Chapter 1563: A Mother’s Invitation
Of course, no one thought Marcus had the slightest possibility of becoming Hassen City’s heir, but there had been many cases of delusional mothers doing their best to give their children a chance.
Typically, pregnancy would become dangerous around other women connected to the leading family. This was especially the case because most women in recent years were pregnant due to the fertility pills.
Octavia didn’t answer immediately, though she did sit down in the end, causing grief to her own people.
"How is your pregnancy going?" Zinnia asked, taking a sip of her tea.
"It’s fine."
"I see that you haven’t been eating well."
Octavia flinched, looking at the other woman. "You could tell?"
Zinnia nodded, gesturing for her to drink. "Stay hydrated and drink nourishing food. It will help the swelling and give energy."
Octavia paused before nodding indifferently. Zinnia returned her attitude with a gentle smile.
"Us women have to carry the burden of another life, we need as much energy as we can get."
She remembered her own pregnancy. Because of her depression from being away from home and losing her first child, she didn’t have the energy to eat. She almost lost Margeary at the time, and her world almost caved in.
"No one will take care of your body other than you," she said. "I know that carrying the child of someone you dislike is very difficult, but he or she is part of you."
Octavia’s eyes flickered, unconsciously touching her stomach. Was her dislike of the child so obvious?
"They are more your child than theirs. What did they contribute other than their seeds?"
"I promise that if you dismiss the idea of those men, you would love motherhood too."
Octavia entered a bit of a daze, her delicate fingers on the cup tightening just a bit. "I don’t know how to be a mother."
"No one truly does when starting out, sometimes even after giving birth to two," she chuckled, referring to herself. "As long as you’re sincere in your care, sincere in wanting the best for them, that is enough.
"Do you have any cravings?"
Octavia looked and wondered about it.
"You should listen to them—it might be the nutrients your body needs."
Octavia’s face was stoic, but the way her hand squeezed the cup a bit was very telling.
The topic was oddly becoming uncomfortable to Octavia for some reason, and she immediately put a wall back up again. "I’m not here to chat, Lady Zinnia."
Zinnia was not offended. She simply nodded, waving her hand to invite her to speak. "Then do tell the purpose of your visit."
"I heard that your new guard served the Golds just before they fell," she said, tracing over Silva, whose hair had been dyed black. "I’m just wondering how convenient it is that he’s now guarding you."
"Yes, Silva here was a servant of the Golds," she said. "But he fled when they did, and he went here as a show of loyalty to our family. He wouldn’t get in trouble for that, would he?"
Octavia looked at her before shaking her head.
"You can come visit me any time," Zinnia said. "No need to have this excuse."
Octavia’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her, glaring a bit, and she refused to admit she was ’seen’.
"I’m being sincere," Zinnia said. "Women can chat without having a reason to, you know. Not that I have had many friends in my lifetime, but it has been my dream to have close friendships with other women."
Octavia looked at her, wondering if she was being formal or if there was something she wanted from her.
However, she saw nothing.
Octavia had grown so big and so capable, not because she was a trusting person. Her instinct with people was usually very strong.
It seemed like the Gold family genes were here, too.
"Why are you being kind to me?" she asked. "After what I did?" She helped lead the Golds to their deaths!
"I know of your situation, but I don’t think what happened back then defines you..."
"I have also lost favor now. I’ll be just like you."
She was taught from a very young age that a woman’s value was to be satisfactory to her husband and to be the carrier of his child. Losing favor was akin to a man losing his strength.
Zinnia looked at her. "Is it so bad? Do you even like your husband?" she asked, and Octavia did not answer at first.
"Are you satisfied with your current life?"
"Well, I like that I have been able to raise my children in peace, because I wasn’t threatening other women," she paused, before looking at Octavia with a meaningful gaze. "I wish I could visit my daughter...and perhaps see my old home before I pass."
Octavia pursed her lips. There it was—the favor. Why else would this woman be kind to her?
"Do you want to visit the house they lived in?"
"Perhaps," she said. "Don’t you?"
Zinnia looked at her and saw her disappointment. She stood up and sat next to the younger woman under the eyes of the servants. Zinnia patted her hand.
"Us women should not be fighting or pulling each other down," she said. "This world is already so unkind to us..."
Zinnia’s wisdom came from age and experience. She wanted her daughter not to grow up like those other noble women.
They only suffered. Look at this young lady in front of her. So beautiful and talented, yet so miserable.
Meanwhile, the man she married—who was arguably far less talented—got to enjoy various women, various privileges, without having to work for a single one.
Being so isolated, being ostracized that she could only observe, enlightened Zinnia about a lot of things. Sadly, she was too old to enjoy this wisdom, and her daughter was too far away from her.
At least for now.
She looked at Octavia and was reminded of herself. The difference was that Octavia still had backing and the advantage of having a high level.
Despite her shortcomings, Octavia grew strong-willed and independent when the world wanted her to be otherwise.
Yes, she took a lot of desperate measures—but those were mistakes of naivety, youth, and desperation.
Unlike her brother and her nephews, Zinnia could not find it in her to blame the woman, especially now that she knew they were alive, well, and thriving far away from Bleulle.
She learned a lot more now that Silva had become her son’s guard. They could now talk for a long time, and the man had caught him up with what had happened to her family so far.
They now had their own home, their freedom, and they could live however they wanted without the threat of the leading family looming over them.
She could tell that they were happy, and getting kicked out ended up being a blessing in disguise.
The two women sipped their tea without another word, and tension filled the air but it was also a bit comfortable.
After a pause, Octavia sighed.
"I happened to have received an invite from a noble family in Bleulle," Octavia said. "Would you like to accompany me?"