Maylily - Chapter 58

Fortunately, this time she came across a familiar face.

“It’s been a while, Miss Aile.”

It was David Curren. While they exchanged greetings, Maylily, anxious as she was, failed to notice the faint awkwardness in his eyes. Soon, she got to the point.

“I was hoping to see the Count for a moment. Would that be possible?”

“…I’m afraid not today. The Count didn’t come in to work.”

“Ah….”

Letting out a small sigh, Maylily fidgeted with the handle of her bag before asking, “Then, when could I come again to see the Count?”

David quietly studied her large, earnest eyes for a while, then let out a shallow breath and adjusted his glasses.

“Well… the Count’s been quite busy lately, so I can’t give you a definite answer. I’ll ask him first and get back to you.”

Unlike before, when David had always gone out of his way to help her, his demeanor now felt evasive.

This must be the Count’s will too. After all, David was a man who followed the Count’s orders.

Maylily realized that she no longer had a way to ask the Count her questions directly. Biting her lower lip to hold back her swelling emotions, she took a white envelope out of her bag.

“Then… could you please deliver this to the Count for me?”

“What is it?” David asked as he accepted the envelope.

“It’s something the Count left behind. If you tell him that, he’ll know what it is. Thank you.”

With a polite bow, Maylily turned away, forcing herself to move her heavy feet. It still didn’t feel real that this was how things would end between her and the Count.

How could something so warm turn so cold in an instant… as if that night had been his destination all along. The blood that had once rushed through her heart now felt frozen.

After only a few steps, Maylily stopped and turned back. David was still standing in the same place, giving her a small nod, as if telling her she could say whatever she wanted.

“Please tell the Count… that I’d like to see him one last time.”

Even knowing it might put David in an awkward position, Maylily couldn’t stop herself from asking.

She wanted to know what she had done wrong, why the Count’s heart had changed, and whether there was any way to win it back.

Her head was filled with countless questions, but even if she couldn’t hear a single answer, that was fine.

She just wanted to see his face one more time, no matter what kind of expression he wore. She just wanted to hear his voice again, no matter what he said.

She didn’t want such a pitiful ending, one where she couldn’t even say a proper goodbye to the time they had shared. Foolish as it was, she couldn’t bring herself to let go.

“Please… I beg you, Mr. Curren.”

“I will.”

David’s eyes glimmered with sincerity as he promised. Maylily gave him a faint smile and held back the clear tears brimming in her eyes until the very end as she left his office.

***

After finishing her performance, Maylily didn’t leave the theater until late at night. The faint warmth carried on the breeze brushing her collar told her that spring was nearing its end.

The tall branches of the giant zelkova tree across from the theater swayed violently in the wind. The cool sound that followed, like falling rain, brushed softly against Maylily’s ears.

Summer was coming. Soon, this season and the difficult times that came with it would pass.

The thought brought her a small measure of comfort. Swallowing the tears that kept threatening to spill, Maylily decided to find a new place to live.

If her relationship with the Count of Everscourt was over, then so was his patronage. Leaving that house would probably help her sort out her feelings too.

I should visit my old boarding house this weekend and see if they have any vacant rooms.

As Maylily mentally listed her next steps, she walked toward the omnibus stop. But just then, two men suddenly appeared, shattering her thoughts.

“That was quite a performance, Miss Aile. A small role, but you stood out.”

What in the world…..

Maylily stared in shock at Viscount Dawson, who suddenly appeared before her and handed her a bouquet of flowers. The lamplight shining down on his bald head gleamed like polished leather.

Beside him, Victor watched with a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

“Since Lord Dawson was curious about your singing, I brought him to see your performance. He’s a man of refined musical taste and recognized your talent right away.”

Even after their conversation at the tearoom, he had the nerve to act so shamelessly and orchestrate something like this. Maylily was filled with disgust. No nightmare could possibly be more dreadful than this.

“It’s a shame to give up such talent, but since your marriage is approaching, you should end your work as soon as possible. You’ll still have chances to show off your skills at recitals from time to time, so there’s no need to be too disappointed.”

It seemed their plans had already progressed several steps ahead, completely disregarding Maylily’s will. Stunned into silence, she could only blink for a moment before finally parting her lips slowly.

“I….”

Taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart, she handed the bouquet back to the viscount and continued firmly.

“I have no intention of quitting my work. Nor do I have any intention of marrying you, my lord. I’ve already told my father how I feel, but since it seems the message wasn’t delivered to you, I must risk being rude and say it myself. I’m sorry.”

All the expectation and hope she had once held for the man called her father had already been completely abandoned. That was why Maylily now felt no hesitation in her words.

Viscount Dawson’s face turned red and then pale at her unexpected, resolute refusal. He threw the bouquet violently to the ground.

“Victor, it seems Miss Aile needs to be taught how to serve the man who’ll be her husband. If your daughter doesn’t show a more proper attitude the next time we meet, I’ll have to seriously reconsider this engagement.”

“She hasn’t yet received any training to be a bride…. Lord Dawson, please, wait a moment! Listen to me!”

Ignoring Victor’s excuses, Viscount Dawson climbed into the waiting carriage. Victor hurried after him, watching helplessly as it rolled quickly away.

“You insolent girl!”

He had spent days lecturing her about the necessity of this marriage, even bringing up the unexchanged contract and the bride price, yet Maylily seemed entirely unconcerned about the trouble her reckless words had caused him.

For a daughter like that, there was no longer any need to act like a gentleman. Furious, Victor turned sharply toward Maylily, stormed over, and grabbed her arm.

“Come with me.”

“Let go of me! I have nothing more to say to you, Father.”

Maylily struggled, but she couldn’t fight against Victor’s strength. He dragged her roughly into a dark alley and, his rage overflowing, raised his hand.

Slap.

The harsh sound of skin striking skin rang out through the night. As Maylily’s head jerked to the side, a bright red handprint bloomed on her left cheek.

“How dare you glare at me like that? Do you even understand what you’ve just done?”

“Give it up already. Things will never go the way you want.”

“You’d better stop being so stubborn and cooperate willingly. Making a scene will only ruin your marriage later. Viscount Dawson isn’t the type to hold back from disciplining you.”

“I can’t marry Viscount Dawson anymore.”

At Maylily’s firm declaration, Victor froze for a moment.

“What are you talking about?”

“I… I’m no longer a virgin.”

The words, spilling from her pure, porcelain-like face, struck Victor like a blow. His head began to pound.

“You… do you even understand what you’re saying?”

“Yes, of course I do. If you don’t call off this marriage, I’ll undergo a virginity examination and send the results directly to Viscount Dawson.”

The meek, innocent daughter he thought he knew was now saying the most outrageous things imaginable.

“What? A virginity test? Do you even realize what that means? It’s letting some strange man look between your legs! You’d bring that humiliation upon yourself?”

“If that’s the only way I can protect myself, then yes.”

“Ha….”

Maylily showed no hesitation, as though she had fully understood the weight of her choice and solidified her resolve. Victor, struck hard by her words, let out a hollow laugh that sounded almost like a groan.

In noble society, a woman’s chastity was a noble virtue directly tied to her honor. For that reason, a bride preparing for marriage was sometimes required to provide proof of her purity. One such method was a virginity examination, in which a doctor inspected a woman’s body to determine whether she was still untouched.

Though the reliability of this examination was often disputed, an old, narrow-minded man obsessed with a bride’s purity would have no trouble believing its results completely.

No wonder her behavior’s been so insolent lately. Behind that innocent face, she was plotting something like this.

“You filthy whore.”

At Victor’s curse, spat out like venom, Maylily’s eyes widened in shock. No longer bothering to hide his true self, Victor slammed his fist against the wall of the nearby building and shouted.

“Do you know how much this marriage is worth? You ruined it by throwing your body around so carelessly? Who is it! Who is the bastard who took your purity? I’ll kill him!”