250 Horrible Past Life 4 (1/2)
And then, during lunch time, a terrible incident happened.
His father arrived at the mansion with his stepmother in his arms. He noticed right away that his stepmother was heavily injured. Thus, the commotion from the servants who greeted his parents in the main entrance of the mansion.
”What happened, Father?” Winter asked worriedly while cheking if his father was hurt too. Thankfully, he looked fine to him. ”Were you attacked?”
”I wasn't hurt,” his father said, then he turned to his stepmother. ”Lucina was on her way to my office to bring me lunch when her carriage was attacked.”
He heard a collective gasp from the servants.
”Who would do such thing to Mother?” he asked curiously. Even after his birth mother divorced his father, his father still remained as Duke Kiho Prescott. Most of all, everyone in the empire knew that the emperor cherished their family as if it was his own. ”Is it someone from the rebel group? Or the Noble Faction, perhaps?”
His father didn't respond.
”The assailants were caught, Winter,” his stepmother said with a sad smile. ”They said they were ordered by Lady Prescott to kill me.”
Again, the servants all gasped in surprise.
On the other hand, he turned to his father for confirmation.
”The assailants pointed Tilly as the mastermind,” his father confirmed. ”But we're still investigating the case.”
”How's Mother?” Winter asked worriedly. ”Father, can I visit Mother?”
Just before his father could open his mouth, his stepmother beat him to it.
”Winter, I'm sorry but I don't think you should visit Lady Prescott now,” his stepmother said while giving him an apologetic smile. ”It's not right for the future crown prince to be involved in this mess so please stay here for the meantime, hmm?”
”Your mother is right, Winter,” his father said sternly. ”And thus, I forbid you from visiting Tilly for now.”
Winter clenched his fists but he didn't dare to oppose his father in front of their servants. ”I understand, Father.”
***
”YOUNG MASTER, are you alright?”
Winter didn't mean to but he gave Captain Sherwood a cold glance when he turned to him. ”I'm fine,” he snarled at him. ”Why are you asking such a useless question?”
Since Captain Sherwood was naturally a carefree person, it seemed like he didn't mind that he lashed out on him. Instead, he smiled and ruffled his hair. ”I will ask the servants to prepare tea for us. We should take a break first, Young Master.”
After saying that, the captain left him in the training ground to call the servants.
My head hurts.
Since nobody was watching him anyway, he laid on the ground to look at the orange-y sky due to sunset.
I want to freeze the sky.
He seemed to be eternally pissed for the past few months.
After all, the attack against his stepmother had never stopped ever since the first one. Worse, every single assailant had pointed out that his birth mother was the mastermind. He didn't know if it was fortunate or not but his birth mother managed to avoid getting punished because of lack of evidence.
But Mother's reputation has been severely damaged. She has also become the laughingstock of the high society.
He heard that his birth mother hadn't gone out of her room for the whole month. Unfortunately, his father still didn't want him to visit the Prescott mansion. He also couldn't discreetly go anywhere else aside from his scheduled appointments because Captain Sherwood was keeping an eye on him like a hawk.
Mother…
”Young Master.”
He got up when he heard an unfamiliar voice. When he looked up, he was greeted by a man with a haircolor the same as the orange-y sky above them. Also, he looked grumpier than him. ”Captain Denver, you're here?”
”I made an appointment with you through Captain Sherwoord but apparently, that idiot forgot to relay my message to you,” Captain Denver said bluntly. He was probably the only man aside from his father who could call Captain Sherwood an ”idiot” without batting an eye. ”Thus, I forced him to give a portion of your time today. But of course, only if you allow me, Young Master.”
”I didn't know that you talk this much, Captain Denver,” he said, then he stood up. ”What do you need from me?”
”Your training session with the Blue Dragon Knights will be ending in two weeks,” the captain of the Red Phoenix Knights said. ”The Golden Tiger Knights were supposed to take you in next. But I asked Captain Ainsworth if we could switch schedules. He said he'd only agree if I have your permission to change the schedule.”
”So, you want to take me in after my training session ends with the Blue Dragon Knights?”
”Precisely, Young Master.”
He raised a brow at that. ”Why though?”
”Because your original schedule with us happens to be on the start of winter,” Captain Denver said in a firm, cold voice. ”We, the Fire Wielders, hate winter.”
For some reason, he flinched at the captain's words.
Why did it sound like he's saying that they hate me instead of the season?
”Alright, let's do that,” he said coldly. ”I want to know why the Fire Wielders hate winter.”
”Very well, young master,” the captain said. ”Now, I shall take my leave.”
He was about to say something when all of a sudden, he felt a throb in his head. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as a result.
”Young Master, are you alright?”
”I'm fine. It's just headache,” he said curtly. ”You may leave now, Captain Denver.”
”Young Master…”
”What?”
”Get rid of the Moonflowers in your mansion.”
He turned to the captain suspiciously. ”What do you mean by that? And how did you know that there are Moonflowers in our estate?”
”Your stepmother often visits the royal princess's palace even though Her Royal Highness isn't there,” the captain explained. ”During the times I saw her leave the palace, I notice that she'd always have Moonflowers in her arms. I guess His Majesty gave her permission to get those flowers from the royal princess's garden.”