Garden of May - Chapter 89
“I thought you’d given up on this old woman.”
Theodore chuckled softly and sat opposite the old woman. His fingers, long and straight, wrapped around the water glass with an innate grace. He took a sip as if it were fine liquor, then set the glass down with a faint smile.
“You sent Edgar, and even sent a young woman, yet you claim to be surprised by my visit? Your jest is a bit much, Grandmother.”
“So you met Hayley. What did you think of her?”
“I hadn’t realized you intended to push Morton forward instead of the royal family.”
His posture was impeccable, his face smooth and flawless, his physique elegant and strong—truly a masterpiece. Grace’s eyes, fixed on her grandson, held a distinct pride, even amidst her simmering frustration.
“Even to a man’s eyes, she is quite lovely.”
Just then, a teacup brought in by the butler was placed before Theodore. The young duke, his gaze lowered, suddenly smiled, as if recalling a pleasant or significant memory.
He hadn’t shown the slightest interest when she’d suggested Hayley Morton. The mere hint of progress brought a touch of color to the old woman’s wrinkled face.
“If you find her suitable, I will withdraw the offer of marriage from the royal family.”
“She is not suitable. I would appreciate it if you would also decline the proposal from the royal family. For the sake of the princess’s honor, which has already been tarnished by a rejection from a mere naval officer.”
“Do you dislike the idea of marrying the princess so much?”
“Let me ask you this. Is a marriage to the royal family truly necessary for the family?”
“Not for the Batenbergs.”
“Then…?”
“It is necessary for the Duke.”
Two pairs of identical blue eyes met in the air, locked in a tense, unyielding standoff. Her astute grandson seemed to have grasped the words she hadn’t dared to utter.
That only a princess would be enough to make you even consider marriage. That even if she were dragged to the altar kicking and screaming, only a princess would be enough to deter the royal family from interfering in the Duke’s personal affairs.
“….”
Unable to bear the prolonged silence, Grace slowly raised her teacup to her lips.
“Since you’re here, why not meet the princess? Don’t dwell on childhood memories. She has blossomed into a beautiful young woman.”
“I refuse.”
The teacup, moving in its elegant arc, paused momentarily in mid-air. Grace’s fingers tightened around it as she set it down on the saucer.
“Are you determined to end our family line?”
“Removing one branch won’t end the family line. It’s not as if there aren’t alternatives.”
“…Theodore, please.”
A hint of desperation crept into her carefully composed voice. At his grandmother’s heartfelt plea, Theodore lifted his gaze from the table.
“You know,” a measured smile played on the Duke’s previously impassive lips, “you only ever called me that when you wanted something from me. And I, foolishly, allowed myself to be swayed.”
“….”
Grace swallowed a groan. He was her only grandson, the apple of her eye. She had raised him from infancy, yet the burden he carried from his parents’ mistakes was immense. To prevent him from crumbling under its weight, from repeating his father’s failures, she had chosen to be a strict mentor rather than a doting grandmother. She hadn’t wanted him to become a weak man who would throw his life away for love. Perhaps that had been her mistake….
“You won’t be able to sway me with ‘that’ anymore.”
Just as Theodore had anticipated her words, she understood the words he left unspoken. That he had endured years as a puppet, placated by his cold grandmother’s occasional, shallow displays of affection. That he had believed a greater reward awaited him if he only elevated the family name, if he only became the perfect Duke.
Theodore was her masterpiece. More Batenberg than any Batenberg she had raised. Surpassing even her husband, her son. Finally. A faint regret flickered in Grace’s wrinkled eyes, quickly replaced by renewed resolve.
“…You will recall how much I disapproved of your aspirations to join the navy, forsaking the future that was already guaranteed to you.”
“Serving in the military is an honor. I do not regret it.”
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 152 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 151 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 150 - Jun 16, 2026
