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Chapter 33
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The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 34
However, Lilian had a comeback for that too."Surely you jest, General Stark." She smiled. "My last name is Kerr—it's not up to the Lestrades to lecture me.""Lilian Kerr!" Rupert bellowed furiously. "You're out of line!" "You're the ones who are out of line!" Lilian bellowed back, finally having had enough. "I just came to get Grandmother a lucky charm! Is that somehow too much for you too?! What gives you the right to tell me what's what?!"That's especially the case for you, Rupert Lestrade! You're very much silent whenever I'm wrongly accused, but somehow you're always ready to lecture me when you have the advantage! What gives you the right?!""Because I'm your brother!" Rupert yelled.There was no question that Emma was at fault, but their families were close friends, and anything could wait until they got home.Rupert could even complain to House Stark himself and demand that Emma's parents discipline her.But no matter what she did, Lilian should not have slapped her!
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 35
Rupert was left stumped.Lilian was right—she only came to get their grandmother a lucky charm.How could he talk like that? What had gotten into him? Why did he always lose his mind whenever he saw Lilian?His heart then skipped a beat—forget Lilian, even he would never forgive himself if he ended up jinxing Madam Lestrade!But then again… Was this not Lilian's fault?Otherwise, why was he always able to stay rational around Evelyn, while the mere sight of Lilian always left him so frustrated?Was it not her fault for saying that he was already dead three years ago? Telling him that he had no right to lecture her?!No, he would show her right now!Every bit of grievance that had accrued ever since Lilian returned to the marquis' residence erupted in Rupert right then, and he leapt toward her, his hands outstretched.Despite being surprised as she did not expect him to attack her, Lilian still managed to react right then, sidestepping him.However, being older and having trai
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 36
"Exactly. You're not the real daughter of the marquis—don't you know when to stop? After you've enjoyed the wealth and privilege of the marquis' household for years at no cost?""She's too much, saying that her brother is dead. Even the gods would be furious!"With those who recognized Lilian taking the lead, even those who did not know her joined the fray, condemning Lilian all at once.However, Lilian somehow pushed herself up despite the horrific beating, perhaps used to it over the last three years.Even as the indignant mob scorned her, she merely spat nonchalantly nearby—if it was not bloody, one might even think that she was fine from her complexion.As she looked around at the mob, she spotted Betty, Emma, Evelyn, and Henry.Some were gleeful, and some were feigning sympathy, while some were apathetic as they had always been.Eventually, she turned to look at Rupert—the same person used to make funny faces to make her laugh now only regarding her with endless rage and sp
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 37
Everyone was on their knees as soon as they saw Prince Michael, but not Henry, who only bowed his head.After all, the emperor himself had decreed that he bent the knee to no one else.As for Lilian, Michael caught her before she could kneel, his large hand so warm that it was almost scalding.And while he did, he could clearly feel her body shaking.Even Michael did not expect her to be shaking this much—and she had stayed calm even as Rupert struck her so violently!While Lilian had no idea why the prince returned so quickly after leaving with the head priest, she was still grateful that he showed up now.She actually could not stand straight since Rupert struck her with every intention to kill, and she would have collapsed if the prince never showed up."Thank you," she said so softly that no one else could hear.Michael could hear her clearly nonetheless, and they were needles that plunged into his heart, igniting his wrath.Wheeling and glaring at Rupert right then, he be
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 38
Henry met Prince Michael's vicious glare with his own. "I'm just considering the bigger picture, Your Highness."As Michael was going to marry someone from the marquis' household, he really should not make things too ugly.However, that only left the prince snorting. "Bigger picture? Well said, general! But if you're really that astute, why were you silent before?"Was his mouth sewn shut when Rupert bludgeoned Lilian?The question somehow stung Lilian too.She had definitely given up on him and had long since understood that Henry did not care about her.So why did her heart still hurt so much?She bit her own lip lightly, hating her own incompetence even as she quickly fought back the warm tears in her eyes.Henry had turned toward Lilian as if in reflex at that moment, but from his point of view, she was half-hidden behind Michael, even looking like she was pressing herself against him.As Henry's frustration built, his tone turned darker too. "Everyone here knows who's at
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 39
When Lilian woke up, she was already in Consort Darling's pavilion.Prince Michael had carried her there right away.Seeing the grandly decorated chamber, Lilian finally remembered that she had fainted even before Michael carried her to the carriage.Her heart sinking, she struggled to her feet as if in reflex, only for Consort Darling to enter just then.Seeing that Lilian was up, she hurried over. "No, you must lie down and refrain from moving around. You have yet to heal."However, Lilian was not going to lie back down when she had already sat up.Consort Darling had to stop her before she would bow to her, sighing, "Honestly, child, why are you worried over such taxing formalities when you're so thoroughly hurt?"She beckoned at a maid, who brought a bowl of medicinal broth.It was the consort who scooped a spoonful, blowing on it before holding it out to Lilian. "It's from the imperial pharmacy—it's great for injuries. Come, drink it while it's hot."Lilian was shocked. "
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 40
Consort Darling stood up as well. "You have yet to recover. You can't—"Lilian shook her head and smiled at the consort.Though she was touched by her concern earlier, that feeling had long since faded entirely."You have nothing to worry about, Your Grace," she said and left.As for whether the consort worried about her injury or Prince Michael, that was up for the consort to decide herself.-While Lilian had spent most of the last three years in the washhouse, she would also accompany the madame to make deliveries around every corner of the palace.As such, she knew her way around the palace and was soon outside the emperor's personal study.After announcing herself, a eunuch soon escorted her inside, only for her to see that Henry, the marquis, and the marquise were all there.Did they all come to accuse her?Even as Lilian's contempt flared inwardly, she kept it from showing on her face, walking forward and kneeling before the emperor. "Greetings, Your Majesty."The gol
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 41
The marquis naturally understood that the emperor was merely asking a loaded question and went down on his knees before he spoke, "There's no question that my son had overstepped limits, committing such blasphemy in front of a place of worship."His punishment by Prince Michael was simply deserved. I can only ask that Your Majesty be wise in your decision."In other words, the marquis was not blaming Prince Michael, though he never wanted to in the first place.He knew his household's standing at court better than anyone, but the emperor had summoned him and the marquise as soon as he heard what happened, vowing to punish Prince Michael without allowing them the chance to speak.Nonetheless, the emperor was satisfied with the marquis' reaction.Still, he snorted audibly as if showing disdain and turned toward Henry. "Your thoughts, General Stark? You were there, after all."Henry bowed his head, allowing his dark gaze to linger on Lilian for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty,
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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
