All of this, Lily Evans had heard from Margaret Evans.
Although Lily Evans had become less involved, Margaret Evans still visited Sam Evans from time to time.
Fortunately, Dr. Rowan Lin worked his miracles and Sam Evans narrowly escaped death, with no lasting aftereffects—though his spirits were so low he refused to even step outside.
Jasper Cheng's parents soon rushed to the Capital and eagerly agreed to the marriage.
Lana Evans's mother, Susan Evans, also arrived in the Capital before year’s end to help arrange her daughter’s wedding.
The Cheng family hadn’t planned to offer much in the way of betrothal gifts—after all, Lana Evans was already a done deal.
But Susan Evans, who ran a papermaking workshop and some small businesses, had savings and gave Lana Evans a respectable dowry.
Jasper Cheng even tried to subtly ask Lana Evans how much her sister Lily Evans, the Princess Consort, would contribute to her dowry.
Unable to resist Jasper Cheng’s nagging, Lana Evans went to Prince of Qin’s Manor to ask Lily Evans for a dowry, but every time she was stopped at the gate and never got inside.
When Jasper Cheng saw that Lana Evans hadn’t gotten anything from Prince of Qin’s Manor, he was quite unhappy and made a mental note of it.
Before the Spring Festival, Jasper Cheng and Lana Evans were finally married. The wedding wasn’t held at Evans Manor, since it belonged to Lily Evans, who ordered the staff to evict Lana Evans, the Cheng family, and Susan Evans.
Lana Evans and Susan Evans wanted Sam Evans to speak on their behalf, hoping to claim Evans Manor as Lana Evans’s dowry.
But when Sam Evans heard their intentions, he was completely indifferent.
Every time they visited, it was either for money or to have Sam Evans ask Lily Evans for a dowry. Now they wanted the house.
Sam Evans knew how much Lily Evans had done for him. He could never repay her, let alone ask for her house, so he refused to see Lana Evans and her mother.
Eventually, fed up with the commotion, Sam Evans simply moved out of Evans Manor and took a room at an inn.
With Evans Manor completely out of reach, Lana Evans and Susan Evans finally quieted down.
“They’re married?” Lily Evans was reviewing the account books when she heard Margaret Evans muttering, and looked up to ask casually.
Margaret Evans nodded and said, “Your Uncle Sam has moved out of Evans Manor.”
"Hmm." Lily Evans responded, signaling she understood, and never asked about Lana Evans again.
As the year drew to a close, there was simply too much to do.
Between the household affairs at Prince of Qin’s Manor and the outside business, Lily Evans was busy from dawn to dusk every day.
Most of the household chores were originally managed by Belle, but she was now overseeing so much, and with her pregnancy at five months, caring for her health took priority. Lily Evans didn’t dare let her work too hard and took on more herself. Fortunately, April was growing under Belle’s tutelage and could now handle many tasks on her own, helping to manage the household and giving Lily Evans some relief.
Mrs. Penny’s pregnancy was also starting to show. Every day, she walked around with her not-yet-large belly, still full of energy.
Sean Hayes, on the other hand, was acting more and more strangely—he’d even smile to himself thinking about his wife and child while walking.
“Princess Consort, the new clothes, lucky money, and extra treats for the children are all ready for the New Year.” April reported earnestly from the side.
Lily Evans nodded. “Make a few more sets of clothes—it won’t cost much. For the girls, prepare some rouge and powder so they can dress up beautifully.”
“Yes, Princess Consort.” April quickly took notes.
Belle reported from the side, “Princess Consort, there’s news from Ningport—the overseas fleet has docked, and the goods have been unloaded and loaded onto carts. They’re on their way to the Capital and should arrive by the Lantern Festival.”
“Yes, that sounds about right. In February, prepare the goods to be shipped overseas and have them depart before March. I’ll select the top-performing children in languages to send overseas. Belle, check with Edward about what they’ll need for their stay—make sure everything is ready. These children are our future, don’t take it lightly,” Lily Evans instructed.
“Understood, Princess Consort,” Belle replied.