novelraw Chapter 343: As Expected, Such a Flashy Master Raises Such a Beast
Chapter 343: As Expected, Such a Flashy Master Raises Such a Beast
Delphine had barely chatted with Leah when the butler came knocking on the door, smiling kindly as he said, "Miss Delphine, the young master of the Cloud Family is asking for you downstairs."
Delphine had been deliberately avoiding the Yeager Family, so she stayed holed up in the top-floor room without going down. Hearing this, she hung up the phone, opened the door, and asked, "Why is someone from the Cloud Family here?"
"The old master is in good spirits today, so he invited the Cloud Family over to liven things up a bit," the butler replied, his face full of smiles.
Delphine instantly understood. The old master couldn’t wait—even before the year ended, he wanted to finalize Ignatius Leclair and Melody Cloud’s marriage arrangements. She curled her lips into a smile, nodded to the butler, and prepared to head downstairs. The old master likely wanted her present for this occasion.
The Yeager Family had married Bessie Leclair, forging an alliance between the two families, which made other high-society clans green with envy. Now, the old master was extending an olive branch to the Cloud Family. Whether for personal romance or South Asia’s power balancing, this marriage was a foregone conclusion.
Delphine tidied up briefly and came downstairs. The side lounge was as warm as spring; the younger generation was gathered in the garden, the elders were sitting around the fireplace, and a few people had congregated in the tea room, creating an atmosphere of jovial harmony.
Ignatius Leclair was in the garden with the Cloud siblings. Bessie Leclair was there too. Only Jocelyn Yeager was seated by the Yeager Family patriarch near the fireplace, his expression unreadable.
"Delphine, why are you so late? Look at the monkey I brought!" Sylvester Cloud, sharp-eyed, spotted her and waved energetically, flashing a rakish smile and his gleaming white teeth.
Today, he wore a finely tailored deep green coat, standing elegantly in the garden as he played with the monkey.
The flamboyant color somehow exuded an air of royal sophistication on him, stealing the spotlight even from Melody Cloud and Bessie Leclair who stood nearby.
Beside him, Ignatius Leclair, with his usual taste for understated elegance, glanced coolly at Sylvester Cloud’s flashy outfit—not to mention his brazen flirting with Delphine right in front of him.
Ignatius turned to look at Sylvester calmly, saying nothing, but the faint smile at the corner of his lips grew even more imperceptible.
Delphine stepped into the little garden, only to realize everyone had gathered around to watch the monkey.
It was an intelligent little monkey, snow-white from head to toe, chattering with excitement as it followed the trainer’s commands—sometimes spinning in circles, sometimes scratching its head with exaggerated gestures, utterly adorable.
"Where did this monkey come from?" Delphine, rarely seeing such a lively animal, couldn’t help but smile, her delight spilling over unconsciously.
Ignatius noticed the fleeting appearance of her dimples—the same dimples he often kissed when passion overtook him, though she would push him away in annoyance. And now, she seemed this happy just *seeing* a monkey. Suddenly, the animal in front of him had become an unsightly nuisance.
Sure enough, creatures reflect their flamboyant owners’ personalities, Ignatius thought with disdain.
"My uncle loaned it to me. He said it’s highly intelligent and let me borrow it for a couple of days, though I’ll have to return it eventually," Sylvester Cloud explained, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "Delphine, if you like it, I can lend it to you for a few days."
For these elite young heirs who had seen every luxury imaginable, unique and spirited things like this monkey were what truly caught their interest. Sylvester Cloud had no idea where his uncle had sourced this rare gem, but as soon as he had his hands on it, he brought it straight to the Leclair Family to show it off.
Though aware of the ambiguous relationship between Ignatius Leclair and Delphine, Sylvester Cloud, who had an exceptionally keen understanding of matters of the heart, felt an inexplicable urge to be kind to her.
Before Sylvester Cloud even finished speaking, the expressions on both Melody Cloud and Bessie Leclair’s faces had already shifted to something unpleasant.
Earlier, both had tried asking Sylvester for the monkey themselves, but he, treating it as a prized treasure, hadn’t obliged. And now, Delphine hadn’t even asked, yet he was volunteering to lend it to her?
Melody Cloud couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh as she looked at Delphine.