Violet Evergarden

The words ”Seventh Aeronautical Exhibition” were written in the pamphlet. Said exhibition would be held in the maneuvering area of the Leidenschaftlich army’s Air Force. It seemed to consist of aerial maneuver demonstrations and public displays of the army and the navy’s planes, as well as private ones gathered by volunteers. The ”Flying Letters” that Cattleya had talked about was one of the programs. So-called ”letters of encouragement to whomever picks them”, collected from civilians, would be scattered from the sky by elite pilots chosen from the army and navy. It was a romantic event, in which the participants were stimulated to send inspirational messages to the strangers that would pick their letters, as well as to themselves. It was the only festival on the continent in which letters fell from the sky. As the description stated that the sixth exhibition had happened several years before, it seemed the festival had been canceled for some time due to intensified wars.

She brought the pamphlet closer as if to make Hodgins kiss it, causing him to sneeze.

”See, I want to go too, Cattleya. But I had forgotten that today was the closing day…”

Cattleya’s eyebrows withdrew. Her amethyst orbs swerved with sadness. Her attitude was similar to a dog cub crying dejectedly.

A feeling of guilt grew within Hodgins. ”Don’t make such a face, my cute lady. The festival involved in the exhibition will go on until nighttime, so I can join on the way. I mean, I also want to let my employees clock out early and go to the festival. But we won’t make it in time for the Flying Letters… I think. Well, I don’t know, but yeah, most likely.”

”I will… be alone until then?”

”Benedict… is… in the middle of deliveries, after all.”

”Never mind him. Why are you mentioning his name?” Her face going red, Cattleya attempted to overturn Hodgins’s desk. It was a strength that could never be imagined to come from those slender arms.

Hodgins hastily held back the desk. ”Calm down, Cattleya. I get it. The only other available person close to your age is… Little Lux. Show me the business schedule of the employees.”

Although she was in the middle of a phone call, Lux handed Hodgins a notebook while talking cheerfully. The operational plans of the employees were registered in it.

Hodgins grinned. It was because he had found someone who seemed to be in a convenient condition. ”Aah, Little Violet is off-duty.”

”Eh?” A slight rejection could be noted in Cattleya’s voice.

The mansion was located beyond a path of trees. Ruling among flowerbeds of extravagant colors with plants of several varieties in a luxurious and carefully tended lawn, as well as a farm growing seasonal vegetables, was the Evergarden residence, of which Patrick Evergarden was the current head. It was closer to being a castle than a manor. It had chalky white walls and an ultramarine roof. Its architecture was elegant and well-balanced, wholly symmetrical on both sides, from the spires to the windows.

As a gardener sighted Cattleya’s figure while she passed by, he shouted, ”Miss Cattleya Baudelaire, right?”

Due to Hodgins having talked to them in advance, the gardener had accompanied her from the gates to the mansion, and once she arrived at the porch, a butler welcomed her.

”She will be here soon.”

As she waited with nothing to do in an anteroom, before long, Violet Evergarden appeared, just as the butler had said. ”Cattleya…?”

It was not only because the massively thick red carpet tended to erase footsteps. Violet had showed herself without making a sound, dressed differently from her usual Auto-Memories Doll outfit. Her hair was loosely tied to one side and a flower ornament dangled next to her face. The word ”lovely” was perfect to describe her neat, white one-piece with blue flower patterns. The small flowers were not simply dispersed, but had been designed to fall the way down from the top of her shoulders and middle of her chest. As Leidenschaftlich’s climate was still warm even though summer was ending, it seemed that one would be fine with just a dress, yet she wore a dark blue cardigan as well. It was probably meant to hide her artificial arms. The same old brooch stood on her chest.

”Heh, so you normally dress like this. It’s kinda like a… young mistress? Pretty cute. How nice.”

Violet replied, ”It is my foster mother’s taste. More importantly, did something happen?” Her blue eyes seemed to say, ”What is the matter that caused you to come all the way to my house? Answer quickly.”

”Yeah, kinda…”