“Master.”
“…….”
I watched Vincent slumped against the door. I could hear the dull thud of his forehead knocking rhythmically against the wood, yet he remained motionless.
The moment Violet’s panicked voice had sent the blood rushing to his face, he had tried to bolt from the drawing room. But in his haste, he slammed his knee into the sofa, and while trying to stumble away as if nothing were wrong, he walked straight into a wall. That was when his nose began to bleed. Even then, he didn’t stop, turning only to collide his waist against the china cabinet. Only after the ornaments above shattered on the floor did he manage to escape the room. As promised, I had taken his hand and led him to his chambers.
The moment we entered, he locked the door. Violet, who followed moments later, pounded on the wood, but he refused to answer. I crouched before him, helpless. The hand I still held was deathly cold, a silent testament to his state of mind.
“Vincent! Vincent!”
Violet called his name until her voice grew raspy. I had witnessed this scene once before. Just like that time, the door remained shut.
“Master. Lady Violet is still calling for you.”
“……I know.”
“Shouldn’t you open the door?”
He shook his head slowly.
“Practicing was useless. It was a mistake for a blind man to pretend he could see. This is the fated conclusion. It’s over now. It’s all over…….”
“Vincent! Open the door! Please!”
His voice, steeped in despair, collided with Violet’s pleas and shattered. I felt an awkward weight in the air, not knowing what to say.
A moment later, footsteps approached. It was Ethan. I heard his voice, soft and steady, soothing Violet. Soon, the rhythmic sound of their retreat faded into the distance.
Silence reclaimed the room. Even knowing they were gone, Vincent kept his head bowed. I shifted my position, trying to gauge his face, before gently cupping his cheeks to lift his chin. The skin that had been flushed with shame was now ashen, his eyes drowning in misery. Stains of blood were smeared messily around his nose; he hadn’t even had a moment to wipe it away.
I pulled my hands back, stood, and hurried to the bathroom. I returned with a towel soaked in cool water and began to gently wipe the dried blood from his face.
“Not yet…… it mustn’t end yet. It must not break just yet…….”
“Lady Violet will understand.”
“Not yet, it must stay this way.”
What did he mean? I tilted my head, but he offered no further explanation. Even his mumbling ceased, leaving only a suffocating heaviness in the room.
I encountered Ethan on my way out after putting him to bed, as he had finally complained of exhaustion. A bitter, weary smile clung to Ethan’s face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, maid? To be precise, it isn’t your fault.”
Still, the mess had been triggered by my words. I suppose this is why Lady Isabella had warned me to watch my tongue. The moments that could not be undone remained as sharp, jagged regrets.
“Everything will be fine.”
He patted my shoulder. His lighthearted demeanor, no different from usual, offered a strange, fragile comfort.
The next day, the mansion was quiet. Ethan was nowhere to be seen, and Violet, who had spent the night pounding on the door, did not appear. I had expected her to return, but it seemed Ethan had successfully coaxed her away.
I tidied the room and checked his condition, as always. Recently, he had been eating better and even walking about, gaining strength and avoiding seizures. But it remained a secret, known only to me, that he was plagued by nightmares all night long.
As I was handing the laundry to Renika and taking back fresh linens, someone called my name.
“Paula.”
It was Violet.
I approached at her call, noting her eyes were red and swollen. It appeared she had cried through the night.
“How is Vincent? Is he still very angry?”
“That is a misunderstanding. Master is not angry.”
“Then that is a relief.”
She offered a weak smile. Her slumped shoulders were heartbreaking.
“I heard from Ethan. You knew too, didn’t you, Paula?”
“I am sorry.”
“Oh, my. You don’t need to apologize, Paula.”
She waved a hand dismissively, yet her complexion remained ghastly. After calling for him until late last night, she had clearly overexerted herself. Fearing she might collapse, I untied my apron, laid it on a shaded patch of grass, and sat her down. I took a seat beside her.
“I think it would be best if you rested here for a while.”
“Thank you.”
Violet forced a smile. As she leaned her head against the wall, a breeze blew by, cooling the humid air.
“Paula, would you listen to my story?”
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
She parted her lips slowly.
“You see, I was a very lacking fiancée from a young age. I disliked the graces and etiquette a lady is supposed to master. I was a tomboy. I preferred lifting my long skirts and running wild to sitting still.”
Lost in old memories, she laughed softly. For a moment, her melancholy lifted.
“My mother scolded me relentlessly. She said a lady shouldn’t behave that way, and that no man would ever want me if I did. Every time I was scolded, Vincent would comfort me. He told me he loved that I showed my honest charm without hiding it. He told me that compromising with each other was far more joyful than sacrificing oneself for someone else.”
That cantankerous Master said such things? I couldn’t imagine it. Without realizing it, I cast a skeptical look her way. Fortunately, she was lost in the warmth of her memories and didn’t notice.
“I liked that Vincent. I wanted to be by the side of the person who saw my inner self, not just my outer appearance. That’s why, when our engagement was decided, I was secretly happy. It meant I could spend my whole life with him.”
“…….”
“I didn’t care if Vincent treated me as a friend or family. I will love my husband with all my heart. I vowed that until my love consumes me, even if everyone else turns their backs on him, I alone would be on his side.”
Her conviction was evident in her resolute voice. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation on her face. She was beautiful as she whispered of her devotion. Watching her, I felt as though the sheer intensity of her affection was enough to go blind.
“And so…… I thought I could accept him no matter what he looked like……. But honestly, Paula. When I discovered Vincent’s true condition, for a single moment, I felt hatred.”
The light faded from her eyes. She smiled as if about to cry, her shoulders slumping once more.
“I am such an unworthy person. If I had been quick-witted, I would have noticed Vincent’s suffering. I was so happy at the thought of meeting him that I didn’t realize he was struggling. He must have been terrified when I arrived……. And I, oblivious, just whined, demanding to know why he wouldn’t look at me. I’m not qualified to be his wife.”
“That is not true.”
“If I were a fine wife, I wouldn’t have been startled by his condition; I should have calmly held him in my arms. I should have whispered that it was alright, that I loved him anyway.”
I shook my head immediately. This was not a matter of right or wrong. Her reaction was only natural, and even an immature person like me understood that. Surely, Vincent knew it too.
“Lady Violet. If I may be so bold, this isn’t a matter of whose fault it is. How could you have known what Master and Mr. Christopher were hiding? If you had known and feigned ignorance, that would be a kindness, but not knowing is not a cause for blame.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course. Considering how meticulously they hid it, it would have been more surprising if you *had* noticed. As someone who watched from the side, I can tell you they were incredibly thorough. If I hadn’t known about the Master’s condition beforehand, I would have been just as blind.”
As I shook my head and mentioned that he had even been practicing, she laughed. When she asked what kind of practice, I told her about the tea and the conversation. She smiled sadly, murmuring that I must have had a hard time.
I waved her sadness away.
“What I want to say is that you don’t need to blame yourself, Violet Marguerite. Honestly, it would be worse to hide such things from your future wife. It is okay to be demanding. As I said before, sometimes ignoring the other person’s feelings can bring about a good result.”
“Is that really true? Will it lead to a good result?”
I nodded firmly. Not all results are good, but right now, they needed an opportunity to face each other. I believe that if you act for the sake of another, that effort will eventually lead to a good result.
“Please do as you wish, Violet Marguerite.”
“As I wish….”
She whispered the words, tilting her head back to gaze at the sky. Her violet eyes regained their vitality. A smile of firm resolve surfaced on her face, replacing her frozen expression.
“Yes. I will be more demanding. Even if he calls me greedy, I don’t care. If that is the only way I can see Vincent Bellunita, then I will do it. I want to be by his side.”
She turned to me with a brilliant expression. Her hair fluttered gently in the wind.
“Paula, please support me.”
Her determination sparkled. No, she herself was dazzling. I could not take my eyes off Violet Marguerite, who was intent on setting her love ablaze. She was beautiful—not just in appearance, but because her heart refused to give up.
Would I be like that if I loved someone? I smiled bitterly. Such a moment would never come for me.
The hands of a noble lady my age would remain smooth and delicate, but mine would always be rough and worn. My appearance would never change. A sparkling, dazzling moment was not meant for a life like mine.
“Yes.”
But this time, I could answer her willingly.
* * *
From that day on, she stood her ground before the door of Vincent Bellunita. She knocked and called for him, though he did not open it. The door was not locked, but Violet Marguerite insisted that she would wait until he opened it himself.
According to Ethan Christopher, he had been sweating to calm her down as she tried to rush to the room without even eating. Since that day, Ethan had also tried to persuade Vincent, but he failed every time. This was not a matter to be solved through coercion.
‘How about you try bringing it up, maid?’
The unfamiliarity of his weak, desperate smile made me unable to refuse.
Watching Vincent Bellunita eat, I hesitated before slowly bringing it up.
“Master, wouldn’t it be better to meet with Violet Marguerite?”
“Stop.”
He cut me off immediately, placing his bowl onto the bedside table. He hadn’t even eaten half.
“I have no appetite. I am finished.”
I caught him just as he was about to lie back down.
“Violet Marguerite said she would accept you no matter what you look like.”
“Stop it.”
“She is still waiting in front of your door. She is going to collapse if she keeps this up.”
“Enough! Say no more. That is an order.”
He grabbed my wrist. His voice was firm, unlike the moments before. *Do not cross the line anymore.* The warning rang clear.