Chapter 9

When Violet got on the carriage, she didn't even have the strength to walk.

By the time she arrived at the train station, however, a little bit of energy returned to her eyes.

The train station at eight p.m. was crowded. It reminded her of a party.

There were three types of train cars. The first-class seats took only one reservation per car. The second-class had reserved seats for about twenty passengers, and the ordinary seats were a free-for-all. The cars were crammed with passengers.

To her relief, she found Winter’s wallet in her pocket. The thick bundle of bills inside would probably be enough to last her a month.

Violet felt her conscience rebuking her, but at the moment she had no other choice. Because she was stealing his money, she didn't even consider getting a first-class seat. She didn’t feel confident she'd be able to grab an ordinary seat either, so she went with second-class.

There were so many people in line that it took a while for her to buy a ticket. Having finally managed to get herself a precious second-class ticket, Violet mumbled to herself.

“I’ve never been on a train by myself before.” The voice sounded odd to her. She hesitated. She tried again quietly. “Violet.”

There were a lot more things she wanted to hear him say, besides just her name. Things like how he’d missed her, how he’d much prefer to stay with her today than go to work.

He hadn't listened even when she pleaded with him to stay by his side. She rebuked herself for wishing for the impossible.

“I guess getting over your first love is quite tough.”

The next train soon arrived amid a cacophony of noises. The doors opened and Violet held out her ticket to the ticket agent.

He tore the end off it to mark it as used and offered her a greeting.

“Have a pleasant trip, sir.” She felt herself relax, having got on the train safely. She straightened her shoulders, which she’d unconsciously hunched from the tension.

She met with another problem soon enough, though. She had no idea what the words and numbers on her ticket meant. As she looked about, confused, a woman shouted at him from behind.

“Don't block the passage, big man!”

“Ah, s-sorry.” Violet hurriedly offered an apology and showed the woman her ticket.

“Do you know where I should sit?”

“How'd you manage to get on the train in the first place? It’s written right up there!”

The woman pointed overhead. Violet finally understood how to read her ticket. She tilted her head slightly to the right and smiled.

“Thank you.”

The woman blushed at his gentle tone.

“Well, you’ve a right pretty smile, you have.”

She'd noticed people's attitude towards her. People often took surreptitious glances at Winter's face and body. With women it happened all the time, and even children fixed their gaze upon her when she went past, apparently not at all frightened. Apparently she wasn't the only one who found him attractive at first sight.

Violet sat in a window seat. The chair was uncomfortable and smelled of dust. She turned her attention outside the window.

People who'd just gotten off the train were smiling and greeting those who'd been waiting for them on the platform.

Someone appeared next to her. She was a woman about Violet’s age, and an aristocrat by the look of things. She was struggling to get a large piece of luggage up on the shelf.

“Let me help you with that.”

Thinking a gentleman probably shouldn't sit and watch in a situation like this, Violet got up immediately. She lifted the huge luggage without much effort and placed it on the shelf. She’d never have dared even trying to life it in her own body.

When Violet sat back down, the woman took the seat next to her.

“Thank you!”

“Don't mention it.”

“Are you headed to the capital?”

“Yes.”

“So am I! I ran away from home!”

“...What?”

“My parents kept telling me I was wasteful with my money because I’ve never worked a day in my life. And so, I ran away!”

Violet was laughing despite herself, “I see.”

“What about you, sir?”

“I'm on business.”

“I've been wondering, but are you him by any chance? Lord Winter Blooming?”

“You’re right.”

“I'm Sharon. Sharon Doss.”

Violet smiled and nodded.

She’d recognized the face underneath the hat. She was the sole daughter of Duke Doss, who had many sons. She was a childhood friend of Violet's. They’d taken ballet lessons together since they were seven.

Violet spoke, “I’ve heard my wife mention you. You learned ballet together, right?”

“R-really? Violet speaks of me? So I wasn't the only one who remembered!”

“She seems to have very fond memories of you.”

Sharon, excited at the news that Violet remembered her, began chattering about her childhood.

While the two talked, a station employee rang the departure bell furiously. The doors of the train closed with a burst of noise,

and it began moving with a massive groan.

* * *

Winter waited irritably in the seaside villa. Hayell eventually appeared with a carriage. Winter looked like a time bomb about to go off. Hayell ran up to him.

“Sir!”

“...How did you know?”

His expression and attitude were all Winter, but he was in Violet's body. He seemed taken aback by the fact that Hayell knew who he was speaking to.

“You asked me to look for cases where members of the Conic family experienced body swaps, remember? And there’s only a single horse tied up over there, but you can't ride.”

“You’re being smart for a change.”

“I'm always smart, sir. Why don't you start learning how to ride a horse? I'm sure with your reflexes it won't take long.”

“I do not wish to learn horse-riding with seven-year-olds. I don’t have the time, either,” Winter replied with a frown.

They returned to the mansion afterwards in the carriage.

Winter's day was far from over. The birthday party of Duke James Blooming was just getting started.

Winter had a doctor see to his hand the moment he got back. He sat down in front of a dressing table.

The maids brought her dresses to wear to the party, and Winter glanced at them.

His wife must have run away from this party.

As long as she was in his body, she was in no great danger. Which meant that all he had to do right now was to take her place in this party that she hated so much, for reasons unknown.

Winter could never stand to take a loss. He had to get something out of this situation he was in.

Winter looked at the dresses the maids had brought. They looked like funeral clothes. He got up. He headed to his own room, and Hayell trotted behind him.

“What are you doing, sir?”

“I’m going to have her wear what I want her to wear.”

“She’s going to be upset later...”

“She stole my body without my permission. I’ll do what I like while I'm in this body. That way we’re even.” Winter spoke as if this was perfectly natural, and entered his own dressing room. He opened another door inside the dressing room, revealing a room filled with about a hundred of the dresses that Hayell and assiduously bought whenever he had the time.

Three years ago, things had been so busy and financially tough that he'd only eaten sandwiches. The public’s image of the man who'd paid off the nation's debts had worked in his favor, however, and customers had kept coming to his hotel. Finances had stabilized since last spring.

He’d sent about five party dresses to Violet then.

A few days later, all of them except a wood-colored one were returned to him.

His mother wrote to him that Violet, being royalty, didn't like such fancy dresses.

After being refused a few more times, he began simply piling new dresses in his own dressing room.

Thinking this was his chance, he gave a dress to Hayell to hold and opened the safe. Inside were all sorts of gems.

Winter put on a necklace with huge teardrop diamonds hanging from it, and layered a bunch of bracelets. Hayell balked.

“Didn’t the jewelers tell you? Women don’t like wearing such heavy trinkets. What kind of noblewoman wears so many jewels?”

“Shut up. Her husband has bought her too many, and she has no choice but to wear them. To hell with what they think.”

This was Winter's normal way of speech, but it was strange to hear such coarse words come out of Violet’s pretty lips. Hayell flinched and nodded.

Winter looked over the dress and grumbled, “I have no idea how to put this on.”

“Would you like me to help?”

“Get out of my sight! How dare you try to touch this body. Call the maids.”

“...Please don't swear at me with her voice. It hurts much, much more,” Hayell said woefully. He ran off to call the maids. The maids soon entered, shocked at the opulence in the dressing room.

After Winter kicked Hayell out, the maids worked diligently to help the little mistress with her dress. Winter's eyes were glued to the mirror.

A maid had been touching up her shortened hair when she spoke unthinkingly,

“How wonderful white dresses look on you! You’re like a bride at a wedding—” Another maid blanched and slapped her on the arm. The maid who spoke realized her mistake and clapped a hand to her mouth.

Winter frowned. “What's that?”

“A-apologies, little mistress!”

The two maids paled at Violet's irritable tone. They’d never heard her speak like that before. Winter's frown only deepened.

“Why can’t you talk about weddings in my presence? You, tell me what’s going on.”

Winter pointed to the maid who'd slapped the other on the arm.

She hung her head and mumbled, “The n-night before the wedding... Your husband disappeared without a single word...”

“...”

“We know he was upset, but we know how worried you were, waiting up for him all night without even taking off your dress. I remembered how upsetting that was and... I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said a word!”

Winter was unable to say anythng. This was the first he’d ever heard of this.

On the day of their wedding, Winter was fuming as he immediately got on a train to the capital. The title he was due wasn't going to be his, and he’d had a lot of things to cover for.

It was customary for couples to spend the night in the same room on the first night of their marriage, regardless of whether they chose to consummate it that night. Which meant that if no one had told Violet that he’d left, she’d have waited for him all night in their bedroom.

Winter finally understood at least one reason why Violet was asking for a divorce.