I Want To Be Your First – R19 - Chapter 102

Of course, Eva didn’t follow under Ariel’s direction from the very beginning.

Ariel was unable to read. As such, most of the matters concerning the mansion were either taken care of personally by Berthwald or left to Eva and Leo.

However, after getting to know Ariel personally, Eva understood that the Madam before her eyes wasn’t just a blind person. Ever since summer, the way she occasionally seeked Ariel’s opinion changed to consulting with Ariel for most matters.

“By the way, Madam.”

After pondering over the meticulous instructions, Eva thought of the new guests and added.

“Ms Violet and Mr Ruth will be staying for around 10 days. The Lord said to not pay them any mind as they will reside in a room in the annex.”

“I see. I thought Mother-in-law would be having meals with us… It’s a little regrettable.”

Eva’s eyes narrowed at the way she addressed her as Mother-in-law. Unlike Berthwald’s Mother, which was spoken for form’s sake, her ‘Mother-in-law’ was filled with envy and expectation.

Eva took off her glasses and smiled softly.

“You can invite her for a cup of tea in your free time. Ms Violet has a very easy-going personality, so she would get along with Madam.”

“Eva, do you know what Mother-in-law is like?”

“I don’t know her well, but I’ve met her a few times while serving the previous Count. She’s very beautiful… She looks a lot like the Lord.”

Eva smiled bitterly and murmured, “The Lord hates hearing that they look alike though.”

“Amongst the servants, only the butler and I know the truth that Violet is his mother. That’s because the Lord doesn’t like it to be known by the outside world. Thus, I think that Madam should also just call her by her name.”

Ariel acquiesced obediently, saying that she understood. From the fact that he disliked the term ‘illegitimate child’, and didn’t openly publicise most of his mother’s story, it was easy to guess that there was some sort of inviolable past between Berthwald and Violet.

Unlike the relationship between family members on the surface, a widely differing conclusion would often be drawn from the perspective of the person in question. While Ariel pretends to be on good terms with her father in public, it was actually a mess. Hence, she thought that there was a unique reason why Berthwald was reluctant to talk about it.

However, that was only situational, and her curiosity about Violet didn’t vanish easily.

Someone that was similar to him. His mother. While she wasn’t an aristocrat, she gave off an unapproachable atmosphere.

Ariel recalled the large and slender silhouette and thought hard about how to strike up a conversation with her the next time they met.

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After Eva left, Ariel unwrapped the gifts she brought from Nedik and had a brief chat with the maids. She dozed off after she finished organising the gifts as she couldn’t overcome her fatigue and it was already late at night when she woke up.

Ariel hurriedly got ready to wash up upon noticing the darkness outside the window.

She scrubbed every corner of her body with a sponge covered in rich foam, placed perfumed oil and flower petals into the bathtub, and remained curled in it quietly until her body was soaked in the fragrance.

She sat in the bathtub until the tips of her ears were hot enough, and dressed in the most magnificent chemise dress she had after drying her hair carefully.

She contemplated whether she should tie her hair or not, but decided to leave it unbound at the thought of how Berthwald would habitually comb her long and flowing hair with his fingers. After brushing through her hair carefully, she sprayed a lily of the valley perfume on the back of her neck slightly.

“It’s not too much, right?”

Her nose wrinkled as she took a whiff at the scent coming from her body, before leaving the room. As she arranged the shawl on her shoulders, Ariel pondered over whether to go to the bedroom or to drink a cup of warm milk first before heading over, and eventually turned towards the kitchen.

The light emitted by the incandescent stones above the empty hallway dyed Ariel’s cheeks yellow.

Incandescent stones that shine on their own are expensive due to their rarity, so it’s a mineral that couldn’t be used recklessly even by aristocrats, but the count’s mansion had large incandescent stones hanging from everywhere that could be seen. Though it was a scene of utmost luxury, Ariel only felt that it’s great that it was bright.

As she was walking dazedly while chasing after the light, Ariel’s eyes widened furtively when she realised that the door at the end of the hallway, which had always been closed, was open.

The room that’s used by the count’s successors, the baby room’s door, which was starting to be filled with baby supplies, was slightly opened. From how there was light leaking out, someone was definitely in there.

“Who’s in that room at this time…”

Most of the time, the room was locked except when to place goods within, so the maids couldn’t have entered. Ariel tilted her head and walked towards the baby’s room.

Just like that, when she saw the gap in the door, Ariel’s eyes widened when she spotted the silhouette of an unexpected person.

The oil lamp’s flickering light illuminated the room. Next to the table where the lamp was placed, a long and slender figure sat in the creaking armchair.

Ariel squinted and observed the other party again.

There’s only one person in the mansion that has such a tall and feminine silhouette.

“Mother-in-law?”

The name that popped out reflexively gave her a shock, and she covered her mouth quickly. At the same time, a clear laugh echoed from within the room.

“Hello.”

Violet pushed the chair aside secretly and turned her head towards Ariel. The clattering of ice cubes echoed softly from the glass in her hand.

“It’s late, but it seems that you have yet to sleep. Hmm, Countess? Madam?”

“Oh, um. Please just call me Ariel.”

Violet readily accepted and chuckled after responding. Ariel, Ariel, after murmuring her name a couple of times, she drank up all the liquid in her glass and tapped Ariel.

“If you’re not busy, would you like to have a cup?”

“Is it… tea?”

“No way. It’s whiskey.”

Violet swirled the glass, and the dark yellowish-brown liquid swirled around and revealed its presence. Ariel looked at the glass slightly, nodded and reached out with both of her hands.

Violet paused and looked at Ariel, seeming to find her proactive attitude unexpected. Soon after a corner of her mouth raised upwards, and she laughed before lifting the bottle placed next to the lamp and filling the empty glass.

Along with the sound of water flowing, the mysterious vanilla scent that’s unique to whiskey brushed against the tip of her nose gently. Ariel stared at the glass without looking away, and as soon as Violet handed her the glass, she emptied half of it immediately.

“Oh… You look like someone that would only elegantly drink tea, but you’re unexpectedly a spirited young lady.”

Ariel squatted next to Violet, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It’s cold in the north. On days that are especially cold in winter, I would frequently drink it before going to bed. My body will warm up quickly and I can sleep well.”

“So it’s true that northerners, even children, are heavy drinkers. It seems that the young lady has a good tolerance. Berry is normal enough, but he isn’t that good with alcohol.”

Ariel looked at Violet with round eyes at the unexpected information.

“Really? He seemed to be able to drink well at every banquet.”

“Champagne is fine, but he’s weak in the face of stronger liquor. He’ll drink if he’s forced to, but that rascal has really bad drinking habits. Never ever force him.”

“You have to follow my words, because it’s the truth,” Violet reiterated. Ariel placed the glass on her palm and looked at the ice cubes in the glass.

Berthwald, who seemed to be perfect at everything, was actually weak in drinking. Ariel wondered whether to believe it or not, before realising that her suspicion in itself was rude and decided to just believe it. Of course, she didn’t forget about her decision to watch him drink alcohol later.

“But I heard Ms Violet is staying in the annex. What brings you to this room?”

“Ah… yeah. It just happened, well.”

Violet helped Ariel up and seated her in the armchair she was seated on. She clasped her hands behind her back and glanced at the room, before shrugging her shoulders and striking up a conversation with Ariel like she was making an excuse.

“It feels just like yesterday when he was squirming here, but now he’s all grown up and married, and thinking about having a baby… It felt like time flew by so quickly. I have only come here once.”

Violet smiled awkwardly and leaned against the head of the bed. The lamp cast a long shadow in the middle of the room.

“After being in a cold place, the young lady must have had a hard time coming to a warm place.”

“Hard work. Warm places are much better than a cold place.”

“Aren’t you unable to see? Wouldn’t it be better for you to live in a place you’re familiar with, like the north or the capital? I don’t know if you’re suffering after travelling a long distance.”

“Who knows…”

Ariel gave a bitter smile, and took a sip. Perhaps because it’s been a while since she had drank, her stomach quickly turned warm and the walls of her heart melted a little.

As she looked at the ice cubes that glittered according to the light’s angle, Ariel expressed her true feelings in a trickle.

“Honestly… I was quite worried then. Unlike the capital, there isn’t anyone here that would discriminate because I’m blind, the Count is affable and kind, and Richter… Father-in-law is kind, and there’s barely anything troubling.”

She bit her lip and carefully raised her gaze to look at Violet’s mood.

With a peaceful expression, Violet listened to Ariel’s words with her arms folded. After confirming that there wasn’t redness in Violet’s center, Ariel continued relievedly.

“Uhm… Ms Violet. I’m sorry.”

“Hm?”

“I’m… Uh. I’m lacking in various ways… Being a couple for someone like the Count.”

She tried to speak aloud her true feelings with the power of alcohol, but Ariel couldn’t continue, so she quietly moistened her lips.

Even if she could successfully win the servants’ favorability, she guessed that Berthwald’s family wouldn’t like her. That’s because from the stance of a parent that has children, she thought that they would hate the fact that a woman like her would become the other half of their son.

She became especially worried about how his family would think of her after learning that the marriage was instigated by Berthwald without the opinions of his family.

Fortunately, Richter welcomed her, but it was highly likely that Violet wasn’t like that. Since it wasn’t anybody else, but Berthwald’s mother. How angry would she have been, to have a blind daughter-in-law, that only has a good background but is incapable of doing anything, taking up her son, who’s the best groom in the empire.

Her gloomy thoughts only ended when Violet burst into laughter. Ariel looked up at Violet with a begrudging face, but Violet said, “What are you talking about?”

“What’s there to be sorry for? If you have to be like this, I should be more sorry.”

“What? Ms Violet, why…”

“That rascal has been helping with the behind-the-scenes work ever since he was a kid, and of course….”

Violet, who had been muttering unconsciously, closed her mouth at the puzzled look on Ariel’s face.

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