Raymond was unconcerned by Jack's sudden silence and continued speaking to himself: "I vaguely remember that many years ago, you, as Alyssa's adoptive father, tried your best to stop her from being with me, and I even hated you for it."
"Back then, you already knew that Alyssa and I would never work out, and how ridiculous I was in my innocence..."
"I'm sorry, Jack. This was all my fault..."
Hearing Raymond's sincere apology, a flicker of emotion crossed Jack's eyes, and feeling stirred on his face.
If this were Raymond from many years ago, he would never have apologized to him in this tone.
They would have argued until they were red in the face, maybe even started a fight.
The child who used to make him so angry had finally matured after going through so much.
Jack pressed his lips together and hesitated for a moment; he couldn't let Raymond die in pain and regret.
"Alyssa's resting place isn't far, Raymond. You can come with me to visit her..."
Raymond looked up in surprise, and the grim expression on his face softened slightly.
He was startled for a moment, then looked at Jack's now-gray hair and felt a sense of relief.
Yes... time heals all pain and emotions. His relationship with Alyssa had caused a rift between him and Jack.
But more than a decade had passed, and even grudges fade away.
"Cough... Cough! Hans, you don't need to help me."
"Jack, let's go. Alyssa has been waiting for many years; I can't keep her waiting any longer."
Raymond struggled to his feet, triggering another bout of harsh coughing, and he again refused Hans's assistance.
When the three of them went back outside, many of the local residents had gathered near the houses across the road and along the roadside.
Compared to the few watching earlier, now nearly half the village was observing from nearby.
Everyone was very curious about what the lord looked like and why he had come to this remote village where they all lived.
"Mom, the lord's carriage is so beautiful." A boy, just a few years old, pointed curiously at the carriage.
"Silly boy, just watch quietly. Don't point. If the adults think you've offended them, then it's all over!"
Seeing this, the woman quickly glanced at the stoic guards nearby, raised her hand, and pressed the boy's finger down.
"Oh my, that's Old Jack's house?! They know the lord?" "The lord actually came in person."
"Huh? Only Old Jack is following the lord, but what about Karl?"
"Karl's not home right now; he went hunting. I wonder what kind of game that kid will bag today, eh?"
A middle-aged man in a thin shirt, with an apron in front and a kitchen knife at his waist, replied with a smile.
But observers they were; none of the villagers dared approach the carriage.
They felt not only reverence for the lord, but also because guards were stationed on both sides of the carriage.
And one of the guards already had his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist, calmly watching everyone, a silent warning.
At that moment, if any villager dared to step forward without permission, they would be met with a drawn sword.
Under the watchful eyes of many villagers, Old Jack followed Raymond and the butler Hans into the carriage one after another.
Then, heading towards the cemetery, the guards also followed and departed the scene.
In an instant, only the tax collector was left at the scene.
The tax collector secretly raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his palm.
He secretly rejoiced that when Old Jack had opened the door earlier, he hadn't said anything bad about him; otherwise, he would be in trouble right now.
What he couldn't understand was, if Jack had such a connection with the lord, why hadn't he mentioned it when paying the tithe?
If he had been told, even if Jack and the other fellow paid less tithe, he would have still calculated according to the stipulated conditions.
According to other villagers, Old Jack and Karl had moved into the village almost three months ago.
He knew nothing about their past.
They were just ordinary commoners; how could they have contact with people of lordly status?
Under normal circumstances, even on the day a commoner died, they might never have seen a lord's true face.
At best, if they were lucky enough to encounter a lord traveling, they might see the entourage from afar.
The tax collector stood by the roadside, lost in thought, and when he came to, a group of villagers were already secretly pointing at him.
He straightened his posture with the back of his hand and shouted loudly without ceremony.
"What, are you all idling? Don't you have work to do?"
"The tithe is due in a few days, and I remember that more than a dozen of you are reluctant to pay your taxes every time."
"If it's the same this time, don't come asking me for mercy!"
Before the words had even faded, the crowd that had been watching instantly scattered like fish and birds, their faces changing one by one.
What do commoners in this era fear most?
Presumably, besides the nobility, they have to pay taxes; even in times of natural disaster, they still pay taxes—not a single copper coin less.
...
At the cemetery, in front of one of the many tombstones, the one bearing Alyssa's name, Jack and the two figures stood.
"Here lies Jack's adoptive daughter, mother of Karl El, Alyssa."
When Raymond saw the name on the tombstone, the grief in his heart surged forth again, and tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
"I'm sorry..."
"Forgive me, Alyssa, I'm too late..."
Raymond stared at the tombstone, his expression dazed, as if he were tirelessly apologizing over and over, his eyes filled with despair.
However, after more than ten minutes immersed in grief,
he was stunned, because he noticed that on the inscription, there was actually a person named Karl El? It seemed like Alyssa's child?
Wait... The surname El?! He also had the surname El, and this child bore the same surname as him.
Thinking this, Raymond immediately turned his head towards Jack, his hands trembling as he pointed at Karl's name.
A flicker of disbelief crossed his eyes, his lips quivered, and he was too emotional to speak.
Jack knew what Raymond wanted to ask at that moment, and he nodded.
"Yes, Karl is indeed your biological son. You and Alyssa had a few encounters before she became pregnant."
"But she asked me to keep it hidden, and then she learned you were going to get married."
As he spoke the second half of the sentence, a slight anger appeared on Jack's face.
He practically ground his teeth as he forced out these words, clearly very angry.
The adoptive daughter he had raised with such care ended up with a man who was doomed from the start, ignoring all his advice.
Even after becoming pregnant, she still thought of the other party and didn't want him to take responsibility, which nearly made Jack cough up blood.
If Alyssa hadn't pleaded with him, he would have gone to Raymond's door with his sword and had a good talk with him.
Seeing Jack mention this matter after so many years, still unable to hide his angry expression, a slight look of shame flickered across Raymond's face.