Chapter 4

Amelia's gaze turned cold. In her previous life, Diana had pulled the exact same trick, demanding she present a gift on the spot. She'd panicked then, at a complete loss for words, which only made Sierra dislike her even more. Fortunately, she came prepared this time around. Beaming, she slipped out of Sierra's embrace and turned to Diana. "Of course I brought something!" With that, she opened the bag she'd been carrying and took out a clear box. Inside lay a single white flower. Looking at that flower, Winter covered her mouth and giggled. "Amelia, you brought Grandma a wildflower?" The guests' expressions immediately became scornful. Amelia might have had grace and poise, but to them, she still looked like a country bumpkin with nothing to her name. Who in their right mind would offer a wildflower as a gift? Seizing the opportunity, Winter immediately added fuel to the fire. "Amelia, if you didn't bring a gift, you could've just said so. How could you fob Grandma off with just a wildflower?" Among the guests, several young men, who were interested in Winter, chimed in. "That's right, Ms. Amelia. No matter how hard your life was in the countryside, don't you think a single wildflower is a poor excuse for a gift?" "Who would give a wildflower as a gift? That's downright laughable!" Sierra's brows drew together when she heard that. Still, she defended Amelia. "It's the thought that counts, and as it happens, I like flowers." After hearing their comments, Amelia had no choice but to explain. "This isn't a wildflower, Grandma. This is a white megonia; it's an extremely rare medicinal herb that blooms only once a year on the edge of cliffs. I've been searching for it for years." "This is a white megonia?" Sierra accepted the little box and examined it carefully. Just then, one of the young men who'd mocked Amelia earlier piped up. "That's a white megonia? Stop lying! How dare you pass off a wildflower as a rare medicinal herb? Do you take us for fools?" Disappointment and hatred flashed across Sierra's eyes. "Mia, even if it was just a wildflower, I would still have liked it. But you shouldn't lie. The one thing I hate most in life is dishonesty!" Amelia's brows knitted. "I'm not lying, Grandma. This really is a white megonia! I nearly fell off a cliff to pick it—" "That's enough!" Diana banged the table, secretly pleased. "Stop lying, Amelia! We have a family physician, so sooner or later, your lie will be exposed. You'd be better off telling the truth. Is that really a white megonia?" Amelia's expression hardened. "I'm not lying!" Studying her expression, Sierra started to question her own judgment. "Call Dr. Fairfax over!" she ordered. "Sierra…" Diana called out lowly. "You don't actually believe her, do you? If this blows up, we'll all be humiliated!" Sierra closed her eyes. "I don't want to repeat myself." If Amelia was lying, Sierra would blame no one but herself for failing to see her true colors clearly. However, if she wasn't, she swore she would protect this child with all her heart from then on. Soon, the family physician, Gideon Fairfax, arrived. Before Diana or Sierra could say a word, his eyes lit up when he saw the flower in the latter's hands. With shaky hands, he pointed at it, his voice breaking from excitement. "T-That's a white megonia! Never in my life did I think I'd see a real white megonia. Good heavens, I must be the luckiest man alive!" As soon as his words fell, silence settled over the room. Diana, Winter, and the young man who'd mocked Amelia immediately paled. Who could have imagined that a simple woman from the countryside would present a gift more precious than the everwhite lotus? This single bloom alone was worth as much as three houses in Shelwick. Winter refused to believe it. "Are you sure, Dr. Fairfax? What if it's only a wildflower that happens to look like a white megonia?" Gideon couldn't help but frown. "I might fail to recognize my own mother, but I would never fail to recognize a white megonia, Ms. Winter! Every doctor dreams of finding a white megonia. How could I ever mistake the one thing I've always dreamed of?" Those words left no room for doubt—Amelia hadn't lied. Winter's legs quivered beneath her gown, nearly giving way. Diana, who was quick on her feet, hurried forward, took Amelia's hand, and apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry, Mia. It was my fault. I shouldn't have doubted you!" Without saying a word, Amelia stared at Sierra. Sierra's face clouded with guilt. For a moment, she, too, had believed Amelia was lying. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you. I'll never do it again," she admitted. "It's alright, Grandma. You probably didn't recognize the white megonia because it's extremely rare. I would never hold it against you." Amelia's words merely made Sierra feel even more ashamed of herself. She took off her bracelet and slid it on Amelia's wrist. "You've given me such a precious gift, yet I have nothing equally fine to give you in return. Here, this is the bracelet I brought with me when I got married." Amelia was well aware that the bracelet was worth a fortune, as it was made of pigeon blood ruby. The fact that Sierra was willing to part with it meant that she'd gained her approval. Ironically, she had Diana to thank for it. Had Diana not deliberately pushed Amelia into presenting a gift just like she had in her previous life, she wouldn't have had the perfect chance to gift the white megonia. "Thank you, Grandma!" Amelia beamed. Her eyes were as pure and innocent as a child's. However, this was just the beginning. Diana was consumed with jealousy as she stared at the bracelet on Amelia's wrist. She'd coveted it for years; she hadn't expected Sierra to give it to Amelia as a gift to mark their first meeting. Still, she couldn't afford to lose her temper. So, she forced herself to appear generous as she walked up to Amelia with concern. "It's getting chilly. Why are you dressed so lightly?" With that, she ordered a housekeeper to bring a snow fox coat and draped it over Amelia's shoulders. The lavish fur made her shabby clothes look even more out of place. It was getting chilly, but it was only early autumn, hardly the time for such thick clothing. Obviously, Diana had done this to make Amelia feel small and ashamed. She'd done the same thing last time, but Amelia had foolishly believed Diana genuinely cared about her. Amelia gazed at the coat before plastering a smile on her face. "Thank you, Mom!" She adopted the same tearful, grateful expression she'd worn in her previous life. As expected, Amelia was still so green. The guests around them immediately wore unmistakable looks of disdain. However, Amelia didn't seem to mind. She put on the fox fur coat and treated it as though it were a prized possession, carefully stroking the snow-white pelt. Her clumsy demeanor made her look like a complete joke. Diana almost burst into laughter. For a moment, she'd nearly been fooled by the white megonia and believed that Amelia was shrewd. In the end, a yokel was still a yokel. This worked out perfectly. Everyone she'd invited that day was a chatterbox. Once they left, it wouldn't be long before every grand dame in Shelwick learned of how disgraceful Amelia was. With that thought in mind, Diana raised her coffee mug, letting its rim mask the smug smile tugging at her lips.