EPISODE 2

The butler left the room after telling Evony to rest, for he knew it had been a long ride.

She was left alone in the big and overwhelming room. Warm milk, mushroom soup, bread, and a variety of fruits were impressively set on a round table with silver borders.

Not knowing what was happening, Evony was so in a daze that she couldn’t sit. So she wandered towards the window. The sun was setting, and the glow from illuminated the wide gardens of the Schneider castle.

It was the first time Evony truly saw colors, vibrant green and red. In the presence of this miraculous sight, Evony could not smile.

Garbage. A filthy girl no better than rats in a sewer. An ungrateful witch.

That was Evony Vonieck.

She spotted someone walking up the path that she had been on earlier. Her gaze fell upon him.

Who can it be? Who is it?

It was a man with black hair that blew free with the wind. He was wearing a dress shirt without a tie or a vest. A pair of long black pants dressed his long legs, ending in a pair of brown boots. Though he was far away, Evony drank in his image.

Unconsciously, she took a step towards the balcony.

Even while walking up the center steps of this incredible castle, the man seemed like he was hiking up a familiar hill. He ran one hand through his hair while keeping the other in his pocket. From time to time, he would stop and shake the dirt off his shoes. When it didn’t work, he rubbed them on the grass.

What kind of manners were those? Especially in a picture-perfect place like this.

Who was this person? Was he someone who lived in this castle? Evony's curiosity grew. As the man drew nearer, she was surprised to see that he was quite young, perhaps only five or six years older than her. She couldn’t spot the exact features of his face, but overall, it was clear from the lean lines that he was quite handsome.

He must be a noble. And a man on top of that. Just sneaking a peek at him could get me in trouble.

She was bewildered by the fact that although she knew she should look away, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

After again shaking the dirt off his shoes, the man climbed the steps once more. Then, the front door opened, and the butler walked out, bowing his head respectfully to the handsome man. Evony’s curiosity heightened.

Who is this? Is he a man of high status? But he is so young...

Evony leaned on the balustrade of the balcony and stared at the man. As she craned her neck to get a better view the man’s features became clear. Dark black hair with fair skin. Like a snow-covered mountain, he was unbelievably handsome. On his curled lips hung a mysterious smile.

And his eyes were violet.

Evony had never seen anyone with purple eyes, and she was so astonished that she took another step forward to get a better look. Then she blinked as anxiety washed over her. What was she doing?. Why were his eyes so clearly visible all of a sudden?

It was because the man was standing right below the balcony with his gaze fixed on Evony.

The two locked eyes. She couldn’t breathe when she saw a clear frown form on the man’s forehead. His expression undoubtedly showed anger, and the mysterious smile disappeared without a trace.

She dropped to her feet in shock and her heart pounded. The tips of her hands went cold and started to shake. She crawled back into the room on all fours like an animal.

Did he see me? He must’ve seen me.

Would he cast her away?

It was forbidden to look into the eyes of high-status noblemen, prohibited to even glance at them. Men like them hated women like Evony. Most men in Karcass looked at Evony like her prison guard had.

Because she was a murderer.

Because she was a depraved woman who killed her own father and the man who was to be her husband.

For a while, Evony was left alone in fear. Her whole body shook and her heart pounded. The room was too intricately and beautifully designed to even touch, yet she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was imprisoned. Could this really be a new form of abuse?

Evony trembled in fear.

***

The sunset quickly disappeared, and nightfall came. There was a cheerful knock on the door, and someone burst through. Evony, who was still on the floor, looked up, startled.

The woman in front of her was quite old, like the butler. She clamped her two hands over her hunched back and chuckled.

“I finally get to meet this Lady Evony I’ve heard so much about. My name is Marsha. I thought I turned sixty just yesterday, but I’m already past the seventy mark. Do you remember the old man who guided you here? That old man is Benjamin. You can just call us Grandma and Grandpa, but that would be a bit uncomfortable for you at the moment, right?”

“Erm… Hello.”

“Oh dear, look at me. Come to think of it, you don’t even know the name of our master, do you? The man who is to be your guardian now, Master Schneider, is the Danté Bord Schneider. We call him Master or Your Excellency, but for you… Let’s see. The age difference isn’t so big between the two of you, so Mister wouldn’t do either.”

Evony had no idea who this woman was. She stormed into her room and took Evony's belongings out of her suitcase, while constantly talking all the while. But the old lady wasn’t telling Evony what she really wanted to know. But seeing that the woman seemed approachable, Evony summoned her courage.

“Madam Marsha. I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”

The woman let out a laugh. “Madam Marsha? Not even the servant girls call me that. Just call me Marsha. Come now, say it with me. Marsha.”

“Yes, well...”

“It’s not that hard. Like this. Marsha.”

“But…” Evony’s voice trailed off.

“Calling someone by their name is a wonderful thing. Try it, miss. Marsha.”

“Marsha...”

“That’s it! Lady Evony, you are quite smart and beautiful. I really like your voice and your pronunciation. Clear as day. See? Finding favor in another’s eyes is this simple.”

Evony, who was in a bit of a daze by Marsha’s words, attempted to speak again. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding...”

“Pardon me? About what?”

The talkative Marsha stopped and finally paid attention to what Evony was saying. With her head down as if she committed a crime, Evony spoke quietly.

“Why are you calling me a lady? I am… Evony Vonieck.”

“I am well aware of your name.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to say.” She was frustrated. It was truly a painful task to admit to a stranger, someone as pleasant as this old lady, of her past crimes and her criminal status. Evony fidgeted with her dirty and chipped nails, but she soon hid them in her fist out of embarrassment.

Marsha smiled warmly. She stretched out her wrinkled hand and grasped Evony's cold fingers without hesitation.

“Don’t you worry. There is no one in this castle who does not know who you are. And you have nothing to fear. We are not the judge, nor are we prison guards. You can tell us all you want about the pain and hardship you’ve been through.”

Marsha’s hands were so warm, they felt hot. Maybe it was because Evony’s hands were that cold.

“When we all heard that Master chose to take you in, all we were worried about was if you’d be lonely in this unfamiliar place. We’re all ready. If only you would open up your heart, we’re ready to share our warmth with you.”

“Why…?” Evony stammered. “I still don’t understand why you’re like this to me.”

“That sounds like something we must overcome in time. But can you promise me one thing?”

“Yes?”

“Please see us without prejudice. Benjamin, me, and the master of this castle.”

Would that be possible? Evony could not easily agree to that. The thing that Marsha asked of her was something Evony had yearned for a long time. To be seen and treated without prejudice. Evony's mouth opened in disbelief.

It all seemed impossible. This old lady with such warm hands, the butler with his kind smile, and the man with beautiful purple eyes. They would all eventually point fingers at her, despise her, and turn away from her. She knew it would turn out that way, because that was Evony Vonieck’s life.

“I said that I wouldn’t rush things, but here I am. Let’s see to it that you plunge yourself into warm water. There’s nothing that makes you happier at the end of a long day. Then let’s have some of that mushroom cream soup that I highly recommend. I used to think that the head chef’s only quality was his brute strength, but his cooking skills are some of the finest,” Marsha said.

She pulled Evony to the bathroom. When had they prepared all of this? An ivory bathtub with hot bubbling water was drawn.

Marsha’s hands that unclothed her were cautious but relentless. Evony, who was numb to showing her bare self to others, eventually undressed herself. Her tattered clothes, yellow with time, dropped to the floor.

Her naked body was in full sight in the brightly illuminated bathroom.

During her time in prison, she had frequently undergone strip searches. The guards often made her strip and turn towards the wall. She could never fathom what they were so afraid of, considering she was locked in such a tiny cell.

Whenever they whipped her and grabbed her hair, Evony learned to bite her lips and stay quiet. It was the same now.

Marsha did not utter a word.

Her body was gravely small and skinny, that of a child who had been starved. It wasn’t the only thing. Her pale, bleak skin was covered with scars. Marks from whips, knives, clubs, and even a scorch mark.

Above her neck there was a faded, lingering lesion, and on her right ankle was a black band of scar where shackles once bound her. Her ankles were thin enough to wrap around with one hand, and seeing that her left and right ankles were of different sizes, it was clear that her shackles had not been readjusted for a long time.

With only a glance, it was evident how viciously the prison guards had treated her. There were green, purple, and yellow bruises on her small chest where she had been pinched, while bloody teeth marks marred her inner thighs.

Marsha slowly, but fully, took in the sight of all the terrible scars. For a moment, tears welled up in her eyes, but she made sure to not let them show.

All of this was meaningless to Evony, for she didn’t know that Marsha’s heart was breaking for her and her scars. All Evony could do was stare blankly at the ivory bathtub that bubbled with hot water.

To think that Evony Vonieck would touch such a clean and beautiful thing.

It was an impossibility. Before coming to the castle, she had been examined for disease or infection. If she were to spread a disease to the people in the Schneider castle, that would certainly mean the death of her. Evony was terrified that the doctor’s worries would become a reality if she were to step into the water.

“Now, now. Hurry and soak your feet. Tell me if it’s too hot.”

Again, Marsha held her hand and led her to the tub. Evony feebly followed and slowly lowered a foot.

“Oh…”

The warmth was thrilling. The pleasure from the feel of the water coursed through her from the tips of her toes up her leg, so much so that it was almost painful.

Dizzyingly aromatic bath bombs gently bubbled. As if possessed, Evony put both feet into the water. The warmth that rode up her calves completely overtook her. Whenever Marsha waved her hands in the water, the current tickling Evony’s skin.

“Is the water too hot? Miss, how is it?”

I wish time would stop. If God were to take me away, the least he could do is take when I’m in this bathtub. I wish I would disappear in this incredible warmth. How amazing it would be if I were to melt away in this warmth and disappear without a trace.

“Lady Evony?”

Evony broke out into tears, leaving Marsha’s question unanswered.