Chapter 788: Innocence Preserved

Rosalind Green knelt on the floor, bowing her head to Mr. Yates. “Mr. Yates, thank you so much.”

Mr. Yates hurried to help her up. “Don’t thank me. I was just passing by and decided to lend a hand. Come on, get up. The floor is cold.”

‘That beauty’s tears were breaking his heart. Those three bastards were as good as dead. He would think of a hundred ways to torture them, to make them suffer a fate worse than death.’

Rosalind Green slowly calmed down as her senses returned. She shyly turned away to straighten her clothes. Thankfully, she had been preparing to go out and was dressed in multiple layers with her coat fully buttoned. Her mother had also helped her fight back, buying them precious time. Otherwise, her virtue would have been lost.

Mr. Yates’s face flushed slightly. He had accidentally caught a glimpse of skin. ‘It was an accident,’ he thought. ‘I definitely wasn’t trying to take advantage of her. I hope she doesn’t get the wrong idea and think I’m some kind of creep.’

Clearing his throat, Mr. Yates asked with concern, “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Rosalind Green shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m so glad you came when you did.”

Mr. Yates was relieved. When he saw Rosalind Green move to help her unconscious mother, he went over to assist. He accidentally brushed against her hand, and Rosalind flinched, pulling it back like a startled rabbit. The sight made him feel even more protective of her.

‘This was exactly the kind of delicate, timid beauty he liked.’

‘It was the perfect way to show off his manliness.’

Mrs. Green slowly regained consciousness. In her hazy state, she saw her daughter’s red, swollen eyes and assumed the worst—that Rosalind hadn’t escaped, that she had been violated by those three thugs. Her heart was torn to shreds, and tears streamed down her face like rain.

‘My poor, ill-fated daughter,’ she thought. ‘How will she ever get through this?’

“Mom, it’s okay. Mr. Yates saved us,” Rosalind Green soothed gently.

Mrs. Green stopped crying and took a closer look. She realized her daughter’s clothes were still tidy, though her hair was a bit messy. And while her eyes were red and swollen, she didn’t look like she had been violated. She then noticed a man with a fearsome scar on his face, who was smiling warmly at her.

“What about those three scoundrels?” Mrs. Green asked urgently.

Rosalind Green pointed outside. “Mr. Yates knocked them out and tossed them out there.”

Mrs. Green let out a long sigh of relief. As long as her daughter was unharmed, that’s all that mattered. She was immensely grateful to Mr. Yates. Forcing herself out of bed, she bowed deeply to him. “Thank you so much! You’re our family’s savior!”

“Please, get up. It was nothing, really. There’s no need for such a formal thank you, Ma’am.”

Mr. Yates hurried to help Mrs. Green to her feet. ‘This could be my future mother-in-law, after all,’ he thought.

But Mrs. Green stubbornly bowed three times. What might have been a trivial matter for Mr. Yates was, for her and her daughter, a matter of their very honor and virtue.

“Oof…”

Just as she finally began to relax, Mrs. Green suddenly staggered. She clutched her lower back and started to fall. Rosalind tried to catch her but couldn’t hold her, nearly getting pulled down as well. Fortunately, Mr. Yates steadied the older woman.

“Ma’am, did you hurt your back?” Mr. Yates asked, concerned.

Mrs. Green was in so much pain she broke out in a cold sweat. A moment ago, her mind had been entirely focused on her daughter, so she hadn’t even noticed the pain. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, her back hurt so much it felt broken. She couldn’t even stand.

Mr. Yates helped her lie down on the bed. The pain subsided slightly, but it was still severe.

“I’m going to ask Mr. Thorne for a medicinal plaster.”

Rosalind was referring to Byron Thorne, but her mother stopped her. “Go tomorrow,” Mrs. Green said weakly. “The village is in chaos right now; don’t go making things worse. I can endure it.”

“But your face is pale with pain.” Rosalind’s heart ached for her mother, and her eyes turned red again as she blamed herself.

‘It’s all my fault. I’m so useless, and now Mom is hurt because of me.’

“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after lying down for a bit.” Mrs. Green shook her head, but her deathly pale face proved she was anything but fine.