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Why didn’t you tell me earlier?
Last Updated:
2025-03-19 20:46:35
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Jack’s lips curled up, looking at the awkward Martin “No rush. Sit down.” He rang the bell to summon Harrison and ordered “Serve some tea and nibbles.”“Why are we …” Martin grumbled as he rubbed his hands impatiently; he was a man of action, he fidgeted as he ran all that he had gathered from conversations through his mind.“I am waiting for someone.” Jack answered Martin patiently; he knew Martin best and was not offended in the least. The others didn’t even take the interlude between brothers into account; they had come to understand and appreciate the bond between these cousins.Lazarus returned in the time it took them to finish tea but before he could open his mouth to report, Mira smiled “Drink some tea and eat some nibbles before anything.”Lazarus looked at Jack in confusion before hurriedly downing his tea and gobbling a piece of tart. He knew by now that he wouldn’t get any support from his lord to defy the lady’s orders.“Ha…ha…ha…” Martin laughed happily looking at someone
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“If your stepbrother was involved, that would explain how your father became besotted with the illegitimate daughter of the Somerstones.” Matthew who had been quiet till now opened his mouth “You might not know but I have heard Jerome say that the old man was becoming more and more muddled with age.”Harry chuckled “Father and son becoming entangled with the same woman was quite a scandal back in the day.”“How come I haven’t heard anything?” Cornelius narrowed his eyes as he thought back, but Baldwin slowly nodded “That’s right, I remember hearing some murmurs in the gentleman’s club, but they always stopped in our presence and at that time you weren’t interested in your father’s scandals and we just left it at that.”“So, you are saying that the real culprits are not the Asters but ……” Cornelius asked in shock. He had uprooted the whole family in fury.“Not entirely.” Orseus sighed “They all had their little schemes even though they seemed to be working for the other.”“The Asters de
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Everyone’s expression brightened before it fell once again with Oden’s question “Wouldn’t that arise suspicion towards Jack’s identity?” “I didn’t mean anything else…” Oden explained as he saw eveyone’s gaze stopping on him “I assumed that we were keeping his identity under wraps till the whole thing is blown over since Jack still put on a guise while meeting the Sorens.” “That is true…” Cornelius nodded with a perplexed expression while Baldwin spoke with a smug smile “He can still keep the guise, and I can take him over.” “Why didn’t I think of that?” Thomas lightly tapped the back of his head; he had forgotten that although the Zumerongs never returned, his father dutifully paid them a visit every month. This was no secret; everyone knew about it and even mocked his father for being the lapdog of the discarded Zumerongs without respect for his own station. “I can go along, as a sign of goodwill, wanting to repair old relationships and it will not have an impact on our country as
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“How does that man know about your interest in Jason?” Thomas asked in a deflated tone. Not just him, the faces of everyone around the table except for Jack and Mira fell, even Oden visibly tensed. Everyone was aware of Martin’s naivety and straight forwardness by now, which naturally made him their favorite but also triggered their protectiveness, wanting to shield him from the darkness of the world around him.“What???” Martin looked around with confusion as he saw everyone’s deflated expression before his gaze fell on Jack and Maria; seeing their unperturbed expression and Oden’s tense expression, he burst out laughing; he slumped back hugging his stomach as he blurted intermittently between laughs “Did you…ha…ha… think that I…..ha…ha…. told them…. about Jack’s identity …and …. why I wanted….to know…about…him????”“Enough…. You’ve had your laugh.” Jack slapped the back of Martin’s head playfully once Martin had laughed enough.“My mates at my previous smithery sure knew of my beef w
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“For the first half of the evening, they were just drinking and boasting, teasing the maids at the joint. It was only when Jason got rough with one of the maids and one of the man servants stopped him, he slipped” Martin smiled like a sly fox who was watching his prey walk into his trap.“Under the influence of the drinks, I guess he forgot to keep his carefully crafted simple minded persona and berated the man loudly asking him if he knew who he was. He also blatantly claimed that he was the heir apparent of Lord Rovner.”Martin: “At that time, I misunderstood his claim. I doubted if he was the illegitimate child of Lord Rovner and whether his confidence came from the fact that this Lord didn’t have any heir.”“I stirred the pot by antagonizing the other patrons at the joint, angering him further making him blurt out in a fit of anger that he was no one’s illegitimate child and that he was the rightful heir and that he was married to Lord Rovner’s favorite daughter.”Martin’s gaze tur
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“I made a mysterious face and told him that from what I gathered from their banter, the two of them had some unresolved enmity and that if he wanted to know anything about that Jason fellow, he should ask the Martin fellow.”“After saying everything I wanted to say and adding fuel to the fire I walked away, almost ran away as though there was fire at the end of my tail.” Martin laughed as he remembered the stunned look on the stable boy’s face; he added “I added fuel to the fire by saying that I overheard Jason threaten Martin by boasting that it was only a matter of time before the Rovner estate fell into his hands and at that time he would take revenge.”Martin cleared his throat and Anne-Marie dutifully poured him a cup of water, fully enchanted by the account of his exploits, which contradictory to their usual bickering. Martin didn’t hold off either, he smugly took the water and drank it, throwing Oden a provocative smile. Oden shook his head helplessly.Martin: “The next day, as
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“That reminds me…” Listening to the siblings bickering, Cornelius suddenly remembered an incident that happened years ago when he was desperately searching for Alex, refusing to believe that he passed away.“After I cleared the Zumerongs of any wrongdoing and invited them back, a man who looked like a madman had rushed up to me and told me to go north, to the Bartel estate, an estate in the far north.” Cornelius narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember that incident “At that time, before I could ask any further, he started laughing and then spoke a whole lot of stuff that made no sense, he said that he was being chased by leprechauns for stealing their pot of gold and that he was richer than the king and a whole lot of rubbish before pulling me to go along with him .”“He then stopped midway and took two steps away from me and ran in the opposite direction saying that the grim reaper was coming after him.” Cornelius paused, his gaze drifting towards Martin “For some unexplainable reas
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Everyone dispersed in the morning in different directions; Jack and Mira too set off for their destination, the newly bought apartment where Martha and Sierra lived. Carl as the man of business and Oden as his apprentice had tagged along. Harrison had already informed them that everything at their old manor was ready; all three cottages had been cleaned and refurbished comfortably.The caretaker was waiting at the entrance with a flattering smile when Jack and Mira arrived. He had to make sure his cozy position was not replaced. He shed his original prenotions about this seemingly ordinary couple who had become rich overnight. From the few interactions he had with their man of business, he realized that the couple in front of him were like a sheep in wolf clothing. He wouldn’t be able to trick them like he used to trick the previous owner.“Your graces…” He bowed low as he greeted fawningly “What can I do for you?”Carl stepped forward “Is his grace's place prepared as advised?”The ca
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Latest chapter
Second chance at happiness To keep you on a leash till it is time for us to return.
Cornelius turned to Uzi and asked raising the scroll “Can I keep this?”“That is a letter from my brother to me…” Uzi snatched the scroll and kept it back in the secret compartment without giving Cornelius a chance to react. He slyly took another scroll from the secret compartment and extended it towards Cornelius “But I have transcribed a copy for you.”“Dishonest ghost” Cornelius cursed in good humour as he took the scroll.“Lord Zumerong, let us all have lunch here and disperse.” Uzi looked at Linus as he made the invitation. It was not uncommon for the two families to have impromptu gatherings followed by lunches and suppers.Baldwin pulled Elias back as Uzi tactfully steered Linus and the elders’ attention towards the banquet hall with topics of mutual interest.“For your eyes.” Baldwin extended the scroll towards Elias once the elders were out of ear shot. “Don’t burden Uncle and Aunt with the details for now.”Elias nodded as he took the scroll with knitted brows and read throug
Second chance at happiness I will not make things difficult for you.
Uzi didn’t struggle nor feign ignorance when he was questioned by Baldwin as he knew this day would come and he had Alex’s permission to disclose when they came looking for him.It was quite a sight to see the large group following Uzi, back to his residence, the curiosity on their faces couldn’t be hidden. Although Uzi had only invited Cornelius and Baldwin, the others followed without giving social etiquette a second thought.Inside, Uzi’s study, he walked over to a secret compartment and took out a scroll and handed it over to Baldwin feigning an unhappy expression, spouting nonsense, “I will lend you the letter my best friend wrote to me, just so that you won’t be jealous and accuse his sincerity towards you.”Baldwin pulled his lips lopsidedly and ignoring the childish banter, anxiously opened the scroll with trembling hands. Cornelius leaned over his shoulders impatiently.Inside, the scroll was an amulet with the Zumerong seal in the form of pendant. Uzi stretched his hand and p
Second chance at happiness How can there be an accusation when there never ever a crime to be convicted?
The next morning, Cornelius and the rest were ready to leave when the Bellevue palace had another visitor, the duke of Warringal.“Brother in arms.” Cornelius greeted Uzi with their customary elbow handshake.“It has been a lifetime.” Uzi nodded in acknowledgement.The two men looked at each other, the past and their loss reflected in the depths of their eyes. And yet, they were helpless to do anything but smile remorsefully.Uzi shook hands with Baldwin as always, but his gaze suddenly stopped at a face that seemed to have come back from the past. He rushed forward but came to an abrupt halt before Jack, frightening Mira who had involuntarily pulled Jack back a few steps with her.“That was very impolite…. My sincere apologies…” Uzi bowed deeply towards the youngsters before straightening but he still couldn't stop staring at Jack without blinking.“This is my husband.” Mira puffed her cheeks and even though she was trembling in fear, took a step forward to stand in front of Jack, loo
Second chance at happiness At least let me enjoy the glory while there is no one to challenge my claim.
Baldwin knitted his brows as he too had thought of the incident, but he didn’t look at Mira, instead he looked at Linus and asked somewhat awkwardly “Uncle, what do you think of dreams?” He didn’t have his father around anymore to ask, the only person he was close enough to ask and still breathing was Linus.“Dreams???” Linus arched his eyebrows, however Elias and the rest started making a ruckus teasing him if he wanted to share the details.“Our forefathers thought of them as forewarnings passed by our ancestors from the beyond...” Linus answered seriously once the ruckus quieted down “passed on to the purest of heart….”“Divination?” Humphrey’s son, Derek who had been a silent listener all along slowly asked hooking his eyebrows.“Not quite…” Linus shook his head “Divination is the ability to see into the future at will and it is a skill that some are born with while others can cultivate.”“Dreams are different.” Linus paused before saying “While most of them can just be wishful thi
Second chance at happiness We will avenge all the grievance our brother has suffered
“Hymph!” Mira humped unhappily “Looks like this trip left us with more questions and no answers.”“Not entirely true.” Edith spoke in a gentle tone, an affectionate gaze stopping on Jack’s face “We got to reunite with our Leander, and you got to know the culprits behind your grandfather and grandmother’s accident.”“We had guessed.” Mira pouted “You still don’t have proof for that….it is still a guess at best.”“Would us releasing the news that all of you are returning to regain your rightful positions make them act hastily?” Jack slowly opened his mouth “Would that give them room for error and give us the opportunity that we need?”“We cannot just release news….” Cornelius shook his head as he narrowed his eyes “It has to be believable to those receiving the news…”“How about saying that you have reconciled your decade long differences and that they have agreed to come back since you have promised them a huge compensation for their grievance?” Mira asked smiling like a sly fox before
Second chance at happiness Big brother never leaves room for error.
“Uncle, if old Drew is still alive, where do you think he is most likely to stay?”“Uncle, do you know who plotted against the grand duke and duchess?”Both Cornelius and Baldwin asked in unison.Linus sighed, frustration and unreconciled anger evident in his every breath. He turned to Baldwin, as though to answer his question but the guilt in his heart made it impossible for him to hold gaze with the righteous indignation in the eyes of the man in front of him; he lowered his gaze as he spoke in a low voice “I don’t, although I do not have evidence, I have a hunch.”His guilt stemming from the fact that while he had given up, lost hope, it was an outsider who had never given up, never stopped looking.“We are all ears.” This time, it wasn’t Baldwin or Cornelius who spoke but rather Elias. He had been asking this same question for the last decade and yet he couldn’t get a single word out of his father.“Our cousin…. It is a no brainer.” Linus shrugged before he gritted his teeth “But w
Second chance at happiness The only variable in his plan.....
“Sit down you two…” Linus sighed helplessly “No one is going to crucify you. We just want to know what happened?”“Why Leander never came home even though you knew we were here?” Elias added through gritted teeth although he quickly lowered his head after being glared at by his father.“Is this also part of big brother’s plan?” Wilkin asked curiously; he was Alex’s most obedient little follower, from diapers to pants, that never changed.“Perhaps, this was the only variable in his plan that he had not anticipated.” Corenlius sighed as he sat down with a dejected expression and recounted the past, of how they finally met Jack.“How is John and Beth?” Elias asked once everyone had digested what they just heard.“Uncle and Aunt are well.” Jack responded politely; there was no fluctuation in his tone, no sign of closeness nor alienation.“I still cannot believe that John was able to hold off…” Humphrey shook his head; of all the Zumerong siblings, other than Alex, he was the one who was mo
Second chance at happiness We were meant to be the last line of defence that big brother left behind ….
“That bitch… I always thought that she had organized the whole event with her brother, just for the sake of making her son the rightful heir. But there was no proof.” Edith cursed at first but then her eyes became blurry “He was the only one worthy of his ancestor’s legacy, but he withered like a pitiful bud without ever having the chance to bloom to his full potential.”After reminiscing, Edith raised her head curiously as she couldn't remember hearing about anyone talking about this event nor did she hear about the poor boy being avenged, “But how come no one heard about it?”“Alex’s favourite one liner…” Baldwin shrugged “As long as justice is served who cares about the ballads?”“You three…..” Edgar shook his head “I can never understand your madness.” Although his words seemed disapproving there was only affection in them.“My lord, the food is ready to be served.” The butler announced, his grace directed at Linus awaiting his orders.“Good…. good….good…” Linus repeated in quick s
Second chance at happiness Who said he wasn’t avenged?
“We were happy to see that your bond only grew stronger with time and have always been proud that it didn’t get tainted with the murk of the world around you.” Edith sighed “This is also why we never questioned his decision when he decided not to retaliate and hold the fort together till you got back.”“Do you think your father could have sat steadily in that throne if not for Alex single-mindedly protecting him?” Linus’s eyes were sharp, there was the undeniable Zumerong arrogance, that was filled with righteousness indignation “With just a snap of his finger, everything around you, including your father, the Asters and Basvecs would have perished without a burial ground.”Cornelius had his head lowered, he knew, even from the beyond, his good brother was looking out for him and yet his foolish father…. He couldn’t think further.“And you didn’t disappoint.” Linus smiled although his eyes misted at his loss; None of the brothers raised their heads, their eyes were filled with resentme
