There Is No Paradise Where You Escaped - Chapter 81

Vivianne’s eyes filled with tears. She gripped the cheeks of the fully grown man, her gaze filled with tender concern and frustration as she scrutinized his face. She was a heartless woman who didn’t consider Evans’ position at all—his ears flushed red as he trembled under her stare.

Edwin watched the scene with great amusement.

“So, what happened? How could someone be so merciless—leaving your face like this…?”

“It’s really nothing, my lady. I’m totally fine.”

“Fine? What do you mean, fine?”

“I really am…”

Edwin let out a dry laugh, and a pair of piercing gray eyes shot daggers at him. To dodge Vivianne’s scolding, he feigned ignorance and turned his attention elsewhere.

Eventually, as he sighed and came to sit beside them, a sweet floral scent wafted his way. For a woman who smelled like this, Theo Evans’ reaction was, if anything, understandable.

“Anyway, what brings the Duke to such a humble place?”

Still flushed in the face, Theo regarded Edwin with a mix of suspicion, wariness, and hostility.

When Vivianne had written to say she was coming to his shop, she’d mentioned that the Duke might come along. And indeed, he had.

Theo didn’t mind offering Vivianne tea, but serving tea to the Duke felt like a complete waste. For Vivianne’s sake, Theo swallowed his true feelings.

“There’s nowhere Vivianne goes that I can’t follow, Evans,” Edwin said, lifting his chin arrogantly, a smirk on his lips.

“I was asking why you felt the need to come here with Miss Vivianne, Your Grace,” Theo pressed.

“Theo…”

Someone had to intervene before the sparks flew further, so Vivianne deftly poured cold water on the tension.

“Anyway, Theo. It’s really good to see you after so long. It would’ve been even better if you weren’t hurt.”

“I’m not hurt or anything…”

Although Theo had been hostile toward Edwin, in front of Vivianne, he softened like pudding you’d want to mash with a spoon.

He’d better realize how much I really do want to crush him now, Edwin thought.

“So? How have you been, Theo?”

Vivianne’s question kicked off a conversation under Edwin’s quiet watch.

“Oh, nothing much on my end. But you’ve been to Rottermond and Farrington—please, tell me more about your travels.”

Vivianne’s face lit up like a child at Evans’s warm response, and she eagerly recounted her adventures: the beautiful forest trails and galleries of Rottermond, the dazzling nightscape of Farrington and its overwhelming crowds, the party halls, the royal palace, and even the Queen’s strange hobby—hide-and-seek.

But she deliberately left out the kiss that had occurred during that game.

Edwin quietly observed the boyish man, too young and foolish to hide the affection in his eyes. Seeing that softened gaze—no longer pure—Edwin assumed he had abandoned any noble intentions. Unable to suppress the tingling in his chest, Edwin grew increasingly restless.

Vivianne, unaware of it all, continued to chatter innocently. Her face was like warm sunlight, unblemished by a single wrinkle of suspicion.

As for Edwin, he had no interest in the conversation they were having.

Edwin just filled his eyes with the sight of Vivianne, who spoke passionately, her lips moving nonstop. Unable to hold himself back, he reached out and began to toy with the strands of hair cascading down her slender neck and over her shoulder.

Vivianne, unaware at first, only realized what was happening when she caught Theo’s growling gaze again. As she turned her head slightly, she found a pair of piercing blue eyes locked onto her, and Edwin’s hand lingering near her shoulder.

Flustered, Vivianne looked at Theo. The situation was undeniably suspicious. 

Realizing she needed to explain, she was about to speak when the shop chime rang out. Seizing the opportunity, Vivianne hastily pushed Theo toward the door, urging him to go check.

Reluctantly, Theo said he’d be right back and hurried out of the room. Once the door closed, Vivianne turned a sharp glare at Edwin.

“What am I supposed to say when you act like that in front of Theo…?”

But before she could finish her stern warning, Edwin pulled her close by the nape of her neck and kissed her. Taking advantage of her momentary surprise, his tongue slipped past her lips.

Startled and unable to cry out, she pushed against him and struck his shoulder.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

As soon as she broke free, she wiped her damp lips roughly. Just imagining Theo walking in on that scene sent a sickening chill down her spine. The idea was so horrible and mortifying that she didn’t even want to picture it.

“Because you seem unaware,” Edwin said as he flicked her flushed cheek with his long finger.

Her eyes, now overly sensitive, tracked his movements closely as she pressed a hand to the spot he’d touched.

“And what exactly do you think I’m unaware of?” Vivianne demanded.

Before she could press any further, the door opened. Startled, Vivianne straightened with a smile, pretending nothing was wrong. But the heat rising from her neck made it impossible to meet Theo’s eyes.

It felt like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have. Guilt pricked at her chest like needles. If their eyes met, she was certain Theo would know immediately.

“Theo, I’m sorry—but I think I need some air. I’ll be right back.”

The moment Theo sat down, Vivianne rushed out of the room instead.

Theo’s eyes, pitiful like a puppy’s, followed her as she disappeared past the threshold. But the moment his “owner” was gone, Theo turned back into a snarling dog, ready to bark at his owner’s master.

“Don’t do anything bad to her.”

His warning carried no weight for Edwin. It was nothing more than the defiance of a clueless, pampered house dog who didn’t even know how—or where—to bite.

“If, by any chance, you force her to do something she doesn’t want to, or make her do something she shouldn’t… then I’ll spend the rest of my life wishing for your death. I’m not afraid of the law when it comes to her.”

“Vivianne must feel quite safe—having a friend like you, Mr. Evans.”

“Just know this: the only reason I tolerate you, Duke, is because of her.”

Edwin calmly picked up the teacup Theo had prepared. The tea was half-cold. Frowning, he set the cup down again and fixed his gaze on the not-so-wise Theo.

Theo kept repeating to himself that this was something he had to learn from the Duke. No matter the situation, he never lost his composure; he remained rational and cold, always thinking clearly. He didn’t get swept up easily but instead planned his next move. That was something Theo lacked.

“And the locket. Hand it over.”

Theo leaned back in his chair, lowered his voice, and held out his palm toward Edwin.

“If I remember correctly, I paid for that locket.”

“You mean the one you took without asking? You silenced me and tied me up so I couldn’t move—do you seriously want to call that a purchase?”

“In the end, sure,” Edwin said with a crooked smile and a shrug.

“I’ll return what you paid.”

“I don’t want it.”

“Then hand over the locket.”

A dry chuckle escaped Edwin. Slowly, he leaned toward Theo, his body tilting closer. The mysterious blue light in his eyes grew more intense.

“Aren’t you even a little curious how you’re still alive?”

His gaze was so clear it seemed it would reveal a multitude of emotions—yet it remained utterly empty.

“You’re only alive because of Vivianne.”

Edwin’s voice, resonating with chilling authority, was so overwhelming that it crushed his opponent’s spirit in an instant.

The desolate emptiness in his clear eyes stirred something deeper than fear.

“So you should be deeply grateful to Vivianne,” Edwin whispered, a twisted smile playing on his lips as he returned to his seat. “Grateful you’re still alive.”

The drawing room, without Vivianne, had turned into a battlefield filled with nothing but icy tension. Crossing his long legs with practiced ease, Edwin sat like a man who had already claimed victory.

Clenching his fists, Theo gritted his teeth and endured. He told himself it was all for Vivianne’s sake.

Just in time, the savior of the two men arrived.

Vivianne returned to the drawing room, her cheeks now cooled, as if nothing had ever happened.

────── ✾ ──────

Vivianne waved to Theo even after getting into the carriage. Despite pressing her cheek against his, holding his hand with such tenderness, and promising to see him again, she wore a thick mask of disappointment.

With the crack of the whip, the carriage wheels began to roll, and the distance between them and Theo’s shop grew. But Vivianne’s gaze remained fixed on Theo, standing outside.

The moment they were fully out of sight, however, the woman who had been so warm turned icy. Thorns appeared in her eyes as she snapped:

“Is this why you insisted on coming with me? Just to humiliate me? Let me be clear—just because I gave you my lips doesn’t mean I wanted everyone to know about it.”

Vivianne’s nagging was as cutting as a blade of wind sweeping across a desolate plain. Yet Edwin’s indifferent eyes, cold as a bitter winter snowstorm, stared back at her without so much as a twitch.

“You always put me in impossible situations. That’s your idea of fun, isn’t it? Just like that night in Rottermond, when you came to my room so late. When the Baroness found out, I felt like I wanted to die. And in Farrington too—you enjoyed it, didn’t you? When people gossiped about me, whispered behind my back.”

Even as she poured out all her lingering resentment, he remained utterly still. That only aggravated Vivianne more.

“You must’ve loved watching me get called a whore. Watching me panic, stir up drama, and give in to your desires—that’s your pleasure, isn’t it, Edwin? So even in front of Theo—”

Before she could finish, Edwin pulled her into his arms. Caught off guard, her small body stumbled awkwardly into his chest. He claimed her mouth with bruising force—wet, urgent sounds echoed obscenely in the cramped carriage.

Vivianne stopped trying to push him away for one simple reason: she knew he wouldn’t let her go anyway. Resisting would only leave her at a disadvantage. And when he adjusted his hold, she relaxed into it and accepted his kiss.

Their humid, fevered breaths steamed the autumn air. His audacity was crossing lines—but so was hers. Kissing in an uncovered carriage? Even as she recognized her own depravity, a burning heat rose from her lower abdomen, strong enough to erase even her anger.

When she instinctively pressed her legs tightly together, Edwin only pulled her closer. Their lips parted slowly. A thin strand of saliva stretched between their thoroughly wet mouths.

“You really are… awful,” Vivianne murmured, half-whining, as Edwin gently wiped her lips.

“One moment, you’re strangling me in this carriage, and the next… devouring my—”

His deep kiss shifted to her neck.

That ticklish sensation, the sweetness of his breath clinging to her nape—it wrapped around her like a spell.

Smack, smack—the lewd, foolish sounds echoed once again.

After planting kisses on her neck, Edwin softly caressed her cheek. His touch was so gentle, so tender, it could’ve easily been mistaken for genuine affection—a tenderness so convincing it threatened to steal her last shred of dignity.

In front of this man who waited so patiently for her to collapse on her own, Vivianne could only exhale what was left of her warmth.

“Let’s go to Preston next spring.”

Her shyly lowered head snapped up. Her eyes widened, and her large, round, gray pupils sparkled vividly.

Truly a malicious man.

Yet the glimpses of kindness he showed captivated Vivianne intensely.

Edwin was someone she was supposed to hate fiercely, but in the end, she couldn’t hate him.

Overcome with emotion, Vivianne placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes.

“… Really?”

“Let’s go see the lavender in Preston. It should be in full bloom by then.”

“Then… that means I’ll be alive until next spring?”

“You have to stay alive.”

Vivianne’s eyes brimmed with tears. The hot wetness pooling at the corners of her eyes seemed to wash away everything that had happened that day.

“Only if you live can you go to Preston. To see the flowers. To smile.”

She felt herself drowning helplessly in his glacial blue eyes. All the colors of the world disappeared. Only the man before her remained, radiant in every shade.