The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 91 Ch.90 Rough Friendship

"Excuse me, ma'am. Unless it is necessary, the nobles would not want to provoke the Inquisition." Roland replied.

Unexpectedly, Pasetti laughed.

"Not the Court, but you, Mr. Collins."

"Of course the knight won't be angry with the Inquisition. We don't need to offend the church. But a...small executor?" Kate Pasetti mocked, emphasizing the word "small". "Like you said, the Inquisition probably won't go against a bunch of nobles just because of a small executor."

Roland put down his teacup: "'A bunch'?"

"You see, if you were a truly well-educated noble, you would never say such vulgar words." Roland said in a low voice, "'A whole bunch?' If you hadn't said 'a whole bunch' to me, I wouldn't have told you your 'little secret'."

"You threw the first punch."

"Madam, you and I are from the same family, so you should know our rules."

The woman didn't seem to want to talk to Roland about her past. She looked at him straight in the eyes and asked, "What do you want?"

"Tell her: I want a life in full bloom."
-
You just talk nonsense all day long.

The heavy breathing turned into waves like a torrent, lingering on the woman's anxious face.

She looked at the little crow with a normal expression, and after he said "nothing", her voice became even sharper: "Lies!"

“That’s a lie!”

Roland stroked the smooth cane and suddenly remembered something that happened in his childhood.

He was not the only one in the workhouse who knew why the directors brought those pretty boys and girls to the office.

He remembered it was a winter.

There was a girl who passed by a certain corridor and a certain door on a forbidden night and seemed to have witnessed a "process" that should not be seen by others. He also heard Yam mention it obscurely later:
The girl told this vague half story to her best friend as a topic of conversation and a secret of friendship.

Another savvy, older girl.

That night, she and her friend were taken to the office for questioning.

Roland still remembered that during that period, the treatment of the older people was much better.

According to Yam and some children, she got a good job. She was moved to a room with a stove in the freezing weather and lived with adult women. Someone even sewed clothes for her.

Not only did she accept it all, she was also very proud of it.

As for that girl...

Yam said she was a good girl, honest, sincere and serious.

There were several times when Roland saw Director Abner coming early just to find her a good job: when she reached a certain age, it would depend on what the directors would arrange for her to do.

But it seemed that she gave up two jobs to them in a row because of her friends.

Loyal friend.

Yam also secretly told Roland that her female co-worker had seen a director force gold pounds into the girl's hands.

But she refused at the time.

It is said that he was so frightened that he even cried and kept asking the director "what did he do wrong".

Who has ever seen so much money?

After that, Roland rarely heard from her.

At the end of winter, when she was working, a stone fell from a tree and hit her forehead, causing her whole face to shrunk.

When they were discovered, the man and the mud had already frozen together.

The bone collector even asked for a few more copper coins for this.

From that day on, Yam told Roland seriously not to be curious, and not to talk to anyone about the directors - and to stay away from people who talked about these things, the farther the better, no matter if they were children or adults.

As for that shrewd girl, Roland never saw her again after he grew up.

Many people knew where she went. She was taken away by an oil lamp maker to be an apprentice. It was said that she accidentally took some unclean medicine two years later. There was no serious health problem with her, but she became mute.

He is living a good life now, maybe he is married?

Young Roland was curious about the difference in the two people's circumstances, but found nothing.

When I grew up and understood more, I discussed it with Yam in private several times.

However, Yam didn't like Roland's opinion.

In her words: "Although a down-to-earth life is hard and requires patience, it is better than dancing on the edge of a knife."

Dancing on the edge of a knife, this was a word Roland had never heard of.

A fascinating picture.

"Mr. Collins?"

Pasetti stared at the young man who was in a trance and called him softly.

"I want fifty pounds."

Roland didn't like the girl frozen in the mud, and he thought she was stupid enough.

The woman was stunned. "Excuse me?" "I said," Roland gently picked up his cane and slammed it on the carpet. "I need fifty pounds, ma'am. You must know that if you want to shut someone up, you have to find a way to fill his mouth."

Kate Pasetti looked much better.

The line of her lips, which had been stretched and never relaxed, began to curl upwards. She relaxed.

The way he looked at Roland was like looking at another self.

"You have quite an appetite... 'Fill his mouth,' I love that phrase, by the way."

"I have gained some weight recently." Roland touched his face, not understanding the meaning of the woman's words. "What do you think of my proposal?"

Pasetti said nothing else and stood up and went to the cabinet.

About ten minutes.

A palm-sized hard card was placed in front of Roland.

There are words pressed on it.

There is a date and a sum of money.

This is a deposit slip.

"Bearer certificates of deposit from Parojemed Bank." Pasetti emphasized the name of the bank, fearing that Roland might not be familiar with this famous place.

She tapped the deposit slip with her fingernails. The tapping sound went through the back of the paper and the desktop made a "tapping" sound. "There is a hundred pounds in it, which can be withdrawn anywhere there is a Paroyemed. I dare not cheat an executive officer."

"Now, are you satisfied, sir, Collins?"

Roland raised his hand forward, only to find that the other party was holding the deposit slip tightly with two fingers.

"Will a hundred pounds be enough?"

Kate Pasetti's expression suddenly became strange. She said softly, "It's just the salary of a senior clerk in a better year or two, or... my husband's income for half a month, or even a week."

Roland was surprised: "You actually have a husband."

"You have a poisonous tongue, Roland."

"You know what I mean. It's hard for a woman to make friends with big men in the church or other industries...I mean in the right way, sir."

The woman didn't care. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, straightened her chest, showing off her exquisite curves, and added: "Especially for someone like me..."

Roland shook his head: "I'm not a big shot."

Kate Pasetti continued: "You acted like one."

"Ma'am, what do you want me to do?"

The woman spread her hands, placed them on the table, and leaned towards Roland - it was obvious that this oppressive action with clear gender connotations was not something she learned without a teacher.

She must have learned it from someone.

It looks pretty decent.

"Friendship," she said in a deliberately gruff voice, "I want your friendship. You should know that my 'little secret' is not worth that much."

This sentence is also learned very similarly.

Roland asked back: "I hold your secret, can there still be friendship between us?"

She didn't wait for Roland to finish, and leaned forward almost to lie on the table.

She grabbed Roland's hand and pulled him towards her, exhaling hot air from her lips: "It's not just about holding secrets, sir. If you want to hold something else, you can..."

Roland:?
Pasetti adjusted her skirt and sat back leisurely.

"Philip Chandler has more than a dozen cargo ships. You know what it means to go to sea these days, don't you?"

Pasetti's cheeks flushed and he smiled brightly. "It is absolutely a great thing for you to be friends with me. I have the ability to help you, support you financially, speak for you in terms of connections - I can even find you any rare things you want."

"Besides my gender... I have a pretty good reputation in West Manlis."

Roland groaned in silence.

"Promise her, Roland."
-
wrench?

"Promise her."
-
What do you think she'd let me do?
"This woman is a smart person. Listen to me. I have Su Yue's wisdom... that's it."
-
I am more curious about what that something is.
-
We have a secret, Wrench.
-
That's so sad.

"You just blocked me for a few seconds, and now you're saying there's a secret between us?"
-
Mrs. Pasetti suddenly leaned over...
-
I'm worried she might scare you.

"You are, the, best."

Roland's silence meant rejection in Pasetti's eyes.

Just like many of the men she had met in recent years.

She became increasingly disappointed.

And getting angrier.

"You also think that I am a woman and therefore unworthy of discussing these 'business' matters with you? It's ridiculous that I still think you are different - then, shouldn't you also take this hundred pounds and leave my room?"

(End of this chapter)