Violet and the others had stayed at Willowbrook Estate for so many days, turning the place upside down. Yet, they found nothing
She had decided it was time to leave.
Spending every day following Hayden’s Indulgent routine eating and drinking had become tiresome. Violet felt as if the days were slipping away, especially now that Carisa was so busy and she hadn’t been able to help
It left her feeling unsettled.
At dinner that evening, she turned to Hayden and said, “Til leave tomorrow.”
Hayden glanced at her with a smile, “What’s this? Haven’t treated you well with good food and drink? Why the sudden departure?
Violet answered honestly, “The food’s been too good–every day, it’s either mountain delicacies or seafood.”
Hayden laughed heartily. noveldrama
“You’re like a wild boar, unable to appreciate the finer things!” He waved it off. “Fine, if you’re tired of it, then go ahead”
He called for Sonny, “Sonny, go to the storeroom and pick out some gifts. When they leave tomorrow, make sure they have something to take with them.”
“Certainly, Your Highness,” Sonny replied.
Gordon was standing outside the door. He overheard and said, “Your Highness, I’ll go.”
Hayden gave him a casual glance and waved his hand. “Alright, you go. Pick something nice–don’t embarrass me.
“Of course, Your Highness,” Gordon responded before turning to leave.
Violet looked up, almost calling out to Gordon, but hesitated. It seemed strange to bring gifts after having stayed for so long, especially when they’d come to just enjoy the food and hospitality. She felt a pang of guilt.
As she watched Gordon’s retreating figure, something caught her attention. His posture–straight and dignified- had never seemed so noticeable before. She hadn’t really paid attention to how he walked, with one hand casually resting behind him, his fingers slightly curled. It gave him an air of someone accustomed to noble treatment, someone almost graceful in his manner.
For a moment, she was lost in thought. Then, she remembered how he had always spoken in a graceful and somewhat arrogant manner in front of Hayden and the others. It hadn’t stood out before, but now with Sonny. ahead of him and Gordon behind, the contrast was apparent
“Violet, what are you daydreaming about?” Hayden’s voice broke her reverie.
Violet quickly snapped back to attention and hurriedly smiled. “I was just thinking it’s too much. We’ve been imposing for so long, and now you’re giving us gifts? It makes it seem like we’ve come just to take advantage of
you.”
Hayden chuckled, his tone teasing, “I know you’re wealthy and lack for nothing, but when I offer something, you should take it without being so polite. Don’t act like a stranger.”
Violet laughed lightly. “Well, since you insist, I’ll accept with thanks.”
food.
Hayden looked at her with a thoughtful expression, his gaze lingering a moment longer before he returned to his
Violet ate with her mind elsewhere, the food barely registering as she poked at it absentmindedly. After finishing her meal, she excused herself and took Bun and Cynthia for a walk in the garden.
The lamps in the garden flickered softly, their light shimmering in the night. They looked both close and distant, as if the truth were just the same–always just out of reach, yet present in every moment.
Cynthia, still with a cheerful smile, chattered about how curious she was to see what gifts Hayden might give them. Young girls, after all, always enjoyed receiving presents. Even the smallest token, no matter how insignificant, brought joy simply because it was given by someone else.
It was Bun who broke the silence, noticing Violet’s preoccupation. “Vivi, don’t you think there’s something off about Gordon?”
Violet looked up sharply. “What do you mean? What have you noticed?”
Bun paused before replying, “His martial arts skills are unusually high.” Violet blinked in surprise. “He knows martial arts? I didn’t think so.”
From his footsteps to his breathing, she had never noticed anything that suggested he was trained in combat-
“Yesterday, when we were out with Prince Hayden, carrying all those parcels, Gordon was giving orders to the servants to prune a tree. The young men who were carrying the items didn’t notice him, and they were about to crash into him. Just as I was about to shout, he spun around and sidestepped them, barely missing the collision”
Cynthia and Violet hadn’t noticed this at the time. They had been too wrapped up in their conversation, laughing and joking.
Cynthia shook her head. “So he sidestepped? That’s not such an extraordinary skill. Maybe he just heard the sound and dodged.”
Bun shook his head. “No. It was different. He turned and moved in a way that was almost impossible to catch with the eye. His feet barely left the ground, and the movement was so quick and controlled that I almost thought I’d imagined it. It’s a level of skill that none of us could replicate, not even Cari.”
2017
Violet fell silent. They could certainly spin with their feet barely
leaving the ground–it wasn’t a difficult move
But if the movement was fast and there was barely any space to spare, there was no way they could pull it off if they hadn’t made any preparations.
However, that wasn’t the main point. The real focus was that someone trained in martial arts could sense movements from the outside and hear the breath from within. Yet, Gordon revealed nothing. Even after days of being in close proximity, there hadn’t been a single flaw, it showed just how deep his training had gone and how strong his self–control was.