192 – Even If Your Lies Sink Me
Standing at the forest’s edge, Scarlett’s face lit up as she said, “I’ve always wanted to come here. I heard it’s too dark and dangerous, so I never did.”
Viktor smiled at her words. He remembered the last time he had brought her to the pine forest, the day she pretended to have lost her memory. That’s why he had chosen this place.
Viktor held her hand, and they walked forward.
Upon entering the pine forest, they unexpectedly found a narrow path. Viktor helped Scarlett onto the horse, then mounted himself, and they rode through the forest.
After about 15 minutes in that state, they began to glimpse the sea as they moved westward through the forest. There was a very small harbour with a sloop and an even smaller schooner moored there. A few naval personnel came out from the nearby coastal grass to greet them.
Viktor gestured for Scarlett to dismount and led her to the ship. Anxious, Scarlett asked, “This ship isn’t navy-owned, is it?”
“The sloop over there is navy-owned. This one belongs to the Dumfelt family.”
“Really?”
“My father bought it for dating purposes.”
Scarlett seemed slightly impressed by this statement. Viktor continued, “But he never got around to using it. Don’t worry.”
While speaking, Scarlett climbed aboard the ship. The small schooner, finished with teak wood, provided a warm and comfortable feeling. The beautiful mast added a romantic atmosphere.
“It’s so beautiful…”
“Because it’s my father’s date boat?”
“Don’t ruin the mood.”
As Scarlett pouted, Viktor laughed. His laughter made Scarlett feel awkward, and she commented, “Why are you acting like this today? You’re smiling so much it’s weird.”
“Because I enjoy being with you.”
“Lies.”
Scarlett grumbled softly, but her mouth curled up in delight as she turned her head towards the sea.
Viktor skillfully unfurled the sail, and the ship left the harbour to enter the open sea. Viktor pointed to the floor, saying, “Open that.”
Curious, Scarlett opened the door on the floor, revealing an array of fine wines and cheeses inside.
Pulling out a bottle of wine, Scarlett remarked, “Looks like something Lord Gregory was planning to use for a date.”
Bringing up a dating story that could potentially ruin the mood, Scarlett watched as a smile returned to Viktor’s face.
The sea was calm. Viktor didn’t take the ship too far out; he stopped at a certain point and dropped the anchor.
As the ship came to a halt, Viktor retrieved a fishing rod and handed it to Scarlett.
“Want to go fishing?”
Taken aback by the fishing rod in her hands, Scarlett asked, “Fishing on a date?”
“No, I haven’t even been on a proper date.”
“That’s because you’ve never met a guy worth dating.”
He made the same joke he used to make when her memory was intact. This time, Scarlett burst into laughter. She grabbed the fishing rod with a face of pure joy as if she might take off flying at any moment.
“This should be fun. I wonder what we’ll catch here.”
“There’s plenty of cod. And halibut too.”
“Wow, I want to catch something too. I have a feeling I can, somehow.”
“Guess we won’t have any problems with tomorrow’s breakfast.”
Viktor teased, and Scarlett laughed before confidently taking hold of the fishing rod.
♔♔♔
From the beginning to the end, Viktor had done everything, so all Scarlett had to do was hold the fishing rod and wait. In the meantime, Viktor lit a fire in a pit.
“If you catch a cod, we’ll cook it right here.”
“What if I don’t catch any?”
“Cheese works too.”
“I’ll catch something.”
“Let’s see if beginners’ luck is on your side.”
“Sure. Let’s have some grilled fish.”
Scarlett spoke and tightly grasped the fishing rod with both hands. Staring intently at the bobber didn’t necessarily improve fishing results, but Scarlett was focused on it nonetheless. Viktor smiled at her dedication, but soon his expression darkened as he thought about how this situation was all fake.
He no longer wanted to become royalty. It now felt distasteful, even repulsive. He should have given up on that long ago and created moments like these.
After a while of staring at the bobber, Scarlett asked, “Has it moved?”
“Not at all.”
“…Would I be able to tell if it did?”
“You would know.”
“Okay, I’ll trust you.”
Scarlett replied and looked at the fishing rod. Viktor, who had been watching her like that for a while, asked, “Do you trust me?”
“Yeah, I trust you.”
“What if I’m a liar?”
“I don’t care.”
Scarlett, seemingly affected by the fact that she was on a date with him, had been wearing a consistently joyful expression. She continued speaking, “I trust even your lies. When you speak, it’s all truth to me.”
“…Because you love me?”
“Yeah, because I love you. Even if your lies were to sink me beneath this sea, I’d still believe you.”
I fell in love with this book when it was still ongoing and read it during COVID, anticipating each chapter’s release. I’ve been translating this book since 2020! I put a lot of time and effort over the years, hours on end manually translating and typing, and comparing with the original book so that my nuances are right, so that my translations are good (five years coming for TIDK).
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