Ch. 1871..1880

Chapter 1871 Experience

No matter what, Mylo had a girlfriend before. Maybe it wasn't a bad relationship, and he had some good experience.

“How should I make a woman fall in love with me?”

Danrique was eager to know the answer to that question.

“This...” Mylo mulled over it briefly and answered honestly, “You have to be good-looking. Women like handsome men.”

Danrique scanned his features in the mirror and nodded his head with satisfaction. Okay, I have that. “Secondly, you need to be romantic.” Mylo continued, “Women love receiving presents, such as flowers and jewelry. You need to create a romantic atmosphere too, like bringing her to dinner at a beautiful setting.”

Danrique’s eyes brightened at the suggestion and ordered Sean, “Note it down.”

"Yes, Sir.” Sean immediately wrote it down in his notebook.

“Thirdly, all women love heroes. They want men to save them when they're in a dangerous situation. “I saved my girlfriend from a group of hooligans. She was so touched by my rescue that she willingly ran into my embrace.”

Mylo ruffled his head shyly.

Danrique gestured at Sean to take note on it.

Sean recorded Mylo’s advice word for word in his notebook.

“Is there anything else?” Danrique questioned

“There's one more, and this is the most important one.” Mylo was hesitant to say it. “I'm not sure if I should say it.”

“Say it,” Danrique demanded.

"Um..." Mylo’s face blushed red as he felt more nervous.

“There are only men here. There isn't anything that you can't say here.” Sean urged, “Spit it out.” "You need to have a strong sex ability.” Mylo continued warily, “Men have to take the lead in sex. If they're skilled, they'll get women falling for them easily.

“Women will only have sex for love at the start, but they'll love you for the sex in the end. A sexual relationship is like a rope. The tighter you twist it, the harder it is to unwind it. So you need to always be close to her and provide her with perfect sexual experiences.”

Feeling embarrassed, Sean coughed dryly into his fist at Mylo’s advice. “I thought you said you had your relationship when you were a teen. How do you know all these?”

“I was young then, so naturally, I didn't know anything about relationships. However, I'm an adult now, and I frequently watch movies on the internet. That's how I know all these. On some occasions, I would head to the bar with Sloan during the holidays to gain some experience.”

Mylo noticed he was straying from the topic, so he swiftly explained, “Mr. Lindberg, we're only there for a beer and some chit-chat with the ladies. We had never revealed anything related to the Lindberg family.”

"How do you gain experience at the bar?”

Danrique knew they wouldn't betray him, so he wasn't worried about them revealing any secrets. He cared more about how to gain experience quickly.

"You can see how the men flirt with the women at the bar. Talking to some pretty women can give you an insight as to what women like and dislike.”

Mylo got more excited as he spoke. “Anyhow, having only the theory isn't going to help you in a romantic relationship. You need to have experience.”

Danrique listened to him attentively and agreed with his viewpoint.

"All right.” Sean had noted down everything. “Is there anything else?"

“I don't think so.” Mylo pondered briefly and replied hesitantly, “I only know that much.”

“Think about it after you get back. If you have more advice, report it to me,” Danrique instructed. “Yes, Sir."

Mylo felt like he had just received an important mission.

“You're dismissed,” Sean said.

Mylo saluted Danrique and left.

“Prepare according to Mylo’s advice,” Danrique ordered Sean.

“Yes, Sir.” Sean complied and asked, “But what kind of flowers does Ms. Cece like?”

 

Chapter 1872 Study Material

"Find me some of everything, jewelry, necklaces, you know, and the like. Find out what girls like, buy everything.”

She's going to see how much she means to me when she wakes up tomorrow morning!

The study fell silent as Sean left at once to make the necessary arrangements.

Without wasting a second, Danrique began entering a series of search queries with his tablet. What's a girl's favorite gift?

How to capture a girl's heart.

How to fall in love?

The Art of Love.

To Danrique’s astonishment, there were so many sources of information on the Internet that the input of those stupid bodyguards was completely unnecessary.

Taking great care to organize his findings, Danrique jotted them down in a notebook for later use. His curiosity not satiated, he began searching again. How to kiss.

Conscious that he was about to tread into unknown territory, Danrique waited nervously for the page to load with the resemblance of a child facing an exam.

The search engine returned a fascinating array of techniques supplemented by video tutorials. Danrique opened a link and found that it was a couple about to demonstrate and explain the art of kissing.

With the ardor of a curious student, he studied the video earnestly and carefully.

Before he could prepare for it, Francesca's figure appeared in his mind and caused an involuntary blush that preceded the quickening of his pulse. Undeterred, he persevered and moved on to the all-important question with increased boldness.

After displaying a series of harrowing pop-up advertisements, his tablet promptly displayed an unresponsive blue screen as its final act of defiance and horror at the depravity of its master. Danrique stared at his device in amazement. After several more tries, he still could not resurrect it. It was only then that Danrique recalled that he had had especially strong firewalls installed to bolster the cybersecurity of his home in order to prevent the invasion of hackers. Once an unsafe webpage was opened, the system would automatically shut down

Turns out that this system has been put in place to exert control over me.

Embarrassed yet stony-faced, Danrique summoned Sean and gave him two tasks. The first was to deal with the firewall problem in such a way that nobody would ever find out about it. The second was to find him some adult films for his self-proclaimed academic purposes.

Sean gazed at Danrique incredulously upon hearing the second mission.

Is he serious?

"As soon as possible,” Danrique repeated urgently. “Also, keep that a secret as well. Nobody is to know.”

"Yes, Sir.” Sean strode away quickly to hide his scandalized expression. Why did I have to be a trusted confidant of his? Now I'm handling all of these embarrassing errands and not a soul to complain to!

As he had never had a girlfriend, Sean, too, was clueless as to where to begin executing his employer's request. He did not even know what adult film meant.

Danrique retired to his chambers while Sean searched with increasing desperation for those on his mobile phone. Due to not even knowing what to search for, he found himself frustratedly empty- handed after hours of aimless browsing.

Near tears in despair, Sean enlisted the help of Mylo and Sloan again.

"What can we do for you, Sean?” Mylo asked with hushed excitement as if he had become Sean's secret informant.

“I've never actually been in a relationship, Sean,” said Sloan cautiously, worried about his secrets coming to light. “I'm not sure if I would be of much help.”

“I have an urgent task for you boys, but you need to keep it a secret.”

Sean lowered his voice as if he was setting up a very rigorous and dangerous mission.

"Go ahead, Sean.” Mylo and Sloan waited solemnly.

"Er..." Sean hesitated before gritting his teeth resignedly and blurting, “Find me some adult films.” Sloan and Mylo exchanged a flabbergasted glance. “What's an adult film?” Sloan asked loudly. “Idiot! Don't you remember?” Mylo lowered his voice, “That thing I showed you.”

Sloan blushed suddenly, which was all the confirmation Sean needed.

“Since you've seen it, I'm sure you have a collection, don’t you?” he said at once. “Hurry up and send it to me.”

"You got us, Sean.” Mylo scratched his head embarrassedly, “I have several gigabytes of material, though. What kind would you like, Sean?”

“We'll start with a few simple ones for virgins first.”

 

Chapter 1873 The Art And Science Of Love

"Are you still a virgin, Sean?” Mylo's eyes widened with shock. “No way!”

"Why not?” Sean shouted as he flushed crimson. “Enough chattering and send it to me quickly!” Mylo nodded fervently. “I'll search through my collection for something you asked for and have it sent to you as soon as I can.”

“The ones you gave me seem to be what Sean needs, don't they?” Sloan asked sheepishly. “Here, Sean. I have a copy in my phone.”

Sean was so mortified to the point that he was at that point contemplating starting a new life abroad at a place where no one knew his shame.

Danrique was toweling his hair dry after a shower when he received a message on his phone. He picked it up and saw that it was a video clip sent by Sean.

In his haste to his phone, he had forgotten to proceed with caution when his phone which had been on maximum volume suddenly shrieked with a pair of the most awful sounds Danrique had ever heard.

He was so frightened that he threw his phone across the room from him as if it were a grenade. The screams bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the house. Horrified, Danrique dived to retrieve his phone and turned off the sound. Heaving a sigh of relief, he continued to peruse the muted video.

While he was studying the writhing characters, Danrique suddenly widened his eyes unblinkingly. Is this even possible?

Not daring to watch another second, Danrique skipped ahead as he tried to look for something more wholesome.

His quest failing miserably, Danrique gave up soon after and started another one.

This time, there was an introductory plot. Danrique shifted a little straighter in the hopes of learning something useful.

Quickly growing weary about the ridiculously shallow plot between the young and attractive couple, Danrique turned off the second video as well.

After serious consideration of the matter, he decided against spending his time just sabotaging his self-esteem.

I'll learn something more useful from innocent romance novels. At least there are detailed instructions on how to fall in love and how to kiss.

With a newfound determination at hand, Danrique summoned Sean for another task. What she needs to see is the pureness of my intentions toward her. For that, I need to learn the art and science of love. Other things can wait.

Sean received his instructions through the call. Though embarrassed beyond belief, he maintained his stoic professionalism and summoned Mylo.

“This is what I'm after. Gather all you can and send it to me as soon as possible.”

After hanging up the phone, Mylo called Sloan. “Sean has an assignment for you,” he said seriously, “find some romantic films and send them to me.”

“I have some of those,” Sloan replied eagerly. “Novels of that genre too, if you like. They're really well written.”

“Great, send them all to me.”

“Already on it.”

Through a series of secretive forwarding, the romantic films and novels Danrique asked for eventually reached him.

Leaning on his elbow, he reached over to turn on the bedside lamp to locate his silver-rimmed glasses. Grabbing a pen and notebook ready, he began to note as he read.

Like any other craft, love can be mastered through hard work and setting realistic goals.

Sean sighed at the lights coming from the crack beneath Danrique’s door. “Love channels can consumes a man's entire being.”

“This proves that Mr. Lindberg is quite serious about this Ms. Cece.” Gordon was optimistic. “It's about time, too. Mr. Lindberg has never felt the warmth of a family since he was a child. With the appearance of such a lovely girl who makes him happy, he won't have to spend the future alone.” “I hope so,” Sean said wistfully, though with the slightest hint of doubt in his eyes about Ms. Cece. Francesca was greeted by the smell of flowers when she woke up the following morning. As she got up and sniffed hopefully around, she noticed that there was nothing unusual in the room. The fragrance of flowers seems to be coming from outside.

Her mounting curiosity getting the better of her, Francesca put on her coat and opened the door only to be rooted to the spot in absolute shock.

Everywhere in sight, from along the corridor, through the banisters of the spiral staircase, to across the tables of the living room, flowers of every variety included, but not limited to, roses, lilies, carnations, sunflowers, and gypsophila, adorned every logistically sound surface.

Francesca pinched herself absently. This sight truly is a dream.

 

Chapter 1874 Unexpected Surprise

Flowers were very rare in a city like Xendale which snowed all year round.

It was no easy feat to procure so many flowers overnight, and even harder to arrange them within that span.

Francesca gazed about the castle in ecstasy which looked like it was rejuvenated overnight.

Having grown up in the mountains, Francesca had a soft spot for flowers. From as young as she could remember, she seemed to have a special affinity with flowers, plants, and small animals. When she first arrived, the castle existed within a spectrum of only blue and grey.

The dazzling embellishment of flowers turned it into a warm and romantic place.

Even the servants were affected. Their newfound joy was a pleasant change from their cautious and formal demeanors. Every one of them wore bright smiles on their faces that morning as if in anticipation of a major celebration

“Do you like it?" A familiar voice came from behind.

Francesca turned and saw Danrique coming out of his room. He looked immaculately beautiful clad wholly in white. The gentle smile across his lips was the icing on the cake.

"Did you do all of this?” Francesca asked happily.

“Guilty.” Danrique was delighted at her smile. “I bought other gifts too. I hope you like them.” “What else did you get me?” Francesca asked curiously.

“You'll find out later.” Danrique smiled mysteriously and brushed a strand of hair away from her ear so that she did not miss his whisper. “I'll wait for you downstairs.”

His hot breath washing over the delicate skin of her ears sent a delicious current down her spine. With a great shuddering breath, Francesca felt her whole body turning prematurely sore.

Before she could react, he brushed her shoulder and went downstairs without another backward glance at her.

Francesca was rooted to the spot.

What's gotten into him? Since when did he behave like this?

Meanwhile, Danrique smirked at the tangible proof of Francesca’s nervousness. The skills from the romance novels are being put to good use!

Francesca rubbed her tingling ears and returned to her bedroom and pondered Danrique’s strange behavior as she fell onto the couch.

At that moment, there came a knock on the door followed by Norah's voice. “May we come in, Ms. Cee?”

“You may!” Francesca responded lazily.

Norah pushed the door and led a dozen maids into Francesca's chambers, each holding an exquisite gift box in her hand.

Francesca gazed at them blankly for several seconds before shaking her head in astonishment. “What's this for?”

“These are gifts prepared by Mr. Lindberg for you, Ms. Cece.” Norah smiled and gestured.

As one, the maids stood in a line before Francesca and opened the box in their hands for her inspection

Francesca rolled off the couch to get a closer look. Upon recognizing what they were, her eyes bulged excitedly.

A sparkling array of priceless jewelry which included ruby necklaces, sapphire rings, and diamond necklaces glinted before her beady eyes.

Francesca stretched out her trembling hands and touched them one by one. “Are all these for me?” she asked excitedly.

"Of course.” Norah answered with a smile. “Mr. Lindberg had them prepared for you.”

"Oh my god!” Francesca was overjoyed and whispered to herself in Chanaean, “I wouldn't have run away if I knew he’s this generous!”

Norah didn't understand her. “I beg your pardon, Ms. Cece? What did you say?”

"I said,” she repeated loudly and slowly, “I like it very much. Please thank him for me.” Slightly incoherent with excitement, Francesca shook herself. “Please set the gifts down, everyone. It looks so tiring.”

“Yes, Ms. Cece.” Norah gestured at the maids who promptly placed all jewelry on the bed before bowing and retreating.

“Let me do your hair today, Ms. Cece,” Norah offered. “Mr. Lindberg is awaiting your presence at the breakfast table.”

“No need,” Francesca said at once. “I can manage. You may leave.”

“Yes, Ms. Cece. I'll be right outside if you need me.”

 

Chapter 1875 Wages Of Toil

Francesca threw himself on the bed as soon as the room was empty once again and let the jewels fall through her trembling fingers. “I'm going to be rich!”

The number of precious jewels on her bed at that instant was almost comparable to all the wealth she possessed in the world.

Danrique is far richer than I thought. Could I possibly achieve my dream of achieving financial freedom and traveling the world by the age of thirty ahead of schedule?

Francesca was beginning to grow comfortable with the idea of having somebody as tolerable as Danrique who was willing to pamper her all her life.

In fact, she mused, it wasn't a bad life at all.

I could just stay here.

Francesca was about to succumb to temptation when she roused herself with a fierce little shake of her head. No! Not like this like this. If I stay, I'll have to get married and have children. Having a baby really hurts. Worst of all, Ill be chained for life after having a child. It'll be too late for me to leave then

Being used to a free life, Francesca felt suffocated at the very thought of being tied down. Preferring to take her own orders, she hated being involved in a large family filled with schemers and politics. With the exception of medicine, Francesca did not enjoy exerting her mind much for any other cause. She could not see herself engaged in a never-ending mind game with people whose names she could not remember anyway.

Donald and Eva have shown themselves over the past couple of days. I wonder what other surprises lie in wait?

At that gloomy thought, Francesca replaced the jewelry back into their boxes once more.

The only wage I can accept is the one I toiled for.

Though she charged exorbitant amounts in medical fees, with a myriad of expenses cunningly tacked on, Francesca justified her income as rightfully earned.

This feels different. Danrique gave them to be because he wants to establish a relationship with me. Since I don't plan on staying, it wouldn't feel right to accept.

The door creaked open while she was lost in thought.

Danrique strode in gracefully and gazed at her tenderly. “Do you like them?”

“I do.” Francesca sat up from the bed, her eyes never leaving the jewelry. “I really do.”

“I'm glad you do.” Danrique smiled warmly. “Pick something to wear to the banquet tonight.” Francesca’s mouth hung open. “You're taking me to a banquet?”

Danrique nodded. “Don’t worry, nobody will dare pick on you with me around.”

“No.” Francesca pushed the jewelry away from her a little too quickly. “I can’t accept them.”

"Why not?” Danrique looked at her suspiciously.

"I didn’t work for them,” Francesca answered bluntly. “Though it is very well received, I can't accept such expensive gifts from you.”

"Why not? You are my fiancée.” Danrique frowned as a thought occurred to him. “I knew it. You hate them.”

“No, I do like them! So much.” Francesca cast another reluctant gaze at the jewelry. “But I can't marry you.”

"Who said anything about marriage?” Danrique shrugged. “Accept it if you like it, or throw it away if you don't.”

Francesca seemed to be undergoing an intense mental struggle, which her frequent gazes at the jewelry did not help.

Danrique noticed her hesitance. Without warning, he grabbed the jewelry and threw them out the window.

"Are you crazy?” Francesca howled as she hurried over to the window and peered down. The jewelry had already fallen out of sight into the dense layer of snow that covered the castle grounds.

In her panic, she leaped out of the window.

Chapter 1876 Coax Him

Danrique dashed forward a moment too late, only managing to grasp at the thin air her arm used to be moments before. By the time he realized what had happened, Francesca was already soaring out of the window with her arms outstretched.

Danrique was about to follow suit when he found to her relief that she had landed safely and was busy rummaging for missing jewelry in the snow.

Although her bedroom was only situated on the second floor, it was still forty feet above the ground. Inexplicably, it did not even seem like a superhuman feat to her.

Under the increasingly heavy snowfall, Francesca brushed the snowflakes off of her shoulders impatiently. Despite being clad in only a thin gauze skirt, the cold did not seem important enough to pause her search.

Even more suspiciously, the sprightly movements with which she plodded atop the snow barefooted were most unlike that of a frail woman in convalescence.

Danrique squinted his eyes and looked at her, his eyes flickering with a spark of recognition. What a familiar looking back.

"Oh, Ms. Cece!” Norah appeared anxiously with a coat at the ready. “Aren“t you a little underdressed? What are you looking for out here by yourself? Come in, you're going to catch a cold.”

“I'm looking for the jewels your idiotic master has thrown out of the window," Francesca blurted aloud in her anxiety. “I couldn't find them anywhere.”

Her voice rang clearly up the castle walls and reached Danrique’s ears who frowned at the unflattering title.

“Come in quickly, please. I'll have someone look for it for you. We will find every single gemstone there is.”

Norah draped the coat over Francesca’s shoulders. “It's freezing today. We must warm you up and ensure that you'll be fit enough to attend the banquet with Mr. Lindberg tonight.”

"What banquet? I'm not going anywhere!” Francesca retorted, her mind occupied with nothing else but the lost jewelry.

The glint of a topaz caught Francesca's eye. She pounced and extracted a beautiful topaz necklace from a mound of snow. Slipping it carefully into her pocket, she resumed her search.

Norah had no choice but to summon several bodyguards to join in the treasure hunt.

With the additional pairs of hands, most of the lost gems were recovered swiftly.

After the men swore that there was none left to be found, Francesca counted her loot and found seven pieces. However, the total number of items that had been flung out of the window by Danrique remained unknown to her as they had been contained in two large boxes.

Cradling the jewelry as if they were fragile, she dashed back upstairs for another tally.

After ordering the bodyguards to resume their search in the snow, Norah escorted Francesca back to the castle.

Two maids immediately came over with more coats and blankets to drape over her cold body. Francesca was about to head up the stairs when Danrique descended gracefully. “Why did you throw them out, you lunatic?” she asked angrily.

“I told you that you're free to throw it out if you don't like them.”

Danrique could not be indifferent, as if it was not something worth mentioning.

“It was through my efforts to have recovered them,” Francesca said quickly as she clutched the jewelry against her chest, for fear of being robbed by him again. “They're mine now.”

Danrique nodded. “Sure.”

Francesca threw one last suspicious glare at him before disappearing upstairs to count her loot and found everything else accounted for except for a ruby ring.

In her panic, Francesca was about to dive out of the window again when Norah hurriedly grabbed her. “The walls are exceptionally high, Ms. Cece. You'll hurt yourself.”

“l won't! I did it earli-"

Francesca stopped herself just in time. She was just beginning to realize how reckless she had been by defying all expectations of a frail woman with a gunshot wound by leaping out of the window without a second thought.

Danrique might have noticed something amiss.

“Please, Ms. Cece,” bleated Norah earnestly. Change out of these wet clothes and go have breakfast with Mr. Lindberg. Leave the ruby ring to me.”

“I think Mr. Lindberg seems a little angry,” she added with a wink. “You should coax him.”

Francesca was speechless with indignation. “On what grounds? He threw the things, didn't he?”

on

“Forget it, Norah,” Francesca cut across flatly. “I'm going back out for the ring.

Francesca stowed the jewelry away safely, put on her boots and coat, and went back out to the cold for the remainder.

Finders, keepers.

Chapter 1877 Melodrama

Danrique was at that moment sipping his coffee at the dining table. Expecting her to join him at the table at the sight of Francesca descending the stairs, he was most displeased to see her running out into the cold again.

Norah jogged in Francesca's determined wake as she fretted. “Be careful, Ms. Cece! There's a chilly gale today.”

Francesca did not look back. A second later, she disappeared into the dense curtain of freshly falling snow.

Danrique was aghast at the blatant display of stubbornness.

I did everything right. Despite giving her flowers and jewels, she was not even moved to tears like the films depicted! It seems she doesn't even like jewelry. Right, I almost forgot that she’s an unusual one. The laws of common sense don't apply to her.

“We're running late, Sir.” Gordon appeared with an update. “You have an important meeting at ten o'clock where the three families will be in attendance.”

Danrique set his mug down and strode out while pulling his coat over himself.

Gordon and the others followed at a respectful distance.

Danrique walked out of the main hall and was about to get into the car where the chauffeur was waiting when he paused to watch Francesca who remained on the prowl for something under the lighthouse not far from where he stood.

Norah was still fussing over her. “You're going to catch a cold if you don't put on a coat, Ms. Cece.” Francesca ignored her. Equipped with a stick, she used it as a shovel to brush aside the increasingly thick layer of snow.

“Didn’t you boys already find everything?” Danrique asked the bodyguard stationed next to him. “What's she doing?”

“It seems that there is still a ruby ring that has not been recovered, Sir,” the bodyguard responded smartly.

Danrique was too irritated to feel concerned anymore. Just as he was about to get into the car, a maid suddenly screamed. “Look!”

Danrique whipped around at the sound and spotted a small white squirrel holding the coveted ruby as it stood on an overhead branch.

Apparently confusing it for an acorn, it gnawed at it a few times before realizing that it was inedible. At a complete loss, it merely stared blankly at the ruby.

"So that's where it's been all along!” Francesca exclaimed as she extended a hand toward the squirrel. “Come here, little one!”

“It won't understand you, Ms. Cece,” Norah explained patiently, quite convinced that Francesca had lost it. Not to worry, Ms. Cece, I'll have someone to catch it.”

Norah was about to summon somebody when the squirrel hopped onto her shoulders at her whistle as it held the ruby ring out with both paws like an offering.

With a triumphant cheer, Francesca took the ruby ring and gently stroked the squirrel's head. “You are such a stunning creature!”

White squirrels were rare, only native to cold regions like Xendale. The one that Francesca had befriended must have been out on a foraging mission when it had mistaken the ruby ring for food. “Bring some pine nuts for him,” Francesca ordered.

"Yes, Ms. Cece.” A maid immediately went to fetch some.

Danrique’s eyes glinted strangely at the spectacle.

“I didn’t know Ms. Cece has such a gift with animals,” Sean said wistfully.

“It's just a squirrel,” Danrique said dismissively before entering the car and found himself interrupted yet again.

Francesca approached him with the white squirrel on her shoulder and the ruby ring on her finger. Despite having his eyes fixed on her, Francesca did not meet Danrique’s gaze.

His resentment brewing at her insolence, he retracted his gaze before getting into the car.

At that very moment, Gordon hurried over with two boxes in his arms. “This is the custom-made jewelry you asked for, Mr. Lindberg. And here are several sets of jewelry from the auction which will be delivered over in a couple of days, according to the auction house..”

Jewelry?

Francesca's eyes lit up at the mention of the magic word. “What is this?” she leaned closer and sniffed the air hopefully.

“It's customized jewelry that Mr. Lindberg had made for you, Ms. Cece.”

Gordon opened the case to reveal a gleaming diamond necklace nestled within.

The main stone, at least thirty-six carats, was surrounded by smaller diamonds all around. Their multifaceted brilliance dazzled like stars in the sky under the bland wintry sun.

Francesca's eyes bulged. Despite her impressive collection, she still lacked a diamond necklace. Especially one as gorgeous as that. I wonder how much it's worth?

“I knew Ms. Cece would like it,” Gordon said happily.

“Return it,” Danrique snapped.

 

Chapter 1878 Regrets

"Ah?" Stunned, Gordon muttered, “Mr. Lindberg, this..."

Equally shocked, Francesca asked, “W-Why?"

“I thought you didn’t like jewelry?” Danrique shot her a cold glare before adding, “You tried to reject it several times this morning. Since you don't like it, why force you to accept it?”

HL.

Francesca badly wanted to say that she liked the gift, yet she could not bring herself to utter those words.

A furious Danrique entered the car instead of waiting for her to reply.

Meanwhile, Gordon remained frozen to the spot in indecision.

Sean whispered in his ear, “Just follow his orders and return the jewelry.”

After that, Sean followed Danrique into the car.

Gordon could only close the jewelry box and address one of the bodyguards, Mylo, “You know what to do with it?"

“Yes.” Mylo lowered his head and acknowledged Gordon's orders. “I'll return the item right away.” As he spoke, Mylo lifted the box and left with several people in tow.

Francesca stared at the box longingly.

It's fine. I already got seven sets of jewelry. Losing this one necklace isn't a big deal. We shouldn't be too greedy, after all.

Gordon lamented, “What a shame! That necklace was Moon River's Heart. It's one-of-a-kind, and Mr. Lindberg pulled a lot of strings to buy it. It's worth three hundred million!”

"What?" Francesca's eyes widened in astonishment as she exclaimed, “Did you just say that the necklace was worth three hundred million? What currency is that? M Nation's?”

"Of course! Returning it now is such a waste of betrothal money.”

Francesca was rendered speechless.

Three hundred million in M Nation's currency?

She suddenly asked, “T-Then, how much were the other jewelry worth?”

She was so agitated that her words came out as stutters.

“The seven sets of jewelry are worth over ninety million combined, just shy of a hundred million. Mr. Lindberg bought those directly from jewelry retailers. Moon River's Heart was an exception. It belonged to the collection of one of Mr. Lindberg's business associates, who only sold it to Mr. Lindberg because he personally asked to buy it,” said Gordon.

Francesca’s legs gave out, and she almost fell flat on the floor.

“What's wrong, Ms. Cece? Norah hurried forward to help her to her feet and muttered, “Is the weather too cold for your knees? Come on! Let's go inside.”

Francesca's lips trembled. She felt as though she could cry.

Without a word, she allowed Norah to help her into the house.

Gordon asked worriedly, “Should we get you checked out by a doctor?”

His question met with Francesca's silence.

The woman was presently stewing silently in regret.

Why? Why did Danrique pretend it was no big deal when he gave me the jewelry? Why did I have to reject his gift? Why couldn't I just receive it happily? All that talk about wages from toil is b*licr*p! A gift is a gift; I didn't steal or rob for it. Why can't I receive it? I can't live off of dignity alone. Urgh! I won't be this stupid again!

The more she thought about it, the more Francesca regretted her earlier actions. Morose and furious, she could not even stomach breakfast and sprawled dejectedly across her bed once she returned to her room.

Mistakenly believing that she had caught a cold, Norah prepared some warm fruit tea and even summoned a doctor to check on Francesca.

Francesca eventually asked them all to leave her alone.

She wanted to reflect on her poor decisions and figure out what was going on in her dumb, self- sabotaging brain.

When Norah delivered lunch to the room at noon, she asked cautiously, “How are you feeling, Ms Cece? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Would you like to take any medicine?”

“I'm fine.” Francesca began to feel her hunger, and she got off the bed to eat.

“That's great to hear.” Norah heaved a sigh of relief before continuing, “After lunch, you should select a gown and some jewelry for the banquet tonight. We're setting off at five in the evening.” "What banquet? I'm not going.” Francesca was utterly disinterested.

Norah coaxed her as though she was a petulant kid. “Mr. Lindberg rarely attends banquets, and he wants to bring you along. It's your first public appearance, and it's really important. Please don't be stubborn.”

Francesca was about to argue with Norah when a light bulb flashed in her mind. I can't spend my days trapped in this castle forever. Perhaps Ill have a chance to escape by attending this banquet outside.

 

Chapter 1879 Dressing Up

As the thought of a potential opportunity to escape crossed her mind, Francesca replied to Norah, "Anything's fine with me. You can pick any gown or jewelry.”

“That's great. I'll arrange for a stylist right away.” With that, Norah scurried off to get in touch with other household staff.

Francesca gobbled up the delicious lunch before preparing to take a nap. She mumbled, “I want to sleep for a bit. Wake me up a little later.”

“Sure. I'll wake you up at three. You still need to shower and do makeup and get dressed for the banquet.”

"Hmm."

Francesca flipped over and hugged a pillow, falling asleep quickly.

Norah shook her head and smiled to herself. She reminded the maids to move around quietly so they would not disturb Francesca.

A short while later, Francesca’s phone began vibrating under her pillow. She fumbled for it annoyedly and saw that it was a call from Anthony. She answered it, and he asked, “Where are you, Francesca?”

"What's up?” Francesca growled softly.

“I'm worried about those metal pieces in your brain, so I'm calling to remind you to go for surgery soon. You're a doctor, and you know better than anyone else how serious the situation is. You can't delay it any further.”

Francesca replied flatly, “I know.”

She woke up fully after Anthony's call. Francesca hardly considered the metal pieces a complex issue, and she would have easily operated on someone else afflicted with the condition.

Alas, she did not have eyes on the back of her head. Attempting to operate on the back of her head was unrealistic.

The back of her head no longer throbbed in pain over the past two days, though it was more an indication of problems instead of improvement.

As a doctor, she always prioritized the health of her patients, yet she always put her own well-being on the back burner.

If not for Anthony's timely reminder, she might have forgotten all about the metal pieces in her brain

Absorbed in her thoughts, she remained silent for a good long while, prompting Anthony to call out, "Hello? Hello?"

Francesca jolted back to reality and said, “I know it's urgent. I'll try to get it done as soon as I can.” "Did Danrique bring you to Erihal?” Anthony suddenly sounded anxious as he demanded, “Did he lock you up or something? I'll try my best to get you out of there.”

Francesca hurriedly cut off his line of thought and said, “What plan can you think of? I can settle my matters here. Just focus on managing the orphanage.”

"But—"

She interrupted, “That's enough. Let's drop the topic.”

Francesca hung up on him and rubbed her temples, which throbbed in frustration.

I have to think of a way to get out of here soon. Will I have an opportunity during the banquet later? Wait no, Danrique is escorting me there. Why would he let me escape right under his nose? Plus, these banquets are always tightly guarded. I should drop the idea instead of banking on false hope. Still, I could get to know new people at these banquets. Maybe someone like Eva could bring me away from the castle. Then, I'll have a better shot at escaping. That has got to be better than sitting around idly! This castle is practically impenetrable; no one can make it out of here. Any chance of escaping can only be outside its walls.

Someone knocked on her room door as Francesca mulled over her escape plan. “Are you awake, Ms. Cece?”

“I am. You may come in.”

Francesca yawned and crawled out of bed.

Norah entered her room with a few maids and stylists, ready to assist her during her bath and styling.

The number of staff gave Francesca a headache. She declared, “Don't trouble yourselves. A simple styling will do.”

"But-"

“I'll take a bath now. You guys wait outside.”

After that, Francesca headed straight into the bathroom and took a quick shower. Then, she came out in a bathrobe, her hair piled up on her head in a towel.

The stylists immediately stepped forward to dry her hair and apply skincare products to her face. Francesca leaned against the chair and nodded off. She was still drowsy after Anthony's call interrupted her much-needed nap.

She closed her eyes and allowed the stylists to fix up her face as they pleased. Still, she reminded, "Don’t go too heavy on the makeup; keep it simple. You have half an hour to finish up.”

“Half an hour?”

The stylists were flabbergasted. One of them sputtered, “That's hardly enough time, Ms. Cece.” “Shall I take over then?” Francesca deadpanned and yawned.

"Erm..." The stylists looked to Norah for instruction.

Norah hastily declared, “Mr. Lindberg has made it clear that we must follow Ms. Cece’s wishes. If she wants simple, that's what we'll give her.”

“All right.”

Chapter 1880 Flats

Francesca got ready in the blink of an eye.

She was all dolled up in an asymmetrical white dress and her hair was light and bouncy. Her light, fresh makeup look made her look just like a little fairy.

A few of the make-up artists started marveling at her lively beauty.

Even Francesca herself couldn't really recognize herself in the mirror.

She had dressed herself up before, even to the extent of wearing dresses and wigs, but she had never seen herself look this exquisite before.

The makeup look was simple and the hairdo was simply neat and subtle, yet there was a certain cadence to it that she had never seen before.

The wild child who had scurried around in the forest was now a strikingly pretty fairy. She was almost unbelievably beautiful.

“You're gorgeous!”

A bunch of stylists and maids began to sing her praises.

“Look! Just a little bit of touching up and you're already gorgeous,” Norah said gleefully. “Mr. Lindberg will be very happy to see you.”

“I don't care if he's happy or not. My happiness is more important right now.”

Francesca looked down at her three-inch heels and stood up, wobbling as she did so. “For example, these shoes are making me really unhappy right now. I can't even stand properly in them, let alone walk.”

"We prepared a lot of shoes for you that will go with this dress. Feel free to choose your favorite ones!"

The stylists immediately brought out pair after pair of shoes and placed them in front of her.

She looked at them and frowned. “They're all high heels!”

“There are some of them that are just two-inch heels.”

The stylists brought the shorter heels to Francesca, but she still shook her head.

“I can't wear any of these,” she said.

“But...” the stylists all trailed off as they looked at each other, not daring to say what had come to mind.

Norah had to step in and explain, “Ms. Cece, everyone in Erihal is quite tall. You're already quite small and petite compared to the rest of us, and you might look like a child if you don't wear heels-" “I can't even walk in these.”

Francesca kicked off the heels on her feet and collapsed onto the sofa. “Find a pair of flats for me, please. If not, you'll just have to tell Danrique that I couldn't make it."

“Then-" The stylists all turned to look at Norah in confusion.

She sighed and said, “Listen to Ms. Cece.”

“Understood.”

The stylists immediately went to look for a pair of flats and finally managed to get someone from the company to send some over.

They hadn't prepared any themselves since every woman would be wearing expensive high heels at such an event. They hadn't ever heard of someone showing up wearing flats to a banquet. Francesca was truly the first.

Luckily, they had enough time to waste. Simply deciding on a pair alone took more than an hour. The stylist company sent over a few dozen pairs of flats and the stylists immediately began helping Francesca try them on.

Soon enough, she decided on a pair of pristine white flats and asked for a pair of socks as well. She nodded in approval after stomping her feet a bit. Much better!

“I'll go with these.”

“Um...”

The stylists just stared in shock. They couldn't help but feel like it lacked style and wanted to say something, but Francesca was already strutting out with her flats on.

"Is the car ready? Let's get a move on! The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can come back and sleep.”

“Ms. Cece! Your jacket!”

Norah chased after her and placed Francesca's jacket over her.

Gordon and the other subordinates had already prepared the car and were waiting for them downstairs.

They were absolutely taken aback at the sight of Francesca all dolled up.

A slight touch of makeup and proper styling had completely changed her from head to toe. She looked the same, but upon a closer glance, she seemed completely different.

“Please enter, Ms. Cece.”

Gordon opened the door himself for Francesca to enter the car.

She walked in and immediately closed her eyes to take a nap on the comfortable seats.

“The car ride will be about forty minutes, so feel free to rest on the way,” Gordon said with a smile. “Mr. Lindberg will go to the banquet from the company and meet us outside the castle.”

"What is this banquet for, anyway?" Francesca asked nonchalantly.

“It's the birthday party that the other three great families are throwing for Mr. Lindberg,” Gordon replied.