Chapter 39: Angus’s Past
After signing his name, the contract paper emitted a faint glow, then intricate light patterns appeared on the entire page, covering the words but not affecting their readability. However, it also meant that no further changes could be made; any additions or deletions would ruin these delicate patterns.
Angus, still lucid, began to impart various instructions. He mentioned which people in the merchant guild he trusted and which ones had ability but lacked integrity.
After giving his instructions, his symptoms of blood spitting worsened, and it seemed he wouldn’t last much longer.
“May I ask one last question?” Lolan Hill looked at this dying father.
“Go ahead.”
“Why do you trust me so much? We’ve only met once before, right? What if I were an assassin?” Lolan Hill voiced her doubts.
“Haha…cough, cough,” he spat out blood and lifted his head.
“If you trust someone just because you’ve been with them for a long time, that’s foolish.”
“I believe in long-term reliable interests more than friendship or family ties.”
“People’s hearts can change. Today they might swear by you, but tomorrow they could turn their back on you.”
“I’m a merchant, valuing interests. My opponents are also merchants who value interests even more.”
“It’s not that I look down on them. If they could afford someone like you as an assassin, I would admit defeat and have nothing to say.”
“But would that group hire someone like you? No, I’ve traveled far and wide, seen all sorts of people. You, with your rare looks and knowledge, are something I’ve never encountered. It’s like two ruffians fighting and one asking the king’s daughter to be a fighter. If he could afford it, why would they fight?”
“So, I believe you have no connection with them and that you will keep your promises, protecting my remaining children.”
The young lady found it hard to believe. Did he really trust her judgment so much? Even she didn’t think she was that capable.
“Alright, after we get through this crisis, when your child grows up, I’ll transfer the merchant guild’s assets to him.”
“Thank you, but there’s no need to do that.”
Surprisingly, Angus wasn’t concerned about whether the property would return to his descendants.
“My child is only ten years old, and I don’t know what kind of person he’ll grow up to be. Giving him such a large fortune might ruin him. It would attract unwanted attention, and if he lacks the ability, he could easily fall into traps set by others, ruining his life. I just want him to grow up peacefully, live well, marry, and have children, unlike me.”
“What if he grows up to be very capable?” The young lady asked curiously.
“In that case, even less worry. He’ll gain everything through his own strength. Although it might be troublesome at first, the satisfaction, pride, and sense of achievement he gets after success will last a lifetime.”
“So you just need to protect him until he marries. As for my property, you can dispose of it as you wish.”
“Cerise, Chelsea, thank you for your hard work over the years. After this, I’ll need your help to assist this respected young lady.”
“We will, please rest assured, sir,” the butler and head maid said sorrowfully, looking at the gasping Angus.
“I have a few properties in Hope Lane. Can I give one each to these two loyal servants?” Angus raised his head and asked Lolan Hill.
“No problem, they were originally yours.”
“Thank you.” Angus handed Lolan Hill his tokens, will, and other valuables, then asked the two servants to step away. He had some things to discuss privately with Lolan Hill.
Once the butler and head maid left, Lolan Hill sat beside a stone near Angus, looking at the man on the verge of death.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
Angus leaned against a large rock, gazing at the flowing clouds in the sky. “I never imagined I’d end my life here.”
“Would you mind hearing the story of a failure?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Long ago, I grew up in the Westwind Kingdom, relying on my father being a baron, causing trouble everywhere. I was a despicable boy.”
“One day, I met Elain’s mother, a declining noble’s daughter. Her family lost their territory, and they lived frugally.”
“At that time, I mocked her parents for putting on a show, thinking she’d be angry, but she ignored me.”
“Angus’s eyes were distant. So, I teased her, calling her ugly and scaring her with bugs.”
“But she remained unmoved, still reading under the tree. Her composed appearance moved me.”
“I wondered why she wasn’t angry and what she had to be proud of.”
“I learned from others that her family was poor, her mother vain and often upset, taking her frustrations out on her.”
“Normally, such a child would become timid, solitary, and strange.”
“But she didn’t. I was curious and finally went to ask her.”
“She replied that her mother was the youngest daughter of a neglected household, thus sensitive to face. This hurt her mother’s heart, creating a gap, making her crave filling that wound.”
“But doesn’t that hurt you too? I asked curiously.”
“Yes, I feel sad, want to cry, but I don’t want to be like her. She sat by the window, as if bathed in light.”
“From that moment, I fell in love with her.”
“I pursued her passionately, confessed my love, hoping for her promise, but she didn’t accept.”
“I was confused, asking why. She said she didn’t want to marry a playboy. I told her I loved her more than anything.”
“But she still refused. Why? I asked again. She said even if it’s out of true love, it won’t work because people change, especially nobles dependent on their families.”
“All I have comes from my family, and I lack real skills. If forced to marry, elders and relatives would interfere endlessly, affecting us both since our lives depend on the family. This relationship can’t be severed, leaving no room for autonomy.”
“Living like that would be exhausting, and eventually, both would tire and change.”
“Back then, I couldn’t refute her. So, I tried to earn money desperately.”
“A novice trying to make big money inevitably failed, ending up in a month-long house arrest.”
“Afterward, I tried earning small amounts independently. My arithmetic was good, so I helped merchants with their ledgers. One day, I heard her parents planned to marry her off for money.”
“I couldn’t resist and ran to her house, secretly meeting her and proposing again. By then, I was out of favor with my family, with little hope.”
“But unexpectedly, she accepted this time, saying at least I could now live independently.”
“So, she married me, a perceived scoundrel, claiming to be pregnant to avoid objections from her parents. A non-virgin would not be accepted by other nobles.”
“After she gave birth to our daughter, her health declined, and she passed away a few years later. I was framed and exiled due to my brothers’ disputes over the family estate, temporarily leaving Elain with friends.”
“Nothing much happened afterward. This scoundrel got lucky, earned some money, and planned to reunite with my daughter. But the journey home was cut short.”
End of Chapter 39
