Chapter 239
The teasing tone in his voice made Scarlett's cheeks flush slightly, but she quickly took a deep breath and composed herself. "Why are you calling me?"
Ever since Sebastian returned to the country, he'd been calling every two or three days. Each time, there wasn't really much to talk about. Scarlett was still feeling stubborn and refused to chat with Sebastian willingly, while Sebastian wasn't much of a talker either, making conversation nearly impossible between them.
Most of the time, the phone just stayed connected with neither saying much. Sebastian always called at the perfect moment—right when Scarlett was about to go to sleep. This made conversation even more difficult, so the phone would just sit by her bedside like a decoration.
"It's been a while since we talked."
Hearing this rare sentiment from Sebastian's mouth, Scarlett immediately frowned. Why did she feel like everyone today was acting a little off?
"Did something happen?" Scarlett thought about how Michael had acted similarly, her tone growing more serious.
Hearing her shift in tone, Sebastian paused for a moment, genuinely surprised by Scarlett's sharp intuition. His fingers, holding a cigarette, trembled slightly as he reached for the ashtray to stub it out, though his voice remained steady. "Nothing's wrong. Grandpa asked about you yesterday."
Scarlett was stunned, never expecting George to ask about her.
"Why would he think of me?"
She felt both embarrassed and incredulous.
Sebastian didn't even blink while lying. "Who knows? But Grandpa found out about your study abroad plans and asked where you wanted to go."
This explanation at least cleared up why Michael had suddenly asked about studying abroad. Scarlett's suspicions lessened somewhat, but she still felt something was off, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. She could only nod lightly and make a soft sound of acknowledgment.
"We're almost in January now. You might miss the February intake, but if you want to study Vesperian, you could still make the February start date."
Sebastian smoothly changed the subject, and fortunately, this was exactly what Scarlett needed to know about, so they actually managed to have a conversation.
"There's a February intake?"
Scarlett had never really looked into foreign universities seriously. She had done some research before, but the schools she'd looked at mostly only offered the mainstream start time—September in the fall.
"There's also a spring intake in February, but that's usually for students who missed September or want to bridge with language courses. I think your situation would be perfect for the spring start."
"Why?" Scarlett asked instinctively. Did she really need to go study Vesperian?
It wasn't that she was against learning Vesperian—she just hadn't expected everyone around her to be subtly suggesting she should study it.
"If you're going to study in Vesperia later, Vesperian is one of the essential skills you'll need to master. English isn't as widely spoken there as you might think."
As Sebastian spoke, his fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk—a signature gesture that indicated he was in a good mood.
The English proficiency rate in Vesperia really wasn't that high, though it wasn't to the point where someone would need to specifically learn Vesperian for basic communication. But the deep-rooted national pride of the Vesperian people created a situation where they could speak English but chose not to.
While Scarlett wasn't clear on the specific reasons, she thought back to the few Vesperian people who followed Finn around. They indeed rarely communicated in English, only occasionally throwing out a few English words when they really struggled to express themselves.
"That works then. February it is—just a bit tight on time."
Scarlett couldn't help feeling nervous. Thinking about how she'd slacked off all morning, she instantly felt her chances of getting into a good school had dropped significantly.
"Relax. No matter what, you'll get in." Sebastian wasn't concerned about Scarlett's academic performance or what her entrance scores might be.
His tone was so relaxed that Scarlett, having grown up in wealthy circles, naturally understood what he was implying. She even had a pretty good idea of what Michael's earlier phone call had been about.
"I don't need your help."
Her tone turned stiff—she clearly wanted to get into the school through her own efforts.
Sebastian loved this about her most. He chuckled. "Fine then, I'll save the money and buy you a car when you start school."
Scarlett still refused.
They didn't chat for much longer because a visitor arrived at Maple Valley Villa. Scarlett heard Libbie's delighted voice from the entrance and, overcome with curiosity, quickly said, "Alright, I'm hanging up," and actually ended the call.
This left Sebastian, far away in the country, staring at the suddenly disconnected phone in bewilderment before finally letting out a helpless laugh.
"I can't believe they actually sent you over. How are you? Are you hungry?"
When Scarlett reached the door, she caught Libbie saying exactly that. "Libbie, who is it?" Hearing Libbie's tone, Scarlett grew even more curious about their visitor. She pushed open the inner door, and when she saw who was standing outside, her voice immediately stopped.
Teddy stood outside with a travel bag, and upon seeing Scarlett, he nodded. "Ms. Seymour, long time no see."
It really had been a long time. Scarlett nodded numbly, never expecting Sebastian to send Teddy over. But wasn't he supposed to be with Adeline? Why had he come here?
She frowned, and while she wasn't exactly wary, her eyes kept studying Teddy as he entered.
Why was Teddy here? Didn't Adeline need him anymore? These two questions kept circling in Scarlett's mind.
Teddy looked like he'd rushed over. As soon as he came in, he drank a large bowl of chestnut soup, then ate a huge plate of buttered mashed potatoes with fried chicken wings before finally setting down his utensils with a satisfied expression.
"Why did Mr. Parker come to my place?" Scarlett sat on the sofa behind the dining area, watching Teddy clear the dishes, and suddenly asked.
The question clearly conveyed that he wasn't welcome, though her tone sounded so innocent that it was hard to feel offended.
"Mr. Howard sent me." Teddy's tone was calm as he carried the dishes toward the kitchen.
Scarlett watched his retreating figure, blinked, and said nothing more. But when Teddy came out of the kitchen, Scarlett, who had been reading, called out to him again. "Mr. Parker, what about Ms. Morgan?"
Teddy immediately stopped in his tracks, his gaze turning to Scarlett. Her eyes were clear, seemingly without any particular meaning behind the question. But he knew these two young women had been competing with each other in subtle ways.
"Ms. Morgan has been dealt with."
After a moment's consideration, Teddy used a particular phrase to explain Adeline's fate.
Scarlett never could have expected such an answer. She was instantly stunned, her heart pounding as Teddy's response genuinely frightened her.