Translator: Nox

Chapter 75

75

[Rubid Ship Captain Viktor Dumpelt, Meeting with Bestina Officer Vasily Lintberg]

Viktor checked the extra edition that had come into his hands.

Vasily Lintberg, who had stayed at Dumpelt Mansion for a day and was preparing to return to Bestina, said cheerfully.

"That was fast."

"Indeed."

"Anyway, think about it more seriously, Viktor."

Vasily continued, looking at him.

"The Bestina Royal Family needs you so desperately that I came myself. Didn't the spies you caught say it? Bestina respects soldiers and engineers."

"I've heard it many times."

"With you, Bestina can become the center of the world, and we can achieve peace without shedding a drop of blood. It's a path where everyone is happy."

"Yes. I've heard that many times too."

Viktor smiled, and Vasily knew that even if he urged him further, it wouldn't help his decision.

Vasily waved lightly and left Dumpelt Mansion. Palin Redford, watching the departing carriage, said to Viktor.

"Are you letting him go like this?"

Then Evan Wright poked Palin in the side and said.

"Lord Vasily is a member of the Bestina Royal Family. He's the current King's nephew. If you touch him, it's war."

"Excuse me?"

Palin asked with surprised eyes at the word 'Royal Family'.

"A member of the Royal Family visited Dumpelt Mansion before the Salantie Royal Family?"

"Yes. That's what it means."

Evan glanced at Viktor.

He was a superior he had served for a long time, but he couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

He knew for sure that Viktor hated war. But that might be why he was even more likely to join hands with Bestina. If that happened, his subordinates would have to decide on their course of action. Evan, who had a somewhat opportunistic tendency, and even Palin, who was good at speaking his mind without tact, didn't have the confidence to make a decision that went against Viktor's choice.

Most naval officers entered the academy at the age of eight and were on a ship by the age of thirteen. It was difficult to shake off the obedience to superiors that had been instilled since the age of eight.

The day before, Viktor had spent some time relaxing. Viktor had been the top of his class every year at the academy, and like other top students, he had spent half a year at the Bestina academy for exchange. He had met Vasily there, and they had been roommates. They got along well and became close during that half-year.

Even though they were close, it was remarkable that Bestina had sent Vasily, a member of the Royal Family. Regardless of Viktor's opinion, this meeting was bound to look strange to many people. And for this reason, more people with money were likely to move to Bestina.

While his subordinates were wondering what Viktor was thinking, someone arrived in front of the mansion. It was Scarlett Crimson.

Blight greeted her kindly as always.

"Have you arrived?"

"I'm clear-headed today."

"I see."

Blight said with a smile.

"The Young Master is in his office."

Scarlett nodded and went up the stairs. When she went inside, the office was empty. And she could hear the sound of a shower from the bathroom attached to the office.

Scarlett carefully looked through the documents, and the bathroom door opened. She flinched and looked at Viktor.

Viktor, wearing a gown, walked towards Scarlett.

"Looks like there's something you want to find?"

Scarlett paused as if she had committed a great sin. She thought she should have pretended to have lost her memory, but it seemed too late. After all, the pre-divorce Scarlett would never have gone near Viktor's documents.

Viktor walked closer and grabbed Scarlett's hand that was on the documents, pulling it away.

"If there's something you want to know, ask me."

"...I didn't think you would tell me the truth."

"That doesn't mean you can rummage through my documents as you please."

"If there's something you shouldn't see, you should put it somewhere else, or the office door would have been locked."

"It's not confidential, but that doesn't mean you can look at it as you please."

At Viktor's low voice, Scarlett belatedly realized that she was doing something she shouldn't be doing because she was too distracted.

Scarlett said.

"I heard you met with a Bestina officer?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

Viktor didn't answer immediately, as if he didn't expect her to ask so directly.

Scarlett asked, urging him.

"Yes? Why did you meet?"

Viktor asked back.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Who did you meet?"

"...I don't know if I can say."

"Then what did you hear?"

"The carriage accident that killed my parents might not have been an accident."

"......"

"Don't you know anything?"

Viktor was silent for a moment.

Scarlett said, urging him.

"Viktor."

"It's possible that His Majesty ordered it."

"......"

Scarlett said in a trembling voice at his answer.

"Is there really a spy in the Royal Family?"

"Probably."

"I see."

Scarlett nodded.

Viktor thought about what he would have done to someone who had touched his documents if he were his usual self. He couldn't recall a precedent. The reason he didn't lock the door was because no one touched his documents, and if someone did, it was a spy.

Viktor carefully considered what he should do with her. He asked.

"So, who did you have that conversation with?"

"......"

"Don't you trust me?"

"No."

She answered firmly.

There was a time when she believed everything Viktor said. But trust had been broken long ago. Viktor didn't believe in irrational things, and Scarlett was always included in that.

Throughout his life, Viktor had imposed excessive punishments for wrongdoings. It was the way of the Dumpelt Family and the way of the Navy. It was an effective method.

And that method had also applied to Scarlett. He had left the betrayal he felt towards Scarlett as it was. His method had never harmed him before. Scarlett Crimson was always an unprecedented case for Viktor.

Viktor paused for a moment.

Scarlett couldn't stand the long silence and opened her mouth.

"Say something."

"Then let's answer one question each."

"......"

"That's a favorable condition for you. Normally, I would have found a way to make you talk."

Viktor pressed her peach-fleshed cheek with his finger.

His actions reminded Scarlett of Andrei. After being held by the Navy for a while, he would rub his jaw with his hand for a while, as if his jaw hurt.

Scarlett's shoulders trembled, but Viktor didn't stop. He used his finger to press on Scarlett's lips to open her mouth, and put his finger inside to widen it. His actions were gentle and soothing, like comforting a child. After teasing her like that, Viktor took his hand away and stroked Scarlett's lips as if praising her, saying.

"I'm thinking. Going to Bestina isn't so bad."

"......What?"

"I've done enough. I've been loyal to the Royal Family, and I've been loyal to the citizens."

Viktor bent down.

"They say that if I go to Bestina, Salantie will become peaceful."

"......"

"Maybe that's what people want more."

He was going to get her back. He hoped that Scarlett Dumpelt would one day return to his arms.

Was that possible? Was there anything possible for him?

Viktor couldn't take his eyes off Scarlett's face. After looking at her for a long time, Viktor continued.

"The spies say that the Bestina military knows about you."

"......Me?"

"The previous Count and Countess Crimson were the most outstanding engineers on this continent. It's natural that people who want to wage war would identify them first."

"......"

"The Bestina military will try to kidnap you first for the war."

Scarlett was looking at Viktor with wide eyes, as if she couldn't imagine such a thing.

When Viktor learned that the Royal Police had given Scarlett a drug to recover her memories, he had expected that Bestina was involved to some extent.

Scratching his own shortcomings could be done without using the drug he had obtained with so much difficulty. It even involved taking risks. Yet, the Royal Police had invested a lot of money and time in retrieving Scarlett's memories. He also knew that making her lose such a moderate amount of memory would not have been possible without any experiments.

She was probably already a target.

After a while, Viktor asked cautiously.

"Shall we go to Bestina together?"

Scarlett paused at his question.

After a while, she answered.

"No. I'm not going. And don't you go either."

She said with clear eyes.

Then Viktor replied.

"Even though the Salantie Royal Family may have killed your parents, you still think the same? Salantie despises engineers. If you go to Bestina on your own before they kidnap you, you can do whatever you want with much better support."

Scarlett opened her mouth at his words.

"Viktor, when the Crimson Family received the title of Count, they promised that their descendants with engineering skills would not leave Salantie for generations. You know that, right?"

It was an old law.

Scarlett continued, as Viktor looked at her as if telling her to continue.

"Now, as it is now, but back then, the class system was even more rigid. Yet, what would be the reason for giving the Crimson Family a title and promising not to leave Salantie? It means that the Crimson Family's technology is that important to the country. Is that despising technology? It's not."

Viktor was still silently looking into her eyes, and Scarlett continued.

"The wrong one is the current King. Not Salantie. I am the one who inherited the Crimson Family's technology, and I promised to stay in Salantie in any situation. I'm not leaving."

Viktor muttered at her words.

"You have the family's honor."

Viktor was frustrated by the fact that Scarlett had what he had so desperately wanted.

He had never considered the Dumpelt Family honorable. It was the place where the exiled princess's hill was located.

But in the Crimson Family, which he considered insignificant, there was honor. It was a diamond-like value that the successor had passed on to the successor.