New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 159: CHARLOTTE & GEORGE (8)

Chapter 159: CHARLOTTE & GEORGE (8)

Earlier that day.

"That’s the Marquis Oswalt."

"So handsome~"

"It’s really him? Now that you mentioned it, didn’t Marchioness Oswalt reqquest an audience with her Majesty a week ago?"

"She did. I saw her with my own two eyes."

"I don’t know what they talked about, but she looked a bit tense."

"Haven’t you heard about what happened to her...?"

George passed by some gossiping maids cleaning and overheard the conversation they were having.

He had been in the palace since morning dealing with some matters and was just about to leave now that it was almost evening.

His footsteps didn’t pause and he didn’t pay them any heed as they stopped talking on sighting him, but he undoubtedly became curious. His wife had requested an audience with the Queen? How come he hadn’t heard?

For some reason, George felt uneasy. He pushed the feeling down and exited the building, thinking nothing of it.

He left the palace to where the Coachman was waiting outside and headed home.

While sitting in the moving carriage, his thoughts subconsciously went back to Charlotte. He thought back to the first time he met her.

He was seven years old then and she was three.

Charlotte was a curious child. She was very innocent and treated him like she treated everyone else.

When she smiled at him like they were friends, he only stared at her. He was too stunned to do anything else so he just froze, not even able to return a smile. It was the first time someone had ever smiled so purely at him. He just wasn’t used to it.

Growing up, he had been surrounded by people who tried to curry favor with him, ever since he was a baby.

They also constantly tried to introduce him to their children in order to build friendships and get benefits from him.

His parents were no different. He grew up hearing words like,

’George, you should excel in your studies. That is very important to your title and the family’s reputation’.

’Make sure to not sully our family’s reputation!’

’You must be exceptional in order to not disgrace our family!’

’You are the heir to the Marquisate and must learn to act as one!’

Money. Reputation. Power. Title.

That was all his parents cared about. That was all George heard about. It was inevitable he grew up with a cold personality.

George hated his parents.

They didn’t care about him, they only cared about what he because, and the benefits they would get from his success.

His father was power-hungry, and his mother only wanted money and good reputation. His parents didn’t love each other either, so George had never witnessed any loving display of affection.

It was his grandfather who really took care of him and cared about him. His grandfather and Charlotte’s grandfather were good friends and would bring the two children together to spend some time together whenever they met.

The next time he met Charlotte was when he was ten years old. He noticed even more things about her.

Charlotte was a quiet child. She had a weak constitution from birth and was taken to Amberale when she was three years old.

Her father had gotten married to a woman from another kingdom and they had birthed her. She was the fourth child and only girl of her parents.

Because of her weak health, her parents had brought her to Amberale where it was more conducive to be raised by her grandfather.

George and Charlotte had something in common— they were both raised by their grandfathers. But they also were different because his parents didn’t love him, but he could tell that Charlotte’s parents and siblings loved her deeply from the time he had happened to meet them during one of their visits to their daughter and sister.

Charlotte didn’t speak much and seemed to prefer reading a book or taking a walk in the little garden in her grandfather’s home, or both. She also liked sweet food.

George had begun to act less cold around Charlotte. He also spoke a lot more. When it was time to return to the academy, his heart was unwilling to leave but he remained oblivious to the feeling. Though his heart tugged when he saw Charlotte bid him goodbye with tears in her eyes.

He was usually unwilling to return from the academy during the summer or winter break because of his parents, but he always looked forward to visiting Charlotte.

For the next few years, George would frequently go to visit Charlotte when he returned, with or without his grandfather. It soon became normal to them.

However, he soon stopped coming back. He didn’t like not seeing Charlotte, but his parents would know of his return and would expect him to return to the mansion and he wanted to avoid seeing them as much as possible.

The only time he felt pleased with going home to their mansion was when he heard from his grandfather that Charlotte’s grandfather was coming, because that meant Charlotte would be there too. The mansion and even his parents always seemed bearable then.

However, when he turned seventeen, he had to return from the academy in the middle of the academic year, as he received news that his grandfather was on his deathbed.

He returned to the mansion for the first time in years. When he arrived, he found that Charlotte and her grandfather were already there. His parents were present too, but George mostly ignored them.

Watching how Charlotte tried to comfort him while looking like she was unsure of what to do or say, George’s heart warmed, but his face didn’t show.

After the physician came out, he informed him that his grandfather wanted to see him alone.

"Grandfather, I’m here." He closed the door behind him and approached the bed.

His grandfather looked weak lying on the bed. Such a sight was strange for George, who knew his grandfather as a strong man.

"George," the old man coughed, looking at him with a bit of sadness and something else George couldn’t pinpoint.

"Yes, grandfather."

"I don’t have much time. I want you to promise me something."

George was confused, but he still replied, "Okay, grandfather."

"George, I want you to marry miss Charlotte." His grandfather dropped a bomb on him.

"What?!" George was shocked. "What do you mean, grandfather?"

"It was a promise I made a long time ago," his grandfather began. "When Harris and I were still young, we were good friends. But on one occasion, Harris risked his life to save me. Because of that, he lost an arm."

George listened attentively as his grandfather, Bertram, narrated what happened.

"I felt exceedingly grateful that I promised that our descendants, our children, would be joined in conjugal ties and we would become family." Bertram sighed. "But our wives conceived only boys."

"I assured Harris that our promise still held. But we were starting to become worried as we were advancing in age and there was still no female child. Our sons soon found wives. But Harris sons’ wives birthed sons." Bertram coughed hard.

"When Gilbert and Erica informed me of Erica finally being with child, we waited hopefully and you were born. Your parents couldn’t conceive anymore. However, four years later, Charlotte’s parents informed us of being with child. We were expectant, and we were not disappointed. She was a girl. The promise we had made could finally be fulfilled." His grandfather finished with a distant look in his eyes.

He then pleaded, "Now please, promise me child, that you will marry her." Bertram held George’s hand pleadingly.

Now George knew what the look in his grandfather’s eyes was; it was guilt.

Listening to everything his grandfather had said, George became angry. He felt used. His emotions were out of place for the first time in years.

George felt like he didn’t recognize his grandfather anymore. Was this really the man who had loved and cared for him? Was he really asking him to do something he didn’t want to just for the sake of a promise made even before he was born? Without his consent?

But looking at his grandfather’s frail condition, he agreed. His grandfather was the only one in his family who truly treated him as such— whom he considered family— and with genuine love and care. He couldn’t disappoint him regardless of his feelings. It was his grandfather’s last wish. He couldn’t say no to him.

"I promise to marry miss Charlotte." George promised, his fists clenched unnoticeably.

He had always called her that way, but Charlotte called him on a first name basis ever since they were little.

"Thank you so much, George." Bertram managed a smile. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest, but he also felt guilty.

’I hope he’ll find it in his heart to forgive me one day. At least he won’t be alone after I’m gone.’ Bertram sighed heavily.

"You will not regret your decision, George." He assured. "Cherish her."

’You two are meant to be together. You’re meant for each other.’ Bertram thought.

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