Chapter 32 – Through Kindness

Sponsored chapter, thank you to Yitzel R., Mark J. M., and William D. for the support!

Violette waved her hand at Marin who desperately smiled as she sent her off with her eyes still filled with tears, and left the house ten minutes earlier than usual.

It was a measure to prevent her from bumping into Maryjun just in case, but she arrived sooner than she’d estimated. No one was in the classroom yet. Originally, she already had plenty of time when she came to school, but it seemed like going ten minutes earlier on top of that was too excessive.

Nonetheless, having no one around Violette like this was more like having her wish granted.

She usually also felt lighter when she was in the classroom compared to at home, but now there was no one except herself. Even if it was only a few minutes of bliss, it was enough of a paradise for Violette.

“Haa…”

Violette leaked out a sigh unconsciously. It was the evidence that her heart was more tired than she thought it was.

It had been so fun yesterday, and Marin had said that she should’ve been in a good mood as well, but everything crashed in less than twenty-four hours. Some said that a woman’s heart changed as fast as the clear autumn sky, but it was also unusual to have her mood thrown from heaven to hell like this.

The calm classroom was perfect for her to think, but it was unsuitable for reviving her depressed spirit. Even though she had thought that there was nothing more that could faze her, her bottom line was constantly changing.

(I wonder if Marin is okay…)

That house had never been friendly to Violette, and it wouldn’t be a cozy place for Marin either. Violette didn’t know how she should feel when her mother retired, but when her father returned, she knew exactly what pain she felt.

Marin was a young girl who she brought in without thinking at her young age. She was already an adult right now, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be hard for her to stay alone in that house.

Marin was Violette’s important person who rarely smiled but always gave her distinct love and happiness. She didn’t know anything about family, but she felt like having an older sister might be something similar to this. Violette considered such a Marin her family.

Violette was afraid to have Marin get hurt because of her own fault.

“Huh…? Violette-sama?”

“Oh… Good morning.”

“Good morning. You’re early today.”

“Yes, I left home too soon this morning.”

Violette reflexively fixed her facial expressions when she noticed her classmate entering. She couldn’t predict what the rumours would make as its prey if she showed even just a slightly sad expression. Sometimes it would be an outrageous twist, sometimes it would go around and get closer to the truth, starting the smoke even without a fire.

She didn’t doubt her classmates, but it was better to avoid exposing herself to others who she didn’t trust or rely on.

While they were making some conversation about trivialities, the number of people who entered the classroom increased gradually. Her little bit of blissful time alone ended very easily. She didn’t feel rejected since she knew that it would be like this from the beginning, but her mind was too depressed to wait in the classroom like this until the lesson started.

“I’m sorry, I need to go to the library.”

“Ah, I’m very sorry for detaining you.”

“Please don’t mind it. Well then, excuse me ”

It was quite contradictory, the way that she had few friends despite being surrounded by crowds, which she detested, and that was a result of mixing Violette’s personality with the attraction power of the Vahan family name.

As a noble lady, Violette could keep up her appearance as much as she needed in the social venue, but she couldn’t do it well in school or in her private spaces. Probably, her dresses had become her battle uniform and helped her strengthen her resolve. Still, since she devoted herself to making barriers as much as she could, she should be poor at managing her own personality.

Violette looked for a place that was as unpopular as possible, going against the stream of people who were heading to the classroom. There were plenty of choices, but it would be hard for her to go back if the place was too far from her classroom. But there were only a few people who left the classroom in the morning, so the corridors and courtyard were less popular than usual.

“Beautiful…”

The blooming flowers were beautiful no matter how she looked at them. Rather, they might look pretty because she was feeling rough.

The colorful petals and the sweet scent that tickled her nostrils were simply beautiful and tender to her eyes. Even so, it was not enough to heal her heart.

Such a sight could heal someone because the memories that accompanied them were tender. Violette had no past that could heal her current beaten up heart.

How did someone get over it when other people stepped into their most important places thoughtlessly?

“…Let’s stop this.”

She would surely get cornered just by thinking about it. She didn’t think that it would be easy to forget it, but the day when her father would understand her feelings would never come.

His words were full of tenderness. It was only natural that his show of love and tenderness to Maryjun was poisonous to Violette.

Violette was disapproving of herself. If she didn’t even have any expectations for him anymore, why did she feel this shaken up? Was it so different from those nonchalant things that she had endured?

The wind blew and her hair swayed. She should just let this feeling be blown away with the flying petals.

When she turned away to escape the gray color that hindered her view, she realized for the first time that there was another figure there.

“Ah…”

Dark purple hair that reached to the waist without any distortion. Slightly pinkish cheeks that added color to the white skin. Even her bent down figure admiring the flowers oozed elegance… no, that girl herself was a beautiful flower. Her pale purple eyes were narrowed, and her soothing atmosphere was solemn, reminiscent of a goddess.

If Violette was a large rose, that girl was a pure white lily.

She was trim, pretty, and elegant, packed with all of a noble lady’s ideals. Violette also knew this person well.

She was Princess Rosette Megan, the royalty of the neighbouring country, and she was in the same grade as Violette, even though their classes were different.

It was common knowledge that this girl was wonderful.

She was a perfect person, a flawless noble lady. Every word of positivity suited her, but even that was still lacking to describe her existence. Her veiled, worshiped, praised, and deified figure reminded Violette of stained glass in a church.

(How unusual…)

The Rosette that she had always seen from afar was always surrounded by many people. Her figure was the same even in social circles, and there was always someone next to, behind, and in front of Miss Rosette.

The lady that Violette knew was always smiling gently in the middle of the crowd.

Time passed and the bell rang while Violette was staring at Rosette dazedly. It was a signal that class would start so they should return to the classroom before the next bell.

Rosette should’ve heard the bell as well, yet she kept touching the flowers without standing up.

(……)

Violette didn’t have to hesitate whether she should call out to her right now, but starting a conversation by herself was a big hurdle for Violette.

It was not just about Violette’s personality and communication skills, but because the people at school felt some kind of tension around Violette. It was because of her family prestige and the aura from herself, not to say, there even were circumstances surrounding her family right now. Her classmates were used to it, but for others, it was quite hard to talk to her.

And while Violette knew of Rosette, they hadn’t even met face to face, not to mention having an exchange. There was no space for the current Violette to specially confirm whether she knew about obvious things since she had only seen Rosette from far away.

(Well… forget it.)

She didn’t need to call out to someone that she was not friends with, especially not since there was a possibility that she would bother her.

Above all, Violette was not confident that she could put on her smiling mask right now.

She took her gaze away from the crouching Rosette in front of the flowerbed, tucking away the gloominess that she couldn’t get rid of into the depths of their heart and returned to her classroom.

T/N: Rosette… who? She’s not in the manga (yet?), right? Did I finally… surpass the manga!? (☉_☉)! //noyoudon’tmii