Warning: Un-beta'd.





It may not have been the smartest thing to do, sneaking through the pension and slipping out the slight crack of the backdoor. On many degrees it is morally wrong, turning her back to the home she now belongs to.

However, as she’s escaping the grounds of her own sacred prison, she feels as victorious as ever.

Suho tells her it is the youth within her shouting out. Sometimes they meet by the lake deep in the forest, sometimes they meet on the highest level of a regally famous restaurant, reserved only for the richest and most respected of nobles.

Yet, meeting with Suho was never an affair. The man had told her, on more than one occasion, that whatever it was in which they shared could not be love because one person can only love once in a lifetime and the both of them had already used up their channeling.

She was curious about his first and seemingly only love, but she never questioned him for she was never implored about hers, either.

“Is Kris still sleeping in?” Suho asked as she approaches him, grin spreading wide across his face.

They are much like soul mates, Victoria reckons. “No,” she shakes her head, “he’s gone horse riding.”

“Oh?” Suho purses his lips, seemingly unconvinced.

Victoria bites down on the lips of her own. “Is something the matter?”

He glances up at her, pushing a cup of tea in her direction. “No, not at all. However, aren’t you worried?”

“Whatever should I be worried about?” She asks.

“Kris,” Suho replies boldly. “Your husband might fall off the horse and break his limb, or the horse might throw him off and shatter his spine. There are so many different concerns that could worry you.”

She allows Suho’s words to sink in for a moment before she laughs and shakes her head.

They sit and talk for a while—they speak about books, about philosophy, about all the things that Victoria doesn’t tend to mention when she is with her husband and his family. The two of them share laughs, share stories, share ideas that seem to be common between them.

Her smile is breath taking, her laugh even more so, and Suho cannot help but compliment her on it from time to time. After a few times of blushing and trying to hide her smile, Suho stares at her with curious eyes.

“You are not like this when you are with your husband, are you, Victoria?”

She collects her laughter and straightens her face. “Of course I am.”

“By that reaction alone, I can be sure that you are not,” Suho laughs. He pours himself another cup, flipping through a page of the script he’s been reading. “It would do much good to your relationship if you were at ease with Kris.”

“How can you be so sure that the current status of our relationship isn’t already good enough?” Victoria wonders.

Suho locks eyes with her, so intensely that Victoria feels the need to tear her gaze away from his penetrating ones. Even now, Victoria cannot read what is on this man’s mind.

“Well?”

“Because there is always a speckle of unhappiness in your eyes, no matter how much you smile,” Suho breathes, taking a sip of his painfully hot tea.

Victoria coughs behind her hand, clearing . “I am in no way unhappy,” she says, “I can very honestly and confidently tell you that, as a friend.”

“And I believe you,” Suho replies. “As your friend, I want to tell you that you are absolutely one of the most honest and sincere people that I know, Victoria. Yet, in the perspective of a man viewing a woman, I need to tell you that you are lacking.”

“Lacking?” Victoria repeats.

Suho smiles weakly, fingers tracing words in his script. “I am sponsoring a local theatrical play that is performing just this weekend. If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you as well as your husband to attend. Many big names will be present and I could only ask for the honor of your attendance, Madame Wu.”

“Suho…” Victoria trails off.

He meets her eyes, coy smile gracing his lips. “You will see what I mean.”

Their meeting ends there, with Suho raising from his seat and walking Victoria to his personal carriage, wherein he instructs his coachman to take her home. She is hesitant to say goodbye, but waves Suho off nonetheless as she is driven into the distance.

The spring blossoms fill the streets with romantic pinks and kindred blues, yet, her heart has never felt so uneasy from a man’s words. Suho was not her husband, but he was able to see her in similar light that her husband would. Does this mean Kris finds her lacking, too?

However, of all things, Victoria knows this friendship is not innocent. Suho wants something from her husband and his family, she is more than aware of that, but she also knows that Suho is a genuine and caring person when he means to be.

As he is plotting against her family, he is also guiding her onto the right path of her own. That, perhaps, is what confuses her most about the man she’s coming to trust, more than she probably ever should.





“You were out.”

Victoria returns to her room in the midst of Kris changing into more casual clothing. Even in just a simple trapper shirt and loose trousers, he’s got the air and presence of an exceptional nobleman. “Yes,” she clears , stepping past him, “I had a quick meeting with the Count of Alsace. You are back earlier than expected.”

“Suho?” Kris counters, grabbing her wrist before she could slip past him. “What business did he have with you?”

Turning to face her husband, cheeks slightly permeated red, Victoria tries to avoid making eye contact. “Sir Kim was requesting that the two of us attend a theatrical play that will be hosting this weekend, that is all.”

Hearing that, Kris softens his grip on her. “Why hadn’t he come directly to me?”

“You were away,” Victoria argues.

“He could have made an appointment,” Kris reasons.

Victoria, slightly agitated, finally meets his eyes. “Can I not even accept such a miniscule invitation on your behalf?”

“That was not what I was implying,” Kris explains, a little surprised by her change in attitude. “Suho is not a simple person and I was just worried.”

She takes a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “Will you go or will you not?”

“I would prefer not to,” Kris answers honestly, “but do I truly have a choice?”

“I’ll have the messenger inform him that we will be attending the event then,” Victoria says, breaking away from his hold and walking towards the patio, “if you need me, I’ll be catching a breath of fresh air out here.”

Kris watches as his wife opens the glass doors to the patio, drapes flowing at the sudden burst of wind entering the room. He sighs, taking a jacket from nearby and joining her outside.

She suddenly feels a cloak being worn on her shoulders, turning to meet eyes briefly with her husband.

“Is there something you would like to talk about?” Kris asks.

And there he goes again, Victoria thinks, trying to play the role of husband properly. “I was thinking, Kris,” she replies, playing along with him, “do you think one good deed is enough to fight all the evil’s committed in life?”

He stands beside her, leaning forward with his elbows on the railing. “Hard to say,” he breathes, inhaling the crisp air of blooming flowers. “It depends on the severity of the evil deeds.”

“For instance, I betrayed my own heart and married into your family, out of greed—for your financial support was what my father wanted most and the dowry you paid was most satisfying to him—however, I am remaining faithful to you, as a wife and as a human being, despite the reasoning behind my actions.”

“I wouldn’t consider your actions evil,” Kris states, “because I am no different.”

They share a moment of silence, for betrayed feelings and self-loathe, until Victoria takes the initiative to lean against his arm and Kris then shifts them into a comfortable embracing position. She leans back against his chest, Kris hugging her from behind.

“Our marriage may not be out of pure intentions, but neither is the marriage of the majority of the world,” Kris tells her. “You don’t ever have to feel sorry for marrying me out of need and not desire.”

“And you?” Victoria asks. “Why did you marry me?”

Kris is quiet for a moment, holding Victoria still. The singing of the birds is, for that moment, the only sound they hear. “Obedience, I guess,” he says. “It wasn’t my place to say no.”

And, in that brief second when Kris spins Victoria around and kisses her, Victoria feels herself slipping from the creases of her own fingers and falling into an obscene darkness of affinity.





Victoria begins to wonder what Kris does in his study late into the night. His activities with young servants and gardeners had stopped quite soon after she had exposed him, however, sometimes he would remain in his study, long after she’s fallen asleep.

Tonight, she doesn’t sleep.

As soon as footsteps sound outside her door, Victoria begins to tense. There are days when Victoria wishes she didn’t have to sleep with Kris, because the more time they spend together, the more anxious she becomes around him.

It’s as though she is afraid of being caught.

“You’re still awake,” Kris comments as he steps inside the door. “Is something keeping you up?”

Yes, Victoria wants to answer. The fact that Kris is not beside her when she sleeps is starting to make her restless at night. “No, I just have a few things on my mind, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Kris yawns, “well, you should get to bed soon, it’s quite late.”

“Yes,” Victoria replies, “I was just about to sleep and you returned.”

Their eyes meet and Kris smiles gently, walking over and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll join you soon,” he whispers, “there is a long day awaiting me tomorrow, after all.”

Victoria nods, fighting back the heat that rushes to her cheeks. Her heart drums in her chest, her breath becoming quicker with each passing moment. Kris smelled like alcohol; the liquor heavy and suffocating to Victoria.

Her attention is caught by the coat that Kris tosses onto their drawer counter, a small letterhead peeking out of the chest pocket. Out of curiosity, Victoria takes a few steps closer, but Kris exits the dressing room to retrieve a new shirt.

“Something wrong?” He asks, eying her.

Victoria meets his eyes, firm and unmoving. “You shouldn’t toss your clothes around.”

“That’s why we have maids,” Kris laughs. Without another comment, he disappears into the dressing room again. Victoria sighs, retrieving his coat and folding it neatly before tucking it away into their dirty laundry basket.

She plucks the letterhead out of his pocket and places it on top of the drawer, giving it one last glance before she retreats to her bed.

Her heart stops then, no questions left unanswered. Perhaps she was the only one who put her heart in the game to begin with.





Kris is just about to enter the lobby when several voices stop him at the top of the stairway.

“As his wife, you are obligated to bear at least half of his burdens.”

It is his aunt’s voice that speaks, and his mother’s voice that sighs in reply. There is no response from Victoria, which worries him all the more.

“The family is coming down to ruin. What good have you contributed to his work or his happiness? You’ve been with us for nearly a year now and you haven’t even showed any signs of pregnancy!”

“Julia—“

“No, Emma, let me finish what I was saying! Someone ought to teach her.”

Victoria stands silent, both hands held in front of her as her mother in law watches her helplessly. There are many words left unsaid between them, but Victoria finds no need to break the mutual silence. Many have said before that there is a time for everything; obviously, now will not be the time.

“Signor Wu is pushing Kris to understand the ways of a Count, he’s educating his boy and preparing him for possible inheritance of his own duties, yet, there are many other Counts doing the same to the sons of their own. I have told you time and again; if you, as his wife, cannot convince him to bear passion for these interests, his future is but an open dessert!” The lady continues. “Tell me, Victoria, what have you done to convince him?”

“Nothing, milady,” Victoria answers simply. “I have failed as both a peer and a wife.”

“Do you hear her, Emma?” Julia scoffs.

“Julia, that is quite enough,” Victoria’s mother in law shakes her head. “It’s not entirely Victoria’s fault. No one is to blame for our family’s dilemma.”

Groaning, Julia gives her sister one last look of disapproval before stomping up the stairs. When she reaches the top, she is greeted by a very displeased Kris.

“Aunty, I bid you good morning,” Kris greets, but with no emotion in his voice or eyes.

She nods. “Good morning, Kris.”

As she is walking away, Kris turns to her with one last comment. “One thing, aunty; the fall of this family will never be a responsibility that my wife should have to bear. If you have any complaints, make them directly towards me. If not, leave my wife and mother at peace. This family will fall sooner with your wretched words than it will with the discontent of the King towards my father.”

She watches him speak with disbelief in her eyes, mouth parted but no words found.

Kris bows at her once more before he turns on his heel, “That is all.”

A/N: Hello hello! Hopefully everyone enjoyed fancams and such from SMTown Beijing? ^-^ I personally loved, loved, LOVED Victoria's duet with Zhoumi; Victoria sounded absolutely amazing!! Victoria was lovely, as always! hehe. ^3^ I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and that it wasn't boring to read!!! ♥Xue