Chapter 4
“Ms. Birch, do be careful.”
I nodded, taking the hand of the servant beside me and carefully placing my foot on the ground.
It had just rained, and the grass was inevitably a bit muddy, which bothered me a little. Fortunately, my aunt, Elizabeth Birch, had anticipated this and had a small stone path laid out for me.
Declining the servant’s offer to hold an umbrella over me, I braved the drizzle alone, stepping on the smooth stones, and knocked on the wooden cabin door.
“Aunt Elizabeth, Aria’s here!”
The door opened to reveal a woman with a high bun, her hair streaked with silver, beaming at me.
“You’re back! You and your mother are so alike. Now that you’re back, are you staying for good? No more gallivanting off abroad?”
Elizabeth’s voice was incredibly gentle. The supposedly eccentric, wealthy landowner was overflowing with warmth towards me, and it brought a flicker of comfort to my heart.
However, her question… was a bit tricky to answer.
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I pondered for a moment before finally nodding.
“I haven’t thought about going back for now. I want to make something of myself here without any more obstacles.”
Elizabeth touched my head sympathetically.
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“Aria, I have so much going on here. By the time I got in touch. with you, that Hastings boy had already taken you away. All these years, I’ve been worried sick about you, wondering if you were being bullied…”
I hurried forward and hugged the sentimental old woman, comforting her, “No, I wasn’t bullied. It’s just that… things back there weren’t right for me anymore. Wouldn’t it be great if we could live together now?”
Elizabeth wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and
nodded.
“Let’s not talk about that awful man. He must have failed to take care of you. That’s why you came to find me. It’s all my fault for not being tougher back then.”
I shook my head, but I appreciated Elizabeth’s kindness.
“I faked my death in front of him to come to you. Please, you mustn’t breathe a word of this. If he finds out, he might force me to go back, and then I wouldn’t be able to stay by your side.”
Hearing this, Elizabeth clenched her fists. “That punk wouldn’t
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dare! I’ll have him shot!”
I was startled. Elizabeth definitely didn’t seem like she was kidding.
But I didn’t want to discourage her goodwill.
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Arthur might go crazy for a while after learning of my death, but it probably wouldn’t last long.
After all, he had Grace and his own life. I was just a temporary guest in his home, insignificant.
I was just a passerby in his life.
When he gradually forgot me, I would completely disappear from his memory.
In this way, we wouldn’t see each other again.
Though this brutal separation tears my heart apart, whenever I think about it, I can’t think of a better way.
Perhaps this was all Arthur and I were ever meant to be.
We met the right person at the wrong time.
If this cursed fate couldn’t continue, better to end it now. End before we drained each other entirely, before love turned to
loathe.
Let me be selfish just this once and keep Arthur beautiful in my
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memories forever.
And so, I settled into life at Elizabeth’s house.
Each day, after attending to the usual routines, I would lose myself in dance.
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My supple waist would trace arcs in the morning sunlight as I twirled and leaped among the blossoming flowers.
Today was a special day. My dance teacher had invited me to the Grand Theater to watch her perform.
“My beautiful girl,” she said, “would you like to join me on stage tonight?”
“Really, Miss? Even just a second in the spotlight would be a dream come true!”
“Aria, you should be more confident. You were born to be adored under those lights.”
I nodded, my heart pounding with excitement, and followed her to the theater.
The performance was sold out. My role was tiny, a fleeting appearance, nothing more.
But as I stepped onto the stage, my nervousness melted away.
I extended my arms, surrendering to the music, and poured my soul into every movement.
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When it was over, I exited the stage, basking in the warmth of the audience’s applause.
A smile played on my lips, but then my eyes met another’s gaze across the crowd, and I froze.
