novelraw Chapter 524: She spoke in an extremely soft voice, like the spring rain in March
Chapter 524: She spoke in an extremely soft voice, like the spring rain in March
Ignatius Leclair waited for two days and finally received the answer he was anticipating.
For some reason, though it was deep autumn in the southern regions and should have been clear and sunny, the weather had been overcast and rainy for several consecutive days.
Delphine arrived at Emerald Hill Villas in the evening.
Aunt Li opened the door. Seeing that Delphine was soaked through and pale as a ghost, she was startled. She quickly pulled her inside and said, "Miss Delphine, why did you come out in the rain? Are you here to check on Big Treasure and Little Treasure?"
Delphine initially intended to nod but, sensing the chill of rainwater clinging to her body, she shook her head instead. The children were frail, and she couldn’t visit them while carrying the cold with her.
Aunt Li fetched a clean towel and started drying Delphine’s damp hair, saying, "This won’t do, Miss Delphine. Go take a hot shower and change into fresh clothes. There are always outfits for you in the wardrobe here. If you don’t change, you’ll catch a cold."
Delphine shivered slightly, shook her head, and rasped out, "Is Mr. Leclair home?"
Aunt Li noticed that even the way Delphine addressed him had changed and sighed, saying, "Young Master isn’t home right now. He should be back by evening. Why don’t you use this time to soak in a hot bath and spend some time with Big Treasure and Little Treasure afterward?"
Upon learning that Ignatius wasn’t there, Delphine decided to stay and spend more time with the children before reluctantly nodding in agreement.
Ignatius had been staying at Emerald Hill Villas during this period. Stone Leclair had gone to Xiang City, and the old master had moved to the Leclair Estate. Hence, Ignatius didn’t bother returning to the estate himself.
When Ignatius returned to Emerald Hill Villas, the sky was already dark. Stepping into the living room, he heard the giggles of two little ones ringing through the air. Since these two little ones had moved in, the living room had completely transformed into their domain. Aunt Li, an experienced hand at childcare, was excellent at managing them, but she couldn’t handle everything alone, so the villa also had a nanny and a nutritionist on staff.
In the oversized baby cot in the living room, Big Treasure and Little Treasure lay playing, their identical big, jet-black, grape-like eyes glowing with joy. Big Treasure kicked his chubby legs, trying in vain to roll over, while Little Treasure chewed on his tiny hand, giggling foolishly. Initially, Big Treasure had been in a bit of a bad mood, but upon seeing his mommy, he stretched out his plump hands and let out soft whining noises, asking to be hugged and lifted high.
Delphine knelt by the cot. She was wearing a warm beige long-sleeved dress, her long hair casually tied up. She reached out to hug Big Treasure and then Little Treasure, chatting softly with Aunt Li beside her.
The gentle lighting in the living room cast a warm glow over the woman’s slender figure and profile, creating a faintly blurred halo. Her voice when she spoke was incredibly soft, reminiscent of the spring rain in March that nourishes silently. Yet, the furrow between her brows lingered, relaxing only when she looked at the children, at which point two small dimples appeared on her cheeks.
"Young Master is back? Big Treasure and Little Treasure were really joyful today—they didn’t cry or fuss at all," Aunt Li said, rising quickly to greet Ignatius with a bright smile.
When Ignatius entered, he saw the woman’s delicate frame tremble sharply. She lowered her gaze and stood up. The soft dimples on her face vanished, replaced by utter pallor. His eyes hardened suddenly, and he coldly said, "Why is Miss Gu here?"
Before Delphine could respond, he added another line.
"Come upstairs. We’ll talk."
Delphine hesitated but cast one last longing glance at the two children before heading upstairs silently.
Ignatius went upstairs as well, heading straight to the bathroom.
Delphine waited for half an hour before he emerged wearing a refined, slate-gray loungewear set and stepped into the guest room with an air of detachment. His tone was gentlemanly but distant as he asked, "Miss Gu, have you made up your mind?"