Thankfully, our training was canceled today. Father wants to take us somewhere, though he didn't mention where. I can't really refuse him, so here I am with them.
Inside the carriage, Father and Claudius are chatting and laughing together. Claudius looks like the perfect son in front of our father, but I'm not really interested in their conversation, so I focus on the view outside the window.
"Keep it up, my son! Someday, you will inherit everything I have!" Father said, his pride evident in his voice.
Claudius smiled back, saying, "Thank you, Father. I won't let you down." Let him down? In the future, he'll be the one to destroy everything.
I felt Claudius' eyes on me, a smug expression on his face. To his disappointment, I simply yawned and continued gazing out the window. The view outside was beautiful, a far cry from my past life filled with tall buildings and concrete structures.
After a while, Claudius asked our father, "Where are we headed, Father?" I glanced at him, curious as well. Father grinned as if he were plotting something.
"We're going to find you a fiancée."
A fiancée, huh? I suspected he wanted Claudius to marry someone from a powerful family that could benefit us in the future. It felt like a CEO arranging a merger with a partner company.
"A fiancée? From what family, Father?" Claudius seemed to understand the implications of Father's plans.
Father stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I'm still considering a few candidates." I watched him absently stroking his beard, noting how much thicker it was compared to the hair on his head.
"Can you tell me which families they're from, Father?" Claudius asked eagerly.
Father grinned, looking like a villain reveling in his scheme. "I'm considering the Chrysalis, Driscoll, or Stallard families." When Claudius heard the name 'Stallard,' his eyes lit up with excitement.
Those families are indeed influential. The Chrysalis family is led by a Marquess. The Driscolls have a long line of knights, while the Stallards are one of the wealthiest merchant families in the kingdom. The Ashfords, our family, might not hold a title like a Marquess, but we are nobles and merchants as well, ranking among the wealthiest in the kingdom, just like the Stallards.
"Oliver." I looked up to see my father addressing me. "Yes, Father?"
He lazily stroked his beard and stared out the window. "Although I doubt any of those families will take an interest in you, do your best to get chosen."
I knew he was mocking me, but I didn't mind. Honestly, I'd prefer not to be chosen at all. "Okay, Father. I'll do my best." His sneer only deepened, while Claudius looked at me with an expression that seemed to relish my embarrassment. I ignored him and continued to gaze outside.
Eventually, we arrived at a huge estate, which appeared even larger than our own. Inside, about eight men were gathered around a long table, seemingly engaged in a meeting.
"Oh, Arthur! It's been a while!" a bald man with a large belly greeted Father with a hearty laugh.
"It has indeed," Father replied with a smile. They appeared close, though I sensed their relationship was more performative than genuine.
"Are those your sons?" another man, sporting a mustache, asked while looking at Claudius and me.
"Yes, these are my sons, Claudius and Oliver." Claudius and I bowed in unison as a gesture of respect.
"What good kids! BAHAHAHA!" the man with the big belly laughed, clearly entertained.
A handsome man with blonde hair, who looked a bit older, smiled at us. Despite his noticeable eye bags, they didn't detract from his looks. "Why don't the boys join the other kids for now? They're in the garden."
Father nodded in agreement, and a butler led us toward the garden. It was vast and beautifully maintained. "This garden looks amazing. I love how the flowers are organized," I remarked, unable to suppress my admiration.
The butler smiled. "Our young lady loves flowers very much, so the Marquess hired talented gardeners and architects to design this place."
"I see," I replied, continuing to look around. Surprisingly, Claudius was well-behaved beside me, not giving me his usual annoyed looks or fake smiles.
We remained silent until we reached the pavilion, where children our age were seated. A table was laden with various sweets, and teapots sat next to delicate teacups. Six girls and three boys occupied the table.
I spotted Meredith quietly sipping her tea. Our eyes met, and I smiled, about to wave when Claudius suddenly waved at her, grinning. "Greetings, Lady Meredith, and to the other ladies!" He bowed, placing his palm on his chest.
I smiled and addressed everyone, "Good day, everyone." I mirrored Claudius' gesture.
"Good day to you, too, Sir Oliver, Sir Claudius," said a girl with blonde hair and pink eyes. "I'm Aeryn Chrysalis."
Aeryn must be the daughter of the duke. In the novel, she becomes part of Claudius' harem and falls for him at the academy. She has a yandere-like obsession but doesn't go as far as harming the other girls vying for his attention.
Everyone greeted us back except Meredith, who merely nodded. It seemed the other kids were accustomed to her demeanor.
"I heard you both study swordsmanship?" asked a girl with black hair and golden eyes. If I recall correctly, she is Alexandria Driscoll, along with her twin brother, Alejandro. They look similar, with matching hair and eye colors, though their facial shapes differ slightly. Alexandria has a cute, soft-looking face, while Alejandro is more handsomely cute.
"Yes, we do," Claudius replied with a bright smile. "Why don't we have a match sometime?"
"I'd be honored to fight you, Lady Alexandria," I interjected. Claudius glanced at me, then sighed, shaking his head.
"I apologize, Lady Alexandria, but I don't fight girls." Is he trying to be a gentleman? I wanted to sneer.
Alexandria frowned at Claudius' remark, her calm voice betraying her annoyance. "What do you mean by that, Sir Claudius? Just because I'm a girl, do you think I'm weak?"
Claudius took a sip of his tea, maintaining a smile. "Of course not, Lady Alexandria. Please don't think too much of it."
What a hypocrite. I could tell he looked down on her abilities, but I stayed silent.
Alexandria clenched her fists but quickly calmed herself, forcing a smile. "Is that so?"
Claudius nodded, and Alejandro cleared his throat. "Why don't we have a match, Sir Claudius? You seem like a strong opponent. I'd be interested in sparring right now." He chuckled lightly, devoid of hostility, but I could tell he wanted to defend his sister's honor.
Even though Claudius is the main character in the novel, his current skill level wouldn't hold up against Alejandro, who has undergone more rigorous training.
"Perhaps you two could fight next time, Sir Alejandro. Yesterday, my brother and I played tag and both tripped, injuring ourselves." I pointed to the wound near my lips. "See?" Alejandro looked at me and Claudius, then sighed.
"Too bad then."
Claudius, seated beside me, discreetly stepped on my foot under the table. I could have avoided him, but I chose not to; it didn't hurt anyway.
After sipping tea and chatting for a while, Aeryn suggested we take a stroll through the garden. Everyone agreed, and as they wandered off, Claudius was approached by three girls eager to talk to him. He, being the 'gentleman' he is, smiled and engaged them.
I ignored Claudius, thinking being handsome must be exhausting. I ambled around, admiring the flowers until my gaze landed on red roses, which reminded me of my mother's hair and the roses in our garden.
"How can such a beautiful flower be so thorny?" I sighed, gently touching the petals.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. "Roses are like humans. They might appear kind and gentle on the outside, but deep down, they harbor dark secrets and hidden natures." Aeryn chuckled, looking at the red roses before turning to me.
What she said was surprisingly mature for a seven-year-old. I was taken aback. With a smile, I stood straight. "You're right, Lady Aeryn. I suppose that applies to everyone, doesn't it?"
Aeryn pondered for a moment, her eyes directed skyward. "Hmm, you might be right, but who knows?" She smiled, eyes closed. There was something about her presence that felt much older than her years.
"How about you, Sir Oliver?" She opened her eyes slowly, maintaining her smile. "Do you also have a secret?"
Her question made me a bit nervous, as if she sensed something. I chuckled lightly to dismiss my anxiety. "You're quite entertaining to talk to, Lady Aeryn. As for your question..." I shrugged. "Who knows?"
Aeryn laughed, her enjoyment evident.
"It's fun talking to you, Sir Oliver, but I must go for now." She smiled before leaving, and I nodded in response.
After Aeryn left, I wandered through the garden. The area around the red roses resembled a maze, with walls that towered as high as two men standing on each other's shoulders. I eventually reached the other side of the wall where Aeryn and I had spoken, and there I saw Meredith, quietly admiring the roses.
"You look lovely, just like the last time we met, Lady Meredith," I said softly as I approached her. She turned her head, her eyes still cold and lazy as usual. "Thank you," she replied.
I glanced at the roses where she had been gazing. "Do you also like roses, Lady Meredith?" I asked, unsure of what else to say.
"Yes," she paused, "roses remind me of something... and I personally think that the thorns make them more beautiful." She looked at me with those cold, lazy eyes. Being taller than her, I found myself looking down at her delicate features. "What people think about imperfection doesn't really matter. In my eyes, there's no such thing as perfect; everything has its imperfections. But don't you think imperfection is truly what makes things perfect?"
I was taken aback by her words. What she said resonated deeply with me. After a moment of silence, I shook my head and smiled. "You're right, Lady Meredith." For some reason, being with her felt comfortable, reminiscent of the warmth I felt with my mother, despite having only met Meredith twice.
"You have such great wisdom, Lady Meredith." She blinked twice and nodded but did not respond further. We continued walking together toward the exit of the maze.
"Your wound," she suddenly said, looking at me with her usual cold gaze but a seriousness that caught my attention. "You didn't get that from tripping, did you?"
I realized then that Meredith was perceptive. I laughed lightly, attempting to deflect her scrutiny. "What do you mean, Lady Meredith? I really ju—" Before I could finish, her cold fingertip brushed against the wound near my lips.
She studied my injury before raising her gaze to mine. "Don't try to trick me," she said firmly.
I smiled apologetically, suppressing a laugh. "Sorry about that. Well, let's just say I got this somewhere."
Meredith nodded and started walking again, while I stood still for a moment, my heart racing. I felt an odd nervousness when she had touched me. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I followed her back toward the pavilion.
When we arrived, everyone else was seated, and I joined them. After about an hour, they returned and settled back into their chairs.
Today had felt remarkably long. It seemed that Father and the others had just finished their meeting, which meant it was time for us to head home. As soon as we arrived, I rushed to my mother and excitedly recounted stories about the beautiful garden.
If I could change the future, I wanted to save my mother along with Meredith and the others who became his victims. I had to stop him without disrupting the order of this world.
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I apologize for not posting anything yesterday, so as an apology, I wrote you all a longer chapter. This chapter may still contain some errors, so please feel free to comment, and I will fix them.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for reading!