Ivy nodded. "If we were together, you would have to come with me to Aryadelle." Lucas shook his head. "Don't reject me now. My family isn't that difficult to get along with. They are very nice and are very respectful of my wishes. They wouldn't have allowed me to come here to see you if they didn't respect me." Lucas nodded. "It's great to see that you are doing well, but I won't leave this country." This place was his home; his mother was still here, so he would never leave. In truth, his attachment to this land was not as deep as others' love for their countries, but even so, he was unwilling to leave his country for a woman. Lucas had always been a prideful man, and even if Ivy's family was wealthy, he could not possibly trade his dignity for money. "Let's not talk about this for now. After being apart for so long, let's just treat each other as friends!" Ivy was extremely optimistic, and her smile was radiant and bright. Lucas nodded in agreement. Ivy leaned closer
"I didn't mean it that way. I do feel like doing chores from time to time. You don't know how delicious the meals that our family's chefs make are. Sometimes, I want to cook something myself, but I am too embarrassed. It's different here with you. I know you will definitely eat what I cook." Lucas blushed awkwardly. "Have you finished tidying up?" Ivy nodded. "Take a rest for a while! I'll leave now," Lucas said. "It's still too early for dinner. When you get hungry later, we'll go eat." "Sure. I'll call you later then." "All right." Lucas got up and left. Leaving the hotel, Lucas called Caspian to pick him up. "You are leaving already? Didn't you two have a proper conversation?" "We are done talking." Caspian was excited. "Okay. I'm on my way to pick you up now. You better spill all the juicy details when we meet! I'm dying to know everything." Before long, Caspian arrived in his car. Once Lucas entered the car, Caspian started talking incessantly. "Lucas, did sh
Lucas frowned at Caspian. "I have nothing now. If I go to Aryadelle with her, what will I do there? How will her family see me?" "Who cares about how they see you? As long as Ivy likes you, it's all good! Besides, if you go to Aryadelle, her family will naturally arrange for something for you to do." "I don't want that. I don't want to be dependent on others. I had enough of that a long time ago," Lucas retorted. "Are you going to give up on Ivy then? She is an amazing girl! Lucas, why are you being so stubborn?" Caspian spoke seriously. "If your mom finds out about this, she'll definitely want you to be with Ivy. If you're with Ivy, you'll save yourself twenty years of struggle! No, scratch that! Twenty years don't even cut it! If you're with Ivy, you won't have to struggle for the rest of your life! I've looked into Elliot's background; their whole family is a bunch of business geniuses. Each one of them is incredibly impressive individually." "Which is exactly why I can't be
"I'll find you. I'm nearby." "Sure! I'll come down to the lobby now," Ivy said. After hanging up, she walked to the closet and changed into a beautiful dress. She had taken more clothes with her this time because she knew that there were no longer any secrets between her and Lucas. Three years ago, they belonged to different worlds and were far too young to admit if they even had feelings for each other. However, things had changed. Though they were still from different worlds, Ivy was finally confident enough to take the initiative. Ivy went downstairs and saw Lucas standing by the hotel entrance. She hurried over. "Lucas!" Lucas looked up and turned toward her. Ivy was wearing a strikingly designed dress. Not only was the design unique, but the colors of the dress were bold and vibrant in a way that was hard to forget after a glance. Ivy walked up to Lucas and waved her hand in front of him. "Are you stunned?" Lucas replied, "It's a special dress." "Of course, i
Not wanting his mother to hold unrealistic expectations, Lucas decided to tell her the truth. "Mom, she is the daughter of the wealthiest man in Aryadelle," he said. Lucas' mother froze, and, for a moment, she thought she had misheard him. "Ivy used to be Irene, my nanny back with the Woods. Her biological parents found her after that. Her family is wealthy, and we don't belong to the same world." Lucas' mother's face suddenly looked awkward. "Oh, my. I didn't know you were Irene, Ivy. Lucas told me about you when he heard that you passed away. Who would have known that you were alive and well? How surprising!" "I'm sorry for worrying you two," Ivy said. "Oh, don't apologize! It's a good thing that you are fine!" Lucas' mother studied her intently, awed but disappointed that Lucas was unlikely to marry Ivy. "Please have a piece of cake!" Ivy unwrapped a cake and handed it to Lucas' mother. "A bite should be fine." "Haha! I'm not watching my diet right now! The doctors tol
"I'm telling the truth, but Lucas doesn't want to go to Aryadelle. After all, this is his hometown. It's surely difficult for him to leave his country for my sake," Ivy explained. Lucas' mother shook her head vigorously. "Ivy, he refuses because he lacks confidence, not because of a deep attachment to his homeland. If he felt attached to Taronia, he wouldn't have chosen to study abroad or wanted to start his business in Edelweiss in the first place. Ivy, you mustn't give up on him. Give him a helping hand! He will definitely treat you well in the future." Ivy nodded. "Okay, I'll do my best." Exiting the hospital, Ivy noticed Lucas' somber expression and playfully asked, "What are you thinking about? I greatly enjoy chatting with your mother, no matter what she says." "I'm not thinking about anything," he said. His mother, the one who raised him, was now critically ill, and he felt powerless to help her. He did not want to give up on her life, but the doctors had made it clear
Seeing how insistent he was, Ivy did not argue and simply said, "I believe in you." "How so?" he asked. "I believe that you will be really accomplished in the future, at least more so than what you imagine now," she said. "We don't have to compare ourselves to others. There’s no point in that. We are living for ourselves, not to fulfill others' expectations." "I'm not that ambitious, really," Lucas said. "You don't have to be! I know what you are thinking; you think you aren't worthy of me, and you are worried that my family will be against us dating, right?" Lucas fell silent. "My parents aren't that kind of people. You might not believe me now, but I will bring you to meet them one day. You can still meet my parents even if we are just friends!" "We will see." Lucas sipped on his water. "Yeah. We are still young, anyway. We don't have to rush." They ended dinner at half past nine. The streets were noticeably quieter, with fewer cars in sight. "I'll drive you back
"You are still young, and you can be quite reckless." "I might be young, but I'm far from reckless. I grew up with my grandma, and I've been through a lot. I'd like to think I'm more mature than people my age." Lucas was instantly rendered speechless. "Lucas, I still remember everything that happened between us three years ago like it was yesterday. I will remember them for the rest of my life because I won't ever return to life as difficult as before. If you were willing to help me out back then, when I was at my lowest, then I have every reason to believe that you will treat me well now." "I didn't do much. You just exaggerate what I did because there weren't that many people who treated you with kindness back then." "You paid off my debt behind my back, didn't you? Do you do that for everyone?" Ivy retorted. Lucas pursed his lips. "You once said something that really moved me. You said that you'll still keep me as your nanny when you start earning money. I'm sure you t