CHAPTER 19
Theo, wiping his wet body as he left the bathroom, picked up the lamp from the shelf.
After parting ways with Vivianne today, he had spent some time at his shop before returning home late, finding his family already asleep. Even after taking a bath, he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had left him unsettled. Just thinking about the moment he couldn’t bring Vivianne out of the manor filled him with a deep sense of self-disgust at his own helplessness. Now, he was certain of one thing: he had to get Vivianne out of that place, out of the grasp of the Duke of Baytness, no matter what. Until then, all he could do was pray that nothing would happen—that nothing would wound Vivianne.
With each step, the creaking of the wood echoed through the late-night silence. As Theo reached his door and touched the doorknob, a chill quietly enveloped him. He hesitated, glancing at the faint light streaming from under the door, then looking back down the hallway. Darkness engulfed everything, and an intense stillness settled around him. In this place, where only his family’s breaths should be, it felt as if there was a foreign presence.
As Theo slowly opened the door, relying on the light of the lamp left in the room, an unfamiliar shadow swayed in the lamplight by the desk.
Theo’s wide eyes landed on the locket necklace that Lord Aveline had given him as a gift, now in the hands of a stranger. Each time the locket opened and closed, Vivianne’s face flashed in his mind before fading away.
“What… Who are—” Theo began, but someone roughly covered his mouth.
He struggled against the unexpected assault, but against such overpowering strength, his resistance was futile.
“Evans,” a voice said, as the man holding the locket snapped it shut with a dull clink.
Theo looked up, recognizing the slow, indifferent gaze in the man’s blue eyes. His fierce resistance began to fade.
“If you keep making so much noise, won’t you wake up your family?”
Despite his reputation in Neway, this man always had a bright smile on his face, even when committing acts that only lowlife thugs would do. Frightening birds for amusement or killing young birds during hunts without a hint of guilt were everyday occurrences for him. So something like this became second nature.
Theo, his mouth still covered, tried his best to make a sound, but the more he struggled, the tighter the overpowering grip became.
“Why don’t you understand that staying silent would be a better choice—for your family and for yourself?”
Clicking his tongue and shaking his head, the Duke’s behavior was that of an immature child.
Once Theo’s clenched fists had relaxed slightly, Edwin signaled to Roarke, who released his hold on Theo. Annoyed, Theo swatted Roarke’s hand away and glared at Edwin.
“What on earth do you think you’re doing? Do you believe this is how a duke should conduct himself, visiting people so late at night?”
Though Theo lowered his voice, his hostile glare didn’t fade in the slightest. On the contrary, his look of hatred and anger only intensified.
“You didn’t come to collect the payment for the dress, so I decided to pay it directly myself.”
“Did Miss Aveline not tell you? I have no reason to accept payment for her dress from you. So please leave.”
“I told you—your job is to run your shop, make clothes, and earn your pay. So you’ll take the payment… for Vivianne’s dress.”
“Even if that’s true, I will collect that payment directly from Miss Aveline.”
“There’s no need for you to receive it from her when I’m right here.”
Edwin shrugged nonchalantly, an arrogant, smug smile on his face as if he owned everything around him.
I should’ve pulled the trigger.
The thought of someone so dangerous being close to Vivianne left Theo bitterly regretting that he hadn’t taken her away by force.
Edwin took a clean envelope from his pocket and placed it on the desk. Even without explanation, it was clear what the envelope was for.
“I paid more than enough for the dress.”
Then, Edwin signaled with a finger, and Roarke approached, handing him a heavy pouch. Edwin set the pouch on top of the envelope.
“This is for the necklace.”
“Why did you…!”
Realizing the purpose of the pouch, Theo couldn’t hold back and tried to rush at him, but Roarke stopped him. Gripped by the arm, Theo struggled, unable to overcome Roarke’s strength. Meanwhile, Edwin slipped the necklace into his coat pocket.
“Lord Aveline entrusted it to me. Why are you taking it, Your Grace? I don’t need any payment for the necklace or the dress, so take the money back and leave the necklace here. It’s mine.”
Theo’s face hardened with defiance. He looked ready to pull the trigger if he had a gun in his hands.
“Say it, Evans.”
Edwin rose from his seat with graceful, noble movements. The admired aristocrat, Edwin Baytness, a noble among nobles, was born with qualities that had elevated Neway to a dominant power through his brilliance and wisdom.
“Do you love Vivianne?”
What would people say if they saw the twisted desires lurking behind his actions? Could they accept the Duke of Baytness, resorting to such schemes just to possess a helpless woman with nowhere to go?
“Answer me. Do you want Vivianne? I’m asking if you desire her.”
Theo’s jaw clenched tightly. Edwin closed the distance between them with his long strides and stared down at him with cold eyes. The true intent behind his question remained hidden, but if his goal was to shake Theo’s composure, he had succeeded.
A storm surged in Theo’s eyes—a question he could neither deny nor affirm. A question that brought him endless self-contempt for holding Vivianne in his heart, even though it was the Duke of Baytness who had done the despicable thing that had brought him to this point.
“You foolish Evans. Since it seems you don’t understand, let me tell you something.”
Edwin raised his hand, brushing against the collar of Theo’s robe, straightening it stiffly.
“If you truly love Vivianne, you shouldn’t be exposing your claws with such useless emotions.”
As Edwin calmly pressed down on Theo’s robe collar, Theo dwelled on everything Edwin had thrown at him.
“You have to know when to hide things if you want to protect them.”
The hand that had touched his chest disappeared, and the rough grip on his arm was gone. By the time Theo regained his senses, the two of them were already out of sight.
James, who came down to the dining room just in time for lunch, looked with pity at his cousin, who had carefully dressed from head to toe, and at the Duke’s ward, who seemed entirely indifferent to his cousin’s efforts.
The atmosphere was similar to last night’s dinner. For some reason, the Duke of Baytness had been nagging his ward, and she appeared with swollen eyes, barely able to open them.
Of course, James was more interested in Edwin and Vivianne’s situation than in Gideon and Charlotte’s.
Miss Aveline hadn’t shown up for dinner the night before. James was curious, but it wasn’t the right moment to ask. He didn’t want to appear too interested in Miss Aveline, so he refrained from mentioning her.
Thus, James hadn’t expected to see Miss Aveline at lunch today either. But to his surprise, she appeared, wearing the same glamorous dress, though this time with the gaping hole from yesterday. As if nothing had happened, she sat down and ate as if nothing had occurred.
James secretly observed Edwin and Vivianne. Neither of them showed any emotion, and the lack of any clues made it frustrating for him to assess the situation.
“By the way, I guess the rumors are true. I’ve heard that Neway’s top chef is now at Your Grace’s side,” Gideon said, breaking the heavy silence like a refreshing breeze. But Charlotte didn’t even glance his way.
“It seems my efforts were worth the trouble if the guest is pleased.”
“I’m satisfied with everything, not just the food. Oh, Your Grace, may I take Miss Windler for a walk this afternoon?”
James couldn’t help but admire Gideon’s bright smile as he asked permission for a date with Miss Windler amid such an atmosphere. It would take a certain boldness, he thought, to be able to sell carriages to these snobbish people. Perhaps there was something to learn from Gideon.
“As long as you don’t go into the forest.”
“We’ll stay in the garden.”
“Then as you wish.”
“I’m busy this afternoon, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you for a walk.” Charlotte’s curt voice cut in, making it clear she was pushing Gideon away with all her might, and James was tempted to take her side.
While he didn’t know how close she and the Duke were, even if it was an unwanted marriage, she still had a duty to listen to her guardian’s words.
“Perhaps you should take a walk with your cousin this afternoon instead,” Charlotte said, glancing at James with a smirk. Embarrassed, James scratched his temple with an awkward smile.
“Charlotte.”
The Duke of Baytness’s voice, low and commanding, echoed across the table in an intimidating tone. Gideon looked as if he regretted speaking up, and James, with little interest, averted his gaze.
“Your Grace, I’m busy. I have things to do. I still need to decorate the cushions and catch up on the books I’ve neglected. I’ll need the whole day for that.”
“Whether you’re sewing or reading, do that after the guest has left. It’s not urgent.”
“But I also…”
Charlotte wasn’t good at making excuses. Her reasons were too trivial and insignificant to sway the Duke’s mind. As she desperately searched for another excuse, her eyes wandered and landed on Vivianne, who was unusually focused on chewing a large piece of meat.
“I also need to have a long conversation with Miss Aveline. I’m sorry, Baron, but due to yesterday, I’ve already decided to talk with Miss Aveline at length today. Would it be acceptable to postpone our walk?”
Charlotte spoke with sincerity and politeness, almost convincing everyone, including Edwin, who cast a cold glance toward Vivianne. Only then did James look up, intrigued.
Vivianne’s face was flushed with embarrassment, which was evident to everyone at the table. James reconsidered his support for Charlotte and instead began to worry about Gideon, who would likely feel hurt by Charlotte’s blatant rejection.
“Right, Miss Aveline?”
Would it be too harsh to say Charlotte’s words sounded almost like a veiled threat? Judging by Miss Aveline’s expression, it was clear that Charlotte was playing a slightly more villainous role in their exchange.
“Yes, yes. That’s what we agreed to.”
When Vivianne answered meekly, Charlotte gave Gideon a harmless smile. James felt an inexplicable frustration, wondering how this would end.
After lunch, Vivianne returned to her room, pacing anxiously as she waited for time to pass. Seeing her so on edge, Sophie began to feel dizzy herself. Finally, when Vivianne thought the timing was right, she left her room.
She walked down the long hallway, her footsteps echoing. Hearing another set of footsteps join hers, Vivianne looked up and saw Edwin approaching from the opposite side, sunlight casting over him in flashes as he walked. Startled when their eyes met, Vivianne shivered in shock and quickly turned back the way she came.
Sophie was puzzled when Vivianne returned to the room. She had thought Vivianne would meet Charlotte and assumed she hadn’t been able to see her, so she tried to comfort her.
However, when Vivianne replied that she hadn’t gotten to see Charlotte yet, Sophie felt even more sympathy and pity for her. After everything that had happened yesterday, it was understandable that Vivianne felt uneasy and dizzy. The innocent young lady, who hadn’t even had the courage to confront Charlotte, stirred Sophie’s protective instincts.
After some time, Vivianne carefully left the room again. After her encounter with Edwin, she walked cautiously, wary of meeting him once more. Thankfully, she didn’t cross paths with him a second time. She figured the only place he’d likely be was the library. Thinking of Edwin, who must have already arrived there, Vivianne continued toward her destination.
Finally, Vivianne stopped in front of Charlotte’s door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked carefully, determined not to repeat yesterday’s mistake of pounding on the door with her fists.
Vivianne waited calmly and patiently. Before long, Marian opened the door and was startled when she saw Vivianne.
“I’m here to see Miss Windler.”
At that point, Charlotte appeared behind Marian. Unlike at lunch, when she had invited the conversation, her reaction now was cold and cynical.
“What brings you here?”
“Earlier… you said we should talk.”
Charlotte smiled faintly, as if in disbelief. Vivianne, noticing the fleeting expression on Charlotte’s face, widened her eyes, flustered.
“If you’re busy, should I come back later?”
“No, just wait a moment.”
“Yes, I’ll wait.”
In that instant, Vivianne realized her assumption—that Charlotte might want to resolve what had happened yesterday—was wrong. The time she had spent hoping and worrying over a false hope became a moment of embarrassment.
Still, since Charlotte had acknowledged her intentions, it wasn’t such a bad outcome. Vivianne was grateful that there was still a chance to resolve the grudge between them.
