Chapter 208: Chapter: 208 My husbend went there.

In the afternoon, a carriage stopped in front of the Zenithara estate. A young man, around eighteen or nineteen years old, stepped out.

He had white hair and clear blue eyes. His facial features were sharp and familiar, closely resembling Vivian’s.

After stepping down, he looked around the estate with a relaxed smile.

A moment later, he laughed softly and muttered, “Home, sweet home.”

This young man was Edward, who had just returned from the Sant estate.

Edward then glanced back at the carriage door. Not long after, a small boy around seven years old climbed out.

The boy had ocean-blue hair and blue eyes. His face carried hints of both Vivian and Edward, but he also looked a lot like Duke Kamesh Sant, making his identity clear.

He was Aron Sant, the son of Veer Sant and the grandson of Kamesh Sant.

“Big brother, help me!” Aron said with a frown as he struggled to step down properly.

Edward did not look back. He simply walked forward.

“Big brother!” Aron shouted.

That finally made Edward stop. He turned around, his brows tightening slightly.

“Why are you throwing a tantrum like a girl?” Edward said, his voice cold.

“Be a man. Learn to do things by yourself.” His tone became firm and strict.

Aron frowned even harder. He already knew where this was going, but he slowly stepped down anyway.

Edward was not done.

“When I was your age, I was already sparring with my big brother,” Edward said, clicking his tongue in clear displeasure. “Tsk. Kids these days.”

He crossed his arms and looked down at Aron.

“Do you know how badly my brother would have beaten me if I acted like this?”

Edward continued to lecture him while Aron slowly pulled out a bag. The bag was heavy, and he dragged it down with great difficulty, his small hands shaking.

“Earlier, you said you won’t learn swordsmanship,” Edward said. “Then what will you learn? Singing?”

He clicked his tongue again. “Tsk, tsk. Singing? Be a man. What kind of man sings?”

Edward folded his arms. His eyes were closed as he kept talking, fully lost in his lecture.

“Do you want to ruin our family name? You are a Sant. Look at our big brother, he became the youngest swordmaster. I am the second youngest. I don’t know what he’s doing now, but he is definitely a grandmaster by this point.”

Edward shook his head.

“And you are saying you won’t learn swordsmanship?”

While Edward kept talking, Aron quietly walked past him, still dragging the bag behind him.

After passing Edward, Aron soon found a servant. He handed the luggage to him and then walked toward the main palace.

From the way he moved, it was clear he had been here before.

But Edward was still lecturing.

“From tomorrow, wake up at six and come straight to the training ground,” Edward said proudly. “I promised your mother that I would turn you into a man.”

“So don’t you dare—”

Just as he was about to continue, Edward opened his eyes.

The moment he did, he froze.

“Huh?” Edward’s mouth fell open. There was no one in front of him.

He quickly looked around and soon spotted Aron. The boy was already entering the main palace, while a servant carried his luggage behind him.

Veins popped out on Edward’s forehead. He clenched his teeth.

“You little—”

Edward ran after him and soon entered the main palace.

He did not need to ask where that brat was going.

Aron had come here many times before, and most of the time, he was always in the same place.

And that place was… the garden.

Edward walked straight toward the garden.

As expected—

“Aron, you’re here too?” Elena’s voice came from inside.

“Oh my, you’re getting cuter and cuter,” another voice followed. It was softer and slightly different. Edward knew it well.

It was Charlotte.

“Come here and have some snacks,” Elena said warmly.

Hearing this, Edward stepped into the garden. Anger toward Aron burned in his chest, but there was also jealousy mixed into it.

’I’ve been gone for a whole month,’ Edward thought bitterly. ’And they didn’t even come out to greet me?’

A sharp stab of jealousy hit his heart.

“That little piece of paper,” he thought with a dark smile. “I swear I’ll train him until his water turns to blood… no, until his blood turns to water!”

Edward’s steps quickened as he entered the garden.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw it.

Aron was sitting comfortably on his mother’s lap.

That single sight made the resentment in Edward’s heart grow even stronger.

Charlotte finally noticed Edward. “Oh! Edward, you’re back!” she said with a bright smile. “Come, come! We saved some snacks for you too.”

Elena looked up and her face became soft. “Edward, my dear son. Welcome home. We missed you so much.”

But Edward did not feel warm inside. He saw Aron’s small hands holding Elena’s dress tightly, like he belonged there. Like he was the real son.

Edward forced a smile, but it looked stiff. “I missed you too, Mother. sister.”

He swallowed the jealousy in his heart, walked toward them, and sat down on the chair facing them.

As soon as he sat, he picked up a piece of cake and a spoon. He scooped a large bite into his mouth and began eating quickly.

He did not even look at them.

Elena and Charlotte exchanged glances and smiled faintly. They had not told him that Vivian had returned, nor had they told him where he had gone.

Elena watched Edward for a moment before speaking.

“You know,” she said calmly, “we received an invitation.”

Edward said nothing. He continued eating, his movements rough. His anger had not cooled at all.

Charlotte, who had been playing with Aron, suddenly looked up.

“It’s a marriage invitation,” she said.

At those words, Edward’s hand paused for a brief moment.

Only for a moment.

Then he continued eating as if nothing had happened.

“We were thinking about who should go,” Charlotte continued. “The Harencross estate is very far.”

She took another bite of cake as she spoke.

“Normally, someone from the royal family should attend,” she said lightly. “But I’m not part of the royal family anymore.”

“So I thought I might go as the representative of the Zenithara family.”

Edward still did not react. His face remained calm, but inside, a bitter feeling rose in his chest the moment the marriage was mentioned.

He tried not to show it.

But Elena and Charlotte saw through him instantly.

Charlotte smiled softly. “But these past few days, I haven’t been feeling very well.”

This time, Edward finally reacted.

“No one needs to go,” he said coldly. “They don’t deserve our presence.”

His voice was sharp and firm.

He continued eating, but the air around him had turned heavy.

Elena gave a knowing smile and said, “You misunderstood. Charlotte was unwell, yes, but as the wife of the heir, she should attend. Don’t you think so?”

Edward said nothing. His expression turned gloomy.

He had not thought about her for a long time, but the moment her name was brought up, he was forced to remember.

“Fortunately,” Elena continued, her eyes never leaving his face, “someone already went there as our representative.”

Edward paused.

’Hmm… Grandfather?’ he thought. There was no one else in the estate who could go. It had to be him.

“Even though he just returned yesterday, he still went,” Elena added calmly.

“Yesterday?” Edward frowned.

Shouldn’t his grandfather always be at the estate?

Edward turned his gaze away and released his mana sense.

As his senses spread out, his brows furrowed deeper.

“Hm?”

“Grandfather is here,” Edward said slowly. “Then who went there?”

His face was filled with confusion.

Hearing this, Charlotte let out a quiet sigh.

“Who else,” she said softly, “my husband…”

Her expression looked regretful on the surface.

But deep inside, she was waiting—

waiting to see how Edward would react.

As she said this, Edward stared at Charlotte without blinking.

The pieces slowly came together in his mind.

’Sister-in-law’s husband… my brother.’

’Brother returned?’

Edward’s eyes lit up at once. The jealousy, anger, and regret from earlier vanished, replaced by pure excitement.

“Brother returned?” he said quickly. “When? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Where is he?”

He had completely forgotten that he was just told his brother had gone to the Harencross estate.

Aron, who had been quietly eating, suddenly looked up.

Since childhood, he had heard stories about his eldest brother, the greatest genius of their family. Yet, he had never seen him even once.

“Eldest brother?” Aron asked softly, his eyes full of curiosity.

Edward frowned slightly at him but said nothing. Instead, he turned to his mother.

“Where did he go—”

“What!?”[1]

Edward froze.

Charlotte’s words replayed again in his mind.

“My husband went there…”

He had ignored it completely before.

Edward’s eyes wavered as he looked at them, disbelief clear on his face.

Charlotte, clearly enjoying his reaction, spoke again.

“He found a letter,” she said calmly. “It was addressed to you…”

*******

[1]

This sudden “what” might seem strange. It sounded odd even to me, but it was intentional, almost like an experiment. It’s like when someone speaks rapidly out of excitement, only to suddenly realize there was something shocking hidden within the very words that fueled that excitement, and that realization cuts straight through it.

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