Episode 12
Anyway, since we had come this far, we couldn’t just turn back. Monica pulled her fist out of Garcia’s hand and held her palm out in front of him.
She asked him to return all her clothes and ribbons.
“I emptied my entire fortune there.”
Garcia raised his dark golden eyebrows.
“What kind of foolish young lady would waste all her wealth on a ribbon?”
“… … Because I was waiting for it!”
Monica clenched her fists again. Garcia let out a hollow laugh.
“Just one word… … .”
Only then did Monica realize that she was speaking like a very childish child.
It seemed like a world of difference from when she first met Garcia and had been polite, thinking he was Luis.
But that didn’t mean she would change her tone. She just raised her chin in a show of arrogance.
“I don’t want to have my speech criticized by a swallow.”
That’s right. Is it right for a guy who calls her a ponytail and gets into street fights to criticize her speech?
Fortunately, Garcia didn’t seem to have any intention of making a big fuss about it either. He just glanced down at her and silently chewed the end of his cigar.
“What.”
“Oh my.”
The man didn’t even blink at Monica, who was glaring at him, and grabbed her wrist again. Then he swept Monica’s palm with his thumb.
“Ouch…….”
Monica groaned involuntarily as she felt pain in her palms, which were bruised and dirty from the fall. A sneer appeared on Garcia’s lips as he smoked a cigar.
“I guess you can’t see anything more urgent than that.”
Garcia took Monica’s hand and stood up, heading towards the fountain in the square. The tile fountain that showed the wealth of La Spezia at a glance was not working.
Without hesitation, Garcia scooped up some fountain water and rubbed Monica’s palms with it.
“It hurts!”
Rather than being really hurt, Monica was more embarrassed that a man she had never met before was rubbing her hands like that. However, Garcia ignored Monica’s screams and just washed both of her hands in the water.
“You’re so good at holding money with those messy hands.”
“Eww.”
Monica looked up at Garcia in displeasure. Garcia chuckled and tapped the edge of the fountain, signaling her to sit down.
The overbearing attitude was far from aristocratic, but somehow it was harder to resist. Monica rolled her eyes and sat down on the bricks surrounding the fountain. Garcia, who sat down in front of her, clicked his tongue.
“Tsk.”
Through the torn hem of Monica’s skirt, he could see her knees, which were scratched and scabbed over. The man pulled out the hem of his shirt that was tucked into his pants and ripped it apart.
Monica was taken aback by the unexpected behavior, but the man, in a casual manner, soaked it in water and wiped Monica’s knees with it, as if it were someone else’s shirt.
“Miss, what’s wrong with your knees?”
“… … .”
“You can’t even get married if it leaves scar.”
Monica was about to shout, “It’s because of you!” but she closed her mouth. In fact, she knew that this situation wasn’t entirely Garcia’s fault.
Besides, Garcia could have just run away. And yet… …
“Let her go, she isn’t related to me.”
Anyway, didn’t he come back because of Monica?
Garcia’s touch was surprisingly gentle. He seemed to be careful not to hurt Monica any more. At that moment, Garcia blurted out.
“Thank goodness this isn’t a battlefield.”
“Uh?”
“If you were a wounded soldier, they wouldn’t have treated you this nicely.”
Monica blinked.
He was right. There were so many wounded soldiers that it was impossible to even dream of treating them gently one by one. It was a luxury to have time to care for their pain.
But how did this man know that? Was he also a war veteran?
She watched Garcia quietly as he chewed and spat out a cigar butt while his hands continued to move.
Monica suddenly became quiet, and Garcia looked up from where he was wrapping her knees with the remaining piece of cloth, then smiled.
“Why, were you touched?”
“… … You really don’t know Luis?”
Instead of complaining, “What nonsense are you talking about?” Monica asked. Garcia’s eyes immediately widened.
“I don’t know about that tasteless kid.”
“I see, so you know him.”
“I don’t know.”
“Anyone can tell with this kind of reaction.”
“You don’t have to mention it again and again. Huh?”
Garcia deliberately tightened his grip on her knees. Monica let out an annoyed “Ah!”
“Don’t even mention that kid’s name, it’ll bring you bad luck for three days.”
“What are you saying? Luis, Luis, Luis, Luis… … .”
As soon as Garcia finished speaking, Monica called Luis’ name over and over again.
“Ah, really!”
Brother? Your faces really look the same.
As Monica was about to say that, she caught sight of Garcia’s squinted right eye.
Beneath his sunken eyes, his expression crumpled, there was a scar that could only be seen if you looked closely under the sunlight.
For a moment, Monica was speechless. Oh, that… … .
But before Monica could say anything, Garcia continued.
“If you call that kid’s name one more time, I won’t give back your money.”
“uh!”
Monica was surprised. She had been asking for money for the dress and ribbon, but she had never expected that the man would give her money back.
“Are you going to give my money back?”
“Damn it. You said you couldn’t work because of me. You only had three sets of clothes left, and one of them was a pair of pajamas.”
This was what Monica had been lamenting about just a moment ago.
“It’s because I’m unlucky that I got involved with this kind of woman… … .”
Garcia grumbled, roughly ruffling his blond hair. At first glance, he looked like someone who he’d rather rip off someone else’s money than pay it back… but instead of saying that, Monica pursed her lips.
Garcia frowned even more at the sight of her expression, but didn’t say anything else.
“By the way, lend me an hour.”
“An hour?”
“Time to go shopping for clothes.”
As she blinked a couple of times, Garcia crossed his arms and looked her up and down, adding in a rather cheeky tone.
“Even if the price of the ribbon is 60 dollars, those clothes aren’t new no matter how much you look at them. They’ve been worn for years, so they’ve probably already been overpriced. I don’t know how much I should pay for clothes that would fetch 10 shillings even if I put them on the market, so I thought it would be better to just go and buy something else that’s of a good price.”
It clearly says he’ll buy me clothes, so why do I feel so dirty…
“But there’s nothing but trash in this market street. In the first place, because of those guys earlier, I won’t be able to go near the market for a while.”
Garcia pointed with his chin in the direction they had come from. They were supposed to go to the commercial area anyway.
But Monica glanced at the clock tower in Argent Square and was startled, for the clock was already close to lunchtime.
“Oh, that’s not okay!”
After the doctor came for lunch, she remembered what Mrs. Mollet had said about taking care of Martinel. And that wasn’t all. Monica’s role was as a tutor and nurse, so she had to consult with the doctor as well. Monica jumped up in surprise.
“This is a big deal. I have to go!”
Garcia clicked his tongue and asked seriously.
“So when do you have time?”
How long did it take to get from the square to the Mallet Mansion? Her steps… … . Monica, counting the distance back, muttered nonsense and finally blurted out, “Saturday.”
“Meet me here for lunch on Saturday.”
I heard from the maids this morning that Mrs. Mollett gives her servants one day off a week.
I haven’t discussed the day off with her yet, but I thought she’d be willing to let me off easy if I had to go out for a bit.
“Plaza fountain.”
It was a one-sided designation. Garcia answered, tilting his head to the side leisurely.
“Don’t you think I won’t be able to come then?”
At those words, Monica said with a scary expression.
“If you don’t come then I will kill you.”
Then she hurriedly turned around and ran.
Seeing her running as lightly as a piece of paper even with her injured knee, Garcia couldn’t help but laugh in amazement. It was absurd.
“You don’t even know where I live… … .”
After saying that, he glanced down at the hem of his torn shirt. That bastard might nag him again, but who cares? A shirt like this doesn’t even count as clothing.
With that thought, Garcia roughly stuffed the hem of his shirt back into his pants.
His gaze was still fixed on the back of the woman disappearing across the square. Her black hair was completely loose and flowing…
Come to think of it, I didn’t even ask for your name. Garcia just clicked his tongue.
I have no choice, I have to come out on Saturday.
If it is possible… … .
—
Monica had no choice but to change into a dull green dress. Pajamas were out of the question, and everyone had already seen the taffeta dress. It was a little hot, but there was nothing she could do.
After she gets her paycheck this week, she’ll either buy herself some simple clothes or ask the maids at the mansion if they have any clothes they’d like to sell.
Of course, there was also the farce where Maria screamed when she saw Monica enter the mansion alone in torn clothes.
“Hans is a damn cub!”
How dare you leave a girl who doesn’t even know the way alone until she’s all battered and bruised like this! I’ll not let this guy go!
Monica barely managed to stop Maria from rolling up her sleeves in anger. She was a bit of a hot-tempered person, but she was very affectionate.
“I’m fine. It’s just that I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Instead, I’d like to fix some clothes. Can I borrow a needle and thread?” When I asked, Maria shrugged and held out her hand.
“I’ll fix it.”
“That’s too much of a work… … .”
“We have to keep doing something until dinner anyway. And you don’t even have clothes.”
Monica had no choice but to leave her clothes. Maria gave her a slight warning as she carried the torn clothes.
“La Spezia may look peaceful, but it is a city that has not been affected by war.”
There were only a few cities left in the kingdom where money could be properly circulated. In the south, the only place was La Spezia.
“It’s a city where all the idiots from the South gather. Strangers, thugs and criminals often loiter here so be careful at all costs. Got it?”
“Yes…….”
Monica smiled weakly as she answered. I wonder if I am one of those fools. Of course, the words did not come out of her mouth.