CHAPTER 25
The place Edwin headed to was the lake he habitually visited every night. At dusk, the lakeside was a breathtaking sight, with the sunset reflecting on the water’s surface, making the world seem to burn red.
What would you look like, swimming in this breathtaking scene?
Vivianne would appear late at night and boldly dive into the lake’s embrace. Without a hint of shame, she exposed her body and wandered across the water’s surface. Sometimes she would hum a tune, sometimes cry, and sometimes submerge herself, not coming to the surface for a long time. She swam as if she were the lake’s rightful owner, her body gleaming silver like a statue.
If a passing traveler had seen her, they surely wouldn’t have been able to leave. They would have been convinced they had discovered a golden mermaid, bewitched by her beauty, their eyes bloodshot from trying to capture the image of the woman floating on the water.
He once thought the smile in her portrait would be her last, but the Vivianne in the water was free. The smile of a woman who had found freedom shimmered brilliantly, like radiant droplets of light.
When the golden mermaid, once so admired, rises helplessly to the surface, and when that becomes the conclusion he has reached, he feels as though he’ll think about it often: the sound of the ripples made by her long, slender fingertips, her playful giggles as if she were tickled, and the sound of her crying like a child, shedding tears.
Perhaps the sounds she left behind when she disappeared from his hands will remain with a deep aftertaste and lingering attachment.
Every night, Edwin stood at the dock where Vivianne had once stood, gazing down at the red, burning surface of the water.
He didn’t think Vivianne Aveline, who had disappeared, was under the surface of the lake. He had a good idea of where she might be. And he was certain that his guess was correct. Still, he came to the lake because he harbored a faint hope.
The vain hope that she had come running to this lake because she loved it. The absurd wish he still held, even knowing it was not the case.
Edwin turned away and waited in his study as time passed. The sunset was gone, and a dreary evening settled in. Before long, Abernathy, who had been searching for Vivianne Aveline, came to see him.
“Miss Aveline doesn’t seem to be in the manor. I asked Miss Windler as well, but she hadn’t seen her since the morning. It seems no one saw Miss Aveline leave the manor, so she must have slipped away secretly.”
The current situation was one that anyone could misunderstand, and they would probably believe it. But Edwin shook his head calmly.
“That couldn’t have happened.”
If the assumption that she had run away was correct, there were things that should have happened first. Vivianne Aveline knew that even though Monica Aveline’s debts had been passed on to her, a provision had been placed in the promissory note. If she fled without notice or took her own life, the agreement would become void. Therefore, Monica Aveline’s loan agreement would regain its legal validity.
So, it was clear that Vivianne Aveline had no reason to run away. This meant she hadn’t caused this situation in an attempt to escape his grasp.
“Fire the gatekeeper.”
Edwin gave the cold command with eyes that burned icy blue. Abernathy understood that his master’s firm decision was probably the right one, but he couldn’t help but feel that Edwin had made a hasty decision.
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
Having no other choice, Abernathy answered, bowing his head slightly before leaving the room. Edwin, who had risen from his seat, stood before the portrait hanging on the wall. Vivianne’s bright, innocent smile shone like her golden hair.
Edwin slid his hand into his pocket and took out a locket that he had recently bought from Theo Evans almost by force. He opened it.
The Vivianne inside the locket was more mature than she had been 14 years ago, yet less mature than the Vivianne in the portrait hanging in the study.
The Vivianne of 14 years ago, the Vivianne in the pendant, the Vivianne in the portrait, and the Vivianne of now—he had captured far more moments of Vivianne Aveline than he realized.
Even in her final moments, Vivianne Aveline could never escape the palm of his hand.
If he had been willing to let her go so easily, she would not have fought so desperately to survive.
“Be sure to ask the Duke. It might feel humiliating to face the servants, but it will be the same wherever you go. If the conditions are the same, it would be better to work in a place you know well.”
This morning, as Baron Zimmerman prepared to leave Rodinia, Vivianne couldn’t bear to tell him about Charlotte’s confession and only apologized for not being able to help him. He smiled and encouraged her, never forgetting to offer advice to Vivianne as well.
As Baron Zimmerman had said, working as a maid at the Duke’s manor was far worse than being his evening’s dinner menu. Just the thought of asking Edwin for such a favor made her shudder, and she quickly turned away.
So she wandered around town all day looking for work on her own, and apart from Theo’s clothing shop, the apothecary was the last shop in town.
“I’m sure I can do well. I promise I won’t give you a hard time, Mr. Mortimer.”
“… But my lady, I do need help. But how can I ask you to work? Especially a noblewoman? If this gets out, I’ll be punished, my lady.”
“That’s absolutely not the case. My family and I are nobility in Preston, but here in Neway, we’re just regular citizens. We don’t hold noble status.”
Vivianne strongly denied it, but Mortimer scratched his bearded chin, a hint of discomfort showing on his face.
“Who in this village doesn’t know about your situation, my lady? When we all gathered money and brought it to you, you insisted on refusing it. You should have just accepted the money.”
“I never thought this job was demeaning. Working with medicine and herbs is a sacred task. My father always said—”
“Look at this, my lady.”
As Vivianne tried to explain further, Mortimer held out his rough, calloused hand in front of her. It was covered with scars—fresh wounds, deep gashes, and marks that looked like burns.
“When you work with herbs, sometimes you have to handle things that don’t agree with your body. And then, this happens. Like this.”
“It’s a rather disgusting hand for a delicate lady like you. If you handle things like this, your hands will end up just the same. No, they might end up worse. Besides, the Duke has been so generous to you—why would you go through all this hardship when you don’t have to? Why don’t you just give up and let me—”
Mortimer rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a few bills, and handed them to Vivianne. As her gaze dropped to the bills, her heart felt a sharp sting at the sight of them.
Even after visiting all the shops in the village, the responses she received were no different from Mortimer’s. In the end, she reluctantly accepted the money, telling herself it was better to take what she could get. She had begged for a job, but what she got in return were bills and coins.
“If you need this for now…”
“No, it’s fine.”
She needed the money, but it only made her heart ache. She had once thought that with money, she could do anything, but now, it seemed money had made her unable to do anything.
Money seemed to offer hope, but it also took it away.
Was this what Baron Zimmerman had advised her about? That money could break a person’s spirit yet still push them to blindly pursue it?
“I’m sorry. I was being unreasonable… I’m sorry, Mr. Mortimer. I’ll come by again next time.”
Feeling embarrassed, Vivianne left Mortimer’s apothecary empty-handed.
The prolonged argument had caused the sunset-colored sky to gradually darken. If she didn’t return soon, she wouldn’t make it back in time for dinner. That would undoubtedly provoke Edwin’s anger once again, but skipping Theo’s shop wasn’t an option.
Although she hadn’t sneaked out intentionally, the situation made it seem as if she had, and Sophie was likely desperately searching for her by now. The reason she had quietly left was that if she had told Sophie, she would have been bombarded with excuses to keep her from leaving—or worse, Sophie might have informed Edwin, making everything more troublesome.
The gatekeeper at the manor’s entrance, seemingly exhausted from the heat, was dozing off, sweat dripping down his face. Vivianne considered waking him up but decided against it, thinking she’d be back soon enough.
So, just for today—whether she had to endure scolding, strangling, or even being shot at—she resolved to put up with the Duke’s torment for this one day.
With that in mind, Vivianne hurried her steps and headed to Theo’s clothing shop.
Since that incident, Vivianne had avoided writing to Theo. After tearing up a letter filled with empty reassurances, she found herself unable to write anything more than “To Theo.” No other words seemed to come.
When she arrived, the lights in Theo’s shop were still on. Standing at the entrance, she noticed that the sign had already been flipped to indicate the shop was closed. The door, which she thought would be locked, opened easily. The first thing she saw was Theo, carefully tidying up the fabrics.
“Sorry, but we’re already closed…”
Theo’s eyes widened in surprise when he realized the late-night customer was Vivianne.
“Hello. Theo.”
Theo, who had been staring blankly, dropped what he was holding and hurriedly stepped out from behind the counter.
“Ah, m-my lady…? Is it really you?”
“Yes?”
“Ah, no, I mean…”
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Seeing his confused expression, Vivianne tilted her head and asked with concern.
“… I was just surprised. You shouldn’t be here at this hour. Did you come with the Duke in a carriage again? Is everything alright? Did something happen? Did he, perhaps, hurt you again or… something like that?”
“Theo.”
The calm, soft call gave Theo a slight sense of comfort.
“I’m really, really fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Nothing happened, and nothing will.”
Still worried that someone might interrupt their conversation, Theo hurriedly locked the shop door. He then led Vivianne to the drawing room and brought out two drinks.
“Did you walk here, then?”
“Yes. It feels like it’s been a while since I walked. It clears my head. I should walk more often. It’s been a long time since I went into the maze, too. Though, I have a feeling it’ll only make me feel more trapped…”
Since she hadn’t written any letters lately, Vivianne found herself talking more than usual. Realizing this, she shyly smiled and trailed off at the end of her sentence.
“But why did you come here so late?”
Theo’s attention was entirely focused on Vivianne’s safety and well-being. His anxious gaze weighed heavily on her heart.
“Well, it’s just that…”
She couldn’t bring herself to admit that she had been wandering around the village looking for a job because she didn’t want to beg for one at the Duke’s manor.
“I ended up doing a few things, so it got late. I should go back soon. Actually, they’re probably looking for me since I didn’t come out to talk.”
Theo rubbed his face with his hands, clearly frustrated. Vivianne could only watch as Theo helplessly struggled with his emotions. His hands, which had been neatly resting on his lap, had curled into tight fists.
“My lady, really… aren’t you planning to leave that place? If you’re truly uncomfortable, you could live with my family…”
“You see, Theo.”
To Vivianne Aveline, Theo was no different from the village merchants. They wouldn’t give work to a noble lady, but they would offer money instead. It was a form of sympathy, something similar.
“Theo, you’re my dear friend. That’s how I think of you. And so I’m curious. Am I a dear friend to you too?”
Her question made Theo pause and think.
No. Was there really anything to think about? Did he even have a choice?
If Vivianne told him to become a pig, he would become a pig. If she told him to be a horse, he would become a horse. So why couldn’t he just be her friend? However, what Vivianne didn’t seem to realize was that the one who was grateful for being called a friend was Theo Evans.
“Of course.”
He concealed the turmoil of emotions within him and gave a brief reply. He hoped that Vivianne would understand his true feelings.
“As you know, Theo, right now I’m standing on a precarious and difficult path. And I don’t want you standing there with me.”
“…”
“All I ask of you is one thing: Don’t try to protect me.”
The heartbreaking words stabbed his heart.
The guilt from the past, when he couldn’t protect her even though he tried, made Theo feel so small. The time he spent hating the Duke of Baytness and blaming his own foolishness had accumulated over time, growing like a snowball.
“Instead, when I’m struggling and complaining, just stand by my side and complain with me. Will you do that? You know, Theo, I want you to be the kind of friend I can lean on when I’m really having a hard time, not someone who’s a burden to you. And I want you to be someone I can turn to, someone who won’t mind if I vent my frustrations.”
Vivianne’s confession pulled Theo’s consciousness back nine days, to the moment the Duke of Baytness aimed a gun at him and ultimately pulled the trigger, planting a bullet in his heart.
“Let’s play that word game we used to enjoy. And when I leave later, can you walk me back? It’s getting dark, and honestly, my legs are tired.”
His hasty concern and awkward suggestion had eventually become a burden to her.
What did Vivianne need when she was alone? What was Theo Evans to Vivianne, who had no one to rely on?
Theo had to find the answer within her bright smile.
