章節 228: Chapter Twenty Eight - She wants to make trouble

Lessa was the first born of Leonard and his deceased wife, who passed due to an illness not long after his second child celebrated her first birthday. He chose not to remarry and his old mother never pressured him to, being aware just how much he missed the woman greatly. So the two girls became the apple of his eye and he worked hard so that he could spoil them, especially his eldest, who resembled her dear mother so much.

When his old mother passed, he chose to move from town into the village of his father's birth. This old courtyard house was in his family's name, while the townhouse was rented; he hoped to save the extra money for his daughter's dowries when they were old enough to wed. As for their husbands... truly, he only wanted them to be happy and looked around at prospective son-in-law's with this in mind. However one daughter had one eye on the ground and the other at the heavens and the other daughter was a bit of a wild child who did not want to settle and be some little wife at all!

Thus his older daughter married a widower for his wealth and his younger daughter ran away seeking adventure. The whole village felt pity for the old man, who was otherwise respected in their village for he knew some letters, would even help them read messages sent from loved ones who'd gone away for work or to enlist in the armies.

And then his younger daughter reappeared in his life, carrying a two month old baby; his grandson Leo.

Lessa never liked her sister. Aleonara was not a pretty girl, she looked too much like their father and acted more like a boy than a girl. She would sneak away when there were chores to be done, yet would avoid getting into trouble with peace offerings of wild mushrooms and vegetables to grace the pot. So the boys of the village would flatter Lessa with words regarding her appearance, suggesting they wanted to marry her when they grew up, but it was Aleonara they turned to when seeking wild plums in autumn.

After Lessa married into her husband's family, she had a hard time with her new mother-in-law because she was a peasant girl; all of the respect her father had from the village meant nothing in her husband's home. It became easier once she had given birth to her first son and better still after her second was born. But then Aleonara had to spoil things by bringing home a wild child of who knew what ancestry. Lessa tried to convince her old father to throw the brat away to an orphanage, claim he died or something, anything to improve the reputation of her birth family that had soured her relationship with her mother-in-law so badly. Leonard had refused.

When Leo was just five, Aleonara passed away, destined to die young and in a similar manner as her mother. A lot of villagers also lost family that year for the sickness that passed through the village was cruel. That left only Lessa's father and nephew in the old courtyard house and the old man was even more determined to raise him as the successor to their family.

Lessa felt that was unfair. She had always hoped to inherit her father's possessions and give them to her own children as her husband had already declared his eldest son from his first marriage would inherit his land and head the family. But now this wild child was going to take his things and his house and there was nothing she could do about it. So she bullied her nephew more in retaliation and tried to sway her father's mind, make him dislike the brat as much as she did. Leonard was not a stupid man, he knew that his daughter was unhappy with his decision, but he was not about to change his mind. A married daughter was like spilled water after all; her family was her husband's family, her children took his name and were part of his ancestry. Leo was Leonard's hope for his bloodline's future.

There was probably no one happier when Leo went away than Lessa, the woman thinking that his absence allowed her more opportunities to get the old man to change his mind or for accidents to happen;who knew if the little bastard would ever come home at all?! But there was also no one unhappier when he then showed up out of no where and on a carriage that outshined any her husband could even hope to own.

The woman who came to gossip that morning hinted that Leo had been kicked out of his school and that he had become indentured to a wealthy young master, who brought Leo here along with many other servants. However, Lessa was not a fool, she knew just how warped words spread from tongue to tongue could become through exaggeration and embellishment. She came to see what was going on herself. Just seeing that brat all comfortable, no master around and acting all loving and filial to her father, she was transported back to before the boy had left this place and blurted out what was on her mind. But she did mean her suggestion of taking the boy away and making him work for her family. She'd let him know his place then!

However, those two youths returned, the smaller one dressed in fine silks and wearing leather boots was definitely a notch above her landlord husband in social status and the taller one had an air about him. She reckoned he was an illegitimate noble boy, acting as a companion to the young master. She sneered when her nephew became subservient to the tall boy thinking that her nephew was so useless, couldn't even become a servant of the silk dressed young Master.

"Here G-Grandfather," Leo stuttered, handing a cup of hot and fragrant tea to the old man. "This t-tea p-p-promotes b-blood circulation and warms the ch-chest. G-g-good for w-winter ch-chills." The old man couldn't help but smile as his grandson served him. Lessa's eyes narrowed and brows lowered; she was the idiot boys' elder too, where was her tea? Actually, Leon had not forgotten and did pour her a cup, passing it to her with a few words. "I added honey t-t-to yours, Aunt. T-to c-c-c... reduce the b-b-bitterness."

Leonard snorted with mirth. His good grandson had gained a bit of backbone in school it seemed, perhaps gaining it after the bullying incident he'd mentioned. He had no idea that the boy was still being bullied, just behind closed doors. That person would also get retribution on any who dare attempt to harm what was his.

Whether Lessa decided to ignore the insult or whether she just was not aware of the double meaning, only she knew. She placed down the cup, angry that the beverage was definitely of a quality that even her husband had never touched before inquiring; "Now that your plans to become educated have fallen through, what are your plans now, nephew? I assume there's a reason you brought your masters here to this poor village?"

Said 'masters' looked at the woman with confusion. Leon, on the other hand, barely looked over his shoulder at her, busy chopping the skinned hare into portions ready to cook. He hadn't cooked with it before, but he figured one couldn't go wrong braising it into a stew.

"Why do ye insist on sayin' tha' Leo is no longer at school?" Leonard asked in a low tone. A heavy sigh escaped him. This eldest daughter of his so resembled her mother in face, but she had none of that woman's cheerful and optimistic temperament. He could grudgingly admit that her sourness came from him as did her stubbornness, but her avarice nature and constant dissatisfaction with her lot, that was nothing to do with him nor his wife at all. Perhaps it came from his own father, that man died chasing the next silver coin. Either way, Lessa disappointed him.

"Isn't that why he's return all of a sudden?" She blinked as if surprised that her thought dared be questioned. "Otherwise why didn't he come back before?"

"The Institute is s-several d-d-day's journey from here, Aunt," Leon advised her. "And the j-journey c-c-can c-cost a lot. This t-t-time, I had s-saved some m-m-money and had help from m-m-my friends as well. B-b-but I have t-to g-g-go b-back to school after winter b-b-break."

"Yeah, there's no way Leon's Teacher and the Headmaster will let him leave school now!" Sun added, brightly. "He's invaluable to the school!" He really just wanted to help his friend get this unpleasant woman off his back, just as Leon and Jin Li had helped him cope with some of the drama in his own household. Unfortunately, some words have a tendency to backfire.

"Invaluable you say..."