Chapter 40
40
Scarlett's body trembled violently.
Viktor pulled her wrist, bringing her wristwatch close to her face, and said, "What time is it now?"
Scarlett looked at the watch. Her gaze followed the slow movement of the second hand. Viktor, having turned her attention to the watch, continued, "Think about how to make a watch. In order."
"In order..."
Scarlett finally managed to speak in a hoarse voice. A doctor rushed over, but Viktor gestured for him to step back.
Soon, only the two of them were left in the bedroom, and Scarlett, looking at her wristwatch, began to explain how to make a watch, step by step.
"First, you buy silver..."
"Ah, start from there."
Viktor deliberately chuckled, and Scarlett's trembling body calmed down slightly.
She murmured, "I need to order the main plate from the factory."
Viktor stared at her silently, and Scarlett continued in a trembling voice, "And the mainspring barrel goes in... Ah, before that, I need to buy jewels, but bargaining is difficult. Mrs. Paradi at the jewelry store is said to be associated with a very dangerous organization."
"Paradi would be."
"'Would be'?"
Feeling as if she had heard something dangerous, Scarlett widened her eyes and looked up. Viktor, who met her gaze, lowered his head slightly and asked closely, "You seem to be feeling better now."
"...Ah."
Scarlett nodded, feeling a little easier to breathe.
A moment ago, anxiety had pressed down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe, but thinking about something else made that anxiety take a step back from Scarlett.
Viktor said, "I'll go send the guests away, so stay here."
"Let's go together."
She tried to force herself up, but was surprised to find her torn dress and wrapped herself in the blanket.
Viktor took off his jacket and covered her with it, saying, "There's no need for that."
"No, it's strange. Doing this with someone I'm meeting for the first time."
"..."
Viktor seemed uncomfortable, but reluctantly agreed.
"Come out slowly."
"Thank you."
Viktor turned and left the bedroom without replying to her smile.
After he left, Scarlett changed her dress first. Then she sat on the bed for a while, lost in thought.
She couldn't understand her own actions and psychology at all. That frustration made her want to go back to the drawing room even more.
She didn't trust anyone in the world, but Scarlett really couldn't remember what had happened when she was being interrogated at the Royal Police Headquarters. She wanted to know what had happened in the meantime. And maybe this man had been there that day.
During that week when she betrayed Viktor Dampfelt.
*
Nina, left in the drawing room, said discontentedly, "If she wanted to get her husband's attention, she succeeded. Don't you think?"
As she spoke, Hugh Gun Hunter had a strange expression, as if he was thinking about something. Nina, seeing his expression, became serious.
"What's their relationship? What's the relationship that makes that woman act like that?"
"What are you talking about? There's no relationship."
"No relationship, and she suddenly faints like that? It doesn't make sense."
"Really. I have no idea why?"
Hugh Gunther replied nonchalantly.
"Maybe they had a connection in a past life."
Nina shook her head, bored with his answer.
A moment later, Viktor returned to where the siblings were. Hugh Gunther stood up and said, "How is Miss Scarlett?"
"She's fine."
Viktor replied and sat down again. He crossed his legs, took a sip of tea, and continued, "She said she'll be out again soon."
At that, Hugh Gunther smiled and said, "I really want to clear up any misunderstandings. I really am meeting Miss Scarlett for the first time."
"There's nothing to worry about. Scarlett said the same thing."
"Ah, I see."
Hugh Gunther smiled again, as if relieved.
Nina stared intently at Viktor's face and said, "It's amazing. You get along well even after a divorce."
"I couldn't just leave a woman who suddenly collapsed."
As they were talking, Scarlett, who had changed her dress, returned. She was dressed much more comfortably than before. However, Scarlett's complexion had not returned, and her hands were still trembling.
Hugh Gunther stood up with a worried expression.
"Are you feeling better now?"
Scarlett thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Really, are you seeing me for the first time?"
"Excuse me?"
"I can't trust my memory these days..."
Scarlett, who had spoken carelessly, quickly covered her mouth with her hand. In front of Viktor, who hated people who were not in their right mind because of Mother, he would not be pleased if she brought up such a story where others could hear.
Viktor was not looking at her, and Scarlett forced a smile and said, "I've been busy lately, so I've been a bit out of it."
"I see."
"Really, have we never met?"
"If I had met Miss Scarlett before, I would have no choice but to remember."
Scarlett stared at Hugh Gunther with a somewhat rude intensity, feeling frustrated. And after a while, she opened her mouth.
"Since you said you're with the Royal Police, could we have met at the Royal Police Headquarters?"
At her question, Viktor looked at them.
Hugh Gunther smiled nonchalantly.
"That was another Royal Police officer. Really, you seem to be out of it."
"...I'm sorry."
Scarlett apologized, but she couldn't help but look at Hugh Gunther's face again.
The frustration in the corner of her heart, her unique and terrible curiosity, overcame her inexplicable fear. And she murmured, "No, I'm sure."
She finally became sure of her memory and continued, "I definitely met you there."
"I see."
Hugh Gunther smiled.
"I'll check again."
"Thank you."
Scarlett seemed to be relieved then.
Sitting at the table, she began to drink tea calmly. Then, suddenly, she recalled a scene and screamed, dropping her teacup.
As she moved away from the table, Viktor's gaze turned to Scarlett.
Scarlett was terrified by the scene she had recalled, but she spoke in a trembling voice to show that she was different from Duke Marina Dampfelt, who always caused trouble.
"There was... a bug."
Then Nina tilted her head and asked, "In this winter?"
"..."
She tried to chase away the memories swirling in her head.
She thought it was fake. But at the same time, she remembered Hugh Gun Hunter's face when she was being interrogated at the Royal Police Headquarters.
That man was definitely there.
"You gave me tea."
Scarlett said to Hugh Gunther.
At her words, Hugh Gunther thought for a moment and then said, as if embarrassed, "I sometimes flirt with women I don't know. If that was the case, I'm really sorry."
"That's not it!"
"Miss Scarlett."
Hugh Gunther said in an embarrassed voice.
"I don't know what's going on, but it's difficult if you do this. Sir Viktor is also here."
Scarlett turned to look, but Viktor was no longer looking at her at all.
Her actions seemed truly insane, and Viktor no longer seemed to want to comfort her.
Scarlett began to think that perhaps Viktor's kind actions earlier were just to prevent her from acting strangely in front of Nina, who was the center of society.
In any case, Scarlett was grateful for Viktor's kindness earlier and didn't want to embarrass him any further.
She had to think that the memory she had recalled was an illusion. If she only ignored it, reality would be stable. But she couldn't ignore it, and she said to Viktor in a voice filled with desperation, "I think I remember a little about what happened at the Royal Police Headquarters. I definitely saw him."
Then Hugh Gunther smiled and said, "Yes, now that I think about it, I think so too."
At that, Nina frowned.
"What are you talking about? You were on a tour with Yuli around that time, so you weren't even in the capital."
"Nina."
Hugh Gunther said, as if embarrassed, but Nina, frustrated, looked at Viktor and said, "You were there when the tour group departed, so you remember, right?"
Even Viktor didn't answer her question, so Nina clicked her tongue and sneered.
"Ah, everyone is very gentlemanly."
Scarlett tried to explain something more, but the only scene she could think of was the one where she was drinking tea in front of Hugh Gunther.
But she was sure of her memory. Scarlett had really been clinging to the memory of that day, which she couldn't recall at all, for a long time. Then, the moment she saw Hugh Gun Hunter's face, the outline began to emerge little by little, as if she had put together an important puzzle.
