Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 32.2

Realizing he had acted like a child, Aeroc cleared his throat and returned to a poker face.
“I will pay any commission.”
No matter how high a financial manager’s commission was, it was still an employee’s salary. It wasn’t something the Count’s income couldn’t handle, and Aeroc knew that. The arrogant man subtly twisted his tightly closed lips. His eyes were like a wolf before its prey.

A different kind of tension filled the air. His fine hairs stood on end. He absolutely did not want to know what kind of price the lunatic would demand. Aeroc preempted him before he could utter nonsense.
“One hundred? Two hundred? Or three hundred?”
He named an amount that could buy a few artworks from his favorite museum. It was more than Hugo’s weekly salary. He considered it a sufficient sum, but Bendyke merely twitched an eyebrow.

“Is that not enough? But I can’t give more than five hundred. With the estate income, I also have to pay the mansion’s employees’ weekly wages and cover social activities. And…”
Just as he was about to make excuses for not being able to pay more, Bendyke cut him off again.
“You also need to buy new paintings and collect musical instruments. Is the reason you haven’t brought in sculptures yet because you haven’t found a place for them in the mansion? If you trim the overgrown rose garden a little, you could place marble statues everywhere.”
“Ah, that’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that? Since we also hold summer evening parties in the rose garden, it would be good to buy a few and decorate it before then.”
At the unexpected suggestion, Aeroc recalled a few sculptures he had been eyeing. How many would be good to buy? While he was deep in thought, a shadow suddenly fell. He looked up to find Bendyke, who had approached without him noticing, trapping Aeroc within his arms once more.

Thump.
He stumbled back, and the windowpane hit his back. Aeroc’s eyes widened as he looked up at the man. Bendyke was remarkably tall, and possessed an imposing physique. Aeroc himself was by no means small, but compared to Bendyke, he was like a child. Bendyke knew how to use his overwhelming physique to his advantage. He slowly closed the distance, like a predator cornering its prey.

Why had he met him alone? He should have called Hugo, or at least a maid. He regretted it belatedly. But it was too late. His heart pounded violently. It felt as if it would burst through his ribs. The strong Alpha scent hit him, making his head reel. Aeroc, retreating and finding no space, stood on his tiptoes, feeling the cold windowsill against his buttocks.

Bendyke raised his arm and placed his hand on the windowpane. He leaned in close and whispered softly.
“I didn’t ask how much you would pay. I asked what you would pay.”
“What?”
“I don’t need money.”
“Then land?”
“I can obtain such things without borrowing the Count’s hand.”
“In that case, today’s deal is off.”
Aeroc quickly concluded. What was he thinking, bringing this man all the way here? He could just sell a few artworks and buy them back when his situation improved. Or he could mortgage them. He knew a few people who could provide cash. But Bendyke, seemingly not intending to call off the negotiation itself, spoke to Aeroc.

“If you show it to anyone else, you’ll only be refused.”
Suddenly, Aeroc remembered something he had heard before.
“You’re the one who spread the false rumor that I hired you.”
So, it was this man’s doing that the other financial managers had refused. Aeroc was about to burst with indignation. Knowing he was at a physical disadvantage, he intended to at least point his finger and unleash a torrent of curses filled with condemnation for his vile actions. But that remained a wish. Bendyke gave him no such opportunity.

“It’s a misunderstanding. It wasn’t me, it was the meddling old man’s doing.”
“Don’t pass the blame to others. You knew there was a misunderstanding and yet you didn’t correct it.”
“That’s true.”
With that, Bendyke continued to press Aeroc. His upper body, leaning back towards the window, was somewhat better, but there was no longer any space between their lower bodies. The heat radiating from their thighs made it difficult to tell if it was his own or the other’s.

“But it’s also true that only I can solve this problem. These fraudulent contracts can’t be resolved with just a pen and a tongue.”
If not a pen and a tongue, then a lawsuit? No, it was clearly not a legal method. It was the kind of method only a lunatic would use. In that case, it was truly as Bendyke said: only he could solve it. If he used a violent and inhumane solution, the price would also be violent and inhumane.

“So what do you want?”
“Count, I want something only you can pay.”
Although he had no experience, he was not ignorant of the implication of those words. Aeroc was not a fool. No, he was a fool. This man had revealed his blatant ambition from their very first meeting. The only difference was whether it was expressed violently or not. His goal was singular. Damn it.

The conflict, both internal and external, pressed Aeroc. A nose like a blade brushed his pale cheek. Arms as thick as ropes binding a tall ship’s mast wrapped around his waist. At the same time, a dry hand cupped his neck and jaw. The other’s palm was burning hot.

“I’m an Alpha.”
“That’s fortunate.”
The demon who brought misfortune shattered the shield of providence with a simple remark. He had no morality, no ethics, and no mercy.

“It’s horrifying that you’re not only a rude lunatic but also a pervert with abnormal desires. Your handsome looks are wasted.”
“Do you like my face?”
“I didn’t say that.”
This unreasonable deal should never have been made in the first place. What was more troubling was that despite all the unpleasant encounters and conversations so far, the blatant desire of a man who had reached the pinnacle of Alpha masculinity was clearly affecting Aeroc as well. The heat emanating from their pressed lower bodies gnawed at his patience. His brain, dulled by prolonged conflict and lack of sleep, was on the verge of making a foolish decision.

“Do you dislike me?”
“If I say yes, will you cancel the contract?”
“No.”
“Then don’t ask.”
He stared directly into the eyes of the man, who was openly flirting. In his pupils, darkened almost to black by desire, Aeroc saw his own pathetic, troubled reflection. His slightly disheveled hair, slightly reddened cheeks and nose tip. His lips, bitten red several times, were pressed together, a posture far from the dignified bearing of a noble. Even more inappropriate for an Alpha male.

“One last question. Answer truthfully.”
“What?”
“Why me, of all people? There are many other wealthy nobles. There are Omegas promised vast inheritances. It would be better to charm them and marry them for advancement.”
“I appreciate the advice, but they aren’t you.”
The conversation went in circles. He glared murderously at the man, who, still pressed close, shamelessly explored his nape like an animal. The man took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, whispering into Aeroc’s ear.
“It was love at first sight.”
“You’re insane.”
“I agree. Seeing how things have come to this, I must be insane.”
His will to resist was slowly fading against the endless mockery. Only his aristocratic pride fought a desperate battle, but it was too late to overturn the predetermined outcome.

“We will set the detailed conditions separately.”
“As you wish.”
Aeroc, unable to resist the irresistible current, could only emphasize the pre-settlement of the issue as his last act of defiance.
“I will prepare and send a draft contract.”
Bendyke, having achieved his desired outcome, slowly pulled away. A sudden chill enveloped Aeroc. Even though he was wearing several layers of clothes, he felt naked. Long fingers lingered near his ear. Each slight movement caused a throbbing sensation in his solar plexus, repeatedly pressing and releasing. It wasn’t merely tension from fear. What was more troubling was that the utterly repulsive man’s unilaterally intimate touch wasn’t as dreadful as he had imagined. Even in broad daylight, Bendyke’s eyes held a distant look, as if he were dreaming. Then he brought his head closer again. Just before their lips touched, at the moment his heart felt like it would burst, Bendyke asked an absurd question.

“May I kiss you?”
“Oh, certainly not.”
It was such an obvious refusal that he expected it to be ignored just as obviously. But Bendyke did not come any closer. He held Aeroc’s chin, seemingly very disappointed, and hesitated for a long time before finally pulling away completely. His sudden act of behaving like a gentleman who had just discovered manners irritated Aeroc even more.

“The business is concluded, now get out of my house.”
“As a mere employee, I shall obey my master’s wishes.”
With that, he kissed Aeroc’s hand, as a medieval knight would his liege. After leaving a burning mark, the rude employee gave a light nod and disappeared.

Whether he was teasing or serious, a copy of the informal contract arrived two days later. A truly base agreement was drafted in the careful language of a national treaty.

The contract Bendyke had drawn up was both specific and vague. What was specific was the compensation that man had to pay Aeroc. He was to utilize all his capabilities as the chief financial manager of the Teiwind family to promote financial stability. The contracts that needed immediate resolution and the minimization of losses incurred were specified in concrete figures, and even to Aeroc, who was weak with numbers related to money, these were impossibly strict standards. If he accomplished this, Aeroc would have to significantly re-evaluate Kloff Bendyke’s abilities.

The vague part was the commission Aeroc had to pay. While he certainly had no insight into this kind of low-level transaction, he had tried to anticipate it by drawing on his humanities knowledge and literary imagination. Usually, those who demanded such acts would specify a number of times. Or a duration. Bendyke chose the latter.

The incomprehensible condition was the space. He specifically wanted the Teiwind mansion. It was an unpleasant demand. Aeroc did not want to bring such sordid acts into his own space. Space absorbs the remnants of emotions and actions, and one day, unexpectedly releases them in unforeseen ways. If he were to do such things here, even after the transaction was completely over, Aeroc might occasionally have to recall the predetermined horror. The mere thought was dreadful.

Aeroc pointed this out when he met Bendyke, who had come to revise the contract terms.
“Not my house.”
At that, Bendyke replied with an impassive demeanor.
“My house? Or my office?”
Aeroc naturally thought of a hotel or another house. Hearing that, Bendyke snorted.
“Then would the street be better?”
Aeroc was dumbfounded by the dreadful question.
“What?”
“If you rummage through the bottom, you might find a suitable corner.”
The bottom. Bendyke was a master of insults. Aeroc was speechless at the unimaginable remark. As if it wasn’t a joke, he picked up a pen and tried to revise the clause about the space. Aeroc hastily stopped him. His gloved white hand touched the hard, thick wrist, where veins protruded.

“Just because I don’t provide the mansion, how does it suddenly become about the bottom… about the street? There are other places. There must be a suitable place at Royal Crossroads.”
Royal Crossroads was the busiest street in the capital, leading to the royal palace. Lined with luxury hotels for lower-ranking nobles not provided rooms by the imperial palace, wealthy commoners, or the leisure class who wanted to enjoy some freedom, dozens of carriages still came and went, carrying many socialites. There was even a hotel there that Aeroc occasionally used, not for any special reason, but because small gatherings, part of social activities, were held there.

“Royal Crossroads? What do you think would happen if the Count and I met in a place where a mere sneeze could get someone’s name in the obituary section tomorrow morning? You might as well gather all the socialites and publicly announce our contract.”
It was a piercing, yet remarkably apt, observation. Even as Aeroc’s complexion turned pale, Bendyke maintained a consistently cold, expressionless face.
“It doesn’t matter to me, though.”
He couldn’t bring himself to ask if it was okay to go there, or if it was okay to make a public announcement to society. Aeroc released the wrist he had held.
“It’s probably better not to change it.”
There was no other choice but to say that.

“Don’t worry too much. This will be better for the Count.”
“Do you think I need your comfort for a deal that’s been the worst from the start?”
His voice, when he retorted, was sharper than necessary. Fortunately, Bendyke obediently shut up. Though he did subtly curl one corner of his lip.

After a long time, the contract was finally completed. Aeroc signed one copy for himself and another for Bendyke. Despite his unease, he decided not to have it notarized. They rarely agreed on anything, but on this point – that there was no one trustworthy for such matters – they concurred.

“Be sure to keep the contract.”
“That’s my line, Count.”
This time, Bendyke kissed Aeroc’s cheek without asking. Aeroc shuddered as he acted like a mature Alpha considerate of his young Omega fiancé.

“Don’t do things that are so terribly unsuited for you.”
“That’s quite hurtful.”
As Aeroc pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed his cheek as if wiping away dirty grime, Bendyke struck an exaggerated pose like an actor. His eyes were overflowing with playfulness.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“It’s not a joke.”
With that, Bendyke naturally embraced Aeroc. It was so natural that Aeroc was dumbfounded. He let out an involuntary gasp. And then he pushed the man away.

“You’re acting just like a lover.”
“Soon to be, aren’t we?”
“Dream on.”
“We’ll see if it’s a pipe dream or not.”
Bendyke, ignoring Aeroc’s shudder, deliberately kissed his temple and pulled away. When Aeroc furiously told him to get out, he chuckled and disappeared, as if finding it all very amusing.