In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 53

Inside the quiet café, Edward, wearing a brown fur coat, placed his order and sat at a table. His calm eyes were directed outside, toward the terrace.

His unusually bright green pupils had been consumed with thoughts since yesterday.

“Aria saved you by sacrificing herself. She gave up her voice as the price.”

Although he had dismissed it as nonsense, those words kept echoing in his mind. Edward vaguely recalled that day.

Six years ago, when he barely opened his eyes, he struggled to lift his weakened upper body and managed to sit up. As he furrowed his brows to recall his past memories, a familiar face started to appear in his view.

A brown-haired girl collapsed under the bed. It was Aria. She lay there, pale, with no color in her face, frozen and lifeless.

At the time, Edward had thought she had collapsed from exhaustion while taking care of him. But now, memories he didn’t want to remember were pulling him back again.

‘No magician could ever break that curse. How could Aria have broken it?’

He tried to shake off the thoughts and turned his gaze to the passing scenery outside. At that moment, a familiar shadow began to appear.

The sharp sound of heels against the floor, not fitting for her bright purple frilled dress, quickly approached from afar and stopped in front of him.

Isabella, sitting across from him, removed her hat, and her unusually darkened face was immediately visible. The lifeless look on her face made it clear how much she had been suffering.

Isabella shot Edward a glare filled with resentment.

“You humiliated our family and didn’t even come to explain it. Why did you call me here? More importantly, how do you plan to handle this situation?”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry? You don’t think such a simple word will solve anything, do you?”

“I know that just saying sorry isn’t enough. I understand my rash actions must have angered the Cecil family. Right now, rumors will swirl around easily, but with time, they will gradually fade.”

“What…? You’re not afraid of your reputation falling apart?”

“I’m trying to accept it humbly.”

Isabella’s eyes widened in surprise. Edward, who had always valued his social reputation more than his life, was now saying he didn’t care about his reputation?

Edward’s response, so unlike his usual self, made him feel like a completely different person.

Isabella took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, which had been on edge since the wedding. She asked softly, “Okay. I think I’ve given you enough time alone. Everyone is watching you with disdain and suspicion. What are you planning to do from here on? The wedding, our relationship?”

But there was more to Isabella’s question than appeared.

She still wanted to give Edward a chance. She still hoped for his sincere love toward her. That was enough of a sign for her.

Earl Cecil had recently started using the nobles to disrupt the Bailey family’s mining business. He frequently opposed the Bailey family’s trade deals.

Edward must surely know about this. This was a situation that was extremely disadvantageous for someone like him, who cared so much about his family’s status and reputation.

‘So just say one thing to me. Tell me that you still long for me. That only I can have you.’

As she waited for Edward’s response, Isabella swallowed nervously.

Even though her father was currently out of control with rage, she believed that with just one word from her, the relationship between the Cecil and Bailey families could be saved.

In the end, the one holding the knife between the two families was herself. As she confidently looked at Edward, Isabella’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

Unlike usual, Edward no longer tried to hide his emotions. Perhaps that was why his eyes were colder than ever before.

“You’ve always looked at me with affectionate and gentle eyes. That’s why I believed you would treat Aria kindly as well. Of course, I was wrong about that.”

“Are you trying to criticize me for what happened at the party?”

“No. I’m here to answer the question you asked me that day. As you said, I’ve been deceiving myself. A dream where you, Arya, and I were all together.”

“I’m sorry, Isabella. I can’t marry without Aria. I need her desperately.”

As Edward sighed deeply, Isabella froze in her spot. The warm spring day suddenly felt as cold as a winter breeze, surrounding her.

He was showing the expression that should have been directed at her to someone else. Every time Edward mentioned Aria, his eyes burned with longing for her.

In that moment, Isabella recalled Edward’s face when he had proposed to her. The gentle, calm expression, and the emerald-colored eyes that had been entirely focused on her.

But the Edward before her now was different. The once kind and noble man was now only showing a cold and serious expression.

As she quietly looked into his eyes, Isabella’s entire body began to stiffen, like a doll.

She rejected him, though she didn’t even understand why. Was it because she wanted to see this new side of Edward, or was it because she wanted to hear that gentle voice again?

“If you don’t take back what you just said, our wedding will be a farce. Are you planning to ruin your life over a maid who’s already run away?”

Isabella bit back her growing disappointment, trying not to let her emotions show. She had to remain calm. After all, she still wanted to keep Edward.

But the response she got was as cold as an ice blade.

“Aria will return to me. I know this will wound you greatly, but there’s nothing I can do…”

“I don’t want to hear it! Stop!”

Her angry voice echoed across the terrace. The sound quickly attracted the attention of the other young ladies sitting nearby.

Isabella, who had been looking around nervously, tightly gripped the hem of her dress.

“I’ve tried to respect you and support you in any way I could. In the end, it was you who didn’t take my hand. Now, with your judgment, the damage my father will cause to the Bailey family will be immense.”

Her anger made her pause, and she took a deep, ragged breath.

“Please don’t take the disdain and mockery from society personally. You brought it upon yourself. From now on, you’ll never see my face again.”

Isabella glared at Edward with sharp eyes. But Edward, without any sign of nervousness, seemed to accept the situation with humility.

Trying not to show her devastation, she stood up and turned her back on him, walking out of the café. As she climbed into her carriage, tears had already welled up in her eyes. Did Edward even realize that the words he had spoken had left painful, ugly scars on Isabella?

As the tears ran down her cheeks, only an indescribable anger lingered in her heart.

Back at the Bailey estate, under a red sunset, Edward returned with a heavy heart. The butler approached him as if he had been waiting.

“Young master, the count has been looking for you.”

Edward glanced briefly at the butler and nodded, knowing exactly why his father wanted to see him. He followed the butler to Count Dennis’s study.

The room was shrouded in darkness as the curtains were drawn shut. The count sat at the table, looking over documents, his eyes glinting in the candlelight.

As Edward entered, the count’s gaze reluctantly shifted from the papers.

The count looked at his son with cold eyes.

“Where have you been?”

“I was meeting Isabella. I’m sorry, but I’ve decided to call off the wedding.”

“What…? Are you out of your mind?!”

The count slammed his fist on the table. The loud sound of it echoed between them.

But Edward calmly looked at his father.

“I’ve worked hard as a second son to make sure no bastard would ever dare challenge us. This time, please accept my decision.”

“You’re the one who brought shame to the family, not Eric! You ruined the wedding, and now you’re going to interfere with our business! Do you think you can still call yourself a second son?”

“Please, just give me one more chance, Father! There’s a way to expand the business without worrying about the nobles and the royal family…”

“This is exactly why you’re hopeless!”

The count’s words cut off Edward’s sentence, his gaze filled with deep disappointment.

The count picked up a letter from the table.

“Without the royal family’s approval, you want to push forward with the ironworks business…? Pathetic. Do you even know what this is? This is the Emperor’s approval to proceed with trade with the Atil Kingdom. There was strong support from Duke Charles. I’m sure you know who made this happen.”

For a moment, a heavy silence fell between them. Edward could not argue against his father’s words.

His green eyes flickered like the candlelight before him. Under the oppressive atmosphere, he only bit his lip. No matter what he said, the count would look down on him with disdain.

At that moment, a loud knock came from the door.

“I need to come in for a moment.”

Soon, the count’s wife, wearing a deep blue velvet dress, entered with angry steps.

Her eyes, glaring at her husband, quickly turned to Edward.

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