"Isabella, how is Vincent doing lately? Ethan won't tell me anything. He seemed fine when I saw him just now, though..."
"He's much better."
"Oh! That's a relief. Really, it is."
Violet let out a sigh of relief. I looked at her in puzzlement. I had heard that she didn't know about Vincent's condition, but was that not the case?
As if reading my thoughts, Ethan explained in a low voice.
"Violet knows that Vincent was seriously injured and is recuperating. Similar incidents have happened several times since then, and his wounds were too deep to heal properly, leaving him in pain with lingering aftereffects."
"But what is your relationship with Mr. Christopher?"
"He's a friend. We've known each other since we were children."
So that's why he came along. I nodded and looked at her beautiful face, which seemed earnest.
"Can I see Vincent's face?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Violet."
"Oh..."
Her bright face clouded over with disappointment.
"When will I be able to see Vincent's face properly?"
"He's just concerned for you, Miss Violet. He doesn't want you to worry by seeing him in pain. Please understand his feelings."
"I know. I know that. But still..."
Her voice trailed off in sadness. She clenched her hands on her lap and her expression twisted as if she were about to cry. Her face was filled with worry for her fiancé.
"But, but..."
Suddenly, her gaze fixed on me.
"Pola, I'm begging you!"
She stood up abruptly and grabbed my hands. I was taken aback and my eyes darted around.
"Tell Vincent that I want to see him, really, really, really want to see him. I don't care what he looks like, I just want to see his face, okay?"
"Me? Uh, yes?"
My face turned from side to side in confusion. Isabella was calmly sipping her tea in the back, and Ethan was munching on a cookie beside her. I glanced between them, realizing that they had no intention of helping me.
Violet's purple eyes sparkled. I was at a loss and eventually, reluctantly, nodded.
"Sir."
The creaking of the door didn't stir him. Even when I approached loudly, he still didn't react. The round shape lying on the bed, facing the wall, was still. I wondered if the strange aura of hostility I felt was just my imagination.
"Sir. Are you sleeping?"
"......"
"Miss Violet asked me to convey a message to you. I'll repeat it as I heard it. She wants to see you, really, really, really wants to see you. She doesn't care what you look like, she just wants to see your face, that's all."
He still didn't react. I remembered his pale face when he heard the news of his fiancée's arrival. While I hesitated, Ethan suddenly entered the room.
"Hey, Vincent."
At that moment, a pillow flew and hit Ethan's face. Vincent had already sat up and was glaring at the door.
"Get out."
Ethan grumbled as he picked up the pillow.
"Don't be mad. I had no choice."
"You said you'd only write a reply to her letter."
"I knew you would. But Violet suddenly decided to come here and rushed out. Neither the nanny nor I could stop her. You know how she is. Once she sets her mind on something, she does it. That's why I told you to reply to her letters regularly."
Ethan's grumbling made Vincent pick up a cup from the bedside table. Seeing this, Ethan shut his mouth and quickly hid behind me. I looked at him with disdain.
"Miss, you were really impressive just now. I was moved. So moved that I just watched as you firmly held Vincent's hand and ran away. Run, Sir! Wow. Amazing."
"Stop it."
I knew very well how rude my actions were, and the idea of a mere maid holding her master's hand and running away was embarrassing. I covered my blushing face with my bangs.
"Why? It was really cool, Miss."
"Stop it, I said."
"I'm not embarrassed. I was really impressed."
"Enough."
Vincent put down the cup and snapped at Ethan. Ethan fell silent. The room was filled with a tense, dark atmosphere as Vincent ran his hand over his face. He sighed deeply, looking pitiful.
I checked on his condition and continued.
"Miss Violet said she will wait in the garden."
"Try to... persuade her to leave."
I glanced at him and pushed Ethan out. No one could comfort him right now. Ethan reluctantly left the room with a disappointed look.
As soon as the door closed, I sighed. Ethan seemed to be deep in thought. Seeing him, I recalled the conversation with Vincent, but I had more immediate concerns.
"What were you thinking?"
"Miss, I'm also wronged. I really didn't know."
Ethan looked genuinely wronged. I gave him a skeptical look.
"What should we do now?"
"First, let's try to calm Violet down. She seems strong, but she's actually quite sensitive and simple. If we calm her, she'll leave. She always does."
"But what if she doesn't leave?"
"Then, well... we'll have to think about it."
In other words, he had no plan.
Ethan and I walked side by side to the garden. Violet was kneeling in front of a bed of purple flowers, her soft, long fingers brushing against the blossoms.
"Violet."
Her gaze, which had been on the flowers, turned to me. Her face brightened quickly, and her eyes scanned the area. I knew who she was looking for.
"Where's Vincent?"
"He doesn't want to meet you."
"...I see."
She looked dejected. She glanced at me, and I shook my head.
"I've tried to persuade him several times, but he insists on you leaving."
"I see. I knew he would. ...It's okay. Thank you for delivering the message."
Despite her obvious disappointment, Violet tried not to show it. She even smiled at me affectionately, as if to comfort me. She was truly beautiful.
She looked at the purple flower bed again. I watched her.
"Ethan, if you don't mind, could you help me? I want to make a bouquet. I think it would look nice in Vincent's room."
An angel! Despite his lack of response to her letters and refusal to meet her, she still wanted to make a bouquet for him. Her heart was truly that of an angel.
While I was admiring her, she snapped a flower. Her arms were already filled with various colors. Ethan nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and squatted beside her. He started snapping flowers, but it looked half-hearted. I frowned slightly and joined in.
"You shouldn't snap them like that."
"Huh?"
"It's better to snap them from the end. Try to keep the stems as long as possible so they can be trimmed nicely later. Cutting them with scissors would be even better."
I explained the method to Ethan and skillfully snapped a purple flower. Both of their gazes turned to me.
"These large flowers are nice, but having only large blooms can make the bouquet look cluttered. Adding smaller flowers will make it look more beautiful. Like these ones over here."
I snapped a few baby's breath flowers and placed them around the purple ones. A small but lovely bouquet was formed. I handed it to Violet, and her eyes sparkled.
"Wow, you really know how to make them. So beautiful!"
"Thank you, that's too kind of you."
Violet looked at the bouquet in amazement, and Ethan clapped his hands beside her. I was surprised to receive praise for just making a bouquet.
I used to live in a small village where occasional events took place. Though rare, when they did happen, they were on a fairly large scale. During these events, people would come out onto the streets to sell food and goods.
Of course, making and selling bouquets was also quite profitable, so flower vendors would have housewives make them as a side job. While side jobs were mainly for housewives, I was always a reliable helper.
The money I earned from working at Uncle Mark's bakery was far from enough to cover our living expenses, thanks to my third brother and father. My third brother enjoyed indulging in luxuries with the money I earned, and my father had long given up farming, spending his days gambling and drinking.
As a result, I had to handle all the household chores and earn money on my own, making side jobs essential. Thanks to this, making bouquets was very easy for me. Even in the simple task of making bouquets, there was competition. The price varied depending on how elaborate and refined they were. Fortunately, my bouquets were quite popular.
Feeling flustered, I watched as Violet carefully took the bouquet and examined it from all angles.
"It's beautiful. So beautiful."
Her gaze made me feel even more uncomfortable.
"How can you make them so well?"
"You're too kind."
"No, really! Pola, you have such good hands. I'm envious."
Violet buried her face in the flowers, looking dejected again. I widened my eyes.
"Actually, I'm not very good with my hands. I've tried learning and making various things since I was young, but I have no talent for it. Even my governess gave up on me."
"True. You're not good at that kind of thing."
Ethan added a clueless comment. Instantly, Violet's eyes sparkled, and she punched Ethan's side. Her hand moved so fast I didn't even see it. I stared blankly at Ethan, who was clutching his side and groaning.
"I'm a very inadequate fiancée for Vincent. That's why he doesn't want to see me. I'm not reliable enough..."
I shifted my gaze from Ethan to her. Her worried face was turning into a sad one. I was at a loss for words, but then I heard a crunching sound. Suddenly, the purple bouquet in her hand was cruelly crushed.
What did I just see? I rubbed my eyes, thinking I might have hallucinated, but the bouquet was still damaged.
"Bad boy."
The curse that suddenly came from her beautiful lips made me wonder if I was hearing things. I rubbed my ears. Hmm. Have I been too tired lately from serving the master?