Chapter 536 - Family Secrets - Exposed! (2)
The information she was assimilating was great but the little girl did a great job as she continued to listen to his speech.
As Butler Limo was too busy trying to master the skills he was being taught, his main focus was on them and hence he failed to notice the servants around him being vigilant.
This was the servant their young master had brought home to be his Butler which made it clear where his loyalty would lay.
Hence they made sure to keep things under wraps while he was around and pretended to be oblivious about the Old Master's sickness.
Soon it was time for Rutherford to graduate from the Royal Academy and preparations were being made for him to start his heir training.
However, the Old Master was shocked to hear that his son wished to postpone his heir training and that he would rather join one of the Knight squadrons.
He had been secretly training to become a knight and was just one step closer to becoming one.
All he needed to do was enter one of the three main squadrons of this Kingdom.
The Blue Dragons, the Red Scorpions, and the most dangerous of them all, the Silver Snakes who guarded the borders.
However, before Rutherford could even choose which of these squads to join and train in, his dream of becoming a knight was squashed by his father.
Yvonne recalled the conversation she once had with her father, regarding this incident.
'He said he resented his father at that time but what if…' She bit her lip after learning a new side of the story.
It was as if Jax had discovered the thoughts in her head as what he said next confirmed her speculation.
"Old Master forbade the Earl from becoming a knight because he did not know when he might die.
" The young boy's ominous words made her flinch.
However, Jax did not stop but continued to reveal the truth of the matter to his Boss.
"His body was weakening with each day and he wished for his son to start learning the heir responsibilities before it was too late.
" He muttered the last part of his sentence.
Only the head of the family could train the next heir to the title.
Therefore, the previous Earl was desperate to start training Rutherford how to run the fief as he did not know how much time he had left.
If he could not sustain any longer and succumbed before his son was prepared to take over the title then this could be disastrous for the future of his heir and his fief.
The hungry vultures of the noble societies would circle around the naive young boy who would have to take control of matters he had no clue about.
This would make Rutherford an easy target to fall for their tricks, harming the fief and its citizens due to his naivete and ignorance.
An honorable man like the Previous Earl and a protective father did not wish for such an outcome for his son who had not yet reached adulthood.
Therefore, while making himself out to be the villain, he secured his son's future even if it meant that he would gain resentment in return.
Yvonne felt a strange lump in her throat after hearing what her butler had to say.
Her grandfather had chosen to act as the bad guy but everything he had done was for the sake of his son and the citizens who lived under their protection.
If Rutherford was allowed to become a knight and the Earl had died without teaching his son about his responsibilities, then today, the St. Claire fief might have been in ruins.
Though there was still a chance that Rutherford would have managed to do well without his father's teachings, there was no way that he could have reached the heights he was at today.
They would not be able to enjoy the immense luxury they had today if it weren't for everything he learned by following his father and his teachings.
She was sure of this as Rutherford himself had often confessed that he was glad to have been under the tutelage of that great man and wished that they had spent more time together as there was still a lot he could have learned from him.
"From what I've heard, the Old Master bore the hatred from his only son while suffering from his illness.
" Jax's voice woke her up from her thoughts.
This only made her feel worse as now she was beginning to understand her grandfather's perspective for everything that he had done in the past.
The decision he had made at that time brought a negative impact to his relationship with his son but he carried on as it was for the betterment of their future.
'Grandpa was concerned about the bigger picture.' She realized that he was a smart man and knew the power of his actions back then.
"The Old Master continued to hide his sickness while training the Earl, succeeding in keeping it a secret until he succumbed at the end of his life's journey.
" Jax concluded his findings and the room returned to its former tranquility.
When the Old Master died, Rutherford and Raylene were already married and staying in the Capital while the old man stayed in their fief.
After completing the final rituals, Rutherford inherited the title from his father and became the next Earl in line.
Sadly, the man who had done everything for his son and the fief was misunderstood for the longest time ever and even died without having cleared the misunderstanding between them.
While Rutherford forgave his father for killing his dream of becoming a knight, he did not know why his father had done so.
After meeting Raylene, his dissatisfaction with his father had subsided, and seeing how the old man had accepted her as a member of the St. Claire's family after their marriage, he wholeheartedly forgave the old man.
'But he still does not know why Grandfather did that!?' Yvonne was distressed after coming in contact with this information.
She felt that this hot potato in her hand needed to be discarded and she knew just who she could pass it on to.
With determination about what she had to do next, Yvonne rose from her seat and took a step forward.
"Good job, Jax.
" She did not forget to express her appreciation for the espionage mission that her butler had taken part in and even given her valuable information.
Jax blushed at this praise and bowed, happy to be of some use to his Boss.
Having completed her task here, the little girl did not waste any time as she exited the room in haste.
Her Butler could not remain inside the room when its owner had exited it, hence he too hurried to catch up with her.
Yvonne's feet hastened and stopped only when they reached a certain location of the mansion.
Looking up, she found a familiar face who bowed to her the moment he noticed her arrival.
She did not have to say a word but her intentions were comprehended by the other person.
"Master, the Young Miss is here.
" Butler Limo announced as he knocked on the door before which they were standing.
Jax arrived a few seconds later and found his Boss entered the room while he and the other butler could only stand outside, waiting for their respective Master's to reappear.
___
Inside the room which served as the Lord's office in this mansion, Rutherford looked up when he heard the knock on the door.
Hearing his butler inform that it was the birthday girl who had arrived, the doting father did not think even for a second before he permitted her to enter.
His daughter had turned seven today but he had been sulking all day long.
The cause of this was the little girl who had been spending her time with others and not sparing some time for her father.
Early this morning, it was the son who had snatched her away to train with her.
Breakfast was allocated to his wife who kept gushing over how adorable Yvonne was getting as she grew older.
'I cannot deny that.' He nodded in absolute acceptance of that statement.
He had expected that after breakfast, she would come to meet him and they could spend some time together but she had gone to meet her etcher.
After the etcher, he was once again set to be disappointed as the vegetable garden held a higher position than him.
However, when he thought that it was the library's turn to be graced by his busy daughter's presence, he was wrong and she had come here to meet him instead.
This made the father happy as he rose from his seat and walked to the door to welcome his child.