novelraw Chapter 514: Taking the Little Girl He Raised for Himself
Chapter 514: Taking the Little Girl He Raised for Himself
The girl’s body was trembling violently, her fluffy little head buried in her knees as the howling wind and pouring rain swallowed up his calls.
He reached out to grab the girl’s wrist. Seeing how terrified she was, he instinctively carried her out of the cabinet, pulling her into his arms and softly reassuring her, "It’s okay, it’s okay."
The girl’s body was soft to the point of disbelief. It took her a long time to snap out of her initial rigidity. She lifted her rabbit-like red eyes, clutching tightly at his clothes, and whimpered in a tearful voice, "I want Grandma."
Ignatius Leclair had never seen the girl looking so fragile before. His whole body was drenched, and it wasn’t until her small floral sleep dress was soaked through by his clothes that he began to feel uncomfortable.
"Follow me," he said softly.
The house servants had all been given the holiday off. The entire house was empty except for the two of them.
He led her to the top floor, his private space, and took her into his room. He prepared food for her—a lifetime full of firsts for him. Perhaps it was out of pity for the girl who lived every day eating leftovers. He found himself wanting to raise her like a daughter, to show her the wonders of the world, to tell her that true happiness wasn’t limited to having just one full meal on Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Once such thoughts sprouted, they grew uncontrollably. At that moment, he even forgot that he was supposed to resent this girl. If it weren’t for her mother, his own mother wouldn’t have fallen ill and died so early. Yet, looking into her clear, trusting, deer-like eyes, he only wanted to treat her better—better still.
This secret act of providing for her lasted for quite some time. He would go to work punctually every day and bring back desserts she liked, or have the kitchen prepare a few dishes, packing her lunch and fruit for the following day. He kept a close eye on her studies; her foundation was remarkably good. However, having just arrived in Southeast Asia, she struggled to adapt to the aristocratic education here, not to mention being fostered in someone else’s home while enduring constant bullying by someone like Bessie Leclair. Over time, she grew increasingly silent, and at times deliberately underperformed in her exams, knowing how to feign mediocrity.
Ignatius Leclair was strangely satisfied after understanding all of this. He felt a possessive pride for the girl he had raised, convinced that she couldn’t possibly be dumber than others. But her education was ultimately too shallow, forcing him to take on the responsibility of tutoring her himself—from academics to hobbies. Occasionally, he would even insist she read some English books he enjoyed.
After about a year of intense tutoring, the girl could barely achieve passing grades. Then, Delphine confessed her feelings to him.
In his thirty-plus years of life, Ignatius Leclair had never considered matters of love between a man and a woman. Born mature for his age and arrogant, he had already understood emotions while other girls his age were still going through rebellious youth. None had ever caught his eye. Later, he became singularly focused on entering politics, aiming to reach levels unattainable by others before considering marriage once he hit forty.
This sudden confession from the girl he had been taking care of caught him off guard. The man panicked—and then left for a month-long business trip.
In that month, which dragged out like years, he restrained himself from returning to Southeast Asia, forcing himself not to think about whether little Delphine was living her old life again in his absence, whether she was being bullied by Bessie Leclair, or whether she might fall for another boy.
A month later, the man returned—only to stumble upon a young pair mid-confession. The third son of the Yeager Family had taken advantage of his absence to try and steal away the girl he’d raised.
The man was enraged. At Wellspring Villa, for the first time, he lost control of his emotions and kissed the girl, claiming her as his own.