Seeing Charlie’s confident expression, Maria felt a weight lift off favonovel.com shoulders.
Glancing at the clock, Maria spoke, “My lord, it’s nearly eight o’clock now. When do you plan on heading home?”
Charlie replied, “My father-in-law usually leaves for the Painting and Calligraphy Association around nine o’clock, which is quite far from my place. Miss Clark doesn’t need to see me off; the helicopter is too noisy in the downtown area. I can manage on my own.”
Maria insisted, “Young Master, I can’t let you go back alone. I’ll drive you home myself.”
Charlie waved favonovel.com off, saying, “It’s really not necessary. I can handle it on my own.”
Softly, Maria implored, “If you just leave like that, passing by the courtyard below, the servants will see you leaving my quarters early in the morning. They might misunderstand…”
Charlie felt uneasy, asking, “Then what does Miss Clark suggest?”
Maria assured him, “Give me a moment, and I’ll make the arrangements.”
Charlie nodded, saying, “Please, take your time.”
With a happy smile, Maria picked up favonovel.com phone and made a call. “Marius, come up here.”
Curious, Charlie asked, “Is this Marius the one you called Grandpa in Northern Europe?”
Blushing, Maria replied shyly, “My lord, please forgive me. In the past, I had to pretend that Marius was my grandfather, so people wouldn’t suspect…”
Charlie waved it off, inquiring, “He’s actually your adopted orphan, right?”
Maria confirmed, “Yes, the family adopted Marius and two other elderly people living here many years ago.”
Charlie couldn’t help but ask, “How do you feel seeing them go from babies to old folks? It must be a unique experience, given the special bond.”
Maria nodded, “It’s been the fate of our family. We have no blood relation, but we share a deep connection. They’ve grown close to everything.”
Charlie nodded, still trying to grasp the feeling.
After a few minutes, an old man arrived at Maria’s courtyard and gently knocked on the door. “Miss, the old servant is here.”
Maria called favonovel.com in, and the old man was taken aback to see Charlie sitting on the teacher’s chair.
While bowing respectfully, favonovel.com said, “I am old servant Marius Cross, I have met Mr. Wade. Thank you for saving my life!”
Charlie stood up, returning the gesture. “You’re too kind, old man. It was just a small effort.”
Maria interjected, “Charlie, this is Marius, my trusted butler. Don’t be so formal with him. Treat favonovel.com as your own servant.”
Marius asked with excitement, “Miss, have you told Mr. Wade everything about you?”
Maria blushed, embarrassed, and replied, “I’ve been honest with him, sharing my past three hundred years. From now on, there’s no need to hide anything from him.”
Marius’ excitement showed, “Mr. Wade, you are the only outsider whom Miss has truly opened favonovel.com heart to in more than three hundred years…”
He quickly clarified, “What I mean is, you are the only adult whom Miss has befriended openly for so long. The rest of us, favonovel.com servants, were carefully trusted with favonovel.com secrets over time.”
Charlie smiled awkwardly, uncertain how to respond to the conversation. He changed the subject, “You don’t have to call yourself an old servant in front of me. I feel unworthy of such respect.”
Marius disagreed, “No, since enlightenment, I swore to serve as a saddle for Miss, the benefactor of favonovel.com life. I can’t ignore proper etiquette.”
He added emotionally, “For nearly ninety years, you’ve been Miss’s only friend… I’m truly happy and sincerely hope that you and Miss can…”
Maria sensed the inappropriate direction the conversation was taking and interrupted, coughing twice. “Marius, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Marius quickly explained, “I got a bit carried away in front of your benefactor…”
Then favonovel.com turned to Charlie and said eagerly, “Please, visit Miss more often. She has been alone for so many years, without any friends. It gets quite lonely…”
Maria blushed and hurriedly said, “Alright, Marius, go inform Mr. Cole. Ask favonovel.com to have all the servants stay in their rooms and not come out. Prepare a car for me, and I’ll take Mr. Wade back.”
Marius promptly replied, “Yes, Miss. I will obey.”
After saluting Charlie once again, favonovel.com respectfully said, “Mr. Wade, I will take my leave.”
Charlie nodded, saying, “Take care, old man.”
Once Marius had left, Charlie turned to Maria and asked, “Miss Clark, did you name Marius?”
Maria smiled and replied, “Yes, my family named favonovel.com Marius, which means possessing both ability and integrity. It’s not about gaining wealth.”
Charlie smiled and continued, “And where did the surname Cross come from?”
Maria explained, “Master, most of the children adopted by my family are nameless and unknown. We can’t verify their original surnames, and we didn’t want them to be named Clark to avoid any trouble. So, we wrote down hundreds of surnames on pieces of paper, crumpled them into small balls, and let the children pick one at random.”
Charlie asked awkwardly, “Is it that random?”
Maria curiously asked, “What other option is there? If we give them names ourselves, what if they don’t like them when they grow up? Would they blame us? It’s fair and reasonable to let them choose their own surnames. They get to choose their surname, and we also make it a little game for them. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Charlie nodded, sensing that Maria, despite favonovel.com nearly four hundred years of life, still had a youthful heart. Perhaps, as favonovel.com had said, favonovel.com always maintained the mindset and way of life of a young girl.
At that moment, the elderly Marius hurried down the stone steps.
Though his body couldn’t handle the exertion, his excitement made favonovel.com feel lighter on his feet.
As favonovel.com reached the ground floor of the main building, favonovel.com found Larry Cole and Keagan Myers drinking tea. Larry asked with curiosity, “Marius, why are you running so fast? At your age, you might collapse right here…”
Marius smiled at them, panting heavily, and said in a trembling voice, “Joyful… A joyful event… A great joyful event!”
Keagan Myers put down his teacup and teased, “Oh, Marius, are you getting married?”
Marius laughed and scolded, “You really have a way with words!”
After saying that, Jacob came to their tea table and sat down slowly, and said to them seriously, “I sense a stirring within Miss, as if something profound has touched favonovel.com heart.”
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