# 16
---
Liv's bakery was on the first floor, while the second floor was a spacious family home where her family lived.
When Scarlett entered Liv's cozy room, the windows of which overlooked her workshop, she looked at her with a sidelong glance.
"Really, ask someone else. Who snoops on divorce stories like that? The people of this neighborhood are weird!"
“Who brought you to this neighborhood? You came of your own free will, so who do you blame?”
Liv pulled a chair near the window and sat Scarlett down, placing a bread basket in the middle. Then she started preparing the coffee using filter paper.
Liv's childish curiosity was the reason for Scarlett's visit, but the wonderful coffee she brewed was the real motivation.
Scarlett sighed happily at the sip of warm coffee, and Liv took the opportunity and launched a barrage of questions: “Do nobles really marry politically? You are the only noble on Seventh Street.”
“Ms. Paradis in the jewelry store is also noble.”
"Those are too scary, so don't count. Anyway, was it a political marriage?"
“Yes”
“Weird...”
In Salantir, free love was the rule, except for some nobles or very wealthy people.
Leaf added: “By the way, doesn’t the Crimson Family have enormous wealth? Why are you so poor?”
“Poor? I have my own shop.”
“It's rented. I think for the Crimson family of their size, even a six-year-old should own the building.”
“Maybe? But before I could learn about money, my uncle took everything.”
“So you're broke. Every family has financial problems.”
Fortunately, Liv responded with indifference to Scarlett's feigning calm.
Scarlett felt relieved and took a Danish cherry cake and started eating. As she started, Liv, sure that Scarlett wouldn't run away, asked: "So, why did your ex-husband come over?"
“It's complicated...they caught a criminal, and it seems they needed my testimony or something like that.”
"Criminal? What kind?"
“I can't say much. Maybe it's secret.”
“What is this possible secret?”
Liv scolded her, but her eyes were filled with curiosity.
“Makes me even more curious. I would help you curse your ex-husband if you did.”
“He doesn't have much to talk about.”
“Then why did you get divorced?”
“Hmm”
As she was reaching for a pecan danish muffin, Liv slapped her hand.
“It's no use feeding you. Did your ex-husband do something untold?”
“Hmm”
Scarlett thought, longing for the warm cake, and Victor's faults said: "If we talk about his faults, he doesn't laugh much. I haven't seen him smile so warmly in two years. And of course he doesn't cry, and in bed..."
Scarlett stopped suddenly, so Liv cut the cake in half and asked: “In bed what?”
"He wasn't... very enthusiastic. Is it something wrong with me?"
“You'll know if you meet another man.”
Liv laughed, and Scarlett sighed.
She added: "Anyway, don't talk about my ex-husband to anyone. Understood?"
“Okay, okay”
Scarlett didn't want to say more after her problems with Victor caused all this.
Instead of continuing, she took another bite of cake.
The maple syrup cake was so delicious, she ate it quickly. “It was the same from start to finish, but it gradually made me feel more frustrated,” she said.
While she was speaking, she heard a noise from outside.
Liv went out to the balcony and said, “Scarlett, there is a sea cart in front of your store!”
"What?"
Scarlett looked from the balcony and exclaimed in surprise:
"I have to go! Thanks for the cake!"
She ran to her store.
***
When she arrived at the watch shop, she saw Victor and his henchmen, along with his secretary Blight, looking in from the front of the cart.
“Why did you come?”
Scarlett asked in surprise. Victor pointed to the store and said, “I came to buy a watch.”
“What nonsense? The main branch is on Third Street. Buy there. I’m not well-known yet, so I don’t get good jewels. I don’t have fancy watches...”
Victor did not finish listening to her and entered the store.
Ivan, the deputy leader, followed him and showed his empty wrist to Scarlett: “Then I will buy it. I have money, but I can’t wear a better watch than my superiors.”
“Mr. Light!”
Scarlett became angry, but Palin, who had been watching her earlier, snuck into the store as well.
When everyone entered, Blight smiled and said, "Actually, they were all curious about your watch shop. Since we're here, I'll have a drink with Andrei."
Blight entered and greeted Andrei warmly.
Ivan pointed to a sign that said “nautical watch with rubies” and asked Andrei something. Andrei told him the expected delivery date and added his name to the reservation list.
Meanwhile, Palin bought a silver pocket watch that Scarlett had elegantly crafted. They were all from prominent families, so money was not an issue.
After a while, they went out with Andrey.
"I'm leaving two hours early today," Andrei said to Scarlett. "I'm going to join the naval gentlemen for a drink."
“Didn't you say I don't work?”
“The employee has the right to a day off every month, but I didn’t get it because there was no alternative, you cruel manager. That’s why you have to work in a big place, right?”
Scarlett shivered at his cold words and quickly pushed him out.
The Marines left, and Victor was left alone in the store.
“Why on earth did you come?”
Scarlett sighed, but Victor, instead of answering, said: “The workshop is on the second floor, right?”
“Yes”
Victor headed for the stairs, and Scarlett quickly grabbed his arm.
“Even Andrei doesn't go in there.”
Victor took out a naval notebook and opened a page with a document confirming the police's request for naval assistance, and a stamp granting him the authority to urgently investigate.
Scarlett mentally understood that he had the right to search her workshop, but her heart could not accept it.
When I hesitated to open the door, Victor said: “If you don’t want to open it, I can break it down.”
“I will open it”
Scarlett took out a key from a small bag on her waist, and opened the wooden door.
***
He ascended the narrow, wood-scented staircase to Scarlett's workshop, which seemed wider than on the first floor due to the lack of furniture.
There was a semi-transparent curtain separating the bedroom, which contained a bed and a wardrobe.
Victor lit a match and lit the gas lamp, and a glass showcase filled with springs and molds appeared. He threw the lit match into the fireplace and pointed to a safe on the wall.
Scarlett reluctantly opened it, revealing silver and gold alloys used to make gears.
"What do you want to know? An investigation needs a purpose," Scarlett asked as she watched Victor scan the room.
“Tram repair is illegal. You know that, and you know what I’m investigating.”
Scarlett paused, then said with a bold face: “I went to fix it, but it wasn’t broken. It was working fine. They were exaggerating.”
Victor, who was acting as if he was investigating or watching, looked at her: “That day, I ignored it. Don’t make excuses.”
Scarlett felt a chill in her neck, but she responded indifferently: “If you ignore, why are you searching here?”
“You said you went to fix it, right?”
“Yes”
“I want to know where you learned your repair skills.”
Victor took an easy chair and placed it under the gas lamp, and made Scarlett sit down.
“What are you doing...”
Scarlett covered her eyes from the bright lamplight, and Victor said in a questioning tone: “I found out that you are from the Crimson family, but you have worked as a maid since the age of twelve.”
“Did you have to investigate that?”
“Of course. You were always lying to me, saying that you were raised as a miss. Of course, I knew from your actions that that was not true.”
“A housemaid who f-taught Crimson skills? How, when the family members couldn’t? Well, let’s say watchmaking was the family tradition. But most of the tram technicians, including your parents, died in an accident. So, do you remember anything before the age of twelve?”
If she said she suddenly remembered, he would have thought her crazy.
Scarlett said quietly: “I found the tram plans by chance recently, so I learned by myf.”
“Where are the plans?”
“I saved it and burned it.”
"You saved it? That's illegal."
Scarlett paused, opened her mouth, then fell silent. Talking to her, who struggled to escape questions, was easy for Victor, who was used to dealing with elusive pirates.
Victor said calmly: “Then, what about watchmaking skills?”
She didn't expect his question, so she didn't prepare an excuse.
She tried to answer, but she sighed and closed her mouth.
The more she failed to answer, the more Victor's expression grew strangely worse.