"What happened?"
"I guess it's not here."
"Yes?"
"I guess the location is wrong. It doesn't seem like a place for miners. There is a mine shaft, but no miners. The front and back are blocked by rocks."
All the already exhausted firefighters and retired miners lay down swearing. Violet said.
"Wait. I'll go in too."
"Where do you go in?"
"Just climb the ladder and wait a minute. The miners said by telegraph that the sound of the pickaxe was getting closer. Even if I'm wrong, I'm sure it's not too far off."
"... Yes?"
At her words, people glanced at Violet.
As Violet walked up to the ladder. Winter put a miner's hat on instead of the bonnet.
"Let's go together."
"Thank you."
Violet smiled.
Winter shouted after the two entered the mineshaft.
"Hey! You have to make a sound so we can find you! Sing a song at least!"
Winter, who shouted until his voice rang out, quickly closed his mouth. When he was quiet for a moment, Violet's eyes wide, frantically ran to one wall. And when she put her ear to it, she could hear people shouting. There was no power at all, but it was still a human sound.
Violet said.
"Woah, I can hear a voice from here!"
Immediately, Winter and the firefighters began drilling holes with hand drills to where the miners voices could be heard.
While digging a hole and sweating profusely in high temperatures and humidity, a firefighter stopped digging, looked into the hole, and screamed.
"Wow, I think I see miners! Water... I'm asking for water!"
As soon as Winter heard those words, he ran up and brought back a sturdy water pipe that he had brought for an emergency like this and the water that the rescue team had been drinking. Then he began to force the water pipe into the small hole.
And immediately started pouring water into it. Xeric shouted excitedly.
"Quickly dig, take out those damn miners, and let's go home!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Now! Let's go home quickly!"
Inside, people were going through life and death, but outside, everyone was excited. Violet came out and waited on the ground so as not to be disturbed. The work started when the sun was shining and continued until the sunset and dawn came.
How long has it been?
"First rescuer on the way! Please let go of the stretcher!"
As soon as those words were heard, Beryl, who had set up a tent nearby and was waiting, came running, holding the stretcher in his arms.
After a while, a miner came up wearing a black cloth to protect his eyes. The miner's wife recognized his face and came running.
"Ahh! Honey!"
"Dad!"
All the children ran screaming and clinging to the stretcher carrying the miner. Beryl shouted.
"I need treatment right away, so please move me to the tent! We need a lot of help, so please bring your family to the tent!"
People rushed to the tent.
Violet stood and checked the faces of the people coming up. He had talked to so many miners' families over the years that he could recognize the faces of everyone who came up. The names that had been repeated in her mind a thousand times passed before her eyes one by one.
The last of the eighteen people to be rescued was Nancy's husband, Ruto. Ruto, now 20 years old and the same age as his wife, was extremely thin compared to other miners. The reason he needed strength because he was young was because he wanted to do it all. As he lay on the stretcher moaning and calling his wife's name, Violet held his hand and said.
"Nancy is currently helping treat the miners who came out earlier. You are both very strong people."
Perhaps relieved by her words, Ruto lost consciousness.
When all eighteen people entered the tent, Violet stumbled, Winter rushed to her and found that Violet had also lost her senses. Her body was a ball of fire.
As Winter picked up Violet, Eglin scolded him from the side.
"I feel such a shame for you. Mr. CEO."
"Shut up."
"If it weren't for you, CEO, would she have come all the way here? Violet has said this several times. She's glad she learned about the Kanik clan thanks to you. She is here because of the CEO. Please say thank you, on behalf of the clan."
Winter said, slightly flattered by her words.
"Yes? I told them she came because of me, but that guy keeps reacting negatively."
"When has Hayel ever been positive?"
Winter nodded in agreement and held up a blanket. Eglin took the blanket and covered Violet.
Xeric, who saw her losing consciousness and ran one step late, asked.
"Are you okay, Your Highness?"
"What does it matter whether my wife is okay or not?"
Winter spoke in displeasure and walked quickly into the tent. Anyway, after walking a few steps, there were people running around worried about Violet. Beryl was startled when he entered the tent. Winter looked at him with a deathly expression and put Violet down. He got angry and raised his list, but Hayel and Eglin came running and blocked him.
"Little Madame, she's sick!"
"That's right! If you beat up the one doctor here, who will treat her!"
The two people jumped up and grabbed Winter's arms. It was true that there was really only one doctor. People were relieved when Winter lowered his hand. But immediately, Winter grabbed Beryl's collar and lifted his body up.
"Treat my wife first. The rest is none of my business."
"Of course I will!"
Beryl, who was hanging wildly, was so strangled that he barely answered. Winter pushed him and left the tent.
***
When Violet came to her senses, she was on a bed. The sun was coming in, so it must have been morning. When she raised her upper body, Winter's arm, which was wrapped around her waist, came up.
Violet turned her head and looked at Winter and said to herself.
"Is this comfortable?"
His crumpled top was thrown far away, and he was asleep wearing only comfortable pants.
Violet took the tip of her finger and gently touched Winter's eyelid. Then she looked around to check the time, but there was no watch.
She found Winter's watch lying on the nightstand and reached out to pick it up. After checking the time, Violet couldn't take her eyes off it and continued to look at the watch. She opened her mouth.
"Winter, stop pretending to sleep and wake up."
Then Winter clicked his tongue and opened his eyes. He grabbed the watch in Violet's hand.
"It's mine."
"It's broken."
"Yes. I took it in for repairs and they said it was defective and needed to be replaced."
"So?"
"If I changed it, the clock would go off."
"Why are you wearing a broken watch?
"If you change It, It's not what you gave it to."
Winter asked as if what he was talking about, put the watch back on the nightstand, grabbed Violet and laid her down.
"Get some more sleep."
"Watch... If this is going to happen, why are you carrying a watch?"
Violet must have been speechless for a moment, failed to form a sentence, and asked again. But Winter went to sleep without any more answers. Violet stared at Winter, whose eyes were closed. Then she stroked the Kanik tattoo on his left shoulder, which was tilted towards her with her hand.
Winter, who had finally fallen asleep due to her gentle touch got up, grabbed Violet's wrist, and pulled her towards him.
"Let's find out why you wake me up like this every time."
"What am I?"
"Why do you stroke me like this every time I wake up?"
"I'm sorry if I shook you and woke you up. Winter was momentarily speechless at Violet's confidence.
Anyway, this woman didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt about her messing with him. As she started to become reluctant to let Winter hold her hand, she seemed to think that she could touch anywhere.
When Violet was fiddling with his forearm with her soft hands in his sleep, he felt like he was going to lose his mind. His lower back is throbbing violently, and he doesn't know what's causing It.
Winter sighed and placed her hand on his chest.
"Here. Touch it as much as you want."
"You're awake now."
"Oh, I'm awake."
Violet could feel Winter's strong heartbeat through her fingertips, she asked with a worried expression on her face.
"If your heart beats like this, won't you die?"
"Therefore. You look like you're going to kill me."
The hand went lower and lower. Violet's pupils got bigger, then smaller, then bigger again. In her head, she was told she should take her hand off, but she couldn't do it out of curiosity.
Violet hurriedly withdrew her hand when she reached the lower abdomen, going down the firm stomach without any flab. Then she turned her head, let out a shaky breath, and closed her eyes tightly.
"I understood well."
"Can you wake me up like that or not?"
"Never. I won't do that again."
Only after hearing Violet's confirmation did Winter let go of her wrist.
Even after Winter got out of the shower again, he kept holding onto Violet, making various excuses, so the two lazed around in bed for a while longer. Thanks to this, only after noon did the two enter the chapel where the miners had been moved after first aid treatment to check their condition.
Reporters were inside, and the miners were raising their voices with irritated faces.
"What did you see? What a mess now!"
"Get out of here now!"
The miners pushed the reporters, pretending to hit them. Violet whispered to Winter as if she was curious.
"...There are eighteen more people like you!"
"Is that going to be so fun?"
As Winter asked with a straight face, the miner's family came running.
"Ma'am! You're here!"
"You fell down like that, so you shouldn't move yet. Why are you walking around already?"
"Everyone is much healthier than I think. Violet smiled."
At that time, several relatively healthy miners on crutches approached and surrounded Violet. She was a little surprised, but she immediately straightened her posture and prepared to ask how they were doing. But the moment she opened her mouth, the miners began to sing the song. As they snapped their fingers and started singing, Violet blinked, not knowing how to react. Even the lyrics had no good meaning and were only about poverty and painful labor.
Winter whispered, hugging her waist with one arm.
"Why are you surprised? Then, did you think the Calibon miners would at least politely say thank you?"
"Why don't we do it?"
"How can you say something like that because it's so unfamiliar? This means thank you."
When Winter said with a smile, Violet, also smiled in surprise.
Even the miners lying in their beds began to sing, and their families shook their shoulders and snapped their fingers.
Meanwhile, some distance away, reporters began busily setting up huge and complex cameras. It took a very long time to take a picture, but fortunately, the miners' songs continued endlessly, and while the whole place was excited, Violet was listening to their songs with a smile and almost no movement.
That night, they ate the food that Violet had eaten at the bar earlier. Wherever the Kanik clan lived, there was a huge cauldron that made you wonder what on earth they could make something like this.
The villagers were amazed that Violet knew about this food, but at the same time took it for granted. People were constantly talking to Violet and giving her flowers, so much so that her knees and head were buried in the flowers.
Winter grumbled at that sight.
"They did that, right? The market bottom is around you. Well, of course, they should be thankful. Our precious Princess came all the way to a place where strangers live."
At his words, Violet smiled involuntarily, tilted her head, and asked.
"You mean thank you for coming here for you?"
"..."
"I understand that."
Winter looked at her face as if fascinated and took a swig of his drink. He thought he couldn't be more vulnerable to his wife, but surprisingly, he feel like he's becoming more and more vulnerable to her.
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