Part 7 # Over Protective

The search process for the suspect became a heated topic in the mansion. Everyone appeared anxious and doubtful— who could have provoked their master to such an extent?

"Idiots," muttered a servant passing by the master's office. After delivering two cups of tea to her mistress, the servant returned to the kitchen, where she should be. She then continued spreading gossip and rumors about the comprehensive search by the security team for the perpetrator of the poisoning of the master's new love.

***

"Could it be Miss Venn who did it?" asked Ford, Leon's newly joined aide, after completing a reconnaissance mission at the Napoli headquarters, Leon's business rival who had recently disturbed the peace of his club.

"Venn? Hmm..." Leon seemed to consider the possibility. For men, competition in the power domain might be common, but does the same apply to women?

"I'll find out," said Leon seriously. Ford burst into laughter. "Oh God. What happened to this polar monster? Why do you seem so concerned about her? Weren't you choking and stabbing her foot just a while ago, Sir?" Ford scoffed, earning a sharp look from Leon.

"Silence!" scolded Leon, his ears turning red.

"Look at our great master, your response is truly strange. You seem like a guardian angel," continued Ford, ignoring his employer and friend's reprimand.

Ford and Leon had known each other since kindergarten. They were true friends, growing physically and emotionally almost identically over time.

Ford's father was Leon's father's right-hand man when the latter was still alive. Ford and young Leon remained connected through this lineage, as employer and aide, just like the same relationship between their fathers.

To this day, Ford was one of Leon's trusted individuals, loyal, honest, and strong both physically and mentally. He always served as a support for Leon when he lost control. However, the current situation felt awkward even for Ford, who knew Leon well.

Leon seemed enchanted by the mysterious girl who should be treated as a slave, not a young mistress. Moreover, the girl was only 19 years old, a very tender age.

"I...," Leon couldn't find words. He also didn't fully understand his actions beyond the ordinary. Just moments ago, Leon had survived death from inhaling the previously trained Dolalopa poison, and now he was willing to find the culprit who poisoned his little love.

What was really happening?

"I just feel sorry for her; she looks like a little child," Leon lied. The existing feelings were more than mere pity. Leon was well aware of this because Arren was not a true wild cat needing mercy to avoid being chopped.

"Well, okay," Ford replied, trying to believe, although holding back his laughter. "Luckily, you're a poison-resistant monster. If not, I might have taken over your business today," Ford said, laughing. However, Leon just grinned.

He didn't find Ford's joke amusing. "Do you think I'm a fool without calculation?" Leon asked, displeased.

"Believe me, foolishness is what someone in love does," Ford teased as he walked away from Leon's desk. He didn't want to order a tombstone prematurely because he had disturbed the grim reaper who was currently in front of him.

***

"What did you say?? What happened to that girl???" Venn felt anger coursing through her body again, hearing the latest news from the main house. Venn did not expect that her best effort could fail so easily.

"Miss... Miss Arren is not dead, Madam," the servant repeated the information given earlier.

"It can't be! How is that possible?" Venn seemed incredulous. The poison she obtained from the black market was a rare and highly toxic poison. Only two people in this country had ever been exposed to it, and those people were confirmed dead.

"Did that merchant lie to me?" Venn began to suspect the trade union that was her regular customer. She would make sure that the fraudster would not last long in this business.

Venn seemed to shiver with fear. She had to find a shortcut to get rid of Arren with something else. "Damn!!!" Venn cursed in frustration, and this time, all the servants in the West Pavilion had to submit to her wrath.

"Prepare the car! I have to meet someone!" she ordered with a thunderous shout after thoroughly beating all the servants in the West Pavilion.

***

Meanwhile, Arren, who had just escaped the clutches of death, started her day with normal activities. She appeared to devour breakfast served by Poppy eagerly and quickly, as if it were her first meal after a long time.

"Delicious, Poppy. Thank you," Arren said after finishing the food on her plate. Poppy smiled and nodded, "Thank goodness, Miss has recovered well."

Arren then prepared to bathe and clean herself. Strangely, her limp was no more.

"Poppy, my leg is healed!" she exclaimed with joy. "Thank goodness, Miss. Yesterday's incident turned out to be a blessing. You were able to rest well," Poppy replied, also feeling pleased.

"Poppy, does... um... Master always stay with me when I lie in bed?" Arren asked hesitantly because she couldn't rely on her mixed-up memory while on the brink of death and lying weak on the bed.

Arren couldn't distinguish between dreams and reality as she was still under the influence of the hallucinogen injected by Venn, affecting much of her consciousness, making Arren appear confused.

"Yes, Miss. The master is very worried. He keeps monitoring your progress with his own eyes!" Poppy said with enthusiasm. She was touched by the dedication of Master Leon, which she had never seen before.

Arren's face suddenly turned red, and she didn't continue her question. It would only make her lose her mind and be filled with illusions about love and affection that could never exist.

*

After bathing, Arren suddenly wanted to take a walk. However, she was surprised to be watched by two big men when she left her room.

"Poppy, who are they?" Arren asked in a half-whisper. She didn't seem pleased with the presence of the guards.

"Miss, they are guards assigned to personally guard you. The master cannot accept the last poisoning incident," Poppy replied, not wanting to make it a burden.

Arren nodded in understanding. However, she still felt uneasy because her movements seemed to be continually under Leon's surveillance.

"Miss, where would you like to go today? The flower garden or the vegetable garden? There's a beautiful fountain in front of the mansion too. Or maybe Miss wants to play with water? There's an Infinity Pool on the top floor of the mansion. We can go there," explained Poppy, giving several tourist destination options in Leon's mansion like a tour guide.

Arren laughed at Poppy, who smoothly explained various interesting things in Leon's mansion. Arren thought for a moment, then decided to stroll to the vegetable garden while harvesting some plants that could be used for lunch later.

"If we go to the vegetable garden, is it far?" Arren asked to make sure. She didn't want to walk too much because her legs and body had just recovered.

"Miss! Do you think we'll walk to get there? Very far from it. We'll take the car and just walk around the plantation," Poppy replied, incredulous at Arren's naive thinking.

***

Leon's Mansion covers an area of 5 hectares and consists of several interconnected buildings. Because of its location on a small island quite far from the city center, Leon intentionally bought the entire island as his residence because he didn't want to have neighbors.

Leon also had independent business units to meet all the needs in his area, such as farming, animal husbandry, and a power plant using sea currents and solar energy. Technically, Leon truly had a private kingdom isolated from noise and interference from others.

If Leon wanted, he could even buy the position of the duke of the island because he also exclusively employed local residents on the island. Their welfare had also improved compared to before. Lesea Island, named after Leon's mother, was a beautiful and relatively small island, with preserved biodiversity.

"Poppy, tell me more about the beauty of Lesea Island. I'm really curious," she requested enthusiastically.

Poppy smiled and began to explain, "Of course, Miss. The charm of Lesea Island is extraordinary. There's a well-maintained stretch of white sandy beach. The clear and blue seawater makes anyone feel at ease. Sometimes, dolphins also appear in the bay. Miss can see them."

Arren became more fascinated. However, she knew this wasn't the time to admire someone else's island. Arren had to gather sufficient information to support her escape in the future.

"Then, are there no police stations around here?" Arren asked with a suspiciously even tone. The baiting question had been thrown, now it was time to dig for more advantageous information.

"Of course, Miss. The administrative building is a one-stop shop in the city center, about one kilometer from the mansion. There are clubs, restaurants, and also entertainment centers there," Poppy said, unaware that Arren was planning to contact the police to get herself sent home.

"Thank you for the information, Poppy. Lesea Island is truly beautiful," Arren said, sighing, because Poppy seemed unaware of her plan.

Shortly after, Arren and Poppy stepped out of the car, as they were already in the natural and fresh vegetable garden area.

"Wow, so beautiful," Arren exclaimed with admiration, looking at the vast and lush vegetable garden.

"Feel free to explore this garden, Miss. I'll make snacks for you," Poppy said, signaling to the guards to keep accompanying Arren.

"Okay, I'll wait while taking a short walk," Arren replied as if enjoying an impromptu picnic that she hadn't planned before.

Arren began to wander around the vegetable garden and enthusiastically picked vegetables. However, suddenly, in the middle of her journey, Arren found a fallen baby bird from its nest.

"Poor thing," she said sympathetically.

Arren then lifted the baby bird and wanted to put it back near its mother. She began to climb a not-too-high tree to reach the bird's nest, even though the guards tried to prevent her.

"Miss, be careful!"