Chapter 48: What the Heart Desires
"M’lord... am I not attractive?"
Vincent could not avert his gaze with Leona bringing her face in such close proximity.
He gulped a mouthful of saliva.
’C’mon, answer! I made a conviction to live my second life to the fullest. Don’t mess it up now!’
Vincent’s eyebrows quivered as he kept getting stared at.
"M’lord..."
Leona’s lips curled down slightly.
Vincent closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He opened them and stared back at her.
"You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, Leona. Very attractive. Very pretty. It’s my honor to be engaged with you."
Getting the first word was the hardest.
Once it was out, Vincent kept going and said his heartfelt words.
Leona exhaled softly.
She leaned back and Vincent thought his interrogation was over, but Anastasia appeared right before him and held his shoulders, leaning closer to his face.
"Then, am I the one who’s unattractive?"
Vincent’s eyebrow twitched.
He shook his head slightly and said, "No, Anastasia. You’re also the most beautiful and attractive."
"Young master, please don’t lie." Anastasia slightly pouted.
"There can only be one ’most beautiful’, M’lord." Leona said from the side.
"Eh?"
Vincent felt like falling into a trap.
’What are these two trying to do by putting me on the spot?’
Vincent’s thoughts were getting flustered.
A few seconds later, too many thoughts made him dizzy.
He shook his head and ceased every thought.
In the moment of absolute stillness, he suddenly had a realization.
’I am the master and the fiancé...’
Anastasia’s hands that were on his shoulders were first held by Vincent, then immediately pushed sideways, making her fall on him.
Vincent caught her and moved her to his sides, hugging her.
With his free hand, he pulled Leona into his embrace and hugged her at the side as well.
The two of them stared at him with raised eyebrows.
With the beauties subjugated, he tightened his hold around their shoulders and said,
"I don’t wanna play by your rules. I make the rules, and the first rule is that what I say is absolute."
Vincent turned to Leona.
"You are the most beautiful."
He then turned to Anastasia.
"You are the most beautiful too."
"I find both of you attractive and I don’t want any argument over this again."
Anastasia and Leona looked up at him.
Vincent was in an upright position while the two were lying beside him, letting him have a height advantage for once.
Leona wrapped her arm around his abdomen while staring into his eyes.
"If you find me attractive, M’lord, then why have you never kissed me? We are engaged. You have every right to do so."
Anastasia wrapped her arm too and looked into his eyes.
"Young master, if I am not unattractive, then why do you avert your gaze every single time I come to serve you?"
"..."
Did he just get asked what he was just asked?
[Affirmative.]
’System, did the two get drugged or what? Why are they behaving like this?’
[Checking physical status — stable. No signs of drug usage.]
’At least take time to analyze!’
Vincent snorted internally.
"Did you two drink last night? Is it the hangover speaking?"
"We are sober."
Both said calmly in unison.
Vincent sighed and shook his head.
"Do you both want an honest answer or will any reason do?"
He couldn’t lie to Leona and he wasn’t sure what they wanted to know from him.
Leona raised her hand and held Vincent’s face.
"M’lord, what’s holding you back? There were many instances where you could’ve made a move yet you didn’t."
’Can’t make an excuse, it seems.’
Vincent glanced into Leona’s eyes.
"I am afraid of losing you. I’m afraid that if I misread the situation even once, I’ll become the man everyone already thinks I am."
"I don’t wish to repeat my past mistakes or do anything that would push you away from me or cause a rift in our relationship."
Vincent then turned to Anastasia.
"With you, I had to be even more careful. If I touched you inappropriately or something went wrong even once, what do you think would’ve happened?"
Taking advantage of a servant was really cheap. Doing that while being engaged was even more so.
Vincent was sure his mother and sister would be even more disappointed in him and he did not wish to make any mistakes that might ruin his second chance at life.
Leona and Anastasia saw things from Vincent’s perspective for the first time.
They understood the reason why he acted in such a way and it somewhat pained them.
They looked at him with a softer gaze.
He was trying his hardest to change and survive.
He was working hard to pull his house out of its misery, but somewhere, his past still gnawed at him and made him insecure.
Leona and Anastasia lay their heads on his shoulders.
"Please be more comfortable when with us. Do what your heart desires because that’s what we do too."
Leona remembered the night she first slept with Vincent. When she woke up, she felt really refreshed, and didn’t hesitate to sleep with him the second time.
She always stayed true to her desires.
"I am your personal attendant, young master. It’s my duty to tend to your every need, physical ones included. Everything that happens between us will stay between us. You can be rest assured."
Anastasia couldn’t believe she was saying such a line.
From the second day of every regression, she would stop being a maid, and had never said such things or even thought of them.
Being someone’s servant was not her life’s goal either, but in the current situation...
These words felt just right.
She had a hard time admitting it, but after four lifetimes of running around...
Just four days by Vincent’s side felt like home.
Even when she had to sleep on the floor or do odd jobs and menial tasks... it felt like home.
He slept with her on the floor, he also worked his hardest, and did everything possible to save his house from collapsing which she herself had failed to do despite being a regressor.
He wasn’t the smartest or the strongest — he didn’t need to be either.
He was reliable and honest, an anchor for Anastasia. Being around him was what actually gave her the feeling of... home.
Anastasia looked at Vincent.
Black hair, red eyes, a gentle gaze and a short height.
He appeared harmless and gave off an aura that made one want to protect him.
It was just like looking at a cute puppy.
Anastasia’s hands unknowingly went toward Vincent’s face. She began pulling his cheeks.
’He’s handsome. Has one of the most handsome faces I’ve ever seen for sure. But...’
Vincent lacked experience and it was visible on his face and through his demeanor.
This was not a problem.
He would definitely turn into a fine man in a few years.
’I wouldn’t have hesitated in wanting to invest in him had we shared such a moment before.’
Anastasia thought while still pulling his cheeks.
Vincent was staring at her with a dumbfounded gaze.
Leona was staring at her too.
But Anastasia was too zoned out and lost in her thoughts to notice.
Vincent cleared his throat.
"Cwould ywou pwease stawp?"
Anastasia’s expression stiffened.
Leona’s eyes shimmered. She stared at him intently to commit this image to memory.
"My apologies." Anastasia did a light cough.
Vincent smiled and shook his head.
Being quite pale, his cheeks were visibly red and contrasted.
"If we are done with the conversation, can we focus on washing up? My morning breath stinks."
Leona shook her head.
"You haven’t done what your heart desires yet. You’re trying to escape."
"What?"
Leona sat upright. Everything on her frontside was visible in its full glory. The thin nightgown did little to hide it.
She cupped her breasts and said calmly, "You’ve been wanting to stare at these for so long. Do what your heart desires, M’lord. Give me proof that you indeed feel safe."