Episode 11
Seeing Paula in front of her, Violet felt a surge of anger.
“What is this feeling?”
It felt just like how she had felt with Bluedin.
“Should I tell her I know the truth about her? Or bring up how she’s treated me all these years? Should I threaten her with revenge?”
There were so many things she wanted to say, she didn’t know where to start.
“Violet!”
A voice suddenly called out. It was Marigold.
She came quickly down the stairs the moment she saw Violet.
“How have you been? Why didn’t you come to my room first? I bought you a gift!”
Marigold beamed as she linked arms with Violet.
“You’re my only sister, and I missed you so much, but you didn’t even come see me.”
Paula clicked her tongue in disapproval and walked off toward the study.
As soon as Marigold touched her, Violet felt goosebumps on her skin.
She pulled her arm away without saying a word.
“I’m going to my room.”
“I’ll come with you. The weather at the resort was so nice! All the noble families from the academy were there! It was so fun seeing familiar faces! If you didn’t have extra classes, you could’ve come too!”
Violet didn’t answer and just walked faster.
“Marigold… the only one in the family who used to reach out to me first…”
Violet remembered what Cyril had said about saying “a word” to each family member. She wondered if she should say something to Marigold too.
They’d always gotten along the best, after all.
But the more she thought about it, something didn’t feel right. Marigold had never once spoken up about the unfair treatment Violet received.
Once inside her room, Violet watched as Marigold opened a small gift bag she had brought.
“Look, it’s a present!”
Violet reluctantly took it.
Inside was a cheap bracelet made of seashells.
A cold smile crossed Violet’s face.
A gift not even worth a single coin.
That’s what Marigold thought Violet deserved—after returning from a luxurious vacation.
At the same time, Violet remembered all the expensive items Marigold had brought back from the resort boutique.
“You chose the perfect gift. It really suits you.”
Violet said with a flat tone.
“Right? I thought you’d like it!”
“So that’s all you wanted to say? Nothing else?”
Only then did Marigold seem to notice something was off.
She stared closely at Violet’s face.
Violet could tell exactly what she was thinking.
“She’s wondering what’s wrong with me.”
“Violet, are you mad at me?”
“I just find it strange. Bluedin told me I always look shabby when I come to the ball. Like I don’t even own a proper dress.”
“Haha, yeah, you really don’t dress up much, do you?”
“I wonder why I don’t have any dresses, Marigold. Isn’t that odd?”
“Hmm… Just ask Dad to buy you one. You’re too bad at these things!”
Marigold said brightly.
They had never talked about this before.
“Why is it that whenever you pretend to not know anything, I get the feeling you actually know everything? Or… do you enjoy the way I’m treated?”
The truth was, Violet already knew.
Marigold looked down on her.
But she had been so desperate to hold on to someone—anyone—in this cold family… she had ignored it.
“Anyway, forget that. Let’s talk about something fun. Did you hear the news about Colvera?”
“Colvera?”
“She really messed up. At a party full of academy officials, including the headmaster.”
“Why was Colvera even there?”
“I overheard it from classmates while I was coming back through the gate. Apparently, Colvera got completely drunk and passed out in the headmaster’s garden—half her hair shaved, wearing only her underwear, and snoring loudly! It happened three days ago, during tea time with academy board members. Everyone saw it!”
Three days ago… that was the day Violet had thrown her withdrawal letter at Colvera.
“Ash said he’d ‘take care’ of Colvera that day.”
“Did he mean… he actually dumped her in the headmaster’s garden?”
Whether it was Colvera’s fault or not, passing out half-naked in the headmaster’s garden meant she was finished.
“Why would something like that happen?”
Violet spoke quietly.
“Good question. There’s a rumor going around that she was going to shady places—illegal clubs with weird drugs and women.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! People are saying she got drunk at one of those places and somehow ended up crawling into the headmaster’s garden.”
“…”
“And you know what’s the funniest part? Colvera says she doesn’t remember anything!”
Even if the whole world laughed at that story, Violet couldn’t.
What was she supposed to think about Ash, her fellow classmate, who did something like that?
“Something’s off today, Violet. Did something happen?”
Violet quietly looked at Marigold.
“I have something to say to you, Marigold.”
“Why that serious face? You’re not trying to scare me, are you?”
Marigold laughed awkwardly.
“Marigold, I—”
Knock knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“No one ever comes to my room…”
Violet thought.
Not even the servants cleaned her room—she did everything herself.
Besides Marigold, no one in the family ever came to visit her.
She didn’t know who it could be, so she opened the door herself.
A servant she barely recognized was standing there, bowing politely.
“A letter has arrived for you, Miss Violet.”
He offered the letter on a tray with great care.
“What is this… some kind of trap?”
Servants usually followed their master’s attitude.
Based on how they normally acted, it was a miracle if they didn’t just throw her mail in the trash.
Even Marigold looked surprised.
“Thank you.”
Violet accepted the letter.
“Who is it from?”
Marigold leaned in to peek.
“Could it be from Uncle Cyril?”
Violet’s heart fluttered a little.
But the handwriting on the envelope wasn’t his.
<From your future partner in crime, Ash.>
“Why are you sending me a letter?”
Violet thought, annoyed.
And in the middle of all this, she also noticed—Ash had really beautiful handwriting.
“And how the heck did he get one of our servants to deliver it to me so politely? What kind of magic did he pull this time?”
Violet was starting to get seriously creeped out by Ash.
