Chapter 43: Grow old together

Julian swallowed hard, looking down at the spilled red wine tracing a glistening path across Victoria’s collarbone and disappearing beneath her delicate silk robe.

Julian stared blankly at the crystal glass on the desk. "Wait... didn’t we just finish the wine?"

"Some spilled onto my collarbone earlier, Julian," Victoria whispered softly, her dark eyes flashing with an alluring, dangerous glint. "A bottle like this costs a hundred thousand dollars. We shouldn’t waste a single drop, should we?"

Julian’s eyes involuntarily drifted downward toward the fair skin revealed beneath the black silk robe. He swallowed hard.

"Julian?" Victoria murmured, her hand tracing the line of his jaw. "If you take too long, it will dry up. So, clean it up for me, my sweet bed slave."

Julian, who had always dreamed about a yandere villainess, couldn’t help it; these words sent a shiver down his spine.

Giving up completely, Julian leaned forward and pressed his lips against her collarbone, capturing the lingering, sweet droplets of vintage red wine. From her jawline to her neck and downward, Julian could only tentatively kiss the corner of Victoria’s enchanting red lips, swallowing the remaining red wine.

Following the trail of the red wine, he reached the side of her neck, and then downwards... The ambiguous relationship quickly spiraled out of control. The room was sweltering.

——The Dark Room——

Hours later, inside the master bedroom, Julian lay sprawled across the king-sized mattress, staring up at the grand ceiling in utter defeat.

Victoria’s energy reserves were terrifying. Her stamina was monstrous; the novel’s author had made her truly formidable, like a supergirl. She truly lived up to her role as the unstoppable yandere heroine of this world. While she rested beside him, looking utterly relaxed and radiant, Julian felt as if he had been run over by a freight train. His pride as a man was hanging by a thread.

Victoria leaned against his chest, her slender fingers idly tracing the contours of his abs. "I am very satisfied with Julian’s performance tonight," she murmured with a soft, rare smile.

After hearing that, Julian even questioned his own stamina. He went straight up to 12 rounds, believing it would make Victoria beg for mercy. But seeing her behaving like nothing had happened, Julian’s worldview instantly collapsed. 😱

His entire body tensed up instantly. Realizing neither of them had put on clothes yet, he immediately found his sense of crisis, so he brought up the main topic to prevent another exhausting round.

"Victoria... about tomorrow," Julian began carefully, clearing his throat. "I want to return to Capital University."

Victoria’s hand froze against his chest. Her dark eyes chilled slightly, though she remained silent.

"I’m returning to school because I want to improve myself," Julian continued hastily, turning his head to look straight into her eyes. "You are so brilliant, capable, and powerful. If I remain an uneducated nobody, people will look down on me. I want to become a man who can truly stand side by side with you through my own efforts." ℴ

Victoria stared at him in stunned silence. "A man... standing side by side with me?"

"Yes," Julian said, his voice earnest. "If I achieve nothing, others will say I’m completely unworthy of being with Victoria Sterling."

Victoria’s lips thinned, and a cold, lethal spark flared in her dark eyes. "I don’t care what outsiders think, and neither should you. If anyone dares slander you, I will make them disappear from this world permanently."

"Victoria, this isn’t just about outsiders," Julian explained gently, holding her hand. "If we want to build a real future together and grow old as equals, I can’t let myself fall behind. Otherwise, I’ll feel inferior, and that isn’t healthy for us. I want to grow old with you as your equal."

Grow old together...

The words echoed softly in Victoria’s mind. It sounded so distant, yet so profoundly sweet. Her parents had barely lasted six years before tearing each other apart, but hearing Julian speak of a lifetime together softened the dark edge in her heart.

Julian spoke these words without much confidence.

"Alright," Victoria finally nodded. "You may return to school."

Julian’s eyes lit up in relief. Butler Chen’s advice actually worked!

"Don’t worry," Julian added quickly, raising two fingers in a solemn vow. "I won’t pay attention to any other girls on campus. You have my word."

Victoria leaned down, her lips brushing against his cheek as her voice dropped into a dark, possessive whisper. "Remember that promise, Julian. If you ever get involved with another woman... I will lock you away where no one else can ever find you."

"I understand! Absolutely no other women!" Julian nodded frantically.

"There’s just one more thing," Julian added, feeling a bit hesitant. "I have an important departmental exam coming up in a week, and I need to secure first place. Can I stay in the university dorms for just this one week so I can focus on studying?"

After all, he had promised her that he would come back every night to sleep with her. It wasn’t a problem for him to come back and sleep with her, but Victoria would often lure him into bed. Given Victoria’s insatiable appetite, they would work for several hours at a time, and then he would wake up feeling exhausted again. He had no way to study, so he had to leave Victoria for a while. Also, he needed to take this opportunity to properly recuperate. He couldn’t take it anymore if he continued like this with Victoria in bed.

"Mm." Victoria nodded.

So straightforward? Julian was slightly surprised.

"However, Julian will have to pay a price for my consent," Victoria smiled.

Julian felt a throbbing sensation in his temple, a very bad premonition creeping over him.

"What price?" Julian asked.

"My sweet Julian," Victoria purred softly, leaning down to capture his lips once more. "Shall we continue?"

Julian: "..."

——

The next morning at eight-thirty, Julian lay flat on his back, utterly unwilling to move a single muscle.

Victoria was already awake, leaning on one elbow as she looked down at him with amused, victorious eyes. "Julian, aren’t you going to get up and go to school?"

"Give me five more minutes..." Julian mumbled groggily into his pillow.

"How about we delay your return to university until tomorrow?" Victoria suggested smoothly, a dangerous warmth sparking in her gaze.

"No! I’m getting up right now!"

Julian practically leaped out of bed, terrified that staying at Rose Manor for even one more hour would lead to another round of exhaustion.

After taking a quick shower, he changed into a crisp white casual outfit, accentuating his lean, athletic frame.

After some time, Julian stepped out of the dressing room, fully prepared for campus life. He wore a crisp white tailored casual shirt, dark trousers, and a sleek luxury watch on his left wrist. The tailored fit highlighted his tall, lean frame and refined features, giving him the striking, flawless appearance of a male lead stepping out of a high-end webtoon.

As he descended the grand staircase, the young maids sweeping the main hallway stopped dead in their tracks, their cheeks flushing bright red.

"Oh my goodness... Master Vance is ridiculously handsome today! He looks like a prince straight out of a romance novel!"

"He and Miss Sterling look so incredible together!"

"Where is the marriage registrar? I’ll carry the desk here myself! I’m officially a fan for life!"

Victoria, coming down the hall behind him, caught the maids’ enraptured gazes. Her expression darkened instantly, casting a freezing, lethal glare across the room.

The maids shivered violently, instantly dropping their heads and scurrying away to resume their duties, terrified that their possessive mistress might have their eyes gouged out for lingering too long.

Victoria’s gaze returned to Julian. Seeing how effortlessly charming and handsome he looked in his simple student attire, her chest tightened with quiet jealousy.

With his looks, how many women at Capital University would be trying to get close to him?

And worse... now that Julian had changed so completely, would Natasha try to win him back? Or, after meeting Natasha again, was Julian’s heart going to change? Was Julian no longer pursuing her, but what would happen if Julian’s heart swayed if she showed him a hint of warmth? Victoria’s mind swirled with many possibilities.

She clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white.

No. Julian belongs to me now. Only me.