Chapter 19 : Chapter 19
Chapter 19. What Is the Price of Becoming Stronger? Do Not Speak… Just Keep Eating
Nine o’clock in the morning.
Eve could be said to have exerted every ounce of effort just to escape the Head Maid’s breakfast “feeding.”
Could you imagine a blonde, elegant older-sister type chasing you halfway across the manor while holding bread and milk?
It was terrifying. The moment she slowed down even slightly, the Head Maid would stuff large pieces of bread and warm milk straight into her stomach.
Eve did not need breakfast. In fact, she could go without eating all three meals a day. These ordinary foods did not provide her with any real “satisfaction.” At most, they served only to relieve an occasional craving.
They tasted like chewing wax. Since they had no effect on her bodily functions anyway, she might as well not eat them at all.
Thus, while fleeing, Eve casually snatched a bright red tomato from a slowly moving basket of handwoven produce she passed along the way.
The young maid carrying the basket did not notice anything. She only felt a gust of wind rush past her and merely sighed that the weather seemed to be getting colder.
What a wonderful day.
The feeling of not having to do miscellaneous chores was truly delightful.
Taking advantage of the empty corridor, Eve dropped the proper posture expected of a maid. Leaning against the wall with her arms folded, she leisurely ate the tomato in her hand.
Among countless ordinary foods, only tomatoes truly appealed to her.
And the timing was perfect.
According to the notes she had read earlier, this was the time when Vivian’s daily piano lessons began.
She would remain in the piano room for a full two hours, diligently “grinding experience,” before coming out.
…
Morninglight Manor, private piano room.
The sound of piano music flowed continuously, echoing through the spacious room like heavenly melodies.
At times the music drifted out through the window, drawing birds to flutter and dance outside.
The red-haired young girl sat upright before the piano, her slender fingers moving gracefully across the keys.
The introduction.
The transition.
Then the climax.
Three minutes later, the sound came to a halt.
Vivian took a deep breath. The tension in her straightened posture gradually relaxed as she turned her face slightly, casting a cold glance at the private tutor standing nearby.
“How was it?” she asked.
“Replying to the Young Lady, compared to most of the students I have taught… you performed very well. However… your condition today seems somewhat… subtle.”
The piano tutor appeared to be praising her, but in truth she was speaking indirectly. Rather than bluntly saying it was poor, she cautiously used the word subtle.
She was well practiced in navigating the rigid rules of noble families and the delicate thoughts of those in power.
She knew how to read between the lines and how to phrase things carefully.
If she failed to do so, she would soon find herself saying goodbye to her job.
Furthermore, as someone with an advanced piano certification and years of experience as a full-time private tutor, she had taught countless students and seen many prodigies.
Naturally, she could hear that during the performance, Vivian’s mind had clearly wandered.
She had even forgotten the rule she once insisted upon: if you make a mistake while playing, stop and start again.
Her rhythm had become disordered. Her mindset was unsettled.
In that state, one could never produce good piano music.
But she could not say that outright.
Vivian was not foolish. She could hear the hidden meaning behind the tutor’s words. Raising a hand to rub her temple, she looked somewhat fatigued.
“Tsk… that will be all for today. You may return early.”
Vivian had noticed the abnormal state of her body from the very beginning.
She was simply too tired.
The accumulated pressure had nowhere to go.
“Then, Young Lady, I will return tomorrow…”
“You will not need to come tomorrow either.”
“Eh?!”
The piano tutor froze.
Not needed tomorrow… did that mean—
Had she been fired?
Did she accidentally say something wrong and provoke this noble young lady?
Immediately, she straightened and bowed deeply, urgently pleading.
“Young Lady, please give me another chance! I truly need this job!”
She had elderly parents above and children below who depended on her. Her husband had been arrested after being caught with prohibited substances, leaving the entire family dependent on her income.
When she saw that the Hessein Family offered a salary three times the market rate, she had fought desperately—smearing rivals and competing fiercely—just to secure this position.
Opportunities like this were incredibly rare.
“What are you talking about?” Vivian glanced at her helplessly. “Why are you so sensitive? I meant that you are on leave for a week. With pay.”
“Oh… ah? Ahem… r-right! Thank you, Young Lady!”
Realizing her loss of composure, the tutor gave an awkward smile. But worry soon crept in again.
“But what about the Family Head…”
“Do not worry about him. Take your leave. If he has any problem with it, tell him to come find me. Now leave.”
“Understood!”
The tutor did not dare linger for even a second, afraid Vivian might change her mind.
After all, dealing with that perpetually cold expression was exhausting. Moreover, her salary was paid daily—twenty thousand federal coins per day.
If she did not run now, when would she?
She hurriedly left, closing the door behind her. For a moment, the vast piano room became unusually quiet.
The glossy black antique piano and the beautiful red-haired girl complemented each other perfectly, as if they were part of a painting.
A strand of fiery red hair brushed lightly across her lips in the breeze, making them itch slightly.
Vivian exhaled softly and gently pushed the strand out of her mouth.
“Sigh…”
She let out a long sigh.
At this moment, the usual sharpness she displayed was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she appeared fragile, as though a single gust of wind could shatter her.
Being born into the Hessein Family had never been a blessing.
As the saying goes, the poor have their way of living, and the rich have theirs. A wealthy heir without the “protagonist’s halo” was little different from a slave in the slums.
Every day they worked themselves to exhaustion. If they failed to perform well, they would be eliminated.
The difference was simply that the poor could abandon everything and survive however they wished, while the rich could only begin yet another life under the same pressure.
As the biological daughter of the Hessein Family Head, overwhelming pressure had descended upon Vivian since the day she was born.
Like an ever-ringing warning bell.
Whenever the slightest hint of laziness appeared, the bell would ring fiercely within her mind.
She had to improve.
Improve again.
And keep improving without end.
If she did not work hard, she would fall behind.
And if she fell behind, someone would surpass her and look down upon her.
Vivian could never tolerate such a thing.
So she endured.
She devoted all of her time and energy to improving her refinement and skills, frequently attending social banquets and interacting with the children of other noble families.
In the end, she successfully established the name of the Hessein Family’s daughter within high society.
No one dared underestimate this red-haired noble girl who was not yet twenty but possessed extraordinary bearing.
Yet no one understood how exhausting the road to becoming strong had been for her.
But everyone in noble circles understood one thing.
Obtaining Vivian—or marrying into the Hessein Family—meant the revival of one’s own family. It was like a carp leaping through the dragon gate.
Thus, a handful of opportunistic individuals changed their approach.
They began by showering her with attention and trying to establish contact.
As a result, Morninglight Manor frequently had to clear away piles of flowers and gifts.
Publicly, Vivian had never expressed interest in anyone.
Not even the slightest hint of affection had ever appeared.
If one were to compare it to a romance game, her route was the most difficult to unlock. Favorability barely increased, and meeting her even once often caused it to decrease instead.
Would you still play?
You would.
You would play it even if it killed you.
And so, if one day someone truly succeeded, Vivian’s character type would be the most exhilarating of all heroines.
At that moment, everything would belong to him.
But what was Eve doing right now?
She was slacking off.
Standing leisurely beneath an elegant pavilion, her figure relaxed, the exposed line of her shoulder visible from behind.
By coincidence, Vivian happened to see that very scene from the window.
“Tsk! I am exhausting myself up here, and you are down there doing absolutely nothing?!”
She could not tolerate it.
Vivian’s face darkened instantly. Taking two steps that quickly turned into one, she rushed downstairs without even closing the door behind her.