Chapter 196: Meeting the Parents
Lena slept soundly until morning.
She was awakened by the aroma of food.
Agnes, wearing an apron and holding a ladle, was tasting something.
Her naked body was unadorned, seemingly having just woken up and gone straight to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
“Awake?”
Agnes brought two bowls of porridge and a small dish of side dishes, sitting down beside the bed.
She scooped a spoonful of the green porridge, the steam carrying her fragrance, and offered it to Lena.
“Ahh~”
She opened her mouth, like a kindergarten teacher coaxing a child to eat.
“Ahh—” Lena took a bite, the porridge light and slightly sweet.
Perhaps because she was being fed, Lena’s appetite was surprisingly good, and she quickly finished most of her bowl.
“Wipe your mouth.”
Agnes, radiating a motherly aura, wiped Lena’s mouth with a warm towel.
This tender care made Lena feel slightly embarrassed.
Was she being treated like a baby?
“Come home with me later, is that okay?”
“Should I bring a gift? It’s not polite to visit empty-handed.”
Lena was always mindful of etiquette; meeting the parents required a gift, no matter the world.
“It’s not necessary, my parents aren’t like that,” Agnes said, declining politely.
“It won’t be anything expensive, just a small token of my appreciation.”
Lena insisted.
After all, she had taken Agnes’s virginity, she couldn’t just freeload.
“Alright then…”
Agnes smiled sweetly, her happy expression a silent confession.
After breakfast, Lena embarked on her journey to meet her future in-laws.
The bumpy carriage ride made the trip even more nerve-wracking.
“Relax, Lena, there’s no need to be nervous.”
“I’m not nervous!”
Lena removed her hand from Agnes’s stocking-clad leg, leaving a damp print.
Okay, she was a little nervous, but not much.
“Let’s go over our story. Don’t call me ‘Professor’ later, call me Agnes, and I’ll call you Lena.”
Agnes pinched Lena’s nose gently.
“Then… Aggie?”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Why not?”
“My childhood nickname, it’s embarrassing…”
Agnes blushed.
“Aggie~ Aggie~”
Lena, ever the tease, continued to use the nickname.
“Stop it…” Agnes said, swatting playfully at Lena’s chest.
“Aggie is so cute, so easily flustered, is this considered flirting between wives?”
“Le! Na!”
“Aggie~”
…
Sometimes, a simple conversation could bring joy, not from arrogance or superiority, but from the shared connection, the act of listening.
Agnes’s family was a typical middle-class family.
Nothing special, her parents were intellectuals, she had a younger brother, that was all.
Their only flaw was perhaps their adherence to outdated traditions.
But Agnes had broken free from those shackles, even sending her childhood friend to prison. Such traditions were meaningless in the face of true love.
“What should I say later? Calling them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ directly seems a bit disrespectful…”
“Don’t change your address so quickly, call them ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’ first!”
Agnes patted Lena’s hand reassuringly.
“Although my father is quite stubborn, when it comes to marriage, my mother has the final say, don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
Nervous?
Lena scoffed. “Do I look nervous?”
“But you’re sweating so much…”
“It’s hot!”
“…”
Agnes stared at Lena for a few seconds, then chuckled, her gentle eyes filled with amusement.
“Alright, whatever you say, Lena, after all, you’re my wife.”
“Heh, you weren’t so bold last night, clinging to the sheets.”
“Lena!” Agnes’s face burned. “Don’t mention last night, it’s over!”
“Do your parents know how wild you are in private?” Lena’s joy stemmed from others’ embarrassment.
“I’m going to be angry!” Agnes stamped her foot playfully.
But even if Lena could anger her, Agnes’s gentle nature would quickly forgive her.
Lena knew this, so she stopped teasing. “Hmm~ Unless Aggie gives me a kiss, I can’t guarantee I won’t say something inappropriate…”
She started acting cute, initiating physical contact.
Agnes, familiar with Lena’s tactics, sighed, her expression a mix of exasperation and affection. “My silly little girl…”
Standing before her childhood home, Agnes couldn’t resist, kissing Lena.
Just a short distance away, she could almost imagine her family inside, but with Lena in her arms, she wasn’t afraid of being discovered.
Love was invincible.
Agnes, two faint red marks on her neck, knocked on the door.
A sleepy little boy, no older than seven, opened the door.
Agnes picked up her brother, Evan, showering him with affection, then asked, “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“They went out to buy groceries, they told me to wait for you and Sister Lena.”
Evan yawned, struggling to get down from Agnes’s arms.
This unusual behavior surprised Agnes, her usually clingy and obedient brother had become so independent.
Had it really been that long since she last visited…?
“Have a seat, Sister.”
Evan brought a chair for Lena, then another one for Agnes.
“Your brother is so well-mannered,” Lena said, amused. “They say parents are a child’s best teachers, a family’s atmosphere shapes a child’s character…”
She looked at Agnes, her words seemingly a compliment, but also a subtle attempt to flatter.
Agnes chuckled. “Not at all, Evan is quite mischievous, if he had a tenth of Ling Ling’s obedience, I would be grateful.”
“Sister!”
Evan pouted, his expression displeased. “Don’t talk bad about me in front of Sister Lena, or at least don’t let me hear it!”
Honestly.
They were even kissing in front of him, he had seen it through the crack in the door!
Sister, held by Lena, being kissed senseless, unable to escape, her face filled with bliss.
The teacher had said this was called “public display of affection.”
And women in love were often irrational, it was best to stay away from his sister, to avoid becoming an errand boy…
“I’m going to bed, bye Sister, bye Sister Lena!”
Evan escaped, running upstairs before Agnes could say anything.
“Your brother is so interesting.”
Lena chuckled, seeing Agnes’s flustered expression.
“He probably just wanted to give us some privacy, your brother is truly well-mannered.”
“Mannered?” Agnes scoffed. “He’s a little devil, he even used my lipstick as a crayon last time!”
“Hehehe, that just shows how close you two are…”
Lena relaxed, lying down on Agnes’s lap.
Agnes was wearing black velvet stockings today.
The luxurious fabric, soft and warm, was a winter fashion staple.
Lena, unable to resist their softness, felt a wave of drowsiness.
“Honestly, I’m quite envious of you…”
“Why?”
Agnes stroked Lena’s gray hair, her fingers tracing her eyebrows, her nose, her lips.
“I have a brother, but he’s rarely home… we’re very close.”
“You mean Butch, the designated heir of the Falmouths?!”
“Yes.”
Lena bit Agnes’s finger playfully, her tongue tracing its contours.
“I remember a few years ago, Butch led a large fleet on an expedition… could it be because of that?!” Agnes suddenly realized.
Lena nodded. “Those who work abroad can’t always be with their families, that’s why I envy your stable and peaceful family life.”
If Butch had been there, the Falmouths wouldn’t have fallen so quickly.
“He must also be reluctant to leave, but he couldn’t disobey the imperial decree.”
Agnes’s voice was gentle and comforting.
“Adelaide is my hero, and his son, inheriting his legacy, is also defending the empire far away in the Devil’s Sea. The Falmouth family has done enough for the empire, they don’t need to prove anything…”
Agnes sighed. “Sometimes, it’s better to let go of the burdens others place on you, be a little selfish, and you’ll be happier, an undeniable truth…”
“…Live for yourself.”
Agnes’s tone was serious.
But wasn’t Lena already living for herself?
Her father, her brother, they had all made their own choices, not simply obeying the Empress’s orders.
When one is poor, one cultivates oneself. When one is rich, one helps the world.
Butch and her father clearly belonged to the latter category.
“Let’s not talk about this, it’s getting depressing.” Lena lifted her head, kissing Agnes’s lips. “What are your plans for today? Should I stay the night?”
“That depends on whether you want to.”
“I do, I even want to ravage you in your room, making so much noise your family can’t sleep~” Lena whispered in Agnes’s ear, making her blush, but also giggle.
“Come on, my parents are home, and even if I hide in their room, you can’t just drag me out.”
Agnes smiled, her eyes playful.
“You can try.” Lena’s tone was suggestive.
“You~”
Agnes playfully pushed Lena into her arms, a soft moan escaping her lips…
As they were cuddling, footsteps approached, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock.
A man and a woman entered the house.
Agnes jumped, pulling the blanket over herself.
Lena, however, remained calm, even picking up her stockings and putting them in her pocket.
“When did you get back?”
Agnes’s father’s voice was stern, his gaze fixed on Lena from the moment he entered, sitting down on a nearby chair.
“Just now,” Agnes, wrapped tightly in the blanket, said, her voice slightly annoyed. “You didn’t even knock…”
“I need to knock to enter my own house?!” Her father snapped.
The atmosphere immediately turned tense.
“Alright, alright, you two always argue, can’t you just relax?”
Agnes’s mother intervened, clearly used to mediating between them.
She gave her husband a look, and he reluctantly went upstairs.
During this time, he glared at Lena, as if she were a fish ready to be filleted and fried.
Indeed, in his eyes, Lena was the pig who had stolen his daughter’s heart, and not just one heart, it wasn’t surprising that he considered Lena his enemy.
The living room fell silent.
Agnes’s mother looked at her daughter, her voice gentle. “Were you with Lena last night?”
“Mom~”
Agnes whined. “Can we talk about something else~?”
“What’s wrong with asking? Does not asking change the facts?” Agnes’s mother looked at Lena with a kind smile, seemingly pleased with her daughter’s choice of partner. “Lena, come sit with Agnes, let me have a look at you two.”
Lena calmly sat beside Agnes, a flawless smile on her face.
“Such a beautiful couple, a perfect match.”
Agnes’s mother beamed.
Her daughter had finally found a good partner, she couldn’t be happier.
Although the genders were unconventional, as long as her daughter was happy, she didn’t mind.
“Don’t mind your father, he had already prepared the betrothal gifts, but after that incident, he was so angry, it even affected his health.”
Agnes’s mother was referring to the Corvus incident.
He had been so convincing, fooling everyone, even Agnes’s parents, who had even taken his side, distrusting their own daughter…
Agnes’s mother regretted it.
That’s why she was so accepting now.
She didn’t care anymore…
As long as Agnes was happy, finding love wasn’t easy, and true love, even rarer.
She would support their relationship, no matter the obstacles.
