Thank you for reading. If you love this novel, please support me by giving me your precious gems 💎💎💎💎💎💎 and don't forget to add your rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ See you tomorrow with the next update.
Harrison left two maids to help with at the manor and sent the rest back to Southamberston to get four cottages close to the Southamberston manor and all the apartments in the manor ready. “Since you all insist on staying…. I am not sure how to organize the living arrangements.” Mira knitted her brows as she thought of all the people left behind. “Nothing to it, Your Grace.” Harrison shrugged “We will all stay in the second cottage.” “What about the guards?” Mira pursed her lips in thought. “They have their own arrangement.” Harrison began to explain as he saw that Mira’s expression didn’t loosen “Ma’am, the guards always bring their tent along. Sometimes, we camp with them as well.” “But this is not for a day or two.” Mira frowned as she turned to look at Jack for a solution. “Your Grace, it really is not a problem.” Lazarus opened his mouth in a timely manner. “We are used to it and works better for us.” “We will have to trouble Your Grace to provide us with space to raise two
“A gentleman’s honor is not joke.” Stranton declined with a serious expression and then chuckled “I am waiting for the storm… this is just a breeze.” “Alright then…” Mira laughed and didn’t insist. She handed five gold coins to the attendant who helped her. “This….” The attendant had a constipated expression as she looked between the gold coins and her boss’s face. “Don’t decline the duchess generosity on my account.” Stranton laughed lightly in good manner. “Thank you… thank you my lady.” The attendant happily received the gold coins and waved them goodbye. “Where to next?” Jack teased as he sat inside the carriage with Mira looking at all the boxes piled in front. “Aldrin’s” “Um” Aldrin was not at the shop like usual, but his shop assistant was familiar with Mira and left her to her devices. She gathered a basket full of threads, silk and metallic threads, round and marquise shaped pearls, reflective circular disc and column pieces in different shades needed for the different
“Sir, I need to give you a briefing of the current affairs of the estate.” Carl scratched the back of his head.“That is why you stayed back?” Jack raised his eyebrows.Carl rubbed his chin; he didn’t know if it was a good thing that his new master could read him like a book. Most people couldn’t read him, a skill he learned as part of his job.“Go on.” Jack sat back and crossed his arms. This chair was very comfortable especially with the fur cushions his wife made.“Shall I call your brother?” Carl asked; Since he was going to take an apprentice, it would be best to start from the beginning.“Um” Jack nodded in appreciation and called Harrison to get big brother.Oden was sitting in the front room with John and Beth telling them that Jack asked him to join as the apprentice for his man of business.“Son, do well.” John patted his back “Don’t be a burden for your cousin. Shoulder some of his burden.”“Um”Harrison knocked on the door and waited outside. He could hear voices, but they
“This current understanding is that Southamberston was annexed under the management of the king’s estate as our master died without an heir…. But that is not true.” Carl started at the beginning.“Is that not the case?” Mira raised her eyebrows.“Not in its entirety.” Carl shook his head. His eyes reflected a deep-seated regret.“Continue.” Jack waved his hand.“The Haribeorts who are the original owners of Southamberston do not follow the norms of inheritance. The father to son or closest male relative rule for inheritance does not exist for Haribeorts.”“Their legacy has always been father to the oldest offspring, whether it is a male or female.”“The only exception is when the heir passes the inheritance to the next in-line.” Carl continued “Let’s say, the eldest daughter who is the heir marries off to a distant land or another dukedom where managing both estates is more than she can handle; She can pass her birthright to her next sibling.”“That is such a fair system.” Mira nodded
Carl took a deep breath as he regained composure “We were later told by the old master in confidence that we were not to ask any questions and that the dukedom would be annexed to the Royal estate due to lack of heir. We were strictly forbidden from contracting this version of the story.”“The current king as far as I have heard is righteous.” Jack pursed his lips skeptically “If this property was annexed unlawfully, then he would have passed it to its rightful heir and never kept it, let alone gift it to another.”“Your Grace, the inheritance rights of the Haribeort family are not widely known. Only a select few are preview to this knowledge and are not allowed to reveal it to another soul. Other than the Haribeorts, the king and the chief of chamber of inheritance rights no one has the privilege to know this.”“Usually after the new king’s coronation, there is ceremony where the chief of every governing body in the country will have a meeting with the king… something like a rite of p
“I don’t think I heard anything confidential that warrants his fear.” Oden knitted his brows as he opened his mouth for the first time since he entered the room.Jack nodded to agree but Mira pursed her lips and knitted his brows.“What is it love?” Jack noted that she didn’t agree.“Maybe… maybe not…” Mira’s expression didn’t loosen as she continued “Think about it…. this is knowledge that only a few share…. Knowledge that could if used by those with malicious intent, incriminate the king of a treacherous act. One if instigated in the right amount could even start a rebellion.”“But what puzzles me is why the old master decided to take it sitting down.” Mira twirled her finger around a loose hair strand “The Haribeort’s must have had some clout to be able to write their own law of inheritance that didn’t conform to the normal laws of the land.”Mira kept twirling her hand as she spoke “He must have been betting on his grandson… something must have reassured him that there was no need
“What case?” Martin turned around curiously before realizing that he was the butt of the joke and sitting back crossing his arms resentfully.“Hur…hur…hur….” Oden and Jack burst out laughing along with Mira “Puchi….”In the evening, everyone started arriving as planned. First Matthew and Harry arrived with Ursula and Agnes.“Your mothers didn’t want to stay at home on their own.” Matthew shrugged when Mira raised her eyebrows quizzically.“We came to keep Beth company.” Agnes walked forward ignoring the skeptical gazes of the boys and Mira.“Yes… yes… we came to give Beth company.” Ursula nodded with a guilty smile.“And not to spy on us.” Mira raised her eyebrows in a playfully taunting manner crossing her arms.“Would we?” Agnes blinked innocently as she whispered to Mirah “Even if your fathers have that intention, do you think we would betray our dear girl?”“Old woman, are you digging my grave?” Harry put on a pitiful expression which led to a bout of laughter.Mira quirked her eye
Mira ignored him and continued to ask Thomas hinting at the extra guests “Should I get Harrison to entertain them while we go down?”“Big sister” Tyson called smiling sweetly shocking Almera and Thomas. When did the little devil turn sweet?“I will be bored if I sit with you all. Are there kids in my age-group so that I can play with?” Tyson blinked innocently looking at Mira with his most adorable expression. Thomas raised his eyebrows skeptically as he heard his brother’s strange request. ‘When did his brother think adult company was boring? When did he start enjoying the company of kids his age? Didn’t he think they were silly?’“Oh… how silly of me!” Mira tapped the back of her head as she pouted “There isn’t anyone your age” She twisted her lips “Jack’s cousin is much younger than you…. but she can show you her pet bunny if you like.” Mira tried to entice, thinking Tyson wouldn’t be interested.“Alright.” Tyson shrugged feigning an unwilling expression and muttered “Better than ad
Thomas and Orseus stepped on their toes as they leaned over their father’s shoulders and read the scroll along with them; tears rolled down Cornelius and Baldwin’s cheeks as they saw the scroll in their sworn brother’s hand and read greedily.Their tears didn’t stop even though they finished reading the letter. The guilt of not being there when their sworn brother needed them the most was eating into their soul; they listlessly handed the scroll to Jack and Mira.“So now we have to find Esmeralda to cure Uncle Jerome.” Orseus pursed his lips. He called out to Jerome as Uncle Jerome smoothly, he had no difficulty as he grew up hearing these two names, Alex and Jerome; to him, they were family, more closer to him than Uncle Alaistair and his sons.“If we have guessed correctly, we don’t have to go anywhere searching for her.” Cornelius shook his head and added with an air of mystery “She is much closer than we think.”“Are you saying that the healer that we go to is, this Esmeralda that
“If only we knew….” Harry sighed regretfully “Then we could have followed that man’s trail and found Alex sooner.”“You think too beautifully... Alex would never lead a trail if this was his contingency plan.” Baldwin sneered before his expression turned serious “But we may have stumbled upon some unexpected luck in finding Alex.”“Did granduncle Zumerong shed some light?” Orseus asked, leaning forward eagerly.“Heh!” Corenlius scoffed “They were kept in even greater darkness than us.”“Then are you talking about the man who lives at Mer waters?” Thomas asked hesitantly; he really didn’t know why his father and godfather were so confident, just because he trained with Jack?“Son, you don’t know.” Cornelius shook his head “Leal can never be separated from Alex; wherever Alex is, he will follow, whether it is in life or death.”“There has never been a more loyal shadow.” Baldwin too sighed regretfully.“Then what are we waiting for?” Almera looked around curiously; Mira leaned forward a
Jack and Mira, along with the rest of their group, dragged their exhausted bodies and reached Southamberston palace at the break of dawn. Without making any noise, they all went to their respective rooms without any fuss. Everyone had a room at Southamberston palace even though they each had cottages specially prepared for them; both Martin and Oden went to the rooms that were prepared for them instead of their cottage.Early morning was unusually noisy with many unfamiliar faces around the breakfast table and yet it was as if no one noticed the familiarity of the unfamiliar faces at the table; the only exception was the three unfamiliar unfriendly faces as they sat through the farce as though they were watching a show and not part of it.Almera and Katherine joined them shortly after breakfast, as noisy as ever with Almera complaining that her husband didn’t love her anymore and that he was in love with his first wife, the estate responsibilities and that she always came second.Firs
Jack and Mira rushed back without stopping; their pace was originally fast, but it became even more rushed after they received John’s message which wasn’t much, just a short line written in a shaky hand ‘Matthew and Harry are back with three visitors’.Don’t misunderstand the shaky hand, it wasn’t fear… It was just John trying to write in his best hand. But unfortunately, it was bound to be misunderstood, due to John’s years of acting, acting timid, which was more believable for his son and nephew, more believable than his daring persona.Thomas had just entered his palace when his page rushed in and announced that he had a note from Southamberston and passed the note. It was the same note that was sent to Jack, written in the same shaky hand, 'Matthew and Harry are back with three visitors’. However, it evoked an entirely different expression from Thomas.Thomas stood up excitedly as he reached for his cloak that he had just hung up; he wrapped it around as he walked and called out to
Back at Southamberston, by late afternoon, a travel weary Matthew and Harry had arrived back at Southamberston with three additional unfamiliar men who were covered from head to toe, leaving only sharp eaglelike eyes.Without Harrison’s calm balancing act, the household was on the verge of being thrown into chaos when Beth walked in, in a hurry, ushered in by one of the maids who was flustered.The chaos resulted from the fact that there were three strangers who looked suspicious; the imaginative minds of the young staff who worked at the castle had worked themselves up with a theory they had concocted.Their theory was that the two elders who had gone to relax were held hostage, and they were unable to escape and were brought back here for the young Duke to save them; but the young duke wasn’t here; even Lazarus and Harrison weren’t here.The young maid who ran over to call Beth and gasped, almost out of breath “Lady…. Lady… Lady Beth, the elders have been held hostages by three sinis
Jack and Mira set off in the afternoon along with their men since there was nothing left for them to do here, at the manor and considering that they had been away from the duchy for almost a week.They first made a stop at the healer’s place as per Jack promise to Cornelius and Baldwin; however, there was still no one at the cottage. Jack quietly took the scroll that he had prepared previously and jumped over the wicket gate. He walked around the cottage a few times and returned as though nothing had happened.This was his agreement with the healer; he never understood why she was so paranoid, but he had always respected her rules in her place. When he returned, he no longer had the scroll in his hand. He had placed it in their usual place, inside one of the potted plants, one that looked just like the many potted plants that were placed in the backyard and yet she would correctly identify the one with message scroll.Out of curiosity, he had watched her once as she walked in through t
Everyone had rested at the manor after their late-night discussion and was up at the break of dawn, filled with vigor and new hope for answers to their decade long search. Somehow, they all had the feeling that they were closer to their quest, closer than they had ever been….After breakfast, everyone dispersed as quietly as they had arrived leaving behind Oden and Martin who were going to follow back with Jack and Mira.Corenlius and Baldwin decided to go by the healer’s cottage once more before heading back; Jack accompanied them while Mira stayed back to sort out and implement the plans she had previously discussed with Jack for their manor.However, both Cornelius and Baldwin were destined to be disappointed; the wicket gate was still locked, and the cottage desolate as ever, without any signs of life. Both Cornelius and Baldwin had a defeated expression as they considered what to do next.“I will come over once we have finished our plans for the manor and check on them.” Jack open
“Godfather, why was your interaction with the commander who came to our aid a bit weird?” Jack asked once he remembered their encounter with the cavalry that had rushed to their aid.“Che!” Cornelius sneered the disdain on his face couldn’t be more pronounced “Did they think that I Cornelius Richard the fourth am an ornamental fool to have sat firmly on the throne for the last decade?”“Didn’t you also note the abnormality?” Cornelius hooked his eyebrows towards Jack.“Whose they?” Orseus asked with a curious smirk, looking at his father who was riled up.“Who else, other than the Sorens?” Thomas shook his head helplessly as he answered even though he knew his good brother did not need an answer to his question.“Why would them helping us through the crisis annoy his highness?” Martin asked Jack in a whisper; even though it was a whisper, other than the woman who were not trained, everyone else heard him.Everyone’s gaze consciously or subconsciously turned to Jack to hear his response
Jack led everyone to their basement room under Mira’s workroom after dinner so that they could quickly get to the bottom of the reason for the waterworks. However, even before they all got into the room the doorbell rang.“10 gold coins that’s Martin.” Jack winked as soon as he heard the bell before shrugging “It’s a wonder he didn’t rush back with Harrison.“Your grace, he wasn’t there.” Harrison informed with a nonchalant expression although his lips were twitching non-stop “He was at the smithery when the carrier pigeons came in.”“Makes sense.” Jack chuckled as he walked towards the door.“10 gold coins that’s my pain.” Baldwin shook his head.“Mine would if he could sneak out…. but that’s going to………” Cornelius’s complacent expression has already started to crack; he hadn’t even completed his sentence when he heard Mira exclaim “Your royal highness…”Cornelius shook his head helplessly rubbing his forehead wondering if he was to eager to enjoy life and whether his son was ready fo