CHAPTER 400: CHAPTER 342: THE GOLDEN CUCKOO AND THE BIRTHDAY

Noticing the newly cleared space at the back of the garden, Emma instinctively furrowed her brows.

The majority of the Bauhinia Family’s assets had been confiscated six years ago, but this estate built by the first-generation King was not taken due to its extremely special significance.

So even though she didn’t want to remember those sorrowful memories and didn’t want to live in the empty estate with just her daughter, choosing to move to the small cottage in the corner of the garden instead, the estate still nominally belonged to her, and no one should be trespassing.

Could it be a break-in? But why would a thief bother to clean up the land?

With a head full of questions, Emma pushed open the window to take a look and found that not only had the back of the garden where she and her daughter lived been cleared, but there were also signs of maintenance along the carriage path from the main gate to the main building, with gravel and weeds on the ground already cleared away.

Seven or eight brand-new tire tracks stretched along the main road to the front of the main building. The broken stained-glass windows on the first floor had been removed, and even the partially collapsed servant’s quarters on the roof had been dismantled. The flowerbeds in front of the main entrance were a mess of footprints.

Was someone trying to move in?!

Seeing the messy footprints in the flowerbeds and the large amount of horse manure that hadn’t been cleaned up yet, Emma couldn’t help but bite her lip in anger.

Even though she didn’t care much about this empty house, this estate had once been her home, where she lived for more than twenty years. For someone to try to seize it without even a word was truly outrageous.

"Ellie, tell Mommy!"

After closing the back window in irritation, Emma tried to calm down, asking as gently as possible,

"What’s going on behind the garden? Who’s been here in the past few days?"

"In the past few days, many uncles with ladders and tools have come, and they even pushed down the big badge in the middle of the building and replaced it with a new one."

After trying to recall, the little girl gestured with her hand as she spoke,

"The badge had a small bird with a pointy beak, green feathers, and black and white stripes across its belly."

A pointy beak, green feathers, and horizontal black and white stripes on the belly... The golden cuckoo emblem?

After hearing the little girl’s description, Emma turned pale at a possibility she could not accept. Without even changing her shoes, she ran out of the cottage, climbed over the garden wall, and rushed towards the main building.

When Emma walked to the front, seeing the front of the main building that was not visible from the cottage, and clearly recognizing the pattern on the new badge, her cheeks immediately flushed red, and the usually gentle eyes suddenly flared with an icy glare.

The golden cuckoo emblem!

*Yes, she should have realized, there was another person besides her who had the right to live in Treasure Flower Manor!*

Looking up at the curtain wall of the second floor of the main building, she saw the golden cuckoo emblem shimmering with green light in the sunset. Emma silently turned her head and found the badge belonging to the Bauhinia Family in the flower bed used as a garbage pile by the building.

Golden Cuckoo... Leonard...

Her delicate, pale fist clenched tightly and then slowly relaxed, then clenched again, repeating several times before finally letting go completely.

After staring intently at the two badges for a long moment, Emma let out a faint sigh, walked with heavy steps to the edge of the flower bed, and picked up the Bauhinia badge that had been dented at one corner from the garbage pile.

*Stay calm.*

*More important than dwelling on the past is cherishing the people who are still here. Focus on what you still have rather than on what you’ve lost...*

When Leon carried her out of the Realm of the Dead, she had already resolved to try to let go of her hatred temporarily for Ellie’s sake and to embrace a new life.

But...

Her fingers unconsciously applied slight pressure, causing the huge copper badge to slightly deform as Emma’s teeth dug into her pale lower lip, leaving a small row of deep teeth marks.

*Why can’t I just let it go?!*

...

"Stand still!"

After helping William and Melanie tidy their clothes, straightening out the crooked little outfits, Anna squinted slightly and reminded them,

"Do you remember everything I told you before?"

"I remember."

Adjusting his little bow tie, William calmly recited,

"When we see Aunt Emma, we have to greet her, and when we see little sister Ellie, we must wish her a happy birthday, not cause trouble to embarrass our brother, and not break anything in someone else’s house..."

"Most importantly, absolutely do not mention your world-conquering dream!"

After adding a line, Anna turned to look at Melanie, who was twirling and happily swirling her little dress. She emphasized with some concern,

"Your dream of being a couch potato is also not to be mentioned!"

"Got it, got it!"

Upon hearing her sister’s special reminder, Melanie in front of the mirror pursed her lips, complaining with an overwhelmed expression,

"There are only a few rules in total, and you’ve been repeating them since yesterday. We’ve memorized them already, okay?"

"Memorizing them is best!"

After giving the most worrisome Melanie an eye, Anna softened her tone slightly,

"Ever since our brother got his job, Sister Emma has helped him a lot, and she’s my lifesaver... Well... She’s been a benefactor to our family, so you must respect her, and you absolutely must not bully Ellie!"

"We won’t."

Having fixed his little child bow tie, William nodded in satisfaction and then said earnestly,

"Brother has said that in life, we may lose money but we shalt not lose integrity. If someone helps you, you must remember it well. I’ve always kept this in mind, although I’m not sure if Melanie can, but I definitely can."

"I... of course I can too!"

Realizing Anna’s gaze was on her, Melanie, sensing danger, quickly straightened her face, imitating William’s serious demeanor, and raised her hand to swear,

"If I cause trouble today, or make little sister Ellie cry, then... I’ll give all this year’s pocket money to William!"

*Was she really that resolute?*

Hearing that Melanie had made such a "vow," Anna finally relaxed a bit, went out to call for a carriage, while William couldn’t help but glance at his sister.

Since she was not talented in math and got only 5 points on a recent test, anything involving numbers, such as pocket money, had been taken over by her, who declared herself a future Minister of Finance of the empire.

Now that Melanie had suddenly sworn on her pocket money, *could it be that if she caused any trouble today, she planned to rely on William’s pocket money for the whole coming year?*