Chapter 21: Big Sis Is Taking You Out to Have Fun
“The etiquette tutor demands that I be elegant and proper, without the slightest lapse. Father requires that my grades be outstanding, that I never bring sha upon our threshold. And the guests at those banquets… all they see is the Hatherin surna…”
Vivian’s voice was soft, yet it grew increasingly steady. Those words seed to have been imprisoned for far too long; once they found an opening, they poured out uncontrollably.
Even missing her mother… had beco a kind of standard.
[I must be as skilled at the piano as Mother. I must love gardening as much as Mother did. I must be like Mother in every way…]
She faltered. “It feels as though I am always becoming the person I am supposed to be.”
She had never spoken these words to anyone. She could not say them to her stern father, nor to the busy servants, much less to those who hovered around the family with hidden motives.
And yet now, she had confessed them to this maid who was always expressionless, calm as if she were a corpse?
The instant she finished speaking, regret and sha exploded within her. How could she have revealed herself so vulnerably…
Vivian shook her head sharply. “You… you will forget what you heard! You are not allowed to tell anyone! And you are not allowed to… to think that I…”
“To think what of you, Young Miss?” Eve finally spoke. She had been listening quite attentively. “To think that you are an ordinary person who feels troubled by the excessive expectations of others?”
Vivian’s entire body stiffened. In the Hatherin Family, the words “ordinary person” were nearly synonymous with failure.
“Is that so unforgivable sin?” Eve continued as she slowly rose to her feet instead of remaining crouched.
“To pursue excellence is your path. To feel burdened is also real. The two can coexist.”
“Like a rose in the garden—if one imposes nothing but the pressure to bloom, it will only wither faster.”
“I…” Vivian parted her lips, at a loss for words.
“Young Miss,” Eve interrupted gently. For once, in response to Vivian’s reaction, a faint smile curved her lips. “Are you tired?”
Tired?
Vivian repeated the word countless tis in her heart. Of course she was tired. She had even considered giving up before, yet she had no choice but to continue.
She made no sound. After a mont’s hesitation, she finally nodded lightly, though she did not dare et Eve’s gaze. She was afraid of seeing sympathy or pity in those eyes.
Eve let out a soft laugh. That made things simple. As the saying went, one must balance work and rest. Why study so much? What was wrong with enjoying oneself once in a while?
“There are many ways to relax. How about this, Young Miss—you could choose the simplest one. Why not go out for a stroll?”
The mont those words fell, Vivian’s eyes brightened noticeably, only to dim again just as quickly. She muttered under her breath, as though speaking to no one in particular, “That is easy for you to say… Do you think I am free?”
“Father does not allow
to leave as I please, especially without a proper reason and sufficient attendants.”
“Do not overthink it,” Eve replied evenly. “Young Miss, simply tell —do you want to go out and relax?”
Tch.
Vivian had reason to suspect that this woman was asking a question to which she already knew the answer. It was so obvious. Why ask at all? Was she trying to watch her make a fool of herself?
She was accustod to giving orders and receiving petitions. Rarely did she need to express so plainly what she simply wanted.
The phrase “an awkward little girl” seed wholly out of place when applied to her, yet at this mont it was strangely apt.
Vivian glanced at Eve, then quickly looked away. Her pearly teeth bit down on her lower lip. After struggling for several seconds, she reluctantly admitted, “…I do.”
“Then let us go.”
“Hey! What are you doing?!” Vivian’s eyes widened as though she had been struck by lightning. She yanked her hand free and instinctively hid it behind her back.
Eve explained calmly, “I am taking Young Miss out to have so fun.”
“What?!” Vivian stared at her as though she were an idiot. Had she not just said she was not free?
“The bodyguards at the gate all answer to my father. How do you propose to convince them to let
go out?”
She had assud it was rely idle talk. Yet Eve showed no sign of backing down, not even treating it as a joke. Instead, she looked at Vivian as though she were the fool.
“What is that look for?!”
“Young Miss… have you never lied?”
Vivian flushed with indignation, her cheeks heating. “Of course I— I an, that kind of thing…”
Eve raised her hand and snapped her fingers. “What we need now is a reasonable excuse.”
She lifted her chin slightly, gesturing toward the main residence. “You ended your piano lesson early today and were in poor spirits. That is a fact.”
“For instance… you could go to one of the family’s partner shops in the city to personally select so new sheet music.”
“At the very least, it sounds far better than ‘I want to go out for a stroll,’ does it not?”
“But…” Vivian still had doubts. “The bodyguards might ask for confirmation. They could notify the Head Maid to arrange a carriage and attendants…”
“Which is why we must act naturally and take the initiative,” Eve said in a steady tone, clearly planning everything with care. “Right now, you should return to your room and change into casual attire suitable for going out. When the bodyguards inquire, you need only use the commanding tone you are accustod to and inform them of your itinerary.”
“I trust I need not teach you how to make use of your authority?”
“Of course not!” Vivian straightened her back and placed her hands on her hips, answering with unmistakable pride.
Eve nodded, her gaze briefly sweeping over herself. “As for attendants, a Personal Maid accompanying you is entirely reasonable. You should state that it is a short trip to a familiar shop and that there is no need to make a spectacle of it. Your tone must be firm. Do not give them room to question you.”
“Will that really work? I have never tried before…” Vivian unconsciously twisted her fingers together.
“You can do it, Young Miss. You are rely going to do what a daughter of the Hatherin Family ought to do.”
Those words were like a key, turning the lock within Vivian’s heart. No—she did not want to remain here. At least not today.
“Wait for
ten minutes!” she tossed out hurriedly. Without looking at Eve again, she turned and ran swiftly toward her room in the main residence.
Ordinarily, selecting her clothes was the duty of her Personal Maid. Yet the young lady vanished in an instant. Eve twitched the corner of her mouth; she had not even had ti to say anything.
…
Ten minutes later, before the grand gates of Morninglight Manor.
Vivian had changed into a long gown woven in red and black, blending seamlessly with her hair. Its Gothic elegance suited her well. She wore a small hat of the sa color adorned with a delicate veil and carried a handbag in her hand.
Her chin was slightly raised, her expression restored to its usual aloof composure.
Eve followed half a step behind her, holding a parasol. She still wore her maid uniform, the very image of a proper attendant.
The two tall bodyguards in suits stationed on either side of the main gate imdiately bowed upon seeing their Young Miss.
“Young Miss.”
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