Lady Aurora added to her husband's words and said, "Rosetta has reached the prime age of marriage, and though there have been a few esteemed proposals from men of high social standing, we think your son and our daughter would suit well together."
Before Senior Mr. Moriarty or Lady Annalise could respond to the woman's words, Vincent said, "Marquee and Marchioness Hooke, Lady Rosetta and I have already met and we have come to terms that we aren't suited for each other."
Lady Aurora chuckled softly and said, "There's no need to be hasty about it in one meeting, boy--"
"Vincent," he corrected her with a pleasing smile.
The Marchioness's smile faltered before it lowered from her lips, and she stared at him. Correcting a woman of her status was rude in their society, especially publicly, even if it meant the room had only ten people.
"Vincent," Lady Aurora started with a polite smile, "As it was your mother who was the one to initiate the idea of marriage between you two, we would like for our two families to be united with your marriage to our daughter Rosetta in the future."
Vincent took another sip from his glass which had mermaid blood in it, before his face contorted in repulsion. He said,
"What do we get from the unification of the two families apart from the status that you own? Wealth, power, and status in the vampire circle is something that already exists. If you are building an alliance, don't you think each side should get equal benefits? I wouldn't like to settle for anything less than what I already have and can afford."
Senior Mr. Moriarty and Lady Annalise stared at Vincent, not knowing in which direction he was going with those words.
Marquee Hooke turned impressed by Vincent's words and let out a throaty laugh, "I am pleased to hear your thoughts on it, Vincent. Even if not my son-in-law, I would like to have you work with me. It would be a pleasure."
Lady Aurora hit her husband's leg under the table as if that was not what they had come to speak. She smiled at the members of the Moriarty family and said to Senior Mr. Moriarty directly,
"How about your son and my daughter spending some time together after finishing the meal to get to know each other better?"
"We have already met, mother," Rosetta protested while sitting next to her mother, only to receive a glare from her mother.
Lady Aurora said to her daughter, "You seem to have missed to mention how handsome Vincent is. You must have been shy to speak anything and it didn't let you speak. Let us not rush things as we are vampires and not humans. There's plenty of time to get to know each other before we bring up the matter that was pushed aside a few days ago."
Senior Mr. Moriarty's eyes fell on his son, who was smiling at something. He then looked at Marchioness Hooke, who turned back to look at him. He didn't want to refuse the Hookes without a reasonable cause when there was no direct harm. He nodded and said, "Maybe Vincent can show Rosetta the mansion."
Vincent smiled at his father's words and turned to Rosetta, "Would you like to see the well that has been dug in the field at the back, Lady Rosetta?"
Rosetta was internally horrified; if allowed, she would have run through the dining room's closed double doors, and one would have seen her shape on it.
Marquee and Marchioness Hooke eyes widened at Vincent's words. Lady Annalise nervously laughed and said, "Vincent likes to joke around a lot."
"Oh," the couple nodded before smiling.
After everyone was done with supper, Senior Mr. Moriarty and Lady Annalise led their guests to the drawing room to relax, while Vincent and Rosetta walked on the other side of the Moriarty mansion.
Rosetta's shoulders were stiff, and she didn't dare to look at Vincent while they walked in one of the corridors in the mansion.
The young vampiress was busy in her thoughts when Vincent turned to her and said,
"Seems like you don't love your life much, do you?"
Rosetta noticed how the polite smile he had been flashing back at the dining room had changed into an evil one, and his eyes peered at her. She gulped the nervousness and said,
"I know you lied about sacrificing first wives."
"Who is talking about sacrifice? I am talking about murder here," Vincent said in a low yet threatening voice and Rosetta's face paled once again. This man... he was planning to kill her, and she softly gulped.
The palms of her hands turned clammy, and she said, "Mr. Moriarty...I do not want to marry you. Please don't kill me!"
"Is that so? I thought we would be a perfect match, considering how everyone thinks?" Vincent played with the naive vampiress, who was trying to keep her composure. "Remind me to show you the well later."
Rosetta's eyes widened and she shook her head. She then said something under her breath, which Vincent didn't know if he heard it right.
"What did you just say?" A faint grin appeared on his lips.
"I like someone else, which is why I cannot marry you," Rosetta looked in the other direction.
"And here I already had plans for our future, you break my heart," Vincent gave her a solemn look, "I am guessing your parents don't know about it?" He pulled the cigar case from his trouser pocket and lit the end before smoking.
Rosetta once again shook her head.
"Why not? Their precious daughter is in love with a man, what's not there to not be happy about?" One corner of Vincent's lips curled. He said, "Tell the man to come ask for your hand in marriage."
Rosetta's cheeks had turned pink, just imagining what Vincent had just told her. She pursed her lips before she spoke nonchalantly about it, "I did introduce him and my mother."
"Looks like you have everything planned with your future," remarked Vincent, and he went to place the cigar back on his lips when Rosetta said,
"But I need you to lie to them that we have decided to speak a little more..." Vincent stared at her.
"Why would I ever do that?"
Rosetta cleared her throat and said, "This way I will get to stay in Skellington."
"Find a way for yourself. I will be more than happy to have your family far away from mine, considering how your mother is eager to arrange our marriage," Vincent blew the smoke from his lips, and Rosetta used her hand to wave it away.
"You don't understand, my parents want me to go back with them. At least until I tell him that I like--"
"You haven't told the man?" Vincent raised his eyebrow, and Rosetta shook her head.
"Once I tell him, he will agree to it," said a confident Rosetta.
"Who is the lucky man?" Vincent questioned, noticing the vampiress fiddle with her fingers as she took a moment to clear her throat and then revealed the person's name.
"Eugene."
"Why does the name sound familiar? What's his last name?"
"I don't know," came the prompt answer from Rosetta as if that wasn't necessary. When Vincent looked at her as if if she knew anything concrete, the vampiress said, "He lives with Eve. Your governess."
Vincent blew the smoke into the air and murmured, "This ought to be fun."
Rosetta had tried talking to the man, but every time she wanted to, she remembered the night she had thrown up in front of him, and her gaze stiffened. She hoped to work up her courage to tell him before she left. But now there was no time, and she would be leaving with her parents tomorrow.
Noticing him stare at her, Rosetta burst, "Are you judging me?"
"I would dare not," Vincent replied with a saint-like expression. "Love comes in different shapes and forms, who am I to judge? In fact, I commend you and would say you should go after it tenaciously."
Realising she had told it to the same person who had made her cry, she nervously said, "Don't tell anyone. P....Please," came the request from the vampiress with great difficulty.
"Even if there was a gun over my head," Vincent replied before a cunning smile appeared on his lips.
