In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 50

On Edward’s wedding day, Bailey was busy from the morning.

The people of Bailey were dressed neatly for the wedding, while the servants were busy preparing their fine clothes for the ceremony and the feast.

Eric, who had no intention of attending the wedding, was sleeping in late.

That is, until he suddenly heard a quick knock on his bedroom door.

“Come in.”

Eric, who had woken up sluggishly, answered briefly. He knew who was waiting outside.

Every morning, Aria would enter the room carrying a vase filled with fragrant flowers to brighten the atmosphere.

He threw on a thin robe carelessly and sat on the edge of the bed.

But what he saw wasn’t the cheerful Aria, but rather a pensive maid.

“Um… Young Master! I need to tell you something. I’m not sure how to say this, but…”

The maid handed him a letter. As he scanned the letter, his brow furrowed immediately.

The maid, cautiously watching Eric’s expression, spoke in a heavy tone.

“We were shocked when we saw the letter. The maid left suddenly, especially on a day like today…”

“In her room?”

“Her room was left just as it was, with the letter on the bed and the clothes she had been wearing. It looks like she left everything provided by the master.”

At the maid’s words, Eric’s gaze darkened.

He instantly understood what this meant. Aria had tried to erase all traces of herself from this place. As if she had never met him. Only then did Eric begin to suspect Aria’s actions from the previous night.

The fear in her eyes, the way she kept backing away from him as if trying to distance herself. It was all an indication that she was preparing to leave him.

Eric lifted his cold gaze and looked at the maid.

“Did anyone else see Aria?”

“Ah, well… There was someone who saw her lingering near your bedroom early this morning. It seems she was there until about two hours ago.”

At those words, a wry smile appeared on Eric’s lips. His sharp, icy blue eyes left the maid and gazed out the window.

Two hours ago, that meant she couldn’t have gone far unless she had some means of transportation.

“Prepare the carriage.”

“The, the wedding carriage…?”

Eric’s cold, piercing gaze immediately struck the maid.

“Who said I was going there? Don’t ask questions, just do as I say.”

The maid nodded silently and quickly exited.

Eric slammed his fist down on the table, and the sudden, sharp sound of the impact echoed in the quiet room.

“Who do you think you are…”

The person who would come to him when he had almost forgotten, easing his pain, only to disappear again as if nothing had happened.

The woman who even softened his desire to destroy his family.

Should he have trapped the fragile bird in a cage, twisted its neck, and kept it by his side? His thoughts grew restless.

Eric threw on his robe hastily and stood up. His muscles, ready to burst out from under the robe, shifted beneath the fabric.

After changing quickly, Eric mounted his horse and immediately pulled on the reins.

His forearms were soon covered with veins, visible from the pressure.

The sharp, suffocating wind whipped by him as he rode at a dangerous speed, but he couldn’t afford to care.

His mind was filled with only one thing: the pale face of Aria. The happy smile that had been visible through her bright eyes.

He had to stop, to keep that image from fading away. To find her again.

As the main character of the wedding, Edward was surrounded by many servants. Outside, a brown carriage was waiting to take him to the wedding venue.

The maids were on tiptoe, carefully adjusting his hair and outfit.

In his perfectly pressed tuxedo, with his golden hair neatly styled, Edward looked so stunning it could almost be described as beautiful.

Edward, carefully inspecting himself in the mirror, turned his head slightly.

“Why haven’t I heard anything yet?”

“Pardon, sir?”

“I sent a message to the annex a while ago. Why hasn’t Aria arrived yet?”

At his question, the maids exchanged uncomfortable glances, unsure how to respond. The strange atmosphere made Edward feel uneasy.

He turned his upper body to face them and scanned their faces.

“Is something going on at the annex?”

“W-well…”

A brief, awkward silence filled the room. As the silence dragged on, Edward’s gaze became more intense.

One of the maids, who had only exchanged glances with the others, finally spoke heavily.

“Sir, the truth is, Aria cannot come here.”

“Cannot come? Did Eric stop her?”

Edward, having woken up earlier than usual, immediately turned his gaze to the annex. He needed Aria with him today, no matter what.

Once the wedding was over, he planned to take her to the new mansion. Her will or thoughts didn’t matter.

He was certain that Aria, as his maid, would serve him for life. No matter how Eric tried to shake her, Aria would eventually belong to him.

“That’s not it… Aria has left.”

“Left? Left…?”

Edward’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“We just heard through the maids at the annex. Apparently, she left this morning, leaving only a letter behind. It seems Eric found out about it just now.”

“Left? Aria left?”

Edward’s pupils slightly shook, and his unfocused eyes kept repeating the same words.

This was an entirely unexpected situation. Aria leaving without a word made no sense. Then, suddenly, the memory from that moment flashed in his mind.

“Will you be my dedicated maid forever?”

Her face, which had only awkwardly smiled and refused to answer his question, appeared vividly in his mind.

His gaze, lost and uncertain, turned to the maid in front of him.

“She just went out for a while, right? Where else could she go?”

“I’m sorry, sir… From the letter and the circumstances, it seems like she left for good.”

Left for good. Aria was gone without a trace. Edward’s body stiffened in disbelief.

Was it because of him and his mother? Was it because of Isabella’s disdain? Or perhaps…

His frozen gaze turned quickly to the annex. He muttered to himself.

“Eric… that bastard…”

Aria wasn’t sent to the annex. From the beginning, those two had been in the wrong. If she had stayed by his side, Aria wouldn’t have made such a drastic choice.

The fury that rose from his gut completely paralyzed Edward’s reasoning.

Clenching his fist tightly, he turned and shouted.

“Everyone, leave now.”

“B-but if we delay, we’ll be late for the wedding. The Count and Lady have just finished their preparations and are already on their way to the church.”

“I don’t care about the wedding! Just leave!”

“W-what?!”

“Are you ignoring my orders to leave? Do you think I’m joking?!”

His sharp voice reverberated through the air. The maids, surprised, widened their eyes. They quickly nodded and left the room.

The empty room felt suffocating. Edward sank into a chair and let out a long sigh. His thoughts were consumed by Aria.

“Get a grip. The wedding has to go on. For that…”

For that, he would be recognized by his father as the legitimate heir and would be backed by the great Cecil family.

He swallowed the bitter words he was about to speak. Instead of the self-reproachful mantra, a hollow laugh escaped his lips.

For Edward, Aria was like a beam of sunlight.

In the oppressive atmosphere of his family, the only reason he could breathe was because of her.

To protect Aria, who was despised by his parents, he needed a public reason.

Once they were married and Aria became his dedicated maid, no one would interfere with them again.

A life together. Until then, he believed Aria would wait for him.

When did things go wrong? What had been the problem? As his thoughts wandered, he recalled the fury Isabella had poured onto him.

“Tell me the truth. If you loved Aria, why did you propose to me? Did you think of me as just a substitute for her?”

Edward’s brow furrowed. He placed his hand on his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

The pressure of the situation was causing cold sweat to drip down his back.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The maid, Madame Vianne, stood upright as she entered.

Apparently, the maids had hurriedly explained the situation to her. The head maid fixed her sharp gaze on Edward.

“Sir, you need to leave now. If you delay any longer, something serious might happen. The Count, Lady, and the Cecil family have already arrived at the church.”

“Do you intend to ruin everything over a mere maid?”

“A mere maid…”

Edward trailed off, and a hollow laugh escaped his lips. Madame Vianne bowed her head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

“Remember, this is the moment your Lady has longed for. You shouldn’t let something as trivial as this ruin it all.”

Madame Vianne briefly repeated everything to remind Edward of what he needed to do today. She was reminding him how to spend the day.

After a long pause, Edward lowered his hand from his forehead. His cold gaze turned toward the head maid.

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