Chapter 5: Approached

Orville’s POV:

When I was lost in my anxious thoughts, the door of my study room opened partly as I saw both my sons walking inside with dreadful pale expressions. While my glare stiffened on them, before I could rebuke, my oldest son Arnold muttered aloud, “Father, it was my fault. I tried to humiliate that black slave on my own, but Raphael didn’t do anything wrong. Please don’t punish him for my wrong-doings.”

I knew as a father I should be firm in getting angry with my son’s doing, but I couldn’t shake off the jealous turmoils inside me.

I ran my fingers to push my silver-hair bangs above my forehead when I shrieked at him, “I understand you are at an age to attain adulthood, but if you would have chosen to mate with a man instead, I wouldn’t have gotten so infuriated with you, Arnold, but you chose a black-slave?

“Do you think as the eldest son of the Thorn Birds Manor, this kind of reckless behavior is acceptable from you? Where are your ethics that I have taught you since childhood? I am at a loss of words to explain how disgusted I am feeling right now, Arnold!”

By then both of them slowly knelt before me on the floor and Raphael pleaded in a soft voice, “Father, I know brother did commit a grave mistake, and I beg your mercy for him. That black slave was an old classmate of mine, so I initially found it hard to accept her here. I know, it might take some more time for us to accustomed to her in the manor, but please be rest assured, something shameful like this will never happen again.”

‘She was allowed to attend school with Raphael, despite being a black-slave? But how should that be possible?’ As the thought hit my mind, I scorned them, particularly Arnold, “You must attend two hours of extra Spanish class everyday starting today. This will be your punishment.”

I saw Arnold’s face turned glum from my decision as I was well aware that other than being afraid of me, he has always detested learning the Spanish language, but pursued it for me.

After a brief pause, Arnold raised his head and tried to speak with a look of disdain, “B-But…Father—”

“I don’t want to hear any slightest excuse anymore, do you understand?” This time neither of them complained from my angry growl, and quietly nodded with a bow.

Before I could ask them to walk out, my phone rang and I saw the caller ID of Tilin, my sister-in-law. She was Dilin’s younger omega sister, 8 years younger than me and I knew she had long unrequited feelings for me.

As I signaled both of them to leave the room, I had to pick up the call with a deep sigh, “Hello?”

“Greetings to Duke Orville, I hope you are doing well.” A sweet soft voice answered me from the other side of the call, making me uneasy.

I was aware for a long time that Tilin was never truly happy with my marriage with Dilin, and she refused countless marriage proposals for herself too. Now that I was widowed, she kept looking for chances to approach me just like today. But no matter how hard she tried, I could never bring myself to return her feelings.

“There will be a wonderful ballet performance at the Imperial Theatre tonight, so I wanted to ask, will you be available to go watch it together with me?” She smiled a little nervously while asking me.

But my facial expression hardened when I glanced blankly outside through the glass window. I uttered in a low grumble, “No. I won’t be available today.”

“I-Is that so?” She stuttered for a second but I could sense her smile fading away from the other side. She rather expressed in a stiff voice, “Then I will come to visit the manor tonight. It has been a long time since I have seen my two nephews, and I happen to have some spare time on my hands.”

Like always, I knew she was just giving excuses to come here, so I coldly grunted, “Tilin, you don’t have to come here. I will send Arnold and Raphael to visit you there instead.”

“Why are you always being so cold to me, Duke?” But this time I sensed a hurt mumble from her that paused me for a second. “I just want to visit the manor where my dead sister had lived for years, so can’t I even do that now?”

While standing frozen, my eyes fell on the garden hut visible from my room window where I just had ordered to put that black slave girl. Without paying heed to Tilin’s words, my gaze keenly glancing around the hut.

However, as if my silence hurt her, she growled at me, “I will come to visit the manor tonight, so I will see you soon, Duke Orville.”

When she disconnected the call with a click, I put the phone down and kept gawking at the garden hut which looked pretty wrecked to withstand the cold January winter now.

How will that petite girl survive there? I was the one who wanted her to die as soon as possible, but now…why can’t I think of it like that anymore?