His Secret Slave to Scandalous Queen

Chapter 30: I Haven’t Seen Him Return

The uncertainty of her situation weighed heavily upon her. Without Henry’s continued interest, her elevated status within the establishment would quickly dissolve, leaving her vulnerable to the same fate as the other girls.

The door opened and Nicholas Beaumont stepped in. Both Livia and Jane rose immediately.

"I have a client lined up for you," Beaumont announced.

"Sir?" Livia began. "I thought I had till the end of the month."

"Well, it seems to me your gentleman caller had a taste and lost continued interest. I haven’t seen him return, have you?"

Livia’s fingers tightened slightly at her sides. "But he paid for the entire month!"

"No matter," Nicholas said dismissively, waving a hand. "Coin already spent is no coin at all. I cannot afford to turn away another patron—not one of this calibre." His eyes gleamed with calculation. "He seems like he can afford you, my prized jewel. I have sent him a message. I should get feedback soon."

"But..." Livia tried again.

"No buts!" Nicholas snapped. "You will do as I say, or don’t you like the life you live now?"

Livia fell silent. Nicholas gestured around the room with exaggerated flourish. "Look at this," he continued. "The fine linens, the gowns, the jewellery, the privacy you enjoy. You think these things maintain themselves? You think comfort is free?"

His gaze settled on her. "It’s all expensive, you know. I need returns."

Jane reached out subtly, her fingers brushing against Livia’s arm in support, but even that small gesture could not ease the tightening knot of dread forming within her.

Nicholas straightened his coat. The decision had been made, and in his mind, there was nothing left to discuss. He turned and strode out of the room.

Livia turned to Jane, panic flooding her eyes. "What am I going to do?"

There was nothing Jane could offer that would truly fix this. "I’m so sorry, Livia," she said. "I’m sorry."

"Oh God... oh God..." Livia whispered, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her chest, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of her heart. "God, please... God, no. I just need time—just a little more time."

Her strength gave way beneath her, and she sank onto the edge of the bed. Jane quickly moved to her side, taking her hands in hers.

"Livia, listen to me," Jane said gently, tightening her grip on her fingers. "I think it’s time you accepted your fortune."

Livia shook her head, her breath uneven. "No..."

"Men are unpredictable," Jane continued, her tone steady but laced with hard-earned realism. "Their attention is no bigger than a mustard seed. One moment you are everything to them, the next..." She trailed off, not needing to finish the thought. They both knew how it ended.

"I have taught you what to do," Jane went on. "You know how to hold their attention, how to keep them coming back. Accept it. It’s the only way to survive here."

"No. Jane, no!" Livia pulled her hands free as she stood abruptly. "I refuse!"

"What was your plan?" Jane asked quietly. "Be with Henry for the month and then... what? Never again? Nicholas will not allow that."

"I don’t... I don’t know," Livia said. "If I have no control over my life, I should at least be able to choose who my first time should be with."

"If Beaumont finds out you haven’t..." Jane hesitated, "he will hold another auction. And this time."

"What do I do?" Livia asked.

Jane sighed softly, her fingers lacing together in her lap. "Nothing," she said at last. "Hope for the best, Livia. Sometimes that is all we have."

Livia turned away. "What could I possibly have done wrong that Henry didn’t want me?" she asked. "Was I not pretty enough? Not... enough?"

Jane shook her head immediately. "No, don’t do that," she said firmly. "Don’t make this about you."

"But it is about me," Livia insisted, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "He chose me. He paid for me. And then he left."

"Sweetie, some men don’t like their women innocent," she said gently. "Some want experience. Some want boldness. Some want something... already shaped to their liking."

Livia frowned, trying to make sense of it. The idea felt foreign to her. She had thought innocence would make her more desirable, not less.

"So why participate in the auction?" she asked. "Why pay so much money if he didn’t want... all of it?"

Jane gave a small, tired shrug. "The thrill, maybe," she said. "Some men like the chase more than the prize. The idea of having something rare, even if only for a moment."

"Oh, for God’s sake!" Livia snapped.

Jane lifted her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright," she said gently. "How about this—next time I see Lionel, I’ll ask questions. See if I can find out why your mysterious gentleman hasn’t come back." She stepped closer. "But for now, I think you should stop waiting."

"Just do as Nicholas asked," Jane continued. "It’s not as terrible as your mind is making it. Most of them..." she hesitated, then gave a small shrug, "most of them don’t last long. Two minutes, sometimes less. You close your eyes, you go somewhere else, somewhere happy and before you know it, it’s over."

"I have to go get ready for tonight," Jane added. "They’ll be calling for me soon."

Livia forced herself to nod. "Of course," she murmured. "Thank you, Jane." Livia let herself fall backward onto the bed.

A happy place. Jane’s words echoed in her mind. Livia closed her eyes, trying to follow the advice. Florence came first—the warmth of the sun on her skin, the sound of laughter as she ran through narrow streets with her friends, the vibrant colors of the market stalls. She could almost smell the fresh bread, hear her mother’s voice calling her back home.

Then another memory formed—walking beside her mother, fingers brushing over fine fabrics in a bustling marketplace, laughter shared over trivial things, the simple comfort of belonging somewhere.