Episode 7
In the future, Violet was sitting in a big chair in a dark room.
A small door near the chair opened, and a little girl with her face covered by a cloth came in.
“Cyril Cole Everdeen is dead. They say he went mad and jumped from the clock tower in the plaza.”
Violet looked up at the girl.
“He didn’t go mad.”
“…Then?”
“It’s sad, but he had an illness that made him lose his mind.”
“Are you… sad right now?”
“He was a foolish man. When he was just fifteen, he carried baby me and walked all the way to the capital. After such a short time with me, he said he could never forget me. He secretly came to check on me every year and then disappeared again.”
“I remember you said Cyril Cole Everdeen came to see you the day before your wedding.”
“Yes. He finally got the courage and asked me to run away with him. If I had gone with him back then—if I hadn’t married that bastard Blue Dean—my life would’ve been different.”
The future vision ended.
Violet stared blankly ahead.
The future Violet looked to be in her early thirties.
In her first vision, she was told she’d die at age 34.
So maybe the memory she just saw was from around that age.
“In sixteen years, Uncle Cyril will lose his mind and die…”
He seemed totally fine now. Why would that happen?
And one sentence kept echoing in her head:
“If I had gone with Uncle Cyril, my life would’ve been different.”
That’s what the future Violet said.
Violet let go of the doorknob and quickly turned around.
“Uncle Cyril!”
“…You’re still here?”
“I want to ask you something. Why… did you come to see me every year in secret?”
Cyril flinched.
He hesitated for a moment, then said:
“Did you notice?”
Violet stayed silent. Cyril took her silence as a yes and sighed quietly.
“I just went on a whim. That’s all. You were doing fine as a noble in the Everdeen family. There was no reason for me to worry.”
If Violet hadn’t seen the future vision, she might have accepted that and walked away.
But instead, she spoke firmly.
“Uncle, I’m going to leave that house. I’ll quit the academy too. I don’t want anything to do with my family anymore.”
“…”
“Now that I know I’m not an illegitimate child, I can’t stay in that house.”
“Do you know what it means for someone your age to cut ties with their family?”
“I do. But even so, I don’t want to live there and end up marrying Blue Dean. If I could choose just one person to call family…”
“…”
“I’d want it to be you, Uncle.”
For the first time, Cyril’s expression turned serious.
He seemed to be thinking hard.
“He’s a stubborn person with a lot of pride. That’s probably why he hasn’t reached out to me.”
Besides, Cyril had already cut all ties with the Everdeen family.
Violet thought she’d be okay even if he said no.
It was enough just to know someone in her bloodline cared about her.
“What do you like, Violet?”
Cyril suddenly asked something random.
“What?”
“Yeah. Even if you have to skip meals to save money—what’s something you really want to do or buy? Tell me anything.”
Violet thought for a moment.
She only had one hobby. And it was free.
When she was little, she read a book Marigold had tossed aside over and over again. After entering the academy, she spent all her time reading romance novels in the library.
“I like ‘Seda’ novels.”
“What’s that?”
“Um… ‘Seda’ is an old word that means sharp and refreshing… It’s a kind of romance novel. The main character is a woman who fights back against people who hurt her. She’s clever and says bold things too…”
“So, a cheesy trash novel?”
“…A lot of people call it that.”
“The way you’re talking nonstop means you really like it. Good timing.”
“…”
“Taking in a spoiled girl like you is going to be a pain. I’ll have to spend money, and I’ve never raised anyone before.”
Violet didn’t ask him to raise her.
“I’m eighteen. That’s grown-up! I’m legally an adult.”
While Violet was silently protesting in her head, Cyril kept talking.
“And you’re engaged, right? If that guy was picked by Siegfried, he’s probably trash.”
“You know Blue Dean? That’s… incredibly accurate.”
Violet said seriously.
Cyril shook his head like it was obvious.
“Okay, then put him on the list too. And I heard you have a father, stepmother, and younger sister.”
“That’s right.”
“Go tell each of them something. The more emotional or physical impact it has, the better.”
“Huh?”
“Say whatever’s on your chest. Doesn’t matter what. Just get it off your mind.”
“…”
“I’m not going to take care of a mentally immature girl who’s still chasing after her father’s love. If you’ve got anything bottled up, deal with it now.”
“Wait… Are you asking me to go ‘Seda’ on them…?”
“Something like that.”
“What if I can’t say anything bold or cool?”
“Then go and beg for love. Shout about how pitiful you are. After that, maybe you won’t feel like running away anymore. People have to look inside their own hearts to know how they really feel.”
Cyril was a strange person. But he had his own kind of philosophy.
And somehow, Violet felt like his words made sense.
“Then, if I say something to them like you said…”
“Come back here. I’ll let you stay in this house and support you until you can live on your own.”
“…”
“Don’t doubt me. This house really belongs to me.”
So this big house was actually his?
Violet suddenly felt deep respect for Cyril and his massive wealth—something she couldn’t even imagine having.
If she could escape her nightmare family, she’d be happy to live in a closet instead of a room.
“Uncle… if you’re not serious, please tell me now. I don’t want to be disappointed later.”
Violet’s voice trembled a little.
“Let me warn you: if an unmarried man lets his young niece live with him, people will gossip. You might never get another noble fiancé. Think about that.”
“Oh wow. That sounds amazing. If my reputation’s ruined… I’ll never have to get engaged to someone like Blue Dean again!”
She was genuinely excited by the idea.
Violet couldn’t help but admire the unexpected bonus of living in this house.
“You’re way too happy about ruining your life. You’re definitely weird…”
Cyril walked her to the front door kindly.
“Alright, go now.”
“Okay.”
“Take care, kid.”
Thud. The door closed right in her face.
Violet quietly muttered at the door.
“It’s four in the afternoon, though…”
Everything about Cyril was so strange. And yet he called her the weird one.
“So it’s true… super weird people think they’re normal.”
Still, she was glad she had spoken up!
There was a real chance she could find a new place to live.
“I’ll do my best. I need to work on my sharp comebacks, my ‘Seda’ lines, and speak honestly from the heart…”
With a serious face, Violet made her decision.
