《To Help You Understand》 Chapter 1 Translator: asuramaru Proofreader: asuramaru There were only two ways to receive a title in this country: ¡®succession¡¯ and ¡®marriage¡¯. Winter Blooming was the illegitimate child of the Duke of Blooming from before his father¡¯s marriage; his mother was a stranger. A stranger who was unrecognised by the state. He knew he had no chance of succeeding the title. However, just in time, Larken ¨C which was controlled by the ruling royal family ¨C was left saddled with debt thanks to the failures of an incompetent government. Every day, demonstrations occurred outside the castle with calls to execute the king. All blame fell on the monarchy. As a result, Winter was promised a marriage to the King¡¯s daughter, Violet Lawrence, in exchange for his family¡¯s assistance in paying off the debt. That was the reason for their marriage, and it was a satisfactory decision in Violet¡¯s eyes. Although, the wedding was almost omitted entirely¡­ Her mind, now that she¡¯d finally become 18, was consumed with the desire to speak to her husband. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen a man so handsome¡­¡¯ As rumoured, Winter possessed cool grey eyes, which he¡¯d inherited from his unknown biological mother. She¡¯d heard that he was twenty-four years old, but according to her first impression of him, he was much more mature than anyone could have imagined. His expressions had remained fine and cool despite the unfamiliar surroundings, which was very good for Violet. No man in her life had ever made her feel so flustered. He was the first. I didn¡¯t expect to fall in love with someone at first sight. And that someone could be so lucky to even have him as a husband¡­ it was unthinkable. No, incredibly lucky. ¡®Will he like me too?¡¯ At the end of the wedding reception, the curious Violet had closed her eyes and held Winter¡¯s hand. When my eyes met with his, my heart began to beat faster. It took a great deal of courage to hold the strange, beautiful man¡¯s hand. Violet tugged on his hand, preventing him from avoiding her, and spoke. ¡°I knew I was lucky to meet you.¡± His reaction was worrying¡­ Winter¡¯s blank expression made a second seem like a hundred years. Winter, who was about to respond, turned his head to the side as a new sound echoed around the room. It was because Ash Lawrence, Violet¡¯s brother and heir to the throne of Larken, tapped a glass of wine with a spoon to draw attention. He opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know that, thankfully, Lord Winter Blooming has offered 24 million Lakne for this marriage.¡± Why did you talk about money all of a sudden? Ash continued as Violet felt increasingly uncomfortable. ¡°With this money, I have paid off most of my father¡¯s debts due to the failure of the state. The royal family will not stop here, but will also attempt to apologise for risking the security of the territory. As proof of that, as of today, I am going to dismantle the royal family and delegate all authority to the House [1]. Also, the Lawrence family will give up all titles.¡± [1] As in, congress; constitutional government. No more monarchy. There was silence in the wedding hall following Ash¡¯s words. Soon, however, one of the guests began to applaud. Gradually, everyone in the room applauded his brave decision. Winter, on the other hand, got up from his seat, cursing as his face crumpled. The attention of most people fell on him. It was the moment when his entire fortune, which had risen to that of a millionaire, was blown away. A sense of inferiority had led him to spend his entire life savings solely to buy a title. But when the Lawrence family declared that they would disband the royal family and lay down their titles, his status as the Duke¡¯s son and the Princess¡¯s husband also disappeared. Everything he¡¯d worked for¡­ was gone in a split second. Winter threw the cup he was holding to the floor, unable to hide his anger. Violet, who was sitting next to him, opened her eyes wide with astonishment at the sound of a shudder. Winter left in a state of fatigue. After a while, people gathered again in praise of Ash as if nothing had happened. Everyone knew that he¡¯d sacrificed his sister to pay off the debt and to appease the protesters. But many were relieved at the sacrifice of the two main characters of today¡¯s wedding. Violet sat idly and glanced towards the angry people of the Blooming family approaching her. That was three years ago. Chapter 2 Translator(s): asuramaru + shiko Proofreader: whatisaproofreader trigger warning: contains suicidal themes Violet stood waiting outside her husband¡¯s dressing room, wanting to speak with him. ¡°Little madam, go back to your bedroom!¡± The maids grabbed her in an attempt to stop her, but Violet stood firm at the door and wouldn¡¯t budge. After a while, the door opened and his first secretary, Hael, appeared. Behind him, Violet caught sight of Winter Blooming with pomade hair[1]. He wore a pale blue shirt, coupled with a grey vest and pants the same colour as her eyes. Violet, in comparison, was still plainly dressed. But whilst she donned formal clothes, he was barefoot, and there was a strange, blinding blue spark in his eyes. As Winter¡¯s gaze turned towards her, Violet took a step towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Just this business trip¡­ if you can¡¯t cancel it, just arrive one day late.¡± ¡°This time, I¡¯ll be back in a week.¡± ¡°You can put it off for a day. Please, come with me to your mother¡¯s party this evening.¡± ¡°Just say you¡¯re sick and get some rest.¡± ¡°If it was that easy, I wouldn¡¯t have come to you about it.¡± ¡°Violet.¡± All ten employees turned their attention away from Winter, knowing how much he was pushing her character. Everyone was inwardly thinking that it would be too much to handle if their wives or husbands went crazy like Violet. Winter spoke in an irritated voice, ¡°Do you know how much money has moved in the time you¡¯ve stood here, wasting my time? I spent 24 million Lakne to purchase the status you¡¯ve had since you were born. But the status I bought simply disappeared.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you know that, you should make a choice. Pay me back, or bestow me with the status I paid for. If you can¡¯t do either, then be quiet.¡± Winter grabbed Violet¡¯s hands, knowing his wife was unable to answer. But she stubbornly grabbed Winter¡¯s wrists. She was so desperate. ¡°Being one day late won¡¯t make a big difference. Just this once¡­¡­.¡± When she didn¡¯t retreat, the maids were about to step in. But with no special instructions from Winter, they didn¡¯t make a move. Violet, who¡¯d been looking up at Winter and begging him, slowly came to her senses as she met his eyes. He looked at her as if he¡¯d found some drunken man on the street. She gradually pulled her hands away, realising that her husband had no interest in listening to her. Winter clicked his tongue and brushed past her. His aids followed him as he left. Violet lingered in place for a moment with a blank expression before heading back to her room. Just outside the window, she watched as Winter¡¯s carriage departed. She wondered for a while if such a busy man even would bother to attend her funeral. Dr. Lichton, who¡¯d appeared reluctantly upon Violet¡¯s call, wore a displeased expression after finishing his job. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you, little madam. If you think you have a disease, it¡¯s probably a mental illness.¡± ¡°Well I didn¡¯t say I was really sick. It¡¯s just¡­ this headache is too¡­¡­.¡± Violet began to make excuses, but Lichton abruptly cut her off. ¡°You grew up as a Princess, so I understand why you¡¯re worried about a little pain*. But, once again, My Lady isn¡¯t sick at all. If you keep acting like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to tell you the truth.¡± [TN: He¡¯s saying that she¡¯s been coddled and given the best of everything, so she doesn¡¯t know the hardships of regular life ¨C i.e. that headaches are perfectly normal.] ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was a disease. And I really can¡¯t stand up since I have such a bad headache.¡± ¡°Oh, really, stop lying and get up, little madam. It¡¯ll become a habit.¡± After scolding her, Lichton put his hat back on and left the room. Her fake illness seemed funny, and the attending maids, whilst they waited for Violet, could be seen holding back their laughter. Following the doctor¡¯s words, Violet was forced out of bed. When she stood up, her attendants helped her change into a tea-time dress. Violet opened her mouth as she sat down to apply makeup. ¡°I want a fresh look, so cut my hair to my shoulders.¡± ¡°Yes, little madam.¡± Only then did the maids¡¯ sour faces brighten. It was usually a bother to take care of her long hair. The maids combed and cut Violet¡¯s hair to her shoulders, pinning the rest of her hair up with a diamond encrusted hair band and its adorned flowers. After being attended to, Violet left the mansion as if she was being dragged to hell. The estate was so vast that it was necessary to travel by carriage in order to reach the residence of her parents-in-law. After a while, she stepped down from the carriage and caught sight of a group of people ¨C talking animatedly to one another ¨C who¡¯d arrived before the official start of the party. They were the high profile aristocrats from the Southern region of Larkround, called the Warhol. At the heart of the gathering were members of the Blooming family. Violet¡¯s mother-in-law, Catherine Blooming, caught sight of her and beckoned her over. ¡°Violet, over here.¡± As Violet approached, Catherine asked tenderly, ¡°Were you late because you weren¡¯t feeling well? Do you feel better now?¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Violet turned, looking for a place to sit, but the table was already full. Even if she¡¯d arrived earlier, there still would¡¯ve been nowhere to sit. It was low bullying, but Catherine continued undeterred, ¡°Do you know how worried I was when I heard you¡¯d been sick for months? What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­¡­.¡± When Violet hesitated to answer, Catherine continued with a hint of concern, ¡°Tell Lichton to get you some good medicine. He could fetch you anything since he¡¯s travelled all around the continent.¡± Violet simply nodded, feeling her mouth dry up. But in that moment, Lichton, who¡¯d just left the mansion, passed by and spoke gladly, ¡°Little Madam! You¡¯re here! See, I told you the illness wasn¡¯t real.¡± Seconds later, a burst of laughter erupted from the guests attending the garden party. Violet felt herself trembling at the ridicule; such treatment was no longer unfamiliar to her, but it was still painful to be subjected to cruel insults every day. Catherine, who¡¯d also burst into laughter, whispered to Lichton, ¡°You know she¡¯s a princess, Lichton; she¡¯s not used to pain.¡± A young man at the table grumbled at her words. ¡°It¡¯s been three years since the royal family disbanded. Besides, does it make sense to expect others to give her special treatment even after she did so much damage to her husband?¡± Then another wife chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s right. Wasn¡¯t the Blooming family completely swindled? Mrs. Catherine is too soft.¡± It¡¯s been like this for three consecutive years. After repaying his debts and surrendering the throne, Ash won the support of the people once more. Furthermore, most public calls for him to compensate for the damage also disappeared. The one who took the most damage was Winter. He disposed of a great part of his possessions to generate 24 million Lakne, and the rest of his money was used to establish himself into the Blooming family. ¡°Since the beginning of his marriage, Winter arranged for his business to extend to the capital for it to flourish more. Since then, the Blooming family were only seen once a month.¡± The Bloomings left over slowly ate away at Violet¡¯s life, just like a poison. At first, whenever Violet got involved in events like this, they¡¯d smile and talk amicably with her, but when she turned her back, they¡¯d start running their mouths. As the evening drew near, the party began, and the banquet hall was filled with elaborately dressed, playful aristocrats. Throughout the party, which continued late into the night, Violet leaned against a wall, waiting for the end of such a hard day. ¡°Doing that again¡­¡­.¡± ¡°A wife having the nerve to act like that¡­ it¡¯s completely ruining the party atmosphere.¡± As she¡¯d been leaning against the wall all along, Violet heard all the whispers and started to move away. ¡°Why wander around like that? What an eyesore.¡± Violet stopped walking again. Ignoring the words of others was a matter of strength. But with nowhere to run, she lost a piece of herself little by little to accommodate everyone¡¯s opinions. Although her presence seemingly ruined the party, it was also true that the happy princess¡¯ fall from grace was always an interesting topic of conversation. Her presence never failed to enliven the gathering. After leaving the banquet hall to cool off, Violet collapsed as if the words of the guests were small stones flying at her. But then, Diev ¨C Winter¡¯s younger brother and the only legitimate son in the Blooming family ¨C came to her assistance. ¡°Violet!¡± As soon as he grabbed her arm, Violet suddenly pulled away. Diev didn¡¯t seem to understand the signal and touched her short hair. ¡°It looks good on you.¡± ¡°I thought I made it clear not to come near me.¡± He was able to read the situation, but Diev was adamant. He pretended not to hear her. ¡°It¡¯s just not the weather to walk around in a dress like that. It¡¯s still cold, you know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself over it.¡± Violet stepped back with a pale face. But she was too slow, and, almost immediately, he caught her arms along with the scarf around her neck. ¡°Think smart. My brother doesn¡¯t come home often anyway.¡± ¡°Just one drink. Then I¡¯ll be on your side.¡± Who would ever believe that Diev Blooming, the heir to the Blooming family who everyone believes to be a gentleman, was such a lecherous flirt with his sister-in-law. If those words left her mouth, Violet might have been confined to room and treated as if she was a psychopath. The rest of the world had no idea Diev had a side like this. ¡°It won¡¯t ever happen.¡± Diev grinned at her words and let her go. ¡°That¡¯s regrettable.¡± As soon as he released her, Violet frantically ran to her carriage. After stepping into the carriage, she released a long breath and finally loosened her scarf. She looked back at the mansion with a depressed expression. ¡°I have to go back¡­.¡± Disappearing in the middle of the night, Violet was scolded by the Blooming couple. She got off the carriage and clasped the gate with her hands. But she couldn¡¯t step down. When she went back there, she felt as if her body was going to break into pieces. Eventually, Violet made it home and entered her bedroom. Violet threw the ornate diamond embellishments from the headpiece she¡¯d been wearing onto the bed. Methodically, she took out the collection of sleeping pills she¡¯d been steadily collecting in her jewellery box and poured them into her mouth. She gulped it all down with the champagne hidden in her closet. Feeling like it wasn¡¯t enough, she swallowed another handful of pills and knocked it back with more champagne. Lichton¡¯s sleeping pills were very effective. Well, the ingredients were never meant to be edible. I might die more terribly than I wanted, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t want to go back to the party, and I didn¡¯t want to become a target again for disappearing halfway through. I¡¯d rather end my life like this. With both the champagne and the box of sleeping pills empty, Violet flopped down onto her bed. Then she spoke to the sparkling diamond in front of her eyes[2]. ¡°Goodbye, then.¡± It was a little sad that no one was there to say goodbye to. [1] Pomade hair ¨C a hairstyle with a sharp, polished look with a quiff at the front. Looks like this: [2] The jewellery she threw onto her bed earlier (in case this wasn¡¯t clear). Chapter 3 Translator: asuramaru Maybe it¡¯s because I took too many pills, but there¡¯s less pain than I expected. Violet opened her eyes once again as she lay on a fluffy bed, feeling as if her whole body was melting. She smiled unconsciously and buried her head in the pillow. The wind flowed through the window left slightly ajar, gently brushing the curtains and ruffling her hair. If I¡¯d known death was this peaceful, I would¡¯ve chosen this path three years ago. I¡¯ve never felt so refreshed and at peace in my entire life. Not only did the incessant headache that¡¯d plagued me since I was born disappear completely for the first time, but also the feeling of blood unbearably pressing against my skin subsided. ¡°Happy¡­¡­.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes flashed in shock at the sound of her voice. She stretched her upper body and felt her throat with her hands. Her eyes snapped again at the sight of her hands. Neither the hands, or the neck, were hers. It¡¯s my husband¡¯s large hand which I held at our wedding ceremony¡­ and his low, fierce voice. Violet could tell it was a healthy body, hardened by work and sports, and covered her mouth with her hands. Violet¡¯s eyes traced down towards the floor, and she was surprised again by the sensation of a tight leg muscle. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡­¡­.¡± She stared blankly at the full body mirror in the bedroom. The man in the mirror was definitely Winter Blooming. A man over 190cm tall, with a threatening physique and wide shoulders, along with a savage yet handsome appearance. It was Winter Blooming, with his slightly curled hair and grey eyes, that stared back at her. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve really gone crazy now.¡± As Violet stood there talking to herself, the door opened wide and Winter¡¯s secretary, Hael, came in. ¡°Mr Representative! Rowell¡¯s already ready! Please get dressed quickly!¡± Hael held a coffee in one hand, and his suit in the other. Already wearing formal attire, he was exuding sophistication, as expected of the Blooming family. Hael lined up a clean white shirt and suit pants on the bed. ¡°You can wear this. Please put on a tie today; it¡¯s a public occasion.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Oh, no. I see.¡± Violet¡¯s polite answer seemed to impress Hael, but he nodded as if he knew the reason immediately. ¡°Oh, you practiced your polite speech for today¡¯s meeting. Well, it was rough yesterday.¡± Violet questioned his words, tilting her head, ¡°¡­¡­.Why practice?¡± ¡°Why, you¡¯re bad at manners.¡± ¡°I am?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really asking that? You just slept in, so we don¡¯t have time for this! Change your clothes quickly!¡± Violet nodded in surprise and ran towards the bed. Moments later, a maid left a hot cup of coffee on the table. As he spooned sugar into the coffee, Hael spoke. ¡°Regarding the beans in the Videlines Mountains, in Rowe the price per each gram is 30 rounds (1000 rounds per Lakne). He asked me to attain that, what a crazy bastard, right?¡± ¡°Hael. Would you please leave so I can change?¡± The remark made Hael¡¯s eyes widen slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you this morning?¡± Of course, everyone changed their clothes, but it was only natural for women to feel like this. Because she was too uncomfortable to change in front of Hael, Violet asked again. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little off today. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could turn away.¡± ¡°Why are you speaking so elegantly all of a sudden¡­ why aren¡¯t you drinking your coffee?¡± Hael turned around, and the difficulties began. Violet took a sip of coffee and almost spat it out. It had such a thick, sugary consistency that her tongue hurt. Moreover, the temperature was so hot it felt as if it was still boiling in a fire. She couldn¡¯t drink any more than a sip of the coffee. After giving up on drinking the coffee, Violet felt flustered and dressed herself in a white shirt, black suit pants and threw on a grey tie around her neck. She looked back at Hael awkwardly. ¡°Hael, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Are you hungover again? Do you think you won¡¯t be able to make it to the meeting?¡± Winter would only apologise when he had a hangover. Violet looked at the tie. ¡°Tie it, please.¡± ¡°You¡¯re punishing me, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong, but I¡¯d rather you swear like usual.¡± Hael walked towards her in disbelief and skillfully knotted her tie. Violet, who felt awkward due to the close proximity between them, turned her head away. She looked down at his brown shoes instead. ¡°So¡­ the meeting?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. Now, don¡¯t get angry and flip the table upside down, even if he digs hard this time.¡± Winter usually swears and turns the table over. The image of her husband, who wouldn¡¯t spill a drop of blood even if he was attacked, instantly faded. If I¡¯m crazy, I must also be delusional. ¡°Come on, if you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s go!¡± Hael pushed against Violet¡¯s back. Violet took a step in amazement at Winter¡¯s solid body, which remained steady regardless of Hael¡¯s force. With no time to adjust, Violet found herself sitting in front of a difficult contract. Sitting in front of a table covered with documents and papers, it wasn¡¯t like Violet didn¡¯t know the reason why he was leaning back. The table height set for a young woman must¡¯ve been ridiculously low for Winter. ¡®What to do ¡­.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t be entirely sure of her mental stability, but Violet knew she couldn¡¯t afford to squander this contract. Blaming herself for her inability to cope, she carefully checked the papers. As Violet had been staring at the contracts for a while, Rowell, the head of the Wildellin Mountains clan, opened his mouth to speak. ¡°You yelled like that yesterday, but today you¡¯re silent?¡± ¡°I was rude yesterday. I apologise.¡± After being briefed, Violet knew that Rowell was a man who upheld traditional ideals; he seemed to value courtesy highly. He once again pointed out Violet¡¯s unusual care for manners. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you. You were so violent yesterday, yet today you¡¯re going for a smoother approach?¡± ¡°Rather than that¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°These numbers here¡± Rowell increased the number on the contract by 30. ¡°If you won¡¯t buy it for this price, I can¡¯t sell them ¨C the beans of Wildellin.¡± Wildellin coffee was famous for its quality; it was supposed to be the finest coffee on the market. She¡¯d often drank this at the royal castle. She never knew that coffee beans were so expensive. Violet, who¡¯d never set foot in front of a negotiating table before, said in embarrassment, ¡°It¡¯s already written in the contract¡­ if you raise it by 30 rounds each, our burden will be too much¡­¡± Her cautious attitude irritated Rowell. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stingy. Isn¡¯t your hotel chain experiencing an unprecedented boom? To say it¡¯d put you under a lot of pressure sounds like an excuse.¡± She¡¯d heard that her husband had become an accomplished person after their marriage. It seemed like he¡¯d recovered his fortune to some extent. ¡®Or I¡¯m only listening to what I want to hear. Crazy,¡¯ Violet thought. She felt guilty for the problems she¡¯d caused Winter. So, no matter how long he spent away, she would welcome him as if she was happy he returned home. As she was engrossed in thought, Rowell continued, ¡°Without selling these, the Wildellin children won¡¯t make enough money.¡± ¡°The children work?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Oh my God, the children are doing the work! Violet, who thought it was necessary to pay in exchange for the labour of children, looked at the documents and picked up Winter¡¯s seal. She answered, ¡°Then, as you said¡­¡­.¡± As she showed signs of stamping the documents, a frightened Hael rushed over and grabbed her arm. ¡°Oh, no. You drank so much yesterday that you¡¯re still intoxicated!¡± After speaking, Hael grabbed her, squirming, and raised her from her seat. As Violet followed him and left the meeting, Hael spoke in a lowered voice, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not drunk? Come on!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because the children were working¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just acting on it because you were treated like a servant when you were a child. But you know better. Even if there is a child working there, you know none of that money will go back to that child, and instead it will end up in Rowell¡¯s pockets¡­¡­.. No, why did I have to explain such an obvious thing all of a sudden? How much did you drink?¡± Hael seemed confident that the only reason his boss was being kind was because he was drunk. Violet, wearing a blank face, asked, ¡°If I was my usual self, how would I react? If¡­ if I was sober enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a weird drunk¡­ well, the moment you heard ¡¯30 rounds¡¯, you¡¯d have flipped the table. And then I¡¯d stop you¡­ and then you¡¯d have another meeting.¡± I¡¯d have to turn the tables upside down to act like the usual Winter¡­¡­. By the way, it looks like it¡¯s made of marble, so how on earth can it be lifted by normal human power? Violet thought hard and walked up to the table and grasped it with her hand, attempting to move it. Then she heard the table creak and move, despite it seeming unlikely to budge. Violet, alarmed at Winter¡¯s strength, looked up and saw Rowell; he seemed a little frightened and shrinked back. After staring at him for a while, Violet gathered the scattered documents that¡¯d fallen to the floor because of the tilting of the table. Then she sat down and drew over the numbers Rowell had written with a pen. ¡°Let¡¯s negotiate again. From the beginning.¡± Rowell spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a conversation. We can sit down and talk until we¡¯re both satisfied.¡± It was Winter Blooming¡¯s method to flip the table and scare his opponent. But, sitting here was Violet Lawrence, doing what she was best at ¨C standing steadfast. It was a routine for her to stand like a ghost and endure the parties, unable to avoid the stones they pelted her with. Violet¡¯s collection of paper was laid out neatly on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll read it again from the beginning.¡± ¡°But that won¡¯t change the content.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll read it over and over again. I won¡¯t stop until we come up with an answer, or one of us collapses from exhaustion.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if it was a dream or psychosis. Violet was a responsible person, so she decided to do her best with this contract. And so the body swap antics begin! Chapter 4 Rowell couldn¡¯t hide the anxiety he felt as Winter stared directly at him before meticulously going through the contents of the contract one by one. He¡¯d never seen Winter wear such a composed yet arrogant expression before. Normally, whenever Winter flipped the table, the negotiations were prolonged¡­ and Rowell slowly discovered ways to provoke him. ¡°So, I heard that the cigars of Larkround are famous.¡± Hael unconsciously sucked in his breath before covering his mouth with his hands. As he said, Larkround was famous for its cigars, but it was something enjoyed only by the aristocrats. At first, Winter had attempted to try cigars to join in with the conversations of the nobles, but he was soon tired out by the strict etiquette he needed to learn. Since then, he¡¯d not so much as looked at a cigar. Rowell continued. ¡°I¡¯d like it if you could show them to me, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡®Sir, you shouldn¡¯t have responded like that!¡¯ Hael swallowed his remark before it escaped his lips. Should Rowell start wittering on sarcastically about cigars, Winter would definitely be irritated, and, in the end, the business negotiations would fall into Rowell¡¯s favour. It was an important contract, for it concerned an enormous amount of coffee beans that would be supplied to all of the company¡¯s hotels in the future. Any change in the numbers would result in a considerable change in profit. Meanwhile, Winter jotted down a few things before handing the note to Hael. Hael didn¡¯t seem to understand and stared at the words for an unnecessary amount of time. When Hael didn¡¯t move, Winter asked, ¡°Do I have to go and buy them myself?¡± ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Hael hadn¡¯t realised they were the names of some cigars, and soon rushed out. He hurried to a nearby specialty store and bought the cigar kits Winter had specified in his note, and placed them down on the desk in front of him. Winter took the Belicoso[1] cigar out of its box and pressed it lightly between his fingers. ¡®S, Should you really press it like that? Is it not expensive?¡¯ But of course, Hael knew nothing about cigars. After Winter checked it for any imperfections, he handed the cigar to Rowell directly. ¡°This is the type supplied to the royal family. I hope it is to your taste.¡± Rowell accepted the cigar with surprise. Winter took out a cigar to smoke, cut off the head and set it alight. Even Rowell, who felt a sense of superiority to Winter, couldn¡¯t fault Winter¡¯s textbook movements. He looked as if he¡¯d been educated in the correct movements since birth. Desperate to achieve his goal, Rowell held out his own cigar. ¡°I¡¯d like my junior[2] to light it.¡± The moment he heard those words, Hael quickly backed away from the table. He was sure that Winter would lose his nerve and overturn the table. But Winter merely turned his head to the side as if he didn¡¯t understand. Violet, too, felt the same way, and she was the one in his body. No matter how the royal family was treated and disregarded for the past 3 years, she had never heard the term ¡®junior¡¯, no matter how much stress the title of Princess had brought her. Violet, after thinking for a moment, replied. ¡°I must be younger then.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean age¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anyhow, I didn¡¯t realise you weren¡¯t familiar with cigars to the extent of not knowing how to light one. I¡¯m sorry, I should have explained in more detail.¡± It wasn¡¯t mockery. Violet truly interpreted the term ¡®junior¡¯ as a matter of age, not status, and that Rowell was asking for her assistance as an older person unfamiliar with cigars. She felt a little sorry for him. But Rowell took it as a joke, and his face reddened. Violet misunderstood the reason for it, again, but pretended not to notice the change in his expression. ¡°This meeting will take a while then, what, with introducing all these new things to you.¡± Hael, barely managing to rein in laughter, lifted up several brands of cigars that Winter had jotted down on the note with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, many new things.¡± This time, Rowell¡¯s face turned pale. Rowell instinctively felt like one of them would die from a nicotine overdose from this, and that the loser would be him. Rowell, who¡¯d been kept as an almost-prisoner for forty seven hours, went back to his room yelling at Winter to do whatever he wanted. Violet also exited the conference room shortly after. The table was littered with boxes of cigars and bottles of liquor that had been consumed throughout. Violet felt guilty to have used Winter¡¯s body in such a way, but figured he¡¯d be overjoyed that the contract had been completed properly. After all, money was so important to him that he couldn¡¯t spare a day for his wife. Violet handed Hael the contract, stamped with Rowell¡¯s seal. It was all Kanixa ¨C the company ¨C wanted. Hael spoke as if he couldn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d witnessed. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± After working for 47 hours straight, Violet was already half asleep. She headed straight for the bedroom. Hael followed her in, but she was too tired to care. As soon as he closed the curtains and the room became somewhat dark, Violet fell asleep with a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. If this is what being insane is like, then I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind living like this. For the first time in his life, Winter Blooming found it difficult to wake up in the morning. From that moment on, he knew it wasn¡¯t his body. ¡°Damn, son of a¡­¡­.¡± After managing to raise himself, he realised he was in his wife¡¯s body, judging by his new voice and the bedroom he woke up in. After clicking his tongue, he adapted to the situation. Winter was once enslaved as a ¡®giant¡¯ in a dwarven town for a god-damned month, and had been kidnapped and experimented on by a mad sorceress. This was nothing. By comparison, this wasn¡¯t even strange. Now he needed to contact his people in the vicinity. But no matter how hard he pulled the rope, no maid came. As an impatient Winter rose from his seat, his feet touched empty bottles of champagne and medicine. He¡¯d always thought the Princess was a delicate woman, but she didn¡¯t seem to live much differently than himself. The moment he opened the door to look for someone, his whole body trembled. ¡°Shit, what¡¯s with this body.¡± Winter swore as he staggered out of the room before sitting down quickly. The headache was so severe that it was difficult to walk even a step forward, but Winter had an obsession with coffee. And so, he managed to make it to the stairs. Whatever the reason was, he¡¯d ended up here instead of going to sign the contract. Regardless of the condition of his body, he needed to go back to his hotel immediately and complete the deal with that damned worm from the Widellin Mountains. If the Princess had switched bodies with him, he didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do. A woman like her would¡¯ve probably never encountered filth like that in her entire life. Whilst he somehow tried to drag himself down the stairs, Winter noticed the Blooming family¡¯s doctor, Lichton, walk into the room below him. Lichton had completely ignored Winter, an illegitimate child, at the start, so Winter hadn¡¯t bothered to treat him like a human being either. But right now, he could cry with gratitude to have come across someone qualified as a doctor. ¡°Lichton! Good thing you¡¯re here. Come assist me.¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah¡­¡­.¡± Lichton felt a little embarrassed at Violet¡¯s unusual openness, but followed her into her room regardless. Winter flopped down onto the blanket, leaning on the pillow, and spoke in a commanding tone. ¡°I have a headache. Quickly identify the cause.¡± ¡°I told you yesterday, Lady. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong? This body feels like crap.¡± ¡°W, what do you mean¡­ You¡¯re speaking too harshly.¡± As Lichton spoke, he began to examine Violet¡¯s condition. Since Violet disappeared without saying goodbye in the middle of the party last night, the Duke and Duchess of Blooming, along with Diev, had been determined not to let such disrespect go. So, Winter expected to get a definite answer today that this body was sick. Lichton grumbled after pretending to give some sort of medical examination. ¡°How long are you going to feign sickness? You might be a Princess, but you¡¯re too stubborn¡­¡­¡­ Li, Little Lady!¡± Lichton stopped talking. Winter grabbed him by the collar and threatened him. ¡°I said, I¡¯m not feeling well. Who gave this quack doctor a license to spew such inventions this early in the morning?¡± ¡®Inventions?¡¯ Winter guessed that Violet probably would have said it like that. If Winter had been in his usual body, the man would¡¯ve been pinned to the ground by now, but that was unimaginable with Violet¡¯s lack of strength. Winter suppressed his anger, knowing he couldn¡¯t beat such an opponent right now, and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re aware your paycheck comes out of my money, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°N, Not the Little Lady¡¯s, but the Master¡¯s money!¡± ¡°Regardless, we¡¯re married, so it doesn¡¯t matter who earns it or gives it. It¡¯s the same.¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± ¡°So if you don¡¯t want to get fired, then you should say what I want to hear from now on, is that clear?¡± Lichton, having been seized by the collar by a woman, straightened up his disheveled shirt when he escaped her grasp. Meanwhile, Winter beckoned with his finger for Lichton to follow him; he walked right out of Violet¡¯s bedroom and into his own. When he entered his bedroom, he saw Phillip, his favourite servant, sweeping the floor. Phillip greeted him politely and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong, Little Lady?¡± ¡°Ah, the, I should be in the Capital right now¡­¡­.¡± Winter stumbled on his words as he spoke because of the terrible headache. Phillip reached out a helping hand, a little embarrassed, and then brought it back again. Winter spoke again, holding on to the bed this time, ¡°Get me a coffee. A very hot coffee.¡± ¡°Yes, Little Lady¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And give me a massage.¡± ¡°Y, Yes?¡± Phillip¡¯s eyes were wide open, but he left the bedroom in order to fetch some coffee first, as he was instructed. Then, as Winter opened the safe in his room, Lichton, who was standing far away, jumped. He was the eyes and ears of Catherine Blooming, and stayed at Violet¡¯s residence. It was shocking to see Violet open Winter¡¯s safe when all he¡¯d witnessed was their relationship getting worse. Winter¡¯s wealth was as important to him as his life. If it was for money, he¡¯d even be willing to kill people. The fact that such a man shared the code to his safe with his wife was the same as entrusting his own life to her. It was clearly noteworthy that, not only had Violet¡¯s attitude changed, but also that she knew the code to his vault. Regardless, Winter stuffed a bundle of bills into Lichton¡¯s pocket and lay back onto the bed. Then, he asked Lichton, whose eyes were wide open, to review what Winter had taught him. ¡°So, Lichton. What did I say earlier?¡± ¡°To give the answer that the Little Lady wants!¡± ¡°Since I have to get to the Capital as soon as possible, I want you to do what you can. If I happen to faint along the way, I¡¯ll¡­¡­. No, my husband will personally sever your head from your shoulders.¡± He was planning on sleeping as soon as he got back, but now Winter needed his help. His head was spinning for more reasons than one. Fortunately, Phillip returned with coffee and sugar. Winter poured the sugar into the cup without hesitation and gulped it down. After that, Lichton left to prepare the medicine for the treatment. A moment later, Phillip came back with a bowl filled with lukewarm water. Feeling a little embarrassed as Winter sat on the bed, Phillip knelt down and tucked his feet under him. He wrapped the Lady¡¯s pale feet in his hands, dipped them in the water, and slowly began to massage them. At Phillip¡¯s light touch, Winter felt a surge of irritation. ¡°Did you suddenly become an 80-year-old man?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah¡­¡­ B, But any harder would cause you pain.¡± ¡°What kind of¡­¡­.¡± Winter¡¯s eyes slowly settled on Phillip¡¯s hands as he nudged the water bowl a little. It was a strange scene. Phillip¡¯s face was bright red, seemingly unable to raise his head, and he was struggling to even hold Violet¡¯s feet out of fear that his strength would hurt her. Of course, it was Winter in Violet¡¯s body now, but Phillip didn¡¯t know that. Winter spoke in a subdued voice, ¡°¡­..Leave. Don¡¯t come near me again.¡± ¡°Th, Thankyou!¡± Phillip replied with a loud voice that Winter had never heard before; he immediately grabbed the water bowl before fleeing from the bedroom. Winter clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair for a moment before stopping his hand. Then, he turned his head towards the mirror, noticing that Violet¡¯s long hair had been cut to shoulder height. After staring at the mirror for a while, Winter murmured, ¡°¡­¡­You cut it late.¡± He recalled a conversation he had with Violet last winter. [1] Belicoso: real brand. [2] ¡®Junior¡¯: Rowell means it in the sense of people socially inferior to him (i.e. insinuating that Winter is lesser than him in order to provoke a reaction). However, Violet takes it to mean younger (i.e. the young are respectful towards the older in society). I didn¡¯t have an appropriate word so just take it to mean inferior person/underling/subordinate/someone lower than the person speaking (in more ways than one). Chapter 5 Last winter, during the shortest days, he stayed home for four days. And the eve before Winter was due to leave for the Capital again, Violet spoke to him over dinner. When Winter had faced her, Violet fiddled with her hair, embarrassed. His wife had often asked strange questions like this. Cutting hair was not a task he took care of himself. Winter had never bothered to ask about the matter, since it was often left to others. Violet¡¯s smile disappeared at his answer, and her face seemed to fall. And the conversation was over. She didn¡¯t cut her hair, seeming to have changed her mind, and hadn¡¯t asked him any questions since that day. Winter remembered the way Violet¡¯s expression had changed. He figured his answer had upset her, but he couldn¡¯t understand what the hell was wrong with it. Should he have told her to cut it, or should he have told her not to cut it? Women were strange creatures. After a while, the maid brought him medicine and water; Winter fell into a deep sleep after taking it. For how long did he sleep? Winter was awakened by a knocking at the door, by which time the headache had relatively subsided. ¡°Violet.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Still in a hazy state, Winter responded to his brother Diev¡¯s voice at the door. Diev had appeared to be in a bad mood, but for some reason he smiled in relief when he was allowed to enter Violet¡¯s bedroom. ¡°You just kept sleeping. Lichton said that you really were sick ¨C that it wasn¡¯t fake for once.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill th¨C Yes. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Diev, who had ignored Winter¡¯s existence for so long before changing his attitude because he was desperate for Winter¡¯s fortune, now looked at him with a permanent smile. Winter spoke, irritated by Diev¡¯s smile. ¡°Go and get me some liquor.¡± Diev laughed at Winter¡¯s words and left the room. After lying on his back for a while, thinking Diev wouldn¡¯t bring any, Diev returned and placed a glass of mint water on the bedside table. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink. Have some water instead.¡± Diev spoke quietly and left the bedroom. Winter¡¯s face crumpled the moment his brother left. Were these two really this close? In fact, Winter left the house frequently for long periods of time to rebuild his company whilst on the verge of bankruptcy, so he had no idea what had occurred in the meantime. Winter was seething, but the medicine was so strong that it was too hard to raise himself. After a long sleep, the medicine gave Winter the strength to finally take a train to the capital. She thought everything would be back to normal when she woke up, but nothing had changed. ¡°I must have actually gone insane.¡± As Violet mumbled to herself, Hael burst in and spoke. ¡°The madam sent a telegram. The little madam has cut her hair. They say it suits her very well, so you should come back and tell her it looks pretty. No, wait, the Madam clearly cares for the little madam, so why does she hate to go to her parties?¡± [1] ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± A weak laugh escaped. In the last 3 years, Winter had never been to a single one of Catherine¡¯s parties. Though, he often attended events such as birthdays, but even those were just a means of strengthening and gaining connections with other businessmen. And so, neither Hael nor Winter knew about it. Those cold eyes and accusations that came from the crowds. In fact, even if he knew about the harassment, Winter definitely wouldn¡¯t have sided with his wife. ¡®I lost all the money I invested because of you¡¯, it would be something like that, as he¡¯d told Violet many times. Just thinking about it made her heart ache. It¡¯s already been three years, so why hasn¡¯t the pain gone away? She didn¡¯t understand how it hurt just as badly as when they first met. The man hated her at first sight three years ago, and continued to hate her ever since¡­ How difficult these three years had been, organising these mixed feelings of elation, first love and regret. Violet spoke quietly. ¡°¡­Not interested.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± ¡°Whatever my wife does. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Her husband had always responded like that. So in this situation, Winter Blooming would have answered like this. ¡®I don¡¯t care what my wife does, or if anything changes. I¡¯m not interested.¡¯ At that moment, she heard the voice of one of the hotel staff outside. ¡°Sir, the little madam is here.¡± ¡°What?¡± Violet took a step back without realising it. She didn¡¯t want to leave this dream-like delusion. If I face my body, it feels like the hell will start all over again. ¡°Say I¡¯m sleeping.¡± Hael replied in a nagging tone. ¡°No matter what, you must ask what she came for.¡± ¡°You can ask instead.¡± Hael was frustrated with Winter¡¯s indifference, but he was forced to head to the hotel lobby. After arriving, he was greeted with the strange scene of the little madam standing with her arms crossed. Hael spoke politely, ¡°Little madam, what are you here for?¡± ¡°My husband?¡± ¡°He¡¯s asleep. We¡¯ve finished our required business here, so he¡¯ll probably rest for a while.¡± ¡°The contract is complete? As we required?¡± When the little madam questioned him with a threatening stare, Hael spoke again, perplexed. ¡°Yes. Is there something wrong?¡± The two stepped into the elevator mid-conversation. When Hael inserted the key into the slot next to the door and turned to the 12th floor, a rattling sound was audible as the elevator moved. Winter thrust out his hand first. ¡°The contract.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already been handed over to the company¡­¡­.¡± Wondering why Violet was asking, Hael recalled Winter, who hadn¡¯t even been interested in what his wife was doing. And on the other hand, here was his wife, trying to show an interest in her husband¡¯s work. Hael cursed the heartless Winter and stepped out onto the 12th floor, grabbing the door. Before Hael had shown him the room, the ¡®little madam¡¯ headed straight for Winter¡¯s suite. Then, he took the key from Hael, who had been momentarily distracted, and entered the bedroom, locking the door behind him. After entering the suite, Winter saw his own body standing by the window, looking right at him. He spoke with a strange look. ¡°Violet, is it you?¡± ¡°Winter, wait¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Something this absurd is a first, even for me.¡± Winter, who was getting closer to his body, scrunched his brows. The stench of cigars and alcohol emanating from his body was awful. ¡°What did you use my body for last night¡­¡± He walked closer, irritated, and grabbed ¡®his¡¯ arm. It was then. The two of them staggered at the same time, overwhelmed by dizziness. Soon, the momentary feeling of dizziness passed, and Winter could be seen through Violet¡¯s eyes, and Violet through Winter¡¯s. It happened the moment they touched. Both of them noticed the moment they recovered their own bodies. ¡°It looks like we revert back when we touch each other¡¯s body.¡± ¡°It seems so. We¡­ have a lot to discuss.¡± ¡°A lot. What the hell happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what happened¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know even though you signed the contract?¡± ¡°The contract?¡± I thought it would be a question about us switching bodies, but it was about the contract. Well, the only thing on his mind is money. Still, she thought she had something to talk to her husband about for once, but he didn¡¯t seem interested at all. Violet hid her disappointment as usual. Then, Winter spoke. ¡°I¡¯m asking because the contract turned out so good. How did you break that little worm?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Violet¡¯s expression quickly brightened up at Winter¡¯s reaction. She¡¯d never really felt any accomplishment in her life, so Winter¡¯s praise made her feel like she was floating on air. She shook her head, following the Lawrence family values of ¡®never showing off¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Do you have any idea why this happened?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a foreigner.¡± Winter, who¡¯d been looking at her behind him through the mirror, turned his head towards Violet. Grey eyes were a symbol of poverty in Larkround. Such grey eyes belonged to the foreigners who¡¯d migrated here long, long ago; and, of course, most of them were poor. ¡°And every foreigner knows how to use witchcraft, right?¡± Winter stared down at Violet with contemptuous eyes and clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s not uncommon. There are people who discriminate against foreigners as politely as you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just, I know a lot about my family, and there¡¯s nothing like this¡­¡­. But you don¡¯t know much about the Kanix family. That¡¯s why I said¡­ so I mean¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m the descendant of a sorcerer¡¯s family.¡± Winter cut off her rambling. But at that moment, her body was actually floating. It was because Winter had suddenly lifted her up. Having been so casually hoisted into her husband¡¯s arms, Violet was startled and spoke. ¡°Wha, What are you doing?¡± ¡°I dragged that body all the way here, so I know you can¡¯t stand for any longer.¡± ¡°I can stand!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Winter spoke firmly and took her to the bed. He took off her shoes as he pleased and threw them into the trash. ¡°Do you not have any slippers?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in my bedroom. And why are my shoes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I mean the slippers you wear when you go out.¡± ¡°You wear slippers outside?¡± Violet¡¯s eyes widened. Regardless of her reaction or answer, Winter had dragged her body here, and he seemed convinced that she couldn¡¯t so much as lift a finger. Winter placed a pillow behind Violet¡¯s back and made a difficult expression, gesturing at Violet¡¯s body. ¡°This.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± ¡°Your body. I thought I¡¯d die dragging it all the way here. It¡¯s under such an oppressive burden.¡± Indeed, Winter came to the capital dragging a body that felt like death, fuelled only by his obsession to confirm the contract. Being nearly beaten to death whilst working as a servant when he was young wasn¡¯t nearly as painful as this. Such a piercing headache made him want to cut his own head off and throw it away. After being in Winter¡¯s sturdy body, Violet understood what he meant. But Violet¡¯s body was fine today in comparison. ¡°Today my body feels pretty good though. Did you take some medicine?¡± ¡°Lichton gave it to me.¡± ¡°Really? But why¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Money was involved.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Violet understood immediately. Winter swept back his black hair and spoke, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath and get to work, so you can just get some rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve slept enough, and it¡¯s morning now.¡± ¡°What can you do when your body¡¯s like that?¡± Winter seemed to be really tired out by Violet¡¯s body. He laid Violet down, pulled the quilt up to her neck and covered her. Then, he spoke to Hael, who was waiting outside. ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up. Call a doctor. On the way, buy some slippers girls wear when they go out. Come straight to work when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Wow, but yesterday was really amazing! When did you study cigars? He couldn¡¯t even make a sound!¡± ¡°A doctor.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Winter returned back to normal, as if the strange etiquette practice had ended. Hael ran to the doctor in relief. [1] In this, the ¡°Madam¡± refers to Catherine Blooming (Winter¡¯s mother) and the ¡°Little Madam¡± to Winter¡¯s wife, Violet. Flashback dialogue is in a light grey colour to distinguish from the rest of the chapter in the present. Chapter 6.1 Violet was lost in thought as the doctor examined her. Only after coming face to face with her own body did she accept that she wasn¡¯t crazy, and that this was actually reality. When the doctor had finished his examination, a maid belonging to the hotel ¨C Lulu ¨C offered her a warm cup of tea. ¡°You¡¯ve been through such hardship, Little Madam.¡± ¡°What do you mean, hardship?¡± ¡°The checkup, of course!¡± Violet nodded with embarrassment at Lulu¡¯s serious words. Then the doctor spoke, ¡°You¡¯re in a terrible shape. You¡¯ve been continually taking medicine for your weak heart, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Your former medicine is known to worsen headaches and isn¡¯t used nowadays. I¡¯ll prescribe you a new medicine, so please try it. I don¡¯t know anyone who still uses that drug anymore. Was it really prescribed by a qualified doctor?¡± The new doctor blatantly criticised her former doctor¡¯s techniques. It was reassuring to hear that Lichton, who had always said her illness didn¡¯t exist, was actually wrong, but Violet was more concerned with the fact that her headaches could actually be treated. After the doctor left, Violet raised her body; Lulu spoke, startled, ¡°The boss told me not to let you get up and wander about, Little Madam.¡± Winter seemed to have spoken as if his wife would die immediately. Violet spoke calmly, ¡°Should we not move before the room¡¯s owner returns?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up with this couple¡­¡± Lulu made a strange expression at Violet¡¯s behaviour that didn¡¯t suit someone from the Royal Family. Violet soon moved to a room with a stable, comfortable atmosphere, and cream-coloured wallpaper. Although it was a lot smaller than Winter¡¯s room, she liked its cosiness. Lulu left the room, announcing that she would be back with refreshments; a moment later, Phillip ¨C one of Winter¡¯s servants ¨C knocked on the door. After gaining permission to enter the room, Phillip shook his head and spoke, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Little Madam.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡± Violet repeated the strange remark, and Phillip continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to give you a proper massage due to my failings. If you¡¯d allow me, I¡¯d like to do it right this time.¡± Wanting to make up for his mistakes back at the mansion, Phillip held a basin of lukewarm water with flower petals floating on top. It must have been something Winter got involved in. After all, Winter had always done whatever he wanted. It was embarrassing, but Violet didn¡¯t refuse the offer of a massage. She felt a little uncomfortable about a man touching her feet so intimately, but Phillip was just doing his job. In that sense, it was weird for her to think it was weird. Phillip carefully dipped Violet¡¯s feet in the warm water. ¡°Please tell me if it¡¯s too painful or too gentle. I¡¯m not good at controlling my strength because I normally only do this for the President*.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Phillip was incredibly skilful with his hands. He gently pressed the top of her foot first, and it already felt as if her blood was flowing smoother. He meticulously massaged the soles of her feet before gently rubbing between her toes. After going over the entire feet, Phillip wiped off the excess moisture with a towel before applying rose oil to his hands in order to meticulously massage her ankles. Phillip was completely focused on the task and Violet could feel his determination; her nerves lessened, and she quickly adjusted. She was so relaxed that she became drowsy halfway through. When he noticed her beginning to doze off, Phillip quickly wiped her feet and helped her to lie back. Violet murmured quietly as she lay back in bed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to feel that refreshing. Thank you.¡± Phillip blushed at Violet¡¯s kind voice; he¡¯d grown accustomed to Winter¡¯s behaviour, who only knew how to display his thanks with money. ¡°I, I¡¯ll take my leave now. Please feel free to call if you need anything else.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± Violet replied, closing her eyes. She¡¯d been so worried, but she fell asleep easily today. The next morning, as Violet drank tea after breakfast, Lulu came into the room with a clothing rail ¡°Little Madam, please feel free to choose the clothes you¡¯d like to wear for lunch with the President today.¡± ¡°Where did these clothes¡­?¡± ¡°Secretary Hael made the payment in a hurry.¡± There was an assortment of colourful and bold dresses that Violet had never seen before in her entire life. Violet had an awkward expression on her face. If she wore such a showy dress, the Duke and Duchess of Blooming would lose their minds. But they weren¡¯t here, and even if they found out, they might just let it slide because the dresses were chosen by Winter¡¯s own secretary. Violet, who normally wore dreary clothing that didn¡¯t complement her face, looked at the beautiful dresses and spoke with a worried look. ¡°But¡­ is there enough money for this?¡± Lulu replied with a serious expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, my husband spent 24 million Lakne to marry me. I heard he was almost bankrupt because of it¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I, Is he?¡± Lulu looked unsure, clearly not knowing the details. She stared at the dresses. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t have enough money, why does Secretary Hael always come back with dresses like these?¡± ¡°Always?¡± ¡°Yes. He always returns with a clothing rail full of dresses like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Dresses?¡± Violet¡¯s voice faded slightly. My husband has never bought a dress for me. So, for whom did Hael buy all these dresses? In that moment, Violet felt a wave of loneliness, but she didn¡¯t want to ruin the occasion, so she hastily buried the emotion with a smile. ¡°What should I wear¡­¡­.¡± Violet¡¯s voice was hesitant, but her hand was already going for a soft, crimson satin dress. There were a few grey and black dresses she usually wore in the Blooming family mansion, but today she was going to wear her favourite colour. Lulu seemed to agree with her decision. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for today¡¯s weather!¡± After choosing the dress, she tied a cream-coloured ribbon around her waist. After that, she randomly reached out for a pair of shoes in the basket below the clothing rail. They were velvet slippers the same colour as the ribbon, with pearls adorning the tips of the shoes. Violet spoke in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t know such pretty slippers existed.¡± ¡°Now, please take a seat so we can do your hair.¡± Once Violet sat down on the chair, Lulu admired her pale, golden hair. ¡°How are you so beautiful? The President really is a blessed man. Beautiful and sweet¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words¡±, Violet answered, excited at the thought that this was her first date with her husband. Chapter 6.2 Violet¡¯s hair was adorned with a red ribbon that was currently popular in the capital, and she¡¯d never looked more cheerful. As she left the hotel with Lulu, three servants stood at the end of the carpet next to her carriage: a butler, a chef, and Phillip. Turin ¨C the chef whom Violet had praised after breakfast this morning ¨C stepped forward and spoke. ¡°Little Madam, what shall we prepare for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Any sort of meat would be fine.¡± ¡°Then, in total, we shall have a total of ten courses including turnip soup, chicken and pork pie, buttered lobster¡­¡­.¡± As the chef spoke, Lulu raised her hand and said, ¡°She said meat, Turin!¡± ¡°There¡¯s pie! Besides, won¡¯t it be a magnificent dish when it¡¯s done?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to say! If that¡¯s what you want to cook then just do it at home!¡± ¡°There are material costs! Material costs!¡± ¡°Haa, just listen to this. Your real intentions are revealed!¡± Violet carefully asked Phillip about the clashing between the two of them. ¡°Do those two normally not get along?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been quarrelling ever since she started working here.¡± ¡°I see¡±, Violet nodded. When the argument between the two had partially ended, the horseman opened the carriage door and Violet climbed up. Lulu, who joined her in the carriage, grumbled. ¡°Anyhow, all cooks like to do things their own way.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, Little Madam. I can make a meatloaf better than them! Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to try that before I leave.¡± At Violet¡¯s soft answer, Lulu replied in a strange tone. ¡°The Little Madam really is the opposite of the President.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mhm. The Little Madam is just like the aristocrats in the capital.¡± In a good way, it meant that she was polite, but it was also bad because she couldn¡¯t actually say what she felt. Violet nodded her head moderately, just like an aristocrat in the capital. ¡°And my husband?¡± ¡°As for the President, he¡­¡­ asserts what he wants clearly.¡± In other words, . ¡°He makes fast decisions.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a drawback, then maybe it¡¯s that his etiquette is a little lacking¡­?¡± With the way she was spinning her words, there was clearly a limit to how much she could risk saying regarding his ¡®drawbacks¡¯, so perhaps she was implying he had no manners? Violet nodded after reading the meaning behind Lulu¡¯s twisted wording. She couldn¡¯t risk criticising her employer, after all. Meanwhile, the carriage headed on towards the edge of the capital, where the mouth of the river meets the sea. The capital city hadn¡¯t changed much in these past three years. Violet gazed outside the window as a depiction of her older brother, Ash Lawrence, came into sight. With the money received from Winter Blooming for marrying his younger sister, Larkround overcame the crisis. Ash had gained popularity with the citizens of Larkround by publishing a daily newspaper depicting himself living on a farm and working on the fields. Violet draped the curtain back across the window, not wanting to see her brother. The carriage came to a halt on an isle at the mouth of the Rekel River which ran through Larkround. Lulu spoke, taking the lead, ¡°These days, I heard that it¡¯s famous as a tourist destination, so foreign visitors always stop by.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± There were quaint shops both in front of the bridge and across the street. Violet was intoxicated by the feeling of seeing the world for the first time, and unknowingly quickened her pace. As the day got hotter, Winter took off his jacket and frowned at his wristwatch. ¡°What does she mean by not arriving yet?¡± ¡°There are still 2 minutes left, Sir¡±, Hael murmured from the side, continuing, ¡°besides, I sent the clothes after 10 o¡¯clock. No wonder it¡¯s taking so long to get ready.¡± ¡°Why have you been taking Violet¡¯s side since yesterday?¡± When Winter thought about it and questioned Hael, he avoided his eyes. Winter spoke again, clicking his tongue. ¡°She¡¯ll have picked another pitch-black dress, as usual.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Why does the Little Madam always wear a black or grey dress? They don¡¯t even have patterns on them.¡± ¡°Must be the Princess¡¯ unfathomable taste¡­¡­.¡± Winter¡¯s grumbling faded off towards the end as he spotted Violet in the distance. Violet was wearing the exact opposite dress and adornments to what Winter had envisioned. She was like the first flower blooming in spring, fresh and lovely. Violet, too, noticed Winter and walked up to him as gracefully as usual. Violet spoke in a cheerful voice, ¡°Shall we eat?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d wear something dark today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why did you think that?¡± ¡°You like it. The colour black.¡± Violet opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then closed it again. She didn¡¯t have the strength to explain her feelings to him. But it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t possess the strength to speak; rather, she didn¡¯t have the strength to take the cold reply he¡¯d give her. Violet turned away from the topic. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 7.1 The two of them entered the restaurant just in front of their meeting place. Winter grabbed Violet¡¯s wrist as she headed for the stairs. ¡°It¡¯s on the fifth floor. You can¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°My bedroom is also on the fifth floor.¡± In response, Winter spoke to Hael who stood about five steps behind them. ¡°Tell them to install an elevator at home.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Hael ran off at once. Violet sighed a little. It must have been a pain for him to drag her body around. As soon as the elevator reached the fifth floor, Violet stopped still. The wall facing the beach was entirely made of glass, so that she could not only see the oceans, but also the pure white sandy beach, the blue sky, and the Larkround geese with orange lines on their heads that scattered the shoreline. Violet sat by the window and couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the view. It was the first time she¡¯d ever witnessed such a beautiful scene. The restaurant¡¯s cuisine mainly consisted of Southeastern seafood. Without an excess of butter or cream, Violet found the dishes refreshing. Whilst they ate, Winter spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression. ¡°¡­¡­You were right.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°My lineage. I¡¯m not a sorcerer, but when I investigated the Kanix family, there was a history of my ancestors swapping bodies with others. Although, I haven¡¯t found any records detailing the reasons or methods.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°And the contract you handled was excellent. I¡¯ll give you a reward.¡± A reward for his wife. They¡¯d been married for three years, but he didn¡¯t understand her at all. Violet was satisfied with just doing a good job on the contract, but she thought for a while about the ¡®reward¡¯ before speaking. ¡°Then, will you accompany me for your father¡¯s birthday next month?¡± ¡°My time is worth more than that. I meant items.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± When she answered quietly and said nothing else, Winter replied with annoyance, ¡°I can¡¯t stand your attitude. If you have something else to say, just say it. Don¡¯t be so suffocating.¡± ¡°If you want me to say something¡­¡­.¡± Violet opened her mouth after thinking for a moment. ¡°There is something. A question.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°If I died, would you go to my funeral?¡± When Violet asked something he hadn¡¯t expected, Winter whipped his head up to look at Violet. His eyebrows narrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± ¡°You said ¡®if I died¡¯?¡± Violet nodded gently in response to his question. ¡°I thought I¡¯d rather die than live like this.¡± Winter laughed aloud as if he found it absurd. ¡°Stop exaggerating.¡± ¡°Why do you say I¡¯m exaggerating?¡± ¡°Because you are. How many times have you been hit in your entire life? Have you ever been imprisoned or tied up? No. Have you ever experienced starvation because of a lack of money?¡± Violet shut her mouth at his words. Winter spoke sarcastically, ¡°Or is it that you¡¯re trying to threaten me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She thought she had a lot to say, but the moment she started talking to him, Violet couldn¡¯t say anything more. The conversation broke down there, but after the meal was over, Violet asked him again. ¡°Even so. If I died.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Would you have given me a day of your time?¡± His wife¡¯s funeral. Even though he should have laughed, Winter unconsciously imagined Violet¡¯s funeral; he tried to answer, but found that he couldn¡¯t utter a word once again. What was he making all this money for? To flatten her nose[1]. That¡¯s why he was making money. But if she died, then what would it all be for? Even though his wife was always polite whilst he was always rude, Winter always felt as if the beloved Princess was looking down on him, a vulgar foreigner. It was the same at the wedding. On their first meeting, their wedding day, Winter was completely overwhelmed by Violet Lawrance as she stepped down from her carriage. With the ground crunching underfoot, Winter met her eyes and moved to kiss the back of her outstretched hand; his mind was full with the thought of wanting to do nothing but escape. As he kissed her, he couldn¡¯t get the thought out of his mind that she must¡¯ve thought he was pathetic. He had never imagined that his aristocratic walk, which he¡¯d worked hard on improving in the past few days, was a daily routine for Violet, as well as wearing such a breathtaking dress so naturally; he hadn¡¯t imagined that there was a chance that his manners would be shown up in such a way. He had nothing to satisfy this noble woman, and not even a scrap of money left in his possession. So, first of all, money. That was the one thing he could get. When Winter no longer replied, the conversation ended there once again. Chapter 7.2 Prologue Even though Winter left after the meal, Violet stood in the restaurant lobby for a while. Then a woman wearing a wide-brimmed, gorgeous sky blue hat called her. ¡°Violet!¡± Violet turned her head and saw her cousin, the most famous actress in the Larkround, Ariela Lawrence, standing there. Violet, who was pleased to have come across her here, smiled at her. She was delighted as they haven¡¯t seen each other for a rather long time now. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Ariela. You¡¯re busy these days, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I am. But, aren¡¯t you free? Come visit the capital often.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I will.¡± Violet replied. Ariela, upon hearing her reply, sighed. ¡°I envy you. I want to get married early and live with no worries like you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I often meet Lord Winter at the Kaistle Stadium. No matter what, I had to earn money since I was a kid, so we became close. You don¡¯t like such barbaric sports, do you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate it because it¡¯s barbaric. I¡¯m not enjoying it because it¡¯s unfamiliar to me.¡± Actually, you didn¡¯t have to earn money, but you ran out on your own feet saying you liked being free. Violet held back what she wanted to say. Then, Ariela opened her eyes slightly and said, ¡°You always try to sound like an angel. It seems like Lord Winter deserves to feel stuffy.¡± ¡°Did he say I made him feel frustrated?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Violet smiled lonesomely at Ariela¡¯s reply. My husband seemed to be really frustrated with me. Three years ago, I never held back anything I wanted to say. At least, it was wise of me to ask Ariela why I should just listen to other people and my husband as they talked. To avoid the loneliness and criticism of people, I kept holding back what I truly wanted to say. Ariela looked at the clock tower located in the middle of the island and said in surprise, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ll be late for my appointment if I stay any longer. I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± ¡°I see. Goodbye.¡± Violet said goodbye and went back to the carriage right away, as if she was in a hurry. Once she arrived in front of the carriage, Violet asked Lulu. ¡°Lulu, does Ariel stay at the Canic Hotel often?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Lulu realized why she was asking such a question out of nowhere and immediately had a furious expression. Yes, she does stay often at that place. Ariela Lawrence loved the Canic Hotel run by Winter. No matter where her performance was located, she always stayed at the Canic Hotel. It was the same when she came to the capital. This morning, Violet, who saw a variety of dresses brought in by Lulu, was surprised as if she had never seen so many clothes at once. How was he able to buy all those dresses in the first place? ¡°She does stay often¡­.¡± At Lulu¡¯s sullen reply, Violet stayed still. In the past three years, Winter has always been out there, but Violet only thought of ways on how to pay back the 24 million Laknes he offered for this marriage. Now that I have enough power to say what I want to say, I won¡¯t be a frustrating person any longer. *** Winter was thinking of staying up all night at the Canic Hotel headquarters on the island, but he couldn¡¯t say for long because of Violet, who was talking about the funeral. He eventually returned to his bedroom in the hotel to work. ¡°I thought I¡¯d rather die than live like this.¡± My wife¡¯s calm voice lingered in my mind. At first, I thought she¡¯d be the type of person who¡¯d be overwhelmed by her emotions. ¡°I never wanted this. The only reason why I¡¯m still alive even after I got married was because I felt a noble sense of duty to pay off my country¡¯s debts.¡± Why on earth would my wife have such a big heart? Violet felt pathetic after she was used to pay off the debts of her country through marriage. As I was in deep thought, I heard a knock. ¡°Winter.¡± It was Violet¡¯s voice. Winter put down the unread document and hurriedly went to open the door. When he opened the door, he stood close to Violet, which made her look up to talk to him. It was because the height difference was so significant that if she didn¡¯t do so, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see Winter¡¯s face. Violet looked at Winter in that way for a while. Violet, who was staring at him as if she hadn¡¯t met him for a long time after she fell asleep, opened her mouth first. ¡°I want to divorce you.¡± Chapter 8.1 Chapter 8 [Part 1] Winter did not reply. He just kept his mouth shut and stared at her. Winter, who has been pondering for a long time, opened his mouth. ¡°If you want a divorce, I¡¯ll do it anytime.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But, of course, you¡¯ll have to return the money I paid for this marriage.¡± Winter spoke with a calm face. At his words, Violet hesitated. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll pay within three years with interest. I¡¯ll give you a total of 27 million Laknes little by little.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, to be able to pay me back with 24 million Laknes, you need to work for three years which doesn¡¯t include the interest. For the interest¡­.Would you like to pay for it with your body?¡± ¡°Oh, since you¡¯ve been my wife for three years, I¡¯ll have to take your interest out. What else should I include¡­..Your body. How much would that be?¡± As Winter approached, Violet gradually retreated. Just before her body came in contact with the wall, Winter placed his hand between the back of Violet¡¯s head and the wall. Thanks to that, they got close enough to the point that their bodies touched each other. Winter asked in a voice of anger and resentment, ¡°Let¡¯s divorce? How could you say that to me?¡± He spat out in an abusive language to somehow change her mind. Violet knew that he¡¯d bring up money once she talked about getting a divorce. That¡¯s why she¡¯s been holding back for three years. However, she did not expect him to be this angry about it. Violet managed to take a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and remained calm. ¡°I know you¡¯ve lost a lot of money by marrying me. But isn¡¯t continuing a marriage that you dislike just make it even worse than it already is?¡± ¡°Who¡¯d want it in the first place¡­..¡± ¡°As long as we get divorced, I¡¯m fine with being in debt. I know I don¡¯t have the ability to pay you back on my own. I have no issue with working until I die to pay it all back. So, what I¡¯m saying is you have nothing to lose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to divorce me just like that? Why? What the hell is the reason? Unknowingly, Violet faintly smiled. ¡°That is the reason. Why can¡¯t you still understand? Why on earth¡­.do you hate me so much?¡± ¡°¡­..What?¡± Winter couldn¡¯t understand why she was saying this. My wife is asking me why I hate her so much. Winter¡¯s hands trembled. It seemed like a storm was about to take place inside of him. His whole body was filled with anger and frustration. He was out of his mind, and so was his body. I wanted to hold her. I thought, ¡®If I don¡¯t hold her tightly right now, she¡¯d disappear.¡¯ All I could do, however, was give her an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I¡¯m against the idea of getting a divorce. Even if I wanted one, no one will help you. You should at least know that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I know.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t bring that up again.¡± Winter backed away from her. Then, he took a deep breath and stared at her for a while before turning around to leave the room. At the sound of the door closing, Violet flinched, which made her shut her eyes tightly. After a while, she opened them again. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Violet spoke to herself in a sad tone and left the room. *** The recent conversation she had with Winter made her certain of something. With money involved, she will never be able to get a divorce. I hated Ash, but I needed his help. The reason for that is simply because it was Ash who didn¡¯t keep his promise upon receiving her husband¡¯s money. Now that he has fully paid off our debts and begun to gain public support, Ash was the only person with enough power to help her. Violet thought of asking Winter to find a way to confer the title to someone else. She thought that it would not be impossible for him to find someone if he looked carefully because there were many ladies who wanted to marry him. If getting a divorce didn¡¯t involve money, there was no reason for her to talk to Ash, let alone ask him to do her a favor. A few days later, Violet got on a train headed out of the capital. Winter sat across from her. He seemed determined to act as if he hadn¡¯t heard of the divorce. He drank a glass of beer even before the train started moving. Along the way, he drank for seven hours constantly. Violet opened her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re drinking too much, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Winter said in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Why? Is it because in the eyes of a princess, you can¡¯t stand the vulgarity of drinking, can you?¡± ¡°My father drank a lot, too. I¡¯m just worried. I¡¯m afraid it might affect your health. And¡­.¡± ¡°And what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying this because it¡¯s vulgar in my eyes.¡± Violet said in a firm tone before shutting her mouth. It looked as if Winter would at least get sick of her responses, but when he turned his head from the window and looked at Violet with a slightly dazed face, he touched her chin and said, ¡°¡­¡­.Alright, I believe you.¡± At Winter¡¯s words, Violet couldn¡¯t help but feel unsteady. As she was looking at Winter, the strong wind coming through the open window repeatedly made his dark hair cling to his glossy face. I know I made up my mind, yet when I looked at him like this, I strangely kept missing him at the thought of divorcing him. As they came closer to their house, Violet felt her breathing become unsteady. Even if so, Violet definitely cheered up because of their short vacation at the capital and as well as the medicine prescribed by Winter¡¯s doctor. As soon as the medicine was changed, the pain she felt from the headaches was reduced to less than a half; it made Violet feel like she could easily fly away. Arriving at the station seven hours later, Winter, who got off first, asked Violet, who followed. ¡°You¡¯re good. How were you able to arrive here whilst sitting in the same position the whole time?¡± At his question, which was asked in a sarcastic tone, Violet didn¡¯t reply and remained silent for a long time. ¡°How were you able to change your posture so many times? It was as if you were coming with a child.¡± ¡°What else could I have done when the chair was so uncomfortable?¡± Winter grumbled sarcastically, as if nothing had happened. He then placed his hands in his pockets and headed to the place where the carriage was waiting, but soon stopped and looked back because there was no sign of Violet walking behind him. Then, he saw Violet looking at a boy holding flower baskets. Violet slowly turned her head towards Winter and opened her mouth. ¡°Can you buy me some flowers? Think of it as payment for the contract.¡± Upon hearing her request, Winter frowned and answered back. ¡°Don¡¯t complain later about not asking the right thing.¡± ¡°I like flowers.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wait until later. The flowers at home are better than that.¡± ¡°Thinking about it, I prefer to be given flowers that were meant to be given to me in the first place. The flowers at home are not meant to be given as gifts. I¡¯d like to get flowers as a gift, so buy me some flowers.¡± Winter had no idea what the difference was between the two, but he walked to the boy without refusing any further. He looked at the baskets the boy was holding and bought the basket which contained flowers that had yet to bloom. He then returned to where Violet was and gave the basket of flowers to her. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Violet got one of the flowers in the basket he had bluntly handed over with his hands. She, who felt bittersweet at the way he gave her the flowers, looked at Winter in the eyes and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re laughing after telling me to divorce you three days ago.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Violet carefully protected the flowers with her hands until they reached the house. Back in Violet¡¯s bedroom, she brought a vase that had been left in the warehouse and filled it with the flowers Winter gave her. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 To Help You Understand ¨C Chapter 8 Winter didn¡¯t answer. He just kept his mouth shut and watched her. Winter, who was thinking about what to say for a long time, finally opened his mouth and said. ¡°If you want a divorce, I¡¯ll give it to you anytime.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But of course, you have to return the money I paid for the marriage.¡± Violet paused at his words. Winter continued with a calm face. ¡°Of course, three years will bring interest. You¡¯ll just have to give me 27 million dollars.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to take out the interest because you have worked hard in three years you¡¯ve been my wife. And what else should I do? ¡­Do you want me to pay for rolling on the bed?¡± As Winter approached, Violet gradually stepped back. Just before her body touched the wall, Winter inadvertently put his hand between Violet¡¯s head and the wall to cover the back of her head, thinking he should protect the princess. ¡°I know you lost a lot by marrying me. But isn¡¯t it just a bigger loss to continue a marriage that you don¡¯t want?¡± ¡°Whose will¡­¡± ¡°Getting divorced will put me in debt. I know I can¡¯t pay you back on my own. I can die at work. But¡­ that¡¯s in your interest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get divorced like that? Why? What the hell is the reason?¡± Violet smiled vaguely without even realizing it. ¡°That¡¯s what I said. I still don¡¯t know why. What the hell are you¡­¡­why do you hate me so much?¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Winter couldn¡¯t understand why she was saying this. He thought in disbelief, my wife is asking me why I hate her so much. Winter¡¯s hands trembled. It seemed like a typhoon was blowing in his body. His whole body was being swept with anger and frustration as if blood were boiling all over his body. She was out of her mind, and so was he. He wanted to hold her. If his thoughts were not dragged in right away and locked up tightly in his mind, they would become a problem for him. But the only thing that could be done was to give an answer which was much difficult. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I just don¡¯t want to get divorced. No one will help you if I don¡¯t want a divorce anyway. You know that much.¡± ¡°¡­ I know.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t bring that up again.¡± Winter stepped away from her. Then, he took a deep breath looking into the air for a moment, turned around, and went into the bedroom. At the sound of the door slamming, Violet flinched, she closed her eyes tightly and opened them again. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± Violet walked to her room sadly speaking to herself. *** Her conversation with Winter certainly made her understand. As long as the money was intertwined, it was impossible to get a divorce. I hated Ash from my heart, but I needed his help. It was Ash who didn¡¯t keep the promise for her husband¡¯s money. Now that he has fully paid off his debts and has started gaining public support, he is now almost the only one with the power to help her. I wanted a divorce, so I sent Winter to find a way to confer any title. Violet thought that it would not be very impossible to bend the law because he had supporters. She knew there was no reason for the divorce of the two and she would not seek out Ash if there was no money at stake. A few days later, Violet got on the train leaving the capital. Winter sat opposite her. He seemed determined to pretend he hadn¡¯t heard about the divorce. He emptied a glass of beer before the train even started. He drank incessantly over the course of seven hours. Violet, who couldn¡¯t endure him doing this, opened her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you are drinking too much?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Winter was sarcastic. ¡°Why? I guess it¡¯s so vulgar to drink in the eyes of the princess because she can¡¯t stand it?¡± ¡°My father drank a lot, too. I¡¯m just worried. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to live long and-¡± ¡°And what.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re a vulgar person.¡± Violet said the word and shut her mouth. She thought Winter would be annoyed, but he looked at Violet with a slightly dazed look, he turned his head toward the window and touched his chin with his hand, and said, ¡°¡­ Good-looking, hah.¡± Violet tilted her head a little bit and saw Winter sitting in the opposite direction. The strong wind coming through the open window had tangled his black hair, clinging to the glossy, copper skin, and then dropping again and again. She tried to organize her mind, but she failed to do so because Winter was looking so handsome. As the house got closer, Violet felt her breath twisting she felt a little sick. Still, Violet felt refreshed with a short vacation and medicine prescribed by her doctor. In particular, when the medicine was changed, the headache decreased to less than half, so Violet felt like she was flying away. Seven hours later, Winter arrived at the station and asked Violet who was following him down. ¡°That¡¯s great. How can you come all the way here being in the same posture all the time?¡± While he was sarcastic, Violet smiled for the first time in a while. ¡°How can you change your posture so many times? I thought I was coming here with a child.¡± ¡°The chair is uncomfortable.¡± Winter was grumbling sarcastically as if nothing had really happened. Finally, Winter, who fisted his hands in his two pockets headed to the place where the carriage was waiting, he looked back to see where Violet was because there was no sign of her following him. He saw that Violet was looking at a boy who was standing with a basket of flowers. Violet slowly turned her head toward Winter and opened her mouth. ¡°Will you buy me some flowers? In return for the contract.¡± Then, Winter replied with intimidation. ¡°Don¡¯t, you can buy anything later just ask for the right one.¡± ¡°I like flowers.¡± ¡°Then you can buy them later, besides the flowers in the house are better than that.¡± ¡°While we¡¯re talking about it, it¡¯s more comfortable if you buy it for me. The flowers in the house are not gifts. I want to get a flower as a gift. Buy me flowers.¡± Winter had no idea what was different between the two flowers, but he didn¡¯t have a reason to refuse anymore and walked to the boy. He looked in the basket of the boy and bought an unbloomed rose and returned to Violet. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Violet took the rose he handed bluntly with both hands. Violet, who had been bitter for a long time and did not to look like a person who liked receiving a gift, smiled with her eyes at Winter. ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m laughing at you now for asking for a divorce.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Violet walked home carefully, protecting the flowers with her hands. When Violet returned to her bedroom, she brought a vase that had been left in the warehouse and put in the flowers that Winter had given her. *** Winter stayed for a week and returned to the capital. He was still busy at work and had not talked to Violet, but it was the first time he had been in the mansion for so long. Violet couldn¡¯t figure out why Winter hated divorce so much. Without the knowledge, I thought about whether this marriage is economically beneficial to him or not, but there is no way to confirm it now. Today, 15 days after he left the mansion, there was a birthday party for the Duke of James Blooming. Winter will be back for his father¡¯s birthday party this evening. And Violet was going to talk to him more when he came back. As usual, Violet wore a purplish-black dress for teatime till lunch. When she was ready, the door opened without her permission and Ash Lawrence walked in. Catherine Blooming stood behind him. Violet picked herself up. She felt uneasy about the stiff look on the faces of the two. Ash said ridiculously. ¡°A divorce? Why would you want that? Why? What is the reason?¡± Violet paused at his angry voice. Then Catherine, who came with him, looked sad. She glanced at Ash and spoke. ¡°Violet, I really¡­ I did my best. It was over when you lied that you were sick without giving it a single thought.¡± Catherine continued in a trembling voice that Violet couldn¡¯t stand anymore. ¡°I know you felt like Winter¡¯s identity lacking. But didn¡¯t you agree to marry? Violet, you¡¯re in my family now. No matter how much you are a princess, you shouldn¡¯t be so selfish. I know it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t teach you properly, but¡­ I¡¯m really upset.¡± Violet thought her heart was breaking down. She remembered Catherine and her friends who had been insulting her for hours. When she thought about the days when she couldn¡¯t say a word and listened to it all, she felt like she was losing her mind. She couldn¡¯t live like this anymore. She spoke out. ¡°I don¡¯t care about my husband¡¯s status. That¡¯s not why I want a divorce. I don¡¯t want to stand around at tea time anymore.¡± ¡°Vio- Violet¡­¡± Tears fell from Catherine¡¯s eyes. Violet ignored her and looked at Ash. ¡°And I don¡¯t know why I have to be told off by people. You¡¯re the one who really lied. But why would I¡­¡± Ash cut her off as if he was afraid, she was full of energy. ¡°You know that dissolving the royal family was what the people wanted. You heard them protesting in front of the royal castle every day, right? But how can you be so selfish?¡± In fact, Ash had a reason to stop the divorce unconditionally. The Blooming couple, Ash Lawrence and Catherine conspired to take the money that Winter had divided into Violet¡¯s property. Fortunately, Winter did not meddle in Violet¡¯s property at all. But most of all, he thought that Ash was royal, so he did not know that Ash was helping take Violet¡¯s property without leaving any trace at the bank. Violet¡¯s divorce soon meant they will lose all the money. Therefore, they had to break Violet¡¯s self-esteem and ensure that she stayed married. Both Catherine and Ash thought that it was very vulgar to hit their own ((family) with their hands. The nobles never hit their children even if they were wrong. Instead, they chose to lock them in the closet. Ash asked Catherine politely. ¡°Mrs. Catherine. I¡¯ll give you permission to correct this child in any way. Please.¡± Then Catherine nodded and said, ¡°Violet, it¡¯s a punishment for you. You understand, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s does that mean¡­¡± Violet was trying to figure out the situation, two of Catherine¡¯s maids grabbed her and pushed her into the closet. The lock was locked with a chain around the door handle. Catherine said in a trembling voice. ¡°Do you know how my heart hurts every time you do this to me, my daughter? Reflect on yourself here until dinner.¡± After a while, the only sound she heard the sound of their feet moving away and the door closing. It was quiet everywhere. Violet sat down in a daze. Her mind, which had been fidgeting with her forehead leaning against the wall for a while, came to think about death. Then she remembered the day she wanted to die. On that day, her body changed after she ate all the sleeping pills. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Violet, crouched in the closet, slowly opened her eyes. She seemed to have lost consciousness while trying to knock down the door. She pushed the closet door once more and luckily it opened. The sun was setting before she knew it. She had no energy to go out, she could see the rose in the vase in her gaze, which had been leaning against the closet for a while. The flowers given by Winter had withered but a small new rose had sprouted. She wanted to remember that she had received a gift of flowers every day. The flowers reminded her of him. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± At that time, she passed on Winter¡¯s words, thinking they were just lies, but now she needed them. Since her body had changed, Winter had become more aware of Violet¡¯s weakness than herself. Now Violet wanted to tell him the hurt of her heart. Determined to find him, she walked out with difficulty. Fortunately, Winter was talking to some of the people who came to the party today, bringing them to the couple¡¯s mansion to help with the business. He sat with his legs crossed on the sofa. While smoking, he talked about business, got irritated, and cursed at things. To be honest, resentment came first. If he had found his wife as soon as he got home, it would have been great if he had gone to greet her. If he had, he would have found her in the closet, and it would have opened his eyes, she would not have felt so sad. While thinking about it, Violet was going to pull his hand one more time. I¡¯m going to ask him to stay with me for today. Violet managed to walk to them with a calm face. She greeted the guests first by gently nodding her head in spite of the heavy grief. ¡°You all look familiar. Please be at peace.¡± Everyone rose from their seats to greet her. Violet, who finished her greetings, carefully strode towards Winter. At that time, she passed on Winter¡¯s words, but now she needed to talk to him. ¡°Winter, talk to me.¡± Then Winter answered in a low volume. ¡°We¡¯re talking about something important, Violet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s important for me, too. It¡¯s really¡­ really important.¡± ¡°Go to the bedroom. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Winter tried to speak softly because of the guests, but he slowly became nervous. However, Violet pulled his hand instead. ¡°Listen now please.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming soon.¡± Winter spoke and slipped his hand out of Violet¡¯s. Violet looked at the palm of her hand for a while without putting it down. The first day of the wedding was just like his hand, which took out all the courage in her and escaped. He was always the first he took courage and wretched Violet¡¯s hand. Violet slowly turned around, thinking she might never be able to hold his hand again. She left the mansion without looking back. He will have to attend the Duke¡¯s birthday party, which will continue overnight today. She thought that he would never know why Ash or Catherine would come to the party and yell at her for not coming to the celebration. After hearing more criticism, she felt like she was really going to break. Her steps went straight to the stable. At that time, a whisper came out of the servants¡¯ mouths when he belatedly heard that she had been trapped in a closet. ¡°Young Miss! Where are you going?¡± Then Violet, who was dragging a horse out of the stable, saw him. She stood looking as if she was about to disappear and gave a faint smile. ¡°I want to see the sea.¡± ¡°Sea?¡± ¡°Yeah. I heard there¡¯s a beach house at the end of the territory. I haven¡¯t been there in three years. I didn¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°Come on, hold on! I¡¯ll get you a warm tea, Young Miss!¡± His words gave Violet¡¯s withered eyes a faint sparkle. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re the first one here to worry about me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just come back from the sea. It¡¯s late, so go home and rest.¡± Her words forced the servant to back down. Violet, who learned horseback riding from an early age, climbed on a horse in a very textbook-like manner. Contrary to the straightness of her movements, her white calves were revealed because she didn¡¯t care about her dress at all. The servant was startled and turned his head quickly. ¡°You must have to look at the sea!¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s nothing else I can do.¡± Violet spoke bitterly and began to run. The villa on the sea was far away. After riding the horse for an hour, she began to see the sea. ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± Violet came down from the horse and looked at the sea with admiration. The dark sunset and the calm sea were beautiful as night approached. An old woman, the villa keeper, was surprised to meet her. ¡°Young Ma¡¯am? What¡¯s are you doing here at this hour?¡± ¡°I came here to see the sea, so don¡¯t worry about it and go back in.¡± ¡°My Young lady is here¡­ I¡¯ll get the carriage soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I¡¯ll take a break and leave.¡± After being comforted by Violet, the villa keeper was forced to go back to her room as she had no choice. Violet entered the warehouse where the villa keeper had guns to protect the villa. Inside, Violet took out a small gun and entered the room with a view of the sea. The gleaming sea breeze jolted her shiny hair. She felt like her mind was opening. ¡°Oh, good¡­ I should¡¯ve been here before.¡± She thought she could be loved in the end. So she had hung on foolishly, pretended not to hear anything she didn¡¯t like, she smiled, and prepared a birthday party with a fuss without ever receiving a gift. She spent three years like that. Violet looked at the sea from her villa quietly. She thought maybe my body would change like last time, but honestly Violet wanted her life to end here. Violet loaded the gun. Then she took it to her neck and pulled the trigger. *** Winter got up from his seat shortly after Violet bothered him. His wife hated these big events. He was also told by his mother that Violet only tried to escape every time, and several times Violet begged him to take her to the capital. Most of all, the story of divorce was scary. Winter¡¯s pace had quickened when he inadvertently saw his handheld by Violet, hoping it wasn¡¯t just a divorce story. There was blood on it. ¡°Crazy.¡± He said and thought, Was she hurt? Was that why she came to me because she didn¡¯t know what to do? Thinking that way belatedly, his heart felt like it was sinking. He ran to Violet¡¯s bedroom. When he arrived at her room, the door was a little open. Winter raised his eyebrows and opened the door, and the room was empty. ¡°Where did she go? She said we¡¯d talk about it over.¡± Winter muttered and found a rose stuck in a vase. He looked at the rose in an untimely way and said, ¡°¡­ I guess you really like flowers.¡± Fortunately, it was a taste that he could relate to. After looking at the flowers for a while, he turned around because he thought it was not the time to be like this. He hurried to ask the servant who was preparing for the guests¡¯ bed. ¡°Where¡¯s Violet?¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t she in the bedroom?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because she isn¡¯t there!¡± As soon as Winter got angry, the servant shook his head and ran away, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Violet wasn¡¯t just in the bedroom. She was not in the drawing-room nor in the garden. Winter started running looking for Violet, feeling a little bit more breathless each moment. She was nowhere in the mansion. He felt like his blood was drying up. Now he was crazy to know what she was going to say earlier. Eventually, Winter went straight to the Blooming couple¡¯s mansion. He asked Hayel, who was waiting for his guest at Winter¡¯s command. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sir?¡± ¡°Violet, isn¡¯t she here?¡± ¡°What? She is not here?¡± ¡°Capital. Is there a carriage that went to the capital?¡± ¡°Not yet. Just¡­ take it easy, sir.¡± ¡°How can I calm down when my wife is gone¡­?¡± It was a time when he screamed. Winter suddenly felt very dizzy, cursed, and stopped moving. Hayel asked with his eyes wide open. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Winter, who soon became fine, replied in a strangely calm voice. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have all the servants come and find where the Young Lady is.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Come to think of it, she said she was going to the beach house. Now I remember.¡± ¡°Yes, yes? Oh, please, listen to me. I thought you were fainting.¡± Hayel grumbled with relief. Leaving him behind, Winter entered the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Blooming. He had something to say. His steps stopped in front of Ash Lawrence. As there were many things to gain in many ways, Ash, who was quite friendly to Winter, greeted him first. ¡°Long time no see, Winter.¡± ¡°I heard you locked my wife in a closet. With my mother¡¯s assistance.¡± Ash¡¯s expression hardened a little at his sudden remark. However, he replied with a nonchalant face that he had expected this. ¡°That¡¯s a familiar and light punishment for the average aristocrat. It¡¯s just because you don¡¯t know about it.¡± ¡°That sounds like a punishment you¡¯ve given with a familiar, light heart.¡± When he said aristocrats say so, Ash stopped responding to Winter¡¯s answer, which was annoying but he just let go. Everyone said that the couple resembled each other, but now Winter¡¯s eyes and speech were like Violet¡¯s. A bit nervous, he poured out his words as if he were making excuses. ¡°Do you know that Violet wants to divorce you? She can¡¯t do what she wants, and now she¡¯s getting a divorce. Mrs. Catherine even shed tears.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our marriage. It¡¯s already done this time, so I¡¯ll let it go, but if this happens again, I won¡¯t stay still.¡± ¡°Are you going to sit back and get divorced?¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s our job. Let us take care of our problems ourselves.¡± He turned around, speaking in a calm voice, not like the usual Winter. Then at night, he tapped at the glass wall where his body was clearly visible. Ash was also tall, but compared to him, who was much taller than the average person and had wide shoulders, he looked rather small. He looked back at Ash again and said. ¡°By the way, I feel very manly with you next to me.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Ash thought for a moment what he was saying and his face crumbled. Winter was already leaving the banquet hall when Ash understood him. Winter immediately left the estate in a private carriage that he had called for today¡¯s guests. *** While shouting to Hayel that his wife had disappeared, he suddenly felt dizzy, and his vision changed. Winter, who barely came to his senses, leaned his forehead on the table, struggling with a headache that came back again. ¡°Why the hell are you doing this again?¡± It was a villa with the ocean¡¯s view. Winter, who managed to overcome the pain, got up by saying abusive language. ¡°I can¡¯t find her because she¡¯s in a place like this.¡± It was painful, but he was relieved that he found a place where his wife was. Then, the villa keeper ran to her. ¡°Little Ma¡¯am! Didn¡¯t you hear the gunshot?¡± ¡°Gunshot?¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Why is it here!¡± The villa keeper was frightened and picked up a pistol that had fallen on the floor. It didn¡¯t matter to Winter why it was there now. The only thing that mattered to him now was why Violet was here. And what was she going to say to him today? Winter ran out of the villa to return to the mansion. But there was no carriage and only a horse was tied up. Unable to ride a horse at all, he stood, vaguely cursing, and called the villa keeper. ¡°Grandmother! Call the carriage now!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Little Ma¡¯am!¡± Surprised by the roar, the villa keeper ran to call the carriage by telegraph. In the meantime, Winter sat flopping on the sofa in the living room on the first floor. Whether or not Violet knows he doesn¡¯t know how to ride a horse or not, she took him far away. My wife seems to have stolen my body, he thought. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 When she got on the wagon, Violet couldn¡¯t even take a step without anyone watching. Then when she arrived at the train station alone, she was slightly refreshed. Even at 8 p.m. The train station was as crowded as a party hall. The train compartment was divided into three sections. Only one reservation was to be received for the first class, and about 20 people were in the designated second class, and all third-class seats were pushed in as much as they could they looked like the standing class. Fortunately, Winter¡¯s wallet was in her pocket. The bills were thick enough to last a month. Violet felt very guilty, but she couldn¡¯t do anything right now. Though she excluded the first class because she thought it was stolen money, she chose the second class because she was not confident of not getting caught in the third class. It took a long time to buy tickets because there were so many people. Violet, who managed to get a precious second-class ticket, murmured. ¡°It¡¯s my first time taking a train alone.¡± Violet stopped because her voice was unfamiliar and strange to her. And spoke quietly. ¡°Violet.¡± There were many things she wanted to hear in his voice other than her name. She wanted to hear, I miss you or I want to be next to you rather than I am going to work today. It is pathetic of me to want to hear that from a man who begged me to be by his side and played with my heart. ¡°Must my first love linger in my mind for a long time?¡± Soon the next train roared in. When the door opened, Violet walked to the ticket agent standing at the door and put out her ticket. The ticket agent greeted me by tearing the back end to show that the ticket is used. ¡°Have a comfortable trip, sir.¡± Getting on the train safely made her feel at ease. Violet straightened her shoulders, which had bent inward in tension. But soon the next problem occurred. When she got on the train alone, she didn¡¯t know what the letters and numbers on the ticket meant. She looked foolishly around and a woman shouted from behind. ¡°Oh, how could you be blocking the way with such a big size!¡± ¡°Oh, my, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Violet hurriedly apologized and showed her the train ticket. ¡°Where should I sit?¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t even know that, but what made you take the train? It¡¯s written on top of it!¡± The woman pointed to the chair. Only then did Violet notice the meaning of the words on the table and smiled slightly tilting to the right. ¡°Thank you.¡± The polite voice made the woman blush. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re smiling beautifully.¡± It¡¯s was like this for a while. Many people glanced at Winter¡¯s face and body. Not to mention women, they could have been scared, but even children could not take their eyes off Winter. I¡¯m not the only one who fell in love with my husband At first sight. Violet sat down by the window. The chair was uncomfortable and dusty. Violet turned her head to look out of the window. People who got off her train were seen smiling and greeting the person who was waiting for them on the platform. Then, someone appeared next to her. She was a woman of Violet¡¯s age, she looked like an aristocrat, and she was trying to put large luggage on the shelf. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Violet thought that a gentleman should not sit in this situation, so she got up right away. And she lightly placed the large load on the shelf that she would normally not be able to carry. When Violet sat down again, the luggage¡¯s owner, a woman, sat next to him. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°Are you going to the capital?¡± Yes.¡± ¡°Me too! I ran away!¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°My parents keep saying that I¡¯ve never made money by myself and I spend money recklessly. So! I away from home! Violet smiled at her words without realizing it. ¡°I see.¡± ¡± I¡¯ve been wondering since earlier who is that gentleman in the Business class?¡± ¡°Is it you? Lord Winter Blooming.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°My name is Sharon. Sharon Dawes.¡± Violet smiled delightedly at her words. It was nice to see a familiar face after a long time her face was covered by her hat. She was the daughter of Doth¡¯s Duchy, and a childhood friend Violet. ¡° You stayed with Violet at the age of seven and learned ballet together.¡± said Violet. ¡°I heard it from my wife. You both learned ballet together when you were young.¡± ¡°Gee, really? Is Violet talking about me? I¡¯m not the only one thinking!¡± ¡°I think I have an exceptionally good memory.¡± Excited by the news that Violet often thought of her, Sharon began to talk about what happened when she was little. While the two were talking, the station worker waved the bell wildly to indicate that it was okay to start. Then the train door closed with a loud noise. The train started with a loud sound. *** When Winter was waiting impatiently at the sea villa, Hayel arrived with the carriage. Hayel ran to Winter, who had an atmosphere like he would not be able to calm down unless he killed something right away. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know?¡± His facial expression and posture were like Winter¡¯s, but his appearance was Violet¡¯s. Nevertheless, Hayel replied when he was suspicious of how he recognized him. ¡°Before, you told me to look into the change of body, and there¡¯s only one horse tied up here, but you can¡¯t ride.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°I always write what you can do and not. And now you want to learn how to ride a horse? If you¡¯re athletic, you¡¯ll get on board soon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn horseback riding with seven-year-olds, and I don¡¯t have time.¡± Winter answered with a scowl. Then they managed to get back to the mansion in a carriage. But Winter¡¯s routine was not over. The Duke, James Blooming¡¯s celebration party was just the beginning. As soon as he entered the mansion, Winter, who had been treated first by a doctor, sat in front of the dressing table. Winter glanced at the dress as the maids brought it for the party. My wife seems to have run away because she doesn¡¯t like this party. Anyway, there was little danger as long as he carried her body. In addition, all he had to do now was fill the seats on behalf of his wife who hated parties for some reason. Winter¡¯s motto was, ¡°There is no loss in any case.¡± So even in this situation, he had to have at least one benefit. Winter stood up from his seat, glancing at the dresses the maid had brought. Then, as he headed to his room, Hayel walked along and asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to put on whatever I want.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯ll be angry later¡­¡± ¡°My wife steals my body and uses it her way. I can¡¯t use it as much as I want!¡± Winter went into his dressing room after saying it for granted. Then he opened another door in the dressing room, he came out of the room with about a hundred dresses that Hayel had bought in between the three years of the marriage. Three years ago, right after the wedding, Winter was so busy and was having financial difficulty that all meals were solved with sandwiches. However, thanks to the good image of paying back the country¡¯s debt, the hotel has regained stability since last spring. Around that time, he had sent Violet five-party dresses. But a few days later, except for one of the dress she had returned all of them to him. The letter from his mother, along with the dresses, said that although Violet was a royal she did not like such fancy dresses. After a few more such returns, he had piled them all up in his dressing room. Winter, who thought this was his chance, let Hayel hold the dress and opened the safe. The safe was full of various kinds of jewels. When Winter wore a necklace with a large drop of water diamond around his neck and put the bracelet on his hand, Hayel smiled. ¡°You said that women don¡¯t like small things such as jewelry. Besides, where is there a lady who comes out with wearing all this jewelry?¡± ¡°Shut up. My husband bought me so much that I had no choice but to put them on. What are they going to do about it?¡± Winter¡¯s usual mouth was the same, but he couldn¡¯t get used to hearing that from Violet¡¯s pretty lips. He was greeted with a flinch and a nod from Hayel. After a while, Winter, who was looking at the dress, complained that he could not wear it alone. ¡°I have no idea how to dress.¡± ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you get out of here right now? I¡¯m trying not to touch something. Bring the maids.¡± ¡°¡­ Please don¡¯t curse with the appearance of a little lady. It really hurts me a hundred times.¡± He was in tears and ran out to call the maids. The maids¡¯ eyes were wide open in the dressing room, which glistened even though the sun had set. After Hayel was kicked out, the maids dressed the tiny lady. Winter couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the mirror even for a short time. In the meantime, a maid who was grooming her shortened hair casually said. ¡°How does this white dress look so good on you? In the wedding day, the bride¡­¡± Then the maid next to her freaked out and slapped the talking maid on the arm. The maid, who made a slip of the tongue, hurriedly closed her mouth with her hand. Winter asked, narrowing his brow. ¡°What about the wedding?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady!¡± Violet had never heard a nervous voice before, and the two maidens apologized as their faces turned pale. However, Winter became grimmer and questioned the two. ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk about the wedding in front of me? You tell me.¡± Winter snapped at the maid, who had been hitting her arm and stopped her, but she couldn¡¯t raise her head and cry. ¡°Yeah, on the night of the wedding night¡­ the little Young Master disappeared without a word¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I know the young master was angry, but I felt sorry for the young lady, who couldn¡¯t even take off her dress and waited all night worrying¡­ I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± Winter could not say a thing at her words and remained firm. It was the first time he heard about it. On the wedding day, Winter was so angry that he took a train to the capital. There was a lot of work to be done because he was not given a title. Regardless of the first night of the wedding, it was common to have a wedding night together. So if no one had told Violet that he had left, she would have waited all night for him to come to the couple¡¯s bedroom. Only today did Winter know at least one reason why Violet wanted to divorce. *** Violet got off at the capital and sighed. She was sorry to have kept nagging at Winter how he moved on the train all the time. It was so hard to come back from the second class with her long legs which were bent. She had to get up several times, too. Sharon asked, who got off the train together with her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the Philippe¡¯s.¡± Violet and Ash¡¯s mother, Mrs. Ella Filippe, lived in the Philippe territory after her husband died and the royal family disbanded. She cared most about her son, but she still had enough affection to make her daughter a small shelter. Of course, that shelter shouldn¡¯t get in the way of Ash. Violet suddenly looked at Sharon and asked. ¡°Dodge Doth¡­ I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s good at creating new identities.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s so small shop every time people come in, they create a new nationality and identity. Of course not of a criminal.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Violet nodded her head. Since I decided to divorce, I had to think about what should happen after the divorce. If I couldn¡¯t get a divorce, I was going to run away at night. Death was not allowed to me. So I was going to leave. With a heavy heart on this earth and a light body. My husband won¡¯t find me even if I leave. Violet bitterly thought that he would not know that his wife had disappeared for about three months anyway. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 It was around 4 a,m. when Violet arrived at the capital. Most people who arrived at this time waited for the sun to rise, eating coffee with simple snacks at the train station. Violet also decided to spend time at the station because she thought it was rude to visit her mother at dawn. On the other hand, Sharon went out to the station to ride the coach sent by the hotel. Violet joined Sharon in waiting for the carriage. Sharon said with a relieved look. ¡°By the way, you really know everything about violet.¡± Violet answered her words with a smile. Then Sharon couldn¡¯t resist thinking about whether to do it or not and spoke out. ¡°Actually! Violet¡¯s childhood fantasy of marriage was huge. But rumours circulated that you two had a bad relationship¡­ I was a little worried.¡± ¡°¡­ did you?¡± Did she do that? Sharon nodded while Violet was fumbling. ¡°You know, the late King Lawrence was busy with policy failures, and the Queen considered only a son¡­ but the fantasy of Violet having her own family was extraordinary. I¡¯m sure no one in the world likes to playhouse so much.¡± When she heard what Sharon said, she vaguely remembered that she liked housekeeping. Sharon continued jokingly. ¡°I was dissatisfied with my main role as a baby. I wanted you to do it! Or be a doctor!¡± Come to think of it, Sharon¡¯s two-year-old brother and Doss¡¯s successor, Ferrand Doss, would often play with his younger siblings¡¯ housekeeping. And Sharon, whose birthday is late, grew much later than Violet and always played the role of a baby. When she thought of the memories she missed, she laughed because she was so happy for a long time ago. Sharon said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved that Violet met such a nice person.¡± Then the carriage arrived. Violet hurried to her in the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my wife to call you.¡± ¡°Really? My brother wants to know how Violet is doing, too!¡± Sharon left after getting confirmation again and again. Violet thought it was fortunate that she was not dead yet. She didn¡¯t know that there would be someone who often remembered her. It was time to enter the station again. A policeman approached her and greeted with taking his hat off. ¡°Excuse me, gentleman. May I check your ID for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all right. May I help you?¡± ¡°We usually do random tests at dawn.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Violet nodded, took out her wallet and put out her ID card. Then the officer said, ¡°My eyes got bigger.¡± ¡°Oh, my God! Lord Winter Blooming. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°Why are you so sorry?¡± The pale-faced officer ran away before Violet could finish speaking and a young man passing by when Violet was puzzled said. ¡°You¡¯ve been unlucky since dawn.¡± When Violet wondered, the young man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a stranger, too. Fortunately, I crossed the passing line and got black eyes and hair. My father still gets his ID checked like this.¡± Violet¡¯s face hardened when she realized the meaning of the word ¡®passing line¡¯ with his explanation. It was silver hair and grey eyes that represented the Carnic clan, a stranger in the Lakrund. Winter inherited his father¡¯s black hair and his mother¡¯s gray eyes. My husband had the power to make the policeman run away while turned white when he knew who he was, but he still did not cross the line of acceptance of his indiscriminatory appearance. *** Winter¡¯s biological mother left her child in a restaurant for a while when he was five years old and never came back. Winter has since worked as a servant of the restaurant owner. However, until the age of twelve, there was no day when he was not beaten. Around that time, he escaped from his house as a servant and went to the Weidelin Mountains, which he had been listening about. He had bought a cart of beans with all the money he had collected so far. Then he risked his life to cross the Weidelin Mountains and headed back to the Blooming family. Anyway, his mother told me that his father was there. As soon as they saw Winter, the two were embarrassed, but their expressions changed when they found the coffee beans piled up in the cart that the boy had brought. While crossing the mountain range alone, the price of the beans has multiplied ten times. The boy was learning early how to make money. Lacrunde was rapidly changing, and the era of solving everything by status alone is over. It took money for the Duke and Duchess of Blooming to continue to serve as the rulers of the Southern Rakround. However, the only thing the couple could do about money was accounting. They needed family members who knew the flow of money exactly. After the judgment, the two decided to warmly welcome Winter, and the boy was completely fascinated by the stability he first tasted at the age of 12. Since then, the boy has always bought affection with money. His parents sold their affection for money. There has never been a problem with the love deal until this year when Winter turned 27. The Duke and Duchess of Blooming, who had been in such a relationship, were feeling extremely nervous. They were very nervous about Winter setting up a new home and going outside. Ash was against it, but frankly, for them now it wasn¡¯t an awfully bad option for their eldest son and wife to get divorced. Worst of all, the relationship between the two became so good that they left the Blooming family. If Violet seduces her husband into paying for his parents¡¯ party¡­ Catherine first removed her nervousness from her face and spoke to her husband. ¡°Violet¡¯s late, isn¡¯t she?¡±¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± James clicked his tongue disapprovingly. ¡°I knew she was ill, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be late for my birthday.¡± ¡°She ¡®ll be here soon. And¡­ isn¡¯t it true that you¡¯re weak?¡± ¡°The doctor doesn¡¯t pretend to make people ill.¡± ¡°But for three years¡­¡± Catherine blurted the end of the conversation and a lady whispered beside her. ¡°You can¡¯t have children, you two.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m worried, too.¡± Catherine sighed. Others began to help her, convinced that Violet was the reason why she did not have children. At that time, there was a foreign silence at the entrance of the banquet hall. Violet was walking with a white dress and a large diamond necklace to lighten up the surroundings. She walked in and greeted the couple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. I¡¯m particularly concerned about it today.¡± There was a moment of silence, and Catherine said, perplexed. ¡°Violet, today¡¯s hero is my husband, and it¡¯s so¡­Isn¡¯t it something fancy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. My husband bought this much for me wear it today.¡± Violet spoke and raised her left arm with three bracelets. ¡°I had no choice but to leave one out because my husband was upset.¡± Ash told Catherine that he had told Winter that he had locked her in a closet. Catherine felt threatened by her rude speech and eyes, which she could not has imagined as Violet¡¯s. Catherine smiled as she decided to step back. ¡°Yeah. If Winter asked you to do so, that¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°Happy birthday, Father¡­¡± Violet was evasive enough, then smiled and turned around. It was polite to wait for an answer if you said hello. There must be a reason why Violet just turns around like that. Besides, she showed up dressed like a completely different person. The couple were sure that she had something to believe in, and they fell into deep anxiety. *** Winter didn¡¯t expect me to greet him like a Violet with perfect formality. I rather believed that it was best to finish greetings quickly and run away. Soon after, Winter regretted coming out with a necklace. He twisted his neck and said to Hayel, who came with him. ¡°Can¡¯t I take it off in the middle?¡± ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t think all the diamonds in the banquet hall will be enough. Everyone will know.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to break my neck.¡± The shoes were hard to walk in and the dress was uncomfortable, but the necklace was the most painful. It was no ordinary job to bear this weight with his wife¡¯s slender neck and shoulders. ¡°Now I know for sure why women know what they¡¯re up to.¡± Winter shook his shoulders with his hands and turned his head frivolously around. All eyes were on him. In particular, many men turned their heads in anger at Winter¡¯s fierce eyes while watching her in a rapturous way. His wife was originally a beauty and appeared wearing brilliant jewellery, so it was natural to draw attention. Winter was annoyed by the men¡¯s gaze and said to Hayel, ¡°Just find out who Violet should say hello to. Say goodbye and leave.¡± ¡°How do I know that?¡± ¡°Women his wife¡¯s age, whose mother usually comes to goddess tea parties. You should know their face.¡± ¡°She¡¯s never been to a tea party, so how do I know who¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°¡­ She has never been there?¡± ¡°Yes, never.¡± Now that he knew two reasons for divorce, it was a night of good results. Winter clicked his tongue, sighed, and covered his face with his hands. Then Hayel said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you make eye contact with anyone? If you know them, they¡¯ll talk to you first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no big deal.¡± Winter, who found it extremely loathsome to socialize, made eye contact and smiled in search of women who seemed to be her age. However, most of the time, greeting lightly and smiling face to face was over, and some even ignored it as if they had not seen it at all. He couldn¡¯t find anyone close to Violet. It doesn¡¯t make sense to not have a close friend. How much time did she spend on my mother¡¯s tea party? Whenever his wife asked him to be with him at the party, Winter had some regrets that he had put his work before her, treating her like a child. Because I had never seen my wife at a party, I had no idea about her close relationship. Winter said to Hayel in a fit of irritation. ¡°Someone she knows didn¡¯t show up. Why don¡¯t I just leave?¡± ¡°Hey, does it make sense that the Warhowsons are all here today? Your little lady isn¡¯t a ghost¡­¡± Being treated as an absentee at a party was called as a ghost in the south of Lakround. Crossing the street, talking about people who were barely invited to the party and failed to make connections has now become a term for those who are unpopular and ostracized. Winter thought for a moment that the word ¡°ghost¡± might have bothered her, and said to Hayel. ¡°You go out.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Get out for a second. Come back in 30 minutes.¡± At Winter¡¯s words, Hazel left the banquet hall wondering. Half an hour later, Hazel returned to the banquet hall and asked Winter. ¡°Why did you ask me to go out?¡± ¡°¡­ no one is talking to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nobody talks to her.¡± Only after hearing that, Hayel looked around. An hour has passed since entering this place, and none of the many Blooming family guests here have spoken to Violet first. Winter turned right away and left the banquet hall. Hayel ran after him like crazy and asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Where am I going now? Let¡¯s go find my wife. Come on, before the last bus stops.¡± Winter¡¯s pace quickened. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Winter ran out of the party and luckily the last train hadn¡¯t left yet. Going straight to the first class, he was exhausted and had no energy to sit down anymore. First class seats could be made into a bed by laying down chairs. When he lay down, Flip, who had been dragged along, brought a blanket and asked. ¡°Young Miss, would you like a blanket?¡± Winter nodded once as if he had no energy to answer. Then Flip spread the blanket over him and went away. However, shortly after lying down, Winter¡¯s face turned into a frown. He said with his hands pressing against his waist. ¡°Get me the medicine.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± When Flip asked, who asked the maid to pack all the medicine the Young lady took, Winter replied nervously. ¡°Back and belly.¡± He has a severe back pain and his stomach has been hurting to the point of cold sweat. Flip scrutinized the instructions on the medicine¡¯s envelope and looked perplexed. When he brought a small bottle with water Winter asked. ¡°What kind of medicine is it? ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a painkiller.¡± Winter snitched the medicine envelope when Flip couldn¡¯t answer correctly. On the outside of the envelope, it was written to eat in menstrual cramps, and the expected period was from tomorrow. Annoyed, Winter crumpled up the medicine envelope and threw it away. Flip rushed to pick up the medicine bag, folded it up, and put it back in the box. ¡°You have to eat one more when you get to the station.¡± Winter didn¡¯t want to take any medicine, but he couldn¡¯t stand it because he was in such pain that he wanted to take out the middle part of his body. Eventually, he swallowed a pill and lay down again. It was crazy to feel this pain until the medicine worked. After a long struggle, the pain subsided and Winter was tired and went to sleep. At the sight, Flip was nervous, thinking her menstrual cramps must have been really terrible. My usual Young lady wouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep on the train like this. Fortunately, they arrived at the capital¡¯s train station with medicine. Hayel telephoned here and there to find Winter¡¯s body. Hayel, who was contacting the Carnic Hotel, the Philice family and nearby merchants, returned to Winter, who was sick in a chair shortly afterwards. ¡°My, My lord. The Young Lady is¡­¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s at the station.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Wellton Police Station¡­¡± The police station? Winter¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. She stole my body and ended up at the police station? ¡°My wife is more trouble than I thought.¡± Winter muttered and caught the carriage. *** Originally, Violet was going to go to the Philadelphia family. But her steps immediately led her to the Welton Police Station, which was in charge of security of the capital¡¯s train station. Violet, who was reading a newspaper in the lobby of the police station, suddenly found her body taking the newspaper and crumpling it, and her eyes shook. Winter spoke incredibly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much. I didn¡¯t expect her to be with the police.¡± Violet felt strange because he was touching her. Winter was also awkward to see himself sitting in this upright position and reading newspapers. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d find me so soon. I had a lot of plans.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your plan after all this trouble?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t make an accident, I came here to find an officer who only picked strangers and checked their ID at dawn.¡± Winter clicked his tongue at her calm answer. He knew She was right, but she didn¡¯t know he couldn¡¯t stand such injustice. Winter asked. ¡°But why are you here?¡± ¡°I have a lot of work to do, so I have to wait.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way there¡¯s a lot of work? If you just leave it like this, I¡¯ll have to go on my own.¡± A princess who grew up without knowing trouble at all. Winter thought so and tapped his arm. Then, as it happened last time, their bodies immediately returned to their original condition. Violet suddenly stumbled in a sharp pain in her back. Winter grabbed her arm and sat down, saying, ¡°I took your medicine a little while ago. You¡¯ll be on your nerves soon.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Leave your body close to the moon and run away? How am I supposed to handle it when it starts?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea to experience it?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Winter answered with a shudder, then touched the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You need to lie down.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯m going to meet the officer.¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell him.¡± Violet picked herself up and entered the glass door. Then all the officers who recognized her got up. The capital police were a very conservative group, so even if the royal family was disbanded, the majority thought they were working for the royal family. Violet immediately found a police officer who checked her husband¡¯s identification card at dawn. Officer, Ephepoles knew that she had come to look for him because he remembered he checked Winter Blooming¡¯s ID card. When the eyes met, Epis walked in with cold sweat on his face and said, ¡°What, what brings you here, Mrs. Violet?¡± There were so many criminals currently caught at the train station that the cells on the right side of Welton West was all locked up. Violet¡¯s eyes stopped in the detention center. There were about ten people in the detention center, only two of whom were handcuffed. And the two were the only strangers with gray eyes like her husband. Epis, who noticed anger in Violet¡¯s eyes, said urgently. ¡°You don¡¯t know very well, but strangers are more likely to do dangerous things.¡± ¡°Are the handcuffs especially for those who commit more dangerous crimes?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not true, but¡­¡± ¡°So what do you mean I don¡¯t know?¡± When Violet asked, Epis swallowed without realizing it. When he didn¡¯t answer, Violet continued. ¡°Please be fair.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°How do you get the word ¡®but¡¯ in the answer to fairness?¡± Her voice had dignity that made him speechless despite her calmness. Violet watched him and waited for an answer. Everyone was looking at her, but Violet showed no fear with her expression. After a period of silence, Epis replied in a cold sweat. ¡°¡­ I was wrong. I¡¯ll uncuff them all.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you to take action.¡± At her words, Epis hurried to the detention centre and uncuffed the grey-eyed. Violet had no expression on her face until she saw him come out with the handcuffs. When Violet greeted the officers and returned to Winter, he asked, watching her like a bolt out of the blue. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking of visiting the commissioner now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± Winter held her by the back of her hand as she tried to argue why Winter is stopping her he said. ¡°Go later. Lie down for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m healthy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about health.¡± ¡°I did ballet when I was young.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you did. You¡¯ve learned all kinds of things about princesses.¡± He took her out of the station sarcastically. *** Violet was taken by Winter¡¯s hand to the Carnic Hotel. Winter forced Violet to lie down on her bed as if he had found a patient who had fled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt this much.¡± ¡°I know better.¡± As Violet sighed, Winter held her by the side of her head and asked, looking down with a serious look. ¡°So. It hurts this much when it hasn¡¯t even started?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How much more does it hurt when it starts?¡± ¡°About double.¡± Winter¡¯s face darkened with Violet¡¯s answer. Then he muttered with a confused look. ¡°It¡¯s almost double that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little on the wrong side.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t you have any friends?¡± ¡°¡­ why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I was at a party last night and no one was talking to me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Violet smiled vaguely knowing that Winter had experienced what I was going through at parties. Winter questioned as if he could not understand. ¡°How come you don¡¯t have a friend when my mother threw so many parties?¡± Violet raised her chin for a moment and looked up at Winter¡¯s face. There was a bigger reason, though it was not only because the Warhows turned away Violet, but also because the old Blooming couple explicitly hated her. Violet did not know the exact size of Winter¡¯s wealth, but she knew that her husband had the real economic power of the Duke of Blooming. Her absence from any social event for the past three years was seen as a strong resentment against his wife. And the noblemen had too much to lose because Winter was friendly to the people that blamed her. Violet had no intention of criticizing her husband for that. It was only three years later that she had accepted that her husband was blaming her. Even if he asks me to go to a party with him for that reason, he won¡¯t listen to me. Violet decided not to have any expectations from her husband anymore. Her mind had become too weak to endure further rejection. Violet changed her words instead of answering. ¡°But I met a friend on the way.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Do¡­¡± Violet, who was about to speak of Doth, shut her mouth She thought it would be better not to talk about it because she might leave if all the paths to divorce were blocked. Violet shook her head. ¡°No, I did not.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk?¡± ¡°I heard we don¡¯t have time to talk to each other. I know you¡¯re busy now, so I won¡¯t complain anymore. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Violet glossed over. Now that the conversation is almost over, Winter¡¯s usual pattern was to leave. But he sat on the bed. And he said with a grimace, as if he had thought of it, he said. ¡°And the next time you see a policeman like that when you¡¯re in a different state, kick him. I can handle that.¡± She doesn¡¯t know how it¡¯s going to be resolved, but she doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s a legal method, so she squinted her eyes. Then Winter lifted her chin lightly with his fingertips and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that look before.¡± ¡°¡­ what look?¡± ¡°Well, you look a little angry.¡± Winter immediately took his hand off and turned his head on Violet¡¯s rounded eyes and slightly opened lips. ¡°You seem to have gotten used to it in a moment. Oh, you changed my underwear to wear the dress, didn¡¯t you? ¡°¡­ why would you say that?¡± ¡°You have nothing to argue with. You stole my body and ran away.¡± Violet asked, whose ears were a little red at what he had said deftly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to kick me out like that.¡± Winter gave a signal, and the children waved their hands as if they were greeting and left the bedroom. Without realizing it, Violet, who hugged the blanket, sighed. How hard it must have been for him to drag my body around, how much time does that breathtakingly busy man take to get himself here? ¡°Do I need to work out¡­?¡± Violet sighed. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Winter went back to his bedroom and began to groom his body, which had been dragged around by Violet all day. Winter wasn¡¯t careless about dressing up. Although he was not overly sensitive to fashion, he always shaved, wore clothes that were cut to fit his body, and took a long time to get his hair done. He was aware that his appearance was useful. There was no need to be a beauty because he did everything to make money. Winter, ready to work, left the room. Normally, he would go to work without looking back, but he was very worried about Violet today. The first menstrual cramps he felt were terrible. And he felt so disgusted that he wanted to throw it at random person and scream. He don¡¯t know how his wife is holding this up. Winter turned nervously on his way out. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so busy.¡± He told Lulu. He opened the door and found Violet asleep on her medication. Winter sat on his knees beside the bed, and stared at her. ¡°Violet.¡± She seemed to be sound asleep. Winter followed. ¡°Don¡¯t be sick.¡± He said, sweeping her hair behind her small ears with his fingertips. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting out of my house. Just live with me.¡± After he finished speaking, he looked at his wife¡¯s face for a while and stood up. He felt itchy for some reason, so he rubbed his neck and grumbled. ¡°Looking at your face, I can¡¯t go to work.¡± When he came out, Hayel, who was waiting in front of the carriage, asked. ¡°What took you so long?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± When Winter flopped down in the carriage, Hayel put out an invitation. ¡°We¡¯re having a sponsorship party in Cantus this year as well.¡± Kantus was a monastery in the south-central part of the Lakround. The monks of Cantus held a small sponsored party every year and presented them with their own wine in return for the donations. Winter was very greedy for the Cantus wine after he got it and drank it. In the end, he wanted to offer it exclusively to high-end hotels in the capital city. But no matter how much money Winter had, it was extremely difficult to get the wine. The problem was that Winter kept his distance from the rules of etiquette. Many of the monks in Cantus were royal bloodlines, so they had a high nose and demanded a very high level of etiquette. Hayel spoke in private. ¡°By any chance, little lady¡­ if you know how to change your body.¡± ¡°¡­ just ask me to change it that day?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already thought about it, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I have to try.¡± Winter thought for a moment and answered back. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a party in my life, so can you do it for me now? We¡¯re talking about divorce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Winter gave a cold shoulder .After that, he thought of Hayel¡¯s words and was lost for words. The reason why the bodies of the two changed in the first place was because their blood mixed with those of the Kanik clan. Nevertheless, it seemed clear that Violet knew the way. ¡®What the hell is that?¡¯ He began to organize them in his head step by step when the bodies of the two first changed to find clues. *** ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± Said Violet, who woke up, stretching. Violet, looking pleasantly at the sun-drenched window, then recalled Mrs. Ash and Mrs. Catherine, who were pushing her into the closet. Winter seems to have come out of the party to finding himself without a greeting, so it will be hard to let it go again this time. But Violet shook her head and thought not to be afraid. Violet, raised up her upper body and tilted her head, she found a chocolate tower on the table. Violet, walked with her gown on, then took a layer of the circular chocolate. ¡°¡­ what is it?¡± Violet was scared but was curious too, but Lulu came into the bedroom. ¡°Are you awake now? The medicine must have been strong since you slept soundly last night.¡± Violet turned around and found another cake in Lulu¡¯s hand. ¡°What the hell is all this?¡± ¡°Hayel paid the chef for the ingredients for the dessert. I don¡¯t know how much he paid for it, but this crazy gentleman made a dessert mountain without knowing the extent of it. They told me to make you eat it all? There¡¯s still a lot.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that all?¡± ¡°Of course! The hotel staff took made of it instead of breakfast because and they wanted to throw it away if the shape was a little distorted.¡± Lulu grumbled. Violet sat in front of the table and said, ¡°Looking at the chocolate tower and cake, I thought I should have someone to share it with.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to send me a message in private. Without anyone knowing.¡± ¡°Without anyone knowing? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s running away from home, and she shouldn¡¯t be caught by anyone.¡± ¡°Your friend ran away from home? Oh, you¡¯re both troublemakers.¡± Lulu laughed cheerfully. *** After breakfast, Violet went straight to her mother. After a 30-minute drive, Ella¡¯s residence in the Filippeses came out. Ash lived there, and a farm was just in front of the mansion. As her daughter got out of the carriage, Mrs. Ella Filippe came out to meet her with a bright face. ¡°Violet, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Sorry I haven¡¯t been able to see you, Mother.¡± When Violet said hello, Ella asked. ¡°Would you like to go in for a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Would you like to walk? Show me around.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Ella smiled. Violet said as she walked along the trail around the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t come often.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Blooming now. How can you come here often?¡± Ella continued in a soft voice that was not always exciting. ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. What should we do with our poor Ash?¡± ¡°You seem to be doing well, too.¡± When Violet was ten years old, her eldest brother passed away. Before that, Ella only knew her son, but after that, she became obsessed with the her other children. Violet understood her mother. Because her older brother¡¯s early death was like splitting Ella¡¯s world in half. Ella continued as if she was heartbroken. ¡°How are you? He also offered the throne he was supposed to have. Just thinking about how he feels¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Mother, I had a hard time, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re good on your own.¡± Most of the things I do were not doing well alone, but I had to do it alone. Violet bit her lips and continued with a quiet voice resembling her mother. ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be home once he goes out, and all the southern aristocrats hate me. I¡¯m really tired now¡­¡± ¡°Violet.¡± Ella sighed as if she couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°That¡¯s something you can solve if you¡¯re good to people around you. Who would blame you for that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seeing her mother come out like this, it seemed to be a problem for Ash in any sense if Violet was not in the Blooming family. At that point, it was already impossible to ask her for help. It¡¯s not that Ella doesn¡¯t love her daughter, but it was that she didn¡¯t feel sorry for her. The only pity for her was towards Ash. Violet sometimes wanted to be a poor daughter to her mother. *** Violet returned to the hotel with a complicated mind. Fortunately, there was news waiting to make her feel better. It was a telegraphic call from her childhood friend Sharon. It was a call from the Orgel Garden, south of the capital where the two often went to play when they were young. Violet left the hotel with Flip, who was waiting for Lulu with her luggage. When Violet arrived at the Orgel garden, Sharon ran excitedly from afar. ¡°Violet!¡± ¡°Sharon!¡± Violet recently met Sharon, but Sharon welcomed her violently and hugged her because it had been too long. ¡°How long has it been!¡± ¡°Wow, Sharon¡­ you¡¯ve grown up a lot.¡± Sharon, who played the role of a baby when she was young, had grown up taller than Violet now. She didn¡¯t know when she was Winter¡¯s body, but when she came back to her body, she felt the difference. Sharon pulled Violet¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Grandma is waiting.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± The garden was owned by Sharon¡¯s maternal grandmother, Enna Tessie Orgel. Enna always had a curt look on her face, and by the way she spoke she seemed rude, but Violet knew how kind she was. Enna said in a noncommittal tone as she dragged Sharon from her waist into the mansion with. ¡°You must have been surprised that my granddaughter didn¡¯t grow up after a long time, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Lower your tongue!¡± ¡°I¡¯m an adult now, and that¡¯s rude.¡± Enna smiled at Violet¡¯s expression of regret while answering back. ¡°But if you say so, there¡¯s nothing special about it. Instead, call me Grandma as you used to.¡± Violet was relieved at her words and smiled faintly. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± *** For Violet, who likes flowers, sightseeing at the flower garden was the happiest time. Although the garden was coloured with as the summer began all the flowers would be gone, Violet knew what kind of flower tree it was without flowers too. Sharon said proudly to Enna. ¡°Violet really knows all the flowers Grandma? She know the weeds, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re bragging.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bragging about my friend!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then she¡¯s also your pride.¡± Violet was embarrassed by the two¡¯s praise. When Flip arranged the desserts she had brought with cloth under the shade of the lamp tree in a nice way, the three women sat in a circle and began to play with flowers. The sun began to set in the midst of all the talk. Then, a maid came running frantically. ¡°Ma¡¯am! We¡¯re in trouble! There¡¯s a carriage with flowers for tomorrow¡¯s dinner, and I think there¡¯s a problem in in, and the flowers are dead!¡± Enna looked embarrassed at her words. ¡°Oh, my God, all the rose in the garden is gone¡­ the flowerless dinner in the garden must be disappointing to the guests.¡± Enna, who had always been blunt, looked sullen. If she has this look on her face, she¡¯s really depressed inside. Then, Enna asked Violet, who she felt sorrier for. ¡°Is there any good way, Violet?¡± ¡°Oh, then¡­ Why don¡¯t you change the theme of the dinner to a summer garden? There are a lot of clams in bloom. It¡¯s so cute. I think it would be good to decorate the branches with green ribbons and put bluish grapes or green olives in transparent liquor like white wine to enjoy the summer night atmosphere.¡± Enna, who listened to Violet¡¯s excitement for a long time, said. ¡°Is Lord Winter dead without you for a day?¡± When Violet smiled and shook her head, Enna got up from her seat. ¡°Go to bed tonight. If you help me, I won¡¯t be disappointed. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°I think it would be good to pay me. I want to make money.¡± ¡°Grandmother, me too! I ran away from home and I don¡¯t have any money!¡± When Sharon also helped, Enna nodded. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s move.¡± Enna was in a hurry to speak and hurried to the mansion. Violet, who was looking at her, looked back at flip and said, ¡°Flip, I¡¯m sorry, but could you inform my husband that I¡¯m staying at the Oval Garden tonight¡­¡± Violet shut her mouth as she was talking. She remembered her mother who said who would blame her husband for not coming home. Suddenly, she felt resentment. When Winter came home for three years, he never had violet. He was always out of touch, and she always waited vaguely. Violet shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s a high possibility that he won¡¯t come in, so I don¡¯t think we need to leave a message. If my husband comes back to the hotel and asks, Lulu will contact me here.¡± ¡°Yes, I think so, too.¡± Flip nodded eagerly. He probably noticed Violet¡¯s mind. ¡°I want you to feel how hard it is to wait for someone and don¡¯t know when she¡¯s coming¡­¡¯ Violet thought so and followed Enna and Sharon. Whether Winter checked or not, it was a pretty big deviation from her, who always told him about her schedule. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°From what Sharon says, Lord Winter knows everything about you.¡± Enna said as she was working late at night with Violet. They were making decorations for tomorrow while everyone else was fast asleep. Sharon was already asleep on the sofa like a child, and the two were standing in front of a large wooden table. Violet nodded once with her eyes on the ribbon in her hand. Enna, who looked at her somewhat hardened face for a moment, continued. ¡°Are you having a hard time living in the South?¡± Violet opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s hard, but on the other hand, I feel sorry for my husband who lost so much money and didn¡¯t get anything¡­ like Ash said, I wonder if I¡¯m being selfish because I can¡¯t stand what I have endured.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to say this because he¡¯s your brother, but Ash Lawrence is an opportunist. It¡¯s not worth keeping in mind what he says.¡± ¡°Ha, really Grandma?¡± Enna shrugged her shoulders as Violet looked surprised. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m old enough to not be afraid. The only things that scare me are my grandchildren and the opportunists in the world you live in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Enna spoke bluntly, as she gathered small branches and looked at a bundle of green ribbon. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, it¡¯s just like you said.¡± Violet also looked at the finished bundle. Enna said, while looking fatigued, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m going in now.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Go to bed first.¡± ¡°And Violet, if you¡¯re having a hard time, come here anytime. I can afford to take care of you.¡± Enna¡¯s words made Violet¡¯s face bloom like a flower in summer. She gave a pleasant smile. ¡°I will.¡± *** Winter left the representative office after 2 a.m. Hayel yawned and saw Winter off. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping at the office?¡± ¡°My wife is in the capital.¡± ¡°About the divorce? Would you feel better if you got home at 2 a.m.? ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡± ¡°I have to be honest, or who else will be?¡± Hayel pouted his mouth. As he said, every time he ran into Winter, who was known for his foul temper, all the employees ran away with a pale face after greeting him. He was the only one who could say this. The headquarters of the Carnic Hotel was on an island at the mouth of the Lekle River. Winter rolled his shirt sleeves up and headed to the carriage. Hayel, who was walking next to him, looked around the island to see if it felt new. ¡°Wow, when you first asked me to buy the island, I thought you were out of your mind.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited! Didn¡¯t you manage to make it to the largest hotel chain on the continent?¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°¡­ if it doesn¡¯t matter to you, who does it matter to?¡± Hayel asked as if he didn¡¯t understand and opened the carriage door. Winter got in the carriage, and looked out of the window for a long time. He bought an island that existed at the mouth of the river, strengthened its foundation, and built buildings on it. Now it is famous as a luxurious shopping and tourist destination, and its huge profits have fallen into Winter¡¯s hands. Companies on the continent are eager to enter this place because it has a better advertising effect than anywhere else. ¡°¡­ Shall we take a break?¡± It is true that the last three years have been too much. As he continued to live a poor life of staying up for several days in a row then sleeping for a solid day, he felt mentally exhausted. The carriage ran along the river and soon arrived at the hotel. Come to think of it, he should have just slept at work; he didn¡¯t know why he came back. Winter came into the hotel, muddling his hair. He thought he should go straight to bed and eat with Violet tomorrow morning. The princess didn¡¯t come out of her room before breakfast. After having a quick breakfast at the bedroom table, he left the room. Anyway, she is a woman who wasn¡¯t similar to him at all. He tried to head to his room but walked unknowingly to Violet¡¯s room. It is impossible for Violet to be able to seek a divorce, so Winter had no fear of her leaving. My wife was apparently shocked by the ID test, but frankly, if Winter decided to, he could have blown up the entire Wellton station as well as the officer who checked his ID. Rather, she was lucky. Therefore, no matter if she was a princess, it wasn¡¯t hard to have her ankles tied together with money. But he couldn¡¯t let go of her eyes, which seemed to be tired of living. No matter how much money and power he accrued, if she had a bad heart there was no way to keep her alive. Her parents were always happy to give him money, and always returned her love. He doesn¡¯t doubt her love for him, even if he only stops by her house once a year. So he couldn¡¯t understand why his wife was so tired. Isn¡¯t family supposed to be maintained with money? Why can¡¯t his relationship with his wife be maintained¡­ While he was thinking about this, he checked Violet¡¯s room door. Winter found the indicator next to the room door was green. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°It¡¯s ruined.¡± Last dawn, Winter snapped at the green indicator with his finger, convinced that Violet must have been in by this time. Then he couldn¡¯t hold his temper and rang the bell next to him. As a result, Lulu, who was sleeping in a room right next to it, ran out of fear. ¡°Is there a fire¡­ My lord? Lulu looked curious and saw Winter pressing the bell, who then pointed at the indicator and said, ¡°Call the Facilities Department and tell them to fix it right now.¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s neat.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? She¡¯s out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The little lady didn¡¯t come in today.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She said she was going to play, but She didn¡¯t call me because it was very fun.¡± ¡°¡­ She didn¡¯t¡± Winter, whose face turned white, asked with a crumpled expression. ¡°She went to play? Are you sure?¡¯¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sure! The chef made a lot of desserts and she took them out, saying she would share them.¡± ¡°My wife hasn¡¯t called anyone inside for three years. She¡¯s staying out all night because she couldn¡¯t play enough? Violet? If you didn¡¯t get a call, you should¡¯ve made sure she was okay!¡± The crumpled Winter¡¯s face was so scary that Lulu was frightened and cringed. However, Lulu who recently saw her grandson, was also a woman who faced all kinds of tacts at the hotel and had thick bones. She said with a look of injustice, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t put the lady on the edge of the water. What¡¯s so dangerous about staying out? It¡¯s a nice day, so we could go out and play! You live in the capital every day, and you rarely come, why can¡¯t she?¡± There was nothing to argue with what Lulu said. Winter, who didn¡¯t want to lose, was full of swear words up to his neck, but he couldn¡¯t say it because Violet showed that she liked Lulu. Winter did his best to calm his voice. ¡°So¡­ how could a person be playing all night if they don¡¯t even like tea parties?¡± ¡°How does a little lady like to have people around, but doesn¡¯t like tea parties? Did you get it wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived here three years, and I know better. Anyways, give me the key.¡± Winter entered Violet¡¯s room after he took the key. When he went inside, he found violet¡¯s room as neat as usual. Lulu would have shown all kinds of good rooms in this hotel, but he didn¡¯t understand why she chose this small and insignificant room. Winter sat in a drawing room chair and stared at the door, waiting for violet. If she¡¯s going to sleep because she¡¯s late from playing, she¡¯ll be back by tomorrow morning. In a few hours, she¡¯ll be back in good shape. As if living was not fun, he wouldn¡¯t have been so scared if he hadn¡¯t said so¡­ He looked at the door and thought. As time went by, he thought she would come in the morning, lunch, maybe before dinner. However, when Violet did not come even in the evening, he was afraid that something had happened to her, and finally contacted the Orgel Painter, who said Violet had gone to play. He was relieved to hear that Violet was there, but the fear did not disappear completely. He tried to work, but he couldn¡¯t focus at all. *** When he was not Winter from the Blooming family, he dreamed of being taken in by the owner of a restaurant where he worked as a servant for about a year. I don¡¯t know the connection, but it felt like I was having that nightmare all the time while waiting for my wife. Compared to the nightmare of a 12-year-old boy losing his parents but because his wife disappeared for a day, I seemed to have become overly complacent. When I went to Enna¡¯s house, my wife was enjoying her dinner with a happy face. It was my first time seeing my wife¡¯s face so happy in my life, but at the same time, I hated her for making me feel this great fear. Who in the world waits so late without contacting me? What should I do to those who wait?¡­. When Winter, who was thinking of it as an enemy, was slowly feeling witty as Enna brought the wine and poured it to the two glasses. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m getting such a nice wine?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m an uninvited guest.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Violet¡¯s husband is always my guest. Besides, if you¡¯re a customer with wine like this, it¡¯ll run out while you¡¯re sleeping.¡± When Enna spoke with joy and left, Violet looked at the wine glass and asked Winter. ¡°Is this such a good wine? You¡¯re welcome to wake up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, but it¡¯s hard to get.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing the princess doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Strangely, I get drunk when I drink red wine. I rarely drink.¡± Violet smelled it first and sipped the wine. ¡°Oh, it smells really good. It¡¯s sweet, too¡­¡± ¡°You said you were drunk.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m coming back with you.¡± Violet talked casually, paused, and saw Winter. ¡°Oh, do I have to go right away?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late. Why don¡¯t we do it tomorrow? The wine is sweet. I¡¯d like to finish one drink and go.¡± Violet made an excuse for wine. It was because if she asked him to stay, he wouldn¡¯t stay. After a while, Winter opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not going. Drink more.¡± ¡°Really? It¡¯s a big deal.¡± Violet started drinking wine again with confidence. Then she grabbed Winter¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go say hello.¡± Winter was led by Violet for the first time since his marriage and greeted dinner guests. Violet¡¯s glass was empty when she went all the way around. Seeing her cheeks flushed with a cup, she seemed really drunk on red wine. The dinner was supposed to last all night, but the couple left the house early because they had to go back in two hours. Enna and Sharon caught them, but when they said they would come again, they let the two go. Violet, while very drunk, headed for the carriage. Winter hurriedly hugged her waist as she stumbled while she walked. And when She turned to his side, her cheeks were full of alcohol like peaches, and her eyes were full of sleepiness. She bent her eyes and laughed. ¡°I wanted to do it.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°Introducing my husband to people. It¡¯s nice to do it.¡± Winter never imagined that his wife would be so happy because she only had one party with him. My wife, who keeps worrying about me leaving in the middle, made Winter¡¯s heart heavy. Violet fell asleep and leaned her head against the doorknob of the carriage. But soon, she opened her eyes and saw Winter because she was worried that there was someone next to me. ¡°I¡¯m tired because I couldn¡¯t sleep well after preparing for the party yesterday.¡± Winter wrapped Violet¡¯s head to lean against his shoulder. ¡°How can you go two hours like this? Just sleep.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes were opened again by his actions. As his usual behavior continued, she suddenly woke up. Violet, who was hesitant, reached out carefully and held Winter¡¯s hand. Then she looked up and saw Winter. ¡°Winter, let¡¯s really talk this time.¡± ¡°I answered the divorce story. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t get a divorce¡­ let¡¯s talk about a child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She recalled leaving when the exit of death was blocked. But it wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t afraid. She was a Lakrund royal who wouldn¡¯t be allowed divorce at all, so she wanted to maintain a marital relationship if there was any possibility. She thought these two things must be done first to maintain marriage. It was a branch family and a child in the capital. Violet continued, pulling Winter¡¯s hand and wrapping it with both hands. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy. But now we need to talk about the child¡­¡­.¡± Winter¡¯s hand slipped out before she could finish. ¡°No thoughts.¡± He turned his head out of the carriage window as if to end this conversation. Violet asked, looking at his back. ¡°What do you mean? You didn¡¯t think.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to, I don¡¯t need to at all.¡± ¡°¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± Winter was silent. Violet glanced at his back. I knew he would avoid talking whenever she talked about a child, but I didn¡¯t know he would react so hard. She turned to the opposite window without saying a word. ¡°I see. Now I know.¡± And there was no more conversation in the carriage. By the time we arrived at the hotel, Winter looked toward Violet. She was looking out the window, now looking as if she were sober. Winter now understands what Violet said was a substitute for divorce. He was heartbroken because he knew, but he couldn¡¯t give room for the child. Well, it was impossible for him. *** Violet woke up late in the morning. She didn¡¯t lose her memory or anything, but she was very tired, so she got off the wagon and came into the hotel, and she had a vague memory of pushing out Winter¡¯s help. The sunlight through the window was too bright for her to raise her upper body. She looked around wondering, then found out it was past 11 o¡¯clock, and got up in a panic. ¡°Lu, Lulu? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up¡­?¡± After getting up in a hurry, she stopped at the sight of her husband over the opened bedroom door. Winter looked sick and tired and then looked at violet. ¡°I told her not to wake you up. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d sleep until this hour.¡± ¡°What are you doing there?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wasting time.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s eat.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 It wasn¡¯t that Winter Blooming didn¡¯t want children. He was rather a man with a big attachment to his family. Statistically, mixed-race members of the Carnic clan, who inherited only one of the silver hair and gray eyes, were only able to conceive with opposite sex of the blood of the same Carnic clan. It was the same when he asked Hayel to reinvestigate the case. The Carnic clan, who had both silver hair and gray eyes, had children no matter who they met, not a single child was born between those with grey eyes and the bloodless opposite sex of the Carnic clan. The Carnic clan had previously lived in the far north of other continents. He only guessed that this might have happened because it was very closed geographically and had lived without meeting outsiders for a long time. It¡¯s been quite a long time since strangers settled in LaCrown, so even if there was discrimination, it has been mixed into many families. However, if the world were to choose a woman who never had the blood of the Canic clan, it was definitely his wife, Violet. The pure-blooded princess of the LaCrown. In other words, she must have been safe from this dirty blood, as there would be no humble stranger existing in her veins. The clear evidence was that in the past three years, no children were born without a single contraceptive. With the story of divorce coming out, Winter was even more unwilling to inform his wife about this. *** Lulu rushed into the bedroom and spoke as Violet repeatedly brushed with a nervous face. ¡°Oh, my little lady! Please do something with the Lord. He¡¯s been sitting like that from 6 o¡¯clock and making everyone nervous, it¡¯s really crazy¡± ¡°Why is he suddenly doing things that he doesn¡¯t do?¡± Violet also asked while brushing, saying she didn¡¯t know what to do, opening the door of the dress room, which was attached to the small bedroom. ¡°Would you like to change and go out?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to get mad, so I¡¯ll just go out.¡± ¡°Bless you, little lady¡­¡­.¡± The staff were exhausted just by being attached to the hotel all the time. Since yesterday, they have been sitting in the drawing room of Violet¡¯s room doing nothing and waiting with a crumpled expression, so everyone felt as if their blood was running dry. Lulu hurriedly brought a silk gown over to her. Violet put on the gown and left the bedroom and sat opposite Winter. Violet, who saw Winter inhaling the tea¡¯s scent with a bent finger on the handle, bending her index finger along him and said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hang your finger on the hook like that.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s this handle for?¡± Then, Violet grabbed the outside of the handle with her natural hand gesture. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it up like this, but hold it like this.¡± ¡°Did I tell you? The nobles have a knack for picking easy things out and making them difficult.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± It was a relief that Violet told him. While Winter was practicing with an expression that he didn¡¯t understand, Lulu brought a meal. Violet opened her mouth after Lulu left. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°You told me to talk to you all the time. I just wanted to hear what you wanted to talk about. I want to hear it even if it¡¯s very late.¡± ¡°Why are you coming out so crooked when you¡¯re asking me to do it now?¡± ¡°If we hadn¡¯t changed our bodies, we wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to talk in the first place.¡± ¡°I was going to take a break anyway.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a thing called timing in the world.¡± Winter clicked his tongue. Then he poured sugar into the tea, stirred it with a teaspoon, and asked. ¡°What¡¯s the use of changing bodies?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. I need a weapon, too.¡± Violet talked as if nothing was wrong and took a sip of tea. Then she put down her glass and asked. ¡°Why do you hate children?¡± ¡°Later. I¡¯ll tell you when your mind for divorce disappears.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll ever get a divorce even if I have a child.¡± When Violet came out negative all the time, Winter said something that he had been holding back. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have a baby if I slept like this in the first place.¡± This time, Violet¡¯s face was frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what your family taught you, but you can¡¯t take off your clothes, you can¡¯t make noise, don¡¯t even touch it. Do you think that makes sense? Did they cheat on an innocent girl?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­¡± Violet only looked at Winter as she was so stunned that she couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Blooming family is much different?¡± ¡°My family didn¡¯t teach me much about sleeping in the first place.¡± ¡°Are you insulting the Lawrence family?¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡®Goddamn, if she wasn¡¯t pretty¡­¡­.¡¯ If he had known about the Lawrence family¡¯s sex education in advance, Winter wouldn¡¯t have even tried this marriage in the first place. Not only did she not take off all her clothes in bed, but he couldn¡¯t touch her legs as much as he liked, let alone her chest or buttocks. But the eyes that look up at him in bed, those blue diamond-like eyes that he wanted to look straight at from the moment he first saw her at the wedding hall, and the amazing pink lips that were a little open. Looking at his wife¡¯s clear, transparent, and yet strong face, the patience that Winter thought he had completely disappeared from his life came back. He thought it was not so bad to marry her, even though her title was lost, her wealth was lost, she couldn¡¯t have children, and sleeping with her was like torture. Winter couldn¡¯t stand the injustice when her face was filled with disapproval. ¡°Don¡¯t act like a sexual devotee if you can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll try my best to keep my body out of touch this month anyway. From my point of view, it¡¯s no longer a sexual desire.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this next time.¡± ¡°I will, but I really want you to do it next time.¡± Violet didn¡¯t understand why Winter was so upset, but she nodded. She opened her mouth again. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve been curious about something. I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re finally having some conversation now.¡± However, Violet, who said she wanted to know something, remained silent for a long time. Winter said as if he was frustrated. ¡°Why, how hard is it for you to say?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m curious about is.¡± Her faded voice touched Winter. Violet looked at the teacup and opened her mouth again. ¡°So I¡¯m like that to you, right? You bought it at a high price, but you can¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± A mis-purchase. When you brought it home, it didn¡¯t fit your house, so it looks like an antique in the warehouse. You get angry every time you see it, but it¡¯s a waste of money to throw it away, so you can¡¯t throw it away. ¡°Even I don¡¯t think I can throw it away easily. So I always felt sorry for you. Then what will I be? What should I really do when I¡¯m useless and still can¡¯t be abandoned¡­¡­¡± Violet was in a funny and pathetic situation. She spent most of her time in her room and bedroom on the fifth floor for three years. She became a 24 million Lakhne mis-purchased item stuck in the corner and lived as if it were still, dead, or as an ornament. But sometimes, when a person finds it, he gets angry and kicks it with his foot. Such three years. So that was the most important thing she wanted to say to her husband. What meaning do I have to live with in the future? What do you want me to do when you brought me wrong? And after three years of not being able to ask such a question, all she wants now is to give up quickly and be thrown away because she¡¯s tired. ¡°So what I¡¯m curious about is, when will you abandon me? I hope you find your love, too. When will that be?¡± There was silence at the end of her calm voice. Only the sound of the summer wind filled the space for a while. A long time later, Winter asked. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± ¡°To a certain extent.¡± ¡°It¡¯s sarcastic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Winter didn¡¯t understand Violet¡¯s words at all. He was desperate. He gave the most efficient love he could give. He couldn¡¯t understand a bit why he had to hear this from his wife. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m going back.¡± He tried to hide his grim expression. Winter had to break the rigid stereotype at the age of twenty-seven years old because he thought what his wife needed might not be money. He spoke in a low voice. ¡°I have no intention of abandoning you, and you must not leave me. I don¡¯t know what the problem is, but if you feel that way, I¡¯ll try to find a solution.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± When asked by her still uncooperative question, Winter said with his hands wrapped around his face to see if he was troubled. ¡°If I knew that, would I have come all the way here? I can only solve it with money. I¡¯ve been like that all my life.¡± ¡°How much money do you have that you always settle everything with money?¡± When she said something she didn¡¯t know, Winter lowered his hand, which he had held around his face, and looked at his wife as if he was full of energy. ¡°You¡¯re not interested in me at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous¡ªwhat¡¯s left of me if you take my fortune away.¡± Winter grumbled and grabbed Violet¡¯s hand and dragged her to the window. The high-rise windows clearly showed parts of the royal castle and even the island at the mouth of the Leckl River. Winter grabbed Violet¡¯s hand with his big hand, put his finger under her index finger, and drew a horizontal line in the center of the window. ¡°From here to here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± Violet paused and turned her head to see Winter. At that moment, the faces of the two were close, and Violet stepped back surprised. Looking at her empty eyes earlier, and seeing her eyes filled with embarrassment now made Winter feel a little better. He grabbed Violet¡¯s hand tightly as she tried to get out of his hand. Violet thought Winter¡¯s gray eyes staring at her were like a sharp beast. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to pay me back if you wanted to get a divorce last time, and I¡¯m asking you to get a divorce, and yes, where¡¯s the fool you¡¯re walking around with?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t speak as noble as you. If you didn¡¯t know, you didn¡¯t know anything about me either. Yes, I¡¯ll try to understand you if you want, so get used to me too. Don¡¯t make me crazy.¡± He managed to let go of Violet¡¯s hand from his grasp. Then he turned around and left the room. Violet somehow was so exhausted that she collapsed on her seat. Fortunately or unfortunately, Violet was completely free from the depression of pulling her whole body into chaos because of her embarrassment. However, she couldn¡¯t understand her husband¡¯s reaction. Why is it so upsetting for him to abandon her who is of no use. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Only after Winter disappeared did peace come to the hotel and Violet. Winter sent flowers to the room for two days. He overdoes anything and overdoes the flower gift. Violet sighed as she came out of the bedroom, pressing down on her palms as usual. The drawing room floor, table, window frames were filled with flowers. ¡°Lulu, you¡¯re angry no matter how hard you look at this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I think so, too.¡­.¡± Remembering Violet¡¯s words to buy flowers, it looks like a flower shop will be set up here. Because of the scent of flowers, all windows had to be opened. Although it was excessive, it was true that Violet really liked flowers. She was bewildered, but also spent two days quietly watering pots, drying flowers or making new bouquets. Lulu asked, taking out another dress that Hayel had bought. ¡°Anyway, I heard you¡¯re going on a date today. Where are you going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know any place, so I decided to follow where he goes often.¡± It was not a date, but an agreement to find out a little bit about the other person, but there was no need to tell the whole story between the couple. While sitting in a flower shop-like parlor and having breakfast, the hotel¡¯s chef Turin and Flip, a servant of the Blooming family, came in. Thanks to Turin¡¯s desire to present the best dishes, Flip, carrying a basket full of food ingredients, sighed. Turin took the creamy butter out of the basket and opened it. ¡°This is silk butter from the Central Continent, which was difficult to find. Rumor has it that the taste is soft like silk. ¡° Look at this great butter that came over by a boat!¡± While Turin alone was moved, Lulu told Violet. ¡°My boss doesn¡¯t like food with butter because he¡¯s a southerner. I was so anxious to buy it, but I ended up buying it.¡± ¡°Is there anyone who doesn¡¯t like butter?¡± ¡°Yes, they use more oil than butter in their food. Even with that, the Boss doesn¡¯t like butter.¡± Then, Flip helped me with a word. ¡°You like vegetables much more than meat, is that a southern feature?¡± Turin shook his head quickly at the words. ¡°It¡¯s not a southern feature, it¡¯s because the Lord was a very poor person when he was a child, so he didn¡¯t have any access to meat. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t like dairy products.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Listening to their conversation, Violet thought that as her husband said, she knew nothing about her husband as much as he did not know about her. Turin¡¯s pride in ingredients has grown. At that time, the door opened wide and Winter walked in with his jacket hanging on his two fingers. ¡°You think this is the bottom of the market?¡± ¡°Sorry, boss!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get out!¡± As the three chattering people escaped as if they were running away, Winter locked the door and threw the jacket he had brought onto the sofa. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t have any friends, but why do you not know what to do in the capital because everyone you meet likes you?¡± ¡°Do I look like that?¡± Violet was a little pleased and asked. I was afraid that my rare opponent would hate me inside, whether I was criticized for walking, stopping, laughing, or crying for three years. Winter replied with a crumpled look. ¡°Because it¡¯s my wife, and she¡¯s uncomfortable with the staff, but they have to come here and talk to her. Of course, I don¡¯t know what to do because I like you.¡± ¡°I enjoyed them introducing ingredients and choosing clothes, so the story got longer. Oh, those three people unanimously chose that outfit. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Violet took out a knee-length thin summer mini dress and looked up. After that,she took a mini dress and quickly changed her clothes. It was easy to wear, so she was quick by herself. The waist ribbon was sky blue with white lines with thin shoulders, vertically wrinkled. As she walked out with a ribbon in her hand, Winter came up and tied it around her waist. Meanwhile, Violet looked at Winter and herself through a full-length mirror. She knew Winter was tall, but when she looked in the mirror, there was a big difference. She looked in the mirror and opened her mouth. ¡°Oh, will Eli come? I heard she meets you often at the stadium.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll come. She lives in the stadium.¡± ¡°You must be close.¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Ellie was Violet¡¯s cousin Ariela Lawrence. She answered that she didn¡¯t like her, because we were not very close just because she knew Ariela¡¯s nickname called by people close to her. Last time, Ariela told me that you two had a good conversation. Violet looked fine and nodded once. Thoughts about Ariela¡¯s were no longer available as soon as she entered the VIP box at Kaisle Stadium. Violet, who saw the players warming up right below, screamed briefly in shock. All the players were undressing their tops. In the summer sun, the upper body muscles flashed like jewels. It was a completely different sport from a sport where Violet enjoys riding a free horse wearing a uniform from head to toe. Violet couldn¡¯t say anything and covered her face with a fan and took a good breath. Winter grabbed the fan down and said mischievously at the sight. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t be jealous of you seeing another man¡¯s body.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to see it.¡± Meanwhile, the staff in charge of the box seats brought an ice bucket full of beer bottles. Winter took out a beer bottle and pulled it against the window frame in the front of the box to open the lid and held it to Violet. She asked awkwardly. ¡°Do you just drink with a bottle?¡± ¡°Yes, my princess. You can drink it as it is.¡± When Winter made fun of her, Violet spilled over him and drank a sip of ice-cold beer. She didn¡¯t hate this atmosphere as she thought. She was a little shocked when Winter put his two feet on the window frame. He crumpled a cheap cigarette with no name on it into his pocket. Then he leaned sideways against his back, smoking a cigarette with his right hand. Violet has never seen anyone so crooked in her life. Where is the man in a prestigious family in a decent suit that I¡¯ve seen so far, and there is only a man who has no manners left like this . I thought that everything Winter has shown in front of me so far may have been fake. All of his ¡°noble¡± behavior, sitting across the table in a suit and tie, was maybe a pain in the neck every moment. His human behavior would have been painstakingly created by taking care of every moment. Violet reached out her hand. ¡°Can I smoke one? That cigarette.¡± ¡°No, the quality is bad.¡± ¡°You told me to find out about you.¡± Winter clicked his tongue and took out a cigarette. At that time, from beyond the open window frame, Ariela raised her head. ¡°Winter, here¡­¡­ bar, with violet? She seemed quite drunk already. She flopped down on the window frame and looked at the two unexpectedly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? The couple¡¯s coming together.¡± Violet casually watched Winter. He answered back. ¡°Date.¡± ¡°W-what kind of dating couple is that awkward? Anyway, Violet is a bit stiff. I was like that when I was young. It¡¯s exemplary, Exemplary and uninteresting¡­¡­ ¡± While Ariela was speaking, Winter held Violet¡¯s waist and sat her on a grid on his lap. Violet couldn¡¯t balance and put her hands on his shoulders, looking at Winter with surprise. ¡°Hee, are you crazy?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a date. You know how to say that my wife is crazy. It¡¯s as much a miracle as your trashy team wins.¡± Ariela paused and saw them, waved her hand and left. When she left, Winter sighed and leaned his head on Violet¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­¡­do something about her. I can¡¯t do anything because she¡¯s your cousin.¡± Violet looked surprised at Winter¡¯s head leaning on her. When she didn¡¯t answer, Winter raised his head and asked, dissatisfied. ¡°Violet, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening. You¡¯re really not close to Ellie,are you.¡± ¡°Do we have to be close?¡± Violet shook her head quickly because Winter was going to yell at her right away. I was half convinced that he was having an affair with Ariela, but It was ridiculous. Ariela tried to approach him unilaterally. Come to think of it, my cousin Ariela has always been interested in my things since she was young. Whatever it was, she wanted to have the same thing, and she wanted to have a better one. Then Ariela found one thing that was better than Violet, which was her freedom. No matter how much she liked ballet, Violet could not be a ballerina, and no matter how much she liked flowers, she could not be a gardener. Her position had always been to convey as the only royal daughter of the Lakround family. Ariela may not know, but Violet was always jealous of her freedom and loveliness. She thought every man would choose Ariela, not herself. She still thought Winter was at fault for not trying to talk to me about this misunderstanding, but his response to Ariela just now was honestly very, very cool. Since Ariela left, she was about to get off his knees, but Winter grabbed her and didn¡¯t let her go. Rather, he wrapped his hands around her smooth legs and pulled her close to him. She looked at Winter as if he were doing something wrong. ¡°Let me get off, stop being rude.¡± ¡°I wonder how many times I¡¯ll be told I¡¯m rude today.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. What if you do it again?¡± When Winter, whose bet is routine, raised one side of his mouth with a smile, Violet hit him back without losing. ¡°Okay, what¡¯s your bet?¡± ¡°Three more times. I¡¯ll go to every party you tell me to come in a row. From beginning to end I¡¯ll stay only next to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lie.¡± ¡°Really.¡± Winter unexpectedly bet on something quite useful. Violet agonized over the outcome she wanted more than expected. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything like that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows how to change. Sometimes there¡¯s a place where you need your elegance.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It¡¯s surprising that he needs a change of body. Violet still didn¡¯t have much lingering feelings about her life, and she thought it would be no problem if she died because she didn¡¯t change her body properly, so she nodded without much concern. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Is it that simple?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°If you need it, find out for yourself.¡± Violet said so, and only then did she get away from Winter, who let go. When she sat next to him, Winter said what he really wanted. ¡°You¡¯ll have to kiss me if you lose the bet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more useful to change your body when you need it than to kiss me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even need it that bad. Kiss me. Once, until I¡¯m satisfied. If you¡¯re careful, you¡¯ll win anyway. Whatever you bet on, it¡¯s your advantage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s make a bet, then.¡± Violet thought she would win anyway, and even if she lost, it was not difficult to face her lips for a while. In the meantime, the game began. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 As soon as the game began, Violet foresaw that she might lose the bet with her husband. From the beginning, the players of the two teams, who had taken off their tops, rushed at the same time. It was a competition with only strength. At that time, a man with a large round barrel around his neck stopped in front of the window frame where the couple was watching the game. ¡°Lord, who are you betting on?¡­ Oh, my God!¡± The man who recognized Violet sitting next to Winter collapsed in horror. Then he became restless and cried and asked Winter. ¡°Do..do..do I have to kneel down?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s in front of someone.¡± When Winter spoke with a serious expression, the man quickly knelt down. Surprised, Violet got up in a hurry and grabbed the man¡¯s arm and lifted it. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. The royal family has been disbanded for three years, and even if not¡­¡­ my husband was just teasing you.¡± At Violet¡¯s words, the man stood up feeling unfair and thrilled that the princess had held his arm. Then the man took off his hat and held it in his hand, crying at Winter. ¡°What a surprise! Why are you making fun of me!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s to blame for your own stupidity? I¡¯ll bet on Dozer.¡± When Winter took out the bills from his wallet, the man turned the large board he was carrying on his back to the front. Then under the player¡¯s name, ¡°Crack Dozer,¡± the man wrote Winter¡¯s name and the amount of money he bet. Winter explained to Violet, who stays still watching the scene. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s legal, and I¡¯m betting on the first player here to bleed today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯re making fun of me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Which part doesn¡¯t make sense?¡± Winter asked back. Violet was once again shocked that it was not a joke. It was strange to have such a bet, and she couldn¡¯t believe it was legal. The man with a bucket of money asked Violet. ¡°Who is the princess going to bet on? The first player you bet on will be honored for the rest of their life!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet next time.¡± When Violet tried to refuse, Winter pointed to the players and said. ¡°Have you tried horse racing?¡± ¡°Yes. One or two times following my father.¡± ¡°Just think all the players are horses.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a person.¡± ¡°Just think it¡¯s a horse and choose it. Think you have a mare and look carefully like a stallion.¡± ¡°Winter, how could you say such a rude thing¡­¡­.¡± Violet, who had already said ¡°rude,¡± belatedly covered her mouth with her hands. However, one of the corners of Winter¡¯s mouth was going up, probably already heard her, and the man who was giggling at the word stallion flinching at the word ¡°rude¡± and stopped laughing. Winter said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I won so easily.¡± ¡°But what you just said was too much. Please cancel it.¡± ¡°I cancel. I just wanted to make you say the word rude.¡± Winter said soothingly and chinned the stadium as if asking her to choose a player. It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but the Kaisele players were really like racehorses. On glossy skin, their muscles looked very big and looked like they didn¡¯t have any wasted muscles. Violet looked calmly and pointed to a player. ¡°That player looks like he¡¯s in good shape.¡± ¡°Santor Than. That¡¯s a good choice.¡± Violet¡¯s name was written on the board. About 20 minutes later, the referee stopped the game when blood splashed from a punch at the stadium. ¡°It¡¯s Santor!¡± Someone shouted, and the audience began shouting Santor¡¯s name. It continued while Santor, who punched during the match, was sent off. The bloody stadium was shocking, but after learning the rules, Violet got interested little by little. She glanced at it in a similar mood like how she kept craving stimulating food. Perhaps because she lived in a dark and quiet place like a mole for three years, all unfamiliar things were interesting. During the game, many people came to the box seat and greeted the two. Winter often bursted into laughter in the middle of the conversation, and Violet has never seen Winter smile like a boy in the past three years. If I were dead, he¡¯d be much more free. It was strange that Violet¡¯s body changed because of Winter¡¯s pedigree, but the result was not for him. *** It was around 9 o¡¯clock when the two returned to the hotel and finished their bath. Winter went back out of the hotel and bought a bag of his favorite crawler donuts at a nearby night market. The freshly made hot crawler donut had a lot of sugar on it. ¡°You¡¯re not eating this either, right? You must be a bit picky.¡± Winter grumbled. It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but he bought fried fish for dinner at the stadium, but Violet didn¡¯t eat well. She tried so hard to eat it as she noticed it was Winter¡¯s favorite food, but the food remained on the plate. Winter understood Violet¡¯s mind because it did not fit aristocrats¡¯ meals at all. He knocked on the door and Violet came out in pajamas not long after. His wife was so elegant that he wondered how she could do that even when she was alone. Not only was she well-dressed, but there was a newspaper that she was reading and a tea on the table, a basket of biscuits was placed next to it, as expected. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Winter closed the door again. Hearing Turin¡¯s useless chatter, it seemed that the House of Lawrence was also feeding caviar as baby food. Violet, who had become accustomed to all kinds of food since she was so young, found out exactly what Turin cared about and why he was using lavish praise. Thanks to her, Turin¡¯s job satisfaction has risen to an unprecedented level these days. It was pathetic of him to give Violet a donut he bought on the street. He was about to turn around, but the door opened again, and Violet grabbed Winter¡¯s arm. ¡°Did I make a mistake today?¡± Winter turned toward her when Violet anxiously asked. ¡°What mistake would you have made? My actions would have been the only ones that would have been pointed out.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±He didn¡¯t come here to be angry, but Violet apologized embarrassingly for she thought he was angry at the things she pointed out as rude. Seeing the scene, Winter grabbed her arm and took her into the room and held out a bag. ¡°I was hungry and bought it, but there was too much.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Is it your first time seeing a doughnut that looks like this?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never tried it before.¡± Violet took the bag close to her face, smelled it, and exclaimed, ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°It smells so good.¡± Fortunately, the response was good. The two of them sat in front of the table. Violet took out a sweet donut full of sugar and was flustered by the sugar pattering on the table ¡°Oh, my¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s how you normally eat it.¡± Violet, who was somewhat relieved by Winter¡¯s words, opened her mouth a little and ate a little at the end. Soon, however, after seeing Winter eat a donut with his mouth wide open, she also opened her mouth wide. Violet mumbled while covering her mouth with her hands and said. ¡°Oh, my God, it¡¯s really delicious.¡± It was quite different from the expression ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡±, as if a guest was praising the bad food at dinner, that she said while eating fried fish earlier. Violet quickly ate up one of the sweet and chewy crawlers. When Winter, who saw the sugar on her mouth, smiled without realizing it, Violet blinked and asked. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s cute.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only two of us here. Do you think I¡¯m cute?¡± The word cute was so unfamiliar for her that Violet could not respond. She was not a cute child at all because she was grown-up from a young age, and after she became an adult, she did not often hear compliments. Which part was cute? While Violet was confused, Winter leaned back, put his feet on another chair, and drank a glass of rum. He opened his mouth. ¡°If you like the maid and the cook, take them to the Blooming family. I¡¯ll pay them enough to go that far.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Violet shook her head. Lulu and Turin were the people she met in the capital. She didn¡¯t want to show them herself being left out of Blooming¡¯s mansion and often acting like she was out of her mind by sharing with them even the clich¨¦ stories. The thought of the tea party standing in front of me while listening to the criticism suddenly made her stuffy. She looked at Winter to change the subject. ¡°Oh, I decided to kiss you in exchange. Shall we do it now?¡± ¡°I came here with that in mind.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Violet got up from her seat. Then she stood in front of Winter, grabbed him lightly on the shoulder, pressed his lips with hers lightly as usual, and pulled apart. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°You said kiss. Is there a problem?¡± Only then did Winter get up from his seat when Violet tilted her head. He pushed the newspaper off the table with his hands and held Violet¡¯s waist with both hands and sat on the table. Violet looked up at Winter with her head up. ¡°Don¡¯t sit on the table.¡± ¡°You can kiss me.¡± Winter leaned over the table with his hand. As the faces of the two became somewhat closer, Winter stopped and glanced at her eyes. Why is he so close to me and not kissing me right away?¡­. Violet leaned back little by little because she was nervous without realizing it. Then Winter held her waist tightly in one arm and pulled her close. Violet gazed gently at Winter¡¯s face, which became too close. The male-smelling features, necks, and physique strangely did not threaten Violet. Rather it made her curious. What is the kiss he wants? As soon as she thought, each other¡¯s lips touched. Even the way he kissed seemed to be completely different from her husband. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 When their lips touched, Violet thought it was a familiar kiss, so there was no response. Although he made her exceptionally nervous, she expected him to remove his lips soon. However, when Winter moved his lips to cover her lips,he bit her lower lip, and moved as if he was looking for something in her mouth, she pushed him away in surprise. ¡°What, what are you¡­¡­.¡± Violet¡¯s lips, trying to resist, were covered by Winter¡¯s again, and both her wrists, which were about to push him away, overlapped and were caught in Winter¡¯s one hand. He opened Violet¡¯s lips and pushed his tongue inside. Violet has hardened into her first experience in life. She was so surprised that she seemed to have forgotten how to react, let alone rebel. The thought of being occupied by him stopped the accident. Winter wrapped his hand around her neck and stroked her as if to appease the little beast. He was going to just push it, but when Violet couldn¡¯t breathe well, Winter let her go. She had a flustered look on her face, but now even that felt sweet to Winter. Violet¡¯s rigid expression had long melted, and warmth lingered in her eyes. Violet asked as if she was grumbling. ¡°Isn¡¯t this something actors do? Why the tongue¡­.¡± ¡°This is how I do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Then just memorize it.¡± Winter had suppressed his libido for three years to keep up with the Lawrence family tradition. ¡®I am a slave who makes money¡¯, he¡¯s been brainwashing himself, but he decided not to do it anymore. It was after the divorce was mentioned. His reason for imitating a gentleman in front of Violet collapsed . Winter whispered in Violet¡¯s ear, as she slowly arranged her poor breathing. ¡°Did you forget how to breathe with your nose?¡± ¡°I was so surprised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a smart princess, so get used to it.¡± Violet has been diligent in all her learning since she was young. Even if Winter¡¯s words were a joke, she was going to adjust quickly. But when Winter¡¯s lips touched her neck, she was surprised and covered her almost screaming mouth with her hand. He asked with his lips folded. ¡°This is definitely a kiss, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°No?¡± It was difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. His way of kissing was too absurd. Violet¡¯s whole body became sensitive with tension as he mixed his tongue and did strange things, and everywhere Winter touched, her senses spread like flames. Winter thought for a moment about quitting because Violet was so nervous, but he couldn¡¯t do that when he faced Violet¡¯s eyes that were looking at him. It was him who won the bet. Would there be a man in the world who stays still when his wife sees him with eyes like that and he even wins a bet? Winter kissed her again. The excitement could be cut off, but it wasn¡¯t at all. Rather, it was a waste that her body fell this much as it got hotter. Winter eventually picked her up and sat down on the sofa. Violet was in shock, so she had no resistance to the action. Winter hugged Violet¡¯s waist with one arm and tied it tightly. Then, when the other hand touched her chest, Violet was surprised and pressed his shoulder with her fingertips, flinching. It seems like it¡¯s broken just by touching it, so Winter thought he should just kiss today. The released chest was soon crushed on the firm chest of the man. The kiss continued, and gradually his temperature and Violet¡¯s temperature became the same. The same temperature made each other mistake each other¡¯s bodies for their own. At some point, Violet hugged Winter¡¯s neck with her arms. Winter was so proud of this behaviour that he put his finger between Violet¡¯s hair and stroked it gently, even though she had lost all her mind. Then, they heard a knock on the door. ¡°Little Lady, I¡¯ll take a look at your bed.¡± Violet, who was awakened by Lulu¡¯s voice, took off her lips. ¡°Oh, when is the time so¡­¡­¡± Looking at the clock, it was over an hour. Violet looked back at the door and said, touching her messy clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll open it in a minute! And as she was getting up, Winter hugged her waist and wouldn¡¯t let her go. His hair was completely disheveled, and his shirts were unbuttoned in the process of touching each other¡¯s chests, revealing a wide and elegant chest. Winter raised one eyebrow looking at Violet, who was trying to get out of his arms with weak power. ¡°You heard from Hayel that I worked as a servant when I was a kid, right? I¡¯ll clean up the bed.¡± Violet almost nodded her head. However, she quickly shook her head in search of reason. ¡°No, then what would Lulu think of us?¡± ¡°Tomorrow the bedding will be very dirty, I¡¯m sure.¡± What does that mean? In the meantime, Violet, who had been agonizing for a while, tried to get out of his arms by understanding what he meant and freaked out after recalling her very rare sleep with him. Winter felt a lot of lust for his soft wife in his arms, but he let Violet go with a nervous face for her dignity. Winter said, while buttoning the untied button. ¡°Let¡¯s have a party for two more times only. There¡¯s no point in betting if you go all three times.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really? Even though I lost?¡± ¡°Yeah, even though you lost. I¡¯ll go with broad generosity.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes got round and nodded. She said. ¡°I bet often.¡± ¡°Walking to every party to participate every time?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to.¡± Winter clicked his tongue, opened the door first and went out. The eyes of Lulu, who was waiting in front, and Hayel, who was standing behind her, trembled wildly. As Winter walked past those two without a word, Hayel was frozen and quickly followed him. ¡°My Lord, you¡¯re going to the office right away, aren¡¯t you? In a hurry.¡± ¡°When do you want me to rest?¡± ¡°I told you because I thought you wouldn¡¯t rest if I didn¡¯t say so. I was wrong.¡± Hayel cried and dragged Winter away. Lulu, who was rolling her eyes until the two were far away, teased Violet, whose face turned red with shame. ¡°Oh, the fire isn¡¯t even on but you don¡¯t know why the room is so hot?¡± ¡°Lulu!¡± ¡°Do you want me to sneak you to the same room?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that at all. I¡¯m telling you.¡± Violet shook her head with a face that did not find any of her usual composure. Lulu kept teasing Violet with a cute new reaction. Lulu checked the temperature and humidity of the bedroom, saw Violet lying down, and turned off the light. ¡°Then have a good night¡¯s sleep, Young Lady.¡± Lulu left the room with a pleased expression. Violet, lying on the bed, stroked her lips with her hands. His ways were strange, but she didn¡¯t hate it. *** Four days later, the couple packed their bags to return to the Blooming mansion which was located in the south. Violet wore a wide-brimmed sky blue hat and a non-glossy sky blue dress, which was one of the dresses Hayel cleaned up. Lulu was regretful and didn¡¯t know what to do, and after holding Violet tightly and letting go, she couldn¡¯t bear it and held her tightly and let her go again repeatedly. Leaving the capital behind, Violet got on the train. Seeing her expression begin to harden from the moment she left, Winter worriedly asked. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Winter.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we live in the capital?¡± ¡°Capital?¡± Violet nodded her head. As she approached the southern part, she felt like oxygen was getting thinner. Her chest was stuffy and dizzy, and she felt like she was about to faint. It was such a place, but if there was a hope that she could come to the capital someday, she could hold out there. She continued in a difficult voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s later. Think about it. It¡¯s okay to live in the capital too¡­¡­ Oh, if we stay in the capital, I¡¯ll change my body whenever you need it. What do you think?¡± Violet¡¯s voice became more and more desperate. ¡°The company is also in the capital.¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes widened as Winter responded, thinking that he would refuse immediately. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to travel this long distance like you said. It will be hard to move right away. The Blooming has been living in that estate for generations. So let¡¯s see.¡± Violet¡¯s face slowly began to lighten up at his words. ¡°Thank you.¡± When she answered with a voice that sounded rather subdued because it didn¡¯t feel real, Winter asked vaguely. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re happy?¡± ¡°Yes. Very.¡± ¡°Then run around flapping. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re really happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really happy.¡± Violet¡¯s voice trembled. She was really, really happy. ¡°I still don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to distinguish whether it¡¯s really good or not.¡± Violet laughed a little aloud this time at his joking answer. Living in Blooming¡¯s mansion would be tolerable if there was a guarantee that she could return to the capital. It¡¯s not a sure thing, but the fact that it¡¯s a possibility made her feel like flying. Violet thought, ¡°Maybe this life will be worth living if I settle down in the capital.¡± Even if Winter continued to live being crazy about his work, there were no people in the capital who left her out. In addition, there were people who became precious to her. Above all, since changing their bodies, she talked a lot with Winter that she couldn¡¯t compare herself to before. Perhaps, if she persuades him more, he will accept having a child. Violet was discovering various meaning of her life with just the hope of coming out of Blooming¡¯s mansion. *** The train heading to Blooming Estate stopped for a while. There was a problem with the track, so it was going to leave again in about two hours. Trains were frequently broken because they were not yet a perfect means of transportation. But it was okay in about two hours. The two went out of the station for a while and went around the area once. Plain continued between the capital and southern regions. Long Leewood, where they got off, was quite populated. In particular, agricultural products from nearby plains flocked here to form a market, so it was a place where a lot of money came and went. Violet looked at the Long Leewood Plains, which was colored with summer green. Just looking at it, time flew by. It was a beautiful place. She said to Winter. ¡°I always wanted to say thank you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Long Leewood Plain. You gave it to me as my property.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say useless things.¡± Winter, whose hands were stuck in both pockets, grumbled. However, Violet knew that once she returned to Blooming, Winter would leave for the capital again, and that there would be no opportunity to talk for a while. So she took this opportunity to continue what she really wanted to say. ¡°After the wedding, I heard from Ash after you left. Out of the 24 million Lakhne, there was also money borrowed from the bank using that Long Leewood land as collateral. And yet, you provided me with my private property.¡± ¡°What is that? You want me to starve the princess?¡± As Winter acted like a rebellious teenager, Violet narrowed her eyes and spoke very seriously. ¡°You also need to accept my gratitude sincerely. Please run around flapping.¡± When Violet returned back what he said, he laughed without realizing it. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Before leaving, Violet smiled and looked back at the Long Leewood Plains. Winter gave her 500 Katashan-wide Long Leewood Plains as a fortune. Selling the land made 300.000 Lakhne, and 200 Lakhne used by Violet every month even though they are still giving tenant farming through brokers. It was money that could never be saved, even if it wasn¡¯t enough money to live a simple life. Nevertheless, Violet never thought of selling that land even when she thought of running away. Isn¡¯t it the land that he didn¡¯t sell even when he was borrowing money? She thought she should give it back to him. Violet loved Winter deeply, even during the long periods when Winter wasn¡¯t home, not because he shared his fortune, but because she thought he was such a responsible man. *** As soon as he returned to the estate and unpacked, Winter got on the carriage and headed to his parents. Upon entering the duke¡¯s mansion, they were still in tea time today as well. Even anyone who is not interested in Violet will notice how different she is when she is in the mansion and in the capital. Winter couldn¡¯t help but know. Violet, who left Blooming¡¯s mansion, still looked exhausted, but she was lively in the meantime. She suddenly left her hometown in the capital and lived here for 3 years. Winter only thought about it again after he changed his body and learned that his wife had no friends in the South. ¡°Are you back, Winter?¡± When Catherine stood up, welcoming, Winter opened his mouth after greeting politely. ¡°I¡¯m going to move out, I¡¯m going to leave.¡± ¡°What do you mean moving out?¡± ¡°The capital is too far from the manor. I think it would be better to settle down with my wife over there, Mother.¡± ¡°Did Violet say so?¡± Catherine asked in a trembling voice. Winter shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m having a hard time.¡± ¡°Winter, I can¡¯t even see you often right now, but if you move out, you won¡¯t come home forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come when mother calls me.¡± ¡°Is it because I¡¯m bad to you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Mother is always nice to me.¡± ¡°But even so, you still don¡¯t see me as like your real mother, do you¡­¡­?¡± Winter looked a little flustered at Catherine¡¯s sad voice. James said when he showed signs of being dragged in. ¡°Think a little more about moving out.¡± Catherine sympathized with what he said. ¡°That¡¯s right, think about it a little more, Winter. We¡¯re not ready yet.¡± ¡°I understand what you two are saying. But we¡¯ll have a place in the capital for now. Even my wife can¡¯t move around in hotels like me.¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes were round at the words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s not even just a regular hotel. It¡¯s a great hotel built by my son.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wandering all my life, so I¡¯m fine, but my wife is different. It¡¯s not your home when you can¡¯t touch it.¡± Winter showed signs of getting annoyed. He was a great son, but he didn¡¯t always hide his fiery personality from his parents. James nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d better have a place to live.¡± ¡°Yes, then I think you¡¯ve given me permission.¡± After Winter finished talking, he went back to the carriage. When their son left, there was a moment of silence between the Blooming couple. They poured more affection on Winter than Diev. The boy, who was hungry for affection, could not come to his senses due to the warmth he had never experienced in his life. Winter Blooming appeared to have a very keen brain at the age of twelve, was cool and ambitious in making money. It was not difficult to find out that the boy would succeed in the future. Furthermore, the couple had no better investment because he was a bastard and had no right to inherit the family. As they expected, Winter quickly began to make huge money when the situation stabilized. He always maintained the dignity of the Blooming family as his parents had hoped, except when he couldn¡¯t give up his desire for status and said he would marry a woman from the Lawrence family. Even when they ran out of property, even if they starved, it was Winter who prepared the living expenses for other families. He was a man with a strong attachment to his family. However, his attachment towards his wife was not enough, so if he wanted to go to the capital, it became a serious problem for the couple. James got up and walked on the carpet and said. ¡°Not long ago, the relationship between the two was bad. What the hell is he talking about now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What happened in the meantime¡­¡­¡± ¡°What if Violet tells him to cut off the money that goes into us?¡± Anxiety flowed between the two. The idea that action should be taken intertwined the two. Catherine opened her mouth. ¡°Violet doesn¡¯t know that she can¡¯t have children with our son. Maybe Winter will never tell Violet about it.¡± James also sympathized with it. Even though they considered him as a future cash cow, they have devoted a lot of affection to Winter over the past 15 years. Both of them knew well that their son would do anything to keep his family from breaking. Catherine continued. ¡°If Violet finds out, she¡¯ll be furious. Of course it¡¯s a reason for divorce¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t we use it? I know someone.¡± James answered in a heavy voice. *** After telling his parents about his plan to move, Winter headed straight to Violet. First of all, he went into the bedroom to tell her to set up a residence in the capital and spend time periodically, but Violet was buried in bed and asleep, probably tired of coming a long way. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she lives with that stamina anyway.¡± Winter muttered and looked up at his wife for a while without taking his eyes off. Since his wife fell asleep, he wanted to check something in the meantime. Winter had a maid open the door to Violet¡¯s dress room. Upon returning here, Violet returned in a dark, plain dress. In the capital city, she enjoyed bright and bright clothes, so he had no idea why she chose dresses that didn¡¯t match her skin at all. Winter muttered inside the dressing room. ¡°Even Witches in the west will wear more than this.¡± He wondered why his wife bought multiple sets of this dress. Winter, who came out of her room, said to Hayel. ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t touch anything unless it¡¯s private property. I¡¯d rather buy her some more land.¡± ¡°No war, My Lord.¡± Hayel said with a curious look. ¡°Is the Young lady¡­¡­ aren¡¯t you lending her the Long Leewood land for a bargain price?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. When the Lord got married, the area of the land written in the premarital contract as the YYoung Lady¡¯s private property was 5.000 Katashans. Isn¡¯t it the land where you can get 2.000 Lakhne per month even if you give tenant farming, no matter how many you get.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°First of all, if you use 2.000 Lakhne for dignity alone, It¡¯s twice as much the lady, and as I said, ¡®If you get caught.¡¯ Hayel¡¯s words were not entirely wrong. It didn¡¯t make sense to buy only these dresses with the quality land without getting so many households. Since she¡¯s a princess it¡¯s cumbersome, so even if she gives the land to her tenants, she gets 2,000 Lakhne every month,and if she sold the land, she could buy countless dresses and jewelry. When Winter clicked his tongue, Hayel asked. ¡°Should we find out? How much is the tenant for the land.¡± ¡°Can you identify the tenant¡¯s land ahead of my wife?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t do. Besides, if the broker took it out in the middle of it, we¡¯ll have to figure it out anyway.¡± Winter said, clicking his tongue. ¡°Find out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hayel nodded and ran out. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 When Hayel asked to see Violet¡¯s private property documents, the manager of the Long Leewood Plains looked around and said. ¡°You can¡¯t just check a private property like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a husband looking at his wife¡¯s fortune? Don¡¯t make a fuss and let me see.¡± Hayel¡¯s words were answered by the manager. ¡°Then he can come by himself. I¡¯ll show everything if he comes by himself, but why make it so difficult?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m in a hurry. And honestly, wasn¡¯t it possible for couples to show their private property?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an old saying. Even if you¡¯re a married couple these days, you can¡¯t easily see each other¡¯s property because they¡¯re very thorough in distinguishing between what¡¯s yours and what¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Hayel took out a small white envelope from his bag and stuck it out. ¡°You should have some meals with this.¡± ¡°Never¡­¡­¡± ¡°You can also buy a pair of shoes for your wife with this.¡± He continued, putting one more envelope on top. ¡°Just show me when I¡¯m taking care of you like this. Do you happen to know? I¡¯m a piece of crap, so I can just come in at night and take it out.¡± Hayel laughed as soon as he said that, but the manager, who knew Winter Blooming¡¯s dignity and notoriety, knew that it wasn¡¯t necessarily a joke. The manager quietly picked up the key to the file room. Hayel, who is in charge of all kinds of dirty work in the company, waited for the manager to come out of the file room without any remorse. After a while, the manager handed the document to Hayel and said. ¡°Here it is.¡± Hayel checked the document that said Violet Blooming Lawrence. Lawrence was the last name written because most of the royal women remained royal after marriage. Since the royal family has been disbanded, it would be correct to only write it as Violet Blooming, but most of the documents were wrong. Thinking that her own confusion seemed to remain in the document, Hayel checked the document. ¡°Why are the documents divided into 500 Katashans land and 4.500 Katashans land?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a marking problem. That¡¯s how royalty¡¯s private property is marked. Maybe 4.500 Katashans are personal property, and at the same time include royal property.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s been a long time since the royal family was disbanded, and all these damn documents are like this?¡± Hayel was annoyed and checked the 500 Katashan¡¯s documents first. Hayel, who had worked with Winter since he first bought Long Leewood land, knew exactly what it was like. This 500 katashan land far from the train station was not very good. The 200 lakhne held in the profits of the land was just the right price for it. Hayel soon identified the remaining 4.500 Katashan documents. There were 2.800 Lakhne of money coming out a month. This was also a reasonable price. ¡®So this is all you can do for 3.000 Lakhne every month?¡¯ Hayel handed over the document, thinking, ¡°It can¡¯t be like this unless the Young lady is into gambling.¡± Hayel, who was checking the documents meticulously until the end, narrowed the forehead. Two recipients of the 4.500 Katashan sharecropping fee were listed as royal property. Violet Blooming Lawrence. And Carlson Lowe. ¡°Who¡¯s Carlson Lowe?¡± ¡°How can I know¡­¡­ Oh, that singer Carlson Lowe?¡± ¡°Singer?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a blonde who¡¯s a good singer? He¡¯s a womanizer.¡± ¡°Why is our Little Lady¡­¡­.¡± Hayel shut his mouth. It was because of the judgement that it was not good for others to know that the best handsome singer of LaCrown who¡¯s also a troublemaker, freely received tenant rent fees from the Young Lady¡¯s land. He doesn¡¯t know exactly what happened yet, but there was definitely a problem with the Young Lady¡¯s private property. Hayel returned the document and said. ¡°Then keep it a secret that I was here.¡± ¡°Who would I tell this to?¡± The manager spoke sourly. Hayel headed back to the train station to tell Winter about the news. *** ¡°Young Lady.¡± Violet, who was fast asleep, opened her eyes to the voice of a maid who woke her up. ¡°The old master and his wife asked you to have lunch with them today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Today?¡± ¡°Yes, they told me to come by noon.¡± Violet lifted herself up. There are about four hours left until noon, but Violet spent a long time wanting to be less flawed. She thought everything that happened in the capital was a dream. She felt heavy getting off the bed. As soon as she came to Blooming¡¯s mansion, she felt sick and the thought that maybe it¡¯s just faking illness made her laugh. On a day when the weather was so good, she felt like a trapped animal as she was just looking at the sky and couldn¡¯t go out. At the hotel, Lulu did everything for her even if she didn¡¯t want anything, but she had to stay alert here. Right before she tried to swallow sleeping pills and die, she was so mesmerized that even if the maids didn¡¯t bring her shoes because they were being mean, she would forget to wear them and walked barefoot all day. Violet took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. After that, she opened the door to go outside, and there was Flip in front of her just in time. ¡°You¡¯ve been wearing shoes all the way to the mansion, so I was wondering if you were tired¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, then please.¡± As Violet nodded and sat on the chair, Flip soon returned with lukewarm water. Flip took off Violet¡¯s slippers very carefully and slowly poured her favorite temperature of water on her feet. He relieved Violet of her fatigue throughout her time in the capital, so Violet got used to it. Flip, who was embarrassed and quickly finished at first, had fun with the Young Lady¡¯s feet and friendly compliments that her feet were getting softer in his hands, and the time gradually passed. Then, the door burst open. ¡°How long on earth are you going to sleep¡­¡­.¡± Winter stopped talking as he opened the door. ¡®What¡¯s going on¡¯, he narrowed his forehead and alternated between the two. As Flip bowed and tried to massage Violet¡¯s feet again, Winter said. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Yes? But not yet¡­¡­¡± ¡°Leave it and leave.¡± Winter knew that if he made a mistake while changing body, he made a very big one. He gave a way for another man to touch his wife¡¯s toes. That too by himself. Violet said goodbye to Flip, who was getting up on the way. ¡°Thank you, Flip.¡± Flip bowed and left the bedroom. Violet said, picking up a towel to wipe the water. ¡°I thought you had already gone to the capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t go.¡± Winter was so furious that he wanted to overturn everything in the bedroom right away, but it was him when he changed his body that asked Flip to massage him in the first place. Neither Violet nor Flip did anything wrong. Winter huffed and relieved his anger, picked up the oil on the floor and grumbled. ¡°How do you use this?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± When Violet asked him because she didn¡¯t expect it at all, Winter narrowed his forehead and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I kicked Flip out and I picked up the perfumed oil, what else would I do?¡± ¡°Well?¡± As Violet still didn¡¯t have a clue, Winter said as if he was embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ll massage your feet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Who?¡± ¡°Me!¡± Winter finally couldn¡¯t stand the frustration and shouted. He wondered what¡¯s so difficult about his words that she couldn¡¯t seem to understand it. Only then did Violet ask as if she finally understood. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re also going to do the enjoyment business now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Winter thought that it was clear to her that all his actions were related to money. Otherwise, she won¡¯t ask him if it¡¯s related to business in all situations like this. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Winter said, determined to cut Flip off before anything else. ¡°How difficult is this massaging? I was a person that has never done this before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± For three years of marriage, he tried to hide the fact that he worked as a servant when he was young, but after Violet found out, there were surprisingly many places to put it back. As Winter poured expensive perfumed-oil into Violet¡¯s feet, Violet said. ¡°Flip didn¡¯t pour that much.¡± ¡°I have my way.¡± Winter had a temper and grabbed Violet¡¯s feet, which were dripping with oil, with both hands. And Violet trembled when he pressed his thumb on the back of her foot and rubbed it. She didn¡¯t understand what he was doing, but it hurt more than anything else. Flip carefully massages her feet for fear of a very slight impact on her feet, but Winter pressed Violet¡¯s feet and calves with his strong hands. Without being able to say anything, Violet just bit her lips and endured the pain. Winter, who was massaging hard, felt something strange about Violet¡¯s red feet and saw Violet. Winter narrowed his eyes and asked when he saw tears rolling in her eyes because it hurt so much. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Violet nodded a little, and Winter said. ¡°Then you need to say it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say that to someone who works so hard¡­¡­.¡± It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not, but it didn¡¯t seem as simple to massage women¡¯s feet with his big build. He, who overdid anything, poured almost a whole bottle of oil, causing the smell of jasmine to vibrate throughout the room. Winter, who somehow finished massaging, brought slippers and put them on Violet. As she stood up from her seat, her fluffy feet were slippery and her slippers immediately came off. No matter how calm Violet was, she muttered to herself in a small voice that sounded a little bit upset. ¡°Why did you ask Flip to leave?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was nothing to say. Winter picked up the slippers and knelt on the floor. And he looked up and saw Violet. She was looking down at him with slightly more emotional eyes than usual. As Violet lifted her foot a little, Winter grabbed Violet¡¯s ankle with one hand and put on slippers with the other. His arm strength was so strong that Violet wore slippers almost without stumbling. Winter suddenly recalled the eyes of the nobles he hated the most in the world when he saw his wife looking down at him. The eyes that made his eyes look humble. Violet¡¯s eyes were more intense than anything he hated. From head to toe, it was an elegant and perfect look that seemed to dominate from the moment she was born to the moment she died. Because of that look, he thought he might have wanted Violet to collapse and fall into his arms. ¡®Just don¡¯t do anything. Just live helplessly in the kingdom I created.¡¯ He unknowingly thought so. Are there feelings more intense than hatred? What the hell is this feeling? Is it a greater hatred? Violet opened her mouth first when Winter grabbed her ankle even after wearing slippers. ¡°So what brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did Winter raise his body and open his mouth. ¡°I told my parents about moving out yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°My parents didn¡¯t seem to like it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Ah.¡± ¡°But as you said, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s hard to get in and out, so I said I¡¯d get a place in the capital. I¡¯ll find a house in the capital soon, and when I have to stay in the capital for months, you can go and stay there with me. I¡¯ll think about moving out completely afterward.¡± Violet, who had darkened her eyes because she thought it meant she couldn¡¯t move out, belatedly understood what he meant and asked. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, you choose the house. I¡¯ll only sleep anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to stay at the hotel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. The capital city is a place where parties are much more frequent than here. It¡¯s hard to hold on without being invited and hosted like you.¡± She didn¡¯t care about the hotel or the house. Either way was good. She thought she would be happy if it was guaranteed only one month a year, but it was more than that. Violet, who expressed joy with a faint smile, soon recalled Winter¡¯s words to express joy more clearly. However, it was unimaginable to jump around as he said. Violet took a step toward Winter. Then she leaned her head in his arms in a very awkward position. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing?¡± She tried so hard on the other side, but when Winter was completely stiffened, Violet thought that she had made a mistake and took a step back. ¡°You told me that you didn¡¯t know if I was really happy.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an expression. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t do it from now on.¡± Winter snatched her waist when Violet pressed down on the embarrassment and spoke calmly. Then Violet looked up at him with a rather rigid look. Even when he closed his eyes and opened his eyes, his face gave off a strong feeling. He has a sleek nose, closed lips, and a straight forehead with eyebrows that look fierce even when you look at them separately. His eyes, which he still believed to symbolize poverty, were overflowing with the arrogance of successful people. Violet asked. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not this calm when I¡¯m angry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Violet was quieter. But when Winter just looked at her, she finally spoke again. ¡°We were invited to lunch. We¡¯ll be late.¡± ¡°You can be late.¡± ¡°A gentleman is never late for an appointment.¡± ¡°Where the hell am I a gentleman?¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯re the eldest son of the Blooming family.¡± ¡°Every time I said that, the nobles looked at me with their bunny eyes as if I was lying. You¡¯re gonna have to eat in the slums. How can a cub use a silk hat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s because you can¡¯t see that look in their eyes.¡± ¡°I saw it when we changed bodies. It¡¯s really not like that. They were not underestimating you, they¡¯re afraid. They¡¯re trying to press it down because they¡¯re afraid. If you¡¯re not a gentleman, they¡¯ll laugh at you behind your back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can make others afraid, even without being arrogant.¡± Winter, who listened to her quietly, soon snorted. ¡°That¡¯s why our princess can always be so humble like this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not talking about me.¡± ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t change the way you say things you don¡¯t know. Speaking of which. Last time you said you¡¯d change your body with mine, right? There¡¯s a day I want you to change it soon. If you go there, you¡¯ll know what I mean.¡± ¡°Where is that?¡± ¡°Canthus Monastery. I¡¯d like to have that wine exclusively in the hotel, but it¡¯s not usually high in the nose.¡± ¡°Then on the first Sunday of September, there was a party to sponsor Cantus Monastery.¡± Violet nodded and jokingly said as if she knew what she meant. ¡°It¡¯s full of people who make easy things difficult.¡± Winter burst into laughter at her words without realizing it. Violet quietly laughed along, thinking that the moment Winter smiled was unrealistic. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll change my body that day as an example of a story about moving out. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Good. Then get ready to go out.¡± Violet nodded and walked, but she stumbled a little bit as if her feet were still slippery. When Winter picked up Violet and took her to the dressing room, she was surprised. ¡°I can walk now.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Winter answered back and took a step. He soon put his wife down in front of the dressing room and turned on the light. ¡°By the way, why on earth are you wearing such a black dress? You don¡¯t do that in the capital.¡± When asked by him who knew nothing, Violet looked at Winter, thinking where she should start. She asked after a while of agonizing. ¡°Would you like to go?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°On Saturday, your mother will have a small tea party in the garden. She didn¡¯t do it because it¡¯s hot during the summer, but she started again when August came to an end. She changed it a day earlier on Saturday¡­¡­ of course not if you¡¯re busy then. If you¡¯re not busy, go there once in my stead.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d go to the party with you, I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d go alone. In the first place, what does it have to do with your black dress?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because it matters. Anyway, think about it. Then I¡¯ll get ready.¡± After Violet finished talking, she entered the dressing room and closed the door. Left alone in a quiet space, she was lost in thought for a moment. With this trip to the capital, she thought that her husband¡¯s words that he didn¡¯t hate her might not have been a lie. After accepting her request to move out, she was a little excited about her husband. She had an expectation, that maybe if her husband went to the tea party in her body, he may recognize her loneliness. Maybe, if only her husband recognizes her heart, she¡¯ll be so afraid of death. Violet thought that she might never be able to change her body with him again. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Winter, who was ready first, stood waiting for Violet in front of the carriage. In the meantime, he heard from Hayel, who returned to the mansion, that Violet had one more person receiving the tenant¡¯s rent fee. Winter frowned upon the explanation. ¡°Carlson Lowe.¡± Winter had also seen him several times in the capital for work. Carlson was popular wherever he went with his pretty face. Not knowing when Winter would explode, Hayel took a step back and said. ¡°Well, there are many possibilities. For example, what, a tax issue?¡± ¡°Why would you divide your property into royal property? We don¡¯t tax royal property.¡± ¡°Still?¡± ¡°Yes, still.¡± However, even if it was a tax matter that was divided into private property and royal property, the reason for the existence of another recipient was unknown. It was illegal to secretly look into his wife¡¯s private property, so he could not ask Violet quickly. Winter didn¡¯t know exactly what his wife was like yet. It was the result of turning a blind eye to her for the past three years. She didn¡¯t seem like a person who would commit an affair or something like that, but who knows? Winter has seen countless people who commit evil acts with their angelic faces. So did Violet¡¯s brother, Ash Lawrence. With a face that resembles his wife, he has only done things to disturb Winter. As he lived, he was only full of distrust towards human beings. Winter flipped out the thoughts in his head. If his wife has been having an affair because she couldn¡¯t endure the loneliness for the past three years, then wouldn¡¯t it be enough to kill or chase Carlson Low? Winter was able to forgive his wife for throwing money at another man. Her love didn¡¯t matter as much as money anyway. Even if they mixed up their body, turned the house upside down and he had to monitor his wife for the rest of his life, but he would forgive her anyway. As long as it wasn¡¯t love. As long as she didn¡¯t fall deeply in love and decide to leave him, he could forgive her somehow. At that time, Violet was seen walking out of the door. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± Winter only chinned the carriage without answering Violet¡¯s question. His relationship with her has only gotten a little better, and he didn¡¯t intend to get mad at her without knowing anything. *** From the time their son and his wife entered the dining room, Catherine and James knew that their relationship had changed. This is because they have rarely seen the two moving together. Winter¡¯s attitude, which was usually formal and rude, was a little different. After finishing the meal, he drank tea, hung his index finger on the handle, as usual, did not lift the teacup, or break it with a spoon, and did not stir the tea. The couple¡¯s mind was complicated. Catherine spoke in a soft voice. ¡°There¡¯s no place like this in the future if you move out.¡± Then James said soothingly. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s moving out right away. Don¡¯t be so sad, Catherine.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­¡­.¡± Catherine wrapped her cheek in one hand with an embarrassing look. ¡°But I¡¯d like both of you to stay at home a little longer if possible.¡± Violet¡¯s mouth was dry as Catherine and James openly expressed discomfort with their plan to move out. She was afraid that this persuasion would change Winter¡¯s mind. Violet questioned the Blooming couple¡¯s failure to teach Winter even the simple etiquette of tea time in recent days. Until now, she had thought that he had not changed because he was not usually stubborn. However, Winter immediately accepted what Violet told him. Violet thought Winter¡¯s parents might not love him as much as he thought. But it was impossible to say such harsh words. Because he believed in and didn¡¯t doubt his parents¡¯ love. Catherine continued. ¡°Moreover, Violet, how¡¯s your health these days?¡± ¡°Health¡­¡­¡± Winter intervened as Violet tried to answer with a pale face. ¡°It¡¯s not good. To be honest, it was also hard to come here and sit down. It isn¡¯t even weird if she falls down suddenly.¡± The Blooming couple was thinking of turning the story of faking illness around, but when Winter answered with a firm attitude, they paused. Winter couldn¡¯t hide his irritation and continued. ¡°The doctor says she has a bad headache. That dog-like quack.¡± Winter, who saw his parents¡¯ surprised eyes, coughed and continued. ¡°The incompetent doctor was using a bad-quality medicine that didn¡¯t have any use now. What¡¯s more, the medicine causes headaches. The quack must have paid for the medication in the middle, so I¡¯m going to put him in jail somehow.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, is that so? I didn¡¯t even know that!¡± Catherine was surprised, covering her mouth with her hands, and held Violet¡¯s hand and asked. ¡°Dear, are you okay now?¡± Violet¡¯s hand trembled slightly. Whenever she met Mr. and Mrs. Blooming, she felt strange. In the early days of marriage, she thought that she was fine and the world was crazy, but gradually she changed her mind into thinking that she was crazy when the world was fine. Violet barely smiled with her trembling mouth. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now.¡± Catherine held Violet¡¯s hand tightly in her hands and stroked it as if she was worried. Persuasion to stop their plan to move out continued, but contrary to Violet¡¯s concerns, Winter did not change his mind at all. James then asked Violet to bring up the main purpose of the meal today. ¡°So. Why do you want to move out so badly, Violet?¡± ¡°Father, about moving out, I¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wrap it up, Winter. As a father, I know better. You who have lived here since you¡¯re 12 wouldn¡¯t have brought up about moving out first. Violet, maybe you¡­¡­¡± James took a break and continued. ¡°Did you think it would be better to have children and raise them in the capital?¡± Violet paused at his words and looked at Winter. Then Winter said, ¡°I¡¯ve already said I won¡¯t have children.¡± ¡°Winter.¡± Winter pretended not to hear when Violet called his name with a bitter face. ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s get up first.¡± Violet sighed trembling as she saw him getting up from his seat. Then James, who confirmed that Winter had left, asked Violet with a slightly angry look. ¡°What is he talking about? What does he mean by not going to have a child?¡± ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t want children.¡± ¡°Then you have to persuade him. Would he have said that if he had something to put his mind to at home?¡± Then Catherine who¡¯s next to him stopped him. ¡°You know Winter¡¯s stubbornness. Once he makes up his mind, no matter who persuades him, he won¡¯t listen. Violet, what are you doing? Not going out and comforting him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then I¡¯ll get up first.¡± Violet excused herself and followed Winter. When both of them went out, James said. ¡°Surely, Violet doesn¡¯t know yet that Winter and she can¡¯t have children.¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± Catherine agreed. *** With Winter¡¯s personality, Violet thought he would have left first, but he was unexpectedly waiting for her. Violet stopped in front of Winter and glanced at him. When it came to child problems, he also didn¡¯t want to back down, so he didn¡¯t say anything first. She couldn¡¯t figure out why he hated the idea of a child. Besides, he didn¡¯t even explain why. When the talk of children came out, he just shut up and it was over. While the two were still facing each other, Winter opened his mouth first. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You said you wanted to move out, and I listened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to convince you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from doing that, but I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± Winter replied. Still, Violet¡¯s heart was a little relieved when he said that he would not stop her from persuading him. Besides, thanks to him swearing at the doctor earlier, she won¡¯t be accused of faking her pain for the time being. Violet asked. ¡°Are you going to the capital right away?¡± ¡°I have to go. Rather, you didn¡¯t dispose of any of the lands I gave you, did you? That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have such a thing as a gem.¡± ¡°So all the things I¡¯ve had from the royal family aren¡¯t all right?¡± ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re all old-fashioned. It¡¯s out of trend.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes narrowed at Winter¡¯s ferocious, cold words. Winter¡¯s temperature was rising and he was going crazy when he looked at the expression that his wife made every time he said something that was ¡°rude in Violet¡¯s standard¡±. He hated looking at it, but he didn¡¯t know why that expression moved him. He wondered if he really had an abnormal sexual desire. He, who had no one to follow in the South due to his brazenness, avoided his wife¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°Anyway. So buy something new today.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. Not stuff¡­¡­ There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to do.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Winter had a trauma when he first asked his wife to have a conversation, and she said there was something she wanted to say. What did she say, it was something similar to ¡®something you don¡¯t want to keep and but a waste to throw away.¡¯ She has no conscience. How can there be a fool to endure such terrible anger, pain, joy, and depression because of things that are not worth throwing away in the world? While he was avoiding her, Violet reached out her hand carefully and held Winter¡¯s hand. Then she looked up at him and smiled faintly. ¡°I want to hold hands.¡± Winter, whose trauma disappeared so quickly that he felt pathetic about the action, glanced at Violet. ¡°¡­¡­What is this?¡± ¡°The first time I held your hand at the wedding hall. I was so nervous at that time. The man I¡¯ve never seen before became my husband, but I didn¡¯t know what to do from there on, so I held your hand first. It was amazing that your hands were so big.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°But you lost all your money that day because of my brother. So I felt sorry for letting your hand go that day.¡± Violet regretted it. She should¡¯ve held on to it that day. She should¡¯ve followed him. If that happened would he have hated her a little less? Winter, who was looking at the hand held, asked. ¡°So, is this all you want to do?¡± Not knowing what else touched his temper, Winter¡¯s expression was on the verge of explosion. Anyway, it was amazing how she didn¡¯t know his fire-like personality for the past three years. Violet had never seen such a severe hot temper in her life. She still couldn¡¯t tell when her husband was angry or not at all. She thought he was angry, but the corners of his mouth were a little twitchy¡­¡­. ¡°Now you¡¯re¡­¡­ angry, aren¡¯t you?¡± When Violet asked, Winter shouted. ¡°No! Why couldn¡¯t you hold my hand all this time? You could just hold it like this!¡± ¡°Well, it was hard to find a time when you weren¡¯t busy.¡± Winter, who was angry at Violet¡¯s frustrating words, stopped. Winter was not familiar with Violet holding hands until just now. As she said, Violet held his hand at the wedding hall, held his hand to ask for a moment, and held his hand with a wounded hand asking for a talk on his father¡¯s birthday last time. This was not familiar to him because she always held his hand first. Whenever his wife held his hands, he always let go first. Because his time was always on the job. The more he saw it, the more he found out that his thoughts and his wife¡¯s have never met. He was going to buy her everything she wanted, but why does his wife only want to hold hands? He wondered what kind of thing the two would love. People who have different expectations like this. Winter pulled his hand out first again this time. Then, Winter tried to pull her hand into his arm and once again grabbed Violet¡¯s hand tightly to see if she was familiar with it. Violet¡¯s hand was held in Winter¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I think you should go to work. You know, Hayel¡¯s looking anxious over there.¡± ¡°Tell him to do it on his own. If he didn¡¯t go back because I don¡¯t have one, is that a company? It¡¯s a local corner store.¡± Winter answered back and led her to the carriage. Violet kept looking back because she was worried about Hayel, who was stamping his feet behind her but couldn¡¯t beat Winter¡¯s stubbornness, and got on the wagon. However, Winter, who had abandoned outdated items and bought new ones, asked the coachman for the direction that the two lived in, not the busy street outside the estate. Violet who got off the carriage asked. ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to get to the main street?¡± Then Winter said while headed to the widest parlor on the second floor of the mansion. ¡°Do I look so free?¡± ¡°In the last few days.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Anyway, I don¡¯t have time to walk around there and buy stuff. We¡¯ll call the main street here.¡± He grunted while climbing up the stairs. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 When the drawing-room door opened, Violet who was originally worried looked relieved. Because he said he bought a busy street here, she thought he had piled up too much like when he bought flowers at the hotel last time, but it wasn¡¯t. As soon as she sat in front of the table where only refreshments were prepared and tried to relax, merchants came into the drawing-room with a bag of goods. Sitting leisurely with his legs crossed, Winter said. ¡°Just know it¡¯s rude to merchants if you buy less.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very rude. Think about the poor merchant¡¯s heart who can¡¯t sell a single thing even if he brought it all the way here. What do you think? Does it hurt? Upon Winter¡¯s serious look, Violet was sorry if the merchant couldn¡¯t sell anything and she almost fell for it. ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about getting a face stamp on you, so it¡¯s also an investment concept, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You are being uselessly smart.¡± Winter looked unhappy. Violet drank tea with a relaxed mind. It was not a bad experience to sit in one place and look around the busy streets. Southern merchants were very eloquent and attracted Violet several times. When Winter saw Violet smiling from time to time, he thought that he should do this and waste time sometimes. By the way, Violet began to show interest in flower products when they appeared, even though she was trying to look around because she didn¡¯t think to buy anything. ¡°Pretty¡­¡­. Oh, my God, I¡¯ve never seen such a flowerpot before.¡± Winter was relieved to see his wife who couldn¡¯t keep her head above water when she saw flowers. Even if Violet ran away from him, he thought she would live with satisfaction if he caught her and locked her in the garden. Winter smiled unknowingly as he saw Violet¡¯s curiosity spreading through her eyes. Then, Violet pointed to boots. ¡°There are boots, too.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any occasions to wear boots.¡± Winter was calm, but the merchant was already bringing boots. ¡°These days, ladies wear a lot of boots. Instead of tea parties, there are also gatherings to manage the gardens.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk rubbish.¡± ¡°It¡¯s real! It¡¯s a Southern trend these days.¡± The merchant looked at Violet as if asking for consent. She was just smiling, but since then she has listened to the merchant explaining the tools needed to manage the garden. Winter said as if teasing with his chin up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fire the gardener. We have a new kid here.¡± ¡°No.¡± Still, Winter fired some of the original employees. The reason was that he was annoyed because they couldn¡¯t understand what he said quickly on the first day he changed his body with Violet. Winter smiled playfully when Violet looked serious, thinking he might really fire the gardener. ¡°Of course I was joking. How do you manage that large garden without a gardener? How much do you have to do on your own?¡± ¡°Do I look that weak?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like. If you stand in the sun for an hour in the first place, you¡¯ll collapse.¡± ¡°Not to that extent.¡± Humans were stronger than expected. Violet has often spent hours hanging out at garden parties, but she never collapsed. If she fell down, she¡¯d be a laughingstock. So she struggled to hold out on the spot. Merchants continued to bring their goods in even after she bought flower supplies. His remark that he brought a busy street was not an exaggeration at all. *** Tired of shopping, Violet fell on her bed as soon as she returned to her bedroom. When she was forced to say what she wanted to have, bringing items was also compulsory. There was a huge pile of boxes in her bedroom that she had never opened. When Violet said something was pretty, Winter bought it immediately so she kept her mouth shut in the middle, but from then on, he bought things even if she just met eyes with the merchant. What a lustful person he has enough. But then again, Violet had never seen Winter wear the same clothes twice, nor has he ever worn the same watch. While she was exhausted, three maids came in and began to unpack all the luggage. It was also work to organize because there was so much luggage. ¡®But I guess he really didn¡¯t like divorce.¡¯ Violet, who buried her face in the bed as if she was sick of it, thought. At first, she felt frustrated when he said he would not divorce her, but she thought it would be okay if the relationship with him gradually improved in this way. When she held his hand, he held hers again. This was what Violet had been hoping for the past three years. Her husband held her hands. Violet recalls the sensation again, and a maid brought a piece of glass from the box. ¡°Young lady, where should I put this?¡± The young maid had been having fun ripping the box since earlier. Violet asked with a little smile without realizing it. ¡°Did you say your name was Jen?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Please put it on that table. You¡¯re going through a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just having fun.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll open it with you.¡± Violet lifted up her heavy body. Then other maids, including Jen, glanced at Violet. She heard the maids whispering that the young lady was a strange person. But sitting face to face, she may not be a comfortable person, but she was never a strange person. The little lady immediately memorized the names of the maids who came in for the first time and thanked them after asking for anything. On the contrary, the strange personality was on Winter¡¯s side, who had a temper tantrum even if only a small mistake was made. In addition, it didn¡¯t seem like the rumor that said the young master blamed the young lady was true. Therefore, there was no reason to hate Violet for the new employees who worked here. Then, the door burst open. When Winter, who was ready to go out, entered, the maids who were afraid of him greeted him and quickly left the room. Violet put down the box she was trying to open and said. ¡°It¡¯s a request, please tell me when you¡¯re coming in before you come in.¡± Winter said to Violet without even paying attention. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do in the Harpitt region. It¡¯ll take more than 15 days.¡± Violet paused at his words and smiled without realizing it. ¡°Why are you so specific?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re so detailed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you¡¯re still telling me.¡± Violet spoke and casually looked in the mirror. Her hair was messy because she was lying on the bed. Winter grabbed her wrist while she was taking out the comb and trying to organize her hair. ¡°Just let it be.¡± ¡°My hair is¡­¡­¡± ¡°What kind of couple can¡¯t sit face to face and talk without brushing.¡± At his words, Violet looked at Winter. Always be elegant, neat, and royal, not human. That was the policy of the LaCrown Royal Family. So what if she¡¯s not as neat, it¡¯s because she¡¯s lazy. It¡¯s because she¡¯s weak and she¡¯s emotional that she can¡¯t beat the situation that¡¯s coming. She thought so. Violet asked again if she wanted to be confirmed. ¡°Isn¡¯t it weird?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not weird. What part of the world do I have to feel weird about?¡± He is the opposite of her. Fiery, impolite, and always extremely human. It was amazing, and sometimes she envied it. Winter let go of her wrist and grumbled. ¡°The room is a mess. Take everything that¡¯s useless.¡± ¡°Who is this for? Besides, you¡¯re gonna say that everything I have is useless.¡± ¡°For some reason, our princess knows my heart.¡± Winter walked sarcastically to the closet. He was going to nitpick her to throw away everything in there. Violet¡¯s things were monotonous and simple as if anyone noticed. His wife was a beautiful woman that anyone could recognize. Bright things definitely suited her better than dark things. He grabbed the handle to open the closet door and pulled it off. Then he stroked the inside of the door ring with his index finger again. Inside the gold-plated handle, the gold foil fell off and scratched. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Winter?¡± Winter looked back at her when Violet called. A bad memory returned. When Winter worked as a servant, the restaurant owner, who was an employer, often beat him up and locked him in a barn. Winter knocked on the door to get out somehow, leaving a chained mark on the door ring. At the same time, he was thinking of Violet¡¯s hand that he saw on the day of his father¡¯s birthday party. On the day his wife stole his body, he thought the blood on her hands was strange, but he thought it would have been because of falling at best. He wondered if she¡¯s good at falling because she doesn¡¯t have strength. Violet, who was running away with her body that day, was like himself running away from the barn and dying in the Baidelin Mountains. Now that he thought about it, she did. But that can¡¯t be true. Who would treat the princess so recklessly? Winter thought so and grabbed the inside of the handle again. After a while, he looked back and asked Violet. ¡°You¡¯ve never been trapped anywhere, have you?¡± Then Violet saw the doorknob he held. She opened her mouth after a moment of thought. ¡°There is, there is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Who dares to the princess¡­¡­ Oh, is it something like tutoring?¡± ¡°I was a very good student.¡± ¡°Well, you look like a model student even at first glance.¡± ¡°Yes, and you look far from being a model student.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°You look like a delinquent, no matter how I look at it.¡± Violet laughed and said goodbye again. ¡°See you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cut the talk. You have to tell me who did that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s important about that? Now, after such a long time.¡± ¡°Why do you say ¡®now, after such a long time¡¯?¡± Winter weighed down on his attempt to raise his voice. Violet, who was looking at the scene, opened her mouth again. ¡°I guess Ash really hated it that I was going to divorce. So he told mother to fix me somehow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. No matter how much Ash asked her to do it, my mother wouldn¡¯t have locked you in a closet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about divorce, so she must be very upset.¡± Winter¡¯s face was cold. It was as if his blood had been drained out. He asked in a voice as if he had suddenly rested. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I tried to.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Right after that. When you were talking about work. I told you we should talk. How many times?¡± Whenever his wife caught him, Winter thought that the princess was blocking him from doing his job to talk about useless things again. Violet was always smiling when she said ¡®let¡¯s talk¡¯ three years ago, and later became angry, and these days she has given up. That day, too. Violet looked tired. ¡°So I stole your body that day. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± Violet rather smiled a little. As if it was funny to steal his body. But Winter couldn¡¯t laugh after her. Somewhere invisible, his wife who always looked perfect, seemed to be broken, he thought. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Violet didn¡¯t tell her husband about being trapped in the closet because he refused to talk to her again and again. Because he was such a husband, she knew he wouldn¡¯t get angry at this at all. She has seen Winter angry a few times, but she has never seen him so angry outside of the wedding hall. As she waited for Winter¡¯s answer, he opened his mouth again. ¡°Why do you say it as if it was nothing?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s already in the past.¡± ¡°Then it is nothing?¡± ¡°When did I ever say it is nothing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you look!¡± Winter couldn¡¯t stand it and raised his voice, uttered a curse word, and spoke to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know why people around me are meddling when I¡¯m the one in charge of getting divorced or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it is.¡± Then, the door opened and Hayel pushed his head in. ¡°Lord, you really have to go now!¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll be right out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really urgent.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± When Winter made an impression and turned to Hayel, he flinched and quietly left the bedroom. When the door closed, Winter looked at Violet as if he was looking at a prey. ¡®I¡¯m the one trapped, but why is he so angry?¡¯ Violet sighed quietly and asked. ¡°You¡¯re really mad this time, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°To whom?¡± ¡°To me.¡± ¡°Do I look mad at you right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did I do that all three years?¡± When Violet tilted her head at his question, Winter erased his expression to the point that it looked achromatic this time. ¡°Did I look angry all three years? Always.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Violet smiled faintly. ¡°You didn¡¯t look angry, you were angry. Only towards me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, I really need to sleep now. I¡¯m tired.¡± Violet sat on the bed and took off her slippers one by one. But Winter, who had to go out, came along and lay down on her bed. Violet asked with a rare expression. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Lying down. Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my room.¡± ¡°What a shame. Now you¡¯re also losing your bed to your husband.¡± ¡°What a strange man..¡­.¡± Violet looked unconvinced, but Winter grabbed her arm and pulled it, forcing her to lie next to him. Lying down pretending to be tired, Winter just stared at Violet. Violet said, embarrassed by her husband¡¯s cold yet warm eyes. ¡°You seemed busy though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go when you fall asleep. If you want to kick me out, quickly go to sleep.¡± Winter said, closing his eyes first, and Violet followed him and murmured. ¡°Now that it¡¯s done, go to work.¡± ¡°Why do you keep kicking me out? You told me to stay the other day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an appointment, and it¡¯s scheduled.¡± It was strange that such a person who only knew about work did not go out. Eventually, Winter lay by her side the whole time without going out, and Violet who was worried, fell asleep because she was so tired. *** As soon as Violet fell asleep early, Winter soon entered his parents¡¯ mansion. After sunset, his parents were enjoying dinner with wine at a dinner table with some of Warhosen¡¯s nobles. Catherine, who found him, approached. ¡°Winter, what¡¯s going on?¡± Then Winter said in a sharp way. ¡°I heard you punished my wife and locked her in the closet.¡± No wonder when he came in, Catherine wondered what else was wrong with him that made his face full of temper. Catherine, who has learned to control Winter¡¯s hot temper, said affectionately. ¡°Winter, we did it all for you. You know?¡± ¡°How the hell is that for me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on between you two, but Violet shouldn¡¯t do this to you. I don¡¯t want to see my son getting hurt.¡± ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s not even a child, isn¡¯t it too much to punish her like that?¡± ¡°Did Violet say she was hurt a lot? I¡¯m sorry if I did. I¡¯ll go apologize. I thought it was all for you¡­¡­.¡± When Catherine spoke with a tearful look, Winter¡¯s expression, which had been angry all the way to his head, became somewhat relieved. ¡°Please apologize.¡± ¡°I have to. If she¡¯s hurt, that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­¡­ this time I can¡¯t help but to let it go, but you can¡¯t do that from now on. Never.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll never do that again.¡± Only then did Winter¡¯s anger soften. He was always lacking in affection, so after hearing his mother¡¯s sweet words, his thoughts often clouded. Catherine asked, warmly patting Winter¡¯s arm. ¡°Would you like to eat while you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°No, I have to go right away. Then Violet gets an apology, and I¡¯ll end up paying no more for this year¡¯s party.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± Catherine, who was not embarrassed at his words, paused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Mother can take care of what happens between you and my wife. But anyway, I¡¯m going to meddle in this because my mother interfered with me. That¡¯s what I meant.¡± Catherine suddenly remembered the same words as her son¡¯s motto. I will never lose money under any circumstances. She didn¡¯t know that her son was crazy enough about money to drag even the unpleasant things here into money problems. Catherine asked as if she was stunned. ¡°Did Violet tell you to do that? She always hated coming to parties, so she must say so.¡± Winter made an absurd expression as if he didn¡¯t notice such an obvious thing. ¡°Mother too. It¡¯s money involved, so of course, it¡¯s my idea.¡± ¡°Winter!¡± In the end, Catherine¡¯s voice, which seemed soft all along, became louder. Winter grimaced and continued. ¡°I¡¯m 27 now. Why did you interfere with my divorce when I¡¯m not even a child? Besides, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t have a party just because I don¡¯t give you money for a few months.¡± ¡°No matter how much!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really busy. If you¡¯re going to nag me, don¡¯t forget to write it down somewhere and do it next month. I¡¯ll listen to you until you¡¯re sick of it.¡± He was sometimes harsh not only on his wife but also on his parents, sometimes quick-tempered, and angry. Catherine knew that, but he never said he would cut the money so firmly. Catherine¡¯s shock was even greater because he was a son who listened to his parents. In a world where titles were not everything, the Blooming couple had no choice but to strengthen their power through the social world. The inability to hold a party is directly linked to a flaw in power. Either way or not, Winter, who took measures such as a bolt from the blue for his parents, rushed back to his house before Hayel stomped his feet and got angry. *** When Violet woke up in the morning, it was after her husband left. She thought she heard Winter saying that there would be no big party for a while in her sleep, but she couldn¡¯t remember well because she was half asleep. Fortunately, he told Flip to tell the story properly in advance, so Violet woke up and found out about Winter¡¯s actions. It was Catherine¡¯s party that made Violet fall into a phobia, just as a singer with stage fright went on stage and wasn¡¯t able to sing. Thinking that Catherine would not be able to hold the party easily because she had no money, for the time being, the fear in her heart disappeared and became lighter. Perhaps because of that, while Winter was gone, the mansion was perfectly quiet for a while. However, since her husband left, Violet could feel that Flip kept hovering around her and snooping. When she asked him why, he was embarrassed and confessed that Winter asked him to monitor her with a red face. Violet felt falsely accused of being watched for what she did wrong, but after a few days, she got used to it and didn¡¯t care much. By the end of August, Violet¡¯s hair had grown a little longer, so it was not awkward to tie it in one bunch. Jen, a maid who became fond of her, tied her hair with a white ribbon with a yellow dandelion on it. Violet, sitting opposite the mirror, asked, fiddling with her fine hair that had flowed a little different than usual. ¡°Isn¡¯t it really weird?¡± ¡°Not at all! You¡¯re so cute!¡± Royal women usually tied their hair neatly and arranged it with pins so that they would not feel messy when decorating their hair. However, she was concerned that Winter asked about what kind of husband and wife couldn¡¯t sit face to face if they didn¡¯t comb. When she told Jen about it, Jen insisted that she should try the hair that is popular these days and tied it loosely. Jen chattered. ¡°My old housekeeper told me this was a trend. Like, a Southern girl?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why I have to be a Southern girl. I¡¯m a capital person and an adult.¡± ¡°Oh, my little lady, why are you wasting this beautiful face so squarely? I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Jen pouted her lips like a child. Violet smiled a little because Jen was so cute. After tying her hair according to Jen¡¯s taste, Violet came out to the garden after wearing the boots she bought last time. Fortunately, she was as talented as she liked it, and everywhere she took care of was so pretty that she was afraid if Winter saw it, he would talk about firing the gardener again. Violet was concentrating on managing the garden, when she heard a voice from behind. ¡°Violet.¡± Violet paused and turned around. Her mother, Mrs. Ella Philice, stood on a stone-layered road. ¡°Mother?¡± ¡°Oh, my God, what are you doing?¡± Ella looked at her daughter with astonished eyes. Then Violet, who was a little embarrassed by her mother¡¯s sudden appearance, said as if it was no big deal. ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t like to be too neat.¡± ¡°No matter how much!¡± ¡°As mother said, I¡¯m not a royal anymore, but a Blooming person.¡± Ella was displeased by Violet¡¯s quiet but firm words, but no longer pointed out her outfit. Violet took off her gloves, put them in a bucket, and asked as she headed to the mansion. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I was wondering when I could see my grandson. I can¡¯t see the slightest hint. Isn¡¯t three years enough?¡± ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t want children.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just blame your husband every time. You have to try.¡± She remembered Ash¡¯s words that divorce should never be allowed. Violet asked calmly, thinking that it was a child that he thought of as a ¡°measure for his sister not to divorce.¡± ¡°Brother must have told you to go. To talk about child matters.¡± ¡°He¡¯s worried about you, too. It¡¯s because he has a lot of work to do, he¡¯s a soft-hearted kid.¡± Violet, smiling bitterly and nodding her head, pointed to the mansion and said. ¡°My husband will be back by this evening, so I¡¯ll try to convince him again. Have a cup of tea for now.¡± But for the first time in a while, it wasn¡¯t bad to have a cup of tea with her mother alone. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 The house where Violet lived was full of valuable and difficult-to-obtain items. Ella knew her son-in-law was a conglomerate, but she never felt this way. The trolley pushed by a maid was full of tea leaves from all over the world, and the teacups put down on the table were each studded with finely cut jewels. Ella opened her mouth. ¡°I guess my son-in-law makes a lot of money.¡± ¡°There are many kinds of cars because my husband works as an importer. I¡¯ll take care of it when you go and if you need it. I think they import chocolate, too. And then¡­¡­¡± As Violet agonized, Flip, who was carrying a basket of chocolates, quickly said. ¡°He also imports horses.¡± ¡°Oh, I heard so. Where and how are horses being imported¡­¡­?¡± Violet said as if she didn¡¯t understand. Winter didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse, but he had an eye for it. It was amazing. Ella looked at the garden overlooking the spacious and colorful drawing room. It was inevitable that she kept thinking about her son whom she felt sorry for. She continued. ¡°Violet, didn¡¯t you say it yourself? You don¡¯t get along very well with your husband. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to have a child in this situation?¡± ¡°Even if you say so..¡­.¡± Ella sat down and kept talking about the child over and over again until the tea cooled down. It was concluded that even if Violet keeps making an excuse for Winter, it would be okay to persuade. When Violet was in trouble, she heard clopping of a horse¡¯s hooves outside. Violet jumped up. ¡°My husband¡¯s here. I¡¯ll go get him.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When Ella allowed it, Violet ran out of there. Violet was tired of the child¡¯s talk that she couldn¡¯t help herself. So she was determined to argue with Winter. But before she could say anything, Winter walked with a cool-headed look on his face and grabbed his wife by the arm. Then he took off his gloves without saying a word and began to check her fingers one by one. Violet, who missed the timing to argue, asked him, folding her fingers and pulling out her hand. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Oh, you can know when you see it.¡± Winter answered half-heartedly and unfolded her folded white fingers. After checking both hands, he checked her face and neck and found out that there was no wound, so he looked at Violet. Winter, who found her absurd gaze, pulled her two hands together and said as if he was making excuses. ¡°Just in case you were locked up somewhere again, and you wouldn¡¯t tell me. I¡¯m gonna check it out. Is there anything else?¡± Then, she heard a voice from behind. ¡°What do you mean? Locked up?¡± Ella, who had to go out to meet her son-in-law even though they¡¯re like strangers, asked. Winter was about to answer right away, but Violet hurriedly said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ella seemed suspicious, but she couldn¡¯t imagine her daughter would have been locked up somewhere, and what more she couldn¡¯t even imagine that the cause of it was her good and poor son-in-law. Winter said hello. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± Ella greeted him back with her unique cold voice, turned around, and headed back to the drawing room. When she left, Violet sighed and looked at Winter. ¡°Please keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Mother-in-law should know what kind of man her son is.¡± ¡°Since the death of my oldest brother, my second older brother has been the world to my mother. But no matter what, violence¡­¡­ she¡¯ll be a little shocked.¡± Winter tried to talk but closed his mouth again. At first, when he heard that his wife wanted to die, he thought of how weak she was. But the more he knew about her, the more he knew that she had no place to rely on. The more he knew, the more he thought that it was a relief to know it was not too late. Maybe, just maybe it¡¯s not something that he didn¡¯t know. That worldly thing. In relief, Violet asked him. ¡°Can we change bodies for a while?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t want to have children, but I¡¯m the one that has to listen to the nagging. You should listen to it. Besides, I haven¡¯t even finished gardening yet.¡± ¡°If you work in the garden, they would still think of you as a noble lady, but if you work in my body, anyone would think that you¡¯re just a gardener.¡± Winter was so grumpy on the outside, but whenever a talk about the child was mentioned, he felt like his blood was being drained. He couldn¡¯t expect the reaction of his wife when she found out about it as if it had been broken somewhere in the past. ¡°Anyway, I have something to talk to you regarding the child. When mother-in-law is gone, let¡¯s have a talk.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, what should I do? I have an appointment.¡± Winter has come to a standstill. Violet continued. ¡°There¡¯s a book club at the silk store on Leon Road. Merchants and low-ranking officials are coming.¡± ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re a good fit for a silk shop or something? Anyway, I¡¯ll also go.¡± ¡°I want to make friends in the south as well. And only those invited can enter.¡± ¡°Is it that hard to talk about something?¡± Winter, speaking in a fit of anger, was offended by her words. Violet must have felt it, as she answered back, countering her husband. ¡°You said you were coming a week ago, but you came too late, so the schedule overlapped.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t go there twice, but solved it at once!¡± When Winter was upset, Violet looked at him as if she were looking at a stubborn child and sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ll be back early.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Winter was also annoyed that she treated him like a child, but he stepped back. *** Ella had already nagged enough and soon left the mansion. Winter took Ella to his nearest hotel and immediately returned home. When he returned to the mansion, Violet was just getting ready to go out. Flip was seen covering Violet with a parasol. Wearing white lace gloves, Violet reached out to Flip. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the parasol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s heavy, so I¡¯ll hold it.¡± ¡°My husband wouldn¡¯t look down on me as much as you do.¡± ¡°W-what do you mean by look down on you! It¡¯s not like that at all!¡± When Flip freaked out, Violet smiled as if she had been joking. Flip eventually passed the parasol, but suddenly Winter snatched it suddenly, holding its shaft. Then he asked while looking at Flip with a crumpled expression. ¡°I still haven¡¯t fired you yet?¡± ¡°Yes, You drank while thinking about whether to fire me or not. Rather, you left me to do important work.¡± At Flip¡¯s words, Winter tightened his hold on the parasol. He couldn¡¯t help it. In this mansion, Flip was the most precious thing to Violet, so he was asked to keep an eye on her so that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt. When Winter eventually snapped the shaft of the parasol, Violet said in surprise, ¡°Winter, watch your hands.¡± Winter clicked his tongue and threw the parasol away, and placed one hand over Violet¡¯s head, where the sun was. ¡°Go buy a new parasol at Leon Road.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll fix that and use it. It was something that I cherished.¡± ¡°You can make ten of the same things.¡± Although the parasol was broken, Violet was not in a bad mood. Even though she complained and said that she cherished the parasol, his hand, which covered her face from the sun, lifted her mood. Her heart had become heavier because the child¡¯s talks felt more comfortable. It was partly because Violet began to resign more and more easily to the things she couldn¡¯t have, but this moment was really just a simple happiness for her. Violet stopped and looked at Winter¡¯s hand, held out her hand and gently put it on his. She was doing it for a long time as it was interesting, then looked back at Winter and smiled. ¡°The sun is all over your hands. Let¡¯s go around like this often.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When he saw his wife smiling lovingly until her eyes were curved, a huge bell rang loudly in Winter¡¯s head. ¡®What¡¯s this? Why does my wife like it so much?¡¯ ¡®And where is this bell coming from all of a sudden¡­¡­?¡¯ Violet was surprised and her eyes grew bigger. ¡°I¡¯ll be late like this.¡± As she hurried into the carriage, Winter put one foot on it as if to keep it from leaving and said. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± He rummaged through his wallet and handed out a piece of paper that read Leon Road. ¡°This is the currency used in Leon Road. Buy some food for the book club people with this.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you for caring.¡± Violet took the paper without rejecting it. *** ¡°Will the princess come?¡± ¡°How could she come? To this kind of merchants¡¯ meeting.¡± ¡°But her husband is of mixed Canic descent.¡± ¡°No, is Mr. Winter Blooming just a mixed Canic race? He owns all the land here in the main street.¡± The people who gathered at Maureen¡¯s Silk Shop Book Club were all restless. It was not only embarrassing for the princess to join such a small gathering of people with only money. She wasn¡¯t even just a princess, but a princess whose husband is Winter Blooming. As about 5 minutes passed by the meeting time, all was sure that she wasn¡¯t coming. At the same time, the sound of the door opening was heard and people looked towards the door at once. A woman was standing there. Despite her modest appearance, everyone in the meeting immediately noticed that she was Violet Blooming. She has a straight posture and facial expression, and a distinctive rigid softness that can make her opponent nervous. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a book club going on here, did I get it right?¡± When Violet asked, Paula, one of the people rolling her eyes, raised her body. ¡°That¡¯s right. Come on in.¡± ¡°Sorry for being late from day one.¡± As Violet spoke, she sat in a chair with her name tag on it and put the book on her lap. The silk shop owner, Maureen, was restless and asked. ¡°Um, the chair must be uncomfortable¡­¡­ Oh, no big deal, princess.¡± Violet¡¯s attention to the person who talked to her was burdensome, so Maureen shook her hand in the middle of the talk. Then Violet smiled and said. ¡°Thank you for inviting me to a comfortable and fragrant store.¡± Maureen glanced at Violet again. Violet was a person who creates a more difficult atmosphere than her concerns, but at the same time, she had a strange affinity. Perhaps the same is true of others, but they soon forgot about the stranger, and the book club began. The debate was prolonged. The book club took longer than all of them had expected. ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry.¡± As if only remembering when someone said that, Violet took out the paper Winter gave her. ¡°Now that I think about it, my husband gave me something like this to treat you to a meal. Can I use it here?¡± It was a bill bearing Winter Blooming¡¯s name and Leon Road¡¯s seal. All of the people there who were business-related with Winter were pale and jumped up. There was only one reason why Winter Blooming served meals to people involved in work. ¡®If you don¡¯t want to cut the deal with me, let¡¯s do well from now on.¡¯ Violet had a grudge against her husband, but she didn¡¯t know he was a man who would do as many bad things as he wanted. Violet was the only person on Leon Road who didn¡¯t know about it. The people at the meeting were busy figuring out why Winter asked his wife to buy them a meal. Is he just asking them to be nice to his wife, or to send her back, or is he asking them to hold her here for a long time¡­¡­ Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Winter¡¯s newly hired doctor, Beryl, was holding the medicine and money given by Duke James Blooming with both hands. For the third time, James Blooming had already paid him for an unknown drug. He heard it¡¯s a medicine that promotes fertility. The duke asked him to give it to Violet because his son and his son¡¯s wife didn¡¯t want to get pregnant, so he asked him to keep it a secret. But by chance, unlike what he heard last time, he knew that Violet wanted a child. But why is James Blooming secretly feeding her this medicine? Isn¡¯t it a drug that can help her get pregnant? As such doubts arise, he thought he would rather confess now. However, it was hard to avoid punishment because he had been paid twice already for giving Violet this medicine. Beryl was terrified, but with an indifferent face, he held out a bag of medicine he had brought to the maid, Jen. ¡°Today is the same as usual. Let the little lady take this medicine before she goes to bed.¡± ¡°Yes! Oh, I¡¯m worried because she said she¡¯d have a headache if she didn¡¯t take the medicine. Is there any way to completely heal her?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Beryl spoke awkwardly and left as if he was running away. He almost fell down a few times because his legs were weak. *** Maureen, the owner of the silk shop where the book club is being held, was one of the merchants who came the day Winter called the busy street to the mansion. The problem was that the princess participated here because she heard when Maureen talked about the book club at Winter Blooming¡¯s mansion. After Winter Blooming¡¯s bill appeared, it was hard to bear the eyes of other members. Due to the sudden chaotic atmosphere, Violet said anxiously, ¡°If it¡¯s a piece of paper you can¡¯t use¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t use it! You can use it anywhere! You can even use it on other continents!¡± But why are they hesitating so much? Violet worried and looked at the faces of the book club members. Everyone looked uncomfortable. Violet had more trauma from bullying than she seemed, so she was quickly convinced that their uncomfortable expressions were because they didn¡¯t like her. So she said with a smile as if nothing happened. ¡°By the way, I will have to go back to eat. And if you don¡¯t mind, you can come to the mansion and get together at least once. Just no matter what day you like..¡­.¡± When Violet said with regret, Maureen grabbed her hand suddenly. ¡°If you invite us, of course, we will. That¡¯s it, so can¡¯t you go after eating?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, go ahead and eat! There¡¯s a place where they grill and sell various kinds of meat, and it¡¯s really good. Just don¡¯t tell your husband that we¡¯ve fed you something unpleasant.¡­¡­¡± Violet wondered if they said it out of courtesy, but other members pushed her back from behind. Fortunately, after dinner, she found out that it was Winter Blooming who they were uncomfortable with, not her. Even so, Violet got up early. Everyone was really sad that she was leaving, so she was quietly excited to see if they really liked her. Violet walked back to the carriage but paused in front of a jewelry store. Then Flip, who was out with her, asked. ¡°Young Lady, would you like to take a look?¡± ¡°Is it alright to take a look for a minute?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As Flip nodded vigorously, Violet entered the jewelry store. She liked the platinum wristwatch that she saw over the show window. It was a product with a price that made her hesitant, but on the contrary, it would be too cheap for Winter. For the first two years after their marriage, she prepared a small party on his birthday or their anniversary, but Winter never came home. She tried to cook for the first time in her life, but it cooled down, and later when she ate it, she felt lucky that he couldn¡¯t come home on time. Violet, who had been hesitant for a long time, took off the brooch she brought before she got married and held it in her hand. She has only bought things, never sold them. Fortunately, selling Winter¡¯s name on this busy street would not lead to fraud. ¡°Welcome, ma¡¯am.¡± Violet, who had been hesitant for a long time as the merchant approached, first revealed her identity. ¡°I want to give my husband, Lord Winter Blooming, a present.¡± Then the merchant paused and said. ¡°Well, just take it! What do you need?¡± ¡°How can I do that? I have a brooch that I don¡¯t use, but I¡¯d like to trade it.¡± ¡°Please show me.¡± The merchant looked closely at the brooch. Although the trend is outdated, it is still valuable, so fortunately there is a larger price difference. With the price difference, Violet went to Cantus Monastery to buy a handkerchief, some snacks to match the number of people working in the mansion, and returned home after that. *** Violet tried to say hello to Winter, but he had already entered his bedroom. She also took a bath and changed into pajamas, thinking that she was tired even though it wasn¡¯t even late in the evening. As she was about to lie down, Jen took some medicine and went into her bedroom. Violet asked. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Sure, I ate a lot. And all the snacks that the young lady bought for me in the city are already gone. It was really good.¡± Jen said while putting the doctor¡¯s pill on the spoon, sprinkled it with honey, and stuck it out to Violet. Violet gulped it down in one bite and drank water. ¡°Thank you, Jen.¡± ¡°Yes, good night!¡± Jen spoke cheerfully and left the bedroom. After that, Violet, who had hesitated for a while, glanced at the door, put on a gown, and left the room with a box containing a wristwatch. Just in case, she went to Winter¡¯s bedroom, and saw the lights leaking out because the lights hadn¡¯t been turned off yet. ¡°Winter.¡± Violet knocked on the door and a voice from the inside said, ¡°Come in!¡±. Violet, who opened the door, paused. Hayel was still reporting something. Violet was embarrassed to walk around in pajamas, so she wondered if she should close the door again, but then Winter said to Hayel. ¡°What are you doing? Get lost.¡± ¡°I was going to do that anyway.¡± Hayel said and quickly left the bedroom. Violet walked in with a slightly red face and stood in front of Winter who was walking towards her. She said something else because she was embarrassed to hand over the present right away. ¡°Oh, did you say you had something to say?¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± Winter said and pulled out a chair. Violet sat down and Winter sat across from her, leaned back, and continued. ¡°There¡¯s a mansion in the capital that you might like. Hayel is negotiating right now.¡± ¡°What kind of mansion is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little bit on a hillside. There¡¯s a sunny garden and a white fence.¡± ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡­¡± ¡°If we succeed in buying it, let¡¯s stay there next spring. Do whatever you want, cover the garden with flowers.¡± Winter was talking as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but when he glanced at Violet, her eyes were filled with innocent joy. Winter laughed at the sight. ¡°Oh my, you must be happy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Violet was encouraged by happiness and continued. ¡°Well, I saw a wristwatch on the street earlier.¡± ¡°I heard that nobles don¡¯t wear watches, for some reason. Should I buy it for you?¡± ¡°No, I already bought it.¡± ¡°But?¡± Winter looked at Violet who had already brought it but looked as if she was wondering what to do. Afraid of being rejected again, she fiddled with the box and eventually opened it. She pulled Winter¡¯s wrist towards her. As tall as he was, his arms and legs were long, so he didn¡¯t look uncomfortable even when she pulled them like that. ¡°Would it be the right length because I bought it with a guess¡­¡­?¡± Violet murmured like that and recklessly fastened the watch. Fortunately, her guess was right, so the watch looked very good on Winter, and the length was right. Violet slowly released her hand. Only then she looked at Winter and his expression was strange. When she was worried that he might be angry again, he opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m the only one that you helped put a wristwatch on, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So you were thinking about me while picking this watch?¡± ¡°I thought it would suit you.¡± Winter was silent for a while again. Winter murmured while Violet was agonizing over whether she made a mistake. ¡°I have rules.¡± ¡°What rules?¡± Winter briefly recalled the day when he first met Violet. On the day of the wedding, he was talking to Hayel while waiting for the carriage. ¡°My Lord, do you know how to do a knight¡¯s greeting? If the ladies stick out their hands first, you can hold them with both hands and pretend to kiss them.¡± ¡°I know, but why would you tell me that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been given the title of Lord when you got engaged.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a month since I got it, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone call me Lord, let alone that way of greeting. Everyone calls me mister. But would a sky-like princess acknowledge a man who has just been knighted and has gray eyes right away?¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it?¡± It was such a sarcastic remark. He only paid money to buy a title, and he didn¡¯t think seriously about it until the carriage stopped. But the carriage door opened and he froze completely. In the carriage, a woman who looked too young, dazzling, and nobler than expected got off. A woman like a flower that blooms only in the sky who can never be touched. And she looked at Winter, holding out her hand as if it were natural. Winter was crushed down by the weight of what he bought for the first time. He wanted to run away. ¡°Winter, what¡¯s the rule?¡± Winter broke out from his memory when Violet asked him again as if rushing him. He took his eyes off the watch and answered, looking at his wife. ¡°I¡¯m the one who earns. You don¡¯t have to give back.¡± ¡°How can it be like that?¡± ¡°Why not? That¡¯s my rule. And I¡¯m not a person who waits, nor the one who has to wait.¡± The most important rule was that no one could throw him away. It has been like that since the age of five. His mother, who ran away after saying she would come back soon, was the last person he had to wait for and the last person to abandon him. His family, whom he found when he was twelve, did not make him wait, nor did he wait. Until now, he believed that he was a man of value only when he increased what he had and that he was a stranger standing behind a wall that he could never cross. But from the first day of marriage, his wife shook his rules. A princess who had never done anything in her life like buying a wristwatch bought him a wristwatch. He was the one whom she thought about after looking at the wristwatch. Violet said, ¡°There¡¯s no such person in the world.¡± ¡°Here. Me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculous rule.¡± She had a determined look on her face, and Winter grumbled for nothing. ¡°What kind of princess buys a watch? Just like an ordinary person.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to wear it for the rest of my life.¡± Only then did Violet laugh relieved at his joke. Winter glanced at her smile, and he smiled once. As he got closer to her, he felt like he was becoming an ordinary man. He felt like he should just be an ordinary husband. Coming back if being waited for, thinking of the other person even on something that has nothing to do with him, without feeling pressured or inferior to the other person¡¯s status or lineage. He didn¡¯t have to prove his existence with money. Just like an ordinary man. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Violet looked silently at Winter fiddling with the watch she gave him. He seemed to really like the gift. It kept repeating in her mind that she didn¡¯t have to return it because he¡¯s a person who earns money and that he¡¯s not a person who waits, nor had to wait. When the man who seemed to have nothing to fear in the world said that, he seemed empty. Violet opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s that time for you.¡± Violet thought for a while and said in a business-like voice. ¡°It¡¯s been two days since we joined in a room, but I think it¡¯s okay today.¡± ¡°That was neat, my princess.¡± Whether Winter was sarcastic or not, Violet continued. ¡°Of course, I know you don¡¯t like children or sleeping together, but to some extent, in a marital relationship¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Winter narrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Even if I said I don¡¯t like children. Why do you think I don¡¯t like sleeping together?¡± ¡°You said you were dissatisfied last time. It also seems like you¡¯re always avoiding it.¡± Violet tried to speak calmly as usual, but she couldn¡¯t hide her expression because she was hurt inside. She continued. ¡°I understand because the situation was like that¡­¡­ so you must have hated it.¡± Her heart ached after barely finishing her words. The shame was bigger than she thought. Winter opened his mouth when she was giving a little strength to her hands, which she had gathered tightly to endure sadness. ¡°What am I listening to right now?¡± She was the one who got rejected, but Winter¡¯s voice sounded like he was the one who got dumped. When Violet looked up and made eye contact with him, his expression also looked like so. Winter continued. ¡°It¡¯s true that the overwhelming number one desire I have is worldly desires, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have sexual desires. I said I hated the godly way of your family. When did I say I hated sleeping together?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± ¡°You know, when it¡¯s over, both families check it out. I¡¯m not a crossbreeding animal.¡± How could he say such a rude thing, Violet opened her eyes wide in surprise, but she couldn¡¯t say it in real life because she was afraid of being like a princess again. Winter sighed loudly as if everyone else would know his pain. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, listen.¡± ¡°Unless you make me misunderstand.¡± ¡°If only it¡¯s not that damn way, I¡¯ll do it until I beat you out.¡± At his words, Violet wrapped her hands around her mouth and saw him with little boundaries. ¡°¡­¡­ Exactly which part causes misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll misunderstand that I have an abnormal sexual desire because I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the misunderstanding, then I¡¯ve already done it.¡± ¡°I mean, you¡¯re greatly mistaken.¡± ¡°Do you mean you don¡¯t hate it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°We can negotiate little by little, but it¡¯s hard to make a big change all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± ¡°Yes. You can also do it like last time.¡± Winter looked distressed, but as if that was enough, he lifted up Violet, hugged her, and headed to his bed. He laid his wife on the bed and lowered his head to untie the ribbon on the neck of her pajamas with his teeth. Then Violet said seriously. ¡°Oh, you can do this with your hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re usually very smart, but why are you only acting like this on the bed? You¡¯re just pretending you don¡¯t know, right?¡± Winter had an unsure expression whether to laugh or suffer. Violet tilted her head wondering why he looked like that. *** It was a day joined in the room that is not much different from what it has been. The couple killed the sound as much as possible, so there was no sound on the bed. However, Winter had many hard times as usual. It was better on a normal basis. When Winter kissed her and pulled apart, Violet made a strange look that he saw for the first time, and at that moment, his reason seemed to be torn apart like a thin piece of paper. In addition, he could hear the sound of a bloody bell, whether it was tinnitus or what, whenever he could, but he couldn¡¯t swear with his wife right in front of him, which made him go crazy. Winter only fell asleep with his wife by his side after cooling himself down with cold water three or four times. And then he woke up at dawn and looked at Violet¡¯s face and got up in the morning. Then, when he looked at the terrace, he saw Hayel over the curtain. It seemed that Hayel had entered the balcony instead of the bedroom after learning that Violet had not left the bedroom yesterday. When Winter also stepped out to the terrace, Hayel handed him coffee. Winter opened his mouth after he gulped down coffee to get rid of fatigue. ¡°I thought about it yesterday, about a child. All I¡¯ve seen so far is the mixed-race in LaCrown.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Look where the Canic clan originally lived. There must be some information there, too.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t ask me to cross the continent and go to the Alika region, would you? Wife and child, I also.¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give me time to make it happen. What¡¯s the point of buying a nice house when I don¡¯t even have time to go inside.¡± ¡°I paid you enough to buy yourself a nice house.¡± Winter was in a tight spot. ¡°Then send someone to find out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Hayel was relieved to hear that he didn¡¯t have to go in person. After giving him some brief reports, Hayel left, and then Violet walked out from the glass door in the bedroom. ¡°Did you sleep well, Winter?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep at all.¡± ¡°I slept soundly.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t fit either.¡± Winter grumbled, but now he didn¡¯t even hate sleeping like this. He doesn¡¯t think there will be any good information just to find out more, but he wanted to get rid of the excuse for Violet to leave him somehow. If she wanted a child, he wanted to make it and hold her. Violet sat on a chair, probably because it was hard to stand. Winter asked. ¡°While you¡¯re sitting, looked at what I¡¯m going to wear to the Cantus monastery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± After a while, a servant brought Winter¡¯s clothes for the day. Violet alternately looked at the invitation and clothes and asked. ¡°Do you have a white bow tie?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no white. Why?¡± ¡°The invitation says you should dress according to the basic formality. You need a white bow tie.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it be a different color?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re speaking about the basic formality in LaCrown then it¡¯s white shirts and white bow ties for men.¡± He almost made a big mistake from the start. Violet continued. ¡°Are you going to go with the blue one for the handkerchief?¡± ¡°Anything. Is there a fixed color for that, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but I think it would be better in the color that the Blooming family prefers.¡± ¡°Preferred colors you said, there are all sorts of things.¡± Winter¡¯s annoying murmur made Violet look embarrassed. Then Winter narrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face. I didn¡¯t have a chance to learn.¡± She wasn¡¯t surprised to think that Winter was pathetic for not knowing that. She was surprised that the Blooming couple did not tell him what they should have told him. Although the capitalist was exceptionally more than usual, the people of LaCrown were ashamed to show off something openly. However, there was a contradiction in showing superiority and factionalism among them with their preferred jewelry or colors. Violet said. ¡°I just bought a handkerchief. I bought it well in advance.¡± Violet brought the box containing the watch and took out the dark gray handkerchief that had been laid under it. ¡°The people of the Lawrence family prefer dark gray.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that something I¡¯m not supposed to wear?¡± ¡°You are my husband. But if you don¡¯t like it, then you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a person who gave up my fortune to buy a title. If I can use the same color as the royal family, I¡¯d appreciate it. By the way, why did you buy so much?¡± ¡°There are only two items, a watch, and a handkerchief. And I think you¡¯re not going to say anything, no matter how many I bought.¡± Winter nodded in agreement with her words. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that we changed our body just by looking at this.¡± ¡°While changing body¡­¡­ can we change it a day earlier and you come to the tea party?¡± No matter how much Winter pulled out the support, there was a tea party this Saturday at the lunch held by Catherine. The next day was a party sponsored by Cantus Monastery. Winter was lost in thought for a moment. Last time Violet said that when he went to the tea party, he would know why she wore a black dress. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Instead, make a big profit at Cantus Monastery.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Violet answered as if she were calm, but she felt complicated inside. Does she want him to know a little bit about her hard time at the tea party? What would he think if he found out? With many thoughts, she put a rectangular folded handkerchief in his jacket pocket. ¡°Okay, this is the basic formality.¡± ¡°Oh, my God, why is this damn noble thing so complicated?¡± ¡°It must be because people with wealth like you threaten authority.¡± ¡°What?¡± Winter grimaced. Violet quietly continued. ¡°In my parents¡¯ generation, titles were everything in power. But gradually, money has more power than a title. It¡¯s getting harder and harder to keep those who have money and no title from cutting in on the upper class.¡­ creating an act of nobility.¡± After talking, she looked at Winter¡¯s expression as he pretended to be absent for a while, then she fanned his face with her hand. ¡°Oh, my God, nobility you said. You¡¯re rude.¡± Violet burst into small laughter at his prank. *** On Saturday morning, Violet, who was ready to go to the tea party, opened a drawer and took out a small bottle of medicine. Inside it was a poison extracted from the southern white clover that was obtained while managing the garden. She learned that this amount will kill in a matter of minutes. Violet looked at the medicine bottle and said to herself. ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m a little scared.¡± She suddenly remembered Winter, who was joking around beside her. Violet has been yearning for him for the past three years. She yearned to wait for him who was far away, and she was yearning for him because she couldn¡¯t reach him even if he was close. Then at some point, her mind was completely made up, and now she thought there was nothing left as if she had been swept away by the storm. But she felt a little afraid of this decision because of him. Violet sat on the bed, opened the medicine bottle, inhaled it, and laid down on the bed. ¡®If I die like this, will he come to the funeral?¡¯ Even just on the first day of her funeral, Violet was most curious about it. Will her husband come to the funeral? Maybe she is still yearning for him. It was dark as if she was falling asleep, but when she opened her eyes, she was in the carriage. Hayel was sitting opposite. ¡°My Lord, is everything okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where are we going?¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to the tea party that is being held by the lady. I think it¡¯ll take about two hours, little lady.¡± When asked where they were going, Hayel immediately noticed and answered the question and soft words. Violet looked out the window. She was worried that if she got embarrassed by his fiery personality, she might turn the table upside down. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Violet felt Winter¡¯s healthy body comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. Even the carriage, which was made relatively to Winter¡¯s body shape, felt stuffy because the ceiling felt low. Violet, who had opened the window to look outside, touched her husband¡¯s watch in his wrist. ¡°¡­¡­You really haven¡¯t untied your watch.¡± Hayel, who was checking the document without a break, heard her talking to herself, and replied. ¡°He really cares about it. He usually gets tired of things easily.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Violet smiled unconsciously. After that, she looked at the clock for a while. *** Winter, who opened his eyes with his wife¡¯s body in bed, frowned in a shriveling mood. ¡°Oh, shit, I can¡¯t see you healthy for a day. You¡¯re a quack even if you change doctors.¡± He raised his temper and looked in the mirror. Violet was wearing a dark yellow dress that matched the end of the summer. But it was quite a bright dress today. Winter briefly looked around his wife¡¯s face and began to search around the seat. He didn¡¯t know if there were any clues to change their body. He changed his body because of his bloodline, but he couldn¡¯t stand it because it was unfair that he didn¡¯t know how to do it. While searching everywhere, he found a bottle of medicine that was lying under the bed. The medicine bottle said painkillers. ¡°Is it menstrual pain medication?¡± Winter was talking to himself, but Jen, who came in before he knew it, quickly grabbed the medicine bottle. She jumped at the empty bottle. ¡°Little lady, did you take all the painkillers again? I told you too much medicine is not good for you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was a noisy feeling that if it wasn¡¯t for nagging about his wife, he would have already thrown something out of anger. *** After a while, Winter arrived at the Blooming¡¯s mansion. When he got off at the tea party, there was food on a long table covered with light pink tablecloths, and gracefully dressed guests stood here and there. On one side, singers who sang to celebrate the resumption of the tea party were making a highlight. At that time, Catherine, who was welcoming the guests affectionately, hurried up and squeezed her daughter-in-law¡¯s hand ¡°Violet, are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yeah¡­¡­¡± What if Violet didn¡¯t feel better? After answering with a little concern, Catherine took him to the table and said, ¡°I heard from Winter. I was so upset¡­¡­ How sorry I was.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Winter was embarrassed to receive the apology that should be received by Violet, so he passed it absentmindedly and looked back at the tea party. Then, a man passing by talked to him. ¡°Princess, you¡¯re gorgeous today.¡± Winter was trying to answer, thinking it was a compliment, but Catherine gently held her daughter-in-law¡¯s arm. ¡°Now don¡¯t blame Violet too much. Doesn¡¯t sin have a statute of limitations?¡± Wasn¡¯t it a compliment? Winter paused and the man continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you always cover up like this because you still think that you¡¯re a princess.¡± It was right to blame. Winter, who would not have known if it wasn¡¯t for Catherine, said it as if he had said. ¡°Why do you keep talking to a married woman?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the princess¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my God, you¡¯re rude.¡± Violet would definitely say anything he said is rude. When Winter thought as much as he wanted, the man flinched and shut his mouth. Anyway, it was a world where there were so many unworthy people. Winter moved through the crowd. He knew Violet didn¡¯t have any friends here, so he was going to make friends by releasing advanced information while he was here. Winter had a tight grip on the local commercial district, so he looked familiar. ¡°That¡¯s why there are so many stores in front of the entrance to Leon Road.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the second building?¡± People he met a few times on business were talking about a building owned by Winter. Winter stepped in immediately and said. ¡°I heard there¡¯s a theater company coming in.¡± Then the woman next to him asked. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°My husband told me.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Ask me something else. I¡¯ll give you some money today.¡± Winter, who inadvertently expressed his money by putting his thumb and index finger in a circle, belatedly recalled that his wife would never do this. People began to ask this and that as if they had waited. ¡°I heard Lord Winter called all the busy merchants a while ago, is that true?¡± ¡°Why did he call them all? He only called the high-end stores.¡± ¡°Oh, he did call them anyway?¡± ¡°The rumors are so fast.¡± As he said, the rumor was fast. People listened to Winter Blooming wife¡¯s ¡°money-making information.¡± At that time, he heard a small disturbance, and when he turned around, a lady was embarrassed by food spilled into her clothes. As Winter turned his head without much interest, the woman in front said. ¡°After Lord Winter forgave you, the scapegoat has changed. In the meantime.¡± Winter, who frowned at the word forgiveness and wondered what it means, looked back again. The lady, who looked blankly at her clothes, stood under the shade of a tree like a sinner. Winter asked, ¡°Why is that person over there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. How much did that person bother his wife? It¡¯s self-contained.¡± The people next to him shouted back. Perhaps because they thought Winter and Violet¡¯s relationship had improved, the sensible nobles apologized and made excuses for what had happened. Even if he didn¡¯t know the details, he could only see that Violet had been a sinner who was not forgiven by her husband, so if she didn¡¯t dress up in a dark and modest way to fit his subject, she suffered from harassment and criticism. ¡°Can you come with me just once? Just once.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. I just need to let them know that you came.¡± Violet had always asked him with a soft expression and tone. Later, she came out angry and begged hard, but Winter did not do his wife¡¯s favor until the day he changed his body. Winter, who resented his blood all his life, has never been more grateful for his bloodline than he is these days. If he hadn¡¯t changed his body, he would still be putting his work first *** As it was about time Violet arrived, Winter was nervously standing where the carriage stood. There were so many things he wanted to ask her. He wanted to know more about the parties so far. He was wondering how she has been doing. As he was nervous, his brother, Dave, approached. ¡°Violet, what are you doing here?¡± Winter looked back at him with annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my wife-no, husband.¡± Dave said regretfully at the words. ¡°He has never come here before.¡± ¡°He¡¯s coming today.¡± ¡°Violet.¡± Dave sighed softly. ¡°Stop waiting for someone who won¡¯t come and rely on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Why would I rely on you?¡± It was so absurd that he suddenly spoke informally. But Dave didn¡¯t care and answered. ¡°How long are you going to be so lonely?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends now because I¡¯m secluded from the world¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stop being stubborn, Violet.¡± Dave naturally wrapped his hands around his sister-in-law¡¯s His behaviour made an impression on Winter and he pushed Dave roughly. Dave smiled funnily. Winter paused at his laugh. Dave reacted as if Violet was used to pushing him out. Winter felt his blood rising backwards. Then, he heard the sound of a carriage from afar. Seeing his brother getting off the carriage, Dave flinched and quickly evacuated. As Winter ran straight to the carriage, Violet stepped back in surprise. ¡°When you touch me, we change again.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s change it. At Cantus Abbey, you can just stick to me and nag at every move I make. There¡¯s something more urgent now than such a wine ball.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the emergency?¡± ¡°Introduction. You said you like to introduce your husband to others. Do it again today.¡± Winter said and hugged her. The bodies of the two changed in that condition. After that, when Winter didn¡¯t let go of Violet, she asked anxiously. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Dave. Did he keep flirting like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He muttered and couldn¡¯t let go of Violet for a while. Violet, who was surprised and stuck at first, raised her hand and gently touched Winter¡¯s back. A while later, Winter let go of Violet and said. ¡°You have a fever.¡± ¡°A little since last night.¡± ¡°I need to change that damn doctor. Does it make sense that you¡¯re sick all the time?¡± ¡°But after Beryl became the doctor, the headache got a lot better. The medicine must be good.¡± Winter didn¡¯t talk much today. Violet felt sorry for leaving him alone at the tea party, so she continued facing Winter. ¡°Thank you for coming today. Really.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Then, Catherine came up with a friendly face. ¡°Oh, what brings you here, Winter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to find out who my wife said she didn¡¯t like.¡± Violet pulled Winter¡¯s arm in surprise as if fighting him right away when he spoke as if she had been depressed. ¡°When did I say that?¡± ¡°You did it with your heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m forced to do it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know I¡¯m a pushover?¡± Winter crumpled his hands into his pockets, crumpled them as he had an impression, and looked at the people. Violet was worried but felt a part of her heart tickling. She thought it would be nice if her husband came, but she didn¡¯t know it would be this reassuring. It would have been better if he had come before she thought about death, but she thought it was not too late now. Still, she was worried that Winter would be too angry, so she walked along with him. Then Violet stopped at a sudden rumbling feeling. Although she felt nauseous since the doctor changed the medicine recently, this was the first time that she had been so nauseous. Violet stopped and calculated the date just in case. It¡¯s only been a week since she slept with Winter last Sunday. Even if she was pregnant, she didn¡¯t think she would have symptoms already. Maybe it¡¯s the aftereffect of changing body. ¡°No way.¡± She soothed herself by talking to herself, but it was inevitable that she kept leaning on a little hope. As she got closer to Winter, Violet often imagined how to confess to her husband if she accidentally got pregnant. If she had a child in her stomach, she would probably not be able to take poison herself. It can¡¯t be, but she thought it would be better not to drink as much as possible. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 On the day Violet and her husband joined in a room, Violet¡¯s doctor, Beryl, was called by James Blooming. James paid a lot of money and ordered that if Violet showed signs of pregnancy, he would unconditionally answer that she is pregnant. Beryl, who is now called to Violet¡¯s bedroom, examined her with a trembling hand, but an expression of no concern. He soon found out that Violet was not pregnant even though she had the same symptoms as a pregnant woman. James¡¯s medication will cut her menstruation for the time being, and she will suffer from nausea and fever. Still, she was not pregnant. The money he received from James had long been spent on his young son¡¯s school expenses. Winter was famous for pulling out the bone marrow of people who damaged his, so if he got caught now, everything was over. Beryl reacted more violently to hide his fear. ¡°Congratulations, little lady! You¡¯re pregnant.¡± Violet, who paused at the words, asked carefully. ¡°Is that¡­¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yes, I-it is.¡± At that moment, there was a bright light on Violet¡¯s face. She struggled to get up with a heavy body. Even though the expression of emotions was not strong, joy was smeared in her gestures and voice. ¡°Keep it a secret from others for a while. My husband doesn¡¯t want children, so I¡¯ll have to tell him myself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Violet patted Beryl¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been feeling much better since you came. I don¡¯t know how to explain¡­¡­.¡± Beryl was shaken again by the consistent warm greeting of the little lady. He hurriedly excused himself and ran away, soothing himself that nothing big would happen to him. After Beryl left, Violet pressed her pounding heart with her hands to calm down her excitement. Winter didn¡¯t tell her why he didn¡¯t want children, so she couldn¡¯t know why. She was afraid of her husband¡¯s reaction, but at the same time, she was full of happiness. *** The next day, the couple took a two-hour train ride from the nearest train station to Cantus Monastery, Carptown Station, then rode a carriage to the monastery for another two hours. Violet sat in the right posture and did a crossword in the newspaper all the way. Winter said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone solve it before,¡± but he enjoyed watching his focused wife. Entering the wide vineyard owned by the monastery, powerful people in the country were gathered. The Blooming couple had just arrived, and Ash was also there. Violet wore a light sky blue tulle dress, with a large sapphire brooch, and a turquoise hat. On top of that, she wore a diamond-adorned necklace and earrings, and the shoes were cream-colored leather with ribbons. Winter wore a stylish suit and a white bow tie. The couple were dressed in the standard of a cantus-sponsored party decorated with simple but expensive jewelry. Violet looked up at the sky and said worriedly. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to rain. I should have worn black shoes.¡± ¡°I can just carry you around.¡± When Winter talked and habitually tried to touch her hair, Violet grabbed him by the arm. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. And can¡¯t I even touch your hair?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you better look serious.¡± ¡°Just say you don¡¯t want to see me.¡± Violet answered, pulling down his arm. ¡°I don¡¯t hate seeing you. But the monastery is a sacred place.¡± ¡°Oh, like our bed?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s disrespectful.¡± ¡°Why is it disrespectful for a couple to talk about their sacred bed?¡± Violet stood on her toes and covered his mouth with both hands because she thought that if he answered more, what Winter said would only get worse. Then Winter smiled, bent down, and moved his lips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have to stand on your toes to do this.¡± ¡°I can reach you even if I don¡¯t raise my feet. I¡¯m trying to make sure it stopped.¡± ¡°It looks like you couldn¡¯t stop it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a non-verbal expression to stop teasing.¡± As Violet creased her forehead slightly, Winter answered, grabbing her wrist. ¡°Your eyes always make me want to tease you.¡± ¡°My eyes?¡± When Violet asked, Winter thought for a while and shook his head. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go in.¡± He just shut up because he thought after this, she would be worried every time she made that expression if he said that her eyes were revealing. Violet was curious, but she assumed that it was better not to know, so she didn¡¯t ask more. When the sponsorship party began, monks came out wearing pointed hoods to cover their faces. Parents with their sons in this monastery looked lonely. One of the monks opened his mouth. ¡°Thank you for joining today¡¯s sponsorship party. I heard that the food is shabby because it¡¯s a monastery, but the wine is pretty good. I won¡¯t nag you, so please enjoy it.¡± The monk said it and smiled as if it was a joke, and the people laughed along. After a while, monks poured wine to each and every person. Winter took a sip of wine and clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s a great wine.¡± ¡°Oh, drink mine, Winter. I can¡¯t drink red wine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink at all?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not drinking.¡± Winter even inhaled the wine with an excited look at Violet¡¯s words. The wine at Cantus Monastery was clearly superior to any wine Winter has ever drank. He heard that the first wine made this year was served at the beginning of the party, and the older wine was served later at the party. When Winter was eager to buy wine in bulk, Violet moved somewhere. ¡°Carlson?¡± Then a blond handsome man who was far away looked back at Violet and smiled refreshingly. ¡°Violet! Long time no see!¡± Violet approached with joy. Hearing the greetings of the two, Winter turned around and Violet smiled happily and called Winter. As Winter approached, Violet introduced them. ¡°This is Carlson, the second son of Low Family. You know his face, right? ¡°I saw it often.¡± Winter asked, holding out his hand for a handshake without hiding his displeasure. ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with my wife?¡± As soon as they met, Carlson smiled pleasantly at his tone and behavior, which revealed his displeasure. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look like that. We used to be engaged for a short while. We were close when we were young.¡± ¡°You were close when you were a kid, and got engaged?¡± ¡°Ouch, it hurts, Lord.¡± When Winter tried to break the hand he held for a handshake, Carlson slowly got scared. Violet shook her head as if not to. Carlson whispered to Violet when Winter tsked his tongue and released his hand. ¡°How can such a jealous person just go outside like that?¡± Violet looked embarrassed at Carlson¡¯s honest question. Moreover, Winter was looking at Carlson as if he was going to kill him even though he couldn¡¯t hear him. As Carlson, fed up with that look, crept away, Winter grabbed Violet¡¯s hand. And Violet replied as she looked as if to explain. ¡°Literally. Our parents, who were close since young, just arranged it by themselves.¡± ¡°Did they try to marry off a bad womanizer and a princess?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a bad person like the rumor.¡± ¡°He¡¯s even a druggist.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Winter raised his left hand. So Violet looked at Carlson, and she could see his sleeve with a bandage on his left wrist. Violet said. ¡°How do you know from just that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. Is it not.¡± Violet looked a bit concerned while denying it. In fact, it was a rumor-based trap when Winter said he went to a pharmacist even with a bandage on his face. He just hated the fact that Violet was more involved with a man named Carlson Low than he thought. In his head, Violet¡¯s Long Leewood land came to mind. When he found out that the man who received the tenant¡¯s fees even used to be engaged to her, he felt disgustingly depressed. He was going to find out about the land as soon as the event was over. His eyes turned to Violet, who was somewhat excited today. Even if his wife cheated on him while he was hanging on to money for three years, he was truly willing to forgive Violet. If the two were really in a relationship, he was thinking of dealing with Carlson and also providing Violet with more money. He didn¡¯t want to be thrown away. Now he was not the five-year-old who only waited helplessly. Winter grabbed Violet by the wrist. ¡°Violet.¡± She looked back and looked up at the sky. Rain eventually began to pour from the cloudy sky. A young monk ran among the people and said. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to stop the event for a while, so go into the monastery!¡± People hurried to the monastery far away. Winter immediately took off his jacket, covered Violet¡¯s head, and hugged her. Violet paused and said. ¡°You can¡¯t do this in the monastery.¡± ¡°Then what should I do? Leave you in the rain?¡± Winter mumbled and hugged Violet that was hidden in his jacket. ¡°Hayel¡¯s going to bring an umbrella soon, so stay like this for a second.¡± Violet slowly closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against his massive, hard arms. When held by him, she could hear his heartbeat. The sound of the heartbeat wakes up the life that had faded in her mind. Violet briefly escaped from his arms and let the rain flow on her cheeks. It was because she teared up, but Winter quickly became irritated and hugged her again. ¡°I¡¯ll do this even if you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Winter.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go to the capital¡­¡­¡± ¡°I got really annoyed after going to the party once. I wouldn¡¯t want to go there every week.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that, but¡­¡­ I just want to live with you alone.¡± Winter unknowingly put his lips on her head, which was covered with a jacket, and continued. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t hate doing this. Not a bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank goodness.¡± Then, Hayel brought an umbrella. ¡°My Lord!¡± ¡°Why are you so late!¡± ¡°I ran here!¡± Hayel answered back and held out a big umbrella. Winter picked it up and unfolded it, and Violet looked up at him. Winter also murmured while looking at Violet¡¯s clear sky-like eyes. ¡°They can¡¯t see it anyway because of the rain and the umbrella.¡± Then he gently kissed her lips and pulled away. Violet¡¯s lips opened a little with surprise, and then drew the line gently. Despite the excitement, she felt uneasy about the child her husband didn¡¯t want. However, she was relieved to see Winter looking at her. Now she will be able to get to know her husband more without changing their bodies, and if they know each other more, they will be closer and happier. Then will this vague longing that I felt even when Winter was by my side turn into pleasure? Violet reached out her hand eager to stroke his face, but Winter didn¡¯t feel it and raised his head, lowering his umbrella. ¡°The rain stopped.¡± Maybe it was a passing rain, or it was rain that stopped right away. Violet lowered her hand and smiled. ¡°It must have been a shower.¡± Soon, the clouds were cleared and the sky gradually colored with sunset. After a while, some monks came out with envelopes to write down the donations. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 The vineyard was instantly filled with the only sound of the sudden downpour. Everyone tried to dry themselves, but it wasn¡¯t the same with their clothes, with all the hard work they put in to dress up, ruined. Violet also had to shake off her wet hair with her hands, but she still looked happy. She talked to people while drying her hair with a dry cloth provided by the monastery. Winter couldn¡¯t understand most of the conversation, but he noticed that Violet was intelligent and interesting as she behaved calmly to the other person¡¯s reaction. After witnessing his wife¡¯s new and intriguing appearance, Winter¡¯s mood, which was ruined by Carlson¡¯s arrival, became much better Violet, who was talking to the Doughrey couple from the capital, wrapped up the conversation shortly because she was worried about the lengthening talks that Winter couldn¡¯t intervene. ¡°I forgot to take a walk around the vineyard with my husband.¡± ¡°Good! Shall we go together?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mudslide and your dress is going to get dirty again. I¡¯ve brought a lot of extra money, so I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Ah, it was really fun.¡± Mrs. Doughrey looked disappointed as she enjoyed her story with Violet. Winter started walking off with Violet towards the vineyard, and he crumpled both his hands into his pocket. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°There are 15 must-see plays and 100 must-read books to share with the community of LaCrown.¡± ¡°You took your time while I was working like a dog.¡± Violet stopped at Winter¡¯s cynical words, she turned her head a little and looked at him. Then, Winter said nervously, ¡°To be clear, I¡¯m not mad at you, so don¡¯t ask me if I¡¯m angry.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯re thinking. What does that expressionless face mean? Does that mean you don¡¯t feel anything?¡± His words stirred a little bit of sadness on Violet¡¯s face. ¡°I thought it would be fun walking in the vineyard with you¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you think so?¡¯¡¯ At her words, Winter¡¯s temper, which had been bouncing all over like a rubber ball, fell flat and still. Winter, who had been frozen for a while, quickly wrapped Violet¡¯s arm around his arm and said, crossing his arms. ¡°I know. It looks like it. I was teasing you because you looked so happy.¡± Maybe his nonchalant lie worked, but Violet¡¯s eyes were slightly bent. Winter took out an envelope handed out by monks from the inside pocket of his jacket to turn the topic around. The envelope was attached with real flowers, and there was a card in it to write down the amount of sponsorship. Violet asked, wondering, ¡°You still haven¡¯t paid? They were collecting it all away before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about going to the monastery because I think the monks wrote it wrong.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t a hundred thousand enough?¡± ¡°You¡¯d think it was just me paying for it, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No matter who you are..¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of person who deserves limitations such as ¡®no matter¡¯. You¡¯re so ignorant of the world.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means you¡¯re really out of touch with the world.¡± When Winter repeated the same words as if there was no way to explain, a scream was heard from the table. ¡°Anyone please call the doctor!¡± A monk was seen falling between the tables. As Violet ran in a hurry, Winter followed her in a surprise. He was more interested in the fact that his wife, who did not run, was running when someone else¡¯s down. As they got closer, the fallen monk¡¯s body was convulsing. Violet leaned down to examine the condition of the young monk. The poison was spreading blue from the monk¡¯s hand, and in his hand was a bundle of donation envelopes with raw flowers received from the patrons. She checked the flowers in the envelope one by one and left one bag aside. It looked almost the same, but it was a different flower with a dot behind the petals. The envelope had the name Ranchia Yon Peze. Violet immediately loosened the ribbon around her waist and tied it tightly to the monk¡¯s arm so that the poison would no longer rise. Then, she took an antidote out of a small pocket in her sleeve. She carries it with her in case she was pregnant or swallowed poisonous herbs. Violet fed the monk with an antidote and made him drink lukewarm water. The antidote against poisonous plants was effective and soon the poison stopped spreading. It was not until a long time later that the doctor, who ran from nearby, said that the monk¡¯s life was not in danger and people finally felt relieved. Winter asked while supporting Violet¡¯s trembling arm as she was barely relaxed. ¡°What did you feed him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an antidote for poisonous plants.¡± ¡°Why do you carry that?¡± Then, Violet answered with a casual look. ¡°I love flowers. I¡¯m going to use it if I accidentally touch a poisonous one.¡± It was a little suspicious, but it was true that Violet usually likes flowers, and Winter managed to accept it because there was no reason for his wife to carry an antidote except for her explanation. Still, it was not completely convincing. *** Although it was a small incident, it was a big event that a person almost died. Eventually, the sponsorship party was stopped, and everyone turned around feeling worried and disappointed. While Violet and Winter were also waiting for the carriage, a monk ran over and invited them to the monastery. When they entered the monastery, fortunately, the pale and young monk who woke up quickly greeted them while lying down. ¡°I heard I was saved because you took action immediately. If twenty minutes passed after I collapsed, my life could have been in danger.¡± Violet, who turned pale at the news that his life was in danger, replied, ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence that the flowers were mixed in. The flowers that were mixed in can only be found in the alpine region. There¡¯s no reason for it to be here unless someone brings it on purpose.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± ¡°The envelope with the different flowers had the name Ranchia Yon Peze written on it.¡± Then, the boy replied with a bitter look. ¡°He is my uncle. My brother¡¯s in a critical condition.¡­.. if my brother dies without children, I will succeed the title..¡­.¡± The boy, who was accustomed to manners, did not want to lie down in front of the lady, so he stood up with all his might. ¡°Thank you. My name is Ranchia Yon Reyes, the second son of the Ranchia family.¡± The name coming at the back was a characteristic of some parts of the western continent. Violet answered with courtesy. ¡°I¡¯m Violet Blooming.¡± ¡°Oh, I see! The people of the Ranchia never forget the grace they have received, so we must help you..¡­.¡± The boy raised his voice a little and then stumbled and collapsed. Winter said as if he was dumbfounded. ¡°Just lie down, kid.¡± ¡°Lit-little boy you say? You¡¯re rude..¡­.¡± Winter shrugged his shoulders as if Reyes¡¯ young voice was funny. While the other monks gathered and worried about the youngest boy, he took his wife out into the hallway. He whispered in Violet¡¯s ear. ¡°Thanks to you, I infiltrated here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re invited in, what do you mean infiltrated?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going into the wrong direction) from here onward and enter the brewery. Since everyone is busy because that kid fell down, we¡¯re going to go around and come out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more heartless than I thought, aren¡¯t you? A man fell down, and now..¡­.¡± Winter replied as if he were surprised by Violet¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m more cold-hearted than you thought? You¡¯ve been overestimating me.¡± ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t do anything bad.¡± ¡°How can I be rich with my bare hands cleaned of anything bad? How naive can you be to think like that?¡± Winter clicked his tongue as if it was amazing. ¡°You don¡¯t know me that much, but you¡¯re talking about divorce.¡± ¡°A divorce doesn¡¯t hurt you financially.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more likely that having you will turn this marriage into a surplus than not even having you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh, that¡¯s possible.¡± After saying so, Violet shut her mouth. Thinking the conversation was over, Winter tried to take a step back, but Violet grabbed him by the wrist. ¡°I have a question.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°About the child..are you saying that you don¡¯t want to have a baby with me, or do you just hate it?¡± ¡°I just hate it.¡± ¡°I really want children a lot. So ¡®just¡¯ is not a solution to compromise.¡± Looking at his wife¡¯s desperate expression, it seemed that just saying no would not solve it. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to pay attention to my child.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give birth and raise it on my own. Your child will be growing up without even knowing about it.¡± Violet said imploringly. Of course, she will resign if he shrugs off and speaks of the title. After observing her for some time, Winter has recently learnt that his wife has a strong sense of responsibility. Although she did not hear from Ash about the dissolution of the royal family, she was willing to take responsibility for her brother¡¯s actions. But today, he couldn¡¯t just break her heart especially when he just met with the man who used to be engaged to her. He thought he just had to hand it over now. When his wife, who is about to collapse due to a crack, stabilizes a little bit. After she does what she wants. After buying her what she wants to have, and letting her do everything she wants to do, after she find something she would like more than having a child. After that, he thought it wouldn¡¯t be too late to say that he couldn¡¯t have children. Winter, who had been pondering for a long time, said in a shaky voice. ¡°It could happen somehow. If the contraception doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°What do we do then?¡± ¡°¡­¡­You should give birth.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes widened like a child, wondering what she was so happy about trying to avoid the situation. ¡°Thank you.¡± Violet was satisfied with his answer. Then, she held his hand tightly, as if she had learned from him, because she wanted to express her joy so that Winter knew it. Winter felt like a sinner abandoned in the desert after seeing her short, lucid joy, but soon going to crush her enthusiasm down with nonchalance. He managed to ease his anxiety by telling himself that there was nothing to worry about because there was no way he will have children anyway. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 The couple, who did not have a chance to enjoy their meal leisurely due to the suspension of the sponsorship party, felt hungry again when they arrived home late at night. Winter headed to the kitchen and asked Violet. ¡°Are you not hungry? I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of hungry. But waking people up because of that is just..¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat something simple.¡± Winter rummage through the kitchen for the ingredients. Then he stretched out the ingredients, and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°It¡¯s a difficult concept for a princess to understand, but they¡¯re called leftovers.¡± Violet narrowed her eyebrows slightly at Winter¡¯s mischievous words. Then, Winter asked, stretching the corners of his mouth. ¡°Have you ever tried leftovers?¡± ¡°Not in the world. It was decided by law that royalties shouldn¡¯t get food poisoning.¡± ¡°What about after marriage?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re paying me too much for the living.¡± Winter laughed pleasantly as if Violet¡¯s excuse was funny. Then he took out the vegetables and said, ¡°It would be worth seeing if a couple were suffering from food poisoning together.¡± ¡°It looks fresh and you¡¯re good at cutting.¡± ¡°I was a server at a restaurant until I was twelve.¡± Winter cleaned the vegetables and started frying them in a heavy-looking pan. She can¡¯t take her eyes off him because he looked amazing while seasoning it and pouring the sauce randomly. In the meantime, his thick forearm, which moves a heavy fan lightly, casually drew attention. The stir-fried food was put in a large bowl, cheese was shredded until the vegetables were not visible. When he handed the fork, Violet picked up the melting cheese and vegetables and put them in her mouth. It was a strange taste, but she liked it more than she thought. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Above all, her husband who¡¯s cooking was so lovely to Violet¡¯s eyes that she thought it would have been better if she knew it sooner. Winter, who was relieved when his wife was satisfied, said , eating with ease. ¡°If you don¡¯t know where anything was placed in the restaurant, you¡¯ll be in big trouble. There¡¯s sugar in the place where the salt was, if you add the wrong ingredient, it ruins the food.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°So, I had a hard time coming in the Blooming¡¯s for the first time. The location of the products keeps changing, but it¡¯s not my job to organize it, so I can¡¯t move it back. I¡¯m as nervous as a paranoid person, but I can¡¯t show it because if I show it, I¡¯m going to be just like the little kid back in the restaurant.¡± The story about Winter was both welcoming and heartbreaking for Violet. She murmured to herself. ¡°I wish I could have given you what you want. Honor too, money too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying this for you to pity me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a pity.¡­.. I would have been able to get along a bit faster if we did this sooner.¡± Being happy at this moment, Violet felt ashamed. All she could give was her heart, and she didn¡¯t have the things that Winter Blooming really wanted. Winter shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. *** Winter was busy for a while because things went well at Cantus Monastery. The monastery and his own brewery were also in and out. Fortunately, the monastery accepted the technology agreement when it was poked with information obtained while going around the monastery brewery once. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal for them either. Winter expected that if this was done, he would be happy, but even if things went well, it was not as exciting as he thought. Rather, he wanted to finish quickly and go home. His wife used to not talk carelessly, but these days, her words are even better. Her voice was good, and it was fun to notice the facial expressions that change every time she speaks. When he went home three days later, he was thinking about what to wear in advance, so he wore his best clothes and took them off. Hayel entered with a tense look. ¡°Lord, the telegraph from Alika, where the Canic clan lives, has returned.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± Looking at Hayel¡¯s expression, there seemed to be no way for a mixed race like Winter to have children. Winter, who had no high expectations anyway, thought it was not a big deal while releasing the vest button, and Hayel said carefully. ¡°That¡­¡­ There is no half-blood. The Alika area is a closed area where people can¡¯t live without the Canic clan, and even mixed-race people can¡¯t migrate.¡± ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s not working.¡± Winter nervously took off his vest and threw it on the ground. Knowing that his anger was at its limit, Hayel closed his eyes tightly because he thought it would be better to say it at once. ¡°And what I found out together.¡­..the Lord¡¯s biological mother¡­¡­ She¡¯s in Alikca.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Got it? If you¡¯ll eat that, mom will pick you up soon. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Yes! Hurry up and come back.¡± He waved his hand and sent his mother like that. Even if she didn¡¯t come back, he tried to understand his mother until now. How hard it must have been to raise him alone. That¡¯s probably why she did that in order to live. So he thought everything would be solved if he had money. He thought she was dead or shameless to appear in front of him, seeing that she did not come even though he was famous for his wealth. But he found her. At least he wanted to repay her for giving birth to him, and he wanted to compensate for the difficulties she had in taking care of him until he was five years old. But it was not a matter of living and eating. She threw him away because he could not enter the place where her clan was. She only considered her own safety. Winter burst into laughter. ¡°There¡¯s something else to believe. I trusted a woman who abandoned her child.¡± ¡°My Lord¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I can¡¯t fit in here or there. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t know.¡± He swiped his face once with his hands and continued. ¡°Put out everything I bought for my mother, and cancel the schedules.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, sir.¡± There were a series of schedules that would cause a big trouble if canceled, but Hayel knew that the situation would only worsen if he stopped him here. Hayel quickly picked up the vest that fell on the floor, putting it in the trash, he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°House, I need my wife.¡± After hearing Winter¡¯s words, which was more calm than Hayel thought, he brightened up a little. It was the first time he heard such a thing from Winter. He was worried that Winter would wipe out the Alika area with his low temper, but there was one person who had the power to control him. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare right away!¡± Hayel rushed out. *** While Winter was busy, Violet was preparing a small garden party. She was going to have a garden party with her husband, only the two of them, and tell him that she¡¯s pregnant. Originally, Violet should have held dozens of parties, but there was no chance because the situation was not good. With little experience, it was so difficult to prepare a party for only two people. Still, choosing flowers made the rest a little easier. Fortunately, the people she got to know at the book club helped her a lot. A white linen tablecloth, covered with a semicircle on the falling par, and a Mulley-centered centerpiece was placed around. Violet asked Maureen, the owner of the silk shop. ¡°Maureen, what dress will be good for me to wear?¡± ¡°The green one is good.¡± ¡°Oh, green. That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Violet agreed. After a while, after she changed into a green dress, Maureen made a fuss next to her. ¡°Oh, it looks good on you. I have a good eye, right?¡± ¡°Anyway, thanks for your help.¡± It was, of course, good for merchants to make personal deals with wives of influential families, and even a deal with Winter Blooming¡¯s wife, who doesn¡¯t have a limit in budget, was lucky of luck. But aside from that, Maureen was very fond of Violet. At first, she thought she was just a noble, but the more she knows her, the better she was. When Maureen went back after meddling for a long time, Violet asked her to choose the right soup out of the three soups for her. The carriage arrived while she was looking for something that matches the color and taste for the table. Winter said he would not come until three days later. Violet couldn¡¯t hide her embarrassment, because the main character of the party came while she was still preparing. Whether or not, Winter walked in and hugged Violet. ¡°How did you know I¡¯m coming?¡± When Winter hugged her, the embarrassed Violet beckoned the crew away. Winter¡¯s condition looked too bad for her to tell him what kind of rudeness it was. Violet patted him on the back and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Only after Winter found stability did he let her go and asked. ¡°Why did you prepare this? You don¡¯t like things like this.¡± ¡°I need to tell you something. I don¡¯t think I can put it off any longer.¡­.. I was going to eat and talk after I finished preparing.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Do it now.¡± At Winter¡¯s urging, Violet sighed deeply and pulled herself together, but eventually shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in three days. You don¡¯t look so happy..¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a state of patience right now. So tell me, is it a good thing or a bad thing?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing for me, and for you¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll be.¡± Violet took a deep breath so that her shoulders would flutter again and gaze at Winter. After saying, nothing happened. Winter¡¯s eyes searched around her like a frenzy. Violet opened her mouth because he had an expression that wouldn¡¯t make her postpone it further. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Winter didn¡¯t answer. Violet continued calmly. ¡°Honestly, I was afraid to tell you at first I thought you wouldn¡¯t like it, but you said ¡®Let¡¯s give birth when we get one¡¯. That¡¯s how I gained courage.¡± Violet speaks as if to take control of Winter¡¯s expression, which looked worse than expected, but Winter, who was staring at her, laughed. ¡°Good for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Really? Do you really think it¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess you don¡¯t have to listen to talks about children anymore.¡± Violet¡¯s expression which was anxious, at Winter¡¯s words became slightly brighter, but it didn¡¯t last very long. ¡°If you¡¯re going to run away with someone else after giving birth, give up.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Winter pointed at himself and his wife alternately with his index finger, as Violet asked back in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you so far, but we can¡¯t have children. I¡¯m a half-blood, so I can¡¯t have children unless it¡¯s from the same family, but now that you¡¯re pregnant, the child can¡¯t be mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Then I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s another man¡¯s child.¡± Winter¡¯s sarcastic remarks filled Violet¡¯s watery eyes with complex emotions. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s your child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. I¡¯m going to attach people to you from now on. I¡¯ll make them follow you wherever you go. I¡¯ve been through it, so I know. You can¡¯t trust anyone who¡¯s coming back.¡± Violet laughed in vain as her voice mixed with feelings of betrayal in the past and present. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that to me.¡± ¡°Why not? Think about what your family did to me. No matter what I do, you don¡¯t deserve to refuse. I don¡¯t want you to leave my house with my current mood. But I¡¯ll watch you as much as I can.¡± ¡°Winter!¡± Winter laughed when Violet, who didn¡¯t listen, raised her voice. ¡°You want me to be honest? You¡¯re nothing, if you¡¯re not my wife. In the end, you¡¯re just a nobody with no money and no status. I can do anything to you.¡± Violet was speechless by his sharp words. Her chest raised and fell with unbearable anger and sadness. Without the child, she would have repeatedly committed suicide several times until she eventually die. But on the other hand, she was a woman of great restraint, so she forced herself to calm down for the child. After a while, Violet saw Winter holding onto his passion with an absurdly aristocratic look. ¡°You¡¯ll¡­¡­ regret it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The child will look like you when it¡¯s born. You will surely regret saying that to me and not trusting me.¡± She muttered as she turned around. ¡°A silly and stupid person.¡± Violet walks into the mansion, and Winter stumbles and barely manages to sit on a chair. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Winter drank alcohol in his room for a few days after that. For a while, the sound of breaking and cracking was heard from his bedroom and swear words were pouring, but it calmed down in an instant. It was quiet until the next morning. Hayel opened Winter¡¯s bedroom door with confidence and was impressed by the cigarette smoke and smell of alcohol pouring out. ¡°.¡­..Oh, I¡¯m going crazy.¡± When Winter¡¯s eyes turned, the answer was to put everything around him away and avoid him until his anger subsided. Still, he was someone who wanted Winter to see and find out about him, so he just sent him because he thought it was false, but it was not. Normally, he would have searched around Violet to see if the affair was correct, and Winter Blooming would have found evidence that could not be taken away, and won an advantageous contract. The person who did best in business was terrible in marriage. Hayel ran, dissatisfied with the pity, opened the window and shouted. ¡°Lord! If you¡¯re alive, wake up!¡± Winter, who had fallen asleep for a long time, groaned and tossed at Hayel¡¯s way of waking up. Flip, who came in with him, picked up the bottle Winter inhaled all night. Hayel sighed and said, ¡°The average person would have been found dead if they had drank this much, sir.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Winter spoke in a completely sober voice, then lifted himself up from the bed, and sat with his back against the headboard. He poured alcohol wildly, saying he couldn¡¯t fall asleep or get drunk. Winter always told him before, he lost money and bought something profitable. He basically had an eye for the flow of money. The result of his failed investment in all aspects was Violet. Winter tilted his head back and murmured. ¡°She¡¯s even cheating on me.¡± It is not that he didn¡¯t know that he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with his wife, but the problem is, he doesn¡¯t seem to have such a dirty hobby. Winter¡¯s condition was in a mess due to the storm including the drunkenness that hit him a few days ago. He was recovering immediately on the day he lost all his property, but it took him days to get out of the betrayal he received from his mother and wife on the same day. Hayel poked Flip to talk to him and jeered Winter, but Flip pretended to hold the bottle and concentrate on cleaning the room, as if it was his job. Hayel said with a deep sigh. ¡°No, there could be a lot of other reasons for pregnancy, but why do you say it¡¯s an affair, really?¡± ¡°Any other reason? Give me one.¡± When Winter murmured, Hayel answered sneakily. ¡°¡­¡­A miracle?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an amazing talker, aren¡¯t you?¡± While Hayel rolled his eyes to see if he had anything to say, Flip, who had been silent next to him, suddenly stepped in and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m on the little lady¡¯s side. Everyone will agree that the little lady is not one who will have an affair.¡± Normally, Winter would have told Flip not to confront him, but now he didn¡¯t feel like it. ¡°I thought so, too.¡± Before he got married without seeing her once, her wife had a man whom she had talked about marriage with. In addition, the man¡¯s name was listed on his wife¡¯s property document. The sunlight pouring through the open window of Winter¡¯s room was dazzling, he covered his eyes with his hands and grumbled. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not worth living.¡± *** Violet has not been able to eat anything other than a fruit these days. In addition, she had a headache all the time because she didn¡¯t even take medicine, saying she didn¡¯t want to harm the child, even if the doctor said it was okay. Jen sat on a chair next to the bed where Violet was sitting, and grumbled peeling a fruit. ¡°I know who the little lady is meeting all day. Why does the little master catch people without even knowing?¡± Violet nodded and sympathized, and Jen grumbled about Winter¡¯s temper. ¡°If it were me, I would have gone wild and fainted.¡± ¡°I also wanted to, but.¡­.. it might be bad for the child.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get sick if you put up with that, little lady. And the older sisters who had got married said that if your husband can¡¯t do it in the early stages of pregnancy, it will remain in your heart forever. You have to pester him later, by all means.¡± As Jen was mumbling while cutting the fruit, a knock on the bedroom door was heard. ¡°Violet.¡± It was Catherine¡¯s voice. Jen was confused and when she saw Violet, she nodded as if she had expected it. Jen opened the door, and saw James dressed up for the party, just like Catherine in a nice dress. Now that she doesn¡¯t have enough money to have a party at home, she¡¯s probably going to get invited somewhere. Catherine said with a heavy look. ¡°I heard the story. I heard you¡¯re pregnant.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Judging from their facial expressions, they didn¡¯t seem to be here to celebrate. When Violet shut up, Catherine continued. ¡°Winter can¡¯t have children with you. You heard that, too.¡± ¡°You know that¡­.. but you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± When Catherine hesitated, James opened his mouth instead. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all money that came between you two anyway? These collateral things are just marriage that would¡¯ve happened without even knowing it.¡± ¡°For three years¡­¡­ You didn¡¯t even say anything when people blamed me for not having children.¡± Sadness and anger crushed Violet, but she tried to find composure. In the past three years, she has been this angry, but she never felt so betrayed. If they had told her in advance, she would have accepted it. It was a marriage of money. However, it was a completely different story to say this after she was pregnant and drove her into an affair. ¡°Please, wait until the baby is born. You¡¯ll definitely know when the child is born¡­¡­¡± The bedroom door opened while Violet was patiently persuading them. Winter, who looked wasted even though he had just shaved, stood over the door. He looked into the room with an indifferent look and spoke in an irritated voice. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it from the outside, but you two don¡¯t deserve to say that to my wife.¡± ¡°Winter, how can you say that¡­¡­¡± Winter, who leaned against the door, was tired as Catherine approached, and continued. ¡°That¡¯s what it is. What have you been doing for 3 years? Why do you nag her after something happens? You should¡¯ve taken care of at least one of my wife¡¯s work with so many living expenses that I¡¯ve been giving you. She¡¯s my replacement, the only productive person in the house.¡± ¡°Son, what a rude thing to say.¡± When James scolded, Catherine said soothingly. ¡°Winter was so surprised that he couldn¡¯t control his emotions. Don¡¯t be so angry.¡± James shut up as if his wife had stopped him. Winter didn¡¯t let his family own much property, because he had a distrust that his family could abandon him at any time. Even the Blooming family estate was largely owned by Winter, and the remaining assets had been drastically reduced due to successive business failures by Dave, who felt inferior to his brother. They are still far richer than ordinary LaCrown citizens, but no ordinary citizen has spent as much as they do. Therefore, it was a great threat to them that the attention of their son, who only knew his parents, turned to their daughter-in-law. Winter said with a face about to explode. ¡°Both of you, please leave.¡± ¡°Are you going to be okay alone? We¡¯re having a party at the Landon family today, so why don¡¯t you come with us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the mood to hang out right now.¡± Winter sarcastically replied to Catherine¡¯s words, and opened the door like a doorman and greeted them, as if asking them to go out. Eventually, when the two left the room as if they were being kicked out, Winter gestured to Jen to leave as well. ¡°Jen, go rest.¡± At Violet¡¯s words, Jen¡¯s face looked worried as she was about to go out with a tray of fruits. Then, Winter said, ¡°Leave it there.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Jen left the bedroom feeling lost. When only the two of them were left, Violet looked at Winter without saying a word. After a long silence, Winter put one knee on the bed and leaned over. Violet¡¯s body, which was avoiding him, collapsed on the bed. Violet¡¯s eyes smeared with fear, but her voice contained strength. ¡°It¡¯s your child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I have nothing more to say. There¡¯s no way to prove it.¡± ¡°Tell me who it is. I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± He meant it. He could forgive Violet with all his heart, if there was a guarantee that his wife and the child¡¯s biological father would never meet. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°It has to be reliable for me to believe.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡­. What I said about wanting to get divorced is still valid.¡± She remained calm even if she was afraid to face the man with a great physique who exerts intimidation and thought of attacking her. In Winter¡¯s eyes, his wife¡¯s appearance was filled with nobility in any situation. Even now, she looked convinced of injustice. He always suffered from the desire to bring his wife down and put her in his arms. From the day they first met until now, it was still the same. ¡°If he¡¯s a good person, he¡¯ll let you go.¡± Winter replied, and unlike his cold eyes, he raised Violet with a gentle touch, and sat down. Maybe it was because he was doing all kinds of stupid things alone for a few days, but seeing his wife¡¯s face made him feel better. He opened his mouth by picking up the fruits that Jen had left behind with the intention of relieving the atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯ll turn down the party on my own, so take a rest at home. Stop working in the garden because it¡¯s dangerous. Call me home, if you want to do a book club.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s all up to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t learned.¡± Winter answered in a minor way, and he ate half of the apples, and gave the other half to Violet. Winter, who sat with his back on Violet again, chewed on the apple and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of guy he is, but if I find him, I¡¯ll strangle him right away. Tell him to run away when he gets in touch.¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re strangling yourself.¡± Winter¡¯s broad shoulders shook with ridicule, perhaps because Violet¡¯s calm words were ridiculous. After spending a short time without further conversation, Winter stood up and Violet held his hand. Violet asked him looking back. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it ever occur to you that it could really be your child?¡± Violet was desperate. Her pride, which was left behind, was completely crushed. She was being treated as a woman with no money and no status, and even being suspected of having an affair. Nevertheless, she clung to her husband as if begging him. She can withstand it when she thinks of her child, but it was unacceptable that her child was being suspected as another man¡¯s child. Winter, who had been thinking for a while about her plea, opened his mouth. ¡°I checked your land register. Where the money goes?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®What¡¯? The man you used to have marriage talk with is supposed to be the one receiving the tenant¡¯s fee.¡± Violet pulled her husband¡¯s arm inadvertently because she didn¡¯t understand at all and was nervous. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Please tell me in detail.¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°What more explanation do you need? Carlson Lowe. Of course it¡¯s impossible for you not to know that his name is on it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Hayel confirmed it. Don¡¯t try to insist.¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯ll show you the document.¡± Violet struggled up and stumbled. Winter grabbed her arm to support her, but she shook it off and opened the safe inside the closet. There were several documents inside, one of which was the Long Leewood¡¯s land document. Violet presented the document. ¡°Here you go. The only thing written on it is my name.¡± ¡°Not this. The remaining 4.500 Katashans land.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a royal property, so I don¡¯t have the documents.¡± ¡°Then who¡­¡­¡± Winter, who was speaking louder, thought for a moment and asked. ¡°Did you get only 500 Katashans of land from your brother? From the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I gave all of the 5.000 Katashans land for you, whether for you to sell them or get a tenant fee for buying dresses and partying.¡± Violet¡¯s eyes grew bigger, at the words he uttered with contorted expressions. Winter soon asked as if he was interrogating. ¡°How can he transfer your property into the royal property without your permission? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ash enjoys polo with high-ranking officials, and the meeting also includes the head of the central bank of the capital, which manages royal property.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Winter was really going crazy. To him, who climbed up from the floor, the high society his wife explained was often so unrealistic, that it felt like a lie. As Winter poured harsh swear words one after another, Violet wrapped her hands around her ears. She could not tell the child that his father was such a tough talker. At her actions, Winter covered his mouth with his hand and put it down, then he continued. ¡°How can a princess like you maintain her dignity with that in the first place? Isn¡¯t that weird? Shouldn¡¯t you have asked me what you were supposed to do?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t weird. Thank you for caring about me that much, and¡­¡­ Do you have time to ask if you thought it was weird?¡± Violet was about to cry while talking, so she closed her mouth and pressed between her chest with her hands. These days, her emotions get intense so easily. Barely keeping her emotions together, she continued. ¡°I¡¯ll go check with the central bank.¡± ¡°How can you ride such a rocky carriage in the early stage of your pregnancy? I¡¯ll be back, so stay at home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to be in trouble if I ride the carriage for a while. I need to go find out what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s my job.¡± Winter blocked the door with his body, as Violet spoke firmly and headed to the door. ¡°Even the train¡¯s supposed to take seven hours, how can you say that it¡¯s only a while. Don¡¯t do anything dangerous. I¡¯ll check it out soon.¡± Violet couldn¡¯t leave the bedroom when a man as big as the door blocked it. Violet who resigned then said. ¡°Then, please make sure of it.¡± Winter¡¯s mind was relieved by her strong eyes. The things he feared, the look she had built as if she had given up, was full of vitality in her desire to protect the child. Winter wanted his wife to be just like the first time he saw her, when she held his hand firmly with affection, whether having an affair or something. To do so, it was clear that the child would have to be born safely and be held in Violet¡¯s arms. *** Winter didn¡¯t think of it as a waste of money, because it wasn¡¯t his money anyway. However, he was shocked by the fact that Violet only lived with one-tenth of what he thought. While heading to the capital, Winter¡¯s head was mixed up with thoughts. As soon as the train arrived in the capital, Winter headed to the Opera House where Carlson was performing. If the central bank is on Ash¡¯s side anyway, it will not return the land with one excuse or another even if Violet comes, let alone himself. Don¡¯t know about others, but Winter was not confident that he would win the legal battle against Ash, who holds power even after the dissolution of the royal family. Winter decided to cut the root from the easiest person who is connected. He entered the waiting room for the singer at the opera theater with a fierce fight. As he kicked in the door, Carlson, who had just left the stage, was drinking alcohol without even removing his stage makeup. ¡°Lowe.¡± When Winter called, Carlson turned and looked at him. ¡°Sir Winter! You¡¯re so rude every time I see you.¡± ¡°About Long Leewood. How did it happen?¡± ¡°Oh, you know that now.¡± As he answered in sarcasm, and with a face that wasn¡¯t serious at all, Winter couldn¡¯t resist his temper and grabbed his collar. ¡°Why the hell do you get the rent for the land? My wife has no idea.¡± Whether he was drunk, it¡¯s because there were just the two of them, or whether because Winter was too rude, Carlson lowered his words as if he were a servant. ¡°The more money, the better. I wrote it after taking good measures.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I wrote it. Not a penny left.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Ash, that guy, must have done it.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I really did it myself.¡± Carson smelled strongly other than alcohol, and he wasn¡¯t too scared. Winter¡¯s voice fell threateningly. ¡°Now that I see you doing this even from behind the scenes, you really aren¡¯t sane, such an addict.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the performance over? I also have manners to my fans.¡± Carlson¡¯s body, which was flapping back and fumbling, tripped and landed on the floor. However, Carlson did not seem to be able to feel the pain as much as he was drunk. In order to question him seriously, Winter rolled his sleeves, stood in front of Carlson, looked down, and asked. ¡°Ash Lawrence urged you, didn¡¯t he? Say yes. He¡¯s not worth your loyalty.¡± ¡°I really did it alone. You know, if it weren¡¯t for you, I could have married Violet. So I hate you, and I hate Violet, Winter Blooming. Anyway, if you didn¡¯t know that for 3 years, that means you¡¯re not interested in your wife at all. Does it make a difference whether I spend your wife¡¯s money that you don¡¯t love or she spends it? I¡¯d better believe that I wrote it, not the Lawrence family.¡± Winter, who was about to stop Carlson¡¯s nag once more, paused for a moment. Carlson didn¡¯t seem to think that Winter had been suspicious of the two¡¯s affair. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡­ you don¡¯t even settle it with my wife.¡± ¡°Why would Violet do such a thing..¡­.. Oh, are you talking about an affair?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the meantime, Carlson burst out laughing. ¡°You didn¡¯t even notice that I¡¯ve been stealing money for three years, and now you¡¯re suspicious of an affair? You didn¡¯t tell Violet about it, did you? ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I would feel good if I told you.¡± Carlson continued, still unable to withstand the remaining laughter. ¡°Violet is a person who has a strong pride, as strong as she tries not to hurt other people¡¯s pride. That princess would rather kill herself than being sold for money. But because of the guilt that her father made the country indebted, she gave up her pride and swallowed it. Marrying a stranger like you.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You have no idea. If you knew Violet, you wouldn¡¯t have said that to her.¡± Carlson continued with a satisfied look. ¡°You will never be forgiven by Violet. She¡¯s that kind of a person. Violet, who I was madly in love with and trying to be loved by, until you showed up. She will never forgive you for destroying her pride. No matter how much the world has ruined her, the values of a person will never change.¡± Carlson was tired of sitting down, so he lay down on the floor. He opened his eyes half-closed with pain and drowsiness, and found Winter¡¯s complex expression and laughed hard. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re in big trouble.¡± Although the conversation didn¡¯t work because he was drunk, Winter couldn¡¯t afford to question Carlson even if he was clear-minded. When Winter hurried out of there, Hayel hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Where are you going? Help me fix this.¡± ¡°I have to go back home.¡± ¡°No! How could you beat up such a popular singer and just leave?¡± ¡°Anyway, he can¡¯t even remember because he¡¯s drunk.¡± ¡°Give him at least a few bucks..¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been stealing my money for three years. What kind of money do you want me to give? Take care of it by yourself. I¡¯ll go.¡± Winter hurried to the carriage. ¡°You will never be forgiven by Violet.¡± What that lunatic said suddenly made him nervous. If there was no infidelity between the two, as his wife and Carlson said, how on earth did his wife get pregnant? There¡¯s someone I haven¡¯t guessed, or¡­¡­ When the opponent, who he thought was certain was removed, other families belatedly filled his head. His wife may have never met another man. Hayel¡¯s nonsense words about the miracle kept lingering in his head. Hope is unnecessary. Optimistic people fail. That was Winter¡¯s stubbornness. However, no matter how much he endured in front of his wife, his stubbornness eventually broke down. He was nervous as he sat on a train bound for the south, crossing his arms and tapping his fingers. On second thought, he couldn¡¯t figure out how his wife lived with such little money. He knew that saying ¡®why she didn¡¯t say it earlier¡¯ would no longer work. So he was going to ask her how she has lived for the past three years and he will listen to her as much as she wants this time. There was so much to tell her as soon as he got back. She may not understand and hate it, but she had to talk more about money today. He was actually spending ten times as much money as she thought. So he had ten times as much affection for her as she thought. That¡¯s how he calculates affection. It¡¯s something she needs to know about him. So she needs to know that. She has to understand. He had to get it across to his wife as soon as possible. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 It was not long after Winter left for the capital. Catherine Blooming¡¯s maid brought Violet a small box of present. ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the lady as a token of apology.¡± Violet accepted the box and greeted her with stiff lips. ¡°Please tell her I¡¯m thankful.¡± ¡°Yes, little lady.¡± When the Duchess¡¯ maid left, Violet sat on the bed again, struggling. She had a splitting pain in her back. The symptoms were similar to the month when menstrual pain was exceptionally severe. Since she had no experience, she wondered if pregnancy was originally like this. Jen, who received the gift box instead, said as if nagging. ¡°So take your medicine. You don¡¯t take it even though the doctor said it¡¯s okay to take the medicine during pregnancy.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt that much.¡± ¡°Your face looks pale, I guess.¡± Jen pouted, pulled out the box and opened it, and there were small shoes in it. Jen confirmed that it was safe and brought it to Violet, and she looked surprised. ¡°Oh, my God. Pretty¡­¡­¡± When the Blooming couple, who came to scold her, heard a word from Winter and went back, she wondered if they were venting their anger. Surprisingly, however, there was a neat pair of baby shoes in the box. It was a very good shoe with a silk exterior and a fluffy inside. Violet admired the box on her lap. ¡°Baby shoes are really small.¡± ¡°But if the child looks like a little master, wouldn¡¯t it be a big child? But I don¡¯t know if the child looks like the little lady.¡± ¡°I heard that when I was born, I was also on the big side.¡± Violet couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the shoes while answering. Come to think of it, the mansion was too dangerous to raise a baby. The decorations were plain and each item had pointed decorations. She suddenly felt sorry that there was nothing prepared for the child as she was shocked when being informed of the pregnancy. Jen ran when Violet, who had finished thinking, tried to get up by force. ¡°Oh, why are you getting up? You said you had a backache.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I have to prepare a room for my child when he¡¯s born? I was lying down too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been two months. What are you trying to prepare?¡± ¡°But first of all.¡­.. I can also spend time¡­¡­¡± Violet stopped talking because her back was hurting and continued again. Rather, she wondered if she was sick, because she was lying down too much. It might be better to walk a little. When the pain subsided a little, Violet walked to a room a few feet away from her room. ¡°I love this room. I liked this place the best since I first got here.¡± Jen said as she looked around the room, recalling the day Violet first came to the mansion three years ago. ¡°The little lady¡¯s room is too small and isolated. Why don¡¯t you move here now?¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m used to it, I think it¡¯ll be unfamiliar for me.¡± Violet continued as she walked slowly through the spacious room where the sun was exceptionally well lit. ¡°Even if my husband insists that it¡¯s not his child, or if he doesn¡¯t want to raise the child. If I ask for a room, he¡¯ll give it.¡± Then, she will spend every day in this room looking at the child¡¯s face. If she gives her child her favorite room in this house, she will be happier living here. Jen groaned next to her. ¡°The little lady looked like a guest, when you say he¡¯s going to give up the room.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­ I¡¯ll settle it with my husband, and make a decision.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯d better say!¡± Violet covered her mouth with her hands and smiled softly at Jen¡¯s answer. She felt like her punishment was over after she stood in this room. She was only focusing on her child, everything that happened was forgotten. Violet said in a pleasant voice. ¡°Put the cradle over there¡­¡­the walls are colorful¡­¡­ Oh, it would be nice if I drew a rainbow or something. Is that too childish?¡± When Violet was sincerely happy and asked questions, Jen was excited, and she came up with one opinion or another. It was when she was thinking that if the little master insisted on not using this room, she should protest with the little lady. Violet eventually sat down as if the pain had come back. ¡°L-little lady!¡± When Jen ran and helped, Violet said, breathing heavily. ¡°Strangely¡­¡­ It felt just like when my period began.¡± ¡°Yes, yes? No way¡­¡­ Are, are you bleeding?¡± ¡°Well, is that dangerous then?¡± ¡°P-please wait a moment! I¡¯ll be right back with a doctor!¡± Jen puts Violet on the guest¡¯s bed and runs away. A little later, after Beryl, the original male doctor, quit, a new female doctor specializing in birth came running. Throughout the treatment, Violet constantly prayed for the child¡¯s safety. There should be nothing wrong with the child. She forgot that she was sick because she was regretting that she drank something strong without knowing. After a while, the doctor who finished medical treatment made a grave sound. ¡°Well, little lady.¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, right?¡± Then the doctor continued, avoiding Violet¡¯s desperate gaze. ¡°The period is right.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­does that mean?¡± When Violet forced her upper body, the doctor continued, looking only at the floor in regret. ¡°I don¡¯t think you were pregnant from the beginning. Sometimes that¡­¡­there are times when you have the same symptoms as pregnancy in your imagination. Perhaps the little lady is desperate to get pregnant.¡­.. I think. If you don¡¯t know much about pregnant women, like the doctor who examined you earlier, there¡¯s a high probability to misdiagnose them. The symptoms are¡­¡­so identical.¡± ¡°..¡­.¡± The doctor continued talking after that, but Violet does not hear anything. She thought she didn¡¯t have expectations, but she actually had a lot. There was hope that one day she could persuade Winter to give birth to a child, that her relationship with him will get better little by little, and that her resentment toward him would be resolved. She will also have a family that is simple and often laughs, like the dream she had when she was young. When what she believed to be a miracle disappeared like a mirage, she returned to reality, where she could not even get a rest like death. *** Since the distance between the capital and the south is far, it took time no matter how urgent he came. It was early in the morning when Winter arrived home. As soon as he arrived, he was going to wake up Violet who¡¯s asleep and bring in the dresses and jewels that he had bought. He had to show that. This way, Violet will know that he was considering her as his wife. Then he decided to believe that the child is his. It¡¯s impossible to try catching his wife¡¯s affair forever, when there wasn¡¯t even any evidence. Thinking of it like that makes him feel comfortable and even a strange sense of relief. Winter hurriedly entered the mansion to tell her his decision quickly, and he made a face. At this early hour, all the people in the mansion were awake. Winter found something wrong with an extremely gloomy atmosphere. Flip, who was in tears, ran to him when he stopped in ominousness. ¡°L-lord you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with the atmosphere?¡± Then Flip, who was shaking his shoulders and sniffing, managed to say. ¡°The little lady wasn¡¯t pregnant.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Winter made a face as if he was going to kill him right away, Flip wiped his tears with his hands and barely continued. ¡°The little lady was so desperate that she only had symptoms, she wasn¡¯t pregnant. She hasn¡¯t moved since yesterday like a dead person¡­.¡± ¡°You should do as much bullshit as well. I can¡¯t understand.¡± Winter pushed him and hurried to Violet¡¯s bedroom. When he entered Violet¡¯s bedroom, his wife was sitting in a window chair looking outside, and some of the maids were bringing up all the good stories they knew to make her talk somehow. Only the two were left in the bedroom, after the maids who saw Winter left the room immediately. He cannot believe she wasn¡¯t pregnant. Winter looked at Violet, who only looked out the window. ¡°Violet.¡± Violet didn¡¯t move at all. She didn¡¯t cry or feel sad. She was just turning her back on the disturbance. Winter couldn¡¯t figure out what to do because she had never looked like this before. He first bowed down and grabbed both handles, Winter said in a voice that was far from soothing. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been doing this since yesterday.¡± ¡°..¡­.¡± ¡°Get some sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Violet.¡± No matter how many times he called, there was no answer. Winter raised Violet from her chair, thinking that she would have to be laid down before putting her to sleep. She didn¡¯t rebel, but even after lying on her bed, she lay on her side of the window and looked out quietly. Winter, who was sitting by her side without a word, took the lead. ¡°Take some sleeping pills if you really can¡¯t sleep.¡± Winter shouted outward, still holding Violet. ¡°Get me some sleeping pills!¡± Outside, one of the maid slightly slipped her head in and said. ¡°I-inside the closet, there¡¯re always some sleeping pills.¡± ¡°Then bring some water!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The maid answered in fear and hurriedly fetched some water. Winter opened the closet and found sleeping pills. Always? Winter stood with a bottle of medicine and kept talking to her. ¡°What kind of medicine do you take all the time? What good will it bring to your body? You sleep because you¡¯re sleepy, can you take medicine and fall fast asleep? You can¡¯t. I¡¯ll take you for a walk for tomorrow. If you walk a little bit, you¡¯ll fall asleep without taking medicine. You¡¯ll feel better.¡± No matter what he said, Violet didn¡¯t answer. Nevertheless, Winter continued. He, who was not very talkative, soon ran out of words as he kept on talking. Soon, Winter asked when the maid brought a bottle of water and a glass. ¡°Did you feed her anything?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t even drink water all day..¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, damn it.¡± Winter sat on the bed with a glass filled with water on the table. Even if he turned off the bedroom light, the sun was already up and the curtains were open, so the room was bright. Winter said, fixing Violet¡¯s hair with one hand. ¡°Drink some water. You will be dehydrated.¡± ¡°..¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep and head straight to the capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a house in the capital. I don¡¯t really like flowers, but that house is fine. I don¡¯t know how nice the garden is. You like the capital city and the flowers.It¡¯d be nice to go. You¡¯ll like it.¡± Winter, whose breath trembled as he was not sure how she had lived, raised his voice a little. ¡°You should at least cry. It¡¯s soothing. Or hit me or get angry. I¡¯ll be happy to get hit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Violet, who had been lying down for a long time, raised herself up. And she made eye contact with Winter who looked at her. Her lips are open. ¡°¡­¡­¡±