In the Pine House, the real Harper was asleep. She had been feeling drowsy and sleepy a lot in recent days. The heavy rain made her even more eager to sleep. She fell asleep after breakfast and hadn't awoken yet.
Fred and Forsythia were standing guard outside. It was a strange time, with a fake Harper in the Phoenix House, but the real Harper didn't seem to be worried at all. However, Fred and Forsythia dared not relax even the slightest bit when Harper was sleeping.
When Francis, supported by Owen, appeared in the rain, Forsythia was shocked to see him. Then she turned her head aside, as if something had come to her mind all of a sudden, pretending that she hadn't seen him. Fred didn't even raise his eyebrows from the moment he saw him. He just turned a blind eye to Francis' embarrassment and difficulty.
Francis' eyes lit up slightly at the sight of Forsythia, as if something was about to spill over his eyes. He gestured for Owen to help him enter the Pine House.
"Is Uncle Matthew here?" Francis asked in a feeble voice. He looked disheveled and out of sorts.
Forsythia simply snorted, without uttering a word in reply. Fred answered in a cold voice, "His Highness has not yet come back."
"Is Aunt Harper here?" Francis asked. Somehow, he sensed that the Pine House was not empty, and the person inside was the real Harper.
Fred was at a loss for words when he heard that, because he was a poor liar. Meanwhile, Forsythia said in anger, "Her Highness is in the Phoenix House. You have come to the wrong place."
"I have already been to the Phoenix House. The person inside is not Aunt Harper." Francis started coughing again. He coughed so violently that he could hardly straighten up, and it was very difficult for Owen to hold him up. However, Owen was shocked to hear what Francis had said since he had noticed nothing wrong with that Harper.
Forsythia was astonished by Francis' words too, for she hadn't thought an outsider would be able to identify the woman in the Phoenix House as a fake Harper. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to reply to Francis.
"Miss Forsythia, Prince Francis has been feeling uncomfortable for a few days, and he was caught in the rain for a long time today. Please report to Her Highness and ask her to see Prince Francis in person," Owen pleaded.
Turning her face to one side, Forsythia said stubbornly, "Her Highness is in the Phoenix House."
"All right, I heard you. Her Highness is in the Phoenix House. But will you let Prince Francis see the person in this house now?" Owen said anxiously. Francis now could hardly stand steadily and might pass out at any time. He was too weak to endure this torment.
Forsythia shifted her eyes to Fred, but Fred just stood still as if he hadn't heard anything. She remembered Harper's suspicions. At the thought that Francis, who was in front of her, might be the backstage mastermind of the plot against Harper, Forsythia dared not let him come in even if he looked like he might fall to the ground at any moment.
Seeing Forsythia turn her head away and refuse to speak again, Owen immediately knelt down and pleaded, "Miss Forsythia, Prince Francis' body really can't bear it. I beg you. Please report to Her Highness and see if she is willing to see Prince Francis. I beg you. Please."
Francis felt extremely unsteady and couldn't see clearly. But he was determined not to fall down. Harper's smiling face and voice came to his mind. He felt heartbroken by the thought that he might never see her face or hear her voice ever again.
Half asleep, Harper heard people arguing outside. Drowsily, she asked, "Forsythia, what happened? What's that noise outside?"
Forsythia suddenly stiffened when she heard Harper's voice. She knew it was because of Owen's loud voice that Harper was awakened. "Sir, nothing happened. Please go back to sleep. I was just driving the chattering sparrows away."
"Your Highness, I'm Owen. Prince Francis is about to die. I beg you. Please see..." Owen shouted, heedless of everything else, as soon as he heard the voice from inside. However, before he could finish his words, Forsythia clamped him by the neck.
"If you don't pipe down, I'll cut off your tongue!"
Finally Harper woke up and became lucid. She got up and put her clothes on. When she opened the door, she felt the chill outside. She saw Forsythia with her hands clamped on Owen's neck, while another man dressed in white was lying on the ground, struggling to stand up but failing.
Harper took a step forward, but Fred stopped her immediately. "It's cold and wet outside..."
Harper took an umbrella and opened it, striding over to the man on the ground. Seeing that Harper come out, Forsythia hastily released her grip on Owen's neck. Owen fell to the ground, gasping violently for air, but even in that state he crawled towards Francis right away and tried to support him.
Harper frowned to see the terribly weakened Francis, who was lying on the ground. For a moment, she was unsure how to react. Meanwhile, Owen helped Francis stand up.
Francis smiled innocently when he saw the person standing in front of him and frowning, though he himself looked extremely disheveled at the moment. His sincerity was revealed plainly by his eyes. "Aunt Harper, you finally agree to see me."
Harper frowned tightly while looking at the drenched Francis. "Were you trying to die?"
Francis stumbled and looked at Harper with embarrassment. Something spilled over his eyes. It was hard to tell whether the liquid on his face was tears or just rainwater, since it was raining heavily. "Aunt Harper, what the point of my life?"
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