Chapter 27 — Anticipation

After Violette returned home, she met Maryjun several times, but Maryjun didn’t call her out to have a chat at all. Usually she would approach Violette with a lively smile, not knowing what was inside Violette’s heart, but it seemed like she was not childish enough to be able to laugh energetically that day when something like that had just happened.

To be honest, Violette was worried about the possibility that her sentiments wouldn’t reach the girl even after she talked to her that much, so she was relieved to see Maryjun giving it a thought, even if Violette couldn’t be sure just how much. At the same time, she was also anxious since it seemed like her words were interpreted obliquely.

After dinner and when she had finished taking her bath, Violette returned to her room, having nothing else to do but to go to sleep. Her heart was a little lighter just because Maryjun didn’t come to talk to her, but she still felt the most comfortable in her own room. There was a risk that someone would suddenly visit her, but depending on the situation, Marin would help her, and just that thought alone made her shoulders relax.

When she sat down on the spacious sofa, a steaming cup was placed on the table. Violette moved her eyes to meet Marin’s gaze, giving her thanks.

“Did something good happen, Violette-sama?”

“Huh…?”

What came out from Marin’s mouth who had an unusually soft expression was something Violette herself didn’t realize. Marin smiled when she looked at how Violette was taken by surprise and staring at her in puzzlement, not having noticed her own good mood.

“It’s just that you look like you are in a good mood. When you arrived home, your expression looked softer than usual.”

“Is… that so…?”

Violette wasn’t aware of it at all, but since Marin said so, it might be true. After all, this was something that another person would notice better than her.

That didn’t mean that the reason would come to her mind immediately.

When Violette looked back on what happened today… It wouldn’t be strange to rather say that she was completely exhausted today. She would usually only have a chat with Yulan, but today she managed to make a new acquaintance. Talking to Maryjun at school, the only other place where Violette could rest other than her home, wasn’t something that would put her in a good mood.

While feeling the warmth of the steam on her lips, Violette jogged her memory. She visited Yulan’s class after she finished her classes. She was happy being able to talk with Yulan’s friend there, but it was still not enough to put her in high spirits.

The affair that happened after that came to her mind.

“…You’re right, there might have been something good that happened today.”

Violette couldn’t remember the taste of the tea she drank with the handsome prince. She thought it was delicious, but there was a stronger memory that stuck to her brain.

However, even if it was a good thing, she felt like it was not quite right to say that it put her in a good mood. Rather than being in high spirits, wasn’t it closer to relief?

If so, then what was the cause? Speaking of other memorable events…

“…Maybe it’s because I made a promise with Yulan.”

“Yulan-sama?”

“Yeah, we decided to go out together after school tomorrow. Since I’ve never taken a detour before, I might’ve felt a little festive.”

If she was strictly speaking, Violette had made a detour before. She went along with the noble ladies who once surrounded Violette everywhere, having tea in a shop that wasn’t suitable for students, being called out by a foreign businessman in that store, and using the VIP room.

But for Violette, it wasn’t going out with her friends. At the first glance, it seemed like Violette was taking her followers along with her, but actually, it was those girls that didn’t want to go away from her because of Violette’s charms.

She spent a lot of money, filled with insinuation to her family, but none of it gave her happiness or enjoyment.

For Violette, it was an obligation, not entertainment, a kind of obsession.

There was no way that she would put that kind of thing in the same league with taking a detour with Yulan.

They hadn’t decided where to go or what to do, but that shouldn’t be a big problem. Just by changing the person who was accompanying her, all the experiences she had had so far seemed to be a different thing with the same name.

Her purpose was to apologize, but that was just a good excuse to reschedule if one of them couldn’t make it.

“But I didn’t know that I was looking forward to it that much… Fufu, I didn’t realize until Marin told me.”

Anticipation… Yes, Violette was looking forward to it. She didn’t realize it until someone pointed that out to her, but that was because she had thought that this feeling was something that was just natural.

The air was always thin, probably because Violette grew up in such a suffocating environment. Even if she breathed in desperately, the stuffy feeling inside that felt like it was crushing her chest didn’t disappear, and the reason she could stand strong in this Vahan family was only because Marin was on her side.

When she was next to Yulan, those chains appeared just like a fence. The thing that restrained her was just enclosing her, and even if it didn’t go away, it didn’t have enough force to hold her down. It was only effective in blocking her path.

When she went home, the fence returned to chains, but her heart was still saved by the small freedom that was visible in her eyes.

“That’s why I think I’ll return a little late tomorrow, but don’t worry about it.”

“I understand… Violette-sama.”

“Nn…?”

“…Please have fun, okay?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

The emotions that couldn’t be expressed in words slipped into Marin’s smile. If you wanted to give it a name forcibly, it was probably closest to reassurance.

It was complicated when it came to emotions, but it was easy when it came to words.

Wanting her to have fun, the sincerely and seriousness that were contained in those words were surely… even Violette wouldn’t understand it.