[TIDK] 88 – Marina Dumfelt

She sat in a daze at the square. It was already midnight when she came to her senses. She lifted herself from the chair and tilted her head.

“What am I doing here?”

Scarlett talked to herself and hurried toward home.

While walking, she thought about when she had been sitting here.

This morning, she went to receive the cuffs that her husband’s tailor sent her at the department store. She remembered receiving it, but when she woke up, it was night. Besides, when she opened her bag, it didn’t contain any cuffs.

Scarlett turned her head and looked at the clock tower, and her heart sank. She ran down the path for private carriages. It was already past ten o’clock.

“Oh, my God.”

Viktor would have fallen asleep by now. He wouldn’t even know whether she got home. But Scarlett was nervous about her late return. She was scared and wiped away the tears dripping.

“I’ve never been home so late.….”

Fortunately, she caught a private carriage in no time. She shouted urgently.

"P, please go to Dumfelt!"

♔♔♔

Dumfelt were generally quiet, but today they were busy and noisy from the morning. Viktor’s mother, Marina Dumfelt, was choosing a dress for Nina Hunter’s charity party.

As Viktor expected, Marina was delighted to be part of a social event for the first time in a while.

Marina spent the whole day choosing clothes to wear to the charity party.

She only enjoyed the process of wearing a variety of clothes, but she was not sane enough to make a decision, so everything was decided by her son, Viktor. Marina, who had changed her clothes once again, said with excitement.

“Viktor, growing up in the royal family is very different.” 

“How so, Mother?”

Viktor answered mildly and held up an empty bottle he had finished drinking. Then a maid came running in surprise.

Usually, it was natural to ask the employer if the servants could fill the bottle before they emptied it, but Viktor was pouring the liquor down his throat without giving them a chance. He leaned toward the table with his legs crossed and had already drunk enough for ordinary people to become mindlessly drunk.

While the maid was bringing a new drink, Marina spoke dreamily.

“When I was young, it looked as wide as the whole world…After running all over the city, my late aunt used to read to me when royal children gathered on nice carpets. Oh, she was a storyteller.”

Viktor listened to her recount this a thousand times before. It all went in through one ear as he waited for his drink. After a while, Blythe came in instead of alcohol.

“Sir, we’ve got a nice-smelling tea here. How do you feel about it?” 

“I asked you to bring me a drink.”

When Viktor didn’t spare him a glance, Blythe couldn’t stop him anymore and bowed his head.

“Yes, I’ll have you your drinks.”

One needed alcohol to listen to a story they’d heard a thousand times as if they’d never heard it before, but it was too much today.

Blythe looked worried as he left the place. Then a maid appeared with a bottle of alcohol and a new glass and said, “Ordinary people die if they drink like this.” 

“I’m not an ordinary man,” Viktor replied.

“Still, you have a weak palate. Can I get you some water?” 

“I’m not that weak.”

Viktor Dumfelt was an indifferent employer. He took matters seriously. Even if indifferent employers used violence, they’d still pay their staff on time. So no one wanted Viktor to drown in alcohol.

Viktor had demanding taste, so he said he didn’t like the shoes with the suit and that the hat didn’t fit if he chose the shoes.

No matter how much of a social event she hoped for, Marina Dumfelt was tired and began throwing tantrums as she was changing her clothes all day.

“Are you going to dress me and kill me?” 

“Is that possible?”

“I’m sick of it.” 

“A little more.”

“Yes, I shouldn’t trust you. Because you always hated me terribly.”

When Marina spoke with her eyes out of focus, Viktor answered with a single gulp of whisky left in his glass.

“No way.” 

“The Devil.”

Viktor stared at his mother staring at him and opened his mouth. “You’re beautiful.”

It was true.

Viktor’s outstanding face was a perfect mixture of his mother and father. His mother still had a dazzlingly beautiful glow.

After his lengthy rebuff, Marina’s madness barely mellowed.

Marina looked in the mirror with satisfaction and said, turning back to Viktor, her now-grown son.

“Viktor, you know what?” 

“Yes, I’m listening.”

Marina, grinning at her son’s soft answer, said.

“You can’t be a royal. No matter the person who permits you. No matter what you do, no one will admit it.”

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