Chapter 7
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Violet's First Words - Episode 7
The future version of myself sat in a massive chair within the Dark Room. A small door near the great chair swung open, and through it emerged a young girl whose face was concealed by cloth.
"Cyril Call Everdin is dead. They say he went mad and threw himself from the bell tower in the plaza."
I lifted my eyes to regard the girl.
"He was not mad."
"...Then?"
"Unfortunately, he fell victim to a disease that robbed him of his mind."
"Are you grieving now?"
"A foolish man, he was. At merely fifteen years old, he carried me—an infant—through the arduous journey to the Capital. That brief encounter haunted my existence for a lifetime. Every year, he would watch over my younger self in secret, then vanish without a trace."
"I recall you mentioning that Cyril Call Everdin came to visit you the day before your wedding."
"Yes, he finally mustered the courage. And he asked me to leave with him. Had I abandoned that cursed Bludin ten years ago and followed Uncle Cyril instead, my life would have been entirely different."
The vision of the future ended. I lifted my head blankly. The future version of myself in that vision appeared to be in her early thirties. Certainly, in the first vision, they had said she was executed at age thirty-four. So even if that memory was from when I was thirty-four...
"Uncle Cyril will lose his mind and his life within sixteen years?"
Yet he appears perfectly sound right now. How could this be...? Simultaneously, a phrase pierced through my mind.
"Had I followed Uncle Cyril, my life would have been entirely different."
Those were the words the future version of myself had spoken. I released the doorknob I had been gripping and turned away, walking briskly down the corridor.
"Uncle Cyril!"
"...You haven't left yet?"
"I have something to ask you. Why...have you come to see me in secret every year?"
Cyril's expression faltered. He seemed to deliberate for a moment before speaking.
"You noticed?"
"..."
I remained silent. Taking my silence as confirmation, Cyril released a quiet sigh.
"It was merely a whim. Nothing more. If you remain attached to the Everdin Family Estate, you'll live well as a noblewoman—what would I have to worry about?"
Had I not witnessed that vision of the future, I might have accepted his words and surrendered. But I spoke with conviction.
"Uncle, I'm leaving that house. I'm quitting the Academy as well. I want to sever ties with my family."
"...."
"Now that I know I'm not a bastard, I can't stay in that house."
"Listen, do you understand what it means for a child like you to turn your back on your family?"
"I do. But even so, I don't want to live in that house and marry Bludin. If I could choose just one person to call family."
"...."
"I want to be family only with you, Uncle."
Cyril's expression grew serious for the first time. He seemed to hesitate, as if wrestling with the decision. 'He's stubborn and proud, so that's why he's having trouble deciding to stay in contact with me.' Besides, Cyril had already completely severed ties with the Everdin Family Estate. I thought it would be fine even if he refused. I was already grateful enough to know that there was a blood relative who thought of me, however faintly.
"What do you like, Violet?"
Cyril asked something out of the blue.
"Suddenly?"
"Yes, tell me anything—something you'd want to buy or do, even if you had to starve to save for it."
I pondered for a moment. In truth, I had only one hobby. Something I could enjoy for free. As a child, I read the single book Marigold had carelessly handed down to me over and over again, and after attending the Academy, I continued reading romance novels in the library.
"...I like Seda novels."
"What's that?"
"Well, Seda is an ancient word meaning sharp, refreshing, and... that sort of thing. It's a type of romance novel where the female protagonist engages in thrilling action, takes revenge on those who tormented her, and delivers witty, cutting remarks—that's the characteristic...."
"Popular pulp fiction?"
"...Many people describe it that way."
"The way you suddenly started chattering away proves you really do love it. Good timing, actually."
"...."
"If I take in a scatterbrained young lady like you, there will be plenty to worry about. It'll cost money, and since I've never raised anyone before, it'll be a headache."
I never asked to be raised. 'Eighteen years old is already grown. I'm legally an adult now.' While I protested silently, Cyril continued.
"And you have a fiancé? If Geoffrey chose him, he must be some garbage that reeks, right?"
"Do you know Bludin? Your assessment is so accurate...."
I spoke seriously. Cyril shook his head as if exasperated.
"Then let's add him to the list. And I heard you have a father, a stepmother, and a younger sister."
"That's right."
"Go tell each of them something. Even better if it involves mental or physical violence."
"Excuse me?"
"Say whatever you want—just tell them what's in your heart."
"...."
"I have no intention of cleaning up after a psychologically immature girl who spends her whole life yearning for her biological father's love. If you have any resentment, resolve it now and come back."
"Are you perhaps asking me to be... harsh right now...."
"Let's say that's roughly what I mean."
"What if I can't speak as bluntly as you'd like?"
"Then go yearn for affection instead. Once you've cried out so pathetically, won't the urge to run away disappear? After all, one must look into one's own heart directly."
Cyril seemed like an odd person. But he appeared to be someone with his own philosophy. And strangely, Violet found his words convincing.
"So, if I speak my mind to them as Uncle Cyril suggests...."
"Then come back here. I'll let you live in this house and support you until you can stand on your own."
"..."
"Don't doubt me. It's definitely my own house."
So this grand mansion truly belonged to Uncle.... Violet found herself genuinely admiring Cyril, a man who possessed such vast wealth that she couldn't even imagine it in her current state. If it meant escaping from this nightmarish family, she would live in a wardrobe instead of the Attic without hesitation.
"Uncle.... Please tell me if you're just saying this. I don't want to be disappointed later."
Violet's voice had begun to tremble.
"Fair warning: if an unmarried uncle has his niece living with him, his reputation will be ruined beyond repair. A lifetime engagement with nobility might become impossible. Be prepared for that."
"Goodness, how wonderful. My reputation will be destroyed...."
That way, she would never have to be engaged to someone like Bludin again. Violet marveled once more at the added benefits of living in this house.
"I've never seen a child so cheerfully eager to ruin her own life. You're quite strange...."
Cyril kindly led Violet to the entrance.
"Now go on, really."
"Yes."
"Sleep well, niece."
The door closed with a sharp click right in front of her face. Violet timidly protested to the closed door.
"It's only 4 o'clock in the afternoon."
He truly was strange in every conceivable way. And here he was calling her strange. 'So it really is true that excessively peculiar people think they're normal....' But it was worth the courage to speak up! If all went well, she might finally have a place to stay. 'I need to do well. Harsh words, bluntness, the feelings hidden in my heart....' Violet resolved with a serious expression.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org