The party began in the garden right away, and the table was filled with various fruits and crystal decanters filled with liquor. Violet headed to the door to greet the guests who were about to join the party.
As it was the first party held in the veiled garden, the attendees were filled with pride at the mere fact that they had been invited. Violet greeted them warmly. Only after the guests were finished did Violet finally have some free time. As night fell, the people surrounding the mansion and the reporters left, but Violet stood in front of the door for a moment.
Winter asked, handing her a glass of warm wine.
"Why are you here?"
"Ah, it's warm."
Violet said, holding the warm cup with both hands.
"I'm a little scared about what's going to happen in the future."
"Scared?"
"I think the urgent fire has been put out. It would be strange to go back to the past. But isn't it too soon? Am I thinking too much about the outcome? Am I doing it right..."
Winter chuckled at Violet's monologue.
"What if you were wrong now?"
"That's what I'm saying. I don't know why I keep worrying about things I've already done. It's so pathetic."
"Pathetic? You're the furthest thing from pathetic that I've ever seen in my life... Oh, honestly, I still feel a little pathetic when I push broccoli. Eat some green ones, honey."
Violet paused as he suddenly became obsessed with nagging her about her eating habits.
"I'm eating. Really."
"What about carrots?"
"I decided to eat broccoli. I'll only eat carrots when I want to."
Violet didn't like carrots that much either, so she firmly refused. Winter, who had been smiling at her cute childish side, soon asked in a somewhat awkward voice.
"Do I have any influence?"
"Yes?"
"Giving seats to non-nobles. Does it matter that I am...a foreigner? Like when you went to the mines."
He felt like he was somehow praising himself, and the back of his neck felt hot, but Violet really thought seriously about whether it sounded like that.
"Hmm. Maybe so. Well, now that I think about it, it definitely is."
"That makes me feel sorry."
"I met many people thanks to you. In the process, I came to think that politics should not only be for the nobles. What do you have to be sorry about?"
Violet looked at Winter with her eyes that sparkled like the sea during the day, even at night as if she was really curious. Winter felt the sound of a bell coming from somewhere far away again and turned Violet's body towards the garden.
"Okay, let's assume you're right. Now, we shouldn't be here while we're having a party. We're going to break the chocolates that the company brought. Let's go."
"Chocolate?"
"Our Princess has many good qualities, but she doesn't seem like the type of person who would make a fun party."
"You don't trust me very much? You're launching an airship without saying anything... "
Winter said as if he was taken aback by her words.
"Not really? I don't believe it at all."
While they were talking, two people entered the garden.
Winter asked, nodding at her dress.
"Why did you change your dress?"
"Jen told me to try it on."
He nodded nonchalantly at Violet's beating around the bush, not wanting to upset Winter at the party. It was perfectly logical what Jen had wanted.
Just then, three Kanik employees showed up with a cart loaded with egg-shaped chocolates.
"There's a gift inside the chocolate, so each of you takes one!"
"There are also chocolates with pearls in them!"
People were delighted to hear that there were pearls in the chocolate and took one by one the chocolates. Violet put down the wine she was pretending to drink and picked up a chocolate. She bit into a piece of it like Winter did next to her and found a rolled-up piece of paper inside. She opened it and it was a voucher for a hotel stay in the capital.
"Chocolate would be more valuable to my wife than that."
Winter looked displeased, but Violet looked happy.
"But it's a good gift, isn't it?"
"In terms of value, it's on the high side."
As Winter responded, cheers of delight could be heard here and there.
"It's a meal voucher for the capital hotel!"
"I'll eat too... Oh my, this is a voucher for lodging?"
There were also meal vouchers, accommodation vouchers, and perfume vouchers from prestigious brands that the hotel had a contract with as amenities.
Everyone was happy and their smiles never disappeared no matter what came out. At that moment, the girl who had been frozen solid because it was only her second party today shouted without realizing it.
"Here, here's a pearl ring!"
Then everyone gathered around the girl.
"Oh my, so pretty..."
"The warranty is also included!"
The girl who suddenly became the center of attention tried to put on the pearl ring in embarrassment. The ring, which was made in an average size for women, fit perfectly on the girl's ring finger.
Violet smiled in approval at the sight of everyone being happy.
"Thank you. And for preparing the firecrackers earlier. I was surprised."
"Aren't you grateful for the airship too?"
"That's not it."
"I don't understand. You like airships."
Winter said with a calm face. Violet walked among the people with a cheerful face and introduced Winter. Violet's cousin Angela greeted Winter with a happy face.
"Lord Winter, you are very tall, as rumored."
"Everything becomes a rumor."
"You two really... suit each other well."
Angela said so and glanced at Violet. Although she was one of those who unconditionally supported Violet in giving up her seat, she still worried that it would be rude to say that the Princess of Rockround was associating with a stranger.
Winter knew that, but he also knew that even saying that it was a good match would be difficult for the nobles. Violet squeezed Angela's hand and asked.
"Really? It suits me well?"
"Huh? Yeah, it suits you well."
"I guess I don't hear that kind of thing very often, so I'm glad. Thanks, Angie."
Angela smiled in relief as Violet happily called her nickname. Violet pointed to Benjamin and said.
"You two get along very well. But I would like you both to refrain from such behavior during meetings."
"Yeah, yeah? See, did you see it? I mean, Angie! I told you I could see it!"
When Benjamin spoke with a bright red face, Angela said, "Oh my," embarrassed.
After greeting the guests, Violet and Winter returned to the mansion not long after. It was because Winter, who noticed that Violet was tired from the long meeting, had brought her in semi-forcibly.
Since Violet's room was connected to the garden and would be somewhat noisy during garden parties, they went into the innermost room, the master bedroom, which they had hardly used since they had come to the mansion.
Alter leisurely prepared for bed, but the two of them collapsed on the bed, exhausted.
Winter asked, playing with Violet's hair.
"Would you like to have lunch with that cousin and his wife? They seem close."
"What's up? Do you like them?"
"So so."
Winter was very kind to everyone around Violet, except for the single men. He seemed to be trying to get to know her as well. Violet thought that side of him was cute.
He continued.
"By the way, you don't drink alcohol at all. Not even warm wine."
"I'm not going to drink alcohol for the time being."
Winter thought for a moment at Violet's calm answer and asked.
"Why?"
"I just... I don't really feel like drinking."
Winter's expression darkened at her determination.
Winter found himself recalling in his head the days when Violet had particularly flirted with him.
Every time she tried to seduce him, the shock to Winter was indescribable, so naturally he could remember it all.
"Winter?"
He didn't answer Violet when she called him because he was calculating the days. It hadn't even been a few months, so there was nothing to calculate. His wife had been trying to have a child at regular intervals.
"Winter, why are you looking like that?"
Only after Violet wrapped her arms around him did Winter look at her with a blank expression.
It was impossible to say anything until she had hope.
Winter had held out for a year in the vague hope that Violet would return, and the moment he realized that it was forever impossible, he had given up on everything. Now, seeing his wife's hope, his mind went blank. He desperately held onto his heart which was starting to pound with fear, and grabbed Violet's hand and pulled her towards him.
Violet looked flustered as his hot body pressed against hers. Her body was laid down on the bed, and Winter placed one knee on the bed.
"What's wrong, Winter?"
Do you need a child that much? What will you do if I can never give you a child? If hope is lost, if it's impossible, will you give up on me?
Winter unconsciously grabbed Violet's wrists and held them above her head. Both wrists were held in one large hand. Violet thought he couldn't threaten her, so she twisted her wrists, wondering if it was strange that he was acting out of the ordinary.
"Winter, are you drunk?"
"..."
"Please answer this."
As her voice rose slightly, Winter let go of her hand in surprise and sat up. Then, with a very embarrassed look on his face, he rubbed his neck and stepped back.
"Sorry."
"What are you sorry about?"
"Uh... I don't feel well. I think I'll pass it on to you, so go to my room."
"If you're not feeling well, we'll be together even more."
"I want to be alone."
After Winter finished speaking, he ran out of his room.
And then he couldn't stop, afraid that Violet might follow him, so he ran into his bedroom.
This probably wasn't love. He couldn't trust her, so he imagined her leaving at every opportunity, and every time that happened, his whole body grew cold, and he felt anxious that he might have to lock her up from now on.
Winter muttered, leaning against the door and clenching his fists tightly.
"My wife won't leave me. She won't leave me just because of the child."
He muttered like that, but he knew that not having children in a Rockround was a very serious cause for divorce. In fact, the atmosphere here was such that people around them even encouraged divorce, saying that they were not compatible with each other.
He felt as if his entire esophagus was burning as if he had collapsed in the desert. He was a very realistic person and had grown up learning with his whole body that miracles do not happen. But now, he really wanted a miracle.
Winter had a hard time calming down his breathing, which was becoming increasingly ragged as if he was having a seizure. He was struggling with the feeling of suffocation no matter how many times he exhaled deeply when he heard a knock on the door.
"Winter."
Violet's voice was heard from behind the door. When Winter leaned his head against the door and didn't answer, Violet continued.
"Suddenly... I'm worried."
"Worried? What are you worried about?"
When Winter managed to clear his throat and asked again, Violet thought for a moment and opened her mouth.
"Look at the light bulb. Now what should the candle makers do?"
The corners of Winter's eyes slightly furrowed as he was tormented by her pointless words.
"Why should you worry about that? You have to take care of yourself. What's so hard about making money?"
"You're not trying to solve anything, you're just worrying. Will you worry with me?"
Winter smiled involuntarily at her typical excuse, but it only embarrassed him even more.
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