce someone I know.”