Garden of May

Read ahead of public and coin chapters ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊ GoM kofi ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

And so, she came to stay on the top floor of that grand hotel.

The car Wyatt had sent with her was immediately dismissed at the Duke’s command, and two maids summoned from the Battenberg estate took up residence on a lower floor. They came up only at set times—bringing meals, tending to her briefly, then leaving as quietly as they had arrived.

Contrary to her expectation that he would remain by her side all day, the Duke was almost always busy. Reports poured in without pause. Calls, documents—endless work demanded his attention. At times, he would even leave to meet visitors waiting in the lobby.

When he wasn’t there, like now, the vast space felt even more hollow and empty. Especially in those fleeting moments—when their eyes met even as he took urgent calls, and he would offer her that faint, easy smile…

—…Miss?

Vanessa snapped out of her thoughts at the voice coming through the receiver.

“Ah… I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

— I’ve reviewed the documents you sent. They just barely meet the legal requirements to be recognized by the court.

The faint rustle of papers could be heard through the line.

— I plan to go to court tomorrow and finalize the application to be named executor. After that, following procedure, the company will be transferred to you. Ten days… that should be enough.

“That’s faster than I expected. I’m worried about how they might respond… Please be careful.”

— You’re in more danger than I am. Are you somewhere safe right now?

Vanessa answered calmly, trying to reassure him.

“Don’t worry. I’m safe.”

— That’s a relief, but stay alert at all times.

Mr. Dawson’s concern was understandable.

They were about to go up against a criminal organization. There was no way she could remain in the same house as Wyatt—a murderer—while fighting a legal battle. Their plan had been to slip away at the right moment.

As it happened, the Duke had provided the perfect excuse to leave the estate without harming the servants. According to plan, once everything was settled cleanly, she would find a safe place to stay in Linden.

But she hadn’t expected things to unfold like this. Plans never go the way you expect. Still…

‘This is probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.’

In all of Ingram, there was likely no safer place than this hotel—save for the royal palace itself.

— I’ll inform you immediately if anything changes. Contact me if you feel unsafe.

“I will.”

Vanessa ended the call and gently placed the receiver down. The Duke still hadn’t returned.

After hesitating for a moment, she sat down at the desk again, picking up a clean sheet of paper and her fountain pen.

Her serialized novel would end in two or three more installments. If she gave part of her earnings to Mary and combined the rest with her savings, she could at least afford a small place to live.

With the income from the investment company and a pension of thirty thousand pounds, she wouldn’t have trouble sustaining herself. She would have to leave Gloucester, there was no longer any way to live under the same roof as her uncle.

‘Maybe… I should settle down in a small town in the countryside.’

If she were lucky, she might find work as a governess. If she kept writing diligently, she could probably buy a modest house within a few years. And after that…

Vanessa placed a hand over her still-flat abdomen.

By the time the child grew old enough to attend school, perhaps she could finally go to university, something she had long postponed. A faint smile touched her lips as she gathered her thoughts.

‘For now… focus on what I can do.’

Her pale hand gripped the pen firmly as she pressed each word carefully onto the page.

* * *

A hand on her shoulder stirred her awake.

Vanessa blinked slowly, as if she had only just closed her eyes—but the room was already bathed once more in the glow of sunset. The breeze drifting in through the open window stirred the white curtains like gentle waves.

She looked up at the man with sleep-heavy eyes.

His black hair was still damp, as though he had just bathed. Moisture traced along the defined lines of his muscles, visible through the slightly open robe.

“When did you get back?”

“Just now.”

The Duke answered casually as he slid an arm beneath her knees and lifted her. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck. For a brief moment, the sharpness in his gaze softened.