novelraw Chapter 308: If Young Master Li isn’t interested in this orphan girl, they wouldn’t believe it even if they were beaten to death.
Chapter 308: If Young Master Li isn’t interested in this orphan girl, they wouldn’t believe it even if they were beaten to death.
The crowd was baffled, only sensing that Leclair’s expression was so stormy it was terrifying. For a moment, everyone held their breath.
Soon, the servants from the side hall were all summoned.
Since the main banquet was held in the central hall, there were not many servants stationed in the side hall, only four.
Ignatius Leclair’s deep, ocean-like gaze swept across the group of people, and he said calmly, "Who went upstairs to look for Delphine just now?"
The man did not erupt in anger; his voice was even and unperturbed, but the aura emanating from him was as oppressive as a mountain, suffocating anyone nearby.
There was a moment of silence in the side hall. A maid, unable to withstand the pressure, suddenly knelt down, trembling as she stammered, "I-I-I saw Miss Squire."
The rest of her words were completely lost to her fright.
Bessie Leclair’s face shifted slightly, instinctively sitting up straight, glaring fiercely at the maid, as if trying to will her not to say anything incriminating.
The butler immediately stepped forward, his tone serious and low. "Young Master, it was my failure to manage the household properly, allowing Miss Delphine Carter to be disturbed. I will make sure Miss Delphine is given a satisfactory explanation."
Ignatius Leclair nodded slightly, and the maid was quickly taken away.
For a fleeting moment, everyone felt a chill climb up from the soles of their feet to their hearts. The discipline at the Leclair mansion was shockingly strict—just disturbing the ailing Delphine Carter had implicated even the butler.
If someone said Leclair had no feelings for this fostered orphan, no one would believe it, even under duress.
Bessie Leclair let out a breath of relief upon seeing the maid taken away without further questioning, but soon her face burned with indignation.
Why was it that she could be thrown, Melody could bleed and be injured, yet her elder brother didn’t investigate those matters first? Instead, he immediately pursued who dared disturb Delphine?
Could he be any more biased?
Melody Cloud’s face also burned, not just with physical pain but a deep-seated humiliation. Earlier, when she had clung onto Ignatius Leclair and wouldn’t let go, when he personally applied medicine to her wound, she thought she had earned some place in his heart. But the moment Delphine Carter appeared, his entire being was magnetized to her, brazenly standing up for her in front of everyone.
The envious looks that had once been directed at her transformed into pity. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how many people were secretly laughing at her. Melody clenched her hand into a fist fiercely, causing the wound to split open and blood to seep through the bandage, though she didn’t feel the pain at all.
She swore Delphine Carter would pay the price.
After dealing with the servants, Ignatius Leclair’s deep phoenix eyes swept the crowd of elite heirs and ladies, his voice detached as he asked, "Who claimed to have seen Miss Squire throw something at Melody Cloud just now?"
Previously, the socialite who had spoken up suddenly became apprehensive. Having witnessed Ignatius Leclair discipline the maid on Delphine’s behalf, she dared not step forward for fear of implicating herself. Shaking her head, she shrank back silently.
"It might’ve all been a misunderstanding. The flowerpot could’ve just fallen on its own. Luckily, it wasn’t a serious matter. Let’s just drop it, Senior." Melody Cloud stood up, her body swaying slightly. But in this moment, Ignatius Leclair’s hand was still holding on to Delphine’s, and she couldn’t find a way to approach him. Her face turned stark white, and she nearly fainted from fury.
"If it’s a misunderstanding, then let’s disperse. Butler, guide everyone to the central hall; the banquet should be starting soon," Ignatius Leclair concluded decisively, not even mentioning the incident with Leah Squire tossing Bessie.
The onlookers, having just enjoyed an unexpected spectacle, understood well enough that Leclair wanted to smooth things over. Without hesitation, they all hurried toward the central hall, leaving the side hall empty in no time.
Delphine Carter relaxed slightly upon seeing the matter resolved and Leah Squire unscathed. But she was clearly struggling to hold herself up.
Ignatius Leclair reached out to support her steadily, his handsome face tinged with a trace of worry, his phoenix eyes dark as the sea.