There Is No Paradise Where You Escaped - Chapter 39

A thin beam of light sliced across the floor through the gap in the blackout curtains covering the window. Edwin, who had woken early, refrained from ringing the bell and instead immersed himself in the rhythmic ticking of the second hand.

Vivianne Aveline usually arrived with the servants early each morning. She would first throw open the curtains, then turn to face him. And then, she would flash that awkward, hesitant smile—a perfect depiction of unease.

Of course, recalling Vivianne’s sulky face from the night before, it seemed likely she would act more roughly and clumsily than usual.

Even such thoughts filled Edwin’s morning with anticipation. But today, things were different.

Before the appointed time, Vivianne barged into his room, violently slamming the door open. It was an intrusion—no one would dare enter Edwin’s room unannounced, much less without knocking.

“Your Grace! Your Grace! Wake—oh, you’re already awake.”

Vivianne, in a whirlwind of urgency, marched straight to the bed and shook the master of the house by the arm, breaking every rule of decorum and committing what could only be called the pinnacle of offenses.

As Edwin groggily propped himself up, she straightened her back and shoulders, as if her rude behavior from moments ago had never happened.

“Your Grace, just now I—”

“The curtains first.”

It was necessary to temper Vivianne’s urgency. Realizing her misstep, she softly gasped and went to the window, pulling the curtains open. The fresh and noble hue of the morning light poured into the bedroom.

“So, what brings you barging in this morning?”

“Do you know what I just saw?”

“And what did you see?”

In the bright sunlight, Vivianne’s face appeared even paler than he had anticipated. She looked as if her day had already been ruined, sparking curiosity about what had unsettled her.

“I just found a letter from Theo that arrived yesterday.”

Edwin faced the annoyance of hearing that name first thing in the morning again. The two of them hadn’t been exchanging many letters lately. Their correspondence had become so infrequent that it could hardly be called regular anymore.

Theo’s letters to Vivianne were intercepted by Roarke, whose sickeningly sweet tone—inquiring about her well-being, expressing worry, and offering consoling words—had grown tiresome. Since Roarke hadn’t mentioned any of Theo’s letters lately, Edwin had assumed there wouldn’t be any noteworthy news.

“When you sent Miss Windler away from the manor, did you really send her off with absolutely nothing? No decent place for her to stay, no safeguard—just her and Marian, all alone?”

Edwin reflected on how the conversation had shifted from Theo’s letter to Charlotte.

      So, Charlotte had gone to find Evans.

With the right conclusion finally reached, Edwin smirked. He admired the way she had handled the situation. In contrast to his nonchalance, Vivianne was shocked and placed her hand on her forehead.

“When I first heard that Your Grace had sent Miss Windler away, I assumed it was merely to scold her or perhaps to return her to Rottermond! But what would’ve happened if Theo hadn’t been in town?”

Her reprimand echoed around the bedroom like flitting birds.

Edwin, instead of arguing, leaned back against the headboard and simply observed this unfamiliar side of her.

“How could you neglect a grown lady like that? What if something had happened to her? My heart nearly dropped. I’ll head down to town today and bring Miss Windler back immediately. Please, allow me to do so.”

Though Vivianne had been complaining and nagging, she soon shifted to pleading for a compromise.

Edwin, having risen from the bed, picked up a water pitcher from the table and poured a full glass.

Following him closely, Vivianne waited expectantly for his response as he set the glass down.

“Charlotte will not be returning to the manor.”

Vivianne’s shoulders slumped helplessly at the disappointing answer.

“Then relay this to Evans: if he doesn’t plan to take her in and care for her, he should send her away quickly.”

“Your Grace!”

At her protest, Edwin turned back with a nonchalant shrug before walking away.

Vivianne, unwilling to give up, continued to nag him under the guise of persuasion.

“If she stays out there any longer, it’ll be dangerous. Your Grace, you’re Miss Windler’s guardian. How can you leave a young lady, who hasn’t even reached adulthood, completely defenseless?”

“Is a ward allowed to defy their guardian’s warnings, refuse to obey, and still be forgiven?”

“She’s still young. Everyone makes mistakes at that age.”

He stopped walking and looked back at Vivianne with a gentle smile.

“Just like you did to me, 14 years ago?”

The unexpected remark sent ripples through her composure. Edwin had achieved his goal of silencing her relentless nagging. Reading the somber expression that settled on her face, he smiled faintly.

“A few days ago, Baron Zimmerman sent a letter stating he wouldn’t marry. Charlotte has achieved her goal, hasn’t she? Then, shouldn’t she bear the responsibility for it as well? I’ve given her plenty of time, but if she insists on forging her own path, I won’t stop her. However, she’ll have to give up everything she’s enjoyed so far—even her safety.”

Vivianne hadn’t thought Edwin could be so harsh, even if Charlotte had used Marian to torment her. While she could understand his anger, given the broken engagement, she still found his coldness overwhelming.

Rather than harboring resentment toward Charlotte, Vivianne felt pity for her. That was why she wanted to overstep her bounds and help Charlotte escape this crisis.

Vivianne wished Edwin, as Charlotte’s only family, could understand why she was so against marriage.

“She says she has someone she loves.”

The words slipped out, and she immediately felt a twinge of regret. Edwin’s indifferent expression showed no sign of sympathy for Charlotte’s pitiful circumstances.

“Love?”

His scoffing tone was laced with mockery. If Charlotte had heard it, she would have been deeply hurt. His decision was so firm that no amount of persuasion seemed possible.

As he turned to leave, Vivianne stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She wasn’t particularly eager to do so, but if this was what it took, she was willing to set aside her pride.

“Your Grace, I’m begging you. Please let Miss Windler return to the manor. I’ll… I’ll plead like this. Please?”

Her tone carried just enough coquettish charm to be persuasive without being overbearing.

Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and the drooping corners of her lips completed the tearful expression. Yet it was met only with his cold and icy indifference.

“I’ll try to persuade Miss Windler. The baron has a deep affection for her, so if she changes her mind, he’ll agree to the marriage. Could you forgive her just this once?”

Her gentle voice was like a southern breeze that could melt the winter. It was clearly intentional and undoubtedly calculated.

She always lowered her proud nose when it came to saving others.

      What a boring habit, and a tiresome trait indeed.

Vivianne had to know. She needed to understand exactly what the other person wanted.

“Cheap.”

The unfiltered, rough remark was something she had never heard in her life. Not even the wildest rumors had dared to call her “cheap.”

Vivianne clutched her wounded chest, her lips pressed tightly together as she stared back at him with shocked eyes.

“Do you think you’ve got some kind of leverage? That if you act like this, I’ll really do whatever you want?”

Her cheeks turned red, embarrassment washing over her as her intentions were exposed. Avoiding his gaze, Vivianne nervously rubbed the tips of her nails.

When his shadow moved away, she was left alone, a sad woman standing in her place.

────── ✾ ──────

“Brother! Miss Aveline came to take Windler with her! Mother’s hurrying me to fetch you.”

Without even feeling the heat, Theo sprinted as the familiar scenery blurred past him. His younger sibling, running alongside him, struggled to keep up.

Panting and gasping for air, Theo pushed himself forward, ignoring the branch that scratched his forehead. He didn’t stop running.

As he approached the gate, he spotted the carriage parked in front of the house—it bore the emblem of the House of Baytness.

The front door opened, and Vivianne, Charlotte, and Marian emerged one by one, followed by Mrs. Evans, whose expression was tinged with regret.

“Since Henry is a bit slow, Theo will probably feel disappointed now,” Mrs. Evans remarked.

“This isn’t our last meeting, madam. I’ll visit again soon. I’ll take care of Miss Windler—”

“Miss!”

The booming shout that echoed across the sky snapped everyone’s attention in one direction. Gasping for air, Theo sprinted toward them with every ounce of strength he had left.

The moment he stood before Vivianne, his dulled senses slowly began to return.

His shirt and hair were soaked in sweat, and his thighs twitched as if they might give way. His chest heaved, greedily sucking in the sweet air he had been deprived of.

“Theo!” Vivianne greeted him, her face breaking into a radiant smile.

Contrary to Charlotte’s grim stories, Vivianne’s complexion was bright and cheerful.

Theo scanned her quickly, searching for injuries or signs of pain. Despite worrying that Vivianne might have been worn down by rough work, he saw no visible wounds, only a new dress. He exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Why did you run so hard? You must be exhausted.”

“How could I not run when I heard you’d come?”

“You can just see me next time.”

Even if her face became a daily sight, Theo was still worried about not seeing her tomorrow. Swallowing his bitter thoughts, he glanced at Vivianne’s dress.

Sensing his gaze, she instinctively adjusted her outfit, appearing uneasy, as though she feared the mention of the Duke would stoke Theo’s anxieties.

“This—this is from the Duke. Nothing to worry about. My old dress was too dirty, and your dress was too fancy, so he thought I needed something more practical to wear. I didn’t have anything appropriate, so I accepted it without hesitation.”

Theo, who had been fooled by Vivianne’s excuses due to just one change of dress, smiled bitterly as he reflected deeply on the past.

“I heard about it… that you’ve been working as a maid to earn money.”

Vivianne, who had expected Charlotte to tell him about her situation, wore a relatively calm expression, though she seemed slightly uneasy about the scolding she thought might follow. She tried to force a smile.

“Not anymore… I was fired.”

“You’re amazing, Miss.”

Startled by the unexpected response, Vivianne’s eyes widened.

“It couldn’t have been an easy decision. I really admire you. I’m sure Lord Aveline would say the same.”

Vivianne smiled brightly at her close friend’s continued support and praise.

      This is it. So this is what she needed.

Her bright and pure smile, which couldn’t bloom amidst anxiety or worry, had flourished under trust and reassurance.

“Thank you, Theo. It was really hard work. I’ll tell you everything later—about the lengths I went to just to get a single egg.”

Seeing Vivianne joke for the first time in a while, Theo felt relieved. She wasn’t someone who easily broke down. On the contrary, she was strong and resilient.

It dawned on him that it was his own prejudice that had confined and distanced Vivianne from him.

────── ✾ ──────

On the way to the manor, the three women inside the carriage remained silent. The only sound came from the rolling of the carriage wheels through the open window.

Charlotte, who had been sitting with her head bowed, cautiously lifted her gaze. Her eyes met Vivianne’s gray ones.

In truth, Vivianne’s gaze had been fixed on Charlotte ever since she boarded the carriage. Vivianne was waiting, and Charlotte knew exactly what she was waiting for.

“… Miss Aveline.”

Now was the only chance. Once they returned to the manor, it was unlikely she would muster the courage—or even have the opportunity—to speak again. Charlotte had to do it now.

No matter how much she was criticized for being naive, Charlotte knew how to sense when the time was right.

“I’m… really sorry. And thank you.”

Charlotte’s eyes remained fixed on her lap, where her hands were neatly clasped until a hand suddenly appeared in her field of vision and grabbed hers. She looked up in surprise.

Vivianne, with a calm expression, held Charlotte’s hand firmly.

“Tell me, Miss Windler. What are you sorry for, and what are you thankful for?”

Even after all the humiliation she endured, Vivianne had never once glared at her with scornful eyes. Instead, she had given her a hat as a gift and had even persuaded Edwin after receiving Theo’s letter.

Charlotte felt infinitely small next to Vivianne, who was endlessly generous.

At this thought, Charlotte felt tears welling up in her eyes.

“I said bad things about… you, Miss Aveline. I spoke with malice, spreading lies and rumors. But still, you persuaded the Duke, and I’m so grateful… You might not believe it, but I never told Marian to torment you.”

“It’s true, Miss Aveline. It wasn’t Miss Windler’s doing. It was all my fault. I’m so sorry, Miss…”

Vivianne, who had been looking back and forth between the two, paused for a moment and then straightened up. When the warmth that had enveloped Vivianne disappeared, Charlotte grew even more frightened.

“I believe you. And I’ll forget it.”

Vivianne’s forgiveness brought warmth back to Charlotte’s frozen veins. Greatly relieved, tears like candy fell from Charlotte’s doll-like, large eyes.

“The truth is, your words hurt me deeply, Miss Windler. Hearing the rumor that you ordered Marian to attack me was painful, but as time passed, that pain faded. Isn’t that strange?”

Charlotte could no longer find any excuse to resent Vivianne. She had once envied her for gaining Edwin’s favor, capturing his attention, and even taking up his time. But now, Charlotte faintly realized that his heart had already crossed a river from which there was no return.

“Whenever I see you, Miss Windler, I find myself oddly searching for a part of myself in you. I’ve been through a lot of hard times, and I hope you don’t have to go through the same. I don’t have a younger sibling, but perhaps I see you as one.”

Charlotte Windler’s love had come to an end. It was a first love she couldn’t confess—one-sided, without any hope of being reciprocated. Her first love was both her only family and sole guardian. She could never be a woman in his eyes, yet she had always wanted to be seen as one by him more than anyone else.

When the moment came to bury those feelings deep in her heart, Charlotte couldn’t hold back the tears that welled up inside her.

“So, let’s get along well from now on.”

Vivianne’s gentle voice was sweet, yet it stung painfully.