Chapter 71 Michael Became an Idiot
Emma rushed forward to stop him, but Cressida raised her hand to hold her back.
Michael's eyes showed a childlike gleam as his hand reached for Cressida's pearl earrings, touching them over and over.
"Michael likes them, wants them?"
Michael nodded honestly.
Cressida directly took off both earrings and handed them to him.
Michael, who had previously looked at her with nothing but hatred and disgust, was now completely absorbed in taking apart her earrings, kneeling on the ground and playing with the two pearls, rolling them back and forth.
He occasionally let out silly giggles, looking foolish and not at all like a normal person.
She hadn't seen him these past days, and now that he was back, he had lost quite a bit of weight.
The wound on his forehead had become a flesh-pink scar with some missing hair there. He was dressed in rough cloth, without any trace of nobility about him.
Cressida looked at Patrick: "Father, what happened to Michael?"
Patrick only sighed and shook his head without answering.
Daryl beside him explained: "Mr. Hamilton hit his head. I found a doctor to examine him, and the doctor said Mr. Hamilton now only has the mind of a five-year-old child."
Mabel, who had rushed over upon hearing Michael had returned home, had just stepped through the door when she heard Daryl's words.
"What? How did he hit his head?" She was shocked.
Clio looked up through her tears and suddenly lunged at Cressida, her hands gripping Cressida's neck tightly.
"You did this to Michael, you deliberately turned him into an idiot!"
Emma and the others rushed to pull Clio away: "Mrs. Hamilton, please don't do this, let go!"
"Clio, how can you hit Cressida?" Mabel scolded and pushed Clio aside, standing in front of Cressida.
Almost the next instant, Clio struck out, a heavy slap that Mabel couldn't avoid, landing on Mabel's neck and leaving a red mark.
Cressida protected Mabel: "Mabel, are you alright?"
Mabel covered her neck and shook her head: "I'm fine."
Mabel then said to Clio: "Clio, calm down! Everyone feels terrible about Michael being like this, what does it have to do with Cressida?"
Clio became hysterical: "Report to the authorities! I want to report this to the authorities!"
Patrick suddenly stood up, pointing at Clio and scolding angrily: "Are you crazy! Isn't this house chaotic enough?"
Nanny, afraid he would lose his temper, quickly pulled Clio away.
"Mr. Hamilton!" Clio cried until her knees went weak. She collapsed on the ground saying, "Michael's head injury was caused by Cressida! Cressida, this unfilial daughter has evil intentions, she wants to leave you without an heir!"
Patrick looked at Cressida with shocked and uncertain eyes, then scolded Clio: "Nonsense!"
Daryl bowed: "Indeed Mrs. Clio Hamilton has misunderstood. Mr. Michael Hamilton was injured because during the Flower Festival that night, there was a sudden incident, and in the panicked stampede, Mr. Michael Hamilton was accidentally injured."
Patrick's eyes widened: "Did you hear that? Michael was accidentally injured by someone!"
In Patrick's mind, how could Cressida have the guts to harm Michael?
Unexpectedly, after hearing this explanation, Clio felt even more stifled, a breath stuck in her chest.
Clio couldn't tell Patrick that it was Michael who had tried to harm Cressida, only to be turned against by Cressida.
So Clio felt even more wronged, especially when she heard Patrick speaking up for Cressida. Clio felt like dying.
"You, you!" Clio pointed at Cressida, suddenly her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the ground.
Nanny cried out: "Mrs. Hamilton! Oh no, Mrs. Hamilton's heart condition has flared up!"
The hall descended into chaos again. Mabel arranged for people to carry Clio back to her quarters and sent someone to fetch a doctor.
During all this, Cressida quietly watched Michael's expression.
He just curiously watched Clio being carried away, as if he didn't understand what had happened to her. After watching for a bit, he squatted down again to continue playing with the pearls.
Patrick looked at Michael's foolish appearance and felt a headache, pressing his temples tightly: "How could this happen!"
Cressida looked at Daryl: "And you are?"
Daryl bowed: "My name is Daryl Fields. That day I saw Mr. Hamilton lying on the ground with no one around to help, so I took him home to treat him. He was already unconscious at the time."
According to Daryl, Michael was taken home by Daryl for treatment and gradually improved. Daryl also found a doctor to examine Michael and discovered that Michael had a head injury and only had the mind of a five-year-old.
So after Michael woke up, when Daryl asked him questions, Michael said he didn't know anything—not his name, not where he lived, nothing. Daryl could only take him in.
Daryl had been taking care of Michael until Michael's injuries improved.
"That day when I went to town to buy grain, I saw the missing person notice. Only then did I realize that the boy I had accidentally saved was Mr. Hamilton from the Hamilton family, so I quickly brought him back."
Cressida naturally didn't believe Daryl's story.
Even though she had never met Daryl, she could guess that he was working with Sean.
She had told Cruz and the others to instruct Sean's group to throw the sack into the river, but apparently something had gone wrong—Sean's group hadn't followed through.
After figuring this out, Cressida felt calm and composed.
Patrick questioned Daryl: "I posted the notice a month ago, why are you only seeing it now?"
Daryl apologized repeatedly: "My home is in a small mountain village, travel is inconvenient, and news is even less accessible. Please forgive me, Mr. Hamilton."
Mabel advised Patrick: "For now, the best plan is to request a court physician from the palace to come to the estate and properly treat Michael."
"That's the only option," Patrick said helplessly. As he stood up, he looked at Cressida with inexplicable irritation. "As the eldest daughter, you're really terrible! You've harmed Michael and our whole family! If you had brought him back with you when you returned, would any of this have happened?"
Feeling upset, Patrick found everyone annoying.
Patrick turned and saw Daryl still there, and asked: "Why are you still standing here? I already had Noah give you a reward, you can go now."
Daryl bowed with a smile, looking quite clever and cunning.
"Yes, I obey."
Daryl said goodbye to Michael: "Mr. Hamilton, I'm leaving now. This is your home, rest well and recover!"
Unexpectedly, Michael, who had just been foolishly playing with the pearls, suddenly started crying and making a fuss.
Michael grabbed Daryl's sleeve: "I don't want Daryl to leave, I don't want him to go! Daryl, stay!"
Patrick was furious: "You rebellious son, let go and come here!"
However, Michael threw a tantrum, insisting that Daryl stay with him. If Daryl tried to walk out, Michael would follow him.
Michael didn't recognize Patrick as his father at all anymore.
Cressida and Mabel exchanged glances.
Daryl smiled helplessly, looking at Patrick: "Mr. Hamilton, what do you say about this..."
Patrick raised his fist to strike but couldn't bring it down.
Patrick's chest heaved, his eyes red with anger. He was furious, but no matter how angry he was, he knew that this foolish, crazy Michael before him was Patrick's only son.
Patrick really couldn't bear to hurt him!
Patrick angrily waved his hand: "Useless thing!"
Patrick was scolding while looking at Cressida, because he wouldn't blame himself and couldn't bear to insult Michael.
Cressida hadn't set a good example, hadn't fulfilled her responsibility as an older sister. Every mistake, all mistakes, were Cressida's fault—that's what Patrick thought in his heart.
To this, Cressida's expression remained calm, with only a trace of light mockery passing through her eyes.
Mabel frowned: "Patrick, how is Cressida to blame? Why are you talking about her?"
Patrick had a splitting headache and no time to argue about this.
Patrick said to Daryl without any courtesy: "Since Michael is satisfied with your service, you stay and be a servant by his side. If anything happens to Michael again, I'll be the first to take you to the authorities!"
Daryl's face showed a smile: "I thank Mr. Hamilton!"
Mabel handled and arranged the remaining matters.
Cressida took her people back to her room.
As the door closed, Verity immediately said: "He's the one who was on the boat with Sean that day. He must have saved Mr. Hamilton."
Ingrid said: "This person cannot be allowed to live."
Cressida pondered, thinking it over.
Killing Daryl would be easy, but Sean, who was behind Daryl, was still hiding. If something happened to Daryl, would Sean make a big scene?
How much evidence did they have of her actions at the time? Were there other forces controlling them from behind?
Just then, Emma's voice came from outside, scolding: "This is Ms. Hamilton's courtyard, what are you doing here?"
The next moment, they heard Daryl's ill-intentioned voice: "Mr. Michael Hamilton insisted on returning Ms. Cressida Hamilton's pearl earrings, so I brought him here."
Ingrid: "Daryl must be here to blackmail."
Verity's eyes showed a fierce light: "Ms. Hamilton, let me go kill him for you. I guarantee no blood will be spilled in the courtyard."