[TIDK] 103 – Viktor’s Obsession

“I mean. It’s not a strange age to grasp reality. There was no one to take care of my blind brother and me, and he’s the successor, so he won’t be kicked out, but we never know when he could be harmed. So... I worked as a maid. I did not want to go to an orphanage; I would stay at that house,” Scarlett

“You painted this watch with good paint.”

Perhaps the intimate conversation was burdensome, seeing as Andrei changed the topic to before, Scarlett replied with a smile.

“Yes, This… should be done in three years. Once the recall begins, I won’t be able to make watches for a while.”

“Once the craftsmen Abel Crimson fired return, they can make the recalled watch.”

“I’ve published the advertisement three times already.”

Andrei nodded his head in sympathy as he looked at her sketch.

“It’s a shame; it’s stunning.”

At those words, Scarlett looked up at Andrei suspiciously.

“Why are you complimenting me? You’re giving me an incentive to urge me to work faster, right?”

“Why are you asking when you know? Hurry up, work.”

Andrei said fiercely and clapped his hands in front of Scarlett’s eyes. Then he unfolded the spring mechanism she had drawn to kill time and said,

“Don’t do anything else like this. What’s this for?”

“Oh, it’s a merry-go-round.”

“Merry-go-round?”

“Yes. It can run for a certain period of time without a person turning it and without having a steam engine installed. Why, if there are people, you feel guilty, and if there are steam engines, there is smoke. So....”

“Enough personal talk. Good news for merry-go-rounders, but not for me. For your information, it’s been fifteen minutes since I left work. Write down my overtime pay.”

Scarlett laughed at his ridiculous demand but immediately wrote down his overtime pay and said:

“Okay? Get off work well. Good job.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Andrei bid her farewell politely and went back down to the first floor.

He soon finished getting ready to leave work. After locking the door as usual and greeting Viktor’s men, who were watching the house, Andrei slowly moved on.

He felt someone following him and quickly crossed the street into an alleyway. Viktor’s men were following.

Andrei murmured as he opened his bag.

“If you’re going to be so obsessed, I don’t know why you divorced her.”

Andrei then took out his hat and put on his coat. He entered someone else’s house through the open door in the alley and walked out, hopping from the opposing window with a relaxed attitude.

In the meantime, after escaping Viktor’s men, he went straight to a nearby police station.

“Can I help you?”

When asked by the police, Andrei took out his police ID and said,

“Second-class royal police officer. I want to find something.”

“Yes, oh, what is the matter?”

He pulled the list out of his coat pocket and handed it over.

“Find the people here and let me know.”

“Are they criminals?”

“I don’t know, so find out. I’ll be back.”

Andrei said and left the police station again.

It was dangerous for an undercover officer to be involved in such a thing. Andrei had never imagined he would do such a dangerous thing while undercover.

He knew it was ridiculous himself, but he couldn’t give a reason for his behaviour. It was difficult for a person who weighed the reasons for their actions to act as a spy. He was just too immersed in his role.

On Sunday, people were paying keen attention to Viktor Dumfelt's appearance at the capital cathedral.

“That's Viktor Dumfelt?”

“He’s nothing like I thought!”

“Same as I believed. He's really... he's like a demon.”

A naval officer showed Viktor, who walked on the carpet, to his seat.

He sat close to the priest.

People were over the moon to see him, but no one was brave enough to look straight at the great Viktor Dumfelt.

He was perfect in every way, from a slim-fitted tailored black suit to his black pomade hair, matched with a watch studded with diamonds, narrow-toed shoes, and a tie.

As Viktor sat down, the priest entered.

The news of Viktor's participation in a religious event drew explosive attention. And it was told through the mouths of the people who came and went that by the time Viktor left the cathedral, reporters were asking Viktor's employees for an interview.

When Viktor came out, the employees first delivered the messages to Blythe. All requests were denied.

No reporter thought that they could actually get an interview anyway. The fact that Viktor appeared in the cathedral itself was newsworthy enough.

Belief in religion was a royal duty. However, Viktor did not participate in any religious ceremony. It was because he hated to participate in religious ceremonies and be told that he was acting like a royal even though he was not a royal. That was why the newspapers were adorned with articles convinced that he had some hidden political implications in his current religious ceremony participation.

When Viktor, who had left the cathedral, got into the carriage, Evan, who was riding with him, said:

“The identity of the man working at the lady's watch store has been confirmed.”

Evan continued as though he was dumbfounded.

“He stopped by the police station and revealed that he was a royal police officer. I didn't think he'd let his guard down.”

“Why the police station?”

“Oh, well, it seems that Lady Scarlett asked him to find the watchmakers she was looking for.”

Evan, who was talking about it, laughed as if it was a funny story.

“It's no new news for spies to be seduced by the enemy, but… Oh, his name is Hylum Pitt, and he's a second-class royal police officer.”

“….”

Evan, who was talking, saw Viktor's forehead narrow for a moment. Evan knew he was in a bad mood and asked immediately.

“What should I do?”

“If he’s a spy, we have to catch him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Evan greeted and got off the carriage again. Viktor's carriage left the cathedral.

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