novelraw Chapter 461: The Refined and Elegant Man Knocked on the Door
Chapter 461: The Refined and Elegant Man Knocked on the Door
"Miss Delphine must really love it. There’s no second house like this in all of Southeast Asia," Maximilian remarked.
The late Mrs. Leclair had been an artist detached from the mundane world. The residence she had constructed with her own hands could only be described as a masterpiece of art.
The man curved his lips, revealing a pale and fleeting smile that disappeared in an instant, before speaking deeply, "Move into the house next door tonight. Have Mrs. Lee go over and care for Delphine as well."
With the relocation, both father and daughter were a little excited, feeling that a house finally brought a sense of stability.
Desmond, a straightforward man accustomed to living in remote mountain valleys, stared at the house while surreptitiously salivating. Sitting in the garden with a troubled expression, he struggled internally. This trip to Southeast Asia had completely broadened his horizons. The teachings of the elders in his family had always emphasized that the outside world was restless and volatile; a true heir of an elusive family must practice humility, self-discipline, and inner cultivation.
Yet, even in the bustling and glamorous metropolis, inner cultivation was possible. Desmond thought of Finnian, who was now making waves in the political realm. They had chosen starkly different paths; with such dramatic changes in the outside world, he wondered if his own path had been the right choice.
By evening, Mrs. Lee appeared carrying her luggage. Seeing Delphine, she grew misty-eyed and exclaimed joyfully, "Madam would be so pleased if she knew."
"Why are you here?" Delphine asked, feeling a bit lost. She knew Mrs. Lee had always resided at Emerald Hill Villas.
Mrs. Lee had spent her earlier years serving the elderly matriarch of the Howard Family. Later, when the matriarch’s most beloved eldest daughter married, Mrs. Lee followed her to Southeast Asia, thus taking care of three generations.
"The young master said you’re pregnant, and I couldn’t rest easy. So I came to look after you. Although the Cloud Family’s Second Master is your father, a household without a woman who knows how to care is simply not feasible." Mrs. Lee smiled kindly. "My own sons, grandsons, and even the young master himself were all raised by me. Pregnancy is a monumental matter; there are so many taboos."
Hearing this, Delphine became a little tense and, subconsciously, grew somewhat dependent on her, allowing Mrs. Lee to stay in the house.
By dinnertime, medicinal dishes from the Leclair residence were delivered punctually. After dinner, during a walk in the rear garden, Delphine encountered Ignatius Leclair by chance. Learning that Ignatius lived in the house behind hers left her speechless.
Fortunately, the man had an impeccable sense of boundaries, ensuring their chance meetings weren’t too frequent. While his appearances were restrained enough not to spark her displeasure, his control over other aspects of her life—food, clothes, and shelter—was almost suffocatingly thorough. To top it off, even Cloud Rain and Desmond gradually fell prey to his wielding of gentle yet incisive tactics, nearly defecting to his "camp."
On the eve of the court hearing for the Cloud Family inheritance embezzlement case, the house welcomed its first visitor.
It was a warm spring evening. A refined and elegant gentleman arrived, carrying a black umbrella. Strolling through the cultural district, he paused beneath the exquisitely beautiful flowering tree in front of the house, and, like a casual friend dropping by, knocked gently on the door.
Because the house had been crafted by its original owner as a semi-open artistic space, the door was left ajar. When Delphine stepped outside, her gaze fell upon the man standing against the light of the setting sun. He was exceptionally tall, dressed in meticulously ironed, upright formal attire, holding a black umbrella in one hand and an exquisitely packaged gift box in the other.
The refined and elegant gentleman set the gift box down on the small wooden table in front of the house, his deep eyes as vast as the sea. He offered a polite, warm smile and said, "Pleased to meet you. My name is Finnian."