Chapter 423: Snow Falls Again

With the coffin sealed, Isolde said softly, “Father, Mother, we’re going home.”

Clark, his head spinning from the injury, added, “Father, Mother, we’ll take you home.” As he tried to stand, his body swayed, almost tipping over. Isolde steadied him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Clark replied, though the words barely comforted him. He felt immense pain in his chest as he looked at his parents’ bodies. Just moments ago, they had endured a heartbreaking farce—one that tore his heart to shreds. He stood there, seething with frustration and suffocating under the weight of injustice and sorrow. Suddenly, he broke down and began to sob uncontrollably.

Isolde, hearing him say he was fine, had intended to call for help. But she was taken aback when his sobs rang out. Seeing him lose control, her heart twisted, and the tears she had managed to hold back began to fall. She didn’t try to comfort him, letting him cry as he needed. Hattie and Hazel exchanged a glance, their hearts heavy, and quietly left the tent.

Meanwhile, Anthony had taken matters into his own hands with Vance, delivering a swift beating. Vance, lying on the ground, slowly curled up, muttering curses, too scared to shout loudly for fear Anthony might strike again. Hattie and Hazel moved forward, each landing a punch to his stomach. The pain made Vance curl into himself, screaming, “Help! They’re going to kill me!”

“We wouldn’t dirty our hands with you. How could Geoffrey have a brother like you?” Hattie spat angrily.

Vance continued to shout, “You bastards! They’re going to kill your father, and you’re just standing there? Aren’t you going to help him?”

“Should we ask Geoffrey to come help you?” Anthony sneered, delivering another slap. Vance flinched at the mention of Geoffrey, and the fear from earlier made him grow quiet. He slowly rose, groaning, limping away, mumbling to himself.

“He’s still walking—guess I wasn’t harsh enough,” Hazel remarked.

Anthony nodded. “I wanted to kill him, but I had to give Clark some face.”

Hattie raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You? I always thought you were the hotheaded one, but I didn’t know you cared about how others felt.”

Anthony gave her a sideways glance. “Things are different now. We’re people of standing now.”

Chapter 423: Snow Falls Again

“Because you had him,” Isolde gestured toward the coffin. “And because of him, the heavens gave you a little imperfection.”

Clark stared at her, then slowly nodded. “Your words are more comforting than a hundred readings of the classics. You’re right. There’s nothing to regret. I had a father who loved me.”

Isolde helped him to his feet. “What was the argument about?”

“It was about money, about the pendant Sadie gave me. The money I could give him, but not the pendant.” Clark sighed.

“Sadie gave it to you? Why bother fighting him for it? Let him take it for now, and we’ll get it back later. Look at the mess you’ve made of yourself. Sadie must be heartbroken.”

Clark replied, “If I can’t even protect something Sadie gave me, how could I ever protect her in the future?”

Isolde paused, struck by the tenderness in his words. This seemingly cold, pragmatic Clark was, in fact, the most caring.

“Sadie will be happy that you care for her this way.”

Clark spoke softly, his voice tinged with doubt. “Honestly, I don’t understand why Sadie chose me. I’m not special. I’m just a bookish fool.”

“Maybe Sadie likes fools,” Isolde smiled. “Feelings aren’t always complicated.”

Clark chuckled despite himself. “You can’t ever say something nice, can you?”

“Why overthink it? She likes you—just leave it at that.”

“Do you really think Sadie likes me?” Clark asked, somewhat shyly. He had always avoided talking about feelings, but this had been weighing on him. With her status, Sadie had so many options—so why choose him?

Isolde met his gaze. “Trust your own feelings. Don’t worry about her family or status or any of that. Just go with what feels right.”

“Hmm.” Clark thought for a moment, then said with a rueful smile, “Well, if she’s just playing with me, I won’t mind.”

Isolde looked at him, surprised. “Why would you think she’s playing with you?”

“I just can’t believe I could have such luck.”

Isolde felt a pang of sorrow. She understood all too well—the doubt, the fear that happiness could be fleeting. She had felt the same way when she first found herself with Oliver. She knew that when someone becomes suspicious of unexpected happiness, it often means they’ve suffered too much in the past. They fear losing what they’ve gained, afraid to believe it’s real.

Later that afternoon, snow began to fall again. Oliver returned from the authorities, looking grim. “Hassan has handled things. Riley is cleared of charges, but anyone from the Langley family who spoke out in the church will face charges for insulting Geoffrey’s reputation.”

“You rest first. I’ll take care of things,” Oliver said.

“I’m not tired,” Isolde shook her head. “I’ll go with you.”

“Listen to me,” Oliver said, his tone firm. “You’ve been traveling nonstop since you arrived from Argentum. You haven’t rested. Go lie down, and I’ll wake you when it’s time to leave.”

Seeing his serious expression, she nodded obediently. “Alright.”

Oliver personally escorted her back to the tent, watching until she lay down before giving her a quick kiss and leaving. Isolde lay there, staring at the fabric of the tent as Oliver’s figure disappeared. Her eyes grew wet, and she almost cried. So many sad things had happened, but as long as he was there, she felt safe.

Outside, the noise of the crowd grew louder. She heard Oliver’s commanding voice, and the clamor intensified. She closed her eyes, blocking out the noise. About an hour later, she drifted off, finally succumbing to sleep. The noise outside had died down by then.

Hattie entered, shivering from the cold. “Time to get up. We’re preparing to leave.”

Isolde sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What was all that noise about?”

“The Langley family wanted to come pay their respects. They got into an argument. Lawson begged Clark to go to the authorities on their behalf. The authorities started arresting people.”

“Did they arrest anyone?”

“Quite a few. Lawson begged Clark to keep Geoffrey’s body from being returned to Argentum, saying Geoffrey could be buried wherever he liked. Clark refused. They had another argument, and in the end, a beating. I’ve never seen Oliver this… Oliver ordered them all to leave. A few didn’t want to leave and got angry. He even hit people himself.”

Isolde slipped on her shoes and stood. “He doesn’t get angry easily. If he’s angry, the Langley family must have really crossed the line. Never mind them. Anthony can handle things here. We’ll head out.”

Hattie nodded, then left to help prepare.