"Huh?" Butler Chen stood paralyzed in sheer disbelief.
The nearby maids’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Did they hear that correctly?! Miss Sterling is actually going to convert our world-renowned private botanical garden into a vegetable patch just because Master Vance asked for one?!
Has Miss Sterling completely lost her mind?!
Julian was equally dumbfounded. "Victoria, I was just making a casual comment. You really don’t have to take it seriously."
Victoria turned to him, her cold features softening into a breathtaking, radiant smile. "Julian, this is your home now too. It’s only right that we renovate Rose Manor to suit your preferences."
She stepped closer, reaching up to gently trace his cheek. "With me, you can do whatever you desire."
Except for leaving her side or looking at other women... She was willing to indulge his every whim.
Thump, thump, thump—
Julian’s heart hammered wildly against his ribs. The sheer magnitude of her devotion was overwhelming.
He genuinely could not fathom the original novel’s protagonist. Being loved with such fierce, absolute devotion by a stunning, mega-wealthy heiress, yet Ethan Mercer spent all his energy trying to run away—the guy was simply out of his mind!
Though, if Ethan hadn’t been so obsessed with escaping, Julian would never have transmigrated into this world to begin with.
Thinking of Ethan, Julian’s brow furrowed slightly. If Ethan ever crosses paths with Victoria in this life, I wonder if she would still fall for him at first sight like in the original storyline...
He shook his head, brushing the thought aside.
With his system rewards and market knowledge, making a fortune on his own would be effortless anyway. Even if things ever fell apart between him and Victoria, he could comfortably stand on his own two feet.
Julian and Victoria walked back toward the main mansion hand-in-hand, leaving the staff behind in stunned silence.
"Did you hear that? Miss Sterling ordered us to plow under the garden for vegetables..."
"I heard it! She really fulfills his every single word!"
The servants stared after them, their respect for Julian instantly shooting through the roof.
"Master Vance’s position in Miss Sterling’s heart is beyond legendary. We have to be extra careful when serving him from now on—we can’t afford to offend him!"
"Absolutely! I’ve realized that even if we accidentally upset Miss Sterling, we must never, under any circumstances, displease Master Vance!"
After today’s revelation, the staff held a quiet, collective realization: their formidable, terrifying young mistress was utterly, hopelessly love-struck.
The following evening, light poured from Victoria’s private study on the second floor.
Julian lay back against the leather sofa in the master bedroom, still brainstorming how to convince Victoria to grant him free movement.
Outright escaping was out of the question. In the original novel, Ethan Mercer used every scheme imaginable to flee Rose Manor, but Victoria’s intelligence network spanned the entire globe. No matter where Ethan ran, her enforcers dragged him back within three days.
Running away would only shatter Victoria’s fragile trust and destroy his chances of future freedom. Once she viewed him as a flight risk, she would lock him up tightly forever.
I have to take a softer, direct approach, Julian thought, taking a deep breath. It’s time to have an honest talk with her.
He stood up and walked down the hallway into Victoria’s study.
Inside, Victoria sat behind a massive mahogany desk, reviewing financial reports.
"What’s on your mind, Julian?" Victoria asked, raising an elegant eyebrow as she looked up.
"Victoria, I want to have a serious conversation about our relationship," Julian said smoothly, stepping into the room.
Victoria’s brows knit together slightly. Seeing the serious look on his face, an intense wave of unease churned in her chest.
Is he going to ask to leave Rose Manor?
Her gaze darkened, a cold, dangerous glint swirling deep within her dark eyes.
Julian... don’t force me to chain you to that bed for the rest of your life...
"Victoria, what do you think our relationship actually is?" Julian asked, stopping in front of her desk.
Victoria blurted out without hesitation, "You are my little bed slave."
Julian: "..."
He was trying to have a mature, heart-to-heart conversation, and she immediately dragged the topic straight into questionable territory!
"Victoria, you’ve already introduced me to your inner circle as your boyfriend," Julian said patiently. "In the future, we will be husband and wife."
Victoria froze for a moment. He wants to marry me?
Then, as if remembering her own dark nature, a self-deprecating smile touched her lips.
Lies. It’s all an act.
He was just saying what she wanted to hear to keep her pacified. No normal man would ever truly accept a mentally unstable, obsessive woman like her. Just like her own father—after years with her mother, all he ever wanted was to escape that gilded cage.
And Julian had only been with her for a few days.
"Victoria," Julian continued, "we haven’t known each other very long, and I’ll admit I haven’t fully fallen head-over-heels in love with you yet."
"I don’t care," Victoria interrupted coldly. "I only care that you stay by my side."
Julian sighed softly. Conversing with an unhinged yandere was truly an exhausting mental exercise.
Closing the distance between them, Julian leaned over her desk, placing one hand on the back of her leather chair in a smooth "wall-slam" posture. With his other hand, he gently took Victoria’s slender fingers and pressed them against his chest.
Thump, thump, thump—
Victoria could feel the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palm.
Julian met her dark gaze, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "Victoria, do you really not want my heart?"
Victoria’s eyes flickered, her breath catching slightly.
Julian straightened up, his tone growing serious. "I know you keep me here because you’re afraid I’ll run away. But you don’t need to worry—I won’t run. Besides, you’re so powerful that even if I tried, I wouldn’t get far anyway."
Victoria’s hands clenched into tight fists atop her desk. After all those sweet words, he still just wants his freedom so he can find a way back to Natasha...
"I have my own affairs to handle," Julian explained calmly. "So, could you stop keeping me on house arrest and let me come and go freely from Rose Manor?"
Victoria lowered her gaze, remaining completely silent.
She desperately wanted to keep him locked away from the outside world forever. Yet, a terrifying thought held her back—she feared that if she pushed him too far, he would eventually look at her with the same deep disgust her father had shown her mother.
Seeing her prolonged silence, Julian assumed the request was a total dealbreaker. He let out a light sigh. "If you really don’t want to, then forget I asked."
He turned to walk out of the study to think of another angle.
"Wait."
Victoria called him to a halt. Julian turned back, looking at her in confusion. "What is it?"
Victoria stepped out from behind her desk, walking toward him with slow, deliberate steps. Reaching out, her slender fingers rested on his dress shirt, slowly unbuttoning the top buttons one by one.
"You want me to grant you freedom, Julian," Victoria whispered, her warm breath brushing against his collarbone. "Merely asking isn’t enough. You need to show me your sincerity."
Her actions made her meaning abundantly clear.
Julian: "!!!"
Here we go again! They were at it until two in the morning last night!
If he hadn’t read the original novel and known that Victoria and Ethan never even held hands, he would have sworn he had transmigrated into an explicit adult novel.
Taking a deep breath, Julian decided that for the sake of his freedom, he would make the sacrifice.
"Fine," Julian murmured, picking her up effortlessly into his arms. "Let’s head back to the bedroom."
"No," Victoria purred, a sweet, dangerous smile gracing her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let me stay in the study with you today."
Tonight it was the study; next time it would be somewhere else. The mere thought of being tangled together with Julian in places like the private pool or the newly plowed garden filled her heart with an intoxicating rush.