Chapter 4 You Have a Hard Life; She Has a Gentle Nature

Upon his return to the study, Sidney sat with his legs crossed and indifferently looked at Ryan. “So, did your investigations reveal anything about her background?” His voice was slightly hoarse, giving it an almost melodious sound like the deep bass of the cello. “Christine Morgan, eighteen years of age. She’s been living in St. Maximilian Home in Awo County since young and was raised by her grandmother, who used to be a renowned grandmaster in the art of metaphysics. As such, she has inherited her grandmother’s skills. She is extremely talented in The Eight Trigrams and Five Elements, numerology, Plum Blossom Divination, The Ancient Art of Divination, and physiognomy. I got this information from Madam Pierce. However, I found something odd regarding her grandmother’s identity. It seems that she’s been living incognito for the past eighteen years.” “Living incognito?” Sidney’s sharp gaze narrowed as he grew suspicious. “That’s right. In other words, we wouldn’t have found this information if Miss Morgan had not revealed it to Madam Pierce on her own accord.” “What about her?” Ryan hesitated before he frowned and elaborated, “I couldn’t find any information on her in the relevant systems, including certificates from her elementary school all the way to university. It’s impossible for a normal girl to have never been to school…” When he did a background search on her, her biodata was rather simple. In it, there was merely a single line of words that wrote, ‘Christine Morgan, female, 18-year-old, professional fortune teller.’ She even specifically mentioned that she was willing to fly anywhere in the world to complete her task. A fortune-telling license issued by St. Maximilian Home was appended to the documents. As if recalling something, Ryan added, “By the way, I obtained information on another person. It seems that Christine has a cousin who goes by the name of Julia Morgan. She currently resides in Hollander.” Sidney clucked his tongue and said coldly, “Bring her to me at once.” After sending Ryan away, he threw the documents on the table. Then, he crossed his hands and perched his forehead upon them, seemingly deep in thought. Why would his grandmother mention that he and the Pierce Family owed Christine? After sitting in the study for the entire afternoon, he still could not get to the bottom of this mystery. Feeling frustrated, he decided to get up and wear his suit. In the end, he made his way to Linda’s room. Linda happened to be lounging on her bed. At the moment, she was enjoying a movie while munching on some popcorn. Startled by the sudden knocking sounds, she choked and started to cough. “Who’s that?” “Grandma, it’s me. Are you alright?” Sidney’s cold voice sounded concerned when he heard his grandmother coughing from the room. She heard the creaking of the door as it opened. Her reflexes were quick as she proceeded to hide the popcorn and switch off the projector. Then, she quickly lay on her pillow and opened her eyes in a sickly manner. “So, you do know how to show me some concern. As long as you treat Christine well, I’ll be fine.” She could not help but criticize him. However, the moment she noticed the fatigue on his handsome face, she still felt sorry for him. The fate of the entire Pierce Family rested upon his shoulders. As such, he could not falter in the face of destiny. He had to marry Christine! Sidney poured her a glass of water and asked patiently, “You said that our entire family owes her. What do you mean by that?” “Uhm…” Her eyes wandered as her aging face took on a mysterious look all of a sudden. “No, I cannot tell you. Otherwise, I will be punished by the heavens! If you wished for me to die an early death, you can continue your line of questioning.” With that, she sighed and deliberately squeezed out a few drops of tears. If she were to tell him the truth, Christine’s sacrifice would have been in vain. Besides, it would not do Christine or Sidney any good. He was rendered speechless at the moment. It was acceptable if she refused to tell him the reason, but how could she curse herself like this? He remained silent for some time before raising his eyebrow and asking, “Then, why do I have to marry her? Why her of all people? Does she have some sort of special characteristic?” Linda suddenly regained her strength when she heard his question. “You had such a hard life growing up. You don’t have many friends, and girls who took a fancy to you dared not approach you. I’d found a geomancy master to look into your fortune. Christine has a gentle nature. As such, she is best suited to be your partner. Without her gentle temperament to quench the fire in your destiny, you are destined to live a lonely life till the end of your days.” He nearly fell for her words. After all, he was the one who did not allow those women into his life! That was why they did not dare to approach him! Moreover, what did she mean by Christine’s gentle nature? Other than her delicate features, nothing about her seemed gentle. She was a feisty woman at heart. Consequently, he found it hard to believe her explanation. However, she seemed impatient and urged him to leave. “There now, you shouldn’t stay here with a bedridden person like me. You should inspect Christine’s room to make sure her daily necessities are in place and that everything is in order!” After he was kicked out of the room, he had no choice but to carry out her orders with a sullen look on his face in an annoyed manner. Half an hour after he left, knocking sounds were heard again. That brat! Can’t he give me a moment of peace?! She was about to curse when she heard Christine’s sweet, playful voice from the door. “Madam Pierce, are you asleep yet?” Linda’s face lit up as if she had won the lottery. She got up on her own accord and opened the door with a wide smile. “Not at all! Why this sudden visit? Come, sit here with me.” Christine obediently did as told. Her smiling face revealed two little dimples. “Mr. Freeman told me you’re ill and can’t even stomach dinner. As such, I came to see you.” Linda consoled her. “I’m alright. I merely lost my appetite as I’ve been experiencing chest tightness.” “How long has that been?” “Approximately more than two weeks. The doctors told me that I was fine. Perhaps this is a sign of aging. Please don’t take this matter to heart.” “I learned some massage skills in my town. Maybe I could be of service.” With that, she reached out and started massaging her head and shoulders. Linda was extremely delighted by this. Her eyes shone with admiration as she could not help but praise her. “Sidney is lucky to marry a multi-talented girl like you.” Christine paused before she smiled and replied, “You should remain quiet. Otherwise, your breathing would become erratic again.” While massaging, she carefully felt Linda’s pulse. It turned out to be regular, nothing unusual about it. After a while, she retracted her hands and said a few comforting words. “You’re in good health. However, you will lose energy if you refuse to eat. I’ll prescribe some medicines for you later.” While saying that, she inadvertently looked around the room out of the corner of her eye. She felt an oppressing force when she first arrived at their house, but the unpleasant feeling became more evident the moment she entered this room.