Chapter 131

"Juun, I know you have a germ phobia. I was thoughtless," Helena said, biting her lower lip to quell her embarrassment. She moved swiftly, attempting to salvage the situation and preserve her dignity.

Even Rosale offered Helena a silent, approving thought. The wonder was she was Claudia's daughter, that extraordinary mistress. With such patience, Helena might well become an accomplished mistress herself in a few more years.

Jahan was brought a new set of utensils, which he accepted without comment, showing no inclination to apologize to Helena.

Thy, who had been ignored by Julian and already felt displeased, adopted a stern expression and spoke, attempting to assert herself.

"Julian, you're being overly particular. Helena isn't dirty. She was simply trying to be kind by serving you food. How could you embarrass her like that?"

A few discordant coughs interrupted Phyllis's words.

Rosalie, who intended to avoid the family drama and go upstairs after her meal, was startled by Phyllis's outdated and shocking remarks, even as she took her last sip of soup. Serving food, even among close family, often involves serving utensils. As Rosalie's sister, Helena's act of serving Julian food with her own fork was inappropriate and ambiguous—essentially asking Julian to eat food that had been in her mouth. Julian was the head of the Galloway family, a noble gentleman. Even without a germ phobia, what right did Helena have to serve him food with her personal utensils?

Clearly, Phyllis was an uneducated country woman. No amount of jewelry could mask her vulgarity and lack of refinement.

Even Edward was stunned by Phyllis's words, his face reddening as he saw the mockery in Julian's eyes. "Mom, what are you talking about!" he scolded, his face stern.

Phyllis, unhappy at being reprimanded by her son, hadn't intended to criticize Julian; she merely wanted to assert her presence after being ignored. As Edward's mother, Phyllis knew that even after twenty years, the other women in their social circle hadn't fully accepted her. They might not embarrass her publicly, but they never invited her to their private gatherings. Now, even her grandson-in-law, Julian, didn't give her the respect she felt she deserved. Phyllis subconsciously felt he looked down on her, much like those other wealthy women.

Julian, however, refused to descend to the level of an ignorant and condescending old woman. He ignored her words but noticed Rosalie's coughing. Rosalie seemed genuinely choking, unable to stop coughing for a long time.

After mentally berating Phyllis, Rosalie felt a hand on her back, and a deep, velvety male voice whispered, "Why are you eating so fast? No one's racing you."

This unexpected kindness didn't flatter Rosalie; instead, it sent a shiver down her spine. "What's he trying to do? Who is he putting on a show for?" she wondered. Just thinking about Julian's insincerity annoyed her intensely.