In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 60

Baron Woburn, dressed in a black suit, scanned Aria’s body with a lecherous gaze.

“You’ve gotten much thinner since I last saw you.”

Even though the surroundings were dark, Aria instantly recognized him from his voice.

Before she could step back, the baron quickly approached.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s only natural for a master to care for his servant.”

The baron softened his expression as he stared at Aria. Though her body had grown thin, in his eyes, she still looked like a tempting fruit ready to be bitten into.

Soon, his eyes turned toward the shabby cabin.

As soon as he saw it, he wrinkled his forehead and hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from his chest to cover his nose.

It seemed the sour smell of mold and the foul odor from the house were too much for him. Even so, he didn’t take his eyes off Aria for a single moment.

“I searched everywhere for you. Who would’ve thought you were in such a run-down place? Let’s go inside. I have something to talk to you about.”

He took off his hat, maybe feeling hot from climbing the mountain, and a few strands of his thin hair fluttered in the wind. His face looked somewhat relaxed.

Aria stood frozen, staring at him with fearful eyes.

Trying to ease her tension, the baron handed her a paper box full of bread.

“You must be cold and hungry, so I brought you some bread. I had the servants bake them fresh today, just for you. Eat as much as you want.”

Unlike the smiling baron, Aria stepped back with a cold, wary look.

She knew exactly what he was up to. His kindness was nothing more than a trap.

“It may be a humble place, but shouldn’t you invite me in, Aria? Saying no to your master’s gift—do you want to be punished?”

“But I’ll let it go this time. I don’t really want to go into that moldy place anyway.”

With a cracked voice that echoed oddly, he raised his hand as if to dismiss the thought. Then, he once again looked Aria up and down slowly.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“You can’t keep starving like this. A young, firm body like yours will lose all its charm. That was the one thing I liked about you enough to accept someone as lacking as you.”

With a crooked smile, the baron stepped closer. Aria, stiff with fear, quickly took another step back.

Strangely, the more frightened she looked, the more his eyes sparkled. The sight made chills crawl over Aria’s skin.

He cleared his throat a few times and then began speaking.

“Don’t be so scared. Aria, I came to make you a good offer.”

“I’ll make you my mistress. You’ll be the first I’ve ever taken as such. That’s how special you are to me. What do you think?”

Aria’s face turned pale as soon as she heard it. But the baron continued, ignoring her expression.

“Wouldn’t it be a waste to let your youth and beauty go to waste? If you stay in my warm embrace, you can live in comfort. What better life could there be for a maid? And if you give me a son, I’ll ask for nothing more.”

A soft sigh escaped Aria’s lips.

It was clear now that the baron had another reason for accepting her in the first place.

He had one son with the baroness, but the boy was so spoiled and useless that he was unfit to be the next family head.

Tired of village life, that son roamed the empire like a wandering traveler.

While Aria’s expression grew colder, the baron’s smile only widened. Looking around confidently, he said:

“How long do you plan to live in this moldy place, really? Tsk, tsk. I was even planning to give you a small guesthouse in a quiet corner of the estate. A sunny room, just for you.”

He narrowed his eyes and slowly walked toward Aria. A twisted smirk appeared on his lips.

He gently placed a hand on Aria’s delicate shoulder.

“I’ve shown you a lot of consideration. You’ve excited me more than enough. I’ve gotten plenty in return for your worth…”

He swallowed greedily, eyeing her like prey. His low voice was full of vile and disgusting intentions.

Still stroking her shoulder, he closed his eyes.

Then, peeking one eye open, he began to grin, revealing his yellow teeth.

Aria, frozen stiff, bit her lower lip. All her nerves were focused on the shoulder he was touching. Shame welled up inside her.

She wanted to escape from this humiliation immediately, but as a mere maid, escaping from the lord of the region felt impossible.

If she fell out of favor with the baron, there would be no one else willing to accept someone like her. People would always believe the powerful over the weak.

That was the harsh truth—and it was her despair.

Just as she closed her eyes tightly, a voice echoed in her head.

A deep voice. Clear and firm. Eric’s words, full of sincerity and courage.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t shrink back.”

The words of someone who made her realize her own worth, even when she had thought she was nothing.

The one who had taken every part of her—leaving behind an empty shell.

Why was she still relying on him, even now? Why did she want to draw courage from him?

Before she could answer herself, Aria tightened the fist gripping her dress.

Then, before she even knew it, her body moved on instinct—she slapped the baron’s hand away and hit his glossy cheek hard. She came to her senses only afterward.

The baron’s pale face appeared clearly before her eyes. He clutched his reddened cheek as veins popped in his eyes.

He immediately slapped her in return. A sharp, cracking sound rang in the air.

“You filthy wench! I was being kind and you dare act out like this?!”

The baron stared at her with a terrifying look. As he raised his hand again, Aria looked up at him, her eyes full of anger.

His hand froze in midair.

Instead, he sneered wickedly.

“You really are different from other women. That makes me want you even more. I want to tame your wild spirit in my arms.”

“I wanted our first night to be somewhere nicer, but if you prefer, I’ll do it right here. That’s your punishment for turning me on.”

The baron suddenly grabbed Aria and pulled her toward him. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Without warning, he removed his coat and tried to force himself on top of her.

Tears welled up in her large eyes. She resisted with all her strength, but he was a former knight—it was nearly impossible to stop him.

Aria’s mind went numb, and her vision blurred. Her life felt hopeless. If this continued, she would be crushed under him by force.

Fear reached its peak. Her limbs trembled, and her lips went dry. In the darkness, her hearing became sharper.

All she could hear was the baron’s heavy breath as he tore at her clothes.

At that moment, Aria desperately bit the baron’s face.

She shoved him off and got to her feet—she didn’t even know where the courage came from.

The baron grabbed his wounded face, teeth bared in pain. He shouted at her.

“You little brat! How dare you?!”

Aria dashed away, dodging his grasping arm.

She ran into the dark forested mountain nearby.

“Get back here right now!”

The baron’s face twisted with rage as his wrinkled neck bulged from shouting.

One of her shoes slipped off, but Aria didn’t care. She ran as fast as she could.

Escape—that was her only way to survive.

Eric had borrowed a horse from the coachman and rode south, without sleep, for three days. He believed riding on horseback would be faster than taking a carriage. That’s how desperate he was.

A sharp wind blew, revealing the bright blue of Eric’s eyes beneath his black hair. After passing a canyon and crossing a winding river between trees, a village by the southern coast came into view.

Eric pulled the reins tightly atop a cliff, and the horse stopped, panting heavily. His eyes locked onto the crowd in the center of the village. Soon, he spotted a large mansion towering in the distance.

“The rumors about the old baron are terrible. They say he harasses young maids as he pleases. And lately, the lady hasn’t sent any letters… I’m worried.”

Recalling Jacob’s words, Eric’s cold gaze grew sharper. The anxiety rising from his gut numbed his nerves.

He looked up at the mansion with eyes that could’ve cut through stone.

He ran a hand roughly through his hair, then yanked the reins again. The horse, having caught its breath, started to gallop once more.

That radiant smile—half-moon eyes and arms full of lilacs—remained vivid in his memory.

Eric had to find her. No—get her back, even if just to end this painful obsession growing inside him.

No matter how much he tried to ignore it, only she could fill the emptiness in him.

The veins in his hand holding the reins were now bulging.

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