Chapter 187: WILL THE FLOWERS REMAIN FRESH UNTIL SHE COMES

Chapter 187: WILL THE FLOWERS REMAIN FRESH UNTIL SHE COMES"No, I’m naked." Those words just came out of Aristia’s mouth. She groaned and facepalmed.

[Why did I say that? Enough of teasing this kid. And I don’t think those words are appropriate for a child to speak.] She thought when she noticed the stunned expression of Adeline.

"Haha... I’m just joking. You can come in, Owen." The laugh sounded a little awkward.

There was silence on the other side for a few seconds before the door slowly opened.

Owen stepped into the room and closed the door. Even after he shut the door, it took quite some time for him to turn his face, as if he was afraid she really wasn’t putting on any clothes.

"..."

"Ahem, I’ve placed the reports on the table." After Owen said that, he paused for a second.

Aristia glanced at him curiously. Owen wouldn’t come to see her only to deliver the business reports.

Just as she expected, Owen continued,

"Princess Tia," he took out a sealed envelope from the pocket of his waistcoat. "A letter from Randall."

"Oh, from Randall? That must mean he has good news." Aristia opened the envelope and took out a neatly folded letter.



She took her time to skim through it, nodding as she read on.

She lowered the letter and looked back at Owen who was waiting for her. He didn’t know what was written in the letter, but he could guess its contents.

Aristia spoke with a satisfied smile, "Randall has found a few people with talent in painting."

"Oh... Then, should we commence the next phase of our plan?"

Aristia thought for a moment, then answered. "The next phase... will take a while. Write a reply."

"I see." Owen bowed and got ready to leave, but suddenly stopped. "Then, will you be leaving for the Kendall sisters’ home, princess?"

"Yes. Linny will come with me."

On hearing Aristia’s reply, Owen nodded. He finally turned to leave, but his gaze lingered on the wrapped box on the table...

Aristia cleared her throat and turned to Adeline. "Linny, let’s go."

Adeline picked up the box lying on the table and followed behind Aristia as they left the room. "Yes, princess."

After walking in the corridor, Adeline turned to Aristia.

"Princess Tia, should I inform Her Highness of your departure?"

"Ah, no. I’ll do it myself." Aristia shook her head. There was a light smile on her face as she walked to the garden

Adeline silently followed behind her.

As expected, Catherine was seated on the bench in the garden. Alaric had his head placed on her lap with his eyes closed. His chest rose and fell with steady breath. He seemed to be sleeping.

Catherine’s lady-in-waiting, Melanie, and Alaric’s nanny, Cassandra, were standing at a safe distance behind the mother and son.

Catherine’s hand gently patted Alaric’s head and there was a faint smile on her lips.

She noticed Aristia and a gentle smile showed on her face. This young woman could be cold and stern, but towards her children, she was always gentle and loving.

Aristia found it very difficult to not love the woman on the bench in front of her. Sometimes, she wondered whether she should feel that way when the woman wasn’t addressing that love to her, but to her real daughter.

Sometimes, thinking that way caused a pang in her heart. But most of the time, she felt like she was the one truly receiving that love and deserved to be. Was this the original Aristia’s feelings?

Feelings like these were complicated and confused Aristia.

Whenever she thought about Catherine, she would remember her own mother and family back on modern Earth. How were they feeling? How had they reacted? Would they be able to take the news of whatever happened to her? What happened to her? Endless questions streamed in her mind.

Aristia pulled those thoughts out of her mind. There was no use thinking about all those things. It would be better for her to focus on the present. She had thought this a lot of times, but the truth was; it wasn’t very easy to accept.

But in the end... Yes, she missed her family, but thinking about it would only cause a headache and not bring a solution.



With that in mind, Aristia put on a bright smile and approached Catherine.

"Mama."

"Are you ready to leave?" Catherine asked.

Aristia was a bit surprised. "Yes, I am. I’m heading to the Kendall sisters’ home." She said this again even though Catherine was aware.

After just a slight moment of hesitation, Aristia added. "I will give my gift to Leilani today."

Catherine smiled, then patted her head. "Very well, Tia. I am certain Leilani will love your gift." Her words were filled with certainty, just as she had said.

She then muttered under her breath away from Aristia’s hearing. "It would do her good if she does." After all, it was something that her daughter had spent her precious time, energy and effort to make.

However, Aristia’s hearing had become more enhanced since manifesting her daemon so it didn’t take much effort to hear Catherine’s words.

She let out an inaudible, helpless sigh.

Catherine wasn’t an evil woman and she wasn’t particularly a good person, but she was a woman born and raised in the nobility.

She too, like every other noble and aristocrat, was proud and had high expectations. Allowing her daughter to mingle with common people and become close with them, even to the extent of giving personally handmade gifts to them, was the limit she could tolerate.

But the receivers had to appreciate her lovely daughter’s efforts. That was a requirement.

Aristia understood this, and she couldn’t do anything about it. The Nobility was imposing and overbearing. If they weren’t like that, they would be crushed and trampled on by others for being weak.

Anything was a weakness that could be used against them and they had a reputation to uphold.

To Aristia, it was already a good thing that her parents were not against her ideas and relationships, and that they did not mistreat the common people, unlike most aristocrats.

But to ask them to change their ideals and personality for her would be unreasonable of her, just as they couldn’t ask her to change hers.

She was the one born and raised in the modern world and thus had a modern mindset, not them.

Even in the modern world, many people belonging to the upper echelon of society were extremely picky when it came to whom they or their children would associate with, especially when it came to those of lower class. It was something that couldn’t be changed when someone rose in status or was in a higher position than others, both now and in the future.

"I would have loved for you to join me, but perhaps another time." Catherine’s voice pulled Aristia away from her thoughts as she gently rubbed her head.

"I would have loved that too, mama." Aristia smiled before placing a light kiss on her mother’s cheek and doing the same to her sleeping brother.

"Adeline, make sure to take care of the princess." Catherine said to Adeline. Her gentle voice had a stern edge to it.

"Yes, Your Highness." Adeline bowed.

Aristia left the mansion with Adeline on a carriage.

Soon after, the carriage stopped in front of the gate belonging to the unopened orphanage.

There were workers in the construction site moving around busily.



As usual, the little more than few children in the sisters’ home were playing around in the yard. There were even a few who still kept pointing at the building under construction and whispering with excitement on their faces.

It seemed no matter how many times, the children would never get over their excitement.

From her position in front of the gate, Aristia spotted Leilani. The little girl had her hands on her hips and was talking to another girl who looked to be of similar age with an exaggerated expression on her face.

Aristia withheld a smile. The other girl Leilani was talking to nodded with a pout and entered the cottage. Aristia had seen her once or twice and her name seemed to be Simone? Sandra? Sally?

Adeline pushed open the gate.

Aristia entered the yard. She moved past the few children playing in the yard and approached Leilani.

Leilani’s back was turned to her. Aristia watched her as she plucked a few flowers from the patch of flowers in the small flower garden of the Kendall sisters, and started to move her hands.

"You’re back, Sarah? Then, come help me pick these flowers." Leilani started speaking as her hands didn’t stop moving.

[Oh, so that little girl’s name is Sarah.] Aristia thought.

Leilani continued, "I won’t make anything for you, though. They’re for my very good friend, Aris. I don’t know when she’ll visit but I’ll keep the flowers for her." She seemed to be making a flower crown.

Aristia raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Really? Will the flowers remain fresh until she comes?"

Leilani paused, "Ah, that’s true. I don’t think so. I didn’t think of that...wait." Leilani slowly turned around. That wasn’t Sarah’s voice!