Translator: Nox

Chapter 73

73

*

Having exited the grand mansion through its large iron gates, Scarlett headed towards the courthouse with a gloomy expression.

After she had been lingering in front for quite some time, Isaac and the lawyer the siblings had hired emerged. The lawyer went back, seemingly with more work to do, and Isaac rushed over to Scarlett. He tilted his head slightly and asked her,

"The result wasn't very good, was it?"

Isaac, having guessed from Scarlett's expression, continued with a smile,

"It's okay. It's just a hobby, after all."

Scarlett then held up the perfume bottle and said,

"This one is very good, though."

"The other two weren't so good?"

"They said it needs a little... more development."

Isaac laughed at Scarlett's apologetic tone.

"I thought so too."

"Oh, but they said this one was so good that Mrs. Paradi gave this as a gift."

Scarlett took out the crystal Mrs. Paradi had given her from her pocket and showed it. Isaac, upon seeing it, exclaimed in admiration.

"Wow. It's exactly as I imagined."

"Me too. The moment I thought of this scent, that color was what came to mind."

"Mrs. Paradi is amazing, as expected."

"That's probably how she came to own such a large mansion, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Isaac brought the crystal right up to his eyes, examining it from side to side, and then continued,

"We'll split this crystal in half and use it to decorate the top of the lid."

"Wow, that sounds beautiful."

"It would be nice to find crystals that match the scents of the other perfumes and decorate them as well."

"Not bad, Isaac. You're a Crimson after all."

Isaac smiled like an angel at Scarlett's playful remark. He then asked her,

"Is there a scent you want? I don't know the world very well yet. I want to make perfumes based on what you tell me."

"Hmm. A perfume with Mageria flowers?"

"Right, you like Mageria, don't you?"

"And... roses too."

"Roses?"

"Yeah, bright red roses. And... I'd like peonies too. A scent like a huge jar filled with peonies... Would that be too expensive?"

As she hesitated, Isaac said,

"I don't know yet. I'll look into it."

"Okay. Oh, and the documents?"

"I submitted them to the court."

"Do you think it will go well?"

"Yeah. I think it will go well."

Scarlett laughed happily at Isaac's unexpectedly confident reply.

"You sound confident?"

"You said I was much better before going to the courthouse. After hearing that, I gained confidence... so I was incredibly confident when I went there."

Scarlett giggled as Isaac spoke in a playful voice and walked with an exaggeratedly confident gait. She couldn't even remember the last time she had laughed like this, but she was simply happy in this moment.

The lawyer, who had finished submitting the application for suspension of guardianship and the complaint against Evil Crimson, glanced out the window at their departing figures.

Isaac Crimson had entered the courtroom without any expression, to the point where he seemed colorless. Even when the officials checked his eyes when applying for the suspension of guardianship, he indifferently watched their horrified reactions. It was bewildering to see him create such tension around him, only to smile like an angel as soon as he met Scarlett.

*

Isaac escorted Scarlett back to her clock shop at a leisurely pace.

Scarlett was about to re-enter the shop after making sure Isaac had caught a private carriage and was heading back to Crimson Manor when Julie, who delivered the newspaper on 7th Street, ran up and handed her an extra edition.

"Extra edition, Miss Scarlett!"

"Thank you, Jul..."

Before she could finish speaking, Julie was already running off, seemingly busy. The content of the extra edition must have been serious, requiring quick distribution.

Scarlett checked the extra edition and her eyes widened.

[Rubid Ship Captain Viktor Dampfelt Meets with Bestina Officer Vasily Lintberg]

The pressure from this short headline was intense. The people of the capital froze in place as soon as they received this extra edition.

The Salantie people's greatest 'source of faith' was the navy, and Viktor Dampfelt. Even if Bestina succeeded in creating Aircraft, the war would ultimately require pushing into the territory and occupying the land.

The Salantie people believed that Viktor Dampfelt's fleet would block Bestina's invasion from the south. And that it would ultimately end in Salantie's victory.

But if, even in the slightest chance, Viktor Dampfelt were to defect to Bestina...

The people of 7th Street, seeing her frozen, rushed towards Scarlett.

"Miss Scarlett, how could this... how could this happen?"

"Did you see any signs from the Captain? What's going on..."

Scarlett said with a flustered expression.

"I don't know, I'm divorced. I'll go find out."

"But you must know something more than us!"

Scarlett was at a loss, surrounded by people panicking from the fear of war.

Just then, a carriage stopped in front of the clock shop, and a middle-aged man, who hadn't even buttoned his jacket, hurriedly got out of the carriage. He looked dazed as he noticed the citizens who had already surrounded the clock shop.

"Isn't that... a member of the House of Representatives?"

"That's right, it's Joseph Felix!"

He was Joseph Felix, a member of the House of Representatives who frequently appeared in the newspapers. The eyes of the people, who had been terrified, changed to curiosity as a celebrity appeared.

Joseph looked embarrassed and quickly said to Scarlett,

"May I come in for a moment? It's urgent."

"Ah, yes. Please come in."

As Scarlett spoke, Joseph entered the clock shop with hurried steps. And the way he hurriedly closed the door made him seem like someone with a touch of absentmindedness.

As Joseph entered, he stopped his hurried movements and froze the moment he met Andrei's eyes.

"Lord Hiram?"

"Mr. Joseph. It's been a while."

Scarlett frowned slightly at Joseph's pale face and asked Andrei,

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Ah, I've seen him at headquarters before."

"...In a bad way?"

"The Royal Police keep the members of the House of Representatives in check. Not that he did anything bad."

Unlike the members of the Senate, who were made up of heirs from prestigious families, the members of the House of Representatives were elected by the citizens, so anyone with power was wary of them. Because they always had the potential to overthrow the system.

Andrei said he hadn't done anything bad, but Joseph, seemingly with bad memories of Andrei, took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat that was pouring down his face.

Andrei said,

"It's been a long time since I quit the Royal Police, so you don't have to be so nervous."

"No, why are you here, Lord Hiram?"

"I got a job. Didn't you know?"

"...From the Royal Police to this small shop?"

Scarlett, who disliked hearing her shop called small, said with a stern expression,

"Why is my shop small? It's a two-story building."

At that, Andrei said,

"It is small. And it's a rental."

"Anyway, it's my shop."

"I wish the owner would work harder. I want to go to a bigger shop."

Joseph couldn't believe that the crazy Hiram Pete was working normally in this small shop. The fact that Scarlett Crimson knew about his past was even more shocking.

The Royal Police had dirt on most of the members of the House of Representatives. And Hiram Pete, who was constantly stuck in promotion, was mainly assigned to dig up that dirt. He had dirt on most of the members of the House of Representatives, and Joseph was one of them.

Andrei said,

"You can trust him, boss. From what I've gathered, Mr. Joseph is a good person."

"You don't have to explain."

Scarlett cut him off, and Andrei shrugged. Joseph checked Andrei several times, wondering if he was really the fierce Hiram Pete.

Scarlett and Joseph sat at the table, and Andrei, after serving tea, left the shop, saying he was going to Livne to buy some refreshments, seemingly to give them some space.

As Andrei left, Joseph sighed and opened his mouth.

"You saw the extra edition, didn't you?"

"I did."

Joseph said cautiously,

"I understand that the information that the Captain is friends with Vasily Lintberg came from Miss Scarlett's mouth during the Royal Police's interrogation process."

"...That's right."

"Are those two... very close?"

Anxiety could be felt in Joseph's voice.

Scarlett closed her mouth, and it didn't open easily. Joseph persuaded her with an earnest voice.

"This is a really important matter."

"If you have any questions, please tell me. I'll ask Viktor directly."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

Scarlett nodded. Joseph, who had seemed to have his mind wandering the entire time, regained some composure and said,

"May I ask... how close are you to the Royal Police?"

"It's not a good relationship."

"But Lord Hiram..."

"He seems to have been a spy originally, but now he's just a clock shop employee."

Scarlett took a sip of her tea and said,

"He must not be a very good spy, seeing how easily he was caught."

"I-I see..."