The Bloom of Violet

Ann was terrified. She had never been bullied like this before. Often, Peter would throw mud on her or stomp on her laundry to ruin it. Mary and Liz had pinched and scratched her, but this was the first time they had dragged her out at night.

Ann burst into tears. Then, Mary put a gag in her mouth and covered her head with a hood. The path to the cemetery grew eerily quiet. Ann struggled to avoid being dragged, but it was futile.

“Ugh!”

After walking for a while, Peter suddenly threw her onto the ground. Ann trembled. The hood was removed, and the cruel faces of her cousins appeared. Ann tried to free her bound hands, but the rope was so tightly wound that it dug into her wrists, refusing to loosen.

“Ugh, ughhh!”

Ann looked around, trembling in fear. The sharp gravestones looked ominous. Peter laughed loudly. Liz and Mary did the same.

“You’ve always wanted to see your mother, right? So we brought you here.”

Ann, her face covered in tears, looked up at Peter. She had no idea why they were doing this. She wiggled her hips and begged for mercy. Suddenly, her body betrayed her, and she felt herself wet between her legs. Liz noticed and mocked her, saying she was like a stray dog who couldn’t even use the bathroom properly. Liz burst into laughter, and Ann shivered with humiliation, clenching her fists tightly.

As Liz laughed, she suggested that Peter strip Ann and tie her to a gravestone. Peter agreed, saying it was a good idea. Ann helplessly watched as her cousins exchanged cruel remarks. They praised each other for their “brilliant idea” before tearing off Ann’s pajamas and throwing them aside. Ann was left tied to the gravestone in nothing but her underwear, spending the night in the cold.

The next morning, around five o’clock, Ann was discovered. The gravekeeper found her. Despite being wrapped in thick furs, the cold still reached her, and she was on the brink of death. He took off his heavy coat and covered Ann with it. Afterward, he carefully cradled her and headed back to the village.

The gravekeeper didn’t know which house she belonged to. In Bluebilt, there were so many parentless children. The orphaned kids, no different from beggars, roamed around in groups, often getting into trouble. She might have been one of them, but he thought there might still be someone looking after her, so he decided to find out. After thinking for a while, he decided to visit the most well-connected person in Bluebilt.

Charlie, a retired soldier, had connections with most of the villagers and knew a bit about the Rosenthal family. He told the gravekeeper that the child was the granddaughter of the Rosenthal family but didn’t know who was looking after her. After some thought, the gravekeeper decided to go to Paola, the youngest sister, whom he knew.

“It’s morning.”

Paola was awakened by a heavy knock on the door. Annoyed, she asked who it was and opened the door sharply. There stood a man with a scruffy beard, holding Ann in his arms.

She froze for a moment, then looked at the girl in his arms. It was her niece. Ann looked like a mess, and Paola could see that something terrible had happened.

“Where should I lay her down?”

“Uh… Oh, put her there.”

Paola pointed to the old couch with a sour look on her face. The gravekeeper laid Ann down on the couch and mentioned that she might need to see a doctor. Paola nodded in agreement. Not long after, the gravekeeper returned with the doctor.

Paola quickly calculated how much the doctor’s fees would be and wondered whether she would have to pay for it. She had heard that Rosy, the eldest, was raising Pierre’s daughter, so she couldn’t understand why this child had come to her. But at least, for now, she couldn’t just throw her out.

After letting the doctor check on Ann, Paola went to Rosy’s house.

“What? She came to your house?”

“The gravekeeper, Robby, brought her in. I don’t know what happened, but she was so pale, I thought she was dead. If Robby hadn’t said anything, I would have thought she had passed away.”

Paola muttered with disbelief. Rosy glanced at Peter, Mary, and Liz, who had come home early in the morning. The children were eating breakfast, as if nothing had happened.

“Paola, it’s better for you to take care of her.”

“What?”

Paola shouted in surprise. Rosy frowned, annoyed by the loud voice. Paola, feeling exasperated, looked at Rosy.

“Anyway, I took care of Dora once, didn’t I? She’s family. You’re my sister, so you should take her in for a while. We agreed to share things equally. If you don’t like it, you can send her to the orphanage.”

“No, I…”

“She’s quite useful. She did her part at Dora’s place. But Dora’s temper…”

“If it’s so good, then you can keep her.”

“My children don’t get along with her.”

Rosy shook her head. She knew the cause of all this trouble—the instigators were her own children. And she also knew that if things had gone wrong, Ann might have died. If it hadn’t been for pure luck, Ann would certainly have perished. The night had been unbearably cold, and if she had been left at the cemetery for hours, something serious would have happened.

The police didn’t care about Bluebilt or any of the poor villages. Death was a regular occurrence in these slums. The death of a child wouldn’t even make them blink. But Rosy didn’t want her children to be murderers.

If no one reports them, the police won’t care, but the fact that her children had bullied their cousin to death would become undeniable. Rosy might scold them, but if Ann stayed at this house, this could happen again. Especially since Liz couldn’t tolerate Ann.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Then send her to the orphanage. And can you leave now? I think our youngest can’t sleep because of you.”

Rosy was rocking her crying baby while urging her sister to leave. Paola grumbled and left the house. After walking a little, she mumbled to herself.

“A maid might not be so bad, I guess.”

“What do you mean…?”

Ann fumbled with her lips. He whispered, “Don’t you remember?” Her heart, which had been hanging by a thread, seemed to plummet to the ground. Lennox looked at the pale woman in front of him as if she were about to die. She had sat there innocently, unaware of anything, and Lennox found that unbearable.

“So, you’re a friend of Jim’s.”

“…….”

“A precious friend.”

He released Ann. She looked at him, her lips dry and barely able to breathe, her fists clenched. Lennox watched her from a distance, disgusted by how helpless she was, trembling without being able to gather herself.

“Isn’t it strange?”

“…….”

“At first, it felt odd, but you liked it too, didn’t you?”

“Your Majesty, I…”

“Is this because of what happened afterward?”

Ann, who had been staring at the ground, slowly lifted her head. Lennox stared at her, his eyes fixated on the woman, now pale to the point of blue. The trembling woman collapsed. He slowly approached her, his expression twisted, and once he had calmed down, he pulled his lips away.

“…I’m sorry.”

A gentle hand rested on Ann’s shoulder. Ann, still shaking, tried to push him away. Lennox gazed at the moisture in her eyes. The rage within him boiled again. That night had not been a mistake. Not at all. What had happened that night… he would never forget, as he had never been allowed to forget it.

“Go away.”

“Ann.”

“Please, just go…”

Ann muttered, pushing against the chest that enveloped her. But the more she struggled, the more Lennox tightened his embrace, trying to keep her close. Her stomach churned. Suddenly, dizziness took over, and her legs gave way. Unconscious, she closed her eyes, unaware of what was happening.

She heard a call, “Ann!” but couldn’t grasp her fading consciousness.

“What’s going on here?”

The Countess of Herbon, who had rushed over after hearing the news, asked, trying to calm her pounding heart as she looked at the Duchess of Valenska. She had just arrived and looked incredibly pale. Beside her were Lady Ingrid and Countess Cellyac.

The maids of Tulip Palace, except for Ann, had attended the reading at the Grand Salon. Lady Ingrid had seen Ann with the King before the reading began.

“It seems that shortly after escorting Her Majesty, Ann collapsed,” the maid who had brought the news simply stated. “We don’t know exactly when it happened or why… She was perfectly healthy before.”

The Countess of Herbon bit her lip. If Ann reacted this way, the only possible reason could be the event that happened years ago. She clasped her hands together, suppressing a deep sigh.

She hadn’t been able to attend the reading due to caring for her ill mother, and if she had been at the palace, she could have come earlier. But now, with Ann in this state, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Regardless of her status, Ann had been like a daughter to her. Whenever something happened to her, it felt like her heart dropped. Especially after the events from three years ago…