Lahat ng Kabanata ng Second chance at happiness: Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

The next morning, everyone gathered around the dining table for breakfast, filled with renewed energy and full of fighting spirit as they all knew the agenda for the day; even young Anne-Marie’s eyes were filled with excitement. “Good morning, everyone.” Cornelius and Aglaya were the last to join the table; Jack nodded towards Harrison, in a gesture that conveyed ‘Get everyone away from this area.’ Harrison nodded in acknowledgement before he started to retract the maids and manservants who were serving towards the back of the house. “Keep an eye on the front so that no one interrupts the Lord’s business.” Harrison called on Lazarus before withdrawing to the back himself “I will keep the household engaged at the back.” “It would be better if you could get your men to watch around the room, close enough to guard and yet far enough to not intrude on the Lord’s privacy.” Harrison added as an afterthought. Although he didn’t know what they were going to discuss, he knew Jack didn’t wan

“Jack is the long-lost Leander.” Bernard continued with the known facts, picking up on Orseus’s intention. Lazarus dutifully jotted it down although he was visibly shaken by what he just heard; it took him a great deal of willpower to keep his calm even though his hands trembled and if one looked carefully, they would notice the slight curves in the otherwise elegant cursive.The room quieted down and sank into a gloomy silence.“That’s it???” Harry was the first to break silence; the frustration in voice and expression was not hidden.“That’s what we know for sure.” Thomas shrugged, his frustration no less than that of Harry as he had been working on this ever since he became capable, an obsession passed onto him by his father.“Then let’s start re-telling the stories we know.” Mira suggested innocently adding as she saw her father hooking his eyebrows “Well, if it not a fact, then it is fiction, in other words story,” She shrugged.“Father always said that stories are like a puzzle w

Everyone slowly relaxed as Jack turned his attention back to Harrison. He thought for a moment before saying “Accept his visit.” Jack paused narrowing his eyes before adding “Don’t let them know that the royal sovereign, his highness and the others are here. Notify the household that any slip ups, intentional or not, will not be tolerated.”“My Lord, the staff that we have left…” Harrison sighed with a heavy heart “are all the loyal ones… who stayed back out of loyalty.”“But their loyalty is not towards me.” Jack retorted with a childish grin, he seemed to have found a new hobby, he enjoyed taunting the otherwise stiff upper lip, flawless Butler.“My Lord…” Harrison sighed helplessly “They will not betray you, but they may decide to quit once the original masters return.” He knew Jack knew…. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said that… there was no point in talking in circles or feigning ignorance.“What about you?”Mira pinched Jack’s waist as she noticed Harrison becoming visibly uncomfor

“And then….” Cornelius repeated a little lost before shrinking within himself “my sorry excuse of a father happened.”He took a deep breath composing himself before opening his mouth to continue “The next duel was meant to happen when I was 30 and it was meant to be with the heir of the Worthington duchy.”“My father, was not only greedy but also stupid as a pig.” Cornelius was not at all reserved nor did he consider his station as he fumed “Misguided by the Asters, he thought that if he tripped the Zumerongs, he could rule over for another 100 years.”“He forgot that if the duel was forfeited without the actual duel taking place, then the chance would befall the next duchy that was due in the chain.” Cornelius shook his head “The Asters were conceited; they knew they could never win against Alex nor me as long as Alex was around, so they first tripped Alex.”“Stripping him of his title so that the Zumerongs would be disheartened and give up their chance. They convinced the old man tha

“I did not….” Marcus slowly opened his mouth as he finally remembered the relationship between Mira and Almera. ‘How stupid? How could he forget? Why did he have to bring himself over here to be humiliated?’“Oh…. Good…good…good...” Duke Soren paused only for a second before he started grinning, “This is even better…. We are family then…there is no need for formalities. Ha…ha…ha…”Jack and Mira’s lips curled up in mockery although they didn’t respond verbally; the fakeness of the old duke’s feigned happiness was not lost on anyone. However, everyone pretended not to notice.“I have heard that the businesses of this duchy have not been properly managed due to being reclaimed by the king and not being attended to closely.” Duke Soren sighed regretfully once again before cautiously asking “You do know that this is not the king’s original duchy but one that was reclaimed from the original owners…don’t you?”Both Mira and Jack feigned an ignorant expression as they raised a single eyebrow q