The locked door swung open with a clang of keys and the Ridsdel couple entered.
“Oh my God, it’s pouring rain all of a sudden. Oh my, Angie? Michael? What are you two doing here?”
“Hello, Mrs. Ridsdel. Um... Angie finished her sewing work yesterday. She said she wanted to see her parents for the first time in a few days, so I brought her here.”
“I see. But Angie, are you okay? Why is your face so haggard? Have you been working hard?”
"Mom...!"
Angie walked over to her mother, Laura, and hugged her. Tears came out as the tension eased. She desperately needed the warmth of her parents as she realized the unimaginable and terrifying reality. Her father, Patrick, clicked his tongue and patted her head from behind.
“Oh, dear. You must have been very tired from work. Go to the restroom and lie down. It’s raining and there’s not much work to do today, so it’s okay since we’re the only ones here. Honey, I brought you some soup from home. Heat it up. We need to fill our stomachs first and get some rest. Michael, if it’s still morning, you should eat and go.”
“Thank you for your kind words, but I must go to the Duke’s residence now. Today is my day off, but the storm is coming again, so they will need help. I have some things I have set aside to get the windows fixed before the next storm.”
He turned to Angie. His eyes carried a message he couldn't put into words.
“Angie. Get some rest for now... and I’ll come back later.”
Angie nodded. She decided to tell him later about the dream, or reality, of someone giving her a shot. She thanked him again as she escorted him to the front door.
As soon as Michael left the villa, he headed back to the cliff he had come down from with Angie. He managed to climb up the slippery slope soaked with rain and quickly crossed the forest. He remembered the secret conversation Mrs. Dunst had had with Yasmine a while ago.
"The order from the lord was to remove 'it' when thunder struck."
Hah, hah, Michael ran and ran until his breath caught in his throat. His instincts were screaming that now was the time. Mrs. Dunst must have judged that it was time to get rid of 'that thing' in the cellar of the basement, built like a cage for a giant beast.
At every step, puddles sloshed ominously. Sprays of water threatened to surge up like a strange omen, then dispersed in vain.
Laura and Patrick exchanged brief, bewildered glances. Angie sat across from the Ridsdels at the table, inviting them to join her on her journey to the mainland of Trieste. She said nothing else. She simply told them that the lord wanted her to accompany him to the capital.
“I can’t leave you two here. How about you stay at the Hedestad Estate and if it’s uncomfortable, come back to the island?”
But it wasn't that simple. His mother, Laura, asked her sharp, penetrating questions.
“But Angie, the young master is planning to get engaged to Leticia as soon as they get there, so why does he want you to come with him? There are plenty of skilled maids in the capital, and it’s not like you’re reading to him like you used to.”
The couple were completely ignorant. They knew everything but naturally acted ignorant, with only one intention in mind: to protect Angie in their own way and keep her by their side.
"That..."
Angie was speechless. She hadn't thought of an excuse for that part. So she quickly came up with another excuse.
“I’m sorry. Actually, I was just making a casual suggestion, and I wanted to go to the mainland. I was jealous that Michael was going too... I wanted to go out into the wider world, so I was going to ask Mrs. Dunst. She asked me to tell you.”
Her parents' faces did not soften. Laura glanced at her husband Patrick and opened her mouth again.
“Angie, Dad and Mom wish you were here on this island, right here with us, like you are now.”
“I want to do that too, Mom. Dad. But...”
She felt like she had to tell them about her relationship. Angie made up her mind and was about to pick up her glass of water when the smell of soup next to her suddenly hit her hard. The soup, made with potatoes and onions fried in butter and topped with various spices and cheese, was her mother's favorite dish. But now it was nothing but a cause for retching.
“Gasp... Ugh!”
She covered her mouth and quickly ran to the bathroom to vomit. Laura quickly followed her, wiped her daughter's mouth, and helped her to the bedroom. Patrick followed her into the room.
“Angie, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No. I don’t feel well... If I lie down for a bit, I’ll be okay.”
“Honey, only the ladies get sick. I’ll take care of Angie, so you go out and finish up your work from yesterday.”
Laura closed the door and lowered her voice to calm her husband. The sound of rain outside the window was getting louder.
“Angie, you...”
Laura sat her down on the bed and stared blankly into her pale face.
“Are you pregnant?”
"Yes?"
Angie looked up in surprise. Her lips trembled. She had doubts herself, so she couldn't bring herself to say that it couldn't be true. No matter how careful the master was, she had always heard that there were exceptions.
“I think you’re pregnant. Did you have your period this month? Yes?”
Laura's voice trembled. No matter how she looked at it, it was a pregnancy symptom. Ten years ago, before she was assigned to the island as Remedy's parents, a female relative from the mainland had shown the same symptoms as Angie now. If it was a normal stomachache, the smell of food wouldn't make you vomit.
“Mom. Actually...”
Angie bit her lip and strained her eyes. Her pale forehead tightened as she realized she shouldn't cry.
“Mother, I’m sorry. What happened to Louise at the Duke’s residence before... was not a lie, it was the truth. The young master and I... were meeting secretly every night.”
"What...?"
Laura swallowed hard. She already knew this, but there was no need to act surprised. She had no idea Angie would get pregnant, so the fact alone was enough to shock her.
“I loved him, my lord. I truly loved him, but... I never dreamed that he had a fiancée. But I, I can’t be pregnant. It’s because he was so careful... It could just be that I’m not feeling well, Mom.”
Angie wanted to believe that. Pregnancy. She found out about Kyle's engagement and was on the verge of ruin, and now she's pregnant with his child! It's ridiculous.
Laura's lips moved and closed repeatedly as if she wanted to say something. Her eyes, which resembled Angie's, were filled with emotions other than concern and embarrassment.
“Angie. First... First, you should take a nap. You look terrible right now. Mommy has to help Dad with some work right now, so get some sleep, and let’s talk again later.”
She swallowed a sigh and tried to console Angie. She believed that her daughter was not pregnant, so reassuring her seemed to be the first priority.
“The young master will come to see me. He may send Jerome or someone else. Since I came here without saying anything...”
She kept quiet about the fact that she was locked up. Her mother only knew that she was staying at the Duke's residence to help with the work. She would have been even more shocked if she had known about the imprisonment.
“If anyone comes to me, please tell them what I want. I also want to remain on this island, but...”
“I wish Mom and Dad could come with me. If you don’t go, I won’t go either... But, assuming that you can always come back to the island, can we go once?”
“Yes. I’ll discuss it with Dad later. For now, get some sleep. I should light a fire instead. It’s cold in this room. Mom will go to town and get some medicine.”
Laura laid her daughter on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Angie's eyes closed. The warm hands that stroked her hair seemed to relax her. Before long, Angie's chest began to rise and fall regularly. Laura stared at her daughter's face for a long time before leaving the room.
The crew of the small but sturdy clipper ship, Kirsten, moved in unison. The wind was picking up as they left the Strait of Vintergar. The sky had long since become gloomy, almost gray.
“Martin. Are you okay? You don’t seem to get seasick.”
George Kerstein, the ship's owner and captain, approached Martin and tapped him on the shoulder. He seemed relaxed even as the storm grew more intense.
“Yes. It’s still bearable. Are you okay, Captain?”
“Haha, this is nothing to me who has been through all kinds of hardships. You are no pushover either. As expected from a promising officer of the Citadel Police Department, your physical strength and endurance are no ordinary thing. Then let’s hold out a little longer. If you clear away the fog with heavy rain, we will be able to find the island sooner than expected.”
Martin nodded vigorously, his raincoat pulled over his head. He hoped that everyone would safely complete the voyage and return to Wintergar.
Of course, if only he could achieve the ultimate goal of this difficult voyage, he would have nothing more to wish for. If only he could find his blood relative, Angie, and bring her back safely.
Angie, no, Amber. I hope you're okay. May God bless you until I get you.
“Oh my God, it’s pouring rain all of a sudden. Oh my, Angie? Michael? What are you two doing here?”
“Hello, Mrs. Ridsdel. Um... Angie finished her sewing work yesterday. She said she wanted to see her parents for the first time in a few days, so I brought her here.”
“I see. But Angie, are you okay? Why is your face so haggard? Have you been working hard?”
"Mom...!"
Angie walked over to her mother, Laura, and hugged her. Tears came out as the tension eased. She desperately needed the warmth of her parents as she realized the unimaginable and terrifying reality. Her father, Patrick, clicked his tongue and patted her head from behind.
“Oh, dear. You must have been very tired from work. Go to the restroom and lie down. It’s raining and there’s not much work to do today, so it’s okay since we’re the only ones here. Honey, I brought you some soup from home. Heat it up. We need to fill our stomachs first and get some rest. Michael, if it’s still morning, you should eat and go.”
“Thank you for your kind words, but I must go to the Duke’s residence now. Today is my day off, but the storm is coming again, so they will need help. I have some things I have set aside to get the windows fixed before the next storm.”
He turned to Angie. His eyes carried a message he couldn't put into words.
“Angie. Get some rest for now... and I’ll come back later.”
Angie nodded. She decided to tell him later about the dream, or reality, of someone giving her a shot. She thanked him again as she escorted him to the front door.
As soon as Michael left the villa, he headed back to the cliff he had come down from with Angie. He managed to climb up the slippery slope soaked with rain and quickly crossed the forest. He remembered the secret conversation Mrs. Dunst had had with Yasmine a while ago.
"The order from the lord was to remove 'it' when thunder struck."
Hah, hah, Michael ran and ran until his breath caught in his throat. His instincts were screaming that now was the time. Mrs. Dunst must have judged that it was time to get rid of 'that thing' in the cellar of the basement, built like a cage for a giant beast.
At every step, puddles sloshed ominously. Sprays of water threatened to surge up like a strange omen, then dispersed in vain.
***
Laura and Patrick exchanged brief, bewildered glances. Angie sat across from the Ridsdels at the table, inviting them to join her on her journey to the mainland of Trieste. She said nothing else. She simply told them that the lord wanted her to accompany him to the capital.
“I can’t leave you two here. How about you stay at the Hedestad Estate and if it’s uncomfortable, come back to the island?”
But it wasn't that simple. His mother, Laura, asked her sharp, penetrating questions.
“But Angie, the young master is planning to get engaged to Leticia as soon as they get there, so why does he want you to come with him? There are plenty of skilled maids in the capital, and it’s not like you’re reading to him like you used to.”
The couple were completely ignorant. They knew everything but naturally acted ignorant, with only one intention in mind: to protect Angie in their own way and keep her by their side.
"That..."
Angie was speechless. She hadn't thought of an excuse for that part. So she quickly came up with another excuse.
“I’m sorry. Actually, I was just making a casual suggestion, and I wanted to go to the mainland. I was jealous that Michael was going too... I wanted to go out into the wider world, so I was going to ask Mrs. Dunst. She asked me to tell you.”
Her parents' faces did not soften. Laura glanced at her husband Patrick and opened her mouth again.
“Angie, Dad and Mom wish you were here on this island, right here with us, like you are now.”
“I want to do that too, Mom. Dad. But...”
She felt like she had to tell them about her relationship. Angie made up her mind and was about to pick up her glass of water when the smell of soup next to her suddenly hit her hard. The soup, made with potatoes and onions fried in butter and topped with various spices and cheese, was her mother's favorite dish. But now it was nothing but a cause for retching.
“Gasp... Ugh!”
She covered her mouth and quickly ran to the bathroom to vomit. Laura quickly followed her, wiped her daughter's mouth, and helped her to the bedroom. Patrick followed her into the room.
“Angie, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No. I don’t feel well... If I lie down for a bit, I’ll be okay.”
“Honey, only the ladies get sick. I’ll take care of Angie, so you go out and finish up your work from yesterday.”
Laura closed the door and lowered her voice to calm her husband. The sound of rain outside the window was getting louder.
“Angie, you...”
Laura sat her down on the bed and stared blankly into her pale face.
“Are you pregnant?”
"Yes?"
Angie looked up in surprise. Her lips trembled. She had doubts herself, so she couldn't bring herself to say that it couldn't be true. No matter how careful the master was, she had always heard that there were exceptions.
“I think you’re pregnant. Did you have your period this month? Yes?”
Laura's voice trembled. No matter how she looked at it, it was a pregnancy symptom. Ten years ago, before she was assigned to the island as Remedy's parents, a female relative from the mainland had shown the same symptoms as Angie now. If it was a normal stomachache, the smell of food wouldn't make you vomit.
“Mom. Actually...”
Angie bit her lip and strained her eyes. Her pale forehead tightened as she realized she shouldn't cry.
“Mother, I’m sorry. What happened to Louise at the Duke’s residence before... was not a lie, it was the truth. The young master and I... were meeting secretly every night.”
"What...?"
Laura swallowed hard. She already knew this, but there was no need to act surprised. She had no idea Angie would get pregnant, so the fact alone was enough to shock her.
“I loved him, my lord. I truly loved him, but... I never dreamed that he had a fiancée. But I, I can’t be pregnant. It’s because he was so careful... It could just be that I’m not feeling well, Mom.”
Angie wanted to believe that. Pregnancy. She found out about Kyle's engagement and was on the verge of ruin, and now she's pregnant with his child! It's ridiculous.
Laura's lips moved and closed repeatedly as if she wanted to say something. Her eyes, which resembled Angie's, were filled with emotions other than concern and embarrassment.
“Angie. First... First, you should take a nap. You look terrible right now. Mommy has to help Dad with some work right now, so get some sleep, and let’s talk again later.”
She swallowed a sigh and tried to console Angie. She believed that her daughter was not pregnant, so reassuring her seemed to be the first priority.
“The young master will come to see me. He may send Jerome or someone else. Since I came here without saying anything...”
She kept quiet about the fact that she was locked up. Her mother only knew that she was staying at the Duke's residence to help with the work. She would have been even more shocked if she had known about the imprisonment.
“If anyone comes to me, please tell them what I want. I also want to remain on this island, but...”
Angie couldn't bring herself to tell Laura that Kyle wanted her as a mistress; the last thing her mom wanted was for her daughter to be a mistress to a nobleman and live in dishonor. Some parents might be tempted by the financial rewards, but not the two she knew.
“Yes. I’ll discuss it with Dad later. For now, get some sleep. I should light a fire instead. It’s cold in this room. Mom will go to town and get some medicine.”
Laura laid her daughter on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Angie's eyes closed. The warm hands that stroked her hair seemed to relax her. Before long, Angie's chest began to rise and fall regularly. Laura stared at her daughter's face for a long time before leaving the room.
***
The crew of the small but sturdy clipper ship, Kirsten, moved in unison. The wind was picking up as they left the Strait of Vintergar. The sky had long since become gloomy, almost gray.
“Martin. Are you okay? You don’t seem to get seasick.”
George Kerstein, the ship's owner and captain, approached Martin and tapped him on the shoulder. He seemed relaxed even as the storm grew more intense.
“Yes. It’s still bearable. Are you okay, Captain?”
“Haha, this is nothing to me who has been through all kinds of hardships. You are no pushover either. As expected from a promising officer of the Citadel Police Department, your physical strength and endurance are no ordinary thing. Then let’s hold out a little longer. If you clear away the fog with heavy rain, we will be able to find the island sooner than expected.”
Martin nodded vigorously, his raincoat pulled over his head. He hoped that everyone would safely complete the voyage and return to Wintergar.
Of course, if only he could achieve the ultimate goal of this difficult voyage, he would have nothing more to wish for. If only he could find his blood relative, Angie, and bring her back safely.
Angie, no, Amber. I hope you're okay. May God bless you until I get you.
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