Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 67
To Caroline, the only presence that showed something akin to maternal affection was now Louise alone. She was the only one who extended such a warm and genuinely caring hand.
“My lady, you really do have a deep understanding. Not only are you beautiful on the outside, but your inner self is pure and lovely as well. Isnāt that right?”
“Yes, thatās right. I amā¦”
The good Caroline. The kind sister. The faithful fiancƩe.
…Ah, now a former fiancĆ©e.
Caroline smiled bitterly. Louise stroked her shoulder softly, urging her gently.
“Letās go call the doctor now. Miss Cecilia must be suffering.”
Adding on, she said,
“I hope my foolish talk hasnāt planted any negative thoughts in you?”
Caroline firmly denied it.
“Then I’m relieved. If Miss Cecilia truly was ill, I’d be a terrible woman for trying to slander a patient.”
Their conversation ended there.
They hurriedly called for a doctor. Cecilia was suffering in Garnet’s room under Lilithās care.
However, the doctorā¦ stated there was nothing wrong with Cecilia beyond what had been mentioned earlier.
***
Despite Lilith’s dissuasion, Cecilia insisted on returning to the Amethyst Room. There were mountains of things she needed to think about.
A dance practice for her debutante ball, the upcoming visit of Logan Harper, and…
āCaroline.ā
She couldn’t forget Carolineās expression, which flashed by like lightning when the doctor said there was nothing wrong with her.
That look in her eyes, as if she had heard incredibly shocking news…
Was Caroline doubting her?
That would be a problem. Yet, she also believed it was unlikely.
Before her marriage, Caroline never considered Cecilia a rival. The sense of inferiority in her gaze became evident only much later, after Carolineās baby shower.
āBack then, she just constantly criticized me. Probably because her marriage wasnāt easy, she was annoyed seeing me because I got married around the same time.ā
But that didn’t mean Cecilia’s household was harmonious.
Cecilia was just as estranged from her husband, but their private life was easily washed away by the emotional tides Caroline experienced.
After all, donāt people become more self-centered when theyāre suffering? She was no exception.
Caroline, unable to bear her own pain, turned her malice outward. She arbitrarily painted resentment on circumstances outside her view, even those she couldn’t see.
āTo think she felt jealous just because we awkwardly crossed paths, arms crossed… Even thinking back on it, itās quite remarkable. She has a talent for imaginative thinking.ā
She didn’t want to confront the version of Caroline from those days at the age she was now at. The rotten core inside her would eventually be exposed, even while she preferred not to peel off the shell just yet.
Fortunately, the current Caroline was still shackled by the ‘good girl’ image.
Whenever bad thoughts crossed her mind, she would mutter to herself like a mantra, ‘I am a good daughter,’ locking herself up and blocking out negative thoughts.
So, a little doubt wouldn’t lead her to hastily judge the relationship between Ulysses and herself.
āJust a worry… right?ā
It was something she couldn’t confirm right away anyway. She couldn’t afford to waste time on such worries. If there was a possibility, she just needed to keep it in mind.
Cecilia had much more to do in the future, piling up like homework.
First, she needed to secure at least one ally outside who she could freely command.
Inside, Mary had become somewhat reliable for handling matters as Cecilia wished, but she couldnāt entrust her with more sensitive tasks that must remain hidden.
āItās time to find a comrade with the same goal.ā
A comrade to join hands with and turn their backs on the Coffret Manor. In other words, someone who desired the downfall of the Lasphilla family.
Someone willing to risk any danger in their demise and offer unwavering loyalty.
Ironically, Adam had more enemies than he could count on one hand. The karma he had accumulated often threatened his honor, wealth, and even his life.
Sadly, most of Adamās enemies were either powerless or had lost everything, making it impossible for them to achieve their goals alone.
For instance, not a single person had successfully avenged themselves on Adam in her previous life.
āThere was one person who came close, though.ā
That maid.
