Chapter 236

Chapter 236

“I have to go to work,” Pauline said faintly.

“What?! You can’t work!” Amethyst couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“What do you mean? I don’t have a choice. I have to go to work to get money.”

“You can’t go to work like that! You’re too sick, you need to rest. You need to keep taking medicine so your fever doesn’t come back.” Amethyst began leading Pauline back to the bedroom.

“Carol, I can take the medicine and go to work. Don’t worry about me.”

“Nonsense! You had high fever all night. Go lie down!”

Pauline shook her head. “If I don’t go to work, I’ll be fired. I can’t hunt for new work while taking care of Erina. Carol, please!”

“I understand, but you’re too sick to work. Just rest for one day.”

“I really can’t. To be allowed to leave work earlier to take care of Erina, I promised to work every day. If I don’t go today, I’ll definitely get fired.”

A contract like that was binding. Pauline had no choice but to go work, but Amethyst was scared that she would get sick again, and this time it would be much worse. Erina couldn’t understand what they were bickering about and clung to her mother with wide eyes.

Amethyst had an idea. “Fine, Pauline. Come take your medicine, then get in bed and rest.”

“Carol…”

“I’ll go work your job.”

“What?” Pauline stopped and looked at Amethyst, confused.

“I’ll go to work for you,” Amethyst repeated.

“Be serious! Why should you work for me? And what about the café?”

“It’s fine. Erina is worried. You need to stay home, so she knows that you’re going to be all right.”

“Even so…” Pauline laid back down on the bed, unsure what Amethyst was proposing would be a good idea.

“Don’t worry about the café. There are no customers anyway. I won’t go bankrupt for closing it for a day or two.”

“You would actually do this for me?” Pauline began to tear up.

“What do you mean? You’re my café’s biggest customer, and right now my only customer! Also, we’re friends. That’s enough of a reason.”

“Carol, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much.” Pamela began sobbing, both out of relief and frustration. Amethyst tucked her into the bed.

“Now, Pauline, you stay in bed. And make sure to take your medicine. Erina, can you please clean up your dishes in the kitchen.” Erina nodded and went back to the kitchen to clean off the table. “Don’t worry about anything. You just rest and get better. I’ll take Erina to the temple and go to your work.”

“Carol, thank you.” Amethyst was hopeful that by taking away all her responsibilities as a mother, she would be able to relax and heal. She knew that mothers refused to be sick, even when they were.

“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve worked as a maid before.” Amethyst didn’t tell her that it was only for a few days, but she was sure she would be fine. “I’ll see you later.”

Amethyst pulled the blanket up to Pauline’s chin and exited the bedroom. “Erina,” she said to the girl, who had cleaned up the breakfast dishes nicely and had stacked them in the sink. “Get ready to go to the temple. Should I help you dress, or can you do it on your own?”

“Auntie, can I just stay with mommy? Do I have to go to the temple? I don’t want to leave mommy alone.” Erina looked at the floor as she shyly asked her questions. Amethyst’s heart clenched. This girl loved her mother very much.

“Erina, I know how you feel but mommy needs rest. If you stay, she’ll feel like she needs to spend the day cooking and playing with you and won’t get the rest she needs to get better. We need to give her time to sleep so she can get healthy. Do you understand?” Amethyst could see the sadness in the child’s eyes, but Erina nodded in acceptance.

“Good. Now let’s go get ready.”

“I can get ready on my own,” Erina said proudly.

“Then I’ll prep some food for mommy to eat during the day, while you get ready. Let me know when you’re done.”

“Ok.” Erina smiled and ran to her room to dress. Amethyst prepared another pot of soup that just needed to be heated up when Pauline was ready. She then finished cleaning the dishes and had put them away when Erina came back into the kitchen, dressed and ready to go.

After saying goodbye to Pauline, they left the house and walked hand in hand to the temple. In front of the entrance, Amethyst crouched down to give Erina a hug. “Don’t worry about mommy. She should be feeling much better when you get home. You just have fun with your friends today, okay?”

Erina nodded, then turned and entered the temple. Amethyst waited and watched as the child disappeared through the doorway.  She then stood a while longer and contemplated the temple. This was the place that the people came to pray to the Goddess, hoping for blessings and repentance to their sins. Amethyst used to pray for forgiveness about her past, but the guilt was too much, and she stopped going. There was nothing, in her mind, that should be forgiven. She shouldn’t be saved. What parent could be forgiven for abandoning their child? The nightmares every night, as much as they pained her, were her due punishment.

Sighing, she turned from the temple and headed down the road to the Veolense mansion, the local lord’s manor, where Pauline worked.