There Is No Paradise Where You Escaped - Chapter 86

The railway between Farrington and Rottermond had opened. It was because of this train line that Susanna felt comfortable enough to write a letter inviting Gideon to visit Charlotte, who had moved to Rottermond in preparation for her wedding.

However, Gideon, excited by the thought of seeing Charlotte, hadn’t anticipated what awaited him.

Though the railway was now connected, Rottermond was still an undeveloped region, and consequently, there was absolutely nothing worthwhile to be found around the station.

It couldn’t quite be said that Rottermond’s weather was harsh. Compared to Farrington’s winters, the mild temperature, pleasant enough to be called a visit from an angel, and the unfrozen ground were proof of that. Still, the snow was a problem.

Trains traveling through Rottermond had to stop multiple times due to the heavy snowfall. They could only depart again once the snow let up, but as they neared the station, the snow began falling more heavily again. Fearing they’d get stuck, the train rushed forward.

What’s more, aside from the station staff clearing snow, there were no other passengers disembarking, leaving Gideon alone on the quiet platform. It wasn’t a blizzard, so it was possible to push through the snow somehow, though the journey was grueling and exhausting.

But the thought of seeing Charlotte washed away all of Gideon’s suffering.

When he reached the town, Rottermond’s residents were all shoveling snow. As if it were a familiar sight, they didn’t even grumble about the constant snowfall.

Though Gideon had informed his company he would be away for three or four days, the weather made that seem hopelessly optimistic.

He should have paid attention when James rambled on about Rottermond’s winter weather. Caught up in the excitement of seeing Charlotte, he’d let his cousin’s warning go in one ear and out the other, and now, he regretted it.

Fortunately, the post office in Rottermond had also cleared the snow, and its doors were open.

Gideon stopped by to send a letter to the company, saying he might be delayed. He was told the letter might arrive late due to the weather, but it would still reach them faster than if he tried to return to Farrington immediately.

By the time he finished all his errands in town, the sun was already setting. He had taken the early morning train and arrived at the station early, but when he came to his senses, evening was approaching. Having no choice but to spend the night in town, Gideon headed for the manor as soon as morning broke.

Upon arriving at the manor, he was immediately guided to the second floor, where the Duke of Baytness was. There, he also met the Baroness. Vivianne, who had come after hearing the news, joined them as well.

But the one person Gideon had most looked forward to seeing—the one he missed the most—Charlotte—was nowhere to be found.

“Charlotte has been unwell for a few days now and has been resting in bed. I’ll go check on her condition,” Vivianne said, noticing Gideon’s disappointment before anyone else.

Gideon was about to suggest they leave her be if she was ill, but Vivianne had already turned away. A sense of guilt mixed with a bit of hope lingered in Gideon’s heart. A selfish part of him wished that, even if she was ill, Charlotte might come rushing out at the news of his arrival.

“Anyway, you must’ve had a hard time because of the snow. Thank you for the trouble, Baron,” said Edwin, extending a hand with a flawless smile and composed manner.

Gideon returned the bright smile and took his hand.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

“Now that our final guest has arrived, we must hold a proper luncheon. I’ll notify the servants. Please take a relaxing bath and rest—we’ll see you again soon.”

The Baroness smiled warmly at Gideon, preparing to leave them alone for a private conversation. Just as the others were about to step aside to give the two of them space, a decorative mirror hanging on the wall suddenly fell, shattering into sharp shards that scattered in all directions.

Everyone’s eyes turned at once to the wreckage on the floor.

Until the servants arrived to clean it up, all three remained in heavy silence.

“What kind of mirror just falls like that…” Susanna muttered, a troubled look in her eyes as she frowned.

The floor, littered with fragmented glass, gradually returned to order under the sweep of the servants’ brooms.

“I think both of you should be careful for a while. It doesn’t seem like a good sign,” Susanna remarked calmly before leaving the study. “The servants will show you to your room, Baron.”

Once the floor was completely clean, Gideon finally lifted his gaze. He smiled lightly and rose to his feet. Before stepping out of the study, his eyes lingered one last time on the spot where the mirror had fallen. Just as Susanna had said, it truly didn’t feel like a good omen.

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Vivianne’s face was clouded with worry as she headed to Charlotte’s room. Lately, Charlotte’s condition hadn’t been good.

At first, she had assumed Charlotte was too afraid of Susanna to leave her room. But even when they were alone together, her expression remained dark.

Vivianne remembered a time back in Rodinia when Charlotte had complained of pain and had told Edwin about it. A doctor had been called, but he found nothing physically wrong.

Still, Charlotte grew more and more gaunt by the day, her strength fading until she was constantly lying down in exhaustion. At times, she even refused to see anyone.

Susanna dismissed it all as an act, calling it a feigned illness, while Edwin believed it was simply emotional strain from the upcoming wedding.

But Vivianne thought differently. She sensed there must be another reason.

Standing before Charlotte’s door, Vivianne knocked. After a long wait, it was the maid, not Charlotte, who answered.

“How is Charlotte? Is she okay?”

“Miss Charlotte has fallen back asleep.”

“I see. Would it be all right if I checked on her condition myself?”

“… Miss Charlotte said she doesn’t want to be disturbed by anyone.”

The maid, glancing back nervously, stammered as if taking direct instructions from Charlotte.

If Charlotte was the one giving orders, then it meant she wasn’t actually asleep.

Vivianne felt a flicker of hope that perhaps today, she might be able to have an honest conversation with Charlotte.

“Charlotte, Baron Zimmermann has arrived.”

Vivianne gently raised her voice through the slightly opened gap in the door.

“He arrived yesterday morning, but because of all the snow, he had to spend the night in town. He’s really been waiting to see you, Charlotte. Would you like to—”

Before Vivianne could finish, the door opened.

Charlotte’s face, still shadowed and pale, was in such a terrible state that it made one sigh. There was no way this could be an act. For a brief moment, Vivianne resented Susanna for ever saying it was.

“Come in, Vivianne.”

The small tug of a smile on Charlotte’s lips felt like she had opened not just the door, but a piece of her heart. Relieved, Vivianne smiled warmly and stepped inside.

“How are you feeling? Are you alright?”

Charlotte dismissed the maid from her room. With just the two of them left, they sat down across from each other. Vivianne’s worried question reached Charlotte, but the only response was a faint, unreadable smile full of loneliness.

Vivianne sighed deeply, her face etched with concern.

“Baron Zimmermann seemed very eager to see you.”

“…”

“Are you really feeling so unwell that even seeing the Baron is difficult?”

Charlotte’s gaze slowly lowered.

Vivianne desperately wanted to understand the toxic emotion that had taken hold of her once-bright eyes. She wanted to resolve whatever had broken Charlotte so deeply, whatever was draining her of all strength.

Vivianne reached out, trying to cradle Charlotte’s pale cheek, but Charlotte awkwardly dodged her touch. Vivianne’s hand, left suspended in the air, slowly dropped back into her lap, her expression darkening with sadness.

An awkward silence hung between them, broken only by the ticking of the clock, each tick falling like a snowflake in the stillness.

“Did I… do something wrong to you?” Vivianne asked softly. “Is the reason you’re hurting because of me?”

Charlotte shook her head after a slight pause. And another heavy sigh followed.

“Then… did you hear something strange from someone?”

Vivianne couldn’t shake the unease from the conversation she’d had with Susanna not long ago. Susanna had insisted that Charlotte didn’t know anything about that matter. But if Charlotte had heard something—if she had discovered the secret of her own birth—it would explain the weight of her silence.

Again, Charlotte shook her head slowly.

“His Grace said that the burden of the upcoming wedding is probably what’s troubling you. Is that really the reason you’re so distressed?”

If that were the case, then there was only one logical conclusion: Edwin’s guess had been correct, and Vivianne’s assumption had been wrong. At the same time, it was possible that Charlotte had someone she loved, and her feelings for that person were making her fear the upcoming marriage.

“Is it because of the person you love?”

This time, there was no reply at all.

In the end, Edwin had been right about the cause of Charlotte’s pain.

Vivianne couldn’t blame her for struggling with the idea of marrying someone else when she was in love with another man.

But no matter how much she understood, reality couldn’t be changed. And to make things worse, the man Charlotte loved was a coward. He likely lacked both the courage and the heart to act. If Charlotte’s feelings ran this deep, there was no way he didn’t know. Which meant, more likely than not, he knew—and still left her to suffer.

Vivianne suddenly stood and walked straight to the window. When she opened the window, a cold wind swept into the room. Snow was still falling.

The areas around the manor, which the servants had worked so hard to clear, were already being blanketed again.

Vivianne had planned to take a walk with Charlotte through the snowy forest path once she felt better. So she had asked the servants to clear the snow from the trail. By now, the path was likely only lightly dusted.

Turning around, Vivianne rummaged through Charlotte’s wardrobe and brought out a coat, scarf, and gloves. When Charlotte looked up with a puzzled expression, Vivianne met her gaze with firm resolve and wrapped the scarf around her neck.

“What—what are you doing?”

“Let’s go out.”

“What? Where?”

Vivianne personally slipped the leather gloves onto Charlotte’s hands, then leaned confidently on the table.

“We said we’d go to the forest path on a snowy day, didn’t we? Let’s walk through the beautiful, snow-covered trail—and build a snowman together.”

“A-a walk? But the path must be completely buried in snow by now. You saw how much it’s been snowing these past few days.”

“I asked the servants to clear it yesterday. The snowfall from yesterday to today hasn’t been too heavy, so it should be fine for a walk. Even for building a snowman.”

Vivianne smiled brightly, grabbed Charlotte’s hand decisively, and pulled her to her feet. Before Charlotte could react, she found herself bundled in the coat Vivianne had slipped over her arms. And led by Vivianne’s firm hand and radiant smile, they were already out of the bedroom.