Finn regained his senses and excitedly held Lucy, saying, "Mrs. Ripley, this is wonderful! You're alive!"Lucy looked at Finn, confused. Then, she replied cluelessly, "Who is Mrs. Ripley? Are you referring to me?"Finn was at a loss.Noah didn't know who Finn was and pushed him away, guarding in front of Lucy. He asked, "Who are you? What are you doing?"Finn was confused as his eyes darted between Noah and Lucy. He noticed Lucy's distant look. Hurt, he said, "Mrs. RIpley, it's me, Finn. Don't you remember me?"Noah's eyes flickered as his heart palpitated. He immediately recalled that he saved Lucy six years ago, and she lost her memory.Did Finn know Lucy?Finn addressed Lucy as "Mrs. Ripley." Could this man be someone working for that man?Noah instantly panicked, feeling like Lucy was slipping away from his fingertips. He quickly commented, "What are you talking about? Her name is Greta Everhart, not whoever this Mrs. Ripley you're talking about is."Finn murmured, "Greta
Solomon noticed Noah's pocket and recalled Noah holding Lucy with an expectant look. He knew what was in Noah's pants pocket.Solomon tugged Elio and said, “Eli, you only care about food. Mom has gone to the kitchen. Can’t you wait a little longer?”Elio hummed in assent. “I’ll help Mom in the kitchen.”After Elio left, Solomon looked at Noah intently. Noah felt a shiver as Solomon stared him down with an authoritative gaze and demeanor. Confused, He asked, “Sully, why are you looking at me like that?”Solomon said, “Noah, were you about to propose to Mom?”Noah felt exposed by the child and blushed. “Sully, do you not want me to be part of the family?”Solomon had an unexplainable feeling in his heart. He liked Noah, and he had been caring for the family exceptionally well. Solomon reflected on the situation. If he had never known who his father was or interacted with him, perhaps he was supportive of Noah and Lucy getting together.Unfortunately, his father was within arm'
Dante walked toward Tobias in the castle the next day and carefully said, "Prince Toddy, Princess Angela insisted that you send her to her kindergarten. How do you…"Tobias lay in bed after a sleepless night. He rubbed his throbbing temple and said gruffly, "Wait."His eyes were bloodshot, but he didn't have a weak complexion. He had his usual regal and indifferent air.After a while, Tobias went to the dining room and saw Angela enjoying his breakfast.Angela asked, "Tobe, how was your sleep last night?"Tobias affectionately rubbed her hair and replied, "It's alright. I'll send you to your kindergarten after breakfast."Last night, when he thought about Greta, his head throbbed so badly that he didn't manage to sleep. He couldn't even sleep after taking sleeping pills.Tobias couldn't help but sigh."Thank you, Tobe." Angela said as she ate, "Tobe, our castle's kitchen is choosing a royal chef for you. Are you planning to supervise it personally?"Tobias said, "I'm swamped.
"Okay, Tobe."Angela walked into the kindergarten."Prince Toddy, are we heading back to the castle?"Tobias looked at Noah and Lucy. He couldn't hear what they were saying because he was at a distance, but it was a sight for sore eyes.Tobias said, "I'll drive. You find your way back."After he said that, he didn't even bat an eye at Dante, who was shocked. He sat in the driver's seat and drove off.On the other side, "Greta, what did Elio tell you earlier? What's with the secrecy?"Lucy said, "The boy is so naughty. He saw the reward notice issued by the castle yesterday in search of a royal chef for Prince Toddy, so he secretly signed me up.""Then, what time are you heading there?""10:00 am."Noah glanced at the time. "It's 8:30 am now. I'll send you there."Lucy contemplated and nodded. "Okay."They made their way to the car. When he was about to open the door, a posh car suddenly zoomed past with a loud screech. He would have flown off from the impact if it had been
Lucy glanced at the chefs around her. Each chef had a variety of meat and vegetables at their workstations, enough to make ten different types of dishes. Yet, the ingredients she had at her disposal were embarrassingly sparse.She looked at the person and coldly asked, "Miss, it's the first time we've met. I don't think there's any beef between us. Why do they have so many ingredients while I only have these?"The person retorted, "Stop asking questions. Are you going to cook? If not, leave and let the next person take your place."Lucy was rendered speechless.Elio signed her up, which was nothing more than a formality. No one was eager for her to compete here in the first place.Lucy said, "Okay, these ingredients are enough."The person coldly glared at her and left the kitchen. Lucy watched her leave and instinctively followed her.She noticed a noblewoman in an elegant, high-end gown at a corner. The noblewoman's back was facing Lucy, so she couldn't see her face."Miss, I
Dante nodded and instructed for the food to be removed. Tobias emerged from the washroom and unintentionally glanced at the plate of potato fritters that had been cast aside. Images flashed through his mind so quickly that they were hard to grasp, causing his head to instantly throb.That plate of potato fritters gave him a sense of familiarity.When the household staff was about to remove it, Tobias said, "Wait."Dante inquired, "Do you want to try this, Prince Toddy?"Tobias nodded.Then, Dante asked someone to present the potato fritters before Tobias. Tobias took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and an image appeared in his mind."Darling, have you eaten dinner yet?""No.""Darling, I made potato fritters for you. Have some."The setting was heartwarming, and it looked like a couple's home. Tobias was the man in the setting. However, the woman's face was blurry. He could only hear her voice but couldn't see what she looked like.Dante carefully reminded him. "Prince Toddy?
Lucy never expected that Elio had submitted Pattinson Residence’s address and personal information when he registered her for the competition.Dante passed her information to Tobias. Tobias read the information, and an inexplicable emotion flickered in his eyes. He was dumbfounded and surprised. “Greta Everhart! I can’t believe it’s her! Yes, what a coincidence! Turns out she's the mother of Angela’s classmate.”Waves of emotions inexplicably swirled in Tobias’ heart. After realizing how similar Greta looked to Lucy, he decided not to see her anymore, never expecting fate to toy with him this way. Tobias regretted his recklessness this morning.He needed to cut ties with her. Tobias closed the file and coldly commented, “Since she is unwilling, forget it.”“Prince Toddy, your body…”Dante was distraught. Tobias couldn't consume food like a normal person, and even if he could live on liquid nutrition, he wouldn’t live long. “Continue to find a chef," came Tobias' instructio
The twins returned the greeting. "Angela."They saw their father appearing before them, their faces flushed pink. Solomon turned his face away to hide his shyness while Elio said, "Uncle Toddy."Tobias hummed in assent and touched their heads. That brief touch felt like an electric current, sending warmth through his lonely heart. He saw no signs of Lucy and looked at Noah but stopped himself from saying anything. An apologetic look lingered in his eyes.Angela noticed nothing unusual and said, "Tobe, can I play with them at their place?"Tobias said, "You might bother them."Elio said, "She won't be. We're about to get some stew. It's more fun to share the meal with more people."He tugged Noah's sleeve and whispered, "Noah, can they come with us?"Noah affectionately smiled, answering, "If you guys don't mind, please join us for dinner."Before Tobias could respond, Angela said, "We don't."Tobias felt helpless. He was putty in his sister's hands and had no choice but to c
Lucy heard what Tobias said and didn't dare to look at him. She lowered her gaze, allowing tufts of hair in front of her forehead to conceal her emotions. "Why would I feel jealous? I don't love you."Tobias heard the last part of her sentence and felt as if countless insects were gnawing on his heart, making him feel itchy and painful. Both of them fell quiet, and things were a little awkward between them."The doctor's here, Prince Toddy.""Let him in."The doctor entered the bedroom and brought with him medical equipment of his own. He did a series of checkups on Lucy and said, "It's the same diagnosis as before, Prince Toddy. Her internal organs remain untouched, but she was wounded severely on the outside. "We need to apply a specialized ointment on her skin. Otherwise, she will have scars."Tobias said, "What are you waiting for, then? Get us the specialized ointment.""I've given you all of them, Prince Toddy. Use it wisely for now. The only person who possessed these sp
It seemed like Tobias was afraid that Lucy might reject him again. He added, "You haven't gone home for an entire night, Greta. Sully and Eli are extremely worried about you. I didn't want to alarm them, so I lied and said you're staying in the castle as a guest."If you insist on going back and letting them see you in this state, the twins would be worried and scared. Wouldn't you say?"Solomon and Elio were Lucy's weak spots. Initially, she was determined to leave. However, she hesitated when she heard what he said. Lucy lowered her head and looked at herself. Her limbs were injured, and her fingers were slightly bent. She was trembling ceaselessly as well. It looked as if her joints were distorted, giving off the impression that she was a disabled person. On top of that, Lucy's skin was cracked open from all the lashes. She looked absolutely terrifying. If she showed up in front of Solomon and Elio, looking like this, she would definitely traumatize them. With that said, Luc
Staying in the castle for the long term? Elio, who was a curious and mischievous kid, thought about the lavishing and magnificent castle, and his eyes sparkled. He responded to Tobias without any hesitation, "I do!"Meanwhile, Solomon wasn't interested in the castle that much. He wanted to spend some time with Tobias. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to see Noah anymore if he went to the castle. So, he stuttered and said, "I don't."Elio looked at Solomon in confusion. The latter seemed to see through the former's bewilderment, and he asked, "Do you honestly think we can do whatever we want in the castle, just like the way we lived at the farm? "Moreover, we won't be able to see Noah anymore once we move there."Noah might've been a stepfather, but he took a huge place in the twins' hearts. Tobias was disappointed when he heard what Solomon said. "Do you two care about Noah very much?"Solomon responded, "Of course!" He considered his stepfather to be a good father. Tobia
Tobias used the military authority to his advantage and swiftly subdued Killian and all the leaders of his faction. All of them were incarcerated by the royal guards, and the signals were jammed. Not even God himself could help Killian and his ilk now. All they could do was sit on their thumbs in their respective homes. Moreover, Tobias revoked Killian's dukedom and stripped the latter of his military authority over Killian's negligence in Marie's education. After all, she drugged a prince. Now, Killian was nothing but a loser.Killian flew into a rage. "Damn it. King Samson had to show me some respect, but Toddy just disrespected me. How dare he lock me up at my home and make me a laughingstock in front of the entire world?""Marie has been imprisoned in the dungeon for a long time now, Kilian. What if she can't take it?""I'll never let her die!" Killian bellowed. "Did they think I command only the factions in the castle? They have grossly underestimated me."Killian couldn't
Tobias accompanied Lucy and looked after her carefully. News of Marie's arrest quickly made its way to Samson. Once he knew what happened, he was enraged at her actions. Before he had time to comfort Tobias, Marie's father, Killian Lemoine, rushed into the castle in a fit of rage. "King Samson. Prince Toddy actually ordered his men to arrest Marie for the sake of a civilian. Do you have no respect for me as a duke?" Killian ordered angrily, "Release Marie at once. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it."Samson slammed the table. "Are you trying to launch a mutiny, Killian?"Killian responded, "All I want is for my daughter to be safe and sound. If someone so much as touches her hair, I won't mind going up against the throne to the bitter end!""Why, you!" Samson was agitated. "You are feeling heartbroken for what happened to your daughter, but Lucy was also her parent's sweetheart. Why haven't you thought about how poorly you've educated Marie while she did those heinous acts?""I
Lucy cried out, "Get away from me!"The royal guards acted like starving wolves. They pounced at Lucy and tore her clothes to pieces, making her look even more miserable. At the critical moment, a figure flashed past them. A thudding sound could be heard as one of the royal guards was sent flying into the air. Every time Tobias swung his fist, he sent another royal guard flying. He bellowed coldly, "How dare you lay your grubby paws on what belongs to me? Death has come for all of you!""Prince Toddy." The royal guards immediately felt that something was wrong and fell to their knees, their faces drained of color. "Take all of them away!"Lucy was downright miserable. There were filthy liquids and blood all over her body. On top of that, her hands and feet were covered in bloodied welts. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was pale. It felt as if she was one touch away from passing away.Tobias' heart seemingly stopped beating. He was so heartbroken that the veins on his fo
Someone stole Duchess Lemoine's necklace.Tobias felt that this was something fishy, but he couldn't be bothered by it now. His head throbbed as he thought about how he had forced himself on Lucy. He said, "Dante, do you think Greta will hate me?"Dante stuttered, "Ms. Everhart was f-furious when she left and asked you n-not to look for her. Otherwise…"He stopped himself from finishing his sentence.Tobias asked, "Otherwise?"Trembling, Dante said, "Otherwise, s-she would beat you up each time she saw you."Tobias massaged his throbbing temple. "Prepare all the shoes, clothes, and accessories any woman would like. They need to be the best in the world. I'll apologize to her when dawn breaks.""Okay."Tobias stood by the bedside, heavy-hearted.Outside the window, the guards were scouring high and low. When Tobias saw what was happening, his eyes twitched for some unknown reason, as if he had an ominous feeling that something terrible had happened.After finishing breakfast a
At 3:00 am, Lucy felt like her bones were about to shatter.That damned man! How long had he been starving himself? He had come onto her seven times, devouring her completely.Tobias was sound asleep. Lucy lost herself for a second as she stared at his handsome face. At that moment, her heart beat wildly. When she regained her senses, she was so furious that she cursed him out internally.She wanted to help out of kindness but ended up giving herself to him. Lucy didn't want anything to do with him anymore and only wanted to remember this as an unfortunate event.Lucy got up, but her legs were so weak that she collapsed on the floor with a thump. She was even more furious.She turned to look at Tobias, who was fast asleep. She conveniently took her clothes from the bed and left while supporting herself on the wall.The corridor was still empty, but Lucy noticed the guards surrounding the entrance when she arrived on the first floor. Dante was also there. He was dozing off from wa
"Hmm… L-let go."Lucy tried to resist, but Tobias' kiss was like an ever-burning flame. She felt uncontrollably weak in her knees. It was hard for her to breathe, as if her mind was foggy from the lack of oxygen. She even kissed him back fiercely.Her kiss, in return, was like a fuse being lit, igniting the burning passion in Tobias. He aggressively ripped open her clothes, but the intricate design of her gown made it difficult to tear off. Lucy regained her senses and forcefully pushed him away.Tobias was caught off guard. With a loud knock, he collapsed on the floor. He moaned in pain as the back of his head hit the floor hard.His face flushed with an unnatural shade of red. He curled his body up in agony, and his voice sounded gruff. He had the last ounce of rationality in him. "Help me…"Lucy was blushing as well. In shock, she exclaimed, "What's the matter with you?"She walked closer to him and realized something was wrong with Tobias, assuming he had eaten something upse