FTPWR 10

Chapter: 10

As if those words had been a signal, the employees who had been watching the situation from nearby all suddenly lit up and grabbed Vanessa by the arms.

“What is this…?!”

Perhaps because she had only realized what was happening a moment too late.

Before she could react, the measuring tape swiftly began taking Vanessa’s measurements one by one.

“Won’t you stop this right now? If you don’t let go before I count to three…!”

No. If they took all my measurements like this, I really would end up wearing that dress…!

Just as Vanessa gathered the last of her pride and was about to swing her arm—

Knock, knock.

With two monotonous knocks, someone opened the door and entered.

“I came just in case. It seems I was right to come.”

The person who entered the room without the slightest idea of what Vanessa was going through was none other than Ian Ruscliff.

“Ian! You…!”

“Have you taken all her measurements?”

“Haah, haah… Now… only the bust remains…!”

Perhaps Vanessa’s resistance had been stronger than expected. The employee who had been taking her measurements while dodging her wildly flailing hands let out a breathless reply.

“…Measure it accurately.”

What are you telling them to measure accurately? Are you insane?

Vanessa stopped waving her arms and stared at Ian with a horrified expression.

“I will make sure to measure it without even the slightest error!”

Why are you agreeing to that?!

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Vanessa let out a hollow laugh. Ian, meanwhile, wore a smile at the corner of his lips as he stared intently at her.

Huh? Huh…? Where exactly are his eyes slowly moving toward…?

“Ian Ruscliff?”

“I can hear you, so you don’t have to keep pressing my name like that… Sasha.”

Damn it, his voice was annoyingly pleasant.

Vanessa barely managed to endure the sensation that her eardrums might melt and widened her eyes.

“Sasha?”

“Since we’re going to be husband and wife, I thought it would be nice to have a pet name for you.”

“……”

“You may call me by my name comfortably.”

So the smiley face in his letters had been drawn after looking at his own expression.

Ian wore the exact same smile as the one in his letters, irritatingly enough. He glanced at the employee carefully bringing the measuring tape toward Vanessa’s bust before turning his gaze away.

“…I’ll wait in the drawing room.”

Vanessa noticed that Ian’s ears had turned red.

Had Ian ever looked like that before?

Despite the words he had spoken, his reddened ears unmistakably made him look embarrassed. Even though Vanessa knew that her marriage to him was merely a contractual one, she couldn’t help but wonder, just perhaps…

“Why? A moment ago, you told them to measure accurately.”

“……”

“Don’t tell me… you’re embarrassed?”

“That’s impossible.”

A dry, chilling voice settled over Vanessa’s ears as she looked triumphant, as though she had discovered his weakness.

It was enough to make her realize that her thought—that perhaps their relationship might not be completely cold and barren—had been nothing more than a delusion of her own.

“There’s no need for me to see it. And there won’t be in the future, either.”

After Vanessa finally finished struggling through the fitting, she entered the drawing room and found Ian staring out the window.

At the sound of her presence, his head slowly turned.

I really have no idea what he’s thinking.

His gaze meeting hers was still as dry and listless as someone looking at a boring book.

‘There won’t be any need for me to see it.’

He could hardly make it any more obvious if he tried.

It’s a contractual marriage.

Vanessa grumbled inwardly and let out a small sigh.

‘Whatever. What good would it do to get angry now?’

After all, she was practically using Ian herself to avoid marrying Carlisle Leonard.

If she was going to complain about his cold attitude, she should have offered the proposal to someone else in the first place.

He was a man so stiff and deeply rooted in his ways that he seemed completely incapable of understanding even a grain of a woman’s heart. He had even supposedly made plans to become a saint by the age of forty.

Vanessa subtly avoided his unwavering gaze and sat across from Ian.

“…The tea tastes good.”

At his slowly spoken words, Vanessa glanced at the teacup.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Why don’t you actually drink more than one sip before saying that?

Vanessa unconsciously pursed her lips before quickly pressing them together again, then stared at the teacup in front of her.

Despite its murky color, the tea carried an incredibly sweet fragrance that lingered at the tip of her nose.

Just one sip was enough to gently ease away her unpleasant mood.

It was milk tea made with honey and milk.

Her maid, Dia, used to make it herself especially for her.

After she married Carlisle, she hadn’t even had the chance to see it, let alone drink it…

Only now did she truly feel that she had returned to the past.

She savored the familiar fragrance through her nose and took a small sip.

Mm. Just as I thought.

Milk tea tastes the best when you’ve returned to the past.

Vanessa set down the half-empty teacup with a noticeable clink and looked at Ian.

“Ian.”

“Yes, Sasha.”

His voice was gentle, but his eyes were utterly dry.

If I only listened to his voice, I might think he was overflowing with affection for me. But just look at those eyes.

Even if a freezing northern wind were blowing, it would probably be warmer than this.

“Can I modify the conditions a little?”

“……”

“……”

“That… might be difficult.”

Unlike when he had called her by her pet name, his hesitant tone made Vanessa shrug her shoulders.

She hadn’t expected him to agree in the first place, but hearing a definite refusal still left her feeling a little bitter.

It seemed it would remain an undeniable fact that rumors would spread through high society about a woman who wasn’t loved by her husband.

Vanessa silently savored the milk tea in her cup.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Being able to drink the milk tea Dia had made for her again was more than enough comfort.

At the end of her brief glance, she saw that Ian’s tea had barely been touched.

Judging by his expression, he seemed to want to go home.

“Fine. If you’ve finished your tea, you can go now…”

“Let me hear you out.”

“……”

“My ears are open.”

He asked for her reason with a face that looked as though he was dying to leave the moment he could.

He really was impossible to figure out.

He had been like this even in his forties, but back then, he hadn’t been quite this difficult to read.

Vanessa softened her eyes as she looked at Ian, who was still watching her with an enigmatic expression.

“There’s nothing else to do besides the fitting, right? Then… I’d like you to leave now.”

“…Earlier.”

Ian slowly opened his mouth, looking once at his teacup and then at Vanessa’s smiling face.

“Were you upset?”

“……”

“If you were, I apologize.”

Was she upset…?

Without even knowing what the problem had been, he offered an apology that felt like nothing more than empty courtesy. Vanessa’s smile deepened.

“What is there to apologize for? It’s a contractual marriage anyway.”

At her words, Ian’s brow twitched.

“Contract.”

Ian rolled the word around his tongue before quietly exhaling and standing up.

“Vanessa.”

The pet name had disappeared from his voice, leaving behind nothing but a cold northern wind.

“We’re going to be together for a long time from now on. It’s troublesome when you draw a line between us like that.”

After saying those words, Ian glanced at the tea he hadn’t even drunk half of, then walked past Vanessa.

Only after his retreating figure had disappeared into the distance did Vanessa stare blankly with her mouth slightly open.

“…Why on earth is he the one who’s angry?”

Because the events of the afternoon kept disturbing her thoughts, Vanessa couldn’t easily fall asleep.

Was he really saying that he didn’t like being told that this was a contractual marriage, despite piling on conditions forbidding physical contact and even saying that there would be no reason for them to see each other?

“Ha. This is unbelievable.”

The Ian Ruscliff in his twenties was an even more unfathomable man than the Ian in his forties.

Back then, perhaps because I was a cripple, he seemed a little warmer than he is now.

“Ugh…”

Vanessa groaned and flopped down onto the bed.

“It was enough as long as it wasn’t Carlisle anyway.”

Now that her wish had come true, she knew that wanting anything more from him or commenting on his behavior was simply her own selfishness, so she had kept quiet.

“…Still, this is too much.”

Even so, there was no denying that Ian Ruscliff’s behavior had gone a little too far.

‘It’s almost as if… yes, as if he really… with me…’

Vanessa sat up and carefully examined the letter she had left beside the bed once more.

Looking at the enormous list of wedding preparations, from the items needed for the wedding ceremony to the maintenance of the garden—

Even though she knew that the illusion would be completely shattered the moment she saw his expression and behavior, she couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Does he… seem happy that we’re getting married?’

But he was a man who hated unnecessary emotional expenditure more than anyone.

That was probably why he had made plans to become a saint by the age of forty.

She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen a woman by his side, and as for the people he actually met… there was only Tessa Descartes, who was currently the Crown Prince and would later become Emperor.

Vanessa shook her head slightly, looking utterly incredulous.

‘…Good grief. What a ridiculous delusion I’m having.’

Chapter 10

As if those words had been a signal, the employees who had been watching the situation from nearby all suddenly lit up and grabbed Vanessa by the arms.

“What is this…?!”

Perhaps because she had only realized what was happening a moment too late.

Before she could react, the measuring tape swiftly began taking Vanessa’s measurements one by one.

“Won’t you stop this right now? If you don’t let go before I count to three…!”

No. If they took all my measurements like this, I really would end up wearing that dress…!

Just as Vanessa gathered the last of her pride and was about to swing her arm—

Knock, knock.

With two monotonous knocks, someone opened the door and entered.

“I came just in case. It seems I was right to come.”

The person who entered the room without the slightest idea of what Vanessa was going through was none other than Ian Ruscliff.

“Ian! You…!”

“Have you taken all her measurements?”

“Haah, haah… Now… only the bust remains…!”

Perhaps Vanessa’s resistance had been stronger than expected. The employee who had been taking her measurements while dodging her wildly flailing hands let out a breathless reply.

“…Measure it accurately.”

What are you telling them to measure accurately? Are you insane?

Vanessa stopped waving her arms and stared at Ian with a horrified expression.

“I will make sure to measure it without even the slightest error!”

Why are you agreeing to that?!

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Vanessa let out a hollow laugh. Ian, meanwhile, wore a smile at the corner of his lips as he stared intently at her.

Huh? Huh…? Where exactly are his eyes slowly moving toward…?

“Ian Ruscliff?”

“I can hear you, so you don’t have to keep pressing my name like that… Sasha.”

Damn it, his voice was annoyingly pleasant.

Vanessa barely managed to endure the sensation that her eardrums might melt and widened her eyes.

“Sasha?”

“Since we’re going to be husband and wife, I thought it would be nice to have a pet name for you.”

“……”

“You may call me by my name comfortably.”

So the smiley face in his letters had been drawn after looking at his own expression.

Ian wore the exact same smile as the one in his letters, irritatingly enough. He glanced at the employee carefully bringing the measuring tape toward Vanessa’s bust before turning his gaze away.

“…I’ll wait in the drawing room.”

Vanessa noticed that Ian’s ears had turned red.

Had Ian ever looked like that before?

Despite the words he had spoken, his reddened ears unmistakably made him look embarrassed. Even though Vanessa knew that her marriage to him was merely a contractual one, she couldn’t help but wonder, just perhaps…

“Why? A moment ago, you told them to measure accurately.”

“……”

“Don’t tell me… you’re embarrassed?”

“That’s impossible.”

A dry, chilling voice settled over Vanessa’s ears as she looked triumphant, as though she had discovered his weakness.

It was enough to make her realize that her thought—that perhaps their relationship might not be completely cold and barren—had been nothing more than a delusion of her own.

“There’s no need for me to see it. And there won’t be in the future, either.”

After Vanessa finally finished struggling through the fitting, she entered the drawing room and found Ian staring out the window.

At the sound of her presence, his head slowly turned.

I really have no idea what he’s thinking.

His gaze meeting hers was still as dry and listless as someone looking at a boring book.

‘There won’t be any need for me to see it.’

He could hardly make it any more obvious if he tried.

It’s a contractual marriage.

Vanessa grumbled inwardly and let out a small sigh.

‘Whatever. What good would it do to get angry now?’

After all, she was practically using Ian herself to avoid marrying Carlisle Leonard.

If she was going to complain about his cold attitude, she should have offered the proposal to someone else in the first place.

He was a man so stiff and deeply rooted in his ways that he seemed completely incapable of understanding even a grain of a woman’s heart. He had even supposedly made plans to become a saint by the age of forty.

Vanessa subtly avoided his unwavering gaze and sat across from Ian.

“…The tea tastes good.”

At his slowly spoken words, Vanessa glanced at the teacup.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Why don’t you actually drink more than one sip before saying that?

Vanessa unconsciously pursed her lips before quickly pressing them together again, then stared at the teacup in front of her.

Despite its murky color, the tea carried an incredibly sweet fragrance that lingered at the tip of her nose.

Just one sip was enough to gently ease away her unpleasant mood.

It was milk tea made with honey and milk.

Her maid, Dia, used to make it herself especially for her.

After she married Carlisle, she hadn’t even had the chance to see it, let alone drink it…

Only now did she truly feel that she had returned to the past.

She savored the familiar fragrance through her nose and took a small sip.

Mm. Just as I thought.

Milk tea tastes the best when you’ve returned to the past.

Vanessa set down the half-empty teacup with a noticeable clink and looked at Ian.

“Ian.”

“Yes, Sasha.”

His voice was gentle, but his eyes were utterly dry.

If I only listened to his voice, I might think he was overflowing with affection for me. But just look at those eyes.

Even if a freezing northern wind were blowing, it would probably be warmer than this.

“Can I modify the conditions a little?”

“……”

“……”

“That… might be difficult.”

Unlike when he had called her by her pet name, his hesitant tone made Vanessa shrug her shoulders.

She hadn’t expected him to agree in the first place, but hearing a definite refusal still left her feeling a little bitter.

It seemed it would remain an undeniable fact that rumors would spread through high society about a woman who wasn’t loved by her husband.

Vanessa silently savored the milk tea in her cup.

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

Being able to drink the milk tea Dia had made for her again was more than enough comfort.

At the end of her brief glance, she saw that Ian’s tea had barely been touched.

Judging by his expression, he seemed to want to go home.

“Fine. If you’ve finished your tea, you can go now…”

“Let me hear you out.”

“……”

“My ears are open.”

He asked for her reason with a face that looked as though he was dying to leave the moment he could.

He really was impossible to figure out.

He had been like this even in his forties, but back then, he hadn’t been quite this difficult to read.

Vanessa softened her eyes as she looked at Ian, who was still watching her with an enigmatic expression.

“There’s nothing else to do besides the fitting, right? Then… I’d like you to leave now.”

“…Earlier.”

Ian slowly opened his mouth, looking once at his teacup and then at Vanessa’s smiling face.

“Were you upset?”

“……”

“If you were, I apologize.”

Was she upset…?

Without even knowing what the problem had been, he offered an apology that felt like nothing more than empty courtesy. Vanessa’s smile deepened.

“What is there to apologize for? It’s a contractual marriage anyway.”

At her words, Ian’s brow twitched.

“Contract.”

Ian rolled the word around his tongue before quietly exhaling and standing up.

“Vanessa.”

The pet name had disappeared from his voice, leaving behind nothing but a cold northern wind.

“We’re going to be together for a long time from now on. It’s troublesome when you draw a line between us like that.”

After saying those words, Ian glanced at the tea he hadn’t even drunk half of, then walked past Vanessa.

Only after his retreating figure had disappeared into the distance did Vanessa stare blankly with her mouth slightly open.

“…Why on earth is he the one who’s angry?”

Because the events of the afternoon kept disturbing her thoughts, Vanessa couldn’t easily fall asleep.

Was he really saying that he didn’t like being told that this was a contractual marriage, despite piling on conditions forbidding physical contact and even saying that there would be no reason for them to see each other?

“Ha. This is unbelievable.”

The Ian Ruscliff in his twenties was an even more unfathomable man than the Ian in his forties.

Back then, perhaps because I was a cripple, he seemed a little warmer than he is now.

“Ugh…”

Vanessa groaned and flopped down onto the bed.

“It was enough as long as it wasn’t Carlisle anyway.”

Now that her wish had come true, she knew that wanting anything more from him or commenting on his behavior was simply her own selfishness, so she had kept quiet.

“…Still, this is too much.”

Even so, there was no denying that Ian Ruscliff’s behavior had gone a little too far.

‘It’s almost as if… yes, as if he really… with me…’

Vanessa sat up and carefully examined the letter she had left beside the bed once more.

Looking at the enormous list of wedding preparations, from the items needed for the wedding ceremony to the maintenance of the garden—

Even though she knew that the illusion would be completely shattered the moment she saw his expression and behavior, she couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Does he… seem happy that we’re getting married?’

But he was a man who hated unnecessary emotional expenditure more than anyone.

That was probably why he had made plans to become a saint by the age of forty.

She could count on one hand the number of times she had seen a woman by his side, and as for the people he actually met… there was only Tessa Descartes, who was currently the Crown Prince and would later become Emperor.

Vanessa shook her head slightly, looking utterly incredulous.

‘…Good grief. What a ridiculous delusion I’m having.’