Chapter 356 - Three Hundred And Fifty Five

Chapter 356: Chapter Three Hundred And Fifty Five

Adeline turned back toward the hallway. She looked down at the small glass vial in her hand, holding the clear heart tonic up to the light. A dark, wicked smile spread across her red lips.

She walked a few steps down the corridor toward a high marble pedestal standing near a tall window. Resting on top of the pedestal was a large, decorative ceramic flower pot filled with rich soil and a flourishing red fern.

Adeline unstoppered the small glass vial. Without a single moment of hesitation or regret, she turned the vial upside down and poured all of its contents directly into the dry dirt of the flower pot.

The clear liquid soaked quickly into the soil, disappearing completely without leaving a trace.

Adeline turned the empty bottle right-side up, wiped the rim with her silk handkerchief, and tossed the empty glass container into a small waste basket hiding in the corner of the corridor.

Just as she finished smoothing down the front of her dark purple silk dress, heavy footsteps echoed from the grand staircase.

The butler returned, walking briskly down the long hallway toward her. He held a silver tray in his hands, upon which lay a single folded letter sealed with dark red wax.

The butler stopped two paces away from her, lowering his head in a deep bow.

"For you, my lady," the butler said respectfully, presenting the silver tray to her. "A courier just delivered this. It is addressed to you."

Lady Adeline looked at the silver tray, her eyes narrowing slightly. She raised her right hand and shooed the butler away with a quick, impatient flick of her wrist.

"Leave it and go," Adeline commanded coolly. "Make sure no servants disturb the old Duke’s room without my explicit permission."

"Yes, my lady," the butler replied. He bowed once more, turned on his heels, and walked back down the hallway toward the servants’ quarters.

Once the butler was out of sight, Adeline reached out and picked up the folded letter from the silver tray. She broke the red wax seal and unfolded the crisp parchment paper.

Written right across the center of the page was a single sentence, written in black ink in a bold, straight line:

I am coming home.

Lady Adeline stared at those four words for a long moment. The cold sneer on her face melted away, replaced by a wide, triumphant smile. Her eyes sparkled with sudden excitement. Her husband was finally returning from his long journey.

Suddenly, a small, subtle sound caught her attention.

Rustle...

It was a soft, faint sound, coming from the shadowed recess of the hallway near a tall decorative curtain.

Adeline’s smile vanished in an instant. Her body went rigid, and her head snapped around toward the dark corner.

"Who’s there?" Adeline demanded sharply, her voice tightening with sudden fear.

Silence answered her. The long hallway remained deathly quiet, the velvet curtains hanging motionless against the stone walls.

Adeline’s heart began to beat wildly against her ribs. Cold sweat prickled at the back of her neck as a wave of intense paranoia washed over her.

Did someone see me? Adeline thought to herself, her eyes darting frantically toward the ceramic flower pot near the window. Did a servant watch me pour away his heart medicine? If someone saw me... if the doctor finds out... they don’t deserve to live anymore.

Her fingers gripped the folded letter so tightly the paper crumpled slightly in her hand. She took a slow, hesitant step toward the shadowed corner, her voice rising in defensive anger.

"Show yourself!" Adeline shouted into the quiet corridor. "Who is hiding there?"

Before she could take another step or call for the house guards, a small movement emerged from the shadow behind the velvet curtain.

A sleek, beautiful animal stepped out onto the bright pattern of the carpeted floor.

It was a white cat with bright blue eyes, wearing a small collar made of soft blue velvet studded with tiny silver bells. It walked with slow, graceful steps, lifting its paws majestically as if it owned the entire grand mansion.

It was Lily—the prized, pampered cat belonging to her daughter, Lady Elora.

Lily stopped right in the middle of the hallway, directly in front of Lady Adeline’s shoes. The cat sat down calmly on its hind legs, ignoring the terrified woman standing above it.

With an air of supreme elegance and indifference, Lily raised her front right paw, gave it a slow lick and began to groom the smooth fur behind her paw. She moved with deliberate slowness, acting as if Adeline were nothing more than a piece of furniture standing in her way.

Adeline stared down at the white cat, her mouth open in shock.

After finishing her paw, Lily lowered her leg, looked up at Lady Adeline with her piercing blue eyes, and narrowed her gaze into a cold, haughty stare.

HISS!

Lily let out a sharp, sassy hiss, bared her tiny sharp teeth, turned her furry tail proudly into the air, and trotted away down the hallway with her head held high like a noble queen walking away from a low servant.

Lady Adeline stood frozen for a second, watching the white cat disappear around the corner of the east wing.

A long, heavy breath escaped her lips. The intense tension holding her shoulders tight relaxed completely, and she let out a deep sigh she didn’t even realize she had been holding in her chest.

"It was just Lily," Adeline muttered to herself, shaking her head at her own foolish paranoia. She wiped a line of sweat from her forehead with her silk handkerchief. "That ridiculous, arrogant animal..."

Feeling reassured that she was alone, Adeline smoothed down her purple dress, carefully folded her letter, and tucked it securely inside her pocket. She turned on her heel and walked away down the corridor, her high heels clicking loudly against the polished floorboards until her footsteps faded away into the distance.

The long hallway returned to a peaceful silence.

Then, deep within the dark shadow behind the curtain near the wall, a quiet, barely audible exhale of air sounded in the hallway.

Hah...

A faint, shadowy figure shifted slightly in the deep darkness behind the curtain, staying still as they wait for the perfect time to leave.