Chapter 282: A Choice She Couldn’t Understand
A Choice She Couldn’t Understand
"Young Master D’Aurelius, is there really no room for negotiation?"
After the initial shock, Felberta Ashbourne asked again, and this time there was a faint trace of pleading in her voice.
It wasn’t obvious.
Most people wouldn’t have noticed it.
But for a woman as proud and reserved as Felberta, merely asking the same question twice was already enough to reveal how desperate the situation had become.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the windows of the Whitmore Family estate, illuminating drifting specks of dust in the air.
The room remained quiet.
Even Charles Whitmore looked up from his tea.
Black Ghost and White Ghost silently watched from behind.
Amara Ravenswood also turned her gaze toward Julian.
Everyone was waiting for his answer.
Julian met Felberta’s eyes.
For a brief moment, he could see the exhaustion hidden beneath her cold exterior.
She had traveled all the way from Silverhaven.
She had searched countless places.
And now the final ingredient she needed had been reserved by someone else.
Unfortunately...
His answer remained unchanged.
"Although I admire Miss Ashbourne’s filial piety, I must refuse."
Julian shook his head again.
His voice wasn’t cold.
Nor was it mocking.
It was simply firm.
There were some things he could compromise on.
This wasn’t one of them.
The thousand-year Frostheart Ginseng was essential for the Nine Way Cleansing Elixir.
Without it, his plans would be delayed significantly.
As those thoughts surfaced—
Felberta heard every word in his mind.
[Give up, I won’t agree.]
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Then another thought entered her mind.
[This is also for your own good. If Steffan cures your father’s illness, he’ll be treating your illness next.]
Felberta’s pupils contracted.
Julian continued drinking tea as if nothing was happening.
Meanwhile, his thoughts continued.
[With your androphobia, if he cures it with Acupuncture Theropy, your suppressed emotions will explode, and you’ll fall for him, becoming sickly adorable, right?]
Felberta nearly lost control of her expression.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks before she quickly suppressed it.
Fortunately, nobody seemed to notice.
Except Amara.
Who suddenly looked at Felberta strangely.
Julian’s thoughts continued mercilessly.
[By then, not only will you be giving yourself away, but your brother will also be harmed by him, and the family fortune will become his.]
The more Felberta listened, the more complicated her emotions became.
At first, she had doubted everything.
But now...
She wasn’t so sure anymore.
Julian had accurately identified her condition.
He knew about Steffan.
He knew about her father.
He knew about Witch Princess Nyxara.
And now he seemed to know what Steffan planned to do next.
Could all of this really be a coincidence?
The possibility felt increasingly unlikely.
Her heart gradually became unsettled.
Steffan had indeed mentioned helping her overcome her androphobia after curing her father’s illness.
At the time, she hadn’t thought much about it.
Now...
Julian’s words kept echoing in her mind.
Was it truly concern?
Or manipulation?
Was she walking into a trap?
For the first time, uncertainty appeared within her.
Being able to hear Julian’s inner thoughts, she was gradually starting to believe everything she heard.
Julian, meanwhile, remained completely unaware of the storm he had created.
He simply placed down his teacup.
In his mind, another thought surfaced.
[Seriously, this woman is too trusting.]
[That bastard Steffan is already planning three moves ahead.]
[First the father. Then the daughter. Then the family.]
[Classic protagonist nonsense.]
[And somehow everyone falls for it.]
Felberta stared at him.
Julian continued thinking.
[Honestly, she’s not a bad person.]
[She came all the way here for her father despite everything.]
[A woman like this deserves better than becoming another stepping stone in someone’s story.]
Felberta’s breathing slowed.
Her eyes flickered.
Julian didn’t notice.
He was already lost in his own thoughts.
[Look at her.]
[Beautiful. Responsible. Smart.]
[Sure, she’s cold enough to freeze a room, but that’s not really her fault.]
[Androphobia aside, she’s probably one of the more normal female leads around.]
[If she ends up falling for Steffan because of some treatment-induced emotional explosion, that would be ridiculous.]
[Absolutely ridiculous.]
A pause.
Then another thought.
[Besides...]
[A woman this outstanding ending up with that guy feels like a waste.]
Julian immediately froze internally.
[Wait.]
[Why am I even thinking about this?]
[Not my problem.]
[Definitely not my problem.]
Another pause.
[...Right?]
Felberta looked away.
For some reason, her heart felt strangely restless.
She couldn’t explain why.
Meanwhile, Julian had already moved on mentally.
[Forget it.]
[The important thing is keeping Lina and Liza supplied.]
[Everyone else can solve their own problems.]
After a moment, he turned toward Charles.
"Grandpa Whitmore, please hold the item for me. I’ll come back in a few days to pick it up."
Charles waved his hand dismissively.
"Don’t worry. This old man keeps his word."
The moment he finished speaking, he lowered his head and immediately opened a short-video app.
A beautiful young influencer appeared on the screen.
The old man’s eyes instantly lit up.
Men remain boys until they die!
Amara sighed helplessly.
Julian pretended not to notice.
After saying goodbye, Julian left with Amara and the medicinal herbs.
The sounds of their footsteps gradually faded.
Only after they disappeared completely did Felberta finally snap out of her thoughts.
Her emotions were in complete disarray.
She had arrived expecting a simple mission.
Find the herb.
Return to Silverhaven.
Save her father.
That was all.
Instead, she had walked directly into a situation she couldn’t understand.
Steffan.
Julian.
Her father’s illness.
Witch Princess Nyxara.
The strange voice.
The hidden intentions.
Everything had become tangled together.
The worst part was that she had no evidence.
No proof whatsoever.
She couldn’t simply accuse Steffan based on a voice only she could hear.
Yet she couldn’t completely ignore what she had learned either.
For now, all she could do was keep her suspicions to herself.
After all, regardless of everything else...
Her father’s illness still required Steffan’s help.
Eventually, Felberta left the Whitmore Family estate with the herbs she had managed to obtain.
Outside, the afternoon sky stretched endlessly overhead.
Cars moved through the streets.
People passed by.
Life continued as normal.
Yet she felt completely lost.
Standing beside the roadside, she stared into the distance.
Unsure.
Conflicted.
Confused.
For perhaps the first time in years, she truly didn’t know what she should do next.
Seeing her troubled expression, Black Ghost and White Ghost exchanged glances.
The older brother, Black Ghost, stepped forward first.
His expression softened.
"Miss Ashbourne, don’t worry about the thousand-year Frostheart Ginseng. Young Master Steffan will find a way to solve it."
His voice carried confidence.
The confidence of someone who had witnessed countless miracles.
Felberta looked at him.
Then she thought about Julian’s warnings.
Her heart became even more conflicted.
After several seconds of silence, she finally nodded.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."
No matter what, she still needed Steffan to help cure her father’s illness.
As for any intentions towards her, he could forget about it!
