淑女的欲望

Scarlett remained silent, and her frustration mounted. 'This foolish Theodor Parker, how dare he waste my time with these absurd plans? Damn it!' She felt the urge to whack Theodor on the head.

It was a good thing they had arrived at the king's residence, otherwise, she would have scolded Theodor for his stupidity. She too was wearing feminine clothes;  it restricted her movements. Otherwise... She will beat him into a pulp!

They soon entered the hall.

As Scarlett stepped into the transformed hall, which had been turned into a mid-winter summer garden, her nervousness returned. The sight of the fresh flowers adorning the space was breathtaking. The beauty of the surroundings helped ease some of her nervousness.

Despite her nervousness, her habit of observing her surroundings still appears. She saw a long table in the center that could seat about twenty people, with another smaller table at the end featuring five chairs facing each other.

In a few corners of the room, several guests already occupied a seating area.

Scarlett felt even more tense as she observed the friendly interactions among the guests—chatting, laughter, and the enjoyment of wine. It seemed as though they were all familiar with each other. She couldn't help but feel like an uninvited guest in that place. Aside from Theodor, she recognized no one.

"Sis, don't be nervous. They are all my family and friends of King Simon, who also happened to be my cousin..." Theodor explained, trying to reassure Scarlett and keep her calm.

Scarlett turned her gaze to Theodor, who was still standing beside her. Seeing his sincere expression made her smile faintly.

"Okay, let's find my mother..." Theodor said, scanning the room to locate his mother. Spotting her, he led Scarlett towards her, hoping to relieve her nervousness.

Melinda rose gracefully from her seat and made her way over to Scarlett and Theodor. Upon seeing Scarlett in her beautiful and perfectly fitted dress, it was impossible for Melinda not to shower her with compliments. 

"Oh my, Scarlett, you look absolutely stunning, my dear..." 

"Thank you, ma'am..." Scarlett began to respond, but Melinda interrupted her before she could finish her words.

"Oh, please, just call me as usual, Scarlett... Auntie!" Melinda beamed, taking hold of Scarlett's hand and guiding her with gentle grace.

Scarlett couldn't help but smile and obediently follow Melinda's lead. However, she noticed a change in Theodor's expression as they approached the seating area. It aroused her curiosity, and she slowly shifted her gaze toward Theodor's line of sight.

There, she noticed two beautiful young women sitting, their eyes fixed on them. Scarlett caught sight of the one woman's hair color, and her heart began to race, realizing that that girl must be a Gilwynn. She quickly adjusted her expression and composed herself, maintaining a friendly smile as she took a seat next to Melinda. 

The young woman with similar hair color to Scarlett possessed a delicate beauty, her petite face accentuated by her stunning hair color. However, one feature sets Scarlett apart — this woman has pale blue eyes. She carried herself with elegance, dressed in a classy, long-sleeved red gown. A sense of serenity and grace surrounded her, reminiscent of the noble families.

The woman directed her attention towards Theodor, engaging him in conversation and inquiring about Scarlett's identity. 

"Theo, is this lady your new girlfriend?" The ginger-red-haired woman asked, her gaze fixed on Theodor, who had joined them to sit on the couch.

Scarlett nearly choked upon hearing the woman's question. Seeing Theodor's seemingly pleased reaction made her curse him inwardly.

"Hahaha, Maggie! I wish... but she's not!" Theodor chuckled, enjoying Scarlett's sulky-looking face.I think you should take a look at

After swallowing hard, he continued, "Sister Scarlett, this is my cousin, Maggie Gilwynn..." He glanced at Scarlett with concern as he introduced them. Though the introduction felt awkward, Theodor had to do it to avoid any suspicion. 

Theodor looks at Maggie, "...Maggie, this beautiful lady is Scarlett Piers. She is the wife of my best friend, Xander Riley," Theodor added quickly. "You know Xander Riley, right?"

Maggie nodded and replied, "Of course, I know him."

"Well, Scarlett is Xander Riley's wife," Theodor clarified.

Maggie looked surprised as she observed Scarlett but composed herself and smiled warmly. "Hello, Scarlett. It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted.

"Hello, nice to meet you too..." Scarlett managed to reply, her voice slightly choked. Because she knew Maggie was Roland Gilwynn's daughter.

At that moment, Scarlett felt like she was sitting on hot coals. She wished she could just disappear from that place.

She didn't expect that she would meet this woman the moment she arrived at this place. Gosh!

Struggling to maintain her composure, Scarlett engaged in small talk with Maggie Gilwynn while discreetly searching for Grandpa Robert's whereabouts. She needed to find him urgently, to escape from this awkward situation.

Amidst Scarlett's anxiety, she suddenly heard Melinda talk to her, "Scarlett, where is Xander? Why didn't he come with you?"

Scarlett tries to find an excuse to divert Melinda's attention from Xander. No one, not even Theodor, knew about Carter's kidnapping by the assassins.

"Aunty, Xander had to fly back to W this afternoon..." 

Theodor chimed in with a displeased expression, "That Xander... He chose to leave early for work! Sister-in-law, you should give him a hard time later!" He said annoyed.

Scarlett was speechless. She could only smile and ignore Theodor's comment. Her gaze turns back to Melinda.

"Auntie, Xander is dealing with some family issues that require his immediate attention. That's why he couldn't join us here..." Scarlett explained to Melinda.

...

Just as Scarlett and Melinda finished their conversation about Xander, Maggie asked, "Scarlett, earlier, you mentioned that you'll be staying in this city for a few months. Are you working here?"

Still surprised by the close relationship between the young and beautiful Scarlett and her aunt, Maggie felt a tinge of envy. Her aunt had always been reserved, and she herself was not particularly close to her.

Before Scarlett could respond, Theodor interrupted again to answer Maggie's question.

"Yes, my sister-in-law has set up a company in this country, so..." Theodor excitedly explained, prompting a secret smile from Scarlett.