The Serpent of Paradise - Chapter 72

“It’ll be… delayed…?”

Anastasia tried her best to feign composure, but her voice trembled terribly. Mikhail listened to her, then let out a short sigh before answering.

“There’s a problem at the Sokolov estate.”

It wasn’t a lie. Although the estate was cleaned after the spies who infiltrated it last time were dealt with, they still hadn’t thoroughly investigated everyone. He could simply allow only those who were confirmed to be trustworthy to remain within the inner part of the estate, but Mikhail deliberately didn’t mention that.

He looked at the flustered Anastasia. Anastasia regained the appearance she was originally meant to have, to the point that no trace of her past abuse could be found anywhere.

Her once blotchy skin now glowed a milky white like a field of snow, and her formerly thin limbs had filled out pleasantly, boasting beautiful curves. Her breasts, which stood out even when she was thin, couldn’t conceal their fullness even beneath her clothes.

Her lustrous dark red hair and even her lips, flushed with healthy color.

Anastasia was a being he cultivated with great care.

It was the first time he ever devoted such care to a person, and the results were remarkable, giving him a sense of satisfaction he never experienced before every single day. Especially when deep darkness fell.

At first, he intended to show the being he cultivated to others. Like a painter exhibiting a painting, or a writer publishing a book.

But as time passed, Mikhail’s thoughts gradually changed.

‘To think I’d come to understand the hobbies of nobles.’

One of the hobbies of Novgod’s nobles was keeping glass conservatories. In this land with its long winters, building a conservatory and growing delicate plants from faraway places that couldn’t properly take root here was an indulgence permitted only to the wealthy.

One would expect them to show off the plants growing inside, but nobles rarely showed anyone the interiors of their conservatories. At least their families and relatives were sometimes allowed to enjoy them, but among the more extreme ones, many entered alone and kept the beauty within entirely to themselves.

When Mikhail first learned that, he thought they were an incomprehensible lot. But not anymore.

He reached out and cupped Anastasia’s cheek. He felt her flinch in surprise, but ignored it and lowered his head, pressing his lips against hers.

At first, he thought he would tire of her after sleeping with her a few times. He thought Anastasia would eventually become tedious too, like the women in Sokolov or the capital whom he grew sick of at the mere sight of them. She was a woman who resembled this dull Edenhurst, so surely that was how it should be. Then why….

Mikhail closed his eyes at the sweetness filling his mouth. Innocence should have led to boredom, yet he couldn’t tell when it became an addiction.

‘She’s mine.’

The pleasure he created.

As he savored Anastasia to his heart’s content, the pest that suddenly appeared came to mind. Ilya. The shameless bastard who was now trying to lay his hands on the product of Mikhail’s efforts.

At least Edenhurst still had only one pest. But what if they went to Sokolov?

He intended to dress Anastasia in clothes made from the softest fabric and adorn her with the most beautiful flowers. What would happen then?

That place was filled with filthy bastards beyond comparison to someone like Ilya.

‘Bastards like me.’

His arms tightened around Anastasia. To Mikhail, Edenhurst was a glass conservatory. A conservatory where he could keep what he liked and only he could come to see it. A place suited to keeping insects out and carefully cultivating the person he cherished.

Then was there really any need to take Anastasia outside Edenhurst?

She wouldn’t lack anything just because she remained at Edenhurst. He would give her everything she wanted.

Mikhail usually made decisions quickly. The answer to every problem was already determined, and deliberation was merely the effort of finding justification for choosing that answer. But for several days now, he was unable to reach an answer about where Anastasia would live.

In truth, the answer to this was already determined within him as well. He was merely searching for a valid reason that would persuade her to accept his choice. And with this matter… finding that justification was proving difficult. So Mikhail was putting off his answer.

Just as he was about to take her to bed to experience the pleasure he enjoyed every day, Anastasia pushed him away. Feeling a faint pain in his tongue, he pulled his lips away.

“Then, then… when are we going?”

Mikhail felt irritated by Anastasia’s question. She never said anything no matter what he said about other matters, yet Anastasia was strangely fixated on going to Sokolov.

‘It would be easier if she wanted something else.’

Books, clothes, jewels. If it was something others couldn’t obtain, he could give her as much of it as she wanted, so why did she insist on wanting only to go to Sokolov?

“I’ll tell you once I know for certain.”

Mikhail wanted to end this uncomfortable conversation. But Anastasia, who normally wouldn’t have said anything more, didn’t back down easily.

“It doesn’t have to be Sokolov. Just… somewhere else would be fine….”

“….”

The hand tightly clutching her clothes seemed to show Anastasia’s determination to continue this conversation. Mikhail’s hand felt awkwardly empty after Anastasia pulled away, so he swept back his hair. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“All right. I’ll look into it further.”

After answering, Mikhail turned away. Once he stepped into the corridor, he walked quickly. Mikhail knew. He knew that he was running away right now.

“….”

After Mikhail left the room, Anastasia stood alone in the middle of it.

‘Why?’

Was it because she spent her entire life watching other people’s moods? Anastasia noticed that Mikhail’s attitude had changed. The man who once made her heart race by telling her not only about Sokolov, but also about the capital and Ils, no longer spoke of the outside world.

Her grip on her clothes tightened. The people she met flashed through Anastasia’s mind. Her father. The Count. Edward…. They all had one thing in common. Every one of them greatly disliked her meeting other people and going outside.

Perhaps that was why she was even more drawn to Mikhail. Unlike them, he shared knowledge with her and broadened her world. But why, after all this time, was he becoming like them….

“No.”

Anastasia shook her head. It was a gesture meant to shake off the fear spreading through her body.

“…That can’t be.”

Her muttering was so quiet that even she could barely hear her own whisper.

***

The coachmen quickly adjusted to Edenhurst. No matter how much changed, it was ultimately still based on the Edenhurst where they used to work.

“Look at this! It listens to me so well!”

Catherine’s excited voice rang out from the garden. Catherine was mounted on a horse recently brought from Sokolov. The coachmen slowly led the horse around, and Catherine, who hadn’t enjoyed riding for a long time, was simply delighted.

Watching from a distance, Anastasia clenched her sweaty hands. The Edenhurst of the past overlapped with the sound of Catherine’s delighted voice ringing through the air. But there was one difference from back then. Igor and Yuri were standing beside Catherine as well.

Instead of their usual indifferent expressions, they wore quite friendly smiles as they spoke not only to Catherine on the horse, but also to the coachmen standing beside her.

Just when did they become so close?

Feeling uncomfortable at the sight of the peaceful garden, Anastasia turned away. In the end, Mikhail didn’t return yesterday. Anastasia didn’t wait for him. Somehow, she expected that he wouldn’t come.

On her way to the study, Anastasia was about to climb the stairs when she stopped. Ilya was coming down from above. Since she’d avoided him ever since the dinner, Anastasia hurriedly turned away. Just then, Ilya called out to her.

“Anastasia!”

“….”

He even called her by name, so she couldn’t pretend not to hear him. When Anastasia turned around with difficulty, Ilya quickly descended the stairs and stood before her.

“It’s been a while, Ilya. I’m sorry, but right now I….”

Just as she tried to greet him quickly and leave, Ilya spoke urgently, “Anastasia. Mikhail isn’t going to take you to Sokolov.”

At those words, Anastasia stopped walking.

***

Natasha was diligently cleaning the room while Anastasia was away for a moment.

After the dinner, Mikhail gave Anastasia even more gifts. The room was filled with things so expensive and precious that even Natasha, who saw plenty of lavish things in Sokolov in her own way, was left speechless.

‘But….’

From that day onward, Anastasia abruptly became much quieter. Her expression wasn’t bright either. Natasha noticed that a strange tension began to flow between her master and Anastasia. In the past, she would’ve thought it was none of her business and merely followed Mikhail’s orders, but she kept worrying about Anastasia, who sat listlessly in her room all day.

‘Would things have been different if she were a little more cunning?’

She truly was an innocent young lady. That was the kind way to put it. Put negatively, she was someone who could easily be used by others. She had the particular darkness of someone who suffered abuse, yet it was still far too easy to see how much she liked people.

‘I wish things could be a little less difficult for her.’

And of all people, someone like that happened to catch the eye of Mikhail Sokolov, a man she couldn’t dare oppose.

Her chest felt tight even though it wasn’t her concern. After putting everything in order, Natasha headed to the kitchen to prepare a drink for Anastasia when she returned. Then she saw someone peering around the entrance to the corridor leading into the annex.

“Who are you?”

He was a servant she didn’t know. When Natasha made no attempt to hide her wariness, he hurriedly waved his hands and said, “I’m one of the coachmen who recently returned.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Uh, well….”

The coachman hesitated slightly before speaking.

“I came because I have something to tell Miss Anastasia about the Count.”