Chapter 1408

Upon hearing the commotion, all the servants looked toward Austin. Two seconds later, they lowered their heads, resuming their search, calling, "Young master! Young master?"

Austin was utterly bewildered. "Is there another young master besides me?" he wondered, a confused frown creasing his brow. He continued walking toward the manor, ignoring the servants. As he neared the house, he found his feet rooted to the spot. Looking down, he saw a small boy clinging to his calf like a koala.

The little boy looked up, grinning. "Teehee!" He lacked several teeth, his smile innocent and utterly unexpected. Austin was shocked. "Whose child is this?" he asked. He instinctively tried to shake the boy off, but despite his small size, the child's grip was surprisingly strong. Galen, for it was he, clung calmly, even using Austin's shoe as a makeshift swing. The harder Austin shook his leg, the happier the boy seemed. "Hahaha..." he chuckled.

"Get down! Get down right now!" Austin exclaimed, frustrated. He had never cared for children and felt utterly ill-equipped to handle this situation. The unexpected embrace had stopped him from entering the house. "Whose child is this?" he repeated, his voice louder this time.

His shout drew everyone's attention, including Dominic, who had been about to search for Galen. Seeing the scene before him, Dominic roared, "Don't move!" Despite his age, the roar was thunderous, freezing Austin in place. Austin, his balance precarious with one leg planted and the other suspended, holding Galen, stammered, "G-Granduncle..."

He shot Dominic an anguished look, fearing the boy would be punished for the disruption. 'Granduncle is furious,' he thought, 'He's trembling with anger.'

Then, to Austin's astonishment, Dominic said, "Oh, my dear grandson..." He opened his arms and rushed toward Austin.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Austin felt tears welling in his eyes. It was the first time Dominic had addressed him so affectionately in twenty years. Blood, he realized, truly was thicker than water. "Grandpa..." he began, but Dominic was already squatting, scooping Galen into his arms.

"Let's not sit there, all right? It's dirty!" he said, gently. Galen's grip on Austin's calf had been remarkably strong, making it difficult for Dominic to lift him.

"Let go," Dominic coaxed. "I have something fun for you to play with. Otherwise, you can play with my beard!"

At this, Galen released Austin's calf and grabbed Dominic's beard. "Pull..." he commanded.

"Yeah, you're pulling it..." Dominic chuckled, tears glistening in his eyes, allowing Galen to continue.

Austin was speechless. A wave of profound sadness washed over him, a crushing weight on his heart. He had never felt such pain.

'So, Granduncle wasn't calling me, and the servants weren't searching for me either,' he thought bitterly. 'The "young master" they were calling was that brat! Granduncle even lets him play with his beard! I can't even pour him a cup of tea without his disapproval, but this child is tugging on his beard, seemingly about to rip it out, and Granduncle says nothing!'