By evening, Lily Walker once again brought them today’s pot of ginseng soup. Normally, she wouldn’t need to do this herself, but Lily Walker insisted on coming in person. Although Grace Walker, the third young mistress, didn’t hold much status in the household, her identity was still there for all to see. To say she wasn’t jealous would be impossible.

Besides resenting Grace Walker’s current position, she also very much wanted to see the mother and son make fools of themselves. Witnessing their suffering gave her a strange sense of excitement.

Seeing Lily Walker pretending to kindly serve her ginseng soup, Edward Harris was furious, especially when he saw her comforting Grace Walker, telling her to pay more attention to her nutrition. Damn it, if you know she needs more nutrition, why don’t you make a real pot of ginseng soup? Just wait until I recover—let’s see how I’ll deal with you then!

Thinking about how to deal with her, Edward Harris suddenly remembered something. In the morning, he’d heard Grace Walker mention that his grandmother, the absolute BOSS of the entire Han household, might come to see him. Whether or not this was just Grace Walker trying to comfort him, Edward Harris wanted to take advantage of it.

“Mother, let’s save a bowl of today’s ginseng soup,” Edward Harris said, taking the bowl from Lily Walker’s hands after thinking for a moment.

“Third young master, you’re not planning to save it for Grace to drink, are you? I don’t think that’s necessary. Grace would never bear to drink something so precious,” Lily Walker said with a smile, looking at Grace Walker. She knew Grace Walker’s character—once she found out the whole pot was made from just a single slice of ginseng, she definitely wouldn’t waste a drop and would make Edward Harris drink it all.

“That’s right, Edward, you need to strengthen your body and replenish your energy. You should drink it all,” Grace Walker quickly added.

Edward Harris couldn’t stand Lily Walker’s current attitude. She looked as if she was speaking up for Grace Walker, but the sarcasm in her tone was impossible to hide. If he weren’t bedridden, he would have gone over and slapped her. “Mother, didn’t you say grandmother would come visit me? I’m saving it for her.”

Edward Harris kept his eyes fixed on Lily Walker, and suddenly saw her hands start to tremble...

“Third young master... there’s really no need to give this ginseng soup to the old madam, is there? She... she drinks it often,” Lily Walker stammered. If the old madam tasted this “ginseng soup,” wouldn’t she immediately realize something was wrong? If the truth came out, no one would take the blame for her. Thinking of how strict the old madam was with the servants... Lily Walker suddenly shivered.

“How could that be? If grandmother comes to visit me, as her grandson, I must offer her the very best,” Edward Harris said slowly. He had caught every change in Lily Walker’s expression, and the thought made him feel delighted.

“Grace sister... Third madam, please say something. Can we let the old madam know about this?” Lily Walker saw that Edward Harris was determined, and knew things were going badly. She hurriedly turned to Grace Walker for help, even calling her “third madam”—it was the first time she’d done so in private since Grace Walker became a concubine.

“This...” Grace Walker looked at Edward Harris, about to speak. She was soft-hearted and couldn’t bear to refuse anyone’s plea, even if it was Lily Walker, who had often mocked her in the past. In her heart, she still thought of them both as former attendants to the young lady.

“Mother, you can’t expect me to be unfilial, can you?” Edward Harris knew exactly where his weakness lay, so he quickly spoke up. In any era, filial piety was of utmost importance—sometimes even the foundation of governance. As long as he invoked filial piety, no one would dare object.

Seeing that Edward Harris had made up his mind, Lily Walker panicked. If things went as the third young master said, she would be doomed. She could no longer care about her former dignity. With a “thud,” she knelt straight down in front of Edward Harris: “Please, third young master, forgive this servant’s previous disrespect. Spare me this once!”

“Lily sister, why are you doing this? Please, get up,” Grace Walker said quickly. She knew Lily Walker was a long-time attendant of the young lady and now the nominal housekeeper of the inner quarters, wielding far more power than herself. How could she let her kneel to Edward? But Grace Walker hadn’t considered that, given Edward Harris’s status, it wasn’t a breach of etiquette for Lily Walker to kneel to him. Perhaps, in her heart, she never truly saw her Edward as the real third young master.

Lily Walker wanted to get up, but seeing Edward Harris smiling at her, she didn’t dare move an inch. Now she only regretted ever getting involved in this wicked business, suffering such humiliation for nothing. Maybe from now on, whenever she saw this third young master, she’d have to keep her head down.

“Mother, I’m feeling a bit hot. Could you fetch a basin of water to wipe me down?” Edward Harris knew that with his mother present, he couldn’t play the villain.

Hearing her son was feeling hot, Grace Walker immediately forgot about Lily Walker and hurried out of the courtyard to prepare a basin and towel to wipe him down.

“Speak. Who put you up to this?” As soon as Grace Walker left the small courtyard, Edward Harris seemed to become a different person, his voice icy cold.