Mermaid Trap

Lack of sleep left me in a daze. Kian leaned his head against the window as the carriage made its way back to Larsson.

The cool glass helped to soothe his aching forehead, clearing his mind a bit.

While it wasn’t hard to crush someone, it was tiring to reveal his unsteady state.

Countess Spencer was one of the famous busybodies. Today’s scandal would soon heat up the social circles.

Would she be careful after being threatened? Probably, but only for a short while.

I didn’t want to go this far, but really, only you must know this.

That would be the beginning of the spreading. That’s the nature of the social world.

She was a proud woman, so it was no surprise she joined in the petty provocation against the Duke. Since Countess Spencer and Marchioness Stewart were close friends, it was obvious even without seeing it. It was Penelope Stewart’s doing.

Reflecting on what happened to Vivianne, it was almost a rite of passage for noblewomen to accept a man’s mistress.

I respect your territory. But know that I am the true owner of that man.

A graceful warning and a mental victory.

One might question if it was truly dignified behavior.

And to do that to a maid’s illegitimate child. Did they really think he was a noble man just because he wore the guise of Larsson? It was laughable.

Kian decided to ruin Penelope Stewart precisely because of that ridiculous mental victory.

It was the same when Larsson’s former fiancée died and a new one was brought in.

Because she was prettier, more striking. It was the first time he admired someone as a woman. It was different from the previous arranged marriage, which was purely strategic.

He convinced himself that this was true love, so it wasn’t abnormal for the fiancée’s sister to become his fiancée. It was unbearably disgusting.

He admitted that he had used cowardly methods. He chose to be cowardly. Listening to her absurd declarations of love right in front of him. The cruelest way to deal with such a woman was to give her false hope.

Even so, today, there was no need to go this far.

It was true that Kian overreacted to Countess Spencer’s affair today.

As soon as he received Matilda’s report on what happened to Vivianne, he stormed in to create a scene.

Sure, he probably seemed like a madman who lost his mind over a mistress.

But what bothered him was that it wasn’t a premeditated action, but rather an instinctive reaction.

Since keeping the girl he picked up by his side, he had been acting impulsively more often.

Maybe that’s why. He always carried a cigar case out of habit.

He hated the smell sticking to his clothes. It was pathetic.

When that woman snuggled up to him like a puppy, she would smell it.

As his thoughts reached that point, Kian remembered something he had forgotten.

“…Waltz.”

He had completely forgotten.

“Can you practice with me? The waltz teacher is coming tomorrow afternoon.”

“I want to dance with you, Kian, not the teacher.”

Could she have been waiting?

No, he made quite a scene in the office this morning.

She likely skipped her meal and tried to sleep out of a gloomy mood.

He knew he had been somewhat sharp with her. It annoyed him that she insisted on meddling in matters he wanted to handle alone.

What a sight. Wearing such provocative clothes.

Did she think it wasn’t enough even with that sensual body?

He thought someone might have tricked her into it, but he didn’t want to involve Vivianne in this matter.

“Kian, where do you go? What do you do? If you don’t tell me, I keep wondering on my own.”

“…So, won’t you tell me?”

As regrettable as it was, the answer remained the same.

He liked that she kept wondering and waiting sorrowfully.

That was Kian’s answer. He acknowledged that something was definitely broken inside him. He also knew that he was twisted beyond redemption. Beneath the perfect facade of Larsson, there were nothing but unsightly cracks.

As Kian gazed out the window, he suddenly noticed a bustling bakery.

“Why is that place so crowded?”

“It’s famous for its delicious treats,” his aide quietly replied.

Soothing her a bit would be convenient in many ways. Kian smirked and asked another pointless question.

“Do they have sweets too?”

* * *

“…Commander.”

One of the knights whispered to Theodore, who was at the training ground. He pointed towards the plane tree. It was Vivianne. Seeing her standing there alone made Theodore anxious.

It seemed the collective effort to keep things calm was paying off, as the knights no longer made a fuss like before. He sprinted silently to the plane tree. Though it wasn’t noisy, he could sense a few men murmuring behind him.

“Theo.”

Vivianne smiled brightly as she spotted Theodore running towards her.

“Why did you come here again without telling Mother?”

“But Theo, you said you’d listen to anything I said while we walked.”

“Yes, I did.”

“It’s a secret, so Matilda wouldn’t know.”

She was still smiling, but there was a hint of sadness. Another worry, perhaps.

Alright. I promised. I should listen.

Theodore decided not to question her further.

“Where shall we go?”

“Since it’s late, somewhere close.”

“Then how about the glass greenhouse? The gardener should be on break by now.”

“Sounds good, Theo.”

A quiet place was perfect for sharing secrets.

* * *

This was the fourth time Vivianne visited the rose-filled glass greenhouse. The first time, she served tea to Kian and his fiancée, the second time she came with Theo to get roses, and the most recent time, she had lunch and walked with Kian.

It was her first time coming for a pure stroll with Theodore. When she walked with Kian, she struggled to keep up, but with Theodore, matching his pace was much more comfortable.

And without other tasks, she could finally touch the roses she had only smelled before.

“Be careful, Vivi.”

Theodore warned Vivianne as she reached out to touch a rose.

“Why?”

“Roses have thorns, and you might get pricked if you’re not careful.”

“Really? I didn’t know that before.”

Vivianne widened her eyes, realizing this for the first time.

“That’s because James trimmed them last time. Rose bushes usually have many thorns.”

“I see.”

She nodded slowly. They were beautiful but painful to touch.

She recalled the day she wore high heels and got her ankles scratched.

And seeing those shoes reminded her of Kian. Comparing the three pairs, they did seem similar.

“Today you’re wearing low heels?”

“Kian told me to.”

“Does the master even interfere with what shoes you wear?”

It sounded like a joke, but today’s events made her feel down.

“We were supposed to dance the waltz together. He said he didn’t want my feet to get hurt, so I should wear low heels. So I did.”

Vivianne forced a smile. Theodore sensed something was off and remained silent.

“He promised to come. But Kian was very busy, I guess. He didn’t come. So I just danced with the waltz teacher.”

Vivianne fixed her gaze on the rounded toe of her shoe.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell Theodore the embarrassing truth.

“Did it upset you?”

“…Yes. A little.”

She tried to force a smile, hoping it would help her feel better.

“And it was a bit embarrassing. The waltz teacher and the piano teacher. They comforted me, saying he’d be here soon… but he didn’t come.”

“The master broke his promise.”

“Yes. Was he angry? He seemed sharp this morning. I went to his office to ask him something, but I think I disturbed him.”

“He tends to be a bit sensitive while working. He wouldn’t be angry just because of that. Don’t worry too much.”

His comforting words didn’t lift her spirits.

“Or maybe he forgot? I tried to think which would be worse, but I can’t decide. I understand both, but it still upsets me. Understanding and feeling upset seem to be different things.”

She couldn’t bring herself to tell Matilda. She felt like she was the reason Kian was called in and interrogated about Countess Spencer.

“Or maybe… he just doesn’t want to waltz with me.”

Theodore watched the dejected Vivianne quietly.

“If it’s because of the newspaper…”

“…What?”