Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling is Multifaceted!-Chapter 313: Saw the Gift

"What exactly is preference?"

Ethan Sterling asked again.

Nanny Lynch was completely baffled this time. What kind of questions were these?

She looked up and saw Ethan standing there, his eyes unfocused and expressionless, his demeanor cold, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

What’s wrong with Young Master Sterling today?

Why would he ask her such questions?

"Just answer truthfully when you’re told to answer."

Ethan Sterling wasn’t very patient with others.

"Preference, isn’t Young Master Sterling’s partiality towards Miss exactly that?"

Nanny Lynch said uncertainly, seeing Ethan’s displeased expression, she felt something was off and quickly added, "I guess it’s when you like what they like and hate what they hate." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Nanny Lynch felt bitter. At her age, why was she forced to answer such questions?

"..."

Ethan Sterling glanced at her emotionlessly, then turned and left.

That one look scared Nanny Lynch into a cold sweat.

Ethan walked to the center of the manor and suddenly stepped back a few steps. Two tombstones covered with white cloth stood before him, their white silk slowly fluttering in the wind, hiding the objects within from view.

Preference is when you like what they like and hate what they hate.

Would Seraphina Redgrave show preference towards him?

Ethan’s eyes were filled with complex emotions. Suddenly, he approached the two towering tombstones, grabbed a corner of the white silk, and yanked.

The silk fluttered high into the air like a tattered butterfly, slowly descending to the ground.

The two towering tombstones were exposed just like that. Before, they only had two lonely photographs on them, with not even a name left behind.

Standing in the center of the manor, they appeared somewhat lonely and desolate.

But now those two photographs were gone, replaced by vivid engravings.

The people that were originally in the photos were carved onto the tombstones made of golden nanmu as if they were paintings.

The figures were large, almost occupying half the area.

Though there was no color on them, each stroke was engraved so vividly.

Even the hair of his late sister and mother was captured.

This way, they seemed more lively than in the photos, despite the monochrome, as if they had come to life.

The carvings were extremely deep and would not erode even after a thousand years.

Their smiles would always accompany him, forever and ever.

"Those two tombstones standing there were too lonely."

He vaguely remembered Seraphina once saying that, how did he respond at the time?

Ethan stood in front of the tombstones, contemplating the engravings for a long time. Finally, he recalled his response, "I also hope to preserve them forever, not just the tombstones, but also their appearance and smiles. But no matter how well you preserve photos, they’ll erode. When I’m gone, no one will be able to replace the photos."

That was his original statement.

So the gift Seraphina gave him was this, to help him preserve their appearance and smiles forever.

She even engraved words beneath them.

Each stroke was bold and powerful, very fluid.

Surrounding the text were roses blooming in abundance, some still in buds, some in full bloom, vibrant and alluring.

He never thought that a cold tombstone could be decorated so beautifully.

"Oh, Young Master Sterling, didn’t Miss repeatedly tell you to wait until your wounds were healed to look?"

Nanny Lynch couldn’t help but advise upon seeing Ethan had unveiled the cloth, "Young Master Sterling, you wouldn’t know, but during those few days you were abroad, Miss stayed here and spent almost all her time carving the tombstones."

"..."

Ethan stood still, listening to her continue.

"I also heard that this craft has long been extinct. I don’t know where Miss found a master, but it was quite a feat."

Whenever Nanny Lynch brought up Seraphina Redgrave, she seemed to have more to say, "For this carving, Miss first drew Madame and the eldest miss. To avoid ruining the tombstone, she practiced on other wood several times until she was skilled enough to engrave the drawing."

"..."

"And I noticed Miss’s fingers were covered in blisters. She secretly pierced the blisters at night and continued the engraving the next day with bandages on, saying that with Young Master Sterling’s temperament, you’d definitely want to see it the first day you returned, so she had to hurry."

Nanny Lynch stood behind Ethan Sterling, babbling on, speaking whatever came to mind, unaware of Ethan’s changing expression.

To like what the other likes...

"Haha."

Ethan suddenly burst into laughter, it was unclear why he was laughing. His laughter grew louder, more uninhibited, even a mist forming in his eyes.

So, the one who favored the other was never him.

She clearly knew that the most important people in his life were his late mother and sister, so she remembered his words, learned this craft just to preserve their likeness forever, even injuring her hands without stopping.

But he didn’t know what she cared about most.

All he did was get jealous, fighting for a place in her heart, wanting to be the only one in her life, not even allowing Veridian Isle to contend with him.

But did he do something wrong?

He simply wanted to occupy a unique place in her heart, did he do something wrong?

"Young, Young Master Sterling..."

Nanny Lynch was stunned by his sudden laughter.

Ethan Sterling suddenly turned his head, staring at her fiercely, "Even you find me ridiculous?"

Ethan Sterling had lived so many years, it was the first time anyone dared to outright say he was ridiculous to his face.

But now, he even felt he was ridiculous himself.

"Young Master Sterling, are you okay?"

Nanny Lynch looked at him dumbfounded, contemplating whether to call over Miss.

Before Nanny Lynch could make a decision, Ethan was already striding towards the main building, his steps labored, his retreating figure looking utterly dejected.

...

In the lounge upstairs, Seraphina Redgrave held a magazine, its contents so dull that she fell asleep while reading.

She was curled up on the sofa, one hand in a fist resting against her head, the other placed on the magazine.

Sleek black hair slipped from her shoulder, eyes gently closed, exuding a hint of laziness.

Suddenly, she sensed an obvious gaze on her, even in her sleep, she was abruptly awakened.

Ethan stood in front of her, looking down at her, his amber eyes swirling with emotions, their depths obscured, somewhat frightening.

"What’s wrong?"

Seraphina sensitively noticed something was off about him.

"I saw your gift."

His tone carried neither fondness nor dislike, and it was precisely this neutrality that was most unsettling.