Chapter 22 : Chapter 22
Chapter 22. Brightness and Dullness Intertwined
Vivian did not slow her steps. In a dignified voice, she said, “I am going to the music shop to look at the newly arrived sheet music, and I will also stop by the porcelain shop to select a few tea set designs. She will accompany me.”
One of the bodyguards raised his head and asked cautiously, “Young Lady, shall we prepare a car for you and assign two additional bodyguards to accompany you? The Master instructed that if you leave the manor, we must—”
“That will not be necessary. I will be back soon,” Vivian interrupted impatiently, using the same tone she usually used when dismissing overly trivial requests.
The tall bodyguard hesitated. Her attitude was firm, and her reason was legitimate. Although bringing only a personal maid seemed somewhat too simple, he could not immediately find any justification to stop her.
During his hesitation, Eve had already stepped forward and cast him a calm glance. Those equally cold red eyes seemed to say, [The Young Lady has given an order. Carry it out.]
In the end, the bodyguard nodded and stepped aside to clear the path.
Once the two women had walked far enough that the bodyguards could no longer see them, the tension in Vivian’s shoulders finally eased.
She let out a long breath and turned around, looking at the unfamiliar scenery of the manor grounds with a slightly dazed expression.
She had really come out…
There had been no layers of reporting, no crowd of attendants following her.
Eve remained calm as ever. Only when Vivian’s gaze landed on her did she notice and turn her head.
Their eyes met.
Eve said nothing. She simply gave Vivian a small nod.
“Wait.”
The moment froze, their steps halting abruptly as Vivian suddenly raised an objection.
“Shouldn’t that umbrella be held over me?”
“…”
“Speak. Stop pretending to be mute.”
“Replying to the Young Lady, I actually suffer from a special illness. My skin cannot come into direct contact with sunlight, or it becomes unbearably itchy,” Eve said, lying smoothly without the slightest change in expression. It sounded remarkably convincing.
Vivian said nothing. She simply stared at her.
She believed it—but perhaps it was also a lie. She tried to find a flaw in Eve’s expression.
The result was predictable.
She failed.
She had nearly forgotten that this woman’s face was no different from that of a corpse.
“Tch…”
“Is there somewhere the Young Lady would like to go? We still have plenty of time,” Eve asked.
Vivian thought for a moment. The places she used to visit frequently were exactly the places she did not want to go this time.
So she wanted to go somewhere she had never been before.
For example…
“Can we go anywhere?”
“Yes. As long as the Young Lady wishes.”
“Then take me to see Black Street.”
“…”
For a moment, Eve was completely silent.
She immediately regretted saying that earlier. Perhaps it was not too late to take those words back—or even return now.
Why that place of all places?
Did she not know how dangerous it was? Black Street lay at the border with the slums, where mafia gangs were most active.
One could say that the smell of corpses occasionally drifted from the alleys there.
“Young Lady, perhaps we should—”
“What? Are you going back on your word?!” Vivian immediately exploded, pointing at Eve. “I am telling you, absolutely not! You promised to take me out to have fun. If you go back on your word, I will… I will…”
She struggled for a long time but failed to produce any truly threatening words. Her flushed face revealed nothing more than empty bluster.
Eve sighed softly. “Young Lady, Black Street is very dangerous. And that place is filthy and smells terrible.”
Vivian crossed her arms and turned her head aside with a huff. “I still want to go! Whether it is filthy or smelly, whether it is dangerous or not—I will only know if I go and see it myself.”
Well then, that attempt at persuasion clearly failed.
A bead of sweat appeared on Eve’s forehead.
Shouldn’t the normal reaction have been disgust at the mention of filth and stench, followed by giving up? Why was she not following the expected script?
That place was not somewhere a noble young lady like her should be visiting.
This was not how it was supposed to go. The correct approach should have been to select a better dialogue option, change her mind, and then go to a flower shop to buy flowers or taste some freshly baked apple pie.
“Speak. Are you taking me there or not?” Vivian said impatiently. Her mood visibly drooped again as she lowered her head and muttered softly, “I trusted you for once… Liar…”
Eve blinked.
What kind of accusation was that? Words harmful to unity should not be spoken.
The one thing she absolutely could not accept was being called a liar.
How dare she?
How could Eve possibly refuse now?
After thinking it through, Eve made her decision. If something dangerous happened, she could still cover for Vivian. Escaping with her would not be difficult.
That was far better than letting this young lady believe she was a liar—or worse, sneaking off on her own.
“Young Lady.”
“…What?”
“Let us go then. We will visit Black Street.”
Vivian’s expression changed instantly. She raised her head, her eyes shining brightly.
“Really?”
Eve could not help but feel that Vivian not only had the figure of a child, but also certain aspects of a childlike personality—stubborn, yet easy to satisfy.
“Really,” Eve confirmed. In her mind, she silently added, Let us hope you will not regret it later.
“Then let’s go quickly!”
Vivian immediately became energetic. She even took two steps ahead before turning back to urge Eve forward.
The eager look on her face held none of the cold nobility or difficult temperament expected of a noble young lady.
Placed within the environment of the Hessein family, such a trait seemed a little… pitiful.
Eve stepped forward to follow, maintaining a distance of one step behind her.
“However, the distance is not short. We will need to take a bus and then walk for a while.”
“A bus?” Vivian blinked, both unfamiliar with and curious about the word.
Whenever she went out, she always rode in the family’s private car bearing the Hessein crest. She had never encountered public transportation packed with all kinds of people.
Eve explained it to her as they walked, while quietly observing the changing surroundings.
They had already left the tranquil grounds of the manor. The buildings around them became more crowded together, and there were far more pedestrians. Their clothing styles were varied and diverse.
…
Half an hour later.
The bus stopped at a station near the bridge leading to the slums—also the old district. The carriage could only be described as extremely crowded.
The smell of sweat mixed with cheap tobacco and the greasy odor of unknown pungent foods, all blending together.
Under Eve’s protection, Vivian finally managed to escape the bus.
As soon as her feet stepped back onto the stone road, the first thing she did was take several deep breaths.
However, the coal smoke and the fishy stench drifting from a nearby drainage ditch made her cough lightly.
Vivian lowered her gaze toward the hem of her dress. At some point, the red fabric near the edge had been stained with a suspicious gray-black smudge.
It looked as though the black part of the dress itself had infected it.
The mark was particularly glaring.
Her brows immediately knit together, and her delicate nose twitched slightly as she revealed obvious disgust.
“Cough… This place… even the air is filthy,” she complained quietly. She took a handkerchief from her handbag and held it before her nose to filter out the unpleasant smells.
The people passing by wore simple clothing—many even ragged. Their hurried steps lacked the elegance and composure she was accustomed to.
The looks directed at her were complicated.
For the first time, Vivian felt as though the protective shell called “the daughter of the Hessein family” had been stripped away. Her skin prickled uncomfortably, as though ants were crawling over it.
Eve remained expressionless. She casually blocked a porter who had nearly collided with Vivian before speaking calmly.
“Young Lady, this is the edge of the old district. Black Street is still ahead. We must cross the suspension bridge.”
“If you feel uncomfortable now, we can return.”
“Who said I feel uncomfortable?!” Vivian immediately retorted. She straightened her back and lowered the handkerchief covering her nose slightly. Although her delicate face remained tense, she said firmly,
“Lead… lead the way.”