BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 221

"Where are we going, ma'am?" asked Margie who was accompanying Renata a bit behind. "I can get the waiters to spread all over the house, looking for Leah."

"No need, Margie. I can guess where he is." Renata lifted the edge of the front of the dress slightly as it needed to hurry. "West wing. He must have reported to Xavier Hastings. If he's not there, then he's reporting to Flora Spencer. There are only two of them in Bjork."

Margie took a deep breath. Throughout his life serving the Argent family is not uncommon they will go through busy days like this. But still, he could not get used to it. He preferred the masters and mistresses he served through quiet days.

When they reached the first floor, they passed George. Renata immediately requested that the man call the worker for him.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" George followed Renata up the stairs.

"She, George." Renata did not look. "Little problem, just catching a rat. Marco knows what I'm doing, take it easy. Call the worker to Xavier Hastings' room."

"The closest ones there are Hans and Gerald, Madam," George told the publication. "Young Master is in Lord Dominic's room. Hans and Gerald are with him. I'll call them."

Renata shakes. “Margie can do it.” He stopped at the first stairway. "Where are you going?"

"Marquis Garnet asks his daughter back, Madam." George came to a stop with the same grace. "The train has been sent here. Great Lord Marco requested that Miss Garnet and Young Master join him in the Garnet manor. I was about to tell Miss Garnet this, if Madam doesn't need me."

"Go away. I've been accompanied by Margie here."

George nodded respectfully. They split up, moving to two different wings of the house at the same speed.

***

When he heard from the maid what had happened, Xavier Hastings was not surprised. Surprisingly, he really did not feel astonished. There was nothing he felt hearing of the death of his older cousin. It was the only one he had as a family. He did many things for her, but the news of death did not make her move at all.

“Thank you,” muttered Xavier while waving his hand. “Go. Go there before they know you're here.”

Leah was still kneeling at the side of her bed with tears in her eyes. “I can take Mr outside,” he said. “I can take a wheelchair. This house has one, I ... I can take Mr out.”

“You?” Xavier grunts. “With your skinny hands? Just lift the bucket you won't be able to. This house is wide anyway. How did you push me out without getting caught by a single person?”

Leah leaned her forehead on the iron handle of the bed, hiding the patter of tears. Xavier looked at him. For the past three years, the girl's family has been financed by Charles Hastings. Leah felt indebted to the baron, so she wept over his departure.

But me? Xavier turned his gaze at his two open arms on the lap. Shouldn't I feel sadder?

“Go,” Xavier whispers again. “Go, save yourself. This city will be destroyed soon.”

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"You don't have to wait for me" said Xavier. "I know you feel indebted to Charles, but—"

"It's not just Baron Hastings" Leah said. The girl's thin face lifted, her brown eyes staring wet with a stern look. "The master who saved me from the road. The master who took me and my family to Baron Hastings' house. If there were no Master, I would still be stranded on the road and my sister would have starved to death!" The girl sobbed. The corner of his lips trembled. "My father did not survive, but I was able to bury him properly. I ... I can see him smiling before he dies."

Xavier doesn't remember he ever did anything that good. Maybe he did it while drunk. Maybe it's just a prank. Whatever the reason, the girl considers him a helper, and for the first time in her lifetime, Xavier feels she wants to live up to someone's expectations, to be as glorious as the one reflected in the girl's brown eyes.

Xavier was still staring at his stumped fingers, regretting the choices he had made all along. Is there still a chance? He laughed at himself expecting a second chance. It's all over, it's over. Everything ended with the death of his cousin. But at least this girl should survive.

Before Xavier could decide what should be said in return, the door to the room clicked open. He guessed what came was Renata, who had already guessed what the loss of one of the maids meant. But his guess was wrong. Jose Argent stepped in, looked at the two people in the room alternately, then closed the bedroom door behind his back.

Leah hurriedly got up and marginalized herself, saluting her respect. "Little Master," he murmured in fear.

"Leah," replied Jose coldly. "You work for Hastings?"

Xavier doesn't know why he's lying, but he feels he should at least protect someone. He wants to free one man from this damned city. He wants to be remembered as a savior, a hero, in the eyes of someone.

"Let him go, Argent," he murmured weakly, with all sincerity. "He's just a kid."

Jose passed Leah without looking at her. He sat down by Xavier's side of the bed, then touched the man's leg. His face looks unhappy. "I'm not sorry about this. Jake did it, right?"

Xavier snorted, not wanting to be pitied. "I did it myself!" yells. "I went there and came here, confused about where to go so fate broke my leg so I couldn't move anymore." He looked down, cursing his wet dewy eyes when Jose was in front of him. His eyes were completely dry. "I wasn't even by her side when she wasn't."

His entire body was pulsing in intense pain. Xavier closed his eyes, clutching his blanket tightly. He hated his helpless self, which in the end was only a tool of those around him. He was too weak to make a decision and in the end could not achieve anything. There's still a lot he wants to do, he wants to achieve. But there is no more chance for that. He can't do anything under these conditions. And he'll die like a caterpillar stepped on. That realization hit him so hard that he felt desperate. She overheard Leah sobbing louder, and Xavier wondered for himself what the girl was crying for. His whole body was itchy and aching, especially in the broken and deformed parts. He gritted his teeth, holding him back so that no moans came out. All this humiliation was enough, he did not want to appear even more miserable before Argent.

Then the pain disappeared.

Xavier opened his eyes slowly. The pain and itching are gone, as well as the pain and pain that has been afflicted since yesterday to make him unable to move or sleep. Everything disappeared like the wind. He raised his face in surprise, finding Jose had risen from the lip of the bed.

"I kept my promise," said the young man calmly. "That's compensation because I can't protect you from Jake's wrath when he's not here. Go, Xavier. Take Leah and if she wants to leave, too. Hans will drive you."

"Huh?" that was all Xavier could say. He saw Leah pointing at him with trembling hands.

"Master," whispered the girl. "Your fingers ..."

Xavier lowered his head, cursing loudly and gasping in shock when he saw the fingertips that Jacob had cut suddenly intact back. Even his feet can be moved. He looked back at Jose, who was wiping his lips with a handkerchief. "What'sthis? How'd you do it?"

"not important. Now leave. Your cousin got what he deserved, but I know you've been trying so hard to stop him all along. You and Leah are not involved." Jose spoke from behind a handkerchief, so his voice was a bit muffled. "Sir William's not in Bjork, so I suggest you leave as soon as you can."

Xavier listened as he got off the bed and jumped on the floor, astonished and happy to feel his legs again. Leah also smiled widely, looking happy for him. No one has been happy for her all this time.

"Argent." Xavier raised his face, looking at the black eyes beside him straight. "I don't know what magic you're doing in this house" he whispered, still busy twitching his fingers in disbelief. He could not move his fingers without feeling pain. "I don't know what kind of man you are either. But what you're doing is not a good thing because your brother is the one who maimed me. If you think I'm gonna thank you and worship you, you're wrong."

"I don't ask to be worshipped" Jose said coldly. "I'm just paying the fine because you got hurt while in my protection. I promise you won't get hurt and Jose Argent always keeps his word."

Xavier smiled obliquely, inevitably feeling envious of the determination of Jose—leki who was a dozen years younger than him, who he always viewed as a spoiled boy. He turned to Leah, looking at her with a questioning look. "I can't pay you" he said softly. "You better be here."

"Mrs Renata will kill me" replied Leah Parau. "And I don't need payment, quite the contrary, I want to repay my debt."

"Hans!" Jose called out loudly, too suddenly that the two people in the room jumped in shock. The door again swung open and Hans roared in, leaving Xavier somewhat scared. The sound of footsteps in this house still traumatized him.

"Antar Xavier Hastings and Leah came out through the back" Jose ordered. His handkerchief he kept back in his coat pocket. "Don't let anyone know. Make sure they're safe outside the manor gate. I don't want them to get hurt."

Hans stared at Jose for a bit longer, as if considering something, but ended up just nodding obediently. He flicked his hand at Leah. "Come on," he said short.

Leah bowed deeply to Jose and thanked him before following Hans. Xavier watched the young man for a long time, then said softly, "You're almost dead, Argent, I can see it. And you'll die soon if you keep acting this good."

"I'm not good," Jose laughed bitterly. "After this I will be evil. It's so evil that you won't know me when we meet again."

"Don't worry. I don't want to see you again." Xavier walked past. In the doorway, he paused for a moment to mutter, "May your path be expanded."

"Amin," replied Jose solemnly. He closed his eyes. "Amen."

***