Chapter 33
33
*
The main branch fell silent as the daughter of the late head of the family entered.
However, the employees who worked their way up to the main branch were veterans with 30 years of service, some of whom were hired by Scarlett's parents. Perhaps that was why she felt at ease once she stepped inside.
The employees' name tags had stars on them, and the more stars, the longer their tenure. Scarlett handed the box to Mael, the employee with the most stars among them.
"There's a problem with the watch you sell here."
The white-haired employee received the box and smiled.
"It's been a while."
"Oh... yes. Do you remember me?"
"Are you even asking?"
Scarlett felt a little relieved at Mael's gentle tone.
"I came here when I was really young and haven't been back since."
"Why couldn't you come?"
"Because I was afraid of my uncle."
"I see."
Mael answered, but it was clear from his relaxed expression that he and the other employees didn't take it too seriously.
Evil was ruthless to Scarlett and her brother, whom he had to seize the assets from, and he fired the technicians who went against him, but he wasn't like that to those he needed, like Mael.
The Crimson family members appraised the watch itself. Mael also did appraise it, but only the jewels on the watch. Still, he opened the watch cover, examined it, and then spoke.
"I don't have watchmaking skills, but I've been appraising for 40 years. I've seen that many watches."
"Yes. I know."
"In my eyes, this watch looks fine."
Scarlett's expression brightened at Mael's words. And the other employees next to him also checked the watch and gave similar answers.
Soon after, Louise, an employee with a rather prickly impression, said.
"So, what do you want us to do, Miss Scarlett?"
"We need to recall all the watches that were sold with Version 5 parts under my uncle's name."
At her words, the customers in the watch store turned to look at Scarlett.
Soon, the employees wore serious expressions. This could potentially lead to the closure of the main branch.
As the employees hesitated to answer, Arnold Crimson, Evil's eldest son, who was nominally the vice president at the main branch and spent his days drinking, returned.
"Vice President."
The employees knew Arnold's personality, so they first surrounded and protected Scarlett.
Arnold frowned and said to Scarlett.
"What are you up to here?"
Scarlett glanced at the other employees. But soon, Louise stepped forward.
"It seems the parts in the watch are faulty. The watch Miss Scarlett brought is the properly made one."
Arnold frowned.
"Scarlett hasn't even properly learned how to make watches. Are you saying someone who used to be a maid knows more about watches than our father?"
Scarlett then said.
"I did learn how to make watches. Exactly the way my parents made them."
And Mael politely asked Arnold.
"From whom did President Evil learn how to make Crimson Parts?"
Arnold's face twisted at the question.
He soon went to the wall and took out a fire axe. Then he said to Scarlett.
"Get out now!"
Even though Arnold Crimson spent his days drinking and wandering around, he was ultimately convinced that he would inherit this family. So he quickly realized the seriousness of this issue.
It was just one part. But the problem was that the specifications of that one part were different. It wasn't a problem that could be solved by fixing just one thing. The entire inside of the watch had to be taken apart and repaired. If he had to pay all that money, Evil would eventually go bankrupt, and the credibility of his watches would plummet, making recovery impossible.
Startled by Arnold's desperate and extreme actions, Scarlett stepped forward to protect the employees.
"Let's talk."
"I told you to get out!"
"Calm down. Okay. I won't go around talking about this. So let's talk..."
Arnold grabbed Scarlett by the collar. Then he slammed her against the glass display case, pinning her down with force, and put the axe to her neck, saying.
"This isn't a matter to talk about! Do you know what you're saying right now? Are you saying we should all go bankrupt?"
Scarlett's eyes widened in horror at his actions. The employees also tried to stop him, but they quickly backed away at the sight of the axe pressing against her neck.
"This guy's really gone crazy..."
Arnold looked at Scarlett.
Scarlett's eyes were filled with will, and undisguised contempt for Arnold, more than fear. At that look, Arnold felt like a screw had come loose in his head.
Scarlett was always like that. She was like a weed, and at the same time, she was stupid. He thought it was the worst combination.
Even after being beaten up by Arnold and his siblings, she would excitedly run over when they called her to play. And if they were a little nice to her, she would smile as if nothing had happened. It was that kind of stupidity, where she struggled more with a lack of affection than with being hungry.
People who only give unilaterally are often looked down upon. Scarlett Crimson was like that to Arnold's family.
Arnold said.
"Do you know why your life is like that? It's because you're stupid. It's because you keep messing up your own life."
And yet she despises him. Not knowing her place. What does it matter what goes into that watch, that she looks at him with such contempt?
He lost his mind for a moment, and because he was so desperate, he wondered if it would be cleaner to kill her as she was, even with so many eyes watching. On the other hand, he even felt a thrill at killing Scarlett with his own hands.
Arnold, driven mad, chuckled and placed the axe above Scarlett's eye.
"Should I make you blind too?"
"Vice President!"
"Just try to come closer. I'll chop her right here. It's better to spend some time in jail than to go bankrupt, right? Besides, does this bitch even think she's done anything right?"
Arnold knew how to silence Scarlett in an instant.
He hadn't been interested until now, but now that he thought about it, it was true. Arnold looked at Scarlett and said.
"You think you're being nice to Isaac, but you're not. Have you seen Isaac's eyes?"
"...Why? What about his eyes?"
"See? You don't know."
"Why, why? What's wrong with his eyes?"
"What's wrong? They're a mess. Completely ruined."
"Ruined... what do you mean?"
"I don't know, maybe he used the wrong medicine. His eyes were covered in something hideous."
Arnold had unexpectedly opened Isaac's door when he was groaning in pain. And he had seen Isaac's hideous eyes then.
"Did you do something? He said he would do anything as long as he didn't tell you."
"..."
"So, he really did do anything."
Arnold laughed like a madman.
Scarlett's body completely lost its strength.
"It was only natural that Viktor Dampfelt abandoned you too. He must have been so sick of you chasing after him, begging him to love you."
"..."
"It's the same with Isaac. There's a limit to how much you can put up with someone out of pity."
Arnold thought he had completely broken Scarlett's will, but he couldn't stop. His reason was not controlled as anger and excitement mixed.
Just then, Arnold's arm was yanked back. Scarlett, who was out of her mind, collapsed to the ground. And as she blankly stared, she heard Arnold Crimson's scream.
Scarlett looked up and saw Viktor completely breaking Arnold's arms and legs, one at a time, and throwing Arnold to his subordinate. Scarlett flinched at the crunching sound. It didn't seem to take any effort at all to break the bones.
Viktor picked Scarlett up. And he lowered his head, looked down at her, and said.
"Scarlett Crimson."
"...Huh?"
As Scarlett blankly looked up, Viktor asked with a calm face.
"How on earth did you grow up?"
"How did I grow up?"
"Every single one of the men in that family tries to break you with force. How on earth did you grow up? In that trashy house."
"More importantly, Isaac... seems to be in pain."
Scarlett looked up at Viktor. Her eyes were clear, as if something was wrong.
Scarlett said.
"I used medicine. They said it was medicine used by pirates, that it would make his eyes see again... Why, I sold you and got the medicine. That..."
At Scarlett's words, Viktor simply looked at her for a moment without saying anything.
Scarlett asked, taking a shaky breath.
"Does it... have side effects? I didn't think about it... Do you know? You know a lot about pirates."
"I don't know. I gave everything to the royal family."
"I see."
Viktor didn't open his mouth for a while at her confused voice. And as Scarlett staggered and tried to leave, he opened his mouth.
"I'll take you home, so stay there. I'll send Isaac there too."
"Sorry. I'm just a burden."
Scarlett muttered and left the store. The employees of the main branch called out worriedly, but she didn't hear them.
In the carriage she rode with Viktor, Scarlett, who had been leaning her head against the door for a while, briefly looked at her ex-husband's face. Occasionally, he had such a beautiful appearance that it made her feel eerie, as if he wasn't human. Looking at Viktor's face, she recalled the words she had heard from Arnold earlier.
"It was only natural that Viktor Dampfelt abandoned you too. He must have been so sick of you chasing after him, begging him to love you."
Scarlett unknowingly recalled the early days of their marriage.
At that time, she was so happy to have a family to rely on that she would often visit her husband's bedroom in the middle of the night, even for small things. When she had a good dream, and when she had a bad dream. Just when she wanted to see him for no reason.
Scarlett opened her mouth.
"At night."
At her words, Viktor turned his head and looked at Scarlett. She continued.
"There was no special reason. For visiting your bedroom so often."
"..."
"I just wanted to see you. I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Then Scarlett smiled with tear-reddened eyes.
"I thought I was being terrible to people. I was really bad."
She had thought about why he wouldn't love her. Ever since she was twelve.
She was doing a love that no one wanted, all by herself, she thought.
"I just keep messing things up... Why am I really like this..."
Scarlett muttered to herself and pounded her chest with her fist.
It was truly terrible that she had been tormenting Isaac like that and hadn't realized it until now.
