There Is No Paradise Where I Ran Away To (14 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 55

After her tears subsided, he allowed the jeweler back inside. When Vivian, now calmer, hesitated to choose, Edwin personally tried on each piece for her and selected only those that suited her well. Just from that selection alone, they had already chosen over ten items.

Edwin instructed Humphrey to pay a large sum to the jeweler, then let Vivian go.

Back in her room, Vivian—now laden with jewelry far beyond her station—immediately locked the door. Her legs gave way, and she slid down to sit on the floor. Her soul, as if drained from the crown of her head, drifted precisely one hour into the past.

“He ordered a cello,” he had said. “Because you sold your precious cello, I bought one. So now it’s yours.”

She remembered mentioning a cello long ago, in passing, during a meal. The exact words escaped her, though the memory remained clear.

Why did he remember that conversation?

To Edwin, Vivian Ebelline was defined by these thoughts: the daughter of the enemy who had hanged his loved ones on the gallows—an object of hatred, a promise stained with loathing, a target of desire. Nowhere in that definition existed the warmth of a shoulder to lean on, nor the kindness of buying clothes, dining together, or selecting jewelry with care.

Countless questions, with no answers to be found, densely filled her mind. Her consciousness, tracing a path through these thoughts, converged toward a single conclusion.

No way. It couldn’t be. It absolutely isn’t.

Vivian shook her head violently, trying to deny it, squeezing her eyes shut to forcefully ignore the answer that had surfaced. Yet the more she mulled over Edwin’s actions, the clearer and brighter that answer became.

She knew there must be a trap hidden somewhere. She knew his kindness surely concealed malice. Yet his gentleness was so pure and transparent that she nearly allowed herself to be completely deceived.

She needed confirmation.

Faced with an answer she could no longer ignore, Vivian needed someone to tell her it wasn’t true.

Suddenly remembering something, she sat at her desk and pulled out a sheet of letter paper. Without hesitation, she began writing.

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