Chapter 5: Tonight, You're Sleeping on the Floor

"Celia Greaves! Do you even understand what time it is?" Serena Cutmore's voice rose, sharp enough to cut. "This is the crucial moment for Chloe Greaves to take a master! You're only listed under the second branch, that's all. If you hadn't come back to stir things up, Chloe wouldn't be at risk of losing her chance to study under Master Sowden from the Imperial Capital! Her talent for piano is incredible. How could it be wasted like this…" At first, Serena didn't even catch what Celia had said. She just kept venting, words tumbling out in a furious stream. Then the meaning landed. Her voice died as if someone had clamped a hand around her throat. Her face stiffened, and not another syllable came out. Just those four words-"different father, different mother"-proved Celia knew the truth. That Chloe and Celia had been switched at birth. Serena's head buzzed. One question hammered at her mind. How did Celia find out? And Chloe… the instant Celia said those words, all the color drained from her face. Her whole body locked up, rigid as stone. Possibilities flashed through her mind, one after another, tangling into a knot she couldn't undo. Serena stared at Celia, disbelief warring with panic, and finally forced the question out. "How do you know…? Who told you?" Chloe snapped back to herself, swaying as she looked at Celia, as if a gust of wind might knock her over. Then she turned to Serena, eyes brimming. Tears spilled in an instant. "So… so my sister really does mind me… Sister, I… I'll go, okay? Please don't be angry with Mom." Seeing Chloe on the verge of tears, Serena's heart clenched. She pulled her into a tight embrace. "My poor Chloe… Mom won't allow it! Go where? This is the home you've lived in for eighteen years. Where would you even go?" After soothing Chloe, Serena whipped around to glare at Celia, rage boiling over. "What do you want, Celia? Ever since Chloe found out she isn't my biological daughter, she's been miserable. She's already hurting enough. Do you want to send her off to some backwater mountain ravine before you'll be satisfied? How can you be so vicious? I'll make this clear right here. Chloe is staying in this house. If you don't like it, then get out!" Celia shrugged, her eyes flat and indifferent. "I never said I didn't like it. Whether you raise her or not is your business. I'm only reminding you that I'm under no obligation to pay for her life." Chloe lowered her head, her expression turning painfully ugly. Celia's tone… made her sound like something optional. Like a pet someone could keep or toss aside on a whim. Chloe would rather Celia screamed and threw a fit, rather than treating her like she didn't even matter. Serena let out a breath, but it also felt as if something inside her had been yanked away, leaving a hollow ache behind. Now that she knew Celia had uncovered what they'd tried to bury, Serena had no interest in continuing any other arguments. She sniffed coldly. "As long as you know your place. From now on, learn more from Chloe. Don't disgrace the Greaves family." With that, Serena turned to leave, guiding Chloe toward the stairs. Celia's voice stopped them. "Where's my room?" Serena's patience snapped. "You showed up out of nowhere. When would I have had time to prepare a room for you?" She thought for a moment, then waved it off. "Sleep in Sally's room for one night. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow." "Mom, that doesn't seem right." Chloe bit her lip, hesitating as if she were being considerate. "Sally's older, and she has arthritis. Sleeping on the floor will make her catch a chill. Why don't I let my sister share my room instead?" So touched she nearly cried, Sally's eyes reddened. "How could that work?" Serena blurted without thinking. "She's a country girl. How could she live with you?" Then she turned to Celia, tone casual, as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "Be considerate of Sally. Tonight, you're sleeping on the floor." Chloe glanced at Celia, voice soft. "Will my sister mind?" Serena rolled her eyes. "Mind what? Any corner of this house is better than the poor ditch she crawled out of." Chloe pressed her lips into a small smile, confidence returning. "Then… I guess we'll have to trouble my sister." At least Mom was still on her side. If Celia made a scene, she would only push Mom further away. But if Celia really spent the night on the floor in a servant's room, then everyone in the Greaves family would understand exactly what position Celia held in this house. In just a few lines, the two of them decided where Celia would sleep. The irony was that the Greaves family had plenty of rooms. They had even sent the butler to fetch Celia days ago. But Serena had spent those days comforting Chloe's quiet tears, the two of them acting out a melodrama of mother and child on the verge of separation, and neither of them had spared a single thought for preparing a room for Celia. Celia let out a low laugh and stood, walking toward the door with open mockery in her eyes. Chloe blinked when Celia didn't head downstairs. Then she put on an understanding smile. "Sister, Sally's room is on the first floor. Do you want me to take you there?" First floor, second floor. On the surface, it was only one level apart. In reality, it was a chasm between master and servant. Chloe hadn't expected Celia to walk straight to her bedroom door, open it, and step inside. The smile on Chloe's face froze. She hurried after her, voice gentle, as if yielding. "If Sister wants to stay with me, that's fine…" "No." Celia didn't even look back. Chloe secretly exhaled in relief. "Then-" Celia cut her off with a cool glance. "I don't like sharing a room. Either you clear out a room immediately, or I'll reluctantly take this one." As she spoke, she casually picked up a Crystal Night Pearl from Chloe's vanity and tossed it up and down, once, twice, like it was a cheap marble. Chloe's nails dug into her palm. She lowered her head, tears gathering again. Serena's face turned black. "Celia, this is Chloe's room! Who gave you permission, you country girl? And it's already evening. Can't you just endure it for one night?" Celia looked at Serena lazily, her gaze sharp enough to see through lies. "This is your daughter's room, right? What's wrong with me staying here?" She tilted her head toward Chloe. "She's Howard Shirvinton and Rose Lapwood's daughter. The country girl isn't her, is it?" Howard Shirvinton and Rose Lapwood. The couple who had tossed baby Celia into a village and never looked back. Chloe's biological parents. At the sound of "country girl," and those two names, Chloe started trembling. Her face went deathly pale. "Mom, I'm fine." Chloe forced a smile that only made Serena ache more. "Let my sister have the room. It's already evening, and I can't bear to make Sally prepare anything else…" To have the daughter she'd raised for nearly twenty years called a country girl, Serena nearly fainted from rage. "Celia! I brought you home to give you a family, not to suffer your attitude! Don't be ungrateful! You'll sleep in Sally's room whether you want to or not. If you won't sleep there, you'll still sleep there!" "And you think I came back to be your punching bag?" Celia's expression didn't change as she released the Crystal Night Pearl from her fingers. Bang! The pearl hit the floor and shattered into glittering fragments. It was a declaration of the boss's foul mood ever since she'd returned. If the Greaves family wanted to pretend their blood-related daughter was dead and stop provoking her, Celia wouldn't have cared. But if they insisted on dragging her back into this house and then marching up to her, shoving their faces in front of hers just to pick a fight, then they couldn't blame her for having a temper. Chloe's eyes reddened. She choked on her sobs as she cried, "Sister, if you want my room, I'll give it to you. But why did you break my things? I never tried to steal anything from you. Please don't touch my things, okay? These… these were all gifts from Dad and Mom…" Her fragile, wronged look painted Celia as a devil. Celia acted as if she hadn't heard. She reached out and picked up a jade bracelet, turning it idly between her fingers. That jade bracelet was worth even more than the Crystal Night Pearl, which had cost ¥700,000. Serena's hand shook as she pointed at Celia, her heart bleeding. "You… you…" Monster. She'd brought home a monster. Afraid Celia would smash the bracelet too, Serena ground her teeth and barked at Sally, "Give her the guest room! Tomorrow, clear out the storage room for her and buy what she needs!" The Greaves family kept a guest room for visitors who might show up at any time. They had no choice but to use it to placate Celia for the night. At dinner, the air at the table felt heavy enough to choke on. Then steady footsteps sounded from outside. They looked up. A middle-aged man in an expensive suit walked in, the kind of presence that carried the cold weight of the business world. He stopped in front of Celia. This was her biological father, Charles Greaves. His gaze swept over the three of them. His wife was holding back fury, irritation written all over her face. His daughter's eyes were red as she murmured soft words to soothe Serena, lifting her head only when he arrived to offer a strained, enduring smile. Charles frowned. His eyes landed on the only person who looked completely unbothered: Celia. He greeted her blandly. "Celia Greaves, right? I'm your father. When there are no outsiders, you can call me Dad." As he considered how to talk to this daughter and what to say next, Celia spoke first. "No. You must be mistaken. You're my uncle." Charles's brows drew together. He shot Serena a surprised look. "You already told her about that?" When he learned his biological daughter had grown up in a poor mountain village, he'd made plans immediately. Greaves blood couldn't be left outside. He couldn't bear for his biological daughter to keep suffering. But at the same time, he would never allow such a stain to attach itself to him. So he had told his wife early on that they would place this biological daughter under the second branch. The second branch had never amounted to much. They also had three sons who were even more useless. If he gave them a lump sum for support and let the girl carry their name, they would probably be delighted. It was just that his wife hadn't wanted to be the one to say it first. Serena's chest felt tight. After a moment of silence, she added, "She also knows Chloe's identity." Charles looked mildly startled. He studied Celia, who still looked as if nothing mattered. His eyes flickered. "In that case, Celia, I don't care how you lived in whatever village you came from. But since you're back with the Greaves family, you'll get along with your… aunt and your sister." It was an unspoken acceptance of what she'd called them. Then he added, "Don't cause trouble at home." Celia smiled faintly, but her eyes were deep as a frozen abyss. Charles found her oddly unpleasant. Still, she had her uses. His gaze slid over her stunning face, and his eyes shifted. "You're in your last year of high school, right? Tomorrow I'll take you to your new school and handle the transfer." "I found you the best high school in Pine City, First High School. Make the most of it. Don't waste this chance." At the words First High School, Celia paused. The "No need" that had been about to leave her mouth disappeared. Chloe sat with her head lowered, and in the end, she didn't mention what the butler had told her about Celia's grades. The next day, Charles took Celia to First High School. The Dean of Discipline there counted as an acquaintance and was willing to do Charles a favor. In the office, Charles exchanged polite pleasantries with the Dean of Discipline, the atmosphere warm enough on the surface. Then, as part of the process, the Dean of Discipline asked about grades. Celia's eyelids twitched as she tried to remember whether she'd ever shown up for an exam since elementary school… Charles, unaware of what she was thinking, handed over the transcript he'd prepared in advance. The Dean of Discipline accepted it with a smile. But as he flipped it open and saw rows of neatly written zeros, the smile slowly vanished. He took a deep breath, set the transcript down, and his face hardened. "I'm sorry, Mr. Greaves. We can't accept your niece." Charles frowned, his heart dropping. He glanced at the transcript and saw page after page of huge red "0"s, like they were trying to blind him. The butler had mentioned offhand that Celia's grades weren't good. Charles had been busy and hadn't cared, and he hadn't looked at the transcript. He hadn't imagined "not good" meant this. Under the Dean of Discipline's strange stare, Charles wanted to sink into the floor. Chloe had always ranked near the top at First High School. He had never been this humiliated in his life. "My niece grew up in the countryside," he said, face full of practiced sorrow. "She didn't receive much education. Her parents asked me to find her a school, and I never expected…" "It's fine," the Dean of Discipline said, shooting Charles an understanding look. "If someone deliberately hid it from you, there was nothing you could do." But when he turned to Celia, contempt crept into his eyes. His words turned razor-sharp. "At your age, you should be studying properly. Don't spend all day thinking about shortcuts, trying to use connections through relatives. One day society will teach you what it means to behave!" Celia lowered her gaze and didn't speak. Charles, meanwhile, felt even more grateful for the decision he'd made back then. The Dean of Discipline walked Charles to the door, and they happened to run into the principal in the hallway. Charles immediately hurried over, all smiles. "Principal Jackson, what a pleasure, what a pleasure. I'm Charles Greaves. We met at a charity gala before." Even though Principal Jackson didn't recall him at all, he nodded politely. His eyes, however, drifted past Charles and the Dean of Discipline to Celia behind them. A strange feeling stirred in his chest. He even wondered if he'd mistaken her for someone else. Just as he hesitated, Celia lifted her head and said, "I'm here to attend classes at First High School."