Chapter 71
“Big Sister, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Welcome back, Tia. I think Mother will be here soon.”
As I thought, Mother hasn’t arrived yet. Camilla must have been planning to serve that tea to her.
Even though I spilled some of it earlier, I can’t relax yet. There’s a chance she might pour another cup.
“You look a little down, Tia. Did someone say something while I was gone?”
“No, nothing happened. I’m fine.”
“A woman’s ‘I’m fine’ is the least trustworthy phrase in the world, you know.”
“Haha, where did you even learn something like that?”
“Heh. I know everything.”
Really, my sister is such a comfort to me. She’s not the type to say things like that, but she always worries about me.
Come to think of it, even with Ivy, she got so angry on my behalf—almost too much so.
She always watches her surroundings carefully and acts accordingly. She’s just like a heroine.
A tiny part of me doesn’t want to share such a kind big sister with anyone else.
While I was lost in thought, the tea and sweets were laid out on the table. Among them were the cookies I had requested earlier.
Everything was ready, but Mother was still late. After what happened earlier, I was starting to get worried.
“Hey, Sister… isn’t Mother a little late?”
“Yeah. I was just starting to worry too. Should we go check on her?”
As we both stood up, ready to go see how Mother was doing, we heard a voice:
“Sorry, I kept you waiting. I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said as she slowly approached us.
“We just got here ourselves,” my sister replied kindly, so Mother wouldn’t feel bad.
She didn’t look much different from before, but something about her seemed pained, as if she were struggling inside.
It’s all right, Mother.
I’ll definitely save you.
Tiana made that silent vow deep in her heart.
After that, the three of them chatted happily together, but Tiana couldn’t get her mind off Camilla and her mother. She barely remembered what they’d talked about.
As evening came, the setting sun painted the sky beautifully, and they decided to take a walk through her mother’s beloved garden.
“The garden at the duke’s estate is beautiful too, but this one is just as stunning,” Tiana said as they walked.
As she spoke, she remembered Liam—the boy she’d met in the flower field.
“Yes… it makes me so happy to walk among the flowers like this, with my family,” her mother said softly.
Her gaze drifted somewhere far away, her expression tinged with sorrow.
There might have even been tears glimmering faintly in her eyes.
Seeing her mother look so sad made Tiana’s chest tighten painfully.
“When you’re feeling better, Mother, let’s all go flower-viewing together as a family next time!”
She raised her voice deliberately, so her mother wouldn’t notice her own sadness.
So her words would echo deeply, to keep her mother from feeling lonely.
It was all Tiana could do—her sincerest wish in that moment.
Her sister, too, had been watching their mother closely. She must have been feeling the same way as Tiana.
“I want to walk into the future together with Mother.”
That was the one and only wish in Tiana’s heart.
