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Chapter 42
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The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 43
The air around Henry turned cool, and his deep voice was icy. "You're really going to marry him?"Lilian met his fiery gaze and calmly replied, "Yes.""Even if he's impotent?" he pressed.That left Lilian silent, and presuming that she did not know, Henry quickly added, "Did you know that—""I do," Lilian suddenly spoke again, cutting him short as she knew what he would say.The palace maid escorting her just now was Willow, who had whispered to her the secrets she had not been aware of before.Henry was left stunned.She knew, but she insisted on marrying the prince?Then, he remembered with a start and rasped, "If it's because of what I said before, I can talk to the marquise—"He thought it was because he had said Lilian must marry first before he could marry Evelyn.To his surprise, Lilian cut him short again. "It's not because of you. I want to marry Prince Michael."Because Madam Lestrade was ailing and probably would not be alive for much longer.Because she did not
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 44
Rupert's heart skipped a beat, while the marquise rushed to Evelyn, taking her hand with a pained look and crying, "Hurry, let's get that fixed up!"She started to pull Evelyn outside, but Evelyn refused, sobbing, "No! Father is definitely going to punish Rupert! I'll stay to protect Rupert!"The marquis was immediately relenting at Evelyn's tears, while Rupert frowned as he remembered Lilian telling him that he had died three years ago in front of everyone.He could not help but wonder why there was such a huge difference?They were both his sisters, but one did not even mind that she was hurt because of him, while the other was so cold…That was when the marquis bellowed, "You don't think he deserves to be punished for flogging his own sister in front of hundreds?! He's an animal!"In fact, Rupert was not punishing Lilian—he was trampling over the reputation of the marquis' household!Now, everyone in the capital knew that the girl they had raised for fifteen years bore a grud
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 45
Once Lilian returned to the marquis' residence, she visited Madam Lestrade's pavilion, only to be told that Madam Lestrade was asleep.She was relieved, presuming that Madam Lestrade was unaware of what happened at Felton Shrine and therefore had the ease of mind to sleep.As she returned to Floret Garden, a pale Winter was waiting for her.Lilian winced as she remembered that Rupert kicked Winter, but the maid was acting like nothing happened, waiting on her and helping her change her clothes.After some thought, Lilian asked Winter, "Is there any place you'd like to go?"Winter paused, her pale cheeks turning even paler. "Are you dismissing me, milady?"Lilian shook her head. "No, I'm just… worried that I'd get you hurt."Winter would certainly not have become collateral if not for her, but she was left surprised as Winter cried in agitation, "I'm not worried, milady! I insist on staying even if you want me gone!"Perhaps being too emotional, Winter started hacking just as sh
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 46
Lilian shook her head and chuckled to herself—Evelyn's reaction only made what she said about envying her laughable.The marquise was clearly aware that Evelyn had misspoken as well and promptly went on to change the subject. "Prince Michael is still recuperating, but he sent word that he'll take you to that place that everyone agreed to go to in a few days."Everyone agreed to go?Lilian frowned, only remembering then that the prince did say something about going somewhere with her.But did it count, when he never waited to see if she was agreeing to go with him?Nonetheless, Evelyn leaned toward Lilian, beaming. "Where are you going? Is it fun?"Seeing that smile, Lilian suddenly remembered something else and growled, "You told the prince that I went to Felton Shrine, didn't you?"Evelyn herself had said it, and she nodded after a brief pause.Scowling, Lilian demanded, "Why did you do that?"She never would have remembered the sacred festival if it was not for Evelyn, let a
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 47
Lilian had no idea when it started, but Rupert's voice absolutely got on her nerves.She turned to find him pushing away the footman supporting him and limping toward her. "Apologize to Mother right now!"Lilian simply studied him in turn—he was not standing straight because of his wounded back, and he was sweating over his brow. Just walking over to her was clearly killing him, but he still blamed her for everything despite all that!Come to think of it, he had always been pigheaded even as a child, but while he used that attitude to protect her before, he was now harassing her endlessly with that same attitude since she returned from the washhouse.Despite feeling her own heart turning cold, Lilian asked, "Mr. Lestrade, you were given quite the beating after you demanded my apology yesterday, but you're doing it again already? What punishment would you like it to be this time?"Rupert paused at the mention of yesterday but soon frowned, stubbornly insisting that it was all Lil
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 48
The wounds on Lilian's back still hurt!As for Rupert, none of the brooms used to flog him snapped, even if he did pass out.Even his back was not that badly hurt, as he could get off his bed already.But what about Lilian?Rupert flogged her so hard that the broom he used snapped after just a few strokes, but he kept using the sharp end to flog her, cutting through her skin.It was so obvious that he wanted her dead!Still, Lilian's insult undoubtedly struck a nerve, and he strode up, raising a fist at Lilian. "I must have been holding back too much, that's why you're still running your mouth!"The marquise promptly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. "Stop, Rupert! Calm down!"To their surprise, Lilian stepped toward Rupert. "Do you still want to hit me? Where would you like to strike? My left or right cheek? Should I come closer too?"Lilian's pompous reaction only left Rupert absolutely furious, and he almost freed himself from the marquise right then.Tha
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 49
"Lilian Kerr!"Rupert was absolutely furious, but he could not move with the two women holding him in place.For Lilian's part, she was not bothered to keep arguing with Rupert and turned toward the marquise. "Those gifts are sent from the palace to me. It should therefore be sent to Floret Garden, don't you agree?"By right, it should be sent to the storehouse of the marquis' residence.But Lilian had spoken, and the marquise could not cast aside her pride to refuse.In fact, she considered a recompense for the last three years.The marquise nodded even as she sobbed, "Yes, you can have them…"Lilian really smiled right then, bowing her head at the marquise before leaving with Winter.Rupert's eyes were ablaze when he saw Lilian's smugness, and he bellowed, "Mother! Why would you give everything to her?!"It was only then that the marquise released Rupert, sniffling. "Our family doesn't need that stuff, and it's for her anyway! As for you, your father had just told you to cal
The Return of the Disgraced Daughter Chapter 50
Lilian felt grievance when it came to everyone else in the family but only gratitude when it came to Madam Lestrade.Even when she headed to Madam Lestrade's pavilion, she wondered if her grandmother would snap at her for hogging the gifts from the palace.She should be awake at this hour too… She was taking her medicine when Lilian arrived.Lilian took a deep breath, adjusting her stance so that Madam Lestrade would not see that she was hurt.Still, Madam Lestrade was delighted to see Lilian and beckoned. "I heard that the imperial edict has arrived?""Yes, and the emperor and the consort sent plenty of gifts." Lilian nodded, taking Madam Lestrade's hand as she sat beside Madam Lestrade. "I-I demanded everything."She was nervous, as she feared that her grandmother would accuse her of greed.And her grandmother was her only family!But to her surprise, Madam Lestrade was laughing. "Good! Well done! My dear Lily is finally being smart!"Lilian was taken aback. "You won't bla
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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
