Chapter 88
Yulli Iren seemed to have a lot on her mind, as she didn’t come immediately even after learning that Hyugen was at the Dümfelt residence. Instead, he formally invited Viktor to the royal palace, thinking it would be safer. But Viktor didn’t even consider it—he outright refused.
Viktor returned home first. As soon as he entered, Blight rushed over and said,
“Miss has woken up.”
“Is Scarlett still at home?”
“Yes… it seems… she might have forgotten that she got divorced again.”
“I see.”
Viktor stepped inside the house.
Unlike usual, a warm atmosphere pervaded the house. As he entered, Scarlett, who was humming while trimming flowers in the first-floor lobby—perhaps in a good mood—looked up.
“Viktor?”
Scarlett checked the time and tilted her head.
“You’re early…”
“……”
Viktor approached her and removed the lace gloves from her hands. With the bandages on, the gloves had hidden the wounds, but now her injuries were fully visible.
She had also tightly wrapped her neck with a scarf to hide a wound and spoke flustered,
“I woke up this morning… I don’t even know how it happened.”
Viktor didn’t even notice her trying to pull her hand away and stared at the wound. He recalled Hyugen Hunter, who had refused tea earlier.
Even though he was strong enough not to drink it himself, he had made this woman drink it. Then he left her locked in a monastery for a hundred days without visiting.
If she found out, what would she think of him? Was there any way to keep her from ever knowing?
Or, if she did know, was there a way to make sure she couldn’t leave?
While he was lost in thought, Scarlett spoke with a face full of worry.
“Viktor.”
“……”
“Are you angry? I’m sorry.”
Viktor still didn’t respond, so Scarlett stretched out her arms and hugged his neck.
Only then did he look at her, and Scarlett smiled brightly. Seeing her smile, Viktor’s expression turned cold as he asked,
“Why are you smiling? What’s so funny? You’re hurt this badly. Why are you laughing in a situation like this?”
Hearing anger in his voice, Scarlett laughed even more brightly.
“It’s nothing serious. Not a big wound.”
“……”
“It’s really nothing, Viktor.”
“If there’s a role where the only thing you need to do is act like you’re laughing, there’s no one who could do it better than her.”
Viktor grabbed her wrist and pulled Scarlett to the guest bedroom nearby. He locked the door, made her sit on the bed, and kissed her roughly. Scarlett gasped in surprise and clutched his shirt, but he didn’t stop.
After briefly pulling back his lips and removing his jacket, he said,
“You should carry my child.”
“W-what are you saying all of a sudden?”
“Have my child. Right now. We need a child.”
If she found out, the wall she had built in her heart from Viktor’s past brutality would only grow stronger. She might never look at him again. Even the remaining spark of affection she had would be extinguished.
If he could just make her stay by his side, he could ignore everything happening outside this mansion. He would take the amnesiac Scarlett, have her bear his child, and leave for Bestina.
His childhood desire to become royalty was nothing but brainwashing—his mother’s influence and society’s judgment against a displaced princess.
As he hurriedly loosened his tie and removed his shirt, Scarlett stared at him with wide eyes.
“Why are you suddenly like this, really?”
“Don’t you want this?”
“No… I don’t not want it. Never. But everyone says it can’t happen before my twentieth birthday. If I get pregnant before then, the child won’t be healthy.”
Viktor knew her current words were false. This answer couldn’t be her true answer.
Too desperate, he didn’t even notice the problem in her words. Grabbing her legs roughly, he pulled her toward him, and Scarlett said in alarm,
“Viktor, calm down!”
Scarlett had never seen Viktor lose his composure, never seen him anxious or impatient.
Feeling something was wrong, she struck his arm as he tore off the garter holding her stockings.
“I said calm down!”
Only then did Viktor stop. He clenched the torn garter tightly.
Scarlett knelt on the bed and gently touched Viktor’s cheeks—wild and desperate as a beast in a drought-stricken desert.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but tell me. I’m always here. Why is it so urgent?”
She smiled brightly, locking eyes with him.
“I want it too.”
“……”
“I mean, having a child with you. I’ll be happy anytime. I’ll be happy whenever it happens.”
Her overflowing love, her voice like honey, made Viktor’s hands go limp.
He wrapped his trembling hands around her cheeks and kissed her, letting her collapse onto the bed. Scarlett no longer resisted him.
There would be no forgiveness for this. But what did it matter?
He thought about making her fully forget reality through drugs so he could keep her by his side. If that meant she would stay, nothing else mattered.
Later, he would have to tell her: being his wife means she doesn’t have to laugh at things she doesn’t want to.
If anyone forced her to smile, even if it were him, he would die. He intended to make her understand that.
Perhaps due to the trauma of being kidnapped by pirates, Scarlett didn’t return to normal for several days.
Humans naturally adapt once things become routine. As Scarlett’s state stabilized in a wrong direction, Viktor also regained his composure.
Palin, who entered the house, anxiously said,
“You shouldn’t do this, Captain.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Anything! Everything you’re about to do! What if Scarlett regains her memory? What will you do then?!”
“Exactly. I’m trying to have her bear a child.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Then she can’t leave, right?”
Viktor continued nonchalantly,
“Scarlett doesn’t remember the current situation anyway. She’ll think she wanted this child herself. Then this overly good girl will never leave the father of her child.”
“Captain!”
Viktor ignored Palin’s objections and approached Scarlett.
He thought that perhaps this memory loss might repeat for a long time. If so, it wasn’t a bad thing.
Eventually, she would be by his side. She would give birth to his child, and that child could be used to weaken her heart whenever needed.
He knew better than anyone how terrifying his thoughts would feel to Scarlett—but even that couldn’t control him.
When Viktor opened the bedroom door, he saw Scarlett’s pale face behind it.
He looked at her and spoke,
“Scarlett.”
“What happened? Did I just faint? Or did I forget I divorced again?”
“This time, you forgot for quite a while.”
Scarlett sighed with a complicated expression.
“Why is this happening…?”
“That’s not the problem right now. You were kidnapped.”
“I know. I remember that.”
“Sit down again. I need to check your wounds.”
“Okay…”
Nodding, Scarlett let Viktor examine the wounds on her neck and hands. He clicked his tongue.
“They’re unchanged.”
“It’s been a few days?”
“About three.”
“Three days isn’t enough for bruises to heal. You’ve had far more injuries than this—what are you talking about?”
“…That’s true.”
He clicked his tongue again, and the terrified Scarlett let out a small laugh.
Soon after, Viktor called a doctor to rebandage her wounds.
After the doctor left, he said to the trembling Scarlett,
“I’ll assign several guards around you for now. Don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you.”
Scarlett stood up.
Viktor watched her back silently. Until now, he had never understood the emotions Scarlett felt beside him. She always smiled.
It was natural to feel at ease seeing someone smile.
He wished he had looked more closely at how she had been caring for his brother since she was twelve. Then, he would have understood.
