It wasn't until he was twelve that Winter was able to enjoy many things, but the thing he remembered most strongly was sweetness.
During the year he ran out of the restaurant at the age of twelve, he wandered the world, facing the prospect of death.
It was hard to get food, but it wasn't as hard as seeing kids his age wearing cool school uniforms on the street.
Whenever Winter saw children dressed in classy, shiny formal school uniforms, he would run away as if he were running away from a fire.
One day, he saw children eating trifles decorated with colorful fruits at a store, and Winter was jealous of them, but couldn't even guess how delicious the dessert was.
On the first day he entered the Blooming family, what was placed in front of him was a trifle. Winter looked at it blankly, then carefully scooped it up and put it in his mouth.
The intense sweetness, softness, and rich scent of high-quality fruits at that time were forever etched in a corner of his memory.
Now he's becoming like those kids. Instead of wearing rags, he dresses like those kids, and instead of getting beaten and working, he sits and relaxes like those kids.
"Does it taste good?"
At that time, Catherine, who was sitting across from him, asked kindly.
No one asked him that question except his mother, who left when he was five.
Winter thought that day that it was probably Mother's question to ask if it tasted good.
Winter warned himself that he would do anything for this happiness, that he would do anything for the parents who accepted him.
***
That's not love.
Dressing someone in nice clothes, sitting them down and serving them a trifle, and asking whether it tastes good, are not questions that can only be asked if you love them.
It was when Violet was falling apart that he began to notice the shabby nature of the love he knew, and when she shot herself in front of him, Winter realized that no matter what he did, he would only be grinding away her soul.
After reuniting with his wife, Winter was convinced that the reason she could smile in front of him was because she had erased him from her mind.
Even though he cut off his parents for the sake of his wife, he never expected to win Violet's heart.
It was a time when he thought all he could do was beg her not to leave.
"Because I still like you."
The moment he heard his wife's voice, Winter's eyes opened.
"Really, really a lot."
Then, even when he heard her, he sounded like an idiot.
"What?"
Winter suddenly sobered up.
Violet looked embarrassed as if she didn't know how he would react to her words, but then spoke calmly.
"I love you."
"Uh, me too."
Violet laughed bitterly at his answer.
"Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep."
"Why doesn't it make sense? I love you, too."
"Because it grows."
Violet pushed Winter away.
"I knew it would be like this. I knew that if I said I liked you, you would respond that easily. I've told you several times that I like you, but now it's come to me. I say it so hard, but you say it so easily."
She spoke in a slightly trembling voice and stood up, said Winter, hurrying to his feet and following her.
"It was always in the past tense. This was the first time it was ongoing."
"So? If I say it in the past tense, you don't have to answer?"
"..."
"You don't like me. You don't even understand what that feels like."
Winter stopped in his tracks at Violet's words.
In hia wife's opinion, are his feelings really not love?
He was still afraid that his shabbiness would hurt his wife.
Violet looked bitterly at Winter, who did not respond and left the bedroom.
***
Winter felt like he had completely sobered up. No, it wasn't his mood, but the cells in his entire body became so active that it felt like the alcohol was being broken down in real-time.
He couldn't decide what he should do from now on.
I love you.
Winter remembered those words again, which he had been thinking about and didn't really recognize, and jumped up from his seat.
He covered his mouth with his hand, was shocked, and left the bedroom in a daze. And knocked on his wife's room door.
"Violet."
There was no answer, so he called a few more times, but there was still no answer.
He tried to open the door, but it was locked with a latch and wouldn't open. Violet, who rarely locks her doors, seemed very angry when he saw that she had locked the door.
"Violet, please."
As he pleaded, he could barely hear the latch opening.
Violet's eyes, looking beyond the door frame, were cold.
Looking at that expression, Winter went crazy and was on the verge of jumping up and down.
He, too, couldn't believe what Violet said. Obviously, the Princess must have the stubborn belief that she should love her spouse even if she got married for some reason or purpose.
It would be closer to human love than erotic love. Winter thought.
But no matter how hard he tried to think like that, hia heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to jump out. Even though Violet was angry, his trembling did not subside.
"What should I do?"
Ironically, this time Winter was asking the same question that Violet had just asked in the bedroom. Violet, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.
"Prove it."
"How do you prove your feelings?"
"You said something well. How can you believe in something you can't see?"
"Okay. I'll try something."
Winter answered without thinking, then bowed down to the only woman in the world who knew how to scare him, and who was only half his age.
"So... Anyway, do you like me?"
"That's right."
"How much?"
"A lot."
"What happened? You have a unique taste."
Winter tried to make a joke but it seemed like a huge failure, so Violet looked at Winter with a straight face and closed the door. And before Winter could do anything again, the latch was locked.
While he was thinking about whether he was going to be kicked out like this. He heard Violet's voice.
"Are you going to keep drinking alone in your bedroom like that?"
"No?"
"No, I do not want."
"Then I will never drink alone from now on. I'll only drink if you let me."
Violet spoke and walked away from the door, making a sound as if she was listening. At the same time, Winter stumbled backward and slid down to sit against the wall. Several servants who had been waiting for the conversation to end at a distance came running at the sound of this commotion. Winter snapped his fingers.
"I think I have a heart problem, so call a doctor. If this continues, things will go wrong. And since I can't walk, I need help."
The servants hesitated and took a step back at his words. This was because anyone who tried to support that physique would end up with a big waist.
If Hayel was there. 'You can walk, CEO.'
Hayel probably tried to ignore it, but others didn't dare to do so.
Everyone hesitated to help him, wondering if they would get scolded or give up his back, but Winter got up on his own.
"Yes, because everyone is incompetent."
The servants flinched at his words. This was clearly the calm before the storm. They didn't know if they would all be fired. But Winter walked trotting into his bedroom, took out a box of alcohol from under the bed, and placed it in the arms of a nearby servant.
"You can either throw it away or drink it among yourselves. Take care of it yourself."
"Yes, yes?"
"And since I need to sober up, I need you to bake some waffles."
Winter said something incomprehensible and then punched the wall as the servants were just looking at him blankly.
"Hurry!"
Only then did the servants rush out frantically.
A little while later, the doctor and freshly baked waffles arrived in his room. There was nothing wrong with his heart, and Winter ate a ton of waffles.
***
The next morning, as soon as Winter opened her eyes, he went straight to Violet's room.
He slept very soundly, and when he opened his eyes he was completely sober. He was so drunk that he was jumping around and his legs were still a little sore, not fully healed.
Thanks to this, he arrived in front of the room with a frown on his face and found that Violet, who usually barely woke up at this time, had finished getting ready to leave.
"Where are you going?"
When Winter asked in confusion, Violet spoke calmly.
"Mrs. Enna is not well, so I'd like to go again."
"Now?"
"Yes, I plan to stay for about three days."
"Are you mad at me?"
Winter asked and Violet nodded.
"I'm angry."
"Let's talk."
"Later."
Winter's heart sank at Violet's rejection. He said as if making an excuse.
"I broke off ties with my parents yesterday. So I drank a lot of alcohol..."
"Come back and talk."
Violet cut him off and continued walking. As she left the house, Winter stood frozen in his place, not knowing what to do.
Meanwhile, when her angry face convinced him that what happened yesterday wasn't a dream, his heart started pounding again.
***
Violet, who came to check on Enna's condition, looked embarrassed when she saw that Enna's complexion looked better than hers.
"Did you get better in one day?"
"It's better. My whole body still hurts."
Violet was confused as Enna, whose expression did not change much, acted sternly.
Enna spoke calmly.
"Let's have lunch in the garden. And have a glass of wine."
Violet narrowed her eyes at her words and asked.
"Are you sure you're really sick?"
Then Enna smiled softly and answered.
"Ah, you can say it now. I'm really bad at lying. Lord Winter asked me a favor yesterday."
"What did he ask for?"
"He was asking me to pretend to be in pain. He said he didn't want you to meet his parents."
"Oh, I didn't even know that..."
Violet, who had rushed frantically and left her husband alone when she heard the news that Enna was sick, sighed.
"Is that why Jen brought so much wine? As a reward for conspiring with her husband."
"Yes. It was so hard for me not to be able to touch the wine. How could it be that I would have kicked you out because I cared so much for you?"
Now Violet finally understands everything that happened the previous day.
Violet entered the Ogel flower garden, which she had spent her entire life cultivating, to have lunch with Enna. As she entered the flower garden, where summer green was beginning to turn, she felt breathless. Sitting in front of the table, the two started eating lunch.
Enna put a lot of effort into this lunch because Violet had predicted that she would come back the morning before.
Moreover, since the wine cellar was filled with high-quality wines, she was more than willing to enjoy this lunch herself.
Violet's mind, which had been complicated by the ups and downs of the previous day's winter, calmed down somewhat the moment she tasted the caviar served with cheese made in the Ogel family's traditional way as an appetizer.
Next, a wonderful dish of grilled mushrooms was served, and all the flavors filled her mouth, so she was able to focus on it and let go of other thoughts for a moment.
While Violet enjoyed a sip of wine that went well with the food recommended by the chef at Ogel Garden, Mrs. Enna filled her glass and drank wine.
When Violet looked at Enna, who had a strong drinking ability similar to Winter, she unconsciously thought of her husband.
"My husband was secretly drinking alcohol in the bedroom."
"Oh my. That's a big problem."
"Last night. Not when he's drunk."
"Did he lose his temper?"
Enna frowned. Madame Enna was one of Violet's loved ones, and although Winter was quite polite, she was unable to hide his temper that popped out all of a sudden. Violet's eyes widened at Enna's concern and she shook her head.
"No, it's the opposite. When my husband gets drunk lol he actually... I guess I should say I feel pitiful."
"Do you feel pitiful?"
"Yes. He seemed so lonely last night, so I told him I liked him and for the first time since getting married, he said he liked me too."
"Wait for a second. Say it again. What are you saying for the first time after getting married?"
"I told my husband several times that he was my first love, but there was no response until now. But last night, for the first time since he was so drunk, he said he liked me too"
Enna looked like she couldn't understand what she said.
"Why on earth did you do that? While loving you so much."
"Yes?"
Violet tilted her head as if wondering what it meant. Then Enna clicked her tongue and said.
"A businessman who cares so much about efficiency has no efficiency at all when it comes to his love. The Lord came here several times during the year you were gone. Maybe... It's just me, but he's been looking for everyone who can contact you."
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