(7 Fresh Coins) Chapter 17 (Part 2) Meeting an Old Friend

“My dear Miss Derek, it’s been a long time. You are still as beautiful and charming as ever—please allow me to express my admiration for you…” Count Tulip showed no displeasure whatsoever. Instead, he reached out and took Marina’s right hand, bent down and gently kissed the smooth, white back of her hand, then straightened up and smiled. “Please also give my regards to Duke Derek.”

The count's elegance and magnanimity did nothing to improve Marina's attitude. Upon hearing "Duke Derek," she immediately shook off his hand forcefully, her eyebrows furrowing: "Don't mention that man to me!"

Antonio stood to the side, gradually piecing together some clues. Previously, he only knew Marina was a distant niece of a powerful figure in Sicily, and from her demeanor, he could tell she came from a prestigious family. However, since she wouldn't say, he naturally didn't press the matter. He never imagined she was actually the daughter of Duke Derek.

The Duke of Derek was quite famous—he was originally an ordinary British nobleman who won the favor of a Spanish princess and eventually married this princess, renowned for her beauty and chastity, thus becoming a duke of Spain. Such luck was naturally the envy of many nobles. However, this duke did not seem to cherish his noble status, often indulging in debauchery and rarely caring for his wife and daughter.

After his wife's accidental death, he became even more dissolute, constantly bringing new mistresses into the Derek household—their pace rivaling that of Windows system updates. These women came from all walks of life, with diverse personalities, but they all shared one thing in common: they were all beautiful. The Spanish royal family was utterly disillusioned with this indecent duke, regarding him as a stain on the monarchy, yet they were unable to take action against him because of the princess's daughter—after all, his daughter would be the new heir to the title after the duke's death.

With a father like that, it's no wonder Marina didn't want to stay at home, and didn't even want to mention him. More importantly, Marina's attitude towards Count Tulip was truly abnormal—even though she usually looked down on men, she had never acted in such a way that resembled a tantrum. It seemed that these two still had some issues to resolve. As for himself… of course, he had his own problems too. Antonio helplessly curled his lip, turned to Marina, and smiled, saying, "So it's an old friend. Well then, should I excuse myself for a while and give you two some time to catch up?"

After saying this, he turned to look at the unaffected Earl of Tulip, and finally fixed his gaze on Miss Peggy, who still maintained a proper smile, a smile that seemed to hold a deeper meaning.

Miss Peggy immediately and considerately replied, "Oh, I just realized I missed a phone call. May I leave for a moment?"

Marina, who was about to retort immediately upon hearing Antonio's words, could only fall silent after hearing Peggy's response. She allowed the count to nod with his usual elegant smile, and then, under the other party's subtle pressure, she retreated step by step until she entered the side hall.

Squinting as he watched the two enter the side hall, Antonio couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile. What a lecherous woman! She was already another man's prey, and without any resistance whatsoever! One could only marvel at how extraordinary this Earl of Tulip truly was. As for the Earl's claim of being captivated by Miss Peggy… whether that was true or not remained to be seen. However, these thoughts only briefly crossed his mind before he saw Miss Peggy indeed heading towards the garden behind the main hall, and he quickly followed.

A tall, beautiful woman walked leisurely ahead. Antonio quickly caught up to her, standing about half a meter behind, and then continued walking at the same pace. Was this a reunion with an old friend? Those two certainly were, but his companion was also an old friend… perhaps to her, it was a meeting of enemies. Thinking this, his gaze towards the woman darkened, and the emotions he had been suppressing suddenly erupted.

“I want to know why you’re here.” Taking a deep breath, Antonio stopped behind a patch of blooming roses.

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman in front of him gradually slowed her pace, and finally stopped. She slowly turned around and gave him a charming and wicked smile: "How do you want me to answer?"

That smile was so familiar that Antonio was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at the other person. This person… was still so beautiful. He had thought he would never see that beautiful smile again, and now, in his utter despair, it had reappeared before him.

Author's Note:

Ugh... I have so many classes... I want to cry.