Chapter 18
Henry’s heart skipped a beat at Rupert’s sudden suggestion, but before he could say a word, Rupert’s fist shot toward his face!
Henry simply sidestepped it with his quick reflexes, while Rupert missed and collapsed over the table, knocking several plates of food to the floor.
Still, Rupert handily picked up a plate and threw it at Henry, who promptly leaped backward, avoiding it by inches.
“What’s gotten into you?” He growled, frowning in annoyance.
He deliberately left Rupert’s drunken state unmentioned, because Rupert had never lost hist mind like this even on occasions when he got drunk before.
If anything, it was obvious that something was weighing heavily on his mind.
Rupert finally stood up, not noticing the many stains all over his clothes as he pointed at Henry and snapped, “I’m warning you… If you hurt Eve, I will hurt you!”
Henry’s expression remained cool, flicking nonexistent lint off his clothes as he chucked, You said the same thing before, my friend.”
Though at that time, Rupert was talking about Lilian and not Evelyn.
Rupert’s heart skipped a beat, but quickly realized that and snapped again, “But you’re engaged to Eve now. Don’t get too greedy.”
“It’s you who kept running your mouth. Yours truly never said a thing,” Henry said quietly as he sat down in a corner.
Rupert snorted. “We’ve been friends for years–I can read your mind even without you saying a word. I mean, giving Lily that box of snacks just because she didn’t take it the other day?
Well, what do you know? When she got home, she had it sent to Eve’s pavilion!”
“She’s no longer interested in you, Henry! So quit hounding her, stupid!”
Hounding her?
Henry thought then that it was Lilian who had been hounding her over the years.
And now, she simply gave up just because she decided she didn’t want to do it anymore?
He stayed silent, taking a sip of wine.
Rupert sat beside him, chugging a couple of times from a bottle, but still unable to clear the image of the wounds and hives covering Lilian’s hands.
There were cheers and laughter from every other room, but this room–the largest room in Andone Tower–was eerily silent.
+25 BONUS
As more time passed, there was a resounding crack outside, and everyone in Andone Tower cheered, watching the dazzling fireworks erupting in the skies above.
Rupert and Henry both looked up too, but just as they did they seemed to see a dainty figure waving at them from the window.
That bright smile and spunky attitude back then could well compete with the fireworks…
The fireworks festival of Andone Tower was especially grand this year, with the pops ringing throughout the imperial capital.
Meanwhile, Lilian had her feet soaking in a bucket of warm water, while holding the hand warmers Winter had shoved into her hands.
Even as the servants outside cheered amidst the cracking of the fireworks, her eyes were fixed on her toes.
Winter soon entered with another bowl of ginger broth and a cheerful smile on her face. “The fireworks are gorgeous, milady. Come on, drink up so we can go watch them together!”
Lilian took the broth and Tinished it in one sip, but shook her head. “I don’t like fireworks.”
Winter did a double take–she didn’t like fireworks?
But she had used to be so excited whenever she went with Rupert every year’s end to watch
them…
Still, considering the abuse Lilian had been put through over the last few days, Winter eventually asked, “Are you still feeling unhappy over what Mr. Lestrade said? It’s alright, he’s just
“It has nothing to do with him.”
Lilian cut Winter short before she could finish that thought, and looked up with a smile. “I simply despise it.”
There was no doubt that she used to like fireworks–who wouldn’t admire such beauty?
However, on New Year’s Eve in the first year she was sent to the washhouse, she had been locked outside by the other servants, while still soaked from head to toe.
At that time, those fireworks were not beautiful at all. It only illuminated her tragedy and
misery.
Fifteen years of happiness, followed by all the misery in the world.
Since then, she couldn’t find any love for fireworks.
And with that, Winter said nothing else as she stood silently by Lilian’s side.
Chapter 18
The fireworks outside remained dazzling and the servants‘ cheers were still loud, but the passing of the year remained bleak.
+25 BONUS
On New Year’s day, Lilian woke up early in the morning to greet Madam Lestrade.
However, just as she arrived outside Madam Lestrade’s pavilion, she saw many servants running outside, their faces full of worry.
Shocked and struck by a foreboding sensation, Lilian felt her legs almost turning to jelly.
Even so, she mustered herself and ran toward Madam Lestrade’s room, and found Mrs. Sully standing outside.
Seeing Lilian, Mrs. Sully bowed her head, but spoke before she could, “I’m afraid she’s ill and can’t see you today.”
Lilian felt her tears welling up in her eyes, her lips trembling as she asked, “H–How is she?”
“I’ve sent for the doctor already,” Mrs. Sully said simply.
As for how Madam Lestrade was, that would have to wait until the doctor arrived.
Soon, the doctor arrived, soon followed by the marquis and the marquise, and even Evelyn who was still ill.
It was not until an hour later when the doctor stepped out of Madam Lestrade’s bedroom, and the marquis promptly went up, asking anxiously, “How is she?”
The doctor bowed his head at the marquis before speaking, “It is just as I’ve told you a while ago, my lord.”
He didn’t make himself clear, but the gloom on the marquis‘ face was clear.
After the marquis had a servant send the doctor off, Lilian couldn’t stop herself from asking,” Is Grandmother going to be alright?”
The marquis simply sat down in silence, his expression distraught.
The marquise sighed in turn, and said, “The doctor had said before that your grandmother is really old now, and her health is failing…
She trailed off, but Lilian could guess the rest.
The marquis then added quietly, “It’s because of that the empress relented, and allowed you
to return.”
Despite the quietness of his voice, one could hear the tears.
Lilian’s eyes were welling up with tears too, but it was Evelyn who sobbed first. “Shouldn’t we ask the palace doctor for help?”
Can M
Neither the marquis nor the marquise spoke, but Lilian knew that their family doctor came from the Valley of the Potion Lords.
Years ago, the marquis himself had saved the man’s life by chance, after which he took position of family doctor in the marquis‘ household.
up
the
In other words, he might even be better than the palace doctor.
Be that as it may, with Madam Lestrade unconscious, Lillan couldn’t wish her well for the new
year.
And though she was going to wait outside her room, the marquis insisted that he would do that instead, so she excused herself and left.
Soon after she returned to the Floret Garden, however, Winter came up, “Milady, the marquise is here to see you.”
