"He has a girlfriend?"
Lilith leaned back on the seat and closed her eyes, her posture graceful.
"You seem calm about it," Eli turned to look at the road ahead as he drove.
"She is no big deal," Lilith opened her eyes, "I was surprised for a moment but then I realized she did not belong here."
’’This should be a strategic move by Ace," Lilith looked at him.
"But what strategy requires him to have a girlfriend?" Eli shook his head, "Moreover, I thought you were staying over at the place you treated like your ’home’. I didn’t expect you to call me and ask me to pick you up."
Lilith shot him a look, "She is unremarkable but I need to get to the bottom of it."
"Then, at the restaurant back then..."
"It was her," Lilith remembered the figure of that person. Even if the girl she encountered in the Main Mansion looked slimmer, it was undoubtedly her in that restaurant, "And, she seems to have that puppy."
Eli frowned but after a moment, he sighed, "When we got that puppy for Old Madam, you insisted on showing it to Adrian but we lost it near the Eve Mansion. We have searched through the entire city but Eve Mansion has been untouched. So, I wouldn’t be too surprised."
Lilith remained silent, her eyes were unreadable.
"What do you want me to do?"
After a beat, her lips moved, "Find everything about her Ella Yu."
"Ella, are you not feeling well?" As Old Madam King spoke up, all the gazes on the dining table shifted to Ella.
Ella looked up from her plate, her face was a little pale, "I am fine, Grandma..."
’’Grandma, what can happen to her?" Kade chortled, "She is the one who makes others unwell."
Old Madam King gave him a stern look.
Kade shrugged, "I am telling you, Grandma, you just don’t know her well enough. That’s why you see her as this pitiful fawn."
’’I second that," Ronan added as he ate.
Both the men turned to Ella, but much to their shock and surprise, the girl remained unresponsive to their taunts.
Ella focused on eating.
Old Madam looked at both the men, "You should spend more time with Little Ian."
’’Hmm? Hmm? Is my brother feeling lonely?" Kade peeked.
Ronan turned to her, "Do you want us to protect him from evil spirits?"
Kade gave him a look and both the men smiled. Yet, their smiles froze awkwardly when Ella did not retort to them. She did not even spare them a gaze.
’’Not that. He will teach you how to be a gentleman."
After dinner, the Old Madam retreated to her room.
Ella carried Riri and Lala in each arm. She had just approached the stairs when her path was blocked.
’’Grandma is gone. You can just drop the pretense now,’’ Kade struck a heroic pose, blowing on his golden hair.
Ronan approached, "I heard there is this audition organized in your university these days. Maybe they shouldn’t bother looking for their lead actress anymore.’’
’’Pfft!" Kade burst out in laughter, ’’Wait... why are you so well-informed about our university!"
"Cough... It’s big news."
’’But you don’t keep up with the news."
Ronan stammered, "I... I..."
’’Hey, where are you going..." Kade turned to look at Ella who had bypassed him and ascended the stairs.
Ronan also glanced in the direction where she left.
"Isn’t she acting weird? By now, she would have spewed so much poison that my insides would be burning," Kade mumbled with a small frown on his face.
Ronan agreed silently.
’’Is it because of Lilith?" Ronan completed Kade’s thoughts.
Both the men looked at each other. Eventually, Kade shrugged.
’’You have more experience with women."
Kade sighed, "See, it is common for women to be jealous of each other. But, think of it this way, why would Ella be jealous over my brother? Brother might want to live in delusion but don’t we all know that she is pretending around him? Or do you think that the woman who hated him a few months ago would suddenly fall for him overnight?"
"Shhh!" Ronan looked around. Since it was nighttime, there were no servants in sight. He grabbed Kade and pulled him outside.
As they left, they did not notice a shadow near the pillar.
The old butler stepped out of the pillar and went to the Old Madam King’s room.
"Are you speaking the truth?" Old Madam King stood up.
The butler nodded, "That’s all I heard..."
"Since the first day, I knew these two children did not have an ordinary relationship."
"Old Madam, then about Miss Yu..."
’’Forget it!" Old Madam waved a hand, "She is a good girl. I can see that Ian loves her."
’’But with the Second Master’s health condition, anything that affects his emotions is unsafe for him..."
Old Madam closed her eyes, ’’Do you suggest I separate them?"
’’I dare not!" The old butler dropped to his knees, "I am merely worried."
Old Madam helped him up by his shoulders, "Do you remember all those years ago, Little Ian had taken in an injured dove?"
’’Yes, yes, the Second Master was so young at that time yet he was meticulous in taking care of the bird."
’’His emotions were tied with the bird. When the bird flew, Ian was happy. When the bird fell, he was sad. When the bird was hurt, Little Ian felt the pain..." Old Madam King looked out of the window, gazing at the vast night sky, "I thought it would be ideal to let the bird go."
’’So you ordered me to take it far, far away."
’’Yes, and when Little Ian came to know of it, he fell sick, never once recovering from his condition for weeks. We had our people look for that bird everywhere but when they couldn’t find it, we got him a replacement that looked just the same."
The Old butler’s eyes teared up, "But Little Master could see through it right away. He never fell for it."
’’One morning, I heard the sound of Little Ian’s laughter. He sounded happier than I had ever heard him in years,’’ Old Madam King smiled, a few wrinkles gracing her dignified face, "When I went over, I saw that the bird had returned to him. All on its own. And my grandson couldn’t have been happier."
The butler nodded, reminiscing the old memory. But what followed that memory made his face blanch...