There Is No Paradise Where I Ran Away To (14 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 14
Vivian’s plan had fallen apart. After Sophie disappeared, saying she would come back with permission, Vivian hurried to slip out of the mansion, but Theo stubbornly insisted they wait for the maid. Vivian pleaded fervently, yet, oddly enough, he wouldn’t budge.
She imagined what might happen if Theo—who believed the incident in the carriage had been the Duke’s doing—happened to run into him by chance. Theo, whose face usually looked so guileless but who occasionally couldn’t rein in his temper, might again fail to control himself and demand answers about that day. The thought terrified her. Thus, it was clearly wisest to avoid Edwin altogether if possible.
But of course, things never went exactly as she wished.
“Oh my, Miss! You’re absolutely stunning. How can you possibly be this beautiful?”
What Theo had brought as a gift was a dress. Even without gemstones, its soft green hue and golden thread embroidery made it so enchanting it seemed to cast a spell of its own.
Though she’d agreed to Theo’s request—since the Duke had been so considerate, she should wear the gift he’d sent—the dress felt unbearably heavy, clearly worth a fortune at first glance. Awkwardly fiddling with the voluminous skirt, she asked her reflection in the mirror,
“…But isn’t this too extravagant for me?”
“Oh, Miss! Extravagant? The noble ladies in the capital wear things far more ornate than this! Look at Miss Windler, for instance—she’s always so dazzling. And even without any gems, how can this dress shimmer so brightly? What magic did they weave into it?”
She instinctively straightened her back, afraid her spine might involuntarily curve.
“I’d believe your friend is a royal tailor. And this color—what about it? He must’ve dyed it himself. I’ve never seen a shade like this in my life. Truly, Miss, it suits you perfectly.”
Vivian agreed wholeheartedly with Theo’s praise. Known for inheriting his father’s talent in full, Theo’s innate ability had placed him at the forefront of Rodinia’s fashion, and his reputation had even spread to neighboring cities; the number of clients seeking him out grew daily.
Yet, as he started leaving his boutique more often, his popularity began to wane. Knowing it was all because of her, she couldn’t possibly accept his gift with a calm heart.
“Hurry and go show your friend. He’ll be absolutely delighted.”
Was she really worthy of receiving this dress?
Vivian, who couldn’t even manage a bright smile despite wearing the most beautiful gown, stepped out of the room, only to be blinded by another worry.
The Duke of Beitnes had shown unexpected leniency once again.
What could possibly be the Duke’s true intention? He had threatened to strangle her and devour her—yet when his guest had rudely arrived, not only had he shown no sign of displeasure, he’d even offered them his garden.
He leaned closer to hostility yet showed kindness. He acted cruel, yet revealed moments of gentle leniency.
Still, she suspected there must be another motive hidden behind the Duke’s display of tolerance.
Her trust in the Duke had shattered long ago.
Hadn’t she realized that day—after learning she’d swallowed a poisoned cake—that she shouldn’t take cakes offered by the Duke so casually? Surely, this recent show of generosity concealed another ulterior motive.
As she passed through the entrance, bright sunlight poured down. Walking toward the garden where Theo waited, she glanced at the soft green dress fluttering at her feet.
This dress, which she now dared not even covet, distorted her sense of reality. The ominous stone rolling inside her chest gradually swelled in size.
“Miss.”
At the call, she lifted her head to see Theo waving from the shadow of the pergola. The corners of his mouth were lifted in a refreshingly cheerful smile.
“Did you wait long, Theo? The dress is…”
Until she saw the spread-out table, she’d already planned exactly how she’d compliment the dress.
Chocolate cookies, pudding, strawberry cake, apple pie, and pastries heaped with candies and cream—among them, Theo himself stood tall. The sight overwhelmed Vivian so completely that her carefully prepared words vanished into a blank haze.
Turning to Sophie in disbelief at the sheer amount—enough that the two of them couldn’t possibly finish it alone—she asked,
“Did the Duke personally order all this?”
When Vivian’s voice rose sharply, Sophie, wide-eyed like a frightened kitten, nodded timidly. Knowing it wasn’t Sophie’s fault, Vivian turned her gaze away again.
“Miss, the dress truly suits you wonderfully.”
Her scattered thoughts returned to focus as Theo’s admiring voice gently filled the air beside the tea table. His eyes sparkled brightly, utterly fixed on the dress.
If she could at least serve as a proper mannequin for the carefully crafted garment, Vivian would have been content. Setting aside, for the moment, Edwin’s unsettling behavior, she concentrated on Theo.
“It’s so splendid and beautiful—I wasn’t sure if it truly suited me.”
“If it doesn’t suit you, Miss, it suits no one. This dress was made for you and you alone.”
She should have chosen her words more carefully, but her sincerity came through too plainly. Perhaps fearing his feelings had been exposed, Theo quickly pulled out a chair for her.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you, Theo.”
Seated once more, Vivian stared helplessly at the absurd abundance of food before her.
Was this the Duke’s refined way of reproaching her for the rudeness of bringing a guest? Or was he telling her, in his own way, to eat and put on weight?
The former made no sense; the latter, she could accept calmly.
After all, when had the Duke ever asked for her opinion? He’d brought food before her eyes countless times without asking.
“Theo, but still…”
“Yes?”
Even surrounded by desserts threatening to bury him, Theo calmly lifted his teacup.
“The dress is truly beautiful, but I’m not sure if I should accept something like this. It must have cost a great deal to make. If it’s alright, I’d like to at least pay for the materials—obviously not right now, but as soon as I can…”
“Do you think I spent months making this just to collect payment for materials?”
“But Theo, this dress is far too expensive for me to accept as a gift.”
“Miss.”
Theo didn’t wrap his disappointment in pretty words or gentle packaging. He showed Vivian his hurt exactly as he felt it, without filtering a thing. Reading that raw emotion, Vivian clung precariously to her tangled feelings.
“Just this once—please lean on me.”
“…”
“It’s merely a dress. I never asked for much. Is it really wrong for a friend, saddened to see you always wearing the same plain clothes, to give you something like this?”
Even after uttering the word “friend,” her lips felt stiff and unnatural.
Were they truly friends? Could they ever be?
Vivian was a noblewoman of high standing from Preston, and even in Newway, everyone treated her as such. How absurd to think a noble lady and a mere tailor could be friends.
“Actually, I have another reason for visiting you.”
Vivian’s lips, ready to say something, gently closed.
“How about leaving this mansion for good?”
His tone sounded closer to a plea than a suggestion—and yet somehow more like a demand than a plea. His steady gaze, fixed on her gray eyes, held quiet resolve.
“I plan to buy a house in the village. Just a small cottage, but enough for my mother, my siblings, and me.”
“Theo…”
“You can stay at our house. I’ve spoken with Mother and my siblings—they’ve already agreed. It’s not as grand as this mansion, but it’s certainly not too cramped for you to live alone.”
A suffocating, conflicted feeling tightened around her throat. Shame and self-loathing, like creeping shadows, reduced her to nothing.
Biting hard on the tender flesh inside her mouth, a metallic taste gathered on her tongue. Avoiding his gaze, she stared at Edwin’s blatant intentions laid out across the tea table.
Right now, Edwin’s malice felt more hopeful than Theo’s kindness.
“I truly appreciate the offer, but how could I possibly take your family home—the place you all live together—away from you? No matter what, that’s simply wrong. I couldn’t do it. I’d rather just accept this dress.”
“Mother has given her permission, and my siblings hope you’ll stay somewhere comfortable. We just want you to feel at ease—and safe.”
Without someone’s help, without someone’s sacrifice, she was always left vulnerable. She despised—utterly loathed—this pitiful, weak version of herself crumbling in helplessness.
To exist only by stepping on others—being alive in such a ridiculous state was shameful.
Just as she reached the point where no words would come, the sound of hooves striking the air made her reflexively look up. Meeting Edwin’s eyes as he sat astride his horse in the distance, a surge of fear pushed hard against her back.
She was terrified her despicable weakness might eventually steal someone else’s home. Merely locking eyes with the Duke had been enough to lead her thoughts straight there.
Vivian quickly averted her gaze from Edwin and stared instead at a slice of strawberry cake on the table.
Was this any better?
She couldn’t even be sure of that. For all she knew, this strawberry cake might be poisoned too.
[This is the timeline separator]As the horse’s steps drew closer to the pergola, the pair seated at the dessert-laden table—overflowing like spring blossoms—came into clear view.
Vivian, who met his eyes first, immediately looked away.
She needed to learn: the more she resisted, the more he wanted to approach.
Theo Evans turned toward him a beat too slowly. It wouldn’t hurt for Theo Evans to learn this as well: when someone’s very existence became an obstacle, he wanted to rip them out by the roots.
Edwin couldn’t simply pass them by—he halted his horse. At this, the two beneath the pergola rose respectfully to greet him.
Beyond the hedge separating garden from path, Vivian stood out vividly. How could he know whether the shimmering dress of soft green and gold had once belonged to Charlotte? But judging by its perfect fit—definitely no looseness—it couldn’t have been Charlotte’s gown.
Then—
“It’s been a while, Mr. Theo Evans.”
“How do you know my name?”
That dress was likely Theo Evans’s own creation—one that made no effort to hide its antagonism.
“You’re Miss Ebelline’s only true friend, after all.”
Theo Evans’s sharp gaze was stubbornly unyielding—and thus entirely inflexible. His youthful eyes burned as if ready to charge at any moment.
“Is Miss Ebelline enjoying herself?”
“…I can only thank you for your concern.”
“Sophie.”
Edwin flicked a finger toward Sophie, who waited some distance away.
“Bring out more desserts. Miss Ebelline says she’s still hungry.”
“Your Grace, I’m perfectly fine. I haven’t even finished what’s here.”
“Eat more. You need to gain some weight.”
The dress Vivian wore fit her flawlessly—every measurement precise, from the length of the skirt to the narrow waist, even the barely-covered shoulders and arms. Glancing past Vivian’s sullen, tightly closed lips, he looked down at Evans, who clearly had no room for ease.
“Do you happen to know how to handle a firearm?”
Today, for some reason, he felt like hunting. He wanted to bathe in the scent of blood, achieve a sense of accomplishment, and shake off every lingering thought clouding his mind.
After all, the more hunters there were, the better—when one sought a crimson harvest.
“Yes. I do know how to handle one.”
Only Vivian, however, couldn’t bear this situation—her face went deathly pale. Her desperate, pleading eyes glistened brilliantly in the sunlight.
“Excellent. I was considering inviting you to join a friendly gathering, if you’re agreeable.”
“Wouldn’t the gap in our stations make such camaraderie rather inappropriate?”
“Not at all, since I’ve already formed a friendship with Miss Ebelline.”
The corners of Edwin’s mouth deepened. Unable to watch any longer, Vivian stepped in front of the large-framed Theo, shielding him as best she could—though she couldn’t fully hide him. Her foolish, reckless stance subtly tightened the lines of Edwin’s brow.
“No, Your Grace. Theo has absolutely no talent for hunting. He’d only disturb your enjoyment with your guest. Besides, he left his boutique unattended and must return soon.”
The unexpected turn of events flowed in a direction no one had foreseen.
His invitation to hunt troubled her precisely because of the table piled high with sweets. Now certain his kindness masked malice, she feared Theo would be dragged off to the hunt as a sacrificial pawn.
The Duke of Beitnes had no reason to take Theo Evans hunting—unless it was to torment her. And in that case, his motive was more than sufficient.
He’d already tricked her mother into borrowing money under false pretenses, leaving her drowning in debt. If this was revenge against the Ebellines, what wouldn’t the Duke do to Theo? He’d long since abandoned any sense of shame.
Edwin’s cold, blue eyes swept past Vivian’s desperate defense and settled on Theo, clearly wanting to hear from the man himself. Vivian had no choice but to persuade Theo.
Please don’t go. Stay here. Don’t follow him. Don’t take the bait.
She gripped Theo’s collar tightly—but his already resolute gaze pierced straight through her heart.
“Then please let me join as well. I’d like to build rapport with such esteemed company.”
“Theo, you…”
“My father taught me to hunt when I was young. I handle firearms well—you needn’t worry.”
Vivian despaired.
Bait disguised as generosity. A trap veiled as goodwill.
When that trap wasn’t aimed at her but at Theo, Vivian found herself staring at a pain worse than death itself.
“Prepare a horse, weapon, and gear for Mr. Evans.”
At Edwin’s command to his attendant, the terrified Vivian rushed down from the pergola. Blocked again by the hedge, she pleaded in utter despair.
“But Your Grace, Theo—”
“Miss Ebelline.”
Unlike Vivian, who stamped her feet in agitation, his unnervingly flat tone and icy gaze sent chills racing across her skin.
“Just what exactly are you worried about?”
His smile—feigned as if he held no ill intent—only deepened her fear.
Those cold, sharp eyes looked down from above—a lion waiting somewhere between hostility and kindness for the Ebelline’s ruin. That smile held it all.
His threats in the carriage—to strangle and devour her—had been merely the prelude. The true performance was just beginning.
And it would likely involve taking away everything she cherished most in this world—inflicting a suffering far worse than death itself.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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