The firefighters also spoke to Violet with sad faces.
"The food here was delicious. I think I'll think about it later."
"Me too. And more than you think... Everyone was nice."
The firefighters who came from good families and joined the royal family were very sad to leave Calibon, perhaps because they had grown attached to it.
Violet looked back. There were so many gifts from the people of Calibon that Winter had to call in another private carriage.
"Even though you said you were okay..."
Winter said with a chuckle, hearing Violet's sighing voice.
"I guess it's a trait of my bloodline. Not listening to you."
Only then did Violet smile.
At that time, Eglin, who had decided to stay here for a few more days, ran over and handed Violet a letter.
"They wanted me to give it to you."
"Miners?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
Violet greeted and opened the letter.
Even if we had lost our breath, it would not have changed the fact that Her Highness came running to our rescue. Our children will grow up with hope instead of frustration. Because they had faith that someone would help them.
Winter said as he peeked at the letter from the side.
"Miners don't even write love letters like that."
Then, Eglin next to him agreed.
"I thought so too, but it was an exception."
Violet put on a happy expression and carefully packed the letter into her bag. It was a long journey, changing from a carriage to a train, and then getting back on the carriage. By the time they reached the capital, the carriage stopped while Violet was half asleep from exhaustion. Violet asked Winter as she struggled to sleep.
"Why does the carriage stop?"
Then Winter, who was looking out the window, said.
"You better get down and see for yourself."
Violet looked puzzled and got off the carriage, escorted by Winter, who got off first. Her eyes widened as she soon noticed people lined up on both sides of the street.
Cheers erupted from the people who spotted Violet in front. As if Winter knew this would happen, he brought an extra horse with him.
"Get on."
"Yes?"
"Isn't there this level of showmanship? You waited for me, so I have to repay you."
Ah...
As Violet suddenly got on the horse, Xeric, who was leading, turned his horse and approached Violet.
"If you lead, I will follow, Ma'am."
Violet slowly headed forward with an embarrassed expression. As she entered the path, in an instant pollen was sprinkled upon her path.
"Princess!"
"Princess Violet!"
Violet petted the horse, which was a little excited by the cheers.
"It welcomes us, so don't be afraid."
Fortunately, the horse calmed down in an instant and lifted its chin haughtily as if it understood Violet's words.
The horse entered the path made by the crowd. Violet smiled calmly and passed the road. She was secretly disappointed with herself. This is because she had thought that other people in Rockround, like the nobles, would be indifferent to the missing workers in the mines. But now they were happy that the miners were alive.
The people in her hometown were better people than she thought.
As she passed the flower path, she waved hello with the gentle attitude she had acquired since childhood. At the end of her path was a reluctant Ash and the chairman leading the council.
Violet arrived in front of them. Ash and the Chairman waited, expecting Violet to get off her horse soon, but she did not and opened her mouth.
"What brings you here?"
When she asked, Ash said with a displeased expression.
"What are you doing? Get off your horse and speak."
"Why should I do that? You are not even a King."
Violet's calm voice spread through the silence. Ash knew his sister's intentions and his fists trembled. In this place where everyone's attention was focused, Violet was saying out loud that he was not the king. To announce that the royal family has disappeared.
However, she got off the horse without much fighting. It was not polite to look down on someone from a horse, whether he was a King or not.
Violet walked closer to Ash and said.
"Thank you for sending me the Calibon people. I never thought there would be something in my life to be thankful for."
"People who are about to get divorced are also healthier."
"I don't know what divorce has to do with health."
Violet, tired of the sarcasm, answered calmly. At that time, Xeric greeted Ash politely.
"Long time no see."
"Your Highness."
When Ash pointed this out, Xeric looked a little embarrassed. But he immediately lowered his head and answered.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. And..."
Xeric realized something from Ash's comment about 'Your Highness', and spoke to Violet in a polite manner.
"Ma'am. The mission is over, so please give the order to disperse."
Violet asked with a surprised expression at his words.
"Can I get off?"
"Yes. Since you gave an order, you should also give an order to disperse."
Ash's expression hardened at Xeric's words. Ash had never before seen anyone other than the King give the order for any royal army to disperse in the presence of the King.
As Xerick got down on one knee in front of her, the firefighters knelt down behind him and looked at Violet.
Although Violet was embarrassed, she spoke calmly, remembering what she had grown up watching.
"That was a great move. With my sincere gratitude, I hereby order you to disperse."
"Thank you."
Xeric and the fire brigade got up from their seats, got back on their horses, and returned to the fire brigade's quarters in the royal castle. Ash glared at them as if she were going to kill them and spoke to the chairman.
"Why is that fire brigade still around?"
"I'm sorry... Your Highness should have dismissed it."
"If there was no work, shouldn't they have disbanded on their own?"
"They wouldn't have been able to quit a job that gets paid regularly even though they don't do any work."
"Let's get rid of the fire brigade immediately."
"That's a good choice."
What should have been done as soon as the royal family was disbanded was now being done.
Violet felt a little sorry for the fire brigade, but she thought it was a good thing that they were disbanded now since they had been playing and eating and receiving taxes. They may be appointed as constables, like the Royal Knights, or, if they are unlucky, as sheriffs far from the capital. It was a good thing for them, as they may have been idle until now because they had not been dispatched.
In fact, soon after the order was issued, all of the firefighters sent messages of thanks to Violet.
***
When Violet returned home, replies to her letters were piled up in front of her.
As expected, with a few exceptions, most of the answers were deviant from the question. Violet looked bitter at the letters that were avoided by talking about the weather or inviting her to a party.
Violet opened all the letters and sighed deeply.
"...Is there really no way?"
She didn't want to run away. Physical strength was a problem, but it was also a problem that there were more and more precious people in the capital. Above all, Winter Blooming. What the man said kept getting caught in his eyes.
"Oh, I guess I'm really out of my mind."
After being sick for 3 years, again, she started missing him again.
Violet covered her forehead with both hands.
Not knowing him well, she fell in love with him at first sight when she was young, and it was only natural based on his looks alone. But now she knows a lot about him. However, her heart still ached when she saw him.
Even if she likes him, what good is there for such a rough man?
Is there anything to like about his rude and mean speech?
While Violet was distraught, the door burst open. Violet's shoulders trembled in response to Winter's rudeness, which she was still not used to, but came back immediately.
"Winter, please pretend to be polite in advance. I know it's you when you stand at the door, even if you don't pretend to be yourself. Why don't you know?"
"You are strange. How do you know that?"
"Hey. We change our bodies too, so what's so strange? It seems to be another great sorcery of our bloodline."
"Since you don't let me call you a Princess, is it now 'hey'?"
"Yes. I will, and you stay home today and rest."
"Also, don't follow people you don't know."
"If there's no reason, I won't follow you."
"Is this a joke? Just kidding."
"I worried that you might get kidnapped."
The joke was right. As Violet sighed, Winter came over to her and bent down to her eye level as she sat in the chair.
"Anyway, does your head hurt? You were covering it with your hands."
"It's okay."
"You're always sick and you think this is normal."
Violet responded to his scolding by stretching the corners of her mouth.
"If I hadn't had a body swap with you, I wouldn't know what it means to be healthy."
"If I hadn't swapped bodies with you, I wouldn't have been like this..."
For some reason, Winter couldn't finish speaking and lowered his gaze before finally finishing the sentence.
"...You probably didn't know that three years had passed like this."
It's not the same as the last three years.
Violet thought as she listened to Winter's muttering. She didn't have one on her side before, but she did now. She's not stranded in the South, and Winter wasn't on her side before, but there are times when he's on her side now.
She thought she would ask his opinion. He asked, wrapping his hand around Winter's hand that Violet had placed on the table.
"Where should I go right away?"
"They said they finished repairing the airship. I want to check."
"Ah. Let's talk about it when we get back."
"Do it now. I also have something to say."
Winter pulled a chair in front of her and sat down, bending over. Violet asked with a puzzled face.
"Aren't you busy?"
"I'm not busy. How about seeing that airship sometime?"
Then...
Violet took a deep breath.
"I mean our divorce."
"Oh, because we're talking about divorce."
Winter held out the envelope he had brought as if it was a good time.
"Please come here today."
Violet grabbed the envelope, opened it, and saw that it was a copy of the land document. Violet's eyes widened when she saw the address written there.
"... Imperial palace?"
"I bought everything except the part that belongs to the country. Think about how you will use it in the future. Because now it will be yours. And the back page."
Violet checked the next page and found that it was a document from the villa where Margrave Heston's title awarding ceremony would be held.
"Come here later. Because you have to gradually learn how to run a hotel. You don't have time."
"How to run a hotel?"
"My property is most likely hotel real estate. What you will receive as alimony is hotel real estate. Of course, you have to learn it. Or perhaps you don't intend to use the buildings for other purposes? Sell it or throw it away."
Winter frowned. Even if he didn't know anything else, he was full of affection for the hotel. Violet said as she put the document back in the envelope.
"That can't be right."
"Now, what did you want to talk about?"
"Oh, that's it."
Violet wanted to say something but was speechless due to the enormous wealth in her hands.
They talked about alimony, but as Sharon once said, she was not good at math and had never imagined an exact number.
Her father had been destroying the economy of Rockround even before the concept of economics was invented, so she not only had no desire for her private property but even felt guilty about it.
Even if Violet had thoughts about private property, she would not have thought of the scale of owning a royal castle.
Violet asked with a shocked expression.
"Isn't this all alimony?"
"Of course not. Anything more than that, you have to fight for it with a lawyer."
"...No, now you understand me in the opposite way."
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment