The money was all accounted for, not a single coin missing, which showed that the other party was not after wealth. That meant it could only be for love or revenge. Samuel Lewis saw that Emily Thompson carried himself with composure, his gaze clear and steady, without the slightest hint of frivolity, so he ruled out the possibility of a love affair on his own. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Has Young Master Thompson made any enemies recently?”

Emily Thompson was secretly impressed that he had gotten straight to the point in just a few words. He raised his eyebrows and first gave Mrs. Bolton a meaningful look, gesturing toward Mr. Bolton. Mrs. Bolton understood and pulled her husband out of the room.

“I haven’t been at the The Bolton Residence for long, yet I’ve already made an enemy...”

Emily Thompson then briefly recounted to Samuel Lewis how he had come into conflict with Frank Bolton and Mr. Bolton’s concubine, and finally said, “It wasn’t until last night, when Miss Lily recognized the cook Henry Bolton among the assailants, that I realized his hatred for me had grown so deep he wanted my life. I can guard against him for a while, but not forever. I hope, sir, you can uphold justice for me!”

At first, Samuel Lewis’s face was warm and smiling, but gradually the smile faded, and a trace of disdain appeared. By the time Emily Thompson asked him to intervene, his eyes were cold and his expression had become quite unnatural.

“So this person was just a Daoist novice a month ago. I wonder what skills he has to be hired as a tutor at the The Bolton Residence.” Hearing of his humble origins, Samuel Lewis felt a bit of contempt. And the person he was being asked to accuse was actually Mr. Bolton’s concubine. Samuel Lewis knew the Bolton family well and naturally understood that Mrs. Bolton wanted to use this matter to drive away the second wife. But domestic affairs have always been hard to judge, and if he got involved, he might not please anyone in the end.

Still, he was afraid of displeasing the lady. He glanced sideways at Lily and saw her eyes darting about, clearly uneasy, and began to weigh his options.

“There’s no physical evidence in this case. You are the only witness. You can say whatever you want now, but once you’re in court, you’ll have to sign and put your fingerprint on it. Let me be blunt: if you give false testimony, the punishment will be far more severe than for this case itself. You might even end up in the pleasure quarters. Think carefully.”

Lily was already upset that Emily Thompson had spoken of Henry Bolton without her consent, and now, hearing the magistrate’s threat, she was terrified. She stole a glance at Emily Thompson, who was looking at her with eager eyes, but her heart turned cold. Charles Bolton said she was a woman of many affections, and it was true. Being affectionate didn’t mean being fickle; in modern medical terms, it might just be an excess of hormones. When a young and handsome man appeared, she was easily attracted, her imagination running wild, falling for him wholeheartedly. But such feelings came and went quickly, and in just a few words from the magistrate, the Nth spark of love in Lily’s heart was extinguished.

At that, she knelt down, trembling, and said, “That night, I had just returned from watching the lanterns outside and happened to see several men in black beating up Young Master Thompson. One of them was tall and stout, very much like our cook Henry Bolton, but the lighting was dim and I was scared, so I didn’t get a good look at his face.”

“Wait! Lily, didn’t you tell me you clearly saw that it was Henry Bolton?” Emily Thompson was shocked by Lily’s sudden change of story. He glanced at Samuel Lewis and saw a flash of satisfaction in his eyes, and suddenly understood.

Lily’s face was deathly pale, her head bowed even lower, her voice barely audible: “I’m sorry, Young Master Thompson, I only said he looked like Henry Bolton, not that he was Henry Bolton.” The difference between “looked like” and “was” was just one word, but the meaning was completely different.

“Heh! Since Miss Lily isn’t sure, then although Frank Bolton had a motive to hire thugs, there’s no evidence he was the mastermind. The case may be small, but the law is the same. Young Master Thompson, forgive me, but there’s nothing I can do.”

Emily Thompson smiled faintly and said, “As the saying goes, a blessing in disguise. Today’s small misfortune may help me avoid greater danger in the future. Miss Lily, thank you for taking care of me these past few days; Lord Lewis, thank you for coming specially to hear my troubles. I’m a bit tired now. If you have no further questions, please go and discuss the matter in detail with Mrs. Bolton.”

Chapter Eight: The Scholar

A few days later, Emily Thompson’s injuries gradually improved. After County Magistrate Lewis left, Mrs. Bolton came to see him a few more times, her tone tinged with helplessness. He, in turn, comforted her: “It’s a small matter, no need to worry,” and the matter was lightly brushed aside.

Lily’s passion had faded, and she no longer wanted to waste her energy on Emily Thompson. She began to look elsewhere for love; all she needed was a spark, and her fire of affection would blaze again. But Mrs. Bolton refused to let her leave, ordering her to serve Emily Thompson until he could walk. Lily had no choice but to stay by his side with a bitter face, her enthusiasm completely gone, secretly cursing herself for her poor judgment in ever fancying him.

“Miss Lily, you’ve been troubled these days. I can walk on my own now, so you don’t need to come tomorrow.”

Emily Thompson glanced at Lily, who was resting her chin in her hand and daydreaming by the window, knowing she was lost in her fantasies again. For the past three days, she had spent most of her time like this, sometimes sighing softly, sending chills down his spine, or casting him cold glances as if he owed her hundreds of taels in a past life. She even disliked his eating habits, clicking her tongue in disapproval, making Emily Thompson lose his appetite and grow thinner by the day.

“I’ll explain to the lady. Besides, the young master should be back soon.” Emily Thompson could bear it no longer and finally gave the order for her to leave.

Speak of the devil and he appears. As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and the door was flung open with a bang—it was the young master Brian Bolton rushing in.