Violet returned home.
Her family had not yet returned from the trip and an empty house greeted her.
Uncle Cyril was a very strange person, but I don't dislike him.
Violet looked at the book The Story of Lady Roseanne.
If I disappeared without saying a word to my family, would I feel better?
The more he thought about it, the more he understood what Cyril had told him.
What she had been through, the fact that she wasn't a bastard, the humiliation she had suffered… what she needed was to be “stinging.”
──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────
He went to the kitchen to get some food.
There were almost no provisions left.
Violet ate a piece of stale bread in moderation.
Didn't they say they would be back in about three days?
Boom, boom!
At this moment, someone knocked on the door loudly.
-Who is it?
Violet went to the door and opened it.
—Young Master Bluideen wants to see you.
Follow me right now.
Bluideen, her fiancé, belittled her at all times.
Because of this, even Bluideen's servants treated her with contempt.
Like this servant who spoke to him with arrogance and a face of contempt.
In the past, he would have cowered and followed him.
But not now.
—Tell him that if he has something to say, he should come himself.
—It seems that the other members of the family are not there.
Are you really going to allow a man to enter a house where you are alone, even if he is your fiancé?
The servant's tongue was longer than normal today.
Anyway, I have to see Bluideen.
In the list of people that Cyril had told to say something to, Bluideen was included.
Bluideen was the only son of the Commander of the Capital Knights.
His house was like a fortress, full of knights.
And to go there and yell at him?
Even if he had only learned the basic tactics, he would know that it was not a good idea.
—Today I have to go to the academy to train on my own.
I have reserved the training room.
If it's so urgent, tell him to go there and find me.
—Uh, what…?
Perhaps because of Violet's reputation, which was considered docile, the servant seemed confused.
—That's not the right answer, right?
The correct thing is yes.
I know Bluideen cares a lot about his honor, what would he say if he found out about the rumors about his fiancée?
The servant realized his mistake.
I had done it!
Violet felt a subtle satisfaction.
Sure, he was going to break the engagement with Bluideen, but he didn't have to explain that to the servant.
—Miss, I think I made a mistake.
Please don't tell the young master.
Violet slammed the door in the servant's face.
I just have to talk to my family and Bluideen like this…
──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ────
There was an advantage to not having immediately resigned from the academy, as Ash had advised him.
Violet had reserved the academy's personal training room for the end of the holidays.
The walls of the training room had expensive magic amplification stones embedded in them, making it an ideal place to practice gathering magic.
Only one or two people could enter at a time and there was a four-hour limit.
That's why it was so popular and difficult to book.
However, at this time, most students went on vacation.
Training room schedule
<9:00 a.m.
– 11:00 a.m.
–Violet Everdeen>
<11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.
– Ash Defendale>
Does a Sword Master need to train?
Violet arrived at the training room and saw the schedule taped to the door in amazement.
But then he thought it wasn't his problem and walked into the room.
Violet sat up and began her meditation to gather magic, but was interrupted by a loud noise as the door slammed open.
Violet opened her eyes.
Her light blonde hair moved in the wind.
—Violet.
With a blank expression, Bluideen, her fiancé, entered the room.
—Bluideen, what's wrong?
—Violet looked him in the eyes.
Bluideen was objectively handsome.
With black hair and gray eyes, he had a habit of leaning against walls with his arms crossed and watching people.
He seemed cocky.
He laughed disdainfully as usual.
-What fun.
I call you and you ignore me.
And you were also disrespectful to my servant.
Violet forced a smile.
At one point, the Bluideen, who was more cynical than his companions, had seemed cool to him.
There was a time when she wanted to get along with him, even though he treated her like the trash under his shoes.
—He is a servant.
-That?
—A servant is a servant.
Disrespect from a servant is not a funny thing.
It's something natural.
Violet spoke calmly.
Bluideen stood up straight and looked at her like she was crazy.
—Does something hurt you?
Or is this your last attempt to get my attention?
In reality, Bluideen had failed the knight academy exam again and again.
In the end, his father used his influence to get him accepted into the history academy, not the knights' academy.
Bluideen could not bear that Violet, a useless person, had entered the knight's academy, which he had not been able to enter.
—I have no interest in anything.
Just tell me what you have to say, so I can say what I have to say.
—Violet said.
Bluideen clicked his tongue and raised both hands.
—I like it that way.
There's something you have to do for me.
-…What is it?
"You must have been invited to the crown prince's Winter Queen's Ball, right?" I heard that they invited all the nobles who study at the academy.
—I haven't reviewed the invitation, but I probably have.
—It's a formal event, so, even if I don't want to, I have to take you, my fiancée, as a couple.
-…AND?
—Just walk me to the entrance and then go directly to the powder room or the bathroom.
—And what am I doing there?
—You're so slow.
Oh, how would my reputation be if I went to the dance with you?
—…
—So that I can dance with your stepsister, Marigold, hide somewhere during the entire dance and come out when it is almost over.
We just have to go together.
The request was so absurd that Violet caught her breath.
How pathetic.
Although I already knew what it was like, every time I saw it, it seemed like something new.
—Are you asking your fiancée to hide in a corner so you can dance with her stepsister?
What a shocking idea.
—Violet said sarcastically.
—It's because you always go to dances looking like a beggar.
You should think about my reputation.
—…
—You made me come here and I'm very angry, so it's best that you say yes immediately.
That way you will be a good future wife, right?
Violet could no longer contain her anger.
He took a step towards Bluideen.
Chichik, chichichik…
Huh?
The vision of the future began again.
«In this vision, Violet seemed younger.
There was almost no difference from the current one.
She was wearing a white wedding dress.
Bluideen, standing over her, had his face horribly disfigured by anger.
—What did you do at the Winter Queen's Ball with Colbert?
They say they found them hugging in an empty room.
—As I told you, that man alone…
—Colbert testified that you two dated during the academy.
If it weren't for this commitment to you, I would never have married someone like you.
Why did my father make that contract?
Damn!
—…
—You will never see the outside world again!
Bluideen grabbed her arm, which was covered by the wedding dress, tightly.
The vision of the future ended.
That's how Colbert happened.
And this bastard Bluideen….
Even though he hated her, she was his wife.
Wasn't he going to believe her and defend her?
This was the time to tell him what Cyril had asked of him.
Violet stared into Bluideen's eyes.
What am I going to tell him?
…To be continued