“What color?”
“Pardon? Ah, it’s pink. The skirt is so voluminous that I keep worrying about it. My feet keep getting tangled every time I walk. There’s lace on the shoulder straps, the sleeves, and the hem of the dress, so it keeps fluttering. Oh, and there’s a sash at the waist. That’s pink, too.”
He chewed over my words, his brow furrowing.
“I don’t know much about dress designs.”
“It’s a very pretty dress. The fabric is nice, too.”
It’s so soft that I worry I might ruin it if I apply even the slightest pressure. It’s pretty, but honestly, I’m not sure if it suits me. Violet said it suited me well, but the reflection in the mirror just felt awkward.
After a moment of silence, Vincent tapped the spot beside him.
“Come here.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, sit closer.”
I was puzzled, but since it was an order, I shifted my weight toward him. Vincent reached out. His fingertips closed the distance, brushing against my neck. My body stiffened instantly.
He toyed with the hair tie resting against his fingertips.
“What is this?”
“Th-that’s a hair tie. Violet gave it to me a while ago.”
“I see.”
He fiddled with the tie, testing its texture. Then, he let it go and lightly touched my shoulder. When his fingertips found the lace, he traced it, then slowly followed the curve of my shoulder line.
His touch was cautious, mapping the contours of the fabric. His face tilted toward me, drawing uncomfortably close. He whispered in a low tone, telling me to speak up if he touched anywhere strange. I didn’t have the presence of mind to reply. His hand trailed down, brushing the lace on my sleeve before settling on my wrist. He drew a small circle against my skin; I flinched at the sudden, ticklish sensation.
“May I touch the bottom, too?”
“Ye-yes?”
“The hem of the skirt.”
He gestured downward. I gasped, “Ah,” then lifted the hem and placed it in his hand. He began to fiddle with the fabric. His gaze remained fixed on the void, but his touch became more proactive.
He was just trying to visualize the design. I knew that. And yet, the places his hands touched burned. Even through the layers of fabric, it felt as if he were touching me directly. It was overwhelming. Heat rose throughout my body, leaving me flustered.
“I still can’t quite tell, even after touching it.”
“…….”
I kept my mouth shut. I was preoccupied with suppressing my tremors, terrified he might notice. My body felt as though it were coiling inward, sickened by the unfamiliar sensations rising within me. Just as I reached my breaking point and moved to pull away, the door opened and Violet walked in.
Seeing us, she froze. Her purple eyes blinked, attempting to process the scene. I panicked, snatched the hem of my skirt from Vincent’s hand, and jumped to my feet.
“Are you finished preparing?”
“……Yes. But what were you doing?”
“Master found it fascinating that I was wearing a dress, so I was explaining what kind of dress I have on.”
“Ah.”
Nodding, Violet smiled lightly and approached.
“The party preparations are all done. We can go downstairs now.”
She spoke to us in turn. I nodded and turned to help Vincent up. Behind me, Violet stepped close and placed her hands on my shoulders.
“How is Paula? Isn’t she pretty?”
“How would I know? I can’t even see.”
“But you heard what she’s wearing, didn’t you? She’s very pretty! Vincent would have been surprised if he could see her, too! Lucas has completely fallen for Paula’s charms.”
Violet’s playful words left me flustered. I shook my head—that couldn’t be true. He couldn’t see me, anyway.
“It would have been good if Vincent could see her, too. It’s almost a shame that his eyes aren’t working right now.”
“Is it to that extent?”
“Yes. It is.”
Violet kept her hands on my shoulders and nudged me toward Vincent. I stumbled a step closer. His gaze followed the sound, fixing on me. He moved his head up and down as if inspecting my appearance. Even though I knew he couldn’t see, I hung my head in shame. At that moment, I was grateful for his blindness. I wasn’t nearly as pretty as Violet claimed.
After scrutinizing me for a long while, Vincent burst into laughter. He covered his mouth, but the sound was an unmistakable sneer.
“I don’t know. Even if I had seen her with my own eyes, I think she would still have been lackluster.”
Heat flared in my face, but this time for a different reason. To sneer so openly, even after all that!
“That is truly cruel of you.”
“Why?”
“Of course, I know I don’t look great, but you didn’t have to sneer so openly. And to call me lackluster on top of that. Couldn’t you have just said I looked pretty?”
“I don’t have the nature to lie.”
He hardened his expression and shook his head firmly. I let out a dry laugh. He’s always like that—a heartless person, through and through.
As I glared at him and turned away, I saw Violet’s face. It had gone rigid. The smile she had worn moments ago vanished without a trace.
“Violet? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah……. No. I should go get ready, too. Lucas will be coming up. You two head down first. Paula, could you help me for a moment?”
“Yes.”
Violet smiled and headed for the door. After telling Vincent that a person who doesn’t look good even when dressed up would go ahead, I tapped my heels against the floor twice. Vincent waved his hand, dismissing me.
I returned to her room. Several dresses were lined up on the bed, each one breathtaking enough to suit her perfectly.
I turned to ask which one she would wear, but she was standing at the door, unmoving. She stared into the void with a blank expression. Something was wrong.
“Violet?”
Her eyes finally regained their focus.
“……I’ve never seen that.”
“Pardon?”
“Him being so blunt like that.”
“Who, surely not Master?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen him act like that before.”
I was surprised. Wasn’t that his usual personality? He was always blunt and ill-tempered with me, so I’d assumed he was the same with everyone. He didn’t act like that with others?
“So he acts like that with Paula.”
“……Pardon?”
I was flustered, but seeing her purple eyes lose focus again, I couldn’t say anything more. Was she in shock? Come to think of it, Ethan had been stunned to see him throw things earlier. Perhaps that wasn’t his original personality, or perhaps he had been hiding it.
Does he only act like that with me?
Bastard.
Violet chose a white dress. It was a design that clung to her silhouette from shoulder to knee before spreading out into a voluminous hem. Her hair was braided and pinned up, secured with floral ornaments.
Dressed up, Violet was breathtaking. She had called me pretty, but she was the one truly shining. The sight of her descending the stairs, gripping the banister, was elegance incarnate. If I were a man, I would surely have fallen for her.
Classical music played in the central hall, lending a lively air to the quiet space.
However, there was someone else in the hall besides Vincent and Lucas. We had been told not to let others in once the party started. Who was it?
The man waved toward us. It was Ethan.
“Ethan!”
Violet called out happily. Ethan smiled brightly and welcomed her.
“What brings you here? I thought you were busy.”
“Sending me an invitation and then pretending you don’t know me.”
Ethan waved the letter. Violet said, with a mischievous grin, that a party was better with company. Aside from Violet and Lucas, Ethan was the only outsider who knew about Vincent’s condition. The hall, which had been so empty it was hard to call it a party, became bustling with his arrival.
Violet naturally linked her arm with Vincent Bellunita. He seemed accustomed to it. To anyone watching, they were a perfectly matched couple.
As I stared at them, Lucas approached my right side and offered his arm.
“I will escort you, Paula.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then how about me?”
Ethan Christopher stood to my left. I shook my head more firmly. I wanted even less to do with this.
“It’s a party, you should at least dance.”
“I can’t do things like that. I’ll just go over there and eat something delicious.”
I turned toward the food table, Ethan and Lucas trailing behind. In the end, the three people without partners decided to enjoy a lonely banquet. Isabella, in charge of service, waited on the sidelines.
Violet and Vincent stood facing each other in the center of the hall.
“I wonder if they can dance.”
“Noona will probably lead him.”
“……”
*Clink.* Ethan and Lucas tapped their glasses together, their gazes fixed on the pair. I clinked my glass along with them and gulped down my wine.
“You drink well.”
“I’m not bad at it.”
Perhaps because it was high-quality liquor, it went down smoothly.
A moment later, Isabella changed the music to a soft classical melody. Violet and Vincent took their positions and began to move gently to the rhythm.
Under the brilliant chandelier, they looked like a vision. She moved with such grace, her white skirt spreading out like a blooming flower, drawing every eye in the room. Her face held a radiant smile. Vincent stepped in time with her, showing no signs of hesitation.
“They don’t even trip.”
“They’ve danced together often.”
“It’s beautiful.”
It really was. They matched each other perfectly. I smiled bitterly and downed my wine. Lucas urged me to drink slowly.
The music ended. The two exchanged bows, their voices filled with joy. I chewed on a cracker, unable to tear my gaze away.
Just then, a hand was extended in front of me.
“What is this?”
“I’m asking you to dance.”
“Excuse me?”
I had clearly told them earlier that I couldn’t dance. As I looked up at Lucas blankly, he extended his hand further, waving it to urge me. When I hesitated, Ethan Christopher added that since he was asking so nicely, wouldn’t it be alright to dance just once?
When even Lucas let his shoulders slump and asked if I really hated it that much, I had no choice but to take his hand.