Chapter 15 The King's Snare 3

  These two days, Mr. Lucas received a reminder from a businessman who did business with him, and learned that Dans's grandfather was investigating their family. At first, Mr. Lucas was not flustered, thinking that as long as his family members insisted that the one attending the dinner party that evening was Charlotte, then Count Rio would have no way to refute it. However, he didn't expect that their family's servant would betray him, and he wondered how much benefit Count Rio had given him. The servant, probably out of guilt, left a note in the room for Mr. Lucas, telling them the whole story from start to finish.

  Lucas, having learned of Riocha's revenge, unwilling to implicate the innocent, gave each servant a gold bar as travel expenses and living expenses, and those who were willing to leave were allowed to return home. The Lucas household now only has four masters and two servants left. Natalie, who had been serving in the Lucas household all her life, no longer had a home of her own and did not intend to leave. Charlotte's nanny Emily also refused to leave the Lucas household at this time.

  Emily wiped the moisture from her eyes, placed the tea in front of Lydia and also made the sign of the cross with her, Lydia looked at Emily hesitated for a moment before speaking.

  "Emily, you really don't plan on leaving? I heard you have a shoemaker son, you really don't plan on going to find him?"

  "Madam, since you gave birth to Miss, I have been by your side and Miss's side without leaving for a day. I have long regarded you and Miss as my family members. How can I bear to leave you in this situation?"

  Lydia's eyes reddened again.

  "Emily, you may not be aware that our family is in a precarious situation this time. If you don't leave, you might end up being exiled to Tasmania Island. You'd better hurry back home and don't bring bad luck on us! Natalia, see her off."

  After finishing, Lydia turned her head and couldn't bear to look at Emily again. Emily knelt down at Lydia's feet, grasping her skirt and refusing to let go. Natalie didn't dare to pull hard, so she could only let go.

  "Madam, Emily is not afraid of exile as long as you and Miss are with her, Emily fears nothing!"

  Mr. Lucas could not bear the scene of life and death, suddenly got up and walked to the balcony in big strides, lit a cigarette and took a fierce puff, his mind was boiling with noise, he no longer listened to the conversation in the hall, alone quietly looking at the hazy moon in the dark sky.

  Katie sadly hugged her mother and buried her head in her bosom, Emily's wailing cry brought Cinderella to grief, she thought that she didn't have time to say goodbye to the prince and would never see him again, Cinderella covered her face and wept bitterly.

  "You help me up to rest, Natalie takes Katie to her room."

  "Madam, you're making me stay?"

  Lydia's body was weak from grief, she forced a smile, stretched out her hand to Emily, and Emily quickly helped her up, the two went upstairs.

  Downstairs there were only Mr. Lucas and Cinderella, the hall quieted down, Cinderella anxiously searched for her father's figure, finally found Lucas outside.

  "Father,"

  Lucas turned his head to see the delicate face of his daughter, wiping away her tears and stroking her smooth skin with his fingers. Lucas was deeply worried, his daughter was like a flower in her youth, always pampered and protected, even when he remarried, she hadn't suffered much. How could such a daughter withstand the storms outside?

  "Cinderella, forgive me, my Cinderella,"

  Cinderella threw herself into her father's arms and the two of them hugged each other and wept.

  Upstairs in her room, Lydia twisted a plaster figure on the windowsill, and a scenic painting opposite slowly rose to reveal the entrance to a secret chamber.

  "Come with me."

  Emily followed Mrs. Lydia into the secret room, where the road was narrow and only one person could pass through. After a few steps, Lydia stopped in front of the wall on her right hand side and pressed several times. The light was too strong, and Emily closed her eyes slightly for the first time, being caught off guard and getting her eyes burned by the light. She had to rest for a while before she could open them again. When Lydia saw that Emily opened her eyes, she gestured for her to follow her through the magnificent corridor. The walls on both sides were inlaid with various precious stones that Emily had never seen in her life, and the starry stones refracted the light of the candles, illuminating the entire corridor. She had long heard that Lucas's family was rich enough to rival a country, but seeing these rare gems embedded here like rubble, Emily couldn't help but purse her lips. As they walked, there were more and more murals on both sides of the corridor. Lydia stopped in front of a mural depicting little angels, looked at Emily with some embarrassment, tiptoed up, and kissed the angel's lips lightly. The wall rumbled twice, and the mural split into two, revealing a hidden compartment inside. Since returning from the prince's banquet that time, Lydia had been uneasy in her heart. She had long prepared this box for emergencies and hadn't told anyone about it. She took out the box and solemnly handed it over to Emily. Holding Emily's hand, Lydia came to another mural.

  "There is a secret door here, after you leave from here, you must find Charlotte and hand this box over to her!"

  Emily finally understood the purpose of Mrs. bringing herself here, looking at the box in her hand, Emily felt that this must be all the wealth of Lucas's family, her heart sank, it seemed that Lucas's family really had no way to turn over this time.

  "There's nothing valuable in here, just some trinkets that Charlotte can look at someday to ease her sorrow."

  Lydia saw through Emily's mind and was afraid that she would be overly anxious and make a mistake, so she quickly explained.

  "Madam, no matter what's inside, I know it must be very important to Miss. I'll make sure to hand it over to her intact. Please don't worry, Madam!"

  She saw Emily off, and then she could see the exit. Afraid of being seen by outsiders, Lydia found it inconvenient to send her again. The two said goodbye, hugged each other and cried for a while. Lydia held Emily's hand and exhorted...

  "From now on, Charlotte will be left in your care. You should treat her as if she were your own daughter and discipline her if she doesn't listen!"

  Emily wept uncontrollably, Lydia finished speaking and let go of Emily's hand, turning around and walking into the secret room without looking back. Emily gazed longingly at Lydia's disappearing figure before turning around and leaving Lucas' house, where she had lived for nineteen years.

  Lydia passed by the little angel mural on her way back, pondered for a moment, then opened the mural again and took something from the hidden compartment in her sleeve.

  Rochester galloped through the dark streets, not daring to walk openly, so he chose some less crowded and closer roads. At the same time, on the spacious main street, Count Rio led hundreds of royal guards, advancing towards Lucas's house in a mighty manner. Rochester arrived at Lucas's house ten minutes ahead of Rio.

  The knocking at the door echoed into Lucas's family ears like a death knell, Mr. Lucas comforted his wife and daughter with a glance, trembling as he walked towards the door that would decide their fate.

  Rochester flung open the door and rushed in without looking at the person who opened it, seized Cinderella's hand to take her away, but Cinderella did not move.

  "Rochester, I don't want to go."

  Mr. Lucas was anxious and slapped Cinderella's head hard, trying to wake her up.

  "Come on, kid! Don't be stupid, you're just holding us back by following us. You're useless, hurry up and go!"

  Cinderella looked at her father, even Lydia and Kitty, she didn't want to leave them, Rochester pulled her wrist again, Cinderella cried out in pain.

  "Ah! Let me go, Mr. Rochester; I am not going to be your nursemaid."

  Katie, who had been silent since Rochester came in, spoke up.

  "We still have Charlotte, do you want her to be left with no relatives in this world?! Hurry up and go!"

  Katy left the hall after finishing speaking, Cinderella fell silent. Rochester saw this and carried Cinderella out of Lucas's house, putting her on his horse. He kicked the horse's belly, and it neighed loudly.

  "Halt! Who goes there?"

  As soon as Rioxa entered the street, he saw two people coming out of Lucas's house. Seeing them mount their horses and wanting to leave, Rioxa hastily shouted loudly, bringing soldiers to intercept the two men. Rochester didn't pay any attention to Rioxa and drove his horse away. At this time, Lydia rushed out from the door and caught up with Rochester's horse, handing a sheepskin scroll to Cinderella. Lydia wanted to say something else, but Rioxa was already less than twenty meters away. Rochester frowned, raised his whip, and the horse galloped quickly away. Lydia watched them leave, gritted her teeth, and shouted at Cinderella.

  "Take care of what's yours, no matter what! Cinderella must remember that!"

  Earl Rioche heard Lydia's words and secretly called out, it was likely that the two of them had taken away most of Lucas' family fortune, he couldn't let these two people go!

  Rioxa led most of the soldiers in pursuit of Rochester and Cinderella, while the remaining soldiers surrounded Lucas's house, waiting for Count Rioxa to return and dispose of them.

  Lydia returned home, and Mr. Lucas was angry with her for the first time, never thinking that his wife would come up with such a vicious plan to divert the king's attention, he had always known that Lydia favored Charlotte, but he didn't expect her to hurt his other daughter for Charlotte's sake, which made him feel somewhat sad.

  He gave Lydia a cold glance and turned to the study, at this time Mr. Lucas had no illusions about reality, the king's sinister intentions were obvious, what he wanted was the countless wealth and vast business empire of the Lucas family.