BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 220's

Dave's been moved from the ward to the second floor, west wing. The man still looked weak, but was already much healthier than first coming to this manor. When he heard what his friends were planning, he wanted to participate.

"You wouldn't consider me a sick person and leave me, would you?" Dave stared with deliberately dramatized grief. "I can go home now and get my people ready."

"Your house is half a day away" Marsh reminded. "At the same time you're thin dry like this. Lidya already knows you're here?"

Dave shaking. "I feel a bit guilty, but if he was told, everyone would know too. And Sir William may—"

"Call him" Jose said. His head was turned toward the cable phone in the room. "When everyone thinks you can't come back, it's just him who keeps looking for you and believes you're still safe."

"Jose, when you're all betting your lives like this, how could I possibly be so absorbed in thinking about myself?"

"Ah, she's also engrossed in her boyfriend, really." Marsh elbowed Jose. "What did you two do with Garnet in the room, huh?"

"What?" reply Jose wonder. "He brought me breakfast."

"Omong empty!" Marsh couldn't believe it. "You've been smiling and laughing like crazy ever since you showed up. Nolan said you and Garnet were in the room."

"What's this?" dave asked as he moved up from his sleep, leaning on the head of the bed. "Are you guys progressing?"

Jose couldn't help but smile. He wanted to show off his relationship with Maria. "Well, there is."

One choor "Oooh!" length echoed in the room.

"Minimum should he kiss her," Marsh pulled out a piece of money and grinned like a fox. "But considering we're talking about Argent and the rigid Garnet, I doubt it."

Clearwater cleared his throat slowly, putting another sheet in Marsh's hands. "Maybe just a hug."

"Oh no, no, we're talking about Jose here" Dave chimed in. "He can seduce other girls as smoothly as Don Juan but always be mute in the presence of Garnet. I bet nothing happened. Maybe he just brought breakfast and they touched a little."

As the three laugh, Jose pulls the money sheet out of Marsh's hand and keeps it in the chest pocket of the coat. "I kissed her. I said I love her."

There's one "Oooh!" longer echoed, this time louder. Jose was showered with elbow and playful blows and congratulations and questions.

"Well, well, this is a case first," said Jose hurriedly, fearing that their voice sounded too loud. Mary was in the other wing of the house and could not have heard, but she was still worried. No one wanted to hear, the three friends were still chatting and teasing him, so Jose overcame their voices by continuing to talk, "Sir William is going to Aston. The last news that came was that he was on his way back to Bjork. You're right, Dave, he may be with the devil but he can't bilocate. He can't teleport either, I guess. That's why he uses the train like a normal human. Anyway, today's our chance to destroy the cluster because at the earliest he'll reach Bjork later tonight."

"I see a lot of guns downstairs." Marsh finally stopped laughing. On the side of his waist he rested on the nightstand, next to Dave's headboard. "From Greyland? The crates are bearing the Greyland's horse."

Jose looked around the room vigilantly, then whispered, "Uncle will ambush him when he arrives. We'll just get ready at Bjork, just in case he needs help. Police patrols will also be deployed to guard civilians. Later tonight ... tonight it will all begin."

Clearwater. "So it doesn't matter if we're distributing troops, right?" tanyakanya. "You asked us to move in secret because of the police patrols."

Jose nodded. "We're leaving now." He looked at Dave. "Contact Lidya" he said. "It's not good to abandon your fiancee."

"Jose, Jose." Dave raised his eyebrows. "You kissed Garnet once and suddenly became a romance expert?"

The blister was only met with one light fist. "I'm serious" Jose said. "We don't know until when we live. Don't miss the chance."

"I don't like the way you talk" murmured Clearwater gloomily. "We will live."

"I'll call him," Dave calmed down. "And I also want to join your operation. I also have a lot of people in Bjork. They can help."

Jose nodded. "Call away. You can join after lunch, if it's strong enough for that."

Dave chuckles. "I'm strong enough to throw you out if you keep treating me like a decrepit person."

Marsh laughed. "Eh there's whiskey" he said as he looked at the coffee table on the side of the room.

"Ah, it was Dr. Rolan who left him," said Dave. "I was told to drink regularly to warm my body."

"It's a shock, I don't mind getting sick if it's the cure." Marsh walked up to the bottle, wiggled it by the ear, then nodded in satisfaction as there was still plenty of it. He looked around and there, finally finding a set of tea supplies in the bupet. He put the bottle in his hand into porcelain cups for tea, and he brought the tray to his friends. "I heard stories about soldiers in the Far East" he said, "they would drink sake and break the cup onto the floor before the war." He grimaces. "I don't know what the gesture means, but it sounds cool. We're not gonna break Argent's cup, but .. well, there's whiskey here."

Clearwater snorted receiving the porcelain cup. "You just want to drink."

"Jose?" Marsh smiled a small smile as soon as he finished dividing the drinks.

Jose nodded. Although he wanted to laugh because they would drink whiskey from a cup of sweet tea, he could endure it. There was tension in the room. They all knew that this was a crucial moment, the four of them could not have survived. His comrades could have actually gone far away from Bjork to save themselves. They have the right to do that and he will not prevent it. But they stay here, no one leaves. They all accompanied him, and Jose was grateful for that.

He lifted his cup in salute. "To stay alive and to survive."

"To stay alive," the others followed.

***

George came with a messenger from Garnet. Marco listened to the request the man brought and nodded in understanding.

Renata always sent people periodically to the Garnet manor to inform Maria of her condition, but it was clearly not enough for Marquis Garnet. The man worried for his daughter's safety upon hearing what was dealing with Argent. Not humans, not criminals, this time they were dealing with the undead.

Marco understood Garnet's anxiety, but he would not give up Mary for granted. Just like it seems, the girl is also an important key in this event, it should not be left out of sight.

"I'll come there with Maria Garnet" Marco said. "Tell that to your master."

The messenger nodded, then resigned. Marco turned to George. "Mary Garnet gets ready. Find Jose too. They're going with me to the Garnet manor this afternoon."

As soon as George left, Rolan came along with Nolan. Marco breaks away from Mr. Stuart, who still gives Robert a clue to approach them.

"Why?" tanyakanya.

"Nolan wanted to ask you something" Rolan replied.

"I told you later, right?" Marco looked at Nolan.

The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking restless. "Now it's later."

"Urus Robert," Marco pinta at Rolan, then walks in search of a shady place to talk. Nolan followed him behind.

They stopped under a garden pergola filled with vines. There were no flowers blooming there yet, only green foliage, giving the canopy shade.

"We've met before, haven't we?" nolan asked without further ado as soon as they stopped. "I remember we met before. I can't remember when. Maybe a year or two ago. I'm with my dad, you're wearing a coat with a hood, so I don't remember right away. But it's you, I remember your shape, your shoulder."

Marco raised his eyebrows high, digesting quickly what Nolan suddenly described. "How's it?" tanyanya. "We've met?"

"Yes! Me and my dad. Do you know who he is? His name is Titus, his hair is blonde like mine. Her eyes are blue." Nolan excited. "He died about two years or a year and a half ago, maybe more? His funeral was only last August, but we buried an empty coffin. Mom said he was in an accident. But you might know? We've met before. You've met."

"Why are you asking now?"

"I just remember now!"

"Where did we meet?" Marco immediately understood what the girl wanted. "What meda? What are we doing?"

"Near the harbor, we're getting into the ship." Nolan recalled those memories in shreds of faint memories. "You told me to be careful, you asked me to hold your shoulder—like the time in that tower. Exactly! You led me down into the ship, the stairs were steep. It was dark and there were many ropes. My father went in first. You guys talk but I don't hear what." He stared uneasily. "I was busy looking at the ship."

Marco thought for a long time, then shook his head. "I don't remember, I'm sorry."

"You are Marco!" nolan protest. "Because you remember you're good. How could you forget?"

"Well, my memory is limited. I choose what I want to remember and what I don't" Marco said in wonder as if what he said was something everyone should know. "There's hundreds of Titus I've met in my entire life, I don't know which one is—"

"Yes?" Nolan urged enthusiastically, feeling that Marco must have remembered.

Marco remembers now. Titus. The man who brought the daughter sweet and well mannered when meeting her. "Your long hair with your father?" tanyakanya.

Nolan nodded. "Longer than the shoulder. I'm wearing a red ribbon."

"You were more polite then, I just remember now."

Nolan laughs. "Dad asked me to be very, very polite because he said we were going to meet a complicated Northman."

"Complicated." Marco grunting. "He always called me that."

"So you know? You familiar?" So excited, Nolan touched Marco's arm and shook his arm impatiently. "Tell me, what do you know about him? What kind of person is he?"

Marco stared intently at Nolan, staring into the same pale blue eyes as the irises of the man he knew. "His name is Titus" he said. "He's one of those informants who comes to me occasionally, but not mine. He works for Lady Chantall." He looked up, staring at the open door. Lady Chantall stepped out of there and walked over to them. A sweet smile was on his face, but Marco knew the woman was being irritated. "Long-life. Just talked about the guy coming. Well, there ask him. He knows better than I."

Nolan took off Marco's arm quickly as soon as he saw the woman staring like she wanted to burn him with the look of an eye.

Oh, scary, he thought.

***