Set your mind, but don’t worry.

Vivian, who woke up before Sophie could wake her, sat on the edge of the bed and repeatedly recalled the spell her father had left behind.

Yesterday, Edwin concluded the conversation by saying that he had understood enough and would finish the detailed talk tomorrow morning, which is this morning. Although she didn’t get a definite answer, judging by his expression and tone, she dared to predict that he was enjoying this situation.

So she felt a groundless confidence that he would readily accept her request to be given work.

Vivian scanned the room, relying on a single beam of light coming through the curtains.

Today, she probably wouldn’t need to use this room anymore. The person who would touch her head, dress her, bring her food, and consider her precious would disappear.

She stretched her steps towards the bottom she had never been to in her life, for a arduous journey to stand up from there.

After spending her last morning in this room, Vivian headed to the study at Edwin’s call. Standing in front of the study, she knocked bravely.

Opening the double doors and entering, Edwin was already waiting, sitting at his desk. As Vivian took a deep breath and boldly stepped forward, his blue eyes pointed to an unexpected place.

Vivian paused and followed his gaze. There was an empty chair, sitting alone a little distance from the desk.

Vivian’s plan was to sit in front of him, give a morning greeting, show her willingness to do work in the mansion, express her awkward determination, and show her resolve to repay the debt. When that plan went awry, she couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon?”

“Go sit down.”

Not knowing why, she sat in the chair he pointed to with a dazed feeling. Sitting there, the view of the study was visible at a glance.

Moreover, when she encountered her own portrait hanging directly in front, her face flushed. Feeling embarrassed, she looked at Edwin, who was seriously looking down at documents while rolling a fountain pen with his long fingers.

Ah, he must have seated me to wait because he’s busy now.

Realizing that another time of patience had come, Vivian remained calm despite feeling like she was getting used to it.

The scratching sound of the fountain pen breaking the air was all there was. Edwin’s concentration was so high that it was difficult to even breathe.

Vivian quietly observed Edwin like that, enduring the boring time.

He was a man with an impressive sharp nose bridge. The plump lips falling below it and the Adam’s apple following the jawline. The veined hand holding the fountain pen along the neat collar.

Remembering what else that hand had held, Vivian shook her head.

Edwin opened his pocket watch to check the time. Edwin, who had been concentrating, wiggled his finger towards Vivian. Startled by the sudden gesture, her eyes fluttered.

“Go call Lord Corbin.”

Vivian was dumbfounded by the contextless order. Unfamiliar with such commands, Vivian thought about the reason.

Who is this Lord Corbin Edwin is talking about, and why is he asking to bring him? Knowing she couldn’t reach a conclusion on her own, she had to ask.

“By Lord Corbin… who…”

Edwin’s eyes, which hadn’t been giving her attention, fell on Vivian sitting apart.

“Go to the reception room. Lord Corbin should have arrived by now, so go tell him to come.”

There were only repeated orders instead of a clear answer. As Vivian reluctantly got up from her seat, not understanding, Edwin leaned back in his chair and smiled coldly.

“It’s always like that at first. I was the same.”

Vivian’s thoughts stopped in the flawless smile.

“It’s unfamiliar, isn’t it? That I, who always gave orders, now have to take orders from someone.”

The moment from 14 years ago that had returned once again constricted Vivian’s heart.

“Even I, who was the youngest son of a duke’s family, when I first arrived in New Way and was told I was a useless human being, life felt really fresh.”

Vivian’s trembling eyes fell to the floor.

The youngest son of Raven. The prestigious duke’s family of Preston. Probably Edwin, Sayer, had never put anyone above his head except for his family and the royal family.

“I had to constantly prove my usefulness to survive, and your situation won’t be different.”

That’s the kind of family Raven was.

In front of such great power that if the Duke of Raven had sought the throne, he would have had enough standing to do so, Raven disappeared through the collaboration of Mayer and Eveline.

“So you prove your usefulness too.”

It was a pain like a well-sharpened blade playfully stabbing the heart.

“If you feel ashamed and embarrassed just for calling one person, you can’t do a servant’s work.”

Prove your usefulness.

Vivian, without even having time to chew on the pain, left her seat and headed to the reception room to prove her usefulness.

There was a middle-aged man there, extremely nervous. He stood up abruptly, took off his hat, and greeted politely. It was an unfamiliar situation for Vivian.

What should I say at times like this? That Duke Baitness is looking for you, so follow me? Should I greet first?

It was quite a difficult role for Vivian, who had always been in the position of ordering someone to be brought.

“… D-Duke Baitness is looking for you.”

Even though she barely managed to convey one sentence while stammering, she felt deflated. The man put his hat back on and bowed slightly.

The duke’s voice floating around in her head was deeply engraved in Vivian’s heart. Imagining what young Sayer had to go through made her throat tighten with distress.

While I was curious about your past trampled by the name Eveline, at the same time, your past is choking me.

She recalled Sayer Raven who had boarded the carriage. Sayer’s appearance, which she couldn’t have imagined was from a noble family comparable to royalty. And when Vivian learned of Sayer’s identity, she hoped he would survive.

What was my heart like back then?

At this moment of hitting rock bottom, what I showed Sayer back then feels like authority, not goodwill. The sense of superiority that I should help someone pitiful. The sense of being chosen, that I could help that child, now only feels ridiculous.

Vivian, who had passed through an endless path of criticism, knocked on the door of the study. After opening the double doors, she looked at the man, who once again left a grateful greeting and entered.

When her eyes met Edwin’s, he nodded lightly. It felt like praise for a job well done, which made her feel a little better, and because of that, she felt worse.

Vivian, who closed the door, sat down on the floor leaning against the wall, unable to explain the complexly tangled emotions.

Exhausted, Vivian blankly stared into space. There wasn’t even time to wonder how much time had passed. The only memory Vivian had was of Sophie discovering her crouching on the floor, checking her complexion several times, and worrying.

The study door flung open. Startled, Vivian sprang to her feet, and Lord Corbin greeted her with a slightly more relaxed face and a smile. Then, after confirming Vivian’s face, Corbin became greatly embarrassed and left the place.

Vivian, all her energy drained, carefully looked into the study, and Edwin, sprawled in his seat, nodded.

“Come in.”

That low tone brought everything back to reality. Vivian entered, her shoulders drooping.

Vivian, who entered the study, chose a place to sit. As she looked at the chair far away like before, Edwin pointed to the chair in front of the desk. Vivian sat down with a short sigh.

“I prefer principles to be adhered to. Therefore, allowing Lady Eveline, a noble, to work as a maid in my mansion means breaking that notion.”

Vivian swallowed hard. He had told her to prove her usefulness. It wasn’t that she had proven great usefulness, but she bet on a glimmer of hope.

“But it must have been a difficult decision, and considering your efforts to repay the debt, I’ve decided to employ you.”

Edwin smiled coldly throughout. Without time to distinguish whether it was a good sign or a bad one, Vivian was overjoyed just by the fact that she could work.

Being able to earn money means being able to repay the debt, which means that even if she were to disappear from the world, Edwin Baitness couldn’t request repayment from her mother regarding the existence of the debt.

The fact that she could shoulder a piece of the shadow cast over the family made her appear as a useful person, not an incompetent human, but quite a capable person.

“I’m curious to see how far you can endure.”

Edwin, leaning back in his chair, looked leisurely, as if observing. It was a face that seemed to have already concluded that she couldn’t do it.

“I will endure. I can do it.”

“Really?”

Vivian’s eyes were steadfast, and Edwin’s smile was tinged with both interest and doubt.

“I will overcome it. It’s something I have to do anyway. I need to repay the debt I owe you, so it will be easier for you to dispose of me. However…”

The drawling tone sank heavily and coldly.

“What will happen to my parents after I die? If they return, and if they meet you… what do you plan to do then?”

The hand holding the fountain pen moved flexibly. The blue eyes were looking at the fountain pen rolling at his fingertips, and the gray eyes were watching him.

“It will be difficult, but I’ll do my best. So, can’t you end your revenge with me?”

The pleasure those gray eyes gave Edwin was gradually increasing.

I wonder if I’ll really regret it when those eyes, containing so many expressions, disappear.

When counting all the time sacrificed to get this far, it wasn’t too difficult to end Eveline’s life.

“Well.”

It wasn’t a very satisfactory answer, as Vivian’s expression wavered.

“There’s one thing you’re mistaking. The reason you and I are entangled was just because of a promise you made 14 years ago. It’s your fault for making an irresponsible promise you probably don’t even remember.”

“…”

“So you’re not the target of my revenge. The target of my revenge is.”

The cleanly dropping tone pushed Vivian’s heart into an abyss.

“Your father. Lawrence Eveline.”

The name of her father that flowed from the end of his lips increased Vivian’s pain.

“Your father, who joined hands with Mayer to drive out Bannister, bringing down my family, my clan.”

Is it really impossible for Eveline to escape from his hands? Is the only future for the Eveline family to have all hope and expectations broken and vanish into nothingness?

“But who knows.”

Vivian raised her head at the voice tinged with a twist. She couldn’t grasp what was hidden behind the ceremonial smile. Edwin’s smile was suitable for hiding his true feelings.

“Depending on how you do, Lawrence Eveline might end up with just the sorrow of losing a daughter.”

Edwin didn’t forget to plant hope. The innocent girl, not knowing that the single hope was actually despair wearing a mask, reaches out her hand, swears, and makes a promise.

I’ll really try hard. To the best of my ability. So that I can please you.