In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 59

“Ma’am… Grand Ma’am…”

Jacob’s lips trembled slightly as he finally opened his mouth, though the initial shock had only just passed.

Charlotte Reynolds slowly opened her eyes and looked at Jacob. She was the mother of Frederick Reynolds—Aria’s father—and Aria’s grandmother.

Charlotte had been a kind and generous mistress. Rather than scolding her servants for small mistakes, she would often overlook them with mercy.

Once the object of admiration, Charlotte had vanished completely after the downfall of the Reynolds family.

She hadn’t even taken a single portion of the wealth she had helped build through hardship.

Jacob searched all over to find his mistress, but there had been no trace of her anywhere.

However, unlike everyone’s assumption that she had already passed away, she was clearly alive here.

It had been more than ten years, hadn’t it? Seeing her face, deeply marked by those hard years, Jacob felt as though a stone had settled in his chest.

“My goodness… Jacob, is that really you?”

When she reached out her trembling hand, Jacob quickly knelt by her bed and took her hand in his.

“Yes, ma’am. I am Jacob, who once served Lady Aria. Do you remember me?”

Jacob tried to hide the emotion in his voice as he spoke softly. Charlotte slowly studied him with her tired eyes.

Short in height and always moving slowly like a bear, he had earned the nickname “Bear Butler.” A faithful servant always dressed neatly in black.

Aside from the wrinkles near his eyes and his now-white hair, he looked just the same as before.

“You’ve aged, but your upright posture hasn’t changed… I never thought I’d see you again before I died…”

“I searched far and wide to find you, ma’am. How long have you been here?”

“The servants helped me get this far… It was a cold and hungry journey. In the end, I was the only one who survived… After that, I’ve been living with help from the monastery and villagers…”

Charlotte let out a long sigh as she told her story. Jacob glanced at Eric behind him, then leaned in close to Charlotte’s ear.

“Ma’am, please don’t be shocked. Lady Aria is alive.”

“She… what?! Aria is really alive?! Cough, cough!”

Charlotte gasped in surprise, coughing roughly with a raspy, metallic sound. Jacob quickly picked up the water glass beside her and helped her drink little by little.

After finally swallowing a sip, Charlotte stared at Jacob in disbelief. Her heart, heavy with urgency, beat faster.

“I still can’t believe it… The servants said she died back then… How could she have survived…! Our dear Aria!”

“Please calm down, ma’am! I will explain everything step by step.”

Where should he begin? How could he tell this story after more than ten long years? So much had happened.

After a short pause, Jacob sighed.

Then, even though he hadn’t been able to speak freely in front of Eric earlier, he now explained everything in detail.

The more they listened, the more serious the expressions of Charlotte, Eric, and Jacob became.

Charlotte especially showed deep sorrow and grief in her eyes as she heard the full story.

“Then… you’re saying Aria lived as a maid…? Losing that clear, beautiful voice of hers… Our precious granddaughter, raised with no hardship at all… how could this happen…”

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault for failing to protect her…”

Jacob lowered his head deeply. Charlotte shook her head slowly as if to say it wasn’t his fault.

“How could any of this be your fault? Don’t blame yourself. You’ve always been a loyal butler. You protected Aria in place of this useless, powerless old woman… Did Aria come with you?”

“No, ma’am. She left the Bailey estate a few days ago and moved to another place.”

Jacob pulled down his sleeve and wiped the tears from his face. Charlotte gripped his other hand tightly.

“I must see Aria. There is something I must tell her before I die!”

“S-Something you must tell her?”

Charlotte didn’t answer his question. She was clearly hiding something.

But her eyes were more desperate and anxious than ever. Jacob could feel it just by looking at her trembling body.

Seeing her condition made Jacob anxious as well. But even if he went to find Aria, he had no way to bring her back from where she was.

He had neither wealth nor status. How could he bring her back by himself?

There was only one way to save Aria. He would need help from Eric, who was standing behind him.

‘Miss, please forgive this butler for speaking out of turn.’

Jacob took a long breath and stood up. His gaze moved from Charlotte in the bed to Eric.

Eric leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, wearing a relaxed expression. But his eyes were sharp, as if he had already guessed what Jacob was thinking.

Jacob looked at Eric with desperation.

“Please forgive me for being stubborn and not telling you sooner. I’m begging you. Please… please help.”

Jacob’s voice trembled with emotion.

“I-I will tell you where she is. Only you can save her, sir. If you help her, I will never forget your kindness.”

“Where is she?”

At Eric’s low and heavy voice, Jacob quickly replied.

“There’s a small village called Kritos, near the southern Cape Shore. Lady Aria is working there at the grand mansion of Baron Woburn Bedford.”

Eric’s brow furrowed slightly at Jacob’s words.

Baron Woburn was once a knight who served under Eric’s father, Count Dennis.

Eric immediately realized that this situation was somehow connected to his father.

Jacob hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“But… there is one problem. That old baron has a terrible reputation.”

“Terrible?”

“They say he harasses young maids however he likes. And lately, Lady Aria hasn’t sent any letters… I’m very worried.”

As he spoke, Jacob’s eyes darted around anxiously, clearly worried about Aria’s safety.

Eric’s expression darkened. The southern Cape Shore would take more than a week to reach by carriage. His gaze turned cold.

In his mind, he saw again that bright smile like spring flowers and her crescent-moon eyes, shy and warm.

He bit his lip. The urgency rising in his chest scratched at his nerves like a thorn.

With the butler’s permission, Aria had been helping with farm work for the past week.

For the head butler, who had been ordered by the baroness to keep a close eye on Aria, her request was a welcome one.

Many maids had been taken advantage of by Baron Bedford. It had become so common that even the head butler had grown indifferent except when it came to Aria.

With the baroness away, the head butler had to be extra cautious, since all blame could fall on him.

Young and beautiful compared to other women, Aria was someone the baron especially had his eye on.

So the idea that she would leave the mansion for a while to help with farming lifted a huge weight off his chest.

But the head butler didn’t realize that Aria had already seen through his thoughts.

Taking the advice of a young maid, Aria had quickly escaped the mansion.

She helped the local farmers in the common fields from early morning until late evening.

Farming was much harder and more exhausting than the chores in the mansion, but Aria was deeply satisfied. Just feeling at peace for a moment made it worthwhile.

After finishing work, she received a small piece of bread and returned to a hut on a nearby hill with the young maid.

There were no other available homes near the village. Still, the villagers generously offered a storage hut for them to stay in.

Though the door barely opened and moldy air filled the place, it was enough for the two to live in.

They usually chatted cheerfully on the way up the hill, but today, Aria walked alone.

The young maid had gone down to the village to care for her sick family.

She would secretly visit her home and deliver the money she had saved whenever the master wasn’t watching.

Aria hated walking alone like this. Because at the end of this lonely road, Eric always came to her mind.

His traces still lingered in her heart.

No matter how hard she tried to forget or push him away, the cruel memories would not fade. If only she could bury herself in his warm breath and lean on him again…

Once again, Aria wandered in a hopeless dream.

The sound of leaves crunching under her feet stopped in front of the hut. The bright morning had already turned into a pitch-black night.

She lifted her eyes, lost in thought, and stared ahead.

And then—

“Aria, you’re back. Heh heh.”

A voice suddenly came from behind. Aria turned toward it.

There stood her new master, Baron Woburn, dressed in clothes that didn’t suit this place at all.

The baron, dressed in a black suit, slowly scanned her from head to toe—with a disgusting, lustful gaze.

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