I was really and greatly stunned by Mrs. Coi's sudden, intense advice—the elaborate strategy for conquering the "Little Master."
I had absolutely no desire to conquer
Sebastian or make him fall for me; in fact, I would have been thrilled if he simply ignored me for the next five years.
I opted for a disarming approach. "But I'm only nineteen," I said sheepishly, looking small and fragile. "I don't think I can do all that, in fact I haven't thought of all that."
Mrs. Coi became speechless. Her eyes widened. "What? You're really only nineteen?"
I nodded like a Bird pecking on woods to show that I'm serious about being only nineteen.
"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed, her previous assumptions crumbling. "I could see that you look young, but I thought you were maybe older than that, that you looked very young because you're so beautiful and you know how to take care of yourself. But who knew you're barely an adult, just nineteen! Little Master really kidnapped you at such a young age!"
Mrs. Coi's expression instantly switched to one of deep suspicion. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a concerned whisper.
"Lila, tell me," she urged. "Did you marry Little Master willingly, or did he force you into this marriage? Don't worry, you just have to tell me the truth. I will definitely report him to his grandmother. I will make sure you receive the justice you deserve."
The offer of help was genuine, and for a fleeting moment, I considered nodding and telling her the truth—that I had been coerced. But then the horrifying reality of my situation slammed back into my mind. If I told Mrs. Coi, and she exposed Sebastian, he might lash out in anger and kill my father.
I would have my father's blood on my hands simply because I couldn't keep my promise to marry Sebastian and settle the debt.
I quickly shook my head, managing to produce a credible, bright smile. "No, ma'am, I wasn't forced into this marriage. I willingly married Sebastian myself." I quickly crafted a desperate, frantic lie. "The truth is, I met Sebastian about three months ago, and I fell for him immediately. I pursued him furiously, which led to today's marriage.
Ma'am, as you know, I'm still young, and I only thought about how to get Sebastian to be mine quickly, so I never thought of the other things that come after marriage."
Mrs. Coi's expression softened, seemingly accepting my story of youthful, reckless passion. "Oh, okay, no wonder you looked frightened by my talks," she said, relaxing.
"You clearly haven't thought this through. But what matters is that you love Sebastian. And I can assure you, my darling, the rest will come to you naturally. Just remember that Sebastian is the man you chose, and that you want Sebastian to continue being yours. Then I assure you that you will soon be following my advice. So, what about schooling and everything? I'm sure that you are either freshly out of high school or a fresh undergraduate at a university."
I felt much more comfortable now that Mrs. Coi had stopped talking about seduction and conquering men. I smiled happily at her, grateful for the change in topic. "Mrs. Coi, you sure have sharp eyes. I am truly an undergraduate at Cole University."
Mrs. Coi's eyes lit up. "Really? You're attending Cole University? Oh my goodness, you must be a genius then! Only geniuses get to attend a top university like Cole University. So, our Little Master not only gets a pretty and young wife, but she's also a genius, too!". She then continue excitedly So, Lila, what are you studying?"
"My major course is Criminology and my minor course is Foreign Languages," I replied.
Mrs. Coi clapped her hands together, radiating pride. "Really? Oh my goodness, you're such a genius! Ah, ah, ah! Do you know that Little Master also studied at Cole University?"
I was genuinely surprised. I hadn't thought about Sebastian going to university at all; in my mind, he was simply an intimidating figure in the shadowy world of illegal arms.
"Really?" I asked. "What did he study?"
Mrs. Coi, happy to brag about her 'Little Master,' puffed up with pride. "He studied Law, and he graduated from the university at twenty years old! He did his master's and doctoral degrees and finished them at twenty-two and twenty-five, respectively. Now he is a great lawyer!"
The word "confusion" was an understatement for the seismic shock I was feeling. I nearly asked Mrs. Coi if she was truly talking about Sebastian and not someone else.
Sebastian—the man who deals in illegal arms, the man who runs a black-market network—is a lawyer who studied law? Isn't that the very definition of hypocrisy? Not to mention that he was apparently a genius, graduating years ahead of schedule.
I wanted to ask Mrs. Coi if she was mistaken, but I held back the question. However, my eyes must have betrayed my skepticism, because Mrs. Coi looked at me pointedly.
"You don't believe me?" she challenged.
"Then search about Sebastian Dalton, and see if what I'm telling you is a lie."
Mrs. Coi then stood up. "I should get someone to bring your bag up now, and get someone to buy you clothes, too. And I'm very happy that you joined our household here. Welcome to the family, Lila."
I offered her a final, obedient, and respectful smile. I watched her leave the master bedroom, and it was only after the door closed that I realized something crucial: I had completely forgotten about the fact that I had told Mrs. Coi I didn't want to stay in the same room as Sebastian. I was certain Mrs. Coi had deliberately and masterfully led me away from that topic with her skillful redirection.
The old woman's wit was sharp; the saying about the older the ginger, the spicier, definitely came to mind.
But my most pressing curiosity now was driven by Mrs. Coi's claim that Sebastian was a lawyer.
I took out my phone from the expensive purse Sebastian had bought me earlier. I noticed something was missing: the marriage certificate.
I remembered giving it to Mrs. Coi, and she hadn't returned it. I briefly wondered what the old woman wanted with the document, but that was a worry for later.
I opened my phone and went to the search engine. I typed in "Sebastian Dalton."
Immediately, his information flooded the screen. I first saw his biography, which mentioned that Sebastian Dalton was a highly sought after and influential lawyer, so successful that even some of the wealthiest clients couldn't afford to hire him. It detailed how Sebastian was a lawyer who had never lost a case.
The more I read, the more shocked I became. Sebastian was clearly extremely popular and influential, his fame stemming from his exceptional legal skill coupled with his handsome looks.
I continued reading and came to a section detailing his charitable work. The article stated that Sebastian was a philanthropist; and whenever people discussed the philanthropic face in the Velmorra Empire, Sebastian's face was the one that appeared.
I couldn't help but marvel at the level of double life Sebastian was maintaining. How could he be a philanthropist and a highly respected lawyer—someone who knew the law and should hold legal compliance as the highest priority—yet be the same person who was actively breaking it by involving himself in something as illegal as arms dealing?
A cold anger began to simmer in my chest. He is sure very great, I thought bitterly. He managed to fool the whole world. Philanthropist my foot! Would a philanthropist force a little girl to marry him just because the girl's father couldn't settle his own debt? The world has definitely been thoroughly fooled.