My Substitute Wife Is a Bigwig (Lily Brooks and Loid Laurier)

Chapter 236

Qillian smiled. "Michael said that even though he was disillusioned with the world, it was hard for him to completely abandon his skills. The Stargaza was his greatest achievement. Even if he no longer practiced medicine, it was something to remember him by. That's why I decided to auction it."

Lily took a sip of hot water and glanced at him without speaking. She continued to listen quietly.

"I figured that even if I couldn't meet him, I might encounter his descendants. Only someone from his line would recognize the Stargaza at a glance. Ms. Brooks, may I ask, how are you related to Michael?"

Lily looked at him and answered slowly, "I'm his apprentice."

Qillian paused briefly before smiling. "I knew it. He always said he would give up, but deep down, he couldn't. He never took on a student before. If he accepted you, he must've passed on all his knowledge to you."

"More or less," Lily replied calmly.

"That's great." Qillian pulled out a small box from under his pillow. "I asked you here to deliver this to Michael. My time is running out, and I fear I won't have the chance to give it to him personally. Tell him Kanya left this behind after he left."

Lily raised her eyes slightly. She was surprised to hear that name.

That seemed to be the woman Michael often mentioned.

"Kanya spent as many years looking for him as he spent away." Qillian sighed. "She said she wouldn't return home until she found him. She also asked me to bury this if she never came back, and she'd consider that chapter of her life over."

Seeing Lily remain silent, Qillian added, "You may not know this, but Kanya is my sister. She and Michael were deeply in love, but because of that incident... Well, it's in the past now. Ms. Brooks, thank you for this favor."

Lily took the box without opening it and said, "I'll make sure he gets it."

"Thank you." Qillian waved his hand. "Thank you for coming all this way. We've prepared a meal. If you don't mind, please stay and eat before you leave."

Lily nodded and stood up to leave.

In the courtyard, Layton was waiting by the door. He said to Lily. "Ms. Brooks, Mr. Laurier is waiting for you in the living room."

"Okay." Lily pulled her cap lower and followed Layton to the living room. Lost in thought, she kept her head down.

After a long silence, she suddenly looked up at Layton. "The Weisses used to be the wealthiest family in Bridgeport. Why did your status decline so quickly?"Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

Lily didn't usually care about the affairs of elite circles. She wasn't well-versed in the rankings of these noble families, nor did she have much interest in them.

However, she was suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar environment because of Loid and her plans to take over the country's underground forces. along with the sudden emergence of so many hidden families.

Hence, she decided to put in some effort to understand the Four Great Families and the Hidden Families in Bridgeport.

Currently, the Four Great Families of Bridgeport were the Lauriers, Knights, Levensons, and Woodleys. They were also the top noble families with resources and influence far surpassing others.

Next in line was the Daltons. Ranked fifth, they were poised to potentially oust the Woodleys and become one of the Four Great Families.

The Weisses were the number one noble family over 50 years ago. Back then, even the Hidden Families hadn't gone into hiding yet. The Weisses had held the top spot for many years. In that era, the Weisses represented authority, and no one dared to disrespect them.

But now, they were ranked tenth.

Their wealth seemed to diminish year after year.

During her conversation with Qillian, Lily had been pondering why the Weisses hadn't chosen to go into seclusion with their former status. They would've maintained their influence if they did that. Instead, they had fallen so far behind. It felt odd.

Layton flashed her a bitter smile. "It's because Mr. Weiss Senior has been ill. He's been surviving on medication for the past 40 years. Without his guidance, the family couldn't withstand the aggressive competition from other families. Hence, we've been in decline ever since.