Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

The Howard Family was an old-fashioned clan that favored sons over daughters; girls didn’t count in the family ranking, and boys were called various titles like ninth young master, and just trying to keep track of the numbers was dizzying, not to mention remembering each one’s name.

Unless someone stood out exceptionally within the Howard Family, their ranking and name might become relatively more prominent.

Like Howard Thirteenth once had.

At that moment, Sarah asked something in French, and, out of consideration for Purple Summers and not speaking in French, Lily Howard explained, “Although it’s a new era now, these elders lived in an old one, when they got married, there was no Marriage Law in existence.”

Purple Summers understood then that Sarah was asking why they had so many wives.

In her heart, she believed the number of wives a man had wasn’t greatly linked to the era; even during feudal times, there were plenty who remained faithful to one person and, in this new era, there were not a few who kept affair partners in secret.

The banquet was crowded with guests, the clinking of glasses and cups echoed lively throughout the room.

Lily Howard was soon called away to greet other Howard Family uncles and elders and couldn’t attend to Purple Summers and Sarah.

Purple Summers and Sarah found a place to sit down.

Some guests, seeing how beautiful they both were, invited them to dance, but Purple Summers politely declined every offer.

She couldn’t dance, and as for Sarah, her heart was entirely focused on Lily Howard; she simply had no mood for dancing.

With a bodyguard by Purple Summers and Sarah’s side, the gentlemen who came to invite them knew they were spoken for and, after being politely refused, left dejectedly.

As she sat resting, Purple Summers’s gaze wandered through the crowd, eventually finding Alexander Summers’s figure.

He was dressed in a dark grey suit that day, his features handsome, his demeanor graceful.

Several older family members were speaking with him, and as he conversed with a light smile and sipped his wine, he exuded a certain carefree charm, an effortlessly proud air, like a noble king.

In that moment, Purple Summers felt he was impossibly far from her.

So distant… as if untouchable…

As her thoughts drifted into melancholy, suddenly a figure blocked her view.

Purple Summers looked up, surprised, to find Gavin Graves standing before her with a warm, engaging smile.

“Young Master Graves?” she said, surprised, “What are you doing here?”

Gavin Graves responded with a smile, “It’s not just me; the Carter and York families are here too.”

The four great families—Howard, Graves, Carter, York—were intertwined with both collaborative interests and entangled grudges, their fortunes and misfortunes shared alike.

With the Howard Family hosting a grand banquet today, it was only natural that the other families would send representatives to attend.

Gavin Graves extended his hand to Purple Summers and said, “May I have this dance with you?”

Purple Summers looked troubled and said somewhat embarrassed, “I’m sorry, Young Master Graves, I can’t dance…”

“No problem, the rhythm of this piece is very gentle; we can take it slow, I’ll teach you,” said Gavin Graves graciously.

Purple Summers still hesitated. She wanted to mention that her shoes were a bit uncomfortable…

At that moment, Gavin Graves said with a smile, “Please, Ms. Summers, it would be quite the joke if I couldn’t convince you to dance with me.”

Gavin Graves’s outstretched hand had been held out for a long time; retracting it now would indeed be awkward.

Purple Summers thought that since the music was already half over, they probably wouldn’t dance for too long.

She turned to look at Sarah.

Sarah gestured to her, indicating Purple Summers didn’t need to worry about her.

So Purple Summers gently placed her hand in Gavin Graves’s palm—

“Young Master Graves, if I step on you, please don’t be angry,” Purple Summers said nervously as she got up.

She truly couldn’t dance, even though Jane McCain had taught her several times, she still hadn’t learned.

Gavin Graves led her to the dance floor and said, “I promise I won’t step on you in return.”

Purple Summers chuckled, finding Gavin Graves to have a certain dry humor.