Lilian was surprised that Madam Lestrade would ask that.
Then, seeing the hopeful look in Madam Lestrade’s eyes, she realized she was trying to get her together with Henry.
Even if she told Madam Lestrade in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested in Henry, Madam Lestrade still saw them as childhood friends. Plus with Henry gaining the emperor’s favor, he was the best marriage candidate for Lillan.
However, not only were things never working out between Lilian and Henry, Henry and Evelyn had long since fallen in love with each other. As such, Lilian had neither the disposition nor the intention to intervene.
Shaking her head, she said, “General Stark just bid me to deliver some dessert to Evelyn. They are about to marry, so you shouldn’t worry about it.”
Madam Lestrade was not all that stubborn, so she merely sighed. “Oh, I just thought you’ve been close together since childhood… it’s a shame you have to be apart.”
Lilian smiled, leaning on her shoulder and sighed. “I just want to be with you. That’s all.”
Even if the elders might see it as a shame for childhood friends to be split apart, the past was the past there was no reason to get into another mess over Henry.
All she wanted was to stay with her grandmother and live well.
As evening arrived, Lilian accompanied Madam Lestrade to the parlor, where the servants had already prepared a feast.
The marquis‘ family was waiting and crowded around Madam Lestrade, leading her to take the main seat by the table, while the marquis and the marquise sat at her left and right.
“Everyone, sit,” Madam Lestrade smiled.
Everyone could tell that she was happy, a contrast to the other years when she was a little sulky, because Lilian wasn’t around.
That in turn pleased the marquis and the marquise, and they both turned towards Lilian.” Come sit, Lily.”
Lilian nodded, but she remained a little uncomfortable.
She used to sit beside the marquise, but that seat had long since been taken by Evelyn.
Rupert’s head was still bandaged, and he didn’t greet Lilian after what happened yesterday, and quietly went to sit beside the marquis.
There was only one empty seat around the round table left for Lilian, with Rupert on the left
and Eveyln on the right.
If Lilian could, she would turn and leave immediately.
But since she didn’t want to sour the occasion for Madam Lestrade, she steeled herself and sat.
As they ate, the marquis would tell Madam Lestrade about the interesting matters in his life over recent days, while Evelyn would cough on occasion, drawing everyone’s concern.
Then, seeing that Rupert was silent just like Lilian, the marquis frowned and nudged Rupert. ” Show some hospitality to your sister.”
He was clearly giving Rupert the opportunity to be nice for once, and Rupert certainly knew that he was at fault for yesterday.
He then slid a chunk of fish on Lilian’s plate, saying, “I remember you like fish.”
Seeing that he was really going out of his way to be nice, the marquis, the marquise, and Madam Lestrade all smiled in satisfaction.
Though Lilian was scowling at it, she thanked Rupert nonetheless.
Everyone else was happy, and she didn’t really want trouble when everyone in the family was gathered there.
Instead, she moved on to other food.
Rupert, who thought he was playing nice too, soon turned gloomy when he spotted that the chunk of fish was still untouched on Lilian’s plate.
However, he didn’t snap since Madam Lestrade was there.
Lilian was ready to leave with her, but Madam Lestrade shook her head. “You should eat more for my sake–I’m too old to eat too much.”
Lilian had no choice but to do so, as Madam Lestrade intended for her to stay longer with the marquis and the marquise.
In the end, she was the daughter they had raised–how could she feel nothing?
They just had to stay in the room for a while, and things would be better!
However, soon after Madam Lestrade left, Rupert snatched Lilian’s plate away!
The marquise was at once frowning and snapped, “Rupert! What’s gotten into you now?!”
At the same time, she glanced at the marquis‘ face, worried that he would flip out again.
However, instead of snapping at Rupert, the marquis was looking at Lilian instead. “Your real mother snuck you
into this house, and for fifteen years, your mother and myself had fed you and pampered you. Even your brother doted on you, giving you anything you wanted.”
Everyone’s face dropped at his words–even Evelyn’s coughs were softer now, afraid of
2/2
upsetting the marquis.
On the other hand, the marquise glanced at Lilla in concern, before nudging the marquis,” Why would you talk about that now?”
However, instead of answering the marquise’s question, the marquis kept his eyes fixed on Lilian and continued, “What happened three years ago was a mistake, and it happened anyway. It was either you or Eve, and I know it was three painful years, but isn’t that fair for the fifteen years of luxury?”
Rupert had said the same–it was obvious that everyone in the marquis‘ household already tacitly agreed that the three years at the washhouse had been fair to Lilian.
She was just repaying them for the fifteen years before that.
Even as her chest hurt, Lilian kept her head down in silence, but that only infuriated the marquis further.
Springing to his feet, glaring at her with a look of disappointment, he bellowed, “Ever since you returned, your grandmother doted on you, and your mother cried so many times for you! Eve even went to your room to apologize, and even if Rupert was brash, he was doing it to settle the score for you!”
“Every single one of us had gone out of our way to be nice, and it’s not like we owe the Kerrs a thing! So get off your high horse! If you don’t want to stay, you can leave, and I won’t stop you!”
“Stop it!” The marquise yelled, glancing worriedly at Lilian, before lowering her voice, “How drunk are you?”
“Father’s not drunk.”
Rupert suddenly chimed in, and pushed Lilian’s plate into the middle of the table, showing everyone that she never touched the fish he had taken for her.
The marquise turned towards Lilian with a look of disappointment right then.
How could she be so stubborn? It was just fish! Would it hurt her to eat it?!
Rupert was glaring coldly at Lilian in turn, “Father’s right. You should leave if you want, no one will stop you.
“It’s either that, or you get off your high horse! In the end, your real mother was at fault for everything, and our family doesn’t owe you anything!”
