Chapter 1140

Kyle continued, recounting the rest of the story. After Isaac was cast out, the charlatan assumed the child would not survive. Whether he lived or died mattered little; eventually, wolves would devour him, leaving nothing behind.

But by chance, Adrian passed through that area. One night, he heard a faint, baby-like cry and investigated. Thinking he had found a spirit, he followed the sound, only to discover Isaac. First, it wasn't a baby—it was a five- or six-year-old child. Second, it wasn't a spirit—it was a gravely ill child, near death. Abandoned for an unknown time, rats had gnawed off one of his toes, leaving his foot bloody. Worse, poisonous snakes were nearby. Luckily, Isaac was too weak to move, and the snakes remained at a distance.

The child's survival was remarkable. Barely breathing, he was still alive when Adrian found him. Despite his reservations, Adrian took Isaac back. After a few days of light food and two doses of medicine, Isaac began to recover. In the capital, David had consulted numerous physicians who could not improve Isaac's condition. Yet, simple sustenance and a small amount of medicine had worked wonders. It was extraordinary.

Adrian, however, remained unimpressed. The boy was emaciated, his frame far too thin for his near-six years. He looked more like a three- or four-year-old. Adrian realized raising him would be challenging. He considered sending Isaac away but recalled the boy's lack of fear amidst the poisonous snakes. He decided the child possessed courage, the most important quality, and decided to keep him. The rest, he believed, was up to fate.

At that age, a child could remember events. Once Isaac trusted Adrian, he shared his story. Adrian investigated and learned the full details. After the fire at the temple, the Earl of Silverstone's family presumed Isaac dead. Adrian found the charlatan and returned him to Meadow Ridge. Claiming the cool autumn day was ideal for drying cured meat, he hung the priest from a long pole. The priest's tongue was deemed inedible, so it was removed first.

No one knew precisely when the charlatan died, but he remained hanging for three months before being taken down. Burial was impossible; they lacked even a mat for wrapping the body. Digging a grave seemed disrespectful to the earth, so they simply left him for the wolves. Surprisingly, even the wolves largely rejected him. Had they not needed winter fat reserves, they likely would have left him untouched.

The charlatan had lived in the temple where Isaac had been taken. It was almost laughable that a noble family with a long military history believed the charlatan's claims of borrowing power from a god or deity. While ignorance might excuse the common folk, the Earl of Silverstone's family's complete gullibility was astounding. They had willingly handed over their five-year-old son to a monster.

Isaac—the name Adrian had given him—was a name Adrian hoped would foreshadow a life filled with music and joy, far from the hardship of his past.

“As Isaac grew older, Sage Adrian asked if he wished to return to Silverstone Estate,” Kyle continued. “But he refused, stating there was no need. Seraphina had died in the fire, and the dead do not return.”

Carissa's heart ached, tears welling in her eyes. Grief overwhelmed her. Thinking of Isaac, she thought of Ryan, and the parallel tragedies brought fresh anguish. She imagined Isaac's suffering in that temple.

A five-year-old child, once cherished, was abandoned to a cruel charlatan. He had been tortured, nearly dying within months. Then discarded as if his life held no value—who knew what else the charlatan had done?

“If he doesn’t wish to acknowledge them, then he shouldn’t,” Rafael stated, anger evident. “Who knows if they genuinely hoped he'd survive, or if they simply wanted him to maintain the family fortune?” After all, the Earl of Silverstone's family had completely believed the charlatan's lies.

“That’s likely something Isaac has wondered himself,” Kyle replied. “But he never dared ask. How could he not feel for his mother? He was her precious child for five years, and even after everything, she sought him out. Because of that, he always held a soft spot for her.”

Rafael pondered, then added, “But wait—Marshal Prince inherited the title. That means their father didn't. And Marshal Prince had some disabilities upon inheriting, though not serious. The last time I saw him, they seemed healed.”

Chapter 1141