Chapter 41
Now alone together, Aldrick’s restraint vanished. He pulled her into his arms with a force that felt just a bit too strong.
“Ow!”
Violet protested against the crushing force of Aldrick’s embrace.
“You agreed to come in here with me. That alone means this is what it implies.”
Once they were alone, Aldrick returned to his usual tone of voice. The unfamiliar tension had eased somewhat, but Violet still felt upset.
Looking down at her with reproach, he lifted her chin with one hand. As his lips came down upon hers—as if it were the most natural thing in the world—Violet silently cursed the man from earlier.
Reflecting his roughened mood, Aldrick’s tongue moved without gentleness. It was a kiss that seemed to scold her, and Violet hated herself for becoming dizzy even under such forceful touches.
“Starting with things like this.”
Aldrick murmured between kisses that had left their breathing ragged. At the same time, one hand gripped Violet’s round hips while his mouth teased the cleavage rising above the neckline of her dress.
“Stop it!”
Angrily, Violet pushed hard against his chest.
“Even this means you’ve given your permission. Do you understand?”
“I get it. I said I get it, so stop already.”
At Violet’s rejection, Aldrick obediently pulled back, but his expression still showed no sign of calming.
“I should go find that bastard.”
“And do what, exactly? It’s not like he actually did anything.”
“I was looking everywhere for you, Violet. I was anxious when I couldn’t find you… I had a feeling something like this might happen. You need to understand how much you draw men’s eyes.”
His words were an exaggeration. But Violet had no choice but to acknowledge that she had made for an easy target. Thinking back on how she had fallen for such an obvious trick left her incredulous.
A naïve country girl, with neither strength nor status.
That Viscount—whatever his name had been—must’ve targeted her for that very reason. Realizing now that all the gentlemen who had approached her likely had similar intentions made her feel deeply disgusted.
“I’ve heard enough of how foolish I was. So let’s stop. I’m not feeling great either.”
At Violet’s subdued voice, Aldrick fell silent. The chill carried by the breeze helped to cool the heat that had risen to her head.
She turned away from him and leaned against the terrace railing.
“For some reason, a lot of men asked me to dance tonight.”
“See? I told you—”
“It’s not like I’m so naïve I don’t understand what those kinds of approaches mean. And I refused all of them anyway. Do you know why?”
Afraid he might interrupt, Violet quickly continued.
“I don’t know how to dance the way nobles do. You probably guessed that. Well? Now you see just how lacking your wife is?”
“Not knowing how to dance doesn’t make you lacking.”
“But what about as a Countess? What about as the lady of a domain? I really don’t know anything, Aldrick. I don’t even know how to properly greet guests visiting the estate, what temperature tea should be served at, from what angle to pour it, or how many teaspoons should be laid out. I don’t need you to remind me I’m ignorant—I already know that better than anyone. A terrace? I didn’t even know places like that existed in this world.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
The heat she thought had cooled was burning in her chest again. Violet felt stifled.
She understood why Aldrick was angry. If he had been caught in a similar situation with a seductive noblewoman, she would have been furious too.
But this wasn’t just about tonight.
All the things that had been weighing on her heart since arriving in the capital were about to spill out here, of all places.
“Violet.”
His voice was stiff.
Aldrick must’ve been very angry at her attitude. Violet thought he might lash out at her again, or snap in frustration.
“Violet, I’m sorry. Please… look at me.”
But contrary to her expectations, Aldrick spoke in a deflated voice, offering only an apology.
“I know you’re really upset. But please don’t turn away from me like this. Look at me and talk to me.”
She could hear him pacing nervously. When Violet finally turned around, Aldrick hesitated, unable to reach for her.
And in the next moment, he slowly lowered himself to one knee before her. It was a posture of submission, the kind shown only to kings.
She almost asked whether a knight’s knee should touch the ground so easily, but kept her mouth shut. He had knelt like this once before—on their wedding night, when he had first asked for her hand.
“I dared to get angry at you. Even if you can’t forgive me right now, I understand. But I hope… that it won’t carry on past tonight. I’ll do better from now on. This was my fault. It was my mistake to leave you alone, unfamiliar with the ways of the capital. But when I saw him holding your hand, the rage hit me before I could even think—”
He clutched only the hem of her dress, nearly begging.
Violet had already forgotten she was even angry the moment he dropped to one knee, so there was really nothing left to forgive.
“Stand up.”
“If you forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. I already did.”
Even so, Aldrick didn’t move, so Violet simply sat down in front of him.
She couldn’t kneel as gracefully as Aldrick had, but she folded her body and sat in a way that brought her eyes level with his.
“I don’t get angry easily. But it’s worse with you. I just… can’t bring myself to stay mad at you.”
When she cupped his cheeks in both hands, Aldrick looked at her with pained eyes.
“I’m sorry, Violet.”
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