Chapter 13
13
The next day, she immediately caught the Tram and headed to Dumpelt Mansion.
A two-hour Tram ride from Crimson brought her to the opposite end of the capital, where Dumpelt Mansion stood.
Arriving at Dumpelt Mansion after almost a year, she was still struck by its imposing scale. When she first saw this mansion from inside the carriage, she felt as if she had entered a new world.
Scarlett entered the drawing room and soon found Gregory Dampfelt, her father-in-law. Just as his son was strikingly handsome, his father, Gregory, also possessed remarkable looks.
Despite having a wife, he met women indiscriminately. Gregory considered it compensation for his pitiful life.
Even now, as Scarlett entered, a woman hastily slipped off his lap. Gregory, on the other hand, greeted her with a nonchalant expression, as if he had been waiting.
"My son asked if I deliberately sent you to Mellin Monastery with the Delpio Priest to torment you. As if it's all my fault that the priest treated you harshly?"
At his words, Scarlett spoke.
"I didn't say anything. My husband found out by chance."
At her words, Gregory placed a document on the table with a hand adorned with a large ring, saying,
"How could he find out by chance? You must have given him a hint."
"He happened to apprehend the Delpio Priest. That's what he said."
"Don't talk nonsense. He only found out now, almost a year later. Isn't that because you gave him a hint?"
Scarlett felt wronged and wanted to tear open her heart to show him, but she was worried that Gregory would become even more enraged if she resisted, so she remained silent.
Gregory said, looking somewhat unstable,
"That child was angry with me. The child who used to pity me so much."
He seemed deeply distressed by the rift with his son.
After hesitating for a long time, Scarlett knelt on the marble floor.
"I am truly sorry if I have upset you."
Scarlett had learned that when Gregory was upset, her only option was to beg, as she had no power.
Only after seeing her actions did Gregory seem somewhat appeased. He stroked his mustache and paused before speaking.
"You should talk to my son."
"Yes?"
"This happened because you were weak, and the priest acted on his own. So, persuade Viktor like that."
Gregory had always feared his son.
The Dumpelt Family was strange. When Scarlett belonged to this family, she felt like she had entered a prairie without any protective gear. It was a place that operated solely on the logic of power, and whether it was between husband and wife or father and son, the one with more royal blood prevailed.
In that sense, the overwhelming force in this family was originally Princess Marina Dumpelt, followed by Viktor Dampfelt, who inherited half of the royal blood.
Scarlett nodded.
"I will."
"Go and talk to him right away. I miss my son."
Gregory's expression brightened slightly.
At that moment, footsteps were heard from behind, and Scarlett turned around absentmindedly to see Viktor entering.
Gregory quickly stood up.
"Viktor, my son. Oh, how long have you been there..."
Viktor glanced at the situation inside for a moment, then left the place, seemingly dumbfounded.
Then Gregory urged Scarlett.
"What are you doing! Why aren't you following him!"
Scarlett belatedly stood up and followed Viktor out.
Scarlett almost ran to catch up and grabbed his arm.
"Viktor."
Then Viktor turned and looked down at her.
Because he was the man she had lived with for two years, she knew that his face, which others would simply consider expressionless, was showing displeasure, and she also knew the reason for that displeasure.
There were two reasons why Viktor chose Scarlett Crimson as his marriage partner.
First, she was the legitimate daughter of a noble family who was distant from social circles and would not cause any trouble.
Second, he extremely disliked emotional things, and it seemed to him that the Crimson family, being clockmakers, would have a rational and logical atmosphere.
The Crimson family was the only noble family in the vicinity. The livelihood of everyone in the village depended on the Crimson family. They worked in the five factories owned by the Crimson family and as servants of the Crimson family.
Nevertheless, the shock Scarlett received when she first saw the scale of the Dumpelt Family was indescribable.
Even though Scarlett was the legitimate daughter of the Crimson family, she had been doing all sorts of housework since she was twelve years old and was treated worse than a properly employed maid. To Scarlett, Viktor Dampfelt's first impression was filled with admiration and fear. He was like a king from an enemy country who had come to make the prince in the fairy tales Scarlett had been reading kneel.
Scarlett didn't think of Viktor as her husband at all, so for a while, she called him "Young Master," like the other servants. She couldn't even make eye contact with him, as she felt she shouldn't dare to look at him.
They lived like that for a while after getting married, then Viktor went out to sea as soon as he heard that pirate ships had appeared off the coast, and he returned home a month later.
Scarlett supported Viktor, who looked exhausted and about to collapse. Of course, rather than supporting him, it looked like they would fall together as she struggled, so Viktor mustered his remaining strength and stood up straight. Anyway, Scarlett sat him down in the tea room and fussed over him, asking,
"Were you tired? Shall I bring you tea, Young Master?"
That day, Viktor opened his mouth at Scarlett's words as she looked at his face from various angles.
"Why do you always call me Young Master?"
Scarlett was worried that he was angry with her for asking with fierce eyes, so she couldn't readily answer.
"Answer me. Don't be frustrating."
Scarlett was startled by Viktor's cold tone, who had only been giving orders and threats, and said,
"Ah, I feel like I should still do that."
Viktor clicked his tongue at her timid voice. Then he leaned back, swept his hair back with his hand, and closed his eyes.
'He didn't like being called Young Master.'
Then what should she call him?
'Does he want me to use honorifics?'
Scarlett pondered for a long time, then approached and said cautiously,
"Lord Viktor, if you're going to sleep, go to bed..."
He opened his eyes at her words. Then he stared at Scarlett for a moment before opening his mouth.
"The Crimson family's child education is worse than I thought."
Scarlett was also upset by those words and frowned immediately.
"Don't insult my parents."
"They taught you wrong."
"No, they didn't!"
"Raising you like a maid is definitely wrong."
"No, it's not!"
Scarlett screamed and covered her mouth with both hands, startled by her own outburst, and stepped back.
Then Viktor looked at her with an unpleasant expression and soon raised his upper body and leaned forward. Then he began to take off the dark blue uniform that smelled of the sea, which he only wore when reporting to the higher-ups after a naval battle.
Scarlett was surprised by the sight of him unbuckling his belt, so she sat down on the floor, then quickly knelt down and began to beg.
"I, I was wrong."
"..."
"I'm sorry for talking back."
Viktor looked at her like that for a moment, then got up and approached.
Scarlett couldn't raise her head and only looked at his shoes, when she heard a low voice from above.
"Husband is neither Young Master nor Lord. Call me by my name or surname."
"I..."
"I won't hit you. And don't kneel to anyone in the future."
Scarlett's hurried breath gradually subsided at the extremely rational voice that she could not have heard in the Crimson family.
After looking at Viktor for a long time, Scarlett, who understood his words, quickly got up. Still unable to raise her head right away, Viktor lifted her chin with his fingertips.
"Raise your head and look me in the eye. You're not a maid."
At his words, Scarlett looked up at Viktor with watery eyes.
Then Viktor continued.
"Go to bed. I've been at sea for a long time. I have to hold you tonight."
Scarlett nodded and absentmindedly tried to look at the floor again, but quickly raised her head again and looked into his eyes.
He spoke in a commanding tone, but strangely, he felt less scary than the day she first met him. A little bit of admiration also disappeared, leaving behind a strange tickling sensation.
She quickly turned around and ran to the bathroom.
Viktor seemed to think Scarlett was too young, so he had never wanted to sleep with her since they got married. Scarlett was hesitating whether she should ask him first.
She would be sharing a bed with him tonight. She had truly become this man's wife.
That thought gave her clear fear, vague excitement, and a little bit of happiness.
Scarlett opened her mouth, recalling that day.
"Since we're divorced, it's okay to kneel a little, right?"
"..."
"I don't have any pride anyway. You know that."
Viktor replied to Scarlett's words.
"I know, you're pathetic."
"Yeah. That's why I'm saying this, I need money. Lend me some."
She didn't have the confidence to look him in the eye, so she looked at Viktor's shoes.
She reassured herself that she wasn't being pathetic right now, but just had a strong will to live.
After thinking that living was originally like that, she was finally able to continue speaking.
"Originally, I was going to say it wasn't your father's fault and act cute to get you to let go of your anger. Not because you like it, but because I thought you'd say you let go of your anger just because you didn't want to see that kind of sight. But since you heard everything, I'm just saying it."
"..."
"Living as your wife is harder than I thought. There's so much to do."
Then Viktor pushed the doorknob next to him and opened the door. And he pushed Scarlett inside.
After entering the empty room, he closed the door and bent down, bringing his face close to Scarlett.
Scarlett stepped back at his sudden action.
"W-what are you doing?"
"I'm curious. How far does your lack of pride go?"
"..."
As he came right up to her, Scarlett backed away until her back was against the door, then quickly turned her head to the side.
Viktor's laughter was heard in her ear.
He grabbed Scarlett's chin with his hand and turned her towards him, then opened his mouth.
"Since I have the money, shouldn't you have knelt in front of me if you were going to kneel?"
