Chapter 47

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 47

Chapter Title: The Moment a Star Fell on the Count's House (8)

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"Let's go, Miss."

"Why all of a sudden?"

Violet glanced back and forth between the nanny gripping her arm and the Old Gentleman. She looked utterly bewildered, clearly having no idea what was going on. Watching her, the Old Gentleman suddenly bellowed.

"You're grounded—no outings for the foreseeable future once we get back to the mansion!"

"Ah, Father."

In an instant, the Old Gentleman's eyes sharpened. A fierce glint of anger flashed in them. He strode down the stairs. By the time he reached the bottom with quick steps, Vincent was standing right in front of him. Ethan supported Vincent with a face full of worry.

The Old Gentleman glared at Vincent for a moment before raising his hand. In the blink of an eye, it struck Vincent across the face. A sharp thwack echoed through the hall, and Vincent staggered backward, collapsing. Ethan hurriedly caught him. We watched in horror, swallowing hard.

Violet screamed and rushed down the stairs. The nanny belatedly chased after her in a panic. I followed suit, but Lucas grabbed me. He held me back from going down. But! I turned to him with a confused look, but he shook his head.

In the end, I had no choice but to watch anxiously.

Violet rushed to Vincent and checked on him, asking if he was okay. Then she turned to the Old Gentleman.

"Father, what on earth are you doing?!"

"How dare you deceive me and meet my daughter!"

"What are you talking about? Deceive you?"

"How little do you think of our family that you'd hide your blindness! And with a body like that, you still dare to eye my daughter?!"

His thunderous roar exploded. Violet gasped, unable to hide her shock. I was the same. So that was why he'd been seething with rage since he arrived. Ethan's face was filled with grim resignation, as if this was the inevitable outcome.

In the meantime, Vincent sat up, propping himself on his twisted torso. The spot where the Old Gentleman had struck him was red and swollen. Yet his face was calmer than anyone else's there.

"Ah, Father. Please don't do this."

Violet grabbed the Old Gentleman's arm with trembling hands. Even her voice shook as she called him Father. But he shook her off. Losing her balance, Violet stumbled, and the nanny rushed over to support her.

"Take her away right now! And know that the engagement is off when we get back!"

"Father!"

As Violet cried out, the Old Gentleman shot her a piercing glare. She flinched and looked down. Her delicate frame shrank in fear. But she mustered her courage and stammered out words.

"I... I don't want to break off the engagement."

"What's so lacking in your life that you'd clean up after that wretch?! What kind of ridicule do you plan to invite by keeping a blind husband at your side? Or have you lost your mind to a man and decided to shame our family?!"

"No! No, Father. I have no intention of shaming the family. I just... I just love Vincent."

"Foolish girl."

"......"

The Old Gentleman clicked his tongue. Violet flinched again.

"You're acting so pathetically, that's why he's gotten cocky and won't back down from the engagement."

"B-but."

"I don't want to hear it! Shut your mouth!"

His massive shout swallowed her words whole.

"......"

Violet clamped her mouth shut. Her twisted expression looked ready to burst into tears at any moment. The nanny hugged her and soothed her.

That was when it happened.

"I'll break off the engagement."

The sudden declaration shattered the tension. All eyes, including mine, turned to Vincent as he composed himself and stood. Ethan, standing beside him, covered his face with one hand and squeezed his eyes shut, as if he couldn't bear to watch anymore.

Vincent's face remained calm as his lips moved.

"I'll do as you say."

"Vincent!"

Even at Violet's desperate call, he didn't take it back. She approached him in a panic. She shook his body, pleading why and begging him not to, but got no response. Finally, she buried her face in his chest and broke into sobs.

"That's enough now. Let's go home."

"Don't do this. You said you wouldn't break it off."

"Then you'd have to abandon your family. Can you do that?"

"I can."

"Violet."

Vincent raised both hands and felt her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as he lowered his gaze.

"Without your family's help, without your beloved nanny, you'd have to stay by the side of a husband who can't see. For the rest of your life, you'd attend to me, isolated from others with no social life. You'd have to give up the things you love for my sake. Wherever you go, people's stares would follow. Even if you got hurt by them, I wouldn't notice, and I couldn't protect you. I'd just fumble around blindly with my hands."

"......"

"Life with me would be like that. Could you really endure it?"

Violet opened her mouth. But this time, she couldn't respond easily. Her violet eyes wavered. The hesitation in them stole her voice. Tears flowed down her delicate cheeks.

Vincent smiled as if he understood and stroked her hair.

"I don't want that for you. So go home."

Violet shook her head, tears dripping down.

The Old Gentleman, watching them, signaled toward the outside. A burly man entered and grabbed Violet's arm, pulling her. She struggled, refusing to let go of Vincent, but her frail body was dragged away helplessly.

Her hand slipped from Vincent's.

"Vincent!"

"......"

In the end, she was hauled out of the mansion by the servant. The nanny followed behind. Her tearful cries grew fainter until they cut off abruptly.

The Old Gentleman turned his gaze to Vincent. His sharp eyes still burned with anger, and his tightly pressed lips betrayed his discomfort.

"I hope you stick to that answer."

"......"

"Deceiving me is unforgivable, but considering my ties to your parents, I'll let it slide this time. Don't eye my daughter again."

With that, the Old Gentleman turned and walked away briskly with firm steps.

After he left, the quiet hall echoed with steady footsteps. James must have slipped out amid the chaos; he came down the stairs. He glanced around the silent surroundings. Everyone's eyes but Vincent's turned to him.

Vincent's condition had been kept a strict secret. No secret is perfect, but they'd clamped down tightly to hide it as long as possible. And the only ones who knew were us here and that man over there, James Christopher. Instinctively, we knew who was behind this uproar.

James calmly straightened his clothes and stepped forward. As he brushed past me and Lucas, his sharp gaze landed on Lucas. Lucas flinched and gripped my hand tighter. Fortunately, James said nothing and went down.

Once at the bottom, he headed straight for Vincent. Caught off guard, I saw Ethan step in to block James's path.

As if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere, Ethan forced a smile.

"Heading back?"

"Yeah. No reason to stay longer."

Even as he answered Ethan, James's eyes were on Vincent. Ethan shifted to subtly block his view.

I glanced at them, then pulled Lucas along and hurried to Vincent. He'd been staring motionless toward the door since earlier. Up close, his face was eerily still, as if he'd stopped breathing.

I hesitated before gently grabbing his arm. Still, he didn't move. Even when Lucas called to him, nothing.

"Master. Let's go to your room."

"......Alright."

At his response, I supported him. He leaned on me willingly.

As we turned together, James, finished talking with Ethan, approached and stopped in front of Vincent. He blatantly looked us over. Mockery filled his eyes.

"Quite the show."

"......"

I glared wide-eyed at the jerk in front of me, refusing to back down. His attitude from his last visit and the clear intent behind this mess made my blood boil.

Of course, I was scared of James. Fear screamed in my head to be cautious around dangerous people. But right now, my anger overrode even that.

As I met his gaze rudely, James furrowed his brow. A mere maid staring him down must have irked him. His face grew menacing as he opened his mouth to speak—then Ethan intervened.

"James."

His irritated gaze left me.

"Where's your carriage?"

"Outside."

"I'll see you off. Let's go."

"Sure."

James glanced our way again. Only then did I bow my head. My scalp prickled, but soon his footsteps faded out the door. When I looked up, Ethan was sighing in relief.

"I feel like this maid is going to shorten my lifespan."

"I'm sorry."

"I get it. But don't do it again."

He smiled lightly, but his voice was serious. He glanced at Vincent, then at Lucas behind me. Then back to me, mouthing silently.

'Take care of them.'

Soon, Ethan headed out too.

Quite some time had passed since that chaotic day. The mansion felt as eerily still as when I first arrived, with no sign of people or voices—as if time itself had frozen. The lively clamor seemed like a dream.

I walked the silent corridor. Only my footsteps echoed down its length.

Since that day, Vincent had holed up in his room again. And every night, he had nightmares. They'd been infrequent lately, but now groans came every single night. I'd lie awake listening, ready to rush if he called. He never did. He endured alone.

The day James visited, I'd worried he might harbor ill intentions, but the next day and the day after, Vincent lived as usual. He ate well, bathed, and listened quietly to the books I read. He just wouldn't leave his room.

It was a relief that he was holding up better than expected, but at the same time, that nonchalance terrified me even more.