As those words fell, Anderson raised his head and gazed at the father and son before him with no expression.
It was strange—although they shared blood ties, aside from having nearly identical hair and eye colors, there was no semblance between the three.
Chloe glanced at him, then at Francis and Edmund, and in comparison, Anderson was more handsome.
Francis struggled to put on a smile: "What did the young lady say? We called Anderson back because of our longing for our bloodline."
"Regardless, Anderson has the blood of the Francis family running through his veins. Even falling leaves know to return to their roots, let alone humans."
Upon hearing this, Chloe chuckled: "Your words sound nice, but why didn't you make a move when I took him away back then?"
As she said this, Francis' expression faltered for a moment.
He bent his body slightly and said sheepishly: "This... How could we interfere when the young lady took him away..."
"I see you dared quite a bit," Chloe tapped on the armrest of her chair, her head tilted slightly. "You even dared to sneak people into the Ancestors' Manor, so what is it that you wouldn't dare to do?"
"Crack."
Not far away, a servant accidentally dropped and shattered a porcelain vase, and in the silent hall, the sound was exceptionally loud.
Francis immediately stood up and scolded angrily: "Clumsy fool, what are you doing!"
The servant immediately knelt on the ground: "Master, spare me!"
"Useless! Didn't you see the young lady is here? If you disturb the young lady, you won't live!" Francis berated the servant before ordering others to drag him out.
This sudden incident left Qin Huaibei and the others momentarily dazed.
As they were about to speak, Qin Huaibei felt his hand being pressed down.
Qin Huaibei froze for a moment, looked down, and saw that it was Chloe.
She hadn't even moved her body, only pressing down on his hand.
Qin Huaibei realized what she meant and remained still.
Meanwhile, after scolding the servant, Francis sat back down, took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his temples, and flashed a flattering smile at Chloe, nodding and bowing as he said:
"My deepest apologies, these servants are so clumsy and disturbed the young lady."
Chloe thought to herself that she wasn't even slightly startled, yet this bald man was making a fuss to console her?
Acting, who couldn't do that?
She rolled her eyes inwardly and pushed Anderson forward:
"Go, explain things clearly to him."
Francis didn't expect that Chloe, who had been the one taking the lead, would suddenly push Anderson out. He was momentarily at a loss.
He raised his eyes and met Anderson's deep emerald gaze, feeling a slight jolt of surprise.
This cub's gaze... was terrifying.
Francis was taken aback for a moment. As he was about to say something, he heard Anderson speak up:
"Your Grace, although I don't know why you're in such a hurry to call me back, if it's only for an heir, my opinion is that your eldest son here may still have a chance to recover."
As those words fell, Edmund, who had been keeping his head lowered, slowly raised it.
Anderson and his elder brother made eye contact.
It was only then that Chloe and the others could clearly see the eldest son of the Francis family, who had taken a leave from The No.1 Military Academy.
After a few months, he appeared quite haggard.
Daniel leaned over and whispered to Qin Huaibei: "Doesn't he look like he has kidney deficiency?"
Qin Huaibei: "...Don't talk nonsense."
Although he did seem that way.
Edmund's complexion was extremely sallow, and his limbs were broken, though they showed signs of being mended. But it was evident that Edmund himself was unwilling to move them.
His face was ashen, and his lips were pale.
As Chloe observed him, she burst into laughter: "Why do you look so haggard?"
She looked at the eldest son leisurely: "A few months ago at The No.1 Military Academy, you didn't look like this when you were harassing me."
As her words fell, Daniel immediately stood up: "Who? Who harassed you?!"
"Someone actually dared to harass you! Which blind fool was it!"
Chloe ignored him, and Qin Huaibei pulled him back down.
On the other side, upon hearing those words, Edmund began trembling all over.
He shook violently, causing the entire wheelchair to tremble as well.
It seemed he had recalled something horrifying, as he began foaming at the mouth, and his eyes rolled back.
Francis was startled: "What's wrong? Edmund!"
Edmund's condition was dire. With great effort, he raised his hand and pointed forward—
Directly at Anderson.
Seeing this, Francis gripped Edmund's hand tightly and scolded: "Don't lose your mind!"
He glanced at Anderson, his gaze pausing for a moment.
To his surprise, Anderson was smiling.
His lips curved in a casual smirk, and his emerald eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched the trembling Edmund.
Noticing Francis' gaze, Anderson slowly shifted his eyes.
Those deep pupils landed on Francis, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
He was utterly horrified, recalling what Edmund had told him before, and dared not say another word. He immediately took Edmund upstairs.
After they disappeared around the corner of the stairs, a knight approached Chloe and the others, saying:
"Young Lady, the eldest son's health is poor, and the master must go and attend to him, so I'm afraid we can no longer host you."
Chloe set her teacup on the table: "I see, it seems your eldest son's health is indeed not good."
The knight kept his head lowered and slowly nodded.
Chloe smiled and added: "He also appears rather weak. Remember to tell your master that in Edmund's current state, he can hardly assume major responsibilities."
The knight: "..."
He steeled himself: "Yes, I will convey your message to the master faithfully."
Upon hearing this, Chloe turned away, satisfied.
As they were about to leave, another knight rushed over:
"Mr. Anderson, this is a letter from the master for you!"
As those words fell, the group stopped.
The knight respectfully handed the letter to Anderson, not forgetting to cast a wary glance at Chloe as he emphasized:
"This is a letter from the master specifically for Mr. Anderson."
His demeanor made it seem as if Chloe were some sort of bully.
Chloe narrowed her eyes slightly, no longer looking at the knight, and said directly to Anderson: "Let me see it."
Anderson didn't hesitate at all, and handed the letter straight to Chloe.
The knight who had just been repeatedly cautioned: "......"
Chloe waved the letter in her hand, revealing a triumphant smile, then snorted and turned to walk away.
Who dares to act up in front of her?
She really couldn't be bothered with this.
