189 – What Goes Around Comes Around
At that moment, Aisha continued speaking.
“Viktor came and asked about the effects of this medicine in detail and wanted to know who we sold it to. But Harold said he wouldn’t provide the information even if Viktor killed him. Who knows, though? It’s not like he’s just anyone; he’s the Captain of the Rubied.”
“I see…”
“When Viktor appeared last year, everyone was in a frenzy.”
“Last year?”
“Yeah?”
Scarlett made a puzzled expression and then quickly asked.
“Last year? Viktor knew about this medicine last year too?”
“It’s not like he just knew; he came to ask about it himself. He said he wanted to try it since he has many informants.”
Scarlett nodded with a paler face than before.
Her expression was so pale that Aisha asked in confusion.
“Why do you look like that?”
“No…”
Scarlett touched her lips, feeling perplexed.
“There’s no way Viktor could have known about this medicine before me…”
“Not too long ago, it seemed like Harold could obtain the antidote. It’s because of the part where memories fade and come back. But Viktor said it’s okay.”
“He said it’s okay…? He said that?”
Aisha blinked at Scarlett’s words, wearing a puzzled expression.
“Even after the kidnapping incident, Harold felt sorry and got the antidote for the vice-captain. You didn’t receive it?”
Scarlett nodded with a determined face.
♔♔♔
They couldn’t stay in the observatory all the time; they needed to do their own research and seek more advice. Most importantly, Scarlett planned to decipher the encrypted data her parents had left behind with Isaac. Isaac, who had spent a year longer than her with their parents, might recall memories that could help with the encryption.
After about two weeks near Ruse Falls, Scarlett headed back to the capital to search for the information. Viktor, too, returned to the capital as he had many naval matters to attend to. Having spent two weeks at the warm southern tip and arriving in the capital, he was greeted by a still chilly wind.
Viktor escorted Scarlett and asked her, “Do you have something to tell me?”
Upon his question, Scarlett nodded. Strangely, there was something unfamiliar yet venomous in her eyes.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Is this something you can’t ask here?”
“Yeah. It’s something I can’t ask here.”
In response to Scarlett’s firm words, Viktor nodded and added, “Then come.”
He had some inkling over the past two weeks that Scarlett was avoiding him, and he had a rough idea why. He should have anticipated it when Aisha appeared in front of her. He should have predicted that she might come to gather information about the medicine.
A while later, after they entered Viktor’s office in the observatory, Scarlett closed the door. She looked at Viktor and asked, “Since when did you know? That the royal police used the medicine on me?”
“…”
“You know, I’m busy. Just tell me quickly.”
“Since we caught the royal police spy.”
“Andrei?”
“Yeah.”
“You knew back then, and still… you still haven’t said anything? When were you planning to tell me?”
“…”
“Were you not planning to tell me at all?”
As she asked, Viktor replied with his usual rational face, devoid of any emotion.
“If that were possible.”
At his casual response, Scarlett asked, her face bewildered.
“Knowing that I’ve been feeling guilty and sorry, you still… you didn’t think of telling me?”
“If you had forgiven me and come back home, I would have told you sooner.”
“In this situation… it’s my fault?”
Even in the face of Scarlett’s anger-laced voice, Viktor remained standing quietly.
Standing there, with Viktor looking at her expressionlessly, Scarlett felt like she was facing a mountain. Thinking about how ridiculous she must have appeared to him, she felt so embarrassed that her face grew hot.
“Do you think it’s okay for you to be like this with me? Because I’m oblivious?”
“…”
“Now that I think about it, it’s natural for you.”
Scarlett spoke with a sense of futility on her face.
“Why would you bother telling the truth to someone like me? Someone as insignificant as me. You, being such an extraordinary person, didn’t need to apologise for your own misunderstanding, right? That’s the case, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Can you answer?”
“Sure.”
“…”
“You’re right.”
Scarlett turned around with a despondent smile.
“You’re right?”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
Viktor spoke absentmindedly.
“There was no reason for me to tell you.”
“…”
“I knew you’d react emotionally like this, and that’s a bit tiresome.”
Viktor’s words left Scarlett unable to speak, and her breathing grew rapidly, struggling to catch her breath properly. Trying to calm herself, thinking that he probably considered her overly emotional right now only made her breathing worse.
Scarlett made a desperate effort to steady her breathing and finally managed to speak.
“You said you obtained the antidote. Do you have it with you?”
“Indeed.”
“Then give it to me.”
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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