[TIDK] 47 – Eye For An Eye

Satisfied, Evan turned to Pallin who blocked Viktor. He stood between him and Abel, who lay fainted on the ground. Viktor was about to hold him up. “Let go of the Captain, Pallin.”

“Then he’ll die! Evan, please help me stop him!”

“I respect the Captain’s wishes.”

“Then the Captain will be in trouble!”

He was a man who lived his life solely for honour. Viktor Dumfelt despised gossip, especially when the subject was him. Even when the matter was regarding his future wife. He had purposefully chosen a woman who had never made her public debut because of this. So while this was surprising, it wasn’t a big deal for him anyway. As Pallin said, it would be a headache, but it would only be a minor one.

Scarlett stared at Abel and muttered.

“Rubbish.”

Hearing that, Viktor, who was about to forcefully push Pallin aside, stopped and looked back at her.

Pallin hurriedly dragged Abel away while Viktor walked towards Scarlett. He closed the door when he reached her and Scarlett retreated until her back touched the wall.

He bent down, and laughed. 

“Who?”

“Huh?”

“Who is rubbish?”

“My uncle.”

Viktor smiled at her response. 

“What do you find so amusing?” She asked.

When Viktor was alone with her, there were times when he called her more intimately, ‘honey’, and not ‘you’. 

*TL: Both words here mean ‘you’, but the first ‘you’, is a term of endearment like ‘babe’ or ‘honey’.

“You’re right about my uncle.” Scarlett muttered softly to herself.

“You should insult him every time you feel depressed.”

Scarlett was supposed to feel guilty, but she couldn’t. She thought about blaming these rowdy elites who acted as if they were above the law, but no, even that didn’t work. So she kept laughing. She thought it would be nice if his words telling her to insult him whenever she was upset, were not a joke. Scarlett felt a rush of shame.

“That’s...no.”

Scarlett thought, Viktor likely did not know how close those words would spill out of her mouth.

He raised the corner of his mouth, his grin sarcastic. He grabbed her chin with his black-gloved hand.

“Are you a saint? Is your heart full of grace*?”

*TL: he says are you the river and oceans?

As Scarlett tried to break free from his hold, his grip tightened and he continued:

“What if I hadn't found you? You could have died there!” He yelled. 

Scarlett glared at him. “I wouldn’t have.” 

“You wouldn’t? What are you saying...”?

“I was often locked up in the basement. He doesn’t want to kill me. He’s just… trying to tame me.”

“He punished you. He used you.” Viktor’s expression soured.

Scarlett stared at him.

He was just and cruel. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Like a pair of scales. If she ever betrayed him, he would never forgive her. After all, he did say that betrayal was like broken glass…

Scarlett blinked. She couldn’t keep her eyes open as tension left her body.  At some point, she slipped, and Viktor pulled her into his arms. 

The carriage headed towards Dumfelt while she slept. 

Scarlett regained her senses and woke up with a start. 

She looked out the window and saw that she was at the Dumfelt mansion. Perhaps it was because of the state he found her in that Viktor decided to bring her here without her knowledge. Since he saved and healed her, she had no intention of complaining about it. However, she was concerned that she would hear Andrei telling her that she was not working. 

Scarlett sighed and got out of bed. Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she saw she was wearing a light pink nightgown dress with loose sleeves. She thought he had thrown away all of her belongings because she had left without anything, but it seemed that was not the case.

She realised she was in the main building, not the annexe where Viktor lived. This was also Marina Dumfelt's room, which she had only been in once or twice while living here. Other than the canopy bed, there was a sofa, and on the wall were the coats of arms of Viktor’s mother's family, the royal family, and the insignia of the Irenè family.

“I don’t think I should be here.” She murmured.

Her body was in such pain that she curled up on the couch, hugging her shoulders.

“Cold...”

Even though the fireplace was lit, she was trembling.

At that moment, the large room door opened as Viktor entered with the servants.

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