“Why did you ask?”

“Well, I’m worth nothing. I have a terrible reputation, and trying to sell me through my name would gain you nothing. I will not marry, and that smears my worth even more. Once that’s been announced, even this appearance of mine would be useless.”

Her voice was calm. Apart from that, however, what she’s saying was nothing but dubious.

Violet knew her position in the duchy. She didn’t consider herself as a human being. No, she thought her family didn’t consider her as such.

She’s not their family, she’s not a human to them—just something to throw away one day after it’s been used. Or perhaps, she could be likened to a chess piece that one couldn’t bear to throw away.

A person who was not loved and not respected. Just some useless thing.

“Worth…”

It’s impossible for Roen not to know what Violet was talking about.

Dying all alone, drowning and unable to breathe in this world where no one was by her side… In the end, the ducal lady abandoned her own self.

She let go of all expectations.

Her self-worth chipped away at her motivation, her emotions or any faint hope she could have still been harboring. It had rendered her view on her existence to be utterly worthless, plummeting deeper and deeper—to the bottom of the lake.

Roen reached out towards her.

For a moment, Violet flinched. She thought she might get hit.

However, contrary to what she thought, his hand only patted Violet’s head slowly and gently.

It was a soft, careful, tender touch. The last time she received such a thing was when she was a child.

“Because we’re family.”

“……”

“You… You’re my younger sister.”

A familial relationship, as he mentioned, had always been something that seemed easy to throw away.

As a family member to another, one could be far crueler than any stranger at all, and it’s for this reason that Violet did not feel the cling to such a relationship. The closest enemy one could have was family.

Violet could not let go of the hatred she felt for the person in front of her now, and she had long since abandoned hope that she would receive any love from him. Yet here, he was one-sidedly pouring out affection towards her as her older brother.

She stared blankly at him.

“…I’m sorry,” he said once more.

Along with his feeble apology, he retracted his hand from her head.

For a second there, Violet could not process what had just happened.

Right before Roen’s eyes, he could see just how much vigilance there could be in response to only reaching a hand towards a person. And, right before his eyes, he could see the culmination of his own supposed principles—of keeping relationships with others only based upon their worth.

It was all his doing. He realized that he was the one who made her like this.

“…I don’t need it. I’m uncomfortable, so let’s just call it a day. You already know your way around, so get out on your own.”

As Violet said this, her eyes were so full of hostility. Her voice contained a deep-seated anger that just wanted to announce itself loudly.

She withdrew into herself. If she were to start hoping again, she would just be abandoned someday once more.

“…I’m sorry, Vee.”

Roen murmured as he watched Violet’s retreating back.

A deep wound could not be easily healed.

Now, he would never again see that child who could have been lovingly embraced by her family. He would never again see her trying hard to be acknowledged.

Regrets always come too late.

* * *

Clatter.

The sharp sounds of tableware hitting each other filled the quiet room. They weren’t very loud, but the noise was particularly grating because all the people seated around the table were utterly silent.

By nature, the duke ate quietly.

It had already been months since Violet had disappeared from the dinner table. Their meals always seemed to be full of pleasant conversation between the siblings who got along well, but now, there was only silence.

Not to mention, Mikhail was in a despondent state due to the doubts raised against his qualification as the duchy’s heir, while Roen just observed and said nothing.

The clattering was not that loud. It’s not so much that it would be against proper etiquette.

Even so, it was bothersome.

If Violet was here, she would certainly say something like, ‘Your conduct must remain suitable to the Everett name.’

“How are you feeling?” Roen asked, his tone much the same as any other day.

It was the kind of question that a kind older brother would worriedly ask his beloved younger sister.

“Ah, Brother Roen… I’m quite alright now.”

Aileen smiled softly.

“But it doesn’t look like you’ve completely recovered yet, Aileen. You don’t seem to have enough strength in your hands yet.”

“Ah… Yes.”

He uttered the question with such a sweet and gentle tone.

To the point that no one here would think that Roen was pointing out Aileen’s etiquette.

“It’s because I’m still lacking in many ways. I should work harder, shouldn’t I? To become a splendid person…”

“That’s right. You can’t be spoiled forever. You have to be more careful in the future.”

Roen continued to speak kindly, and Aileen couldn’t help but shrink at those words.

“Oh, as expected I’m, I’m still…”

“What are you talking about, Aileen? What’s lacking about you! You just have to stay healthy and well, just as you do now. And don’t get hurt from now on.”

Aileen’s sullen voice was drowned out by Mikhail’s outburst.

Hearing what Mikhail said, Roen frowned slightly.