Chapter 53 A Gift That Can't Be Seen in the Light: The Green Tea Man's Flirting

"Tata, what's wrong?!" Lilith hugged the wailing little girl into her arms and took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"Heinrich! He, he, he told me to get out..."

"What?!" Lilith frowned. Her first reaction was anger, but then, after a moment's thought, she realized that Heinrich didn't seem like the type to do such a thing. However, given Tata's intense emotions, she clearly couldn't ignore it.

“It seems you have work to do and have to go back to your duties.” Sophia sighed with a wry smile. “Then I won’t keep you any longer. Lily, take good care of yourself. We’ll meet again once you’ve settled in.”

"Thank you." Lilith gently pushed Tata away, stood up, and hugged Sophia goodbye.

She then took a gondola home. On the way, she asked Tata what had happened, but Tata stammered and couldn't give a clear answer. When they arrived home, Tata even changed her mind, saying it was best not to mention it to Heinrich. Lilith was completely bewildered. Lately, her focus had been entirely on external expansion, and she hadn't paid much attention to internal organizational structure management for quite some time.

“Tata, tell me the truth, has Sister Clara been stricter with you while I was away? She was even harsh with me back in school, so she might be a little less polite to you now. It’s not that it’s targeting you, it’s just her personality.” Lilith stroked Tata’s curly hair.

“Sister Clara was indeed very strict… but she managed the bank very well, and I had no objections to her. But, but Heinrich…”

“You think I’m a little biased towards him, don’t you?” Lilith gave a slightly apologetic smile, taking a step back. “But Tata, you need to realize that I treat you all equally emotionally; each of you is an important partner to me. And Heinrich, in many ways, is indeed… outstanding, which is why I give him so much responsibility, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. Tata has her own unique strengths. If Heinrich and Cecilia are my right-hand men, then you are my eyes and ears.”

"Really? Tata will definitely continue to work hard and live up to your expectations!" Hearing the hostess's praise, Tata's eyes widened suddenly, and she shyly pulled a small cloth bag from her waist pouch. "Oh, right, there were too many people at the dock just now, I was too embarrassed to take it out… While you were away, I prepared a small gift for you. It's a lace crochet bracelet that I made myself. Your hands are so slender and long, it will look especially beautiful on you!"

"Wow! Thank you, Tata, I love it." Lilith opened the bag with satisfaction and put the silver and pink bracelet on her wrist. The delicate lace was crocheted with a lily pattern that corresponded to the name "Liliana," but it looked somewhat out of place under the black veil of her mourning dress.

"I'm glad you like it..."

“I also prepared a gift for you, a hair tie inlaid with mother-of-pearl,” Lilith said with a smile. “I just put it in Heinrich’s bag. When we get home and I have time, I’ll braid your hair for you, okay? I remember when you were little, your hair was as short as a boy’s when I first bought you. Now it’s finally grown long enough to braid all sorts of pretty braids.”

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Madam!" Tata was overjoyed, but before she could say anything more, she was interrupted by the rocking of the ship as it docked. She turned around, intending to go ashore, and saw Heinrich standing on the pier. Her face instantly darkened.

"Heinrich, I heard you were disrespectful to your senior as soon as you got back?" Lilith took his hand, stepped onto the dock in front of her house, and gave him a cryptic look.

“Yes, I didn’t serve Miss Tata well.” Heinrich lowered his eyebrows and widened his eyes, pretending to inadvertently reveal a pitiful expression. “She came to tell me herself that when she started working for you, I was still in some cage on slave island with no one coming to buy me.”

"What?" Lilith's face darkened instantly. "Tata, did you really say that?"

"That's because he spoke rudely to me first!"

What did he say?

"He ordered me in a very contemptuous and condescending tone to do the dirty and tiring work that he didn't want to do! He even said that if I didn't want to do it, I should get out!" Tata grabbed Lilith's skirt in fear and hid behind her, not daring to look Heinrich in the eye.

"Is it true, Heinrich?"

“I did assign her the task of inventorying the goods, and then I was humiliated by Miss Tata.” Heinrich met Tata’s evasive gaze with ease, took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to his hesitant mistress, “But I still got the job done. Madam, this is the inventory list I have verified.”

“Oh.” Lilith took the list and glanced at it briefly, seemingly satisfied with his answer. “Heinrich, you were wrong this time. Watch your words in the future, and don’t hurt Tata’s feelings again. Apologize to her; colleagues need to get along well. If she comes to me to complain again, I will not let you off easily.”

"Madam!?" Tata tugged at Lilith's sleeve, feeling wronged, when she saw that Lilith was going to let the matter drop.

"Tata, although I'm on your side, Heinrich does have the authority to assign you work based on his rank. For our work to proceed smoothly, we'll have to continue working together. Come upstairs with me to change into a lighter dress. Since we're both free now, why don't we have a team meeting at the bank before we leave work?"

Tata noticed a hint of businesslike indifference creeping into Lilith's friendly smile. She realized she shouldn't continue her unreasonable behavior. It was understandable that the lady valued work results. But in her eyes, Lilith had never been just her boss, but also a very important member of family—a once warm and loving family that had been transformed into a cold, hierarchical structure, unrecognizable, with the establishment of the bank and its rapid expansion.

She reminisced about the last time she, Lilith, Cecilia, and Ivanka had gathered together, laughing and chatting. It seemed like only yesterday they were making dumplings during the Easter holidays—a full two months had passed; it felt like so long ago. After all, ever since Heinrich was bought back, the lady of the house seemed like a completely different person. Work, work, always work; there was no longer any time for relaxed and enjoyable fun with them.

Heinrich, Heinrich—Lilith kept mentioning Heinrich throughout the meeting, talking about how he remained calm when the caravan was in trouble, how he kept his composure when they got lost in the castle, and how humorous and moving the advertising slogans he wrote after arriving in Zurich were… Tata was getting annoyed and could hardly concentrate.

Previously, Lilith, lacking family support and being an illegitimate child, had to work to earn a living. But now she's so wealthy—not only Tata, but also Clara and William, who were sitting at the conference table, were astonished by the sheer amount of money Lilith raised during her trip.

But Lilith was far from satisfied. She was passionately giving a speech about opening branches in Paris, London, and Constantinople. She wanted to attract more clients, not just young ladies and traveling merchants, but also the upper classes of Venice and throughout Europe. She was confident she could provide the best, most personalized financial services; she wanted Cnarro Bank to dominate the Italian financial world.

Why? Why would she do that? What does she really want?

Tata couldn't understand Lilith's thoughts, nor did she know what to do. But she began to wonder if she had made a mistake in some of the things she had done on her own...

"Tata. Are you listening?" Lilith suddenly called out Tata's name, pulling her back to reality from her wandering thoughts.

"Madam! I'm listening."

“I’m getting to the important part. Given that Heinrich and I have both encountered more than one threat to our personal safety during our travels, we must be extra vigilant, even in Venice.”

Lilith sighed softly. Tata's absent-mindedness couldn't continue. It seemed she really needed to pay more attention to this issue of harmonious relationships among colleagues. Fortunately, Heinrich was behaving normally, working as diligently and earnestly as usual. But that was what he should be doing.

After the meeting, Lilith spoke privately with Sister Clara and William, asking about Tata's work performance during her business trip. Clara commented that while Tata was occasionally careless, she was generally very hardworking; William, on the other hand, stammered and offered only platitudes. Still somewhat uneasy, Lilith went to the kitchen after dinner when she returned home and found Ivanka washing dishes, asking her if Tata had shown any unusual behavior during her absence.

“Nothing unusual. Hmm, maybe she just goes out a lot?” Ivanka put on the new bow headband Lilith had bought for her during the trip and replied softly. “But she always has a lot of friends. It can’t be anything to worry about.”

"Who does she associate with?"

"I don't know about that. She can get along with people from all over the country. Maybe that's her secret to getting the most firsthand information."

Lilith fell silent. Perhaps it was simply because Tata was young and needed more attention. But Lilith was already exhausted from her daily work; to also have to find time to attend to everyone's emotions was simply too much for her.

“Madam,” Heinrich said, peeking out from the corridor with a candlestick in his hand, “the hot water is ready. You may take a bath at any time.”

"good."

Lilith stood up and followed Heinrich upstairs. The story Sophia had told her suddenly flashed through her mind, and she recalled her perhaps overly intimate encounters with Heinrich during her travels, making her feel somewhat embarrassed.

She even began to hesitate about whether to give him the gift she had prepared. But she couldn't break a promise she had made. She kept convincing herself that it was only because Heinrich was so useful and reliable. It was perfectly reasonable for a master to reward an exceptionally good servant. Legend has it that the Ottoman Sultan's cat wore a gold necklace inlaid with jewels every day, so it was understandable for Lilith to give her dog an expensive gift.

"Madam, are you still blaming me for Tata's matter?" Heinrich asked tentatively, opening the bedroom door for Lilith. The room was filled with her familiar fragrance, and the dim candlelight illuminated the newly washed sheets and blankets. Fresh lilies and roses were arranged in a vase on the dressing table.

“Yes.” Lilith deliberately lied. “You’re a grown man, what’s the point of getting angry with a little girl like her? You’re disregarding my trust in you.”

“Madam…” Heinrich once again put on that pitiful expression and knelt on one knee in front of Lilith. This trick was too effective and never failed him. “I know I was wrong. I will never let you worry about such trivial matters again.”

"Alright, I'm not angry anymore. Come and get your gift." Lilith turned around, sat down in front of the dressing table, opened the locked drawer, took out a jewelry box, and opened it in front of Heinrich.

Inside lay quietly the sapphire wedding ring that should have belonged to her husband.

"...?" Heinrich froze, staring incredulously as Lilith took his left hand and slipped the ring that was rightfully his onto his index finger. The brilliant sapphire refracted a serene and enigmatic color in the candlelight.

“I cannot accept such an expensive gift; it is your husband’s keepsake.”

"Don't worry, I asked him, and he said it's fine." Lilith glanced at the oil painting covered with a white cloth with a hint of impatience. "Consider this an early birthday present for you, and also to thank you for your hard work and risking your life several times during this trip."

“People will talk about you if they see this,” Heinrich said worriedly, taking off the ring. “Besides, it’s too valuable, I…”

“Just take what I give you. I’ll get angry if you refuse again.” Lilith frowned. “Even though it’s a gift, you must keep it safe. You can’t sell it or give it away. If you really don’t want anyone to see it, just string it up on a rope and wear it around your neck.”

“…Okay.” Heinrich clutched the ring tightly in his hand. Just as he was about to say something more, he heard someone knock on the door.

-----------------------

Author's Note: This matter is extremely complicated. Was Lilith biased towards Heinrich because of his superior work ability, or was there some other reason? Lilith herself probably can't say for sure right now. ^_^

I'll continue updating tomorrow; it's like moving Wednesday's update to tomorrow.