PFC Chapter 553 I'm Proud of You
Chapter 553 I'm Proud of You
Chapter
Lucinda was finally led away by Bella who came up behind. Lilith only then understood the meaning of the blush on Bella's face. She saw her maid following Ram with sparkling eyes, nodding and agreeing to the lady's instructions. After being praised, she smiled shyly and cutely.
——That was clearly the look one gets when seeing an idol! She thought something had happened at the winery, and Lilith wiped her sweat.
"Leila wasn't like this when she was little."
Melissa and Lilith were standing in the corridor on the second floor of the winery. Although the beautiful lady was now dressed in a black dress, she looked no less radiant. She smiled as she watched her little daughter being carried away, then turned and winked at Lilith.
"Who could she look like like this? It's so hard to guess."
Lilith was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Melissa didn't seem to be shaken by the news of her husband's death. This strong and kind lady was still radiant. And from her words, it was easy to tell that Leila hadn't told her mother anything about her angry words. Melissa knew nothing about her life...
Lilith was silent for a moment, but she still stepped forward and hugged Melissa:
"Are you all right?"
"As long as you kids are okay, I'm okay."
Melissa generously returned her warmth to Lilith, hugging the tall girl tightly. "I'm the most sought-after guest of honor at Highgarden now. If I weren't truly tired of the food at Highgarden's banquet, I wouldn't have thought of you here."
She still had the mind to joke. Lilith felt deeply moved when she thought that her stepmother had to face Viscount Friel's funeral alone with her young daughter.
"You should have written to me. After all, I am... I am nominally his eldest daughter. It is my responsibility to help you handle everything. You came to High Court without telling me..."
It was a rare occasion for Lilith to have a reliable elder to rely on, so her voice and spine gradually softened, and she began to mutter like a spoiled child.
"Oh, you still have the nerve to say that, Lord God-descended!" Melissa finally let go of her hand and pinched Lilith's little face in an exaggerated tone.
"You even know this?" Lilith rubbed her face and murmured.
"The priests sent by the temple arrived in Tanding County almost at the same time as me." Melissa got a headache when she thought of the chaos of those days.
"They spread the word about your deeds in Tanding County, and everyone at the funeral knew about it. Tanding County is far from the center of power, and people live a comfortable and boring life. When they heard such big news, their eyes were bigger than Lucinda's, and they almost squeezed in front of me."
Melissa started walking downstairs. The workers had already reached the end of their shift, and the huge workshop was empty in a short while. Melissa was very curious about all of this, and now that no one was around, she took a closer look at the various novel facilities here.
Not hearing Lilith's footsteps catch up, she turned around and saw the girl still on the stairs, lost in thought, as if disturbed by what she said.
"Of course, I'm not like them. I'm proud of you." She put her hands on her hips and raised her head, her tone proud.
Lilith looked at Melissa in surprise.
"That trial by combat was for justice and order, wasn't it? What's more, you won!" Melissa smiled brightly.
"Can……"
Melissa took a few steps back, pulled Lilith up, and walked out without saying anything: "Not everyone is blind. I received great courtesy when I came to High Court this time. Even Knight Russell made a special trip to visit me and was very polite and considerate.
I think it is because my daughters have practiced the Taylor family's chivalry so well that I have won respect for them."
Melissa made everything sound lighthearted. Although Lilith was encouraged, she still couldn't let go of her worries. She repeatedly confirmed, "Did those priests really not give you any trouble?"
"After all, there's a funeral going on at home," Melissa said, curling her lips nonchalantly. "I'm a count after all, and I won't tolerate their disrespect. Those priests were quite sensible. They waited there for days, but couldn't see you escaping back home. Only then did they believe you were truly captured by the dragon."
It was only because they were there that Leila and I didn't dare tell Gloria about your father's death. I was worried you'd run into the church when you got back. I'm so sorry, Lilith, I hope you don't mind missing the funeral."
Of course Lilith didn't mind. To her, he was just a stranger she didn't like. She could never truly grieve over his passing like Leila did. She only cared about the people she cared about:
"Then why did you suddenly come to Highgarden? I thought you said you didn't like the capital."
"No one can do what they want, dear. This is just the boring adult world." Melissa shrugged, but continued walking. She even patted the empty wine barrels on both sides of the road. "If it weren't like this, how could your wine be so popular?"
Lilith was speechless when she heard Melissa sigh:
"Your father passed away suddenly and left no will. Distributing the estate is no small matter. As the eldest daughter, you must be involved. Moreover, Lucinda's inheritance ceremony has not yet been completed—"
"What?!" Lilith skipped over the inheritance issue and grasped the key point: "Lucinda hasn't inherited the title yet?"
Melissa smiled and said vaguely, "There are still some procedures to go through. Our Lucinda will meet the king soon."
Lilith couldn't laugh.
She was not ignorant of the ways of the world. The Gaia Empire was vast and had been operating for nearly a thousand years. There were countless nobles, both large and small. Although the law stated that meeting the king and swearing allegiance was a key step in inheriting the title, with the number of nobles in Gaia, if that were really done, the king would have nothing to do every day.
Therefore, the inheritance ceremony has long been simplified. Except for the newly enthroned nobles who still need to abide by this rule, the heirs usually do not need to make a special trip to meet the king.
Moreover, she was a magician registered with the Mages Guild and had long lost her inheritance qualifications. Lucinda was the first and only heir, and the title should have been automatically transferred after meeting the legal conditions and witnessed by local clergy.
This inexplicable inheritance ceremony seemed to be deliberately made difficult.
"I'm sorry, Melissa. It's all because of me that I caused all the trouble..." Lilith felt extremely guilty after finally finding out the truth about her stepmother and her young daughter going to the capital.
Goletia is like an ivory tower. She hides in it thinking she can stay away from the messy rules of the empire, but in reality, the responsibility that should have been borne by her is borne by her relatives.
"If you didn't stand up for that Russell girl then, you should apologize to me." Melissa's tone became more serious as she ruffled Lilith's blonde hair with her hands filled with the fragrance of roses.
"Lucinda would be proud to have a sister like you. You are her role model."
"Can--"
"No buts. I told you, this is an adult world. How could it be just because of you?" Melissa interrupted Lilith and explained the deeper story.
"The Philosopher's Stone mines in Tanding County are among the largest in the empire. With the heir so young, how could they not be coveted? They're only trying to make things difficult for us because they want to get a piece of our own flesh."
Viscount Friel passed away suddenly, leaving behind a huge inheritance. Now, in the eyes of the nobles in Highgarden, mother and daughter are two walking golden men.
What's more, this also involves royal party struggles. The king is dissatisfied with Her Royal Highness the Princess, and the Taylor family has always been clear-cut. Now that they have finally caught the opportunity for the family power transition, they naturally want to severely control them to intimidate the Princess.
Not only that, even the church was hinting that Melissa should make a contribution at this time.
"At this time?" Lilith was puzzled.
"I just heard the news, too." Melissa had already walked out of the winery with Lilith and onto the bustling streets. There was a peaceful atmosphere here, people working hard for their families, and life seemed full of hope. Melissa sighed as she gazed at the bustling city life.
"It's time for a war, Lilith."
"Oh!"
"Your Highness! Your Highness! You can't force your way in—" The guard hurriedly tried to stop the tall figure, but was stopped by a giant sword.
Catherine successfully broke into the meeting room. Her eyes were filled with fierce anger. She looked around at everyone present and shouted:
"The Millennium Covenant of the Holy War Alliance has not yet expired. How dare you provoke a war with the Forest of Elves?!"