Chapter 261: Is Prudence Fine?

Isolde's mood was indescribably strange. Many tender emotions stirred in her heart, but she couldn't pinpoint them. Touching upon them brought a pang of sorrow, and deeper reflection only intensified the pain.

Faint footsteps sounded outside. Oliver and Isolde looked up to see Marley entering. Isolde stood. "Marley!"

Marley smiled at Isolde, though her eyes glistened with tears. "The servants said you were here, so I came to see you." Isolde helped her sit down. "Yes, I wanted to see the place where my mother once lived."

Marley surveyed the room and sighed softly. "In the blink of an eye, it's been twenty-seven years since your mother married."

Twenty-seven years was a long time. It was only in the tenth year of her marriage that she became pregnant with Isolde. When Marley saw the letter Isolde had just read, her eyes softened. "Your mother read these letters more than a hundred times."

"After she married, she didn't take these letters with her," Isolde said.

"There was no need," Marley said, her gaze distant, lost in memories. "He was by her side, and they could see each other every day."

"Yes, with the person by her side, nothing else mattered," Isolde replied, understanding the feeling well.

Marley looked at her. "You look so much like your mother. The agate earrings you're wearing were her favorites, too. She always wore them when she was pregnant with you."

Isolde subconsciously reached up to touch them. Oliver, standing behind her, gently adjusted her hair. The red agate sparkled like fire.

"During her pregnancy, she was the happiest she'd ever been," Marley continued. "Even though she suffered a lot—her body was always uncomfortable—she was happier than ever. She made many little clothes for you. I don't know if those clothes ever made it to the village. While she sewed, she talked to us about many things, including what would happen many years later."

Tears filled Isolde's eyes as she softly asked, "Marley, did my mother ever talk about my wedding?"

"Of course she did! At the time, everyone hoped for a boy, but your mother insisted it would be a girl. She said she could feel it—a mother and daughter's hearts are connected. She talked about your wedding the most. She said when the time came, she would prepare a grand dowry and marry you off in style. She envisioned the entrance of the Langley mansion covered in the finest red carpet, and they would start distributing food three days early... But sometimes she would also feel sad, saying that even strict standards didn't guarantee you'd find someone who truly treated you well. Finding someone like your father, she thought, would be very difficult."

Marley paused, then continued, "She would say that the Langley and Sharp families would keep an eye on things for a lifetime. If your husband ever treated you poorly, they would use all their resources to bring you back. The apple of the Langley family couldn't be bullied by just anyone."

Marley laughed. Isolde smiled foolishly, but her smile was tinged with bitterness. Marley's laughter turned to tears, while Isolde's laughter faded into silence. Without the weight of the Langley family, she could truly be happy. Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder, silently comforting her.

Isolde composed herself and comforted Marley. "I still need to go to Langley's estate. Wait for me to come back, and we'll talk more."

"Go, go!" Marley wiped her tears.

In the carriage on the way to the Langley mansion, Isolde suddenly said, "I will leave from the Langley mansion."

Oliver held her hand. "Okay." He didn't ask why, but Isolde had previously said leaving from the Sharp estate would make her happy. She had a reason to choose the Langley estate.

Isolde said quietly, "Actually, no matter how beautifully we plan things, they may not always go as expected. Although I never met my mother, as she said, we were connected heart-to-heart even before I was born. Now that she's gone, I still feel that connection. That man was her choice, and she had no regrets in this life because, until the day she died, he remained the one she deeply loved, and he still loved her deeply. As long as that love remained unchanged, I can't hold anything else against her. I can't let my resentment question her choices. She had beautiful hopes for my future, and I want to follow the path she envisioned."

"Alright, we'll do as you say," Oliver said, his heart aching for her. He gently pulled her into his embrace. Hearing Marley's words, his heart ached. Prunella had worried that Isolde might not find a good man, and Geoffrey had said they could keep watch for a lifetime. If anyone treated her poorly, they would storm in and take her back. He couldn't do it, but he wanted to. He would use all his strength to protect her. Anyone who treated her poorly would become his enemy. There was no room for compromise.

Isolde rested her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her thoughts slowly shifting from twenty-seven years ago to the present. She had experienced her previous life and knew the world was difficult. To have someone who truly cared for her was a rare treasure.

Chapter 261: Is Prudence Fine? (Continued)

Nicole and Clark waited at the entrance of the residence. Seeing the carriage arrive, Clark hurried forward to greet them. Nicole hadn't changed much. She stood at the entrance, a soft smile on her face, watching as Oliver stepped out of the carriage first and then helped Isolde down, his care and concern evident. Such a handsome and gallant man was now her brother-in-law.

Nicole looked up, a hint of sadness in her eyes, but immediately smiled again. No matter what she was going through, at least Isolde was happy, and that made her happy too. She was much more confident than before, perhaps because Clark's success gave her someone to rely on.

"Clark, Nicole!" Isolde stepped forward. At least, not everything in the Langley mansion was rotten. There were still two people who genuinely cared for her.

Nicole happily took her hand. "It's great that you're back. I couldn't sleep last night, waiting for you." She glanced at Oliver and curtsied. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Valois!"

"Sister, there's no need for formalities," Oliver immediately corrected, calling her sister.

Nicole was very happy to hear that. "Okay, okay, go in quickly!"

The butler stood at the threshold. He had lost two ears, so he always wore a hat. When Isolde returned, he took it off. Years of wearing the hat had flattened his hair into a comical, tower-like shape.

"Miss Langley... No, Princess Langley," the butler said, also happy. He rubbed his hands and bowed to Oliver.

Isolde nodded slightly. "You've worked hard!"

"It's not hard at all. It's good that you are back safely," the butler replied.

As they walked in, Isolde casually asked, "Is Prudence alright?"