Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 49.2

Thud!

Bendyke came as he was pulled, hitting the gate. He instinctively grabbed the bars, showing no intention of resistance. His unusually pale complexion, illuminated by the moonlight, showed bitterness and a slight bewilderment.

“Now that Raphiel is married, do you think it’s all over? I’m furious that I ever had even a little bit of goodwill towards a coward who wouldn’t even dare lay a hand on his imprinted partner.”

“Do you think he’s my imprinted partner?”

His sunken voice grated unpleasantly. In the other man’s dark eyes, feigning composure, madness still lurked. His gaze lingered on Aeroc. His body, sensing danger, moved before his mind, which had lost its composure in anger. Aeroc shook off the collar he had grabbed and took a step back.

“Stop your disgusting deception.”

Conversely, Bendyke pressed his body closer to the iron bars. His gnarled hands seemed to exert monstrous strength, as if they would crush the thick bars.

“It’s not deception. My imprinted partner is someone else.”

“Then what was that about shouting Raphiel’s name during your seizure that day?”

“You heard that too.”

Bendyke ran a hand over his face, looking troubled. He let out a long sigh and then spun another lie.

“It’s a different person with the same name as Westport. Someone you don’t know. Someone you’ll never know, and there’s no way to know. A Raphiel who doesn’t exist in this world. That child has the same personality as you.”

“Hah. And you expect me to believe that? You’re caught in delusions, unable to overcome the imprinting withdrawal symptoms.”

“You can think that. As long as it only exists in my head. A reality where my heart is torn to shreds is no different from a delusion. I wish it were.”

Sarcasm and resignation coexisted in his words.

“You wish it were? Then how do you explain the painting you specially ordered from Vult?”

Bendyke frowned for a moment, then sighed.

“I forgot about that. How did you know?”

“He proudly brought it to the art museum.”

“You saw it?”

“Of course. It was a terrible, disgusting painting. Were you happy and pleased to depict me in such a state?”

A sneer escaped him. Considering the intensity of the conversation they were having, it was a perfectly acceptable remark. But the other person was Bendyke. Had he ever moved as expected, even once? This time was no different.

Bendyke was greatly agitated. It was similar to when Aeroc had exposed his sleepy neck before. He couldn’t hide his bewilderment, as if a great secret had been revealed, and then leaned forward. He looked as if he wanted to grab Aeroc if he could. But the sturdy gate blocked contact between the two. His hand, which had reached out regretfully, then subtly withdrew and grabbed the iron bars again. Although the person inside the iron bars was Aeroc, the other man seemed like a caged beast.

“No. Not at all. I regretted it. I truly regretted it. Not granting that last request that day. No, being caught in arrogant pride and prejudice and not seeing the truth. No, no. That’s not it.”

His fervent voice continued. If he could express such sadness, resignation, madness, and deep despair through deception, Bendyke should have become a great actor by now, renowned for his talent. Despite possessing many charms and abilities, the man whose profession was boring desperately cried out. Whatever the delusion, the emotions contained within it were genuine.

“I should never have met you in the first place. I should never have known the brilliant light emitted by the world’s greatest creation. I tried to reflect it with my flawed soul and ended up destroying myself. My sins will never be washed away. That’s why, even reborn, I’m caught in madness, hurting pure and beautiful souls.”

Finding it difficult to compose himself, he looked up at the sky for a moment. Ghostly clouds, pushed by the night breeze, brushed past the blue moon.

“Westport’s Raphiel will be happy. Wolflake too. Others are content as they are. And…”

His watery gaze turned to Aeroc. A painful smile spread across his lips, which had been pouring out emotion. The moment Aeroc faced that mixture of faint warmth and deep emptiness, his heart sank.

“I am grateful to see you shine again. If only I leave, this rose garden will remain forever.”

“You’re like a dog abandoned by its owner. If you were going to act like that, why did you keep your pride in front of me until now? At least I would have thrown you some cheap pity.”

He was sarcastic, but somehow his tone lacked force. The same was true for the other man. Bendyke’s hollow smile deepened.

“I am grateful enough that you allowed this last farewell.”

“Where are you going? Home?”

Bendyke paused, choosing his words, then shook his head.

“There’s someone who’s been waiting for me for a long time. I’ve decided to go to him. I’ve dragged my feet for too long.”

“You’re a complete scoundrel. How many people have you messed with?”

At those words, Bendyke chuckled.

“I’ve met many, but my soul belongs to only one person. Even if you don’t believe it, it’s the truth.”

“Is he your imprinted partner?”

The other man nodded with a smile. Aeroc had never realized before that such an arrogant and rude man could smile so happily.

“You’re separated from your imprinted partner, so you’re caught in seizures and madness. You foolish man.”

“I know. But I couldn’t help it. I had to endure until the angels born of my sins could go their own way.”

“Damn angels, sins. You’re just spouting nonsense I can’t understand.”

“You don’t need to know. No, it’s better not to know.”

The more he looked at the man filled with pure joy, the more his heart ached. The pain caused by the stinging emotion wasn’t great, but it wasn’t so small that he couldn’t recognize it as envy mixed with a little jealousy. Aeroc asked his last question.

“Does he resemble me?”

It wasn’t a question meant to hurt. He simply thought the answer might help resolve his complex feelings. But Bendyke didn’t seem to think so. He tightened and then loosened his grip on the iron bars. Then he looked up at the sky again, and as if unable to bear it, pressed his forehead against the bars. After shielding his eyes from the moonlight, he spoke softly.

“No, he doesn’t resemble you at all. The name and face are the same, but he… unlike you, lived a very miserable life. He risked everything for a worthless love… and even committed a terrible crime. So I destroyed him.”

His tone was calm, but Aeroc was certain he was crying. Water droplets were falling to the floor. And Aeroc realized the reason for Bendyke’s strange behavior all this time. He couldn’t be with his imprinted partner because he was a criminal. His imprinted partner was imprisoned, so he couldn’t meet him. Because of that, his seizures began, he drank tranquilizers like water, and he might have developed an abnormal obsession with anyone who resembled him even slightly.

What would it be like to accuse your imprinted partner and send them to prison? He understood the portrait now. The miserable background, the cruel sneer. How desperate must he have been? How much suffering must it have taken for such a proud man to shed tears, looking like he was about to extinguish?

“If there’s any resemblance, it’s only in the eyes. Eyes like lapis lazuli that never lose their nobility, no matter the moment.”

At those words, Aeroc recalled the two eyes, like those of a king ruling the world, even against a background drenched in monochrome. Did he also have such eyes? Watching the man quietly sobbing, his shoulders trembling, he didn’t know what to say.

After taking time to compose his intense emotions, Bendyke turned his body so Aeroc couldn’t see his face.

“It’s time to leave now.”

After wiping his undoubtedly wet face with his palm, he continued to speak, still with his back turned.

“I will repay the crime of violence against the Count with permanent exile. I will never return. From now on, don’t fall for scoundrels like me. If you’re suspicious, always consult Viscount Derbyshire.”

“Aren’t you sad to leave what you’ve built here? You could move to the capital with your imprinted partner after his sentence is over.”

“Sentence… That’s right. It was a more terrible imprisonment than a normal prison.”

Aeroc himself didn’t know why he was trying to stop him.

“I’m curious about the person with the same name as me. I’m willing to meet him. Even if he’s a criminal, it’s fine.”

“It’s too far away.”

“Is it perhaps a place of exile for serious criminals? Still, just in case, I hope you’ll convey my regards. If I’ve been swayed by you, I deserve at least that much. Send a letter. Mail goes in and out of exile, too.”

With that, Aeroc took out a business card from his card case and offered it. Bendyke looked at the white business card and chuckled, as if bewildered. Aeroc recalled that the situation in the place of exile was not good.

“Take it. My business card is quite useful. Especially in places where resources are scarce.”

“I see.”

He took it and put it in his inner pocket. Then he gazed at Aeroc. The clouds obscured the moon, making the darkness deeper, so he couldn’t see the other man clearly. He didn’t know which place of exile it was, but since it was said to be very far away, it was likely a very harsh and inhumane place. While he didn’t like using his family’s prestige for personal matters, he thought it would be acceptable to support a troubled employee. Aeroc decided he would meet the Minister of Justice tomorrow.

“Well then. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, Bendyke extended his hand. Refusing even a final handshake would be too cold. After a moment’s hesitation, Aeroc took his hand. As expected, his palm was damp.

“Count.”

“Bendyke.”

With a brief address, the handshake ended. Bendyke gazed at Aeroc for a moment, then turned his body. And at a moderate pace, he walked towards the thick darkness. Just as he had appeared suddenly, he disappeared suddenly.

There was a carriage, but Aeroc chose to walk. As he walked along the quiet garden path, he replayed the conversation that had ended with anger, disappointment, and pity.

Imprinting was a rare phenomenon. It rarely occurred in Omegas, and only occasionally in Alphas. While it used to appear in literature and plays as a symbol of romantic love, recent advancements in mental health have changed perceptions somewhat. Scholars who study imprinted individuals agree that it is a mental illness, like schizophrenia or epilepsy. When an individual’s pheromones meet specific conditions, they undergo a chemical reaction that causes a mutation, which has minimal impact on Omegas but can cause changes so significant in Alphas that daily life becomes impossible. This was the general understanding in current medical circles.

The unrevealed parts were the specifics of what those ‘special conditions’ were, and why it only affected Alphas and not Omegas. Research was slow due to the scarcity of research subjects. The fact that the tranquilizers Bendyke drank didn’t work was because, in reality, there was no such thing as an imprinting cure. Bendyke, who had maintained his sanity despite being isolated from his imprinted partner for several years, was truly a tenacious man. Though from his appearance just now, he seemed almost on the verge of becoming a wreck.

Still, being with his imprinted partner would greatly improve his condition. Regular interaction with the imprinted individual would alleviate seizure symptoms. That’s what the medical books Aeroc had read said.

Being used still felt unpleasant, but knowing the full story was a relief in a way. From Bendyke’s perspective, he must have been desperate to survive. Thinking that way, his pity grew, and his disgust lost its grip. He hadn’t realized his feelings would soften so easily. He seemed to have fallen deeper for Bendyke than he expected. His pain resonated more strongly than the anger caused by the deception. It made his heart ache.

“Imprinting, huh.”

He wondered what kind of person the one who resembled him was. Considering the appearance in the portrait, he seemed quite similar. Although their circumstances were opposite, he too could become an attractive handsome man if he wore good clothes and ate good food. He also seemed to have a temper.

“Raphiel is an Omega like him, and I resemble him in appearance, so perhaps that caused the confusion.”

His legs led him to the garden on their own. The roses, illuminated by the pale moonlight, emitted a scent even stronger than usual. He caressed the luscious blossoms. The soft petals felt like moist lips.

“If I find out which place of exile it is, I should send him some rose jam. The flowers would spoil too quickly.”

The scent of roses not only smoothed his tangled emotions but also numbed his sense of smell and made his vision dizzy. He finished his walk and was just about to head into the mansion, tired.

Bang.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. It was enough to shatter the peaceful silence of the night. Aeroc held his head high and cast his gaze towards the direction of the gunshot. It was definitely not close. It wasn’t even a distance to feel threatened.

The capital was a metropolis with hundreds of thousands of residents, so large fires occurred, unknown things exploded, and sometimes perfectly sound houses collapsed with a rumble. Gunshots were not particularly surprising. It could have been low-class thugs fighting among themselves and pulling out their poor-quality guns again. As if to prove it, the mansion, where Hugo and many other employees resided, remained quiet without any particular reaction. But what was this ominous premonition?

As a chilling wind blew, the intoxicating scent of roses swirled, echoing through the air like a funeral dirge.