Chapter 2

“Couldn’t you have just let it slide?” Graham said in a sulky voice.

“It’s rather shocking to me that tge revered Duke of Sutherwick would use his only heir’s marriage to settle some personal grudge from the past.”

“Grudge, my foot!”

“So, you admit you’re using me,” Cedric interpreted arbitrarily.

Some of the tension left Graham’s shoulders and his voice became calmer.

“It was just an old man’s long-cherished wish.”

The Duke of Sutherwick slowly closed and opened his eyes as if trying to suppress the pain. Then, he calmly recounted the story.

It was love at first sight. This was more than fifty years ago now. The first love of the passionate young duke was not light. Lyla Summers, who later became Lyla Langton after marriage, was a very beautiful woman.

Her hair was as bright as spun sugar, her skin as white and clear as crystal and she had emerald green eyes that shone with intelligence. But what made her even more beautiful was her remarkably determined and upright character which was a stark contrast to her delicate appearance.

He loved her very much. However, when he finally met her again years later, Lyla was already engaged to the duke’s longtime close friend, Morgan Langton, whom he had grown up with and shared a close bond.

The only natural course at that time was to give up on his feelings for Lyla. Not because he lacked the confidence to win against Morgan, but because Morgan was too good a friend to lose in such a way. And it was also because he was certain that Morgan would make Lyla happy.

Afterward, Graham married Laura, whom he had known for a long time, and after a while, he fell in love with her, and had three sons. His love for Lyla faded, but the memory of his first feelings of love remained vivid.

The initial excitement and sweet pain still remained. Even after marrying Laura, he occasionally visited the Langton couple.

When the Duke and Duchess had their first child, the Viscount and Viscountess came to visit. At that time, Graham unknowingly uttered the words that sprang to his mind.

“Let form a marriage between our children.” The Langton couple both smiled and nodded, saying they would.

“It was a light promise, but well, it wasn’t so light for me.”

It seemed like a very good ending to his unrequited first love. At the time, Graham really thought it had to happen.

However, his children were all sons, and the baron and baroness only had one son as well, so it never came to fruition.

After that, Graham gradually forgot about the promise. In fact, he lived as if he had completely forgotten it. Until his wife, Laura’s death.

After his longtime companion succumbed to illness and finally passed away, old age and death suddenly became a reality to Graham.

Graham sometimes fell into thought… Unfulfilled wishes before death. Did he have such things too? And one suddenly came to mind.

Lyla and Morgan, and the playful promise they made a very long time ago. Graham had thus finally realized that he could finally keep that promise now…!

Blah blah blah…

Cedric barely listened to the duke’s dramatic story. He was tired, and his grandfather’s exaggerated long-windedness was boringly frequent.

The art of selective hearing he had honed over the past twenty-eight years was now almost perfect.

His grandfather had always been somewhat exaggerated. For example, Cedric would bet half of his entire fortune that Graham wasn’t worried about death in the slightest.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sailed alone in a small yacht through a storm last month.

Cedric rubbed his eyelids, indicating his tiredness.

“Could you please get to the point?”

“Tsk, insolent boy.”

Cedric just shrugged, and Graham continued his tale with his eyes narrowed.

“I saw her granddaughter once when she was little. About six years old, I think. She looked just like Lyla. Bright blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Even back then, I briefly thought it would be nice to see her married to my grandson.”

“Since you’ve reached the part where Grandmother died, I’m leaving.”

“You rascal! Just keep quiet! I truly cherished and loved your grandmother.”

Cedric knew that. The Duke and Duchess were an extremely affectionate couple. Their marital harmony was so good that he had even worried about having an uncle younger than himself.

But unfortunately, his grandmother passed away the year before last…

“It’s just that a man never forgets his first love.”

“Yes, I suppose so.” Cedric replied with a very indifferent attitude.

“Do you even know what love is?”

“If that’s love, then I’d rather never know it my whole life.”

“You seem like a heartless bastard.”

“I’ve had such an excellent grandfather, after all.”

“Just refuse if you dislike it. I have plenty of other grandchildren besides you, you brat.” Graham grumbled words he didn’t mean.

“I didn’t say I disliked it. I’ll make sure to visit the Viscount soon.”

Cedric, having replied without a fuss, rose from his seat. Graham called out to Cedric as he bowed and was about to leave.

“Cedric.”

“Yes?”

“I’m serious. I’m certain that the daughter of that family would be a good match for you.” Graham said with a solemn expression.

While he did have somewhat selfish intentions, he ultimately wished for his eldest grandson’s happiness. Hailey would surely be a good wife.

As the daughter of the Langton family and Lyla’s granddaughter, she couldn’t possibly be that bad.

Morgan’s son, Robert, was also a good kid, though he wasn’t quite up to Morgan’s standards. His wife, Sarah, was the same. So, in the end, Hailey would also be a good kid. Perfect logic…! Graham was sure of this.

Cedric readily nodded in agreement. “Of course.”

“Also, tell the Viscount that I send my regards.” Graham reminded.

“As you wish.”

Cedric finished his sentence, turned, and left Graham’s study. Once he had dealt with the urgent matters at hand, he would likely be able to visit the Viscount in about a week.

Twenty-eight… It was an age that could be considered late for marriage by some, or early by others. Those with childhood sweethearts usually married in their early twenties, while those who were free spirited and loved to enjoy life, remained single until their thirties.

“Hailey Langton.”

If anything, this engagement was sudden. However, Cedric didn’t feel much resistance about it. Maybe it was because arranged marriages weren’t particularly rare in aristocratic society. Moreover, he trusted his grandfather’s judgment of women.

His late grandmother, Laura, had been a truly wonderful person. She had even said that Lyla Langton was a good person. Cedric also trusted his grandmother’s insight.

“If Hailey Langton is that kind of woman, I might even fall in love.”

Contrary to many people’s prejudices, Cedric believed in love. He knew that true love existed because his father had loved his mother so much that he defied society’s norms.

Even his seemingly frivolous grandfather had deeply loved his grandmother. So, he too, believed he could find love like that.

It wasn’t uncommon for affection to grow from an arranged marriage. He had lived for twenty-eight years and had yet to meet a woman he wanted to spend his life with.

A small sense of anticipation rose within him.

Hailey Langton might be that woman.

‘Maybe or maybe not.’

If someone knew what he was thinking, they would say he was a hopeless romantic. But that’s just how Cedric was.