Chapter 553
Even After Death
She could barely remember her name, but such etiquette was still etched deep in Pennyâs bones.
âMadam, make yourself at home. Letâs talk inside.â
Olivia scanned the area casually. It was her first time coming to this loft.
Ethan pointed at a nearby guest room. âI asked Madam Burgess to clean that room. Mrs. Durst can
stay there for the moment. If she lives under the same roof with you, she might be able to remember
sooner.â
âOkay.â
âLet her get used to the place for a few days. Iâll ask someone to give her a thorough medical checkup
after that.â
âThanks.â Olivia had been giving him an aloof attitude as though they were neighbors.
Ethan sighed helplessly, knowing that this would last for a while.
âYou should get some rest, Liv. Youâre not fully recovered yet. From today onward, Iâll ask someone to
come over to treat your hand.
âAs for your father, thereâs a medical team checking on him 24/7. Donât worry, nothing will happen.â
Olivia couldnât pick any fault out of his arrangements.
It was a long journey traveling to Monaâs hometown for her funeral. In addition to her restless sleep last
night, Olivia felt exhausted.
She informed Madam Burgess about something before returning to her room to get some rest.
The sky was dark when she woke up. Ethan was working in the study room.
Madam Burgess and Penny were getting along well as they started sewing soles together.
âMrs. Durst, your eyesight is perfectly fine. Youâre in your 80s, and yet you can still sew perfectly!â
âNot to toot my own horn, but Iâm the best seamstress in the village. Back in the past, the villagers
always handed their clothes to me.
âWhen I moved to the city, I started learning the trendy designs.
âMs. Nat-the miss I served-is pretty and young! The material and designs she wore were always the
best,â Penny claimed proudly.
Olivia approached her. âMrs. Durst, where did you and Ms. Nat live back then?â
âNo. 23, Warlot Street.â
âWhich Warlot Street? Could you be more specific? What is Ms. Natâs actual name?â
Penny scratched her head. âI canât remember. Iâm old, and I canât remember a lot of things.
âI do remember that there was a huge cherry tree in the yard. When it was the season, Ms. Nat would
always pluck them herself. Then, we made cherry jam from them. Desserts are her favorite.â
âWhat is her name?â
âI donât know. Back then, I wandered along the streets with a group of refugees all the way from home.
Life was hard. I was close to starvation.
âMs. Nat pitied me, so she brought me back. She was pregnant at that time. And I started looking after
her.â
âWhat about her husband?â
âShe never mentioned him. I asked a few times, but she didnât say anything.
âSo, I didnât ask about him as time passed. I donât know where her origin was. Her accent wasnât local.
Sheâs the prettiest and most graceful woman Iâve ever met.â
âWhat happened next? Where did Ms. Nat go?â
Penny sighed. âWar was common during those years. I headed outside to buy her favorite sweets, but
a war broke out in the city.
âThe traitors massacred the city. Ms. Nat and her son went missing.
âThe valuables in the house were stolen. I was able to survive because I hid in a well. I searched for
her for months, but there was no news of her.
âShe mightâve been⦠After all, she was pretty. No man would let her go.â
She began recollecting her memories with Ms. Nat, but there werenât many useful leads.
After all, Penny was illiterate, and she came from a village. She didnât understand anything.
That so-called Ms. Nat was a mysterious woman. She was all alone with a kid, and her husband was
nowhere to be seen. No one knew of her origin either.
Olivia knew that she shouldnât rush things. She comforted Penny before going to the study, where
Ethan was busy with his work.
Olivia gave him the new leads. âNo. 23, Warlot Street. There was a huge cherry tree in the yard. Would
you be able to find this place?â