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After listening to Helen talk about Sigmund for a while, Sophie returned to her room, where she found Qiana pressing a hot compress against Rafael’s forehead. It seemed to be helping the lump looked a bit smaller than before and was now tuming into a blackened bruise.
Lulu brought in some pound cakes, and Rafael ate two pieces. Sophie then instructed them to start preparing dinner. After dinner, the two of them lingered together for a while. Sophie was finally able to look directly at his face without flinching.
Rafael reached out with a large hand, pulling her into his embrace, his gaze deep and intense. “You haven’t paid me any attention for several nights now. You just crash into bed.”
Sophie smiled and replied, “But your leg is fractured, so it’s not very convenient.”
His warm fingers brushed against her cheek, moving up to her brow. His eyes, dark and fathomless, brimmed with a natural desire.
“I’ve heard there are other positions that we can try.”
Sophie pressed her hand against his lips, her face flushed. “I-I won’t!”
As shameless as ever, Rafael opened his mouth and bit her delicate fingertip, his gaze growing heated. “I’ve heard that martial artists are best suited for this sort of thing. You practice every morning, so why not put some effort into it in bed as well? Who knows, it might even help you improve your leg techniques.”
Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck, her expression softening as she exhaled. “And who did you hear that from? I had no idea someone was coaching you in this area.”
He turned his head away, hiding the embarrassment in his eyes. “Never mind that. Just know it’s someone who knows a thing or two about it.”
Had he inadvertently revealed where he had learned these things? After all, the books he had leamed from were in the bookcase and locked up safely.
Well, if a specialist taught you, then I suppose it’s worth a try.”
Sophie extinguished all the candles with a flick of her wrist, leaving only a small flame flickering in the dim light.
In the haze of that soft glow, she asked, “Can you walk over here? Should I carry you?” “I’m not completely crippled! I can walk on my own… but you could help a bit. It wasn’t this painful before, but after Livius applied the medicine, it hurt even more.”
He was acting in an aggrieved manner again. How could she have never known that Rafael could be so unreasonable at times?
The layers of the canopy fell one by one, and their clothes slipped away plece by piece. The faint light couldn’t penetrate the thick drapery, and the flickering shadows seemed to whisper to the world not to look, as if they were doing something embarrassing.
It was as if a new world had opened up-novel and intense.
Yet, Rafael was still unsatisfied. He leaned in closer and kissed Sophie’s neck. “I think with my stamina, I could go for another round.”
Sophie lay in his arms, her legs trembling slightly as she spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, “I think with my stamina, I need a few days to recover.”
Feeling a surge of tenderness, he hugged her closer and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Get some sleep.”
Whether criticized or understood, news about the embroidery workshop ultimately spread far and wide. The official establishment of the workshop right after the New Year was thanks to Jacob’s diligent supervision and the fact that the necessary paperwork had been completed early, with Luke in charge of procurement.
Violet tossed a bundle of banknotes into the air and confidently declared, “If it’s not enough, just ask me for more!”
Luke didn’t go shopping by himself. He was accompanied by the Defense Minister’s wife, Hannah. They bought everything imaginable-furniture, bedding, pots and pans, looms, assorted threads, embroidery needles, and even chamber pots.
Having managed a household for many years, Hannah worked seamlessly with Luke, who oversaw the daily affairs of Hell Monarch Estate. Within just a few days, they had acquired all the essentials. Any custom items would be delivered after the New Year.
The embroidery workshop was named Skye Embroidery. Kyle personally wrote it, which was then carved into a plaque that hung over the entrance.
The townsfolk were puzzled; they had no idea who the name belonged to. They wondered why the workshop, which was intended to shelter women, didn’t have a name like Compassion Embroidery.
However, it wasn’t long before someone discovered that Skye was the middle name of Amelia, the deceased lady of the Jaffe family. Upon learning this, many people sighed and stopped targeting the embroidery workshop. Instead, they remarked on how Sophie seemed to care about her previous relationships.
Everyone knew that Amelia had thrown herself into the river, and that it was Sophie who had saved her. Though she had saved her the first time, she couldn’t save her the second time.
That was the reason Sophie had established the workshop to provide refuge for abandoned women, right?
Once a tragedy had a poignant backstory, it was easy for the community to empathize. No one criticized Sophie or the Hell Monarch anymore.
Instead, the people praised their loyalty and generosity. It was known that if a woman remarried into another family, it was forbidden for her to maintain ties with her former in-laws. Thus, Rafael’s broad-mindedness earned him respect.
With praise came criticism, and those who spoke out mostly scolded him for being foolish and for failing to recognize his status.
On New Year’s Eve, Ryan returned home from the academy. After spending a day at Hell Monarch Estate, the Klein family came to take him to their residence. Though Sophie was reluctant, she understood how important it was for them, so she agreed to let him go.
However, Helen was furious. Ryan had just returned home the day before, and now, someone was whisking him away. Was he really going to celebrate the New Year with the Klein family?
Helen’s anger didn’t stem from a deep affection for Ryan. She liked him, sure, but it wasn’t that serious. She had prepared a stack of whimsical stories, planning to ask Ryan to read them to her. He was clever and didn’t just read the words flatly. He would mimic the quirky voices, sometimes eerie and sometimes playful, which made the stories all the more entertaining.
Furthermore, while the tailors were making clothes, she had specifically instructed them to prepare several winter outfits for Ryan to try on the next day. But before she could even rise, the Klein family had already taken him away.
Knowing how upset Helen was, Sophie suggested she go to the palace to keep Victoria company. Helen was open to the idea, especially since Violet had been absent from the residence lately, supposedly busy teaching those men martial arts.
Being left alone with Gillian had grown tedious, so it seemed better to go to the palace and spend time with her sister and bicker with Dakota and Josephine.
As for Rebecca, she ultimately could no longer hold on.
Blake personally knelt in front of Arcane Sanctum for several hours. At first, no one paid him any attention, but he knelt for eight hours until about five in the evening. Sebastian usually had coffee and a few pastries at that time, and he had Blake brought into the back hall.
Blake thought he finally had a chance. He dropped to his knees in front of Sebastian and said, “Whatever the price for the Snowdrop Pills, just name it. I’ll pay it without haggling.”
Rebecca had finally sold off some jewelry, and now they had 3,000 silver coins. She had even said that if that wasn’t enough, she would sell more.
Sebastian regarded him, but didn’t mention the Snowdrop Pills.
“I used to have high hopes for you,” he said. “Who would have thought I misjudged you? You’ve truly disappointed me.”
Blake’s eyes darkened with sorrow. “I know I’ve disappointed you, Sebastian. I regret my choices deeply.”
“When the Duke of Northwatch’s family was choosing a son-in-law, they set the bar so high. Yet, they chose you. Do you know what Madam Devin saw in you?”
Blake’s voice got stuck in his throat as Sebastian mentioned his late former mother-in-law.
“I do. She said I was eamest and honest, and that I promised I would never take a concubine…. It was my fault. I broke that promise. I let her down.”
“That’s part of it,’ Sebastian said. “The second reason is that, even though you’re the second son, you were willing to shoulder your family’s burdens. It showed you had a sense of responsibility. To put it bluntly, it was going to be hard to restore your family’s reputation then, and even harder with just you at the helm.
“In the struggle to carve out a future, she believed you would have the same tenacity and focus as the late General Devin. People who are solid and responsible act that way. With you managing the outside affairs and Sophie handling the home front, you might not achieve great heights, but securing a military honor and a position in the capital shouldn’t be out of reach. While you may not live a life of grandeur, you would at least have stability. What she desired was simply a smooth life for her daughter.
“However, she was mistaken in assessing you through the lens of her worldly experience. Your ancestors were once prominent, but by your father’s generation, the family had declined. There was a lack of strict family teachings and a nurturing mother, so you never really gained much experience or encountered significant temptations. Your self-discipline is lacking, and your ability to discern right from wrong is insufficient.
“The burdens you carry are solely the heavy expectations forced upon you by your family, and you yourself wish to bring your family back to its former glory. To be frank, you have talent, but you’re not exceptionally gifted.