Chapter 105: Young Lord Laniel, Please Show Some Self-Respect!

"Lord Andrew!"

"Old John!"

Old John had served as Andrew's butler for several decades; the bond between master and servant was even closer than that with Gervas.

"Lord Andrew, have you been well lately?"

"Thanks to the Grace of the God of Glory, I am very well. Old John, how about you? Has Gervas been giving you much trouble?"

"Lord Andrew, I am also very well. Young Lord Gervas is an exceptionally capable lord; there is absolutely nothing for me to worry about!"

Hearing this, Andrew chuckled, taking it merely as Old John flattering him.

"Young Lord Laniel, please show some self-respect!"

Just then, a cry of shock rang out, shattering this warm moment.

Everyone turned to look and saw Caroline with her palms pressed together over her abdomen, bowing deeply with her head lowered, yet it was she who had just let out that cry.

And just one meter away from her, Laniel stood frozen in place, his face filled with shock, his hand still held in the motion of reaching forward to grab.

"Laniel, what are you doing?"

Andrew's gaze swept over Caroline before shifting directly to his second son, his voice rising in stern reprimand.

Laniel felt his head buzzing.

He was extremely, extremely heartbroken.

Just now, the moment he saw Caroline, he had been overwhelmingly excited.

He had traveled from far away, enduring days of roughing it in the wind and dew, for what purpose?

Was it not for Caroline?

And the instant he saw her, he had involuntarily wanted to step forward, take her hand, and express his longing and excitement.

He had assumed that upon seeing him, Caroline would surely be just as excited.

But unexpectedly, before he could even touch her hand, Caroline suddenly cried out and quickly stepped back two paces to dodge him.

Why was this happening?

Why was she treating him this way?

Had she forgotten the beautiful times they once shared?

Laniel couldn't help but recall that before he turned ten, it was Caroline who had led him around the castle and the small town.

Although later, as he grew older, Caroline no longer held his hand and his mother no longer needed her to care for him, her attitude toward him had remained very good.

Those were the times he considered the most beautiful.

And now, she seemed to have changed into someone else, becoming so strange.

She had cried out simply because of a light, well-intentioned gesture of reaching for her hand in greeting, born of his excitement.

"Laniel, did you not hear my words?"

"I..." Laniel was finally roused from his stupor by Andrew's reprimand.

He wanted to explain something, but when grief surpasses despair, he found he simply could not open his mouth.

Those unyielding tears finally began to flow ceaselessly down his cheeks.

And at this moment, Gervas remembered a song.

It was a pity this world had no sound system; otherwise, he would have surely dedicated the song "A Plum Blossom in Winter" to this little brother Laniel!

"Get back there!"

Andrew's single reprimand sent Laniel retreating.

Earlier on the road, it would have been one thing if his two sons had just been talking nonsense.

But now, with Gervas present, they were still acting recklessly; that was simply immature.

Nowadays, Gervas possessed both the Fire Steed and the Demon Swift Eagle, and was also a Silver Knight.

It was foreseeable that Stormhold would very likely stabilize and rise.

Therefore, maintaining the relationship between Stormhold and Galehold had become even more important.

It was not that he, as the father, was being power-hungry, but rather that for a family to avoid being swallowed by the wheels of history, it must seize every possible resource and opportunity.

"Father, he didn't mean it; let it go!"

Seeing the young man's world collapse only to be crushed further by Andrew, Gervas finally spoke up "opportunistically" to intercede.

Hearing this, Andrew took the opportunity to step down from his anger.

Just as Gervas was about to lead everyone into the castle, a cry echoed from the sky.

Whoosh!

A Demon Swift Eagle landed at the foot of the earthen slope.

"Master, a caravan has been discovered three li outside the castle. It belongs to Viscountess Catherine of the Violet Family; she has come to Stormhold this time specifically to visit you!"

"Oh? Viscountess Catherine has come as well?" Gervas wore an expression of "surprise."

Andrew, Ernest, and the others were momentarily stunned.

What?

A viscountess coming to visit Gervas?

Had they heard wrong?

"Gervas, who is this Viscountess Catherine?"

Because they were quite far away, Andrew did not know of the Violet Family.

Moreover, within the kingdom, noble families sometimes shared the same surname.

"Father, Catherine is the current lord of the Borderland Violet Viscount's Domain. I helped her with a matter some time ago, so this time she has likely come to thank me!"

"Helped a viscount with a matter?" Andrew and Ernest very much wanted to ask what that matter was, but they held back.

Logically, if a lord comes personally to express gratitude, it must be a great favor.

But what help could a newly appointed Baron offer a Viscount?

It wasn't that Andrew, the old father, looked down on his second son.

Putting himself in another's shoes, he believed he had nothing that could help other Viscounts.

"Father, shall I take you to the castle's drawing room to be seated first? I will wait here for a while for Viscount Caitlin!"

"Gervas, why don't Father and I stay here and wait with you? We aren't tired anyway!" Before Andrew could speak, Ernst immediately voiced his opinion.

Andrew actually wanted to see what was happening too, and nodded, "Gervas, how about Father waits with you?"

"Alright, Father!"

Gervas naturally had no objection.

So, Gervas let Andrew's convoy enter the castle first, while he himself waited with his father and the others.

A distance of five li was not too far; as the father and son watched the Wheat Field Town, they discussed matters regarding the future development of their territory, and the Violet Family convoy was slowly approaching the castle from the main road of Wheat Field Town.

"Hmm?" Ernst suddenly widened his eyes, because that convoy felt familiar to him.

Looking closely and distinguishing the luxurious carriages within the convoy, he was completely stunned.

"It's... it's her, Father, it's that female Viscount!"

Ernst's tone was filled with shock and disbelief.

Little brother Laniel, who had been secretly grieving, finally raised his head, his eyes blurred as he looked at the carriage in the distance.

And when it was confirmed that the luxurious carriage was indeed in their own group, the young man's already shattered heart cracked again with a 'crack'.

"Father, do you know Viscount Catherine?" Gervas asked curiously.

Andrew's expression was strange. "Gervas, on the road when we came, we happened to meet this Viscount's convoy."

"At that time, the female Viscount in that convoy and the luxurious carriage pulled by those six lame horses shocked us!"

"So that's how it is, Father. The old Viscount of the Violet Family passed away just over a month ago; since there were no other heirs, the title was inherited by Catherine."

"And the Violet Family possesses a high-quality crystal mine, so the Violet Family can be said to be one of the wealthiest families on the border!"

"So that's the case!" Andrew nodded.

While the father and son were speaking, the convoy had already arrived at the foot of the gentle slope.

The guards and knights stopped in place, but the luxurious carriages came directly up the gentle slope, finally stopping at the castle's main gate.

And Catherine, wearing a long purple silk gown, slowly stepped down from the carriage.