章 13: The Comic Narrative and Reality
Olivia's request for poison hung in the air, leaving Patricia confused.
Patricia couldn't understand why Miss Jolene would ask for something so strange.
Patricia's thoughts raced as she stammered, "P-poison, Miss Jolene? Are you sure about this?"
Hearing this, Olivia leaned in closer with a particular look in her eyes that sent a shiver down Patricia's spine.
"Yes, Patricia, poison. I want you to ask the cook to put it in my meal—tasteless and odorless." Olivia repeated her request.
Patricia's heart pounded in her chest, torn between her loyalty to her young master, Sebastian, and the woman before her.
Patricia couldn't understand the purpose behind this strange request.
Patricia stammered as she tried to speak again, "B-but Miss Jolene, why would you—"
Olivia cut the maid off with a soft chuckle, wearing a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes. Her smile, though, seemed to have caused the room's temperature to drop; at least that's how Patricia felt.
"I requested that because I want to go to the hospital, Patricia," Olivia explained.
The maid's eyes widened slightly in shock. "To the hospital? But why, Miss Jolene?"
Olivia, still smiling, leaned even closer, her voice a conspiratorial whisper, before she replied to Patricia.
"That is for you to guess, dear servant. But I will tell you, I am pregnant," Olivia stated.
However, it seemed Olivia wasn't done yet, as she added, "I know you are not happy with this, and neither am I, so I just want to terminate the pregnancy. Do not worry; the cook will be at fault if anything goes wrong. You're just following my request."
Eyeing Patricia, who remained rooted to her spot with an expression that showed she was stunned and speechless, Olivia pursed her lips and spoke.
"Hurry up and inform her. When you are back, there are lots of things you need to do," Olivia urged.
Patricia blinked, her initial confusion giving way to a dawning realization.
The young miss was playing a dangerous game, and Patricia found herself drawn in.
She wondered if what was happening right now was a result of the young Miss losing her senses.
Miss Jolene was pregnant with the fifth Young Master's child, and she wanted to terminate the pregnancy by poisoning?
Did it make any sense at all?
But...
How could she be pregnant when their marriage had not been publicized?
Was the Young Fifth Master also out of his senses?
Patricia felt trapped.
On one hand, she could not inform the fifth Young Master about this; otherwise, she would risk losing her job, and at the same time, she feared the consequences of what could happen to the young miss.
Deep down, Patricia did not approve of the young miss's pregnancy.
Patricia nodded hesitantly and replied, "I... I'll do as you ask, Miss Jolene. But please, be cautious."
As Patricia left to relay the unusual and ominous request to the cook, Olivia remained still, an odd smile on her face as she stared at Patricia's retreating back.
After getting rid of Patricia, Olivia concentrated on something else as she felt her head wrap around what she had read from the comic book.
And soon enough, something clicked into place.
At least for now, Olivia had to fit into Jolene's world so that it would be easy for her to find her way back.
As Olivia looked into the comic book, her smile faltered.
Initially, Olivia had thought the comic book would be nothing but simple; however, as she continued to read, the story grew increasingly complex.
Olivia reached the part where Jolene was kidnapped by men sent by her stepsister and then fainted in the scene, while a masked man came to her aid, rescuing her.
According to what Olivia had learned from Sebastian when her soul was dormant, Sebastian had come to save her. However, in the comic's narrative, it was someone else.
Furthermore, Jolene did not die when she was taken to the hospital, nor did she suffer from amnesia. Instead, the story took a darker turn, focusing on an abusive theme and ultimately using her as a means to benefit the female lead before ending her life.
In the comic's narrative, Jolene wasn't the useless character Olivia had initially assumed.
Jolene's role evolved over time, but she became more useful as a tool for the female lead, Seraphina Xu, to become stronger.
To Olivia's surprise, Seraphina Xu turned out to be Jolene's cousin from her mother's side.
Somehow, Seraphina Xu fought for Jolene and managed to defeat Jolene's stepsister, Allison.
When Jolene met her demise, Seraphina gained Jolene's inheritance as the next of kin.
Olivia still didn't understand that part of the comic, as it was too twisted and short, and it didn't make sense to her.
Also, in the comic's narrative, there was still no scene that explained how Jolene and Sebastian had met.
In the comic, at this point, Jolene was present in a stranger's villa.
The stranger's name was unknown, and the face was not familiar to Olivia at all.
However, Sebastian seemed to be the second male lead.
Despite reaching a certain page in the comic, there were still many more pages left. Olivia wondered if the author intended to create a love story surrounding Sebastian, given that he was portrayed as a good-looking and wealthy man.
Olivia opened the previous pages, going back to the part where Jolene had not died of her heart disease.
The page Olivia was staring at now was familiar to her, reflecting her present setting and situation.
The Jolene in the book was sitting on a bed, waiting to be served her breakfast.
Olivia opened the next page and saw that the female lead, Seraphina Xu, came to meet Jolene, telling her about an endorsement deal she would like her to sign.
Just as Olivia was about to return to where she left off, she saw the door open, revealing Patricia.
"Is the food ready?" Olivia asked, taking her gaze away from Patricia and returning her attention to the book in her hands.
"No, Miss Jolene. I wanted to inform you that Miss Seraphina Xu wants to see you," Patricia replied, her face showing clear astonishment.
Patricia's shock was quite understandable.
The idea of a successful actress wanting to meet someone like Miss Jolene was something Patricia would have never imagined.
Wasn't Miss Jolene supposed to be of far less importance to warrant such attention?
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