***

After that, Violet led a busy life as the daughter of the Marquis of Grosvenor and the fiancée of Kaiden Arendt.

Both her family and Kaiden were determined to give her nothing but the best.

After two years on the Grosvenor estate, Violet finally decided to marry Kaiden.

Half a year later, the two held a grand wedding at the Arendt estate in the capital.

The friends Violet had made during her time as Violet attended the ceremony.

As she looked around at the people who were truly celebrating her marriage, a wave of mixed emotions washed over her.

While she was happy to know that so many people cared about her, Violet couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness that Scarlett Evelyn wasn’t there.

‘I thought I had let go of all lingering feelings…’

For the past few years, Violet hadn’t seen Scarlett at all.

Scarlett still lived with the Evelyn family, but as a commoner she could no longer enjoy her former lifestyle, and as a result their paths never crossed.

The last time Violet had seen her was in passing – at a dress fitting, of all places.

Rumour had it that Scarlett had been unable to find a suitable husband and had become something of a burden to the Evelyn family.

Eventually she left to avoid publicity and moved to a villa in the southern region of the realm.

At first, Violet had felt a small flicker of pity for her.

But now even that feeling had faded.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t resent her.

Over the years, Violet’s feelings for Scarlett had diminished and faded – so much so that now she felt nothing at all.

In fact, Scarlett hadn’t even crossed her mind until just before today’s wedding.

But at that moment, a memory suddenly surfaced – a conversation they had once shared.

— “On your wedding day, I’ll be right there beside you. As your friend, I have to witness your happiest moment up close, don’t I? I’ll even give your husband a good warning—if he ever makes our Liv suffer, I won’t let it slide.”

It was a conversation from their teenage years, before Violet had ever met Eric Anderson.

Back then, Violet and Scarlett had believed – without a doubt – that they would be there to witness each other’s weddings at close quarters.

“I’ll do better.”

Violet jumped slightly at the sudden voice.

Kaiden had kissed her cheek and was speaking in a low tone.

“Hm?”

“I’m going to make sure you never regret leaving the Grosvenor family to be with me. I’ll make you happy. But if you ever want to see your family, you can always visit them.”

“Ah, so that’s what you meant.”

“…? If not, did you have something else in mind?”

“No, not exactly something else, just…”

Violet pushed aside the lingering emotions and smiled warmly.

“I think I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life. It feels like the happiest day I’ve ever had.”

Kaiden, who had been staring blankly at her smile, finally smiled back and kissed her on the lips.

“Me too, Letty.”

Violet closed her eyes and let the cheers of the guests wash over her.

***

After the maids who had helped her dress had left the room, Violet found herself alone.

She stared blankly into the mirror.

The reflection staring back was now the familiar face of “Violet”.

The only noticeable change from before was that her hair was now completely blonde.

Objectively, she looked beautiful.

Sarah’s original features had already been refined, and with years of care and attention, her appearance had only improved.

Not to mention, every maid in the Arendt estate had pitched in to dress her up for her wedding night—
so of course, she looked lovely.

And yet…

‘Why don’t I feel satisfied with how I look today?’

Violet furrowed her brow, scrutinising every feature of her face.

There was nothing wrong with her appearance – even by her own standards – yet something kept bothering her.

But she soon realised that it wasn’t really about how she looked.

“Ah…”

“What are you thinking about?”

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Violet stood up without thinking.

Turning, she saw Kaiden standing in the doorway, dressed in light clothes.

His hair was still damp – he must have come straight from washing up.

Without meaning to, Violet glanced at the slightly open collar of his shirt, then quickly looked away.

Her cheeks burned, as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have.

“You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”

Kaiden was already close, the scent of cool cologne mixed with a hint of alcohol wafting from him.

Unlike Violet, who had left the reception early, he had been held back by the guests until much later.

“Have you been drinking a lot?”

“Hm, not really.”

“You smell a bit like alcohol.”

Kaiden took a deep breath through his nose and shrugged.

“Not enough to get drunk.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

He wrapped his arms around Violet’s waist from behind as she stood with her back to him.

His warm lips rested gently on the sensitive skin of her neck.

Kaiden, always cautious when it came to physical affection, was no longer holding back.

It seemed that even the last threads of his restraint had worn away – his movements were now unhesitating.

One hand subtly stroked Violet’s side, while his lips pressed without pause along her neck and shoulder.

As she felt his lips slowly descend, Violet instinctively flinched and tensed slightly.

“So what were you thinking about on such a special day?”

“It’s not that I was really worried…”

“Is it because you’re still unsettled by the thought of leaving your family and the Grosvenor estate?”

“No, it’s not that at all.”

Violet quickly denied it, glancing at his reflection in the mirror.

Of course, being away from her family made her a little sad.

But that was something she had come to terms with a long time ago.

Even before she had met Kaiden – back when she had been engaged to Eric Anderson – she had prepared herself for the separation.

“It’s not like I’ll never see them again. I can always visit them when I miss them. I love my family… but right now I’m happier being with you again.”

It must have been an unexpected answer because Kaiden’s eyes widened slightly before a satisfied smile spread across his face.

Violet laughed out loud as his lips brushed against her ear.

“That tickles.”

“Then what were you so lost in thought about?”

“Hmm…”

Violet fell silent, unable to bring herself to say the real reason.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“Liar. Denying it like that only makes it more suspicious.”

Kaiden had always gone easy on Violet, but this time he didn’t seem to want to let her off the hook.

Her expression had looked far too serious for him to brush it off.

Realising she couldn’t dodge the question any longer, Violet bit her lip hard before finally answering.

“Actually…”

“Yes? I’m listening.”

She let out a bitter laugh as she looked at Kaiden’s reflection – and her own – in the mirror.

“I was just thinking… maybe things would have been better if I’d been Olivia Grosvenor instead of Violet Grosvenor.”

“What?”

Kaiden frowned, as if he had just heard something completely absurd.

Violet craned her neck like a frightened turtle.

“I mean, it’s just…”

When it had been revealed that Violet Amber was in fact Olivia Grosvenor, Kaiden had been overjoyed and relieved.

He’d confessed that he’d loved her all along, and confidently said that no matter what form Olivia took, his love for her would never change.

And true to his word, he had loved Violet as she was – without conditions, without hesitation.

Still, on such a momentous day, she couldn’t help but wonder – wouldn’t it have been even better to spend the night with Kaiden as Olivia?

Kaiden paused, searching for the right words before finally speaking in a firm, steady voice.

“I told you, didn’t I? It doesn’t matter what form you take.”

“But…”

“No matter what you look like now, you’re still you. Then, now and for the rest of my life – you’re the only one I’ll ever love. My one and only woman.”

“……”

“Or… did I not show it enough? Did I make you feel insecure?”

“No. Not at all. You’ve always loved me, always. It’s just… it’s something I felt inside, that’s all.”

At that moment, Violet suddenly remembered the vial she had kept in her jewellery box – the last of the three potions Lady Cassandra had given her, still unused.

As if he could see through her thoughts, Kaiden spoke firmly.

“I know what you’re thinking – but there’s no need.”

Then he turned Violet towards him, meeting her gaze directly.

“If you ever felt that my love was lacking, Letty…”

“It’s not that-“

“Then would you give me the chance to show you how deeply I feel?”

“Huh?”

Before Violet could fully comprehend what he meant, Kaiden’s eyes crinkled into a gentle smile.

Caught in that look for a moment, she didn’t even notice him carefully lifting her into his arms.