Chapter 9 The Rose Garden

The next morning, in the rose garden, Petra and other young women are talking and laughing among themselves, pointing towards Adelaide's room. In her calmness, she decides to ignore them, opens the book in her hands, and focuses on the romantic plot she's reading. Mercedes had taken care of her education diligently over the years, which is why she can read and write fluently and has knowledge in various areas. Her father, Bahram Valencia, had always been ruthless with his daughter, and Adelaide has no doubt that he hates her with all his might. Nevertheless, he ordered that she receive the education befitting a young woman of her age. If there's one thing Adelaide enjoys, it's studying, and she has always excelled in it. She reads, writes, and dedicates herself even more than her sister Nadia, as one of her teachers had once told her. The women in the garden eventually decide to leave. Petra, who had suggested they go there to bother Adelaide, is furious because she couldn't achieve her goal. However, she takes satisfaction in having humiliated her at the wedding celebration. That's more than enough for now. In her usual manner as the chief's favorite, Petra, on her way to her room, diverts to Egil's room and requests a meeting with him, but Gage denies her entry, claiming that the master is in an important meeting. Petra persists, but she doesn't get a positive response from Egil's right-hand man. This has never happened before. He has always welcomed her whenever she came to his door. What is going on? With rage eating away at her, she returns to her room. She throws to the floor all the decorations she finds in her path, but she can't calm herself. "This must be that wretch's fault," she screams. Petrona, her loyal servant, enters and tries to calm her but ends up fleeing in terror when Petra throws an object at her with the intention of hurting her. "You won't get what you want, nor will that harlot Nadia. They won't take Egil's attention away from me. Someday, I will be his only woman, the grand lady, and I will kill anyone who opposes my plans." The servant runs to the servants' area and tells the others what just happened with Petra. Mercedes, who is doing some chores at a certain distance, hears everything and becomes concerned about Adelaide, deciding to notify Mr. Egil. With a bowl of hot vegetable soup in her hands and a piece of bread, Mercedes quickly makes her way to Adelaide's room. She knocks twice and is relieved to see her in better spirits. "My dear," she walks up to her and notices that she's sad but not as much as yesterday. "It's better if I come in. The wind is getting chilly, and you might catch a cold in that dress. I brought you some hot soup." Adelaide nods. Her stomach grumbles from hunger. "It's the best I could bring, I hope you don't mind," says the elderly woman, embarrassed by the menu. In reality, Mr. Egil imposed some restrictions on her food. "Thank you, Mercedes," the young woman says. She gets up from the couch where she's been sitting for hours and takes slow steps to the small table, immediately starting to eat. For Adelaide, it's not bad because she loves eating everything, but she wouldn't have refused a good piece of beef or fish, given her hunger. And so, an entire week passes. Mr. Egil didn't allow Adelaide to leave her room for even a moment during that time, not even to enjoy the sunlight, although she preferred not to object to avoid contradicting him and to wait patiently. However, today her husband has allowed her to spend an hour in the garden, and she is already quite happy with that. The young redhead is sitting on a bench, enjoying her book, and doesn't notice Petra, along with the same young women as before, approaching where she is. "Madam," the women nod slightly. Adelaide goes on alert but, not to seem rude, she responds to their greetings. "At last, we see you outside your room," says Petra, pointing with her finger. "We thought the boss would never let you out to enjoy some sun. But who can blame him? He's well within his rights, isn't he? We can only abide by his decisions." The women look at each other and laugh complicitly at Petra's words. "Your life must be so sad," another young woman adds, pretending to look dissatisfied. "Being a young millionaire, the wife of Egil Arrabal, and not having the freedom even to enjoy the fresh air of the estate. The same destiny you had at the Valencia mansion. You were a prisoner there too." Despite everything said, Adelaide remains calm not to fall into the provocation they clearly have planned against her. "I've been thinking that this place needs a lot of improvements, especially getting rid of all these stupid roses," Petra says. By now, she knows that Adelaide loves this garden because some of the servants who take care of her have told her that she spends hours watching it from her balcony. "Roses disgust me, so I'll ask Egil to let me pull them all out and leave only the lawn, maybe build a roof, so I can be here without worrying about anything." Adelaide's stomach ties itself in knots upon hearing her. By the way she speaks and from what Adelaide herself has seen of her relationship with Egil, she knows he will eventually agree, and that fills her with a bitterness she can't bear. She gets up from the bench with the intention of leaving, but Petra stops her. "We don't know when your husband will let you out again, so it's better if we take a walk. By the time you return, this place might not be the same." "I apologize, I have a headache and want to lie down," Adelaide replies immediately. "I don't think it's a good idea to snub us, madam," Petra tightens her grip until it becomes quite painful for Adelaide. Two of the women grab her arms and lead her down a path she doesn't know and dares not to go in order not to defy Egil's explicit orders. Adelaide tries to free herself, but suddenly Petra stumbles and falls among some rocks, cutting her hand in the process. A thread of blood runs from her wound, surprising everyone. Adelaide tries to help her up, but Petra starts screaming and accusing her.