Everything that happened a few days ago felt like a dream. Charlotte had to pinch the back of her hand several times before she could actually believe it was reality. Cynthia, seeing her daughter so lost in thought, looked at her with a worried expression.
“Are you alright, Charlotte?”
The mother and daughter were having a modest breakfast in the room.
“It’s nothing. The meal was great, thank you.”
Charlotte, who answered half a beat late, quickly set down her utensils and stood up.
“Are you going to see Mr. Frantz today as well?”
“Yes. I’m glad I can be of some help.”
“I see. Is organizing the study not too difficult?”
“Not at all. It’s actually quite fun.”
Cynthia watched her daughter’s back as she sat at an old dressing table, combing her flowing black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall.
Through the cracked mirror, she could see Charlotte’s slightly flushed cheeks and lively eyes, reminiscent of a young lady newly in love. It seemed like ages ago that she had acted as if she would leave this place at any moment. Cynthia guessed that her daughter might have a suitor by now, but she didn’t ask.
“I decided to follow you into town today to buy some books. Do you need anything?”
“Nothing, dear. Have a good trip.”
Charlotte, now ready to leave, turned around and gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Alright, don’t worry about me.”
Charlotte nodded and was about to leave the room when Cynthia called her back.
“Oh, Charlotte.”
“Yes?”
“It’s been a long time since we went to church. I’d like to go this weekend. Could you help me then?”
“Of course.”
Charlotte’s steps were light as she left the room.
***
The lakeside was still serene and peaceful. Wildflowers at the water’s edge boasted a variety of colors.
Charlotte quickly entered a small cabin, which was used to store boats.
“Sir Richard? Ah…!”
As she closed the door and surveyed the dim surroundings, suddenly a hand reached from behind and wrapped around her waist, like a rabbit bristling in front of a predator. The man whispered.
“It’s as if you’ve met a villain.”
“…You scared me.”
Her heart sank. His voice, already deep and hoarse, sounded even huskier in the confined space. The heat rose to her ears as his breath touched them. As Charlotte struggled to get free, blushing fiercely, Richard, finding her feeble resistance amusing, smiled and let her go.
“You’re usually so bold.”
“What are you talking about?”
The man, who had been nothing but a gentleman to the point of being cold until recently, had become bolder as their secret meetings continued. It was as if he was testing how far she could handle. But he had never crossed the line except on the day he confessed.
If the caresses that make her feel embarrassed just thinking about them are considered within the bounds of what’s acceptable for a lover, then…
“I was talking about sneaking in here like a cat burglar.”
“That’s because you came here like—”
Charlotte’s stammering protest was cut short as Richard’s hand gently stroked her nape. In the darkness, his presence was as menacing as a beast baring its teeth.
“Who insisted on keeping this relationship a secret?”
“…”
“And who acts like they’d cut ties and run away at the slightest disagreement?”
“That’s…”
Charlotte’s eyes fell, frozen. His words were true. It was all because of her, sneaking around like a stray cat, struggling not to be discovered by those around them.
Meanwhile, Richard had never cared about others’ opinions from the start. The morning after she had fainted in his arms, he had proposed to her.
“I’ll take social responsibility. You just have to nod.”
His words implied a single intent. Despite feeling overwhelmed and teary-eyed, Charlotte rejected him with a trembling voice and a face about to burst into tears.
“I can’t do that…”
His beast-like frenzy halted at her unexpected refusal.
“It would all fall apart.”
She was known to be overly fearful, worrying about damn social statuses. Even now, knowing what little worries plagued her mind, he felt an urge to throttle those fears.
“To reject a proposal yet continue this affair doesn’t make any sense. I can’t tell if it’s stupidity or wisdom.”
Charlotte shuddered under his chilly rebuke. Richard withdrew his hand from her neck as she looked like she might turn and flee any moment, but instead, he embraced her tightly.
“You said you’d wait. And…”
A nobleman marrying a maid. He seemed able to disregard all the curiosity and scandals, but she couldn’t. Charlotte thought about how this would affect him, how his social circles would shrink, and his reputation would plummet.
It was only after that she considered how ugly she felt about herself. She feared his feelings might change because of her. She knew the contradiction in her fears, but that was how she felt.
“You knew I was foolish from the very beginning, didn’t you?” The tense atmosphere hung between them like a taut string. She was a woman who never backed down on this issue. Unusually, he relented.
“I thought you were a rabbit, but maybe you’re a fox.”
“What?”
A cunning rabbit or a foolish fox.
Suppressing a chuckle, Richard pulled her head close and kissed her forehead briefly. The distance between them hadn’t changed. Facing her puzzled eyes, he lifted her chin with his index finger and kissed her nose, cheek, and lips sequentially.
“If it’s the scandal you fear, we’ll just go somewhere the scandal can’t reach.”
Her head nodded unwittingly, and a breathtaking smile returned. In the darkness, the only beauty he acknowledged was Charlotte. Having gained her acceptance, he reached for the shelf.
“Put this on.”
He handed her a beautifully wrapped satin dress, shoes, gloves, and a hat. It was so beautiful she hesitated to wear it. Charlotte shook her head.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too expensive…”
It was the reaction he had expected. She knew her place too well, so much so that it bound her. Irritated, Richard ran his hand through his hair sharply.
“It’s only a luxury from your perspective.”
“…”
He had purposely called the tailor to choose the simplest design, enduring the prying eyes while personally selecting it, yet her response was just as he had anticipated. His limited patience wore thin. As his violet eyes flickered, Charlotte stepped back.
Richard’s offer to dress her himself came with a slow, deliberate stroll, as if he was observing prey caught in a trap. Charlotte quickly shook her head in alarm, her hiccup betraying her nervousness. Ignoring her desperate refusal, Richard had pushed her against the wall and whispered into her ear.
“You will pay the price for making me serve you like this.”
Chills ran up her spine. His gaze was the same as that day he had pulled her onto the table, intense and overpowering. Kneeling, he lifted one of her legs onto his knee and slid his hand up her skirt.
“Ah!”
She had no time to resist. His fingers, undeterred, climbed up her thigh, unfastening her corset hooks and sliding down to strip off her garter stockings. His posture was as deferential as a servant before a queen, but his touch was bold and unrestrained, like a male in a cave toying with his mate.
“No!”
She tried to resist reflexively, his hands reaching for her fine hair. The soft touch of her fingers through her hair triggered another hiccup.
She covered her mouth with both hands too late to stop the hiccups. Each touch from him felt so intense it seemed to burn. As his hand moved to her other thigh, Charlotte summoned all her strength to shout.
“I’ll wear it!”
“…”
“I’ll dress myself.”
She looked up at him, barely managing to continue.
“So, please…”
Her eyes, welling up with a mix of excitement, curiosity, shame, and fear, were a mess.
“Step outside for a moment.”
Her voice was more of a plea than a request, but it did not sway him.
“It’s too late.”
Like a predator that had cornered its prey to the edge of a cliff, Richard issued his command with a relish.
“Move your hands, Miss Hegel.”
Finally, Charlotte’s hiccups stopped, stifled by the demanding presence of her lover.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“I didn’t say I wanted to come here.”
The hand she held through her glove was hot, but what was hotter were the glancing eyes around them. Despite hiding her face behind a fan, it was only a temporary solution. Seated in a box at the expansive opera house, the audience was naturally drawn to young couples.
“You speak as if I’ve brought you to a prison.”
Richard smoothly responded to Charlotte, who was blushing and had her head bowed. The hand not holding the fan was firmly clasped in his. As Charlotte tried to shake off his grasp, his hold only tightened. Despite their brazen behavior in a public space full of elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies, Richard’s expression remained unruffled.
“…I don’t belong here.”
She should have realized when he dressed her like a noble lady and took her in a carriage. She should have lied about feeling ill due to the unexpectedly long distance they had traveled. But this man would have seen through any excuse.
Entering the grand, ornate opera hall had left Charlotte trembling as if she were a plucked bird, vulnerable and exposed. When the manager approached to greet them, the curiosity in his eyes was evident, yet Richard did not ease her discomfort by clarifying who she was.
“There are many eyes on us; please let go of my hand.”
After repeated pleas, Richard finally relented. He removed his grip and gently traced his fingertips over the back of his timid lover’s hand, then quietly raised his hand. Soon, an attendant waiting behind the curtains approached them. After whispering something to the attendant, Richard turned back to Charlotte.
“I’m not sure by what standards such things are judged, but since I’ve brought you here, you should carry yourself with confidence.”
“There’s no need to invite unnecessary trouble, is there?”
“Miss Hegel.”
The polite use of her surname was a gentle warning. Knowing better than anyone what could happen if she pushed his patience too far, Charlotte quickly shut her mouth.
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