A Word From Violet

“Deborah was rather shameless. I was only fifteen at the time, and she left me a pittance of an inheritance, telling me to visit her when I was over ten years old to give me the ring she was wearing.”

It was natural that Cyril was such a young uncle. Violet was eighteen now, so he was only in his early thirties.

‘But at that age, he found my father and entrusted me to him, and even kept his promise after ten years.’

At the same time, many things were explained.

A talent found in one out of ten thousand. This too was a talent inherited from someone.

‘The Reinhardt family. My maternal family…’

Violet pondered over the name. They were said to be a prestigious family in the region. But it was the first time she’d heard of them, being unfamiliar with the affairs of the capital’s nobility.

At the same time, a dark question arose.

‘So, did my father know about my constitution? Then why did I live as an outcast?’

Zephried was a hard person to understand.

But one thing was certain: he was not someone who would help her.

But now was not the time to think about that. It was overwhelming enough just to accept that she wasn’t an illegitimate child.

At this moment, Violet was liberated from the inferiority complex that had plagued her all her life.

“The ring that was passed to me was a very precious item. You kept it for a long time before giving it to me.”

“And it’s also valuable. It was one of the heirlooms used for the training of the Reinhardt family. That ring is made of an ancient firestone worth tens of times its weight in gold.”

Giving it to someone else felt like a waste to Violet. But it was pointless to regret what was already done.

“Did that firestone help me form my magic circle?”

“Precisely.”

“Will I need the firestone to make further progress in my training?”

“Hmm, you’ve certainly formed your first circle, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you won’t need it. The firestone is only for basic training. I also looked into your constitution out of curiosity.”

“I see…”

“Though I didn’t find much information, that’s all I know.”

Despite his modest words, Violet was sure Cyril was an incredible person. Knowing such high-level information.

‘What would have happened if I hadn’t read the book at the café and gathered the courage, as Ash advised today?’

These were truths she needed to know and kindnesses to remember.

“Thank you for letting me know that I’m not an illegitimate child, Uncle. I don’t know how to repay you for watching over my mother’s last moments.”

Violet said.

“Isn’t it normal to hold a grudge?”

“A grudge…?”

“For keeping the fact that you weren’t an illegitimate child to myself all this time. That kind of grudge.”

Violet’s eyes widened.

“Why would you say that? You can’t help everyone who faces injustice or unfairness. Considering the hardships you went through to bring me to the capital, kneeling in gratitude wouldn’t be enough.”

“……”

This time, Cyril was silent. Violet was sincere.

Her younger sister, Marigold, was a renowned beauty in the capital. Admirers constantly tried to win her favor.

Among them were royalty and sons of high nobility. They often committed injustices in the academy and on the streets. For instance, if they provoked a fight with a commoner, only the commoner would be punished.

Violet, watching this beside Marigold, couldn’t step forward. Instead, she pretended not to notice most of the time.

So she couldn’t resent Cyril for not telling her sooner.

‘I was going to ask if you could help me a bit if I left home. But I can’t ask for more favors from you anymore.’

Violet felt a bit ashamed of her thoughts.

“You’re not like your father, Violet.”

“Father always says that. That I don’t resemble him at all because I’m an illegitimate child. But now I see it was all lies.”

At the same time, Violet thought.

‘If I had known earlier, I would have been less hurt.’

Envying Marigold’s new shoes and clothes while stitching up her own worn-out ones.

The days when she was gravely ill, reaching out for her stepmother’s help only to be pushed away.

‘If I had known that it wasn’t because I was an illegitimate child but because those people were just bad, it would have been better.’

Still, she was glad to know now.

“I’ll engrave this truth into my life and live well. Thank you so much.”

Violet smiled at Cyril. Her nose stung, but she held back.

“Even if I had spread the word, no one would have believed it. That you weren’t an illegitimate child, and that your stepmother was a barmaid.”

“……”

“It’s been a long time, and there’s no evidence. Even if there were, the dead can’t speak. Unless it’s revealed in a grand setting with all the nobles present, there’s no way.”

Violet nodded. It was understandable.

“Uncle, I’m sorry for taking up your time with my sudden visit.”

Cyril, with his handsome face, seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.

“Don’t come suddenly like this again. I don’t want to be entangled with your family. I’ve been out of the family register for a long time.”

“Yes… But there’s just one more thing I want to ask. This is really the last one.”

“……Go on.”

“Was my mother a good person?”

Cyril lowered his eyes.

“She was well-regarded by the villagers. Even after Zephried abandoned Deborah, everyone helped her a little because she was kind and helpful.”

“……I see. That’s more than enough of an answer for me.”

Violet stood and bowed politely.

“I won’t send you off.”

“I’ll leave quietly without causing any trouble.”

Violet walked down the hallway.

‘Out of the family register.’

The only path left was to run away… no, to leave home.

Knowing the truth, she couldn’t live with her family anymore. She hated and resented them.

‘There won’t be any relatives like Lady Roseneath to help me. Maybe I won’t have a family in this life.’

But she knew her mother loved her.

‘Anyway, I’ll leave home and find a job. It would be great if I could work as a mercenary, but even if not, there are jobs that provide lodging.’

Violet placed her hand on the doorknob.

‘I should have said I’d like to write to you sometimes.’

It would be nice to have a family member to contact occasionally.

‘Huh?’

Clink. 

A soft, melodious sound echoed in her ears. The clear chime of a vision of the future had begun again.