Chapter 4: 4

Rowell couldn’t hide the anxiety he felt as Winter stared directly at him before meticulously going through the contents of the contract one by one. He’d never seen Winter wear such a composed yet arrogant expression before.

Normally, whenever Winter flipped the table, the negotiations were prolonged… and Rowell slowly discovered ways to provoke him.

“So, I heard that the cigars of Larkround are famous.”

Hael unconsciously sucked in his breath before covering his mouth with his hands.

As he said, Larkround was famous for its cigars, but it was something enjoyed only by the aristocrats. At first, Winter had attempted to try cigars to join in with the conversations of the nobles, but he was soon tired out by the strict etiquette he needed to learn. Since then, he’d not so much as looked at a cigar.

Rowell continued.

“I’d like it if you could show them to me, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.”

‘Sir, you shouldn’t have responded like that!’ Hael swallowed his remark before it escaped his lips. Should Rowell start wittering on sarcastically about cigars, Winter would definitely be irritated, and, in the end, the business negotiations would fall into Rowell’s favour.

It was an important contract, for it concerned an enormous amount of coffee beans that would be supplied to all of the company’s hotels in the future. Any change in the numbers would result in a considerable change in profit. Meanwhile, Winter jotted down a few things before handing the note to Hael.

Hael didn’t seem to understand and stared at the words for an unnecessary amount of time. When Hael didn’t move, Winter asked,

“Do I have to go and buy them myself?”

“Oh, no! I’ll be right back!”

Hael hadn’t realised they were the names of some cigars, and soon rushed out. He hurried to a nearby specialty store and bought the cigar kits Winter had specified in his note, and placed them down on the desk in front of him.

Winter took the Belicoso[1] cigar out of its box and pressed it lightly between his fingers.

‘S, Should you really press it like that? Is it not expensive?’

But of course, Hael knew nothing about cigars. After Winter checked it for any imperfections, he handed the cigar to Rowell directly.

“This is the type supplied to the royal family. I hope it is to your taste.”

Rowell accepted the cigar with surprise. Winter took out a cigar to smoke, cut off the head and set it alight. Even Rowell, who felt a sense of superiority to Winter, couldn’t fault Winter’s textbook movements.

He looked as if he’d been educated in the correct movements since birth.

Desperate to achieve his goal, Rowell held out his own cigar.

“I’d like my junior[2] to light it.”

The moment he heard those words, Hael quickly backed away from the table. He was sure that Winter would lose his nerve and overturn the table.

But Winter merely turned his head to the side as if he didn’t understand. Violet, too, felt the same way, and she was the one in his body.

No matter how the royal family was treated and disregarded for the past 3 years, she had never heard the term ‘junior’, no matter how much stress the title of Princess had brought her.

Violet, after thinking for a moment, replied.

“I must be younger then.”

“No, I didn’t mean age……….”

“Anyhow, I didn’t realise you weren’t familiar with cigars to the extent of not knowing how to light one. I’m sorry, I should have explained in more detail.”

It wasn’t mockery. Violet truly interpreted the term ‘junior’ as a matter of age, not status, and that Rowell was asking for her assistance as an older person unfamiliar with cigars. She felt a little sorry for him.

But Rowell took it as a joke, and his face reddened.

Violet misunderstood the reason for it, again, but pretended not to notice the change in his expression.

“This meeting will take a while then, what, with introducing all these new things to you.”

Hael, barely managing to rein in laughter, lifted up several brands of cigars that Winter had jotted down on the note with a smile.

“That’s right, many new things.”

This time, Rowell’s face turned pale.

Rowell instinctively felt like one of them would die from a nicotine overdose from this, and that the loser would be him.

Rowell, who’d been kept as an almost-prisoner for forty seven hours, went back to his room yelling at Winter to do whatever he wanted. Violet also exited the conference room shortly after.

The table was littered with boxes of cigars and bottles of liquor that had been consumed throughout.

Violet felt guilty to have used Winter’s body in such a way, but figured he’d be overjoyed that the contract had been completed properly. After all, money was so important to him that he couldn’t spare a day for his wife.

Violet handed Hael the contract, stamped with Rowell’s seal. It was all Kanixa – the company – wanted.

Hael spoke as if he couldn’t understand what he’d witnessed.

“What happened to you?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you mean.”

After working for 47 hours straight, Violet was already half asleep. She headed straight for the bedroom.

Hael followed her in, but she was too tired to care. As soon as he closed the curtains and the room became somewhat dark, Violet fell asleep with a satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

If this is what being insane is like, then I don’t think I’d mind living like this.

For the first time in his life, Winter Blooming found it difficult to wake up in the morning. From that moment on, he knew it wasn’t his body.

“Damn, son of a…….”

After managing to raise himself, he realised he was in his wife’s body, judging by his new voice and the bedroom he woke up in. After clicking his tongue, he adapted to the situation.

Winter was once enslaved as a ‘giant’ in a dwarven town for a god-damned month, and had been kidnapped and experimented on by a mad sorceress. This was nothing. By comparison, this wasn’t even strange. Now he needed to contact his people in the vicinity.

But no matter how hard he pulled the rope, no maid came. As an impatient Winter rose from his seat, his feet touched empty bottles of champagne and medicine.

He’d always thought the Princess was a delicate woman, but she didn’t seem to live much differently than himself.

The moment he opened the door to look for someone, his whole body trembled.

“Shit, what’s with this body.”

Winter swore as he staggered out of the room before sitting down quickly.

The headache was so severe that it was difficult to walk even a step forward, but Winter had an obsession with coffee. And so, he managed to make it to the stairs.

Whatever the reason was, he’d ended up here instead of going to sign the contract. Regardless of the condition of his body, he needed to go back to his hotel immediately and complete the deal with that damned worm from the Widellin Mountains. If the Princess had switched bodies with him, he didn’t know what she’d do. A woman like her would’ve probably never encountered filth like that in her entire life.

Whilst he somehow tried to drag himself down the stairs, Winter noticed the Blooming family’s doctor, Lichton, walk into the room below him.

You are reading story To Help You Understand at novel35.com

Lichton had completely ignored Winter, an illegitimate child, at the start, so Winter hadn’t bothered to treat him like a human being either. But right now, he could cry with gratitude to have come across someone qualified as a doctor.

“Lichton! Good thing you’re here. Come assist me.”

“Huh? Yeah…….”

Lichton felt a little embarrassed at Violet’s unusual openness, but followed her into her room regardless.

Winter flopped down onto the blanket, leaning on the pillow, and spoke in a commanding tone.

“I have a headache. Quickly identify the cause.”

“I told you yesterday, Lady. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“There’s nothing wrong? This body feels like crap.”

“W, what do you mean… You’re speaking too harshly.”

As Lichton spoke, he began to examine Violet’s condition.

Since Violet disappeared without saying goodbye in the middle of the party last night, the Duke and Duchess of Blooming, along with Diev, had been determined not to let such disrespect go. So, Winter expected to get a definite answer today that this body was sick.

Lichton grumbled after pretending to give some sort of medical examination.

“How long are you going to feign sickness? You might be a Princess, but you’re too stubborn……… Li, Little Lady!”

Lichton stopped talking. Winter grabbed him by the collar and threatened him.

“I said, I’m not feeling well. Who gave this quack doctor a license to spew such inventions this early in the morning?”

‘Inventions?’ Winter guessed that Violet probably would have said it like that.

If Winter had been in his usual body, the man would’ve been pinned to the ground by now, but that was unimaginable with Violet’s lack of strength. Winter suppressed his anger, knowing he couldn’t beat such an opponent right now, and spoke.

“You’re aware your paycheck comes out of my money, aren’t you?”

“N, Not the Little Lady’s, but the Master’s money!”

“Regardless, we’re married, so it doesn’t matter who earns it or gives it. It’s the same.”

“That….”

“So if you don’t want to get fired, then you should say what I want to hear from now on, is that clear?”

Lichton, having been seized by the collar by a woman, straightened up his disheveled shirt when he escaped her grasp.

Meanwhile, Winter beckoned with his finger for Lichton to follow him; he walked right out of Violet’s bedroom and into his own.

When he entered his bedroom, he saw Phillip, his favourite servant, sweeping the floor. Phillip greeted him politely and asked,

“Is there something wrong, Little Lady?”

“Ah, the, I should be in the Capital right now…….”

Winter stumbled on his words as he spoke because of the terrible headache. Phillip reached out a helping hand, a little embarrassed, and then brought it back again. Winter spoke again, holding on to the bed this time,

“Get me a coffee. A very hot coffee.”

“Yes, Little Lady…….”

“And give me a massage.”

“Y, Yes?”

Phillip’s eyes were wide open, but he left the bedroom in order to fetch some coffee first, as he was instructed. Then, as Winter opened the safe in his room, Lichton, who was standing far away, jumped.

He was the eyes and ears of Catherine Blooming, and stayed at Violet’s residence. It was shocking to see Violet open Winter’s safe when all he’d witnessed was their relationship getting worse.

Winter’s wealth was as important to him as his life. If it was for money, he’d even be willing to kill people. The fact that such a man shared the code to his safe with his wife was the same as entrusting his own life to her.

It was clearly noteworthy that, not only had Violet’s attitude changed, but also that she knew the code to his vault.

Regardless, Winter stuffed a bundle of bills into Lichton’s pocket and lay back onto the bed. Then, he asked Lichton, whose eyes were wide open, to review what Winter had taught him.

“So, Lichton. What did I say earlier?”

“To give the answer that the Little Lady wants!”

“Since I have to get to the Capital as soon as possible, I want you to do what you can. If I happen to faint along the way, I’ll……. No, my husband will personally sever your head from your shoulders.”

He was planning on sleeping as soon as he got back, but now Winter needed his help. His head was spinning for more reasons than one. Fortunately, Phillip returned with coffee and sugar.

Winter poured the sugar into the cup without hesitation and gulped it down. After that, Lichton left to prepare the medicine for the treatment.

A moment later, Phillip came back with a bowl filled with lukewarm water.

Feeling a little embarrassed as Winter sat on the bed, Phillip knelt down and tucked his feet under him.

He wrapped the Lady’s pale feet in his hands, dipped them in the water, and slowly began to massage them.

At Phillip’s light touch, Winter felt a surge of irritation.

“Did you suddenly become an 80-year-old man?”

“Yes? Ah…… B, But any harder would cause you pain.”

“What kind of…….”

Winter’s eyes slowly settled on Phillip’s hands as he nudged the water bowl a little.

It was a strange scene. Phillip’s face was bright red, seemingly unable to raise his head, and he was struggling to even hold Violet’s feet out of fear that his strength would hurt her. Of course, it was Winter in Violet’s body now, but Phillip didn’t know that. Winter spoke in a subdued voice,

“…..Leave. Don’t come near me again.”

“Th, Thankyou!”

Phillip replied with a loud voice that Winter had never heard before; he immediately grabbed the water bowl before fleeing from the bedroom.

Winter clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair for a moment before stopping his hand. Then, he turned his head towards the mirror, noticing that Violet’s long hair had been cut to shoulder height. After staring at the mirror for a while, Winter murmured,

“……You cut it late.”

He recalled a conversation he had with Violet last winter.

[1] Belicoso: real brand.

[2] ‘Junior’: Rowell means it in the sense of people socially inferior to him (i.e. insinuating that Winter is lesser than him in order to provoke a reaction). However, Violet takes it to mean younger (i.e. the young are respectful towards the older in society). I didn’t have an appropriate word so just take it to mean inferior person/underling/subordinate/someone lower than the person speaking (in more ways than one).

You can find story with these keywords: To Help You Understand, Read To Help You Understand, To Help You Understand novel, To Help You Understand book, To Help You Understand story, To Help You Understand full, To Help You Understand Latest Chapter