Chapter 108

Meanwhile, at the McGee family’s residence.

A loud shout came from inside the room. Followed by a crashing sound; porcelain shattered on the ground.

A maid’s panicked voice could be heard, begging for mercy. “Lord Farris, please calm down!”

“Get out, all of you…” A cough accompanied the roar. Several maids and young servants scrambled out of the room, terrified.

Everyone was on edge. No one knew why Farris’s temper had flared again these past few days.

Suddenly, someone spotted Athena arriving, and it was as if they’d seen their savior. “Miss Monson, you’re here!”

The last time she had visited, Farris’s temper had stabilized for a few days. But in her absence, he reverted to his old ways.

Under the desperate gazes of the servants, Athena looked a little bewildered. To them, she was their last hope.

“What’s going on here?” Athena asked.

An older maid stepped forward with a mournful expression. “Lord Farris has been in a foul mood these past few days. We can’t do anything to calm him down. He just lashes out constantly.”

Athena shook her head slightly. Farris had always had a bad temper since he was a child. She hadn’t expected that, instead of maturing, he had become even more like a child as he grew.

Whenever something displeased him, he would throw a tantrum and smash things. She truly felt sorry for the servants.

“You may all leave now. I’ll take care of this,” Athena said calmly to the others.

The servants all sighed in relief, thanked her, and left in a hurry.

When Athena stepped inside, she thought she’d see Farris furious and yelling. Unexpectedly, he was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, using his foot to push shards of porcelain under the table.

When he saw Athena, his face lit up with panic. “You, you’re here!”

A flicker of delight flashed in Farris’s eyes, though his expression remained sulky.

Athena glanced around the room. The porcelain on the display shelf was all gone. The floor was a mess of shattered pieces.

Athena smiled and teased, “If I hadn’t come, you’d probably tear the whole house down.”

She clicked her tongue twice and teased, “When you get married in the future, your wife’s going to have a hard time. You really don’t know how to run a household.”

Farris’s face turned bright red. He scowled but looked at her with warmth in his eyes. Like a child who had done something wrong, he muttered, “I only broke the cheap stuff.”

Athena couldn’t help but laugh. Afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he hurried to explain, “Really, my mother knows my temper and had all the valuable things put away. These are all fakes.”

“I was just joking. I came today to see how you’re doing. How are you feeling?”

Seeing how embarrassed he was, Athena stopped teasing him.

The light in Farris’s eyes dimmed. “So in your eyes, am I just a patient?”

“What do you think?” Athena retorted playfully.

Although she was two years younger than him, Farris had always acted like a child. She had always seen him as a younger brother. So, when she answered, she didn’t notice the disappointment in his eyes.

Farris scoffed softly and muttered, “Heartless thing.”

“What did you say?” Athena looked confused.

Farris rolled his eyes and said nothing.

Just then, a maid came in to clean up.

Farris got up and went into another room. Athena followed close behind.

They sat across from each other by a carved window, with a small table between them.

A servant brought in drinks. Athena said, “I’ll do it myself.”

The servant glanced at Farris. Seeing him wave his hand, she quietly withdrew.

Athena poured a cup of water, pushing it toward Farris.

He smiled smugly, though his tone was awkward. “You’re treating me like a hostess would.”

Athena shot him a look and said with slight sternness, “Show me your hand.”

Farris pursed his lips but obeyed.

His skin was flawless, smoother than most women’s. Blue veins were faintly visible beneath his skin. He looked frail compared to other men.

Those hands, paired with his face, gave off an androgynous beauty. One couldn’t help but wonder if heaven made a mistake assigning him a gender. With such a flawless face, even women might turn green with envy.

Athena quietly took his pulse. Seeing her focused expression, Farris thought she was entirely concentrated on his condition. If only he knew what she was really thinking, he’d probably toss her out the window.

“What have you been doing these past few days?” Farris finally asked, unable to hold back.

Athena blinked and came back to her senses, withdrawing her hand. She didn’t answer him directly. “Your condition is under control. Keep taking the medicine for another month, and once your body is stable, I’ll remove the bone-piercing needles.”

Not getting the answer he wanted, Farris was about to blow up again. But when he looked into Athena’s attractive eyes, the anger melted away.

He let out a long sigh and nodded, like a sulky puppy.

“Got it,” Farris mumbled sullenly.

Seeing him so obedient, Athena smiled. “Drink your medicine, I’ll come check on you in a few days.”

She got up to leave. Farris looked at her anxiously. “You’re leaving already!”

He hadn’t even had a proper conversation with her yet.

Just a few days ago, he’d asked Gale when they were going to propose to the duke’s estate, but Gale had looked flustered and avoided his gaze. In that moment, Farris’s heart had dropped. His mood had been in the dumps ever since.

That was when his temper began spiraling. He had kept the question bottled up for days. Now that he had finally seen Athena, he wouldn’t let her leave so easily.

Athena looked confused, “It’s been over an hour already,” she reminded him.

“So fast?” Farris murmured. To him, it felt like she had just arrived.

He took a step forward and blocked her path. His tall figure cast a shadow over her.

His expression was conflicted. He was actually afraid to ask, afraid she would say no.

“What are you doing?” Athena asked, still puzzled.

Farris’s throat bobbed. His hands were clenched tightly inside his sleeves.

Meeting her clear eyes, he took a deep breath and finally asked, “When… shouldn’t we start planning our marriage?”

Athena froze on the spot. She had never imagined herself marrying into the McGee family. Farris had never brought it up before, and she had never had the heart to say anything outright. But now that he had asked, Athena knew she couldn’t dodge the question anymore.