Chapter 25
25
“…I wonder if it’ll be enough to repay you.”
Scarlett avoided his gaze as she continued.
“People say that the reason you don’t divorce me is because I’m good in bed. But you, on the other hand…”
“Who said such a thing?”
“I heard it at a party.”
“So, who?”
At Viktor’s low voice, Scarlett genuinely pondered before opening her mouth.
“Was it Duke Tevez, that person?”
“Ah, just the kind of lowlife who would spout such nonsense.”
“Isn’t he your cousin?”
“Yes. Worse than a stranger.”
Viktor replied and then calmly looked down at her, asking, “So, you believed that?”
He smelled so wonderfully of cologne as he asked from close by.
It didn’t make sense. He was such a heavy smoker, so why?
Scarlett pushed against his chest with both hands to stop him from coming closer, saying, “It was better than saying you’re just living because it’s a bother.”
At her words, Viktor frowned.
“Who said that?”
“Everyone else.”
At her words, Viktor let out a sound of disbelief.
Then Scarlett continued, “I liked those words.”
“What?”
Scarlett, with her head lowered, muttered, “I thought it would be nice to have a reason, even if it was just that. I’d be happy if you lived because it was a bother, and even happier if you lived because of our time in bed.”
“……”
“At least that means you need something from me.”
Having muttered that, Scarlett raised her head.
“How was it? Was there at least one of those reasons why you maintained our marriage?”
“Both are correct.”
“Both… correct?”
“It’s a bother to find someone else, and I liked sleeping with you.”
“……”
“And it was easy that you loved me.”
At his words, Scarlett was so dumbfounded that she could only look up at Viktor without saying anything. Soon, she clenched her fist and punched Viktor’s shoulder with all her might.
She punched him with such force that she could barely support her own body, but Viktor didn’t even flinch. He only dodged the blows aimed at his face, taking the rest without even stepping back.
The all-out assault ended after about two minutes, and she gradually lost strength, staggering as it became difficult even to stand.
Scarlett leaned against the glass door, panting heavily, her breath catching in her throat. Viktor stood in front of her, calmly adjusting his crooked tie, and asked with an indifferent face.
“Enough?”
“……”
At his words, Scarlett glared at him, and the corners of Viktor’s lips turned up.
“You’re really… awful.”
Scarlett muttered in a tired voice. Then Viktor’s hand reached out. Startled, Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut as his long fingers slipped into her thin hair.
The Scarlett that Viktor knew would tremble and lean further into his embrace when he caressed and smoothed her scalp with his fingers like this.
Viktor quietly watched Scarlett, who looked as if she couldn’t stand it because she hated it so much.
He bent down and kissed the back of her hand, which she had gathered on her chest. At his action, Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, Viktor tilted his head and met her gaze, saying, “Stop now and go to sleep. If it wasn’t enough, I’ll let you hit me again next time.”
After saying that, he lightly picked up Scarlett. Then, he laid her trembling body on the bed and leisurely left the room.
Left alone, Scarlett rubbed the back of her hand against her nightgown skirt until it was red. Then, she rubbed her lips with the back of her hand as well. She was afraid that Viktor Dumpelt might have left something of himself on her body.
*
She didn’t want to fall asleep in this house, but she didn’t have the strength to leave the room, so she ended up falling asleep here.
It was late morning, and the sun had been up for a long time. Still without the strength to move, she rang the bell, and soon Candice, the maid who worked for her, came in.
“Yes, Miss. Shall I bring you breakfast?”
“Where’s Viktor?”
“He’s gone to work.”
“Then I’ll eat.”
At her words, Candice smiled faintly.
A moment later, she brought breakfast on a silver tray. There were croissants in a basket, her favorite lemon buttercream and cherry Danish, and finally, fresh milk.
Scarlett looked at the silver tray, recalling her early days of marriage. She had secretly packed away the cherry Danish she ate here because it was so delicious, wanting to bring it to her brother.
Most of the schedules Scarlett had to fulfill as Viktor Dumpelt’s wife were social events like parties, and other than that, buying things was all she had to do.
Viktor usually wore whatever Blight picked out for him, and he wasn’t particularly picky or demanding. So, even when Scarlett diligently went shopping and picked out flamboyant suits to her liking, he wore them without complaint. Looking back now, if she hadn’t loved him so much, and therefore didn’t want anything from him, it would have been a life that many would have desired.
Scarlett tore off a large piece of her favorite Danish and put it in her mouth. Candice, who was watching her, cautiously opened her mouth.
“Do you remember Polly, Miss?”
“Of course. I even fixed her clock. Her cherry Danish is the best.”
At her words, Candice smiled contentedly and said, “Polly baked all the bread today too. She’s always bragging about her cherry Danish, but she’s disappointed that Master doesn’t eat it.”
“Why not? It’s so delicious.”
“We don’t understand either. On days when you asked her to bake a lot of Danish, Miss, she would bake a mountain of them, and we would all eat together. Polly’s Danish is the best.”
“That’s for sure. And it was really fun eating together.”
“Exactly. Those were really fun times…”
As Candice, who had found her voice, began to talk about the things that had happened among the servants while Scarlett was away, Polly, who had been peeking out from behind the door, quickly came inside.
Polly had been wondering if Scarlett would even remember her since she was just a kitchen maid, so she had asked Candice to ask first.
Polly said with a confident face, “Miss, did it turn out well today too?”
“Yes. It’s even more fantastic since it’s been so long, you know? Ah, let’s eat together.”
“Oh, no, please.”
“Candice’s story is so interesting that I can’t help it. Since it’s been so long, tell me everything that’s been going on.”
As she spoke, she pointedly pulled the Danish towards her and pretended to push the croissant away, causing everyone to burst out laughing for the first time in a while.
At first, they hadn’t liked Scarlett, who came from a humble family and was an orphan, but at some point, they all thought that there was no employer as considerate of the working people as Scarlett. Like a gathering of friends of the same age, Scarlett, whom they had met after almost a year, and the five maids who served her, and even the kitchen maid Polly, gathered and began to talk about their recent news. They chattered and giggled, talking about this and that without a moment’s pause.
At that moment, the door opened cautiously. When Scarlett turned around, Andrei was standing there, unexpectedly.
“Mr. Andrei?”
The maids all recognized him and showed expressions of joy. He had been one of the Dumpelt Family’s servants for a short time as well.
Scarlett rose to her feet and asked, “How did you get here?”
“Why do you ask? You know why I came.”
“To work?”
“If you can’t come, just say so. I’ll close it. But you seem to have recovered.”
“I’m going, I’m going.”
Scarlett got up before Andrei could nag her.
As she staggered, Andrei offered his arm. Scarlett took his arm and moved her feet.
“You should rest at home. You have to succeed.”
“That’s why I’m not planning on succeeding like that…”
“You shouldn’t think like that. A person needs ambition.”
“I’m telling you to give up.”
“Just watch, before you know it, you’ll be the president of a large corporation.”
He was a difficult employee to keep up with.
From the start, it was a mystery to Scarlett why she had asked Andrei to come with her in the first place. She just felt like she had to at that moment.
As she was about to leave the Dumpelt Family with Andrei, the maids said worriedly, “Why don’t you say goodbye to Master before you go?”
“He’s not the kind of person who would care about that, anyway.”
Scarlett said and grabbed the handle of the large cowhide suitcase that the maids had prepared for her. However, she couldn’t even lift it off the ground, so Andrei ended up lifting it with one hand.
“You should have just given it to me from the start.”
“I had to try.”
“It’s a waste of time.”
“Well, I don’t think the time spent trying is a waste, you know?”
“Well… that’s one of the reasons why I’m serving you as my boss.”
Scarlett laughed happily at Andrei’s rare admission.
Scarlett, who had lived a life surrounded by blacksmiths and the navy, didn’t find it strange that Andrei could lift the weight that she couldn’t budge even with all her strength with one hand as if it were a rag doll. However, as they watched them leave, the maids said to Candice, “Was Mr. Andrei always that strong?”
“I know. Other servants carry that with two people…”
“H-How can he lift it with one hand?”
The butler had plotted to prevent Scarlett from carrying that luggage alone, or even with Andrei’s help. It was obvious that Viktor would be in a bad mood if Scarlett left first. However, Andrei was easily lifting it and heading towards the Tram station.
