Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Beio / Suddenly felt the urge to go home...
Winston Manor.
In the warm room, Audrey held Caroline's hand, her eyes shining. "Please tell me about your experience, dear. You can't imagine how curious I am about the other side of the ocean."
The whole family, including Charles, sat in the living room, waiting for Caroline to tell her adventures.
Her hair had grown shorter, and her skin had turned wheat-colored from the wind and sun on the sea, but her eyes were much brighter than before.
"Honestly, I think your husband knows more about your favorite adventure stories than I do." Caroline winked and teased playfully, looking at Hermann as if he were an old friend who had met again after a long separation, without any trace of ambiguity.
Herman took Pappy from Audrey and looked at Caroline nonchalantly. "I think she's more curious about you than the adventure story."
Audrey: "Uh..."
Herman glanced at his wife again and said indifferently, "Otherwise, why haven't I heard anyone come to me to tell stories, or care whether I've been to further coasts?"
"Oh, Charles, there seems to be a sour smell in the air, do you smell it?" Caroline looked at the old friend.
Charles sniffed in agreement and said seriously, "It's like the cook spilled apple cider vinegar. The source is right here."
Audrey believed it and shrugged her nose in unison with the dog Pappy, who could understand human language. "Really? Where is it?"
Isabel smiled and pinched her sister's cheek. Heinrich lazily leaned back on the sofa, firmly clinging to his wife's left shoulder. He sighed deliberately, "Some people... well, there's no hope."
Audrey's eyes widened, and she was about to start an argument with Heinrich. Isabelle, sitting between them, expertly covered her ears.
Greta quickly tried to stop the fight and pulled Audrey away: "Oh, stop making fun of Bella and listen to Caroline's story."
Hermann then stood up and sat next to Audrey, not forgetting to pick up Pappy, as if he had been waiting to move his wife away from Isabel.
Caroline silently watched their little movements and smiled at Charles.
One was a current subordinate, the other a former one. They'd certainly noticed a change in their former boss. If nothing else, he'd become thicker-skinned. Of course, his scheming remained just as deep, but now he was using all that on his wife.
"Come to think of it, we did encounter a few thrilling things on the way to Hersland." Caroline satisfied Audrey's curiosity and told her a few stories about encountering pirates and escaping danger during a rainstorm.
"Oh, this is unbelievable! Are you hurt?" Audrey couldn't help but pat her chest to calm herself down, her eyes full of concern.
"I just had some minor injuries, but my strong willpower kept me going." Caroline joked with a relaxed look, but anyone could guess that she must have suffered a lot.
Seeing that everyone loved listening to stories, Caroline recounted her experiences in detail, from seeing the oppression of low-level workers, to discovering business opportunities, and subsequently uniting everyone to develop new trades.
Now not only Audrey and Greta were fascinated by the story, but several other knowledgeable people were also listening attentively.
Heinrich is concerned about the situation in Hirschland, Hermann is interested in Caroline's collective company model, and Isabel asks Caroline about the workers' movement.
A few people chatted until the sun set.
Greta warmly invited Caroline to dinner and spent Christmas at Winston Manor.
Of course, this is what everyone wants.
At dinner, Isabelle and Heinrich changed into evening gowns as usual, a habit that Audrey found difficult to break.
Caroline saw two gorgeously dressed ladies walk into the restaurant and couldn't help but recall the first time she saw Audrey.
At that time, she was unwilling and tried her best to restrain her envy of her, venting her distorted emotions through sharp words.
But at this moment, she exclaimed from the bottom of her heart: "Extraordinarily beautiful ladies."
Audrey came forward with a smile, her aquamarine eyes reflecting Caroline's face. She knelt down, holding up her skirt, and nodded: "Thank you."
"No, I should thank you." Caroline said suddenly.
Audrey was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled: "No, Caroline, you should thank yourself. It was you who bravely took that step."
"But if it weren't for your help, I might have been immersed in unnecessary competition and missed the scenery that should have belonged to me." Caroline smiled and handed over the check she had prepared long ago: "This is the principal you gave me back then."
Audrey took the check, but before she could say anything, Caroline took out another document and said, "This is the interest."
"Interest?" Audrey flipped through the documents, startled. "Oh? This is Berkeley's shares? No, Caroline, this goes far beyond the scope of 'thank you'. I can't accept it."
Caroline shrugged. "I don't like to get caught up in meaningless pushes and pushes. How to measure the reward is up to me."
Audrey was forced to accept the expensive thank-you gift. She looked at Isabel who was walking towards her from behind, with a helpless look.
Isabel had heard their conversation. She took the document, looked at it for a while, and said, "Ms. Caroline, the shares you're giving away for free are too large. It's almost like giving away half the company. We can't accept them."
Caroline waved her hand and didn't want to explain too much.
"How about this," Isabel pondered for a moment. "I'll exchange my Norman Industrial shares with you. While you own Norman shares, the Berkeley shares will also be held in my name."
Caroline paused, thinking for a moment. "By your name? Audrey Norman?"
Isabel glanced at her sister obscurely and said naturally, "Don't worry, I will sign the agreement and give it to Isabel. How about it?"
The two companies had already decided to cooperate, and in a sense, this was equivalent to joining forces and becoming more closely connected.
Although it went against Caroline's original intention of giving the gift, looking at the determined looks of the two Norman ladies, she nodded in agreement.
"Okay, but I still have to give a portion of my dividends to Miss Isabel." Caroline raised an eyebrow, paused, and looked at Audrey. "Listen, don't rush to refuse. If you recognize me as a friend, then accept it. You may not understand how much that day meant to me."
Audrey was slightly startled, her nose sore, "Oh, dear Caroline."
She gave him a hug.
Isabel smiled and raised her glass to Caroline, saying, "You are a remarkable lady. I am so happy for your achievement."
Audrey took Caroline's hand, touched the rough calluses on her palm, and whispered, "Yes, I'm so proud of you, Caroline."
Caroline forced a smile and was silent for a moment before looking at Isabel: "Actually, you probably don't know yet, but a long time ago, I did some bad things to your sisters. I still feel ashamed when I think about it now."
Audrey: "But I'm not hurt at all. Don't take it to heart."
Isabel and Caroline looked at each other and laughed at the same time.
"That's because you're kind enough to forgive me." Caroline's eyes were deep and her smile was complicated. "But I can't rely on your kindness to pretend that the harm I've caused you doesn't exist."
Audrey was stunned, and felt a warm current enveloping her heart.
"I...I forgot everything." She glanced at her sister and lied carefully.
Of course, Isabel wouldn't expose her sister. She just smiled at Caroline and said, "There are many people in this world who pretend to be deaf and dumb and dare not be honest. Thank you for being kind enough to want to make amends today."
"Hurt is hurt. Time has passed, and all I can do is try to make amends." Caroline smiled at Audrey. "But don't worry, I don't mean to ask for your forgiveness, even though you're always good at forgiving others. But... I sincerely hope you can give up this advantage."
"Is this considered an advantage?" Audrey subconsciously looked at her sister, a little confused.
Isabel rubbed her sister's head without explaining. She looked at Caroline and said, "Your actions to make amends mean you've completed your reflection and resolved your own problems. As for healing her wounds or whether or not to change, that's Bella's responsibility. You don't need to worry about her." Caroline was puzzled. "Don't you want her to be a little harder?"
"Having a hard heart is certainly valuable," Isabel chuckled, her eyes full of meaning. "Selfishness, unscrupulousness, and so on—these are all neutral terms to me. They're simply choices a person makes in desperate situations, so I don't judge them. But... I've seen too many people like that, myself included. So I don't think they're so commendable."
Audrey gave her a disapproving look: "You're talking nonsense. You didn't do that."
"Well, I didn't. I only said it would be necessary." Isabel shrugged and said to Caroline with a chuckle, "So you see, it's hard for me to be a bad guy with a moral role model suppressing me."
Caroline was silent for a moment, then laughed. "I understand. You hope she remains a soft person. Just like being a grain of sand in the desert isn't special, being an oasis is truly precious."
It is an oasis that has been baptized by wind and frost but has not been assimilated by the yellow sand and remains full of vitality.
Isabel smiled but said nothing.
The butler reminded everyone that dinner was about to begin and they all took their seats.
Hermann and Heinrich, the brother-in-law, sat together. It wasn't that they volunteered, but mature husbands were always very discerning. Knowing that both ladies were accompanying guests tonight, they sensibly made room for them.
As usual, there was laughter and joy on the other side, but on this side there was only the sound of knives and forks clashing.
Heinrich took a sip of wine, glanced at Hermann, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
A few words of the ladies' conversation just now fell into the man's ears. Heinrich didn't listen carefully. Anyway, his wife was definitely the wisest and most philosophical person in the audience!
So I only just noticed now that my brother-in-law has been silent since then.
"Nothing." Hermann replied perfunctorily.
Heinrich snorted coldly, looking as if he understood everything. "Forget it. Since we're brothers-in-law, I could give you some advice."
In the past, Herman would have ignored this statement.
Although he himself was not an expert in love, how much better could the Duke be? Who couldn't see that Heinrich was completely tamed by that woman!
There was another long silence, and Hermann drank two glasses of champagne.
Because of that conversation, he realized belatedly that he felt guilty.
If Caroline had hurt Audrey, how could he be any better?
But what made people feel even more uncomfortable was that Audrey said forgiveness so easily.
Herman sighed and looked at Audrey, who was looking very happy, and he felt the same as Caroline.
I hope she forgives me, but I also hope she doesn't forgive me.
After a long pause, he suddenly looked at Heinrich and asked, "If I have done something wrong to my wife, how can I make amends?"
"Are you sorry to Isabel? In what way?" Heinrich was surprised at first.
Herman took a deep breath and didn't know where to start: "I..."
"Okay, stop talking." Heinrich's eyes gradually turned contemptuous, and finally he raised his chin proudly. "I'm sorry, I have no experience in offending wives. After all, I am a very competent husband."
"..." Herman stared at his complacent brother-in-law with an expressionless face, suspecting that he had lost his mind to ask him this question.
-
After the dinner incident, everyone found activities to help digest the food.
Caroline went for a walk in the flower garden.
The veneris rosea falls into a deep sleep in winter, and the sea of pink flowers seems to be just yesterday.
She looked at the swing where she and Audrey had sat that day, her thoughts swirling.
Caroline actually concealed some of her experiences, such as the fact that she had killed pirates with her own hands and that when faced with danger, she had weighed the pros and cons and acted in a way that protected her own interests.
She believed that Isabel or Hermann had heard the white-hearted concealment.
When the sun comes out, the shadows disappear. They should also understand that when they are around beautiful people, they will unconsciously suppress the darkness in their hearts.
The night wind howled, ruffling Caroline's short hair.
She saw a greenhouse built in the flower garden, where marigolds, which were rare in winter, were carefully cultivated.
Those were the seeds Isabel brought, and Hermann arranged for someone to take care of them, and only then was this small sea of flowers grown.
Kindness also needs to be nurtured. Audrey is a marigold in a greenhouse, a child raised by many hands. That's why she can express kindness so unscrupulously.
Caroline recalled the darkness that had grown in her heart and how painful it had made her feel.
Sometimes I even think that if marigold seeds are thrown into poor soil, they will not bloom such beautiful flowers!
But as time went by, she changed.
I forgot when it started, I think it was when I made my first pot of gold, or I think it was when I started teaching slum workers to read...
Gradually, as her experience grew, Caroline saw a wider world, went through the test of life and death, and occasionally looked back on the past, she found that the shadow had disappeared.
She no longer envied the marigold.
The seeds of the centifolia rose followed Caroline across the ocean, scattered on the land of Herslan, and bloomed their own flowers.
"Caroline! It's cold outside! Come in and play cards!"
A familiar voice called out from behind.
Caroline turned around and saw Audrey waving in the warm light. The whole family was standing behind her, looking at her together.
The centifolia rose travels all over the earth and can make a home anywhere.
She had once grasped at that lifeline, forcing herself to consider this place her home. Later, she left the manor and took things as they came, no longer clinging to the so-called home.
But at this moment, looking at this scene, she suddenly had the illusion of going home.
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