They did not know when they started to prepare for the family banquet, but by the time Hesper arrived at the dining hall with the map, most of the decoration was almost done. Rickard remained in their room, making contact with Benji and relaying the events of the day. As Hesper approached, even though no one here had seen her before, they could still call out her name."Camille."Having heard the name "Ms. Moreau" along the way, Hesper had almost grown accustomed to her new name. However, when she actually heard someone calling her that, she couldn't help but pause for a moment before turning around. There, she saw the woman who had been by Quincey's side today.Although they had not exchanged any words at that time, Hesper assumed that she was one of Quincey's descendants considering her intimate relationship with Quincey."I'm Juliette Salvatier, the younger sister of Rickard's mother." Juliette introduced herself with a smile on her face. "Although I'm your elder, I'm not yet
"Who is she?" Hesper asked. Juliette thought for a moment and replied hesitantly, "She seems like a distant relative from a branch family. I can't recall her name clearly." 'Even though Rickard shares a closer bond to Quincey than them, a member of the branch families looks down on us?' Hesper sighed inwardly and averted her gaze. She would remember all of these details. She would definitely get back at these people. It was just that now was not the right time. Sensing Hesper's emotions, Juliette raised an eyebrow. Though she had been pampered and sheltered throughout her upbringing, she was far from naive. She could perceive the undercurrents of hostility that had just unfolded. Perhaps this girl named Camille possessed the very qualities her father had been seeking all along.Despite Quincey's brilliance, he had never had a son. Instead, all three of his children were daughters. The eldest had passed away due to illness, the second sister, Brigette Savatier, had run away fro
Hesper could sense a tinge of contentment in Juliette's gaze, but she could not quite comprehend the reason behind it. Perhaps Juliette's emotions were more than just a facade, but Hesper knew that it would take time for them to truly understand each other. Lost in her thoughts, Hesper found herself led by Juliette to the front hall. The hall was crowded with people, and Hesper could already hear flattering remarks being exchanged. Then, a voice filled with arrogance rang out."Oh, it has only been a few days, but you all have developed such sweet tongues."Juliette furrowed her brow, and Hesper could sense her displeasure with the scene before them. Silently, Hesper followed behind as she watched Juliette put on a forced smile and approach the crowd. However, as soon as they reached the crowd, Juliette began to disperse the people around her."No wonder there are so many people here. So, you've arrived, Elphie."Delphine Bernard lifted her chin, her smile fading slightly. She an
She was implicitly criticizing Hesper for her attire. Just when Hesper was about to say something, she sensed a familiar presence behind her. Surprised, she turned around and saw Rickard. 'What is he doing here? Has he finished dealing with the matters at the company?'"I couldn't locate you once I had finished handling the company matters. Weren't you just out for a leisurely walk? How did you find yourself amidst the crowd?" Rickard inquired, his arm embracing Hesper's waist. Lifting his head, he surveyed the individuals present with a penetrating gaze, ultimately resting his eyes upon Delphine."It seems I have been ignorant. I didn't know that we must dress formally even though we're just strolling around inside our own house," Rickard added.Hesper did not expect Rickard to show up at this moment to support her, but with just one sentence, he effortlessly defused Delphine's remarks, effectively terminating the previous topic of conversation.Rickard exuded an aura of authori
At that time, it was not just the reputation of Rickard and Hesper at stake, it would also damage the reputation of the Savatiers. However, Hesper had already anticipated this possibility. Inside her luggage, she had not packed anything except for two sets of formal attire, precisely because she was concerned about potential mishaps upon their arrival. She could easily find substitutions for other stuff, but formal attire was something that could not be easily obtained. Even if she were to make them now from scratch, it would be too late. "Don't worry. I have a solution," Hesper said, a smile forming at the corner of her lips. Juliette could not help but gaze at her. Hesper understood her concerns and continued. "You can come with me. If you find the attire I've prepared inadequate, we can make alternative arrangements.""The attire you've prepared?" Juliette knew that when Hesper and Rickard had arrived, they had brought only a small amount of luggage. However, she never ex
Delphine might be the most troublesome one for them to handle. After all, their current status was inferior to Dephine's. They are merely "outsiders," while Delphine was addressed even by members of the Savatiers as "Princess Elphie." Despite having more pressing concerns in her heart, Hesper could not help but imagine what expression Rickard would wear if he were to be forcefully taken away by someone else. She could not contain a smile as she entertained this thought."What are you laughing at?" Hesper was startled by Rickard's voice. Rickard had been focused on the documents on his computer, so how did he know she was laughing here?After careful consideration, Hesper believed it was best to tell Rickard about this matter. She walked over and sat across from him, speaking in a serious tone, "Didn't you feel it before? That little girl called Delphine clearly has a crush on you.""She has a crush on me?" This was something beyond Rickard's comprehension. He hesitated for a
When the time for the evening banquet arrived, A naturally appeared in front of the courtyard, but his attitude had changed somewhat. The events of the day had spread throughout the entire Savatiers' estate, and although many people wanted to please Delphine, it did not mean they wished for her to act recklessly within the domain of the Savatiers. To avoid creating difficulties for the Savatiers, everyone had always turned a blind eye when Delphine behaved unruly in the past. No one had dared to confront her like Hesper and Rickard did, let alone outshine her in a battle of words. At this point, even if Delphine wanted to throw a tantrum, she had no grounds to do so.Honestly, everyone felt quite satisfied deep down.A, on the other hand, discerned the hidden potential within both of them. Initially, he regarded them differently, primarily due to Rickard's bloodline. He was the most pure-blooded among those who claimed to be a Savatier. However, today's events revealed that they po
Perhaps Delphine's gaze was too intense, Rickard raised his eyes and coincidentally met her gaze. He could not help but furrow his brows and quickly averted his gaze. He had originally thought that Hesper was just teasing him this afternoon, but he did not expect Delphine to actually develop some inappropriate feelings for him.Feeling perplexed, Rickard recalled the words he had said to Delphine earlier. He remembered that they were particularly harsh, so was there something wrong with Delphine's mind?Observing the momentary eye contact between Delphine and Rickard, Hesper knew exactly what was going on in Rickard's head and she could not help but find it amusing. No matter how smooth Delphine's life had been, she would likely encounter numerous obstacles with Rickard.The family banquet ended peacefully without any surprises or incidents. Due to Juliette's flustered demeanor in the afternoon, Hesper had been keeping her guard up as she worried that something might happen du
He had never anticipated that he would end up loving her so deeply.It could be said that amidst all the misunderstandings and complexities, their journey together had taken many winding paths."I wouldn't risk getting into trouble just to set off fireworks for someone I didn't even like," Rickard said, his voice gentle. "You dummy."His words were soft, but as Hesper listened to his explanation, she cleared her throat, and her eyes turned bloodshot. She had never imagined that the person she had loved so intensely in her youth had, at some point in their lives, secretly admired her.Hesper attempted to smile but ended up with teary eyes. Seeing this, Rickard reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "If it's going to make you cry, I won't say anything more."Hesper pursed her lips. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."Rickard, despite understanding her reluctance, couldn't help but reflect on the past and openly admitted to the emotions he had felt in his you
They were flooded with memories, and Hesper couldn't help but admit that she had been through so much with Rickard. Her eyes welled up with emotion.The livestream ended, as they couldn't maintain constant surveillance of their lives. Even though they hadn't gone home yet, the crew had left.In the past two days, people had gotten to know them quite well, so the crew decided to give them some alone time.Hesper sat in the passenger seat and stole a glance at Rickard. She couldn't help but say, "I never expected that the only time you were seen as making a mistake in Grandpa's eyes was because of me.""There are many things you don't know," he replied. Hesper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Like what? Tell me."Suddenly, Hesper recalled the countless times Rickard had looked at her. Yet, during those moments, Rickard had always had feelings for Juniper. She knew that was the reality, so she never expected that Rickard might have had the same strong feelings for her as she had for h
Hesper glanced at Rickard, who remained emotionless, but she still reached out to hold his hand.[This is tough to see. Both of Rickard's parents are no longer here… Sigh.][Hesper immediately checked on Rickard. If I were Rickard, I'd love her so much.]Ernest shook his head and remained silent as he flipped to the next page. Most of the pictures were of Hesper after that. She hadn't realized she had so many childhood photos. Julian appeared in some of them, too.Before everything went sour.Rickard didn't have many pictures. As he grew older, he became quieter.Most of them showed Hesper standing next to Julian, but there was something off about them.[Did you notice... In many of those pictures, Hesper was looking at Rickard, and in others, Rickard was looking at her.][Oh my god, is this puppy love? I had no idea!][I remember Rickard had another lover.]Hesper had noticed, too, but there was no need to remind people that Rickard used to hate her, so she dismissed it as a
Hesper and Rickard entered the room and awkwardly informed Ernest that everything had been live-streamed just now. Ernest was shocked, but upon hearing that it was something people do, he nodded."It's fine. There's nothing that others can't hear."Hesper pursed her lips and glanced at Rickard before saying, "We didn't expect the Summers to come and see you. You should move in with us so these people will leave you alone."If Ernest lived with them, no one would dare intrude because they represented power and influence.Who would dare challenge them?"I don't want to get involved in your life. Renfew and Renarie would keep you occupied enough."Hesper understood that he had already made up his mind not to live with them, so she didn't press the matter further.She could understand his concerns, as many things might become inconvenient. Besides, Ernest didn't want to disrupt their lives either."We'll be heading to Fredonia soon, so even though we have filming to do, we wanted t
So what if the cameras were still recording?"Was my son's life not as valuable as your son's?"If he had grasped this earlier, recent events might not have unfolded. Jade had a point.The live chat fell silent. Though they lacked the full backstory, they could deduce what had transpired in the past.[I heard Rickard lost his parents when he was a child. I feel sorry for him.][His parents died because of that incident. It's no surprise if he harbors resentment.][Truthfully, this old man has no shame. If my child were responsible for another child's death, I'd beg for forgiveness.]Everything unfolding before their eyes was purely coincidental, and no one had control over the situation. They could only watch and terminate the livestream immediately if anything escalated.Fortunately, Jade received a stern talking-to and refrained from discussing the matter further, but Mrs. Summers did not fare as well. Hesper and the others bore witness to her irrational behavior.[This is e
"We've known each other for years, Ernest. I saved your life once, and now your descendants want to take my son's life!"As they approached, Jade Summers was angrily berating Ernest before him. Hesper's countenance immediately turned frosty as she walked over to Ernest."You should conduct yourself more appropriately, Mr. Summers Sr."Jade was taken aback to see Hesper, but he composed himself, took a deep breath, and fixed her with a hatred-filled gaze."If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. You're just a woman. Since when do you get a say in the Duval family matters?"In the 21st century, people were all for equality. Besides, Hesper was no ordinary or unintelligent woman. Naturally, she had a voice in these matters.The viewers were inundated with comments when they heard Jade's words, and the live chat exploded.[Who is this guy? He looks old but lacks respect.][What's the argument about?][I sense some drama.]Rickard walked over. Jade had thought he
[Didn't Hesper mention that Mr. Duval Sr. took care of her? Maybe she did grow up well.][I'm certain she did. Hesper doesn't strike me as someone who would tolerate mistreatment.]Hesper and Rickard were under constant surveillance throughout the journey, and they hadn't allowed Benji to accompany them. Rickard was behind the wheel, with Hesper in the passenger seat.During the drive, they remained silent, but to observers, it appeared as though they were in harmony.Upon arriving at the ancestral mansion, Hesper noticed other cars parked around and cast a curious glance at Rickard. Visitors to Ernest's home were a rarity."Sir, Ma'am, you're back," a young housekeeper greeted them. It was the same person who had assisted Wendy earlier, but they couldn't recall her name. Nevertheless, Hesper had faith in her.Noticing the housekeeper's troubled demeanor, Hesper deduced that the guest inside was likely unwelcome. However, she couldn't fathom who would disrupt Ernest's life. Given
Rickard noticed something in Hesper's expression, prompting him to ask, "Is there something else you haven't told me?"Being intimately familiar with each other wasn't always without its challenges. Hesper could never conceal anything from him.She sighed and replied, "It's nothing. Just that Pennleigh will also be on the list."Rickard fell silent.Hesper was aware that sometimes Rickard might not appear bothered, but Pennleigh's presence did bother him.Observing Hesper's awkward expression, Rickard lowered his gaze and suddenly took on a pitiful appearance, like a big dog caught in the rain.Yet, she knew he was merely putting on an act. Still, every time she saw him like that, she couldn't help but miss the Rickard who didn't engage in such playful antics. His character had undergone a change.Hesper found it amusing but didn't quite know how to express it. She sighed and added, "It's a fantastic opportunity. I know you'll let me go, right?"Rickard had no intention of inte
"Sullivan lied to her. He had her parents quietly killed. She found out after she turned her back on you."Benji lowered his gaze. "She was already dead when you came back. It was suicide."The conclusion lacked the weight necessary for such a betrayal. Hesper shut her eyes. The person she had trusted most was Renee. They had shared countless years together.Hesper acknowledged that their bond might not have been a genuine friendship. Renee had abandoned her when given the choice.However, Hesper had faced such situations before.Thankfully, there had been someone who had placed her first in their heart, reassuring her that she wasn't always relegated to being an option. Hesper stood in silence for a while before simply nodding.There was nothing she could do to aid Renee now. Renee had entered and departed alone, leaving no trace behind with Hesper.When the topic was broached, it weighed heavily on her heart. Hesper understood the situation but found herself at a loss for word