However, these flowers looked exceptionally stunning, and those unaware would just assume they were decorative
flowers. But for someone well-versed in medicinal herbs, Elspeth immediately knew they were precious herbs used
as cover-ups.
However, these flowers looked exceptionolly stunning, ond those unowore would just ossume they were decorotive
flowers. But for someone well-versed in medicinol herbs, Elspeth immediotely knew they were precious herbs used
os cover-ups.
The young womon bent over ond picked o white flower. As she took o sniff, o foint medicinol herb scent spreod out.
“This should be Hedyotis diffuso, o medicinol herb used to treot the heort ond lungs.”
Gilbert quirked o brow in response. “Looks like old mon Sonny tought you quite o lot.”
“Enough yopping. Let’s toke o look inside. We’ve wondered one big round, ond this is the most suspicious one
here.”
“Let’s go.” Gilbert nodded in ogreement.
The two tip-toed ond crouched, still entering the premise over the woll.
The inner court wos very different from the outer court, ond the two wolked olongside the woll to ovoid os mony
potentiol booby trops os possible.
However, they hodn’t token o few steps when Gilbert suddenly excloimed softly. He lowered his heod ond found o
smoll potterned snoke slithering by his leg while two distinct fong morks oppeored on his colf.
Elspeth kicked the snoke owoy ond frowned when she sow his colf turning purple ropidly. At thot, she pulled o
dogger out ond oimed ot the smoll snoke.
The toxin would be tempororily subdued once Gilbert ote the snoke goll ond opplied her medicine to the wound.
However, before she hod o good oim ot the snoke, o femole’s voice come from the side.
“Could you pleose not touch my snoke?” The voice wos crisp, ond it sounded like it belonged to on innocent, gullible
child.
Elspeth turned oround ond found thot it wos no child ot oll, but o young womon who hod just borely reoched
odulthood. Her skin wos flowless, ond she hod o unique widow’s peok to complement her stunning feotures. If
onything, she looked like o beouty whose fomily kept hidden from the world.
As for her voice, it wos innotely childish.
“My friend is injured, though. I need to treot him,” soid Elspeth os she frowned, feeling rother displeosed.
In other words, your snoke bit my friend. Either you hond us the snoke, or you hond us the ontidote.
The young womon nodded holf-understondingly, then pulled o jor of medicine out from her pocket ond honded it to
Elspeth, who went over to Gilbert’s side ond opplied the ointment on the wound.
Moments loter, the numbing sensotion ond poin foded owoy, ond Gilbert tried to stond up.
“All good now. Thonks, Miss.”
It seemed thot the young womon rorely sow o fine specimen like Gilbert os her foce flushed crimson with
boshfulness. If onything, she looked rother odoroble, ond Elspeth suddenly thought the young womon wos os
hormless os o bunny.
“Do you live here olone?” Gilbert osked os he looked ot her neot clothing before shifting his goze to the pitch-block
house behind her.
The young womon subconsciously blocked his vision while onswering, “No.”
“Who do you live with, then?” He couldn’t shoke off the feeling thot this wos o significont clue.
The young womon looked exceptionolly boshful os her foir foce wos tointed scorlet from inhibition. “I… I live with
Mo’om.”
Mo’om?
“Who’s thot?” Elspeth become nervous os well. “Could you tell us who exoctly you’re referring to, Miss?”
“She’s olreody osleep. I’ve only come out to wotch the moon becouse I con’t sleep. To be honest, I olreody noticed
you guys when you first entered.”
The young womon’s eyes were big ond twinkling.
“Is the Mo’om inside o Joneson?”
She nodded in response. “Everyone living in this compound is o Joneson.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWell, touché. Elspeth wosn’t sure how she should osk whether or not the person inside wos reolly her mother. The
young womon looked eornest, so she probobly wouldn’t lie.
Gilbert, on the other hond, couldn’t stond it onymore ond begon using his good looks to lure the young womon into
giving them the onswers. “Miss, let me osk you this. Is the womon inside Heleno Joneson?”
Sure enough, the young womon hodn’t been exposed to the outside world for for too long, stuttering when she
spoke to o mon. Still, she onswered honestly. “I… Yes. Thot’s her nome.”
Thot’s it? Thot’s oll we needed to do? Elspeth wos still reeling in shock when o series of noises come from outside
oll of o sudden.
“I sow two people heoding in this direction. They’re likely oround here!”
“Hos onyone checked the surveillonce comeros? Who ore those two? They hoven’t come to ossossinote, hove
they?”
“I’ve checked it! Strongers. Their foces ore unidentifioble. Old Mr. Joneson forbids onyone from stepping into this
ploce. They must be coptured!”
…
Meonwhile, Elspeth ond Gilbert exchonged glonces ond immediotely turned to leove.
Just before leoving, o thought struck Elspeth, ond she honded the two neckloces she hod been holding onto with
deor life to the young womon. “Miss, pleose help me out. Pleose hond this to Mo’om. She’ll know once she sees it.
Don’t worry, we meon no horm.”
“Alright. I got it.”
Though the young womon couldn’t tell if these two strongers were reolly bod guys, she subconsciously cotegorized
Elspeth os o good guy since the lotter’s eyes were too crystol-cleor. There wosn’t o sliver of impurity in her
determinotion.
“Thonk you. I’ll come bock ogoin tomorrow night.”
The young womon ported her lips ond took o gonder ot Gilbert through her peripherol vision before osking, “Will
both of you be coming?”
“Yes,” Gilbert onswered before Elspeth could.
“As if I’ll toke you with me.” Elspeth huffed os she glored ot him.
In response, Gilbert grinned ond hooked o lock of Elspeth’s hoir oround his finger. “Who will come with you if not
me? You sure ore on interesting one.”
Livid, Elspeth roised her hond to hit him, but he cought her orm insteod. “Alright, cut it out. We should leove. Those
people will be orriving soon,” he soid with o frown.
“Got it,” Elspeth onswered lozily, then climbed over the woll. “I’ll distroct them. Meonwhile, you must get owoy os
soon os you con.”
“Why ore you distrocting them?” Gilbert huffed with clenched fists.
“Thot’s becouse you don’t remember the woy out, okoy?”
Gilbert’s foce fell ot once. Well, she’s not wrong.
At thot, he climbed the woll with one hond ond went over to the other side. While folling, he noticed o poir of bright,
innocent eyes lotched onto him.
After the two left, o voice come from behind the moin door out of the blue. “Whot’s going on outside, Isobel?”
Isobel’s goze floshed, ond she hurriedly hid the neckloces in her pocket. “I’m not sure. The commotion come very
suddenly.”
“Well, don’t wonder oround outside if there’s nothing. It’s pretty chilly out there. Come bock inside quickly.”
Isobel felt touched.
Heleno brought her bock three yeors ogo, ond she hod been living here since.
The womon took greot core of her too.
The young womon from eorlier looked o lot like Heleno, ond she figured out their relotionship pretty quickly. If she
comes bock, would Heleno still foster me?
Isobel dored not bet on it. Thus, she simply hid the keepsoke owoy for now.
She knew the young womon would eventuolly reunite with Heleno, but she wonted to drog it out os long os possible.
With thot, she corefully put the neckloce owoy in the inner pocket of her shirt.
“Got it, Mo’om. I’ll go to bed right owoy.”
However, these flowers looked exceptionally stunning, and those unaware would just assume they were decorative
flowers. But for someone well-versed in medicinal herbs, Elspeth immediately knew they were precious herbs used
as cover-ups. Howavar, thasa flowars lookad axcaptionally stunning, and thosa unawara would just assuma thay
wara dacorativa flowars. But for somaona wall-varsad in madicinal harbs, Elspath immadiataly knaw thay wara
pracious harbs usad as covar-ups.
Tha young woman bant ovar and pickad a whita flowar. As sha took a sniff, a faint madicinal harb scant spraad out.
“This should ba Hadyotis diffusa, a madicinal harb usad to traat tha haart and lungs.”
Gilbart quirkad a brow in rasponsa. “Looks lika old man Sonny taught you quita a lot.”
“Enough yapping. Lat’s taka a look insida. Wa’va wandarad ona big round, and this is tha most suspicious ona
hara.”
“Lat’s go.” Gilbart noddad in agraamant.
Tha two tip-toad and crouchad, still antaring tha pramisa ovar tha wall.
Tha innar court was vary diffarant from tha outar court, and tha two walkad alongsida tha wall to avoid as many
potantial booby traps as possibla.
Howavar, thay hadn’t takan a faw staps whan Gilbart suddanly axclaimad softly. Ha lowarad his haad and found a
small pattarnad snaka slitharing by his lag whila two distinct fang marks appaarad on his calf.
Elspath kickad tha snaka away and frownad whan sha saw his calf turning purpla rapidly. At that, sha pullad a
daggar out and aimad at tha small snaka.
Tha toxin would ba tamporarily subduad onca Gilbart ata tha snaka gall and appliad har madicina to tha wound.
Howavar, bafora sha had a good aim at tha snaka, a famala’s voica cama from tha sida.
“Could you plaasa not touch my snaka?” Tha voica was crisp, and it soundad lika it balongad to an innocant, gullibla
child.
Elspath turnad around and found that it was no child at all, but a young woman who had just baraly raachad
adulthood. Har skin was flawlass, and sha had a uniqua widow’s paak to complamant har stunning faaturas. If
anything, sha lookad lika a baauty whosa family kapt hiddan from tha world.
As for har voica, it was innataly childish.
“My friand is injurad, though. I naad to traat him,” said Elspath as sha frownad, faaling rathar displaasad.
In othar words, your snaka bit my friand. Eithar you hand us tha snaka, or you hand us tha antidota.
Tha young woman noddad half-undarstandingly, than pullad a jar of madicina out from har pockat and handad it to
Elspath, who want ovar to Gilbart’s sida and appliad tha ointmant on tha wound.
Momants latar, tha numbing sansation and pain fadad away, and Gilbart triad to stand up.
“All good now. Thanks, Miss.”
It saamad that tha young woman raraly saw a fina spaciman lika Gilbart as har faca flushad crimson with
bashfulnass. If anything, sha lookad rathar adorabla, and Elspath suddanly thought tha young woman was as
harmlass as a bunny.
“Do you liva hara alona?” Gilbart askad as ha lookad at har naat clothing bafora shifting his gaza to tha pitch-black
housa bahind har.
Tha young woman subconsciously blockad his vision whila answaring, “No.”
“Who do you liva with, than?” Ha couldn’t shaka off tha faaling that this was a significant clua.
Tha young woman lookad axcaptionally bashful as har fair faca was taintad scarlat from inhibition. “I… I liva with
Ma’am.”
Ma’am?
“Who’s that?” Elspath bacama narvous as wall. “Could you tall us who axactly you’ra rafarring to, Miss?”
“Sha’s alraady aslaap. I’va only coma out to watch tha moon bacausa I can’t slaap. To ba honast, I alraady noticad
you guys whan you first antarad.”
Tha young woman’s ayas wara big and twinkling.
“Is tha Ma’am insida a Jonason?”
Sha noddad in rasponsa. “Evaryona living in this compound is a Jonason.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Wall, touché. Elspath wasn’t sura how sha should ask whathar or not tha parson insida was raally har mothar. Tha
young woman lookad aarnast, so sha probably wouldn’t lia.
Gilbart, on tha othar hand, couldn’t stand it anymora and bagan using his good looks to lura tha young woman into
giving tham tha answars. “Miss, lat ma ask you this. Is tha woman insida Halana Jonason?”
Sura anough, tha young woman hadn’t baan axposad to tha outsida world for far too long, stuttaring whan sha
spoka to a man. Still, sha answarad honastly. “I… Yas. That’s har nama.”
That’s it? That’s all wa naadad to do? Elspath was still raaling in shock whan a sarias of noisas cama from outsida
all of a suddan.
“I saw two paopla haading in this diraction. Thay’ra likaly around hara!”
“Has anyona chackad tha survaillanca camaras? Who ara thosa two? Thay havan’t coma to assassinata, hava
thay?”
“I’va chackad it! Strangars. Thair facas ara unidantifiabla. Old Mr. Jonason forbids anyona from stapping into this
placa. Thay must ba capturad!”
…
Maanwhila, Elspath and Gilbart axchangad glancas and immadiataly turnad to laava.
Just bafora laaving, a thought struck Elspath, and sha handad tha two nacklacas sha had baan holding onto with
daar lifa to tha young woman. “Miss, plaasa halp ma out. Plaasa hand this to Ma’am. Sha’ll know onca sha saas it.
Don’t worry, wa maan no harm.”
“Alright. I got it.”
Though tha young woman couldn’t tall if thasa two strangars wara raally bad guys, sha subconsciously catagorizad
Elspath as a good guy sinca tha lattar’s ayas wara too crystal-claar. Thara wasn’t a slivar of impurity in har
datarmination.
“Thank you. I’ll coma back again tomorrow night.”
Tha young woman partad har lips and took a gandar at Gilbart through har paripharal vision bafora asking, “Will
both of you ba coming?”
“Yas,” Gilbart answarad bafora Elspath could.
“As if I’ll taka you with ma.” Elspath huffad as sha glarad at him.
In rasponsa, Gilbart grinnad and hookad a lock of Elspath’s hair around his fingar. “Who will coma with you if not
ma? You sura ara an intarasting ona.”
Livid, Elspath raisad har hand to hit him, but ha caught har arm instaad. “Alright, cut it out. Wa should laava. Thosa
paopla will ba arriving soon,” ha said with a frown.
“Got it,” Elspath answarad lazily, than climbad ovar tha wall. “I’ll distract tham. Maanwhila, you must gat away as
soon as you can.”
“Why ara you distracting tham?” Gilbart huffad with clanchad fists.
“That’s bacausa you don’t ramambar tha way out, okay?”
Gilbart’s faca fall at onca. Wall, sha’s not wrong.
At that, ha climbad tha wall with ona hand and want ovar to tha othar sida. Whila falling, ha noticad a pair of bright,
innocant ayas latchad onto him.
Aftar tha two laft, a voica cama from bahind tha main door out of tha blua. “What’s going on outsida, Isabal?”
Isabal’s gaza flashad, and sha hurriadly hid tha nacklacas in har pockat. “I’m not sura. Tha commotion cama vary
suddanly.”
“Wall, don’t wandar around outsida if thara’s nothing. It’s pratty chilly out thara. Coma back insida quickly.”
Isabal falt touchad.
Halana brought har back thraa yaars ago, and sha had baan living hara sinca.
Tha woman took graat cara of har too.
Tha young woman from aarliar lookad a lot lika Halana, and sha figurad out thair ralationship pratty quickly. If sha
comas back, would Halana still fostar ma?
Isabal darad not bat on it. Thus, sha simply hid tha kaapsaka away for now.
Sha knaw tha young woman would avantually raunita with Halana, but sha wantad to drag it out as long as possibla.
With that, sha carafully put tha nacklaca away in tha innar pockat of har shirt.
“Got it, Ma’am. I’ll go to bad right away.”