Free Web NovelChapter 125: Rumors (1)
"Mari, did Vincent leave home again?" Jane asked as she came back downstairs. She was informed Aurora wanted some alone time in her room when she arrived a while ago so she went to speak with Vincent since a worker told her he had returned home.
Jane went to see Derek and the little girls early in the morning and it made her late to come to guard Aurora.
"I didn’t see him. He was here a while ago and said he was going to his room to rest. Maybe he’s taking a bath but I also don’t recall anyone going up to fill it for him. If he left, I would’ve seen him because I’ve stayed here since Aurora went to her room," Mari muttered trying to remember if she heard Vincent again since he came home. She hadn’t fallen asleep the entire time she was waiting for Aurora to be done. "That’s strange. Where could he have gone?"
"I went to his bedroom and to his office but I didn’t hear anything from him. There is a possibility that he is taking a bath or he fell asleep," Jane wondered if he went to see Aurora and they were talking in private. He wouldn’t like it if she interrupted his time with Aurora for nothing of high importance. She just wanted to give a small update about his uncle’s wife. "Never mind. I don’t need him anymore. If you don’t mind, I’ll wait here with you till Aurora comes out of her room."
"Sure, it’d be nice to have some company. I didn’t see Derek arrive today. Did he succeed in having an off day?" Mari and Derek sometimes talked when they both had no work to do and Derek would mention his plans to escape Vincent and go on vacation. She thought of Derek being a funny man.
Not many people had known about Derek and the little girls which were why Mari was clueless. Jane preferred to keep it that way until the trial was announced to the entire community so no one would ask her questions. "He’s been on vacation for a little while. You’ll hear about it very soon."
The trial should soon be posted around the community with the details and the date in the next two days.
"He must be home rejoicing because he doesn’t have to work. If only I could be like him to want to take so much time off. My parents’ jobs have slowed down so I am the one bringing in the most money." Serving Aurora was certainly an easy job because she liked to be alone many times and never asked Mari to do anything difficult. However, Mari was missing out on the things her peers were doing because she was working to pay off her parent’s debts. "I might start baking as a side job."
Jane was aware of Mari’s family situation because she kept track of Vincent’s workers and their daily life. Jane and Mari came from two different backgrounds. Mari’s was similar to Derek where he had to work, unfortunately as he liked to say, to keep a roof over his head. Derek didn’t have any siblings but Mari did. It was unfortunate she had to work to pay off her parents’ debt. They could’ve come to Vincent for money instead of making a deal with the person they did. Vincent wouldn’t have been cruel with a time limit of when they needed to repay their debt.
"Cutting down trees won’t bring in a lot of money these days unless you are supplying them to Vincent for the new gates that will be built soon. Why haven’t you gotten Vincent to help you with your troubles? You know he won’t turn you away." Vincent was kind to all of his employees and would help Mari without a second thought.
"Yes, but he has done so much for me already. How can I dare ask for more? And I love my parents but they will never learn to stop borrowing. If Vincent helps us, they’ll start new debt with someone else and then I won’t be able to face Vincent. Truthfully, I’ve been working so hard to pay it off because I was mentioned in the debt," Mari played with her fingers as she told Jane something she hadn’t told others. It was a habit she had when nervous.
"What do you mean?" Jane had never heard too much about the debt Mari’s parents had with their employer. Why would they do such a thing when they knew how the man was? How desperate could they have been to agree to their daughter being taken?
"If they fail to pay off the monthly debt payments, mister Howard can take me until they do because I am the oldest child. My parents don’t know that I am aware of this because I overheard them talking. That’s why I want to pay off the debt. As soon as it is done, I’m going to save to get my own place along with my siblings. I love my parents very much but my siblings and I will be forever struggling if we stay with them."
"You act so happily when speaking of your family that I would never imagine this is what you’ve been thinking. I admire that you still love your parents very much but I think you should save your money and leave early. You’ll have Vincent’s protection so mister Howard can’t take you. Let your parents pay off the debt." Jane knew the debt her parents acquired was most likely to feed Mari and her siblings but Mari had worked hard enough to help them pay it off. It was time they found another source of income so that Mari could relax. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"I can’t just let my parents bear this alone. I’ve long made up my mind to help them pay off the debt and then I’ll make a living for myself. When I was a child, I desperately wanted my parents to stop working outside the walls. I am almost done paying it off. My biggest worry is what they’ll do when they become debt-free. I hope they make good choices." Mari’s parents always apologized for not being able to offer them the life others had but she wanted them to realize she was satisfied with the life she had.
"You can always come to me when you need anything. I admire you a thousand times more now," Jane said, finding Mari’s determination to be wholesome. In the corner of the downstairs area where she was talking to Mari, she noticed two maids gossiping and looking upstairs. "You two, come over here," she called them both over.
Jane had a small amount of authority in Vincent’s home whenever he wasn’t there. She heard them mention Vincent’s name but then stopped when they noticed her. "Have the two of you seen Vincent? Why were you standing around talking when you should’ve been hard at work? Answer me."
"Vincent is home but he has been in that woman’s room for a while now. He hasn’t come out since he went in," one of the two spoke up. Clearly, the woman Vincent brought was more than just a normal guest. Everyone was right in assuming Vincent brought her here just so that he could sleep with her when he wanted to. They’ll accept that as the reason for him bringing someone that was not a werewolf into his home.
"And?" Jane asked because it has nothing to do with them. Whatever Vincent and Aurora wanted to do behind closed doors was their business. They were two grown people. "Have you forgotten you are here to work and it is in the contracts for you to not repeat a word of anything you see or hear in this home? If you’re so curious about what he’s doing in her room, why don’t you go and ask instead of skipping out on work to chat?"
She hated people like this who enjoyed gossiping. They were just like this, talking behind her back when she said she wanted to get married to Derek in the past. Everyone should learn to mind their business, especially when they are at their job. "Since you have so much time to slack off and talk about Vincent, you wouldn’t mind cleaning out his library. I don’t want to see any dust when I enter the room. Get to it right away."
Reluctant, the maids bowed their heads in case Jane would bring this up to Vincent and went to do as they were told.
"Did they just say Vincent went to Aurora’s room and hasn’t come out yet? This will add to all the rumors the workers have about the two of them. Still, I’m excited that my ship is sailing," Mari clapped her hands excitedly for the new couple. She had been waiting on Aurora and Vincent to get together from the moment Aurora arrived here. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
"Don’t get your hopes up. They might just be talking about something important. I don’t believe there is anything romantic going on between those two yet."
