Absurd Suspicion and Secret Affair
Lola obediently lowered her head, got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and slowly walked out to accept her punishment.
Mrs. Penny watched Lola's retreating figure, sighed, and said to Sean Hayes, "How did she end up like this?"
Sean Hayes sighed and said, "Lola's past was very painful..."
Since they were all family now, Sean Hayes didn't hide anything from Mrs. Penny, and told her about the time he and Alexander Hayes went to the brothel to find Su Lanxiang, but unexpectedly ended up rescuing Lola.
After hearing this, Mrs. Penny was deeply moved and said, "No wonder that child is so withdrawn. She suffered so much since she was little."
Mrs. Penny recalled Lola's actions and words during her nightmare earlier, and only then realized that Lola must have been reliving that terrifying moment in her dreams.
"I suspect she remembered something yesterday, so she felt upset and brought all that wine to the tower to drown her sorrows," Sean Hayes analyzed, thinking this was likely why Lola ended up drinking alone.
Mrs. Penny nodded, "That seems about right. But when she woke up, she didn't seem to remember much, which is probably a blessing."
Sean Hayes and his wife were convinced that Lola drank because of her past. No one realized that the real reason was Lola's heartache over Sean Hayes and Mrs. Penny's marriage—she couldn't bear it and left the wedding banquet halfway, escaping to the place where Sean Hayes once took her stargazing to drink alone.
Lola couldn't handle alcohol at all, so after just a few drinks, she was completely drunk and missed her duty to protect the Princess Consort, until Sean Hayes finally found her.
When Lily Evans returned to Prince Alexander's estate at dusk, the first thing she did was check on Lola.
Lola had received a paddling as punishment and was now lying facedown on her bed, half-asleep.
"Lola?" Lily Evans entered the room, looking at Lola's small figure, pitifully sprawled on the bed.
"Princess Consort..." Lola struggled to get up and salute, but Lily Evans stopped her: "Don't get up. Sean Hayes already told me everything."
Lola lowered her head and said nothing.
"Sigh, that's enough. Don't do this again in the future." Lily Evans sighed, feeling sorry for Lola, who had suffered so much at such a young age.
"Mm... Thank you, Princess Consort." Lola's muffled voice came from under the covers.
"Rest well. Let Bella Bell take your place for a while." Lily Evans said.
"Princess Consort, from now on... I won't do this again. I'm sorry..." Lola's voice was choked with emotion.
"To recognize your mistake and correct it is the greatest virtue." Lily Evans sighed, gently patted Lola's head, and instructed the maids to take good care of Lola. She then sent someone to Eight Delicacies Pavilion to notify Bella Bell, asking her to dress as a study page and accompany Lily Evans to the academy for the time being.
Early the next morning, Professor Jade Evans's carriage again took a detour and first stopped at Eight Treasures Bistro.
Bella Bell, having been informed in advance, was already waiting in her study page disguise at Eight Treasures Bistro. As soon as the carriage arrived, she quickly got in.
Once the carriage was gone, the door in the alley creaked open and Cynthia Green poked her head out, as if she had been waiting there for a long time.
"Why did Professor Jade Evans's study page, Bella Bell, come out of Eight Treasures Bistro? It looks like she lives there. But Eight Treasures Bistro is Lily Evans's business. Jade Evans and Lily Evans—their servants seem awfully close. What exactly is their relationship?" Cynthia Green frowned, her mind usually slow, but suddenly a thought flashed through her head: "Could it be that the two of them are secretly having an affair!?"