Female Novel
Chapter 1898
Estelle followed the servant through the suspended walkway that wrapped around the castle. As they
crossed, Estelle couldn't help but notice an incongruous structure standing out against the backdrop of
the castle. Tucked among the trees, it looked like a quaint chapel.
The presence of a chapel designed with oriental elements within the grounds of an ancient castle
seemed oddly out of place, a jarring blend of styles.
The Brennans had some distant ancestry from across the world. If the old man fancied a slice of the
East in his backyard, it was perfectly reasonable.
Estelle shrugged her thoughts off and proceeded to follow the servant.
Soon after, Estelle was ushered into the study. The room boasted classical elegance, spanning roughly
a thousand square feet. One wall was dominated by large European-style windows, another by a cozy
sitting area, while the remaining two were covered floor to ceiling with mahogany bookcases. The sight
was nothing short of stunning.
As Estelle stepped onto the plush carpet, she noticed that the books on the shelves were meticulously
organized. The section dedicated to literature spanned centuries, covering every conceivable subject.
Among them, Estelle spotted several volumes that had reportedly been lost to the annals of history, yet
here they were, collected under the Brennans' roof.
She was craning her neck to get a better look when another servant entered the room. “Miss, the
young master sends his apologies. He's been detained by an unexpected visitor. He asks that you wait
here for half an hour. Feel free to peruse any book you fancy, and if you require anything else, do not
hesitate to summon me.”
“Thank you,” Estelle replied, offering the servant a polite nod.
She browsed the shelves and pulled out a historical medical tome, rumored to have been lost to time.
Here it was in the Brennan estate. Estelle wondered what an uproar it would cause among the scholars
to know.
After leafing through a few pages and realizing she couldn't quite decipher the text, she slid the book
back into place. She pulled out another couple of books, and as she did so, one of them triggered
something. A hidden compartment in the bookshelf slid open, revealing a small drawer with a
photograph inside.
Estelle wasn't one for prying, but as the drawer slid out, she caught a glimpse of the image and
paused. It was a photo of a girl in camouflage gear, her face obscured by a mask, standing on the edge
of a desert. The girl's eyes were sparkling amidst the swirling sands. It was no other but the young
Estelle.novelbin
Estelle was stunned. Could Lambert know her? But she had no recollection of him.
She did remember that mission, though. They had been part of a small peacekeeping force and, after a
victory, landed in the Gota Desert before catching a connecting flight to meet up with her brother in
Vixin.
They had all been in high spirits, fresh from their success. But had she ever met Lambert? And why did
he have a photo of her? Was he there in the Gota Desert or had he acquired it by other means? If he
had sought it out on purpose, were they actually enemies?
Coincidence didn't seem to fit the narrative of yesterday's events.
Estelle's mind raced with questions as she began to feel a newfound wariness towards Lambert. She
was just about to put the photo back when she heard hurried footsteps behind her.
Lambert snatched the photo from her hands with an icy tone, “Miss, it's quite rude to snoop through
someone's personal stuff without permission.”
Estelle stepped back instinctively, taken aback by his severity. Until now, Lambert’s attitude towards her
had been nothing but playful. Even when another woman had irritated him the day before, he'd brushed
it off with a laugh.
It was the first time she'd seen Lambert's expression so starkly fierce.
He fetched a soft cloth from a nearby drawer and began to carefully wipe the photo before securing it
back in its hidden niche.
Turning to Estelle, his face softened, and that familiar, roguish grin returned. “Darling, everything in this
room is yours to touch. You could even run off with the crown jewels and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. But
not this photograph. You got that?”
“Do you know her?” Estelle asked, curiosity piqued.
Lambert's eyes flickered with a distant recollection. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”