Chapter 504: Nostalgia and Reunion
CH504 Nostalgia and Reunion
***
As Kron followed the butler through the familiar corridors and halls of the castle mansion, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over him.
A mory from the past surfaced in his mind.
It was a simple mory, really.
A ti when he and his brother ran recklessly through the main corridor of the castle, their laughter echoing off the stone walls, while their mother chased after them, scolding and urging them not to hurt themselves.
Both he and his brother had shouted back at her not to worry—
And, of course, they hadn’t slowed down in the slightest.
It was a small mont. But it was also one of the warst mories Kron had of this castle.
A mory from a ti when peace truly existed within these walls.
Since then... since their mother’s death, everything had changed.
The warmth that once filled the castle had faded, replaced by a quiet, creeping cold.
In fact, the castle only grew colder as more and more unfamiliar faces began roaming its halls—courtiers, officials, envoys, and retainers—drawn in by their father’s rising prestige as he threw himself deeper into his work.
Into stabilising House Belloc... into preventing its decline.
At the ti, both Kron and his older brother had hated their father for it— for his absence... for allowing strangers to tread through what had once been their ho.
And most of all, for pitting the two of them against each other.
Only now did Kron begin to understand.
Perhaps their father had been the one who missed their mother the most.
And perhaps—twisted as it was—his retreat into work, his obsession with stabilising House Belloc, and even his insistence on forcing a successor through rivalry between his sons... was his way of grieving.
A flawed way... a painful way, but still, a human one.
Kron felt as though many things were finally becoming clear to him—things he had never understood while living here as a boy.
It took leaving, seeing the world beyond these walls, and returning as soone older and more disillusioned.
Only then did he realise that many things were not as simple—or as cruel—as he once believed.
’Sigh...’
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
"Where are Father and my brother?" Kron asked.
"Young Master York is currently on an expedition into the Great Berserk Beast Forest," the butler replied calmly, "accompanying Marquis Clinton Luxen."
"What?!" Kron shouted, stopping in his tracks.
"My brother followed the heir of the Luxen Duchy into the Great Berserk Beast Forest? Does he not understand what that ans for our family?!"
"It would seem... he does not," the butler replied neutrally.
"Lord Baron has already departed the Imperial Capital to address the matter arising from this decision. He is expected to return tonight."
"Oh... Father is returning tonight?" Kron said, his expression easing slightly.
"That’s good."
He had expected to wait weeks—perhaps even longer—before eting his father.
Instead, it seed he wouldn’t have to wait at all.
’I suppose I have my brother’s tomfoolery to thank for that,’ Kron thought wryly.
’Maybe I shouldn’t be angry with him.’
The butler led Kron to his old room.
Just as the older man had said, it was well maintained—spotless, without a trace of dust. And yet, despite the careful upkeep, it looked almost exactly as Kron had left it years ago.
For a long while, Kron simply stood there, letting the tide of nostalgia wash over him.
mories rushed in unbidden.
His expression changed repeatedly—smiling, frowning, laughing softly, then sinking into quiet lancholy—as he recalled the good monts, the bad ones, the painful ones, and everything in between.
"Young Master, your bath is ready," a maid announced softly from the doorway.
Kron snapped out of his reverie and followed her to the bathroom.
He was about to proceed when he noticed the maid lingering by the door.
He froze.
For a mont, he simply stared at her, realisation dawning.
He had forgotten—if only briefly—that he was back in a noble house.
He couldn’t even rember the last ti soone had waited on him for a bath.
Over the past five years, he had grown accustod to sleeping wherever he could—from soft mud to hard stone—and sotis going days without bathing at all. And when he did manage to bathe, it was often nothing more than a single bucket of heated water, used sparingly.
There was never a large tub filled with hot water, scented soap nor carefully mixed perfu oils.
’It was hard at first to get used to hardship,’ Kron thought, shaking his head.
’But now... it’s luxury that feels unfamiliar.’
"Thank you," Kron said gently, offering the maid a small smile. "You may leave. I’ll take care of the rest myself."
The maid hesitated, clearly wanting to protest, but eventually bowed and withdrew.
Kron stripped down, revealing a body marked with scars—each one a silent testant to the last five years of his life.
Lowering himself into the bath, he let the warmth seep into his muscles, easing tension he hadn’t realised he was carrying.
Before he knew it, his vision blurred.
’Must be the steam,’ Kron told himself quietly.
He rubbed away the liquid from his eyes then sank deeper into the water.
-
Hours later, as the sun dipped below the horizon, a luxurious carriage thundered through the gates of Belloc Castle.
Baron Luth Belloc had returned.
The Baron was the spitting image of his son Kron—only older. A tall, broad-shouldered man in his late fifties, he carried himself with rigid discipline. His face was permanently set in a stoic expression that betrayed none of his thoughts.
In truth, his bearing was so severe that one might mistake him for a hardened military officer rather than one of the empire’s foremost diplomats.
The mont Baron Belloc stepped into the castle, the estate sprang to life. Servants hurried about as dinner was swiftly prepared and laid out in the dining hall.
Baron Belloc strode directly to the table, intending to take his seat—only to pause when he noticed sothing amiss.
Two places had been set.
His brow rose slightly.
"Which of my useless sons has returned?" he asked flatly.
"Young Master Kron, Sir Baron," the old butler replied with a respectful bow. "He arrived earlier this afternoon. I would have dispatched a ssenger at once, but—"
"No matter," Baron Belloc cut him off with a dismissive wave. "Where is the boy now? Was he not inford of my return?"
"I sent a maid as soon as your arrival was confird," the butler answered calmly. "Young Master Kron had already fallen asleep. I would venture to guess he has not enjoyed proper rest on a real bed in quite so ti."
"Hmph!" Baron Belloc snorted. "That is the price of running away from ho like a coward."
The butler rely offered a thin smile and said nothing.
Monts later, Kron entered the dining hall.
He was dressed in formal attire befitting a noble scion. His posture was straight and his movents refined. Had Alex or any of the expedition mbers seen him now, they would scarcely believe this composed young noble was the sa roughened adventurer they had travelled with.
"Father," Kron said, bowing deeply.
Though out of practice, his etiquette was impeccable.
Baron Belloc regarded him for a mont, then gave a small nod.
"At least you haven’t completely forsaken your upbringing," he said coolly, gesturing toward the empty seat.
Kron inclined his head and sat.
At a subtle signal from the butler, the maids stepped forward and began serving the al.
Father and son ate in silence.
If an outsider were present, they might never guess the two n had been separated for five long years.
Yet as the scene unfolded, the old butler—who had served House Belloc for over six decades—could barely restrain the tears welling in his eyes.
It was a mont more than five years in the making.
"Why are you back?" Baron Belloc suddenly asked as the maids cleared their plates and served the next course. "Have you finally decided to act like a proper noble heir?"
"Let’s finish the al first, Father," Kron replied calmly, eting his father’s gaze without flinching. "It seems we have a great deal to discuss."
A flicker of surprise flashed across the Baron’s eyes—so brief it would have gone unnoticed by most. He masked it almost instantly.
"Very well," Baron Luth said after a mont. "I will wait and see whether you have gained anything of worth during these past five years."
The two resud their al in silence once more.
***
Reviews
All reviews (0)