Royal Garden… Who do they think they are? They really think they live in the imperial palace now just because they have a big company! Such peculiar people!
When Callum was informed, he put down the collaboration plan in his hand and said, “Since it’s my mother’s invitation, please come to the Royal Garden, Miss Edwards.”
She had no choice but to agree now that they had invited her. When she stood up to leave, she looked back at Michael and saw him motion for her to stay calm.
Following them out of the Exalos Hall, she went to meet Mrs. Anna Yard. No, she should be the empress dowager, or the empress herself. Callum and his brother are only princes now.
She doesn’t even know me.
Unless the Cethosian lady at the restaurant yesterday was really Anna Yard?
…
Once they were out of the Exalos Hall, a limousine arrived before them. Callum let her in the car first then went in after her.
Michael, Quinton, and the interpreter went in a different car. Several cars began moving toward the Yard Family’s living quarters—the legendary Rear Palace.
The Ronney Group was enormous. They did not have skyscrapers like the Michel Group did—where there were elevators to take them to the dining hall. All the buildings here were no more than ten storeys high, and the functional departments were probably all separated.
They passed by several palace doors and drove for ten minutes from the office to the Yards’ living quarters before arriving at the Royal Garden; it was the Yard Family’s private garden that mimicked the ancient imperial family’s landscape design. Sophia also had a garden like that, but it was not as big.
Michael and Quinton were kept out of the garden while Sophia went in with Callum and an assistant. In the gazebo in the middle of the pond, several girls who looked like servants were waiting on a noble lady drinking tea.
The servants’ clothes still had the allure of the previous dynasty, but they had been modified to adapt to modern life. Unless there was an important imperial festival, the Yard Family still kept to modern-day clothes and lifestyles.
When Sophia entered the gazebo, she recognized the Cethosian lady she saw at the restaurant the day before.
It really was Anna Yard!
Anna was drinking tea with a young man. The young man looked so much like Callum that they were almost indiscernible.
That must have been the other vice president of the Yard Group, Cade Yard.
“You’re here. Please have a seat.”
Anna looked up at Sophia and motioned for her to sit in the seat across.
Sophia greeted them and proceeded to sit down.
The four people sat at the square tea table.
Sophia was feeling very nervous. After taking a sip of tea to clear her mind, she looked briefly at Michael who was being kept outside of the garden before bringing her attention back.
Anna spoke in such a gentle tone that it was not apparent that she was the head of the Yard Family. But, Sophia knew that this woman was not as harmless as she seemed on the surface.
“The Crimson House in Cethos sells western food, but the one in Ronney City sells authentic Cethosian cuisine. It fits my taste. I go there at least once a week.”
Sophia added, “The best Cethosian dish at the Crimson House is probably the steamed garlic prawns. It’s been their bestseller for over thirty years. I highly recommend that dish.”
“Yes, I once sought the recipe of that dish, but the cooks in the palace just couldn’t replicate the same taste.” Anna also seemed enthralled by that dish. The two of them quickly found a common talking point.
Sophia and Anna began to discuss the delicacies of the Crimson House. Anna was also eager to continue the conversation now that they had found a shared interest. They seemed to be having an amiable conversation, but as for how they truly felt, only they knew the answer to that.
Anna had high emotional intelligence. She knew what Sophia wanted to say beforehand and quickly found common topics to talk about.
Once they finished talking about one thing, they started talking about something else.
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