Chapter 312 Can We Do Something About This?
In the Marquis Grandchester's office at the main residence, Marquis Grandchester, Edward, and Robert were waiting.
"Good morning. Grandfather, Uncle, Father."
"Is your health okay now?"
"Yes. I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm fine now."
As Sara looked around the office, she noticed that Richard and Henry, who usually supported the Marquis as attendants, were not there.
"Are your 2 aides not here today, Grandfather?"
"Ah, they went somewhere else to prepare for the capital."
"When are they leaving?"
"They're scheduled to leave tomorrow morning."
"Is Uncle Edward going with them?"
"Yes, but tomorrow I'll be the only one going. Liz and the kids will stay here a bit longer."
"Chloe and Chris are fine, but Adam will probably stay here for a while. It might be better to give up on next year's social events."
"I understand. Well, it can't be helped. Let's be happy he found a good teacher."
"Miss Cordelia will cover what she can, and Mister Thomas will also support her, so for now, we can only strengthen Adam's basics. This won't be something that can be fixed overnight."
"That's true."
Edward had the look of a normal father worried about his son.
"I don't think you need to worry too much about Adam's entrance to the academy, Uncle. I don't plan to tell him, but the academy will probably show some consideration for the Grandchester family."
"That might be true. If there's that much commotion, it makes sense something like this could happen."
"I'm personally more worried about Chris."
"I've heard that Chris is doing well in his studies, though."
"That's right. Considering his age, his ability is frighteningly high."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
At this point, Sara got a bit stuck with her explanation. Since she was using herself as an example, she realized that Christopher's uniqueness wasn't getting through to the adults.
"His ability is extremely high. However, it's also true that he's trying to hide that ability."
"Hiding it?"
"I think Chris realizes that, as the second son, he shouldn't stand out more than Adam. When I was at the Grandchester estate in the capital, I didn't notice Chris's uniqueness at all. To be honest, I thought he was just a dull boy who didn't think much."
"I also only noticed Chris's changes recently..."
"I don't know when Chris's self-awareness started to develop. But it's certain that it happened quite early."
"Now that you mention it, he was a child who learned words quickly."
"Probably by that time, he understood the difference in status between him and Adam. Otherwise, it wouldn't explain how he went unnoticed for ten years."
The men of the Grandchester family all wore puzzled expressions.
"What do you mean, Sara?"
"In my past life, we called children like Chris 'gifted.' It means they were born with 'natural talent.'"
"Is his ability really that great?"
"Chris submitted some questions on Mister Thomas's test with a few answers he 'intentionally' got wrong. He was trying to stay under the radar."
"Why would he do that?"
"Probably to avoid making Adam feel bad about being less capable. I think Chris is just trying to keep a peaceful home. He hasn't actively participated in bullying me either. But instead of standing up to Adam and Chloe, he chooses to follow them. Well, he can't escape being called a coward, though."
"I really feel sorry for the kids."
Edward sincerely apologized to Sara.
"Well, I've decided not to forgive that, so you don't need to apologize anymore, Uncle. But I don't plan to cut off all ties just because of it."
"I see. You're quite a big person."
"In my past life, there was a convenient saying: 'That is that, and this is this'."
"I see."
Sara turned to Edward.
"Uncle, before you leave for the capital, could you have a conversation with Chris? I think he's hiding his ability to not discourage Adam. He loves his family that much. ...Well, he might also not want to deal with the troubles of being a lord. Either way, he understands how to behave because of his high intelligence and insight."
"But I don't know what to talk about Christopher."
"There's no need to talk about anything special, Uncle. Just let him know that you love not only Adam but also Chris. Many gifted children are precocious and have the same thinking and judgment skills as adults at an early age. However, because of their uniqueness, there are quite a few children who feel discomfort and loneliness. Please watch over Chris so he can recognize his ability and live with confidence."
"I thought it was unnecessary to say that I love the children and am watching over their healthy growth, but... I guess I should express it clearly."
"I mean, Uncle, you didn't put your love for aunt into words, it was thought to be a marriage of convenience. Where does the confidence come from that the children understand your love?"
Sara looked at Edward with a look of disbelief and shook her head.
"If that's the case, I think it would be better to talk to all the children individually, not just Chris."
"I'll do that."
Just as the conversation with Edward came to a pause, Marquis Grandchester interrupted.
"Sara, if Christopher's ability is that high, why not make him the future lord instead of Adam?"
"Grandfather, what exactly have you been listening to? Chris is hiding his ability because he doesn't want to be the lord. Since Adam is motivated, why not let him do it? Is there really a need to stir up trouble?"
"But shouldn't a person with high ability become the lord?"
"Chris is definitely talented, but he has no motivation at all. More importantly, I've been wondering for a while, doesn't Grandfather have too much of an obsession with the 'lord's ability'? Is there some reason for that?"
Sara tilted her head and stared at Marquis Grandchester.
"It's because I'm not the right person to be a lord. Originally, my older brother was supposed to be the lord."
"Ah, you mentioned that before, Grandfather. But since your brother has passed away, it can't be helped, right?"
"That's true. I just became Marquis Grandchester because it came to me in order. After graduating from the academy, I planned to become a royal knight, and after getting married, I intended to be a knight in the Grandchester Order."
"If you really didn't want to be a lord, you could have passed it on to Sir Jeffrey's father. Or your sister, the former Count Harrington's wife, could have taken a husband, I think."
Marquis Grandchester drooped his head and let out a deep sigh.
"Actually, there was an agreement between the Grandchester family and the Amesbury family."
"An agreement?"
"Yes. The two families, who have neighboring territories, had been fighting over land for a long time. So, the royal family acted as mediators and decided to resolve the conflict through marriage."
"That sounds like a common story."
"Nora is the eldest daughter of the Amesbury family and was originally engaged to my brother, the Young Marquis."
"So, Grandmother was originally supposed to marry your older brother?"
"That's right."
'Ah, I feel like I'm starting to understand the story.'
"Could it be that you became the lord because you wanted to marry Grandfather?"
"If I didn't become the lord, Nora would become my brother's wife. I couldn't stand that."
"Um... So, you really liked your brother's fiancée all along, right?"
Marquis Grandchester nodded slowly.
"With the royal family's mediation, the marriage between our families was decided, and Nora and her parents came to visit Grandchester Castle for the introduction. I was only 14, and Nora was 10. My brother was already 19, so to him, Nora probably looked like just a child. He was clearly disappointed."
"At that age, I guess it's understandable."
"But don't forget, Thomas Tyler, who is pursuing you, is also 19, right?"
"That's a special case. I haven't accepted him either."
When Sara said this firmly, for some reason, Robert looked happy.
"But unlike my brother, I..."
"Is it love at first sight?"
"I couldn't take my eyes off her blue eyes. Sara, they were the same color as yours. Her golden hair shone, and it almost seemed like light was shining just on Nora."
'That's kind of poetic. Is he going to start reciting poetry now?'
"After that, to deepen our relationship, Nora often visited Grandchester Castle and our estate in the capital. Of course, she came to see my brother, but the time I spent talking and eating with her was really enjoyable. Every time I realized she was not just beautiful on the outside but also a wonderful person inside, my heart ached. She was my brother's fiancée, and I wasn't even allowed to express my feelings."
"Well, if you did express them, it would definitely be a big problem. It might be even worse than when Dad liked Aunt Elizabeth."
This made Edward show a complicated expression.
"Three years passed, and then both of my older brothers died from illness. You could say it was a promotion by default."
"In other words, Grandfather, you became Marquis Grandchester because you wanted to marry Grandmother, even though you knew you weren't suited to be a lord."
"That's right. So, I feel sorry for the people, and I've been trying my best in my own way. With the help of my close aides, Richard and Henry, I've managed to keep things running. But I couldn't even detect the embezzlement of wheat, and I only managed to suppress the riots with my granddaughter's help. I don't feel like I can teach the next lord, Edward, how to be a proper lord."
"Wait, is that why you didn't teach Uncle about being a lord?"
"Edward, I'm sorry. I never intended to neglect you. I thought that even if I stepped down as lord, my aides would be able to carry on the duties smoothly."
At this point, Sara was completely exasperated.
"Grandfather, may I give you my honest opinion?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"No one can be a perfect lord from the start. I'm sorry to hear about your brothers passing away. And no matter the reason, you've been working hard since becoming a lord, haven't you? Why not show that effort to Uncle, who will be the next lord?"
Marquis Grandchester let out a wry smile.
"My efforts are just a history of failures. They wouldn't be of any help."
"However, if you know that it was a failure, Uncle won't make the same mistake again, right? After all, Grandfather is just trying to look good. You only want to show the nice parts of yourselves to the children. As a lord, Grandfather must have struggled, worried, and sometimes failed. You might have been deeply hurt at times. But we should also recognize that you have worked hard to support the people and make the territory better. If you see Grandfather's example, Uncle, you might want to tackle the various issues in the territory together. I believe that is true lordship education, what do you think?"
"Well... that might be true."
"Please let me help with Father's duties too."
"I'm going to serve as governor in our territory a bit longer. Well, after I get married, I'll have to take care of my own territory too."
Sara looked around at the 3 Grandchester boys in the office and couldn't help but giggle.
"Really, being a coward is a specialty of the Grandchester boys, isn't it? Can't you do something about it?"
"Nope."
"Not at all."
"Yeah, this is just how it is..."
It was hopeless.
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