Vol. 2 Chapter 5.5 - The fate flows again
Into The Rose Garden
Vol. 2 Chapter 5.5 - The fate flows again
Considering the guest list for today, it was obvious that whoever the two alphas he had knocked down were, they would cause some headaches for him in the future. But Klopp couldnât think of anything right now. Despite having vented as much as he could, there was still lingering inexplicable anxiety, restlessness, and anger. He only wanted to make sure that the small and beautiful omega wouldnât get startled anymore, so he made an effort to smile.
There wasnât much commotion among the Countâs guests. However, those who knew exchanged serious glances. The two beaten alphas were influential figures in their respective families, and would undoubtedly cause a big stir if their parents found out the truth that they were engaging in the trend between alphas. The butler quickly arranged for a doctor to come and treat the two alphas before sending them home. Meanwhile, Klopp tried to see Rayfiel off, but Rayfiel declined, saying he was alright.
âYouâre injured, you should rest.â
âBut I have something to tell you.â
âDo it at another time.â
With some hesitation, Rayfiel left a kiss on Kloppâs cheek and boarded the carriage that came to pick him up. As the carriage door closed, Klopp kissed Rayfielâs hand that was resting on the window sill, filled with remorse.
âYes, next time.â
âIâll be waiting for you.â
Rayfiel smiled, lowering his gaze.
After the carriage departed, Klopp felt extremely depressed, filled with disappointment in himself and regret for disappointing his lover. His chest felt heavy, and he had no energy left. He was about to ask one of the footmen to call a carriage when Aelock appeared out of nowhere and intervened.
âItâs late, go rest. Iâll prepare a room for you.â
âThereâs no need for that.â
âYou caused an accident in my house. Just in case the victimsâ family contacts us, stay here tonight.â
âRegardless, it was them who initiated the violence.â
He made it clear to the Count, who could be a key witness in future conflicts, to firmly take his sideâs justification.
âOf course, thatâs true for you. But you canât deny that it was a one-sided assault. And those were influential members of a family that cannot be disregarded in society.â
âDo you mean that itâs wrong for someone powerless and rankless to provoke noble individuals?â
Aelock sneered and raised his voice with a contorted expression.
âThatâs not what I meant! They will seek revenge against you no matter what.â
âAnd Iâm not the type to just sit back and take it.â
The Count who was frozen in place still glared at him with his pale face. His shoulders trembled slightly.
âI know that about you better than anyone in this world. But for tonight, stay at this estate. You must be tired.â
âVery well, then.â
In truth, Klopp was indeed tired, and as a legal expert, he knew there were various problems at hand. But, above that, seeing Aelockâs exhausted and sad expression, he couldnât help but give in without putting up a fight. If he went back right now, Martha probably wouldnât open the door for him, and staying a night in this spacious estate wouldnât cause a big issue for the owner. Moreover, since the incident occurred in this estate, the Count would end up getting involved. It was better to do as he wanted for the trivial matters.
Soon, a maid appeared and guided Klopp to a guest room. Despite Klopp thanking him, Aelock didnât respond and went somewhere else without a word.
The room the maid showed him was the one he had stayed in when he had first been invited to the estate. Left alone, Klopp felt frustrated and threw off his jacket, loosening his tie and unbuttoning a few buttons on his collar. Then he opened the window and stepped out onto the terrace. The cool night air cooled his heated head. Leaning against the terrace railing, Klopp gazed at the distant sky before lowering his gaze down.
From the window of this room on the second floor, he had a clear view of the rose garden. Now that the soirée ended, the area had been tidied up, left with only tables and chairs. As the servants passed by, extinguishing the lanterns, the lights gradually went out one by one. It was as if the light of the flowers was fading. The blowing breeze felt cool. Klopp closed his eyes and deeply breathed in the air, then exhaled. A faint scent of roses lingered.
Today had been a complete mess. He wouldnât have come to the estate in the first place if he knew it would turn out like this. Pursuing an incompatible romance had only ruined everything. The last look of his disappointed lover haunted him. He would have to do something extraordinary to make up for this mistake. However, no matter how much he thought, nothing came to mind. He should have kept it simple, just like his personality. Wait, but what happened to the ring?
He opened his eyes wide, stood up, and searched his pockets. He looked at the jacket heâd thrown on the bed and remembered. Heâd been looking for it after it fell, but he had completely forgotten about it because those other people showed up. Cursing under his breath, Klopp left the room. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
In the rose garden, where everyone, including the guests, musicians, and servants, had left, only a chilly breeze blew. Klopp hurriedly rushed out without even putting on his jacket and borrowed a lamp from a passing maid, almost snatching it from her, and headed to where he had beaten those guys from before.
The ring was incredibly important. It wasnât about its value, but because it was a special order from a high-end shop where Viscount Derbyshire had written a special recommendation himself. If he lost the ring on top of ruining the proposal, it wouldnât just be a simple incident; it would be a significant problem for Kloppâs reputation. Although that seemed to already happen.
He scanned the area illuminated by the lamp, feeling around with his hand, but all he found were rose petals and silk ribbons that hadnât been cleared away. Some might think this act was very romantic, but it only annoyed Klopp. He searched for a while but couldnât find it. He couldnât even see the box. Even if finding the ring was difficult, he had thought he would quickly find the box. But no matter how much he searched, the box was nowhere to be seen.
âDamn it. Where is that goddamn ring.â
He bent down and searched until his back ached and the muscles in his back pulled. He didnât even notice someone approaching from behind. So when he heard a calm voice saying, âYou donât have to look for it,â he was startled. Turning around, he saw the Count with a faint smile on his face.
âWhat?â
âArenât you looking for this?â
Glaring at him, Klopp straightened his back and stood up as the Count approached, extending a small box in his hand. It was the ring box, and the ring was still inside. Klopp looked slightly impressed as he looked at him. And Aelock smiled again. It seemed that Klopp could now sense a slight difference in his smile. It didnât appear to be a teasing or joyful smile but rather a somewhat awkward and sad one.
âHow did you know?â
âThe butler found it earlier.â
It wasnât a bad excuse, except that he knew the butler had been busier than Klopp or Aelock in treating and sending those two alphas back. Before Klopp could ask how Aelock knew it was his ring, Aelock broke the awkward atmosphere first.
âIt seems that your proposal didnât go well.â
As he smiled again on his pretty face, something stirred in Klopp. It wasnât because the proposal had gone wrong or because the Count was mocking him. It was a kind of poignant sadness that seeped through. Even now, he could still hear the violin in his ears. It wasnât just a performance, maybe it was a plea.
Why was the Count so entangled like this? Klopp had an impulse to see the Countâs pale face getting contorted with a genuine appearance, just as he was, not with a mask-like smile.
Even when his beloved lover had just left him with tears on his face, he only wondered how Aelock Teiwind would look on the bed. His lower body felt a surge of heat. This was the worst. He was still holding the engagement ring in his hand. Unable to deal with his torn feelings, he could only express himself with a grim expression and curt words.
âThank you for finding it. I apologize for causing trouble today, but thereâs no need for you to meddle in other peopleâs personal lives.â
The corners of Aelockâs mouth curled up at the cold response. His eyes werenât smiling at all. Instead, they held a depth of indescribable sorrow. Aelockâs expression didnât match his gaze, just like Kloppâs actions were different from his feelings.
âRight. You can handle it on your own. I apologize for meddling. I justâ¦â
Aelock, who was turning away while answering in a stiff tone, paused for a moment. He stared at Klopp who was deliberately ignoring him, only looking at his direction.
âItâs just unfortunate that your preparations didnât lead to a good outcome. Thatâs all, really.â
Leaving behind these words, he disappeared into the other side of the garden, as if carried away by the wind.
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