30 Days of Passion and Revenge-Chapter 98: The Mistress’s Guide

"I have a business back home," Ethan said as he threw on a coat and got out of bed. He buttoned his cuffs, his handsome face looking sharp and severe. "You and Nanny will fly back first. I need to go to Germany to visit my father."

Ah, yes, his father had broken three of his ribs just because he hadn’t visited in five years.

Business back home?

Was it to deal with the Carter Group?

"Oh," Lily nodded lightly.

Ethan struggled as he tied his tie, likely aggravating his injury.

Seeing this, Lily stepped forward, stood on her tiptoes, and helped him with the tie. Ethan stared at her intensely, his long fingers lifting her chin. "Lily, behave yourself while I’m gone."

They’d settle the score about her handcuffing him to the bed later.

With that, he leaned down to kiss her, but Lily turned her head, avoiding his lips. Her face was calm as she said, "Aren’t I already behaving? Even if I weren’t, haven’t you left plenty of people to watch me?"

Her freedom back home would still be confined to the Blackwood estate.

Like a bird trapped in a cage—after struggling a few times, its wings would eventually break. How could it not behave after that?

"Why are you avoiding me?" Ethan pulled her back forcefully, kissing her lips again. His tongue teased her, lingering and unwilling to let go.

"Mr. Blackwood..." Dragging a suitcase, Nanny walked in on the scene and quickly backed out.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity.

Ethan finally released her, still not satisfied.

"When will you be back?" Lily asked.

Ethan chuckled wickedly. "Lily, are you already missing me?"

She had only asked out of politeness.

Lily didn’t want to get into the "missing" discussion, so she turned away, but Ethan’s magnetic voice followed her immediately. "It’ll be a few days, depending on how long the old man annoys me."

"Alright."

Lily nodded quietly, not reacting much. After a moment, she turned back and said, "Be careful with your injuries. Don’t go against your father."

She had never seen a father beat his son so severely before.

And she had never seen someone with three broken ribs move around so energetically, ready to start traveling after just a few days in bed...

"Lily, are you worried about me?" Ethan chuckled, pulling her into his arms again. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "Lily, is it so hard to admit you love me?"

She was worried about him, anxious for him, yet still too stubborn to say it out loud.

Her body, her heart—they were already his...

Hard.

Of course, it was hard.

Because she didn’t love him—that was the hardest part.

Lily didn’t resist Ethan’s hug but quietly said, "Ethan, just don’t fall in love with me."

"Stubborn woman," Ethan muttered under his breath, his expression darkening as he kissed her forehead firmly. "Behave and wait for me to come back!"

She was like one of an emperor’s concubines...

After saying goodbye to Ethan at the airport, Lily boarded a private jet with Dr. Joel, Butler Angus, and Nanny to return home.

The food on the private jet was luxurious and plentiful. Lily gazed out at the beautiful view while nibbling on her meal.

"Ms. Anderson, Mr. Blackwood asked me to give this to you." Sitting across from her, Nanny handed her a small, high-end leather-bound notebook.

Lily took it, puzzled. The cover had four significant words stamped on it: Rules for Mistresses.

"Lily, sweet words are a must for any mistress."

"Are there actual rules for mistresses? Let me see."

"I’ll get them for you."

Ethan, that infuriating man, had gone and had a Rules for Mistresses book made for her?

Unbelievable!

"Miss Anderson, Mr. Blackwood instructed me to write his likes and dislikes in the notebook. You should take a look and memorize them." Nanny smiled from across the table.

All of Ethan’s likes and dislikes?

He thought she needed to do a better job as his mistress.

Lily tossed the notebook aside in frustration. She noticed something printed in the lower corner of the cover—"30-Day Anniversary"—and asked, "What’s this ’30-Day’ thing?"

"Oh, I had that printed," Nanny said with a smile. "Mr. Blackwood originally planned to return in a month, but it looks like he’ll try to return within 30 days."

"A month?" Lily asked, confused. "What’s with this one month, 30 days?"

Was he seriously going to spend a whole month visiting his father?! That seemed a bit excessive...

Seeing Lily’s confusion, Nanny exclaimed, "Miss. Anderson, don’t you remember? You’ve been by Mr. Blackwood’s side for almost a month."

A month?

It’s only been a month? Why did it feel like she had been enduring life at the Blackwood estate for much longer...

"Oh, is that so?" Lily responded indifferently. A month since she had started living with Ethan? What was there to make a big deal out of?

"Mr. Blackwood specifically calculated the time so he could come back and celebrate this anniversary with you." Nanny’s voice rose with excitement. "Miss Anderson, aren’t you even a little happy?"

Happy?

"Happy about what? What’s there to celebrate?" Lily pointed at the bold title on the notebook’s cover—Rules for Mistresses—and said self-mockingly, "Celebrate my 30 days as his mistress?"

What a cruel joke of an anniversary.

Other people celebrated anniversaries with love and affection. Couples, husbands, and wives. What was there to celebrate about her relationship with Ethan?

"Miss. Anderson..." Nanny said, looking at her with a hint of reproach. "You know very well that Mr. Blackwood likes you."

Here we go again.

Lily sighed, unable to respond. She didn’t want to consider whether Ethan liked or had fallen in love with her.

Every time the thought crossed her mind, a voice echoed from deep within, reminding her: no sugar daddy would drive three hours through the night to save his mistress, no sugar daddy would rush back into a burning building to rescue her, and no sugar daddy would get beaten to the point of serious injury over a mistress’s minor stomach issue...

That voice kept playing in her head, over and over again.

Telling her that Ethan’s actions toward her went far beyond what a sugar daddy should feel for his mistress.

But what could she do?

She couldn’t give him anything more, no matter how well he treated her. She could only continue to let her feelings of guilt build up inside.

Losing her appetite, Lily flipped open the Rules for Mistress notebook.

The significant title stared back at her: Mr. Blackwood’s 100 Likes and Dislikes.

Lily couldn’t help but laugh, looking up at Nanny in admiration. "You managed to list a hundred things he likes and dislikes?"

What a diligent servant... One hundred items... How had Nanny managed to do it? No wonder Ethan had kept her for so many years.

"I’ve watched him grow up, so naturally, I know him well," Nanny smiled sheepishly. "Mr. Blackwood asked me to compile the list, but I haven’t shown it to him yet, so I’m not sure if there are any mistakes."

Lily smiled and continued reading.

Rule 1. Mr. Blackwood dislikes cheap clothing.

Rule 2. Mr. Blackwood dislikes low-end cars.

Rule 3. Mr. Blackwood dislikes anything inexpensive.

Rule 4. Mr. Blackwood dislikes a messy home.

Rule 5. Mr. Blackwood dislikes smoking.

Rule 6. Mr. Blackwood dislikes home-cooked meals, especially cheap dishes like a big bowl of noodles for ten dollars. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

...

The entire first page was filled with things Mr. Blackwood disliked.

Except for the fourth and fifth items, everything seemed to revolve around his hatred of anything cheap, low-quality, or inexpensive.

It looked like a man with money who despised anything associated with poverty.

But...

The sixth item...

"Nanny, are you sure about this?" Lily pointed to the sixth item. "Ethan doesn’t like noodles or home-cooked food?"

She had cooked noodles for him twice.

And he had once made an entire table of spicy home-cooked dishes for her.

"That’s right. Mr. Blackwood hates noodles. Before he was brought back to the Blackwood family, he often ate cheap noodles, so he swore he’d never eat them again," Nanny said confidently.

Lily stared at her in shock. So, who had eaten the noodles she cooked for him? Was it all just her imagination?

"What do you mean, ’before he was brought back to the Blackwood family’?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Mr. Blackwood wasn’t brought back to the family until high school. Before that, his life was tough. Ah, but let’s not talk about that." Nanny pointed to the sixth item again, confidently saying, "Mr. Blackwood hates noodles. The kitchen only started making them after Miss Anderson came around. Before that, any noodles in the kitchen were just for show."

So why had Ethan eaten all the noodles she’d made for him?

"But I’ve seen him eat noodles right in the hospital room," Butler Angus said, having listened to the entire conversation. "It was noodles Miss Anderson made herself."