novelraw Chapter 636: Have You Found Someone to Date?
Chapter 636: Have You Found Someone to Date?
The elderly lady was conversing with Delphine in the living room, while the man sat in the tea room, his phoenix eyes slightly lowered, reflecting faint glimmers of coldness.
Delphine had always been straightforward by nature. When Yeats Howard was outside in the courtyard, excitedly building snowmen with the two little ones, she took the opportunity to explain her purpose to the elderly lady.
"I should have come to visit you when I returned to Imperial City, but my position was awkward, and considering the Howard Family’s esteemed status, that’s why it was delayed until today. I hope you won’t take offense," Delphine said softly and gently.
The elderly Mrs. Howard held her hand warmly. Having weathered many storms throughout her lifetime, she cherished the kind of tranquility that emanates from a sense of detachment and simplicity during her twilight years. Seeing a young woman like Delphine embody this level of calmness was no small feat. She patted the back of Delphine’s hand affectionately and said, "As long as you’re here, I am happy."
"Over the years, I’ve felt deeply indebted to Benjamin. I’ve heard that you’ve been arranging blind dates for Ignatius Leclair. I wonder if there’s been someone suitable?" Delphine asked lightly.
When the elderly lady heard her address Ignatius as ’Mr. Leclair,’ with an undeniable tone of distant indifference, paired with her subtle inquiry about the matchmaking—she was momentarily surprised. Was this child intending to push her grandson away?
Though the elderly lady often felt like giving her stoic and cold-hearted grandson a lesson, deep down she couldn’t help but love him. Ignatius was clearly still harboring lingering feelings for her, yet now it was Delphine herself who had grown unwilling?
The elderly lady smiled and said, "I don’t usually involve myself too much in his affairs. But no matter how wonderful a woman might be, none can compare to Benjamin’s biological mother, wouldn’t you agree?"
Delphine fell silent for a moment. If Ignatius Leclair were to remain unmarried and without children, Nicholas would always be his only son. Yet this child could never stay with her forever. On the other hand, if Ignatius were to have another child, everything would change.
Between the man and Nicholas, Delphine had no hesitation in choosing the latter. In truth, her current visit was to plead with the elderly Mrs. Howard to persuade Ignatius to marry and have children.
"If there had been any room for maneuver back then, things wouldn’t have come to this point today," Delphine paused slightly and spoke tactfully. "It’s basically impossible between me and Mr. Leclair. As for Nicholas—I’ve thought it through. I will raise him to adulthood. After that, whether he stays by my side or recognizes his father will be entirely up to him. I plan to settle down here long term, and I’ll make a point to bring Nicholas to visit you regularly."
Delphine saw things clearly. Nicholas, as the great-grandchild of the Leclair Family, had been allowed to stay with her all this time only because neither the Leclair Family nor the Howard Family had taken action to claim him. Given that situation, she proposed using Nicholas’s adulthood as the deadline. By then, the child would have grown up; should Nicholas choose to return to the Leclair Family, she wouldn’t interfere.
The elderly lady was shocked and asked pensively, "It’s exhausting for a young lady to raise a child alone above all else. Do you have someone you’re seeing now, or is it simply that you’ve grown to hate my grandson?"
From the tea room, the man’s mood grew darker as he listened. His sharp, grim gaze remained fixed on the delicate teacup in his hand. Her voice, low and fragile, carried over softly: "Indeed, there is someone I feel quite fond of. That’s why I came to the Howard Family this time—to ask the elderly lady for her help in ensuring that, moving forward, Mr. Leclair and I keep our marriage matters entirely separate. As for the two children, this will not affect them. Whenever he wants to see them, just let me know. What do you think?"
The man’s purple clay teacup collided against a hard surface, shattering into pieces. The shards sliced into his long, jade-like fingers, and droplets of blood fell down, yet he seemed utterly unaware. His face was rarely this ashen and pallid. Why could she tolerate the utterly dreadful Wilbur Turner, yet show not even a shred of affection for him?