บท 7: Chapter 7
When Jamie stepped into his father's outer chamber, breakfast was already waiting for him along with his father and uncle. Rather than an assistant to the General, Jamie found the man to be more like an extremely close friend or brother of his father's. Unless he had to leave to do an errand for the General or needed to do some personal business, he was always within the vicinity. Thus, Jamie had no reservations about treating the man as family or even a second father.
Seeing the boy at the door, Avery patted the seat to his right that has been reserved for Soleil. The man had a sparkle of admiration in his eyes as he looked at his nephew. On regular days, the boy was quite good looking, but today he looked like a little bud that would bloom into the most beautiful flower in a few years' time. As an uncle, he swears that he'll happily throw out any man (or woman) that dared to corrupt his little nephew! Children are a blessing. It's best to keep him until he is twenty.. no, twenty-five years old.
Under the table, the General pinched the man on his thigh. He knew his son was very sensitive about his looks, therefore he didn't want this wolf in sheep's clothing to scare him too much.
Jamie sat down and ate his food listlessly. His maids were bullying him... but he didn't have the heart to scold the little girls. 'They were just doing their job and giving their honest opinions; there's no need to get too upset on trivial matters...'
When the ever stoic General saw his son sighing, he felt an odd pull in his chest. His little son was so obedient and kept things to himself. Originally, he just thought the boy was a good kid that he wouldn't mind leaving his legacy to, but over the week of knowing him, he began to see him as family. Setting down his chopsticks, the General cautiously asked, "Is there something bothering you... son?"
Jamie looked up from his barely eaten bowl of rice to see his father watching him with scrunched brows. Still wearing his grievances from this morning, he asks, "Father, can males really wear clothes like this?"
The General looks over his son's clothing and hums in his mind. He didn't know what he should say. Males do indeed wear these clothes... however... it's typically for the men that wish to attract other men. 'Is it possible that my son is gay? If that is the case... if I say 'no', then wouldn't it crush his heart?'
Jamie nervously awaited his father's response. Whether he punishes Lina and Rina will depend on his answer.
After weighing his thoughts, the General nods, "Yes. I have seen some males wearing this type of clothing."
Jamie looks at him skeptically, searching his face for a hint of a lie. Finding none, Jamie then loosens his frown and decides to believe the maids' opinion.
After eating breakfast, the servants cleared the table and poured tea that helps with digestion for the three men. Although General Jedrick was obviously a strong and burly man that lived half of his life on the battlefield, he was still initially a noble who had carried the bearing of an aristocrat. Therefore, his dignified movements were very pleasant to watch. As for Avery, there was no need to say that the beautiful man was very elegant and poised as he sipped his tea.
On the contrary, Jamie, a 21st-century man in a 10-year-old's body, wasn't very refined and didn't know the proper etiquette, but his nature has always been very gentle like a soft breeze in the midst of spring. With a bit of polishing, it was obvious that the young miss, no, master, had the potential to be the very essence of grace.
"Ah. Since both of you have to go to the palace today, would it be okay if I go to the market? I wanted to find some plants and seeds for my garden."
The General placed his cup down and pondered momentarily. Though he may not look like it, he knew his son was very responsible and had a bit of street-smarts from when they were traveling these past few weeks. There shouldn't be anything wrong with him going. "You may, but you must take a few guards with you. Avery, before we leave, go and inform Pier and Norman that they are to accompany the young master today. And that they must not let him be injured or swindled lest they want to return to being a mere cadet."
Jamie returned to his room and told his four personal maids of his plans for the day. The four of them had a tough time choosing which of them should accompany the young master for his first outing, leading to a very heated debate that ultimately led to them pulling straws. In the end, it was tomboy Rina who was chosen. Excited, Rina wore a wide smile as they headed for the gate where the carriage was waiting.
Unlike the one they used while coming to the Capital, this carriage was in no way inconspicuous. The body was made of lacquered black wood and had the plated crest of the Marquis of Cladius on its doors. The carriage had exquisite detailing carved into its sides and was pulled by four tall and muscular black horses.
Jamie didn't have a solid understanding of money yet, but he estimated that this carriage was worth a whole lot. Standing beside the carriage were two guardsmen who seemed to be in their late teens. Both of them had tanned, wheat-colored skin that showed that they were often out in the sun and muscles that were comparable to steel. Coming forward, they greeted Jamie with deep bows.
""Greetings to the Young Miss.""
Hearing his gender being mistaken once again, Jamie's smile faltered and just waited for Rina to correct them. Sure enough, the two were greatly embarrassed.
"This subordinate apologizes to the Young master. Please do not take offense. It's just that Young Master's beauty is incomparable to any Young Miss in the Capital," said the guard who carried a long sword on his side. A blush could be seen on his tanned face and his messy blonde hair could not cover the tinge of red that spread to his long, pointed ears. Jamie knew at a glance that he was Gale Piers, an elf who was one of the best swordsmen of the Marquis of Claudius' household.
"This subordinate regrets his mistake as well, Young master." Beside Piers was Isla Norman, a very handsome youth that had jade eyes that were much lighter than Jamie's emerald ones.
He was someone who greatly admired General Jedrek Lovel after being saved by him during the war in the east. With this undying loyalty, Isla Norman According to the novel, Jamie remembered that Isla Norman really disliked the Young Master but was never open about it.
Scum Jamie ended up using him as a scapegoat when he went into the palace for the first time. Isla Norman lost his hands for it. This resulted in a lot of hate from the General's men but a lot of fondness from the royal family.
Jamie didn't want such events to occur. Just like how he didn't want to kill the little black fox despite knowing the fox would give him great power, he didn't wish for the person in front of him to lose his hands because of him.
The two men had their heads bowed for quite some time. This left some distaste in their mouths. They heard from many of the servants that the new young master was a kind yet naive country bumpkin that their Venerable General picked up on a whim. Although they believed in their General's judgment, they as subordinates still felt skeptical. Can a girly-looking peasant boy truly become General Jedrek Lovel's successor?
Moments pass and even the free-spirited Rina felt a bit awkward. Coughing, she said, "Um... Young Master...?"
Jamie comes out of his thoughts and realizes his blunder when he sees that the men were still bowing. "Oh. Sorry. I was caught in a daze. There's no need to apologize. People mistake my gender often."
The two guards put their misgivings to the back of their minds and return to an upright posture.
Jamie saw how they tried to act stone-faced as the General. He didn't want to be like the bastard MC and treat his father's people like objects that can be thrown away. These people were the ones who would take care of him, protect him. Thus it was best that he makes a good impression.
"It is an honor to meet the two of you, Sir Norman, Sir Piers." As he said their names, Jamie looked at them individually, holding a very dignified gaze that was a small reflection of the General's. "I was told that both of you are very talented and have been recently promoted to platoon Captains."
Isla and Gale gave each other quick glances before responding.
"The honor is ours, Young Master. And yes, it has been about a week since our promotions." Gale said.
Jamie smiled at his respectful response. It seems that the ire from earlier has been swept away. Surely, the men under General Jedrek will only recognize those who are humble but not insecure. After telling them the purpose of their trip, Gale, the more talkative one of the two, suggested that they head to the flower market. With that, Jamie stepped into the carriage alone while Rina sat upfront with the coachmen and Gale and Isla followed on the sides on their own horses.
From time to time, Jamie could hear the praises from the people outside. Thinking that General Jedrek was riding inside, they would say things like 'Praise the General' or 'Blessings to the General.' Hearing such praise from the citizens, Jamie felt proud of the man who was now his father.
But at the same time, he was worried. In the novel, he remembered that because of this adoration, the royal family became very wary of him... Now that he thought about it, he's forgotten about one of the huge problems he overlooked.
The reason as to why the General suddenly adopted a son wasn't just because he felt like it. He needed to quickly raise someone that would hold the family name because of an injury he received half a year ago while patrolling the borders with the neighboring Eastern Kingdom of Jira. After that event, the General could not use his right hand.
'Now that I think about it, the General was eating with his left-hand today... Not only that but whenever they were together, Uncle Avery was always on the General's right side.' Jamie's mind racked his brain with the contents of the novel. He's been so busy trying to assimilate to his new life that he's forgotten such an important fact.
It was later said that the General would receive treatment from a mysterious doctor that the Crown Prince found. The doctor was able to suppress the symptoms of the General but he couldn't cure it completely. In the end, not being able to fully use his right hand was fatal to the General who was a right-handed swordsman. This will ultimately lead to the General's death in a few year's time...
Lost in his thoughts, Jamie didn't notice that the carriage stopped until Rina knocked on the door. They parked a distance from the crowd where no one could see who was alighting from the inside. After stepping down, Rina saw her Young Master's worried expression and felt distressed herself. "Young Master Soleil, are you not feeling well?"
Jamie shook his head at her question.
The willowy eyebrows that were scrunched relaxed slightly. Along with his guards, he began to walk toward the market. 'There's still time to prevent that from happening... Everything will be okay.'
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