[TIDK] 77 – Stifling Guilt vs. Lost Honour

He didn’t laugh much, so he must have been floored.

 Scarlett’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she held her head high as if nothing happened.

A moment later, Viktor waved the bell and called Blythe to speak.

“If we have blankets, pickles or firewood, send it to 7th Avenue.”

“It’s a donation event, isn’t it? Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and any wool worth reusing.”

“Understood.”

“That’s all.”

“What?”

Blythe blinked, wondering what Viktor had never said before, and Scarlett’s eyes were wide open with embarrassment.

Blythe tactfully knew that there was probably a conversation between the two that had taken place and that Viktor was merely teasing.

So, he smiled and retreated.

Scarlett quickly bid him farewell as she felt a stifling heat.

“Thank you. I’ll be on my way.”

“Stay here until you’re ready.”

“No, I’ll go down and wait.”

“Can’t you just stay for a second?”

With Viktor’s low voice, Scarlett was rendered silent.

Hesitatingly, she started.

“Isaac... he can see the light. The medicine worked. As you said, I must have sold you for the drug.”

Scarlett looked at Viktor and continued.

“So, I feel sorry for you, but you keep... I hate it to the point of madness.” She paused. “Why can’t you forgive me?” Scarlett scratched the table with her fingernails in tears at Viktor’s incomprehensible expression.

“While I suffer from the guilt, it’s only honour that you lost.”

Before she knew it, Viktor became frigid. There was a moment of silence after what she said. Viktor grabbed her hand and pulled it off the table.

“You must be thinking of this childish thing as honour…We’re not married anymore. No matter what you do, I...”

“Stop dressing like this.”

Viktor pulled a ribbon on the neck of her modest dress with his other hand.

Scarlett was nervous about his behaviour and stopped breathing for a moment. The ribbon came loose on his hand, and her collar bone became exposed.

Scarlett asked, her voice trembling.

“My clothes, did they taint the honour you’re so obsessed with?”

Viktor spoke with an indifferent expression, “Perhaps.”

Scarlett quickly pushed away Viktor’s hand and turned away from him. She tied the ribbon with shaky hands.

She struggled to hide her nervousness and continued what she had not said earlier.

“I’m not coming back here. You can live the way you want. So, stay out of my way too.”

As her words hung in the air, she heard laughter behind her back. At the sound, she unwittingly relaxed and looked back and froze.

Was Viktor’s expression like that when pirates saw him at the last minute? He stood with a sleek devilish face, and Scarlett felt more afraid of Viktor Dumfelt than ever.

She was standing there, frozen, with no thought of running away.

There was a commotion outside.

Scarlett looked out the window and saw a carriage with a sign: Hunter.

Soon the carriage stopped, and the door opened, where Nina Hunter alighted. With her gorgeous beauty and perfect figure, merely getting off the carriage made her surroundings wither.

Scarlett flicked her gaze from Nina to Viktor. Then, trying to subdue the freezing pressure, she joked.

“See, you wish you had come back sooner from the sea. You could have married Nina Hunter.”

“How do you want me to react?”

Scarlett spoke. “I’m just saying.”

“Right. I should have returned from the sea sooner and married Nina Hunter.”

“...”

“Not what you want?"

When he asked, Scarlett thought for a moment and shook her head. “No.”

No matter what she felt about Viktor, his ex-girlfriend was here even though he was divorced.

Scarlett looked at Nina Hunter and said, “I’ve never liked anything about her.”

Whatever he liked, Viktor smiled faintly, and the icy tension melted somewhat.

In Viktor’s eyes, Scarlett was an excessive philanthropist. Certainly more than himself. She only had love for everyone else. It was good for Viktor that the woman she hated was his ex-lover.

Nina Hunter said as Viktor Dumfelt came down to the lobby on the first floor.

“I’m sorry I came suddenly. I’m here to take things for charity.” Viktor watched her silently as if he felt her words lacked explanation.

Nina continued, recalling her senses when she was with him. She looked up at his noble face.

“We can’t leave the precious items at the auction with the servants, can we? As the event host, it’ll be bad if it’s lost on the way.”

Then one more carriage came in a step later and her brother, Hughan Hunter, got off the carriage.

He spoke deftly, raising his brows.

“I’m sorry you must be busy. There are so many precious things that I, the Royal Police, have followed.”

Instead of greeting, Viktor spoke to Blythe. “Get the table ready. Four people.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Four? Who’s there?” Nina wondered.

 “Scarlett is here.” Viktor replied.

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