Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Living in Your Heart (20)

"What happened afterward?"

"Later, you ran away by yourself, and your father took quite a few people to catch you, but they didn’t find you. Afterward, I received a letter from you, handwritten, with just four words: No Further Relation."

Jacob Green listened quietly beside them, not speaking at all, completely acting as if he were an outsider.

"When did you see me again?"

"I saw you again two years later. You were a few months pregnant, and the child’s father was the Pharaoh’s son at the time. I was still struggling to let go, while you were carefree, joking with me, as if our past was just a dream to me. You said he treated you well and listened to you about everything. At that time, he hadn’t been betrothed yet, and your smile was still so radiant. Then Marcus Hayes II betrothed him to Diana Dorrell, a young lady from a prestigious aristocratic family. After that, I rarely saw you smile. When Marcus Hayes II was critically ill, no one thought he would inherit the throne because he was illegitimate, like me, and wasn’t valued by his father and family. But that impossibility turned into reality, and he eventually sat on the Pharaoh’s throne, becoming Marcus Hayes III."

At this point, the car stopped in front of the old palace site, and the three of them got out with their bodyguards.

"After so many years, this place is still as grand as ever."

Lucy Eaton looked at the majestic old palace site, unable to calm her heart.

Elliot Gill walked and introduced it to them, looking very much like a tour guide.

They walked through winding corridors and passed room after room.

After nearly forty minutes, they finally stopped at the entrance to a courtyard.

Above the doorframe, there was a sign with black background and white letters, reading: Quiet Room.

"What is this place?"

"This was your residence before you moved to Aerion. After getting married, you liked peace and didn’t want to be disturbed, so Marcus Hayes III had you live here. First, this place is relatively secluded, and second, it’s the farthest from Queen Diana Dorrell’s residence. Come in and take a look."

Entering, Lucy Eaton looked around; it was indeed a layout she liked.

She seemed to see the appearance of this courtyard from hundreds of years ago.

The house must be regularly maintained, as modern traces are visible at a glance.

Entering the main room, Lucy Eaton was attracted by a screen.

She approached and examined the screen closely, "This screen is so elegant, and the small animals painted on it are lifelike."

"This is a replica; the original is displayed in the museum, and the fake is for tourists to view. The painting was done by your hand."

She entered the bedroom, and her gaze fell on the ancient bed. A feeling of dizziness overwhelmed her, and Lucy Eaton instinctively reached out to steady Jacob Green.

"Lucy," Jacob Green asked softly, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"It’s nothing. Let’s go outside."

Jacob Green held her shoulder and walked out first.

Strangely enough, once she reached the courtyard, she felt fine, and her headache instantly disappeared.

Elliot Gill then took them to visit Marcus Hayes III’s former residence and Queen Diana Dorrell’s former quarters.

The entire tour of the old palace site took up the morning.

They had lunch at noon, after which Jacob Green and Lucy Eaton checked into a five-star hotel to rest, while Elliot Gill returned to his property in Country A alone.

After taking a hot bath, the two of them indulged in some loving intimacy.

Thinking of that long dress, she got up from the bed and took the clothes out of the luggage.

It seemed tailor-made for her, fitting perfectly when she put it on.

"Does it look good?"

He smiled, squinting, "Where did you buy this outfit? It’s quite pretty, though it looks a bit old."

"In the mall; this outfit wasn’t new originally."

"Did you buy it second-hand?"

"I don’t know exactly how many hands it’s been through. Its original owner is my past life."

"How do you know?"

"The shopkeeper who sold it said so. One look and you can tell it’s come from the black market. The tomb was probably raided long ago." She stretched lazily, "Maybe the morning was too tiring. I’m feeling sleepy now and want to nap."

"Take the clothes off before sleeping."

She lay down directly, her eyelids too heavy, as if all the strength in her body had been sucked away. In a daze, she heard Jacob Green saying, "You go ahead and sleep. I’ll be back shortly."

Lucy Eaton replied indistinctly.

In her dream, she seemed like a fluffy white cloud, freely floating in the air, which felt very comfortable.

It was like soaking in a hot spring pool in the winter or lying on the grass in spring, breathing in the fresh air.

Lucy Eaton slightly opened her eyes, finding herself in a beautiful courtyard, lying on the green grass.

Was she dreaming?

But how could a dream feel so vivid?

She got up and pinched her arm, feeling pain.

Lucy Eaton fell into self-doubt.

She spent a minute pondering the issue, finally coming to the conclusion that she was indeed dreaming.

Yet, where was this place in the dream?

She felt very unfamiliar.

The surroundings were tranquil, so silent it was like being in a vacuum.

Lucy Eaton walked toward the small path next to her, glimpsing a white-clad man in the lush bamboo forest. The man sat with his back to her, occupied with something, his face out of sight.

She lifted her skirt and tiptoed over, discovering he was painting. Perhaps too engrossed, he was unaware of her presence.

"You’re really good at painting."

The man turned his head. As she looked into his eyes, Lucy Eaton momentarily forgot to breathe.

His face was identical to Jacob Green’s, even including the tiny mole near his left eye.

Yet his gaze...

Was just like when they first met, yet also like they’d known each other forever.

"Tia Bailey, you’re finally here. I’ve waited for you for so long."

Lucy Eaton felt a chill hearing this name, this sentence, this voice.

His voice was nothing like Jacob Green’s in life, yet it was a voice she had heard once in a dream. That time, her grandma gave her homemade medicine, and she slept for over twenty hours. During the sleep, a silhouette stood before her speaking, but she couldn’t see their face, though the voice was unforgettable—it was exactly this voice.

What on earth was happening?

How could she dream twice of someone with the same voice?

"What did you call me?"

"Tia Bailey." He stood up, eye level with her, "You’re my Tia Bailey, no matter how many lifetimes you reincarnate, your appearance won’t change."

"Don’t tell me you’re Marcus Hayes III."

"Indeed."

"This dream is truly..."

"It’s a dream, but not a dream." He looked at the clothes she wore, "These clothes brought you to see me."

Lucy Eaton’s smile halted abruptly; she looked down at her clothes and then back at him, "These clothes..."