There Is No Paradise Where You Escaped - Chapter 75

A sharp ray of sunlight pierced through the cool autumn air, stinging Edwin’s eyes.

Beyond the wide-open window, in the clearly visible maze garden, a woman with golden hair as bright as the sun was navigating the paths. Edwin took a sip of his bitter coffee and then closed the newspaper.

Sophie had informed him that Vivianne’s condition wasn’t bad. However, angry about yesterday’s events, Vivianne had stayed holed up in her room, as if to show just how furious she was. That’s why it was unexpected to see her roaming the maze garden—a discovery he made while casually reading the paper.

Vivianne kept retreating from blocked paths in a flustered manner, repeating the act over and over again. Edwin began properly observing her once she started circling the same area, unable to find her way out.

A knock sounded, and the door opened. Upon seeing that it was Charlotte who had come in, Edwin’s gaze returned to the top of Vivianne’s head peeking out over the tall boxwood hedges. Charlotte followed his intense gaze. Out there lay the newly constructed maze garden.

“What brings you here?” Edwin asked, his curiosity piqued by whatever was distracting him.

Charlotte’s eyes kept drifting to the window as well. When Edwin finally looked away from the scene outside, her gaze returned to him. Their eyes met, and a surge of nervousness made her clutch her skirt tightly as she gathered her courage.

“… You said last time that if I gave you Vivianne’s hat, you would do me a favor. I’m here to ask for it.”

He had openly coveted the hat Vivianne had gifted her—and had eventually gotten his hands on it. As a result, Charlotte was now in a position to ask him for a favor. She felt sorry for Vivianne, but the gift had given her some breathing room, so in a way, it had been the best present.

“So, what do you want?” A deep smile formed on Edwin’s lips.

Leaning back in his chair, he asked in a familiar tone.

“For the record, calling off the wedding isn’t an option. That’s not a valid favor.”

He drew a clear boundary when it came to the matter of marriage. Charlotte understood that. She knew he would never grant it to her.

“I’m not trying to call off the wedding. I just want to have it at the time I choose. What I wish is to get married whenever I want, Your Grace.”

Charlotte’s face flushed under his silent gaze. She worried he might have noticed her swollen face—or that he could tell she had been crying for some time.

“So, what time is that?” He broke the silence, brushing aside the truth she both wanted to hide and hoped he would recognize.

“In the winter.”

“Winter?”

Most brides didn’t imagine a winter wedding. No one wanted to shiver in a thin dress in the freezing cold in front of the guests. That’s why Edwin had been planning a summer wedding. Her unexpected choice made him curious.

“It would be nice to have it before autumn ends, but there’s too much to sort through by then. I’ve just begun to grow close with Vivianne… and with you too… The thought of suddenly parting is hard to bear. But if we wait until after winter, you won’t be in Neway in spring. Then I’d have to get married without you, and I don’t want that. On the other hand, if I marry in the summer, I’d be alone in Rottermond. That’s why.”

When Edwin nodded, as if acknowledging the sense in her words, Charlotte found the courage to continue.

“Besides, you spend part of the winter in Rottermond, so I thought that might be a good time to prepare for the wedding.”

Every year, Edwin stayed in his domain during the winter, though it was usually no more than a month. Winter in Rottermond was a season of frequent incidents, thanks to the heavy, relentless snowfall. Susanna usually handled most of them neatly, but Edwin still stayed behind—just in case something unexpected happened.

So, timing the wedding for winter would, in many ways, be a sensible choice.

She wouldn’t have to remain in Rottermond alone for the preparations, and it wouldn’t feel rushed either. The only downside was that parting from loved ones—including the man she loved—felt a bit too near.

“That’s what I wish. To have the wedding in winter.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable request. She was sure he would grant it, and her voice grew more confident.

Edwin fell silent as if contemplating, then his gaze slipped back to the open window.

At the same time, a chill autumn wind swept through the room. The air was so cold it stung the eyes.

A stray hair clung to her cheek and tickled her skin, but Charlotte stayed still, patiently waiting for his reply.

“Very well, so be it.”

The slow reply came, completely ignoring the tension Charlotte had built up.

She felt a rush of gratitude toward Vivianne—after all, it was thanks to the hat she’d gifted her that she’d been able to make such a precious wish.

The honor belonged to Vivianne.

With a noticeably brighter face, Charlotte thanked him and left the room.

Even as she walked out, Edwin continued watching the maze garden outside the window—still keeping an eye on the woman wandering the same paths.

He couldn’t tell if Vivianne had any intention of escaping the maze—or if she was truly trapped.

Edwin looked up at the deep blue sky. Not a single cloud was in sight.

When he rang the bell, Roarke appeared. The heavy sound of his footsteps echoed across the floor before stopping in front of the table.

Edwin pointed toward the maze garden, where the golden-haired woman was still wandering.

Narrowing his eyes, Roarke followed his master’s gesture and began observing Vivianne as she wandered.

Over the tall boxwood hedges, the top of her head could be seen bobbing around, pausing, then turning again.

Vivianne kept spinning in circles, unable to move forward.

Roarke looked up at the high, clear sky as well.

With not a cloud in sight, it really did seem like Vivianne had lost her sense of direction and was wandering aimlessly.

“She looks like she’s trapped, doesn’t she?”

“… Yes, it does seem that way.”

There was a faint amusement in Edwin’s voice, making Roarke wonder if Edwin somehow found Vivianne’s predicament entertaining. He tried to find amusement in watching her golden hair bob erratically as she struggled to find her way.

However, Vivianne disappeared beneath the box tree, perhaps exhausted.

“I’ll go get her.”

Just as Roarke was about to turn around, Edwin stood up first.

“No need. I’ll go.”

Still smiling, he grabbed a coat and draped it over his arm.

With long strides, Edwin left the room, volunteering himself to be the guide for the lost Vivianne.

────── ✾ ──────

Entering the maze garden, Edwin retraced his memory to head toward where Vivianne might be. There wasn’t much need to remember, though—each spot Vivianne had passed was marked by her distinctive floral scent.

No wonder the flies wouldn’t leave her alone. Men like Quinlan, who lost their minds over women, would be completely intoxicated by that sickly sweet scent, hastening their demise. The scent from Vivianne’s skin was the kind that made anyone like that.

The maze garden was brutally precise in its design. Edwin had told them to cater to Vivianne’s professed love for mazes, but he hadn’t anticipated it would be so utterly unforgiving.

Nevertheless, Edwin found his way without much difficulty and soon spotted Vivianne’s back. Her small head, tilted upward as she gazed at the sky, was poised in hesitation at a fork in the path.

Having lost her way, Vivianne was probably looking up, desperately wishing for even a single cloud.

She tilted her head slightly and made a choice.

Edwin’s footsteps followed the path she’d taken, but when he arrived, she was no longer there. He frowned slightly and listened carefully.

Tap, tap, tap—her footsteps echoed nearby.

He turned onto another path. And just as he rounded a corner—

Thud.

A delicate body collided with him, collapsing limply to the ground and dropping the bell she had been carrying.

“Y-Your Grace…?”

It was Edwin who had shattered the fragile peace, however complicated it had been. He had appeared out of nowhere and blocked her way, and though they had collided, he stood there completely unbothered.

Vivianne, on the other hand, felt like she’d just crashed into an ancient oak tree; her entire body ached.

“There’s a bell. Why didn’t you use it?”

Edwin laughed as he picked up the silver bell from the ground.

That laugh felt like he was cruelly teasing her, and she hastily stood up, brushing the dust off her clothes.

“Sophie gave it to me in case I couldn’t find my way. Please, give it back.”

Vivianne extended her hand, her voice cold as she demanded the bell.

If she had known Edwin’s large hand would cover hers, she would never have reached out so carelessly.

Without warning, Edwin grabbed her hand and turned to walk away. Vivianne, suddenly being dragged, dug in her heels, resisting.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“Trying to get out.”

“Get out? Where?”

“Out of the maze.”

He answered smoothly and began walking again. But Vivianne stubbornly held her ground and roughly shook off his hand.

“I don’t know why you’re suddenly acting like this, but I have no intention of leaving the maze. If you want to leave, go ahead—on your own.”

The man who had caused that incident yesterday and now stood before her so nonchalantly was utterly shameless.

His attitude only fueled her anger further.

The emotion that had merely been a heavyweight while she wandered the maze now took clear shape.

“You’re awfully loud for someone who’s trapped.”

“Trapped? Who? Me?”

Utterly dumbfounded, Vivianne stared at him with wide eyes and shot back. Then she snatched the silver bell from his hand.

“I was never trapped. If I had been, I would’ve rung this long ago.”

Edwin had lost the bell in a flash, but he was impressed by her swift movements. He understood the resentment bubbling inside her—but that didn’t mean he was going to leave her alone in the maze.

“Well then, let’s see you try.”

Edwin stepped aside with the utmost refinement and gentlemanly manner.

Vivianne flinched at his subtle smile and eyed him warily.

Passing by him without a word, she went straight down another path.

She had decided she needed to get as far away from him as possible; more than finding the exit, she focused on widening the distance between them.

Last night, once again, she had taken the bait and found herself at death’s doorstep. As if that weren’t enough, he’d tried to take her body as well.

Trusting a man like that was a luxury she could not afford.

She didn’t even regret erasing every good memory she had of him.

She was merely returning to her original course.

She should have known when he suddenly started being so kind—there was poison hidden underneath all along, and she had been foolish enough to fall for it.

How amusing it must have been for the Duke to watch her like that—how entertaining.

Fuming, she stomped forward, hitting the ground with each step.

      How far have I come?

The moment she turned a corner, a tall shadow loomed, and she only just managed to stop in time to avoid another collision.

Edwin looked down at her with condescending eyes and scoffed.

Boiling over, Vivianne stomped her foot on the dirt path.

“This maze is messed up!”

She yelled, then looked around in frustration.

She was certain she kept returning to the same place, so she frantically searched for the marks she had left.

Her angry finger pointed to the scratch marks on the ground.

“Look at this! How many times have I passed this spot? The construction is completely wrong! There’s no way out on this side! I’m going the other way. I’ve spent hours wandering in a maze that wasn’t even built properly! Your Grace, you can either live here or find your own way out—I don’t care!”

Vivianne bounced between blaming the maze’s construction, muttering to herself, and flinging accusations back at Edwin.

As she gathered her skirt and tried to storm past him, Edwin grabbed her and stopped her in place.

But Vivianne, now fully overheated with anger, had no intention of stopping quietly.

She twisted and squirmed, slapped at his hand, pinched it—doing anything she could to break free.

It didn’t seem to occur to her that struggling like that would only cause Edwin’s grip to pull her small frame even closer to him.

“Let go of me! I said I’m leaving!”

Edwin was not the type to tolerate her stubbornness for long. With a light tug, he pulled her in toward him. 

One of his hands was still free, yet it seemed today he had no intention of using it to block her attacks. If he had, Vivianne would’ve thrown a punch—but she’d missed her perfect chance.

“One: there is a path out this way.”

Crushed into Edwin’s chest, Vivianne glared up at him with sharp, blazing eyes, meeting his arrogant gaze.

“Two: you’ve only been in here for, at most, an hour.”

“…”

“Three.”

A heavy coat was laid gently over her shoulders.

His deep, heady scent invaded her nose with a sudden intensity.

“The sole reason I am here is entirely because of you.”