Chapter 242: Brando's Damaged Reputation
Watching Cattelya's astonished expression, Bernadette's lips curved into an arc, and she asked softly, "What? You don't believe it?"
"I—I—" Cattelya's lips trembled, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat and she swallowed them back.
To say that Brando was a scoundrel who toyed with people's feelings and then abandoned them, she would never believe it.
Although they had spent a very short time together, having sailed the seas for so many years, she believed she had a basic eye for judging people.
Brando was completely different from those glib and frivolous playboys on the sea. He was very respectful towards women, had no bad habits, and his words and actions exuded a just-right sense of detachment and politeness.
Although he had a close relationship with Iceberg Admiral Edwina, Cattelya could sense that he didn't seem like someone with extensive emotional experience. No, compared to other men who messed around on the sea, he was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
The most direct evidence was that when she had fainted due to the Hidden Sage's ravings and was utterly defenseless, he hadn't taken advantage of her.
Of course, there was another frustrating possibility: that in Brando's eyes, she had no feminine charm whatsoever, which was why he had no thoughts about her. But this thought was quickly suppressed by Cattelya. She had basic confidence in her knowledge, ability, and appearance. Moreover, Brando could get along well with a knowledgeable woman like Edwina, indicating that he at least appreciated intelligent women.
But if that was the case, why would the Queen say such a thing? Was it simply a misunderstanding, or was there another hidden reason?
"Queen," she hesitated repeatedly, defending that Lorne, "Brando, he—he's not that kind of person."
"Oh?" Bernadette, far from being surprised, let out a soft laugh after hearing her, "So, you do know him."
"I—" Cattelya was instantly speechless. "You seem to care a lot about that Brando, don't you?" Bernadette narrowed her eyes and pressed further.
"I—"
Cattelya subconsciously lowered her head, her soft black hair falling, covering most of her face, making her expression unreadable.
Bernadette was also seeing her usually calm and composed adopted daughter display such a nearly "shy" demeanor for the first time, and she found it very novel. She was silent for a moment, finally sighing softly in her heart, and said in a gentler tone:
"What I said isn't entirely false. Tracy indeed has a deep entanglement with that Brando. At least, Tracy's feelings for Brando are very deep; otherwise, she wouldn't have been crazy enough to issue a 10,000-pound bounty."
"But, this—Queen, do you know something?" Cattelya suddenly looked up, her face full of eagerness as she looked at Bernadette.
"Hmm." Bernadette nodded and recounted everything she had heard from the pirate named Alger, whom she had rescued from the Black Death.
This included Tracy's breakdown when she saw Brando's "corpse," and the subsequent overwhelming rage.
Bernadette also mentioned Alger's personal speculation.
At least in Alger's opinion, there was definitely a private affair between Tracy and Brando. Considering Brando's eventual "escape," Alger was more inclined to believe that Brando was a clever emotional con artist. He toyed with Tracy's feelings, gained her trust, and then at some point chose to betray and escape, which then triggered a series of subsequent events—
"Impossible—"
"This is slander! Absolutely slander!" Cattelya denied it flatly without thinking, her tone even carrying a hint of indignation she hadn't noticed herself, "This is all slander from that Alger. Brando is definitely not that kind of person."
"Heh—" Bernadette let out an ambiguous chuckle and did not immediately refute.
—
Seeing this, Cattelya immediately realized her reaction was a bit excessive. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, but the heat on her face wouldn't subside.
With the atmosphere thus set, Bernadette took the opportunity to say, "It seems a lot has happened between you and that Brando too. Can you tell me about it?"
"I—" Cattelya knew that before the Queen, she could no longer hide anything. She hesitated for a moment, then simply recounted the entire process of how she met Brando.
"So that's how it is—" Bernadette nodded slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, "From this perspective, this Brando is indeed a very interesting person."
"That Alger's words were indeed biased." At this moment, Bernadette's interest in the "Brando" she had never met grew even stronger.
A person with myriad connections to her father Rosell's diary, a young man who, at Sequence 6, could navigate between several major forces and experience so much on the high seas—this inevitably made her even more curious.
"This matter cannot be left at that! If such a fallacy were to spread—" Cattelya subconsciously clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from the effort.
First, Brando was her savior, and she did not want his reputation to be damaged because of this.
Secondly, there was also a deeper reason, one she herself was unwilling to delve into—Iceberg Admiral Edwina, Vice Admiral of Disease Tracy, and now herself—Brando had actually become entangled with three female pirate generals.
Some matters might not have a conclusion for now, but at least for now, she did not want Brando to be labeled as "Tracy's." Otherwise, once people spoke of Brando, they would associate him with Tracy, as if he were merely one of Tracy's "possessions" or an "escaped prisoner."
This was something Cattelya could not allow.
"Not necessarily, there might be another possibility." Bernadette analyzed, "If that Brando is truly as you say, perhaps Vice Admiral of Disease Tracy developed a unilateral affection for him, but Brando was unwilling, so he chose to escape, thus triggering a series of events."
"This—could it really be like this?" Cattelya pushed up her glasses, feeling that things shouldn't be so—dramatic.
Moreover, she had met Tracy. Although she didn't want to admit it, in terms of pure feminine charm, she was indeed inferior to the other woman. What reason would Brando have to refuse her?
"For a Demoness, anything is possible." Bernadette's tone was calm, stating a fact.
Her gaze fell on the letter on the table, and she asked, "Is this Brando's letter?"
"Hmm."
"May I see it?"
After a moment of hesitation, Cattelya still nodded. In the field of mysticism, the Queen was far more professional than her; letting her see it might reveal more clues.
Bernadette picked up the letter and read it carefully.
"Hmm—this is indeed a Worm of Time," she murmured, looking at the description on the letter, her expression becoming serious, "As for the Full Moon Ravings, it should be related to the Abraham family. My father—he once told me some things about those ancient families."
Soon, her attention was drawn to the address on the letter.
"Monqi Brando is in Backlund, right?"
Without waiting for Cattelya's answer, Bernadette continued on her own, "People from Oravi Island sent word that there will be a commemorative exhibition about Rosell in Backlund soon."
She looked up, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.
"I can take this opportunity to visit Backlund."