While Violet was happily chatting with the maids and shopping on the island at the mouth of the Reck River, Eglin approached her. She said with a pained expression.
"I never thought you would make me work as much as you do, Sir. You're sending me all over the country."
"You've had a hard time."
"At the company, my subordinates do all these things. Even though it looks like this, I'm the vice president."
Eglin continued to act excitedly at Violet's reaction, who accepted it with an apologetic expression.
"I do everything to serve."
"You seem to know everyone in the entire Rockround. You're truly amazing."
Eglin said, moved by Violet's pure admiration.
"Could you please tell the CEO about that?"
Violet, who had become accustomed to this reaction from the people around Winter, smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, I guess he already knows that."
"I don't think he knows."
"My husband knows more about the people around him than you think. That's why he'll accept you back into the company even though you're acting so wild. You're so great."
Eglin's lips twitched at Violet's playful compliment. Then she lowered her voice and said.
"Oh, and this is a really hard piece of information to get. Ash Lawrence might award himself a title first."
"What is a random thing?"
"Yes. Is that possible?"
"I guess... he was the heir to the throne. That would normally be the norm. The king of Rockround round was supposed to have two titles in addition to the crown. But now..."
"It's because the enemy is afraid. A frightened animal usually inflates its size,"
Eglin spoke and laughed cheerfully. Then she asked slyly.
"Are you going to stop it?"
"Well, it's entirely possible legally. I don't think it's something that can be stopped."
"Then you're going to take it away?"
Violet paused at Eglin's words. Then Eglin's face darkened.
"Why are you hesitating? Of course, you should take it."
"That..."
"Are you afraid?"
"That's not it."
Violet thought for a moment, then looked at Eglin.
"I love the Lawrence family, and I am proud of its history. Any name other than the Lawrence family seems to me to have... no value. Rather, it feels like an unnecessary title."
"... Wow, this is the first time I've seen someone with such conservative values. How on earth do you live with the CEO? He's someone who values only money. He even expresses love in money."
"But things have gotten a little better these days. He doesn't buy just anything. Fortunately, he's also given up on the cruise."
Eglin had a lot to say to her unknown voice, but she just laughed it off and pretended not to know.
***
Winter came out of the tea house with a strange expression on his face.
He once asked Violet if she wanted him to report to her every day about what he did. Je was such a fool. It wasn't until he was twenty-nine that he realized that love was being interested in someone and wondering where they were.
He had been following his parents with his eyes all this time. That was love. Since he was twelve, he had been secretly in love with his parents without missing a single moment. He thought he would feel regretful after cutting off his parents, whom he had loved so desperately, but instead, he forgot about it in an instant.
Then he realized. In this whole world, the only thing that was important to him was that Princess and everything else was irrelevant. It wasn't that he cut off his parents and only had his wife left, but that he was able to cut off his parents because his wife was precious.
He thought that everything would get better if he fell in love. Instead, there were times when he felt like he was going to die. It was so painful to know that even if he paid for everything else, he couldn't buy his wife's heart.
As Winter walked anxiously to find his wife, he came across the jewelry store where Violet was.
She was chatting happily with the maids who had come out to buy jewels for the dress she would wear for the family meeting. Violet, who soon noticed Winter outside the store, walked out.
"Oh, I thought we might run into each other by chance since we live near the office, and we really did. Did you come out for a walk?"
Then Winter silently hugged her tightly with both arms.
"Winter?"
"Just wait a minute. I'm just feeling unwell."
Then Violet silently patted his back with her hand.
"What happened?"
"There wasn't any. There just wasn't any."
“Autumn Tana?”
Winter paused for a moment at Violet's teasing words. Only when her lips spoke of autumn did he see the island, painted in autumn colors. He soon smiled, a little crookedly, with a hint of mischief.
"Maybe? Oh, and the Southern papers had a big story about Ash Lawrence."
Winter unfolded the Southern newspaper he had brought.
The fact that Ash only pretended to farm while pocketing huge amounts of money behind the scenes angered the South, which was full of real farmers. Violet smiled as she read the newspaper carefully.
"Thanks for the newspaper. Now, can you tell me why your expression is so bad?"
"Hmm."
Winter wanted to change the subject again, but couldn't resist the sight of Violet's calm eyes looking at him, so he spoke honestly.
"If I still occasionally get scared that you might leave me, am I crazy?"
"... Yes?"
Winter nodded as if he understood Violet's puzzled expression.
"I guess I'm crazy."
"Even though I say I love you every morning like this?"
"Up until now, my entire family has abandoned me."
"That..."
Violet was speechless and couldn't say anything else, so Winter unconsciously gritted his teeth and opened his mouth again.
"It really looks like fall has arrived."
"Winter, I..."
"Don't tell me there's no reason to leave me. I've never expected to be abandoned before. Always, one day."
"..."
"When you come to your senses, you're abandoned. You realize it too late."
Winter had a lonely expression on his face that he never showed to anyone, not even Violet. She took Winter's hand in hers.
"Are you busy? Would you like to look at jewels together?"
"The maids will be disappointed."
"We can go together."
"The maids will hate it."
When Violet turned around at Winter's words, it was clear that no one wanted to make eye contact with Winter. They had seen him when Violet was away. Compared to the usual Winter, when he was with his wife, he was like a cute puppy.
Violet looked at Winter again and said.
"I've been out shopping like this almost every day lately. I guess I'll be with you today. Oh, but you shouldn't buy everything you see."
"When did I ever buy everything I saw? You're being too conniving."
"Thank goodness it's gotten better recently. Then I'll tell you right away."
Violet went inside and told him to go back in the carriage first, then came back. Winter, who was immediately in a good mood at the suggestion of going shopping together, quickly grabbed Violet's hand as soon as she came out and put it in the pocket of his thin coat. He asked in a cheerful voice.
"I know it's ugly when a husband interferes with his wife's party, but are you taking care of it properly?"
"I'm preparing very extravagantly. Even though I look like this, I was raised in royalty. I'll start dressing up. I can dress up as much as I want."
"Why is it 'even if it looks like this'? I've never seen anyone in the world who looked as if they were raised in royalty as you."
"Really? Why is that?"
Violet tilted her head as if she was always wondering. Then she spoke as if she had just remembered something.
"Do you know of a pearl shop? I've finished preparing everything, but Jen said she wanted more pearls. But no matter which shop I went to, Jen couldn't find one she liked."
"Of course, it's almost the end of the year. It's the best party season. The ladies must have already swept them all up. It's the time when pearls in good condition are worth asking for. You'll find some decent ones there."
"So that's why it was difficult to get pearls."
Violet nodded as if she understood. Winter felt a pang in his heart as he remembered that Violet had lived so modestly for the three years since their marriage that she had never heard of the fluctuations in pearl prices. He thought again that he should have cut ties with his parents long ago.
As the two entered the pearl shop, the old woman who had been dozing off suddenly came to her senses.
"Welcome!"
Violet made a surprised expression. She was puzzled by the shabby appearance of the store Winter had introduced her to, but when she went inside, she saw that it was filled with pearls that she had never seen in any other store.
Violet looked puzzled, but the owner took out a pair of thick-looking magnifying glasses and clapped his hands.
"Mr. Winter is here. Is this your wife?"
"Bring out the pearls. Stop the useless greetings."
"Anyway, his temper is..."
It seemed like the two had known each other for a long time. The owner took a string of pearls hanging on the wall with slightly trembling hands.
"How about this, Princess? It's a fine pearl from the eastern island."
Among the people here the owner, many didn't even know that the royal family had disappeared, so Violet didn't bother to correct them, but instead lowered herself to the old woman's height and examined the pearls.
"Even to my untrained eyes, it truly looks like a wonderful pearl."
"It's the best."
She recommended three kinds of pearls, but the first one she showed her was so wonderful that there was no point in choosing anymore. Violet looked at Winter with suspicion.
"Is this by any chance your store?"
Then the owner answered on his behalf.
"What? This is a family business that has been around since my grandmother's generation. Even if a rich guy like that comes, we won't sell it."
"Ah."
Violet smiled slightly and added quietly.
"Still, he's not that bad of a person."
"No! I was so sick of him coming here all the time and begging me to work with him. He's really stubborn."
"Did my husband do that?"
"Of course. He sees pearls so well, you know."
The owner spoke proudly, and Winter groaned, wondering if he had brought her here for nothing. Then the owner continued.
"Of course, half of the pearls here were bought by your husband. He has such a keen eye for them that he picks out only the good ones, leaving out all the flawed ones..."
"Hey!"
As Winter shouted in confusion, the owner muttered belatedly.
"Oh, did you say this was a secret? If I don't write it down, I won't remember it."
Then she picked up the notebook she always carried around her neck on a string and checked it.
"Oh my, Mr. Winter told me to never let his wife know. Look at this, Princess. I even set up a star like this and then I forgot about it."
Winter was going to confess to his wife today that a school was being built in the building they bought, but he guessed he missed the timing. Winter covered his face with his hands and sighed, then said to Violet, who was glaring at him.
"... Did I say I'm going to ride the fall?"
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