BLOODY LOVE'S
Episode 232

The green grass field was full of grains of goat manure, but no one objected. After all, they did not sit directly on the grass. Rolan borrowed a caravan from his acquaintance as a temporary shelter. The night in Bjork was very cold, there was no way he would let his brother camp with a cloth tent. He also spoke with the village chief in the South and informed him of his arrival. Nolan did his job well because no one objected to their presence. The villagers even let them stay in the houses of the people if they want. Rolan thanked him politely.

The caravan was not large, but it was enough to accommodate Renata, Robert's wife Helga, Albert and Winona Garnet, as well as Maria. The servants would hitchhike in the homes of the Southmen or sleep outside.

Currently in the caravan, Renata is explaining what really happened in Bjork while being careful not to mention the collision. The status of Maria and Marco and the involvement of both should remain confidential. He only explained what had been agreed to be issued to the public: namely that the Scholomance sect was the mastermind of the disappearance of the people in Bjork and the cause of the appearance of a group of corpses last night.

Maria listened as she occasionally looked out the caravan window to look at Jose talking to Rolan outside. His cheeks heated up again each time his mind twisted back what was happening inside the carriage. He seemed to still be able to feel the warm and firm embrace of the man, the taste of their lips when they met, and how after that they even laughed inexhaustibly because their forehead stumbled violently when the train was shaken. They stop themselves before they can't control themselves any further and start talking about other things to quell the passion.

But Mary still felt the fire in her chest until now. When Jose kissed her, what he felt was different from what he felt in the shadow with Sir William, made Mary wish that it had never existed. Everything is just an illusion. Jose had indeed convinced him that something abstract like virginity was not what he demanded of Mary, nor had he ever thought of it. But Mary could not help thinking about it. He wants all his first possessions to be given to the one he loves.

The sound of a series of explosions from a distance east of North Bjork, the sound made Mary's heart tremble. At first there was only one explosion. Everything in the caravan was silent and waited for quite a while, then another loud and terrible sound emerged. After a few moments, the sound appeared again.

"Marco has started" said Renata calmly, as if he faced nights like this every day to get used to it. "All we can do now is pray."

No one is calm enough to pray. Everything was too tense and scared. Both of Mary's parents were still confused. Marquis Garnet put on his outer coat and took out the caravan to smoke. Now there are women in the caravan. A barrage of gunfire clashed back in the distance. Hearing the gunfire made Helga feel uneasy because she remembered her husband who served out there. He wanted to take a walk outside and Renata allowed it. The three remaining people chose to sit docked on the soft bench of the caravan to keep it warm.

"You know this for a long time, Mary?" Winona looked at her daughter. "All these mysteries? That's why you're at Argent's house?"

"Maria was in my house because Rolan wanted to check on her," Renata said deftly before Maria could answer. He touched Mrs Garnet's hand and narrowed her eyes in judgment. "Winona, you know my sister's a doctor. Maria complains of dizziness, Rolan needs time to monitor her condition. I also keep reporting Maria's progress to you, right?"

Maria smiled with gratitude because Renata made it unnecessary to make up stories. He would be ashamed to lie to his mother.

"Well, I'm not suspecting you, crisp."

"Oh I know, I know," Renata said as she waved her hand casually. His voice came back carefree, making a cheerful atmosphere. "If I had a daughter, I'd be as golden as you. Especially if she's as pretty as Maria. I still wish she were my daughter."

Winona laughed shyly, but also proud. He looked at his daughter with great hope. "That's up to Mary. How, Honey? You want to be Miss Argent's daughter?"

Maria looked at the two women somewhat anxiously, knowing that the two deliberately led the conversation smoothly towards the topic of engagement. This is not the first time the two women have spoken about engagement or marriage. Maria had often been in the exact same situation before. In the past he would only laugh and kink with ease, dismissing it as a joke. Usually both his mother and Renata will relented and immediately change the topic, then just bring it up again on another occasion. This time it's different. Maria does not want to be rejected.

"Only if Jose wants to" he said slowly. He actually wanted to make his voice sound calm and a little mysterious, but what came out of his lips was even a somewhat hopeful shy voice. The contents of his heart were clearly visible until Renata froze for almost a minute.

"Wine?" Renata looked at his friend in shock. His fingers gripped Mrs Garnet's arm. "Am I dreaming?"

"Pinch me, Crispy, I think I'm a dream too. Am I in your dreams or are you in my dreams? Where's Albert?"

Maria felt the two women were acting too dramatically. He shook his mother's arm with a careless face. "Tu-Wait, don't tell Dad anything! Dad's gonna force us, but Jose hasn't told me anything! And keep Mom's voice down, well, it'll be heard from the outside."

"Jose would agree! Definitely agree!" Renata said happy, looking really happy. The red hue on her cheek made her look several years younger. "You know when she first met you .. How old is she? Five years I think he said that an angel was talking to him. I thought Jose had a fever, but he met you."

Mary's cheeks were flushed like crabs. He knows it. This story has been told to him repeatedly. Hundred times. Previously he only felt amused every time he heard it, now his heart was pounding incoherently and his face was heating up.

Gunshots were still heard from a distance, similar to the eruption of firecrackers.

***

A car was parked across the bridge. As soon as he saw Mr. Stuart coming out of there, Rolan immediately rushed to meet. “You're not going anywhere without my knowledge!” he told Jose, then immediately turned around.

Jose observed his uncle while standing guard in front of the river. He could not see the view of North Bjork from where he stood. All he could see was the wall of the house whose paint had been peeled off. The sounds of gunfire continue to be heard in a regular tempo, the longer the closer. Faintly, he can also hear radio noise even though it is not clear. The people of Bjork obediently listened to what Hubbert and Lady Chantall's men had to say on different channels.

“So,” a heavy voice reprimanding from behind. Jose turned polite, knowing that voice belonged to Albert Garnet, Maria's father. “Maria pain what?” ask the man.

“Anemia,” replied Jose calmly. “Uncle Rolan actually knows more about the details, all I know is that Mary has anemia.”

“That's also what our doctor said,” Albert said calmly. Marquis Garnet was in his forties, similar to Edgar but fuller. His light brown, straight hair was cut off. The mustache is pretty thick. “No new diagnosis? I remember you drove Maria home quite frantically last time, asking us to close all the doors and windows. Is all this related?”

A sharp guy, thought Jose. Looking into those dark eyes, he knew it would be hard to lie to Albert Garnet. Well, lying to traders is never easy, he thought. “I can't give you any info yet, my lord.”

“But you're in touch with all this?” ask Albert in an inevitable tone of questioning. The man's cigarette burned in between the fingers, was left to half ash and fell out on the grass. His eyes did not look at Jose. “Are you related to Maria's disease?”

“Sir?” Jose doesn't understand. “What do you mean?”

The cigarette butts were turned off to matchboxes, then placed in paper folds and stored in Albert's coat pocket. The man always kept his trash to throw in the trash. “Maria anemia,” said. “Really?”

“That's how I know, Sir.”

“Before, he had trouble getting up early. He's always nauseous. Last time Susan brought food, she threw up as soon as she smelled it.”

Jose nodded slowly, thinking that it must have been a rejection reaction when the two souls mixed into one. The phase which Mary calls the cocoon. “I've also heard of it from Mary and Susan.”

“Last-lately he just went with you,” Albert still explained in a calm voice. “We believe in you. Winona trusts you, therefore she allows Maria out the night only when she is with you.”

Jose quiet. He stared at the river for a long time, trying to digest what the man meant. “You didn't think that I was being rude to Maria, did you?” his voice is full of disgust.

Albert suspected that. Jose could see from his cold countenance and hardened gaze that was like a wooden mask.

A cold rage controlled Jose, making his head suddenly clear. He could see that Albert was only worried for his daughter. Maria has a strange illness that is not clear what and the girl just traveled with her, then stayed all day at her house, naturally. Jose wanted to think naturally that he was suspected, but could not. He felt so angry that he couldn't say anything for a few minutes.

“I love Maria,” she finally admits, calm and clear.

Albert widens his eyes. Both of his thick brows furrowed and his face tightened. “I already know,” said. “I can see it clearly. Marco too. I think that's why he's trying to match you and my daughter.”

My daughter. Jose realized the man wanted to emphasize Maria's status.

“I love Maria, your beloved daughter,” she said, relented. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then continued slowly. “And Mary accepted my feelings without coercion. But don't get me wrong, sir. We did nothing to tarnish our family name. I respect him a lot, I seriously want to make him happy. I understand if you might object to me. Even though I am an Argent, I am only the fourth child. Where might have the right to lend a hand to your single daughter.” Jose closed his eyes. “If I was in a fair arena with another suitor, I would have lost by a landslide.”

“If?” reply Albert with squinted eyes. “You mean you're currently leading in front of others?”

From the man's high tone, Jose knew Albert was thinking about the child. The man suspected that he and Maria already had children, even though he had just clearly said that their relationship was not like that. “Ya,” he said with a satisfied smile. “Because Mary loves me.”

“Love?”

“That's the most important, right?” reply Jose pretentious plain.

Albert no longer lusted around in circles. He directly asked, “You are not familiar?”

Pretending to be dramatically surprised, answering politely, or putting on an offended face? Jose thought about those choices with annoyance. “I love him in a pure way, Sir,” he said calmly. “Mary is an honorable educated girl. Of course he would not be able to do something that would put his parents to shame. I was educated in a way that was no less disciplined than him and had the same principles as him, sir. If you don't trust me enough, at least trust your daughter.”

“I believe in Maria.” Albert nodded with a friendly smile.

But you don't believe me, Jose catches the meaning of that smile. When the wind blew once more, the side of his coat was drawn to fly, making him realize that he did not look well in front of Albert at all. It's worth it that he was so mean to me, thought Jose rather sadly, looking for a reason why he was treated this harshly.

“Me and Mary love each other,” Jose repeated, with a natural and inconspicuous gesture of covering his coat. She gave a dramatic pause before continuing, “And I want to marry her with your permission.”

A cold wind blew between them, sending a mystical flutter from the direction of the forest that kept whispering. Jose's fingertips were cold, but his head was stung by an intoxicating heat. He felt the ground he was treading on like it was turning soft.

"And if I don't allow it?"

Jose smiled sweetly. "It's okay" he said. "My life is long. I've had plenty of time to convince you. I will still love Mary in the years to come, until the rest of my life."

Albert stuffed both his hands into his pants pocket, staring at Jose from top to bottom intently. "If I don't give you my blessing for the rest of my life?"

Jose looked at the man deeply, feeling the challenge in that tone. An Argent never runs away from the challenge of "My life is still long" he repeated softly. "And I am a patient person. Waiting for you to die isn't hard, sir."

Albert raised both eyebrows high. He stepped closer to Jose, his face polite, but his eyes looked as cruel as a forest beast. Even the sound of his shoes crashing through the grass sounded like the steps of a lion. Jose still stood still with a smile on his face, not looking daunted.

“Jose Argent,” says Albert Garnet hoarse. “You think that's the right way to talk to your future in-laws?”

“I ...” Jose just wanted to leave, but stopped immediately. His heart was like missing a single beat just now. He was holding his breath. “Sorry ... how, Sir?”

Albert grunting. He grabbed Jose's coat collar, pulled him closer, then thrust a hard fist into his heart. Jose felt his breath being forced. He fell to his knees in front of the man and coughed. His hand gripped his stomach.

"I'll beat you worse than that if you make my daughter cry." Albert pointed at Jose with his finger. The man added in a light tone as if he was talking about the weather, "And rest assured, if that happens, I will beat you real so you will not dare to pretend not to dodge.”

Jose did deliberately receive a fist from Mr. Garnet because he thought the man would reduce his strength a little. But his breath was still tight now that he needed to roll on the grass to lie down, staring at the starry sky above him while breathing out. Does that mean I'm accepted? I passed the test? Jose can't guess. He still rubbed his painful heartburn for a while, not wanting to wake up despite knowing that he might be sleeping on goat manure. In the distance was the sound of someone approaching. The sweet aroma he was familiar with made Jose guess who came.

“Jose!” exclaimed Maria, dropping down on the grass over Jose's head. The girl had already changed her clothes and rearranged her hair, this time it was just loosely pouched and draped on the shoulder. The coat he wore was new, there were no Flora blood stains on the collar. “What happened? I saw you talking to Dad and then you fell! Father hit you? You guys quarrel?”

Jose laughs. He looked up, smiling little looking at Maria's anxious face. "I can't move. If it moves I'll vomit" he whispered. "Your father is so scary!"

Mary laughed and saw that she was fine. He got rid of the damp messy brat on Jose's forehead. "So much worse than Uncle Marco?"

"They're of the same kind, I guess. Thank goodness my dad was pretty relaxed."

"What are you guys fighting about?" Mary asked again. "On the body? Or about me staying over?"

Jose catches Maria's hand, dipping her fingers gently. "On you, of course."

"I thought, Dad must be thinking weird." Mary did not pull her hand. The girl no longer pulled away or showed a careless face as Jose showed affection. "What did you say to Dad?"

"I don't want to say it now. Not on top of goat shit like this." Jose gave a short laugh seeing Maria squint suspiciously. "But yeah, if you insist .. I say that I love her daughter."

Maria raised both her eyebrows high.

***

note:

again can not reply to comments yes~ trus Saturday I do not have an update. ^^