Since returning from the Gonzalez estate, Selena had been sick for a few days and had stayed home ever since. The reason was her fear of encountering Lucio again. After more than half a month had passed without any incidents, Selena finally felt relieved. Despite her lingering fear, she knew she couldn't stay indoors forever. It had been a long time since she visited her own shop, and she decided she would go take a look tomorrow.The weather the next day was fine, and as December approached, everyone was busy preparing for winter and Christmas. The streets were bustling with activity.Jose, motivated by Maria's pregnancy and the possibility of having a son to inherit his fortune without having to share them with anyone else, had become even more energetic. Taking advantage of the upcoming holidays, he acquired a dyeing workshop nearby, set up a storefront, and resumed selling groceries. Deep down, Jose still harbored some resentment towards Pablo for inheriting the family's grocery
Selena, unaware of her mother's rejection of her marriage proposal with Alexander, was currently holding the new hair care oil made by Eva. She nodded approvingly at Eva's craftsmanship; this chamomile hair oil would be perfect for winter. Chamomile oil has a gentle floral scent and is effective in soothing the scalp and relieving hair dryness, which is especially suitable for the windy and dry winter days. This product couldn't be made in just any store; besides Eva's skills, Selena knew that her own magical water drops also played a role.Looking up at Eva, who was talking to her, Selena couldn't help but notice how different she looked from the timid and skinny girl who used to hide behind her mother. The scars from the burns on her face had faded considerably over the years, thanks to the Herbavita repair cream. Her face was now smooth and clear, and with good food, clothing, and care in recent years, she had grown into a slender young woman. No wonder Thomas kept coming to her sto
Roberto watched as the women boarded the boat, feeling a pang of regret for not having been able to engage with the charming lady. It wasn't until a servant pulled on his sleeve and reminded him, "Count, the general is waiting for us on the boat…" that he snapped out of his reverie. With a sudden change in demeanor, he smiled and quickened his pace towards the large boat prepared for the Count's family.The scenery on the lake was so breathtaking that it elicited exclamations of joy. The clear, emerald green water, rippled by the wind, danced under the sun's rays. A small boat swayed gently on the surface, and the lush green hills seemed almost within arm's reach. It was a pity that this wasn't the countryside where one could dip their feet in the water, otherwise, it would have been even more enjoyable."Mariana," Selena said, taking a small bag of shrimp and rice grains from her sleeve, "there are many small fish in the lake." As she scattered the food into the water, the fish eagerl
A few days later, a maid in uniform came to the door. The servant heard that she was the housekeeper of the count's mansion and quickly invited Jose back. The housekeeper said she was sent by the countess to invite Miss Selena to attend a banquet, praising the products from Selena's shop and expressing the countess's desire to meet Selena in person."Surely, Roberto, the count, has discovered my true identity! Otherwise, how could it be a coincidence that the countess started ordering products from my shop two years ago and now suddenly wants to meet me after the spring outing?"As she was pondering what to do, another visitor arrived. It was none other than Lucio, who had disappeared for several months and now suddenly sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.In contrast to his previous black suit, Lucio now wore a purple robe embroidered with silver threads. His green stubble had been groomed, and even his hair was tied back. Though scars marred his face, they were less prominent now.
She returned to the room, and Mariana looked at her with shiny eyes, different from usual. Mariana shrank back slightly, then said, "The water is ready. It's time for your bath…"But instead of heading to the screen as usual, Selena sat at the table, looking radiant as she stared ahead. After a moment, she suppressed her voice and said, "Mariana, are you my most trusted person?""Of course, Miss…""If I were to leave here, would you come with me?""Of course, Miss. I'm your maid…""Good! Pack your clothes and gather the money we have. See what we need for our journey to the capital. Get ready. Once everything is prepared, we'll leave…"With their own shop in the capital, they would never expect Selena to dare to go to the capital, where Lucio worked. After avoiding the wedding in the capital, they could go to a small place to hide for a few years…On the road, a carriage was moving, with two "men" sitting inside. One had his hair tied back simply and his face painted black, but looking
Selena didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt as if her body weighed a ton, with clothes clinging damply to her skin. Her forehead and arms throbbed with pain. As her mind cleared, she noticed the smell of damp earth and the sound of rain dripping onto the ground. Has it started raining outside? When did this happen? She let out a soft moan and instinctively called out, "Mariana…"The moment the words left her lips, she jolted awake. Remembering the chase by those people, Selena scrambled to her feet in a panic. As she rose, she felt a sharp pain in her hand, realizing she had scraped her wrist against the ground. Though it wasn't bleeding much, it stung fiercely. Her knees also throbbed with dull pain, likely bruised from the fall.But she couldn't dwell on her injuries now. Frantically, she looked around. The sky was dimly lit, and she could see raindrops falling outside, yet she seemed to be sheltered from the rain by something above her head. She hurriedly looked up and
Two days later, in the middle of the night in the mountains, a woman cautiously held her clothes, glancing back every few steps until she heard no sound, then she breathed a sigh of relief and hastened her pace. She remembered seeing a shallow forest pool nearby during the day, and after two days without bathing, she felt uncomfortable all over and sticky. The man had been around her all the time, so she had no time to clean herself until she could sneak away while he slept at midnight.The mountain path was difficult to navigate during the day, let alone at night, but luckily the moon was bright that night, so she could see clearly. When she saw the reflection of the lake, Selena's eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace. She regretted her decision to come here instead of hiding in a nearby town. She couldn't believe that after rescuing Mariana, the man had simply sent her away without bringing her along or finding someone to take care of her. She had to travel through the mountains
"Do you think all men are so easily deceived?" His voice was cold and somewhat hoarse as it echoed in her ear. "Why were you rummaging through your clothes, your belt, that day? And why were you secretly hiding the money from me? Huh? Were you planning to run away as soon as we left the mountains? Or did you think I was unaware of your every move?""No, no, no, it's not like that! I can give you money, all of it, I'll go back to Beerspa city with you, just take me back…"Selena felt like a cornered rabbit with no way to escape. No matter how she hunched her shoulders and hugged her chest, she inevitably touched the chest of the person behind her. The man's strong and forceful presence, combined with the shivering sensation of their skin touching, made her heart tremble slightly, and she was almost too scared to speak."No need." The man behind her coldly chuckled, "I suddenly realized another type of guarantee could work too. Today happens to be the day we planned our wedding. Spending
At this moment, she was both shocked and afraid, too late to think about how the fire started. Her mind was in chaos, and her last thought was of the child in her belly. She felt her heart and courage shattered, tears streaming down uncontrollably, but soon they were dried up by the flames.As the fire grew bigger and bigger, she felt surrounded and trapped in the inferno. Despair engulfed her, and even though she covered her nose and mouth with a wet cloth, she knew she couldn't hold out for long in the intense heat. Looking at the piled blankets on the bed and thinking of the flesh and blood in her womb, Selena gritted her teeth. She was determined to fight, either to burn to death or to escape alive with her child.Just as she took a few steps back, preparing to close her eyes and charge forward, the door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, as if someone had kicked it from outside. A figure rushed in.The comer was none other than Lucio, who had been too busy to come home for dinn
The morning sunlight streamed through the window into the room as Selena and Lucio got up early to prepare for a special day — the baptism ceremony of Selena's brother, Adrés. Selena wore an exquisite dress, smiling as she held hands with Lucio in the carriage, feeling full of anticipation.The carriage slowly made its way through the streets of the town and soon arrived at the church. The baptism ceremony proceeded solemnly and warmly, with family members gathering together to witness this special moment. Adrés was cleansed with holy water, appearing incredibly sacred and pure. Selena and Lucio felt immensely happy and content in their hearts.After the ceremony, the family gathered together to enjoy a lavish lunch, with the table filled with various delicacies. However, when it was Selena's turn to taste the food, she felt nauseous and had no appetite, hardly able to eat anything. Her face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, indicating obvious discomfort.L
Perhaps feeling refreshed and comfortable without any sweat on his body, the man nodded in agreement. Selena supported his arm and helped him lean against the edge of the bed, although he didn't really need her help, as he was able to prop himself up with his own arm strength. With her limited strength, she couldn't even move his body.After a while, when the meal was brought in, Selena smelled the aroma of the food and heard the man's stomach growling with hunger. She couldn't help but smile, knowing that hunger was a sign of improvement in his condition. These days, he had only consumed some thin porridge and a bellyful of medicinal soup. Selena instructed Mariana to place the meal on the low table by the bed.Then, she uncovered the lid of the soup bowl. A person who had just recovered from a serious illness would have a weak digestive system and would need something soft and easy to digest. Today, she had the kitchen prepare some meat congee, where the meat had been stewed until it
The wound continued to bleed, and despite applying pressure, the bleeding wouldn't stop. After a moment, Mariana brought the Achillea millefolium powder Selena had prepared. Selena then poured some hot water into a porcelain bowl and mixed in all the miraculous water droplets she had generated earlier with the Achillea millefolium powder, creating a paste. She then cleaned the wound and applied a thick layer of the paste before covering it with a white cloth, repeating the process for the other wounds.When the two of the king's physicians arrived, Selena had already cleaned her hands. The older and younger physicians opened their medical kits and proceeded to examine the wounds. The older physician, pinching the paste on the wound with his fingers, turned to Selena and asked, “Madam, who dressed this wound?”Selena, feeling a bit embarrassed about her crude dressing, replied anxiously, “I did. Seeing the severe bleeding, I was in a hurry and used the common method my father often used
Jose and Maria, being kind-hearted, had softened their anger considerably after having a son, knowing they now had an heir. They simply hoped Antonio would return the money from the stolen materials. However, Selena believed that such parasites should be punished severely, as otherwise, the employees in the shop might follow suit. So, she instructed Thomas to submit the relevant evidence to the police station. Despite Tasilla returning the stolen goods and Antonio being sentenced to a year in prison.With the arrival of the cruel summer, the days became hotter and more stifling. Selena visited her mother and little brother every day, but even with the carriage available, she ended up sweating profusely due to the heat. Upon returning, she had no desire to go anywhere else, she just wanted to rest on a bench by the window with a water basin to cool off and a novel in hand. She spent the afternoons comfortably, sipping flower tea and enjoying some snacks.However, one day, while she was
Although it was daytime, the room remained dim with the doors and windows closed. Several candles were lit for illumination. Inside, the room echoed with the sounds of painful groans, causing Jose, pacing outside, to feel increasingly uneasy. He had skipped meals from noon until now. The sounds from inside were getting weaker, and as Jose watched the servants pour out basin after basin of blood water, his heart clenched.However, more anxious than Jose was Selena. Originally, her mother still had half a month before giving birth. Her health had been good, but unexpectedly, she went into labor prematurely. The newly prepared home was not ready for occupancy, so they had to make do with delivering the baby here. Due to the lack of preparation, the room had to be hastily cleaned. Probably due to the shock, her mother's condition was not good. Holding her hand, Selena could see it turning pale.Thankfully, Jose had arranged for three midwives in advance. Two of them were older and experien
Selena watched as the woman waved her arms in excitement and cursed loudly. Suddenly, Selena interjected coldly, “If what you say is true, it makes sense. However, this matter concerns only Antonio, and whether innocent or not, he must come personally to confront our family. What does it mean for a woman with a child to be here? Why isn't the principal involved party present?”With these words, those who were initially confused about what was happening suddenly understood. They pointed and murmured among themselves, and the neighbors knew that José's family had a flower field. Every year, they receive about a hundred carts of flowers. It was rumored that the caretakers of the field were a peasant family, which before used to be their neighbors.Apparently, they discovered that this peasant family was selling the flowers from their own field to someone else. As a result, they angrily demanded compensation, but the man of the family did not dare to show up and sent his wife with the chil
After Lucio set off on his mission, Selena found herself at a loose end. Suddenly, she realized that since getting married, her life had been completely dominated by Lucio. Now, with all this free time, she felt a bit uncomfortable with this sudden change. Selena quickly instructed Mariana to bring out the account books from all the shops to audit them; she needed to find something to occupy herself.As she pored over the books in the room, Mariana fanned her, and though there was an ice basin beside the chair keeping her cool, the task of going through the books required concentration, and Selena still felt a bit sweaty around the nose. Originally, she had no idea how to do these things, but there were some things she couldn't avoid learning, as an owner who can't understand the accounts is easily fooled by the employees.After going through two or three books, Mariana came in and said that Thomas had sent a message saying there were problems at the store. Selena's first reaction was
Selena and Lucio returned home and rested for two days to recover from their journey. Lucio went back to work, and Selena, realizing she hadn't seen her parents in a while, decided to visit them the next day.Approaching the familiar gates, Selena's heart was filled with nervousness and joy. She couldn't wait to see her family again, eager to share the sights and experiences they had encountered during their trip to Jarll.As the evening approached, Maria insisted that Selena stay for dinner before heading home. Selena, realizing she hadn't had a relaxed chat with her parents in a long time, agreed to stay a little longer.Unexpectedly, halfway through dinner, Lucio walked in with a grim expression. He had come home and didn't find Selena there, and seeing that it was getting dark, and she hadn't returned, he got worried and came looking for her. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Selena happily chatting with Maria.Jose greeted Lucio and instructed the servants to fetch the uten