Chapter 127

Upon seeing the girl’s pale complexion, Arthur felt a sharp pang in his chest. His right hand, hidden beneath the table, clenched into a fist, veins bulging instantly. A dark glimmer flickered deep within his eyes, yet his face remained composed, marked only by a trace of confusion as he asked Avril, "Avril, who is this?"

Avril withdrew her gaze from Eva’s face and looked at Arthur, smiling gently. "She is a girl my father adopted."

"Oh? An adopted daughter?" Arthur’s tone held a hint of surprise. He turned his gaze back to Mr. Waiting’s "adopted daughter," observing her with a contemplative look.

"Yes, that’s right," Avril answered submissively.

Eva sat beside Yuwen Xi, who attentively poured her some milk and spread jam on a piece of toast before holding it to her lips, dotingly saying, "Come on, open up."

Eva paused, looked at the toast, and hesitated for a moment before taking a bite. She then playfully complained to Yuwen Xi, "George, I’m an adult now. Don’t always treat me like a child."

As she spoke, she took the toast from his hand and began to eat it herself. Yuwen Xi’s gaze followed her, so soft it seemed as if it might melt into water.

As Eva chewed, she couldn’t help but mutter to herself, *Who is that man sitting opposite?* Ever since she had entered the breakfast room, she had felt an intense gaze fixed directly upon her, making her feel completely uneasy. That was the reason she hadn't dared to look up at him until now.

Arthur, watching the young woman who had not looked at him once since entering, felt a flicker of irritation. He turned his head toward Avril and flashed a wicked, charming smile. "Avril, won’t you introduce us?"

Avril cast a quiet glance at Mr. Waiting. Seeing his signal, she smiled and said, "Eva, this is your future brother-in-law, Arthur, the Duke of Rivers. Everyone addresses him as 'Your Highness,' so you should follow suit."

Mr. Waiting’s eyes, however, had been locked onto both Eva and Arthur ever since Eva entered the room.

Eva had been eating in a distracted state, but upon hearing Avril introduce the man, she choked on her toast and began to cough violently.

Yuwen Xi, who had been watching Eva intently, noticed her choking and immediately patted her back to help her breathe, while bringing the milk to her lips. "Here, take a sip of milk," he said, worried.

As she drank, Eva cursed her future brother-in-law under her breath. It was all his fault for staring at her with that predatory gaze, like a wolf watching its prey, which had caused her to accidentally inhale a piece of toast!

*Hmph, it’s all his fault! Jinx!*

Even though she scolded him relentlessly in her heart, she still refused to look up. It was only after Avril’s introduction that she reluctantly raised her eyes to Arthur and said dismissively, "Hello, future brother-in-law, my name is Eva—"

Yet, the moment she saw Arthur, she froze, forgetting what she was about to say.

When Arthur heard Eva’s perfunctory response, a surge of anger flared up within him. A dark light flashed in his sky-blue eyes, and the wicked smile on his lips deepened as he said sarcastically, "It seems Eva doesn’t like me!"

As the words left his lips, he noticed the strange look in Eva’s eyes and felt a jolt of shock. *What is wrong with her?*

The other three people in the room quietly shifted their attention to Eva and Arthur, not wanting to miss a single expression.

However, Eva’s next action startled everyone.

Suddenly, Eva grabbed the empty milk glass from the table and hurled it toward Arthur, slamming it hard against the surface. Glass shards flew everywhere, and a sharp fragment grazed Arthur’s fair cheek, leaving an immediate bloody streak beneath his eye as a drop of bright crimson welled up.

Eva then seemed to descend into madness. Her purple eyes, now tinged with red, stared fixedly into Arthur’s blue ones as she shrieked, "Get out! Get out right now! I don't want to see you again! Get out! Get out!"

As she spoke, seeing that no one reacted, she began to pull at the tablecloth, screaming wildly, "Get out! I don't want to see you, just get out!"

When Arthur heard her first scream, he shuddered, frozen in his chair. His sky-blue eyes darkened instantly, as if a storm were raging within them, and his once-smiling lips tightened into a thin line. He clenched his fists beneath the table, struggling to maintain his composure.

*What is happening to her?*

The others finally snapped out of their shock. Yuwen Xi hurriedly pulled Eva into his arms, stroking her back gently and soothing her in a soft voice. "Eva, I’m here. I’m here. What’s wrong? Tell me, what’s the matter?"

Mr. Waiting and Avril looked at Eva with complex expressions. When they turned to apologize to Arthur, they saw the blood on his face and asked nervously, "Arthur, are you alright?" Their voices were laced with apprehension.

Seeing this, Avril was startled. She stood up anxiously and said, "Your Highness, I am so sorry. I will go call for a doctor immediately."

"There is no need. Just bring the medical kit," Arthur said, his tone chilling. He withdrew his cold gaze from Eva and looked at Avril with a gentle, reassuring smile. "I am fine. However, you should still call a doctor to look at Miss Eva." He shifted his gaze back to her. "Miss Eva does not look well."

Avril gave Eva a grave look, then offered Arthur a strained smile. "Yes, Your Highness." She then hurried out of the breakfast room.

"Eva, what is wrong?" Yuwen Xi asked, his arms holding her petite frame tightly.

"I hate... I hate..." Eva whispered into Yuwen Xi’s chest, her voice punctuated by soft sobs.

"What do you hate, Eva?" Mr. Waiting asked, frowning at Arthur.

Yuwen Xi glared at Mr. Waiting, then leaned down to whisper in Eva’s ear, "Eva, don’t be afraid. I am by your side, and I will protect you. Tell me, what do you hate?"

"I hate... I hate... his eyes... I hate that color..."

Eva spoke the reason in broken fragments.

Hearing this, Yuwen Xi’s hand, which had been patting her back, paused. He continued to coax her gently, "Why do you hate them?"

When Arthur heard Eva say she hated his eyes, his heart suffered a violent spasm. His cheek muscles tightened, causing the partially dried wound to bleed once more. The blood trickled down his face like tears of red, a startling sight. He watched the weeping woman in Yuwen Xi’s arms, a flash of bitterness appearing in his eyes.

*She hates the color of my eyes?*

*Heh,* there was once a girl—a girl with violet eyes—who had smiled at him and said, "Arthur, I love your eyes. I love this pair of eyes that are as clear as the blue sky."

Now, that very same person claimed she hated his eyes because she hated the color!

From the other side, Eva’s voice came again. "I don’t know... It’s just that whenever I see his eyes, my heart hurts so much... and my head hurts too!" As she spoke, Eva clutched her head and curled up in Yuwen Xi’s arms, murmuring in pain, "George, my head... it hurts... it hurts so much..."

Upon hearing that Arthur’s eyes were the cause of her heartache and headache, Yuwen Xi felt a stinging pain of his own. His arms trembled slightly as he held her, and he shot Arthur a look filled with complexity.

*So, the reason you hate him is that he causes you such pain.*

*Could it be that even now, he still exists in your heart?*

Arthur’s heart, however, felt an inexplicable warmth when he heard that Eva was in distress because of him. His expression softened significantly.

*So, you still have me in your heart.*

*Even if your mind has forgotten me, your heart still holds the traces of our past.*

At this thought, Arthur suddenly broke into a smile.

*Very well. As long as I am in your heart, even if it brings you pain, I want you to remember me!*

*But you will not be alone, for I will share this pain with you.*

*That is only fair, isn't it?*

Just then, Avril finally returned with the medical kit, followed by Dr. Bentley, who looked anxious and worried.

"Bentley, hurry and see how Eva is doing!" Mr. Waiting called out as he saw the doctor approaching.

Avril walked to Arthur’s side, opened the kit, took out a cotton swab, and poured some alcohol on it. "Your Highness, let me apply the medicine for you."

"Yes, thank you." Arthur returned Avril’s smile, but his gaze shifted to Dr. Bentley. When he saw the concern in the doctor’s eyes, a sharp, cold glint crossed his own.

Dr. Bentley had noticed Arthur’s overwhelming presence the moment he entered the room. Having heard from Avril on the way over that Eva’s current condition was caused by this man, his gaze toward Arthur was filled with hostility and resentment.

Arthur offered a mocking, provocative smile, which immediately infuriated the doctor, causing him to turn his gaze away.

Bentley walked over to Eva. Seeing Yuwen Xi holding her tightly, he felt displeased and said coldly, "Mr. Yuwen, please release Miss Eva. Holding her so tightly makes it difficult for me to examine her, and besides, it is not good for her health."

Yuwen Xi’s expression turned icy, but out of respect for the doctor, he didn’t retort; he only loosened his hold slightly.

To his frustration, Dr. Bentley remained unsatisfied. "Mr. Yuwen, I think it would be better if you moved Miss Eva to the sofa over there."

Yuwen Xi’s eyes turned pitch black at this, and just as he was about to speak, a playful, mocking voice interrupted him.

"Indeed, sir. It would be best if you followed the doctor’s orders."