Garden of May — Chapter 6

I'M SURE I CAN DO BETTER THIS TIME.

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT WOULD CHANGE ANYTHING?

YOU DON'T INTEREST ME.

W—

WAIT...!

I... MY WEDDING DATE TO COUNT RODEN HAS BEEN SET.

THE CEREMONY

WILL BE HELD

IN AUTUMN.

IF YOU’RE THAT DESPERATE, WHY DON’T YOU GO OUT AND HIRE A MAN INSTEAD OF BOTHERING ME?

I'M STRICTLY FORBIDDEN FROM GOING OUTSIDE.

AND AT LEAST WITHIN THE MANOR'S GROUNDS, I'M NOT WATCHED AS CLOSELY.

THEN JUST SUMMON SOMEONE HERE. PROBLEM SOLVED.

EVERYONE WHO CAN COME AND GO FROM THE MANOR IS EMPLOYED BY MY UNCLE.

THEN WHY DON'T YOU JUST RUN AWAY?

GO SOMEWHERE FAR.

...MY PARENTS ARE BURIED NOT FAR FROM HERE.

AND I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO LOOKS AFTER THEM.

YOU’D STAY HERE AND ENDURE ALL THIS HUMILIATION FOR YOUR DEAD PARENTS?

INCLUDING BECOMING FODDER FOR HIGH SOCIETY GOSSIP?

...YOU DO REMEMBER ME,

DON’T YOU, RIVER?

WE USED TO PLAY TOGETHER WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN.

AT THIS POINT...

MAYBE IT’S BETTER TO JUST SAY I’M NOT RIVER.

BUT IF I TOLD HER THE WHOLE TRUTH,

SHE WOULD JUST RUN TO THE REAL “RIVER ROSS”

AND MAKE THE SAME OFFER.

AND...

THAT NAIVE BOY WOULD—

I KNOW THIS OFFER MIGHT BE OFFENSIVE TO YOU,

BUT THE REASON I KEEP ASKING IS...

YOU'RE A COMPLETE OUTSIDER.

I FIGURED THAT EVEN IF YOU WERE CAUGHT UP IN A SCANDAL, IT WOULDN'T BE TOO BAD FOR YOU.

SINCE YOU'RE NOT A NOBLE, YOU HAVE NO REPUTATION TO LOSE.

SO IF I WERE A NOBLEMAN, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE MADE THIS OFFER?

IF THE MAN I WAS CAUGHT IN A SCANDAL WITH WAS A NOBLE

AND HE HAD A FORTUNE TO BE TAKEN,

MY UNCLE WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO MARRY ME OFF TO HIM.

THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT.

AND I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE SUBSERVIENT TO SOMEONE THROUGH MARRIAGE.

MARRIAGE IS MEANINGLESS, ISN’T IT?

UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT’S WITH SOMEONE YOU TRULY LOVE.

Anyway...

I WON’T RUIN YOUR VACATION OR BOTHER YOU.

THE SCANDAL WILL BREAK AFTER YOU’VE LEFT,

AND ALL EYES WILL BE ON ME.

RIVER...

IT'S JUST FOR THE SUMMER.

A FLEETING AFFAIR THAT WILL BE OVER IN A SINGLE SEASON.

THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS.

I CAN SLEEP WITH THIS WOMAN AS A COMMONER,

OR REVEAL MYSELF AS A DUKE AND RESCUE HER FROM THIS MESS.

OR I CAN IGNORE HER OFFER

AND END MY PERFECT SUMMER VACATION RIGHT NOW.

THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE.

I STILL WANT TO ENJOY MY LITTLE ESCAPE HERE,

AND THIS WOMAN...

IS MORE THAN WORTHY OF BEING MY FIRST.

R-RIVER...!

WHAT IS IT?

THERE'S—

O-ON... ON MY... B-BACK...

SLOW DOWN.

BREATHE.

A SP—

A SPIDER...

I THINK THERE'S A SPIDER IN MY DRESS...

D-DID...

DID YOU GET

THE SPIDER...?

...I DON’T KNOW.

I THINK YOU MISTOOK A STRAND OF YOUR HAIR FOR ONE.

ARE YOU SURE YOU CHECKED PROPERLY?

PLEASE, JUST LOOK AGAIN...

I SWEAR IT WENT INSIDE MY DRESS...!

SHOULD I PUT MY HAND IN THERE AND CHECK?

U-UH, YES, COULD YOU DO THAT?

IS THIS SOME CLEVER NEW PLOY?

OR IS SHE JUST HOPELESSLY NAIVE?

EITHER WAY...

OH DEAR, VANESSA.

I CAN’T

SEEM TO FIND IT.