淑女的欲望

Scarlett, "..."

Looking at how intense Francis is staring at his father,  Scarlett doesn't have a reason to hide this information from him. He deserved to know; otherwise, he might tell his mother, and Grandpa Robert would be in trouble.

"Grandpa, you can tell him everything..." Scarlett said calmly with a faint smile gracing her beautiful face.

Francis, now even more confused, listened to Scarlett's words. He stared at his father, a frown forming on his forehead. 

"D-Dad, please tell me..." He felt a thrill that what he had imagined might be true. Scarlett was his sister.

Robert immediately disclosed Scarlett's identity as Roland Gilwynn's youngest daughter. He told him everything, but he didn't reveal who Scarlett's mother was or how she had met Roland. He simply stated that the DNA results confirmed Scarlett as one of the Gilwynn's.

Francis was utterly speechless. He slowly looks at Scarlett. 

"W-What? You're really Sir Roland's daughter?" Francis couldn't hide his shock at this shocking news. How could this girl that he knew, who had come from another continent, actually be the former king's daughter? It was unbelievable.

"Hmm, that's true," she chuckled, observing how comical Francis' expression had become. "Please keep this information just between us, Brother Francis. I don't want anyone else to know, especially Maggie."

"Don't worry I will not say anything about you to others!" He smiles before continuing his words, "Scarlett... no wonder I felt a sense of familiarity in you from the first day I saw you," he said in awe. It was now clear to him that Scarlett and Roland bore a strong resemblance. She looks like when he was young.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at his words. "Oh, please... Don't lie. We first met when I was in disguise," she recalled when she had visited Grandpa Robert's house and encountered Francis.

Francis shook his head vigorously. "I saw you, the real you before we officially met..."

'How is that possible?' Scarlett silently cursed while staring at him in shock. She couldn't bring herself to ask him directly, fearing that he had indeed seen her true self; that's why he had fallen in love with her, just like Theodor.

Sensing Scarlett's disbelief, Francis continued, "Actually, I saw you from afar when you—" He couldn't finish his sentence but reached for his cell phone. After searching for something on it, he handed it to Scarlett.

Scarlett was left speechless when she saw a clear picture of herself wearing a white nightgown with her red hair flowing down her back.

She slowly lifted her head and locked eyes with Francis. "Why do you have my picture? This—" She couldn't continue her words. Her mind reeled back, remembering what happened back then.

****

While in the other room,

Carter felt tense as he awaited Zara's arrival. He had spoken to her just a few minutes ago and asked her to come visit him. His eyes were fixed on the door as if he wished he could tear it apart to see what was happening outside. He strained his ears to catch any sounds from the corridor, but the more he listened, the more anxious he became.

In his eagerness to meet her, he had even asked his assistant to go to the lobby and escort Zara if she arrived. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

After a few minutes had passed, he finally heard more movement outside the door, but this time, it wasn't just footsteps; it was more than that.

"Zara?" he called her name in a hushed voice.

The door swung open not long after, revealing the woman he had been waiting for. She was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair, standing there motionless. However, her complexion appeared pale, and her brown eyes were red as if she had been crying.

They simply gazed at each other for a few moments without saying anything. It was as if they were entranced by one another.

After a few intense moments, Carter was the first to break the silence, softly calling her name. "Zara... come in." His voice sounded hoarse, but a small smile graced his face.

Zara, struggling to contain the turmoil in her chest, saw him sitting on the bed with his legs still wrapped in bandages. His handsome face had turned pale as if he had never been exposed to sunlight.

She slowly approached Carter's bedside. Her hands, which had been hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists as if searching for the strength to walk steadily toward him.

Inside her, a whirlwind of emotions raged. She longed to run into his arms and seek solace but restrained herself. However, she lost control when she stood by his bedside, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. Her sobs overcame her, and her desire to embrace him became irresistible.

She threw herself into his arms and cried.

"C-Carter, I'm sorry about what happened to you..." she managed to say between her sobs. "I feel awful because I hurt your feelings in our last meeting..."

She continued, "And knowing you had this accident makes me feel like I will go crazy if I don't see you. I'm too afraid you'll leave me forever before I tell you what I'm feeling right now," She paused when she felt Carter's hand stroking her back.

~~~~~~~

Author Notes:

Dear, all my kind and lovely readers,

You may have noticed that this book is approaching the end. Yes, that's correct. There are only a few unresolved story arcs left.

For this reason, I have been updating it at a slower pace, with only one chapter uploaded per day, to ensure that all the remaining plot threads are properly resolved. Rushing through the chapters could risk leaving loose ends, and I want to avoid a rushed ending for this book. I hope you understand the reason for the recent slower updates.

Thank you for your continuous support throughout this journey. Happy reading to all, and I will do my best to deliver a satisfying and happy ending for everyone.