In one corner of the mourning hall, Henry Clark, who had insisted on keeping vigil for one night after waking up, was bowing her head, burning paper money sheet by sheet. From time to time, she would look up at that glaring memorial tablet. Rather than sadness, what she felt was more like a bottomless emptiness.

The scene she had witnessed at dusk kept stabbing at her heart without respite. Every time she thought of how Charles Bolton had just announced, with a face full of grief, the inside story of Mama Zheng’s “death in service,” she wished she could rush out the door and leave this dreadful place at once.

Unconsciously, she pushed a few more sheets of paper money into the charcoal brazier. Suddenly, she heard faint footsteps behind her. She quickly bowed her head and said, “Godmother, I’m sorry to you, but since elder sister has spoken today, I won’t shamelessly stay in the Zhang family any longer. Tomorrow I’ll go home and observe mourning for you for a year. Your kindness to me, I will remember for the rest of my life.”

As she waited for a response from behind, a voice finally sounded in her ear: “What do you mean, shameless? Though your godmother is gone, you can still stay in the Zhang family. Yuer was just momentarily upset and confused; don’t take it to heart. If your godmother’s spirit is watching from above, she surely wouldn’t want you to grieve yourself sick.”

Henry Clark cautiously raised her head and saw Charles Bolton in plain linen mourning clothes standing before her. She hurriedly stood up, bowed, and called out “Godfather,” then lowered her eyes and said, “Godfather, you are right, but after all, I am an outsider. If I continue to stay here, it would be improper. Besides, elder sister just had another episode and can’t even come to keep vigil; she’s still recuperating. Why make her unhappy on my account? If her condition worsens, it would be my fault.”

“Life and death are fated, wealth and honor are decreed by heaven. Even emperors and generals can’t escape death. If she’s so narrow-minded, that’s her fate, and whatever happens can’t be blamed on you.”

Charles Bolton stared intently at the young girl before him. Though she wore no makeup, her fair face was slightly swollen around the eyes. She was dressed only in a loose mourning robe, with just a mourning band in her hair, yet she still exuded a delicate, pitiable beauty. Narrowing his eyes, he finally spoke gently: “You don’t need to worry. Though your godmother is gone, from now on, I will treat you just as well as she did.”

Henry Clark had always been wary of Charles Bolton. Hearing this, she quickly knelt and bowed again, saying, “Thank you for your concern, Godfather. I’m fine, but elder sister’s health was never good, and now she’s overwhelmed with grief. It’s more important to call a doctor to see her first.”

“You’re so thoughtful. For Yuer to have a younger sister like you to look after her—who knows how many lifetimes of good fortune that took. Yet she doesn’t know how lucky she is. As for Qier, others look down on her, but you’ve always cared for her. Han’er, with your godmother newly passed, there are still two concubines in the house, but they’re useless, and Yuer is so frail she could be blown away by the wind. So I’ve thought it over, and for now, you should manage the household affairs.”

Hearing this suddenly, and thinking of Mama Zheng’s death, Henry Clark shivered inwardly and hurriedly declined: “Godfather, how could I? I’m an outsider, and too young to command respect. It would only invite gossip…”

“What outsider? Your godmother treated you as family, and so do I!” Charles Bolton cut her off sharply, a faint smile appearing on his face, though his words were cold and harsh, completely at odds with his gentle tone. “As for gossip, whoever dares to speak nonsense in this house will be beaten to death! Your godmother raised you for so many years, of course she already considered you part of the Zhang family.”

Seeing Henry Clark’s face suddenly go blank, Charles Bolton stepped forward, smiling as he brushed a stray lock of hair from her ear. “Though Guide Prefecture was once prosperous, it’s not what it used to be. To have raised someone of your character is truly rare. You’ve been with your godmother for so many years, you should know that compared to the real noble families in the capital, the local gentry here are worth nothing. Do you really plan to let your parents arrange a marriage for you at random and waste your whole life?”

Chapter Three: Great Upheaval (Part Two)

Faced with Charles Bolton’s sudden intimate gesture, Henry Clark felt her whole body stiffen. For a long moment, she could only react instinctively, suddenly flinging away Charles Bolton’s hand and stumbling back a few steps. “Godfather, godmother has just passed away. Please show some respect!”

“Show respect?” Charles Bolton’s refined expression vanished without a trace, replaced by a look of contempt. “Is that what your godmother taught you? She was always putting on airs, telling me to be respectful and self-reflect, but what did it get me? I was sent from the capital to this godforsaken place! If she hadn’t been barren and insisted on pretending to be virtuous, foisting two wooden concubines on me, would I still be without a son? Don’t think I don’t know why she kept you by her side. She just wanted a scapegoat for her sickly daughter—when did she ever think of her husband?”

All these years living with the Zhang family, Henry Clark had rarely seen Charles Bolton in the back courtyard. Though his gaze always made her uncomfortable, she had never heard such venomous words from him before. Seeing him reach out to grab her wrist, she steeled herself, suddenly turned, lifted her skirt, and ran toward the back.