Chapter 61
61
"That coat, it's by my favorite designer."
At Nina's words, Viktor stopped and turned around.
"So?"
"Did you gift it to her?"
"I heard he's famous."
"But I don't think that designer makes white coats."
"So, I ordered it in white. That way, it'll be one of a kind."
Nina was speechless at his words, glaring at him.
Viktor continued.
"You can say whatever you want at social events, but don't go too far. I have ears too."
It sounded like a threat. Nina didn't say anything more, turning around and leaving the lake altogether, and Viktor returned to Scarlett.
Nina had spoken loudly, thinking others should hear about the coat, so Scarlett asked, embarrassed,
"This coat, is it by a designer Nina likes?"
"It's a designer that all the women in society like. So, have you practiced a bit?"
"Yeah. See, I told you I'd get used to it quickly."
Scarlett said, skating slowly. As she quickly recalled her childhood skating and got used to it, Viktor said,
"Too bad. It was fun when you kept falling."
"What's fun about that? It's fun to skate well."
While skating, Scarlett kept glancing at Viktor, trying to figure out what he was up to.
After skating happily for a while, Scarlett asked,
"So."
"So?"
"Why are you being so nice to me these days? What do you want?"
"Can't you tell? I want to live with you again."
"Because it's easy for you that I love you?"
"If you didn't like that answer, I would have come up with something more romantic."
Scarlett smiled slightly at his answer without realizing it. But she quickly hardened her expression and said,
"Absolutely not. I won't fall for that."
But there was a warmth she couldn't hide in that hardened expression, and Viktor smiled.
Every time she forgot that they were divorced, Viktor learned something about her. If he got to know her a little better, he thought he might be able to make her love him again.
Someday, he might even be able to make her come back to him.
The long December slowly passed, and the New Year dawned.
As it turned into January, it snowed particularly heavily in Salantie Monastery. When it snowed, it felt a little warmer, and there wasn't much wind, so it didn't feel as cold.
If this continued, the wind would start blowing fiercely again in February, and when that happened, people would complain about the cold even if the temperature rose above what it is now.
So, Salantie Monastery held a festival in January, when it was relatively mild.
Scarlett sighed deeply.
"Why do I have to do this..."
At her words, Liv put gloves on Scarlett and said,
"It's unanimous. Everyone in Seventh Avenue wants you to be the Snow Queen in the New Year Festival parade."
"I want to be the Spring Queen..."
"You look kind of wintery."
"What does 'look kind of wintery' mean?"
Scarlett was upset, but she was still getting her makeup done by Liv.
The New Year Festival lasted from January 1st to January 7th, and during that time, Seventh Avenue always chose one of Salantie's legends, the Snow Queen and the Spring Queen.
When the Snow Queen passed by at the front of the parade, the spectators threw Confetti made by cutting colored paper. Then, a flower path made of colored paper was created on the path where the Snow Queen had passed, and the Spring Queen walked on the flower path, praying for winter to go and spring to come. It was an important event filled with the wishes of the people of Salantie, where winter was long.
Every year, auditions were held to select these two Queens, and most of the applicants were theater actors or ballerinas who wanted to make their names known. However, after Scarlett appeared in Seventh Avenue, the actor for the role of the Snow Queen was already decided in the hearts of the people of Seventh Avenue, and with the agreement of the majority, they eventually pushed for it.
Scarlett said to Liv, who was doing her makeup,
"My brother's coming later too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Liv's expression brightened at the news that Isaac was coming, but as Scarlett was about to nod, she immediately became serious.
"Don't move your head."
"Ah, okay..."
As Scarlett kept her head still, Liv neatly fixed the white wig that Scarlett was wearing. And not long after, Isaac appeared.
Isaac, who had entered the Snow Queen's waiting room tent, found Scarlett and burst out laughing.
"You look great."
"Don't laugh."
"Sorry, sorry. Hello, Liv?"
As Isaac greeted her, Liv's face turned red and she said,
"Ah, hello."
And as she twirled her hair, Scarlett said,
"Liv."
"Oh, right."
Liv regained her senses and finished Scarlett's makeup. A strange atmosphere emanated from Scarlett as she got up from her seat.
Isaac held out his hand and said,
"The shoes are high."
"...I'm shorter than the Spring Queen. No, if that's the case, they should have hired an actress in the first place."
Scarlett grumbled and placed her hand on Isaac's hand.
As she came out of the tent, Charlie and Susan, the children of the Tram driver who had been waiting in front, widened their eyes and said,
"Wow, it's the Snow Queen..."
"Scarlett! Is it Scarlett?"
Then Scarlett said with a somewhat scary face,
"No? It's the Snow Queen? I'll freeze all the bad children."
"Wow! Awesome!"
"Scarlett, you're so cool!"
The children chattered and ran around Scarlett.
Scarlett soon got on a wheeled wooden board, and the Tram drivers, who were in charge of making the event's equipment, checked the device.
"We trimmed the wood without a single thorn so that our Scarlett doesn't get hurt. How is it!"
"I wondered. I can feel that you put in a lot more effort than usual. Oh, the handle is covered in cloth too."
"I sewed it myself."
It was funny to think that the burly Tram driver had held a needle and sewed with those huge hands.
"Thank you."
Scarlett said, standing on the device. And belatedly, she sighed and said,
"But I'm so embarrassed..."
Then Liv said,
"Scarlett, you're an actress. An actress has to be confident."
"First of all, I'm not an actress, and I'm not doing this because I want to."
At those words, Susan asked in surprise,
"S, Scarlett. You don't want to be the Snow Queen?"
Scarlett was startled by the innocent question and said,
"No! No. I love it. I get to wear such pretty clothes."
"Right?"
Only then did the child look relieved.
Soon the device began to move.
All Scarlett had to do was stand still and not smile. She was clenching her mouth shut in case she saw something funny, but when she tried not to laugh, she felt like laughing at anything.
"Snow Queen, please make it snow less this year!"
"Snow Queen! You're beautiful!"
"Snow Queen, I love you!"
It was hard not to laugh when people said things to please the Snow Queen. Scarlett tried to hold back her laughter by thinking about disassembling and reassembling a clock in her head.
It was difficult to get flowers in January, so people threw colored paper, but some rich people seemed to be throwing real flower petals. There was a faint scent of flowers. At first, she was embarrassed, but she felt proud thanks to the people who sincerely wished for a short winter.
The parade procession passed through a street with few newly built buildings.
'I really hope this winter is short.'
As she was thinking, the device finally stopped at its destination. Now, she would disappear into that black curtain, and the Spring Queen would announce in front of that curtain that the Snow Queen had disappeared, and it would be over.
Scarlett walked into the black curtain. And as she was hiding inside, she heard people talking behind her.
"Did you hear? That's the Dumpelt Family's... Mrs. Scarlett."
"Ah, the one who got divorced? Oh my, she's here?"
"Did you hear? Mrs. Scarlett is... not in her right mind."
At those words, Scarlett paused.
"Why, she was sent to the Monastery, wasn't she?"
"She was."
"Even after that, she's still not in her right mind... It's just a rumor, but recently, she forgot that she was divorced and rushed to the Dumpelt Family in a daze."
"S, she forgot she was divorced?"
"That's why I'm saying she's not in her right mind."
Scarlett's hands trembled at the murmuring outside.
Come to think of it, she had woken up in Viktor's bed a few times recently.
She was used to losing her memories, so even if she didn't have a few days' worth of memories, she just assumed that was the case. But waking up in the same bed as Viktor was incomprehensible.
Viktor had blamed himself for the situation without saying much.
'What should I do.'
Scarlett gasped and crouched down in her place.
