Ch. 2191..2200
Chapter 2191 The Sly Danrique Part Two
"What?" The shock made Francesca's heart lurch. He's kidding, right? Is he really doing this? “Yes, sirl” Gordon's response was quick as he grabbed the fruit knife on the table and stabbed it toward himself.
"Stop, stop, stop!” Federico cried out, nearly falling off the couch in his haste. The two bodyguards at the back promptly stopped Gordon as well.
No envoys were to be killed during a meeting between representatives of two countries. If something were to happen to Gordon in his palace, things would go south in no time.
“Danrique, what are you doing?” Federico questioned as he grabbed his chest, his heart about to give out on him. “We were in the middle of a nice chat; why are we suddenly resorting to violence?” "Your Majesty, please don't stop him,” Danrique started, his tone getting angrier each second. “The Lindbergs are strict with their household rules. Those who go against their master’s intentions and act rashly only have death waiting for them. That was what my aunt did to me as well.”
“But...”
Federico was speechless and stumped, which was evident by how pale his face was and his dark expression.
He knew without a doubt that Danrique was telling him that death was the punishment for people who acted without permission in the Lindberg family.
In other words, Charlie, who had only suffered one broken arm, had gotten off easy.
Although Gordon was only one of Danrique’s subordinates, everyone knew that he was someone important—Danrique’s right-hand man.
Even if Charlie did not need to be punished with death, his current punishment was not enough to compensate for the mistake he had made.
Danrique’s consecutive attacks brought Federico to his wits’ end.
After all, Danrique had just criticized the Danontand royal family’s teachings.
Danrique was not going to let the matter slide until Federico did something about it.
With that thought in mind, Federico smacked the table and hissed, “That b*stard Charlie's too much! Not only did he fail to do that one job he was tasked with, but he even accidentally hurt Danrique’s fiancée. Heed my order: Lock him up in the dungeon right away!”
"Your Majesty...” the princes behind the king began, hoping to plead for mercy on behalf of Charlie “Shut up, all of you!” Federico snapped. “Anyone who pleads for him will be thrown into the dungeon too.”
Upon hearing that, no one dared to utter anything else. Fear was written all over their faces
When they looked at Danrique again, it was as if they were looking at the devil.
Meanwhile, Berthold had another emotion in his eyes other than fear, and it was admiration. "What are you waiting for?” Federico snarled.
"Yes, sir!” Silas immediately sent his men to work on it.
Soon, Charlie's screech came from the outside. “Your Majesty, why are you sending me to the dungeon? Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I won't accept this! Your Majesty—"
Before he could finish his sentence, someone covered his mouth and towed him away.
Monica, who was outside and had heard Charlie's shouts, was even more taken aback than those inside the room.
She had not known Danrique’s charm previously, but now, she finally witnessed it.
This is marvelous!
Francesca was completely dumbstruck as her eyes flitted toward the outside of the window before looking at the king and Danrique.
“Danrique, is this to your satisfaction?” Federico asked with a half-smile.
Danrique sighed and muttered, “Your Majesty, why did you have to do this? Gordon's just a subordinate, and it's my duty to give him a stern lesson. On the other hand, Prince Charlie is your grandson. You could have just given him a scolding. Did you have to punish him so severely? Horrible criminals are locked up in that dungeon. He's going to be traumatized after a few days, and if he's locked up there for a month, he'll surely end up dead...”
Francesca's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Did I hear him right? He was the one who subtly forced Federico to punish Prince Charlie, but he’s saying this now? Looks like I really can't simply make this guy mad from now on. He's unbelievably smart!
"He offended you, so naturally, he has to be punished severely for that.” The smile Federico had on his face was an ugly one. “I'll be sure to educate him well in the future and not let him make another mistake like this. I hope your anger will dissipate after this.”
q
Chapter 2192 Rescue William
“I'm not angry.” Danrique flashed a faint smile. He then pointed at Francesca and said, “I'm just afraid that she might get pissed off. You know how women are, right? I'm not so good at appeasing her."
With that, he turned toward Francesca and asked, “Are you still mad?” Francesca shook her head absent-mindedly because she was still dumbfounded
“That's good. That's good.” Federico forced a smile. In order to ease the tension, he changed the topic by asking, “Are you guys hungry? Would you like to have some food?”
“That won't be necessary,” Danrique replied while putting his cup aside. While acting as if he was leaving, he said, “I would like to visit William.”
"Huh?" Federico was stumped. What is he up to now?
“Not only is he a good friend of mine, but he's also a business partner of Lindberg Corporation. Since I've come to Danontand, how could I not visit him? By the way, Your Majesty, I heard he has fallen sick. Is it serious?” Danrique asked with a straight face.
“It's just an old illness.” Federico smiled. “Since it's already so late and Francesca is injured, perhaps you all shouldn't go to the hospital. Why don't you stay in the palace? I can get someone to bring him here.”
“That sounds good.” Danrique nodded immediately.
Federico gestured at Silas, who immediately obliged his king's instructions. Before Silas left, he even shot Francesca a grateful look.
Meanwhile, Francesca was looking at Danrique gratefully. He knew what was on my mind. Before I even said it, he had already done me the favor.
Federico smiled and asked, “Should we have some food now?"
“Sure. She's famished.” Danrique held Francesca caringly and led her into the banquet hall. Federico was right behind them. He threw a vicious glance at Danrique before putting on a warm smile.
While following from behind, Sean and Gordon glanced at each other and snickered silently.
The moment Monica saw Francesca, she quickly went up to Francesca with an agitated look on her face.
Seeing that, Francesca sent her an “okay” sign. Right away, Monica knew what she meant. Moments prior, she had seen Silas leaving hastily while instructing some men to go to the hospital. She figured the men were going to fetch William, and Francesca had just confirmed her speculation. Monica was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. She was extremely grateful to Francesca. The group took their seats in the banquet hall and started eating.
As Federico was chatting with Danrique, Francesca hung her head low and ate. At that moment, mixed feelings were stirring within her.
Once they were done with the meal, a subordinate came in from outside and informed everyone about William's arrival.
Francesca hurriedly turned toward the voice and saw Silas walking in with a group of men. Behind them, a medical staff was pushing a wheelchair into the hall. The skinny man in the wheelchair was none other than William.
Poor William was unable to sit up straight after all the hardships he had endured. When he was wheeled in, his entire body was curled up.
Although he wanted to sit up straight to greet Danrique and Francesca in an elegant posture, his body simply couldn't do so.
Within a little over ten days, he had lost so much weight that he was almost unrecognizable. With his disheveled hair and pale face, he looked rather miserable.
“Your Highness!” Monica rushed over to him and squatted down to help him straighten his body. At that point, she couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
Francesca's eyes reddened, and she quickly turned away to recompose herself.
Danrique gazed into her eyes for a moment before turning toward William and greeting, "Hi, William!"
“L...” William lifted his head with great effort and squeezed out a weak smile. “You're here!”
“Yes.” Danrique smiled faintly. “Francesca misses you, so I've come with her to see you.”
“Thank you. Thank you,” William replied. He was thanking Danrique and Francesca both because he knew they were the reason he could show up there.
"Dr. Felch.” Danrique patted Francesca's shoulder and said, “Attend to your patient, okay?”
"Okay." Francesca cast him a grateful glance before getting out of her seat.
Two maids came over to help her up, and they all brought William into a room to check on him.
q
Chapter 2193 Extorted
Even until then, Federico still hadn't said a word to William, and William didn’t bother throwing him a glance either. It was as if they were strangers instead of grandfather and grandson.
“The medical standards in Danontand are quite bad, it seems!” Danrique exclaimed while holding his glass of wine. “The last time I saw him, he was in high spirits. Although he had trouble with his legs, he was still elegant and graceful. That's not the case now.”
"His illness kept relapsing, and it never got better.” Federico looked broken-hearted. “I've gotten a lot of famous doctors for him, but none of them could make him better. Francesca is good, though. Maybe she’s going to cure him.”
“Well, the legendary Francesco is bound to live up to her name.” Danrique added proudly, “When I was poisoned back then, she was the only one who could cure me.”
"I see...” Federico seemed surprised. “When I heard she was Francesco, I couldn't believe my ears. After all, she’s so young. Who would've thought she had such impressive medical skills? I believe it now, though. If something were to happen to me in the future, I'll turn to you guys for help, okay? I hope you won't turn me down then!”
"Your Majesty, you're in good health, and you look energetic. I doubt you'll ever need it.” Danrique flashed a faint smile. “William, on the other hand, is terribly sick. You're worried, aren't you, Your Majesty? After all, blood is thicker than water.”
"Of course, I'm worried.” Federico nodded profusely. “He's my grandson and—"
“In that case, let me bring him back for treatment,” Danrique interrupted. “In a few months’ time, your grandson will be in good health.”
"If you would be kind enough to do that, I would be extremely grateful, Danrique.” Federico raised his glass and said, “I'll need to trouble you, then!”
“It's no trouble at all. All you need to do is pay the medical fee for William,” Danrique uttered. "Huh?" Federico was stunned. What is he getting at?
“Well, Francesca demands a high fee, and it could be as much as hundreds of millions in M Nation's currency,” Danrique answered with a straight face. “Before this, William has been paying for the fees on his own. Since he's now under your care, you should pay for him, no? After all, he's your grandson.”
"Haha! Sure! I'll do that.” Federico nodded right away. He then instructed Silas, “Transfer the amount to Danrique.”
"Oh! Don't do that,” Danrique responded. “That woman of mine is rather materialistic. What's mine is hers, and what's hers is still hers. I think you should just transfer the amount to her. I wouldn't dare to receive the money!”
"All right, then. I'll transfer the money to Francesca!” Delighted, Silas bowed.
“You're on cloud nine, arent you?”
“lam!”
An hour later, Danrique was about to bring Francesca, William, and Monica out of the palace. While sending them off, Federico told William to take care of himself and get well soon without troubling Danrique further.
William responded politely and respectfully. It seemed as though he was on good terms with Federico.
Right then, Danrique teased, “It's no trouble at all, Your Majesty. Since you've already paid the hefty medical fee, it's now our duty to take care of him.”
“That's right.” Francesca beamed from ear to ear. “Thank you for the payment, Your Majesty. I'll do everything I can to cure William. Don't worry!”
“All right. Thank you.” Federico smiled and nodded.
“By the way, the people in William Castle were poisoned. They haven't gotten treatment yet, right? Should I help them?” Francesca asked in a serious tone.
“If you have time for it, that would be great!” Federico smiled.
"How about the fee?” Francesca deliberately dragged out the last word of the sentence.
“The palace will pay it off, of course.” Federico knew what she meant. “How much do you require? I'll get Silas to transfer the money to you right away.”
“Eight hundred million to a billion will do,” Francesca replied quickly. “Since we know each other so well, I'll give you a discount.”
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Chapter 2194 Conscience
Federico went silent for a while. I'm being extorted again. Despite his thought, Federico forced a smile and said, “Thank you.” Francesca replied, “You're welcome.”
Before she could say anything further, Federico quickly uttered, “It's getting late. Go home and rest early, okay?”
He couldn't wait to get rid of the sly couple. One is even more terrifying than the other! “All right. I wanted to tell you it seems like your organs aren't doing well, so I wanted to give you some medicines for—"
Before Francesca could finish her sentence, Danrique pushed her into the car.
“Your Majesty, she’s still too young to understand certain things. Please forgive her. It's not even that hard to detoxify the poison. She can't possibly demand such fees,” Danrique uttered.
"Oh! That's true.” Federico was elated to hear that. Just as he thought he could save some money, Danrique suddenly said, “You don’t have to pay her so much. Inclusive of William's medical fees, a billion will do.”
“Huh?” Federico had no idea how to react to that.
“Do you have her bank account details?” Danrique asked while pointing at Silas.
“I do...” Silas nodded immediately.
“Remember to transfer the money to her by tonight. Otherwise, she’s going to kick up a fuss.” Danrique deliberately put on an exasperated expression as he sighed and grumbled, “She's so hard to please!”
“All right. Got it,” Silas replied.
“I'll go now.” Danrique got into the car.
Federico was struggling to keep the smile on his face. Right when the smile was about to fade, Danrique rolled down the car window and stuck his head out. “Also, Your Majesty, no matter what, Prince Charlie is still your grandson. Don't be too harsh on him, all right? Release him in two weeks" time before something bad happens to him.”
"Okay. I know what to do.” Federico’s smile was turning ugly. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Have a safe trip!”
“Goodbye!” Danrique rolled up the window.
After that, the car slowly departed. As the vehicle was driving away, Francesca’s delighted laughter could be heard emanating from inside.
Hearing that, Federico became outraged. He clenched his fists so tightly that they creaked.
Silas quickly comforted him by saying, “Calm down, Your Majesty. After all, we've received a tremendous gift from Mr. Lindberg.”
“You're right...”
After getting into the car, Francesca smiled from ear to ear while looking at those checks. The pain in her head and legs went away in an instant. In fact, all her aches and pains had disappeared.
In other words, she was overjoyed.
Danrique couldn“t help but smile when he saw how silly she looked.
"Wait a minute...” Francesca suddenly remembered something. She pulled Danrique closer and asked, “What gift did you give Federico? Why is he so happy?”
"Don’t worry about that.” Danrique ruffled her hair and added, “What matters is your happiness!” “Tell me, will you?” Francesca was growing anxious. “Answer me this. Is the gift worth more than what I got in return?”
“Ha!” Danrique chuckled. “What you got in return is nothing compared to what I've given him. I merely wanted you to be happy, so I had him compensate you a little.”
"What did you say?” Francesca widened her eyes in shock. “One billion is nothing? Are you saying that you've given him—"
She placed a hand over her chest and tried to calm her breathing. “Did you give him ten billion?” “Let's not talk about money.” Danrique smiled. “Moreover, a person of his status can't be satisfied with monetary gifts.”
"What did you give him, then?” Francesca shook his arm and said, “Tell me!”
"Stop asking me that. All you need to know is that your hubby would never be taken advantage of.” “All right, then.” Francesca breathed a sigh of relief. However, she regained her senses and asked, “What? Hubby?”
"After everything that I've done for you, are you still not going to marry me?” Danrique pretended as if he was going to snatch those checks away. “If you don’t marry me, you ought to compensate me!”
“I willl I will” Francesca hurriedly kept the checks inside her pocket. “Since you've already done so much for me, I'll definitely marry you. My conscience wouldn't allow me to do otherwise.”
Chapter 2195 Farewell
“Conscience?” Danrique was angry. “You abandoned me for another man. You don't have a conscience!”
“Regarding that, I need to correct you. I left because of my responsibilities and obligations. I didn't leave for another man.”
"When it came down to it, you abandoned me to save William.” Danrique moved away from her pridefully.
“I didn’t abandon you. Since when have I done that?” Francesca leaned over and added, “I came here to work and provide treatment. I said I would go back to you after my work here is done, didn't 17"
"Hmph!" Danrique acted as if he was angry.
"Don’t be angry anymore, okay? It's all my fault.” Francesca held his arm and coaxed him by saying, “I've learned my mistake. Fortunately, you're impressive enough to turn things around. Otherwise, I would've burdened you tremendously.”
She meant every word she said. If Danrique weren't as impressive as he was, he would have to apologize and present extravagant gifts in order to bring her out of there.
Besides, he wouldn't have been able to rescue William and Monica as well.
Fortunately for her, Danrique was capable enough to give Federico enough benefits to rescue everyone.
Otherwise, she would be in deep trouble.
Seeing that she had realized how serious things were, Danrique decided to let her off the hook. "Since you know it was your mistake, how are you planning on making it up to me?”
“I'll kiss you.”
As Francesca leaned over, he turned to cradle her face and kissed her passionately.
Meanwhile, in the medical vehicle behind them, William was lying on the bed with two nurses by his side.
Monica held his hand and whispered, “Your Highness, don’t worry. The castle is no longer under lockdown. Not only are the utilities restored, but Robin and the others are also now free to leave.” “Okay,” William replied in a deep voice.
“I heard Mr. Lindberg saying they were going to bring you to Erihal for treatment. That sounds good. No one is going to disturb you, so you'll be able to recuperate peacefully. Once you're cured, everything will go smoothly.”
William simply shut his eyes in response.
“You're tired, aren't you? Okay. I won't pester you anymore.” Monica tucked him in and kept him company in silence
She then lifted her head to look outside the window. Upon seeing the familiar route, she asked the driver, “Hey. Where are we going?”
“William Castle!"
Upon hearing that, William abruptly opened his eyes and uttered emotionally, “Help me up!”
“Your Highness, you mustn't move around.”
"Help me up,” William ordered.
Monica couldn't convince him otherwise, so she did as told.
He tried everything he could to practice sitting straight, even ordering Monica to place him in the wheelchair later.
Monica knew he wanted to present himself to the people in the castle in a proper manner. Although it wasn't easy, she was determined to help him accomplish that. Hence, she placed a cushion on the wheelchair for him to sit on.
When the convoy arrived at the entrance of William Castle, Danrique said, “I'm not going down. I'll wait for you in the car. You have one hour to accompany William in bidding farewell.”
“Farewell?” Francesca was stumped. “Are we leaving for Xendale tonight?”
“Yes.” Danrique nodded. “I think the poison the people in the castle got isn't that serious. Once you've prepared the antidote, I'll get someone to send it over to them.”
“But...”
Francesca wanted to reason with Danrique, but she changed her mind when she saw the serious look on his face. “All right. Are we bringing William back to Xendale with us?”
"Of course.” Danrique arched a brow. “Could it be that you want to continue staying here to treat him?”
Danrique didn't want to be apart from Francesca again. Thus, the only reason he was bringing William back with him was to keep her by his side.
Chapter 2196 See The Future
Francesca was dumbfounded when she got out of the car. She saw a group of subordinates and bodyguards looking at their cars anxiously. They were both scared and nervous, and none of them dared to come over.
Even those bodyguards looked utterly dejected. The moment they saw Francesca getting out of the car, their faces filled with excitement and joy. “Ms. Felch!”
Just as a few people were about to approach her, the door of the car behind hers opened, and a subordinate wheeled William out of the vehicle.
Everyone at the scene was stunned. They stood still and stared at William in disbelief. Monica, with her injured leg, was pushing William toward them.
Seeing that, Francesca went over to help. Robin's voice was trembling when he shouted, “Your Highness!”
After that, the group of people—headed by Robin—surrounded William. “Your Highness, is that really you? You're still alive!”
“You're back, Your Highness! Thank goodness!” “Your Highness, I thought I wasn't going to see you again.”
William looked at the crowd with reddened eyes and wanted to say something. However, the words were stuck in his throat.
“Let's go inside and talk,” Monica suggested in a quavering voice. “It's windy outside. We ought to avoid His Highness catching a cold.”
“That's right. Let's get inside!”
“I'm going to inform everyone that His Highness is back!"
As soon as William, Francesca, and the rest entered the castle, everyone gathered around. They were thrilled to see William back.
William took a deep breath before saying, “Francesca saved us. She's our savior!”
"Yes. Thank you, Ms. Felch!”
Everyone at the scene bowed and thanked Francesca.
They were extremely grateful to Francesca because she had stood by their side and protected them in a battle of life and death.
“It's not just me. Monica helped, too.” Francesca pulled Monica over and added, “Her partner, Dominic, also contributed a lot.”
“Thank you so much!”
The crowd bowed again.
“Francesca, Monica, if I ever turn everything around in the future, I will definitely repay your kindness.” Although William was frail, he meant every word he said.
In tears, Monica squatted down next to him and said, “Your Highness, my life belongs to you. It was my obligation to do whatever I did.”
Francesca, on the other hand, kept mum because she had never been good at dealing with emotional moments. I don't know what I should say.
“Thanks to you guys, too.” William glanced at the crowd and said emotionally, “Thank you for staying by my side and not abandoning me!”
"Your Highness...” The maids at the scene couldn't hold back their tears any longer and ended up crying.
In the meantime, there wasn't a single wavering of emotion in Danrique when he heard those words from the outside. Instead, he looked up at the sky with a complicated expression on his face, as if something was on his mind.
"What's on your mind, Mr. Lindberg?” Sean asked softly.
“I'm just wondering...” Danrique smiled and continued, “I wonder if William would still remember this night in the years to come.”
"What?" Sean didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
“Ha!” Danrique laughed bitterly to himself and said, “Sometimes, being too smart isn't a good thing at all. It's as if I can see the future.”
“Are you saying that in the future, he would...” Sean finally had a rough idea of what he meant. “That won't happen, right? Prince William seemed quite sincere when he expressed his gratitude.” "At that precise moment, he was sincere.” Danrique turned to look at the palace and added, “That might not be the case in the future.”
"Why did you save him, then?” Sean queried.
“What else was I supposed to do?” Danrique sounded annoyed. “Judging by how things turned out, I can't let that old fox gain the upper hand, can 1?”
“That's true.” Sean nodded. “Furthermore, you might have trouble with Ms. Felch if you don't save him.”
As soon as those words fell, he felt Danrique’s terrifying gaze falling upon him. In response, he quickly lowered his head and said, “Sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”
Indeed, whatever Danrique had done, it was all for Francesca.
Chapter 2197 Reflect
William said goodbye to everyone and ordered Robin to take good care of the castle. He also told them he would return to them once his legs were cured. Surprised, Robin asked, “Are you not bringing me along, Your Highness?”
“I need someone to hold the fort,” William replied in a deep tone. “These people have been poisoned. For as long as they're not healed, I'm going to worry about them. You should stay here and recuperate. At the same time, protect the others. Francesca and Monica will take care of me in Erihal. It's safe there.”
In response, Robin nodded and replied, “Okay. Rest assured, Your Highness. I'll protect the castle.” “The moment I return, I'll prepare the antidote and send it here. By then, you guys just have to take the medicine according to the right dosage. William will be in safe hands. Don’t worry,” Francesca uttered.
“Yes. I'll take good care of His Highness,” Monica chimed in. “Ms. Felch, Ms. Monica, thank you.” Everyone thanked them once again.
"Don’t mention it. We're all friends here.” Francesca glanced at her watch and said, “I'll leave first. Say your goodbyes and come out soon. Remember to bring William's travel documents, okay?” “All right.” Francesca entered the car and noticed how troubled Danrique seemed. "What's the matter with you? What's on your mind?”
“It's nothing.” While looking at his phone, Danrique said, “I've just received a call. We need to get back as soon as possible.”
"What happened?” Francesca asked anxiously.
Without giving her an answer, Danrique merely gestured at Sean.
Seeing that, Sean went to rush William and the rest.
Moments later, Monica and William came out. Robin and the rest brought William's luggage and sent them off.
Upon bidding them farewell, William got into the car.
As the vehicle gradually drove away, William looked back at Robin, the others, and the castle through the rearview mirror. Right then, he made a vow in his heart. One day, I'm going to stand on my feet once again and seek justice from the people who bullied me. At the same time, I'll take back everything that's supposed to be mine!
On the way to the airport, Danrique was talking on the phone non-stop and going through all his documents.
Francesca didn't dare to disturb him, so she just kept staring at her checks.
When Danrique was done with his work, he wrapped his arm around her. Only then did she dare to ask, “Will I be able to cash these checks in Erihal?”
“Haha!” Danrique laughed. “You just can’t keep your mind off of your money, can you?”
“This is a lot of money, you know?" Francesca pouted and continued, “You've already lost so much. Shouldn't I at least get something back in return?”
“Yes. You're right.” Danrique pinched her cheek gently and said, “Sean will deal with your checks. Once the conversion is done, the money will be transferred to your account. Don't worry.”
Upon hearing that, Francesca giggled gleefully. “That's great! By the way, what exactly happened to you? You seemed so troubled just now.”
“There's a problem I need to fix when I get back.” Danrique didn’t give her a direct answer. “Enough of that. Rest, okay? I need to go through some documents.”
He rubbed his temples, put on his glasses, and continued working.
“Mr. Lindberg, you haven't slept in a few days. Perhaps you should take a break,” Sean uttered caringly.
“Shut up!” Danrique growled softly.
Sean quickly lowered his head and kept mum.
Francesca felt embarrassed when she saw how busy Danrique was. He's so busy that he doesn’t even have the time to sleep, yet he had to take the time to fix my mess. Besides, he gave up so much to help me rescue the others. It wasn't his business in the first place, and he never wanted to meddle in it. However, he had to risk his company and Erihal just to help me. He even came all the way to Danontand to negotiate with Federico. Every single thing he has done was for me. Come to think of it, it seems like I've been constantly troubling him since the beginning. I should really do something for him. I can’t let him tire himself out like this again in the future.
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Chapter 2198 Different Worlds
They boarded the plane heading back to Xendale. After hopping onto the aircraft, William wanted to speak to Danrique but ultimately fell silent as the latter kept his eyes on the documents in his hands the whole time.
Monica greeted Francesca before wheeling William into his room to rest. Soon after, Sean arrived with Francesca’s backpack. The woman was overjoyed for she had not expected to be able to find it again.
Sean is always so thoughtful. After thanking him, the woman headed into her room with the backpack and wanted to change into a more casual outfit, only to realize that she didn't have her own luggage.
Hence, she grabbed a white shirt from Danrique’s suitcase, took a quick shower, and put the shirt on before sitting on the bed to inspect her backpack.
Danrique just so happened to walk in with his laptop at that moment, and he was instantly shocked to see the way she was dressed.
The woman only had two buttons done, with the loose outfit revealing her well-endowed chest and slender legs.
The only thing that seemed a little out of place was her right leg, which was now wrapped in some gauze due to her injury.
Yet, her looking like that was more than enough to captivate Danrique.
He put down his laptop, dashed into the bathroom for a shower, and then pinned Francesca onto the bed.
The woman yelped before instinctively covering her mouth and glancing at the wall next to them. "Stop it!” she hissed. “We're on a plane now, and you know how bad the soundproofing is! They're going to hear us.”
"So what if they do? We're all adults, anyway.” Danrique began to nibble on her neck while slowly making his way down. “Did you miss me? Hmm?"
“Danrique...” Francesca tried to shove him away. “Knock it off! We can do it when we get ba— Mmph!”
The man pressed his lips against hers before she could finish.
He kissed her so passionately that she couldn't turn him away. The moment she tried to resist, he placed his weight on top of her while reaching underneath her shirt with one hand.
The sudden movement made Francesca arch her back and close her eyes subconsciously, and it wasn't long until she started to give in.
Yet, the woman continued to bite her hand, not daring to make a sound.
What if William and Monica hear us?
Seemingly unhappy with her holding back, Danrique began to take things to the next level and touch her more aggressively.
The woman was on the verge of caving, but she still kept biting on her hand
Finally, the man pulled her hand away and bit her neck forcefully.
“Ahh!”
Francesca immediately let out a moan before covering her mouth once again.
Right next door, Monica's face turned beet red as she knelt on the floor, carefully wiping William's body.
William merely kept his eyes shut and pretended not to hear anything, but his hands gripped his sheets so tightly as though he could rip the cloth into shreds at any moment.
The sounds coming from next door finally died down after a long while.
With beads of sweat on her forehead, Monica turned William over carefully to wipe his back, only to notice a gravely festered wound on his waist.
“Your Highness! Why didn’t you say anything about this?” she exclaimed while jumping in fright. “I'll go get Ms. Felch right now.”
The moment she got up, William grabbed her hand. “Don't bother them,” he said softly.
“But your wound...” Tears began to form in Monica's eyes.
“I'm not going to die from waiting a day longer. Go get some rest. You've worked hard all day.”
“I'll stay right here and look after you, Your Highness,” Monica declared between sobs as she knelt next to him.
“Thank you.” William's lips curved into a faint smile. “Honestly, you don't have to treat me so kindly. Don't ruin your future because of me.”
“I don't need that job. I only want to care for you,” the woman choked out. “Please let me remain by your side.”
q
Chapter 2199 Intimate
“Thank you.” William was extremely grateful. He only had Monica now. “Your Highness.” She held his hand tightly and brought it to her cheek.
At this very moment, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I could never approach him back then, but now, I can finally be next to him.
William stared at the wall next to them. Just thinking about Francesca and Danrique being intimate with each other filled his eyes with pain, sorrow, and a rather complex feeling—perhaps hatred. Meanwhile, Danrique was so weary that he fell asleep while hugging Francesca right after they were done. Francesca remained trapped in his arms but couldn't seem to fall asleep.
Maybe it was because she had slept too much earlier during the day, or because she was still too excited about finally meeting this man again.
An anxious feeling surfaced in her heart, although she couldn't figure out why.
Even so, Danrique’s gentle breathing lulled her, and she slowly drifted off.
They slept soundly in each other's arms for what felt like a long time.
When Francesca next woke up, she noticed Danrique missing. She couldn't find him even after scanning the room.
Thus, she put on a coat and walked out of the room.
She then spotted him going through some documents up ahead while giving Sean some instructions in a low voice.
The latter stood next to him, bent over slightly as he listened intently.
Deciding not to bother them, Francesca headed back into the room to wash up.
Suddenly, the door to the next room opened, and Monica exited before calling out softly, “Ms. Felch, are you busy right now?”
“Not at all. Why?" asked Francesca.
“There's a festering wound on the back of His Highness’ waist. It's really serious,” Monica explained, suppressing the lump in her throat. “Could you please take a look at him?”
“Let me get my medical kit.”
Francesca hastily grabbed the medical kit from her room and went next door to examine William. In truth, she had already wanted to do so back when she was at the palace, but the man came up with an excuse to say no and only talked to her instead.
At present, he was in a deep sleep. Monica said he was feverish too.
Francesca's expression turned grim as soon as she reached for his forehead. “He's got a high fever!” “What should we do? Do you have any medicine?” Monica asked frantically.
“I do.” The former fed him some medication at once and turned him over carefully to treat his wound.
Monica lent a hand, her eyes now brimming with tears at the sight of William's injury.
“Take his pants off.”
Worried that his lower body would have festering wounds too, Francesca decided to examine him further.
"Huh?" Monica's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed. “II...”
“Hurry,” Francesca urged, but upon seeing the other woman remain still, she eventually removed William's pants on her own.
“Ahh!” The man finally stirred and panicked upon noticing that he was being stripped. “Francesca! What are you doing?”
“Be quiet,” Francesca ordered while tugging his pants further to uncover his rear.
As expected, there were many festering wounds.
"Francesca, don't...” William stammered as a blush crept across his cheeks. “You don't have to do it. Just get a nurse when we arrive in Xendale.”
Yet, the woman ignored him and began to treat him.
“Argh!” he cried out in pain.
“Please be more gentle, Ms. Felch,” Monica urged. She wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do.
Francesca continued to clean the wounds and apply medication on them.
She was so immersed in her work that she didn't notice Danrique standing at the door watching her the whole time.
Despite being aware of her profession as a doctor, he had never considered the smaller details that came along with saving lives. It was only now that he realized how close she had to be with her male patients at times.
It looks like there's so much more I haven't seen.
Chapter 2200 Danrique Is Furious
"Okay. Use this on the wounds.” After cleaning William's injuries, Francesca handed some medication over to Monica. “Apply this powder on every wound he has. I'll come back to bandage them soon.”
"Okay." The latter quickly took the bottle and got started. Francesca removed her gloves so she could wash her hands. Then, she froze upon noticing Danrique standing at the door. “When did you get here?”
“I just did,” the man replied frostily. “Are you done? Do you need my help?”
“No,” she answered, failing to notice his odd behavior. “I'm going to wash my hands and bandage William's injuries. You can go ahead with your own work. I'll see you later.”
The woman then headed to the private room to wash her hands, not realizing that she was still only clad in Danrique's shirt.
Although she had buttoned herself up this time and the shirt was long enough, Danrique couldn't help but frown at the sight of her thighs showing.
“Leave the bandaging to me,” Monica hurriedly offered, noticing the displeasure in the man’s eyes. “Go get some rest, Ms. Felch. I can handle this.”
"Certainly not,” Francesca insisted as she walked out of the bathroom and put her gloves back on. “You're not even a nurse. How would you know how to bandage a wound?”
“I can do it—"
Yet, before Monica could finish, Francesca gave William's pants another tug and began to inspect the wounds on his thighs. “F-Francesca!” William called out in a panic. “Let Monica do it.”
"He's right, Ms. Felch,” Monica chimed in before lowering her voice. “Look, Mr. Lindberg is upset. You should go back now.” Realization finally dawned on Francesca, but by the time she turned around, Danrique had already walked away.
“Seriously! What is a grown man like him being so petty for?” she muttered.
Then, she left after teaching Monica how to inspect and apply medication on William's injuries. Monica shut the door and heaved a long sigh. She then bit her lip and plucked up the courage to examine the man’s wounds.
“You should learn to take care of all this,” William instructed softly. “Don't let Francesca do it.” "Okay, I'll do my best.” Monica nodded. “But Your Highness, I-I'm afraid...”
Her face had turned crimson by now. Francesca had told her to inspect every part of his body— including that area—but she dared not even look there.
“It's okay,” assured William. “You're the one closest to me now. There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's better than getting Francesca to do it.”
"Y-You're right.”
With that, Monica suppressed her nerves and began to inspect him, albeit her cheeks remained flushed.
Meanwhile, Francesca returned to her room. Seeing that Danrique was in the middle of a shower, she thought nothing much of it and began to organize her medical kit.
It didn't take long for the man to re-emerge, but he merely shot her a glance before sitting on the bedside to dry his hair.
“I'll be taking my shower now.”
The woman grabbed a T-shirt from his luggage and headed to the bathroom.
Given the injuries on her head and leg, she only spent a short while cleaning herself. However, the floor was wet, and coupled with the fact that she couldn't walk normally, she suddenly slipped and fell.
This time, Danrique didn't help her up.
"Ahhh!" Francesca screamed in pain. “It hurts!”
“Where does it hurt?” The man leaned against the bed and gazed at her coldly.
“My butt,” she grumbled while crawling back up on her own and limping her way over to the bed. "And you don't even care.”
Yet, Danrique shot back in an aloof tone, “Why do I need to? Aren't you as tough as steel?”
The woman's blood boiled as she saw how sarcastic he was toward her, but she controlled her anger. “I can't believe you're getting upset at me when all I did was treat a patient.”
Yet, the man merely responded by switching off the lights and going to sleep.
"You!" Francesca hurled a pillow at him in rage. What the hell is with this guy? He's so petty and grumpy! To think that I have to be the one pacifying him? He's horrible!