LOGINShare
Chapter 21
Related chapters
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 22
Despite Lilian's thoughts, she remained silent.And in Henry's eyes, that was a wordless agreement to what Prince Michael had said.He clenched his hands behind his back, then turned toward Lilian with a cool look. "Are you sure about this, Ms. Kerr? Glaston is a faraway place—things are vastly different from how they are here in the capital."In Lilian's mind, however, Henry was merely warning her that the climate was different, and she answered solemnly, "His Highness has told me that the winters won't be as cold in Glaston, and I'm sure I could get used to it as long as it isn't cold."And to be honest, she really hated the cold—be it the cold she suffered from soaking her hands into icy water or the bone-cutting cold of being locked outdoors, she wanted none of it.Though her words left Henry unable to respond, he kept his cold eyes fixed on her, to the point that Lilian could feel his rage even without looking at him.He was upset, but why?Because she was going to marry th
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 23
Michael had every intention to diss Henry, but his face fell right then.Seeing that, Henry raised a brow, his voice having an edge of contempt as he asked, "I guess she doesn't. Wouldn't that be what ordinary citizens call marriage fraud?""Insolence!"Michael snapped, glaring fixedly at Henry. "Don't think a few accomplishments and the emperor's favor allows you to insult me! You don't get to meddle in my business!""There's no reason to lash out, Your Highness." Henry simply smirked, the disdain in his gaze trampling all over the prince's dignity just then.Michael did not regain his earlier gentle demeanor or composure either.In fact, his handsome face appeared distorted, and his tone quiet and sinister. "So what if I'm deceiving Lilian? You could do the same too—though that depends whether she cares to respond."Even as Henry's dark gaze turned murderous and his smile stiffened, Michael snorted smugly. "One way or the other, I'm marrying Lilian Lestrade… Oh, my apologies—i
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 24
More laughable words.But though Lilian wanted to laugh out loud, she could not, with the pain swelling inside her.That was when the marquise gently took her hand and explained, "To be honest, our family's position isn't as glamorous as it used to be, but we still hold influence. If the prince ever desires to return to the imperial capital in the future, his only excuse is to visit the marquis' household."She sighed softly then. "Of course, I have my own reasons for this arrangement. Henry Stark is young and accomplished, which is why he and his family are thought of highly in the emperor's court."That said, the emperor is also wary of our family these days, so if Evelyn is to marry Henry with no further issues, you can't marry someone who's too important… In that respect, Prince Michael is the ideal choice."Lilian read between the lines right then—in the end, her arranged marriage with the prince was a matter of political counterbalance.The marquis' household was eager to s
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 25
Lilian used to love her brother to bits, as he would send any sleazy suitor packing, find her the best food on earth, and give her the one Night Pearl in existence as a present.But while Rupert had been an all-powerful brother before, that brother was gone once Evelyn was brought back into the family.All that was left was a fool—one who never used his brain and blamed her for everything, just as he was doing now!Even as Lilian's brow creased deeply from the pain of Rupert's grip, the marquise smacked Rupert on the arm before she could speak. "What are you doing?! Let go of your sister!""Don't take her side, Mother! There are just the two of you in that carriage, or are you saying that she didn't make you cry?!"Even as Rupert snarled, he glared viciously at Lilian. "I'm warning you—even if I did make a mistake, it's not Mother's fault! So don't you dare take it out on her, or I'll hurt you if you make her cry again!"And with that outburst, he shoved Lilian forcefully away, l
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 26
Rupert followed the marquise into Cherryton.Evelyn had already mostly recovered thanks to the family doctor's care and was basically fine, aside from the occasional cough.When Rupert and the marquise arrived, she was in the garden, admiring the flowers.The marquise frowned right then, seeing how thinly she was dressed. "What are you doing out here? You have yet to recover, and you're not wearing layers either! Quick, get inside!"Putting her arm around Evelyn, they hurried inside, with the marquise then calling Jade to bring some hot water while whipping out a bottle of medicine. "I heard your cough was serious, so I pulled some favors to get this from the palace pharmacy. "I was told it's from the Valley of the Potion Lords, and the empress herself had been coughing for two weeks and was cured with this."Rupert watched as the marquise fed Evelyn the medicine and realized right then why the marquise was in such a hurry to see his sister.He was worried too, but seeing that
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 27
Meanwhile, Lilian was completely oblivious to the exchange between Rupert and the marquise as she went straight to Madam Lestrade.Her health had improved considerably, and Mrs. Sully was helping her take her medicine when Lilian arrived.It must have been very bitter, as Madam Lestrade's face was contorted.Still, her expression eased when she saw Lilian. "Oh, Lily!""Grandmother."Lilian bowed before going up to Madam Lestrade's bedside. "How do you feel?""Better." Madam Lestrade smiled, gently caressing her cheek. "Did I scare you?"Lilian shook her head repeatedly. "As long as you're fine."It hurt Madam Lestrade to see tears welling up in Lilian's eyes, but considering what the marquise said last night, she quickly asked, "Did you just return from the palace?"Lilian was taken aback that Madam Lestrade knew, but she nodded silently."You have nothing to worry about," Madam Lestrade assured her right then. "If you're reluctant, forget Prince Michael—I would stop even Con
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 28
Lilian sighed in exasperation, grooming herself a little before stepping out to see Evelyn.Soon, Evelyn entered her pavilion with Winter in tow.Lilian almost laughed out loud right then, seeing that Winter was really glued to Evelyn.As Evelyn entered, she bowed to Lilian. Seeing Lilian's smile, she presumed that Lilian was in a good mood.Her nervousness easing considerably, she smiled at Lilian too. "Did I bother you coming this early, sister?"Lilian sighed, unsure what Evelyn was playing at. "What brings you here?""I was just going to invite you to Felton Shrine…"Evelyn appeared quite excited too, just as Lilian suddenly remembered that the eighth day of the new year was the day for a sacred festival for the shrine.The rumor was that on this day, anyone with a penitent heart who went to pray there would be granted any wish.She had always visited Felton Shrine every year too, praying for her family and to see Henry.But after those three years, she certainly would
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 29
Lilian was confused.She only told Evelyn to release her—how did she connect that to the marquise?Also, she was bullying the marquise? She would never dare!Hell, she would thank the heavens if the marquis' household would stop hurting her for one second!Lilian had to take a deep breath and grip her own wrist firmly right then, just to resist the impulse of slapping Evelyn across the face.However, Winter snapped right then, "Well, aren't you a sick little brat, milady?"Her unrestrained outburst left Evelyn stunned. "What…"She was too shocked, and that was the only word she managed.Lilian was shocked too, not expecting such bravery from Winter!The maid could really get forgetful—she had made it clear that she could not protect her!Still, before Lilian could defend Winter, Winter strode up, smiling at Evelyn as she continued, "You were still coughing a couple of days ago, weren't you?"Seeing that Winter's childlike visage was earnest, Evelyn was suddenly unsure if it
Latest chapter
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 70
The marquise promptly reasoned as well, "Eve meant well, even if she made a mistake. And don't you see what Lily did to her? Are you still going to punish her on top of that?'The marquis stared at Evelyn's swollen face and remembered how skinny she had been when she came back to them.She was the daughter they had lost for fifteen years, and she had suffered for fifteen years!How could he bear to punish her?Taking a deep breath, the marquis eventually turned his sights on Rupert."It's all your fault!" he bellowed, lunging at his son with a kick.However, Rupert dodged to the side, clearly prepared.Missing his mark, the marquis chased after Rupert, only for Rupert to hide behind the marquise. "Please! My chest still hurts after the kick last night! I'm going to die!"With the marquise effectively a shield, the marquis had no choice but to stop.Then, seeing that the marquise was about to speak, he knew right away that she would defend their son.He was at once hysterical.
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 69
Rupert's remark really struck a nerve, as the marquise was suddenly gaping and tearing up, pointing at Rupert as she hollered, "I-I didn't try to kill Lily! I raised her myself!"And with that, she started bawling, leaving Rupert in a panic and quickly apologizing, "Sorry, Mother! Just calm down… I misspoke, and it's all my fault!"However, the marquise turned away as if refusing to accept his apology, leaving him frowning.He then turned toward Evelyn and growled coolly, "In the end, it's Lily's own fault. How could she be so ruthless, hurting Eve like that!"Doing that to Evelyn's face!Still, he flinched as a voice spoke from the next room. "Madam Lestrade wouldn't have been taken ill if Ms. Lestrade hadn't run her mouth. Ms. Kerr is merely disciplining Ms. Lestrade on Madam Lestrade's behalf, and I'm sure she'll praise Ms. Kerr when she wakes up."It was Mrs. Sully who spoke as she appeared before the marquis' household, only bowing her head at the marquis.She could be cons
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 68
As Mrs. Sully looked on coolly, she suddenly noticed the marquise running off.Getting the cavalry?Even as the thought crossed her mind, the marquise was already back, but holding a large rock this time!Mrs. Sully was stunned, while the marquis barked even before she could react, "Stop!"However, he was too late as the marquise struck Lilian forcefully on the head.Lilian felt her mind going blank and could not hear anything, save for a shrill ringing in her ears. It was only when drops of blood trickled down her eyes that she realized what had happened, and she slowly looked up at the marquise.The marquise panicked even as she met Lilian's blood-filled eyes and dropped the rock as if finally coming to her senses, stammering, "N-No… I didn't mean it… I just wanted you to stop… I didn't want to hurt—"Thud.Lilian blacked out and dropped heavily on the ground.It was once again the marquis who came to his senses first. "What are you spacing out for?! Carry her inside, and
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 67
Lilian was too quick, as she lunged at Evelyn the way she lunged at the washhouse maids who used to bully her.All the marquise saw was a blur shooting past her, and by the time she realized what had happened, Lilian had already knocked Evelyn down, pinning her down."Argh!!!" Evelyn screamed, but Lilian clasped a hand over her mouth the next instant.Madam Lestrade was still resting inside, and Lilian would not let Evelyn bother Madam Lestrade any further.But her rage still needed to burn!Hence, as she subdued Evelyn and stopped her from struggling, she swung her other hand mercilessly.She had wanted to hit Evelyn for a while now but bore with it for a long while.She thought that while Evelyn was despicable, it was simply her personality.And because she shared the blood of the marquis' household, they all doted on her, which was why she was protective of them in turn. As such, even if everything they did had hurt Lilian grievously, she had always perished the thought of
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 66
"Right! Make way!"As the maids bickered noisily, Lilian somehow found warmth.After all, the marquis' residence had felt as cold as an ice house for a while now—only Madam Lestrade afforded her some reprieve of warmth.But she was ill, so Lilian could not tell Madam Lestrade about her troubles.She thought she would have to deal with her grievances tonight in silence, so she was surprised that her heart was relieved as soon as she returned to Floret Garden.It was only her hand that was hurt, but Winter insisted on offering a helping arm.As soon as she sat, another maid arrived with a cup of warm tea. "You must have suffered a fright—here's some tea to calm your nerves. You'd definitely sleep well with this, and everything would be fine come tomorrow!" "I'll get some water for you to wash up, milady.""The bed has been warmed, milady—you should get some rest once you've cleaned up."Those were all Winter's tasks, but since Winter was hurt too, the maids volunteered to take
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 65
As she finished, Lilian could clearly see the panic on Rupert's face.How laughable!He had been so righteous when he defended himself for trying to destroy her, but he was now panicking when his own life was on the line?And it was not just Rupert—the marquis' household was panicking.That was when the sobbing Evelyn strode up, shouting at Lilian, "You should get some rest after that ordeal! It's late now—anything can wait until tomorrow!"Hearing that, the marquise promptly echoed, "Yes, yes, exactly. It's extremely late, Lily—even General Stark has yet to return. Why don't we discuss this again tomorrow?"It was only then that Lilian remembered Henry was still there and turned toward him.He was staring at her, the candlelight flickering over his visage that appeared colder than usual.It was an impassive expression to Lilian, but her chest somehow stung.She took a deep breath—she actually was exhausted after that ordeal, and she might collapse first if she kept arguing wi
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 64
Lilian continued, "You targeted me because it's easy—because I can be bullied, and it only takes a thousand silvers to destroy my reputation and my future. Honestly, aren't you laughing when you say it out loud yourself?"So shut that disgusting mouth of yours, Rupert Lestrade. You never cared about me—you just refuse to let me rise above you! You don't have my best interests at heart, not when you can't abide with things going well for me!"Though she easily exposed Rupert's hideous nature, he stubbornly refused to give in. "How so? Is marrying Prince Michael that much better?! So what if your reputation was ruined?! Do you think that no one would marry you, with the support of the marquis' household?!"Silence ensued, everyone's breath seemingly pausing aside from Evelyn, who continued to sob.Lilian looked around at the marquis and the marquise and finally chuckled as she turned to Rupert. "I finally understand why the marquis and the marquise are in such a hurry to marry me o
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 63
As Rupert stayed silent, the marquise was trembling as she walked up to him, reaching out to tug on his sleeve. "It's alright, Rupert—just tell your sister it's a misunderstanding."Even so, Rupert merely scowled in silence, which only left the marquise's heart clenching.She started shoving instead of tugging, as she cried tearfully, "Say something!"Seeing how agitated the marquise was, Evelyn ran up, hugging her as she exclaimed, "It's alright, Mother! Just sit down and talk it out with Rupert. I'm sure he has his reasons!"Lilian wheeled on Evelyn in disbelief right then—Rupert hired thugs to have her reputation destroyed, but Evelyn would still say he had his reasons?!Were these people for real?! Especially Evelyn—did she really say something like that as a woman, with a clear conscience?Worst of all, Rupert seemed to jerk to his senses at Evelyn's senses, even glancing at her gratefully."Yes, it was me!" he bellowed as he turned to Lilian, his words bold and righteous.
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 62
In the end, a lady's reputation was a priority, even if everyone in the room knew that it was a lie.Henry bowed his head in return and turned to Lilian. "Prince Michael mentioned that the meeting place was Swindon Teahouse. When did you go to Swiftlet Teahouse instead?"Lilian was seated, her hand bandaged, but it would hurt even if she moved it slightly.The family doctor said that it was not serious, but she must rest it and not exert strength for another two months.Still, she was on her feet at Henry's question and replied, "The letter I received said it was Swiftlet Teahouse. It's on my dressing table—check it if you don't believe me."As she finished, she turned toward Rupert, who stood in a nearby corner quietly, as if worried that he would be noticed.Even so, Lilian did notice when he entered and slowly walked toward him. "You seem especially quiet today, Mr. Lestrade. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"The marquise was confused as to why Lilian would suddenly care ab
