Chapter 589: Did Your Mother Mention Me?

"Come in," Quentin Blackwood said.

Miles and Xavier Mercer remained silent. After learning the truth, both brothers harbored deep resentment toward the King.

Who would have thought that a man who usually held court on the international stage, never flinching before global leaders or the media, would look as if he couldn’t even lift his head in front of them?

Seeing that no one else was going to speak, Ivy Sherwood said, "I’ll get you a glass of water."

She poured the water and handed it to Ovillette herself.

"Thank you." Ovillette took the warm glass.

"Have you all eaten? Should I order some food?" Ivy guessed that none of them had eaten yet. They probably hadn’t had the appetite or the time.

"I’ll do it," Quentin said. He made a quick call, instructing his people to prepare a meal and have it delivered.

Before long, a lavish brunch was set on the table. Ivy and Quentin had already eaten, so they weren’t hungry. The others sat together in silence, staring at Ovillette like a joint tribunal interrogating a criminal.

Ovillette didn’t know what to say either and remained silent.

"Eat up, everyone. Don’t just sit there," Ivy urged. She picked up a pair of serving chopsticks and placed some food on Ovillette’s plate first. "Mr. Ovillette, try this. It’s our local specialty, roast duck. The skin is crispy, the meat is juicy, and it’s delicious."

"Thank you." Ovillette’s gaze landed on Ivy and refused to move away.

He thought, "If none of that had happened back then, would Winter Mercer still be by my side? Would Ivy have had a happy, beautiful childhood?"

The pained look in his eyes thoroughly displeased the Mercer brothers. Xavier said coldly, "Mr. Ovillette, staring at our sister like that is highly inappropriate."

Miles chimed in, "Exactly. Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?"

If it weren’t for this man, Aunt Winter might never have been hurt. And yet, he remembered absolutely nothing about her after all these years. He had forgotten her completely and gone on to live affectionately with another woman.

Aunt Winter must be so heartbroken in the afterlife.

Not to mention her family, who had spent so many years searching for her—they were beyond devastated.

Even though Ovillette might have also been a victim, compared to Aunt Winter, who had been dead for so long, he was unforgivable.

"I’m sorry. I swear I will investigate this thoroughly and give you an answer." Ovillette was deeply frustrated by his own amnesia, hating himself for it.

"By the time you figure it out, what good will an ’answer’ do? Don’t you think it’s too late?" Miles retorted. "If you and Aunt Winter were truly in love back then, why didn’t you protect her?"

Miles was a straightforward person. If he ever fell in love with someone, he would definitely defend her safety with his life.

Ovillette opened his mouth but offered no defense. "If I truly committed a wrong against the Mercer family, I will pay for it with my life."

Seeing Ovillette like this, Ivy felt an inexplicable pang in her own heart.

Even though he wasn’t her biological father, Ivy believed he was a good King. After all, under his leadership over the years, Elandra had been flourishing.

While other nations frequently changed their leaders, Ovillette maintained a vast base of supporters. He genuinely planned for his country’s future and fought for its interests, earning the deep love and respect of his people.

Ivy stepped in to smooth things over, serving some food to her brothers. "We still don’t know exactly what happened back then. Miles, Xavier, try not to overthink it for now. Just eat."

Ivy thought that her mother probably wouldn’t blame Ovillette either.

She knew very well that love wasn’t something that could be easily explained in a few words. Oftentimes, being in love didn’t guarantee being together forever.

The fact that her mother chose to live incognito in Lustre—a completely unfamiliar place—while watching Ovillette settle down and build a family meant she didn’t harbor deep hatred for him. Otherwise, given her mother’s personality, she would have stormed back and made sure no one lived in peace. Choosing not to disturb him had been her mother’s decision.

The meal was far from pleasant. If Ivy hadn’t mediated, a fight would have likely broken out.

"Mr. Ovillette, let’s have a private chat," Ivy suggested after they finished eating.

Ovillette was, of course, more than willing, though the Mercer brothers were far less eager to agree. But their reluctance changed nothing; they could only watch helplessly as Ivy led Ovillette into the study.

"I never expected my mother to know someone so powerful back then," Ivy said.

"I didn’t have any real status at the time," Ovillette replied. "I was just an ordinary man."

"Did your mother ever mention me?" he asked.

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them, realizing it was a pointless question. If Winter Mercer had actually mentioned him, Ivy wouldn’t have acted like a complete stranger when they first met.

Although Ovillette had no memory of his past with Winter, he didn’t doubt its existence. He could feel that he had genuinely lost something incredibly important, and her presence felt overwhelmingly familiar.

"No," Ivy answered bluntly. "My mother never brought you up. Perhaps she didn’t want to. Whatever happened between you two is in the past. I asked you here to tell you that there is actually no connection between us."

A flash of surprise crossed Ovillette’s eyes. In truth, given the deep sense of familiarity he felt toward Ivy and what the Princess had told him the day before, he had formed a theory. Could Ivy be... his child?

"I’m sorry for keeping this from you," Ivy said. "When you fainted last time, we ran a test. Our DNA doesn’t match. I am not your daughter. However, if you want to recover those memories, I can tell you about my mother.

"My mother passed away when I was just a few years old. In truth, I have very few memories of her. I only know that she was a gentle woman who had a mind of her own.

"She disguised herself back then, appearing as an ordinary woman to everyone. She taught me the art of disguise from a young age, which is why no one recognized me when we first met."

Only now did Ivy realize that her mother’s decision to live incognito in disguise might have been because of Jason Summers—or perhaps because of Ovillette.

She hadn’t wanted to be found by those people. And since Ivy had looked just like her since childhood, Winter hadn’t wanted her daughter to cross paths with them either. She simply wanted Ivy to grow up safely and happily.

Ivy was also deeply curious. Since her mother had hidden herself so well, how exactly had Jason Summers managed to murder her? Even back then, Ivy had felt that her mother’s death was far too sudden.