Victor Domfelt's visits to the Royal Palace were not frequent.
So, when news of his visit arrived, the palace buzzed with excitement, especially among the royal women who were at a tea party.
“Victor has come.”
“Really?”
"What is he wearing?
Is he still handsome?"
“What is the benefit of his handsomeness?
We are cousins.”
“What’s wrong with cousins marrying into the royal family?
We didn’t even grow up together.
Victor grew up outside the palace.”
They interrupted the tea party and headed to the formal reception room.
Only the Crown Prince and his eldest son, besides the King and Queen, could use the official reception room, while other nobles used the public reception room.
The Grand Crown Prince, Yulei Eren, was sitting smugly in a chair opposite the door of the reception room.
When Victor appeared through the door, Yuli sneered: “Oh, Victor.”
Victor stood at the door, put his hand on his chest and bowed deeply, then remained standing for a moment.
Yuli said from afar: “Aren’t you going to come in?”
Victor moved after Yuli pointed him out.
There were royal women holding fans, whispering:
"He's a cousin, and also divorced.
As a husband, he's…"
“But with this look, it's different.”
“And he is a hero too.”
Desire-filled eyes passed over Victor.
Yuli joked, “Showing bad intentions in front of a person makes him uncomfortable.”
Victor replied: “I don’t care.
I don’t think ladies are capable of doing anything by force.”
He smiled at the royal women, and they laughed and covered their faces with fans.
Yueili Eren raised the corner of his mouth in a displeased smile.
Victor turned his gaze to Nina Hunter, sitting next to Yulei.
His look didn't last long, but that moment left a mark on Nina's heart.
When Victor disappeared with the pirate ship for half a year, Nina thought he was dead, so she became Yuli's lover Irene, who was courting her.
When Victor returned and she confronted him, Nina screamed to hide her shame at her betrayal:
Victor laughed sarcastically and turned around.
She knew he wouldn't try to stop her.
Anyone who knew Victor would have predicted this.
If Victor, contrary to expectations, had caught her then.
Nina has been thinking lately that if he had done that, she would have been ready for a legendary love story, regardless of her current lover.
Social circles were full of rumors about Victor Domfelt.
The story spread that he signed Scarlett Crimson's divorce papers without any question the day after the divorce.
Of course, this is Victor Domfelt.
A man quietly leaving his lover or even his wife, that was completely in keeping with the Victor that Nina knew.
After breaking up with Nina, Victor married another woman as if to take revenge.
But this time, after the divorce, he did not meet another woman in the same way, which surprised people.
Perhaps, as rumors say, he did not have any feelings for Scarlett, so he was not angry about the divorce.
Or maybe, in contrast to his breakup with Nina, he was still unable to forget his divorced wife.
Who is the woman that the sea hero, Victor Domfelt, loves?
Social circles were full of curious people who wanted to know what was in his heart.
Victor looked at Yuli Eren, who did not give him clear instructions.
He knew that Yuli was summoning him to show off his status, because his only goal was to become royal.
But Victor Domfelt was not an easy or funny person from Yule's point of view.
So, he had to offer a small compensation to be summoned.
Yuli kissed the hand of Nina, who was sitting next to him, and said to Victor: “My fiancée will organize a charity event soon.”
“Ah, so it is then”
“Kindly, consider inviting Lady Marina.”
Victor turned his gaze to Nina.
Yuli added: “If you have something to offer at the auction, bring it.
You and Ms.
Marina must have unused items.
Oh, isn’t your mother in a legal dispute with you too?
You seem to be alone.”
Nina hit Yuli on the arm: “Yuli”
“She is already detained.”
Victor replied calmly.
The main reason for Marina's madness was her exclusion from social circles.
As a prominent princess, the nobles would give everything just to share her.
Until now, Marina has been reading social magazines when she regains consciousness.
If she knew that Nina Hunter, the most famous socialite, was inviting her, she would be very happy.
Last year, the palace police revealed that Victor himf admitted his mother to a mental institution, but after a while, an article was published about Marina's attempt to kill her son, and public opinion turned to sympathy for Victor.
Yuli believed that sympathizing with someone in power was a dangerous feeling.
Whoever gains this sympathy may do anything.
Yulii plans to use Marina to break this sympathy.
If she behaves socially inappropriately, sympathy will turn into disgust, which will tarnish Victor's name.
It was toxic compensation.
Nina asked: “You're coming, aren't you, Victor?”
“I can't refuse your invitation.”
The royal women laughed, covering their mouths with fans, and Yue Eren half-smiled, satisfied with the success of his plan.
After a while, Victor came out of the reception room.
Blight was waiting for him in the hallway, worried about his feelings because he knew Yuli had summoned him as an entertainment show.
But Victor's face looked calm as usual.
Victor told Blight: “Send a message to Scarlett.
Ask her to choose something for the charity auction.”
“Okay, sir”
Blight bowed and left the palace to send the message.
Victor paused for a moment, looking at the luxurious Salantaire mansion, which he knew well due to his mother instilling it in him.
The palace seemed empty in his eyes.
Seeing the nobles looking for husbands, he wondered whether this deserved the description of sophistication.
He wanted to ask his mother what was so great about this place.
Was it better than being the lady of the powerful Domfelt family, to be just a secondary actress in this glamorous ancient space?
He wished, if only for a moment, that his mother would regain her mind, so that she could judge what was truly good.
Scarlett received a letter from Blight, sent by a servant.
The letter was neatly folded, reflecting Blight's obsession with tidiness.
The letter asked her to come to the Domfelt family to choose something to auction at the charity ball organized by Nina Hunter.
[It's hard for us to choose something for auction.
Please come to the Doomfelt Family to help us, we will be grateful.]
Certainly, nothing can go wrong at a party organized by a socialite like Nina Hunter.
The items at the auction were a topic of conversation and affected the family's reputation.
“I have to go”
Scarlett muttered and sighed deeply, not wanting to go.
December and January were a season full of social events, including charity concerts.
In winter, social circles begin to freeze in distant places, so wealthy nobles open events to collect firewood in these areas.
Not only the nobles, but also the people of Seventh Street were organizing charitable events.
Scarlett was struggling to find something to offer, running her store and barely paying Andrei's salary.
If you help arrange things for the charity ball, you may get blankets or unused grains stored on Victor's table.
Scarlett made up her mind.
She took her coat and said to Andrei: “I'm going to go to the Domfelt family.
They asked me to arrange something for the charity ball.”
“Should you go yourf?”
“If I find something useful, I will bring it. 7th Street also organizes charity events.”
“What?”
Andrei looked like everything in the world was annoying: “Are you going to give something to the charity event?
Shouldn’t you be the one to receive?”
“What?
How does someone who owns such a large store receive it?”
“Not big.
Remove the word ‘large’.”
“And the clothes you’re wearing now, even nuns don’t wear those these days.”
Scarlett responded irritably to his constant criticism: “I will work when I get back.
I am the boss, and I am the one who decides on vacations.
I will give myf vacation today.”
“Okay, as you wish.”
Andrei responded with the same grumpy expression.