"Lia, don't listen to Karen. Although there are few honest people in society nowadays, grandma believes in your judgment."
"Grandma, I know. Thank you." Lia's heart swelled with gratitude. Her grandmother had always been her pillar of support, and this unwavering belief meant more to her than she could express.
"Why thank you? Don't worry about me. Go have fun with your boyfriend," her grandmother replied with a dismissive wave.
Karen, who had been eavesdropping, scoffed, "Mom, you are really something. Why are you encouraging her to play with her boyfriend late at night?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Grandma shot her a glare. "I'm talking about normal times. People with dark hearts can never bear anything good." She didn't mince her words, knowing full well what Karen had been up to over the years.
Karen bit her lip, unable to argue. Grandma had always wanted peace within the family, but it had come at Lia's expense. She was the one who had suffered, and to this day, Karen was still trying to use marriage as a means of controlling her. Grandma would never agree to it, even if it meant standing up to her own daughter-in-law.
"Yes, yes," Karen muttered through gritted teeth, though she was seething. But she couldn't break her mask of politeness.
"Lia, don't worry. I'll take good care of grandma. But you must understand the family background of the person you're seeing. If their circumstances are too poor, I'll introduce you to someone else." "There will be plenty of chances later."
"Well, good night, grandma," Lia said softly, grateful for her grandmother's words. Her relationship with her adoptive parents was never deep, but they had lived together for so many years that they had reached a sort of understanding. As long as certain boundaries weren't crossed, Lia could ignore the occasional unnecessary interference.
She didn't know why her biological parents had abandoned her, and honestly, she felt it wasn't something she needed to understand.
...
Cassius was at the French window, his gaze fixed on the garden outside.
Lia sat alone on the swing, her slender legs swaying back and forth. She stared at the night sky, her thoughts unknown to him, but he couldn't help wondering what was going through her mind.
She was quiet, always preferring solitude. It was as if she was a mystery he couldn't solve, and the more he observed her, the more intrigued he became.
He smiled to himself, a mischievous thought crossing his mind. He grabbed his coat and headed out.
Lia had no idea how long she had been sitting there, the stillness of the night surrounding her. She decided it was time to head back inside. After all, if Cassius wanted to speak to her, it wouldn't do to linger outside.
"Who is Miss Lia? The master seems to like her very much," several maids whispered to each other as they gathered near the French window, quietly observing Lia.
"How could the master like her? Maybe it's just that kind of relationship," a younger maid remarked, her tone full of contempt.
"What kind of relationship?" Another asked, clearly confused.
"The kind of mistress relationship... you know, like that," she added, with a knowing look.
"Ahem."
Someone suddenly cleared their throat, noticing the approaching figure of Cassius.
As they turned around, Lia entered the room, and the maids quickly looked down, nervous, too afraid to speak further.
Lia gave them a quick glance but said nothing. She knew exactly who they were talking about. After all, the gossip in the Valen family was more scandalous than anything they could say.
The maids looked at each other, wondering why Lia wasn't angry or upset. "She's so generous," one remarked. "Let's stop gossiping."
"I think Miss Lia is very kind," another added. "She's always so quiet and never bosses us around."
"Yeah, she's so different from what you'd expect. If she were the daughter of a rich family, who knows how she would treat us."
The topic shifted as they started to praise Lia, each maid offering her opinion. But their words didn't reach Lia. She had already moved on, lost in her thoughts.
As Lia reached the stairs, she ran into Cassius, who was holding a coat in his hand.
"Cassius, are you going out?" She stepped aside to let him pass.
"It's cold outside. Put on your coat," he insisted, draping it over her shoulders.
Lia looked down at the coat now wrapped around her. So, he had come out just to give her the coat.
"Thank you, but it's not cold here at all," she replied, though she had felt the chill in the garden earlier.
Cassius took her hand in his. "Don't you want to look at the stars?"
How did he know? Lia was taken aback, but she suppressed the questions swirling in her mind. "Yeah," she said, agreeing with him.
"Let's go back to the room," he suggested, his voice gentle as he led her inside.
"Okay." Lia followed him, a quiet acceptance in her heart. They reached the room, and she hung her coat on the rack.
Cassius was already lying on the bed, reading a book. Lia went to the bathroom to change into her pajamas and freshen up. Twenty minutes later, she emerged, only to find Cassius still engrossed in his book.
She crawled into bed and lay down, her body settling beside his. Cassius placed the book aside and pulled her closer, rubbing his face against her neck.
"Cassius," Lia whispered, her body instinctively shrinking away from his closeness. He only moved closer, his lips grazing the skin of her neck.
"It smells good," he murmured, his voice soft and deep.
Lia froze, confused. "Shower gel," she said, almost defensively.
Cassius didn't answer right away. Instead, he smiled faintly, his lips brushing against her ear. "Yeah, and your smell too."
Lia flushed deeply, unable to form a response. She couldn't smell anything in particular, but his words sent an inexplicable heat rushing through her body.
He pulled her closer, his strong arms encircling her slender waist. She felt her body pressed against his, a wave of warmth and tension rising between them.
"Cassius," Lia whispered again, her hand resting stiffly between them. She dared not move, unsure of what to do or how to respond.
She had seen the way his eyes had darkened before, filled with desire. She wasn't sure she was ready for it, but his touch left her breathless.
His nose brushed lightly against her cheek, his lips whispering softly in her ear, "Lia, are you feeling better?" The meaning behind his words was unmistakable.
Lia lowered her gaze, a slight nod betraying her embarrassment. She didn't know how to respond, so she said nothing.
Cassius smiled, and without missing a beat, he sat up and reached for something from the bedside table. "There's one left in the box you gave me last time."
Lia blinked in surprise. "Then, I'll go buy it," she said, trying to regain her composure.
She hadn't expected that the 'gift' she had given him would be used on her. She had thought it was just a small gesture, but now...
Cassius's hand found her waist again, pulling her back toward him. "I don't have the habit of letting women buy these things," he said casually.
"Uh..." she stammered, her face growing hot. "Did you prepare it before?"
Cassius didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "I didn't prepare before," he admitted, "but I am prepared now."
Lia's mind went blank for a moment, and she didn't know how to respond.