Laughter tainted by arrogance filled the drawing room.
“Until next time, my friend,” the crown prince said.
“Please do not call me again if it’s for this reason.”
As Roen did not even give a proper farewell to this member of the imperial family, Rajaden smiled broadly at him.
But at the end of the day, that scoundrel right there wasn’t the only one.
‘I’d rather she wed a modest, homely man who’d be living with his in-laws.’
That day, the crown prince had proudly declared that he would pursue the ducal lady, while the duke’s heir defiantly vowed that he would interfere with those plans.
And Violet, the ducal lady in question, had nary a thought of what had transpired.
* * *
The townhouse’s employees were rather flustered by Violet’s impulsive decision to go on an outing. Perhaps it’s because of the implicit understanding that Roen’s orders took precedence over any of Violet’s.
With this in mind, there were some employees who tried to dissuade Violet from going out. However, they came out of this exchange defeated, taken aback by how much more persistent she was than they could have expected.
Violet did not care about their shock, however. On the other hand, the few who still remember how Violet acted when she was a child could only shake their heads and murmur to themselves, “Of course, of course. Our young miss is still the same.”
Now outside due to her own whim, Violet…
“It’s still no fun at all.”
…was feeling lonely again.
The escort knights who came to accompany her remained at a certain distance, refusing to come any closer.
Of course, as they had an employer-employee relationship, it’s only right that they shouldn’t be too close to each other. On the contrary, things were just strange back in the Everett estate.
Feeling a rush of loneliness catching up to her, Violet sighed quietly.
While the employees here didn’t mock her, it’s not as if they’re going out of their way to speak to her with kindness.
It’s an employer-employee relationship, so of course—what should she expect? Nevertheless, she felt regretful about it for no reason.
And with this came the realization that she had become attached to the members of the annex.
“……”
The relationships that Violet had formed thus far were few and far in between, and because of this, it’s natural that there were only a few people who she actually got along with.
She was known to most as the high-nosed ducal lady who relentlessly stomped down and controlled all the people around her. It was inevitable that those same people now regarded her with wariness and exhaustion.
There were also times when even the people who had stayed with Violet for a long time would turn around and start pointing their fingers at her, saying that she was an irredeemable villainess. It’s for this reason that Violet had no substantial human connections.
But what could she do about something that’s out of her hands?
Inwardly muttering this excuse to herself, Violet shook her head.
Tired when surrounded, yet lonely when without. What a pair.
But regardless, she’d only be terribly tired if she were to be invited to a high society event.
Since it’s like this, it would be better if she was the one sending invitations to other people so that they would come to her. Besides, there were many nobles who wished to strengthen their ties with House Everett.
It’s just that Violet wasn’t really inclined to do something like that, and the problem lay with Violet finding it difficult to get what she wants and establish close relationships in such a manner.
‘I just wish there’s someone beside me who I’m sure is on my side.’
Rather, the people who she could consider as ‘her people’ were still on their way to the capital, so as of the moment, she was just being seen as isolated.
Although, there’s a difference from her circumstances then and now—anytime she wanted, she could get out of the invisible walls of this isolation.
“Buy our apples! Fresh apples~!”
Making her way down the lively streets of the marketplace, Violet let out a slow exhale.
Truthfully, the fact that she wasn’t very acquainted with the people in high society was brought upon her own sense of disconnect from this time period.
Peerage, status disparity, the impoverished, the slaves, the imperial family.
Whenever she’d get overwhelmed by how strange these all were, she would go out to the crowded streets and feel all the life around her. Listening to their conversations was much better than whatever she’d hear at parties or banquets filled with aristocrats.
“Did you hear? This time, His Highness the Crown Prince…”
“Dangit, you rascal. Say something that makes sense, will you?”
“It does make sense though?”
But regardless of whether Violet felt a sense of disconnect or not, at the end of the day, this was still the human world.
Quietly listening to the rumors floating across the streets, Violet silently chucked to herself.
“There’s a rumor that a war’s brewing.”
“Do you have your head in the clouds or something? Just finish your work, will you.”
“No but, listen! You remember my cousin who lives at the Blaise estate, right?”
The rumor she heard just now was random.
‘Blaise, huh. I’ve heard of it before.’
Feeling as though she was just on the verge of remembering something, Violet frowned slightly.
The atmosphere in the capital was quite different from that of the Everett estate. It was quieter here in the capital, but there was a certain air of sophistication here. Though cold, it somehow felt mild.
‘I never thought of the Everett estate as my hometown.’
Violet briefly wondered if the place she considered her hometown was a rural area.
Still, compared to the capital’s vibrancy, everywhere else would be considered rural. It was a meaningless concern.
“Extra, extra! Read all about it! We’ve got the latest interview with the capital’s popular celebrity! Get your copy of the magazine here!”
While looking around for a long time, one particular child caught her attention. With a bag full of magazines to be sold, the boy seemed to be good at selling them.
“But that looks kind of heavy.”
Out of earshot, Violet murmured.
He looked even younger than Mary. Curious, Violet approached the boy.
But just the sight of the elegant Violet jolted the boy with shock.
