In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 55

Jacob instinctively knew who the man standing before him was. He had heard the rumors about Eric.

The second son of the Bailey family, who had fought in the war. A hero who saved the emperor from an ambush by the Jagal tribe.

A man cursed by a wound he got from one of the beasts the Jagal tribe rode.

And the one who had taken Aria’s cold, frozen heart.

It was only natural that Jacob’s pupils trembled like a candle in the wind.

Even his voice shook as he struggled to breathe properly.

“W-What are you talking about? A-Aria…?”

“Are you deaf? I asked where the one you served has gone.”

Jacob bit his lip tightly. “The one I served”? This man seemed to know everything from Aria coming here to get medicine, maybe even about her past.

Jacob’s vision went blurry. But he couldn’t just give away Aria’s whereabouts.

If she had run away because of this man, he couldn’t let her be taken back. He had to convince him to leave.

“I-I don’t understand what you mean. Please, have pity on an old man who knows nothing…”

“I don’t care for your pleas. Just answer my question.”

Eric’s cold words silenced Jacob completely. The shop fell into heavy stillness, broken only by Jacob’s sigh.

After a moment of silence, Jacob met Eric’s gaze and spoke.

“The one I served? I’ve never served anyone.”

“You’ve never served anyone…?”

Eric folded his arms, watching Jacob. His lips curled into a sharp smirk, as if he could see right through Jacob.

“Your foolish choice might put your master in greater danger. If you want her to regain her status, you need to tell me where she is.”

“Regain her status…?”

Jacob’s eyes widened in surprise before he quickly lowered his head under Eric’s gaze.

“Now you understand. The choice is yours. Will you remain the loyal butler that Aria will remember forever?”

Jacob felt like he couldn’t breathe under the pressure. He had done everything he could to restore the fallen Reynolds family.

But as a butler, all he could do was stay by Aria’s side.

He had long accepted that some things were impossible.

But maybe this man standing before him—if it was someone with his power…

“Jacob, please protect our Aria…”

The dying words of Count Reynolds echoed in his mind, reigniting a sense of duty he had nearly forgotten.

But if this man wasn’t trustworthy, revealing Aria’s location and his own identity could lead to disaster.

If the worst happened, there would be no turning back. He had to stay silent.

As Jacob kept his mouth shut, Eric’s gaze turned sharp like a blade of ice. Watching him closely, Eric spoke in a low voice.

“If you can’t speak now, I’ll come back tomorrow. But if you still stay silent then…”

In an instant, a blade was at Jacob’s neck. His body froze as if it had turned to ice.

Eric narrowed his brow slightly.

“Don’t even think of running. I came prepared. If you don’t talk next time, I’ll take your head. For the crime of pushing your master into danger. And for staying silent about it. Isn’t that punishment enough?”

“M-My Lord…”

Without turning around, Eric walked away, leaving the pale Jacob behind.

“You only get one chance. Remember that.”

With those final words, Eric left the shop. Jacob’s legs gave out, and he sank to the floor.

As soon as Eric disappeared, a worker who had been nervously watching rushed inside. He ran over to Jacob.

“Sir, are you okay?! You look pale! I’ll bring you some tea”

“Don’t worry. I was just a little startled.”

Jacob pushed himself up from the table, trying not to show his shaken state. As he stood, the worker mumbled under his breath.

“What did that guy come for this time…?”

“What are you saying? Do you mean he’s been here before?!”

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that…”

The worker scratched his head under Jacob’s sharp voice. Seeing his pale face, Jacob quickly realized something had happened before.

He rushed outside. The alley was bathed in warm sunlight.

No matter where he looked, Eric was already gone without a trace.

As Jacob stood there, dazed, a bitter sigh escaped his lips.

“Miss Aria… what should I do…?”

He closed his eyes tightly, lost in thought.

By sunset, the sky was painted with red light.

Eric’s horse slowly left the busy streets.

As he crossed the bridge over the shimmering river, a large mansion came into view in the distance. He hadn’t planned to return there, but somehow, the path had brought him back.

A hollow smile spread across Eric’s face as he lowered his head. On the way back to the Bailey estate, guilt weighed heavily on him.

If only he hadn’t chosen Aria. If only he hadn’t dared to desire her.

Would she have been able to stay here?

She was the only one who had made it possible to breathe in this suffocating place. The one who had given him life when he had given up. And the one who had sent him back here.

Her dull brown hair and thin body didn’t match her clear, intelligent eyes. She might be the only hope to lift his curse.

This pain was as sharp as the curse that had ruined his life. A fever that refused to fade.

When Eric arrived at the annex, he unbuttoned his collar, feeling a rising urgency. His eyes moved to a carriage parked nearby.

Four white horses and a golden crest decorated the carriage clearly one that belonged to the royal family, or someone of equal rank.

Eric turned away and stepped inside.

Just as he expected, maids rushed toward him.

“Young Master, please head to the sitting room. Miss Sierra Stuart has been waiting since this afternoon. The Count also dined here but left when she arrived.”

Eric’s brow furrowed at the mention of Sierra Stuart. He could already guess why she was here.

He paused, then walked toward the first-floor drawing room.

Inside, Sierra sat sipping tea, wearing a square-necked green dress.

She looked up as Eric entered from the garden.

Smiling brightly, Sierra rose from her seat.

“You’ve finally come. I’m so glad we could meet like this.”

“What brings you all the way out here, Lady Stuart?”

His deep, low voice echoed through the room, making Sierra’s pink eyes tremble.

Those cold eyes and indifferent tone she had expected it, but it still stung.

Sierra smiled more brightly, hiding her discomfort.

“I kept sending invitations to dine with me, but you always declined. So I came myself. The royal palace is quite far, but I didn’t feel bored at all. I was excited to see you.”

She gripped her dress slightly, trying to calm her nervous heart.

Even she didn’t know if her honesty came from affection or selfishness.

Eric’s icy gaze wavered just a little at her bold words.

Sierra was bold different from what he was used to.

But even after hearing her confession, Eric’s lips remained stiff.

Seeing his silence, Sierra spoke again.

“There’s no need to ask what I mean. I just want you to remember me not as someone who just passed by. If my words were too sudden, I hope you’ll forgive me. It took all my courage to say them.”

As soon as Sierra finished speaking, a heavy silence filled the room. She looked up at him, captivated by the blue light behind his cold eyes. It felt like a spell she couldn’t escape.

They stared at each other with opposite emotions. As they did, the candle on the table flickered quietly.

Finally, Eric spoke, his voice deep and heavy.

“I’m not a good match for someone noble like you. And as you may have guessed, my heart has long belonged to someone else. If you came here to confirm that, then it was a wasted trip.”

His words were sharp and clear like a knife.

Eric looked at her with no warmth in his eyes. Not the way a man looks at the woman he loves.

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