Lord Preston's Secret Tutor (47 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 35
A little girl wearing a dress with frills galore appeared behind William. She looked at Benjamin with intelligent blue eyes.
“Hello, Olivia.”
“Hello, Benjamin.”
Behind Olivia stood a nanny. Jacqueline gave her a slight nod. The nanny returned it with a smile.
Benjamin turned his gaze toward William and recited with practiced ease, as if rehearsing a prepared line.
“William, could you have refreshments prepared in the greenhouse? Olivia and I would like to have tea there.”
“Yes, Master.”
They headed straight for the greenhouse. Late spring, nearing summer, brought soft, mild air. It was slightly warm, but not enough to be bothersome.
Betty arranged the refreshments on the table. Olivia familiarly took a cookie and sipped her lemonade. Still, she kept glancing repeatedly at the maids, wondering when they would leave.
Olivia whispered so only Benjamin could hear.
“You haven’t forgotten your promise to let me collect cicada shells, have you?”
“Of course not. How about we send your nanny away first?”
At those words, Olivia looked toward her nanny. The woman, standing a step behind, asked, “Is there something you need?”
“Benjamin, could you be kind enough to let Marie take a rest?”
“Certainly, of course. William, please give Marie a room and some tea. We’ll talk here, so everyone else may go—except Miss Somerset, of course. Miss Somerset is our chaperone.”
“Yes, understood.”
William looked toward Marie, his expression asking what she intended to do.
She gazed worriedly at Olivia. Olivia replied casually,
“Go rest for a bit, Marie. I won’t move an inch from here. What’s there to worry about? This is Preston Manor.”
“Yes, understood, Lady Olivia.”
Only then did Marie follow William with noticeably lighter steps. Jacqueline looked at the two little rascals with renewed surprise, wondering where they’d learned such clever tricks.
Then suddenly, she remembered herself at six years old. Back then, she too had told countless lies just to escape her parents’ watchful eyes. Though her deceptions were utterly transparent to adults, she had been utterly serious about them.
“Come on, let’s go find those cicada shells!”
The moment Marie disappeared from sight, Olivia urged Benjamin on. For her, this escapade came with a strict time limit—she couldn’t afford to waste a moment.
Benjamin nodded solemnly and headed out of the greenhouse.
“Follow me. I know a place with lots of cicada shells.”
“Great!”
Jacqueline trailed the children leisurely a few steps behind. There was no need for her to interfere.
After all, Benjamin was beside himself with excitement to show his new friend everything he knew.
“Uh… um…”
But shortly afterward, Benjamin rolled his eyes helplessly and let out a flustered sound. Olivia frowned deeply, causing the large ribbon tied in her hair to sway.
“There aren’t any cicada shells here, Benjamin.”
“That’s strange. There were always cicada shells here…”
Muttering glumly, Benjamin scanned the area. Then his eyes widened as he reached toward the grass.
Snap.
The insect caught in the child’s hand began to struggle belatedly. Benjamin turned to Olivia with a proud expression.
“It’s a ladybug. Isn’t it beautiful—the black spots on its red shell?”
“Oh my, it really is! Can I touch it too?”
“Of course. Here.”
Benjamin placed the ladybug gently onto Olivia’s tiny palm. Olivia stared at it as if entranced.
Then she pressed it against her chest. Before Jacqueline could react, Olivia beamed brightly.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it look like a brooch?”
“Wow, it really is pretty.”
“Thank you.”
Ugh.
Amid the children’s excited chatter, Jacqueline alone grimaced and took a step back. The ladybug’s legs wriggled.
Ugh.
A groan finally escaped through Jacqueline’s clenched teeth. She used to adore ladybugs as a child—why did they now seem so utterly repulsive?
Perhaps humans simply grew more fearful as they aged.
At that moment, Benjamin placed a stag beetle atop Olivia’s head.
“It looks like a hairpin. With its horns, it makes you look incredibly strong!”
“Really? Thank you.”
Olivia, now crowned with a stag beetle and adorned with a ladybug brooch on her chest, cupped her cheeks with both hands and smiled the sweetest smile in the world.
“I want to catch one too.”
“Carefully sneak up on a stag beetle without it noticing, then quickly snatch it.”
“Okay! I’ll give it a try!”
For some reason, Jacqueline felt a ticklish sensation all over and scratched her arms vigorously. No matter how much she scratched, the itch wouldn’t go away.
As she absentmindedly scratched her neck and tilted her head back, her eyes suddenly widened.
Sunlight poured through the leaves overhead. Slender golden strands, like Windsor’s hair, pierced relentlessly through the foliage.
Amid that light, Benjamin and Olivia’s laughter rang out. Unconsciously, a gentle smile formed at Jacqueline’s lips.
“Benjamin, Olivia—look up.”
At her words, the children, still holding beetles, tilted their heads upward.
“Wow!”
“It’s so beautiful!”
Benjamin and Olivia squinted against the dazzling light and gasped in awe. Light and shadow rippled across their faces.
Wishing this moment would become a cherished memory for them, Jacqueline rolled up her sleeves.
“Well then, shall we begin our real exploration?”
“Yes!”
Together, they boldly stepped into a new world. Cicadas in the trees sang more boisterously than usual.
***
Windsor crossed the corridor with flawless posture. William, following behind, handed him his hat.
Just as Windsor took it and was about to step out the front door, a carriage halted as it crossed the garden. Windsor paused where he stood and watched as the carriage door opened.
A young lady alighted, taking the coachman’s offered hand. She wore a lavish dress adorned with pink frills.
Her chubby cheeks looked as though she were sucking on candy, and her petite frame didn’t even reach Windsor’s shoulder.
As she walked with her maid, she spotted Windsor standing at the entrance and stopped abruptly. Her round eyes grew even rounder.
She stared fixedly at him, waiting for him to greet her first.
—A gentleman must never keep a lady waiting. He should always initiate the greeting.
Jacqueline’s nagging voice echoed somewhere in his mind. Only then did Windsor descend the steps and offer a light bow.
“Good day, Miss Humble. I heard you’d be visiting today.”
“Good day, Lord Preston. Thank you for permitting my visit.”
Samantha gathered her skirts and gave a slight curtsy. Then she looked up at him again.
She found it difficult to tear her eyes away from his sunlit golden hair and his mysterious gray-blue eyes.
Just as her gaze grew dreamy, Windsor’s courteous voice interrupted her reverie.
“I understand you’re a friend of Miss Somerset. You’re most welcome here, my lady. William, see that Miss Humble is treated as my personal guest.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I sincerely appreciate your kindness, Lord Preston.”
“Not at all, Miss Humble. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
With a slight bow, he climbed into the Preston family carriage. Samantha watched his receding figure until the carriage vanished beyond the garden.
“Samantha!”
At that moment, Jacqueline burst out through the front door. Only then did Samantha tear her eyes from the carriage’s trail and rush forward to embrace her tightly.
“How have you been, Jackie?”
“What brings you here? Nothing’s wrong, is it?”
Jacqueline stepped back slightly and asked with a worried look. Samantha grinned mischievously and scolded her.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t I say I’d come back?”
“Well, yes, but…”
The thought—“I didn’t expect you so soon”—never fully formed before dissipating. Besides, this wasn’t even her home.
Jacqueline glanced awkwardly toward William, but Samantha confidently took the lead as if she were the hostess.
“Come on, let’s go in. We can talk over tea.”
Jacqueline shook her head with a resigned smile and followed her inside.
They headed straight to the drawing room, where Betty, having received instructions from William, received the guest with utmost propriety—her already impeccably straight posture becoming even more formal.
Samantha gave Betty a brief nod before sitting down. Only after the refreshments were served did their real conversation begin.
“Jackie, I’m so glad to see you again. Truly.”
Jacqueline responded with a gentle smile. Conflicting emotions swirled chaotically in her mind.
She felt joy at seeing her dearest friend, yet also dreaded showing her current wretched state.
An uncrossable river now lay between them. Looking at Samantha’s innocent, guileless expression, Jacqueline softened her gaze.
Samantha hadn’t changed. Only Jacqueline had.
“I read about your engagement in the paper. Congratulations, Sammy—even if a bit late.”
“Thank you. Um, Jackie…”
Samantha’s bright smile faded as she grew serious. She hesitated briefly as if about to say something difficult. Jacqueline watched her with curiosity.
Surely she wasn’t about to ask a penniless young lady for money?
Carefully gauging Jacqueline’s reaction, Samantha spoke gently.
“If there’s ever anything I can do to help you, Jackie, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”
“…Okay. I will, Samantha.”
Jacqueline finally managed a smile, though her eyes remained downcast. It seemed Samantha had worried about her during her darkest struggles.
While Jacqueline floundered desperately against the current, she hadn’t noticed her friend standing safely on the riverbank.
Only after barely grabbing hold of a rock and stopping herself from being swept away did she finally see her—Samantha, watching with such deep concern.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get in touch, Sammy. Back then, I was so overwhelmed just trying to handle everything in front of me.”
“No, I understand, Jackie. I’d have done the same. You never need to apologize to me—never.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Samantha relax and reach for a cookie. She was still the queen of desserts—her fondness for sweets hadn’t changed a bit.
And somehow, that brought Jacqueline great comfort—to know that while everyone else changed, some people stayed the same.
As Samantha munched her cookie, she suddenly looked up as if remembering something.
“Oh, by the way, Jackie.”
“Yes?”
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
3 Comments
Chapter Comments (65)
HUHU I feel sad for her situation being penniless noblelady and endure such gossip and hardships(;ŏ﹏ŏ)
Jacqueline faced injustice and disrespect but remain kind towards other people. She’s truly a fairy
…oh my Jacqueline…hugs for all the things that happened to you and your family…
Inline Comments (1237)
“Don’t tell me… Earl of Knox said something awful to you?”
oh wait she is a lil of touch but she came through! sorry samantha i judged you too harshly
Perhaps humans simply couldn’t fully understand another person until they’d walk
That’s true, unfortunately. We don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone.
When Jacqueline lowered her voice ominously, Samantha pouted. Unable to hold out
Governess? Those tricks won’t work anymore, haha, they just don’t cut it anymore
YOUR COMMENT
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Jane
I’m glad that Jacqueline has a true friend. Even when everyone left and act differently towards her now,Samantha stay true to her
TehShy
…kids adventure to the garden hunting all sorts of garden creatures😁😁😁
Ashiel_26
Hehe She coudn’t help but mezmerize Windsor’s beauty… 😌