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Chapter 27
When Scarlet screamed and turned around, Palin, one of Victor’s subordinates, was standing there.
Startled, Scarlet asked, “Sir Palin? What are you doing here……?”
“Are you asking me that? I should be the one asking you.”
Though clearly flustered, Palin quickly let go of Scarlet. Already frightened on the lonely mountain path, Scarlet had nearly burst into tears from being suddenly grabbed.
Palin said awkwardly, “I thought you were about to fall…… Anyway, I’ll be going.”
After greeting her, Palin stepped aside.
Then Evan, who had come after him, asked, “Where are you headed? Since you seem to be wandering around here, I assume you’re going where we are.”
“Where you’re going…… too?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to Luse Waterfall.”
“Oh, we are too.”
What?
Scarlet blinked in confusion. Behind her, several navy officers who had been murmuring to each other approached and passed her by. As they did, they removed their hats and greeted her with light smiles.
“Good day, miss.”
“Long time no see.”
“We’ll go on ahead.”
They were among the most eligible bachelors in Salantie—highly educated, and chosen for their family background and appearance. Seeing them greet her so politely, Scarlet felt a strange flutter in her chest.
Just as her cheeks began to color and she returned their greetings, the man at the very back spoke in a leisurely tone.
“Are you looking for a remarriage candidate or something?”
Recognizing the familiar voice, she turned around to find Victor standing there.
Scarlet looked at him, utterly dumbfounded. “No…… what are all of you doing here?”
“And you?”
“I came to find materials for making watches.”
As she spoke, Scarlet lifted the large bag she was carrying to show him. Victor gestured with his chin.
“Go on. I’ll be following.”
“I’m tired. I can’t go any farther.”
Scarlet, exhausted, set the bag down and sat on top of it. Victor was about to walk past her when he spoke.
“Oh, you do know there are snakes around here, right?”
“There aren’t……”
Before she could finish, one of the navy officers who had been walking ahead stopped, opened his bag, and took out a snake.
“We caught this one on the way up.”
Scarlet gasped and covered her face with both hands.
At her reaction, the officers laughed cheerfully and headed off first.
After they left, Victor looked at Scarlet, who was still trembling, and let out a small laugh.
“Get up.”
“I’m tired……”
She looked up at the trees and said, “If I climb a tree, the snakes won’t be able to get up there, right?”
“How naive.”
Victor reached into his pocket and took out a handcuff. He fastened one end to Scarlet’s wrist and the other to his own, then lifted her bag with one hand.
“Hold on and come with me. Don’t run.”
“Wait.”
Apparently truly exhausted, Scarlet didn’t refuse Victor’s help. Worried her wristwatch might get scratched, she took it off and put it in her pocket.
Since she was used to sitting all the time, the mountain climb quickly wore her out. At first she followed by holding onto the handcuff as Victor pulled her along, but eventually even that became difficult, and she simply loosened her grip and let herself be dragged.
Her body hurt less that way, but the handcuff scraped against her wrist and stung. Still, she didn’t want to talk to Victor, so she kept going in silence.
Then Victor suddenly stopped.
He turned back, tugged his wrist, and pulled Scarlet toward him.
He discovered the injury on her wrist and made a terrifyingly grim expression.
As he unlocked the handcuff, Victor said, “Speak.”
“……Honestly, it was easier like this.”
“What happens if the person making watches injures her hands?”
Once the cuff was removed, Victor pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped it around her wrist before she could even look at the wound properly.
Watching him tie the knot, Scarlet said, “It looks similar to that injury.”
“What injury?”
“Oh, from before.”
At her words, Victor stared at her.
Scarlet added, “Looks like you don’t remember.”
“Remember what.”
“When I came back after being interrogated. My wrist was injured…… Ah, come to think of it, maybe I never told you.”
“……An injury?”
“Yeah. It had the exact same kind of wound as this. But I had no memory of it, so I had no idea where it came from……”
Since Scarlet had no memory, she didn’t realize how chilling her own words sounded. But when she looked up, she felt fear at the severely distorted expression on Victor’s face.
“I’m joking.”
“……”
“Don’t make that face. Fine, I remember. I was lying.”
“……Was anyone there?”
“About what?”
“About you getting hurt back then.”
“Quite a few. The maids in my room saw it, and the doctor probably did too…… Still, it wasn’t a very serious wound, so I don’t think many people remembered it.”
“Then how did I not know?”
“You wouldn’t have known. You didn’t see me after that day.”
Scarlet laughed as if the whole thing were ridiculous, then continued, “Maybe I thought…… you hurt yourself because you felt too guilty?”
“……”
“I thought that back then, but saying it would’ve only made you feel worse, right? I’m glad I didn’t say anything.”
Then she looked up at the sky.
“Anyway, the sun’s going down. What do we do? Is there somewhere to sleep around here?”
She asked, but Victor didn’t answer.
Scarlet pulled on his arm. “Victor, where do the navy officers sleep?”
Only then did Victor, who had briefly drifted off into thought, answer.
“At the government office.”
“The government office? What government office?”
“Where did you say you were going?”
“Luse Waterfall.”
“You said the materials were at Luse Waterfall?”
“Yeah.”
Victor looked at her with a strange expression, then said, “For now, let’s go.”
For once, he wasn’t being as cruel as usual. Scarlet found it odd, but too tired to care, and replied, “I’m going to rest a little before I go.”
She thought her muscles would be terribly sore tomorrow. Then Victor turned back and asked, “Want me to carry you?”
“……What?”
“You’re light.”
No matter how light she was, how was she supposed to let her ex-husband carry her……?
Scarlet really was exhausted, but she still shook her head firmly. Victor clicked his tongue once, came back, and lifted her up.
“Wa—wait! I said no!”
Scarlet struggled, but Victor had already hoisted her onto one shoulder and resumed walking.
“If the sun sets, there’ll be even more snakes. Want me to put you down?”
“……”
Scarlet shut her mouth and shook her head. She knew he was strong, but she had no idea he could climb a mountain trail while carrying her like this. Helpless, she squeezed her eyes shut.
As they passed, sign after sign reading No Entry appeared.
Is it because of the snakes?
Just thinking about it sent chills down her whole body.
The two of them eventually reached a massive cliff face. Only then did Victor set Scarlet down.
Scarlet looked up at the mountain peak, the final barrier on the way to Luse Waterfall.
“……How are we supposed to get over this?”
“You came without knowing?”
“I saw it on the map, but I had no idea it would be a cliff like this……”
“So you came here without even knowing where this place is?”
Victor’s voice turned rough, and Scarlet flinched.
Stammering, she said, “It’s Luse Waterfall. I told you I came to find watch materials.”
“What else?”
“What else…… I don’t know.”
When Scarlet shook her head, Victor sighed and said, “You really commit all kinds of crimes.”
“Going to Luse Waterfall is a crime too?”
“Yes. You crossed a restricted boundary earlier.”
“……I thought it was because of the snakes.”
Her voice grew smaller. Anxiety began to spread across her face.
Victor looked up at the mountain peak in exasperation, then spoke.
“Well, I suppose committing one or two more violations here won’t be the end of the world.”
“But my parents got watch materials by crossing this peak.”
“The former Crimson family heads were officials.”
“……What do my parents have to do with the navy?”
At Scarlet’s confused expression, Victor looked at her without answering.
The silence dragged on. Finally, Scarlet said, “I’m also the daughter of the Crimson family. I don’t know what’s going on, but everything my parents do, I carry on. It’s the family business.”
“Just so you know, if you can’t carry out that family business in there, I can’t guarantee your life either.”
“I can do it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I can’t be sure.”
“……What?”
“But I still have to go in there.”
Scarlet said firmly and picked up her bag.
