The moment when the stars fell over the count's estate (8)
- Let's go, miss.
- But why suddenly?..
Violet looked between the nanny and her father. She seemed confused.
“You will return to the mansion and be under house arrest!”
- Oh, father!
The old gentleman's gaze suddenly became sharp, anger flashing in his eyes. He decisively went down the stairs. Vincent stood below, and Ethan next to him.
Violet's father glanced at him briefly and then raised his hand. In an instant, his fist slammed into Vincent's face. There was a booming sound and Vincent staggered and fell. Ethan picked it up in a panic and we all looked on in horror.
Violet screamed and ran quickly down the stairs, her nanny following in a hurry. I wanted to go down too, but Lucas stopped me. I looked back at him with a confused expression on my face, but he just shook his head.
I was forced to just nervously watch what was happening.
Violet ran up to Vincent and asked if he was okay. After checking his well-being, she looked again at the elderly marquis.
- Father, what are you doing!
“How dare you deceive me and date my daughter!”
– What do you mean by deception?
“How much do you look down on our family if you dare to hide your blindness?” How dare you, a disabled person, approach my daughter?
This scream was as deafening as thunder. Violet held her breath, unable to hide her surprise. It was the same with me. This must be the reason why the Marquis has been so angry since our arrival. Ethan looked grim, as if he knew this would happen.
Meanwhile, Vincent rose to his feet. His face was red where the old gentleman had struck, but Vincent was calmer than anyone else present.
- Oh, father, please don’t do this!
Violet grabbed the elderly marquis with a shaking hand. “Father,” she called in a trembling voice. But he threw her hand away. Violet lost her balance and fell. The nanny rushed to her aid.
“Take her away now,” said Violet’s father, “when I return, the engagement will already be broken.”
- Father! – Violet shouted, and the old man looked at her fiercely, making her flinch and lower her eyes. She was shaking in horror, but even so, she mustered up the courage and stammered.
– I don’t want to break off the engagement.
– Do you want to marry a blind man? I’m so carried away by a man that I’m ready to sully our family!
- No! No, father, I will never sully our family, I just... I love Vincent.
- Pathetic ugly thing.
-...
The older gentleman clicked his tongue. Violet shuddered again.
“So ugly that he must have not broken up with you only out of pity.”
- B-but...
- I don’t want to hear anything! Shut up!
A loud scream drowned out her words.
-...
Violet put her hands over her mouth. Her contorted face looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment. The nanny hugged her, calming her down.
Then this happened.
- I will break the engagement.
These words came out of nowhere, breaking the tension. All eyes, including mine, turned to Vincent. Ethan, standing next to him, covered his face with one hand and closed his eyes tightly. It seemed like he couldn't stand it anymore.
Vincent still spoke with a calm expression on his face.
- I will do as you say.
- Vincent!
Violet's desperate cry did not change his mind. Violet approached him in a panic and grabbed him, asking him what was wrong and trying to convince him to change his mind, before burying her face in his chest and sobbing.
- Enough, come back.
- No. I told you that I would stay with you.
“Then you will have to turn your back on your family.” Can you do it?
- I can.
- Violet.
Vincent raised both hands and cupped her tear-streaked face.
– You will have to remain on the side of a blind husband, without family support, without your beloved nanny, without the company of other people. You'll have to give up what you love for me. You will be watched wherever you go, and if something happens to you, I will not notice it and will not be able to protect you. All I can do is fumble blindly with my hands in front of me.
-...
“This is what your life with me will look like.” Can you really handle this?
Violet opened her mouth, but this time the answer did not come easily to her. Her violet eyes trembled. She couldn't bring herself to say anything. A tear rolled down her tender cheek.
Vincent smiled knowingly and stroked her hair.
“I don’t want that kind of life for you, so come back.”
Violet shook her head, tears still flowing down her cheeks. The elderly marquis, who was watching them, motioned to someone from the street, and a moment later a man in a long robe entered, grabbed her hand and dragged her away. Violet resisted, not wanting to let Vincent go, but there was no strength left in her fragile body.
Her hand slipped from Vincent's.
- Vincent!
-...
Eventually, a servant forcibly took her out of the mansion. The nanny followed them. The sobs and screams became quieter and quieter, and then stopped abruptly.
The older gentleman turned his gaze to Vincent. His fierce eyes were still full of anger, and his pursed lips did not hide his displeasure.
– I hope you will not refuse these words.
-...
“I cannot forgive your deception, but in memory of your parents, I will close my eyes just this once.” But you will never see my daughter again.
Having said this, the old gentleman turned and walked away with quick, decisive steps.
His steps echoed in the hall as he left. Then James began to walk down the stairs. All eyes except Vincent's were fixed on him.
The master's condition was a secret. Yes, some knew this secret, but they carefully kept it secret. The only ones who were privy to this secret were those present here now, including James Christopher. We instinctively knew who was the instigator of this disorder.
James casually adjusted his clothes and stepped forward. His piercing gaze fell on Lucas as he passed us. Lucas shuddered and pressed himself closer to me. Luckily James didn't say anything and went downstairs.
He walked past us and headed straight for Vincent, and Ethan stepped towards him, blocking his path.
Trying to lighten the situation, Ethan smiled.
-Are you coming back too?
- Yes. I don't need to stay here.
Even as he answered Ethan, his gaze never left Vincent's. Ethan blocked his entire view.
I looked at them and then hurried towards Vincent along with Lucas. Vincent hasn't moved since it all happened, his eyes glued to the door. As I came closer, I saw that his face was motionless, as if he was holding his breath.
I hesitated for a moment, then gently took Vincent's hand, but he still didn't move. Even when Lucas called him.
- Mister, let's go to your room.
-...Yes.
As soon as I heard the answer, I helped Vincent lean on me. He obediently clung to me.
As we turned together, James, who had finished talking to Ethan, walked over and stood in front of the gentleman, scanning us both with his eyes. There was mockery in his eyes.
“It was a pleasant sight,” he said.
-...
I stared at the bastard standing in front of me. He acted the same as before, and it angered me that his intentions were so obvious.
Of course I was afraid of James. There were warnings in my head about being careful around dangerous people, but at that moment I was so angry that I didn’t care about being careful.
James narrowed his eyes at my harsh gaze. He seemed offended that a simple maid was looking at him so directly. He was about to open his mouth to say something when Ethan walked up to him with a grim expression on his face.
- James.
His displeased gaze shifted to Ethan.
-Where is your car?
- There, outside.
- I'll accompany you. Go first.
- Fine.
James looked back again. I bowed my head, the top of my head tingling from his gaze. Soon James' footsteps faded outside the door. When I looked up, I saw Ethan sighing in relief.
“It would be sad if I was deprived of my last name because of a maid.”
- I'm really sorry.
“I understand, but please don’t do that next time.”
His gaze lingered for a moment on Vincent, then on Lucas, who stood behind me, smiling slightly, but looking quite serious. Then he looked at me again and spoke.
– More precisely, both of you don’t do that again.
Ethan followed James to the exit.
* * *
Some time passed after that commotion. As if it was all just a dream, there were no signs of life in the mansion, not a sound. Time seemed to stand still, just like when I first got here.
I walked along the silent corridor. My steps echoed loudly in the silence.
After that day, Vincent locked himself in his room again. And every night he had nightmares. Lately, the intervals between nightmares have become longer, but now I heard his moans every night. I listened, ready to run to him if he called me. But he never called me, and I was left alone.
The day James left, I was worried that he might have bad thoughts and go back to his old self, but the next day and after that he went about his business as usual. He ate, washed his face and listened to me read to him. I just didn’t leave my room.
I was glad that he was alive and well, but at the same time I was scared for him, despite the fact that everything seemed fine with him.