I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!

Even when Violette arrived in the mansion, no one welcomed her.

Sometimes, Marin would welcome her, but she mostly did it after Violette had returned to her room. Especially at days like today when she went home later than usual without any notice.

The large mansion still remained quiet. Even though a family of four should be living here, Violette didn’t feel like anything was different from when she was alone. She couldn’t hear any voice or sense any existence. Not even a breath.

That showed the distance between Violette and her family.

“Violette-sama, welcome home. I’m sorry I couldn’t welcome you at the entrance.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t say I would come home late.”

“Did you go somewhere?”

“...No, I stayed in school a bit longer than usual. I was asked to help the student council.”

“Eh…”

Marin’s sharp eyes widened. What a rare right. The maid most likely found her answer that unexpected, which was true.

After working for Violette for a long time, she had known that Violette’s history of love affairs perfectly well. Even if she didn’t personally see what happened with Violette’s complicated first love, she could imagine it. Marin had heard her master complained about how her love didn’t make any progress. To be honest, Marin thought it was only to be expected.

But what Violette said this time was not about her romance or progress in her approach to the prince. It was just about how she helped the student council in their busy period to escape from reality. While diving, drink water.

“Apparently, they are very short-handed this year.  I don’t really have anything to do, so I suppose it won’t hurt to help them.”

“I see… If you’re tired, I’ll carry your dinner here.”

“I didn’t do much there, so it’s okay. I’ll go to the dining room.”

Violette handed over the clothes she took off and received the changes of clothes prepared by Marin. It was a white shirt, a bright blue long flare skirt. As a finishing touch, Marin fixed the collar of Violette’s shirt.

She rather wore her dressing gown, but she didn’t know what would her father say when she attended the family dinner with that attire. Since they weren’t going out, this should be appropriate enough.

“Then, I will call you later for dinner.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Even if there’s not much time left… Please rest for a while.”

After seeing Marin bowed and left the room, Violette sat alone on the sofa, leaning her upper body and went limp.

Marin told her to take a rest, but of course she shouldn’t sleep. She was just going to have dinner, but the maid knew how much anxiety it gave her.

Her clothes would wrinkle if she laid down too relaxedly, so she occupied the two-seat sofa, thinking that she would just rest for a while.

Probably because Violette used her head more than usual, her brain wanted to rest even though she wasn’t tired. It wasn’t much of a big deal, but concentrating too much also consumed some of her energy.

Before she noticed it, she closed her eyes. Her drifting consciousness went straight to the world of dreams.

She didn’t know how long she slept.

The first thing she recognized when she was awakened to the swaying feeling was Marin’s worried expression, her eyebrows lowered. Violette immediately woke up in a bounce, realizing what it meant if the maid was here.

Violette gave her appearance one brief check and went to the dining room in quick steps. She didn’t even know why she needs to be so panicked.

However, she knew that she had dug her own grave when she opened the door of the dining room. The expression of her father before her eyes were clearly unpleasant.

“You’re slow. What were you doing?”

“...I’m sorry.”

“Go take your seat already. Everyone is hungry, yet we still waited for you.”

“I’m sorry.”

Violette bowed deeply once and got to her seat quickly. In front of Violette, her stepmother was gently stroking her father’s hand with a smile, as if calming his sullen temper. Next to her, Maryjun puffed her cheeks and said, “Father, don’t say that to her!” It’s unclear whether she was angry or not, but it didn’t have any impact either way. It only had those cutesy charms.

The mother watched over her family with a smile. The father listened to his daughter’s words as if his initial bad mood was a lie. What a perfect family scene.

Since Violette had seen this every day, she didn’t desire to become a part of it anymore. Even so, she didn’t understand why they had to wait for her even though they were basically excluding her now. It only pained her to watch them being harmonious.

Her father said he was hungry, and yet he didn’t touch his food. He just kept talking with his wife and daughter.

The dishes weren’t steamy, so he didn’t have to bother to cool it down. Violette said the courtesy word before eating with a voice that no one could hear and picked up the knife and the fork.

She could switch her focus on the food if she was eating. Move her hands, open her mouth, smack her lips, chew, swallow, and repeat. She wouldn’t leave her seat even if she finished her meal quickly since she didn’t want to greet her father, so she kept that in mind and adjusted her eating speed.

Violette noticed that all of her family members had started eating at the corner of her eyes. Even so, her father’s interest was Maryjun, who happily ate each bite.

I’m being overly conscious.

While eating quietly, Violette sneered at her conceited self. Of course she pretended chew so that no one would notice it, but she didn’t really have to do that.

Violette was not necessary here. At least for her parents, she worth as much as a decorative plant. Maybe they didn’t even think she existed here.

Who would care about her, who was the equivalent of a talking figurine? Who would notice when she came home late? If they didn’t have dinner together, her father surely wouldn’t notice whether Violette had returned home or not.

There was repulsion due to the lack of recognition. Probably, somewhere in Violette’s mind, she was still hoping that her father would care about her. If so, it was just a dream that wouldn’t come true.

A broken thread could be tied again. But from the beginning, she had no connection with her family. The distance was even deeper than the hell, impossible to be filled.

Violette put the tender fish into her mouth and bit it.

Considering how the chef made the dinner following Violette’s favorite, it was supposed to be delicious. And yet, she couldn’t taste it anymore.

,

“Today’s dinner is also very delicious…”

After finishing her last bite, Maryjun giggled, happiness apparent in her expression. As they enjoyed their tea after the meal, her parents nodded in satisfaction. They most likely would praise the chef later on.

Most of the staffs had been changed, but the head of the chef had been working in this mansion since Violette’s mother was alive. Naturally, Violette was happy that someone she was acquainted with got praised. She had been neglecting them because she had known them for a long time. Now that she thinks of it, she decided that she should also thank them later.

Surprisingly, the whole family were quick to break up once everyone finished their meal. Violette’s father was busy, and he had his schedules full. He only spared his time for breakfast and dinner. Secretly, Violette thought that he should’ve started eating without waiting for her. She wanted this to end immediately.

But Violette didn’t have the right to speak, so having such a thought was useless. At least she was grateful that she didn’t have to stay together with them after they finished their meals.

Violette raised her hand lightly to the number of servants standing in a line behind her. She didn’t say a word, but they knew that she was thanking them. They had been accompanying Violette for a long time. Naturally, they understood Violette’s awkward position.

Violette left the dining hall with Marin following her behind. She didn’t talk to anyone, and no one talked to her at all. It’s as if she wasn’t there from the beginning. In this mansion, her existence was as light as air. But now, she felt lighter when she was outside. Was it because she had recovered, or was it just her being defiant?

“Shall we have a bubble bath today?”

“Eh… Why so sudden?”

“I just thought that it’d been a while. I’ll wash your back. And your hair too.”

“Oh my, that sounds tempting.”

“Yes. It’s a full course of appreciation.”

It’s common for maids to help aristocrats bathe. Mostly, they were hired exclusively for young children or beautiful lady.

But for Violette, she had been taking a bath alone for a long time. She didn’t even remember when she started to bathe alone, but when Violette was old enough to understand what’s going on around her, she was soaking in the large bathtub alone.

Even if Violette’s mother slept with her a lot before, she never approached Violette when her daughter changed clothes or taking a bath.

It didn’t change much even after Marin became her maid, but when Violette was exhausted or depressed enough that she wanted to sink into the bathtub, Marin would help her wash her hair and rinse her back. They used to take a bath together when Violette’s mother secluded herself in her room and never came out. But they couldn’t do that anymore.

Touching the palm of another person surprisingly made Violette relieved. That’s why Marin worked out a plan to comfort Violette, even if they just had a few opportunities to do so.

“Fufu… Then I’ll have you do that, Marin.”

“Please leave it to me. I know that you’ve been skipping your hair care recently.”

Violette could feel the tension on her shoulder slowly melting. It’s like her sense returned to her. Most of the reason was that she had escaped the circle of that happy family. But without Marin’s kindness, Violette’s mind might have been spiralling into something dark.

Full of smiles, the atmosphere was warm. More so than when Violette was with her family. She opened her tender heart, thinking that no one would bother her anymore.

“Sister!”

Other than the voice Violette heard from behind, she could hear her defenseless heart coming out of her chest. The sounds of footsteps approaching Violette made her mood sour.

“Maryjun. What happened?”

Violette slowly turned around, the soft smile on her face had disappeared behind her expressionless mask. Still, Maryjun was smiling wide, a slight pink tinge on her cheeks. The younger girl was probably shy. Maryjun gave off the same protective feeling one felt when seeing little animals. Honestly, Violette also thought that she was adorable.

“Um, do you have time now?”

Violette didn’t immediately answer her to show her slight resistance. She wanted to turn her down. But if her father knew that she was unkind to Maryjun, what kind of scolding would she have to face? Having experienced it before, she didn’t want to hear his selfish and proud reasoning again.

Too troublesome.

“Yes. Do you need anything?”

“Then, umm… If you want to, can we have a chat now? Come to my room!”

Look now. Violette knew Maryjun would say that.