# 25
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“Would that really be a reward?”
Scarlett looked away and added, "People say you didn't divorce me because I satisfied you in bed. But in reality..."
“Who said that nonsense?”
“I heard that at a party.”
“Who exactly?”
With Victor's low tone, Scarlett thought seriously before answering: “Duke Tevez, I think.”
“Ah, of course, a petty person like him would say that.”
“Isn't he your cousin?”
“Yes, and worse than strangers.”
Victor replied, then looked at her calmly and asked: “So, did you believe this?”
Victor's wonderful perfume perfumed the place near him. She didn't understand how a heavy smoker like him could retain such perfume.
Scarlett pushed him with both hands on his chest to push him away and said, “It was better than saying that you live with me just because it’s not annoying.”
Victor frowned and said: “Who said that?”
“The rest of the people”
Victor laughed in amazement: “Huh!”
Scarlett added: “I loved these sayings.”
“What?”
Scarlett nodded and muttered, “I thought it would be good to have a reason like that. If you live with me because it's not annoying, then that's good, and if it's because of the bed, that's better.”
“At least, that means you need something from me.”
Scarlett raised her head and said, “How was it? Was it one of these two reasons that made you keep our marriage?”
“Both are true”
“Both?”
“Looking for someone else was annoying, and sleeping with you was good.”
“And your love for me was comforting.”
Scarlett looked at him in shock, then hit his shoulder with her fist with all her might.
I hit him as hard as I could, but he didn't even frown. He only dodged the blows directed at his face, and received the rest without retreating.
The beating continued for about two minutes, then her strength ran out, and she began to stumble from exhaustion.
Scarlett leaned against the glass door, panting heavily. Victor stood in front of her, adjusting his twisted tie, and asked quietly: “Is that enough?”
Scarlett stared at him, and the corner of his mouth rose: “Really, you’re bad.”
She muttered in a tired voice.
Victor's hand approached, and when Scarlett closed her eyes in panic, his long fingers passed through her delicate hair.
The Scarlett he knew would shudder and dig deeper into his embrace when he stroked her scalp like that. But now she seemed like she couldn't stand it.
Victor leaned over and kissed the back of her hand, which was gathered on her chest. Scarlett closed her eyes tightly, then opened them. She saw him tilt his head and look at her and said: “Stop and sleep. If it’s not enough, I’ll let you hit me again.”
He gently picked her up, placed her on the bed, and then quietly left the room.
Alone, Scarlett rubbed the back of her hand with her nightgown until it was red, then rubbed her lips with the same hand, afraid that Victor had left a mark on her body.
***
She didn't want to sleep in this house, but she didn't have the strength to leave, so she fell asleep there.
It was late in the morning, and the sun was high. Still unable to move, she rang the bell, and Candace, her maid, came in: “Yes, miss. Shall I bring breakfast?”
“Where is Victor?”
“He went to work”
“Then, I'll eat.”
Candace smiled faintly.
A little while later, she returned with a silver tray holding a croissant in a basket, Scarlett's favorite lemon and cherry Danish, and fresh milk.
Scarlett looked at the tray, remembering the first days of her marriage. The cherry Danes were so delicious, she would hide some for Isaac.
Most of her duties as Victor's wife were attending social parties, and other than that, shopping was her only job.
Victor wore what Plate chose for him, and he was not fussy. So, even when Scarlett was buying elegant suits to her taste, he wore them without complaint. Now, when you think about it, if she didn't love him and didn't expect anything from him, this would be a life that many wanted.
Scarlett chomped on a hunk of Dane.
Candace saw her and said:
“Do you remember Polly, miss?”
“Of course. I fixed her watch. Cherry Danish is the best.”
Candace smiled warmly and said, “Polly baked today too. She’s proud of the Danish, but she’s sad that the master doesn’t eat it.”
“Why? It's so delicious.”
"We don't understand. When you asked to bake a lot of Danish, she would bake piles and we would eat them together. Polly's Danish is the best."
“That's right. It was so much fun eating it together.”
“Yes, those days were fun...”
Candace, opening up to the conversation, began to narrate what had happened among the servants in Scarlett's absence. Polly, who had been hiding behind the door, quickly entered after asking Candace to ask if Scarlett remembered her.
Polly said confidently: “Miss, is today’s bread good?”
“Yes, after a long time, it looks more delicious. Come on, eat it with us.”
“Ah, what are you saying?”
“Candice’s stories are so interesting. Since I’m here after a while, tell me all the interesting things.”
Scarlett pointed to Dane to herf and pushed the croissant towards them, and everyone laughed.
At first, they do not accept Scarlett, an orphan from a humble family, but she eventually becomes a business owner who understands the hearts of her workers.
They gathered around Scarlett, the five maids who were serving her, and Polly, and talked about the news with continuous laughter.
The door opened carefully.
Scarlett turned around, and unexpectedly saw Andrei.
“Mr. Andrei?”
The maids recognized him, as he had been one of the Domfelt family's servants for a short time.
Scarlett got up and asked: “How did you get here?”
“Why do you ask? You know why.”
“To work?”
"If you can't come, say so. I'll close it. But you seem to have recovered."
“I'll go, I'll go”
Scarlett got up before Andrei could start complaining.
When she stumbled, Andrei extended his arm. She grabbed it and walked away.
“You should have been resting at home. You should have succeeded.”
“I told you, I have no intention of succeeding...”
“You shouldn't think like that. You should have ambition.”
“Surrender”
“Wait and see, you will wake up one day and find yourf the president of a large company.”
It was hard to keep up with an employee like him.
Scarlett didn't understand why she had specifically chosen Andrei to accompany her. She just felt like she had to do it at that moment.
When she was leaving Domfelt Palace with Andrei, the maids said anxiously: “Why don’t you bid farewell to the master?”
“No one cares about that.”
Scarlett grabbed the handle of a large leather bag that the maids had prepared, but she could not lift it.
Andrei raised it with one hand.
“You should have given it to me from the beginning.”
“I have to try”
“This is a waste of time.”
“I don't think time spent trying is a waste.”
“Well, that's why I work with you.”
Scarlett laughed happily when Andrei acknowledged this.
Scarlett lived surrounded by blacksmiths and the Navy, so she was not surprised that Andrei lifted the bag as easily as a cotton doll with one hand. But the maids said to Candice as they looked at their backs: “Has Mr. Andre always been this strong?”
“Indeed. The other servants need two to carry her...”
“How does he lift it with one hand?”
The bag had been deliberately prepared by the servant to be heavy so that neither Scarlett nor even Andrei could carry it, as her leaving might upset Victor. But Andrei easily carried her and headed to the tram station.