Chapter 163: Geoffrey’s Majestic Moment
Clark was stunned by the words but said nothing. After all, marriage was a matter beyond his control. Prudence, too, remained silent. Technically, Clark was Prudence’s grandson, and if Braden had a better future, she would have hoped for a balance, ensuring the best for Clark as well. But with Braden languishing in prison, it was hard for her to reconcile her emotions. Moreover, whether for noble families or common folk, legitimate heirs always received the most support. It was rare for a bastard to overshadow a legitimate son. What’s more, everyone in the family knew Clark was Geoffrey’s godson, and Clark’s success was, in truth, Geoffrey’s success.
Hearing Priscilla’s words, Rosemary spoke lightly, “If the engagement has truly been set, I cannot intervene. I would never steal someone else’s betrothed.” Prudence and Priscilla both breathed a sigh of relief. But as Prudence sighed in relief, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret. Being with Jonathan was something Vance could never have dreamed of. If only Jonathan had set his sights on Braden—how much better that would have been. Ah, but alas, bastards—children born to those charming women—had no true hearts. If they could be suppressed, they should be. If not, they would grow up to be arrogant and turn on their own kin. She had to stop this. She couldn’t let another mistake happen.
Clark, however, was completely confused. What was all this talk about stealing someone’s fiancé? Why had Jonathan and Rosemary come here in the first place?
Prudence finally spoke, “We are grateful that Rosemary holds Clark in such high regard. This is truly his good fortune. But given that he is already promised to another, it seems that Clark is not worthy of such an honor.”
Jonathan looked at Prudence, his gaze calm but piercing. “It’s not that my daughter is unworthy. In truth, I really admire Clark. If he is already engaged, then you may go to the Queen Mother’s palace and ask for her blessing, giving Clark an honorary marriage proposal.”
Prudence forced a smile. “That won’t be necessary. The engagement has already been settled. How could we trouble the Queen Mother to bless it again?”
Rosemary stood up, a cold smile on her face. “Don’t be so polite. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the palace to request the Queen Mother’s decree. You’d better produce an unmarried Fiona, or else it will be seen as treason.” With that, she turned to Jonathan and said, “Let’s go, Jonathan.”
Prudence’s expression darkened, and she stood up abruptly, her voice sharp with anger. “How is it that you’re trying to force a marriage on him?”
Rosemary turned back and looked at her, almost with amusement. “Oh, now you see it?”
Prudence’s anger flared. “You are the one who came to propose in person, which already seems…us. You may have the Queen Mother’s favor, but don’t tarnish her name with such dirty tricks.”
Rosemary snapped, her voice icy. “What threats? If you had simply said you didn’t like Sadie, that would have been one thing. But instead, you try to fool me with a story about Fiona. Do you really think Jonathan and I are fools? If the engagement is truly set, then inviting the Queen Mother to bless it would be a gesture of gratitude. But instead, Prudence, you get angry and accuse me of threatening you. What is that logic!”
Clark finally understood. Jonathan and Rosemary had come here to propose—specifically, they wanted to arrange a marriage between Sadie and him. He couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. Sadie was well-known, respected for her elegance and charm, and had even been taught medical skills by the Queen Mother herself. Any man in Argentum would be lucky to marry her. It wasn’t that he wasn’t moved—Sadie was beautiful, after all—but she was a princess, of high status. Marrying her meant he’d have to tread carefully around her, a life filled with expectations and pressure. He was also bewildered by the fact that Prudence had used the pretense of an engagement in Caelmont to push Rosemary away. Just how afraid were they of him taking control of his own destiny? Clark couldn’t understand it. Though he was a bastard, he was still her grandson. Why did they treat him with such bias and unfairness?
Prudence had long held her anger in check, but Rosemary’s sharpness had finally broken her. She was no fool, and she wasn’t about to let someone push her around.
Geoffrey slowly stood up, his eyes now fixed on Rosemary. “I accept this proposal. Tomorrow, I’ll personally bring the people to your house to formalize it.” A proposal was usually the responsibility of the man’s side, not the woman’s.
Priscilla’s voice rose sharply. “You accept it? On what grounds?”
Geoffrey met her gaze, his eyes narrowing with disdain. “Because I am his godfather. The elders of the family can vouch for it. Since I am his father figure, I have the right to decide his marriage.”
Priscilla was momentarily speechless. It was true. Geoffrey had the right.
Rosemary’s mood brightened at his words, and she smiled at Geoffrey. “Very well. Tomorrow, we shall wait for you at our house.” She glanced at Clark again, her smile turning a little warmer. “Sadie has good taste. I like her very much. Jonathan, let’s go.”
Clark was stunned once more. “Sadie has good taste? She already knows about me?” Despite the confusion and the sting of Prudence’s words, he still maintained his manners. He cupped his hands and said, “Pablo, Madam, please travel safely.”
Jonathan, who had barely spoken, finally snapped. “Kid, if you treat Sadie poorly, I’ll break your legs.”
Rosemary scolded him lightly, “Enough. It’s their business now, not yours.”
Jonathan growled, “She’s my precious little girl!”
“Alright, alright,” Rosemary said sweetly, trying to calm him down. “Let’s go tell your precious girl the good news.”
It was strange—Jonathan, who was always so imposing, was reduced to a bumbling fool in Rosemary’s hands. She was managing him like a child, and it left everyone around them stunned.
After Jonathan and Rosemary left, Geoffrey turned to Prudence, his expression serious. “Mother, that whole engagement in Caelmont—was it a lie?”
Prudence met his gaze, her eyes filled with a deep, unspoken resentment. “Whether it’s true or false, you’ve already promised it. Can my arm possibly be thicker than Jonathan’s thigh?” The words were crude, something Prudence rarely said, but in her fury, she couldn’t help herself.
Geoffrey stared at her, wanting to ask something else. Years ago, after he married Prunella, she had suddenly claimed there was an engagement with some young lady—was that also a lie? But he didn’t ask. Some things, once uncovered, were too ugly to face. He wasn’t ready to confront the truth about how ugly things had been, so he chose to hold his tongue. At the end of the day, she was his stepmother. It was better to let things go smoothly, for the sake of appearances.
Priscilla, who had been unwell after Braden’s situation settled, had spent two days sick and two days in a frenzy. Now, seeing that Clark’s marriage was truly set, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her heart twisted with a mix of bitterness and anger, and she rushed to Clark, pointing a trembling finger at his chest. “Don’t get too smug! Even if you get to marry Sadie, it won’t change your lowly status. Your mother was a whore, and so are you!”
Clark’s expression shifted in an instant. For years, he had respected his stepmother, never once speaking back to her. But this was crossing a line. Her words cut deep, triggering years of suppressed anger and frustration. He was trembling with fury, but all he could manage to squeeze out was a single, strained command: “Shut up!”