[TIDK] 71 – Bully

Nicholas hurriedly put the ice cream on the table, feeling a cold sweat.

“Now, this is brand new, so just taste it,” he said cheerily.

“Nicholas, I can’t come back if you keep giving it to me like this,” Scarlett replied helplessly.

“What are you saying? You fixed my prosthetic arm. I owe it to the captain,” he brushed off her modest remark.

Nicholas brought up Viktor’s story in front of Liv to be careful, even though she was a friend. However, Liv was even more excited when the topic in question came out.

“Did you work on board the Rubied, Sir?”

“Of course, my hands were injured when I was on the Rubied. I was an officer and the only one who wasn’t from the nobility. I’m a talented man. Talented, I say.”

Nicholas grinned with pride. Liv asked with sparkling eyes. “Then, did you see the captain?”

“Yes, well... I’m sure you’ve heard about him more often.”

When Nicholas glanced at Scarlett, saying so, Liv also grumbled at her. “Scarlett doesn’t say anything at all.”

Scarlett then spoke with an expression of resentment that meant she was out of spirits.

“So, you want me to talk about my ex-husband?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Why can’t you? Elizabeth Snowball’s boss swears at her ex-husband daily,” Liv cried.

“That ex-husband deserved to be criticised, a cheater. I’m different. I think I got divorced for swearing at my ex-husband. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Scarlett emphatically spoke because she didn’t want to bring up Viktor, and Liv flinched and soon nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, probably.”

Scarlett felt her body burning every time Viktor’s name came out, so she scooped up the new ice cream Nicholas gave her and put it in her mouth. Her eyes became round, and she looked at Nicholas.

“Oh, my God, it’s delicious. What is this?” 

Nicholas then replied with an air of pride.

“Oh, I added a little salt. Navy man’s salt ice cream!” He exclaimed.

 “Liv, go ahead and try it,” she turned to Liv.

At Scarlett’s urging, Liv also took a bite of salt ice cream and said, wide-eyed.

“Wow, I think this is going to sell really well.”

“Is that right? Oh, my goodness. I’m embarrassed, but I do feel good.” Nicholas grinned happily at his customers’ positive reviews.

Liv, who had to help with the bakery job, returned feeling sorry for not staying to chat a little more. Scarlett bought ice cream from the store, put it in a picnic basket, and hung it in front of her bike. There was also much bread from Liv’s store in the basket, so the lid could barely close.

When she stepped on the pedal, the icy cold wind scratched her face, and by the time she arrived at the lake where Isaac worked, her cheeks and nose were red as if she had a cold.

Perhaps because he knew Scarlett would come, Isaac was waiting in the tent in front of the dock in time. The owner of the raft, who managed Isaac’s profit, had set up a tent for Isaac and brought Scarlett to the table inside. It was warm inside the tent because of the brazier.

Scarlett, who saw Isaac reading a book with a magnifying glass almost right in front of his eyes, asked in surprise.

Isaac, can you read?” 

Isaac grinned.

“Yes, it’s a little slow because I have to see one letter at a time….” 

“Still!” She exclaimed.

Scarlett sat beside Isaac with an expression of excitement. She looked him in the eye and asked.

“How’s your eye? Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt at all. I guess I’m getting better now.”

Isaac grinned. Hearing this, Scarlett felt like the happiest person in the world. 

She said, taking the ice cream out of the basket. “I thought I shouldn’t have brought ice cream this winter, but it’s warm here.”

“Oh, it looks delicious.”

“Try this. He put salt in it.”

“He put salt in it? On ice cream?

Isaac was amazed and took a bite of Scarlett’s ice cream. He couldn’t stop admiring the taste.

Scarlett’s smile didn’t disappear, seeing Isaac eat well. 

It was peaceful after a long time.

The two were eating ice cream and talking about random things when they heard a rumble outside the tent.

“What’s going on?”

Scarlett stood up, talking to herself. And before her, someone opened the tent door.

It was Arnold Crimson who opened the tent door. With him, his gang came into the tent.

“... Arnold?”

Scarlett’s trembling voice prompted Isaac to fumble for his glasses, black-painted. But even before he could find them, Arnold limped over, dropped them on the floor and stepped on them.

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