TMRDWMP CH 6
- Mar 3
- 8 min read
Chapter 6
• ────── ✦ ────── •
Hidden Agenda
“Why did I come? I’m a little taken aback... Lizzie!”
Why did she come? She truly hadn’t expected such a response from a friend she hadn’t seen in a long time, especially someone who had shared her life at the orphanage. Monica, simply just...
No...
Monica changed her mind.
There’s no way she didn’t know. That couldn’t be.
There was no point lying to herself. Liz had been hostile from the moment she saw her. Even the rude way she said you earlier proved it.
She must have recognized me then.
It must have been the same for Monica. The moment Lizzie saw Monica, she must have recognized her as the girl she was with at the orphanage. If she hadn’t, she would have referred to Monica with a term that showed appropriate courtesy. as proper ladies of high society usually did.
“As you can see.”
Monica quickly looked around and then pointedly looked back at Lizzie. Lizzie was still staring intently at her with a frown on her face.
“I received a letter of recommendation and came to be the governess for Martinel Mollet... your younger brother, right? I didn’t know you would be here...”
“Cut the lies. What is your game?”
This time, Monica frowned. Lizzie crossed her arms and spoke.
“Yes, I recognized you. Monica Offen.”
“...”
“I was going to pretend not to, but since you insist on calling me that, it would be polite of me to acknowledge you.”
“Lizzie.”
Monica called Lizzie cautiously.
“My name is Riella. Riella Mollet.”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry, Riella.”
Lizzie, no, Riella. Monica deliberately called the name softly. Riella was being overly sharp, acting as if Monica had come here with some kind of hidden agenda.
“I asked why you came here.”
“...”
The sudden questioning didn’t faze her. Monica wanted to try and understand her old friend. After all, anyone would be flustered if an orphanage friend suddenly appeared after ten years, especially when they were living surrounded by a magnificent mansion, kind adoptive parents, an affectionate younger brother, and beautiful dresses.
Monica was mature enough to understand such things. She herself utterly detested the last name Offen, wincing even when others called her by it. So, Lizzie probably wasn’t happy to see a friend who brought back long-ago memories.
“I have no ulterior motive. You seem to be misunderstanding something, Riella. I simply came here through a recommendation.”
Monica remembered the letter of recommendation in her possession. As soon as she took out the letter of recommendation, which she had kept in her worn handbag, Riella quickly snatched it away. Her grey eyes read from the top of the letter.
“Hmm.”
“A friend I worked with as a nurse recommended I take her place, so I came here. Are you surprised? I was too when I first saw you...”
Rrrrrip.
Monica’s face turned ashen. Riella had immediately torn the letter of recommendation in her hand.
“Lizzie! What are you doing!”
She instinctively reached out her hand, but Riella had already torn what she held for the second time.
“Give it back!”
Monica belatedly tried to retrieve the torn letter from Riella’s hand. But Riella resisted, clenching her teeth to prevent Monica from taking it. Their clumsy, tangled fingers eventually caused a problem.
“Ah!”
Riella’s fingernail had scratched the back of Monica’s hand. The thin chemical lace gloves were too coarse to completely conceal the noble young lady’s long nails.
Monica immediately recoiled her hand from the burning pain. Drops of blood quickly beaded on her swollen, red hand.
Monica looked at the back of her hand, then shifted her gaze to Riella, looking utterly dumbfounded. Riella also shook her hand with a frown. Her glove, on the tip of the second finger of her right hand, had a large hole ripped in it. It seemed the glove was torn when her nail scratched Monica’s hand.
“Ouch...”
Riella’s gaze, as she said that, fell on Monica’s red hand. She looked flustered, as if she hadn’t intended to draw blood.
But as Monica’s eyes met hers, Riella defiantly raised her chin.
“You’re quite good at lying.”
“You...”
“And I told you my name is Riella. Monica Offen.”
Riella finally scattered the pieces of the letter of recommendation she had been holding onto the floor. The torn and crumpled pieces of paper, ripped into four, fluttered weakly. The paper wasn’t of very good quality to begin with.
“My letter of recommendation!”
Monica instinctively knelt down and started gathering the pieces of the letter. Letters of recommendation are usually taken by the household’s butler to verify the source. The person’s seal or identity is cross-referenced with what is registered with the authorities. That was standard procedure since immediate verification was impossible.
I should have given it to Madame Oran...
The pieces of the letter in her hand could be put together and recognized. But the moment Monica imagined collecting the fragmented letter and handing it to Madame Oran, it was absurd. Who would hire someone who brought in a torn letter of recommendation?
Even the kind Madam Mollet would be appalled. Monica looked up at Riella. Riella was looking down at her irritably.
“I don’t know what your intention is, showing up after ten years, but quit. You won’t even be able to start.”
Monica’s brow furrowed. Riella’s tone was overly rushed, like someone being chased. Before Monica could understand what that meant, Riella continued.
“Who do you think would hire an orphan? A nurse, of all things.”
“...”
Only then did Monica instinctively understand what Riella’s hostile attitude meant. It wasn’t just that she wasn’t happy to see her. Riella disliked her.
No, not even that... She had often seen such an attitude in soldiers on the battlefield. Those who scream at the slightest touch of a wound, those who refuse to even let anyone approach them. They sometimes throw objects or kick at the nursing soldiers. It’s not because they dislike the nurses.
It’s because they are afraid. And Riella, too, was afraid of her.
But of what?
Monica couldn’t understand her. What soldiers on the battlefield fear are their wounds and the fighting. They are afraid of the war that has hurt them, and they are afraid of being sent back to the war if their wounds are treated. But what did Riella have to fear?
Monica was curious, but she has no time to ponder. Rage had engulfed her entire body.
“Why would you say something like that, Lizzie?”
Riella’s face instantly crumpled.
“My name is!”
“You were an orphan too, Lizzie Offen.”
Riella’s face turned pale.
“Shut your mouth.”
For the first time, she now understood that a person’s expression could change so quickly. Monica stood up, clutching the pieces of the letter, and took a step toward Riella.
“...You may have fooled Mother, but you can’t fool me, Monica.”
Riella whispered quickly, her face a stark blue.
“You, you came to find me...”
Her voice dropped to almost nothing.
“You came to find me, didn’t you?”
It sounded fragile, almost extinguished. So quiet it was barely audible without careful listening, but Monica understood what Riella was afraid of. The meaning of her abrupt question about Monica’s intentions. Good grief. Riella believed Monica had deliberately tracked her down.
Riella’s wavering grey eyes wandered helplessly. Monica took a deep breath and she reached out her injured hand and grabbed Riella’s left forearm. Riella, who had her arms crossed, flinched and tried to shake free, but Monica held her grip and spoke quietly.
“Surely what you’re afraid of is...”
Knock, knock, knock.
Both of them turned to the door in surprise. The person who knocked didn’t identify herself and immediately threw the door open. It was Madam Mollet.
“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting! I meant to get the letter of recommendation...”
And the madam’s eyes widened as she looked around the room.
“Oh my. Did the two of you become friends already?”
The madam’s gaze rested on Monica’s hand, which was gripping Riella’s arm. Monica quickly let go in surprise. But Madam Mollet’s attention had already shifted elsewhere. She immediately began searching for the boy who should have been there.
“Where did Martinel go?”
“Ah, Martinel went to his room for a moment.”
Riella quickly replied. She completely hid her flustered face, and smiled sweetly.
“Mother, did you tell Envie to clear Martinel’s blocks? Martinel saw the sight and was so mad I couldn’t stop him. Is he not in his room?”
“No wonder! The door was wide open! But Martinel wasn’t there?”
“Then it seems poor Envie finally beat Martinel today.”
“Oh dear, that boy. How could he leave his teacher! Riella, you should have stopped him.”
Riella, having completely forgotten the struggle she had just had with Monica, softened her expression and rolled her eyes.
Her gesture looked like a thoughtless noble maiden, Madam Mollet clicked her tongue, though not truly angry.
And Monica was watching it all, dumbfounded. The casual conversation that Monica was not privy to continued between the two of them.
“We couldn’t help it. Martin is so obsessed with those blocks.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t have bought them for him. A five-hundred-piece set! I should have anticipated how monstrously large that would be!”
Madam Mollet clenched her small fists and suddenly turned to Monica.
“Oh! I keep forgetting. I’m sorry, Monica. I didn’t mean to talk about that. Could you please give me the letter of recommendation you showed Madame Oran?”
“...Ah.”
Monica was flustered and instinctively looked down at the floor. There lay the pieces of the letter of recommendation that Monica had dropped while picking them up. Madam Mollet smiled awkwardly and added.
“I should have gotten it earlier. I’m so forgetful. After giving birth to two children...”
Monica was doubly flustered.
Gave birth?
She lifted her gaze from the floor and looked towards Riella. But Riella Mollet, who had once shared the same last name as Monica, raised her chin as if to say what’s wrong. At the same time, her grey eyes darted back and forth between Madam Mollet and Monica. Two or three quick glances to each side.
The trajectory of her flickering eyes was very brief, but Monica could glimpse all sorts of emotions within it. Fluster, fear, dread, and confusion. The contradictory brazenness that those who make mistakes often possess.
And as those who make mistakes often do, Riella spoke first. Likely to get ahead of the situation.
“Mother, you see...”
At that moment, everything became futile for Monica.
“...I’m sorry, Madam.”
“Excuse me?”
“I accidentally destroyed my letter of recommendation.”
The madam’s eyes were filled with confusion.
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