Chapter 186: The Engagement with the Eighth Miss

Could it be that Miss Irene doesn't like the Norman family? That didn’t seem right either. Miss Irene clearly cared about the Third Young Master; she stayed by his bedside constantly, only leaving when Mr. Stefan called her for a meal. Other than that, she was always there. Even Assistant Barton hadn't managed to do that. Assistant Barton wondered what Mrs. Norman would think once she found out. Despite the mental illness she developed over the years because of Miss Irene's disappearance, she had firmly accepted Miss Alice as her daughter. Changing that mindset would be difficult. With the Third and Sixth Young Masters around, Miss Irene wouldn’t suffer. But parents are the most important partners in a child’s life. If Mrs. Norman refused to accept Miss Irene, it would surely hurt her deeply. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Norman’s firm stance, Mr. Robertson might have succumbed to Mrs. Norman’s pressure and officially made Miss Alice the Norman family’s daughter long ago. Although it would have been somewhat unscrupulous, the Raphael family likely wouldn’t have objected. The current heads of the family, who weren’t Alice and the eldest daughter-in-law's biological parents, wouldn’t care if "the older sister married the eldest Norman son and the younger sister became the Norman family’s daughter," even if it meant tarnishing both sisters' reputations. While Assistant Barton was worrying about all this, Irene was beginning to feel hungry. At that moment, Stefan entered the room, carrying a four-tiered insulated container, which he had taken from Harper. Harper quickly set up the table and laid out the dishes. The food looked especially exquisite, smelled delicious, and there was plenty of it, enough for two or three people. As for Assistant Barton, he had already eaten outside. Perceptive as ever, he excused himself, saying he was going to get medicine for the Third Young Master. Usually, such a minor task wouldn’t require Assistant Barton, who was one of Mr. Robertson’s trusted men, to handle. Stefan was well aware of what Assistant Barton was doing. They knew each other well, having met frequently during Stefan's visits to chat with the Seventh Young Master. Stefan nodded slightly, acknowledging the gesture of leaving the space for him and Irene. The door closed behind him. Stefan glanced at Harper with a hint of exasperation. No sense of subtlety at all. Harper, realizing belatedly, chuckled awkwardly and slipped out the door. Now, it was just the sleeping Itha, Irene, and Stefan in the room. Irene wasn’t one to stand on ceremony with Stefan. He was her boyfriend, after all! No need to be overly polite! Since the weather was cool, Stefan had specifically ordered a Chinese-style dinner, flown in from City A. There was a pot of clear old duck soup and another of fragrant Eight Treasure Chicken, made with a freshly slaughtered chicken stuffed with tofu, vegetables, and bean curd, making it exceptionally delicious. Besides these, there were various other dishes, including bread, pizza, and even sushi. Stefan hadn’t been too particular—he simply chose anything he thought Irene might like and brought it all. Seeing the table filled with a variety of cuisines from different countries and regions, Irene couldn’t help but smile. She reached into her bag for a hair tie, ready to tie up her loose hair, when a smooth, deep voice, as elegant as a cello, reached her ears: "Let me do it." Irene released her grip on the hair tie and smiled at Stefan. Stefan’s hands were large, and with a quick, practiced motion, he gathered her silky hair into a high ponytail. Irene had already reached for the cutlery and was about to eat a meatball. She smiled as she offered Stefan a slice of pizza topped with sausage. Stefan looked at Irene, his deep blue eyes filled with affection, making Irene momentarily unable to meet his gaze. Stefan watched her eat with a tender smile. On his wrist, besides his usual antique watch, was a black hair tie adorned with a small red gemstone that glinted under the light, perfectly complementing his watch. Stefan was handsome, not just because of his beautiful face, but every part of him—his wrists, ankles, collarbones, and fingers—was attractive. As Irene ate, she couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at Stefan’s hands resting on the table. They were truly beautiful, very sensual. The steam rising from the two pots on the table made Irene’s face flush slightly. How embarrassing. She had seen her share of handsome young men and strong, heroic men before. How was it that she was still so easily captivated now? Stefan, resting his chin on his hand, noticed the slight curve of a smile on his lips. To distract herself from the romantic thoughts in her head, Irene shifted the conversation to a more serious topic. "You seem to know the Norman family's seventh son well. What’s their attitude been towards the lost child?" Stefan, sensing the reason behind her question, smiled teasingly. "Mr. Robertson has been searching for a long time, and the other brothers haven’t shown much affection towards that Miss Alice." Stefan focused intently on Irene and asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in this?" Could it be that she’s genuinely concerned about the Norman family now? After all, he had gone through the trouble of breaking off an engagement, only to find out that the woman he loved was actually the Norman family’s Eighth Miss. Life had come full circle—it was always her. Stefan’s smile faded as his expression grew serious. Irene noticed the shift and asked, "What’s wrong?" Stefan proceeded to tell her about the engagement he once had with the Norman family's Eighth Miss. "Back then, after I fell for you, I sought out Mr. Robertson to break off the engagement. I had no idea you were the Norman family’s Eighth Miss," Stefan said, lowering his gaze as his long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly. "I plan to propose the engagement again." Irene put down her cutlery with interest. Stefan seemed a bit nervous. Irene had no objections to the idea. In her view, if two people liked each other, they could be together. As for marriage, that required careful consideration. However, from her experience, the Norman family might not agree so easily to rekindle the engagement this time. Stefan spoke slowly, "Back then, there was a very famous ‘witch’ in City A. I was still young and very sickly. We went to countless hospitals, but nothing helped. Eventually, my family took me to see this ‘witch,’ and she told us that I would only have a chance of living past thirty if I married the Norman family's Eighth Miss." Irene burst out laughing. It was true that the Norman family was one of the few wealthy families that preferred living in City A, but this sounded like a scam to marry into wealth. Marrying into a rich family was a dream for many. Could that be where her reputation came from? Stefan understood the meaning behind Irene's smile and spoke softly, "Don’t laugh. It’s one of those things where people would rather believe it than not. You might not know, but her name was Kelly, a very famous seer." Irene raised an eyebrow. Kelly? Could it be her teacher?