He turned pale as he covered his face with his bony hands. “If she gave birth to a child who was the son of a Lapisasthan man, I knew that there was no going back for her. While I was agonizing over my decision, I learned that she was seeing a doctor dispatched by the convent. I felt absolutely hopeless. She once did charity work for the impoverished, but now she was on the other side, receiving charity from a convent. I was the one who made her lead such a desperate life.”
Lucas’s father spoke quickly. The regrets that had built up in him came tumbling out as if a dam had burst. A deluge of remorse spilled from his mouth. “So, I decided to make my resolve. The only thing I knew was fishing. I climbed aboard a whaling ship and wanted to make it rich so I could support my wife and soon-to-be-born child. I wanted to help her lead an easier life.”
For better or for worse, he had a friend, a fellow sailor from Lapisasther, who had an enticing offer. Whales were abundant that year, and a single catch could allow him to buy a house.
“I told my wife I’d be out to make money,” he explained. “I promised her that I’d help her lead an easier life. I still remember it now—she was against it. She said that she was happy as she was and didn’t want me to do anything dangerous. She just wanted me to be by her side. I…married her and promised to never leave her, but…I did just that.”
Lucas’s father covered his face and started sobbing. “I’d been praying for the safety of my wife and our child. I knew that I left them behind. We’d even talked about a name. If she had a girl, we’d name her after Saint Crouzette of Lapiasther. If the child was a boy, we’d name him after me.”
I glanced at Kiki, and my maid offered the man a towel so that he could wipe his face. Unfortunately, Lucas’s father had been caught, but as he wasn’t in charge of the whaling ship, he evaded execution. Still, he had no family back in Lapisasther, and no one would come to save him. No one could pay his bail, and he was set to live the rest of his life in prison.
“Baron Stock,” the man said, giving a deep bow. “Please tell me. What happened while I was gone? What kind of life did you and Matilda lead?”
“All right,” Lucas replied quietly.
He spoke indifferently of his life until now, casually listing events. He spoke of how his pregnant mother overcame adversities to give birth to him and how she fled the convent to protect her only son. He discussed his life with her in Westmierden and her death. Lucas then went on to explain how he survived until this point.
Lucas spoke in a monotone. It sounded like he was suppressing his rage and sorrow at the same time; I’d never heard him speak like that before. He talked at length, the time feeling like an eternity. Even as the sun had started to set, I remained by my husband’s side. Now and then, Kiki would pour new cups of tea and lay out refreshments and snacks on the table, but the two men didn’t have a single morsel.
“Thank you for telling me everything and for not hiding it from me,” his father said.
When all was said and done, it was already well into the night. Lucas’s father had grown weary from crying so much, and his voice sounded raspy under the lamplight as he continued to apologize to his son.
“I’m not asking that you forgive me,” he said. “I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done and the suffering I caused you two. I even made you spend so much money to have me pardoned. It’s audacious to even call myself your father, and I’m aware of that. I can never apologize enough to you…”
As the man apologized, I couldn’t see my husband’s expression; he had barely moved a muscle since this conversation started, and I was a bit scared to see what expression he had as he listened to his father speak of the past. All Lucas did was quietly give a very deep sigh as the man lowered his head.
“I understand now, and it’s all in the past,” Lucas said. “I’ve already gotten what I wanted.” He was surprisingly calm as he fixed his posture and crossed his legs. “And I didn’t pay all that money just to be nice. Unlike my mom, I don’t have a noble heart. I’m just a merchant who chases after profits.”
“Then…why?” his father asked, raising his head with confusion.
“I’m gonna have you work for the Stock Trading Company in the Lapisasthan branch. You better make profits to make up for lost time and repay me with even more money than I used to get you out. I’ve already secured the land near Sara Village. The royal family has given me permission to build a branch here and buy the land as long as I aggressively hire Lapisasthans.”
“Wha…” Lucas’s father froze, his mouth gaping open.
Lucas pushed up his canary-yellow hair and narrowed his eyes. “Thanks to you, I became a nouveau riche merchant. I’ll use whatever I can and have at my disposal, you see. I’ll use my birth, the needless meddling that Bearbrooks is doing to be a nuisance, the fact that the Lapisasthan king owes me for throwing my innocent father into jail, and my father. I’ll use anything and everything.”
I had no idea. Finally, the mystery behind his actions and the work he toiled away at before he headed for the prison had been revealed. No wonder he forgave that thieving child and gave him business cards to show off to the parents. And the fact that Lucas had personally met His Majesty to receive permission to search for his father made sense. They were all connected—no, Lucas had connected them and expertly used them for his own gain.
As he saw our shocked expressions, he chuckled jovially. “Thanks, Dad. Because you’re still alive, I can prove I’ve got Lapisasthan blood. As your son, I can proudly set up business here and expand my company. Lapisasther is rather strict toward foreigners, you see. Seems like this nation has got a lot of eager workers familiar with this land, too. I can expect profits greater than the money I used to set you free. I can’t help but be excited just thinking about the future.”
His father looked up as he stopped crying, and Lucas grinned back.
“I’m a lot more severe than you are, Dad. You don’t have to apologize to me, but I need you to live a long and healthy life so that you can work for me. That’ll be good enough.” Lucas stood up. “So, starting from tomorrow, don’t act so awkwardly reserved. Why don’t we get along like father and son?”
Relief washed over Lucas’s father, his haggard expression vanishing as he smiled. “My son’s rather stalwart, I see,” he said.
“I got it from Mom,” Lucas replied. “She raised me all by herself as a lady left to her own devices. I would’ve loved to show you how bold she was.”
“Heh… You’re right. Matilda was indeed a stout-hearted woman.”
Lucas’s father covered his face as he smiled, gazing up at the ceiling. After he calmed down, he saw Lucas’s outstretched hand and exchanged a firm handshake.
“Thank you,” the man said. “Thank you for showing me how splendid you are. Out of all the misfortune, it’s the one thing that I’m truly thankful for.”
“Thanks,” Lucas said with a chuckle. “I know we just met, but sorry for surpassing you already, I guess.”
And so, a long day with his father drew to a close.