Chapter 256: Overwhelmed With Happiness
In the midst of a hail of bullets, it was as if a path to survival had suddenly appeared. Casey no longer felt such an urgent need to escape.
That evening, Chelsea returned. She had heard that Caleb had gone to bed early, so she didn’t disturb him. She didn’t return until it was time for dinner. The table was set with five dishes and a soup, all common homemade meals.
With a look of guilt, Seiren confessed, “Ms. Yardley, my cooking skills are just ordinary. If you’re expecting a five-star hotel meal, it would be best to hire a professional chef. I’m simply not up to the task!”
Chelsea expressed her confusion. “I never mentioned wanting such high-end dishes, Seiren. What you’re making now is already great. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Why would you think I don’t like these home-cooked meals?” As she spoke, she simultaneously picked up a piece of egg with her fork and tasted it.
“Delicious! The dish you’ve made…it’s remarkably similar to one my mother used to make. I’ve missed that flavor so much. Sadly, no one’s been able to replicate that taste in recent years.”
Seiren was pleasantly surprised. “Really? In that case, I’ll make more for you in the future. I’ll strive to satisfy your appetite!” As she spoke, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness.
When she was with the Quixall family, she hadn’t received the kind of treatment she was getting now. George and Raquel treated her as if she were less than human, while Agnes constantly bossed her around. At times, she felt like a ceaselessly working ox, with nothing to her name but the ability to toil the land. Moreover, her future would be akin to an endlessly toiling ox. When she could no longer work, her family or the Quixall family would wring out all her worth until she finally passed.
Tears streamed down her face, carrying an endless wave of heartache and grievance. Chelsea blinked in surprise. “Seiren, what’s happened? Why are you suddenly crying?”
Seiren awkwardly wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “My apologies, Ms. Yardley. I just… I’m just feeling so overwhelmed with happiness right now that I couldn’t help it…”
Chelsea laughed. “I see. Why would you cry over such a trivial matter? After you’ve been here for a while, you won’t want to shed even a single tear more.”
Tears streaming down her face, Seiren nodded earnestly. “Yes! I will work hard, so you won’t even consider letting me go in the future!”
Chelsea was amused and turned her gaze toward Caleb. “Was Seiren also this lovable when she was at your place?”
Caleb reflected for a moment before replying, “Mrs. Quixall really liked her and even went so far as to say she wanted to adopt her as her goddaughter. But as for the others…” He didn’t want to make Seiren feel awkward, so he refrained from speaking too bluntly.
Seiren, however, bravely responded, “Don’t worry, Mr. Caleb, just speak the truth. Ms. Yardley, aside from Mr. Caleb and Mrs. Quixall, everyone else treated me rather indifferently. But that doesn’t really matter. After all, I was just a servant.” She spoke with an air of innocence, but Caleb knew just how much she had struggled during her days in the Quixall residence.
Previously, Raquel had pinched her, then shifted the blame onto him. Although he was initially consumed with anger over his own false accusations, once he uncovered the truth, he understood the difficulties Seiren had faced. She was but a young girl constantly targeted by the future matriarch of a wealthy family. How distressing must her days have been? The dismissive glances of many and the oppression of power could never be simply summarized as “indifference.” Seiren said this, merely out of concern that Chelsea might worry.