BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 216's

Rolan escorts Inspector Robert and Mr. Stuart into the house while Marco is still staying in the courtyard to give instructions to Harold and Finnian. He was just about to return to the manor when he saw the Clearwater-branded carriage entering his courtyard. Two men jumped down from there and immediately approached him. Earl Clearwater himself who came accompanied Lord Marsh. Both of them were carrying a few guards.

"Marquis Argent," they greeted politely.

Marco shook their hands tightly, especially Clearwater. "Thank you for your help while I'm not here" he said. "I'll remember it."

"Not a big thing, m'lord," Clearwater replied as usual, just a word and a cold tone. "Jose's my friend."

"And my friend, too" said Marsh quickly, not to lose. "I'm glad to see you're healthy, my lord. People are chirping noisily about you out there, as if the world is about to end."

"You want an apocalypse?" Marco chuckled at hearing it. He moved his hands, politely signalling for walking. "I heard what you guys did with luminol. Is that any result?"

Clearwater and Marsh took places on Marco's left and right sides while the five Clearwater bodyguards followed behind.

"There's a result," Clearwater said shortly.

"But we haven't done anything because we're waiting for Jose's aba" Marsh said. "We're just marking the places. Jose's right, there's a kind of pattern, blood dots that, when connected, will form clusters."

"Waiting for Jose, but he didn't tell me" Clearwater said. Marco caught an anxious tone in that grim voice. "Adie suggests waiting."

"Because I think there must be a reason" Marsh said in self-defense. "And I'm right, right? I heard last night there was a commotion near the Southern border. People say Jose's involved in something. Is he rampaging?"

"I can explain it to you, but I think it's more fun to hear it from Jose. He was fine," Marco turned to Clearwater when he said that. "Just a little tired, so I asked him to rest in the room. That's why he hasn't contacted you. He should have woken up by now. It's been a long time since breakfast."

Marco escorted the two men to the living room. Clearwater guards stood guard outside the doorway. The window blinds were opened wide, but vitrase was left dangling, filtering out the sunlight. On one of the sofas under the window lighting, Nolan sat looking at the books of the alphabet.

Marco raised next to an eyebrow looking at that concentration. Nolan didn't even look when they came. He just wanted to reprimand, but Marsh had already cheerfully exclaimed, "Ah, Miss Spot! You still here?"

And to Marco's surprise, Nolan raised his face with a bland look. "Ah, Mr. Gorilla," he said. The girl was wearing cotton pants and shirt like a man's maid. Once aware of their presence, Nolan immediately tidied up his book. "Marco, I want to talk" he said, looking uneasy.

Marco frowned. "It matters?" tanyakanya.

The girl rested her curly hair with a finger, looking doubtful. "Not really, anyway .. just ask something ..."

"Then you can say it later" Marco said, recalling his guest waiting on the second floor. Whatever Nolan wanted to ask was definitely a private thing because the girl needed to stall out. The schedule is already pretty solid. He looked at Clearwater and Marsh. "Since you guys already know each other, I hope no one would mind me leaving the three of you here. Jose will be down in a minute and I still have other business."

Neither Clearwater nor Marsh had any objections, they ushered in the man's departure by saluting him. As soon as Marco's footsteps were not heard again, Marsh immediately exhaled a huge breath. "I'm always nervous when I see him!"

"I am too." Clearwater chose the seat.

"You don't look nervous, you relax." Marsh took his place by his side and turned to Nolan. "And you did call him by name! How can?"

"I saved his life" Nolan said proudly. "Are I not telling you yet?"

"Omong empty. You dream!"

"You can ask him directly. Call me back there! Why do you think he let me call his name again? It's because we're friends!" He showed his arm. "Now, the sword that was thrown at him I was prevented, so he survived!"

Marsh still doesn't seem to believe it. "Save him from whom? It should be everyone who ran away to save themselves from him! You know who he is, right? He's Marco Argent! There are many stories about him. He beats and stomps the throats of robbers to the brink, he punches ten men alone and breaks their legs with a wooden stick, he fights off the narcotic mafia and drives them away from Bjork, where they are, kill grizzly bear with bare hands—"

"That's just a story" Nolan said, shaking his hand. "Where are people killing bears with their bare hands."

"Jose how?" Clearwater interjected before Marsh argued. He knew his friend idolized Marco Argent. Adrian Marsh initially approached Jose because of Argent's name attached to him, though now the young man is a real friend with no other motive.

"He cleansed the body. Coughing up blood." Nolan immersed himself in one of the single couches and told what he heard from the people in this house. His feet were bored. His eyes glanced at Clearwater who looked even more restless as the story ended. "You want to meet Jose? He's not going down. He's in his room again, with Miss Garnet's."

Marsh chuckles at the way Nolan calls Mary. That's mocking politeness. "Well, are you sulking? You jealous?"

"You're jealous" Marsh cracked up even louder. He shifted his seat until he got closer to Nolan's sofa. "Why upset? They're not official yet, are they? You still have a chance!"

"Adie," said Clearwater.

"What's? Everything is good in love and war!" his friend nodded no matter. "This girl is no less beautiful than Garnet. Smart too. Ferocious as well as not losing to Garnet, just look at her eyes! A little polishing can be. Jose is also not a person who attaches importance to status. He was such a freak, so Nolan had the same chance. Well, if you want to move forward, I can help you get it. I know everything that Jose likes and dislikes. You wanna try?"

Nolan lightly smacked his read-write book into Mars' head, leaving the man gasped in shock.

"You hit me?" Marsh rubbed his crown furiously.

"Yes, and I'll hit you again if you talk recklessly!" Nolan was not afraid of that beaver face. He has often faced more violent and angry people in the South.

"I just want to help you! I'm Adrian Marsh, the owner of the pubs scattered in Bjork and the many brothels in Delton! You want to be beautiful and seductive, I know the way!"

"What a heart," said Nolan cynically. "I might accept your offer if one of them claps one hand." His eyes stared hard, fierce. No one knows if he was offended by Marsh's remarks or disappointed by the reality. "But they both like each other. Interrupting people's relationships is low!"

"Well," Clearwater said complacently, her hands held up. Marsh gnawed, took out a piece of paper money and patted it hard into the palm of Clearwater.

Guessing that he was being made into betting material, Nolan hit Marsh's head harder with the book's scroll. The man turned his head ferociously, but then hurriedly apologized as soon as he saw Nolan's eyes dewy. "I'm sorry, I was just bored yesterday. And Luke was talking about Jose, and then I had this ridiculous idea. You should've hit him too, didn't he bet!"

"Yes! Fuck that!" nolan. "Because he won, he must have bet on me, right!"

Clearwater nodded from his sofa, putting the money in his pocket.

"I won't do it again, promise." Marsh raised two fingers to the side of the head.

"You also said you wouldn't call me Miss Freckle!" Nolan grunts. "People like you can't handle his talk!"

"Huh, you're speckling! Should I call Miss Kinclong?"

George walked into the room before Nolan had time to hit Marsh once more. The butler told him that Jose was coming soon. Along with him came another waiter who brought drinks for each person in the living room. Hot tea, hot chocolate, and cognac.

"I respect your decision" Clearwater said to Nolan as soon as the servants left. "It's hard to back off when you like, I know. There are other people who are after Jose .. One of them is called Flora. He never gave up. But so annoying. Jose doesn't even consider them friends. Not like you."

Marsh gawking. This was the first time he had heard his friend speak at length to someone other than their circle of friends.

"You seem so considerate of Jose" Nolan commented. "He's your brother?"

"If it's his brother, his name must be Argent, too" Marsh scoffed.

"It could be a brother on the mother's side, big mouth!" hiss Nolan.

"His name is Orlov!"

"Well, who knows if you're far away!"

"He's my friend" Clearwater sipped her hot tea slowly, stopping the boyish quarrel.

"That's it?" Nolan asked in wonder. He thinks there's a special reason. "Jose has a lot of friends, right?"

"I don't" replied Clearwater lightly. He looked at Nolan with his pale, clear eyes. "You yourself? You're willing to save your friend's life too, aren't you? Your arm is proof."

Nolan nodded stiffly, understood.

***