Seeing the girl's expression, Maeve felt a sudden surge of concern. This girl seemed different from most people; perhaps she couldn't understand what Maeve was saying. Watching the girl on the verge of tears, Maeve wiped the dirt from her face and hands with a handkerchief, then applied a band-aid to the girl's scraped palm.

"All done," Maeve smiled. "Just be careful next time and try not to fall."

The girl blinked, tears still on her face, but she broke into a silly grin. Maeve put away the handkerchief and returned to watering the flowers. The girl followed closely behind. Maeve turned, worried the girl might bump into her.

"I have candy for you," Maeve said, pulling a mint-flavored lollipop from her pocket. "How about you go over there and stay out of my way while I water the flowers?"

The girl snatched the candy, tore open the wrapper, and ate it without moving, grinning at Maeve. Maeve couldn't help but feel exasperated; this girl seemed to be clinging to her.

Just then, a servant rushed over, apologizing to Maeve. "Ms. Reese, I'm so sorry. She's a bit mentally challenged and doesn't behave quite normally. She didn't offend you, did she?"

Maeve shook her head. "No, she's been quite well-behaved."

"That's good." The servant grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her away. "Come on, let's go back. If Mr. McDaniel finds out you're out here, he'll be furious."

Seeing the girl's pained expression, Maeve interjected, "Wait, be gentle with her. You might hurt her."

The servant nodded but didn't ease up. The girl looked longingly at Maeve, mumbling something with the lollipop in her mouth. Maeve furrowed her brow. Is this girl a relative of the McDaniel family? she thought. She didn't seem like it; otherwise, the servant wouldn't dare treat her that way. Besides, the servant had said, "If Mr. McDaniel finds out you're out here, he'll be furious," implying the girl had no connection to the family.

"Maeve," Byron rounded the corner of the hallway, noticing her lost in thought with the watering can. "What are you doing?" he asked calmly.

Maeve raised the watering can. "Alexis said the pancakes were almost ready, and she asked me to get some fresh air. I thought I'd water the flowers while I was at it."

Byron frowned slightly. "She asked you to water the flowers, didn't she? Next time, ignore whatever she says." He thought, Alad. Did she really follow Alexis's orders just because Alexis gave her two cards? Maybe I just haven't given her enough.

Byron withdrew his gaze, waiting for Maeve to wash her hands before they headed to the dining room. Maeve wanted to ask him about the girl but thought better of it. After all, this was a matter concerning the McDaniel family, and she didn't want to interfere.

The dinner was lively and harmonious. To Maeve's surprise, Gilbert's cooking was even better than what she'd had at a hotel restaurant. Jason's cooking was also quite good, even if he only made a cucumber salad. Maeve couldn't help but reflect that cooking skills must be hereditary.

After dinner, Gilbert brought out gifts he had prepared for Maeve and Byron. The gift for Maeve was particularly substantial.

"Maeve, I hope you and Byron have a happy year ahead," Gilbert said with a smile. "It'd be great if I could have a great-grandchild soon."

Maeve's cheeks flushed. "Thank you, Gilbert."

Byron placed his gift in Maeve's hands and said softly, "Grandpa, Maeve is still young. There's no rush."

Gilbert shot him a disapproving look. "Maeve is still young, but I'm not."

Byron said, "You're still in great shape and will live to a ripe old age."

"You rascal." Gilbert chuckled. "Well then, I can take care of the kids for you if you have a baby."

Byron smiled faintly but said nothing.

Maeve poked Byron's wrist and whispered, "Why did you give me your gift?"

"I'm giving you double the fortune. Don't you want it?" Byron glanced at her. "Later, make sure to accept whatever Mom and Dad give you, too."

Maeve said, "Alright. Gifts from elders are a blessing."

"Well, now you have double the blessings." Byron's usually sharp gaze softened. "Next year will go smoothly for you." Maeve felt extremely warm and happy.

Looking at Byron's slightly lowered face, she felt enveloped in his affection, unsure whether it was the dazzling chandelier or his expression that illuminated her heart. Suddenly, Maeve really wanted to kiss him. But the moment felt wrong, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"What are you thinking about?" Byron raised an eyebrow, noticing her daze.

"I was just thinking…" Maeve licked her dry lips. "Right now, I want to kiss you, but there are too many people here for me to do that."

Byron felt a rush of tension at her blunt words, his eyes filled with desire. "What's so difficult about that?" He smirked casually.

Maeve popped a candy into her mouth, turning her head in confusion as a cool kiss unexpectedly landed on her lips. She widened her eyes in surprise, realizing where they were and instinctively trying to pull back. Byron wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace, using a vase on the dining table as cover to deepen the kiss.

Footsteps occasionally echoed in the dining room. Even with the vase concealing them, if Gilbert stood up, he would immediately see them.

Maeve had always been a good girl. She never did anything her parents forbade, kept her distance from boys at school, and never even experienced puppy love. Yet here she was, secretly kissing under the watchful eyes of her elders, separated by a long table. This kiss seemed to carry a shroud of forbidden allure. Maeve was excited, and her head spun. Afraid of being discovered, she was much more compliant than usual, while Byron's eager movements slowed, savoring her sweetness. Only when he sensed someone approaching did he finally let Maeve go, his handsome face still lingering with reluctance.

Maeve quickly pushed him away to sit properly, her cheeks flushed and burning, and she was unable to look at him. It felt like sneaking a glance at a classmate during a lesson, terrified of being caught by the teacher. The more she pretended nothing happened, the more attention it seemed to draw.

"Maeve, why is your face so red?" Gilbert turned to her, noticing something was amiss. "Is the air conditioning too high? Or are you feeling unwell?"

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