Somehow, I had a feeling that Vivian would be here today, and I was right. In her most powerless state, she sat in a familiar place and undressed as if it were something she naturally had to do.

Vivian floated quietly, her snow-white body sprawled on the dark lakeshore. Not even a sound existed from the expressionless corpse.

The empty shell, robbed of its soul, was beautiful as if it would never decay.

The beautiful corpse sank into the water. It dashed Edwin’s expectation that it would revive inside, revealing itself above the surface with its golden hair shimmering brilliantly.

“You must not die.”

Vivian’s red cheek, felt through the moisture on his palm, was warm. It was too hot and soft to be seen as a pale corpse floating on the surface.

“Then I. I who would be left alone.”

It was fortunate. That she didn’t die. That she was alive. So that, he could give death.

Vivian’s wet eyes rippled like waves. In the embrace she entered herself, in the embrace she persistently stayed, Vivian must have felt murderous intent.

How long would it take to realize what mistake she had made. Edwin was quite curious.

“Well, killing yourself after I came all this way just to kill you, I’m sorry but that won’t do.”

The fingers caressing Vivian’s cheek slipped. As he languidly stroked her small, pointed chin, her slightly parted red lips caught his attention.

It was a slightly different shade from when she had whined that she would do anything about the gatekeeper Jefferson. Unlike then, her lips were not as smooth, but cracked, though still tolerable thanks to the moisture they held.

They were not lips that would make one imagine the taste of fruit, as attractive as they were then. Now, the foolish woman who couldn’t even properly close her clothes tried to create distance.

Vivian harbored the arrogant illusion that she could leave the embrace she had entered on her own.

Edwin’s firm arm bound Vivian’s waist and pulled her in. The bodies that had suddenly pressed together raised their temperature with the faint heat transmitted through the dampening clothes.

Drawn in by the strong force, Vivian was terribly crumpled in his embrace. His shirt and black pants were also getting wet. Her wet hands pressed against his shoulders, trying to create space between their bodies, but the more she tried, the more firmly the front of her clothes that couldn’t be closed gaped open frivolously.

Unable to struggle more, she withdrew her pushing hands to gather her open clothes.

Even as Vivian looked at him with resentful eyes, his gaze remained on her lips. As if not content with biting her lower lip, she pulled her lips as if to hide even her upper lip, and his thumb pressed firmly on Vivian’s chin.

As her jaw naturally opened, her tightly closed lips made a popping sound. When the tip of the thumb that had pressed her jaw touched her lips, her small and frail body convulsed in startling shock.

“Don’t die.”

The blue eyes that had brushed past her lips murmured calmly. They were eyes that shone with the same fervor as before, but they were a little kinder and gentler, and not violent.

A low sigh tickled Vivian’s forehead. Vivian’s heart was wrapped in passionate tension. Interpreting it as fear or terror, she reached out with powerless hands to press against his chest.

The damp clothes made it feel as if their skin was pressed together. She could no longer bear the feeling of being naked and tangled, defending her front with such actions.

“Please let me go. I’ll beg like this. I’ll plead… You said you’d listen to me. You said you’d show me favor. Now, please, just stop… stop this…”

Now she began to plead, lifting her ashen eyes. All fierceness had drained away, leaving only the desire to escape.

Edwin, who had been quietly looking down at such a Vivian, cupped her cheek again with the hand that had been stroking her chin.

He gently wiped her wet eyes, then released her waist. Vivian, who reflexively moved away, curled her body as much as possible, trying to cover her torn and wet clothes that revealed her skin.

Edwin, who had gotten wet along with her, took a step back and then passed by Vivian. Is he going to leave like this? She harbored great expectations, but the sound of footsteps approaching again made her despair.

“I don’t think I taught you to use it at times like this?”

Something thick fell onto her body. It was her own shawl, which she didn’t even remember when it had fallen off.

As a bewildered Vivian turned to look at Edwin, the lake wind blew in between them.

His black hair swayed in the summer lake breeze. Now she could finally meet the blue eyes she hadn’t been able to see properly.

“Don’t die, Vivian.”

Edwin’s lips curved coolly like the wind. With that, he turned and walked away. His steps receded. Vivian, standing dazed in place, collapsed onto the grass as soon as his back completely disappeared.

***

Late at night, a man thoroughly drunk on alcohol woke up several of the village residents with his loud singing and a singing ability rivaling that of a tone-deaf person. Unable to bear it any longer, one resident opened the window and hurled insults at the middle-aged man who was drunk as a skunk.

After confirming that he was a notorious drunkard who was quite well-known in the village, the resident closed the door, clicking his tongue at the man who responded with unspeakable curses.

It was because he quickly calculated which side would lose out if he engaged with him.

Rodinia was known as an important route connecting the southern metropolis of Lowend and the capital Perrington. Generally, traveling between Lowend and Perrington by ship was the conventional means, as the terrain between the two cities was notorious for being treacherous.

Nevertheless, there were occasionally those who used the land route, and they flowed into Rodinia, which was connected by relatively flat terrain, and some stragglers from the arduous journey settled in Rodinia.

The middle-aged man who stumbled into the inn room as if barging in was also an uninvited guest who had appeared out of nowhere one day.

“Mr. Haven! When are you going to pay the room fee! When are your friends coming!”

The innkeeper, Crystal, shouted with annoyance as soon as she saw the man. Realizing it was late at night, she immediately lowered her voice, but.

“Do you think I’m going to skip out on the payment? Really. How heartless. Just you wait! My colleagues will bring double the fee. You may not know this, but I once worked in the royal palace. I gained the trust of His Majesty the King…”

“Oh! I’m sick of it! Stop with that tiresome story and just go upstairs!”

The man, whose speech was cut off, blinked his drunken eyes in confusion and then burst into laughter. As the laughter continued all the way up to the second floor, the innkeeper shouted at him to shut up.

While complaining to Crystal, the man fumbled around looking for his room. Then, the sound of sobbing that filled the corridor stopped the man in his tracks. The man who found the source of the crying knocked on the door, bang bang bang.

“Hey! Didn’t you hear? The innkeeper said to shut up! If I hear one more wail, I’ll wring your neck and hang it on the castle wall! Of course, it won’t be me, but the madam who will do it. So shutting up would be…”

“Mr. Haven!”

Crystal, who had rushed up to the second floor in alarm, hit the man’s back hard with force. The man, caught off guard and pushed by the force, was shoved into the room before he could even feel his pride hurt.

Crystal, who had closed the door as if locking him in, headed towards the door that had stopped Haven’s steps until then.

“Miss. I’m sorry. He’s not a bad person even though he’s like that sometimes. Don’t worry and sleep well.”

Crystal, who reassured the two girls in the room, went down the stairs. The corridor, which seemed like it would be quiet for a long time, was filled with sobs again.

Charlotte, who had been driven out of the mansion and walked down to the village, had to swallow her tears from the pain that felt like her legs would break. She curled up her aching legs on the creaking bed and stifled her cries.

Edwin had heartlessly driven her out. Out of the mansion, pushed out without even a carriage. He didn’t care whether she died on the way or was killed miserably by some robber.

He gave her a trunk that was hardly worth calling luggage and a few coins. He sent his last greeting through Abernathy, saying it was Baron Baitness’s inheritance and that he had included his last affection along with it.

“Miss. I’m so sorry. Because of me, because of me, you, huh huh huck.”

Unlike Charlotte who was crying while holding her breath, Marian couldn’t hold back her bursting sobs.

The reason Charlotte couldn’t be harsh to Marian, even though she was more annoyed with her, was because Marian was the only person she could rely on. Without Marian, she couldn’t protect herself thrown into this harsh world.

It was truly unfair and frustrating.

She knew that Vivian was working as a servant, but she had never once mocked or looked down on her. Rather, she had sneered at Vivian trying to pay off her debt by doing embroidery, but wasn’t it contradictory to depreciate and criticize Vivian who was making an effort?

Even if that wasn’t the case, even if it was really something she had done, she had hoped that at least Edwin would take her side.

Even if it wasn’t love, we were family. From childhood until now, my life had been completely filled with Edwin.

“But the Duke probably didn’t really drive you out. If we stay here quietly, he’ll come looking for us again. You know what you mean to the Duke. Or how about saying you’ll marry Baron Zimmerman? He might forgive you then.”

“What? He might forgive me if I do that?”

Charlotte bit her lip and glared at Marian.

“Is it my fault? Who caused this trouble? It’s entirely because of you doing something you weren’t told to do that angered the Duke! If it weren’t for you, there would be no reason for me to be here!”

Charlotte buried her face in her knees and cried bitterly. Marian, feeling sorry, pressed her lips together and sniffled. But Charlotte would quickly lift her head in fear whenever she heard even the slightest sound from outside.

She burrowed into the blanket and asked Marian to stay with her, and Marian snuggled up next to the trembling Charlotte and comforted her.

“I’m so scared. What if something really happens, Marian?”

“Nothing will happen. We told the innkeeper where you came from and who your guardian is, remember? The innkeeper will be concerned about us too. So nothing will happen.”

Marian, who had been patting Charlotte’s small back as she cried sadly in her arms, brightened her eyes as if she had thought of something.

“Ah, that’s right. Come to think of it, there is someone we can trust. There’s someone in the village we can safely entrust ourselves to.”

The optimistic voice inflated Charlotte’s expectations. She wanted to escape as soon as possible from this shabby inn room where only threats and crises were surging.

“Who? Who is it? Do you know someone?”

Charlotte shook Marian’s arm, which had hesitated for a moment, urging her to reveal the countermeasure she had thought of.

“Eveline’s friend who pointed a gun at the Duke is in the village. The tailor, Theo Evans!”

***

The overcast gray sky dyed Vivian’s room entirely gray as well.

Standing by the wide-open window, Vivian quietly looked down at the summer garden. The garden, which should have been full of freshness, seemed to have its spirit dampened by the dark clouds that were about to pour rain.

Yesterday, countless trials came to Vivian.

The humiliation and disgrace suffered at the hands of the Duke. The fact that she had been played by a childish prank. The shame of having shown her body to a strange man.

Vivian was certain. She confirmed through yesterday’s events that it was not doubt or misunderstanding.

What he wants to take from me, what he wants to obtain, but what could be easier than anything else.

Mr. Sheffer’s assessment of Duke Baitness was completely wrong. If they knew what kind of desire he harbored, even the citizens of New Way would turn their backs on Duke Baitness.

He was not stopping at the death of the flesh, but was also desiring the death of the mind.

Even the cool breeze that had come after a long time couldn’t fill the emptied heart. Even this summer’s vitality couldn’t sprout new buds in Vivian’s desolate heart.

“Miss. The Duke is calling for you.”

Vivian turned to look at the innocent Sophie who knew nothing. She nodded weakly with a small smile.

His revenge was planned to end with the death of the flesh. She had no intention of allowing him to take anything more than that.