Toph paused, then he smiled, ruffling Renee's hair affectionately.
"I really want to marry you soon, too," he said gently. "But... Aunt Kaitlyn just passed, so it might not be appropriate
for us to have the wedding now."
"Toph, do you also believe in these things?"
"I'm not superstitious," Toph explained seriously. "It's just human nature. To hold a wedding immediately after a
funeral, the outsiders might think—"
"Do you care a lot about what others think?"
Toph furrowed his brow, at a loss for words. He felt that Renee was somewhat different.
No, it was not just today. Since Kaitlyn's death, it was as if all of Renee's happiness had been taken away along with
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇther mother. She became sensitive and suspicious and rarely smiled or spoke. Her once introverted personality had
become even more gloomy and melancholic.
Toph tried his best to make her happy. But he knew it wouldn't be easy for her to feel better quickly. Losing her
mother had been hard, especially because she was there when Kaitlyn passed away, and they were very close.
Toph held Renee's hand, his words sincere. "Renee, you know I'm not the type to care about what others think. I...
I'm just worried about how outsiders might gossip about you."
Renee took a deep breath, gradually calming down. She had gotten a bit too worked up just now.
Marrying Toph was a certainty, and the Hamertons had even sent the gifts. How could they possibly call off the
wedding?
Until this matter was officially done, however, she could not help but feel uncertain. Toph was her sole reliance in
this world, and she was terrified of losing him.
Renee tightly held his hand, her eyes resembling deep pools. After a lengthy pause, she gently inquired, "We will
marry, won't we?"
"Absolutely," Toph replied confidently.
"For sure?"
"Definitely!"
"Well..." Renee hesitated momentarily before saying, "Well, then, swear on it."
Toph was taken aback.
In general, couples making promises and vowing oaths was quite normal, but saying it this way felt awkward.
Toph met Renee's expectant gaze. Looking at it from another angle, he thought perhaps this might make her happy.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAfter all, his biggest task right now was to bring happiness to her.
He smiled and straightened up. With an air of seriousness, he put up three fingers and said, "Alright, I swear, I—"
"Toph, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, a gentle yet authoritative voice cut in.
Renee's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her gaze, feeling a bit guilty. She greeted softly, "Mrs. Hamerton."
Cordelia wore a tender smile, but a glint of sternness flickered in her eyes.
The glint briefly stopped on Renee and then disappeared. Cordelia stood between the two, inspected the tea and
snacks on the table, and told the servants to replace them.
Then she scolded her son, "How could you serve Renee with this kind of tea? There are better options at home!"
Toph scratched his head. He would always be a child before his mother.
Cordelia smoothed his hair. "One day, you'll build your own family and leave your parents. There are some truths
and principles of conduct you should know."
"Okay."