CH 23

Pallin Redford was about to ask him again, but the priest stood up to escape. Although he was rather large in frame, Pallin lightly grabbed his neck with one hand and rammed him against the floor.

Scarlett was startled by the violent scene in front of her and hurriedly closed the curtain. She returned to her sofa and sank into its soft comfort. After the cries of Delphio being gagged and the sound of the carriage faded away, she sat paralysed for a while.

♔♔♔

She spent the night in a terrible mood.

The following morning, Scarlett headed to the building next door, where she bought bread every morning for Isaac.

When she appeared, Liv, the baker’s daughter, ran to her.

“Scarlett Crimson!”

Surprised by her loud call, Scarlett widened her eyes and said,

“Everyone in town is going to hear you.”

“What happened yesterday? Why is the navy here?”

“How did you know?”

“There was a navy carriage in front of the watch shop. Everyone who came by the bakery today asked me!”

At Liv’s words, Scarlett looked at the bread in the glass case and spoke.

“It was no big matter.”

“No, what is it? Did you have a thief in your store?”

“It’s not… Give me an apple cake and some bread with figs. My brother likes it.”

Scarlett tried to change the subject, but Liv urged again as she took three loaves of figs and placed them on a wooden cutting board, cutting them at regular intervals.

“Was there a thief?”

“...My ex-husband.”

“What? Ex-husband!”

At Liv’s voice, all the bakers glanced at the two of them.

Scarlett slapped Liv’s arm, her face blushing.

“Be quiet!”

“How did you stay calm in such a situation? There are thousands of things that everyone wanted to ask about the captain, but we held it in.”

As Liv started pouring out her questions as if she had finally seized her chance, Scarlett waved her hand to Liv’s boss, whom she could see in the distance.

“Boss, Liv won’t give me the bread.”

“Ugh, I can’t live. I’m sorry, Miss Scarlett!”

When Liv’s mother came over, she placed the fig bread in a paper bag and even included a cream spread. She also tried to ask questions before handing Scarlett the bread.

“So, your ex is here?”

“Boss!”

“Oh no! Let’s hear it over there...”

Scarlett took a deep breath and grabbed her bread, she said.

“Next time, next time.”

Then Liv shouted. “When’s next! When Crimson visits, tell me right away!”

At her urging, Scarlett agreed and left the shop. The merchants on 7th Avenue were all very friendly and eager to know about Scarlett’s personal affairs.

Scarlett mumbled as she put a box of cakes in her bike basket and laid a paper bag on top of it.

“If only the bread didn’t taste good.”

Then she got on the bike and pedalled to Crimson.

♔♔♔

Sitting on the bed in the attic, Isaac grumbled and picked up the papers that the Dumfelt custodian had left on the bed that morning.

When the door opened, he grinned.

“Scarlett.”

Scarlett laughed aloud at Isaac’s happy expression. He could distinguish the owner of all human footsteps who came up. She then asked as she briskly walked in.

“What documents?”

“I do not know. Did the Dumfelt estate manager tell you to give them to me?” Isaac said as he handed her the papers. After viewing them, Scarlett’s expression darkened.

The paperwork was from Gregory Dumfelt. When Viktor learned, for the sake of asceticism, she almost died from a fever at the monastery. He considered her to have violated the confidentiality agreement and demanded the return of the money.

Scarlett’s expression became serious. But the little boy did not know. Isaac merely looked at the sound of paper crumpling as she flicked through the documents, oblivious.

“What is it about?” Isaac asked.

“Oh, he asked me to sign that I received the money he gave me when I divorced. I can’t pretend that I didn’t receive it.”

“I see.”

Isaac nodded his head.

Scarlett shoved the papers into the bag she had brought and took out the cake and bread.

“Let’s eat this.”

“Okay.”

Isaac nodded and stood up.

As he walked towards the wooden table, Scarlett said teasingly.

“There’s still some time before I get us a house to live in. So, stop growing.”

“Huh?”

As Isaac tilted his head, she looked up at her ceiling and spoke again.

“If you get any taller, your head will hit the ceiling.”