Free Web NovelChapter 57: Chapter 57: Noelle Lockwood, You’re the Real Country Bumpkin, You’re Not a Lockwood by Blood
Estelle Lockwood gave a slow smile and raised an eyebrow. "You’re going to teach me?"
In front of everyone, Noelle Lockwood put on a gentle and demure smile. "That’s right. Something like equestrianism is hard to pick up without a teacher. But I’ve been learning since I was little, so I can give Miss Yara a few pointers."
Estelle Lockwood’s smile widened. "Is that so?" she said nonchalantly. "But even if Miss Lockwood can ride, she’s not a professional instructor. What happens if I get hurt?"
People nearby had started to turn and watch.
Noelle Lockwood’s voice was gentle, yet every word she spoke dripped with condescension and scorn.
"You don’t need to worry about that, Miss Yara. I’ve taught my older sister equestrianism before, though she never quite managed to learn it..."
Estelle Lockwood’s voice turned cold. "If Miss Lockwood couldn’t even teach her own sister, I can’t say I have much faith in you as an instructor."
Noelle Lockwood gave a helpless smile.
Someone next to her immediately stepped forward to speak.
"Miss Yara, you’ve misunderstood. It wasn’t that Miss Noelle is a bad teacher, it’s that Estelle Lockwood was just too stupid!"
A number of minor investors were present today, each having brought a date.
Although the Lockwood Group was on the decline, to people like them, it was still an untouchable giant. They were all trying to curry favor and get noticed by Noelle Lockwood.
"Miss Noelle tried so hard back then! But that Estelle Lockwood couldn’t even get on a horse. It was a complete waste of Miss Noelle’s efforts!"
"Exactly. I’d never seen such a country bumpkin. It was mortifying. She had none of the grace of a wealthy family’s daughter. If no one had told me she was the Lockwood Family’s true heiress, I would’ve thought she was from the slums."
"That day, Estelle Lockwood fell off her horse several times. No matter how Miss Noelle taught her, she just couldn’t learn. Utterly hopeless. But you, President Lockwood, you’re different. You..."
The man was trying to flatter Yara by comparing her with Estelle, looking quite pleased with his own cleverness, when Estelle coolly cut him off. "And how would you know Estelle Lockwood is ’utterly hopeless’? Were you there?"
The man froze, stammering, "W-well, I wasn’t there, but... that’s what everyone says..."
Estelle Lockwood sneered. "So you believe anything you hear? If I told you your son wasn’t yours, would you believe that?"
The man’s throat tightened, and he didn’t dare say another word.
"Alright, that’s enough. Please stop. My sister isn’t as bad as you all think."
Noelle Lockwood quickly stepped forward, her voice soft and placating. "Miss Yara, you’ve misunderstood. That’s not what they meant."
"It’s just that my sister grew up in the countryside and was never exposed to things like equestrianism, so she was afraid to ride. People felt that... she couldn’t live up to the title of a Lockwood daughter. That’s why..."
"Noelle Lockwood, now that’s something I don’t quite understand," Estelle Lockwood began slowly.
"The Lockwood Family’s true heiress grew up in the countryside, was never exposed to equestrianism, so people think she isn’t fit to be a Lockwood."
"But logically speaking, Miss Noelle Lockwood, you’re the one who should have grown up in the countryside. You’re the one who should’ve had no chance to learn equestrianism, the one who should be considered crude and unworthy of the Lockwood name. Isn’t that right?" freēwebnovel.com
Estelle paused, then made a show of a sudden realization. "Oh, no, that’s not right. How could I say such a thing."
"The Lockwood Family’s true heiress may have grown up in the country, but she’s connected to the family by blood, so it’s only right she was brought back. But without that whole switched-at-birth scandal, Miss Noelle Lockwood, you wouldn’t have even been able to get a foot in the Lockwood’s door. You might have spent your entire life in that ’countryside’ you so despise."
Estelle asked with a smirk, "After stealing eighteen years of her life, you turn around and call her ’crude, unable to learn the etiquette of high society, a country bumpkin’... You don’t actually believe you’re a good person, do you?"
The words were like a sharp, undisguised slap across Noelle Lockwood’s face.
Noelle Lockwood’s face went rigid. She swayed on her feet, and her eyes instantly turned red.
It started to dawn on many of the onlookers.
’That’s right. The Lockwood Family poured all their resources into raising Noelle, and she became a celebrated socialite. But if the switch had never happened, they would have done the same for Estelle. Who’s to say Estelle would have turned out any worse than Noelle?’
’But the way Noelle tells it, Estelle was a good-for-nothing who wasn’t fit to be a Lockwood daughter, to the point they publicly declared her the adopted daughter.’
’And yet Noelle puts on this kind act, always talking about her "dear sister." If she really cared about her, shouldn’t she be the one to leave the Lockwood Family and give the position of eldest daughter back?’
"Nonsense!!"
Just then, an angry female voice cut through the air. It was Rose Lowell, hands on her hips and fuming. "What do you people know! If Estelle Lockwood hadn’t been so outrageous, why would we ever favor Noelle!"
The crowd was stunned for a moment before realizing the speaker was Rose Lowell—Estelle Lockwood’s biological mother.
Rose Lowell’s voice was shrill as she roared venomously, "When Estelle Lockwood came home, we arranged tutors for her! We wanted her to join the Lockwood Group! But instead of trying to learn, all she did all day was find ways to torment Noelle!"
"Just because she was the true Lockwood heiress, she repeatedly tried to kick Noelle out of the house, stole her room, and even demanded Noelle wait on her like a servant!"
"We felt we owed Estelle a great deal, so we didn’t say much. But who knew she would become more and more outrageous? She actually pushed Noelle down the stairs! If Noelle hadn’t been so lucky, she wouldn’t have survived! You tell me, who would want a daughter like that?"
Noelle Lockwood, her eyes brimming with tears, whispered, "Mom, please stop..."
"I have to say it! Why shouldn’t I? If I don’t speak up, who knows how badly they’ll misunderstand you!"
Rose Lowell looked heartbroken. "Just think about it, everyone. Estelle Lockwood is our biological daughter. We couldn’t wait to make it up to her, so why would we dislike her? It’s not because she grew up in the country. It’s because she, as a person, is rotten to the core!"
Noelle Lockwood covered her mouth, as if she couldn’t bear to listen, and shed silent tears.
The venue fell quiet. Everyone exchanged glances. ’That makes sense... When their biological daughter was found, the Lockwood parents must have been eager to dote on her. For things to turn out that way, it was probably Estelle Lockwood’s own fault...’
Rose Lowell snorted. "So now you know. It wasn’t that Noelle refused to teach Estelle how to ride; it was Estelle herself who wouldn’t cooperate!"
A cold smile touched Estelle Lockwood’s lips.
’The Lockwood Family really knew how to sink to new lows, again and again!’
’To protect Noelle, they’d sling any kind of mud they could at her, a "dead person"!’
Estelle Lockwood closed her eyes for a moment, then snapped them open. "So," she said coldly, "the reason Estelle Lockwood never learned to ride was that she was just too stupid. It had nothing to do with Miss Lockwood’s teaching."
Noelle Lockwood shook her head with a helpless sigh. "My sister, she..."
"Since that’s the case," Estelle Lockwood scoffed, "then Miss Lockwood’s equestrian skills must be superb. Why don’t you give me a demonstration? Let me see how it’s done."
Just then, Nathaniel Sloan walked in.
Noelle Lockwood felt that something was off.
But she had only asked if Yara could ride in the first place to show off her own worldliness and talent.
’Yara can’t ride... This is the perfect chance to show what I can do!’
With that thought, Noelle Lockwood deliberately pretended not to see Nathaniel Sloan. Casually pointing to a small white pony, she smiled gracefully. "Well then, Miss Yara, allow me to make a humble attempt." free𝑤ebnovel.com
Where no one could see, Estelle Lockwood gave the little white pony a subtle wink.
The rider and horse exchanged a secret signal, completely unnoticed.
