Chapter 7

Rupert gaped at Lilian in disbelief.

He was ready to accuse her of lying right then, but he realized it was true when he saw his mother hanging her head nearby, clearly not going to speak up.

But how could this be?! The marquis loved Lilian to bits—how could he disown her?!

He started heaving as something tore into his heart again, leaving him utterly annoyed.

He looked around, and finding everyone's face an eyesore, he stormed out of the room, leaving Henry standing there a little awkwardly.

Still, he walked up toward Madam Lestrade, bowing his head in greeting. "Greetings, Madam Lestrade."

Madam Lestrade was polite in turn, as he was a young and accomplished general who maintained good manners at all times. Was there any elder who would not appreciate that?

"Please sit!" She smiled as she beckoned. "I should be the one visiting you after you delivered such precious medicine yesterday."

Henry did so, sitting opposite Evelyn while smiling mildly at Madam Lestrade. "My parents are in peak shape and don't have any use for it, so I'm sure it would serve you well instead, ma'am."

Madam Lestrade beamed. "You're such a good son, and it's great that you've come. I was just discussing your engagement with my daughter-in-law—would you mind asking your parents to drop by sometime at their convenience?"

Henry glanced at Evelyn as Madam Lestrade finished, who lowered her head and flushed.

"Oh, silly girl, getting embarrassed now!"

The marquise laughed out loud before turning to Henry. "I'm sure you get it—you're not exactly young, and it's high time you get married."

Henry nodded, seemingly in agreement, when he suddenly turned to Lilian. "Don't you agree, Ms. Kerr?"

Lilian did a double take and met his gaze with a confused, probing look—how was this any of her business?

In fact, it was not just her—both the marquise and Evelyn were stunned as well, with the latter glancing between Henry and Lilian.

That was when Evelyn suddenly realized that Henry's eyes were on Lilian the whole time he spoke with Madam Lestrade.

Tears welled up in her eyes right then—was it possible that Lilian was really the one in Henry's heart?

But he was supposed to be her fiance!

The marquise certainly could see that Evelyn was upset, but she could not snap at Henry either—not when the emperor favored him so much at the moment.

As such, she had to force herself to stay polite and ask, "Henry, your engagement is with Eve. Why ask Lily?"

Yes, why ask her?

Lilian was confused too, but Henry remained mild-mannered as ever. "Please understand, ma'am—Ms. Kerr is still a daughter of your family and Eve's sister. Seniority matters, and Ms. Kerr ought to marry first."

That… made sense?

At the very least, for families who respected tradition, the eldest siblings must marry before the younger ones.

Still, the marquis' household never cared.

And as far as Lilian knew, the Starks did not either.

If anything, Henry must be asking in hopes that she would marry sooner.

Was he perhaps worried that she would get clingy again?

Smiling faintly despite her amusement, she said, "It is as you put it, General Stark—Mr. Lestrade ought to marry first."

After all, Rupert was her elder brother.

That being said, with not even a prospective bride in sight, that meant that by the time Rupert married, and Lilian after him, it would take a couple of years before Henry and Evelyn could actually tie the knot.

Even if he was in no rush, the Starks were hoping to have a grandchild sooner!

Be that as it may, Henry seemed to miss her diss and nodded somberly. "As is tradition."

Opposite him, tears were welling up in Evelyn's eyes as she glared fixedly at Henry, as if demanding to know why.

She was already old—how much longer did he want her to wait?

In fact, even the marquise had no idea how she should continue the conversation after what Henry said.

As such, they switched to making small talk, after which Madam Lestrade excused herself and asked Lilian to help her back to her room.

Everyone else politely excused themselves as well, but soon after Henry stepped out of Madam Lestrade's pavilion, a soft voice called out, "Henry."

For a moment, he thought it was Lilian, only to quickly remember that the voice was too tender, lacking the edge that Lilian's voice now had.

He sighed to himself before turning, noting that the marquise was already leaving before finally turning back to Evelyn.

"What is it?" he asked, his deep voice gentle as usual.

Evelyn had always thought that Henry was especially gentle with her while politely distant with everyone else.

That in turn convinced her that she was special to him, only to realize just now that he was distant with her too.

Realizing that she might have been flattering herself over the years, tears welled up in her eyes, like a crestfallen pet.

Lowering her gaze, she bit her lip while tugging on her own sleeve, finally mustering the courage to ask, "Do you actually want to marry me…?"

The question caught Henry off guard, though he soon chuckled nonchalantly. "Why do you ask?"

"J-Just now, you were…"

Evelyn trailed off, unable to say it out loud—she had her pride as a woman, and she would appear desperate if she droned on too much.

Still, Henry had an idea what she wanted to say as he watched her and nodded as he spoke quietly, "Don't worry about it. Our parents have decided on this engagement, and that's not about to change.

"I'll come visit again in a few days."

Then, he turned with a faint smile, leaving Evelyn standing there, watching quietly as he left.

His words might have offered her some reassurance, but he never really answered her question…

-

Meanwhile, Rupert was at the family altar, flipping through the wrinkled family annals.

He actually doubted Lilian's words before—how could their father bear to disown her?

And yet, he had searched through the pages over ten times, but there was no Lilian Lestrade to be found, let alone Lilian Kerr.

He did not get it—it was just one broken bowl, and she was disowned over that?

Would that erase everyone's memory that Lilian had been raised in the marquis' family?

Even if she was not of their blood, they had raised her for fifteen years—or could the relationship that lasted that long be less significant than a bowl?

Now, it was not at all shocking that Lilian was not the least thrilled to see Rupert again, or that she refused to address Rupert as her brother nor the marquise as her mother!

As Rupert breathed a long sigh, he seemed to understand Lilian for an instant… but just for an instant.

Soon, the strange rage in him flared again.

In the end, the family annals were just pieces of paper. Would her name being struck off erase the affection they had shown her over the last fifteen years?

Even a dog would wag its tail in gratitude after fifteen years of good life, but Lilian?

In the end, she was just too petty!

They had taken her back, and the marquise had assured her that nothing would change.

Was there anything wrong with getting along once more? Why did she have to be so cold?

It was especially frustrating as Rupert remembered Lilian's aloofness—it seemed that he should teach her a lesson!