Henry Clark smiled and said, “Emily said the same thing. He even secretly set out without telling me, just to stop me from going. Mother, do you think he should be punished?”

William Carter raised his eyebrows.

Henry Clark... So it really was about this.

Bennett glanced at William Carter, her expression pausing ever so slightly before she gently said, “Emily was thinking of your health. There’s nothing to punish him for.”

Henry Clark chuckled softly, “Since even Mother says so, then I won’t punish him. But this can’t happen again, you can’t leave me behind anymore, Emily.”

William Carter felt complicated. “Mm.”

Henry Clark chatted with Bennett about some family matters, then casually brought up the matter of the return gift: “Emily’s return gift was something I took from my birth mother’s dowry, so I didn’t inform Mother in advance. I hope you don’t mind.”

Bennett smiled, picked up her teacup and took a sip before saying, “Those things were left to you by your birth mother, of course you may do as you wish with them.”

The fact that Bennett was not Henry Clark’s birth mother was something William Carter had heard a little about before. Henry Clark’s birth mother was the original wife of the Marquis of Nan’an, and the legitimate daughter of Duke Wen—one of the most powerful families in the capital. Duke Wen had two daughters: one married into the Marquis of Nan’an’s household, and the other is now the current Empress.

Henry Clark was born into the marquis’s household, with a prominent maternal family, and should have had a bright future. Unfortunately, his birth mother died of hemorrhage during childbirth, and he himself was born premature and frail, with doctors predicting he wouldn’t live past twenty.

The Marquis of Nan’an doted on his legitimate eldest son, sparing no effort to treat his illnesses, and didn’t dare to discipline him as strictly as other heirs. Later, to have someone manage the household, he married Bennett as his second wife, and had a son and a daughter with her.

Henry Clark was raised by Bennett from a young age, and in all things, Bennett put Henry Clark first—she was even more devoted than a real mother—at least, that’s what the matchmaker told William Carter before he married in.

After returning from Bennett’s place, Henry Clark was nearly at his limit. After taking his medicine, he lay down flat. William Carter also rested on the soft couch, with the screen painted with mandarin ducks playing in water still separating the two of them.

Recalling the events of the day, William Carter couldn’t help but ask, “Young Marquis, are you asleep?”

Henry Clark’s voice came from behind the screen: “Not yet. What, do you want to have a candlelit chat with me?”

William Carter replied in a gentle voice, “Actually, you’re not a fool.”

“Of course I’m not,” Henry Clark said with a laugh. “When it comes to studies, I’ve always been top of the class.”

William Carter was skeptical. “With how lazy you are, you could still be top of the class?”

Henry Clark’s voice grew softer. “Mm... Disliking studying and being top of the class aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“How so?”

“There are things I hate doing, but I know doing them will benefit me, so I force myself to do them. Studying is like that, and so is paying respects.”

William Carter thought for a moment, then asked, “But you’ve been sickly since birth, when did you ever have the chance to study with others?”

William Carter waited for a while, but didn’t get a response from Henry Clark, and realized he must have fallen asleep.

After the New Year, it grew warmer day by day, and the hardest winter days for the sick were finally over. As the days warmed, Henry Clark’s health visibly improved, and he no longer needed a wheelchair to get around. Besides sleeping, he took a liking to walking birds, admiring flowers, playing pitch-pot, watching operas... In short, anything that didn’t require much effort but was entertaining, he enjoyed.

On this day, William Carter was in the study preparing medicine according to a prescription. The prescription was written by his father on the day of the return visit, and he wanted to figure out its secrets. As for whether to use it for Henry Clark, he hadn’t decided yet. Some of the ingredients in the prescription were toxic and would cause extra suffering for the patient. He wondered if there were any milder alternatives...

A crisp oriole’s song interrupted William Carter’s thoughts. The sound was melodious and pleasant—enjoyable when at leisure, but when it appeared while he was concentrating, it was just annoying.

William Carter didn’t want to pay attention at first. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. But the oriole’s song was relentless, mixed with bursts of laughter. Unable to bear it any longer, William Carter got up and opened the window, and said coldly to a certain someone who was walking birds, “Young Marquis, please keep your bird under control.”

Henry Clark turned at the sound, holding a golden birdcage in his hand. Besides Julia Lane, he was surrounded by a group of young maids from Blue Wind Pavilion, all drawn by the singing thrush in the cage. Behind him was a golden peach blossom tree that had bloomed early.

“So it’s Doctor Lin,” Henry Clark spoke to him through the window, the spring breeze carrying a smile in his voice. “Would you like to come and play with my bird?”

Henry Clark’s face still carried a sickly pallor, thin and elegant, his demeanor lazy and casual, like jade drunk and mountains crumbling, yet William Carter sensed something different about him.

For some reason, he felt that Henry Clark shouldn’t look so frail and delicate, but should be a young man “riding a horse by a slanting bridge, with red sleeves waving from every floor.”

“I’m busy,” William Carter said. “Can you all keep it down?”

Henry Clark replied, “Sorry. But you’ve been in the study all day, you should take a break.”

Julia Lane chimed in, “That’s right, young master, the weather’s so nice today. Come listen to the thrush sing with us.”