Chapter 156: Secrets Unraveled
In the courtyard, under the shade of a sun umbrella, Harry lay lazily on a soft rocking chair. Aunt Lindsay gently fanned him on the left, while Mrs. Marigold peeled grapes and fed them to him one by one on the right. All Harry had to do was open his mouth.
“Daddy!” Harry’s cheerful voice broke the serene atmosphere as he saw Alaric approach.
Alaric smiled as he came closer. “I was worried you wouldn’t eat well and take care of yourself with your injury, but it seems like you’re being spoiled here.”
Before Harry could respond, Mrs. Marigold chimed in with concern. “Poor Caspian, such a young boy with a broken bone. I can’t bear seeing him in this state.” Her words were filled with genuine worry, and Alaric almost didn’t recognize the softness in her tone. Gone was the stern matriarch he was accustomed to; in her place was a grandmotherly figure, overflowing with affection for Caspian.
After the DNA test revealed Caspian’s true lineage, Mrs. Marigold’s entire attitude had shifted, and Alaric could hardly believe it.
“Daddy, where have you been lately?” Harry asked, his tone tinged with a child’s innocent curiosity. “Are you too busy with work to come home and visit me?”
Mrs. Marigold immediately took the opportunity to reprimand Alaric. “Even if your work is important, you can’t neglect Caspian. You should make time for him!”
Alaric couldn’t suppress a wry smile, bending down to lift Harry into his arms. “Alright, it’s nap time for you, Caspian.”
He carried Harry inside and gently placed him on the bed. Harry watched Alaric with wide eyes, then asked in a low voice, “Daddy, is it true that the DNA test proved you’re really my father?”
“Of course, it’s true,” Alaric responded without hesitation. “There was no error. You are my son.”
Harry furrowed his brow. “But… when did Galatea and you even… have a relationship? Adults sure are unreliable, aren’t they?”
Alaric smiled at the unexpected question, his mind drifting for a moment. “Harry, everything happened in its own time. But you’re my son, no matter what.”
“But Daddy,” Harry pressed, his voice quieter now. “Do you have other children outside of me? Maybe… maybe you should do a DNA test with Harry too. You never know, there could be a surprise.”
Alaric frowned. “Whether Harry and Elisa are related or not, they are already my children in my heart. I’ll soon marry Galatea, whom you like, and then Harry and Elisa will become your siblings. You’ll have to take care of them, Caspian.”
“Are you really getting married?” Harry asked, his excitement palpable. He shot up from the bed, but immediately winced in pain as his bottom reminded him of his injury.
His cry of pain didn’t go unnoticed, and within moments, Mrs. Marigold rushed upstairs with worry etched on her face.
“What’s wrong, my precious Caspian?” she asked frantically, her gaze darting between Harry and Alaric. “Is it hurting again?”
She then turned her scolding attention to Alaric. “How could you let him move around like this? He’s still recovering!” Her voice, once so cold and distant, now carried an urgency that Alaric wasn’t used to.
Alaric fell silent, taken aback by the transformation in Mrs. Marigold’s demeanor. She had always shown disdain for Caspian, but now, it was as if he were the most important person in her life.
“Grandma, it’s my fault,” Harry intervened quickly. “Don’t blame Daddy.”
Mrs. Marigold shook her head, visibly upset. “How can I not blame him? He took you out, and you got hurt. And now, when he comes back, you get hurt again!” Her voice was filled with frustration.
Alaric, feeling helpless, stepped out of the room, leaving Mrs. Marigold to attend to Harry. “Caspian, tell me where it hurts,” Mrs. Marigold said, her hands moving gently over him, though her touch was still unfamiliar to Harry.
“Grandma, please…” Harry spoke up, his voice strained. “I’m getting nervous with you touching me like that.”
Mrs. Marigold, though clearly trying to atone for her past actions, could sense his discomfort. “I’m sorry, Caspian. I won’t… I won’t do that again.”
Harry quickly cut her off. “Alright, I’m going to take a nap now.”
“Okay, I won’t disturb you,” Mrs. Marigold said gently, covering Harry with a blanket. “Rest well. I love you.”
Harry shuddered, the words feeling strangely out of place, and Mrs. Marigold exited the room with light, almost tentative footsteps, closing the door behind her.
Downstairs, Alaric sat in the quiet hall, having already dismissed the servants. He rubbed his temples, his thoughts swirling as he reflected on the strange shift in his mother’s behavior.
“Caspian is still young,” Alaric said quietly, his gaze fixed on Mrs. Marigold. “If you change your attitude so drastically, he might be scared. He’s confused.”
Mrs. Marigold looked down, regret flashing in her eyes. “I was too harsh with him before, and now I’m trying to make up for it. I want him to accept me as his grandmother.” Her gaze drifted for a moment. “And with Caspian being the only heir of the Knight family, I must treat him better.”
“What about before?” Alaric’s voice was tight with frustration. “Why did you think Caspian wasn’t part of the Knight family?”
Mrs. Marigold hesitated, the weight of her guilt clearly pressing on her. When she finally spoke, her voice was low. “There’s something I haven’t told you… Before Caspian was born, I overheard a doctor saying something that made me uneasy. I thought I had been too busy with the other children, so I had a DNA test done on the fetus in Stellan’s belly. The results showed that you and the child were not biologically related.”
Alaric’s heart dropped at her words, confusion and anger swirling within him. “The DNA results showed that Caspian and I weren’t father and son?”
“Yes, it was clear,” Mrs. Marigold murmured, her gaze avoiding his. “But I was so confused at the time. If you don’t believe me, ask Rook. He saw it too.”
“And yet, you kept Caspian? Why? Why would you keep a child who wasn’t even part of our family?” Alaric’s voice shook with disbelief. He was struggling to make sense of everything.
Mrs. Marigold shifted uncomfortably. “Because the moment Caspian was born, you woke up. And I found a master who said that Caspian was a lucky star for our family. That keeping him would bring prosperity to the Knights. So, I decided to keep him.”
Alaric was stunned, his mind racing to process this revelation. “But… how could the DNA results have been wrong?”
Mrs. Marigold’s face was clouded with guilt and confusion, but she said nothing more.
Alaric’s frustration mounted. The truth about his family’s past was slowly beginning to unravel, and he didn’t know whether to feel more betrayed or lost.