In A World Full of Silence, My Heart Will Find Its Way To You - Chapter 75

A chilly breeze blew in that morning. Under the unusually bright sunlight, Bailey Estate looked even more magnificent.

As the light wind rustled the leaves, one of them flew into Edward’s room.

Edward, who had been standing by the window looking out at the garden, picked up the leaf. His gaze blankly settled on it.

As he touched the rough surface of the leaf, his mind began to fill again with thoughts of Aria.

He remembered the time when he first met the girl who came here at the young age of twelve. Edward, sitting by the fountain reading a book, had endured those days by waiting to see Aria at the same time every day.

She had been the only comfort in a place that felt suffocating. That’s why asking her that question had seemed natural.

“You’ll be my personal maid for life, right?”

He had never doubted she would agree.

But foolish Aria had betrayed his heart and took the hand of Eric—the very person Edward had cursed so bitterly.

She had stabbed a sharp blade into his chest, and now she had vanished without a trace.

Edward shook his head to clear his mind, trying to calm himself, to empty his head of the storm of thoughts.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was the butler, who seemed to have been waiting for Edward to speak.

“Come in.”

At his brief command, the butler entered quickly. He held a cup of warm chamomile tea and a letter.

“My lord, I brought some warm tea. I hope you slept well last night.”

“Not really. My father’s funeral and the trouble with the farmers are giving me a headache. Did you take care of the mining site as I ordered?”

“Well, about that… please read this. It’s a letter from the site manager.”

Edward sat down at the table and began to skim through the letter. As he read, a deep frown formed between his brows.

“What is this? They’re moving the ironworks back to the riverside? Who gave them permission?!”

“Well… it seems Master Eric visited the site yesterday. Some of the workers unhappy with your policy must have gone to him for help.”

“What…? Who does he think he is?!”

Edward slammed his fist on the table in anger.

A loud crash echoed between them.

“What right does he have to interfere?! Without even asking the head of the family—me!”

“Please don’t be too upset by this sudden situation. After all, Master Eric had been leading the business under the previous policy. They probably saw him as a problem solver.”

“A problem solver…? Managing and solving business matters is my job. That bastard is no savior!”

When Edward’s furious eyes turned toward him, the butler swallowed heavily.

He recalled the instructions Eric had given him yesterday.

“We don’t have much time. While I keep their attention with the business, find out where the maid is. No one pays attention to what a butler does.”

The butler’s aged eyes glanced at Edward carefully.

“Leave the funeral arrangements to me. For now, you should focus on the mine. If this continues, the farmers will only rely on Master Eric. They’ll turn to the one who eases their fears.”

“Damn it. This isn’t a simple matter…”

Edward muttered bitterly, then stared at the butler with a cold, sharp gaze.

“Are you doubting my ability too? Well, Father never liked me much anyway.”

“Never. He scolded you often, but he never doubted your abilities. Neither do I.”

“Really…?”

Edward kept staring at the butler and continued speaking.

“Even if that bastard interfered, the business is still under my control. If he wants to take responsibility, fine. Maybe the people will blame him in the end. They’re weak and shallow when faced with power.”

“To think of using Master Eric that way… You truly are the Count.”

“Well, there’s no need to overthink it.”

Edward raised his chin proudly, now set on using Eric to strengthen his own authority.

He smirked coldly, one corner of his mouth curling upward.

“Take care of the funeral. Mother’s been through a lot lately, so I’ll send her to our hometown for a few days. It’ll be a good chance to see the relatives we haven’t visited in a while.”

“Then the head maid will go too. It’s an honor to take care of the late Count’s final matters.”

“Yes, you’re the only one Father trusted. Finish everything quietly, without scandal. You know how sensitive society is to rumors.”

“I understand, my lord.”

“Alright, you may go now.”

“Yes, I’ll be on my way.”

The butler bowed with a gentle smile. As he lifted his head, his sharp gaze briefly passed over Edward.

After glancing at Edward for a moment, the butler left. Once he was gone, Edward’s eyes moved from the butler’s retreating figure toward the annex.

His eyes, fixed on that building, soon filled with a chilling intensity.

“That arrogant bastard keeps getting on my nerves. Fine. If he wants to show off that badly, I’ll let him. In the end, I won’t even have to get my hands dirty.”

Edward gritted his teeth. His cold gaze froze over, and a cruel smile formed on his lips as he stared at the annex.

Annex of Bailey Estate

“Ugh…!”

A short, sharp groan came from behind the door.

The strong wind blowing through the open window had extinguished a candle, now standing limp and melted.

The white sheets that had been neatly arranged on the large bed were now a mess, and on top of them lay Eric, shirtless, his face twisted in pain.

As the sunlight poured into the room, his sweat-drenched hair clung to his forehead, and his blue eyes slowly opened.

“Ugh…”

Eric groaned through clenched teeth.

Ever since returning to this place, strange pain had begun to pierce through his body every night.

He had thrashed about so much that the blood from his bitten lips stained the white sheets without him even noticing.

After spending the night with Aria, the cold that had settled in his body had begun to crawl back into his nerves. Unable to resist his desire, it now burst forth in sharp pain.

Aria’s face slowly appeared in his eyes.

She was the only ray of hope in this hell. The only one who could quench his thirst, the one he longed for but could not touch.

If only he could kiss those lips again, maybe he could suppress this pain. If he could pour everything into her…

If only he could escape this torment that clawed at his flesh.

Staring blankly at the sunlight, Eric let out a hollow breath.

“Crazy bastard.”

He sighed deeply and slowly sat up.

When he looked at the clock on the wall, it was already well past noon.

He threw on the robe next to him and sat down by the table, gulping down a glass of water, trying to recall yesterday’s visit to the mine.

He knew things weren’t going well, but the situation at the site was worse than expected.

The farmers’ complaints about Edward’s decisions had grown serious.

Some had already given up on any benefits and moved to nearby hills or other villages.

Trying to reduce their numbers while exploiting their labor was a reckless move.

Eric had tried to convince them to move back to the riverside, but deep down, he knew it wouldn’t work.

Ultimately, only the family head could truly move them.

Eric had to provoke Edward. The more he pushed his buttons, the closer he would get to the outcome he wanted.

Just then, breaking the heavy silence, a maid knocked and entered carefully.

“My lord.”

When he didn’t answer, she spoke again, softly.

“My lord…”

Eric slowly turned his tired eyes toward her.

“What is it?”

“Well… Miss Aria has returned. She came early this morning asking to see you urgently…”

At the mention of Aria, Eric’s pupils trembled slightly. She stepped through the half-open door.

Eric stood up at once and silently stared.

Her big brown eyes filled his vision. The face he had longed to see.

Her shining gaze was directed only at him.

Sensing the tension in the room, the maid quietly left and closed the door behind her.

Aria spoke in a trembling voice.

“I heard the Count passed away. And that you’re in trouble…”

“I want to help. It may not be much, but I want to stay by your side.”

Eric’s face hardened at her words.

“Thanks for the thought, but you should go back.”

“My lord…”

“This isn’t a place for you. After finally escaping, you really want to return to this hell?”

His eyes turned cold, like a blade. His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

His icy glare pierced through Aria’s eyes.

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