Seeing Charles Bolton's hand suddenly freeze in place, Henry Clark knew she had guessed right. In a flash, a desperate idea for survival burst into her mind. She couldn't help but take a deep breath to steady herself, then looked at Charles Bolton with a mocking gaze: "I wonder whose stupid idea this was. Are all the Gu family members such gullible fools? Even if everything in this residence is arranged, although Sister Qi may look frail and can pretend to be ill for a while, how could a daughter raised by godmother be completely illiterate, utterly ignorant of rules and etiquette, and know nothing about the affairs of the two marquis households?"

Having just heard Mrs. Smith's plan, Charles Bolton had felt his urgent problem was solved, and the idea of "the rice already cooked" suited him perfectly, which was why he was in the mood to come here. But now that Henry Clark had pointed out the flaw, he was instantly stunned. The Gu family was drawing near, and this was his greatest hope for returning to the capital. Otherwise, if his mother-in-law and brother-in-law took offense, he might not even be able to keep his position as Prefect of Guide. Now, this scheme was his last chance, so his expression kept shifting. After a long while, he stubbornly said, "With Mrs. Smith accompanying her—she's an old servant of the marquis household—she can surely get by!"

"Mrs. Smith? How many characters does she know? How many books has she read? She can't even keep the account books straight, or she wouldn't have exposed my mistake in front of godmother before. Besides, what does she know about the social circles of noble ladies? You really think she alone can pull the wool over everyone's eyes? Even if my sister was always frail and sickly, she still had to get married eventually. Godmother had the marquis household invite a retired palace aunt to teach her etiquette... Sir, you should be glad that aunt has already passed away, or things would be even more troublesome! Even if you could find another such aunt, do you think you could have her teach Sister Qi etiquette under the very noses of the marquis household's people?"

Charles Bolton was left speechless by Henry Clark's retort. Seeing her sharp gaze fixed on him, he suddenly had a thought: "Do you have a better idea?"

Though it was only the slimmest chance, Henry Clark would never let go of this lifeline. She forced herself to suppress her inner turmoil and said calmly, "Everything my sister learned, I have learned too. What she didn't learn, godmother had someone teach me, and she personally instructed me in the affairs of the marquis household. She even wrote to the Dowager Marchioness and the two marquises about me several times. As long as I stay by Sister Qi's side and carefully teach her the rules and etiquette along the way, once we reach the capital, we can use her poor health as an excuse to catch up on her reading and writing. Maybe we can get away with it."

Given the gravity of the matter, Charles Bolton dared not trust her so easily and immediately frowned, asking, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course I am. Besides, my mother and brother are still in your hands—do you really think I'd dare go back on my word?"

After thinking it over, Charles Bolton felt it made sense, so he simply stepped forward and untied Henry Clark's hands. Seeing her sit up with her head lowered, making no rash moves, he felt a bit more at ease. He softened his tone and said, "If you really can help me pull this off, I will never treat you unfairly in the future."

Henry Clark rubbed the deep marks left on her wrists and suddenly said without looking up, "You were right before—compared to the noble families in the capital, the big households of Guide are worth nothing. So don't try to brush me off with promises of not treating me unfairly. If you truly care about me, you must give me a proper status in the future!"

"Status?" After a moment of stunned silence, Charles Bolton felt all the gloom in his heart dissipate. He sat down next to Henry Clark, laughing heartily as he reached out to pull her into his arms. "Why didn't you say so earlier! As long as you help me succeed in this, I will find a way to marry you into my household!"

"Sir, don't forget what you said today!" Henry Clark forced herself to suppress her disgust, raised her hand to avoid his, and said word by word, "Though I am not from a great family, I was raised by godmother for many years. If you try to take me by force without giving me a proper status, even if it means implicating my mother and brother, I would rather die to prove my innocence!"

"Fine, fine, as you wish, as you wish!" Although Charles Bolton was greatly disappointed that he couldn't enjoy her right now, compared to beauty, his future was more important. Besides, such promises cost him nothing—Henry Clark was just a common girl, wasn't she at his mercy anyway? Thinking this, he immediately stood up, nodded with a smile, and said, "As soon as I return to the capital and get promoted, I'll hold a banquet to welcome you into my household. Then you'll enjoy endless wealth and glory!"

Henry Clark shot Charles Bolton a sidelong glance, then smiled and said, "In that case, I will do my best to help you plan. But don't tell Mrs. Smith about this yet. Call a maid to help me freshen up, and please come by again at dinner so we can discuss things further."

When that man happily turned and left, Henry Clark collapsed at once, the smile on her face vanishing without a trace. For a long time, she gripped the thin quilt beneath her tightly, then raised her sleeve to fiercely wipe away the tears streaming from her eyes.

She must not cry. From now on, she no longer had the right to cry! It was not just her own life and death, but her family's as well, all resting on her shoulders! As long as she could leave this Guide Prefecture, she would at least still have a chance!

Chapter Six: The Upper Hand