Chapter 19 Goddaughter Angers Clio, Will She Be Kicked Out of the Hamilton Mansion?
"Mother! I was wrong, I really know I was wrong." Rose's eyes brimmed with tears.
She was frail by nature, her palm-sized face covered in teardrops, evoking pity.
But Clio turned her head away, eyes reddening as she refused to look at her.
"You should know that once someone gets into the gambling habit, they're finished. Do you want to ruin Michael's entire life?"
"How would I dare!" Rose shook her head repeatedly, choking back sobs. "I gave him money, but I never told him to gamble! Those noble friends Michael hangs out with all spend money freely. Michael is a man after all, he has his pride. Being treated every time, he felt bad about it too."
Clio said nothing, her profile still cold.
Clio now only had Michael as her son and valued him greatly.
Neither Patrick nor Clio were extravagant by nature. With Cameron bringing great power and wealth to the family, they feared Michael might be led astray by others outside, so they deliberately limited his monthly allowance.
Rose was a girl, and Clio was usually generous with her, so she had more money on hand.
"Michael just said that when you found out he went to the gambling house, you didn't try to stop him, only told him to come home early."
Clio's voice was cold. She turned to look at her, tears of disappointment in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? By covering for him, you're harming him! If Patrick gets angry and wants to throw you out of the house, I won't be able to stop him. What will you do then?"
Rose knelt on the ground, crying so hard her body shook.
"Mother, I know I was wrong. I was afraid that if I told you, you and Father would punish him. It doesn't matter if I get hit, but Michael absolutely cannot be beaten!"
"I heard that when you were carrying him, it was extremely difficult. You took so much bitter medicine before you could conceive him. I've long considered you my own birth mother, so I value Michael more than my own life."
"I only wanted him to be happy and content. It was my carelessness. From now on, I'll definitely help you watch over him and never let Michael go to those places again. Mother, I deserve to be punished!"
With that, Rose slapped herself twice across the face.
Her fingernails caught the gauze on her ear, and blood beads emerged again.
Her earlobe, missing a small piece of flesh, was shocking to see.
"Enough, enough! My Rose, don't ever do this again." Clio bent down and embraced Rose.
Clio and Rose cried together in each other's arms until Rose's voice went hoarse.
Thirty minutes later, Rose was escorted away by servants like a treasured moon surrounded by stars.
Tatum came in from outside. Clio was wiping away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes, her eyes red and swollen.
"Mrs. Clio Hamilton, please take care of yourself. Ms. Rose Hamilton surely didn't mean it."
"I understand Rose too well. She knows she's not our biological child, so she gives Michael whatever he wants, only thinking of pleasing him. That's exactly where she went wrong—catering to Michael in everything is actually harming him."
"Mrs. Clio Hamilton, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but Ms. Rose Hamilton is like you were before you got married."
Clio nodded and sighed. "You're not wrong. Back then, my birth mother died early, and my father remarried. When my stepmother came into the family, I was also extremely good to the brother she bore, just to make her happy and secure a good marriage for myself."
In Clio's eyes, Rose's cautious manner was exactly like her own younger self.
"I know all this, so I'm not really angry with Rose. I just want her to remember the lesson. By the way, has that eagle-keeping maid confessed yet?"
Tatum said, "We beat her until she coughed up blood and was half dead, but she's still stubborn. She insists she didn't blow the whistle and that someone stole it."
Clio looked suspicious and pondered for a moment.
"Have you found anyone suspicious?"
"No. I questioned everyone, but at the time everyone was busy with Miss Hamilton's family registry matter. Plus there were so many people there—no one knows who blew the whistle."
"Whoever would be happiest about Rose not getting on the family registry is likely the culprit," Clio said.
Tatum was startled. "Mrs. Clio Hamilton, are you suspecting Ms. Cressida Hamilton?"
Clio was silent for a moment, seeming to think carefully, then shook her head.
"Cressida doesn't have the skill to handle eagles."
She had only recently returned to Emerald City. Apart from Emma who stayed by her side, she didn't have a single person she could trust in the Hamilton family.
How could Cressida possibly orchestrate such an elaborate scheme?
Clio paused. "Michael said she knew about the gambling and used it to provoke him into losing his temper and attacking her. Who do you think told her?"
Tatum guessed, "Could Ms. Cressida Hamilton have found out herself? Mr. Michael Hamilton owes money to the gambling house—everyone in his courtyard knows. With a little asking around..."
Clio's expression turned cold.
"Those useless servants need to be replaced. As for Cressida, this girl's heart isn't with the Hamilton family. It seems we need to find an excuse to send her away."
That evening, Cressida heard that Michael had only knelt in the ancestral hall for four hours before Clio brought him out again.
Patrick sent people to take Michael to the Guard Office overnight to stay there, planning to let him suffer for a few days to temper his character.
Several days passed after this incident.
As Cressida was crossing the garden bridge with Emma, Rose came from the opposite direction with many servants.
Seeing Cressida, Rose showed a warm smile and took the initiative to step aside at the foot of the bridge, waiting for her to pass first.
"Cressida."
As Cressida passed by her, Rose lowered her head slightly and called out warmly.
After Rose walked away, Cressida turned to look at her outfit.
Plain tea-white, with few ornaments in her hair. The injury on her ear probably hadn't healed yet—there was still a small patch of medicinal plaster on it.
It seemed that after the last lesson, Rose no longer dared to wear brightly colored dresses.
Emma complained indignantly beside her, "She led Mr. Michael Hamilton to gamble, and Mrs. Clio Hamilton didn't even punish her after finding out."
Cressida had expected as much.
She knew Rose must have exceptional skills—otherwise she couldn't have won over the entire family in just ten years.
Clio wouldn't give up on Rose easily. What Cressida needed to do was continuously create conflicts between them.
The only thing that made Cressida curious was that she had always heard Rose had excellent medical skills and had even healed her father Patrick's broken leg.
But since Cressida returned to the household, she had never witnessed this ability of Rose's.
She needed to find an opportunity to test Rose's true capabilities.
Cressida took Emma to the main courtyard where Clio lived.
Clio, who hadn't seen Michael for several days, showed a cold, undisguised expression when she saw Cressida.
Cressida had come to tell her about going out today, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Clio refused.
"A few days ago, you and Michael made such a scene at the ancestral hall that everyone outside already knows about it. Stay put and don't go out showing your face and inviting gossip."
Cressida had arranged to meet Anthony at the martial arts hall every five days, and today was exactly the fifth day.
She couldn't not go.
"Michael struck first. If people gossip, they won't be talking about me."
"You're the older sister!" Clio's tone became urgent and stern. "Not only did you fail to advise him, you used his weakness to provoke him. Do you have any sense of propriety at all? Go back and reflect on your mistakes. You're not allowed to leave today!"