[TIDK] 73 – Nina’s Charity Event

Viktor Dumfelt’s visit to the Palace was not frequent. So, the royal family was in mayhem as soon as they heard of his visit. Especially noisy were the royal women at the tea parties.

“Viktor is here.” 

“Really?”

“What is he wearing? Still handsome?”

“What can you do even if he is handsome? We’re cousins.”

Sighs resounded.

“What’s wrong with cousins getting married in the royal family? Besides, we didn’t grow up together. Viktor grew up outside the royal family.”

They stopped the tea party and went into the reception room.

Except for the current king and his wife, the only ones who could use the reception room were the crown prince and his eldest son. Other nobles used an ordinary parlour.

Crown Prince Yuli Irène sat crookedly on a chair opposite the door.

After a while, when Viktor became visible from the door, Yuli Irène laughed. “Hm, Viktor.”

Viktor stood before the door, bowing deeply with one hand on his chest. He stood there for a while.

The crown prince said to Viktor, who stood far away. “Aren’t you coming in?”

He moved only after Yuli Irène beckoned.

Next to Yuli Irène was the royal family who came to see him. The imperial women with fans whispered amongst themselves.

“He’s my cousin, and he’s divorced. Such a pity...” 

“But if he looks like that, the story is different.”

“He’s a hero.”

The eyes of desire glued on Viktor. Yuli Irène glanced their way and jokingly said to Viktor. “You must feel uncomfortable when women reveal their wantonness.” 

 Viktor replied. “I pay no heed. I have no power to do anything about it.”

The women covered their faces with fans and laughed as Viktor smiled at them. Yuli Irène twisted the corners of his mouth and tugged his lips up with displeasure.

Viktor turned to Nina Hunter, sitting next to Yuli Irène. His gaze was not long, but that short moment left a scar on Nina Hunter’s mind.

When Viktor disappeared with a pirate ship and nearly half a year passed, Nina thought Viktor had died and became the lover of Crown Prince Yuli Irène, who had been courting her around that time.

“You’re late. Why are you the one mad at me!”

Encountering Viktor, Nina shouted to hide her shame that she had betrayed him. Viktor laughed as if he was done and turned away.

Nina knew he wasn’t the one to try and chase after her. Anyone who knew Viktor Dumfelt would have expected it.

-If Viktor had chased her, contrary to expectations.

Nina thought these days that she would have given him so much love that it would go down in history regardless of who her current lover was.

Nowadays, there were all sorts of stories about Viktor Dumfelt in society. The story that Viktor Dumfelt signed the divorce papers that Scarlett Crimson gave out the day after the divorce without question was already widespread the day after the divorce.

Of course, that was Viktor Dumfelt.

-A man who calmly left even his wife, not just his lover, perfectly matched the Viktor whom Nina knew.

After breaking up with Nina, Viktor immediately married another woman as if to vent his anger. But this time, people wondered that even after the divorce, he did not meet other women as if he was still in love with his ex-spouse. 

Perhaps, as rumour had it, he was not in the slightest upset about Scarlett Crimson’s divorce because he had no feelings for her. On the other hand, for Nina Hunter, the gossip circulated that he could not forget about his engaged lover. 

[Who was the woman Viktor Dumfelt, hero of the seas, really loved?]

Nowadays, society was full of people who wanted to know what Viktor was all about.

Viktor, sitting elegantly, kept an eye on the prince.

He already knew that Yuli Irène was showing off his position by calling Viktor, who obeyed him because his only goal in life was to become a part of the royal family.

However, Viktor Dumfelt was never a pushover from the point of view of Yuli Irène. Therefore, Yuli Irène had to pay some compensation for calling him out.

Yuli pulled Nina’s hand, sitting next to her, kissed her, and told Viktor. “My fiancée is having a charity event soon.”

He thumbed Nina’s hand as if trying to show he had the woman Viktor had once been with. But Viktor was impassive; the goading didn’t work.

“Oh, yes,” Nina smiled.

“And she’s thinking of inviting Mrs Marina,” Yuli grinned.

At that, Viktor’s eyes turned to Nina again.

Yuli continued.

“If you have anything to offer at the auction, bring it. There will be things left that the women don’t use. Oh, is your father the only one around? You must be lonely.”

Hearing him, Nina slapped Yuli on the arm. “Yuli.”

“She’s in confinement,” Viktor replied calmly.

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