Chapter 79
Following Scarlet, the students and Professor Gustav had been traveling by train for nearly four hours.
Kirsten spoke to Bill.
“Scarlet might sell us to a pirate ship.”
“But the train isn’t going anywhere near the sea.”
“Hmm… maybe the pirates retreated to the mountains after their ship was destroyed.”
“Then they became bandits? Either way, I’d prefer the mountains over the sea. I’ve never been on a ship, and I’d probably get seasick. I’m already feeling nauseous now.”
Bill opened the window and leaned out as another wave of nausea hit. Kirsten, patting Bill’s back, said,
“See, Scarlet? No pirate ships.”
“First of all, she isn’t taking us to sell us. And secondly, what laborers would they even sell you as on a pirate ship?”
“I didn’t expect that part.”
Meanwhile, the train finally arrived at its destination—a villa on a vineyard in southern Salantie, which Victor had arranged to be shared.
The villa could be used when needed, and the vineyard’s profits were to be shared, though the vineyard wasn’t particularly profitable. Most of the revenue went to maintaining the villa and securing food.
Arriving at a vineyard in the south, at a lower altitude than the frigid -20°C north, they could even feel the warmth in the air. The temperature hovered around 2 to 3°C.
Everyone in the group was amazed by the expansive vineyard and cozy villa. The villa also had a caretaker and his wife, who managed all the household chores.
Scarlet spoke to the wandering students.
“That room is for the professor, Kirsten, you can share my room. The remaining male students can split the other two rooms—five per room, though…”
Before Scarlet finished, the male students had already divided the rooms and were bouncing in excitement by the fireplace.
“There’s a fireplace!”
“It’s been so long since I felt warmth…”
Even Professor Gustav had thrown off his coat and was rolling around on his bed.
“I feel so light!”
At that moment, a student peeking through the open door said,
“Professor, it’s not that your body feels lighter—it’s the coat.”
“Oh, I see!”
While the students enjoyed the vineyard villa, Scarlet went into the bedroom with Kirsten.
Originally prepared for Princess Marina, the bedroom was decorated with refined taste.
Kirsten stroked the blanket with both hands.
“Wow… it’s so soft…”
Everything was of the finest quality. Kirsten crawled under the blanket first and said,
“Good night, Scarlet.”
She fell asleep almost immediately.
The students from Salantie Polytechnic hadn’t moved much, likely conserving energy in the cold, so they were utterly exhausted. Scarlet hadn’t realized that four hours on the train would drain them so completely.
Scarlet curled up on the opposite end of the large bed from Kirsten, then got up. It was still too early to sleep.
She opened a small bookshelf, took a book, and stepped out of the bedroom.
The living room was as lavish as the bedroom. Scarlet sat in an armchair, book on her lap, gazing at the house.
She had once thought that Victor Dumpelt existed solely because of Princess Marina’s desires. Yet, listening to him recently, it wasn’t entirely true.
Perhaps he was merely an outlet for her anger. The grand goal of becoming royalty might have been nothing more than a trap to get Victor to endure punishment.
Thinking this way, Scarlet felt pity for Victor. People said there was no one to pity in this world, yet to her, he was pitiful.
However, he had grown up, and now it was time for him to gradually repair the emotional damage caused by his parents’ upbringing. But personality traits formed in childhood didn’t easily change.
Scarlet recalled Victor’s usual expression. Throughout their marriage, she realized that making him smile had been her most important goal.
The kind of laughter she wanted was the one born from joy in shared moments—laughing at a joke, naturally enjoying time together.
She dreamed of moments where, despite knowing etiquette, her body would lean toward him in joy, occasionally flustered, making silly mistakes.
But that was impossible for Victor. Between the exiled princess and the heir who would give history to this family, he was the bridge of the Dumpelt lineage, the navigator of the family’s prosperity. Most importantly, he had to be the figure in the frame that future descendants would point to, saying, “This is the greatest of our family,” proving the family’s greatness.
He didn’t seem resentful of this role, but Scarlet sometimes felt pity for him.
“Why do you have to be the figure in the frame?”
He should have his own life, love, laugh loudly, even make mistakes. That’s what living is, she thought.
Every time Scarlet said this, Victor would look at her as if she were beneath his standards. Yet she had even loved that gaze, realizing how obsessed she had been with him.
During her adolescence in the busy Crimson household, her happiness came from such dreams—mundane things like sorting colorful candies in jars like jewels, or grand dreams of a crown prince noticing her and falling in love from afar.
She never imagined that the latter might come true first. Life was unpredictable, she thought while riding the carriage to the Dumpelt estate.
During the two years he loved her, Victor had shaped Scarlet into a lady, yet she hadn’t even been able to lift a brush to him. In the final moment, he had even driven her into a convent.
Scarlet opened the door and stepped outside. Having been in the north all this time, this place felt moderately habitable.
Unlike the north, where snow buried everything, here it only covered the ground lightly. A few steps in, Scarlet nearly screamed at a dark figure suddenly appearing ahead.
The figure raised a hand to her lips, guiding her gaze upward. Scarlet realized it was Victor and her legs gave way.
Victor wrapped his arms around her waist, standing her upright, and said,
“You didn’t expect me to come, did you?”
“I didn’t… why are you here?”
“You want to select someone trustworthy to work on the engine, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then I have to be interviewed too.”
“What interview?”
“There are so many spies, I need to pick them out. Bringing me here makes it easier to identify them.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Scarlet nodded.
“And Andrei was a spy too.”
“Hiram Pitt.”
“He doesn’t like being called that. He didn’t like his family anyway. Since his brother will inherit everything, there’s really nothing to protect.”
Victor’s gaze shifted to Scarlet.
“Let’s have some tea before bed, now that we’re here.”
“It might be awkward if others see us.”
“Then let’s have it here.”
Victor spoke to the maid visible through the villa’s glass doors.
“Bring some tea.”
“Yes, sir.”
The maid soon returned with a tray, and Scarlet and Victor each took a cup.
Drinking tea on the villa’s porch in a coat felt strange. Scarlet broke the silence.
“I was thinking earlier… I wouldn’t have done that.”
“Done what?”
“Sending me to the convent.”
“….”
Her voice was as sorrowful as a night with a crescent moon.
“Even if you betrayed me, I would have believed you. Even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed apart for a hundred days. I would have searched for you endlessly. I wouldn’t have sent you somewhere unknown. If I had known I sent you there… I wouldn’t have slept a single night.”
Scarlet sipped her warm tea and continued.
“Does that sound childish and selfish?”
“Why would you think that?”
“I thought you would, since you’ve always seen our marriage as a tool to connect families.”
“Even knowing that, you blame me now.”
Scarlet faintly smiled.
“Yeah… even though we didn’t match, we lived together for two years.”
“Indeed.”
Victor took another sip and fell silent. Scarlet glanced at him, and he turned his head toward her.
Slowly, Scarlet spoke.
“Anyway, you’ve almost achieved your goal.”
Victor stared silently, and Scarlet continued.
“Yes. Now you’re in the Dumpelt family. No one in the world can deny your noble status.”
“….”
“Future descendants will look at your portrait in the best place of the Dumpelt estate and tell their children and grandchildren about the family history.”
Victor said nothing as she spoke. Frustrated, Scarlet said,
“Enough. I’m babbling again. I’m going in.”
“I’m not particularly pleased.”
“Huh?”
As Scarlet turned to go in, Victor looked toward the vineyard and added,
“Even imagining that, it’s just… okay.”
