Try Begging - Chapter 98
“Does it make sense that Jerome, who has nothing to do with the engagement, is more active than you, who is to be engaged?”
Did he really have nothing to do?
Leon smiled as he flipped through the documents.
The engagement discussions, which had been sluggish for nearly a year, came to an abrupt end.
Perhaps it was Jerome’s desire to live under the same roof as soon as possible with his secret lover, or perhaps the Grand Duke, who could not find a better puppet in the military, was anxious to put strings on Leon’s limbs.
“I mean this with all my heart, but I also regret that Jerome is not the eldest son.”
He spat out the crazy thoughts he had been having lately.
“You still bring that up.”
His mother thought he was being sarcastic, bringing up her own habit from a long time ago, so he acted sullenly though Leon truly meant it. He couldn’t believe he ended up agreeing with the words that used to hurt him.
It was ridiculous.
As usual, Mrs. Elizabeth Winston put on a pouty face and turned around to leave. Leon lowered his head under the desk, ignoring the silent threat to follow Mrs. Winston and comfort her.
“You better not expect me to let you go when I get married.”
Even after getting married, he still wanted to keep his mistress here.
She already knew that would happen, he really was a crazy person. Looking at the man with tired eyes, Grace sighed and lay down on the cushion.
“You need to tell your fiancé. Be sure to work hard on her physical strength before the first night.”
Her body still throbbed after suffering all week. Grace, a soldier of great stamina, also found it difficult to handle Winston.
“First night?”
The man who was lifting the skirt that covered her curled knees with his shoe nose furrowed his brow. His eyes seemed to be asking why he would do such a thing with the Grand Lady.
“Shouldn’t you create a successor?”
“Why are you worried about that?”
What did he mean by worry? It was just a natural thought because the biggest purpose of a noble marriage was to produce a successor who would pass on wealth and power. Then, her thoughts suddenly wandered to the man’s words, who said that it only stood up for her.
“The lineage of the Winston family will end here.”
“The lineage won’t end. We have already prepared measures.”
“Measures?”
Was he trying to adopt a son from a collateral family? Still, that wasn’t common, especially when the head of the household was a healthy young man. Though there was no way that man would want to have an illegitimate child…
‘… He’s not saying he’s going to sire an illegitimate child from me, is he?’
Leon gazed down at the face that reflected her doubts and smiled.
“You know what?”
No, she wouldn’t have imagined it.
“The fact that Jerome Winston, that stuffy, uninteresting man, is having an affair with the woman who was going to marry his brother.”
Seeing the woman open her half-closed eyes wide, Leon stretched out his hand to her cheek.
“So, the Grand Lady will give birth to a child for the Winston family someday, and we don’t have to feel guilty.”
“The first thing you asked is if they feel guilty.”
Grace jerked her head and took his hand away.
“That person is called the Grand Lady Rosie.”
The man asked, tracing the exposed nape of her neck with his fingertips, “Do you want me to call you that, too? Huh? Gracie?”
“That’s disgusting.”
He let out a soft laugh.
“Anyway, the Winston family is all crazy.”
“It’s your bloodline.”
She looked over and saw his large hand stroking her head. It seemed that she was treated like a dog again.
“You’re being good, by the way. I can’t believe you didn’t do anything nonsense this time and behaved calmly.”
Seeing that the man seemed to be in a good mood, Grace decided to strike a deal.
“Then, since I’ve been good, can I take a walk outsi—”
“Not allowed.”
Before she could finish her sentence, there was a sharp rejection.
“You just need to put the shackles on me.”
“What if someone sees you?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Another trick.
Muttering that, the man pinched the tip of her nose like scolding a child. Grace, who had no intention of escaping by being noticed, felt only mortified.
“I am protecting you. Do you know how many guys will try to r*pe you if they catch you? The hole you have now won’t be enough, you know?”
“So, like you?”
Although the man burst out laughing, his eyes were not smiling but glaring sharply at Grace.
“That’s right. Actually, it’s because I don’t want to share it.”
His hands fell away, and the man straightened his upper body. As soon as his disgusting face disappeared, he gave a stern command.
“Don’t think about falling asleep again, just read that.”
The tips of his black shoes kicked the closed folder.
“I’m going to give you a test after dinner. If you pass, I’ll let you sleep early tonight. If you fail, don’t even think about sleeping tonight.”
These days, the man has taken away all the magazines, and the only thing to read was copies of reports related to the revolutionary army. The report contained nothing but nonsense.
She would be punished if she tore it up, so she didn’t read it, leaving only traces.
Then, unknown how he knew, he had a female officer waiting outside read the report out loud. Grace, who had been covering her ears for nearly four or five hours, finally gave up and had no choice but to read the report as the officer’s voice became increasingly hoarse and painfully cracked.
This time, it was a report about an orphanage that had been confiscated while being run by the revolutionary army. The point was that they forced the orphans there to participate in anti-government activities.
Brainwashing, exploitation, forced mobilization, and the tragic end at the hands of their comrades and royalists…
Just looking at the report, the revolutionary army was a more evil group than the royalists.
Who was actually attempting to brainwash?
Grace glared at the disgustingly polished shoe nose. She heard from adults that the orphanage was run to launder military funds. It was a truly vicious slander to accuse them of exploiting orphans.
Among the comrades, there were quite a few who adopted the orphans and raised them as their own children. How could it be exploitation for such older children to follow the example of their adoptive parents and continue the revolutionary cause?
She also wanted to adopt one or two children if she married Jimmy.
“This is pure nonsense.”
The man intervened, apparently hearing what she was quietly muttering.
“The previous Western Commander’s mistress was also an orphan.”
“So?”
“They say she didn’t open her mouth until the end.”
“What an admirable comrade.”
“Is it really about loyalty?”
“You don’t understand.”
“The woman who was crying during the interrogation said that she had a younger brother and asked him to be taken care of. She was adopted along with her biological brother, but she couldn’t open her mouth even if she wanted to because her brother was being held hostage by the rebels.”
“Have you tried writing a novel?”
A laughing sound came from above the desk.
“Do you know why I said she didn’t open her mouth until the end?”
“Why?”
“That woman, she was murdered in the camp.”
“…Now you want to frame it for being eliminated by the revolutionary army, right?”
“No. No one knows that.”
“Then, what on earth do you want to say?”
“I’m curious. Why didn’t Blanchard’s rescue team save that woman?”
“….”
“Like you.”
It was like this again. It was an attempt to shake her confidence in Jimmy and the revolutionary army.
“…If I were going to fall for that kind of trick, I would have fallen for it a long time ago. Captain Winston, let’s change our tactics.”
A sigh came, and the man looked down at the desk. He had a tired face.
‘Who is really tired because of this?’
“How long are you going to read that back? Flip the page. There is a record of what she said during the interrogation.”
The man forced her to turn the pages. Why did he do that? Even though there was nothing that would change if she looked at the interrogation records, he held the file tightly in his hand like a scared person and blocked it.
“Ack!”
Grace closed her eyes tightly from the stinging pain. The sharp paper cut her between her thumb and index finger.
“It hurt….”
“Ah… sorry.”
The man put down the paper. Grace was surprised by his sincere attitude of apology rather than the pain.
‘…What was wrong with this guy?’
That wasn’t the only strange thing. He even brought a first aid kit from the bathroom and treated the minor wound. Despite the fact that the bright red blood was flowing, he wasn’t as excited as before.
Then, she suddenly realized something.
‘Why isn’t he trying to bleed me these days?’
He was a man who enjoyed sucking and drinking her blood, like a vampire.
In the meanwhile, the man wiped the blood from between her fingers with cotton. The blood-soaked cotton went straight to the trash can. Her heart trembled again at his behavior, which went against the Leon Winston she knew.
Grace held out the bleeding wound to his lips.
Suck it.
‘Act like a blood-crazed vampire. Don’t you dare try to be human now.’
The man’s gaze fell on the wound where thick drops of red blood had formed. But he didn’t open his mouth.
Hurry. Please.
The man just stared through her hand as Grace’s eyes shook anxiously. She had no idea what the negative emotions in those searing blue eyes meant.
What was clear was that it was neither joy nor excitement.
Grace, unable to control her anxiety, did something reckless. As she rubbed her hand against him, his pale lips turned bright red.
Lick. I said lick it.
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