Chapter 29

# 29

29. Tea Time with the Earl (11)

I hesitated. Should I back down and turn away?

'Pola, cheer me on.'

Her words came back to me, and I mustered my courage.

“Lady Violet said she understands.”

“Understands? What does she understand? Is she going to pity me, her blind fiancé?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because that’s what I deserve.”

The thorns that had already pricked out became even sharper. I could see his heart, as closed as the door, and I licked my dry lips, struggling to continue.

“Lady Violet is not the kind of person who would do that, you know better than anyone.”

“I’ve learned one thing in my life, do you want to know what it is? It’s that people who I thought I knew well are not who I thought they were.”

“...”

“Even those who pretended to care for me, once they saw my weakness, they would try to use it against me. They would come to check on me, to see how I was doing. Even when my parents passed away in an accident, they were already calculating how to use the young successor.”

I could see the pain in his bitter smile.

“Lady Violet might not do that, but the people around her will. Her family won’t accept a blind fiancé.”

“...Then are you going to keep doing this?”

“I can’t keep doing this.”

“...”

Watching him shake his head, I realized he wasn’t afraid of breaking off the engagement with Lady Violet. He was afraid of meeting her now, of facing her while blind. He was afraid of that encounter.

He needed courage.

The courage to accept his condition and move forward.

I gently let go of his hand, and he readily released mine. I left the room, feeling his unusually weak state, and went to my room next door. I opened the drawer and gathered all the letters inside, then returned to his room.

He turned to look at me, perhaps sensing my presence.

“Why are you here again?”

“Master.”

I poured out the letters I had been holding. The white letters, all from Lady Violet, scattered across the bed. They were the letters she had sent, which I had kept at the request of Lady Isabella.

“Lady Violet sent these letters every two days. Even though she knew you wouldn’t reply, she sent them faithfully. Master, I’m not good with words, so I can’t give you good advice. But at least, I believe this sincerity is genuine.”

It was amazing that she continued to send letters without a reply. I was curious about the thickness of the letters, so I had peeked at a few of them.

[Today, I took a walk in the garden. The flowers are so beautiful. I wish I could show them to you.]

[Today, I bought a pretty dress. I want to wear it when I meet you.]

[I miss you, Vincent.]

Her neat handwriting filled the pages. The content was simple, just a list of her daily activities, always ending with a message of longing. Looking at the last line where the ink had smudged, I could feel her longing for him.

“Even if not everything will go smoothly, as you said, you should still face her. Be brave. I think now is the time.”

At least, I hoped the person knocking on your door wouldn’t give up on you out of exhaustion. I hoped you would acknowledge her sincerity. Even if she eventually left you, I hoped you would believe in her now. I hoped you wouldn’t lose your relationships due to suspicion.

“If you want, I can read the letters to you.”

“...No need.”

He picked up one of the letters.

“I know what they say. They probably talk about her well-being, express concern, and say she misses me. She’s always sent them like that. After I ordered her not to send replies, I thought she would stop, but she kept sending them.”

“Yes, she has. There are already this many. I think it’s impolite to keep ignoring someone who cares this much!”

I said this with a sense of accomplishment, but he just looked indifferent. I was puzzled by his expression, but his next words left me speechless.

“You’re doing this because you feel guilty. You know, Violet stayed because she listened to you and was trying to read my mood.”

“...”

He’s really sensitive about this.

After the incident, I had tried to ignore the nagging feeling in my heart and boldly denied it. When I asked if he didn’t know about her concern, he didn’t listen. Instead, he felt the letters scattered on the bed. His careful touch revealed his thoughts. It seemed my words had some effect.

“Do you feel braver now?”

“A little?”

He was still cold, but...

“You always nag me.”

“If you don’t want to hear it, just do better.”

“You’re so bold.”

“That’s how I serve you, Master.”

He smiled gently.

“Thank you.”

What... did he just say?

I blinked, thinking I might have heard wrong, but he grabbed my hand again. It wasn’t as firm as before, but more gentle and ticklish. Soon, his fingers intertwined with mine.

“The last time we practiced conversation, I thanked you. I thought it was hard for you to say you missed me, and it made me laugh.”

He smiled again, a short, unfamiliar smile. It was unfamiliar, yet... familiar. A kind, considerate face. The face I had seen before. It was directed at me.

“Thank you. I mean it.”

Actually, it was directed at me.

“I didn’t plan to keep ignoring Violet. It’s not what I wanted, but since things have happened, I need to fix them. But as you said, I lacked the courage. Thanks to you, I feel a bit better. Thank you.”

He lifted his head, his cloudy emerald eyes locking onto me. Thanks to the practice, he could follow my voice with his gaze. When I met his eyes, I opened and closed my mouth several times before finally shutting it.

His touch was warm, and his gentle voice tickled my ear. I stared at him blankly, unable to think of anything. A warning echoed in my mind.

* * *

The tightly closed door finally opened the next day. Vincent met Violet. She burst into tears as soon as she saw him. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she expressed her sorrow by pounding his chest. Vincent held her in his arms and patted her back. She released her pent-up emotions in his embrace. Ethan also patted their backs.

“I will never break the engagement. And I won’t tell anyone about your condition. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

Even if she remained silent, she couldn’t hide his condition forever. But she would keep her promise. Knowing this, Vincent smiled at her.

The three of them talked all day. Laughter filled the mansion, something that hadn’t happened in a long time. Seeing such a perfect couple, I rubbed my chest.

The next day, we had tea time.

The attendees were Vincent, Violet, Ethan, and me. I was hesitant to join, but Violet insisted. When I said I couldn’t just join, she even got permission from Isabella. In the end, I, a mere maid, had the honor of attending the tea time of the nobles.

The tea time took place in the garden behind the annex, the same place where Vincent and I had tea before. We drank tea and had a normal, unremarkable conversation. The atmosphere was warm and friendly just from that.

Then, the topic turned to Violet’s letters.

“Maid, weren’t some of the letters crumpled?”

“Huh? Oh, now that you mention it.”

“Violet has a temper. She probably crumpled them in anger when no reply came, then smoothed them out. I can imagine it.”

Ethan chuckled, and Violet, blushing, hit his side. Ethan groaned, and Vincent, sipping his tea elegantly, smiled slightly. I fidgeted in my seat several times.

I felt out of place. I didn’t belong there. They tried to include me, but I was still an outsider. I had no shared memories with them. So, I looked for an excuse to leave, picking up the empty teapot.

“I’ll go refill the tea.”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh, the tea is empty. I’m going to refill it.”

“You don’t have to. Stay here.”

“Huh? But...”

The conversation was cut short because of me. Violet and Ethan looked at me, and I felt awkward for disrupting their pleasant time. Ethan intervened.

“Hey, Vincent. If someone sees, they might think the maid is leaving you forever? It’s so touching, so touching. Even if you don’t want to part, let her go get the tea and give her a moment alone. It must be uncomfortable for her to be here.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Violet asked if it was true, and Vincent waited for my answer. Caught off guard, I couldn’t immediately respond. Then, Vincent gently released the fabric of my dress. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or not, so I just bowed and left the room.

Once I was far enough from the three of them, I felt a sense of relief. I guess I did feel out of place. I scratched my head and went to the kitchen to brew new tea.

I asked the cook for some sweet pastries and took a longer route back. I really wanted to be alone for a while. I hadn’t had any time to myself recently. Maybe that’s why this short break felt as sweet as honey.

When I returned to the tea time location, I found a new attendee.