Chapter 1281: 1279: Loss of Image (23)

Chapter 1281: Chapter 1279: Loss of Image (23)

To be fair, Natalie’s ability to adapt was already quite remarkable.

Faced with such a shocking piece of information, her first instinct was to glance back. But almost immediately, she transitioned into scanning her surroundings, cleverly masking her reaction.

But as the saying goes, love makes people sensitive.

In that instant, Orintel had entered a state of razor-sharp perception.

With Fu Qian’s guidance, he could easily discern some of the subtleties.

Indeed, it seemed highly likely that Orintel and Natalie were in a romantic relationship. Fu Qian had suspected as much from the beginning.

After all, given Orintel’s status and personality, it was hard to imagine him being summoned so readily if not for the power of love.

From the way Natalie occasionally interjected during their conversation, one could deduce hints of their connection, proving that he was her lover.

And what about her child’s father?

Fu Qian cast a glance at the butler, who had been silent ever since announcing Orintel’s arrival.

Though impeccably dressed and exuding a certain air of sophistication, there was an unmistakable gap between him and Orintel. The difference was almost dimensional, even in terms of age.

Ah, love knows no reason, and once it begins, it consumes everything.

“Sir, I have no idea what this man is talking about… Please, don’t listen to his lies and tarnish Ms. Natalie’s reputation.”

At this moment, under Orintel’s deathly gaze—coupled with those ruined arms—the butler’s composure was shattered at lightning speed, his face collapsing into sheer panic.

…

Marvelous.

After dropping that bombshell, Fu Qian observed the stormy changes in the expressions of the three involved. The turbulent emotions sent a wave of quiet delight through his heart.

From the moment the private tutor had appeared, he had sensed that tonight would be anything but ordinary.

Looking at the situation now, leaving aside other gains and losses, the sheer drama itself felt more than worth the price of admission.

“Doctor, do you resent me for saying too much tonight?”

As expected, Natalie was the quickest to regain control of her emotions.

After the initial shock, the panic on her face swiftly subsided. She didn’t even bother, like the butler, to make meaningless denials to the group. Instead, she let out a cold laugh, directly questioning Fu Qian’s motives.

“I’m quite curious—what kind of medical expertise allowed you to make a diagnosis even I wasn’t aware of?”

“You did talk quite a lot tonight.”

Facing this pointed accusation of professional impropriety, Fu Qian nodded slightly, acknowledging her sharp and unyielding approach.

It was almost the perfect countermeasure.

The claim about her pregnancy was, of course, true. Though the duration wasn’t long, as a specialist in flesh and blood, how could he have missed such an obvious detail?

That said, Fu Qian had no interest in offering a technical explanation.

The next moment, he directly turned his gaze to Mr. Winslow.

“Is she always like this?”

Come now, the messy waters I’ve muddled through are far deeper than anything you’ve ever seen, and you think this tactic will work on me?

As a professional observer of chaos, I have plenty of ways to stay uninvolved.

…

Fu Qian’s question clearly caught the three tormented parties off guard. Even Orintel couldn’t help but glance over, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

“Indeed, somewhat.”

Even more unexpectedly, Mr. Winslow, now at the center of attention, seemed deep in thought before surprisingly agreeing with Fu Qian’s assessment.

“Natalie hasn’t been working here for very long, and her performance has been consistently excellent. My only dissatisfaction lies in her overly strong desire to engage with me, beyond what’s appropriate for a governess.”

Meeting Orintel’s scrutinizing gaze, Mr. Winslow’s eyes remained calm yet resolute.

“I wanted to dismiss her, but considering how fond Jane is of her, I hesitated and ultimately decided to keep my distance instead.”

Without a trace of emotion in his recounting, Mr. Winslow turned to Natalie in the next instant, staring at her with undisguised loathing.

“I’ve been pondering the reason since earlier. So, this is the reason?”

“Even when I tried to gently distance myself, it triggered such a degree of resentment from you? You just had to see me lose my dearest love?”

Mr. Winslow was now gritting his teeth.

“You lunatic!”

…

Clearly, Mr. Winslow was a sharp man. It took only a minor hint for him to piece together much of the picture.

The events concerning his daughter tonight had also built up significant emotions within him.

With both ability and a newfound motivation, he was an ideal candidate for escalating the conflict.

The events bore this out.

“Yes, no one has ever been able to refuse me.”

Mr. Winslow stared deeply into Orintel’s eyes. His words, devoid of tangible evidence, landed with weight nonetheless. A few seconds later, the governess seemed to abandon any effort to argue further, wearing a textbook-perfect smirk of nonchalance.

“Honestly, you’re not that impressive. I could easily find someone better.”

Even under Orintel’s icy glare, Natalie’s smile never wavered.

“But precisely because of that—and your lofty arrogance—it becomes all the more irritating.”

“Do you think I enjoy teaching your daughter, who can’t even write properly, or discussing opera with your foolish wife?”

“I am absolutely certain that, from a long time ago, the only reason I stayed here was to savor the spectacle unfolding tonight. Haha.”

“So, are you really pregnant?”

Beneath Natalie’s hearty laughter, Orintel finally couldn’t restrain himself, his voice hoarse as he asked.

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter anymore. To gather better information, one must always make necessary sacrifices.”

“And while I do apologize for bringing this up, I still have to remind you—it’s time to fulfill the duties bestowed upon you by The Sect.”

Despite the supposedly apologetic tone, Natalie’s smiling face betrayed not a shred of actual remorse.

“Evil stands right before your eyes.”

It was evident that this was the source of her confidence in exposing her cards. Even if her motives were impure, Orintel still couldn’t afford to ignore what was happening to Jane.

Even more satisfying was the fact that the ever-silent Dr. Quack had finally revealed his true colors in this climactic moment.

“Or do you agree with this so-called Quack’s judgment that they’re all innocent?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do what I must… but after tonight, you’d better make sure I never see you again.”

As if seeing Natalie for the first time, Orintel finally spoke, his gaze fixed on her.

Without waiting for a response, he crouched down slowly and placed his hands on the ground.

With this motion, dim yet ethereal star-like patterns began to surface on his body.

The relatively understated scene seemed to weigh on him immensely.

Where the patterns passed, visibly, flesh withered at a rapid pace.

…

It seemed to be an extraordinary skill with a tremendous price, rarely used.

Feeling oddly gratified, Fu Qian noticed that the same starlight now encompassed his own body.

The night sky’s Stars Association seemed to form a palpable connection with him as a result.

His flesh, bones, skin, spirit, and soul—they were all being pulled at by their existence and operation.

Breaking apart bit by bit, returning to the primordial essence.

Natalie’s provocation had proven stunningly effective.

Faced with this astonishing transformation, Fu Qian felt deeply satisfied.

Even more gratifying was that Jane, suspended from the ceiling, was clearly undergoing the same treatment as him.

Orintel seemed determined, regardless of the cost, to resolve everything in a single stroke.

And it appeared to be working. Almost instantly, the crimson patterns on Jane’s skin began to shatter in wide swaths, warping her body until it seemed she might lose her human form at any moment.

…

This intensity should be just about enough.

Fu Qian didn’t rush to save the patient. Instead, he continued to wait silently.

The purpose had always been clear: provoke the situation to escalate further and draw out those potentially hidden “eyes” from behind the curtain.

Though the reason remained unclear, the earlier incidents suggested it had significant interest in Jane and wouldn’t abandon her so readily.

“Bastard!”

A furious curse suddenly broke the tension. Mr. Winslow had leapt forward, landing a punch squarely on the butler.

The latter cried out in pain, stumbling away in an attempt to flee, but Mr. Winslow pursued him without hesitation.

A different kind of shriek followed. Mrs. Winslow, instinctively following her husband, had her hair yanked back by Natalie, the tussle sending them both out the door.

It’s here!

Watching this bizarre turn of events, Fu Qian’s face lit up in satisfaction as he activated the Clear Dream Ring.

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