Chapter 4 No One Is Worthy Except Her

In a fit of anger, Sophia stomped and shouted, "Tobias!" However, Tobias no longer paid attention to the bratty Sophia. Instead, he instructed in a deep voice, "Mrs. Cole, prepare a clean set of clothes for Mrs. Larkin while you treat her injury." Remaining silent, Cordelia lowered her head and glanced at the messy dregs on her body. Noticing that the scent of dishes still lingered on her outfit, she felt so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole and crawl into it. Tobias is a severe neat freak, so I suppose he can't stand my messy state right now. That's why he asked Mrs. Cole to take me upstairs to get cleaned and changed. Thus, Cordelia refrained from dismissing further. After glancing at Sophia's face, which twisted in anger, she obediently followed behind Mrs. Cole. Before ascending the spiral staircase, Cordelia failed to notice Richard standing majestically among the crowd in the emptiness of a corner of the room. His astute and profound eyes radiated a touch of approval as he scanned Cordelia gently. Impressive. This daughter-in-law of mine really ticks off most of my requirements. She is neither spoiled nor arrogant and always docile. "Oh, my God! What… happened here?!" Agnes, who came out of the kitchen belatedly, was startled, for not only was there a mess on the marble floor, but the room was also full of people staring at each other. "Mom!" Feeling aggrieved, Sophia threw herself into Agnes' arms and whined, "Tobias is helping that witch again!" Upon hearing Sophia's complaint, Agnes immediately understood what was going on. One is my daughter, while the other is my son's wife. As a mother, what else can I do? Although I have always wanted to know what deadly feud existed between Sophia and Aurelia, Sophia refused to mention anything every time I asked her. Glancing at Tobias' grim expression from the corner of her eye, Agnes hugged Sophia and comforted her, "There, there. Language, darling. She's not a witch. She is your sister-in-law. So, treat her with respect in the future!" Then, Agnes summoned two servants and ordered, "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and clean up this place. We're about to eat. Yet, this place looks like a total mess." … Finally, various scrumptious dishes filled the round jadeite table now that the minisode before dinner was over. Richard had already taken his seat along with others. Cordelia, after changing into a new set of clothes, descended the stairs and joined them at the dining table. Her scalded hand had been disinfected and securely bandaged. Tobias' seat was right next to Richard's. Even though she was still somewhat nervous, she sat next to Tobias as before. Meanwhile, Sophia sat right across from her. Just as she took her seat, Cordelia saw Sophia glaring at her with hostility. Nonetheless, she pretended not to notice it and picked up her fork and knife. Perhaps because Richard was present, everyone kept their head low and ate their food. Even the sound of chewing was almost out of earshot. After a while, Cordelia felt suffocated from the awfully oppressive atmosphere. Thus, she couldn't help but glance at the man beside her. As his delicate fingers held the fork and knife, Tobias slowly picked up the dishes and put them on his plate. Then, he scooped some mashed potatoes together with the dishes and ate them. Clearly, what he did was nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, he executed it so elegantly, like a noble. As a result, Cordelia couldn't help but feel slightly infatuated. About 10 minutes later, the meal was coming to an end. Only then did Agnes instruct the servant to serve a large pot of stew to the table and fill up one bowl after another for the guests at the table. When it was Cordelia's turn, Agnes specifically picked up a large piece of ribs and put it in her bowl. "Aurelia, eat more ribs as they help nourish your body. Giving birth won't be so strenuous once your health is in tip-top condition," she urged. Despite her soft voice, Agnes' words managed to reach the ears of everyone present. At once, the atmosphere at the dining table became even more tense. Cough-cough— Choking on a mouthful of mashed potatoes, Cordelia coughed incessantly. Her face, too, was already flushing red. I knew it! I can't escape getting bombarded with this topic every time I come back to the Larkin Estate! This is also what I am most afraid of returning here with Tobias. To put it baldly, I'm just a substitute for Aurelia. So, even if it is to have a child, it should be between Aurelia and Tobias. But what if Aurelia never returns? Does that mean I have to give birth to a child on her behalf, too? No way, right? "Oh, what's with the coughing? You two aren't young anymore. Since you two have been married for so long, shouldn't you have a child by now?" Agnes smiled warmly, seemingly not to notice the grim expression on Sophia's face. Just then, Richard suddenly put down the dishware and tableware in his hand. Raising his head, he gently glanced at Cordelia and Tobias with his profound eyes. "Yes, this is also the reason why I summoned you two back this time. Although the Great Larkin Group is now under Tobias' management, we still need to think about the issue of heirs. Don't you think it's a bit late if you start thinking about having a baby when you're older?" added Richard, his tone was solemn. As if truly putting his thinking cap on, he added, "I think you two should temporarily stay here for a while to start getting ready for Aurelia's pregnancy." Like a shot, the atmosphere turned as silent as the grave. At this moment, a hint of unease was already crawling at Cordelia's chest as she felt her cardiac muscle stretch taut. She waited for Tobias to speak up for her. Yet, what came next was the sound of a slap. Sophia slammed her fork and knife on the table, swiftly rose to his feet, and said, "I don't feel like eating anymore. So, you guys just go ahead and enjoy yours!" With that, Sophia rushed out of the house in her high heels. Seeing this, Agnes breathed out a helpless sigh. "What is she getting angry over again?"