淑女的欲望

Carter's jaw dropped, shocked to hear Scarlett's words.

'There can't be only one Withers in this world, right? There must be a lot of people with the same last name,' he silently reassured himself, desperately trying to find a reason to dismiss the shocking news.

After a moment, Carter gathered his courage and was the first to break the silence, his voice trembling, "S-Sister... Y-you mean the Wither Family that rules the underground business in X Country?" he asked.

Scarlett nodded, confirming his suspicion. "Hmm, that one!" she replied casually, but Carter felt as if thunder had struck his ears. The reality of the situation was too overwhelming.

"Sister, why do you have blood relations with them?" Carter asked again, but as Scarlett's face darkened, he quickly added, "Ugh, sorry, I didn't mean to say that. I was just too shocked..."

Scarlett smiled bitterly. She said, "It's okay. Even now, I still can't believe that Withers' blood runs through my veins. But you don't have to worry, Carter. I will not be involved with that family. Not until I find my mother..."

Carter listened silently, his heart aching for his sister-in-law and her burdens.

"And I will take responsibility for what happened to you. I will take care of you, Carter, until you can recover fully," Scarlett said with determination. She was determined to find a doctor who could cure Carter's condition and help him walk again.

Carter was deeply moved to hear her promise. However, he was fully aware of his condition. He knew he would never live a normal life again, he would be unable to walk and would have to rely on a wheelchair — at least, that's what he had been told by the team of doctors who treated him.

Despite this, Scarlett and his older brother Xander insisted that in Country M, there was a doctor who could help him walk again. They believed that seeking medical treatment there was his best chance for recovery. At first, he had been hesitant about the idea, but after Scarlett insisted, he finally agreed.

Now, he understood why Scarlett had pushed him to go to M Country for treatment—because of her guilt and how she tried to fix it as much as possible. 

Carter smiled warmly at her before saying, "...Sis, thank you. I'm so grateful to have a sister-in-law as caring and compassionate as you." His words were sincere and genuine.

Finally, Scarlett could smile broadly at Carter's praise, and she gazed at him happily. "I'm also happy to have an obedient brother-in-law like you," they both laughed. 

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you there. Xander and I have a beautiful villa in Royal City, and you'll love the place while you stay and recover," she continued.

"Ugh! I'm so excited," Carter's eyes lit up. "Well, I've heard something from Logan. He mentioned that there was something big going on there. What is it, Sister?" Carter asked curiously. He had asked Logan about it several times, but Logan remained tight-lipped.

"Something big?" Scarlett repeated his question while trying to remember. 'Is Logan referring to her relationship with Roland Gilwynn?' she wondered to herself.

"Nothing happened..." Scarlett lied, knowing she couldn't reveal her relationship with Roland Gilwynn. It was too dangerous for outsiders to find out, at least for now.

"Oh, come on, sister... don't try to fool me! I know you're hiding something!" Carter narrowed his eyes, insisting on knowing the truth.

Scarlett pondered silently for a moment, trying to find a suitable excuse. After a few moments, suddenly, she remembered something. 

Her smile grew wider before saying, "Alright, fine! I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to reveal it to anyone else, okay? Especially not to the elders."

Carter nodded eagerly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I promise, sister."

"You're going to be an uncle," Scarlett said, chuckling as she saw his shocked expression.

"S-Sister, are you pregnant?" Carter asked, his tone filled with happiness.

"Hmm, yes. But it's too early to announce it. That's why you have to promise me to keep this news to yourself, especially from Grandpa and Aunt Martha. I'll inform them later..." she explained. Scarlett wanted to confirm that she was entering her second trimester of pregnancy before sharing the news with the rest of the family and her close friends. 

"Wah... Congratulations, sis. Congratulations! I can't wait to meet your child," Carter shouted happily.

"Shhh!" Scarlett glared at him. "You'll expose me to the entire hospital if you speak that loudly!" She took a deep breath to calm herself, worried Aunty Martha outside could hear Carter.

"Oops, sorry, sis, I'll keep your secret. Don't worry, you can trust me..." Carter's voice trailed off as he noticed his mother standing at the door, looking surprised.

He secretly gulped and quickly shifted his gaze to Scarlett, signaling her about his mother's presence.

"This time, I'll believe you, Carter. But if Aunt finds out I'm pregnant, I'll punish you!!" Scarlett said, narrowing her eyes at him and then smiling playfully.

"Scarlett Piers," suddenly Martha's voice echoed in the room, making Scarlett jump in surprise. She stood up from her chair and looked back to see Martha standing not far from her, with a sharp gaze fixed upon her. 

Scarlett silently swallowed, thinking, 'Gosh, Aunty must have overheard, right?' while trying to put on a smile.

"Are you pregnant? Why did you want to hide it from me?" Martha asked as she walked over to Scarlett.

"Y-Yes, I am..." Scarlett replied weakly, unable to hide the news from Martha.

"Oh... Dear Scarlett, congratulations," Martha's voice trembled with happiness upon hearing the news. She couldn't help but pull Scarlett into her embrace and shed tears of joy for her. "Scarlett, you have to take care of your body. You can't tire yourself; you must eat healthy food..."

Scarlett could only smile at the many pieces of advice Martha had given her. Somehow, hearing her words made her remember her mother. She suddenly missed her mother so much.