CHAPTER 17
“Shall I kill Theo Evans?”
Edwin, who had returned to the manor after handing the reins of his horse to a servant under the late afternoon sun, stopped as he climbed the stairs. Such an easy question. Such an easy answer.
Go ahead. Kill the tailor who gets under my skin like a thorn, and burn down his shop. That simple answer was stuck in his throat. Whenever he saw Vivianne, an uncontrollable urge rose up in him.
The first was the desire to make Vivianne cry, whom he had not seen in 14 years. That was the first impulse. To correct her insolence, seeing her in her withered and struggling state—that was the second. To bring her an untimely death—that was the third. And if he were to act on this fourth impulse, Vivianne’s splendid dress would be Theo Evans’s final creation.
“If you just give the order, I’ll handle it today without fail.”
“Do you think I’m doubting your ability?”
From Preston to Neway, from the time he fled to this moment, there had been no impulsive decisions. Impulse ruins things. That mindset had shaped his life.
The only exception was Vivianne Aveline. In front of her, his impulses were unchecked. Rational judgment and patience had little effect.
And amid countless impulses, Vivianne Aveline held herself in place. That was what drove him to reckless impulses he’d never had before. So it wouldn’t matter if he acted on that fourth impulse. Everything would still clearly remain in its place.
The barricade on the vast, meticulously paved road was Theo Evans. Something that could easily be torn down and destroyed, yet Edwin merely lingered in front of it, postponing his decision and persisting in needless contemplation. What a pointless waste of time.
Theo Evans was foolish and ignorant. He was a naive man who didn’t know how to control his boiling temper. Someone who hadn’t tasted the price of recklessness was bound to be half crazy.
“Leave Evans alone.”
Edwin finally gave an answer, one he had taken a long time to consider.
Was there any need to go to the trouble of killing Theo Evans, who would inevitably self-destruct? That reckless youth was bound to lead himself to ruin.
“And make sure Charlotte knows how to treat our guests with the utmost respect. If she doesn’t understand whose guests they are, threaten to throw her out of the manor for good, as I have no further use for her. No—don’t just threaten; actually throw her out.”
Edwin’s anger now turned to Charlotte, his anger clearly unreasonable.
The Duke had just ordered him to leave Theo Evans alone—the man who had dared to point a gun at the Duke of Baytness—yet he demanded Charlotte be thrown out of the manor over something trivial. Roarke, following Edwin’s orders, swiftly erased any questions from his mind and turned to carry them out.
As Edwin climbed the stairs to his study, he recalled the forest where gunshots had echoed. He also remembered Theo Evans’s rugged yet untainted gaze. And the doubts that young man harbored.
Dirty lust… Lust, indeed.
It is said that people project their deepest, most hidden desires onto others. Theo Evans, oblivious to his true reasons for needing to crush Vivianne Aveline, merely defined the other person within the limits of what he understood.
The insolent Theo Evans’s feelings for Vivianne Aveline were, without a doubt, filthy lust. A simple, banal lust that any foolish, ignorant man could have.
Edwin’s cold, blue eyes rested on Vivianne’s portrait. In the painting, Vivianne smiled brightly, kindly, and innocently. Though he had erased all traces of the Aveline family from the manor, he had left one thing behind: a portrait of Lawrence Aveline’s only daughter, whom he had loved more than anything in the world.
The smile in the portrait was probably the brightest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
Since Vivianne Aveline might never smile like that again, leaving behind this one instance of it was, if anything, a kind of mercy.
Charlotte stamped her foot in frustration, trying to claim the unoccupied horse. Edwin, who had nearly died at the hands of Theo Evans, had headed back to the manor alone. Roarke, quick-footed as ever, followed close behind, so Charlotte knew he would be safe. Yet her heart was uneasy; only by seeing Edwin with her own eyes would she find any comfort.
How dare he point a gun at the Duke?
Theo Evans was the only commoner in Neway’s history to have dared aim a gun at a Duke. If he were to be hanged, no one would object. That was the law of Neway, and it would be the judgment of the people.
“If you don’t mind…”
As she lifted her foot to mount the horse with the help of a servant, a voice called down to her.
Charlotte looked up and saw a stranger on horseback, neatly dressed, with an ordinary appearance and a gentle expression. Compared to Edwin, who was known as one of the most handsome men in Neway, his appearance was nothing special. But his friendly demeanor made him likable.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes and straightened her back.
“Would you like to ride my horse, my lady? If you take that horse, another will have to walk.”
She realized who the man was. Scanning him openly, Charlotte met the eyes of the nervous Baron, Gideon Zimmerman. Her round eyes and fierce gaze caused Gideon to dismount his horse.
Edwin’s assessment of Charlotte was sharp. She wasn’t a classic beauty, but she was undeniably cute. Her small stature made him feel as though he would have to look down at her endlessly, and she resembled a dainty, lovable doll. If her eyes, too, were as docile and obedient as a doll’s, he knew he would feel no whirlwind of intense emotions toward her.
“Are you Baron Gideon Zimmerman?”
Her voice was also cute, but the sharpness in her tone made Gideon’s heart flutter all the more.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Gideon Zimmerman,” he replied, adopting a more formal tone than he’d used with Edwin. His bright smile and the way he couldn’t take his eyes off Charlotte proved that it was love at first sight; he’d fallen for her without a moment’s hesitation.
“It seems the Baron is unable to grasp the situation.”
Charlotte, showing her thorns, skipped the bare minimum of courtesy she should have shown.
“The Duke nearly died at the hands of a mere tailor. He is my only guardian and my only family. And that man almost died by a tailor’s rifle. And you, Baron—are you smiling so casually?”
At Charlotte’s sharp, sarcastic remark, the smile faded instantly from Gideon’s face.
“Normally, when men are dealing with money, sometimes things get heated, even to the point of wanting to kill each other. I’m sure the Duke and Mr. Evans weren’t serious. There’s no need to worry so much…”
Gideon tried to calm the sensitive Charlotte, but all he received in response was a piercing glare. Realizing it might be better for their relationship if he remained silent, Gideon pressed his lips together and smiled.
Charlotte soon looked away and mounted the horse without looking back. Gideon watched her wistfully as she disappeared into the distance.
“If you marry her, she’ll have you completely under her thumb, won’t she?”
James clicked his tongue as he watched Gideon’s eyes remain fixed on the spot where Charlotte had disappeared.
Even though she was already out of sight, Gideon couldn’t seem to pull himself together, prompting James to grip his shoulder firmly.
“Snap out of it, Gideon. She’s already long gone, so far that you can’t even see her anymore.”
“Ah.”
Gideon slapped his cheeks with both hands.
“By the way, the whole atmosphere feels strange. What’s going on between the Duke and Evans, anyway? Evans has been acting oddly since the training session. Do you know anything about it?”
“Why are you so interested in other people’s business?”
“It’s not that I’m interested; I’m just curious! Aren’t you curious?”
“No, not at all. If anything, it’s probably just a love affair.”
“Exactly! Then it’s normal to be curious. It’s not just anyone—it’s the Duke of Baytness and the Avelines’ only daughter! And a tailor, on top of it? Where else can you find a juicier love triangle than this?”
Lowering his voice, he glanced around at the servants still lingering in the forest, mumbling nervously in case someone might overhear. James watched as Gideon ignored him, mounting his horse with no intention of staying.
“What’s this? Are you heading back already? Let’s stay and hunt a little longer. Didn’t the Duke say we could stay out a bit longer?”
“Dinner will be soon.”
“… So?”
“Miss Windler will be there, too. I can’t meet her looking like this.”
Ah. James let out a scoff of disbelief. As Gideon rode off, leaving him behind, James sighed in exasperation.
Deciding to return to the manor at the servants’ urging, James grumbled the whole way back.
Then, as if something had just crossed his mind, he looked back. Vivianne Aveline and Theo Evans were still deep in the forest.
Was this a tense duel between two men over one woman? But from Miss Aveline’s perspective, was there really anything to consider? After all, the other man was the Duke of Baytness.
When Gideon, who had been invited to the duke’s manor, suggested that he accompany him, James declined because he felt uncomfortable. Now, he was grateful that Gideon had asked him again a few days later. Otherwise, he might have missed this intriguing story.
Vivianne, leaving the darkening forest with Theo, had to send him away even though he’d suggested they leave the manor together. Theo hesitated for a long time, reluctant to go. He asked once more, but Vivianne ultimately did not accept his offer. She had no choice but to turn around first, as staying would only put him in greater danger.
As she turned away, Vivianne heard Theo’s hesitant footsteps grow distant. She fought hard to hold back her tears, not wanting Theo, who had looked back with regret, to see her shoulders shaking.
As they left the forest, a servant of the Duke approached Theo and handed him a pouch of gold coins. The servant emphasized that it was payment for the dress, a reward for making the hunt so enjoyable, and that he should be grateful for the Duke’s generosity in covering his mistake.
Vivianne, however, snatched the pouch of gold from Theo. There was no reason for the Duke of Baytness to pay for the dress, and Theo hadn’t accompanied him to make the hunt more enjoyable.
With the bag of gold firmly in her hand, Vivianne made her way to the manor.
The manor in Rodinia was her family’s last hope. She had dreamt of a new life in Neway after settling her family affairs in Preston. In Neway, they wouldn’t be able to live as nobles, but it would offer a little more freedom. Her father had promised to learn landscaping, her mother to learn shooting, and they had vowed to cherish their new life ahead.
But now, standing before the Duke’s manor in Rodinia, Vivianne felt completely crushed by the overwhelming size of the building. The enormity of the building mocked her, its ghastly laughter seeming to swallow her weakness in a single bite, crushing her without warning.
The manor, which had once symbolized her family’s dreams and hopes, now gave her the unsettling sensation of being trapped in a bizarre, disturbing dream.
Vivianne pushed her feet hard towards the gaping mouth before her. A dream and a hope she couldn’t escape or leave behind. Towards the manor that had taken everything, her dreams and hopes. Towards the man waiting for her inside.
“Miss!”
Sophie, who had been anxiously waiting at the manor’s entrance, hurried over as soon as she saw Vivianne.
“Miss, are you okay? What happened in the forest…?”
“Where is the Duke?”
Unlike Sophie, who was full of concern, Vivianne was calm and cold. Seeing her without her usual smile made Sophie shrink back.
“T-the Duke is in the study, with Miss Windler… Miss!”
Before Sophie could even finish, Vivianne strode off.
Vivianne’s heart was filled with the fear of losing her loved ones—her missing father, her unreachable mother. It was Edwin who had ignited a fire in her heart, fueling her anxiety as she struggled to ignore the painful truth.
Blinded by revenge, he sought to break her heart in the cruelest way possible. It was the best revenge Sayer could take at the time, having lost his beloved family overnight.
And now, marked by fear, Vivianne could no longer resist. She walked to the study and pushed open the double doors without knocking. There, in that familiar place, she found the cruelest man of all.
Edwin Baytness sat arrogantly at her beloved father’s desk, his long legs stretched out. No—it was Sayer Raven.
The humiliation and fear from those piercing blue eyes pushed Vivianne to the edge. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the calm look in his eyes as he had aimed a rifle at someone she cared about. A surge of emotion threatened to break free.
Vivianne exhaled sharply and threw the coin pouch to the ground with all her strength. The scattered coins glinted on the floor, one of them rolling across the ground until it stopped at Edwin’s feet.
Edwin looked down at the coins, then slowly raised his eyes. When their gazes met, Vivianne, her anger still unresolved, boldly strode towards him. Just as she was closing the distance, someone interrupted.
“You’ve truly lost your mind, haven’t you?”
It was none other than Charlotte, stepping in to block Vivianne’s path.
