Chapter 4: The Darker the Heart, the More Perfect the Facade

"What's wrong? What happened to your leg?" Jason noticed her pale expression and only then spotted the scrape on her knee, exclaiming in concern.

"It's nothing. Go report to the production crew first," Delphine opened her eyes, suppressing all her emotions, and said faintly, "After filming, I still have matters to attend to."

The production kicked off its opening ceremony quickly. As per tradition, offerings were made to pray for safety and good fortune, hoping for a box office hit. This Republic-era drama was a major production, featuring a cast of well-known rising stars within the industry, along with several seasoned veterans.

The filming process wasn't smooth. The lead actress, Viola Taylor, kept messing up during shoots; it was said that her landing the leading role was thanks to the five-million-dollar investment from her backer. Rumors even claimed that her backer's surname was Leclair—a name that was synonymous with the most prestigious family from the Southern Seas.

By evening, Delphine received the notice: her scenes were canceled, and her role had been replaced. Even as a background actor, she was replaced. The days were becoming increasingly difficult.

When she walked out, streetlights were already aglow, emitting a faint yellow light that cast muted reflections on the gray tiles and ancient rooftops. The Northern Town's old district at night carried a stillness, as if time itself had frozen.

Passing by a newsstand, she bought a newspaper and stood under a streetlamp nearby, lighting a cigarette. She didn't smoke it, just let it burn away.

The headline on the front page read: "This year's Southern Seas Charity Gala hosted by the Leclair Family, with the Crown Prince expected to make an appearance."

Every spring transitioning into early summer, the Southern Seas held an annual charity gala, hosted in rotation by the most prestigious aristocratic families. This year was Leclair Family's turn. As hosts, the Leclair Family's charity gala outshined those of any other family.

She tossed the newspaper into a recycling bin and sneered. These days, the darker one's heart, the more flawless and impeccable one's exterior appeared. Ignatius Leclair was like that; everyone in the Leclair Family was like that.

Since Ignatius would be attending this year's charity gala, it was the perfect chance for her to return to the Leclair Family and get answers about Jude.

The Leclair mansion was in the Southern City's old district. Spanning over a century of heritage, the Leclair estate was surrounded by residences of governmental elites and aristocrats. Their mansion adopted the style of old-fashioned red-brick French villas, nestled deep within grand sycamore trees—a serene and picturesque retreat. The Leclair patriarch had a penchant for rosewood; alongside its red walls and green roof tiles, the floors and furnishings of the mansion were crafted entirely from rosewood—a spectacle of extreme opulence.

Delphine arrived at eight o'clock, just as the charity gala commenced. She stood under the sycamore trees, looking at the iconic red-bricked house of the Leclair mansion while smoking a cigarette. In this sparse and quiet area, the spring night breeze blew coolly. Finishing her cigarette, she smoothed out her hair, which had been tousled by the wind, and crossed the street to ring the doorbell.

"I'm looking for Miss Carter. I'm her niece," Delphine said faintly to the security system at the gate.

Miss Carter was her biological mother, Beatrice Carter. Before the age of fifteen, she'd lived with her grandmother in a small town. Her mother visited her only once a year. After her grandmother passed away, her mother brought her to the Leclair mansion, introducing her as her niece—a pitiful orphan with no parents—to live under her care.

From the moment she stepped into the Leclair mansion, her mother transformed into her aunt, becoming Miss Carter.

In a family as prominent as the Leclairs, where the lady of the house had passed away years ago, her mother gave birth to Jude but never received a proper status from Stone Leclair. If the Leclair Family ever discovered that her mother had also previously given birth to a daughter, not only would Delphine be cast out of the mansion, her mother and Jude would face the same fate.

Soon, the door opened. A butler in standard formal attire, well into his fifties but with a spirited demeanor, greeted her. He smiled and said, "Miss Delphine, Madam isn't home, but the young master is."

Delphine hesitated momentarily. The butler continued to smile and said courteously, "Miss Delphine, you're welcome to come in and sit for a while."

Delphine nodded, softly thanked him, and followed the butler into the side hall. The main hall of the Leclair mansion was only opened for banquets or significant events. The side hall connected to the garden, where the ground lights were lit by this hour, casting faint yellow glimmers that dotted the serene night. As Delphine stepped inside, an inexplicable unease gripped her heart.

It was her first time stepping into the Leclair mansion after all these years.

"Butler Lee, could you let my mother know I'll come another day?" She stopped mid-step and didn't proceed upstairs.

The butler nodded with understanding and said kindly, "Miss Delphine, wouldn't you like to see the young master? He's currently studying his lessons."

Delphine shook her head, casting her gaze downward with a self-deprecating smile, and said faintly, "Another day."

She turned to leave. As the side hall door swung open, a tall figure emerged gracefully from the shadowed garden. His breathtakingly handsome face was arresting; the man spoke, his voice low and gravelly: "Delphine Carter, back in the Southern Seas already?"