The Fruit of Immorality - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Return (Part 1)

The long-awaited day had finally arrived. From the moment morning broke on the day Alessandro was returning, Beatrice had been busy.

“Make sure everything is cleaned thoroughly! We can’t have Aless thinking the house is filthy after such a long time.”

Normally, Beatrice would leave all the household chores to the head maid and the butler, but today, she personally walked around the mansion, inspecting everything carefully.

“Prepare all of Aless’ favorite dishes… he especially loved roast turkey, so make sure that’s ready.”

“Yes, madam.”

“Don’t put any carrots in. While it’s good to try and correct his picky eating habits, today is a special occasion, so let’s not serve him anything he dislikes. He should enjoy today.”

Heading to the kitchen, Beatrice even went over the dinner menu, ensuring everything was perfect for Alessandro’s return. The entire household knew just how much Beatrice cared about this day.

After overseeing the busy staff, it was finally time for Alessandro to arrive. Beatrice stepped outside the mansion, waiting for the carriage to appear.

The closer it got to the expected time, the more Beatrice’s heart raced with anticipation. Her eyes sparkled as she looked toward the direction of the station in the distance.

How long had she waited? Eventually, a small dot began to grow on the horizon. It was a large carriage drawn by four horses. Although she couldn’t yet see who was inside, Beatrice instinctively knew: Alessandro was in there!

Her heartbeat quickened. With flushed cheeks, Beatrice watched intently as the carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust, drew closer. The simple, black carriage approached the front gates. It was indeed Alessandro’s carriage.

With a loud whinny, the horses came to a stop in front of the gate. The coachman dismounted and opened the door. Beatrice eagerly focused on the open door, waiting to see Alessandro step out.

But then, from inside the carriage, a large figure appeared.

Beatrice’s eyes widened in shock as she gazed at the tall man who had stepped out. He wasn’t the Alessandro she remembered.

While Beatrice stood there, unsure of how to react, the unfamiliar man approached and greeted her.

“It’s been a long time, sister.”

There was only one person who could address her that way: Alessandro.

But could this really be him? The boyish image of Alessandro that Beatrice had in her memory didn’t match the man now standing before her.

The Aless she remembered still had a youthful, almost boyish appearance, but the person standing before her was now a full-grown man, with no trace of youth remaining.

Alessandro, now an adult, was taller than Charles by a head and had a solid, muscular build. He was the kind of man who, if you met him by chance on the street, would immediately catch your eye with his ruggedly handsome looks.

The most striking difference, however, was the aura he exuded. It was intimidating and intensely seductive, with a raw sensuality.

“Yes, it has been a long time, indeed.”

Lowering her gaze, Beatrice took a step back from Alessandro. She could feel his piercing stare on her, even though he stood above her.

After hesitating for a moment, Beatrice asked, “Shall we go inside?”

“Yes.”

Beatrice took the lead, walking ahead, but her shorter stride meant Alessandro easily caught up with her.

As they made their way to the living room, Beatrice kept sneaking glances at him. No matter how many times she looked, the truth remained the same: he was no longer the charming boy she had known but had grown into a magnetic, adult man. He was no longer the little boy who would gently tug at her dress.

Whenever their clothes brushed against each other, Beatrice’s body shivered involuntarily. The tension in her body showed in every movement.

Without realizing it, Beatrice slowed her pace. She thought that if she put some distance between them, they wouldn’t brush against each other anymore.

However, they continued walking side by side. No matter how much Beatrice slowed down, Aless would match her pace, keeping the same distance between them.

When Beatrice noticed this, her eyes widened. She glanced at him again, but this time she couldn’t steal a secret look. Aless was already watching her.

Their gazes locked, and Beatrice stopped in her tracks, staring into his dark green eyes. In the past, it had been easy to read those eyes, but now she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. What was going on in his mind as he looked at her?

Her lips felt dry, so Beatrice instinctively stuck out her tongue to wet them. At that moment, Alessandro’s eyes moved, tracking the motion of her red tongue.

A shiver ran down Beatrice’s spine. She quickly withdrew her tongue and turned her head to face forward, trying to steady her breathing.

“Let’s go. Charles is waiting for you.”

She began walking again without waiting for his reply. Alessandro silently followed behind her.

When they reached the living room, Charles greeted his brother warmly.

“You’ve grown so much, Aless.”

Alessandro bowed his head in greeting.

“Come, sit down. Beatrice, come sit next to me.”

Beatrice sat down next to Charles as instructed. Charles and Alessandro sat across from each other, with a table between them, while Beatrice sat close beside Charles.

Even though it would have been more natural for Aless to focus on the person right in front of him—Charles—his gaze was locked onto Beatrice, who sat diagonally across from him.

Noticing the direction of his brother’s gaze, Charles glanced between them with narrowed eyes. With a chuckle in his voice, he said, “Your sister-in-law has been so excited for your return. The mansion has been bustling because of her. She even insisted on going outside to wait for you, despite her frail health.”

At Charles’ words, Alessandro spoke in a deep, unfamiliar voice, “Thank you, Bea.”

His voice was unfamiliar, heavier than she remembered, but the kindness in his tone toward her was the same. Feeling relieved, Beatrice smiled softly.

“It’s nothing. It was only natural for me to do so.”

Just then, the maid brought in tea. As they sipped their tea and chatted, Beatrice realized that despite his changed appearance, Alessandro was still the same kind-hearted person she had always known. Her tension eased, and her stiff shoulders relaxed.

At first, Charles led most of the conversation, but as time went on, Beatrice and Alessandro began to talk more.

Despite his few words, Aless always responded kindly to whatever Beatrice said.

“Why didn’t you come home even once during all these years?”

Though she had intended to ask casually, her voice came out with a slight whine, tinged with reproach and a hint of resentment.

Embarrassed by how childish she sounded, Beatrice blushed and closed her mouth.

For the first time since they started talking, Alessandro didn’t answer her question right away. He simply stared at her with an intense gaze, making her feel even more self-conscious.

‘What is this?’

Feeling flustered, Beatrice raised her hand and pressed her knuckles against her burning cheeks. But even that small movement didn’t escape Alessandro’s watchful gaze.

His dark green eyes burned with intensity, as if they could consume her whole. Beatrice swallowed hard and lowered her head further.

Charles, who had been quietly observing them, answered on his brother’s behalf in a tone devoid of humor. “He must have been busy. There’s always so much to do.”

“Yes, of course,” Beatrice quickly agreed, grateful for the distraction.

Finally, Alessandro’s piercing gaze left her. She exhaled softly in relief and turned her attention to Charles. He looked back at her with an amused smile on his face.

Charles, feeling the heavy gaze of his younger brother, remarked with a playful tone, “At your age, I imagine you’ve been busy with women. Surely that’s the real reason you haven’t returned home.”

Though Charles’ comment was lighthearted, there was no response. Alessandro didn’t humor his brother’s teasing.

Beatrice also remained silent. Having grown tired of Charles’ promiscuity, she knew better than anyone just how casually men treated sex.

It wasn’t considered a fault for a young, handsome, and capable man to meet women. In fact, the more successful a man was, the more normal it was for him to have multiple women.

After all, Alessandro was Charles’ brother by blood. With Charles being such a womanizer, it was only natural to assume that Alessandro shared at least some of those tendencies. He must have been busy with women, just as Charles had said.

The thought troubled Beatrice. She didn’t want to look at Charles, but at the same time, she didn’t have the courage to look at Alessandro either.

She didn’t want to believe that the man she had been waiting for, the one she had pinned her hopes on, was like all the others—like the man she despised.

As Beatrice bit her lip, trembling, Alessandro finally broke the silence.

“…I didn’t.”

Beatrice involuntarily snapped her head up. Her wide eyes locked onto Alessandro in surprise.

“I’ve never been with a woman. Not like that.”

Alessandro met Beatrice’s gaze directly as he spoke. His brief, unembellished denial carried an air of sincerity. The frantic beating of Beatrice’s heart finally began to calm.

Unlike Beatrice, Charles found it hard to believe and asked skeptically, “You’ve never been with a woman? Surely there’s nothing wrong with you, little brother?”

The crude implication behind Charles’ words made Beatrice frown. Normally, she was a submissive wife who never defied her husband, but this time she couldn’t hold back her irritation.

However, before she could speak, Alessandro calmly responded, “No. I simply wasn’t interested.”

He glanced at Beatrice as he continued, “I had no desire to be with someone who didn’t captivate me.”