But then, whats the point of that?

Would doing that take away all the times that I had suffered?

At the question calmly posed, Roen managed to open his lips.

Thats

However, his response was cut short by Violets subsequent words.

Young Lord, I want to be happy now.

I just wanted to forget about all the things thatre complicated, all the things that I hate I just wanted to be happy.

And I thought Id be happy if I got an apology.

When she had received Roens apology, it was calmer than she had expected. And it didnt feel nice at all. It was just this sticky unpleasant feeling that youd get from drinking unfizzy softdrinks.

This resentment wouldnt disappear after just a few words.

Let me ask you the same question. Do you think youll be happy once youre the duke?

No.

Talking about the matter of revenge abetting revenge was a moot endeavor. As a matter of fact, revenge was a good thing. It might even improve ones quality of life a little.

Its a frightening and heavy position to carry.

The sweetness brought by power would no doubt be addictive, however the weight of responsibility loomed not far behind.

If the villainess were to become the dukes heir, the intensity of all the criticism against her would become even stronger.

It would end up with just this: damned if you do, damned if you dont. If she couldnt do well, shed be cursed at. If she could do well, shed still be cursed at.

Political enemies would come in droves just to bring her down. They would spread more rumors about her, they would press her down with all their power and might.

The same was true if she were to become the crown princes consort. Power was bound to carry such responsibilities and criticisms.

What Violet wanted was just one simple thing.

To spend the rest of her life painting without having to worry about starving.

This was the happiness she was hoping for.

Roen smiled bitterly.

The man, who now carried an insurmountable weight of responsibility all for the sake of apologizing to his younger sister, stopped asking meaningless questions.

Ill move up the schedule of our departure to the capital so that we can leave before Cairn returns. Rest comfortably for now.

Roen had been stopping by Violets residence regularly these days even though he had such dark circles under his eyes. After a short goodbye, he left the drawing room.

Still as ever, there was no such thing as a prolonged goodbye between the two of them.

* * *

Rumors started going around about how Violet would be going to the capital with Roen. The whispers continued spreading with no signs of stopping.

Some people said that the wicked woman would be released from her confinement, while others said that she might only have been framed.

Some people said that she must be aiming for the position of the crown princes consort, while others said that Violet had never been truly incarcerated in the first place.

Public opinion about Violet had certainly changed, but there were still droves of people who continued to vilify her. In that sense, her decision to leave the Everett household was a good choice.

The rumors spread little by little and eventually reached Aileen.

Why.

As she muttered under her breath, the girl clutched the pillow in her hands so hard that it might soon burst.

From a cursory glance of her room, it looked as if a storm had swept through the space. It was a mess. Broken objects were strewn everywhere.

She couldnt do anything. The image she had built up all these years had caught her by the ankle.

Her outward image of a good child was the key point to her being able to receive all that love, but at the same time, it was the very thing that shackled her.

Why! Why the hell!

All her actions were controlled. Even the smallest mistake would come back to bite her in the form of criticism. The wide, wide duchy had become a cage for Aileen.

Why, why did this happen. Nanny, Nannyyy Where did you go? Why, why

Aileen was neither an angel nor a saint.

In the end, she was just a human being. In such a situation where she was suffocating, she was unable to endure.

And it only worsened further when her nanny and maids, who acted like her hands and feet, had disappeared.

As she had been loved all her life, the girl could not overcome the violent environment she now found herself in.

* * *

Moonlight rested above the lakes surface.

Violet looked down quietly into the lake where she had once plunged into. Considering that the weather hadnt been good that day, it was a miracle that she had survived.

The grass beneath her bare feet made her skin itch. Though she was scheduled to leave for the capital the very next day, Violet had come out for a stroll on an impulse.

In the middle of the garden, she was a sole woman who was walking barefoot, wearing only a nightgown. If anyone were to see her, its only natural that they would point a finger at her.

Even so, she nevertheless went on this stroll and enjoyed it as much as she pleased.

Violet would be leaving the Everett residence tomorrow.

She would be leaving her hometown, which was also her birthplace.

She did not feel regretful about this. However, she could not stop the urge to take a tour around the residence.

It would be the last time before shed leaveto capture with her eyes the hometown that she would not be returning to.

Its time to say goodbye.