Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 30.2

Sitting in the library, the place where he felt most secure, he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. As his rapidly elevated pulse slowly returned to its normal rhythm, Hugo brought warm tea. He offered a rich, fragrant tea. Aeroc’s hand, taking the teacup, no longer trembled.
“Are you alright?”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
“I’ve had several strong footmen patrol inside and outside the mansion.”
It was quite a shocking incident. Not entirely unexpected, though. That’s why he had diligently trained his body, practicing swordsmanship and shooting, wasn’t it? It was just so sudden, and he hadn’t expected an attack within the safety of his own mansion, which was why he hadn’t reacted quickly enough. When the hot tea in his mouth reached a comfortable temperature, Aeroc slowly swallowed it. The fragrant tea flowed down his esophagus. And with it, the last lingering effects of the scoundrel melted away.
“There was also that time a baron, completely intoxicated, lunged at you at Duchess Clayton’s party.”
Aeroc recalled an old incident. It was a man of very shallow temperament, utterly lacking in charm, whom Aeroc had never even glanced at. That man, secretly admiring him to the point of being half-crazed, had attacked Aeroc. He was drunk, and since it happened at Duchess Clayton’s mansion, it was quietly handled out of consideration for her reputation. Therefore, not many people knew about it. It only served to make the Duchess, who already favored Aeroc, pay even more attention to him.
“But it’s the first time someone has entered the mansion.”
“He must have snuck in during the tea party. He might have even forged an invitation.”
At that, Hugo nodded briefly. Without Aeroc even asking, he would compare the invitations one by one to find out who he was.
“I don’t particularly want to know his name. Such scoundrels’ intentions are obvious. It’s better to completely forget about them.”
“Understood.”
Afterward, Hugo never mentioned the incident again. From then on, the mansion’s gatekeepers would stop any familiar carriage and verify the identity of its occupants before allowing it to enter.
Seasons passed, and full winter arrived. Aeroc, as he had said, completely forgot about the incident. His daily life was filled with music, art, books, tea, and interactions with intelligent friends and kind relatives, so there was no reason to dwell on such an unpleasant event.
Braving the biting wind, he made a point of visiting the Royal Concert Hall. He was there to attend the final performance of a conductor who was Aeroc’s top-ranked violinist and now a respected maestro. He had reserved the best seats throughout the performance. Immersed in the magnificent ensemble of the orchestra and the delicate melodies of the soloist, he repeatedly marveled, sighed, and smiled at the conductor’s impeccable and superb interpretation of the music.
He applauded until his palms stung throughout the encores. Though a busy musician who traveled the world, he wanted to invite him to the mansion and converse with him while he was in the capital. If possible, he intended to ask for violin lessons. As soon as the encore ended and the curtain fell, he hurried backstage, an area open only to high-level patrons who made substantial donations to the Royal Concert Hall. But today, the King and Queen had already claimed him.
It had been a long time since he had seen the elderly and not-so-healthy King look so comfortable. The conductor would probably be invited to the palace. It was regrettable, but he couldn’t contend with His Majesty the King, so he found his secretary, expressed his invitation with his business card, and turned to leave.
Concerts were usually attended by Alpha-Omega pairs. Given the nature of aristocratic society, where public courtship was almost impossible before engagement, evening concerts were an excellent opportunity to discreetly scout for suitable partners and facilitate natural encounters.
However, Aeroc preferred to attend alone. If someone was beside him, he would have to consider their feelings and discuss his evaluation of the music, which interfered with his appreciation. After a performance, it was difficult to find his way backstage, and sometimes, if his companion felt unwell, they had to leave early. He absolutely refused such inconveniences, so being alone was more comfortable.
“Today’s performance was especially wonderful.”
Aeroc, having retrieved his coat, silk hat, and cane from the attendant at the concert hall, walked through the magnificent, gold-adorned hall, typical of the Royal Concert Hall, and stepped outside. A wide staircase, decorated with white marble, extended from the entrance of the concert hall down to the carriage road.
“Here!”
“My lord!”
“My lady, this way!”
Not long after the concert ended, coachmen, who had poured out with the audience, were busy looking out for their masters, calling out to them from afar. The thought of jostling and being pushed around in that chaos was dreadful. Aeroc moved to the edge of the staircase and walked through a slightly less crowded area. Knowing this would happen, Aeroc had already instructed his coachman to wait a little further away.
Walking down the street lined with dim gas lamps, Aeroc recalled the soul-stirring musical melodies. He particularly liked the very lyrical solo part. The hand not holding the cane involuntarily traced invisible chords. The cane, acting as a substitute for a string, swayed slightly back and forth.
His chest fluttered, and his heart tightened. It felt like falling in love. The only things that gave Aeroc this sensation were melodies flowing from instruments, sentences weaving through high-quality paper, and colors adorning a canvas.
While humming a low tune, following the melody in his head, he suddenly came to his senses and found himself in an unfamiliar place. He read a nearby sign and realized he had walked far past the agreed meeting point.
“Oh dear.”
He felt a little embarrassed that he had been so engrossed in the invisible performance. Aeroc quickly turned back. On the way back, there were people passing by. It wasn’t a particularly narrow street, but two men walking side-by-side in the middle of the road left little room for him to pass on either side. Moreover, they walked very slowly. He had no choice but to cut between them.
“Excuse me.”
He held his hat and bowed slightly, gently pushing the two men. Most would apologize and split to either side. Even if they were annoyed, they would usually just curse a little and let it go.
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, one man cried out loudly and tumbled to the ground. Aeroc turned around to see the other man he had been walking with exclaiming, “Hey, friend!” and helping the fallen man up.
“Did your shoulder break?”
“No, my shoulder broke, so I’ll have to rest for six months. Then who will take care of my wife, my old mother, and my five children?”
His exaggerated tone sounded exactly like a swindler. Aeroc frowned and was about to turn away. But the man who had just claimed his shoulder was broken suddenly jumped up and grabbed Aeroc.
“You have to pay for the treatment before you leave.”
“Compensation and living expenses.”
“Didn’t you say your shoulder was broken? But it looks fine.”
“That’s my shoulder.”
Suddenly, the other man clutched his shoulder and groaned. Seeing how well they worked together, it seemed they had planned to block his way from the start. It was rare for him to be harassed by such low-class individuals. His inflated mood instantly turned into muddy water. He had no intention of falling for their scam, but he disliked wasting any more time here. He didn’t want to ruin a good night.
“How much?”
He pulled out his wallet from his inner coat pocket. The men’s eyes changed when they saw the wallet containing gold coins and banknotes. One of them suddenly started limping.
“My leg is broken too.”
“Oh dear. This is a big problem.”
“This should be enough.”
He took out a gold coin from his wallet and threw it at them. The gold coin, hitting the chest of the feigning man, fell to the ground with a loud clatter. The other man, seeing the gleaming gold, quickly picked it up, and the man who had complained about his leg snatched it away. Then he glared at Aeroc.
“No, my lord. Am I a beggar? To throw it like that is too much.”
Yet, he clutched the gold coin tightly in his hand and wouldn’t let go. Aeroc scoffed, ignored them, and tried to hasten his steps.
“Hey!”
The men yelled and lunged. Aeroc slightly twisted his body to dodge and struck the lunging man’s back with his cane.
Thwack.
“Ugh!”
The man, caught off guard, face-planted onto the ground. The other man crouched and lunged. He seemed to have a high pain tolerance, as he didn’t flinch even when struck with the cane. Dirty hands fumbled at Aeroc’s body. Even though he knew it was an attempt to steal his wallet, the filthy touch felt like a humiliation. He was thoroughly enraged. He was raising his cane, aiming to strike the man’s vital spot, the back of his head, with the heavy ornament attached to it.
Thwack.
“Ugh!”
Someone kicked the man’s side. The man clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground. The man who had been hit in the back by Aeroc earlier lunged again, but the unexpected helper took him down. He, larger than anyone else present, grabbed the lunging man by the neck with one hand. Then he lifted him until the man was on his tiptoes and flung him to the ground. The man who had been kicked in the stomach clenched his fist and lunged, but the helper lightly dodged him, just as Aeroc had done earlier, and then struck him in the back with the cane he was holding. It was the same evasive maneuver and the same attack, but the tremor left by the long stick cutting through the air and the sound of the swindler’s back being struck were completely different.
Thwack.
Thud.
The fallen man was completely unconscious. The man who had been grabbed by the neck and was just getting up saw the scene, clutched the gold coin in his hand tightly, and slowly backed away. When the helper stared at him, he scurried away.
Once the situation was resolved, the man who had suddenly appeared bowed. A hand in a black glove picked up Aeroc’s silk hat. Aeroc touched his head and only then realized it was his own hat that had fallen.
“Thank you for your help.”
Aeroc, who was just about to take the hat the man offered, froze. The man, standing with the yellow gas lamp behind him, was someone he knew well. It was that madman who had lunged at him on the mansion’s promenade.
“I wondered where you were going after the concert ended. Your habit of wandering dangerous places without realizing they’re dangerous is still the same.”
“It seems the dangerous one is you, who was following me.”
Although he had received help, the man could turn violent at any moment. His excessive aggression remained, and considering the potential of the cane in his hand, he was even more dangerous than before. Aeroc quickly scanned his surroundings. He hoped there was someone he could ask for help, but the late-night street was empty. If he were kidnapped here, would anyone be able to find him? He was skeptical.
“You don’t need to be so wary. I won’t do anything.”
The voice was rough. If one listened closely, it might even sound like a sick person complaining of pain. It seeped in.
“I haven’t found anyone trustworthy who says that.”
“Do you really not remember me?”
“Why should I remember you?”
“Are you serious?”
His persistent questioning irritated Aeroc. In a world full of shallow individuals who try to leave a strong impression to expand their network, there was clearly a proper line. How twisted must he be to do something so ignorant and insane? His appearance was better than before. Perhaps some poor noble had fallen into his clutches and had their lifeblood drained over the past few months.
“It’s not pretending not to know, I genuinely don’t know. Why should I remember every violent, strange, and insane madman like you? I’m not that idle.”
“You really don’t remember?”
The man truly seemed confused. His gaze was filled with doubt. He scrutinized Aeroc, frowned briefly, and then fell into conflict again. As he remained silent, his confusion was palpable. He truly seemed to believe that Aeroc knew him but was pretending not to. If it was an intentional act, it was remarkable. Or perhaps he was a born swindler. At the very least, he must have mistaken him for someone else.
“Something is wrong. I’ve been wandering every corner of the capital for months, thinking about this, but it makes no sense at all. This isn’t the hell I imagined. You’re clearly here, so why?”
“If something’s wrong, it’s your head.”
“Do you really… really not remember anything? This isn’t the hell you created?”
The madman finally tried to lay a hand on Aeroc.
Slap.
His backhand, swung to push away the hand, ended up striking the man’s cheek. It was because he had suddenly closed the distance. Aeroc was inwardly surprised, as it wasn’t his intention, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he gripped his cane with both hands, preparing for the man to lash out. This time, he fully intended to strike the man’s groin and flee. He was so tense that his body trembled slightly.
The man who had been slapped also seemed quite shocked, somewhat dazed. He lightly touched his cheek with his fingertips. Then he slightly narrowed his eyes.
“This is the second time in this place.”
He thought about what he meant by “second time” and then remembered that he had struck him near his cheekbone before. This madman, unlike last time, maintained an astonishing calmness this time. That made him even more threatening.
“It’s really strange. It’s like I’ve gone back in time… No, that’s a crazy thought.”
Aeroc let out a hollow laugh when the madman himself concluded it was a crazy thought.
“You really… you’ve never met me. You’ve never committed murder. That’s why you were so angry.”
“I don’t know what kind of scoundrel you are, but there’s a limit to rudeness.”
He had no desire to hear any more mad talk. Continuing to deal with such a person might drive him insane.
“But thank you for your help. Contact my butler. I will reward you.”
Aeroc started to take out his business card but stopped. The man already knew his name and the location of his mansion. He didn’t want to give such a fellow a business card and provide him with an excuse to fabricate a false acquaintance between them in front of a third party.
“Aeroc?”
“My name is not cheap enough for someone like you to call so casually.”
“I see.”
At Aeroc’s cold retort, the man suddenly smiled faintly.
“If this is a new world, I’ll start over.”
He was still spouting incomprehensible nonsense until the end, so he was indeed a madman. Aeroc straightened his body.
“Then, goodbye.”
He turned away with an arrogant tilt of his head, but he felt as if his back was being watched, making him terribly uneasy. However, Aeroc continued to walk at his usual pace, neither fast nor slow. He felt as if the man would lunge at him from behind at any moment, but nothing happened until he met his coachman, who was anxiously looking for him near the concert hall.
He passed the street where he had met the man in the carriage. The unconscious man was still there, but he had already vanished without a trace.
“I never want to see him again.”
Aeroc shuddered, recalling the madman’s crazed eyes, a chilling presence.