Chapter 204:
What Became of the Jewel
“THIS IS YOUR ROOM, VIO.”
It was a spacious, cozy chamber that received a good amount of sun. The walls and pillars were pure white with champagne-colored accent wallpaper. Three-layer beige, lace, and floral-print curtains covered the large windows. Those softer colors were a refreshing change for Violette after all the years in her room in the Vahan estate, which had been decorated in mostly dark shades.
Yulan’s room had a similar feel, the only difference being the presence of a sofa in addition to the curtains and chandelier. The sofa just had room for one, though, since most of it was draped with his dirty clothes.
Marin’s room was, as Yulan promised, as close as possible to Violette’s. It was fairly spacious, with a three-piece bath. Her furniture, the same as Chesuit’s, was quite simple. As far as Marin was concerned, all that mattered was that it was functional.
At lunch, though they’d been led to expect simple dishes, Violette’s favorite foods covered the table. She was surprised to find that table in one corner of the kitchen, rather than the dining room. When she learned that the chairs and table were the only ones in the house, though, she quickly understood.
“I’m simply stuffed…” she sighed after lunch.
“Yeah. You ate quite a bit.” Yulan smirked. “I hope I didn’t ask Chesuit to make too much?”
“Oh, no. I loved eating his cooking after going without it so long. Besides, you and Marin ate lots. We don’t have any leftovers.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I let Chesuit pick the entire menu, and he certainly delivered. He really knows exactly what foods you love.”
While Chesuit and Marin cleaned up after lunch, Violette and Yulan walked through the kitchen door to the beautifully manicured garden. Beyond it lay a sprawling forest, apparently also considered part of the property’s gardens. The immaculately cultivated area was large enough to begin with, and if you tried to walk across the entire garden, including the forest, the sun would set before you reached the far end. Violette was curious to try that, but she was sure Marin and Yulan would worry.
The house was vast—incredibly vast. Violette thought it resembled a jewel box, and really, it was exactly that.
“Yulan, may I ask you a question?”
“Hm?”
“If you don’t know the answer or don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.” Violette paused. “It’s about your birth parents.”
She’d never once asked about them, and Yulan had never asked about her parents either. He’d avoided the subject out of kindness, while Violette’s understanding was that it was never to be broached. She didn’t want to be reminded of her parents’ existence; meanwhile, Yulan’s family tree was so complicated and scandalous that she wasn’t even sure she was allowed to talk about it.
Seeing this house, however, she’d somehow reached a partial understanding of the mother who’d lived here, the father who’d provided the residence—and what they both meant to Yulan.
“Well, Vio, it’s probably as you imagine it.”
Yulan smiled gently, warmly. This side of him was soft and androgynous. He’d told Violette that he took after his mother; she wondered now who’d told him that.
“This house was…a place to hide my mother away.”