Finn died in prison, and when it comes to the people who came here, after some consideration, it’s most likely Hamish. Just as he was thinking about this, the housekeeper called him from upstairs.
“Atonal, Mr. Burns is back, it’s the young master.”
Outsiders call Hamish “Mr. Burns,” only the family calls him “Mr. Burns” or “young master” because they have watched him grow up. Atonal, his leg no longer aching and his back no longer sore, hurried outside without using his cane. It had been so long since he had seen Hamish, the last time being at Old Burns’ funeral.
Seeing Hamish after such a long time, Atonal’s initial excitement was held back. “Uncle Atonal, long time no see,” said Hamish.
Atonal slowly made his way over, first saying, “You’ve lost weight,” then asked Elisa, who was standing beside him, “Who’s this?”
“Girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” Not only was Atonal stunned, even the nearby servants, who had put down their work, were also stunned, all looking over.
Who didn’t know that Hamish had a sweetheart named Elisa, who died in a fire on Christmas when she was twenty-seven. She was Hamish’s ex-wife, the person he could never forget in his lifetime. After her death, Hamish muddled through a year and was even sent to a hospital for treatment due to a mental breakdown.
It was only after Elisa’s death that everyone found out how much Hamish loved her. This was the sixth year since Elisa’s death, and suddenly, Hamish brought back a woman, saying she was his girlfriend. Who wouldn’t be surprised?
Many people, with strange looks, secretly sized up the woman beside Hamish, wanting to see who the person was that had taken Hamish.
The heating inside was on, and Elisa, wrapped in a scarf, gradually felt warm. She took off her scarf and, in a cold tone, said, “I’m not his girlfriend.”
After she took off her scarf, Atonal got a good look at her face. Though she had aged, her eyes hadn’t aged; they were still bright. Looking at the woman before him, Atonal secretly speculated that she looked so much like Hamish’s late ex-wife, most likely she was brought in to be a stand-in.
“What should I call you, miss?” Atonal asked respectfully.
“Elisa, just call me by name.” Elisa was displeased with Hamish, but she wouldn’t show her displeasure towards people around him, especially since the old man before her was already of advanced age. Respecting the elderly and loving the young was basic etiquette.
Facing Atonal, Elisa’s tone softened. Not only did she look like her, even her name was the same. Truly a stand-in. Atonal couldn’t help feeling sorry as he looked at Elisa, so pitiful, to be a stand-in at such a young age, Mr. Burns was truly heartless.
Atonal quickly had someone come in to sit down, instructed the servant to prepare some flower tea, the best rose and cherry tea, specifically for treating hormonal imbalance. It was well known that when women accumulate too much anger, it leads to hormonal imbalance.
The tea was placed in front of Elisa, as the steam wafted out, the scent of roses gradually filled the air. The flower tea was somewhat sour, and Elisa added honey before drinking it.
Atonal asked Hamish, “Young master, how long are you planning to stay?”
“I’ll stay for one night, then leave tomorrow.”
“So hasty? Won’t you stay a couple more days?”
Hamish shook his head.
Elisa half-closed her eyes as she drank her tea. Hamish was always indifferent to people. Not finding anything to say, Atonal asked Elisa, “Miss Powell, don’t you plan to stay a few more days?”
“I listen to him. Whatever he wants me to do, I’ll do.”
This sounded resigned and indifferent, seemingly accepting fate. Atonal’s sympathy for Elisa only grew as he looked into her eyes.
“This is the first time our young master has brought a girlfriend back,” Atonal couldn’t help saying a few more words.
Elisa didn’t show much interest. Her interest had long disappeared with that fire. Whether Hamish had brought someone back for the first time, or had brought back a few, it had nothing to do with her.
Hamish coughed twice.
Atonal thought it was Hamish reminding him not to be too talkative, so he kept his mouth shut. But the coughing didn’t stop, it got worse, and finally, holding his chest, Hamish got up and went to the bathroom.
“Young master, what’s…” Atonal’s worry was evident.
Elisa glanced over, “Probably caught a cold in this cold weather.”
“I see,” Atonal suddenly realized, and quickly said, “The weather has been cold recently, and you’re dressed so lightly, it’s easy to catch a cold. I’ll instruct the kitchen to make some ginger soup. Mr. Burns doesn’t like to take medicine, and he avoids going to the hospital. It’s very difficult to recover from a cold at this time without taking medicine.”
Saying this, Atonal went to the kitchen. When he returned, Hamish still hadn’t come out.
He looked at Elisa’s face and pursed his lips. The words he wanted to say couldn’t be spoken.
He had only seen Elisa in photos and videos in the past, never in person. Comparing the two, they really did look alike. Even their indifferent gaze was exactly the same. Atonal clearly understood that the woman before him held some resentment towards Hamish.
He approached and said, “Although Mr. Burns has been born into this illustrious family, his life hasn’t been easy.”