Episode 30
Monica protested.
“That’s ridiculous. The ‘green pill’ only increases the side effects.”
Enrique shook his head.
He once thought so too. There was a reason why the drug was banned from distribution in the kingdom.
But Andrei hesitated and opened the newspaper article that Enrique had been looking through.
And he went to the houses of those who committed murder or set fires and met their families.
After doing this three times, the proud secretary finally got his hands on the medicine. He had taken what they had left at home. The price was a fair amount of gold and a few slaps.
He felt reluctant to take a medicine that was forbidden in the kingdom, but it seemed like there was no other way. Enrique swallowed the medicine and gave it to Andrei.
“If I try to set fire, slap me on the face.”
“This is the opportunity I have been waiting for. I have always wished that you wouldn’t remember it, My Lord, while I slapped you on your face.”
Andrei smiled brightly. Enrique didn’t say much, thinking it would be nice if his new secretary, who was suffering from his madness, relieved her stress by giving appropriately rude answers.
Finally, he swallowed the curse and lay down. And he slept as if he were dead.
It was the first good night’s sleep in three years since returning from the war.
When Enrique woke up the next morning, he thought he had experienced a miracle.
After the war, he would always fall asleep after a few days of insomnia, and then Luis and Garcia would show up and wander around for as long as the days Enrique couldn’t sleep.
But the drug made Enrique fall asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed. Luis and Garcia did not show up as well.
“I’ve never heard of anything like this. I’ve seen that it was used to put wounded soldiers to sleep, but… … .”
“If it was common enough for you to hear about, then I would have already known it.”
Enrique sneered.
“Okay, I need that medicine.”
“… … But it’s not good to take it for a long time.”
Monica hesitated. Enrique shook his head.
“I won’t take it for long. It should be fine till this fall.”
“By this fall… … .”
She immediately understood what Enrique was talking about. Autumn. Enrique sneered with a tired face.
“Only until the wedding.”
“That!”
“I know it’s a lie.”
The man interrupted Monica. Enrique was the only son of the Sullivan family, and he had to pay the family’s war indemnity by marrying them.
So, until he could get married, that would be enough. This fall, it would be enough to have a wedding.
“That’s how noble marriages work. After all, the other person just needs my family name.”
But, but… … Monica muttered.
“… … You don’t seem like that kind of person.”
Enrique raised his eyebrows. He had never shown himself enough to hear something like that from a woman who he had just met.
But Enrique soon realized what Monica meant.
“Miss Mollet is telling me to purchase her like an object.”
That’s what Enrique Sullivan said to Riela Mollet.
You spoke of marriage in such a way that it seemed as if you were contemptuous of Riella, and now you are speaking of marriage in such a humble way? Monica’s eyes clearly conveyed that meaning.
Enrique looked at the woman without saying a word.
The backyard of the Mollett mansion was filled with green waves in the afternoon sunlight.
Among them, sparkling green eyes glowed with innocent contempt amid the dazzling greenery.
Enrique somehow felt that the look in her eyes was truly appropriate for his current situation. He smiled coldly. It was a cynicism directed at himself.
“Its mainly because you are thinking of me in that way.”
Monica was speechless for a moment.
And after a long time, she nodded, indicating that she would grant Enrique’s request.
Enrique smiled with satisfaction.
It was a laugh without any relief, although I was happy that I got what I wanted.
* * *
Monica spent the afternoon looking after Martinel in a daze. She continued to do so after going to bed that evening, and even after waking up the next morning.
She kept messing up the stew with a spoon, so much so that a maid who was passing by laughed and said, “Monica, what’s wrong?”
At lunchtime, Martinel and I went for a walk and ate in the garden, but I couldn’t tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose. Monica came to her senses only when even Martinel was worried about her.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Young Master. I guess I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m feeling a bit out of it… … .”
Martinel stroked Monica’s forehead with his small hand as if he felt sorry for her.
“My older sister does that sometimes too. Should I tell her to get some medicine for you too? You’ll be able to sleep well if you take it.”
Monica smiled broadly. It was wrong of me to make this child worry.
“No. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I’ll be able to sleep today.”
Besides, she couldn’t borrow medicine from Riella. She thought of Riella, who had been hovering around her since yesterday, looking for a chance to talk to her. She seemed quite curious about what she had been talking about with Enrique Sulivan.
But it was such a coincidence that Riella never had time to talk to Monica alone.
Until just a moment ago, she had been pretending to pick roses in the garden far away while peeking this way, but it seemed the sunlight was too hot for her to bear.
Monica smiled, adjusting her straw hat.
‘I was dumbfounded after hearing such an incredible story… …’
It was obvious that she was anxious. What was Monica thinking after hearing the secret story that day?
Riella asked about Enrique’s story to Monica, which only served to further heighten her suspicions.
But Monica felt like deliberately avoiding Riella and trying to get her to stop.
Didn’t Riella also tell Enrique about Monica being an orphan?
Of course, there is no law that says employers cannot tell their employees’ stories to others.
That’s just how power differentiates people.
It’s always the case that people of low status are careful with their words. It’s unlikely that Riella would have thought to be careful when talking about Monica, who was no different from a maid.
Monica knows it in her head too.
Besides, Riella had proposed to Enrique first, so she would not have been able to refuse it if Enrique had decided to ask her out.
But even if I understand her situation, being sneaky is another matter.
“Umm…. Master Martinel.”
Monica asked Martinel, who was playing with the flower petals, in a suggestive tone.
“Miss Riella, is her marriage fixed with the son of Sullivan family?”
“Well, it’s not set yet. Why?”
“I thought it was because everyone spoke like they were engaged, but it didn’t seem like it when I saw it at the banquet.”
“Oh, that’s right. If they were engaged, he would have danced only with her. But it’s almost like they’re engaged. My sister has the most dowry.”
Martinel answered in a serious tone. Monica was a little taken aback. How could a ten-year-old say something like that?
But if you think about it, Martinel was also a nobleman. If you were familiar with their marriage culture, which was much closer to business than love, it seemed like a natural thing to talk about it.
“My mother is also sure. She says that of all the girls with large dowries in La Spezia, my older sister is the prettiest.”
Well, Lord Sullivan said he didn’t like the way Riella looked at him. Monica felt like sarcastically saying that.
But of course she had the sense not to bring that up in front of the innocent Martinel. Instead, Monica smiled faintly.
“I see. It seems Lord Sullivan thinks so too.”
“Oh? That’s right. You two were together that day, right?”
“That’s right. And we met again a few days before.”
“Wow! Sir Sullivan like my sister!”
The innocent and kind boy clenched his fists happily and wanted to run to his sister right away. Monica held Martinel’s hand and told him that running was bad for his health.
“If I go and tell her about it later while we’re having a snack, my sister will be happy.”
As he said this, Monica asked Martinel to pluck a dandelion that was pinned under his knee.
Martinel gladly picked a flower and handed it to Monica. Monica bowed politely to Martinel. The boy laughed happily.
The boy, who was always treated as weak and young among adults, was most pleased when Monica treated him like a gentleman.
That night, Riella ended up knocking on Monica’s door.
“Monica Offen!”
However, Monica had expected Riella to come a long time ago and had already turned off the lights and gone to bed.
Monica giggled under her covers, her annoying temper hitting the mark.
When Riella heard from Martinel about Enrique Sullivan’s compliments, even if they were compliments, she couldn’t help but be suspicious of them since the source was Monica.
And you’ll go crazy wondering.
But you can’t ask if that’s true in front of other people. The fact that she didn’t bring a single maid here was the proof.
Riella, who had been calling Monica’s name several times in a whisper so that Martinel, who was sleeping in the next room, couldn’t hear, eventually quickly got tired and went back.
Monica laughed out loud, then cried a little at the end. Then she blurted out.
“You sure act like a bad girl.”
It was unclear whether she was talking to herself or to Riella.
However, I slept deeply that night. Perhaps, as I told Martinel, I had not slept well the night before.
And I had a dream.
A dream where she was greeted by Sullivan’s secretary, whose face she doesn’t even know, and where she no longer has to knock on the doors of families who have suffered from disaster.
The dream of becoming the top student at Beryl College. And, and… … .
