Courtyard House: I Have Countless Bodyguards

Isabel tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then slowly stood up at Liu Jianguo's calm gaze.

"Yes, Father."

She responded softly and followed the count toward the heavy, carved wooden door leading to the study.

The door closed gently behind her, as if separating two worlds.

In the living room, only Liu Jianguo, Emily, and Margaret, the Marchioness, with a complicated expression and the duty of being the lady of the house, remained.

Margaret gave Liu Jianguo a polite smile, gesturing for him to have some more tea and snacks, but anyone could see that her mind had already gone into the study with her husband and daughter.

Emily also quieted down, stirring her black tea in her cup somewhat uneasily.

The heavy oak door to the study closed behind me, shutting out the last trace of warmth that lingered in the living room.

The air is thick with the scents of cigars, old leather, and parchment, and towering bookshelves reach to the ceiling, crammed with heavy volumes.

Instead of going to the main seat behind the desk, Arthur Cavendish stood in front of the fireplace, his back to his daughter, looking at the fire.

His broad back was taut like a stone, and his suppressed anger was almost tangible.

However, when he turned around and his gaze fell once again on the undeniable outline of Isabel's abdomen, his raging anger seemed to be doused with ice water, transforming into a more complex and heavier emotion—

Anger, disappointment, heartache, and a sense of powerlessness in the face of the fait accompli.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his turbulent emotions. His voice was hoarse, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Now, Isabel, tell me."

So, what are you planning to do?

He paused, his gaze locking onto his daughter's eyes like a hawk's, and continued:

"Who is Liu Jianguo?"

What do you do? Do you... have plans to get married?

Or is this just a...?

He struggled to choose his words and said:

"...An unexpected problem?"

Then his voice suddenly rose, filled with suppressed pain, and he continued:

Do you know what this child means?

For yourself, for your future, and for the Cavendish family!

Faced with her father's suppressed, stormy questioning, Isabel did not avoid his gaze.

She stood ramrod straight, one hand unconsciously protecting her lower abdomen; this instinctive action carried a silent strength.

She didn't cry, didn't argue, and didn't back down. She simply answered in an unusually calm, even resolute, tone:

"Father, I understand perfectly well."

The word "clear" means that she is aware of the changes in her body, the gaze of the outside world, the rules of her family, and what she is facing.

Instead of saying "I know I was wrong," she said "I understand everything."

This subtle difference shows that she was not ignorant, but rather made a choice with a certain degree of clarity and was prepared to bear the consequences.

"Understand? No, you don't understand at all!"

Earl Arthur's voice trembled slightly with excitement. He took a step forward, his fingers unconsciously tightening, and continued:

This is a scandal!

Isabel!

She got pregnant out of wedlock, and the man was an Asian man of unknown origin!

This will make our Cavendish family a laughing stock in British social circles for decades to come!

Have you ever imagined the whispers in those salons, the veiled mockery in the newspapers?

Have you thought about how your younger siblings will cope in the future?

His chest heaved, and finally, with a pained expression, he pointed out the most crucial point, one of the sources of his anger, and continued:

"And you, you should have been... You have the purest and noblest blood in your veins, you are the eldest daughter on whom I once placed great hopes!"

He is one of the Cavendish family's de facto heirs!

Your marriage and your children should have been the bonds that solidified your family's position and ensured its continued glory.

Instead of... instead of becoming a stain that needs to be covered up, like it is now!

Isabel endured her father's rage, her face turning slightly pale, but her eyes remained unwavering.

She knew that any emotional rebuttal at this moment would be futile.

After her father vented his anger based on "aristocratic dignity," she needed to come up with something more powerful.

She took a small breath, raised her eyes, and met her father's pained and angry gaze.

His voice was clear and steady as he uttered a statement that sounded almost absurd to Marquis Arthur:

"Father, please calm down."

Liu Jianguo is not what you imagine.

He has some influence.

"power?"

Count Arthur, as if he had heard something laughable, curled his lips into a mocking smile, his anger mixed with disdain, and continued:

"power?

Nouveau riche doing business in the Far East?

Or is he a local tyrant in some colony?

Isabelle, have you been in Hong Kong for too long and been blinded by those illusions?

In the face of true power and ancient lineage, those so-called powers are insignificant!

The Cavendish family's glory cannot be bought with money or a few cargo ships!

His words were filled with the arrogance of the old aristocracy and a deep-seated contempt for "new money" and colonial power.

Isabel was not flustered by her father's mockery.

On the contrary, her father's contempt seemed to calm her down.

She took half a step forward, lowered her voice, and spoke with an unusual solemnity and an almost "secret" air:

"Father, I understand your thoughts."

But I'm not referring to ordinary commercial wealth or local influence.

There are some things I have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with, so I cannot say them all.

But I can tell you a part... part that I can say.

She looked directly into her father's eyes and said, word by word:

"On the condition that you swear an oath on the honor of the Cavendish family, what you hear next will only be known to the family and will be kept absolutely secret."

Her attitude shifted from that of a daughter enduring interrogation to that of an "insider" possessing crucial information who would only speak if the other party promised confidentiality.

This subtle change caused Marquis Arthur's anger and contempt to momentarily falter.

Earl Arthur frowned, scrutinizing his daughter's unusually serious face.

He knew his eldest daughter well; she was proud, opinionated, and not one to speak carelessly.

The certainty in her eyes and the solemnity that seemed to indicate "this is of utmost importance" at that moment did not appear to be feigned.

This slightly replaced the disdainful anger in his heart with a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

He was silent for a few seconds, then finally let out a snort through his nose, barely managing to suppress his intense emotions, and said in a deep voice:

"So mysterious."

it is good,

I swear in the name of Cavendish,

"The conversation we have here today will not be revealed to anyone outside the family. Go ahead and speak."

His tone remained harsh, but clearly, Isabel's seriousness forced him to temporarily suppress his pure anger and give her some space to listen.