After returning, Scarlett continued talking about the trip for days.
“Stop talking about the farm,” Andrei said dismissively, “I haven’t seen it yet and I’m already fed up!”
“But I'm so excited...
I'll go as soon as the grapes are ripe.”
“Take your work with you”
“This is too harsh.”
Scarlett replied, but Andrei was stiff.
Due to her lack of travel, Scarlett was overwhelmed by memories of the vineyard trip.
As she spoke, a servant from the Domfelt family arrived carrying a box of gifts.
Scarlett opened the package, marveling at the family seal, and her eyes widened.
It was a pair of white skates with silver blades.
She could not hide her excitement, although she tried, and Andrei said, glancing at the box: “What are these, skate shoes?”
“Indeed”
She thought about getting rid of the gift from her ex-husband, but her childhood memories made it difficult.
Why ski boots in particular?
There was a letter above the shoes:
[If you want to skate, 9pm, in front of the store.]
"What is this?
He decides for himf!"
Scarlett muttered, and Andrei interjected: “Nine o’clock after work, you can go.”
“I'm the director, why do I need your permission?”
“I told you, my salary is on the line.”
Scarlett sighed and headed up the stairs to continue working.
Work has been a lot lately, so she's been getting less sleep.
While working, I looked at the clock: it was almost midnight.
She paused for a moment.
She didn't understand why Victor always appeared next to her.
He's a really fish man.
He only comes to her when he needs something, but she doesn't know what.
While she was thinking, she heard a voice from outside.
She opened the curtain and saw Liv, her neighbor, in her pajamas: “Scarlett, did you know that there are sailors in front of your house?”
"now?"
“A while ago, I woke up and saw them still there.”
“Thank you”
She finished talking, grabbed her coat, and ran outside.
I found Victor standing in front of the building.
She stood at the door, looking forward, ignoring Victor, and said: “People feel threatened.”
“That's good”
“Good at what?”
“At least, no one will underestimate you.”
Scarlett sighed and asked, “How long will you stay?”
“I was going to leave before you woke up.”
“Why?”
“Staying until you wake up will make me look crazy.”
“I don't understand, but where are you going?”
“To the lake, to skate”
“Why at night?”
“The day is full of people”
Although Victor purged the pirates, some of them had infiltrated the capital, and were causing trouble at night.
The crowded neighborhoods were safe, but the deserted streets at night were dangerous.
But Victor Domfelt would make the pirates tremble and run away as soon as they saw his family crest.
Scarlett looked at him, standing in the bitter cold, and said reluctantly: “Okay.”
“You didn't buy a coat, did you?”
“Yes”
Victor gestured, and Blight brought a coat from the cart, a white cashmere coat.
Scarlett wore it with amazement: “Very beautiful and warm.”
Victor walked towards the cart and extended his hand.
Scarlett reluctantly followed him.
They reached the lake, which was empty of people, lit by gas lamps.
Scarlett sat on a bench, grabbed her skates, and put them on.
When she stepped on the ice, she almost fell, but Victor held her waist with his arm.
She muttered in embarrassment: “I haven’t skated in a long time, it’s difficult...”
She quickly removed his hand and tried to move forward, but she fell on her buttocks.
“Ah...”
She covered her face with her hands, not out of pain, but out of embarrassment: “Why can’t I?
I used to skate well as a child.
Maybe I lost my motor skills from sitting and working every day.”
While she was talking and was afraid of falling again, Victor grabbed her arm and helped her get up: “Maybe you didn’t have any motor skills at all.”
“It looks like it compared to you.”
Scarlett hated that he brought the skates, which held her memories.
He knew very well how to seduce her.
Why would he tempt her?
Does he want her to renew her love for him?
I felt silly for following him without thinking.
While she was trying to adjust to skating, a group appeared in the distance.
Scarlett immediately recognized one of them: Nina Hunter, the Crown Prince's mistress, and Victor's ex-lover.
Scarlett remembered the last time she saw her, when she acted like a madman, and her face turned pale.
She took a deep breath and said, “Victor.”
“Yes?”
“If you're trying to make someone jealous, that's not a good way to go.”
He tilted his head as if he did not understand.
Scarlett tried to whisper to him, but she slipped up.
Victor grabbed her again.
She stood up and said: “Sledding with your ex-wife will not arouse jealousy.”
Victor looked behind him belatedly, spotted Nina, and then turned back to her: “Why should I make the Crown Prince’s mistress jealous?”
“To feel good?”
“Nina Hunter is suffering enough because I don’t love her.
There is no need to wait for the dawn to bring you.”
“At least, say hello to her...”
Victor ignored Nina and her group, but Scarlett felt uncomfortable, as Nina was watching them.
Someone from the royal family approached and said politely: “Miss Hunter requests a short conversation.”
“Say I don't want to.”
“She said it would be very short.”
Victor frowned rarely.
Scarlett interjected: “Go.
I’ll train.”
“You will fall”
“Others will help me.
Stress keeps me from skating.”
“Is this an excuse?”
Scarlett looked at him in surprise.
Victor laughed and turned to Nina.
His shoes stopped in front of her skates, and she said, “Your ex-wife, she still has memory problems, doesn’t she?”
Victor was silent, then said quietly: “I don’t understand what you are talking about.”
“I saw it with my own eyes, and everyone who cares knows.
Your ex-wife forgot about the divorce and went to your house.”
“How did you know?”
His voice dropped.
Nina felt frightened by his cold gaze, as if he was seeing a pirate: “I told you, everyone knows.”
“Who did you hear from?”
“At the party.
I don’t remember exactly.”
“Remember who?”
“Do you order me now?”
“Does this sound like a request?”
Nina stopped talking.
She replied: “I heard it from Mrs.
Hallerand’s collection.”
“Okay”
"But why does that matter?
Do you feel responsible for her?
Why would you take care of a woman who is not in her right mind?"
“I always like unreasonable women.”
Victor returned to his usual polite calm, and said: “Maybe you talked too.
During tea, you said that my wife was talking nonsense.”
"Is this talking?
She looked really mad.
What are you doing?
Do you pity her?"
Victor looked at her with his cold blue eyes, and Nina felt upset.
Victor Domfelt was still the best adornment of high society.
The idea of this girl from a humble family appearing with him on occasions made her feel as if she was going crazy.
Why is he still with her?
Why?