Chapter 12
12
She spent the night in a terrible mood.
The next morning, Scarlett headed to the building right next door, where she bought bread every morning to give to Isaac.
As she appeared, Liv, the baker's daughter, ran up to her.
"Scarlett Crimson!"
Startled by her booming call, Scarlett widened her eyes and said,
"The whole neighborhood will hear you."
"What was that yesterday? Why were the Navy here?"
"How did you know?"
"The Navy carriage was in front of the clock shop. Everyone who comes to the bakery today asks about it!"
At Liv's words, Scarlett examined the bread in the glass display case and said,
"It was nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing? Did someone rob your store or something?"
"No, it wasn't that... Give me a lot of apple cake and fig bread. My brother likes it."
Scarlett tried to change the subject, but Liv took out three fig breads, placed them on a wooden cutting board, and cut them at regular intervals, pressing her again.
"Was it a thief?"
"...Ex-husband."
"What? Ex-husband!"
At Liv's voice, all the customers in the bakery looked at them.
Scarlett's face turned red, and she hit Liv's arm.
"Keep it down!"
"How can I calm down in this situation? Everyone has been holding back thousands of questions about the Captain."
As Liv was about to pour out a barrage of questions as if she had seized an opportunity, Scarlett waved to the owners, a couple, who were visible in the distance.
"Mr. and Mrs., Liv won't give me the bread."
"Oh, I can't live with her. I'm sorry, Miss Scarlett!"
Liv's Mother came over, put the fig bread in a paper bag, added cream to spread, and asked slyly before handing it over.
"So, your ex-husband came?"
"Mrs.!"
"Oh, no! I just heard it over there..."
Scarlett sighed and said, taking the bread,
"Next time, next time."
Then Liv shouted,
"What next time! Tell me as soon as you get back from the Crimson Family!"
At her urging, Scarlett had no choice but to answer that she would and left the store. The merchants on 7th Street were all close and eager to know about Scarlett's personal affairs.
Scarlett put the cake box in the bicycle basket, put the paper bag on top of it, and grumbled.
"If only the bread didn't taste so good."
Then she got on her bicycle and pedaled to the Crimson Family.
Sitting on the attic bed, Isaac groped for and picked up the documents that the Dumpelt Family property manager had left on the bed in the morning.
Then, as the door opened, he smiled.
"Scarlett."
Scarlett laughed out loud at Isaac's happy expression, who could distinguish all the sounds of people's footsteps. Then she walked over cheerfully and asked,
"What kind of documents are those?"
"I don't know. The Dumpelt Family property manager told me to give them to you."
Isaac said, handing over the documents. Scarlett's expression darkened as she checked them.
The documents were from Gregory Dampfelt. Viktor had learned that Scarlett had gone through hardships and fever in the Monastery, so he considered that Scarlett had violated the confidentiality agreement and was demanding the return of the money he had given as compensation.
Scarlett's expression became serious, but Isaac didn't know and was looking in the direction where the sound of paper friction was heard.
Isaac asked,
"What does it say?"
"Oh, it says to sign to confirm that I received the money when we divorced. I can't pretend I didn't receive it when I did."
"I see."
Isaac nodded in agreement.
Scarlett crumpled the documents into the bag she had brought and took out the cake and bread.
"Let's eat this instead."
"Okay."
Isaac nodded and got up.
As he was about to walk towards the wooden table, Scarlett said teasingly,
"I still have some time until we get a house to live in. So stop growing so much."
"Huh?"
As Isaac tilted his head, she looked at the ceiling and said,
"If you grow a little more, your head will touch the ceiling."
"Really?"
"Crimson Family men are usually tall, but you're especially tall."
Isaac raised his hand and stopped when his hand touched the ceiling. Scarlett's eyes widened at the sight and asked,
"Isaac, don't tell me you didn't know you were tall?"
"...I didn't know at all."
"That's ridiculous."
"Everyone has been taking care of me, so I psychologically feel small..."
He muttered to himself, then soon wrapped his arm around Scarlett's shoulder. And after touching his own shoulder with that hand, he opened his mouth, speechless.
Since Scarlett was always the one to grab him first, she pulled Isaac's arm today and said,
"Come on, sit down. Fig..."
Scarlett was talking when the door suddenly opened. Then Arnold came in.
He came in as he pleased and shouted at Scarlett.
"You fox-like woman, you said the store was everything! You hid the fact that you got divorced and received money?"
It seemed that he had found out because the Dumpelt Family people had come and stirred things up.
Scarlett rushed over.
"Let's, let's talk outside..."
But Arnold grabbed Scarlett's slender neck and pressed her against the wall.
"I raised you, and you don't even know how grateful to be. You're being punished because you have such a nasty heart."
"I'm, I'm sorry."
As always, she couldn't even groan for fear of startling Isaac, and she apologized in a tone that felt almost like a spoiled child, as if this situation was commonplace. She thought that was the way to ease Arnold's mood and reassure Isaac.
Then Isaac came over, tapping the floor with his cane, reached out and grabbed Arnold's arm, and asked,
"Arnold, what are you talking about?"
"This bitch broke some promise, so the Dumpelt Family is asking for the money back. And that money is enormous, you know? She said she had no money, but she opened her own store and deceived you and me! Okay, let's say that's true for me. But Isaac, you didn't know either, did you? How can you lie to your own brother that you have no money?"
Arnold threatened Scarlett again, but Isaac grabbed his arm and pulled him away from his sister.
It was a strong force. Arnold realized that he could easily subdue his arm with his grip and made a dumbfounded expression.
"I, Isaac, you..."
Isaac grabbed his arm, dragged him out of the room. Then he smiled and said,
"I'll ask."
Arnold realized for the first time that Isaac, whom he had always thought was gentle, had only been able to do physical training in the attic.
Arnold, who had been dazed, soon said in a slightly more affectionate voice.
"Isaac, don't fall for a fox like this. You know we're on your side."
At his words, Isaac raised his head and slowly smiled.
"Of course, I know. I'm on your side too."
Isaac said and closed the door. Then he stood with his back to the door and asked Scarlett,
"How much did the medicine for my eyes cost?"
"Just a little."
"How much is a little?"
"What are you going to do knowing that? Let's eat bread and cake quickly."
Isaac thought several times that he should disappear for Scarlett's sake, but on the other hand, he thought that even if he was as insignificant as he was, it would be better for his poor sister.
Then, on days like today, he just wished that the wind would blow and sweep him away. Even though he had been enslaved because he was taken hostage, she had always acted as if all the violence had left no aftereffects, trying to make him feel even a little better.
'If I wasn't here, this wouldn't have happened.'
Isaac thought that his desire to live had made the situation like this.
He grabbed Scarlett's arm tightly as she was about to cut the cake for him. Her thin forearm was more than enough to fit in his hand. He didn't know that he was so big and that Scarlett was so fragile.
He felt like he had become a cuckoo. He couldn't stand the fact that he himself was such trash.
Scarlett stared at his distorted expression, then said in a brighter voice,
"I didn't say anything because it wasn't a big deal, but you're too worried. There was a misunderstanding. Don't worry."
She neatly cut the cake, put it on a plate, gave him the milk she had brought with her, and said,
"I'll take care of it quickly, so don't worry."
Scarlett spoke in a confident voice and comforted Isaac.
