NOVEL NEXT Chapter 153: Explanation (1)
"Firstly, I want to apologize for what you've been through Michael," Lord Winterborne said, his tone sincere. "It was never my intention for you to be subjected to such… torture by the noble families."
"I had known that they would be upset, but I did not think that they would be so brazen as to attack you directly. At most, I had figured it would result in some posturing—something that isn't uncommon for the younger generation."
He continued, "If anything, I expected to receive many complaints directed at me. I was even prepared for the whole noble circle to shun our family…"
Michael nodded slowly, not interrupting. He wasn't yet convinced, but it appeared that everything would be revealed if he was patient. He could see in the corner of his eye that Melody was also in the same boat.
Brian looked at his daughter briefly, the care and affection in his eyes unmistakable in that moment, yet there was a slight sadness in his gaze. He turned back to Michael and sighed softly.
"Because of our… unique position." He prefaced, looking a little uncomfortable, "Melody has been subjected to a lot of attention from a young age. We received tens of engagement proposals from many noble families—some as early as her fifth birthday."
Brian gritted his teeth, his hands balling into fists upon the table. "Those vultures couldn't even wait until she was of age to try and secure her—it was sickening. I wanted nothing more than to destroy those bastards…"
"But I was powerless," he admitted, sitting back in his chair weakly. "The royal family has forbidden any infighting, dishing out heavy punishment to those who would break this rule. But if it wasn't for Mary, I might have done something stupid back then."
As if on queue, Mary placed a hand upon his arm, showing her support. She flashed him a caring smile, creating a touching sight.
Michael could feel their love for one another, something that was not present with his own parents. Suddenly, he felt a sense of melancholy, his thoughts moving to his own mother.
Brian cleared his throat, moving on. "Well, I knew that from that day forth—I needed a plan to keep my daughter in my family. If Melody were to marry into any other noble family, she would become a prisoner—a mere figurehead. She would be miserable…"
"So when you arrived in Whitevalley town that day, Michael… I thought the heavens had answered my prayers." He added, his gaze locked onto him. "Not only did you have decent potential, you were also quite tall and handsome for your age."
Michael resisted the urge to cough, feeling his cheeks redden slightly. His eyes imperceptibly moved to Melody beside him whose face was also beginning to turn red. Their gazes met for a moment before she turned away—hiding her face.
Not commenting on the sight he just witnessed, Brian continued. "If you remember, I offered to sponsor you on your very first day here. I thought that if I was able to groom you alongside my daughter, you might develop feelings for each other—then I would have an excuse to keep Melody here, with us…"
"However, I underestimated your integrity Michael." He admitted, wearing a wry smile. "Not only did you refuse to accept a free handout, you even insisted that you work for your keep. There was no way I could refuse, not when you showed me such qualities."
"But I couldn't let you off that easy. Vaughn and I came up with the idea of assigning you to become Melody's butler, in the hopes of kindling some affection between you two. At worst, you would protect her at the academy out of duty… But we held out hope that it would blossom into something more."
Michael's gaze moved to Vaughn who was standing upright like a spear by the side, his eyes narrowing. Seeing the impassive expression on the older butler even after such a reveal made him want to throw something at the guy.
"Of course things didn't exactly pan out the way we expected," Brian said, his gaze lowering. "On the day of your departure to Arcadia, I panicked. For the first time my daughter would no longer be in my care—vulnerable to those wolves from the other families. I knew I had to do something…"
"So you told him to pretend to be my fiancé." Melody stated, her sapphire eyes locked onto her fathers.
"Yes… It's something that I'm not proud of, but I convinced myself that it was something that needed to be done. I could deal with the fallout, as long as it meant you were safe in the academy." He admitted.
"So we are meant to believe that you never intended for Michael to get hurt?" Rudy piped up from the side. He was no longer eyeing the snacks on the table, instead glaring at the blue-haired man across the table.
Michael could see where this was going, so before the man could answer, Michael placed a hand upon his friends shoulder. "I believe him Rudy…"
"What!? How could you believe him after just this? You almost died because of him!"
"Because I know that look, Rudy… So do you." He said, wearing a pained smile. "The way he looks at Melody is how my mother looked at me."
Rudy paused, opening his mouth as if to retort—but the words never came out.
Michael didn't elaborate, he didn't need to. He knew that Rudy also knew what he meant, especially with how he had described his own parents. It seemed that regardless of social status, there were loving parents everywhere.
Of course not everyone would have such a luxury, nor would it last forever. His own mother had sacrificed herself for him at the end in order to let him escape.
He turned, seeing Mary and Brian looking at him with relief, and a hint of expectation.
"I forgive you, my lord. Though your actions resulted in some suffering for me, I am not afraid of suffering for my friends." He announced with a smile.