Chapter 43
V.
However, it seemed that fate had no intention of letting her be happy.
Even after the conferment ceremony and the three-day-and-night ball ended without incident. Just when it had been confirmed that Violet and Aldrick would depart the capital in a week, misfortune arrived. Without warning, on the very first day of their final week.
“Who did you say came by?”
While Violet was out for a short outing at the request of Countess Lambert—to spend some time together before their departure—someone had come looking for Aldrick.
“Father-in-law stopped by. It was the first time I’d seen him since the wedding, and he was very happy to see me. He said he was disappointed you weren’t there, so we agreed to meet again before heading to the territory.”
At first, Violet didn’t quite understand the word father-in-law that Aldrick used. No—perhaps she simply wished she had misheard.
“Father-in-law? Who are you talking about?”
Violet asked blankly, but she already felt a deep sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
“Your father, Violet. Baron Zerotta.”
At Aldrick’s words, any remaining hope within her was instantly filled with despair—a rare, crushing sensation.
If there was one thing Violet—who always tried to stay positive and look on the bright side of the world—truly hated, it would be her father, Baron Zerotta.
So the story Aldrick began to share was, to Violet, nothing short of horrifying.
“He must’ve heard the news somewhere. He already knew about the title and fief. Oh, did you maybe send him a letter?”
Of course, Baron Zerotta would have caught wind of it long ago. He was like a ferret when it came to sniffing out the scent of money.
“He looked rather shabby, so I gave him a little travel money. I felt sorry I couldn’t treat him better since we’re staying at someone else’s house, so I invited him to visit the territory before we leave—”
Though Aldrick said more, only two phrases echoed in Violet’s ears, gripped as she was by a strange fear: gave him money, and invited to the territory.
“You gave him money? Because he looked shabby?”
“…He did ask if I could lend him some first.”
Of course. That would be it. She could see it without having witnessed it herself.
He, who had abandoned his daughter without hesitation, now showed up in front of her successful husband, wearing a pitiful expression, asking if he could borrow some money.
Violet couldn’t believe she’d managed to live all this time forgetting that man even existed.
“Why… Why now…”
Her trembling voice was directed toward the man who had appeared only now, trying to ruin her life again.
“Don’t worry too much, Violet. Helping my father-in-law is something I can easily do. It’s nothing, really. We can afford it now. He may not be related to me by blood, but he’s your father, so that makes him my family too. I’ve actually been thinking about bringing your family to live on the estate as well.”
Aldrick, unaware of the full situation, spoke casually. He seemed to understand that they hadn’t had a proper wedding and that Violet’s family was poor. So poor, in fact, that they had essentially sold her off.
Now that she thought about it, she realized she had never told Aldrick the truth about her family. So of course, this wasn’t his fault. But Violet couldn’t help feeling a little bitter at how naive and unguarded he was.
“How much did he take?”
Aldrick didn’t answer. But Violet could already tell Baron Zerotta had taken a significant amount of money.
Aldrick said it was nothing, but to Violet, it was far from nothing.
Now that he had a source, Baron Zerotta would never let go.
And since Aldrick had even mentioned the territory, there was no doubt her father would show up there next to leech off them.
The sudden reappearance of her father after three years filled Violet with a kind of visceral disgust.
Had he been just a lazy noble fallen on hard times, maybe she wouldn’t feel this strongly.
But this man. He had once sold off his own daughter to pay gambling debts. A hopeless gambler and con artist. That was who Violet’s father really was.
Just imagining Baron Zerotta’s presence in their peaceful territory turned what should have been heaven into a vision of hell.
No.
She absolutely could not allow that to happen.
Not only could she not accept it for herself, but she couldn’t let Aldrick go through something like that either.
He had lived most of his life alone and was only now starting to find happiness.
She couldn’t let someone like that throw filth on the path ahead of him.
“…If my father comes again, don’t give him any money. No matter what.”
Seeing the hard look on Violet’s face, Aldrick reluctantly nodded.
But Violet didn’t trust him, not because she doubted Aldrick, but because she didn’t trust Baron Zerotta.
And in that moment, a single resolution began to take root in Violet’s heart.
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