Chapter 36
36
Nikolaus felt a cold sweat breaking out and hurriedly placed the ice cream on the table.
"Here, this is a new flavor, so just try it once."
"Mr. Nikolaus, if you keep giving it to me like this, I'll feel burdened and won't be able to come again."
"How can you say such a disappointing thing? You fixed my Prosthetic hand. And I owe the captain a debt too."
Nikolaus mentioned Viktor in front of Liv, intending to warn her to be careful, even if they were friends. However, Liv, excited that a topic she was curious about had come up, asked with even more enthusiasm.
"Was the boss also on the Rubid Ship?"
"Of course, these two hands of mine were injured while I was on the Rubid Ship, ma'am. He wasn't just on it, he was an officer. He was the only one who wasn't from a noble family. I'm skilled, very skilled."
Nikolaus boasted and laughed heartily. Liv asked with sparkling eyes.
"Then did you see the captain too?"
"Yes, well... I guess you saw him more often than I did."
As Nikolaus said that and glanced at Scarlett, Liv also looked at her and complained.
"Scarlett never tells me anything about that."
Then Scarlett, looking beyond frustrated to the point of feeling wronged, said.
"Why would I want to talk about my ex-husband?"
"Why not? The owner of Elizabeth Snowball's shop curses her ex-husband every day."
"That ex-husband deserved to be cursed, living a double life. I'm different. It's practically because I cursed my ex-husband that we got divorced, so what's there to curse?"
Scarlett spoke firmly, truly not wanting to talk about Viktor, and Liv flinched and soon nodded.
"I guess so."
Scarlett felt a burning sensation inside whenever Viktor's name came up, so she took a large scoop of the new ice cream Nikolaus had given her and put it in her mouth. Then, her eyes widened and she looked at Nikolaus.
"Oh my goodness, this is so delicious. What is it?"
Then Nikolaus, immediately puffed up with pride, replied.
"Ah, I added a little salt. The navy man's Salt ice cream!"
"Liv, hurry and try it."
At Scarlett's urging, Liv also took a bite of the Salt ice cream and her eyes widened as she said.
"Wow, I think this will sell really well."
"Really? Wow, well. I'm embarrassed, but I feel good."
Nikolaus laughed heartily with a happy expression at the customers' praise.
Liv, who had to help with the bakery work, regretted not being able to finish their conversation and returned. Scarlett bought all kinds of ice cream from the shop and put them in a picnic basket, hanging it in front of her bicycle. The basket was also full of bread from Liv's shop, so much so that one side of the lid couldn't be closed.
As she pedaled, an icy, mixed-with-ice wind whipped past her face, and by the time she arrived at the lake where Isaac worked, her cheeks and nose were as red as if they had been burned.
As if knowing that Scarlett would come, Isaac was waiting in the tent in front of the pier on time. It was thanks to the raft owner, who had tasted the profits Isaac brought in, that he had set up a tent for Isaac and even brought a table inside. There was a brazier, so the inside of the tent was warm.
Scarlett, seeing Isaac reading a book with a magnifying glass almost right in front of his eyes, asked in surprise.
"Isaac, you can read?"
Then Isaac smiled bashfully.
"Yeah. I have to look at it one letter at a time, so it's slow, but..."
"Still!"
Scarlett sat down next to Isaac with an excited face. And she carefully examined his eyes and asked.
"How are your eyes? Do they hurt anywhere?"
"They don't hurt at all. I think they're really getting better now."
Isaac smiled bashfully. Thanks to that, Scarlett was so happy that her happiness seemed to be transmitted to the person next to her, and she took out the ice cream from the basket and said.
"I wondered if I brought ice cream for nothing in this winter, but it's warm here."
"Ah, that looks delicious."
"Try this. They put salt in it."
"They put salt in it? In ice cream?"
Isaac was amazed and took a bite of the ice cream Scarlett handed him. Then he was constantly exclaiming in admiration, as if it was delicious.
Seeing Isaac eating so well, the smile didn't leave Scarlett's face either. It was a rare moment of peace.
As the two of them were eating ice cream and talking about various things, they heard a commotion outside the tent.
"What's going on?"
Scarlett muttered to herself and got up. And before she could, someone opened the tent door.
It was Arnold Crimson who opened the tent door. He and his gang came into the tent.
"Ah, Arnold?"
At Scarlett's trembling voice, Isaac hurriedly fumbled for his black-painted glasses. But before he could find his glasses, Arnold limped over, dropped the glasses on the floor, and stepped on them.
He didn't know that Isaac could see to some extent, so he sneered as he looked at his eyes, still covered in silkworms.
"Scarlett, you have a strong stomach. How can you eat ice cream while looking at something like that?"
"I don't mind at all."
Arnold scoffed at Scarlett's forceful answer.
"You don't mind at all? Then Isaac tried so hard to keep it a secret from you for nothing? I gave him quite a hard time, you know. Right, Isaac?"
Isaac didn't want him to say anything more, so he got up to stop Arnold from speaking. As he walked towards the direction of the voice, he stopped at the scream coming from beyond the open tent door.
"L-look at that person's eyes!"
Following the voice, there was a thud, as if someone had fallen. Isaac hurriedly covered his eyes with both hands.
Arnold chuckled at the sight and said to Scarlett.
"Scarlett Crimson. Your father is going to sue you with a lawyer and family members. You know that."
"Sue... me?"
"Did you think we would just let you spread such malicious rumors?"
Arnold continued, his expression filled with even a sense of pleasure.
"It's not just you who's in trouble. The family elders are even thinking of ways to strip Isaac of his title."
"Don't threaten me like that. It's impossible to take the title away from Isaac."
"It's different if the royal family, nobles, and even the parliament all agree. Isn't that right? In the history of the Crimson Family, has there ever been anyone who has tarnished the family name as much as you?"
"It's not a disgrace. I'm right. My uncle's method is wrong!"
"What can you do when the Crimson Family members don't agree and you, a girl who hasn't even received a proper education, insist?"
At those words, Scarlett hesitated.
Arnold grabbed her chin and said.
"First, I'm going to expel you from the Crimson Family. And since you spread false rumors, I'll get compensation. You're ruining everything. Do you understand?"
As anxiety spread in her clear eyes at his words, Arnold, even more excited, continued.
"It's just pocket change for the Dumpelt Family, so go and get it from them again. Viktor Dumpfelt must still want something from you. Well, it's obvious what he wants without even looking."
Arnold shook her face as he spoke.
"Do you have anything else besides this?"
"Stop it."
Scarlett, who had been trembling, barely managed to say and pushed him away. Arnold, perhaps afraid of Viktor Dumpfelt, didn't lay a hand on her as he usually did and stepped back.
"You'll see me soon. In court."
Arnold left the tent with his group, fully satisfied with the sight of the ruined siblings. And before the two could even come to their senses, they heard arguing outside. It was Carel, the raft manager, and Paterson, the owner of this nationally recognized pier.
Carel said to Paterson.
"A few guests were just a little surprised. You know how much profit the young master has brought in!"
"That was when I didn't know he had such a hideous disease! Go and fire him right now!"
"Boss!"
"Why are you protecting him! Do you want to get fired too?"
As Paterson shouted, Carel sighed painfully.
A moment later, Carel entered the tent with a face full of guilt.
"Young master..."
Then Isaac, still covering his eyes with his hands, replied.
"I'll leave soon, Carel. Just give me a moment."
"Of course! And young master, I'll find you another job somehow."
As Isaac gave a weary smile instead of an answer, Carel continued with a tearful face.
"I mean it, young master."
"I'm much obliged."
Carel, who seemed to have grown fond of Isaac, hesitated for a long time before leaving.
After he left, Isaac groped towards Scarlett. Then Scarlett hurriedly walked over to him and said anxiously.
"Are you okay? I'm sorry. What did I know to get involved..."
Isaac, who had been listening to Scarlett's words, carefully wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his arms.
"Scarlett. You're the one who's startled."
"Huh?"
"It's not you who should be asking if I'm okay, it's me."
And he continued in a low voice.
"Scarlett, now I'm going to have an increasingly clear vision. You don't have to treat me like a child. And you're right. As always, you're right this time too. Why are you blaming yourself?"
At his words, Scarlett soon let out a habitual laugh and nodded.
"Yeah, that's right. Why am I blaming myself?"
"Let's go home."
Isaac said in a gentle voice and covered his eyes with his hands again. The siblings were both burning inside, blaming themselves, but on the outside, they put on skillful smiles.
