Chapter 3: Betrothed (Part 1)
After about five minutes, Alessia finally let go of Kael’s embrace and stared into his black, lusterless eyes. This made her heart clench.
She knew of the hidden repression of the fourth young master and the sixth young lady. She was not so stupid as not to realize the influence of these two people, who held resentments towards her son.
But what could she do? She did not have a force to back her up, she did not possess great power, nor did she have any friends or allies. On the contrary, she had many enemies in this clan due to their common origin.
With a sigh, Alessia sat up, quickly regaining her composure, and said softly and with some bitterness:
"I’m sorry, son... for not being of any help to you... and not being able to give you anything. Sorry for not being strong and that you have to suffer so much because of me..."
Kael held his gaze. After eight seconds, he also sat up, got out of the bathtub, and, without any embarrassment, toweled himself. He walked out of the bathroom and, standing in the doorway, said without turning around:
"You don’t have to apologize, mother. Life is like that." His voice sounded calm, as if his fourth-oldest brother was of no consequence.
Alessia looked at Kael’s sword for a brief moment. Her emotions were complex; she didn’t know how to express them. It was the first time she had seen her son so confident and calm, no funny jokes, lies, or excuses.
Once out of the bathroom, Kael noticed that both Lydia and his mother’s exclusive maid, Sophie, were in his room and looking at him curiously.
"Young master, shall I help you dress?" asked Lydia, expecting a clear refusal.
However, Kael nodded, approaching the gold-framed full-length mirror in the luxurious room near the window.