Chapter 378: Chapter 143: The Woman Shared by Father and Son
Count Olson and his son each owned a villa; Count Olson stayed in the villa on the right, while the left one, he proclaimed to the outside world, remained vacant in memory of his nephew who died young—Viscount Pello. That villa had been empty for over a decade; apart from the servants who came to clean regularly, only Count Olson himself had entered. Everyone else, Orleans included, was prohibited from entering.
In December, though the water in the swimming pool at Olson Manor hadn’t frozen over, the estate’s two masters no longer went for swims. In this season, it was expected that all summer activities should cease, and, as such, the interests of these idle and affluent aristocrats shifted to outdoor activities like skiing.
In previous years at this time, Count Olson would have been skiing at his private slopes in the Alpine foothills, and this year was no different. As for skiing, Orleans had never liked it; skiing on the freezing slopes of Shanyin, buffeted by cold winds, and sometimes even coerced into hunting by his father, was undoubtedly the greatest torment for Orleans, a man by nature indulgent and lacking in ambition.
This year’s skiing was still torture, and even more unbearable than in any previous year. After completing his duties in Italy, Orleans had been contemplating whether he should inform Count Olson about his affair with Wen Maixue. Count Olson was his Supreme Emperor; if he could secure Count Olson’s blessing, he would confidently pursue Wen Maixue.
During the journey back, Orleans practiced many times over the speech he intended to give to his father. Whenever he mentioned any of his girlfriends to Count Olson, his father would chastise him, "Don’t talk to me about those whores of yours."
Nearly all women were scolded by Count Olson as whores, including Orleans’s biological mother, who Count Olson called "a whore bought for a high price."
Orleans felt a sense of triumph; this time, Count Olson could find no fault—Wen Maixue was truly a lady of the highest caliber. Her family background and appearance were impeccable. She was like the purest snow at the Alpine foothills, lofty and within reach, and it seemed he was about to grasp that handful of snow.
When he returned home, he remained wrapped in this notion; he even decided he wouldn’t need a bottle of Gold Liquor for courage. Wen Maixue was the best fortification—just the thought of her made Orleans feel like he could even dare to climb Mount Everest.
As he entered the main villa, Orleans smelled a familiar women’s perfume. He found it somewhat amusing; his ostensibly moralistic father, who incessantly declared that "all women are whores after the Olson family’s wealth," still couldn’t abstain from women. This time, who knew what sort of woman his father had brought back.
Father and son, living separately in two villas, rarely saw each other. That day, had it not been for the desire to speak to Count Olson about Wen Maixue, Orleans wouldn’t have taken the initiative to seek out his father.
Count Olson was sitting in the living room, beside him half a bottle of aged Gold Liquor that had been emptied. Orleans wondered if his father also needed liquor for courage. Indeed, more than an hour before Orleans came home, Count Olson had been bolstering his courage—for he had proposed to Wen Maixue.
That damned little enchantress, Count Olson cursed, he had specifically invited Wen Maixue to enjoy the estate to attract her, like all other women, with the astonishing wealth of the Olson family.
When Wen Maixue first arrived at Olson Manor, she did show some astonishment, but soon, like the neglected swimming pool of the manor, she was undisturbed. In fact, beneath Wen Maixue’s unruffled gaze was another emotion—anger.
Wen Maixue was surprised because she never imagined Pello once owned such a beautiful estate; her calm was because she knew that none of this belonged to Pello yet; and her anger was due to the shameless old man by her side, who ceaselessly flaunted his wealth, hoping she would be swayed.
All of this was unknown to Orleans, at least until he sat in front of Olson, resolved to confess his beloved, he didn’t know Wen Mai Xue, whom he longed for, was in a room not far away.
Therefore, when the door to the living room was pushed open and the charming figure wearing the newly bought formal attire from the Olson family appeared in front of both father and son, both members of the Olson family were stunned at the same time.
Her long hair like black silk, a golden, figure-hugging gown, Wen Mai Xue stood there with grace, and she smelled faintly of alcohol. The few drinks she had earlier made her complexion even more enchanting.
"Xuexue, you are truly stunning," Count Olson, compared to the astonished Orleans, reacted more composedly; taking advantage of the alcohol, he embraced Wen Mai Xue and fervently planted a kiss on her cheek with his stubbled chin.
Wen Mai Xue didn’t push Olson away, quite the opposite; she reciprocated by embracing him, "My dear."
Her term of "my dear" left Orleans utterly confused. Why was his Xiao Xue with his father, and why were they intimate like a couple of lovers?
"Orleans, this is Miss Wen Mai Xue. I met her in Marseilles last month, and just now, I’ve proposed to Miss Wen Mai Xue," Olson said in one breath, leaving Orleans at a loss for words.
The conversation he had practiced countless times was now in vain. He wanted to ask Wen Mai Xue, but her gaze did not meet his own.
In the following days at Olson Manor, Orleans constantly heard Wen Mai Xue’s laughter, even in his dreams. He wanted to find an opportunity to speak with Wen Mai Xue, but his father always took the lead, occupying the place he sought.
Yesterday, upon Wen Mai Xue’s suggestion, Olson decided to head to their private Alpine ski resort earlier than planned. Wen Mai Xue suggested Orleans should come along, but he declined. Orleans couldn’t bear to witness the scene of his beloved together with his father. After drinking three whole bottles of golden liquor, Orleans still didn’t have the backbone or courage to stop the car pulling away, carrying Wen Mai Xue and Olson.
"I said I don’t want to see anyone," hearing the urging of the servant outside, Orleans smashed a decorative porcelain plate, full of anger to vent. Why could his father now leisurely stroll arm in arm with Wen Mai Xue, while he had to stay in the manor to entertain some damned guests.
"The housekeeper said that the master instructed before he left that you must meet them, and if it’s inconvenient for you to receive them, you could take them to the ski resort to find him," the servant relayed Housekeeper Dennis’s words.
"To the ski resort?" Orleans, still a bit dizzy, struggled. He had already been drinking; maybe now he had the courage to look for Wen Mai Xue. (To be continued. If you like this story, feel free to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian (). Your support is my greatest motivation.)