Liliana stayed completely silent the entire ride up to the cathedral, not saying a single word. Andrew did not care how she felt. Besides, he was not in the mood to bother figuring it out.
Once they got out of the car, he casually looked around. Though the air was cold, the sun was shining, casting a warm glow that made the chill more bearable.
However, the breeze up at the summit was strong, and Andrew reminded Victoria to keep warm.
“Come on,” Victoria said as she linked arms with him. “Let me introduce you to the abbot here.”
Andrew felt a bit awkward, but he did not pull away.
Behind them, Calvin and Miles exchanged glances.
Miles gave a wry smile and said, “Mom really likes Andrew… but it’s more like an elder admiring a junior, that’s all.”
Calvin scoffed. “You’re pathetic. You and Liliana both. I don’t know how you can stand it.”
Miles shrugged. “Honestly, I think Andrew is a great role model. There’s a lot I can learn from him. Besides, Mom explained that she used to be close to Andrew’s father back in the day. Dad, you don’t need to keep scowling about it… It’s not that serious.”
Calvin’s face darkened. “Grab the floral arrangements and other stuff. From today on, I’ll make sure you and Liliana see just how impressive I am.”
Miles did not take it seriously. After all, everyone in the Peck family knew that his father had married into the family, and Victoria made the family’s major decisions. For minor matters, Calvin would just brush them off and live carefree.
Therefore, most of the time, it was either the butler, Allen, or Miles, the eldest son, who handled things personally.
Hence, when Calvin was suddenly getting tough with this statement, Miles just assumed his father’s pride was hurt and he was feeling provoked.
The back mountain area of the cathedral was peaceful and secluded, with only a few visitors. Most were internal cathedral staff who came and went.
A bald man in red robes greeted them with a warm smile. “Mrs. Peck, you’ve arrived!”
Seeing the red robes he wore, Andrew knew this must be the abbot himself.
Victoria pressed her palms together and bowed her head. “Good to see you again, Abbot Matthias Graves. Sorry to disturb you again!”
Andrew bowed respectfully. “Pleasure to meet you, Abbot Graves.”
Matthias had a broad forehead, chubby face, and a clean, gentle appearance that made him seem harmless and kind.
He said with a grin, “Even though this is our first time meeting, I must say… Mr. Lloyd, your aura is quite something. Especially your romantic energy. It’s absolutely out of this world.”
He looked Andrew over with twinkling eyes, sizing him up.
Andrew gave a helpless smile. “You flatter me, Abbot Graves. I’m just an ordinary guy.”
Matthias shook his head. “At the peak of mundanity lies true elegance. And you, Mr. Lloyd, are clearly someone with great virtue and potential. However, I sense many romantic entanglements in your life. Also, remember: ‘the tallest tree catches the wind.’ In the days to come, you’ll need to tread carefully.”
Andrew frowned. Matthias was getting all cryptic right from the start. They were having a normal conversation, so why was he cursing him?
Victoria laughed. “Andrew, Abbot Graves and I have been close friends for nearly 20 years! He’s devoted himself to understanding religious teachings, and many of his words are quite prophetic, so you might want to listen. By the way, Abbot Graves has another very famous identity, which I’ll tell you about later.”
Next, Matthias personally led the way, taking Andrew and the Peck family members on a tour around the grounds. Finally, they went to the main hall to offer candles.
Victoria was a Solmortis believer who knelt on the prayer cushion and prayed for a long time.
Andrew had nothing else to do, so he waited outside leaning against the railing. Liliana wandered around touching this and that. Finally, she casually made her way over to stand beside him.
“Um, Andrew, the weather’s pretty nice today.”
It was typical small talk when you have nothing to say.
Andrew replied flatly, “Yeah, the weather’s pretty nice.”