Chapter 203:
A Jewel Box
THEY GOT IN THE CAR and drove for about an hour. Just as Yulan had promised, there was nothing but trees outside the car window. The path was so devoid of human presence that the rows of manicured trees almost looked out of place. Then white pillars and an iron gate came into view, revealing a white-and-navy-blue color scheme in the distance. Violette and Marin pressed themselves against the windows in surprise, gazing at the trees as they passed.
As the car slowed to a leisurely pace, the once distant mansion stood before their eyes. The neat, symmetrical residence looked completely different from the Vahan estate—either due to its colors, size, or simply the state of mind of those who saw it.
The sight before Violette and Marin awed them. The chalk-white house was beautiful, like a jewel box. And Yulan had once lived there with his mother.
“Oh, Vio. You’re here.”
Yulan’s face popped out from behind the front door. Smiling, he approached them in welcome. He’d come to the door personally to see what was taking them so long. He’d told them to ring the bell, since the house was still understaffed, but they’d forgotten.
With a chuckle, he said, “From the way you’re both gawking, I assume you like the place?”
“Yes… It’s so very beautiful,” Violette breathed.
“Yeah. And I hear it was well maintained in my absence—that’s why the paint colors are still so vivid. When I saw it for the first time, I was just as surprised as you.”
“I know you already described this place, Yulan, but it’s more stunning than I imagined it would be. The drive over was gorgeous too.”
“I had them remodel the gardens to my liking, so I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Smiling and wearing a long white cardigan, Yulan suited the house very well. The beautiful mansion so complemented the softness in his face that it was hard to believe he hadn’t lived there all his life. Yulan’s mother, whom he supposedly took after, had likely matched the house herself.
“It’s nice on the inside too, though it’s still not furnished,” Yulan said.
“Were the original furnishings no longer serviceable?” Violette asked.
“Perhaps half were salvageable. Some things were in good shape. Still, I figured I might as well seize the opportunity to get us all new furnishings, so most of the rooms are pretty empty right now.”
“You know, Yulan, you can sometimes be very eager.”
“Well, it’s important to be bold with interior design. I learned a lot about that, you know.”
The room Yulan escorted them into was even more beautiful than the mansion’s exterior. The walls and ceiling were pure white, making the red carpeting even more vivid. But as Yulan had said, not a stick of furniture adorned the house. This room was so empty that the sparkling chandelier didn’t look like it belonged there. He hadn’t been exaggerating about that.
“It’s incredibly…spacious,” Violette remarked.
“Sure is,” Yulan echoed. “The first time I came here, it was a real shock. It’s big inside, but the gardens are even bigger.”
“Gardens?”
“That forest behind the house is mostly my land. Even if I clear some of it for servants’ quarters, it’ll be too big.”
The idea of one adult and one child having all this space to themselves dizzied even a born-and-raised aristocrat like Violette. She didn’t know what the original furnishings had been like, but they were surely refined and beautiful. That would explain why Yulan removed them all.
“We can lock down the final floor plan little by little while we’re living here. For now, let me show you our rooms, Vio. Don’t worry, Marin—your room is very close to Violette’s.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“I already got you essential furnishings; they match Chesuit’s. If you need anything else, though, I could also get you the same furniture Vio will have.”
“I imagine furnishings like Chesuit’s will be adequate.”
“That’s what he told me.” Yulan smirked.
“That’s right!” Violette remembered. “Chesuit already lives here.”
She’d been looking around the room nervously, but as she listened to the other two talk, a lone man appeared in her memory—someone she’d known longer than both of them.
“He’s making lunch right now,” Yulan replied. “He said it needs to be simple, since the kitchen isn’t entirely finished yet.”
“Oh, everything Chesuit cooks is delicious. I can’t wait,” Violette said.
“He did make dessert a day early, though,” Yulan added reassuringly. “It’s a chocolate tart.”
Silence.
“That’s our Chesuit. He certainly knows my lady’s tastes,” Marin said.
“Hm?”
“My lady told me this morning that she longed to eat Chesuit’s chocolate tart.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve eaten it,” Violette said defensively.
“Well, today’s your lucky day,” Yulan chuckled. “After I show you your room, let’s have lunch.”
“Perfect. I can’t wait.”
They chatted as they made their way down the long, deserted hallway. Yulan had left this house before he could even remember it, which must mean it had been unoccupied for almost fifteen years. Unoccupied houses fell into disrepair easily, but this one was still beautiful everywhere you looked. How well it had been maintained all those years was obvious.
Violette’s heart throbbed with excitement, yet there was a shadow in her heart, faint but present. The shadow of a person whose voice she’d never heard and who she’d practically never heard about before that day.
I wonder what she was like…
The woman who suited this house…and who resembled Yulan. His birth mother.
What drove her to vanish from this house? What was she thinking?