Chaos' Heir-Chapter 510 Guards

Monica didn't immediately answer. Countless thoughts ran through her mind as the entirety of her political knowledge worked toward a singular goal. She had to decide how to handle Francis, which wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Of course, none of those talks had ever taken into consideration Monica's opinion or Francis' behavior. Their parents and the trustworthy figures in their inner circles knew about those social struggles, but no one had given them much thought due to the descendants' young age.

Khan's involvement had spread chaos inside a big faction of the Solodrey family, and the Alstair family had suffered from a similar fate, at least when it came to the forces betting on Francis. Monica's public relationship had dealt a significant political blow, ruining plans older than her.

"I'm coming down," Monica eventually announced through the flat's speaker before studying the hall. Her gaze remained lost even when she found her shoes, and seeing her reflection on one of the metal surfaces made her stop in her tracks.

"It's trouble, isn't it?" George broke his silence when Monica left the bathroom to head for the elevator.

"Do you need help?" George asked.

Monica wasn't trying to belittle George's prowess. Her tone carried no mockery or scorn. George's family was outclassed down there, and eventual rash reactions could create immense problems for him.

A simple search on the network linked the face on the footage to the problematic man that Khan had mentioned a few times. George was aware of Francis, and recognizing him put him in a pensive mood.

'Someone let him in,' George understood. 'Maybe the Headmistress chose to ignore his arrival on purpose.'

'He's the desperate guy,' George recalled as much as possible, and a smile slowly broadened on his face. 'This sounds fun.'

Monica heaved a helpless sigh when she reached the first floor. The empty main hall gave her insights into Francis' intentions, and crossing the entrance confirmed her suspicions.

"I hope you can ignore my appearance," Monica announced as soon as the entrance closed behind her. "I preferred respecting your time than dressing up for the event."

Monica was by no means shabby, but her casual clothes, messy hair, and unmatched shoes went against anything Francis thought to know about her. That wasn't the same woman he had grown up with. She was a beautiful stranger he could recognize only from her familiar manners.

"We have known each other long enough to ignore these ceremonies," Francis said, clearing his throat to stick to his plan. "You look as enchanting as ever, Monica."

"Thank you, Francis," Monica nodded in respect. "I'm happy to see that you are doing well too."

"I can see that," Monica stated, but her eyes never stopped at Francis' figure. They went past it to study the guards waiting by the cars.

"Why is that, if I may?" Monica questioned. "As you said, we have known each other for a long time. I see no reason for refusing a proper invitation. It would have spared me from this shameful act."

The entrance opened, interrupting Francis' line. George stepped onto the sidewalk and shot a glance at the scene before leaning on the building wall. He had the bottle and his glass in his hands, and booze fell into it as he calmly prepared a drink.

"However," Francis cleared his throat a third time, "I now feel these circumstances perfectly express the issue in my mind."

"I've set things straight with Headmistress Holwen," Francis reassured. "These are to be considered as private matters between families. No onlookers or common soldiers are allowed in the area."

George wore a carefree smile as he proceeded to enjoy his drink. No one knew the reason behind his presence there, not even him. Still, he had booze, so he drank to sort out his thoughts.

"Y-yes!" Francis stammered before gaining a firm and deep tone. "It is my duty as one of your oldest friends and an ally of your family to help you during this rough patch. I'm here for you, Monica."

"It's possible that Milia 222 inflicted serious traumas on your psyche," Francis explained. "Your behavior and decisions in the past months have shown clear differences from your old self. Many experts I contacted believe you have post-traumatic stress disorder."

"The signals are evident," Francis continued. "You are pursuing actions that go against your family's values and reputation, which never happened before. You make rash decisions that endanger everything you have built in the last years, even going as far as requesting interviews to spread news faster."

"Your concern is heartwarming," Monica summoned her elegant fa?ade, "But I can't help but find your accusation distasteful and disrespectful. I currently am the best student in the Harbor, and Princess Edna can vouch for my sanity."

"Monica, I've come here as a friend," Francis sighed. "I wish our tones to remain friendly."

Monica could use that chance to insult Francis. After all, he had been in the safety of the first floor during the crisis, but she decided otherwise. The Harbor was watching her, so Francis had to be the first to overstep to justify an eventual angry reaction.

"I didn't change out of respect," Monica stated. "Now I know my sacrifice means nothing to you."

Francis halted his mouth and lowered his head to suppress his worst sides. He was about to mention the only topic that could make that conversation pointless, but Monica wouldn't simply ignore that mistake."

"Monica, be reasonable," Francis lowered his voice. "Come with me. My family has already prepared a team of specialists for your rehabilitation. We are willing to satisfy your every demand. Just return where you belong."

"That's not up to you or me to decide," Francis declared. "If our families find an agreement, then yes. If they don't, I'll be happy to know that I helped a friend."

"Monica, when was the last time you visited your flat?" Francis asked. "This news reached me far before I even planned this trip. How can you not acknowledge your problem?"

"Why would I fear Captain Khan?" Francis took the bait. "He is an outstanding soldier. No one is questioning that. My issue is with your status. It pains me to see you reaching such lows."

"These," Francis stated, moving his stretched arm up and down to point at the entirety of Monica. "You are disregarding your status to fall to his level."

"Why else would you show yourself in such improper attire?" Francis asked. "This is only one of the many clues that fill your past months."

The statement silenced Francis and tried to kill any desire to keep the conversation under friendly terms. Yet, he suppressed his rasher reactions since the forces at work there were scary even for him.

A tense atmosphere fell on the sidewalk, and even the experienced guards near the cars remained startled. Monica's straightforward answer was shocking, to say the least, especially for someone as emotionally involved as Francis.

"I'm really sorry," George did his best to apologize, lifting his hands only to wave his bottle and glass left and right. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Please, continue."

"I live here," George shrugged his shoulders, closing the bottle with his thumb to use it to point at the building. "I think you should have chosen a more private location."

"George Ildoo," George calmly revealed, "And you are the guy who has to get women wasted to get laid."

"You know," George continued, ignoring the glare that Monica was shooting at him, "I could give you some pointers. Humbly speaking, I'm quite good."

Francis seemed so lost that one of the guards left the cars to intervene, but an empty glass flew in his direction before he could cross the sidewalk. The soldier easily dodged the item, but seeing it shatter on the floor made the tension skyrocket.

"What are you doing?" Monica couldn't help but ask, but seeing George drinking directly from the bottle made her lose any hope of finding a reasonable solution.𝑓𝒓e𝑒w𝑒𝒃𝑛𝒐𝘃ℯ𝙡. c𝚘m

"Look," George announced as soon as he lowered the bottle. "I understand the Mister doing what he wants, but you are guards, and this is the Harbor. You showed enmity, so don't be surprised when someone reacts."