Chapter 678
No sooner had Nicoletta finished speaking than she spotted Caitlin walking over with her two companions.
Nicoletta shot her a cold glance and quickly pulled her daughter inside.
Caitlin and her group entered the dining hall. The long table was already full, every seat taken. Two of the spots were occupied by young children, no more than a few years old.
Seeing her, Hector said to Devin, “Caitlin is here. Arrange a seat for her.”
Devin hurried to place a chair at the end of the table, inviting Caitlin to sit. But Caitlin shook her head. “There are three of us. One chair isn’t enough.”
Liliana rolled her eyes. Nicoletta suggested to Devin, “Why don’t we set another table later?”
That meant starting another round of cooking, and Caitlin’s group would have to wait, likely dining with the
servants.
“That’s too much trouble. There’s already one seat. Just free up two more.”
Caitlin walked over and sat down. Her words made several faces turn sour. Who did she think she was, demanding they give up their places for her entourage?
No one moved until Hector spoke again. “Have the two little ones sit at the side table. Give up their seats.”
The old man had spoken. Devin quickly carried the children to a smaller table, and after a few shifts, two more seats opened beside Caitlin. She motioned for Zinnia and Tyler to sit.
With Caitlin at the table, the atmosphere grew heavy. Liliana’s displeasure at her was plain across her face.
When the meal finally ended, many people excused themselves and slipped away. Liliana and Fletcher both claimed other obligations and left.
Caitlin rose last. She looked toward Hector. “Do you have a moment, Hector? I’d like to speak with you.”
The shrewd old man instantly guessed she wanted to press him about the codex. He pressed a hand to his head, feigning pain.
“Oh… my head… it hurts again.”
Nicoletta picked up the act. “Are you alright? Maybe you didn’t rest enough. I’ll help you back to your room.”
She waved Devin over. Together they escorted Hector out, Nicoletta pausing only to tell Caitlin, “You’ll have to wait. When he’s feeling better, you can speak to him.”
Caitlin said nothing, only watching them disappear out the doors.
So Hector planned to drag this out, pretending illness to avoid her. Fine. There would come a time when he could no longer fake it.
255 vouelian
Back in his quarters, Devin shut the door. Nicoletta leaned close to Hector. “Master, next time she asks
for you, do this again. Stall for as long as possible. Once we secure the missing half of the codex, we’ll throw her out. Who cares about her supposed family ties?”
Hector frowned. “But what if my symptoms flare up again?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we get the antidote.
To Nicoletta, Hector’s life mattered far less than securing the codex.
After settling him in bed, she finally stepped out. As she turned down the corridor, she stopped short in fright.
“Caitlin? What are you doing here?”
Caitlin turned slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. “What’s wrong? Do I scare you more than a ghost? Or is it your conscience that’s haunting you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You startled me, that’s all.” Nicoletta huffed and eyed her warily. “Why are you here?”
“Hector isn’t well enough to talk, so I thought I’d find you instead. You’re the one running this house. Talking to you is more effective than talking to him, isn’t it?”
Nicoletta stiffened. She could guess Caitlin’s real purpose–it had to be about Yun’s Aromatic Codex. But she would never admit a thing.
“You give me too much credit. I’m not in charge here. Hector’s first wife Delilah is the real head of this family. I just help manage things.”
“You mean Delilah, Hector’s first wife. Whether she’s in charge or not, I don’t know. I’ve never seen her. All I know is, you’re the one whose word carries weight in this house. So I’ll speak to you.”
Nicoletta’s scalp prickled. Was Caitlin going to hound her now?
“Fine, what do you want to talk about?”
“The same topic as before. Ignatius is your elder brother. And his other identity is Carlos.”
Nicoletta’s face hardened, arms folding across her chest. “I’ve said this already. Ignatius is my brother, yes, but I don’t know any Carlos. If you want to see my brother, wait a few days. When he returns, I’ll have him meet you face–to–face.”
“Of course. Everything depends on you. By the way, the missing half of the Yuncey family’s Aromatic Codex -do you have it? Can you return it to me?” Caitlin opened her hand expectantly.
“What Aromatic Codex? I’ve never heard of it.”
“This house is under your care. If Hector has a treasure hidden away, wouldn’t you be the one who knows where it is?”
Caitlin was certain Nicoletta knew. It might even be in her possession.
“I don’t know. Truly, I don’t. Believe it or not.”
Nicoletta feigned ignorance, daring Caitlin to do something about it.
“I’ll tell you this. Holding onto half a codex is useless. Better to return it to its rightful owner. Do that, and I’ll remember the favor. But if you hide it from me, and I find out… that’s a consequence you won’t want to face.”
Her tone was cold, a warning edged in steel.
Nicoletta only laughed. “Caitlin, I’ve lived longer than you. I’ve weathered more storms than you can imagine. Don’t try to scare me. Remember your place. Don’t end up worse off than when you started.”
She threw down the words and brushed past Caitlin.
Caitlin arched a brow at her retreating back. “End up worse off, you say. I wonder what happens to someone who gets caught cheating?”
Nicoletta froze at those words. She whipped around, but Caitlin was already turning away.
Cheating.
Her heart thudded painfully. What did Caitlin mean by that? Could she know something?