Chapter 362: Chapter 334 The Circle is Really Chaotic (1/3)
The red-haired financial officer could see that the Viscountâs smooth reading process had come to a clear halt, his expression turning to one of shock, then to a sudden realization, followed by the frown of someone encountering something strange.
But soon, he continued reading, and his speed increased even more.
"I know you must be feeling confused and incredulous, but thatâs just the way it is. Big brother, Iâm sorry for Ely, and Ely and I are also sorry for him. You border nobles might find it a bit hard to understand, but our relationships here are indeed a bit messy... Thatâs the fact, and I donât want to talk more about it."
"As long as Yisen Gard loses his inheritance rights, or dies, Klar will be the successor of the family. Big brother no longer cares about these trivial matters; he has agreed to my terms, which is indeed where I lost to him... I canât refuse to let Elyâs child become the head of the family."
"My friend, Ailes... if I die and Yisen is still alive... just let him go" (here the paper showed signs of being smeared with ink; the original writing was âkillâ).
"No matter what his future is, since I have lost, at least give him a chance to see if he can surpass his torturous fate."
"My friend... be cautious of the royal family, beware of Duke of Sorin, and be wary of those lunatics from Lingzhi Academy. If possible, never return to the Imperial Capital, never!"
"This place has changed; itâs no longer the city of our childhood."
"I suddenly miss those days, when we would skip classes together, play and sing at Elyâs house, race and fish by the lake... Decades have passed, yet I have always been nostalgic for the past, never looking forward to the future."
"I hope your child is healthy. I probably wonât get to see him born. Take this as a gift for him; after all, itâs no use to me now."
Inside the box, there was also a pale blue gem pendant, with the ability to calm the mind and resist the bewitching of Spirit Energy, a quite precious piece of Spirit Energy Jewelry.
Putting down the letter, Viscount Grant was silent for a long time.
"Did Yisen Gard write this after setting out, after talking with me?"
After a long while, under Lamarâs gaze, he sighed wearily, "Is it because I had a child that you didnât want to involve me?"
"Pat... you really are a..."
"Halfwit."
After a moment of silence, the Viscount shook his head: "Forget it, let it be, huh..."
He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his emotions.
"A child with Ely, you... what the hell do the Imperial Capital people do all the time?!"
But obviously, this method of suppressing emotions was not suitable for Viscount Grant; he couldnât hold back and began to grit his teeth and curse, slamming the table: "Waste, waste! While I was fighting to the death with the natives at South Ridge, you were playing court melodramas in the Imperial Capital? Why didnât you die farther away, why did you have to come here to die?!"
"I told Velder long ago to stay away from Afrina. That foolish woman isnât dangerous by herself, but behind her is the royal familyânot like the Former Emperor, how could someone like Axel even get close? You play mind games with the emperor and donât fear dying without a place to be buried?"
"All idiots! I said none of you were smart, Velder is also a scumbag who canât control his lower half, you are all a bunch of imbeciles!"
After yelling loudly, he lay exhausted in his seat, and Viscount Grant calmed down a little.
Then he turned his head, his expression serene, and said slowly to Lamar, whose eyes showed concern: "Itâs fine, we wonât get involved in this... The one thing Patrick did do right as a friend, he didnât drag us in."
Having finished speaking, he paused, as if he wanted to say something more.
But in the end, Ailes just choked up, covered his eyes with his arm, and lay back in his seat.
"I donât want to hear anything... please... just let me have some peace..."
he whispered softly.
"My lord..."
Lamar sighed softly, stepped forward, and gently pressed his hand against the Viscountâs ears.
Meanwhile,
within the quiet room of the Platinum Iridium Workshop.
The white-haired youth was patiently explaining the ins and outs of the situation to his peerâat least the ins and outs as he deduced them.
"Thatâs roughly the gist of it,"
Ian said, showing his hand-drawn relationship chart to the baffled blond youth: "I originally thought Viscount Grantâs life was pretty messy, but it turns out you guys lead an even wilder one."
Yisen Gard, however, seemed to have suffered a great mental blow, his expression dazed, his gaze scattered, utterly out of sorts.
Facing the reality laid out before him by Ian, the youth murmured in confusion, "Well, itâs not too bad. Uncle Ailes is rather pure-hearted by noble standards... I just never imagined something like this would happen to my own parents..."
Shaking his head, Yisen Gard still found it somewhat unbelievable.
He lifted his head to look at Ian, his eyes pleading for help: "Ian...is it true? Is Klar really my uncleâs child?"
"And my father promised my uncle that, if he killed me, he would let Klar take over as the head of the family?"
"Youâve summarized it quite well," Ian said, unmercifully facing the blond youthâs imploring gaze.
He raised the teacup beside him and took a sip of the white leaf tea that could invigorate the spirit and quench thirst.
Then, putting down the cup, Ian picked up the pen again, patiently drawing guiding lines for Yisen Gard: "According to what Patrick told me before he died, back in the day he, Ely, the Viscount, and your father, Marquis Velder, were childhood friends. Iâm not quite sure about the Viscount, since I donât know if Ely has red hair, but both your father and your uncle were fond of that noble lady."
"Your uncle probably gave up, just like he gave up on competing for the head of the family. So it was your father who married Ely, but clearly, your father was also one who couldnât control his lower half, and your illegitimate elder brother is proof of that. Lady Elly probably wasnât very happy, and your uncle... well, ninety-nine out of a hundred such noble tragedy novels unfold this way. Thatâs about the size of it."
"And next, because of Axelâs plan, they needed the bloodline of the Ellen Family, and due to an âaccident,â Lady Elly diedâI guess Marquis Velder is consumed with guilt, believing he failed to protect his wife. He even feels he betrayed your uncle and your brother, despite your uncle and his wife having an affair, and your brother not even being his child."
Hearing this, Ian glanced at Yisen Gard to ensure he was still holding up before he continued slowly, "As for you... it might sound a bit cruel."
"Yisen, your father... probably despises you."
"He hates your mother and you, because it was indeed because of the royal familyâs plan, your motherâs obsession with Marquis Velder, and your very existence, that led to Lady Ellyâs death."
These words were hurtful, but after all, they had to be said.
If left unspoken, the undercurrents would remain obscured.
"No wonder my father has never spent a festival with me..." The blond youth seemed to gain clarity unexpectedly, murmuring to himself, "I thought it was because I was too far away in the Imperial Capital, and he couldnât make it from the Northern Territory..."
âWhat a joke.
Thatâs what Ian thought. A Fourth Energy Level powerhouse couldnât make the trip? At the Second Energy Level, one could propel the Fairy Wings to reach speeds of up to two to three hundred meters per second. With Aether Armament at the Fourth Level, one could become a ballistic missile traveling at supersonic speeds and reach the target area in minutes; was there really any excuse for not being able to come?
He didnât believe Yisen hadnât thought of this, but guessed the latter had always made excuses not to seriously consider it.
As for Patrick, even though he knew Yisenâs existence and his mother were the root cause of it all, he also knew that Afrina herself was a âfoolish woman,â incapable of orchestrating the assassination of another lady to marry the Marquis of Ellen...
And Yisen Gard himself was even more innocent.
Therefore, Patrick actually felt pity for Yisen Gardâs predicament, and when he approached Yisen Gard to collect intelligence related to Axelâs plan, he subconsciously took care of the latter.
So much so that for many years, he played the role akin to a father for the blond youth.
This indecisive noble was just as lackluster in his cruelty.