bioinnovel Chapter 117 Annie's Little Happiness
Chapter 117 Annie's Little Happiness
As the first rays of sunlight pierced the polluted air of the eastern district of Handong City, Annie was already sitting by the window.
She held a small piece of broken glass in her hand, carefully examining her face.
Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, and her golden eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyes.
This appearance was too conspicuous in the slums, like a pearl that had been lost in the mud.
Anne sighed, scooped some charcoal ash from the earthenware pot at her feet, and skillfully smeared it on her face, neck, and even behind her ears.
The beauty in the mirror instantly transformed into an ordinary, dusty girl, except for her strikingly bright blue eyes.
"That's good enough," she murmured to herself, hiding the lens back in the crack in the wall.
Heather was still curled up in bed, like a golden kitten.
Annie went over and gently kissed her sister's forehead, then began preparing breakfast.
The bread I brought back from the dock restaurant last night has been soaked in warm water to soften.
The owner of the dockside restaurant, Mrs. Barton, was an old friend of her father's, so she asked Anne to pack up some leftover food from the guests.
"elder sister……"
"Are you going to see your brother-in-law today too?"
Heather rubbed her eyes and sat up.
Anne thought of Mel, whose face had gradually become a little chubby thanks to her feeding, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up. "Yeah, if we don't go, that person will definitely forget to eat again."
"But sister."
"Why do you put on black makeup every day before going out? Your older sister is so pretty."
Heather tilted her head.
Annie paused in her movements.
She thought of the stories her mother had told her when she was alive.
I also thought of the afternoon three months ago, before Mary, the flower girl from the next alley, disappeared.
Mary had fair skin and a pretty face. Although she wasn't considered a top beauty, she unexpectedly received a small box of rouge that day and secretly applied some to the market.
She disappeared the next day.
Rumors circulated that the Duke of Flames' carriage had been seen stopping near the market.
"Because of that."
"Girls who are too beautiful are more likely to be targeted by bad guys."
Annie handed the softened bread to her sister in a very soft voice.
"Like Sister Mary?"
"……Um."
Heather nodded as if she understood, and ate her bread in small bites.
Annie looked at her, and a strong urge to protect her welled up inside her.
She had to survive, live well, and raise Heather.
Ok.
I also want to stay with Mr. Mel.
Annie's face flushed slightly.
She really... really liked that young man who always had a furrowed brow and heavy thoughts hidden in his eyes.
After preparing a simple breakfast, Anne entrusted Heather to Aunt Martha, the kind-hearted laundry woman next door who had lost her husband, promising to bring back an extra portion of leftover food from the restaurant as payment.
Then, as usual, she took a basket and went to the small hotel to feed her beloved Mr. Mel.
Her beautiful face was obscured by carbon ash.
The journey was uneventful.
As they approached the hotel, Annie carefully took out some clean water and washed her exposed skin thoroughly, then gently cleaned it with a cloth.
Although Mel said that it would be fine to cover it with charcoal ash.
But women dress up for those who appreciate them.
Anne felt a small sense of happiness when Mr. Mel's gaze lingered on her face.
Moreover, Mr. Mel's continued rejection made the seemingly confident Anne feel somewhat insecure, and even doubt whether she could really win Mr. Mel's favor.
Feeding complete.
Seeing Mel's health improving and her empty basket brought Anne a small sense of happiness.
After reapplying charcoal ash, Anne headed towards the dock.
The docks are always bustling in the morning.
The morning breeze carried the smells of sweat, fish, and moldy goods.
Anne has a regular part-time job here—washing the mountains of cups, plates, and kitchen utensils at the Whale Tavern.
She has been doing this job for a long time.
"Annie! You're here early today!" Barton, the boss, was a burly, bald man with a scar on his left eye. He looked somewhat fierce, but he was very kind to Anne.
Good morning, Mr. Patton.
"Is there anything I need to pay special attention to today?"
Anne rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender but strong arms.
"A group of crew members have booked the entire venue for lunch, so we need to prepare 30% more tableware."
"Oh, right," Barton said in a low voice.
"The guests in VIP room number three on the second floor specifically requested that their wine glasses be wiped so clean you could see your reflection in them; they are supposedly... from the Duke's mansion."
Annie's heart skipped a beat.
She nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and just scrubbed even harder.
The water was icy cold, and the oil stains were stubborn.
Anne's hands quickly turned white and wrinkled from being soaked in water.
But that wasn't what she was thinking about. Instead, she was thinking about how Mel had rejected her confession again when he accepted her breakfast earlier that day.
His refusal was so firm that Annie began to doubt her own charm.
Could it be that Mr. Mel... still doesn't like his appearance enough?
Perhaps I should become more attractive.
Once this thought arises, it creeps up on you like a vine.
"Maybe... it's because I can change things?" Annie stared at her blurry reflection in the water, the charcoal ash being washed away by the current, revealing her fair skin underneath.
She had only ever seen the face powders and rouges used by noble ladies from afar in shop windows.
Those items packaged in exquisite little boxes were like products from another world to ordinary people.
But Anne remembered that there was a "Dewdrop Grocery Store" in the western part of the docks, where the proprietress would occasionally stock some cheap trinkets, saying they were inferior products that had leaked from the servants of nobles.
Perhaps... we could give it a try?
This bold idea made Anne blush.
She quickly shook her head and continued scrubbing the dishes vigorously.
But over the next few hours, the thought fluttered through her mind like a restless little bird.
After the midday rush passed, Barton, the owner, unusually gave Annie seven extra copper coins: "You did a good job today. The customers on the second floor were very satisfied and gave you a reward."
"Thank you, boss!" Annie carefully separated the extra copper coins from the original ten copper coins.
Ten coins were for her, Heather's, and Mel's basic food expenses; the other two were to be saved—she had secretly hidden a small earthenware jar behind a brick wall, which already contained one hundred and thirty-five copper coins, the starting point of her dream.
And the extra five coins... Annie held the still-warm copper coins tightly, biting her lip.
Go ahead.
A voice urged in my mind.
Just once.
Perhaps Mr. Mel will take a second look at you after seeing this?
The Dewdrop Grocery Store was narrower and more crowded than Anne had imagined.
The shelves were piled high with all sorts of strange and unusual things: faded ribbons, combs with missing teeth, perfume bottles that were only half full, and cosmetics packaged in cheap cardboard boxes.
The proprietress was a thin, middle-aged woman with sharp eyes: "Young lady, what would you like?"
"I...I want to see if there's anything that can make my complexion look better," Annie's voice was barely audible.
The proprietress looked her up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on her faded dress. She pursed her lips, but still took out a small wooden box from under the counter: "This is rose blush. Although it's a defective product, the color is still acceptable."
Five copper coins.
Annie opened the box; inside was a hard, pink, lumpy object with some cracks at the edges.
She hesitated for a moment: "Are there... cheaper options?"
"This is the cheapest one."
"If you can't afford it, then forget it."
The proprietress looked at Annie's impoverished appearance with great impatience.
Annie noticed it too, and felt a little unhappy.
However, thinking that when Mel sees her, he might linger on her a little longer.
Anne still took out the five copper coins.
The copper coin was still slightly warm when it left my palm.
As I left the grocery store, the sun was already beginning to set.
Anne suddenly noticed a red carriage parked at the alleyway diagonally opposite, with the curtain slightly lifted.
She saw the person inside the car was dressed in luxurious attire—he was an aristocrat.
Annie clutched the small box tightly in her hand, her heart pounding as if it would burst out of her chest.
However, the thought that she had smeared charcoal ash on her body made her feel a little more at ease.
Back in the rented cottage, Heather was helping Aunt Martha sort the dried clothes.
Upon seeing Annie, she happily rushed over, exclaiming, "Sister!"
"Was I a good girl today?" Annie picked up her younger sister and kissed her cheek.
"Heather is so well-behaved! The auntie even taught me two words!"
Anne looked at Aunt Martha gratefully, who waved her hand and said, "The little girl is smart; she understands immediately."
After seeing Aunt Martha off, I closed the door.
Anne fed Heather a simple dinner, and today there was an extra salted fish!
This was a rare delicacy. Anne gave half of it to her sister, and she wanted to save the other half for Mr. Mel.
After coaxing her younger sister to sleep, Annie lit the dim oil lamp on the table.
She carefully washed her face and then opened the small box.
Blush was harder to apply than she had imagined. She used her fingertips to dab some water before she could barely manage to blend a light pink blush onto her cheeks.
For the first time, Anne looked closely at her made-up appearance in the broken mirror.
The girl in the mirror had a slender figure honed by a life of poverty, but now, adorned with cheap cosmetics, she actually showed a rare and delicate beauty.
A delicate nose, deep blue eyes, slightly flushed cheeks... even she herself felt somewhat unfamiliar with them.
"Would Mr. Mel like this?" she asked softly to herself in the mirror.
There is no answer.
Only the flame of the oil lamp flickered uneasily.
At the same time, Mel sat in his cheap hotel room with several rough sheets of paper spread out in front of him.
The paper contained fragmented information, the result of secret investigations conducted by members of the Prophet's sect during this period.
[Frederic Brittany, Duke of Flames, of the Sunblood, Lord of Eastland. Suspected unusual hobby: collecting unusual works of art.]
In the past five years, a total of 156 girls and 98 young girls have been reported missing in the city and surrounding villages and towns... Official records show that most of them ran away from home or accidentally fell into the sea...
[Black market rumor: The Brittany family regularly hosts private exhibitions showcasing drums made of human skin and red leather boots. The leather is believed to originate from... beautiful young girls and girls.]
[Rumor has it that the Blazing Sun Bloodline has a tradition of crafting beautiful young girls and adorable children from the common people into unique works of art. The more beautiful they are, the more valuable they are in their eyes, and they even use photographic stones to record the moment of their creation.]
[Key Clue: Mary, the flower girl who disappeared three months ago, had a brother who witnessed the Duke's carriage appear at the market on the day she disappeared. Three days later, the brother "accidentally" fell into the sea and died at the dock.]
Mel's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Every word on the paper was like a red-hot iron, branded into his eyes.
The bloodline of the blazing sun.
It's them again.
The memories of her mother and sister's tragic deaths resurfaced, mixed with renewed anger.
These high-ranking nobles treated the lives of commoners as playthings, satisfying their perverse desires in the most cruel ways.
He had to do something.
The sect mission assigned by Old Jack must continue, but this matter... he cannot ignore this matter.
Mel's gaze fell on the table.
There was a rough wooden bird carving there, which Annie had secretly given him a few days ago, saying, "Seeing it is like seeing her; hopefully it will cheer Mr. Mel up."
He had simply nodded and accepted it then, but now he found himself picking it up and holding it in his palm.
Anne...
That smile was as bright as a girl's, capable of dispelling all gloom.
Without fail, she brought him breakfast every day, looking at him earnestly with her deep blue eyes, saying silly things like, "Mr. Mel will be my husband sooner or later."
Mel closed his eyes.
He couldn't drag her into that danger.
The hatred he carried was too heavy, and the road ahead was too dark.
Anne deserves the happiness of an ordinary person under the sun—a stable job, a loving husband, and watching Heather grow up safely.
Instead of being associated with an Avenger like him.
He needs to explain things to her tomorrow.
It must be made clear.
Although this decision caused him a strange pang of pain in his heart.
Late at night.
Anne blew out the oil lamp and lay down next to her sister.
Heather murmured "sister" in her sleep, her little hand unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.
Anne gently held her sister's hand and stared at the dark ceiling.
The cheap blush still feels on my cheeks.
Anne began to wonder if she had done something foolish.
Will Mr. Mel think she's frivolous? Will he distance himself from her because of it?
But soon, she mustered her courage again.
Will not.
Mr. Mel probably still likes her.
He just needs time.
Once he has accomplished those important tasks and his inner wounds have healed, he will see her waiting by his side all along.
When that time comes, she will tell him everything she has kept in her heart.
She told him that she wanted to open a small pastry shop with him by the Han River.
The shop doesn't need to be very big, but it should have a window that offers a view of the riverbank.
The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the entire block in the morning. Heather can do her homework behind the counter or learn to make pastries on her own.
Mr. Mel... Mr. Mel may continue with his work if he wishes.
But Anne wanted him to be home before dusk every day so he could have the dinner she had prepared.
After finishing their meals, they wash the dishes and prepare hot water themselves.
After washing up, she held Mr. Mel and fell asleep peacefully.
Ok.
Mr. Mel's embrace must have been very warm.
The image was so vivid that it almost made Anne blush.
But a moment later, she laughed out loud happily.
She smiled in the darkness, as if she could already see the window and smell the aroma of freshly baked bread.
She touched the blush that had been applied to her face.
A sense of anticipation welled up inside me.
If I could live with Mr. Mel... forever, I'd be so happy.