Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 33.2

He usually used the library when meeting Bendyke. However, he didn’t want to do that in the sacred library, so he had a room prepared that he had hardly ever used. This space, called ‘The Violet Room,’ was a secret chamber that a viscountess several generations ago had created for her lover, exuding a charming yet private atmosphere. It had a suitably sized bedroom and an attached bathroom. As a symbol of an illicit affair, the door had been kept firmly locked since his father’s time, except for occasional cleaning. And Aeroc had opened it.
“This is new. Was there such a room?”
As soon as Bendyke entered, he revealed his intrigue, a slight smile playing on his lips. He clearly sensed the special purpose of this room. His slightly narrowed eyes fixed on Aeroc. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and he had no obligation to answer. Yet, somehow, like a boy confessing a misdeed, Aeroc replied with an uncertain voice.
“I just said the mansion, I didn’t specify a particular room. I just chose a place as far from public view as possible.”
“I see.”
Bendyke didn’t argue further but found a seat for himself without being invited. He brazenly spoke to Aeroc, who was keeping his distance and wary of him.
“I’m not going to eat you, so you don’t have to be so wary.”
“You swindler.”
He couldn’t trust those words at all. The other person knew of his distrust. But acting so nervously like a frightened cat in his own home was humiliating. Before sitting down, Aeroc rang a bell.
It was late afternoon. The perfect time for tea. Hugo, the butler, hearing the bell, appeared with a tray. He silently prepared the table perfectly.
“Is there anything else you need?”
To the customary question before leaving, Aeroc almost inadvertently replied, “You stay too.” Just as he was about to open his mouth, Bendyke spoke. He held up the bell Aeroc had used.
“If I need anything, I’ll call again.”
“Understood. Then.”
Hugo, seemingly oblivious to any ominous presence, left his desperate master.
Now, only the two of them remained in the private chamber. No one would enter until the bell was rung. And that bell was now in Bendyke’s hand. Aeroc chastised himself for his carelessness in not securing it beforehand, while also gauging the distance to the door. There were duties as a host, such as righting the inverted teacups on their saucers, pouring warm tea, and offering biscuits, but Aeroc had no time for such courtesies with a merchant who had come to collect payment in such an unsavory manner. An awkward silence rolled around the room.
“Are you going to keep standing there?”
“I’m more comfortable standing.”
“Then I’ll come to you.”
With that, Bendyke started to rise from his seat. That was even worse.
“No, you don’t have to.”
Aeroc reluctantly perched on his seat. Bendyke, sitting across the small table made for two, lightly touched the teapot to check its temperature. He moved with a leisurely pace, almost slow.
Clink.
A moment later, a teacup was placed in front of Aeroc. The tea in the cup was neither strong nor weak, emitting a luminous glow. Bendyke filled his own teacup and silently savored the tea. But Aeroc gripped the armrest tightly, glaring only at the teacup.
“Anyone would think it’s poisoned.”
He raised his gaze and met the dark eyes observing him.
“How can you guarantee it’s not?”
Meeting his gaze directly, Bendyke showed his palms, asserting his innocence.
“The hot water, tea leaves, and pottery were all brought by the viscount’s butler. The butler’s loyalty, who has served the viscount’s family for generations and personally raised the young master, will be directed towards the viscount, not me. It might be hard to believe for someone like me, who just stumbled in like a bone, but I have a very… well, a very deep interest in the viscount. And I have no intention of harming you. I just want us to get along well. Of course, assuming the viscount doesn’t do anything.”
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his firm lips. He was enjoying this situation. What a vile man. Bendyke leaned back against the chair and leisurely enjoyed his tea. His already broad shoulders seemed even more prominent, hidden by the chair back. At the same time, he slowly crossed his legs. The table was too small to accommodate his long, crossed legs, so he had to angle himself. He clearly knew how to make his perfectly silhouetted body appear intimidating and attractive. It was an arrogant posture, yet it suited that man surprisingly well. He was only a couple of years older than Aeroc. Despite his youth, he possessed a mature composure comparable to many middle-aged men. This, combined with his handsome appearance, exerted a strange dominance.
“How can I believe that?”
“If, by any chance, I intended to murder the viscount, I wouldn’t use such an easy method.”
Bendyke tapped his teacup, pausing for a beat.
“I would take revenge so cruelly that even a demon would point fingers, for a very long time, until the cursed pain shattered even my soul.”
His quietly uttered tone pricked his skin like ice needles. If such a ruthless curse were to fall upon him, his entire body might freeze solid.
“I haven’t done anything to incur a demon’s grudge. You’re just tormenting me unilaterally.”
As he protested, the large body stiffened. Bendyke straightened his upper body and glared at Aeroc with a cold gaze, as if to condemn him. The intimidation caused by the difference in physique was not entirely blocked by the small tea table. A terrifying hostility poured forth.
“Am I wrong?”
Aeroc was innocent. Although he had somewhat disregarded and looked down on Bendyke, hadn’t Bendyke brought that upon himself? Furthermore, Bendyke had made Aeroc sit here and carried out unnecessary retaliation. Other than that, he had never incurred such a great grudge as to warrant a cruel revenge that even a demon would point fingers at. The man, who had been about to speak, instead frowned. Remembering something, he unclenched his fist, whose knuckles had turned white.
“Right, not yet… you haven’t done anything yet.”
“Not yet?” The nuance was strange. It was as if he wished Aeroc would commit a great sin in the future. It was exasperating. To get so excited over a non-existent future and an impossible possibility. Even pretending to be sane, he was still slightly mad.
He didn’t want to continue this topic. He certainly had no intention of leisurely drinking tea. It would be more comfortable to quickly get this over with and then fall into self-loathing and hatred for the scoundrel, contemplating suicide.
“Over there.”
“Over there?”
“All the items I think you’ll need are prepared. If you’re looking for special items… I have no intention of sending someone on an errand now, so make do with what’s available.”
“What for?”
A hint of confusion was in the other’s voice as he asked again. The sincerity seemed remarkable.
“I believe it’s natural to reconfirm cleanliness before intercourse. Of course, it’s not a unilateral demand.”
At those words, Bendyke rose from his seat. Aeroc, startled, thinking it was about to begin immediately, almost jumped up. His late father’s strict teachings shone even at this moment. He flinched slightly, but not to an unseemly degree.
Instead of approaching Aeroc, Bendyke stood in front of the small door Aeroc had referred to as ‘over there.’ Opening it, he flinched. At least, he reacted more strongly than Aeroc had. He closed the door again, pressed his hand to his temple, then brushed his hair back as if nothing had happened.
“I wonder if you’re naive, or just shameless.”
After checking the bathroom, Bendyke returned to his original seat, clenching and unclenching his hands repeatedly. Those were the devil’s hands that would soon drag him into a swamp of humiliation and depravity. His nerves grew increasingly frayed. It was important to maintain composure. Aeroc slightly tilted the teacup he had been holding and took his first sip.
“Hmm?”
The tea, surprisingly, was exactly to his taste. Hugo was the only one who could brew tea that satisfied Aeroc, who was particular about it. No, it should be said that Hugo, who had inherited his father’s refined taste, had taught Aeroc about tea. That’s why Hugo only brewed tea at the Teiwind family, and only for guests who were very intimate with the viscount. Therefore, not many people had tasted Hugo’s tea. No matter if the same tea leaves and tools were used, perfectly mimicking the exact same flavor was statistically almost impossible. So how did that man manage it?
Thinking it was a very unpleasant coincidence, Aeroc looked down at the teacup. He tried to find even the slightest difference, but nothing immediately stood out. Meanwhile, Bendyke, who had approached right beside him, suddenly spoke.
“You said it wasn’t a unilateral demand.”
A sly smile suddenly appeared on his firm face.
Oh. This was no time to be thinking about tea. The hand gripping the teacup trembled slightly. The fine porcelain clattered, emitting a clear chime. He almost threw the teacup down. He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them, hoping that posture would make him appear less intimidated.
“Which side are you assuming for yourself?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He didn’t want to show his inner conflict externally. Especially not in front of this man. So he averted his gaze to hide his agitated feelings.
The persistent man moved to where Aeroc was looking and lowered himself. A faint shadow fell. Not only that, he gripped both armrests of the chair Aeroc was sitting in. Trapped, the anxiety that had been lurking rapidly spread.
“So, top? Bottom? No, maybe this is easier to say. The one who penetrates? Or the one who spreads their legs?”
Startled by the explicit expression, he gasped sharply and choked. As he coughed, Bendyke snorted.
“It’s better to avoid such crude provocations. You, the pure and innocent angel, are alluring enough without even trying.”
It was the first time he realized that the words ‘pure and innocent angel’ could be insulting. That man was a master of insults. Aeroc, who had no immunity to such uniquely vulgar expressions, lost the composure he had repeatedly vowed to maintain and flared up.
“Who said that!”
“Surely not the one who penetrates? It doesn’t matter to me, but I wonder if it’s possible since you have no experience.”
“Shut up, you bastard. Who said I have no experience?”
His two fists, resting on the chair’s armrests, turned white with anger. Bendyke knelt beside the chair as if it were nothing. He traced the faint veins rising on Aeroc’s white knuckles with the tip of his long finger. It was just a touch, yet it was so excessively suggestive that his fine hairs stood on end. A shiver ran through him, making it difficult to maintain his grip. His five fingers moved on their own, spreading in different directions. The man, cloaked in an invisible black film and possessing intangible horns, took his hand and brought it to his own red lips.
“I can tell just by looking. If someone who blushes from a mere caress of the back of their hand isn’t a virgin, then they must be the greatest prostitute in history.”
Bastard. Every word he used pierced his pride like a knife.
“You must have a lot of experience, that’s great for you.”
“Not particularly much. But when it comes to Aeroc Teiwind, I know more than anyone.”
“Which employee did you bribe? The coachman? The gardener? The cook? Or perhaps Hugo?”
“I heard it directly from you.”
Bendyke smiled faintly, spouting nonsense. Aeroc lost the will to converse. He was a fool for trying to have a rational conversation with a madman. He snorted in exasperation.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t grant your wish.”
“What?”
What other absurd thing was he saying? Aeroc frowned.
“I told you. I’m interested in you.”
“So that means… that kind of meaning.”
“It does. But I don’t want to unilaterally push someone who isn’t ready. I want to have a good relationship with you. One where we can share emotions in various ways… physical desire comes after that.”
“You sound like you want to be lovers.”
At those words, Bendyke smiled sweetly. Aeroc didn’t want to fall for the mockery. He stared directly into the other’s eyes to discern if it was a trap. He cleared away the crude emotions that had just arisen and stared until the atmosphere became utterly awkward. But he found no evidence of deceit in Bendyke.
“Are you… serious?”
He was so surprised he couldn’t close his mouth. Bendyke, holding Aeroc’s hand as he stared blankly, knelt like a knight paying homage to a king and kissed the back of his hand.
“I no longer want to deceive myself and you with lies. I’ve done enough of that already.”
“Bendyke.”
“Kloff.”
It meant he could use a familiar address, but Aeroc didn’t want to yet. No, he would never want to in the future either. Pulling his hand away, Aeroc indirectly conveyed his feelings to the other.
“I hope you won’t be hurt by my not responding to your unilateral courtship, Bendyke.”
He was on a different level from the youths he met in society. Even after being coldly rejected to his face, he showed no signs of anger or frustration.
“It’s okay. I’ll try to seduce you slowly.”
Exuding confidence, he returned to his seat. Taking his usual posture, he looked directly at Aeroc without hesitation. It was Aeroc who felt uncomfortable.
Other than drinking tea in the Violet Room, nothing else happened. Bendyke merely observed Aeroc meticulously, as if admiring a sculpture, and when it got late, he left on his own. It seemed his words about seducing him slowly weren’t a lie. Half of him felt relieved that they hadn’t had intercourse immediately, and the other half feared that he might one day succumb to his advances.
“That kind of man? Me?”
Aeroc found no clear answer to his self-question. Bendyke had clearly left a strong impression in many ways. His peaceful daily life had been utterly ruined by the sudden storm, and Aeroc had to think about him constantly. Whether meeting someone or being alone. In the library and in the garden. When sleeping and when awake. His mind was entirely filled with Bendyke. The erotic anxiety he had stirred up gradually consumed everything in Aeroc.
“Hmph, ah.”
Dreams, which some called the window to the unconscious, displayed distorted desires in a messy tangle. He had to writhe in pleasure beneath the Bendyke depicted in his dreams.
“Hah, hah.”
Aeroc, waking up soaked in sweat and secretions, was still breathing heavily. His sticky pajamas clung to his body. He was too exhausted to even change his clothes. At this rate, it might be better to just get it over with. Then, perhaps, he wouldn’t have to gasp every night with unquenched thirst and fear of the unknown.