This morning, Mia and Arthur got into an argument over a small matter.
To outsiders, it was a trivial issue, but to them…
"I said I don't want to!" Mia, in a rare display of temper, shook her head fiercely, refusing to let Arthur finish.
Seeing her like this, Arthur felt helpless but still held her head gently with both hands, his expression as resolute as before. "Mia, I went along with you until the day before yesterday, but starting today, that's not an option!"
"I don't care! I'm not going!" Mia matched his resolve, her face flushed with anger and defiance at Arthur's domineering attitude.
"You have to, whether you like it or not! Today, no matter what, you're staying by my side!" Seeing her stubbornness, Arthur's frustration boiled over, and he raised his voice.
"I'm not going, and what can you do about it?" Mia's temper flared, and she stood up from the bed in a huff.
Arthur had planned to go out for business today, but worried about another accident befalling Mia, he insisted on bringing her along. Mia, however, strongly objected, saying it would be too boring outside. In truth, she didn't want to interfere with his important matters.
Their disagreement escalated, and with Mia's soft exterior hiding a stubbornHannah's steadfast will, progress stalled. Though Arthur knew how stubborn Mia could be, her defiance still caught him off guard, leaving him anxious and unsure of what to do. Time was running out, and he was about to give up when an idea struck him.
"Mia, haven't you been saying you want to see your friend Dick?" Arthur's words made Mia, who had been ignoring him, turn around in confusion.
"Didn't you say Dick was dangerous and tell me to stay away from him?" Mia asked suspiciously.
Dick had warned her to flee the Moore estate for her own safety, fearing she'd be deceived or hurt. But Arthur saw him as the primary instigator of her potential escape, refusing to let her see him despite her pleas. He even said that allowing Dick to remain in the estate was only out of consideration for her, or he wouldn't have been allowed anywhere near the North Desert.
From that day on, Mia hadn't seen Dick. Whenever she brought him up, Arthur would deftly change the subject to keep them apart.
So why was he suddenly mentioning Dick now? Something was up!
Noticing Mia's skeptical gaze, Arthur smiled, pulling her close by the waist and softening his tone. "Mia, if you come with me today, I'll let Dick come see you in a few days. How about that?"
Mia stared at him, still doubtful. "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Mia, have I ever lied to you?" Arthur countered with a smile.
Mia gazed deeply into his charmingly confident face, then let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping in surrender.
Arthur burst into laughter at her candid reaction, pulling her into a warm embrace.
The unpredictability of the world, however, meant that no matter how much Arthur wanted to keep Mia by his side, external forces forced him to compromise.
Three days after their argument, something gravely serious seemed to have happened at the estate. The head butler arrived with a grim expression, his usual geniality replaced by a stormy look that Mia had never seen before. She knew something major had occurred to upset him so. Sure enough, after whispering to Arthur, the latter's face darkened, and he shot up from his seat.
No longer insisting that Mia stay with him, Arthur instructed Jenny and Tina to protect her carefully and promised her he'd return by evening before hurrying off with the butler.
Mia had never seen Arthur so tense and anxious. She watched him leave with growing worry until his figure disappeared from view.
What had happened? Mia desperately wanted to know, but Jenny and Tina, uninvolved in the Moore family's business, had no answers for her.
All Mia could do was pray that, whatever it was, Arthur would return safely, as he had promised.
As night fell, Mia's anxiety grew. Arthur still hadn't returned. Even lying in their comfortable bed, she couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.
Unable to stay in bed any longer, Mia got up to get a drink of water, hoping to calm her racing heart. Just then, she heard a noise outside, thinking it was Arthur returning. She rushed to open the door, only to find no one there. Disappointed, she was about to close the door when she noticed an envelope lying at the threshold.
Mia, feeling a sense of unease, picked up the envelope and examined it. There were no markings on either side, so she opened it to see what was inside.
Inside was a single small piece of paper. Mia assumed someone had accidentally dropped it, so she thought to check its contents to identify the owner and return it tomorrow. What she didn't consider was that Snow Haven, the heart of the Moore estate, was a heavily restricted area where only a select few were allowed. Arthur disliked noisy, crowded places, so visitors to Snow Haven were rare. Aside from Tina and Jenny, who served Mia, only the head butler was permitted entry, and even he stayed confined to the study or living room, never entering the bedroom.
Tina and Jenny, tasked with keeping the bedroom spotless, cleaned and inspected every inch of it relentlessly, ensuring nothing out of place remained. An envelope left outside the bedroom door would surely have been noticed and picked up by them.
But Mia didn't think of this. Her only concern was finding out who had dropped the letter.
She quickly retrieved the note and returned to the softly lit room to read its contents. Back when she lived with the Ivan family, the master, to prove that the Ivans not only amassed wealth but also valued talent, regularly hired tutors to teach the servants' children to read and write. Though the lessons were brief, they covered the basics. As a former servant, Mia was literate, cherishing the rare opportunity and diligently memorizing every word she was taught. She could recognize most common characters, even if her knowledge wasn't extensive.
The note read:
If you want to know why the leader of the Moore estate keeps you by his side, meet me at 3 p.m. on the 5th of this month in the Rose Garden!
It was a letter addressed to her!
Mia's heart pounded like a drum as she realized someone had written this specifically for her. But who could it be? Who else did she know in the Moore estate? And what was this about the reason Arthur kept her by his side?
The brief note sent her mind into chaos.
She knew Arthur had been holding something back. Many times, he seemed hesitant, words lingering on the tip of his tongue, only to stop himself, as if burdened by some unspoken secret.
Mia had promised him that, no matter how desperately she wanted to know, she wouldn't press him or rush him. She feared his words might be the ones she dreaded most, and more than that, she was terrified that learning the truth would cost her everything she had—his love, the warmth of a family…
And now, someone claimed to know why Arthur kept her by his side?
Was it not because he loved her? Could the reason he hesitated, the words he couldn't bring himself to say, be the very thing she feared most—that his keeping her close wasn't out of love at all…?
What was the reason? His deep affection, warmth, devotion, and care… were they all a facade, conjured for some mysterious purpose mentioned in the letter?
Mia's face turned as pale as the snow under a cold moon, her hand gripping the envelope so tightly it nearly tore apart…
"Mia!" Arthur's voice boomed, startling her as if waking from a nightmare. She jumped, instinctively hiding the envelope behind her back before turning to face him.
"Mia, why aren't you asleep? It's late." Arthur, looking weary from his journey, walked into the room, removing his cloak and hanging it on the rack.
Hearing his question, Mia realized he hadn't noticed her actions. She carefully crumpled the letter and envelope into a ball and tossed it under the table beside her.
"Mia, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" Arthur, after settling in, noticed something off about her and approached.
"Nothing—I'm fine. I was just worried about you and couldn't sleep, so…" Mia replied, trying to keep his attention away from the crumpled paper hidden by the tablecloth.
"Couldn't sleep?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, grabbing a nearby blanket and wrapping it around her before pulling her into a tight embrace. "If you can't sleep, stay in bed or put on more clothes. Running around in so little—you'll catch a cold."
He gently lifted her chin. "Look at you, your face is pale from the cold. Don't do this again, or I'll worry."
"Okay, I understand. I won't do it again," Mia nodded obediently. Then she asked, "Arthur, what—what did you go do today? You seemed so rushed." In her heart, she wanted to ask if he truly kept her by his side because he loved her.
Arthur tilted his head, thinking for a moment…
"Is it something I'm not allowed to know?"
"No, Mia!" Seeing the unease in her eyes, Arthur couldn't help but pull her closer, gently kissing her forehead. "It's about the Ivan family. Since you once lived with them, I was worried you might feel soft-hearted and plead on their behalf."
"The Ivan family?" Mia frowned at the mention of the name.
"See, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you," Arthur sighed, gently smoothing her furrowed brow with his fingers.
"What's wrong with the Ivans? Aren't they based in the south? How could they be involved with the Moore family?" Mia's frown deepened, and she asked urgently.
"Mia, you didn't have a good time with the Ivans, so why do you care so much about them? If I'd known you'd react this strongly, I wouldn't have said anything." Arthur couldn't understand her urgency, and her furrowed brow made him both frustrated and concerned.
"Arthur, I'm not worried about the Ivans—I'm worried about you!" Mia snapped, annoyed at his misunderstanding. "Having lived with the Ivans, I know how unscrupulous they can be. If you're really tangled up with them, I'm afraid something might happen to you!"
"Oh, is that it?" Arthur's expression brightened as realization dawned, his mood lifting.
Mia cared about him. Didn't that mean she truly valued him?
Beaming with a smile that could steal hearts, Arthur couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her lips.
Still dazed by his captivating smile, Mia was caught off guard by the kiss, freezing for a moment.
Snapping out of it, she stared at Arthur's grinning face for a long, long time, his mood clearly elated. Finally…
"Arthur, come on! I'm trying to talk about something serious here! What are you doing?" Mia, flustered and embarrassed, lightly punched his chest, though she was careful not to hit too hard.
It was the first time Arthur had kissed her on the lips, and it left her both stunned and secretly thrilled.
"I am doing something serious!" Arthur replied with mock seriousness, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Arthur!" Mia stomped her foot, her face and even her neck flushing red with a mix of embarrassment and exasperation.
Seeing that she was genuinely about to get upset, Arthur quickly stopped teasing her. "Alright, alright, no more getting mad. Let's talk seriously!" He paused, shifting his tone. "Here's what happened. The Ivan family recently opened several mines in the North Desert, hiring a lot of workers. But because they didn't properly study the geological conditions, they mined recklessly. Yesterday, a mine collapsed, burying nearly two hundred people alive…"
"What?!" The number shocked Mia, and she gasped.
Arthur tightened his hold on her, stroking her back to comfort her. "This incident was caused by the Ivans, and the Moore family shouldn't have to get involved. However, the Ivans kept claiming a marital connection to the Moore family, and since the Moore family holds significant influence in the North Desert, the government didn't dare cross us. They sent someone to ask us to handle the situation."
With over two hundred lives at stake, neither Henry nor Mike could make decisions on their own, so I had to go. I visited the site to assess the situation—it was horrific. A hundred people are still buried, and the families of the deceased were sobbing in despair… The Ivans asked the Moore family to help clear their main instigator, the eldest young master of their family, of responsibility.
In truth, the Moore family has the power to absolve the key figures involved, but doing so would betray the memory of those who died unjustly. It wouldn't be fair to the workers who lost their lives or their families.
So, I decided not to intervene and let the authorities deal with the Ivans harshly. But this will deal a severe blow to their family—they'll never recover their former glory.
"Arthur," Mia sighed, nestling into his embrace. "How could you think I'd plead for the Ivans? They're despicable! Two hundred lives! That's two hundred families! And they still expect you to cover for them? If they don't face consequences, they'll never learn the value of a life."
"Mia, thank you for understanding." Arthur was deeply moved. Since Mia had grown up with the Ivans, he had worried she might plead on their behalf, and he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her if she did.
"But…" Mia looked up at him. "If you do this, the Ivans might hold a grudge and come after you."
"Come after me?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "They'd have to know who I am first!" As the true head of the Moore family, his identity was a closely guarded secret, and he operated in the shadows. Even within the Moore estate, few knew of him.
"But the young lady—the Ivan family's young lady, Henry's wife—she knows!" His words did little to ease Mia's anxious expression.
"Her?" A cold glint flashed in Arthur's eyes. "She'll never have the chance to tell the Ivans."
"Why not?"
"That…" Arthur hesitated, ultimately choosing not to say more. "I'll tell you about it later, Mia. It's already late—let's sleep."
"Arthur…" His hesitation reminded Mia of the letter once again.
What was Arthur hiding from her? The thought sent her heart racing with anxiety.
Mia silently gazed into Arthur's deep blue eyes, searching for any hint of the truth. All she saw was the intense, burning light in his gaze, a stark contrast to the cold night around them.
Noticing Mia's unwavering stare, Arthur assumed she was still worried about him. With a gentle smile, he scooped her up in his arms, carefully placing her on the bed. He pulled the blanket he had wrapped around her earlier and climbed in beside her, covering them both with a soft, warm quilt.
Arthur slipped one arm around Mia's waist, his other hand gently caressing her face, which had grown slightly fuller under his attentive care. He smiled tenderly. "Mia, you don't need to worry about me. In this world, there's only one thing that can hurt me."
"What is it?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued.
Arthur pulled her closer, his smile deepening. "It's you. To me, no pain compares to seeing you even the slightest bit unhappy. When you frown, it hurts me more than a needle to the heart. I'd rather suffer myself than see you troubled in the least. For one of your smiles, I'd brave fire and storm, even face death a thousand times."
"Arthur…" His profound love was so clear, yet why did she still feel this emptiness and unease?
"Arthur!" Mia wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his chest. "Tell me, everything you've said to me—is it all true?"
"Mia." Arthur didn't notice the unease in her eyes, assuming she was just being playful. With a warm, affectionate smile, he said, "Mia, I've told you, I've never lied to you, and I promise I never will. Every word I've said to you is true."
His hand, which had been caressing her cheek, now rested on her shoulder. With a gentle push, he pulled her into his embrace. Arthur lowered his head, nestling his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. Like an animal confirming its master, Arthur was reassuring himself that Mia was truly there, in his arms—that she hadn't abandoned him, hadn't left him, that she was right there with him.