Chapter 13 Our Sister
Today was Talulla’s birthday banquet.
The clamor of carriages and guests filled the air as a throng of distinguished officials, wealthy merchants from the southwestern region, and their families arrived,
“If you guys delay even a bit more, you’ll be late!”
Sadie arrived at the side entrance of the Gates Estate to welcome Alexander and his band of fair–weather friends.
Alexander and his group were set to perform a lion dance at the birthday banquet, all to entertain Talulla.
substantial amount of money to reorder. The new, more exquisite props had only arrived in Dwarven City that morning.
With the quality of the lion dance props they had borrowed previously, they specially spent a
Alexander and his friends had already changed into their lion dance costumes halfway through their journey.
They were all boys of about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in vibrant, multicolored lion dance costumes. Each of them held a large, beautiful lion head prop, looking extremely charming-
Alexander tossed a large ball made of strips of silk at Sadie, laughing. “Isn’t this perfect timing?”
Sadie clutched the ball, running toward the front yard with them. “All the guests have arrived. They’re just waiting for you guys to liven up the party! Grandmother still doesn’t know about your birthday surprise. She even asked me why you haven’t shown up yet.”
Walking past the partitioned corridor, Sadie accidentally dropped the ball in her arms, causing it to tumble.
She hurriedly moved forward to pick it up, only to see that the ball had rolled next to a pair of boots adorned with golden, cloud–like patterns.
Sadie picked up the ball, tilting her head up.
Zephyr stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the corridor.
The young commander of the Southwestern Army was a sight to behold, dressed in a crimson robe, his golden hairpin and leather belt adding to his opulence. The spring sunlight fell on his profile, accentuating his sharp and handsome features. His slightly reddened lips added a touch of allure to his appearance. On top of that, his calm eyes made him seem both aloof and dignified.
He gazed down at her.
Sadie silently rose to her feet. She took a few steps back, retreating until she was standing next to Alexander
Alexander cleared his throat lightly/“Zephyr.”
The boisterous young lads had suddenly become as quiet as mice.
Their heads hung low as they respectfully bowed in unison. “Greetings, Lord Zephyr…”
Sadie lowered her head respectfully, bending her knee in a formal stance. “Wishing you endless prosperity, Lord Zephyr.”
Chapter 13 Our Sister
Zephyr’s gaze swept over Sadie.
That day, she was dressed in a peach blossom pink blouse with narrow sleeves, topped with a half–sleeved, green upper garment. Around her waist, she wore a yellow princess skirt, from which hung strands of bright red silk tassels.
Her hair was neatly combed up into a bun, adorned with the silver butterfly hairpin that Alexander had given her.
Recently, he had been swamped with official duties at the High Court, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. He was completely oblivious to the fact that she had been hanging out with Alexander and his fair–weather friends.
Though the girl is young, she’s remarkably scheming. Perhaps because the Gates family has so many sons, she knows she wouldn’t receive much favor or wealth. As a result, she turns her attention to the group of privileged young men, hoping to pick out one with a good family background to be her husband.
She intends to use the Gates family as a stepping stone to climb the social ladder, but not on my watch.
He casually snapped off a peach blossom that had intruded into the corridor, gently saying. “Miss Francis, aren’t you aware of the custom that boys and girls over six shouldn’t be too intimate? You’re fooling around with guys in broad daylight. Are you trying to tarnish your image?”
“No, that’s not it!” Alexander immediately retorted, “I was the one who asked Sadie to come and receive up!”
The other boys chimed in too, “Exactly! Sadie never hangs out with us. We only ever chat a bit when we bump into her at the academy. Plus, we only ever talk to her when Alexander is around!”
“We absolutely did nothing inappropriate with Sadie! She’s like our sister!”
Zephyr asked teasingly, “Really?”
Sadie held the ball made of strips of silk tightly.
She was aware that Zephyr had never been fond of her and her mother. However, his use of gender issues as a point of contention was undeniably harsh.
She looked intently at Zephyr, arguing. “It’s because I helped them at Aureum Delicacies, and that’s why they see me as their sister. What you see is a reflection of what’s in your mind. Why are you making such assumptions, Lord Zephyr? What’s the real motive behind it”
The young girl stood with her back perfectly straight.
The spring breeze gently brushed against her silken ribbons and the hem of her skirt, outlining her slender figure. Unexpectedly, it revealed an underlying hint of stubborn resilience.
Zephyr had never been confronted like this before.
He lifted his chin, his brows furrowing. Suddenly, a fierce aura emanated from his sharpened gaze.
At a glance, Alexander knew this was a telltale sign that his brother was about to lose his temper.
He was still quite intimidated by Zephyr.
Just as he was about to mediate the situation, an unexpected reprimand came from the side. “Sadie, you’re absolutely out of line! How could you dare to defy Lord Zephyr?”
rupter 13 Our Sister
Everyone looked over and saw it was the Francis siblings.
Before joining the birthday banquet in the front yard, they first paid a visit to their ailing mother resting in the back courtyard.
Adonis wore a stern expression. “Sadie, back when we were at home, it was one thing for you to show no respect to your elders, But now, we are guests in someone else’s house. How can you still not understand proper enquette?”
Sadie’s breathing became noticeably heavier.
She hadn’t expected that, in the present life, these people would actually show up at the Gates Estate to attend the birthday banquet.
Her good mood vanished in an instant. Just as she was about to speak, Alexander impatiently beat her to it. “Seriously, why are you guys everywhere? Can’t you just leave us alone? And what’s with the ‘someone else’s house talk? Sadie is my sister, and this is her home! So what if she argues with her brother at home? Is it any of your business to interfere
Adonis hadn’t expected that his well–intentioned defense of the heir from the Gates family would result in a scolding.
In the previous life, he was the newly appointed third–honored graduate and a rising star. However, in this life, he was merely a young man who had just come of age and had little experience with the world. As a result, he felt his cheeks burning, unsure of how to react for a moment.
Daisy’s gaze subtly swept over Zephyr.
Based on her experience, she knew Sadie could sway Alexander, but there was no way she could do that with Zephyr.
This person is the hardest to deal with. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a genuine devil masquerading in radiant disguise.
Recalling her past life experiences, Daisy involuntarily tightened her grip on her handkerchief.
In the previous life, she ended up married to a low–ranked government official because she climbed into Zephyr’s bed.
At that time, she was passing by a pavilion when she happened to overhear a heated argument between Nicolas and Zephyr.
Nicolas pressured Zephyr to choose a wife, but Zephyr insisted that he would never marry.
Nicolas was livid. He questioned Zephyr for not wanting to marry and have children, wondering who he intended to leave his vast estate to.
She couldn’t help but think what the big deal was about being the young lady of the Gates family. The real accomplishment would be to become the heir’s wife.
And so, she climbed into Zephyr’s bed.
Unfortunately, before she could even touch his hand, he had already thrown her out.
Thankfully, in this life, the person who offended Zephyr wasn’t her, but rather, it was Sadie.
Daisy stepped forward gracefully, bowing respectfully to Zephyr. In a soft voice, she said, “My younger
Chapter 13 Our Sister
sister has been spoiled since childhood, which has made her a bit stubborn and naive. I apologize toga her behalf
Sadie couldn’t help but smile as she looked at her.
Alexander also chuckled.
After all, he was a nobleman. He’d seen all sorts of women.
Although every word and sentence from Daisy seemed to be defending Sadie, in reality, she was intentionally tarnishing her reputation. She was constructing an image for herself as the gentle, generous, and perfect elder sister.
The Francis brothers were quite oblivious, mistakenly believing that she was a decent person.
Zephyr looked down from his elevated position.
What surfaced in his mind was the conversation he overheard between the Francis siblings at the jewelry shop that day.
You ungrateful wretch!
Sadie, if you have the guts, never return to the Francis family! We don’t need a sister like you!
In my heart, you could never compare to Daisy!
Meanwhile, the young girl listened quietly to the heart–wrenching words of her loved ones, her face reflecting a calmness that was beyond her years.
It felt as though she had heard these words hundreds, if not thousands, of times.
106
